Universidade Positivo

About: Universidade Positivo is a education organization based out in Curitiba, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Biodiversity. The organization has 1290 authors who have published 1237 publications receiving 9335 citations. The organization is also known as: Positive University.

Severe early childhood caries: an integral approach.

Abstract: Objective To provide information with the purpose of helping pediatricians to recognize the risk factors for the onset of severe early childhood caries, allowing for early intervention and thus avoiding this preventable disease and its consequences. Sources Information was collected from scientific articles published on the databases SciELO, MEDLINE and PUBMED in last 25 years, as well as technical books and guidelines of international committees. The keywords used were: early childhood caries, severe early childhood caries, dental caries, and children. Summary of the findings Severe early childhood caries affects infants and children. It is infectious, has a multifactor etiology and fast development, starting soon after dental eruption. Due to the presence of local sociocultural risk factors, it must be regarded as a symptom of alteration in the child's health and lack of adequate care. Its manifestations include pain, abscesses and chewing difficulty, affecting the child's feeding and sleep. Furthermore, it also affects the child's general health, speech, and self-esteem. Conclusions Preventive methods to avoid severe early childhood caries have been developed and they should be used as early as possible by means of prevention programs carried out in the community and with families. Professionals responsible for providing care to babies and children should be aware of cases at risk for caries and interfere in order to improve their patients' health.

Senectud y senilidad: nuevo paradigma en la atención básica de salud

Abstract: Senescence and senility are themes of growing interest, considering the inxrease of the elderly population in the wrold, particularly in Brazil. Health care for the edlery should value to maintain quality of life, considering the loss process particular of aging and the possiblities to prevent, maintenain and rehabilitate their health condition. Knowing the everyday lives of the elderly has been a challenge for health care professsionals regardint the implementation of programs and actions that aim to maintain the balance of the health-disease process, and it is in this search that we have made efforts to constibute, effectively, with the strategies to strengthen the edlerly and their relatives so it becomes possible to trigger health promotion actions, especially considering that the challenge for the millenium is to build collective awareness to achieve a society for all ages, with justice and the guarantee of full rights.

Toxicity of AMPA to the earthworm Eisenia andrei Bouché, 1972 in tropical artificial soil.

Abstract: Aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) - one of glyphosate’s main metabolites - has been classified as persistent in soils, raising concern regarding the widespread use of glyphosate in agriculture and forestry. Glyphosate may have negative or neutral effects on soil biota, but no information is available on the toxicity of AMPA to soil invertebrates. Therefore our aim was to study the effect of AMPA on mortality and reproduction of the earthworm species Eisenia andrei using standard soil ecotoxicological methods (ISO). Field-relevant concentrations of AMPA had no significant effects on mortality in acute or chronic assays. Except at the highest concentration tested, a significant biomass loss was observed compared to controls in the chronic assay. The number of juveniles and cocoons increased with higher concentrations of AMPA applied, but their mean weights decreased. This mass loss indicates higher sensitivity of juveniles than adults to AMPA. Our results suggest that earthworms coming from parents grown in contaminated soils may have reduced growth, limiting their beneficial roles in key soil ecosystem functions. Nevertheless, further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying the sublethal effects observed here.

Co-Culture of Microalgae, Cyanobacteria, and Macromycetes for Exopolysaccharides Production: Process Preliminary Optimization and Partial Characterization

Abstract: In this study, the biomass and exopolysaccharides (EPS) production in co-cultures of microalgae/cyanobacteria and macromycetes was evaluated as a technology for producing new polysaccharides for medical and/or industrial application. Based on biomass and EPS productivity of monocultures, two algae and two fungi were selected and cultured in different co-culture arrangements. The hydrosoluble EPS fractions from mono- and co-cultures were characterized by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and compared. It was found that co-cultures resulted in the production of an EPS different from those produced by monocultures, showing fungal predominance with microalgal/cyanobacterial traces. Co-cultures conditions were screened (temperature, agitation speed, fungal and microalgae inoculation rate, initial pH, illumination rate, and glucose concentration) in order to achieve maximum biomass and EPS production, resulting in an increase of 33 and 61% in exopolysaccharides and biomass productions, respectively (patent pending).