masoud yousefi

This study investigates the use of three refractory metals, their names are titanium (Ti), niobium (Nb) and zirconium (Zr), in combination with iron (Fe), chromium (Cr) and vanadium (V) to produce high entropy bioalloys. . Three high entropy alloy compositions, namely TiZrNbCrV, TiZrNbFeCr and TiZrNbFeV, were made using mechanical alloying technique and powder metallurgy method. Investigation about alloys was done through X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) studies. The present study has shown that gradual cooling after the sintering process leads to the creation of a small percentage of compact hexagonal phases (HCP) in each of the three investigated alloys. In addition, two of the investigated alloys showed the formation of intermetallic phases due to the same cooling process. The microstructure of manufactured alloys includes four regions for all alloys containing the main Body-centered cubic ) BCC(, partial HCP (and other phases), voids, and Nb-containing regions.

The increase in the incidence of antimicrobial resistance in pathogens has led researchers to identify new and effective antimicrobial agents. Green production of nanoparticles has received attention due to its compatibility with the environment and low cost. The present study sought to characterize and evaluate the antibacterial activities of silver nanoparticles synthesized with Plantago lanceolata seed extract.

In this study, after the synthesis of silver nanoparticles by chemical and green methods, the characteristics of silver nanoparticles synthesized with the P. lanceolata seed extract were evaluated by UV-Vis, DLS, XRD, FT-IR, and TEM methods. Thereafter, the optimal conditions for the synthesis of nanoparticles and the antibacterial activity of the P. lanceolata extract, chemical silver nanoparticles, and green silver nanoparticles against standard bacterial strains were investigated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using the broth microdilution method.

Based on the absorption spectrum of green silver nanoparticles with UV-Vis, the optimal concentration of silver nitrate was 20 mM, the suitable synthesis temperature was 57 °C, and the best reaction time was reported as 30 sec. The results of XRD, FT-IR, and TEM analyses confirmed the synthesis of green silver nanoparticles with oval and spherical morphology with a size of 20-40 nm. The P. lanceolata extract and chemical silver nanoparticles had no significant antibacterial effect. Nonetheless, green silver nanoparticles had significant antibacterial activity on the studied bacteria, with the highest antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis (MIC=125 μg/mL).

As evidenced by the obtained results, P. lanceolata seed extract significantly increased the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles. This research demonstrated the potential of environmentally friendly silver nanoparticles synthesized in the presence of P. lanceolata extract with significant antibacterial effects for various biomedical applications.

The current study examines general dental students’ views about the ethics level in education, research, and provision of dental services. This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on all general dental students at Yasuj University of Medical Sciences selected in the census. The researcher-made questionnaire was prepared online with PorsLine. In this questionnaire, examples of observing or not observing ethics in education, research, and provision of dental services by faculty members were presented to the dental students. Finally, all collected data were analyzed by SPSS software version 26. 47 students participated in the current study. The participant’s mean age was 25.95 with a standard deviation of 3.5. Results of the study showed that the mean and standard deviation of non-observance of ethics in education, the provision of dental services, and research were 3.05±0.9, 2.37±1.03, and 3.04±1.15, respectively. General dental students reported that the level of ethics in education, research, and provision of dental services by faculty members was unfavorable, so it is recommended that medical education courses related to ethics should be held for faculty members.

Climate change is an important growing threat to biodiversity and ecosystems. Previous studies have shown that climate change will negatively influence on Iran’s biodiversity. Reptiles are among the most vulnerable group to climate change. Until now, more than 80 snake species have been recorded in Iran in which 16 are terrestrial venomous. In the present study, we predicted the impacts of climate change on distribution of the genus Macrovipera in Iran. We applied an ensemble approach, using five distribution modeling methods (Generalized Linear Models, Generalized Additive Models, Generalized Boosted Models, Maximum Entropy Modelling and Random Forest) to predict the impacts of climate change on distribution pattern of the genus. We also estimated protected areas coverage for the suitable habitat of the genus under current and future climatic conditions. We found that the genus will lose 11% of its suitable habitat under the worst-case scenario (2071-2100SSP585). Results also showed that only around 8% of the genus suitable habitat is covered by protected areas under current and future climatic conditions. Stable suitable but not protected habitats have high priority for conservation of the genus in Iran.

This study aimed to compare the diagnostic efficacy of standard culture method with multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in examining cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples collected from patients with suspected meningitis.

A retrospective evaluation was conducted on 166 patients with suspected meningitis, who were treated in Vali-Asr hospital in Birjand, Iran between 2011 and 2020. Diagnosis of bacterial meningitis was based on CSF culture and multiplex qPCR results.

Among 166 patients, conventional methods identified causative pathogens in only 10.3% of cases, while multiplex qPCR detected pathogens in eight out of 25 culture-negative cases as well. The most common pathogens identified were enterovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Multiplex qPCR appears to be a more effective method than conventional culture in identifying bacterial and viral pathogens that most commonly cause meningitis. The incorporation of qPCR as a routine diagnostic method for meningitis in clinical practice could significantly enhance clinical decision-making and patient care.

Glass ionomer cement (GIC) is used in atraumatic restorative treatment, full crown cementation, and root lesion repair. Glass ionomer cement can prevent secondary infections if it has antibacterial properties. Therefore, in the current study, the antibacterial effects of GIC containing different antibiotics and the rate of antibiotic release were investigated.

In the in vitro study, GIC discs containing 1.5% metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, or penicillin V antibiotics were first made. Afterward, the amount of antibiotic release from different discs was analyzed by spectroscopic method at 24, 72, and 168 h. The antibacterial effects of GIC discs containing antibiotics were evaluated by the disc diffusion method against the standard bacterial strain of Streptococcus mutans and compared with standard antibiotic discs.

In the present study, antibiotic release from GIC discs containing penicillin could not be measured by spectroscopic method. Nevertheless, the rates of antibiotic release from GIC discs containing ciprofloxacin and metronidazole were about 41% and 66%, respectively in the first 24 h, and after 168 h, these release rates reached 53% and 75%, respectively. The results showed that GIC disc alone and GIC with metronidazole had no antibacterial effect on S. mutans. The mean scores of inhibition zone diameter of GIC discs containing penicillin and GIC containing ciprofloxacin were reported as 27.25±0.97 and 14.0±2.52 mm, respectively. Moreover, the GIC disc containing all three antibiotics had an inhibition zone diameter of 24.33±1.37 mm.

The inhibition zone diameter of penicillin was larger than that of the mixture of three antibiotics. Based on this observation, it can be concluded that the use of 1.5% penicillin is a more suitable choice for creating antibacterial properties in GIC compared to the mixture of three antibiotics.

Reptiles are important components of natural ecosystems but because of limited dispersal ability they are sensitive to habitat destruction, road development and climate change. However, very little is known about their diversity and distribution in protected areas of Iran. In this study, reptiles of Touran Biosphere Reserve were collected, photographed and identified from 2014 to 2021. Results showed that 36 reptile species including 20 lizards, 15 snakes and 1 tortoise are living in the Touran Biosphere Reserve. Families Agamidae and Gekkonidae where the most diverse families among the lizard species and family Colubridae was the most diverse family among the snake species. Testudo horsfieldii and Varanus griseus are species with conservation concern thus they need special conservation programs.

Snakebite is a global health problem and important conservation challenge. Knowing where snakebite risk is highest can help snakebite management. But climate change is altering snakebite risk pattern making its management more difficult and complicated.
In this study we used Echis carinatus’ habitat suitability as an indicator of snakebite risk, under current and future climatic conditions. We applied an ensemble of five distribution modelling methods (Generalized linear models (GLMs), Generalized additive models (GAMs), Generalized boosted models (GBMs), Maximum entropy modelling (Maxent) and Random Forest (RF)) to model the species habitat suitability. In addition, we identified villages that are at risk of envenoming form the species under current and future climate.
Results showed that the species suitable habitat will increase under climate change as consequence number of villages at risk will increase from 70247 to 82881 putting more human population at risk of envenoming.
High snakebite risk areas identified in this study are high priority target areas for awareness raising program and antivenom distribution. This study demonstrates usefulness of habitat suitability modeling in identifying high snakebite risk area in Iran.

Identifying ethical challenges and then developing ethical codes and making ethical decisions are one of the solutions to promote professional ethics in any field. Given that ethical challenges in Iranian dentistry education have not been identified so far, the aim of the present study was to explain the ethical challenges in dentistry education. The present qualitative research was performed using qualitative content analysis approach. Participants included faculty members and students of general dentistry from dental schools of metropolitan area 5 of Iran (Shiraz, Yasuj, Bushehr, and Bandar Abbas); they were selected using purposeful sampling. The researcher collected data using semi-structured interviews and focus group. Participants’ conversations were recorded, implemented immediately, and analyzed using MAXQDATA software version 10. Confirmability, credibility, dependability, and transferability were used as the criteria used to ensure scientific accuracy. A total of 16 faculty members attended focus group sessions and individual interviews. A total of 114 codes were extracted, which were classified into three main categories: ethical challenge in the educational system (three subcategories), educational ethical challenge related to faculty members (four subcategories), and educational ethical challenge related to students (two sub-categories). There are many ethical challenges in the field of dental education from the faculty members and students’ perspective that must be addressed by faculty authorities, faculty members, and students. It is suggested that solutions to address these challenges should be considered in future researches; if necessary, appropriate ethical codes should be codified in this regard.

Mammals are as one of the important species of arid environment and play a significant role in their stability and function in the ecosystem. Touran Biosphere Reserve is one of the representative reserves of cold winter deserts that has a high biodiversity of mammals. In this study, which lasted between 2018 and 2021, the mammal diversity and threats of Touran National Park, which is part of the Touran Biosphere Reserve, were investigated. According to the surveys, at least 29 mammal species are inhabiting the national park. Among the identified mammals, Asiatic Cheetah is critically endangered, Persian Wild Ass and Persian Leopard are endangered, Persian Goitered Gazelle, Wild Goat, and Urial Wild Sheep are vulnerable, and Sand Cat and Striped Hyaena are near threatened in the IUCN red list category. Four species of mammals in the national park, Persian Wild Ass, Asiatic Cheetah, Persian Leopard, and Caracal are in the Cites Appendix I, and Urial Wild Sheep, Wolf, Blanford’s Fox and Sand Cat are in the Cites Appendix II. According to the Department of the Environment laws, four mammals of Touran National Park are endangered and five species are protected. Touran National Park is one of the most important and few remaining habitats of Asiatic cheetah and Persian Wild Ass in the country, both of which are among the species with high conservation priority in the country due to their high evolutionary distinction. Therefore, more efforts are needed to study and protect this national park.

In recent years, bimetallic nanoparticles have gained prominence in medical science due to their biomedical properties. This research aimed to develop an eco-friendly, simple and facile process to synthesizing green silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Trachyspermum ammi fruit extract. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized using FT-IR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD, DLS, and TEM. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the synthesized AgNPs and T. ammi extract for five standard bacteria strains were determined by the broth microdilution method. The obtained AgNPs exhibited Surface Plasmon Resonance centered at approximately 415 nm, with an average particle size calculated to be 50 nm. The mean particle size and surface charge of biosynthesized AgNPs using T. ammi extract investigated by DLS and zeta potential were 26.78±1.24 nm and -13.96 mV, respectively. Furthermore, green synthesized AgNPs showed high and efficient antibacterial activity against E. coli ATCC 25922, P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853, K. pneumonia ATCC 9997, S. aureus ATCC 25923, and E. faecalis ATCC 29212 with MIC values of 19, 19.5, 75, 150, and 39 µg/ml, respectively. Notably, the antibacterial results illustrated that green synthesized AgNPs possess significantly higher antibacterial potency than chemically produced silver nanoparticles. Our findings highlight the effective and efficient synthesis of silver nanoparticles by T. ammi fruit extract and its significant antibacterial activities.

The ever-increasing incidence of multidrug resistance in ESBL-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most serious public health threats. This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic resistance profile and molecular characteristics of ESBL-producing P. aeruginosa isolates.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed for 120 P. aeruginosa clinical isolates using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion and broth microdilution assays. Combined disk test (CDT) was applied to screen for ESBL production among P. aeruginosa isolates. PCR assays determined the presence of blaGES, blaPER, and blaVEB genes in all isolates.

The clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa showed the highest resistance to cefotaxime (86.7%) and gentamicin (65.8%). Of 120 P. aeruginosa isolates, 60.8% were MDR, and 53.3% were XDR. The prevalence of these strains was significantly higher in hospitalized patients than in out-patients (p<.001). Also, 58 P. aeruginosa strains (48.3%) were considered as phenotypic ESBL producers. Furthermore, 15, 35, and 24.2% of P. aeruginosa isolates harbored blaGES, blaVEB, and blaPER, respectively. The incidence of MDR (71.4% vs. 41.9%, p= .001) and XDR (63.6% vs. 34.9%, p= .002) was significantly higher in ESBL-producing P. aeruginosa isolates compared to non-ESBL producers. The highest incidence rate of MDR was reported in blaVEB gene-positive P. aeruginosa isolates (95.2%), followed by isolates harboring blaPER (79.3%) and blaGES (55.6%) genes.

This study findings show a high prevalence of MDR ESBL-producing P. aeruginosa isolates, indicating the importance of correct identification of these superbugs and judicious use of various antibiotics to prevent their spread.

Different parts of plants are rich sources of bioactive ingredients and have received much attention during recent decades.

The aim of this study was to assess the antibacterial properties of five common allergenic pollens extracts.

The aqueous and lipid extracts were prepared from allergenic plant pollens including Amaranthus retroflexus, Chenopodium album, Artemisia vulgaris, Cupressus arizonica, and Ailanthus altissima. Antibacterial activity of the extracts was determined using the broth microdilution method against ATCC bacteria strains.

Total protein content of aqueous extracts was form 453 to 2772 μg/ml, but for all lipid extracts it was less than 0.2 μg/ml. Aqueous pollen extracts of C. album, C. arizonica and A. altissima (MIC between 38.8 to 562 μg/ml), and the lipid pollen extracts of C. album, C. arizonica, A. altissima, A. retroflexus, and A. vulgaris (MIC between 0.89 to 21.9 μg/ml) had a significant antibacterial activity on E. faecalis. Moreover, the aqueous pollen extract of A. altissima (MIC = 8.7 μg/ml), and the lipid pollen extracts of C. arizonica, A. altissima, A. retroflexus, and A. vulgaris (MIC between 1.78 to 21.9 μg/ml) showed a significant antibacterial activity against S. aureus. The only extract with antibacterial effect on K. pneumoniae was the lipid pollen extract of A. vulgaris (MIC value of 3.72 μg/ml).

The results of this study showed the significant antibacterial activity of some plants pollen extracts. More studies are needed to further assess the active compounds in the pollen extracts and their cytotoxic effects.

Today, due to the high prevalence of infectious diseases and the risk of infection transmission in dental clinics, the control of infectious agents is critically important in dentistry. Given the importance of proper autoclave performance in dental processes, the aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of autoclave devices in the sterilization process using biological methods in dental clinics in Birjand. In this analytical cross-sectional study, all 65 dental clinics in Birjand were included. After collecting the questionnaire about equipment sterilization process and the characteristics of the autoclave, a vial containing spores of Geobacillus stearothermophilus was used for biological monitoring of autoclave devices. At the end of the autoclave cycle, the biological vials were incubated for 24-48 hours at 55 °C. Data were analyzed using Chi-Square or Fisher exact tests in SPSS 18 software. Among 46 clinics (71%) participating in this study, 36 clinics (83.7%) used class B autoclave. Out of 34 (77.3%) clinics that monitored the performance of the autoclave, 24 clinics (70.5%) used the chemical method, 6 clinics (17.5%) used the physical method and 4 clinics (12%) used biological methods. In the biological monitoring of the autoclave sterilization process in this study, the performance of one autoclave (2.2%) was reported to be inappropriate and this had a significant relationship with the number of autoclave uses. Despite the fact that biological monitoring of autoclave performance was not carried out in many dental clinics in Birjand, the results of this study showed that the autoclaves of a large number of dental clinics had good performance in the sterilization process. Given the importance of validating autoclave performance in dental processes, the quality control of autoclave devices in dental clinics can be taken into consideration.

Chlamydia trachomatis is the cause of chlamydial infection of the genital tract and trachoma and is the most common bacterial infection transmitted through sexual contact and the most important and costly non-viral sexually transmitted disease. This infection is a common cause of urethritis in men and cervicitis in women, and many complications such as infertility and ectopic pregnancy have been reported. This study was performed aimed to evaluate the frequency of anti-chlamydia antibodies in asymptomatic women of childbearing age referred to health centers in Mashhad.

This cross-sectional study was performed in 2016 on 93 women referring to the health care centers of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Anti-chlamydia IgG antibodies were tested in these samples by ELISA method. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16) and Fisher Freeman Halton Exact test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

A total of 93 women were evaluated. The mean serum level of antibody was 0.35±0.36 ng/dl and accordingly 6.5% (n=6) had a positive result. Also, the relationship between infection and age (p=0.209) and living area (p=0.239) of ​​these people was examined, but no significant relationship was found.

According to the results of the present study, the frequency of anti-chlamydia antibodies was considerable in women of reproductive age referred to the health centers in Mashhad. Due to this prevalence and high complications of this infection in case of no treatment, it is recommended that the Chlamydia Trachomatis screening program be performed routinely even for asymptomatic individuals.

The increasing growth of human population and the number of livestock and wasteful has led to a rise in the trend of land degradation in the last few decades. Identifying the factors of destruction and sustainability of Rangelands is one of the first steps in reforming the exploitation of these resources and rehabilitating them. hence This study was done on the necessity of analysis and evaluation of the destruction of vegetation cover in Fars province. Effective choices were determined by reviewing the research resources and were grouped into Four indicators including: Hydrology (H), plant production (P), soil (S) and Atherogenic (A). The reference group of 45 experts familiar with the field of research consisted of all local operators and Operators available and a number of researchers determined in snowball method. The Questionnaires were Designed separately and scored by the reference group according to the two methods of Boolean evaluation and Fuzzy Delphi. The mean values of the indices and options were ranked and analyzed in a comparison method. Reliability was investigated by Cronbach's alpha test 0.88) and confirmed the existence of fit between Components of the questionnaire. the convergence of the results of the two above methods confirms the validity of the two methods, given that the two Boolean and Fuzzy methods were evaluated. the evaluation of Sustainability indices in fuzzy method showed that the human and soil indices have the highest relative weight, respectively, with the weight of 0.480 and 0.330 respectively. plant and climate production indices and hydrology are less important in terms of relative weight of 0.134 and 0.056, respectively. the weight and the Computational importance of indicators in the Boolean method is much less than that, and it can be said that in Comparison of the Boolean and Fuzzy methods, the fuzzy method has more performance and helps with a diverse Range of responses to provide clearer and clearer results for the evaluation of sustainability.

To solve any problem, it is necessary to first recognize that problem and examine the factors affecting that issue; therefore, a detailed study of stressors can help us improve the quality of education and mental health of students.

This cross-sectional study was performed at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in the academic year 2020-2021. The participants were chosen from medical students studying in various grades using convenient sampling method. The instrument used was the standard MSSQ which consists of 20 questions including 6 different dimensions: Stress Related to Academic Issues, Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Stress, Teaching and Learning Stress, Social Stress, Desire Stress, Group Activity Stress.

A total of 463 people participated in this study out of whom 51.4% (236 people) were male. Overall, 49% of students were in high/severe condition. The highest level of stress among all dimensions belongs to the stressors related to academic issues (63.5%) and the least stressful factor for students was desire-related stress (8.20%). There was a significant relationship between total stress and gender (higher in women than men).

Considering that almost half of the students are in a high/severe state regarding stressful factors, effective training of students to manage stress and improve skills to reduce stress (e.g., by conducting workshops) would be promising.

The ever-increasing of antibiotic resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a major threat to public health worldwide. Molecular typing is used to determine the source of MRSA infections as well as to control and prevent the spread of these pathogens. The present study aimed to investigate the characteristics of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types and antibiotic resistance of community- acquired (CA-) and hospital acquired (HA-) MRSA isolates.

In this cross-sectional study, the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of 109 clinical S. aureus isolates were determined by the Kirby-Bauer disk-diffusion and microdilution broth methods. MRSA isolates were confirmed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the detection of the mecA gene. SCCmec typing was performed by a multiplex PCR assay among MRSA isolates.

The prevalence of MRSA isolates was 39.4%. Linezolid, vancomycin, and ceftaroline were the most effective agents against MRSA isolates. The incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and resistance to most antibiotics were significantly higher in MRSA than methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates (P<0.05). SCCmec types I, III, and IV were identified in 27.9%, 23.3%, and 37.2% of MRSA isolates, respectively. SCCmec type I and IV were the most prevalent SCCmec types in HA-MRSA isolates (each was 32.4%). While SCCmec type IV (66.7%) was the most frequently SCCmec type associated with CA-MRSA isolates.

Our findings demonstrated a high rate of MDR among MRSA isolates. The high existence of SCCmec type IV was reported among the HA-MRSA isolates, which can indicate the spread of MRSA community isolates to hospital settings. Therefore, appropriate antibiotic stewardship plans and microbiological surveillance initiatives must be implemented in healthcare facilities to monitor and limit the spread of these resistant bugs.

Most studies that examine the difference between expectation and perceptions in educational systems evaluate this gap from the perspective of service recipients. However, the opinion of service providers (faculty members) should not be ignored because it can be provide the opportunity to design reformations in order to increase educational service quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the educational service quality from the perspective of faculty memebers of Mashhad Unievrsit of Medical Sciences in 2018.

This cross-sectional study was performed on 178 faculty members at different levels using a questionnaire to evaluate the quality of educational services based on the SERVQUAL model. The validity and reliability of this questionnaire has been proven in previous studies. Participants were selected by available sampling method and experessed their opinions in five dimensions of service quality, including confidence, assurance, accountability, empathy and physical in the two areas of present and desired status (Likert scale 1 to 4 ).

From the perspective of faculty members, there was a statistically significant difference between the present and the desired status in all five dimensions. Overall, the highest gap was in the accountability dimension (-0.59±0.50) and the lowest gap was in the confidence dimension (-0.21±0.56). The lowest reported gap was reported by associate professors (-0.25±0.29) and the highest gap was reported by professors (-0.52±0.39).

From the faculty memberschr('39') point of view, the quality of educational services is lower than expected, although this negative gap is not large. To make up for this small gap, it is advisable to review the statements made by faculty members in this report. This study can lead to the development of strategies to improve the quality of university education.

Birds provide important ecosystem services, but they face several threats like climate change, land-use change, and illegal hunting. Protected areas are important tools for the conservation of avian diversity however their avian diversity and distribution poorly studied in Iran. In this study, we present the result of our field observations of avifauna and breeding birds of Touran National Park, Semnan province between 2019 and 2021. We recorded 92 bird species in the national park and confirmed the breeding status of 33 species, some of which, namely Eastern Imperial Eagle, Asian Houbara Bustard, and European roller are threatened. Eastern Imperial Eagle and Asian Houbara Bustard are listed on Annex I of CITES and Eurasian Kestrel and Merlin are listed on Annex I of CITES. Diversity of bird of prey, breeding of the Persian Ground Jay and Houbara Bustard in the desert and semi-arid steppe ecosystems are some of the remarkable values of the Touran National Park. According to the field surveys, the presence of large numbers of domestic animals around the Park and the trampling of bird nests, the high number of domestic camels, and successive droughts are the most important avian threats in the Touran National Park.

Non-fermentative Gram-negative Bacilli (NFGNB) is known as a major cause of healthcare-associated infections with high levels of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibiotic resistance profiles and molecular characteristics of metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL)-producing NFGNB.

In this cross-sectional study, the antibiotic resistance profile of 122 clinical NFGNB isolates was determined by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion and microdilution broth methods. Bacterial isolates were investigated for the detection of MBLs production using the combination disk diffusion Test (CDDT). The existence of blaIMP, blaVIM, and blaNDM genes in all carbapenem-resistant isolates was determined employing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays.

High resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa was reported to cefotaxime and minocycline, whereas Acinetobacter baumannii isolates were highly resistant to all antibiotics except colistin. Multidrug resistance (MDR)-NFGNB (66% vs. 12.5%, P=0.0004) and extensively drug resistant (XDR)-NFGNB (55.7% vs. 12.5%, P=0.001) isolates were significantly more common in hospitalized patients than in outpatients. The production of MBL was seen in 40% of P. aeruginosa and 93.3% of A. baumannii isolates. It was found that 33.3% and 46.7% of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates, and 13.3% and 28.9% of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates were harboring blaIMP-1 and blaVIM-1 genes, respectively. The incidence of MDR (98.2% vs. 28.3%, P<0.001) and XDR (96.4% vs. 11.7%, P<0.001) in MBL-producing NFGNB isolates was significantly higher than non-MBL-producing isolates.

This study demonstrated a higher rate of resistance among NFGNB isolates with an additional burden of MBL production within them, warranting a need for robust microbiological surveillance and accurate detection of MBL producers among the NFGNB.

 Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the world. However, there is no detailed information on its incidence, especially in developing countries where routine laboratory diagnosis is unavailable.

 This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of endocervical C. trachomatis infection and related risk factors among women attending the University Gynecology Clinic of Birjand, East of Iran.

 This cross-sectional study was conducted on 195 women attending the University Gynecology Clinic in South Khorasan, Birjand. Endocervical sampling was performed in a lithotomy position using a sterile brush. Identification of C. trachomatis was performed by real-time PCR method using GeneProof C. trachomatis PCR kit. Data on socio-demography and potential risk factors for genital infection were analyzed using SPSS software (version 21).

 In the study, the prevalence rate of C. trachomatis among women was reported 4.1% (8/195 subjects). Statistical analysis showed that the rate of C. trachomatis infection in women was only statistically related to the history of vaginal infection (P = 0.001). Although there was no statistically significant association between chlamydial infection and age, the highest infection rate was in women less than 30 years old.

 Given the relatively significant incidence of C. trachomatis infection among women, our findings highlight the importance of routine screening and early diagnosis of C. trachomatis to control the infection.

Conservation of biodiversity under changing environment is a real challenge for conservation biologists. Previous studies have shown that climate change will have negative impacts on bat species. However very little is known about the potential impacts of climate change on bats of Iran. Pipistrellus pipistrellus is a small insectivore bat which live in vast area in Iran. Despite being widespread, the species ecology remains unknown. In the present study we predicted the impacts of climate change on the species distribution, identified future climate refugia for the species and assessed protected areas effectiveness in covering the species suitable habitats. We applied an ensemble approach using four distribution modeling methods (Generalized Linear Models, Generalized Additive Models, Maximum Entropy Modelling and Random Forest). then projected the ensemble model in to the future. We found that the species will lose 118551 km2 of its suitable habitats while gaining 59303 km2 new climatically suitable habitats. Results showed that 7.1 percent of the species suitable habitats covered by protected areas under current climatic condition but in the future suitable habitats will decrease to 6.7 and 6.2 percent under RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 respectively. Climatically stable habitats identified in this study can play important role in species survival under climate change thus they have high priority for conservation.

Students are the main recipients of educational services in universities. By investigating their expectations and perceptions of educational performance, we can provide the context for program developing to improve educational quality of services. In previous studies, the quality of services was reported from the perspective of undergraduate students. Since the expectations and the type of education are various in different stages, the current study investigates the quality of educational services based on the SERVQUAL model in postgraduate and graduate students. 

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 321 students at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (58 bachelor, 67 masters, 58 PhD and 134 residents) by a questionnaire to evaluate the quality of educational services based on SERVQUAL model in 2018. Participants were selected by convenient sampling method and by answering the questionnaire, their opinions in five dimensions of service quality (Reliability, Responsiveness, Empathy, Assurance, Tangibles with a score range from 1 to 4 and the gap between the current situation and the desired between -3 to +3) were determined. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 26, paired t-test, independent sample t-test and ANOVA.

The results of current study indicated that there was a negative gap between studentschr('39') expectations and perceptions in all five dimensions. ). In general, the largest gap was in the response dimension (-1.1 ± 0.76) and the lowest was in the confidence dimension (-0.78 ± 0.69). Among different levels of students, the largest gap is from the perspective of undergraduate students (-1.1 ± 0.7) and the smallest gap possess to the PhD students (-0.69 ± 0.57), and the total service gap from the viewpoint of the non-native students (-1.0 ± 0.6) was higher than native students (-0.85 ± 0.67). 

According to this study, the quality of services has been lower than studentschr('39') achievements in all dimensions. This requires specific planning in priority areas for quality improvement.

Clostridium difficile is a major nosocomial pathogen that infects the large intestine (colon) and causes a range of clinical manifestations from mild to severe diarrhea. The aim of this study was to assess the detection of pathogenic toxin A/Bpositive C. difficile strains among hospitalized patients with diarrhoea in Gonabad, Iran.

In this cross-sectional study, hospitalized patients submitted to 22 Bahman Hospital (Gonabad, Iran) were included if they had a liquid stool specimen. From November 2016 through July 2017, a total of 50 sequential stool samples (unformed or liquid) were obtained from hospitalized patients for inclusion in this study. The stool samples were collected and C. difficile toxin A/B immunoassay was performed according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Based on the results, the maximum number of cases belonged to the age group of less than 10 years (n=29, 58%). Most studied patients were hospitalized in the pediatrics ward (n=24, 48%). Among the studied patients, 16 (32%) cases were positive for C. difficile toxin A/B by immunochromatographic assay. Frothy-four (88%) patients received one or more antibiotic treatment on admission and hospitalization. Ceftriaxone was the most common applied drug for the treatment of these patients. Finally, 5 (31.25%) patients received combination therapy. Overall, 34.48% of pediatric cases were positive for C. difficile toxin A/B.

Our results showed that the emergence of potentially highly virulent and antibiotic-resistant C. difficile isolates is alarming. The diagnostic of pathogenic C. difficile by the clinical microbiology laboratory can improve the handling of disease and more reasonable use of antimicrobials by the physician.