Imported Malaria in an Iraqi Immigrant to Iran: Relevance for the Maintenance of Elimination Status

Background: Effective malaria control strategies require an accurate understanding of the epidemiology of locally transmitted Plasmodium species. Emerging evidence indicates that migrants from malaria endemic regions are at risk of delayed presentation of Plasmodium spp. and malaria infection.Cases Report: We reported a case of P. vivax malaria occurring after arrival in Iran. Patient was originally from Iraq. A 48-year-old male patient who was hospitalized with fever attacks, chills, and headache after arriving from Iraq to Tehran.Conclusion: In this patient, new prevention and screening strategies should be studied and blood safety policies adapted. Thus, ultimate elimination of malaria in Iran will require national malaria control program to adopt policy and practice aimed at all human species of malaria since neighbor country are still face to problem to control of malaria

Significance of current weather conditions for foliar traits of old-growth sessile oak (Quercus petraea Liebl) trees

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the significance of current weather conditions for foliar traits of adult sessile oak (Quercus petraea), one of the most valuable forest tree species in Central Europe. For this purpose, structural and functional traits were analysed in fully expanded, sun exposed leaves collected in south-west Germany from five old-growth forest stands, representing the meteorological and pedospheric conditions in the growing region, but differing in aridity during the 12 days before harvest in two consecutive years. Across the forest stands, most foliar traits differed significantly between wet and dry weather conditions before harvest as indicated by partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). These traits included fresh weight/dry weight ratio, leaf hydration, leaf-C content, leaf-C/N ratio, structural N, soluble protein-N, total amino acid-N, cell wall composition, numerous specific amino acids as well as soluble sugar content. Structural biomass, δ13C signature, total N and total C as well as H2O2 contents were not affected by the weather before harvest. These results indicate a high plasticity of the foliar metabolism of drought-tolerant sessile oak to current weather conditions. They also suggest that sessile oak is characterized by a high potential to cope with the growth conditions expected as a consequence of future climate change

Cervical Position Sense in Forward Head Posture versus Chronic Neck Pain: A Comparative Study

Introduction: Chronic Neck Pain (CNP) and Forward Head Posture (FHP) are two common musculoskeletal problems of the modern society. Previous studies reported several complications both in CNP and FHP including Joint cervical position sense dysfunction, sensorimotor disturbance, and altered muscle function. However, still, the extent of cervical proprioceptive dysfunction in FHP and CNP is not well known. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the cervical position sense in individuals with FHP and patients with CNP. Method and Materials: A total of 25 individuals with FHP and 25 patients with CNP participated in the present study. Craniovertebral Angle (CVA) was measured to identify individuals with FHP. Participants’ cervical position senses were calculated performing Head Repositioning Error (HRE) test. Also, independent t-test was run to compare the HRE between the two groups. Finally, in order to evaluate the association between pain and CVA with HRE, Spearman correlation was conducted. Results: The results of the present study revealed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of HRE (p=0.02), with higher HRE in patients with CNP. A moderate positive correlation was observed for CVA and HRE. No significant relationship was found between pain and HRE. Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that patients with CNP have higher HRE, indicating more cervical proprioceptive dysfunction in such patients compared with those in individuals with FHP. This finding may be of interest for those researchers investigating the effects of pain and mechanical loads on cervical position sense.Key words: Joint position sense; Forward head posture; Chronic neck pain; Proprioception; Repositioning Erro

Comparative assessment of proliferation and immunomodulatory potential of Hypericum perforatum plant and callus extracts on mesenchymal stem cells derived adipose tissue from multiple sclerosis patients

Background Mesenchymal stem cells-derived adipose tissue (AT-MSCs) are recognized for the treatment of inflammatory diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS). Hypericum perforatum (HP) is an anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical plant with bioactive compounds. Plant tissue culture is a technique to improve desired pharmacological potential. The aim of this study was to compare the anti-inflammatory and proliferative effects of callus with field-growing plant extracts of HP on AT-MSCs derived from MS patients. Materials and methods AT-MSCs were isolated and characterized. HP callus was prepared and exposure to light spectrum (blue, red, blue-red, and control). Total phenols, flavonoids, and hypericin of HP callus and plant extracts were measured. The effects of HP extracts concentrations on proliferation were evaluated by MTT assay. Co-culture of AT-MSCs: PBMCs were challenged by HP plant and callus extracts, and Tregs percentage was assessed by flow cytometry. Results Identification of MSCs was performed. Data showed that blue light could stimulate total phenols, flavonoids, and hypericin. MTT test demonstrated that plant extract in concentrations (0.03, 1.2, 2.5 and 10 mu g/ml) and HP callus extract in 10 mu g/ml significantly increased. Both HP extracts lead to an increase in Tregs percentage in all concentrations. In particular, a comparison between HP plant and callus extracts revealed that Tregs enhanced 3-fold more than control groups in the concentration of 10 mu g/ml callus. Conclusions High concentrations of HP extracts showed effectiveness on AT-MSCs proliferation and immunomodulatory properties with a certain consequence in callus extract. HP extracts may be considered as supplementary treatments for the patients who receiving MSCs transplantation

A systematic review and meta-analysis of pregnancy and COVID-19: Signs and symptoms, laboratory tests, and perinatal outcomes

Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 appeared in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Objective: To investigate the clinical manifestations including signs and symptoms, laboratory results, and perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Scholarly databases such as PubMed via LitCovid hub, Embase, Scopus, Web of sciences, and Google scholar were searched on April 7, 2020. Meta-analysis was performed via comprehensive meta-analysis software using the Mantel-Haenszel method. The event rate with 95% CI was calculated for each variable. Results: Ten studies were selected. The pooled prevalence for fever, post-partum fever, cough, myalgia, fatigue, dyspnea, sore throat, and diarrhea were 66.8%, 37.1%, 35%, 24.6 %, 14.9%, 14.6%, 11.5%, and 7.6%, respectively. Laboratory test results were 49.8% for lymphopenia, 47.7% for leukocytosis, 83.7% for elevated neutrophil ratio, 57% for elevated C-reactive protein, and 71.4% for decreased lymphocyte ratio. The rate of cesarean section for delivery in all cases was 84%. Of the newborns of the corona positive mothers, only one had a positive test result. Also, there was only one death due to a decreased lymphocyte ratio. Conclusion: Fever was the most common sign and symptom in pregnant women with COVID-19. Among the laboratory tests, the highest amount was related to elevated neutrophil ratio. It seems that due to the differences between pregnant women and the general population, special measures should be considered to treat these patients. Key words: COVID-19, Pregnancy, Diagnosis, Signs and symptoms, Meta-analysis

Smirnovia Iranica Whole Herb Extract: Antioxidant, Radical Scavenging, Anti-microbial and Anti-Cancer Effects

In this study, the biological activities of whole herb extract of a medicinal plant named Smirnovia Iranica were investigated. The extraction was performed using Supercritical CO2 and phytochemical compounds, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer effect were determined in the extract. Based on the results, high TPC concentration (120.36 mg GAE/100 g FW) and TFC (17.41 mg quercetin/100g FW) were obtained in the extract. Besides, the extract showed significant antioxidant activity (IC50=53.97 µg mL-1). Moreover, the extract showed a notable inhibitory effect against Escherichia coli (MIC=15.63 mg mL-1) and Salmonella enterica (MIC=31.25 mg mL-1). On the other hand, this extract showed the cytotoxic effect on glioblastoma cancer cell lines in the MTT assay. This is the first, yet comprehensive, scientific report about the chemical composition and pharmacological properties of the extract of Smirnovia Iranica whole herb. According to current results, the Smirnovia Iranica extract has excellent antioxidant properties for application as bioactive components for various objects such as as food supplements. The experiment confirmed the efficacy of the extracts as natural antimicrobials and suggested the possibility of employing them in drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by the test organisms

Detecting early signs of heat and drought stress in Phoenix dactylifera (date palm)

Plants adapt to the environment by either long-term genome evolution or by acclimatization processes where the cellular processes and metabolism of the plant are adjusted within the existing potential in the genome. Here we studied the adaptation strategies in date palm, Phoenix dactylifera, under mild heat, drought and combined heat and drought by transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling. In transcriptomics data, combined heat and drought resembled heat response, whereas in metabolomics data it was more similar to drought. In both conditions, soluble carbohydrates, such as fucose, and glucose derivatives, were increased, suggesting a switch to carbohydrate metabolism and cell wall biogenesis. This result is consistent with the evidence from transcriptomics and cis-motif analysis. In addition, transcriptomics data showed transcriptional activation of genes related to reactive oxygen species in all three conditions (drought, heat, and combined heat and drought), suggesting increased activity of enzymatic antioxidant systems in cytosol, chloroplast and peroxisome. Finally, the genes that were differentially expressed in heat and combined heat and drought stresses were significantly enriched for circadian and diurnal rhythm motifs, suggesting new stress avoidance strategies.Peer reviewe