Awe: Efeitos Cognitivos, Emocionais e Motivacionais do Deslumbramento num Contexto Experimental / Awe: Cognitive, Emotional and Motivational Effects of Dazzle in an Experimental Context

Resumo A relativamente inexplorada emoção de awe, que pode ser descrita em português como a sensação de deslumbramento e transcendência perante a percepção subjetiva de grandiosidade, vem sendo experimentalmente associada a efeitos positivos de natureza diversa. Nos artigos encontrados para inclusão nesta revisão bibliográfica, foram relatados um aumento da pró-socialidade e de sentimentos afiliativos, melhoras no humor e na satisfação pessoal, e modificações na concepção dos participantes acerca do tempo, levando a uma redução da impaciência e incentivando a busca de experiências de crescimento pessoal em lugar de recompensas imediatas. Esse sentimento também pareceu encorajar o senso crítico com relação a tentativas de convencimento, além de promover a espiritualidade e a identificação de propósito na realidade.

Abstract The relatively uninvestigated emotion of awe has been experimentally associated with a wide range of positive effects. The articles retrieved for inclusion in this literature review reported an increase in prosociality and group affiliation, improvements in mood and personal satisfaction, and alterations in subjects' conception of time which reduced feelings of impatience and enhanced their disposition to seek personal growth experiences over immediate rewards. This emotion also seemed to encourage critical thinking with regard to persuasion attempts, and to promote spirituality as well as the identification of purpose in reality.

Effectiveness of Educational Practices in University Students' Knowledge about Sun Protection and Its Relation to Sunlight Exposure: An Exploratory Study in a Portuguese Higher Education Institution.

Nowadays, there is worldwide recognition that health and educational outcomes are inextricably linked. It is also recognized that health education comprises opportunities to improve health literacy, including the improvement of knowledge and the development of life skills to promote individual health. It is also known that the behavioral practices regarding sun exposure are an important risk factor for skin cancer. Research is needed in this area to understand the contribution of the "Education for Health" curricular unit to these issues. Our exploratory research sought to collect information about the knowledge and practices regarding sun exposure of a group of Portuguese university students who have already attended this curricular unit. The results indicate that the participants show that, notwithstanding that they have already attended this curricular unit, they do not have more literacy on skin health, do not perceive that sun exposure habits are related to skin health and do not perceive that photoprotection constitutes prevention of skin cancer. The results support the need to promote the necessary reflection and debate on the way in which health education should be taught, as well as what is taught, in order to empower students to get decision-making skills associated with the adoption of healthier attitudes and practices, thus helping to prevent skin cancer.

Há lugar para o uso de probióticos na saúde bucal? / Is there a place for probiotics in oral health? Systematic review

Objetivo: revisar os efeitos dos probióticos na profilaxia e tratamento de doenças da cavidade oral. Material e métodos: buscou-se artigos no Medline, Lilacs e SciELO com as estratégias de busca: treatment and "oral health" and probiotics; probiotics and "oral health"; probiotics and "oral cavity"; prevention and "oral health" and probiotics; probiotics and "mouth diseases". Critérios de inclusão: pesquisas em humanos, em inglês, português e espanhol, e foco nos efeitos dos probióticos na saúde bucal. Critérios de exclusão: estudos em animais, ou publicados em outros idiomas, e não relacionados ao benefício dos probióticos na cavidade oral. Resultados: foram incluídos 14 artigos (revisão, ensaio clínico e caso-controle), publicados na Alemanha, Brasil, Cuba, Dinamarca, Índia, Inglaterra e Peru, todos de alta qualidade metodológica. O uso de probióticos parece favorecer o equilíbrio da microflora bucal e reduzir a incidência de cáries, gengivites, halitoses, candidíase oral e periodontites. Apenas dois artigos declararam conflito de interesse, riscos e danos do uso de probióticos. Conclusão: dada a importância dos probióticos e seu potencial promissor, mais estudos isentos de interesses comerciais são necessários para avaliar o custo/efetividade e segurança dos probióticos na profilaxia, e tratamento de doenças bucais antes que profissionais da saúde e governos possam recomendá-los.

Objective: review the effects of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of oral cavity diseases. Materials and methods: the Medline, Lilacs, and SciELO databases were screened using the following strategies: treatment and "oral health" and probiotics; probiotics and "oral health"; probiotics and "oral cavity"; prevention and "oral health" and probiotics; probiotics and "mouth diseases". Inclusion criteria: studies performed in humans in English, Portuguese and Spanish, with focus on probiotics' effects on oral health. Exclusion criteria: studies performed in animals, published in different languages, and without direct relationship with the benefi ts of using probiotics for oral health. Results: 14 articles were included (review, clinical trial and case control), published between 2008 and 2013 in Germany, Brazil, Cuba, Denmark, India, England and Peru. Articles included reached high methodological quality. It seems that the use of probiotics enhance balance of the oral microflora, which reduces the incidence of caries, gingivitis, halitosis, periodontitis, and oral candidiasis. Only two articles superficially reported conflict of interests, risks, and damages from probiotics usage. Conclusion: given the importance and potential of probiotics, further studies free of commercial interests are needed to evaluate their cost-effectiveness and safety in the prevention and treatment of oral diseases, before professionals and government programs may recommend their usage.

Comparative study of metallic biomaterials toxicity: a histochemical and immunohistochemical demonstration in mouse spleen.

Metallic biomaterials available for orthopaedic purposes become essential to perform important physical activities, due to their low cost and excellent mechanical properties. In addition, they are frequently used in dentistry. However, corrosion phenomena of such devices are the main problems resulting in subsequent spreading of the elements through the whole body via lymph and blood. The spleen is the most important lymphoid organ and the only one included in the blood circulation. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term effects on spleen tissues of heavy metals released from stainless steel and Cr-Co-Mo alloys, as well as from titanium, at histochemical and immunohistochemical levels. For this purpose, metallic suspensions were obtained by electrochemical dissolution of the mentioned biomaterials: stainless steel (Fe 490 mg/L, Cr 224 mg/L, Ni 150 mg/L), Cr-Co-Mo (Cr 200 mg/L, Co 375 mg/L), and titanium (400 mg/L). Then 0.5 ml of each solution was subcutaneously administered to male Charles River mice each 72 hours during 30 days. Cryostat sections of the spleen from all groups were submitted to routine staining with haematoxylin/eosin, peroxidase detection by 3-3' diaminobenzidine (DAB), and alkaline phosphatase anti-alkaline phosphatase (APAAP) for lymphocyte detection. Several pronounced alterations were found in the spleen architecture, as manifested by irregular features within the capsule and medulla, namely depletion of T4 and B cells. Altogether these results suggest toxic alterations within the spleen induced by some of the metallic elements, indicating that the immune system may be hampered and so interfering in the body mechanisms of defence.