Traumatic Cataract; A Narrative Review

A traumatic cataract is a known consequence of both closed and open-eye injuries and can present as an early or a late sequel of the traumatic event. A variety of etiologies, including penetrating injuries, eye contusion, chemical burns, electric sparks, radiation, infrared, and or ultraviolet (UV) beam exposure, may lead to traumatic cataracts in different settings such as occupations, sports, entertainment ,and iatrogenic causes. The reduced transparency of the injured crystalline lens manifest with various patterns in the examination. Diagnosis of the traumatic cataract is often made by slit lamp biomicroscopy but would be more challenging in the presence of coexisting corneal haziness, hyphema, posterior synechia, anterior segment inflammation or fibrin reaction, in comparison with a routine cataract. In terms of management, the timing and the process of the surgical intervention should be tailored for each patient

Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in Elderly People

The number of elderlies in the world is increasing and healthy aging has become a salient issue. A health threatening factor quite prevalent among the elderlies is dysphagia. Dysphagia causes severe complications and may have negative effects on the functional ability of patients; therefore, it is known as a geriatric syndrome. Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a difficulty or an inability of forming the bolus in the mouth and safely moving it from the mouth to the esophagus. It is also interrelated to other health problems such as malnutrition and oral health. Dysphagia, malnutrition and oral health disorders are likely to cause life-threatening aspiration pneumonia in patients. As a geriatric syndrome, dysphagia should be diagnosed and managed by a multidisciplinary team of professionals. Beside health care professionals, other groups such as policymakers, researchers and scientists, industries, health funders, and the society can have their own unique role to improve the quality of care for the elderlies suffering from dysphagia

Dodatak prirodnih tanina kao alternativa formaldehidu u urea-formaldehidnim i melamin-formaldehidnim ljepilima u proizvodnji MDF ploča

The aim of this study was to evaluate some mechanical and physical properties of medium density fiberboards (MDF) made from different adhesive types. Five panel types were made from mixtures of tannin (T) to urea formaldehyde (UF) and tannin to melamine formaldehyde (MF), TUF10%, TUF20%, MF, TMF10% and TMF20%, respectively. Besides, the effect of press temperatures (170 and 180 °C) on the curing of the formulations was studied. Some mechanical properties (modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity and internal bond strength), physical properties (thickness swelling and water absorption) and formaldehyde emission of the resulting panels were determined. The incorporation of tannin decreases the formaldehyde emission of the panels. However, flexural properties and internal bond strength decreased with increasing tannin ratio. The results indicated that panels can be manufactured using tannin up to 10 % in UF resin without falling below the minimum EN Standard requirements of mechanical properties for general purpose MDF panels.Cilj rada bio je procijeniti određena mehanička i fizikalna svojstva ploča vlaknatica srednje gustoće (MDF ploča) proizvedenih primjenom različitih vrsta ljepila. Pet vrsta ploča proizvedeno je uz primjenu smjese tanina (T) i urea-formaldehidne smole (UF) te tanina i melamin-formaldehidne smole (MF) u različitim omjerima, označenih kao TUF10%, TUF20%, MF, TMF10% i TMF20%. Osim toga, proučavan je utjecaj temperature prešanja (170 i 180 °C) na otvrdnjavanje tako dobivenih smjesa ljepila. Upoznata su i neka mehanička svojstva proizvedenih MDF ploča (modul loma, modul elastičnosti i čvrstoća raslojavanja), njihova fizikalna svojstva (bubrenje u debljinu i upijanje vode) te emisija formaldehida. Uz dodatak tanina proizvedene ploče imaju manju emisiju formaldehida. Međutim, čvrstoća na savijanje i čvrstoća raslojavanja tih ploča smanjuju se s povećanjem udjela tanina u ljepilu. Rezultati su pokazali da ploče mogu biti proizvedene s ljepilima u kojima je urea-formaldehidnim smolama dodano do 10 % tanina a da ploče i dalje udovoljavaju minimalnim EN standardnim zahtjevima mehaničkih svojstava za MDF ploče opće namjene

Evaluation of Serum Interleukin-6 Levels in the Renal Transplant Recipients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Case-Control Studies

AIM: The purpose of this meta-analysis was the assessment of the serum IL-6 levels in the renal transplant recipients compared to the healthy controls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched up to July 2018 without language restriction. The quality of studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). A continuous random-effects meta-analysis was used by RevMan 5.3 using the mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Also, a regression model was done by Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2 (CMA v2). RESULTS: Out of 615 studies identified in the databases, 15 studies included and analysed in the meta-analysis. The studies were reported from 1994 to 2018. The meta-analysis included 1035 renal transplant recipients and 682 healthy controls. The pooled MD of the serum IL-6 levels in the transplant recipients compared to the healthy controls was 3.25 pg/mL [95%CI: 2.17, 4.32; P < 0.00001; I2 = 98% (P < 0.00001)]. Meta-regression analysis showed that one of the reasons of heterogeneity is the year of publication (Correlation coefficient (r) = 0.208, p-value = 0.00002). CONCLUSION: An elevated serum IL-6 level in the renal transplant recipients compared to the healthy controls showed that the serum level of this marker could be used for the evaluation of inflammation in ESRD patients undergoing renal transplantation

Vitamin D deficiency prevalence in summer compared to winter in a city with high humidity and a sultry climate

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is high in winter because of reduced exposure to sunlight. It seems that in places with high humidity and a sultry climate, exposure to sunlight in summer can be low too. This study was designed to determine the vitamin D deficiency prevalence in Sari, a city with a high humidity climate at the end of summer, and compare it to winter. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on men and women aged 10 to 70. Clustered blood samples were received from 351 subjects who participated in this study toward the end of summer, and in winter. The levels of serum vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase and PTH were measured. T test and X2 were used for data analysis. Results: 351subjects (66.4% women, 33.6% men) aged 11 to 69 (mean age &#177; SD 37.11 &#177; 12.6) participated in the study. The mean 25-(OH) D concentration in summer was 13.41 &#177; 13, and in winter it was 11.7 &#177; 11, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.02). The prevalence of 25-OHvitamin D deficiency was 87.5% (307) in winter and 78.6% (276) in summer (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study shows that although in this area with a high humidity climate, seasonal variation of vitamin D is statistically significant, the prevalence of Vitamin D insufficiency is as high in summer as in winter. (Pol J Endocrinol 2011; 62 (3): 249&#8211;251)Background: Vitamin D deficiency is high in winter because of reduced exposure to sunlight. It seems that in places with high humidity and a sultry climate, exposure to sunlight in summer can be low too. This study was designed to determine the vitamin D deficiency prevalence in Sari, a city with a high humidity climate at the end of summer, and compare it to winter. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on men and women aged 10 to 70. Clustered blood samples were received from 351 subjects who participated in this study toward the end of summer, and in winter. The levels of serum vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase and PTH were measured. T test and X2 were used for data analysis. Results: 351subjects (66.4% women, 33.6% men) aged 11 to 69 (mean age &#177; SD 37.11 &#177; 12.6) participated in the study. The mean 25-(OH) D concentration in summer was 13.41 &#177; 13, and in winter it was 11.7 &#177; 11, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.02). The prevalence of 25-OHvitamin D deficiency was 87.5% (307) in winter and 78.6% (276) in summer (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study shows that although in this area with a high humidity climate, seasonal variation of vitamin D is statistically significant, the prevalence of Vitamin D insufficiency is as high in summer as in winter. (Pol J Endocrinol 2011; 62 (3): 249&#8211;251

The frequency of HBeAg and relation with serum level of aminotransferase in chronic hepatitis B

زمینه و هدف: ویروس هپاتیت B (HBV) شایع ترین علت بیماری کبدی حاد و مزمن در جهان به شمار می رود. در افراد ناقل HBV می بایست وضعیت تکثیر ویروسی با استفاده از مارکرهای مناسب از جمله HbeAg مورد بررسی قرار گیرد تا در صورت مثبت بودن و همچنین بالا بودن آنزیم های کبدی افراد مبتلا به هپاتیت مزمن شناسایی شده و سپس تحت درمان قرار گیرند. لذا این مطالعه با هدف تعیین فراوانی مارکر HBeAg و ارتباط آن با سطح ترانس آمینازهای کبدی در افراد HBsAg مثبت انجام گرفت. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی – تحلیلی 144 فرد آلوده به ویروس هپاتیت B در مراجعین به بیمارستان امام رضا(ع) شهر مشهد در سال 1385 انتخاب و سپس در سرم این افراد، HBeAg و آنزیم های کبدی با روش الایزا و تست های بیوشیمیایی اندازه گیری شدند. داده ها با استفاده از آزمون های آماری من ویتنی و کای دو تجزیه و تحلیل شد. یافته ها: فراوانی افراد 94 نفر مذکر و 50 نفر مونث بود. این افراد در محدوده سنی 85-2 با میانگین 3/2±4/37 سال قرار داشتند. 18 (26 نفر) دارای HBeAg در سرم بودند. میانگین آنزیم آسپارتات آمینو ترانسفراز (AST) در گروه HBeAg مثبت IU/L 83 و در گروه HBeAg منفی IU/L 2/56 بود (01/0

Evaluation of salivary glucose levels among children with early childhood caries compared to children with healthy teeth

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The present study was carried out with the aim to evaluate the salivary glucose levels among children with early childhood caries (ECC) compared to a group of healthy children without any caries and help control ECC. METHODS: 55 children with an age range of 5-6 years were selected from some kindergartens. Then the subjects were divided into two groups of with ECC & without ECC as test and control groups, respectively, then they referred to the Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. The salivary samples were collected from the subjects at 8 to 9 in the morning and sent to the laboratory to determine the salivary glucose levels. Data were analyzed using t-test with a significance level of P < 0.05. RESULTS: The mean salivary glucose level among girls and boys with ECC were 0.11 ± 0.06 and 0.15 ± 0.12 mmol/l, respectively, with 0.11 ± 0.07 for girls and 0.13 ± 0.05 mmol/l for boys in the control group. There was no significant difference between ECC and control groups in terms of the salivary glucose levels (P = 0.61). CONCLUSION: The present study showed no significant difference in the salivary glucose levels among children with ECC and the control subjects. KEYWORDS: Dental Caries; Saliva; Glucose; Childre

Keys to Unlock the Enigma of Ocular Toxocariasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Purpose: Ocular toxocariasis (OT) is a zoonotic infection caused by larval stages of Toxocara canis and T. cati. The current review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the global prevalence of OT. Methods: Five English (PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) databases were explored and 101 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results: The pooled prevalence (95% confidence interval) of OT was higher in immunological studies (9%. 6–12%) than in studies that applied ophthalmic examination (1%. 1–2%). The lower middle-income level countries had the highest prevalence (6%. 2–12%) as well as the African region (10%. 7–13%). The highest infection rate (4%. 2–7%) was detected in the 1–25 mean age group. Conclusion: Regular anthelminthic treatment of cats and dogs, and removal of animal feces from public places must be considered. KEYWORDS Toxocariasis; ocular larva migrans; public health; humans; zoonose

The Isaac Newton Telescope Monitoring Survey of Local Group Dwarf Galaxies. VI. The Star Formation History and Dust Production in Andromeda IX

We present a photometric study of the resolved stellar populations in Andromeda IX (And IX), the closest satellite to M31, a metal-poor and low-mass dwarf spheroidal galaxy. We estimate a distance modulus of $24.56^{+0.05}_{-0.15}$ mag based on the tip of the red giant branch. By probing the variability of asymptotic giant branch stars, we study the star formation history of And IX. We identified 50 long-period variables (LPVs) in And IX using the Isaac Newton Telescope in two filters, the Sloan $i'$ and Harris $V$. In this study, we selected LPVs within two half-light radii with amplitudes in the range of 0.2–2.20 mag. It is found that the peak of star formation reaches ${\sim}8.2 {\pm} 3.1 {\times} 10{^-4}M_{\odot} yr^{-1}$ at ≈6 Gyr ago. Our findings suggest an outside-in galaxy formation scenario for And IX with a quenching occurring $3.65^{+1.52}_{-0.13}$ Gyr ago with a star formation rate (SFR) in the order of $2.0 {\times} 10^{-4}M_{\odot} yr^{-1}$ at redshift <0.5. We calculate the total stellar mass by integrating the SFR within two half-light radii ${\sim}3.0 {\times} 10^{5}M_{\odot}$. By employing spectral energy distribution fitting for the observed LPVs in And IX, we evaluate a mass-loss rate in the range of $10^{-7} ≤ M ≤ 10^{-5} M_{\odot} yr^{-1}$. Finally, we show that the total mass deposition to the interstellar medium (ISM) is ${\sim}2.4 {\times} 10^{-4} M_{\odot} yr^{-1}$ from the C- and O-rich types of dust-enshrouded LPVs. The ratio of the total mass returned to the ISM by LPVs to the total stellar mass is ${\sim}8.0 {\times} 10^{-10} yr^{-1}$, and so at this rate it would take ∼1 Gyr to reproduce this galaxy

National, sub-national, and risk-attributed burden of thyroid cancer in Iran from 1990 to 2019

An updated exploration of the burden of thyroid cancer across a country is always required for making correct decisions. The objective of this study is to present the thyroid cancer burden and attributed burden to the high Body Mass Index (BMI) in Iran at national and sub-national levels from 1990 to 2019. The data was obtained from the GBD 2019 study estimates. To explain the pattern of changes in incidence from 1990 to 2019, decomposition analysis was conducted. Besides, the attribution of high BMI in the thyroid cancer DALYs and deaths were obtained. The age-standardized incidence rate of thyroid cancer was 1.57 (95% UI: 1.33–1.86) in 1990 and increased 131% (53–191) until 2019. The age-standardized prevalence rate of thyroid cancer was 30.19 (18.75–34.55) in 2019 which increased 164% (77–246) from 11.44 (9.38–13.85) in 1990. In 2019, the death rate, and Disability-adjusted life years of thyroid cancer was 0.49 (0.36–0.53), and 13.16 (8.93–14.62), respectively. These numbers also increased since 1990. The DALYs and deaths attributable to high BMI was 1.91 (0.95–3.11) and 0.07 (0.04–0.11), respectively. The thyroid cancer burden and high BMI attributed burden has increased from 1990 to 2019 in Iran. This study and similar studies’ results can be used for accurate resource allocation for efficient management and all potential risks’ modification for thyroid cancer with a cost-conscious view