Turkish Journal of Orthodontics (Turk J Orthod) is an international, scientific, open access periodical published in accordance with independent, unbiased, and double-blinded peer-review principles. The journal is the official publication of Turkish Orthodontic Society and it is published quarterly on March, June, September and December. Turkish Journal of Orthodontics publishes clinical and experimental studies on on all aspects of orthodontics including craniofacial development and growth, reviews on current topics, case reports, editorial comments and letters to the editor that are prepared in accordance with the ethical guidelines. The journal's publication language is English and the Editorial Board encourages submissions from international authors.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and genotype of Cryptosporidium spp. in different groups of immunocompromised patients admitted to the referral hospitals in center of Iran during 2015–2016. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 346 immunocompromised patients (HIV+/AIDS, Lymphoma, Leukemia and organ transplants) in referred hospitals from central parts of Iran including Isfahan, Markazi, Yazd and Chaharmahale Bakhtiari provinces. Stool samples were analyzed for Cryptosporidium species, modified Ziehl–Neelsen staining techniques followed by the semi-nested PCR and DNA sequencing methods. Results: The total rate of Cryptosporidium spp. was 3.46% (12/346) in the patients, however, the prevalence of the parasite, was 4.6% (4/87) in HIV+/AIDS patients, 3.6% (6/168) in patients with blood malignancy and 2.1% (2/91) in organ transplant recipients. The SSU rRNA gene of Cryptosporidium spp. in all microscopic-positive samples was effectively amplified by the semi-nested PCR and DNA sequences, exposed the existence of two Cryptosporidium species, including C. hominis 91.6% (11/12) and C. parvum 8.3% (1/12). Conclusion: The predominance of C. hominis in the present study may be certifies the importance of anthroponotic transmission of cryptosporidiosis in center of Iran.

Background The problem of resistance to antiparasitic drugs, associated with their side effects, suggest exploring other alternatives, including medicinal plants. Dracocephalum kotschyi (D. kotschyi), for example, from Lamiaceae family, is a plant widely used in Iran and in many countries, and to which interesting pharmacological properties have been attributed. This study aimed to investigate in vitro and in vivo anti-Toxoplasma activities of D. kotschyi extract in experimental models of acute toxoplasmosis. Methods Anti-Toxoplasma activity of the extracts in vitro was performed on Vero Cell, using the MTT test. Vero cell were infected with (3 × 10 5 tachyzoites/well) following treatment with Dichloromethane (F1), dichloromethane: methanol (F2), methanol (F3), methanol: water (F4), and deionized water (F5) extracts of D. kotschyi, and pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine (positive control). MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) was used to measure cell viability. Effects of extracts on tachyzoites viability were evaluated by trypan blue exclusion method, followed by light microscopy. For in vivo test, 18 groups of 8-10-week-old Inbred Balb/c mice weighing 18-20 g, were intraperitoneally infected with 2 × 10 3 tachyzoites and then treated with sterile PBS (negative control), pyrimethamine (25 mg/kg) and sulfadiazine (500 mg/kg) as positive controls, and F1 to F5 extracts (at doses 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg).

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The aim of this study was to assess the micro-hardness of treated enamel with 810 nm and 980 nm diode lasers and to compare it with a conventional bleaching process.A sample of 45 caries-free human premolar teeth were selected. The enamel surfaces were completely polished. The crown portion of each tooth was then sectioned with a diamond disk, at dimensions of 3 × 3 × 3 mm. These sections were embedded in acrylic resin. The initial micro-hardness was determined by Vickers hardness apparatus at a vertical load of 200 g for 15 s. The samples were then randomly assigned to three groups of 15 samples.-Study group 1 (SG1): bleaching with Heydent JW gel and an 810 nm diode.-Study group 2 (SG2): bleaching with Heydent JW gel and a 980 nm diode.-Control group (CG): bleaching with Opalescense Boost.After bleaching, the Vickers micro-hardness was again evaluated. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare the micro-hardness between the groups after bleaching, considering the initial micro-hardness as a covariate. A paired samples t-test was also used to compare micro-hardness before and after bleaching in each group and between groups.There was a significant difference in micro-hardness after bleaching with a laser and without a laser. After bleaching, the Vickers micro-hardness in the CG was significantly higher than in SG1 and SG2. There was no significant difference between SG1 and SG2 after bleaching (p value > 0.05).According to this study, laser irradiation with 810 nm and 980 nm diode lasers during tooth bleaching could cause a significant decrease in enamel micro-hardness.