University of La Frontera

Introduction: This project studies the impact of Ilex paraguariensis harvest time, commonly known as yerba mate, and its consumption mode (mate, tereré, and mate/terere) on the lipid profile of consumers in the Department of Caaguazú, Paraguay. Yerba mate is rich in bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, xanthines, and saponins. There are no clinical trials conducted in Paraguay with our Ilex paraguariensis plantations that have analyzed the influence of harvest time on the yerba mate production process and the infusion mode, in relation to its effect on dyslipidemias. General Objective: To establish the effectiveness of Ilex paraguariensis harvest time and the mode of consumption of the produced yerba mate on the lipid profile of consumers in the Department of Caaguazú, Paraguay. Methodology: The research approach will be quantitative, using a triple-blind randomized clinical trial design. Participants will be regular consumers of yerba mate, divided into groups based on harvest time (beginning or end of the harvest) and consumption mode (mate, tereré, or both). Lipid profile measurements will be taken at baseline and at 30, 90, and 180 days after consumption. Yerba mate samples will be analyzed and classified according to their bioactive properties before being blinded to the researchers and participants. Expected results: a report on the social, cultural, and anthropometric characterization of regular consumers of mate and tereré, and a report on the concentrations of the bioactive properties of yerba mate; polyphenols, xanthines, saponins from Ilex paraguariensis harvested at the beginning and end of the harvest and the database of patients with baseline lipid profile results, at 30, 90, and 180 days of mate and tereré consumers with yerba mate prepared randomly according to the harvest time of the Ip (beginning or end of harvest) analyzed.

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the acceptability and clinical effectiveness of Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) in comparison with Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) in Early Childhood Caries (ECC) management at the community level. The main question it aims to answer are:
• It's SDF more accepted and effective than ART in early childhood caries management when implemented at the community level?
Participants will be diagnosed by an experienced and calibrated dentist using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS), then children with decayed teeth will be treated with SDF (experimental) or ART (control); another operator will choose randomly the treatment for each participant. Furthermore, oral health education component will be given to children, parents and educators.
Follow-up visits will be made at 6 and 12 months after child's treatment is complete. Before and after treatment parents will be asked to complete a child personal background survey (before), Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) questionnaire (before and at follow-ups) and a oral health satisfaction survey (one week after treatment and at follow-ups).
Researchers will compare the SDF's groups and the ART's group to see which of them is more accepted and effective at community level.
Main outcome: parents and children acceptability to SDF and ART.

Background: Muscle flexibility is a fundamental physical quality for body development, daily life and sports activities, and also for maintaining muscle quality during aging. Limited flexibility leads to an increased prevalence of musculoskeletal injury in general population and longer return to sports activities.
Among the existent strategies to increase muscle flexibility in sports training and physical rehabilitation, static stretching is commonly used by health and physical activity professionals. Its effectiveness in increasing flexibility has been widely demonstrated; however its effects on muscle strength and power remains controversial.
Therefore, eccentric resistance exercise has been proposed as an effective intervention for increasing muscle flexibility through structural changes on muscle architecture (pennation angle and fascicle length) with the additional benefit of resistance training on muscle strength and power. Nonetheless, its unknown if the increase in muscle flexibility through eccentric resistance exercise could be similar to what has been previously demonstrated with static stretching.