Identification and genotyping of Acanthamoeba spp. in the water resources of western Iran.

Background: Acanthamoeba spp. is opportunistic amoeba that resides in water, soil, and air. Some pathogenic genotypes of the genus of Acanthamoeba can cause granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE) in people with a defective immune system. The parasite can also cause Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) among contact lens users. This study was conducted to isolate and identify the Acanthamoeba genotypes in water resources in Lorestan province, western Iran. Methods: Collected 72 water samples from surface and groundwater (springs and aqueducts) in Lorestan province. Samples were filtered and cultured in non-nutrient 1.5% agar medium covered with Escherichia coli (E. coli) at 25 °C. DNA extraction was done and the PCR reaction was performed to detect the Acanthamoeba spp. The positive PCR products were sequenced to determine the genotypes of Acanthamoeba. Results: Out of 72 examined water samples, 23.61% were positive for Acanthamoeba sp. by PCR. From PCR-positive samples, 8 (47.05%) samples were T4 genotypes and others were other Acanthamoeba genotypes (T1-T23). Therefore, approximately half of the genotypes belong to the pathogenic T4 genotype. Conclusions: The water examined samples in western provinces of Iran have the potential risk factor for public health. Therefore, the efforts of healthcare providers are needed to identify, train, and prevention from human infections.

Assessing the effectiveness of an ergonomics intervention program with a participatory approach: ergonomics settlement in an Iranian steel industry.

PURPOSE: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are common occupational problems affecting the health and productivity of workers worldwide. Ergonomic intervention programs (EIPs) can play an effective role in preventing these disorders in the workplace. Assessing the effectiveness of an EIP is a challenge faced by both industries and researchers. This study was aimed at assessing the effectiveness of an EIP on human resources productivity (HRP), musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), general health and occupational fatigue in a steel industry. METHODS: This study was conducted in a steel industry in Isfahan, Iran, between 2018 and 2021. To assess the effectiveness of the EIP with a participatory approach, training and redesign of workstations, the criteria of HRP, MSDs, general health and occupational fatigue were investigated before and after the intervention, using HRP Questionnaire, Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ), 28-item General Health Questionnaire (28-GHQ), Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory (SOFI-20) and Occupational Fatigue/Exhaustion Recovery (OFER-15) Questionnaire, as data collection tools, respectively. RESULTS: The implementation of EIP in the studied industry significantly led to an increase in HRP (p < 0.05). The prevalence of MSDs decreased significantly in most regions of the body after the interventions (p < 0.001). In addition, the program significantly improved general health (p < 0.001) and reduced occupational fatigue among employees (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of EIP was significantly effective in working conditions improvement. Therefore, implementing EIP with participatory approach, workforce training, as well as redesigning of workstations are recommended in industries.

Subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with metabolic syndrome: A case-control study using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.

BACKGROUND: The dramatic increase in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome is associated with more increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in this group. Some recent studies suggested that metabolic syndrome is associated with increased risk of subclinical left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. In the present cross-sectional case-control study, the utility of two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) was examined to detect early LV systolic dysfunction in this population. METHODS: A total of 75 clinically asymptomatic subjects with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 55%, 39 without metabolic syndrome and 36 with metabolic syndrome, matched for gender and age, were enrolled in this case-control study. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using the National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. LV systolic function was assessed by STE-derived global and segmental longitudinal strain (εLL). RESULTS: Global εLL was significantly lower in patients with metabolic syndrome compared with normal population (-18.41 ± 2.20% vs. -21.2 ± 2.1%, P < 0.001). Segmental εLL was significantly lower in patients with metabolic syndrome in comparison to control group except for basal anteroseptal (-19.95 ± 2.90% vs. -21.15 ± 3.30%, P = 0.106), basal anterolateral (-17.5 ± 5.0% vs. -18.3 ± 4.1%, P = 0.437), and basal inferolateral segments (-18.1 ± 6.3% vs. -18.9 ± 4.1%, P = 0.526). CONCLUSION: STE-derived longitudinal LV strain (εLL), a marker of subclinical cardiovascular disease, is impaired in asymptomatic individuals with metabolic syndrome and normal LVEF.