An In-Situation Review of Flourishing in Ministry by Third-Year Divinity Students

Third year dinivity students reflect on their own educational process and the role that flourishing played in their educational and professional journey

Linking research and practice to address domestic and sexual violence: Lessons learned from a statewide conference with researchers and practitioners

Purpose - There is a growing emphasis on the need to integrate research and practice in the fields of domestic and sexual violence. However, additional research is needed to identify strategies for key stakeholders to use to bridge research and practice in these areas. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach - The current study analyzed qualitative data collected during a statewide conference for researchers and practitioners whose work addresses domestic and/or sexual violence.Findings - The findings provide information about building effective researcher-practitioner collaborations, developing methodologically sound studies that address practice-relevant research questions, and identifying steps that funders, state coalitions, researchers, and practitioners can take to advance the integration of research and practice.Research limitations/implications - Additional research is needed to evaluate specific approaches to better integrating research and practice related to domestic and sexual violence.Practical implications - Researcher-practitioner collaborations offer numerous benefits to advancing research and practice related to domestic and sexual violence. Additional guidance and tangible support is needed to foster these collaborations.Originality/value - This study used data collected during an innovative conference that brought together researchers and practitioners. The data have implications for furthering the integration of research and practice related to domestic and sexual violence

Linking Research And Practice To Address Domestic And Sexual Violence: Lessons Learned From A Statewide Conference With Researchers And Practitioners

Purpose – There is a growing emphasis on the need to integrate research and practice in the fields of domestic and sexual violence. However, additional research is needed to identify strategies for key stakeholders to use to bridge research and practice in these areas. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The current study analyzed qualitative data collected during a statewide conference for researchers and practitioners whose work addresses domestic and/or sexual violence. Findings – The findings provide information about building effective researcher-practitioner collaborations, developing methodologically sound studies that address practice-relevant research questions, and identifying steps that funders, state coalitions, researchers, and practitioners can take to advance the integration of research and practice. Research limitations/implications – Additional research is needed to evaluate specific approaches to better integrating research and practice related to domestic and sexual violence. Practical implications – Researcher-practitioner collaborations offer numerous benefits to advancing research and practice related to domestic and sexual violence. Additional guidance and tangible support is needed to foster these collaborations. Originality/value – This study used data collected during an innovative conference that brought together researchers and practitioners. The data have implications for furthering the integration of research and practice related to domestic and sexual violence

Binding of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Inhibitors to Importin‑α Receptors Explored with All-Atom Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics

Although Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is a life-threatening pathogen with a capacity for epidemic outbreaks, there are no FDA-approved VEEV antivirals for humans. VEEV cytotoxicity is partially attributed to the formation of a tetrameric complex between the VEEV capsid protein, the nuclear import proteins importin-α and importin-β, and the nuclear export protein CRM1, which together block trafficking through the nuclear pore complex. Experimental studies have identified small molecules from the CL6662 scaffold as potential inhibitors of the viral nuclear localization signal (NLS) sequence binding to importin-α. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of CL6662 inhibition. To address this issue, we employed all-atom replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations to probe, in atomistic detail, the binding mechanism of CL6662 ligands to importin-α. Three ligands, including G281-1485 and two congeners with varying hydrophobicities, were considered. We investigated the distribution of ligand binding poses, their locations, and ligand specificities measured by the strength of binding interactions. We found that G281-1485 binds nonspecifically without forming well-defined binding poses throughout the NLS binding site. Binding of the less hydrophobic congener becomes strongly on-target with respect to the NLS binding site but remains nonspecific. However, a more hydrophobic congener is a strongly specific binder and the only ligand out of three to form a well-defined binding pose, while partially overlapping with the NLS binding site. On the basis of free energy estimates, we argue that all three ligands weakly compete with the viral NLS sequence for binding to importin-α in an apparent compromise to preserve host NLS binding. We further show that all-atom replica exchange binding simulations are a viable tool for studying ligands binding nonspecifically without forming well-defined binding poses

Fungal biofilms in human disease

Fungal biofilms are an important clinical problem. A number of factors including the increasing use of indwelling medical devices wider prescription of broad spectrum antibiotics and an aging and more immuno-compromised patient population has combined to create an opportunity for yeasts and moulds to cause infection. It is also becoming increasingly clear that for a number of serious infections the development of a fungal biofilm is important in the pathophysiology of the infection.<p></p> This chapter will discuss the importance of fungal biofilms in different anatomical areas, will try to provide insights into how fungal biofilm infection should be diagnosed and treated and provide an explanation as to why biofilms may be difficult to treat effectively with routine antifungal regimens.<p></p> Finally it will discuss how our current level of knowledge of the development and biology of fungal biofilms may, in future, lead to a wider choice of therapeutic interventions.<p></p&gt