Spinal Cord Damage In Machado-joseph Disease.

Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3) is the most frequent spinocerebellar ataxia worldwide and characterized by remarkable phenotypic heterogeneity. MRI-based studies in SCA3 focused in the cerebellum and connections, but little is known about cord damage in the disease and its clinical relevance. To evaluate the spinal cord damage in SCA3 through quantitative analysis of MRI scans. A group of 48 patients with SCA3 and 48 age and gender-matched healthy controls underwent MRI on a 3T scanner. We used T1-weighted 3D images to estimate the cervical spinal cord area (CA) and eccentricity (CE) at three C2/C3 levels based on a semi-automatic image segmentation protocol. The scale for assessment and rating of ataxia (SARA) was employed to quantify disease severity. The two groups-SCA3 and controls-were significantly different regarding CA (49.5 ± 7.3 vs 67.2 ± 6.3 mm(2), p < 0.001) and CE values (0.79 ± 0.06 vs 0.75 ± 0.05, p = 0.005). In addition, CA presented a significant correlation with SARA scores in the patient group (p = 0.010). CE was not associated with SARA scores (p = 0.857). In the multiple variable regression, we found that disease duration was the only variable associated with CA (coefficient = -0.629, p = 0.025). SCA3 is characterized by cervical cord atrophy and antero-posterior flattening. In addition, the spinal cord areas did correlate with disease severity. This suggests that quantitative analyses of the spinal cord MRI might be a useful biomarker in SCA3.

Efeito das interações hiperconjugativas na constante de acoplamento ¹J CH da hexametilenotetramina e do adamantano: estudo teórico e experimental

The objective of this work was to determine the influence of hyperconjugative interactions on the ¹J CH coupling constant for hexamethylenetetramine (1) and adamantane (2). For this end, theoretical and experimental ¹J CH were obtained and hyperconjugative interactions were investigated using NBO. It was observed, theoretically and experimentally, that ¹J CH in 1 is 20 Hz larger than in 2, mainly due to the nN®s*C-H hyperconjugative interaction. This interaction occurs only in 1, with an energy of 9.30 kcal mol-1. It increases the s-character of the carbon atom in the C-H bond and the occupancy of the sigma*C-H orbital in (1).

Preparação de nanopartículas de prata e ouro: um método simples para a introdução da nanociência em laboratório de ensino

A new practical experiment involving silver and gold nanoparticle syntheses was introduced in an inorganic chemistry laboratory course for undergraduate students at the Institute of Chemistry, UNICAMP. The nanoparticles were synthesized by the reduction of silver nitrate and tetrachloroauric acid with sodium borohydride and sodium citrate in an aqueous medium. Stabilities of the suspensions were tested using several different reactants including sodium chloride, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol and cistamine. Changes in optical properties were observed by electronic spectra and also by transmission electronic microscopy, which also yielded data for estimating particle size.

A metalinguagem como lugar da interpretação: terminologia e bases de dados informatizadas

The main objective of this work is to discuss the notion of metalanguage concerning the use of thesaurus (symbols systems, functions indicators, descriptors) utilized by indexers for article representation in computerized bibliographical databases. Our corpus comprises article abstracts and bibliographical database descriptors LILACS (Literatura Latino-Americana em Ciências da Saúde) and SOCIOFILE Sociological Abstracts. We aim at clarifying the effects of subjectivity in the functioning of indexing taking account the grounds for interpretation that allow different meanings.

Efeito de 13 semanas de treinamento físico militar sobre a composição corporal e o desempenho físico dos alunos da escola preparatória de cadetes do exército

INTRODUCTION: Armies from all over the world acknowledge the importance of good physical fitness for the performance of military duties. The Military Exercise Training (MET) attempts to provide assistance to this search for better physical fitness and performance. OBJECTIVE: To verifying the effect on the body composition and physical performance of the students at ESPCEX (Military School for Preparation of Army Cadets) after 13 weeks of MET. METHODS: The sample was formed by 287 male students from the ESPCEX, whose average age was 18.33 ±1.26. Such students accomplished a boarding school routine, having defined schedules, meals and activities from which they were only released during the weekends. The MET was accomplished five days a week and it comprised both aerobic and resistance training. Measurement of body mass, height, skinfold (triceps, abdominal and suprailiac) was accomplished during pre and post training periods, and the following tests were performed: 12-minutes-run, oblique sit up, arm push up and pull up. Fat percentage, fat-free body mass and fat body mass were calculated using the anthropometric data based on the Guedes 3 skinfold protocol. RESULTS: Significant reduction in fat body mass, fat percentage and in triceptal and abdominal skinfold, as well as increase in suprailiac skinfold and fat-free body mass was observed when anthropometric and body composition data were compared, during the initial and the final periods of training. Significant improvement also occurred in all prformed physical tests, in which better performance was achieved. CONCLUSION: The acquired data suggest that performance of MET 5 days a week brought significantly improved body composition as well as physical performance

Topiramate-associated acute, bilateral, angle-closure glaucoma: case report

This paper describes a topiramate induced acute bilateral angle-closure glaucoma. This rare adverse effect is an idiosyncratic reaction characterized by uveal effusion and lens forward displacement, leading to increased intraocular pressure and vision loss. We describe a 55 year-old white woman with migraine, spasmodic torticollis and essential tremor, who developed bilateral acute angle-closure glaucoma, one week after starting topiramate 25 mg/day. She was seen at the Ophthalmology Emergency Department of the Fundação João Penido Burnier (Campinas, SP, Brazil) with a 4 hours history of blurry vision, ocular pain and bright flashes vision. Slit lamp examination revealed moderate conjunctival injection and corneal edema, and shallow anterior chambers. Intraocular pressure was 48 mmHg in both eyes. Fundoscopic examination findings were normal. She was treated with timolol, brimonidine, dorzolamide, pilocarpine, prednisone acetate eye drops and acetazolamide. One hour after those measures, as the intraocular pressure was 30 mmHg, she received a manitol intravenous injection and the intraocular pressure normalized. After 24 hours an iridotomy with Yag laser was performed. Topiramate was discontinued and she was totally recovered after one week.