Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-12-17"
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- A literary event as a simulation-based activity in Higher Education Training (HET) in tourismPublication . Ferreira, Ana; Villares, MartaNowadays, in a technological era, the entire labor market has new rules, demanding new skills from workers, namely working as part of a team, being creative and adaptable to new situations and to all clients. Given these new challenges for future graduates, teachers must adapt their teaching methodologies, particularly in tourism studies, where students need to practice these skills to apply when they enter the labor market. With these premises in mind, the main aim of this article is to analyze “Heart, Brain and Stomach”, a literary dinner organized by students as a final assessment for students of two different degree courses: a postgraduate course in Literary Tourism and a degree in Restaurant and Catering Management at a Portuguese High Education Institution (HEI). To stimulate teamwork, creativity, communication and collaborative skills among students, this event combined soft skills and technical (e.g. event organization and management) skills, while helping students to broaden, rethink and redesign our gastronomic culture into new proposals for the customer, be they resident, visitor or tourist, leveraged by structured practical training and work simulation approaches that reflect professional scenarios and their future challenges. Based on literature research, observation, and content analysis (resulting from questionnaires applied to students and participants in the event), this article aims to frame the activities carried out, crossing different perspectives to establish the importance of soft skills in shaping the future careers of Hospitality, Tourism and Catering graduates. The authors will reflect on students’ overall performance and feedback as crucial components of teaching and learning experiences. Furthermore, since the event consisted of a proposal to cross two different courses, the teamwork and its consequences both on the results of the practical activity and on professional relationships in the intergenerational labor market were analyzed. This research aimed at understanding the impact of simulations on students’ meaningful learning. It is therefore hoped that this work will contribute to reflection and development of new pedagogical approaches with simulation-based activities, particularly in tourism.
- Systematic review of clinical trials on the potential of probiotics for the treatment of COVID‑19Publication . Santos, Rita Natália Couto dos; Moreira, Fernando Xavier Ferreira; Cruz, Agostinho Luís Silva; Cruz, Agostinho; Moreira, FernandoIn recent decades, new deadly coronaviruses causing highly infectious diseases have emerged in human society, resulting in threats to public health and the global economy. In December 2019, in the province of Wuhan, China, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) emerged. This infection was classified as the coronavirus dis‑ ease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic. Probiotics are live microorganisms whose administra‑ tion in adequate quantities has been associated with health benefits for the host, contribut‑ ing to the treatment and prevention of multiple pathologies. The present study aims to review scientific evidence on the impact of probiotic treatment on the progression of mor‑ bidity due to SARS‑CoV‑2. The research was conducted in the Cochrane Library, Clinical Trials, EBSCO, Medline, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases. Inclusion criteria were as follows: study period between 2019 and 2023; language in English or Portuguese; methodology based on clinical trials; studies in humans with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS‑CoV‑2 and administration of probiotics in the treatment of the pathology. Five stud‑ ies were included in this review, recruiting a total of patients ranging from 23 to 300 in‑ dividuals. The main positive results of the probiotic intervention compared to the control group were nearly an improvement in digestive symptoms (65% vs. 88%, p‑value 0.06) and overall symptoms (88.6% vs. 70.8%; p‑value 0.03). Also, in the probiotic group, there was an increase in serum concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the receptor‑binding domain/spike 1 (RBD/S1) (225.9 vs. 105.6 binding antibody units/mL, p‑value 0.05). The major limitation is related to the fact that in all five studies, patients were concomitantly treated with several other drugs whose action may have influenced the observed results. The conducted studies suggest that the use of probiotics enhances a decrease in morbidity in SARS‑CoV‑2, although more studies are needed to confirm their efficacy in the disease.
- Fermented Papaya: Available formulations from online marketsPublication . Leitão, Mariana; Ribeiro, Tatiana; García, Pablo; Barreiros, Luísa; Correia, Patrícia; Barreiros, Luisa; Correia, Patrícia Carla dos Santos CorreiaFermentation is a process of central metabolism in which an organism converts a carbohydrate, such as starch or sugar, into an alcohol or an acid. Carica papaya, also known as papaya or pawpaw, belongs to the Caricaceae family and has four genera in the world. Due to papaya’s health benefits, this fruit is considered a valuable nutraceutical with an exceptionally diverse composition, encompassing vitamins and enzymes. Fermented papaya preparations, produced by the fermentation of Carica papaya, are a wellknown food supplement that exhibit anti‑inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunostimulatory action. A descriptive study was carried out to find out which commercial fermented papaya formulations are available in the market. Data were gathered during 2021 from February to March. The main available commercial fermented papaya formulations were searched for on international online shopping sites, such as Amazon®, Naturitas®, Ebay®, Nutribio®, Life Natura®, and Fruugo®. A search was conducted by using the following keywords: “fermented papaya”, “FPP®—Fermented Papaya Preparation” “Fermented papaya extracts”. Fermented papaya is available from several brands and in different dosage forms. Its nutritional composition differs between brands not only in the dose of fermented papaya but also in the presence of other constituents. Many products are available in the online market, making it difficult to choose a suitable supplement because little is known about their labeling and contents to evaluate their appropriateness. Even if the “fermented papaya” composition is included on labels, this does not guarantee that the products have the same fermented papaya composition related to scientific studies with one specific brand (Immun’Âge‑FPP®). Consumers may often interpret anything stated on the label to be authentic merely because it is in print. There are already many commercial fermented papaya formulations available on the market. However, a deep investigation based on its pharmacokinetic properties is mandatory, as is more regulation.
- Apple fermentation: Valorization of surpluses from the fruit industryPublication . Ribeiro, Tatiana; Leitão, Mariana; García, Pablo; Barreiros, Luísa; Correia, Patrícia; Correia, Patrícia Carla dos Santos CorreiaFermentation is an anaerobic process in which sugars are converted into alcohol by bacterial enzymes or into lactic acid by yeasts. Apple is rich in vitamins and phytochemicals, mainly flavonoids, and it is responsible for antioxidant action. Apples that are unsuitable for fresh use or of inappropriate commercial size are not valued in the market, as they often do not have the physical characteristics the consumer appreciates and are therefore rejected. Furthermore, in industries and fruit processing, high amounts of waste are generated. Study possibilities for valorizing apple waste through fermentation, combining the circular and sustainable economy concepts. Local producers, processing industries, and commercial areas were contacted to establish collaborations and test different apple fermentation conditions, varying the part of the fruit used. Flasks with apple and water were placed in the oven at 30 ◦C, samples were collected every 24 h, and the pH was measured. The fermented products were analyzed to evaluate their antimicrobial activity, measuring the inhibition halo for Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Candida albicans. The most promising was the test with only apple pulp, since it was under these conditions that a greater inhibition halo was recorded compared to tests with combinations of pulp, peel, seed, and stem. Fermented apple pulp demonstrated greater activity in the sensitivity test for Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Fermented apple appears to have antimicrobial activity against several species. It is necessary to repeat the tests and analyze the intermediate fermentation times. It would be interesting to vary the state of division of the fruit as well as to carry out biostimulation tests and bioinoculation. As a future project, in addition to analyzing antimicrobial activity, it is intended to identify fermented products, using UV/VIS spectrophotometry and HPLC.