Search

Natural treatment options for Microsporum canis dermatophytosis are being explored because of resistance to several antifungal medications. In this study, the potential antifungal effect of bee venom (BV), a natural antimicrobial agent, on M. canis was investigated. The antifungal effects of BV, fluconazole, itraconazole, amphotericin B and terbinafine were evaluated by the macrodilution method at various concentrations by modifying the microdilution method recommended by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. All isolates were observed to be susceptible to terbinafine and fully resistant to fluconazole and amphotericin B. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values of M. canis isolate 2 (Mc2) were determined as 8 µg/mL for itraconazole. The MIC and MFC values of BV were found to be 320 µg/mL for the Mc2 isolate and 640 µg/mL for the Mc6 isolate. The results showed that the isolates obtained from clinical samples in this study were highly resistant to all antifungal agents, except terbinafine. The increase in resistance indicates that antifungal drugs will become insufficient and ineffective over time and natural products such as BV should be evaluated as alternatives. Contribution: Although there are many drugs for the treatment of M. canis, the increase in resistance to antifungal agents reveals the need for the identification and development of new natural agents. Bee venom, which has been shown to have a safe and weak allergenic effect in various studies, can be tested for usability as a local antifungal drug when supported by in vivo studies.

Consumers are interested in sustainable products but they exhibit wariness about their efficacy resulting in a reluctance to purchase. Consumers perceive a high level functional risk in utilitarian benefits sustainable alternatives can provide. For that reason, communication strategy is essential for the success of new sustainable products. We analytically investigate the optimal pre-launch communication strategy and specifically, explore the role of third party reviews of new sustainable products. Before launching its new sustainable product, a firm can reach out an expert or an influencer to test it and write an honest review which informs consumers about the green product's quality in the traditional performance dimension. The firm cannot interfere with the content of the review, but can affect the degree of its informativeness by its investment level in pre-launch communication. We find that pre-launch communication is always profitable, but the optimal level of informativeness can be short of full revelation depending on the market conditions. Based on our results, we make suggestions to both firms and policy makers, which will help reduce the green attitude-behavior gap. Then, we investigate how the availability of pre-launch communication via third party testing and reviewing affects firms' sustainability strategy decision. Our analysis reveals that, depending on the market characteristics, the presence of pre-launch communication may encourage firms to be bolder in their sustainability initiatives and engage in high environmental impact strategies without concerning to preserve the conventional functional performance, or conversely, make them more risk averse and pursue mediocre environmental impact strategies with strong caution about the conventional functional performance.

Background: Tube thoracostomy, utilized through conventional methodologies in the context of pleural disorders such as pleural effusion and pneumothorax, constitutes one of the primary therapeutic interventions. Nonetheless, it is imperative to recognize that invasive procedures, including tube thoracostomy, are classified as aerosol-generating activities during the management of pleural conditions in patients afflicted with COVID-19, thus raising substantial concerns regarding the potential exposure of healthcare personnel to the virus. The objective of this investigation was to assess the SARS-CoV-2 viral load by detecting viral RNA in pleural drainage specimens from patients who underwent tube thoracostomy due to either pleural effusion or pneumothorax. Methods: In this single-center prospective cross-sectional analysis, a real-time reverse transcriptase (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was employed to conduct swab tests for the qualitative identification of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2 in pleural fluids acquired during tube thoracostomy between August 2021 and December 2021. Results: All pleural drainage specimens from 21 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 via nasopharyngeal PCR, of which 14 underwent tube thoracostomy due to pneumothorax, 4 due to both pneumothorax and pleural effusion, and 3 due to pleural effusion, were found to be negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Moreover, individuals exhibiting pleural effusion were admitted to the intensive care unit with a notably higher incidence, yet demonstrated significantly more radiological anomalies in patients diagnosed with pneumothorax. Conclusions: The current findings, inclusive of the results from this study, do not furnish scientific evidence to support the notion that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted via aerosolization during tube thoracostomy, and it remains uncertain whether the virus can be adequately contained within pleural fluids.

Subclinical mastitis is an important problem in terms of the dairy economy all over the world and due to the increasing antibiotic resistance day by day, there is a great need for new antibiotic alternatives and natural products. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of bee venom against bacterial mastitis agents. Methods, such as well diffusion, disc diffusion, microdilution and time-kill analyses, were applied to 12 bacteria species isolated from milk samples. Effective results were obtained in microdilution and time-kill analysis. MIC values were determined in the range of 12.5–50 µg/ml and time-kill times were observed in the range of 1–24 h. In addition, bacterial suspensions from 12 species were prepared and there were effective against mixed infection in vitro. As a result, bee venom, as an antibiotic alternative, can give satisfactory results in the treatment of subclinical mastitis and mixed infections. Field studies and treatment trials should be emphasized.

Bee venom with an antimicrobial effect is a powerful natural product. One of the most important areas where new antimicrobials are needed is in the prevention and control of multi-drug resistant pathogens. Today, antibacterial products used to treat multi-drug resistant pathogen infections in hospitals and healthcare facilities are insufficient to prevent colonisation and spread, and new products are needed. The aim of the study is to investigate the antibacterial effect of the bee venom (BV), a natural substance, on the species of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis, Carbapenem resistant Escherichia coli, Carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. As a result of this study, it was found that MIC90 and MBC90 values ranged from 6.25 μg/mL – 12.5 μg/mL and numbers of bacteria decreased by 4–6 logs within 1–24 h for multi-drug resistant pathogens. In particular, Vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis isolate decreased 6 log cfu/mL at 50 μg/mL and 100 μg/mL concentrations in the first hour. The effective bacterial inhibition rate of bee venom suggests that it could be a potential antibacterial agent for multi-drug resistant pathogens. Contribution: The treatment options of antibiotic-resistant pathogens are a major problem in both veterinary and human medicine fields. We have detected a high antibacterial effect against these agents in this bee venom study, which is a natural product. Apitherapy is a fashionable treatment method all over the world and is used in many areas of health. Bee venom is also a product that can be used as a drug or disinfectant raw material and can fill the natural product gap that can be used against resistant bacteria.

The current-voltage (I-V-T) characteristics of an inhomogeneous n-type GaAs Schottky barrier diode have been investigated by numerical analysis using the modified thermionic emission (TE) current equation by Tung in the 40–320 K range at 40 K intervals. This total current (TC) equation consists of TE current and the patch current components. The patch current dominates through the low Schottky barrier height patches at low temperatures. From the I-V-T characteristics given for three different standard deviations (σ) at each substrate doping value N d , we have determined the temperatures at which the patch current begins to dominate. The starting temperature of the patch current has decreased as the σ and N d values decrease. It has been seen that the temperature at which the patch current component begins to dominate is about 120, 80, and 60 K for σ 4 , σ 3 , and σ 2 at N d = 1.0 × 10 14 c m − 3 or N d = 1.0 × 10 15 c m − 3 , respectively; 160, 120, and 80 K at N d = 5.0 × 10 15 c m − 3 ; and 200, 160, and 80 K at N d = 1.0 × 10 16 c m − 3 , respectively. Moreover, for the substrate with high doping, it has been observed that the I-V curve of the patch current component or the TC shifts toward higher voltages than the expected position at low temperatures. Thus, from the I-V-T characteristics, it has appeared that Tung's pinch-off model tends to be more applicable to lightly doped semiconductors. Moreover, the TC equation should be used at high temperatures because the I-V curves at high temperatures belong to the TE component, and the patch current expression without the TE component should be especially used for fit to the experimental curves at low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tube thoracostomy, utilized through conventional methodologies in the context of pleural disorders such as pleural effusion and pneumothorax, constitutes one of the primary therapeutic interventions. Nonetheless, it is imperative to recognize that invasive procedures, including tube thoracostomy, are classified as aerosol-generating activities during the management of pleural conditions in patients afflicted with COVID-19, thus raising substantial concerns regarding the potential exposure of healthcare personnel to the virus. The objective of this investigation was to assess the SARS-CoV-2 viral load by detecting viral RNA in pleural drainage specimens from patients who underwent tube thoracostomy due to either pleural effusion or pneumothorax. Methods: In this single-center prospective cross-sectional analysis, a real-time reverse transcriptase (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was employed to conduct swab tests for the qualitative identification of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2 in pleural fluids acquired during tube thoracostomy between August 2021 and December 2021. Results: All pleural drainage specimens from 21 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 via nasopharyngeal PCR, of which 14 underwent tube thoracostomy due to pneumothorax, 4 due to both pneumothorax and pleural effusion, and 3 due to pleural effusion, were found to be negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Moreover, individuals exhibiting pleural effusion were admitted to the intensive care unit with a notably higher incidence, yet demonstrated significantly more radiological anomalies in patients diagnosed with pneumothorax. Conclusions: The current findings, inclusive of the results from this study, do not furnish scientific evidence to support the notion that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted via aerosolization during tube thoracostomy, and it remains uncertain whether the virus can be adequately contained within pleural fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Mental health Step-up, Step-down services (SUSD), also known as subacute services or Prevention and Recovery Services, have emerged to fill an identified gap between hospital-based inpatient care and clinical community-based mental health support. Evidence for the effectiveness of the SUSD service model is limited but growing. Accordingly, this study looked to add to the extant body of knowledge, by (i) assessing change outcomes in mental health and wellbeing, and predictors of these changes, for patients who accessed Western Australia’s first SUSD service; and (ii) evaluating patients’ satisfaction with service, and what patients value from their stay. Methods This was a mixed-method retrospective cohort study. Participants comprised 382 patients who accessed a 22-bed Mental Health SUSD facility and incurred 551 episodes of care during the 01/07/2014–30/06/2016 period. Patients’ change outcomes in psychological distress, general self-efficacy, and work and social adjustment from service entry to service exit were analyzed using generalized linear modeling. Simple Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated for preliminary assessment of the associations between patients’ service satisfaction and their change outcomes. Qualitative outcomes that patients valued from their stay were analyzed thematically according to a semi-grounded theoretical approach. Results Significant improvements were observed in patients’ self-reported psychological distress, self-efficacy, and work and social adjustment (all p

Quantum cascade laser‐pumped terahertz (THz) gas lasers are at the edge of revolutionizing THz science where powerful yet tunable sources have long been lacking. Maybe one of the last remaining drawbacks to a wider use of these instruments lies in the lack of available databases of potentially lasing transitions for users. A new figure of merit, the molecular gain factor is proposed, that allows to discriminate transitions by their lasing potential. Using this factor, catalogs of THz laser lines of ammonia, both 14NH3 and 15NH3, up to 10 THz are reported. Demonstration of the use of these two catalogs, and of the pertinence of the molecular gain factor, is made by experimentally observing 32 laser lines of 14NH3 and 5 lines of 15NH3 up to 5.5 THz. Prospects to generalize the use of this molecular gain factor to a wide range of molecules are discussed.

The process of knowledge production and actors who produce knowledge from the past to the present is represented by male dominance. The exclusion of women from the knowledge production process and the criticism of the trivialization of the knowledge produced by women have been discussed in the scientific world in the last few decades. The identification of women as emotional and men as rational has made the direction of the relationship between knowledge and gender more visible in the current age of technology and knowledge. In this context, this article discusses the impact of gender roles in knowledge production processes through the experiences of female geographer academics using Geographic Information Technologies. The aim of this research is to examine the effects of gender roles and hierarchies on the knowledge production process and to understand these effects through women’s use of technology. The research was designed according to the qualitative method. The data were obtained through in-depth interviews. The sample of the study comprises female academicians who are GIS users in the discipline of Geography. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 8 female faculty members working in geography departments in different cities of Turkey. The interviews were conducted online with the researchers and participants. The findings obtained from the interviews reveal that the sexist prejudices that women academics confront in their academic career stories deepen in technology-supported fields and that this situation negatively affects their academic learning and production processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]