Hotspots of microplastic accumulation at the land-sea transition and their spatial heterogeneity: The Po River prodelta (Adriatic Sea).

Deltas are the locus of river-borne sediment accumulation, however, their role in sequestering plastic pollutants is still overlooked. By combining geomorphological, sedimentological, and geochemical analyses, which include time-lapse multibeam bathymetry, sediment provenance, and µFT-IR analyses, we investigate the fate of plastic particles after a river flood event providing an unprecedented documentation of the spatial distribution of sediment as well as of microplastics (MPs), including particles fibers, and phthalates (PAEs) abundances in the subaqueous delta. Overall sediments are characterized by an average of 139.7 ± 80 MPs/kg d.w., but display spatial heterogeneity of sediment and MPs accumulation: MPs are absent within the active sandy delta lobe, reflecting dilution by clastic sediment (ca. 1.3 Mm3) and sediment bypass. The highest MP concentration (625 MPs/kg d.w.) occurs in the distal reaches of the active lobe where flow energy dissipates. In addition to MPs, cellulosic fibers are relevant (of up to 3800 fibers/kg d.w.) in all the analyzed sediment samples, and dominate (94 %) with respect to synthetic polymers. Statistically significant differences in the relative concentration of fiber fragments ≤0.5 mm in size were highlighted between the active delta lobe and the migrating bedforms in the prodelta. Fibers were found to slightly follow a power law size distribution coherent with a one-dimensional fragmentation model and thus indicating the absence of a size dependent selection mechanism during burial. Multivariate statistical analysis suggests traveling distance and bottom-transport regime as the most relevant factors controlling particle distribution. Our findings suggest that subaqueous prodelta should be considered hot spots for the accumulation of MPs and associated pollutants, albeit the strong lateral heterogeneity in their abundances reflects changes in the relative influence of fluvial and marine processes.

Avaliação do aprendizado de pacientes com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica em um programa de reabilitação pulmonar / Evaluation of learning in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease during a pulmonary rehabilitation program

INTRODUÇÃO: Os pacientes que realizam um programa de reabilitação pulmonar participam, também, de um programa educativo com aulas expositivas abordando assuntos referentes à sua doença e ao tratamento. Esse programa visa levar o conhecimento necessário para que o paciente possa lidar com a doença e suas repercussões. OBJETIVO: Avaliar se o programa educativo aplicado aos pacientes submetidos a reabilitação pulmonar tem resultados efetivos no aprendizado dos mesmos. CASUíSTICA E MÉTODO: Estudo prospectivo, envolvendo 22 pacientes que se submeteram a um programa de reabilitação pulmonar, com idade 63 (DP ± 11,8). Inicialmente foi aplicado um questionário desenvolvido e validado pelo Centro de Reabilitação Pulmonar da UNIFESP/LESF para avaliar o conhecimento da doença pré e pós-intervenção do programa educacional. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos: um grupo com programa educativo e um grupo controle (sem programa educativo). O grupo educativo respondeu ao questionário duas vezes, pré e pós-programa, já o grupo controle respondeu ao questionário apenas uma vez. RESULTADOS: Os pacientes que foram submetidos ao programa educativo apresentaram aumento no percentual de respostas corretas quando comparados o pré e o pós-intervenção, 69 por cento e 84 por cento respectivamente, e uma diminuição na porcentagem de erros quando comparados o pré e o pós-intervenção, 20 por cento e 14 por cento respectivamente. CONCLUSÃO: O programa educativo aplicado aos pacientes do programa de reabilitação pulmonar mostrou-se efetivo, pois aumentou o conhecimento dos pacientes no que se refere à doença, suas conseqüências e seu tratamento.

BACKGROUND: Patients who undergo pulmonary rehabilitation programs also participate in an educational program with classes covering matters related to their disease and treatment. Such programs aim to provide patients with the knowledge needed for them to be able to deal with their disease and its repercussions. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the educational program applied to patients undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation has effective results regarding their learning. METHOD:This was a prospective study involving 22 patients who underwent a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Their mean age was 63 years (SD ± 11.8). Initially, a questionnaire developed and validated by the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center of UNIFESP/LESF was applied to evaluate the patients' knowledge about the disease before and after the educational intervention. The patients were divided into two groups: one with the educational program and the other serving as a control group (no educational program). The educational program group answered the questionnaire twice (before and after the intervention), and the control group answered only once. RESULTS:The patients who underwent the educational program presented an increase in the percentage of correct answers, from before to after the intervention (69 percent versus 84 percent, respectively), and a decrease in the percentage of mistakes, from before to after the intervention (20 percent versus 14 percent, respectively). CONCLUSION: The educational program applied to patients in the pulmonary rehabilitation program was effective to increase the patients' knowledge about their disease, its consequences and its treatment.