Irreversible colorimetric bio-based curcumin bilayer membranes for smart food packaging temperature control applications.

Research into innovative food safety technologies has led to the development of smart packaging with embedded chemical sensors that can monitor food quality throughout the supply chain. Thermochromic materials (TM), which are able to dynamically change colour in response to temperature fluctuations, have proven to be reliable indicators of food quality in certain environments. Natural colourants such as curcumin are becoming increasingly popular for smart packaging due to their low toxicity, environmental friendliness and ability to change colour. The innovation in this research lies in the production of a bio-based bilayer membrane specifically designed for irreversible temperature monitoring. Membrane A was prepared by dissolving cellulose acetate and curcumin in acetone at room temperature, with glycerol serving as a plasticiser. At the same time, membrane B was carefully formulated by dissolving cellulose acetate and triethanolamine in acetone, with sorbitol as plasticiser. The preparation of these different membranes revealed a remarkable event: a gradual and irreversible colour transition from an initial yellow to a brick-red hue after 24 hours of storage at 25 °C. The chemical structure and morphological analyses of the membranes were performed using several techniques, including FTIR, DSC and SEM. The membrane labels were adhered to aluminium cans and their colorimetric response was observed over a period of 10 days. Minimal colour variations were observed, confirming the reproducibility and stability of the curcumin-based membranes as temperature sensors.

Enfermagem de Saúde Comunitária, de Saúde Pública e de Saúde Familiar / Community Health, Public Health and Family Health Nursing

O presente relatório de estágio é realizado em duas áreas: Enfermagem de Saúde Comunitária e de Saúde Pública e Enfermagem de Saúde Familiar. Este estágio decorre do Estágio I, onde foi elaborado o Diagnóstico de Situação de Saúde da Cova da Beira, procurando dar resposta aos objetivos da Unidade Curricular do Estágio com Relatório Final. No relatório de estágio preconiza-se a fundamentação, a análise crítico-reflexiva e a visibilidade das intervenções especializadas nas áreas de Enfermagem Comunitária e de Saúde Pública e Enfermagem de Saúde Familiar. Pretende-se que seja revelador de aprendizagens numa perspetiva de enfermagem avançada, utilizando uma metodologia de pesquisa-ação, e refletindo no agir em contexto de prática clínica desenvolvendo competências no âmbito da prática baseada na evidência. Na área de Enfermagem de Saúde Comunitária e de Saúde Pública, foi elaborado o programa de Intervenção Comunitária "Sem Resistência", que decorreu do Diagnóstico de Situação de Saúde da Cova da Beira. Foi realizada uma ação de formação para apresentação do Programa "Sem Resistência", dirigida aos profissionais de saúde do Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde da Cova da Beira, os quais se sentiram, na sua maioria, muito satisfeitos com a organização da ação, inovação e pertinência da temática, e com os métodos utilizados. Foi também realizada uma sessão designada "Resiste à gripe e às constipações", na associação Quero Ser Mais E7G, para crianças e jovens, os quais obtiveram conhecimento sobre a prevenção das gripes e constipações. Com base neste programa, foi desenvolvido o projeto individual de IC "Vacinação: as gotas da proteção", tendo sido realizadas sessões sobre a importância da vacinação, dirigidas aos pais, durante as consultas de saúde infantil até aos 18 meses de idade. Tendo em conta os resultados obtidos, verificou-se um aumento da literacia dos pais sobre a importância da vacinação na saúde infantil. Na área de Enfermagem Saúde Familiar, foi aplicado o Modelo Dinâmico de Avaliação e Intervenção Familiar, a uma família nuclear com diabetes Mellitus tipo 2, com filhos adultos, classe média baixa, com habitação classificada como grau 2, muito equilibrada, muito ligada, muito flexível e altamente funcional. Apresenta baixa probabilidade de incidência de doenças no seio familiar. Verificou-se falta de conhecimento sobre as vacinas do animal doméstico, que não estavam atualizadas. Foram realizadas intervenções de enfermagem tendo a família a demonstrado conhecimento, após a realização das mesmas. Com a realização do estágio foram adquiridas competências comuns e específicas do Enfermeiro Especialista em Enfermagem Comunitária, na área de Enfermagem de Saúde Comunitária e de Saúde Pública e na área de Enfermagem de Saúde Familiar.

This internship report is carried out in two areas: Community Health Nursing and Public Health and Family Health Nursing. This internship stems from Internship I, where the Health Situation Diagnosis of Cova da Beira was prepared, seeking to respond to the objectives of the Internship Curricular Unit with a Final Report. The internship report advocates the foundation, critical-reflective analysis and visibility of specialized interventions in the areas of Community Nursing and Public Health and Family Health Nursing. It is intended to reveal learning from an advanced nursing perspective, using an action-research methodology, and reflecting on acting in the context of clinical practice, developing skills in the context of evidence-based practice. In the area of Community Health and Public Health Nursing, the Community Intervention program "Without Resistance" was developed, which resulted from the Cova da Beira Health Situation Diagnosis. A training action was held to present the "Without Resistance" Program, aimed at health professionals from the Cova da Beira Health Centers Group, who felt, for the most part, very satisfied with the organization of the action, innovation and relevance of the theme, and with the methods used. A session called "Resist the flu and colds" was also held at the Quero Ser Mais E7G association, for children and young people, who gained knowledge about the prevention of flu and colds. Based on this program, the individual CI project "Vaccination: the drops of protection" was developed, with sessions on the importance of vaccination, aimed at parents, during child health consultations up to 18 months of age. Taking into account the results obtained, there was an increase in parents' literacy on the importance of vaccination in children's health. In the area of Family Health Nursing, the Dynamic Model of Family Assessment and Intervention was applied to a nuclear family with type 2 diabetes mellitus, with adult children, lower middle class, housing classified as grade 2, very balanced, very connected, very flexible and highly functional. It has a low probability of disease incidence within the family. There was a lack of knowledge about pet vaccines were not up to date. Nursing interventions were carried out, with the family demonstrating knowledge after they were carried out. With the completion of the internship, common and specific competences of the Specialist Nurse in Community Nursing were acquired, in the area of Community Health and Public Health Nursing and in the area of Family Health Nursing

Heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) of Mycobacterium leprae is expressed during infection and enhances bacterial adherence to epithelial cells.

A heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) expressed on the surface of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an antigenic protein that has been implicated in bacterial adherence to epithelial cells and systemic dissemination. In this study, the potential role of the Mycobacterium leprae HBHA (ML-HBHA) homologue in leprosy was investigated. Initially, the in vivo expression of HBHA and its association with the M. leprae cell envelope was confirmed by immunoblotting and proteomic analysis. Mycobacterium leprae recombinant HBHA (rML-HBHA) bound to a heparin-Sepharose column, and its capacity to act as an adhesin was demonstrated in experiments showing that the exogenous addition of the protein to latex beads or to M. leprae cells promotes a dramatic increase in association with epithelial cells. Finally, serum anti-HBHA immunoglobulin G levels were investigated in individuals infected with M. leprae. Altogether, our data indicate that HBHA is recognized during the course of bacterial infection in humans and may play a role in leprosy pathogenesis.

Identification of specific proteins and peptides in Mycobacterium leprae suitable for the selective diagnosis of leprosy.

Diagnosis of leprosy is a major obstacle to disease control and has been compromised in the past due to the lack of specific reagents. We have used comparative genome analysis to identify genes that are specific to Mycobacterium leprae and tested both recombinant proteins and synthetic peptides from a subset of these for immunological reactivity. Four unique recombinant proteins (ML0008, ML0126, ML1057, and ML2567) and a panel of 58 peptides (15 and 9 mer) were tested for IFN-gamma responses in PBMC from leprosy patients and contacts, tuberculosis patients, and endemic and nonendemic controls. The responses to the four recombinant proteins gave higher levels of IFN-gamma production, but less specificity, than the peptides. Thirty-five peptides showed IFN-gamma responses only in the paucibacillary leprosy and household contact groups, with no responses in the tuberculosis or endemic control groups. High frequencies of IFN-gamma-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells specific for the 15- and 9-mer peptides were observed in the blood of a paucibacillary leprosy patient. 9-mer peptides preferentially activated CD8+ T cells, while the 15-mer peptides were efficient in inducing responses in both the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets. Four of the six 9-mer peptides tested showed promising specificity, indicating that CD8+ T cell epitopes may also have diagnostic potential. Those peptides that provide specific responses in leprosy patients from an endemic setting could potentially be developed into a rapid diagnostic test for the early detection of M. leprae infection and epidemiological surveys of the incidence of leprosy, of which little is known.