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Ghodsinezhad V, Ghoreishi A, Rohani M, Dadfar M, Mohammadzadeh A, Rostami A, Rahimi H. Identification of four novel mutations in VSP13A in Iranian patients with Chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc). Mol Genet Genomics 2024; 299:39. [PMID: 38519717 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-024-02111-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc) is a rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a variety of involuntary movements, predominantly chorea, and the presence of acanthocytosis in peripheral blood smears. ChAc is caused by mutations in the vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein 13A (VPS13A) gene. The aim of the present study was to conduct a clinical and genetic analysis of five patients with suspected ChAc in Iran. This study included five patients who were referred to the genetic department of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute between 2020 and 2022, with a suspicion of ChAc. Clinical features and the presence of characteristic MRI findings were evaluated in the patients. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) followed by Sanger sequencing was employed to identify the disease-causing variants. The functional effects of novel mutations were analyzed by specific bioinformatics prediction tools. WES and data analysis revealed the presence of five distinct VPS13A mutations in the patients, four of which were novel. These included one nonsense mutation (p.L984X), and three splice site mutations (c.755-1G>A, c.144+1 G>C, c.2512+1G>A). All mutations were validated by Sanger sequencing, and in silico analysis predicted that all mutations were pathogenic. This study provides the first molecular genetic characteristics of Iranian patients with ChAc, identifying four novel mutations in the VPS13A gene. These findings expand the VPS13A variants spectrum and confirm the clinical variability in ChAc patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadieh Ghodsinezhad
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Abdoreza Ghoreishi
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Rohani
- Department of Neurology, Rasoul Akram Hospital, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Dadfar
- Skull Base Research Center, Rasoul Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akbar Mohammadzadeh
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
| | - Hamzeh Rahimi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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Jamshidi S, Rostami A, Shojaei S, Taherkhani A, Taherkhani H. Exploring natural anthraquinones as potential MMP2 inhibitors: A computational study. Biosystems 2024; 235:105103. [PMID: 38123060 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2023.105103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) plays a significant role in cleaving extracellular matrix components, leading to many cancer cells' progression and invasion behavior. Therefore, MMP2 inhibition may hold promise for cancer treatment. Anthraquinones have shown antineoplastic effects, some of which have been used in clinical practice as anticancer drugs. This study used a computational drug discovery approach to assess the possible inhibitory effects of selected anthraquinones on MMP2. The results were then compared with that of Captopril, which was considered a standard drug. METHODS This study used the AutoDock 4.0 tool to evaluate the binding affinity of 21 anthraquinones to the MMP2 catalytic domain. The most favorable scores based on the Gibbs free binding energy scores were given to the highest-ranked ligands. The Discovery Studio Visualizer tool illustrated interactions between MMP2 residues and top-ranked anthraquinones. RESULTS A total of 12 anthraquinones were identified with ΔGbinding scores less than - 10 kcal/mol. Pulmatin (Chrysophanol-8-glucoside) was the most potent MMP2 inhibitor, with a ΔGbinding score of - 12.91 kcal/mol. This anthraquinone was able to restrict MMP2 activity within a picomolar range. CONCLUSION MMP2 inhibition by anthraquinones, notably Pulmatin, may be a useful therapeutic approach for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shokoofeh Jamshidi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
| | - Ali Rostami
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
| | - Setareh Shojaei
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
| | - Amir Taherkhani
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
| | - Heshmatollah Taherkhani
- Department of Paramedical Sciences, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
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Abbasi F, Almukhtar M, Fazlollahpour-Naghibi A, Alizadeh F, Behzad Moghadam K, Jafari Tadi M, Ghadimi S, Bagheri K, Babaei H, Bijani MH, Rouholamin S, Razavi M, Rezaeinejad M, Chemaitelly H, Sepidarkish M, Farid-Mojtahedi M, Rostami A. Hepatitis C infection seroprevalence in pregnant women worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine 2023; 66:102327. [PMID: 38045801 PMCID: PMC10692665 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Monitoring progress towards the WHO global target to eliminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection by 2030, entails reliable prevalence estimates for HCV infection in different populations. Little is known about the global burden of HCV infection in pregnant women. Here, for the first time to our knowledge, we estimated the global and regional seroprevalence of HCV antibody (Ab) and determinants in pregnant women. Methods In this systematic review and meta-analysis study, we searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and SciELO databases for peer-reviewed observational studies between January 1, 2000 and April 1, 2023, without language or geographical restrictions. Pooled global seroprevalence (and 95% confidence interval, CI) were estimated using random-effects meta-analysis and seroprevalences were categorised according to World Health Organization regions and subregions, publishing year, countries' income and human development index (HDI) levels. We used sensitivity analysis to assess the effect of four large sample size studies on pooled global prevalence through the "leave-one-out" method. We also investigated the association of potential risk factors with HCV seropositivity in pregnant women by subgroup and meta-regression analyses. The Protocol was registered in PROSPERO CRD42023423259. Findings We included 192 eligible studies (208 datasets), with data for 148,509,760 pregnant women from 53 countries. The global seroprevalence of HCV Ab in pregnant women was 1.80% (95% CI, 1.72-1.89%) and 3.29% (3.01-3.57%) in overall and sensitivity analyses, respectively. The seroprevalence was highest in the Eastern Mediterranean region (6.21%, 4.39-8.29%) and lowest in the Western Pacific region (0.75%, 0.38-1.22%). Subgroup analysis indicated that the seroprevalence of HCV Ab among pregnant women was significantly higher for those with opioid use disorder (51.94%, 95% CI: 37.32-66.39) and HIV infection (4.34%, 95% CI: 2.21-7.06%) than for the general population of pregnant women (1.08%, 95% CI: 1.02-1.15%), as confirmed by multivariable meta-regression (p < 0.001). A significant decreasing trend was observed with increasing human development index levels. Other important risk factors for HCV seropositivity included older age, lower educational levels, poly sexual activity, history of blood transfusion, hospitalization, surgery, abortion and sexual transmitted diseases, having scarification/tattoo or piercing, and testing hepatitis B positive. Interpretation This meta-analysis showed relatively high burden of exposure to HCV infection (2.2-5.3 million) in pregnant women globally. However, due to substantial heterogeneity between studies, our estimates might be different than the true seroprevalence. Our findings highlighted the need to expand HCV screening for women of reproductive age or during pregnancy, particularly in countries with high prevalence; as well as for more studies that assess safety of existing therapeutic drugs during pregnancy or potentially support development of drugs for pregnant women. Funding There was no funding source for this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Abbasi
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | | | - Andarz Fazlollahpour-Naghibi
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Faezeh Alizadeh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, USA
| | | | - Mehrdad Jafari Tadi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Medicine, Rush University Medical Centre, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Saleh Ghadimi
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Kimia Bagheri
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Hedye Babaei
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Bijani
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Safoura Rouholamin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Maryam Razavi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Mahroo Rezaeinejad
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hiam Chemaitelly
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation - Education City, Doha, Qatar
- World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation – Education City, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mahdi Sepidarkish
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Maryam Farid-Mojtahedi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Arash Women's Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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Mokhtarpour M, Rostami A, Shekaari H, Zarghami A, Faraji S. Novel protic ionic liquids-based phase change materials for high performance thermal energy storage systems. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18936. [PMID: 37919341 PMCID: PMC10622417 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45549-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Phase change materials (PCMs) are an important class of innovative materials that considerably contribute to the effective use and conservation of solar energy and wasted heat in thermal energy storage systems (TES). The performance of TES can be improved by using environmentally friendly PCMs called ionic liquids (ILs) based on ethanolamines and fatty acids. The 2-hydroxyethylammonium, bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium, and tris(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium palmitate ILs, which function is in the temperature range of 30-100 °C and provide a safe and affordable capacity, are introduced in this study for the first time as PCMs. PCMs' chemical composition and microstructure were examined using fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. DSC was used to evaluate the ILs' latent heat of fusion and specific heat capacity, while TGA was used to establish their thermal stability. Finally, a home-made device with a PCMs (synthesized ILs) container cell and a commercial thermoelectric generator device to record the real-time voltage (V) was used to convert thermal energy into electrical energy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali Rostami
- Photonics and Nanocrystal Research Lab (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Hemayat Shekaari
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Armin Zarghami
- Photonics and Nanocrystal Research Lab (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Saeid Faraji
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
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Farid Mojtahedi M, Sepidarkish M, Almukhtar M, Eslami Y, Mohammadianamiri F, Behzad Moghadam K, Rouholamin S, Razavi M, Jafari Tadi M, Fazlollahpour-Naghibi A, Rostami Z, Rostami A, Rezaeinejad M. Global incidence of surgical site infections following caesarean section: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Hosp Infect 2023; 139:82-92. [PMID: 37308061 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2023.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Surgical site infection (SSI) is a health-threatening complication following caesarean section (CS); however, to the authors' knowledge, there is no worldwide estimate of the burden of post-CS SSIs. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the global and regional incidence of post-CS SSIs and associated factors. METHODS International scientific databases were searched systematically for observational studies published from January 2000 to March 2023, without language or geographical restrictions. The pooled global incidence rate was estimated using a random-effects meta-analysis (REM), and then stratified by World-Health-Organization-defined regions as well as by sociodemographic and study characteristics. Causative pathogens and associated risk factors of SSIs were also analysed using REM. Heterogeneity was assessed with I2. RESULTS In total, 180 eligible studies (207 datasets) involving 2,188,242 participants from 58 countries were included in this review. The pooled global incidence of post-CS SSIs was 5.63% [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.18-6.11%]. The highest and lowest incidence rates for post-CS SSIs were estimated for the African (11.91%, 95% CI 9.67-14.34%) and North American (3.87%, 95% CI 3.02-4.83%) regions, respectively. The incidence was significantly higher in countries with lower income and human development index levels. The pooled incidence estimates have increased steadily over time, with the highest incidence rate during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (2019-2023). Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the most prevalent pathogens. Several risk factors were identified. CONCLUSION An increasing and substantial burden from post-CS SSIs was identified, especially in low-income countries. Further research, greater awareness and the development of effective prevention and management strategies are warranted to reduce post-CS SSIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Farid Mojtahedi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Arash Women's Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - M Sepidarkish
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | | | - Y Eslami
- Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - F Mohammadianamiri
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | | | - S Rouholamin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - M Razavi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
| | - M Jafari Tadi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - A Fazlollahpour-Naghibi
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Z Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - A Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - M Rezaeinejad
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Arjmandi D, Graeili Z, Mohammadi P, Arshadi M, Jafari Tadi M, Ardekani A, Naeimi R, Abbasi F, Marhoommirzabak E, Mahjour S, Sartip B, Prasa H, Fallah Omrani V, Rostami A. Chlamydia pneumonia infection and risk of multiple sclerosis: A meta-analysis. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2023; 77:104862. [PMID: 37442074 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2023.104862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of infectious agents, including Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn), in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), is still a matter of major contention. OBJECTIVE This meta-analysis study aimed to assess the actual involvement of Cpn in MS development. METHODS We undertook a search of international scientific databases to identify eligible studies. We used a random-effects meta-analysis model (REM) to generate the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was calculated using the I2 statistic. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were applied to assess the effects of study characteristics and socio-demographic variables on the pooled OR. RESULTS We identified 37 studies comprising 51 datasets that satisfied the inclusion criteria. Considering diagnostic methods for Cpn, 26 and 25 datasets used PCR- and serological-based methods, respectively. In PCR-based datasets, REM showed a significant positive association between Cpn infection and the development of MS (OR, 5.29; 95% CI, 3.12-8.97), while a non-significant positive association was achieved in serological-based datasets (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 0.88-2.03). In subgroup analyses on PCR-based datasets, results were significant for both CSF (OR, 5.70) and serum (OR, 4.84) samples; both healthy (OR, 16.11) and hospital-based (OR, 2.88) controls; and both moderate (OR, 5.14) and high (OR, 5.48) quality studies. In serological-based datasets, only those that used CSF samples yielded significant results (OR, 3.41). CONCLUSIONS Our findings verify the significant positive relationship between Cpn infection and MS. We advocate prospective cohort studies with lifelong follow-ups and also experimental studies to better understand the role of Cpn in MS development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delaram Arjmandi
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Zahra Graeili
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Parisa Mohammadi
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Arshadi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Mehrdad Jafari Tadi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Ali Ardekani
- School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Reza Naeimi
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Abbasi
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Elika Marhoommirzabak
- Department of Neurology, University of Visayas, Gullas College of Medicine, Cebu city, 600 Cebu, Philippines
| | - Sanaz Mahjour
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Behnam Sartip
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Hamid Prasa
- Department of Neurology, University of Visayas, Gullas College of Medicine, Cebu city, 600 Cebu, Philippines
| | - Vahid Fallah Omrani
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
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Nayeri S, Dolatyari M, Mouladoost N, Nayeri S, Zarghami A, Mirtagioglu H, Rostami A. Ag/ZnO core-shell NPs boost photosynthesis and growth rate in wheat seedlings under simulated full sun spectrum. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14385. [PMID: 37658127 PMCID: PMC10474060 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41575-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Breeding programs rely on light wavelength, intensity, and photoperiod for rapid success. In this study, we investigated the ability of Ag/ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) to improve the photosynthesis and growth of wheat under simulated full solar spectrum conditions. The world population is increasing rapidly, it is necessary to increase the number of crops in order to ensure the world's food security. Conventional breeding is time-consuming and expensive, so new techniques such as rapid breeding are needed. Rapid breeding shows promise in increasing crop yields by controlling photoperiod and environmental factors in growth regulators. However, achieving optimum growth and photosynthesis rates is still a challenge. Here, we used various methods to evaluate the effects of Ag/ZnO NPs on rice seeds. Using bioinformatics simulations, we evaluated the light-harvesting efficiency of chlorophyll a in the presence of Ag/ZnO NPs. Chemically synthesized Ag/ZnO nanoparticles were applied to rice grains at different concentrations (0-50 mg/L) and subjected to a 12-h preparation time. Evaluation of seed germination rate and growth response in different light conditions using a Light Emitting Diode (LED) growth chamber that simulates a rapid growth system. The analysis showed that the surface plasmon resonance of Ag/ZnO NPs increased 38-fold, resulting in a 160-fold increase in the light absorption capacity of chlorophyll. These estimates are supported by experimental results showing an 18% increase in the yield of rice seeds treated with 15 mg/L Ag/ZnO NPs. More importantly, the treated crops showed a 2.5-fold increase in growth and a 1.4-fold increase in chlorophyll content under the simulated full sun spectrum (4500 lx) and a 16-h light/8-h dark photoperiod. More importantly, these effects are achieved without oxidative or lipid peroxidative damage. Our findings offer a good idea to increase crop growth by improving photosynthesis using Ag/ZnO nanoparticle mixture. To develop this approach, future research should go towards optimizing nanoparticles, investigating the long-term effects, and exploring the applicability of this process in many products. The inclusion of Ag/ZnO NPs in rapid breeding programs has the potential to transform crops by reducing production and increasing agricultural productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahnoush Nayeri
- SP-EPT Lab., ASEPE Company, Industrial Park of Advanced Technologies, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mahboubeh Dolatyari
- SP-EPT Lab., ASEPE Company, Industrial Park of Advanced Technologies, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Neda Mouladoost
- Photonics and Nanocrystal Research Lab. (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, 51666, Iran
| | - Saeed Nayeri
- Photonics and Nanocrystal Research Lab. (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, 51666, Iran
| | - Armin Zarghami
- Photonics and Nanocrystal Research Lab. (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, 51666, Iran
| | - Hamit Mirtagioglu
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science and Literature, University of Bitlis Eren, Bitlis, Turkey
| | - Ali Rostami
- SP-EPT Lab., ASEPE Company, Industrial Park of Advanced Technologies, Tabriz, Iran.
- Photonics and Nanocrystal Research Lab. (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, 51666, Iran.
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Zulfiqar S, Gasser RB, Ghodsian S, Almukhtar M, Holland C, Rostami A. Strongyloides coinfection in COVID-19 patients treated with corticosteroids: A systematic review. Rev Med Virol 2023; 33:e2469. [PMID: 37353858 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic linked to the virus SARS-CoV-2, which began in China, affected ∼765 million people as of 30 April 2023. The widespread use of corticosteroids for the symptomatic treatment of COVID-19 could lead to the reactivation of infections of opportunistic pathogens, including Strongyloides. We sought to determine the clinical symptoms and demographic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2-Strongyloides co-infection, particularly in patients with severe disease and being treated with immunosuppressive drugs. To do this, we undertook a systematic review of the literature, and searched public accessible scientific databases-the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/Medline and Embase -for eligible studies (1 December 2019 to 30 August 2022). The review protocol is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022377062). Descriptive statistical analyses were used to present the clinical and laboratory parameters of the co-infection; for this, we calculated prevalence using the following formula: positive cases/total number of cases × 100. Of a total of 593 studies identified, 17 studies reporting 26 co-infected patients met the criteria for inclusion in this review. The median age of these patients was 55.14 years. Most of cases (53.8%) were treated with dexamethasone, followed by methylprednisolone (26.9%). Eighteen of 26 patients were immigrants living in European countries or the USA; most of these immigrants originated from Latin America (58%) and South-East Asia (11%). The commonest symptoms of co-infection were abdominal pain (50%), fever (46.1%), dyspnoea (30.7%) and cough (30.7%), and frequently reported laboratory findings were high absolute eosinophil count (38.4%), high white blood cell count (30.7%), high C-reactive protein (23.0%) and high neutrophil count (19.2%). Two of the 26 patients (7.7%) had fatal outcomes. Most of the SARS-CoV-2-Strongyloides coinfected cases were immigrants living in developed countries, emphasising the need for clinicians in these countries to be aware of clinical and laboratory parameters associated with such co-infections, as well as the key importance of rapid and accurate diagnostic tests for timely and effective diagnosis and patient management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Zulfiqar
- School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sahar Ghodsian
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mustafa Almukhtar
- Takhar Family Medicine and Urgent Care, Sacramento, California, United States
| | - Celia Holland
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, College Green Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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Asl AB, Ahmadi H, Rostami A. A novel plasmonic metal-semiconductor-insulator-metal (MSIM) color sensor compatible with CMOS technology. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14029. [PMID: 37640928 PMCID: PMC10462665 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41346-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Color detection is one of the top interests in both biological and industrial applications. Specifically, the Determination of the light wave characteristics is vital in photonic technology. One of the features in the color sense that should be found out is its wavelength or color. In this work, we propose a structure that can be used to detect RGB colors separately in an efficient way. The proposed detector consists of the plasmonic filter sensing desired wavelength (red, green, and blue) and the PN diode to convert the received photons to the electrical current. At the input intensity of 1 mW × cm-2, the current density for blue, green, and red colors are 27, 35, and 48 µA × cm-2, respectively. It is shown that the intensities needed to obtain the current densities of 0.1 µA × cm-2 are 3.94, 2.98, and 2.25 µW × cm-2 for the blue, green, and red spectra respectively. It should mention that by using high-precision photodetector structures such as PIN diode, the minimum detectable level can be decreased. Simple adjusting for desired wavelength and linear operation for different input intensities are the characteristics of the designed structure. This detector is compatible with CMOS technology and can be easily utilized in numerous applications, such as charge-coupled devices, displays, and cameras.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Beheshti Asl
- Photonics and Nanocrystals Research Lab (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - H Ahmadi
- Photonics and Nanocrystals Research Lab (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
- SP-EPT Lab., ASEPE Company, Industrial Park of Advanced Technologies, Tabriz, Iran
| | - A Rostami
- Photonics and Nanocrystals Research Lab (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
- SP-EPT Lab., ASEPE Company, Industrial Park of Advanced Technologies, Tabriz, Iran.
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10
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Avula S, Ullah S, Halim SA, Khan A, Anwar MU, Csuk R, Al-Harrasi A, Rostami A. Meldrum-Based-1 H-1,2,3-Triazoles as Antidiabetic Agents: Synthesis, In Vitro α-Glucosidase Inhibition Activity, Molecular Docking Studies, and In Silico Approach. ACS Omega 2023; 8:24901-24911. [PMID: 37483205 PMCID: PMC10357758 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
A series of novel alkyl derivatives (2-5a,b) and 1H-1,2,3-triazole analogues (7a-k) of Meldrum's acid were synthesized in a highly effective way by using "click" chemistry and screened for in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity to examine their antidiabetic potential. 1H NMR, 13C-NMR, and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectra (HR-ESI-MS) were used to analyze each of the newly synthesized compounds. Interestingly, these compounds demonstrated high to moderate α-glucosidase inhibitory potency having an IC50 range of 4.63-80.21 μM. Among these derivatives, compound 7i showed extraordinary inhibitory activity and was discovered to be several times more potent than the parent compound Meldrum (1) and the standard drug acarbose. Later, molecular docking was performed to understand the binding mode and the binding strength of all the compounds with the target enzyme, which revealed that all compounds are well fitted in the active site of α-glucosidase. To further ascertain the structure of compounds, suitable X-ray single crystals of compounds 5a, 7a, and 7h were developed and studied. The current investigation has shown that combining 1H-1,2,3-triazole with the Meldrum moiety is beneficial. Furthermore, this is the first time that the aforementioned activity of these compounds has been reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satya
Kumar Avula
- Natural
and Medical Sciences Research Center, University
of Nizwa, P.O. Box 33,
Postal Code 616, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Saeed Ullah
- Natural
and Medical Sciences Research Center, University
of Nizwa, P.O. Box 33,
Postal Code 616, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Sobia Ahsan Halim
- Natural
and Medical Sciences Research Center, University
of Nizwa, P.O. Box 33,
Postal Code 616, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Ajmal Khan
- Natural
and Medical Sciences Research Center, University
of Nizwa, P.O. Box 33,
Postal Code 616, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Muhammad U. Anwar
- Natural
and Medical Sciences Research Center, University
of Nizwa, P.O. Box 33,
Postal Code 616, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman
| | - René Csuk
- Organic
Chemistry, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 2, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- Natural
and Medical Sciences Research Center, University
of Nizwa, P.O. Box 33,
Postal Code 616, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Ali Rostami
- Natural
and Medical Sciences Research Center, University
of Nizwa, P.O. Box 33,
Postal Code 616, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman
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11
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Fazlollahpour-Naghibi A, Bagheri K, Almukhtar M, Taha SR, Zadeh MS, Moghadam KB, Tadi MJ, Rouholamin S, Razavi M, Sepidarkish M, Rostami A. Trichomonas vaginalis infection and risk of cervical neoplasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288443. [PMID: 37437068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The evidence in the literature regarding the relationship between Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) infection and cervical neoplasia is conflicting. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the magnitude of the risk of cervical neoplasia associated with TV infection. METHODS A meta-analysis of observational studies, which provided raw data on the association of TV infection with cervical neoplasia, was performed. For this aim, we searched scientific databases (PubMed/Medline, Scopus, the Web of Sciences, and Embase) from inception to March 15, 2023. A random-effects model was applied by Stata 17.0 to calculate the pooled and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), including subgroup, sensitivity, and cumulative analyses to explore sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS Of the 2584 records initially identified, 35 eligible studies contributed data for 67,856 women with cervical neoplasia, and 933,697 healthy controls from 14 countries were included. The pooled (2.15; 1.61-2.87; I2 = 87.7%) and adjusted (2.17; 1.82-2.60; I2 = 31.27%) ORs indicated a significant positive association between TV infection and the development of cervical neoplasia. There was no significant change in pooled and adjusted ORs by applying sensitivity and cumulative analyses, indicating the robustness of our findings. The pooled OR was significant in most sub-group analyses. There was no publication bias in the included studies. CONCLUSION Our findings indicated that women with a TV infection are at significantly greater risk of cervical neoplasia. Future research, particularly longitudinal and experimental studies, should be done to better understand the various aspects of this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andarz Fazlollahpour-Naghibi
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Kimia Bagheri
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | | | - Seyed Reza Taha
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Kimia Behzad Moghadam
- Independent Researcher, Former University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Mehrdad Jafari Tadi
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Safoura Rouholamin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Maryam Razavi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Mahdi Sepidarkish
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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12
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Zarghami A, Dolatyari M, Mirtagioglu H, Rostami A. High-efficiency upconversion process in cobalt and neodymium doped graphene QDs for biomedical applications. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10277. [PMID: 37355717 PMCID: PMC10290654 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37518-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiphoton absorbing upconversion nanoparticles are emerging as bioimaging materials but are limited by the low quantum yield of their visible fluorescence. This article contains colloids of graphene quantum dots (GQDs), Neodymium, and Cobalt doped Graphene Quantum dots (Co-GQDs and Nd-GQDs) surrounded by carboxylic acids are synthesized which especially are suitable for bio applications; in this way, carboxylic acid groups exchanged by Amoxicillin as an antibiotic with bactericidal activity. The XRD diffraction method, TEM microscope, UV-Vis, and photoluminescence spectroscopies characterize the synthesized materials. The synthesized Quantum dots (QDs) exhibit upconversion properties and their emission is centered at 480 nm, but a red shift was observed with the increase of the excitation wavelength. In the emission spectra of synthesized QDs that can be related to the defect levels introduced by passivation of the QDs in the structure, the results show that with the interaction of the surface QDs with more carboxylic groups, the redshift is not observed. As the results indicate an increase in the intensity of upconversion emission is recorded for Co-GQDs and Nd-GQDs. The absolute quantum efficiency (QY) for Co-GQDs and Nd-GQDs were determined to be 41% and 100% more than GQDs respectively. DFT calculations indicate a strong bond between graphene and cobalt and Neodymium atoms. In doped materials, there are trap levels between the band gap of the GQDs which are responsible for increasing the intensity of the upconversion phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Zarghami
- Photonics and Nanocrystal Research Lab. (PNRL), University of Tabriz, Tabriz, 5166614761, Iran
| | - Mahboubeh Dolatyari
- SP-EPT Lab., ASEPE Company, Industrial Park of Advanced Technologies, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hamit Mirtagioglu
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science and Literature, University of Bitlis Eren, Bitlis, Turkey
| | - Ali Rostami
- Photonics and Nanocrystal Research Lab. (PNRL), University of Tabriz, Tabriz, 5166614761, Iran.
- SP-EPT Lab., ASEPE Company, Industrial Park of Advanced Technologies, Tabriz, Iran.
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13
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Nahaei FS, Rostami A, Mirtagioglu H, Maghoul A, Simonsen I. Switchable Ultra-Wideband All-Optical Quantum Dot Reflective Semiconductor Optical Amplifier. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2023; 13:685. [PMID: 36839053 PMCID: PMC9962858 DOI: 10.3390/nano13040685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
A comprehensive study has been conducted on ultra-broadband optically pumped quantum dot (QD) reflective semiconductor optical amplifiers (QD-RSOAs). Furthermore, little work has been done on broadband QD-RSOAs with an optical pump. About 1 μm optical bandwidth, spanning 800 nm up to 1800 nm, is supported for the suggested device by superimposing nine groups of QDs. It has been shown that the device can be engineered to amplify a selected window or a group of desired windows. Moreover, the operation of the device has been thoroughly investigated by solving the coupled differential rate and signal propagation equations. A numerical algorithm has been suggested to solve these equations. As far as we are concerned, a broadband optically pumped QD-RSOA that can operate as a filter has been introduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farshad Serat Nahaei
- Photonics and Nanocrystals Research Lab. (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166614761, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Photonics and Nanocrystals Research Lab. (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166614761, Iran
- SP-EPT Lab., ASEPE Company, Industrial Park of Advanced Technologies, Tabriz 5166614761, Iran
- Nano and Quantum Technology, Stensgata 7c, 0358 Oslo, Norway
| | - Hamit Mirtagioglu
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science and Literature, University of Bitlis Eren, Bitlis 13100, Turkey
| | - Amir Maghoul
- Nano and Quantum Technology, Stensgata 7c, 0358 Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingve Simonsen
- Nano and Quantum Technology, Stensgata 7c, 0358 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway
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14
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Naeimi R, Sepidarkish M, Mollalo A, Parsa H, Mahjour S, Safarpour F, Almukhtar M, Mechaal A, Chemaitelly H, Sartip B, Marhoommirzabak E, Ardekani A, Hotez PJ, Gasser RB, Rostami A. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in children worldwide: A systematic review and meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine 2023; 56:101786. [PMID: 36590788 PMCID: PMC9795163 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The higher hospitalisation rates of those aged 0-19 years (referred to herein as 'children') observed since the emergence of the immune-evasive SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and subvariants, along with the persisting vaccination disparities highlighted a need for in-depth knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 sero-epidemiology in children. Here, we conducted this systematic review to assess SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and determinants in children worldwide. METHODS In this systematic review and meta-analysis study, we searched international and preprinted scientific databases from December 1, 2019 to July 10, 2022. Pooled seroprevalences were estimated according to World Health Organization (WHO) regions (at 95% confidence intervals, CIs) using random-effects meta-analyses. Associations with SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and sources of heterogeneity were investigated using sub-group and meta-regression analyses. The protocol used in this study has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022350833). FINDINGS We included 247 studies involving 757,075 children from 70 countries. Seroprevalence estimates varied from 7.3% (5.8-9.1%) in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to 37.6% (18.1-59.4%) in the fifth wave and 56.6% (52.8-60.5%) in the sixth wave. The highest seroprevalences in different pandemic waves were estimated for South-East Asia (17.9-81.8%) and African (17.2-66.1%) regions; while the lowest seroprevalence was estimated for the Western Pacific region (0.01-1.01%). Seroprevalence estimates were higher in children at older ages, in those living in underprivileged countries or regions, and in those of minority ethnic backgrounds. INTERPRETATION Our findings indicate that, by the end of 2021 and before the Omicron wave, around 50-70% of children globally were still susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, clearly emphasising the need for more effective vaccines and better vaccination coverage among children and adolescents, particularly in developing countries and minority ethnic groups. FUNDING None.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Naeimi
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mahdi Sepidarkish
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Mollalo
- Department of Public Health and Prevention Science, School of Health Sciences, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH, USA
| | - Hamid Parsa
- Department of Neurology, University of Visayas, Gullas College of Medicine, Cebu City, 600 Cebu, Philippines
| | - Sanaz Mahjour
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Fatemeh Safarpour
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | | | - Amal Mechaal
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, USA
| | - Hiam Chemaitelly
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Doha, Qatar
- World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Qatar-Foundation-Education City, Cornell University, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, USA
| | - Behnam Sartip
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Elika Marhoommirzabak
- Department of Neurology, University of Visayas, Gullas College of Medicine, Cebu City, 600 Cebu, Philippines
| | - Ali Ardekani
- Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Peter J. Hotez
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology and Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Robin B. Gasser
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Corresponding author.
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- Corresponding author.
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15
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Hasanpour AH, Sepidarkish M, Mollalo A, Ardekani A, Almukhtar M, Mechaal A, Hosseini SR, Bayani M, Javanian M, Rostami A. The global prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in residents of elderly care centers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2023; 12:4. [PMID: 36709300 PMCID: PMC9884412 DOI: 10.1186/s13756-023-01210-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a difficult to treat infection, particularly in residents of elderly care centers (ECCs). Despite the substantial burden of MRSA, an inadequate number of studies have analyzed MRSA prevalence in ECCs. OBJECTIVES We conducted a worldwide systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence and risk factors of MRSA in ECCs. METHODS We searched MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus databases and the gray literature sources for all studies published between January 1980 and December 2022 on the prevalence of MRSA in ECCs. A random-effects model was utilized to estimate pooled prevalence rates at 95% confidence intervals (CI). Moreover, the data were analyzed based on World Health Organization-defined regions, income, and human development index levels. RESULTS In total, 119 studies, including 164,717 participants from 29 countries, were found eligible for meta-analysis. The pooled global prevalence of MRSA was 14.69% (95% CI 12.39-17.15%; 16,793/164,717). Male gender [prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.55; 95% CI 1.47-1.64], previous MRSA infection (PR = 3.71; 95% CI 3.44-4.01), prior use of antibiotics (PR = 1.97; 95% CI 1.83-2.12), hospitalized within the previous year (PR = 1.32; 95% CI 1.20-1.45), have had any wound (PR = 2.38; 95% CI 2.23-2.55), have used urinary catheter (PR = 2.24; 95% CI 2.06-2.43), have used any medical device (PR = 1.78; 95% CI 1.66-1.91), and those with diabetes (PR = 1.55; CI 1.43-1.67) were more likely to be colonized by MRSA than other patients. CONCLUSION Screening programs and preventive measures should target MRSA in ECCs due to the high global prevalence rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Hossein Hasanpour
- grid.411495.c0000 0004 0421 4102Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mahdi Sepidarkish
- grid.411495.c0000 0004 0421 4102Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Mollalo
- grid.252749.f0000 0001 1261 1616Department of Public Health and Prevention Science, School of Health Sciences, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH USA
| | - Ali Ardekani
- grid.412571.40000 0000 8819 4698School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Amal Mechaal
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Hematopoietic Biology and Malignancy, The University of Texas Md Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX USA
| | - Seyed Reza Hosseini
- grid.411495.c0000 0004 0421 4102Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Bayani
- grid.411495.c0000 0004 0421 4102Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mostafa Javanian
- grid.411495.c0000 0004 0421 4102Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
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16
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Alizadeh Khatir A, Sepidarkish M, Daryabari Y, Taghipour A, Mollalo A, Aghapour S, Rostami A. Malaria infection and the risk of epilepsy: a meta-analysis. Parasitology 2023; 150:1-9. [PMID: 36705577 PMCID: PMC10090621 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022001780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy, a chronic disease of the central nervous system, is highly prevalent in malaria-endemic regions. Therefore, several studies have evaluated the associations between malaria infection and epilepsy development. A meta-analysis of observational studies published from inception to 10 May 2022 has been conducted to synthesize and pool the existing data on this topic. The relevant publications were systematically searched in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science database collections. A random-effects meta-analysis model (REM) was utilized to generate the pooled odds ratio (OR) at 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The between-studies heterogeneity was assessed with I2, as well as several subgroups, meta-regression and sensitivity analysis were performed to identify the source of heterogeneity. Overall, 17 eligible studies containing 6285 cases and 13 909 healthy controls were included. The REM showed a significant positive association between malaria infection and epilepsy development (OR 2.36; 95% CI 1.44–3.88). In subgroup analyses, significant positive associations were observed in studies that: epilepsy was the outcome in the follow-up of patients with cerebral malaria (OR 7.10; 95% CI 3.50–14.38); used blood smear to diagnose malaria (OR 4.80; 95% CI 2.36–9.77); included only children (OR 3.92; 95% CI 1.81–8.50); published before 2010 (OR 6.39; 95% CI 4.25–9.62). Our findings indicated that patients with malaria, especially those with cerebral malaria, are at a high risk of epilepsy development; however, further well-designed and controlled studies are needed to verify the strength of the association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Alizadeh Khatir
- Mobility Impairment Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mahdi Sepidarkish
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Yasaman Daryabari
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Ali Taghipour
- Zoonoses Research Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Mollalo
- Department of Public Health and Prevention Science, School of Health Sciences, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, Ohio, USA
| | - Saeed Aghapour
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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17
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Vaezzadeh K, Sepidarkish M, Mollalo A, As'adi N, Rouholamin S, Rezaeinejad M, Mojtahedi MF, Hosseini SMM, Taheri M, Mahjour S, Mohammadi M, Chemaitelly H, Rostami A. Global prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Microbiol Infect 2023; 29:22-31. [PMID: 35998807 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2022.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection (gonorrhoea) is associated with several pregnancy complications, including preterm labour, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, miscarriage, growth retardation, and intrauterine death. OBJECTIVES We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the global and regional prevalence of gonorrhoea in pregnant women as a scientific basis for further studies. DATA SOURCES We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and SciELO databases from inception to 10 July 2022. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA We included cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies that reported the prevalence of gonorrhoea in pregnant women. In addition, we included baseline data for randomized controlled trials. PARTICIPANTS Pregnant women who were tested for gonorrhoea. METHODS Pooled prevalence estimates at 95% CIs were calculated using a random-effects meta-analysis model. We stratified countries according to WHO-defined regions and socio-economic factors. Moreover, sub-group-, meta-regression, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to investigate the effects of pre-determined factors on prevalence estimates and heterogeneity. RESULTS We identified 235 studies (249 datasets) on 19 104 175 pregnant women from 71 countries. The worldwide pooled prevalence of gonorrhoea in pregnant women was estimated at 1.85% (95% CI 1.73-1.97%), with the highest rate in the African region (3.53%) (2.84-4.29%) and the lowest rate in the European region (0.52%) (0.27-0.84%). Overall, the prevalence estimates were high among low-income countries (3.03%), pregnant women with HIV (2.81%), and pregnant women <20 years old (8.06%). A significant decreasing trend in prevalence was observed over time (β = -0.0008, 95% CI -0.0012 to -0.0004, p 0.001). DISCUSSION Our findings indicate that a substantial number of pregnant women have been infected with gonorrhoea globally, which calls for immediate public health measures to reduce the potential risk of infection. The study highlights the inadequacy or lack of data for many countries, emphasizing the need to expand systematic data collection efforts at national and regional levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosar Vaezzadeh
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mahdi Sepidarkish
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
| | - Abolfazl Mollalo
- Department of Public Health and Prevention Science, School of Health Sciences, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, Ohio, United States
| | - Nayereh As'adi
- Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Safoura Rouholamin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mahroo Rezaeinejad
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Farid Mojtahedi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Arash Women's Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Mehdi Hosseini
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon Branch, Iran
| | - Maryam Taheri
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sanaz Mahjour
- Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Mohsen Mohammadi
- Non-Communicable Pediatric Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Hiam Chemaitelly
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Doha, Qatar; World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Qatar-Foundation-Education City, Cornell University, Doha, Qatar; Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
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Ardekani A, Sepidarkish M, Mollalo A, Afradiasbagharani P, Rouholamin S, Rezaeinejad M, Farid-Mojtahedi M, Mahjour S, Almukhtar M, Nourollahpour Shiadeh M, Rostami A. Worldwide prevalence of human papillomavirus among pregnant women: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Rev Med Virol 2023; 33:e2374. [PMID: 35678261 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the causative agent of cervical cancer and a suspected agent for ovarian and endometrial cancers in women. It is associated with adverse outcomes during pregnancy. To date, there is no estimate of the prevalence of HPV infection in pregnant women at the regional and global levels. This study evaluated the global prevalence of HPV infection based on all observational studies that had reported the prevalence of HPV among pregnant women between January 1980 and December 2021 in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and SciELO databases. We utilised a random-effect model to determine the global prevalence and related risk factors of HPV infection. Between-studies heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistic. Moreover, subgroup and meta-regression analyses were employed to assess the source of heterogeneity and the relationship between HPV prevalence and socio-demographic factors, respectively. Among 144 eligible studies comprising 189 datasets, the overall prevalence rates of HPV at the 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated as 30.38% (26.88%-33.99%), 17.81% (9.81%-27.46%), 32.1% (25.09%-39.67%), 2.26% (0.1%-8.08%) and 25.5% (23.3%-27.8%) in cervico-vaginal, placenta, serum, amniotic fluid and urine samples, respectively. The highest prevalence rates were estimated for countries in the African region, while countries in the European and Eastern Mediterranean regions showed the lowest prevalence rates. HPV-16 and -18 were the most prevalent isolated strains. The pregnant women living with HIV and those with pregnancy disorders had significantly higher prevalence rates than general pregnant women (p < 0.05). The younger ages for first intercourse and pregnancy, multiple lifetime sexual partners, and lower education levels were primary risk factors for HPV infection. In conclusion, although the overall HPV prevalence varied markedly based on sampling sites and geographical locations, the highest prevalence rates were observed in less-developed countries. Our findings imply that implementing behavioural and therapeutic interventions as well as vaccination programs are crucial to prevent and reduce the current burden of HPV infection among pregnant women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ardekani
- Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mahdi Sepidarkish
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Mollalo
- Department of Public Health and Prevention Science, School of Health Sciences, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Safoura Rouholamin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mahroo Rezaeinejad
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Farid-Mojtahedi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Endocrinology and Female Infertility Unit, Arash Women's Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sanaz Mahjour
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | | | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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19
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Arjmandi D, Abdollahi A, Ardekani A, Razavian I, Razavian E, Sartip B, Mahjour S, Parsa H, Kyvanani NA, Marhoommirzabak E, Kountouras J, Rostami A. Helicobacter pylori infection and risk of multiple sclerosis: An updated meta-analysis. Helicobacter 2022; 27:e12927. [PMID: 36046943 DOI: 10.1111/hel.12927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is considerable controversy around the question as to whether Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has a protective or causative role in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). This study evaluated published information to assess the association between H. pylori infection and MS. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive systematic review of relevant observational studies in international databases. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). I2 statistic was used to assess the between-study heterogeneity. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were applied to identify the source of heterogeneity. RESULTS In total, 22 studies (25 datasets) were eligible for the meta-analysis: 17 datasets had prevalence data and eight datasets had data on the mean titer of anti-H. pylori IgG. The pooled prevalence of H. pylori was 44.1% (908/2606) in the MS patients and 46.1% (1016/2200) in the controls, indicating a non-significant protective effect of H. pylori on MS (OR, 0.82; 95%CI, 0.58-1.17). In the subgroup analysis, studies that used ELISA yielded a significant protective association (OR, 0.59; 95%CI, 0.46-0.77), while a positive non-significant association (OR, 1.33; 95%CI, 0.83-2.15) was found from studies that used other serological methods; interestingly, a significant positive association (OR, 6.64; 95%CI, 2.40-13.76) was found from studies that used histological methods to detect H. pylori infection. CONCLUSIONS Our findings do not support the hypothesis that H. pylori infection represents a protective factor against the development of MS; however, the results varied depending on the diagnostic method(s). Particularly, a significant positive association was identified when studies introduced results based on histological examination, suggesting that active H. pylori infection might be a risk factor for development of MS. Thus, further studies are needed utilizing accurate diagnostic methods to elucidate the association between active H. pylori infection and MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delaram Arjmandi
- Immunoregulation Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Ali Abdollahi
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Ardekani
- School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Iman Razavian
- Department of Neurosurgery, Functional Neurosurgery Research Center, Shohada Tajrish Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elnaz Razavian
- Department of Neurology, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behnam Sartip
- Department of Internal Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Sanaz Mahjour
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Hamid Parsa
- Department of Neurology, University of Visayas, Gullas College of Medicine, Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Nastaran Azizi Kyvanani
- Independent Researcher in the Field of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Elika Marhoommirzabak
- Department of Neurology, University of Visayas, Gullas College of Medicine, Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Jannis Kountouras
- Second Medical Clinic, School of Medicine, Ippokration Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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20
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Moulana Z, Bagherzadeh M, Mirzakhani M, Rostami A, Mohammadnia-Afrouzi M, Shahbazi M. Increased Levels of serum Pentraxin 3 in Critical Coronavirus Disease-2019 Patients. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:85569-85573. [PMID: 34212320 PMCID: PMC8248285 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-15183-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) and ficolin are the plasma phase of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and can activate complement through classical and lectin pathways, respectively, which may contribute to disease severity. This study aimed to investigate the association between PTX3 and ficolin with disease severity in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Seventy-three COVID-19 patients and 25 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The participants were divided into three groups as follows: 14 patients as the intensive care unit (ICU) group, 59 patients as the non-ICU group, and 25 subjects as the healthy control group. The serum levels of PTX3 and ficolin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Patients in ICU and non-ICU groups had significantly higher levels of PTX3 compared to the healthy control group (p = 0.0002 and p = 0.0072, respectively). Patients in the ICU group also had an increased amount of PTX3 (1957 ± 1769 pg/ml) compared to non-ICU patients (1220 ± 1784 pg/ml). However, this difference was not significant. On the other hand, serum levels of ficolin were not different among the three groups. PTX3, as an acute phase protein, may contribute to disease severity. Its probable inflammatory role could result from the high activation of the complement system. On the other hand, it could be suggested that ficolin has no crucial role in the disease severity of COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Moulana
- Immunoregulation Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mojgan Bagherzadeh
- Immunoregulation Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mirzakhani
- Immunoregulation Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Immunoregulation Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mousa Mohammadnia-Afrouzi
- Immunoregulation Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
| | - Mehdi Shahbazi
- Immunoregulation Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
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21
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Holland C, Sepidarkish M, Deslyper G, Abdollahi A, Valizadeh S, Mollalo A, Mahjour S, Ghodsian S, Ardekani A, Behniafar H, Gasser RB, Rostami A. Global prevalence of Ascaris infection in humans (2010–2021): a systematic review and meta-analysis. Infect Dis Poverty 2022; 11:113. [PMCID: PMC9673379 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-022-01038-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ascariasis is one of the most important neglected tropical diseases of humans worldwide. The epidemiology of Ascaris infection appears to have changed with improvements in sanitation and mass drug administration, but there is no recent information on prevalence worldwide. Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the global prevalence of human Ascaris infection from 2010 to 2021. Methods We searched MEDLINE/PubMed, and Scopus databases for studies measuring prevalence of Ascaris infection, published between 1 January 2010 and 1 January 2022. We included studies of the general human population in endemic regions, which used accepted coprodiagnostic methods, and excluded studies of people with occupations with an increased risk or probability of ascariasis and/or specific diseases other than ascariasis. We applied random-effects models to obtain pooled prevalence estimates for six sustainable development goal regions of the world. We extrapolated the prevalence estimates to the global population in 2020, to estimate the number of individuals with Ascaris infection. We conducted multiple subgroup and meta-regression analyses to explore possible sources of heterogeneity, and to assess relationships between prevalence estimates and demographic, socio-economic, geo-climatic factors. Results Of 11,245 studies screened, we analysed 758 prevalence estimates for a total number of 4,923,876 participants in 616 studies from 81 countries. The global prevalence estimated was 11.01% (95% confidence interval: 10.27–11.78%), with regional prevalences ranging from 28.77% (7.07–57.66%) in Melanesia (Oceania) to 1.39% (1.07–1.74%) in Eastern Asia. We estimated that ~ 732 (682–782) million people harboured Ascaris worldwide in 2021. The infected people in Latin America and the Caribbean region had a higher prevalence of high intensity infection (8.4%, 3.9–14.1%). Prevalence estimates were higher in children, and people in rural communities or in countries or regions with lower income and human development indices. There was a trend for a higher prevalence in regions with increasing mean annual relative humidity, precipitation and environmental temperature. Conclusions Our findings indicate that, despite a renewed commitment by some communities or authorities to control ascariasis, a substantial portion of the world’s human population (> 0.7 billion) is infected with Ascaris. Despite the clinical and socioeconomic importance of ascariasis, many past routine surveys did not assess the intensity of Ascaris infection in people. We propose that the present findings might stimulate the development of customised strategies for the improved control and prevention of Ascaris infection worldwide. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40249-022-01038-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Holland
- grid.8217.c0000 0004 1936 9705Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, DO2PN40 Ireland
| | - Mahdi Sepidarkish
- grid.411495.c0000 0004 0421 4102Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Gwendoline Deslyper
- grid.8217.c0000 0004 1936 9705Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, DO2PN40 Ireland
| | - Ali Abdollahi
- grid.411463.50000 0001 0706 2472Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soghra Valizadeh
- grid.413026.20000 0004 1762 5445University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Mollalo
- grid.252749.f0000 0001 1261 1616Department of Public Health and Prevention Science, School of Health Sciences, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH USA
| | - Sanaz Mahjour
- grid.16753.360000 0001 2299 3507Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
| | - Sahar Ghodsian
- grid.411600.2Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Ardekani
- grid.412571.40000 0000 8819 4698Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Hamed Behniafar
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Sarab Faculty of Medical Sciences, Sarab, East Azerbaijan Iran
| | - Robin B. Gasser
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC Australia
| | - Ali Rostami
- grid.411495.c0000 0004 0421 4102Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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22
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Rostami A, Riahi SM, Mollalo A, Razavian I, Akbari N, Marhoommirzabak E, Mahjour S, Sartip B, Arshadi M, Razavian E, Ardekani A. Does latent Toxoplasma infection have a protective effect against developing multiple sclerosis? Evidence from an updated meta-analysis. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2022; 116:996-1006. [PMID: 35696089 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trac053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous epidemiologic evidence suggests a protective effect of Toxoplasma gondii infection against multiple sclerosis (MS) development; however, inconsistent findings have been reported in this regard. Therefore, we performed an updated meta-analysis of observational studies to investigate the association of To. gondii infection with MS development. We searched all articles published in PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science databases as of 20 December 2021. A random effects meta-analysis model was used to generate the pooled OR at 95% CIs. The heterogeneity between studies was assessed using I2 and Cochran's Q statistics. Moreover, the likelihood of publication bias was determined by Egger's regression test. A total of 11 studies were eligible for meta-analysis, including 1172 MS cases and 1802 controls. Our findings indicated that 29.8% (95% CI 22.8 to 37.2%) of MS patients were seropositive for To. gondii infection, compared with 34.2% (95% CI 21.9 to 47.6%) of control subjects. The estimated pooled OR was 0.79 (95% CI 0.49 to 1.26), suggesting a non-significant negative association between To. gondii infection and MS development (p>0.05). The current study does not support the significant protective role of To. gondii infection on MS development. Our findings imply that further well-designed epidemiological and mechanistic studies are warranted to ascertain the possible association between To. gondii infection and MS and to exclude the potential confounders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Riahi
- Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Mollalo
- Department of Public Health and Prevention Science, School of Health Sciences, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, Ohio, USA
| | - Iman Razavian
- Department of Neurosurgery, Functional Neurosurgery Research Center, Shohada Tajrish Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nahid Akbari
- Department of Genetic, Faculty of Basic Science, Islamic Azad University, Varamin Pishva Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elika Marhoommirzabak
- Department of Neurology, University of Visayas, Gullas College of Medicine, Cebu city, 600 Cebu, Philippines
| | - Sanaz Mahjour
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Behnam Sartip
- Department of Internal Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Mahdi Arshadi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Elnaz Razavian
- Department of Neurology, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Ardekani
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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23
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Zhao E, Rostami A, Zhao Z, Huang S, Malkov V, Cho J, de Almeida J, Giuliani M, Goldstein D, Hahn E, Han K, Hope A, Hosni A, Kim J, Liu F, Liu G, Ringash J, O'Sullivan B, Siu L, Spreafico A, Waldron J, Bratman S. Circulating HPV DNA Kinetics and Clinical Outcomes in a Large Cohort of Radiotherapy-Treated p16-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancers. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2022.07.373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Fakhri D, Alidoust F, Rostami A, Mirtaheri P. A Monte-Carlo/FDTD Study of High-Efficiency Optical Antennas for LED-Based Visible Light Communication. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2022; 12:3594. [PMID: 36296783 PMCID: PMC9606907 DOI: 10.3390/nano12203594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In high-speed wireless communication, visible light communication is considered an emerging and cutting-edge technology. A light-emitting diode can serve both as an illumination source in an environment and as a data transmitter. Nevertheless, plenty of complications stand in the way of developing VLC technology, including the low response time of waveguides and detectors and the field of view dependence of such devices. To cover those challenges, one approach is to develop a superior optical antenna that does not have a low response time related to phosphorescence materials and should also support concentrating light from the surroundings with a wide field of view. This research paper presents an optimized cylindrical optical antenna with benefits, such as affordable cost, fast response time due to high-efficient nanomaterials, and a wide field of view (FOV). The proposed structure avoids the need for intricate tracking systems and active pointing to the source, but it can also be integrated into portable devices. For the analysis of nanomaterials' characteristics, finite difference time domain simulations are used, and Monte-Carlo raytracing is used to study the proposed optical antenna. It was found that the antenna's optical efficiency varies from 1 to 29% depending on the size and the number of nanomaterials inside. Compared to other works, this paper shows higher efficiencies and wider FOV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darya Fakhri
- OIC Research Group, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166614761, Iran
| | - Farid Alidoust
- OIC Research Group, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166614761, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- OIC Research Group, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166614761, Iran
- SP-EPT Laboratory, ASEPE Company, Industrial Park of Advanced Technologies, Tabriz 5364196795, Iran
| | - Peyman Mirtaheri
- Department of Mechanical, Electronics and Chemical Engineering, OsloMet—Oslo Metropolitan University, 0167 Oslo, Norway
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25
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Nourollahpour Shiadeh M, Sepidarkish M, Mollalo A, As'adi N, Khani S, Shahhosseini Z, Danesh M, Esfandyari S, Mokdad AH, Rostami A. Worldwide prevalence of maternal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Microb Pathog 2022; 171:105743. [PMID: 36044936 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection during pregnancy can adversely influence the well-being of pregnant women, fetuses, and neonates. To our knowledge, there is no global data on the maternal prevalence of MRSA colonization. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the global and regional prevalence rates of MRSA colonization among pregnant women. We searched international databases (i.e., MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science collection, and SciELO) for studies published from inception to March 10, 2022. Observational population-based studies reporting MRSA colonization among pregnant women were eligible to be included. We utilized the random-effects meta-analyses to compute the pooled prevalence estimates of maternal colonization across studies at 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The heterogeneity was assessed by I2 statistic and the Cochran's Q test. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were used to adjust for potential sources of heterogeneity. The data source regarding maternal MRSA colonization included 55 studies from 24 countries and 110,654 pregnant women. The worldwide pooled prevalence for maternal MRSA colonization was 3.23% (95% CI, 2.40-4.17%), with the highest and lowest colonization rates for Africa (9.13%, 4.36-15.34%) and Europe (0.79%, 0.28-1.51%), respectively. We estimated that nearly 4.5 million pregnant women are colonized with MRSA worldwide. MRSA colonization rates were higher among black ethnicity, multiparous women, pregnant women with prior MRSA infection, women with lower personal hygiene, and those living in lower-income and human development indices countries or regions. MRSA colonizes substantial numbers of pregnant women worldwide, with varying prevalence rates in different regions; however, further investigations are needed to recognize regional differences. Our findings emphasized the need for prevention efforts against MRSA to reduce the health risks among women and newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mahdi Sepidarkish
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Mollalo
- Department of Public Health and Prevention Science, School of Health Sciences, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH, USA
| | - Nayereh As'adi
- Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soghra Khani
- Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Zohreh Shahhosseini
- Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mahmonir Danesh
- Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Sahar Esfandyari
- Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ali H Mokdad
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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Maghoul A, Simonsen I, Rostami A, Mirtaheri P. An Optical Modeling Framework for Coronavirus Detection Using Graphene-Based Nanosensor. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2022; 12:2868. [PMID: 36014733 PMCID: PMC9412525 DOI: 10.3390/nano12162868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus has faced the world with a new and dangerous challenge due to its contagious nature. Hence, developing sensory technologies to detect the coronavirus rapidly can provide a favorable condition for pandemic control of dangerous diseases. In between, because of the nanoscale size of this virus, there is a need for a good understanding of its optical behavior, which can give an extraordinary insight into the more efficient design of sensory devices. For the first time, this paper presents an optical modeling framework for a COVID-19 particle in the blood and extracts its optical characteristics based on numerical computations. To this end, a theoretical foundation of a COVID-19 particle is proposed based on the most recent experimental results available in the literature to simulate the optical behavior of the coronavirus under varying physical conditions. In order to obtain the optical properties of the COVID-19 model, the light reflectance by the structure is then simulated for different geometrical sizes, including the diameter of the COVID-19 particle and the size of the spikes surrounding it. It is found that the reflectance spectra are very sensitive to geometric changes of the coronavirus. Furthermore, the density of COVID-19 particles is investigated when the light is incident on different sides of the sample. Following this, we propose a nanosensor based on graphene, silicon, and gold nanodisks and demonstrate the functionality of the designed devices for detecting COVID-19 particles inside the blood samples. Indeed, the presented nanosensor design can be promoted as a practical procedure for creating nanoelectronic kits and wearable devices with considerable potential for fast virus detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Maghoul
- Optical/FNIR Laboratory of Biomedical Group, Department of Mechanical, Electronics and Chemical Engineering, OsloMet–Oslo Metropolitan University, 0167 Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingve Simonsen
- Department of Physics, NTNU—Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ali Rostami
- Photonics and Nanocrystals Research Laboratory (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166614761, Iran
| | - Peyman Mirtaheri
- Optical/FNIR Laboratory of Biomedical Group, Department of Mechanical, Electronics and Chemical Engineering, OsloMet–Oslo Metropolitan University, 0167 Oslo, Norway
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Sorkhi H, Mollalo A, Bijani A, Mehravar S, Pournasrollah M, Sadr Moharerpour S, Rostami A. Association between Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Nephrotic Syndrome Risk in Children: A Case-Control Study and Systematic Review. J Trop Pediatr 2022; 68:6660808. [PMID: 35950309 DOI: 10.1093/tropej/fmac067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Some evidence suggests toxoplasmosis as an etiology of nephrotic syndrome (NS) in children; however, no observational study evaluated this relationship. In a case-control study, we enrolled 35 children with NS and 37 healthy children. All participants were examined for anti-Toxoplasma immunoglobulin G and M (IgG and IgM) antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We also systematically reviewed the literature to assess this relationship. Prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG was 17.4% and 13.5% in cases and controls, respectively, indicating a non-significant association (adjusted odds ratio, 1.22, 95% confidence interval, 0.35-4.41). No subjects were seropositive for IgM. In a systematic review, we found that acute toxoplasmosis can induce NS in some children and anti-Toxoplasma treatment is effective in the remission of NS in these cases. In pediatrics with NS, acute toxoplasmosis should be considered as a neglected causative factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadi Sorkhi
- Non-Communicable Pediatric Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Mollalo
- Department of Public Health and Prevention Science, School of Health Sciences, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH, USA
| | - Ali Bijani
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Saeed Mehravar
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Pournasrollah
- Non-Communicable Pediatric Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Sahar Sadr Moharerpour
- Non-Communicable Pediatric Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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Chamani S, Rostami A, Mirtaheri P. A Superimposed QD-Based Optical Antenna for VLC: White LED Source. Nanomaterials 2022; 12:nano12152573. [PMID: 35957002 PMCID: PMC9370452 DOI: 10.3390/nano12152573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Visible light communication (VLC) is a versatile enabling technology for following high-speed wireless communication because of its broad unlicensed spectrum. In this perspective, white light-emitting diodes (LED) provide both illumination and data transmission simultaneously. To accomplish a VLC system, receiver antennas play a crucial role in receiving light signals and guiding them toward a photodetector to be converted into electrical signals. This paper demonstrates an optical receiver antenna based on luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) technology to exceed the conservation of etendue and reach a high signal-to-noise ratio. This optical antenna is compatible with all colors of LEDs and achieves an optical efficiency of 3.75%, which is considerably higher than the similar reported antenna. This antenna is fast due to the small attached photodetector—small enough that it can be adapted for electronic devices—which does not need any tracking system. Moreover, numerical simulation is performed using a Monte Carlo ray-tracing model, and results are extracted in the spectral domain. Finally, the fate of each photon and the chromaticity diagram of the collected photons’ spectra are specified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaghayegh Chamani
- Photonics and Nanocrystal Research Laboratory (PNRL), University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166614761, Iran;
| | - Ali Rostami
- Photonics and Nanocrystal Research Laboratory (PNRL), University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166614761, Iran;
- SP-EPT Laboratory, ASEPE Company, Industrial Park of Advanced Technologies, Tabriz 5169654916, Iran
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (P.M.)
| | - Peyman Mirtaheri
- Department of Mechanical, Electronics and Chemical Engineering, OsloMet—Oslo Metropolitan University, 0167 Oslo, Norway
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (P.M.)
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Nahaei FS, Rostami A, Mirtaheri P. Quantum Dot Reflective Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers: Optical Pumping Compared with Electrical Pumping. Nanomaterials 2022; 12:nano12132143. [PMID: 35807979 PMCID: PMC9267988 DOI: 10.3390/nano12132143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A comprehensive study has been conducted on quantum dot reflective semiconductor optical amplifiers (QD-RSOAs) with optical pumps (OPs). Moreover, few studies have been completed on OP-based QD-RSOAs. A comparison is made between them and QD-RSOAs with electrical pumps (EPs) in this study. It is shown that the dynamical properties of the device can significantly develop in the optical pumping version. The optical properties are studied for both methods. Moreover, by solving the coupled differential rate and signal propagation equations, the operation of the device in the pulse mode is investigated. Finally, it is proven that OP QD-RSOAs can perform significantly better in applications such as fast all-optical signal processing and wavelength division multiplexing in passive optical networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farshad Serat Nahaei
- Photonics and Nanocrystals Research Lab. (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166/614761, Iran;
| | - Ali Rostami
- Photonics and Nanocrystals Research Lab. (PNRL), Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166/614761, Iran;
- SP-EPT Lab., ASEPE Company, Industrial Park of Advanced Technologies, Tabriz 5166/614761, Iran
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (P.M.)
| | - Peyman Mirtaheri
- Department of Mechanical, Electronics and Chemical Engineering, OsloMet—Oslo Metropolitan University, 0167 Oslo, Norway
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (P.M.)
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Nahaei FS, Rostami A, Matloub S. Selective band amplification in ultra-broadband superimposed quantum dot reflective semiconductor optical amplifiers. Appl Opt 2022; 61:4509-4517. [PMID: 36256292 DOI: 10.1364/ao.427496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, an approach is proposed for an ultra-broadband quantum dot (QD) reflective semiconductor optical amplifier using superimposed QDs with switching and band selection capability in the supported band. Furthermore, about 1 µm optical bandwidth is covered (O, E, S, C, and L bands), which is the desired region in most optical communication applications. Three optical windows are selected for optimized amplification (1.55 µm, 1.5 µm, 1.31 µm). Also, they can be amplified either simultaneously or one at a time, which guarantees independent modulation. This is a remarkable property in fast data transmission. The amplifier is devised by solution process nanotechnology, which guarantees its synthesizing feasibility with low cost. Finally, by introducing this amplifier, one step is taken toward the development of fast wavelength division multiplexing passive optical networks.
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31
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Herath HMPD, Taki AC, Rostami A, Jabbar A, Keiser J, Geary TG, Gasser RB. Whole-organism phenotypic screening methods used in early-phase anthelmintic drug discovery. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 57:107937. [PMID: 35271946 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Diseases caused by parasitic helminths (worms) represent a major global health burden in both humans and animals. As vaccines against helminths have yet to achieve a prominent role in worm control, anthelmintics are the primary tool to limit production losses and disease due to helminth infections in both human and veterinary medicine. However, the excessive and often uncontrolled use of these drugs has led to widespread anthelmintic resistance in these worms - particularly of animals - to almost all commercially available anthelmintics, severely compromising control. Thus, there is a major demand for the discovery and development of new classes of anthelmintics. A key component of the discovery process is screening libraries of compounds for anthelmintic activity. Given the need for, and major interest by the pharmaceutical industry in, novel anthelmintics, we considered it both timely and appropriate to re-examine screening methods used for anthelmintic discovery. Thus, we reviewed current literature (1977-2021) on whole-worm phenotypic screening assays developed and used in academic laboratories, with a particular focus on those employed to discover nematocides. This review reveals that at least 50 distinct phenotypic assays with low-, medium- or high-throughput capacity were developed over this period, with more recently developed methods being quantitative, semi-automated and higher throughput. The main features assessed or measured in these assays include worm motility, growth/development, morphological changes, viability/lethality, pharyngeal pumping, egg hatching, larval migration, CO2- or ATP-production and/or enzyme activity. Recent progress in assay development has led to the routine application of practical, cost-effective, medium- to high-throughput whole-worm screening assays in academic or public-private partnership (PPP) contexts, and major potential for novel high-content, high-throughput platforms in the near future. Complementing this progress are major advances in the molecular data sciences, computational biology and informatics, which are likely to further enable and accelerate anthelmintic drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- H M P Dilrukshi Herath
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Aya C Taki
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Abdul Jabbar
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jennifer Keiser
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Timothy G Geary
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Sainte Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec H9X3V9, Canada; School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University-Belfast, Belfast, Ireland
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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Hosein Abbasi M, Abdullah B, Waseem Ahmad M, Rostami A, Cullen J. Bringing fuel poverty forward from post-intervention evaluations to design and decision-making stages. PPP 2022. [DOI: 10.3351/ppp.2022.9393348874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Rostami A, Tajlil A, Separham A, Sohrabi B, Pourafkari L, Roshanravan N, Aslanabadi N, Ziaee M, Mashayekhi S, Ghaffari S. Association between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and the Systemic Inflammatory Immunologic Index and the Angiographic SYNTAX Score and the TIMI Flow Grade in Acute STEMI: A Cohort Study. JTHC 2022; 16:147-155. [PMID: 35935551 PMCID: PMC9308885 DOI: 10.18502/jthc.v16i4.8600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Background: In patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), it is essential to determine the complexity of coronary lesions on presentation and predict the risk of no-reflow after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Given that inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, using inflammatory indices might be helpful in this setting. Methods: This prospective cohort study recruited 200 consecutive patients with STEMI who underwent pPCI. The presentation neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-ratio (NLR) and the systemic inflammatory immunologic index (SII), calculated using the formula platelets × neutrophils/lymphocytes, were recorded. Study outcomes included the SYNTAX score and the TIMI flow grade before and after pPCI. The associations between the NLR and the SII and the study outcomes were investigated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: Among 200 patients at a mean age of 59.85±11.23 years, 160 (80.0%) were male and 40 (20.0%) were female. The NLR and SII values were not statistically different between the 3 SYNTAX subgroups. While the mean NLR and SII values were similar between the patients with preprocedural TIMI flow grades 0/1 and 2/3, the mean NLR and SII were significantly lower in the group with a postprocedural TIMI flow grade 3. After adjustments for age and sex, the NLR and the SII were independent predictors of postprocedural no-reflow. Conclusion: In patients with STEMI, the presentation NLR and SII are useful for predicting the risk of no-reflow after pPCI. However, the NLR and the SII are not predictors of the SYNTAX score and the preprocedural TIMI flow grade.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Samad Ghaffari
- Corresponding Author: Samad Ghaffari MD, FACC, Professor of Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Shahid Madani Heart Hospital, Daneshgah Street, Tabriz, Iran. 5166615573. Tel: +98 41 33373919. Fax: +98 413337395. E-mail: .
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Kianmehr E, Bari B, Jafarzadeh M, Rostami A, Golshani M, Foroumadi A. Reaction of imidazo[1,2- a]pyridines with coumarin-3-carboxylic acids: a domino Michael addition/decarboxylation/oxidation/annulation. NEW J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2nj02706b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
A palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative domino reaction of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines and coumarin-3-carboxylic acids has been developed, which provides access to dibenzoisochromenoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-6-ones possessing six fused rings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebrahim Kianmehr
- School of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417614411, Iran
| | - Bahareh Bari
- School of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417614411, Iran
| | - Mahdi Jafarzadeh
- School of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417614411, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center (NMSRC), University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Mostafa Golshani
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Foroumadi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Alizadeh Khatir A, Moghaddam SA, Almukhtar M, Ghorbani H, Babazadeh A, Mehravar S, Rostami A. Toxoplasma infection and risk of epilepsy: A case-control study of incident patients. Microb Pathog 2021; 161:105302. [PMID: 34808274 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
We performed an age matched case-control study of incident epileptic patients to assess the relationship between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and epilepsy. Cases were 94 newly diagnosed patients (mean age, 36.7 ± 15.9) with unprovoked convulsive epilepsy of unknown etiology and controls were 88 healthy individuals (mean age, 37.5 ± 17.1) with no history of epilepsy or neurological disorders. Sera of all subjects were examined for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies using commercially enzyme-linked immunoassays. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using univariate analysis and logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounders. The prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies in epileptic patients (68.1%; 95%CI, 57.6-77.3%) was significantly higher than healthy controls (47.7%; 95%CI, 36.9-58.6%), indicating a significant relationship between Toxoplasma infection seropositivity and epilepsy (adjusted OR, 2.58; 95%CI, 1.16-5.72; P value < 0.05). The univariate analyses showed more than two-fold higher Toxoplasma seropositivity in patients with focal (OR, 2.31; 95%CI, 0.94-5.67) and generalized (OR, 2.35; 95%CI, 1.215-4.57) seizures versus healthy controls. Our findings support hypothesis that Toxoplasma infection/exposure may play an important role in development of epilepsy. Preventive measures to control of Toxoplasma infection especially in north of Iran and early treatment might be effective to reduce the occurrence of epilepsy in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Alizadeh Khatir
- Mobility Impairment Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | | | | | - Hossein Ghorbani
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Arefeh Babazadeh
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Saeed Mehravar
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
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Ardekani A, Roshanshad A, Hosseini SA, Magnaval JF, Abdollahi A, Rostami A. Toxocariasis-associated urinary system diseases: a systematic review of reported cases. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2021; 116:668-672. [PMID: 34791477 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trab177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxocariasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati. Toxocara species can involve many organs, such as the brain, heart and lungs, however, the urinary system involvement of toxocariasis is largely unknown. METHODS We performed a systematic review to identify cases infected with urinary tract toxocariasis. RESULTS We identified seven cases that were eligible to be reviewed. Among the included citations, four studies reported bladder involvement and three reported kidney involvement. Fever, urinary, and abdominal presentations were amongst the most important clinical symptoms. Eosinophilic cystitis and nephrotic syndrome were the most common diagnoses.. The treatment regimen included a combination of anthelmintic drugs and steroids. CONCLUSIONS In cases of urinary tract presentations accompanied by eosinophilia or histopathologic findings suggestive of parasitic infection, toxocariasis should be included in the list of differential diagnoses, especially in endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ardekani
- School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 7134814336, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 7134814336, Iran
| | - Amirhossein Roshanshad
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 7134814336, Iran
| | - Seyed Ali Hosseini
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 7134814336, Iran
| | - Jean-François Magnaval
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toulouse, Toulouse 31000, France
| | - Ali Abdollahi
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1949635881, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 4717647745, Iran
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Rostami A, Riahi SM, Esfandyari S, Habibpour H, Mollalo A, Mirzapour A, Behniafar H, MohammadiMoghadam S, Azizi Kyvanani N, Aghaei S, Bazrafshan N, Ghazvini S. Geo-climatic factors and prevalence of chronic toxoplasmosis in pregnant women: A meta-analysis and meta-regression. Environ Pollut 2021; 288:117790. [PMID: 34329056 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we evaluated the effects of geo-climatic parameters and other potential risk factors on the prevalence of chronic toxoplasmosis (CT) in pregnant women. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus, and SciELO databases for seroepidemiological studies published between January 1988, and February 2021. We performed meta-analysis and meta-regression by using a random effect model to synthesize data. A total of 360 eligible datasets, including 1,289,605 pregnant women from 94 countries, were included in this study. The highest and lowest prevalence rates were estimated for latitudes of 0-10° (49.4%) and ≥50° (26.8%); and for the longitude of 80-90° (44.2%) and 110-120° (7.8%), respectively. Concerning climatic parameters, the highest and lowest prevalence rates were estimated in regions with the mean relative humidities of >80% (46.6%) and <40% (27.0); annual precipitation between 1000 and 1500 mm (39.2%) and 250-500 mm (26.8%); and mean annual temperature of 20-30 °C (36.5%), and <7 °C (24.9%), respectively. Meta-regression analyses indicated significant increasing trends in prevalence of CT in pregnant women with decrease in geographical latitude (coefficient, = -0.0035), and geographical longitudes (C = -0.0017). While it was positively associated (P < 0.01) with the mean environmental temperature (C = 0.0047), annual precipitation (C = 0.000064), and mean relative humidity (C = 0.002). Our results highlighted various effects of environmental parameters on the prevalence of CT. Therefore, different regions in the world may benefit from different types of interventions, and thus, novel preventive measures in a region should be developed according to local climate, agricultural activities and people culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
| | - Seyed Mohammad Riahi
- Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Sahar Esfandyari
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Haniyeh Habibpour
- Department of Microbiology, Islamic Azad University, Varamin Pishva Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Mollalo
- Department of Public Health and Prevention Science, School of Health Sciences, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH, USA
| | - Aliyar Mirzapour
- Innovative Medical Research Center, Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hamed Behniafar
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Sarab Faculty of Medical Sciences, Sarab, Iran
| | | | | | - Shima Aghaei
- Department of Medical Mycology, Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negar Bazrafshan
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Sobhan Ghazvini
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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Alizadeh Khatir A, Sepidarkish M, Rajabalizadeh MR, Alizadeh Moghaddam S, Aghapour S, Mehravar S, Hotez PJ, Gasser RB, Rostami A. Case-Control Study to Assess the Association between Epilepsy and Toxocara Infection/Exposure. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9102091. [PMID: 34683412 PMCID: PMC8537584 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9102091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although causes and etiology of epilepsy are mostly obscure, some zoonotic parasites, such as Toxocara species, have been proposed as a risk factor for this disease. Here, we conducted an age-matched case-control study to evaluate whether there is an association between epilepsy and the presence of serum antibodies to Toxocara in incident cases. We included 94 idiopathic epileptic patients as cases, and—from the same geographical region—88 people with no own history of epilepsy or neurological disease as control subjects. Epilepsy was confirmed by a physician using the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) definition. All participants were screened for the anti-Toxocara IgG serum antibody by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Univariate and mutltivariate statistical analyses were applied to calculate the crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Anti-Toxocara serum antibody was detected in 37 epileptic patients and in 23 control subjects, giving respective seroprevalences of 39.3% (95% CI, 29.4–49.9%) and 26.1% (95% CI, 17.3–36.5%), respectively. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis estimated an OR of 2.38 (95% CI, 1.25–4.63), indicating a significant association between epilepsy and Toxocara seropositivity. There was also a significant association between seropositivity to Toxocara and partial (OR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.14–6.04) or generalized (OR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.09–4.40%) seizures. Findings from the present study of incident epileptic cases support previous studies proposing that Toxocara infection/exposure is a risk factor for epilepsy. However, further well-designed population-based surveys and mechanistic/experimental studies in animal models are required to better understand the reason(s) for this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Alizadeh Khatir
- Mobility Impairment Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 4714871167, Iran;
| | - Mahdi Sepidarkish
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 4714871167, Iran;
| | - Mohammad Reza Rajabalizadeh
- Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 4714871167, Iran; (M.R.R.); (S.A.M.)
| | - Solmaz Alizadeh Moghaddam
- Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 4714871167, Iran; (M.R.R.); (S.A.M.)
| | - Saeed Aghapour
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari 1353447416, Iran;
| | - Saeed Mehravar
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran 1666663111, Iran;
| | - Peter J. Hotez
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology and Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Robin B. Gasser
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Correspondence: (R.B.G.); (A.R.); Tel.: +98-11-32190557 (A.R.)
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 4714871167, Iran
- Correspondence: (R.B.G.); (A.R.); Tel.: +98-11-32190557 (A.R.)
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Rostami A, Ebrahimi A, Sakhaee N, Golmohammadi F, Al-Harrasi A. Microwave-Assisted Electrostatically Enhanced Phenol-Catalyzed Synthesis of Oxazolidinones. J Org Chem 2021; 87:40-55. [PMID: 34581567 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.1c01686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
An electrostatically enhanced phenol is utilized as a straightforward, sustainable, and potent one-component organocatalyst for the atom-economic transformation of epoxides to oxazolidinones under microwave irradiation. Integrating a positively charged center into phenols over a modular one-step preparation gives rise to a bifunctional system with improved acidity and activity, competent in rapid assembly of epoxides and isocyanates under microwave irradiation in a short reaction time (20-60 min). A careful assessment of the efficacy of various positively charged phenols and anilines and the impact of several factors, such as catalyst loading, temperature, and the kind of nucleophile, on catalytic reactivity were examined. Under neat conditions, this one-component catalytic platform was exploited to prepare more than 40 examples of oxazolidinones from a variety of aryl- and alkyl-substituted epoxides and isocyanates within minutes, where up to 96% yield and high degree of selectivity were attained. DFT calculations to achieve reaction barriers for different catalytic routes were conducted to provide mechanistic understanding and corroborated the experimental findings in which concurrent epoxide ring-opening and isocyanate incorporation were proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Rostami
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center (NMSRC), University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Amirhossein Ebrahimi
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center (NMSRC), University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Nader Sakhaee
- Roger Adams Laboratory, University of Illinois, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Farhad Golmohammadi
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center (NMSRC), University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center (NMSRC), University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Sultanate of Oman
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Abedi SH, Fazlzadeh A, Mollalo A, Sartip B, Mahjour S, Bahadory S, Taghipour A, Rostami A. The neglected role of Blastocystis sp. and Giardia lamblia in development of irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Microb Pathog 2021; 162:105215. [PMID: 34592369 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The possible role of Blastocystis sp. and Giardia lamblia infections in the development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has long been controversial. In this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate whether these protozoan infections are associated with IBS development. We systematically searched international databases for all studies that reported these protozoa in IBS patients published by May 10, 2021. Studies were included in the review if they were observational studies with confirmed patients with IBS (in case-control and cross-sectional studies) or parasitic infections (cohort studies) with an appropriate control group. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using a random-effects meta-analysis model for included studies. A total of 32 papers (42 datasets), including 29 papers (31 datasets) for Blastocystis sp./IBS and 11 papers (11 datasets) for G. lamblia/IBS met the eligibility criteria. Our results indicated that the individuals with Blastocystis sp. infection were significantly at a higher risk of IBS development (OR, 1.78; 95%CI, 1.29-2.44). Moreover, cohort studies indicated a significant positive association between G. lamblia infection and IBS risk (OR, 5.47; 95%CI, 4.23-7.08); while an increasing but no statistically significant risk was observed in case-control studies (OR, 1.19; 95%CI, 0.75-1.87). Our findings suggested that Blastocystis sp. and G. lamblia infections are associated with the increased risk of developing IBS. Despite these results, further studies are needed to determine the effect of these protozoa on IBS development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Hasan Abedi
- Cancer Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Aylar Fazlzadeh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Mollalo
- Department of Public Health and Prevention Science, School of Health Sciences, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH, USA
| | - Behnam Sartip
- Department of Internal Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Sanaz Mahjour
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Saeed Bahadory
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Taghipour
- Zoonoses Research Center, School of Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran.
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
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Rostami A, Riahi SM, Abdollahzadeh Sagha S, Taghipour A, Sepidarkish M, Mohammadnia-Afrouzi M, Ebrahimpour S, Hotez PJ, Gamble R, Gasser RB. Seroprevalence Estimates of Latent and Acute Toxoplasma Infections in HIV + People-Call for Action in Underprivileged Communities. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9102034. [PMID: 34683355 PMCID: PMC8537859 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9102034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We undertook a comprehensive, systematic review of observational studies to estimate respective seroprevalences of latent and acute Toxoplasma gondii infections in HIV+ people at the global, regional and country levels; related seroprevalence to socio-economic variables and CD4+ cell counts; and assessed temporal changes in prevalence and risk factors for this group. We systematically searched international databases for seroepidemiological surveys between 1 January 1980 and 31 July 2020. We used a random effects model to calculate pooled seroprevalences with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and estimated the numbers of HIV+ people inferred to harbour latent and acute T. gondii infections (LT or AT). We grouped seroprevalence data according to the geographic regions defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and conducted subgroup and meta-regression analyses of the data. Of a total of 4024 studies identified, 150 and 65 of them met the inclusion criteria for LT and AT in HIV+ people, respectively. The overall, pooled seroprevalences of LT and AT were 37.4% (95% CI, 33.4–41.4) and 1.3% (95% CI, 0.9–1.8%), equating to ~14.2 and 0.5 million HIV+ people, respectively. Most HIV+ people with T. gondii infections originated from Africa, and the highest seroprevalences were in low-income countries with low human development indices. Significant risk factors for toxoplasmosis in HIV+ patients included the consumption of raw/undercooked meat, frequent contact with soil, a low CD4+ T lymphocyte number (<200 cells per μL) and age. Overall, the finding of high seroprevalences of particularly latent T. gondii infection in HIV+ people in underprivileged regions of the world, such as parts of Africa, calls for preventative action. Programs that include routine serological monitoring, counselling, care, animal control and/or prophylactic treatment measures are needed to prevent severe toxoplasmosis from developing in people living with HIV infection. Our study highlights the potential importance of parasite chemoprophylaxis in resource-poor settings, particularly in low-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran; (S.A.S.); (S.E.)
- Immunoregulation Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran;
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (R.B.G.)
| | - Seyed Mohammad Riahi
- Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran;
| | - Shayan Abdollahzadeh Sagha
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran; (S.A.S.); (S.E.)
| | - Ali Taghipour
- Zoonoses Research Center, School of Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran;
| | - Mahdi Sepidarkish
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran;
| | - Mousa Mohammadnia-Afrouzi
- Immunoregulation Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran;
| | - Soheil Ebrahimpour
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran; (S.A.S.); (S.E.)
| | - Peter J. Hotez
- Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology and Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Ray Gamble
- National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC 20001, USA;
| | - Robin B. Gasser
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (R.B.G.)
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Keenan M, Rostami A. The impact of quality management systems on construction performance in the North West of England. International Journal of Construction Management 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/15623599.2019.1590974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Keenan
- School of Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
| | - Ali Rostami
- School of Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
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Rostami A, Nasri H. Frequency of Helicobacter pylori in patients hemodialysis its correlation with demographic and biochemical factors; a single center study. J Prev Epidemiol 2021. [DOI: 10.34172/jpe.2021.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Hemodialysis is one of the most common methods of treating chronic kidney disease (CKD). The start time of dialysis is determined depending on the clinical findings and subjective and objective parameters. However, factors such as patient perception and anxiety related to starting dialysis can modify these parameters. Patients on hemodialysis often have gastrointestinal complications; however, it is unclear whether Helicobacter pylori infection is more prevalent in these patients. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relative frequency of levels of H. pylori antibody in hemodialysis patients and its relationship with demographic and biochemical factors of hemodialysis patients in a hemodialysis center. Patients and Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional and the target population of patients is the hemodialysis center of Amin hospital in 2019. The sampling method was a non-probabilistic sampling. The sample size in the present study was 85 people. The collected information was entered into SPSS software version 22 and analyzed with appropriate statistical tests. The significance level in the present study was less than 0.05. Results: In total, 85 patients participated in the present study, of which 68% were men and the rest were women. The cut-off point and the positive and negative border of laboratory results for H. pylori were 18.8 U/mL. The mean level of H. pylori antibody was 87.353 ± 104.17 U/mL. In this study, significant relationship between the level of H. pylori antibody and Parathyroid hormone (PTH) was detected. PTH level was lower in patients with a positive result for H. pylori. No further relationship was detected between H. pylori infection and biochemical parameters and blood indices, as well as Kt/V and urea reduction rate (URR) was detected. Additionally, there was no significant difference in the mean level of H. pylori antibody between men and women. Accordingly, there was no significant correlation between H. pylori antibody level and age of patients, duration and number of dialysis sessions and body mass index. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, mean level of PTH was significantly lower in patients with a positive result for H. pylori. No significant relationship was observed between H. pylori infection with other demographic and biochemical factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Rostami
- Department of Internal Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hamid Nasri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
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Batikha M, Ali STM, Rostami A, Kurtayev M. Using recycled coarse aggregate and ceramic waste to produce sustainable economic concrete. International Journal of Sustainable Engineering 2021; 14:785-799. [DOI: 10.1080/19397038.2020.1862353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Batikha
- Assistant Professor, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Dubai, UAE
| | | | - Ali Rostami
- Civil Engineer, Asayesh Construction Safety, Dubai, UAE
| | - Meirzhan Kurtayev
- Deputy of director, Ontystuck Kurylys Service LLC construction company, Shymkent, Kazakhstan
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Spotin A, Mahami-Oskouei M, Ahmadpour E, Parsaei M, Rostami A, Emami S, Gholipour S, Farmani M. Global assessment of genetic paradigms of Pvmdr1 mutations in chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium vivax isolates. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2021; 114:339-345. [PMID: 32100835 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/traa002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chloroquine (CQ) is generally prescribed as the front-line antimalarial drug of choice to treat Plasmodium vivax infections; however, some clinical CQ-resistant P. vivax isolates have been indigenously reported around the world during the last decade. METHODS In this study, P. vivax isolates (n=52) were obtained from autochthonous samples in southeast Iran during 2015-2017. The genomic DNA of samples was extracted, amplified (nested PCR) and sequenced by targeting the multidrug-resistance 1 gene. To verify the global genetic diversity of CQ-resistant P. vivax strains, the sequences of Pvmdr1 originating from Asia and the Americas were retrieved. RESULTS A total of 46 haplotypes were grouped into three distinct geographical haplogroups. The haplotype diversity and occurrence rates of Pvmdr1 976F/1076L mutations indicate that the efficacy of CQ is being compromised in Mexico, China, Nicaragua, Thailand, Brazil (2016), Ethiopia, Mauritania (2012) and southwest India in the near future. The cladistic phylogenetic tree showed that Pvmdr1 sequences isolated from the southeast Asian clade has a partial sister relationship with the American clade. CONCLUSIONS The current findings will serve as a basis to develop appropriate malaria control strategies and public health policies in symptomatic imported malaria cases or plausible CQ-resistant P. vivax strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adel Spotin
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Mahami-Oskouei
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ehsan Ahmadpour
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mahdi Parsaei
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Shima Emami
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Saba Gholipour
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mostafa Farmani
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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Taghipour A, Habibpour H, Mirzapour A, Rostami A. Toxocara infection/exposure and the risk of schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2021; 115:1114-1121. [PMID: 33822228 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trab056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxocariasis is an important neglected disease that could have a role in the development of some neurological disorders, such as schizophrenia (SCZ). We performed the first systematic review and meta-analysis on observational studies to evaluate the possible association between Toxocara infection/exposure and SCZ. Systematic searching (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar) was performed, up to 15 August 2020, to identify the relevant studies. We used a random effects meta-analysis model to generate the pooled OR and 95% CIs. The research process resulted in the identification of six studies related to the subject of interest entailing 411 SCZ patients and 2047 controls. Our results demonstrated that the SCZ patients (15%; 95% CI 6.8 to 29.9%) had higher pooled seroprevalence of Toxocara infection/exposure than the control group (3.3%; 95% CI 1.1 to 9.4%), showing a significant association (pooled OR, 4.06; 95% CI 1.14 to 14.43). Our findings suggested that Toxocara infection/exposure might have an important but neglected contribution to SCZ development. However, further well-designed and large-scale observational studies are needed to illuminate this association. Because many other environmental and genetic factors may be strong confounders, more mechanistic/experimental studies in animal models are also necessary to further define the mechanism of this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Taghipour
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Haniyeh Habibpour
- Department of Microbiology, Islamic Azad University, Varamin Pishva Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Aliyar Mirzapour
- Innovative Medical Research Center, Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.,Immunoregulation Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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Salehi R, Rostami A, Mirjalali H, Stensvold CR, Haghighi A. Genetic characterization of Blastocystis from poultry, livestock animals and humans in the southwest region of Iran-Zoonotic implications. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:1178-1185. [PMID: 33735537 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Blastocystis is the most common intestinal parasite found in epidemiological studies in Iran. The genus Blastocystis comprises multiple subtypes (ST), evincing the existence of extensive intrageneric diversity. Meanwhile, information on Blastocystis STs in domestic animals in Iran is limited. This study was designed to identify the prevalence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis in domestic animals and to evaluate the extent of zoonotic origin of human Blastocystis carriage. A total of 395 faecal samples from farm animals (220 from poultry, 100 from sheep and 75 from cattle) and 23 Blastocystis positive samples from humans (available from the previous report of this study and included for reference) from the Khuzestan province, southwestern Iran, were analysed. Standard parasitological methods and PCR-based analysis of the SSU-rRNA gene were used. Overall, 115 (29.1%; 95% CI, 26.5%-31.6%) of the animals were positive for Blastocystis sp. by parasitological methods. The highest colonization rate was found in cattle (50.6%, 38/75), followed by sheep (32.0%, 32/100) and poultry (20.4%, 45/220). Eight Blastocystis STs were identified among 55 sequenced isolates from animals (n = 32) and humans (n = 23): ST3 (27.3%), ST14 (25.4%), ST1 (12.7%), ST7 (12.7%), ST2 (9.1%), ST6 (7.3%), ST5 (3.6%) and ST10 (1.8%). Blastocystis ST1 and ST3 were found in both human and non-human hosts, and examples of shared alleles (strains) were observed. Meanwhile, ST2 was observed only in humans, ST5 only in sheep, ST6 only in poultry and ST10 in only cattle. This is the most comprehensive report of Blastocystis STs in farm animals in Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roya Salehi
- Thalassemia and Haemoglobinopathy Research Center, Research Institute of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapour University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.,Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.,Immunoregulation Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Hamed Mirjalali
- Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Ali Haghighi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Mohammadi M, Spotin A, Mahami-Oskouei M, Shanehbandi D, Ahmadpour E, Casulli A, Rostami A, Baghbanzadeh A, Asadi M. MicroRNA-365 promotes apoptosis in human melanoma cell A375 treated with hydatid cyst fluid of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto. Microb Pathog 2021; 153:104804. [PMID: 33609644 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.104804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Hydatid cyst fluid (HCF)-based therapeutics has experimentally targeted approaches for treating human cancer cell lines. MicroRNA-365 (miR-365) has been reported to be an important tumor suppressor miRNA in cancers. However, it remains unknown, how miR-365 plays a pivotal role in inducing apoptosis in HCF-treated cancer cells in vitro. The fertile/infertile HCF was aspirated from liver of infected sheep and in terms of molecular taxonomy was identified as G1 genotype of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto. A375 human melanoma cancer cells were cultured into two groups: fertile and infertile HCF-treated A375 cells. To assess the cytotoxicity of various concentrations of HCF on melanoma cells, cell viability was determined by using MTT assay. The IC50 value of HCF on A375 cells was determined 85 μg/mL. Caspase-3 enzymatic activity was evaluated by fluorometric assay in the HCF-treated melanoma cells. In addition, the mRNA expression of Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-9 and miR-365 were determined by qRT-PCR. Findings of MTT assay showed that concentrations 85 μg/mL to 100 μg/mL of fertile HCF have the highest mortality (50%-52%) on A375 cells during 24 h. The fold change of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, Caspase-9, miR-365 and Caspase-3 activity was higher in the fertile HCF-treated melanoma cells compared to infertile fluid treated A375 cells and human normal epithelial cell (as control cell). In conclusion, we over-expressed the miR-365 in melanoma A375 cells, via treatment of fertile HCF. Our findings suggested that inducing high expression of miR-365 might be a negative regulator of melanoma growth through activation of pro-apoptotic Bax, Caspase-9 and Caspase-3 that are essential to intrinsic apoptotic pathway. These findings provide new insights into the use of Echinococcus HCF-derived metabolites in the design of drug therapies and in vivo tumor cell vaccine to combat melanoma progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahnaz Mohammadi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Adel Spotin
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Mahmoud Mahami-Oskouei
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Dariush Shanehbandi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ehsan Ahmadpour
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Adriano Casulli
- WHO Collaborating Centre for the Epidemiology, Detection and Control of Cystic and Alveolar Echinococcosis, Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy; European Union Reference Laboratory for Parasites (EURLP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Amir Baghbanzadeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Milad Asadi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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Shayan S, Matloub S, Rostami A. Efficiency enhancement in a single bandgap silicon solar cell considering hot-carrier extraction using selective energy contacts. Opt Express 2021; 29:5068-5080. [PMID: 33726049 DOI: 10.1364/oe.416932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
One of the most important and challenging loss factors of photovoltaics is the heat production of energetic carriers excited by high energy incident photons. The present work shows that if carriers are extracted at their high energies before cooling down due to scattering, the conversion efficiency can be noticeably enhanced. To increase the efficiency of a single-band gap solar cell in this work, selective energy contacts are introduced to a p-i-n structure to extract hot carriers. A selective energy contact solar cell is made up of many collecting contacts with particular energy differences from the conduction band of the cell. In other words, each contact could extract carriers with a special range of energies. The concept of selective energy contact solar cells is to collect high energy carriers, i.e. electrons in this case, within a range of energies onto external electrodes before they cool down. The comparison between conventional solar cells and selective energy contact solar cells shows a significant enhancement in electron collection and efficiency. Based on simulation results, it is observed that the efficiency of the selective energy contact solar cell has been enhanced substantially exceeding almost twice as much as a conventional solar cell's and reaching a significant 34% efficiency.
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Dortaj H, Dolatyari M, Zarghami A, Alidoust F, Rostami A, Matloub S, Yadipour R. High-speed and high-precision PbSe/PbI 2 solution process mid-infrared camera. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1533. [PMID: 33452367 PMCID: PMC7810890 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80847-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Infrared (IR) cameras based on semiconductors grown by epitaxial methods face two main challenges, which are cost and operating at room temperature. The alternative new technologies which can tackle these two difficulties develop new and facile material and methods. Moreover, the implementation of high speed camera, which makes high resolution images with normal methods, is very expensive. In this paper, a new nanostructure based on a cost-effective solution processed technology for the implementation of the high-speed mid-infrared light camera at room temperature is proposed. To this end, the chemically synthesized PbSe-PbI2 core-shell Quantum Dots (QDs) are used. In this work, a camera including 10 × 10 pixels is fabricated and synthesized QDs spin-coated on interdigitated contact (IDC) and then the fabricated system passivated by epoxy resin. Finally, using an electronic reading circuit, all pixels are converted to an image on the monitor. To model the fabricated camera, we solved Schrodinger-Poisson equations self consistently. Then output current from each pixel is modeled based on semiconductor physics and dark and photocurrent, as well as Responsivity and Detectivity, are calculated. Then the fabricated device is examined, and dark and photocurrents are measured and compared to the theoretical results. The obtained results indicate that the obtained theoretical and measured experimental results are in good agreement together. The fabricated detector is high speed with a rise time of 100 ns. With this speed, we can get 10 million frames per second; this means we can get very high-resolution images. The speed of operation is examined experimentally using a chopper that modulates input light with 50, 100, 250, and 500 Hz. It is shown that the fabricated device operates well in these situations, and it is not limited by the speed of detector. Finally, for the demonstration of the proposed device operation, some pictures and movies taken by the camera are attached and inserted in the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannaneh Dortaj
- grid.412831.d0000 0001 1172 3536Photonics and Nanocrystals Research Lab (PNRL), University of Tabriz, 5166614761 Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mahboubeh Dolatyari
- SP-EPT Lab., ASEPE Company, Industrial Park of Advanced Technologies, 5364196795 Tabriz, Iran
| | - Armin Zarghami
- grid.412831.d0000 0001 1172 3536Photonics and Nanocrystals Research Lab (PNRL), University of Tabriz, 5166614761 Tabriz, Iran
| | - Farid Alidoust
- grid.412831.d0000 0001 1172 3536Photonics and Nanocrystals Research Lab (PNRL), University of Tabriz, 5166614761 Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- grid.412831.d0000 0001 1172 3536Photonics and Nanocrystals Research Lab (PNRL), University of Tabriz, 5166614761 Tabriz, Iran ,SP-EPT Lab., ASEPE Company, Industrial Park of Advanced Technologies, 5364196795 Tabriz, Iran
| | - Samiye Matloub
- grid.412831.d0000 0001 1172 3536Quantum Photonics Research Lab (QPRL), University of Tabriz, 5166614761 Tabriz, Iran
| | - Reza Yadipour
- grid.412831.d0000 0001 1172 3536Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, 5166614761 Tabriz, Iran
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