"It's our mental health, it's not theirs!" A patient-oriented approach to women's intake mental health assessments in Canadian correctional institutions

The mental health assessment tools currently used during institutional intake within Canadian correctional settings have been constructed on all-male samples. By drawing on the gaps in the literature, this research demonstrates the need for a gender-informed mental health assessment process for incarcerated women. This study draws on feminist standpoint theory and applies a patient-oriented research framework to engage women with lived experience throughout the research process. Fifteen phone interviews were conducted with two sample groups: five “Patients,” or formerly incarcerated women identified with mental illness; and ten “Service Providers,” or women from various chapters of the Elizabeth Fry Society. By drawing on feminist theory and applying thematic analysis, this thesis presents six identified themes in the data: first, participants called for incarcerated women to be in a safer, more comfortable environment during the mental health assessment; second, they discussed the components and measures that would be ideal for a women’s mental health assessment tool; third, participants suggested that the outcomes of the intake assessment should connect women to the necessary mental health services and programs; fourth, they identified the ideal individuals who should be conducting the assessment process, including their qualifications and credentials; fifth, participants discussed the components of a culturally informed mental health assessment process for incarcerated Indigenous women; finally, the last theme presented discusses participants’ ideas for implementing this process. Results were discussed in conjunction with the implications and directions for future research and concludes with an overview of the knowledge translation process. This thesis does not debate whether correctional systems are effective in reforming prisoners, but rather, critiques the valuation of the male perspective within correctional mental health assessments. Findings suggest how to improve outcomes for incarcerated women with mental illness through a gender-informed mental health assessment process based on their lived experience

Mapping of the Tacaribe Arenavirus Z-Protein Binding Sites on the L Protein Identified both Amino Acids within the Putative Polymerase Domain and a Region at the N Terminus of L That Are Critically Involved in Binding

Tacaribe virus (TacV) is the prototype of the New World group of arenaviruses. The TacV genome encodes four proteins: the nucleoprotein (N), the glycoprotein precursor, the polymerase (L), and a RING finger protein (Z). Using a reverse genetics system, we demonstrated that TacV N and L are sufficient to drive transcription and replication mediated by TacV-like RNAs and that Z is a powerful inhibitor of these processes (Lopez et al., J. Virol. 65:12241-12251, 2001). More recently, we provided the first evidence of an interaction between Z and L and showed that Z's inhibitory activity was dependent on its ability to bind to L (Jácamo et al., J. Virol. 77:10383-10393, 2003). In the present study, we mapped the TacV Z-binding sites on the 2,210-amino-acid L polymerase. To that end, we performed deletion analysis and point mutations of L and studied the Z-L interaction by coimmunoprecipitation with specific sera. We found that the C-terminal region of L was not essential for the interaction and identified two noncontiguous regions that were critical for binding: one at the N-terminus of L between residues 156 and 292 and a second one in the polymerase domain (domain III). The importance of domain III in binding was revealed by substitutions in D1188 and H1189 within motif A and in each residue of the conserved SDD sequence (residues 1328, 1329, and 1330) within motif C. Our results showed that of the substituted residues, only H1189 and D1329 appeared to be critically involved in binding Z.Fil: Wilda, Maximiliano. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Genética y Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Lopez, Nora Mabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología "Dr. César Milstein"; ArgentinaFil: Casabona, Juan Cruz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología "Dr. César Milstein"; ArgentinaFil: Franze Fernandez, Maria T.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Genética y Biología Molecular; Argentin

Foeniculum vulgare Essential Oils: Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities

The essential oils from Foeniculum vulgare commercial aerial parts and fruits were isolated by hydrodistillation, with different distillation times (30 min, I h, 2 h and 3 h), and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The antioxidant ability was estimated using four distinct methods. Antibacterial activity was determined by the agar diffusion method. Remarkable differences, and worrying from the quality and safety point of view, were detected in the essential oils. trans-Anethole (31-36%), alpha-pinene (14-20%) and limonene (11-13%) were the main components of the essentials oil isolated from F. vulgare dried aerial parts, whereas methyl chavicol (= estragole) (79-88%) was dominant in the fruit oils. With the DPPH method the plant oils showed better antioxidant activity than the fruits oils. With the TBARS method and at higher concentrations, fennel essential oils showed a pro-oxidant activity. None of the oils showed a hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity >50%, but they showed an ability to inhibit 5-lipoxygenase. The essential oils showed a very low antimicrobial activity. In general, the essential oils isolated during 2 h were as effective, from the biological activity point of view, as those isolated during 3 h.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pectic polysaccharides from the infusions of P. tridentatum, F. angustifolia and M. suaveolens: structural characterization and modulation of the inflammatory activity

In Trás-os-Montes region (Portugal), the small shrub (Pterospartum tridentatum), the narrow-leafed ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), and the apple mint (Mentha suaveolens) are vegetable species used in the preparation of infusions for medicinal purposes, such as protection against diabetes, hypertension, high levels of cholesterol and uric acid [1]. These infusions contain several types of polysaccharides, such as pectic polysaccharides and galactomannans (GM´s), often reported as immunomodulators [2, 3]. Pectic polysaccharides are structurally complex polymers, exhibiting different polymeric building blocks: homogalacturonans (HG), type I rhamnogalacturonans (RG-I), type II rhamnogalacturonans (RG-II) and xylogalacturonans (XG) [4]. The backbone of RG-I can be partly substituted with, among others, type-II arabinogalactans (AG-I ) that form ramified regions responsible for the modulation of the immune response [2]. For GM´s, factors like chain length, degree of branching and degree of acetylation seem to influence their immunomodulating activity [3].Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal), European Union, QREN, FEDER, and COMPETE for funding the QOPNA (project PEst-C/QUI/UI0062/2013; FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037296) and CIMO research unit

Is Cytisus multiflorus an antiinflamatory plant?

Cytisus multiflorus is a leguminous shrub native from Iberian Peninsula that is distributed in the south-west Mediterranean region. This plant is used in folk medicine and it is claimed to have various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties[1]. Yet, the anti-inflammatory usage of C. multiflorus is totally based on the available ethnopharmacological information while no scientific data on this capacity and on molecular targets has been reported for the plant. Hence, the present work aims to clarify the possible anti-inflammatory mechanisms of C. multiflorus. A purified ethanolic extract was prepared and its high antioxidant capacity was confirmed though the DPPH radical scavenging [2] and reducing power [3] assays (EC50 values 13.4±1.0 and 11.4±2.1 μg/mL, respectively). Moreover, anti-inflammatory properties of the C. multiflorus extract were tested on a lipopolysaccharide-stimulated Raw 264.7 macrophages model. In order to accomplish that, nitric oxide (NO) production, scavenging activity and cytotoxicity of the extract were assessed. Furthermore, the effects on two proteins that are potential targets to prevent or treat chronic inflammation, namely cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS), were estimated by Western Blot analysis. The obtained results showed that C. multiflorus extract was able to significantly inhibit the production of NO for non-toxic concentrations. The treatment of this cell line with 161 µg/mL and 325 µg/mL of the purified extract induced a decrease in the levels of NO of 24% and 32%, respectively. Furthermore, despite no changes on COX-2 levels were observed, iNOS expression was significantly diminished by the treatment with the highest concentration of the extract. Overall, the present results suggest that C. multiflorus actually exerts an anti-inflammatory action which is, at least partially, mediated through the inhibition of iNOS expression

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of cytisus multiflorus

Cytisus multiflorus(white spanish broom) is a plant used in folk medicine in the Iberian Peninsula, where it is claimed to have various health benefits. However, the usage is totally based on the available ethnopharmacological information, as no scientific data regarding its biological effects has been delivered. In this sense, is the aim of this work to contribute to the scientific knowledge of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of C. multiflorus. The extract was rich in phenolic compounds mainly chrysin-7-O-glycopyranoside and a dihydroxyflavone isomer of chrysin which accounted for 49.4±7.3 mg/g and 21.8±3.8 mg/g, respectively. The low EC50 values, determined by DPPH and reducing power assays, indicated that the C. multiflorus purified ethanolic extract has a high antioxidant capacity. Moreover, the extract did not cause cytotoxicity against RAW 264.7 macrophages for high concentrations and the treatment of this cell line with purified extract induced a significant decrease in the levels of NO. Overall, the gathered data suggests that C. multiflorus is in fact a good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant, as believed by the folk knowledge

Structure and immunostimulatory activity of polysaccharides from the aqueous extracts of P. tridentatum dried inflorescences

As inflorescências secas da carqueja (P. tridentatum L.) são utilizadas na preparação de extratos aquosos que, de acordo com a tradição popular, possuem propriedades terapêuticas. Durante a preparação dos extratos ocorre a extração de compostos bioativos, tais como polissacarídeos. O presente trabalho pretende determinar o tipo de polissacarídeos presente nos extraías e avaliar o seu possível contributo para as respetivas propriedades terapêuticas. Procedeu- se à extração, caracterização estrutural e avaliação da atívidade imunoestimuladora dos polissacarídeos presentes nos extratos. Foi detetada uma mistura de polissacarídeos, nomeadamente polissacarídeos pécticos, arabinogalactanas do Tipo-I e II, galactomananas e xiloglucanas, que apresenta atividade imunoestimuladora em macrófagos e que poderá contribuir para as propriedades terapêuticas atribuídas pela medicina popular a estes extratos.The dried inflorescences of Pterospartum tridentatum L. are used in the preparation ofwater extracts that, according to the popular tradition, possess therapeutic properties. Bioactive compounds, such as polysaccharides, are extracted during the preparation of these extracts. This work intends to disclose the polysaccharides present in the extracts and also to assess their possible contribute to the therapeutic properties attributed to these extracts. The polysaccharides were extracted, structurally characterized and Iheir imrriunostimulatory activity was evaluated. A mixture of polysaccharides composed of pectic polysaccharides, Type-I and Type-II arabinogalactans, galactomannans and xyloglucans was detected. This mixture exhibited a macrophage immunostimulatory activity that might contribute to the therapeutic properties that are attributed by the traditional medicine to these extracts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Isolation and characterization of polysaccharides from Fraxinus angustifolia infusions

In folk medicine there is a great variety of plants that are used for as infusions, such as Camellia sinensis and Matricaria recutita. Despite the reported biological activities and health benefits of these infusions, most of the knowledge achieved so far is based on folk tradition passed over several generations, without a sound scientific basis. In Trás-os-Montes region, the dried leaves of the narrow-leafed ash “freixo” (Fraxinus angustifolia) are used for medicinal purposes, particularly against high levels of cholesterol, blood pressure and uric acid. These health benefits are associated with the presence of biologically active compounds such as phenolic compounds, essential oils, and polysaccharides, among others. Although phenolic compounds and essential oils have been studied in detail for more than two decades, the structures of the polysaccharides present in plant infusions and their involvement in the health benefits is still incipient. Therefore, in this work we present a study regarding the structure of the polysaccharides present in the infusions of “freixo” dried leaves. “Freixo” leaves were collected and dried according to the popular tradition and used for the preparation of the infusions. The polysaccharides were recovered by dialysis, fractionated by ethanol precipitation and anion exchange chromatography, yielding fractions with distinct ethanol solubility and uronic acid content. Sugar and linkage analysis evidenced the presence of pectic polysaccharides, frequently reported as immunostimulatory active. The assessment of the biological activity of these fractions is in progress

Physicochemical stability and sensory acceptance of a carbonated cashew beverage with fructooligosaccharide added

The objective of this research was to determine the shelf life of a carbonated cashew beverage with fructooligosaccharides added using two different processing methods: by using additives (potassium sorbate/sodium benzoate) without pasteurization and by using pasteurization at 90°C for 1 min with addition of preservatives. Physicochemical analyzes (pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids (°Brix), vitamin C, reducing sugars) and sensory evaluation (triangular test and acceptance test) were performed throughout 60 days of storage at 20°C. The results show a decrease in vitamin C content in both processing methods (p <0.05), while the other physicochemical parameters were similar and stable during the shelf life period. Hedonic scores between 5.0 (neither liked, nor disliked) and 6.0 (slightly liked) were obtained during the test period. The results suggest that it is possible to develop a potentially prebiotic cashew beverage that presents suitable physicochemical and sensory parameters.Keywords: Prebiotic beverages, stability, sensory analysisAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(20), pp. 2986-298