Approaches in biotechnological applications of natural polymers

Natural polymers, such as gums and mucilage, are biocompatible, cheap, easily available and non-toxic materials of native origin. These polymers are increasingly preferred over synthetic materials for industrial applications due to their intrinsic properties, as well as they are considered alternative sources of raw materials since they present characteristics of sustainability, biodegradability and biosafety. As definition, gums and mucilages are polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates consisting of one or more monosaccharides or their derivatives linked in bewildering variety of linkages and structures. Natural gums are considered polysaccharides naturally occurring in varieties of plant seeds and exudates, tree or shrub exudates, seaweed extracts, fungi, bacteria, and animal sources. Water-soluble gums, also known as hydrocolloids, are considered exudates and are pathological products; therefore, they do not form a part of cell wall. On the other hand, mucilages are part of cell and physiological products. It is important to highlight that gums represent the largest amounts of polymer materials derived from plants. Gums have enormously large and broad applications in both food and non-food industries, being commonly used as thickening, binding, emulsifying, suspending, stabilizing agents and matrices for drug release in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In the food industry, their gelling properties and the ability to mold edible films and coatings are extensively studied. The use of gums depends on the intrinsic properties that they provide, often at costs below those of synthetic polymers. For upgrading the value of gums, they are being processed into various forms, including the most recent nanomaterials, for various biotechnological applications. Thus, the main natural polymers including galactomannans, cellulose, chitin, agar, carrageenan, alginate, cashew gum, pectin and starch, in addition to the current researches about them are reviewed in this article.. }To the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientfíico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for fellowships (LCBBC and MGCC) and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nvíel Superior (CAPES) (PBSA). This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, the Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462) and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) (JAT)

Activity patterns of Brachyteles arachnoides in the largest remaining fragment of Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Time is an important currency for primate energetics, reproduction, and survival. Here, we describe the activity budgets of a group of southern muriquis (Brachyteles arachnoides) inhabiting the largest continuous fragment of Brazilian Atlantic Forest (210,000 ha) in Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho (24°44´–15´S, 47´ 46–10 W), in the southern region of São Paulo State. We collected instantaneous scan sampling data to assess monthly, seasonal, and between-year differences in time allocation for the different activities for 2 complete, nonconsecutive years—1995 and 2002—and compare these with measures of food availability. Over the 2 yr, the group rested on average for 48%, fed for 28%, traveled for 22.5%, and socialized for 1.5% of daylight hours. On a monthly basis, resting correlated negatively with traveling in 1995, and strongly negatively correlated with feeding for both years. Feeding correlated negatively with traveling in 2002, with significantly more time spent traveling during periods of higher young leaf availability. Season was a major influence on activity: the group rested more during the hotter, rainy austral summer season, whereas feeding occurred more frequently in the cooler, drier winter season. We found no consistent associations between food availability and the time that southern muriquis spent in most activities. We suggest that these southern muriquis, like many other large-bodied and atelin primates, minimize energy expenditure while maximizing energy intake, which may be associated with their ability to be folivorous when their preferred fruit foods are less available. They thus adopt a flexible energetic strategy for coping with variable climatic conditions rather than being constrained by food availability

Bem-estar espiritual e transtornos psiquiátricos menores em estudantes de psicologia: estudo transversal Bienestar espiritual y trastornos psiquiátricos menores en estudiantes de psicología: estudio transversal Spiritual well-being and minor psychiatric disorders in psychology students: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUÇÃO: Religiosidade/espiritualidade e saúde mental parecem positivamente associadas. O estudo examina associações entre bem-estar espiritual e distúrbios psiquiátricos menores em estudantes de Psicologia. MÉTODOS: Uma escala de bem-estar espiritual, o Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) e informações sociodemográficas foram utilizadas na totalidade (n = 351) dos alunos de Psicologia da Universidade Católica de Pelotas (RS), no ano de 2002. Foram comparados os escores atuais com os dos alunos de Direito e Medicina da mesma universidade em 2001 (n = 464). RESULTADOS: 84,6% dos alunos de Psicologia apresentaram espiritualidade negativa, comparados a 68,8% dos acadêmicos de Medicina e 68,5% de Direito (p DISCUSSÃO: Os achados coincidem com a experiência internacional. É preocupante que estudantes de Psicologia se mostrem mais distantes de questões espirituais/religiosas, levando em conta a associação espiritualidade/saúde-enfermidade. CONCLUSÃO: A religiosidade/espiritualidade se mostrou como fator inversamente associado a transtornos psiquiátricos menores em estudantes de Psicologia.<br>INTRODUCCIÓN: Religiosidad/espiritualidad y salud mental parecen positivamente asociadas. El estudio examina asociaciones entre bienestar espiritual y trastornos psiquiátricos menores en estudiantes de Psicología. MÉTODOS: Una escala de bienestar espiritual (SWBS), el SRQ-20 y datos demográficos han sido utilizados en la totalidad (n = 351) de alumnos de Psicología de la Universidad Católica de Pelotas, RS, Brasil, en el año 2002. Se han comparado los rangos actuales con aquellos de los alumnos de Derecho y Medicina de la misma universidad, en 2001 (n = 464). RESULTADOS: 84,6% de los estudiantes de Psicología presentaron espiritualidad negativa, comparados con 68,8% en Medicina y 68,5% en Derecho (p < 0,001). Análogas diferencias se han encontrado en las subescalas de bienestar existencial y religioso. El SRQ fue similar en los tres cursos. La razón de chances ha mostrado asociación de 3,71 (IC 95% 1,29-10,68) entre bienestar espiritual y el rango del SRQ en los alumnos de Psicología. DISCUSIÓN: Los hallazgos coinciden con la experiencia internacional. Es preocupante que estudiantes de Psicología se muestren más distantes de cuestiones espirituales/religiosas, teniendo en cuenta la asociación espiritualidad - salud/enfermedad. CONCLUSIÓN: La religiosidad-espiritualidad se mostró como factor inversamente asociado a trastornos psiquiátricos menores en estudiantes de Psicología.<br>INTRODUCTION: Religiosity/spirituality and mental health seem to be positively associated. This study examines associations between spiritual well-being and psychiatric disorders in psychology students. METHODS: A spiritual well-being scale - the self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20) - and sociodemographic information were used to all psychology students (n = 351) from Universidade Católica de Pelotas, RS, Brazil, during the year of 2002. Current scores were compared to those obtained from medical and law students of the same university in 2001 (n = 464). RESULTS: 84.6% of psychology students presented negative spirituality, compared to 68.8% of medical and 68.5% of law students (p DISCUSSION: The findings coincide with the international experience. It is a matter of concern that psychology students define themselves more distant from spiritual/religious issues, considering the association spirituality/health-illness. CONCLUSION: Spirituality-religiosity appeared as a factor inversely associated to minor psychiatric disorders among psychology students

Current Status and Future Challenges in Cephalopod Culture

11 pagesThis chapter presents an overall perspective on the current status of cephalopod culture, its bottlenecks and future challenges. It focuses on the species that have received more research effort and consequently accumulated more scientific literature during the present century, namely Sepia officinalis, Sepioteuthis lessoniana, Octopus maya and Octopus vulgaris. Knowledge regarding physiology, metabolism and nutrition of different species is still lacking. Two main challenges are identified: the development of a sustainable artificial diet and the control of reproduction. Understanding cephalopod physiology and nutrition will probably be the biggest challenge in developing the large-scale culture of this group of molluscs on a medium to long term. In addition, zootechnical parameters need future research and improvement. The performance of an ethical experimentation with cephalopods is strongly encouraged and any zootechnical development should be performed and adapted accordingly. The potential of cephalopod culture extends far beyond its use for research and human consumption and probably it will be translated in a remarkable production in the coming yearsThis chapter presents an overall perspective on the current status of cephalopod culture, its bottlenecks and future challenges. It focuses on the species that have received more research effort and consequently accumulated more scientific literature during the present century, namely Sepia officinalis, Sepioteuthis lessoniana, Octopus maya and Octopus vulgaris. Knowledge regarding physiology, metabolism and nutrition of different species is still lacking. Two main challenges are identified: the development of a sustainable artificial diet and the control of reproduction. Understanding cephalopod physiology and nutrition will probably be the biggest challenge in developing the large-scale culture of this group of molluscs on a medium to long term. In addition, zootechnical parameters need future research and improvement. The performance of an ethical experimentation with cephalopods is strongly encouraged and any zootechnical development should be performed and adapted accordingly. The potential of cephalopod culture extends far beyond its use for research and human consumption and probably it will be translated in a remarkable production in the coming yearsPeer reviewe