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Substantial evidence is available on the capacity of particular strains of Epichloë fungal endophyte to remove the barriers of self‐pollination in host grasses. We hypothesized that this might open up new methods to obtain inbred lines for specific turf hybrids and genetic studies.In the present study, we evaluated the first generation of self‐pollination derived plants of endophyte infected clones (EIS1) from putative genotypes 75B+ and 75C+ and those from the first generation of self‐pollination in six commercial tall fescue clones plus their hybrids with 75B− and 75C− for growth, seed yield and polyphenolic content as an index for biosynthesis of defence compounds under field conditions.The results showed that EIS1 had high hyphal density within leaf sheaths and higher growth and seed‐related traits in at least one genotype. There were higher amounts of flavonoid and phenolic compounds (up to twofold) in both genotypes than in their hybrid counterparts and endophyte‐free progeny. Selected genotypes within EIS1 contained significantly more chlorogenic acid, p‐coumaric acid and rutin than the best non‐infected genotypes.We conclude that phenotypic selection of individuals from the S1 population is feasible for improving fitness and stress resistance in novel inbred lines of tall fescue for development of new turf cultivars with the desired ecophysiological traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis constitutes a major public health problem in many parts of the world including Iran. The primary objective of this study was to identify Leishmania species in endemic districts of Kerman Province, south-eastern Iran. Methods: This study was conducted by random sampling as cross- sectional descriptive between 2008 and 2010. Overall, 203 skin scraping smears were taken from the patients. Nested -PCR was performed to amplify variable minicircle fragments of Leishmania kDNA. Results: Bam was the most infected district (71.1%), followed by Kerman (14.7%), Jiroft (5.4%), Baft (2.7%), Sirjan (1.6%), Shahr-e Babak (1.5%) and others (3.0%). L. tropica was the most common species identified (194 cases, 95.6%), while L. major was found in only 9 cases (4.4%). Of 203 identified patients, all species in Bam (l07 cases), Kerman (32 cases), Jiroft (l6 cases) and Shahr-e- Babak (l1 cases) were detected as L. tropica, whereas infected subjects in Baft and Sirjan showed L. tropica or L. major. Characterization of Leishmania species resulted in generation of 750 bp and 560 bp fragments, corresponding to those of L. tropica and L. major, respectively. Conclusion: L. tropica is the main species (95.6%) caused ACL in endemic areas of Kerman Province; however L. major is present in low level (4.4%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) is an endemic disease in some areas of Iran. A cross- sectional study was conducted for sero-epidemiological survey of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Baft district from Kerman Province, southeast of Iran. Methods: Blood samples were collected from children up to 12 years old and 10% of adult population from Baft villages with a multi-stage randomized cluster sampling. In addition, blood samples were collected from 30 domestic dogs from the same areas. All the collected blood samples were tested by direct agglutination test (DAT) for the detection of anti-Leishmania antibodies in both human and dog using the cut-off value of ⩾1:3200 and ⩾ 1:320, respectively. Parasitological, molecular, and pathological were performed on infected dogs. Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used to compare sero-prevalence values. Results: From 1476 collected human serum samples, 23 (1.55%) showed anti-Leishmania antibodies at titers of 1:800 and 1:1600 whereas 14 (0.95%) showed anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies at titers of ⩾ 1:3200. No statistically significant difference was found between male (1.18 %) and female (0.69%) sero-prevalence (P=0.330). Children of 5-8 years showed the highest sero-prevalence rate (3.22%). Seven out of 30 domestic dogs (23%) showed anti-Leishmania antibodies at titers ⩾1:320. Leishmania infantum was identified in five infected dogs by nested — PCR assay. Conclusion: It seems that visceral leishmaniasis is being endemic in southern villages of Baft district, southeast of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptosporidium is one of the major causes of diarrhea in HIV-positive patients. The aim of this study is to systematically review and meta-analyze the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in these patients. PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Cochrane and Ovid databases were searched for relevant studies dating from the period of 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2017. Data extraction for the included studies was performed independently by two authors. The overall pooled prevalence was calculated and subgroup analysis was performed on diagnostic methods, geographical distribution and study population. Meta-regression was performed on the year of publication, proportion of patients with diarrhea, and proportion of patients with CD4

COVID-19 disease has led to many deaths worldwide and early detection of people at a high risk of severe forms of this disease would greatly help physicians. The presence of oxidative stress biomarkers may help identify high-risk individuals early in the course of the disease. 8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is a widely used biomarker for assessing endogenous oxidative DNA damage. In this study, the urinary 8-OHdG levels were determined in COVID-19 patients and COVID-19 patients with cancer by a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) method using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The effects of essential parameters on the extraction method were investigated. The LOD and LOQ are equal to 1.7 nM and 5.1 nM, respectively. At varied concentrations of 8-OHdG (300, 400, and 600 nM), the relative standard deviation (RSD) ranged from 18.35% to 22.36%. The mean urinary 8-OHdG levels of cancer and COVID-19 patients were 13.20 ± 6.20 nmol mmol -1 , while the mean levels in COVID-19 patients and healthy volunteers were 6.67 ± 5.80 nmol mmol -1 and 1.61 ± 1.72 nmol mmol -1 , respectively. The results of this study showed that the level of 8-OHdG urine biomarkers in people with COVID-19 is significantly higher than in healthy people. In this study, the DLLME approach was used for the first time to determine the value of 8-OHdG using GC-MS. According to the results of this research, the DLLME method was successfully used as a biomarker of DNA oxidative stress for extracting 8-OHdG urine. Compared to other methods, this technique has advantages such as shorter extraction time and low cost.

Introduction: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is crucial in marital well-being, especially in contexts like Iran where traditional values and religious beliefs strongly influence family dynamics. While quality-of-life research is broad, there is a specific gap in understanding how spirituality and gender roles impact HRQoL in Iranian married couples. This study aims to fill the gap by investigating how spirituality and gender moderate the association between family functioning and HRQoL., Method: A survey was conducted with 371 married couples in Iran, using a cross-sectional approach. The Family Assessment Device was used to assess family functioning, the World Health Organization quality of life-BREF questionnaire was utilized to measure HRQoL, and spirituality was gauged with the Spiritual Value questionnaire. To reduce the influence of common method bias, the study utilized Harman's single-factor test. The impact of moderators was then examined through the use of partial least squares structural equation modeling., Results: Findings showed no significant common method bias. Factors such as problem-solving, family roles, behavioral control, and general family functioning were found to have a positive influence on HRQoL. In contrast, family communication, affective involvement, and affective responsiveness were not significant predictors of HRQoL. Spirituality moderated the association between HRQoL problem-solving and general family functioning. Gender did not moderate the association between family functioning and HRQoL., Discussion: These findings highlight the significance of family dynamics and spirituality in shaping HRQoL in non-Western settings. They emphasize the importance of conducting more research on the quality of life in married couples in various cultural and societal settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and subtype distribution of the genus Blastocystis using high-resolution melting curve analysis (HRM), a novel molecular technique. Blastocystis sp., a unicellular, anaerobic, and zoonotic parasite, is commonly found in the digestive tracts of humans and animals. Transmission occurs via the fecal-oral route, with prevalence rates ranging from 20% in developed countries to over 60% in developing regions. Although the pathogenicity of Blastocystis remains debated, it has been detected in both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. Traditionally, direct microscopy with wet mounts is used for the rapid identification of Blastocystis in stool samples. However, molecular diagnostics have become essential for the accurate detection and differentiation of Blastocystis subtypes MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected 730 stool samples from humans and domestic animals. Initial screening for Blastocystis sp. was performed using direct microscopy. Negative samples were cultured in a two-phase culture medium and re-examined after 2-3 days. HRM analysis was then employed to identify and differentiate Blastocystis subtypes using specific primers via real-time PCR., Results: Six subtypes were identified, with ST7 (30%) being the most prevalent, followed by ST3 (28%), ST2 (16%), ST1 (14%), ST5 (6%), and ST14 (6%). In humans, ST3 was the most common subtype, also found in poultry and sheep, whereas ST7 was mainly detected in domestic animals. Notably, ST1-ST3 were identified in domesticated animals, indicating a pattern of cross-species transmission., Conclusion: ST3 (28%) and ST7 (30%) were the most prevalent subtypes across all samples, with distinct distributions in human and animal hosts. The HRM technique demonstrated efficiency and cost-effectiveness, providing a rapid and accurate method for Blastocystis subtype identification in developing countries, which can expedite diagnostic responses and reduce the need for sequencing. This supports the potential for HRM to improve epidemiological surveillance and understanding of cross-species transmission., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (IR.MUMS.MEDICAL.REC.1400.328), in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration and ethical guidelines. The project was part of the thesis titled “Thesis number: 992196.” During the study, we only accessed anonymized samples, with all personal identifying information, including names, addresses, and phone numbers, removed before the samples were provided to the research team. Consequently, we did not have access to any personally identifiable information either during or after data collection. The research adhered to strict ethical standards to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of all participants. Consent to participate: In this study, we utilized daily and weekly archived stool samples from patients who attended our medical centers. These samples were provided with a coding system, and we did not have access to any identifying information, such as the patients’ names, addresses, or phone numbers. As a result, we did not obtain informed consent directly from the patients, as their personal identities were not involved in the research process. The ethical committee reviewed and approved the use of these anonymized samples, waiving the requirement for informed consent due to the absence of identifiable information. Consent for publication: All participants and institutions involved in this study provided consent for the publication of the anonymized results. Clinical trail: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic and recurrent disease of the gastrointestinal tract that enhances the chance of developing colorectal cancer. Since standard treatments such as Mesalazine have limited effectiveness and are often accompanied by numerous side effects, the use of immune modulators derived from worms has been proposed as a new immunotherapy method for inflammatory diseases such as ulcerative colitis. The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effects of D. dendriticum egg antigen on DSS-induced colitis in C57BL/6 mice., Methods: D. dendriticum egg antigen was extracted and DSS (3.5%) was used to induce colitis in mice. Treatment and prophylaxis included intraperitoneal injections of D. dendriticum egg antigen. Histopathological indicators and the disease activity index (DAI), including weight loss, rectal bleeding, stool consistency, and rectal prolapse, were used to assess the severity of colitis. Real-time PCR measured the expression of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and interleukin-17 (IL-17), while ELISA determined the concentration of these cytokines., Results: Treatment with D. dendriticum egg antigen significantly improved the clinical symptoms and decreased the severity of DSS-induced colitis. Furthermore, D. dendriticum egg antigen increased the expression of TGF-β mRNA and reduced the expression of IL-17 mRNA, leading to a positive adjustment in the regulation of proteins and reduction of inflammatory proteins. As a result, the macroscopic, microscopic inflammation and activity index (DAI) of DSS-induced decreased., Conclusion: D. dendriticum egg antigen provides a promising new way to modulate the immune system and improve ulcerative colitis., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate: All animal experiments were carried out according to the APRIVE guidelines for working with laboratory animals approved by the ethics committee of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences with the approval ID of the ethics code: IR.MUMS AEC.1401.031. Consent for Publication: All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: Elevated levels of atmospheric pollutants might disrupt the metabolism of vitamin D in the skin. Studies showed inconsistent results about the impact of air pollution on the serum vitamin D level. This study aims to systematically review the influence of air pollution on vitamin D levels., Materials and Methods: The Medline database (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar were systematically searched up to the end of July 2020. All observational, English-language, and human studies that assessed the effect of air pollution on vitamin D levels were included., Results: Among 432 studies, 26 papers were included in the systematic review and five studies in the meta-analysis. Exposure to air pollution was associated with lower vitamin D levels (pooled mean difference (MD) = -8.04, 95% confidence interval (CI): -10.34, -5.75). There was some evidence of heterogeneity between studies (I 2 = 91.39%)., Conclusion: The findings revealed a reverse correlation between vitamin D levels and air pollution. Air pollutants have an impact on the penetration of solar ultraviolet B (UVB) to the Earth's surface. Consequently, the occurrence of vitamin D deficiency could be linked to air pollution., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Advanced Biomedical Research.)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) significantly diminishes an individual's quality of life and increases the risk of colorectal cancer. Recent clinical and experimental findings suggest that infection with parasitic helminths may suppress the development of certain inflammatory conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the immunoregulatory effects of Dicrocoelium eggs on experimentally induced colitis in C57BL/6 mice using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). C57BL/6 mice received 3.5% DSS orally for 7 days to induce colitis, during which they were treated intraperitoneally with Dicrocoelium eggs. The severity of colitis was assessed through parameters such as body weight, stool consistency or bleeding, disease activity index (DAI), colon lengths, macroscopic scores, histopathological findings, colon gene expression levels, and serum cytokine levels. Our results indicated that Dicrocoelium eggs administration significantly reduced the severity of colitis and disease activity. Histopathological scores improved, correlating with downregulation of IFN-γ and upregulation of IL-4 expression. This findings suggest the therapeutic potential of Dicrocoelium eggs in treating colitis. Immunotherapy involving Dicrocoelium eggs primarily induces a Th2 response and modulates IFN-γ, contributing to reduced inflammation in colitis. Thus, this approach could be a promising therapeutic strategy for alleviating inflammation in IBD., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Breast cancer poses a significant global health challenge, with Iran experiencing particularly high incidence and mortality rates. Understanding the adaptation process of Iranian breast cancer survivors' post-treatment is crucial. This study explores the health perceptions, barriers, and coping mechanisms of Iranian survivors by integrating Stress-Coping Theory (SCT) and the Health Belief Model (HBM). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 survivors, and a grounded theory approach guided the deductive content analysis of the data. The findings reveal key themes, including perceived susceptibility, benefits, barriers to care, cues to action, self-efficacy, and appraisal of action. Perceived susceptibility highlights diagnostic challenges stemming from practitioner errors and symptom misconceptions. Perceived benefits underscore the importance of early detection and support from healthcare providers and families. Barriers include cultural and financial obstacles, while cues to action reflect the influence of media, family, and personal experiences on healthcare-seeking behavior. The study also examines coping strategies, such as problem-focused and emotion-focused approaches, along with family support and external stressors. To address these barriers and enhance support systems, the study suggests specific strategies for healthcare providers, including targeted training to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient communication. Culturally sensitive awareness campaigns can correct symptom misconceptions, while financial counseling can mitigate economic barriers. Establishing community-based support groups and involving family members in care plans can enhance emotional and psychological support. These strategies aim to overcome the identified barriers and improve support systems for Iranian breast cancer survivors, ultimately fostering better recovery outcomes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study aimed to identify factors associated with suicidal ideation (SI) in adolescents and to explore the mediating role of depression and hopelessness in these predictive relationships., Method: Employing a cross-sectional research design, this study included adolescents aged 14 to 19 from Lorestan Province in Iran. A total of 623 middle-school students were selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. Data were collected using a series of assessment tools, including the Depressive Symptom Index-Suicidality Subscale (DSI-SS), the Psychological Strain Questionnaire, the Hopelessness Scale, the Defeat Scale, and the Thwarted Belongingness Questionnaire. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in AMOS version 26 and SPSS version 26 was utilized to evaluate the proposed model., Results: The findings revealed that in the context of Iranian adolescents, defeat and psychological strains emerge as significant predictors of SI. Notably, hopelessness was found to mediate the relationship between psychological strains, defeat, and SI., Conclusion: These insights provide valuable knowledge for addressing the issue of SI in Iranian adolescents and may inform future prevention and intervention strategies.

Background: Research on post-disaster mental health shows that people have unique resources to undergo positive changes like posttraumatic growth (PTG) after facing adversities. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between attachment styles and PTG in COVID-19 survivors, with a focus on exploring the mediating role of coping strategies. Through examining these dynamics, the study seeks to contribute to deeper understanding of the psychological processes underlying growth in individuals recovering from the pandemic. Method: A total of 210 participants were enrolled from the hospitals in Tabriz, Iran, in January 2021, and completed self-report questionnaires. PTG, attachment styles, and coping strategies were assessed using Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to assess the mediation models. Results: The direct effects of secure (β = 0.22, p  < .001), and ambivalent-anxious attachment (β = -0.22, p  < .001) on PTG were significant. Also, task-oriented coping significantly predicted PTG (β = .60, p  < .001). The direct path from secure (β = 0.16, p  < .05) and ambivalent-anxious attachment (β = -0.38, p  < .001) to task-oriented coping was significant, as was direct impact of secure (β = -0.18, p  < .01) and ambivalent-anxious attachment (β = 0.37, p  < .001) to emotion-oriented coping. The association between secure attachment and PTG is significantly mediated by task-oriented coping (β = 0.1, (95% CI: 0.01-0.18)). Also, task-oriented coping was a significant negative mediator between ambivalent-anxious attachment and PTG (β = -0.24, (95% CI: -0.33 - -0.15)). Conclusions: Results support the mediating role of coping strategies in the relationship between attachment styles and PTG. It emphasizes the importance of interventions for improving coping resources in individuals with life-threatening illnesses, focusing on improving problem-focused coping and reducing maladaptive strategies.

Background: Epidemiological studies, classification and genetic studies of Leishmania species are effective in treatment, control and prevention in endemic areas. We aimed to investigate the genetic diversity and phylogeny of Leishmania in Zoonotic foci located in northeastern Iran using nagt gene for the first time., Methods: DNA of 100 confirmed positive slides collected from the health centers of Sarkhes, Darghez, Fariman, Esfarayen, and Sabzevar were extracted during 2020-2021. The partial sequence of kDNA was amplified to identify the species. Twenty-five DNA samples were randomly subjected to amplify by nagt gene primes and were sequenced. The sequences were aligned with reference sequences in National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Then, the genetic similarities of the sequences were checked using Clustalx2.1 software and the phylogenetic tree was drawn by Mega 7 software., Results: All the positive samples were diagnosed as L. major . Approximately, half of the sequences of species were similar to two reference genes JX103550.1:404-712 L. major Esfahan and KX759012.1:568-807 L. Major Ilam (more than 90% similarity). According to the results of the phylogeny tree, the closest genotype to our study samples was JX103550.1:404-712 L. major Esfahan., Conclusion: The most causative agent CL in these areas was L. major . The genetic diversity of L. major was high such as other zoonotic foci in Iran. Due to the high similarity of the strains in the study areas with the strains of Isfahan and Ilam, similar control and prevention methods is suggested in these areas., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest, (© 2023 Shamsian et al. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

It has been suggested that maladaptive perfectionists are more prone to concern over their performance outcomes than adaptive perfectionists. Performance outcome evaluation is reflected in the amplitude of feedback-related negativity (FRN) in brain electroencephalography (EEG). Hence, the amplitude of the FRN after receiving unfavorable feedback indicating a negative performance outcome may reflect personality characteristics. In other words, EEG could be a better marker of personality characteristics than self-report measures. However, the FRN component has not yet been investigated between different types of perfectionists. In the present study, group differences in the FRN were examined between two groups of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionists and a group of non-perfectionists during a monetary gambling task. We observed a larger FRN amplitude for adaptive perfectionists than for maladaptive perfectionists. This finding is consistent with previous reports that reward prediction error is reflected in the amplitude of the FRN. This difference in FRN could be interpreted as the pessimistic outcome expectation biases in maladaptive perfectionists., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Helicobacter pylori is a universal pathogen that causes gastric diseases and cancers in humans. In recent years, several virulence genes have been detected in this microorganism. Thus, we aimed to investigate the frequency of Helicobacter pylori strainswith cytotoxin-associated gene A ( cagA ) and outer membrane inflammatory protein A ( oipA ) genotypes among children and adult patients in Tehran, Iran, and evaluatetheir relation to themanifestations of different clinical symptoms., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, biopsy specimens were obtained from patients with gastrointestinal symptomsand evaluated for Helicobacter pylori infection and its genotypes ( cagA / oipA) througha polymerase chain reaction PCR assay. Clinical findings and demographic data of patients were documented and analyzed., Results: A total of 80 patients with Helicobacter pylori infectionwere included in the study (34 children and 46 adults). The cagA and oipA genotypes of Helicobacter pylori wereidentified in 22 (64.7%) and 24 (70.5%) children and in 31 (67.3%) and 34 (73.9%) adults, respectively. These differences were not statistically significant between the 2 studied groups. In addition, the frequency of cagA -positive strains of Helicobacter pylori wasfound more among patients with gastric ulcers rather than other clinical outcomes., Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate a highfrequency of Helicobacter pylori strains with oipA and cagA genotypes among children and adults in this region. Although we could not find a significant relationship between virulence genes and clinical outcomes in the patients, further studies are suggested to evaluate these factors in patients and assess their potential roles in the presence of antibiotic-resistant strains., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2023 Iran University of Medical Sciences.)

The prompt detection of human papillomavirus and discrimination of its genotypes by combining conventional methods in new molecular laboratories is essential to achieve the global call of eliminating cervical cancer. After predicting the melting temperature of an approximately 221 bp region of the L1 gene from different HPV genotypes by bioinformatics software, an innovative technique based on the nested- high resolution melting was designed with three approaches and using conventional PCR, qPCR, and diagnostic standards. HPV-positive samples identified by microarray along with diagnostic standards were evaluated by qPCR-HRM and discordant results were subjected to sequencing and analyzed in silico using reference types. In addition to screening for human papillomavirus, nested-qPCR-HRM is one of the modified HRM techniques which can discriminate some genotypes, including 6, 16, 18, 52, 59, 68 and 89. Despite the differences in diagnostic capabilities among HRM, microarray and sequencing, a number of similarities between HRM, and sequencing were diagnostically identified as the gold standard method. However, the bioinformatics analysis and melting temperature studies of the selected region in different HPV genotypes showed that it could be predicted. With numerous HPV genotypes and significant genetic diversity among them, determining the virus genotype is important. Therefore, our goal in this design was to use the specific molecular techniques with several specific primers to increase sensitivity and specificity for discriminating a wide range of HPV genotypes. This approach led to new findings to evaluate the ability of different approaches and procedures in accordance with bioinformatics., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

This study aimed to review published scientific literature on bed bugs in countries where insecticide resistance has been reported worldwide from 2000 to 2021. Electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, and WOS, were searched. Out of 606 articles found in the initial search, we selected 57 articles, of which 40 articles had reported on Cimex lectularius (C. lectularius), and 22 papers had reported on Cimex hemipterus (C. hemipterus). Most studies on insecticide resistance were carried out on C. lectularius in North America (14, 35%) and C. hemipterus in Asia (16, 72.7%). The most common method used to detect bed bug resistance to insecticides was toxicological bioassay with an overall random pooled effect size of 0.38 (95% CI: 0.23-0.53) in C. lectularius and 0.46 (95% CI: 0.27-0.65) in C. hemipterus. Resistance to pyrethroids was reported against C. lectularius with an overall pooled effect size of 0.75 (95% CI: 0.56-0.94) and C. hemipterus with an overall pooled effect size of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.57-0.93) in 33.40 (82.5%) and 19.22 (86.3%) published articles, respectively. A very high resistance level to pyrethroids in both studied species was observed, and resistance ratios at the highest level were 76389.3 and 315.5 in C. lectularius and C. hemipterus, respectively. Resistance mechanisms against pyrethroids were reported from most locations except Iran and Thailand, but these mechanisms were not studied in other insecticide groups. These reports indicate that chemical control options for bed bugs are limited. Therefore, a combination of chemical and non-chemical strategies is recommended for bed bug control., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the parasite Toxo-plasma gondii, a cosmopolitan intracellular parasite. It can be a risk factor for auto-immune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study was designed to investigate the possible association between serological history of T. gondii infection and defined clinical manifestation of RA in Northeast of Iran., Methods: Overall, serum samples were collected from 50 RA patients and 40 healthy controls, from Qaem Hospital in Mashhad City, northeastern Iran in 2018. Seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was determined by ELISA., Results: The prevalence of anti - T. gondii IgG in RA patients 48% (24.50) was significantly higher than the control group 10% (4.40) ( P <0.001). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and (rheumatoid factor) RF levels between the RA and control groups ( P <0.01). Control group were matched with patients for age, gender and living area., Conclusion: Given that a high correlation has been demonstrated between positivity rate of anti- T. gondii IgG and RA in Northeastern Iran, further studies will be necessary to clarify the pathogenesis of T. gondii among these patients., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None, (Copyright © 2022 Zarean et al. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Background: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and intensity of nematode infections in sheep located in northeastern Iran from Apr 2018 to Mar 2019., Methods: Gastrointestinal nematodes of 300 sheep were inspected. The season of slaughter, anatomic location where the parasite was located, the animal's sex, infection prevalence and intensity were recorded. Seasonal differences in arrested larvae numbers also were assessed using Cochran's Q test., Results: Overall, 4,331 adult nematode specimens were collected. Among the examined sheep, 53% (159/300) were infected with one or more nematode species. Among infected sheep, 42.8% were infected with a single species of nematode, 26.4% were infected with two species of nematodes, and 30.8% were infected with three or more species of nematodes. Marshallagia marshalli (13.3%) was the most common nematode recovered from the abomasums of infected sheep, while Trichostrongylus vitrinus (4.6%) was commonly recovered from the small intestines, and Trichuris ovis (25.6%) was commonly recovered from the large intestines. In total, 463 arrested larvae were found in the abomasums of 7.5% of infected sheep and 104 arrested larvae were found in the small intestines of 8.8% of infected sheep. A significantly higher numbers of arrested larvae were found in summer compared to autumn ( P <0.001)., Conclusion: Intestinal parasites continue to be a problem for sheep in northeastern Iran and additional control measures need to be explored., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Jadidoleslami et al. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Objective: The study of factors affecting anxiety and depression as the most common emotional disorders has always been at the forefront of psychological research. Among different factors, alexithymia and somatization have considerable importance due to their emotional nature with makes them more integrated with anxiety and depression. Several studies have demonstrated a link between these four concepts, but as far as we know, the quality of the relationship has not been addressed yet. The present paper aims to investigate the mediating role of somatization in the structural relationship of alexithymia with anxiety and depression. Method : A total of 334 college students were recruited through cluster sampling and were asked to complete the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), Beck Depression Inventory - Second Edition (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Somatization Subscale from the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using correlational as well as structural equation modeling. Results: Based on the correlation analysis, there was significant relationship between alexithymia, somatization, anxiety, and depression. According to the results of regression weights, there is a moderate relationship between alexithymia and somatization (regression weight = 0.44). The relationship between somatization and depression is at moderate level (regression weight = 0.42) and the relationship of somatization with anxiety is at strong level (regression weight = 0.85). the goodness of fit indices for the hypothetical model showed significant coefficients at P < 0.05 (CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.059). Conclusion: Findings indicated the important and influential role of somatization in explaining the relationship of alexithymia with anxiety and depression. Therefore, it seems that emotional components such as difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions as well as regulating mood states are important in the psychopathology of emotional disorders., (Copyright © 2022 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Malaria is one of the most serious health problems in many countries, including Iran. Accurate diagnosis is important regardless of the elimination status of a country. A cross-sectional study was performed on 105 people who were suspected to be positive for malaria infection in Sistan and Baluchistan, Iran. Blood smears (thin and thick films) were stained with 10% Giemsa. DNA was extracted from the prepared thin and thick films for molecular methods. Multiplex/nested polymerase chain reaction (mn-PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and light microscopy (LM) were compared with nested PCR (nPCR) as a gold standard. Of 105 subjects, 52 (49.5%), 58 (55.2%), 58 (55.2%), and 63 (60%) were positive for malaria by LM, nPCR, mn-PCR, and LAMP, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and kappa were 92.1%, 100%, and 0.9 for LAMP and 100%, 100%, and 1 for mn-PCR, respectively. Eight cases of coinfection (Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum) that were not detected by LM method were diagnosed by mn-PCR and LAMP. In the present study, the high sensitivity and specificity of LAMP and mn-PCR indicate that these two tests are good alternatives to nPCR for malaria diagnosis.

Background: To compare mRNA expression of interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 17 (IL-17) and Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) in aqueous humor (AH) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in human ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) and controls., Method: RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis and real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed on AH sediments and PBMCs of 16 patients with active OT and 21 controls at the Khatam-al-Anbia Eye Hospital, Iran. For comparison, Mann Whitney U test was used at a discrimination level of p < 0.05. Pearson and Spearman rank correlation test were applied for correlation with clinical parameters., Results: The expression for IL-10 and IL-17 in the AH was 3.7- and 88.0-fold higher in OT than in controls (P = 0.04 and P = 0.03, respectively) whereas that of TGF-β was 7.7-fold lower (P < 0.001). The expression levels for these cytokines in PBMC followed a similar pattern (IL-10 13.8-fold down-regulated (P = 0.001), IL-17 with 1.9-fold insignificantly upregulated (p = 0.43), TGF-β 452.8-fold down-regulated (P = 0.002). Compared to PBMC, IL-10 coding mRNA was 1876-fold higher in the almost cell-free AH in OT (39.2-fold in controls), IL-17 coding mRNA was 9.4-fold higher (17.7-fold down-regulated in controls), and that coding for TGF-β 207-fold higher in OT (7x10 5 -fold in controls). The expression for IL-10, IL-17 and TGF-β in AH thus followed an opposite pattern compared to that in PBMC., Conclusion: OT induces a highly-specific local immunoregulatory process as evidenced by an intraocular up-regulation of IL-10 and down-regulation of TGF-β mRNA. This could indicate an attempt to prevent unnecessary tissue damage which is in line with a moderate local mRNA up-regulation for IL-17 which seems sufficient to control parasite proliferation. That this regulation is opposite to that in PBMC may be linked to intraocular immune deviation in the course of disease., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Alexithymia, as a fundamental notion in the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders, is characterized by deficits in emotional processing and, consequently, difficulties in emotion recognition. Traditional tools for assessing alexithymia, which include interviews and self-report measures, have led to inconsistent results due to some limitations as insufficient insight. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to propose a new screening tool that utilizes machine learning models based on the scores of facial emotion recognition task., Method: In a cross-sectional study, 55 students of the University of Tabriz were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and their scores in the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Then, they completed the somatization subscale of Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90-R), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the facial emotion recognition (FER) task. Afterwards, support vector machine (SVM) and feedforward neural network (FNN) classifiers were implemented using K-fold cross validation to predict alexithymia, and the model performance was assessed with the area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and F1-measure., Results: The models yielded an accuracy range of 72.7-81.8% after feature selection and optimization. Our results suggested that ML models were able to accurately distinguish alexithymia and determine the most informative items for predicting alexithymia., Conclusion: Our results show that machine learning models using FER task, SCL-90-R, BDI-II, and BAI could successfully diagnose alexithymia and also represent the most influential factors of predicting it and can be used as a clinical instrument to help clinicians in diagnosis process and earlier detection of the disorder., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2021 Nima Farhoumandi et al.)

Background: Platyhelminth infections of livestock can result in considerable economic losses. This study aims to evaluate the spatial frequency of cystic echinococcosis (CE), dicrocoeliasis, and fascioliasis in livestock slaughtered in Iran during the years 2015-2019 and estimate direct costs associated with organ condemnation due to these parasites., Methods: Abattoir data from 413 abattoirs representing all 31 Iranian provinces were collected from the Iran Veterinary Organization. Infection prevalence was calculated per year at the province level. The Local Moran's I statistic was performed to evaluate spatial autocorrelation of animals positive at slaughter for the years 2015-2019. Direct costs associated with condemned livers were calculated for each parasitic condition, with costs associated with condemned lungs also included for CE., Results: Overall prevalence values for the study timeframe were as follows: sheep and goat fascioliasis 1.56% (95% CI: 1.56-1.56%), cattle fascioliasis 3.86% (95% CI: 3.85-3.88%), sheep and goat dicrocoeliasis 4.63% (95% CI: 4.62-4.63%), cattle dicrocoeliasis 3.08% (95% CI: 3.07-3.09%), sheep and goat CE 5.32% (95% CI: 5.32-5.33%), and cattle CE 7.26% (95% CI: 7.24-7.28%). Northwest Iran had the highest prevalence of CE and fascioliasis. High infection areas for Dicrocoelium spp. included the provinces of Zanjan, Gilan, Qazvin, and Tehran, which are located in northern Iran. Direct economic losses for sheep and goat fascioliasis, dicrocoeliasis, and CE for the study period were US$13,842,759, US$41,771,377, and US$22,801,054, respectively. Direct economic losses for cattle fascioliasis, dicrocoeliasis, and CE for the study period were US$1,989,200, US$1,668,986, and US$2,656,568, respectively., Conclusion: Our findings provide valuable data for future monitoring of these important parasitic diseases in Iranian livestock. Disease control strategies are required to reduce the economic and public health impact of these platyhelminths.

Felidae as definitive hosts for Toxoplasma gondii play a major role in transmission to all warm-blooded animals trough oocysts dissemination. Therefore the current comprehensive study was performed to determine the global status of T. gondii infection in domestic and wild felids aiming to provide comprehensive data of interest for further intervention approaching the One Health perspective. Different databases were searched by utilizing particular key words for publications related to T. gondii infecting domestic and wild feline host species, worldwide, from 1970 to 2020. The review of 337 reports showed that the seroprevalence of T. gondii in domestic cats and wild felids was estimated in 37.5% (95% CI 34.7-40.3) (I 2  = 98.3%, P < 0.001) and 64% (95% CI 60-67.9) (I 2  = 88%, P < 0.0001), respectively. The global pooled prevalence of oocysts in the fecal examined specimens from domestic cats was estimated in 2.6% (95% CI 1.9-3.3) (I 2  = 96.1%, P < 0.0001), and that in fecal samples from wild felids was estimated in 2.4% (95% CI 1.1-4.2) (I 2  = 86.4%, P < 0.0001). In addition, from 13,252 examined soil samples in 14 reviewed studies, the pooled occurrence of T. gondii oocysts was determined in 16.2% (95% CI 7.66-27.03%). The observed high rates of anti-T. gondii antibodies seroprevalence levels and oocyst excretion frequency in the felids, along with soil (environmental) contamination with oocysts may constitute a potential threat to animal and public health, and data will result of interest in further prophylaxis programs.

Background: Studies have shown that one of the most important complications of exposure to ionizing radiation is the emergence of cancer tumors, as a result of oxidative DNA. Since different radiography groups have high rate of exposure to ionizing radiation, examining the susceptibility rate of cancer in these groups is of prime importance. Therefore, the present study was conducted to measure the level of 8-hydroxy2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in the radiographers' urine as a biomarker of oxidative damage while comparing it with the nonradiography staff., Methods: Samples of two groups were selected for this case-control study, wherein 35 subjects were selected from different radiography groups (including nuclear medicine, radiology, radiotherapy, and CT scan) while the other 35 subjects were staffs who had no exposure to radiation. Later, urine samples were collected at the end of the working shift to determine the 8-OHdG concentration. The samples were obtained via SPE (solid-phase extraction) method. Subsequently, the 8-OHdG concentration was measured by the GC-MS analyzer., Results: The results confirmed that, the average concentration of 8-OHdG in the radiographers' urine (253.4 ± 31.2 ng/mg of creatinine) had a significant difference as compared to the nonradiographers' urine (141.1 ± 21.9 ng/mg of creatinine) ( P = 0.004)., Conclusions: In conclusion, due to elimination of interfering factors, ionizing radiation affects the increase in 8-OHdG levels and acts as a potential biomarker for the damaged oxidative DNA., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 International Journal of Preventive Medicine.)

Pediculosis by Pediculus humanus capitis is still an important health issue in school-age students worldwide. Although pediculicidal agents effectively kill head lice, the re-infestation rate is still high. This study was conducted to provide a summary of evidence about the prevalence of pediculosis capitis among school-age students worldwide. Different databases including MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for publications related to pediculosis capitis in school-age students from 1977 to 2020. All peer-reviewed original research articles describing pediculosis capitis among school-age students were included. Statistical heterogeneity of the different years among studies was assessed using the standard chi squared and I 2 tests. Due to the significant heterogeneity, a random effect model was adopted to estimate the pooled, continent, and gender-specific prevalence of pediculosis. Two hundred and one papers met the inclusion criteria of this review and entered into the meta-analysis including 1,218,351 individuals. Through a random effect model, the prevalence of pediculosis capitis among school students was estimated as 19% (CI 95% = 0.18-0.20%, I 2  = 99.89%). The prevalence of pediculosis capitis among boys was 7% (CI 95% = 0.05-0.10) compared to 19% (CI 95% = 0.15-0.24) in girls. The highest prevalence was in Central and South America (33%, CI 95% = 0.22-0.44, I 2  = 99.81%) and the lowest was in Europe (5%, CI 95% = 4-6, I 2  = 99.28%). Relatively high pediculosis capitis prevalence among school-age students observed in this study emphasizes the need for implementing screening and prophylaxis tailored to the local context.

Air pollution is one of the biggest global environmental problems in urban regions. This study aimed to investigate the validity of the relationship between air pollution and respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalization using time series methods. This time series study was conducted in Isfahan, Iran. We used data of hospitalized cases in three main university hospitals (Alzahra, Noor, Chamran) and air pollution data from 2014 to 2016. We applied the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach of cointegration to examine the relationship between the air pollution and hospitalizations of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The results of air quality assessment on the number of respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalization demonstrate that in the case of cardiovascular disease, both in the long run and in the short run, the air quality index has a significant impact on men and women with a bigger impact in the long run compared to the short run. The value of the long-run coefficient indicates the relationship between air pollution index and cardiovascular hospitalization is stronger than respiratory hospitalizations. In the long term, the effect of the air quality index (AQI) on the number of hospitalizations is more than that in the short term. Based on the results, a 10-unit increase in AQI leads to 5.3% increase in the number of respiratory hospitalization. Accordingly, a 10-unit increase in AQI will result in 7.3% increase in the number of cardiovascular hospitalizations.

Becoming armed with an appropriate strategy to isolate the minimum number of human papillomaviruses (HPV), regardless of DNA extraction method, can be a huge step in preventing false negative; it has a significant effect on the management and control of HPV infection among women's population. This study was conducted in Qom province, considering the risk factors associated with HPV. It was able to analyze genetic evolution in its genotypes and evaluated the limit of detection by a new diagnostic approach. Totally, 486 Pap smear samples were tested; then, the HPV DNA was developed by a semi-nested quantification PCR. Positive samples were sequenced and submitted to the GenBank (MG825048-MG825061). After alignment, phylogenetic and polymorphism analyses were performed on the sequenced samples with a number of GenBank sequences. The overall HPV prevalence among all women in Qom was 11.7%. HPV6 (43.24%) and HPV16 (6.75%) were the most frequent LR and HR genotypes, respectively. Although the Tajima's D of all genotypes was positive, it was negative individually. The position of genotypes 6, 11, and 73 was controversial on phylogenetic trees. Limit of detection (LOD) was obtained as about 10-100 copies per reaction in various genotypes of HPV by semi-nested qPCR. The nature of HPV could be preserved during natural selection. This research, through innovative usage of the primers, could detect different genotypes of the HPV, and inform the women society of the probable risk through its prevalence determination., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: Toxoplasma infection remains as the most common cause of focal brain lesions among people living with HIV (PLHIV) despite the decline in opportunistic infections with the introduction of antiretroviral treatment. This study was conducted to provide a summary of evidence about the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and prevalence of active T. gondii infection and associated risk factors among PLHIV., Design: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct and EMBASE were searched from 1997 to July 2018. All peer-reviewed original research articles describing T. gondii infection among PLHIV with different diagnostic methods were included., Methods: Incoherence and heterogeneity between studies were quantified by I index and Cochran's Q test. Publication and population bias were assessed with funnel plots and Egger's regression asymmetry test. All statistical analyses were performed using StatsDirect., Results: In total, 111 studies from 37 countries assessing 66 139 blood samples were included in this study. The pooled prevalence of T. gondii infection among PLHIV was 3.24% by IgM and 26.22% by molecular methods using the random-effects model. Pooled seroprevalence of T. gondii by IgG was 44.22%. There was a relationship between Toxoplasma prevalence and sex, raw meat consumption, contact with cat and knowledge about toxoplasmosis., Conclusion: High Toxoplasma seroprevalence among PLHIV observed in this study emphasizes the need for implementing screening and prophylaxis tailored to the local context. Owing to the serious and significant clinical manifestations of the parasite in case of reactivation, early identification of seropositivity for initiating prophylaxis among those with a CD4 cell count of less than 200 cells/ml is recommended.