Can Diet Alter the Intestinal Barrier Permeability in Healthy People? A Systematic Review.

Dietary factors can modify the function of the intestinal barrier, causing permeability changes. This systematic review analyzed evidence on the link between diet or dietary interventions and changes in intestinal barrier permeability (IBP) in healthy individuals. A systematic search for primary studies was conducted using the virtual databases EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Scopus. This review adhered to PRISMA 2020 guidelines, assessing the methodological quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for observational studies and ROB 2.0 for randomized clinical trials. Out of 3725 studies recovered, 12 were eligible for review. Chicory inulin and probiotics reduced IBP in adults with a moderate GRADE level of evidence. The opposite result was obtained with fructose, which increased IBP in adults, with a very low GRADE level of evidence. Only intervention studies with different dietary components were found, and few studies evaluated the effect of specific diets on the IBP. Thus, there was no strong evidence that diet or dietary interventions increase or decrease IBP in healthy individuals. Studies on this topic are necessary, with a low risk of bias and good quality of evidence generated, as there is still little knowledge on healthy populations.

Leveraging citizen science for monitoring urban forageable plants.

Urbanization brings forth social challenges in emerging countries such as Brazil, encompassing food scarcity, health deterioration, air pollution, and biodiversity loss. Despite this, urban areas like the city of São Paulo still boast ample green spaces, offering opportunities for nature appreciation and conservation, enhancing city resilience and livability. Citizen science is a collaborative endeavor between professional scientists and nonprofessional scientists in scientific research that may help to understand the dynamics of urban ecosystems. We believe citizen science has the potential to promote human and nature connection in urban areas and provide useful data on urban biodiversity.

Citizen science data on urban forageable plants: a case study in Brazil.

This paper presents two key data sets derived from the Pomar Urbano project. The first data set is a comprehensive catalog of edible fruit-bearing plant species, native or introduced to Brazil. The second data set, sourced from the iNaturalist platform, tracks the distribution and monitoring of these plants within urban landscapes across Brazil. The study includes data from the capitals of all 27 federative units of Brazil, focusing on the ten cities that contributed the most observations as of August 2023. The research emphasizes the significance of citizen science in urban biodiversity monitoring and its potential to contribute to various fields, including food and nutrition, creative industry, study of plant phenology, and machine learning applications. We expect the data sets presented in this paper to serve as resources for further studies in urban foraging, food security, cultural ecosystem services, and environmental sustainability.

Retinol Levels and Severity of Patients with COVID-19.

The new coronavirus infection represents a serious threat to global health and economies. In this sense, it is paramount to know the nutritional factors that may be related to the prognosis of the disease. Evidence shows that vitamin A may play an important preventive and therapeutic role in supporting respiratory infections as in COVID-19. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association of vitamin A (retinol) status with the prognosis of the disease. A case-control study from a cohort study was conducted in Brazil between May and October 2020. The study population was chosen by convenience, consisting of participants diagnosed with COVID-19. Recruitment was carried out using different approaches, including through dissemination on social media and in four hospitals in the city of Natal/RN, Brazil, recruiting participants from the COVID-19 ward and hospitalized participants who tested positive for the disease. The participants were allocated into two groups according to severity, with a group of mild (n = 88) or critical (n = 106) patients and compared to a control group (selected before the pandemic, n = 46). The extraction of retinol serum was performed and analyzed using the high-performance liquid chromatography method (HPLC). The retinol level was calculated in mmol/L, and levels below 0.7 µmol/L (20 µg/dL) were considered to be a vitamin A deficiency. Our findings suggest that the participants with mild and critical COVID-19 had lower retinol levels compared to the healthy controls (p = 0.03). In addition, milder cases of COVID-19 were associated with increased symptoms and prolonged symptoms after 90 days since the beginning of infection. However, the survival analysis showed no association with higher cases of death among participants with vitamin A deficiency (p = 0.509). More studies are needed to understand how nutritional status, including vitamin A levels, can influence prognosis and is a risk factor for the development of long COVID syndrome.

Previous vitamin D status and total cholesterol are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

BACKGROUND: The relationship of vitamin D status and other biochemical parameters with the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection remains inconclusive, especially in regions with high solar incidence. Therefore, we aimed to associate the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and lipid profile prior to the SARS-CoV-2 tests in a population from a sunny region in Brazil (5 degrees S, 35 degrees W). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 1634 patients tested for SARS-CoV-2 of a private medical laboratory with 25(OH)D concentration and lipid profile measured ≥ 7 days before the date of the first SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test and were categorized according to 25(OH)D sufficiency (≥30 ng/mL) or insufficiency (<30 ng/mL). Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to assess risk factors associated with positive tests for SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: Average serum 25(OH)D was 33.6 ng/mL. Vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was only found in 2.6% of the participants. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that patients > 49 y with insufficient 25(OH)D (<30 ng/mL) presented increased odds to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 (OR: 2.02, 95 %CI: 1.15 to 3.55, P = 0.015). The same is observed among those with total cholesterol > 190 mg/dL (OR: 1.90, 95 %CI: 1.10 to 3.28, P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: Previous insufficient 25(OH)D (<30 ng/mL) concentration and high total cholesterol were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among adults > 48 y in the study population. Further studies should be conducted to confirm whether measurement of 25(OH)D and lipid profile could be useful to identify patients who are more susceptible to COVID-19.

Amateur ballet practicing, body image and eating behaviors: a comparative study of classical ballet dancers, gym users and sedentary women.

BACKGROUND: Ballet dancers are a risk group for body image (BI) distortion, dissatisfaction and eating disorders (ED), but few studies have investigated these aspects in amateur adult practitioners. This study aimed to evaluate if amateur female adult classical ballet dancers presented different BI and behaviors for ED than gym users and sedentary women. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study where classical ballet dancers (n = 19) were compared to gym users (n = 19) and sedentary women (n = 19). Body mass index (BMI) was assessed, and a figure rating scale was applied to assess BI distortion/dissatisfaction. The body shape questionnaire (BSQ) was used to measure BI concern. The eating attitudes test (EAT-26) and the bulimic investigatory test, Edinburgh (BITE) were used for behaviors toward anorexia and bulimia. RESULTS: BMI was significantly lower in ballet dancers than gym users and sedentary women (F, p = .04). BI distortion did not differ among the studied groups. BI dissatisfaction was lower (X2, p = .041) in ballet dancers (75.0%) and gym users (70.6%) compared to sedentary women (100%). Correspondence analysis showed ballet dancers were mostly not concerned with BI, which was not observed among the other groups. The EAT-26 did not differ between the studied groups. The BITE score was lower (Tukey's post hoc test, p = .005) in the ballet dancers [mean 5.3 (5.6)] compared to the sedentary women [mean 10.9 (4.8)]. CONCLUSIONS: Data suggest that amateur classical ballet practicing is associated to better BI and fewer behaviors for ED in the studied population. The lower BMI in ballet dancers might explain these findings, and further studies should explore these associations.

Enuresis and overactive bladder in children: what is the relationship between these two conditions?

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate clinical aspects associated with the presence of nocturnal enuresis (NE) in children with a diagnosis of overactive bladder (OAB). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A data base of 200 children who were evaluated by a structured questionnaire was analysed retrospectively . OAB was defined as the presence of urinary urgency (n=183 cases) and/or daytime urinary incontinence associated with holding maneuvers (n=168 cases). Inclusion criteria were a confirmed diagnosis of OAB, age 5-16 years, and no anatomical or neurological alterations of the urinary tract. Patients were divided into enuretics and non-enuretics. The two groups were compared with respect to sex, age, skin color, presence urinary infection, urgency, urge incontinence, non-urge incontinence, pollakiuria, urinary dysfunction, nocturia, holding maneuvers, number of episodes of enuresis and bowel alterations. In a univariate analysis, the chi-square test was used to compare proportions, with p-values <0.05 being considered significant. A multivariate analysis was conducted to identify independent predictive factors. RESULTS: Enuresis was diagnosed in 141/200 children. The two groups were similar with respect to sex, age and skin color. No difference was found in relation to urinary infection, non-urge incontinence, urinary dysfunction, nocturia, encopresis or constipation. The two groups were significantly different with regard to some symptoms related to OAB such as urgency (p=0.001), urge incontinency (p=0.001) and holding maneuvers (p=0.033). Following multivariate analysis, only holding maneuvers (p=0.022) remained as an independent predictive factor. CONCLUSION: The only independent predictive factor for resolution of enuresis in children with OAB, as detected in the multivariate analysis, was holding maneuvers.

Enuresis and overactive bladder in children: what is the relationship between these two conditions?

ABSTRACT Objective: Evaluate clinical aspects associated with the presence of nocturnal enuresis (NE) in children with a diagnosis of overactive bladder (OAB). Material and Methods: A data base of 200 children who were evaluated by a structured questionnaire was analysed retrospectively . OAB was defined as the presence of urinary urgency (n=183 cases) and/or daytime urinary incontinence associated with holding maneuvers (n=168 cases). Inclusion criteria were a confirmed diagnosis of OAB, age 5-16 years, and no anatomical or neurological alterations of the urinary tract. Patients were divided into enuretics and non-enuretics. The two groups were compared with respect to sex, age, skin color, presence urinary infection, urgency, urge incontinence, non-urge incontinence, pollakiuria, urinary dysfunction, nocturia, holding maneuvers, number of episodes of enuresis and bowel alterations. In a univariate analysis, the chi-square test was used to compare proportions, with p-values <0.05 being considered significant. A multivariate analysis was conducted to identify independent predictive factors. Results: Enuresis was diagnosed in 141/200 children. The two groups were similar with respect to sex, age and skin color. No difference was found in relation to urinary infection, non-urge incontinence, urinary dysfunction, nocturia, encopresis or constipation. The two groups were significantly different with regard to some symptoms related to OAB such as urgency (p=0.001), urge incontinency (p=0.001) and holding maneuvers (p=0.033). Following multivariate analysis, only holding maneuvers (p=0.022) remained as an independent predictive factor. Conclusion: The only independent predictive factor for resolution of enuresis in children with OAB, as detected in the multivariate analysis, was holding maneuvers.

Parasacral transcutaneous electrical stimulation for overactive bladder in children: An assessment per session.

OBJECTIVE: Neuromodulation has emerged as an effective therapeutic option for treatment of OAB in children. However, to our knowledge, no study has yet evaluated the results of neuromodulation on a session-by-session basis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of complete response of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms for each session of transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS), in a protocol of 20 sessions of therapy. METHOD: This is a prospective study of the improvement of LUTS in children with isolated OAB. Included in this study were children over the age of 4 years who complained of urinary urgency, had bell-or tower-shaped uroflowmetry patterns, and post-void residual <10% of expected capacity for their age and/or less than 20 mL. No patient was treated with an anticholinergic. Children were excluded with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to urinary tract abnormalities. All patients underwent parasacral transcutaneous neurostimulation (TENS). The development of symptoms was observed right before each session using a visual analog scale (VAS) in which 0 means the absence of improvement and 10 represents maximum improvement of symptoms. RESULTS: We noted a complete resolution of symptoms (urgency, urge incontinence, frequency, and holding maneuvers) in some patients starting after the third session. In the 10th and 20th (last) sessions, 12 (17.4%) and 38 (55.1%) patients reported a complete resolution of symptoms. After complete resolution, 12 (17.4%) patients reported that their symptoms worsened to a minimum level of 40% improvement, but this was temporary and all returned to 100% improvement. Children who showed an improvement level greater than 50% in the fifth treatment session were 4.18 (p = 0.007) times more likely to have success in the last treatment session. CONCLUSION: We found that a patient can experience complete symptom resolution as quickly as following the third session of TENS. The complete response rate progressively increases with the number of sessions, slowly until the 12th session and more rapidly after that. When symptom improvement of at least 50% is reported in the fifth session, there is a higher chance that the patient will have full resolution of symptoms at the end of treatment.

Histology of the sternal and suprapubic skin areas in lion tamarins (Leontopithecus sp. Callitrichidae-primates).

Though knowledge regarding the biology and morphology of lion tamarins is scarce in the literature, it is very important for their conservation. This paper focuses on the anatomical and histological aspects of the glands involved in the scent-marking behavior of lion tamarins. It examines the histological aspects of sternal and suprapubic skin sections of specimens that were preserved in formaldehyde and were the property of the Rio de Janeiro Primatology Center Museum. Eighteen specimens from three lion tamarin (Leontopithecus sp.) species (L. rosalia, L. chrysomelas, and L. chrysopygus) were analyzed. Both sexes were represented, and macroscopic hypertrophy was quantified by direct observation of the tegument on the sternal area and classified as discrete, moderate, or accentuated for each specimen. The skin of both sexes had a high degree of histological resemblance to that of other primates, including humans. The epidermis presented stratified squamous keratinous epithelia, with a few cellular layers and dermis with cutaneous appendages (i.e., hair follicles and both sebaceous and sweat glands). The dermal papillae were short, and the sebaceous and apocrine sweat glands resembled those of humans. These glands were present in the dermis of the analyzed skin fragments of both sternal and suprapubic regions in great numbers. Furthermore, we were able to establish a relationship between the macroscopic appearance of the sternal tegument and the degree of microscopic gland hyperplasia.