Levels and patterns of objectively assessed physical activity and compliance with different public health guidelines in university students

ArticleBackground Physical activity (PA) is associated with health enhancement. The aim of this study was to assess: 1) levels and patterns of PA in university students by using accelerometers; and 2) the percentage of fulfilment of PA recommendations for adults, according to different public health guidelines. Methods Observational cross-sectional study (Cuenca’s Adults Study) involving 296 (206 women) healthy Spanish university students aged 18–25 years old. Participants wore the ActiGraph GT1M accelerometer for seven consecutive days. Total PA, steps and time spent in sedentary time, light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) was assessed, and the prevalence of sufficient PA was calculated according to various public health guidelines. Results No sex differences in total PA were found. University students were more sedentary during weekend days than weekdays (p<0.05). Only 30.3% of participants accumulated 30 min/day at least five days a week of MVPA. A total of 5.4% of students met the recommendation of 150 min/week of MVPA or 75 min/week of vigorous PA, in PA bouts of at least 10 min. using the same definition, but on five or more days a week, only 0.5% students were found to meet the recommendation. In addition, only 0.5% of students met the recommendation of 30 min/day of MVPA, at least five days a week and in bouts of at least 10 min. Finally, 28.1% of the students met the recommendation of 10,000 steps/day. Conclusions Our study shows a high incidence of sedentary time in university students. The number of students meeting PA recommendations significantly differed depending on the recommendation proposed. Specific strategies to promote PA in this population are necessary as well as an agreement as to which PA guidelines should be used.Fundación para la Investigación SanitariaMinistry of Health and Consumer AffairsInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIRed de Investigación en Actividades Preventivas y de Promoción de Salu

Elastic electron scattering from 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran: experimental and theoretical studies

We report the results of measurements and calculations for elastic electron scattering from 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran (C4H8O2). The measurements are performed with a crossed electron-target beam apparatus and the absolute cross-sections are determined using the relative flow technique. The calculations are carried out using the Schwinger multichannel method in the static-exchange plus polarization (SEP) approximation. A set of angular differential cross-sections (DCS) is provided at five incident energies (6.5, 8, 10, 15 and 20 eV) over an angular range of 20–130°, and the energy dependence of the elastic DCS at a scattering angle of 120° is also presented. Integral elastic and elastic momentum transfer cross-sections have also been derived and calculated. The results are compared with those of recent measurements and calculations for the structurally similar molecule tetrahydrofuran (C4H8O)

How people interact with a chatbot against disinformation and fake news in COVID-19 in Brazil: The CoronaAI case

Background: The search for valid information was one of the main challenges encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the development of several online alternatives. Objectives: To describe the development of a computational solution to interact with users of different levels of digital literacy on topics related to COVID-19 and to map the correlations between user behavior and events and news that occurred throughout the pandemic. Method: CoronaAI, a chatbot based on Google's Dialogflow technology, was developed at a public university in Brazil and made available on WhatsApp. The dataset with users’ interactions with the chatbot comprises approximately 7,000 hits recorded throughout eleven months of CoronaAI usage. Results: CoronaAI was widely accessed by users in search of valuable and updated information on COVID-19, including checking the veracity of possible fake news about the spread of cases, deaths, symptoms, tests and protocols, among others. The mapping of users' behavior revealed that as the number of cases and deaths increased and as COVID-19 became closer, users showed a greater need for information applicable to self-care compared to following the statistical data. In addition, they showed that the constant updating of this technology may contribute to public health by enhancing general information on the pandemic and at the individual level by clarifying specific doubts about COVID-19. Conclusion: Our findings reinforce the potential usefulness of chatbot technology to resolve a wide spectrum of citizens' doubts about COVID-19, acting as a cost-effective tool against the parallel pandemic of misinformation and fake news

Electron scattering from molecules and molecular aggregates of biological relevance

In this Topical Review we survey the current state of the art in the study of low energy electron collisions with biologically relevant molecules and molecular clusters. We briefly describe the methods and techniques used in the investigation of these processes and summarise the results obtained so far for DNA constituents and their model compounds, amino acids, peptides and other biomolecules. The applications of the data obtained is briefly described as well as future required developments

Determinants of Acceptance of Cervical Cancer Screening in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

To describe how demographic characteristics and knowledge of cervical cancer influence screening acceptance among women living in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Multistage cluster sampling was carried out in 45 randomly selected streets in Dar es Salaam. Women between the ages of 25-59 who lived in the sampled streets were invited to a cervical cancer screening; 804 women accepted and 313 rejected the invitation. Information on demographic characteristics and knowledge of cervical cancer were obtained through structured questionnaire interviews. Women aged 35-44 and women aged 45-59 had increased ORs of 3.52 and 7.09, respectively, for accepting screening. Increased accepting rates were also found among single women (OR 2.43) and among women who had attended primary or secondary school (ORs of 1.81 and 1.94). Women who had 0-2 children were also more prone to accept screening in comparison with women who had five or more children (OR 3.21). Finally, knowledge of cervical cancer and awareness of the existing screening program were also associated with increased acceptance rates (ORs of 5.90 and 4.20). There are identifiable subgroups where cervical cancer screening can be increased in Dar es Salaam. Special attention should be paid to women of low education and women of high parity. In addition, knowledge and awareness raising campaigns that goes hand in hand with culturally acceptable screening services will likely lead to an increased uptake of cervical cancer screening

The LKB1-salt-inducible kinase pathway functions as a key gluconeogenic suppressor in the liver

LKB1 is a master kinase that regulates metabolism and growth through adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and 12 other closely related kinases. Liver-specific ablation of LKB1 causes increased glucose production in hepatocytes in vitro and hyperglycaemia in fasting mice in vivo. Here we report that the salt-inducible kinases (SIK1, 2 and 3), members of the AMPK-related kinase family, play a key role as gluconeogenic suppressors downstream of LKB1 in the liver. The selective SIK inhibitor HG-9-91-01 promotes dephosphorylation of transcriptional co-activators CRTC2/3 resulting in enhanced gluconeogenic gene expression and glucose production in hepatocytes, an effect that is abolished when an HG-9-91-01-insensitive mutant SIK is introduced or LKB1 is ablated. Although SIK2 was proposed as a key regulator of insulin-mediated suppression of gluconeogenesis, we provide genetic evidence that liver-specific ablation of SIK2 alone has no effect on gluconeogenesis and insulin does not modulate SIK2 phosphorylation or activity. Collectively, we demonstrate that the LKB1-SIK pathway functions as a key gluconeogenic gatekeeper in the liver

Macrocyclic colibactin induces DNA double-strand breaks via copper-mediated oxidative cleavage.

Colibactin is an assumed human gut bacterial genotoxin, whose biosynthesis is linked to the clb genomic island that has a widespread distribution in pathogenic and commensal human enterobacteria. Colibactin-producing gut microbes promote colon tumour formation and enhance the progression of colorectal cancer via cellular senescence and death induced by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs); however, the chemical basis that contributes to the pathogenesis at the molecular level has not been fully characterized. Here, we report the discovery of colibactin-645, a macrocyclic colibactin metabolite that recapitulates the previously assumed genotoxicity and cytotoxicity. Colibactin-645 shows strong DNA DSB activity in vitro and in human cell cultures via a unique copper-mediated oxidative mechanism. We also delineate a complete biosynthetic model for colibactin-645, which highlights a unique fate of the aminomalonate-building monomer in forming the C-terminal 5-hydroxy-4-oxazolecarboxylic acid moiety through the activities of both the polyketide synthase ClbO and the amidase ClbL. This work thus provides a molecular basis for colibactin's DNA DSB activity and facilitates further mechanistic study of colibactin-related colorectal cancer incidence and prevention

Quantitative Analysis of Vasodilatory Action of Quercetin on Intramural Coronary Resistance Arteries of the Rat In Vitro

Background: Dietary quercetin improves cardiovascular health, relaxes some vascular smooth muscle and has been demonstrated to serve as a substrate for the cyclooxygenase enzyme. Aims: 1. To test quantitatively a potential direct vasodilatory effect on intramural coronary resistance artery segments, in different concentrations. 2. To scale vasorelaxation at different intraluminal pressure loads on such vessels of different size. 3. To test the potential role of prostanoids in vasodilatation induced by quercetin. Methods: Coronary arterioles (70-240 mu m) were prepared from 24 rats and pressurized in PSS, using a pressure microangiometer. Results: The spontaneous tone that developed at 50 mmHg was relaxed by quercetin in the 10(-9) moles/lit concentration (p<0.05), while 10(-5) moles/lit caused full relaxation. Significant relaxation was observed at all pressure levels (10-100 mmHg) at 10(-7) moles/lit concentration of quercetin. The cyclooxygenase blocker indomethacin (10(-5) moles/lit) induced no relaxation but contraction when physiological concentrations of quercetin were present in the tissue bath (p<0.02 with Anova), this contraction being more prominent in smaller vessels and in the higher pressure range (p<0.05, Pearson correlation). A further 2-8% contraction could be elicited by the NO blocker L-NAME (10(-4) moles/lit). Conclusion: These results demonstrate that circulating levels of quercetin (10(-7) moles/lit) exhibit a substantial coronary vasodilatory effect. The extent of it is commeasurable with that of several other physiological mechanisms of coronary blood flow control. At least part of this relaxation is the result of an altered balance toward the production of endogenous vasodilatory prostanoids in the coronary arteriole wall