Human toxocariasis is one of the most prevalent helminthiases worldwide.
larvae can cross the blood-brain barrier leading to the neurotoxocariasis. The clinical presentation consists of a wide ...spectrum of neurological manifestations, but asymptomatic infection is probably common. Neurotoxocariasis is not a frequent diagnosis probably due to the non-specific nature of its symptoms as well as the lack of confirmatory diagnostic tests. Diagnosis of neurotoxocariasis is based on the presence of a high titer of anti-
antibody in the cerebrospinal fluid or in the serum, presence of eosinophilia in the serum or cerebrospinal fluid, and clinical and radiological improvement after anthelmintic therapy; however, universally accepted diagnostic criteria are lacking. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings include single or multiple, subcortical, cortical or white matter hyperintense lesions, best visualized on FLAIR and T2-weighted imaging, and usually isointense or hypointense on T1. These imaging findings are suggestive but not specific to neurotoxocariasis. Definitive diagnosis is made by histological confirmation, but it is rarely followed. This review provides an overview of the clinical manifestations, management options, and MRI findings of neurotoxocariasis.
•A generic methodology for sustainable process synthesis-design using superstructure optimization.•Databases with a common data structure are described for the systematic storage and retrieval of ...data.•Super-O: a user interface for synthesis of processing routes.•An ethanol biorefinery case study.•A carbon dioxide capture and utilization case study.
In this paper, a systematic framework for novel and sustainable synthesis-design of processing routes is presented along with the associated computer-aided methods and tools. In Stage 1, superstructure optimization is used to determine the optimal processing route(s). In Stage 2, the design issues are resolved and targets for improvement are identified through the use of integrated tools. In Stage 3, new alternatives are generated using the selected route and the previously identified targets. In addition to the various computer-aided tools, two special tools are presented: (1) a database employing a specially developed knowledge representation system, and (2) Super-O, a software interface that guides users through the formulation and solution of synthesis problems. Super-O transfers data between the different tools, including a library of generic models, representing a wide range of processing options. Application of the synthesis and design stages is highlighted through two case studies (biorefinery and carbon capture-utilization).
Background and purpose
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a common cause of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), which is a risk factor for seizures. The incidence and risk factors of seizures associated ...with a heterogeneous cohort of CAA patients have not been studied.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective study of patients with CAA treated at Mayo Clinic Florida between 1 January 2015 and 1 January 2021. CAA was defined using the modified Boston criteria version 2.0. We analyzed electrophysiological and clinical features, and comorbidities including lobar ICH, nontraumatic cortical/convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage (cSAH), superficial siderosis, and inflammation (CAA with inflammation CAA‐ri). Cognition and mortality were secondary outcomes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine risk of seizures relative to clinical presentation.
Results
Two hundred eighty‐four patients with CAA were identified, with median follow‐up of 35.7 months (interquartile range = 13.5–61.3 months). Fifty‐six patients (19.7%) had seizures; in 21 (37.5%) patients, seizures were the index feature leading to CAA diagnosis. Seizures were more frequent in females (p = 0.032) and patients with lobar ICH (p = 0.002), cSAH (p = 0.030), superficial siderosis (p < 0.001), and CAA‐ri (p = 0.005), and less common in patients with microhemorrhage (p = 0.006). After controlling for age and sex, lobar ICH (odds ratio OR = 2.1, 95% confidence interval CI = 1.1–4.2), CAA‐ri (OR = 3.8, 95% CI = 1.4–10.3), and superficial siderosis (OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 1.9–7.0) were independently associated with higher odds of incident seizures.
Conclusions
Seizures are common in patients with CAA and are independently associated with lobar ICH, CAA‐ri, and superficial siderosis. Our results may be applied to optimize clinical monitoring and management for patients with CAA.
Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a congenital developmental malformation and is one of the leading causes of drug-resistant focal epilepsy (DRFE). Although focal epilepsies traditionally have been ...regarded as acquired disorders, increasing evidence suggests a substantial genetic contribution to the pathogenesis of focal structural epilepsies, including FCDs. Variations in the Dishevelled, Egl-10, and domain-containing protein 5 (DEPDC5) have recently emerged as a causative gene mutation in familial focal epilepsies associated with FCD type 2a, including bottom-of-sulcus dysplasia (BOSD). We present the case of a 20-year-old man with DRFE, positive for DEPDC5 c.1555C>T (p.GIn519*) heterozygous pathogenic variant. Initial 3T brain MRI was unrevealing, but subsequent 7T MRI including 7T edge-enhancing gradient echo revealed a left superior frontal sulcus BOSD concordant with the electroclinical data. The patient underwent treatment with MR-guided laser interstitial thermal ablation of the left frontal BOSD without intracranial EEG monitoring (skipped candidate), resulting in a seizure-free outcome of 9 months since the last follow-up. Our case highlights the real-world application of summative information obtained through advancements in epilepsy genetic testing, minimally invasive surgeries, and ultra-high field MRI, allowing us to provide a safe and effective treatment for a patient with a genetic DRFE.
Abstract We estimate gender earnings differentials among Hollywood stars. While this market should be particularly efficient in translating productivity into earnings, we demonstrate an unexplained ...female earnings gap of over two million dollars a film. Critically, we show that action films drive this gap. Our movie fixed effects estimate a much larger-million-dollar gap among action movies and a smaller statistically insignificant gap among other genres. Within the other genres, the one significant earnings gap is among stars older than 50. We argue that these patterns could reflect “consumer discrimination” but also raise other possibilities.
Merging is one of the most critical scenarios that can be found in road transport. In this maneuver, the driver is subjected to a high mental load due to the large amount of information he handles, ...while making decisions becomes a crucial issue for their safety and those in adjacent vehicles. In previous works, it was studied how the merging maneuver affected the cognitive load required for driving by means of an eye tracking system, justifying the proposal of a driver assistance system for the merging maneuver on highways. This paper presents a merging assistance system based on communications between vehicles, which allows vehicles to share internal variables of position and speed and is implemented on a mobile device located inside the vehicle. The system algorithm decides where and when the vehicle can start the merging maneuver in safe conditions and provides the appropriate information to the driver. Parameters and driving simulator tests are used for the interface definition to develop the less intrusive and demanding one. Afterward, the system prototype was installed in a real passenger car and tests in real scenarios were conducted with several drivers to assess usability and mental load. Comparisons among alternative solutions are shown and effectiveness is assessed.
ABSTRACT
Movies are uncertain products. Nobody knows much about them prior to their screening and their attempt to survive in the risky motion picture market week by week. This paper studies ...short‐life products using the example of the UK film industry, including high and low‐budget films. Using a clog‐log methodology and a sample of 552 films, the empirical results highlight the importance of the distributor's strategy and word‐of‐mouth for success in experience goods industries. Two strategies, cross‐subsidisation and opportunity cost, not previously addressed are considered. The results show these effects to be especially significant for low budget movies.
The allocation of time between leisure activities and work has been extensively analysed in academic literature. However, leisure time is limited and there may not be sufficient time to enjoy all the ...leisure activities desired. Hence, this article considers the allocation of time between substitute leisure activities. International football tournaments provide an opportunity to consider consumers' preferences for watching football and films in a quasi-natural experimental setting. A trade-off between these leisure activities is identified using a difference-in-difference methodology. Using an original, four-country data set, a large and robust negative effect of mega sports events on cinema admissions is identified.
Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is an infection prevalent in developing countries; however, it is neglected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and in sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we present three ...different cases seen in a consulting room in Lubumbashi. These cases are evidence that NCC is more common than it was previously thought in sub-Saharan Africa. Neurocysticercosis is a pathology-neglected and ignored infection, not only by the population but also by health professionals and health authorities in the DRC, and because of that, it is important to increase the research about NCC in the DRC to assess the prevalence and risk factors for NCC to assess the severity of the phenomenon and to help designing appropriate prevention and control measures.
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