Factors affecting nutrition behavior among middle-class adolescents in urban area of Northern region of Brazil

INTRODUCTION: Brazil has been called a nation in nutrition transitional because of recent increases in the prevalence of obesity and related chronic diseases. With overweight conditions already prevalent among middle-income populations, there exists a need to identify factors that influence nutrition behavior within this group. OBJECTIVE: To address this subject, a research study was implemented among middle-class adolescents attending a large private secondary school in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. The study determined the availability and accessibility of snack foods as well as subjects’ attitudes and preferences towards, and the influence of family and friends on healthy (high-nutrient density) snack choices. METHODS: The 4-stage process included: (a) a nutrition expert focus group discussion that reported local nutrition problems in general and factors related to adolescent nutrition, (b) an adolescent pilot survey (n=63) that solicited information about snacking preferences and habits as well as resources for nutrition information and snack money; (c) a survey of various area food market sources to determine the availability and accessibility of high nutrient density snacks; and (d) a follow-up adolescent survey (n=55) that measured snack food preferences and perceptions about their cost and availability. RESULTS: Results included the finding that, although affordable high nutrient density snacks were available, preferences for low nutrient density snacks prevailed. The adolescents were reportedly more likely to be influenced by and obtain nutrition information from family members than friends. CONCLUSION: From study results it is apparent that a focus on food availability will not automatically result in proper nutritional practices among adolescents. This fact and the parental influence detected are evidence of a need to involve adolescents and their parents in nutrition education campaigns to improve adolescent snack food choices.

Síntese de aminoálcoois derivados do D-manitol

Aminoalcohols have found important applications in synthetic and medicinal chemistry, being used as chiral building blocks for the synthesis of many biologically active compounds. This class of compounds has been also used as chiral auxiliaries and ligands in asymmetric synthesis. Due to the importance of aminoalcohols in the treatment of several diseases, such as tuberculosis, the aim of this article is the synthesis and preliminary evaluation against tuberculosis of six aminoalcohols in 5 or 6 steps using D-mannitol as starting material, which is a useful carbohydrate employed in many syntheses.

Sínteses totais das crocacinas A, C e D: novos antibióticos isolados de Chondromyces crocatus e Chondromyces pediculatus

This review describes the endeavors that led to the total synthesis of a novel class of antibiotic compounds: the crocacins A-D. Other aspects such as isolation, structural elucidation as well as the biological activities are also presented.

pH titration of native and unfolded ß-trypsin: evaluation of the D D G0 titration and the carboxyl pK values

The stabilizing free energy of ß-trypsin was determined by hydrogen ion titration. In the pH range from 3.0 to 7.0, the change in free energy difference for the stabilization of the native protein relative to the unfolded one (D D G0 titration) was 9.51 ± 0.06 kcal/mol. An isoelectric point of 10.0 was determined, allowing us to calculate the Tanford and Kirkwood electrostatic factor w. This factor presented a nonlinear behavior and indicated more than one type of titratable carboxyl groups in ß-trypsin. In fact, one class of carboxyl group with a pK = 3.91 ± 0.01 and another one with a pK = 4.63 ± 0.03 were also found by hydrogen ion titration of the protein in the folded state

Sleep-wake pattern of medical students: early versus late class starting time

The sleep-wake cycle of students is characterized by delayed onset, partial sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality. Like other circadian rhythms, the sleep-wake cycle is influenced by endogenous and environmental factors. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of different class starting times on the sleep-wake pattern of 27 medical students. The data were collected during two medical school semesters having different class starting times. All subjects answered the Portuguese version of the Horne and Östberg Morningness/Eveningness Questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and kept a sleep diary for two weeks during each semester. Better sleep quality (PSQI = 5.3 vs 3.4), delayed sleep onset (23:59 vs 0:54 h) and longer sleep duration (6 h and 55 min vs 7 h and 25 min) were observed with the late schedule. We also found reduced sleep durations during weekdays and extended sleep durations during weekends. This pattern was more pronounced during the semester with the early class schedule, indicating that the students were more sleep deprived when their classes began earlier in the morning. These results require further investigation regarding the temporal organization of our institutions.

Typing class I HLA-A gene using a nested PCR-RFLP procedure

In order to detect several new HLA-A class I alleles that have been described since 1998, the original PCR-RFLP method developed to identify the 78 alleles recognized at that time at high resolution level was adapted by us for low and medium resolution levels using a nested PCR-RFLP approach. The results obtained from blood samples of 23 subjects using both the PCR-RFLP method and a commercial kit (MicroSSP1A®, One Lambda Inc.) showed an agreement higher than 95%. The PCR-RFLP adapted method was effective in low and medium resolution histocompatibility evaluations.

Distribution of the human leukocyte antigen class II alleles in Brazilian patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global medical problem. The current standard of treatment consists of the combination of peginterferon plus ribavirin. This regimen eradicates HCV in 55% of cases. The immune response to HCV is an important determinant of disease evolution and can be influenced by various host factors. HLA class II may play an important role in immune response against HCV. The objective of the present study was to determine the distribution of HLA class II (DRB1 and DQB1) alleles, their association with chronic HCV infection and their response to interferon therapy. One hundred and two unrelated white Brazilian patients with chronic HCV infection, 52 responders (45 males and 7 females) and 50 non-responders (43 males and 7 females) to antiviral treatment, were included in the study. Healthy Brazilian bone marrow donors of Caucasian origin from the same geographic area constituted the control group (HLA-DRB1, N = 99 and HLA-DQB1, N = 222 individuals). HLA class II genotyping was performed using a low-resolution DRB1, DQB1 sequence-specific primer amplification. There were higher frequencies of HLA-DRB1*13 (26.5 vs 14.1%) and HLA-DQB1*02 (52.9 vs 38.7%) in patients compared with controls; however, these were not significantly different after P correction (Pc = 0.39 and Pc = 0.082, respectively). There was no significant difference between the phenotypic frequencies of HLA-DRB1 (17.3 vs 14.0%) and HLA-DQB1 alleles in responder and non-responder HCV patients. The HLA-DRB1*07 allele was significantly more common in HCV patients (33.3 vs 12.1%) than in controls (Pc = 0.0039), suggesting that the HLA-DRB1*07 allele is associated with chronic HCV infection.

Germinação in vitro e desenvolvimento pós-seminal de plântulas de Pilosocereus aurisetus (Werderm.) Byles & G.D. Rowley (Cactaceae)

Pilosocereus aurisetus é uma espécie de cactos de importância econômica e ambiental que se encontra em risco de extinção. A propagação em áreas naturais ocorre, principalmente, de forma sexuada; entretanto, não há registro da germinação e viabilidade de sementes e morfologia pós-seminal de plântulas dessa espécie. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar a germinação de sementes e descrever a morfologia do desenvolvimento pós-seminal de plântulas de P. aurisetus. Para isso, sementes, armazenadas em condições ambientais por 19 meses, foram submetidas aos tratamentos: embebição em água por 24 horas; pré-resfriamento; imersão em solução de giberelina, nas concentrações de 250 mg L-1 e 500 mg L-1; e um tratamento controle. As sementes foram colocadas para germinar em meio de cultura MS, por 30 dias, quando se avaliou a percentagem de germinação. O delineamento estatístico foi o inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos e quatro repetições, sendo dispostas 25 sementes por parcela. A caracterização pós-seminal foi realizada por um período de 60 dias, utilizando-se microscópio binocular, com base nas Regras para Análise de Sementes. Maior percentagem da germinação de sementes ocorreu no controle, ou quando embebidas por 24 horas, sendo observados 90% e 83%, respectivamente. A morfologia do desenvolvimento pós-seminal indicou que a germinação é do tipo epígea, com hipocótilo de reserva; suas plântulas sofrem modificações na região do colo, para a emissão de raízes, e apresentam cerdas no ápice caulinar, mesmo na fase inicial da expansão cotiledonar. A diferenciação e início da formação das costelas iniciam-se aos 60 dias após a germinação, com o desenvolvimento do epicótilo.