Analysis of anti-microbial and anti-biofilm activity of hand washes and sanitizers against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the biofilm-forming potential of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and to assess antimicrobial activity of commonly used sanitizers in hospital and laboratory settings. METHODS: The study was conducted at Aga Khan University Karachi from August 2016 to January 2017. The biofilm-forming potential of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates were evaluated qualitatively using air-liquid interface tube method, and air-liquid interface cover slip assay. The antimicrobial activity of commonly-used hand-washes and sanitizers were assessed using agar well diffusion method, while the anti-biofilm activity of the hand-washes and sanitizers was qualitatively assessed using air-liquid interface covers lip as s ay. RESULTS: Of the eight hand-washes and sanitizers, 2(25%) showed antimicrobial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while 2(25%) exhibited antimicrobial activity against either S. aureus or P. aeruginosa. Also, 4 (50%) of them showed no inhibitory activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. CONCLUSIONS: The findings shall have important consequences with regards to infection control in hospital and laboratory settings.

Enhancing hospitality business performance: The role of entrepreneurial orientation and networking ties in a dynamic environment.

Utilizing a sample of 192 hospitality firms, this study investigates the moderating role of a dynamic environment, coupled with business and social networking ties and technology resources, on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and organizational performance in hospitality firms. This research is novel in that we adopt business network ties and social network ties as two moderating variables along with technology resources between entrepreneurial orientation and business performance, providing evidence on a topic which has received little attention to date. The results posit that in an uncertain, dynamic environment a higher level of risk and entrepreneurial orientation benefit business performance especially when coupled with strong business and social networks.

The therapist as advocate: anti-oppression advocacy in psychological practice.

In this article, we present an approach entitled Anti-Oppression Advocacy (AOA) as a means of addressing poverty in a psychotherapeutic context. AOA is an integrative approach designed to meet two goals that we argue to be closely inter-related: therapeutic change, and economic justice. In AOA, the practitioner is expected to act as an advocate and to encourage clients themselves to engage in some form of social justice action. We provide a case example of using AOA in a shelter for homeless survivors of domestic violence. We also discuss some of the challenges involved in implementing the AOA approach.

Radicalizing advocacy in service settings: Using structural competency to address tensions between social action and psychological practice.

Although recent years have seen an increase in attention paid to social justice concerns by psychologists, challenges remain in fulfilling the promise of psychology as a discipline that can meaningfully undertake social action. These challenges arise largely due to some persistent contradictions between the typical goals of psychological practice and the tenets of social change. These contradictions include (a) the emphasis of psychological practice on individual and small group change versus the need for social justice endeavors to tackle widespread inequality and oppression; (b) the greater likelihood of psychologists to advocate for clients by helping them to navigate existing systems versus advocating by challenging and dismantling these systems; and (c) aligning ourselves as practitioners, educators, and scientists within oppressive structures versus acknowledging the ways that we uphold, perpetuate, and benefit from such structures. In this article, we argue that the structural competency paradigm can provide a guiding framework for training and practice in psychology that aims to reconcile these tensions. We use the illustrative case of a low-income, minority client struggling with mental health problems, disabilities, and housing instability to demonstrate the complexities of the challenges confronting social justice-minded practitioners and to explore how a structurally competent stance can inform efforts to achieve social change while retaining psychology's investment in positive person-level transformation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Investigating issues surrounding depression in adolescent girls across Ontario: a participatory action research project.

This study gathered data from adolescent girls in four regions (Ottawa, North Bay, Toronto, Windsor) concerning key issues in the prevention of depression in young women. Using a participatory methodology, a team of young women worked with researchers to design and conduct focus groups with 48 adolescent girls across Ontario. Major themes emerging from the focus group data fell into five categories: (a) symptoms, (b) contributing factors, (c) alleviating depression, (d) prevention, and (e) barriers to receiving help. These findings should be considered when designing programs targeting depression in young women in order to maximize the accessibility and effectiveness of such initiatives.

Recovery from depression among clients transitioning out of poverty.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether a program designed to change the economic conditions of clients' lives could also have an impact on reducing their level of depression. The study focused on a sample of men and women attending a program designed to transition clients out of poverty through microlending and peer support. Results revealed that 40.5% of participants who met diagnostic criteria for major depression before beginning the program were no longer clinically depressed after participating in the program for 6 months. The results also revealed that the clients who reported that they felt a strong sense of interpersonal connection within the program were the most likely to recover from depression.