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Background: The resistance to treatment of onychomycosis is increasingly reported. The present study aimed to assess the antifungal activity of itraconazole, terbinafine, luliconazole, and efinacon...

In this paper, an ensemble deep transfer learning (EDTL) based on Faster R-CNN is introduced for the vehicle detection in UAV images. We perform a weighted-averaging ensemble transfer learning comp...

Background and Purpose: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is considered the most common mucosal infection caused by Candida species. Azoles were considered the firstline treatment for VVC or recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) in both healthy and immunocompromised populations. Recently, azole-resistant isolates, especially among non-albicans Candida samples have been encountered. This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal susceptibility profile of Candida spp. isolated from VVC or RVVC patients and assess the molecular resistance mechanism of Candida spp. to azole and echinocandin. Materials and Methods: Point mutation analysis was performed on the ERG11 and FKS candidate genes of azole- and caspofungin-resistant Candida albicans and Candida glabrata isolates. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to gain insight into the differential expression of ERG11 mRNA. Results: Variations in the amino acid D116E were observed in fluconazole- and itraconazole-resistant C. albicans strains, and changes in amino acid E517Q were observed only in fluconazole-resistant C. albicans strains. No polymorphisms were observed in the complete sequence alignment of the ERG11 gene in one azole-resistant C. glabrata isolate. The mutation triggered the changes in the amino acid serine in the reference gene FKS1 by the leucine at position 642 (S642L) of the isolates. Conclusion: In patients with persistent or recurrent infection, the choice of an antifungal agent is often challenging and requires monitoring of the antifungal susceptibility of the colonizing strain. C. albicans and C. glabrata isolates can be resistant to azole and caspofungin antifungal agents without mutations in the ERG 11 and HS1 regions of the FKS1 gene.

In the context of the Great Game and in throes of Geok-Tepe War in Akhal region located in Turkomania, The Daily Mail sends off Edmond O’Donovan to make the reportage of the Russians’ colonial advancement and their clash with Turkmens, but the Russians’ ban on foreign reporters disrupts his initial plan. As a result, he redirects his way to Merv where the Turkmens capture him. His captors ironically receive him both as prisoner and a ruling member for five months. Meanwhile, he registers his observations and experiences there which later appears in his bestseller travelogue entitled, The Merv Oasis. Despite his involvement with British Imperialism, O’Donovan’s travel book has not received any critical attention from scholars of travel studies. In this regard, this article seeks to address their critical negligence by studying it in the spirit of postcolonial approach. This method is invaluable in two ways. Firstly, it discloses the travel writer’s hidden imperial assumptions through focusing on his surveillance and his description of his travelees’ diseases and their medical treatment. Secondly through clarifying the role of travel writer on Othering his travelees when he deals with their food culture and their supposedly exotic bazaar. On the whole, this reading challenges the innocent façade of O’Donovan’s travelogue and points to his imperial assumptions and cultural baggage which tarnish its impartiality and authenticity.

Background and Objectives: Onychomycosis is caused by dermatophyte species, non- dermatophyte moulds (NDMs), and accounts for roughly 50% of all nail diseases. As the prevalence of onychomycosis is increasing, new epidemiologic documents may help with treatment and prevention. The present investigation aims to determine the epidemiological profile of onychomycosis in 2 mycology laboratories. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted during eight months (2019-2020) on 169 patients with positive nail mycology tests referred to two mycological laboratory centers affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Science. The nail clippings were examined by direct smear and culture. Also, molecular assays were performed if needed. Results: 10% of nail lesions referred to Razi Hospital (RH), and 30% of nail lesions referred to TUMS mycology laboratory were positive. Middle age (40-60) suffer more from onychomycosis. Aspergillus flavus, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Candida albicans were the most common etiologic agents in each of the three main classes of fungi causing onychomycosis. Females were more infected. NDMs were the predominant etiologic agents, and toenails were the most common site of onychomycosis. Conclusion: The pattern of etiologic agents and clinical signs of onychomycosis differs according to geographical region and age, so repeated epidemiological surveys of onychomycosis seem to be fundamental.

The data on the epidemiological and antifungal susceptibility profile of tinea capitis (TC) in Iran has not been updated in recent decades. This report presents the Iranian epidemiological and drug susceptibility data regarding the distribution of dermatophytes species isolated by six national mycology centers for a period of one year (2020-2021).A total of 2100 clinical samples from individuals suspeted to TC were subjected to mycological analysis of direct microscopy and culture. For definite species identification, the culture isolates were additionally subjected to PCR-RFLP and PCR-sequencing of the ITS ribosomal DNA (ITS-rDNA) region. Antifungal susceptibility profiles for eight common antifungal drugs were determined by CLSI M38-A3 guidelines. The SQLE gene was partially amplified and sequenced in two terbinafine-resistant and two susceptible T. mentagrophytes isolates to elucidate probable substitutions involved in resistance.TC (n = 94) was diagnosed in 75 children (79.8%) and 19 adults (20.2%) by direct microscopy and culture. Frequency of TC was significantly more among males (66 males = 70.2% vs 28 females = 29.8%). The prevalent age group affected was 5-9 years (39.36%). Thirty-two (34.04%) T. mentagrophytes, 27 (28.7%) T. tonsurans, 14 (14.9%) M. canis, 13 (13.8%) T. violaceum, 5 (5.32%) T. indotineae, 2 (2.1%) T. benhamiae, and 1 (1.1%) T. schoenleinii were identified as the causative agents. MIC values of isolates showed susceptibility to all antifungal agents, except for fluconazole and griseofulvin with GM MIC of 11.91 μg/ml and 2.01 μg/ml, respectively. Terbinafine exhibited more activity against isolates, with GM MIC 0.084 μg/ml followed by ketoconazole (0.100 μg/ml), econazole (0.107 μg/ml), itraconazole (0.133 μg/ml), butenafine (0.142 μg/ml), and miconazole (0.325 μg/ml). Two resistant T. mentagrophytes isolates harbored missense mutations in SQLE gene, corresponding to amino acid substitution F397L. Remarkably, one unique mutation, C1255T, in the SQLE sequence of two terbinafine-susceptible T. mentagrophytes strains leading to a change of leucine at the 419th position to phenylalanine (L419F) was detected.T. mentagrophytes, T. tonsurans, and M. canis remained the main agents of TC in Iran, however less known species such as T. indotinea and T. benhamiae are emerging as new ones. Terbinafine could still be the appropriate choice for the treatment of diverse forms of TC.

Background Efinaconazole is non-lacquer-based with a low surface tension that efficiently targets delivery of active ingredient into the nail and nail bed. Objectives To develop an optimal, stable formulation of efinaconazole topical solution 10% (ETS10). Methods We evaluated the safety and efficacy of ETS10 on 10 Iranian participants in a pilot, single-group and before-after clinical study, for up to 8 weeks in onychomycosis. Results The study showed reasonable results concerning the short period of treatment. During the period of storage, the formulation showed no variation in colour, odour and pH. The average pH at initial, 1st, 6th and 12th months was 4.65, 4.64, 4.65 and 4.64, respectively. The assay of an active pharmaceutical ingredient in the formulation was desired over the whole period. This indicates that antimicrobial activity has been adequate and efficient. A significant decrease in Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) of the target toenails was also defined as the efficacy endpoint. The median score for IGA at baseline visit was 3 out of 5 which decreased to 2 out of 5 and the decrease was statistically significant. Conclusion The study clarifies the new efficacy of ETS10 in subjects with onychomycosis and passed the safety study successfully. These properties may develop the potentiality of ETS10 as a good treatment option for patients with onychomycosis.

Exilic Iranian memoirs by female writers began to emerge after the 1979 Iranian Revolution and surged after September 11, 2001. The dramatic increase in Iranian–American memoirs, which began after 9/11 signifies a complex relation between publication of this literary genre and mass consumption in a specific historical moment. The present paper offers a thematic analysis of a number of memoirs published by female Iranian–Americas in English from 1979 to 2012. Using Orientalism as a theoretical framework the study finds that Orientalist stereotypes are often used in framing and explaining events and issues related to Iranian women and sexuality under the Islamic Republic. In analyzing texts specific assumptions toward Iranian women will be questioned and discussed with occasional reference to details.

Context In Persian medicine, topical ingredients such as Rosa damascena Mill. (Rosaceae), are usually recommended for the treatment of uterine diseases. Scientific evaluation of these historical documents can be valuable for finding new potential use in conventional medicine. Objective This clinical trial was performed to determine whether the use of the ‘ward’ vaginal tablet, which contains Rosa damascena, Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae), Querqus infectoria Oliv. (Fagaceae), Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae) and Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC. (Caprifoliaceae) could alleviate the symptoms of vulvovaginal candidiasis. Materials and methods A parallel double-blinded placebo-controlled study was done. Eighteen to fifty-year-old women with vulvovaginal candidiasis were divided into the ‘ward’ and placebo groups, 46 individuals in each group. The ‘ward’ group received the ‘ward’ vaginal tablet containing 200 mg of dried extract. Placebo group received a placebo (composed of corn starch and lactose). One tablet was applied through the vagina for 7 consecutive nights. Results Two weeks after medication administration, the vaginal discharge sample of patients was re-cultured; 29 patients (63.045%) in the ‘ward’ group and 6 (13.04%) patients in the placebo group had negative culture (p

Chagas disease (CD) is a vector-borne zoonotic disease affecting large parts of the world. It is imposing a tremendous social burden on public health and ranks as one of the most severe threats to human health. CD is often transmitted to humans by the feces of insects called triatomine or kissing bugs. The diagnosis of CD can be performed at any stage of the disease and involves the analysis of clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory data. The CD has two different phases, acute phase and chronic phase. Since controlling and treating CD is easier in the early stages, detecting it in the acute phase plays an essential role in overcoming and controlling it. There are many clinical trials dedicated to this problem, but progress in applicational research (automatic identification) has been slower. Due to this shortcoming and the importance of this problem, this research is dedicated to present two automatic CD vector identification systems that classify several different vectors of kissing bugs with an acceptable and promising identification rate. Our proposed methods are composed of preprocessing, feature extraction, and classification phases. Principal component analysis (PCA) is utilized for feature extraction and Random Forrest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) are employed in the classification stages. A dataset consisting of more than two thousand kissing bug images is used as input of our methods. The accuracy for the first proposed approach, namely PCA-SVM, is 87.62% for 410 images of 12 Mexican and 75.26% for 1620 images of 39 Brazilian species. The second proposed approach, namely PCA-RF, has an accuracy of 100% for both Brazilian and Mexican species. We achieved perfect results with the PCA-RF method. Our results are promising and outperform the results of other available developed automatic identification systems for CD vectors.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate some virulence factors in Candida albicans isolates from patients with onychomycosis and determine the correlation between these factors and the antifungal resistance profile. METHODS: Seventy species of C. albicans were confirmed using polymerase chain reaction amplification of the HWP1 gene. According to the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines, the susceptibility profile of four antifungal agents was investigated, and the production of aspartyl protease, phospholipase, haemolysin, and biofilm was determined. The correlation between these profiles was also investigated. RESULTS: The isolates indicated different levels of resistance and production of virulence factors. Significant correlations were observed between the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of fluconazole/itraconazole and biofilm production, between phospholipase production and fluconazole/itraconazole MIC, and between fluconazole MIC and hemolytic activity in C. albicans isolates. The results also showed significant correlations between phospholipase activity and biofilm production. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings will contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of C. albicans and characterize the relationship between virulence factors and antifungal resistance, which may suggest new therapeutic strategies considering the possible involvement of the virulence mechanism in the effectiveness of treatment.

This study aims to offer a contrapuntal reading of Cormac McCarthy’s Western novel No Country for Old Men (2005) by drawing on the notion of frontiersman’s identity. McCarthy has been predominantly viewed as a revisionist in his politics of representing the myth of American West, yet little attention has been given to the way in which this novel calls into question the public view of him as a writer who revises and critiques the myth of the West. From a contrapuntal perspective, we argue that although the text depicts the failure of the frontiersman, in particular Sheriff Bell, in contemporary society, through nostalgia for older times the writer keeps the frontiersman’s dream and hope alive. Furthermore, we problematize the very older times for which the protagonist Bell expresses his nostalgia for. We argue that these nostalgic older times have been also a period of bloodshed and violence regarding other nationalities and ethnicities whose voice is not heard in this narrative. McCarthy’s text is indeed silent about the sufferings of those represented as the other, the Vietnamese for instance, in the text.

Willingness to communicate emerges as a concept to account for an individual’s personality orientation and readiness toward talking and entering into discourse with a specific person and a particular time (McCroskey & Baer 1985; McCroskey & Richmond 1991). This is also valued in language learning as a crucial goal and achievement. Moreover an indispensable tool for stepping forward in the subject is a form of learnt activities reactivation during out-of-class time, which is called homework (Paudel, 2012). This is considered as a vehicle through which language learners reach the planned academic achievements faster (Amiryousefi, 2016). Two well-known subcategories of homework are seen as audio-taped and written ones. The use of audio homework comments (through MP3 files) versus written homework comments have become highly focused. Thus, the present study aimed at exploring the comparative effect of audio-taped and written homework/feedback on EFL learners’ willingness to communicate (WTC). The current study included 40 female intermediate language learners, learning English at a private institution. They were divided into two twenty-member experimental groups as Audio-taped homework/feedback and written. The participants mean age was about 18. Both groups received equal treatments, however the way they were asked for homework and the way to correct the handed in assignments were completely different (audi-taped ones were supposed to hand in their homework by recording their voice and also the teacher used the same technique making comments, but in written group the participants and the teacher were both required to have written homework and comments respectively). The results obviously indicated the considerable development of willingness to communicate through the application of audio-taped homework/feedback.

Using van Dijk’s critical discourse analysis, this paper attempts to analyse the ways in which the Islamic Republic of Iran is constructed as a security threat in US congressional hearings. The art...

Introduction: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is one of the most important etiologic agents of urinary tract infection (UTI). The UPEC strains have various types of virulence factors, including adhesions, toxins, and iron uptake systems. Virulence genes are located on transmissible genetic elements and/or on particular locus on the chromosome called pathogenicity islands (PAI). The aim of the current research was to evaluate the frequency of PAI and Fim H virulence genes among E. coli strains isolated from UTIs in Rasht, Iran. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 50 E. coli strains, which were isolated from patients with UTIs referring to several medical laboratories of Rasht city. E. coli was identified using standard microbiological techniques and biochemical assays. Furthermore, the prevalence of PAI and Fim H virulence genes were evaluated using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Results: The results showed that 76% of the females and 24% of the males were infected with UTI (P

Following our previous report on evaluation of the beta tubulin real-time PCR for detection of dermatophytosis, this study aimed to compare the real-time PCR assay with conventional methods for the clinical assessment of its diagnostic performance. Samples from a total of 853 patients with suspected dermatophyte lesions were subjected to direct examination (all samples), culture (499 samples) and real-time PCR (all samples). Fungal DNA was extracted directly from clinical samples using a conical steel bullet, followed by purification with a commercial kit and subjected to the Taq-Man probe-based real-time PCR. The study showed that among the 499 specimens for which all three methods were used, 156 (31.2%), 128 (25.6%) and 205 (41.0%) were found to be positive by direct microscopy, culture and real-time PCR respectively. Real-time PCR significantly increased the detection rate of dermatophytes compared with microscopy (288 vs 229) with 87% concordance between the two methods. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the real-time PCR was 87.5%, 85%, 66.5% and 95.2% respectively. Although real-time PCR performed better on skin than on nail samples, it should not yet fully replace conventional diagnosis.

In this study, a new pyrimidine-based chemosensor (PyrCS) has been developed for sequential detection of copper (II) and cyanide ions. The PyrCS has revealed high sensitivity and selectivity toward copper ion over other metal ions in aqueous media. The PyrCS as an optical probe exhibited a distinct color change and a bathochromic shift in UV spectra in the presence of copper ion in a few seconds due to the formation of stable complex (PyrCS-Cu2+). The results confirmed that the PyrCS has a widely linear detection range of 0.3–30 μM toward Cu2+. The calculated limit of detection for Cu2+ ions was low as 0.116 μM. Moreover, the fluorescent intensity of PyrCS at 507 nm was significantly quenched in the presence of Cu2⁺ and Fe2⁺ ions. Additionally, complex PyrCS-Cu2+ was successfully used to detect cyanide ions via Cu2+ displacement approach. The free PyrCS was recovered after adding the CN‾ ions in a few seconds due to the formation of the stable copper cyanide complex Cu(CN)x. The calculated LOD for CN‾ ions was low as 0.320 μM. The data also clarified that the other competing anions did not create a clear color change in solutions. Since the proposed method could provide a vivid colorimetric response in the presence of detected analytes within the pH range of 3–9, we can claim that the developed chemosensor can be utilized in any physical and biological conditions.

Yeasts are common etiologic agents of onychomycosis. This study reported a case of onychomycosis due to Cryptococcus friedmannii (Naganishia friedmannii). This yeast was isolated of the right great toenail of 57-year-old man. Microscopic examination of nail scrapings showed budding cells with thin capsule. Sequence analyzes of the internal transcribed spacer regions was closely related to Cryptococcus friedmannii. The results of susceptibility testing showed the Cryptococcus friedmannii to be sensitive to fluconazole, itraconazole and amphotericin B.

In this study, a new thiazolylazopyrimidine-functionalized TiO2 nanosensor (TiO2-TAP) has been developed for sensitive and selective colorimetric detection of Cu2+ in water samples. Thiazolylazopyrimidine (TAP) as an azo ligand and TiO2-TAP as highly selective nanosensor were successfully prepared through the diazo coupling reaction and surface chemical modification, respectively. Characterization of TiO2-TAP NPs using Fourier transmission infrared (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X- ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the TiO2 NPs were effectively modified with the synthesized epoxy-activated thiazolylazopyrimidine. The synthesized azo ligand containing azo chromophore (N=N) produce color and make a stable complex formation with Cu2+ based on charge-transfer transduction in the detection system. The color change of TiO2-TAP solution from yellow to red occur directly after few seconds of addition of Cu2+ ions, as a result of surface complexation. The TiO2-TAP has revealed high affinity, sensitivity and selectivity for copper ion over other competing metal ions in aqueous media. The experimental data revealed that the Cu2+ ions was sensed and adsorbed by the TiO2-TAP at optimal pH 5.0. The results also confirmed that the TiO2-TAP has a wide linear detection range for Cu2+ (0.01 to 12.5 μM). From UV–vis titration experiment, the limit of detection (LOD) for Cu2+ ions was found to be 2.51 nM. The proposed method was successfully applied for the sensitive and selective detection of Cu2+ in tap water, sea water and well water. In addition, Cu2+ recovery improved using the TiO2-TAP containing N, S and O atoms as chelating sites. Therefore, the developed nanosensor with great features like the cost-effective, excellent sensitively and selectively, short response times and high adsorption efficiency for Cu2+ can be utilized in any physical and biological conditions.

Accurate and automatic registration of multimodal retinal images such as fluorescein angiography (FA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables utilization of supplementary information. FA is a gold standard imaging modality that depicts neurovascular structure of retina and is used for diagnosing neurovascular-related diseases such as diabetic retinopathy (DR). Unlike FA, OCT is non-invasive retinal imaging modality that provides cross-sectional data of retina. Due to differences in contrast, resolution and brightness of multimodal retinal images, the images resulted from vessel extraction of image pairs are not exactly the same. Also, prevalent feature detection, extraction and matching schemes do not result in perfect matches. In addition, the relationships between retinal image pairs are usually modeled by affine transformation, which cannot generate accurate alignments due to the non-planar retina surface. In this paper, a precise registration scheme is proposed to align FA and OCT images via scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) photographs as intermediate images. For this purpose, first a retinal vessel segmentation is applied to extract main blood vessels from the FA and SLO images. Next, a novel global registration is proposed based on the Gaussian model for curved surface of retina. For doing so, first a global rigid transformation is applied to FA vessel-map image using a new feature-based method to align it with SLO vessel-map photograph, in a way that outlier matched features resulted from not-perfect vessel segmentation are completely eliminated. After that, the transformed image is globally registered again considering Gaussian model for curved surface of retina to improve the precision of the previous step. Eventually a local non-rigid transformation is exploited to register two images perfectly. The experimental results indicate the presented scheme is more precise compared to other registration methods.

Onychomycosis is a common fungal infection of nails which is mainly caused by dermatophyte species and less often by yeasts and non-dermatophyte molds. We present a case of onychomycosis due to Aspergillus clavatus for the first time worldwide. The patient was an immunocompetent 32-year-old woman who identified with Psoriasis of the nail. The presence of A. clavatus in a nail sample was confirmed using microscopic and culture analysis followed by PCR of the β-tubulin gene. After antifungal susceptibility test, it is revealed that the isolate was resistant to the majority of common antifungal drugs, but finally the patient was treated with itraconazole 200 mg daily. A. clavatus and drug-resistant A. clavatus have not previously been reported from onychomycosis.

Background: Dermatophytes are the most common fungal agents causing superficial skin infections in worldwide. Species identification of these fungi is important for therapeutic and epidemiological apects. The purpose of this study was identification and epidemiology of dermatophytosis in patients referring to medical mycology laboratory of Razi hospital in Tehran, during 2014. Materials and Methods: In this study, 610 clinical specimens were collected from patients with suspected dermatophytosis. Direct microscopy and culture examinations were performed for all samples. DNA was extracted from fungal colony using phenol chloroform. Then ITS1-5.8s-ITS2 region of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) was amplified by the universal fungal primers ITS1 and ITS4 and digested with enzymes mva1. Results: In the present study, 236 subjects (38.6%) were positive for dermatophytosis. Among the patients, 64.8% were male and 35.2% female. The most frequent dermatophytes isolated were Trichophyton interdigitale (40.3%), Trichophyton rubrum (22.9%) and Trichophyton tonsurans (18.7%) respectivly. Also 58 samples were improperly diagnosed by morphological method, they were re-identified as Trichophyton interdigitale and Trichophyton rubrum by using PCR-RFLP. Conclusion: The survey showed that PCR-RFLP is a rapid and reliable method for discrimination of dermatophytes. We suggest using of PCR-RFLP as a valuable method along with morphological examination for diagnostic dermatophytes particularly in clinical and epidemiological settings.

Background and Purpose: Candida species are the most common organisms involved in superficial fungal infections, worldwide. Although econazole is among the most frequently used topical formulations for the treatment of candidiasis, no information is available regarding the susceptibility profiles of Candida species in Iran. Materials and Methods: In vitro susceptibility of 100 clinical Candida isolates belonging to 6 species from superficial candidiasis of Iran towards to econazole was compared with three other common antifungal agents including itraconazole, fluconazole, and miconazole. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) values were analyzed according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M38-A3 document. All isolates were previously identified to the species level, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) on ITS region. Results: The MIC of econazole, itraconazole, miconazole, and fluconazole were within the range of 0.016-16, 0.032-16, 0.016-16, and 0.25-64 g/ml, respectively. In general, econazole and miconazole were more active against Candida isolates, compared to the other two agents. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that for Candida albicans isolates, miconazole and econazole had the best effect, but in non-albicans Candida species, itraconazole and miconazole displayed more activity than other antifungal agents.

Background and Purpose: Candida species are the most common organisms involved in superficial fungal infections, worldwide. Although econazole is among the most frequently used topical formulations for the treatment of candidiasis, no information is available regarding the susceptibility profiles of Candida species in Iran. Materials and Methods: In vitro susceptibility of 100 clinical Candida isolates belonging to 6 species from superficial candidiasis of Iran towards to econazole was compared with three other common antifungal agents including itraconazole, fluconazole, and miconazole. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) values were analyzed according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M38-A3 document. All isolates were previously identified to the species level, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) on ITS region. Results: The MIC of econazole, itraconazole, miconazole, and fluconazole were within the range of 0.016-16, 0.032-16, 0.016-16, and 0.25-64 μg/ml, respectively. In general, econazole and miconazole were more active against Candida isolates, compared to the other two agents. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that for Candida albicans isolates, miconazole and econazole had the best effect, but in non-albicans Candida species, itraconazole and miconazole displayed more activity than other antifungal agents.

Hyperreflective Foci (HF) is one of the most common complications distributed in cross-sectional images of patients with Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (SLO) images usually consists of several B-scans that represent a cross-sectional reconstruction of a plane through the anterior or posterior regions of retina. In each B-scan, HFs are geometrically distinct constituents in different retinal layers. Since the intensity levels of HFs and many other subjects in B-scans are the same, in this paper we try to separate HFs from other objects by detection of the point and curve singularities in each B-scan. The decomposition algorithm presented in this paper is based on sparse image representation of B-scans using Morphological Component Analysis (MCA) technique. By using curvelet transform and Daubechies wavelet basis, two different over-complete dictionaries are constructed which represent two various aspects of B-scans. The HFs are more distinguished in reconstructed image with wavelet dictionary and other objects are mostly detectable by curvelet dictionary. So, HFs can be detected by applying an optimum threshold criterion on reconstructed image by wavelet atoms. Finally, the false positive points are reduced by removing the candidate points in RNFL and RPE layers, which are automatically segmented based on ridgelet transform. Our simulation results on 1924 HFs show that sensitivity and specificity for HF detection is 91.0% and 100%, respectively.

Fluorescein Angiography (FA) imaging is the gold standard technique for neurovascular imaging regarding assessing neurovascular diseases such as Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). On the other hand, as FA imaging is invasive and does not provide any depth information, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging technique is a good complementary for it in diagnosis process. To correlate the information of both FA and OCT images, an image alignment/registration process is needed. In absence of an automatic registration software, the clinician should do intuitive comparison to integrate these data which is a subjective and time consuming process. In this paper, we demonstrate a non-rigid registration method called multi-step correlation-based registration algorithm to automatically register FA and OCT images together. Our algorithm consists of two steps including rigid/global and non-rigid/local registration. We evaluate our algorithm's performance by labeling Micro-Aneurysm (MA) spots -hallmarks of DR- on FA images and determining MA regions on OCT B-scans after registration. Our Results show that our algorithm performs accurately regarding registration of FA images and OCT B-scans.

One major element in the discursive reproduction of power and dominance is the structures and strategies of “access” to discourse. Using Van Dijk's argument of dominance and patterns of the preferential access to public discourse, this article attempts to offer more insight into general political, sociocultural, and economic aspects of “knowledge production” on post-revolutionary Iran in the United States in the ways Iranian American memoirs are promoted and publicized through major publishing companies, the popular press, and the mainstream media. Such representations strengthen and reinforce the political discourse surrounding Iran as an “undemocratic” and “barbaric” entity. This article discusses the ways in which the perceptions and views of a minority of Iranians, which often move in parallel with the demonized image of Iran in the United States, are vocalized and promoted through “privileged access” to discourse and “means of communication.”

Background: Candida species are known as the most common fungal pathogens isolated from clinical specimens that can develop complications ranging from cutaneous to systemic diseases. Objectives: The present study was conducted to evaluate the diversity and distribution of Candida species in various kinds of cutaneous candidiasis in Tehran, Iran. In addition, the critical effects of several predisposing factors on the induction and progression of the disease were considered. Methods: A total of 3000 samples were taken from March 2014 to 2015. The samples were examined using direct microscopy and culturing method. The polymorphism analysis was performed by using polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. The internal spacer region (ITS) of the fungal rRNA genes was recruited for PCR amplification of target sequences and Msp1 enzyme was employed to digest PCR amplicons. Results: Out of 3000 samples, yeast was recovered in 290 (9.67%) cases. Onychomycosis was observed predominantly in 164 nail samples (56.5%). The majority of patients were within the age range of 51 - 60 years (22.14%). Women working at home (housewives) showed the highest percentage of people at risk (n = 135, 46.5%). Among patients with underlying diseases, diabetic patients with 46 cases (14.2 %) had the highest susceptibility to candidiasis. Genotypic identification showed that Candida albicans is the most common species (n = 132, 45.5 %) recovered from clinical samples, followed by C. parapsilosis (n = 77, 26.5%), C. glabrata (n = 22, 7.5 %), C. krusei (n = 16, 5.5 %), C. tropicalis (n = 37, 12.7 %), and C. guilliermondii (n = 6, 2%). Conclusions: The results of the present study, compared to the previous studies, showed a significantly lower prevalence of cutaneous candidiasis. Among Candida species, C. albicans was still the most common infectious agent isolated from clinical samples. Shifting toward non-albicans Candida species was not confirmed in this study. In addition, our study revealed that there is a direct correlation between some predisposing factors including age of patients, and existence of some non-infectious diseases (e.g. metabolic disorder) and occurrence of Candida infection.

Yeasts are common etiologic agents of onychomycosis. This study reported a case of onychomycosis due to Cryptococcus friedmannii (Naganishia friedmannii). This yeast was isolated of the right great toenail of 57-year-old man. Microscopic examination of nail scrapings showed budding cells with thin capsule. Sequence analyzes of the internal transcribed spacer regions was closely related to Cryptococcus friedmannii. The results of susceptibility testing showed the Cryptococcus friedmannii to be sensitive to fluconazole, itraconazole and amphotericin B.

Background Non-dermatophyte onychomycosis (NDO) is caused by a wide range of mold fungi other than dermatophytes, and has been reported at various rates in different countries worldwide. Studies on the incidence of NDO in the community are essential for understanding its epidemiology and control, as well as for the appropriate treatment of these infections. Objectives In this study, the incidence of NDO in Tehran, Iran, was compared to the incidence of onychomycoses due to dermatophytes and yeasts. Methods From 2014 through 2015, samples from a total of 1,069 patients with suspected fungal nail diseases, who were referred to three medical mycology laboratories in Tehran, were collected and subjected to direct examination (all samples) and culture (788 samples). Differentiation of the causative agents of onychomycosis was based on microscopic observation of characteristic fungal elements in the nail samples and growth of a significant number of identical colonies on the culture plate. Results Based on only direct microscopy, onychomycosis was diagnosed in 424 (39.6%) cases, among which 35.8% were caused by dermatophytes, 32.7% by yeasts, and 29.3% by non-dermatophyte molds (NDMs), while 2.2% were mixed infections. Direct exam was significantly more sensitive than culture for the diagnosis. The most commonly isolated NDMs were Aspergillus spp. (69.3%, n = 52), followed by Fusarium spp. (n = 7). The other isolated species were Paecilomyces spp., Scopulariopsis spp., Acremonium spp., Cladosporium spp., and Chrysosporium spp., with only one case of each. Conclusions An increasing frequency of NDO compared to onychomycosis due to other causative agents has been noticeable over the past few years in Iran. This epidemiological data may be useful in the development of preventive and educational strategies.

Several novels have appeared after the September 11 attacks which deal directly or indirectly with the effect of the event on individuals, both inside and outside the United States. Though, the novels often claim to deal with the posttraumatic aftermath of the incident, the writers regularly use Orientalist stereotyping, and it seems that after September 11 these attitudes toward Muslims and Arabs have hardened and even strengthened the old Orientalist discourse. This paper shall focus on Don Delillo’s Falling Man and John Updike’s Terrorist because both novels were New York Times bestsellers and both novelists are prominent figures in American literature. It attempts to examine the way in which the novelists have responded to the September 11, 2001 attacks and how Muslims and their ideologies are represented. The significant point is that though these novels have been written in the twenty-first century, where there has been an increase in contacts and information about Muslims, the writers often use the same cliches and stereotypes about Muslims that have existed since the Middle Ages.

In the last presidential election of the United States (2016), the interaction between the Donald Trump and the American media was remarkable and unprecedented from both political and communication perspectives. The present paper is interested in observing the interactions between then the Republican Party candidate, Donald Trump, and the media of the United States. As there were major verbal confrontations between Trump, and some media, specifically CNN, this paper observes how Trump campaign reacted to CNN that turned out to be one of his biggest opponents. The relations and reactions are explained using “agenda setting” and “selective exposure” as theories and “thematic analysis” as the research methodology. The paper analyzes CNN videos from October 7 to October 31, and Trump’s tweets during the same period. The reason for conducting the research during October is that this month is regarded as one of the most critical periods in US presidential election, known as “October surprise”. Then a thematic analysis of the data is conducted to extract all accusations and allegations against Trump. Research results show that President Trump did not react to most of the accusations and attacks raised by CNN. Apparently Trump had decided that ignoring and not responding is a better strategy. There was an exception to this rule: Trump’s treatment toward women. He did address that issue frequently and tried to justify himself and apologize. Accordingly, Trump’s presidential campaign aim was to ignore accusations, keep attacking, and answering accusations only if they are already known to too many people.

The effectiveness of complexity acquisition to enhance intermediate learners’ speaking complexity, is particularly the focus of the present study. The participants of the present study, were 60 female EFL learners, who were selected from a larger population of 90 EFL learners based on their performane on a sample piloted PET test in Zabansara Language Institution. The total of 60 participants were divided into two experimental groups of 30. The experimental group of STAD (Student Team-Achievement Division), and the experimental group of CIRC (Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition), which were both regarded as cooperative methods. The 10-session treatment, included focusing on complexities using STAD cooperative method instruction in one experimental group, and CIRC in the other. A post-test was administered to both groups at the end of the treatment,after applying the mentioned cooperative methods. The statistical analyses were conducted, and the gained results of the study indicated that CIRC had a significant influence on learners’ complexity learning. It concluded the importance of applying appropriate complexities in EFL context to developing speech naturalness.

level < 1 µg/mL) was more common in healthy group (56.2%) than the patients with dermatophytosis (41.0%). Conclusions: The findings showed that the increased concentrations of serum MBL in patients with dermatophytosis play a role in this fungal infection. The high frequency of MBL deficiency in healthy individuals was compared with patients indicated that MBL deficiency is not a predisposing factor of this type of infection.

Several novels have appeared after the September 11 attacks which deal directly or indirectly with the effect of the event on individuals, both inside and outside the United States. Though, the novels often claim to deal with the posttraumatic aftermath of the incident, the writers regularly use Orientalist stereotyping, and it seems that after September 11 these attitudes toward Muslims and Arabs have hardened and even strengthened the old Orientalist discourse. This paper shall focus on Don Delillo’s Falling Man and John Updike’s Terrorist because both novels were New York Times bestsellers and both novelists are prominent figures in American literature. It attempts to examine the way in which the novelists have responded to the September 11, 2001 attacks and how Muslims and their ideologies are represented. The significant point is that though these novels have been written in the twenty-first century, where there has been an increase in contacts and information about Muslims, the writers often use the same cliches and stereotypes about Muslims that have existed since the Middle Ages.