Nanotechnology improves the detection of bacteria: Recent advances and future perspectives.

Nanotechnology has advanced significantly, particularly in biomedicine, showing promise for nanomaterial applications. Bacterial infections pose persistent public health challenges due to the lack of rapid pathogen detection methods, resulting in antibiotic overuse and bacterial resistance, threatening the human microbiome. Nanotechnology offers a solution through nanoparticle-based materials facilitating early bacterial detection and combating resistance. This study explores recent research on nanoparticle development for controlling microbial infections using various nanotechnology-driven detection methods. These approaches include Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) Sensors, Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Sensors, Optoelectronic-based sensors, Bacteriophage-Based Sensors, and nanotechnology-based aptasensors. These technologies provide precise bacteria detection, enabling targeted treatment and infection prevention. Integrating nanoparticles into detection approaches holds promise for enhancing patient outcomes and mitigating harmful bacteria spread in healthcare settings.

An update on alternative therapy for Escherichia coli causing urinary tract infections; a narrative review.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common type of nosocomial infection and severe health issues because of the difficulties and frequent recurrence. Today, alternative methods such as sonodynamic therapy (SDT), photodynamic therapy (PDT) and herbal materials use for treating infections like UTI in many countries. METHOD: We conducted searches of the biomedical databases (Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of sciences) to identify related studies from 2008 to 2023. RESULT: SDT aims to use ultrasound to activate a sonosensitizer, which causes a biological effect by raising reactive oxygen species (ROS). When bacteria are exposed to ROS, several important effects occur: oxidative damage, DNA damage, protein dysfunction etc. SDT with herbal medicine significantly reduced the number of colony-forming units and bactericidal activity for Klebsiella pneumonia and E. coli. PDT is a promising treatment for cancer and microbial infections, combining a photosensitiser, light and tissue molecular oxygen. It involves a photosensitizer, light source, and oxygen, with variations affecting microbial binding and bactericidal activity. Factors affecting antibacterial properties include plant type, growing conditions, harvesting, and processing. This review highlights the recent advancements in sonodynamic, photodynamic, herbal, and bio-material-based approaches in the treatment of E. coli infections. CONCLUSIONS: These alternative therapies offer exciting prospects for addressing UTIs, especially in cases where traditional antibiotic treatments may be less effective. Further research and clinical studies are warranted to fully explore the potential of these innovative treatment modalities in combating UTIs and improving patient outcomes.

Evaluation of the wound healing efficacy of new antibacterial polymeric nanofiber based on polyethylene oxide coated with copper nanoparticles and defensin peptide: An in-vitro to in-vivo assessment.

Objective: Today, designing nanofibers with antibacterial properties using electrospinning technology is one of the attractive approaches for wound healing. Methods: & analysis: This study aims to fabricate a nanocomposite from polyethylene oxide (PEO) coated with copper nanoparticles (NPs) and defensin peptide with wound healing and antimicrobial properties in different ratios of CuNPs/defensin (2/0 mg), (1.5/0.5 mg), and (1/1 mg) in the fixed contain polymer (98 mg). Then, the nanofiber properties were investigated by SEM, tensile, DSC, and BET analysis. Also, the antibacterial properties against S. aureus and E. coli, antioxidant, and in-vivo wound healing effects and histological analysis of the designed nanocomposites were evaluated in rat models. Results: Our SEM images showed that CuNPs and defensin were properly coated on the PEO surface. According to the tensile, DSC, and antibacterial analysis results, the most appropriate feature was related to CuNPs/defensin (1.5/0.5 mg), with maximum elasticity, heat resistance, and antibacterial activity. Furthermore, the designed nanocomposites showed the best performance as a wound closure agent by increasing dermis and epidermis volume density, stimulating fibroblast cells and collagen fiber production, and improving skin vessels. Conclusion: According to our results, PEO nanofibers loaded with CuNPs and defensin have the best potential for wound healing, and they can be used as antibacterial materials in the textile, drug, and medical industries.

Ralstoniapickettii bloodstream infection in the patient with Guillain-Barre syndrome under plasmapheresis.

Ralstonia pickettii is a rare Gram-negative opportunistic bacterium that causes rare infections such as bacteremia, neonatal sepsis, endocarditis, and meningitis in hospitalized or immunocompromised patients. In this study, we identified and reported bloodstream infection caused by R. pickettii in a 15 -year-old boy patient with an autoimmune disease, Guillain-Barré syndrome, under plasmapheresis and intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) therapy. He was referred for admission to the neurology center of the teaching hospital of Shiraz, Iran for inability to walk, and lower extremity muscle weakness. After he was treated with plasmapheresis once during hospitalization, and after severe fever besides shivering blood cultures using BACT/ALERT®3D instrument were positive for R. pickettii.According to antibiotic susceptibility test reports, Ciprofloxacin (5 µg) was prescribed. Fortunately, after starting antibiotic treatment, blood culture results reported no growth after 5 days. Indeed, the patient was infected with nosocomial hepatitis A and URSOBIL (300 mg/BID/Po) was administered. Hence, after reporting the infection occurrence to the hospital infection control unit, initial and possible measures such as device infection control, replacement of potentially polluted plasmapheresis fluids, disinfecting the environment and replacing old sterile washing water with new sources were carried out in plasmapheresis unit. In conclusion, R. pickettii is a rare nosocomial infection that is responsible for the contamination of medical equipment, especially in hemodialysis, plasmapheresis devices and sterile solutions. Also, it is suggested that the role and importance of rare environmental bacteria as the causative agents of human infections should not be ignored in medical centers.

A simulation study on the radiosensitization properties of gold nanorods.

Objective. Gold nanorods (GNRs) have emerged as versatile nanoparticles with unique properties, holding promise in various modalities of cancer treatment through drug delivery and photothermal therapy. In the rapidly evolving field of nanoparticle radiosensitization (NPRS) for cancer therapy, this study assessed the potential of gold nanorods as radiosensitizing agents by quantifying the key features of NPRS, such as secondary electron emission and dose enhancement, using Monte Carlo simulations.Approach. Employing the TOPAS track structure code, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the radiosensitization behavior of spherical gold nanoparticles and gold nanorods. We systematically explored the impact of nanorod geometry (in particular size and aspect ratio) and orientation on secondary electron emission and deposited energy ratio, providing validated results against previously published simulations.Main results. Our findings demonstrate that gold nanorods exhibit comparable secondary electron emission to their spherical counterparts. Notably, nanorods with smaller surface-area-to-volume ratios (SA:V) and alignment with the incident photon beam proved to be more efficient radiosensitizing agents, showing superiority in emitted electron fluence. However, in the microscale, the deposited energy ratio (DER) was not markedly influenced by the SA:V of the nanorod. Additionally, our findings revealed that the geometry of gold nanoparticles has a more significant impact on the emission of M-shell Auger electrons (with energies below 3.5 keV) than on higher-energy electrons.Significance. This research investigated the radiosensitization properties of gold nanorods, positioning them as promising alternatives to the more conventionally studied spherical gold nanoparticles in the context of cancer research. With increasing interest in multimodal cancer therapy, our findings have the potential to contribute valuable insights into the perspective of gold nanorods as effective multipurpose agents for synergistic photothermal therapy and radiotherapy. Future directions may involve exploring alternative metallic nanorods as well as further optimizing the geometry and coating materials, opening new possibilities for more effective cancer treatments.

Recent advance on nanoparticles or nanomaterials with anti-multidrug resistant bacteria and anti-bacterial biofilm properties: A systematic review.

Objective: With the wide spread of Multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR) due to the transfer and acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes and the formation of microbial biofilm, various researchers around the world are looking for a solution to overcome these resistances. One potential strategy and the best candidate to overcome these infections is using an effective nanomaterial with antibacterial properties against them. Methods: and analysis: In this study, we overview nanomaterials with anti-MDR bacteria and anti-biofilm properties. Hence, we systematically explored biomedical databases (Web of Sciences, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus) to categorize related studies about nanomaterial with anti-MDR bacteria and anti-biofilm activities from 2007 to December 2022. Results: In total, forty-one studies were investigated to find antibacterial and anti-biofilm information about the nanomaterial during 2007-2022. According to the collected documents, nineteen types of nanomaterial showed putative antibacterial effects such as Cu, Ag, Au, Au/Pt, TiO2, Al2O3, ZnO, Se, CuO, Cu/Ni, Cu/Zn, Fe3O4, Au/Fe3O4, Au/Ag, Au/Pt, Graphene O, and CuS. In addition, seven types of them considered as anti-biofilm agents such as Ag, ZnO, Au/Ag, Graphene O, Cu, Fe3O4, and Au/Ag. Conclusion: According to the studies, each of nanomaterial has been designed with different methods and their effects against standard strains, clinical strains, MDR strains, and bacterial biofilms have been investigated in-vitro and in-vivo conditions. In addition, nanomaterials have different destructive mechanism on bacterial structures. Various nanoparticles (NP) introduced as the best candidate to designing new drug and medical equipment preventing infectious disease outbreaks by overcome antibiotic resistance and bacterial biofilm.

Francisella and tularemia in western Asia, Iran: a systematic review.

Tularemia or rabbit fever is a transmissible disease from animals, rodents, and insects to human populations that is caused by Francisella tularensis. Epidemiological studies showed that tularemia is endemic throughout most different regions of the world. Recent evidence documented the transmission of the F. tularensis in a different part of Asia. Because there is no updated review information for tularemia in Iran, we performed this systematic review. In this study, we systematically explored biomedical databases (Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of sciences) to identify epidemiology, reservoirs, and carriers of Francisella in animal and human clinical specimens from 2010 to 2020, either in English or in Persian. Different studies have shown the different frequencies of F. tularensis among human and animal resources in eighteen provinces of Iran. In total, 1242 human clinical specimens, 1565 animal samples, and 355 environmental water samples were investigated to find F. tularensis in different provinces of Iran. According to the collected documents, 94 human clinical samples, 69 water samples, and 26 animal specimens were introduced as positive samples for the F. tularensis. According to studies, thirteen species of rodent and hare presented as an inter-epizootic reservoir. Only one species of tick (D. marginatus) was introduced as a vector for Francisella in Iran. According to these results, it is essential for exclusive attention to the prevalence of F. tularensis in different provinces of Iran. Furthermore, special planning should be done for prevention, control of the outbreak, and proper treatment of the tularemia.

Association between sonographic diagnosis of fatty liver with histopathologic abnormalities and liver biopsy findings in middle age patient with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Liver biopsy is required to diagnose non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in patients with suspected non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to examine the relationship between sonographic diagnosis of fatty liver with histopathologic abnormalities and liver biopsy findings in patient with NAFLD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 180 patients, with an age range of 18-60 year old, with NAFLD based on ultrasonograghic findings were evaluated. Age, sex, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, family history of liver disease and laboratory parameters recorded for all patients. Hence, grade of steatosis and stage of fibrosis were evaluated by liver biopsy. RESULTS: A total of 220 patients were enrolled. Liver biopsy was performed in 180 patients. Mean age was 43 ± 10.6 years old and 66% were male. Ultrasonograghic findings showed mild, moderate and severe NAFLD was define in 100 (55.5%), 72 (40%) and 8 (4.5%) of patients, respectively. Liver biopsies showed that steatosis scores of <5%, 5-33% and 33-66% was define in 56 (31%), 116 (64%) and 9 (5%) of patients, respectively. Furthermore, fibrosis was defined as follow; none 92 (51%), mild 68 (38%), moderate 11 (6%), bridging 5 (3%) and cirrhosis 3 (2%) patients. There was no statistically significant relationship between ultrasonograghic findings and steatosis scores (P = 0.44), but statistically significant relationship was found between ultrasonograghic findings and fibrosis stage (P = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Findings revealed that, in patients with NAFLD, ultrasonographic finding were not in associate to steatosis, but were in relation with fibrosis stage.

Magnesium attenuates carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic injury in rats.

In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver damage in rats. MgSO4 (0.001, 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 Mg(2+) g/kg b.wt.) was administered intragastrically for 28 consecutive days to male, CCl4-treated rats. The hepatoprotective activity was assessed using various biochemical parameters such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Histopathological changes in the liver, of different groups were also studied. Administration of CCl4 increased serum ALT, AST, ALP and GGT, but decreased liver SOD activities in rats. Treatment with MgSO4 significantly attenuated these changes to nearly normal levels. The animals treated with MgSO4 showed decreased necrotic zones and reduced hepatocellular degeneration when compared to liver exposed to CCl4 alone. Hepatic damage was reduced in MgSO4-treated rats. Thus, our results suggest that MgSO4 has potential for the treatment of liver damage resulting from chemical intoxication.

Prevalence of different electrocardiographic patterns in Iranian athletes.

To explore the abnormalities in Iranian athletes' electrocardiogram and find any relation with body fat. 239 international athletes were involved in this cross sectional study. Body-fat percentage and resting 12-lead ECGs were recorded from all participants. Of 239 participant athletes, 212 were male and 27 female. 60% of participants had sinus bradycardia. A total of 84% of the athletes demonstrated at least 1 abnormal ECG finding. Average values for the PR, QRS and QT intervals, P-wave duration and QRS axis were in normal range. Frequencies of various ECG abnormal findings in all athletes were as follows: right axis deviation 4.2%, left ventricular hypertrophy 6.2%, sinus arrhythmia 5.8%, right bundle branch block (RBBB) 24.2% (incomplete RBBB 16.8%, complete RBBB 7.4%), ST elevation 72.5%, prolonged QT interval 1.7%, T inversion 3.1% and Mobitz type I 1.2%. The athletes' ECG response to treadmill stress test was normal with no ischemia or arrhythmia. The means of BMI and body-fat percentage were 24.04 ± 3.5 kg/m² and 9.15 ± 2.12%, respectively. Pearson correlation coefficient between body-fat percentage and ST changes was 0.65 (P=0.008) in anterior leads and 0.198 (P=0.017) in lateral leads. Also, the correlation coefficient between the body fat percentage and right bundle branch block was 0.36 (P=0.013). The results of current study support the inclusion of ECG in athletes' cardiac screening before they engage in vigorous exercises in order to detect the potentially fatal arrhythmias.

Commissioning and initial acceptance tests for a commercial convolution dose calculation algorithm for radiotherapy treatment planning in comparison with Monte Carlo simulation and measurement.

In this study the commissioning of a dose calculation algorithm in a currently used treatment planning system was performed and the calculation accuracy of two available methods in the treatment planning system i.e., collapsed cone convolution (CCC) and equivalent tissue air ratio (ETAR) was verified in tissue heterogeneities. For this purpose an inhomogeneous phantom (IMRT thorax phantom) was used and dose curves obtained by the TPS (treatment planning system) were compared with experimental measurements and Monte Carlo (MCNP code) simulation. Dose measurements were performed by using EDR2 radiographic films within the phantom. Dose difference (DD) between experimental results and two calculation methods was obtained. Results indicate maximum difference of 12% in the lung and 3% in the bone tissue of the phantom between two methods and the CCC algorithm shows more accurate depth dose curves in tissue heterogeneities. Simulation results show the accurate dose estimation by MCNP4C in soft tissue region of the phantom and also better results than ETAR method in bone and lung tissues.

A case series of abuse of a new opioid combination, Norjizak.

Cushing's syndrome results from lengthy and inappropriate exposure to excessive concentrations of either endogenous or exogenous glucocorticoids. This study described 30 patients with a novel type of severe exogenous Cushing's syndrome in a group of intravenous drug users due to illicit use and dependence on a new opioid combination, Norjizak. Thirty consecutive patients (2 women and 28 men) who presented with a novel type of severe exogenous Cushing's syndrome and other complications were admitted to the emergency departments of Qom and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, between September 2005 and September 2007 were enrolled. All participating patients were intravenous drug users who used a narcotic drug called Norjizak, a combination of different opioids with dexamethason or benzodiazepines. Patients were first evaluated and managed based on the current illness, and then entered into a detoxification program by a medical team. Clinical data were collected by an open interview and the patient's files using a standard form. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to determined glucocorticoid existence in the brand. The major complaints and clinical findings were withdrawal symptoms, severe edema, osteoporotic fracture, impairment in glucose tolerance, decreased libido, and sepsis (including necrotizing pneumonia, cutaneous infection, multivalvular endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and urogenital infection). Most patients had started with 2 or 3 vials per day and then increased the dose compulsively to maximum of approximately 15 to 20 vials per day. The concentration of Dexamethhasone disodium phosphate in each 2 mL vial was 0.4 to 1 mg/mL. Heroin was also found in them. We are witnessing a special exogenous Cushing syndrome due to the mixing of opiates and dexamethasone. Norjizak syndrome is the clinical condition of poisoning with a second material when it is combined with opiates due to compulsive dose increment and long duration.