Reading activity

1. Look at the titles
1) Policies for higher education in Latin America: the context
2) Mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Brazil during the years 2000 and 2001: results of a multi-
centric study
3) Effects of Compounds Found in Propolis on Streptococcus mutans Growth and on Glucosyltransferase
Activity
What are the titles of the following texts?
a) _______________________________________________________________________________
Propolis, a resinous bee product, has been shown to inhibit the growth of oral microorganisms and the activity
of bacterium-derived glucosyltransferases (GTFs). Several compounds, mainly polyphenolics, have been
identified in this natural product. The present study evaluated the effects of distinct chemical groups found in
propolis on the activity of GTF enzymes in solution and on the surface of saliva-coated hydroxyapatite (sHA)
beads. Thirty compounds, including flavonoids, cinnamic acid derivatives, and terpenoids, were tested for the
ability to inhibit GTFs B, C, and D from Streptococcus mutans and GTF from S. sanguinis (GTF Ss). Flavones
and flavonols were potent inhibitors of GTF activity in solution; lesser effects were noted on insolubilized
enzymes. Apigenin, a 4′,5,7-trihydroxyflavone, was the most effective inhibitor of GTFs, both in solution (90.5
to 95% inhibition at a concentration of 135 μg/ml) and on the surface of sHA beads (30 to 60% at 135 μg/ml).
Antibacterial activity was determined by using MICs, minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs), and time-
kill studies. Flavanones and some dihydroflavonols, as well as the sesquiterpene tt-farnesol, inhibited the
growth of S. mutans and S. sobrinus; tt-farnesol was the most effective antibacterial compound (MICs of 14 to
28 μg/ml and MBCs of 56 to 112 μg/ml). tt-Farnesol (56 to 112 μg/ml) produced a 3-log-fold reduction in the
bacterial population after 4 h of incubation. Cinnamic acid derivatives had negligible biological activities.
Several of the compounds identified in propolis inhibit GTF activities and bacterial growth. Apigenin is a novel
and potent inhibitor of GTF activity, and tt-farnesol was found to be an effective antibacterial agent.
b) _______________________________________________________________________________
Latin American higher education developed since the nineteenth century from the tensions between the
Catholic tradition of Iberian colonization and the enlightenment, rationalistic and predominantly French views
present in the independence movements, and embodied in the "Napoleonic" institutions established throughout
the region. This article discusses how this system evolved, facing the problems of enlarged enrolment,
diversification, and the current problems of reform, as alternatives among the poles of bureaucratic, oligarchic
and market mechanisms of coordination.
c) _______________________________________________________________________________
The objective of this study was to assess mother-to-child transmission rates of HIV in Brazil during the years
2000 and 2001, and to identify the maternal and neonatal variables that were associated with this transmission.
It was a cross-sectional, observational study with retrospective data obtained from patient medical records. The
children were followed at 63 medical sites situated in five geographical macro-regions of the country (20 States
and the Federal Capital). Children enrolled were those that were born of HIV-infected mothers and it was
necessary for the mothers to present documented proof of HIV-infection before or during pregnancy, at time of
delivery or in the first three months after delivery. There were 2,924 children enrolled and mother-to-child
transmission rates of HIV were 8.6% (95%CI: 7.2-10.2) for the year 2000 and 7.1% (95%CI: 5.8-8.6) for the
year 2001. The following variables were associated with lower mother-to-child transmission rates of HIV:
elective cesarean section, diagnosis of mother's infection before or during pregnancy, access to HIV viral load
and T CD4+ lymphocyte count during prenatal care, greater birth weight and avoidance of breastfeeding.