Effect of a peptide in cosmetic formulations for hairhumidity-control

Humidity affects hair by changing the surface texture of the fiber. In higher humidity conditions, it is verified an increase of water uptake, which causes the swelling of the hair fibers. This leads to the extension of the hair cuticles and consequent increased friction between fibers, which causes static and an increase in the volume of hair tresses. However, these changes are distinct in different types of ethnic hair, where Caucasian Brown hair evidences a higher increase in hair tresses volume. We tested the application of several climate control formulations with and without a keratinbased peptide. The hair tresses treated with the formulations containing the peptide showed reduced volume change even after several hours of high humidity conditions. Due to its chemical nature, the peptide has affinity towards the hair fiber providing long-lasting moisture resistance and allowing it application in climate control formulations

Hair keratin molecular dynamics studies

Book of Abstracts of CEB Annual Meeting 2017[Excerpt] The keratin is a key element of the hair, nails and skin in vertebrates. Understand the keratin features such its assembling in the mentioned structures, its interactions with some compounds or mechanical properties is of great interest in the fight against some diseases or in the development and optimization of cosmetic products. Although molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provides unique information at molecular level in a dynamic way, there are only a few studies using this technique on the study of keratin. This is likely the result of the nonexistence of full length keratin crystallographic model. In the few published works the authors had to design and build the computational keratin model to perform the simulations of interest. [...]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Straighten curly hair with keratin peptides

Book of Abstracts of CEB Annual Meeting 2017[Excerpt] Chemical straightening curly human hair fibres involves the use of strong reducing agents at alkaline pHs. These treatments damage the hair fibre, reduce the cross‐linking density and decrease hair’s  physico mechanical properties [1]. Human hair is made of keratin and the fixation of fibres shape involve the reduction and reformation of new disulphide bonds between keratin molecules. t is known that cysteine has been applied as a reducing agent for the substitution of environmentally harmful chemicals[2]. [...]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Keratin molecular dynamics models

The keratin is a key element of the hair, nails and skin in vertebrates. Understand the keratin features such as its assembling in the mentioned structures, its interaction with some compounds or mechanical properties is of great interest in the fight against some diseases or in the development and optimization of cosmetic products. Molecular dynamics modelling is the only technique able to provide information at atomic and molecular level in a dynamic way, which can greatly help in the study of these features. However there are only a few studies using molecular dynamics simulations. This is likely to the non-existence of full length crystallographic structure models of keratin. In the few works published about keratin using molecular dynamics simulations the authors had to design and build the computational keratin model, to make the simulations of interest. This work addresses the different keratin models developed, from its physicochemical properties to the correlation of the simulations results with experimental data. One big computational model of a truncated protofibril (8 chains of keratin), which was able to predict the increase of peptide absorption by hair shaft in response to alcohol based formulations, is also discussed

Understanding the molecular basis behind hair morphology: development of new strategies to modulate hair from the follicle

Book of Abstracts of CEB Annual Meeting 2017info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Livro branco - abordagem e recomendações do projecto JOBtoc para a revitalização dos territórios rurais

O envelhecimento dos produtores agrícolas e o (des)povoamento rural são, reconhecida- mente, um problema português e europeu, levando-nos a questionar sobre a coesão, a soli- dariedade territorial e as diferentes condições de vida dos empreendedores jovens em espaço rural. É um tema complexo e atual na agenda europeia, que se inicia com a adesão de Portugal à cee, a partir da PAc (Política Agrícola comum), com a sua evolução no sentido do desenvolvi- mento rural baseado na coesão. Hoje, numa perspetiva mais sustentável de resposta às Altera- ções climáticas, ganha cada vez mais relevância. Vivemos uma fase de transição entre eras tecnológicas, em que se recriam novas relações e condições de produção, consumo, relação, entre outros. nos contextos rurais e urbanos, bem como entre eles, com uma grande consciência do desafio climático e na perspetiva de um per- curso de extinção de habitats e espécies com a proliferação de novas formas de renaturalização e artificialização. neste âmbito, a promoção do debate sobre o rejuvenescimento rural, vai para além do contexto agrário, e mesmo rural, integrando aspetos muito relevantes da emergência de novos paradigmas territoriais, societais e de governação. Assim, será preciso olhar por diferentes pris- mas, valorizar diferentes perspetivas, avaliar as condições para o desenho de políticas, instru- mentos, medidas, ações, agentes de revitalização dos espaços rurais e dos ecossistemas. Será preciso aprofundar um debate com base no passado, no presente e com os olhos num futuro muito desconhecido, social e tecnologicamente diferente. As políticas do futuro – eventualmente mais complexas, participadas e integradas – deve- rão ser capazes de gerir uma realidade mais digitalizada, de sistemas adaptativos complexos, com alta intensidade de ligação, sob fortes tensões climáticas, demográficas, tecnológicas, eco- nómicas e políticas, num horizonte em que a extinção de espécies é evidente em vários níveis da cadeia ecológica, alertando para o que possa acontecer à própria espécie humana. neste contexto, este Livro Branco poderá, acima de tudo, ser um contributo para abrir os horizontes de debate sobre o modo como poderemos desenhar «as políticas de fixação de jovens em meio rural» com a finalidade de promover a revitalização dos espaços rurais, princi- palmente dos que possuem baixa densidade populacional.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessment of liposome disruption to quantify drug delivery in vitro

Efficient liposome disruption inside the cells is a key for success with any type of drug delivery system. The efficacy of drug delivery is currently evaluated by direct visualization of labeled liposomes internalized by cells, not addressing objectively the release and distribution of the drug. Here, we propose a novel method to easily assess liposome disruption and drug release into the cytoplasm. We propose the encapsulation of the cationic dye Hoechst 34,580 to detect an increase in blue fluorescence due to its specific binding to negatively charged DNA. For that, the dye needs to be released inside the cell and translocated to the nucleus. The present approach correlates the intensity of detected fluorescent dye with liposome disruption and consequently assesses drug delivery within the cells.Eugénia Nogueira (SFRH/BD/81269/2011), Célia F. Cruz (SFRH/BD/ 100927/2014) and Ana Loureiro (SFRH/BD/81479/2011) hold scholarships from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). This study was funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement NMP4-LA-2009-228827 NANOFOL. This study was also supported by FEDER through POFC – COMPETE and by national funds from FCT through the project PEst-UID/ BIA/4050/2013 and the strategic funding of ID/BIO/04469/2013 unit.We thank the Immuno-haemotherapy Department of Hospital de São João (Porto, Portugal) for providing buffy coats from healthy volunteers