Papers by Manuela Vieira da Silva
Children’s play paints, an attractive tool for preschool activities, can be classified in artist ... more Children’s play paints, an attractive tool for preschool activities, can be classified in artist paints (gouaches, acrylics, watercolors, fingerpaints) and face paints. These products composition is not always known since not all are required to bear their ingredients in the label packaging. The present study aimed to characterize the children’s play paints available in schools and retail stores and also to assess the practices involved in the acquisition, handling and storage of these products by schools and that may have impact on the product quality and safety. For this purpose were studied paints from 8 schools and 7 retail stores from Porto (Portugal), in a total of 17 popular brands. The results shows that the label information differs from product type, taking into account the legal requirements applied to each one (artist paints or face paints). The main hazards stated in the products label are related with the possibility of ingestion of small pieces that are part of the pr...
The design of neonatal intensive care units (NICU) influences both patient safety and clinical ou... more The design of neonatal intensive care units (NICU) influences both patient safety and clinical outcomes as well as the acoustic conditions. In NICU exposure to sound pressure levels above the recommended can affect both neonates and healthcare staff. This study aimed to evaluate the sound pressure levels and to assess noise perception of professionals in a NICU before and after structural modifications and layout redesign. The measurements were performed with a sound level meter. A questionnaire was given to staff before and after the intervention. The opinion of healthcare staff regarding noise in NICU was better after the intervention, when compared with the responses previously given. The results showed that noise levels were excessive in the NICU (before and after), exceeding the international recommendations, with the levels ranging between 46.6 dBA to 57.8 dBA before and 52.0 dBA to 54.0 dBA after intervention. Overall, there is a need for more research in order to verify the effectiveness of some actions and strategies to reduce the impact of noise in NICU.
Prematurity and low birth weight of newborns lead to the need of a special care in neonatal units... more Prematurity and low birth weight of newborns lead to the need of a special care in neonatal units, and their permanence in these places can be extended for a long period. Indoor environmental conditions, such noise levels above the recommended, may induce some risks, not only for the newborns development, but also for health care staff. This literature review aims to examine the studies related to noise in neonatal intensive care units to understand the sources and effects of noise, as well as some strategies to reduce noise exposure. The search strategy included an electronic search in databases (ISI Web of Knowledge and PubMed) of scientific articles published in English/Portuguese between 2000-2017. Studies providing data on noise levels found in the neonatal units, the effects on health of newborns and staff and the measures to minimize these effects were included. The exclusion criteria were as follows: duplicate printings; nonEnglish/Portuguese language; editorials, letters, p...
Journal of toxicology and environmental health. Part A, 2015
Studies on microbial characterization of cold-smoked salmon and salmon trout during cold storage ... more Studies on microbial characterization of cold-smoked salmon and salmon trout during cold storage were performed on samples available in the Portuguese market. Samples were also classified microbiologically according to guidelines for ready-to-eat (RTE) products. Further investigations on sample variability and microbial abilities to produce tyramine and histamine were also performed. The coefficient of variation for viable counts of different groups of microorganisms of samples collected at retail market point was high in the first 2 wk of storage, mainly in the Enterobacteriaceae group and aerobic plate count (APC), suggesting that microbiological characteristics of samples were different in numbers, even within the same batch from the same producer. This variation seemed to be decreased when storage and temperature were controlled under lab conditions. The numbers of Enterobacteriaceae were influenced by storage temperature, as indicated by low microbial numbers in samples from co...
Studies in Systems, Decision and Control
Indoor environmental conditions in neonatal intensive care units, such noise levels above the rec... more Indoor environmental conditions in neonatal intensive care units, such noise levels above the recommended, may induce some risks, not only for preterm infants’ development, but also for health care staff. The aim of this work is to summarize some good practices guidelines that can be followed by health care staff in a daily basis, which are intended to promote noise reduction in neonatal intensive care units. It is expected some initial resistance to the implementation of some recommendations, but evidence shows that in general, with training, health care staff should recognize the need of changes.
The feeding of infants in hospital involves use of powdered infant milk formulas, which, may not ... more The feeding of infants in hospital involves use of powdered infant milk formulas, which, may not be totally sterile, require the implementation of a set of procedures for control and monitoring circuitry implemented in any area of preparation. Milk-based formulas have been identified as a potential vehicle of emergent microorganism, Enterobacter sakazakii. The proliferation of cases of E. sakazakii infections in neonatology services, has led European and U.S. authorities to put in question the preparation of food in health institutions and to revise its guidelines. This microorganism can survive for long periods of idle time on formula milk powder until there is reconstitution of the product with water during preparation. The implementation of HACCP (Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) in a hospital came to promote improved quality and safety in food preparation, being the preparation of infant formula milk powder a special status.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) noise may be stressful to preterm infants. This research eval... more Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) noise may be stressful to preterm infants. This research evaluated the newborns exposure to noise during several health care activities of two NICU. The measurements of the equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level and peak sound pressure level were carried were performed with a sound level meter, as close as possible of the newborn. The results showed that sound pressure levels were excessive in all the evaluated tasks, exceeding international guidelines. The levels ranged between 46.6 dBA to 74.6 dBA. There is a need for more research in order to verify the effectiveness of specific strategies to reduce the impact of noise in NICU.
Archives of environmental & occupational health, Jan 13, 2017
In NICU, systematic exposure to sound pressure levels above the recommended can affect both neona... more In NICU, systematic exposure to sound pressure levels above the recommended can affect both neonates and staff. This study aimed to evaluate the sound pressure levels in three Portuguese NICU and the noise perception of staff. The measurements were performed with a sound level meter, considering the location of the main sources of noise and the layout of the units. A questionnaire was applied to assess noise perception of professionals. The staff classified the environment (regarding noise) as "slightly uncomfortable" (41.1%) and 48.4% considered it as "acceptable." In addition, the majority (55.5%) considered "equipment" as the most annoying source of noise. The results showed that noise levels were excessive in all the evaluated areas of the NICUs, exceeding international guidelines, with the levels ranging between 48.7 dBA to 71.7 dBA. Overall, there is a need for more research in order to verify the effectiveness of some actions and strategies to re...
Food Science and Technology International, 2001
... Effect of a cryoprotectant agent (sodium tripolyphosphate) on hake slices preserved in ... Ef... more ... Effect of a cryoprotectant agent (sodium tripolyphosphate) on hake slices preserved in ... Effects of polyphosphates on cell numbers, enterotoxin A, and extracellular protein in ... Nemadactylus macropterus Bloch and Shneider) in combination of polyphosphate, potassium sorbate ...
Food Control, 2002
An agar medium containing histidine or tyrosine incubated anaerobically was used for detecting th... more An agar medium containing histidine or tyrosine incubated anaerobically was used for detecting the decarboxylating activity of bacteria isolated from Portuguese vacuum-packed cold-smoked fish during chilled storage. The capacity of each bacterial isolate to produce histamine and tyramine was studied at 25 and 5°C incubated for 48 h and 10 days, respectively. More strains produced histamine and tyramine at 25°C compared with 5°C although lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains exhibited similar results at the two different temperatures. Tyramine was produced by majority of the isolates tested although very low concentrations were produced at 5°C as confirmed by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Tyrosine-agar was shown to be a good indicator medium for detection of bacteria that produced high levels of tyramine, since typical colonies surrounded by a translucent halo were easily recognised. LAB identified as Lc. Lactis lactis 1 and Carnobacterium divergens were detected as tyramine-producing bacteria. Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp., isolated from all Portuguese smoked fish products, were negative on histidine-agar, but HPLC identified considerable quantities of histamine produced in a broth medium.
Food control, 2002
An agar medium containing histidine or tyrosine incubated anaerobically was used for detecting th... more An agar medium containing histidine or tyrosine incubated anaerobically was used for detecting the decarboxylating activity of bacteria isolated from Portuguese vacuum-packed cold-smoked fish during chilled storage. The capacity of each bacterial isolate to produce histamine and tyramine was studied at 25 and 5°C incubated for 48 h and 10 days, respectively. More strains produced histamine and tyramine at 25°C compared with 5°C although lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains exhibited similar results at the two different temperatures. Tyramine was produced by majority of the isolates tested although very low concentrations were produced at 5°C as confirmed by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Tyrosine-agar was shown to be a good indicator medium for detection of bacteria that produced high levels of tyramine, since typical colonies surrounded by a translucent halo were easily recognised. LAB identified as Lc. Lactis lactis 1 and Carnobacterium divergens were detected as tyramine-producing bacteria. Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp., isolated from all Portuguese smoked fish products, were negative on histidine-agar, but HPLC identified considerable quantities of histamine produced in a broth medium.
Advances in Noise Analysis, Mitigation and Control, 2016
The "NeoNoise Project: Integrated Approach to Minimize Sound Pressure Levels in Neonatal Intensiv... more The "NeoNoise Project: Integrated Approach to Minimize Sound Pressure Levels in Neonatal Intensive Care Units" is being conducted by the Research Group on Occupational and Environmental Health of the Research Center on Health and Environment in neonatal intensive care units, since exposure to sound pressure levels in these spaces has been recognized as a factor that influences the quality and well-being of the occupants (workers and others), as well as the recovery of premature infants who are hospitalized. This work reports the rationale and the design of the NeoNoise project as well as the methods used for data collection. A brief review on the results published and available for the scientific community is also made. In general, NeoNoise project intends to make an integration of all relevant factors, with the intention of presenting a guiding document to change the working practices and occupant's behaviors. So far, this study provided data on sound pressure levels by objective and subjective approaches, as well as information about the exposure factors and sensitivity of the occupants to noise.
Biodiversity Data Journal, 2020
Biological collections are central in understanding and preserving life on Earth. In Brazil, the ... more Biological collections are central in understanding and preserving life on Earth. In Brazil, the most representative collections are kept by natural history museums, whose primary focus is in invertebrates, vertebrates and vascular plants. Only a few institutions keep repositories in different kingdoms. The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), established in 1900, is a strategic public health institution of the Ministry of Health of Brazil. As such, Fiocruz is responsible for a wide range of activities, from basic research to the development and production of vaccines, drugs, reagents and diagnostic kits. Its biological collections were soon established in the expeditions made by naturalists and physicians seeking integrated knowledge of the fauna, flora and tropical diseases. Since then, they have been part of the institutional policy. In a few decades, those collections were already in the forefront of basic and applied research on tropical parasitic and infectious diseases. Current...
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Safety
Shift work has been linked to health disorders, decreases in workers’ safety and productivity, an... more Shift work has been linked to health disorders, decreases in workers’ safety and productivity, and poor family and social relationships. However, the relationship between this type of work and the incidence of psychosocial health disorders is not yet well characterized. This study aims to analyse the impact of the shift work in the prevalence of the burnout syndrome, anxiety, depression and stress. A total of 175 workers from the production sector of a metalworking industry, operating in three different shifts (morning, afternoon and night), participated in the study. The burnout syndrome was assessed with the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure and the anxiety, depression and stress were measured through the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS). The obtained levels of burnout syndrome and stress were low, while anxiety and depression exhibited higher levels. Contrary to what was expected, the morning shift presented higher levels of psychosocial health disorders. However, no signific...
Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry, 2016
Surveillance of drinking water quality is extremely important to human health, assuming greater r... more Surveillance of drinking water quality is extremely important to human health, assuming greater relevance in hospital environments, especially to those individuals who are immunocompromised. This study is aimed to determine the effect of increasing free chlorine (Cl) concentration in a hospital water network in regard to water quality monitoring and microbial growth control, between 2010 and 2013 in Porto. The average of free Cl concentration in the period under analysis showed some heterogeneity per floor, varying between 0.84 and 1.25 mg/L. In addition, there was a rise in proportion of samples that exceeded WHO guidelines (free Cl 0.5 mg/L), particularly in the last two years of the same period. With respect to microbial analysis, 22.4% of the samples were positive for Legionella spp., 6.4% for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 15% and 30.4% for aerobic plate counts at 36 and 22 C, respectively. The proportion of positive samples decreased throughout the period under analysis, in particular for Legionella spp. (41.7% in 2010 vs. non-detectable in 2013) and P. aeruginosa (10.8% in 2010 vs. 3.3% in 2013). These results are in accordance with the gradual rise in free Cl concentration (0.78 § 0.94 mg/L in 2010 vs. 1.16 § 0.51 mg/L in 2013). In conclusion, a suitable plan for drinking water quality was instituted which resulted in reducing microbiological growth in the waterwork network, improving public health protection. However, the detection of critical points associated with lower levels of free Cl were found on certain floors/points-of-use, requiring the need to improve the monitoring water treatment system and/or implementation of additional technologies.
Uploads
Papers by Manuela Vieira da Silva