Cystic hydatid disease (CHD), a helminth infection with various clinical complications caused by the larval stage of the dog tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus is considered as a public health problem in different regions of the world. To date, scolicidal agents have been broadly applied for inactivation of the fertile cysts and these scolicidal agents have several side effects on patients. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the scolicidal efficacies of synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) derived from the aqueous aerial extract of Penicillium aculeatum against protoscolices of CHD in-vitro. Protoscolices were aseptically aspirated from infected livers of sheep with CHD. Various concentrations (0.025, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15 mg/mL) of green synthesis of Ag-NPs and different exposure times (10, 30, 60 and 120 min) were used against protoscolices of CHD. Viability of protoscolices was confirmed by 0.1% eosin staining. The findings showed that the Ag-NPs at all concentrations have high scolicidal effects. The concentrations 0.1 and 0.15 mg/mL after 120 min of exposure times showed 83% and 90% mortality rate, respectively. The least scolicidal activity of biosynthesized Ag-NPs was 40% (0.025 mg/mL and 10 min). The current investigation indicated that applying biogenic Ag-NPs may be considered as a potential scolicidal agent for CHD surgery due to being economical, safer and non-toxic compared to the used chemical materials. However, further studies are required to evaluate the efficacy of Ag-NPs in vivo.

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This study was designed to evaluate the effects of whole body vibration (WBV) exercise, mental training (MT), and the concurrent effect of WBV and MT on lower body balance, neuromuscular performance, and leg muscle strength in elderly men. In a randomized control trial study with parallel group design, 42 older men (mean±standard deviation age, 68±5.78 years) were randomly divided into four groups: WBV (n=11), MT (n=12), WBV+MT (n=10), and control (n=9) groups. The protocol of training consisted of three sessions per week for 8 weeks and about 30 min for each session. The WBV exercise was performed on a vibration machine. In MT group, participants were asked to mentally visualize to do the Timed Up and Go and relaxation technics. postural stability, the Timed Up and Go test, 5-repetition chair-rising test, 6-m tandem gait test, 10-m walking, and leg isometric strength were measured in baseline and after 8-week intervention. Repeated measures-analysis of variance followed by post hoc was used to analyses the data. The results of this study showed that there were significant improvements (P<0.05) in postural stability, Timed Up and Go, 5-repetition chair-rising, 6-m tandem gait test, 10-m walking, and leg isometric strength in WBV, MT, and WBV+MT in comparison with baseline and in comparison with control group. It seems that older adults can take benefit from WBV and MT and WBV+MT exercise as a cost-effective and practical way without side effects to improve postural control, mobility, and functional performance.

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Cryptosporidium is one of the major causes of diarrhea in HIV-positive patients. The aim of this study is to systematically review and meta-analyze the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in these patients. PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Cochrane and Ovid databases were searched for relevant studies dating from the period of 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2017. Data extraction for the included studies was performed independently by two authors. The overall pooled prevalence was calculated and subgroup analysis was performed on diagnostic methods, geographical distribution and study population. Meta-regression was performed on the year of publication, proportion of patients with diarrhea, and proportion of patients with CD4 < 200 cells/mL. One hundred and sixty-one studies and 51,123 HIV-positive participants were included. The overall pooled prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in HIV-positive patients was 11.2% (CI95%: 9.4%–13.0%). The pooled prevalence was estimated to be 10.0% (CI95%: 8.4%–11.8%) using staining methods, 13.5% (CI95%: 8.9%–19.8%) using molecular methods, and 26.3% (CI95%: 15.0%–42.0%) using antigen detection methods. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium in HIV patients was significantly associated with the country of study. Also, there were statistical differences between the diarrhea, CD4 < 200 cells/mL, and antiretroviral therapy risk factors with Cryptosporidiosis. Thus, Cryptosporidium is a common infection in HIV-positive patients, and safe water and hand-hygiene should be implemented to prevent cryptosporidiosis occurrence in these patients.

Background Malaria transmission through blood transfusion is an accidental but preventable cause of malaria infection and is increasingly becoming a matter of concern for blood transfusion services. This systematic review was conducted to provide a summary of evidence about the prevalence of Plasmodium infection in asymptomatic blood donors and the effectiveness of screening methods used based on the available literature. Methods PRISMA guidelines were followed. Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, and EMBASE were searched from 1982 to October 10, 2017. All peer-reviewed original research articles describing the prevalence of malaria parasitemia in blood donors with different diagnostic methods were included. The random-effects model was applied to assess the effects of heterogeneity among the selected studies. Incoherence and heterogeneity between studies were quantified by I2 index and Cochran’s Q test. Publication and population bias was assessed with funnel plots and Egger’s regression asymmetry test. All statistical analyses were performed using Stata (version 2.7.2). Results Seventy-one studies from 21 countries, 5 continents, were included in the present systematic review. The median prevalence of malaria parasitemia among 984 975 asymptomatic healthy blood donors was 10.54%, 5.36%, and 0.38% by microscopy, molecular methods (polymerase chain reaction), and rapid diagnostic tests, respectively. The most commonly detected Plasmodium species was P. falciparum. Conclusions This systematic review demonstrates that compared with other transfusion-linked infections, that is, HIV, HCV, and HBV, transfusion-transmitted malaria is one of the most significant transfusion-associated infections especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Future work must aim to understand the clinical significance of transfusion-transmitted malaria in malaria-endemic settings.

Objective: Toxoplasma infection remains as the most common cause of focal brain lesions among people living with HIV (PLHIV) despite the decline in opportunistic infections with the introduction of antiretroviral treatment. This study was conducted to provide a summary of evidence about the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and prevalence of active T. gondii infection and associated risk factors among PLHIV. Design: PRISMA guidelines were followed. Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, and EMBASE were searched from 1997 to July 2018. All peer-reviewed original research articles describing T. gondii infection among PLHIV with different diagnostic methods were included. Methods: Incoherence and heterogeneity between studies were quantified by I2 index and Cochran's Q test. Publication and population bias were assessed with funnel plots and Egger's regression asymmetry test. All statistical analyses were performed using StatsDirect. Results: A total of 111 studies from 37 countries assessing 66,139 blood samples were included in this study. The pooled prevalence of T. gondii infection among PLHIV was 3.24% by IgM and 26.22% by molecular methods using the random-effects model. Pooled seroprevalence of T. gondii by IgG was 44.22%. There was a relationship between Toxoplasma prevalence and gender, raw meat consumption, contact with cat and knowledge about toxoplasmosis. Conclusion: High Toxoplasma seroprevalence among PLHIV observed in this study emphasizes the need for implementing screening and prophylaxis tailored to the local context. Owing to the serious and significant clinical manifestations of the parasite in case of reactivation, early identification of seropositivity for initiating prophylaxis among those with a CD4 count of <200cells/mL is recommended.