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Ingested corrosive substances produce different injuries, ranging from minor gastro esophageal burns to death, depending on the agent type, amount, concentration, and duration of substance exposure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes and different causes of mortality in patients ingesting caustic substances. In a prospective study, between April 1999 and January 2006, a total of 1260 patients with a history of caustic agent ingestion were admitted to Loqman-Hakim hospital emergency ward. Patients who died despite our management were included in this study. Mortality rate was stratified as early (during the primary hospitalization) and delayed (after discharge from the hospital) based on the etiologies. Sixty-two patients died during follow up. Among patients who died, mean arrival time to the hospital was 12 hours from exposure, ranging from 30 minutes to 120 hours. Aspiration and airway obstruction were the leading causes of mortality accounting for 25 patients' death. Twenty-seven of them underwent surgical intervention, among whom 21 deaths occurred after early operations and 6 deaths after delayed reconstructive surgery. In cases of caustic ingestion, early admission and airway protection besides surgical intervention, if indicated, can reduce the mortality rate.

Background: Asphyxia may lead to serious complications, among which acute kidney injury (AKI) is the most common. Early diagnosis of AKI can help prevent impaired acid-base, fluid, and electrolyte balance that may lead to life-threatening complications. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and cystatin-C in the early diagnosis of AKI among asphyxiated neonates. Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 45 asphyxiated neonates, 24 of whom were in the control group and 23 cases were in the case group. Creatinine (Cr), KIM-1, and cystatin-C were measured for participants within 8 h and 4 days after birth and compared between case and control groups. Results: The mean level of Cr-Standardized KIM-1 measured within 8 h and 4 days after birth was significantly higher in the case group, compared to the control group (P-value<0.05). The mean level of Cr-Standardized cysteine, only 4 days after birth, was significantly higher in the case group, compared to the control group (P-value<0.05). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that between the two biomarkers with two measurements, the KIM-1 Cr-Standardized within 4 days had the highest area under the curve (AUC) (0.751, 95% CI: 0.597-0.905). Moreover, the results of ROC curve analysis showed that Cr-Standardized KIM-1 within 4 days after birth with a critical value of >0.67 ng/ml allowed to predict kidney failure in newborns with 57.1¬% sensitivity and 86.4¬% specificity. Conclusion: The findings of the present study show that high-specificity KIM-1 is a good biomarker for the early detection of acute renal failure in asphyxiated infants; however, similar expectations cannot exist with regards to cystatin-C for at least the first 8 h after birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Plaster ingestion forming gastric bezoar is a strange way to attempt suicide and this method has not yet been reported. It may lead to a mechanical obstruction of the gut, especially the pyloric region, and could manifest with abdominal pain, epigastric distress, nausea, vomiting, and fullness. Case presentation Herein we report a case of a 37 year-old woman presenting with plaster ingestion and gastric outlet obstruction, who underwent surgery. At six months follow-up the patient was fully recovered. Conclusion Plaster has no toxic or erosive effects. Endoscopic or surgical removing of such material is recommended. Moreover, psychiatric intervention and management is imperative to prevent recurrence in such cases.

Objective: Synthetic Mobil Crystalline Material 41 (MCM-41) as a mesoporous material and functionalized MCM-41 using aminopropyl groups were studied in order to investigate their ability to encapsulate and to control the release of diclofenac sodium and piroxicam. Materials and Methods: MCM-41 was synthesized through sol-gel procedure and functionalized with aminopropyl groups. The physicochemical properties of MCM-41 were studied through particle size analysis, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and carbon-hydrogen-nitrogen analysis. Diclofenac sodium and piroxicam were loaded into the MCM-41 matrix using the filtration and solvent evaporation methods. The drug-loading capacity was determined by ultraviolet, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis. Results: According to the results for pure drug release, >57% was released in the 1st h, but when these drugs were loaded into pure Mobil Crystalline Material 41 (MCM.41) and functionalized MCM.41, the release into the simulated gastrointestinal medium was less, continuous, and slower. The release of piroxicam from functionalized MCM.41 was slower than that from MCM.41 in the simulated intestinal medium because of the formation of electrostatic bonds between piroxicam and the aminopropyl groups of the functionalized MCM.41. However, in the case of diclofenac sodium, there was no significant difference between pure MCM.41 and functionalized MCM.41. The difference between piroxicam and diclofenac sodium was due to the high solubility of diclofenac sodium in the intestinal medium (pH 6.8), which caused more rapid release from the matrixes than for piroxicam. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that, after functionalization of MCM-41, it could offer a good means of delivering controlled diclofenac sodium and piroxicam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A convenient one pot synthesis of two novel compounds including a stable phosphorus ylide and an imidazole from electron-poor acetylenes in fairly good yields by the condensation of triphenylphosphine and acetylene derivatives, in the presence of dimethyl thiourea from the 1:1:1 addition reactions is described. The structures of the synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and elemental analysis. The newly synthesized compounds were screened for antimicrobial on Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus sublitis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and antifungal activities on Candida albicans, patient isolate Candida glabrata and Candida krusei. The results showed that these compounds have activity against all the tested bacteria and fungi with a sufficient minimum inhibitory concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Task-specific ionic liquid, [bmim]N3 was used as an effective catalyst and reaction medium for the direct oxidative esterification of arylaldehydes with alcohols. The oxidative esterification reaction of a variety of arylaldehydes took place smoothly with some primary and secondary alcohols in [bmim]N3. Satisfactory results were obtained with arylaldehydes containing electron withdrawing groups. Tertiary alcohols did not react under these conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Anthropometric facial analysis and quantitative measurements are useful methods for diagnosis, as well as planning in plastic surgery. The literature is replete with numerous related studies, few of which are about the Iranian population. This study was conducted to determine the average facial proportions of Iranians and compare it with that of Caucasians. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenient sample of 212 Iranians (male=108, female=104) aged 18-30 years who did not have any previous major facial surgery or trauma and their past two generations were Iranian. Measurements between facial landmarks were determined and compared with Caucasians with Student and one sample t-tests (P<0.05, 95% CI). Results: The intercanthal (en-en) and eye widths (ex-en/R), forehead height 2 (tr-n), trichion-endocanthion (tr-en) and nasofacial and nasofrontal angles were not significantly different between the participating men and women but other facial measurements were significantly different (?<0.05). The head (ft-ft), eye (ex-en/R/L) and nose widths (al-al) and upper face height (n-sto), nasofrontal angle and nasal tip protrusion in the study population were not significantly different from Caucasians. The upper lip (sn-sto), lower face (sn-gn) and forehead heights (tr-n) and nasofacial angle of the female participants were not significantly different from Caucasian women but other facial measurements were significantly different (?<0.05). Conclusion: Most facial anthropometric measurements of Iranian subjects were significantly different from those of Caucasians. More precise studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to reach a common conclusion on the facial anthropometric similarities or differences between the two populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]