The gut metabolome in a cohort of pregnant and lactating women from Antioquia-Colombia.

Nutrition during the perinatal period is an essential component of health and one that can severely impact the correct development of a human being and its overall condition, in all the subsequent stages of life. The availability of several compounds, mainly macronutrients and micronutrients, plays a key role in the balanced nutrition of both mother and baby and is a process with direct relation to the gut microbiome. Thus, we hereby refer to the set of small molecules derived from gut microbiome metabolism as the gut metabolome. These continuous processes occurring in the gut of a gestating or lactating mother related to microbial communities and nutrients, can be revealed by metabolomics. In this study, we explore for the first time the gut metabolome of pregnant and lactating women, from our region of Antioquia-Colombia, applying untargeted metabolomics by LC-QTOF-MS, and molecular networking. Regarding the gut metabolome composition of the cohort, we found, key metabolites that can be used as biomarkers of microbiome function, overall metabolic health, dietary intake, pharmacology, and lifestyle. In our cohort, pregnant women evidenced a significantly higher abundance of prostaglandins, alkaloids, corticosteroids, organosilicons, and natural toxins, while in lactating women, lipids stand out. Our results suggest that unveiling the metabolic phenotype of the gut microbiome of an individual, by untargeted metabolomics, allows a broad visualization of the chemical space present in this important niche and enables the recognition of influential indicators of the host's health status and habits, especially of women during this significant perinatal period. This study constitutes the first evidence of the use of untargeted LC-QTOF-MS coupled with molecular networking analysis, of the gut microbiome in a Colombian cohort and establishes a methodology for finding relative abundances of key metabolites, with potential use in nutritional and physiological state assessments, for future personalized health and nutrition practices.

Substantial incidence of bladder dysfunction in patients with VACTERL association: Implications for surveillance.

VACTERL association is defined as the nonrandom co-occurrence of a minimum of three of the following six key components: Vertebral anomalies, Anal atresia, Cardiac malformations, Tracheo-Esophageal fistula, Renal anomalies, and Limb abnormalities. Patients presenting with two components may also belong in the same spectrum. Additional components have been associated with VACTERL defects, including single umbilical artery, tethered spinal cord (TSC), and genital malformations. We observed a significant proportion of patients with bladder dysfunction (often called neurogenic bladder in the medical record) when reviewing a cohort of patients with VACTERL defects at our clinical center. Our finding calls attention to bladder dysfunction as an additional VACTERL phenotypic component. The prevalence of bladder dysfunction is greatest in those with genital anomalies, anorectal malformations, sacral dysplasia, renal anomalies, and TSC. We propose that patients with two or more VACTERL malformations be monitored for symptoms of bladder dysfunction if one or more of the identified risk factors are present until the achievement of urinary continence.

Multi-omics characterization of the microbial populations and chemical space composition of a water kefir fermentation.

In recent years, the popularity of fermented foods has strongly increased based on their proven health benefits and the adoption of new trends among consumers. One of these health-promoting products is water kefir, which is a fermented sugary beverage based on kefir grains (symbiotic colonies of yeast, lactic acid and acetic acid bacteria). According to previous knowledge and the uniqueness of each water kefir fermentation, the following project aimed to explore the microbial and chemical composition of a water kefir fermentation and its microbial consortium, through the integration of culture-dependent methods, compositional metagenomics, and untargeted metabolomics. These methods were applied in two types of samples: fermentation grains (inoculum) and fermentation samples collected at different time points. A strains culture collection of ∼90 strains was established by means of culture-dependent methods, mainly consisting of individuals of Pichia membranifaciens, Acetobacter orientalis, Lentilactobacillus hilgardii, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Acetobacter pomorum, Lentilactobacillus buchneri, Pichia kudriavzevii, Acetobacter pasteurianus, Schleiferilactobacillus harbinensis, and Kazachstania exigua, which can be further studied for their use in synthetic consortia formulation. In addition, metabarcoding of each fermentation time was done by 16S and ITS sequencing for bacteria and yeast, respectively. The results show strong population shifts of the microbial community during the fermentation time course, with an enrichment of microbial groups after 72 h of fermentation. Metataxonomics results revealed Lactobacillus and Acetobacter as the dominant genera for lactic acid and acetic acid bacteria, whereas, for yeast, P. membranifaciens was the dominant species. In addition, correlation and systematic analyses of microbial growth patterns and metabolite richness allowed the recognition of metabolic enrichment points between 72 and 96 h and correlation between microbial groups and metabolite abundance (e.g., Bile acid conjugates and Acetobacter tropicalis). Metabolomic analysis also evidenced the production of bioactive compounds in this fermented matrix, which have been associated with biological activities, including antimicrobial and antioxidant. Interestingly, the chemical family of Isoschaftosides (C-glycosyl flavonoids) was also found, representing an important finding since this compound, with hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory activity, had not been previously reported in this matrix. We conclude that the integration of microbial biodiversity, cultured species, and chemical data enables the identification of relevant microbial population patterns and the detection of specific points of enrichment during the fermentation process of a food matrix, which enables the future design of synthetic microbial consortia, which can be used as targeted probiotics for digestive and metabolic health.

Current perspectives on food: from nutritionism to healthy, supportive, and sustainable food / Perspectivas actuales sobre alimentación: del nutricionismo a la alimentación saludable, solidaria y sustentable

Abstract Of the many discourses on nutrition and food, two opposing perspectives stand out. On the one hand, "nutritionism" emerged strongly in the last decades, reducing the concept of food to the presence or absence of nutrients and the concept of health to the absence of diseases, a discourse that has influenced modern nutritional and food sciences, as well as the conceptualization of the current corporate food regime. On the other hand, "healthy, supportive, and sustainable food" is a re-emerging perspective associated with the traditional ancestral food system and is founded on the principle of common good since millennia ago. This paper presents a reflection on these two perspectives, taking into account the historical scenario and the socio-political context that characterize them, in order to contribute to the recognition of a food paradigm consistent with the Millennium Development Goals and the human right to food. In addition, this reflection aims to assess the progress that has been made in Colombia to achieve healthy, supportive, and sustainable eating practices in the general population.

Resumen Entre los múltiples discursos sobre nutrición y alimentación, hay dos perspectivas opuestas que se destacan: por una parte, el "nutricionismo", que emergió con gran protagonismo en las últimas décadas y reduce el concepto de alimentación a la presencia o no de nutrientes, y el de salud, a la ausencia de enfermedades, discurso que ha influenciado las ciencias nutricionales y alimentarias modernas y la conceptualización del actual régimen alimentario corporativo, y por otra parte, la "alimentación saludable, solidaria y sustentable", una perspectiva reemergente asociada al sistema alimentario tradicional ancestral constituido a partir de la ética del bien común desde hace miles de años. El presente artículo presenta una reflexión sobre estas dos perspectivas, teniendo en cuenta el panorama histórico y el entorno sociopolítico que las caracterizan, con el propósito de contribuir al reconocimiento de un paradigma alimentario que esté en línea con los objetivos de desarrollo del milenio y con el derecho humano a la alimentación. Además, esta reflexión pretende valorar los avances que se han realizado en Colombia para lograr una alimentación saludable, solidaria y sustentable en la población general.

Young Man With Non-hypertensive Ascites of Unexpected Cause: When Ockham's Razor Is Not Sufficient.

Ascites is defined as the accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity, following an imbalance between production and reabsorption; it is detectable from 50 mL on ultrasound. Three mechanisms have been classically implicated, according to Starling's forces: an increase in the hydrostatic pressure gradient (increased portal venous pressure), a reduction in the oncotic pressure gradient (loss of total proteins, especially albumin), and an increase in peritoneal capillary permeability. This latter mechanism, plus the difference between lymph production and excretion (which favors the accumulation of exudate), explains some of the most notable causes of non-hypertensive ascites (according to the serum albumin in ascites gradient (SAAG)), including peritoneal carcinomatosis and tuberculosis. We present the case of a young man, originally from a tuberculosis endemic area, in whom the study of ascitic fluid guided the workup and the definitive diagnosis, which was unexpected for his age. Finally, a practical approach to non-hypertensive ascites is provided.

Policy action initiatives against obesity in Colombia: a literature review using the NOURISHING framework methodology Colombian policy actions against obesity / Iniciativas de acción de política contra la obesidad en Colombia: una revisión de la literatura a partir de la metodología del marco NOURISHING

Abstract Introduction: In Colombia, obesity is a public health problem that must be addressed by the government through policy action initiatives (PAIs), that is, governmental actions that may or may not be implemented. Objective: To identify PAIs and policy action evaluations (PAEs) against obesity formulated in Colombia since 2005 using the NOURISHING framework methodology. Materials and methods: The search for evidence was conducted between March and August 2019 (with an update in August 2020) as follows: PAIs in government and civil society organization websites. and PAEs in PubMed, SciELO and the Sinergia repository. PAIs were classified according to NOURISHING policy areas. Results: A total of 42 PAIs with 82 lines of action were found: 16 (24 lines) implemented, 17 (37 lines) not implemented, and 9 (21 lines) with insufficient information to determine their implementation (21 lines). These PAIs encompassed all the NOURISHING framework policy areas. The implemented PAIs have more lines of action in the "Harness food supply chain and actions across sectors" area (8/24), while those that have not been implemented have more lines in the "Restrict food and beverage advertising" area (10/37). There were 13 PAEs, and most of them were about food security PAIs focused on food supply (4/13). Conclusions: Colombia has PAIs against obesity that address all the policy areas of the NOURISHING framework. Implemented PAIs focus on food supply, while non-implemented PAIs focus on regulatory measures. A greater government commitment is required in the implementation of PAIs that allow improving the dietary habits of the Colombian population, which will help reduce obesity rates in the country in the medium and long term.

Resumen Introducción. En Colombia, la obesidad es un problema de salud pública que el gobierno debe abordar mediante iniciativas de acción de política (IAP), es decir, acciones gubernamentales que pueden estar implementadas o no. Objetivo. Identificar, mediante la metodología del marco NOURISHING, las IAP y las evaluaciones de acción de política (EAP) contra la obesidad formuladas en Colombia desde 2005. Materiales y métodos. La búsqueda de la evidencia se realizó entre marzo y agosto de 2019 (con una actualización en agosto de 2020) de la siguiente manera: IAP: en sitios web del gobierno y de organizaciones de la sociedad civil; EAP: en PubMed, SciELO y el repositorio Sinergia. Las IAP se clasificaron en las áreas de política del marco NOURISHING. Resultados. Se encontraron 42 IAP con 82 líneas de actuación: 16 (24 líneas) implementadas, 17 (37 líneas) no implementadas, y 9 (21 líneas) sin información suficiente para determinar su implementación (21 líneas). Las IAP abordan todas las áreas de política del marco NOURISHING. Las IAP implementadas tienen más líneas en el área "Habilitar acciones multisectoriales y de suministro de alimentos" (8/24), mientras que las no implementadas, en "Restringir la publicidad de alimentos y bebidas" (10/37). Se identificaron 13 EAP, donde la mayoría fueron sobre IAP en seguridad alimentaria orientadas al suministro de alimentos (4/13). Conclusiones. Colombia tiene IAP contra la obesidad que abarcan todas las áreas de política del marco NOURISHING. Las IAP implementadas se enfocan en el suministro de alimentos y las no implementadas, en medidas regulatorias. Se requiere un mayor compromiso del gobierno en la implementación de IAP sobre medidas regulatorias que permitan mejorar los hábitos alimentarios de la población colombiana, lo que, en el mediano y largo plazo, ayudará a reducir las tasas de obesidad en el país en el mediano y largo plazo.

Can Food and Beverage Advertising Questionnaire Predict Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents from Low- and Middle-Income Countries?

Background: Information about the reliability and validity of questionnaires in low- and middle-income countries remains scarce. Objective: To test the reliability and predictive validity of a food and beverage marketing/advertising questionnaire for South American children and adolescents. Methods: A sample of 330 children (3-10 years old) and 215 adolescents (11-18 years old) was included from seven South American cities: Buenos Aires, Lima, Medellín, Montevideo, Santiago, Sao Paulo, and Teresina. The questionnaire consisted of seven questions about food and beverage marketing/advertising and decision influence. We assessed the reliability using temporal stability (2-week interval) and internal consistency. We assessed the predictive validity based on the risk of excess weight. Results: In children, reliability agreement from κ coefficients ranged from 63.7% to 86.3%, and Cronbach's α (internal consistency estimate) ranged from 0.14 to 0.75. In adolescents, the reliability agreement ranged from 78.9% to 85.7%, and Cronbach's α ranged from 0.14 to 0.76. Exploratory factor analysis revealed two factors for both age groups. The predictive probabilities for excess weight ranged from 22.3% to 61.1% in children and from 24.9% to 64.1% in adolescents. Conclusions: The screen/marketing media questionnaire is a reliable and valid measure for the pediatric population from low- and middle-income countries. This subjective tool provides a feasible screening measure for the influence of advertising on children and adolescents at risk of overweight and obesity.

The OLGA-OLGIM staging and the interobserver agreement for gastritis and preneoplastic lesion screening: a cross-sectional study.

Stomach cancer (SC) incidence and mortality are relevant public health issues worldwide. In Colombia, screening for preneoplastic lesions (PNL) and the presence of H. pylori is not routinely performed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate OLGA-OLGIM staging and the interobserver agreement in gastritis and preneoplastic lesions in patients with gastroduodenal symptoms from Colombia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 272 patients with gastroduodenal symptoms. Gastric biopsies were taken following the Updated Sydney System with the OLGA-OLGIM classification, and the results were evaluated by two pathologists. Chronic gastritis and PNL were reported in 76% and 24% of the patients, respectively. Furthermore, 25% of the patients with PNL displayed gastric atrophy (GA) and 75% intestinal metaplasia (IM). Agreement in the histopathological reading for IM was good, whereas for OLGA was variable, and for the H. pylori quantity was poor. OLGA-OLGIM stages 0-II were the most frequent (96%), while stage III (4%) and SC (4%) were the least frequent. Age and coffee consumption were associated with a higher prevalence of PNL. This work determined that 4% of the population is at high risk of developing SC and would benefit from follow-up studies. Reinforcement of training programs to improve the agreement in histopathology readings is required.

Evaluation of the Validity of a Food Frequency Questionnaire and 24-Hour Dietary Recall to Assess Dietary Iron Intake in Children and Adolescents from the South American Youth/Child Cardiovascular and Environmental Study.

BACKGROUND: A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for South American children and adolescents was developed, but its validity for assessing dietary iron intake has not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the validity of the FFQ and 24-hour dietary recalls (24h-DR) for assessing dietary iron intake in children and adolescents. DESIGN: The South American Youth/Child Cardiovascular and Environmental study is a multicenter observational study, conducted in five South American cities: Buenos Aires (Argentina), Lima (Peru), Medellin (Colombia), Sao Paulo, and Teresina (Brazil). The FFQ assessed dietary intake over the previous 3 months, and the 24h-DR was completed three times (2 weekdays and 1 weekend day) with a minimum 5-day interval between recalls. Blood samples were collected to assess serum iron, ferritin, and hemoglobin levels. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Data of 99 children (aged 3 to 10 years) and 50 adolescents (aged 11 to 17 years) from public and private schools were collected during 2015 to 2017. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Dietary iron intake calculated from the FFQ (using the sum of daily iron intake in all food/food groups) and 24h-DR (mean of 3 days using the multiple source method). STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Dietary iron intake in relation to blood biomarkers were assessed using Spearman rank correlations adjusted for sex, age, and total energy intake, and the quadratic weighted κ coefficients for agreement. RESULTS: Spearman correlations showed very good coefficients (range = 0.78 to 0.85) for the FFQ in both age groups; for the 24h-DR, the coefficients were weak in children and adolescents (range = 0.23 to 0.28). The agreement ranged from 59.9% to 72.9% for the FFQ and from 63.9% to 81.9% for the 24h-DR. CONCLUSION: The South American Youth/Child Cardiovascular and Environmental study FFQ exhibited good validity to rank total dietary iron intake in children and adolescents, and as well as the 24h-DR, presented good strength of agreements when compared with serum iron and ferritin levels.

Individualised prognosis for risk of developing abdominal obesity in the paediatric population.

AIMS: To develop and validate risk scores for predicting abdominal obesity in South American children and adolescents based on extrinsic and intrinsic variables. METHODS: Children (n = 358) and adolescents (n = 369) from seven South American cities from the South American Youth Cardiovascular and Environmental (SAYCARE) Study. The primary outcome was abdominal obesity. Potential predictors were based on sociodemographic, maternal, environmental, and behavioural factors and nutritional status. In multilevel logistic models, associated variables were tested to build the scores, which were internally validated. RESULTS: We identified 120 children and 98 adolescents who were abdominally obese. We found at least five variables associated with the outcome in children with unacceptable predictive capacity. However, in adolescents, we found that biological sex, age, maternal body mass index (BMI), active commuting by bike, soft drink consumption (for risk score A), and weight (for score B) can predict abdominal obesity. Both scores, A and B, showed acceptable performance in the ROC curve [areas under curve: 0.70 (95% CI: 0.56-0.82) and 0.95 (95% CI: 0.89-1.00), respectively]. CONCLUSION: The SAYCARE risk scores present accurate, individualised estimates for identifying adolescents who are at risk of developing abdominal obesity. However, these have not been externally validated.

Enfermedades cardiometabólicas y la mortalidad por el COVID-19 en el inicio de la pandemia en Colombia / Cardiometabolic Diseases and Mortality due to COVID-19 During the Pandemic's Onset in Colombia / Doenças cardiometabólicas e mortalidade por COVID-19 no início da pandemia na Colômbia

Resumen: el escenario de la pandemia actual derivada del COVID-19, infección causada por el virus denominado SARS-CoV-2, ha permitido develar la interacción entre enfermedades infecciosas y enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles, de manera que ha aportado hallazgos que sugieren un aumento en las tasas de mortalidad por COVID-19. El objetivo de este artículo es describir las características sociodemográficas y de morbilidad en los fallecimientos ocurridos en Colombia por COVID-19 al 19 de mayo del 2020. Es un estudio descriptivo a partir de reportes del Instituto Nacional de Salud, sobre fallecimientos de casos positivos por COVID-19, del 6 de marzo al 19 de mayo del 2020. La información sobre factores preexistentes se obtuvo de reportes del periódico El Tiempo en notas de prensa publicadas al respecto. Se realizó análisis descriptivo en Excel y SPSS v25. Se identificaron 613 fallecimientos en el periodo. El mayor número de muertes ocurrió en Bogotá D. C. (35,0 %), seguida de Valle de Cauca (10,4 %), Cartagena (8,6 %), Amazonas (7,2 %) y Meta (5,6 %). La edad promedio de las defunciones fue 67,26 ± 16,28 años, siendo el grupo de edad de 60-79 años en el que más muertes se presentaron, con el 50,7 % de los casos. El 60,8 % de las defunciones ocurrió en personas de sexo masculino, y un 80,1 % tenían alguna morbilidad: 36,2 % padecía hipertensión, 19,2 % diabetes mellitus, 17,1 % EPOC, 16,5 % alguna enfermedad cardiovascular, 11,1 % obesidad y un 16,2 % padecía otro tipo de enfermedad sin especificar. El antecedente de morbilidad por patologías cardiometabólicas asociadas con factores alimentarios y nutricionales favorece la mortalidad en personas infectadas por COVID-19 en Colombia.

Abstract: the current scenario derived from the COVID-19 Infection caused by the virus denominated SARS-CoV-2 has uncovered the interaction between infectious diseases and chronic non-communicable diseases, thus providing findings that suggest an increase in covid-19 mortality rates. The objective of this article is to describe the sociodemographic and morbidity characteristics of deaths occurring In Colombia due to COVID-19 as at May 19,2020. This Is a descriptive study based on reports from the National Institute of Health, on deaths of positive cases due to COVID-19, from March 6 to May 19, 2020. Information on pre-existing factors was obtained from reports on the newspaper El Tiempo in press releases published on the subject. Descriptive analysis was performed in Excel and SPSS v25. 613 deaths were Identified In the period. The highest number of deaths occurred in Bogota D. C. (35.0%), followed by Valle de Cauca (10.4%), Cartagena (8.6%), Amazonas (7.2%) and Meta (5.6%). The average age of the deaths was 67.26 ± 16.28 years, with the 60-79 age group accounting for 50.7 % of the deaths. A total of 60.8 % of the deaths occurred In males, and 80.1 % had some form of morbidity: 36.2% suffered from hypertension, 19.2% from diabetes mellitus, 17.1 % EPOC, 16.5% some cardiovascular disease, 11.1 % obesity and 16.2% other type of unspecified disease. The history of morbidity due to cardiometabolic pathologies associated with dietary and nutritional factors favors mortality In persons infected by COVID-19 in Colombia.

Resumo: o cenário da atual pandemia decorrente da COVID-19, Infecção causada pelo virus chamado SARS-CoV-2, revelou a interação entre doenças Infecciosas e doenças crónicas não transmissíveis, de modo que tem fornecido achados que sugerem um aumento nas taxas de mortalidade por COVID-19. O objetivo deste artigo é descrever as características sociodemográficas e de comorbidade das mortes na Colombia por COVID-19 até o día 19 de maio de 2020. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo baseado em relatórios do Instituto Nacional de Saúde, sobre mortes de casos positivos para COVID-19, de 6 de março a 19 de maio de 2020. Informações sobre fatores pré-existentes foram obtidas de reportagens do jornal El Tiempo em comunicados à imprensa sobre o assunto. A análise descritiva foi realizada no Excel e no SPSS v25. Foram identificadas 613 mortes no período. O maior número de mortes ocorreu na cidade de Bogotá D. C. (35,0 %), seguida por Valle de Cauca (10,4 %), Cartagena (8,6 %), Amazonas (7,2 %) e Meta (5,6 %). A média de idade dos óbitos foi de 67,26 ± 16,28 anos, em que a faixa etária de 60 a 79 anos teve mais óbitos, com 50,7 % dos casos. 60,8 % dos óbitos ocorreram no sexo masculino, e 80,1 % apresentaram alguma comorbidade: 36,2 % sofriam de hipertensão, 19,2 % diabetes mellitus, 17,1 % DPOC, 16,5 % doenças cardiovasculares, 11,1 % obesos e 16,2 % tinham outra doença não especificada. A história de comorbidade por patologias cardiometabólicas associadas a fatores alimentares e nutricionais favorece a mortalidade em pessoas infectadas com COVID-19 na Colômbia.

Metabolic syndrome may be associated with a lower prevalence of iron deficiency in Ecuadorian women of reproductive age.

The present study aimed to assess the associations of the stages of Fe deficiency (Fe deficiency without anaemia (ID) and Fe-deficiency anaemia (IDA)) and anaemia with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Ecuadorian women. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 5894 women aged 20-59 years, based on data from the 2012 Ecuadorian National Health and Nutrition Survey. The sample was stratified by age. A χ2 test was used to assess the possible associations of ID, IDA and anaemia with MetS. The prevalence ratio (PR) for each stage of Fe deficiency and anaemia was estimated considering women without MetS as a reference. The total prevalence of MetS, ID, IDA and anaemia was 32⋅3 % (se 0⋅6), 6⋅2 % (se 0⋅3), 7⋅1 % (se 0⋅3) and 5⋅0 % (se 0⋅3), respectively. In women aged 20-29, 30-39 and 40-49 years, MetS was associated with a lower prevalence of ID (PR (95 % CI; P-value)): 0⋅17 (0⋅06, 0⋅46; P < 0⋅001), 0⋅69 (0⋅48, 0⋅99; P = 0⋅044) and 0⋅44 (0⋅29, 0⋅67; P < 0⋅001), respectively. In women aged 50-59 years, MetS was associated with IDA and anaemia (PR (95 % CI; P-value)): 0⋅12 (0⋅02, 0⋅96; P = 0⋅026) and 0⋅22 (0⋅07, 0⋅64; P = 0⋅002), respectively. In conclusion, Ecuadorian women of reproductive age with MetS have a lower prevalence of ID compared with those without MetS. Furthermore, the MetS and IDA coexist at the population level. These findings require an analysis from a dietary pattern approach, which could provide key elements for developing public policies that simultaneously address all forms of malnutrition.

Inequalities in food consumption the Colombian households: Results from the National Survey of Nutritional Status / Desigualdades en el consumo de alimentos en hogares colombianos: Resultados de la Encuesta Nacional de Situación Nutricional / Desigualdades no consumo de alimentos em lares colombianos: Resultados da Enquete Nacional de Situação Nutricional

Abstract Introduction: adverse socioeconomic conditions may cause food intake characterized by inequality that derives in malnutrition increases. Objective. To identify inequalities in food consumption among the Colombian population according to socioeconomic status and the food security classification for households. Methods. The data were obtained from the 2005 National Survey of Nutritional Status, and the analysis used the first 24-hour recall n=39,413 Colombians. The statistical analysis took into account descriptive statistics and 95% confidence intervals. A multivariate analysis was performed through multinomial logistic regression models, with each of the food groups as a dependent variable. Finally, a latent class analysis was performed to understand the heterogeneity of the inequalities in food consumption in the households. Results. Low-socioeconomic status households showed higher consumption of cereals, tubers and plantains, non-alcoholic beverages, and fats. I contrast, higher socioeconomic status households showed higher consumption of dairy products, fruit, vegetables, and sugars/sweets. The food security classification found that food-secure households had a higher consumption of meat, dairy, vegetables, fruit, and sugars/sweets. Households classified as food-insecure showed a higher consumption of cereals, tubers and plantains, and non-alcoholic beverages. The consumption of tubers and plantains showed a clear social gradient, in higher socioeconomic status there was lower consumption probability of those products. Conclusion. There are inequalities in food consumption in Colombia according to socioeconomic status and the food security classification; therefore, people and families with the most unfavorable socioeconomic status have diets with less nutritional value.

Resumen Objetivo: Identificar las inequidades en el consumo de alimentos según nivel socioeconómico y clasificación de seguridad alimentaria de los hogares colombianos. Métodos: Los datos provienen de la Encuesta Nacional de la Situación Nutricional de 2005, y se utilizó el primer recordatorio de 24 horas n=39,413 colombianos. El análisis estadístico tuvo en cuenta estadística descriptiva e intervalos de confianza del 95%. Se realizó un análisis de regresión logística multinomial, con cada uno de los grupos de alimentos como una variable dependiente. Finalmente, se realizó un análisis de clases latentes para capturar la heterogeneidad de las inequidades en el consumo de alimentos en los hogares. Resultados: Los hogares clasificados con un nivel socioeconómico bajo mostraron un mayor consumo de cereales, tubérculos/plátanos, bebidas no alcohólicas y grasas. Por otro lado, se observó que un nivel socioeconómico alto conllevó un mayor consumo de lácteos, frutas, verduras y azúcares/postres. Según clasificación de seguridad alimentaria, los hogares considerados en seguridad tenían un mayor consumo de carne, lácteos, verduras, frutas y azúcares/postres. Los hogares clasificados en inseguridad alimentaria mostraron mayor consumo de cereales, tubérculos/plátanos, y bebidas no alcohólicas. El consumo de tubérculos y plátanos mostró un gradiente social, con menor probabilidad de consumo a mayor nivel socioeconómico. Conclusión: Existen inequidades en el consumo de alimentos en Colombia según nivel socioeconómico y clasificación de seguridad alimentaria, por tanto, las personas y familias en estado socioeconómico más desfavorable tienen dietas con menor valor nutricional.

Resumo Objetivo: Identificar as desigualdades no consumo de alimentos segundo o nível socioeconômico e classificação de segurança alimentar dos lares colombianos. Métodos: Os dados provêm da Enquete Nacional da Situação Nutricional de 2005, e se utilizou o primeiro lembrete de 24 horas n=39,413 colombianos. A análise estatístico levando em conta Estatísticas descritiva e intervalos de confiança de 95%. Realizou-se uma análise de regressão logística multinominal, com cada um dos grupos de alimentos como uma variável dependente. Finalmente, realizou-se uma análise de classes latentes para capturar a heterogeneidade das desigualdades no consumo de alimentos nos lares. Resultados: Os lares classificados com um nível socioeconómico baixo amostraram um maior consumo de cereais, tubérculos/ banana da terra, bebidas não alcoólicas e gorduras. Por outro lado, observou-se que um nível socioeconómico alto tem um maior consumo de lácteos, frutas, verduras e açúcares/sobremesas. Segundo a clasificação de segurança alimentar, os lares considerados em segurança tinham um maior consumo de carne, lácteos, verduras, frutas e açúcares/sobremesas. Os lares classificados em insegurança alimentar evidenciaram maior consumo de cereais, tubérculos/banana da terra, e bebidas não alcoólicas. O consumo de tubérculos e banana da terra evidenciou uma desigualdade social, com menor probabilidade de consumo no nível socioeconômico mais alto. Conclusão: Existem desigualdades no consumo de alimentos na Colômbia de acordo com o nível socioeconômico e classificação de segurança alimentar. Deste modo, as pessoas e famílias em condições socioeconômicos mais desfavoráveis têm dietas com menor valor nutricional.

Cellular and molecular insights on the regulation of innate immune responses to experimental aspergillosis in chicken and turkey poults.

Across the world, many commercial poultry flocks and captive birds are threatened by infection with Aspergillus fumigatus. Susceptibility to aspergillosis varies among birds; among galliform birds specifically, morbidity and mortality rates seem to be greater in turkeys than in chickens. Little is known regarding the features of avian immune responses after inhalation of Aspergillus conidia, and to date, scarce information on inflammatory responses during aspergillosis exists. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to improve our understanding of the interactions between A. fumigatus and economically relevant galliform birds in terms of local innate immune responses. Intra-tracheal aerosolization of A. fumigatus conidia in turkey and chicken poults led to more severe clinical signs and lung lesions in turkeys, but leukocyte recovery from lung lavages was higher in chickens at 1dpi only. Interestingly, only chicken CD8+ T lymphocyte proportions increased after infection. Furthermore, the lungs of infected chickens showed an early upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1ß, IFN-γ and IL-6, whereas in turkeys, most of these cytokines showed a downregulation or a delayed upregulation. These results confirmed the importance of an early pro-inflammatory response to ensure the development of an appropriate anti-fungal immunity to avoid Aspergillus dissemination in the respiratory tract. In conclusion, we show for the first time that differences in local innate immune responses between chickens and turkeys during aspergillosis may determine the outcome of the disease.

Aspergillus fumigatus infection may cause mortality in poultry, depending on species sensitivity. This study confirms the earlier activation of chickens' pro-inflammatory effectors to control Aspergillus dissemination, whereas turkeys' immune response enables the exacerbation of lung lesions.

Eye vergence responses in children with and without reading difficulties during a word detection task.

Vergence eye movements are movements of both eyes in opposite directions. Vergence is known to have a role in binocular vision. However recent studies link vergence eye movements also to attention and attention disorders. As attention may be involved in dyslexia, it is sensible to guess that the presence of reading difficulties can be associated with specific patterns in vergence responses. Data from school children performing a word-reading task have been analysed. In the task, children had to distinguish words from non-words (scrambled words or row of X's), while their eye positions were recorded. Our findings show that after stimulus presentation eyes briefly converge. These vergence responses depend on the stimulus type and age of the child, and are different for children with reading difficulties. Our findings support the idea of a role of attention in word reading and offer an explanation of altered attention in dyslexia.

Inducible Antibacterial Activity in the Bacillales by Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride.

The world is in the midst of an antimicrobial resistance crisis, driving a need to discover novel antibiotic substances. Using chemical cues as inducers to unveil a microorganism's full metabolic potential is considered a successful strategy. To this end, we investigated an inducible antagonistic behavior in multiple isolates of the order Bacillales, where large inhibition zones were produced against Ralstonia solanacearum only when grown in the presence of the indicator triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC). This bioactivity was produced in a TTC-dose dependent manner. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus sp. isolates were also inhibited by Bacillus sp. strains in TTC presence, to a lesser extent. Knockout mutants and transcriptomic analysis of B. subtilis NCIB 3610 cells revealed that genes from the L-histidine biosynthetic pathway, the purine, pyrimidine de novo synthesis and salvage and interconversion routes, were significantly upregulated. Chemical space studied through metabolomic analysis, showed increased presence of nitrogenous compounds in extracts from induced bacteria. The metabolites orotic acid and L-phenylalaninamide were tested against R. solanacearum, E. coli, Staphylococcus sp. and B. subtilis, and exhibited activity against pathogens only in the presence of TTC, suggesting a biotransformation of nitrogenous compounds in Bacillus sp. cells as the plausible cause of the inducible antagonistic behavior.

Proyecto Petit UBinding: método de adquisición y mejora de la lectura en primero de primaria. Estudio de eficacia / Petit UBinding project: An efficacy study of a reading acquisition and reading improvement method for first grade children

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el impacto de un nuevo método educativo diseñado en la Universidad de Barcelona para dotar a los profesionales de material y herramientas para estimular la lectura en el alumnado de primer curso de educación primaria. Se realizó un diseño pre-post con niños/as separados en 2 grupos: experimental y control. El método fue aplicado en el grupo experimental de noviembre a abril. Tres veces por semana se administraron desde la escuela sesiones grupales en las que se trabajaba mayoritariamente la descodificación, el vocabulario y la comprensión. Por otro lado, de una a 4 veces por semana, según el nivel de eficiencia lectora detectado en cada alumno/a, se llevaron a cabo sesiones individuales online desde el domicilio de los participantes completamente adaptadas al nivel de cada alumno/a, en donde el objetivo principal era trabajar la descodificación. Los análisis mostraron que el grupo experimental obtuvo mejores resultados en fluidez lectora (velocidad y precisión) en todas las pruebas administradas comparado con el grupo de control a final de curso

The aim of this study was to measure the impact of a new method designed at the University of Barcelona to give professionals material and tools that could stimulate reading among first grade of primary school children. The children were split into two groups, an experimental and a control group, and their performances were evaluated within a pre- and post-design. The methodology was applied in the experimental group between November and April. Three times a week, children took part in group sessions that were organized at school. During these sessions, they mainly worked on decoding, vocabulary and comprehension. Between 1 and 4 times a week, according to the reading proficiency of each child, individual online sessions took place at home. These sessions, whose objective was to work primarily on decoding, were entirely adapted to meet the needs of each child, according to his/her level. The analysis of data showed that, at the end of the school term, the experimental group got better results in terms of reading fluency (speed and accuracy) in all tests assessed than the control group

Reliability and validity of an FFQ for South American children and adolescents from the SAYCARE study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyse the reliability and validity of a semi-quantitative FFQ to assess food group consumption in South American children and adolescents. DESIGN: The SAYCARE (South American Youth/Child cARdiovascular and Environmental) study is an observational, multicentre, feasibility study performed in a sample of 3- to 18-year-old children and adolescents attending private and public schools from six South American countries. Participants answered the FFQ twice with a two-week interval and three 24-h dietary recalls. Intraclass and Spearman's correlations, weighted Cohen's kappa (κw), percentage of agreement and energy-adjusted Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated. SETTING: Seven cities in South America (Buenos Aires, Lima, Medelin, Montevideo, Santiago, Sao Paulo and Teresina). SUBJECTS: A sample of 200 children and 244 adolescents for reliability analyses and 252 children and 244 adolescents for validity analyses were included. RESULTS: Depending on the food group, for children and adolescents, reliability analyses resulted in Spearman's coefficients from 0·47 to 0·73, intraclass correlation coefficients from 0·66 to 0·99, κw coefficients from 0·35 to 0·63, and percentage of agreement between 72·75 and 83·52 %. In the same way, validity analyses resulted in Spearman's coefficients from 0·17 to 0·37, energy-adjusted Pearson's coefficients from 0·17 to 0·61, κw coefficients from 0·09 to 0·24, and percentages of agreement between 45·79 and 67·06 %. CONCLUSION: The SAYCARE FFQ achieved reasonable reliability and slight-moderate validity for almost all food groups intakes. Accordingly, it can be used for the purpose of ranking the intake of individuals within a population.