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The bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) represents a major risk factor associated with the development of gastric cancer. The anti-oxidant curcumin has been ascribed many benefits to human health, including bactericidal effects. However, these effects are poorly reproducible because the molecule is extremely unstable and water insoluble. Here we solubilized curcumin as either nanoemulsions or chitosan nanocapsules and tested the effects on H. pylori. The nanoemulsions were on average 200 nm in diameter with a PdI ≤ 0.16 and a negative zeta potential (-54 mV), while the nanocapsules were 305 nm in diameter with a PdI ≤ 0.29 and a positive zeta potential (+68 mV). Nanocapsules were safer than nanoemulsions when testing effects on the viability of GES-1 gastric cells. Also, nanocapsules were more efficient than nanoemulsions at inhibiting H. pylori growth (minimal inhibitory concentration: 50 and 75 µM, respectively), whereby chitosan contributed to this activity. Importantly, both formulations effectively diminished H. pylori's adherence to and internalization by GES-1 cells, as well as biofilm formation. In summary, the demonstrated activity of the curcumin nanoformulations described here against H. pylori posit them as having great potential to treat or complement other therapies currently in use against H. pylori infection.

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Background: Porphyromonas gingivalis is part of the subgingival biofilm and a keystone species in the development of periodontitis. Interactions between P.gingivalis and other bacteria in biofilms have been shown to affect bacterial virulence. Helicobacter pylori also inhabits the subgingival biofilm, but the consequences of interactions there with P.gingivalis remain unknown. Here, we investigated how the pre-incubation of P.gingivalis with H.pylori affects P.gingivalis virulence. Methods: We assayed P.gingivalis internalization by oral keratinocytes (OKs), hemagglutination and biofilm formation to identify alterations in virulence after pre-incubation with H. pylori. Also, we evaluated viability and migration of OKs infected with P. gingivalis, as well as the role of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4).   In addition, we quantified the mRNA of genes associated with P.gingivalis virulence. Results: Pre-incubation of P.gingivalis with H.pylori enhanced P.gingivalis biofilm formation, bacterial internalization into OKs and hemagglutination. Infection with pre-incubated P.gingivalis increased OK migration in a manner dependent on the O-antigen and linked to  increased expression of the gingipain RgpB. Also, OK TLR4 participates in these events, because upon TLR4 knock-down, pre-incubated P.gingivalis no longer stimulated OK migration. Discussion: We provide here for the first time insight to the consequences of direct interaction between P.gingivalis and H.pylori. In doing so, we shed light on the mechanism by which H. pylori presence in the oral cavity increases the severity or progression of periodontitis.

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The objective of this study was to develop clarithromycin-loaded lipid nanocarriers and incorporate them into microcapsules for pH-specific localized release of clarithromycin in the Helicobacter pylori microenvironment in order to obtain a gastro-retentive and pH-sensitive formulation. A Plackett-Burman design was applied to identify the effect of 5 factors on 3 responses. Then, a central composite design was applied to estimate the most important factors leading to the best compromise between lower particle size, polydispersity index and particle size changes. The optimized clarithromycin-loaded nanocapsules were employed to generate microcapsules by different methodologies. Nanocarriers and microcapsules were characterized in vitro. Experimental design and conditions were optimized to obtain nanocapsules of around 100 nm by a modified phase inversion-based process. High particle size homogeneity and high stability were achieved. At 4 °C both optimized lipid nanocapsules were stable during at least 365 days, confirming stability under those conditions. Clarithromycin incorporation in the nanocarrier was effective. Both types of microcoating were evaluated regarding their pH sensitivity. Spray drying microcapsules exhibited similar and uncontrolled release profiles at pH 2 and 7.4. Alternatively, when microcoatings were generated using an Encapsulator, release was insignificant at pH 2, while at pH 7.4 release was triggered, and appeared more appropriate to formulate microcapsules that release nanocarriers under pH neutral Helicobacter pylori microenvironment conditions, thereby permitting effective drug delivery in infected locations. The release of clarithromycin from lipid nanocarrier loaded microcapsules was pH-sensitive suggesting that this could be an effective strategy for clarithromycin delivery to the Helicobacter pylori microenvironment. Clarithromycin nanocapsules with and without microcoating showed a high anti-Helicobacter pylori activity in vitro.

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The present study aims to collect data about the prevalence of cyberbullying and the role of self-esteem, empathy, and social skills in predicting cybervictimization and cyberaggression in two different countries: Spain and Ecuador. Additionally, it compares the similarities found in both countries. A wide sample of adolescents from Secondary Education (N = 24943; mean age = 13.92; SD = 1.30, girls = 49.9%) from both countries (Spain = 14,206 and Ecuador = 10,737) took part by filling in a set of self-reports. Weighted analyses and structural equation models were used. The results revealed that 8.8% were cybervictims, 3.1% were cyberaggressors and 4.9% cybervictims-cyberaggressors in Spain; whereas 8.7% were cybervictims, 5.1% were cyberaggressors and 14.3% were cybervictims-cyberaggressors in Ecuador. Cybervictimization could be predicted in both countries by means of self-deprecation and social skills, although the meaning of some skills was different depending on the country. Cyberaggression could be predicted in both countries by means of empathy, assertiveness, and conflict-resolution skills, as well as by communicative and relational skills. Self-deprecation was a predictor of cyberaggression only in Spain. These results are discussed, and educational inferences are drawn for prevention.

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Although bullying and cyberbullying have been widely studied in diverse geographical areas, the number of studies in isolated regions, located in rainforests such as the Peruvian Amazonia, is low. Most research has been conducted in wealthy, Western countries, although disadvantaged areas are usually the most affected by various problems. Thus, the aims of this study were to validate bullying and cyberbullying measurement instruments among adolescents in the Peruvian Amazonia, to determine the prevalence rates of bullying and cyberbullying among this population, and to examine how bullying and cyberbullying relate to self-esteem, empathy, and social skills. The sample included 607 students from the region of Loreto (Peruvian Amazonia) who completed self-report questionnaires. Both questionnaires used in the sample were found to have good psychometric properties. Results showed that bullying and cyberbullying are prevalent among teenagers in the Amazonia. Low self-esteem and high affective empathy predicted bullying victimization. Being a bully was related to high assertiveness. Being a bully-victim was related to low self-esteem and low assertiveness. Cybervictims showed higher cognitive empathy. Cyberbullies showed higher affective empathy in comparison to uninvolved adolescents. Having low self-esteem and higher affective empathy were related to being a cyberbully/victim. This study provides a validated questionnaire that can be used for research and practice in the Amazonia. Based on the current results, tailored anti-bullying and anti-cyberbullying interventions with components focused on self-esteem, empathy, and social skills should be implemented in Peruvian secondary schools.

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Bullying is a social problem characterized by intentional aggression over time, usually in school contexts and in cyberspace (cyberbullying). There has been growing interest in preventing that phenomenon to reduce its adverse effects. Different studies and reports suggest that Physical Education may be a setting of interest to promote attitudes and behaviors against bullying. This work examines the state of the debate in this area through scientific literature. Based on the analysis of the evidence, we conclude by making recommendations regarding strategies and skills that should be included in Physical Education curricula to prevent bullying and cyberbullying. Among those most widely used, we highlight cooperative methodologies, a teaching attitude that promotes a motivational climate focused on the task, and curricular integration of teaching resources that address skills and protective factors.

O bullying é um problema social caracterizado pela agressão intencional que ocorre ao longo do tempo, geralmente em contextos escolares e no ciberespaço (cyberbullying). Tem havido um interesse crescente na prevenção deste fenômeno, a fim de reduzir os efeitos adversos. Diferentes estudos e relatórios sugerem que o tema da Educação Física pode ser um cenário de interesse para promover atitudes e comportamentos contra o bullying. O objetivo deste trabalho é examinar o estado da questão nesta área através de uma revisão da literatura científica. Com base na análise das evidências, concluímos fazendo recomendações sobre estratégias e habilidades que devem ser incluídas nos currículos de Educação Física para prevenir o bullying e o cyberbullying. Dentre as mais utilizadas, destacamos as metodologias cooperativas, uma atitude de ensino que promove um clima motivacional focado na tarefa e a integração curricular de recursos didáticos que abordam habilidades e fatores de proteção.

El acoso escolar es un problema social caracterizado por la agresión intencional que se produce a lo largo del tiempo, generalmente en contextos escolares y en el ciberespacio (ciberacoso). Hay un creciente interés en la prevención de este fenómeno, con el fin de reducir sus efectos adversos. Diferentes estudios e informes sugieren que la Educación Física puede impulsar actitudes y comportamientos contra el acoso escolar. El objetivo de este trabajo es examinar, a través de una revisión de la literatura científica, el estado de este tema en el área. Con base en el análisis de las evidencias, concluimos con recomendaciones sobre estrategias y habilidades que deberían incluirse en los currículos de Educación Física para prevenir el acoso y el ciberacoso. Entre las más utilizadas, destacamos las metodologías cooperativas, una actitud docente que promueve un clima motivacional centrado en la tarea y la integración curricular de recursos didácticos que aborden habilidades y factores de protección.

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This study aimed to analyze the levels of personal aggression and victimization, ethnic-cultural aggression and victimization, self-esteem, empathy, social skills and gender in adolescents as potential predictors of bullying in Spain and Ecuador. The wide pluricultural sample comprised secondary education students from both countries (N = 25,190, average age = 13.92, SD = 1.306; N Spain = 14,437; N Ecuador = 10,753), who took part in the study by filling in a self-report. The results revealed that predictive models of bullying for both countries explain 50-70% of variance. A transnational predictive pattern of personal victimization can be observed based on the levels of ethnic-cultural victimization, ethnic-cultural aggression, personal aggression, self-deprecation, and affective empathy. A transnational predictive pattern of personal aggression is evidenced depending on the levels of ethnic-cultural aggression, personal victimization, self-deprecation, ethnic-cultural victimization, and the fact of being female. We concluded that bullying can largely be predicted by involvement in ethnic-cultural discrimination. These results are discussed, and educational inferences are drawn for prevention.

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Two important challenges in research on bullying are to have reliable tools to measure traditional bullying and discriminatory bullying related to special educational needs (SEN), and to learn more about their prevalence. We present the validations of two instruments to measure bullying (European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire, EBIPQ) and discriminatory bullying with respect to SEN (EBIPQ⁻Special Education Needs Discrimination version, henceforth EBIPQ-SEND). A total of 17,309 teenagers from Ecuador took part in the study (M = 14.76, SD = 1.65; 49.9% male). The item response theory analyses evidenced accuracy and quality of the measures. The confirmatory factor analyses of the EBIPQ and the EBIPQ-SEND revealed the same two-factor structure-aggression and victimization-regardless of gender, showing optimal fit indexes. We present the results of the prevalence according to the roles of participation in traditional bullying and discriminatory bullying around SEN. Significant gender and age differences were observed for involvement in both phenomena. We also discuss the advantages of applying the EBIPQ and the EBIPQ-SEND to evaluate and diagnose harassment and discriminatory harassment around SEN.

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Este artigo discute a mediação de conflitos, como forma para amenizar as violências escolares, que nasce nos meios jurídicos nos Estados Unidos, difunde-se pela Europa e posteriormente pela América do Sul, inclusive no Brasil. Foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica, buscando documentos oficiais, investigações e livros publicados sobre essas experiências em diversos países. Há uma expansão de programas e projetos que utilizam a mediação de conflitos ao longo da última década nos países da América do Sul. Analisando esses programas podemos perceber que há muito investimento nesse tipo de estratégia, que é apenas uma entre outras para auxiliar as escolas com a problemática da violência. Mesmo assim, a mediação de conflitos torna-se elemento central dos programas educacionais. Para definir-se a melhor atuação em determinada sociedade ou realidade escolar seria necessária uma investigação extensa para avaliar a melhor estratégia, porém, a mediação de conflitos vem expandindo-se cada vez mais, indiscriminadamente.

This article discusses the conflict mediation as a way to ease the school violence, that was born in legal circles in the United States, diffuses through Europe and later in South America, including Brazil. The literature search was conducted, seeking official documents, investigations and books published on these experiences in different countries. There is an expansion of programs and projects that use the mediation of conflicts over the past decade in the countries of South America. By analyzing these programs it was possible to notice that there is a lot of investment in this type of strategy, which is only one among others to assist schools with the problem of violence. Nevertheless, conflict mediation becomes the central element of the educational programs. To set up the best performance in a given society or school reality would be an extensive research needed to assess what would be the best strategy, however, conflict mediation is expanding increasingly indiscriminately.

Este artículo discute la mediación de conflictos, como forma para amenizar las violencias escolares, que nace en los medios jurídicos en los Estados Unidos, se difunde por Europa y posteriormente por América del Sur, incluso en Brasil. Se realizó una investigación bibliográfica, buscando documentos oficiales, investigaciones en libros publicados sobre esas experiencias en diversos países. Hay una expansión de programas y proyectos que utilizan la mediación de conflictos a lo largo de la última década en los países de América del Sur. Analizando esos programas podemos percibir que hay mucha inversión en ese tipo de estrategia, que es sólo una entre otras para auxiliar las escuelas con la problemática de la violencia. Aun así, la mediación de conflictos se vuelve elemento central de los programas educacionales. Para definirse la mejor actuación en determinada sociedad o realidad escolar sería necesaria una investigación extensa para evaluar la mejor estrategia, pero, la mediación de conflictos viene expandiéndose cada vez más, indiscriminadamente.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Este artigo discute a mediação de conflitos, como forma para amenizar as violências escolares, que nasce nos meios jurídicos nos Estados Unidos, difunde-se pela Europa e posteriormente pela América do Sul, inclusive no Brasil. Foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica, buscando documentos oficiais, investigações e livros publicados sobre essas experiências em diversos países. Há uma expansão de programas e projetos que utilizam a mediação de conflitos ao longo da última década nos países da América do Sul. Analisando esses programas podemos perceber que há muito investimento nesse tipo de estratégia, que é apenas uma entre outras para auxiliar as escolas com a problemática da violência. Mesmo assim, a mediação de conflitos torna-se elemento central dos programas educacionais. Para definir-se a melhor atuação em determinada sociedade ou realidade escolar seria necessária uma investigação extensa para avaliar a melhor estratégia, porém, a mediação de conflitos vem expandindo-se cada vez mais, indiscriminadamente.

This article discusses the conflict mediation as a way to ease the school violence, that was born in legal circles in the United States, diffuses through Europe and later in South America, including Brazil. The literature search was conducted, seeking official documents, investigations and books published on these experiences in different countries. There is an expansion of programs and projects that use the mediation of conflicts over the past decade in the countries of South America. By analyzing these programs it was possible to notice that there is a lot of investment in this type of strategy, which is only one among others to assist schools with the problem of violence. Nevertheless, conflict mediation becomes the central element of the educational programs. To set up the best performance in a given society or school reality would be an extensive research needed to assess what would be the best strategy, however, conflict mediation is expanding increasingly indiscriminately.

Este artículo discute la mediación de conflictos, como forma para amenizar las violencias escolares, que nace en los medios jurídicos en los Estados Unidos, se difunde por Europa y posteriormente por América del Sur, incluso en Brasil. Se realizó una investigación bibliográfica, buscando documentos oficiales, investigaciones en libros publicados sobre esas experiencias en diversos países. Hay una expansión de programas y proyectos que utilizan la mediación de conflictos a lo largo de la última década en los países de América del Sur. Analizando esos programas podemos percibir que hay mucha inversión en ese tipo de estrategia, que es sólo una entre otras para auxiliar las escuelas con la problemática de la violencia. Aun así, la mediación de conflictos se vuelve elemento central de los programas educacionales. Para definirse la mejor actuación en determinada sociedad o realidad escolar sería necesaria una investigación extensa para evaluar la mejor estrategia, pero, la mediación de conflictos viene expandiéndose cada vez más, indiscriminadamente.

Assuntos