Correlation between the concentration of air pollutants (CO, SO2 and NO2) and pulmonary function

زمینه و هدف: آلاینده های استنشاقی نقش مهمی در بیماری های ریوی دارند. این مطالعه با هدف بررسی سطح آلاینده های استنشاقی دی اکسید نیتروژن، دی اکسید گوگرد، منواکسید کربن در اراک (شهر صنعتی و آلوده) و خمین (غیر صنعتی و غیر آلوده) و تعیین چگونگی اثر آن بر عملکرد ریه در مقطع زمان اسپیرومتری انجام شد. روش بررسی: دو شهر اراک و خمین به ترتیب به ده و پنج منطقه تقسیم و آلاینده های استنشاقی دی اکسید نیتروژن، دی اکسید گوگرد و منواکسید کربن اندازه گیری شدند. همزمان به طور تصادفی در فصول مختلف سال 522 نفر از بالغ غیر سیگاری خمین و 547 نفر از اراک انتخاب و از آنان اسپیرومتری به عمل آمد و از شاخص کیفیت هوا (PSI=Poliution standard index) برای ارزیـــابی کیفیت هوا استفاده شد. میـانگین غلظت آلاینده ها و شاخص پراکندگی ظرفیت های ریوی با آزمون های آماری آنالیز رگرسیون مورد تجزیه و تحلیل قرار گرفتند. یافته ها: میانگینPSI اراک 54/14±83/101 و خمین 58/18±17/89 بود (05/0>P). حداکثر جریان بازدمی (PEF) و ظرفیت حیاتی فعال (FVC) در اراک به طور معنی داری کمتر از خمین بود (05/0

Phylogenomics of two ST1 antibiotic-susceptible non-clinical <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> strains reveals multiple lineages and complex evolutionary history in global clone 1.

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that is difficult to treat due to its resistance to extreme conditions, including desiccation and antibiotics. Most strains causing outbreaks around the world belong to two main global lineages, namely global clones 1 and 2 (GC1 and GC2). Here, we used a combination of Illumina short read and MinION (Oxford Nanopore) long-read sequence data with a hybrid assembly approach to complete the genome sequence of two antibiotic-sensitive GC1 strains, Ex003 and Ax270, recovered in Lebanon from water and a rectal swab of a cat, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of Ax270 and Ex003 with 186 publicly available GC1 genomes revealed two major clades, including five main lineages (L1-L5), and four single-isolate lineages outside of the two clades. Ax270 and Ex003, along with AB307-0294 and MRSN7213 (both predicted antibiotic-susceptible isolates) represent these individual lineages. Antibiotic resistance islands and transposons interrupting the comM gene remain important features in L1-L5, with L1 associated with the AbaR-type resistance islands, L2 with AbaR4, L3 strains containing either AbaR4 or its variants as well as Tn6022::ISAba42, and L4 and L5 associated with Tn6022 or its variants. Analysis of the capsule (KL) and outer core (OCL) polysaccharide loci further revealed a complex evolutionary history probably involving many recombination events. As more genomes become available, more GC1 lineages continue to emerge. However, genome sequence data from more diverse geographical regions are needed to draw a more accurate population structure of this globally distributed clone

Transcultural aspects of cannabis use : a descriptive overview of cannabis use across cultures

Purpose of Review: This narrative review summarises cultural aspects of cannabis use across different (sub)cultures, nations, and gender, racial, and ethnic groups. Specifically, we aimed to overview historical and traditional contexts of cannabis use and physical and mental health-related correlates, as well as emerging cannabis-related policies and their impacts on medicinal and recreational use of cannabis. In addition, we discuss how cultural factors may affect cannabis use behaviours and sociocultural underpinnings of cannabis use disorder trajectories. Recent Findings: Cannabis is the most widely cultivated, trafficked, and used illicit drug worldwide, although cannabis is being legalised in many jurisdictions. More than 4% of individuals globally have used cannabis in the last year. Being traditionally used for religious and ritualistic purposes, today cannabis use is interwoven with, and influenced by, social, legal, economic, and cultural environments which often differ across countries and cultures. Notably, empirical data on distinct aspects of cannabis use are lacking in selected underrepresented countries, geographical regions, and minority groups. Summary: Emerging global policies and legislative frameworks related to cannabis use have impacted the prevalence and attitudes toward cannabis in different subcultures, but not all in the same way. Therefore, it remains to be elucidated how and why distinct cultures differ in terms of cannabis use. In order to understand complex and bidirectional relationships between cannabis use and cultures, we recommend the use of cross-cultural frameworks for the study of cannabis use and its consequences and to inform vulnerable people, clinical practitioners, and legislators from different world regions.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Molecular epidemiology and carbapenem resistance mechanisms in Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from different environments in Lebanon

International audienc

Variants of Tn 6924 , a Novel Tn 7 Family Transposon Carrying the bla NDM Metallo-β-Lactamase and 14 Copies of the aphA6 Amikacin Resistance Genes Found in Acinetobacter baumannii

To date, efforts to study the resistance mechanisms of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii have been largely focused on the two major globally distributed clones (GC1 and GC2). ST85 is an emerging sequence type, and unlike other clones, it is associated with the carriage of the bla NDM gene. </jats:p

Extra-human epidemiology of Acinetobacter baumannii in Lebanon

Presence of Acinetobacter baumannii outside hospitals is still a controversial issue. The objective of our study was to explore the extra hospital epidemiology of A. baumannii in Lebanon. From February 2012 to October 2013, a total of 73 water samples, 51 soil samples, 37 raw cow milk samples, 50 cow meat samples, 7 raw cheese samples and 379 animal samples were analysed by cultural methods for the presence of A. baumannii. Species identification was performed by rpoB gene sequencing. Antibiotic susceptibility was investigated and A. baumannii population was studied by two genotyping approaches: Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) and blaOXA-51 Sequence-Based Typing (blaOXA-51 SBT). A. baumannii was detected in 6.9% of water samples, 2.7% of milk samples, 8.0% of meat samples, 14.3% of cheese samples and 7.7% of animal samples. All isolates showed a susceptible phenotype against most of the antibiotics tested and lacked carbapenemase encoding genes except one that harboured a blaOXA-143 gene. MLST analysis revealed the presence of 36 sequence types (ST), among them 24 were novel ST(s), reported for the first time in this study. blaOXA-51 SBT showed the presence of 34 variants, among them 21 were novel and all isolated from animal origin. Finally, 30 isolates had new partial rpoB sequences and were considered as putative new Acinetobacter species. In conclusion, animals can be a potential reservoir for A. baumannii and the dissemination of new emerging carbapenemases. The role of novel identified animal clones in community-acquired infections should be investigated

A MCP1 fusokine with CCR2-specific tumoricidal activity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The CCL2 chemokine is involved in promoting cancer angiogenesis, proliferation and metastasis by malignancies that express CCR2 receptor. Thus the CCL2/CCR2 axis is an attractive molecular target for anticancer drug development.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We have generated a novel fusion protein using GMCSF and an N-terminal truncated version of MCP1/CCL2 (6-76) [hereafter GMME1] and investigated its utility as a CCR2-specific tumoricidal agent.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that distinct to full length CCL2 or its N-truncated derivative (CCL2 5-76), GMME1 bound to CCR2 on mouse lymphoma EG7, human multiple myeloma cell line U266, or murine and human medulloblastoma cell lines, and led to their death by apoptosis. We demonstrated that GMME1 specifically blocked CCR2-associated STAT3 phosphorylation and up-regulated pro-apoptotic BAX. Furthermore, GMME1 significantly inhibited EG7 tumor growth in C57BL/6 mice, and induced apoptosis of primary myeloma cells from patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data demonstrate that GMME1 is a fusokine with a potent, CCR2 receptor-mediated pro-apoptotic effect on tumor cells and could be exploited as a novel biological therapy for CCR2⁺malignancies including lymphoid and central nervous system malignancies.</p