Finnish cottages as third places

Third places have been studied for decades as public spaces and in regards to their importance for communities and their residents, and the special characteristics of third place experience. Finnish cottages, albeit private homes, have certain similarities with third places in regards to the cottage experience and their significance for their owners. The objective of this study is primarily to understand the Finnish cottage experience and compare to the experience of public third places, and additionally to study the benefits people experience at the cottage and their effect on their lives. This study is qualitative and the data was collected from in-depth interviews with individuals who primarily lived in the mnetropolitan area of Helsinki. A total of 15 interviews was conducted and the data analysis followed a grounded theory approach. The findings from the interviews were cross referenced with the literature review in order to answer the research questions of the study. The findings from the interviews provided insight into both how Finnish cottages are experienced as places and how differ from public third places, as well as the benefits they offer their visitors. Although the main research question was how Finnish cottages are experienced as third places, much of the focus of this study moved towards the benefits of the cottages and their recreational abilities. Finnish cottages are of great significance for their owners and their families and have potential as suitable servicescapes for several benefits for their visitors. Cottages were found to have several similarities with public third places in regards to how people feel and the activities they choose to participate when visiting them, as well as the special bond that regular visitors share with their third places. In addition, cottages were also found to offer excellent opportunities for attention restoration and mental relaxation to their owners

Design and development of innovative products based on table olives

147 σ.Τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες, οι αλλαγές στον τρόπο ζωής επηρεάζουν άμεσα τις διατροφικές συνήθειες, προκαλώντας τη ζήτηση νέων καινοτόμων τροφίμων από τον καταναλωτή που παράλληλα εξασφαλίζουν οφέλη για την υγεία. Το αλάτι (NaCl) χρησιμοποιείται ευρέως στη μεσογειακή διατροφή και χρησιμοποιείται για την συντήρηση του φαγητού αλλά και σαν παράγοντας γεύσης που βελτιώνει τα οργανοληπτικά χαρακτηριστικά του τροφίμου. Μία πρόσφατη έκθεση τεκμηριώνει τις δυσμενείς επιπτώσεις της υψηλής πρόσληψης νατρίου στην ανθρώπινη υγεία , ενώ παράλληλα οι διατροφικές συνήθειες πολλών λαών όπως της Κίνας, δεν περιέχουν την κατανάλωση αλατιού. Για το σκοπό αυτό στη παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία τέθηκε ως στόχος η μείωση της αλμυρότητας της πράσινης επιτραπέζιας ελιάς ποικιλίας Χαλκιδικής που είναι ένα τρόφιμο που κατέχει πρωταρχική θέση στη Μεσογειακή διατροφή, Εφαρμόστηκαν ήπιες μέθοδοι αφυδάτωσης αμέσως μετά την διαδικασία της αποπίκρανσης και επιχειρήθηκε επέμβαση στη διαδικασία της ζύμωσης με μερική υποκατάσταση του χλωριούχου νατρίου (NaCl) της άλμης με γλουταμινικό μονονάτριο (MSG). Επιλέχθηκε το γλουταμινικό μονονάτριο καθότι η περιεκτικότητα του νατρίου (σε μάζα επί τοις εκατό) του MSG είναι περίπου το ένα τρίτο της ποσότητας (12%) από ό, τι στο NaCl (39%). Μετά το τέλος της ζύμωσης τα δείγματα αποθηκεύτηκαν για τρείς μήνες σε διάλυμα άλμης, διάλυμα ελαίου δεντρολίβανου σε ελαιόλαδο, διάλυμα υδροζόλ δεντρολίβανου και διάλυμα σάλτσας σόγιας σε 25οC και 35οC. Τα αποτελέσματα των διαφόρων φυσικοχημικών και ποιοτικών αναλύσεων των δειγμάτων παρουσιάζονται ανά στάδιο επεξεργασίας του ελαιόκαρπου. Για την παρακολούθηση της ομαλής ζύμωσης των δειγμάτων πραγματοποιήθηκαν τακτικοί μικροβιολογικοί έλεγχοι. Οργανοληπτικοί έλεγχοι από έμπειρους δοκιμαστές πιστοποίησαν την μειωμένη αλατότητα της επιτραπέζιας ελιάς που υπέστη ζύμωση με μερική υποκατάσταση του NaCl, καθώς και προτιμήθηκαν από την επιτραπέζια ελιά που ζυμώθηκε συμβατικά. Ιδιαίτερο ενδιαφέρον σημειώθηκε για τα δείγματα που υπέστησαν ωσμωτική αφυδάτωση καθώς και αυτά που που αποθηκεύτηκαν σε διάλυμα σόγιας.Over the last decades, changes in lifestyle are in direct connection to dietary habits and determine consumer demand for novel foods, that ensure better health benefits. Sodium chloride (NaCl) has long been employed in the preservation of food commodities as well as a flavouring agent to enhance the organoleptic properties of food. Recent studies document the adverse effects of high sodium intake on human health , while the eating habits of many countries such as China, do not contain salt consumption. Σhe objective of this work was to lower the salt content of greentable olives cv. Chalkidiki, which pocess a major thesis in the Mediterranean diet. In order to lower the salt content of table olives alternative dehydration pretreatments of olives prior to fermentation, as well as fermentation with partial substitution of sodium chloride (NaCl) with monosodium glutamate (MSG) of the brine were investigated. The sodium content (in mass percent) of MSG is roughly a third of the amount (12%) than in sodium chloride (39%). The femented table olives were stored for three months in four different solutions: brine solution, solution enriched with rosemary hydrozol, olive oil solution enriched with rosemary oil and soy sauce solution at 25oC and 35oC. Organoleptic tests testified the reduced saltiness of table olives that were fermented with partial substitution of NaCl, and they were preferred by all the organoleptic testers, Particular interest was noted for the samples that were pretreated with osmotic dehydration as well as for those that were stored in soya sauce solution.Αικατερίνη Ι. Γεωργουσάκ

Terrestrial microorganisms: Cell factories of bioactive molecules with skin protecting applications

It is well known that terrestrial environments host an immense microbial biodiversity. Exposed to different types of stress, such as UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, water availability and the inter- / intra-specific competition for resources, terrestrial microorganisms have been evolved to produce a large spectrum of bioactive molecules. Bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi and algae have shown a high potential of producing biomolecules for pharmaceutical or other industrial purposes as they combine a sustainable, relatively low-cost and fast-production process. Herein, we provide an overview of the different bioactive molecules produced by terrestrial microorganisms with skin protecting applications. The high content in polyphenolic and carotenoid compounds produced by several strains, as well as the presence of exopolysaccharides, melanins, indole and pyrrole derivatives, mycosporines, carboxylic acids and other molecules, are discussed in the context of their antioxidant, photo-protective and skin-whitening activity. Relevant biotechnological tools developed for the enhanced production of high added value natural products, as well as the protecting effect of some antioxidant, hydrolytic and degrading enzymes are also discussed. Furthermore, we describe classes of microbial compounds that are used or have the potential to be used as antimicrobials, moisturizers, biosurfactants, pigments, flavorings and fragrances. © 2019 by the authors

Terrestrial Microorganisms: Cell Factories of Bioactive Molecules with Skin Protecting Applications

It is well known that terrestrial environments host an immense microbial biodiversity. Exposed to different types of stress, such as UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, water availability and the inter- / intra-specific competition for resources, terrestrial microorganisms have been evolved to produce a large spectrum of bioactive molecules. Bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi and algae have shown a high potential of producing biomolecules for pharmaceutical or other industrial purposes as they combine a sustainable, relatively low-cost and fast-production process. Herein, we provide an overview of the different bioactive molecules produced by terrestrial microorganisms with skin protecting applications. The high content in polyphenolic and carotenoid compounds produced by several strains, as well as the presence of exopolysaccharides, melanins, indole and pyrrole derivatives, mycosporines, carboxylic acids and other molecules, are discussed in the context of their antioxidant, photo-protective and skin-whitening activity. Relevant biotechnological tools developed for the enhanced production of high added value natural products, as well as the protecting effect of some antioxidant, hydrolytic and degrading enzymes are also discussed. Furthermore, we describe classes of microbial compounds that are used or have the potential to be used as antimicrobials, moisturizers, biosurfactants, pigments, flavorings and fragrances

Osmanicin, a polyketide alkaloid isolated from streptomyces osmaniensis CA-244599 inhibits elastase in human fibroblasts

The strain Streptomyces osmaniensis CA-244599 isolated from the Comoros islands was submitted to liquid-state fermentation coupled to in situ solid-phase extraction with amberlite XAD-16 resin. Elution of the trapped compounds on the resin beads by ethyl acetate afforded seven metabolites, osmanicin (1), streptazolin (2), streptazone C (3), streptazone B1 (4), streptenol C (5), nocardamine (6) and desmethylenylnocardamine (7). Osmanicin (1) is a newly reported unusual scaffold combining streptazolin (2) and streptazone C (3) through a Diels-Alder type reaction. Experimental evidence excluded the spontaneous formation of 1 from 2 and 3. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit elastase using normal human diploid fibroblasts. Compound 1 exhibited the most potent activity with an IC50 of 3.7 µM. © 2019 by the authors