The effects of silver nanoparticles on antimicrobial activity of ProRoot mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and calcium enriched mixture (CEM)

Background: Although, mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and new experimental cement (CEM) are good root filling cements, but had no or low antimicrobial activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of addition of silver nanoparticles (SNP) to these two cements on antimicrobial effects against five most dental infection related microorganisms. Material and Methods: Two suspensions of 100 and 200 ppm of SNP were prepared and 180 μl of microbial suspension with 1.5 × 10 8 CFU/ml of each respected microorganisms were re-suspended in deionized water or each of SNP suspensions. After that, 60 μg of MTA and CEM were added to each tube. In one tube, the mixture of all above mentioned microorganisms were added as a source of microorganism. Colonies were counted after 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours intervals of incubation at 35°C on blood agar for evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy. Results: MTA and CEM had antibacterial activities on all microorganisms’ strains except for Enterococcus faecalis and mixture group. MTA had better antibacterial activity than CEM but the difference was not significant ( p >0.05). The combination of SNP with two cements resulted in significantly higher antimicrobial activities ( p <0.05). Also, there was no statistically significant difference between two SNP concentrations ( p >0.05). Conclusions: Mixture of MTA and CEM with different concentrations of SNP significantly increased the antibacterial activit

Helicobacter pyloriisolated from Iranian drinking water:vacA,cagA,iceA,oipAandbabA2genotype status and antimicrobial resistance properties

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka om blivande förskollärare utbildas i konflikthantering, hur denna utbildning formuleras samt om genus problematiserats i relation till konflikthanteringsundervisningen. Detta genom att granska utbildningsplaner, kursplaner och kurslitteratur från fem universitet i Sverige som erbjuder en förskollärarutbildning. De frågeställningar studien hade som utgångspunkt var i vilken utsträckning konflikthantering förekommer i förskollärarutbildningen, hur innehållet i dessa kurser presenteras och om genusproblematiserats i relation till konflikthantering. Resultatet av studien visade att fyra av fem granskade universitet erbjöd en kurs i konflikthantering inom förskollärarutbildningen och presenterar konflikthantering som ett område inom den utbildningsvetenskapliga kärnan, vilken upptar 60 högskolepoäng (hp). Konflikthanteringen upptar enligt min granskning 7,5-10 hp av en förskollärares totala 210hp. Inom dessa kurser ingår moment av genus, men det framgick inte vilken relation genus hade till kurernas övriga innehåll. Hur konflikteruppkommer skulle enligt kursplanerna bl.a bearbetas i relation till normer, makt och diskriminering. Både kurslitteratur och förhållningssätt gick att härleda till teorin om alternativ konfliktlösning, där den subjektiva uppfattningen är i fokus. Genus benämndesenbart som enskilt moment i den kursplan som presenterades från Linnéuniversitetet. Övriga universitet lyfte uttryckligen inte genus och granskning av kurslitteratur visade att det enbart var Umeå universitets bok med genusperspektiv som integrerat genus och konflikthantering. En slutats som dras i studien var att den separation mellan fokus på konflikt och fokus pågenus i de granskade kurserna kunde tänkas lämna ett ansvar till varje enskild lärarstudent att reflektera kring hur dessa två områden påverkar varandra. Detta gör att den blivande förskollärarens förmåga att betrakta konflikter ur ett genusperspektiv blir styrande i huruvida pojkar och flickor bemöts på ett likvärdigt vis i konfliktsituationer

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from Iranian restaurant food samples: Panton-Valentine Leukocidin, SCCmec phenotypes and antimicrobial resistance

Purpose: To assess the distribution of Panton-Valentine Leukocidin, SCCmec types and antimicrobial resistance pattern of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from restaurant food.Methods: Five-hundred and eighty food samples were collected and directly transported to the laboratory. Samples were cultured and S. aureus strains were confirmed using biochemical tests. MRSA strains were determined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based amplification of mecA and femA genes. MRSA strains were then subjected to disk diffusion methods.Results: One-hundred and nineteen out of 580 samples (20.51 %) were positive for S. aureus. Eightythree out of 119 S. aureus (69.74 %) were methicillin-resistant. Thirty-nine out of 83 MRSA samples (46.98 %) harbored PVL gene. Cooked chicken (37 %) had the highest prevalence of S. aureus. Marked seasonality was observed for the prevalence of bacteria. MRSA strains exhibited high resistance against penicillin G (100 %), tetracycline (92.77 %), oxacillin (83.13 %) and azithromycin (71.08 %). All MRSA bacteria were resistant to at least 2 antibiotics (100 %). TetK (80.72 %), linA (67.46 %), aadA1 (62.65 %), and msrA (55.42 %) were the most frequently identified resistance genes. SCCmec V (57.83%), SCCmec Iva (55.42 %) and SCCmec IVb (30.12 %) were the most frequent.Conclusion: Based on the high prevalence of resistant MRSA strains and also high consumption rate of restaurant foods in Iran, it is essential to exercise control over the hygienic conditions of restaurant foods to minimize MRSA strains.Keywords: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Antibiotic resistance, SCCmec types, Panton-Valentine Leukocidin, Restaurant foo

COVID-19 in rheumatoid arthritis cases: an Iranian referral center experience

Coronavirus infections, known as COVID-19, can induce a fatal respiratory system infection and also affect other organs, such as the kidney and heart. The mortality rate has been estimated between 1 and 5 in previous reports; however, the mortality and morbidity can be higher in patients with the immune-deficiency condition. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most rheumatoid disorders, and it is important to report their clinical and paraclinical data when affected with COVID-19. Evidence about their laboratory and radiologic findings is limited. In this case series, 10 cases of chronic and approved rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affected by COVID-19 are presented. Only 40 had dry cough, but myalgia and weakness as the general first presentation of infections was reported in most cases (80). Gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and abdominal pain, were reported in 50 of individuals. In blood cell count, 30 of cases had thrombocytopenia, and ESR in all cases was positive. Abnormal CRP and elevated LDH were seen in 90 of cases. In HRCT assessment, all cases had an abnormal parenchymal pattern, and 90 of cases presented the usual pattern of COVID-19 (bilateral multifocal GGO/consolidation). Although it is a limited report, these findings are helpful for comparison of clinical and paraclinical cases in RA cases with normal cases. © 2020, International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR)

Knowledge and Practice of Nursing Staff about Sharp Waste Management in Selected Hospitals of Military (Tehran) and Non- Military (Qom) in 2012

Healthcare wastes are a major challenge in public health and comprise all types of wastes generated by healthcare centers, research facilities, and laboratories. The aim of this study was surveying the knowledge and practice of nursing staff about sharp waste management in selected military (Tehran) and non- military (Qom) hospitals in 2012. This was a descriptive-analytical study on 143 nursing stuff in Military and Non-Military hospitals. Data was collected using a self-report questionnaire. Statistical tests such as the student t-test, one-way analysis of variance and Pearson correlation were used to data analysis. The mean age of participants was 32(±6.3) and the majority were female. The mean score of knowledge was 54.7(±14.4) and their knowledge classified on a moderate level. Also, the mean score of practice was 65.44(±11.6) and was classified on a moderate level. The means of these variables were higher among personnel of Military than Non-Military. There were positive correlations between knowledge, practice and age variables (

Influenza; A Threatening Respiratory Infection for Armed Forces, Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment

peer reviewe

Epidemiological characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in IRAN: A single center study.

BackgroundAn outbreak of COVID-19 in Iran has spread throughout the country. Identifying the epidemiological characteristics of this disease will help to make appropriate decisions and thus control the epidemic. The aim of this study was characterization of the epidemiological features of COVID-19 in Iran.MethodsIn this retrospective study, data related to the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients admitted to Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran, Iran, from 19 February 2020 to 15 April 2020 have been analyzed and reported. Patient characteristics including age, gender and underlying diseases were investigated. Data were collected through patient records. Sex ratio, Case Fatality Rate (CFR) and daily trend of cases were also determined. A multiple logistic regression analysis was also performed to assess affecting factors on mortality.ResultsFrom February 19, 2020 to April 15, 2020, 12870 patients referred to the hospital emergency department, of which 2968 were hospitalized with COVID-19 diagnosis. The majority of cases were in the age group of 50 to 60 years of old. The male-to-female ratio was 1.93:1. A total of 239 deaths occurred among all cases for an overall CFR of 1.85% based on the total number of patients (both outpatient and inpatient) and 8.06% among hospitalized patients. Out of all patients 10.89% had comorbidity. Diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, chronic Kidney diseases and cancer were the most common comorbidities with 3.81, 2.02 , 1.99 , 1.25, 0.60 and 0.57 %, respectively. Male gender (OR=1.45, 95% CI: 1.08-1.96), older age (OR=1.05, 95% CI: 1.04-1.06) and having underlying diseases (OR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.04-2.24) were significantly associated with mortality.ConclusionsThe results of this study showed that Male gender, older age and having comorbidities were significantly associated with the risk of death among COVID-19 patients. It is important to pay special attention to male elderly patients with underlying diseases

Fever of Unknown Origin with Final Diagnosis of Imported Malaria: A Case Study

One of the most important infectious diseases in the world is Malaria. About half of the world populations are exposed to the risk of the disease. The program for controlling and eradication of Malaria has been being conducted in our country since many years ago. One of the public health problems in the endemic and non-endemic countries is Imported Malaria which can cause new and permanent infected foci. Population movement and travelling from endemic areas can transmit the disease to the clean areas and can also transmit the drug resistant Protozoa particularly Plasmodium Falciparum. Our case study describes a 30 year old person who has travelled to India for one month. He has visited a doctor in India because of fever, chills, malaise, and has received symptomatic treatment without any specific diagnosis .After returning to Iran, the symptoms appeared again after visiting by a doctor he has hospitalized with a diagnosis of Fever of unknown origin (FUO).He was checked for three days and on the fourth day, the blood smear of the patient showed Plasmodium Vivax. Ultimately he received the appropriate treatment and was discharged from the hospital in a good condition

Varicella susceptibility in iran military conscripts: A study among military garrisons

peer reviewedBackground: Promoting varicella vaccination for military personnel and conscripts, as one of the susceptible and high-risk groups, is an important governmental approach in every society. The present study aimed to address the seroprevalence of this infection and its immunization level among Iranian military conscripts. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine seroprevalence of varicella infection and its immunization level among Iranian military conscripts. Methods: Four hundred and sixty-four conscripts, using cluster-stratified sampling, were selected from all military garrisons in Tehran. Seroprevalence of infection among each participant was determined by measuring varicella IgG antibody level via the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The mean antibody titer among the participants was 109.66127.47; 86.9% of studied samples were seropositive. Place of residence could somewhat predict the seropositivity against varicella; seropositivity was significantly higher in participants, who lived in the capital city than those wholived in other regions (OR: 4.008, 95%CI: 0.947 - 16.953, P=0.059). Age, education level, marital statusandduration of military were not associated with seropositivity. Conclusions: Susceptibility to varicella infection is considerably lower among military garrisons in Tehran and is mainly dependent on their place of residence. However, the current study could not provide a comprehensive picture of the immunological status of the varicella in Iran military garrisons, and we suggest further studies in more cities to aid with the design of immunization programs for these individuals

Exosomes from Adipose Tissue-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induce Regulatory T Cells in COVID‐19 Patients

An imbalance between regulatory T (Treg) and T-helper (Th)-17 cells has been implicated in the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exert immunomodulatory properties through secreting exosomes. This study aimed to assess the effect of MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-Exo) on the differentiation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) into  Tregs from patients with COVID-19. Exosomes were isolated from adipose tissue–derived MSCs. PBMCs were separated from the whole blood of COVID-19 patients (n=20). Treg frequency was assessed before and 48 hours after treatment of PBMCs with MSC-Exo using flow cytometry. Expression of FOXP3 and cytokine genes, and the concentration of cytokines associated with Tregs, were assessed before and after treatment with MSC-Exo. The frequency of CD4+CD25+CD127-  Tregs was significantly higher after treating PBMCs with MSC-Exo (6.695±2.528) compared to before treatment (4.981±2.068). The expressions of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, interleukin (IL)-10, and FOXP3 were significantly upregulated in MSC-Exo–treated PBMCs. The concentration of IL‐10 increased significantly after treatment (994.7±543.9 pg/mL) of PBMCs with MSC-Exo compared with before treatment (563.5±408.6 pg/mL). The concentration of TGF-β was significantly higher in the supernatant of PBMCs after treatment with MSC-Exo (477.0±391.1 pg/mL) than PBMCs before treatment (257.7±226.3 pg/mL). MSC-Exo has the potential to raise anti-inflammatory responses by induction of  Tregs, potentiating its therapeutic effects in COVID-19