Insights Into Pediatric Asthma: A Population Study From Alto Minho Health Center.

Background Asthma represents one of the most common diseases in childhood, with a prevalence ranging between 9% and 13% in Portugal. Therefore, it holds significant importance in pediatric health. While existing studies have shed light on asthma in the Portuguese population, they have predominantly concentrated on urban centers, with the population of Alto Minho remaining underrepresented in the literature. This study aims to understand the main factors of exposure, exacerbation, and the most prevalent allergens in a pediatric sample from the Alto Minho Local Health Unit, Portugal. Methodology A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 239 pediatric asthma patients aged between five and 18 years at the Alto Minho Health Center. Data on demographics, clinical information, family history, environmental exposures, exacerbating factors, and prick test results were analyzed. Results Of the 239 patients, 64.44% were male and 35.56% were female. The majority of the sample exhibited a normal body mass index (82.17%) and a family history of atopy (66.67%). Noteworthy patterns emerged in comorbidities, notably an increased association with allergic rhinitis, the most frequent concomitant atopic pathology (79.50%), followed by atopic dermatitis (27.61%) and food allergy (10.88%). Sensitization to dust mites, particularly Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, was widespread among the participants. Environmental exposures were marked by significant factors such as proximity to plants and trees, soft toys, and living in rural areas. Exacerbating factors included common triggers such as exercise, seasonal variations, and even laughter. Statistically significant associations were found between atopic comorbidities, exacerbation factors, exposure factors, and prick test results. Conclusions Our findings align with global trends, emphasizing the prevalence of atopic pathologies in pediatric asthma. Sensitization patterns and environmental exposures are indicative of regional influences. Study limitations include sample size and data standardization issues. Despite these limitations, the study significantly contributes to understanding pediatric asthma in Alto Minho, offering valuable insights for prompt diagnosis and targeted treatments.

Unveiling the Mystery: A Case Report on Oropharyngeal Synovial Sarcoma.

Synovial sarcoma, originating from mesenchymal cells, represents a rare and aggressive sarcoma subtype. This case report describes a rare occurrence of synovial sarcoma in the soft palate, with only a few cases described in the literature. A 38-year-old male presented with a painless mass on the soft palate, which raised suspicion of an abscess and emphasized the importance of considering malignancy in persistent or progressive soft tissue masses, even in atypical anatomical locations. The diagnostic workup, including imaging modalities such as maxillofacial computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography-fluorodeoxyglucose (PET-FDG) scan, played a crucial role in confirming the diagnosis and assessing disease extension.  The standard treatment is the complete excision of the tumor. Nevertheless, when it comes to tumors located in the head and neck region, defining standardized margins proves to be a challenge. Radiotherapy can play an important role, particularly in those with tumors larger than 5 cm or positive margins. While chemotherapy offers certain advantages, its application remains a subject of controversy despite its potential benefits. Timely referral and multidisciplinary management are essential in optimizing patient outcomes. Although synovial sarcoma poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, advances in diagnostic techniques and personalized medicine offer hope for improved outcomes.

Prevalence and serotypes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in dairy cattle from Northern Portugal.

The prevalence of Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) was determined by evaluating its presence in faecal samples from 155 heifers, and 254 dairy cows in 21 farms at North of Portugal sampled between December 2017 and June 2019. The prevalence of STEC in heifers (45%) was significantly higher than in lactating cows (16%) (p<0.05, Fisher exact test statistic value is <0.00001). A total of 133 STEC were isolated, 24 (13.8%) carried Shiga-toxin 1 (stx1) genes, 69 (39.7%) carried Shiga-toxin 2 (stx2) genes, and 40 (23%) carried both stx1 and stx2. Intimin (eae) virulence gene was detected in 29 (21.8%) of the isolates. STEC isolates belonged to 72 different O:H serotypes, comprising 40 O serogroups and 23 H types. The most frequent serotypes were O29:H12 (15%) and O113:H21 (5.2%), found in a large number of farms. Two isolates belonged to the highly virulent serotypes associated with human disease O157:H7 and O26:H11. Many other bovine STEC serotypes founded in this work belonged to serotypes previously described as pathogenic to humans. Thus, this study highlights the need for control strategies that can reduce STEC prevalence at the farm level and, thus, prevent food and environmental contamination.

Trabalho por turnos e vida familiar e social na perspectiva dos/as filhos/as / Trabajo por turnos y vida familiar y social en la perspectiva de los/las hijos/as / Shift work and its impacts on family life and social life from childrens perspective

RESUMO. Nos estudos sobre o impacto do trabalho por turnos nos domínios social e familiar é mais comum os efeitos serem estudados ao nível do/a trabalhador/a e na sua própria perspectiva. Tendo em consideração tal constatação, o presente estudo pretende compreender o impacto do trabalho por turnos na esfera familiar e social, tendo em conta a perspectiva dos/as filhos/as de trabalhadores/as por turnos. Participaram no estudo 19 filhos/as de trabalhadores/as por turnos. A recolha de dados foi realizada por meio de entrevista semiestruturada, tendo esta abordado temas como tempo em família, comunicação ou acompanhamento escolar. De um modo geral, os resultados indicaram a existência quer de impactos negativos (tempo em família, educação parental, acompanhamento escolar, atividades regulares, atividades pontuais e comunicação), quer de impactos positivos (acompanhamento escolar, atividades pontuais) ou, sem percepção de impacto, nas áreas avaliadas. O impacto percepcionado pelos/as filhos/as nas diferentes áreas avaliadas está em boa medida dependente do tipo de horário de trabalho a que está sujeito o progenitor que labora por turnos e da flexibilidade permitida ou não pela organização na gestão dos horários de trabalho (ex., possibilidade ou não de permutas).

RESUMEN. En los estudios del impacto del trabajo por turnos en los dominios social y familiar es más común que sean estudiados al nivel del trabajador y en su propia perspectiva. Teniéndolo en consideración, este estudio tiene como objetivo comprender el impacto del trabajo por turnos en el ámbito familiar y social, teniendo en cuenta la perspectiva de los/as hijos/as de los trabajadores/as por turnos. La recogida de datos se realizó por intermedio de entrevista semi estructurada, abordando temas como tiempo en familia, comunicación o seguimiento escolar. De un modo general, los resultados indicaron la existencia tanto de impactos negativos (tiempo en familia, educación parental, seguimiento escolar, actividades regulares, actividades puntuales y comunicación) como de impactos positivos (seguimiento escolar, actividades puntuales) o, sin percepción de impacto, en las áreas evaluadas. El impacto decepcionado por los/as hijos/as en las diferentes áreas evaluadas esta depende en gran parte del tipo de horario de trabajo del progenitor que trabajo por turnos y de la flexibilidad permitida o no por la organización en la gestión de los horarios de trabajo (ej. Posibilidad o no de permutas).

ABSTRACT. In researches about the impact shift work has on the social and family domains, the effects are more commonly studied from the workers perspective. Bearing this in mind, the present research intends to understand the impacts of shift work on the family and social domains in the perspective of shift workers' children. Nineteen children from shift working parents took part in this research. Data was collected through a semi-structured interview addressing topics such as family time, communication, and school support. In general, the results indicate negative effects (family time, parental education, school support, regular activities, occasional activities, and communication), positive effects (school support, follow-up occasional activities), or no effects perceived in the areas evaluated. The impacts perceived by children in the different areas evaluated are largely dependent on the parents' type of work schedule, flexibility allowed, and the management of working hours (e.g., possibility of exchange shifts or not).

Aplicação das boas práticas por manipuladores de alimentos em pontos de venda de gelados comestíveis / Application of good practices by food handlers at points of sale of ice cream

Neste estudo objetivou-se avaliar a aplicação das boas práticas por manipuladores em pontos de venda de gelados comestíveis. Trata-se de um estudo de corte transversal, no qual foram avaliados 18 quiosques de gelados comestíveis, divididos por categoria de sorvete: em bola, sorvete expresso e paletas. Foi utilizada uma lista de checagem com 17 itens, divididos em seis blocos, composto por vestuário, asseio pessoal, hábitos higiênicos, estado de saúde, área de atendimento ao cliente, área de resíduos, baseada nos critérios da RDC Nº216/2004 e, para classificação dos parâmetros, a RDC Nº275/2002. A categoria de sorvete em bola foi classificada no grupo 2 (58,4%) e no grupo 3, sorvete expresso (46,3%) e paletas (47%). Evidenciou-se que as boas práticas não são seguidas pelos manipuladores, assim causando risco de contaminação. Ressalta-se a importância do treinamento e monitoramento.