Coagulase negative staphylococci in Anti-Cancer Center, Batna, Algeria: antibiotic resistance pattern, biofilm formation, and detection of mecA and icaAD genes

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Chemical composition analysis of essential oils of four plants from Aurès region of Algeria and their antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against coagulase-negative staphylococci

Background: The altitudinal and geographical variability of the Aurès mountains of Algeria favored the existence of some endemic and rare varieties of medicinal plants. The aim of the present work is to determine the chemical composition, antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties of the  essential oils (EOs) from aerial parts of four medicinal plants from Aurès region of Algeria; Juniperus thurifera L., Juniperus oxycedrus L., Salvia   officinalis L. and Thymus ciliatus ssp. munbyanus (Boiss. & Reut.) Batt. on coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolates. Methodology: Extraction of EOs from the four plant materials was carried out by hydro-distillation, and the EO yield expressed in gram of the distillate per 100 grams of dry matter. The chemical composition of the EOs was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. In vitro antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of the EOs were evaluated against CoNS previously isolated at the Anti-Cancer Center of Batna, Algeria using the agar disc diffusion assay and biofilm inhibition study, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum  bacterial concentration (MBC) of the EOs of S. officinalis L. and T. ciliatus ssp. munbyanus were determined by the dilution method. Results: Twenty-seven and 41 compounds rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons were identified from J. oxycedrus and J. thurifera plants respectively, while 45 and 32 compounds, constituted mainly by oxygenated monoterpenes, were identified from S. officinalis L. and T. ciliatus ssp. munbyanus, respectively. The EOs of T. ciliatus ssp. munbyanus showed the most inhibitory activity of all the four plants on CoNS isolates (n=66) with mean  inhibition zone diameter of 24.99±6.29mm, and mean MIC and MBC values of 2.65±3.77mg/ml and 5.31±7.41mg/ml respectively, followed by S.  officinalis L., with mean inhibition zone diameter of 13.38± 6.52mm, and mean MIC and MBC values of 27.53±28.2 mg/ml and 31.97±33.19 mg/ml  respectively (p<0.0001 by one-way ANOVA). Also, percentage biofilm inhibition of CoNS isolates (n=59) was high for EOs of T. ciliatus ssp. munbyanus  (65.63±10.71%) and S. officinalis L. (53.13±5.83%), although was significantly higher for T. ciliatus ssp. munbyanus compared to S. officinalis L. (p<0.0001, t=7.874). Conclusion: Essential oils from T. ciliatus ssp. munbyanus and S. officinalis L. could represent an alternative to classical antibiotics against planktonic cells and biofilms of CoNS

Sustainable employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in Ghana: Exploring perceptions and participation in agriculture

Unemployment and the corollary of poverty among persons with disabilities have been well explored in the literature. As part of its global efforts to eradicate poverty, the United Nations, through its sustainable development goals, has urged countries to create economic opportunities for all persons to participate in income‐generating activities. In Ghana, agriculture has been described as the backbone of the economy and the main source of employment and livelihood for many. However, it appears that policymakers are yet to explore how agriculture could create sustainable employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. This study makes a major contribution to research on the eradication of poverty among persons with disabilities by exploring their participation and experiences in agriculture‐related activities. One‐on‐one interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with 19 persons with disabilities from three communities in a district in Ghana. A recurrent theme was that agriculture was a way through which the Ghanaian government could create employment for persons with disabilities. However, the participants recounted formidable barriers that affect their participation in agriculture: lack of land, funds and farming tools, and negative attitudes. These findings highlight the need for policymakers to engage with persons with disabilities to identify possible ways to assist their participation in agriculture

Conceptualizing the Survival Sector in Madagascar

This article calls for the recognition of a subsector of the informal economy, which is conceptualized as the survival sector. Based on empirical evidence from Antananarivo, Madagascar it is suggested that beggars, street children and other marginalized people constitute a separate, non-productive subsector of the economy, which is also distinguishable from formal and informal economies because of other aspects, such as the character of its social and economic networks, survival strategies, patterns of social and physical mobility, and the social and public spaces occupied. Given the vast number of marginalized people in the world, it seems useful to consider a survival sector of its own that is, despite interlinkages, fundamentally different from other components of the informal economy