Salivary alpha amylase and cortisol levels in children with global developmental delay and their relation with the expectation of dental care and behavior during the intervention

The purpose of this study was to analyze the alpha-amylase (sAA) and cortisol levels in children with Global developmental delay (GDD) before and after dental treatment and its association with the children's behavior during treatment. The morning salivary cortisol levels and activity of sAA of 33 children with GDD were evaluated before and after dental treatment and were compared to 19 healthy children. The behavior of children with GDD during dental care was assessed by the Frankl scale. Children with GDD showed lower levels of sAA activity than healthy children, but this result was not significant. The salivary cortisol levels were similar between GOD and healthy children. GDD children showed increased levels of sAA (but not cortisol) prior to the dental treatment as compared to the post-treatment phase. GOD children who showed less favorable behavior during dental care had higher levels of sAA and salivary cortisol than GOD children with more favorable behavior, but only the sAA results were significant. In conclusion, GOD children show hyperactivity of the SNS-axis in anticipation of dental treatment which indicates the need for strategies to reduce their anxiety levels before and during dental care. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ovary peltate trichomes of Zeyheria montana (Bignoniaceae): Developmental ultrastructure and secretion in relation to function

center dot Background and Aims Nectar production in the Bignoniaceae species lacking a nectariferous functional disc is ascribed to trichomatic glands around the ovary base and/or on the inner corolla wall. Nevertheless, knowledge about the secretion and function of these glands is very incomplete. The purpose of this paper is to study, from a developmental viewpoint, the ultrastructure, histochemistry and secretory process of the peltate trichomes on the ovary of Zeyheria montana, a species in the Bignoniaceae which has a rudimentary disc.center dot Methods Samples of the gynoecium at various developmental stages were fixed and processed for light and electron microscopy. Histochemistry and cytochemistry tests were performed to examine the chemical composition of exudates. Thin layer chromatography was used to determine the presence of alkaloids and terpenes in gynoecium and fruit extracts, and in fresh nectar stored in the nectar chamber.center dot Key Results Peltate trichomes at different developmental stages appear side by side from floral budding up to pre-dispersal fruit. Large plastids with an extensive internal membrane system consisting of tubules filled with lipophilic material, abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum, few Golgi bodies, lipophilic deposits in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, and scattered cytoplasmic oil droplets are the main characteristics of mature head cells. The secretion which accumulates in the subcuticular space stains positively for hydrophilic and lipophilic substances, with lipids prevailing for fully peltate trichomes. Histochemistry and thin layer chromatography detected terpenes and alkaloids. Fehling's test to detect of sugars in the secretion was negative.center dot Conclusions the continuous presence and activity of peltate trichomes on the ovary of Z. montana from early budding through to flowering and fruiting set, and its main chemical components, alkaloids and terpenes, suggest that they serve a protective function and are not related to the floral nectar source or to improving nectar quality.

Ultrastructure of the midgut epithelium of Meliponinae larvae with different developmental stages and diets

The comparative study of the ultrastructure of the midgut epithelium of stingless bee larvae that eat plant protein (pollen) and animal protein (carrion) throughout the larval phase, shows variations in the digestive cells that are only relative to larval aging and not to the type of larval diet. The cells of older larvae present a cytoplasm with empty spaces that result from emptying of lipid and glycogen stocks, and the presence of autophagic vacuoles. These results are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that variations in the digestive tract of insects may be associated with different diets or phylogeny. We conclude that different diets do not determine cell morphology adaptations in the studied species. As the variations in the ultrastructure of the midgut epithelium are the same in all studied species, including the necrophagous species Trigona hypogea, throughout the larval stage, this sequence of changes seems to be due to different physiological state during larval development.

On the Apterous Line of the Termite Velocitermes heteropterus (Isoptera: Termitidae): Developmental Pathways and Cellulose Digestion

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

Developmental anatomy and morphology of the ovule and seed of Heliconia (Heliconiaceae, Zingiberales)

The developmental anatomy and morphology of the ovule and seed in several species of Heliconia were investigated as part of an embryological study of the Heliconiaceae and to provide a better understanding of their relationships with the other families of the Zingiberales. Heliconia species have an ovule primordium with an outer integument of both dermal and subdermal origin. The archesporial cell is divided into a megasporocyte and a single parietal cell, which in turn are divided only anticlinally to form a single parietal layer, disintegrating later during gametogenesis. The embryo sac was fully developed prior to anthesis. In the developing seed, the endosperm was nuclear, with wall formation in the globular stage; a nucellar pad was observed during embryo development, but later became compressed. The ripe fruit contained seeds enveloped by a lignified endocarp that formed the pyrenes, with each pyrene having an operculum at the basal end; the embryo was considered to be differentiated. Most of these characteristics are shared with other Zingiberales, although the derivation of the operculum from the funicle and the formation of the main mechanical layer by the endocarp are unique to the Heliconiaceae.

Planting time, developmental stages and characteristics of roots and starch of Pachyrhizus ahipa

De forma geral, as características do amido variam não somente com a planta de origem, mas também com o estádio de desenvolvimento desta. Neste trabalho objetivou-se avaliar a influência da época de plantio e estádio de desenvolvimento da planta de ahipa sobre as características físico-químicas das raízes, tamanho de grânulos do amido e suas propriedades viscográficas. Constatou-se influência do estádio de desenvolvimento da planta nas características físico-químicas das raízes e do amido, independentemente da época de plantio. A melhor época para o plantio de Pachyrhizus ahipa é outubro e a colheita deve ser feita no máximo com 9 meses, adotando-se o procedimento de retirada das flores a partir dos 3 meses.

Relationship between predation by Podisus nigrispinus and developmental phase and density of its prey, Plutella xylostella

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Repair bond strength of microhybrid, nanohybrid and nanofilled resin composites: Effect of substrate resin type, surface conditioning and ageing

Objectives: This study evaluated the microtensile bond strength (MTBS) of non-aged and aged resin-based composites (RBC) (nanohybrid and nanofilled) after two surface conditioning methods, repaired using the composite of the same kind or a microhybrid composite. Materials and methods: Nanohybrid (Tetric EvoCeram-TE) and nanofilled (Filtek Supreme-FS) RBC blocks (5 × 5 × 6 mm) (N = 128) were fabricated and randomly divided into two groups: (a) no ageing (control group) and (b) ageing (5.000 thermocycling, 5-55 °C). RBC surfaces were polished by up to 1,200-grit silicone carbide papers and conditioned with either (a) air abrasion with 30-μm SiO2 particles (CoJet Sand) for 4 s + silane coupling agent (ESPE-Sil) + adhesive resin (VisioBond) (n = 16) or (b) adhesive application only (Multilink A+B for TE; Adper ScotchBond 1XT for FS) (n = 16). In half of the groups, repair resin of the same kind with the RBC and, in the other half, a different kind of composite (microhybrid, Quadrant Anterior Shine-AS) with its corresponding adhesive (Quadrant UniBond) was used. The specimens were submitted to MTBS test (0.5 mm/min). Data were analysed using three-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests. Degree of conversion (DC) of non-aged and aged resin composites (TE, FS) (n = 3 per group) was measured by micro-Raman analyses. Results: RBC type (p = 0.001) and ageing affected the MTBS results significantly (p = 0.001). Surface conditioning type did not show significant difference (p = 0.726), but less number of pre-test failures was experienced with the CoJet system compared to adhesive resin application only. Repair strength on aged TE showed significantly less (p < 0.05) MTBS than for FS. FS repaired with the same kind of RBC and adhesive resin presented the highest cohesive failures (43 %). DC was higher for TE (71 %) than for FS (58 %) before ageing. Conclusion: On the aged RBCs, less favourable repair strength could be expected especially for nanohybrid composite. For repair actions, RBC surface conditioning could be accomplished with either adhesive resin application only or with CoJet system, providing that the latter resulted in less pre-test failures. Clinical relevance: Clinicians could condition the resin surface prior to repair or relayering with either CoJet system or adhesive resin application only, depending on the availability of the system. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

O desenvolvimento moral em aulas de Ciências: explorando uma interface de contribuições

Pós-graduação em Educação para a Ciência - FC

The phonological and visual basis of developmental dyslexia in Brazilian Portuguese reading children

Evidence from opaque languages suggests that visual attention processing abilities in addition to phonological skills may act as cognitive underpinnings of developmental dyslexia. We explored the role of these two cognitive abilities on reading fluency in Brazilian Portuguese, a more transparent orthography than French or English. Sixty-six children with developmental dyslexia and normal Brazilian Portuguese children participated. They were administered three tasks of phonological skills (phoneme identification, phoneme, and syllable blending) and three visual tasks (a letter global report task and two non-verbal tasks of visual closure and visual constancy). Results show that Brazilian Portuguese children with developmental dyslexia are impaired not only in phonological processing but further in visual processing. The phonological and visual processing abilities significantly and independently contribute to reading fluency in the whole population. Last, different cognitively homogeneous subtypes can be identified in the Brazilian Portuguese population of children with developmental dyslexia. Two subsets of children with developmental dyslexia were identified as having a single cognitive disorder, phonological or visual; another group exhibited a double deficit and a few children showed no visual or phonological disorder. Thus the current findings extend previous data from more opaque orthographies as French and English, in showing the importance of investigating visual processing skills in addition to phonological skills in children with developmental dyslexia whatever their language orthography transparency.

Accelerated ageing test to evaluate seed vigor in pumpkin and zucchini seeds

The accelerated ageing (AA) test is widely used to evaluate seed vigor in various species including vegetable crops. The objective of this work was to study procedures for conducting AA to evaluate seed vigor of pumpkin and zucchini seed lots. Five seed lots of commercially acceptable quality (germination) standards were selected from both cv. `Menina Brasileira' (zucchini) and `Barbara' Hybrid (pumpkin). The following tests were conducted: standard germination, the first count of germination, and AA with and without saline solution (periods of 48, 72 and 96 hours). For each combination of temperature and ageing period, seeds were placed in a single layer on a screen in a germination plastic box with either 40 mL deionized water or 40g NaCl/100mL of water. Both AA methods identified lots 2 and 5 of `Menina Brasileira' and lot 10 of `Barbara' hybrid as having the lowest physiological quality. The temperature 41 C promoted a more drastic reduction in germination than did 38 C. This observation was more marked after 96 hours. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the combination 41 degrees C/96 hours should be used to evaluate the physiological potential of pumpkin and zucchini seeds; however, additional studies are necessary to evaluate other combinations and confirm this indication.

Effect of follicle size on mRNA expression in cumulus cells and oocytes of Bos indicus: an approach to identify marker genes for developmental competence

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

O significado da morte para adolescentes, adultos e idosos

Apesar do aumento na quantidade de trabalhos que visam a abordar a morte como tema de investigação, observa-se que ainda prevalece a interdição do assunto morte, dificultando que ela seja abordada e discutida. Este estudo buscou ampliar a compreensão de como pessoas, em diferentes etapas desenvolvimentais, lidam com perdas e com a própria finitude. Para isso, 7 adolescentes, 14 adultos de meia-idade e 10 idosos foram entrevistados, e os dados foram compreendidos mediante análise de conteúdo. Entre os participantes, os adultos foram os que mostraram mais aflição e inquietação, ao falarem sobre a própria finitude e sobre a possibilidade da morte de pessoas queridas. Os adolescentes abordaram-na como um acontecimento distante e impessoal, enquanto os idosos se referiram a ela com maior proximidade e aceitação. Sugere-se a realização de estudos que aprofundem tais compreensões, relacionando-as às diferentes religiões, classes sociais e experiências com perdas.

International conferences on environmental mutagens in human populations - Opportunities, accomplishments and challenges

A major mission for organizing the series of International Conferences on Environmental Mutagens in Human Populations is to bring science and scientists to the sites where the field of environmental health is in developmental stages and environmental health is a serious concern. The mission has been fulfilled in each of the previous conferences that were held in Egypt, Czech Republic, Thailand and Brazil. These conferences have led to significant enhancement of regional scientific expertise from the acquisition of scientific knowledge and from the generation of sustainable collaborative programs. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Resistance of wild and near isogenic bean lines with arcelin variants to Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman): I - Winter crop

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)