Over the last decades, governmental actions and mechanisms created to protect consumer rights have been linked to a growing effort to guarantee the quality and reliability of products. Samples of ...condoms (latex), medical devices and blood bags (PVC - polyvinyl chloride) have been tested using the agar diffusion assay. This assay evaluates the cytotoxicity induced by biomaterials by measuring the biological reactivity of mammalian cell cultures in contact with these materials. PVC is used in the production of medical devices because of its specific properties, such as flexibility, obtained after the addition of plasticizers (phthalates), which can cause toxicity even at low doses. Latex is a natural elastomer used for surgical gloves and condoms with a formulation that includes dispersion of liquid latex and chemicals, such as antioxidants and a vulcanizing accelerator, both of which are able to induce cytotoxicity. Samples were analyzed by the National Institute of Quality Control in Health - INCQS of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in accordance with the governmental sanitary surveillance actions on respect to the quality control. We observed an increase in the quality of the products in relation to the results of the agar diffusion assay during the period between 2000 and 2007. This situation, together with other actions, reflects in an improvement in the quality of products that can be translated in the health of the population.Durante as últimas décadas, a disseminação de ações governamentais e os mecanismos criados para proteger os direitos dos consumidores se associaram em crescentes esforços para garantir a qualidade e confiabilidade dos produtos. As amostras de preservativos (látex), dispositivos médicos e bolsas de sangue (PVC - cloreto polivinílico) foram testadas utilizando o ensaio de difusão em ágar. O teste avalia a citotoxicidade induzida por biomateriais, medindo a reatividade biológica de culturas de células de mamífero em contato com tais materiais. PVC é utilizado na produção de dispositivos médicos, devido às suas propriedades específicas, incluindo flexibilidade, obtida após a adição de plastificantes (ftalatos) que podem apresentar toxicidade mesmo em doses baixas. Látex é um elastômero natural utilizado em luvas cirúrgicas e preservativos que na sua formulação inclui a dispersão do látex líquido e de substâncias químicas, como antioxidantes e um acelerador de vulcanização, ambos capazes de induzir citotoxicidade. As amostras foram analisadas pelo Instituto Nacional de Controle de Qualidade em Saúde - INCQS da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) em atendimento às ações governamentais de vigilância sanitária no tocante ao controle de qualidade. Um aumento na qualidade dos produtos em relação aos resultados no ensaio de difusão em ágar foi observado no período compreendido entre 2000-2007. Esta situação, dentre outras ações, reflete uma melhoria na qualidade dos produtos que pode ser traduzida em saúde para a população.
Over the last decades, governmental actions and mechanisms created to protect consumer rights have been linked to a growing effort to guarantee the quality and reliability of products. Samples of ...condoms (latex), medical devices and blood bags (PVC - polyvinyl chloride) have been tested using the agar diffusion assay. This assay evaluates the cytotoxicity induced by biomaterials by measuring the biological reactivity of mammalian cell cultures in contact with these materials. PVC is used in the production of medical devices because of its specific properties, such as flexibility, obtained after the addition of plasticizers (phthalates), which can cause toxicity even at low doses. Latex is a natural elastomer used for surgical gloves and condoms with a formulation that includes dispersion of liquid latex and chemicals, such as antioxidants and a vulcanizing accelerator, both of which are able to induce cytotoxicity. Samples were analyzed by the National Institute of Quality Control in Health - INCQS of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in accordance with the governmental sanitary surveillance actions on respect to the quality control. We observed an increase in the quality of the products in relation to the results of the agar diffusion assay during the period between 2000 and 2007. This situation, together with other actions, reflects in an improvement in the quality of products that can be translated in the health of the population.
How the population's perceptions influence their behaviours regarding the consumption of fibre rich foods Martinho, Célia A. C. (Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Viseu (Portugal)); Correia, Ana Cristina (Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Viseu (Portugal)); Gonçalves, Fernando M. J. (Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Viseu (Portugal)) ...
Proceedings of 6th Central European Congress on Food - CEFood Congress,
2012
Conference Proceeding
The association between dietary fibre, health benefits and healthy food has been studied in recent years. The food industry, to accompany the strong interest shown by consumers, has placed at their ...disposal new products, rich in dietary fibre. In order to meet this huge interest and demand for these products, this work was elaborated, which had as main objective to evaluate the degree of knowledge of the Portuguese population about fibre and its effects on health, as well as evaluating the their consumption habits in respect of fibres. To achieve this goal an inquiry was carried out by questionnaire to 182 adults. The most relevant results indicate that only 13% of the inquired eat two meals a day with vegetables and/or salads and 9% eat at least 3 pieces of fruit. Whole grains are never consumed by 41% and 18% do so at least once a week. The vast majority (90%) of respondents have the notion that fibre intake contributes to the prevention and treatment of diseases. With this work it was concluded that respondents‘ knowledge about dietary fibre is insufficient, and that although they give great importance to their role in treatment and prevention of diseases, the level of intake is too low.
A capillary electrophoresis method has been developed to determine 1,2‐dihydroxybenzene and 1,3‐dihydroxybenzene in the food simulants distilled water, 3% acetic acid, 15% ethanol, and olive oil. ...Both substances, used as monomers and additives to make food packaging plastics, could be analyzed within 15 min. The 1,4‐dihydroxybenzene isomer was unretained and eluted with the electroosmotic flow, and so the CE method can give only a semi‐quantitative estimate of this isomer if it is present as a migrant. The analytical recovery for the 1,2‐ and 1,3‐isomers from spiked simulants was good at 87% to 98% except for 1,2‐dihydroxybenzene which could only be recovered to the extent of 58% from olive oil. Calibration graphs were linear and the limit of detection for each substance was 0.6 mg/kg, which is well below migration limits for these substances. It is concluded that CE offers a rapid and reliable analysis for the control of migration from plastics intended for food contact which employ 1,2‐dihydroxybenzene or 1,3‐dihydroxybenzene during manufacture, and offers a screening method for 1,4‐dihydroxybenzene migration.
The data of three years of study on training in a design of four replications and four different structures (unilateral cordon 0,90m, bilateral cordon 1,30m and their changes in double Guyot and ...Sylvoz cordon type) have been analysed. The data before and after the modification of the training systems are compared. The differences of the results during the years of the study, the fertility standards and canopy microclimate are discussed.
PORTUGUES: Sao analisados os resultados de tres anos, apos modificacao da estrutura permanente e do tipo de poda, de um ensaio de sistemas de conducao, contemplando quatro repeticoes e quatro modalidades (cordao unilateral a 0,90m do solo, cordao bilateral a 1,30m e as suas transformacoes respectivamente em Guyot duplo e em cordao tipo Sylvoz). Os resultados antes e depois da alteracao introduzida sao comparados. E discutida a mudanca de sentido dos resultados em diferentes anos e a importancia dos habitos de frutificacao, do microclima da copa e das diferentes estruturas permanentes da cepa.
A method is described for the simultaneous extraction and determination of twenty organochlorine pesticides residues hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers (α, β, γ, δ), aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, ...heptachlor and its epoxide (HE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), α‐endosulfan, o,p′‐DDD, p,p′‐DDD, o,p′‐DDE, p,p′‐DDE, o,p′‐DDT, p,p′‐DDT, dicofol, methoxychlor, and mirex that were spiked in tomatoes. Samples were extracted with ethyl acetate, and the extract was subjected to a rapid clean‐up using a Florisil column. The residues were determined by GLC‐ECD using two columns of different polarity. The calibration graph correlation coefficient ranged from 0.9903 to 0.9990. The recoveries ranged from 95 to 99% with relative standard deviation ranging from 0.5 to 14.7% in the concentration range 0.005 to 0.2 μg/g. The limits of detection ranged from 0.004 to 0.05 μg/g and the limits of quantification ranged from 0.005 to 0.174 μg/g.
Interactions between soil and climate and grape ripening dynamics Climaco, P; Abrantes, M.L. (Estacao Vitivinicola Nacional, Dois Portos (Portugal)); Carneiro, L.C. (Estacao Agronomica Nacional, Oeiras (Portugal)) ...
Ciencia e Tecnica Vitivinicola (Portugal),
(1991), Letnik:
10, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
On a suivi le comportement du cepage Vital sur differents terroirs (vigne en plaine avec et sans stress hydrique; et vigne en coteau) pendant trois annees (1988/90). Les sols dans les trois ...situations en etude ont determines differents regimes d'alimentation en eau, dans l'absence d'irrigation. Les conditions un peu particulieres de cette experimentation ont permis de mettre en evidence que l'acide tartrique ne joue pas toujours un role decisif sur l'acidite totale et sur le pH du mout. En effet, on a constate que l'acide malique peut avoir une importance considerable sur l'equilibre acido-basique de mout
Seguiu-se o comportamento da casta Vital em diferentes condicoes edafo-climaticas (vinha em varzea com e sem stress hidrico; e vinha em encosta) durante tres anos (1988/90). Os solos nas tres situacoes em estudo determinaram diferentes regimes de alimentacao em agua, na ausencia de irrigacao. As condicoes um pouco particulares deste ensaio permitiram por em evidencia que o acido tartarico nao desempenha sempre um papel decisivo sobre a acidez total e sobre o pH do mosto. Com efeito, constatou-se que o acido malico pode ter uma importancia consideravel sobre o equilibrio acido-base do mosto
A group of 50 patients (26 men and 24 women, mean age 50 +/- 19 years and range 21 to 67) on chronic hemodialysis (HD) and with basal levels of hemoglobin (Hb) less than or equal to 8 g/dl was ...treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEpo) during 3 months. r-HuEpo was started at 50 U/kg I.V. 3 times a week, immediately after each session of HD, for 4 weeks, and this dose was increased in steps of 25 U/kg until a Hb level of 12 g/dl or a maximum dose of 100 U/kg were reached. Complete blood counts and biochemical profile were performed before the first dose of r-HuEpo and once weekly and monthly respectively during the period of treatment. In 8 patients the red-cell life span was studied with cromium 51 labelled erythrocytes just before and after treatment. One patient had a grand mal seizure and the r-HuEpo was discontinued. In 44 patients the mean hematocrit increased from 21.8% to 32.1% and in the other 5 there were no response because of iron deficiency. There were no changes in leucocytes and platelets counts and consistent decreases in iron and ferritin serum concentrations were observed despite oral supplementation of iron. In the 8 patients studied the shortened erythrocyte survival did not suffer any significant variation with r-HuEpo. Predialysis creatinine, urea and phosphorus blood levels increased significantly at 3th month of treatment but there was no increase in potassium. In 32.6% of previously normotensive and hypertensive patients an increase in blood pressure was founded. Thrombosis of arteriovenous fistulas and other severe clinical side effects were not observed.
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