Probing the tunable multi-cone band structure in Bernal bilayer graphene.

Bernal bilayer graphene (BLG) offers a highly flexible platform for tuning the band structure, featuring two distinct regimes. One is a tunable band gap induced by large displacement fields. Another is a gapless metallic band occurring at low fields, featuring rich fine structure consisting of four linearly dispersing Dirac cones and van Hove singularities. Even though BLG has been extensively studied experimentally, the evidence of this band structure is still elusive, likely due to insufficient energy resolution. Here, we use Landau levels as markers of the energy dispersion and analyze the Landau level spectrum in a regime where the cyclotron orbits of electrons or holes in momentum space are small enough to resolve the distinct mini Dirac cones. We identify the presence of four Dirac cones and map out topological transitions induced by displacement field. By clarifying the low-energy properties of BLG bands, these findings provide a valuable addition to the toolkit for graphene electronics.

Can Virtual Reality be Used for the Prevention of Peer Sexual Harassment in Adolescence? First Evaluation of the Virtual-PRO Program.

Objective: The present study analyzed the Virtual-PRO program's efficacy in preventing peer sexual harassment by promoting the bystanders' active intervention and incorporating a virtual reality (VR) component. The impact of the program on sexist attitudes, moral disengagement, the intention to intervene as bystanders, and the involvement in sexual aggression and victimization was tested. Method: Virtual-PRO is a VR-enhanced sexual harassment curricular prevention program of six one-hour sessions. The evaluation comprised a pre-test, a post-test after the intervention, and a follow-up measure at three months. In the study, 579 Spanish adolescent students aged between 12 and 17 years (M = 14.76, SD = 0.88; 47.1% boys) were randomly grouped into experimental (n = 286) and control (n = 293) conditions. Results: The Virtual-PRO program effectively controlled participants' levels of sexism and reduced moral disengagement in the experimental group compared to the control group three months after the intervention. The program also showed positive results in changing bystander behavior, increasing the intention to intervene when the victim was not a friend. Finally, visual/verbal and online victimization decreased in the experimental group and increased in the control group. No differences were found for physical sexual victimization and sexual aggression. Conclusions: The first trial of the Virtual-PRO program is promising and highlights the use of VR as a sexual harassment prevention tool. Follow-up measures are essential to determine the impact of interventions accurately.

Objetivo: El presente estudio analiza la eficacia del programa Virtual-PRO en la prevención del acoso sexual entre iguales promoviendo la intervención activa de los espectadores mediante el uso de la realidad virtual (RV). Se comprobó el impacto del programa en las actitudes sexistas, la desconexión moral, la intención de intervenir como espectadores y la implicación en agresión y victimización sexual. Método: Virtual-PRO es un programa curricular compuesto por seis unidades que incorpora la RV para mejorar la prevención del acoso sexual. La evaluación incluyó una medida pre-test, un post-test después de la intervención y una medida de seguimiento a los tres meses. En el estudio participaron 579 estudiantes españoles de entre 12 y 17 años (M = 14.76, DT = 0.88, 47.1% chicos), agrupados aleatoriamente en grupo experimental (n = 286) y control (n = 293). Resultados: El programa Virtual-PRO controló eficazmente los niveles de sexismo y redujo la desconexión moral en el grupo experimental en comparación con el grupo de control tres meses después de la intervención. También mostró resultados positivos en el cambio del comportamiento de los espectadores, mejorando la intención de intervenir cuando la víctima no era amigo o amiga. Por último, la victimización visual/verbal y online disminuyó en el grupo experimental y aumentó en el grupo control. No se encontraron diferencias en victimización sexual física y agresión sexual. Conclusiones: El primer ensayo del programa Virtual-PRO es prometedor y pone de relieve el uso de la RV como herramienta eficaz para la prevención del acoso sexual. Las medidas de seguimiento son esenciales para determinar con precisión el efecto de las intervenciones.

Can Virtual Reality be Used for the Prevention of Peer Sexual Harassment in Adolescence? First Evaluation of the Virtual-PRO Program / [¿Puede utilizarse la realidad virtual para prevenir el acoso sexual entre iguales en la adolescencia? Primera evaluación del programa Virtual-PRO]

Objective: The present study analyzed the Virtual-PRO program’s efficacy in preventing peer sexual harassment by promoting the bystanders’ active intervention and incorporating a virtual reality (VR) component. The impact of the program on sexist attitudes, moral disengagement, the intention to intervene as bystanders, and the involvement in sexual aggression and victimization was tested. Method: Virtual-PRO is a VR-enhanced sexual harassment curricular prevention program of six one-hour sessions. The evaluation comprised a pre-test, a post-test after the intervention, and a follow-up measure at three months. In the study, 579 Spanish adolescent students aged between 12 and 17 years (M = 14.76, SD = 0.88; 47.1% boys) were randomly grouped into experimental (n = 286) and control (n = 293) conditions. Results: The Virtual-PRO program effectively controlled participants’ levels of sexism and reduced moral disengagement in the experimental group compared to the control group three months after the intervention. The program also showed positive results in changing bystander behavior, increasing the intention to intervene when the victim was not a friend. Finally, visual/verbal and online victimization decreased in the experimental group and increased in the control group. No differences were found for physical sexual victimization and sexual aggression. Conclusions: The first trial of the Virtual-PRO program is promising and highlights the use of VR as a sexual harassment prevention tool. Follow-up measures are essential to determine the impact of interventions accurately.(AU)

Objetivo: El presente estudio analiza la eficacia del programa Virtual-PRO en la prevención del acoso sexual entre iguales promoviendo la intervención activa de los espectadores mediante el uso de la realidad virtual (RV). Se comprobó el impacto del programa en las actitudes sexistas, la desconexión moral, la intención de intervenir como espectadores y la implicación en agresión y victimización sexual. Método: Virtual-PRO es un programa curricular compuesto por seis unidades que incorpora la RV para mejorar la prevención del acoso sexual. La evaluación incluyó una medida pre-test, un post-test después de la intervención y una medida de seguimiento a los tres meses. En el estudio participaron 579 estudiantes españoles de entre 12 y 17 años (M = 14.76, DT = 0.88, 47.1% chicos), agrupados aleatoriamente en grupo experimental (n = 286) y control (n = 293). Resultados: El programa Virtual-PRO controló eficazmente los niveles de sexismo y redujo la desconexión moral en el grupo experimental en comparación con el grupo de control tres meses después de la intervención. También mostró resultados positivos en el cambio del comportamiento de los espectadores, mejorando la intención de intervenir cuando la víctima no era amigo o amiga. Por último, la victimización visual/verbal y online disminuyó en el grupo experimental y aumentó en el grupo control. No se encontraron diferencias en victimización sexual física y agresión sexual. Conclusiones: El primer ensayo del programa Virtual-PRO es prometedor y pone de relieve el uso de la RV como herramienta eficaz para la prevención del acoso sexual. Las medidas de seguimiento son esenciales para determinar con precisión el efecto de las intervenciones.(AU)

Impact of tumor stage and neoadjuvant chemotherapy in fluorescence-guided lymphadenectomy during laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer: A propensity score-matched study in a western center.

BACKGROUND: The use of indocyanine green fluorescence has been shown to be a safe and effective method for improving lymph node retrieval in patients with gastric cancer. However, previous studies have focused on early-stage tumors and/or the Asian population and excluded patients who received neoadjuvant treatment. METHODS: In this study, 142 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy at a Spanish hospital between January 2017 and December 2022. Of these, 42 patients received preoperative indocyanine green injection to guide lymphadenectomy. Their outcomes were compared to a retrospective cohort of 42 patients after 1:1 propensity score matching. RESULTS: The feasibility of indocyanine green lymphatic mapping was 95.5%. No complications associated with indocyanine green injection were observed. The indocyanine green group had a significantly higher number of retrieved lymph nodes than the non-indocyanine green group (32.67 vs 25.14; P = .013). This statistically significant difference was maintained across subgroups of neoadjuvant treatment, non-obese patients, pT0 to 2 stage, and pN0 stage. In 47.6% of patients from the indocyanine green group, lymphadenectomy was extended outside the standard D2 dissection area based on indocyanine green uptake, but none of the retrieved lymph nodes were metastatic. There were no differences in postoperative complications and length of hospital stay between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Indocyanine green-guided lymphadenectomy is safe and feasible and increases the number of retrieved lymph nodes compared to conventional lymphatic dissection, as well as in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The use of indocyanine green should be routine if available for guiding lymph node dissection in gastric cancer, regardless of tumor stage or previous neoadjuvant treatment. However, further studies are needed to determine the impact of this technique on disease-free and overall survival.

Biocosmetics Made with Saccharina latissima Fractions from Sustainable Treatment: Physicochemical and Thermorheological Features.

This work deals with the formulation of natural cosmetics enriched with antioxidant fractions from the ultrasound treatment (US) of the brown seaweed Saccharina latissima. The challenge was the development of a cosmetic matrix without jeopardizing the thermorheological features of the creams, adding microparticles containing the antioxidant fractions using two different carriers, mannitol and alginate. The fundamental chemical characteristics of seaweed and the extracts obtained via sonication, as well as the antioxidant properties of the latter, were analyzed. The highest TEAC (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) value was identified for the extracts subjected to the longest processing time using ultrasound-assisted extraction (240 min). A similar yield of microparticle formulation (around 60%) and load capacity (about 85%) were identified with mannitol and alginate as carriers. Color testing of the creams exhibited small total color differences. The rheological results indicated that the testing temperature, from 5 to 45 °C, notably influenced the apparent viscosity of the matrices. All creams were adequately fitted with the two parameters of the Ostwald-de Waele model, with the flow consistency index following an Arrhenius dependency with the testing temperature. Neither hysteresis nor water syneresis was observed in the proposed cosmetics during 6 months of cold storage at 4-6 °C.

Factors Influencing the Implementation of a New Pharmacist Prescribing Service in Community Pharmacies.

The pharmacist prescribing service was legally permitted in 2019 in Switzerland to face challenges in the health system; however, there has been a lack of implementation. The aims of this study were to identify implementation factors and to evaluate pharmacy association interventions that aim to support implementation. A qualitative study with two methods was carried out: (1) twelve semi-structured interviews with community pharmacists were recorded, transcribed, and a thematic analysis was carried out using the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR); (2) questionnaires were submitted to the six pharmacy associations of French-speaking Switzerland. The main barriers found were non-reimbursement by health insurance companies, medications' lack of clinical relevance, a negative perception of GPs, and a lack of time. The main facilitators were the availability of service information, pharmacies belonging to chains/groups, a reduction in the medical consultation burden, and the accessibility of pharmacies. Five associations answered, revealing different initiatives supporting implementation, but none of them had strategies at the political level nor communication strategies aimed at patients or GPs. Based on the CFIR, the most frequent implementation factors were highlighted, and this classification facilitates the transposition of the results to other contexts. The results will allow the development of targeted strategies and add the role of the pharmacy associations, which should be considered in future studies.

Evaluation of an enhanced service for medication review with follow up in Swiss community pharmacies: Pre-post study protocol.

BACKGROUND: In Switzerland, 20,000 people are hospitalized each year as result of drug related problems (DRPs). The sources of DRPs can be related to patients' behavior (i.e., wrong administration) or to health processes (i.e., drug-drug interaction). No community pharmacy (CP) service focus on DRPs related to patients' behavior is currently recognized or remunerated in Switzerland. A medication review with follow up (MRF) has been developed to evaluate prescription and non-prescription medication. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of MRF service for the identification and management DRPs associated to patients' behavior and to describe pharmaceutical interventions carried out through MRF. METHODS: A pre-post intervention study with a cluster design and one intervention group will be carried out in CPs in the canton of Vaud (Switzerland) for 15 months. Volunteer pharmacists will be trained on the identification and management of DRPs related to patients' behavior. After training, they will include randomly selected adults taking four or more chronic drugs prescribed for at least three months prior to recruitment. Then, they will conduct three pharmacist-patient face-to-face consultations at 6-month intervals. Tasks will be differentiated by pharmacy technician or pharmacist to triage expired medication or to manage DRPs in a structured manner, respectively. The primary outcome is the identification of DRPs associated to patients' behavior. Secondary outcomes are to assess patients' medication knowledge, number of expired medications, interventions carried out by pharmacists and pharmacists' satisfaction. The study will begin in April 2023 in 19 to 35 pharmacies that will recruit at least 162 patients. A sub analysis will be carried out for patients with 65 years old or over. CONCLUSIONS: The MRF intervention features a training designed for an enhanced evaluation of patient's behavior towards their medication. The study will allow the assessment and management of DRPs in Swiss CPs with the support of the local health authorities and pharmacist association. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05348538.

Green Extraction of Antioxidant Fractions from Humulus lupulus Varieties and Microparticle Production via Spray-Drying.

The formulation of polymeric microparticles to encapsulate bioactive compounds from two hop varieties (Nugget and Perle) using sequential green extraction processes was performed. The technologies used were ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and pressurized hot water (PHW) extraction. Liquid phases were analyzed for total phenolic content (~2%), antioxidant activity (IC50, DPPH: 3.68 (Nugget); 4.46 (Perle) g/L, TEAC (~4-5%), FRAP (~2-3%), and reducing power (~4%)), protein content (~1%), oligosaccharide content (~45%), and for structural features. The fractions obtained from UAE were selected to continue with the drying process, achieving the maximum yield at 120 °C (Perle) and 130 °C (Nugget) (~77%). Based on these results, the formulation of polymeric microparticles using mannitol as the carrier was performed with these fractions. The production yield (~65%), particle size distribution (Perle: 250-750 µm and Nugget: ~100 µm), and rheological features (30-70 mPa s at 0.1 s-1) were the parameters evaluated. The UAE extracts from hop samples processed using a sustainable aqueous treatment allowed the formulation of microparticles with a suitable yield, and morphological and viscosity properties adequate for potential food and non-food applications.

Development of self-care in Spanish community pharmacies.

Spain is a European country with over 47.5 million inhabitants and a public National Health System model (i.e., SNS or "Sistema Nacional de Salud") that provides universal coverage to residents and non-residents. The system is funded primarily by general taxes, and it is managed by the 17 regions that have responsibility for the provision and management of healthcare services in their respective territories. The health system recognizes self-care as an important element where individuals have an important role to play in maintaining their own health and preventing illness. In addition, there are non-governmental organizations that promote self-care and provide resources and support to individuals and health professionals. Over 55 thousand pharmacists work in 22,198 community pharmacies distributed throughout the Spanish territory. Pharmacies are the only setting that provide non-prescription medications, which is one of the most used tools for self-care. In addition, they provide a range of Primary Care services to improve patient outcomes and the efficiency of the SNS. This paper includes a description and a classification of the community pharmacy services following the seven pillars of self-care established by the International Self-Care Foundation:-Related to pillars 1 to 4 and 6, Spanish community pharmacists provide health promotion, health education, health information and nutritional assessment.-In relation to pillar 5, the services offered are HIV and syphilis screening, colorectal and cervix cancer screening, SARS-CoV-2 screening test and communication, diabetes, high blood pressure and hypercholesterolemia screening. Regarding the programs for avoiding/stopping drug use: methadone supply, syringe exchange and smoking cessation. Another important service is immunization. Spanish community pharmacists are not legally allowed to vaccinate; however, they contribute through education, or vaccines supply, among others.-For the pillar 7, community pharmacists provide services such as a minor ailment service, an adherence service or a network to actively monitor medication safety (sentinel pharmacies).-Many of the pharmacy services related to self-care have been defined and classified at a national level; however, not all community pharmacies provide them while only some services are funded by the regional health systems.

Sexual Diversity Bullying and Cyberbullying Questionnaires: An Inclusive Approach to Measure Sexuality-Based Bullying.

LGBTQ+ bullying is a specific type of stigma-based bullying with a high prevalence among LGBTQ+ people. However, instruments to assess this phenomenon are scarce and focus on homophobic aggressions, and the motivations therefor, mainly in relation to gay and lesbian youths. In this study, we introduce and validate an instrument to assess LGBTQ+ bullying. The instrument covers general and specific aggressions, as well as dimensions of sexuality besides sexual orientation such as gender identity and expression, as a more comprehensive approach to understand the phenomenon. The study included 2,552 adolescents (MAge = 14.54, SD = 1.76) from 13 Andalusian public secondary schools. Regarding gender identity, 43.9% of participants were cisgender boys, 53.5% were cisgender girls, and 2.6% were trans-binary and non-binary gender youths. In terms of sexual orientation, 81.1% of participants were heterosexual students, 2.4% lesbian/gay, 11.2% bisexual/pansexual, 4.4% questioning, and 0.9% asexual. Second-order models for bullying and cyberbullying had a good fit. Moreover, invariance was seen for bullying [ΔCFI = -.003] and cyberbullying [ΔCFI = .003] victimization measures. Furthermore, there was a sexual diversity bias: cisgender heterosexual students were more likely to perpetrate LGBTQ+ aggressions, and LGBTQ+ students were more likely to be targets of general and specific aggressions.

Anti-inflammatory potential of ulvan.

Green seaweeds are a widespread group of marine macroalgae that could be regarded as biorenewable source of valuable compounds, in particular sulfated polysaccharides like ulvans with interesting biological properties. Among them, anti-inflammatory activity represents an interesting target, since ulvans could potentially avoid side effects of conventional therapies. However, a great variability in ulvan content, composition, structure and properties occurs depending on seaweed specie and growth and processing conditions. All these aspects should be carefully considered in order to have reproducible and well characterized products. This review presents some concise ideas on ulvan composition and general concepts on inflammation mechanisms. Then, the main focus is on the importance of adequate selection of extraction, depolymerization and purification technologies followed by an updated survey on anti-inflammatory properties of ulvans through modulation of different signaling pathways. The potential application in a number of diseases, with special emphasis on inflammaging, gut microbiota dysbiosis, wound repair, and metabolic diseases is also discussed. This multidisciplinary overview tries to present the potential of ulvans considering not only mechanistic, but also processing and applications aspects, trusting that it can aid in the development and application of this widely available and renewable resource as an efficient and versatile anti-inflammatory agent.

Identification of high-risk patients for referral through machine learning assisting the decision making to manage minor ailments in community pharmacies.

Background: Data analysis techniques such as machine learning have been used for assisting in triage and the diagnosis of health problems. Nevertheless, it has not been used yet to assist community pharmacists with services such as the Minor Ailment Services These services have been implemented to reduce the burden of primary care consultations in general medical practitioners (GPs) and to allow a better utilization of community pharmacists' skills. However, there is a need to refer high-risk patients to GPs. Aim: To develop a predictive model for high-risk patients that need referral assisting community pharmacists' triage through a minor ailment service. Method: An ongoing pragmatic type 3 effectiveness-implementation hybrid study was undertaken at a national level in Spanish community pharmacies since October 2020. Pharmacists recruited patients presenting with minor ailments and followed them 10 days after the consultation. The main outcome measured was appropriate medical referral (in accordance with previously co-designed protocols). Nine machine learning models were tested (three statistical, three black box and three tree models) to assist pharmacists in the detection of high-risk individuals in need of referral. Results: Over 14'000 patients were included in the study. Most patients were female (68.1%). With no previous treatment for the specific minor ailment (68.0%) presented. A percentage of patients had referral criteria (13.8%) however, not all of these patients were referred by the pharmacist to the GP (8.5%). The pharmacists were using their clinical expertise not to refer these patients. The primary prediction model was the radial support vector machine (RSVM) with an accuracy of 0.934 (CI95 = [0.926,0.942]), Cohen's kappa of 0.630, recall equal to 0.975 and an area under the curve of 0.897. Twenty variables (out of 61 evaluated) were included in the model. radial support vector machine could predict 95.2% of the true negatives and 74.8% of the true positives. When evaluating the performance for the 25 patient's profiles most frequent in the study, the model was considered appropriate for 56% of them. Conclusion: A RSVM model was obtained to assist in the differentiation of patients that can be managed in community pharmacy from those who are at risk and should be evaluated by GPs. This tool potentially increases patients' safety by increasing pharmacists' ability to differentiate minor ailments from other medical conditions.

Documentation of drug related problems and their management in community pharmacy: Data evolution over six years.

BACKGROUND: Documentation of pharmacists' activities, such as drug related problems (DRPs) management, is necessary to estimate fair remuneration but is rarely done in community pharmacies. OBJECTIVE: To document and evaluate the evolution of DRPs prevalence and management over six years. METHODS: Observational study carried out since 2016 in a community pharmacy. Documentation was made yearly for 21 days (depending on seasons, holidays and medical internship rotations) using the ClinPhADoc tool. Pharmacists documented: medication, DRP type, intervention, implied partner and time for DRP management. A subanalysis was made depending on the medical rotation. RESULTS: A total of 171 437 prescriptions were received and 6 844 (4.0%) documented with 1 550 DRPs. Most frequent DRPs were procedural (n = 506, 32.6%), dosage/posology (n = 263, 17.0%) and drug-drug interaction (n = 153, 9.9%). Mean time dedicated to DRP management was 6.9 min, the longest time was for clinical DRPs (11.0 min, SD = 6.6). Most DRPs (n = 726, 44.6%) were managed by the pharmacist alone taking less working time than when involving other stakeholders (p < 0.01). Statistically significant differences were found in DRPs between the beginning and end of medical rotation (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Documentation of DRP management allowed consistent results over the years. Patterns of DRPs can be used to develop inter-professional interventions to prevent DRPs.

Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Processing of Rugulopteryx okamurae.

One possible scheme of Rugulopteryx okamurae biomass valorization based on a green, rapid and efficient fractionation technique was proposed. Microwave-assisted pressurized hot water extraction was the technology selected as the initial stage for the solubilization of different seaweed components. Operation at 180 °C for 10 min with a 30 liquid-to-solid ratio solubilized more than 40% of the initial material. Both the alginate recovery yield (3.2%) and the phenolic content of the water-soluble extracts (2.3%) were slightly higher when distilled water was used as solvent. However, the carbohydrate content in the extract (60%) was similar for both solvents, but the sulfate content was higher for samples processed with salt water collected from the same coast as the seaweeds. The antiradical capacity of the extracts was related to the phenolic content in the extracts, but the cytotoxicity towards HeLa229 cancer cells was highest (EC50 = 48 µg/mL) for the extract obtained with distilled water at the lowest temperature evaluated. Operation time showed a relevant enhancement of the extraction performance and bioactive properties of the soluble extracts. The further fractionation and study of this extract would be recommended to extend its potential applications. However, due to the low extraction yield, emphasis was given to the solid residue, which showed a heating value in the range 16,102-18,413 kJ/kg and could be useful for the preparation of biomaterials according to its rheological properties.

Formulation of Polymeric Microparticles Using Eco-Friendly Extracted Crude Fucoidans from Edible Brown Seaweed Undaria pinnatifida.

Several bioactive compounds that hold a potential interest in the food industry as phenolic compounds, polysaccharides, proteins and vitamins, among others, are present in seaweeds. Green extraction technologies are the preferred way to obtain these compounds. Pressurized hot water extraction, from 160 to 220 °C, was tested to achieve high yields of these components from the edible brown seaweed, Undaria pinnatifida. The maximum fucoidan content was recovered at 160 °C, while the phloroglucinol content and antioxidant activity were maximum at 220 °C. The possibility of encapsulating these bioactive fractions using mannitol was assessed. The highest production yield of the polymeric particles was found using the 220 °C fraction (close to 75%). In order to formulate microparticles with bioactive potential, several ratios of liquid phases were assessed, 3:1, 1:1 and 1:3 (w:w), using the liquid fractions obtained at 160 °C and 220 °C. The yield production was always above 67%, being in the 1:3 ratio (160 °C:220 °C) and close to 75%. The rheological results indicated that the presence of microparticles enhanced the apparent viscosity of the aqueous dispersions with non-Newtonian profiles, achieving the highest viscosity for those formulated with microparticles from 160 °C:200 °C (3:1).

Vision and practice of self-care for community pharmacy in Switzerland.

Switzerland is a federal country with a liberal health system built on private mandatory health insurance where the government has three different roles (health protector, guarantor of the offered care and regulator). Health is mostly considered as a responsibility that lies with the individual person. Swiss health policies do not include the term "self-care", although, the federal policy strategy established for this decade (Health2030) includes objectives and lines of action, some of which could be classified as self-care. Swiss policies do not specify the role of health professionals; therefore, it is up to each canton (the terminology used to describe a state of the Swiss Confederation), organization or enterprise to stipulate it. Regarding pharmacists, 1844 community pharmacies (CPs) take care of nearly 260,000 patients each day. The CPs play an important role in self-care that includes activities such as improving patients' health literacy, screening for different health problems, self-medication education or recommendation related to non-prescription medication. The government understands and emphasizes the importance of CPs' role in primary health care to overcome some of the health care system challenges, part of these actions related to self-care. However, there is scope for expansion regarding the role of the CPs in self-care. Nowadays the services and activities related are driven by health authorities (i.e., pharmacists' autonomous prescribing, vaccination, strategy for the prevention of non-communicable diseases or digitization of electronic patients' record), professional pharmacy associations (i.e., netCare® or screening tests), health foundations (i.e., prevention of addiction) and/or private stakeholders such as chain pharmacies (i.e., screening tests). The possibility of including some of these services related to self-care (even when no medication is supplied) as covered services for the mandatory health insurance is currently politically discussed. Long-term actions that also include remuneration, monitoring and quality assurance, or communication/information to public should be considered to support a broader implementation and the sustainability of CPs' services related to self-care.

Relevance of the Extraction Stage on the Anti-Inflammatory Action of Fucoidans.

The anti-inflammatory action of fucoidans is well known, based on both in vitro and some in vivo studies. The other biological properties of these compounds, their lack of toxicity, and the possibility of obtaining them from a widely distributed and renewable source, makes them attractive novel bioactives. However, fucoidans' heterogeneity and variability in composition, structure, and properties depending on seaweed species, biotic and abiotic factors and processing conditions, especially during extraction and purification stages, make it difficult for standardization. A review of the available technologies, including those based on intensification strategies, and their influence on fucoidan composition, structure, and anti-inflammatory potential of crude extracts and fractions is presented.

Longitudinal mental health state during the COVID-19 pandemic. Longitudinal change of mental symptoms and its predictors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective longitudinal study on Spanish population.

OBJECTIVE: The general objective of this study is to analyze the change in mental health and post-traumatic symptoms over 6 months during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Spanish community sample, with a particular focus on individual differences in longitudinal change in symptoms and its predictors. METHOD: This longitudinal prospective study surveyed a Spanish community sample three times (T1: during the initial outbreak, T2: after 4 weeks and T3: after 6 months). Four thousand one hundred and thirty-nine participants from all the Spanish regions completed the questionnaires. However, the longitudinal analysis was performed only with participants which responded at least two times (1,423 participants). Mental health assessments included depression, anxiety, and stress (measured by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and post-traumatic symptoms were assessed by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). RESULTS: All the mental health variables achieved worse results at T2. Depression, stress, and posttraumatic symptoms did not recover at T3 when compared with the initial measure, while anxiety was practically stable across the timeline. Women, younger age, having a previous mental health diagnosis and contact with individuals with COVID-19 were linked to worse psychological evolution during the 6-months period. A good perception of one's physical health may be a protective factor. CONCLUSIONS: After 6 months of the pandemic, the general population's mental health was still worse than at the initial outbreak for most of the variables analyzed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus: Evaluation of the Impact of the Sulphate Content on Nanoparticle Production and Cell Toxicity.

The composition of seaweeds is complex, with vitamins, phenolic compounds, minerals, and polysaccharides being some of the factions comprising their structure. The main polysaccharide in brown seaweeds is fucoidan, and several biological activities have been associated with its structure. Chitosan is another marine biopolymer that is very popular in the biomedical field, owing to its suitable features for formulating drug delivery systems and, particularly, particulate systems. In this work, the ability of fucoidan to produce nanoparticles was evaluated, testing different amounts of a polymer and using chitosan as a counterion. Nanoparticles of 200-300 nm were obtained when fucoidan prevailed in the formulation, which also resulted in negatively charged nanoparticles. Adjusting the pH of the reaction media to 4 did not affect the physicochemical characteristics of the nanoparticles. The IC50 of fucoidan was determined, in both HCT-116 and A549 cells, to be around 160 µg/mL, whereas it raised to 675-100 µg/mL when nanoparticles (fucoidan/chitosan = 2/1, w/w) were tested. These marine materials (fucoidan and chitosan) provided features suitable to formulate polymeric nanoparticles to use in biomedical applications.

Traditional and cyber dating violence among adolescents: Profiles, prevalence, and short-term associations with peer violence.

There is a paucity of studies on dating violence profiles that incorporate the forms of cyber and sexual dating violence. Moreover, the results on the predictive role of peer violence on dating violence are inconsistent. Our aim was to identify dating violence profiles and to study the predictive value of peer violence profiles on dating violence profiles using a short-term longitudinal design. The sample consisted of 498 adolescents with current or past romantic relationship (42.8% boys), aged 12-18 years (M = 14.22; SD = 1.39). Four dating violence profiles were identified with an overlap between traditional and cyberdating violence. Peer violence profiles were associated with dating violence profiles 4 months later. The results suggest the need to prevent all forms of dating violence at an early age, starting with the improvement of interpersonal relationships between peers.