Immunohistochemical comparison of E-cadherin expression in oral lichen planus with and without dysplasia

Objectives E-cadherin is a transmembrane glycoprotein, which is responsible for cell adhesion and its expression decreases in dysplastic lesions. This study aimed to assess the expression of this marker in oral lichen planus (OLP) with and without dysplasia to assess its potential for use as a predictor of malignant transformation.Methods This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on 44 OLP specimens using immunohistochemistry (IHC) by streptavidin- biotin technique. For this purpose, E-cadherin antibody was used and the intensity score (IS), proportional score (PS) and total score (TS) were calculated. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21. The relationship between the intensity of expression of E-cadherin and dysplastic changes was assessed using the Mann Whitney U test. P < 0.05 was considered significant.Results The TS of E-cadherin expression was 3 to 6 and 3 in the superficial and deep layers of 100% of specimens with dysplasia, respectively. The TS of E-cadherin expression was 3 to 6 in the superficial layer of 82.5% of specimens and 3 in deep layers of 81.2% of specimens without dysplasia. According to the Mann Whitney U test, the expression of E-cadherin in the superficial (P = 0.90) and deep (P = 0.35) layers was not significantly different between the two groups of OLP with and without dysplasia.Conclusion No significant difference was found in the expression of E-cadherin in OLP specimens with and without dysplasia. It may be concluded that in contrast to other preneoplastic lesions, dysplastic changes of OLP do not follow other malignant transformation patterns in the oral mucosa

Removable Appliance For Oral Self-Mutilation In Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome. A Case Report

Objectives Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is a rare inherited disorder associated with self-harming behaviors, delayed mental and motor development, and disturbances such as dysarthria, choreoathetosis, and spasticity. Severe inflicted behaviors in Lesch-Nyhan syndrome often include chewing and biting of the lips or fingers, which often require management. Techniques to deal with these behaviors include using appliances that restrict the behavior or ultimately extracting the teeth. Case This case report presents a 6-year-old child with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome and self-mutilation. He had chronic wounds in his buccal mucosa due to severe biting. Two acrylic devices with anterior and posterior bite plates were designed for the maxillary and mandibular teeth. At the follow-up visits, the wounds had been healed, but due to shedding of the primary teeth, and poor patient cooperation, the appliance design was slightly changed. The design of the device used for the patient inspires similar devices for patients with self-mutilation behaviors. Conclusion Early diagnosis and management of patients suffering from self-injurious behaviors may improve oral health-related quality of life of these patients. Acrylic appliances seem to be effective to minimize injury and to enhance fast healing of oral lesions

Applying GMDH artificial neural network to predict dynamic viscosity of an antimicrobial nanofluid

Objective (s): Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) are widely used for predicting systems’ behavior. GMDH is a type of ANNs which has remarkable ability in pattern recognition. The aim the current study is proposing a model to predict dynamic viscosity of silver/water nanofluid which can be used as antimicrobial fluid in several medical purposes.Materials and Methods: In order to have precise model, it is necessary to consider all influential factors. Temperature, concentration and size of nano particles are used as input variables of the model. In addition, GMDH artificial neural network is applied to design a proper model. Data for modeling are extracted from conducted experimental studies published in valuable journals. Results: The dynamic viscosity of Ag/water nanofluid is precisely modeled by using GMDH. The obtained values for R-squared is equal to 0.9996 which indicates perfect precision of the proposed model. In addition, the highest relative deviation for the model is 2.2%. Based on the values of these statistical criteria, the model is acceptable and very accurate. Conclusion: GMDH artificial neural network is reliable approach to predict dynamic viscosity of Ag/water nanofluid by using temperature, concentration and size of particles as input data

A review on the applications of nanotechnology in orthodontics

Objective (s): Nanotechnology has gained importance in recent years due to its ability in the enhancement of materials properties and other specifications such as antimicrobial properties. Nano-sized materials have been applied in various fields of dentistry. Nanotechnology can be employed in orthodontics to enhance the quality of treatment. In the current study, a comprehensive review is carried out on the applications of nanotechnology in orthodontics. Materials and Methods: In the first step, various databases such as Scopus, Google Scholar and Pubmed were searched by using appropriate keywords for the present study. Afterwards, the related resources were selected to be reviewed. Finally, the key findings of the reviewed studies were represented and summarized. Results: Based on the reviewed researches, nanotechnology is applicable in various aspects of orthodontics. By using nanotechnology, improved properties in mechanical and medical specifications are achievable. For instance, by using nano coating in archwires, the friction force between components can be reduced and facilitate its motion. In addition, adding some types of nano particles to the composites resulted in improvement in tensile and shear bond strength. Antimicrobial properties of specific nano particles such as silver makes them favorable for reducing microorganisms in orthodontics treatment. Moreover, nanotechnology can be used in nano-identation test to assess the tools employed in orthodontics. Conclusion: nanotechnology can be broadly employed in orthodontics to achieve better treatment including improved strength of utilized materials, more accurate positioning and reduced microorganisms

Optimal operation of stand-alone microgrid considering emission issues and demand response program using whale optimization Algorithm

Microgrids are new technologies for integrating renewable energies into power systems. Optimal operation of renewable energy sources in standalone micro-grids is an intensive task due to the continuous variation of their output powers and intermittant nature. This work addresses the optimum operation of an independent microgrid considering the demand response program (DRP). An energy management model with two different scenarios has been proposed to minimize the costs of operation and emissions. Interruptible/curtailable loads are considered in DRPs. Besides, due to the growing concern of the developing efficient optimization methods and algorithms in line with the increasing needs of microgrids, the focus of this study is on using the whale meta-heuristic algorithm for operation management of microgrids. The findings indicate that the whale optimization algorithm outperforms the other known algorithms such as imperialist competitive and genetic algorithms, as well as particle swarm optimization. Furthermore, the results show that the use of DRPS has a significant impact on the costs of operation and emissions

راهبردهای آرام سازی نوزاد بر مبنای تجربه مادران ایرانی: یک مطالعه پدیدارشناختی

مقدمه:همچون هر تمدن دیگری،مادران ایرانی از دیرباز جهت آرام کردن نوزادان خود و مواجهه با مشکلات تنظیمی نوزاد از روش های سنتی و بومی مختلفی بهره می گرفتند. هدف این پژوهش عبارت بود از بررسی تجربه و نظر مادران ایرانی درباره روش آرام کردن نوزادانشان. مواد و روش ها: ملاک های ورود شرکت کنندگان در این پژوهش کیفی پدیدارشناختی عبارت بود از: تمایل  به حضور در پژوهش ، داشتن توانایی برقراری ارتباط ،  مادر بودن، داشتن سابقه مراقبت از حداقل یک نوزاد ،  ایرانی بودن و ملاک های خروج در این پژوهش عبارت بود از وجود مشکلات حافظه و اختلالات روانی. انتخاب شرکت کنندگان با استفاده از روش نمونه گیری هدفمند انجام شد و  به منظور گرداوری  اطلاعات 4 سوال در قالب مصاحبه عمیق و نیمه ساختار یافته )هر جلسه به مدت 30 تا 60 دقیقه) از شرکت کنندگان پرسیده شد. مصاحبه با شرکت کنندگان تا زمان اشباع اطلاعات با شرکت 21 نفرادامه یافت.در نهایت اطلاعات به دست آمده با استفاده از روش هفت مرحله ای کلایزی مورد تجزیه و تحلیل قرار  گرفت. یافته ها:داده های مربوط به تجربه های مادران منجر به ایجاد 8 تم شامل تحریکات وستیبولار، تحریکات لمسی، تحریکات شنیداری، تحریکات بینایی، تحریکات حرارتی، تحریکات حس عمقی، رفع نیاز های فیزیولوژیک و روش های  فرا-ماده و خرافی شده است. نتیجه گیری:یافته های حاصل از این مطالعه حاکی از وجود ارتباط بین  روش های سنتی و بومی که  مادران ایرانی جهت آرام کردن نوزادشان به کار می گیرند، با اصول علمی مبتنی بر نظریه یکپارچگی حسی است که می تواند با استفاده از پژوهش های مکمل کیفی و کمی مورد بررسی دقیق تر واقع شود.جهت بررسی تاثیر راهبردهایی که مادران ایرانی برای آرام سازی نوزادان خود استفاده می کنند، نیاز مطالعات متعدد کیفی و کمی وجود دارد. کلیدواژه ها:راهبردهای آرام سازی، نوزاد، مادر،  مطالعه  پدیدارشناخت

A Digital Stereomicroscopic Study of the Radicular Wall Thickness of Two-Canal Mandibular Incisors

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the radicular wall thickness in mandibular incisors with two canals and find the maximum and minimum thickness to prevent root canal treatment (RCT) procedural errors. Materials and Methods: A total of 160 extracted mandibular incisors were selected and radiographed; out of which, 55 had two canals. Three parallel transverse sections were made in each tooth at 1mm below the cementoenamel junction (CEJ), mid-root and 1 millimeter to the apex. Specimens were evaluated under a stereomicroscope and the thickness of radicular walls in each section was determined for the buccal, lingual and proximal surfaces. Data were statistically analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient test. Results: The thickness of radicular wall decreased from the cervical towards the apex. In all three sections (cervical, mid-root and apical), the thickness of lingual wall was significantly greater than the buccal wall. Also, the thickness of buccal and lingual walls was significantly higher than that of the proximal walls. Conclusion: The lingual radicular wall had the highest thickness in two-canal mandibular incisors. Therefore, in these teeth, the lingual canal is a better choice for post placement. Key words

The correlation between follicular fluid anti-mullerian hormone levels and fertilization and embryo quality in ART cycles

Background: Determination of oocyte and embryo quality are one of the most important goals in IVF. Anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) is secreted by the ovarian granulosa cells into blood flow and follicular fluid. Follicular fluid anti-mullerian hormone level is probably a marker of activity of granulose cells. Objective: To evaluate whether high level of follicular fluid anti-mullerian hormone level is related to success of fertilization and better embryo quality. Materials and Methods: 62 women, whose follicular fluid sample was obtained from a single follicle in each patient, underwent IVF with GnRH-agonist long protocol. Based on oocyte fertilization, the patients were divided into fertilized group (n=42) and non-fertilized group (n=20). FF AMH levels were measured in both groups and the quality of embryos was determined in fertilized group. Results: Median of FF AMH level in fertilized group was higher than that in non-fertilized group (5.7ng/ml v.s. 2.7ng/ml) and a statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups. There was a significant difference between FF AMH level and scores of embryos (p<0.001).The medians levels of FF AMH were 6.7ng/ml in good quality embryos and 3.80ng/ml in fair quality embryos. Conclusion: Our results indicate that FF AMH level has positive correlation with fertilization and embryo quality; therefore, it can be considered as a marker of IVF outcome

Prevalence of COVID-19 Protective Behavior (The Use of Face Mask) Among Pedestrians in the Southwestern Regions of Iran: An Observational Study

Background: Protective behavior is recommended to prevent COVID-19. However, the existing gap is no reliable evidence of protective behavior in southern urban areas in Iran. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of face mask usage and shield use among pedestrians in the Abadan, Khoramshahr, and Shadegan southern cities of Iran.  Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted from June to August 2021 in the southwestern urban population of Iran. In this study, 7 425 pedestrians were selected from 85 neighborhoods. Sampling was conducted using a multi-stage method. The data were collected by observation passers on the street with a checklist and analyzed by SPSS software, version 26 statistical and WINPEPI software. The acceptable significance level was P<0.05. Results: A total of 55.4% of the subjects were men. The prevalence of face mask usage was 3990(53.8%) (95% CI, 52.7%-55%). The correct use of the face mask and shield were (38.5% and 0.4%), respectively. The use of a face mask was higher in men than women (54.3 vs 53%). Pedestrians under 10 years (39.2%) and over 70 years (44.7%) had the lowest use of the mask. The use of face mask was more in the evening and night (58.1% vs 54.3%), and a significant relationship was observed between the use of the face mask and age (P<0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of the use of face mask is relatively low. Therefore, the possibility of controlling the infection may be difficult. Promoting media literacy, emphasizing the perceived benefits of preventative behavior, and setting rules may improve mask use