Antimicrobial activities of Gold nanoparticles against Salmonella typhimurium

Background and aims: One of the major problems in hospitals is resistant pathogenic bacteria to antimicrobial substances. The problem of increased costs of treatment failure and mortality rates is increasing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of gold nanoparticles has been on Salmonella typhimurium. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed and Salmonella typhimurium bacteria were isolated from poultry. Gold nanoparticles for business were purchased. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of gold nanoparticles in different concentrations by dilution in the wells were determined on bacteria. Susceptibility to several antibiotics was evaluated by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Results: The result of gold nanoparticles showed the highest MIC (the minimum inhibitory concentration) was 100 ppm concentration that 6 strains of them were inhibited by this concentration. The lowest MIC was 50 ppm concentration that 1 strain of Salmonella was inhibited. The highest and lowest MBC value of extract was 200 and 100 ppm, respectively. Conclusions: The results showed that gold nanoparticles have good inhibitory effect on all studied bacteria

Small Duplication of HPRT 1 Gene May Be Causative For Lesh-Nyhan Disease in Iranian Patients

How to Cite This Article: Boroujerdi R, Shariati M, Naddafnia H, Rezaei H. Small Duplication of HPRT 1 Gene May Be Causative For Lesh-Nyhan Disease in Iranian Patients. Iran J Child Neurol. 2015 Winter;9(1):103-106.AbstractDeficiency of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) is a rare inborn error of purine metabolism and is characterized by uric acid overproduction along with a variety of neurological manifestations that depend on a degree of the enzymatic deficiency. Inheritance of HPRT deficiency is X-linked recessive; thus, males are generally more affected and heterozygous females are carriers (usually asymptomatic). Human HPRT is encoded by a single structural gene on the long arm of the X chromosome at Xq26. More than 300 mutations in the HPRT1 gene have been detected. Diagnosis can be based on clinical and biochemical findings as well as enzymatic and molecular testing. Molecular diagnosis is the best way as it allows for faster and more accurate carrier and prenatal diagnosis. In this report, a new small duplication in the HPRT1 gene was found by sequencing, which has yet to be reported.References Fu R, Jinnah HA. Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in Lesch-Nyhan Disease Moving Beyond The Gene. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2012; 287(5):2997- 3008.Fontenelle LJ, Henderson JF. An enzymatic basis for the inability of erythrocytes to synthesize purine ribonucleotides de novo. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1969 Feb 18; 177(1):175-6. PubMed PMID: 5781193.Kelley WN, Wyngaardcn JB. Clinical syndromes associated with hypoxanthine guanine Phosphoribosyl transferase deficiency. In: J. B. Stanbury, J. B. Wyngaarden, D. S. Frederickson, J. L. Goldstein, M. S. Brown, editors. The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease. 5 ed. New York: McGraw Hill; 1983. p. 1115-43.Lesch M, Nyhan WL. A Familial Disorder of Uric Acid Metabolism and Central Nervous System Function. Am J Med. 1964 Apr; 36:561-70. PubMed PMID: 14142409.Christie R, Bay C, Kaufman IA, Bakay B, Borden M, Nyhan WL. Lesch-Nyhan disease: clinical experience with nineteen patients. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1982 Jun; 24(3):293-306. PubMed PMID: 7095300.Neychev VK, Jinnah HA. Sudden death in Lesch-Nyhan disease. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2006 Nov; 48(11):923- 6. PubMed PMID: 17044962. PubMed Central PMCID: 3507438.Torres RJ, Puig JG. Hypoxanthine - guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) deficiency: Lesch- Nyhan syndrome. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2007; 2:48.PubMed PMID: 18067674. PubMed Central PMCID: 2234399.Finette BA, Kendall H, Vacek PM. Mutational spectral analysis at the HPRT locus in healthy children. Mutat Res. 2002 Aug 29; 505(1-2):27-41. PubMed PMID: 12175903.Patel PI, Framson PE, Caskey CT, Chinault AC. Fine structure of the human hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase gene. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Feb; 6(2):393-403. PubMed PMID: 3023844. PubMed Central PMCID: 367528.Edwards A, Voss H, Rice P, Civitello A, Stegemann J, Schwager C, et al. Automated DNA Sequencing of the human HPRT locus. Genomics. 1990 Apr; 6(4):593-608. PubMed PMID: 2341149.Jinnah HA, De Gregorio L, Harris JC, Nyhan WL, O’Neill JP. The spectrum of inherited mutations causing HPRT deficiency: 75 new cases and a review of 196 previously reported cases. Mutat Res. 2000 Oct; 463(3):309-26. PubMed PMID: 11018746. Epub 2000/10/06. eng.Jinnah HA, Harris JC, Nyhan WL, O’Neill JP. The spectrum of mutations causing HPRT deficiency: an update. Nucleosides Nucleotides Nucleic Acids. 2004 Oct; 23(8-9):1153-60. PubMed PMID: 15571220. Epub 2004/12/02. eng.Bouwens-Rombouts AG, van den Boogaard MJ, Puig JG, Mateos FA, Hennekam RC, Tilanus MG. Identification of two new nucleotide mutations (HPRTUtrecht and HPRTMadrid) in exon 3 of the human hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene. Human genetics. 1993 Jun; 91(5):451-4. PubMed PMID: 8314557.Lovett ST, Drapkin PT, Sutera VA, Jr., Gluckman- Peskind TJ. A sister-strand exchange mechanism for recA-independent deletion of repeated DNA sequences in Escherichia coli. Genetics. 1993 Nov; 135(3):631- 42. PubMed PMID: 8293969. PubMed Central PMCID: 1205708.Hartl L.D, Ruvolo M. Genetic Analysis of Genes and Genomes. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2012. p. 529.McKeran RO, Andrews TM, Howell A, Gibbs DA, Chinn S, Watts WE. The diagnosis of the carrier state for the Lesch--Nyhan syndrome. Q J Med. 1975 Apr; 44(174):189-205. PubMed PMID: 1178810.O’Neill JP. Mutation carrier testing in Lesch-Nyhan syndrome families: HPRT mutant frequency and mutation analysis with peripheral blood T lymphocytes. Genet Test. 2004 Spring; 8(1):51-64. PubMed PMID: 15140374.Torres RJ, Buno A, Mateos FA, Puig JG. Carrier state in HGPRT deficiency. A study in 14 Spanish families. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1998; 431:197-200. PubMed PMID: 9598058.Kleijer WJ, Van Den Berg P, Los FJ. Prenatal diagnosis of Lesch-Nyhan disease. Prenat Diagn. 2004 Aug; 24(8):658-9; author reply 9. PubMed PMID: 15305358.Graham GW, Aitken DA, Connor JM. Prenatal diagnosis by enzyme analysis in 15 pregnancies at risk for the Lesch- Nyhan syndrome. Prenat Diagn. 1996 Jul; 16(7):647-51. PubMed PMID: 8843475.Gibbs RA, Nguyen PN, McBride LJ, Koepf SM, Caskey CT. Identification of mutations leading to the Lesch- Nyhan syndrome by automated direct DNA sequencing of in vitro amplified cDNA. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 1989 Mar; 86(6):1919-PubMed PMID: 2928313. PubMed Central PMCID: 286816.Mak BS, Chi CS, Tsai CR, Lee WJ, Lin HY. New mutations of the HPRT gene in Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. Pediatric neurology. 2000 Oct; 23(4):332-5. PubMed PMID: 11068166

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Thermoplastic Laminates Reinforced with Jute Fabric

Over the last decades, a growing interest has been directed, on one hand, towards the development of new materials with competitive performance while ensuring environmental sustainability and, on the other hand, towards the implementation of effective end-of-life strategies such as to ensure the compliance with circularity criteria. In this context, outstanding attention is devoted to thermoplastic matrix composite materials, intrinsically recyclable compared to thermosetting ones, containing natural reinforcing phases such as vegetable fibres. In this work, jute fabric-reinforced laminates based on bio-based thermoplastic matrices were fabricated using hand lay-up and hot compaction procedures and systematically explored by mechanical tests and numerical tools. The multiscale modelling of the present composite was consider

Knowledge is of no value unless to be shared. A synthesis of knowledge-sharing drivers in born-globals

In recent years, technological advancements have enabled born-global firms to build on their knowledge-based resources and more effectively contribute to the international economy. Hence, knowledge management practices have become crucial capabilities of born-global firms. Therefore, this paper strives to develop and validate drivers and indicators that impact such firms’ knowledge sharing. In doing so, we focus on the born-globals originating from the context of Australia and take advantage of exploratory analysis in two complementary studies. Accordingly, using a Delphi analysis, we first employ a panel of experts consisting of founders and owners of born-global firms to explore key knowledge-sharing (KS) drivers. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) will validate the identified drivers. In this regard, the results of the three-round Delphi analysis led to the identification of the 12 KS drivers in three categories of individual, technological and organisational dimensions. Also, the validation phase (CFA synthesis) ended with the retention of 36 items for the 12 drivers. Accordingly, this research reveals significant findings that contribute to enriching the prior KS studies in born-global firms. For instance, we highlight that in born-global firms, individuals are more likely to share their knowledge with those who are more reliable and trustworthy. Overall, we highlight how effective KS drivers can influence born globals features

The Effect of Antenatal Maternal Anxiety, Depression, and Stress on Infant Development at 6 Months of Age

Background: Mental disorders can significantly impact maternal health and neonatal health and development. This study investigated maternal anxiety, depression, and stress during pregnancy concerning their children's development.Methods: In this follow-up study, all pregnant women with gestational age > 12 weeks referring to an obstetrics and gynecology clinic affiliated with Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences over six months were included. Data on mothers were collected using a personal information questionnaire and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-42 standard questionnaire. Finally, based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the children of 73 mothers were included in the study. Infant development was assessed based on the Persian version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) at six months postpartum.Data analysis was conducted using the Pearson correlation test and multiple regression analysis. Statistical analyzes were carried out using SPSS 21. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: In this study, 39.7%, 63%, and 56.2% of women suffered from depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. In this study, a significant relationship was found between antenatal maternal depression and gross motor (P: 0.022), fine motor (P: 0.003), personal-social (P: 0.009), and communication skills (P: 0.0180). Moreover, there was a significant relationship between maternal anxiety and personal-social (P: 0.012) and gross motor domains (P: 0.008). Also, a significant association was observed between personal-social skills and maternal stress (P: 0.030).Conclusion: As shown by the results, antenatal maternal mental illness can interfere with the development of children. Therefore, paying attention to the mental health of pregnant women is necessary

The Role of Nanomaterials in the Treatment of Diseases and Their Effects on the Immune System

Nanotechnology has been widely exploited in recent years in various applications. Different sectors of medicine and treatment have also focused on the use of nanoproducts. One of the areas of interest in the treatment measures is the interaction between nanomaterials and immune system components. Engineered nanomaterials can stimulate the inhibition or enhancement of immune responses and prevent the detection ability of the immune system. Changes in immune function, in addition to the benefits, may also lead to some damage. Therefore, adequate assessment of the novel nanomaterials seems to be necessary before practical use in treatment. However, there is little information on the toxicological and biological effects of nanomaterials, especially on the potential ways of contacting and handling nanomaterials in the body and the body response to these materials. Extensive variation and different properties of nanomaterials have made it much more difficult to access their toxicological effects to the present. The present study aims to raise knowledge about the potential benefits and risks of using the nanomaterials on the immune system to design and safely employ these compounds in therapeutic purposes

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation