Oral Verruciform Xanthoma Associated with Chronic Graft-Versus- Host Disease: A Report of Five Cases and a Review of the Literature

Verruciform xanthoma (VX) is an uncommon benign inflammatory mucocutaneous condition that chiefly occurs in the oral cavity. It is often associated with pre-existing epithelial and/or inflammatory disorder and is characterized histopathologically by papillary epithelial hyperplasia and the presence of foamy macrophages in connective tissue papillae. We report of a series of five cases with VX who concurrently had chronic oral graft-versus-host disease following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.     

Schiff base Mn(iii) and Co(ii) complexes coated on Co nanoparticles: an efficient and recyclable magnetic nanocatalyst for H2O2 oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides

In this paper, an effective and selective heterogeneous catalyst was produced by immobilization of manganese and cobalt Schiff base-complexes on Co magnetite nanoparticles (MNP). The catalysts Co@SiO₂[(EtO)₃Si–L³]/M (M = Mn(iii) and Co(ii)) were synthesized using Co@SiO₂ core–shell nanoparticles and amino-functionalized Co@SiO₂. The Schiff base ligand Co@SiO₂[(EtO)₃Si–L³] was synthesized by reacting Co@SiO₂ core–shell nanoparticles with 2-hydroxy 1-naphthaldehyde for the synthesis of Co@SiO₂[(EtO)₃Si–L³]/M. The catalysts were characterized by several techniques, such as FT-IR, TEM, XRD, TGA and VSM. The catalytic activities of the prepared catalysts were studied by oxidation of sulfides to the sulfoxides under different conditions. These catalysts can be easily recovered and reused in at least seven sequential cycles without considerable leaching and loss of reactivity.

In this paper, an effective and selective heterogeneous catalyst was produced by immobilization of manganese and cobalt Schiff base-complexes on Co magnetite nanoparticles (MNP).     

Taurine ameliorates cytotoxic effects of Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate on Leydig cells

It has been revealed that di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) has toxic impacts on the male reproductive system. Taurine (TAU) is an amino acid with antioxidant property and beneficial impacts on the male reproductive system. In this study, protective impacts of Taurine (TAU) on DEHP-induced Leydig TM3 cell toxicity were investigated. The cells exposed to DEHP (0.8 µmol) or TAU (100 mg/ml) for 24 hr. Cell viability (MTT assay), apoptosis, oxidative stress and testosterone level were examined. DEHP could significantly decrease the cell viability percentage, reduce testosterone level, increase apoptosis, elevate Bax/ Bcl-2 ratio and enhance caspase-3 and -9 activity in the TM3 cells. Additionally, DEHP significantly elevated malondialdehyde contents and reactive oxygen species levels. It also augmented superoxide dismutase and catalase activity in the Leydig cells. Co-treatment of DEHP with TAU increased viability and testosterone level, while oxidative stress and apoptosis significantly reduced. TAU could decrease Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 and -9 activity in the DEHP-intoxicated cells. Our results have clearly shown that TAU protects TM3 cells against oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by DEHP.     

Prevalence of traumatic injuries to maxillary permanent teeth in 9‐ to 14‐year‐old school children in Yazd,Iran

Abstract – Aim: Trauma to maxillary anterior teeth is a common reason for emergency room visits among children; therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and related factors of such trauma among 9‐ to 14‐year‐old children in Yazd. Materials and methods: A sample of 1440 schoolchildren aged 9–14 years old, consisting of 720 boys and 720 girls, were randomly selected from 24 schools in Yazd. Ellis classification was used to record the dental injuries. Results: The prevalence found was 27.56%. The occurrence of trauma was significantly higher in male patients; furthermore, most of the dental trauma occurred in children between 9 and 10 years of age (47.38%). The most common type of injury was the ‘enamel only’ fracture; falls being the main cause of trauma. The most affected tooth was the maxillary central incisor Conclusions: The prevalence and most common causal factor of traumatic injuries to the maxillary anterior teeth in schoolchildren living in Yazd was approximately the same as that found in other countries.     

Evaluating the psychometric properties of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) in Iranian earthquake survivors

Positive mental health is a significant dimension of human health that has an important role in promoting well-being. Research in well-being needs reliable and valid scales that measure all aspects of well-being and are available in multiple languages. This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Persian translation of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), a well-validated self-report scale assessing emotional, psychological, and social well-being. In the present study, the Persian translation of the MHC-SF was administered to 600 Iranian adults who survived a series of earthquakes in 2012. Internal consistency of the overall MHC–SF scale was excellent (0.91) and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three-factor structure originally proposed, with these three factors accounting for about 68 percent of variance of the variance. Results suggest that the Persian translation of the MHC-SF has strong psychometric properties and is likely of utility to researchers and practitioners in Iran.     

Radiographic stool quantification: an equivalence study of 484 symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects

Purpose

To determine if symptomatic patients referred for radiographic stool quantification have equivalent stool burden to asymptomatic patients.

Method

This was an IRB-approved HIPAA-compliant retrospective equivalence cohort study. An a priori equivalence power calculation was performed. Consecutive abdominal radiographs performed in adult outpatients with bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or abdominal pain to assess “fecal loading” [n = 242 (fecal cohort)] were compared to those performed in asymptomatic adult outpatients to assess “renal stones” [n = 242 (renal cohort)]. Radiographs were randomized and reviewed by two blinded independent abdominal radiologists. Exclusion criteria, designed to avoid unblinding, included urinary tract calculi ≥ 0.5 cm, multiple urinary tract calculi, and ureteral stent(s). Readers scored all radiographs (n = 484) for stool burden using validated Leech criteria [scale: 0 (none) to 15 (extreme diffuse)]. Mean Leech scores and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Multivariable generalized linear modeling was performed to adjust for baseline medication use, age, and gender. The adjusted parameter estimate was used to test for equivalence in the mean difference between cohorts using Schuirmann’s method of two one-sided t-tests. Inter-reader agreement was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficients.

Results

Overall mean Leech scores for fecal [6.9 (95% CI 6.7, 7.2)] and renal [7.3 (95% CI 7.1, 7.5)] cohorts were equivalent within a margin of 0.75 (adjusted mean difference: − 0.4 [90% CI − 0.7, − 0.04]; p value = 0.02). Inter-reader agreement was good [ICC: 0.62 (95% CI 0.56, 0.68)].

Conclusion

Radiographic stool quantification produces equivalent results in symptomatic and asymptomatic adults and is of uncertain value.

     

The protective role of melatonin in chemotherapy‐induced nephrotoxicity: a systematic review of non-clinical studies

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of melatonin in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nephrotoxicity at the preclinical level.

Areas covered: To illuminate the possible role of melatonin in preventing chemotherapy-related nephrotoxicity, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was followed. A comprehensive search strategy was developed to include PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase electronic databases from their inception to May 2018. Based on a set of prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 non-clinical articles were ultimately included in the study.

Expert opinion: Our findings clearly demonstrate that melatonin has a protective role in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nephrotoxicity which may be caused by different chemotherapy agents such as cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, doxorubicin, methotrexate, oxaliplatin, etoposide, and daunorubicin. On the basis of current review of non-clinical studies, this protective effect of melatonin is attributed to different mechanisms such as reduction of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation. The findings presented in this review are based on non-clinical studies and thus conducting appropriate clinical trials to evaluate the real effectiveness of the concurrent use of chemotherapy agents with melatonin in the cancer patients is necessary.