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UIDB/QUI/50006/2020 UIDB/04138/2020 UIDP/04138/2020 PTDC/SAU-SER/30197/2017LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-030197 IF/01146/2015 One of the new trends of personal care industry is the use of organic ingredients derived from nature, in particular, from food-processing residues with proven efficacy. Lycopene is a carotenoid responsible for the red color of several fruits, namely tomato, whose antioxidant and photoprotective effects have been studied. Methods: Lycopene-enriched extracts (LEE) were obtained from tomato waste using supercritical CO2 extraction, incorporated in microemulsions and macroemulsions for topical use, and characterized through GC-MS for the identification of volatile compounds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of the presence of lycopene-enriched extracts developed emulsions through the identification of volatile compounds and by a sensory analysis to assess the odor and color perception and the acceptability of such semi-solid systems as cosmetic products. Results: Volatile compounds were identified in the extract and in the formulations containing the extract. Preliminary data show that the odor of both LEE-loaded microemulsions and LEE-loaded macroemulsions was classified as undefined. The information about the composition did not modify the odor perception but increased the acceptability of some cosmetic products. LEE conferred a yellowish color to formulations, and the information about the formulation composition increased the likelihood of different cosmetic products with this color being bought. Conclusions: The commercialization of personal care products does not only dependent on the associated organoleptic properties, but is influenced by the information about the composition, namely by the presence of an antioxidant compound. publishersversion published

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of a group therapy based on cognitive-behavioral techniques customized for intermittent explosive disorder (IED). The current report presents the preliminary results of a clinical trial comparing pre- and post-intervention scores in different anger dimensions. Methods: The studied sample consisted of 84 treatment-seeking subjects. The mean (standard deviation) age was 43.0 (11.9) years, and 78% were male. The therapeutic group program consisted of 15 weekly sessions plus three maintenance sessions. The sessions lasted approximately 90 minutes each. Results: No differences were found in demographic profile and pre-treatment status between subjects who completed treatment (n=59) and dropouts (n=25). Comparison of State-Trait Anger Expression Scale (STAXI) scores pre- and post-treatment showed statistically significant changes in all anger scales and subscales of the questionnaire. Conclusion: This preliminary report is a significant addition to currently scarce clinical data. Our findings provide further evidence that structured cognitive-behavioral group therapy, with a focus on anger management and cognitive coping, may be a promising approach to the treatment of IED.

Due to their ability to penetrate planktonic and biofilm organized bacteria , nano-antimicrobial agents have been perceived, in recent years, in almost every domain of life especially in health care for the control of infectious diseases. Magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) have been evaluated for inhibiting microbial growth and biofilm formation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Moroccan propolis extract functionalized magnetite nanoparticles as nanoantibiotics against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) growth. Chemical composition of propolis was established by pyrolysis GC-MS method. The fabricated nanostructure was characterized by X-ray Diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy, and Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy. FTIR spectroscopy data allowed to confirm functionalization of the MNPs upon contact with oleic acid (OA). Further functionalization with either propolis extract or chloramphenicol was also confirmed by observation of the corresponding FTIR spectra. When both components were added together to OA-functionalized MNPs, the presence of the former is clear whereas that of the latter is less evident, although possible. The use of MNPs functionalized with propolis and chloramphenicol (positive control) at MIC value against methicillin susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and MRSA strains inhibited the bacterial growth. After the treatment with functionalized MNPs the cells showed disruption of the cell wall as assessed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The use of the combination of propolis and the chloramphenicol antibiotic in free form at minimum inhibitory concentration largely impaired both MSSA and MRSA strains, after 2 h of treatment no viable cells of MRSA 2 and MRSA 16 were recovered. N/A

N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-dicyclohexylsuccinamide (DMDCHSA) is investigated as a potential molecule for the liquid-liquid extraction of Pd(II) from chloride solutions for the first time. The effect of several parameters on Pd(II) extraction, such as the contact period between both phases, hydrochloric acid, extractant and hydrogen ion concentrations, is evaluated. Pd(II) extraction equilibrium is very fast (30 s) and the extraction percentage (%E) increases with the HCI concentration in the aqueous phases, being higher than 60% for [HCl] > 5 M. The loading capacity of DMDCHSA for Pd(II) is reasonable (molar ratio extractant/metal higher than 16). Several stripping agents (e.g. distilled water, 1 M HCl, seawater and 20 g/L chloride solution as NaCl) were successfully used to transfer Pd(II) to a new aqueous phase, and data obtained from five successive extraction-stripping cycles suggest a good DMDCHSA stability pattern. Attempts to replace 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) by commercial and more environmentally friendly diluents showed much worse %E for Pd(II). Selectivity tests with binary, ternary and more complex metal ion solutions were carried out to evaluate the performance of DMDCHSA towards Pd(II) recovery from 6 M HCl, when in presence of Pt(IV), Fe(III), Zn(II), Al(III) and Ce(III), metal ions usually present in solutions that may result from the hydrometallurgical treatment of spent automobile catalytic converters. It was generally observed that the additional metal ions do not affect the recovery of Pd(II) by DMDCHSA, although Fe(III) and Pt(IV) were co-extracted in a great extent. A solvent extraction (SX) scheme is proposed, based on a previous separation of Fe(III) with tributylphosphate (TBP) and on the selective and sequential stripping of Pt(IV) and Pd(II) from the loaded DMDCHSA with 0.01 M thiourea in 0.5 M HCI and seawater, respectively. The dependence of the Pd(II) distribution ratios on DMDCHSA and acidity, complemented with UV-Visible spectroscopy data, points out to DMDCHSA:Pd(II) extracted species with a 2:1 molar ratio and suggests the occurrence of an outer-sphere ion pair reaction, in which both [PdCl4](2-) and HCI are extracted. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

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