In vivo skin hydrating efficacy of fish collagen from greenland halibut as a high-value active ingredient for cosmetic applications

The industrial processing of fish for food purposes also generates a considerable number of by-products such as viscera, bones, scales, and skin. From a value-added perspective, fish by-products can act also as raw materials, especially because of their collagen content (particularly in fish skin). Interestingly, the potential of marine collagen for cosmetic applications is enormous and, remarkably, the extraction of this protein from fish skins has been established for different species. Using this approach, we investigated the integration of marine collagen (COLRp_I) extracted from the skin of the Greenland halibut as an active ingredient in a cosmetic hydrogel formulation. In this study, extracts of marine collagen at concentrations up to 10 mg/mL showed a non-cytotoxic effect when cultured with fibroblast cells for 3 days. In addition, marine collagen extract, when incorporated into a cosmetic hydrogel formulation, met criterion A of ISO 11930:2019 regarding the efficacy of the preservative system (challenge test). In addition, the cosmetic formulations based on marine collagen at dosages of 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5% were tested in a clinical study on the skin of the forearms of 23 healthy volunteers, showing a sightly hydration effect, suggesting its potential for beauty applications. Moreover, this work illustrates that the circular economy concept applied to the fish processing industry can represent important benefits, at innovation, environmental and economic levels.The authors acknowledge the funding from the European Union Transborder Cooperation Programme Interreg España-Portugal 2014–2020 (POCTEP) under the project 0302_CVMAR_I_1_P, which supported also the cosmetic clinical study performed by INOVAPOTEK under a services acquisition contract

SOBRE O IMPRESSO E O DIGITAL: ANALISANDO OS LIVROS, AS LEITURAS E OS IMPACTOS SOCIAIS DAS NOVAS TÉCNICAS E TECNOLOGIAS.

TCC (graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Curso de Ciências Sociais.Este trabalho busca analisar a coexistência dos formatos impressos e digitais na atualidade, principalmente dos livros e das leituras nestes formatos, relacionando com os conceitos de novas técnicas e tecnologias nas sociedades. Para isso estudamos, através de pesquisas bibliográficas, a história do impresso e do digital e suas visões contemporâneas, e realizamos uma pesquisa exploratória com estudantes de ensino superior, buscando analisar as escolhas dos formatos no mundo universitário. O trabalho trata das noções do digital - a internet, o livro digital, o comércio eletrônico e as novas técnicas/tecnologias - e também das noções do impresso - história dos livros, técnicas de leitura, novas livrarias e a contemporaneidade do impresso -, além de diversos outros conceitos sobre os impactos sociais das novas técnicas e tecnologias. A etapa exploratória da pesquisa foi feita com questionários online direcionados para universitários formandos ou já formados em universidades da região de Florianópolis e Joinville, como UFSC e Univille, por se considerar que na universidade se tem variadas experiências com livros e leituras, então um campo viável para se explorar informações sobre esse tema. Teoricamente o trabalho tem como guia conceitos de autores como Roger Chartier e Jean-Yves Mollier em suas análises mais históricas sobre os livros e as leituras, e Manuel Castells, Pierre Levy, Chris Anderson, entre outros, que analisam as sociedades atuais e a influência do meio digital e da internet nos dias de hoje

Extraction and characterization of collagen from elasmobranch byproducts for potential biomaterial use

With the worldwide increase of fisheries, fish wastes have had a similar increase, alternatively they can be seen as a source of novel substances for the improvement of societyâ s wellbeing. Elasmobranchs are a subclass fished in high amounts, with some species being mainly bycatch. They possess an endoskeleton composed mainly by cartilage, from which chondroitin sulfate is currently obtained. Their use as a viable source for extraction of type II collagen has been hypothesized with the envisaging of a biomedical application, namely in biomaterials production. In the present work, raw cartilage from shark (Prionace glauca) and ray (Zeachara chilensis and Bathyraja brachyurops) was obtained from a fish processing company and submitted to acidic and enzymatic extractions, to produce acid-soluble collagen (ASC) and pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC). From all the extractions, P. glauca PSC had the highest yield (3.5%), followed by ray ASC (0.92%), ray PSC (0.50%), and P. glauca ASC (0.15%). All the extracts showed similar properties, with the SDS-PAGE profiles being compatible with the presence of both type I and type II collagens. Moreover, the collagen extracts exhibited the competence to maintain their conformation at human basal temperature, presenting a denaturation temperature higher than 3 C. Hydrogels were produced using P. glauca PSC combined with shark chondroitin sulfate, with the objective of mimicking the human cartilage extracellular matrix. These hydrogels were cohesive and structurally-stable at 37 C, with rheological measurements exhibiting a conformation of an elastic solid when submitted to shear strain with a frequency up to 4 Hz. This work revealed a sustainable strategy for the valorization of fisheriesâ by-products, within the concept of a circular economy, consisting of the use of P. glauca, Z. chilensis, and B. brachyurops cartilage for the extraction of collagen, which would be further employed in the development of hydrogels as a proof of concept of its biotechnological potential, ultimately envisaging its use in marine biomaterials to regenerate damaged cartilaginous tissues.The authors acknowledge the fish-processing industry Nigel (Peniche, Portugal) for the kind offer of shark and ray by-products, Marco Lemos (MARE-Leiria, IPLeiria, Portugal) for valuable discussions, and Filipe Costa and Sofia Duarte (CBMA, University of Minho, Portugal) for the DNA barcoding analysis for identification/confirmation of elasmobranchii species

Chondrosia reniformis marine-sponge collagen membranes for skin re-epithelialization

Chondrosia reniformis collagen has been identified as mainly of type IV. Being collagen IV the main component of the epidermal basal layer [1], C. reniformis represents a valuable source to be explored in the skin regeneration field. This work envisaged the production of C. reniformis collagen membranes for the selection of rapidly adherent epidermal cells, like the commercial collagen coatings, and for their subsequent culture. This approach would permit a single system for culturing and carrying basal epidermal cells aimed at re-epithelialize skin wounds. Materials and Methods The collagen of C. reniformis marine-sponge was extracted with 100mM Tris-HCl, 10mM EDTA, 8M urea and 100mM 2-mercaptoethanol. To define the best re-solubilization conditions, the obtained precipitate was dissolved in five different solutions: Solution A: 100mM Tris-HCl+8M Urea+10mM EDTA (pH 9.5); Solution B: 50mM Tris-HCl+1M NaCl (pH 7.4); Solution C: 100mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.4); Solution D: 0.5% H2O2 (v/v) (pH 11) and Solution E: 100mM Tris-HCl (pH 9.5). Solutions of 1% collagen were prepared and cross-linking was performed with HMDI, genipin and EDC/NHS at different concentrations. The membranes were obtained by solvent-casting and/or freeze-drying, and their stability was tested both in PBS and culture medium, for at least 7 days. Morphological characterization of the membranes was carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cytotoxicity, based on metabolic activity (MTS assay) and cell proliferation (DNA quantification) analysis of the 100mM Tris-HCl (pH 9.5) and 8mM EDC/NHS cross-linked collagen membranes, was assessed with L929 cells. Results were analyzed by IBM SPSS Statistics Version 20 using one-way ANOVA and Kruskall-Wallis test. Significance was set for

Nanostructured natural-based polyelectrolyte multilayers to agglomerate chitosan particles into scaffolds for tissue engineering

The Layer-by-Layer (LbL) deposition technique is a self-assembly process that allows the coating of material's surface with nanostructured layers of polyelectrolytes, allowing to control several surface properties. This technique presents some advantages when compared with other thin film assembly techniques like having the possibility to coat surfaces with complex geometries in mild conditions or to incorporate active compounds. Tissue engineering involves typically the use of porous biodegradable scaffolds for the temporary support of cells. Such structures can be produced by agglomeration of micro-spheres that needs to be fixed into a three dimensional structure. In this work we suggest the use of LbL to promote such mechanical fixation in free-formed micro-spheres assemblies and simultaneously to control the properties of its surface. For the proof of concept the biological performance of chitosan/alginate multilayers is first investigated in two-dimensional models in which the attachment and proliferation of L929 and ATDC5 cells are studied in function of the number of layers and the nature of the final layer. Scaffolds prepared by agglomeration of chitosan particles using the same multilayered system were processed and characterized; it was found that they could support the attachment and proliferation of ATDC5 cells. This study suggests that LbL can be used as a versatile methodology to prepare scaffolds by particle agglomeration that could be suitable for tissue engineering applications.Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) através do Programa Operacional de Cooperação Transfronteiriça Espanha Portugal 2007-2013 (POCTEP)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

3D biocomposites comprising marine collagen and silica-based materials inspired on the composition of marine sponge skeletons envisaging bone tissue regeneration

Ocean resources are a priceless repository of unique species and bioactive compounds with denouement properties that can be used in the fabrication of advanced biomaterials as new templates for supporting the cell culture envisaging tissue engineering approaches. The collagen of marine origin can be sustainably isolated from the underrated fish processing industry by-products, while silica and related materials can be found in the spicules of marine sponges and diatoms frustules. Aiming to address the potential of biomaterials composed from marine collagen and silica-based materials in the context of bone regeneration, four different 3D porous structure formulations (COL, COL:BG, COL:D.E, and COL:BS) were fabricated by freeze-drying. The skins of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were used as raw materials for the collagen (COL) isolation, which was successfully characterized by SDS-PAGE, FTIR, CD, and amino acid analyses, and identified as a type I collagen, produced with a 1.5% yield and a preserved characteristic triple helix conformation. Bioactive glass 45S5 bioglass® (BG), diatomaceous earth (D.E.) powder, and biosilica (BS) isolated from the Axinella infundibuliformis sponge were chosen as silica-based materials, which were obtained as microparticles and characterized by distinct morphological features. The biomaterials revealed microporous structures, showing a porosity higher than 85%, a mean pore size range of 138â 315 µm depending on their composition, with 70% interconnectivity which can be favorable for cell migration and ensure the needed nutrient supply. In vitro, biological assays were conducted by culturing L929 fibroblast-like cells, which confirmed not only the non-toxic nature of the developed biomaterials but also their capability to support cell adhesion and proliferation, particularly the COL:BS biomaterials, as observed by calcein-AM staining upon seven days of culture. Moreover, phalloidin and DAPI staining revealed well-spread cells, populating the entire construct. This study established marine collagen/silica biocomposites as potential scaffolds for tissue engineering, setting the basis for future studies, particularly envisaging the regeneration of non-load-bearing bone tissues.This research was funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under the projects SponGES (H2020-BG-01-2015-679849)

Tipos habitacionais e estratégias de reabilitação do núcleo urbano antigo do Seixal

Os núcleos urbanos antigos são portadores de um património histórico e arquitectónico a proteger e a potenciar. Para tal, é necessário compreender a sua génese, tanto no plano do edifício como no plano do conjunto urbano. Deste modo, considera-se importante o estudo do edificado como apoio a intervenções de reabilitação qualificadas, conscientes e sustentáveis. Este artigo aborda o assunto dos núcleos urbanos antigos na perspectiva da análise e inventariação das características do edificado. O processo de tipificação apresenta-se como síntese das principais formas de construção presentes, baseado na inspecção (observação e levantamento) e registo, tomando como caso de estudo o Núcleo Urbano Antigo do Seixal

Desenvolvimento de sistemas de inteligência artificial para análise de risco em túneis

O presente trabalho descreve sistemas computacionais que estão em fase de desenvolvimento e aperfeiçoamento e que servirão para a análise de risco dos túneis da rede de comboios de alta velocidade a ser construída em Portugal. Um dos sistemas, designado GEOPAT, serve para prever parâmetros geomecânicos para a modelação de obras subterrâneas. Neste trabalho serão apresentadas duas aplicações que já foram efectuadas nesta fase de desenvolvimento do sistema a duas importantes obras subterrâneas construídas no Norte de Portugal. O outro sistema, designado MATUF, está vocacionado para o apoio a operações de manutenção e inspecção dos túneis

Fucoidan-based hydrogels particles as versatile carriers for diabetes treatment strategies

There is a current lack of fully efficient therapies for diabetes mel-litus, a chronic disease where the metabolism of blood glucose isseverely hindered by a deficit in insulin or cell resistance to thishormone. Therefore, it is crucial to develop new therapeutic strat-egies to treat this disease, including devices for the controlleddelivery of insulin or encapsulation of insulin-producing cells. Inthis work, fucoidan (Fu)â a marine sulfated polysaccharide exhib-iting relevant properties on reducing blood glucose and antioxi-dant and anti-inflammatory effectsâ was used for thedevelopment of versatile carriers envisaging diabetes advancedtherapies. Fu was functionalized by methacrylation (MFu) using8% and 12% (v/v) of methacrylic anhydride and further photo-crosslinked using visible light in the presence of triethanolamineand eosin-y to produce hydrogel particles. Degree of methacryla-tion varied between 2.78 and 6.50, as determined by1HNMR, andthe produced particles have an average diameter ranging from0.63 to 1.3mm (dry state). Insulin (5%) was added to MFu solutionto produce drug-loaded particles and the release profile wasassessed in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) and simulated intes-tinal fluid (SIF) for 24h. Insulin was released in a sustained man-ner during the initial 8 h, reaching then a plateau, higher in PBSthan in SIF, indicating that lower pH favors drug liberation.Moreover, the ability of MFu particles to serve as templates forthe culture of human pancreatic cells was assessed using 1.1B4cell line during up to 7 days. During the culture period studied,pancreatic beta cells were proliferating, with a global viabilityover 80% and tend to form pseudo-islets, thus suggesting thatthe proposed biomaterial could be a good candidate as versatilecarrier for diabetes treatment as they sustain the release of insulinand support pancreatic beta cells viability.We acknowledge ERDF for the financial support through POCTEP Project 0687_NOVOMAR_1_P, under the scope of INTERREG 2007-2013, and project 0302_CVMAR_I_1_P, under the scope of INTERREG Espana-Portugal 2014-2020, and Structured Projects NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000021, NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000023 and ATLANTIDA (ref. NORTE-01–0145-FEDER-000040), under the scope of Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (Norte 2020). Funding from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology for doctoral grant (SFRH/BD/112139/2015) and post-doctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/85790/2012) is also acknowledge