Comorbidity of epilepsy and migraines epidemiological and clinical aspects

In patients with migraines, epilepsy occurs in 5.9% (1-17%) of cases compared to a prevalence of 0.5-1% in the general population. Comorbidity of migraines and epilepsy can be explained by neuronal hyperexcitability, while cortical spreading depression is considered to be a pathophysiological mechanism that lies in the basis of the migraine aura. The study included 259 patients with epilepsy and 40 patients with both epilepsy and migraines. The aim of the investigation was to determine the prevalence of migraines, the existence of a temporal association between epileptic and migraine attacks, to determine the clinical characteristics of joint epileptic and migraine attacks, the existence of a significant connection between a certain type of epileptic seizure and type of headache, and finally to determine heredity for epilepsy and migraines in patients who have these conditions associated. Patients were diagnosed clinically, neurophysiologically and neuroradiologically. The research results show that the frequency of associated epilepsy and migraines occurred in 15.44%. The results of this investigation point to a significantly higher frequency of epilepsy and migraines in female patients (ratio 5 : 1), which is different from the data we found in existing studies. Temporally connected attacks of epilepsy and migraines were observed in 48% of patients. Preictal headaches appeared in 20% of patients, postictal in 28% of patients. There was no significant association between migraines and the particular type of epileptic attack. Heredity for migraines was present in 35% of patients with both epilepsy and migraines. This data is significantly lower than the data found in other studies

Exo-polygalacturonase production by Penicillium roqueforti on pumpkin oil cake in solid state fermentation

The feasibility of using pumpkin oil cake (PuOC), individual and in combination with wheat bran (WB), as substrate for the production of Exo-polygalacturonase (Exo-p) by starter culture Penicillium roqueforti in solid state fermentation (SSF) has been evaluated. The kinetics of enzyme production was investigated using PuOC alone in the range from 13 to 168 h, with moisture contents varying from 44% the ability to grow and produce Exo-p activity on this substrate, reaching a maximum value of 1451.75 U/g.d.w PuOC by the 5th day of fermentation. Fermentation experiments indicated that the water activity (aw) influenced the enzyme production. A medium with aw 0.932 and the fermentation time of 5 days were selected, as these conditions resulted in the highest pectolytic activity and were used for further investigation. A next step in this research was to examine the effect of the substrate combination, PuOC with wheat bran (WB), in different ratios. The addition of WB as carbon sources was found to have a significant influence on the enzymes yields. Exo-p activities were the highest with initial water activity of a w 0.932 and PuOC supplementation with WB (1:0.67)

Premazi na bazi bazalta za zaštitu metalnih konstrukcija

U radu su prezentirani rezultati sinteze nove vrste vatrostalnih premaza na bazi bazalta za zaštitu metalnih konstrukcija u uslovima delovanja kavitacije. Polazni uzorci bazalta dobijeni su iz ležišta Vrelo - Kopaonik. Vatrostalni punioc na bazi bazalta dobijen je drobljenjem i mlevenjem izabranih uzoraka bazaltnih stena. Za karakterizaciju dobijenih uzoraka punioca korišćene su metode: rendgenska difrakciona analiza (XRD), skenirajuća elektronska mikroskopija (SEM) i optička mikroskopija. Istraživanjem su definisani sastavi premaza na bazi bazalta sa vezivom na bazi epoksi smole, organskim aditivima i organskim rastvaračem. Svojstva otpornosti zaštitnih premaza nanesenih na metalne površine ispitivana su primenom ultrazvučne vibracione metode sa stacionarnim uzorkom prema standardu ASTM G 32. Da bi se ocenila otpornost površine uzorka na dejstvo kavitacije ispitivana je površina uzorka pre i za vreme testiranja. Površine uzoraka snimane su na skenirajućem elektronskom mikroskopu u cilju praćenja i analize morfologije oštećenja površine. Za ocenu oštećenja površine uzoraka primenjena je kompjuterska analiza slike prema programu Image Pro Plus. Dobijeni rezultati ispitivanja pokazali su visoku otpornost slojeva premaza na dejstvo kavitacije, sa malim gubicima mase, malim oštećenjima površine premaza i kavitacionom brzinaom 0,1 mg/min

Thermal and Mechanical Behavior of Composite Mortars Containing Natural Sorptive Clays and Fly Ash

Mineral additives are extensively applied as cement replacement materials in both construction concrete and mortar. Fly ash is one of the most commonly utilized additives which improve Theological properties, as well as thermal and mechanical behavior of mortar, and as such it has been widely investigated. This industrial byproduct comprises heavy metals in its composition; therefore further research is needed to optimize its effective dosage. Moreover, certain sorptive clays, such as natural zeolite and bentonite, can prevent migration of toxic elements from fly ash by immobilizing them in their structure. Ten experimental mortars are prepared with Portland cement, river sand and addition of fly ash, zeolite and/or bentonite in accordance with chemometric experimental design rules. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of mineral additives on thermal and mechanical performances of mortar. Thermal characteristics were monitored via dilatometric analysis and DTA method. Principal component analysis was used on the results of physico-mechanical testing (workability, bulk density, water absorption, shrinkage, compressive and flexural strength) to enable the divisions of the observed samples into groups in the factor space. The performance of Artificial Neural Network was compared with the experimental data in order to develop rapid and accurate method for prediction of mechanical parameters of mortar. The ANN model showed high overall prediction accuracy (r(2) = 0.989, during training cycle). The test results indicate that incorporation of the mineral additives gave cost effective mortars with sufficiently good properties. However, tools of analytical modeling highlighted mortar with zeolite and fly ash as the optimal composition regarding its mechanical performance

Psihijatrijski komorbiditeti u bolesnika s epilepsijom u Crnoj Gori

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities, depression and anxiety, among patients with epilepsy in the outpatient Clinic for Epilepsy, Clinical Centre of Montenegro. Patients aged 18 and above with a diagnosis of epilepsy for at least one year were consecutively enrolled during a six-month period. Patients anonymously filled out a questionnaire which included data on the gender, age, education, marital status and degree of seizure control. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) were used to evaluate the presence or absence of anxiety and depression. Total number of study patients was 70, including 52 patients with partial seizures and 18 patients with generalized tonic-clonic seizures. The mean patient age was 37}7.92 years. The prevalence of depression in our sample was 32.8%, whereas the prevalence of anxiety was 21.4%. Patients with partial seizures were more depressed, while those with idiopathic generalized seizures were more anxious (p<0.01). Depression was associated with a lower educational level, unemployment and poor seizure control (p<0.05). The number of antiepileptic drugs showed a trend towards negative association with depression (p=0.005). Anxiety was associated with the level of education and uncontrolled seizures (p<0.01). Neither depression nor anxiety was associated with age, gender, marital status, age at onset and duration of epilepsy. Psychiatric disorders among patients with epilepsy are quite common but yet under-recognized. Therefore, appropriate recognition and efficient treatment of these disorders in patients with epilepsy might improve their quality of life and could consequently lead to better treatment success.Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je ispitati učestalost psihijatrijskih bolesti, depresije i anksioznosti, u bolesnika s epilepsijom u Dispanzeru za epilepsije Kliničkog centra Crne Gore. Bolesnici u dobi od 18 godina i više s dijagnozom epilepsije od najmanje jedne godine uključivani su u studiju kroz šest mjeseci. Bolesnici su ispunjavali upitnik koji je uključivao podatke o spolu, dobi, obrazovanju, bračnom stanju i stupnju kontrole napadaja. Ljestvice Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) i Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) su korištene za procjenu prisutnosti ili odsutnosti depresije i tjeskobe. Ukupno je bilo uključeno 70 bolesnika: 52 bolesnika s parcijalnim napadajima i 18 bolesnika s generaliziranim toničko-kloničkim napadajima. Prosječna dob bolesnika je bila 37}7,92 godine. Učestalost depresije u našem uzorku je bila 32,8%, dok je učestalost anksioznosti bila 21,4%. Bolesnici s parcijalnim napadajima su bili više depresivni u odnosu na bolesnike s idiopatskim generaliziranim napadajima, koji su bili anksiozniji (p<0,01). Depresija u bolesnika s epilepsijom je bila povezana s niskim stupnjem obrazovanja, nezaposlenošću i lošom kontrolom napadaja (p<0,05). Uporaba antiepileptika je pokazala trend ka negativoj povezanosti s depresijom (p=0,005). Anksioznost je bila povezana s razinom obrazovanja i nekontroliranim napadajima (p<0,01). Nijedan od ovih psihijatrijskih poremećaja u bolesnika s epilepsijom nije bio povezan s dobi, spolom, bračnim stanjem, dobi nastupa i trajanjem epilepsije. Psihijatrijski poremećaji u bolesnika s epilepsijom su veoma česti, ali se još uvijek slabo prepoznaju. Odgovarajuće prepoznavanje i učinkovito liječenje ovih bolesti u bolesnika s epilepsijom moglo bi značajno poboljšati kvalitetu njihova života i posljedično bi moglo dovesti do bolje uspješnosti liječenja

Phytomedical investigation of Najas minor All. in the view of the chemical constituents

Plants are an abundant natural source of effective antibiotic compounds. Phytomedical investigations of certain plants haven’t still been conducted. One of them is Najas minor (N. minor), an aquatic plant with confirmed allelopathy. Research conducted in this study showed the influence of water and ethyl acetate extracts of N. minor on microorganisms, in the view of chemical profiling of volatile constituents and the concentrations of total phenols, flavonoids and tannins. Antimicrobial activity was defined by determining minimum inhibitory and minimum microbicidal concentrations using microdilution method. Influence on bacterial biofilm formation was performed by tissue culture plate method. The total phenolics, flavonoids and condensed tannins were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu, aluminum chloride and butanol-HCl colorimetric methods. Chemical profiling of volatile constituents was investigated by GC and GC-MS. Water extract didn't have antimicrobial activity below 5000 µg/mL. Ethyl acetate extract has shown strong antimicrobial activity on G+ bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus PMFKGB12 and Bacillus subtilis (MIC < 78.13 µg/mL). The best antibiofilm activity was obtained on Escherichia coli ATCC25922 (BIC50 at 719 µg/mL). Water extract had higher yield. Ethyl acetate extract had a significantly greater amount of total phenolics, flavonoids and tannins. As major constituent hexahydrofarnesyl acetone was identified. The ethyl acetate extract effected only G+ bacteria, but the biofilm formation of G-bacteria was suppressed. There was a connection between those in vivo and in vitro effects against pathogenic bacterial biofilm formation. All of this points to a so far unexplored potential of N. minor

Supplementary material for the article: Pantić, D. N.; Mihajlović-Lalić, L. E.; Aranđelović, S.; Radulović, S.; Grgurić-Šipka, S. Synthesis, Characterization and Cytotoxic Activity of Organoruthenium(II)-Halido Complexes with 5-Chloro-1H-Benzimidazole-2-Carboxylic Acid. Journal of Coordination Chemistry 2019, 72 (5–7), 908–919. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958972.2019.1583332

Supplementary material for: [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00958972.2019.1583332?journalCode=gcoo20]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3116

Electrodeposition of Nb and Al from chloroaluminate melt on vitreous carbon

Niobium and aluminium were electrodeposited at 200 °C under argon atmosphere onto vitreous carbon from inorganic chloroaluminate melts (AlCl3+NaCl) with added niobium. Niobium was introduced into the electrolyte by anodic dissolution of metallic niobium or by chemical dissolution of Nb2O5 in a melt of equimolar AlCl3+NaCl mixture. The processes of deposition/dissolution onto/from vitreous carbon were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Characterization of the obtained deposits was done by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The only observed reduction processes on the working electrode in the potential window from 1.000 V to – 1.000 V vs. Al, were individual niobium deposition and codeposition of niobium and aluminium with Al-Nb alloys formation. Electrodeposition of niobium from the chloroaluminate melt with added niobium (V) oxide seems to start at around – 0.100 V vs. Al and at about – 0.200 V vs. Al aluminium starts codepositing. During the codeposition Nb-Al alloys were formed. Niobium deposition starting potential from the electrolyte with niobium added by anodic dissolution starts at 0.100 V vs. Al, and aluminium codeposition starting potential was at around – 0.025 V vs. Al, followed by Nb/Al alloy formation

Supplementary data for article: Baroud, A. A.; Mihajlović-Lalić, L. E.; Gligorijević, N.; Aranđelović, S.; Stanković, D.; Radulović, S.; Van Hecke, K.; Savić, A.; Grgurić-Šipka, S. Ruthenium(II) Bipyridine Complexes: From Synthesis and Crystal Structures to Electrochemical and Cytotoxicity Investigation. Journal of Coordination Chemistry 2017, 70 (5), 831–847. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958972.2017.1282611

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.1080/00958972.2017.1282611]Related to accepted version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/2423

Supplementary data for the article: Nikolić, S.; Mihajlović-Lalić, L. E.; Vidosavljević, M.; Aranđelović, S.; Radulović, S.; Grgurić-Šipka, S. Mono- and Binuclear Ru(II) Arene Complexes with (Fluoro Substituted) Picolinic Acid: Synthesis, Characterization and Cytotoxicity. Journal of Organometallic Chemistry 2019, 902. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jorganchem.2019.120966

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jorganchem.2019.120966]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3640]Related to accepted version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3641