Universidade Estadual de Londrina

About: Universidade Estadual de Londrina is a education organization based out in Londrina, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Toxoplasma gondii. The organization has 13052 authors who have published 19291 publications receiving 212123 citations.

Facial exercise therapy for facial palsy: systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract: The effectiveness of facial exercises therapy for facial palsy has been debated in systematic reviews but its effects are still not totally explained.Objective: To perform a systematic review with meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of facial exercise therapy for facial palsy.Data sources: A search was performed in the following databases: Cochrane Controlled Trials Register Library, Cochrane Disease Group Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, PEDro, Scielo and DARE from 1966 to 2010; the following keywords were used: ‘idiopathic facial palsy’, ‘facial paralysis’, ‘Bell’s palsy’, ‘physical therapy’, ‘exercise movement techniques’, ‘facial exercises’, ‘mime therapy’ ‘facial expression’, ‘massage’ and ‘randomized controlled trials’.Review methods: The inclusion criteria were studies with facial exercises, associated or not with mirror biofeedback, to treat facial palsy.Results: One hundred and thirty-two studies were found but only six met the inclusion criteria. All the studies were evaluated by two ...

The possible involvement of virus in breast cancer.

Abstract: It is well known that the etiology of human breast cancer is significantly affected by environmental factors. Virus-associated cancer refers to a cancer where viral infection results in the malignant transformation of the host's infected cells. Human papillomaviruses (HPV), mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) and Epstein-Barr (EBV) virus are prime candidate viruses as agents of human breast cancer. The precise role that viruses play in tumorigenesis is not clear, but it seems that they are responsible for causing only one in a series of steps required for cancer development. The idea that a virus could cause breast cancer has been investigated for quite some time, even though breast cancer could be a hereditary disease; however, hereditary breast cancer is estimated to account for a small percentage of all breast cancer cases. Based on current research, this review present at moment, substantial, but not conclusive, evidence that HPV, EBV and MMTV may be involved in breast cancer.

Mycorrhizal dependency, inoculum potential and habitat preference of native woody species in South Brazil

Abstract: Seedlings from 43 native woody species belonging to different successional groups from the Tibagi River Basin, Parana State, South Brazil were studied to obtain information on the importance of colonization by native arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse for 15 to 45 wk, with soil-mix treatments and four successional groups. The mycorrhizal dependency was 90, 48, 12 and 14% of the pioneer, early secondary, late secondary and climax species, respectively. The content of P, Ca and K was 20, 17 and 23 times greater, respectively, in the leaves of the pioneer species than in the other successional groups. The colonization by AM fungi in field was studied in seedlings of 36 native woody species collected in the interior of the forest of the Mata dos Godoy State Park, and in open area at the beginning of arboreal succession. The mycorrhizal colonization in the field was 55.5, 26.9, 6.1 and 2.2% for the pioneer, early secondary, late secondary and climax species, respectively. To assess the mycorrhizal inoculum potential, rhizosphere soil was collected in the interior of the forest and a gap in the same forest and in a cleared area abandoned for natural regeneration. The inoculum potentials and the spore number in the area at the beginning of succession were 5.6 and 53.4 times greater than in the interior of the forest. The results show that the initial growth of the woody species which take part in the initial phases of succession may be more dependent on the AM fungi, in soils poor in minerals, while those that make up the final succession phases may be less dependent. The potential of the AM fungi inoculum decreases throughout the successional process and there is a relation between the inoculum potential found in the field and the occurrence for the different habitats of the species of adult plants belonging to different successional groups.