Clinical profile of patients with rolandic epilepsy at a clinic in rural Maharashtra.

PURPOSE: To describe the seizure pattern, treatment strategies and outcome in a series of children with Rolandic seizures or childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were defined as Rolandic epilepsy if on electroencephalographic studies high voltage spike and waves were seen in centrotemporal areas, could be followed by slow waves, often activated on sleep and could shift from one side to other or be secondarily generalized. Typical (TRS) or benign were those with normal intellect. Atypical rolandic seizures (ARS) were those associated with neuroregression of language and cognitive milestones. Patients were treated with antiepileptic drugs if more than one episode occurred or the first episode was generalized status epilepticus. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were included over the period of eight years (2012-2020). There was male preponderance (21 males versus 12 females). Four patients (12.12%) later evolved into Landau Kleffner syndrome (ARS group). The mean age of onset of epilepsy in the TRS group (29 patients) was 7.2 (+/-2.2) with the youngest patient being 4 years and the eldest being 12 years. In the ARS group the mean age of onset was 5 yrs. (+/-1.41). In the TRS group, 23 (79.31%) patients were managed on monotherapy AED. Seventeen patients (58.62%) responded (remission) to carbamazepine monotherapy alone. Six patients (20.68%) could afford oxcarbazepine monotherapy and went in remission with this therapy. In the ARS group all patients required three drugs (valproate, clobazam and levetiracetam). By the end of the study period, 23/33 (75.75%) patients remained seizure free. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients with rolandic seizures have excellent prognosis being seizure free around puberty. The neurological outcome in most patients was normal.

Biodegradation kinetic modeling of pro-oxidant filled polypropylene composites under thermophilic composting conditions after abiotic treatment.

This work aims at modeling and characterizing the kinetics of biodegradation of polypropylene loaded with cobalt stearate as pro-oxidant after abiotic treatment. Eight films of these composites were prepared using different pro-oxidant loadings. These films were treated abiotically using accelerated weathering for 40 h, and biotically using aerobic composting as per ASTM D 5338. The experimental data were analyzed using an eight-parameter Komilis model containing a flat lag phase. The model formulations involved hydrolysis of primary solid carbon and its subsequent mineralization. The first step was rate controlling and it included hydrolysis of slowly (Cs), moderately (Cm), and readily (Cr) hydrolyzable carbon fractions in parallel. The model parameters were evaluated by means of nonlinear regression technique. The surface morphology of the films before and after the biodegradability test supported the biodegradation results. The model parameters and undegraded/hydrolyzable/mineralizable carbon evolutions involved moderately and readily hydrolyzable carbons but with the absence of slowly hydrolyzable carbon. These exhibit degradability in the range of 11.20-36.42% in 45 days. Biodegradability increases with progressive increase in pro-oxidant loading. The rate of degradation reaches maximum (0.322-0.897% per day) at around the 39th-12th day. For all the films, readily hydrolyzable carbon fractions and their hydrolysis rate constants (kr) are appreciably increased with increasing pro-oxidant loading. All the films show the presence of growth phase because of their high initial readily hydrolyzable carbon fractions. The SEM images after the abiotic and subsequently biotic treatments were progressively rougher. The methods presented here can be used for the design and control of other similar systems.

Biodegradation kinetic modeling of oxo-biodegradable polypropylene/polylactide/nanoclay blends and composites under controlled composting conditions.

Polypropylene/polylactide/nanoclay blend/composite films with/without pro-oxidants/compatibilizer were prepared and aerobically degraded to measure the CO2 evolution under controlled composting conditions as per ASTM D 5338. A first-order Komilis model in series with a flat lag phase was postulated involving two stages; hydrolysis of solid carbon followed by its rapid mineralization. The first, rate-limiting stage further comprised of three possible parallel paths: the solid hydrolysis of readily, moderately, and slowly hydrolyzable carbon fractions. The model parameters were computed after correlating with the experimental data using nonlinear regression analysis. The results of the model characteristic parameters, un-degraded/hydrolyzable/mineralisable-intermediate carbon kinetics, and degradation curves exhibit two distinct kinetic regimes. The first regime comprising of slowly and moderately hydrolyzable carbon is shown by the first four films without pro-oxidants. This causes low degradability and degradation rate. The second regime comprising of the readily and moderately hydrolyzable carbon is shown by another four films containing pro-oxidants. They exhibit relatively high degradability and degradation rate, which peaks at around 11-14th day in the range of 0.219-0.268% per day. The values of their moderately hydrolyzable carbon fractions and the corresponding hydrolysis rates are significantly higher than that of the first regime. For the first regime, the degradability and degradation rate decreases with increase in the slowly hydrolyzable carbon impervious to microbial attack. Their degradation rate profiles show an absence of growth phase due to the absence of readily hydrolyzable carbon. The rate decreases monotonously starting from the maximum value ranging from 0.043 to 0.180% per day. The approach presented can also be implemented to model and design equipment for other waste biodegradation systems.