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)

A percepção de profissionais da saúde de um hospital sobre a violência contra as mulheres La percepción de profesionales de salud de un hospital sobre la violencia contra la mujer The perceptions of the health professionals at a hospital about the violence against women

Estudo qualitativo que objetivou conhecer percepções de profissionais de saúde acerca da assistência às mulheres em situação de violência. O cenário foi um hospital de ensino no sul do Brasil. Os sujeitos da pesquisa foram 12 profissionais de saúde do Centro Obstétrico e Pronto Socorro. A coleta dos dados realizou-se em abril/maio de 2008, a partir de vinheta e entrevista semi-estruturada. As informações foram organizadas e estruturadas por meio da análise temática. Dos resultados emergiram duas categorias: o diálogo como instrumento facilitador para a identificação da violência e seus encaminhamentos, e a complexidade do fenômeno e suas implicações na assistência. Aponta-se a necessidade de criação de espaços de responsabilização dos órgãos formadores e serviços de saúde na formação de equipe multiprofissional que discuta e implemente a política de atendimento às mulheres em situação de violência.<br>Estudio cualitativo que tuvo por objetivo conocer las percepciones de profesionales de salud acerca de la asistencia a las mujeres en situaciones de violencia. El escenario fue un hospital de enseñanza en el sur de Brasil. Los sujetos de la investigación fueron 12 profesionales de salud del Centro Obstétrico y Hospital de urgencias. La recolección de los datos se realizó en abril/mayo de 2008, a partir de viñeta y entrevista semiestructurada. Las informaciones fueron organizadas y estructuradas por medio del análisis temático. Los resultados emergieron dos categorías: el diálogo como instrumento facilitador para la identificación de la violencia y sus encaminamientos las mujeres y la complexidad del fenómeno y sus implicaciones en la asistencia. Se evidencia la necesidad de creación de espacios de responsabilización de los órganos formadores y servicios de salud en la formación del equipo multiprofesional que discuta e implemente la política de atención a las mujeres en situación de violencia.<br>This qualitative study aimed to know the perceptions of health professionals about the assistance to women living in a violent situation. The scenery was a teaching hospital of southern Brazil. The participants were 12 health professionals from the obstetric and emergency units. The data were collected by semistructured interviews started by a short story in April to May of 2008. The information was organized and categorized and subject to thematic analysis. The results showed two categories: the dialogue as a facilitator instrument to identify the violence and their referrals and the complexity of the phenomena and their implications to the assistance. We pointed out the necessity of to create spaces of the responsibility of agencies devoted to training human resources in health and health services. It is in order to form multiprofessional team that discuss and implements the policy care to women living in a violent situation