Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is a spectrum of several progressive disease manifestations caused by Aspergillus species in patients with underlying structural lung diseases. Duration of symptoms longer than three months distinguishes CPA from acute and subacute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. CPA affects over 3 million individuals worldwide. Its diagnostic approach requires a thorough Clinical, Radiological, Immunological and Mycological (CRIM) assessment. The diagnosis of CPA requires (1) demonstration of one or more cavities with or without a fungal ball present or nodules on chest imaging, (2) direct evidence of Aspergillus infection or an immunological response to Aspergillus species and (3) exclusion of alternative diagnoses, although CPA and mycobacterial disease can be synchronous. Aspergillus antibody is elevated in over 90% of patients and is the cornerstone for CPA diagnosis. Long-term oral antifungal therapy improves quality of life, arrests haemoptysis and prevents disease progression. Itraconazole and voriconazole are alternative first-line agents; voriconazole is preferred for patients with contra-indications to itraconazole and in those with severe disease (including large aspergilloma). In patients co-infected with tuberculosis (TB), it is not possible to treat TB with rifampicin and concurrently administer azoles, because of profound drug interactions. In those with pan-azole resistance or intolerance or progressive disease while on oral triazoles, short-term courses of intravenous liposomal amphotericin B or micafungin is used. Surgery benefits patients with well-circumscribed simple aspergillomas and should be offered earlier in low-resource settings.Phomoxanthone A, a bioactive xanthone dimer isolated from the endophytic fungus Phomopsis sp., is a mitochondrial toxin weakening cellular respiration and electron transport chain activity by a fast breakup of the mitochondrial assembly. Here, a multi-disciplinary strategy has been developed and applied for identifying phomoxanthone A target(s) to fully address its mechanism of action, based on drug affinity response target stability and targeted limited proteolysis. Both approaches point to the identification of carbamoyl-phosphate synthase 1 as a major phomoxanthone A target in mitochondria cell lysates, giving also detailed insights into the ligand/target interaction sites by molecular docking and assessing an interesting phomoxanthone A stimulating activity on carbamoyl-phosphate synthase 1. Thus, phomoxanthone A can be regarded as an inspiring molecule for the development of new leads in counteracting hyperammonemia states.Pharmacology has developed many drugs to treat infections, but many people, especially in developing countries, cannot afford to purchase them, and still depend on traditional knowledge and local medicinal plants to fight off infections. In addition, numerous microbes have developed resistance to the pharmaceutical drugs developed to fight them, and for many, such as Covid-19, effective drugs remain to be found. Ethnomedicinal knowledge is useful, not only for local people as a source of medicine for primary health care, but also for new pharmacological discoveries. This study aimed to identify the plants that the Karen, the largest hill-tribe ethnic minority in northern and western Thailand, use for treatments of infectious diseases. We present a meta-analysis of data from 16 ethnobotanical studies of 25 Karen villages with the aim of understanding traditional knowledge and treatments and point to potential plants for further pharmacological development. The Karen used 127 plant species from 59 plant families to treat infections and infectious diseases. The Cultural Important Index (CI) showed that the Leguminosae, Euphorbiaceae, Asteraceae, Lauraceae, Apocynaceae, Menispermaceae, and Lamiaceae were the most commonly used families. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/resatorvid.html As for species, Cleidion javanicum, Tinospora crispa, Litsea cubeba, Aesculus assamica, Tadehagi triquetrum, Senna alata, Tithonia diversifolia, Embelia sessiliflora, and Combretum indicum were the most commonly used in treatments of infectious diseases. We suggest that these plant species should be the first to be pharmacologically tested for possible development of medicines, and the remaining species registered should subsequently undergo testing.Background The parameter uncertainty in the six-dimensional health state short form (SF-6D) value sets is commonly ignored. There are two sources of parameter uncertainty uncertainty around the estimated regression coefficients and uncertainty around the model's specification. This study explores these two sources of parameter uncertainty in the value sets using probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) and a Bayesian approach. Methods We used data from the original UK/SF-6D valuation study to evaluate the extent of parameter uncertainty in the value set. First, we re-estimated the Brazier model to replicate the published estimated coefficients. Second, we estimated standard errors around the predicted utility of each SF-6D state to assess the impact of parameter uncertainty on these estimated utilities. Third, we used Monte Carlo simulation technique to account for the uncertainty on these estimates. Finally, we used a Bayesian approach to quantifying parameter uncertainty in the value sets. The extent of parameter uncertainty in SF-6D value sets was assessed using data from the Hong Kong valuation study. Results Including parameter uncertainty results in wider confidence/credible intervals and improved coverage probability using both approaches. Using PSA, the mean 95% confidence intervals widths for the mean utilities were 0.1394 (range 0.0565-0.2239) and 0.0989 (0.0048-0.1252) with and without parameter uncertainty whilst, using the Bayesian approach, this was 0.1478 (0.053-0.1665). Upon evaluating the impact of parameter uncertainty on estimates of a population's mean utility, the true standard error was underestimated by 79.1% (PSA) and 86.15% (Bayesian) when parameter uncertainty was ignored. Conclusions Parameter uncertainty around the SF-6D value set has a large impact on the predicted utilities and estimated confidence intervals. This uncertainty should be accounted for when using SF-6D utilities in economic evaluations. Ignoring this additional information could impact misleadingly on policy decisions.