hamidreza mahmoudi

The most prevalent form of leishmaniasis is cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), which manifests as a single ulcerative or nodular lesion that usually heals on its own. The aims of this study were to investigate the histopathologic and clinical features of CL patients.

This cross-sectional study was accomplished on 70 CL patients that referred to Razi dermatology hospital in Iran, over a five-year period from 2016 to 2020. Included patients were those who were diagnosed clinically suspected patients whom their disease was confirmed through histopathology examination.

The age of patients ranged from 2 to 76 years with a mean of 42.26 ± 20.86 years. The majority of patients were men (54.3%). The plaque form lesions were the most frequent type (64.3%). Respecting lesion site, face, and upper limbs were more frequent with the abundances of 47.1% and 34.3%, respectively. All of the patients had evidence of cellulitis on ultrasound. The most prevalent change of epidermis was hyperkeratosis (42.8%). Regarding dermal histopathologic changes, infiltration of lymphocytes (61.4%), plasma cells (58.6%), and histiocytes (48.6%), as well as granuloma formation (54.3%) and leishman body presence (54.3%) were the dominant changes. Some patients had atypical forms of CL as six of them had lupoid cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) and five had sporotrichoid cutaneous leishmaniasis (SCL).

In this study, men and those who were in middle age were more susceptible to be infected, so it suggests considering them particularly in the preventive programs. Moreover, histopathological findings of CL, including LCL and SCL, are presented. These findings may be beneficial for dermatologists and dermatopathologists to differentiate them from other cutaneous diseases.

Pilomatricoma is a benign skin adnexal neoplasm. Various histological features are observed on microscopic examination. We aimed to evaluate this tumor’s demographic and histological features in detail. One hundred cases with a diagnosis of pilomatricoma were selected, and demographic and clinical data were entered into a checklist. The pathology slides were reviewed to confirm the diagnosis. The demographic profile of all patients, including age and gender, primary clinical impression, multiplicity of the tumor, microscopic features, and location of tumoral involvement, were extracted. Qualitative data were summarized using frequencies and percentages. Regarding descriptive analysis, the frequency of each histopathologic feature was calculated. Two groups of patients were identified regarding age. This tumor was more common in males among adult patients, while a female preponderance was seen in those under 18. Most lesions were located on the face (40%), followed by upper (32%) and lower (10%) limbs. In addition to well-known histological features, we observed intraepidermal pilomatricoma in two cases presenting unique histopathologic features. Both showed foci of suprabasal cleft formation, while one showed the Borst-Jadassohn phenomenon. These features, in addition to sebaceous differentiation and acantholysis of ghost cells, were not addressed in previous literature. Understanding the diverse and new histological features of pilomatricoma is necessary for differentiating it from other adnexal and soft tissue tumors.

In this research, a framework for optimizing the oil condensate supply chain is designed using mathematical programming and simulation. Based on this framework, investment and operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions for oil and gas transmission lines can be minimized to meet pressure and transmission network needs. We can also minimize the production of pollutants in the related parts of the chain. By applying a real case study, all possible decisions are taken into account to consider the environmental aspects of the supply chain. Therefore, the structure and decisions of the supply chain are generally based on two objective functions, including the reduction of transportation and maintenance costs and pollution in treatment plants and distribution centers. The results showed that using the proposed model reduces costs by 31% and greenhouse gas emissions by 51%. There will also be an 8% increase in the capacity of fields and refineries and a 65% increase in exports. Using the results obtained from solving the model, it is possible to determine the share of each oil product in the total price and each part of the chain in the production of greenhouse gases. According to the results, oil is the most expensive and oils are the least expensive. In addition, refineries have the most impact and storage tanks have the least impact on environmental pollution.

Considering the high global incidence of skin cancer and the high mortality rate caused by melanoma, it is important to identify the genes involved in this disease and predict effective drugs. Therefore, in this study, we have identified and investigated the expression level of effective and key genes in melanoma metastasis, as well as investigating their diagnostic potential as biological markers and finding effective drugs on the expression of these genes.

In this study, we have used 46 cancer samples without metastasis and 12 cancer samples with metastasis from the GEO database and from the GSE15605 study with 74 samples including 16 normal samples. Gene expression profile in this study was generated by GPL570 platform containing 54675 probes. The latest GPL570 annotation file has been downloaded and initial processing was done.
 Results

The results showed that the expression level of candidate genes in metastasis samples had a significant change compared to normal samples. The results of analysing the data related to candidate genes in this study indicated that the drugs Glucosamine, Ad-E2F-1 plus Doxorubicn, GSI, Torcetrapib, Ribavirin and NSC319726 could be effective on the expression of MYH10, SPRR3 and TOP2A genes, respectively. On the other hand, the results from the drug bank database revealed that various drugs such as Amsacrine, Dexrazoxane, Valrubicin, Teniposide can have an inhibitory role on the TOP2A gene.
 Conclusion

GEO database was used to identify key genes in melanoma metastasis and DRUGBANK was used to identify drugs that affect the expression of these genes.

Vitiligo is the most common cause of skin depigmentation, which relates to a wide range of psychological disorders. Stigma is defined as a negative attitude towards oneself that results from one's perception of being different from the general population. In this study, we have evaluated the quality of life and stigmatization degree among vitiligo patients. In this cross-sectional study, 323 patients with vitiligo referred to Razi Hospital, Tehran, Iran, were evaluated. All patients were asked to fill out a questionnaire containing age, gender, marital status, educational level, employment status, duration of vitiligo, location of lesions, history of underlying diseases, history of previous treatments, as well as history of depression or suicide. Quality of life and stigmatization among patients were assessed by DLQI (dermatology life quality index) and FSQ (feeling stigmatization questionnaire) questionnaires. The prevalence of moderate and severe stigmatization were 49.8 % and 13.3%, respectively. Women were significantly more stigmatized than men. The presence of vitiligo lesions on the face, hands, or forearms, previous topical and oral treatments, and prior depressive disorders were significantly associated with an increased sense of stigma. Patients with thigh or trunk lesions faced less stigmatization. Additionally, stigmatization was meaningfully related to the level of quality of life impairment. In the present study, 63% of patients with vitiligo experienced moderate to severe stigmatization levels related to gender, lesion site, history of prior treatments, and depression. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between the level of stigma sensation and the life quality disturbance.

Lichen planopilaris (LPP) is the most common form of immune-mediated scarring alopecia. We evaluated the histopathologic features of LPP in vertical sections of scalp biopsies and compared findings between the scarring and nonscarring phases of the disease. From June 2019 to June 2020, vertically sectioned scalp biopsies of 70 new cases of LPP were examined (H&E) according to North American Hair Research Society criteria. Furthermore, patients were divided into two groups based on either the presence or the absence of vertical fibrous bands, and other histopathological features were compared between these two groups. Characteristic findings of LPP were perifollicular lymphocytic infiltration (97.1%), follicular interface degeneration (60%), and perifollicular plasmacytic infiltration (21.4%). Vacuolar degeneration in the dermo-epidermal junction (38.6%), perifollicular lamellar fibroplasia (67.1%), loss of sebaceous glands (87.1%), perifollicular cleft formation (28.6%), and vertical fibrous tracts (65.7%) were also found. Furthermore, we found a significant correlation between the presence of fibrous tracts with both loss of sebaceous glands (P = 0.005) and the presence of lamellar fibroplasia (P = 0.015). The most common findings in the histopathological examination of LPP slides are perifollicular lymphocytic infiltration and loss of the sebaceous glands. Furthermore, sebaceous gland loss and perifollicular lamellar fibroplasia correlate with the scarring phase of LPP.

In this paper, a framework for optimizing the oil condensate supply chain is modeled using mathematical planning to design and make strategic and tactical decisions. According to this framework, investment and operating costs for oil and gas transmission lines can be minimized to meet the pressure requirements and the transmission network. Also, we can minimize the production of pollutants in the chain-related sectors. In the case under study, all possible decisions are considered to consider the environmental aspects of the supply chain. Therefore, the structure and decisions of the supply chain are generally based on two objective functions, including reducing transmission and maintenance costs and pollution in treatment plants and distribution centers. The proposed model is 95% reliable, which is acceptable reliability, and can estimate goals with only 5% error. Using the proposed model will reduce costs by 31% and emissions by 51%. Also, there will be an 8% increase in the capacity of fields and refineries and an increase in exports by 65%. Using the results obtained from solving the model, we can determine the share of each petroleum product in the cost and each part of the chain in the production of greenhouse gases. According to the results, fuel oil has the highest and oils the lowest. In addition, refineries have the greatest impact, and storage tanks have the least impact on environmental pollution.

Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. There is conflicting data on the link between LP and metabolic syndrome. This study evaluated the association of chronic subtypes of LP, namely oral lichen planus and lichen planopilaris (LPP), with metabolic syndrome. In this cross-sectional study, 66 patients with oral and follicular LP were evaluated for metabolic syndrome based on the US National Cholesterol Education Programme Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria and were compared against 66 healthy controls. Waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and lipid profile were measured for each individual. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (13 [19.7%] vs. 8 [12.1%]; P = 0.23) and dyslipidemia (51 [77.3%] vs. 49 [74.2%]; P = 0.68) between the study groups. These findings remained statistically insignificant in both genders. The waist circumference (P = 0.008) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (P = 0.02) were significantly higher in the LP group than the healthy individuals. Our data showed that each unit increment in waist circumference and DBP leads to a 4.1% (P = 0.02) and 4.7% (P = 0.03) increase in the chance of LP,respectively. Patients with oral LP and LPP do not have a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome or dyslipidemia than healthy individuals. However, they are more vulnerable to central obesity and high diastolic pressure, for which they should be routinely screened.

Acquired Hemophilia (AHA) is a relatively rare disease that occurs in patients with no previous family history of hemophilia. The spontaneous development of autoantibodies (IgG1 and IgG4) against factor VIII has been reported as the most probable cause of AHA. AHA has been reported in association with other conditions, including some autoimmune bullous skin diseases, such as bullous pemphigoid, pemphigus vulgaris, and pemphigus foliaceous. To the best of our knowledge, only 21 cases of AHA with skin autoimmune bullous diseases have been reported so far. Herein, we report a 63-year-old male with a previous history of pemphigus vulgaris who developed large ecchymotic areas on his lower abdomen and forearms after the second infusion of rituximab. Based on coagulation factors evaluation, he was diagnosed with AHA. Treatment with factor VII led to the improvement in his coagulation status, but unfortunately, he passed away because of inferior wall myocardial infarction four days later.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin malignancy. Hyperthermia is used as adjuvant therapy together with radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of some cancers. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of thermotherapy in the treatment of BCCs.
This pilot trial was carried out on five patients with nodular or superficial BCCs on the scalp and face.Thermotherapy was done at 50° C for a duration of 30 seconds with a radiofrequency device (Thermomed 1.8 thermosurgery technologies). Thermotherapy treatment was applied only in one session. The first follow-up was one week after the procedure and then every month for six months. The last follow-up was one year after the procedure.
All patients showed clearance of the tumors. Blisters, ulcers, crusts, and necrosis were the side effects, which healed with acceptable degrees of scarring. No recurrence was observed at the end of the study.
Thermotherapy was safe and efficacious for the treatment of BCCs on the scalp and face. It should be considered especially for the low-risk subtypes of this cancer.

Roll motion is one of the most important and dangerous motions of the ship and can even result in capsizing of the vessel. Therefore, its control has been always of interest for marine industry researchers. Among the various methods and equipment for controlling the roll motion, the use of free surface anti-roll tanks has been one of the most important methods and which used in many cases due to its simplicity in construction and design. The high efficiency of these tanks at all speeds and even without speed is another strength of these tanks. This study investigates the effect of the free surface anti-roll tank on the roll motion numerically and experimentally. In the numerical simulation, a CFD sloshing solver, based on the “Open source Field Operation And Manipulation”, known in short as Open-FOAM, and assuming 2D laminar flow conditions, is customized to calculate the sloshing loads from the tank. The predicted roll damping and moments due to the anti-roll tank are validated against experimental results. This simulator could be used as a sloshing simulator to couple with seakeeping solvers.

AbstractRituximab (RTX), as a B cell-depleting agent, is indicated in treating several malignancies and autoimmune diseases. The management of patients currently receiving RTX and patients starting the medication raised concerns in the pandemic era. Theoretically, suppressing the immune response at the beginning of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) enhances viral replication, but it prevents acute respiratory distress syndrome as the disease progresses. This review aims to investigate the results of RTX administration in patients during the pandemic era. There is insufficient evidence to definitively conclude on the safety of RTX during the pandemic. For this purpose, high-quality controlled cohort studies, as well as registry-based studies, would be helpful.

Most skin cancers are treatable in the early stages; thus, an early and rapid diagnosis can be very important to save patients’ lives. Today, with artificial intelligence, early detection of cancer in the initial stages is possible.

In this descriptive-analytical study, a computerized diagnostic system based on image processing techniques was presented, which is much more helpful for the patient. In this method, dermoscopic images of actinic keratosis and squamous cell carcinoma were improved by preprocessing techniques and the potential noises were removed. Then, segmentation was performed using the thresholding method to separate the lesion from the underlying skin. Thereafter, from the segmented area, texture, shape, and color information and features were extracted. Finally, the feature reduction method and support vector machine (SVM) were used to evaluate the proposed method qualitatively and quantitatively.

The data in this study included 100 samples of actinic keratosis images and 100 samples of squamous cell carcinoma. The results of the present study showed that using the genetic algorithm method together with the support vector machine method could help identify the type of skin cancer with 99.7 ± 0.4% accuracy.

The effect of different tissue features in diagnosing the type of lesion showed an increase in the amount and variety of features extracted from the samples would lead to better training and more accurate analysis of the system.

Bullous Pemphigoid is a chronic immunobullous disease, characterized by subepidermal bulla on the skin and mucosa. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the clinicoepidemiological features of bullous pemphigoid in Iranian patients. In this retrospective descriptive study, we reviewed 82 bullous pemphigoid patients within 2014-2016. The mean age of the patients was 67.13 years (range between 25 and 97) including 32(39.1%) males and 50(60.9%) females. Mucosal involvement was positive in 33(40.2%) of the patients, and oral mucosa was most commonly involved. Head and neck area were involved in 43 (52.4%) of the patients. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of bullous pemphigoid are different in different regions of the world.

An 18-year-old boy with type 1 diabetes mellitus, presented to our dermatology clinic with a 3-year history of enlarging asymptomatic plaques on his legs, dorsum of hands and his abdomen. On physical examination two atrophic, yellowish plaques on left leg, one larger plaque on left ankle, an erythematous atrophic plaque on left hand and a smaller annular lesion on the abdomen were observed that had telangiectasias in the center and also peripheral elevated erythematous papules. The patient’s diabetes was well-controlled and he did not show any sign of retinopathy, neuropathy or nephropathy. The patient was treated with topical tacrolimus 0.1% and intralesional steroid in the margin.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy on psychological well-being and self-esteem in adolescents with depression.
The research method was a controlled randomized trial with a two-month follow-up period. The statistical population of this study was adolescents with depression disorder in Isfahan city in the academic year of 2011-2012. By a multi-stage random cluster sampling , 30 adolescents with depression disorder were picked and randomly assigned into one control group (15 adolescents) and one test group (15 depressed teenagers). The test group received positive psychotherapy intervention for 2 months and a half (10 sessions), while the control group received no intervention during the study. In this study, data collection tools were psychological well-being questionnaire, self-esteem questionnaire, and depression questionnaire. Data were analyzed using repeated measure ANOVA.
The results of the data analysis indicated that mean scores of psychological well-being and self-esteem in adolescents with depression disorder in district 2, in Isfahan were significantly increased by positive psychiatric intervention in post-test and follow-up stages (P-value Based on the findings of this study, it is suggested that a positive psychotherapy treatment method be used to improve psychological well-being and self-esteem in adolescents with depression disorder.