Caries experience associated to social and preventive factors in children of a pastoral community from Limeira-SP

Aim: To evaluate caries experience and prevalence associated to social and preventive factors in 3-6-year-old children of a Pastoral Community from Limeira, Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out through an epidemiologic research about the oral conditions of 110 children registered at the Children's Pastoral Community from the city of Limeira, SP, Brazil. Intraoral examination was performed by a trained dentist and the parents/caregivers filled out a questionnaire in order to outline the children's profile with respect to gender, parental education and oral health. Results: Differences related to gender were not detected (p= 0.3404). The most frequent periods of breastfeeding were 0 to 2 months (36.36%) and 2 to 6 months (35.45%), corresponding to 71.81% of the cases. The time bottle feeding pointed to two most frequent categories: 1) more than 12 months (35.45%) and 2) between 2 and 6 months (22.63%). Regarding parental education, the majority of the sample has not completed primary school (38.32%). It was observed a larger number of decayed teeth in male children (63.39%). Caries experience was significantly higher in children who were breastfed for only 2 months of life (41.96%). Children that did not use baby bottle or did not use a baby bottle for more than 1 year presented a smaller dmft, corresponding to 29.17% and 28.33%, respectively. Time of use of bottle and pacifier presented a significant association (p<0.05). Conclusions: The implementation of adequate strategies and actions is needed to reinforce oral health conditions in risk groups.

Evaluation of a digital methodology for human identification using palatal rugoscopy

Palatal rugoscopy, or palatoscopy, is the process by which human identification can be obtained by inspecting the transverse palatal rugae inside the mouth. Aim: This study evaluated a digital method for human identification using palatoscopy, by comparing photographs of the palate against the images of cast models of the maxilla photographed with and without highlighting of the palatal rugae. Methods: Condensation silicone impressions were made from the upper arches of 30 adult subjects of both genders and their palates were then photographed. The first impression was made with heavy silicone, the second impression with light silicone, and then the models were cast in improved type IV dental stone. The casts were photographed, the palatal rugae of each one were highlighted with a pencil, and then the models were photographed again. Using a free image-editing software, the digital photographs were overlapped over the images of the palatal rugae of the models with and without highlighting of the palatal rugae, in order to identify the pairs. Results: The result of overlapping the digital photographs with the images of the models without highlighted palatal rugae resulted in 90% positive identification. For the overlapping of the digital photographs with the images of models with highlighted palatal rugae, there was 100% positive identification. Conclusions: The digital method evaluated in this study was proven effective for human identification.

Prevalence and microscopic features of enamel pearls from permanent human molars

Enamel pearls are ectopic structures observed mainly on the roots of permanent teeth and could be related to periodontal diseases. Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of enamel pearls in extracted human molars and characterize their structures using light and scanning electron microscopy. Methods: The study comprised 2,201 extracted human permanent molars. The teeth were analyzed and classified according to morphological features. The presence, location and shape of enamel pearls were investigated. Fifteen human molars with enamel pearls were embedded in acrylic resin and observed by light microscopy. Results: Seventy-one enamel pearls were identified on third molar root. Microscopically, most pearls were composed of prismatic irregular enamel and normal dentin. The dentinoenamel junction presented an irregular course. The number of dentinal tubules was normal and they presented curvature to continue within the root dentin of the carrier tooth. Dentinal tubules below the enamel pearls were closer to each other. Conclusions: Scanning electron microscopic analysis revealed that the enamel pearls were similar to coronal enamel.

Differential seed germination of a keystone palm (Euterpe edulis) dispersed by avian frugivores

The effectiveness of seed dispersal by vertebrates has been analysed by examining both quantitative and qualitative components (Jordano & Schupp 2000, Schupp et al. 2010). While the quantitative component is relatively easily assessed in the field (e.g. visitation rate, number of fruits eaten per visit), the qualitative component (e.g. fate of dispersed seeds, seed treatment in the digestive system of the disperser) is rarely studied under natural conditions, because it is difficult to measure the effects on seeds once ingested by the dispersers (Cortes et al. 2009). © Cambridge University Press 2012.

Relação do meio físico com o manejo sustentável de plantio de eucalipto em áreas de terrenos acidentados - A Fazenda Santa Edwirges, Vale do Paraíba, Sudeste do Brasil

This study intends to evaluate the effects of landscape physical elements (rocks and relief) associated with silviculture activities. The study was carried out on a small farm (Fazenda Santa Edwirges) covered by Eucalyptus forested situated in the Paraiba do Sul Basin, Southeast Brazil. The methodology consisted of detailed geological and geomorphological studies at 1:10,000 scale, and laboratory analysis of soil physical properties. The results showed three geologic-geomorphologic associations (ridge escarpment with granitic rocks, steep and gentle hills cut by shear zones and gentle hill with alluvial sediments) present high vulnerability for the development of the physical processes such as accelerated erosion landslides and flooding. In contrast, mountains associated with gneissic rocks present smaller vulnerability and high resilience for the development of the physical processes. The results have showed the importance of considering the interactions among landscape physical for the eucalyptus forest management contributing to a better selection area for eucalyptus cultivation and minimize adverse environment impact in road design.

Water availability determines the richness and density of fig trees within Brazilian semideciduous forest landscapes

The success of fig trees in tropical ecosystems is evidenced by the great diversity (+750 species) and wide geographic distribution of the genus. We assessed the contribution of environmental variables on the species richness and density of fig trees in fragments of seasonal semideciduous forest (SSF) in Brazil. We assessed 20 forest fragments in three regions in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Fig tree richness and density was estimated in rectangular plots, comprising 31.4 ha sampled. Both richness and fig tree density were linearly modeled as function of variables representing (1) fragment metrics, (2) forest structure, and (3) landscape metrics expressing water drainage in the fragments. Model selection was performed by comparing the AIC values (Akaike Information Criterion) and the relative weight of each model (wAIC). Both species richness and fig tree density were better explained by the water availability in the fragment (meter of streams/ha): wAICrichness = 0.45, wAICdensity = 0.96. The remaining variables related to anthropic perturbation and forest structure were of little weight in the models. The rainfall seasonality in SSF seems to select for both establishment strategies and morphological adaptations in the hemiepiphytic fig tree species. In the studied SSF, hemiepiphytes established at lower heights in their host trees than reported for fig trees in evergreen rainforests. Some hemiepiphytic fig species evolved superficial roots extending up to 100 m from their trunks, resulting in hectare-scale root zones that allow them to efficiently forage water and soil nutrients. The community of fig trees was robust to variation in forest structure and conservation level of SSF fragments, making this group of plants an important element for the functioning of seasonal tropical forests. © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Functional extinction of birds drives rapid evolutionary changes in seed size

Local extinctions have cascading effects on ecosystem functions, yet little is known about the potential for the rapid evolutionary change of species in human-modified scenarios. We show that the functional extinction of large-gape seed dispersers in the Brazilian Atlantic forest is associated with the consistent reduction of the seed size of a keystone palm species. Among 22 palm populations, areas deprived of large avian frugivores for several decades present smaller seeds than nondefaunated forests, with negative consequences for palm regeneration. Coalescence and phenotypic selection models indicate that seed size reduction most likely occurred within the past 100 years, associated with human-driven fragmentation. The fast-paced defaunation of large vertebrates is most likely causing unprecedented changes in the evolutionary trajectories and community composition of tropical forests.

Mixing Eucalyptus and Acacia trees leads to fine root over-yielding and vertical segregation between species

The consequences of diversity on belowground processes are still poorly known in tropical forests. The distributions of very fine roots (diameter <1 mm) and fine roots (diameter <3 mm) were studied in a randomized block design close to the harvest age of fast-growing plantations. A replacement series was set up in Brazil with mono-specific Eucalyptus grandis (100E) and Acacia mangium (100A) stands and a mixture with the same stocking density and 50 % of each species (50A:50E). The total fine root (FR) biomass down to a depth of 2 m was about 27 % higher in 50A:50E than in 100A and 100E. Fine root over-yielding in 50A:50E resulted from a 72 % rise in E. grandis fine root biomass per tree relative to 100E, whereas A. mangium FR biomass per tree was 17 % lower than in 100A. Mixing A. mangium with E. grandis trees led to a drop in A. mangium FR biomass in the upper 50 cm of soil relative to 100A, partially balanced by a rise in deep soil layers. Our results highlight similarities in the effects of directional resources on leaf and FR distributions in the mixture, with A. mangium leaves below the E. grandis canopy and a low density of A. mangium fine roots in the resource-rich soil layers relative to monospecific stands. The vertical segregation of resource-absorbing organs did not lead to niche complementarity expected to increase the total biomass production. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Association between Pseudonocardia symbionts and Atta leaf-cutting ants suggested by improved isolation methods

Fungus-growing ants associate with multiple symbiotic microbes, including Actinobacteria for production of antibiotics. The best studied of these bacteria are within the genus Pseudonocardia, which in most fungus-growing ants are conspicuously visible on the external cuticle of workers. However, given that fungus-growing ants in the genus Atta do not carry visible Actinobacteria on their cuticle, it is unclear if this genus engages in the symbiosis with Pseudonocardia. Here we explore whether improving culturing techniques can allow for successful isolation of Pseudonocardia from Atta cephalotes leaf-cutting ants. We obtained Pseudonocardia from 9 of 11 isolation method/colony component combinations from all 5 colonies intensively sampled. The most efficient technique was bead-beating workers in phosphate buffer solution, then plating the suspension on carboxymethylcellulose medium. Placing these strains in a fungus-growing ant-associated Pseudonocardia phylogeny revealed that while some strains grouped with clades of Pseudonocardia associated with other genera of fungus-growing ants, a large portion of the isolates fell into two novel phylogenetic clades previously not identified from this ant-microbe symbiosis. Our findings suggest that Pseudonocardia may be associated with Atta fungus-growing ants, potentially internalized, and that localizing the symbiont and exploring its role is necessary to shed further light on the association.

Partitioning of net primary production in Eucalyptus and Acacia stands and in mixed-species plantations: Two case-studies in contrasting tropical environments

The introduction of nitrogen fixing species (NFS) in fast-growing tree plantations is an alternative option to reduce fertilizer inputs. However, the success of mixed-species plantations depends on the balance between positive interactions among species (resulting from facilitation and/or complementarity) and the negative effects of interspecific competition.Using a carbon budget approach and coupling measurements of standing biomass, aboveground litterfall and soil CO2 efflux, we assessed the influence of replacing half of eucalypt trees by Acacia mangium on total belowground carbon flux (TBCF), net primary production (NPP) and its partitioning between above- and belowground growth at two tropical sites in Brazil (Itatinga) and in Congo (Kissoko) exhibiting contrasting climates, edaphic conditions and wood productions.Annual soil CO2 efflux (FS) was significantly lower in the acacia monocultures than in eucalypt monocultures and mixed-species stands at both sites. Annual FS was significantly lower at Itatinga compared to Kissoko for all stands while TBCF was significantly lower in the eucalypt stands only. In the eucalypt monocultures we found a significantly lower aboveground NPP (ANPP) and wood production (wood NPP) at Kissoko compared to Itatinga that was almost fully balanced by a significantly higher belowground NPP (BNPP), leading to similar NPP. Similarly, acacia monocultures exhibited significantly higher ANPP and wood NPP at Itatinga than at Kissoko. The mixed-species stands exhibited a significantly lower wood NPP and ANPP than the eucalypt monocultures at the Brazilian site while NPP of the mixture was not significantly different than the average NPP of the two monocultures. At the Congolese site, NPP of the mixture was significantly higher than the average NPP of the two monocultures. NPP was similar in the mixed-species stand and the eucalypt monoculture with a significantly lower partitioning of NPP to belowground production, leading to a one third higher wood biomass at harvest in the mixed-species stand.A positive effect of growing eucalypts with the nitrogen fixing acacia trees on stand wood production occurred at Kissoko but not at Itatinga. Mixed-species plantations with NFS can be advocated at sites where the productive gains resulting from nitrogen fixation are not compromised by other resource limitations. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Descrição da diversidade de fungos associados a formigas Attini por método independente de cultivo

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Inter-relação do comprimento dos prolongamentos resinosos (tags) e da espessura da camada híbrida de adesão, com a resistência de união de sistemas adesivos ao tecido dentinário

Pós-graduação em Odontologia - FOA

Avaliação de amidos nativos em condições de estresse adaptados ao processamento de alimentos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Determinação do potencial antimicrobiano, antioxidante e da motibilidade intestinal de extrato de Paepalanthus geniculatus

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A dimensão teórica e metodológica da catalogação de assunto

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)