Meningite asséptica na campanha de vacinação pública tríplice viral (590.609 indivíduos) em Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil, 1998

The aseptic meningitis after Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine (MMR) is a well recognized complication, and different incidences have been observed in several studies. We retrospectively analyzed forty cases of aseptic meningitis, during a large public immunization campaign (1998) in Curitiba, Southern Brazil (590,609 people), admitted in our Service. The vaccine utilized was Leningrad-3-Zagreb mumps strain, Edmonston-Zagreb measles strain, and RA 27#3 rubella strain. In all county, a total number of 87 cases were reported, resulting in a incidence of 1.7 cases per 10,000 given doses . The mean age was 23.7 ± 12.8 years. The female:male ratio was 1.35:1. Severe headache with meningismus (92.5%), fever (87.5%), nausea/vomiting (82.5%) were the most common clinical findings. Three cases (7.5%) developed mild mumps. All patients underwent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tap with the following findings: mononuclear pleocytosis from 100 to 500 cells/mm³ in 17 cases (42.5%; 257.5 ± 260.6 cells/mm³); increased protein 28 cases (67.5%; 92.1 ± 76.9 mg/dL); glucose was normal in all cases (56.8 ± 11.2 mg/dL) except in 4 (10%) cases, which presented less than 44 mg/dL. All serological tests (latex to bacterial meningitis, Cryptococcus, cysticercosis, VDRL) and bacteriological cultures were negative. Virus identification were also negative in 8 samples. None of the patients had neurological deficits or related symptoms after one year of onset. We believe the benefit of vaccination clearly outweights the incidence of benign vaccine-associated meningitis.A incidência de meningite asséptica após vacina tríplice viral (MMR) é diferente em diversos estudos. Analisamos retrospectivamente quarenta casos de meningite asséptica, relacionados a uma campanha de vacinação pública para cobertura tríplice viral em Curitiba, PR, Brasil, ano de 1998. A vacina utilizada foi a Leningrado-3-Zagreb para caxumba, Edmonston-Zagreb para sarampo e RA27#3 para rubéola. Um total de 87 casos foram relatados, resultando em uma incidência de 1,7 casos por 10.000 doses. A idade média dos pacientes foi 23,7 ± 12,8 anos. A relação feminino/masculino foi 1,35:1. Cefaléia intensa com sinais meningorradiculares (92,5%), febre (87,5%), náuseas e vômitos (82,5%) foram os achados clínicos mais comuns. Três casos (7,5%) desenvolveram caxumba branda. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos a punção lombar para obtenção de líquor, com os seguintes achados: pleocitose mononuclear de 100 a 500 células em 17 casos (42,4%; 257 ± 260,6 células/mm³); proteínas aumentadas em 28 casos (67,5%; 92,1 ± 76,9 mg/dL) e glicose (56,8 ± 11,2 mg/dL). Os testes sorológicos (látex para meningites, Cryptococcus, cisticercose, sífilis) e culturas bacteriológicas foram negativas. Identificação viral também foi negativa em 8 casos. Nenhum dos pacientes desenvolveu déficits neurológicos ou sintomas relacionados após um ano do início do quadro. Acreditamos que o benefício da vacinação claramente supera os eventuais efeitos da meningite asséptica após vacinação MMR devido ao seu caráter e evolução benignos

Suelos volcanicos endurecidos

The degree of fragmentation and irregularity of tepetate areas can be measured with fractal parameters. A lot of different empirical fractal dimensions can be used with this purposed. Some of these dimensions were estimated and compared in the present work. The tepetates lineal and mass fractal dimensions were independent of the scale of measurement. These data indicate the near ideal fractal dimensionality of tepetate areas. The doble value of lineal fractal dimension was similar to the mass fractal dimension. The tepetate surface fractal dimensions indicate the considerable irregularities of tepetate areas boundaries related with advanced erosion in the studied area. (Résumé d'auteur

Interdisziplinäre Betrachtung von Erklärungsansätzen zum Verhältnis von bildungssprachlichen Praktiken und sozialer Herkunft

Oleschko S. Interdisziplinäre Betrachtung von Erklärungsansätzen zum Verhältnis von bildungssprachlichen Praktiken und sozialer Herkunft. Bielefeld: Universität Bielefeld; 2020

Ataxia cerebelar hereditária autissômica dominante

Orientador - Luis F. Bleggi TorresDissertaçao (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciencias da Saúd

Avaliação volumétrica de estruturas encefálicas em pacientes com ataxias espinocerebelares tipos 3 e 10

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Hélio A. G. TeiveCo-orientador: Prof. Dr. Arnolfo de Carvalho NetoTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Interna e Ciências da Saúde. Defesa : Curitiba, 13/12/2019Inclui referências: p. 57-68Resumo: As ataxias espinocerebelares tipo 3 (AEC 3) e tipo 10 (AEC 10) são os dois tipos mais prevalentes no sul do Brasil. Este estudo teve como objetivo descrever e analisar as alterações volumétricas por imagem por ressonância magnética (RM) e possíveis correlações com achados clínicos e genéticos de pacientes com AEC 3 e AEC 10. Dados demográficos, gravidade da ataxia (SARA) e expansões dos genes afetados (CAGn e ATTCTn) foram avaliados. Dezenove pacientes com AEC 3 (8 mulheres, idade média 46,04 ± 12,49 anos; idade média de início da doença 34,21 ± 8,3 anos) e 18 pacientes com AEC 10 (10 mulheres; idade média 46,43 ± 8,04 anos; idade média de início da doença 32,72 ± 8,51 anos) foram comparados com grupo controle de 37 indivíduos pareados por sexo e idade. Dados morfométricos (espessura cortical e volumes subcorticais) foram extraídos através do programa FreeSurfer (http://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/). Observou-se uma correlação positiva significativa entre a duração da doença (anos) e o escore SARA em ambos grupos (AEC 3 (? = 0.872; p < 0.001); AEC 10 (? = 0.590, p = 0.005). Não houve correlação entre o número de expansões (CAGn e ATTCTn) e a idade de início da doença em pacientes AEC 3 (p = 0,872) e AEC 10 (p=0.590). No grupo AEC 3 detectou-se uma redução volumétrica significativa no cerebelo, gânglios da base, diencéfalo e substância cinzenta total e subcortical. Redução significativa da espessura cortical foi constatada nos giros frontal caudal médio, temporal médio, pars triangularis, e polo temporal. No grupo AEC 10 as alterações foram menos proeminentes, com reduções volumétricas restritas ao cerebelo e globos pálidos. Quarto ventrículo e ventrículo lateral direito apresentaram aumento das suas dimensões. Redução da espessura cortical foram restritas aos giros lingual, orbitofrontal médio, parahipocampais, giro do cíngulo rostral anterior e polo frontal. Os pacientes com AEC 3 apresentaram maior número de alterações volumétricas em várias estruturas corticais e subcorticais do encéfalo do que os pacientes com AEC 10, que apresentaram alterações de neuroimagem menos acentuadas, compatíveis com o fenótipo da doença ("ataxia cerebelar pura"). Palavras-chave: ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 3, ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 10, Freesurfer, substância cinzenta, imagem por ressonância magnéticaAbstract: SCA3 and SCA10 are very prevalent in southern Brazil. The authors conducted a comparative statistical analysis of neuroimaging using the software FreeSurfer (http://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/) which allows surface-based morphometry, cross-sectional evaluation of SCA3, SCA10, and healthy controls. Cortical thickness and subcortical volumes were analyzed. Nineteen patients with SCA3 and 18 patients with SCA10 were compared to a control group of 37 patients. Demographic data, ataxia severity scale (SARA), and expansion of the affected genes (CAGn and ATTCTn) was evaluated. Nineteen patients with SCA3 (8 females, mean age 46.04 ± 12.49 years-old, mean age at onset of symptoms 34.21 ± 8.38) and eighteen patients with SCA10 (10 females, mean age 46.43 ± 8.04 years-old, mean age at onset of symptoms 32.72 ± 8.51 years-old). Both groups presented a positive correlation between disease duration and SARA score: (SCA3 (? = 0.872; p < 0.001); SCA 10 (? = 0.590, p = 0.005). There was no correlation between the number of expansions (CAGn and ATTCTn) and the age of onset for SCA3 (p = 0,872) and SCA10 (p=0.590). In SCA3, significant volumetric reduction was seen in the cerebellum, basal ganglia, brain stem, diencephalon, and total and subcortical gray matter. Cortical thickness was significantly reduced in caudal middle frontal, middle temporal, pars triangularis, and temporal pole. In SCA10, the findings were much less prominent with volume reduction in the cerebellum and right pallidum. Fourth ventricle and right lateral ventricle were significantly larger. Reduced cortical thickness was restricted to lingual, middle orbitofrontal, Para hippocampal, rostral anterior cingulate, and frontal pole. The volumetric changes were much more prevalent in the SCA3 than in SCA10 patients, in keeping with a more widespread encephalic involvement in this form of SCA. This observation may reflect the greater phenotypic presentation seen in SCA3 patients, in comparison with SCA10 patients ("pure cerebellar syndrome"). Key-words: spinocerebellar ataxia 3, spinocerebellar ataxia 10, FreeSurfer, gray matter, magnetic resonance imaging

Topological invariance and spatial scaling of surface roughness in two highly eroded zones of Mexico: a comparative study

The Fractal Image Informatics toolbox (Oleschko et al., 2008 a; Torres-Argüelles et al., 2010) was applied to extract, classify and model the topological structure and dynamics of surface roughness in two highly eroded catchments of Mexico. Both areas are affected by gully erosion (Sidorchuk, 2005) and characterized by avalanche-like matter transport. Five contrasting morphological patterns were distinguished across the slope of the bare eroded surface of Faeozem (Queretaro State) while only one (apparently independent on the slope) roughness pattern was documented for Andosol (Michoacan State). We called these patterns ?the roughness clusters? and compared them in terms of metrizability, continuity, compactness, topological connectedness (global and local) and invariance, separability, and degree of ramification (Weyl, 1937). All mentioned topological measurands were correlated with the variance, skewness and kurtosis of the gray-level distribution of digital images. The morphology0 spatial dynamics of roughness clusters was measured and mapped with high precision in terms of fractal descriptors. The Hurst exponent was especially suitable to distinguish between the structure of ?turtle shell? and ?ramification? patterns (sediment producing zone A of the slope); as well as ?honeycomb? (sediment transport zone B) and ?dinosaur steps? and ?corals? (sediment deposition zone C) roughness clusters. Some other structural attributes of studied patterns were also statistically different and correlated with the variance, skewness and kurtosis of gray distribution of multiscale digital images. The scale invariance of classified roughness patterns was documented inside the range of five image resolutions. We conjectured that the geometrization of erosion patterns in terms of roughness clustering might benefit the most semi-quantitative models developed for erosion and sediment yield assessments (de Vente and Poesen, 2005)

Closed Contour Fractal Dimension Estimation by the Fourier Transform

This work proposes a novel technique for the numerical calculus of the fractal dimension of fractal objects which can be represented as a closed contour. The proposed method maps the fractal contour onto a complex signal and calculates its fractal dimension using the Fourier transform. The Fourier power spectrum is obtained and an exponential relation is verified between the power and the frequency. From the parameter (exponent) of the relation, it is obtained the fractal dimension. The method is compared to other classical fractal dimension estimation methods in the literature, e. g., Bouligand-Minkowski, box-couting and classical Fourier. The comparison is achieved by the calculus of the fractal dimension of fractal contours whose dimensions are well-known analytically. The results showed the high precision and robustness of the proposed technique