bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ictal kissing and religious speech in a patient with right temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Özkara Çiğdem , Sarý Hüseyin , Hanoğlu Lütfü , Yeni Naz , Aydoğdu Ibrahim , Özyurt Emin
Published: March 2024

We report the case of a 25‐year‐old female patient with intractable complex partial seizures characterized by repetition of certain religious statements and a rather compulsive kissing behavior. Presurgical evaluation revealed a right‐sided, mesial temporal focus and hippocampal sclerosis on MRI. After selective amygdalohippocampectomy, she has only occasional auras. Her rare and peculiar ictal manifestations are discussed in the context of semiology and pathogenesis. [Published with videosequences]
The choice of antiepileptic drugs in newly diagnosed epilepsy: a national French survey
Authors: Semah Franck , Picot Marie‐Christine , Derambure Philippe , Dupont Sophie , Vercueil Laurent , Chassagnon Serge , Marchal Cécile , Thomas Pierre , Ryvlin Philippe
Published: March 2024

The choice of an antiepileptic drug (AED) in patients with epilepsy is mainly based on efficacy and safety of each drug. However, these criteria of drug selection should be further evaluated according to the epileptic syndromes, and adjusted to the sex and age of the patient. Unfortunately, very few studies have been conducted based on these latter criteria. We conducted a survey on the management of epilepsy treatment in adults. This survey was undertaken in France, and led to the establishment of a French consensus on antiepileptic drug treatment in adult patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy. Patients were grouped into 18 categories according to the epileptic syndrome (absence epilepsy, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, undetermined idiopathic generalized epilepsy, symptomatic or cryptogenic partial epilepsy and unclassified epilepsy), and to the patient's gender and age. Our survey suggests that there is a consensus among French epileptologists for the choice of AEDs, mainly based on the epilepsy syndrome. Gender also plays a crucial role. Sodium valproate and lamotrigine are the two drugs of choice for generalized epilepsies, as well as for undetermined epilepsies. Lamotrigine is often prefered for women of childbearing age. First line AEDs in partial epilepsy are carbamazepine (particularly for men), lamotrigine (particularly for women), and gabapentin (in the elderly). In cases of failure and/or intolerance to one of these AED, the principal alternatives are oxcarbazepine, sodium valproate and topiramate.
Efficacy and tolerability of zonisamide in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
Authors: Kothare Sanjeev V. , Valencia Ignacio , Khurana Divya S. , Hardison Huntley , DO Joseph J. Melvin , Legido Agustin
Published: March 2024

The recommended treatment for juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is valproate (VPA). Recently, topiramate and lamotrigine have also been shown to be effective. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of zonisamide (ZNS) in the treatment of JME. We retrospectively analyzed the records of 15 patients (three M, 12 F, ages 11‐20 years) diagnosed with JME at our institution during 2001‐2003, and treated with ZNS. Generalized tonic‐clonic (GTC), myoclonic and absence seizure response was assessed. The ZNS dose range was 200‐500 mg/day (2.0‐8.5 mg/kg/day). ZNS was started as the first drug, and as monotherapy, in 13 and was added to VPA in two patients. Follow‐up range was 2‐24 months (mean 12 months). Overall, 80% of patients on ZNS monotherapy showed good control (≥ 50% seizure reduction). Sixty‐nine, 62 and 38% of patients were free of GTC, myoclonic, and absence seizures, respectively. Seizure control was achieved within four to eight weeks of attaining the maintenance dose. One patient on polytherapy had a 75% reduction in seizure frequency, whereas the other patient showed no response. There were no ZNS‐VPA interactions. One patient stopped ZNS and was switched to VPA because of poor seizure control. Three patients (20%) experienced side effects (weight loss, headache, dizziness) during escalation, which resolved during maintenance. In this open‐label, retrospective study, ZNS was shown to be an effective and well‐tolerated drug in the treatment of patients with JME. The ease of titration, good safety profile, once‐a‐day dosing, lack of significant drug interaction, and short latency for onset of efficacy make ZNS an attractive therapeutic alternative for the treatment of JME.
Generalized tonic‐clonic status epilepticus in the elderly in China
Authors: Hui Andrew C.F. , Lam Anita K. , Wong Adrian , Chow Kai‐Ming , Chan Eric L.Y , Choi Simon L. , Wong Ka‐Shing
Published: March 2024

The proportion of elderly people in China is projected to increase rapidly but there is limited information on status epilepticus (SE) in this population. We evaluated retrospectively the etiology, response to treatment, outcome and predictors of mortality in a group of elderly patients with generalized tonic‐clonic SE in Hong Kong, China. Factors for increased mortality were analyzed using a logistic regression model. Of the 80 acute admissions for SE from two large urban hospitals over a seven‐year period, 1996‐2002, the two leading causes were attributed to cerebral infarct (n=28, 35%) and cerebral haemorrhage (n=14, 17.5%). The mean age was 74.2 years (range 60‐93 years). At six months from the onset of seizures, 26 patients (32.5%) had made a good recovery but another 28 (35%) had died. Results showed that mortality was associated with increasing age (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01‐1.16) and SE due to an acute symptomatic disturbance (OR 4.90, 95% CI 1.17‐13.67). SE is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in this age group.
Leucopenia and thrombocytopenia possibly associated with lamotrigine use in a patient
Authors: Ural Ali Ugur , Avcu Ferit , Gokcil Zeki , Nevruz Oral , Cetin Turker
Published: March 2024

Haematological side effects are rather exceptional with lamotrigine. We report the case of a 25‐year‐old woman with epilepsy who developed combined leucopenia and thrombocytopenia eight weeks after starting lamotrigine. Within weeks after lamotrigine was discontinued, all of the haematopoietic abnormalities had disappeared. To our knowledge, this is the first report of combined leucopenia and thrombocytopenia associated with lamotrigine treatment suggesting, in our patient, a causal reaction.
Motor impairment on awakening in a patient with an EEG pattern of “unilateral, continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep”
Authors: Veggiotti Pierangelo , Cardinali Simonetta , Granocchio Elisa , Avantaggiato Paolo , Papalia G. , Cagnana Antonio , Lanzi Giovanni
Published: March 2024

Movement disorders are rarely described in association with the “continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep (CSWS)” EEG pattern. We report the case of a young girl affected by an epileptic encephalopathy who, from the age of seven years and four months, has twice presented a movement disorder affecting the right arm, manifesting on awakening and disappearing by early afternoon. Sleep EEG during these periods showed continuous, highamplitude, diphasic spikes and slow waves over the left hemisphere. Association of clobazam, valproic acid and, on the second occasion, ethosuccimide led to disappearance of the above‐described EEG picture and associated motor symptoms. Neurophysiological investigations excluded other possible aetiologies. In view of this, and of the close relationship between the EEG picture and clinical course, we interpret the patient's impairment as “motor neglect” secondary to the continuous electrical activity recorded during sleep over the left hemisphere and involving the associative areas. This electrical activity in sleep, may be regarded as a “functional lesion” whose clinical consequences can be correlated with the site of the abnormalities.
[Published with video sequences]
Temporal lobe epilepsy in children: overview of clinical semiology
Authors: Ray Amit , Kotagal Prakash
Published: March 2024

Temporal lobe epilepsy in children has been less well studied compared to that seen in adults. Whereas hippocampal sclerosis is the most common etiology for the adult temporal lobe epilepsy syndromes, tumors and malformations of cortical development are more commonly seen in children. Differences in seizure semiology are also apparent. Temporal lobe epilepsy in very young infants may exhibit prominent motor manifestations reminiscent of extra‐temporal seizures. These motor manifestations however decrease with increasing age and are less abundant in adults. Automatisms, which are commonly seen in temporal lobe epilepsy in all age groups, are simple at a younger age and become increasingly more complex and discrete with age. Several case studies, illustrated on the video are included in this review. They highlight the differences in temporal lobe seizure semiology between children and adults.
[Published with video sequences]
Ictal video‐polysomnography and EEG spectral analysis in a child with severe Panayiotopoulos syndrome
Authors: Parisi Pasquale , Ferri Raffaele , Pagani Jacopo , Cecili Manuela , Montemitro Enza , Villa Maria Pia
Published: March 2024

Objective

To describe the ictal polysomnographic features of a patient with Panayiotopoulos syndrome, a peculiar epileptic syndrome characterized by infrequent, often single, prolonged, nocturnal, focal seizures comprising an unusual constellation of autonomic symptoms (malaise, nausea, pallor, tachycardia, vomiting) and unilateral deviation of the eyes at the onset of seizures. These clinical, ictal manifestations are rarely followed by post‐ictal headache. In the literature, there is little information on the ictal EEG characteristics of Panayiotopoulos syndrome and, in particular, on certain autonomic manifestations, such as tachycardia, as the sole ictal phenomena at the onset of seizures.
Methods and results.
One, all‐night videopolysomnography, during which one seizure was recorded. Video‐EEG data were evaluated visually and by means of quantitative spectral analysis. The spectral analysis of the recorded seizure showed a complex ictal pattern of cortical involvement with focal onset in the right occipital area followed by the recruitment of widespread extraoccipital cortical regions.

Conclusions

This is the first such analysis of this peculiar epileptic condition. Most of the symptoms were consistent with a diagnosis of severe Panayiotopoulos syndrome, although the patient also presented “atypical findings”: a relatively high frequency of seizures, post‐ictal headache, no spontaneous remission of seizures with age, and late onset of visual hallucinations; this last finding is more frequent in “Gastaut‐type childhood occipital epilepsy”, in which onset typically occurs later than in Panayiotopoulos syndrome.
[Published with video sequences]
Spike frequency is dependent on epilepsy duration and seizure frequency in temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Janszky Jozsef , Hoppe M. , Clemens Z. , Janszky I. , Gyimesi C. , Schulz R. , Ebner A.
Published: March 2024

Objectives

We wanted to investigate factors that are associated with frequency of interictal epileptiform discharges by investigating 303 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).

Methods

We included all patients who consecutively underwent the adult presurgical evaluation program at our center and who had intractable, medial TLE with complex partial seizures due to unilateral medial temporal lobe lesions. The interictal EEG samples were automatically recorded and stored on computer. The location and frequency of interictal epileptiform discharges were assessed by visual analysis of interictal EEG samples of 2‐minute duration every hour.

Results

There were 303 patients (aged 16‐63) who met the inclusion criteria. The median interictal epileptiform discharge frequency was 15 IED/h, the median seizure frequency was 4 seizures/month. According to univariate analyses, we found that age at monitoring, epilepsy duration, and higher seizure frequency were associated with higher interictal epileptiform discharge frequency. In the logistic regression analysis, we found that higher seizure frequency (p < 0.001) and longer epilepsy duration (p = 0.007) were independently associated with higher spike frequency, while the age at monitoring was not.

Conclusions

Seizure frequency and epilepsy duration (years of patient's life with seizure activity) were independently associated with IED frequency, suggesting that IED are modulated by seizures.
Partial seizures triggering infantile spasms in the presence of a basal ganglia glioma
Authors: RamachandranNair Rajesh , Ochi Ayako , Akiyama Tomoyuki , Buckley David J. , Soman Teesta B. , Weiss Shelly K. , Otsubo Hiroshi
Published: March 2024

Infantile spasms associated with brain tumors have been reported. A focal cortical lesion can induce infantile spasms by triggering the brainstem and basal ganglia in this vulnerable age group. We report the case of a female infant with a low‐grade glioma in the right basal ganglia, spreading to the cortical area. She presented at the age of five months with left hemiparesis and partial seizures. She developed infantile spasms at the age of 12 months. This is the first video clip report of partial seizures triggering symmetrical spasms in series, secondary to a basal ganglia glioma extending to the cortex.
[Published with video sequences]
Identifying baseline characteristics of placebo responders
versus
nonresponders in randomized double‐blind trials of refractory partial‐onset seizures
Authors: Niklson Ida , Edrich Pascal , Verdru Peter
Published: March 2024

In add‐on studies of partial‐onset seizures, the placebo response, defined as a 50% decrease from baseline in seizure frequency, ranges from 0‐19%. Reasons for this significant difference between placebo groups in different trials are not given in the literature. This exploratory analysis was undertaken to compare the baseline characteristics of placebo responders and nonresponders, in an attempt to identify common features. The pooled statistical analysis was performed on the database for three pivotal studies of levetiracetam (n = 904). Using the 50% response definition, we found that 45.6% of placebo nonresponders were on one antiepileptic drug at baseline, compared with 69% of placebo responders. The difference in number of baseline antiepileptic drugs was almost statistically significant (p = 0.056). Placebo nonresponders also tended to have epilepsy for longer than responders. The mean age at onset of epilepsy was consistently different between placebo nonresponders and responders (15.2
versus
20.8 years, respectively; p = 0.019). These findings suggest that the placebo response is higher in patients with partial‐onset seizures who are taking only one antiepileptic drug at baseline and have later onset and shorter duration of epilepsy than in patients on more than one antiepileptic drug at baseline with earlier onset and longer duration of epilepsy.
Herpes
encephalitis as a cause of nonconvulsive status epilepticus
Authors: Gunduz Aysegul , Beskardes Ali Fuat , Kutlu Ayse , Ozkara Cigdem , Karaagac Naci , Yeni Seher Naz
Published: March 2024

Nonconvulsive status epilepticus is a specific form of status epilepticus characterized by alteration in mental status and persistent seizure activity on EEG, with or without motor phenomena. Recognition of the consequences of nonconvulsive status epilepticus has attracted greater attention to this condition. We present a 24‐year‐old woman with epilepsy who developed nonconvulsive status epilepticus during pregnancy. Despite treatment with antiepileptic drugs, the seizures persisted and confusion deepened. Further workup to explain the etiology revealed the diagnosis as herpes encephalitis. She recovered completely by the third day of parenteral acyclovir administration.
Herpes simplex
encephalitis causing nonconvulsive status epilepticus in a pregnant, epileptic woman is an unfortunate and unusual condition, which was simultaneously complicated by the presence of multiple etiological factors.
Uncommon, exceptional and atypical: a case of frontal lobe epilepsy due to cortical dysplasia
Authors: Grant Arthur C. , Kim Richard B.
Published: March 2024

We report a case of frontal lobe epilepsy due to focal cortical dysplasia that included three independent unusual features. The patient, a 45‐year‐old, right‐handed woman, had her first seizure at age 29, well into adulthood. Seizures had been easily controlled with medication for 15 years, then without provocation they became medically intractable during a single, identifiable day. Resection of the dysplastic tissue in the posterior dorsolateral
right
frontal cortex rendered the patient seizure‐free, but produced a significant, non‐fluent, Broca type, crossed aphasia. In addition, the seizure semiology was striking and remarkable, a common finding in frontal lobe epilepsy.
[Published with video sequences]
The origin of the focal spike in musicogenic epilepsy
Authors: Shibata Nobuyoshi , Kubota Fumio , Kikuchi Senichiro
Published: March 2024

To clarify the pathogenesis of a typical case of musicogenic epilepsy, we examined interictal spikes using the dipole tracing method (DTM). The patient was a 49‐year‐old, right‐handed Japanese man. He first experienced seizures at the age of 32 years; listening to his favorite piece of music frequently triggered them. His seizure type is partial (often complex, but sometimes simple). An interictal EEG examination revealed many focal spikes in F8 and T4. We estimated equivalent current dipoles (ECDs) using DTM. We performed one‐dipole analyses on the peaks of the spikes using an EEG analyzer with a three‐layer head model called the scalp‐skull‐brain (SSB) model. We analyzed the interictal EEG because there were no spikes during the seizure. The ECDs were located in the posterior transverse temporal gyrus. The characteristics in this patient not only bolstered arguments in favor of the role of the right temporal lobe in musicogenic epilepsy, but also showed that transverse temporal gyri, which are included in the auditory area, could play an important role in musicogenic epilepsy.

[Published with video sequences].
Fewer women receive tertiary care for epilepsy in Kerala State, India
Authors: Thomas Sanjeev V. , Deetha T.D. , Nair Prabhachandran , Sarma Sankara P.
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The stigma attached to epilepsy often restricts early diagnosis and optimal care, particularly among the underprivileged. We aimed to ascertain any gender bias in the utilization of services for epilepsy in a tertiary and community care facility in Kerala State, India.

Methods

The R. Madhavan Nayar Center for Comprehensive Epilepsy Care (RMNC) is a leading tertiary care facility in South India. The District Mental Health Program (DMHP) is a community‐based care facility that provides medical consultation and anti‐epileptic drugs (AED) free of charge. We analyzed the sex ratio (SR) – number of women per one thousand men – of all registrations in these centers according to year of registration, age, religion, income, distance from domicile to the center, and religion.

Results

The SR in the RMNC (1976‐2004, n = 12354) was 729. At RMNC, age‐specific SR increased up to the 3
rd
decade (864), and progressively declined beyond 50 years. The SR was lower for those domiciliated at more than 200 km from the center when compared to others. The SR at the DMHP (1999‐2004, n = 221) was high (1125). The age‐specific SR at DMHP showed two peaks at 21‐30 years (1368) and 51‐60 years (2333).

Conclusion

Fewer women with epilepsy (particularly in lower socioeconomic groups) receive tertiary care in this state, in spite of a higher SR in the community (907 for epilepsy and 1058 for all population). The tertiary treatment gap is wider for women over 30 years (particularly over 50 years), when their longer life expectancy is also taken into consideration.
Combining advanced neuroimaging techniques in presurgical workup of non‐lesional intractable epilepsy
Authors: Brázdil Milan , Mikl Michal , Chlebus Pavel , Pažourková Marta , Novák Zdeněk , Chrastina Jan , Prášek Jiří , Bolčák Karol , Fojtíková Dagmar , Horký Jaroslav , Tomčík Jan , Lžičařová Eva , Rektor Ivan
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The rationale for this case report is to assess the degree of congruency between the results of several advanced functional, metabolic, and structural neuroimaging techniques used in patients with MRI‐negative focal epilepsy.

Methods

We investigated the presurgical evaluation and postoperative outcome of a patient with intractable, extratemporal epilepsy. Because the habitual seizures in this patient could be easily induced, six, advanced, neurodiagnostic techniques were successively applied (SISCOM, ictal FDG‐PET, ictal fMRI, postictal diffusion‐weighted imaging, voxel‐based morphometry, and MRS imaging).

Results

The findings for the neuroimaging methods investigated, within the left central region, were fairly congruent. Subsequent, invasive EEG recordings revealed a seizure‐onset zone at the site where most of the neuroimaging had shown abnormal findings. The surgical removal of the epileptogenic zone, as defined by concordant neuroimaging and SEEG data, resulted in seizure‐free postoperative outcome. Histopathological findings revealed mild focal cortical dysplasia.

Conclusion

Great efforts should be made to combine most of the advanced neuroimaging methods in the preoperative assessment of non‐lesional epilepsy surgery candidates.
Vasovagal syncope misdiagnosed as epilepsy for 17 years: prime importance of clinical history
Authors: Spanaki Marianna V. , Garcia Patricia , Schuger Claudio D. , Smith Brien J.
Published: March 2024

Distinguishing epilepsy from syncope often can be challenging. We report a case of a 20‐year‐old patient with presumed refractory epilepsy since the age of 3 years. Although the clinical suspicion of syncope was raised at the age of 9 years, key historic features were not identified, cardiac work‐up was not pursued and despite lack of electrographic evidence of epilepsy, he received anticonvulsant treatment. During his presurgical evaluation for “refractory epilepsy”, one typical event was captured that was associated with asystole and normal electroencephalogram. The diagnosis of vasodepressor syncope was made and anticonvulsant medication was discontinued. With this case report, we would like to emphasize the importance of a meticulous history and the need to perform continuous video electroencephalographic with simultaneous electrocardiographic recordings in the evaluation of paroxysmal events with atypical presentation.

[Published with video sequences]
Pilomotor seizures associated with sequential changes in magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Masnou Pascal , Gagnepain Jean‐Paul , Fouad Amal , Ducreux Denis , Adams David
Published: March 2024

Piloerection is rarely described in seizures. This symptom has been most frequently observed in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and is rarely the principal clinical feature of seizures. No specific etiology of epilepsy associated with pilomotor seizures has been reported. We present the first case of a patient who experienced sudden and transitory epilepsy with pilomotor seizures occurring several times a day for months, and associated with sequential changes of the left hippocampus demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging.

[Published with video sequences]
Epilepsy and mental retardation: genetic syndromes
Authors: Livet Marie‐Odile , Villeneuve Nathalie , Daquin Géraldine , Cournelle Marie‐Anne , Mancini Joselle , Moncla Anne
Published: March 2024

The identification of an etiology in children and adults with mental deficiency is a major challenge and needs a comprehensive clinical approach and multidisciplinary collaborations. Some genetic syndromes with intellectual disability may also be associated with specific dysmorphic features, behavioural patterns or electro‐clinically recognizable epilepsy syndromes. Identifying the epilepsy syndrome may prove to be an important clue for the diagnosis of the associated genetic syndrome. Moreover, the implicated chromosomal regions may be useful targets when searching for epilepsy genes. We review and discuss available data on some genetic syndromes (Angelman syndrome, duplication of the 15q11‐q13 region, Wolf‐Hirschorn syndrome, ring chromosome 20, fragile X syndrome) also presenting specific epilepsy features.
Seizures, epilepsy and infectious diseases of the nervous system
Authors: Vespignani Hervé , Najjar A. Al , Kremer Stéphane , Maillard Louis
Published: March 2024

The recent onset of partial epileptic seizures, secondary generalized partial seizures, or tonic‐clonic generalized seizures are often diagnostic indicators of central nervous system infections (meningitis, encephalitis, single or multiple abscesses, sub‐dural empyema). The occurrence of status epilepticus (SE) from an infection is a serious factor to be considered in therapeutic management. Brain CT‐scan or MRI examinations are used to establish its parasitic, mycotic, bacterial or viral etiology. These studies also serve to confirm or modify the clinical diagnosis and the topographical origin of the infection. Nevertheless normal morphological examinations do not rule out a recent infection as a causative factor in epileptic seizures. This is especially true for meningitis in all age groups but particularly in children. Indeed, epileptic seizure onset in patients with meningitis is an indication of the presence of a cerebral abscess. In the acute phase, antiepileptic treatments are the rule of thumb. Their indication in the follow up phase with the purpose of preventing further seizures will depend upon the nature of the infection and availability of access to antiinfectious treatments. The risk of subsequent epileptic seizures is most common in patients with encephalitis and cerebral abscesses. In cases of trauma, infections affecting the central nervous system increase the risk of posttraumatic epileptic seizures.
Frontal lobe epilepsy manifesting with seizures consisting of isolated vocalization
Authors: Rego Ricardo , Arnold Stephan , Noachtar Soheyl
Published: March 2024

Vocalizations may occur in focal epileptic seizures, which typically arise from frontal and temporal regions. They are commonly associated with other motor phenomena such as automatisms, tonic posturing, or head version. We report on a patient whose seizures were documented by video‐EEG monitoring, but in whom the observable ictal semiology consisted solely of a brief, monotonous vocalization. Ictal EEGs showed left frontal seizure patterns. Isolated vocalizations can constitute an ictal epileptic event and may be the only observable clinical manifestation of a left frontal lobe epilepsy.
[Published with video sequences]
Benign childhood epilepsy with centro‐temporal spikes (BCECTS): early onset of seizures is associated with poorer response to initial treatment
Authors: You Su Jeong , Kim Deok‐Soo , Ko Tae‐Sung
Published: March 2024

Aim

Benign childhood epilepsy with centro‐temporal spikes (BCECTS) is the most common idiopathic partial epilepsy in children. Treatment attitudes remain a controversial issue. We examine features that could suggest refractoriness at onset.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 144 children with BCECTS diagnosed at the Division of Pediatric Neurology, Asan Medical Center, from March 1, 1995, to April 30, 2002 and treated with AEDs. The patients were subdivided into two groups according to the number of antiepileptic drugs used for effective seizure control.

Results

Of the 144 patients, 75 were male and 69 were female, with a mean age at seizure‐onset of 7.2 ± 2.3 years (range, 2.1‐14.3 years); 119 children were taking one antiepileptic drug (AED) (Group A), and 25 were taking more than one (Group B). There were no significant group differences in female‐to‐male ratio, prescribed AEDs, number of seizures before the start of treatment, interval between seizure‐onset and start of treatment, presence of secondarily generalized seizures, or presence of bilateral EEG abnormalities. The groups differed however, in mean age at seizure onset (7.6 ± 2.2 years
versus
5.1 ± 1.9 years, p < 0.05) and percentage of patients with seizure‐onset before 3 years (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

When treated with AEDs, children with BCECTS usually respond well. However, an earlier onset of seizures is associated with more frequent seizures and initial refractoriness to medical treatment.
Diet therapy in refractory pediatric epilepsy: increased efficacy and tolerability
Authors: Kang Hoon‐Chul , Kim Heung Dong
Published: March 2024

Since the resurgence of the ketogenic diet (KD) in the mid 1990s, this diet has been used worldwide for the treatment of refractory pediatric epilepsy, including in Asian countries. However, the KD is not a convenient therapy, especially because the customary diets of Asian countries contain substantially less fat than traditional Western diets. In addition, there are various complications associated with the diet that should be considered. Unfortunately, no international protocols have been developed with the exceptions of the Johns Hopkins Hospital protocol adopted by a substantial number of hospitals. While the Hopkins protocol has been the basic model, several revisions of the initial protocol have been suggested. Changes to the applicable ages, seizure types, etiologies, the initiation of the diet, the ratio of constituents to reduce the fat content, the duration of the diet, and revised formulae, such as ketogenic milk or the all‐liquid KD, have attempted to extend the indications of the KD and increase its tolerability and palatability. Recently, less restrictive KDs, including a modified Atkins diet and low‐glycemic‐index treatment, have been clinically tested. Here, we review these approaches toward a safer and more convenient therapeutic diet for refractory pediatric epilepsy.
Investigating differences in lab-quality and remote recording methods with dynamic acoustic measures
Authors: Zhang Cong , Jepson Kathleen , Chuang Yu-Ying
Published: March 2024

Increasingly, phonetic research uses data collected from participants who record themselves on readily available devices. Though such recordings are convenient, their suitability for acoustic analysis remains an open question, especially regarding how recording methods affect acoustic measures over time. We used Quantile Generalized Additive Mixed Models (QGAMMs) to analyze measures of F0, intensity, and the first and second formants, comparing files recorded using a laboratory-standard recording method (Zoom H6 recorder with an external microphone), to three remote recording methods: (1) the Awesome Voice Recorder application on a smartphone (AVR), (2) the Zoom meeting application with default settings (Zoom-default), and (3) the Zoom meeting application with the “Turn on Original Sound” setting (Zoom-raw). A linear temporal alignment issue was observed for the Zoom methods over the course of the long, recording session files; however, the difference was not significant for utterance-length files. F0 was reliably measured using all methods. Intensity and formants presented non-linear differences across methods that could not be corrected for simply. Overall, the AVR files were most similar to the H6’s, and so AVR is deemed to be a more reliable recording method than either Zoom-default or Zoom-raw.
"Get Her for Me, for She Pleases Me Well:" Interpreting the Samson Marriage Narrative in Judges 14 in Light of Parental Role in Mate Selection in Nigeria
Authors: Ademiluka Solomon O.
Published: March 2024

Judges 14 speaks to the Nigerian context on the role of parents in the marriage process. Unlike in the traditional African society where the choice of spouses was determined by parents and the family, in Nigeria today, parents have little involvement in their children's choice of marriage partner. Applying narrative reading and the descriptive approach, the article examines this text in light of the significance of parents' role in choosing marriage partners among Nigerian Christians. The study finds that due to the influence of Christianity and modernisation, Nigerian parents now play little role in the choice of their children's marriage partners and that this is one of the factors responsible for the rampant marriage failures in society. It concludes that to curb the high rate of marriage instability among Nigerian Christians, the church in Nigeria should review its marriage theology to emphasise the role of parents in mate selection, using the Samson story as a literary instrument.
¡ A LA BUENA DE DIOS ! Fotos, mensajes y proyectos
Authors:   Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (Ecuador), Torres-Toukoumidis Ángel , Almeida Angélica
Published: March 2024

En este libro el lector encontrará distintas perspectivas sobre lo social, político y pastoral en cada rincón donde el P. Felipe Mayordomo ha dejado su huella, mostrando de cerca cómo un alma comprometida puede entregarse y adaptarse a las necesidades más apremiantes. Estas historias inspiran a vivir una vida dedicada al servicio de los demás, en sintonía con la esencia de la misión salesiana. ¡No te pierdas la oportunidad de conocer su historia y ser parte del cambio!
Анализ влияния климатических факторов на допустимые перетоки активной мощности в энергосистемах
Authors: Шепелев Александр Олегович
Published: March 2024

Рассмотрены вопросы учета влияния внешних факторов (скорости и угла атаки ветра, солнечной радиации и др.) на допустимые перетоки активной мощности в контролируемых сечениях энергосистем. Работы, связанные с учётом климатических факторов, в основном посвящены вопросам уточнения потерь активной мощности и расчету установившегося режима. В настоящей работе затронуты вопросы недостаточности существующих подходов при определении допустимых перетоков активной мощности в энергосистемах. Основная цель представленного исследования заключена в анализе степени влияния климатических факторов на допустимые перетоки активной мощности. Использованы методы численного моделирования утяжелённых режимов энергосистем с учётом влияния климатических факторов на допустимые перетоки активной мощности. Моделирование проведено в различных программных комплексах, в том числе RastrWin3 и Mathcad (реализация метода внутренней температурной коррекции для расчёта допустимых перетоков активной мощности с учётом технических ограничений). Результаты численных экспериментов показали, что при наиболее худших условиях охлаждения наблюдается снижение величины допустимого перетока активной мощности в контролируемом сечении, с учётом технических ограничений, на величину от 4,8 до 18,7 % в зависимости от тестовой схемы. При значительных скоростях ветра (3 м/с) и различных углах атаки ветра ситуация кардинально меняется, и допустимый переток активной мощности увеличивается на величину от 17,4 до 42,4 % в зависимости от тестовой схемы. Проведённые расчёты показали, что при учёте климатических факторов значительно изменяется допустимый переток активной мощности в контролируемом сечении, что может привести к ошибкам в планировании электрических режимов энергосистем.
KONVOY İKİ HAFİF TİCARİ TAŞITIN ARASINDAKİ MESAFENİN YAKIT TÜKETİMİNE ETKİSİNİN SAYISAL İNCELENMESİ
Authors: Çilingiroğlu Ulaş Cankan , Dönmez Muhammed , Karamangil Mehmet İhsan
Published: March 2024

Dünyada enerji eldesi ve tüketimi günümüzün en önemli sorunlarından biridir. Taşıtlarda enerji tüketimi de otomotiv endüstrisinin başlıca odaklandığı konulardandır. Taşıt sayısının artışının ister istemez sebep olduğu konvoy sürüşle enerji tüketimi azaltılabilir. Bu çalışmada, tek hafif ticari taşıt ve farklı taşıtlar arası mesafelerde konvoy iki taşıt için sürükleme ve kaldırma katsayıları sayısal olarak belirlenmiştir. Bu sayısal çalışma bire bir taşıt boyutlarında ve %2,6 blokaj oranında tasarlanan rüzgar tünelinde 90 km/sa hava giriş hızında Realizable k-ε türbülans modeli kullanılarak hesaplamalı akışkanlar dinamiği metodolojisi ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Sonuç olarak taşıtlar arası mesafe arttıkça iki taşıtın ortalama sürükleme ve kaldırma katsayıları arttı. Konvoy sürüşte taşıtlar arasında mesafe olmaması durumunda tek taşıta göre öndeki taşıtın yakıt tüketimi %26 düşerken arkadaki taşıtın %4 artmıştır.
The Bcc qPCR NAD assayfor the specific rapid quantitative detection of all Bcc species v2
Authors: Thu Duong Huong
Published: March 2024

The Bcc qPCR NAD assay presented is an internally controlled duplex assay (incorporating an IAC), targeting a region of the smpB gene for the specific rapid quantitative detection of all Bcc species. This Bcc qPCR NAD assay was validated with equivalence to ISO/TS 12869:2019 with high specificity (100% when tested on an extensive panel of target and non-target microorganisms with no cross-reactivity observed) and high analytical sensitivity (relatively low LOD and LOQ at 3 GE/reaction with ≥90% probability and 20 GE/reaction, respectively). The high performance of the calibration function of the Bcc qPCR NAD assay in terms of accuracy, qPCR efficiency and broad dynamic calibration range (20 GE-107GE/reaction) will allow for the absolute quantification of the starting Bcc DNA concentration in contaminated samples. The incorporation of the IAC into the Bcc qPCR NAD assay ensures the robustness and fidelity of the results generated. The development and validation of this Bcc qPCR NAD assay has been published in: Duong HT, Fullbrook S, Reddington K, Minogue E, Barry T. Design, Development and Validation of a Culture-Independent Nucleic Acid Diagnostics Method for the Rapid Detection and Quantification of the Burkholderia cepacia Complex in Water with an Equivalence to ISO/TS 12869:2019. PDA Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology. 2023. doi:10.5731/pdajpst.2021.012728
Kompetensi Pedagogik Guru Abad 21 : Tinjauan Peran Guru Menghadapi Generasi Alpha
Authors: Ofita Cherly , Sururi S
Published: March 2024

The development of the times means that human education and thinking continues to change and develop dynamically. This article aims to determine the importance of 21st century teacher pedagogy in facing the Alpha generation. The gap in the learning process in the classroom occurs because teachers and students have different learning periods, so the pedagogical competence of teachers in the 21st century and the characteristics of the Alpha generation are important to understand. This study method is a literature study by examining 15 scientific articles published in various national journals and analyzed according to the pedagogical study theme. The problem that often occurs is the gap in the delivery of teaching material in the classroom due to the teacher's lack of understanding of the characteristics of students. Students have now entered the Alpha generation, where the characteristics of students are very different from those of teachers, so teachers need to improve their pedagogical abilities and competencies by knowing the characteristics of the Alpha generation. It is hoped that the results of this study will allow teachers to develop pedagogical competence, especially in dealing with the Alpha generation, so that learning in the classroom occurs optimally and educational goals can be achieved
Análisis Crítico de la Masculinidad Agresiva y la Feminidad Protectora en Adolescentes y Jóvenes Adultos
Authors: Rubio-Guzmán Eva M. , Urra-Canales Miguel
Published: March 2024

Las conductas agresivas en la población adolescente y joven son preocupantes. Las investigaciones muestran mayor tendencia a la violencia en los varones, pero también se ha explorado la incidencia de los roles de género en los distintos tipos de conductas violentas.  El objetivo ha sido analizar las evidencias empíricas sobre la influencia de los roles de género medidos por el BSRI, en el comportamiento agresivo de adolescentes y jóvenes. Para ello se ha realizado una revisión sistemática según directrices PRISMA de los estudios empíricos encontrados en Academic Search, PsicInfo, ProQuest y Google Scholar, incluyendo 16 estudios. Los resultados no son del todo concluyentes: de una parte de los estudios analizados muestran una relación directa y positiva entre los comportamientos violentos, con el rol de género masculino, y el valor protector del rol femenino. Sin embargo, otra parte de las investigaciones contradicen estos resultados, encontrando en la alta feminidad y la androginia vínculos significativos con algunos tipos de conductas violentas. Es importante que nuevas investigaciones aborden este objeto de estudio.
Perception of Sex Buyers by Young Spaniards
Authors: Rua-Vieites Antonio , Meneses-Falcón Carmen , García-Vazquez Olaya
Published: March 2024

The aim of this research is to broaden the knowledge on the social perception of people who pay for commercial sex. An online questionnaire was distributed to 3126 young people in Spain. Respondents did not have a common perception about people who pay for sex, although several considered that a rich-buyer is associated with “partner”, “money”, “education” and “Spanish”; a risky-buyer meets the variables of “satisfying their domination needs”, “reaffirm masculinity”, “is violent” and “do not want to use preservative”; a low-status buyer has “limited money”, “is an immigrant” and “has a low level of education”; an insecure-buyer presents variables indicating that he is “insecure with the opposite sex” and “dissatisfied with their partner”; and a single-buyer “has no couple” and “is single”. These perceptions help to improve awareness campaigns against human trafficking and sexual exploitation and increase the visibility of the responsible parties who pay and encourage these crimes.
An ethical «turn» in epistemology
Authors: Chertkova Elena L.
Published: March 2024

The work is devoted to the issue of expanding the problematic field of epistemology and rethinking its fundamental concepts in the light of human subjectivity. The place and role of philosophical epistemology in the complex of modern studies of cognition, its characteristics are considered: the focus on finding the relationship between the cognitive and ethical meanings of cognition, the correlation of epistemological problems and existential issues of human existence. The difference between humanistic and technocratic rationality is substantiated.
The Review of the monograph by A.M. Orekhov «History, philosophy and methodology of social and humanities»
Authors: Faritov Vyacheslav T.
Published: March 2024

The review is devoted to the recently published textbook of Andrei Mikhailovich Orekhov, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor of the Department of Social Philosophy of the Russian University of Friendship of Peoples, «History, Philosophy and Methodology of Social and Humanitarian Sciences» of A.M. Orekhov».
The Celebrity Factor: Exploring the Impact of Influencers on COVID-19 Vaccine Sentiment through Bayesian Modeling of Time Series
Authors:   Green Level High School, Shah Abhishek , Shah Shweta , Rand Bill , Champon Xiaoxia ,   North Carolina State University
Published: March 2024

Online social networks allow for information to rapidly propagate throughout the world, and opinions expressed on such platforms can influence people’s decisions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many influential public figures used these social networks to share their opinions about the vaccines developed to combat the virus. Many influencers encouraged vaccination, and a considerable number also expressed doubt and skepticism over the efficacy of the vaccines. This study modeled the impact that eleven influencers’ statements had on the overall sentiment towards COVID-19 vaccines, as expressed on Twitter. Sentiment is measured by collecting a series of publicly-available tweets made regarding the vaccine during the pandemic, and assigning each a sentiment score based on the VADER lexicon. Several models were used to analyze the impact of the influencers’ statements, including linear, sequential and tree-based models. The results were obtained by constructing a Bayesian structural time series model based on each model’s counterfactual estimate. The results found that influencers who share messages encouraging vaccination generally tend to increase the number of ”pro-vaccination” tweets over the next 20 days. Influencers sharing ”anti-vaccination” messages sometimes resulted in a decrease in anti-vaccine tweets, and other times in an increase over the next 20 days. The results from this study provide an introductory look into the complex issue of vaccine hesitancy and the effect of influencers on vaccine messaging, and inform public health strategy regarding this issue.
Representation of presence in aerial images as a late modern organisation of spatial practices
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Fanahei Rostyslav
Published: March 2024

The contemporary Russia-Ukraine war is the first massive late modern war, which shows us not new technologies, but new techniques of its use. At the same time, both in the dimension of the visual experience itself, and in the dimension of its connection with the direct presence of bodies on earth. On the one hand, this is of course a view from a distance, but the compression of the "kill-chain" – time between vision and damage – and the high degree of detail turns the observer into an actor and at the same time an actor into a spectator. The specificity of the Russia-Ukraine war lies in the democratization of this view, because we are talking about the mass use of quadrocopters with a small depth of reconnaissance, actually tactical-level UAVs, in a war that in some places is eerily similar to the First World War. On the other hand, the techniques of the Ukrainian infantry represent a resistance tactic, which usually belongs to the weak position of "given in a view". But in this position, thanks to the drones, they incorporate the "gaze from above" as a proper sensory medium that is closely related to their bodies on the battlefield, bodies that smell, touch, suffer, and die. It is a "gaze from above" of a localized in the landscape bodily concreteness, which is confronted with a fragmented and opaque reality in the horizon of one's own experience. Not only the possibility of defeating the enemy depends on one's own heterotopic view from above, but also one's own security and vulnerability, as well as the possibility of improvisation in the landscape. Such a heterotopic way of seeing is an example of the realization of a late-modern version of the "culture of presence" within the totality of visual experience and is, perhaps, a practical manifestation of a new cultural regime of vision, which will lead to the discovery in a unifying abstract space, within which the visual was the main basis of the logocentric "culture of meanings" and applied representation of space, a new differentiated space as plurality of spaces of representations. One of the tasks of this article is to demonstrate the need for complementarity of spatial and visual turns.