Objective:The aim of the present study was to determine the pattern of antimicrobial resistance of Gram-positive bacteria during three consecutive years at the nephrology ward of Namazi Hospital in Shiraz, Southwest of Iran.Methods:During a 3-year period from 2013 to 2015, data of all biological samples of hospitalized patients at the adult nephrology ward of Namazi Hospital were sent to the central laboratory for identification of Gram-positive microorganisms and subsequently, their antimicrobial susceptibility testing by Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method were analyzed in a retrospective manner.Findings:Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CONS) (38.5%), Staphylococcus aureus (25.4%), and Enterococcus spp. (23.8%) were the most common isolated Gram-positive bacteria from all biological samples. All Enterococcus spp. isolates within the 3 years were resistant to oxacillin. The rate of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) increased from 40.63% in 2013 to 72.73% in 2015. Enterococcus spp. resistance rates to aminoglycosides during 3 years were above 85%. The frequencies of oxacillin-resistant S. aureus (ORSA) in 2013, 2014, and 2015 were 95.24%, 80.95%, and 36.36%, respectively. Two out of 11 (6.67%) S. aureus isolates were resistant to vancomycin. More than 90% of CONS were sensitive to vancomycin within the study period. The frequency of gentamicin-resistant CONS ranged from 40% to 57.14%.Conclusion:The rates of ORSA, VRE, and aminoglycoside-resistant CONS as well as Enterococcus spp. in our clinical setting were considerably high and concerning. These may be due to the failure or lack of infection control activities and antimicrobial selection pressure.

Background: Gram-negative bacteria are associated with an increase in rates of antibacterial resistance. In most low- and middle-income countries such as Iran, there is no continuous surveillance system for antibiotic resistance. Objective: The purpose of this survey was to determine the pattern of antimicrobial sensitivity of gram-negative bacteria within 3 consecutive years at a nephrology ward of Nemazee hospital in Shiraz. Materials and Methods: During a 3-year period from 2013 to 2015 at the adult nephrology ward, bacteriological data of all biological samples of hospitalized patients in favor of gram-negative microorganisms were analyzed retrospectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility was performed by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: The most common gram negative bacterium isolated from biological samples was Escherichia coli (43.9%). The highest (86.3%-94.1%) antibacterial resistance rate was associated with Acinetobacter spp. The most frequent resistance was seen with cephalosporins. In contrast to ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, nitrofurantoin and aminoglycosides remained their acceptable activity against E. coli. At least three-fourths (75%) of Acinetobacter spp. isolates was resistant to either aminoglycosides or imipenem. All (100%) isolated Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa species were susceptible to colistin. The rate of Acinetobacter spp. and P. aeruginosa resistant to three or more drugs was 81.7% and 74.6%, respectively. Conclusions: The resistant rate of gram negative pathogens to different tested antibacterial agents was considerably high and has increased during the recent three years in our center.

English is the leading foreign language enjoying a prestigious position in many countries, including Iran. Many Iranian learners start learning English from first grade of junior high school; some other people send their children to English institutes as early as primary school or even pre-school, yet the problem is that most of them have problems in obtaining the satisfactory level of proficiency either in receptive skills (Listening and Reading) or productive skills (Speaking and Writing) or in both. Among the four skills, writing is of great importance. Hence, the current study examined the interdependence between writing in Persian (L1) and English (L2). For this purpose, 30 Iranian EFL learners majoring in English Translation at Islamic Azad University of Qaemshahr were selected. First of all, a TOEFL test was used to homogenize the learners. Then, the participants were asked to write English and Persian compositions on the same topic in narrative, descriptive and expository genres in two separate sessions, first L2 compositions then L1 composition after a two- week delay. These writings were scored according to the ESL Composition Profile (Jacobs et al. 1981) by two scorers for each language. Using Pearson product-moment correlation, the correlation between L2 proficiency and L1 writing to L2 writing was examined. The outcomes displayed large correlations between L2 proficiency and L2 writing but no correlation between L1 writing and L2 writing. The findings entail some pedagogical implications for improving EFL learners' L2 writing ability through getting more knowledge in English rather than focusing on Persian writing.