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O presente trabalho consiste no estudo sobre eventuais contaminações provocadas pela atividade mineira da uma antiga mina de Sn-W na zona centro de Portugal. Em toda área envolvente da antiga exploração, foram recolhidas amostras de sedimentos de corrente. A análise destas amostras permitiu determinar valores de concentração para vários elementos químicos. Com base no método IGeo e nos critérios de Muller (Antunes et al., 2018), foram estabelecidos um conjunto de índices e níveis de contaminação. Posteriormente, com o recurso a metodologias no âmbito da estatística multivariada e da geoestatística, construíram-se representações cartográficas e quantificou-se a variabilidade espacial dos diferentes elementos químicos suscetíveis de contaminar importantes cursos de água com consequentes implicações para a saúde humana (Antunes et al., 2016). Palavras-chave: Sedimentos de corrente, índices de contaminação, minas abandonadas, Análise em Componentes Principais, Geoestatística.

Objetivos: Conhecer as atitudes e comportamentos de saúde oral dos estudantes finalistas do curso de Medicina Dentária, estudar o seu estado e autoperceção da saúde oral e relacionar as atitudes e comportamentos com o estado de saúde oral. Métodos: A população-alvo foi constituída pelos estudantes do 5.º ano do curso de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Dentária da Faculdade de Medicina Dentária da Universidade de Lisboa. Os dados foram recolhidos por um questionário sobre as atitudes e comportamentos de saúde oral, incluindo o Hiroshima University Dental Behavioural Inventory (HUDBI), e por um exame intraoral para o estudo de cárie (segundo critérios ICCMS), do nível de higiene oral (ID-S) e da hemorragia gengival (IPC modificado). Foi realizada a estatística descritiva e utilizados os testes Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis e correlação de Spearman (α=0,05). Resultados: O valor médio de HUDBI foi 9,20 (DP=1,34). Quase todos os estudantes (97,8%) escovavam os dentes bidiariamente, mas apenas 23,9% utilizavam o fio dentário diariamente. A prevalência de cárie foi 97,8%, sendo o CA-6POD médio 9,5 (dp=4,3). O nível de higiene oral foi excelente em 43,5% dos estudantes. A frequência de hemorragia gengival foi de 97,7%, sendo o IPC modificado médio 0,29 (dp=0,2). Verificou-se uma associação positiva entre o consumo de alimentos açucarados e o C3-6POD (p=0,05) e entre a autoperceção da saúde oral e o C3-6POD (p=0,04). Conclusões: Os estudantes apresentaram atitudes e comportamentos positivos e bons indicadores de higiene oral e hemorragia gengival, contudo, a prevalência de cárie foi elevada.

Funding Information This study was supported by Project BIOSAFE funded by FEDER through the Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade–COMPETE and by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal)—Grant LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-030713, PTDC/CAL-EST/30713/2017 and by FCT through funds to GHTM (UID/04413/2020), CIISA Project (UID/CVT/00276/2020), and Project PTDC/CVT-CVT/28469/2017. The contributions of Andrea T. Feßler and Stefan Schwarz were financially supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under project numbers 01KI1727D and 01KI2009D as part of the Research Network Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. Part of this research was supported by Cost Action CA18217: European Network for Optimization of Veterinary Antimicrobial Treatment (ENOVAT). Apramycin and florfenicol are two antimicrobial agents exclusively used in veterinary medicine. Resistance determinants to these antimicrobial agents have been described in several staphylococci, yet no inhibition zone-based epidemiological cutoff (ECOFF) values are available to detect populations harboring resistance mechanisms. In this study, we propose disk diffusion inhibition zone ECOFF values of Staphylococcus aureus for apramycin and florfenicol. The susceptibility to apramycin and florfenicol was evaluated by disk diffusion of five S. aureus collections, comprising 352 isolates of animal (n = 265) and human (n = 87) origin. The aggregated distributions of inhibition zone diameters were analyzed by the normalized resistance interpretation method to obtain normalized wild-type (WT) population distributions and corresponding ECOFF values. The putative WT populations of S. aureus were characterized by an inhibition zone ≥15 mm (ECOFF = 15 mm) for apramycin and ≥21 mm for florfenicol (ECOFF = 21 mm). Five nonwild-type (NWT) isolates were detected for apramycin, all without inhibition zone and harboring the apmA gene, whereas five NWT isolates were identified for florfenicol, all carrying the fexA gene. The proposed ECOFF values for apramycin and florfenicol may be a valuable tool in future antimicrobial resistance monitoring and surveillance studies to identify S. aureus NWT populations toward these antimicrobial agents. publishersversion published

The present study aimed to characterize the extended-spectrum β-lactamases and plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamases (ESBL/PMAβ) among Escherichia coli producers isolated from beef, pork, and poultry meat collected at retail, in Portugal. A total of 638 meat samples were collected and inoculated on selective medium for the search of E. coli resistant to 3rd generation cephalosporins. Isolates were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, molecular assays targeting ESBL/AmpC, plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR), and plasmid-mediated colistin resistance (PMCR) encoding genes. The highest frequency of E. coli non-wild type to 3rd generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones was observed in broiler meat (30.3% and 93.3%, respectively). Overall, a diversity of acquired resistance mechanisms, were detected: blaESBL [blaCTX-M-1 (n = 19), blaCTX-M-15 (n = 4), blaCTX-M-32 (n = 12), blaCTX-M-55 (n = 8), blaCTX-M-65 (n = 4), blaCTX-M-27 (n = 2), blaCTX-M-9 (n = 1), blaCTX-M-14 (n = 11), blaSHV-12 (n = 27), blaTEM-52 (n = 1)], blaPMAβ [blaCMY-2 (n = 8)], PMQR [qnrB (n = 27), qnrS (n = 21) and aac(6’)-Ib-type (n = 4)] and PMCR [mcr-1 (n = 8)]. Our study highlights that consumers may be exposed through the food chain to multidrug-resistant E. coli carrying diverse plasmid-mediated antimicrobial resistance genes, posing a great hazard to food safety and a public health risk.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to compare the self-reported oral health knowledge, habits and attitudes of adults in Portugal, Romania and Sweden, each benefitting from a different oral health system. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1081 adults in the three countries, using an adapted version of the WHO oral health questionnaire. This survey took place between November 2015 and June 2016. RESULTS The mean age of the respondents was 46.85 with 95% CI (45.84, 47.86). Over 85% of the Portuguese and the Swedish, but only 55% of the Romanians, reported having 20 or more teeth left (P

Apramycin and florfenicol are two antimicrobial agents exclusively used in veterinary medicine. Resistance determinants to these antimicrobial agents have been described in several staphylococci, yet no inhibition zone-based epidemiological cutoff (ECOFF) values are available to detect populations harboring resistance mechanisms. In this study, we propose disk diffusion inhibition zone ECOFF values of

Molecular analyses ofMycobacterium bovisbased on spoligotyping and Variable Number Tandem Repeat (MIRU-VNTR) brought insights into the epidemiology of animal tuberculosis (TB) in Portugal, showing high genotypic diversity of circulating strains that mostly cluster within the European 2 clonal complex. The genetic relatedness ofM. bovisisolates from cattle and wildlife have also suggested sustained transmission within this multi-host system. However, while previous surveillance highlighted prevalent genotypes in areas where livestock and wild ungulates are sympatric and provided valuable information on the prevalence and spatial occurrence of TB, links at the wildlife-livestock interfaces were established mainly via genotype associations. Therefore, evidence at a local fine scale of transmission events linking wildlife hosts and cattle remains lacking. Here, we explore the advantages of whole genome sequencing (WGS) applied to cattle, red deer and wild boar isolates to reconstruct the evolutionary dynamics ofM. bovisand to identify putative pathogen transmission events. Whole genome sequences of 44 representativeM. bovisisolates, obtained between 2003 and 2015 from three TB hotspots, were compared through single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variant calling analyses. Consistent with previous results combining classical genotyping with Bayesian population admixture modelling, SNP-based phylogenies support the branching of thisM. bovispopulation into five genetic clades, three with geographic specificities, as well as the establishment of a SNPs catalogue specific to each clade, which may be explored in the future as phylogenetic markers. The core genome alignment of SNPs was integrated within a spatiotemporal metadata framework to reconstruct transmission networks, which together with inferred secondary cases, further structured thisM. bovispopulation by host species and geographic location.WGS ofM. bovisisolates from Portugal is reported for the first time, refining the spatiotemporal context of transmission events and providing further support to the key role of red deer and wild boar on the persistence of animal TB in this Iberian multi-host system.

When considering complex scenarios, such as in environmental characterization, where a multiset of attributes must be considered, a dimensional reduction of the problem is mandatory for a clear apprehension of the reality. Maps, broadly mentioned in the literature, are great for spatial pattern visualization of pollutant’s concentration distribution, or to assign areas of contamination enrichment, either if natural or triggered by anthropogenic activities. In the present study, a set of 15 Potentially Toxic Elements - PTEs - (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Tl, V, and Zn) were analyzed in soils gathered in the Langreo area (80 Km2) —Asturias, Spain— and used (a) to analyze how high concentrations in PTEs are spatially distributed and (b) to explore dissemination trends and the definition of clusters of relative enrichment. To quantify soil pollution, it is important to understand what is meant by pollution-free soil. Often, this background, or pollution baseline, is undefined or only partially known. Given that the concentration of chemical elements is compositional, as the attributes vary together, our approach is based on compositional principles. Finding a balance of pollutant (numerator) over non-pollutant (denominator) elements, aiming sparsity and simplicity as properties, is the key issue for the construction of a Compositional Pollution Index, and two approaches have been explored: (1) taking into account the whole observed composition, and (2) taking into account only a subcomposition, based on expert knowledge, in which the reported elements are: Na, K, Ca, Al, Mg, Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Sb, Hg. In all tested cases, Sb, Pb, and Hg appear in the numerator of the balance, and K, Al, and Zn in the denominator. A conclusion could be that the overall pollution in the Langreo region is dominated by the content of Sb, Pb, and Hg, relative to the content of K, Al, and Zn. Finally, both indexes went through a stochastic sequential Gaussian simulation. The spatial characterization allowed a broad discussion about not only the concentrations’ spatial distribution and associated uncertainty, but also a better understanding of the possibility of trends of relative enrichment and insight in PTEs fate.

Acid mine drainage represents an extreme environment with high concentrations of potentially toxic elements and low pH values. These aquatic habitats are characterised by harsh conditions for biota, being dominated by acidophilic organisms. The study site, São Domingos mine, located in one of the largest metallogenetic provinces in the world, the Iberian Pyrite Belt, was closed without preventive measures. To identify the algae species and understand the relationships with abiotic parameters of the ecosystem, water and biological material were collected and analysed. Digital terrain models were obtained with an unmanned aerial vehicle for geomorphological and hydrologic characterisation of the mine degraded landscape. The results show two types of algal colours that seem to represent different degrees of photosynthetic activity. Optical and scanning electron microscopy revealed 14 taxa at the genus level, divided into eight classes. The genus Mougeotia is the most abundant multicellular algae. With respect to unicellular algae, diatoms are ubiquitous and abundant. Abiotic analyses expose typical features of acid mine drainage and support an inverse relationship between chemical contamination and biological diversity. Factorial correspondence analysis indicates three groups of attributes and samples by their relationship with specific toxic elements. This analysis also suggests a close association between Spirogyra and Pb, together composing a structurally simple ecosystem. The highest contamination in the river system is related to the hydrologic patterns obtained from photogrammetric products, such as the digital surface model and flow map accumulation, indicating the input of leachates from the section having the finest sulfide-rich wastes. Information about the algae community and their association with flow patterns of toxic elements is a relevant tool from a biomonitoring perspective., Patrícia Gomes acknowledges FCT (Science and Technology Foundation, Portugal) by the research fellowship under the POCH (Programa Operacional Capital Humano) supported by the European Social Fund and National Funds of MCTES (Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) with reference SFRH/BD/108887/2015. This work was co-funded by FCT through projects UIDB/04683/2020, UIDP/04683/2020 and Nano-MINENV 029259 (PTDC/CTAAMB/29259/2017).

Intermittent rivers are prevalent in many countries across Europe, but little is known about the temporal evolution of intermittence and its relationship with climate variability. Trend analysis of the annual and seasonal number of zero-flow days, the maximum duration of dry spells and the mean date of the zero-flow events is performed on a database of 452 rivers with varying degrees of intermittence between 1970 and 2010. The relationships between flow intermittence and climate are investigated using the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) and climate indices describing large-scale atmospheric circulation. The results indicate a strong spatial variability of the seasonal patterns of intermittence and the annual and seasonal number of zero-flow days, highlighting the controls exerted by local catchment properties. Most of the detected trends indicate an increasing number of zero-flow days, which also tend to occur earlier in the year, particularly in southern Europe. The SPEI is found to be strongly related to the annual and seasonal zero-flow day occurrence in more than half of the stations for different accumulation times between 12 and 24 months. Conversely, there is a weaker dependence of river intermittence with large-scale circulation indices. Overall, these results suggest increased water stress in intermittent rivers that may affect their biota and biochemistry and also reduce available water resources., This research is part of the COST action CA15113 SMIRES, Science and Management of Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams https://www.smires.eu/, a short-term scientific mission that has been funded for Agnieszka Rutkowska. Agnieszka Rutkowska was also supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland (grant DS 3371). The different data providers are gratefully acknowledged. Some of the station data were retrieved from the Global Runoff Data Centre (56068 Koblenz, Germany) and from the HyMeX programme database. The authors would like to thank two anonymous reviewers, Kendra Kaiser and the Associate Editor, Stephanie Kampf, for their constructive comments.

Research Highlights: Modelling species’ distribution and productivity is key to support integrated landscape planning, species’ afforestation, and sustainable forest management. Background and Objectives: Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton) forests in Portugal were lately affected by wildfires and measures to overcome this situation are needed. The aims of this study were: (1) to model species’ spatial distribution and productivity using a machine learning (ML) regression approach to produce current species’ distribution and productivity maps, (2) to model the species’ spatial productivity using a stochastic sequential simulation approach to produce the species’ current productivity map, (3) to produce the species’ potential distribution map, by using a ML classification approach to define species’ ecological envelope thresholds, and (4) to identify present and future key factors for the species’ afforestation and management. Materials and Methods: Spatial land cover/land use data, inventory, and environmental data (climate, topography, and soil) were used in a coupled ML regression and stochastic sequential simulation approaches to model species’ current and potential distributions and productivity. Results: Maritime pine spatial distribution modelling by the ML approach provided 69% fitting efficiency, while species productivity modelling achieved only 43%. The species’ potential area covered 60% of the country’s area, where 78% of the species’ forest inventory plots (1995) were found. The change in the Maritime pine stands’ age structure observed in the last decades is causing the species’ recovery by natural regeneration to be at risk. Conclusions: The maps produced allow for best site identification for species afforestation, wood production regulation support, landscape planning considering species’ diversity, and fire hazard mitigation. These maps were obtained by modelling using environmental covariates, such as climate attributes, so their projection in future climate change scenarios can be performed.

Mycobacterium pinnipedii , the known causative agent of tuberculosis (TB) in marine mammals, was only recognised as a member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in 2003 [1] and is believed to cause TB in several species, including non-marine mammals [2, 3] and even humans [4]. The assumption of zoonotic transmission has been strongly reinforced by a disruptive study published in 2014 by an archaeologists team from Tubingen [5]. Based on archaeological and genomic investigations on millennial human skeletons, the authors implicated sea mammals infected with M. pinnipedii as a source of New World human TB. Considering that this phenomenon dates several centuries before the human migrations to South America, they refuted the previous scientific hypothesis of tuberculosis driven by human contact [6]. Footnotes This manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal . It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJ online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article. Conflict of interest: Dr. Macedo has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Isidro has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Gomes has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Botelho has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Albuquerque has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Sogorb has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Bernardino has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Fernandes has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Mourato has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Durval has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Gomes has nothing to disclose.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to characterize the sample of responders and to present the data obtained from the evaluation on the knowledge, opinion, values, and practice (KOVP) of dental hygienists in Portugal concerning pit and fissures sealants. Methods: A non-probabilistic sample of 142 individuals was obtained from the members of the Portuguese Association of Dental Hygienists. Participants answered an online questionnaire composed of four demographic questions and 31 statements regarding KOVP about dental sealants, graded from 0 to 5, with 5 being the most agreement with the statement. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs sign ranks test, the Mann-Whitney test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, the Spearman’s correlation, and the V-Cramer test were used to analyze the data. Results: Portuguese dental hygienists present positive feedback about the use of dental sealants. The mean scores for each of the studied variables were: knowledge = 3.63 ± 0.29; opinion = 2.87 ± 0.42; value = 2.92 ± 0.44, and practice = 3.76 ± 0.46. Knowledge differed with years of experience (p

Animal tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is maintained in Portugal in a multi-host system, with cattle, red deer and wild boar, playing a central role. However, the ecological processes driving transmission are not understood. The main aim of this study was thus to contribute to the reconstruction of the spatiotemporal history of animal TB and to refine knowledge on M. bovis population structure in order to inform novel intervention strategies. A collection of 948 M. bovis isolates obtained during long-term surveillance (2002–2016, 15 years) of cattle (n = 384), red deer (n = 303) and wild boar (n = 261), from the main TB hotspot areas, was characterized by spoligotyping and 8 to 12-loci MIRU-VNTR. Spoligotyping identified 64 profiles and MIRU-VNTR distinguished 2 to 36 subtypes within each spoligotype, enabling differentiation of mixed or clonal populations. Common genotypic profiles within and among livestock and wildlife in the same spatiotemporal context highlighted epidemiological links across hosts and regions, as for example the SB0119-M205 genotype shared by cattle in Beja district or SB0121-M34 shared by the three hosts in Castelo Branco and Beja districts. These genomic data, together with metadata, were integrated in a Bayesian inference framework, identifying five ancestral M. bovis populations. The phylogeographic segregation of M. bovis in specific areas of Portugal where the disease persists locally is postulated. Concurrently, robust statistics indicates an association of the most probable ancient population with cattle and Beja, providing a clue on the origin of animal TB epidemics. This relationship was further confirmed through a multinomial probability model that assessed the influence of host species on spatiotemporal clustering. Two significant clusters were identified, one that persisted between 2004 and 2010, in Beja district, with Barrancos county at the centre, overlapping the central TB core area of the Iberian Peninsula, and highlighting a significant higher risk associated to cattle. The second cluster was predominant in the 2012–2016 period, holding the county Rosmaninhal at the centre, in Castelo Branco district, for which wild boar contributed the most in relative risk. These results provide novel quantitative insights beyond empirical perceptions, that may inform adaptive TB control choices in different regions.

[EN] Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) emerged recently in several European countries, leading to extensive economic losses in the industry. In response to this new infection, specific inactivated vaccines were developed in Europe and full and rapid setup of protective immunity induced by vaccination was reported. However, data on the efficacy of these vaccines in an ongoing-infection scenario is unavailable. In this study we investigated an infected RHDV2 indoor industrial meat rabbitry, where fatalities continued to occur after the implementation of the RHDV2 vaccination, introduced to control the disease. The aim of this study was to understand if these mortalities were RHDV2-related, to discover if the dead animals showed any common features such as age or time distance from vaccination, and to identify the source of the outbreak. Anatomo-pathological analysis of vaccinated animals with the virus showed lesions compatible with systemic haemorrhagic disease and RHDV2-RNA was detected in 85.7% of the animals tested. Sequencing of the vp60 gene amplified from liver samples led to the recognition of RHDV2 field strains demonstrating that after the implementation of vaccination, RHDV2 continued to circulate in the premises and to cause sporadic deaths. A nearby, semi-intensive, RHDV2 infected farm belonging to the same owner was identified as the most probable source of the virus. The main risk factors for virus introduction in these two industries were identified. Despite the virus being able to infect a few of the vaccinated rabbits, the significant decrease in mortality rate observed in vaccinated adult rabbits clearly reflects the efficacy of the vaccination. Nonetheless, the time taken to control the infection also highlights the importance of RHDV2 vaccination prior to the first contact with the virus, highly recommendable in endemic areas, to mitigate the infection’s impact on the industry., The authors would like to thank Dr. Fidélia Aboim (Municipal veterinarian) for gathering information on the mortality of wild rabbits in several legal hunting parks and to Maria João Teixeira, Fátima Cordeiro and Ricardino Ferreira for their technical assistance. This study was partially funded by a grant from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) SFRH/79225/2011.

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ResumoObjetivosa) Estudar as atitudes, comportamentos e estado de saúde oral dos alunos do 1.° ano da Faculdade de Medicina Dentária da Universidade de Lisboa (FMDUL); b) relacionar as atitudes e comportamentos com o estado de saúde oral; c) relacionar as atitudes, comportamentos e estado de saúde oral com o nível de instrução da mãe e com a nota de ingresso no ensino superior; d) verificar a existência de diferenças entre os 3 cursos da FMDUL, relativamente aos indicadores estudados.MetodosA amostra foi constituída por 116 alunos, sendo a recolha de dados realizada por questionário e por uma observação intraoral. Foram utilizados os critérios do International Caries Detection and Assessment System II, do índice de higiene oral simplificado e do índice periodontal comunitário modificado. A análise estatística foi realizada com testes não paramétricos (α=0,05).ResultadosA prevalência de cárie foi de 96,6% e o CA‐6POD médio de 6,4 (dp=3,7). A maioria dos indivíduos apresentava uma higiene oral razoável (65,5%) e hemorragia gengival (98,3%). Verificou‐se a existência de uma correlação negativa entre a nota de ingresso e o CPOD (ρ=–0,212, p=0,023). Apenas se verificaram diferenças entre os cursos relativamente à prevalência de cárie e à média de CPOD.ConclusõesAs atitudes e os comportamentos em higiene oral podem ser considerados positivos, no entanto, a prevalência de cárie foi elevada. O nível de higiene oral foi razoável, apesar da prevalência de hemorragia gengival ser alta. Os alunos com nota de ingresso mais elevada apresentaram menor gravidade de cárie. Os alunos de Medicina Dentária apresentaram menor prevalência e gravidade de cárie do que os alunos de Prótese Dentária.AbstractObjectivesa) To study attitudes, behaviors and oral health status of 1st year students from FMDUL; b) relate the attitudes and behaviors with oral health status; c) list the attitudes, behavior and oral health status with the mother's education level and the admission grades; d) study differences between the three FMDUL courses.MethodsThe sample consisted of 116 students. Data collection was conducted through a questionnaire and oral examination. Diagnosys criteria included the International Caries Detection and Assessment System II, the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index modified Community Periodontal Index. Statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric tests (α=0.05).ResultsCaries prevalence was 96.6% and DMFT average 6.4 (SD=3.7). The majority of subjects had a reasonable oral hygiene (65.5%) and gingival bleeding (98.3%). It was found a negative correlation between the admission grade and the DMFT (ρ=–0.212, p=0.023). There were found differences between courses regarding the caries prevalence (p=0.049) and the mean DMFT.ConclusionsAttitudes and behaviors in oral hygiene can be considered positive. The prevalence of caries was high, but the level of oral hygiene was reasonable and prevalence of gingival bleeding was high. Students with higher admission grades had lower severity of dental caries. Students of Dental Medicine showed less caries prevalence than students of Dental Prothesis.

Species ecological envelope maps were obtained for the two main Portuguese wood-production species (Eucalyptus globulus Labill. and Pinus pinaster Aiton) and projected future climate change scenarios. A machine learning approach was used to understand the most influential environmental variables that may explain current species distribution and productivity. Background and Objectives: The aims of the study were: (1) to map species potential suitability areas using ecological envelopes in the present and to project them in the future under climate change scenarios, (2) to map species current distributions, (3) to map species current productivity, and (4) to explore the most influential environmental variables on species current distribution and productivity. Materials and Methods: Climate, elevation data, and soil data sets were used to obtain present and future species ecological envelopes under two climate change scenarios. The official land cover maps were used to map species distributions. Forest inventory data were used to map the species productivity by geostatistical techniques. A Bayesian machine learning approach, supported by species distributions and productivity data, was used to explore the most influential environmental variables on species distribution and productivity and to validate species ecological envelopes. Results: The species ecological envelope methodology was found to be robust. Species&rsquo, ecological envelopes showed a high potential for both species&rsquo, afforestation. In the future, a decrease in the country&rsquo, s area potentiality was forecasted for both species. The distribution of maritime pine was found to be mainly determined by precipitation-related variables, but the elevation and temperature-related variables were very important to differentiate species productivity. For eucalypts, species distribution was mainly explained by temperature-related variables, as well as the species productivity. Conclusions: These findings are key to support recommendations for future afforestation and will bring value to policy-makers and environmental authorities in policy formulation under climate change scenarios.

Aims and Objectives: The aim of the present study was to identify the dental hygienists (DHs)' working areas and compare these findings between Sweden and Portugal. Materials and Methods: A web-based questionnaire was sent by E-mail to all 2943 members of the Swedish DH Association and 381 members of the Portuguese DH Association. The questionnaire contained questions about; number of years of work, which patient groups they worked with, if they had got sufficient knowledge from the education and what different tasks they worked with. Independent sample t-test, relative risk, and logistic regression analysis were used as statistical methods. Results: The response rate for Sweden was 31% (n = 923) and the corresponding figure for Portugal was 53.5% (n = 204). The most common tasks for the DHs, in both countries, were to diagnose and treat patients with periodontitis and to diagnose and perform caries prevention. In Portugal, 86.5% worked with orthodontic patients compared to 32.3% in Sweden (P = 0.001). The logistic regression analysis showed that there was a 25% (P = 0.02) higher probability that Swedish DHs took more X-rays and 38% (P = 0.042) probability that they had more communications skills compared to the Portuguese DHs. Conclusion: The DH profession in Sweden and Portugal was overall quite similar. Despite a few local differences, both the academic education and scope of practice corresponded well between the countries. The few discrepancies could be explained by differences in legislations in each country.