Bacterial cellulose as a novel stabilizer and texturizer for cosmetic and food applications

Book of Abstracts of CEB Annual Meeting 2017[Excerpt] Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is a sophisticated material produced biotechnologically by different microorganisms, but most efficiently by acetic acid bacteria from the genera Gluconacetobacter. While chemically identical to plant cellulose, BNC is chemically pure. Each BNC nanofiber is a bundle of cellulose nanofibrils. Due to their nano-size, these aggregates of extended cellulose chains have a rather large surface area. The unique properties of BNC account for an extraordinary physico-chemical and mechanical behaviour. For industrial applications, hydrocolloidal microcrystalline cellulose from vegetable sources is widely used to regulate the texture, rheology, stability and organoleptic properties of the formulations [1]. Several studies are being carried out to investigate the technological role of BNC. Preliminary results already showed that BNC is technically superior to these vegetable celluloses, and can outperform plant celluloses in several applications within the food industry. As a novel hydrocolloid, BNC presents important features such as the stabilization of heterogeneous systems (air-liquid, solid-liquid and liquidliquid): it is able to stabilize aerogels, increasing the incorporation of air in the liquid matrix (overrun), so it can be used as an additive in ice cream, smoothies and whipped cream; it can stabilize solid particles in a liquid matrix (e.g. cocoa particles in chocolate milk); BNC also stabilizes of oil-in-water emulsions, in spoonable and pourable dressings, without the need to add any other emulsifying agents. [...]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bacterial cellulose as a stabilizer for oil-in-water emulsions

Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on earth, being plant sources the most significant. This material has been showing increasing applications in many fields: biomedicine, food, cosmetics, electronics, composite materials, among others. Cellulose from bacterial sources is a prominent alternative to the already marketed celluloses, being more pure, crystalline, having nanoscale fibres and excellent mechanical properties. One of the many uses of cellulose, in its various forms, is the stabilization of heterogeneous systems more specifically, the stabilization of oil-in-water emulsions. In this work, bacterial celluloses potential as a stabilizer for Pickering emulsions was assessed. A model system of an isohexadecane-inwater emulsion was studied in detail. A dry bacterial cellulose formulation was able to lower the interfacial tension between the immiscible phases. Emulsions prepared with this formulation showed good stability over time and desired rheological behavior.This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. The authors would further like to thank the support through the project nº 03435: “BUILD – Bacterial cellulose Leather”, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through the Norte 2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. Daniela Martins also thanks FCT for the PhD scholarship SFRH/BD/115917/2016.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Statistical analysis of urban waste management via Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) system in the Portuguese city of Guimarães

At present the production of waste is a problem in several countries, where the rate of waste has gradually increased due to several factors that influence the development of the population. A pioneering project called Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) was implemented in the Portuguese city of Guimaraes and is managed by the municipal company VITRUS AMBIENTE. The challenge of this project is to identify the factors that influenced municipal solid waste production in the PAYT project area. For this, an analysis and a modeling process were carried out based on data collected between April 2016 and April 2019.Special thanks to VITRUS AMBIENTE for investing on science and innovative projects. This research was partially funded by Portuguese funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (”Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia” - FCT), within the framework of project UID/MAT/00013/2013

The meaning of religious beliefs for a group of cancer patients during rehabilitation

Este estudo exploratório teve o objetivo de identificar como a religião influencia a sobrevivência de um grupo de pacientes oncológicos. Consistiu em estudo de caso etnográfico, com a participação de seis laringectomizados, de ambos os sexos, na faixa etária de 51 a 72 anos, operados de dois a cinco anos. Os dados foram coletados por entrevistas semi-estruturadas e analisados segundo os conceitos de cultura e religião. Sintetizou-se os resultados em três categorias descritivas: a representação moral do câncer, as crenças religiosas na trajetória do câncer e a negociação com a religião para a sobrevivência. O significado que emerge - "a expectativa por uma segunda chance" - enfatiza a importância da religião como parte das redes de apoio que se articulam com o enfrentamento do estigma do câncer, com a expectativa da cura e com as formas de organizar a vida cotidiana, na sobrevivência.La finalidad de este estudio exploratorio fue identificar cómo la religión influencia la supervivencia de un grupo de pacientes oncológicos. Consistió en un estudio de caso etnográfico con la participación de seis laringectomizados, de ambos sexos, con edad de 51 a 72 años, que habían sido operados de dos a cinco años antes. Los datos fueron recogidos por entrevistas semi-estructuradas y analizados según los conceptos de cultura y religión. Sintetizamos los resultados en tres categorias descriptivas: la representación moral del cáncer, las creencias religiosas en el trayecto del cáncer y la negociación con la religión por la supervivencia. El significado que resulta - "la expectativa por una segunda oportunidad" - enfatiza la importancia de la religión como parte de las redes de apoyo que se encadenan con la conciliación con el estigma del cáncer, con la expectativa de cura y con las formas de arreglar la vida cotidiana, en la supervivenvia.The objective of this exploratory study was to identify how religion influences the survival of a group of cancer patients. The study consisted of an ethnographic case with the participation of six laryngectomized male and female patients between 51 and 72 years old, who had been operated on two to five years earlier. Data were collected by semistructured interviews and analyzed on the basis of the concepts of culture and religion. The results were synthesized into three descriptive categories: the moral representation of cancer, religious beliefs about the cancer trajectory, and negotiation with religion for survival. These categories give rise to the meaning "the hope for a second chance", which emphasizes the importance of religion as part of the support networks that articulate with the patient's coping with the stigma of cancer, with the hope for cure, and with the ways of organizing everyday life, during survival

The experience of thalassemic adults with their treatment

This study, based on medical anthropology and oral reports, analyzes the meanings attributed by thalassemic adults to their experiences with the treatment. Interviews were used to collect data, which were analyzed through inductive thematic analysis. Eleven young adults, six of whom were men, at different ages, with different educational levels and occupations participated in the study. The meanings are discussed through the theme "the lives of patients with thalassemia in relation to their treatment". This core meaning highlights the difference made in their identity by having the disease trait, the recognition of the importance of adhering to their treatment, the difficulties in maintaining their social functions, the patients' irregular treatment adherence and their justifications for non-adherence to their treatment. Thalassemic patients conform to their condition and employ a normalization strategy to control the disease and justify irregular treatment adherence.El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los sentidos dados por los talasémicos adultos a su experiencia con el tratamiento, con base en la antropología médica y en el método del relato oral. Para la recolección de datos usamos entrevistas y seguimos el análisis temático inductivo. Participaron once adultos jóvenes, seis del sexo masculino; con edades, niveles educacionales y profesiones, distintas. Los sentidos da la experiencia son presentados por el tema "La vida del portador de talasemia con el tratamiento". El tema destaca la identidad de ser diferente por: el trazo de la enfermedad, el reconocimiento de la importancia de la adhesión al tratamiento, las dificultades en mantener sus funciones sociales y los episodios de irregularidad en la terapia y sus justificaciones. Aprendimos que los portadores están resignados con su condición y emplean la estrategia de normalización para el control de la enfermedad y para justificar la irregularidad en el tratamiento.O objetivo neste estudo foi analisar os sentidos dados pelos talassêmicos adultos à sua experiência em relação ao tratamento, com base na antropologia médica e no método do relato oral. Para a coleta de dados, usaram-se entrevistas e seguiu-se a análise temática indutiva. Participaram onze adultos jovens, seis do sexo masculino; com idades, níveis educacionais e profissões distintas. Os sentidos são apresentados pelo tema "a vida do portador de talassemia com o tratamento". O tema destacou a identidade de diferença pelo traço da doença, o reconhecimento da importância da adesão ao tratamento, as dificuldades em manterem suas funções sociais, os episódios de irregularidade na terapia e suas justificativas. Apreendeu-se que os portadores estão resignados com sua condição, empregam a estratégia de normalização para o controle da doença e justificaram a irregularidade no tratamento

Cante pela Sua Saúde: Memória do Projeto Grupos de Canto para Seniores

Através da primeira edição do Orçamento Participativo Portugal, o ano de 2017 viu nascer uma oportunidade para promover o envelhecimento ativo através de um projeto pioneiro em Portugal, intitulado “Grupos de Canto para Seniores”. Na conceção do programa deste projeto foram tidas em consideração recomendações teóricas e práticas consolidadas, baseadas em evidências empíricas, atendendo ainda ao parecer e à experiência das equipas interdisciplinares que muito contribuíram com as suas competências científicas, técnicas e sociais e que foram, por isso, fundamentais para uma implementação bem-sucedida. O presente livro apresenta a memória deste projeto, evidenciando as diferentes fases de implementação e dando voz a vários dos seus intervenientes

Meanings of quality of life held by patients with colorectal cancer in the context of chemotherapy

OBJECTIVE: this study's aim was to interpret the meanings assigned to quality of life by patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy.METHOD: the ethnographic method and the medical anthropology theoretical framework were used. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and participant observations with 16 men and women aged from 43 to 75 years old undergoing chemotherapy in a university hospital.RESULTS: the meanings and senses describe biographical ruptures, loss of normality of life, personal and social suffering, and the need to respond to chemotherapy's side effects; chemotherapy is seen as a transitional stage for a cure. Quality of life is considered unsatisfactory because the treatment imposes personal and social limitations and QoL is linked to resuming normal life.CONCLUSIONS: the meanings show the importance of considering sociocultural aspects in the conceptualization and assessment of quality of life