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The total variation regularizer is well suited to piecewise smooth images. If we add the fact that these regularizers are convex, we have, perhaps, the reason for the resurgence of interest on TV-based approaches to inverse problems. This paper proposes a new TV-based algorithm for image deconvolution, under the assumptions of linear observations and additive white Gaussian noise. To compute the TV estimate, we propose a majorization-minimization approach, which consists in replacing a difficult optimization problem by a sequence of simpler ones, by relying on convexity arguments. The resulting algorithm has O(N ) computational complexity, for finite support convolutional kernels. In a comparison with state-of-the-art methods, the proposed algorithm either outperforms or equals them, with similar computational complexity.

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Neurodevelopment in 29 normocephalic children with in utero exposure to Zika virus (ZIKV) was evaluated by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition. Ten (35%) infants presented neurodevelopment delay. Language, cognitive and motor delays were identified in 9 (31%), 4 (14%) and 1 (3%) infants, respectively. Children exposed to ZIKV in utero must undergo careful evaluations for the early detection of any neurodevelopment delays in order to implement prompt intervention.

The present study was conducted to detected IgG antibodies using Strongyloides venezuelensis alkaline extract for the diagnosis of human strongyloidiasis by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). (Siddiqui & Berk 2001). Due to the fluctuations on the larvae shedding in subjects infected with S. stercoralis, the parasitological methods have shown low sensitivity, being necessary repeated stool exams (Dreyer et al. 1996, Uparanukraw et al. 1999. Complementary tests for the diagnosis and the monitoring of the immune response in this parasitosis have been developed. However, the major limitation for the standardization of immunological methods is the difficulty in obtaining large amount of S. stercoralis larvae (Sato et al. 1995, Costa-Cruz et al. 1997.The aim of this study was to diagnose human strongyloidiasis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using alkaline extract of S. venezuelensis filariform larvae. The study received approval from the Ethical Committee of the Federal University of Uberlândia.Strain of S. venezuelensis was isolated from feces of the wild rodent Nectomys squamips in August 1988 and maintained by experimental infection in Rattus norvergicus-Wistar. Infective larvae of S. venezuelensis were obtained from the feces of rats experimentally infected and cultured in mineral charcoal for two days at room temperature. Larvae were recovered by the Rugai et al. (1954) method and washed five times in 0.01 M phosphatebuffered saline (PBS) pH 7.2 containing 400 IU/ml of benzyl penicilin and 2 mg/ml of streptomycin sulfate and then stored at -70 o C in PBS until the antigen preparation. Alkaline extract of 100,000 larvae of S. venezuelensis was prepared by adding 1 ml of 0.15 M NaOH (Merck, Germany) during 6 h under slow agitation at 4 o C. Subsequently, 0.5 ml of 0.3 M HCl (Merck) was added until reaching the pH 7.0, and this preparation was centrifuged at 10,000 g for 30 min at 4 o C. Protein determination of the supernatant was 240 µg/ml as detected by the Lowry et al. (1951) method.ELISA was carried out using polystyrene microplates (Difco, São Paulo, Brazil) and the reagents were assayed in 50 µl/well. The plates were coated with alkaline extract at 10 µg/ml in 0.06 M carbonate-bicarbonate buffer, pH 9.6 and incubated overnight at 4 o C. The plates were washed three times for 5 min with PBS containing 0.05% Tween 20 (PBS-T) and incubated with the serum samples, including positive and negative control sera, diluted at 1:80 in PBS-T for 45 min at 37 o C. After new washing as previously described, the conjugate rabbit anti-human IgG (Fc chain specific) labeled with peroxidase (Sigma, US) diluted at 1:2,000 in PBS-T was added and incubated for 45 min at 37 o C. After washing, the enzymatic substrate consisting of H 2 O 2 (Merck) plus o-phenylenediamine (OPD) diluted in 0.1 M citrate-Na 2 HPO 4 buffer pH 5.5 was added. The reaction was stopped after 15 min with 20 µl/well of 1 M H 2 SO 4 and the absorbance values were determined in an