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- Insomnia and sleep apnea: would indoor environment change the picture?Publication . Belo, Joana; Araújo Gonçalves, Sara; Gonçalves, Sara; Lage, Joana; Almeida-Silva, Marina; Carolino, Elisabete; Mendez, Sergio; Canha, Nuno; Cruz, Miguel Meira eIntroduction: Sleep is essential for overall health and well-being, impacting several dimensions from cognitive impairment to cardiometabolic risk. Yet, many individuals struggle with sleep-related issues such as sleep apnea, and insomnia, often without realizing that the indoor environment may be a contributing factor. The present data concerns the preliminary results from one of the tasks of the HypnosAirStudy (www.hypnosair.com) and it aims to describe the prevalence of insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (OAS), and self-perceived indoor air quality, in a sample of Portuguese adults.
- Levels of fungi in the air of poultry farms following different stages of birds’ growth cyclePublication . Gomes, Bianca; Dias, Marta; Pena, Pedro; Cervantes, Renata; Rodriguez, Margarida; Marques, Liliana; Riesenberger, Bruna; Carolino, Elisabete; Viegas, CarlaPoultry production intensification might influence microbial development. Concerning fungal assessment, despite the limited number of studies, several fungi have already been found in poultry pavilions. Occupational health specialists frequently overlook worker safety and biological risk assessment due to a lack of systematic knowledge regarding the agents involved. Consequently, workers, exposed to organic dust are at risk of developing various respiratory diseases. This study aimed to analyze indoor and outdoor fungal load at different stages of the poultries growth cycle. The sampling campaign was conducted in Winter in 14 poultry pavilions. Air samples from indoor (n = 47) and outdoor (n = 20) were taken before bird placement (sanitary control), followed by 1st, 2nd and 3rd weeks. The impactor MAS-100 was set at 100 L/min for 5 min. Fungal loads indoors exceed the outdoor in all stages of the production cycle. Besides, fungal occurrence was also identified during sanitary control (5%). The acquired data can provide new insights into the variation in fungal air concentrations during different phases of poultry growth. The data obtained should be complemented with qualitative research. Together, this information will support the development of mitigation techniques aiming to protect workers, animals, and environmental health and thus following a One Health approach.
- Boosting knowledge on occupational exposure to microbial contamination in Portuguese carpentriesPublication . Dias, Marta; Gomes, Bianca; Pena, Pedro; Cervantes, Renata; Rodriguez, Margarida; Riesenberger, Bruna; Marques, Liliana; Carolino, Elisabete; Twarużek, Magdalena; Kosicki, Robert; Soszczynska. Ewelina; Caetano, Liliana Aranha; Viegas, Susana; Viegas, CarlaIntroduction: Wood industry workers face health risks due to exposure to microorganisms and their metabolites. This study aimed to characterize seasonal microbial contamination, antifungal resistance, mycotoxins, cytotoxicity, and particulate matter in Portuguese carpentries, to reduce exposure and promote safe working conditions. Methods: Conducted in six carpentries in Lisbon, Portugal, the sampling strategy encompassed active and passive sampling methods to assess microbial contamination. A Handheld Particle Counter HH3016-IAQ was used to monitor particulate matter size, temperature, and humidity. Results: The highest fungal load was in the cold season, with Aspergillus sp. being the predominant species, and the highest bacterial load was in the warm season. Reduced susceptibility to azoles was observed in both seasons, with greater species diversity in the cold season. In the warm season, Nidulantes and Fumigati sections of Aspergillus were detected by RT-PCR, with Fumigati being the most prevalent; in the cold season, only Nidulantes were detected. Mycotoxins, mainly fumonisins, were more prevalent in the warm season; in the cold season, griseofulvin was the most prevalent mycotoxin. Cytotoxicity was more prevalent in A549 cells than in SK cells. Settled dust caused greater cytotoxicity in SK cells, and filters from the vacuumed dust in A549 cells. Higher particulate matter concentrations in the sampled indoor areas suggest a significant contribution of indoor activities to workers’ exposure. Discussion: The study highlights concerns about seasonal variations in microbial contamination, emphasizing the potential for respiratory diseases, invasive infections by azole-resistant fungi, mycotoxin exposure, and cytotoxicity in lung cells due to co-exposure to fungi, particulate matter, and mycotoxins influenced by environmental conditions.
- Assessing the quality and reliability of ChatGPT’s responses to radiotherapy-related patient queries: comparative study with GPT-3.5 and GPT-4Publication . Grilo, Ana; Marques, Catarina; Corte-Real, Maria; Carolino, Elisabete; Caetano, MarcoBackground: Patients frequently resort to the internet to access cancer information. However, these websites often lack content accuracy and readability. Recently, ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, has signified a potential paradigm shift in how patients with cancer can access vast amounts of medical information, including insights into radiotherapy. However, the quality of the information provided by ChatGPT remains unclear. This is particularly significant given the general public's limited knowledge of this treatment and concerns about its possible side effects. Furthermore, evaluating the quality of responses is crucial, as misinformation can foster a false sense of knowledge and security, lead to noncompliance, and result in delays in receiving appropriate treatment. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the quality and reliability of ChatGPT's responses to common patient queries about radiotherapy, comparing the performance of ChatGPT's two versions: GPT-3.5 and GPT-4. Methods: We selected 40 commonly asked radiotherapy questions and entered the queries in both versions of ChatGPT. Response quality and reliability were evaluated by 16 radiotherapy experts using the General Quality Score (GQS), a 5-point Likert scale, with the median GQS determined based on the experts' ratings. Consistency and similarity of responses were assessed using the cosine similarity score, which ranges from 0 (complete dissimilarity) to 1 (complete similarity). Readability was analyzed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score, ranging from 0 to 100, and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, reflecting the average number of years of education required for comprehension. Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney test and effect size, with results deemed significant at a 5% level (P=.05). To assess agreement between experts, Krippendorff α and Fleiss κ were used. Results: GPT-4 demonstrated superior performance, with a higher GQS and a lower number of scores of 1 and 2, compared to GPT-3.5. The Mann-Whitney test revealed statistically significant differences in some questions, with GPT-4 generally receiving higher ratings. The median (IQR) cosine similarity score indicated substantial similarity (0.81, IQR 0.05) and consistency in the responses of both versions (GPT-3.5: 0.85, IQR 0.04; GPT-4: 0.83, IQR 0.04). Readability scores for both versions were considered college level, with GPT-4 scoring slightly better in the Flesch Reading Ease Score (34.61) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (12.32) compared to GPT-3.5 (32.98 and 13.32, respectively). Responses by both versions were deemed challenging for the general public. Conclusions: Both GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 demonstrated the capability to address radiotherapy concepts, with GPT-4 showing superior performance. However, both models present readability challenges for the general population. Although ChatGPT demonstrates potential as a valuable resource for addressing common patient queries related to radiotherapy, it is imperative to acknowledge its limitations, including the risks of misinformation and readability issues. In addition, its implementation should be supported by strategies to enhance accessibility and readability.