120 research outputs found
Correction and author’s response to comment on: “Modern management of seizures and epilepsy”
No full textA response to Körschenbausen’s comment on our paper : GSCHWIND, Markus A., SEECK, Margitta. Modern management of seizures and epilepsy. In: Swiss Medical Weekly, 2016, vol. 146, p. w14310. https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:99733</p
On the revival of dynamic languages
No full textwww.iam.unibe.ch/∼scg Abstract. The programming languages of today are stuck in a deep rut that has developed over the past 50 years. Although we are faced with new challenges posed by enormous advances in hardware and internet technology, we continue to struggle with old-fashioned languages based on rigid, static, closed-world file-based views of programming. We argue the need for a new class of dynamic languages that support a view of programming as constant evolution of living and open software models. Such languages would require features such as dynamic first-class namespaces, explicit meta-models, optional, pluggable type systems, and incremental compilation of running software systems.
Bevölkerungsentwicklung und Wirtschaftsstruktur der Landschaft Basel im 18.Jahrhundert : ein historisch-demographischer Beitrag zur Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der langfristigen Bevölkerungsentwicklung von Stadt (seit 1100) und Landschaft (seit 1500) Basel.
No full textUntersuchungen zur Kontextabhängigkeit der visuellen Objekterkennung
No full textRecognizing a 3D object from 2D images seems easy and occurs everyday, but it is in principle an ill-defined problem. Here we report two behavioural experiments investigating how representations of 3D objects are built under varying the conditions of the recognition context, i.e. the set of test objects, the prior object knowledge and the degree of stimulus input information. We used a classification paradigm with initially unknown, “structure only” classification criteria, consisting of a category learning part and a subsequent generalization test. The acquisition of prior object knowledge was varied with an intra-modal (visual) group and a trans-modal (blindfold motor) group.
Results show that subjects are able to build structure-based object representations from desultory 2D images. We observe a clear context-dependency, i.e. the task was much more difficult without prior object knowledge (control group) and for images with poor stimulus input information. If, in the 2D image, alignment cues are only sparsely available and thus the 3D object structure is ambiguous, this lack of visual information can be trans-modally compensated by motor prior knowledge which seems to be transferred in real-time to the view-dependent representations.
The results further suggest the existence of several steps in the recognition process: 1. Image understanding with generation of a hypothetical object model. 2. Transformation and rotation in order to obtain a matching with the image input signal (matching-to-fit-cycle). 3. If step 2 is unsuccessful (e.g. mirror-symmetric objects), the hypothetical object model is referred to an external reference. These three steps are run through until the object is recognized successfully (non-exhaustive search).
Within this three-step process the different, so far contradictory theories of object recognition can be integrated, in that they seem to describe a portion of the recognition process each
Qreiye/Ayyash, Syrien: Die Arbeiten der Jahre 2014 und 2015
No full textAfter Lucius Verus had pushed the Eastern Frontier of the Roman Empire as far east as the Tigris and Khabur rivers, Septimius Severus based two large military garrisons on the route that crosses the Syrian desert following the Euphrates valley. At Dura-Europos the troops moved into the existing Hellenistic- Parthian city and left a rich epigraphic and papyrological evidence whereas at Qreiye-Ayyash they built a new fort, which was documented by fieldwork carried out in 2002–2005
Raphaneae, Syrien
No full textThe fieldwork carried out in the legionary fortress of Raphaneae in western Syria provides valuable information on the Roman military presence in the frontier zones in Parthian and Sasanian Persia. Moreover, it allows a detailed insight into the changing attitudes and organization of Roman power in this important area. Currently, the data of the field project is processed for the preparation of the final publication
Ecstatic Epileptic Seizures: A Glimpse into the Multiple Roles of the Insula
No full textEcstatic epileptic seizures are a rare but compelling epileptic entity. During the first seconds of these seizures, ecstatic auras provoke feelings of well-being, intense serenity, bliss, and "enhanced self-awareness." They are associated with the impression of time dilation, and can be described as a mystic experience by some patients. The functional neuroanatomy of ecstatic seizures is still debated. During recent years several patients presenting with ecstatic auras have been reported by others and us (in total n = 52); a few of them in the setting of presurgical evaluation including electrical brain stimulation. According to the recently recognized functions of the insula, and the results of nuclear brain imaging and electrical stimulation, the ecstatic symptoms in these patients seem to localize to a functional network centered around the anterior insular cortex, where we thus propose to locate this rare ictal phenomenon. Here we summarize the role of the multiple sensory, autonomic, affective, and cognitive functions of the insular cortex, which are integrated into the creation of self-awareness, and we suggest how this system may become dysfunctional on several levels during ecstatic aura
Modern management of seizures and epilepsy
No full textComplete seizure control is achieved in 40–50% of all epileptic patients with drug treatment, as reported in most epidemiological studies. Many effective antiepileptic drugs with a favourable profile are available in Switzerland, allowing treatment tailored to the patient’s needs. Unfortunately, up to 40–50% of all patients will eventually relapse (pharmacoresistant epilepsy). These patients run a high risk of additional morbidity and mortality. Possible pharmacoresistant epilepsy should be considered early in the disease, when there is a lack of response to the first antiepileptic drug, since only 14% of those will respond to a second drug, and only 2% to a third drug if the second fails too.
Epilepsy surgery is a viable option for these patients. It requires in-depth evaluation in specialized centres, and is related to complete seizure control in 50–90% of the patients, depending on the lesion type and site. Only for patients in whom surgery cannot be offered should neuromodulation treatments be considered. Today, two different approaches are approved, vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) and deep brain stimulation in the anterior thalamic nuclei (DBS-ANT). Although only a minority of patients become totally seizure-free. Both VNS and DBS-ANT represent an important adjunct in the therapeutic armamentarium.
In the present review, we outline a practical approach for the different steps in therapeutic decisions and we summarise the profiles of modern antiepileptic drugs as well outcome of surgical and neuromodulatory therapies. The goal of any approach should be to obtain complete seizure control. In general, if two antiepileptic drugs are not successful, in-depth evaluation of the patient in a specialised center is strongly recommended
Exploring the Unesco world heritage property in the shallow waters at Rose Island using unmanned surface vehicles (USV)
No full textRose Island (Germany) is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps” and a pilot site of the EU funded project TRIQUETRA, which targets the risks of climate change on cultural heritage. With the lack of a detailed bathymetric map of the waters around Rose Island and in search for an efficient approach for documenting the wooden relics from Iron Age at the lake bottom, both a sonar and a photogrammetric campaign were conducted by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). From the sonar measurements, the first reliable bathymetric map of the area was generated and provided to TRIQUETRA’s decision support system and WebGIS. During the photogrammetric survey, ~15.000 high resolution images of the lake floor were taken by an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) and processed to high-resolution 3D models by using the structure-from-motion method (SfM). The models provide an unprecedented level of detail for the documentation and examination of the archaeologic remains at Rose Island and a fascinating insight to the prehistoric settlement remains for the general public
Transcranial direct-current stimulation as treatment in epilepsy
No full textNeuromodulation (NM) is a complementary therapy for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Vagal nerve stimulation and deep brain stimulation of the anterior thalamus are established techniques and have shown their efficacy in lowering seizure frequency, but they are invasive and rarely render patients seizure-free. Non-invasive NM techniques are therefore increasingly investigated in a clinical context. Areas covered: Current knowledge about transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) and other non-invasive NM in patients with epilepsy, based on the available animal and clinical studies from PubMed search. Expert commentary: tDCS modulates neuronal membrane potentials, and consequently alters cortical excitability. Cathodal stimulation leads to cortical inhibition, which is of particular importance in epilepsy treatment. The antiepileptic efficacy is promising but still lacks systematic studies. The beneficial effect, seen in ~20%, outlasts the duration of stimulation, indicating neuronal plasticity and is therefore of great interest to obtain long-term effects
- …
