58 research outputs found
Improvement of the shelf-life status of modified atmosphere packaged camel meat using nisin and olea europaea subsp. laperrinei leaf extract
The impact of combined biopreservation treatment with Olea europaea subsp. laperrinei leave extracts (laper.OLE) and nisin on the quality attributes of camel steaks packaged under high O2 (80%) and CO2 (20%) atmosphere was investigated during refrigerated (1 Âą 1 ÂżC) long-term storage. As measured by reversed phase HPLC/DAD analysis, oleuropein is the phenolic compound most present in the chemical composition of laper.OLE (63.03%). Camel steaks treated with laper.OLE had a lower concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RSs) in the course of 30 days of storage. Surface metmyoglobin (MetMb) increased at a reduced rate in laper.OLE-treated samples compared to control samples. Neither modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) nor biopreservation treatments significantly altered the tenderness of camel steaks, expressed in terms of Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), as compared to control samples. After 30 days of storage, psychrotrophic bacteria and Pseudomonas spp. counts were significantly lower in camel steaks treated with a combination of laper.OLE and nisin than in untreated steaks. Moreover, samples treated with laper.OLE received higher scores on bitterness acceptability. In sum, the use of combined biopreservation methods could be a sustainable solution for the preservation and promotion of the quality characteristics of camel meat in arid regions
Innovations in Pharmacy through Practice-Based Research
The overall purpose of this article is to serve as an invitation for submissions to the 'Practice-Based Research' section of INNOVATIONS in pharmacy. To provide background about this section of the journal, this paper describes: (1) the concept of innovations that we will apply, (2) the practice-based research domain, and (3) the use of practice-based research networks for this area of inquiry.
We propose that uncertainty surrounding an innovation often will result in the postponement of the decision regarding its adoption until further evidence can be obtained. Such evidence often is gathered through considering the advice and experiences of opinion leaders and members of social systems who have adopted the innovation.
We invite authors to present ideas, arguments, and evidence for innovations in pharmacy that arise out of practice-based research. We propose that this journal will be an excellent communication vehicle for providing convincing arguments and sound evidence in favor of innovations. Discourse regarding new ideas in such a format can further develop the ideas, create a critical mass of evidence, and be used for convincing others that the innovation should be adopted.
We welcome submissions to the INNOVATIONS in pharmacy, PRACTICE-BASED RESEARCH content area that: (1) provide convincing arguments and sound evidence in favor of innovations for pharmacy, (2) are based upon practice-based research from case studies of single patients on one end of the continuum to findings from large populations of patients on the other end of the continuum, and/or (3) introduce innovations for practice-based research networks. We encourage articles from all perspectives and from all methods of inquiry.
Type: Invitatio
Understanding the meaning of medications for patients: The medication experience
Objective: To understand and describe the meaning of medications for patients. Methods: A metasynthesis of three different, yet complementary qualitative research studies, was conducted by two researchers. The first study was a phenomenological study of patientsâ medication experiences that used unstructured interviews. The second study was an ethnographic study of pharmaceutical care practice, which included participant observation, in-depth interviews and focus groups with patients of pharmaceutical care. The third was a phenomenological study of the chronic illness experience of medically uninsured individuals in the United States and included an explicit aim to understand the medication experience within that context. The two researchers who conducted these three qualitative studies that examined the medication experience performed the meta-synthesis. The process began with the researchers reviewing the themes of the medication experience for each study. The researchers then aggregated the themes to identify the overlapping and similar themes of the medication experience and which themes are sub-themes within another theme versus a unique theme of the medication experience. The researchers then used the analytic technique, âfree imaginative variationâ to determine the essential, structural themes of the medication experience. Results: The meaning of medications for patients was captured as four themes of the medication experience: a meaningful encounter; bodily effects; unremitting nature; and exerting control. The medication experience is an individualâs subjective experience of taking a medication in his daily life. It begins as an encounter with a medication. It is an encounter that is given meaning before it occurs. The experience may include positive or negative bodily effects. The unremitting nature of a chronic medication often causes an individual to question the need for the medication. Subsequently, the individual may exert control by altering the way he takes the medication and often in part because of the gained expertise with the medication in his own body. Conclusion: The medication experience is a practice concept that serves to understand patientsâ experiences and to understand an individual patientâs medication experience and medication-taking behaviors in order to meet his or her medication-related needs
Screening for genes coding for putative antitumor compounds, antimicrobial and enzymatic activities from haloalkalitolerant and haloalkaliphilic bacteria strains of Algerian Sahara soils
Extreme environments may often contain unusual bacterial groups whose physiology is distinct from those of normal
environments. To satisfy the need for new bioactive pharmaceuticals compounds and enzymes, we report here the isolation of
novel bacteria from an extreme environment. Thirteen selected haloalkalitolerant and haloalkaliphilic bacteria were isolated from
Algerian Sahara Desert soils. These isolates were screened for the presence of genes coding for putative antitumor compounds using
PCR based methods. Enzymatic, antibacterial, and antifungal activities were determined by using cultural dependant methods.
Several of these isolates are typical of desert and alkaline saline soils, but, in addition, we report for the first time the presence of a
potential new member of the genus Nocardiawith particular activity against the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition to their
haloalkali character, the presence of genes coding for putative antitumor compounds, combined with the antimicrobial activity
against a broad range of indicator strains and their enzymatic potential, makes them suitable for biotechnology applications
Patient-perceived value of Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services: a series of focus groups
Objective: To determine the patient-perceived value of MTM services and non-financial barriers preventing patients with insurance coverage from receiving MTM services.
Design: Focus groups.
Setting: Fairview Pharmacy Services, Minneapolis, MN.
Participants: Three focus groups, each with five to nine participants, consisting of different participant populations: (i) patients who paid out-of-pocket to receive MTM services; (ii) insurance beneficiaries, under which MTM is a covered benefit and participants may have received incentives for receiving MTM services; (iii) patients with an insurance plan which covers MTM services who were recruited to receive MTM services but declined. Intervention: MTM services.
Main Outcome Measure: Patient-perceived value of MTM services and non-financial barriers.
Results: Seven themes were identified relating to the patient-perceived value of MTM services: collaboration of the health care team, MTM pharmacist as a supporter/advocate/confidant, MTM pharmacist as a resource for questions and education, accessibility to the MTM pharmacist, financial incentives for participation in MTM services, MTM pharmacy as a specialty field, and the MTM pharmacist as a coordinator. Three themes were identified regarding patient-perceived non-financial barriers to receiving MTM services, including: availability of the MTM pharmacist, patient/physician lack of knowledge of MTM services, patient's belief that MTM services are not needed.
Conclusion: MTM is a service which patients identify as valuable. Patients are able to identify non-financial barriers that may prevent some patients from receiving MTM services. This study provides preliminary evidence of both the value and barriers perceived by patients.
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Type:Â Original Researc
Mycotoxigenic fungi contaminating greenhouse-grown tomato fruit and their alternative control
Tomato fruit represent a valuable but perishable commodity due to postharvest fungal spoilage. In the present investigation, greenhouse-grown tomatoes were analysed, particularly for the contamination by mycotoxigenic fungi. Collected isolates were characterized by morphological features and sequencing of barcoding genes. Alternaria, Aspergillus, and Penicillium proved to be the most represented genera. Particularly, Alternaria strains were mostly A. alternata morphotype alternata, genetically able to produce alternariol and alternariol monomethyl ether. Aspergillus strains were divided into yellow and black aspergilli; the former included the species A. westerdijkiae, A. ochraceus, and A. occultus, able to produce ochratoxin A (OTA), the latter included an A. welwitschiae strain, genetically able to produce OTA and fumonisins. Most Penicillium strains were represented by P. olsonii, not able to produce regulated mycotoxins. Commercial Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) and biostimulant formulations were tested for controlling those pathogens and related decays. Potassium bicarbonate and the combination peracetic acid+hydrogen peroxide proved to completely prevent fungal growth. The same formulations were tested on tomato fruit against A. alternata morphotype alternata, which proved to be the most aggressive pathogen. Tests confirmed potassium bicarbonate and the combination peracetic acid+hydrogen peroxide as effective against disease incidence and severity, particularly when applied by dipping. These promising results support their use in larger-scale trials
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