Fermented Goat's Milk Contributes to the Recovery of Iron Deficiency Anemia via Modulation of the Gut Microbiome.

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a global public health concern affecting 1.6 billion people worldwide. The administration of iron supplements during the treatment of IDA adversely affects the intestinal barrier function and the composition and functionality of the intestinal microbiome, both of which are already altered during IDA. For this reason, it is of great interest to develop nutritional strategies aimed at alleviating these gut alterations associated with IDA and its treatment. In this sense, fermented goat's milk (FGM) was studied due to its nutritional quality. Our findings showed that in anemic animals the consumption of a FGM-based diet, compared to a standard diet, had positive modulatory effects on the intestinal microbiome. FGM-based diet restored intestinal dysbiosis, the intestinal barrier functionality, and bacterial translocation, contributing to a more efficient recovery of IDA. Therefore, FGM is a useful nutritional tool to ease intestinal alterations occurring during IDA and during its treatment.

Perceived Stress and Increased Food Consumption during the 'Third Wave' of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of people worldwide. An increase in perceived stress can lead to unhealthy behaviors such as increased food consumption. The aim of this study was to find the level of perceived stress and its relationship with increased food consumption during the "third wave" of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. This was a cross-sectional study that employed anonline self-reported frequency of consumption questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale-10. A total of 637 subjects participated and 83.6% of respondents had moderate or high stress-more prevalent in the female and young respondents. Moreover, 36.1% of respondents reported that they had increased the frequency of consumption of some foods, mainly nuts, snacks, and jellybeans, along with coffee, tea, cocoa, and soft drinks. Eating between meals was more pronounced in those with high stress (65.1%) than in those with moderate stress (40.4%) and low stress (20.2%). Furthermore, the respondents with high stress reported greater weight gain. Thus, the results show that the level of perceived stress during the 'third wave' of this pandemic increased food consumption.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Nurses and Auxiliary Nursing Care Technicians-A Voluntary Online Survey.

Pandemics impose an immense psychological burden on healthcare workers due to a combination of workplace stressors and personal fears. Nurses and auxiliary nursing care technicians (ANCTs) are on the front line of this pandemic and form the largest group in healthcare practice. The aim of this study is to determine the symptoms of depression and/or anxiety among nurses and ANCTs during the periods known as the first wave (March-June) and second wave (September-November) of theCOVID-19 pandemic in Spain. An observational cross-sectional study was carried out using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire among nurses and ANCTs practising in Spain. During the first period, 68.3% and 49.6% of the subjects presented anxiety and depression, respectively, decreasing in the second period (49.5% for anxiety and 35.1% for depression). There were statistically significant differences between the different categories and periods (p < 0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively influenced mental health in nurses and ANCTs. Mental health should be monitored and coping strategies promoted to improve the health, productivity and efficiency of these professionals.

Lockdown, Emotional Intelligence, Academic Engagement and Burnout in Pharmacy Students during the Quarantine.

The recent appearance and rapid spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus meant taking unprecedented measures to control the pandemic, which in Spain forced a state of alarm and a very strict confinement, leading the university system to become virtual online teaching. Taking into account the emotional deficiencies originated during the pandemic, among the most powerful tools to achieve engagement along with the identification, control and management of emotions is emotional intelligence (EI). The present study aims to establish the effect of the current confinement on the teaching-learning process and academic performance and the impact of the application of EI on university students. In total, 47 volunteers of the second course of the Degree in Pharmacy of the University of Granada (Spain) took part in this experience. Two temporary periods were established: at the beginning of the confinement period and after teaching several concepts of emotional intelligence online for two months. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey Inventory (MBI-SS) and the Spanish version of Utrech Work Engagement Scale-Students (UWES-S) were used to evaluate the intervention. In total, 63.5% of the students presented academic burnout during the confinement before the intervention. After the EI workshops and seminars, only 31.1% presented academic burnout. Before the intervention with the emotional intelligence workshops, 44.6% experienced exhaustion, 41.7% cynicism and 60.3% felt it was ineffective in their academic performance. After the emotional intelligence workshops and seminars, 29.1% experienced exhaustion, 30.1% cynicism and 28.8% felt it was ineffective. The scores achieved after the study of EI in physiology classes led to better levels in all the variables studied. Students managed their adaptive processes more adequately and regulated their emotions better, as they felt less academic burnout and more engaged in their academic activities at the end of the study of EI through physiology.

Se bioavailability and glutathione peroxidase activity in iron deficient rats.

Little information is available on the relationship of Se deposit in target organs and GPx activity in iron deficiency anemia. As red blood cells (RBCs) play a crucial role on Se metabolism and during Fe deficiency anemia a lower count of RBCs is featured, we aimed to investigate the influence of this pathology on Se bioavailability and the relationship with antioxidant status. 20 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups, a control group receiving AIN-93G diet with normal Fe content (45mg/kg diet) and the Fe-deficient group receiving AIN-93G diet with low Fe content (5mg/kg diet) for 40 days. Both diets were prepared with an adequate Se content (0.180mg/kg diet). The digestive and metabolic utilization of Se, the distribution in target organ, the GPx activity and TBARS production were measured after receiving the diets. Se retention increased (P<0.001) in the anemic group, fact that contributes to keep the enzymatic antioxidant activity of GPx in normal levels and the tendency observed is that stored Se increased in the organs, especially in kidney (P<0.01), however, a lower Se deposit was found in sternum of anemic rats (P<0.001). The lower count of RBCs featured in this pathology (P<0.001) causes a decrease of Se concentration in sternum meanwhile the increase in kidney deposit is a consequence of the lower urinary losses (P<0.001).