Practical Approach Research Articles

Antibiotic Potentiation Through Phytochemical-Based Efflux Pump Inhibitors to Combat Multidrug Resistance Bacteria.

Antimicrobial resistance development poses a significant danger to the efficacy of antibiotics, which were once believed to be the most efficient method for treating infections caused by bacteria. Antimicrobial resistance typically involves various mechanisms, such as drug inactivation or modification, drug target modification, drug uptake restriction, and drug efflux, resulting in decreased antibiotic concentrations within the cell. Antimicrobial resistance has been associated with efflux Pumps, known for their capacity to expel different antibiotics from the cell non-specifically. This makes EPs fascinating targets for creating drugs to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The varied structures of secondary metabolites (phytomolecules) found in plants have positioned them as a promising reservoir of efflux pump inhibitors. These inhibitors act as modifiers of bacterial resistance and facilitate the reintroduction of antibiotics that have lost clinical effectiveness. Additionally, they may play a role in preventing the emergence of multidrug resistant strains. The objective of this review article is to discuss the latest studies on plant-based efflux pump inhibitors such as terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, and tetralones. It highlighted their potential in enhancing the effectiveness of antibiotics and combating the development of multidrug resistance. Efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) derived from botanical sources, including compounds like lysergol, chanaoclavine, niazrin, 4-hydroxy-α-tetralone, ursolic acid, phytol, etc., as well as their partially synthesized forms, have shown significant potential as practical therapeutic approaches in addressing antimicrobial resistance caused by efflux pumps. Further, several phyto-molecules and their analogs demonstrated superior potential for reversing drug resistance, surpassing established agents like reserpine, niaziridin, etc. Conclusion: This review found that while the phyto-molecules and their derivatives did not possess notable antimicrobial activity, their combination with established antibiotics significantly reduced their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Specific molecules, such as chanaoclavine and niaziridin, exhibited noteworthy potential in reversing the effectiveness of drugs, resulting in a reduction of the MIC of tetracycline by up to 16 times against the tested strain of bacteria. These molecules inhibited the efflux pumps responsible for drug resistance and displayed a stronger affinity for membrane proteins. By employing powerful EPIs, these molecules can selectively target and obstruct drug efflux pumps. This targeted approach can significantly augment the strength and efficacy of older antibiotics against various drug resistant bacteria, given that active drug efflux poses a susceptibility for nearly all antibiotics.

One Health and sex and gender-related perspective in the ecosystem: Interactions among drivers involved in the risk of leptospirosis in Europe. A scoping review

Leptospirosis has a complex transmission, involving rodents and many species of domestic and wild animals. Carrier animals spread leptospires, contaminating soil and water, the main sources of human infection. The risk of infection is modulated by socio-economic factors, environment and host animals and has changed, historically linked to agriculture but now prevalent in recreational environments. Leptospirosis also reveal gender-specific exposure patterns that determine infection risks. Emphasizing the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment, the One Health approach highlights the ecosystem dynamics through which leptospires interact with hosts and abiotic factors, ensuring their survival and transmission.We advocate for integrating gender considerations into the ecosystem dynamics of complex zoonoses, such as leptospirosis, through a One Health perspective. This approach, yet to be fully explored, may enhance our understanding of the infection and its modulating factors. A scoping review of the literature was conducted across Embase and Pubmed databases to collect information on sex and gender-specific drivers, sources of infections, environmental drivers, and related risks of leptospirosis. Quantitative data were extracted from the articles selected according to a list of criteria, and analyzed to discern sex and gender disparities and identify primary drivers of leptospirosis. We confirmed that the excess of male leptospirosis cases described in many parts of the world is also present in Europe. Furthermore, we identified environmental and sociocultural drivers and hypothesized their interactions between and within human, animal, and environmental sectors. These interactions modulate direct and indirect exposure to Leptospira, heightening infection risks across the ecosystem. Based on our findings, utilizing leptospirosis as a model, we advocate for integrating One Health and gender approaches in public health practices to better plan and implement more effective and timely intervention measures.

The right to respect for private life: ukrainian approach and European Court of Human Rights practice

The right to respect for private life is one of the fundamental values in modern society. That is why it is im-portant to ensure its reliable protection. In European practice, in particular, in the practice of the European Court of Human Rights (echr), clear approaches to understanding the essence and constituent elements of the right to private life have been elaborated. However, in Ukraine, despite the establishment of the right to private (personal) life at the constitutional level, the approach to its ensuring is not perfect. In Ukraine, there is no clear definition of the scope and constituent elements of the right to private life, there are ongoing discussions regar-ding the very concept of “private life”. To improve the current situation in Ukraine, it is worth taking into account the echr practice, which clearly defines the content and constituent elements of the right to private life. It is also necessary to consider the echr practice when ensuring the right to personal data protection, which is an important element of the right to respect for private life. The personal data protection in Ukraine also needs some improvements based on modern European practice in order to bring it into line with European standards.

A needs-based perspective on long-term care, obesity, and old age

Definition of the problemObesity is a burgeoning challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. In times of demographic change, it also affects an increasing number of older persons, presenting substantial challenges to delivering health and nursing care in both acute and long-term care (LTC) settings. So far, a detailed analysis of the diverse group of 65+ in this field is missing, particularly in the area of LTC. The needs of neither care recipients, nor those of nurses and institutions are monitored, analyzed, or systematically evaluated. Moreover, ethical implications of professional care for older persons with obesity have not yet been discussed in research and policy.ArgumentsWe argue that a needs-based approach is appropriate to address these ethical complexities. We further argue that a comprehensive mapping of the ethical terrain is best from an interdisciplinary and mixed methods perspective. For this, we conduct a scoping review to synthesize the state-of-the-art in both the healthcare and LTC settings; and we focus on challenges reported in case studies from professional care settings in European and North American institutions.ConclusionOur findings point to a lack of research on ethical issues related to the LTC needs of older persons living with obesity and the challenges faced by their professional carers. From the limited number of (case) studies that can be found, however, a series of ethical concerns emerge that have direct import for access, utilization, and quality of care. Accordingly, a new research agenda is needed to inform an ethical approach for policy and practice. It must be rooted in a concern for both care recipients and caregivers in mixed methods studies. Future research should provide criteria for balancing needs, allocating resources and developing practical solutions for people who are confronted with multiple stigma.

Does Practicing Only Yoga Asanas Impact Executive Functioning, Emotion Regulation, and Emotional Well-Being Among College Students with Anxiety and Depression? An Exploratory Study in India

The current study aimed to document the psychological benefits (if any) of hatha yoga on emotion regulation, emotional well-being and executive functioning in college students with depression and anxiety disorders. 83 participants (31 Males and 52 Females), 19 in Clinical Experimental (yoga practitioners with anxiety and depression), 21 in Clinical Control (non-yoga practitioners with anxiety and depression), 19 in Non-Clinical Experimental (yoga practitioners without anxiety and depression) and 24 in Non-Clinical Control (non-yoga practitioners of yoga without anxiety and depression) were recruited in the present study. Participants were assessed on emotional regulation, emotional well-being and executive functioning. The one-way ANOVA analysis on the four groups for different variables showed no significant differences. The results could be because practicing yoga asanas only as a fitness regime do not suffice to bring about changes in psychological processes as Hatha yoga focuses only on physical asanas (Csala et al., 2021). Conclusively, an inclusive approach of yoga, meditation and positive practices are important to bring about affective changes in participants’ emotional well-being and emotion regulation (Bhide et al., 2021).

An engineering of professionalization of the teaching profession through experiential learning and reflexivity: Towards an evaluative approach of new teaching practices

An engineering of professionalization of the teaching profession through experiential learning and reflexivity: Towards an evaluative approach of new teaching practices

A life span perspective on competencies for a healthy, physically active lifestyle: Findings of a data pooling initiative with over 7000 individuals.

Individuals are recommended to lead active lifestyles throughout the life course. The model of physical activity-related health competence (PAHCO) adopts a competence approach by integrating physical, cognitive, and motivational determinants for health-enhancing PA (movement competence, control competence, self-regulation competence). Drawing on a comprehensive dataset pooling, the goal of the present study was to model the idiosyncratic courses of 10 PAHCO indicators over the life span. We identified studies that empirically operationalized PAHCO, combining data of 7134 individuals (age range: 15-97years; 61% female) from 18 different populations (prevention and rehabilitation sectors). We applied a stepwise multilevel analysis approach with disjunct sub-samples (n=48) to examine linear and quadratic associations between age and PAHCO. Indicators of movement competence (i.e., manageability of endurance, strength, and balance demands; task-specific self-efficacy) congruently showed negative associations with age (0.054≤ ≤0.211). However, parameters of control competence remained stable across the life span (-0.066≤β≤0.028). The three indicators of self-regulation competence revealed an inconsistent relationship with age, though uncovering positive associations for self-control (β=0.106) and emotional attitude toward PA (β=0.088). The associations of some indicators varied significantly across sub-samples. The results suggest differential analyses for associations between PAHCO and age. While the physically determined PAHCO indicators (movement competence) probably decline across the life span, the ability to ensure regularity of PA (self-regulation competence) or align PAs with an individual's health (control competence) appear to remain constant or improve with increasing age. The findings reinforce a de-stigmatizing approach for PA promotion practices with considerable space for aligning activities with health also in the elderly.

Having Impact and Doing It Quickly: The Place for Brief and Single-Session Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies in Sport Psychology Practice

Cognitive-behavioral therapies and related approaches are highly prevalent within sport psychology practice. Traditionally, these approaches are delivered across interventions comprising multiple sessions. However, in the fast-paced environments in which many applied sport psychologists operate, practitioners are sometimes required to provide fast, effective, and impactful interventions to athletes at their point of need within a single session. Single-session integrated cognitive-behavioral therapy presents a potentially effective approach for practice wherein time is often at a premium, and there is frequently pressure to make an impact quickly to improve performance. In this article, we put forward a stimulus piece that contextualizes single-session integrated cognitive-behavioral therapy and overviews how sport psychology practitioners may use such techniques with athletes. We also put forth a call for more practitioners to report more idiographic case studies that feature the use of brief or single-session interventions to further build the evidence base for such approaches.

A New Construct in Undergraduate Medical Education Health Humanities Outcomes: Humanistic Practice.

Proposed educational outcomes for the health humanities in medical education range from empathy to visual thinking skills to social accountability. This lack of widely agreed-upon high-level curricular goals limits humanities educators' ability to design purposeful curricula toward clear, common ends and threatens justifications for scarce curricular time. We propose a novel approach to the hoped-for outcomes of health humanities training in medical schools, which has the potential to encompass traditional health humanities knowledge, skills, and behaviors while also being concrete and measurable: humanistic practice. Humanistic practice, adapted from the concept of ethical sensitivity, is an intentional process of applying humanities knowledge and skills to a clinical scenario by 1) noticing that the scenario requires humanities knowledge or skills, 2) informing one's clinical and interpersonal strategy and behavior with humanities knowledge or skills, 3) reflecting on the effectiveness of the strategy and behavior, and 4) reorienting to develop new approaches for future practice. The construct of humanistic practice may help address some of the foundational problems in health humanities outcomes research since it transcends the traditional diverse content domains in the health humanities, can link patient and provider experiences, and may bridge the divide among the additive, curative, and intrinsic epistemic positions of humanities to medical education.

Research on Development Strategies of Secretarial Studies in the Era of Integrated Media

The application of artificial intelligence, AR/VR, and other digital technologies has profoundly changed the demands and forms of the secretarial industry. Higher education institutions offering secretarial studies must keep pace with social development, redesign talent development models, curriculum frameworks, and teaching methods to cultivate highly skilled professionals who meet future job requirements. In the era of integrated media, secretarial studies face multiple crises, including a lack of awareness among teachers about integrated media teaching, inadequate application of integrated media technology in practical training, and a deficiency of innovative methods and content in practical teaching. However, the era of integrated media also brings opportunities for the development of secretarial studies, including effective integration of the professional characteristics of secretarial studies with the demands of the integrated media era, providing feasibility for cross-disciplinary cooperation with integrated media technology, and expanding the development space of secretarial studies. To address these challenges and opportunities, the development of secretarial studies requires a parallel approach of theory and practice, cultivating numerically intelligent secretarial professionals; leveraging integrated media technology to construct a multi-dimensional teaching system based on societal demands and enhancing media literacy. Through these measures, secretarial studies will better adapt to the development demands of the integrated media era, laying the foundation for cultivating application-oriented professionals capable of meeting future secretarial career requirements.

Film + Design

The design of scenography, staging, lighting and objects for representation and presentation within the film genre forms one of the most seductive areas in the practice of interior design.?The merging of space and movement within this medium provide context and site for the visual translation of narrative, engagement of image and spectacle and discourse surrounding the iconography and imagery of history, culture and society. This studio, delivered to second and third year interior design students at the University of South Australia, delved into the multi-disciplinary practice of the film process. It introduced students to the various roles and responsibilities of the designer working within the medium of film. It attempted to meld the theoretical and practical through a series of design projects which analysed and developed design proposals while challenging traditional realms of interior design practice. Four specific theory lectures were developed to provide a theoretical reference for the project work. These were structured to explore notions of montage, place, and fragmentation through representation and imagery. To augment these lectures and translate existing skills into the conventions of film design practice, practical workshops exploring the techniques of script breakdown, drafting, lighting and packaging formed an integral part of the lecture series. To develop critical analysis and observation of existing practices, students were asked to watch a minimum of ten films - either from the supplied listing' or as proposed. They were asked to comment both in visual and text form, on the various devices used to visualize the narrative in each film. To do so, they identified the broad themes of the film and documented design methods used to represent these themes - form, lighting, spatial sequencing, etc Gaining an understanding of a body of film works allowed students to engage in both theoretical and practical approaches to the design process in a reflective and responsive way.

Development of Virtual Classes and Laboratories with Remote Access

When comparing a few decades ago to now, the educational system has undergone various technological revolutions, particularly with the usage of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), which have changed the process of teaching and learning. VLEs with internet services play a major role in the storage of information and its dissemination. With the use of VLEs, there emerges the challenge of bringing practical classes online, engaging the students in practical sessions as it is in traditional laboratories. Though, there have been various simulators but they are not geared towards educational sessions but practically for industrial use and are not curriculum-based, this has been a major concern in engaging the students practically at a distance level according to the instructor’s plan. Hence, in this work, a robust VLE has been designed and implemented. The system has an evaluated model that was developed with MySQL and PHP, which served as the database and server-side programming, respectively. The proposed VLE offers an interactive web-enabled approach for online learning and practice, practical recordings are uploaded, and practical simulations are handled. Qualitative assessments were carried out on the gathered data from the 100 respondents through the use of the questionnaire. Performance metrics such as response time, latency, availability, reliability and scalability were used to conduct a comparative analysis between the existing VLEs and the developed VLE. The findings of the study showed that the utilisation of the proposed VLE has the potential to cause a positive transformation and a paradigm shift in educational institutions.

Survival Analysis up to 8 Years of 304 Anatomic-Contour Implant Zirconia Crowns Fabricated with a Fully Digital Cast-Free Workflow and Directly Screwed on External Hexagonal Implant Connections without the Interposition of a Ti-Base: A Multicentric Retrospective Study.

Data on the clinical performance of monolithic Zirconia screw-retained crowns on external hexagon implants fabricated from digital scans through a cast-free, fully digital workflow is lacking and needs to be included. This retrospective multicentric study aimed to evaluate the real-life clinical results of monolithic Zirconia screw-retained crowns without the interposition of a Ti-base on external hexagon implants fabricated from intraoral scans and a cast-free approach in private practices. Single external hex implant fixtures were restored with monolithic zirconia crowns without the interposition of a Tibase. The crowns were directly screwed on external hexagonal implant connections with a castfree, fully digital workflow. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Kaplan- Meier test. Between September 2022 and March 2023, the California Dental Association modified criteria were adopted for clinical evaluation after recalling all patients. A total of 304 single tooth restorations in the maxillary and mandibular posterior regions fabricated between July 2014 and July 2022 in 252 patients (120 males and 132 females, mean age 53.6 years, SD 23.3). Seven crowns were excluded because of patient dropout. The most common minor technical complications were screw loosening (3 crowns) and loss of the screw-access hole filling (3 crowns). Four failures included two implant failures with mobility and two fractured crowns. No screw or implant fractures were recorded. The overall cumulative survival rate was 98.6% and the average success rate (crowns experiencing no failures or complications) was 96.0%. The mean overall survival time was 101.3 months (standard error, 0.847; 95% confidence interval for the mean, 99.67-102.99). The overall survival probability was 87.9% up to 97 months. With careful case selection and comprehensive periodontal maintenance program, single crowns directly screwed onto an external hexagon platform have shown to have excellent survival and success (complication-free) rates, comparable to available data regarding single crowns with a metal implant- prosthetic interface.

Оформление прав на публичные земельные участки для целей разработки месторождений полезных ископаемых: практические аспекты

The author comes to the conclusion that current problems associated with the registration of rights to a land plot are largely provoked by conflict of laws rules or gaps in the legislation. We are talking, first of all, about determining the spatial boundaries of a land plot that a subsoil user can lease without bidding, as well as about transferring an agricultural land plot into industrial land. In the latter case, difficulties arise due to the wording of the Law “On Transfer” regarding references to town-planning documents, as well as the need to provide a reclamation project. The article highlights the changing approach of judicial practice to the interpretation of the term “exclusive right” and the negative consequences of the lack of support from Rosnedra when registering rights to a land plot.

Институт «номинальный руководитель компании»: сущность, формы, мотивы и риски применения

The article is a multidimensional study of the institution of figurehead in the contexts of Russian corporate governance, legal regulation and judicial enforcement. Applying analytical methods of scientific research to analyze the institution of figurehead, the author seeks to consider various aspects of this institution, including its essence, forms, motives for use, punishability and associated risks. The work reveals the approach of Russian judicial practice to the definition of a “nominal leader” as a formal, not actual leader. The author hypothesizes that shadow corporate governance is one of the subsystems of the domestic shadow economy, and that “nominal management of the company’s operating practices” is a class of diverse structures, the generation of one part of which pursues frankly destructive goals in social terms, the other is situationally reasonable. Analyzing scientific publications, legislative acts, and judicial practice, the authors reveal individual forms of nominal management of a company: nominal shareholder, nominal company, nominal corporate act, nominal member of the board of directors, “multi-machine operator”, “technical premier”, member of the family business team, the executor of the instructions of the team of actual leaders, the textbook nominal director and situational-transit versions of the nominal leadership. The article highlights the risks of using forms of figurehead: a fundamental change in law enforcement practice, loss of time for management approvals, loss of confidential information, reputational and entrepreneurial, loss of business, withdrawal of assets and raider takeover. Administrative-legal, expert and corporate approaches are described in the discussion about the limits of punishment for “nominalities”, emphasizing the paradoxical nature of the institutional interpretation of the phenomenon of nominalities. In general, the article offers a broad scientific and applied discussion on interdisciplinary methodological grounds.

Organization of storage of various groups of medicines in pharmacy organizations

In the lecture, the significance of organizing the proper storage of various groups of pharmaceutical products in pharmacy institutions is discussed. The key principles and requirements for storing pharmaceutical products are illuminated, including maintaining the necessary temperature conditions, controlling humidity, tracking expiration dates, drug identification, as well as the peculiarities of storing light-sensitive and flammable medications. Special attention is given to the strict adherence to all established standards and procedures to ensure a high level of quality and safety in storing pharmaceutical products, in accordance with legislative requirements. Additionally, the lecture explores practical recommendations and current approaches to organizing the medication storage process to optimize the functioning of pharmacy organizations and to create conditions for safe and high-quality patient service.

Who Should We Blame for Android App Crashes? An In-Depth Study at Scale and Practical Resolutions

Android system has been widely deployed in energy-constrained IoT devices for many practical applications, such as smart phone, smart home, healthcare, fitness, and beacons. However, Android users oftentimes suffer from app crashes, which directly disrupt user experience and could lead to data loss. Till now, the community have limited understanding of their prevalence, characteristics, and root causes. In this article, we make an in-depth study of the crash events regarding ten very popular apps of different genres, based on fine-grained system-level traces crowd-sourced from 93 million Android devices. We find that app crashes occur prevalently on the various hardware models studied, and better hardware does not seem to essentially relieve the problem. Most importantly, we unravel multi-fold root causes of app crashes, and pinpoint that the most crashes stem from the subtle yet crucial inconsistency between app developers’ supposed memory/process management model and Android’s actual implementations. We design practical approaches to addressing the inconsistency; after large-scale deployment, they reduce 40.4% of the app crashes with negligible system overhead. In addition, we summarize important lessons learned from this study, and have released our measurement code/data to the community.

2-Oxabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes: Synthesis, Properties, and Validation as Bioisosteres of ortho- and meta-Benzenes.

We have developed a general and practical approach towards 2-oxabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes with two and three exit vectors via an iodocyclization reaction. The obtained compounds have been easily converted into the corresponding building blocks for use in medicinal chemistry. 2-Oxabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes have been incorporated into the structure of five drugs and three agrochemicals, and validated biologically as bioisosteres of ortho- and meta-benzenes.

An Eretmocerus Species, Parasitoid of Aleurocanthus spiniferus, Was Found in Europe: The Secret Savior of Threatened Plants

This study focuses on the first detection in Europe of a parasitoid Eretmocerus sp. gr. serius (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) on the Orange Spiny Whitefly, Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Through extensive field surveys, this study investigates the occurrence of the aphelinid in several regions across central and southern Italy. Different sites were monitored to investigate the Eretmocerus sp. gr. serius parasitization rate on A. spiniferus, shedding light on its potential as a biological control agent against the invasive whitefly pest. The research results offer a hopeful prospect for progressing sustainable and eco-friendly methods in handling A. spiniferus infestations in citrus crops, highlighting the importance of natural enemies in integrated pest management programs. The research emphasizes the importance of the recently discovered parasitoid for European agriculture, paving the way for inventive approaches in pest control and cultivation practices.

Proposal and practicality of an alternative blue-light hazard risk assessment method for high-intensity white-light sources at workplaces

Objectives. It is prescribed to determine blue-light hazard (BLH) weighted radiances, L B , for an assessment of spotlights with an angular subtense α ≥ 11 mrad . The BLH weighted irradiance, E B , can be used alternatively for smaller sources. Appropriate instruments are not common among persons commissioned with risk assessment (RA), and especially L B measurements may be challenging. Therefore, a practical BLH RA approach is proposed that is based on illuminance, E v , pre-calculated blackbody BLH efficacies of luminous radiation, K B,v Planck , and solid angle considerations. Methods. The practicality of this method was examined and compared against other RA approaches. Results. To ensure comparability of the applied instruments, measurements were performed close to a radiance standard, showing deviations within the lamp’s expanded uncertainties ( < 4 % ), whereas the deviations were ± 15 % for longer distances. Focusing on a complex light-emitting diode (LED) spotlight, all detected values could be converted to L B by means of the RA methods within ± 20 % . Two field tests with several spotlights yielded maximum permissible exposure durations (MPED) obtained from the different RA approaches that agreed among each other within uncertainties largely below ± 30 % . Conclusion. The general practicality of the proposed E v method can be concluded for a workplace BLH RA of white-light sources.