Olive Pomace Extract Contains Low Molecular Weight Peptides and Possesses ACE Inhibitory Activity.

The aim of the present study was to determine the ACE inhibitory activity of aqueous extracts of olive pomace and to understand whether they represent a good source of bioactive LMW peptides for nutritional and pharmacological applications. We produced a water extract from olive pomace (var. Picual) and obtained its low molecular weight (LMW) fraction (<3 kDa). The calculated yield of extraction was 100.2 ± 7.9 mg of LMW peptides per 100 g of olive pomace. The olive pomace LMW fraction possessed strong ACE inhibitory activity (IC50 = 3.57 ± 0.22 µg prot/mL). The LMW fraction (<3 kDa) was analysed by nanoscale liquid chromatography-Orbitrap coupled with tandem mass spectrometry and de novo sequencing. Thirty new peptides, containing between 7-17 amino acids and molecular masses ranging 778-1354 Da, were identified by the Peaks database algorithm using the available Olea europaea (cv. Farga) genome database. Ten new peptides were also identified by Peaks de novo sequencing. The protein sources of twelve peptides detected in the database by Peaks DB were identified by BLAST search. The ACE inhibitory activity of the identified peptides was predicted by BIOPEP software. We conclude that olive pomace possesses ACE inhibitory activity and contains low molecular weight peptides with (predicted) biological activity. Olive pomace may represent a good source of peptides for nutritional and pharmaceutical applications. In our study, it has been shown that olive pomace possesses ACE inhibitory activity and contains low molecular weight peptides with (predicted) biological activity. Olive pomace may represent a good source of peptides for nutritional and pharmaceutical applications. More research is needed in order to identify the in vivo effects of olive pomace bioactive peptides.

Zika Virus-Infected Monocyte Exosomes Mediate Cell-to-Cell Viral Transmission.

Zika fever is a reemerging arthropod-borne viral disease; however, Zika virus (ZIKV) can be transmitted by other, non-vector means. Severe Zika fever is characterized by neurological disorders, autoimmunity, or congenital Zika syndrome. Monocytes are primary ZIKV targets in humans and, in response to infection, release extracellular vesicles like exosomes. Exosomes mediate intercellular communication and are involved in the virus's ability to circumvent the immune response, promoting pathological processes. This study aimed to evaluate the role of monocyte exosomes in cell-to-cell viral transmission. We isolated exosomes from ZIKV-infected monocytes (Mø exo ZIKV) by differential ultracentrifugation and identified them by nanoparticle tracking analysis; transmission electron microscopy; and CD63, CD81, TSG101, and Alix detection by cytofluorometry. Purified exosome isolates were obtained by uncoupling from paramagnetic beads or by treatment with UV radiation and RNase A. We found that Mø exo ZIKV carry viral RNA and E/NS1 proteins and that their interaction with naïve cells favors viral transmission, infection, and cell differentiation/activation. These data suggest that Mø exo ZIKV are an efficient alternative pathway for ZIKV infection. Knowledge of these mechanisms contributes to understanding the pathogenesis of severe disease and to the development of new vaccines and therapies.

Designing user interfaces for content simplification aimed at people with cognitive impairments.

Cognitive accessibility aims to make content more accessible for people with cognitive impairments, such as the elderly and people with intellectual and learning disabilities. In this sense, it is possible to design an accessible user interface from a cognitive point of view. As a contribution, this article presents cognitive accessibility design patterns and their application in designing the Easier web system's user interface. The Easier web system provides a tool that assists in the understanding and readability of text content geared towards people with intellectual disabilities. It detects complex words and offers easier replacements and other resources such as a definition of the complex word. In addition to applying the design patterns, user tests with people with intellectual disabilities and older people have been carried out to evaluate the cognitive accessibility of the Easier system's interface. The results indicate that people with cognitive impairments know how to use the interfaces and have a satisfactory experience. In addition, a design proposal to provide a glossary mechanism to be used in web interfaces with simplified texts is presented and validated.

EASIER corpus: A lexical simplification resource for people with cognitive impairments.

Thanks to technologies such as the Internet and devices now available to people, we have increasingly greater access to larger quantities of information. However, people with ageing disabilities or intellectual disabilities, non-native speakers, and others have difficulties reading and understanding information. For this reason, it is essential to provide text simplification mechanisms when accessing information. Natural Language Processing methods can be applied to simplify textual content and improve understanding. These methods often use machine learning algorithms and models which require resources, such as corpora, to be trained and tested. This article presents the EASIER corpus, a resource that can be used to build lexical simplification methods to process Spanish domain-independent texts. The EASIER corpus is composed of 260 annotated documents with 8,155 words labelled as complex and 5,130 words with at least one proposed context-aware synonym associated. Expert linguists in easy-to-read and plain language guidelines have annotated the corpus based on their experience adapting texts for people with intellectual disabilities. Sixteen annotation guidelines that discriminate between complex and simple words have been defined to help other groups of experts to generate new annotations. Additionally, an inter-annotator agreement test was performed to validate the corpus, obtaining a Fleiss Kappa coefficient of 0.641. Furthermore, a qualitative evaluation was conducted with 45 users (including people with intellectual disabilities, elderly people, and a control audience). Complex word identification tasks achieved moderate results, but the synonyms proposed to replace complex words achieved almost perfect ratings. This resource has been integrated into the EASIER platform, a tool that helps people with cognitive impairments and intellectual disabilities to read and understand texts more easily.

Erythrose inhibits the progression to invasiveness and reverts drug resistance of cancer stem cells of glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent brain cancer and more lethal than other cancers. Characteristics of this cancer are its high drug resistance, high recurrence rate and invasiveness. Invasiveness in GBM is related to overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) which are mediated by wnt/ß-catenin and induced by the activation of signaling pathways extracellularly activated by the cytokine neuroleukin (NLK) in cancer stem cells (CSC). Therefore, in this work we evaluated the effect of the tetrose saccharide, erythrose (Ery), a NLK inhibitor of invasiveness and drug sensitization in glioblastoma stem cells (GSC). GSC were obtained from parental U373 cell line by a CSC phenotype enrichment protocol based on microenvironmental stress conditions such as hypoxia, hipoglycemia, drug exposition and serum starvation. Enriched fraction of GSC overexpressed the typical markers of brain CSC: low CD133+ and high CD44; in addition, epithelial to mesenchyme transition (EMT) markers and MMPs were increased several times in GSC vs. U373 correlating with higher invasiveness, elongated and tubular mitochondrion and temozolomide (TMZ) resistance. IC50 of Ery was found at nM concentration and at 24 h induced a severe diminution of EMT markers, MMPs and invasiveness in GSC. Furthermore, the phosphorylation pattern of NLK after Ery exposition also was affected. In addition, when Ery was administered to GSC at subIC50, it was capable of reverting TMZ resistance at concentrations innocuous to non-tumor cancer cells. Moreover, Ery added daily induced the death of all GSC. Those findings indicated that the phytodrug Ery could be used as adjuvant therapy in GBM.

Predictors of burnout in female nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictors of burnout in female nurses during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also sought to evaluate the relationship between each of the variables studied (anxiety, depression, sociodemographic and COVID-19 variables) and the dimensions of the burnout. BACKGROUND: One of the groups of health care workers worst affected by the COVID-19 crisis has been women working as nursing staff, due to the high percentage they account for at a global level and their direct contact with infected patients. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional, quantitative study. METHODS: Four hundred forty-four Spanish female nurses from hospital and primary health care centres took part in the study. The data were obtained in 2020 by means of an online survey. RESULTS: Symptoms of depression are a common predictor variable to all the dimensions of burnout, whereas symptoms of anxiety predict emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Age and years of experience in the job predict depersonalization, whereas the probability of contracting the infection is a predictor variable of emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. CONCLUSION: Predictor variables should be considered in the creation of prevention and intervention plans to reduce the levels of burnout in female nurses.

Mental Health, Burnout, and Resilience in Healthcare Professionals After the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: A Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine whether there are differences in symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, levels of burnout and resilience in Spanish healthcare staff between the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and after it, depending on several demographic and work-related variables. METHODS: A longitudinal study was conducted in April 2020 (T0), and July 2020 (T1). Symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, burnout, levels of resilience, along with demographic and work-related variables in 443 workers were assessed. RESULTS: Symptoms and burnout were more pronounced at T0, whereas the levels of resilience were higher at T1. Being women, being young, holding a lower-level job, less years of experience, lower educational level, and/or working rotating shifts are associated with having more posttraumatic stress symptoms and burnout. CONCLUSION: These variables would be considered in similar situations.

Perception of Health, Resilience, and Engagement in Spanish Police Officers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the police force was one of the institutions that was most exposed to possible infections, in addition to suffering stressful situations that affect health. This study aims to independently assess the relationship between demographic, work, and COVID-19 variables, and resilience, engagement, and the perception of health, as well as to evaluate which variables are more important when predicting health perceptions. METHOD: 640 Spanish police officers were evaluated through a cross-sectional design and online survey. RESULTS: The perception of the lack of personal protective equipment, believing that it is easy to become infected with COVID-19, or working as a police officer were associated with low levels of engagement and resilience and a worse perception of health. More years of experience in the police force was associated with worse health and lower levels of engagement and resilience. Engagement and resilience would be protective variables of health. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to promote practices related to engagement and resilience in the police force. The discussion emphasizes that more experienced police officers demonstrate less engagement and resilience.

Occupational Stress in Spanish Police Officers: Validating the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire.

The Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (hereinafter, ERIQ) has been largely used worldwide to assess job stress, but it has not yet been applied in Spanish police. The objective of this study was to examine the construct validity and the internal consistency of the ERIQ in police officers. A cross-sectional study was carried out, using a nonprobability sampling (quota). A total of 217 Spanish police officers participated, 192 men (88.47%) and 25 women (11.53%). The mean age was 41 years (SD = 7.51). These police officers completed the ERIQ together with some other questionnaires (DECORE-21, MBI, GHQ and STAI) in order to provide evidence for validity based on the relationships to other constructs. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed and a matrix of correlations with the rest of constructs was created. The results showed an appropriate fit to the original model consisting of three scales. In addition, the scales of the ERIQ presented the expected relationship with the other constructs. The ERIQ is a valid instrument for assessing occupational stress in Spanish police officers and can improve the interventions in this professional group.

Early Transmission Dynamics, Spread, and Genomic Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 in Panama.

We report an epidemiologic analysis of 4,210 cases of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and genetic analysis of 313 new near-complete virus genomes in Panama during March 9-April 16, 2020. Although containment measures reduced R0 and Rt, they did not interrupt virus spread in the country.

The role of public loans in financing business R&D through the economic cycle.

Should governments increase their efforts in R&D public funding during recession periods? The objective of the present study is to compare the effect of public aid to business R&D on technological inputs and outputs through the economic cycle. We contribute to this literature by examining the effect of one specific instrument of direct public support: selective loans for firms' R&D projects. For the analysis, we consider Spanish firms supported through this kind of instrument for the periods 2002-2005 and 2010-2012. Our results suggest that the hypothesis of full crowding out of private R&D is rejected in both cycle periods, expansion and recession: public support has positive effects on the resources devoted to R&D activities. However, the effect of public support on some technological outputs depends on the cycle phase: firms supported by selective loans during the crisis are more likely to obtain product innovations.

Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Levels of Resilience and Burnout in Spanish Health Personnel during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The number of health workers infected with COVID-19 in Spain is one of the highest in the world. The aim of this study is to analyse posttraumatic stress, anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Associations between burnout, resilience, demographic, work and COVID-19 variables are analysed. Cross-sectional data on 1422 health workers were analysed. A total of 56.6% of health workers present symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, 58.6% anxiety disorder, 46% depressive disorder and 41.1% feel emotionally drained. The profile of a health worker with greater posttraumatic stress symptoms would be a person who works in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, in a hospital, is a woman, is concerned that a person he/she lives with may be infected, and thinks that he/she is very likely to be infected. The risk variables for anxiety and depression would be a person that is a woman, working 12- or 24-h shifts, and being worried that a family member could be infected. High scores on emotional exhaustion and depersonalization are risk factors for mental health, with resilience and personal fulfilment being protective variables. Data are provided to improve preventive measures for occupational health workers.

Analysis of Neutral Electrolyzed Water anti-bacterial activity on contaminated eggshells with Salmonella enterica or Escherichia coli.

Neutral Electrolyzed Water (NEW) was tested in vitro and on artificially contaminated eggs against Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica or Escherichia coli. The antibacterial effect was measured 30 s after treatment. NEW microbicide activity results were compared against 2% citric acid and 0.9% saline solutions. NEW caused an in vitro decrease in Salmonella titers by ˃5.56 Log10 CFU mL-1 and in artificially contaminated eggs by ˃1.45 Log10 CFU/egg. When it was tested against E. coli, it decreased in vitro bacterial titers by ˃3.28 Log10 CFU mL-1 and on artificially contaminated eggs by ˃6.39 Log10 CFU/egg. The 2% citric acid solution caused an in vitro decrease of 0.4 Log10 CFU mL-1 of Salmonella and E. coli and on eggs artificially contaminated with E. coli or Salmonella there was a decrease of 0.06 and 0.62 Log10 CFU/egg respectively. We evaluated egg cuticle integrity by scanning electron microscopy after treatments with evaluated solutions; the 2% citric acid solution caused damage to the cuticle and exposed eggshell pores and no interaction of NEW or NaCl with the cuticle was observed. NEW treatment showed a fast-bactericidal effect in vitro and table eggs.

Participation of Extracellular Vesicles from Zika-Virus-Infected Mosquito Cells in the Modification of Naïve Cells' Behavior by Mediating Cell-to-Cell Transmission of Viral Elements.

To date, no safe vaccine or antivirals for Zika virus (ZIKV) infection have been found. The pathogenesis of severe Zika, where host and viral factors participate, remains unclear. For the control of Zika, it is important to understand how ZIKV interacts with different host cells. Knowledge of the targeted cellular pathways which allow ZIKV to productively replicate and/or establish prolonged viral persistence contributes to novel vaccines and therapies. Monocytes and endothelial vascular cells are the main ZIKV targets. During the infection process, cells are capable of releasing extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs are mediators of intercellular communication. We found that mosquito EVs released from ZIKV-infected (C6/36) cells carry viral RNA and ZIKV-E protein and are able to infect and activate naïve mosquito and mammalian cells. ZIKV C6/36 EVs promote the differentiation of naïve monocytes and induce a pro-inflammatory state with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) mRNA expression. ZIKV C6/36 EVs participate in endothelial vascular cell damage by inducing coagulation (TF) and inflammation (PAR-1) receptors at the endothelial surface of the cell membranes and promote a pro-inflammatory state with increased endothelial permeability. These data suggest that ZIKV C6/36 EVs may contribute to the pathogenesis of ZIKV infection in human hosts.

Insights into Ergosterol Peroxide's Trypanocidal Activity.

Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease, is a significant health threat in many countries and affects millions of people. Given the magnitude of this disease, a broader understanding of trypanocidal mechanisms is needed to prevent and treat infection. Natural endoperoxides, such as ergosterol peroxide, have been shown to be toxic to parasites without causing harm to human cells or tissues. Although prior studies have demonstrated the trypanocidal activity of ergosterol peroxide, the cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unknown. The results of this study indicate that a free-radical reaction occurs in T. cruzi following ergosterol peroxide exposure, leading to cell death. Using a combination of biochemical, microscopic and in silico experimental approaches, we have identified, for the first time, the cellular and molecular cytotoxic mechanism of an ergosterol peroxide obtained from Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq) P. Kumm. f. sp. Florida.

The effect of neutral electrolyzed water as a disinfectant of eggshells artificially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Neutral electrolyzed water (NEW) was tested as a disinfectant against Listeria monocytogenes on the surface of table eggs. Eggs were collected from a single Bovans White flock and were exposed to L. monocytogenes. Artificially contaminated eggs were divided into three different treatment groups: NEW, 2% citric acid solution (CAS), and saline solution (SS). To evaluate the bactericidal effect, the Mexican norm for antimicrobial activity determination protocol was performed. The observed bactericidal effect was compared against those obtained from CAS and SS. Bacterial cells present on the eggshells were quantified. NEW exhibited a significantly higher bactericidal effect than CAS when evaluated on the surfaces of chicken eggshells (6.11 log10CFU/ml reduction in vitro and a 2.18 log10 CFU/egg reduction on eggs vs. 1.06 log10CFU/ml in vitro reduction and 1.74 log10CFU/egg). Additionally, CAS was found to react with the carbonate egg shield, resulting in a loss of cuticle integrity. Mineral content of NEW-treated eggshells was similar to SS-treated eggshells; however, CAS-treated eggshells showed a significant decrease in phosphorous concentration compared to NEW treatment. In this study, we demonstrated the effect of NEW and CAS on the integrity of the L. monocytogenes wall using transmission electron microscopy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the effect of NEW against L. monocytogenes on eggshells. Our results show that NEW is a viable alternative solution for the disinfection of table eggs that does not affect the cuticle or shell.

Molecular Epidemiology of Dengue in Panama: 25 Years of Circulation.

Dengue virus (DENV) is the most prevalent arbovirus in terms of human public health importance globally. In addition to DENV epidemiological surveillance, genomic surveillance may help investigators understand the epidemiological dynamics, geographic distribution, and temporal patterns of DENV circulation. Herein, we aimed to reconstruct the molecular epidemiology and phylogeny of DENV in Panama to connect the epidemiological history of DENV dispersal and circulation in Latin America. We retrospectively analyzed the epidemiological data obtained during 25 years of DENV surveillance in Panama. DENV was reintroduced in Panama in 1993 after a 35 year absence of autochthonous transmission. The increase in the number of total dengue cases has been accompanied by an increase in severe and fatal cases, with the highest case fatality rate recorded in 2011. All four serotypes were detected in Panama, which is characterized by serotype replacement and/or co-circulation of multiple serotypes. Phylogenetic analysis of datasets collected from envelope (E) gene sequences obtained from viruses isolated from human sera demonstrated that circulating viruses were highly diverse and clustered in distinct clades, with co-circulation of clades from the same genotype. Our analyses also suggest that Panamanian strains were related to viruses from different regions of the Americas, suggesting a continuous exchange of viruses within the Americas.

Coumarins isolated from Calophyllum brasiliense produce ultrastructural alterations and affect in vitro infectivity of Trypanosoma cruzi.

BACKGROUND: The current drugs for Chagas Disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi have limited therapeutic potential and are associated with serious side effects. Natural products can aid to develop new chemotherapeutic agents. Several natural coumarins, especially Mammea A/BA, have shown significant activity against T. cruzi and low toxicity on human lymphocytes, but its effectivity on a wide range of strains need to be tested, as well as to deepen in their mode of action and safety. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: To discern the effects and explore the action mechanisms of mammea A/BA and a mixture of mammea coumarins isolated from Calophyllum brasiliense on Mexican strains of T. cruzi belonging to different genotypes and compare its effectivity with the drug benznidazole. STUDY DESIGN: We evaluated the trypanocidal activity in vitro of mammea A/BA (93.6%), and a mixture of coumarins, mammea A/BA + A/BB + A/BD (86:10:1%) on Mexican T. cruzi strains belonging to different genotypes Ninoa, Querétaro (TcI) and Ver6 (TcVI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Mammea A/BA and the mixture of coumarins, were isolated from Calophyllum brasiliense, identified by proton NMR and purity determined by HPLC. The in vitro trypanocidal activity was evaluated on mobility, growth recovery, morphology and infectivity of T. cruzi. The cytotoxicity on mammalian cells was compared with benznidazole. The ultrastructure of the treated epimastigotes was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RESULTS: Mammea A/BA and the mixture of coumarins showed high trypanocidal activity, affecting the mobility, growth recovery, morphology, ultrastructure of epimastigotes, and drastically reduce trypomastigotes infectivity on Vero cells. These substances were four times more potent than benznidazole and showed low cytotoxicity and high selectivity index. The TEM showed severe alterations on the plasmatic membrane, nuclear envelope, as well as, mitochondrial swelling, that leads to the death of parasites. CONCLUSION: Mammea A/BA (93.6%) and a mixture of mammea A/BA + A/BB and A/BD (86: 10: 1%) isolated from the tropical tree C. brasiliense showed higher trypanocidal activity than the current drug benznidazole on three Mexican strains of T. cruzi. These compounds induced severe physiological and morphological alterations. These results suggest their possible use in preclinical studies.

Steam Reforming of Model Bio-Oil Aqueous Fraction Using Ni-(Cu, Co, Cr)/SBA-15 Catalysts.

Hydrogen obtained from biomass derivatives is considered a promising alternative to fossil fuels. The aim of this work is to test the viability of Ni-M/SBA-15 (M: Co, Cu, Cr) catalysts for the hydrogen production from bio-oil aqueous fraction reforming. Tests were performed in a fixed-bed reactor at 600 °C and atmospheric pressure. Firstly, the steam reforming (SR) of acetic acid, hydroxyacetone, furfural and phenol, as representative constituents of the bio-oil aqueous fraction, was carried out. Lower reactivity with increasing carbon number and decreasing steam-to-carbon ratio was observed. Coking rate during SR is a consequence of carbon number and aromaticity of the reactant, as well as the steam-to-carbon ratio. However, deactivation also depends on the graphitization degree of carbon filaments, higher in the case of coke formed from phenol. Then, the performance of the Ni-M/SBA-15 catalysts was studied in the reforming of a bio-oil aqueous fraction surrogate containing the four model compounds. Ni-Co/SBA-15 and Ni-Cr/SBA-15 samples were the most active because Co also catalyze the steam reforming reactions and Cr promotes the formation of very small Ni crystallites accounting for high conversion and the low coke deposition (~8 times lower than Ni/SBA-15) in the form of poorly condensed carbon filaments.

Psychosocial Risk Factors, Burnout and Hardy Personality as Variables Associated With Mental Health in Police Officers.

Among the variables associated with occupational stress, two of the most studied are the adverse perceptions of psychosocial risk factors in the workplace and burnout. With the rise of positive psychology, other variables of the individual type, such as hardy personality have also been the subject of study. No studies have been found that jointly examine these variables related to mental health in police officers. The aim of this research was to analyze which variables were associated with mental health in police officers. A total of 223 policemen (202 men and 21 women) participated in a cross-sectional study. Of all the variables, emotional exhaustion and perception of problems as challenges were the only factors introduced in the regression model. These factors must be considered to improve both human resource interventions and occupational health practices in this professional group.