Quality of life (QoL) in relation to disease severity in Brazilian Parkinson's patients as measured using the WHOQOL-BREF

This study aimed at evaluating and describing the QoL and its association with the severity of disease among Brazilian Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. In this cross-sectional study 68 PD patients were interviewed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Hoehn-Yahr (HY) scale. Analysis of variance, chi(2), Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U-tests, Spearman and Cronbach reliability coefficients were used to analyze the data. The results indicate: (1) physical capacity was the domain that showed the most deterioration; (2) severity of PD is associated with QoL measured by WHOQOL-BREF; (3) overall QoL, working capacity, activities of daily living (ADL) and self-esteem are affected in both transitional periods in the progression of PD (mild to moderate and moderate to advanced). Satisfaction with general health, pain, energy, positive feelings, personal relationship and satisfaction with home are affected in the first period of transition while mobility, body image, sexual activity and access to information are affected in the second. This study mainly shows specific facets that are affected depending on the specific periods of PD progression, which can help to understand the impact of the disease, the effectiveness of care, and the demand for health care resources. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Damage Characterization Using Guided-Wave Linear Arrays and Image Compounding Techniques

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Perceptual Information Integration: Hypothetical Role of Astrocytes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Dornase alfa improves the health-related quality of life among Brazilian patients with cystic fibrosis - A one-year prospective study

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measurements provide valuable information about the psychological and social impact of treatment on patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). This study evaluated the HRQOL of Brazilian patients with CF and assessed the changes in HRQOL domains over 1 year after dornase alfa (Pulmozyme) introduction. Patients and Methods: One hundred fifty-six stable patients with CF and 89 caregivers answered the Portuguese-validated version of the Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R) at baseline (T 0), and at 3 (T 1), 6 (T 2), 9 (T 3), and 12 (T 4) months of follow-up. Eighteen patientswere excluded because they did not fulfill the inclusion criteria. The patients were analyzed in two groups: those aged 6-11 years and those aged 14 years and older. ANOVA for observed repeated results and the last observation carried forward (LOCF) method for missing data were used for the statistical analysis. Results: After 1 year of follow-up, there was significant improvement in respiratory symptoms (T 4-T 0=8.1; 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=[2.1;14.0]; effect size (ES)=0.35; P<0.001), Emotional Functioning (T 4-T 0=5.6; 95% CI=[1.1;10.1]; ES=0.31; P<0.05), Social Functioning (T 4-T 0=6.0; 95% CI=[1.3;11.7]; ES=0.31; P<0.05), Body Image (T 4-T 0=11.9; 95% CI=[4.1;19.7]; ES=0.42; P<0.05), and Treatment Burden (T 4-T 0=5.3; 95% CI=[0.3;10.3]; ES=0.24; P<0.05) domains in the younger group. A significant improvement in Role Functioning (T 4-T 0=6.1; 95% CI=[1.1;11.1]; ES=0.40; P<0.05), Body Image (T 4-T 0=12.6; 95% CI=[3.5;21.7]; ES=0.46; P<0.05), and Weight (T 4-T 0=11.7; 95% CI=[1.8;21.6]; ES=0.40; P<0.05) was obtained in the older group. The caregivers' CFQ-R showed improvements in the Digestive Symptoms (T 4-T 0=5.5; 95% CI=[1.5;9.4]; ES=0.30; P<0.05), Respiratory Symptoms (T 4-T 0=7.6; 95% CI=[3.9;11.4]; ES=0.48; P<0.05), and Weight (T 4-T 0=10.1; 95% CI=[1.6;18.6]; ES=0.26; P<0.05) domains. Conclusion: The introduction of dornase alfa improved the HRQL of the patients with CF during the first year of treatment. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Improving synthetic aperture image by image compounding in beamforming process

In this work, signal processing techniques are used to improve the quality of image based on multi-element synthetic aperture techniques. Using several apodization functions to obtain different side lobes distribution, a polarity function and a threshold criterium are used to develop an image compounding technique. The spatial diversity is increased using an additional array, which generates complementary information about the defects, improving the results of the proposed algorithm and producing high resolution and contrast images. The inspection of isotropic plate-like structures using linear arrays and Lamb waves is presented. Experimental results are shown for a 1-mm-thick isotropic aluminum plate with artificial defects using linear arrays formed by 30 piezoelectric elements, with the low dispersion symmetric mode S0 at the frequency of 330 kHz. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.

A Pilot Study Addressing the Impact of Religious Practice on Quality of Life of Breast Cancer Patients During Chemotherapy

The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate whether religious practice can modify quality of life (QoL) in BC patients during chemotherapy. QoL and religion practice questionnaire (RPQ) scores were evaluated in a sample of BC patients in different moments. Before chemotherapy initiation, women with lower physical and social functional scores displayed higher RPQ scores. On the other hand, low RPQ patients worsened some QoL scores over time. Body image acceptance was positively correlated with religious practice and specifically praying activity. This preliminary study suggests the importance of religion in coping with cancer chemotherapy. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

A method using artificial neural networks to morphologically assess mouse blastocyst quality

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Self-perception, complaints and vocal quality among undergraduate students enrolled in a Pedagogy course

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Dysarthria and quality of life in neurologically healthy elderly and patients with Parkinson's disease

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Efficacy of a perceptual and visual-motor skill intervention program for students with dyslexia

Purpose: To verify the efficacy of a perceptual and visual-motor skill intervention program for students with dyslexia. Methods: The participants were 20 students from third to fifth grade of a public elementary school in Marília, São Paulo, aged from 8 years to 11 years and 11 months, distributed into the following groups: Group I (GI; 10 students with developmental dyslexia) and Group II (GII; 10 students with good academic performance). A perceptual and visual-motor intervention program was applied, which comprised exercises for visual-motor coordination, visual discrimination, visual memory, visual-spatial relationship, shape constancy, sequential memory, visual figure-ground coordination, and visual closure. In pre- and post-testing situations, both groups were submitted to the Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills (TVPS-3), and the quality of handwriting was analyzed using the Dysgraphia Scale. Results: The analyzed statistical results showed that both groups of students had dysgraphia in pretesting situation. In visual perceptual skills, GI presented a lower performance compared to GII, as well as in the quality of writing. After undergoing the intervention program, GI increased the average of correct answers in TVPS-3 and improved the quality of handwriting. Conclusion: The developed intervention program proved appropriate for being applied to students with dyslexia, and showed positive effects because it provided improved visual perception skills and quality of writing for students with developmental dyslexia.

Image segmentation using morphological watershed applied to cartography

Image segmentation is a process frequently used in several different areas including Cartography. Feature extraction is a very troublesome task, and successful results require more complex techniques and good quality data. The aims of this paper is to study Digital Image Processing techniques, with emphasis in Mathematical Morphology, to use Remote Sensing imagery, making image segmentation, using morphological operators, mainly the multi-scale morphological gradient operator. In the segmentation process, pre-processing operators of Mathematical Morphology were used, and the multi-scales gradient was implemented to create one of the images used as marker image. Orbital image of the Landsat satellite, sensor TM was used. The MATLAB software was used in the implementation of the routines. With the accomplishment of tests, the performance of the implemented operators was verified and carried through the analysis of the results. The extration of linear feature, using mathematical morphology techniques, can contribute in cartographic applications, as cartographic products updating. The comparison to the best result obtained was performed by means of the morphology with conventional techniques of features extraction. © Springer-Verlag 2004.

Differences in acoustic and perceptual parameters of the voice between elderly and young women at habitual and high intensity

The present study aimed to compare elderly and young female voices in habitual and high intensity. The effect of increased intensity on the acoustic and perceptual parameters was assessed. Sound pressure level, fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and harmonic to noise ratio were obtained at habitual and high intensity voice in a group of 30 elderly women and 30 young women. Perceptual assessment was also performed. Both groups demonstrated an increase in sound pressure level and fundamental frequency from habitual voice to high intensity voice. No differences were found between groups in any acoustic variables on samples recorded with habitual intensity level. No significant differences between groups were found in habitual intensity level for pitch, hoarseness, roughness, and breathiness. Asthenia and instability obtained significant higher values in elderly than young participants, whereas, the elderly demonstrated lower values for perceived tension and loudness than young subjects. Acoustic and perceptual measures do not demonstrate evident differences between elderly and young speakers in habitual intensity level. The parameters analyzed may lack the sensitivity necessary to detect differences in subjects with normal voices. Phonation with high intensity highlights differences between groups, especially in perceptual parameters. Therefore, high intensity should be included to compare elderly and young voice.

A voz do idoso: características clínicas, endoscópicas, vocais e morfológicas

Pós-graduação em Bases Gerais da Cirurgia - FMB