Cysticidal Therapy: Impact On Seizure Control In Epilepsy Associated With Neurocysticercosis

Objective: To evaluate the clinical features and seizure control of epilepsy related to neurocysticercosis. Method: 18 patients with partial epilepsy and neurocysticercosis were treated with albendazol or praziquantel and followed from 3 months to 12 years. We analyzed results from the CSF exam, interietal electroencephalogram (EEG), head computerized tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. Results: The patients' mean age was 36.4 years. The mean duration of epilepsy was 16 years. 83% patients had simple partial seizures ; 17% had complex partial seizures. All patients underwent routine EEGs: 62% had abnormalities and 38% were normal. A relationship was observed between focal EEG abnormality and the location of cyst in 28% of the patients. The CSF exams showed pleocytosis in 33% of the patients, and 28% had elevated protein levels. Only 22% of patients had positive titer for cysticercosis in the CSF. In all patients who had somatosensory and special sensory seizures there was a relationship between location of the cysts and seizure semiology (n=11). After cysticidal therapy, 83% patients had a significant improvement in controlling seizures. Conclusion: In this group, we found a predominance of simple partial seizures and a relationship between somatosensory and special sensory seizures and the location of the cysts. Cysticidal therapy was effective in controlling seizures in these patients and should be considered for patients with partial seizures and semiology related to cyst location.58410141020Carpio, A., Escobar, A., Hauser, W.A., Cysticercosis and epilepsy: A critical review (1998) Epilepsia, 39, pp. 1025-1040Pal, D.K., Carpio, A., Sander, J.W., Neurocysticercosis and epilepsy in developing countries (2000) J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 68, pp. 137-143Del Brutto, O.H., Prognostic factors for seizure recurrence after withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs in patients with neurocysticercosis (1994) Neurology, 44, pp. 1706-1709Spina-França, A., Livramento, J.A., Machado, L.R., Cysticercosis of the central nervous system and cerebrospinal fluid: Immunodiagnosis of 1573 patients in 63 years (1993) Arq Neuropsiquiatr, 51, pp. 16-20Monteiro, L., Nunes, B., Mendonça, D., Lopes, J., Spectrum of epilepsy in neurocysticercosis: A long-term follow-up of 143 patients (1995) Acta Neurol Scand, 92, pp. 33-40Carpio, A., Santillán, F., León, P., Aspectos clinicos de la cisticercosis (1990) Rev Inst Cienc Salud (Ecuador), 5, pp. 1-40Palacio, L.G., Jiménez, I., Garcia, H.H., Neurocysticercosis in persons with epilepsy in Medellín, Colombia (1998) Epilepsia, 39, pp. 1334-1339Garcia, H.H., Gilman, R., Martinéz, M., Cysticercosis as a major cause of epilepsy in Peru (1993) Lancet, 341, pp. 197-200Medina, M.T., Rosas, E., Rubio-Donnadieu, F., Sotelo, J., Neurocysticercosis as the main cause of late-onset epilepsy in Mexico (1990) Arch Intern Med, 150, pp. 323-325Sotelo, J., Escobedo, F., Rodriguez-Carbajal, J., Rubio-Donnadieu, F., Therapy of parenchymal brain cysticercosis with praziquantel (1984) N Engl J Med., 310, pp. 1001-1007Shawhney, I.M.S., Lekhra, O.P., Shashi, J.S., Evaluation of epilepsy management in a developing country: A prospective study of 407 patients (1996) Acta Neurol Scand, 94, pp. 19-23Proposal for revised classification of epilepsies and epileptic seizures (1989) Epilepsia, 30, pp. 389-399Takayanagui, O.M., Jardim, E., Therapy for neurocysticercosis: Comparison between albendazole and praziquantel (1992) Arch Neurol, 49, pp. 290-294Carpio, A., Santillán, F., León, P., Is the course of neurocysticercosis modified by treatment with antibelminthic agents? 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Superconductivity in the Nb2SnC compound

Nb2SnC is a member of the large family of lamellar materials that crystallize in the hexagonal structure with space group P63/mmc which are isomorphs with Cr2AlC, also named H-phase. In spite of the great number of compounds which belong to this family, the superconductivity has been reported only for two cases: Mo2GaC and Nb2SC. In this work we show that superconductivity can be observed in Nb2SnC depending on the synthesis method used. The quality of the superconductor is strongly dependent of the synthesis method and the optimal results were reached for samples synthesized at 2.5 GPa and 523 +/- 50oC. This sample showed a critical temperature close to 7.8K, revealed from magnetization and transport measurement, the highest critical temperature reported up to now for an H-phase.Comment: paper with 12 pages and 4 figure

Propriedades de ZrO2 (Y2 O3) reciclado proveniente da confecção de próteses dentárias

RESUMO O objetivo deste trabalho foi a recuperação de descartes de ZrO2(Y2O3) oriundos de laboratórios de próteses dentárias, a partir do seu reprocessamento. Os descartes de ZrO2(Y2O3) foram fragmentados, peneirados e calcinados a 900ºC. Pós com tamanho menor que 32μm foram prensados uniaxialmente a 100MPa e sinterizados em temperaturas entre 1400 e 1600ºC-120min. Análise de difração de raios X realizadas nos materiais calcinados indicaram a presença majoritária da fase ZrO2 tetragonal. Os compactos apresentaram densidade a verde próximo a 47% e as amostras sinterizadas tiveram sua densidade relativa variando entre 83,5% e 95%, para temperaturas de sinterização de 1400 e 1600ºC, respectivamente. Os resultados da análise de difração de raios X indicaram a presença da fase ZrO2 tetragonal, com dureza Vickers e tenacidade máxima obtidos para as amostras sinterizadas a 1600ºC, da ordem de 1100 HV e 5,7 MPa.m1/2 respectivamente

Superconductivity in Mo5SiB2

In the MoSi binary system, Mo5Si3 crystallizes in the W5Si3 (T1 phase) structure type. However, when boron replaces silicon in this compound, a structural transition occurs from the W5Si3 prototype structure to the Cr5B 3 prototype structure (T2 phase) at the composition Mo5SiB2. Mo5SiB2 has received much attention in the literature as a candidate for structural application in high-temperature turbines, but its electronic and magnetic behavior has not been explored. In this work, we show that Mo5SiB2 is a bulk superconducting material with critical temperature close to 5.8 K. The specific-heat, resistivity and magnetization measurements reveal that this material is a conventional type II BCS superconductor. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved