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Abstract This work examined the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of alginate/collagen nanoparticles containing limonene. The multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains were screened, and the morphological features of the produced nanoparticles were determined utilizing SEM, DLS, and FTIR. Additionally, the encapsulation effectiveness, stability, and drug release were assessed. The levels of OmpA and Bap biofilm genes were assessed using qRT-PCR. At the same time, the antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of the nanoparticles were evaluated using well diffusion and MTT techniques, respectively. LAC nanoparticles measuring 300 ± 9.6 nm in size, 83.64 ± 0.19% encapsulation efficiency, and 60-day stability at 4 °C were synthesized. The biological investigation demonstrated that LAC nanoparticles had potent antibacterial capabilities. This was shown by their ability to significantly decrease the transcription of OmpA and Bap biofilm genes at a statistically significant level of p ≤ 0.05. The nanoparticles exhibited reduced antibiotic resistance compared to free limonene and alginate/collagen. Compared to limonene, LAC nanoparticles exhibited negligible cytotoxicity against HEK-293 at doses ranging from 1.56 to 100 µg/mL (p ≤ 0.01). The findings underscore the potential of LAC nanoparticles as a breakthrough in the fight against highly resistant pathogens. The potent antibacterial effects of LAC nanoparticles versus Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) MDR strains, considered highly resistant pathogens of significant concern, could inspire new strategies in antibacterial research.

Abstract Background Bacillus strains are well recognized for their inherent production of bioactive compounds that exhibit antibacterial and anticancer properties. This study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial and anticancer effects of the secondary metabolite isolated from Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus siamensis strain. Material and method We developed and purified a new soil-derived Bacillus strain to study its metabolites on cancer cells and bacteria. After evaluating the antimicrobial effects of the selected strains’ secondary metabolites by well diffusion, growth conditions and temperature optimised using liquid-liquid extraction, secondary metabolites isolated, and active compounds identified using GC-MS. Evaluation of PC-3 and HPrEpC cytotoxicity. AV/PI staining and comet assay assessed necrosis and apoptosis. Real-time PCR measured apoptotic gene expression. Finally, the scratch test measured cell movement. Results Bacillus strain metabolites exhibit dual-purpose antimicrobial and anticancer properties. Bacillus licheniformis isolate 56 and S2-G12 isolate 60 demonstrated the greatest antibacterial activity. Among all Bacillus isolates, isolates 56 (Bacillus licheniformis) and 60 (Bacillus siamensis strain) had the highest antibacterial activity. Crude extracts obtained from strains 56 and 60 decreased PC-3 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. At 200 µg/mL, the survival rate of cells treated with strain 56 and 60 crude extract was 23% and 25%, respectively (p

The present study sought to investigate the role of assistive technology (AT) in English vocabulary learning by students with visual impairment (VI) in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. It also endeavored to elicit their attitudes towards AT through a semi-structured interview. To this end, 22 students with VI were divided into an experimental and a control group. Before the experiment, their initial vocabulary knowledge was measured through a pretest. Over five sessions, the experimental group was assigned to learn the target vocabulary items via a screen reader, i.e., non-visual desktop access (NVDA). In the absence of NVDA, the control group was exposed to the same vocabulary items by implicit instruction. Then, both groups received a posttest. The results of an independent samples t-test run on the data obtained from the post-test demonstrated that the experimental group built significantly larger vocabulary items than the control group. Responses given to a semi-structured interview revealed that learners prompted by AT acknowledged that the assistance afforded by NVDA, as a supplementary tool, facilitated learning the target vocabulary items. Based on the findings of the present study the incorporation of AT into the instructional materials of students with VI is recommended.

Background: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) produces an inflammatory process and plays a critical role against infection and in the control of viral infection. The present study was conducted to determine the status of serum TNF-α in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Methods: In this cross-sectional study the serum TNF-α level, sex, and age, were determined in patients with COVID-19. The association between variables was determined using the student t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, multiple logistic regression analysis, and the statistical package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)-18 (p < 0.05). Results: A total of 91 (women 41.75%, and men 58.24%) patients with a mean serum TNF-α level of 9.9 picograms per milliliter (pg/mL) were considered. In all (100%) patients, the TNF-α serum level was more than the normal limit (P=0.95). 95.60% of patients suffered severe COVID-19, with a TNF-a serum level of 10.20 pg/mL (P=0.87). Mean TNF-α serum levels in women and men were 11.37 pg/mL and 8.8 pg/mL, respectively (P= 0.17). In the age group of > 70 years (11.30 pg/mL), serum TNF-α concentration was higher than the other age groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: A significant proportion of women and men patients with COVID-19 in the middle and old age had a high concentration of serum TNF-α which may indicate the severity of the disease. Serum TNF-α level is different in women and men of different ages, so it can contribute to treatment strategies.

BACKGROUND: Aging is associated with a wide range of sleep complaints. Health-promoting behaviors are the most important and effective factor in maintaining and improving the health of the elderly. The present research aims to investigate the relationship between sleep quality and health-promoting behaviors in older people. METHODS: This descriptive correlational research was conducted in Imam Khomeini Hospital affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Firozkoh City, Tehran Province, Iran, in 2020. 384 old people were selected by available sampling. For data collection, the hospital information system (HIS), health-promoting lifestyle profile II (HPLP-II), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used. Data were analyzed using a t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient by SPSS software. RESULTS: The highest frequency was related to people with bad sleep quality (72%). Sleep quality had a significant correlation with nutrition (r = -0.129, P = 0.010), stress management (r = -0.096, P = 0.058), and health-promoting behaviors (r = -0.128, P = 0.001). There was an inverse correlation between taking responsibility for health, physical activity, interpersonal relationships, and spiritual growth with sleep quality, but it was not statistically significant (P = 0.56). CONCLUSION: Health-promoting behaviors depend on a deep link with the sleep quality index, and it is necessary to emphasize sleep quality and other factors of appropriate health-promoting behaviors in the elderly more than anything else.

Background and purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks fourth and second among all types of cancer in terms of incidence and mortality rates, respectively. Although colorectal cancer screening has been effective in improving the prevention and treatment of this disease, many obstacles, including colorectal cancer metastasis, have severely hampered the prognosis of this disease. Long non-coding RNAs are a type of RNAi molecule that is classified into several functional groups and participates in some important cellular pathways. LncRNA-RNA interactions control mRNA translation and degradation or act as microRNA (miRNA) silencing sponges. LncRNA-protein interaction regulates protein activity in transcriptional activation and silencing. LncRNA guide, decoy, and scaffold transcriptional regulators regulate the enhancer or repressor region of coding genes to alter expression. Non-coding RNAs have attracted increasing attention from researchers due to their key role in regulating gene expression and potential effects on cell signaling pathways. These RNAs, as biomarkers, play an important role in the diagnosis, progression, and prognosis of colorectal cancer. This study investigated the change in the expression level of non-coding RNA LINC01139 in colorectal cancer compared to healthy tissue. Materials and methods: and Methods: In this study, the expression change of the LncRNA LINC01139 gene from two databases, UALCAN and Gepia2, was investigated in colon adenocarcinoma tumor tissues compared to healthy tissue. Then, total RNA was extracted from 41 colorectal cancer tumor tissue samples and 41 healthy tissue samples adjacent to the tumor, and after qualitative and quantitative analysis of the extracted RNA, cDNA synthesis was performed using the kit. Then, by designing and synthesizing a specific primer, the expression level of LINC01139 non-coding RNA was measured in two tumor and healthy tissues using the Real-time RT-PCR technique. In the end, considering the Gapdh gene as a housekeeping gene, the resulting data were analyzed by Graph pad prism software. Results: Data analysis of this study based on bioinformatics analysis showed that the expression of non-coding RNA LINC01139 is decreased in colorectal tumors. This is even though the expression of this gene increases significantly in tumor tissues (both metastatic and non-metastatic) compared to the adjacent normal tissue, regardless of gender(P0.05). Conclusion: Considering the known role of LINC01139 lncRNA in the HIF1α signaling pathway as a scaffold, the oncogenic function of LINC01139 lncRNA in liver cancer through the miR-30/MYBL2 axis and the strong Linc01139-PIP3 LncRNA interaction and the effect on the PIP3-AKT pathway. It seems that increased expression of cytoplasmic lncRNA LINC01139 and its function as an oncogene may be involved in colorectal carcinogenesis through signaling pathways.

Floods pose significant threats to urban areas, resulting in substantial human and financial losses annually. The vulnerability of key urban centers to these risks diminishes their efficiency, leading to public dissatisfaction and service deficiencies. Recognizing and enhancing the resilience of essential buildings becomes crucial in mitigating these challenges. This study employs a comprehensive approach to achieve a resilience model for critical buildings facing floods. The research process involves the identification of city assets based on leveling criteria, utilizing GIS technology for spatial mapping. HECRAS software aids in river flow modeling, identifying areas lacking flood-carrying capacity. By overlaying vulnerable gravity centers with flood-prone regions, building resilience components are computed through structural factor analysis and LISREL modeling. The study identifies ten key criteria. Further analysis includes resilience modeling using TOPSIS and AHP methods. The positive ideal and negative ideal solutions are determined, resulting in the grading of building resilience. Notably, the balance redundancy index with cascading potential effects attains the highest positive ideal value at 0.257, while the resistance to a level of stress index achieves the lowest negative ideal value at 0.02. This comprehensive approach and modeling contribute to the understanding and enhancement of urban building resilience in the face of flood threats.

Abstract Aim The present study aimed to assess professional autonomy among clinical nurses and identify its predictors using a native and contemporary tool, which is in line with the recent advancement in nursing professionalism in Iran. Design The study used an analytical cross‐sectional design. Methods A total of 1601 nurses working in medical centres nationwide under the Ministry of Health participated in the study. The research instrument consisted of two parts, including individual and organizational characteristics and a questionnaire on clinical nurses' professional autonomy. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics as well as multiple logistic regression analysis using SPSS software. Results The results indicated that the total professional autonomy score among clinical nurses was 75.86 ± 12.03, with the majority (n = 1262, 78.9%) reporting high professional autonomy. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that nurses with 5–15 years of experience had 1.82 times higher odds (95% confidence interval: 2.47–1.35) of having high professional autonomy compared to those with less than 5 years of experience. Similarly, nurses with over 15 years of experience had 2.25 times higher odds (95% confidence interval: 1.56–3.26). Head nurses had 4.56 times higher odds (95% confidence interval: 2.60–7.99) of having high professional autonomy compared to clinical nurses. Conclusion Educational interventions to enhance the professional autonomy of less experienced nurses, with more experienced nurses serving as role models, are recommended. Additionally, measures such as supporting nurses, providing effective communication training and empowering nurses are essential to promote professional mutual respect among nurses. No Patient or Public Contribution This study explored professional autonomy in clinical nurses in Iran. No patient or public contribution was investigated.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration, memory loss, and cognitive impairment leading to dementia and death. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents the delivery of drugs into the brain, which can limit their therapeutic potential in the treatment of AD. Therefore, there is a need to develop new approaches to bypass the BBB for appropriate treatment of AD. Recently, focused ultrasound (FUS) has been shown to disrupt the BBB, allowing therapeutic agents to penetrate the brain. In addition, microbubbles (MBs) as lipophilic carriers can penetrate across the BBB and deliver the active drug into the brain tissue. Therefore, combined with FUS, the drug-encapsulated MBs can pass through the ultrasound-disrupted zone of the BBB and diffuse into the brain tissue. This review provides clear and concise statements on the recent advances of the various FUS-mediated MBs-based carriers developed for delivering AD-related drugs. In addition, the sonogenetics-based FUS/MBs approaches for the treatment of AD are highlighted. The future perspectives and challenges of ultrasound-based MBs drug delivery in AD are then discussed.

BackgroundIdentification of the opportunistic fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii in respiratory specimens presents challenges, particularly in differentiating between colonization and active infection. The present study assessed a probe-based real time PCR (qPCR) diagnostic effectiveness in patients with diverse underlying conditions, particularly those with COVID-19 and pulmonary insufficiency.MethodsTo set up the qPCR, clinical samples from 281 patients with respiratory ailments were tested. Subsequently, a descriptive study was conducted on 112 patients with pulmonary insufficiency with and without COVID-19 suspected of P. jirovecii infection. All specimens were subjected to DNA extraction followed by nested PCR and qPCR targeting the mitochondrial large subunit (mtLSU)-rRNA gene.ResultsBased on nested PCR and qPCR, P. jirovecii was identified in 40 out of 281 patients, with slight variations in positive samples observed across dilutions. Three patients who tested positive in nested PCR yielded negative results in probe-based qPCR. Conversely, three patients who tested positive in probe-based qPCR yielded negative results in nested PCR. Considering nested PCR as the golden standard, probe-based qPCR demonstrated good diagnostic performance, with 92.5% sensitivity and 98.7% specificity. Based on cycle threshold (Ct) values, the positive cases were categorized: ≤32 as infection, >35 as colonization, and a grey zone between these values (32 < X ≤ 35). The analysis of 112 PCP-suspected patients revealed a prevalence ranging from 6.25% (nested PCR) to 7% (probe-based qPCR).ConclusionsThis study suggested Ct values to differentiate Pneumocystis pneumonia/colonization in immunocompromised patients. To further augment the diagnostic sensitivity, it is recommended to integrate qPCR results with clinical parameters and biomarkers to offer a more precise understanding of Pneumocystis-related conditions.

Background: Having a weakened immune system can make patients easily get nosocomial infection (NI) with multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria and put them in a dangerous situation. It causes long hospital stays, disability, economic burden, and even death. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of NI in patients suffering from COVID-19. Methods: In this retrospective study, the information on 250 patients suffering from COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU) (2020 to 2021) was considered. For statistical analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), paired samples t-test, and chi-square using SPSS-23 software were used (p

Background and purpose: Premature birth is common worldwide and can affect the development of brain structures, such as the optic nerve. Eye diseases are very common in low birth weight children and premature children. Vision defects associated with premature birth include Retinopathy of premature babies (ROP), decreased visual acuity, strabismus, amblyopia, and various types of refractive errors. Studies have shown that the occurrence of myopia in children born prematurely is negatively correlated with gestational age and birth weight and is directly related to the severity of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP). Advances in neonatal intensive care unit services have led to a significant increase in the survival rate of premature infants and subsequent medical problems in these children. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of refractive errors in 4-6-year-old children born with a birth weight of less than 2000 grams and gestational age of less than 34 weeks and normal children admitted to the neonatal department of Bou-Ali Sina Hospital in Sari in 2016-2018. Materials and methods: This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study on 43 children aged 4-6 years who were born with a weight of less than 2000 grams and gestational age of less than 34 weeks, and 17 normal children who were admitted in the neonatal department of Bou-Ali Sina Hospital due to neonatal jaundice. The study subjects were in four groups: 12 subjects in group A (ROP cases without injection), 14 subjects in group B (ROP cases with injection), 17 subjects in group C (cases with birth weight less than 2000 grams and gestational age less than 34 weeks without ROP), and 17 normal subjects in group D. Uncorrected distance visual acuity was measured using E-chart. Dry and cyclo refraction (using cyclopentolate 1%) were measured using an autorefractometer. Finally, the fundus was examined using a biomicroscope and 90 diopter lens. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 26. Results: of the 60 studied subjects, 46.67% were females and 53.33% were males, and there was no significant difference in the prevalence of the two sexes between the groups (P=0.146). In total, 12.1% of the studied subjects were myopie, 34.5% were emmetrope, and 53/4% were hypermetrope. Although the prevalence of hypermetropia was higher than other types of refractive errors in all groups, the prevalence of myopia was higher in those with ROP than in groups without ROP, and there was a significant difference in the prevalence of refractive errors in different groups (P=0.025). There was no significant difference between the prevalence of the different types of astigmatism in the studied groups (P=0.304) and with the rule astigmatism was the most common type among all groups. There was a significant and direct relationship between gestational age and birth weight with cyclo-equivalent sphere, which means that the lesser gestational age (P=0.356, r=0.006) and birth weight (P=0.002, r=0.387), the higher the probability of myopia. Conclusion: Considering the higher prevalence of myopia in low birth weight children, especially in children with ROP, it is necessary to formulate a regular program to screen this category of children to prevent refractive errors, especially myopia in the future.