Economic & environmental assessment of bacterial cellulose production

MultiBiorefinery (SAICTPAC/0040/2015 - POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016403)NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-00000

Life cycle assessment (cradle-to-gate) of bacterial cellulose production

In a world, increasingly conscious of environmental issues, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an important tool for estimating the environmental impact of processes and products. This work aims to determine the possible environmental impacts of the production of bacterial cellulose intended to be used as a food additive. For this, the LCA (cradle-to-gate) was simulated with GaBi Software, using ReCiPe 2016 method. Results show that the production of materials was responsible for the major part of the input and output flows (in kg). Wastewater treatment, materials production and cooling and heating agents production are responsible for major impacts in several impact categories.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Social capital and self-rated health among adolescents in Brazil: an exploratory study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Social capital may influence health and the patterns of association differ according its dimension such as cognitive, behavioral, bridging or bonding. There is a few numbers of studies in Latin America which comprise these aspects of social capital and health. The aim of this study was to examine the association between social capital and self-rated health among youth, and distinguish between the different forms of social capital - cognitive versus behavioral, and bonding versus bridging.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2009 among working adolescents supported by a Brazilian NGO. The sample comprised 363 individuals and data were collected using a validated structured questionnaire. The outcome, self-rated health, was measured as a dichotomous variable (poor/good health) and fourteen social capital indicators were investigated (cognitive, behavioral and bonding/bridging). Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Cognitive (social support and trust), behavioral (civic participation) and bridging social capital were associated with good self-rated health after adjustment of all the other social capital indicators and confounders (sex, age, skin color and educational background).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Social capital was associated with self-rated health and the patterns of association differed according its specific dimensions. Cognitive, behavioral and bridging social capitals were protective for adolescents health living in a developing country context..</p

Valorization of mushroom by-products as a source of value-added compounds and potential applications

Nowadays, the food sector is highly concerned with environmental issues and foreseen to develop strategies to reduce waste and losses resulting from activities developed in the food system. An approach is to increment added value to the agro-industrial wastes, which might provide economic growth and environmental protection, contributing to a circular economy. Mushroom by-products represent a disposal problem, but they are also promising sources of important compounds, which may be used due to their functional and nutritional properties. Research has been developed in diferent fields to obtain value added solutions for the by-products generated during mushroom production and processing. Bioactive compounds have been obtained and applied in the development of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical formulations. Additionally, other applications have been explored and include animal feed, fertilizer, bioremediation, energy production, bio-based materials, cosmetics and cosmeceuticals. The main purpose of this review is to highlight the relevant composition of mushroom by-products and discuss their potential as a source of functional compounds and other applications. Future research needs to explore pilot and industrial scale extraction methods to understand the technological feasibility and the economic sustainability of the bioactive compounds extraction and valorization towards diferent applications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Association between circulating exhausted CD4+ T cells with poor meningococcal C conjugate vaccine antibody response in HIV-infected children and adolescents

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the expression levels of surface markers of activation (CD38 and HLA-DR), inhibition (PD-1, TIGIT and CD57) and co-stimulation (CD28 and CD127) on CD4+ T cells of children/adolescents with vertical HIV infection (HI patients) and HIV-uninfected (HU) controls vaccinated with the meningococcal C conjugate vaccine (MCC). METHODS: HI patients (n=12), aged 8–17 years, were immunized with two MCC injections, while HU controls (n=9), aged 5.3–10.7 years, received a single MCC dose (as per national recommendation at the time of this study, a single MCC vaccine dose should be given for healthy children and youth aged 1–18 years). The HI patients were categorized according to the combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) treatment. Blood samples were obtained before vaccination, after priming, and after the administration of a booster dose of vaccine to determine the serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) titers and the expression levels of surface markers on CD4+ T cells by flow cytometry. The levels of serum cytokines, IL-4 and CXCL-13 were also measured using Luminex kits. RESULTS: The co-expression of the TIGIT-HLA-DR-CD38 molecules increased in the CD4+ T cells of HI patients/ no-cART who also showed a lower frequency of CD127+CD28+ CD4+ T cells than HI patients/cART and HU group subjects. There were significant negative correlations between the frequency of exhausted CD4+ T cells and the SBA response. IL-4 levels were higher in HI patients/cART and positively correlated with SBA titers but negatively associated with the expression of exhaustion markers. Moreover, the CXCL-13 levels were positively correlated with the exhausted CD4+ T cells. CONCLUSION: The results of our study suggest that the co-expression of exhaustion markers and/or loss of co-stimulatory molecules influence the SBA response in HI patients

ADOLESCENCE AND CONTRACEPTION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE REPRESENTATIONS OF CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS PRESENT IN THE DISCOURSE OF PREGNANT AND PARTURIENT ADOLESCENTS

In this work we tried to analyse lhe condition o^f adolescent women. ^Since the beginning of their sexual life frequently occurs during adolescence, it follows that lhe knowledge andusage of Contraceptive Methods s) are relevant for them. ^Nowadays, adolescents initiate their sexual life without any care about Contraceptive Methods (C^Ms), which causes adolescence pregnancy and an increase in the probability of contracting AIDS and other ^Trasmissible ^Diseases, not to mention abortion. In the light of this panorama, we tried to analyse the representations of ^Contraceptive ^Methods (CMs) present in the discourse o^f adolescent women ^(agesbetween 15 and 19) living in the south of the city of ^São ^Paulo, in 1992. ^The use of ^Contraceptive ^Methods was taken into accoun^t in the moment ^they star^ted their sexual life, as well as those matters referring to prenatal period and ohstetrics-gynecological prevention exams. The abortion cases were discussed separately. ^The analysis allowed us to think about the impor^tance and the need of an effective implementation of actions related to the adolescents’ heal^th and sexuality.Neste trabalho buscamos fazer uma análise da condição da adolescente, uma vez que o inicio da vida sexual tem ocorrido, frequentemente, durante o periodo da adolescência; portanto o conhecimento e o uso dos Métodos Anticoncepcionais (MACs) ganham relevancia junto ao grupo. Atualmente, as adolescentes têm tido a iniciação sexual sem o adequado uso de MACs, ocasionando a gravidez na adolescência, o aumento da probabilidade de contrair AIDS e outras Doenças Sexualmente Transmissiveis, além do aborto.Tendo em vista este panorama, o trabalho procurou realizar uma análise das representações sobre MACs presentes no discurso das adolescentes de 15 a 19 anos, residentes na Região Sul do Municipio de São Paulo, em 1992. Levou-se em consideração o uso de MACs no momento da iniciação sexual, além das questões referentes ao pré-natal, exames de prevenção gineco-obstétrica; foram discutidos separadamente os casos de aborto. A análise realizada perrnitiu-nos uma reflexão sobre a importancia e necessidade de implantação real e efetiva das ações voltadas à saúde do adolescente e de sua sexualidade

Bacterial cellulose production: valorization of wastewater and life cycle assessment

Low-cost substrates, most from agro-industrial wastes, have increasingly been exploited as nutrient sources for the fermentation of bacterial cellulose (BC), an appealing approach from an economical and environmental point of view. However, these wastes carry a very high organic load, which, while advantageous for the fermentation, generate high organic load wastewaters as well, which require proper treatment before the release or recycling of the treated water, which may have a significant impact in the economic and environmental sustainability of the BC production. Anaerobic digestion (AD), a process that produces biogas (primarily a mixture of methane and CO2) typically used for lighting and heating, is one of the most appropriate and promising treatments for high loaded industrial wastewaters. In this work, wastewaters from BC fermentation were characterized, as well as their biochemical methane potential and anaerobic biodegradability. The performance of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) for the treatment of these wastewaters was also evaluated. Briefly, A relevant among of biogas could be produced from AD, while reducing the chemical oxygen demand (COD, an indirect measure the amount of organic compounds) of the treated waters [1]. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology used to quantify the environmental, health and resource depletion impacts related to products, processes, and services. A LCA was used to a projected production of BC under static culture, including wastewater treatment, following a cradle-to-gate approach. From this study, a considerable amount of water is consumed, most of which being treated and emitted to the environment (to fresh water). The BC production facility itself had a small contribution to the consumption of resources and environmental impact of the global life cycle, most of which were associated with the production and transport of materials. Further, a comparative LCIA was made against plant celluloses. Briefly, with the increasing environmental awareness, BC production may be a strong candidate towards the reductions of environmental impacts and risks, concerning climate change and fossil resource depletion, while providing a viable, economically and environmentally sustainable bioproduct, with unique properties for a wide range of market applications [2].info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Active regulatory T-cells contribute to broadened T-cell repertoire diversity in ivIg-treated SLE patients

Octapharma

Global Women’s Breakfast (GWB): #UnidaspelaQuímica

Global Women’s Breakfast (GWB): #BoundbyChemistry. Global Women’s Breakfast is an initiative of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, aiming to give women scientists, from all over the world, the opportunity to know each other, communicating virtually and sharing their experiences. Many countries joined this initiative and Portugal was not an exception, with its participation already at the first Networking Breakfast in 2011, celebrating the year of the centenaries of Marie Curie Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Portuguese Chemical Society and the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa as well. The success of these networking breakfasts, involving students, young researchers, and scientists, encouraged its further organization in Portugal, annually since 2019. This article describes the interventions of Portuguese women scientists, coming from Institutions throughout Portugal, in the Global Women’s Breakfast as partners in their mission as scientists, creative and open to international collaborations. Global Women's Breakfast é uma iniciativa criada pela International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry para dar oportunidade às mulheres cientistas de todo o mundo de se conhecerem, comunicando virtualmente e compartilhando as suas experiências. A adesão dos países foi muito elevada e Portugal não foi exceção, participando já no primeiro Networking Breakfast em 2011, Ano Internacional da Química, no qual se celebraram os centenários do Prémio Nobel da Química a Marie Curie, da Sociedade Portuguesa de Química e da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa. O sucesso destes pequenos-almoços em rede, que envolvem estudantes, jovens investigadoras e cientistas, encorajou a continuação da participação de Portugal anualmente, desde 2019. Este artigo descreve a intervenção de mulheres cientistas portuguesas, pertencentes a instituições de Norte a Sul do país, no Global Women’s Breakfast, cúmplices na sua missão de cientistas, criativas e abertas à colaboração internacional