Determination of acetylcholinesterase and α-glucosidase inhibition by electrophoretically-mediated microanalysis and phenolic profile by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS of fruit juices from Brazilian Myrtaceae Plinia cauliflora (Mart.) Kausel and Eugenia uniflora L.

Alzheimer's disease and diabetes mellitus are contemporary diseases of great concern. Phenolic compounds are linked to several health benefits and could lead to novel strategies to combat these ailments. The objective of this study was to evaluate by electrophoretically-mediated microanalysis the potential inhibitory activity of the fruit juices from Plinia cauliflora ("jaboticaba") and Eugenia uniflora ("pitanga") toward acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α-glucosidase, target enzymes in strategies for the treatment of these diseases. The phenolic profiles of the samples were also investigated. Jaboticaba and pitanga juices inhibited 85.90 ± 1.73 and 52.67 ± 1.24% of AChE activity at 5 mg mL-1, and 57.91 ± 2.60 and 69.47 ± 2.89% of α-glucosidase activity at 1 mg mL-1, respectively. Total phenolic content of the juices were 303.54 ± 28.28 and 367.00 ± 11.42 mgGA L-1, respectively. The observed inhibitory activity can be explained, at least in part, by the presence of the phenolic compounds.

The causes of bullying: results from the National Survey of School Health (PeNSE).

OBJECTIVE: to identify the characteristics and reasons reported by Brazilian students for school bullying. METHOD: this cross-sectional study uses data from an epidemiological survey (National Survey of School Health) conducted in 2012. A total of 109,104 9th grade students from private and public schools participated. Data were collected through a self-applied questionnaire and the analysis was performed using SPSS, version 20, Complex Samples Module. RESULTS: the prevalence of bullying was 7.2%, most frequently affecting Afro-descendant or indigenous younger boys, whose mothers were characterized by low levels of education. In regard to the reasons/causes of bullying, 51.2% did not specify; the second highest frequency of victimization was related to body appearance (18.6%); followed by facial appearance (16.2%); race/color (6.8%); sexual orientation 2.9%; religion 2.5%; and region of origin 1.7%. The results are similar to those found in other sociocultural contexts. CONCLUSION: the problem belongs to the health field because it gathers aspects that determine the students' health-disease-care continuum.

Psychoactive substance use, family context and mental health among Brazilian adolescents, National Adolescent School-based Health Survey (PeNSE 2012).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between the consumption of psychoactive substances (tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs) and demographic variables, mental health and family context among school-aged children. METHODS: The National Adolescent School-based Health Survey was held with a national sample of 109,104 students. Data regarding demographic variables, family background and mental health were collected. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations of interest. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses showed that alcohol consumption was higher among girls, drug experimentation was more frequent among boys and that there was no difference between sexes for smoking. Being younger and mulatto were negatively associated with the use of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs. Also negatively associated with such risk behaviors were characteristics of the family context represented by: living with parents, having meals together and parental supervision (when parents know what the child does in their free time). Moreover, characteristics of mental health such as loneliness and insomnia were positively associated with use of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs. Not having friends was positively associated with use of tobacco and illicit drugs and negatively associated with alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows the protective effect of family supervision in the use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs and, on the contrary, the increasing use of substances according to aspects of mental health, such as loneliness, insomnia and the fact of not having friends. The study's findings may support actions from health and education professionals, as well as from the government and families in order to prevent the use of these substances by adolescents.

Bullying in Brazilian school children: analysis of the National Adolescent School-based Health Survey (PeNSE 2012).

OBJECTIVE: To describe the victimization and bullying practice in Brazilian school children, according to data from the National Adolescent School-based Health Survey and to compare the surveys from 2009 and 2012. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study with univariate and multivariate analyzes of the following variables: to have been treated badly by colleagues, to have been bullied and to have bullied other children. The following independent variables were analyzed: age, sex, race/color, type of school, maternal education. Prevalence rates were compared between the editions of 2009 and 2012 of the survey. RESULTS: Of all the adolescents analyzed, 27.5% have not been treated well by peers at school, with greater frequency among boys (OR = 1.50), at the age of 15 years (OR = 1.29) and 16 (OR = 1.41), public school students (OR = 2.08), black (OR = 1.18) and whose mothers had less education; 7.2% reported having been bullied, with a greater chance in younger students (13 years old), male (OR = 1.26), black (OR = 1.15) and indigenous (OR = 1.16) and whose mothers had less education; 20.8% reported to have bullied other children, with a greater chance for older students, at the age of 14 (OR = 1.08) and 15 years (OR = 1.18), male (OR = 1.87), black (OR = 1.14) and yellow (OR = 1.15), children of mothers with higher education, private school students. There was an increase of bullying in the Brazilian capitals, from 5.4 to 6.8%, between 2009 and 2012. DISCUSSION: The occurrence of bullying reveals that the Brazilian school context is also becoming a space of reproduction of violence, in which it is crucial to act intersectorally and to articulate social protection networks, aiming to face this issue.

Sexual health of adolescents according to the National Survey of School Health.

The objective of this study was to describe situations related to sexual health of adolescents, according to the National Survey of School Health (PeNSE). It is a cross-sectional study performed by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), in partnership with the Ministry of Health that involved 60,973 students and 1,453 public and private schools. Data analysis points out that 30.5% (95%CI 29.9-31.2) of the adolescents had already had sexual relations sometime in their lives, being more frequent for males (43.7%; 95%CI 42.7-44.7) than females (18.7%; 95%CI 18.0-19.4), especially those who go to public schools (33.1%; 95%CI 32.4-33.9), aged 15 years or older (47.3%; 95%CI 45.7-48.9) and 16 years (63.5%; 95%CI 61,5-65.4). The sexual initiation age was early and 40.1% (95%CI 38.8-41.4) reported having had only one partner in life. The use of condoms in the last sexual relation was high both for protective (75.9%; CI95% 74.8-76.9) and contraceptive methods (74.7%; 95%CI 73.6-75.7). It is necessary to emphasize actions for promoting sexual health towards adolescents in order to minimize vulnerabilities.

Estudo in vivo da atividade antimicótica (dermatófitos) da geléia real / Study in vivo of antimycotical activity (dermatophytes) of royal jelly

A geléia real é substância secretada pela glândula existente no encéfalo das abelhas obreiras. É popularmente conhecida como tônico energético para retardar efeitos da idade a amenizar sofrimentos das doenças crônicas. Em estudo anterior, observou-se a atividade antimicótica in vitro da geléia real contra fungos dermatófitos, sendo o objetivo do presente trabalho o estudo in vivo (modelo animal) da atividade antimicótica da geléia real contra esses dermatófitos já estudados in vitro. Os resultados mostraram significativa atividade in vivo antimicótica presente contra Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis e Microsporum gypseum, mas até a concentraçäo máxima utilizada näo atuou sobre o Trichophyton sp.

Estudo "in vitro" da atividade antifúngica e antibacteriana da geléia real / \"In vitro\" study of the antifungal and antibacterial activity of real jelly

A geléia real é uma substância secretada pela glândula existente no encéfalo das abelhas-obreiras. É usada como tônico energético, para retardar os efeitos da idade e amenizar sofrimentos de doenças crônicas. Suas propriedades antimicrobianas foram investigadas, frente a bactérias Gram-positivas e Gram-negativas, leveduras e bolores. Os resultados mostraram que a geléia real possui atividades antibacteriana (Gram-positivos, P. aeruginosa, Salmonella sp). Devido ao amplo aspectro antibacteriano e atividades antifúngica, podemos concluir que seu uso tópico na pele e mucosas é justificável.