Significant role of pyocyanin and exotoxin A in the pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from hospitalized patients.

AIM: Due to the importance of exotoxin A and pyocyanin in the pathogenicity of this bacterium, we decided to evaluate the prevalence of genes encoding these virulence factors in clinical isolates of P.aeruginosa.

Prediction of bleeding in placenta accrete spectrum with lacunar surface: a novel aspect.

PURPOSE: Diagnosing the placenta accreta spectrum is crucial to prevent morbidities and mortalities among women with the suspicion of this pathology. We aim to evaluate novel ultrasonography markers for these patients in diagnosing and predicting prognosis. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed in a referral academic hospital. The population was composed of 51 pregnant women with a suspect of placenta accreta spectrum who had scheduled C-sections. Their primary information and past medical histories were documented. Then the ultrasonography markers, including the most bulging volume behind the bladder (area, perimeter, and volume), the Lacune (diameter, length, number, and surface of the largest lacuna obtained by multiplying the length by the width), the most considerable thickness of placenta on the cervix in patients with placenta previa, the most considerable thickness of the placenta behind the bladder, the Jellyfish sign, and sponge cervix were evaluated. Their comparison to the severity of the bleeding, the rate of the hysterectomy, and the following pathology of the placenta accreta spectrum were analyzed. RESULTS: The results showed that 17 (33.3%) of patients had severe bleeding (more than 2500 cc). The diameter, length, and surface of the largest lacunae limited to women with severe bleeding were 13.50 (5.5-21) mm, 20.50 (11-56) mm, 273.00 (60-1176) mm2, and they were 11.00 (5-24) mm, 16.25 (10-39) mm, and 176.25 (50-744) mm2 for women without severe bleeding (P value = 0.039, 0.027, 0.021). 13 (76.5%) women with severe bleeding had Jellyfish signs,16 (94.2%) had bulging on the cervix, and 10(58.8%) had a sponge cervix (P value = 0.046, 0.036, 0.006). Also, 34 (66.66%) patients needed hysterectomy. The diameter, length, and surface of the largest lacunae limited to women with hysterectomy were 12.00 (5-24) mm, 18.00 (11-56) mm, 231.00 (60-1176) mm2, and they were 9.00 (5-18) mm, 15.00 (10-28) mm, and 136.00(50-504) mm2 for women without hysterectomy (P value = 0.012, 0.070, 0.021). 24(70.6%) women with hysterectomy had Jellyfish signs, 29 (85.3%) of them had bulging on the cervix, and 15 (44.1%) had sponge cervix (P value = 0.05, 0.036, 0.028). The cut-off associated with the Lacunar surface was 163.5 mm2. Its sensitivity was 80%, and its specificity was 48% (P value = 0.021). CONCLUSION: The presence of single large lacunae could be a suitable predictive factor for bleeding in the placenta accreta spectrum; Moreover, there are some other US criteria, including the presence of a sponge cervix or the Jellyfish sign that are valuable predictive factors for negative outcomes for this spectrum, including hysterectomy.

Diagnostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio to predict recurrent pregnancy loss and abortion; a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in women with a history of abortion (missed and threatened) and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) in comparison with healthy pregnancies. METHODS: Electronic databases including MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched for NLR and PLR in women who experienced early pregnancy loss up to January 1, 2023 with a combination of proper keywords. Meta-analysis was done for comparison with three or more studies and summary estimates were measured. RESULTS: A total of 390 citations were retrieved initially, and after screening, 16 articles were deemed eligible for the final review. Among these, 14 studies underwent meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that the standard mean of the NLR was significantly higher in abortion cases compared to the control group. However, there was no significant difference in the PLR between the pregnancy loss group and the control group. CONCLUSION: NLR was significantly higher among RPL patients compared to the control group, according to these data, NLR may be capable of being used in the diagnosis of RPL as an easy, cheap, and accessible modality. Further studies, which take these variables into account, will need to be undertaken to determine the diagnostic value of NLR and PLR in early pregnancy loss.

The knowledge domain and emerging trends in the infertility field: A 67-year retrospective study.

Infertility is a significant problem influencing many couples. Our purpose was to assess the field of infertility in Obstetrics and Gynecology from 1955 to 2022 reviewing 3575 documents found in the Web of Science database. Most articles were in the areas of Reproductive Biology, Fertility, Endometriosis & Hysterectomy, and Chromosome Disorders. We found publication has increased dramatically since 1989. Agarwal, Thomas, and Sharma; United States, England, and Canada; Fertility and Sterility, Human Reproduction, and AJOG were the most-cited authors, countries, and journals, respectively. We discovered five substantive clusters: male infertility factors, female infertility factors, causes and treatment of infertility, the consequence of infertility, and assisted reproductive techniques. Using bibliometric review (Co-citation analysis) six research areas were found: semen analysis and sperm morphology, regional differences in the psychological effects of infertility, unexplained infertility, endometriosis, diagnosis and treatment of infertility, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Despite advances in understanding infertility, further research is needed.

Novel markers of Doppler ultrasonography in the placenta accreta spectrum to predict complications

Objective: Ultrasonography (US) is an acceptable tool to diagnose the placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) among pregnant women. However, the lack of a robust criteria for diagnosis and predicting the severity of the consequences facing pregnant women requires identification of novel biomarkers. Material and Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional study was performed on pregnant women with a probable diagnosis of PAS. Their demographic information, medical and surgical history, blood loss severity (severe ≥2500 mL) following hysterectomy, and the histopathology after the surgery were collected. In addition, the Doppler imaging of both uterine arteries, including the pulsatility index, resistance index, peak systolic velocity (PSV), the PSV of the posterior part of the bladder, cervix, the largest lacuna, and the posterior lacuna of the bladder were calculated by Doppler US. Data were analyzed to investigate the relationship between Doppler markers and the severity of PAS in terms of bleeding, hysterectomy, and histopathology. Results: Fifty-one women were enrolled with a mean age of 35.4±4.11 years and 17 (33.3%) had severe bleeding. There were significant differences between median (range) bladder PSV [57 (34-90) vs. 33 (20-64); p<0.001], cervix PSV [26 (0-63) vs. 18 (0-76); p=0.04] and left uterine artery [89 (81-135) vs. 68 (61-113); p=0.045] for women with and without severe bleeding, respectively. Thirty-four (66.66%) had hysterectomy. Comparison of bladder PSV, cervix PSV, and left uterine PSV for women with and without hysterectomy were 46 (20-90) vs. 39.5 (33-46) (p=0.005), 20 (0-76) vs. 20 (14-26) (p=0.013) and 68 (61-135) vs. 82 (63-101) (p=0.003), respectively. Conclusion: Bladder PSV, cervix PSV, and uterine PSV were significantly higher in pregnant women with PAS, and they may be useful diagnostic and prognostic markers.

Predicting pregnant women's intentions toward normal vaginal delivery based on the expanded Theory of Planned Behavior.

Cesarean delivery continues to increase due to various reasons, considering its negative effects, our aim in this research is to investigate the behavioral intention of pregnant women who choose vaginal delivery. In this regard, the expanded Theory of Planned Behavior was used by increasing two predictor variables. About 188 pregnant women voluntarily participated in this research in some healthcare centers in Tehran County, Iran. Our results showed that this enhanced model can increase the power of the original theory. Overall, the expanded model successfully described the mode of delivery among Iranian women and explained 59.4% of the variation in the intention variable with a stronger effect. The effect of the variables added to the model was indirectly significant. Among all the variables, attitude showed the best effect on the choice of normal vaginal delivery, and after that, the variable of general health orientation had a greater effect on attitude.

A bibliometric review of 35 years of studies about preeclampsia.

The purpose of this study is to investigate preeclampsia. It used the visualization tools of CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Gunnmap, Bibliometrix®, and Carrot2 to analyze 3,754 preeclampsia studies from 1985 to 2020 in Obstetrics and Gynecology areas. Carrot2 was used to explain each cluster in extra detail. The results found that there is an increasing trend in many publications related to preeclampsia from 1985 to 2020. The number of studies on preeclampsia has increased significantly in the last century. Analysis of the keywords found a strong relationship with preeclampsia concepts and keywords classified into five categories. Co-citation analysis was also performed which was classified into six categories. Reading the article offers important to support not only to grind the context of preeclampsia challenges but also to design a new trend in this field. The number of studies on preeclampsia has substantially improved over the decades ago. The findings of documents published from 1985 to 2020 showed three stages in research on this subject: 1985 to 1997 (a seeding stage), 1997-2005 (rapid growth stage), and 2005 onwards (development stage).

Nanostructured Cyclodextrin-Mediated Surface for Capacitive Determination of Cortisol in Multiple Biofluids.

The aim of this work is to develop a reusable polypropylene glycol (PPG):ß-cyclodextrin (ßCD) biosensor for cortisol detection. To achieve the most stable support for ßCD, we developed two PPG surfaces. The first surface is based on a gold surface modified with SAM of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3MPA), and the second surface is based on a glassy carbon surface grafted with 4-carboxyphenyl diazonium salt. We characterized both surfaces by EIS, XPS, and ATR-FTIR and evaluated the stability and reusability of each surface. We found the GC-carboxyphenyl-PPG:ßCD is stable for at least 1 month. We have also demonstrated the reusability of the surface up to 10 times. In detecting cortisol, we used a nonfaradaic electrochemical impedance capacitive model to interpret the surface confirmation changes. We achieved sensitive detection of cortisol in PBS buffer, urine, and saliva with limit of detection of 2.13, 1.29, and 1.33 nM, respectively.

Sodium alginate edible coating containing Ferulago angulata (Schlecht.) Boiss essential oil, nisin, and NaCl: Its impact on microbial, chemical, and sensorial properties of refrigerated chicken breast.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of sodium alginate (ALG) coating incorporated with Ferulago angulata (Schlecht.) Boiss essential oil (FAEO, 10 and 20 mg/mL), nisin (N, 500 and 1000 IU/mL), and NaCl (2 %) on microbial (lactic acid bacteria, LAB; total viable bacteria, TVC; psychrotrophic bacteria; Pseudomonas; Enterobacteriaceae, and yeast and mold), chemical (pH, PV, TVB-N, and TBARS), sensory (color, odor, texture, and overall acceptance), and antioxidant properties of refrigerated (4 °C) chicken breasts. GC-MS analysis revealed that trans-ß-ocimene (45.36 %) and α-pinene (18.01 %) constituted most of the components in FAEO. The antioxidant properties of FAEO were evaluated via the DPPH method. The IC50 value of FAEO was 562 mg/mL. The results of antimicrobial evaluations indicated that there was no significant difference between control and ALG treatments (p > 0.05). The highest antimicrobial effect was associated with ALG + FAEO2 + N2 + NaCl treatment. The logarithmic reduction of the TVC, psychrotrophic count, Pseudomonas count, Enterobacteriaceae, LAB, as well as yeast and mold count in the ALG + FAEO2 + N2 + NaCl treatment were 1.40, 0.92, 1.20, 1.02, 0.88, and 1 log CFU/g, respectively compared to the control treatment. The initial level of TVB-N in the control treatment was 8.26 mg/100 g, which reached 42.84 mg/100 g at the end of the storage period. In ALG+ FAEO2 + N2 + NaCl treatment, the lowest TVB-N was observed, being 36.37 mg/100 g at the end of the storage period. The initial level of PV in the control treatment was 0.14 meq/kg, which reached 3.04 meq/kg at the end of the storage period. In the treatments containing FAEO, PV was lower than in other treatments, indicating the antioxidant properties of FAEO. There was a significant difference between control and other treatments in pH and TBARS evaluation (p < 0.05). The samples treated with FAEO had a lower pH than control. At the end of the storage period, the TBARS level in the control treatment reached 1.20 mg MDA/kg, while in the treatment of ALG+ FAEO2 + N2 + NaCl treatment, its level was 0.36 mg MDA/kg. The results of sensory properties indicated that in evaluating the color, odor, texture, and overall acceptance on the final days, treatments containing FAEO, nisin, and NaCl had higher scores due to their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. In conclusion, this study indicated that adding FAEO, nisin, and NaCl to ALG coating would enhance the shelf-life of chicken meat.

A study on sexual functioning and depression in Iranian women following cesarean hysterectomy due to placental abnormality after 3-6 months.

This study aims to investigate the prevalence of depression and impaired sexual function following the hysterectomy in Iran. This study was performed as a retrospective cohort study, from August 2017 to August 2018. Fifty-two patients with a cesarean hysterectomy and 52 with cesarean section were considered as the cases and controls, respectively. Depression and sexual function were assessed 3-6 months following the surgery in both cases and controls. Depression was evaluated by using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire-II-Persian. Sexual function was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The average BDI in cases was 15.37 ± 7.6 and in controls was 13.06 ± 6.7. Mild to moderate depression was detected 57.3 percent of whom with hysterectomy and 36.5 percent of whom with C/S, the BDI sum score did not differ significantly between cases and controls (p = .096). The FSFI in cases was 20.06 ± 6.96, and controls was 21.7 ± 9.83 without any significant difference (p = .364). The depression had not been significantly different between women who underwent hysterectomy and were not following 3-6 months after surgery. Furthermore, both groups had impaired sexual function after the surgery.

A double-blind randomized trial on subendometrial injection of vasopressin to control bleeding in postpartum hysterectomy due to abnormally invasive placenta.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of subendometrial vasopressin injection in patients with abnormally invasive placenta (AIP), who underwent cesarean section and hysterectomy. METHODS: This randomized double-blinded clinical trial was conducted on pregnant women diagnosed with AIP grade 4 and 5 by ultrasonography during cesarean section. Women were randomly divided into two equal groups including group 1 (vasopressin) and group 2 (control) who underwent 20 units of vasopressin and 20 cc normal saline injection, respectively. Vasopressin and placebo were injected subendometrially 1 cm medial to the uterine vessels into the lower uterine segment. The exclusion criteria include presence of myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pelvic malignancy. The outcome of the study was total quantitative blood loss during the cesarean section. We estimated blood loss by measuring the blood volume in one of the suction bottles with addition for weight changes of mops, pads, and soaked linen savers. RESULTS: Sixty patients were recruited into the study, 30 as the vasopressin group and 30 as the controls; with no excluded case. The amount of bleeding in the vasopressin group was significantly lower compared with that in the control group (P < 0.001). In the vasopressin group, 83.4% of patients had bleeding of less than 1.5 L, while only 3.3% of the control women had bleeding of less than 1.5 L (relative risk = 5). In addition, the number of injected packed cells was lower in the vasopressin group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: It was shown that vasopressin injection can help prevent excess hemorrhage and the subsequent risks of anemia or blood transfusions during abdominal hysterectomy in women with AIP.

Design, synthesis, in vitro and in silico studies of novel Schiff base derivatives of 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzamide as tyrosinase inhibitors.

Due to the fact that tyrosinase is responsible for biosynthesis and regulation of melanins and browning food products, tyrosinase inhibitors can be favorable agents in cosmetics and medicinal industries. A series of novel 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzohydrazide were designed, synthesized, and their new application as tyrosinase inhibitors was also disclosed. Based on in vitro tyrosinase inhibitory assay, 4d as the strongest inhibitor of tyrosinase with an IC50 value of 7.57 µM showed approximately 2.5-fold better inhibition than kojic acid as positive control followed by two compounds 4b (IC50  = 8.19 ± 0.25 µM) and 4j (IC50  = 8.92 ± 0.016) which displayed preferable tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Detailed investigations on the mechanism of action of the 4d reported mix type of inhibition. More importantly, molecular modeling assessments proposed the ability of 4d for potential interaction with Cu (metal)-His (residue) within tyrosinase active site. Overall, 4d is a promising candidate for the development of anti-tyrosinase agents.

Reusable Cyclodextrin-Based Electrochemical Platform for Detection of trans-Resveratrol.

A reusable sensor architecture, through the combination of self-assembled monolayers and cyclodextrin supramolecular interactions, is demonstrated for class recognition of hydrophobic analytes demonstrated with trans-resveratrol. The reloadable sensor is based on reversible immobilization of α-cyclodextrin on polyethylene glycol surface. α-cyclodextrins complexes with polyethylene glycols and causes the polymer chains to change their surface configuration. The reproducibility and stability of the sur-face, in the detection of nanomolar concentrations of trans-resveratrol, can be demonstrated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. We propose that during sensor operation, α-cyclodextrin decouples from the poly-ethylene glycol surface to complex with trans-resveratrol in solution, and after use, the surface regeneration is conducted with a simple α-cyclodextrin soak. To test the nonspecific response, the sensor was also tested with trans-resveratrol spiked human urine.

The impact of gestational weight gain in different trimesters of pregnancy on glucose challenge test and gestational diabetes.

PURPOSE: Assessing the effects of excessive weight gain before pregnancy, in the first and second trimesters and in the month preceding glucose challenge test (GCT) on GCT results and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). STUDY DESIGN: This prospective cohort study evaluated 1279 pregnant women who were referred for their first prenatal visit in 2012-2015. Mother's body mass index (BMI) was recorded before pregnancy, during the first visit and every 4 weeks until 28 gestational weeks. All mothers underwent GCT at 28 weeks and when 1 h glucose ≥140 mg/dL (≥7.8 mmol/L), they were referred for a 100 g fasting glucose 3 h glucose tolerance test. RESULTS: Obesity and being overweight prior to pregnancy were associated with 2.8-fold and 1.5-fold higher rates of developing GDM (p<0.001, p=0.04) and 1.9-fold and 1.8-fold higher rates of having false-positive GCT results (p<0.001). First-trimester excessive weight gain was significantly associated with false-positive GCT in women who were lean, overweight and obese before pregnancy (all p<0.001). When these women kept gaining excessive weight during the subsequent period the risk of developing GDM was significantly increased regardless of their pre-pregnancy BMI (p=0.03). When these women adhered to the recommended weight gain during the subsequent period, the risk of developing GDM was not increased, however the risk of having false-positive GCT remained high (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated pre-pregnancy BMI independently increases the risk of GDM and false-positive GCT. First trimester weight gain is the most important predictor of GCT and GDM regardless of pre-pregnancy BMI. The weight gain during the subsequent period affects the risk of developing GDM only in women with excessive first-trimester weight gain.

Optimal cutoff value of basal anti-mullerian hormone in iranian infertile women for prediction of ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome and poor response to stimulation.

AIM: We intended to establish the threshold of Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) for detection of Ovarian Hyper-Stimulation Syndrome (OHSS) and poor response to treatment in Iranian infertile women. METHODS: Pre-stimulation menstrual cycle day-3 hormonal indices including basal AMH values were measured in 105 infertile women aged 32.5 ± 4.3 years. Patients underwent long GnRH agonist Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation (COH) in a referral infertility center (Tehran, Iran). The gonadotropin dose was determined based on the age and basal serum Follicular Stimulating Hormone (FSH) level. The IVF/ICSI cycles were followed and the clinical and sonographic data were recorded. RESULTS: Sixteen cases developed OHSS. The prevalence of PCOS was higher in subjects with OHSS [62.5 % (38.8-86.2) vs. 17 % (9.2-24.9)]. The patients with OHSS had higher ovarian follicular count [23.7 (3.2) vs. 9.1 (0.5); p < 0.05], collected oocytes [13.5 (1.9) vs. 6.9 (0.5); p < 0.05] and AMH level [7.9 (0.7) vs. 3.6 (0.3); p < 0.05]. Basal AMH level and oocyte yields (but not age, BMI, and PCOS) correlated with occurrence of OHSS; and only the AMH levels were associated with poor ovarian response (oocytes yield ≤ 4). The optimal cutoff value for the prediction of OHSS was 6.95 ng/ml (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve: 0.86; CI: 0.78-0.95; sensitivity: 75 %; specificity: 84 %; odds ratio for occurrence of OHSS: 9 and p < 0.001). The optimal cut point to discriminate poor response (oocytes ≤4) was 1.65 ng/ml ( AUC : 0.8; CI: 0.69-0.91; sensitivity: 89 % specificity : 71 %; and OR = 23.8 and P value <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Iranian women with basal AMH level > 6.95 ng/ml are at high risk of developing OHSS and those with AMH level < 1.65 ng/ml are poor responders.