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Behavior change interventions are effective to the extent that they affect appropriately-measured outcomes, especially in experimental controlled trials. The primary goal of this study was to analyze the impact of a 1-year weight management intervention based on self-determination theory (SDT) on theory-based psychosocial mediators, physical activity/exercise, and body weight and composition. Participants were 239 women (37.6 ± 7.1 years; 31.5 ± 4.1 kg/m2) who received either an intervention focused on promoting autonomous forms of exercise regulation and intrinsic motivation, or a general health education program (controls). At 12 months, the intervention group showed increased weight loss (-7.29%,) and higher levels of physical activity/exercise (+138 ± 26 min/day of moderate plus vigorous exercise; +2,049 ± 571 steps/day), compared to controls ( P < 0.001). Main intervention targets such as more autonomous self-regulation (for treatment and for exercise) and a more autonomous perceived treatment climate revealed large effect sizes (between 0.80 and .96), favoring intervention ( P < 0.001). Results suggest that interventions grounded in SDT can be successfully implemented in the context of weight management, enhancing the internalization of more autonomous forms of behavioral regulation, and facilitating exercise adherence, while producing clinically-significant weight reduction, when compared to a control condition. Findings are fully consistent with previous studies conducted within this theoretical framework in other areas of health behavior change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Successful weight management relies on at least two health behaviors, eating and exercise. However, little is known about their interaction on a motivational and behavioral level. Based on the Hierarchical Model of Motivation the authors examined whether exercise-specific motivation can transfer to eating regulation during a lifestyle weight control program. The authors further investigated whether general, treatment-related, and exercise motivation underlie the relation between increased exercise and improved eating regulation. Design: Overweight/obese women participated in a 1-year randomized controlled trial (N = 239). The intervention focused on promoting physical activity and internal motivation for exercise and weight loss, following Self-Determination Theory. The control group received general health education. Main Outcome Measures: General and exercise specific self-determination, eating self-regulation variables, and physical activity behavior. Results: General self-determination and more autonomous exercise motivation predicted eating self-regulation over 12 months. Additionally, general and exercise self-determination fully mediated the relation between physical activity and eating self-regulation. Conclusion: Increased general self-determination and exercise motivation seem to facilitate improvements in eating self-regulation during weight control in women. These motivational mechanisms also underlie the relationship between improvements in exercise behavior and eating regulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study tested whether different forms of physical activity (PA) were associated with eating self-regulation during weight control, and if changes in eating behavior mediated the relationship between PA and weight loss, in overweight/obese women.Methods: 239 women (37.6+/-7.0 years; 31.3+/-4.1kg/m(2)) participated. The intervention group received a 12-month group behavioral treatment designed to increase autonomy and self-regulation for weight control. Controls received a health education program. Assessments included body weight, structured and lifestyle exercise/PA, and eating self-regulation.Results: Moderate+vigorous and lifestyle PA were associated with 12-month change in most eating variables (p<0.05) and with body weight change (p<0.01). Mediation analysis showed that flexible cognitive restraint and emotional eating fully mediated the relation between lifestyle PA and weight change (effect ratio: 0.63). About 34% of the effect of moderate+vigorous PA on weight change was explained by these same mediators (partial mediation).Conclusion: Exercise and PA may positively influence weight control through eating self-regulation. Flexible dietary control and reduced emotional overeating are mechanisms by which an active lifestyle can contribute to long-term weight management.Practice Implications: Regular exercise and PA can contribute to improved eating behaviors during weight management. This could represent an important incentive for people seeking weight control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Falls are known to cause injuries ranging from minor to severe, resulting in local or systemic lesions. Addressing prognostic factors associated with falls is crucial for preventing this adverse event through the implementation of patient care protocols. This study aimed to explore the epidemiological, clinical, and pharmacological prognostic factors influencing falls in adult and elderly patients, assessing the timing and impact of these factors using survival curve analysis., Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study included 176 hospitalized patients experiencing falls, categorized into adults (<60 years) and elderly (≥60 years). Binomial tests and logistic regression assessed variable associations, while Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models analyzed survival., Results: Overall, 25.9 % of adults and 33.3 % of the elderly experienced some form of injury (minor or moderate). Patients were alone during the fall in 77.6 % of cases for those under 60, compared to 50 % for those 60 and older (p < 0.001). Falls from own height were the most common, occurring in 46.6 % of patients under 60 years and 66.7 % of elderly patients (p = 0.011). Among adults under 60, factors such as past alcohol history (p = 0.0276), falling alone (p = 0.0002), benzodiazepine use (p = 0.0001), antiarrhythmic/antihypertensive medication (p = 0.0005), and antipsychotics (p = 0.0001) were significantly associated with falls. In the elderly, significant factors included falling from one's own height (p = 0.0112), muscle weakness (p = 0.0183), gait disorders (p = 0.0443), vasodilators (p = 0.0107), antihistamines (p = 0.0003), and hypoglycemic agents (p = 0.0041). Survival curve analysis indicated women under 60 had a worse prognosis for falls compared to elderly women (p = 0.038). For the elderly, opioid use (p = 0.045) and muscle weakness (p = 0.037) represented poor prognostic factors compared to adults under 60. In Cox regression, only female sex in patients under 60 showed a higher risk (HR=1.47) compared to women over 60 (p = 0.0014). Although not significant in multivariate analysis, muscle weakness (p = 0.066) and opioid use (p = 0.0545) had proportional hazards of 1.37 and 1.12, respectively., Conclusion: Female sex indicated poorer prognosis in <60 s, while opioids and muscle weakness were concerning for the elderly. These findings emphasize the need for tailored care protocols to stratify patient fall risk and prognosis during hospitalization and develop effective preventive strategies in healthcare., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The European Fans in Training (EuroFIT) program integrated need-supportive motivational strategies from Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in the design of a healthy lifestyle program delivered to overweight or obese male football fans (n = 1113; mean age of 45.9 [SD = 9.0] years old and BMI of 33.2 kg/m2 [SD = 4.6]) in professional football club settings in the UK, Portugal, Norway and the Netherlands. With a critical realist approach, we developed a structured thematic framework analysis based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to investigate the process of change in men who participated in the EuroFIT randomized controlled trial (RCT). We examined whether men's experiences of the social context of EuroFIT, and whether their engagement with the program's motivational strategies supported or frustrated their basic psychological needs while attempting to change their lifestyle behaviours. We found that men in all countries perceived the social contexts of the EuroFIT program as mostly needs-supportive, and that they found engagement with most of the program components helpful in supporting their psychological needs when initiating health behaviour changes. However, some of the program elements in the EuroFIT program were perceived as needs-frustrating by some participants and need-supportive by others. Implications for the use of need-supportive motivational strategies in designing future lifestyle interventions in sport settings to promote health behaviour change among male football fans are discussed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Betulinic acid (BA), which is a pentacyclic triterpenoid found in the bark of plane, birch, and eucalyptus trees, has emerged as a compound of significant interest in scientific research due to its potential therapeutic applications. BA has a range of well-documented pharmacological and biological effects, including antibacterial, immunomodulatory, diuretic, antiviral, antiparasitic, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. Although numerous research studies have explored the potential anticancer effects of BA, there is a noticeable gap in the literature, highlighting the need for a more up-to-date and comprehensive evaluation of BA's anticancer potential., Purpose: The aim of this work is to critically assess the reported cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the cancer preventive and therapeutic effects of BA., Methods: Relevant research on the inhibitory effects of BA against cancerous cells was searched using Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines., Results: The anticancer properties of BA are mediated by the activation of cell death and cell cycle arrest, production of reactive oxygen species, increased mitochondrial permeability, modulation of nuclear factor-κB and Bcl-2 family signaling. Emerging evidence also underscores the combined anticancer effects of BA with other natural bioactive compounds or approved drugs. Notably, several novel BA nanoformulations have been found to exhibit encouraging antineoplastic activities., Conclusion: BA, whether used alone or in combination, or as a form of nanoformulation, shows significant potential for cancer prevention and treatment. Nevertheless, further detailed studies are necessary to confirm the therapeutic effectiveness of this natural compound., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Given their role as Editor/Associate Editor/Editorial board members, Anupam Bishayee had no involvement in the peer-review of this article and has no access to information regarding its peer-review., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

The importance of reducing sedentary behavior (SB) in the prevention of mortality and chronic and mental diseases is scientifically well grounded, but SB can be accumulated in diverse domains of life, such as leisure-time SB, transport between home/work/school when sitting (transport-related SB), or in occupational settings such as working or studying (occupational SB), and the associations for each domain of SB with well-being measures and quality of life are still underexplored from a positive perspective. Through a cross-sectional investigation, we collected data from 584 participants who completed a questionnaire throughout November 2021 and with Spearman correlation test, analysed the associations between SB in three different domains with psychological well-being, satisfaction with life, and quality of life. Our results indicated that after adjustment for physical activity, sex, body mass index, smoking history, chronic disease status, financial perception, quality/duration of sleep and university group, in younger adults (18 to 24 years old), leisure-time SB was negatively related to psychological well-being (rho = -0.255; p = 0.008), and in adults (25 to 64 years old), occupational SB was negatively related to satisfaction with life (rho = -0.257; p < .001) and the mental component of quality of life (rho = -0.163; p = 0.027). Our findings highlight the idea that not all SB is built the same and that future strategies to reduce SB from people's lives must target specific domains of SB according to the age group when aiming to improve well-being and quality of life., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Viral coinfection among HIV-positive patients, coupled with the development of AIDS, remains a major public health problem. The synergism between the presence of HIV and other viruses has consequences in relation to changes in the severity of the infection, as well as changes in the natural course of both infections. Several polymorphisms present in genes that encode cytokines have a relevant influence on their transcription and consequently on the production of such immunological molecules. The present study evaluated the influence of SNPs located in the promoter regions of genes encoding the cytokines INF-ɣ, TNF, IL-6, IL-4, and IL-2, as well as their respective plasma concentrations, in patients infected with HIV and/or EBV in the state of Pará. Additionally, this study described the epidemiological profile and compared CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte counts among the groups studied. The associative analysis between the SNPs and plasma cytokine concentrations in different groups showed statistical relevance for three polymorphisms: rs2069762 ( IL2 ), where the GG genotype demonstrated higher IL-2 levels in HIV mono-infected individuals; rs2243250 ( IL4 ), where the CT genotype showed higher IL-4 levels in the control group; and rs2069705 ( IFNG ), where the TT genotype showed higher IFN-γ levels in the coinfected group. Regarding SNP associations with CD4+/CD8+ counts, significant findings were observed in HIV mono-infected individuals: the rs2069705 ( IFNG ) polymorphism was linked to higher CD4+ counts with the CT genotype, and rs1799964 ( TNF ) was associated with higher CD8+ counts with the CC genotype. Therefore, this study provides evidence that the rs2069705 ( IFNG ) SNP is associated with elevated IFN-γ levels, which may have pathogenic consequences, as depletion of this cytokine is concerning for people living with HIV due to its antiviral properties.

Understanding the distribution of hundreds of thousands of plant metabolites across the plant kingdom presents a challenge. To address this, we curated publicly available LC-MS/MS data from 19,075 plant extracts and developed the plantMASST reference database encompassing 246 botanical families, 1,469 genera, and 2,793 species. This taxonomically focused database facilitates the exploration of plant-derived molecules using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) spectra. This tool will aid in drug discovery, biosynthesis, (chemo)taxonomy, and the evolutionary ecology of herbivore interactions.

Background: Kaurenol, a diterpene alcohol found in Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. (known as "copaiba"), is historically used in traditional medicine for inflammatory conditions., Objectives: This study aims to comprehensively assess the potential anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of kaurenol., Methods: To this end, the following experiments were conducted to evaluated toxicity: locomotor performance and acute toxicity; nociception: acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin-induced antinociception; and anti-inflammatory activity: carrageenan and dextran-induced paw edema at 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg, and measurement of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in macrophages at 1, 3, and 9 μg/ml., Results: Kaurenol did not show significant locomotor changes, acute toxicity, and central analgesic activity in the first phase of formalin test at dosages tested. Kaurenol showed 53%, 64%, 64%, and 58% of inhibition in the acetic acid-induced writhing, second phase of formalin test, carrageenan and dextran-induced paw edema, respectively., Conclusion: The anti-inflammatory activity was associated with the regulation of NO release and probably with the regulation of mediators, such as serotonin and prostaglandin in vascular permeability, as well as by being associated with the regulation of IL-6 and IL-10. Kaurenol display anti-inflammatory activity but has no analgesic activity., (© 2023 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Leprosy is a chronic bacterial infection mainly caused by Mycobacterium leprae that primarily affects skin and peripheral nerves. Due to its ability to absorb carbon from the host cell, the bacillus became dependent on energy production, mainly through oxidative phosphorylation. In fact, variations in genes of Complex I of oxidative phosphorylation encoded by mtDNA have been associated with several diseases in humans, including bacterial infections, which are possible influencers in the host response to leprosy. Here, we investigated the presence of variants in the mtDNA genes encoding Complex I regarding leprosy, as well as the analysis of their pathogenicity in the studied cohort. We found an association of 74 mitochondrial variants with either of the polar forms, Pole T (Borderline Tuberculoid) or Pole L (Borderline Lepromatous and Lepromatous) of leprosy. Notably, six variants were exclusively found in both clinical poles of leprosy, including m.4158A>G and m.4248T>C in MT-ND1, m.13650C>A, m.13674T>C, m.12705C>T and m.13263A>G in MT-ND5, of which there are no previous reports in the global literature. Our observations reveal a substantial number of mutations among different groups of leprosy, highlighting a diverse range of consequences associated with mutations in genes across these groups. Furthermore, we suggest that the six specific variants exclusively identified in the case group could potentially play a crucial role in leprosy susceptibility and its clinical differentiation. These variants are believed to contribute to the instability and dysregulation of oxidative phosphorylation during the infection, further emphasizing their significance., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Physical activity (PA) is a non-pharmacological approach to optimize health benefits in cancer survivors and is recommended as part of care. However, most cancer survivors fail to meet PA recommendations. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify psychosocial correlates of free-living PA in cancer survivors., Methods: Three electronic databases were searched (PubMed, PsycINFO, and SportDiscus). Meta-analyses were conducted for psychosocial correlates tested ≥ 3 times., Results: Sixty-four articles were included. Eighty-eight different free-living PA correlates were identified. Meta-analyses (n = 32 studies) tested 23 PA correlates, of which 16 were significant (p < 0.05). Larger effect sizes (0.30 < ES > 0.45) were found for exercise self-efficacy, perceived behavioral control, intention, lower perceived barriers for exercise, enjoyment, perceived PA benefits, and attitudes. Small-to-moderate effects (0.18 < ES < 0.22) were found for subjective norms, physical functioning, quality of life, depression, and mental health. These findings were generally in line with narrative results., Conclusions: This systematic review highlights important psychosocial correlates of free-living PA that can be targeted in future PA promotion interventions for cancer survivors. Constructs mainly from SCT and TPB were the most studied and appear to be associated with free-living PA in this population. However, we cannot currently assert which frameworks might be more effective. Further studies of better methodological quality, per correlate and theory, exploring longer-term associations and across different types of cancer, are needed., Implications for Cancer Survivors: Having higher exercise self-efficacy, perceived behavioral control, intention, enjoyment and perceived PA benefits, more positive attitudes towards PA, and lower perceived barriers for exercise, can help increase PA in cancer survivors., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Cancer profoundly influences morbidity and fatality rates worldwide. Patients often have dismal prognoses despite recent improvements in cancer therapy regimens. However, potent biomolecules derived from natural sources, including medicinal and dietary plants, contain biological and pharmacological properties to prevent and treat various human malignancies. Capsaicin is a bioactive phytocompound present in red hot chili peppers. Capsaicin has demonstrated many biological effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticarcinogenic capabilities. This review highlights the cellular and molecular pathways through which capsaicin exhibits antineoplastic activities. Our work also depicts the synergistic anticancer properties of capsaicin in conjunction with other natural bioactive components and approved anticancer drugs. Capsaicin inhibits proliferation in various cancerous cells, and its antineoplastic actions in numerous in vitro and in vivo carcinoma models impact oncogenesis, tumor-promoting and suppressor genes, and associated signaling pathways. Capsaicin alone or combined with other phytocompounds or approved antineoplastic drugs triggers cell cycle progression arrest, generating reactive oxygen species and disrupting mitochondrial membrane integrity, ultimately stimulating caspases and promoting death. Furthermore, capsaicin alone or in combination can promote apoptosis in carcinoma cells by enhancing the p53 and c-Myc gene expressions. In conclusion, capsaicin alone or in combination can have enormous potential for cancer prevention and intervention, but further high-quality studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of this phytocompound., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Parkinson's disease affects 2% of the population aged over 65 years and is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the general population. The appearance of motor symptoms is associated with the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway. Clinically significant nonmotor symptoms are also important for severe disability with disease progression. Pharmacological treatment with levodopa, which involves dopamine restitution, results in a temporary improvement in motor symptoms. Among the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of the disease are exacerbated oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation. A phytochemical prospecting study showed that the aqueous extract of the leaves from Swietenia macrophylla (Melineaceae), known as mahogany, has polyphenols with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity in a significantly higher percentage than leaf extracts from other Amazonian plants. Furthermore, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity of aqueous extract of mahogany leaf has already been demonstrated in an in vitro model. In this study, we hypothesized that the aqueous extract of mahogany leaf (AEML) has a neuroprotective effect in a murine model of Parkinson's disease induced by 6-hydroxidopamine (6-OHDA), due to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of its phenolic compounds., Methods: Mice were treated daily with the mahogany extract at a dose of 50 mg/kg, starting 7 days before 6-OHDA infusion until post-surgery day 7., Results and Discussion: The animals from the 6-OHDA/mahogany group, which corresponds to animals injected with the toxin and treated with aqueous extract of the mahogany leaf, presented distinct behavioral phenotypes after apomorphine challenge and were therefore subdivided into 2 groups, 6-OHDA/mahogany F1 and 6-OHDA/mahogany F2. The F1 group showed a significant increase in contralateral rotations, whereas the F2 group did not show rotations after the apomorphine stimulus. In the F1 group, there was an increase, although not significant, in motor performance in the open field and elevated plus maze tests, whereas in the F2 group, there was significant improvement, which may be related to the lesser degree of injury to the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway. The TH+ histopathological analysis, a dopaminergic neuron marker, confirmed that the lesion to the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway was more pronounced in 6-OHDA/mahogany F1 than in 6-OHDA/mahogany F2. Our main result consisted of signs of improvement in the inflammatory profile in both the F1 and F2 6-OHDA/mahogany groups, such as a lower number of IBA-1+ microglial cells in the ventral striatum and substantia nigra pars compacta and a reduction in GFAP+ expression, an astrocyte marker, in the dorsal striatum. In this study, several bioactive compounds in the aqueous extract of mahogany leaf may have contributed to the observed beneficial effects. Further studies are necessary to better characterize their applicability for treating chronic degenerative diseases with inflammatory and oxidative bases, such as Parkinson's disease., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Cardoso, Valente-Amaral, Monteiro, Meira, de Meira, da Silva, Pinheiro, Bastos, Felício and Yamada.)

Introduction: The majority of adolescents do not meet guidelines for healthy behaviours, posing major risks for developing multiple non-communicable diseases. Unhealthy lifestyles seem more prevalent in urban than rural areas, with the neighbourhood environment as a mediating pathway. How to develop and implement sustainable and effective interventions focused on adolescent health and well-being in urban vulnerable life situations is a key challenge. This paper describes the protocol of a Youth-centred Participatory Action (YoPA) project aiming to tailor, implement, and evaluate social and physical environmental interventions., Methods and Analysis: In diverse urban environments in Denmark, the Netherlands, Nigeria and South Africa, we will engage a dynamic group of 15-20 adolescents (12-19 years) growing up in vulnerable life situations and other key stakeholders (eg, policy makers, urban planners, community leaders) in local co-creation communities. Together with academic researchers and local stakeholders, adolescents will take a leading role in mapping the local system; tailoring; implementing and evaluating interventions during participatory meetings over the course of 3 years. YoPA applies a participatory mixed methods design guided by a novel Systems, User perspectives, Participatory co-creation process, Effects, Reach, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance framework assessing: (i) the local systems, (ii) user perspectives, (iii) the participatory co-creation process, (iv) effects, (v) reach, (vi) adoption, (vii) implementation and (viii) maintenance of interventions. Through a realist evaluation, YoPA will explore why and how specific outcomes were reached (or not) in each setting (n=800-1000 adolescents in total)., Ethics and Dissemination: This study received approval from the ethics committees in Denmark, the Netherlands, Nigeria and South Africa and will be disseminated via various collaborative dissemination activities targeting multiple audiences. We will obtain informed consent from all participants. We envision that our YoPA co-creation approach will serve as a guide for participation of adolescents in vulnerable life situations in implementation of health promotion and urban planning in Europe, Africa and globally., Trial Registration Number: NCT06181162., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument (PPLI) has been the most adopted physical literacy instrument designed for adults to date, having been already translated to 5 languages. Still, despite its popularity, there is limited evidence of its psychometric properties. The aim of this study was to translate and adapt cross-culturally the PPLI to the Portuguese language and to analyze the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version in a sample of Portuguese-speaking adults., Methods: The study sample was composed of 434 participants (70% females) with a median age of 25 (18-39) years. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess psychometric properties of the scale. In addition, instrument assumptions between sexes through invariance testing were examined. Finally, concurrent validity, test-retest reliability, and test-retest agreement analyses were performed to gather additional evidence., Results: The results of the present study generally supported the measurement model. The 9-item, 3-factor model presented a good fit to the data and adequate construct validity (χ2 = 82.859 [24], P < .001, comparative-fit index = .948, Tucker-Lewis index = .922, standardized root mean square residual = .049, root mean square error of approximation = .075). In addition, the scale presented concurrent validity. Some issues arose with measurement invariance and overtime consistency., Conclusions: Considering the lack of validated instruments, we suggest a fair use of Portuguese version of PPLI to access physical literacy in adults. This study contributes to the validation of the PPLI by providing evidence of its psychometric properties in the Portuguese-speaking adult population and facilitates comparative analysis with previous and future studies utilizing the PPLI instrument.

Background: Unhealthful dietary patterns have been consistently associated with low levels of physical activity (PA), but studies dedicated to sedentary behavior (SB) are scarce, especially in adults. The few studies that investigated the association between SB and dietary patterns focused mostly on specific types of SB, such as TV-watching or screen time. SB can be accumulated in distinct domains (i.e., work, transport, and leisure-time), thus, it is key to investigate in depth the impact that different domains of SB can have on eating-related indicators. We aimed to investigate the associations between different SB domains and eating-related indicators, in a sample of adults., Methods: Cross-sectional data from students, teachers, and staff from a Portuguese University was collected in November/2021 through an anonymous online survey. Data analyses were performed using the IBM SPSS software (version 28.0) and included descriptive statistics, partial correlations, and group comparisons using one-way ANOVA. Daily average SB at work/study, transport, and in leisure-time were self-reported and eating-related indicators were measured with several items from the Mediterranean Diet Score. Specific eating-related behaviors reflecting a protective eating pattern (e.g., eating breakfast regularly), and eating behavior traits (e.g., external eating) were also assessed. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight (kg)/height(m) 2 . The International Physical Activity Questionnaire/Short-Form was used to assess PA., Results: The sample included 301 adults (60.1% women), with a mean age of 34.5 years. Overall, leisure-time SB was inversely associated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet (r = -0.20; p < 0.001) and with a protective eating profile (r = -0.31; p < 0.001). Higher transport SB was also related to lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet (r = -0.20; p < 0.001) and to an unhealthier eating profile (r = -0.22; p < 0.001), but no associations were found for work-related SB (p > 0.05). These results persisted after the adjustment for BMI, sex, and self-reported PA. These results were impacted by the age tertile., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that adults with higher levels of SB in leisure-time and transport domains tend to report less healthy eating-related behaviors, irrespective of BMI, sex, and PA level. However, some differences in these associations were found according to the age tertile. This information may assist public health authorities in focusing their efforts in augmenting literacy on SB, namely on how SB can be accumulated via different settings. Furthermore, public health literacy efforts need to extend besides the more known deleterious effects of SB on health (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease), to also include the interplay with eating indicators. Strategies to reduce SB and unhealthy eating should be particularly focused on promoting physically active forms of commuting and reducing SB in the leisure setting., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging arbovirus that in recent years has been associated with cases of severe neurological disorders, such as microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. As there is no vaccine or treatment, the search for new therapeutic targets is of great relevance. In this sense, plants are extremely rich sources for the discovery of new bioactive compounds and the species Phyllanthus brasiliensis (native to the Amazon region) remains unexplored., Purpose: To investigate the potential antiviral activity of compounds isolated from P. brasiliensis leaves against ZIKV infection., Methods: In vitro antiviral assays were performed with justicidin B (a lignan) and four glycosylated lignans (tuberculatin, phyllanthostatin A, 5-O-β-d-glucopyranosyljusticidin B, and cleistanthin B) against ZIKV in Vero cells. MTT colorimetric assay was used to assess cell viability and plaque forming unit assay to quantify viral load. In addition, for justicidin B, tests were performed to investigate the mechanism of action (virucidal, adsorption, internalization, post-infection)., Results: The isolated compounds showed potent anti-ZIKV activities and high selectivity indexes. Moreover, justicidin B, tuberculatin, and phyllanthostatin A completely reduced the viral load in at least one of the concentrations evaluated. Among them, justicidin B stood out as the main active, and further investigation revealed that justicidin B exerts its antiviral effect during post-infection stages, resulting in a remarkable 99.9 % reduction in viral load when treatment was initiated 24 h after infection., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that justicidin B inhibits endosomal internalization and acidification, effectively interrupting the viral multiplication cycle. Therefore, the findings shed light on the promising potential of isolated compounds isolated from P. brasiliensis, especially justicidin B, which could contribute to the drug development and treatments for Zika virus infections., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Background: In recent years, the mitochondria/immune system interaction has been proposed, so that variants of mitochondrial genome and levels of heteroplasmy might deregulate important metabolic processes in fighting infections, such as leprosy., Methods: We sequenced the whole mitochondrial genome to investigate variants and heteroplasmy levels, considering patients with different clinical forms of leprosy and household contacts. After sequencing, a specific pipeline was used for preparation and bioinformatics analysis to select heteroplasmic variants., Results: We found 116 variants in at least two of the subtypes of the case group (Borderline Tuberculoid, Borderline Lepromatous, Lepromatous), suggesting a possible clinical significance to these variants. Notably, 15 variants were exclusively found in these three clinical forms, of which five variants stand out for being missense (m.3791T > C in MT-ND1, m.5317C > A in MT-ND2, m.8545G > A in MT-ATP8, m.9044T > C in MT-ATP6 and m.15837T > C in MT-CYB). In addition, we found 26 variants shared only by leprosy poles, of which two are characterized as missense (m.4248T > C in MT-ND1 and m.8027G > A in MT-CO2)., Conclusion: We found a significant number of variants and heteroplasmy levels in the leprosy patients from our cohort, as well as six genes that may influence leprosy susceptibility, suggesting for the first time that the mitogenome might be involved with the leprosy process, distinction of clinical forms and severity. Thus, future studies are needed to help understand the genetic consequences of these variants., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Leprosy is an infectious disease primarily caused by the obligate intracellular parasite Mycobacterium leprae . Although it has been considered eradicated in many countries, leprosy continues to be a health issue in developing nations. Besides the social stigma associated with it, individuals affected by leprosy may experience nerve damage leading to physical disabilities if the disease is not properly treated or early diagnosed. Leprosy is recognized as a complex disease wherein socioenvironmental factors, immune response, and host genetics interact to contribute to its development. Recently, a new field of study called epigenetics has emerged, revealing that the immune response and other mechanisms related to infectious diseases can be influenced by noncoding RNAs. This review aims to summarize the significant advancements concerning non-coding RNAs in leprosy, discussing the key perspectives on this novel approach to comprehending the pathophysiology of the disease and identifying molecular markers. In our view, investigations on non-coding RNAs in leprosy hold promise and warrant increased attention from researches in this field., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Santana-da-Silva, Sena-dos-Santos, Cáceres-Durán, Souza, Gobbo, Pinto, Salgado and dos Santos.)

Swietenia macrophylla King is a plant commonly known as Brazilian mahogany. The wood from its stem is highly prized for its exceptional quality, while its leaves are valued for their high content of phragmalin-type limonoids, a subclass of compounds known for their significant biological activities, including antimalarial, antitumor, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. In this context, twelve isolated limonoids from S. macrophylla leaves were employed as standards in mass spectrometry-based molecular networking to unveil new potential mass spectrometry signatures for phragmalin-type limonoids. Consequently, ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry was utilized for data acquisition. Subsequently, the obtained data were analyzed using the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking platform based on spectral similarity. In summary, this study identified 24 new putative phragmalin-type limonoids for the first time in S. macrophylla . These compounds may prove valuable in guiding future drug development efforts, leveraging the already established biological activities associated with limonoids.

Background: Translation into practice of effective physical activity interventions in primary care is difficult, due to a complex interaction of implementation determinants. We aimed to identify implementation barriers and facilitators of four primary care interventions: physical activity assessment, counselling, prescription, and referral., Methods: A systematic review of qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies published since 2016 was conducted. The "Tailored Implementation for Chronic Diseases" (TICD) framework was adapted to extract and synthesize barriers and facilitators., Results: Sixty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Barriers (n = 56) and facilitators (n = 55) were identified across seven domains, related to characteristics of the intervention, individual factors of the implementers and receivers, organizational factors, and political and social determinants. The five most frequently reported determinants were: professionals' knowledge and skills; intervention feasibility/compatibility with primary health care routine; interventions' cost and financial incentives; tools and materials; and professionals' cognitions and attitudes. "Social, political and legal factors" domain was the least reported. Physical activity counselling, prescription, and referral were influenced by determinants belonging to all the seven domains., Conclusion: The implementation of physical activity interventions in primary care is influenced by a broader range of determinants. Barriers and facilitators related with health professionals, intervention characteristics, and available resources were the most frequently reported. A deep understanding of the local context, with particularly emphasis on these determinants, should be considered when preparing an intervention implementation, in order to contribute for designing tailored implementation strategies and optimize the interventions' effectiveness., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: In malaria infection, apoptosis acts as an important immunomodulatory mechanism that leads to the elimination of parasitized cells, thus reducing the parasite density and controlling immune cell populations. Here, it was investigated the association of INDEL variants in apoptotic genes-rs10562972 (FAS), rs4197 (FADD), rs3834129 and rs59308963 (CASP8), rs61079693 (CASP9), rs4647655 (CASP3), rs11269260 (BCL-2), and rs17880560 (TP53)-and the influence of genetic ancestry with susceptibility to malaria and parasite density in an admixed population from the Brazilian Amazon., Methods: Total DNA was extracted from 126 malaria patients and 101 uninfected individuals for investigation of genetic ancestries and genotypic distribution of apoptosis-related variants by Multiplex PCR. Association analyses consisted of multivariate logistic regressions, considering the following comparisons: (i) DEL/DEL genotype vs. INS/DEL + INS/INS; and (ii) INS/INS vs. INS/DEL + DEL/DEL., Results: Individuals infected by Plasmodium falciparum had significantly higher African ancestry proportions in comparison to uninfected controls, Plasmodium vivax, and mixed infections. The INS/INS genotype of rs3834129 (CASP8) seemed to increase the risk for P. falciparum infection (P = 0.038; OR = 1.867; 95% CI 0.736-3.725), while the DEL/DEL genotype presented a significant protective effect against infection by P. falciparum (P = 0.049; OR = 0.446; 95% CI 0.185-0.944) and mixed infection (P = 0.026; OR = 0.545; 95% CI 0.281-0.996), and was associated with lower parasite density in P. falciparum malaria (P = 0.009; OR = 0.383; 95% CI 0.113-1.295). Additionally, the INS/INS genotype of rs10562972 (FAS) was more frequent among individuals infected with P. vivax compared to P. falciparum (P = 0.036; OR = 2.493; 95% CI 1.104-4.551), and the DEL/DEL genotype of rs17880560 (TP53) was significantly more present in patients with mono-infection by P. vivax than in individuals with mixed infection (P = 0.029; OR = 0.667; 95% CI 0.211-1.669)., Conclusions: In conclusion, variants in apoptosis genes are associated with malaria susceptibility and parasite density, indicating the role of apoptosis-related genetic profiles in immune responses against malaria infection., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: This study describes the molecular profile and the potential antiviral activity of extracts from Phyllanthus brasiliensis, a plant widely found in the Brazilian Amazon. The research aims to shed light on the potential use of this species as a natural antiviral agent., Methods: The extracts were analysed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) system, a potent analytical technique to discover drug candidates. In the meantime, in vitro antiviral assays were performed against Mayaro, Oropouche, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses. In addition, the antiviral activity of annotated compounds was predicted by in silico methods., Results: Overall, 44 compounds were annotated in this study. The results revealed that P. brasiliensis has a high content of fatty acids, flavones, flavan-3-ols, and lignans. Furthermore, in vitro assays revealed potent antiviral activity against different arboviruses, especially lignan-rich extracts against Zika virus (ZIKV), as follows: methanolic extract from bark (MEB) [effective concentration for 50% of the cells (EC 50 ) = 0.80 μg/mL, selectivity index (SI) = 377.59], methanolic extract from the leaf (MEL) (EC 50  = 0.84 μg/mL, SI = 297.62), and hydroalcoholic extract from the leaf (HEL) (EC 50  = 1.36 μg/mL, SI = 735.29). These results were supported by interesting in silico prediction, where tuberculatin (a lignan) showed a high antiviral activity score., Conclusions: Phyllanthus brasiliensis extracts contain metabolites that could be a new kick-off point for the discovery of candidates for antiviral drug development, with lignans becoming a promising trend for further virology research., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Physical literacy is a multidimensional construct that has been defined and interpreted in various ways, one of the most common being "the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to maintain physical activity throughout the life course". Although its improvement can positively affect many behavioral, psychological, social, and physical variables, debate remains over an appropriate method of collecting empirical physical literacy data. This systematic review sought to identify and critically evaluate all primary studies (published and unpublished, regardless of design or language) that assessed physical literacy in adults or have proposed measurement criteria. Relevant studies were identified by searching four databases (Pubmed, SportDiscus, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science), scanning reference lists of included articles, and manual cross-referencing of bibliographies cited in prior reviews. The final search was concluded on July 15, 2022. Thirty-one studies, published from 2016 to 2022, were analyzed. We found seven instruments measuring physical literacy in adults, of which six were questionnaires. The Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument was the first developed for adults and the most adopted. The included studies approached physical literacy definition in two ways: by pre-defining domains and assessing them discretely (through pre-validated or self-constructed instruments) and by defining domains as sub-scales after factorial analyses. We found a fair use of objective and subjective measures to assess different domains. The wide use of instruments developed for other purposes in combined assessments suggests the need for further instrument development and the potential oversimplification of the holistic concept, which may not result in a better understanding of physical literacy. Quality and usability characteristics of measurements were generally insufficiently reported. This lack of data makes it impossible to compare and make robust conclusions. We could not identify if any of the existing physical literacy assessments for adults is appropriate for large-scale/epidemiological studies., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Boldovskaia et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Aromatase inhibitors (AI) are frequently used to treat hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer, but they have multiple adverse effects (e.g., osteoporosis, arthralgia), resulting in premature therapy discontinuation/switch. Physical activity (PA) can attenuate these negative effects and improve quality of life (QoL). However, most cancer survivors fail to perform/sustain adequate PA levels, especially in the long-term. Theory-based interventions, using evidence-based behavior change techniques, aimed at promoting long-term behavior change in breast cancer survivors are effective, but remain scarce and fail to promote self-regulatory skills and better-quality motivations associated with sustained PA adoption. This paper describes the design of the PAC-WOMAN trial, which will test the long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of two state of the art, group-based interventions encouraging sustained changes in PA, sedentary behavior, and QoL. Additional aims include examining the impact of both interventions on secondary outcomes (e.g., body composition, physical function), and key moderators/mediators of short and long-term changes in primary outcomes., Methods: A 3-arm pragmatic randomized controlled trial, involving a 4-month intervention and a 12-month follow-up, will be implemented, in a real exercise setting, to compare: 1) brief PA counseling/motivational intervention; 2) structured exercise program vs. waiting-list control group. Study recruitment goal is 122 hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer survivors (stage I-III), on AI therapy (post-primary treatment completion) ≥ 1 month, ECOG 0-1. Outcome measures will be obtained at baseline, 4 months (i.e., post-intervention), 10 and 16 months. Process evaluation, analyzing implementation determinants, will also be conducted., Discussion: PAC-WOMAN is expected to have a relevant impact on participants PA and QoL and provide insights for the improvement of interventions designed to promote sustained adherence to active lifestyle behaviors, facilitating its translation to community settings., Trial Registration: April 20, 2023 - NCT05860621. April 21, 2023 - https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/ZAQ9N April 27, 2023 - UMIN000050945., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Sedentary behavior (SB) has been linked to several negative health outcomes. Therefore, reducing SB or breaking up prolonged periods of SB improves functional fitness, food consumption, job satisfaction, and productivity. Reducing SB can be achieved by introducing a health-enhancing contextual modification promoted by a sit-stand desk in the workplace. The primary goal will be to test the effectiveness of this intervention in reducing and breaking up SB, while improving health outcomes in office-based workers during a 6-month intervention., Methods: A two-arm (1:1), superiority parallel-group cluster RCT will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention in a sample of office-based workers from a university in Portugal. The intervention will consist of a psychoeducation session, motivational prompts, and contextual modification promoted by a sit-stand desk in the workplace for 6 months. The control group will work as usual in their workplace, with no contextual change or prompts during the 6-month intervention. Three assessment points will be conducted in both groups, pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention, and a 3-month follow-up. The primary outcomes include sedentary and physical activity-related variables, which will be objectively assessed with 24 h monitoring using the ActivPAL for 7 days. The secondary outcomes include (a) biometric indices as body composition, body mass index, waist circumference, and postural inequalities; and (b) psychosocial variables such as overall and work-related fatigue, overall discomfort, life/work satisfaction, quality of life, and eating behavior. Both the primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at each assessment point., Discussion: This study will lean on the use of a sit-stand workstation for 6 months, prompted by an initial psychoeducational session and ongoing motivational prompts. We will aim to contribute to this topic by providing robust data on alternating sitting and standing postures in the workplace., Trial Registration: The trial was prospectively registered, and the details are at: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/JHGPW ; Registered 15 November 2022. OSF Preregistration., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Margaritaria nobilis L.f. (Phyllanthaceae), a native Brazilian tree occurring mainly in the Amazon, is used in folk medicine for the treatment of abscesses (bark) and cancer-like symptoms (leaves). The present study evaluates the safety of its acute oral administration and its effects on nociception and plasma leakage. The chemical constitution of the leaf's ethanolic extract is determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS. Its acute oral toxicity is evaluated in female rats at a dose of 2000 mg/kg, evaluating the occurrence of deaths and Hippocratic, behavioral, hematological, biochemical, and histopathological changes, as well as food and water consumption and weight gain. Antinociceptive activity is evaluated in male mice with acetic-acid-induced peritonitis (APT) and formalin (FT) tests. An open field (OF) test is performed to verify possible interferences in the animals' consciousness or locomotion. LC-MS analysis shows the presence of 44 compounds classified as phenolic acid derivatives, flavonoids and O-glycosylated derivatives, and hydrolyzable tannins. No deaths or significant behavioral, histological, or biochemical changes are observed in the toxicity assessment. In nociception tests, M. nobilis extract significantly reduces abdominal contortions in APT, demonstrating selectivity for inflammatory components (FT second phase), not interfering in neuropathic components (FT first phase) or consciousness and locomotion levels in OF. Additionally, M. nobilis extract inhibits plasma acetic-acid-induced leakage. These data demonstrate the low toxicity of M. nobilis ethanolic extract, as well as its effectiveness in modulating inflammatory nociception and plasma leakage, possibly related to the flavonoids and tannins present in its composition.

This paper investigated facilitators and barriers to implementing the European Football Fans in Training program (EuroFIT) in professional sports clubs in England, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal. We analyzed qualitative data collected at clubs that delivered EuroFIT, based on semi-structured interviews with coordinating staff (n = 15), coaches (n = 16), and focus group interviews with participants (n = 108), as well as data from clubs that considered delivering EuroFIT in the future, based on interviews with staff (n = 7) and stakeholders (n = 8). Facilitators for implementation related to the content and structure of the program, its evidence-base, and the context for delivery in the football stadia. Financial and human resources were both facilitators and barriers. Further barriers were mostly practical, relating to human resources and infrastructure. Major differences between countries related to experience and commitment to running community projects, and differences in infrastructure, financing, and human resources. Professional football clubs' ability to support health promotion efforts depended on their ethos and the financial and human resources available to them. Overall, the EuroFIT program was well received by clubs, coaches, participants, and stakeholders, which was reflected by the many facilitators supporting sustained implementation. For sustainable implementation, it is crucial that clubs and their stakeholders engage fully with the EuroFIT program and understand that for an adequate program delivery their views (ethos) and ways of working influence the implementation and thereby the effectiveness of EuroFIT. An important prerequisite for future roll out of EuroFIT would be a strong EuroFIT delivery partner organization to ensure financial and human resources while overseeing and guiding the quality of delivery in clubs., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.)

Objective: To identify and summarize the possible associations between screen time and low back pain in children and adolescents., Data Source: Systematic searches were performed in five electronic databases (Lilacs, Scielo, Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science) on 01/25/2021, complemented by manual searches in reference lists and on Google Scholar, looking for original scientific articles that included Brazilian observational studies; whose samples had children and/or adolescents aged between 6 and 19 years, without specific clinical conditions, and that presented analyses of associations between indicators of screen time and nonspecific low back pain, based on regression models., Data Synthesis: Nine cross-sectional studies whose samples had adolescents were included. Of the 18 analyses identified, nine reported risk relationships between the variables of interest. More specifically, risk associations were found in two studies that evaluated adolescents exposed to at least three hours using cell phone or tablet, and watching television per day. Also, instruments, cut-off points adopted, and screen equipment evaluated were diverse., Conclusions: Even though most of the risk associations were borderline from the statistical point of view, we found a higher frequency of risk associations between screen time and non-specific low back pain in adolescents exposed to screen time for at least three hours a day. In addition, further longitudinal studies with samples composed of children should be conducted across the country.

Background: A randomised trial of European Fans in Training (EuroFIT), a 12-week healthy lifestyle program delivered in 15 professional football clubs in the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, successfully increased physical activity and improved diet but did not reduce sedentary time. To guide future implementation, this paper investigates how those effects were achieved. We ask: 1) how was EuroFIT implemented? 2) what were the processes through which outcomes were achieved?, Methods: We analysed qualitative data implementation notes, observations of 29 of 180 weekly EuroFIT deliveries, semi-structured interviews with 16 coaches and 15 club representatives, and 30 focus group discussions with participants (15 post-program and 15 after 12 months). We descriptively analysed quantitative data on recruitment, attendance at sessions and logs of use of the technologies and survey data on the views of participants at baseline, post program and after 12 months. We used a triangulation protocol to investigate agreement between data from difference sources, organised around meeting 15 objectives within the two research questions., Results: We successfully recruited clubs, coaches and men to EuroFIT though the draw of the football club seemed stronger in the UK and Portugal. Advertising that emphasized getting fitter, club-based deliveries, and not 'standing out' worked and attendance and fidelity were good, so that coaches in all countries were able to deliver EuroFIT flexibly as intended. Coaches in all 15 clubs facilitated the use of behaviour change techniques and interaction between men, which together enhanced motivation. Participants found it harder to change sedentary time than physical activity and diet. Fitting changes into daily routines, planning for setbacks and recognising the personal benefit of behaviour change were important to maintain changes. Bespoke technologies were valued, but technological hitches frustrated participants., Conclusion: EuroFIT was delivered as planned by trained club coaches working flexibly in all countries. It worked as expected to attract men and support initiation and maintenance of changes in physical activity and diet but the use of bespoke, unstable, technologies was frustrating. Future deliveries should eliminate the focus on sedentary time and should use only proven technologies to support self-monitoring and social interaction., Trial Registration: ISRCTN81935608, registered 16/06/2015., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of soy isoflavone supplementation (25 mg/kg) on insulin resistance and inflammation in adipose tissue in an experimental model of menopause-obesity. Twenty-four female Wistar rats were ovariectomized (O) and distributed among the groups: OSD-ovariectomized rats submitted to normocaloric standard diet ( n  = 6); OHF-ovariectomized rats submitted to high-fat diet ( n  = 9); and OHFI-ovariectomized rats submitted to high-fat diet with isoflavones ( n  = 9). Weight gain, body adiposity, food and caloric intake, blood pressure, and glucose tolerance were assessed. After 24 weeks, the rats were euthanized; the thoracic blood collected for serum insulin determination and the homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance) (HOMA-IR) and homeostatic model assessment- β cell (HOMA- β ) indices were calculated. Abdominal adipose tissues were removed, weighed, and fixed for immunohistochemical and morphometric studies. Isoflavones decreased weight gain and blood pressure without changing the food and caloric intake ( P  < .05). Isoflavones did not affect the weight of the abdominal adipose tissue depots ( P  < .05). Although they did not alter glucose tolerance, the isoflavones reduced HOMA-IR and HOMA- β , serum insulin levels, in addition to reducing adipocytes' size ( P  < .05). The number of macrophages, lymphocytes, and crown-like structures in adipose tissue was lower in the group treated with isoflavones ( P  < .05). In conclusion, our data show that dietary soy isoflavones' supplementation prevents many of well-known deleterious combination of obesity and menopause on metabolism, such as body overweight, adipocyte hypertrophy, and hypertension, as well as insulin resistance and adipose tissue inflammation.

Drug combinations and drug repurposing have emerged as promising strategies to develop novel treatments for infectious diseases, including Chagas disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the repurposed drugs chloroquine (CQ) and colchicine (COL), known to inhibit Trypanosoma cruzi infection in host cells, could boost the anti-T. cruzi effect of the trypanocidal drug benznidazole (BZN), increasing its therapeutic efficacy while reducing the dose needed to eradicate the parasite. The combination of BZN and COL exhibited cytotoxicity to infected cells and low antiparasitic activity. Conversely, a combination of BZN and CQ significantly reduced T. cruzi infection in vitro , with no apparent cytotoxicity. This effect seemed to be consistent across different cell lines and against both the partially BZN-resistant Y and the highly BZN-resistant Colombiana strains. In vivo experiments in an acute murine model showed that the BZN+CQ combination was eight times more effective in reducing T. cruzi infection in the acute phase than BZN monotherapy. In summary, our results demonstrate that the concomitant administration of CQ and BZN potentiates the trypanocidal activity of BZN, leading to a reduction in the dose needed to achieve an effective response. In a translational context, it could represent a higher efficacy of treatment while also mitigating the adverse effects of high doses of BZN. Our study also reinforces the relevance of drug combination and repurposing approaches in the field of Chagas disease drug discovery.

Deguelia nitidula (Benth.) A.M.G.Azevedo & R.A.Camargo (Fabaceae) is an herbaceous plant distributed in the Brazilian Amazon, and it is called "raiz do sol" (sun roots). On Marajó Island, quilombola communities use its prepared roots to treat skin diseases commonly caused by fungi, viruses, and bacteria. Thus, in this study, the extract, and its fractions from D. nitidula roots were used to perform in vitro cytotoxic and antibacterial assays against Staphylococcus aureus strains. Thereafter, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used for the metabolite annotation process. The ethanolic extract of D. nitidula roots show significant bactericidal activity against S. aureus with IC 50 82 μg.mL -1 and a selectivity index (SI) of 21.35. Furthermore, the SREFr2 and SREFr3 fractions show a potent bactericidal activity, i.e., MIC of 46.8 μg.mL -1 for both, and MBC of 375 and 93.7 μg.mL -1 , respectively. As showcased, SREFr3 shows safe and effective antibacterial activity mainly in respect to the excellent selectivity index (SI = 82.06). On the other hand, SREFr2 shows low selectivity (SI = 6.8), which characterizes it as not safe for therapeutic use. Otherwise, due to a limited amount of reference MS 2 spectra in public libraries, up to now, it was not possible to perform a complete metabolite annotation. Despite that, our antibacterial results for SREFr3 and correlated substructures of amino acid derivatives show that the roots of D. nitidula are a natural source of specialized metabolites, which can be isolated in the future, and then used as a support for further bio-guided research, as well as natural drug development.

Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) is a plant known in Brazil as "melão de São Caetano", which has been related to many therapeutic applications in folk medicine. Herein, we describe antibacterial activities and related metabolites for an extract and fractions obtained from the leaves of that species. An ethanolic extract and its three fractions were used to perform in vitro antibacterial assays. In addition, liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and the molecular networking approach were used for the metabolite annotation process. Overall, 25 compounds were annotated in the ethanolic extract from M. charantia leaves, including flavones, terpenes, organic acids, and inositol pyrophosphate derivatives. The ethanolic extract exhibited low activity against Proteus mirabilis (MIC 312.5 µg·mL -1 ) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (MIC 625 µg·mL -1 ). The ethyl acetate phase showed interesting antibacterial activity (MIC 156.2 µg·mL -1 ) against Klebsiella pneumoniae , and it was well justified by the high content of glycosylated flavones. Therefore, based on the ethyl acetate phase antibacterial result, we suggest that M. charantia leaves could be considered as an alternative antibacterial source against K. pneumoniae and can serve as a pillar for future studies as well as pharmacological application against the bacteria.

Background: Physical activity is a major determinant of physical and mental health. International recommendations identify health professionals as pivotal agents to tackle physical inactivity. This study sought to characterize medical doctors' clinical practices concerning the promotion of patients' physical activity, while also exploring potential predictors of the frequency and content of these practices, including doctors' physical activity level and sedentary behaviours., Methods: A cross-sectional study assessed physical activity promotion in clinical practice with a self-report questionnaire delivered through the national medical prescription software (naturalistic survey). Physical activity and sedentary behaviours were estimated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short form). Indicators of medical doctors' attitudes, knowledge, confidence, barriers, and previous training concerning physical activity promotion targeting their patients were also assessed. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of physical activity promotion frequency by medical doctors, including sociodemographic, attitudes and knowledge-related variables, and physical activity behaviours as independent variables., Results: A total of 961 medical doctors working in the Portuguese National Health System participated (59% women, mean age 44 ± 13 years) in the study. The majority of the participants (84.6%) reported to frequently promote patients' physical activity. Five predictors of physical activity promotion frequency emerged from the multiple regression analysis, explaining 17.4% of the dependent variable (p < 0.001): working in primary healthcare settings (p = 0.037), having a medical specialty (p = 0.030), attributing a high degree of relevance to patients' physical activity promotion in healthcare settings (p < 0.001), being approached by patients to address physical activity (p < 0.001), and having higher levels of physical activity (p = 0.001)., Conclusions: The sample of medical doctors approached reported a high level of engagement with physical activity promotion. Physical activity promotion frequency seems to be influenced by the clinical practice setting, medical career position and specialty, attitudes towards physical activity, and perception of patients´ interest on the topic, as well as medical doctors' own physical activity levels., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Margaritaria nobilis is a shrubby species widely distributed in Brazil from the Amazon to the Atlantic Rainforest. Its bark and fruit are used in the Peruvian Amazon for disinfecting abscesses and as a tonic in pregnancy, respectively, and its leaves are used to treat cancer symptoms. From analyses via UHPLC-MS/MS, we sought to determine the chemical profile of the ethanolic extract of M. nobilis leaves by means of putative analyses supported by computational tools and spectral libraries. Thus, it was possible to annotate 44 compounds, of which 12 are phenolic acid derivatives, 16 are O -glycosylated flavonoids and 16 hydrolysable tannins. Among the flavonoids, although they are known, except for kaempferol, which has already been isolated from this species, the other flavonoids ( 10 , 14 , 15 , 21 , 24 - 26 , 28 - 30 , 33 - 35 , 40 and 41 ) are being reported for the first time in the genus. Among the hydrolysable tannins, six ellagitannins present the HHDP group ( 6 , 19 , 22 , 31 , 38 and 43 ), one presents the DHHDP group ( 5 ), and four contain oxidatively modified congeners ( 12 , 20 , 37 and 39 ). Through the annotation of these compounds, we hope to contribute to the improved chemosystematics knowledge of the genus. Furthermore, supported by a metric review of the literature, we observed that many of the compounds reported here are congeners of authentically bioactive compounds. Thus, we believe that this work may help in understanding future pharmacological activities.

This retrospective study reports data obtained by the Federal Police's National Institute of Criminalistics (INC-PF) relating to chemical analysis aimed at identifying explosives used in Automated teller machines (ATMs)/cash safes robberies between 2014 and 2020 in Brazil. 93 Real cases were studied and, based on the analysis carried out on the materials related to these cases, focusing on the type of explosive used, the following distribution profile was obtained: I) explosive mixtures based on chlorates and/or perchlorates (53%); explosive emulsion (22%); black gunpowder (13%); negative/inconclusive (11%) and organic - pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) (1%). These results can contribute to investigations related to diversion/loss of explosives for criminal purposes, indicating, for example, through relationships between prevalence in the use of a certain type of explosive with a certain location, its possible origin (mining industry, explosive industries, fireworks factories, among others). The profile observed in the results can guide the selection of explosives to be studied in future research, as the possibilities are vast. Furthermore, despite the expressive number of occurrences in Brazil in the period of interest of this study, only a small fraction of samples was sent to the forensic chemistry laboratory to identify the explosive involved, which suggests that expanding chemical analysis should be encouraged in this field. In combination with an increase in professional training and collaboration trials between the laboratories, these activities can improve the chemical explosive's profile in Brazil, enabling the search for correlations between occurrences and contributing to the growth and development of this area., (© 2022 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.)

Background: In the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, sand flies and cases of visceral (VL) and cutaneous (CL) leishmaniases have been reported in almost all municipalities. The aim of this study was to analyze the geographic distribution of VL and CL in relation the sand fly species found in the municipalities of Mato Grosso do Sul., Methods: We analyzed VL and CL cases from 2001 to 2018 using data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). Data collected since 2003 on the presence of sand fly vectors (proven or suspected) were provided by the State Health Secretariat., Results: A total of 3566 and 3030 cases of VL and CL, respectively, were reported from 2001 to 2018. The municipalities with the most reported cases of VL were Campo Grande (2495), Três Lagoas (442), Corumbá (140) and Aquidauana (136); and those for CL were Campo Grande (635) and Bodoquena (197). The following sand fly species with vector potential were found in 59 municipalities (74.7%): Lutzomyia longipalpis, Lutzomyia cruzi, Nyssomyia whitmani, Migonemyia migonei, Nyssomyia neivai, Pintomyia pessoai, Bichromomyia flaviscutellata and Pintomyia fischeri. Sand flies were present in six municipalities where no cases of VL were reported and in two municipalities where no cases of CL were reported., Conclusions: Our results indicate that the geographical distribution of VL and CL in Mato Grosso do Sul expanded during the study period, and highlight the presence of sand fly vectors in municipalities where these diseases are currently considered to be non-endemic., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study aimed to explore the following: 1) the impact of Champ4Life's intervention on intuitive eating and food reward; and 2) associations between changes in eating behavior and changes in body composition., Methods: A total of 94 former athletes (mean [SD], BMI = 31.1 [4.3] kg/m 2 , age = 43.0 [9.4] years, 34% female) assigned to intervention (n = 49) and control groups (n = 45) underwent 4 months of active weight loss (WL) followed by 8 months of WL maintenance. Intuitive eating and food reward were assessed by the Intuitive Eating Scale and the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire, respectively., Results: The WL was -4.8% (4.9%) and 0.3% (2.6%) for the intervention and control groups, respectively. Participants reported a decrease in fat bias for explicit/implicit wanting and explicit liking after 4 months and 1 year. For intuitive eating, the unconditional permission to eat decreased after 4 months, and the body-food choice congruence increased after 1 year. Changes in unconditional permission to eat and in body-food choice congruence were positively and negatively associated with both Δweight and with Δfat mass, respectively. Changes in explicit wanting for fat and taste bias were associated with Δweight., Conclusions: Food reward decreased after a moderate WL intervention. Participants successfully maintained their reduced weight, and most of the changes in eating behavior remained significant at the end of the follow-up period. Lifestyle interventions aiming at WL should also consider intuitive eating and food reward., (© 2022 The Obesity Society.)