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Ion exchange property of fibrous zeolite scolecite of Georgian origin has been studied against mono (Li, Na, NH4, K Cs and Rb), divalent (Sr, Ba Ca, Mg) and transition (Cd, Cu, Mn, Zn, Co and Ni) metal cations. Selectivity series of the above cations for scolecite have been compiled. The structure of scolecite, charge and sizeof the cations (both in hydrated and dehydrated state) and cation concentration in the solution (0.1N, 0.3N, 0.5N 1.0N and 1.5N) greatly influence on the ion-exchange property and selectivity order of scolecite. Dynamic Exchange Capacity (DEC) values for the studied cations on scolecite have been calculated. Kinetics of ion exchange in dynamic conditions for the above cations has been studied. Analysis of the obtained data shows that the external diffusion processes have influence on the establishment of equilibrium between the ions on the surface and in the micro porous structure of scolesite. The time of dynamic exchange equilibrium is directly proportional to the cation radios.

Ergoterapija Veselības aprūpe Occupational Therapy Health Care Bakalaura darba nosaukums: Virtuālās realitātes metodes efektivitāte pacientiem pēc insulta augšējo ekstremitāšu motoro funkciju uzlabošanai: darbības jomu noteikšanas pārskats. Bakalaura darba autore: Sofija Kvernadze, Rīgas Stradiņa universitātes Rehabilitācijas fakultātes studiju programmas “Ergoterapija” 4. studiju gada studente. Bakalaura darba mērķis: Identificēt pierādījumus virtuālās realitātes metodes efektivitātei pacientiem pēc insulta augšējo ekstremitāšu motoro funkciju uzlabošanai. Pētījuma jautājums: Kādi ir pieejamie pierādījumi virtuālās realitātes metodes efektivitātei augšējo ekstremitāšu motoro funkciju uzlabošanai pacientiem pēc pārciesta insulta? Pētījuma metodes: Datu ievākšanai, zinātnisku publikāciju meklēšana tika veikta četrās datu bāzēs – EBSCOhost, PubMed, ProQuest, ClinicalKey. Tiek izvēlētas zinātniskas publikācijas, kas publicētas laika posmā no 2013. līdz 2023. gadam, pieejamas pilnā teksta versijā angļu valodā un kas atbilst iepriekš izveidotajiem atslēgas vārdiem. Literatūras avotu atlase tika veikta pēc PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) (Tricco et al., 2018). Rezultāti: Darbības jomu noteikšanas pārskatā tika iekļauti pieci pētījumi, kas sniedz II līmeņa pierādījumus, kuros virtuālās realitātes metode kombinācijā ar konvenciālo terapiju vai virtuālā realitāte kā atsevišķa metode var efektīvāk uzlabot augšējo ekstremitāšu motoro funkciju salīdzinot tikai ar konvenciālo terapiju rehabilitācijas procesa laikā. Hemiparēze ir viens no biežākajiem neiroloģiskajiem iznākumiem pēc pārciesta insulta, kas negatīvi ietekmē ikdienas aktivitāšu veikšanu un samazina neatkarības līmeni, tāpēc intervence, pielietojot virtuālās realitātes metodi, var sniegt papildus ieguvumus pacientu pēc insulta rehabilitācijā. Nepieciešams turpināt veikt zinātniskos pētījumus ar lielāku dalībnieku skaitu un vienādu iejaukšanās ilgumu, kuros VR terapija bez kombinācijām ar citām metodēm tiks salīdzināta ar konvenciālo terapiju. Secinājumi: Darbības jomu noteikšanas pārskatā identificēti pieci pētījumi, kuros izmanto virtuālās realitātes metodi pacientiem pēc insulta augšējās ekstremitātes motoro funkciju uzlabošanai un analizēti to pierādījumu līmeņi (II pierādījumu līmenis). Title of bachelour thesis: Effectiveness of a virtual reality method for improving upper extremity motor function in stroke patients: a scoping review. Author of bachelour thesis: Sofija Kvernadze, 4th year student of the study programme "Occupational Therapy" at the Faculty of Rehabilitation, Riga Stradins University. Aim of bachelour thesis: Identify evidence for the effectiveness of virtual reality in stroke patients to improve upper extremity motor function. Study question: What is the available evidence for the effectiveness of virtual reality improve upper extremity motor function in stroke patients? Study methods: To collect data, search was made in four databases – EBSCOhost, PubMed, ProQuest, ClinicalKey. Scientific publications were published between 2013 and 2023, available full text in English and matching the previously created keywords were selected. The selection of literature sources was performed following the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) (Tricco et al., 2018). Results: The scoping review included five studies providing level II evidence for virtual reality method in combination with conventional therapy or virtual reality as a stand-alone method to improve upper extremity motor function compared with conventional therapy alone during the rehabilitation process. Hemiparesis is one of the common complications after stroke,it negatively affects the performance of daily activities and reduces the level of independence, so intervention using the virtual reality method can provide additional benefits in the rehabilitation of patients post-stroke. It is necessary to continue conducting studies with a larger number of participants and equal duration of intervention, in which VR therapy without combinations with other methods will be compared with conventional therapy. Conclusions: Five studies in which using virtual reality to improve upper extremity motor function in stroke patients was identified in the scoping review and analyzed their levels of evidence (Evidence Level II).

Infantile spasms syndrome is a severe epileptic encephalopathy. Management of infantile spasms remains challenging because of pharmacoresistant forms and relapsing seizures. A high number of patients with this syndrome have neurodevelopmental delay. The main objective of our study was to determine predictors to measure the neurodevelopmental outcome of patients with infantile spasms.We prospectively evaluated 31 patients with infantile spasms from 2014 to 2017 at three hospitals in Tbilisi, Georgia. Various demographic data were evaluated at the first visit; video-EEG, brain MRI and neurodevelopmental evaluation were performed upon admission. A diary to record spasms was provided and completed by all parents/caregivers. Seizures were recorded on video and the phenomenology of infantile spasms was studied. Children were followed for one and two years after the first assessment.Neurodevelopmental deterioration was revealed in 61.1% on the second and 53% on the third evaluation in patients with onset of spasms before seven months of age. The mean score on the ASQ communication domain was low among structural cases. Eleven patients with pre-existing delay had developmental regression based on the second evaluation (Fisher's exact test: 7.2; df 1; p=0.01).Our study reveals that age at onset of infantile spasms at less than seven months, pre-existing developmental delay, low ASQ scores and structural abnormalities on MRI are predictors of poor developmental outcome. Our data suggest that clinicians should inform parents at the first clinical evaluation about prognosis, and intervention should be started as early as possible in order to improve development.

Introduction This study describes the specific neuropsychological abnormalities among children with epilepsy (CH-E) living in Georgia. Methods A cohort of CH-E and children without epilepsy (CH-NoE), aged 6–13 years, admitted to the epilepsy center of the Institute of Neurology and Neuropsychology from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2015, was selected and investigated with a structured protocol. Neurological/epileptological assessments were made and neuropsychological testing was done on all study subjects. Results Abnormalities in praxis, verbal functions, verbal learning, visual-spatial matching, visual-motor ability, and fine motor skills, working memory, and phonological memory span were often revealed in CH-E as compared to CH-NoE. Early age of seizure onset, epilepsy duration, and anti-seizure medication (ASM) use, in combination with brain structural abnormalities on neuroimaging, and structural etiology were independent predictors of impaired functioning in various neuropsychological domains. Discussion More than half of children with epilepsy have a variety of cognitive impairments, which may increase with ASM therapy, especially when the cause of seizures is structural damage to the brain. Therefore, in the process of diagnosing epilepsy, evaluation of cognitive functions should become an integral part to ensure effective management of the disorder.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of focal EEG features in patients with juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE) and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), and to assess their possible influence on therapeutic response. Methods Focal EEG features were prospectively scored in 168 consecutive patients. Ninety-six patients were drug-naive and 72 patients were already on antiepileptic drugs (AEDs): 38 on adequate medication and 34 on inadequate medication. Therapeutic response was assessed one year after starting adequate therapy. Results One-hundred-eighteen patients (70.2%) had focal EEG features: 89 patients (53%) had focal epileptiform discharges, and 80 patients (47.6%) had focal slowing. Most often, these were multifocal and localized in frontal and temporal regions. Among patients already on AEDs, patients with focal EEG features were more often treated with inadequate medication due to misdiagnosis, than patients without focal features. Data on therapeutic response were available for 118 patients; most of them (90.7%) were seizure free. None of the focal EEG features affected therapeutic response. Conclusion Focal EEG features are common in patients with JME and JAE, but they do not influence the therapeutic response. Significance It is important that physicians are aware of the focal EEG features in order to avoid misdiagnosis and inadequate therapy.

The first observational data on the spectra of spicules in the D3 and Hα lines for different altitudes in the chromosphere during a period of time longer than the lifetime of a spicule have been obtained in Abastumani. These unique observations show that the half-widths of the spectral lines in the spicules decrease very little with altitude, while their brightness decreases exponentially. Nonthermal turbulent velocities are determined (at T ≈ 6000o K). The average value VT equals about 25 km/sec for Hα spicules with small (~1.2 A) half-widths and about 18 km/sec for D3 spicules with average half-width 0.6 A.

West syndrome hasn't been thoroughly investigated in Georgia. The purposes of our study were a) to assess the clinical and etiological peculiarities of West syndrome, based on MRI data and its relation to the long-term outcome; b) to assess the evolution of West syndrome and its relation to patient characteristics; c) to compare the efficacies of treatments with ACTH and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs); d) to evaluate the neuropsychological outcome after 12 and 24 months and their early predictors. We evaluated 31 patients (17 male, 14 female) with infantile spasms. Mean age of seizure onset was 6.3 months. Inclusion criteria were newly diagnosed patients with infantile spasms from 2 to 18 months, abnormal EEG and written informed consent of parents/ caregivers. We collected birth, family and seizure detailed history. All patients were examined neurologically, investigated with prolonged sleep and awake video - EEG, brain MRI, developmental screening tests (AgesStages Questionnaires®, Third Edition, ASQ-3™) at the time of admission. Spasm diary was given and filled by every parent/caregiver. The video-recording of seizures to study the detailed phenomenology of event was done in all cases as well. In 94% of patients (n=29) spasm were observed in clusters. EEG investigation revealed hypsarrhythmia in majority of cases (n=20; 65%). 19% (n=6) and 16% (n=5) patients had modified hypsarrhythmia and other types of EEG changes respectively. In 19 (61%) cases neurological examination was normal. 7 patients (22.6%) showed normal neuropsychological development. In remaining 12 (38.7%) and 12 (38.7%) cases moderate and severe delay of development was revealed accordingly. MRI investigation revealed no abnormality in 16% (n=5). 16 (52%) individuals were treated with ACTH only. In 12 (39%) cases ACTH and AED were used simultaneously and 2 (6.5%) cases were treated with AED only. One year follow-up assessments were provided in 22 (74%) cases. One patient died during the study. Neuropsychological development was with no changes in 12 (55%) individuals. In 3 (9.7%) cases some improvement was detected and the deterioration of development was identified in 6 (19%) individuals. In all cases with developmental deterioration, seizures were started before seven month of age, this association was statistically significant (Pearson Chi-Square 6.3; df 1; p=0.019). There was no relationship between developmental changes and sex, birth from full term pregnancy, infantile spasm type, treatment, or EEG pattern, however. Despite the fact, that the number of included patients was small, preliminary findings are in accordance to the other published data. The current study is still in process. 12-24 months follow-up with clinical, EEG and neuropsychological monitoring is planned for all cases.

Spectroscopic observations of limb spicules were carried out during September 25 and October 17–19, 2012 in H $\alpha$ line using large 53-cm non-eclipsing coronagraph of Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory (Georgia). The spectrograph slit was located at the height of about 7500 km above the solar limb. Spectrograms in H $\alpha$ line were obtained in a second order of the spectrograph, where reversed dispersion equal to 0.96 A/mm. Doppler velocities and FWHM of 35 spicules were measured with the average cadence of 4.5 s and standard error equal to ±0.3 km/s and 0.03 A, respectively. Lifetimes of almost all measured spicules were 12–16 min, therefore they resemble type I spicules. We studied the temporal variations of Doppler shift and width of H $\alpha$ line using the Lomb periodogram algorithm for unevenly distributed time series. We found the oscillations in both, velocity and width, with periods of 4–9 min (240–540 s) at confidence levels of 95% and clear anti-phase relations (stronger Doppler velocity–weaker Doppler width and vice versa) between Doppler velocity and FWHM in all 35 spicules. The observed anti-phase oscillation with long periods can be explained by up and down motions of turbulent plasma in type I spicules, but the oscillations with shorter periods can be caused by helical motion of spicule axis formed after superposition of two linearly polarised magnetohydrodynamic kink waves.