Equal Set - Ferramentas para a integração laboral e economia social

Este livro é resultante da parceria transnacional europeia realizada no âmbito do projeto "Grândola em Rede para a Inserção" financiado pela IC EQUAL. Toda a obra foi revista pelos participantes da parceria transnacional. Toda a componente relativa à realidade portuguesa é da responsabilidade das autoras: Vanessa Duarte de Sousa, Raquel Hilário e Otília Mesquita.O texto que aqui se apresenta resulta da identificação das melhores práticas de economia social e integração laboral nos quatro países que participaram no projeto transnacional "Equal Set" - IC EQUAL - , a saber: Portugal, Espanha, Itália e Hungria

In Vitro Surfactant Structure-Toxicity Relationships: Implications for Surfactant Use in Sexually Transmitted Infection Prophylaxis and Contraception

Background The need for woman-controlled, cheap, safe, effective, easy-to-use and easy-to-store topical applications for prophylaxis against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) makes surfactant-containing formulations an interesting option that requires a more fundamental knowledge concerning surfactant toxicology and structure-activity relationships. Methodology/Principal Findings We report in vitro effects of surfactant concentration, exposure time and structure on the viability of mammalian cell types typically encountered in the vagina, namely, fully polarized and confluent epithelial cells, confluent but non-polarized epithelial-like cells, dendritic cells, and human sperm. Representatives of the different families of commercially available surfactants – nonionic (Triton X-100 and monolaurin), zwitterionic (DDPS), anionic (SDS), and cationic (CnTAB (n = 10 to 16), C12PB, and C12BZK) – were examined. Triton X-100, monolaurin, DDPS and SDS were toxic to all cell types at concentrations around their critical micelle concentration (CMC) suggesting a non-selective mode of action involving cell membrane destabilization and/or destruction. All cationic surfactants were toxic at concentrations far below their CMC and showed significant differences in their toxicity toward polarized as compared with non-polarized cells. Their toxicity was also dependent on the chemical nature of the polar head group. Our results suggest an intracellular locus of action for cationic surfactants and show that their structure-activity relationships could be profitably exploited for STI prophylaxis in vaginal gel formulations. The therapeutic indices comparing polarized epithelial cell toxicity to sperm toxicity for all surfactants examined, except C12PB and C12BZK, does not justify their use as contraceptive agents. C12PB and C12BZK are shown to have a narrow therapeutic index recommending caution in their use in contraceptive formulations. Conclusions/Significance Our results contribute to understanding the mechanisms involved in surfactant toxicity, have a predictive value with regard to their safety, and may be used to design more effective and less harmful surfactants for use in topical applications for STI prophylaxis.Foundation for Science and Technology of the Portuguese Ministry of Science and Higher Educatio

In Vitro Surfactant Structure-Toxicity Relationships: Implications for Surfactant Use in Sexually Transmitted Infection Prophylaxis and Contraception

Background The need for woman-controlled, cheap, safe, effective, easy-to-use and easy-to-store topical applications for prophylaxis against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) makes surfactant-containing formulations an interesting option that requires a more fundamental knowledge concerning surfactant toxicology and structure-activity relationships. Methodology/Principal Findings We report in vitro effects of surfactant concentration, exposure time and structure on the viability of mammalian cell types typically encountered in the vagina, namely, fully polarized and confluent epithelial cells, confluent but non-polarized epithelial-like cells, dendritic cells, and human sperm. Representatives of the different families of commercially available surfactants – nonionic (Triton X-100 and monolaurin), zwitterionic (DDPS), anionic (SDS), and cationic (CnTAB (n = 10 to 16), C12PB, and C12BZK) – were examined. Triton X-100, monolaurin, DDPS and SDS were toxic to all cell types at concentrations around their critical micelle concentration (CMC) suggesting a non-selective mode of action involving cell membrane destabilization and/or destruction. All cationic surfactants were toxic at concentrations far below their CMC and showed significant differences in their toxicity toward polarized as compared with non-polarized cells. Their toxicity was also dependent on the chemical nature of the polar head group. Our results suggest an intracellular locus of action for cationic surfactants and show that their structure-activity relationships could be profitably exploited for STI prophylaxis in vaginal gel formulations. The therapeutic indices comparing polarized epithelial cell toxicity to sperm toxicity for all surfactants examined, except C12PB and C12BZK, does not justify their use as contraceptive agents. C12PB and C12BZK are shown to have a narrow therapeutic index recommending caution in their use in contraceptive formulations. Conclusions/Significance Our results contribute to understanding the mechanisms involved in surfactant toxicity, have a predictive value with regard to their safety, and may be used to design more effective and less harmful surfactants for use in topical applications for STI prophylaxis.Foundation for Science and Technology of the Portuguese Ministry of Science and Higher Educatio

In vitro surfactant structure-toxicity relationships: implications for surfactant use in prophylaxis of sexually transmitted infections

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major public-health problem worldwide. According to the World Health Organization there are 340 million new cases of bacterial and protozoal STIs (Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Chlamydia and Trichomoniasis) per year. The direct treatment costs and serious perinatal collateral damage caused by STIs represent hefty financial and social burdens, particularly in developing countries. Thus, the urgent need for woman-controlled, cheap, safe, effective, easy-to-use and easy-tostore topical applications for prophylaxis against STIs makes surfactant-containing formulations an interesting option that requires a more fundamental knowledge concerning surfactant toxicology and structure-activity relationships. We report in vitro effects of cationic surfactant concentration, exposure time and structure on the viability of mammalian cell types typically encountered in the vagina, namely, fully polarized and confluent epithelial cells, confluent non-polarized epithelial-like cells and dendritic cells. The microbicide effect of surfactants was also evaluated in Escherichia coli, used as Gram-negative bacteria cell model. Representatives of different types of commercially available cationic surfactants (CnTAB (n = 10 to 16), C12PB, and C12BZK) were examined in order to evaluate the effects of the hydrocarbon chain length and polar head group structure upon cell viability. All cationic surfactants were toxic at concentrations far below their critical micelle concentration (CMC) and showed significant differences in their toxicity towards polarized as compared with non-polarized cells. Cationic amphiphiles of the CnTAB family, differing in the length of their hydrophobic chain, exhibit a non-linear dependence of their toxicity on the number of carbons. Surfactants toxicity was also dependent on the chemical structure of the polar head group, being surfactants with larger polar head groups (C12BZK and C12PB) and more delocalized positive charge (C12PB) the most toxic. We also observed that surfactant concentrations close to the critical micelle concentration cause acute toxicity whereas lower concentrations can lead to a persistent post-exposure toxicity, suggesting an intracellular locus of action. This observation is supported by the results obtained for isolated rat liver mitochondria, showing that cationic surfactants decrease substrate generated mitochondrial membrane potential in a concentration-dependent manner and delayed the rebuilding of the potential by respiration after its collapse by ADP addition. Concerning surfactants microbicidal effect, bacteria were more susceptible to cationic surfactants and, contrary to mammalian cells, show biphasic dose-response toxicity curves, which may well imply different cellular targets. Altogether, our results pointed out to the fact that structure-activity relationships could be profitably exploited for STIs prophylaxis in vaginal gel formulations and contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in surfactant toxicity, have a predictive value with regard to their safety, and may be used to design more effective and less harmful surfactants for use in topical applications for STIs prophylaxis

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved