Acid Hydrolysis of Pectin and Mucilage from Cactus (Opuntia ficus) for Identification and Quantification of Monosaccharides.

Pectin and mucilage are polysaccharides from the cactus Opuntia ficus-indica, which are also known as hydrocolloids, with useful properties in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and construction, among others. In the present work, cactus hydrocolloids were hydrolyzed characterized using two techniques: first, thin-layer chromatography, to identify the monosaccharides present in the sample, followed by the phenol-sulfuric acid method to determine the monosaccharide content. The hydrolyzing method allowed us to reduce the processing time to 180 min and, considering the identification and quantification procedures, the proposed methodology is much simpler and more cost-effective compared to other methods, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mass spectrometry. The analysis of the results revealed that the maximum concentration of monosaccharides was obtained after hydrolyzing for 90 min. Under such conditions, with pectin being the main component contained in the cactus hydrocolloids analyzed here, galacturonic acid was found in the largest quantities.

Factors associated with changes in exercise behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE: There is limited information on how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed health behaviors among cancer patients. We examined changes in exercise behaviors since the pandemic and identified characteristics associated with these changes among cancer patients. METHODS: Cancer patients (n = 1,210) completed a survey from August to September 2020 to assess COVID-19 pandemic-related changes in health behaviors and psychosocial factors. Patients were categorized into three groups: exercising less, exercising did not change, and exercising more. Patient characteristics were compared by exercise groups. RESULTS: One-third of the patients reported a decreased amount of regular exercise, while 10% reported exercising more during the pandemic. Patients who exercised less were more likely to be unemployed/retired and have poor health status and psychosocial stressors such as disruptions in daily life while less likely to be former smokers (all p < 0.05). In contrast, patients who exercised more were younger, had stage IV diagnosis, and also reported disruptions in daily life (all p < 0.05). Patients who were living in rural areas were also more likely not to experience changes in exercise habits (all p < 0.05), although rural-urban status was not identified as a strong predictor. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of cancer patients experienced changes in exercise habits, especially exercising less, during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Age, employment status, tumor stage, health status, smoking status, and psychosocial factors were associated with changes in exercise behaviors. Our results highlight the importance of promoting physical activity guidelines for cancer survivorship during the COVID-19 pandemic and may help improve the identification of cancer patients susceptible to exercising less.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural and urban cancer patients' experiences, health behaviors, and perceptions.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many facets of life. We evaluated pandemic-related health care experiences, COVID-19 prevention behaviors and measures, health behaviors, and psychosocial outcomes among rural and urban cancer patients. METHODS: Among 1,472 adult cancer patients, who visited Huntsman Cancer Institute in the past 4 years and completed a COVID-19 survey (August-September 2020), we assessed the impact of the pandemic on medical appointments, prevention/health behaviors, and psychosocial factors, stratified by urbanicity. FINDINGS: Mean age was 61 years, with 52% female, 97% non-Hispanic White, and 27% were residing in rural areas. Rural versus urban patients were more likely to be older, not employed, uninsured, former/current smokers, consume alcohol, and have pandemic-related changes/cancellations in surgery appointments (all P<.05). Changes/cancellations in other health care access (eg, doctor's visits) were also common, particularly among urban patients. Urban versus rural patients were more likely to socially distance, use masks and hand sanitizer, and experience changes in exercise habits and in their daily lives (all P<.05). Less social interaction and financial stress were common among cancer patients but did not differ by urbanicity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial impact on cancer patients, with several challenges specific to rural patients. This comprehensive study provides unique insights into the first 6 months of COVID-19 pandemic-related experiences and continuity of care among rural and urban cancer patients predominantly from Utah. Further research is needed to better characterize the pandemic's short- and long-term effects on rural and urban cancer patients and appropriate interventions.

GIARDIA DUODENALIS GENOTYPING NOT LINKED TO CLINICAL SYMPTOMATOLOGY AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN OF SOLEDAD AND GALAPA MUNICIPALITY SCHOOLS, ATLÁNTICO, COLOMBIA.

Giardia duodenalis genotypes A and B have been reported in Colombia. The population consisted of 235 schoolchildren whose ages ranged from 2 to 10 yr of age from the municipalities of Soledad and Galapa in the department of Atlántico, Colombia. Fecal samples were obtained and then analyzed in triplicate using the sedimentation in formalin-ether (Ritchie's method) and direct examination techniques. Of the 235 fecal samples, 35 samples were positive for G. duodenalis; positive samples were concentrated in a sucrose gradient and sonicated for 3 cycles of 20 sec. DNA extraction was performed, and the parasites were genotyped by conventional PCR amplifying a region of the ß-giardin gene. A general prevalence of G. duodenalis of 13.2% was found, and of these genotyped samples, 13 (56.7%) and 7 (20%) corresponded to genotype A, 1 (4.3%), and 3 (25%) corresponded to genotype B, and 9 (39.1%) and 2 (16.7%) were not defined, in the municipalities Soledad and Galapa, respectively. Additionally, 23 children were diagnosed with symptomatologic giardiasis, and 12 were asymptomatic; the most relevant symptoms were abdominal pain (7, 20%) and diarrhea (13, 56.7%). The nutritional status of children with Giardia genotypes A and B were as follows: 3 in a state of malnutrition (10%), 10 normal (33.3%), and 6 overweight and obese (20%) with genotype A, and 1 in a state of malnutrition (3.3%) and 3 normal (10%) with genotype B. The genotypes found in G. duodenalis did not show an association with nutritional status or with the clinical manifestations evaluated in schoolchildren.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on exercise habits among cancer patients.

Purpose There is limited information on how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed health behaviors among cancer patients. We examined the impact of the pandemic on changes in exercise behaviors and identified characteristics associated with these changes among cancer patients. Methods Cancer patients (n = 1,361) completed a survey from August-September 2020 to assess COVID-19 pandemic-related changes in health behaviors and psychosocial factors. Patients were categorized into 3 groups: exercising less, exercising did not change, and exercising more. Patient characteristics were compared by exercise groups. Results One-third of the patients reported a decreased amount of regular exercise, while 11% reported exercising more during the pandemic. Patients who exercised less were more likely to be unemployed/retired, undergoing active treatment, and had increased pandemic-related alcohol consumption and psychosocial stressors such as loneliness and financial stress (all p < 0.05). In contrast, patients who exercised more were younger, female, full-time employed, did not consume alcohol, and had good health status and more social interactions (all p < 0.05). Patients who were living in rural areas and did not experience changes in daily life, were also more likely not to experience changes in exercise habits (all p < 0.05). Conclusion Our results indicate that a significant proportion of cancer patients experienced changes in exercise habits during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Age, sex, employment status, health status, alcohol consumption, and psychosocial factors were associated with changes in exercise behaviors. Providers should monitor for changes in health behaviors, such as exercise, because of their importance in improving cancer survivorship.

Mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement reduces opioid misuse risk via analgesic and positive psychological mechanisms: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the heightened urgency of the current prescription opioid crisis, few psychotherapies have been evaluated for chronic pain patients receiving long-term opioid analgesics. Current psychological pain treatments focus primarily on ameliorating negative affective processes, yet basic science suggests that risk for opioid misuse is linked with a dearth of positive affect. Interventions that modulate positive psychological processes may produce therapeutic benefits among patients with opioid-treated chronic pain. The aim of this study was to conduct a theory-driven mechanistic analysis of proximal outcome data from a Stage 2 randomized controlled trial of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), an integrative intervention designed to promote positive psychological health. METHOD: Patients with opioid-treated chronic pain (N = 95; age = 56.8 ± 11.7; 66% female) were randomized to 8 weeks of therapist-led MORE or support group (SG) interventions. A latent positive psychological health variable comprised of positive affect, meaning in life, and self-transcendence measures was examined as a mediator of the effect of MORE on changes in pain severity at posttreatment and opioid misuse risk by 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: Participants in MORE reported significantly greater reductions in pain severity by posttreatment (p = .03) and opioid misuse risk by 3-month follow-up (p = .03) and significantly greater increases in positive psychological health (p < .001) than SG participants. Increases in positive psychological health mediated the effect of MORE on pain severity by posttreatment (p = .048), which in turn predicted decreases in opioid misuse risk by follow-up (p = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Targeting positive psychological mechanisms via MORE and other psychological interventions may reduce opioid misuse risk among chronic pain patients receiving long-term opioid therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Determinación de los niveles de zinc urinarios en gestantes de bajo nivel socioeconómico del municipio de Baranoa del departamento del Atlántico / Determination of levels of urinary zinc in pregnant women of low socioeconomic level of the municipality of Baranoa of the Department of Atlantic

Introducción: El zinc es uno de los micronutrientes esenciales en el organismo por intervenir en numerosos procesos biológicos como el crecimiento y desarrollo, siendo de especial importancia durante el periodo de gestación. Objetivo: Determinar los niveles de zinc urinario en gestantes del municipio de Baranoa del (Atlántico) por el método colorimétrico utilizando zincon (MCZ) y el método de espectrofotometría de absorción atómica (MEAA) y comparar los niveles de zinc urinario por el método de MCZ y MEAA. Métodos: Se estudiaron 54 gestantes entre 24 y 30 años de edad, las cuales fueron atendidas en el Hospital José Gómez Heredia del municipio de Baranoa (Atlántico), entre los meses de enero a agosto del año 2008 cuando se encontraban en las semanas 8-15, 20-25 y 32-36 de la gestación. Las gestantes llenaron una encuesta acerca de datos generales que incluye edad e historia patológica y entregaron muestras de orina durante los tres trimestres de gestación. Las muestras fueron colectadas en ayuna de 12 horas y conservadas a -20°C. Luego se determinó el zinc urinario por el MEAA y MCZ. Resultados: Los niveles totales de zinc urinario fueron de 16.2±7 μg/dL por MCZ y 25±16 μg/dL por MEAA, se encontró que el zinc urinario fue de 17.81±5.20 μg/dL, 16±6.50 μg/dL y 14.30±9.05 μg/dL, para el primero, segundo y tercer trimestre de gestación por MCZ y 27.2 ± 16.8μg/dL, 19.8 ± 14.9b μg/dL, 27.3 ± 14.5a μg/dL, para el primero, segundo y tercer trimestre de gestación por MEAA. Los niveles de Zn determinados por MCZ y MEAA presentaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas (p≤0.05), indicando que el MEAA detecta mejor la excreción de Zn. Pero el MCZ propuesto se puede utilizar para estudios a largo plazo. Conclusiones: El comportamiento del zinc urinario en la gestación mostró variaciones, hallando las concentraciones de zinc urinario más bajo en el segundo y tercer trimestre de la gestación

Introduction: Zinc is one of the essential micronutrients in the organism for intervening in numerous biological processes such as growth and development, being of special importance during the gestation period. Objective: To determine the levels of urinary zinc in pregnant women of the municipality of Baranoa del (Atlántico) by the colorimetric method using zincon (MCZ) and the method of atomic absorption spectrophotometry (MEAA) and to compare the levels of urinary zinc by the MCZ method and MEAA. Methods: Fifty-four pregnant women between 24 and 30 years of age were studied, who were treated at the José Gómez Heredia Hospital in the municipality of Baranoa (Atlántico), between the months of January and August 2008 when they were found in weeks 8- 15, 20-25 and 32-36 of gestation. Participants completed a survey on general data including age and pathological history and delivery of urine samples during the three trimesters of pregnancy. Samples were collected in a 12-hour fast and stored at -20°C. Urinary zinc was then determined by the MEAA and MCZ. Results: The total urinary zinc levels were 16.2 ± 7 μg / dL per MCZ and 25 ± 16 μg / dL per MEAA, the urinary zinc was found to be 17.81 ± 5.20 μg / dL, 16 ± 6.50 μg / dL and 14.30 ± 9.05 μg / dL, for the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy by MCZ and 27.2 ± 16.8μg / dL, 19.8 ± 14.9b μg / dL, 27.3 ± 14.5a μg / dL, for the first, second and third trimesters of gestation by MEAA. Zn levels determined by MCZ and MEAA showed statistically significant differences (p≤0.05), indicating that MEAA better detects Zn excretion. But the proposed MCZ can be used for long-term studies. Conclusions: The behavior of urinary zinc in pregnancy showed variations, finding the concentrations of urinary zinc lower in the second and third trimesters of gestation