No abstract

Background Superficial and cutaneous fungal infections are common in tropical areas. The aim of this study was to provide a basic database of superficial and cutaneous mycoses and the most common etiological agents among patients. Methods Between 2015 and 2019, a total of 1807 patients suspected of superficial and cutaneous mycosis referring to the mycology laboratory of Shiraz medical school, Fars, Iran were evaluated. Specimens were taken from the patients’ affected area, and clinical samples were examined by direct microscopy and culture. The epidemiological profile of the patients was collected. Results A total of 750 patients were confirmed with mycoses. Positive samples totaled 750 cases consisting of the nail (373/49.7%), skin (323/43%), head (47/6.26%), and mucosal membrane (4/0.5%). The yeasts group included 304 Candida spp. (70.3%), 123 Malassezia spp. (28.47%), and 5 Rhodotorula spp. (1.1%). The filamentous fungi were distributed as 34.8% dermatophytes and 7.5% non‐dermatophyte. The clinical types of dermatophytosis were tinea unguium (110/261), tinea capitis (50/261), tinea pedis (48/261), tinea corporis (37/261), and tinea cruris (16/261). Non‐dermatophyte molds included A. flavus 17, A. niger 4, Aspergillus spp. 15, Penicillium. 10, Fusarium 6, Mucor 2, Stemphylium 1, and Alternaria 1. Conclusion This study provides useful data for the study trends of superficial and cutaneous fungal infections in a specific area. The mycological data confirmed higher incidence of candidiasis (mainly onychomycosis) and dermatophytosis in patients affected by fungal pathogens, which helped to better understand the epidemiological aspects of these mycoses.

No abstract

No abstract

Thrombin is a serine protease with an essential role in homeostasis and blood coagulation. During vascular injuries, thrombin is generated from prothrombin, a plasma protein, to polymerize fibrinogen molecules into fibrin filaments. Moreover, thrombin is a potent stimulant for platelet activation, which causes blood clots to prevent bleeding. The rapid and sensitive detection of thrombin is important in biological analysis and clinical diagnosis. Hence, various biosensors for thrombin measurement have been developed. Biosensors are devices that produce a quantifiable signal from biological interactions in proportion to the concentration of a target analyte. An aptasensor is a biosensor in which a DNA or RNA aptamer has been used as a biological recognition element and can identify target molecules with a high degree of sensitivity and affinity. Designed biosensors could provide effective methods for the highly selective and specific detection of thrombin. This review has attempted to provide an update of the various biosensors proposed in the literature, which have been designed for thrombin detection. According to their various transducers, the constructions and compositions, the performance, benefits, and restrictions of each are summarized and compared.