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Respiratory tract infections in dogs pose a significant problem and often require prolonged treatment. The effectiveness of pharmacological therapy can be improved through the administration of nebulized compounds to liquidize mucus and promote its evacuation from the respiratory tract. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of nebulized 0.9% NaCl in dogs with respiratory tract infections. Respiratory functions were assessed based on the results of arterial blood gas analyses, and the patients’ clinical status was determined by evaluating the severity of symptoms on a point grading scale. Inhalation of nebulized 0.9% NaCl significantly accelerated improvement in the patents’ clinical status (normalization of body temperature, decreased cough frequency, decrease/elimination of nasal and ocular discharge, improved appetite) and improved pulmonary gas exchange by reducing partial pressure and total content of carbon dioxide and increasing partial pressure and total content of oxygen in blood.

Capsicum (pepper) species have high economic values as vegetable crops and medicinal plants. Most of the Capsicum is known to be recalcitrant to plant regeneration in vitro, and to genetic transformation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. However, genetic improvement against pathogens requires discovering new pest resistance genes and revealing their functions and mechanism in vitro. The development of improved transformation methods serves this purpose, which needs a binary vector technology carrying the gene of interest to be transferred into the host plants. Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated transformation serves as a useful alternative way for the Capsicum transformation. The A. rhizogenes transformation compared to the A. tumefaciens transformation has the advantage that the method needs no regeneration step in vitro. Our goal is to obtain a highly efficient transformation system that can be used to study the functions of different genes in Capsicum annuum varieties. Our study’s further goal is to validate and describe the candidate gene (Me1) involved in resistance against root-knot nematode species.

Nosocomial infections are infections acquired during a stay in a healthcare facility, representing a major public health challenge worldwide, and particularly in Africa, due to their frequency, potential severity, and associated costs. In Congo, their epidemiological profile is not yet well understood. It’s in this context that we undertook to conduct a retrospective descriptive study on nosocomial infections between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2016, in the internal medicine department of the Army Central Hospital of Brazzaville, in order to analyze the bacteriological profile of nosocomial infections.The study involved 189 patients. The results revealed that hospital-acquired infections were frequent, with a female predominance (71.43%), an average age of 32 years, and risk factors including self-medication with antibiotics (51%) and urinary catheterization (39%). Urinary tract infections were the most common (57%), with Escherichia coli as the main pathogen (17%), and mortality from these infections reached 53%.The study highlighted a high mortality rate linked to hospital-acquired infections, primarily associated with HIV status and self-medication. Management, prevention, and infection control measures, including improved antibiotic stewardship, are necessary to reduce mortality.

In recent years, the increasing number of patients with upper limb musculoskeletal disorders seeking timely, intensive, prolonged and task oriented hospital- and home- based physical rehabilitation, and the decreasing numbers of trained therapist to provide the needed care, have left a palpable gab. These have resulted in several preventable deformities with associated complications leading to social and economic burdens. Although the introduction of some robotic devices has addressed some of these concerns, the shortfalls from the use of these devices limit their effectiveness. The newly introduced hand rehabilitation board (Dominic’s Board) was prospectively evaluated in 82 patients with ULMDs of different etiologies to assess its therapeutic efficacy in rehabilitation of ULMDs. Additive, but complementary effect was observed when used along with conventional hospital-based therapy and at home, suggesting the effectiveness of this device in preventing or ameliorating the complications associated with ULMDs.

Background: Experimentally-induced delayed-onset muscle soreness of large muscle groups is frequently used in as an injurious model of muscle pain. We wanted to develop an experimental model of DOMS to to mimic overuse injuries from sports where repeated finger flexion activity is vital such as rock climbing. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the utility of a ‘finger trigger device’ to induce DOMS in the fingers, hands, wrists and lower arms. Methods: A convenient sample of six participants completed an experiment in which they undertook finger exercises to exhaustion after which measurements of pain, skin sensitivity to fine touch, forearm circumference and grip strength in the hand, wrist and forearm were taken from the experimental and contralateral non-exercised (control) arms. Results: Pain intensity was greater in the experimental arm at rest and on movement when compared with the control arm up to 24 hours after exercise, although the location of pain varied between participants. Pressure pain threshold was significantly lower in the experimental arm compared with the control arm immediately after exercises locations close to the medial epicondyle but not at other locations. There were no statistical significant differences between affected and non-affected limbs for mechanical detection threshold, forearm circumference or grip strength. Conclusion: Repetitive finger flexion exercises of the index finger by pulling a trigger against a resistance can induced DOMS. We are currently undertaking a more detailed characterization of sensory and motor changes following repetitive finger flexion activity using a larger sample.

As people get older, chronic diseases become an important reason of disability while a decline in physical functions is related to aging among the elders, which may lead to dependency and isolation of the older adults. Body asymmetry and imbalance body alignment can bring added stress to the joint structures that can cause dysfunction of the joint, ligaments, tendons, bursas, and related muscles, which in return brings about problem while walking or during activities of daily living. Joint Functional Screening (JFS) is a systemic clinical examination with clinical reasoning of the entire human joints body, with or without causative limitation to derive a holistic analysis of musculoskeletal system. JFS profile helps to assess body disorder of older people. This clinical screening include documentation of balance of the body, lower and upper body strength, joints flexibility, body composition, and body alignment. This is an innovation build to profile a normal musculoskeletal state to decode any anomaly in an otherwise a normal subject, who might be preparing to take up any activities in one’s lifespan that could elicit an injury which could be prevented. JFS could be a useful tool for physiotherapists, exercise therapist or even the personal trainers to screen a body prior to rehabilitative or an exercise program; and this clinical screening is presently a best guidance to prevent risk of fall or injury among individual healthy people and older adult.

Bean cultivation is vital to the global food and economy, especially in Brazil. Facing challenges from diseases that affect production, it is crucial to seek new strategies to maintain productivity and sustainability. Melaleuca alternifolia, known as the tea tree due to its medicinal properties, has little explored potential in controlling diseases in bean plants. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of tea tree essential oil in controlling diseases in bean cultivation. In vitro tests were carried out to evaluate bacterial growth, at concentrations of (0.0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1% and 2%). And antibiogram with the bacteria Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli, in different concentrations (0.0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 3%). For the fungus Pseudocercospora griseola, sporulation tests were carried out, using direct and indirect methods, at concentrations of (0.0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 3%). Furthermore, for the fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, mycelial growth tests were carried out with the same concentrations. The experiments took place in vivo, with a completely randomized statistical design, involving five replications per treatment and concentrations varying from (0.0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1% and 2%). Disease incidence was assessed using a diagrammatic scale, disease severity, Area under the Disease Progress Curve (AACPD) and Area under the Incidence Progress Curve (AACPI). Melaleuca Essential Oil (EO) inhibited the development of fungi and bacteria in in vitro tests starting at 0.5%. In vivo, Melaleuca Essential Oil (EO) showed a significant reduction in the incidence and severity of the disease from 0.5% in both fungi and bacteria. Melaleuca EO can be an effective alternative for disease control in bean cultivation. 

Herbarium records provide a valuable historical database for assessing plant phenology shifts in the context of global climate change. The herbarium specimens, collected from diverse locations and periods, offer comprehensive data illustrating how many plants are altering their blooming times in response to global climate change. The appropriate use and analysis of long-term herbarium records offer an additional dimension for the study of plant phenology through the application of advanced experimental methodologies such as bioinformatics and satellite imagery, statistics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) which, coupled with field observations, will improve ecosystems evaluation. These efforts can significantly contribute to conservation strategies and climate change mitigation and further support the synchronization of scientific inputs for evaluating the impacts of climate change and its ecological implications.

Background: The proposal that MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry could be used as a direct, rapid and affordable diagnostic tool in clinical laboratory medicine has moved from a theoretical possibility to a reality for Microbiology. Several studies have proposed the application of this technology in obstetric and gynaecological evaluation of patients. In particular, we have proposed that the adoption of MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry in examination of maternal pregnancy urine samples for the detection of Downs syndrome. Methods: A retrospective collection of 20 Down Syndrome and 100 non-aneuploid pregnancy urines at 12 to 14 weeks gestation, collected in 2007-2008 from high risk pregnancy cohorts, were examined by MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry in the mass/charge range between 1000 and 100000 m/z. Normalisation of spectral data was defined using mass bins of 100 m/z expressed as a percentage of the total ion count of the mass spectra from 2000 to 11000 m/z. Of the ninety 100 m/z bins, forty-six were identified as m/z bins at which statistically significant differences in spectra occurred between Downs and control/non-aneuploid samples. Based on the differences and variance, for values at these bins, weighted scores of the probability of being Downs were assigned. Comparative algorithms consisting of various mass bins were tested for ability to distinguish Down syndrome from non-aneuploid pregnancy. Results: Although various algorithms could distinguish Downs from non-aneuploid controls, it was found that gestational age was a confounding factor and that if separated into gestational age matched cohorts the ability to distinguish the groups improved dramatically e.g. whilst a 19 bins algorithm separated 100% of Downs from non-aneuploid pregnancies for a 9% false positive rate in the mixed gestational ages group; a two bin algorithm distinguished 100% of Downs for a 6% false positive rate for the 12 weeks gestational age pregnancies. Conclusion: Normalised MALDI-ToF mass spectra, at 2000 to 11000 m/z, of maternal urine gives rise to gestational age specific screening tests algorithms for Downs’s syndrome.

Biotechnology has always played an important role in tackling global concerns, particularly in the Global South, where socioeconomic gaps sometimes stymie scientific progress. Recent advances in synthetic biology and computational technologies have the potential to revolutionize biotechnology in these locations. Synthetic biology allows for the creation and manipulation of biological systems, with promise applications in healthcare, agriculture, and environmental control. Computational methods such as machine learning and artificial intelligence help to optimize synthetic biology processes, enabling innovations that are suited to local requirements. The combination of these cutting-edge technologies with traditional biotechnological techniques has the potential to dramatically improve the Global South's ability to solve issues such as disease outbreaks, food security, and sustainable development. This abstract outline the critical intersections of synthetic biology and computational advancements and their potential to empower the Global South, highlighting the need for supportive policies and capacity-building initiatives to maximize their impact.