FILMS WITH NINE LAYERS COEXTRUSION TECNOLOGY, THE NEW CHALLENGE FOR FOOD PACKAGING

In the last years the way to buy food products has changed and we observe that the needs of consumers are changing too with the time. Food products packaging in the Supermarkets is showing more and more attention for the appeal, shelf life and smaller sizes of ready-to-use food products. In order to follow this important market change, all the companies producing food packaging must develop new solutions according to this trend. Termoplast, always been working to satisfy the market requirements; in the last years, thanks to the nine layers blown coextrusion technology, it made available the best flexibility in new packaging design. In this way we have developed new polyethylene barrier film with enhanced performance and we named it SUPER PF film

Early cementation and accommodation space dictate the evolution of an overstepping barrier system during the Holocene

The morphology and stratigraphic features of a well-preserved drowned barrier system, located on the western coast of Sardinia (Mediterranean Sea), are presented here. The barriers were mapped using a multibeam echosounder. The Digital Terrain Model of the seabed revealed five sub-parallel barriers in a depth range of 18\u201337 m, with a distance of ~ 300 m between each single barrier. Direct inspection by scuba diving, revealed that the barriers consist of beachrocks, topped by seagrass meadows growing on a biogenic hardground. The inner-most barrier is limited landward by a steep cliff, 10 m high, bordering the back-barrier area. About 200 km of seismic lines were collected along the barrier system using a 0.4\u20131.0 kJ sparker source and a 3.5 kHz Chirp Subbottom profiler. The seismic data, calibrated with vibrocores, allowed us to recognize the subaerial topographic surface of the last glacial maximum as well as several seismic units interpreted as the Pliocene marine sediments, the pre-Holocene deposits and the Holocene barrier\u2013lagoon complex composed of shoreface, barrier, lagoonal/deltaic and beach deposits. Despite the relatively high seabed gradient (0.3\ub0\u20130.4\ub0) and the relatively low rate of sea-level rise (10\u201315 mm y 12 1), the barriers were well preserved due to the early diagenetic processes which led to a rapid cementation with the formation of beachrocks, and the subsequent overstepping with the rise of the sea level. The development of the overstepping barrier system is strictly related to the antecedent subaerial topography which is, in turn, related to the tectonic setting of the area. The Pliocene seismic unit was lowered by a direct fault at the entrance of the gulf forming a depression filled by sediments. The overstepping barrier system developed following the increase of the seabed gradient and was limited landward by the above-mentioned depression which increased the accommodation space. Following the sea-level rise and the barrier formation, this depression was filled by lagoonal sediments, washover fans and sediments coming from the rivers. The age model of barrier evolution, based on previous sea-level-rise curves during the Holocene, supported by radiocarbon data, highlighted that the whole system evolved over a time period of 1 ka; while the time elapsed from this formation to the drowning of single barriers was estimated to be in the order of magnitude of centuries. Scenarios of short-term evolution of modern barrier\u2013lagoon systems of the adjacent coastal sector, under conditions of accelerated sea-level rise, according to Church et al. (2013) (2013 IPCC report) and Rahmstorf (2007) projections, were elaborated. The study of this ancient analogue suggests that the processes of adaptation of coastal systems to the rising sea level would require times evaluable from centuries to millennia

Thyroid nodule morphology affects the efficacy of ultrasound-guided interstitial laser ablation: a nested case-control study.

AbstractPurpose: The literature reports a wide range of percentages of ablation in the treatment of thyroid nodules. The aim of this nested case-control study was to evaluate whether the different morphological (well-defined vs. agglomerate) characteristics of nodules affect the success rate. Materials and methods: We selected 20 patients with a single and /or dominant well-defined nodule (group 1) and 20 with a nodular formation resulting from the fusion of multiple nodules (group 2). All the nodules were treated by the laser method receiving the same energy. Results: At 6 months, patients in group 1 showed a greater decrease in volume than those in group 2. These differences were more evident after 12 months. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that the efficacy of laser treatment can be predicted by nodule morphology and contributes to explaining the wide differences in the percentages of ablation reported in literature

Regression of fetal cerebral abnormalities by primary cytomegalovirus infection following hyperimmunoglobulin therapy

Objective To assess the effects of maternal and intra-amniotic hyperimmunoglobulin (HIG) infusions among cytomegalovirus (CMV) infected fetuses with ultrasound abnormalities following a primary CMV infection. Patients and Methods The subjects were fetuses with CMV-associated cerebral and other ultrasound abnormalities. Three mothers were treated with HIG infusions during pregnancy and two were untreated. Fetal ventricle size, organ echodensity and placental thickness were measured by ultrasound before and after HIG infusions. The children were evaluated between 3 and 7 years of age. Results The ventriculomegaly of all three fetuses of HIG-treated mothers regressed and the ascites, hepatic echodensities, periventricular echodensities, and intestinal echodensities disappeared. Their sensorial, mental and motor development was normal at 4, 4.7, and 7 years of age. In contrast, both infants born of untreated mothers had signs and symptoms of severe CMV cerebropathy. Conclusion The outcomes of the infants born to HIG-treated mothers support the efficacy of HIG as a treatment for CMV-infected fetuses with ultrasound cerebral abnormalities. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of BMAP-derived peptides for the treatment of cystic fibrosis-related pulmonary infections

Patients with cystic fibrosis require pharmacological treatment against chronic lung infections. The alpha-helical antimicrobial peptides BMAP-27 and BMAP-28 have shown to be highly active in vitro against planktonic and sessile forms of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia cystic fibrosis strains. To develop small antibacterial peptides for therapeutic use, we tested shortened/modified BMAP fragments, and selected the one with the highest in vitro antibacterial activity and lowest in vivo acute pulmonary toxicity. All the new peptides have shown to roughly maintain their antibacterial activity in vitro. The 1-18 N-terminal fragment of BMAP-27, showing MIC90 of 16 A mu g/ml against P. aeruginosa isolates and strain-dependent anti-biofilm effects, showed the lowest pulmonary toxicity in mice. However, when tested in a murine model of acute lung infection by P. aeruginosa, BMAP-27(1-18) did not show any curative effect. If exposed to murine broncho-alveolar lavage fluid BMAP-27(1-18) was degraded within 10 min, suggesting it is not stable in pulmonary environment, probably due to murine proteases. Our results indicate that shortened BMAP peptides could represent a starting point for antibacterial drugs, but they also indicate that they need a further optimization for effective in vivo use

Biogenic sediments from coastal ecosystems to beach-dune systems: implications for the adaptation of mixed and carbonate beaches to future sea level rise

Coastal ecosystems produce and store carbonate particles, which play a significant role in the carbonate dynamics of coastal areas and may contribute to the sediment budget of adjacent beaches. In the nearshore seabed of temperate zones (e.g. Mediterranean Sea and South Australia), marine biogenic carbonates are mainly produced inside sea-grass meadows. This study quantifies the contribution of biogenic sediments, mainly produced in Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows and secondarily in photophilic algal communities, to the sediment budget of a Mediterranean beach-dune system (San Giovanni beach, western Sardinia, western Mediterranean Sea). A set of geophysical, petrographic and sedimentological data was used to estimate the sediment volume and composition of the beach-dune system as a whole. The San Giovanni beach-dune system contains 3797000 +/- 404000 t of sediment, 83% (3137000 +/- 404000 t) of which is located in the coastal wedge, 16% (619000 +/- 88000 t) in the dune fields and 1% (41000 +/- 15000 t) in the sub-aerial beach. The sediments are composed of mixed modern bioclastic and relict bioclastic and non-bioclastic grains from various sources. The system receives a large input of modern bioclastic grains, mainly composed of rhodophytes, molluscs and bryozoans, which derive from sediment production of present-day carbonate factories, particularly P. oceanica seagrass meadows. Radiocarbon dating of modern bioclastic grains indicated that they were produced during the last 4.37 kyr. This value was used to estimate the longterm deposition rates of modern bioclastic sediments in the various beach compartments. The total deposition rate of modern bioclastic grains is 46000 +/- 5000 t century 1, mainly deposited in the coastal wedge (39000 +/- 4000 t century(-1)) and dunes (7000 +/- 1000 t century(-1)), and 46 000 t represents similar to 1.2% of the total beach-dune sediment mass. Carbonate production from coastal ecosystems was estimated to be 132000/307000 t century(-1), 28% (15%/34 %) of which is transported to the beach-dune system, thus significantly contributing to the beach sediment budget.The contribution to the beach sediment budget represents a further ecosystem service, which our data can help quantify, provided by P. oceanica. The value of this sediment-supply service is in addition to the other important ecological services provided by seagrass meadows. The dependence of the beach sediment budget on carbonate production associated with coastal ecosystems has several implications for the adaptation of mixed and carbonate beaches to the loss of seagrass meadows due to local impacts and the changes expected to occur over the next few decades in coastal ecosystems following sea level rise

Open reduction and internal fixation of extracapsular mandibular condyle fractures: a long-term clinical and radiological follow-up of 25 patients

Background: During the last 2 decades, many studies on the treatment of mandibular condyle fracture have been published. The incidence of mandibular condyle fractures is variable, ranging from 17.5% to 52% of all mandibular fractures. This retrospective study evaluated the long-term clinical and radiological outcomes after surgical treatment of 25 patients with a total of 26 extracapsular condyle fractures. Methods: We used 2 types of surgical approaches, the retromandibular retroparotid or preauricular approach. Three kinds of rigid internal fixation plates were used—single plate, double plate, and trapezoidal plate. The following post-operative clinical parameters were evaluated: dental occlusion, facial nerve functionality, skin scarring, and temporomandibular joint functionality. All patients underwent post-operative orthopanoramic radiography and computed tomography. The patients were also monitored for complications such as Frey’s syndrome, infection, salivary fistula, plate fracture, and permanent paralysis of the facial nerve; the patient’s satisfaction was also recorded. Results: Of the 25 patients, 80% showed occlusion recovery, 88% had no facial nerve injury, and 88% presented good surgical skin scarring. The patients showed early complete recovery of temporomandibular joint functionality and 72% of them were found to be asymptomatic. The postoperative radiographs of all patients indicated good recovery of the anatomical condylar region, and 80% of them had no postoperative complications. The average degree of patient satisfaction was 8.32 out of 10. Our results confirm that the technique of open reduction and internal fixation in association with postoperative functional rehabilitation therapy should be considered for treating patients with extracapsular condylar fractures. Conclusion: The topic of condylar injury has generated more discussion and controversy than any other topic in the field of maxillofacial trauma. We confirm that open reduction and internal fixation is the treatment of choice for patients with neck and sub-condylar mandibular fractures

O marketing comportamental no processo de fidelização do consumidor online - Estudo de caso: FNAC.PT

Mestrado em Controlo de Gestão e dos NegóciosCom a crescente complexidade que os mercados apresentam atualmente, tornou-se obrigatório para as empresas redesenharem novas estratégias – diferenciadoras e inovadoras – que acompanhem estas constantes mutações. Nesta nova era, intitulada era da informação, a internet possibilita uma economia à escala global, onde a circulação e a troca de dados é feita de forma livre, rápida e sem barreiras geográficas. Todos esses fatores impulsionaram que o consumidor assumisse um novo papel nas relações comerciais: mais ativo, mais exigente, bastante mais informado e, por consequência, mais desconfiado e caprichoso. De facto, surgiram novos desafios que estimularam a renovação de alguns parâmetros do marketing tradicional. O conceito de brand equity ganhou relevância, assim como se tornou fulcral para a empresa ter o cliente como centro dos seus esforços, numa perspetiva de marketing one-to-one, de forma a responder aos seus desejos. Nesta fase, em que a internet e o consumidor estão intimamente ligados, cabe às empresas retirar o maior proveito desta relação: por um lado, satisfazer os caprichos e as expetativas dos consumidores, com a informação absorvida dos dados que o marketing comportamental disponibiliza, e por outro, aproveitar um novo canal de comunicação para chegar mais rápida e eficazmente ao consumidor. Contudo, para que as empresas consigam efetivamente alcançar novos consumidores e principalmente que os consigam fidelizar num contexto de e-commerce é crucial a implementação de estratégias ao nível do marketing digital que permitam às empresas explorar e beneficiar dos paradigmas do novo contexto atual.With the increasing complexity of the markets at present, it became mandatory for companies to redesign their strategies – in a differentiating and innovative way - that will follow these constant changes. In this new era, called by the information age, the internet allows a global economy, where the circulation and exchange of data is done freely, quickly and without barriers. All these factors have improved for the consumer to acquire a new role in business relationships: more active, more demanding, much more informed and, therefore, more suspicious. In fact, new challenges have emerged which stimulated the renewal of some parameters of traditional marketing. The concept of brand equity gained prominence, and became central to the companies to have the customer as the center of their efforts, in a marketing one-to-one perspective and hoping to meet their expectations. At this stage, when the Internet and the consumer are closely linked, it is for the companies take full advantage of this relationship: on the one hand, satisfy the whims and desires of consumers supported the data absorbed by behavioral marketing, and secondly, make a new channel communication (which can be much more efficient than traditional). However, for companies to be able to effectively reach new consumers and especially able to retain them in the context of e-commerce, it is crucial the implementation of digital strategies that allow companies to explore and benefit from new paradigms of the current context