Boosting the cell voltage in biphasic flow batteries via Galvani potential difference.

Galvani potential differences between aqueous and organic phases of biphasic flow batteries can be utilized to boost the cell voltage by ca. 600 mV. This effect is demonstrated by comparing batteries utilizing three different solvents, trifluorotoluene, dichloroethane and propylene carbonate, with ferrocene and decamethyl ferrocene as model organic redox couples.

Optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that damages myelinated fibers within the central nervous system. Data obtained using optical coherence tomography (OCT) have recently been identified as a potential biomarker for this disease. We aimed to measure circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (cpRNFLT) using OCT and to compare the results in healthy participants with those of individuals having clinically definitive MS with and without a history of optic neuritis. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited patients with clinically confirmed MS, with and without optic neuritis, and healthy individuals as a control group. We documented demographic characteristics, duration of MS, and time elapsed since the episode of optic neuritis. All participants underwent a thorough ocular examination and measurement of total, superior, and inferior cpRNFLT using swept-source OCT. Results: In participants with MS, women outnumbered men in the subsets with (90%) and without (64%) optic neuritis. The control group comprised approximately similar numbers of men and women. There was a statistically significant difference in total, superior, and inferior cpRNFLT between study groups (all P < 0.001). Pairwise comparisons revealed significantly thinner total, superior, and inferior cpRNFLTs in patients having MS with and without (all P < 0.001) optic neuritis when compared with the controls. We found significantly higher total, superior, and inferior cpRNFLTs in women than in men (all P < 0.05). However, we found no significant correlation between total, superior, or inferior cpRNFLT and patient age, duration of MS, or time elapsed since the optic neuritis episode (all P > 0.05), except for a significant moderate inverse correlation between patient age and total cpRNFLT (r = - 0.41; P < 0.05), indicating a loss of total cpRNFLT with age. Conclusions: Patients with clinically confirmed MS, with or without optic neuritis, had a significantly decreased cpRNFLT compared to that of healthy individuals. There was a significant inverse correlation between age and total cpRNFLT and a difference in cpRNFLT between the sexes, indicating that age and sex may influence the measurement of cpRNFLT using OCT in patients with MS. As a screening tool, OCT should be used along with other existing diagnostic modalities for patients with definite or suspected MS. Further longitudinal studies including various classifications of MS with or without isolated episodes of optic neuritis, along with diagnostic accuracy studies, could provide more robust conclusions on the suitability of OCT as a biomarker of MS.

Somatoform Dissociation, Fatigue Severity and Pain Behavior Compared in Patients with Migraine Headache and in Healthy Individuals.

The prevalence of migraine in the world is about 15 and 7% among women and men, respectively. The purpose of this study was comparison of somatoform dissociation, fatigue severity and pain behavior in patients with migraine headache and its relationship with coping strategies. This descriptive analytical study has been done on 120 patients with migraine headache and 120 healthy subjects were selected randomly. Data collected by somatoform dissociation questionnaire (SDQ-20), fatigue severity scale, pain behavior scale and coping strategies scale. For data analysis we used SPSS.19. The means of the somatoform dissociation, pain behavior scale, help searching subscale and pain compliant in migraine and healthy subjects were statistically significant. There was not significant difference in avoidance subscales between the two groups. Comparison of fatigue severity in patients with migraine and control group was meaningful. There was significant positive correlation between all four scales and coping strategies. It seems that these symptoms can play an important role in this disease; thus, their careful evaluation in the treatment of migraine headache is essential.

The Epidemiology of Hospital-Referred Head Injury in Ardabil City.

Background and Purpose. Trauma is the leading cause of death for youth in developing countries. Given the prevalence of head trauma (HT) in society and its complication and burden, the epidemiologic study of head trauma is necessary and is the main aim of this study. Materials and Methods. This retrospective population-based survey describes the epidemiology of head injury in a defined population in Ardabil city. It includes all 204 patients with head injury referred to the University Hospital of Ardabil, Iran, during 2013-2014. Data were collected by a checklist and analyzed by statistical methods in SPSS.19. Significance level p < 0.05 was considered. Results. Of all registered cases, 146 (71.6%) were male and the rest of them were female. Most of HT patients lived in Ardabil city (60.8%). The mean age of patients was 22.6 ± 25.9 and most of victims were young. 24.5% of traumatic patients have injuries in severe to critical level (grade 3-4). The most cause of trauma was accidents (41.7%). Most of injuries occurred in night (55.9%) and in summer season (42.2%). Causes were traffic accident in 41.7%. Conclusion. Results showed that the leading cause of head trauma especially in the warm seasons is accidents and so, designing programs to reduce road accidents can dramatically reduce the rate of trauma in the future in Ardabil province.

Zonisamide versus topiramate in migraine prophylaxis: a double-blind randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Topiramate is an antiepileptic drug that has been approved for migraine prophylaxis. Despite appropriate efficacy for migraine prophylaxis, some patients cannot tolerate its adverse effects. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of zonisamide, another antiepileptic drug, with topiramate in decreasing the frequency and severity of migraine attacks to determine whether it could be used as an alternative for noncompliant patients to topiramate. METHODS: Eighty patients, recruited from referred migraineurs to our neurology clinic, who met the diagnosis and inclusion criteria were allocated randomly to group A (50-mg/d zonisamide, gradually titrated up to 200 mg/d) and group B (25-mg/d topiramate, gradually titrated up to 100 mg/d). Each patient was followed for 12 weeks and was assessed at entrance, in the fourth week and twelfth week for frequency of attacks, headache severity, need for acute medication, migraine disability assessment score, and adverse effects. A P < 0.05 was considered as the level of significant difference in all tests. RESULTS: Both drugs caused a significant decrease in frequency, severity, need for acute medication in migraine attacks, and migraine disability assessment score (P < 0.05). Except headache severity that was reduced significantly better by zonisamide (P < 0.008), there were no significant difference between the 2 groups in other items. Except for 2 cases of intolerable paresthesia, both drugs were tolerated well during the study. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that zonisamide is as effective as topiramate in migraine prophylaxis and can be considered as an alternative treatment when topiramate is not tolerated well.

A periodontal health assessment of hospitalized patients with myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Recent researches have known long term infections such as periodontal disease to be related with the process of atherosclerosis. Periodontitis causes peripheral inflammation and immune cell stimulation which leads to an increase in C - reactive protein (CRP) and IgA Ab and there is a definite relation between cardiovascular disease, CRP increase and Periodontitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the periodontal health status of patients with myocardial infarction who were hospitalized in Babol and Sari Hospitals. METHODS: This descriptive study was done on 95 men and women age ranging from 40 to 70 years old hospitalized due to myocardial infarction diagnosis in Babol and Sari Hospitals. Periodontal health, of patients evaluated via Cowell Bleeding Index, Green and vermillion Debri Index, Tooth Mobility, Clinical attachment Level on Ramfjord teeth. Data were analyzed with SPSS and Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-whitney test. RESULTS: Considered indexes were evaluated in 81men and 14 women studied which showed no significant difference among them in the average BI (p=0.52), average tooth mobility (p=0.117) and average CAL index (p=0.745). The only significant difference between men and women was found in average DI index (p=0.08). There was a significant difference between average CAL in Ramfjord teeth of upper and lower jaw (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: According to high prevalence of periodontitis in our study, periodontitis may be a risk factor of cardiovascular disease, it should be pointed out that here is the cardiologists' emphasis on their patients referring to the dentists.