Histopathological observations of periapical repair in teeth with radiolucent areas submitted to two different methods of root canal treatment

Dogs' teeth with induced chronic periapical periodontitis were treated endodontically by two different methods, and the results were compared. A total of 40 root canals from the upper and lower premolars of two dogs were prepared chemomechanically. In method 1, a high-concentration (5.25%) hypochlorite solution was used during the instrumentation of the root canal, and an antibacterial dressing was applied between sessions, followed by filling of the root canal. In method 2, a low-concentration (0.5%) sodium hypochlorite solution was used as an adjunct to mechanical debridement, and the root canal was filled during the same session. The histopathological results showed that method 1 led to better periapical repair than method 2.

Urban areas and isolated remnants of natural habitats: An action proposal for botanical gardens

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) advocates an increase of the number of botanical gardens throughout the world as one of the measures that can help to preserve the world's biodiversity. To implement this strategy, the present work brings forward a suggestion particularly suited to tropical regions: establishing municipal botanical gardens. It refers to the experience of a newly opened municipal botanical garden in Brazil, comparing its attractive power on visitors to that of other botanical gardens included in the Brazilian network of Botanical Gardens. It also presents considerations on in situ conservation in small remnants and on the importance of urban reserves to preserve the regional biodiversity and spread the conservationist philosophy. The present proposal promotes the participation of local communities making the public opinion more aware and active, besides being able to counterbalance proposals that support protecting the world biodiversity through interventionist actions. It assumes that, through actions planned and coordinated by regional and national botanical garden networks, the measure proposed can mitigate the anthropic actions exerted on important natural reserves all over the world.

Ultrastructural and histochemical examination of alveolar bone at the pressure areas of rat molars submitted to continuous orthodontic force

It is usually believed that repair in alveolar bone during orthodontic movement occurs after decreasing of force. However, we have recently observed signs of repair in previously resorbed cementum from human teeth exposed to continuous forces. In order to test the hypothesis that bone resorption and deposition occur concomitantly at the pressure areas, a continuous 15 cN force was applied in a buccal direction to upper first molars from eight 2.5-month-old male Wistar rats for 3 d (n=4) and 7 d (n=4). As a control, two additional rats did not have their molars moved. Maxillae were fixed in 2% glutaraldehyde + 2.5% formaldehyde, under microwave irradiation, decalcified in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and processed for transmission electron microscopy. Specimens from one rat from each group were processed for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) histochemistry. At both the times studied, the alveolar bone surface at the pressure areas showed numerous TRAP-positive osteoclasts, which were apposed to resorption lacunae. In addition, osteoblasts with numerous synthesis organelles were present in the neighboring areas overlying an organic matrix. Thus, this study provides evidence that the application of continuous forces produces concomitant bone resorption and formation at the pressure areas in rat molars.

Frequencies of ABO, MNSs, and Duffy phenotypes among blood donors and malaria patients from four Brazilian Amazon areas

We compared the serological phenotypic frequencies of ABO, MNSs, and Duffy in 417 blood donors and 309 malaria patients from four Brazilian Amazon areas. Our results suggest no correlation between ABO phenotype and malaria infection in all areas studied. We observed significant correlation between the S + s +, S + s-, and S - s + phenotypes and malaria infection in three areas. Some of the Duffy phenotypes showed significant correlation between donors and malaria patients in different areas. These data are an additional contribution to the establishment of differential host susceptibility to malaria.

Greenhouse gas balance due to the conversion of sugarcane areas from burned to green harvest in Brazil

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

Understorey fire propagation and tree mortality on adjacent areas to an Amazonian deforestation fire

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

Assessment and statistics of Brazilian hydroelectric power plants: Dam areas versus installed and firm power

The Brazilian relief, predominantly composed by small mountains and plateaus, contributed to formation of rivers with high amount of falls. With exception to North-eastern Brazil, the climate of this country are rainy, which contributes to maintain water flows high. These elements are essential to a high hydroelectric potential, contributing to the choice of hydroelectric power plants as the main technology of electricity generation in Brazil. Though this is a renewable source, whose utilized resource is free, dams must to be established which generates a high environmental and social impact. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact caused by these dams through the use of environmental indexes. These indexes are ratio formed by installed power with dam area of a hydro power plant, and ratio formed by firm power with this dam area. In this study, the greatest media values were found in South, Southeast, and Northeast regions respectively, and the smallest media values were found in North and Mid-West regions, respectively. The greatest encountered media indexes were also found in dams established in the 1950s. In the last six decades, the smallest indexes were registered by darns established in the 1980s. These indexes could be utilized as important instruments for environmental impact assessments, and could enable a dam to be established that depletes an ecosystem as less as possible.

Cognitive Deficits in Machado-Joseph Disease Correlate with Hypoperfusion of Visual System Areas

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

Greenhouse gas balance due to the conversion of sugarcane areas from burned to green harvest, considering other conservationist management practices

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Evaluation of uranium incorporation from contaminated areas using teeth as bioindicators - a case study

The Southwest region of the Bahia state in Brazil hosts the largest uranium reserve of the country (100 kton in uranium, only), plus the cities of Caetite, Lagoa Real and Igapora. In this work, aim was at the investigation of uranium burdens on residents of these cities by using teeth as bioindicators, as a contribution for possible radiation protection measures. Thus, a total of 41 human teeth were collected, plus 50 from an allegedly uranium free area (the control region). Concentrations of uranium in teeth from residents of 5- to 87-y old were determined by means of a high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The highest uranium concentration in teeth was measured from samples belonging to residents of Caetite (median equal to 16 ppb). Assuming that the uranium concentrations in teeth and bones are similar within 10-20% (for children and young adults), it concluded that uranium body levels in residents of Caetite are at least one order of magnitude higher than the worldwide average. This finding led to conclude that daily ingestion of uranium, from food and water, is equally high.

Global and diffuse solar irradiances in urban and rural areas in southeast Brazil

The seasonal evolution of daily and hourly values of global and diffuse solar radiation at the surface are compared for the cities of São Paulo and Botucatu, both located in Southeast Brazil and representative of urban and rural areas, respectively. The comparisons are based on measurements of global and diffuse solar irradiance carried out at the surface during a six year simultaneous period in these two cities. Despite the similar latitude and altitude, the seasonal evolution of daily values indicate that São Paulo receives, during clear sky days, 7.8% less global irradiance in August and 5.1% less in June than Botucatu. on the other hand, São Paulo receives, during clear sky days, 3.6% more diffuse irradiance in August and 15.6% more in June than Botucatu. The seasonal variation of the diurnal cycle confirms these differences and indicates that they are more pronounced during the afternoon. The regional differences are related to the distance from the Atlantic Ocean, systematic penetration of the sea breeze and daytime evolution of the particulate matter in São Paulo. An important mechanism controlling the spatial distribution of solar radiation, on a regional scale, is the sea breeze penetration in São Paulo, bringing moisture and maritime aerosol that in turn further increases the solar radiation scattering due to pollution and further reduces the intensity of the direct component of solar radiation at the surface. Surprisingly, under clear sky conditions the atmospheric attenuation of solar radiation in Botucatu during winter - the biomass burning period due to the sugar cane harvest - is equivalent to that at São Paulo City, indicating that the contamination during sugar cane harvest in Southeast Brazil has a large impact in the solar radiation field at the surface.