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Anxiety and depression are some of the most common mental disorders associated with a dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and elevated cortisol levels in the saliva. The aim of this scoping review was to synthesize all of the current information about the relationship between salivary cortisol and depression as well as address some of the shortcomings in prior research to explore its potential applications in diagnosing depression. In late July 2022, records from 2012-2022 were identified using Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. Unique abstracts were screened using the following criteria: (1) depression and saliva; (2) anxiety and saliva; (3) age and salivary cortisol and depression; (4) sex and salivary cortisol and depression. 4,869 records were identified across all three databases; resulting in 90 unique abstracts. 11 articles met all inclusion criteria. On balance, most studies associated the dysregulation of the HPA with depression and anxiety disorders, with a cofactor being the cortisol awakening response. Several studies also presented sex and age-related differences in salivary cortisol measures. However, there were several inconsistencies with some studies showing no age and/or sex-related differences. Furthermore, several studies also emphasized the importance of testing morning salivary cortisol as an effective method to diagnose depression and anxiety disorders. The oral microbiome may play a role in mental health disorders through changes in inflammation and cortisol levels in saliva. Our review contributes to the existing literature on the topic, highlighting gaps and strategizing the next steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this review is to examine various pathological conditions that impact the voice and how these features can be used in their diagnosis. An electronic search of PubMed and Google Scholar was performed for the articles published between January 2000 and July 2022 using the keywords found in the Medical Subject Headings database along with PubMed regarding diseases affecting voice. Our preliminary search result identified 608 articles using the keywords mentioned below. Among those, 12 articles met the inclusion criteria set for this review. Voice analysis can prove to be the missing link in the study and early detection of diseases. Using multiple voice attributes to cross-reference and diagnose conditions has excellent potential to fasten the process and significantly improve the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is life threatening and has a high mortality rate despite applying antiviral treatments in cancer patients. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of OBI in patients undergoing chemotherapy in Iran. Materials & methods: A total of 342 patients undergoing chemotherapy were enrolled. OBI detection in anti-HBc positive individuals was conducted using nested PCR. Results: Among 342 subjects, 103 (30.1%) were positive for anti-HBc. Fifteen (14.6%) cases of 103 anti-HBc positive samples were also positive for HBsAg. Overall, HBV DNA was positive in three (3.4%) of 88 anti-HBc subjects. Conclusion: Our results indicated that OBI might occur in almost one in 25 anti-HBc-positive patients undergoing chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is defined as the lack of detectable HBsAg in serum, despite the presence of intrahepatic viral DNA, and low levels of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). Since the hemodialysis patients are at a greater disadvantage if they are a carrier of Hep B, as it can lead to OBI this study was designed to determine the prevalence of OBI in hemodialysis patients residing in Zanjan, Iran. Methods: We conducted an anti-HBc test (ELISA) on 166 HBsAg negative hemodialysis patient samples. OBI was evaluated using seropositive (anti-HBc and/or anti-HBs) and seronegative (anti-HBc and anti-HBs) using nested PCR. Results: Out of the total hemodialysis patients sampled, the study consisted of 58.4% male and 41.6% female participants. The age of the study group ranged from 58.89±15.49, and had received approximately 28.27±27.43 years of dialysis. Additionally, 5.4% of patients had a history of blood transfusions, while 58.4% were vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Moreover, 23.5% patients were anti-HBc positive, while 76.5% patients tested negative. Lastly, 66.3% of the patients were positive for anti-HBs, whereas 33.7% were negative for anti- HBs. Overall, the study revealed that the prevalence of OBI was 6%, and HBV DNA was detected in 2.1% of individuals who were vaccinated against hepatitis B (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Though no significant difference between the prevalence of OBI to the patients' age, sex, duration of dialysis, or history of blood transfusion was identified, however, a strong correlation between the prevalence of OBI to HBV vaccination was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigated the effect of static and dynamic conditions on the solubility of three en-dodontic sealers: AH Plus (an epoxy-resin-based sealer), Bio-C Sealer (a bioceramic sealer), and EndoSequence BC (a bioceramic sealer)., Methods: Plastic moulds were used to create 150 specimens, which were divided into three groups, with each group being filled with one of the three sealers. After the setting time, the specimens were removed from the moulds, dried, and weighed. Thirty specimens from each group were subdivided into three subgroups and stored in distilled water for 30, 60, or 90 days, while the remaining 20 specimens in each group were subdivid-ed into four subgroups and subjected to 0, 20, 50, or 100 thermocycling cycles. After storage time and thermo-cycling, the specimens were reweighed, and the weight loss and solubility percentage were calculated. The data were analysed using one-way ANOVA, Post Hoc Tukey, and Pearson correlation tests (p<0.05)., Results: The results showed that AH Plus had the lowest solubility, followed by EndoSequence BC and then Bio-C Sealer (p<0.0001). Both static and dynamic conditions had a negative effect on the solubility of all tested sealers, with the effect being more pronounced in bioceramic sealers. The increase in storage days and the number of thermocycling cycles were significantly correlated with the increasing solubility levels of all tested sealers (p<0.0001)., Conclusion: The increased solubility of endodontic sealers may have a negative impact on long-term treat-ment outcomes. Both static and dynamic conditions can affect the solubility of endodontic sealers.

Background: Acute hypoxemia is the main characteristic of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is one of the most critical complications of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Given the dearth of data on acute hypoxemia, we sought to determine its prevalence and risk factors among post-CABG patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on on-pump CABG patients in Tehran Heart Center in 2 consecutive months in 2012. The effects of arterial blood gas variables, age, gender, the duration of the pump and cross-clamping, the ejection fraction, the creatinine level, and the body mass index on the prevalence of hypoxemia at the cutoff points of ARDS and acute lung injury were assessed. Results: Out of a total of 232 patients who remained in the study, 174 (75.0%) cases were male. The mean age was 60.60±9.42 years, and the mean body mass index was 27.15±3.93 kg/m 2 . None of the patients expired during the current admission. The ratio of partial pressure arterial oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO 2 /FiO 2 ) 1 hour after admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), before extubation, and at 4 hours after extubation was less than 300 mmHg in 66.6%, 72.2%, and 86.6% of the patients and less than 200 mmHg in 20.8% 17.7%, and 30.2% of the patients, respectively. Among the different variables, only a heavier weight was associated with a PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio of less than 300 mmHg at 1 hour after ICU admission and at 4 hours after extubation (P=0.001). A rise in the cross-clamp time showed a significant association with the risk of a PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio of less than 200 mmHg at 4 hours after extubation (P=0.014). Conclusion: This study shows that hypoxemia following CABG is very common in the first 48 postoperative hours, although it is a benign and transient event. The high prevalence may affect the accuracy of the ARDS criteria and their positive or negative predictive value., (Copyright © 2015 Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)