The Combination of 3-Hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-Thiol with Thymoquinone Demonstrates Synergistic Activity Against Different Candida Strains.

Introduction: Candida is the primary cause of invasive fungal disease, candidiasis, especially in developed nations. The increasing resistance observed in multiple antibiotics, coupled with the prolonged process of creating new antibiotics from the ground up, emphasizes the urgent requirement for innovative methods and new compounds to combat Candida infections. Employing a treatment strategy that combines antibiotics can improve efficacy, broaden the spectrum of targeted fungal, and reduce the chances of resistance emergence. This approach shows potential in tackling the escalating problem of antibiotic resistance. The objective of this research is to explore the potential synergistic effects of combining 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol and thymoquinone against a variety of Candida isolates. This investigation aims to offer an understanding of the collective antimicrobial action of these compounds. Methods: Broth microdilution was utilized to assess the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol and thymoquinone for 22 clinical Candida isolates. Following this, a checkerboard assay was employed to analyze the interaction between 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol and thymoquinone, with a specific focus on the Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (FICI). Results: The MICs of thymoquinone and 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol were determined for 22 clinical Candida strains, with thymoquinone exhibiting MICs ranging from 64 to 8 µg/mL, and 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol displaying MICs varying from 64 to 8 µg/mL. Notably, the combination of 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol and thymoquinone resulted in a synergistic effect, leading to a significant reduction in MICs, with reductions of up to 64-fold with FICI below 0.5 against tested strains. Conclusion: The prospect of using 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol in combination with thymoquinone as an effective solution against Candida looks encouraging. Nevertheless, to validate its practical applicability, additional comprehensive testing and experiments are imperative.

Immunotherapy Effectiveness in Treating Peanut Hypersensitivity: A Systemic Review.

Peanut hypersensitivity is one of the top causes of food-related allergic responses and death in high-income countries. As a result, the goal of this study was to see if various forms of immunotherapies can help reduce the severity of peanut hypersensitivity reactions. From 2019 to 2021, a systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Wiley online library, and Science Direct was done. Peanut immunotherapy (PIT) clinical trials were considered. There were 19 trials with a total of 1565 participants. Twelve were on oral immunotherapy (OIT), two on sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), two on subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT), two on epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT), and one was a comparison of SLIT and OIT. Desensitization was achieved by 74.3% of those who received OIT, 11% of those who received SLIT, 61% of those who received SCIT, and 49% of those who received EPIT. The majority of adverse events (AE) were mild to moderate. Those requiring epinephrine, on the other hand, were moderate to severe and were more common in the therapy groups. This systematic review showed that the current PIT regimens can accomplish desensitization regardless of the route of administration, with an acceptable safety profile.

Post-injection syringe bacterial contamination of hyaluronic acid fillers.

AIMS: Hyaluronic acid (HA) gel fillers are the most commonly used filler materials for dermal purposes to augment soft tissue due to their superior properties and advantages over other alternative filling materials. One of the key drawbacks associated with the use of fillers is contamination and possible subsequent infection. METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional study conducted in Renew Cosmetic Clinics and King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Medicine, female section from November 2019 to March 2020. RESULTS: A total of 50 samples with different concentrations (from five different brands) of hyaluronic acid gel fillers were collected. Samples were taken at four different time points: before injection, immediately after injection, 1 month after injection, and 3 months after injection. The 50 samples were injected into nine different sites and collected from 27 females, aged between 18-55 years. No bacteria were detected in the culture media from any samples from the aerobic and anaerobic culture plates. CONCLUSION: Our study did not find any evidence of contamination associated with the reuse of HA gel fillers regardless of the concentration and the injection site. Applying appropriate sterilization procedure for HA gel fillers extends its usability. There was no correlation between the length of storage time and the risk of contamination.

Attitudes and behaviours of adolescents towards antibiotics and self-care for respiratory tract infections: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: To understand attitudes and behaviours of adolescents towards antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance and respiratory tract infections. DESIGN: Qualitative approach informed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were undertaken. We aimed to inform the development of an intervention in an international setting to improve antibiotic use among adolescents; therefore on completion of thematic analysis, findings were triangulated with qualitative data from similar studies in France, Saudi Arabia and Cyprus to elucidate differences in the behaviour change model and adaptation to diverse contexts. SETTING: 7 educational establishments from the south of England. PARTICIPANTS: 53 adolescents (16-18 years) participated in seven focus groups and 21 participated in interviews. RESULTS: Most participants had taken antibiotics and likened them to other common medications such as painkillers; they reported that their peers treat antibiotics like a 'cure-all' and that they themselves were not interested in antibiotics as a discussion topic. They demonstrated low knowledge of the difference between viral and bacterial infections.Participants self-cared for colds and flu but believed antibiotics are required to treat other RTIs such as tonsillitis, which they perceived as more 'serious'. Past history of taking antibiotics for RTIs instilled the belief that antibiotics were required for future RTIs. Those who characterised themselves as 'non-science students' were less informed about antibiotics and AMR. Most participants felt that AMR was irrelevant to them and their peers. Some 'non-science' students thought resistance was a property of the body, rather than bacteria. CONCLUSION: Addressing adolescents' misperceptions about antibiotics and the treatment of RTIs using a behaviour change intervention should help improve antibiotic awareness and may break the cycle of patient demand for antibiotics to treat RTIs amongst this group. Schools should consider educating all students in further education about antibiotic usage and AMR, not only those taking science.

Assessment of educational games for health professions: a systematic review of trends and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Traditional lecturing used in teaching has the lowest retention rate; the use of games as part of an instruction method may enhance retention and reinforce learning by creating a dynamic educational environment. This study aims to systematically review the literature on educational games for the health professions to identify trends and investigate assessment tools used to measure its learning outcomes. METHODS: Seven databases were used in the search: ERIC, Education Research Complete, Medline, Medline Complete, Academic Search Complete, The Cochrane Library and PubMed. RESULTS: The search identified 2865 papers; among them, 1259 were excluded and 22 were evaluated. The selection incorporated five full papers which focused directly on the health professionals. Two studies involved the use of board games and two studies involved card games, crossword puzzles and one study involved a team quiz competition. Overall, studies lacked a strong link between the use of games for both instructional and assessment purposes. CONCLUSION: Gaming makes a positive impact on the teaching/learning process. However, existing assessment methodologies have been not fully captured the learning that may occur in these games. Robust research is needed to address the use of games that have been assessed objectively.

Preclinical development of hybrid cell vaccines for multiple myeloma.

Immunotherapy may provide alternative or supplementary treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). We propose that hybrid cells, formed by fusing professional antigen-presenting cells with malignant plasma cells, would induce immune responses capable of mediating tumour regression. The human B-lymphoblastoid cell line, HMy2, was fused in vitro with CD138+ bead-separated myeloma plasma cells from five patients with MM. The hybrid cell lines generated in these studies grew stably in tissue culture, and maintained their phenotypic and functional characteristics, providing self-renewing cell lines with potential for therapeutic vaccination. The hybrid cells stimulated allogeneic and autologous T-cell proliferative responses in vitro to a considerably greater degree than their respective parent myeloma plasma cells, and directly activated both CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses. The enhanced T-cell stimulation correlated with expression of CD80 on the hybrid cells, and was inhibited by CTLA4-Ig fusion protein. The hybrid cell lines expressed several tumour-associated antigens known to be expressed in myeloma. These data show that self-replicating cell lines with enhanced immunostimulatory properties and potential for therapeutic vaccination can be generated by in vitro fusion of ex vivo myeloma cells and B-lymphoblastoid cell lines.