The aim of the research is to analyze the different aspects associated with the motivation and benefits of certified ISO 9001 companies in Portugal. A total of 426 certified Portuguese companies were surveyed. The response rate was equal to 61.03 percent. Our results suggest that the main motivation for certification were "improvement of quality", "improvement of company image", "marketing advantage", "give empowerment to workers / capturing workers knowledge" and "cost reduction". The main benefits that Portuguese companies have gained from the referred certification have been, among others, the improvement of "procedures", beneficial effect on the "company's image", the improvement of quality products/services, increase of the "customer satisfaction", improvement of "on-time delivery"; improvement the "morale" of workers' increase in productivity and decrease of "production costs", among others. The surveyed firms belong only to the Minho region of the north of Portugal. This paper aims to provide a contribution to the research related to the motivation and benefits associated to the quality management systems. The selection of the motives and benefits were validated through statistical analysis and the relationship between expected and perceived benefits was discussed.

No abstract

No abstract

Leptospira interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae is the major serogroup infecting humans worldwide, and rodents and dogs are the most significant transmission sources in urban environments. Knowledge of the prevalent serovars and their maintenance hosts is essential to understand the epidemiology of leptospirosis. In this study, 20 Leptospira isolates were evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), variable number tandem-repeat analysis (VNTR), serotyping, and determination of antimicrobial resistance profile. Isolates, originated from bovine, canine, human, and rodent sources, were characterized by microscopic agglutination test with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies and were identified as L. interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar Copenhageni. MICs of antimicrobials often used in veterinary medicine were determined by broth microdilution test. Most of tested antibiotics were effective against isolates, including penicillin, ampicillin, and ceftiofur. Higher MIC variability was observed for fluoroquinolones and neomycin; all isolates were resistant to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and sulphadimethoxine. Isolates were genotyped by PFGE and VNTR; both techniques were unable to discriminate between serovars Copenhageni and Icterohaemorrhagiae, as expected. PFGE clustered all isolates in 1 pulsotype, indicating that these serovars can be transmitted between species and that bovine, rodent, and dogs can maintain them in the environment endangering the human population.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Excessive gestational weight gain is related to many complications (both maternal and fetal), such as macrosomia. The most common complications in macrosomic fetuses include: increased risk of intrauterine death, need for intensive care, fractures, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, paralysis of the brachial plexus and obesity in childhood and adulthood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between gestational and fetal weight gain and the incidence of macrosomia in two maternity hospitals. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cohort study in two public maternity hospitals in Goiânia, Brazil. METHODS:This was a cohort study on 200 healthy pregnant women with normal body mass index, divided into two groups: one with normal weight gain and the other with excessive weight gain during pregnancy. RESULTS:The cohorts were similar regarding maternal age, per capita income, schooling level and reproductive behavior. The fetal weight was greater in the cohort with excessive maternal weight gain (3,388.83 g ± 514.44 g) than in the cohort with normal weight (3,175.86 g ± 413.70 g) (P < 0.01). The general incidence of macrosomia was 6.5%: 13.0% (13 cases) in the cohort with excessive maternal weight gain and 0.0% (0 cases) in the cohort with adequate weight gain. CONCLUSION: Excessive maternal weight gain was associated with increased fetal birth weight and incidence of macrosomia.RESUMO CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: O ganho de peso gestacional excessivo está relacionado a inúmeras complicações tanto maternas como fetais, como por exemplo, a macrossomia. Esta, por sua vez, pode aumentar o risco de morte intra-uterina, necessidade de cuidados intensivos, fraturas, hiperbilirrubinemia neonatal, paralisia do plexo braquial e obesidade na infância e fase adulta. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a associação do ganho de peso gestacional com o ganho de peso fetal e a incidência de macrossomia em duas maternidades. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Estudo de coorte em duas maternidades públicas em Goiânia, Brasil. MÉTODOS: Estudo de coorte com 200 gestantes saudáveis com índice de massa corporal normal, divididas em dois grupos, um com ganho de peso adequado e o outro com peso excessivo na gravidez. RESULTADOS: As coortes foram semelhantes quanto à idade materna, renda per capita, escolaridade e comportamento reprodutivo. O peso fetal foi maior na coorte de ganho de peso materno excessivo (3388,83 g ± 514,44 g) do que na de peso normal (3175,86 g ± 413,70 g) (P < 0,01). A incidência geral de macrossomia foi 6,5% sendo de 13,0% (13 casos) na coorte com ganho de peso materno excessivo e de 0,0% (0 casos) na de peso adequado. CONCLUSÃO: O ganho de peso materno excessivo esteve associado ao aumento do peso fetal ao nascer e à incidência de macrossomia.

Yersinia enterocolitica is an important foodborne pathogen that causes illness in humans and animals. Y. enterocolitica is also the most heterogeneous species of the genus and is divided into distinct serotypes and over six biotypes. Y. enterocolitica biotype 1A strains are classically considered as nonpathogenic; however, some biotype 1A isolates have been considered as causative of gastrointestinal disease, yielding symptoms indistinguishable from those produced by pathogenic biotypes. Even after decades of isolation of clinical strains, the pathogenic mechanisms of these isolates are still not fully understood. In the present study, 122 Yersinia enterocolitica biotype 1A strains isolated from swine slaughterhouses and meat markets in Sao Paulo, Brazil, were characterized according to the presence of the virulence genes ail, virF, and ystA. A total of 94 strains were positive to at least one virulence gene (77.05%), and 67 were positive to all of them (54.92%). Twenty-two strains were submitted to PFGE genotyping resulting in 22 distinct pulsotypes, varying from 50% to 84% of genetic similarity. Any clustering tendency among pulsotypes related to origin, isolation site, or even virulence profile was not observed. The present study reports an important contamination of the environment in swine slaughterhouses, meat markets, and pork, by potentially virulent Y. enterocolitica biotype 1A.

No abstract

Purpose The use of alternative matrices in toxicological analyses has been on the rise in clinical and forensic settings. Specimens alternative to blood and urine are useful in providing additional information regarding drug exposure and analytical benefits. The goal of this paper is to present a critical review on the most recent literature regarding the application of six common alternative matrices, i.e., oral fluid, hair, sweat, meconium, breast milk and vitreous humor in forensic toxicology. Methods The recent literature have been searched and reviewed for the characteristics, advantages and limitations of oral fluid, hair, sweat, meconium, breast milk and vitreous humor and its applications in the analysis of traditional drugs of abuse and novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Results This paper outlines the properties of six biological matrices that have been used in forensic analyses, as alternatives to whole blood and urine specimens. Each of this matrix has benefits in regards to sampling, extraction, detection window, typical drug levels and other aspects. However, theses matrices have also limitations such as limited incorporation of drugs (according to physical–chemical properties), impossibility to correlate the concentrations for effects, low levels of xenobiotics and ultimately the need for more sensitive analysis. For more traditional drugs of abuse (e.g., cocaine and amphetamines), there are already data available on the detection in alternative matrices. However, data on the determination of emerging drugs such as the NPS in alternative biological matrices are more limited. Conclusions Alternative biological fluids are important specimens in forensic toxicology. These matrices have been increasingly reported over the years, and this dynamic will probably continue in the future, especially considering their inherent advantages and the possibility to be used when blood or urine are unavailable. However, one should be aware that these matrices have limitations and particular properties, and the findings obtained from the analysis of these specimens may vary according to the type of matrix. As a potential perspective in forensic toxicology, the topic of alternative matrices will be continuously explored, especially emphasizing NPS.