Biodiversity and Spatial Distribution of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Kurdistan Province, Western Iran.

Background: Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) have always been considered as the vector/s of viral and parasitic diseases. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive survey on the species composition, spatial distribution, and biodiversity indices of mosquitoes in Kurdistan Province, western Iran. Methods: This study was carried out in 10 counties of Kurdistan Province. The immature stages of mosquitoes were collected monthly from June to September. ArcGIS software was used to spatial analysis and create maps. Alpha diversity indices were calculated using the related formula. Results: Totally, 5831 larvae belonging to the family Culicidae were collected. Twelve species were identified including: Anopheles claviger, An. maculipennis s.l, An. superpictus s.l, Culiseta. longiareolata, Cs. subochrea, Culex hortensis, Cx. mimeticus, Cx. perexiguus, Cx. pipiens, Cx. theileri, Cx. modestus and Cx. territans. Based on this analysis, the high-risk areas of the province are determined as Anopheles in the west, Culex in the north, and the Culiseta in the south of the province. Analyzing the Alpha biodiversity indices showed Baneh and Sarabad had the maximum and Bijar had the minimum mosquito biodiversity. Conclusion: The western counties of the province are regarded as the hotspots for anopheline mosquitos. Moreover, reporting of malaria cases in the past, bordering with Iraq and the high traffic of travelers have made these areas as potential foci for malaria transmission. So that, routine entomological inspections are proposed to detect any suspicious vector or case entrance.

Evaluation of Divine Proportions in Face and Smile of Patients With Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: The facial view of patients with cleft lip and palate greatly affects their psychological well-being and usually leads to introspection. The aim of this study was to compare the face and smile of cleft lip and palate patients and normal population with divine proportion. METHOD: In this retrospective study, 20 female patients (14-25 years) with unilateral cleft lip and palate, who referred to Orthodontic Department of Mashhad School of Dentistry, were selected. The control group consisted of 10 normal female persons with ideal face and normal occlusion. After scanning photographs of full face, profile, and smile views of them, the divine proportions were measured by Photoshop software. Then the data were entered into SPSS software version 22 and analyzed using 2 sample independent t test. P value less than 0.05 were considered as significant. RESULTS: In the study group all proportions were significantly less than the golden proportion. Ls-Rcus/Rch-Rcus and Ls-Lcus/Lch-Lcus had the least difference and Sn-Sm/N-Sn and Sn-Sm/Sm-Me had the most. In the control group, all proportions except Ls-Lcus/Lch-Lcus and Ls-Rcus/Rch-Rcus, were less than the golden proportion. Sn-Sm/N-Sn had the most difference and N-Sn/Sm-Me had the least.Approximately all proportions in cleft patients were significantly different from normal population. Ls-Lcus/Lch-Lcus had the highest difference between study and control group; however, Tr-Sn/Tr-Me in both groups were equal. CONCLUSIONS: The differences between facial indices in cleft lip and palate patients, normal people and golden proportion were significant. As facial proportions of normal people in the authors' study were also different from divine proportions, the authors can conclude that to reach acceptable esthetic results, the authors can approximate patients to normal populations. Unfortunately, the patients with large bone defects, cannot reach to the "esthetic" divine proportion even after reconstructive surgery.

Smear Layer Removing Ability of Root Canal Irrigation Solutions: A Review.

AIM: The purpose of this review is to address the smear layer removing the ability of root different canal irrigants including ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), a mixture of tetracycline, acid and detergent (MTAD), tetraclean, citric acid, Q-Mix, maleic acid, and smear clear. BACKGROUND: Smear layer is a layer which is produced during instrumentation. It contains both organic and inorganic materials. It may also contain bacteria and their byproduct considering the root canal situation. This layer may prevent the penetration of the healing material introduced to the canal to the interior of the dentinal tubules. In addition, it can affect the adaptation of sealing materials to the root canal walls. REVIEW RESULTS: The smear layer removal ability of MTAD is superior and faster than EDTA. Tetraclean is similarly composed of an acid, an antibiotic, and a detergent. The presence of doxycycline is believed to help the smear layer removal ability of these irrigants. Antibiotics such as tetracycline had similar smear layer removal ability as even citric acid. EDTA is an amino acid with a chelating ability that sequestrates metal ions. Some believed EDTA smear layer removing ability is better than MTAD, tetraclean, SmearClear, and 20% citric acid which is controversial in case of comparison between MTAD and EDTA. Phosphoric acid is efficient enough to be comparable to EDTA in removing the smear layer. Maleic acid is an organic compound with acid etching smear layer removal. Its ability seems to be similar or even better than EDTA. Citric acid as another organic acid is believed to be used as smear removing agent. HEBP is another chelating agent that can be used in combination with NaOCl; however, HEBP is a weak decalcifying agent compared to EDTA and hence cannot be applied as a mere final rinse. QMiX is a combination of CHX, EDTA, and detergent and should be used at final rinse. It is believed that QMiX is as efficient as EDTA. Smear clear is a 17% EDTA solution including an anionic and cationic (cetrimide) surfactant. The ability of QMiX is similar to EDTA. CONCLUSION: There are different canal irrigation solutions with various smear layer removal ability that some should be used as a mere final rinse and some should not. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The usage of canal irrigation solutions depends on the clinical situation and preference of the dentists. This study provides a good guide for clinician of the field.

The Electrical Activity of Masseter and Anterior Temporal Muscles in Patients With Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate.

This study aimed to determine the electrical activity of masseter and anterior temporal muscles in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (CLP) and compare it with healthy volunteers. The study involved 20 female patients (mean age 20 ±â€Š4 years) with unilateral cleft lip and palate who had undergone lip and palate surgery in childhood and finished the first-phase orthodontic therapy with level and align teeth. Twenty age- and sex-matched volunteers with no cleft lip and palate were involved as controls. Electromyographic (EMG) signals of masseter and anterior temporal muscles were recorded at rest position, during swallowing and during maximum bite force (MBF). EMG signals at different test conditions were compared between the cleft and noncleft sides of CLP patients and between CLP patients and healthy individuals. The EMG potentials of masseter (rest, swallowing, MBF) and temporal (rest, MBF) muscles were significantly higher in the cleft than the noncleft side of CLP patients (P value <0.001). Generally, patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate experienced a significant increase in the electrical activity of the masseter and temporal muscles in both sides compared to the control group (P <0.05). In conclusion, patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate exhibit overall greater masticatory muscle activity compared to healthy individuals. The asymmetric masticatory function in subjects with unilateral cleft lip and palate may be associated with severe consequences such as asymmetric facial growth, implying the importance of early diagnosis and orthodontic treatment to achieve a favorable environment for balanced facial growth in CLP affected patients.

A Review on Triple Antibiotic Paste as a Suitable Material Used in Regenerative Endodontics.

As the root canal system shows different and complicated anatomies, mechanical instrumentation alone has not the ability to provide a bacteria-free environment in root canals. On the other aspect, necrotic tissue remaining can decrease the effects of root canal irrigants and medicaments and also interfere with the adaptation of root canal fillings to dentin. As a result, certain disinfection and irrigation procedures are required to remove the remaining tissues from the root canal area thoroughly and also be able to eliminate the microorganisms. Triple antibiotic paste (TAP) containing metronidazole, ciprofloxacin and minocycline has been proposed as a root canal medicament due to its antimicrobial effects in endodontic regenerative procedures. The purposes of this review were to determine the properties of TAP drugs and to evaluate the efficiency of TAP on the root canal disinfection, in primary and permanent teeth, along with its affection in regeneration/revascularization procedures. The biocompatibility and disadvantages of this medicament were also discussed.

The Fauna and Ecology of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Western Iran.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to obtain new data which would be valuable to develop programs for future planning of mosquito controls in in western Iran. METHODS: Larvae and adult collections were carried out from different habitats using standard dipping and animal baited trap methods during May, June and July 2012 in two provinces (Kurdistan and Kermanshah) in the west of Iran. Characteristics of breeding places were studied based on the habitat type (River edge, Ground pool), water conditions (clear or turbid, stagnant or running), vegetation (With or without vegetation), water temperature, sunlight exposure (full or partial sunlight) and so on. RESULTS: Overall, 4081 third- and fourth-instars larvae and 2013 Adult were collected. Five genera and eleven species of the family Culicidae were identified. Mosquitoes collected in larval and adult stages including, Anopheles maculipennis s.l. (4.1%, 4.42%), An. superpictus (1.35%,1.39%), An. turkhudi (1.75%,1.68%), Aedes vexans (2.5%, 8.78%), Culex hortensis (1.59%, 1.04%), Cx. mimeticus (5%, 2.38%), Cx. pipiens (16.5%, 8.15%), Cx. theileri (10%, 46.4%), Culiseta longiareolata (24%, 4.27%), and Cs. subochrea (24%, 4.27%) and Ochlerotatus caspius s.l. (9.1%, 21.46%). Culiseta longiareolata and Cs. subochrea found predominant species in larval collection, whereas Culex theileri was dominant in Adult collection. Anopheles turkhudi is reported for the first time in Kermanshah Province. CONCLUSION: Due to the geographical location of the two provinces, extensively studies with emphasis on mosquito ecology, to having comprehensive and up to date information is essential.

Development of groundwater quality index.

Assessing the water quality status for special use is the main objective of any water quality monitoring studies. The water quality index (WQI) is a mathematical instrument used to transform large quantities of water quality data into a single number which represents the water quality level. In fact, developing WQI in an area is a fundamental process in the planning of land use and water resources management. In this study, a simple methodology based on multivariate analysis is developed to create a groundwater quality index (GWQI), with the aim of identifying places with best quality for drinking within the Qazvin province, west central of Iran. The methodology is based on the definition of GWQI using average value of eight cation and anion parameters for 163 wells during a 3-year period. The proportion of observed concentrations to the maximum allowable concentration is calculated as normalized value of each parameter in observing wells. Final indices for each well are calculated considering weight of each parameter. In order to assess the groundwater quality of study area, the derived indices are compared with those of well-known mineral waters. Using developed indices, groundwater iso-index map for study area and the map of areas of which the indices are near to mineral waters was drawn. In the case study, the GWQI map reveals that groundwater quality in two areas is extremely near to mineral water quality. Created index map provides a comprehensive picture of easily interpretable for regional decision makers for better planning and management.