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Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can have adverse effects on pregnancy. GDM is associated with changes in the lipid profile of pregnant women. Finding out the early ways to diagnose GDM can prevent the adverse outcomes. This meta-analysis study aimed to determine the effect of GDM on lipid profile. PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrial were systematically searched for published articles relating to GDM until 2021 according to PRISMA guidelines. Newcastle Ottawa scale was used to assess the quality of the studies. Thirty-three studies with a sample size of 23,792 met the criteria for entering the meta-analysis. Pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) for total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) was 0.23 mg/dL (95% CI: 0.11–0.34) and 1.14 mg/dL (95% CI: 0.91–1.38), respectively. The mean of TC and TG in people with GDM was higher than that in normal pregnant women. A similar pattern was observed for the very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and TG/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio, with pooled SMD of 0.99 mg (95% CI: 0.71–1.27) and 0.65 mg (95% CI: 0.36–0.94), respectively. Pooled SMD for HDL was −0.35 mg/dL (95% CI: −0.54 to −0.16), women with GDM had a mean HDL lower than normal pregnant women. Although pooled SMD was higher for low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the GDM group, this difference was not significant (0.14 [95% CI: −0.04 to 0.32]). Of all the lipid profiles, the largest difference between the GDM and control groups was observed in TG (SMD: 1.14). Elevated serum TG had the strongest effect on GDM. Higher levels of TC, LDL, VLDL, and TG/HDL ratio, and lower level of HDL were exhibited in GDM group. So, these markers can be considered as a reliable marker in the diagnosis of GDM.

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Background: Hyaluronidase A is an antigenic protein that is secreted by Streptococcus pyogenes. Nowadays, streptococcal infections are diagnosed by tracking down anti-hyaluronidase A antibodies. In this study, the attempt was made to generate recombinant hyaluronidase A in E. coli. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, through designing specific primers and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), hyaluronidase A gene was amplified and after purification, it was sub-cloned in plasmid expression vector pET32a. Then pET32a-hylA was transferred to E. coli BL21-DE3-plySs. Protein generation induced by IPTG. The recombinant protein was purified by Ni-NTA kit and its concentration was assayed by Bradford method. Western-Blot analysis was run for verifying the recombinant hyaluronidase A. Results: The nucleotide sequencing of the gene amplified by PCR was the same as hyaluronidase A gene from Streptococcus pyogenes. Production of the recombinant hyaluronidase A via induction by pET32a-hylA plasmid was done through IPTG. The expressed protein was purified by affinity chromatography by Ni-NTA resin. The concentration of purified protein was 500μg/ml. analysis using a mouse anti-hyaluronidase A serum was reacted with the generated protein using Western-Blot analysis. Conclusion: Recombinant HylA protein can be generated in E.coli and the resulting protein maintains its antigenic properties desirably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brucellosis is a chronic and debilitating disease in humans, causing great economic losses in the livestock industry. Making an effective vaccine is one of the most important concerns for this disease. The new mRNA vaccine technology due to its accuracy and high efficiency has given promising results in various diseases. The objective of this research was to create a novel mRNA vaccine with multiple epitopes targeting Brucella melitensis . Seventeen antigenic proteins and their appropriate epitopes were selected with immunoinformatic tools and surveyed in terms of toxicity, allergenicity, and homology. Then, their presentation and identification by MHC cells and other immune cells were checked with valid tools such as molecular docking, and a multi-epitope protein was modeled, and after optimization, mRNA was analyzed in terms of structure and stability. Ultimately, the immune system's reaction to this novel vaccine was evaluated and the results disclosed that the designed mRNA construct can be an effective and promising vaccine that requires laboratory and clinical trials., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Background: The ability of bacteria to form biofilm is an essential strategy for creating stable infections. This issue is more critical in Acinetobacter bauamannii as a hospital pathogen. Today, the control of biofilm formation and solutions to prevent or remove biofilm is being developed. Carvacrol has been considered an anti-biofilm compound in significant bacteria. This study investigated the anti-biofilm effect of Carvacrol on biofilm formation in clinical colistin heteroresistant isolates of A. baumannii ., Methods: 22 clinical strains of A. baumannii were collected from Motahari Hospital in Tehran, Iran, in 2019. Biochemical and genotypic methods confirmed these isolates. Colistin heteroresistance was determined by the Standard PAP method. Carvacrol's antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity was determined according to the standard protocol., Results: About 12 isolates were considered strong biofilm producers and were used for analysis. Six isolates had hetero-resistance to colistin. Carvacrol at a 512 g/ml concentration showed the best antibacterial activity against all isolates. The sub-MIC of Carvacrol (256 g/ml) reduced the biofilm formation capacity, which was statistically significant (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: The results of this study showed that sub-MIC of Carvacrol has anti-biofilm effects in clinical A.baumannii colistin hetero-resistance isolates., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

The rising issue of antibiotic resistance has made treating Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections increasingly challenging. Therefore, vaccines have emerged as a viable alternative to antibiotics for preventing P. aeruginosa infections in susceptible individuals. With its superior accuracy, high efficiency in stimulating cellular and humoral immune responses, and low cost, mRNA vaccine technology is quickly replacing traditional methods. This study aimed to design a novel mRNA vaccine by using in silico approaches against P. aeruginosa. The research team identified five surface and antigenic proteins and selected their appropriate epitopes with immunoinformatic tools. These epitopes were then examined for toxicity, allergenicity and homology. The researchers also checked their presentation and identification by major histocompatibility complex cells and other immune cells through valuable tools like molecular docking. They subsequently modeled a multi-epitope protein and optimized it. The mRNA was analyzed in terms of structure and stability, after which the immune system's response against the new vaccine was simulated. The results indicated that the designed mRNA construct could be an effective and promising vaccine that requires laboratory and clinical trials., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Dental caries is a multi-factorial infectious disease. The primary cause is dental plaque, a complex of biofilm. It was postulated that the ethanolic extract of fruite wall of acorn may represent a new substance to prevent caries. Hence, the study was performed to evaluate the effect of ethanolic extract of fruite wall of acorn against biofilm formation by Streptococcus mutans , which is associated with dental plaque. The cytotoxicity of the ethanolic extract was determined against Vero cells resulting in an inhibitory concentration of 50 (IC 50 ) of 55 µg/ml. After bacterial collection, different concentrations under the IC 50 from the extract were evaluated against biofilm formation of S. mutans . 3 µg/ml of the extract inhibited the biofilm formation of S. mutans , and 1 to 3 µg/ml caused a decrease in gtfB and brpA biofilm-production genes. This study showed the potency of the ethanolic extract of fruite wall of acorn against biofilm formation by S. mutans ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Chavak et al.)

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of alcohol consumption on breast cancer, adjusting for alcohol consumption misclassification bias and confounders., Methods: This was a case-control study of 932 women with breast cancer and 1000 healthy control. Using probabilistic bias analysis method, the association between alcohol consumption and breast cancer was adjusted for the misclassification bias of alcohol consumption as well as a minimally sufficient set of adjustment of confounders derived from a causal directed acyclic graph. Population attributable fraction was estimated using the Miettinen's Formula., Results: Based on the conventional logistic regression model, the odds ratio estimate between alcohol consumption and breast cancer was 1.05 (95% CI: 0.57, 1.91). However, the adjusted estimates of odds ratio based on the probabilistic bias analysis ranged from 1.82 to 2.29 for non-differential and from 1.93 to 5.67 for differential misclassification. Population attributable fraction ranged from 1.51 to 2.57% using non-differential bias analysis and 1.54-3.56% based on differential bias analysis., Conclusion: A marked measurement error was in self-reported alcohol consumption so after correcting misclassification bias, no evidence against independence between alcohol consumption and breast cancer changed to a substantial positive association., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aim: Persistence cells comprise a subpopulation of bacteria that is resistant to treatment. In this study, the role of the toxin-antitoxin (TA) system in the formation of persistence cells of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates was investigated. Methods: After confirming all isolates, TA systems abkBA, mqsRA and higBA were identified. Persister cells were confirmed using the standard method. Real-time PCR was used to compare the expression of TA systems in isolates in persistence and normal states. Results: The abkAB system was present in all isolates; 4% of isolates formed persister cells. The expression level of the  abkB gene in persistent isolates showed a sevenfold increase compared with nonpersistent isolates. Conclusion:  The abkBA system is proposed as an antipersistence target in A. baumannii isolates.

Aim: To determine the age- and sex-standardized prevalence and risk factors of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in the city of Ilam., Method: In this population-based cross-sectional study, 1,350 people were invited using a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method. Depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were measured using the DASS-21 standard questionnaire. For data analysis, multiple ordinal logistic regression was used in Stata version 12 software. A significance level of 5% was considered., Results: The data of 1,431 people were analyzed. The age- and sex-standardized prevalence (95% CI) of severe depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms was 19.90% (17.64 to 22.16), 25.95% (23.48 to 28.43), and 15.75% (13.69 to 17.81), respectively. There was a positive association among depression symptoms with female sex (OR: 1.52; p  < 0.003), Kurdish ethnicity (OR: 2.15; p  < 0.004), low educational level (OR: 1.37; p  < 0.031), job losing history (OR: 1.64; p  < 0.001), mental disorders history (OR: 2.17; p  < 0.001), hopelessness for the future (OR: 5.38; p  < 0.001), and history of other diseases (OR: 1.67; p  < 0.001). There was a positive association among anxiety symptoms with female sex (OR: 1.72; p  < 0.001), job losing history (OR: 1.53; p  < 0.003), mental disorders history (OR: 2.11; p  < 0.001), hopelessness to future (OR: 3.33; p  < 0.001) and history of other diseases (OR: 1.97; p  < 0.001). Hopelessness for the future and a history of other diseases were the most effective variables for anxiety symptoms and stress symptoms., Conclusion: A significant proportion of Ilam's urban population suffers from mental disorders. Increasing people's awareness, establishing counseling centers, and improving infrastructure should be considered by mental health policymakers who work in the province., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Kakaei, Maleki, Biderafsh, Valizadeh, Mansournia, Pakzad and Pakzad.)

Introduction: The possibility of surface transmission in hospitals with high density of COVID- 19 patients is unneglectable. The aim of this study is to determine the extent of surface contamination in coronavirus central hospital of Ilam province in western Iran., Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 205 samples were taken from environmental surfaces in hospital. SARS-CoV-2 RNA detected by Real-time RT-PCR., Results: 121 out of 205 (50.02%) samples were positive. The most contaminated objects were toilet sites (5/5,100% ICU; 5/5, 100% isolation wards)., Conclusion: High surface contamination with SARS-CoV-2 proposes the surface as a potential route of transmission.

Background: The aim of the present meta-analysis is to estimate the prevalence of colistin resistance among the Enterobacteriaceae family., Methods: Articles from various databases (Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase) examining colistin resistance among Enterobacteriaceae in human, animal, and environmental specimens were searched from 2016 to 2021 using related keywords. The Cochran's Q-test and I2 were applied to evaluate heterogeneity and a random-effects model was used to assess the pooled prevalence. The meta-regression method was applied to determine heterogeneity among the studies., Results: Of 5,145 articles, 60 articles with a sample size of 404,856 was included. The pooled estimate for prevalence of bacterial resistance were 9.13% (95% CI: 6.96 to 11.56; I-squared = 99.4%) in total, 8.34% (95% CI: 5.87 to 11.16; I-squared = 99.3%) for Klebsiella spp. subgroup and 3.44% (95% CI: 2.46 to 4.57; I-squared = 98.4%) for E. coli subgroup. The pooled prevalence for human and animal settings were 9.07% (95% CI: 6.77 to 11.67; I-squared = 99.3%) and 9.73% (95% CI: 484 to 16.02; I-squared = 99.4%), respectively. The continent (coefficient: 3.51; 95% CI: 0.08 to 6.94, p: 0.045) and bacterial type (coefficient: 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.05 p: 0.042) had significant effects on heterogeneity among studies., Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the prevalence of colistin resistance in Enterobacteriaceae was similar between animals and humans, with the highest colistin resistance found in Klebsiella strains.

Aims: Chitosan, like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), is used in medicine as a wound healing accelerator. Thus, in this study, chitosan-alginate (CA) membranes containing DHA and MSCs were produced, and their antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against burn infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa were investigated. Methods: Physicochemical properties were assessed by SEM, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Porosity, cytocompatibility, and antibacterial and antibiofilm activities were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The viability and apoptosis of MSCs were studied using flow cytometry. Wound healing effects were analyzed based on histopathological features, the wound contraction rate (WCR) ratio, and bacterial clearance. Results: The CA membranes showed antibiofilm activity both in vivo and in vitro, accompanied by reduced lasI and rhlI expressions and pyocyanin production. The membranes were highly porous and biocompatible and showed favorable physicochemical properties. Docosahexaenoic acid incorporation to CA membranes improved their antibacterial and antibiofilm activities, as well as MSCs' viability by reducing crystallinity and increasing porosity ( p = .008 ). Treatment with CA-DHA-MSC accelerated burn wound healing (with complete healing being observed after 14 days, WCR = 85%) and augmented antibacterial and antibiofilm activities in vivo compared to CA-DHA and CA-MSC. The CA-DHA-MSC group delivered a significantly higher WCR and lower inflammation than the CA-MSC group ( p = .0001). Conclusion: In combination with DHA-loaded CA membranes, MSCs reduced the healing time of burn wounds, offering a viable option for designing effective wound dressings.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a human pathogen causing nosocomial infections and increased hospitalization and mortality among human communities. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains are considered a severe threat in nosocomial infections and cause complications in the remedy process of bacterial infections. In this study, 137 samples were collected from different departments, staff, and patients in Ilam hospital., Methods: Eighty-eight samples of these strains were examined to test antibiotic resistance and diffusion. MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) were performed on the samples resistant to oxacillin. 36 (40.9%) strains were MRSA, and 52 (59.1%) isolates were MSSA. 44.4% of MRSA strains with IV SCCmec type., Results: Fourteen different spa types were found using spa typing, of which the most abundant types were t037, t030, and t701, and three new types, including t15471, t15474, and t17470, were identified among the strains. The molecular analysis by MLST showed that the strains are classified into 11 different sequence types. Sequence type 239 and clonal complexes of 329 and 22 were dominant. ST239- spat037-SCCmec III was also identified as the most frequent clone of MRSA. The most identified clones were MRSA ST239-spa t037-SCCmec III., Conclusion: The results show the spa-type distribution between samples of patients, personnel, and surfaces, demonstrating MRSA circulation between patients and the environment. The results show the need to control environmental health., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Reports show that other ordinary childhood infections like measles or influenza are likely to reemerge. The re-emergence of infectious diseases may happen due to the direct impact of the pandemic on the community because of decreased access to health and medical services, interrupted transport systems, weaknesses in the supply chain, flight restrictions, closings of the border, and international trade problems. The most prevalent cause (60.9%) for low vaccine uptake and coverage during the current pandemic was fear of exposure to the COVID-19 virus outside the home. The expectation and hope that the pattern of reduction in transmission and number of influenza cases will continue over the next flu season depend on continued adherence to nonpharmaceutical interventions and their long-term application. But there is always the fear and threat of increasing the spread of influenza by reducing the movement restrictions and low adherence to protective health measures due to vaccination. So far, not much information has been published about the interaction between different infectious diseases in the background of the coronavirus pandemic and related interventions. The purpose of this article is to examine the general effects of the COVID-19 vaccination on the spread of influenza in the coming seasons., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: One of the major problems with Brucella infections is its tendency to become chronic and recurrent, providing a hindrance to the management of this infection. It has been proposed that chronicity is greatly affected by a phenomenon called persistence in bacteria. Several mechanisms are involved in bacterial persistence, including the type II toxin-antitoxin system, the SOS and oxidative and stringent responses., Methods: In this in silico study, these persistence mechanisms in Brucella spp. were investigated., Results: The structure and the interactions between modules involved in these systems were designed, and novel peptides that can interfere with some of these important mechanisms were developed., Conclusion: Since peptide-based therapeutics are a new and evolving field due to their ease of production, we hope that peptides developed in this study, as well as the information about the structure and interactions of modules of persistence mechanisms, can further be used to design drugs against Brucella persister cells in the hope of restraining the chronic nature of Brucellosis., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)