Practical Conditions Research Articles

The Effect of Different Types of Drinking Water Plastic Tanks Used at Homes on Water Quality: A Study of Various Samples under Standard Conditions

Aim: The study aimed to find any differences in water quality stored by using different types of plastic tanks. Subject and Methods: Four types of plastic tanks were used in the study: polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, and polyvinyl chloride. The experiments were done at the laboratory under practical conditions, like stored water volume, time, and temperature. The water was analyzed for electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, pH, and the presence of some chemical contaminants. Results: The results between conductivity and the total dissolved solid gave a positive direct relation of (r = 0.7), while the results between conductivity and pH gave a negative inverse relation of (r= -0.5). There was a variation and an increasing concentration value in tank type of polycarbonate, and polyvinyl chloride than other types, while there were the same concentrations value in all tank types of Lead, that showed concentrations below (0.01) micrograms per liter. There were statistical differences between tank types, of Bisphenol A and Phthalates, while the remaining was not significant. There was a statistical difference in the water stored in polyethylene and polypropylene tanks, which contained acceptable parameters than other types. Conclusion: The study findings emphasize the importance of thinking about made material traits whilst selecting a tank type for storing water at home, and storing water by using polyethylene and polypropylene tanks to reduce the health risks from the librating of chemicals to the stored water.

Optimization of Coreless PCB Coils Based on a Modified Taguchi Tuning Method for WPT of Pedelec

The printed circuit board (PCB) winding coil offers advantages such as small size, high precision, high repeatability, and low cost, making it conducive to the miniaturization of electronic equipment and a popular choice in wireless power transmission systems. This paper aims to clarify the correlation between induction parameters and inductive capabilities using the orthogonal array of the modified Taguchi method for Pedelec applications. The conventional Taguchi method typically achieves only local optimization; however, this paper considers practical application conditions and combines experimental data to establish the initial values of the orthogonal array, thereby achieving global optimization. Additionally, the tuning process of the Taguchi method replaces physical experiments with simulations, enhancing optimization speed and reducing hardware implementation costs. The performance index for the proposed modified Taguchi tuning method is selected as a combination of the quality factor (Q) and coupling coefficient (k) to minimize AC resistance and improve system efficiency. To validate the proposed method, the designed coils were implemented and tested in a WPT system based on S–S compensation with a half-bridge topology. The experimental results demonstrate that the optimized PCB coil parameters derived from the proposed tuning method accurately validate the method’s effectiveness and accuracy. From the measured results with the proposed modified tuning method, the system efficiency is increased by 43.87% and the system transmitting power is increased by 28.51%.

Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite anode with high sulfur tolerance and electrochemical activity for solid oxide fuel cells

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are regarded as attractive electrochemical energy conversion devices owing to their exceptional efficiencies and superb fuel flexibility. However, their widespread implementations are remarkably restricted by the inferior sulfur tolerance of state-of-the-art nickel-based cermet anodes under practical conditions. Herein, a layered NaLaTiO4 (NLTO) perovskite oxide with Ruddlesden-Popper structure is designed as a new anode for SOFCs operating on sulfur-containing fuels. After impregnating NLTO into a samaria-doped ceria (SDC) scaffold, such impregnated nanocomposite anode exhibits high electrochemical activity, sulfur tolerance and stability in H2S-containing fuels due to the polar layered structure, abundant oxygen vacancies, superior surface basicity and water storage capability, leading to the efficient removal of the deposited/adsorbed sulfur on the surface of this nanocomposite anode. The electrochemical activity of the NLTO-based composite anode for fuel oxidation is further improved by adding nickel nanoparticles through impregnation, showing enhanced power outputs and considerable operational stability in H2S-containing fuels. This study provides a new, high-performing and sulfur-resistant anode for SOFCs, which may promote the commercialization of this technology.

What Is Known from the Existing Literature about Hypopressive Exercise? A PAGER-Compliant Scoping Review.

Introduction: Hypopressive exercise (HE) can be viewed as a mind-body activity, characterized by the integration of breath control and stretching postures. Proponents of HE claim that this type of training can offer potential therapeutic or health benefits. To date, there is no existing comprehensive published overview on HE. This scoping review aims to map and summarize the current literature reporting data on HE and identify key knowledge gaps and future research directions. Methods: This review considered studies that report on the immediate, short-, or long-term practice of HE regardless of condition, sex, age, and/or level of practice or physical condition. Any context or setting was considered for inclusion. This review was performed in accordance with the methodological framework proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute and by Arksey and O'Malley. MEDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from inception up to July 2023. Literature was mapped following the Patterns-Advances-Gaps-Evidence for Practice Recommendations framework to identify patterns and inform practice. Results: In total, 87 studies were identified that reported on the following themes: (1) therapeutic application of a short- or long-term HE programs (n = 56); (2) physiologic and physical responsiveness to a short- or long-term HE programs (n = 22); (3) psychologic and behavioral response to a short-term HE program (n = 14); and (4) acute or immediate physiological responses (n = 21). Literature gaps included poor methodological design, incomplete reporting of intervention, lack of male participants, and exploration of muscle groups distinct from the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. Discussion: There is a need for high-quality randomized controlled trials, adherence to reporting guidelines on exercise, and the use of active control groups to verify clinical significance, the dose response, and health applications of HE.

Multiscale simulation of liquid chromatography: Effective diffusion in macro–mesoporous beds and the B-term of the plate height equation

We performed multiscale simulations of analyte sorption and diffusion in hierarchical porosity models of monolithic silica columns for reversed-phase liquid chromatography to investigate how the mean mesopore size of the chromatographic bed and the analyte-specific interaction with the chromatographic interface influence the analyte diffusivity at various length scales. The reproduced experimental conditions comprised the retention of six analyte compounds of low to moderate solute polarity on a silica-based, endcapped, C18 stationary phase with water‒acetonitrile and water–methanol mobile phases whose elution strength was varied via the volumetric solvent ratio. Detailed information about the analyte-specific interfacial dynamics received from molecular dynamics simulations was incorporated through appropriate linker schemes into Brownian dynamics diffusion simulations in three hierarchical porosity models received from physical reconstructions of silica monoliths with a mean macropore size of 1.23 µm and mean mesopore sizes of 12.3, 21.3, or 25.7 nm. The mean mesopore size was found to have a similar influence on the effective mesopore diffusivity as the analyte polarity and the mobile-phase elution strength, which together determine the analyte residence time on a column. A smaller mesopore size attenuated the increase of the effective mesopore diffusivity with increasing mobile-phase elution strength significantly. The effective bed diffusivity was limited by the analyte residence time rather than by morphological details of the mesopore space. The stronger an analyte was retained by the chromatographic interface inside the mesopores, the slower became the mass transfer between the pore space hierarchies and the lower was the effective bed diffusivity. The B-terms of the plate height equation were finally generated with the bed diffusivities and phase-based retention factors derived from the hierarchical porosity models using additional information about the stationary-phase limit obtained from the analysis of analyte–bonded phase contacts. The B-terms highlight analyte- and mobile phase-specific behavior relevant to isocratic and gradient elution conditions in chromatographic practice. In particular, U-shaped B-term curves are observed due to the dominating contribution of the retention factor and the bed diffusivity to the B-term at low and high elution strength of the mobile phase, respectively.

Advanced approach for active and durable proton exchange membrane fuel cells: Coupling synergistic effects of MNC nanocomposites

AbstractAtomically dispersed metal and nitrogen co‐doped carbon (MNC) is a promising oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst for electrochemical energy storage and conversion applications but typically suffers from low durability and activity under the acidic conditions of practical polymer electrolyte exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Recently, the performance of MNC nanocomposites under acidic ORR conditions has been enhanced by exploiting the synergistic coupling effects of their constituents (single‐atom sites, nanoclusters, and nanoparticles). The unique geometric structures formed by the coupling of diverse sites in these nanocomposites provide optimal electronic structures and efficient reaction pathways, thus resulting in high activity and long‐term durability. This work provides an overview of MNC nanocomposites as ORR electrocatalysts under practical PEMFC conditions, focusing on activity and durability enhancement methods and highlighting the strategies used to prepare electrocatalytically efficient MNC nanocomposites containing no or low amounts of platinum group metals. Progress in the development of advanced MNC nanocomposites as acidic ORR catalysts is discussed, and the pivotal role of synergistic effects resulting from the coupling sites within the nanocomposites is explored together with the characterization methods used to elucidate these effects. Finally, the challenges and prospects of developing MNC nanocomposites as next‐generation electrocatalysts are presented.image

Continuous and multicyclic sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting with heat recovery in arid climate

Nowadays, two-thirds of the global population are grappling with water scarcity. Sorption-based water harvesting (SAWH), which does not depend on conventional water sources and provides decentralized clean water, is steadily gaining popularity. However, the contradiction between the low daily water production in arid climates and the high energy consumption of large-scale devices has become a pivotal limitation for efficient water harvesting. Here, we report a multicyclic SAWH device with heat recovery equipped with 3 sorbent beds that alternatively desorb in automatic switching mode to achieve all-day continuous water harvesting. Furthermore, based on the rapid sorption and desorption kinetics of the adsorbent in the initial stages, employing a rapid-cycling operation strategy contributes to realize an outstanding water productivity of 8.07 kg day−1 and 0.21 kg kgsorbent−1 day−1 under practical arid conditions (15 °C/25 % RH). Besides, the apparatus equipped with heat regenerator showed a significant decrease in energy consumption from 12.17 kWh to 10.65 kWh during a desorption cycle (4 h). Moreover, a hybrid desorption mode driven by a combination of solar collector and electric heater is demonstrated in an island. This SAWH system is anticipated to provide a promising approach for large-scale efficient water harvesting in all-day arid regions (RH<35 %).

Important Practical Conditions for Getting the High-Quality Foam Concretes

Introduction. The most important reasons justifying the relevance of the research on the practical methods of reducing the consumption of materials in construction industry have been distinguished. The priorities of the Russian Federation referring to the foam concrete technology have been outlined. The level of reliability of the Internet resources describing properties of the dispersedly reinforced foam concretes has been briefly evaluated. The aim of the study is to establish the relationships between the individual properties of fiber, its quantity to the mass of cement ratio, and the most important operational properties of foam concrete manufactured using a single-stage technology.Materials and methods. The types and properties of raw materials used in the experimental research, the methods for controlling the properties of mixes and hardened foam concretes have been defined.Results. The relationship between the speed of phase transition of the viscoplastic properties of the foam concrete mixes into the elastic ones and the possibility of getting a high-quality structure of the hardened foam concrete have been briefly theoretically justified. The physical reasons influencing the direction and speed of forming the raw material dispersed particle clusters in the structure of the interpore partitions of foam concrete mixes have been revealed, which are the important factors to be considered in practice to get the high-strength foam concretes. Depending on the fiber concentration in the concrete mixture composition, the specifics of the fiber physical nature influence on the speed of phase transition from viscoplastic to elastic state have been established. It has been proved that the synergetic effect of dispersed reinforcement is achieved when fiber concentration is enough to provide the significant acceleration of the phase transition. New experimental data on the influence of the individual properties of fiber on the rheological and physico-mechanical properties of D500 foam concrete has been obtained.Discussion and Conclusion. The scientific explanation of the reasons for emergence of the electret effect on the surface of synthetic fiber has been given. It has been revealed that the discovered effect is induced by the specifics of the foam concrete mixture preparation using a single-stage technology. The most important practical conditions due to be met to get the high-strength foam concrete have been determined.

TBM Advanced Geological Prediction via Ellipsoidal Positioning Velocity Analysis

Traditional seismic wave-based tunnel advanced geological forecasting techniques are primarily designed for drill and blast method construction tunnels. However, given the fast excavation speed and limited prediction space in tunnel boring machine (TBM) construction tunnels, traditional methods have significant technical limitations. This study analyzes the characteristics of different types of TBM construction tunnels and, considering the practical construction conditions, identifies an effective observation system and data acquisition method. To address the challenges in advanced forecasting for TBM construction tunnels, a method of ellipsoid positioning velocity analysis, which takes into account the constraints of three-component data directions, is proposed. Based on the characteristics of the advanced forecasting observation system, this method compares the maximum values on the spatial isochronous ellipsoidal surface to determine the average velocity of the geological layer rays, thereby enabling accurate inversion of the spatial distribution ahead. Utilizing numerical simulation, a model for the advanced detection of typical unfavorable geological formations is established by obtaining the wave field response characteristics of seismic waves in three-dimensional space, and the velocity structure of the model is retrieved through this velocity analysis method. In the engineering example, the fracture property, water content, and weathering degree of the surrounding rock are predicted accurately.

SATURATION OF GAS CONCENTRATION SIGNAL OF THE LASER GAS SENSOR

Nowadays it is possible to determine the type of gas with sufficient accuracy when its concentration is less than fractions using spectroscopic methods (optical, radio engineering, acoustic). Along with this, the value of permissible concentrations of explosive, toxic, harmful to technology and ecology gases is practically important. Known physical experimental studies indicate only a linear dependence of the response of a laser gas sensor at units . The research methods for units are based on the processes of combustion, micro-explosion, structural and phase transformations and are not always applicable in real practical conditions. The work is devoted to the analysis of experimentally obtained fluctuations caused by a laser beam in a gas in a photodiode (signal receiver) due to its influence not only at the atomic level, but also on the scale of clusters of nanoparticle molecules. The gas concentration is estimated by the fluctuation-dissipation ratio. It is shown that the signal correlator is saturated to a constant value when the quantum (laser photon energy) and thermal (nanoparticle temperature) factors are comparable with an increase in the concentration of the target gas. The critical values of the saturation concentration are determined by the equality of these two factors.

Hypothyroidism and Transudative Ascites: Highlighting a Little-known Association

Hypothyroidism is a frequent condition in medical practice and clinical forms with ascites are exceptionally rare. After a review of the literature we found that the exudative nature of the fluid is the main feature associated with hypothyroidism, however no case of hypothyroidism associated with transudative ascites has been reported. We report a case of transudative ascites associated with hypothyroidism in a post thyroidectomy setting. This 72-year-old patient underwent total thyroidectomy 3 years ago, without supplementation with synthetic thyroid hormone. He had been treated in cardiology for compensated ischaemic heart disease for 4 months. He presented with apathy, significant physical asthenia and a hoarse voice. His general condition was altered, with a rounded, puffy face and infiltrated eyelids. The feet were oedematous. Haemodynamic constants revealed arterial hypotension. Ascites aspiration yielded a sterile, pauci-cellular, citrine-yellow, transudative fluid. After ruling out renal, glomerular and hepatic causes, the ascites persisted despite optimised treatment of his heart disease, making cardiac ascites unlikely. Signs of hypometabolism and myxedema, together with a very high TSH (TSHus = 54.26 microgr/L) and disappearance of ascites after thyroid hormone supplementation, supported the hypothesis of transudative ascites associated with hypothyroidism. Ascites associated with hypothyroidism is rare and the transudative nature of the fluid is exceptional; it is generally included in myxedema. Hypothyroidism is rarely manifested by ascites but can be considered after ruling out common causes. Hormonal treatment allows complete regression of ascites within a few weeks and constitutes a therapeutic test.

An Ultrasonic Ridge-Tracking Method Based on Limiter Sliding Window Filter and Fuzzy Pure Pursuit Control for Ridge Transplanter

There are various types of fruits and vegetables that need to be planted on ridges. In order to allow for seedlings with a certain row space and seedling space, the ridge transplanter should be able to track along the ridge. Therefore, an ultrasonic ridge-tracking method and system were developed to let the ridge transplanter track the ridge accurately. The ultrasonic ridge-tracking method mainly contains a limiter sliding window filtering algorithm and a fuzzy look-ahead distance decision model. The limiter sliding window filtering algorithm was proposed to filter the abnormal measuring results to avoid disoperation of the steering mechanism. Moreover, the fuzzy look-ahead distance decision model was proposed to determine the optimal look-ahead distance in order to obtain a desirable tracking performance. Additionally, a comparison experiment of the proposed ultrasonic ridge-tracking method and the universal pure pursuit method was conducted. The experimental results show that the greatest mean absolute errors of the lateral deviations of the ultrasonic ridge-tracking method and universal pure pursuit were 10.56 mm and 13.11 mm. The greatest maximum absolute errors of the lateral deviations of the ultrasonic ridge-tracking method and universal pure pursuit were 18.87 mm and 23.23 mm. In addition, the greatest root mean square error of the lateral deviation of the ultrasonic ridge-tracking method and the universal pure pursuit method were 13.52 mm and 15.66 mm. According to the ridge-tracking performance of the proposed ultrasonic ridge-tracking method, it can be used in practical transplanting conditions. Moreover, in other fields, robots or intelligent machinery can also apply the proposed ultrasonic ridge-tracking method to track objects similar to ridges.

Dry carbothermal reaction-enabled ultra-dense nanoparticle coatings for high-performance Li-S batteries

Electrocatalysts are crucial for facilitating the sluggish conversion between S and sulfide in Li-S batteries. Despite recent exploration of advanced materials, there remains a significant gap in the morphology design rationale oriented towards practical operation conditions. In this study, we introduce a dry process based on the carbothermal reaction of oxides to achieve nanoparticle (NP) electrocatalyst coatings. This process enables us to produce ultra-high-density NPs with several tens of particles per 100 nm x 100 nm area. We unveil that this high coating density boosts the conversion kinetics by dominating a solution-phase disproportionation reaction, thereby promoting the growth of non-passivating particulate sulfide. With this NP-coated cathode, we achieve excellent kinetic performance, maintaining 53 % of cell capacity retention even with a 50-fold increase in C-rate, and exhibiting only a 0.04 % capacity decay per cycle over 300 cycles at 10C. Remarkably, our cathode achieves an initial areal capacity of 7.51 mAh cm−2 in a full cell, significantly outperforming cells reported in previous studies as well as conventional Li-ion batteries.

Pilot Assessment of Impacts of Ozone and Ozone/Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment on the Fate of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Precursors.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) make up a large class of anthropogenic micropollutants prevalent in wastewater. Oxidative processes commonly used in wastewater potable reuse treatment may affect transformation of PFAS precursors, leading to elevated concentrations of perfluorinated alkyl acids (PFAAs) that are significant health concerns. This work conducted a pilot-scale investigation to assess the influence of ozonation (O3) and ozone/hydrogen peroxide (O3/H2O2) advanced oxidation process (AOP), respectively, on the fate of PFAS in a wastewater effluent subjected to reuse. The study evaluated 40 target PFAS and associated precursors [based on the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay] under various treatment conditions, including different ozone doses (1.0-4.0 mg·L-1), H2O2 doses (0-0.20 mg·L-1), and contact time (0-20 min). Results indicated that short-chain (C3-C7) PFAAs dominated in concentrations, while overall PFAA concentrations were elevated by both oxidative treatment processes, particularly after high-dose ozonation treatment. TOP assays revealed that there were considerable amounts of PFAA precursors in the reuse wastewater, and their concentrations were decreased after the oxidative treatment with an increase of some of the PFAAs. This pilot study demonstrated that ozone and ozone-based AOP treatments can have a moderate influence on the transformation of PFAS and increase in PFAA levels under practical conditions.

Drawing together the micro and macro politics of pedagogy as a formative cultural technology

ABSTRACT This paper considers how a formative approach to pedagogy might intervene in the conditions of higher education teaching practices, discourses, and organisational priorities today. While the higher education sector is resolutely turned towards the accumulation of skills or ‘content’ to produce a credentialed job-ready graduate, we do these graduates a disservice if how we educate fails to take account of their formation as persons, citizens, workers, neighbours, and indeed as graduates. This is a focus on what education philosopher Gert Biesta calls subjectification. Through education’s contribution to the making of populations, the neglect of this formative role of pedagogy has wider significance in the knowledge societies in which universities are operating. We first lodge the mattering of pedagogy within a contemporary moment in which calls to reform capitalism and redress democratic deconsolidation butt up against the fortunes of public knowledge and the consequences of hyper-individualist cultures. We then outline pedagogy as a formative cultural technology and provide examples and discussion from our own classroom practice.

Real-Time Dialysis Dose: Ionic Dialysis Versus Classical Urea Kinetic Modeling Indices.

Introduction Worldwide, over 850 million people need renal replacement therapy, and over 80% of them are on hemodialysis. The term "dialysis adequacy" is most often associated with the achievement of minimally acceptable indices - single pool Kt/V (spKt/V) and urea reduction ratio (URR%) and largely does not take into account other clinical indicators in patients. In addition, it should be taken into account that in the conditions of clinical practice, their measurement is carried out according to standards controlled by the regulatory structures and is carried out with a frequency between one and three months, and not during each dialysis procedure. Accordingly, based on the obtained value, we assume that it refers to the urea clearance of the entire dialysis prescription. A new methodology for measuring dialysis adequacy through ionic dialysis allows dose estimation in real time without the need for additional blood testsby recording the difference in sodium ion conductivity at the dialyzer inlet and outlet. The latter corresponds to the dialysis dose delivered and can be measured at each dialysis session, enabling timely therapeutic intervention at minimal cost to the community. The aim of this original article is to present ion dialysis to the community as a reliable and inexpensive alternative to classical urea kinetic modeling (UKM), evaluating the comparability of the two methods and the possible sources of error in the result. Material and methods This was a retrospective study of 32 patients undergoing hemodialysis at the Clinic of Nephrology and Dialysis at the University Hospital St. Marina (Varna, Bulgaria) for the period between January and December 2020.For each of the patients, four measurements (every three months) of the delivered dialysis dose were performed by ion dialysis and classical urea kinetic modeling in order to assess the comparability and reliability of the two methods. Results The analysis of the results proved a high correlation between the validated indicators of dialysis adequacy (spKt/V; URR) and those registered with online monitoring (online clearance monitor) by ionic dialysis - online Kt/V (onKt/V)while at the same time reporting a significant difference in the two methods - primarily based on the anthropometric formulas used to estimate the volume. The established regression models confirmed the high predictive value of ionic dialysis in relation to the actually delivered dose. Discussion Despite the high bond strength, our recorded values ​​for onKt/V are 8% lower compared to results using UKM. Therefore, onKt/V as an assessment metric has the ability to underestimate the dialysis dose received. Various factors as a possible source of error and its cause have been reported by some authors. Several studies have reported differences of 2-5% in instantaneous conductance measurements, which they associate mainly with differences in the diffusion coefficients of urea and sodium, as well as different effects of dialysis membrane charge or inadequate ultrafiltration correction. Conclusions Our study confirms that online clearance monitoring (OCM) is a practical non-invasive tool for daily use that complements the classic performance of OCM by helping to deliver an adequate dialysis dose with increased patient benefit and minimal cost of financial resources.

Efficient physics-informed transfer learning to quantify biochemical traits of winter wheat from UAV multispectral imagery

Accurate and efficient estimation of biochemical traits, including leaf index area (LAI), leaf chlorophyll content (LCC) and canopy chlorophyll content (CCC), is crucial for crop growth monitoring in agricultural management. Recent advancements in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) multispectral remote sensing have enabled fast and cost-effective measurements of these traits. However, traditional statistical regression models trained on specific datasets lack scalability and transferability across practical field conditions without retraining. This study proposed an efficient physics-informed transfer learning model (PITL) for winter wheat biochemical traits estimation from UAV multispectral data. The PITL integrates the strengths of physical radiative transfer simulations and deep neural network architectures through transfer learning to improve the estimation of biochemical traits from UAV multispectral data. The PITL was tested with convolutional neural network (CNN), deep neural network (DNN), and long short-term memory (LSTM) architectures. Results indicated that PITLDNN had better accuracy than PITLCNN and PITLLSTM models in predicting LAI (R2=0.94, RMSE = 0.32 m2/m2), LCC (R2=0.81, RMSE = 5.20 μg/cm2) and CCC (R2=0.928, RMSE = 0.2 g/m2). Moreover, PITLDNN demonstrated higher capability in computational efficiency, making it suitable for processing large volumes of UAV multispectral data in crop growth monitoring applications. Furthermore, PITL's integration of radiative transfer knowledge with labeled field data yielded higher predictive accuracy compared to physically-based inversion model, pure data-driven deep neural network approaches, and hybrid models. This study highlighted the performance of PITLDNN in accurately and efficiently quantifing biochemical traits from UAV multispectral data, thereby providing timely and accurate information for guiding crop growth monitoring applications.

Правовое регулирование добросовестных практик в сфере предпринимательства

The article deals with the peculiarities of legal regulation of fair practices in the course of entrepreneurial activity. According to the author, the maintenance of the system of fair practices is aimed at resolving the most complex issues of interaction between entrepreneurs and other participants of entrepreneurial activity. In the conditions of the modern market fair practices are considered in the context of the general problem of civil liability and sustainable business development. These problems are studied as a structural element of corporative social responsibility of business.

Applying Clinical Practice Guidelines on Chronic Headaches, Neck Pain, and Chest Symptoms: A Single Case Report

BACKGROUND: Neck pain and headaches are common conditions in physical therapy practice. Clinical practice guidelines (CPG’s) are forms of evidence designed to decrease practice variability and guide care. CPG recommendations are general, with few specific tactics recommended, which could be a factor in their limited adoption and poor application. This case report demonstrates an example of implementing the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy (AOPT) Neck Pain Revision CPG while also highlighting limitations and areas lacking specificity. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 37-year-old female with neck pain, chest pain, and headaches. She was treated following the recommendations within the AOPT CPG along with psychologically informed practice. The Neck Disability Index (NDI), Patient Specific Functional Scale (PSFS), Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), symptoms, and impairments were measured at evaluation, discharge, and 2 months post discharge. OUTCOMES: Clinically meaningful improvements in NDI and PSFS scores, improved cervical endurance, scapular strength, and cervical motor control were observed at discharge. Additional improvements in NDI scores were seen at 2-months post discharge. DISCUSSION: While the CPG promotes the use of manual therapy, exercise and general screening, the authors demonstrate specific techniques for identifying and managing fear avoidance behavior with cognitive and graded exposure techniques.

Evaluating video and hybrid group consultations in general practice: mixed-methods, participatory study protocol (TOGETHER 2).

General practice is facing an unprecedented challenge in managing the consequences of the pandemic. In the midst of a policy drive to balance remote and in-person service provision, substantial workload pressures remain, together with increasing prevalence of long-term conditions, and declining staff numbers and morale. To address these challenges, some practices in the UK have been delivering video and hybrid group consultations (VHGCs) providing clinical care to multiple patients at the same time. Despite positive initial findings and enthusiasm, there are still gaps in our understanding of the influence VHGCs have on patient experience, healthcare utilisation, quality, safety, equity and affordability. To generate an in-depth understanding of VHGCs for chronic conditions in general practice, surface assumptions and sociotechnical dynamics, inform practice and extend theorisation. Mixed-methods, multi-site research study using co-design and participatory methods, from qualitative, quantitative and cost-related perspectives. WP1 includes a national, cross-sectional survey on VHGC provision across the UK. In WP2 we will engage patients and general practice staff in co-design workshops to develop VHGC models with emphasis on digital inclusion and equity. In WP3 we will carry out a mixed-methods process evaluation in up to 10 GP practices across England (5 sites already running VHGCs and 5 comparison sites). Qualitative methods will include interviews, focus groups and ethnographic observation to examine the experiences of patients, carers, clinical and non-clinical NHS staff, commissioners and policy-makers. Quantitative methods will examine the impact of VHGCs on healthcare utilisation in primary and secondary care, patient satisfaction, engagement and activation. We will also assess value for money of group and individual care models from a health economics perspective. We aim to develop transferable learning on sociotechnical change in healthcare delivery, using VHGCs as an exemplar of technology-supported innovation. Findings will also inform the design of a future study.