[Prevalence of Mandibulur Retromolar Canal on Cone Beam Computed Tomography Scans]

Background. and Aim: The retromolar canal is an anatomical structure of the mandible and a type of bifid inferior alveolar canal. The retromolar canal might conduct accessory innervation to the mandibular molars or contain an aberrant buccal nerve; thus, this canal is of clinical significance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevaleirce of retromolar canal on cone-beam computed tomography [CBCT] scans.

Materiols and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 151 retromolar canalsin 102 patients [102 unilateral and 49 bilateral] with third molar teethrequiring CBCT were evaluated. The scans were evaluated for presence of the retromolar canal and linear measurements [distance to second molar, height and width] were made. The data were analyzedby independent t-test and chi square test.

Resultsz The prevalence of retromolar canal was 7 .3% [n=11].With regard to linear measurements, the mean distance from the retromolar canal to the second molar was 12.76 +/- 4.3mm. The mean height of the canal was 6.66 +/- 2.18mm, and the'mean width was 1.7 +/- 0.6mm. The presence of retromolar canal was not statistically correlated withsex, side of the jaw or age [P:0.146].

Conclusion: The prevalence of retromolar canal on CBCT scans was 7.3%.

Evaluation of antibacterial activity and flavonoid content of two capparis species from Iran

Background: Due to multiple drug resistance against antimicrobial drugs for treatment of infectious disease, investigations to discovering new antibacterial compounds from natural sources have been designated

Objective: According to antimicrobial effects of some Capparis species, this study was carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the extract and fractions of Capparis cartilaginea and Capparis mucronifolia against 6 bacterial strains

Methods: Aerial parts of the Capparis species were extracted by maceration method using methanol and fractionated separately by liquid-liquid fractionation method. The antibacterial activity of the extract and fractions were studied against 6 bacterial strains using MIC microplate method. Total flavonoid content [TFC] of the extracts and fractions was determined using AlCl[3] reagent

Results: The total extract and methanolic fractions of C. mucronifolia were the most effective fractions against the bacterial strains. Methanolic fraction of C. cartilaginea was the most effective fraction with MIC 10.42 microg/ml against Salmonella enterica. The highest antibacterial activity of C.mucronifolia was against Staphylococcus epidermidis with MIC 7.8 microg/ml. Methanolic fractions of Capparis species showed the highest TFC value in AlCl[3] colorimetric assay

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the extracts and fractions of Capparis cartilaginea and Capparis mucronifolia have antimicrobial effect against 6 gram positive and gram negative strains. According to the high amount of flavonoids in methanolic fraction of C. mucronifolia, the antibacterial activity may be related to the flavonoid compounds of this plant

mutagenic and antimutagenic activity of Lavandula angustifolia and Elettaria cardamomum essential oils in the bacterial reverse mutation assay

Essential oils from Elettaria cordamomum [cardamom oil] and Lavandula angustifolia [Lavender oil] are used a lot in food and Drug Industry. Cardamom oil traditionally used as spice in food now is increasingly used as diuretic, sedative and for gastrointestinal disease. Lavender oil, traditionally used as an antiseptic agent, is now widely used as a relaxant, carminative, and sedative in aromatherapy. They both are used as flavouring additives in food and medical industry. It's very important to know their mutagenic potential. Meanwhile, the growth of cancer disease and insufficient chemical treatments are among main reasons for the antimutagenic effect of essential oils to be assessed. In this study we investigated the mutagenic and antimutagenic activities of cardamom oil and lavender oil by the bacterial reverse mutation assay in salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains with and without S9 [microsomal mutagenesis assay] for 7 dilutions of each essential oils. The mutagenicity effects were not seen in all dilutions of each essential oils, and antimutagenicity effect was seen in 0.40 and more concentration [mg/plate] of Elettaria cordamomum by the bacterial reverse mutation assay in salmonella typhimurium TA98 strains without S9. Assessment of genotoxic potential and identification of mutagenic components of essential oils has been considered widely after their increasing consumption rate, in order to investigate possible new activities of herbal essential oils like antimutagnic effect possibly leading to new and safer products. Although the antimutagenic activity of lavender oil is an interesting finding, further studies are required to identify the components responsible for its antimutagenic action

[Comparative study on anti-Helicobacter pylori effects of licorice roots collected from different regions of Iran]

Helicobacter pylori infection is common in gastrointestinal tract and lead to gastritis, peptic ulcer and finally stomach cancer. Many synthetic drugs are used to eradicate the bacteria but there are some problems in treatment due to drug resistance and frequent relapses of infection. Herbal drugs are very important in the case. Glycyrrhiza glabra is used for treatment of H. pylori infection. This plant grows in different regions of Iran, therefore, investigation of anti H. pylori effects of the plant collected from different growing area is important. The aim of this study is determination of MIC of licorice roots collected from different regions of Iran against H. pylori in order to introduce the best growing area of the plant. Roots of the plant were collected from Kerman, Kermanshah, Sirjan, Sarhadd [Fars province], Istahban [Fars province], Ghasredasht [Fars province], Najaf Abad [Isfahan province], Ganjnameh [Hamedan province], Ekbatan [Hamedan province], Mahabad, Khorram Abad and Ardabil and extracted by using ethanol 80%. MIC of each extract was determined against three clinical isolated strains of H. pylori which obtained during endoscopy procedure. The results showed that susceptibilities of three clinical isolated bacteria to the licorice extracts are different. Among the studied extracts, licorice roots collected from Ardabil showed the lowest MIC [at least: 125 ppm] and all strains were almost resistant to the extract from Mahabad. It is concluded that drug resistance is observed in herbals just like synthetic drugs. Moreover, in order to achieve best therapeutic results, before using an herbal preparation for treatment a disorder, growing area of a medicinal herb should be considered

[Treatment of symptomatic Freiberg's disease by resection arthroplasty]

Freiberg's disease is osteochondrosis or a vascular necrosis of metatarsal head. In many cases treatment is no operative. In patients who fail no operative treatment, surgical treatment may be offered. In this article, we studied surgical treatment with resection arthroplasty of metatarsophalyngeal joint in patients with unsuccessful no operative treatment. Resection arthroplasties of metatarsophalyngeal joint were performed in 16 patients with Freiberg's disease and unsuccessful no operative treatment between 2001 and 2007. In all patients, second metatarsophalyngeal joint involved. The average of follow up was 34 months [12-56]. There were 12 female [75%] and 4 male [25%] patients with an average age of 25 years [range 18-40]. There were excellent outcome in 12 [75%], good in 2 [12.5%] and moderate in 2 [12.5%] cases. Surgical treatment with metatarsophalyngeal joint resection arthroplasty has very good result in patients with Freiberg's disease that conservative treatments have failed

Characterization of specific IgE antibody related to antigen 5 of echinococcus granulosus

Anaphylactic reactions, such as urticaria, edema, respiratory symptoms, and anaphylactic shock often complicate the course of Cystic Echinococcosis [CE]. To investigate the role of the IgE immunoreactive antigen 5 [Ag 5] in the sero-positive patients with CE, we determined N-terminal of 57 kDa subunit of Ag5 responsible for IgE and C-terminal of this active antigen related to induction of IgG specifically. Immunoblotting analysis showed that specific IgE to 57-kDa subunit related to inter-chain disulphide band of two 22 kDa and 38-kDa component of Ag5 and conformational epitope on this subunits. In addition, since the 57 kDa component arise from the removal of the C-terminal portion of 22 kDa subunit of Ag5, thus IgE specifically recognized N-terminal of 22 kDa subunit which remain bounds to the other component, whereas IgG reacted with C-terminal of 38 kDa component of Ag5. Recognition of the specific binding site on the 57 kDa subunit of Ag5 could leads to understanding the mechanism regulating IgE/IgG production in some immune circumstances that IgE tends to some dominate, whereas in other IgG predominates

[Affluence line estimation for Iranian households]

The paper proposes a simple methodology to estimate an affluence line for Iran. There is a reasonable volume of studies about poor and their characteristics, but little is known about rich. In this regard, one can refer to Marcelo Medeiors who estimated an affluence line for the Brazil in 1999, utilizing the data from the household expenditure and income survey. The idea that poverty is morally unacceptable and can be eradicated through redistribution of wealth provides the grounds for the methodology. Therefore the line is defined as the value that delimitates the aggregated income required to eradicate poverty by the way of transfers from the rich to the poor. Nonetheless, income transfer to the poor are not a permanent solution to the problem of poverty. A real policy has to take many other aspects of the dynamics of an economy into the consideration. Rather, the affluence line methodology aims at defining a statistical tool to allow studies that can contribute to more effective design of redistributionist measures. This kind of line requires the construction of a redistribution rule. To do this, first, one has to presume that, for all individual, the well-being resulted from the addition of an extra amount of any resources decreases as the owned amount of this resource increases. Since it is for poor individual, the transfer an additional income unit is able to provide a higher well-being than it would for rich individual. As a result of this, it is determined that the transfers for the elimination of poverty should occur from the richest individual to the poorest one. The input from Statistical Center of Iran Rural and Urban household expenditure and income survey, provide necessary data for various studies in measuring both poverty and affluence line. This study also takes advantages of raw data from the same project. The period under the study in this paper, covers the years between 1380 and 1383. The poverty line in this study is absolute, based on the 2300 calories, which has been calculated and applied using data on Household expenditure and income survey. To calculate the affluence line, the data on household total expenditure[1] have been used. Since the mentioned statistical data is for the household, so for estimating the affluence line for the household members, provided that all the household members enjoy the same level of welfare, the household total expenditure, divided on its members, will be per head and then the related calculation in following four phase have been accomplished: a] Measuring poverty gap [Gp] b] Measuring wealth differences for each of the population members c] Determining the number of affluent people in the population d] Measuring the affluence line [Zr] Based on the results, in the 1383 on urban areas the affluence line for each individual by month has been about 816 thousand Tomans and the absolute poverty line [2300 calories] about 39 thousand Tomans, and on the rural areas the affluence line for each individual by month has been about 485 thousand Tomans and absolute poverty line [2300 calories] about 19 thousand Tomans, which shows the wide gap between the earning of poor and affluent people. Outcomes based on the calculation of affluence line shows that the number of affluent people [needed for compensation of people below poverty line] in rural areas from 87 thousand in 1380 has been reached to 49 thousand in 1383, while the number of poor people in this period has been reduced. On the contrary, on the urban areas the number of affluent people from 79 thousand has been reached to 173 thousand. The figures illustrate that during the period the poverty alleviation policies have been more effective in rural areas than that of urban. The trend of reducing the poverty rate attesting the very matter, that is to say in rural areas the poverty rate in 1380 has been reduced from 11.5% to 8.6% in 1383, while in urban areas it increases from 10% to 12.4%

Measurement of poverty intensity in Iran applying Sen-Shorrocks Thon[SST] index

SST Index is an appropriate instrument to measure the poverty the poverty intensity. This index can measure the poverty intensity considering number of the poor people and depth of poverty and inequality among them and allows us to decompose poverty into three aspects. Is there an increase in the number of the poor

Characterization of a monoclonal antiody specific for the parasite surface antigen-2 of leishmanie major

The Leishmania major Parasite surface Antigen-2 [PSA-2] is a family of glycoinositol phospholipids anchored glycoprotoins expressed in both promastigotes and amastigotes. Promastigote PSA-2 comprises three polypeptides with approximate molecular weight of 96, 80 and 50 kDa. Amastigote express a distinct but closely PSA-2 polypeptide with molecular weight of 50 kDa. In this study fusion of SP2/0 myeloma cells with immunized mice spleenocytes infected with promastigotes of L. major intraperitoneally resulted to a clone of hybridoma producing a specific antibody that only reacts with L. major parasite surface antigen [PSA-2]. This mAb showed no crossreactivity with either other Leishmania species including L. tropica, L. donovani and L. infantum or recombinant gp63. Western blot analysis of culture supernatant revealed multiple b and s with molecular weight of 50, 58, 80 and 96 kDa only in L. major