Evaluation of the amount of nanoparticles emitted in LASER additive manufacture/welding.

Objectives: The objective of this study was the evaluation of the professional exposure to nanoparticles during tasks performed in workstations for production of metallic parts by laser welding additive manufacturing. Materials and methods: The study was developed in an installed additive manufacturing machine, having controlled temperature and humidity in an industrial unit where metal parts were being produced using stainless steel powders of granulometry of 10 to 35 µm. Results and discussion: Monitoring of airborne nanoparticles emission was made using adequate equipment, which showed considerable number of nanoparticles over the baseline, having the same composition as the steel powder used. Conclusion: It is concluded that the values of professional exposure to nanoparticles are high in these workstations and that the nanoparticles to which the workers are exposed are small in size (around 15 nm), thus having a strong capacity for alveolar penetration and, consequently, with a strong possibility of passing to the bloodstream, accumulating in the body.

Determination of airborne nanoparticles in elderly care centers.

According to numerous studies, airborne nanoparticles have a potential to produce serious adverse human health effects when deposited into the respiratory tract. The most important parts of the lung are the alveolar regions with their enormous surface areas and potential to transfer nanoparticles into the blood stream. These effects may be potentiated in case of the elderly, since this population is more susceptible to air pollutants in general and more to nanoparticles than larger particles. The main goal of this investigation was to determine the exposure of institutionalized elders to nanoparticles using Nanoparticle Surface Area Monitor (NSAM) equipment to calculate the deposited surface area (DSA) of nanoparticles into elderly lungs. In total, 193 institutionalized individuals over 65 yr of age were examined in four elderly care centers (ECC). The occupancy daily pattern was achieved by applying a questionnaire, and it was concluded that these subjects spent most of their time indoors, including the bedroom and living room, the indoor microenvironments with higher prevalence of elderly occupancy. The deposited surface area ranged from 10 to 46 µm(2)/cm(3). The living rooms presented significantly higher levels compared with bedrooms. Comparing PM10 concentrations with nanoparticles deposited surface area in elderly lungs, it is conceivable that living rooms presented the highest concentration of PM10 and were similar to the highest average DSA. The temporal distribution of DSA was also assessed. While data showed a quantitative fluctuation in values in bedrooms, high peaks were detected in living rooms.

Exposure to airborne ultrafine particles from cooking in Portuguese homes.

UNLABELLED: Cooking was found to be a main source of submicrometer and ultrafine aerosols from gas combustion in stoves. Therefore, this study consisted of the determination of the alveolar deposited surface area due to aerosols resulting from common domestic cooking activities (boiling fish, vegetables, or pasta, and frying hamburgers and eggs). The concentration of ultrafine particles during the cooking events significantly increased from a baseline of 42.7 microm2/cm3 (increased to 72.9 microm2/cm3 due to gas burning) to a maximum of 890.3 microm2/cm3 measured during fish boiling in water and a maximum of 4500 microm2/cm3 during meat frying. This clearly shows that a domestic activity such as cooking can lead to exposures as high as those of occupational exposure activities. IMPLICATIONS: The approach of this study considers the determination of alveolar deposited surface area of aerosols generated from cooking activities, namely, typical Portuguese dishes. This type of measurement has not been done so far, in spite of the recognition that cooking activity is a main source of submicrometer and ultrafine aerosols. The results have shown that the levels of generated aerosols surpass the outdoor concentrations in a major European town, which calls for further determinations, contributing to a better assessment of exposure of individuals to domestic activities such as this one.

Comparison of deposited surface area of airborne ultrafine particles generated from two welding processes.

This article describes work performed on the assessment of the levels of airborne ultrafine particles emitted in two welding processes metal-active gas (MAG) of carbon steel and friction-stir welding (FSW) of aluminium in terms of deposited area in alveolar tract of the lung using a nanoparticle surface area monitor analyser. The obtained results showed the dependence from process parameters on emitted ultrafine particles and clearly demonstrated the presence of ultrafine particles, when compared with background levels. The obtained results showed that the process that results on the lower levels of alveolar-deposited surface area is FSW, unlike MAG. Nevertheless, all the tested processes resulted in important doses of ultrafine particles that are to be deposited in the human lung of exposed workers.

Assessment of exposure to airborne ultrafine particles in the urban environment of Lisbon, Portugal.

The aim of this study was the assessment of exposure to ultrafine in the urban environment ofLisbon, Portugal, due to automobile traffic, and consisted of the determination of deposited alveolar surface area in an avenue leading to the town center during late spring. This study revealed differentiated patterns for weekdays and weekends, which could be related with the fluxes of automobile traffic. During a typical week, ultrafine particles alveolar deposited surface area varied between 35.0 and 89.2 microm2/cm3, which is comparable with levels reported for other towns such in Germany and the United States. These measurements were also complemented by measuring the electrical mobility diameter (varying from 18.3 to 128.3 nm) and number of particles that showed higher values than those previously reported for Madrid and Brisbane. Also, electron microscopy showed that the collected particles were composed of carbonaceous agglomerates, typical of particles emitted by the exhaustion of diesel vehicles.

Endovascular treatment of ACom intracranial aneurysms. Report on series of 280 patients.

The immediate and long-term outcomes, complications, recurrences and the need for retreatment were analyzed in a series of 280 consecutive patients with anterior communicating artery aneurysms treated with the endovascular technique. From October 1992 to October 2001 280 patients with 282 anterior communicating artery aneurysms were addressed to our center. For the analysis, the population was divided into two major groups: group 1, comprising 239 (85%) patients with ruptured aneurysms and group 2 comprising of 42 (15%) patients with unruptured aneurysms. In group 1, 185 (77.4%) patients had a good initial pre-treatment Hunt and Hess grade of I-III. Aneurysm size was divided into three categories according to the larger diameter: less than 4 mm, between 4 and 10 mm and larger than 10 mm. The sizes of aneurysms in groups 1 and 2 were identical but a less favorable neck to depth ratio of 0.5 was more frequent in group 2. Endovascular treatment was finally performed in 234 patients in group 1 and 34 patients in group 2. Complete obliteration was more frequently obtained in group 2 unlike a residual neck or opacification of the sac that were more frequently seen in group 1. No peri-treatment complications were recorded in group 2. In group 1 the peri-treatment mortality and overall peri-treatment morbidity were 5.1% and 8.1% respectively. Eight patients (3.4%) in group 1 presented early post treatment rebleeding with a mortality of 88%. The mean time to follow-up was 3.09 years. In group 1, 51 (21.7%) recurrences occurred of which 14 were minor and 37 major. In group 2, eight (23.5%) recurrences occurred, five minor and three major. Two patients (0.8%) presented late rebleeding in group 1. Twenty-seven second endovascular retreatments were performed, 24 (10.2%) in group 1 and three (8.8%) in group 2, seven third endovascular retreatments and two surgical clippings in group 1 only. There was no additional morbidity related to retreatments. Endovascular treatment is an effective method for the treatment of anterior communicating artery aneurysms allowing late rebleeding prevention. Peri-treatment rebleeding warrants caution in anticoagulation management. This is a single center experience and the follow-up period is limited. Patients should be followed-up in the long-term as recurrences may occur and warrant additional treatment.

A educação popular na atenção básica à saúde no município: em busca da integralidade / Popular education in primary care: in search of comprehensive health care

Trata-se de um artigo de revisão bibliográfica e análise documental sobre as experiências de educação em saúde nos serviços, baseadas na educação popular em saúde e do seu potencial em desenvolver a integralidade das ações no âmbito da atenção básica. É discutida a forma como a educação em saúde vem sendo trabalhada pelos serviços e as dificuldades para que possa contribuir para a construção de uma atenção realmente integral à saúde. As ações de saúde são entendidas como ações educativas em que, tanto profissionais como usuários aprendem e ensinam, numa construção dialógica do conhecimento. Desta forma, a atenção ao individuo também faz parte das reflexões discutidas no texto, tanto no que se refere à postura dos profissionais quanto ao respeito ao saber popular e à busca da terapêutica mais eficaz pelos usuários. A partir da revisão, é proposta uma sistematização de programas de ação e atividades que podem compor uma proposta de educação popular em saúde para os municípios.

Esterilizacao tubaria na operacao cesariana. / Tubal sterilization in cesarean section

Entre os metodos contraceptivos femininos definitivos, figura a esterilizacao tubaria como um dos mais usuais em nosso meio, principalmente por ocasiao da realizacao da operacao cesariana. O estudo reune 173 laqueaduras tubarias em cesareas efetuadas por outras indicacoes (grupo A), elegendo-se ainda um grupo controle representado por igual numero de tomotocias, no qual a laqueadura nao foi realizada (grupo B).Uma serie de variaveis e confrontada nos dois grupos. A incidencia de esterilizacao tubaria entre as pacientes cesareadas foi de 25,6%. Ficou demonstrado com significancia estatistica que a esterilizacao tubaria foi mais frequente antes dos 35 anos e que apos esta idade o evento foi mais frequentado no grupo A; a esterilizacao na multipara foi mais encontradica no grupo A do que no grupo B; a duracao da cirurgia acima de 60 minutos foi mais frequente no grupo A do que no grupo B; a indicacao mais frequente da cesarea em ambos os grupos foi a propria cesarea anterior

Proteção miocárdica por cardiologia sanguínea durante circulação extracorpórea. Avaliação ultra-estrutural miocárdica no cão / Myocardial protection by blood cardioplegia during extracorporeal circulation. Ultrastructural myocardial evaluation in the dog

Os autores desenvolveram metodo simplificado para infusao de cardioplegia sanguinea durante circulacao extracorporea. Fizeram estudo experimental, em caes, para averiguar a eficiencia do metodo. Dois grupos de 5 caes foram submetidos a 60 min de esquemia cardiaca, seguidos de 60 min de reperfusao coronaria. A protecao miocardica, durante isquemia cardiaca, foi obtida com o metodo de cardioplegia sanguinea no grupo I e com cardioplegia acelular gelada no grupo II. Para comparar os dois metodos empregados, foram feitas quatro biopsias de ventriculo esquerdo, para estudo ultra-estrutural: antes da isquemia cardiaca; ao fim de 60 min de isquemia cardiaca; com 30 mim de reperfusao coronaria e com 60 min de reperfusao coronaria.Nas tres primeiras biopsias houve apenas alteracoes ultra-estruturais miocardicas discretas, sem diferencas entre os dois grupos. Nas ultimas, as alteracoes ultraestruturais foram mais severas no grupo II do que no grupo I. Conclui-se que o metodo de protecao miocardica com cardioplegia sanguinea e eficaz para 60 min de isquemia cardiaca, sendo inclusive superior a cardioplegia acelular gelada

Isquemia medular por deprivacao sanguinea temporaria - estudo experimental em caes. / Spinal cord ischemia following temporary blood flow oclusion - experimental study in dogs

Os autores apresentam estudo experimental em caes, em que procuram demonstrar o papel do tempo de pincamento aortico no aparecimento da lesao medular. Estudam tambem a possibilidade de lesao, quando o suprimento sanguineo ofertado a medula ocorre em regime de hipotensao arterial