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Perhaps this goes without saying, but I never planned to be a single mom. Some women do, but I always planned to be a great mother while simultaneously being a [...]

'Most white Christians are good people who do not understand themselves to be prejudiced. That's one of the insidious things about prejudice--it is invisible to those who hold it.' --Ethicist [...]

Background: Dennettia tripetala(Pepperfruit) is an important medicinal plant in some West African communities. This study was designed to examine the antibacterial properties and wound-healing abilities of D. tripetalaessential oil on mice with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) infections. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to analyse the essential oil (EO) extracted by hydro-distillation from the dried fruits of D. tripetala. MRSA was identified using 30 µg cefoxitin disk, CHROMagar, and Polymerase Chain Reaction. Congo red agar and tube technique were used to assess the production of biofilms. The antimicrobial susceptibility for both antibiotics and essential oil was determined by Kirby Bauer and broth dilution methods. Eleven male mice were used in the invivostudy, and each animal had wound infection on the dorsal inter-scapular skin region created with a 6 mm biopsy punch and 50 μl (adjusted to 0.5 McFarland standard) of MRSA. The size of the wound and its histological characteristics were used to estimate healing rate. Results: The GC–MS investigation of the essential oil revealed six compounds, with benzene (2-nitroethyl) being the most prominent. Out of the eighteen (18) isolates examined, 12 MRSA strains were identified using the three methods for methicillin resistance determination, with about 80% of them being classified as biofilm producers. More than 60% of the MRSA isolates were resistant to erythromycin, fusidic acid, gentamicin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. The essential oil had greater antibacterial activity than the reference antibiotic, vancomycin. The essential oil had a minimum inhibitory concentration of 80 l/ml and a minimum bactericidal concentration of 160 l/ml (v/v). Haematoxylin and eosin staining revealed that the skin tissue that had been exposed to D. tripetalaessential oil had a thicker epithelial layer, numerous fibroblasts, a build-up of collagen, and many blood cells. Conclusions: The results showed that D. tripetalaessential oil has powerful anti-staphylococcal properties as well as the capacity to expedite wound healing. This suggests that D. tripetalaessential oil could be a successful candidate for developing a topical agent for wound management.

An interview with Katharine Hayhoe who is a climate scientist, chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy and professor of political science at Texas Tech University is presented. Topics include talks about theory of change in book ‘Saving Us' and how does it help to move from talking about climate change to action that will hold warming.

The article informs that the U.S. President Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris administration sent a message to Americans and estranged global allies by appointing John Kerry as the first special presidential envoy on climate change. Topics include architect of the Paris Agreement on climate change, a diplomatic breakthrough to herald an era of cooperation between U.S. and China; and the U.S. retreated from major international commitments and domestic leadership on climate change.

The article discusses the Christian values related to economy according to the Bible. It reports on the case of Addies Polk who was forcibly evicted from her home in Akron, Ohio on October 1, 2008 due to the three mortgages with predatory terms. Details on Christian values such justice, sustainability, compassion are also discussed. INSET: LEARN MORE—Get involved.

The article examines that the COP56 talks in Glasgow have been described in the media as the last chance to save the planet. Topics include considered that the talks are to be deemed a success substantial progress should be made in three areas such as raising the ambition of national climate plans; supporting climate-vulnerable developing countries; and advancing the Paris Agreement's implementation guide, known as the Paris Rulebook.