Evaluation of building washing machines as an extreme environment for potentially pathogenic fungi.

Washing machines are commonly used in households and are considered indispensable appliances for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene. Environmental conditions within household washing machines are ideal for fungal colonization, which may pose risks to human health and contribute to sick building syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the fungal species contamination in the building washing machines.

Phenotypes characterization and ABC genotypes distribution of clinical Candida albicans isolates.

Background: Candidemia and vaginitis are the most common types of candidiasis mostly caused by Candida albicans species. C. albicans has several genotypes and the potential ability to form different phenotype colonies on specific media.

Quantitative analysis of in vitro biofilm formation by clinical isolates of dermatophyte and antibiofilm activity of common antifungal drugs.

Background: The ability of dermatophytes to develop biofilm, as one of the virulence factors in fungal infections which contribute to antifungal resistance, is an outstanding aspect of dermatophytosis that has been noted recently. Because of the paucity of data about the biofilm formation by dermatophytes and their susceptibility to antifungal drugs, this study evaluated the biofilm formation by clinical isolates of dermatophytes and antibiofilm activity of common antifungals widely used to manage dermatophytosis.

Methods: The ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions sequencing for species identification of 50 clinical dermatophyte isolates was performed.

Gd @CNTs-PEG versus Gadovist®: In Vitro Assay.

Objectives: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are allotropes of carbon with a length-to-diameter ratio greater than 10 with the potential uses as medical diagnostic or therapeutic agents. In vitro studies have revealed that gadolinium (Gd) nanoparticle-catalyzed single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) possess superparamagnetic properties, which enable them to be used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our study synthesized Gd-CNT for use as MRI contrast agents.

Optimizing denaturing HPLC as a robust technique for identification of Short Tandem Repeats (STR) in forensic medicine.

Introduction: Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) are defined as short lengths of 2-7 base pairs spreading through human genome which due to their highly diverse individually distribution are widely applied for identity detection and other forensic medicine purposes. Burdening considerable costs by the conventional methods such as capillary electrophoresis, we aimed to compare concomitant usage of multiplex PCR and denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) as cheap, fast, highly accurate, and more accessible methods, with capillary electrophoresis (CE) to evaluate their potential for early screening of STRs.

Materials And Methods: The present study randomly included 20 blood samples from the subjects referred to forensic medicine of Semnan, Iran.

Induction of Apoptosis and Inhibition of Invasion in Gastric Cancer Cells by Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles.

Objectives: Nanoparticles induce oxidative stress in cells and damage them through the cell membrane and DNA damage, eventually resulting in cell death. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of titanium dioxide (TiO) nanoparticles on apoptosis induction and invasion of gastric cancer cell line, MKN-45.

Methods: We used the MTT assay to assess proliferation of MKN-45 gastric cancer cells after exposure to different forms of TiO nanoparticles including amorph, brookite, anatase, and rutile coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and bovine serum albumin (BSA).

Evaluation of the Effect of Promoter Type on the Immunogenicity of the Live Recombinant Vaccines Expressing Heat-labile Enterotoxins (LTB).

Enterotoxigenic (ETEC)-induced diarrhoea is the second most common cause of death in children in the developing countries. Heat labile toxin (LT) is responsible for ETEC-induced diarrhoea. In the present study, a novel live ETEC vaccine based on subunit B of LT (LTB) expression in attenuated PhoP strain was developed.

Frequency of VanA, VanB and VanH variants amongst vancomycin-resistant enterococci isolated from patients in central region of Iran.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the VRE frequency and the rate of each gene in isolated enterococci from patients with intestinal infection in the central region of Iran.

Background: infections are a public health growing concern due to the glycopeptide antibiotics resistance especially vancomycin. Genes, , , and contribute to the influence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).

Evaluating the efficiency of phiC31 integrase-mediated monoclonal antibody expression in CHO cells.

Traditional methods to generate CHO cell lines rely on random integration(s) of the gene of interest and result in unpredictable and unstable protein expression. In comparison, site-specific recombination methods increase the recombinant protein expression by inserting transgene at a locus with specific expression features. PhiC31 serine integrase, catalyze unidirectional integration that occurs at higher frequency in comparison with the reversible integration carried out by recombinases such as Cre.

Identification of Candida Species Using MP65 Gene and Evaluation of the Candida albicans MP65 Gene Expression in BALB/C Mice.

Background: Systemic candidiasis is a major public health concern. In particular, in immunocompromised people, such as patients with neutropenia, patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and cancer who are undergoing antiballistic chemotherapy or bone marrow transplants, and people with diabetes. Since the clinical signs and symptoms are nonspecific, early diagnosis is often difficult.

Construction of a Synthetically Engineered nirB Promoter for Expression of Recombinant Protein in Escherichia coli.

Background: Anaerobic-inducible promoters are alternatives of chemical-inducible promoters for expression of recombinant proteins especially in conditions where chemical induction is not possible or anaerobic conditions are preferable. The nirB promoter is the promoter of the first gene of nir operon in Escherichia coli, which encodes NADH-dependent nitrite reductase. This promoter is naturally induced under anaerobic conditions and upregulated by nitrite and nitrate.

Sublingual versus vaginal misoprostol for second trimester termination: a randomized clinical trial.

Purposes: To evaluate the efficacy of two routes of administration of misoprostol (sublingual and vaginal) for medical termination of second trimester pregnancies.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-four women referred for second trimester termination were enrolled in this randomized clinical trial. They were divided to receive 400 μg every 6 h misoprostol either sublingually or vaginally.

A randomized comparison of the efficacy, side effects and patient convenience between vaginal and rectal administration of Cyclogest(®) when used for luteal phase support in ICSI treatment.

Purpose: This study compares the efficacy, side effects and patient convenience of vaginal and rectal routes of administration of progesterone suppositories (Cyclogest) when used for luteal phase support during in vitro fertilization cycles, through the use of antagonist protocols.

Methods: 147 patients who underwent intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection cycle were randomized on the day of the embryo transfer (ET) by a computer-generated randomization program to receive 400 mg of Cyclogest either vaginally or rectally twice daily for up to 8 weeks. A pregnancy test was conducted 2 weeks after embryo transfer.

Persistent non-visualisation of the fetal stomach: diagnostic and prognostic implications.

Design: All fetuses diagnosed with 'absent stomach' at anomaly screening over an 8-year period were identified using the University College Hospital fetal medicine database. These were cross-referenced with records from the paediatric surgical unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital and pathology department at University College Hospital to ascertain postnatal or postmortem diagnosis and outcome in each case.

Results: Of the 84 cases identified, eight were found to have normal stomachs on subsequent antenatal scans, while 76 had persistent non-visualisation of the stomach.