Physical education and school bullying: a systematic review

Objectives: To evaluate the associations of physical education (PE) with school violence and bullying. Design: Systematic review. Method: Using a systematic search in Medline, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and Scopus, relevant studies with a quantitative and qualitative design were identified that met previously established eligibility criteria. Quality was assessed (bias risk analysis) and data were extracted from a previously elaborated template. Results: The systematic review finally included 16 studies, of which 10 had a quantitative design (n = 12795), 5 a qualitative design (n = 79) and 1 a mixed design (n = 86). The high heterogeneity presented by the measures used in the included studies hindered the comparison of the outcomes and prevented meta-analysis of the data. Although there is insufficient evidence about the positive impact of PE on bullying prevention, the results of this review indicate that some aspects of PE programs could improve students’ skills to cope with these situations. Conclusions: The results of this review suggest the importance of PE in the prevention of bullying. Secondly, it is emphasized that bullying situations have a negative impact on students’ enjoyment of PE, leading to detrimental consequences for their physical and psychological health. Thirdly, the figure of the PE teacher as a key element to prevent and/or encourage bullying was obvious

Violence in Dating Relationships: Validation of the CADRI Questionnaire in a Young Adult Population

[EN] Dating violence in the young adult population is reaching alarming levels. However, the instruments used to measure it and their results are still heterogeneous. The main aim of this study was to validate the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory questionnaire for a young adult Spanish university population aged between 19 and 25 years old, and to describe the types of violence perpetrated and suffered. Material and Methods. Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. A validity analysis was carried out through a confirmatory factor analysis. The relative frequencies for each type of violence and the Chi2 test for two dichotomous variables were used to describe the different types of violence perpetrated and suffered. Results: The sample consisted of 976 young adults aged 19–25 years old (M = 21.7 years. SD = 1.8). The confirmatory factor analysis had an adequate structure and a good fit to the model. The types of violence perpetrated and suffered were described according to the sex of the participants, with significant differences found for verbal-emotional violence and physical violence exerted. Conclusions: The confirmatory factor analysis allowed us to consider the application of the questionnaire to be correct for the study population.S

Isolation and characterization of an exopolymer produced by bacillus licheniformis: in vitro antiviral activity against enveloped viruses

The exopolymer (EPSp) produced by the strain B. licheniformis IDN-EC was isolated and characterized using different techniques (MALDI-TOF, NMR, ATR-FTIR, TGA, DSC, SEM). The results showed that the low molecular weight EPSp contained a long polyglutamic acid and an extracellular teichoic acid polysaccharide. The latter was composed of poly(glycerol phosphate) and was substituted at the 2-position of the glycerol residues with a αGal and αGlcNH2. The αGal O-6 position was also found to be substituted by a phosphate group. The antiviral capability of this EPSp was also tested on both enveloped (herpesviruses HSV, PRV and vesicular stomatitis VSV) and non-enveloped (MVM) viruses. The EPSp was efficient at inhibiting viral entry for the herpesviruses and VSV but was not effective against non-enveloped viruses. The in vivo assay of the EPSp in mice showed no signs of toxicity which could allow for its application in the healthcare sector.Peer reviewe

Beyond a Fluorescent Probe: Inhibition of Cell Division Protein FtsZ by mant-GTP Elucidated by NMR and Biochemical Approaches

© 2015 American Chemical Society. FtsZ is the organizer of cell division in most bacteria and a target in the quest for new antibiotics. FtsZ is a tubulin-like GTPase, in which the active site is completed at the interface with the next subunit in an assembled FtsZ filament. Fluorescent mant-GTP has been extensively used for competitive binding studies of nucleotide analogs and synthetic GTP-replacing inhibitors possessing antibacterial activity. However, its mode of binding and whether the mant tag interferes with FtsZ assembly function were unknown. Mant-GTP exists in equilibrium as a mixture of C2′- and C3′-substituted isomers. We have unraveled the molecular recognition process of mant-GTP by FtsZ monomers. Both isomers bind in the anti glycosidic bond conformation: 2′-mant-GTP in two ribose puckering conformations and 3′-mant-GTP in the preferred C2′ endo conformation. In each case, the mant tag strongly interacts with FtsZ at an extension of the GTP binding site, which is also supported by molecular dynamics simulations. Importantly, mant-GTP binding induces archaeal FtsZ polymerization into inactive curved filaments that cannot hydrolyze the nucleotide, rather than straight GTP-hydrolyzing assemblies, and also inhibits normal assembly of FtsZ from the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli but is hydrolyzed by FtsZ from Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis. Thus, the specific interactions provided by the fluorescent mant tag indicate a new way to search for synthetic FtsZ inhibitors that selectively suppress the cell division of bacterial pathogens.BFU2011-23416 and BFU2014-51823-R (J.M.A), CTQ2012-32065 (J.J.B.), CM 2010/BMD-2353 (J.J.B. and J.M.A.), FCT SFRH/BPD/65462/2009 and UID/Multi/04378/2013 (F.M.) and a FPI fellowship (L.B.R.A).Peer Reviewe

Selective Synthesis of Galactooligosaccharides Containing β(1→3) Linkages with β-Galactosidase from Bifidobacterium bifidum (Saphera)

[EN] The transglycosylation activity of a novel commercial β-galactosidase from Bifidobacterium bifidum (Saphera) was evaluated. The optimal conditions for the operation of this enzyme, measured with o-nitrophenyl-β-d-galactopyranoside, were 40 °C and pH around 6.0. Although at low lactose concentrations the property of this enzyme was basically hydrolytic, an increase of lactose concentration to 400 g/L resulted in a significant formation (107.2 g/L, 27% yield) of prebiotic galactooligosaccharides (GOS). The maximum amount of GOS was obtained at a lactose conversion of approximately 90%, which contrasts with other β-galactosidases, for which the highest GOS yield is achieved at 40-50% lactose conversion. Using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection, semipreparative high-performance liquid chromatography-hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and 1D and 2D NMR, we determined the structure of most of the GOS synthesized by this enzyme. The main identified products were Gal-β(1→3)-Gal-β(1→4)-Glc (3′-O-β-galactosyl-lactose), Gal-β(1→6)-Glc (allolactose), Gal-β(1→3)-Glc (3-galactosyl-glucose), Gal-β(1→3)-Gal (3-galactobiose), and the tetrasaccharide Gal-β(1→3)-Gal-β(1→3)-Gal-β(1→4)-Glc. In general, B. bifidum β-galactosidase showed a tendency to form β(1→3) linkages followed by β(1→6) and more scarcely β(1→4).This work was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BIO2016-76601-C3-1). The group at CIC bioGUNE thanks Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Spain) for the Severo Ochoa Excellence Accreditation (SEV-2016-0644)

Regioselective synthesis of neo-erlose by the beta-fructofuranosidase from Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous

The beta-fructofuranosidase from the yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous (Xd-INV) catalyzes the synthesis of neo-fructooligosaccharides (neo-FOS of the 6G-series), which contain a beta(2-6) linkage between a fructose and the glucosyl moiety of sucrose. In this work we demonstrate that the enzyme is also able to fructosylate other carbohydrates that contain glucose, in particular disaccharides (maltose, isomaltulose, isomaltose, trehalose) and higher oligosaccharides (maltotriose, raffinose, maltotetraose), but not monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose). With maltose as acceptor, the reaction in the presence of Xd-INV proceeded with high regioselectivity; the product was purified and chemically characterized, and turned out to be 6’-O--fructosylmaltose (neo-erlose). Using 100 g/L sucrose as fructosyl donor and 300 g/L maltose as acceptor, the maximum concentration of neo-erlose was 38.3 g/L. Thus, novel hetero-fructooligosaccharides with potential applications in the functional food and pharmaceutical industries can be obtained with Xd-INV.Projects BIO2010-20508-C04-01 and BIO2010-20508-C04-04 from Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation supported this research. We thank Fundación Ramon Areces for an institutional grant to the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa.Peer reviewe

Enzymatic Synthesis of Phloretin alpha-Glucosides Using a Sucrose Phosphorylase Mutant and its Effect on Solubility, Antioxidant Properties and Skin Absorption

Glycosylation of polyphenols may increase their aqueous solubility, stability, bioavailability and pharmacological activity. Herein, we used a mutant of sucrose phosphorylase from Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum engineered to accept large polyphenols (variant TtSPP_R134A) to produce phloretin glucosides. The reaction was performed using 10% (v/v) acetone as cosolvent. The selective formation of a monoglucoside or a diglucoside (53% and 73% maximum conversion percentage, respectively) can be kinetically controlled. MS and 2D-NMR determined that the monoglucoside was phloretin 4¿-O-¿-D-glucopyranoside and the diglucoside phloretin-4¿-O-[¿-D-glucopyranosyl-(1¿3)-O-¿-D-glucopyranoside], a novel compound. The molecular features that determine the specificity of this enzyme for 4¿-OH phenolic group were analysed by induced-fit docking analysis of each putative derivative, using the crystal structure of TtSPP and changing the mutated residue. The mono- and diglucoside were, respectively, 71- and 1200-fold more soluble in water than phloretin at room temperature. The a-glucosylation decreased the antioxidant capacity of phloretin, measured by DPPH and ABTS assays; however, this loss was moderate and the activity could be recovered upon deglycosylation in vivo. Since phloretin attracts a great interest in dermocosmetic applications, we analyzed the percutaneous absorption of glucosides and the aglycon employing a pig skin model. Although the three compounds were detected in all skin layers (except the fluid receptor), the diglucoside was present mainly on superficial layers

Zampanolida, un novedoso agente estabilizador de microtubulos quew se une covalentemente al sitio de paclitaxel

Trabajo presentado en el XI Congreso de la Sociedad de Biofísica de España: "XXV años y más allá", celebrado en Murcia (España) , del 1 al 4 de junio de 201

Enzymatic Synthesis of a Novel Pterostilbene α-Glucoside by the Combination of Cyclodextrin Glucanotransferase and Amyloglucosidase

The synthesis of a novel α-glucosylated derivative of pterostilbene was performed by a transglycosylation reaction using starch as glucosyl donor, catalyzed by cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) from Thermoanaerobacter sp. The reaction was carried out in a buffer containing 20% (v/v) DMSO to enhance the solubility of pterostilbene. Due to the formation of several polyglucosylated products with CGTase, the yield of monoglucoside was increased by the treatment with a recombinant amyloglucosidase (STA1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (var. diastaticus). This enzyme was not able to hydrolyze the linkage between the glucose and pterostilbene. The monoglucoside was isolated and characterized by combining ESI-MS and 2D-NMR methods. Pterostilbene α-d-glucopyranoside is a novel compound. The α-glucosylation of pterostilbene enhanced its solubility in water to approximately 0.1 g/L. The α-glucosylation caused a slight loss of antioxidant activity towards ABTS˙+ radicals. Pterostilbene α-d-glucopyranoside was less toxic than pterostilbene for human SH-S5Y5 neurons, MRC5 fibroblasts and HT-29 colon cancer cells, and similar for RAW 264.7 macrophages.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grants BIO2016-76601-C3-1-R and BIO2016-76601-C3-3-R).Peer reviewe

Análisis de la velocidad de ondas sísmicas en la falla de Alhama de Murcia (SE Península Ibérica) a partir de ensayos Down-Hole y testificación acústica

Reunión Ibérica sobre Fallas Activas y Paleosismología (3ª. 2018. Alicante). - Texto en español con resumen y palabras claves en inglés y españolEl terremoto de Lorca de 2011 generó aceleraciones más altas de las esperadas debido a un fenómeno de directividad, condicionado por la velocidad de propagación de la ruptura cosismica en relación a la velocidad de las ondas de cizalla (Vs). En este trabajo se analizan los datos de dos tipos de ensayos realizados en el sondeo de investigación FAM-1, que atraviesa la fault gouge (FG): (1) testificación geofísica de velocidad de ondas acústicas (onda completa), y (2) ensayo down-hole (DH). La FG muestran valores de velocidades propias de rocas muy blandas o suelos rígidos. Dentro de la FG se observa una marcada anisotropía, con velocidades de propagación Vp más elevadas según la dirección de la zona de cizalla que aquellas según buzamiento. Los valores de Vs se encuentran por debajo de los 1000 m/s. Si además se considera la anisotropía, esto implicaría valores de Vs tan bajas como 680 ±25 m/s para las ondas de cizalla que viajan según buzamiento. = The Lorca earthquake (2011) generated larger ground acceleration than expected because of a directivity phenomenon. Directivity is influenced by the relationship between the velocity of the propagation of the coseismic rupture and the velocity of the shear waves (Vs). In this work, data from two different tests that were carried out inside the research borehole FAM-1 are analysed: (1) full waveform acoustic logging, and (2) Down-hole seismic testing. The FAM-1 borehole was drilled through more than 100 m of the fault gouge of the fault (FG). The FG shows low velocities, typical of a very weak rock or a stiff soil. A remarkable anisotropy in the velocity can be also observed within the FG, with higher velocities for Vp along the fault strike than those along fault dip. Vs values have been calculated below 1000 m/s. If we consider the anisotropy, the FG may have Vs as lower as 680 ±25 m/s propagating along dip.Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, EspañaInstituto de Geociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, EspañaInstituto de Geociencias, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, EspañaInstitut de Ciències de la Terra Jaume Almera, EspañaAnálisis y Gestión del Subsuelo S.L., EspañaDepartamento de Geología y Geoquímica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, EspañaInstituto Geológico y Minero de España, Españ