Novelty in Biomedicine

Background: Young overweight sedentary females are at increased risk of dysregulation of stress-regulating systems, including the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) and the sympatho-adrenomedullary system (SAM). High-intensity interval training (HIIT), particularly the Tabata protocol, may improve body composition and modulate stress-related biomarkers, but evidence in individuals with different body compositions remains limited. This study compared the effects of an 8-week Tabata-based HIIT program on body composition, salivary cortisol, and alpha-amylase in overweight and normal-weight female students.

Materials and Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, 52 female students (20–25 years) were randomly assigned to four groups: training–normal weight, training–overweight, control–normal weight, and control–overweight. Training groups performed Tabata interval sessions three times per week for eight weeks, while controls continued usual physical activity. Body weight, BMI, and body fat percentage were assessed using an InBody 370 device. Salivary cortisol and salivary alpha‑amylase were measured by ELISA. Data were analyzed using a two‑way repeated‑measures ANOVA (2 × 4 RM‑ANOVA) with Bonferroni post‑hoc tests.

Results: Significant time × group interactions were observed for body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, salivary cortisol, and salivary alpha-amylase (all p<0.05). The most pronounced reductions occurred in the overweight training group (p<0.05), whereas the control groups showed no significant changes.

Conclusion: Short‑term Tabata‑based HIIT improves body composition and stress‑related biomarkers in overweight female students. These findings suggest that HIIT may enhance HPA axis regulation and reduce physiological stress responses, supporting its potential as a time‑efficient intervention in this population.

Background: Infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) account for a significant portion of hospital infections and are thought to be frequent and important contributors to patient mortality and length of stay. Respiratory and blood infections account for the majority of infections in this section. In this study, endotracheal tube samples from intubated patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Imam Sajjad Hospital in Tabriz over 6 years will be examined for the types of bacteria present and their antibiotic resistance.

Materials and Methods: The results of 309 endotracheal tube culture samples from the intensive care unit of Imam Sajjad Hospital in Tabriz were assessed in this descriptive-retrospective study between October 2019 and June 2025.

Results: Out of the 309 samples that were examined, 163 were male (52.7%), and 146 were female (47.3%). Ninety-four (52.2%) of the 180 positive tracheal culture samples were female. Klebsiella (45.5%) and Acinetobacter (18.9%) were the most frequently isolated bacteria from the tracheal tube. Cefixime was associated with the highest level of antibiotic resistance in Klebsiella species, whereas Acinetobacter species were resistant to all antibiotics.

Conclusion: Bacterial contamination of the endotracheal tube was found in approximately 58.2% of patients. Timely endotracheal tube replacement and adherence to sterile conditions during intubation are advised because bacteria isolated from these tubes can cause nosocomial pneumonia and antibiotic resistance in patients.

Background: Family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder face persistent challenges that may weaken their resilience. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of CMHC-based family psychoeducation on resilience among family caregivers of patients with severe mental disorders.

Materials and Methods: In this randomized controlled trial conducted in 2024 in Qazvin, Iran, 102 family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder were assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received four 120-minute group psychoeducation sessions based on the national CMHC program, while the control group received usual care. Resilience was measured using the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale at baseline and 3 months after the intervention.

Results: Baseline demographic, clinical, and resilience measures were comparable between the two groups. At 3-month follow-up, the intervention group showed a significantly higher total resilience score than the control group (68.2±22.0 vs. 58.0±22.2, P=0.022). Significant improvements were also found in the subscales of perception of personal competence (P=0.025), trust in one’s instincts and tolerance of negative affect (P=0.014), and self-control (P=0.001).

Conclusion: CMHC-based family psychoeducation significantly improved resilience among family caregivers of patients with severe mental disorders. Integrating structured family psychoeducation into community mental health services may strengthen caregivers’ psychological coping capacity.

Background: The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens has created an urgent need for new antimicrobial strategies with improved efficacy and safety profiles. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising therapeutic candidates due to their membrane-targeting mechanisms and broad antimicrobial potential. This study aimed to computationally design and screen shortened analogs of Dendrocin-ZM1 to identify potential antimicrobial peptide candidates against Staphylococcus aureus.

Materials and Methods: Dendrocin-ZM1, a 33-amino-acid α-helical antimicrobial peptide, was selected as the parental template for rational peptide redesign. A series of shortened and sequence-engineered analogs was generated by retaining selected cationic and hydrophobic residues associated with antimicrobial peptide activity. The designed peptides were evaluated based on physicochemical properties, including peptide length, net charge, hydrophobicity, and predicted α-helical structural characteristics. Antimicrobial potential was assessed using the CAMPR4 platform with Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, and Artificial Neural Network classifiers. Additional screening was performed using the DBAASP prediction platform, focusing on predicted activity against S. aureus. Potential toxicity and hemolytic effects were evaluated using ToxinPred and HemoPI2, respectively, and selected peptides were subjected to structural modeling to assess predicted α-helical conformations.

Results: The designed peptide analogs exhibited favorable predicted physicochemical characteristics, including reduced length, retained cationic character, and modified hydrophobicity. CAMPR₄ analysis indicated high antimicrobial prediction scores across multiple machine learning classifiers. DBAASP screening identified P5, P6, and P7 as computationally predicted active candidates against S. aureus. Structural modeling suggested predominantly α-helical conformations among these peptides, consistent with structural features commonly observed in membrane-active AMPs. Toxicity prediction indicated low toxicity, while hemolysis analysis suggested favorable hemocompatibility profiles. Among the evaluated candidates, P7 was prioritized based on its integrated computational profile, combining predicted anti-S. aureus activity with favorable toxicity, hemolysis, and structural predictions.

Conclusion: This study presents a computational workflow that integrates rational peptide shortening and sequence engineering with machine learning-assisted screening to prioritize potential antimicrobial peptide candidates derived from Dendrocin-ZM1. P7 was identified as a promising computationally prioritized candidate; however, experimental validation, including antimicrobial activity and safety evaluation, is required to confirm its therapeutic potential.

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae is a major cause of healthcare-associated infections, and the emergence of carbapenem-resistant and metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing strains poses a major therapeutic and infection-control challenge. The aim of this study was to detect metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) and determine the antimicrobial resistance profile of Klebsiella pneumoniae Clinical Isolates.

Materials and Methods: A total of Forty-four non-duplicate consecutive K. pneumoniae isolates were obtained from patients admitted to tertiary care hospitals in Tehran between January 2024 and June 2024. These isolates were cultured from various clinical specimens, including sputum and urine. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using both disk diffusion (16 disks) and microdilution methods for five antibiotics, imipenem, meropenem, ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, and colistin, according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Additionally, the combined disk diffusion test (CDDT) was used to confirm the production of metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs).

Results: The lowest rate of resistance was observed against tigecycline (n = 2, 4.6%), and fosfomycin (n = 7, 15.9%). The resistance rates determined by the broth microdilution method were 31.8% for imipenem, 29.6% for meropenem, 68.2% for Ciprofloxacin, 79.5% for ceftazidime, and 15.9% for colistin. The number of isolates with multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) phenotypes was 28 (63.6%) and 16 (36.4%), respectively. Using the DDST, 34.09% of K. pneumoniae isolates were positive for MBL production.

Conclusion: The high prevalence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, along with significant MBL production, emphasizes the urgent need for antimicrobial stewardship, continuous monitoring, and effective infection control measures.

Background and Aim: The rapid expansion of biomedical literature has made the manual identification and extraction of biomarker information increasingly time-consuming. Natural language processing (NLP) tools may facilitate large-scale literature screening and support the generation of research hypotheses. However, their ability to broadly identify diverse biomarker types without predefined target terms remains insufficiently characterized.

Materials and Methods: Fifty original articles on colorectal cancer biomarkers published between 2015 and 2025 were manually reviewed, and reported biomarkers were extracted to establish a reference dataset. The same articles were processed using two biomedical NLP models: d4data/biomedical_ner_all and en_ner_bionlp3cg_md from the SciSpaCy framework. Biomarkers extracted by each model were compared with the manually curated reference set. The proportion of manually identified biomarkers recovered by each model was calculated, and extracted entities not present in the reference set were also assessed. Statistical analyses were performed using an independent-samples t-test.

Results: Both NLP pipelines successfully processed 94% of the 50 articles. The mean matching rates with the manually curated biomarkers were 49.6% for SciSpaCy and 50.7% for BioMedNLP, indicating only a minimal difference between the two models. More than 50% of the manually identified biomarkers were recovered in 46% of the SciSpaCy outputs and 54% of the BioMedNLP outputs. Additional entities not present in the manual reference set accounted for 21.4% and 19.2% of the entities extracted by SciSpaCy and BioMedNLP, respectively. The differences between NLP-derived and manually curated biomarker counts were statistically significant (P<0.0001).

Conclusion: Without predefined biomarker-specific keywords or domain-specific fine-tuning, the evaluated NLP models recovered approximately half of the manually identified biomarkers. Nevertheless, the relatively similar distribution of biomarker categories suggests that these tools may provide useful preliminary overviews of biomarker landscapes. Their most appropriate role may therefore be as screening and ideation-support tools, followed by manual verification for precise biomarker identification and interpretation.

Background and Aim: Persistent endodontic infections remain a major clinical challenge due to the resilience of biofilm-forming microorganisms, particularly Enterococcus faecalis, which can survive conventional chemomechanical disinfection and persist within the complex anatomy of the root canal system. This narrative review provides a mechanism-based comparison of two oxidative adjunctive strategies—ozone therapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT)—focusing on their antimicrobial effects against E. faecalis biofilms. Both modalities act through oxidative pathways that induce damage to microbial cells independent of bacterial metabolic activity, making them theoretically suitable for targeting biofilm-associated infections. Evidence indicates that PDT demonstrates more consistent antimicrobial efficacy, attributed to its controlled generation of reactive oxygen species and localized activation within biofilm structures. In contrast, ozone therapy exhibits variable antimicrobial performance, primarily limited by its instability, rapid decomposition, and restricted penetration into mature biofilms. Despite their oxidative potential, neither modality reliably achieves complete eradication of E. faecalis when used as standalone treatments, and both remain less effective than sodium hypochlorite irrigation in conventional protocols. Current findings support their role as adjunctive rather than primary disinfection strategies. This review highlights the need for standardized clinical protocols and well-designed in vivo studies to better define their translational value and optimize their integration into multimodal endodontic disinfection approaches.

Background and Aim: Several host-related factors, such as nutritional status, age, and comorbid conditions, influence tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcomes by modifying disease progression and treatment response. However, their combined effect on TB outcomes has not been comprehensively evaluated. This study, therefore, aims to systematically assess the association between nutritional status, age, and HIV with TB treatment outcomes.

Materials and Methods: We systematically searched cohort studies published between 2009 and 2025 in four databases using relevant keywords. After initial screening, eligible studies were included in the final analysis. Data were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software with a random-effects model.

Results: The overall favorable outcome for TB treatment was observed in 74.1% of cases (95% CI: 69.5–78.2), whereas unfavorable outcomes constituted 23.4% (95% CI: 19.8–27.4) of cases. Underweight patients, particularly those younger than 40.52 years, exhibited significantly reduced favorable outcomes (63.0%) and elevated mortality rates (16.6%). Investigations that excluded HIV-positive patients reported enhanced treatment success rates (77.7%) and diminished rates of both mortality (5.6%) and loss to follow-up (6.2%) in comparison to the general patient population.

Conclusion: We found that in the studies with DR-TB patients with a mean BMI below 18.5 kg/m², a lower likelihood of treatment success compared to those with higher mean BMI exists. However, this is an ecological inference and must be carefully examined at the individual level. These findings align with previous research and highlight the importance of addressing patients’ nutritional status during treatment.

Background and Aim: Obesity is a chronic multifactorial condition that is strongly associated with a wide range of cardiovascular and metabolic complications, including type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. In addition to its well-established role in blood pressure regulation and electrolyte homeostasis, the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) has emerged as an important regulator of adipocyte biology, inflammatory signaling, oxidative stress, and systemic energy balance. In obesity, excessive activation of the RAS contributes to both metabolic and cardiovascular impairment, particularly through its effects on insulin resistance and chronic low-grade inflammation, supporting a reciprocal relationship between adiposity and RAS activity. This review summarizes current evidence on the obesity–RAS axis and evaluates the therapeutic potential of RAS-targeted strategies in obesity-related disorders.

Materials and Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature was undertaken to examine the role of RAS in obesity, with a particular focus on the interaction between the classical and counter-regulatory pathways, as well as the contribution of tissue-specific RAS to inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic dysfunction.

Results: Available evidence indicates that obesity is associated with increased angiotensin II production in adipose tissue, which promotes chronic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, and hypertension. Although central RAS activation may increase thermogenesis and reduce appetite, peripheral RAS activity appears to favor lipogenesis and metabolic deterioration. By contrast, the ACE2/angiotensin-(1–7)/Mas receptor axis exerts beneficial effects by improving vasodilatory capacity, enhancing insulin sensitivity and metabolic homeostasis, and attenuating oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Consistent with these findings, pharmacological inhibition of the classical RAS, particularly with ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, has shown promising value in reducing obesity-associated metabolic and cardiovascular complications.

Conclusion: The relationship between obesity and the RAS is complex and bidirectional. Whereas activation of the classical RAS appears to drive disease progression, the counter-regulatory axis provides an important protective influence. Further studies are needed to refine RAS-based therapeutic strategies and to improve their clinical effectiveness in obesity-related metabolic disorders.