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Background: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most frequently isolated microorganisms from burn wounds. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is a new strategy that may improve antimicrobial treatment. Method: This study evaluated three meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and three meticillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) clinical isolates, which produced a biofilm with 0.1mg/ml Toluidine Blue O (TBO) (Sigma-Aldrich, Germany) with an energy density of 45J/cm2 and 90J/cm2, for MRSA and MSSA, respectively. The antibiofilm potential of aPDT with TBO was analysed using crystal violet assays and scanning electron microscopy. Results: TBO-aPDT significantly degraded the biofilm formed by MRSA and MSSA clinical isolates (pConclusion: Our results indicated that aPDT is an effective approach to combat bacterial biofilms associated with burn wound infection. aPDT could provide a supplemental to the treatment of wound and tissue infection, and patients with burns may benefit from combined treatments.

One of the systemic infections is Brucellosis which is caused by facultative intracellular bacteria of the genus Brucella. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble prohormone, that metabolizes enzymes and its intracellular receptor creates the active hormone and also mediate in responses of immune system.Current research consists of 102 patients with brucellosis who were selected based on culture, PCR results serology, and clinical symptoms. The control group composed of 102 healthy people. The polymorphism of genes (Bsm I, Fok I, Taq I, Apa I) encoding Vitamin D receptor (VDR) were assessed by the PCR-RFLP method.The results showed that ff, tt, aa, and bb genotypes in Fok I, ApaI, TaqI, and BsmI were significant in case/control groups (P-value ≤ 0.0001). The genotype frequency AA in the control group is higher than that of the study group, while genotype frequency aa in the study group is more than the control. The odds ratio for brucellosis in individuals with ff genotype is 37 times higher than that of Ff genotype. Also, the odds ratio of brucellosis in individuals with genotype tt, aa, and bb was 12, 53, and 6 times higher than those of the Aa, Bb, and Tt genotypes.The genotypes aa and ff in the positions of the ApaI and FokI are of higher importance. The brucellosis risk in individuals accompanied aa genotype at Apa I is 53 times higher than that of the genotype AA, in other words, AA and BB, TT and FF genotypes are protective against the disease.

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by coronavirus is a respiratory infection, that has spread worldwide in the past few months. Considering the necessity and importance of the COVID-19 pandemic, determining the importance of the secondary infection of COVID-19 patients and the death of these patients is one of the main issues considered in the study. Common bacterial infections are often found in viral respiratory infections and are major causes of death. This study investigated the cause of death from COVID-19 within a year. Methods: In this cross-sectional study from March 2020 and March 2021, 1600 patients with secondary infection were enrolled based on their characteristics, symptoms and signs, laboratory data and presence of other underlying diseases. Chi-square test analysis were used to check the effectiveness of other comorbidities on the mortality outcome among patients with COVID 19. Results: Of the 1,600 COVID 19 patients with secondary infection who have died, 900 (56.25%) had underlying diseases, such as 380 (42.22%) with COPD, 80 (8.89%) with cardiovascular disease and hypertension, 25 (2.78%) with Obesity and smoking, 265 (29.44%) with age over 60 years, 150 (16.67%) with diabetes. 700 (43.75%) patients had no underlying disease. Conclusion: The most important causes of death in COVID-19 patients were secondary infections caused by important nosocomial bacteria. High mortality rates in COVID-19 patients indicate the importance of secondary infections.

The current study was undertaken to determine the concentration of lead, cadmium copper, and zinc (Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn) in three types of collected green leafy vegetables irrigated with contaminated water compared with those irrigated with the fresh water of Hamadan province, Iran using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) technique. Twenty samples of vegetables such as basil, leek, and lettuce irrigated with contaminated water, and twenty samples from five different adjacent areas irrigated with fresh water as control were analyzed to determine heavy metals (HMs). The highest mean concentration of Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn, regardless of the kind of vegetables irrigated with contaminated water, was 0.95, 0.32, 3.03, and 13.58 mg/kg fresh weight, respectively. Moreover, metals uptake differences by the vegetables were recognized to vegetable differences in tolerance to HMs. The human health risk assessment indicated that non-carcinogenic values of Pb and Cd were higher than the threshold value of 1, and ingestion was the main exposure pathway of HMs to both children and adults. It suggested that all receptors (especially basil and lettuce) in Hamadan province might have significant and acceptable non-carcinogenic risk because of exposure to Pb and Cd. The significant amount of these HMs in some plants may be due to agricultural uses for the irrigation of the vegetable lands of untreated sanitary and industrial wastewater. The findings revealed that vegetables imply the total health risk on local people, and regular monitoring of HMs is strongly recommended in this region.

Introduction: Anthrax is an acute infection caused by Bacillus anthracis, an anaerobic, spore-forming, Gram-positive bacterium. Anthrax disease is a common disease among herbivores and humans that is transmitted to humans through direct contact with farm animals that are sick or have died of anthrax. Case Summary: A 43-year-old man having livestock as a profession had a cutaneous anthrax infection on the dorsal surface of his left thumb. The patient was infected with anthrax by slaughtering a sheep infected with Bacillus anthracis. He was treated with penicillin after an early diagnosis of anthrax bacillus. Conclusion: Anthrax infection is a highly contagious disease, and early detection is very important. There is a need to strengthen the health care system for farm animals and educate farmers on how not to consume the meat of diseased carcasses and how to dispose them of hygienically, especially in high-risk areas.

Introduction:Antibiotic resistance and extensive use of antibiotics are amongst the major causes of failure in antibiotic treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate antibiotic resistance patterns and to identify resistance genes of quinolones and colistin in Escherichia coli. There are a very few patents on E. coli isolated from colorectal cancer. So, this study demonstrates that some bacteria resistant to ciprofloxacin have not resistance genes.Moreover, new patterns for E. coli are presented for isolates of patients with colorectal cancer.Materials and Methods:Of the three healthy people, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) patients and colorectal cancer patients, 40 E. coli strains isolated after confirmation by biochemical and molecular methods. The susceptibility of isolates to antibiotics was investigated using disk diffusion test. After deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify genes encoding resistance to ciprofloxacin (qnr A, qnr B) and colistin (mcr-1).Results:The results showed that E. coli isolates from colorectal cancer patients had the highest resistance to piperacillin (67.5%), ceftazidime (47.5%), and cefepime (42.5%). Also, E. coli strains isolated from IBD patients showed resistance to antibiotic ceftazidime 13%. More than 95% of E. coli strains isolated from healthy people were susceptible to antibiotics. Based on the results, 18 (15%) E. coli strains showed resistance to ciprofloxacin. The qnr A gene was detected in 61.11% isolates; however, qnr B was detected in 9 (50%) isolates. Isolates resistant to colistin were not observed.Conclusion:These findings indicate increased resistance of E. coli to ciprofloxacin in comparison with prior studies. Further research in this field will increase our knowledge and more effective exposure to the antibiotic resistance of the pathogenic microorganisms.

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus is the most important causative agent of wound infections, including diabetic foot ulcers. Honey is a very useful nutrient with antimicrobial properties and other biological properties such as antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiviral properties. The aim was to examine the antibacterial activity of honey against methicillin-resistant and sensitive S. aureus (MRSA and MSSA) isolated from patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed from January 2019 to December 2019. Twenty S. aureus isolates were collected from patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Different concentrations (100%, 70%, 50%, 25% vol/vol) of honey were studied. Dilutions of honey solutions were examined to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against S. aureus. MICs were determined by spectrophotometric assay at 620 nm. Results: All strains showed sensitivity to honey with MIC equal to 25% (vol/vol). The MIC (%) values of honey for all studied S. aureus (MRSA and MSSA) isolates ranged between 18-100% (v/v). Conclusion: Honey with confirmed, antibacterial activity has the potential to be an efficient treatment complementary for diabetic foot ulcers infected or at risk of infection with S. aureus.

Background: Brucellosis disease is a serious zoonosis worldwide and only 17 countries have been recognized as free of brucellosis. The World Health Organization has reported that the incidence of brucellosis is 500,000 cases in a year. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an ideal method for the identification of brucellosis. The most common primers for the diagnosis of Brucella include B4/B5 and F4/R2. The advantages of multiplex PCR include targeting multiple sequences at the same time, and multiple results are produced in a single test run which saves time and the reagents simultaneously. The purpose of this investigation was to extend and optimize a multiplex PCR for the identification of genus Brucella from serum and whole blood samples. Methods: In this experimental and sectional study, blood samples of 25 suspected patients in the acute phase of brucellosis with serum titers higher than 1:80 were collected. Two pairs of specific primers of B4 and B5 the specific gene was amplified. PCR and Multiplex PCR were performed on blood and serum samples. Results: Among 25 blood samples, 15 cases (60%) and 9 cases (36%) and among 25 serum samples, 23 cases (92%) and 13 cases (52%) were positive for B4/B5 and F4/R2 in PCR, respectively. In multiplex PCR, among 25 blood samples, 5 cases (20%) showed both bands, 11 cases (44%) showed band 222bp, 4 cases (16%) showed band 905bp and 5 cases (20%) showed no bands. Among 25 serum samples, 6 cases (24%) showed both bands, 15 cases (60%) showed band 222bp, 3 cases (12%) showed band 905bp and 1 case (4%) showed no bands. Conclusion: The results of this study show that this multiplex PCR can be used for the diagnosis of brucellosis with high sensitivity in clinical laboratories routinely and it can serve as an alternative substitution for risky culture method and nonspecific serological methods.

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the causes of nosocomial infections, especially in the intensive care unit. The emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of A. baumannii has caused many problems. One of the ways to handle the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance is the use of herbal medicines and their derivatives in place of or in combination with antibiotics. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of inhibitory effects of berberine as a barberry derivative on clinical isolates of A. baumannii, resistant to ciprofloxacin and imipenem in Hamadan hospitals. Materials and Methods: In this study, 70 clinical isolates of A. baumannii. were identified and diagnosed using conventional microbiology. Resistance of isolates was detected against imipenem and ciprofloxacin by disk diffusion and broth microdilution method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of berberine as well as its combined effect with antibiotics were performed using broth microdilution method. Results: The results of this study showed that more than 90% of isolates are resistant to ciprofloxacin and imipenem. Imipenem and ciprofloxacin MICs were dtermined from 8 to 28 and 4 to 32 μg / mL, respectively. The berberine decreased the imipenem and ciprofloxacin MIC from zero to two fold and zero to one-fold, respectively Conclusion: High level resistance to imipenem and ciprofloxacin among A.baumannii isolates is cause of concern. Berberin, in combination with imipenem and ciprofloxacin, reduces MIC to a proper level, which can be used as an effective agent to reduce antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

Background: : Lead (Pb) is an important environmental pollutants that play a significant role in increasing the stability of some other pollutants by changing the microbial profile of the soil. Bacillus subtilis WPI is an abundant bacteria existing in wastewater. Because of laccase enzyme in this bacterium, the decomposition process of aromatic pollutants in wastewaters can be facilitated. We aimed to investigate the effect of different Pb concentrations on B. subtilis growth and biological activity of laccase enzyme in B. subtilis WPI. Material and Methods: B. subtilis WPI was isolated from the paper mill industrial wastewater of Hormozgan, Iran, from March to August 2017. After purification, the growth trend of B. subtilis WPI as well as the activity of laccase enzyme in different concentrations of Pb was investigated based on kinetic method. Results: Bacterial growth at Pb concentration of 400 mg/L reduced in a dose-dependent manner, and this decrease was significant at concentrations of 300 and 400 mg/L (P < 0.001). The level of laccase enzyme activity in the lead concentration range of 20-160 mg/L also reduced in a dose-dependent manner, which implied that the highest decrease was observed at lead concentration of 160 mg/L (P < 0.01). Our findings showed that there was no significant change in bacterial growth in lead concentration range of 20-200 mg/L, while a significant change was observed in the activity of laccase enzyme in the mentioned concentration range. Conclusion: Therefore, it seems that this reduction in enzyme activity can indirectly increase the stability of aromatic oil pollutants in the environment.

Background and Objectives: Escherichia coli is the most common causative agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in 90-80% of patients in all age groups. Phylogenetic groups of these bacteria are variable and the most known groups are A, B1, B2 and D. The present study aimed to evaluate the phylogenetic groups of E. coli samples obtained from UTIs and their relation with antibiotic resistance patterns of isolates. Materials and Methods: In this study 113 E. coli isolates were isolated from distinct patients with UTIs referred to Hamadan hospitals. After biochemical and molecular identification of the isolates, typing and phylogenetic grouping of E. coli strains were performed using multiplex PCR targeting chu, yjaA and TSPE4.C2 genes. The anti-microbial susceptibility of the isolates to amikacin, ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, imipenem, aztreonam, gentamicin, meropenem, nitrofurantoin, nalidixic acid and cefazolin was determined using disk diffusion method. Results: Of 113 isolates, 50 (44.2%), 35 (31%), 23 (20.4%) and 5 (4.4%) of samples belonged to group B2, group D, group A and group B1 phylogenetic groups respectively. All isolates were susceptible to meropenem, imipenem (100%), followed by amikacin (99.1%). The highest resistance rates were observed against ampicillin (74.3%) and nalidixic acid (70.8%). Correlation between phylogenetic groups and antibiotic susceptibilities was significant only with co-amoxiclav (P = 0.006), which had the highest resistance in phylogenetic group A. Conclusion: Prevalence of different phylogroup and resistance associated with them in E. coli samples could be variable in each region. Therefore, investigating of these items in E. coli infections, could be more helpful in selecting the appropriate antibiotic treatment and epidemiological studies.

Background: The main aim of the study was extract the health utility value of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease.Methods: In a cross-sectional study in Iran, 320 randomly selected treated patients from COVID-19 is studied. To collect the required data, we applied a questionnaire that included socio-demographic factors, clinical characteristics, and questions on the patients’ Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). Time trade-off (TTO) approach is used to measure the lost HRQoL attributed to COVID-19. Besides, we applied a two-limit Tobit regression model to determine the effects of the socio-demographic factors on the patients’ health utility and used the visual analogue scale approach to estimate the perceived total current health status.Results: The overall mean (SE) and median (IQR) of the health utility values were 0.863 (0.01) and 0.909 (0.21), respectively. This values for those who were willing to trade time in exchange for perfect health estimated at 0.793 (0.01) and 0.848 (0.17), respectively. The lowest amount of utility value were belonged to the elderly (mean (SE) = 0.742 (0.04); median (IQR) = 0.765 (0.42)) and those lived in rural (mean (SE)) = 0.804 (0.03); median (IQR) = 0.877 (0.30)). The univariate analysis shows that age, location living, and household size factors have a statistically significant effect on the health utility. The regression model's findings indicate that the participants' age and hospitalization status were the key determinants of COVID-19 health utility value.Conclusion: COVID-19 is associated with a substantial and measurable diminution in HRQoL. This diminution in HRQoL can be directly compared with that induced by systemic health states.

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is new respiratory tract infections disease with an evolving understanding of its epidemiology and clinical appearances. Kidney defect seems to be common in patients with Covid-19. Urea and creatinine level often occurs at the beginning or during the infection. This evidence shows that Covid-19 also attacks the kidneys. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in biochemical parameters associated with kidney function, including urea and creatinine in patients with COVID-19.Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of the plasma creatinine and urea levels of the 100 COVID-19 patients with normal plasma creatinine and urea at first clinical presentation of COVID-19.Results Among these 100 patients with COVID 19, total of 35 (35%) patients, increased BUN and creatinine levels occurred at duration of 2–4 days after the onset of viral infection. The mean serum urea level in first clinical presentation and at duration of 2, 3 and 4 days after the onset of viral infection were 34.75 ± 0.10 and 37.64 ± 0.32, 39.81 ± 0.10, 42.56 ± 0.35 mg/dl, respectively. The mean of creatinine concentration in first clinical presentation and at duration of 2, 3 and 4 days after the onset of viral infection were 1.50 ± 0.026 and 1.51 ± 0.016, 1.99 ± 0.012, 2.58 ± 0.020 mg/dl, respectively.

BackgroundAcinetobacter baumanniiis an opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial infections especially in patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Accordingly, the aim of our study was to detectionof adeABCefllux pump encoding genes and antimicrobial effect of the essential oil ofMentha longifoliaandMentholon the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of imipenem and ciprofloxacin in clinical isolates ofA. baumannii.MethodsA total of 75 clinical isolates ofA. baumanniiwere collected. The presence of efflux pump genes was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the essential oil ofMentha longifoliaand Menthol and their combined effect with antibiotics were measured by microbroth dilution method and fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index.ResultsThe frequency ofadeA,adeB, andadeCgenes in clinical isolates ofA. baumanniiwere 86.7, 90.7, and 92%, respectively. When the essential oil ofMentha longifoliawas combined with ciprofloxacin and imipenem, MICs decreased 4- and 8-fold, respectively. In the combination of menthol with imipenem, the resistance to imipenem was reduced from 0- to 16-fold in 90% (63/70) of the isolates.ConclusionThe presence of efflux pump genes in more than 90% ofA. baumanniiisolates indicates its potential role in inducing imipenem- and ciprofloxacin-resistance in this bacterium. Menthol has an antimicrobial effect as an active ingredient inMentha longifolia. In the future, the combination of medicinal plants with antibiotics can be used as a complement in treating diseases caused by drug-resistant bacteria such asA. baumanniiinfections.

Introduction: The purpose of this review was to evaluate the available literature for in vitro and in vivo effectiveness of antimicrobial Photodynamic therapy (aPDT) in the field of bacteriology. Methods: A review of the relevant articles carried out in PubMed and Scopus to determine the efficiency of aPDT used in the reduction of microbial infection. Thirty-one relevant documents retrieved from PubMed, Scopus by inserting "antimicrobial photodynamic therapy" and "bacterial infection" and "photodynamic therapy" keywords. Results: According to different results, aPDT can be used as an adjuvant for the treatment of infectious diseases. The use of photosensitizer methylene blue, toluidine blue O (TBO), indocyanine green with light diode laser centered at (630±10 nm) and (650±10 nm) wavelengths have been shown to have significant results for the treatment of infectious diseases and bactericidal properties Conclusion: These findings suggest that, aPDT can be an efficient method in the treatment of localized and superficial infections.

Objectives The coagulase enzyme, encoded by the coa gene, is an important virulence factor of Staphylococcus aureus and can be used for typing of S. aureus isolates. In this study, coa gene typing was used to study the epidemiology of S. aureus at a university hospital in Hamadān (Iran). Methods A total of 200 S. aureus strains were analysed, among which 150 were isolated from clinical samples and 50 were from nasal swab specimens of carriers. Methicillin resistance was confirmed by presence of the mecA gene by PCR. For polymorphism analysis, the coa gene was amplified by PCR and the products were subjected to restriction digestion using the enzyme Alu I. Results Amplification of the coa gene produced five classes of bands based on size, ranging from 300 bp to 800 bp. The 600-bp amplicon included coa 3 genotype predominated in S. aureus isolated from clinical and carrier specimens (150/200; 75.0%). Alu I digestion of the PCR products produced eight distinct restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns, designated coa 1–8. The results showed that the 700-bp and 800-bp amplicons formed two ( coa 4a and 4b) and three ( coa 5a, 5b and 5c) patterns following Alu I digestion, respectively, whereas the 300-, 500- and 600-bp fragments generated unique patterns designated coa 1, coa 2 and coa 3, respectively. Conclusions This study performed coagulase typing, a technique used to determine the molecular epidemiology of S. aureus clinical isolates. coa gene amplification has been considered a simple and accurate method for typing of S. aureus.

Background As the increase in the prevalence of antimicrobial resistant bacterial strains, development of adjuvant antimicrobial approach for the treatment of burn wound infection is important. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) using indocyanine green (ICG) in reducing the bacterial load and expression profiling of the quorum sensing (QS) system associated with the biofilm formation in multi-species bacterial biofilms. Materials and methods Multi-species bacterial suspension including Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus were photosensitized with ICG, which was excited at a wavelength of 810 nm. After evaluating the dose of ICG-aPDT contributing to the sub-significant reduction of colony forming unit (CFU)/mL, the gene expression levels of abaI, agrA, and lasI were assessed using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. As well as, lipid peroxidation, superoxide radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured and the morphological changes of multi-species bacteria were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results According to the results, maximal sub-significant reduction dose of aPDT against CFUs/mL of multi-species bacterial cells was found with a combination of 31.2 μg/mL of ICG and irradiation by the diode laser for 1 min, with an estimated average output light energy 31.2 J/cm2. The expression levels of abaI, agrA, and lasI in A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus were down-regulated to approximately 1.9-, 3.7-, and 4.9-fold, respectively. The amount of lipid peroxidation, superoxide radical production, and ROS generation significantly increased (P Conclusions ICG-aPDT with antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, and gene expression inhibitor characteristics, as well as, ROS generation can be used for the treatment of burn wound infections in vivo.

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic human pathogens, with the ability to produce a series of virulence factors that contribute to the severity of infections. Exfoliative toxins (ETs) are one of the important virulence factors that participating in staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome. Melittin has different biological activities, comprising of antiviral, broad spectrum antibacterial, antiprotozoal, antifungal and anti-inflammatory effects. Twelve clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) were obtained from wound infection in the burn patients. The MIC plus three sub-inhibitory concentrations (I, II and III) of clindamycin and melittin were tested. Next, the synergistic effects of melittin and clindamycin were evaluated using the broth microdilution checkerboard assay. The detection of exfoliative toxin A and B genes were examined by PCR method. Then the effects of sub-MIC melittin on the expression levels of eta and etb were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay. Melittin MIC values against MRSA and MSSA planktonic cells were 0.25–0.5 and 0.25–1 μg/ml, respectively. The clindamycin MIC values against MRSA and MSSA were between 0.5 and 8 μg/ml and 0.5–2 μg/ml, respectively. The results of the time-kill kinetics assay (3.5log10 and 3log10) against MSSA and MRSA planktonic cells were determined within 24 h using melittin. The mean expression of eta in MRSA and MSSA was significantly downregulated to approximately 3.5 and 4 fold, respectively. Moreover, the mean expression of etb in MRSA and MSSA were significantly downregulated to approximately 2.5 and 3 fold, respectively. Hemolytic assay showed that the extracted melittin indicates a strong hemolytic activity (HD50 = 2 μg/ml). Melittin at 0.5 μg/ml induced cell lysis and stimulated the formation of vesicles in S. aureus strains. Melittin could reduce the expression of eta and etb as encoding exfoliative toxin A and B genes. This component appears to be a good candidate for the treatment of MRSA and MSSA strains. So, melittin in combination with clindamycin can be classified as a complementary treatment of wound infections in burn patients.

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative non-glucose fermenting aerobic bacteria and an opportunistic pathogen in humans and animals. The present study was carried out to investigate the distribution of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance properties of P. aeruginosa isolated from patients and intensive care unit (ICU) environment. Material and Methods: A total of 116 P. aeruginosa isolated from patients and ICU environment were collected from Besat hospital in Hamadan, the West of Iran. P. aeruginosa isolates were analyzed based on the presence of the virulence factors encoding genes included exoA, exoS, exoU, and algD using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using a disk diffusion method. Results: The results showed the prevalence of exoA 33 (56.9%), exoS 21 (36.20%), exoU 37 (63.8%), and algD 35 (60.34%) genes in ICU environment P. aeruginosa strains and exo A 23 (39.25%), exoS 25 (43.1%), exoU 40(68.98%), and algD 25 (43.1%) genes in clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa. High resistance levels of the clinical and ICU environment isolate to ampicillinsulbactam (100%), were also observed. Conclusions: Our findings should raise awareness about antibiotic resistance in hospitalized patients in Iran. Clinicians should exercise caution in prescribing antibiotics, especially in cases of human infections.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance patterns in meticillin-resistant and meticillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, isolated from burns. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, pus/wound swab samples were obtained from burns. Presence of Staphylococcus aureus was confirmed, and biofilm formation-related icaABCDR and eta, etb genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction. Biofilm formation assay was assessed using the microtiter plate method. Antibiotic resistance was performed using the disk diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration. Results: A total of 95 patients with burns were recruited. Of the 95 wounds swabbed, Staphylococcus aureus was identified in 50 (62.5%), and 47 (94%) isolates capable of producing biofilm. Biofilm production levels were classed as ‘strong’ (n=29; 58%), ‘moderate’ (n=11; 22%), ‘weak’ (n=7; 14%) and ‘non-biofilm forming’ (n=3; 6%). There was an almost even split between isolates identified as meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), n=24 (48%), and meticillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) n=26 (52%). The prevalence of the icaA, icaB, icaC, icaD and icaR genes among the studied isolates were 96%, 80%, 80%, 96% and 84%, respectively. The prevalence of eta and etb genes in isolates were 84% and 92%, respectively. Conclusion: Biofilm producing isolates of Staphylococcus aureus showed greater multidrug resistance than non-biofilm producers. In our study, a high rate of biofilm formation and antimicrobial drug resistance was seen. Our results highlight the alarming levels of antimicrobial resistance among MRSA strains and important data about the prevalence of eta and etb genes in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from burn patients in this study.

Background: Bacteria require iron ions to grow and infect the host, which, by using iron uptake systems, acquire free iron from their host cell. Escherichia coli is one of the most important pathogens to cause food poisoning and clinical infections. The aim of this study was to assess the distribution of iron uptake systems encoding genes in clinical isolates of E.coli compared to food samples isolates. Materials and Methods: This investigation was conducted to determine the prevalence of E. coli isolated from various sources of food and clinical specimens. The E. coli isolates confirmed by the standard microbiological methods. The isolates were examined for the presence of iut A and iuc A genes by specific primers using the polymerase chain reaction technique. Results: A total of 100 and 50 isolates of E. coli were collected from clinical samples and foodstuffs, respectively. The prevalence of E. coli in the food and clinical samples was 33.33% and 64.10%, respectively. The frequency of iut A and iuc A genes in the food and clinical isolates were 76%-84% and 86% - 83%, respectively. Conclusion: Our results showed that the prevalence of E. coli isolates with iut A and iuc A genes was relatively higher compared to many previous studies. The existence of these genes in E. coli strains is likely to be related to pathogenicity in those strains, which requires further studies in the future.

Purpose Burn patients are particularly susceptible to microbial infection. Staphylococcus aureus causes burn wound, impetigo and cellulitis. Although sub-lethal antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) would not result in microorganism killing, it can considerably influence microbial virulence factor. Methods Twelve methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) isolated from burns patients. To determine the sub-lethal dose of aPDT, 12 clinical isolates of S. aureus photosensitized with 100 μg ml −1 toluidine blue O (TBO) and irradiated by light emitting diode (LED) with a wavelength of 630 ± 10 nm and energy densities of 52.0, 104.1, and 156.2 J/cm2, then bacterial viability was measured. The effects of sub-lethal aPDT on the expression levels of ica ABCD and ica R genes were assessed by quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) method. Result Fifty and 100 μg ml−1 of TBO significantly reduced the mean cell survival in the MRSA (2.5 – 3 log10) and MSSA (2.75–3.1 log10) isolates. The average expression levels of icaA, ica B, ica C, and ica D in the MRSA and MSSA isolates were decreased by (12, 14, 11, and 9) and (13, 14.5, 12, and 9.5) fold change, respectively (P Conclusion The potential of TBO-mediated aPDT could reduce the expression of ica ABCD as important genes involved in biofilm formation and ica R gene as a repressor of the ica operon. Therefore, the use of aPDT agents as a complementary therapy in wound infections of burn patients is recommended.

Background and aims: Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common human infections, which colonizes more than half of the world’s population. This causes chronic stomach inflammation diseases without clinical syndromes, gastric and duodenal ulcer, and stomach cancer. Nowadays, the use of probiotics has received much consideration as one of the common therapeutic methods, which prevents bacterial colonization by creating a balance in the microbial gastrointestinal tract.Methods: This experimental study was conducted on 30 rats in five groups from August 2016 to June 2017 in the Microbiology and Animal Laboratory of Shahrekord University. First, the rats were infected with H. pylori bacteria. PCR method was used to confirm the presence of bacteria in the stomach to ensure that the rats were inoculated with H. pylori. After inoculation, the infected rats were treated with probiotic product, and then gastric tissue of the infected group was evaluated by haematoxylin and eosin stain.Results: The absence of Cag A and Ure C genes in fecal specimens of the group receiving probiotic products before and after H. pylori incubation showed a positive effect for this product on the prevention and treatment of H. pylori infection. Also, in stomach histology specimens, the effects of mild inflammation were observed in treated group with the probiotic product before and after H. pylori inoculation compared to the control group.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the addition of probiotic to a non-dairy product (broad bean extract) can be effective in preventing and treating H. pylori infection in the animal model.

While the majority of primary energies (gas, oil or coal) are easily stored, it is very difficult to store electricity in large quantities. However, it is possible to convert it into other forms of intermediate and storable energies (potential, kinetic, chemical or thermal).In this paper the storage system chosen is Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES), which consists the use of available electricity at low cost during periods of low consumption, To store air in underground cavities (former salt mine or natural gas storage cave) by means of a compressor. At the moment of consumption peak, this compressed air is released to turn turbines which thus generate electricity. Then the different types of existing compressors will be presented and the sizing of the compressor dedicated to the compression chain will be described.

Purpose. Enterobacteriaceae is a large family of Gram-negative bacteria that are considered as normal gut flora. They are the most common human pathogens. The main objective of this study was to investigate the carbapenemase genes in clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae resistant to carbapenem antibiotics and determine their clonal relationship using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Methodology. In the present study, bacteria were isolated and identified via conventional biochemical tests and API 20NE. Antibiotic susceptibility was evaluated by using the disc diffusion method and MIC was carried out using the E-test. Phenotypic determination of carbapenemases was performed by employing a modified Hodge test (MHT). Carbapenemase genes including IMP, VIM, KPC, NDM and OXA-48 were amplified by PCR. The relationships between their clonal types with l restriction enzyme were examined using PFGE. Results. Out of 40 isolates that were resistant or moderately susceptible to carbapenem antibiotics, 29 (72.5 %) strains were positive for carbapenem enzymes phenotypically. Moreover, six isolates contained carbapenemase genes including IMP, VIM, NDM and OXA-48, but the KPC gene was not found in any of the isolates. PFGE results showed that E. coli strains in our area were clustered into eight pulsotypes (A–H), Klebsiella spp. isolates five pulsotypes (A–E) and Proteus spp. had two pulsotypes (A, B). The high resistance to antimicrobial agents in the A, B and F pulsotypes was attributed to E. coli clinical isolates. Conclusions. Our results could reflect some hospital multidrug-resistant strains in nosocomial infections. The widespread emergence of carbapenem-resistant isolates has caused increasing concern in recent years. Therefore, specific strategies should be designed and evaluated for the control of resistant strains.

The final publication is available at Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2014.02.012 © 2014. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

This paper presents an exact input-output linearization control scheme for rotor speed and rotor flux control of induction motor drive. In this scheme the motor model, is described in the fixed stator frame, and it is linearized, using exact inputoutput linearization technique, allowing a decoupled control of rotor flux and torque. To avoid the use of mechanical sensor, the rotor speed estimation is made by an observer using a specific MRAS (Model reference adaptive system) technique; this observer is designed to perform simultaneous estimation of stator resistance and rotor speed. In order to estimate rotor flux, a sliding mode observer is proposed in this paper. Simulation results are realized and presented to validate and to prove the effectiveness of the proposed Sensorless control.