Consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados y somatotipo en estudiantes de una institución educativa pública de la Amazonía Peruana / Consumption of ultra-processed foods and somatotype in students of a publiceducational institution in the Peruvian Amazon

Introducción: El consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados condiciona el biotipo de una persona. Objetivo: determinar la asociación entre el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados y el somatotipo en escolares de una institución educativa pública de la región Loreto. Materiales y Métodos: se trata de una investigación de enfoque cualitativo, con un diseño no experimental, transversal y correlacional. La muestra final del estudio estuvo conformada por 171 escolares del tercero, cuarto y quinto grado de nivel secundario durante el período académico correspondiente al año 2022 en la institución educativa pública 60050, República de Venezuela, Loreto (Perú). Se incluyó a estudiantes que entregaron el consentimiento y asentimiento informado, menores de 18 años y con matrícula vigente. La valoración antropométrica se realizó mediante el método de Health-Carter; la medición del nivel de consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados se realizó mediante una la aplicación de una encuesta de consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados. Para evaluar la asociación de las variables se utilizó la prueba estadística Chi cuadrado. Resultados: se logró determinar que el 47,4% de la población presenta como biotipo predominante el endomorfismo, con una mayor presencia de población femenina, que el 36,3% de la población presenta un biotipo mesomórfico y que el 16,4% presenta un biotipo ectomórfico. Al evaluar el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados, se determinó que el 58,5% de la población muestra tener un alto consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados, con una mayor presencia de la población masculina, que el 32,2% presenta un consumo en riesgo y que el 9,4% presenta un bajo consumo de estos. Al analizar la asociación entre el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados y el somatotipo en escolares se obtuvo un valor p>0,05. Conclusión: el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados no tiene asociación con el somatotipo en escolares de una institución educativa pública en la Amazonía peruana.(AU)

Introduction: The consumption of ultra-processed food sconditions a person’s biotype. A parameter for its evaluationis the anthropometric assessment of the somatotype and asurvey of consumption of ultra-processed foods to assesstheir consumption levels. Objective: determine the association between the con-sumption of ultra-processed foods and somatotype in school-children from a public educational institution in the Peruvian Amazon. Materials and Methods: qualitative research approach,with a non-experimental, transversal and correlational design.The final sample of the study was made up of 171 studentsfrom the third, fourth and fifth grades of secondary schoolduring the academic period corresponding to the year 2022.It included students who provided informed consent and as-sent, under 18 years of age and with current registration. Theanthropometric assessment was performed using the Heath-Carter method; The measurement of the level of consumptionof ultra-processed foods was carried out through a food con-sumption frequency survey. Results: 47.4% of the population presents endomorphismas the predominant biotype, with a greater presence of thefemale population, 36.3% of the population presents a meso-morphic biotype and 16.4% presents an ectomorphic biotype.When evaluating the consumption of ultra-processed foods, itwas determined that 57.8% of the population shows a highconsumption of ultra-processed foods, with a greater pres-ence of the male population; that 32.2% have irrigation con-sumption and that 9.4% have low irrigation consumption. Theresults indicate that there is no statistically significant rela-tionship between the consumption of ultra-processed foodsand the type of somatotype present in the study population. Conclusion: Despite the high consumption of ultra-processed foods, no association was found with somatotype,because there are several factors that determine somatotypein this age group...(AU)

Dipole-driven interlude of mesomorphism in polyelectrolyte solutions.

Uniformly charged polyelectrolyte molecules disperse uniformly in aqueous electrolyte solutions, due to electrostatic repulsion between them. In stark contrast to this well-established result of homogeneous polyelectrolyte solutions, we report a phenomenon where an aqueous solution of positively charged poly(L-lysine) (PLL) exhibits precipitation of similarly charged macromolecules at low ionic strength and a homogeneous solution at very high ionic strength, with a stable mesomorphic state of spherical aggregates as an interlude between these two limits. The precipitation at lower ionic strengths that is orthogonal to the standard polyelectrolyte behavior and the emergence of the mesomorphic state are triggered by the presence of a monovalent small organic anion, acrylate, in the electrolyte solution. Using light scattering, we find that the hydrodynamic radius Rh of isolated PLL chains shrinks upon a decrease in electrolyte (NaBr) concentration, exhibiting the "anti-polyelectrolyte effect." In addition, Rh of the aggregates in the mesomorphic state depends on PLL concentration cp according to the scaling law, [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, at higher PLL concentration, the mesomorphic aggregates disassemble by a self-poisoning mechanism. We conjecture that all these findings can be attributed to both intra- and interchain dipolar interactions arising from the transformation of polycationic PLL into a physical polyzwitterionic PLL at higher concentrations of acrylate. The reported phenomenon of PLL exhibiting dipole-directed assembly of mesomorphic states and the anti-polyelectrolyte effect are of vital importance toward understanding more complex situations such as coacervation and formation of biomolecular condensates.

Lipids, membranes, colloids and cells: A long view.

This paper revisits long-standing ideas about biological membranes in the context of an equally long-standing, but hitherto largely unappreciated, perspective of the cell based on concepts derived from the physics and chemistry of colloids. Specifically, we discuss important biophysical aspects of lipid supramolecular structure to understand how the intracellular milieu may constrain lipid self-assembly. To this end we will develop four lines of thought: first, we will look at the historical development of the current view of cellular structure and physiology, considering also the plurality of approaches that influenced its formative period. Second, we will review recent basic research on the structural and dynamical properties of lipid aggregates as well as the role of phase transitions in biophysical chemistry and cell biology. Third, we will present a general overview of contemporary studies into cellular compartmentalization in the context of a very rich and mostly forgotten general theory of cell physiology called the Association-Induction Hypothesis, which was developed around the time that the current view of cells congealed into its present form. Fourth, we will examine some recent developments in cellular studies, mostly from our laboratory, that raise interesting issues about the dynamical aspects of cell structure and compartmentalization. We will conclude by suggesting what we consider are relevant questions about the nature of cellular processes as emergent phenomena.

Liposomal Encapsulation of Carvacrol to Obtain Active Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) Films.

Lecithins of different origins and compositions were used for the liposomal encapsulation of carvacrol within the framework of the development of active films for food packaging. Liposomes were incorporated into aqueous polymeric solutions from fully (F) and partially (P) hydrolysed Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) to obtain the films by casting. The particle size distribution and ζ-potential of the liposomal suspensions, as well as their stability over time, were evaluated. Liposomal stability during film formation was analysed through the carvacrol retention in the dried film and the film microstructure. Subtle variations in the size distributions of liposomes from different lecithins were observed. However, the absolute values of the ζ-potential were higher (-52, -57 mV) for soy lecithin (SL) liposomes, followed by those of soy lecithin enriched with phosphatidylcholine (SL-PC) (-43, -50 mV) and sunflower lecithin (SFL) (-33, -38 mV). No significant changes in the liposomal properties were observed during the study period. Lyotropic mesomorphism of lipid associations and carvacrol leakage occurred to differing extents during the film drying step, depending on the membrane lipid composition and surface charge. Liposomes obtained with SL-PC were the most effective at maintaining the stability of carvacrol emulsion during film formation, which led to the greatest carvacrol retention in the films, whereas SFL gave rise to the least stable system and the highest carvacrol losses. P-PVA was less sensitive to the emulsion destabilisation due to its greater bonding capacity with carvacrol. Therefore, P-PVA with carvacrol-loaded SL-PC liposomes has great potential to produce active films for food packaging applications.

Columnar Mesomorphism of Board-Shaped Perylene, Diketopyrrolopyrrole, Isoindigo, Indigo, and Quinoxalino-Phenanthrophenazine Dyes.

The properties of organic dyes depend as much on their intermolecular interactions as on their molecular structure. While it is generally predictable what supramolecular structure would be ideal for a specific application, the generation of specific supramolecular structures by molecular design and suitable processing methods remains to be a challenge. A versatile approach to different supramolecular structures has been the application of mesomorphism in conjunction with alignment techniques and self-assembly at interfaces. Reviewed here is the columnar mesomorphism of board-shaped dyes perylene, indigo, isoindigo, diketopyrrolopyrrole, and quinoxalinophenanthrophenazine. They generate a larger number of different supramolecular structures than conventional disc-shaped (discotic) mesogens because of their non-circular shape and directional intermolecular interactions. The mesomorphism of all but the perylene derivatives is systematically and comprehensively covered for the first time.

Coupled Response of Membrane Hydration with Oscillating Metabolism in Live Cells: An Alternative Way to Modulate Structural Aspects of Biological Membranes?

We propose that active metabolic processes may regulate structural changes in biological membranes via the physical state of cell water. This proposition is based on recent results obtained from our group in yeast cells displaying glycolytic oscillations, where we demonstrated that there is a tight coupling between the oscillatory behavior of glycolytic metabolites (ATP, NADH) and the extent of the dipolar relaxation of intracellular water, which oscillates synchronously. The mechanism we suggest involves the active participation of a polarized intracellular water network whose degree of polarization is dynamically modulated by temporal ATP fluctuations caused by metabolism with intervention of a functional cytoskeleton, as conceived in the long overlooked association-induction hypothesis (AIH) of Gilbert Ling. Our results show that the polarized state of intracellular water can be propagated from the cytosol to regions containing membranes. Since changes in the extent of the polarization of water impinge on its chemical activity, we hypothesize that metabolism dynamically controls the local structure of cellular membranes via lyotropic effects. This hypothesis offers an alternative way to interpret membrane related phenomena (e.g., changes in local curvature pertinent to endo/exocytosis or dynamical changes in membranous organelle structure, among others) by integrating relevant but mostly overlooked physicochemical characteristics of the cellular milieu.

Alkylated Aromatic Thioethers with Aggregation-Induced Emission Properties-Assembly and Photophysics.

In this contribution, we present the synthesis and self-assembly of alkylated thioethers with interesting photophysical properties. To this end, the emission, absorption and excitation spectra in organic solvents and as aggregates in water were measured as well as the corresponding photoluminescence quantum yields and lifetimes. The aggregates in aqueous media were visualized and measured using transmission electron microscopy. Besides that, crystal structures of selected compounds allowed a detailed discussion of the structure-property relationship. Furthermore, the mesomorphic behavior was investigated using polarized optical microscopy (POM) as well as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

Dependence of Mesomorphic Behaviour of Methylene-Linked Dimers and the Stability of the NTB /NX Phase upon Choice of Mesogenic Units and Terminal Chain Length.

Twelve symmetrical dimeric materials consisting of a nonamethylene (C9) spacer and either phenyl 4-(4'-alkylphenyl)benzoate, phenyl 4-(4'-alkylcyclohexyl)benzoate or phenyl 4-(4'-alkylbicyclohexyl)carboxylate mesogenic units were prepared and their mesogenic behaviour characterised by POM, DSC and XRD. All of the materials exhibited nematic phases with clearing points in excess of 200 °C. Four compounds were found to exhibit the twist-bend nematic phase, with one material exhibiting a transition from the NTB phase into an anticlinic smectic 'X' phase. Across all three series of compounds the length of terminal chain is seen to dictate, to some degree, the type of mesophase formed: shorter terminal chains favour nematic and NTB mesophases, whereas longer terminal aliphatic chains were found to promote smectic phases.

Novel biphenyl-substituted 1,2,4-oxadiazole ferroelectric liquid crystals: synthesis and characterization.

Two novel series of unsymmetrically substituted 1,2,4-oxadiazole viz., R.Ox.C(*)C n compounds are synthesized and characterized. An optically active, (S)-(+)-methyl 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionate is used to introduce a chiral center in the molecule. A biphenyl moiety prepared by Suzuki coupling reaction is directly attached to the oxadiazole core at C-5 position. Investigations for the phase behavior revealed that the series with a benzyl group on one end of the oxadiazole core exhibits an 1D orthogonal smectic-A phase while the second series with dodecyl flexible end chain shows orthogonal smectic-A and tilted chiral smectic-C (SmC*) phases over a wide range of temperatures. The smectic-C phase exhibits ferroelectric (FE) polarization switching. The mesomorphic thermal stabilities of these compounds are discussed in the domain of the symmetry and the flexibility of the alkyloxy end chain length attached to the chiral center.

Liquid-crystalline nanoparticles: Hybrid design and mesophase structures.

Liquid-crystalline nanoparticles represent an exciting class of new materials for a variety of potential applications. By combining supramolecular ordering with the fluid properties of the liquid-crystalline state, these materials offer the possibility to organise nanoparticles into addressable 2-D and 3-D arrangements exhibiting high processability and self-healing properties. Herein, we review the developments in the field of discrete thermotropic liquid-crystalline nanoparticle hybrids, with special emphasis on the relationship between the nanoparticle morphology and the nature of the organic ligand coating and their resulting phase behaviour. Mechanisms proposed to explain the supramolecular organisation of the mesogens within the liquid-crystalline phases are discussed.