Impact of HIV-Related Stigma on Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence, Engagement and Retention in HIV Care, and Transition to Adult HIV Care in Pediatric and Young Adult Populations Living With HIV: A Literature Review.

HIV-related stigma is associated with negative effects on mental health and lower health-related quality of life in pediatric and young adult populations living with HIV. We reviewed literature on the impact of HIV-related stigma on suboptimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, engagement and retention in HIV care, and transition to adult HIV care in children, adolescents, and young adults living with HIV. PubMed and Embase were searched for publications reporting relevant data published from January 1, 2012, to April 13, 2023.

Supplementation with Folic Acid or 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate and Prevention of Neural Tube Defects: An Evidence-Based Narrative Review.

Folic acid (FA), which in its chemical form is pteroylglutamic acid, is the fully oxidised, water-soluble, monoglutamic form of vitamin B9. This compound is part of the folate group but with higher bioavailability, and it is found in vitamin supplements and fortified foods and drugs. Folate metabolism is complex and associated with various metabolic pathways, all of which confer protection on the cell and allow its survival.

Drug Consumption and Hydration Status: Analysis of the Associations in an Elder Population.

Hydration status plays a key role in healthy ageing, and it is potentially affected by several factors, including drug consumption. However, research on this issue to date is scarce, especially in highly vulnerable groups, such as the elderly. We aimed to study the relationship linking hydration status, analysed by means of a validated questionnaire, 24 h urine analysis, body composition assessment, and drug consumption in a sample of old adults.

Nutritional Status of Breastfeeding Mothers and Impact of Diet and Dietary Supplementation: A Narrative Review.

Adequate nutrition during breastfeeding is crucial for ensuring the good health of mothers and babies. Despite the high energy and nutrient demands of breastfeeding, lactating women are often vulnerable from a nutritional perspective. The nutritional focus during breastfeeding tends to be on the newborn, often neglecting the mother's diet.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intakes, Determinants and Dietary Sources in the Spanish Population: Findings from the ANIBES Study.

The multiple roles of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in growth and general health are well documented. However, available intake data for the Spanish population are limited and lack gender and age considerations. Therefore, our goal was to assess dietary intake adequacy of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA, their determinants and their major food sources among the Spanish population.

Hearing Function and Nutritional Status in Aviation Pilots from Spain Exposed to High Acoustic Damage.

Noise-induced hearing loss is the most frequent and preventable occupational disease. Aviation pilots are a vulnerable population, as they spend many hours exposed to noise pollution in their working environment. Different studies suggest that certain dietary compounds may play a key role in the etiology and prevention of this pathology.

Perception and knowledge of low- and no-calorie sweeteners in multidisciplinary stakeholders from Spain.

Low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) as a category are one of the most thoroughly evaluated additives, and thus their safety has been largely recognised. However, their potential risks and benefits generate great controversy and discussion within countries' food policies and public debate. The goal of this study was to evaluate the degree of knowledge and the perception of key Spanish stakeholders about the role of LNCS in diet, their safety, regulatory issues and their impact on health and wellness, as well as to complete a SWOT analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats regarding this topic from their perspective.

A Descriptive Analysis of Macronutrient, Fatty Acid Profile, and Some Immunomodulatory Nutrients in Standard and Disease-Specific Enteral Formulae in Europe.

Foods for special medical purposes (FSMPs) are commercially available formulations used as a source of nutrition when administered orally or by tube feeding. This study examines, for the first time, the nutritional composition of enteral formulae (EFs) according to European nutritional guidelines. We developed a descriptive study on 118 EFs from 2020 to 2021.

Iron Supplementation at the Crossroads of Nutrition and Gut Microbiota: The State of the Art.

Gut microbiota has received significant attention owing to its decisive role in human health and disease. Diet exerts a significant influence on the variety and number of bacteria residing in the intestinal epithelium. On the other hand, as iron is a key micronutrient for blood formation and oxygen supply, its deficiency is highly prevalent worldwide.

Low- and No-Calorie Sweetener (LNCS) Presence and Consumption among the Portuguese Adult Population.

The use of low and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) in food and beverages has become increasingly common in the development and reformulation of products to reduce energy derived from added sugars. Our aim was to identify the presence and consumption of LNCS through food and beverages according to consumption patterns in a representative sample ( = 256) of the Portuguese adult population. The study had a descriptive cross-sectional observational design and was based on the application of a Food Frequency Questionnaire.

Effects of Supplementation with Folic Acid and Its Combinations with Other Nutrients on Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: A Narrative Review.

Cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's Disease, among other cognitive dysfunctions, has been recognized as a major public health problem. Folic acid is a well-known essential nutrient whose deficiency has been linked to neurocognitive dysfunctions, owing to hyperhomocysteinemia, an independent risk factor for cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases, including cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's Disease, and vascular dementia. However, to date, there is certain controversy about the efficacy of vitamin supplementation in patients with these pathologies.

Effectiveness of Community-Based Interventions Programs in Childhood Obesity Prevention in a Spanish Population According to Different Socioeconomic School Settings.

Overweight and obesity amongst childhood are currently global health issues. However, this is the best stage of life to prevent diseases and to promote healthy habits. In our study, we evaluate the effectiveness of the THAO Salud Infantil, a community-based intervention program, by means of a cross-sectional study carried out from 2009 to 2019 surveying children aged 3 to 12 years old ( = 27,686).

Association between Hydration Status and Body Composition in Healthy Adolescents from Spain.

At present, obesity and overweight are major public health concerns. Their classical determinants do not sufficiently explain the current situation and it is urgent to investigate other possible causes. In recent years, it has been suggested that water intake could have important implications for weight management.

Influence of Water Intake and Balance on Body Composition in Healthy Young Adults from Spain.

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity has become an epidemic public health problem worldwide. In the last years, several investigations have suggested that water intake and retention could have important implications for both weight management and body composition. However, there is a lack of information about this issue globally, and mainly specifically in Spain.

Effects of Drugs and Excipients on Hydration Status.

Despite being the most essential nutrient, water is commonly forgotten in the fields of pharmacy and nutrition. Hydration status is determined by water balance (the difference between water input and output). Hypohydration or negative water balance is affected by numerous factors, either internal (i.

Interplay between Nutrition and Hearing Loss: State of Art.

Hearing loss has been recently ranked as the fifth leading cause of years lived with disability, ahead of many other chronic diseases such as diabetes, dementia, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Moreover, according to the World Health Organization, moderate-to-profound hearing loss affects about 466 million people worldwide. Its incidence varies in each population segment, affecting approximately 10% of children and increasing to 30% of the population over 65 years.

Additive manufacturing of scaffolds with dexamethasone controlled release for enhanced bone regeneration.

The adoption of additive manufacturing in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) strategies greatly relies on the development of novel 3D printable materials with advanced properties. In this work we have developed a material for bone TERM applications with tunable bioerosion rate and dexamethasone release profile which can be further employed in fused deposition modelling (the most common and accessible 3D printing technology in the market). The developed material consisted of a blend of poly-ϵ-caprolactone (PCL) and poloxamine (Tetronic®) and was processed into a ready-to-use filament form by means of a simplified melt-based methodology, therefore eliminating the utilization of solvents.

Antiretroviral treatment initiation does not differentially alter neurocognitive functioning over time in youth with behaviorally acquired HIV.

Although youth living with behaviorally acquired HIV (YLWH) are at risk for cognitive impairments, the relationship of impairments to HIV and potential to improve with antiretroviral therapy (ART) are unclear. This prospective observational study was designed to examine the impact of initiation and timing of ART on neurocognitive functioning in YLWH in the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions. Treatment naïve YLWH age 18-24 completed baseline and four additional assessments of attention/working memory, complex executive, and motor functioning over 3 years.

Osteogenic poly(ε-caprolactone)/poloxamine homogeneous blends prepared by supercritical foaming.

Homogeneous poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poloxamines (PLXs) porous blends were prepared using a supercritical carbon dioxide-assisted foaming/mixing (SFM) approach aiming to obtain cytocompatible implantable materials presenting tunable morphologies, bioerosion rates, bioactive molecules release and osteogenic features. Pure PCL, pure PLXs (T908 and T1107 varieties) and three distinct PCL:PLX 75:25, 50:50, 25:75% w/w blends, with and without the osteogenic and angiogenic bioactive molecule simvastatin were processed at constant pressure of 20 MPa and temperature of 40 °C or 43 °C, for T1107 and T908, respectively. Obtained porous blends were characterized applying a wide range of techniques and in vitro methods.

Materials with fungi-bioinspired surface for efficient binding and fungi-sensitive release of antifungal agents.

Materials with fungi-bioinspired surface have been designed to host ergosterol-binding polyene antibiotics and to release them via a competitive mechanism only when fungi are present in the medium. Silicone rubber (SR) surfaces were endowed with selective loading and fungi-triggered release of polyene antifungal agents by means of a two-step functionalization that involved the grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) via a γ-ray preirradiation method (9-21.3% wt grafting) and the subsequent immobilization of ergosterol (3.

Pectin-coated chitosan microgels crosslinked on superhydrophobic surfaces for 5-fluorouracil encapsulation.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)-loaded chitosan microgels for oral and topical chemotherapy were prepared applying a superhydrophobic surface-based encapsulation technology. Drug-loaded chitosan dispersions were cross-linked and then coated with drug-free chitosan or pectin layers at the solid-air interface in a highly efficient and environment-friendly way. The size of the microgels (with diameters of ca.

Crosslinked ionic polysaccharides for stimuli-sensitive drug delivery.

Polysaccharides are gaining increasing attention as components of stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems, particularly since they can be obtained in a well characterized and reproducible way from the natural sources. Ionic polysaccharides can be readily crosslinked to render hydrogel networks sensitive to a variety of internal and external variables, and thus suitable for switching drug release on-off through diverse mechanisms. Hybrids, composites and grafted polymers can reinforce the responsiveness and widen the range of stimuli to which polysaccharide-based systems can respond.

End-group rearrangements in poly(propylene sulfide) matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight analysis. Experimental evidence and possible mechanisms.

Rationale: Polysulfides [poly(1,2-alkylene sulfides)] are oxidation-responsive polymers that are finding application in drug release and biomaterials. The precise knowledge of their macromolecular characteristics is of the essence in view of their application to biological systems.

Methods: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) with and without silver trifluoroacetate was used to characterize a series of polymers with increasing molecular weight in the range 1000-4000 g/mol and with low polydispersity (<1.

Hot melt poly-ε-caprolactone/poloxamine implantable matrices for sustained delivery of ciprofloxacin.

It has been suggested that prevention and treatment of osteomyelitis could be achieved through local drug delivery using implantable devices, which provide therapeutic levels at the infection site with minimum side-effects. Physical blends of polycaprolactone (PCL) and poloxamine (Tetronic®) were prepared by applying a solvent-free hot melting approach to obtain cytocompatible implants with a tunable bioerosion rate, ciprofloxacin release profile and osteoconductive features. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray analysis indicate that the hydrophilic poloxamine varieties T908, T1107, and T1307 are miscible with PCL, while the hydrophobic block copolymer T1301 is immiscible.