Interview of Cornelia Tsakiridou, Ph.D.

Dr. Cornelia Tsakiridou was born in 1955 in Thessaloniki, Greece. During high school, she participated in the exchange program Youth for Understanding in the United States, studying and staying with a host family in California. Upon graduating, she spent a year in England deciding what she wanted to do before enrolling at the American College of Greece where she completed her undergraduate work in three years. Initially, Dr. Tsakiridou started her academic career as a psychology major but soon shifted her focus to philosophy and history. Dr. Tsakiridou moved to the United States where she intended on beginning work on her Masters at Villanova University before she transferred to Temple University. Dr. Tsakiridou was offered a full scholarship from Georgetown University to complete her Ph.D. where she wrote her dissertation on Hegel’s Aesthetics. She currently has two Masters degrees in philosophy and history from Temple University and her Ph.D. from Georgetown University. After completing her Ph.D. in 1990, Dr. Tsakiridou spent one year teaching at Bucknell University before moving to La Salle University. She currently holds the rank of Professor of Philosophy at La Salle University and the director of the Diplomat-In-Residence Program (DRP). Her specialized interests include aesthetics and iconography, the philosophy of art, film, and photography, and social and political philosophies concerning topics such as nationalism, modernity, and radical ideologies. She teaches philosophy courses ranging from the required introductory courses to more advanced subjects, including metaphysics. She is well-published, having contributed to chapters in larger works, as well as an array of her own journal articles. Her most recent publication, in 2013, is her book, Icons in Time, Persons in Eternity: Orthodox Theology and the Aesthetics of the Christian Image (Routledge, 2013), in which she features photographs of artworks taken by her personally. Dr. Tsakiridou here remarks on her academic career, starting as a high school student, evolving as a young scholar in a foreign land, and ultimately reflecting on a long and prosperous tenure as a professor as well as the lessons she has learned along her philosophical journey to today

Waste management in Zabrze: Pathways to a More Sustainable System

Zabrze is a medium size town of 200 000 inhabitants in the region of Upper Silesia, Poland. The development of the town was originally based on the exploitation of heavy industries. In the past few years Zabrze has, however, moved towards more service and tourism oriented industries. As part of this journey, the city of Zabrze sees the need to improve its existing waste management system. This report provides possible pathways to reduce municipal solid waste and help Zabrze on its path to become a more sustainable city. In Poland, it is at present not clear who is responsible for municipal waste unlike in Sweden where responsibility lies in the hand of municipalities. Additionally, environmental awareness and understanding for recycling in the Polish population is very low. As a result, the existing system faces many challenges such as extensive illegal dumping, poor waste separation, mixed waste containing hazardous material, inefficient collection, poor waste collection coverage, loopholes, lack of enforcement and fraudulent waste reporting. Other issues are the lack of funding for infrastructural improvements and for educational and informational campaigns. The city also faces the challenge that many factors such as the introduction of a new waste law, EU fines and targets, producer responsibility and deposit systems need to be approached on a national level. The looming change in waste law which will hand-over responsibility of municipal waste to municipalities is a particular challenge for the city of Zabrze. The uncertainty on the timeframe and implementation leads to insecurity on how to finance and adapt the waste management system. Another challenge is the weak collaboration within the region of Upper Silesia not allowing for strong regional solutions and lobbying on a national level. On the positive side, waste management can comprise potentials for the city, especially with regards to funding for waste management projects and educational campaigns from the EU. Additionally, investments from private companies for biogas production and recycling could become an interesting business case in the future. Through this project, experiences from Sweden and particularly the city of Lund as well as the city of Pszczyna in Poland were used and applied to Zabrze. Concrete starting points for improvements include a more proactive approach to waste management, clear decisions on treatment methods and the need for a concrete action plan and schedule. Main recommendations are to strengthen educational activities and raise awareness to prevent and reduce waste. It is crucial that Zabrze chooses a path which leads to a holistic solution in the region, not relying on one specific solution such as incineration. Most importantly the report shows that change towards a sound waste management system takes time, education, good planning and long-term future vision

A Chlorophyll-Derived Phylloxanthobilin Is a Potent Antioxidant That Modulates Immunometabolism in Human PBMC

Phyllobilins are natural products derived from the degradation of chlorophyll, which proceeds via a common and strictly controlled pathway in higher plants. The resulting tetrapyrrolic catabolites-the phyllobilins-are ubiquitous in nature;despite their high abundance, there is still a lack of knowledge about their physiological properties. Phyllobilins are part of human nutrition and were shown to be potent antioxidants accounting with interesting physiological properties. Three different naturally occurring types of phyllobilins-a phylloleucobilin, a dioxobilin-type phylloleucobilin and a phylloxanthobilin (PxB)-were compared regarding potential antioxidative properties in a cell-free and in a cell-based antioxidant activity test system, demonstrating the strongest effect for the PxB. Moreover, the PxB was investigated for its capacity to interfere with immunoregulatory metabolic pathways of tryptophan breakdown in human blood peripheral mononuclear cells. A dose-dependent inhibition of tryptophan catabolism to kynurenine was observed, suggesting a suppressive effect on pathways of cellular immune activation. Although the exact mechanisms of immunomodulatory effects are yet unknown, these prominent bioactivities point towards health-relevant effects, which warrant further mechanistic investigations and the assessment of the in vivo extrapolatability of results. Thus, phyllobilins are a still surprisingly unexplored family of natural products that merit further investigation

Phylloxanthobilins are Abundant Linear Tetrapyrroles from Chlorophyll Breakdown with Activities Against Cancer Cells

The major chlorophyll catabolites are colorless phyllobilins with four deconjugated pyrrole units. Their yellow oxidation products, are getting more and more in the spotlight due to their interesting physicochemical properties and potential bioactivities. Although studies on physiologically relevant activities of phyllobilins are in early stages, it already becomes evident that when it comes to bioactivities, yellow beats colorless

Implementation in nursing and midwifery. A scoping review

Hintergrund: Evidenzbasiertes Wissen steht im Pflege- und Hebammenbereich zunehmend zur Verfügung, wird aber nicht automatisch in die Praxis umgesetzt. Implementationsforschung gewinnt daher immer grössere Bedeutung. Die international verfügbaren Forschungsergebnisse zu den Faktoren, die zum Gelingen einer Implementation beitragen, sind bislang noch nicht genügend aufbereitet worden. Gegenstand des Artikels: Im vorliegenden Scoping Review wird der Frage nachgegangen, welche Arbeiten zur gelungenen Vorbereitung, Durchführung und Aufrechterhaltung von Interventionen im Bereich der Pflege- und Hebammenarbeit vorliegen. Methode: In der für Scoping Reviews vorgesehenen, systematischen Vorgehensweise wurden einschlägige Datenbanken durchsucht, um Reviews und Studien zur Implementationsforschung im Bereich Pflege und Hebammenarbeit aufzufinden. Der Auswahlprozess, der zur Trefferliste führte, und die Charakteristika der eingeschlossenen Studien werden in Abbildungen und Tabellen strukturiert aufbereitet. Ergebnis: In vier Reviews und 38 Studien, die den Einschlusskriterien entsprechen, werden verschiedene Faktoren mit gelungener Implementation verbunden. Für die eingeschlossenen Studien werden folgende vier Kategorien aufgestellt: (1) Arbeitsplatzkultur mit 16 Nennungen, (2) Leitungskultur: 28 Nennungen, (3) Ressourcen: 4 Nennungen und (4) Training mit 22 Nennungen. Je nach Phase der Implementation (Vorbereitung, Durchführung oder Aufrechterhaltung) kommt ihnen eine etwas andere Bedeutung zu. Zusammenfassung: Das Review bietet eine Orientierung im Feld der Implementationsforschung und zeigt Design, Thema und Ergebnis der eingeschlossenen Studien auf. Nur wenige Studien berücksichtigen relevante Theorien und zeigen den Einfluss sowohl der Forschenden als auch der Zielgruppe auf den Implementationsprozess oder die genaue Beschreibung der Umstände, in denen die Implementation stattfindet, auf. Background: Evidence-based expertise in nursing and midwifery is growing but is not automatically turned into practice. The importance of implementation research is therefore increasing. International research results on factors facilitating implementation have not yet been sufficiently presented. Objective: This scoping review will explore the findings on successful preparation, realisation and maintenance of interventions in nursing and midwifery. Method: Based on an existing systematic approach, relevant data bases were accessed to identify original studies relating to implementation research in nursing and midwifery. The process of study selection and the characteristics of the included studies were charted. Findings: In the four reviews and 38 studies which met the inclusion criteria, various factors leading to successful implementation are identified. Based on the included studies, four facilitating factors can be pinpointed: (1) workplace culture (16 entries), (2) leadership culture (28 entries), (3) resources (4 entries), and (4) training (22 entries). Depending on the specific phase of the implementation process (preparation, realisation, or maintenance), these factors will vary in importance. Conclusion: This scoping review provides an orientation for the field of implementation research and it maps the design, themes and results of the studies included. It should be noted that few studies take into consideration the relevant theories, as well as the influence that the researchers and the target group may have on the implementation process, or provide an exact description of the setting in which the implementation takes place

50 Jahre „Unterrichtswissenschaft – Zeitschrift für Lernforschung“ – Jubiläumsheft I

Die Unterrichtswissenschaft feiert ein Jubiläum – sie erscheint im Jahr 2023 seit 50 Jahren. Dieser Beitrag ist die Einführung für das Jubiläumsheft (Heft 1, 2023). Er stellt zunächst die Gründung der Zeitschrift dar. Anhand der Protokolle der Herausgebersitzungen wird skizziert, wie sich die „Unterrichtswissenschaft“ als Zeitschrift der empirischen Lehr-Lernforschung entwickelt hat und welche Herausforderungen dabei zu bewältigen waren. Abschließend werden die bisherigen Überlegungen der derzeitigen Herausgeber*innen für die Entwicklung der Zeitschrift und der Lehr-Lern-Forschung vorgestellt

Interplay of digital proximity app use and SARS-CoV-2 vaccine uptake in Switzerland : analysis of two population-based cohort studies

Objectives: Our study aims to evaluate developments in vaccine uptake and digital proximity tracing app use in a localized context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods: We report findings from two population-based longitudinal cohorts in Switzerland from January to December 2021. Failure time analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression models were conducted to assess vaccine uptake and digital proximity tracing app (SwissCovid) uninstalling outcomes. Results: We observed a dichotomy of individuals who did not use the SwissCovid app and did not get vaccinated, and who used the SwissCovid app and got vaccinated during the study period. Increased vaccine uptake was observed with SwissCovid app use (aHR, 1.51; 95% CI: 1.40–1.62 [CI-DFU]; aHR, 1.79; 95% CI: 1.62–1.99 [CSM]) compared to SwissCovid app non-use. Decreased SwissCovid uninstallation risk was observed for participants who got vaccinated (aHR, 0.55; 95% CI: 0.38–0.81 [CI-DFU]; aHR, 0.45; 95% CI: 0.27–0.78 [CSM]) compared to participants who did not get vaccinated. Conclusion: In evolving epidemic contexts, these findings underscore the need for communication strategies as well as flexible digital proximity tracing app adjustments that accommodate different preventive measures and their anticipated interactions

Interplay of Digital Proximity App Use and SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Uptake in Switzerland: Analysis of Two Population-Based Cohort Studies

Objectives: Our study aims to evaluate developments in vaccine uptake and digital proximity tracing app use in a localized context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.Methods: We report findings from two population-based longitudinal cohorts in Switzerland from January to December 2021. Failure time analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression models were conducted to assess vaccine uptake and digital proximity tracing app (SwissCovid) uninstalling outcomes.Results: We observed a dichotomy of individuals who did not use the SwissCovid app and did not get vaccinated, and who used the SwissCovid app and got vaccinated during the study period. Increased vaccine uptake was observed with SwissCovid app use (aHR, 1.51; 95% CI: 1.40–1.62 [CI-DFU]; aHR, 1.79; 95% CI: 1.62–1.99 [CSM]) compared to SwissCovid app non-use. Decreased SwissCovid uninstallation risk was observed for participants who got vaccinated (aHR, 0.55; 95% CI: 0.38–0.81 [CI-DFU]; aHR, 0.45; 95% CI: 0.27–0.78 [CSM]) compared to participants who did not get vaccinated.Conclusion: In evolving epidemic contexts, these findings underscore the need for communication strategies as well as flexible digital proximity tracing app adjustments that accommodate different preventive measures and their anticipated interactions

Topoisomerase Inhibitors Addressing Fluoroquinolone Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria.

Since their discovery over 5 decades ago, quinolone antibiotics have found enormous success as broad spectrum agents that exert their activity through dual inhibition of bacterial DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV. Increasing rates of resistance, driven largely by target-based mutations in the GyrA/ParC quinolone resistance determining region, have eroded the utility and threaten the future use of this vital class of antibiotics. Herein we describe the discovery and optimization of a series of 4-(aminomethyl)quinolin-2(1H)-ones, exemplified by 34, that inhibit bacterial DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV and display potent activity against ciprofloxacin-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. X-ray crystallography reveals that 34 occupies the classical quinolone binding site in the topoisomerase IV-DNA cleavage complex but does not form significant contacts with residues in the quinolone resistance determining region