Search

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are one of the major problems, encountering work force today. Many researches have revealed the disadvantages and inconveniences that such problems have caused. Some kinds of careers are traditional and complex and are more probable to cause disorders. Carpet restoration is one of these jobs causing musculoskeletal disorders in the work force. The nature of this job puts a lot of pressure on the worker's body. The postures are most of the time problematic and are in need of some ergonomic actions to be taken in order to prevent from diseases and disorders of musculoskeletal system.Methods: In a cross- sectional survey, 144 male carpet restoration workers enrolled. NORDIC and PLIBEL checklists were used to assess the musculoskeletal stress factors with injury effects. Another checklist was employed to address demographic characteristics of the population under study.Results: The results showed that 82% of these workers suffered from some forms of musculoskeletal disorders mostly from knee and lower back discomfort. The more they had job experience, the more they suffered from MSDs. Disorders of neck and upper back had significant relationship with the duration of work experience. Also badly designed tools and awkward posture were of main risk factors. PLIBEL checklist successfully showed the main threatening risk factors of all body parts.Conclusion: The survey revealed that the incidence of MSDs in these workers is high and there are several risk factors affecting their body during work unsuitable design of tools, incorrect work height and bending position of the body during work were the most risk factors, which observed.

Introduction: Recent research has been concentrated on investigating the involvement of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in the progression of liver disorders. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of T. gondii infection in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), as well as the effects of toxoplasmosis infection on biological biomarkers such as aspirate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), cholesterol (Chol), and triglyceride (Tg) levels in Sistan, southeast Iran., Methods: A case-control study was conducted between December 2021 and September 2022. The study included 225 patients diagnosed with NAFLD as the case group and 225 healthy blood donors as the control group. The controls were selected from the same region and were matched with the patients based on gender and age. We collected serum samples from all patients and utilized an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to analyze them for the existence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies. A questionnaire and medical records were utilized to gather data on the patient's demographic factors., Results: The prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were 68 (30.2%) in patients with NAFLD, whereas it was 11 (4.88%) in the control group. The seroprevalence of T. gondii in NAFLD patients increased in correlation with age (P < 0.001). The prevalence of NAFLD was significantly greater in the seropositive group compared to the seronegative group (P < 0.001). In addition, the levels of the metabolic markers Chol and Tg were significantly higher in T. gondii seropositive NAFLD patients compared to T. gondii seronegative NAFLD patients., Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate a high seroprevalence of T. gondii in patients with NAFLD. Further studies are warranted to investigate the underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic implications of this association., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common liver disease, is closely associated with metabolic conditions such as obesity and diabetes mellitus, which significantly impact human health outcomes. The impaired lipid profiles observed in NAFLD individuals can further contribute to cardiovascular events. Despite the high prevalence of NAFLD, there is currently no confirmed intervention approved for its treatment. This study aimed to summarize the results of meta-analysis studies of randomized control trials assessing the impact of gut microbial therapy (probiotics, synbiotics, and prebiotics) on the lipid profile of individuals with NAFLD., Methods: A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library up to November 1, 2022. Meta-analyses surveying the impact of microbial therapy on lipid profile parameters (triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and total cholesterol (TC)) in the NAFLD population were included in our umbrella review. The final effect size (ES) was estimated, and sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed to explore heterogeneity., Results: Fifteen studies were included in this umbrella review. Microbial therapy significantly reduced TG (ES - 0.31, 95% CI - 0.51, - 0.11, P < 0.01), TC (ES - 1.04, 95% CI - 1.46, - 0.61, P < 0.01), and LDL (ES - 0.77, 95% CI - 1.15, - 0.39, P < 0.01) in individuals with NAFLD. However, the effect on HDL was not statistically significant (ES - 0.06; 95% CI - 0.19, 0.07, P = 0.39)., Conclusion: Considering the absence of approved treatments for NAFLD and the promising role of microbial therapies in improving the three lipid profiles components in individuals with NAFLD, the use of these agents as alternative treatment options could be recommended. The findings underscore the potential of gut microbial therapy, including probiotics, synbiotics, and prebiotics, in managing NAFLD and its associated metabolic complications., Trial Registration: PROSPERO ( CRD42022346998 )., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Medical education is facing a challenge in meeting society's demands about their health improvement. Due to this, it seems necessary to educate creative and thoughtful staff for health-care system. By this introduction, this study aimed to compare the effect of "learning based on classic education" and "learning based on participatory education" on nursing students critical thinking., Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight nursing students participated in this study. Students were chosen by census method and were divided into two groups randomly. The California critical thinking questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS v. 19 by descriptive statistics and t -test., Results: The results showed a significant difference between the mean score of critical thinking before and after conducting the "learning based on participatory education" method. Difference between mean score was significant between the two groups. This mean score was more increased in group which "learning based on participatory education" method was conducted., Conclusion: The increased score of critical thinking among students with "learning based on participatory education" method showed the welcome of students toward new and dynamic methods of teaching the critical thinking and proved this that critical thinking can be useful in nursing education., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Journal of Education and Health Promotion.)

Purpose: Women display an attenuated mechanoreflex during leg movement; however, sex differences in the response to arm movement are unknown., Methods: Men (n = 12) and women (n = 10) performed passive arm or leg movement where either the right elbow or right knee was passively flexed/extended for 3 min at 30 times/min. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output index (Qi), and heart rate (HR) were continuously measured and 1-min averages along with peak values were obtained. Heart rate variability was measured at baseline and throughout 3 min of passive movement., Results: Men had a greater average HR (P = 0.006) and Qi (P = 0.05) responses to passive limb movement compared to women. Men also had a greater (P = 0.02) and faster (P = 0.04) peak Qi response compared to women. During arm movement, men exhibited a greater change of average MAP compared to both women (P = 0.002) and leg movement (P = 0.05). Movement of either limb in both sexes decreased low-frequency power (LF; P = 0.04), decreased low-frequency to high-frequency ratio (LF/HF; P = 0.03), and increased high-frequency power (HF; P = 0.01) of heart rate variability. Women had lower pulse wave velocity (P = 0.02), higher root mean square of the successive differences (RMSSD; P = 0.04), lower LF power (P = 0.04), higher HF power (P = 0.03), and higher cardiovagal baroreceptor sensitivity (P = 0.003) compared to men at all time points., Conclusions: We have found sex- and limb-dependent responses where men exhibit higher blood pressure in response to passive arm movement compared to women and compared to leg movement.

Background and Purpose: Cutaneous infections arise from a homogeneous group of keratinophilic fungi, known as dermatophytes. Since these pathogenic dermatophytes are eukaryotes in nature, use of chemical antifungal agents for treatment may affect the host tissue cells. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of Actinomyces species against Trichophyton mentagrophytes (abbreviated as T. mentagrophytes ). The isolates were obtained from soil samples and identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique., Material and Methods: In total, 100 strains of Actinomyces species were isolated from soil samples in order to determine their antagonistic activities against T. mentagrophytes in Kerman, Iran . The electron microscopic study of these isolates was performed, based on the physiological properties of these antagonists (e.g., lipase, amylase, protease and chitinase), using relevant protocols. The isolates were identified using gene 16S rDNA via PCR technique., Results: Streptomyces flavogriseus , Streptomyces zaomyceticus strain xsd08149 and Streptomyces rochei were isolated and exhibited the most significant antagonistic activities against T. mentagrophytes . Images were obtained by an electron microscope and some spores, mycelia and morphology of spore chains were identified. Molecular, morphological and biochemical characteristics of these isolates were studied, using the internal 16S rDNA gene. Active isolates of Streptomyces sequence were compared to GenBank sequences. According to nucleotide analysis, isolate D5 had maximum similarity to Streptomyces flavogriseus (99%)., Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that Streptomyces isolates from soil samples could exert antifungal effects on T. mentagrophytes ., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Background & Objectives: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has been recently emerged in new foci, posing a public health problem. Increasing cases of CL have been reported during recent years from a border area between Iran and Pakistan, a previously non-endemic area. The present study was designed for epidemiological and parasitological characterization of the disease for the first time in this area., Methods: A total of 3100 individuals from the city of Mirjaveh and its four rural districts were randomly selected and surveyed from March 2005 to February 2006. Microscopic examination, in vitro culture, mouse inoculations and species-specific kDNA-PCR assay were carried out for Leishmania detection and species identification., Results: CL was endemic in an important rural district of Mirjaveh, presenting active lesions and scars in 6.6 and 9.5%, respectively. The highest rates of both active lesions and scars were found in the age group of 10 years or under with significant differences (p < 0.05) comparing to the older age groups. No association between genders and the rate of leishmaniasis was observed (p > 0.05). The most affected location was upper limb, 39.2% of ulcers and 41.7% of scars. Inoculation of the clinical isolates on Balb/c mice, led to the development of ulcers in the animals, implying that the causative parasite is Leishmania major. The PCR amplification also generated amplicons specific to L. major., Conclusion: It can be concluded that Mirjaveh is an endemic region of cutaneous leishmaniasis as a new focus due to the recent emergence in this border area of south-east of Iran with a major contribution of L. major, as the causative parasite species.

The development of genomic instability is an important step in generating the multiple genetic changes required for cancer. One consequence of genomic instability is the overexpression of oncogenes due to gene amplification. One mechanism for gene amplification is the breakage/fusion/bridge (B/F/B) cycle that involves the repeated fusion and breakage of chromosomes following the loss of a telomere. B/F/B cycles have been associated with low-copy gene amplification in human cancer cells, and have been proposed to be an initiating event in high-copy gene amplification. We have found that spontaneous telomere loss on a marker chromosome 16 in a human tumor cell line results in sister chromatid fusion and prolonged periods of chromosome instability. The high rate of anaphase bridges involving chromosome 16 demonstrates that this instability results from B/F/B cycles. The amplification of subtelomeric DNA on the marker chromosome provides conclusive evidence that B/F/B cycles initiated by spontaneous telomere loss are a mechanism for gene amplification in human cancer cells.

Telomeres are essential for protecting the ends of chromosomes and preventing chromosome fusion. Telomere loss has been proposed to play an important role in the chromosomal rearrangements associated with tumorigenesis. To determine the relationship between telomere loss and chromosome instability in mammalian cells, we investigated the events resulting from the introduction of a double-strand break near a telomere with I-SceI endonuclease in mouse embryonic stem cells. The inactivation of a selectable marker gene adjacent to a telomere as a result of the I-SceI-induced double-strand break involved either the addition of a telomere at the site of the break or the formation of inverted repeats and large tandem duplications on the end of the chromosome. Nucleotide sequence analysis demonstrated large deletions and little or no complementarity at the recombination sites involved in the formation of the inverted repeats. The formation of inverted repeats was followed by a period of chromosome instability, characterized by amplification of the subtelomeric region, translocation of chromosomal fragments onto the end of the chromosome, and the formation of dicentric chromosomes. Despite this heterogeneity, the rearranged chromosomes eventually acquired telomeres and were stable in most of the cells in the population at the time of analysis. Our observations are consistent with a model in which broken chromosomes that do not regain a telomere undergo sister chromatid fusion involving nonhomologous end joining. Sister chromatid fusion is followed by chromosome instability resulting from breakage-fusion-bridge cycles involving the sister chromatids and rearrangements with other chromosomes. This process results in highly rearranged chromosomes that eventually become stable through the addition of a telomere onto the broken end. We have observed similar events after spontaneous telomere loss in a human tumor cell line, suggesting that chromosome instability resulting from telomere loss plays a role in chromosomal rearrangements associated with tumor cell progression.

Chromosome instability plays an important role in cancer by promoting the alterations in the genome required for tumor cell progression. The loss of telomeres that protect the ends of chromosomes and prevent chromosome fusion has been proposed as one mechanism for chromosome instability in cancer cells, however, there is little direct evidence to support this hypothesis. To investigate the relationship between spontaneous telomere loss and chromosome instability in human cancer cells, clones of the EJ-30 tumor cell line were isolated in which a herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) gene was integrated immediately adjacent to a telomere. Selection for HSV-tk-deficient cells with ganciclovir demonstrated a high rate of loss of the end these "marked" chromosomes (10-4 events/cell per generation). DNA sequence and cytogenetic analysis suggests that the loss of function of the HSV-tk gene most often involves telomere loss, sister chromatid fusion, and prolonged periods of chromosome instability. In some HSV-tk-deficient cells, telomeric repeat sequences were added on to the end of the truncated HSV-tk gene at a new location, whereas in others, no telomere was detected on the end of the marked chromosome. These results suggest that spontaneous telomere loss is a mechanism for chromosome instability in human cancer cells.

We used the plasmid BLUR-8 that contains an 800-base pair (bp) sequence of human repetitive Alu DNA in a cotransfection protocol to target the plasmids pSV2neo or EBO-pcD-leu-2 (hygro) into a single site of the sole human chromosome, number 11, of a Chinese hamster-human hybrid cell line (AL). The neo and hygro plasmids confer resistance to the antibiotics G418 and hygromycin, respectively. Of the 33 cotransfected clones with single-site insertions, 1/13 without BLUR-8 and 6/20 with BLUR-8 were only in human chromosome 11. A frequency of insertion of 1/13 is not different than expected by chance (rho = 0.3512). On the other hand, the probability that 6/20 insertions, as seen with BLUR-8, occurred by chance is low (rho = 0.0003). We suggest that the human DNA sequences contained in BLUR-8 targeted insertions into only the human chromosome.