Psycholinguistic abilities of children with Williams syndrome

The objective of this study was to investigate the psycholinguistic abilities of children with Williams syndrome (WS) and typically developing children using the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA). Performance on the ITPA was analysed in a group with WS (N = 20, mean age = 8.5 years, SD = 1.62) and two typically developing groups, matched in mental (MA, N = 20, mean age = 4.92 years, SD = 1.14) and chronological age (CA, N = 19, mean age = 8.35 years, SD = 3.07). Overall, within-group analyses showed that individuals with WS displayed higher scalar scores on the visual reception and visual association subtests. When groups were compared, we observed inferior performance of the WS group on all ITPA subtests when compared with typically developing groups. Moreover, an interaction between reception and group was found, only the WS group demonstrated superior performance on the visual reception subtest when compared to the auditory reception subtest. Evidence from this study offers relevant contributions to the development of educational intervention programs for children with WS. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DNA damage in lymphocytes and buccal mucosa cells of children with malignant tumours undergoing chemotherapy

The aim of the present study was to evaluate DNA damage (micronucleus) in cytokinesis-blocked lymphocytes and exfoliated buccal mucosa cells from children with malignant tumours and under chemotherapy. Micronucleated cells (MNCs) were assessed from children before and during chemotherapy. A total of 21 healthy children (controls), matched for gender and age, were used as control. The results pointed out higher frequencies of micronucleated lymphocytes in children with malignant tumour before any therapy when compared to healthy probands. Furthermore an increase of micronucleated lymphocytes during chemotherapy was detected when compared to the data obtained before chemotherapy. No statistically significant increases of MNCs were noticed in buccal mucosa cells at any of the timepoints evaluated. Taken together, these data indicate that the presence of malignant tumours may increase the frequency of DNA damage in circulating lymphocytes, these cells being more sensitive for detecting chromosome aberrations caused by anti-cancer drugs.

Comparison between procalcitonin and C-reactive protein for early diagnosis of children with sepsis or septic shock

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

Art in the inclusion of children with special needs in dentistry

A proposta deste estudo é relatar a utilização da arte e seus segmentos, como recurso para inclusão da criança portadora de necessidades especiais ao ambiente odontológico. Foi utilizado como método a aplicação da arte em atividades de socioterapia e oficinas, divididas em módulos: sessão de socialização, oficinas de arte e atividades complementares, visando à elaboração de uma anamnese cultural por meio de questionários e a obtenção das preferências artísticas dos 313 participantes, previamente às suas assistências odontológicas no CAOE (Centro de Assistência Odontológica a Portadores de Necessidades Especiais) FOA/Unesp. de acordo com os questionários respondidos, a música e a pintura, segundo a preferência dos participantes, são os segmentos artísticos que mais auxiliam nas atividades de inclusão e adaptação. Concluímos que a utilização da arte na adaptação e inclusão ambiental do paciente, previamente à assistência odontológica, é favorável e eficaz.

Clinical and microbiological studies of children and adolescents receiving orthodontic treatment

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Perception-action and adaptation in postural control of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy

The aim of this study was to examine the coupling between visual information and body sway and the adaptation in this coupling of individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). Fifteen children with and 15 without CP. 6-15 years old, were required to stand upright inside of a moving room. All children first performed two trials with no movement of the room and eyes open or closed, then four trials in which the room oscillated at 0.2 or 0.5 Hz (peak velocity of 0.6 cm/s), one trial in which the room oscillated at 0.2 Hz (peak velocity of 3.5 cm/s), and finally two other trials in which the room oscillated again at 0.2 Hz (peak velocity of 0.6 cm/s). Participants with CP coupled body sway to visual information provided by the moving room, comparable to the coupling of participants without CP. However, participants with CP exhibited larger body sway in maintaining upright position and more variable sway when body sway was induced by visual manipulation. They showed adaptive sensory motor coupling, e.g. down-weighting visual influence when a larger stimulus was provided, but not with the same magnitude as typically developing participants. This indicates that participants with CP have less capability of adaptation. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Experiences of family members regarding the oral health care of children

Este estudo objetivou verificar a compreensão das experiências dos familiares em relação ao cuidado com a saúde bucal das crianças. É estudo qualitativo, realizado em 2007, em distrito de saúde do município de Ribeirão Preto, SP, com 12 cuidadores. Utilizou-se referencial teórico da vulnerabilidade e a perspectiva hermenêutica. Três categorias empíricas foram elaboradas: os significados do cuidado com a saúde bucal, em busca das causas e da prevenção de agravos bucais e a realidade dos serviços de saúde bucal. Entre outros elementos potencializadores da vulnerabilidade infantil aos agravos bucais, emergiu a supervalorização da causalidade biológica, do atendimento de alta complexidade e da odontologia estética e, entre os protetores, a valorização do saber popular e a integração de ações e conhecimentos profissionais. Aponta-se para a revisão das estratégias de prevenção e promoção de saúde bucal, fornecendo elementos para auxiliar os serviços de saúde a reorganizarem o cuidado com a saúde bucal de crianças.

Production of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) by Streptococcus salivarius strains isolated from the tongue and throat of children with and without sore throat

Cepas de Streptococcus salivarius, isoladas de crianças com e sem dor de garganta, foram testadas quanto à produção de bacteriocina contra Streptococcus pyogenes. Os resultados mostraram que as crianças que não tinham dor de garganta possuiam, na boca, cepas de bactérias produtoras de substâncias inibidoras semelhantes à bacteriocina contra S. pyogenes.

Safety in road crossing of children with cerebral palsy

Aim: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are regularly confronted with physical constraints during locomotion. Because abnormalities in motor control are often related to perceptual deficits, the aim of this study was to find out whether children with CP were able to walk across a road as safely as their non-handicapped peers. Method: Ten children with CP and 10 non-handicapped children aged 4-14 y were asked to cross a simulated road if they felt the situation was safe. Results: With respect to safety and accuracy of crossings, the behaviour of children with CP was comparable with that of non-handicapped children. However, a closer examination of children's individual crossing behaviour showed considerable differences within the CP group. In contrast to children with damage to the left hemisphere, children with damage to the right hemisphere made unsafe decisions and did not compensate for them by increasing walking speed.Conclusion: the differences in unsafe behaviour and in the ability to compensate for it within the group of children with CP might be related to damage to specific regions of the brain that are involved in the processing of spatial or temporal information.

Immunization of bovines using a DNA vaccine (pcDNA3.1/MSP1b) prepared from the jaboticabal strain of Anaplasma marginale

Anaplasma is a tick-borne ehrlichial pathogen of cattle that causes the disease, anaplasmosis. In the present study, a total of 11 Anaplasma marginale seronegative calves were assigned into two groups: one immunized (G1, n = 6) and one nonimmunized-control (G2, n = 5). Six calves were immunized by using a DNA vaccine containing the gene of a major surface protein, MSP1b, encoded by the plasmid identified as pcDNA3.1/MSPIb. Calves received three intramuscular inoculations of 100 mug of pcDNA3.1/MSP1b at a 20-day interval. The control group received buffer phosphate at the same schedule as the experimental group. The immune response elicited by immunization with pcDNA3.1/MSP1b was evaluated in mice and calves. Twenty days following initial immunization, specific serum antibody from four BALB/c mice bound MSP1b in inummoblots. Sixty days after the last immunization, all calves were challenged with cryopreserved A. marginale at a dose of 10(4) parasites/mL/animal by intravenous injection. Results of packed cell volume (PCV) and detection of infected erythrocytes in all experimental groups revealed that the decrease of PCV and detection of infected erythrocytes occurred at 28 to 42 days after challenge. Mean temperature values did not increase over 39.85degreesC. Antibodies developed by immunized bovines from G2 were detected 14 days after challenge. MSP1b was characterized during the immunization period and MSP2 was the most predominant polypeptide at the challenge period. DNA of A. marginale was detected in all groups just after challenge by nested PCR assay. It can be concluded that all immunized bovines were partially protected against homologous challenge.