Formulation of sustainable concentrated rinse-off products

Trabalho Final de Mestrado Integrado, Ciências Farmacêuticas, 2020, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Farmácia.Contexto: Nos últimos trinta anos, os produtos de higiene concentrados têm sido alvo de especial atenção, como alternativa mais ecológica aos produtos de higiene tradicionais. Tal deve-se às inúmeras vantagens que a versão concentrada apresenta, já que a redução da quantidade de água do produto permite uma redução do conteúdo nominal, o que leva ao menor uso de material de acondicionamento primário, bem como à possibilidade de transporte de mais unidades de produto numa só viagem, e portanto menos viagens e uma redução da carga transportada, com menores consumos de combustível e consequentemente a uma diminuição da pegada ambiental. Contudo, a investigação e desenvolvimento de produtos de higiene sustentáveis é um trabalho extenso que requer conhecimentos sobre a totalidade do ciclo de vida do produto e em especial uma profunda compreensão da teoria dos comportamentos de tensioativos e de como formular para se atingirem os atributos desejados do produto. O objetivo deste estudo foi adquirir conhecimentos sobre a microestrutura de misturas simples de tensioativos a várias concentrações, visando manter as características de desemprenho e de eficácia a que os consumidores estão habituados. Materiais e Métodos: Quatro tensioativos diferentes foram utilizados sendo dois tensioativos aniónicos, um tensioativo anfotérico e outro não-iónico replicando as misturas mais básicas presentes no mercado. Prepararam-se 60 formulações com concentrações e rácios diferentes de tensioativos. Posteriormente, procedeu-se à avaliação das suas características macroscópicas e da sua microestrutura, através da observação ao microscópio ótico com luz polarizada. Os valores de viscosidade e pH foram também determinados. Resultados: A aparência macroscópica dos sistemas de tensioativos variou de uma solução aquosa transparente até um gel de alta viscosidade opaco. Nas concentrações mais baixas de tensioativo total (10-20%) obtiveram-se soluções isotrópicas, de fluxo Newtoniano e baixa viscosidade. Com um aumento da concentração total de tensioativo verificou-se um aumento da viscosidade e um comportamento pseudoplástico do gel com aparecimento de propriedades de birrefringência e anisotropia e anisotropia ao microscópio ótico de luz polarizada, o que indica a presença de cristais líquidos nas misturas. Conclusão: Foi alcançado o objetivo de formular produtos de higiene com uma concentração significativamente reduzida em comparação com as opções tradicionais. Obtiveram-se soluções de cristais-líquidos de tensioativos. Não obstante, tratam-se de resultados preliminares que necessitam de mais estudos para alcançar os resultados desejados.Purpose: Concentrated rinse-off products have, for the past three decades, been receiving more attention as a means of providing a more ecological alternative to traditional wash-off products, because of their advantages when it comes to sustainability. Reducing the amount of water transported allows the reduction of the products volume, leading to more product unities being distributed in one trip and therefore less trips, and weight, leading to lower fuel consumptions and thus a decrease on the carbon footprint, as well as reduction of packaging material. However, research and development of sustainable rinse-off products is a strenuous job that requires knowledge of the entire life cycle of the product and in particular a understanding of surfactant science, and how to manipulate formulations to attain the desired product attributes. The purpose of this study was to acquire knowledge about the microstructure and rheological behaviour of simple surfactant mixture and various concentrations, their microstrutures and rheology, while aiming to maintain the performance characteristics desired by consumers, in terms of product use, mildness and foaming. Materials and Methods: Four different surfactants were used, two anionic surfactants as primary surfactants and one amphoteric and another non-ionic surfactant, used as secondary surfactants, replicating basic surfactant blends on the market. Thus, 60 formulations were prepared with different surfactant combinations at different ratios. Subsequently, the formulations were observed under the microscope with polarized light, their macroscopic characteristics were identified, and their viscosity and pH were obtained. Results: The physical appearance of these systems varied from transparent aqueous solution to an opaque gel with high viscosity. At low concentrations of total surfactant (10-20%), isotropic solutions, presenting a low viscosity Newtonian flow were present. As total surfactant concentration was increased an increase in viscosity was observed and the gels became shear-thinning, presenting birefringence when observed under microscope polarised light, which indicated the presence of liquid crystals in the blends. Conclusion: The goal to obtain concentrated surfactant systems was achieved, and surfactant liquid crystals were obtained. This study provides possible explanations regarding the results obtained and points out factors that should be tackled to overcome the formulations problems.Com o patrocínio da Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa e College of Fashion London, University of Arts

práticas artísticas no ensino básico e secundário

Para este número 18 da Revista Matéria-Prima reuniram-se 16 artigos que permitem colocar em perspetiva diversas dimensões da Educação Artística. Entre a consciência patrimonial e a emancipação, entre o domínio da técnica e do género, entre a integração e a maturação criadora, há um espaço a ser pesquisado, feito de história, de identidade, de ensaio e de inclusividadeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Association of Leptin with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in End-Stage Kidney Disease Patients on Dialysis

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common cardiovascular complication in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients. We aimed at studying the association of LVH with adiponectin and leptin levels, cardiovascular stress/injury biomarkers and nutritional status in these patients. We evaluated the LV mass (LVM) and calculated the LVM index (LVMI) in 196 ESKD patients on dialysis; the levels of hemoglobin, calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, albumin, adiponectin, leptin, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15 were analyzed. ESKD patients with LVH (n = 131) presented higher NT-proBNP and GDF-15, lower hemoglobin and, after adjustment for gender, lower leptin levels compared with non-LVH patients. LVH females also showed lower leptin than the non-LVH female group. In the LVH group, LVMI presented a negative correlation with leptin and a positive correlation with NT-proBNP. Leptin emerged as an independent determinant of LVMI in both groups, and NT-proBNP in the LVH group. Low hemoglobin and leptin and increased calcium, NT-proBNP and dialysis vintage are associated with an increased risk of developing LVH. In ESKD patients on dialysis, LVH is associated with lower leptin values (especially in women), which are negatively correlated with LVMI, and with higher levels of biomarkers of myocardial stress/injury. Leptin and NT-proBNP appear as independent determinants of LVMI; dialysis vintage, hemoglobin, calcium, NT-proBNP and leptin emerged as predicting markers for LVH development. Further studies are needed to better understand the role of leptin in LVH in ESKD patients

Preparation of crystal-like periodic mesoporous phenylene-silica derivatized with ferrocene and its use as a catalyst for the oxidation of styrene

The surface silanol groups in crystal-like mesoporous phenylene-silica have been derivatized with trimethylsilyl, benzyldimethylsilyl and dimethylsilyl(ferrocene) groups by performing a post-synthetic grafting reaction with the corresponding chlorosilane precursors. The success of the grafting procedure was demonstrated by transmission FT-IR spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), and C-13 and Si-29 magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and N-2 adsorption data for the modified materials indicated preservation of the mesostructure as well as the molecular-scale periodicity in the pore walls. Ferrocene and the ferrocenyl-modified periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) were employed in the catalytic oxidation of styrene at 55 degrees C using either hydrogen peroxide or tert-butylhydroperoxide as an oxidant. The main reaction product was always benzaldehyde (BzCHO), and other products included styrene oxide, benzoic acid and 2-hydroxyacetophenone. Using a styrene : H2O2 molar ratio of 1 : 5, the highest BzCHO yields at 24 h were 65% (85% selectivity) for ferrocene (semibatch conditions involving stepwise addition of H2O2, 1 mol% Fe) and 34% (83% selectivity) for the modified PMO (batch conditions, 0.06 mol% Fe). The modified PMO could be recovered and reused, albeit with a drop in catalytic activity due to partial metal leaching during the first catalytic run

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

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licenseBackground: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licenseBackground: Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide. Methods: A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study—a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3·85 [95% CI 2·58–5·75]; p<0·0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63·0% vs 82·7%; OR 0·35 [0·23–0·53]; p<0·0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer. Interpretation: Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised. Funding: National Institute for Health and Care Research

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field