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Antibacterial activity of chitosan-based nanohybrid membranes against drug-resistant bacterial isolates from burn wound infections
No full textBiocompatible and non-toxic properties of chitosan make it a candidate with excellent application prospects in developing wound dressing conjugate compounds. Six different chitosan-based nanohybrid membranes were evaluated against multidrug-resistant bacterial isolates. Different combinations of chitosan, ciprofloxacin (CIP), biofunctionalized montmorillonite (MMT), and montmorillonite with sulfate chains (SMMT) were provided, and their antibacterial activity was assessed using the colony count method. Totally, 27 drug-resistant isolates, including 6x methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 7 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, 4 Acinetobacterbaumannii, and 10 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were identified from burn wound infections. Chitosan and montmorillonite did not show significant antibacterial effect (p > 0.05), but chitosan/SMMT/CIP was the most effective nanocomposite (p < 0.01). Chitosan-based nanocomposites with ciprofloxacin could effectively reduce the susceptibility of drug-resistant bacterial isolates. Bacterial targeting using nanosystems provides an opportunity for effective antibiotic treatment by improving antibacterial efficacy
The effect of Atorvastatin on chronic subdural hematoma status: A systematic review of drug therapy
No full textAtorvastatin (ATO) with its chemical formula of (C33H35FN2O5) is one of the cholesterol-lowering drugs that can also reduce hematoma volume (HV). Considering the importance of pharmacological treatments in improving the patient condition, the aim of this study was to evaluate the ATO effect on chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) status. In this systematic review (SR) study, all articles about the ATO effect on CSDH status were entered into a study, without time constraints, by two authors who were professional in SR articles. In the initial search, 176 articles were found, of which 73 articles were deleted due to duplicate records, and after further review and removal of unrelated articles, this number reduced to 11 articles, and systematic review data was reported with 11 articles. In all articles, radiological clinical findings were used to diagnose hematoma. In most of the reviewed articles, atorvastatin was effective in reducing subdural hemorrhage. The articles ranged from 2014 to 2021, the total sample size was 1278 patients and the follow-up period varied from 2 months to 4 years. Concerning the ATO effect in reducing HV status in CSDH patients, it is recommended to prescribe this drug to improve HV levels
Proposed Pathway Linking Respiratory Infections with Depression
No full textDepression is one of the most important causes of disability and loss of useful life of people around the world. Acute respiratory infection caused a large number of severe illnesses and deaths of the world and most of these due to viral infections, which is estimated more than 80 of respiratory infections. Detection of viruses by immune pathogen recognition receptors activates the intracellular signaling cascade and eventually cause produces interferons. Inflammatory process begins with secretion of interferons and the expression of interferon-stimulated genes. One of the most important of these genes is indoleamine-pyrrole 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), which plays a major role in tryptophan catabolism. IDO is an intracellular monomeric enzyme that is also responsible for breaking down and consuming tryptophan in the Kynurenine pathway. Increased inflammation has been linked to decrease tryptophan concentrations and increase kynurenine levels. We tried to explain the role of inflammation by viral respiratory infections in causing depression
Evaluation of dose enhancement effect of bismuth oxide nanoparticles by means of MAGAT and nPAG gel dosimeters
No full textDose enhancement factor (DEF) in the presence of heavy nanoparticles in tumors can be evaluated by irradiation of gel dosimeters impregnated with nanoparticles (NPs); however, an important issue is whether all gel dosimeters are suitable to evaluate this factor. In this study, we evaluated MAGAT and nPAG for measuring DEF of bismuth oxide nanoparticles. Results revealed that DEF decreased for gels combined with nanoparticles compared to pure gel (without nanoparticles). Hence, it can be concluded that the characteristics of nanoparticles and the components of the gel can significantly influence the possibility of using a gel dosimeter to evaluate DEF
Antibacterial activity of recently approved antibiotics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains: A systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textBackground Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are considered an important public health problem, and treatment options are limited. Accordingly, in this meta-analysis, we analyzed published studies to survey in vitro activity of recently approved antibiotics against MRSA isolates. Methods We searched electronic databases; PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify relevant studies (until November 30, 2020) that have focused on the in vitro activity of telavancin, dalbavancin, oritavancin, and tedizolid against MRSA isolates. Statistical analyses were conducted using STATA software (version 14.0). Results Thirty-eight studies were included in this meta-analysis. Overall in vitro activity of tedizolid on 12,204 MRSA isolates was 0.250 and 0.5 mu g/mL for MIC50 and MIC90, (minimum inhibitory concentration at which 50 and 90 of isolates were inhibited, respectively), respectively. The overall antibacterial activity of dalbavancin on 28539 MRSA isolates was 0.060 and 0.120 mu g/mL for MIC50 and MIC90, respectively. The overall antibacterial activity of oritavancin on 420 MRSA isolates was 0.045 and 0.120 mu g/mL for MIC50 and MIC90, respectively. The overall antibacterial activity of telavancin on 7353 MRSA isolates was 0.032 and 0.060 mu g/mL for MIC50 and MIC90, respectively. The pooled prevalence of tedizolid, telavancin, and dalbavancin susceptibility was 100 (95 CI: 100-100). Conclusion Telavancin, dalbavancin, oritavancin, and tedizolid had potent in vitro activity against MRSA isolates. The low MICs and high susceptibility rates of these antibiotics recommend a hopeful direction to introduce useful antibiotics in treating MRSA infections in the future
Detection of efflux pump genes conferring multidrug resistance in clinical isolates of Acinetobacter Baumannii in Tehran province
No full textObjective: Acinetobacter baumannii is among the most common bacterial agents causing nosocomial infections in the world. In recent years, the antibiotic resistance of A. baumannii strains has shown an increasing trend, which may be resulted from the activity of efflux pumps. This study was carried out to determine the efflux pump genes associated with MDR in clinical isolates of A. baumannii in Tehran province. Methods: In this study, 200 clinical samples were collected, and were identified through standard biochemical tests. Then, for the selected antibiotics, the antibacterial susceptibility patterns were determined using disk diffusion method with and without inhibitors of efflux pumps of add adeH, adeB, adeG, adeF, and adeS that were determined by employing PCR according to the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI 2020) guideline. Results: A total of 60 clinical isolates of A. baumannii were identified and later confirmed by the detection of blaOXA-51-like and 16S rRNA genes. The findings of this study show that 98.37 of A. baumannii isolates were 100 resistant against piperacillin, meropenem, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, ceftazidime, and ciprofloxaci n. In addition, 100 of all A. baumannii isolates possessed AdeFBJ, 95 adeH, 80 adeS, and 76.7 adeG efflux pumps. Conclusion: The majority of A. baumannii isolates had antibiotic efflux pumps, and more than 73 of A. baumannii isolates were indicated to be resistant to the target antibiotics, indicating the significant role of efflux pumps in the development of resistance against these antibiotics. Copyright (C) 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved
The influence of an education program on students' environmental responsibility in developing countries: evidence from Iran
No full textThe aim of this interventional study was to investigate the effect of an education program on students' responsibility to the environmental issues in Ilam, Iran. A total of 330 girls' students (11-15 years old) were selected from 2 secondary schools. The participants were divided into two equal groups of control and intervention. The educational program for the intervention group was held in 5 sessions of 30 minutes during 4 consecutive weeks. Three questionnaires and a checklist were used to monitor the education effectiveness. The results showed that the parent's education and father's job were associated with the students' knowledge. Also, the students' environmental behavior had a significant inverse relationship with their school level and family income. The findings of the checklist evaluation indicated that the students in the intervention group felt more responsible than the control group for saving water and heating energy and proper waste management (recycling and disposal) of the school's environment. Given the effect of the program on the knowledge, attitude and behavior, there is an urgent need for environmental education in schools. This goal can be achieved in the form of extracurricular activities, lesson plan, television, Internet and various virtual media. Certainly, by promoting students' environmental knowledge and beliefs, some of the environmental concerns in developing countries can be reduced
Global and Regional Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy; A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
No full textPurpose We conducted a systematic search to estimate DR prevalence in different age and gender groups, and to evaluate the determinants of heterogeneity in its prevalence. Methods A systematic and comprehensive search from inception to August 10, 2020, was done in international databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and other data sources without any restriction to find cross-sectional studies related to the prevalence of DR. Results Of 6399 studies, 90 articles with a sample size of 563460 individuals and 204189 diabetic patients were analyzed. The estimated pooled prevalence of DR in the diabetic population in general; in female and in male was 28.41 (95 CI: 25.98 to 30.84); 25.93 (95 CI: 23.54 to 28.31) and 28.95 (95 CI: 26.57 to 31.32); respectively and the prevalence of DR showed no inter-gender difference. The heterogeneity of the pooled prevalence according to I-2 was 99 (p < .001). According to the meta-regression results, the variables of WHO region (Coefficient of AMRO vs SEARO: 15.56; p: 0.002), age (Coefficient of above 60 years vs below 40 year: 18.67; p: 0.001), type of DR (Coefficient: 19.01; p < .001), and publication year (Coefficient: -0.60; p: 0.001) had a significant correlation with heterogeneity. Conclusion One third of diabetic patients suffered from DR, mostly NPDR. DR increased markedly after the age of 60 years, which could be due to the longer duration of diabetes. Age, WHO region, type of DR, and publication year affected the heterogeneity in the prevalence of DR
Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes and its Related Risk Factors in Women Referring to Health Centers in Ilam – 2022
No full textIntroduction: Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic diseases, which complicates many pregnancies. The present study investigated the prevalence of gestational diabetes and its related risk factors. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted from April 2021 to March 2022, all pregnant women referred to the health centers of Ilam city, who had performed the OGTT test during the 24th-28th weeks of pregnancy, were included in the study. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire addressing demographic characteristics, medical records, and pregnancy and childbirth records. Data were analyzed with SPSS software version 19 using frequency, mean, T-test, chi-square tests, Fisher's exact, and logistic regression. In this study, the significance level was set as p<0.05. Results: Of 638 pregnant women, 589 (90.4) had no diabetes, and 60 (9.6) had gestational diabetes with a prevalence of 9.6. Gestational diabetes was more common in multiparous women aged above 30 years and overweight in early pregnancy (p=0.001). Age, level of education, body mass index, and economic status had a statistically significant relationship with gestational diabetes (p=0.001). History of stillbirth, history of abortion, macrosomia, history of diabetes in family, prediabetes status and previous gestational diabetes, and hypothyroidism were the possible risk factors for gestational diabetes (p=0.001). Urinary tract infections and blood pressure disorders were more common in those with diabetes (p=0.001). Conclusion: Because gestational diabetes was more common in multiparous women aged above 30 years and overweight in early pregnancy, timely counseling and education for this pregnant group can effectively reduce the risk of developing gestational diabetes. © 2022, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences. All rights reserved
The association between iron deficiency anemia and febrile seizure
No full textObjective: Different studies have reported contradictory results regarding the relationship between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and febrile seizure (FS). The present study was conducted to determine the effect of IDA on FS in children. Patients and methods: This case-control study was conducted among 52 children with FS (the case group) and 18 children with afebrile seizures and 51 children with fever without seizures in the age range of 6 months to 5 years admitted to the pediatric ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam from March 2016 to January 2017. Patients were selected using the convenience sampling method. Red blood cell (RBC) count as well as measurement of hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), ferritin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) levels were performed in all patients. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS16 software. Results: A total of 34.6 in the FS group, 66.7 in the afebrile seizure group and 41.2 in the fever without seizure group suffered from IDA, which was not statistically significant between the three groups. Hb, Hct and RBC levels were higher in the case group and MCV, MCH, MCHC levels in the case group were lower than those in the control group. The odds ratio (OR) for FS compared to the febrile group was 0.756 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.34-1.68; p = 0.493 and that for FS compared to seizure was 0.265 (95% CI = 0.085-0.823; p = 0.022). Conclusions: This study showed that IDA may have protective effects on the onset of FS, and based on the results, IDA is more common in children with afebrile seizures. Further and more comprehensive studies are recommended. © 2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston