Preliminary Screening on Antibacterial Crude Secondary Metabolites Extracted from Bacterial Symbionts and Identification of Functional Bioactive Compounds by FTIR, HPLC and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Secondary metabolites, bioactive compounds produced by living organisms, can unveil symbiotic relationships in nature. In this study, soilborne entomopathogenic nematodes associated with symbiotic bacteria (Xenorhabdus stockiae and Photorhabdus luminescens) were extracted from solvent supernatant containing secondary metabolites, demonstrating significant inhibitory effects against E. coli, S. aureus, B. subtilus, P. mirabilis, E. faecalis, and P. stutzeri. The characterization of these secondary metabolites by Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy revealed amine groups of proteins, hydroxyl and carboxyl groups of polyphenols, hydroxyl groups of polysaccharides, and carboxyl groups of organic acids. Furthermore, the obtained crude extracts were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography for the basic identification of potential bioactive peptides. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of ethyl acetate extracts from Xenorhabdus stockiae identified major compounds including nonanoic acid derivatives, proline, paromycin, octodecanal derivatives, trioxa-5-aza-1-silabicyclo, 4-octadecenal, methyl ester, oleic acid, and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylicacid. Additional extraction from Photorhabdus luminescens yielded functional compounds such as indole-3-acetic acid, phthalic acid, 1-tetradecanol, nemorosonol, 1-eicosanol, and unsaturated fatty acids. These findings support the potential development of novel natural antimicrobial agents for future pathogen suppression.

High-risk pregnancy and its relationship with the neurodevelopment and behavior of 2-year-old children.

High-risk pregnancies elevate maternal stress, impacting offspring neurodevelopment and behavior. This study, involving 112 participants, aimed to compare perceived stress, neurodevelopment, and behavior in high-risk and low-risk pregnancies. Two groups, high-risk and low-risk, were assessed during pregnancy for stress using hair cortisol and psychological analysis. At 24 months post-birth, their children's neurodevelopment and behavior were evaluated. Results revealed higher perceived stress and pregnancy-related concerns in high-risk pregnancies, contrasting with low-risk pregnancies. Offspring from high-risk pregnancies displayed elevated internalizing behavior scores, while low-risk pregnancies showed higher externalizing behavior scores. Additionally, women in low-risk pregnancies exhibited increased cortisol concentrations 24 months post-delivery. These findings underscore the necessity for early stress detection and prevention programs during pregnancy, particularly in high-risk cases, to enhance maternal and infant health.

Does stress response axis activation differ between patients with autoimmune disease and healthy people?

Many studies have shown that patients with autoimmune disease present a hypoactive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, but the results are controversial. Our objective was to study differences in stress response axis activity between patients with autoimmune disease and healthy people. The study sample consisted of 97 women divided into four groups: 37 healthy women (HW), 21 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 21 with Sjögren's syndrome (SS), and 18 with systemic sclerosis (SSc). After being exposed to a stress task, participants' skin conductance and salivary cortisol levels were measured in order to assess their response to psychological stress. Diurnal cortisol concentrations were assessed by measuring salivary cortisol in samples collected five times over one day. In addition, self-administered questionnaires were used to assess psychological variables. A time × group interaction effect was found (p = 0.003) in salivary cortisol secretion in response to stressful challenge. The healthy group presented normal activation, the SS and SLE groups showed no activation, and the SSc group presented a similar activation pattern to the HW group, except at the time of recovery. Total cortisol production (AUCg) was higher in the SSc group than in the HW group (p = 0.001). Differences were also observed in the cortisol AUCg collected over one day between healthy women and patients with SLE (p = 0.004) as well as with SSc (p = 0.001): women with SLE and SSc presented higher total hormone production than healthy women. Patients with autoimmune disease present a different HPA axis response, which may contribute to the harmful effects of stress in these diseases.

Relatos de madres de desaparecidos: voces desde el colectivo / Stories of mothers of the disappeared: voices from the collective

La desaparición forzada en el país es alarmante, sobre todo de jóvenes de 15 a 29 años. Este evento rompe el lazo social y deja a las madres en estado traumático. El propósito de esta investigación fue triangularlas narrativas de desaparición, denuncia e integración de las madres al colectivo. Los resultados muestran que la vivencia de desaparición y el proceso de denuncia son tramas de degradación, donde las madres quedan revictimizadas, dado el maltrato de servidores públicos; mientras que, la integración a un colectivo hace de ideal reparatorio, pues confraternizan las madres en su dolor y resistencia en la búsqueda. Se concluye invitando a los psicólogos a buscar modos de elaboración acordes a la vivencia de trauma social AU

The enforced disappearance in this country is alarming, especially for young people between 15 and 29 years old. This event breaks the social bond and leaves mothers in a traumatic state. The purpose of this research is to triangulate the narratives of disappearance, filling in reportsand integration of the mothers into the collective. The results show that the experience of disappearance and the reporting processesare degrading,where the mothers are re-victimized, given the mistreatment of public servants. Beingthe integration to a collective a reparatory ideal, because the mothers fraternize in their pain and resistance in the searching. It concludes by inviting psychologists to seek ways of elaboration according to the experience of social trauma AU

Pregnant women's mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic according to the trimester of pregnancy.

AIM: This study aimed to analyse the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant women according to the pregnancy trimester, comparing their psychopathological symptomatology, pregnancy-specific stress, resilience and perceived stress to those of women pregnant before the pandemic. METHODS: A total of 797 pregnant women participated in the study, one group of 393 women pregnant before the pandemic and the other of 404 women pregnant during the pandemic. Student-t test was used to analyse continuous data and the Chi-square test was used for categorical data. RESULTS: Psychopathological symptomatology was significantly higher in six subscales of the SCL-90-R in pregnant women during COVID-19: somatisation, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety, obsessions-compulsions, mainly on the first two trimesters. There is also a higher level of pregnancy-specific stress in pregnant women during the pandemic on the first two trimesters, most likely due to the hypervigilance and fears related to the COVID-19 disease. Nevertheless, perceived stress, usually elevated during pregnancy, was lower in women pregnant during the pandemic in comparison to those pregnant before, as a positive consequence of being on lockdown and diminishing the exposure to daily stressful situations. CONCLUSIONS: Knowing the struggles these women go through during each trimester of pregnancy can be the key to a better health professional-patient relationship, consequently having a positive impact on their mental and physical health.

How prenatal cortisol levels may differentially affect the neurodevelopment of boys and girls.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal stress could have serious consequences on maternal and fetal health. In this sense, some studies have stated that maternal HCC during pregnancy could contribute to sex-specific effects on infant neurodevelopment, following the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Hypothesis. AIM: This study aimed to determine whether maternal hair cortisol concentration (HCC) during each trimester of pregnancy and postpartum could predict the neurodevelopmental outcomes of their 12-month-old offspring, with sex-specific differences considered. STUDY DESIGN: longitudinal. SUBJECTS: The study involved 93 pregnant women and their babies. OUTCOME MEASURE: Hair samples collected during each trimester and postpartum and The Bayley Scales for Infant Development III was used to assess the infants' abilities. RESULTS: The results showed that maternal HCC during the first and second trimesters could predict language and motor abilities. However, when discriminated by sex, only females' cognitive, expressive language, and fine and gross motor skills were predicted by cortisol, not males. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the idea that non-toxic levels of cortisol can positively influence infants' neurodevelopment.

A Review Study of the Participation of Late Domains in Sorting and Transport of Viral Factors to Exosomes.

Cellular communication depends heavily on the participation of vesicular systems generated by most cells of an organism. Exosomes play central roles in this process. Today, these vesicles have been characterized, and it has been determined that the cargo they transport is not within a random system. In fact, it depends on various molecular signals and the recruitment of proteins that participate in the biogenesis of exosomes. It has also been shown that multiple viruses can recruit these vesicles to transport viral factors such as genomes or proteins. It has been shown that the late domains present in viral proteins are critical for the exosomal selection and biogenesis systems to recognize these viral proteins and introduce them into the exosomes. In this review, the researchers discuss the evidence related to the characterization of these late domains and their role in exosome recruitment during viral infection.

Symptoms of Anxiety in Mothers During the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Structural Equation Model Approach.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has forced millions of people to stay confined at home, increasing symptoms of anxiety and stress levels. Women who are also mothers, for their part, not only face the demands of motherhood but must combine working life with family life locked down in their homes. Main objective was to develop an explanatory model of the psychological consequences of COVID-19 and parental and perceived stress in mothers. A total of 261 mothers were evaluated coinciding with the lockdown imposed by the Spanish Government. The model displayed adequate indices and it was found that symptoms of anxiety in mothers increased the levels of perceived stress. The model allows to understand the close relationships between the psychological consequences of lockdown and stress in mothers. Understanding these relationships will help to prepare and direct psychological interventions in this population in the case of a possible new surge.

The role of resilience in the potential benefits of cognitive-behavioural stress management therapy during pregnancy.

PURPOSE: Stress during pregnancy has many negative repercussions on maternal and foetal health. It is therefore important to understand which therapies are effective in reducing stress levels and which variables influence the outcomes of these therapies. In this line, psychological resilience could play a key role. Thus, the aim of the study was to check whether pregnant women with different levels of resilience have different benefits in reducing cortisol levels, perceived stress, pregnancy worries, stress vulnerability, anxiety or depression through Cognitive Behavioural Stress Management Therapy. METHOD: The total sample consisted of 56 pregnant women: one group of pregnant women with high levels of resilience (n = 35); and another group with low levels of resilience (n = 21). Participants' cortisol concentration levels, perceived stress, pregnancy concerns, stress vulnerability, anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed before and after therapy. Linear mixed models were performed to compare the two groups, which showed a group x time interaction for perceived stress. RESULTS: The low resilience group showed a reduction in their perceived stress levels with a medium effect after the intervention compared to the high resilience group, but no reduction was found in this group. No differences were found between the two groups on the other variables. CONCLUSION: Knowing which variables have a differential effect on the results of psychological therapy would allow delimiting the groups that obtain greater benefits from the therapy. This may lead to more efficient implementation of effective intervention programmes.

[Chronic granulomatous villitis due to cytomegalovirus. An unusual finding that may cause confusion. A case report]. / Villitis crónica granulomatosa asociada a citomegalovirus. Un hallazgo inusual que induce a confusión. A propósito de un caso.

Chronic cytomegalovirus (CMV) villitis typically causes inflammation with predominance of plasma cells. The granulomatous reaction in the chorionic villi is usually caused by pathogens other than CMV, such as toxoplasma or rubella. We present a case of a pregnant woman presenting with foetal death in the twentieth week of gestation. The study of the placenta revealed chronic CMV villitis with a granulomatous reaction, rather than the more common plasma cell inflammation.

Can we influence the neurological development and hair cortisol concentration of offspring by reducing the stress of the mother during pregnancy? A randomized controlled trial.

The objective was to evaluate the effects of a stress management cognitive behavioural therapy followed during pregnancy on subsequent childhood on hair cortisol at birth and on neurodevelopment and Hair Cortisol Concentrations (HCC) at 6 months of age. The study sample included 48 pregnant women, divided into two groups: 24 women in the Therapy Group (TG) and 24 women who received standard pregnancy care (control group (CG); CG). To test the therapy efficacy, an evaluation of the HCC and psychological stress, psychopathological symptomatology and resilience was conducted before and after the treatment. The level of cortisol in their hair was obtained during pregnancy and that of their babies at birth. Six months after birth, a cortisol sample was taken from the hair and the babies' neurodevelopment was evaluated based on a Bayley-III test. The TG presented reductions in psychological stress and psychopathological symptomatology after treatment. On the other hand, the CG increased their cortisol concentrations between the pre and post intervention, remaining stable in the TG. Moreover, results showed that TG babies had lower cortisol concentrations at birth and obtained significantly higher cognitive and motor development scores at 6 months. These findings support that providing psychological care to pregnant women may not only have a benefit on these women's mental state, but may also benefit the neurodevelopment of their offspring.

Psychological and quality of life effects of vaccination against COVID-19 in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases.

To verify the psychological and quality of life benefits of vaccination against COVID-19 in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases. In this study, levels of psychological stress, psychopathological symptoms, quality of life, and satisfaction with life were compared in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases vaccinated against COVID-19 (n = 132) versus unvaccinated patients (n = 254). To this end, we used the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), EUROQoL-5Q health questionnaire, and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), respectively. Statistically significant differences were found with better scores in the vaccinated group in the following quality of life dimensions: mobility (p ≤ 0.010), domestic activities (p ≤ 0.004), pain/discomfort (p ≤ 0.001), and anxiety/depression (p≤ 0.005). The scores were also significantly higher in the vaccinated group for the total values of quality of life (p ≤ 0.001), health status self-assessment on the EUROQoL-5Q (p ≤ 0.043), and satisfaction with life (p ≤ 0.015). In addition, the unvaccinated group presented higher scores with clinically pathological levels in depression and psychoticism for somatizations (p ≤ 0.006), depression (p ≤ 0.015), anxiety (p ≤ 0.003), and phobic anxiety (p ≤ 0.001). Finally, participants vaccinated with the complete regimen showed better levels of psychological well-being than those who were not vaccinated or those that had not completed the vaccination regimen. Our results reflect and confirm the positive effects reported elsewhere of the COVID-19 vaccine in autoimmune patients with systemic diseases, both in terms of quality and satisfaction with life as well as psychopathological symptoms and perceived stress. These benefits increased as the patients completed their vaccination schedule.

Online cognitive behavioural therapy as a psychological vaccine against stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in pregnant women: A randomised controlled trial.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the population's levels of stress and anxiety due to its contagious nature and the uncertainties generated by its novelty. One population that is especially vulnerable to these psychological consequences are pregnant women. This is why the objective of this study was to test the efficacy of an online stress management programme of a cognitive behavioural nature on pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic, in Spain. The trial was controlled and randomised, with a total of 207 pregnant women divided into three groups: the Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy group (o-CBT) (N = 70); the Online Psychological Support group (o-PS) (N = 69); and the Usual Care group (UC) (N = 68). To test the therapy's efficacy, the women's resilience, perceived stress, pregnancy-specific stress and psychopathological symptoms were assessed before and after the intervention. The o-CBT and o-PS consisted of a programme of 8 group sessions (one per week). The results showed that pregnant women who participated in the o-CBT group presented lower rates of pregnancy-specific stress and perceived stress, as well as greater resilience and lower anxiety, depression and obsessions-compulsions symptoms. These data show the efficacy of the treatment programme and thus confirm the importance of implementing these types of interventions during a woman's pregnancy, especially over periods of major stress, such as during a pandemic.

Resilience, stress and anxiety in pregnancy before and throughout the pandemic: a structural equation modelling approach.

The present study explored and compared the link between resilience and pregnancy-related stress, perceived stress, and anxiety, employing two structural equation models. One model focused on pregnant women before the outbreak of the pandemic, and the other on pregnancies throughout the pandemic. For this purpose, a total sample of 690 women during their pregnancy were collected: the Pre-Pandemic Group (P-PG) was composed of 341 pregnant women evaluated prior to the pandemic; and 349 pregnant women assessed at the time of the pandemic constituted the Pandemic Group (PG). The resilience, pregnancy-related stress, perceived stress, and anxiety symptomatology of the women were assessed. For both samples, resilience was found to lower levels of pregnancy-specific stress, as well as general perceived stress, and anxiety symptomatology. Furthermore, pregnancy-specific stress and perceived stress showed a covariance relationship and, that these, in turn, increased the anxiety. Moreover, the PG showed greater levels of pregnancy-specific stress, anxiety, somatisations, and obsessions-compulsions, while the P-PG presented higher perceived stress levels.

Cortisol levels versus self-report stress measures during pregnancy as predictors of adverse infant outcomes: a systematic review.

Systematically review existing evidence to (1) identify the association between self-report stress and cortisol levels measured during pregnancy; and, (2) assess their association with adverse infant outcomes to determine which is the better predictor. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Search terms focused on pregnancy, psychological stress and cortisol. Nine electronic databases were searched, in addition to reference lists of relevant papers. Eligibility criteria consisted of studies that included measurement of self-reported psychological stress, cortisol and assessed their associations with any infant-related outcome. Further limits included studies published in English or Spanish with human female participants. A meta-regression was not feasible due to differences in study samples, measurement tools employed, types of cortisol assessed and outcomes reported. A narrative synthesis was provided. 28 studies were eligible for inclusion. Convergent validity between self-report measures and cortisol was reported by three studies (range r = 0.12-0.41). Higher levels of self-report stress were significantly associated with intrauterine growth restriction (fetal biparietal diameter, low fetal head circumference, abdominal circumference), low gestational age at birth, low anthropometric measures (birth length, head circumference, length of the neonate), poor infant neurodevelopment (cognitive development) and potentially pathogenic gut microbiota (Clostridiaceae Clostridium, Haemophilus) in six studies. Higher cortisol levels were significantly associated with intrauterine growth restriction (fetal biparietal diameter, low fetal head circumference, abdominal circumference), low gestational age at birth, low infant birth weight, poor infant neurodevelopment (attention scores on the Network Neurobehavioral Scale) and low levels of potentially protective gut microbiota (Lactobacillus, Slackia and Actinobaculum) in 13 studies. Of the studies that assessed which type of measure was a better predictor of infant outcomes (n = 6), there was agreement that cortisol levels were statistically better at predicting adverse outcomes than self-reported stress. Self-report stress measures appear to be modest predictors of adverse infant outcomes in comparison to cortisol. A number of methodological limitations need to be addressed in future studies to help understand the relationship between cortisol and self-reported stress and how they are related to adverse infant outcomes.

Is the anemia in men an effect of the risk of crude oil contamination?

Pollution from oil spills can seriously affect many ecosystem processes and human health. Many articles have evaluated the impact of oil spills on human health. However, most of these articles focus on occupational exposure. The effect on people living in the areas affected by oil pollution is rarely studied. Approximately 640 million people worldwide live in areas at risk of oil pollution. Thus, studying the impact of this pollution on human health should be a priority. Here, we evaluate the presence of anemia in relation to crude oil exposure in men living in areas at risk of oil contamination in the Ecuadorian Amazon (Orellana and Napo). We evaluated the hematological and biochemical parameters of 135 participants. We divided the participants into three groups according to exposure: low, medium, and high. Our results showed a significant association between exposure risk and hemoglobin and hematocrit concentration. Groups with medium- and high- contamination exposure had levels below normal values in hemoglobin and hematocrit in more than 30% and 26% of the population, respectively. In conclusion, we found that crude oil affected human health, and the prevalence of the anemia in men was dependent of the level of contamination.

Efficacy of cognitive-behavioural therapy for lifestyle modification in metabolic syndrome: a randomised controlled trial with a 18-months follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for lifestyle modification in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). DESIGN: 76 MetS patients completed this clinical trial, with 18 months follow-up. 45 participants from the experimental group (EG - CBT) and 31 to the control group (CG - usual care). The CBT programme was performed by a psychologist in a face-to-face group format, during 12 weekly sessions lasting 90 minutes. The intervention for the CG consisted of workshops with basic information about MetS and it's associated cardiovascular risk. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Efficacy of (CBT) in (MetS) patients. RESULTS: Results showed reduction in weight (mean difference - MD -2.633, 95%CI [-4.322, -0.943]; p<.003), waist circumference (MD -2.944, 95%CI [-5.090, -0.798]; p<.008), body mass index (MD -0.915, 95%CI [-1.494, -0.335]; p<.003), systolic (MD -0.046, 95%CI [-0.685, -0.023]; p<.0002) diastolic blood pressure (MD -4.777, 95%CI [-7.750, -1.804]; p<.002), and cardiovascular risk score after 18 months. An increase in adherence to the Mediterranean diet and assertiveness and a reduction in anger were observed in EG. The CG did not show any significant differences. CONCLUSION: The CBT focused on changes in lifestyle seems to be effective in the reduction of MetS and cardiovascular risk factors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02949622) - PROMETS (Multimodal Intervention Program for Patients with Metabolic Syndrome).

Spanish validation and factor structure of the Prenatal Distress Questionnaire Revised (NuPDQ).

BACKGROUND: Due to an absence of maternal stress being measured in routine prenatal care by clinicians, prenatal stress has become a serious problem which is associated with poorer obstetric outcomes, as well as worse maternal and infant health. For that reason, the aim of this study was the translation, validation and adaptation of Prenatal Distress Questionnaire Revised (NuPDQ) in a Spanish sample. METHODS: Three-hundred and seventy-one pregnant women were assessed using the NuPDQ, the Prenatal Distress Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. The NuPDQ was translated into Spanish by the backtranslation method and administered to participants. RESULTS: A confirmatory factor analysis revealed the established unidimensional structure to be a poor fit to data with the Spanish version. An exploratory factor analysis suggested a five-factor structure with 14 items. The instrument had good reliability, convergent and discriminant validity psychometric properties. CONCLUSIONS: The five-factor 14-item NuPDQ is useful to assess pregnancy-specific stress in Spanish pregnant women. It may be appropriate to use this instrument in order to identify pregnant women with high pregnancy-specific stress to try to prevent negative consequences derived from those high levels.