Frequency of three common mutations of CARD15/NOD2 gene in Iranian IBD patients.

BACKGROUND: The CARD15/NOD2 gene, located on the pericentromeric region of chromosome 16 (IBD1) has been reported to have an association with IBD, especially Crohn's disease. Three common mutations of CARD15 are variably associated with Crohn's disease in different ethnic groups. We evaluated the frequency of these mutations (R702W, G908R and 1007fsinsC) in Iranian IBD patients and compared it with the healthy control population. METHODS: One hundred patients with ulcerative colitis, 40 patients with Crohn's disease, and 100 sex- and age-matched controls were enrolled from a tertiary center during a one-year period (2005-2006). The three mutations were assessed in DNA of leukocytes by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). RESULTS: The frequency of R702W mutation was significantly higher in Iranian patients with Crohn's disease (p< 0.001; OR 19.21; 95% CI 4.23-87.32) compared to healthy controls. No association was observed between the other mutations and Crohn's disease and none of these mutations was associated with ulcerative colitis. CONCLUSION: The R702W mutation of CARD15 gene was associated with Crohn's disease in the Iranian population.     

Pneumonia in normal and immunocompromised children: an overview and update

Pneumonia is an infection of the lung parenchyma caused by a wide variety of organisms in pediatric patients. The role of imaging is to detect the presence of pneumonia, and determine its location and extent, exclude other thoracic causes of respiratory symptoms, and show complications such as effusion/empyema and suppurative lung changes. The overarching goal of this article is to review cause, role of imaging, imaging techniques, and the spectrum of acute and chronic pneumonias in children. Pneumonia in the neonate and immunocompromised host is also discussed.     

Associations Between Coerced Anal Sex and Psychopathology,Marital Distress and Non-Sexual Violence

BackgroundThere is a dearth of scientific data on anal intercourse in heterosexual relationships. Likewise, anal sex within marital relationships has yet to be fully explored.ObjectivesAmong a representative sample of married women in the Iranian capital, Tehran, we aimed to determine the association of self-reported coerced anal sex with: (i) self-reported coerced vaginal sex; (ii) self-reported non-sexual violence; (iii) psychopathology; and (iv) marital attitude.MethodThe data presented here were obtained from the Family Violence Survey conducted in Tehran in 2007. A total of 230 married Iranian women were selected via a multi-cluster sampling method from four different randomized regions. The subjects' sociodemographic data, psychological distress (Symptom Check List; SCL-90-R), personality, and relationship characteristics (Personal and Relationships Profile), and marital attitude (Marital Attitude Survey) were gathered. In addition, the participants' self-reported histories of lifetime victimization through all types of violence by the husband, including coerced anal and vaginal sex as well as psychological and physical assault (Conflict Tactic Scales-Revised; CTS-2), were collected.ResultsThere were associations between self-reported victimization through coerced anal and vaginal sex (P < 0.001), psychological (P < 0.001), and physical aggression (P < 0.001). Those reporting to have been forced into anal intercourse cited higher rates of paranoid and psychotic features, jealousy, attribution of problems to one's own behavior, conflict, and male dominance, as well as lower expectations of improvement in one's marital relationship.ConclusionIn marital relationships, women are at a higher risk of coerced anal sex if subjected to other types of sexual or non-sexual violence. Higher rates of psychopathology and poorer marital relationships are also allied to self-reported anal sexual coercion. Mohammadkhani P, Khooshabi KS, Forouzan AS, Azadmehr H, Assari S, and Lankarani MM. Associations between coerced anal sex and psychopathology, marital distress and non-sexual violence. J Sex Med 2009;6:1938–1946.     

Correction: Green synthesis of Pd nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide,using the extract of Rosa canina fruit,and their use as recyclable and heterogeneous nanocatalysts for the degradation of dye pollutants in water

Correction for ‘Correction: Green synthesis of Pd nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide, using the extract of Rosa canina fruit, and their use as recyclable and heterogeneous nanocatalysts for the degradation of dye pollutants in water’ by Saba Hemmati et al., RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 22763–22763.

The affiliations in the original article were transposed; the corrected affiliations are as shown below.The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Content for self-care app for patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis: Designing a mobile-based self-care app for patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis

Background and objectivesUsing self-care apps can control CL and its complications, might reduce costs, and improve treatment quality. Considering the role of self-care in patient education and treatment compliance, this study aimed to identify factors affecting self-care skills improvement in CL patients and designing a self-care mobile-based app for CL patients.Materials and methodsThis was a developmental-applied study. First, databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science were searched to obtain data elements related to CL, self-care, and surveillance. Next, a researcher-made questionnaire was prepared for information needs assessment and to determine factors affecting self-care. The questionnaire was completed by 15 dermatologists at the Center for Research & Training in Skin Diseases & Leprosy of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Collected data were then analyzed, and factors affecting self-care skills improvement were determined.FindingsThe participating dermatologists considered most of the data elements listed in the needs assessment questionnaire necessary. The factors determined were User Information, Disease Information, Education, Contact with Physicians, and Useful Links.ConclusionUsing self-care for CL patients’ surveillance can provide grounds for training, prevention, and treatment follow-up, thereby significantly reduce disease complications.     

Blastocystis and Clostridioides difficile:Evidence for a Synergistic Role in Colonization Among IBD Patients with Emphasis on Ulcerative Colitis

Background: Regarding the controversial role of Blastocystis in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) patients, it seems that this protozoan may lead to an overgrowth of some non-beneficial bacteria. The current study aimed to investigate the co-existence of Blastocystis and Clostridioides difficile in IBD patients.Methods: Stool samples of 102 IBD patients were collected and cultivated for C. difficile and Blastocystis. DNA extraction was performed on positive samples and C. difficile and Blastocystis were toxinotyped and subtyped, respectively. Fisher’s exact test and logistic regression were employed to calculate the correlation between the existence of Blastocystis and its subtypes (ST) with C. difficile and its type of toxins. Also, the co-existence of Blastocystis and C. difficile with the frequency of defecations was evaluated. Results: Blastocystis and C. difficile were observed in 17 (16.7%) and 26 (25.5%) of stool samples, respectively. From 26 C. difficile-positive isolates, 24 (92.3%) and 2 (7.7%) were tcdA+/B+ and tcdA+/B-, respectively. Also, 10 (58.8%) and 7 (41.2%) were Blastocystis ST1 and ST3, respectively. Statistically significant correlations between co-existence of Blastocystis and C. difficile and co-existence of these microorganisms and frequency of defecation (P < .035) were seen. There was no statistically significant correlation between subtypes of Blastocystis and colonization of C. difficile or its toxinotypes.Conclusion: The co-existence of Blastocystis and C. difficile in IBD patients was observed in the current study. Moreover, it can be proposed that these microorganisms may have synergistic effects on their colonization in the gastrointestinal tract.Keywords: Blastocystis, Clostridioides difficile, co-existence, inflammatory bowel diseases, ulcerative colitis     

Developed Optimization Algorithms Based on Natural Taxis Behavior of Bacteria

Cognitive Computation - Bio-inspired optimization algorithms are capable of resolving a wide variety of challenges in science and technology, including cognitive science. The principles used by the...     

Primary renal osteosarcoma: A case report and review of literature

Primary renal osteosarcoma is an exceedingly rare tumor with poor prognosis. It tends to spread to distant sites and has a low survival rate. In this report, we present a case of a 43‐year‐old female patient presented with flank pain, gross hematuria, weakness, and weight loss. The patient was diagnosed with primary renal osteogenic sarcoma. This case report aimed to describe the clinical and pathological features, pathogenesis, and treatment modalities of this neoplasm.