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Evaluation of antibiotic resistance mechanisms in gram-positive bacteria
Get PDFThe prevalence of resistance in Gram-positive bacterial infections is rapidly rising, presenting a pressing global challenge for both healthcare systems and economies. The WHO categorizes these bacteria into critical, high, and medium priority groups based on the urgency for developing new antibiotics. While the first priority pathogen list was issued in 2017, the 2024 list remains largely unchanged. Despite six years having passed, the progress that has been made in developing novel treatment approaches remains insufficient, allowing antimicrobial resistance to persist and worsen on a global scale. Various strategies have been implemented to address this growing threat by targeting specific resistance mechanisms. This review evaluates antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Gram-positive bacteria, highlighting its critical impact on global health due to the rise of multidrug-resistant pathogens. It focuses on the unique cell wall structure of Gram-positive bacteria, which influences their identification and susceptibility to antibiotics. The review explores the mechanisms of AMR, including enzymatic inactivation, modification of drug targets, limiting drug uptake, and increased drug efflux. It also examines the resistance strategies employed by high-priority Gram-positive pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecium, as identified in the WHO's 2024 priority list
Optimising student internet navigation: a comparative analysis of machine learning algorithms for action prediction
Get PDFWeb-based learning has been promoted in education and students are required to retrieve online information to complete their assignments and study for exams. Research shows that challenges exist during information retrieval, especially with novice students. In this research, we aim to lessen these challenges by introducing a collaborative framework that gathers students’ searched keyphrases and analyses trends to predict the most effective subsequent keyphrase to search. The proposed solution encourages students to contribute by sharing their information retrieval trends while collectively benefiting from each other’s searching strategies. In addition, novice students will enrich their domain knowledge since the prediction results contain keyphrases searched by students from previous cohorts. Next-word prediction is a well-known area of NLP that is used to forecast the next word given a sentence or predict trends based on time-series data. Word suggestions are popular in mobile devices and studies show that users rely on them while they are typing. The methodology involves the implementation of a framework designed to collect online browsing activity. Undergraduate students studying a BSc in Computer Science were engaged to participate in an experiment wherein they installed a Google Chrome extension capable of collecting data and predicting suitable content related to the researched domain. The collected data consisted of URLs containing keyphrases that students searched during their studies. A feature engineering process was performed to analyse and transform the data into a time-series sequence of actions and to ensure that it is fit for the intended purpose. A grid-search method was employed on various machine learning models to identify the most effective hyper-parameters that can predict the next best keyphrase. The results obtained during an in-class test show that students relying on the predictions generated by the machine learning models outperformed those who depende
Reconsidering a sustainable future through artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) in the context of circular economy
No full textTo assure a sustainable future for current and future generations, the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which was set by the United Nations is imperative. Hence, a fundamental social and cultural shift toward resource efficiency and more sustainable lifestyles is required. In this context, the need for a circular economy is becoming more evident. New technologies can assist in meeting SDGs and achieving an effective circular economy. Particularly, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) are critical technologies for fulfilling these goals. The combination of AI with IoT leads to the Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) which has the potential to further facilitate the transition toward and amplify the benefits for a sustainable future. This chapter aims to examine how AI can support the achievement of SDGs and realization of a circular economy. Additionally, the 4R sustainability framework (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rethink) is presented as a proposed extension of the 3R principles. To assess its suitability, a Sociocultural, Technical, Economic, Environmental, Political, Legal, Ethical, and Demographic (STEEPLED) analysis is conducted. The need to educate the younger generations and re-educate adults to achieve changes in attitudes and mindsets toward sustainability was highlighted as a vital process. The need to further improve adaptability and reusability of resources emerged as a requirement to effectively maximize the 4Rs. AI emerged as a determining factor in achieving SDGs and creating a circular economy
The ripple effect of managerial behavior: exploring post-experimental impact of leading by example on small firms’ cooperation and performance
Get PDFCooperation between employees in a company is an important input to firm performance. This study examines how a manager’s cooperative behavior and the visibility of this behavior affect the cooperation amongst employees, and subsequently firm performance. To do so, we conducted a field experiment with managers and their employees from 320 Vietnamese small and micro firms to determine the impact of a manager’s leading by example (LBE) on employees’ behavior, corporate culture, and firm performance. Both managers and employees participated in a Public Good experiment which aimed to elicit an individual cooperative behavior. Noteworthy is that the decision made by a manager in the experiment was given as an example to employees before they made decision in that same experiment. We considered that the example of cooperation by managers in the Public Good experiment communicated a powerful signal to the employees regarding the importance of fostering cooperation in the workplace. Such a signal by the manager, who is at the top in the organizational hierarchy, would impact their employees’ behavior in the workplace and firm’s outcomes beyond the experiment. Interestingly, we found that concealing a manager’s identity from their employees enhances the impacts of LBE
Flow rate influence on sediment depth estimation in sewers using temperature sensors
Get PDFEnhancing sediment accumulation monitoring techniques in sewers will enable a better understanding of the build-up processes to develop improved cleaning strategies. Thermal sensors provide a solution to sediment depth estimation by passively monitoring temperature fluctuations in the wastewater and sediment beds, which allows evaluation of the heat-transfer processes in sewer pipes. This study analyses the influence of the flow conditions on heat-transfer processes at the water–sediment interface during dry weather flow conditions. For this purpose, an experimental campaign was performed by establishing different flow, temperature patterns, and sediment depth conditions in an annular flume, which ensured steady flow and room-temperature conditions. Numerical simulations were also performed to assess the impact of flow conditions on the relationships between sediment depth and harmonic parameters derived from wastewater and sediment-bed temperature patterns. Results show that heat transfer between water and sediment occurred instantaneously for velocities greater than 0.1 m/s, and that sediment depth estimations using temperature-based systems were barely sensitive to velocities between 0.1 and 0.4 m/s. A depth estimation accuracy of ±7 mm was achieved. This confirms the ability of using temperature sensors to monitor sediment build-up in sewers under dry weather conditions, without the need for flow monitoring
Corporate identity management: a study of employees’ perceptions in the context of the retail and the hospitality and tourism sectors
Get PDFThis research delves into the evolving landscape of corporate identity and its interplay with corporate reputation. To construct a relevant corporate identity scale, we relied on the existing literature and conducted comprehensive interviews with personnel in the hospitality and tourism, and retail sectors. We then gathered survey responses from 690 individuals in hospitality and tourism, and 649 in retail, to evaluate the corporate identity scale's dimensions and its link to corporate reputation. Our findings validate the proposed model, highlighting that corporate reputation is significantly shaped by various facets of corporate identity. Notably, empowerment directly influences corporate reputation, while elements like corporate purpose, strategy, culture, and a climate fostering inclusion and diversity have an indirect impact. The study underscores the importance of cultivating an inclusive, supportive workplace that prioritizes employee well-being and empowerment, thus underscoring employees’ pivotal role in enhancing an organization's reputation
How do scholars and academics differ?
No full textThis opening chapter discusses what the author considers as importance distinctions between a scholar and an academic, and suggests to whom specific agentic academic freedoms should be extended. To help with the distinction I call upon the notion of place, a location, which is best used to define academics, whereas it is intellectual space that defines scholars . I extend this to propose that the utility of the market is necessarily embedded in academic employment places and this is insufficient to warrant so called academic freedoms per se. By focusing on distinctive scholarly dispositions which could be encouraged to enable flourishing within intellectual spaces I suggest this then might justify specific personal freedoms, but questions the feasibility of generalised academic freedoms applicable to all of those doing broadly academics work (teaching, assessing research) and the restricted structures of places associated with its functional practice and administration. In this sense the argument does not support unconditional academic freedom but tries to identify to whom the privileges of academic freedom should apply, and why. To illustrate this point, a differentiation between scholar and academic is mainly discussed here but, in so doing, I acknowledged that a simple bifunction is inadequate for the actual complexity which embraces others such as public intellectuals and independent scholars. It is however important as the ex-higher education minster of the UK government said a university is expected to be “an institution that brings together a body of scholars to form a cohesive and self-critical academic community that provides excellent learning opportunities for people” . So, in a way, this chapter considers the very nature of the university
Human smugglers or criminalised migrants? Securitarian bordering and the criminalisation of ‘captains’ in the Mediterranean
Get PDFSmuggling industry plays a key role in the international migratory processes; it is a world-wide and often misunderstood phenomenon which operates in a multiplicity of spaces and at different stages: at the beginning of the ‘journey’ and along the route, when migrants need to rely on supporting networks to cross borders and continue their journey. This industry also operates in a concatenation of loops involving different actors, which include migrants who pilot the small boats transporting migrants across the sea. Although these migrants are not formally affiliated with the smuggling organizations, they find themselves unwittingly drawn into the activity, compelled to operate the boats ferrying migrants at sea and consequently facing criminalization processes. Focusing on the Eastern and Central Mediterranean Sea routes and drawing insights from 22 in-depth qualitative interviews with key informants based in Greece and Sicily, this paper seeks to enrich the existing body of knowledge concerning border securitization and the intersection of immigration control with criminal justice, often referred to as 'crimmigration'. The merging of criminal law and migration law prompts an inquiry into whether the prosecution of people who steer the boats carrying unauthorised migrants across the Mediterranean serves to combat human smuggling or rather as an avenue to criminalise migration itself. The article’s central argument posits that ‘captains’, instead of being integral members of organised human smuggling networks, represent only a small aspect of migratory dynamics. They are vulnerable targets whose criminalization is indicative of a wider process of securitization in border control
Understanding of therapists’ experiences and perceptions of equine facilitated psychotherapy, an interpretative phenomenological study
Get PDFEquine-Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) is a form of animal-assisted therapy that seeks to address mental health issues. Previous works have been centered on what the clients experience, this interpretative phenomenological analysis study focuses on the lived experiences of six EFP therapists. It aims to bring out how they were affected personally and professionally by being part of EFP approach.
Four superordinate themes emerged from the analysis: EFP as an "Arena of Growth," an "Unconventional Therapy Session," a personal growth via "Living the Experience, Learning from Equines," and a field presenting unique "Challenges." Participants highlighted the transformative power of the horse-human bond, the experiential nature of EFP sessions, and the profound personal development they experienced through their work. They also identified challenges related to equine welfare, environmental limitations, financial accessibility, and the need for further research to substantiate EFP's efficacy.
These results provide useful information about what it means to be an EFP therapist which can help in understanding this new area better. They highlight some areas that should be investigated by future researchers including how different methods work together with EFPs and looking at long term effects on well-being and professional growth among therapists involved in such programmes. Moreover, there is need for wider recognition through stronger evidence base showing its efficacy as a therapeutic approach
Do pied tamarins increase scent-marking in response to urban noise?
No full textSounds produced by human activities are often loud and may mask acoustic signals used by other species for communication. To circumvent this, some animals use various strategies, including shifting modality completely or complementing acoustic information by using additional modalities to communicate. Here we used pied tamarins (Saguinus bicolor) as models to explore whether shifts in communication modalities occur under increased anthropogenic noise or deploy them complementarily. We predicted that in circumstances where noise could impede acoustic communication the study animals would exhibit more scent-marking behaviour (i.e. olfactory communication) while reducing the emission of long calls (i.e. acoustic communication). We collected information on vocal and scent-marking behaviour in nine groups of wild pied tamarins in urban forests in Manaus, Amazonian Brazil. We found that scent marking occurrence increased with noise amplitude, though long call numbers did not change. Thus, our results do not suggest a complete shift between channels but complementation of information, where scent marking may compensate for the impacts of anthropogenic noise on the acoustic channel. This is an interesting result from a conservation perspective as pied tamarins may be capable of coping with city noise to communicate with conspecifics, a key tenet of species survival