RCIPL
Repositório Institucional do Politécnico de Lisboa
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The role of wood shavings in the spread of Aspergillus section Fumigati: from carpentry environments to zoonosis risks in poultry farms
Publication . Dias, Marta; Gomes, Bianca; Viegas, Susana; Viegas, Carla; Dias, Marta
Wood dust is not solely an occupational hazard for carpenters, since this material is commonly used as bedding for the poultry industry. Wood shavings are among the various contaminants affecting poultry production and may be a reservoir of pathogens. Thus, wood-based litter might contribute to a potential risk of zoonosis. Aspergillus section Fumigati is included in the fungal priority pathogens list published by the World Health Organization and has already been detected in woodworking environments. This study aims to perform a contamination assessment of Aspergillus section Fumigati in both carpentries and poultries.
Mapping current and emerging laboratory techniques for haemoglobinopathy carrier detection and prevention: a narrative review from the HELIOS Action
Publication . Yasin, Norafiza Mohd; Chatzimatthaiou, Sotiroula; Perolla, Adela; Blanco Alvarez, Adoracion; Brito, Miguel; El-Kamah, Ghada; Xhetani, Merita; Kountouris, Petros; Stephanou, Coralea; Traeger-Synodinos, Jan
Haemoglobinopathies remain a major public health challenge, predominantly in endemic regions. Increasing migration has extended their prevalence in previously non-endemic areas, complicating early detection and prevention. As part of the HELIOS CA22119 COST Action Working Group 1, this narrative review critically examines established and emerging laboratory techniques for haemoglobinopathy carrier detection. It also explores diagnostic limitations, regional disparities, and opportunities for global harmonisation to support early detection, prevention, and equitable care. A literature search of MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE (2014–2024) identified studies on the screening, diagnosis, and prevention of haemoglobinopathies. Findings were synthesised across three domains: (1) preventive strategies, (2) carrier screening methods, and (3) prenatal diagnostic approaches. Advances in molecular technologies have improved diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. However, conventional haematological approaches, particularly complete blood count and haemoglobin typing, remain essential and cost-effective first-line tools. Key challenges include unequal access to advanced diagnostics and the lack of standardised protocols across regions. Strengthening prevention requires coordinated global efforts to promote accessible, accurate, and standardised diagnostic approaches tailored to regional genomic, economic, and healthcare contexts. Early and equitable carrier detection, combined with effective prenatal diagnosis, is critical to reducing the global burden and improving health outcomes in both endemic and emerging regions.
National recommendations for the safe handling of hazardous drugs by pharmacy technicians in Portugal: a modified delphi study
Publication . Silva, Vítor; Valeiro, Carolina; Alves, Ana; Costa, Ana; Costa-Veiga, Ana; Reis, Ana Rita; Simões, Ana Rita; Silva, Ana; Andrade, Anabela; Oliveira, Andreia; Marques, André; Perpétuo, Carla; Pereira, Cátia; Carriço, Cristina; Vieira, Elisabete; Moreira, fernando; Santos, Joana; Vilar, Joana; Joaquim, João; Valadares, Luís; Baeta, Maria; Couras, Mariana; Ramires, Milene; Silva, Nuno Miguel; Pereira, Olívia R.; Guerra, Paula Bustorff; Alexandre, Pedro; Pinto, Rafaela; Pelota, Ricardo; Gomes, Sofia Alves; Grilo, Sofia Roque; Vieira, Sofia; Sequeira, Susana; Guedelha, Tânia; Freire, Tiago; Oliveira, Vânia; Matos, Cristiano
Background: Occupational exposure to hazardous drugs is a recognised occupational risk in hospital pharmacy practice. Although international guidelines are available, the implementation is heterogeneous, and there are currently no formally endorsed national recommendations regarding the safety of pharmacy technicians in Portugal. Objective: To develop consensus-based national recommendations for the safe handling of hazardous drugs by pharmacy technicians in Portugal. Methods: A modified Delphi study was conducted involving 43 invited experts from Portuguese hospital pharmacies. Fifty-eight statements were evaluated using a 0-10 agreement scale through one formal quantitative round, followed by a structured online consensus validation meeting and documentary confirmation. Consensus was predefined as a median score >7. Results: Thirty-six experts completed Round 1 (response rate 83.7%). All 58 statements voted on in Round 1 achieved consensus, with median scores of 10 for all recommendations and 98% of ratings ≥7. Following consolidation and merging procedures, the final set comprised 55 recommendations. The final recommendations were organised into five domains: occupational health surveillance, engineering controls and PPE, preparation technique and quality assurance, administrative safeguards, and environmental contamination and waste management. Conclusions: This study establishes the first structured national consensus on the safety of hazardous drug handling for pharmacy technicians in Portugal. The resulting framework supports harmonisation of institutional practices, strengthens occupational risk governance, and provides a foundation for future implementation and evaluation studies.
From variability to accountability: rethinking radiation exposure in pediatric osteoid osteoma ablation
Publication . Paulo, Graciano
Interventional radiology has rightfully claimed osteoid osteoma (OO) ablation as a success story. Minimally invasive, highly effective, and reproducible, CT-guided thermal ablation has largely replaced surgery as the standard of care. Yet, in pediatric patients, this success is accompanied by a persistent and important concern: the management of ionizing radiation exposure. Despite increasing awareness, radiation dose in pediatric interventional radiology continues to show considerable variability, with limited standardization and few meaningful benchmarks. In this context, the multicenter registry analysis by Wintergerst et al. provides a timely and relevant contribution by systematically evaluating radiation exposure, procedural outcomes, and practice patterns in CT-guided OO ablation.
Age dependent variation of the magnetic fabric of dike swarms and implications for the volcanic structure of ocean islands: the example of the Maio Island, Cabo Verde archipelago
Publication . Moreira, Mário; Mata, João; Madeira, José; Represas, Patricia; Martins, Sofia
Magnetic fabric analysis of dikes is a powerful technique when assessing magma transfer processes. This study presents an integrated analysis combining magnetic susceptibility and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, magnetic mineralogy, geochemistry and new 40Ar/39 Ar dating of dikes intruding formations ranging from the Lower Cretaceous to the Miocene on the island of Maio, in the Cabo Verde archipelago. We show that the dikes, dated at approximate to 9.2 Ma, intruding the younger Miocene Casas Velhas formation, display a Ti-rich titanomagnetite composition, higher whole-rock TiO2 content and very high magnetic anisotropy. They are clearly distinguished from the dikes, ranging in age from approximate to 9.3 to 11.3 Ma, intruding older formations, which show a predominantly Ti-poor titanomagnetite composition with multiple magnetic phases, lower whole-rock TiO2 concentration, higher range of magnetic susceptibilities and very low anisotropy. Magnetic fabric is predominantly normal with no significant imbrication relative to the dike margins. Numerical analysis of fabric shows a dominant coaxiality between the magnetic lineation and the preferred orientation of opaques and phenocrystals suggesting that magnetic lineation is, therefore, the proxy of the magmatic flow axis orientation. Based on the orientation of the magnetic fabric, we infer that magmatic flow within the studied dikes is predominantly vertical. The differences observed between the younger dikes and all other dikes may be related to magma sourced from distinct magma chambers. One, probably shallow, underneath the Casas Velhas fm in the southwest of the island, which would explain the very high values of magnetic anisotropy and the inferred vertical flow, and another located in a central position in the island, responsible for the dikes intruding the older formations. The location of such magma reservoirs and the dikes ages suggest a hypothetical migration with age of the magmatic sources that fed the dikes from the central part of the island to the southwest region. The magnetic and mineralogical heterogeneities of the dikes intruding older Lower Cretaceous formations may also be a result of a wider age range of the intrusions.