Nasal Acai Polysaccharides Potentiate Innate Immunity to Protect against Pulmonary Francisella tularensis and Burkholderia pseudomallei Infections

Pulmonary Francisella tularensis and Burkholderia pseudomallei infections are highly lethal in untreated patients, and current antibiotic regimens are not always effective. Activating the innate immune system provides an alternative means of treating infection and can also complement antibiotic therapies. Several natural agonists were screened for their ability to enhance host resistance to infection, and polysaccharides derived from the Acai berry (Acai PS) were found to have potent abilities as an immunotherapeutic to treat F. tularensis and B. pseudomallei infections. In vitro, Acai PS impaired replication of Francisella in primary human macrophages co-cultured with autologous NK cells via augmentation of NK cell IFN-γ. Furthermore, Acai PS administered nasally before or after infection protected mice against type A F. tularensis aerosol challenge with survival rates up to 80%, and protection was still observed, albeit reduced, when mice were treated two days post-infection. Nasal Acai PS administration augmented intracellular expression of IFN-γ by NK cells in the lungs of F. tularensis-infected mice, and neutralization of IFN-γ ablated the protective effect of Acai PS. Likewise, nasal Acai PS treatment conferred protection against pulmonary infection with B. pseudomallei strain 1026b. Acai PS dramatically reduced the replication of B. pseudomallei in the lung and blocked bacterial dissemination to the spleen and liver. Nasal administration of Acai PS enhanced IFN-γ responses by NK and γδ T cells in the lungs, while neutralization of IFN-γ totally abrogated the protective effect of Acai PS against pulmonary B. pseudomallei infection. Collectively, these results demonstrate Acai PS is a potent innate immune agonist that can resolve F. tularensis and B. pseudomallei infections, suggesting this innate immune agonist has broad-spectrum activity against virulent intracellular pathogens

Sexualidad y relaciones contemporáneas

Se presentan los resultados de una investigación en la cual se sistematizaron los avances en la generación de nuevo conocimiento y producto del acompañamiento de proyectos de grado relacionados con la sexualidad y las relaciones contemporáneas, desarrollados por investigadores del grupo “Cultura, Educación y Sociedad” y sus redes de colaboración académica. Se implementó un proceso de sistematización, a partir del cual se identificaron las siguientes categorías: La primera, presenta la concepción actual sobre la sexualidad y la salud sexual, así como posturas relacionadas con la construcción psicosocial del género. La segunda, da cuenta de los estudios relacionados con la expresión de la sexualidad y el género en contextos de relación como la vida de pareja, el escenario organizacional y la vida comunitaria. En la tercera, se muestran las tendencias producto de los modelos de evaluación e intervención basados en evidencia para mitigar las problemáticas asociadas a las conductas sexuales de riesgo, la educación sexual en niños y adolescentes, el conflicto de pareja y la violencia de género. Se espera que el texto sirva para la fundamentación de los académicos interesados en esta área del conocimiento dada la relevancia que tienen las problemáticas asociadas a este tema en el territorio nacional

Reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ-SP) in school-age children

Background Sleep disorders in schoolchildren are a common problem worldwide, and when are not adequately diagnosed and treated, their negative impact on daytime functioning may be significant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Methods Participants were 286 school-aged children from a community-based sample, aged 4 to 7 years. The sleep behaviour was evaluated using the CSHQ and actigraphy (ActiSleep monitor). The CSHQ was adapted to the Spanish language. The internal consistency of the questionnaire and the test–retest reliability between scores at baseline and three-weeks-later were estimated. Associations between CSHQ items and accelerometer sleep quality indicators were used as indicators of concurrent validity. Results Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the subscales ranged from 0.60 to 0.81, and 0.81 for the full scale; the intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.56 to 0.81. A moderate correlation was observed in sleep latency and awakenings measurements using both parents’ reported sleep habits (CSHQ-SP) and sleep quality indicators (ActiSleep). Conclusions The CSHQ-SP has demonstrated adequate psychometric properties, and it serves as a useful instrument for clinical and research setting

Movement behaviors and cardiometabolic risk in schoolchildren.

Growing evidence has accumulated in recent years showing that movement behaviors have important implications for health in children, especially for cardiovascular health, whose risk factors could track from childhood to adulthood. However, these findings are mixed and inconsistent in children. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between different movement behaviors (sedentary behavior, physical activity and sleep duration) and cardiometabolic risk in schoolchildren. The study shows cross-sectional results of baseline measurement from 146 Spanish schoolchildren, aged 8-to-11 years old, participating in the MOVI-2 study. Movement behaviors were determined using accelerometry combined with self-reported sleep time. Cardiometabolic risk was assessed using a validated metabolic syndrome index. Logistic regression analysis showed that higher levels of vigorous physical activity (OR = 0.110, p = 0.004) and sleeping more than 9 hours (OR = 0.269, p = 0.015) could be protective factors against metabolic syndrome risk in children. ANCOVA analysis showed associations between vigorous physical activity and waist circumference (p < 0.001), and sleep time with insulin resistance (p = 0.017) and lipid profile (p = 0.035). No association was observed between light and moderate physical activity, sedentary behavior and metabolic syndrome (index and components). No statistically significant differences were found for blood pressure and any of the movement behaviors. Our data suggest that both the amount of vigorous physical activity accumulated and sleep duration are independently associated with higher cardiometabolic risk in children

Development and validation of a UHPLC−LTQ−Orbitrap MS method for non-anthocyanin flavonoids quantification in Euterpe oleracea juice

Euterpe oleracea fruits have gained much attention because of their phenolic constituents that have shown potential beneficial effects for health. The aim of this work was to identify and quantify major non-anthocyanin flavonoids in fruit juice by an accurate UHPLC−LTQ−Orbitrap MS method. Fruits were processed to juice, lyophilized and defatted. The residue was then extracted with methanol by sonication and the extraction time optimized giving recovery rates > 90%. Solubilization of dried extract was realized using 40% MeOH which showed the best compromise for MS detection. For the UHPLC quantification, a HSS C18 column (1.8µm) was used with a gradient elution of methanol and water both with 0.1% formic acid. Total error and accuracy profiles were used as validation criteria. Seven compounds and their isomers were successfully separated, including the major non-anthocyanin flavonoids. Calibration in the matrix was found to be more accurate than calibration without matrix. Trueness (< 15% relative bias), repeatability and intermediate precision (<13% RSD), selectivity, response function, linearity, LOD (ranged from 0.04 to 0.81 µg/mL) and LOQ (0.15 - 5.78 µg/mL) for 12 compounds were evaluated and the quantification method validated. Its applicability was demonstrated on real samples from different suppliers. Their qualitative and quantitative profiles were similar and some compounds were for the first time quantified. In addition eriodictyol was identified for the first time in this fruit along with 5 other flavonoids for which we proposed a possible structure