Elaine Alves

Revisiting Zhang's 1D calibration algorithm

In recent years, the camera calibration using 1D patterns has been studied and improved by researchers all over the world. However, the progress in that area has been mainly in the sense of reducing the restrictions to the 1D pattern movement. On the other hand, the methods accuracy still demands improvements. In the present paper, the original technique proposed by Zhang is revisited and we demonstrate that the methods accuracy can be significantly improved, simply by analyzing and reformulating the problem. The numerical conditioning can be improved if a simple data normalization is performed. Furthermore, a non-linear solution based on the Partitioned Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm is proposed. That solution takes advantage of the problems particular structure to reduce the computational complexity of the original method and to improve the accuracy. Tests using both synthetic and real images demonstrate that the calibration method using 1D patterns can be applied in practice, with accuracy comparable to other already traditional methods.

Hanseníase: o controle dos contatos no município de Londrina-PR em um período de dez anos

Estudio descriptivo, con el objetivo de analizar variables relacionadas a los contactos de pacientes con Lepra que son atendidos en el municipio de Londrina, en un periodo de diez anos. Los datos fueron obtenidos en las fichas de los acompanantes y del SINAN (organo del MInisterio de Salud que registra la ocurrencia de toda enfermedad transmisible). Entre los 1055 casos de hanseniase, fueron registrados 3394 contactos, con una media de 3,2. Los individuos mas expuestos tienen hasta 40 anos de edad (71,5%), siendo hijos/as (40,6%) y esposos/as (17,8%). Fueron examinados 1731 (51,0%) contactos, de los cuales, 183 presentaban alguna senal de la lepra: confirmados 16 casos, descartados 47 y sin concluir la investigacion 120. La mayoria de los contactos (51,6%) fue expuesta a las formas multibacilares y 12,8% comprobo la administracion de dos dosis de la BCG. Se concluye que esta habiendo fallas en el acompanamiento de los contactos.

Leprosy: control of household contacts in the municipality of Londrina-PR for a ten-year period

Estudio descriptivo, con el objetivo de analizar variables relacionadas a los contactos de pacientes con Lepra que son atendidos en el municipio de Londrina, en un periodo de diez anos. Los datos fueron obtenidos en las fichas de los acompanantes y del SINAN (organo del MInisterio de Salud que registra la ocurrencia de toda enfermedad transmisible). Entre los 1055 casos de hanseniase, fueron registrados 3394 contactos, con una media de 3,2. Los individuos mas expuestos tienen hasta 40 anos de edad (71,5%), siendo hijos/as (40,6%) y esposos/as (17,8%). Fueron examinados 1731 (51,0%) contactos, de los cuales, 183 presentaban alguna senal de la lepra: confirmados 16 casos, descartados 47 y sin concluir la investigacion 120. La mayoria de los contactos (51,6%) fue expuesta a las formas multibacilares y 12,8% comprobo la administracion de dos dosis de la BCG. Se concluye que esta habiendo fallas en el acompanamiento de los contactos.

Convivendo com a diversidade sexual: relato de experiência

This study reports the experience of undergraduate students and faculty from the School of Nursing - Londrina State University, in a Civil Society Organization (CSO) that works with transvestites and men who provide sexual services for a fee. In the first school semester, students and faculty remained daily at CSO in order to care for immediate necessities and perform weekly lectures. In the second semester, workshops on sexual diversity were ministered by the transvestites to students and faculty followed by workshops, that were ministered, weekly, by students and faculty involving themes previously chosen by the transvestites. This experience is deemed to be enriching and contributes to students and facultys personal and professional growth, as well as improves care quality and life quality of the transvestites.

Prevalence and evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in tuberculosis case contacts

INTRODUCTION The tuberculin test is a diagnostic method for detecting latent tuberculosis (TB) infection, especially among disease contact cases. The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence and evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among TB contact cases. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was performed in a reference center for TB. The study population consisted of 2,425 patients who underwent a tuberculin test from 2003 to 2010 and whose results indicated contact with individuals with TB. The data were collected from the registry book of the tuberculin tests, patient files and the Information System Records of Notification Grievance. To verify the evolution of TB, case records through September 2014 were consulted. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). In all hypothesis tests, a significance level of 0.05 was used. RESULTS From the studied sample, 435 (17.9%) contacts did not return for reading. Among the 1,990 contacts that completed the test, the prevalence of latent TB infection was 35.4%. Of these positive cases, 50.6% were referred to treatment; the dropout rate was 42.5%. Among all of the contacts, the TB prevalence was 1.8%, from which 13.2% abandoned treatment. CONCLUSIONS The collected data indicate the need for more effective public policies to improve TB control, including administering tests that do not require a return visit for reading, enhancing contact tracing and encouraging actions that reinforce full treatment adherence.

Living with sexual diversity: experience report

This study reports the experience of undergraduate students and faculty from the School of Nursing - Londrina State University, in a Civil Society Organization (CSO) that works with transvestites and men who provide sexual services for a fee. In the first school semester, students and faculty remained daily at CSO in order to care for immediate necessities and perform weekly lectures. In the second semester, workshops on sexual diversity were ministered by the transvestites to students and faculty followed by workshops, that were ministered, weekly, by students and faculty involving themes previously chosen by the transvestites. This experience is deemed to be enriching and contributes to students and facultys personal and professional growth, as well as improves care quality and life quality of the transvestites.

Conviviendo con la diversidad sexual: relato de experiencia

This study reports the experience of undergraduate students and faculty from the School of Nursing - Londrina State University, in a Civil Society Organization (CSO) that works with transvestites and men who provide sexual services for a fee. In the first school semester, students and faculty remained daily at CSO in order to care for immediate necessities and perform weekly lectures. In the second semester, workshops on sexual diversity were ministered by the transvestites to students and faculty followed by workshops, that were ministered, weekly, by students and faculty involving themes previously chosen by the transvestites. This experience is deemed to be enriching and contributes to students and facultys personal and professional growth, as well as improves care quality and life quality of the transvestites.

Lepra: el control de los contactos en el municipio de Londrina-PR en un periodo de diez años

Estudio descriptivo, con el objetivo de analizar variables relacionadas a los contactos de pacientes con Lepra que son atendidos en el municipio de Londrina, en un periodo de diez anos. Los datos fueron obtenidos en las fichas de los acompanantes y del SINAN (organo del MInisterio de Salud que registra la ocurrencia de toda enfermedad transmisible). Entre los 1055 casos de hanseniase, fueron registrados 3394 contactos, con una media de 3,2. Los individuos mas expuestos tienen hasta 40 anos de edad (71,5%), siendo hijos/as (40,6%) y esposos/as (17,8%). Fueron examinados 1731 (51,0%) contactos, de los cuales, 183 presentaban alguna senal de la lepra: confirmados 16 casos, descartados 47 y sin concluir la investigacion 120. La mayoria de los contactos (51,6%) fue expuesta a las formas multibacilares y 12,8% comprobo la administracion de dos dosis de la BCG. Se concluye que esta habiendo fallas en el acompanamiento de los contactos.