Entomological survey of malaria vectors in Dashtestan County, South of Iran.

Anopheline mosquitoes are responsible for transmission of some diseases such as malaria. This study was carried out in five villages of Dashtestan county, Bushehr province, south of Iran with mountainous and plain areas. Anopheles larvae were sampled once a month from May to July 2021 by dipping method using standard dippers. Adults were captured by the total catch technique. In this study, 1062 Anopheles mosquitoes were collected including 850 adults and 212 larvae. Samples were A. superpictus, A. stephensi, A. dthali and A. fluviatilis. The dominant species at all sites (larvae and adults) were A. dthali (31.35%), A. superpictus (28.93%), A. stephensi (27.77%), and A. fluviatilis (11.95%), respectively. Among adults, A. stephensi was the most frequent species, but among larvae, A. dthali was the dominant species. The highest number of A. dthali was captured from Dalaki village with 35%, while A. superpictus and A. fluviatilis were not caught at this station. The minimum collected adults of all species occurred in Bashirabad. This result showed that A. stephensi plays an important role in south Iran, which is under the elimination phase. The fauna and niches of Anopheles has different patterns depending on ecological, climatic, and topographic features. These items affect host preferences, feeding behaviors, and distribution of these species. A monthly or annual entomological survey is necessary in regions with mobile populations since imported malaria is a problematic issue in the elimination programs of Iran.

A Higher Healthy Eating Index Is Associated with Decreased Markers of Inflammation and Lower Odds for Being Overweight/Obese Based on a Case-Control Study.

Obesity is a health risk characterized by chronic inflammation, and food choices are strongly associated with its etiology. Our objective was to investigate the association between dietary patterns and the healthy eating index (HEI) with the odds of overweight/obesity and related inflammatory markers. Within a population-based case-control study, we collected data and samples from 793 normal-weight and 812 overweight/obese Iranian people (based on either body mass index (BMI) or body surface area (BSA)). Dietary intake and HEI scores were obtained via a validated 124-item food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric and socioeconomic parameters, as well as blood inflammatory markers, were measured. Participants with higher HEI scores had higher serum high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and significantly lower energy intake. Water consumption in the overweight/obese group was significantly lower than in the control group. In the final models using partial correlation and controlling for multiple confounders, there was a significant inverse correlation between HEI and interleukin-4 (IL-4, R = -0.063), IL-1ß (R = -0.054), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP, R = -0.069). Based on multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for multiple confounders, there was a significant association between HEI as a continuous variable (OR = 0.993, 95% CI: 0.988-0.999) and categorical variable (OR = 0.801, 95% CI: 0.658-0.977) and odds of overweight/obesity across BMI groups. The dietary patterns in the case and control groups however were similar, and we failed to find a significant association between HEI and odds of overweight/obesity based on BSA. Adherence to healthy eating recommendations may be a prudent recommendation to prevent overweight/obesity and keeping inflammatory indicators low.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran: A review of epidemiological aspects, with emphasis on molecular findings.

Leishmania parasites can cause zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) by circulating between humans, rodents, and sandflies in Iran. In this study, published data were collected from scientific sources such as Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Springer, ResearchGate, Wiley Online, Ovid, Ebsco, Cochrane Library, Google scholar, and SID. Keywords searched in the articles, theses, and abstracts from 1983 to 2021 were cutaneous leishmaniasis, epidemiology, reservoir, vector, climatic factors, identification, and Iran. This review revealed that CL was prevalent in the west of Iran, while the center and south of Iran were also involved in recent years. The lack of facilities in suburban regions was an aggravating factor in the human community. Some parts of southern Iran were prominent foci of CL due the presence of potential rodent hosts in these regions. Rhombomys opimus, Meriones lybicus, and Tatera indica were well-documented species for hosting the Leishmania species in Iran. Moreover, R. opimus has been found with a coinfection of Leishmania major and L. turanica from the northeast and center of Iran. Mashhad, Kerman, Yazd, and sometimes Shiraz and Tehran foci were distinct areas for L. tropica. Molecular identifications using genomic diagnosis of kDNA and ITS1 fragments of the parasite indicated that there is heterogeneity in leishmaniasis in different parts of the country. Although cutaneous leishmaniasis has been a predicament for the health system, it is relatively under control in Iran.

Title: Leishmaniose cutanée en Iran : une synthèse des aspects épidémiologiques, mettant l'accent sur les découvertes moléculaires. Abstract: Les parasites Leishmania peuvent établir une leishmaniose cutanée zoonotique (LC) en circulant entre les humains, les rongeurs et les phlébotomes en Iran. Dans cette étude, les données publiées ont été collectées à partir de ressources scientifiques telles que Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Springer, ResearchGate, Wiley Online, Ovid, Ebsco, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar et SID. Les mots-clés recherchés dans les articles, les thèses et les résumés de 1983 à 2021 étaient leishmaniose cutanée, épidémiologie, réservoir, vecteur, facteurs climatiques, identification et Iran. Cet examen a révélé que la LC est répandue dans l'ouest de l'Iran, tandis que le centre et le sud de l'Iran sont également impliqués ces dernières années. Le manque d'équipements dans les régions suburbaines est un facteur aggravant dans la communauté humaine. Certaines parties du sud de l'Iran sont des foyers importants de LC en raison de la présence d'hôtes potentiels de rongeurs dans ces régions. Rhombomys opimus, Meriones lybicus et Tatera indica sont des espèces bien documentées pour héberger les espèces de Leishmania en Iran. De plus, R. opimus a été trouvé avec une co-infection de Leishmania major et L. turanica au nord-est et au centre de l'Iran. Mashhad, Kerman, Yazd et parfois des foyers de Shiraz et de Téhéran sont des zones distinctes pour L. tropica. Les identifications moléculaires utilisant le diagnostic génomique des fragments d'ADNk et ITS1 du parasite ont indiqué qu'il existe une hétérogénéité dans la leishmaniose dans différentes parties du pays. Bien que la leishmaniose cutanée ait été une situation difficile pour le système de santé, elle est relativement contrôlée en Iran.

Electrophysiological and behavioral effects of unilateral and bilateral rTMS; A randomized clinical trial on rumination and depression.

BACKGROUND: Rumination is significantly frequent in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, not a lot of studies have investigated the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on rumination. METHODS: 61 participants with a minimum Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) score of 20 were randomly assigned to sham, bilateral stimulation (BS) or unilateral stimulation (US) groups. EEG, The Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), and HAM-D were administered before and after the 20 sessions of rTMS. Phase locked values (PLV) were calculated as a measure of connectivity. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in HAM-D scores in both BS and US. In responders, BS and US differed significantly in RRS total scores, with greater reduction in BS. PLV significantly changed in the default mode network (DMN) in delta, theta, alpha, and beta in BS, in responders of which PLV decreased in the DMN in beta and gamma. Positive correlations between PLV and brooding in delta and theta, and negative correlations between PLV and reflection were found in theta, alpha, and beta. In US, connectivity in the DMN increased in beta, and PLV increased in theta and beta, and decreased in alpha and beta in its responders. Positive correlations between PLV and brooding in the delta and theta, as well as negative correlations between PLV and reflection in theta were observed in the DMN. CONCLUSION: US and BS resulted in different modulations in the DMN, however, both could alleviate both rumination and depression. Reductions in the beta and alpha frequency bands in the DMN can be considered as potential EEG-based markers of response to bilateral and unilateral rTMS, respectively.

Cold Cognition as Predictor of Treatment Response to rTMS; A Retrospective Study on Patients With Unipolar and Bipolar Depression.

Background: Cognitive impairments are prevalent in patients with unipolar and bipolar depressive disorder (UDD and BDD, respectively). Considering the fact assessing cognitive functions is increasingly feasible for clinicians and researchers, targeting these problems in treatment and using them at baseline as predictors of response to treatment can be very informative. Method: In a naturalistic, retrospective study, data from 120 patients (Mean age: 33.58) with UDD (n = 56) and BDD (n = 64) were analyzed. Patients received 20 sessions of bilateral rTMS (10 Hz over LDLPFC and 1 HZ over RDLPFC) and were assessed regarding their depressive symptoms, sustained attention, working memory, and executive functions, using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery Cambridge, at baseline and after the end of rTMS treatment course. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) and logistic regression were used as the main statistical methods to test the hypotheses. Results: Fifty-three percentage of all patients (n = 64) responded to treatment. In particular, 53.1% of UDD patients (n = 34) and 46.9% of BDD patients (n = 30) responded to treatment. Bilateral rTMS improved all cognitive functions (attention, working memory, and executive function) except for visual memory and resulted in more modulations in the working memory of UDD compared to BDD patients. More improvements in working memory were observed in responded patients and visual memory, age, and sex were determined as treatment response predictors. Working memory, visual memory, and age were identified as treatment response predictors in BDD and UDD patients, respectively. Conclusion: Bilateral rTMS improved cold cognition and depressive symptoms in UDD and BDD patients, possibly by altering cognitive control mechanisms (top-down), and processing negative emotional bias.

Pharmacotherapeutic Potential of Garlic in Age-Related Neurological Disorders.

Age-related Neurological Disorders (ANDs) involve Neurodegenerative Diseases (NDDs), such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD), the most frequent kind of dementia in elderly people, and Parkinson's Disease (PD), and also other disorders like epilepsy and migraine. Although ANDs are multifactorial, aging is a principal risk factor for them. The common and most main pathologic features among ANDs are inflammation, oxidative stress, and misfolded proteins accumulation. Since failing brains caused by ANDs impose a notable burden on public health and their incidence is increasing, a lot of works have been conducted to overcome them. Garlic, Allium sativum, has been used for different medical purposes globally and more than thousands of publications have reported its health benefits. Garlic and aged garlic extract are considered potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidants agents and can have remarkable neuroprotective effects. This review is aimed to summarize knowledge on the pharmacotherapeutic potential of garlic and its components in ANDs.

Clinical manifestation and epidemiological findings of human linguatula serrate infection in Iran: systematic review.

The aim of this study was to collect data and provide information on clinical diagnosis of disease, methods of dissemination, prevention and treatment of human linguatuliasis in order to increase people's awareness and health care. In this study case reports of individuals in Iran those infected with the Linguatula serrata were taken from the international databases (e.g., Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Iranmedex, Scientific Information Database, and Irandoc) and reviewed. The review covers the case reports of human tongue worm infection published either in Persian or in English between the years 1980-2018. An individual researcher undertook the bibliographic search and evaluation of articles based on inclusion/exclusion of specific criteria. Cases of infection have been reported in eight provinces of Iran. Dietary habits play the important roles in the transmission of the parasite. Clinical diagnosis was achieved by obtaining a patient's history, then completing a clinical examination of the mentioned patients. Symptoms of infection were mainly observed in the upper respiratory tract in most reports, the patient's status was improved by removing the parasite from the infected organ. Given that viscera of slaughtered livestock plays a significant role in the transmission of this infection to humans, Careful inspection of slaughtered livestock in slaughterhouses and Preventing the slaughter of livestock illegally and unsanitary, outside the slaughterhouse, is important. Accordingly, it is very important to train the employees working in the slaughterhouses and the people who consume these organs.

Interpretation of Hematological, Biochemical, and Immunological Findings of COVID-19 Disease: Biomarkers Associated with Severity and Mortality.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread rapidly all over the world in late 2019 and caused critical illness and death in some infected patients. This study aimed at examining several laboratory factors, especially inflammatory and immunological mediators, to identify severity and mortality associated biomarkers. Ninety-three hospitalized patients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were classified based on disease severity. The levels of biochemical, hematological, immunological, and inflammatory mediators were assessed, and their association with severity and mortality were evaluated. Hospitalized patients were mostly men (77.4%) with an average (standard deviation) age of 59.14 (14.81) years. The mortality rate was significantly higher in critical patients (85.7%). Increased serum levels of blood sugar, urea, creatinine, uric acid, phosphorus, total bilirubin, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, lactic dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, ferritin, and procalcitonin were significantly prevalent (p=0.002, p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.014, p=0.047, p=0.003, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, P<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively) in COVID-19 patients. Decreased red blood cell, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were significantly prevalent among COVID-19 patients than healthy control subjects (p<0.001 for all). Troponin-I, interleukin-6, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), procalcitonin, and D-dimer showed a significant association with the mortality of patients with specificity and sensitivity more than 60%. Age, sex, underlying diseases, blood oxygen pressure, complete blood count along with C-reactive protein, lactic dehydrogenase, procalcitonin, D-dimer, and interleukin-6 evaluation help to predict the severity and required management for COVID-19 patients. Further investigations are highly recommended in a larger cohort study for validation of the present findings.

Synergistic Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects of Local Probiotic Lactobacillus Brevis Isolated from Regional Dairy Products in Combination with Tamoxifen.

Tamoxifen (TAM), the most widely used anti-estrogenic drug, inhibits the progression of breast cancer through competing with estrogen for binding to the estrogen receptor (ER). Tamoxifen has been the first-line adjuvant endocrine therapy in pre- and postmenopausal patients with ER + breast cancer for two decades. However, due to its side effects, interest in using anticancer agents derived from natural foods has increased. It has recently been stated that some probiotics can improve the efficacy of anticancer drugs via synergistic effects. Here, Local Probiotic Lactobacillus Brevis were isolated and characterized from dairy products and its supernatant was prepared. Proliferation of MCF-7, a breast cancer cell line, was investigated after treatment with Lactobacillus Brevis supernatant (LBS) solely, and in combination with Tamoxifen. In Vitro trials were performed to assess the LBS potency. Bax and Bcl-2 mRNA expression levels and apoptotic effects after these treatments were examined by qRT-PCR and flow cytometry, respectively. The results indicated that LBS induces apoptosis in MCF-7 at high concentrations. Transcription of Bcl-2 was reduced but Bax mRNA expression was enhanced. Tamoxifen's inhibitory effect on the cell growth was synergistically augmented by LBS. In addition, we found that the Bcl-2 mRNA levels in the cells exposed to TAM/LBS were lower than in those treated with TAM alone. Our findings suggest potential role of LB as an adjuvant therapy in cancer treatment and prevention; along with its underlying mechanism.

6 Hz transcranial alternating current stimulation of mPFC improves sustained attention and modulates alpha phase synchronization and power in dorsal attention network.

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation tool appropriate to modulate cortical oscillations and activity via the application of weak currents. The major goal of this study was to investigate the effects of medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC) stimulation on sustained attention task performance measured by Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVIP) task and the brain networks assumed to be critical to sustained attention. mPFC has been shown to be involved in sustained attention performance and as a main hub in default mode network (DMN). mPFC activity modulation via theta tACS was implemented in this study. This was a single blind study with 21 participants receiving active and sham stimulation with the electrodes on FPz and the Inion. tACS was able to impact different RVIP measures (total hits, A' (sensitivity to target), total correct rejection, etc.). Relative power spectrum density (PSD) analysis yielded significant increases in theta frequency mostly in the fronto-central regions after active tACS and current source density (CSD) analysis yielded significant power modulations in theta frequency band in post-central gyrus. Furthermore, phase locking value (PLV) analysis showed that there were significant changes in cortical connections in the Dorsal Attention Network (DAN) in alpha frequency band. This study showed that theta frequency tACS over mPFC, was able to produce significant modulations in an RVIP task and its associated brain networks in healthy participants.

The effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention on perceived stress and perception of disease in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

CONTEXT: One of the most important issues in patients with coronary artery disease is their mental health indices such as perceived stress and perception of disease. AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention on the perceived stress and disease perception of patients with acute coronary syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a clinical trial, two-group, and three-stage study on 76 patients with acute coronary syndrome who were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Nine weekly sessions of mindfulness-based training program were administered to the intervention group. The control group received routine services during this period. Data collection was done before, immediately, and 1 month after the intervention, using the Perceived Stress Scale and the Illness Perception Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the mean scores of perceived stress and illness perception before intervention. After the intervention and 1 month after it, the mean score of perceived stress in the intervention group was statistically significantly lower than the control group (P < 0.001), and the perception of disease in the intervention group was statistically significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It is worthwhile to suggest the mindfulness-based training program to reduce the perceived stress and correct the perception of disease for patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Alpha frequency rTMS modulates theta lagged nonlinear connectivity in dorsal attention network.

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a key structure in dorsal attention network (DAN) that facilitates sustained attention by modulating activity in task related and unrelated regions of the brain. Alpha and theta frequency bands enhance connectivity among different parts of the attention network and these connections are facilitated by long-range nonlinear connectivity in theta and alpha frequency bands. This study is an investigation of the behavioral and electrophysiological effects of alpha and theta frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over RDLPFC. 20 healthy participants were randomly assigned to two groups of theta (n = 11, f = 6 Hz) and alpha (n = 9, f = 10 Hz) rTMS. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded before and after each session while resting and performing tasks. Current source density (CSD) and functional connectivity (FC) in DAN and default mode network (DMN) and their correlations with rapid visual information processing task (RVIP) scores were calculated . Alpha frequency rTMS resulted in significant changes in RVIP scores. Active theta rTMS caused an increase in CSD in Postcentral gyrus and active alpha rTMS resulted in significant CSD changes in inferior parietal lobule (IPL). Theta lagged nonlinear connectivity was mudulated by alpha rTMSand FC changes were observed in DAN and DMN. Positive correlations were observed between DAN regions and RVIP scores in the alpha rTMS group. Increased activity in theta frequency band in left aPFC and left DLPFC correlated positively with higher total hits in RVIP. This study showed for the first time that theta and alpha frequency rTMS are able to modulate FC in DAN and DMN in a way that results in better performance in a sustained attention task.

Insights into Nano-Photo-Thermal Therapy of Cancer: The Kinetics of Cell Death and Effect on Cell Cycle.

BACKGROUND: Despite considerable advances in nano-photo-thermal therapy (NPTT), there have been a few studies reporting in-depth kinetics of cell death triggered by such a new modality of cancer treatment. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to (1) investigate the cell death pathways regulating the apoptotic responses to NPTT; and (2) ascertain the effect of NPTT on cell cycle progression. METHODS: Folate conjugated gold nanoparticle (F-AuNP) was firstly synthesized, characterized and then assessed to determine its potentials in targeted NPTT. The experiments were conducted on KB nasopharyngeal cancer cells overexpressing folate receptors (FRs), as the model, and L929 normal fibroblast cells with a low level of FRs, as the control. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay and the cell death mode (i.e., necrosis or apoptosis) was determined through AnnexinV/FITC-propidium iodide staining. Next, the gene expression profiles of some key apoptotic factors involved in the mitochondrial signaling pathway were investigated using RT-qPCR. Finally, cell cycle phase distribution was investigated at different time points post NPTT using flow cytometric analysis. RESULTS: The obtained results showed that KB cell death following targeted NPTT was greater than that observed for L929 cells. The majority of KB cell death following NPTT was related to apoptosis. RT-qPCR analysis indicated that the elevated expression of Bax along with the depressed expression of Bcl-xL, Survivin and XIAP may involve in the regulation of apoptosis in response to NPTT. Flow cytometric analysis manifested that 16-24 hours after NPTT, the major proportion of KB cells was in the most radiosensitive phases of the cell cycle (G2/M). CONCLUSION: This study extended the understanding of the signaling pathway involved in the apoptotic response to NPTT. Moreover, the potential effect of NPTT on sensitizing cancer cells to subsequent radiation therapy was highlighted.

Alteration in inflammatory mediators in seriously eye-injured war veterans, long-term after sulfur mustard exposure.

BACKGROUND: Sulfur mustard (SM) exposure produces extensive systemic and ocular adverse effects on the victims. One of the most important effects is immunological insults that can lead to other organ damages, including the eyes. METHODS: In this descriptive study, 128 SM-exposed veterans with severe eye injury were compared with 31 healthy controls. Tear levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1ß, IL1Ra, IL-6, TNF-α, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and Fas Ligand (FasL) were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD); tear breakup time (TBUT < 10″); and conjunctival, limbal, and corneal abnormalities were more frequent among the cases (MS-exposed veterans) than the controls. Ocular involvement was mild in 14.8%, moderate in 24.2%, and severe in 60.9% of the cases. Serum levels of IL-1α and FasL were significantly higher among the cases than among the controls (P < 0.001 and P = 0.037, respectively). Also, a significant decrease was observed in serum and tear levels of TNF-α in the cases as compared with controls (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). Serum levels of FasL were significantly higher in cases with severe ocular involvement than in the controls (P = 0.03). Nonetheless, serum levels of IL-1ß, IL-1Ra, IL-1α/IL-1Ra, and IL-6 were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Serum levels of IL-1α and FasL may cause different ocular surface abnormalities in SM-exposed patients. Lower tear TNF-α concentration may be due to lower serum levels of this cytokine in these patients.

The Persian version of the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS-P).

Determining depression symptoms in schizophrenic patients is a challenging process because of a degree of similarity between depression symptoms and negative symptoms and the extrapyramidal side effects of neuroleptic drugs, but it is crucial to evaluate and measure depression among patients with schizophrenia for a better clinical outcome. The Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) is a valid and reliable instrument used for the evaluation of depression in schizophrenia. This study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of CDSS in a sample of people with schizophrenia. Clinical interviews were conducted with 95 schizophrenic patients (40 inpatients and 55 outpatients), who were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17 and HDRS-24 items), and the Calgary Depression Rating Scale (CDSS). Then an exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine correlations between scales, Cronbach's alpha, and cutoff scores. The factor analysis led to the extraction of a unifactorial solution. The CDSS had significant relationships with PANSS Negative and PANSS General. However, it had no significant relationship with PANSS Positive and the PANSS Total. The CDSS also had significant relationships with HDRS-17 and HDRS-24. In addition, Cronbach's alpha of total score, test-retest reliability, and cutoff score were estimated at 0.86, 0.82, and 8 (sensitivity = 0.79 and specificity = 0.84), respectively. The findings support the CDSS unifactorial approach. Results also showed that the CDSS Persian version had acceptable psychometric properties; thus, it could be employed to evaluate depression among schizophrenic patients.

Microbiological Profile of Corneal Ulcers at a Tertiary Referral Center.

The aim of this study was to describe patient demographics, microbiological profile, and antibiotic susceptibility of corneal ulcer at a tertiary referral center to improve and optimize diagnosis and treatment of this potentially blinding entity and to reduce antibiotic misuse. Detailed external and slit-lamp bio-microscopic examination of 123 consecutive patients with suspected corneal ulcer was performed at an ophthalmology clinic. Corneal scraping was carried out under slit-lamp bio-microscopy. The obtained material was inoculated on culture media and smeared on a slide for Gram's staining for morphological identification of bacteria and fungus. For samples that developed colony in culture media, antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed. In a significant percentage of patients (72%) neither bacterial agents nor fungi were the cause of corneal ulcer. Of the 34 culture-proven corneal ulcers, in 79% of the cases, bacteria were detected while in 21% of cases, fungi were found. Of the 27 bacterial corneal ulcers, the majority were (67%) caused by Gram-positive bacteria, of which 50% were Streptococcus pneumoniae, and in the Gram-negative bacterial corneal ulcers, most of the cases (44%) were caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In the antibiotic susceptibility report, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli were resistant to Cotrimoxazole (TS), Streptococcus pneumoniae to Erythromycin (E), Staphylococcus aureus to Peniciline (PG), Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Ceftriaxone (CRO) and Nitrofurantoin (NI), and finally, Escherichia coli to Gentamicin (GM). In conclusion, in a significant number of the patients neither bacterial agents nor fungi were offending microorganisms and bacteria were the most common agent of microbiological corneal ulcer, found in 79% of culture-proven corneal ulcers, followed by fungus, found in 21% of culture-proven corneal ulcers.

Comparison among Ocular Response Analyzer, Corvis ST and Goldmann applanation tonometry in healthy children.

AIM: To explore the relationship between different parameters of Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) and Corvis ST (CST) in a sample of healthy Iranian school-aged children and the relationship between parameters of these 2 instruments against intraocular pressure (IOP), measured by the Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT-IOP), age and gender, and find possible correlation between ORA and CST with GAT. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 90 healthy children. A general interview and complete eye examination were performed. Following successful GAT-IOP measurement, ORA and CST were conducted. The CST parameters were A 1/2 length (A1L, A2L), A 1/2 velocity (A1V, A2V), highest concavity deformation amplitude (HCDA), radius of curvature (RoC), peak distance (PD), central corneal thickness (CCT) and IOP. The ORA parameters were corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), Goldmann-correlated IOP (IOP-G) and corneal compensated IOP (IOP-CC). Extracted data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science software. RESULTS: Totally 39 males with age of 9.08±1.60 (6-12)y and 51 females with age of 8.96±1.55 (6-13)y were included. Many CST parameters were significantly correlated with CH, CRF, IOP-G and IOP-CC. Some CST parameters had a significant correlation with GAT-IOP, including IOP-CST in both eyes and HCDA, A2L, PD, and RoC in the left eye, but none with age, except A2L in the right eye. The CRF measurement showed a significant correlation with GAT-IOP in both eyes and CH in the right eye, yet, none with age. Among all CST and ORA parameters, CCT-CST in both eyes and A1L in right eye had a significant correlation with gender, although this was a negligible negative correlation. Comparison of mean IOP values by different devices showed a significantly highest IOP overestimation by CST and lowest by IOP-CC compared with GAT. Also, IOP-G versus IOP-CST significantly had the lowest IOP overestimation among others. Overall, either low positive correlation or negligible correlation was found between IOP measurements by 3 instruments. CONCLUSION: The study finds the highest IOP overestimation by CST and lowest by IOP-CC compared with GAT. Overall, either low positive correlation or negligible correlation is found between IOP measurements by the 3 instruments.

Epidemiological Aspects of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Larestan and Ghiro-Karzin Counties, Southwest of Iran

OBJECTIVES: Leishmania parasites are the causative agents of leishmaniasis. The Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) form of the disease is fatal if not treated in most cases. This study examined the epidemiological aspects of VL in two southwest counties of Iran. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of hospitalized patients with a laboratory confirmation of VL from Larestan and Ghiro-Karzin Counties. RESULTS: For Larestan county, a decline in the incidence of VL has been observed from 2004 to 2015. Significantly more males (n = 14) than females (n = 6) were infected with VL in this county (p 95% of cases in children under 5 years of age. In Ghiro-Karzin county, the results were similar to a decline in VL infection from 2004 to 2015, and slightly more males (n = 14) than females (n = 11). Similarly, the majority of the patients infected with VL were children under 5 years old (88%). CONCLUSION: The results from this study indicate that although the incidence of VL infection has reduced over time, VL was more prevalent in boys under 5 years old, suggesting that more attention to controlling the parasite and its vector are required.

Epidemiological trend of cutaneous leishmaniasis in two endemic focus of disease, south of Iran.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is one the most important zoonotic diseases has different invertebrate hosts in different parts of its range, the vectors are often closely related. Leishmaniasis is a world-wide vector borne disease, affecting 88 countries: especially in the Middle East and southwestern Asia. Nesokiaindica or M. libycuserythrourus are confirmed as reservoir and Phlebotomine sand flies are proven as vectors of the disease in the south of Iran. Patients' information collected from Firouzabad and Ghirokarzin county, Fars province in Iran during 2006-2014. Data analyzed by Chi square test using SPSS19 statistic software. 613 cases (61.91 %) lived in rural and 377 (38.08 %) lived in urban areas. All ages were grouped between 1 and ≥30 years. 479 (48.38 %) of patients being male and 511 (51.61 %) female. 39.49 % of patients were with dry lesions and 60.5 % were with wet lesions. Hand ulcers were the highest prevalence part of body (39.59 %). The common frequent size of lesions was lesser than 2 cm. Regarding the most prevalence rate (47.67 %) raised in autumn season. This study showed that cutaneous leishmaniasis was an endemic disease in Firouzabad and Ghirokarzin regions.

Relationship between Learning Style and Academic Status of Babol Dental Students.

INTRODUCTION: Identifying and employing students' learning styles could play an important role in selecting appropriate teaching methods in order to improve education. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the students' final exam scores and the learning style preferences of dental students at Babol University of Medical Sciences. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 88 dental students studying in their fourth, fifth, and sixth years using the visual-aural-reading/writing-kinesthetic (VARK) learning styles' questionnaire. The data were analyzed with IBM SPSS, version 21, using the chi-squared test and the t-test. RESULTS: Of the 88 participants who responded to the questionnaire, 87 preferred multimodal learning styles. There was no significant difference between the mean of the final exam scores in students who did and did not prefer the aural learning style (p = 0.86), the reading/writing learning style (p = 0.20), and the kinesthetic learning style (p = 0.32). In addition, there was no significant difference between the scores on the final clinical course among the students who had different preferences for learning style. However, there was a significant difference between the mean of the final exam scores in students with and without visual learning style preference (p = 0.03), with the former having higher mean scores. There was no significant relationship between preferred learning styles and gender (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The majority of dental students preferred multimodal learning styles, and there was a significant difference between the mean of the final exam scores for students with and without a preference for the visual learning style. In addition, there were no differences in the preferred learning styles between male and female students.