Apiaceae Essential Oils: Boosters of Terbinafine Activity against Dermatophytes and Potent Anti-Inflammatory Effectors

Dermatophyte infections represent an important public health concern, affecting up to 25% of the world’s population. Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes are the predominant dermatophytes in cutaneous infections, with a prevalence accounting for 70% of dermatophytoses. Although terbinafine represents the preferred treatment, its clinical use is hampered by side effects, drug–drug interactions, and the emergence of resistant clinical isolates. Combination therapy, associating terbinafine and essential oils (EOs), represents a promising strategy in the treatment of dermatophytosis. In this study, we screened the potential of selected Apiaceae EOs (ajowan, coriander, caraway, and anise) to improve the antifungal activity of terbinafine against T. rubrum ATCC 28188 and T. mentagrophytes ATCC 9533. The chemical profile of EOs was analyzed by gas chromatography. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) of EOs/main compounds were determined according to EUCAST-AFST guidelines, with minor modifications. The checkerboard microtiter method was used to identify putative synergistic combinations of EOs/main constituents with terbinafine. The influence of EOs on the viability and pro-inflammatory cytokine production (IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α) was determined using an ex vivo human neutrophils model. The binary associations of tested EOs with terbinafine were found to be synergistic against T. rubrum, with FICI values of 0.26–0.31. At the tested concentrations (6.25–25 mg/L), EOs did not exert cytotoxic effects towards human neutrophils. Anise EO was the most potent inhibitor of IL-1β release (46.49% inhibition at 25 mg/L), while coriander EO displayed the highest inhibition towards IL-8 and TNF-α production (54.15% and 54.91%, respectively). In conclusion, the synergistic combinations of terbinafine and investigated Apiaceae EOs could be a starting point in the development of novel topical therapies against T. rubrum-related dermatophytosis.

Human Rights Violations and Associated Factors of the Hijras in Bangladesh- A Cross sectional study

Background Hijras in Bangladesh face considerable discrimination, stigma, and violence despite the 2013 legislation to preserve the rights of their right. There is a dearth of published literature describing the extent of human right violations among this population and their associated factors. Methods A questionnaire was administered to 346 study participants aged 15 years and older, living in five urban cities of Bangladesh who self-identified as Hijra, in 2019. The six human rights violation indicators (Economic, Employment, Health, Education, Social and Civil and Political Right) assessed were categorized as binary. Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and the six human right violations were tested using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results Human right violations including economic, educational, political, employment, health and social/civil right violations were observed in 73.3%, 59.3%, 58.5%, 46.4%, 42.7%, 34.4% of the participants, respectively. Economic rights violations was associated with bisexuality (Adjusted odds ratios AOR 3.60, 95%CI: 1.57, 8.26) and not living with family (AOR 2.71, 95%CI: 1.21, 6.09), while Hijras who earned more than 10,000 Bangladesh Taka experienced higher odds of educational (AOR 2.77, 95%CI: 1.06, 7.19) and political rights violations (AOR 4.30, 95%CI: 1.06, 7.44). Living in Dhaka city decreased the odds of economic and political right violation while experiencing violations of one human right could lead to violation of another in the Hijra community. Conclusion Human rights violations were common in Bangladesh Hijras, particularly the Bisexual Hijras. Media and educational awareness campaigns are needed to address the underlying roots of a violation. Programs focused on the families, young people and high-income earners of this community are needed in Bangladesh.

Pathway Maps of Orphan and Complex Diseases Using an Integrative Computational Approach

Orphan diseases (ODs) are progressive genetic disorders, which affect a small number of people. The principal fundamental aspects related to these diseases include insufficient knowledge of mechanisms involved in the physiopathology necessary to access correct diagnosis and to develop appropriate healthcare. Unlike ODs, complex diseases (CDs) have been widely studied due to their high incidence and prevalence allowing to understand the underlying mechanisms controlling their physiopathology. Few studies have focused on the relationship between ODs and CDs to identify potential shared pathways and related molecular mechanisms which would allow improving disease diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. We have performed a computational approach to studying CDs and ODs relationships through (1) connecting diseases to genes based on genes-diseases associations from public databases, (2) connecting ODs and CDs through binary associations based on common associated genes, and (3) linking ODs and CDs to common enriched pathways. Among the most shared significant pathways between ODs and CDs, we found pathways in cancer, p53 signaling, mismatch repair, mTOR signaling, B cell receptor signaling, and apoptosis pathways. Our findings represent a reliable resource that will contribute to identify the relationships between drugs and disease-pathway networks, enabling to optimise patient diagnosis and disease treatment.

‘Neo-Crosssexual’ fashion in contemporary men’s suits

Today, fashionable menswear is appropriating traditionally feminine design elements on an unparalleled international scale. This phenomenon should not be interpreted purely as a subversive gender issue, but should also be viewed as an expression of personal style and taste. In order to properly describe this phenomenon, the term ‘crosssexual’ must be introduced to English fashion vocabulary. This paper examines the innovative design characteristics of contemporary crosssexual menswear emerging prominently in men’s suits since 2015 and also raises the necessity of coining a new term: ‘neo-crosssexual’. Ultimately, this paper reveals how neo-crosssexual fashion employs a great variety of innovative silhouettes and novel design elements—ranging from structural or decorative details to colors, fabrics, patterns, and accessories—all of which enable the wearer to express whatever image of themselves they desire. Previous studies have interpreted crosssexual fashion as men simply portraying themselves as effeminate by wearing such clothing, but this conclusion is reductive and reveals there is still an unconscious recognition of limiting binary associations. The richness of neo-crosssexual fashion design, rather, gives individuals freedom to choose a sartorial image devoid of binary constraints. Conventionally classified ‘feminine designs’ are now perceived as creative and functional means to fluidity. This positive cultural shift has led to an increasing number of men choosing to wear suits that incorporate ‘feminine’ design elements, freeing this traditional garment from its limited formal use and symbolic hegemonic power.

Taking the halogen bonding–hydrogen bonding competition one step further: complexes of difluoroiodomethane with trimethylphosphine, dimethyl sulfide and chloromethane

To rationalize the driving factors in the competition of halogen bonding and hydrogen bonding, the complexes of the combined halogen-/hydrogen-bond donor difluoroiodomethane with the Lewis bases trimethylphosphine, dimethyl sulfide and chloromethane are studied. For all Lewis bases,ab initiocalculations lead to halogen- and hydrogen-bonded complexes. Fourier transform–IR experiments involving solutions of mixtures of difluoroiodomethane with trimethylphosphine(-d9) or dimethyl sulfide(-d6) in liquid krypton confirm the coexistence of a halogen-bonded and hydrogen-bonded complex. Also for solutions containing chloromethane, evidence of the formation of binary associations is found, but no definitive assignment of the multiple complex bands could be made. Using van't Hoff plots, the experimental complexation enthalpies for the halogen- and hydrogen-bonded complex of difluoroiodomethane with trimethylphosphine are determined to be −15.4 (4) and −10.5 (3) kJ mol−1, respectively, while for the halogen- and hydrogen-bonded complexes with dimethyl sulfide, the values are −11.3 (5) and −7.7 (6) kJ mol−1, respectively. The experimental observation that for both trimethylphospine and dimethyl sulfide the halogen-bonded complex is more stable than the hydrogen-bonded complex supports the finding that softer Lewis bases tend to favor iodine halogen bonding over hydrogen bonding.