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This study explored the challenges faced by novice teachers during COVID-19 at a selected rural school in the Thabo Mofutsanyane District, Free State province of South Africa. It adopted the qualitative multiple case studies research method to analyse the problem statement comprehensively. Telephonic semi-structured interviews were held involving eight novice teachers (five females and three males) selected from two rural schools. Moreover, an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used for data analysis. The results revealed novice teachers lacked psychological and emotional support services during COVID-19. They became vulnerable to the uncertainty of tomorrow, stress, depression, isolation, anxiety, the need to change to online learning abruptly, and the need to adapt to advanced technology. The results further found that Covid-19 and its related consequences will deteriorate as novice teachers become used to the new norm of doing things. Therefore, it is recommended that decision-makers and school managing bodies should support novice teachers by developing structural support strategies to help improve teacher well-being and mental health. Because without proper coping mechanisms, the negative feelings experienced by teachers could affect rural schools' teaching and learning processes.

Background Evaluating COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) domestically is crucial for assessing and determining national vaccination policy. This study aimed to evaluate VE of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in Japan. Methods We conducted a multicenter test-negative case-control study. The study comprised individuals aged ≥16 visiting medical facilities with COVID-19-related signs or symptoms from 1 January to 26 June 2022, when Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were dominant nationwide. We evaluated VE of primary and booster vaccination against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections and relative VE of booster compared with primary. Results We enrolled 7,931 episodes, including 3,055 test positive. The median age was 39, 48.0% were male, and 20.5% had underlying medical conditions. In individuals aged 16 to 64, VE of primary vaccination within 90 days was 35.6% (95% CI, 19.0–48.8%). After booster, VE increased to 68.7% (60.6–75.1%). In individuals aged ≥65, VE of primary and booster was 31.2% (−44.0–67.1%) and 76.5% (46.7–89.7%), respectively. Relative VE of booster compared with primary vaccination was 52.9% (41.0–62.5%) in individuals aged 16 to 64 and 65.9% (35.7–81.9%) in individuals aged ≥65. Conclusions During BA.1 and BA.2 epidemic in Japan, mRNA COVID-19 primary vaccination provided modest protection. Booster vaccination was necessary to protect against symptomatic infections.

Peningkatan besar dalam penyediaan telemedis, atau layanan klinis jarak jauh, selama beberapa bulan pertama pandemi Covid19. Telemedis telah terbukti mengurangi kebutuhan kunjungan langsung bagi pasien yang sedang dalam masa tindak lanjut atau yang mungkin memerlukan pengobatan tertunda. Penelitian bertujuan menghimpun informasi untuk mengetahui hubungan penggunaan telemedisin dengan kepuasan pasien selama pandemic covid19. Penelitian ini merupakan Systematic Literature Review dengan Meta-analisis. Dilakukan dengan mengambil artikel dari jurnal internasional melalui database electronic Pubmed dan Google Scholar dalam rentang waktu 2018-2023 kemudian dianalisis dengan software Openmee. Hasil analisis dilakukan pada 7 artikel jurnal terpilih menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan telemedisin memiliki hubungan dengan kepuasan pasien selama pandemic covid19 (p=

Traditional teaching and learning approaches were disrupted by COVID-19, which led to a considerable movement towards online and remote education, with public universities having to adapt to new remote learning methods and a delayed academic calendar. While these changes allowed for continued learning during the pandemic, they also came with challenges and had implications on student performance and well-being. This transition brought to light the necessity for effective pedagogical practices to engage students in virtual classrooms, which also exposed existing disparities in access to technology and internet connectivity. Studies have focused on student access and success in transformative digital learning by redressing socioeconomic issues. Keeping students engaged and connected to what is being delivered has yet to be explored in Public Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs). Numerous tools are available to engage and connect students during teaching and learning. However, these are not optimally utilised in PHEIs due to a lack of knowledge of their existence; lecturers’ preferences; lack of skills in using engaging tools; conventional teaching style that is assumed to be working; and lack of will to adapt and change with the times. Changing from conventional classrooms to hybrid and online classrooms requires changing teaching methods and especially pedagogies. This study aimed to identify how PHEIs could better benefit from using 21st-century pedagogies in virtual classrooms now that the pandemic is over. A qualitative research approach was used to gather data. A desktop literature review was used from a constructivist paradigm to assess and select data to include in the study methodologically. Data was analysed using theme analysis. This study found that blended learning and virtual learning have high propensity and knowledge retention rates amongst students, given that the pedagogies used by lecturers align with the new requirements of active and engaging learning. This study covered a broad aspect of pedagogies underpinning learning in 21st-century classrooms and theories. Recommendations were made for improved active engagement in the 21st-century classroom.

The study, premised on the interpretive paradigm explored the experiences of First Year students from a historically disadvantaged university in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was underpinned by one research question namely, what are the experiences of first-year students from a historically disadvantaged university during the COVID-19 pandemic? Convenience sampling was used to select 52 students from one diploma programme. Data was generated through open-ended online questionnaires designed using Google Forms and was analysed thematically. The Technology Acceptance Model was employed as a theoretical lens to frame the study. Findings highlighted the following themes namely, challenges with device ownership and Learning Management System Use, Student Access to the Learning Management System due to connectivity challenges in rural areas, interaction experience with other students online and challenges associated with interacting with Lecturers online. From the findings, the study recommended that deliberate efforts at the national level be undertaken to bridge the digital divide between students from historically disadvantaged universities and historically advantaged universities through the provision of requisite technology infrastructure. Further, the study recommended thorough capacity building in the use of information communication technologies for students from historically disadvantaged communities who may not be privy to the technologies.

More than half of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) related mortality rates in the United States and Europe are associated with long-term-care facilities (LTCFs) such as old-age organizations, nursing homes, and disability centers. These facilities are considered most vulnerable to spread of an pandemic like COVID-19 because of multiple reasons including high density of elderly population with a diverse range of medical requirements, limited resources, nursing activities/medications, and the role of external visitors. In this study, we aim to understand the role of visitor’s family members and specific interventions (such as use of face masks and restriction of visiting hours) on the dynamics of infection in a community using a mathematical model. The model considers two types of social contexts (community and LTCFs) with three different groups of interacting populations (non-mobile community individuals, mobile community individuals, and long-term facility residents). The goal of this work is to compare the outbreak burden between different centre of disease control (CDC) planning scenarios, which capture distinct types of intensity of diseases spread in LTCF observed during COVID-19 outbreak. The movement of community mobile members is captured via their average relative times in and out of the long-term facilities to understand the strategies that would work well in these facilities the CDC planning scenarios. Our results suggest that heterogeneous mixing worsens epidemic scenario as compared to homogeneous mixing and the epidemic burden is hundreds times greater for community spread than within the facility population.

Abstract Background The effectiveness of high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) in patients with acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19 remains uncertain. We aimed at assessing whether HFNC is associated with reduced risk of intubation or mortality in patients with acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19 compared with conventional oxygen therapy (COT). Methods In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and CENTRAL databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies comparing HFNC vs. COT in patients with acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19, published in English from inception to December 2022. Pediatric studies, studies that compared HFNC with a noninvasive respiratory support other than COT and those in which intubation or mortality were not reported were excluded. Two authors independently screened and selected articles for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. Fixed-effects or random-effects meta-analysis were performed according to statistical heterogeneity. Primary outcomes were risk of intubation and mortality across RCTs. Effect estimates were calculated as risk ratios and 95% confidence interval (RR; 95% CI). Observational studies were used for sensitivity analyses. Results Twenty studies were analyzed, accounting for 8383 patients, including 6 RCTs (2509 patients) and 14 observational studies (5874 patients). By pooling the 6 RCTs, HFNC compared with COT significantly reduced the risk of intubation (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.98; p = 0.02) and reduced length of stay in hospital. HFNC did not significantly reduce the risk of mortality (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.11; p = 0.40). Conclusions In patients with acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19, HFNC reduced the need for intubation and shortened length of stay in hospital without significant decreased risk of mortality. Trial registration The study was registered on the International prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ with the trial registration number CRD42022340035 (06/20/2022).

The Covid Sickness (Coronavirus) flare-up that happens in all nations in this present reality is progressively widespread. This instance of pneumonia of obscure etiology or Coronavirus was first recognized in Wuhan City, Hubei Area, China on December 31, 2019. Medan City is one of the regions that held regional elections for the mayoral election, In the 2020 Medan city election, Medan was included in the red zone area where one of the areas with a positive number of covid-19 reached 4,261 people with this number Medan city accounting for 75 percent of corona virus cases in North Sumatra. But in fact, with the large number of positive Covid-19 cases in the city of Medan, there is no decrease in public enthusiasm to come to the Polling Station (TPS) compared to previous elections in Medan. This study uses a type of quantitative research because this study seeks to analyze whether there is an influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on voter participation in Medan Tuntungan sub-district. This type of research is a type of descriptive research. Influence of Covid-19 on Voters in the Medan Tuntungan District Election in 2020 is as follows: Voter participation in Medan Tuntungan District is also influenced by other variables outside the Covid-19 pandemic variable, which is 83.8%, so it is appropriate if research related to voter participation is carried out again using other variables outside the Covid-19 pandemic variable.

Purpose: We describe a case of Classic Kaposi's sarcoma in a functionally monocular patient following a COVID19 vaccine booster and provide compelling evidence that suggests the booster was a relevant co-factor in the initiation of the disease process. Observations: The patient presented with red, irritated conjunctival area described as “bubbling” in her right eye. While her past medical history includes hypercholesterolemia and hypertension, she had no history of a compromised immune system. Her ophthalmologic history is more complex including treatment for glaucoma. The patient has 20/20 uncorrected vision OD and LP OS. Due to her ocular co-morbidities, the patient initially received interferon alpha 2-B qid for 6 weeks. However, topical therapy failed to decrease the size of the conjunctival lesions. After referral to Radiation Oncology, the right eye/orbit was treated with electron beam therapy for 1 month which caused a marked decrease in the size and vascularity of the conjunctival lesions. A slow improvement continued during followup. Conclusion and importance: In that the vaccine booster preceded the cancer, it appears etiologic to the appearance of Kaposi's sarcoma. The patient's monocular vision and glaucoma complicated her treatment. This case expands on current concepts of cofactors needed for the development of Kaposi's sarcoma in that vaccine booster administration was relevant to tumor progression and both clinical and mechanistic evidence is presented to support this hypothesis.

Las fuentes condicionan la calidad y orientación de las noticias de salud y permiten explicar y humanizar los datos. Con el objetivo de conocer si hubo cambios en las fuentes periodísticas sobre salud tras la pandemia, se analizaron los contenidos de prensa, radio y televisión generalistas de gran audiencia en España y se entrevistó a 16 periodistas especializados. Los resultados cuantitativos muestran que los expertos son la fuente principal más frecuente tras la COVID19, seguidos de los pacientes y las instituciones del Estado, lo que supone un cambio significativo (p < 0,001) respecto a prepandemia, cuando las instituciones ocupaban el primer lugar. Cualitativamente, los periodistas de salud manifiestan su crítica y desconfianza hacia las fuentes oficiales. Se concluye que existen cambios y una evolución en las fuentes periodísticas de salud en España, que posteriores estudios determinarán si solo afecta a medios generalistas.

IntroductionSeveral effective vaccines for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been developed and implemented in the population. However, the current production capacity falls short of meeting global demand. Therefore, it is crucial to further develop novel vaccine platforms that can bridge the distribution gap. AVX/COVID-12 is a vector-based vaccine that utilizes the Newcastle Disease virus (NDV) to present the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to the immune system.MethodsThis study aims to analyze the antigenicity of the vaccine candidate by examining antibody binding and T-cell activation in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 or variants of concern (VOCs), as well as in healthy volunteers who received coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinations.ResultsOur findings indicate that the vaccine effectively binds antibodies and activates T-cells in individuals who received 2 or 3 doses of BNT162b2 or AZ/ChAdOx-1-S vaccines. Furthermore, the stimulation of T-cells from patients and vaccine recipients with AVX/COVID-12 resulted in their proliferation and secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in both CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells.DiscussionThe AVX/COVID-12 vectored vaccine candidate demonstrates the ability to stimulate robust cellular responses and is recognized by antibodies primed by the spike protein present in SARS-CoV-2 viruses that infected patients, as well as in the mRNA BNT162b2 and AZ/ChAdOx-1-S vaccines. These results support the inclusion of the AVX/COVID-12 vaccine as a booster in vaccination programs aimed at addressing COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 and its VOCs.

Background: The recent global crisis afflicted by Coronavirus has led to psychological consequences like anxiety, fear and insecurity among health care workers. Fear of contracting infection and transmitting to close contacts has emerged as a serious concern. Through this study, we aimed to evaluate different psychological sequel experienced by medical and dental students and frontline health workers during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross sectional online survey was opted using a link platform targeting frontline health care workers and medical students. Data was collected from September until November 2020. Descriptive statistics was used to address demographic characteristics of participants. Associations among selected qualitative variables were determined using Chi square test. All analysis was done by using SPSS and a p value of

Resumen: Objetivos: Determinar los cambios de frecuentación de consultas presenciales (CP) y telemáticas (CT) a su médico de familia en pacientes con diabetes tipo 2 (DM2) durante la pandemia de COVID-19 y su relación con el control de su enfermedad. Diseño: Estudio multicéntrico de seguimiento retrospectivo. Emplazamiento: Siete centros de salud en Tenerife, España. Participantes: Un total de 3.543 pacientes con DM2. Mediciones: Sexo, edad, CP, CT y control de DM2 mediante hemoglobina glicosilada (A1c) durante el periodo 2019-2021. Se ajustaron modelos de regresión logística con el control de DM2 como efecto, y con las demás mediciones como variables independientes. Resultados: El 50% eran mujeres. El 38% tenía 65 años o menos. Se midió la A1c al 84% de los pacientes en 2019, 68% en 2020, y 77% en 2021. Presentaron buen control el 58,4% en 2019, 46,1% en 2020 y 50,3% en 2021. Las CP fueron 7 en 2019, 4 en 2020 y 5 en 2021 (p

Background: The World Health Organization stresses the need for tailored COVID-19 models of vaccination to meet the needs of diverse populations and ultimately reach high rates of vaccination. However, little evidence exists on how COVID-19 models of vaccination operated in the novel context of the pandemic, how vulnerable populations, such as refugees, experience COVID-19 vaccination systems in high-income countries, and what lessons may be learned from vaccination efforts with vulnerable populations. To address this gap, this study explored COVID-19 vaccine delivery models available to newcomer refugees and immigrants, and refugee experiences across different COVID-19 vaccine delivery models in Calgary, Canada, and surrounding area in 2021 and 2022, to understand the barriers, strengths, and strategies of models to support access to COVID-19 vaccination for newcomer refugees and immigrants. Methods: Researchers conducted structured interviews with Government Assisted Refugees (n = 39), and semi-structured interviews with Privately Sponsored Refugees (n = 6), private refugee sponsors (n = 3), and stakeholders involved in vaccination systems (n = 13) in 2022. Thematic analysis was conducted to draw out themes related to barriers, strengths, and strategies of vaccine delivery models and the intersections with patient experiences. Results: Newcomer refugee and immigrant focused vaccination models and strategies were explored. They demonstrated how partnerships between organizations, multi-pronged approaches, and culturally responsive services were crucial to navigate ongoing and emergent factors, such as vaccine hesitancy, mandates, and other determinants of under-vaccination. Many vaccination models presented through interviews were not specific to refugees and included immigrants, temporary residents, ethnocultural community members, and other vulnerable populations in their design. Conclusions: Increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake for newcomer refugees and immigrants, is complex and requires trust, ongoing information provision, and local partnerships to address ongoing and emerging factors. Three key policy implications were drawn. First, findings demonstrated the need for flexible funding to offer outreach, translation, cultural interpretation, and to meet the basic needs of patients prior to engaging in vaccinations. Second, the research showed that embedding culturally responsive strategies within services ensures community needs are met. Finally, collaborating with partners that reflect the diverse needs of communities is crucial for the success of any health efforts serving newcomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computerized disease detection systems (CDDs) have proven effective for automatic screening in recent years. Among the standard procedures in hospitals for faster and more accurate diagnosis is medical imaging-based disease screening. We aim to develop a CDD that detects COVID-19 using chest X-rays pre-trained vision transformers (PVTs). This scheme includes the following steps: (1) collecting images and resizing them, (2) implementing PVT for feature extraction, and (3) binary classifying the results and validating the proposed schemes. To prove the merit of the developed scheme, 4800 images (2400 normal and 2400 COVID-19) are analyzed. MLP classifiers verify the PVT performance using patch sizes of 6, 12, and 24. A patch size 24 results in 97.5% accuracy for the proposed CDD system. When patch sizes are increased to 12, accuracy increases to over 98%. For this specific task, smaller patch sizes are more effective. These high-accuracy results demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed scheme for detecting COVID-19 in chest X-rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between parenting style and physical activity of children has been confirmed in previous studies. Studies show that strict parents may impose more restrictions on their children's physical activity. Aims: The aim of this study was to avoid physical activity and parental stress during the COVID-19 pandemic: from the perspective of strict parents. Methods: This research is descriptive and cross-sectional and correlational in terms of purpose, which was done using structural equation modeling method. The statistical population of this study is all parents of 7-12 years old children in Kerman city who are studying in elementary school in 2020. In this study, 271 parents of elementary school students responded to the research questionnaires. Stress, depression and anxiety questionnaires (Antony and et al., 1998) were used to collect the data. Data were collected using Smart PLS.3 software. Results: The results of the analysis showed that knowledge directly and indirectly through parental stress and severity rate on physical activity abstinence of children. The results showed that awareness through parental stress explained 40% of variance of abstinence from physical activity. Also, awareness through deterioration rate explains 30% of variance of abstinence from physical activity. Stress and perceived risk can significantly affect authoritarian parents’ decision-making process. Parents with greater awareness and knowledge about COVID-19 reported more avoidance behavior. Conclusion: Based on these results, it can be concluded that parental awareness through perceived deterioration and parental stress can affect the abstinence of physical activity in children. Therefore, evidence-based psychological interventions can have a moderating effect on parental stress and perceived severity of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education was affected by the outburst of Covid-19, making it necessary to adapt on site teaching to an online modality. This adaptation affected teaching strategies, including active methodologies. The purpose of this study was to examine the use and adaptation of active methodologies during remote teaching in the Law, Education and Nursing degrees at two public universities. In this quantitative study, which employed an online survey, 162 individuals participated including students (n=118) and teaching staff (n=44). The results identified that the adaptation of active methodologies to the new scenario of online teaching was uneven. Students valued the changes positively, although they pointed out the need to improve quality. Teachers highlighted the difficulties they encountered: technical and space issues, management of large groups, and lack of training. Another difficulty mentioned by the cohort referred to the lack of a direct teacher-student and student-student contact. This was perceived to imply lower motivation and participation in class. The impact of the use of these active methodologies had positive effects in terms of learning, including student satisfaction and knowledge transfer. However, negative aspects such as the overload of tasks both for students and teachers was also mentioned. In conclusion, active methodologies promote student participation, involvement, and motivation in on line scenarios, but it is necessary to continue studying how to improve the adaptation of these methodologies to overcome their practical limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in shopping behaviour, resulting in higher than expected growth in e-commerce. All this influenced the expansion of freight transport in urban areas and had a significant impact on last-mile deliveries by carriers, whose demand increased significantly. The objective of this study was to analyse last-mile deliveries during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of e-commerce freight carriers. This was done using a hybrid simulation model, i.e. discrete event simulation (DES) and agent-based simulation (ABS). An increase in the number of deliveries increased the number of kilometres travelled, fuel costs, CO2 emissions, number of trips and vehicle utilisation. Comparative scenarios with delivery lockers are simulated, demonstrating improved operation for all simulated variables. The results of this study can be used to better plan e-commerce delivery operations during future pandemic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweden had the most liberal lockdown policies in Europe during the Covid-19 pandemic. Relying on individual responsibility and behavioural nudges, their effectiveness was questioned from the perspective of others who responded with legal restrictions on behaviour. In this study, using mobile phone data, we therefore examine daily spatial mobilities in Stockholm to understand how they changed during the pandemic from their pre-pandemic baseline given this background. The analysis demonstrates: that mobilities did indeed change but with some variations according to (a) the residential social composition of places and (b) their locations within the city; that the changes were long lasting; and that the average fall in spatial mobility across the whole was not caused by everybody moving less but instead by more people joining the group of those who stayed close to home. It showed, furthermore, that there were seasonal differences in spatial behaviour as well as those associated with major religious or national festivals. The analysis indicates the value of mobile phone data for spatially fine-grained mobility research but also shows its weaknesses, namely the lack of personal information on important covariates such as age, gender, and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While scientific knowledge acquisition is a vital premise for citizens' self-protection against COVID-19, the impact of anti-intellectualism on scientific information seeking has yet to be fully examined. Based on a cross-sectional survey, this study investigated the association of distrust and stigmatization forms of antiintellectualism (i.e. AID vs. AIS) with the Planned Risk Information Seeking Model (PRISM) in predicting Chinese netizens' information seeking about SARS-CoV-2 variants. The statistical results show that AIS is positively associated with seeking-related subjective norms and perceived control, indicating that it may boost a sense of self-empowerment. However, AIS is negatively related to affective risk response and the knowledge-sufficiency threshold, suggesting its possible link to overconfidence and trust in government. AID was found to be negatively associated with seeking-related attitudes and perceived control. Because AIS is far more popular than AID among respondents, its contradictory health implications should be brought into the vision of health communicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global surge in academic misconduct during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by remote teaching and online assessment, necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the multidimensional aspects and stakeholders' perspectives associated with this issue. This paper addresses the prevalent use of answer-providing sites and other types of academic misconduct, underscoring the challenge of detecting all or most of the student misconduct. Exploring factors such as faculty inexperience in remote teaching and assessment, the paper advocates for proactive measures to preserve integrity in education. Emphasizing the need for a culture of integrity beyond traditional classrooms, the paper reviews existing models, then details steps to create a framework using the International Labour Organization (ILO)'s TREE training method. It presents the IEPAR framework (Inspiration, Education, Pedagogical considerations, Assessment design, Response and Restorative practice), and assesses its effectiveness. Incorporating faculty feedback, the paper concludes with evidence-based findings, positioning the IEPAR framework as a robust approach for addressing academic misconduct and fostering a culture of academic integrity in higher education through responsible training of all stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer is a risk factor for developing severe COVID19. Additionally, SARS-CoV2 has a special tropism for renal cells and complications like thrombosis or cytokine storm could be enhanced by standard treatments in kidney cancer (i.e., antiangiogenics or immunotherapy). Thus, understanding the impact of COVID19 in patients with this tumor is key for their correct management. Methods: We designed a retrospective case–control study comparing the outcome of three groups of advanced kidney cancer patients on systemic treatment: cohort A (developed COVID19 while on antiangiogenics), cohort B (developed COVID19 while on immunotherapy) and cohort C (non-infected). Matching factors were age, gender, and treatment. Results: 95 patients were recruited in 16 centers in Spain from September 2020 to May 2021. Finally, 85 were deemed as eligible (23 cohort A, 21 cohort B, 41 cohort C). Patients with COVID required more dose interruptions (25 vs. six) and hospitalizations (10 vs. none) than those without COVID (both p = 0.001). No difference between cohorts A and B was observed regarding hospitalization or length of stay. No ICU admission was registered and one patient in cohort B died due to COVID19. Regarding cancer evolution, three patients in cohort A presented progressive disease after COVID19 compared to two in cohort B. One case in cohort B, initially deemed as stable disease, achieved a partial response after COVID19. Conclusions: Kidney cancer patients who developed COVID19 while on systemic therapy required more treatment interruptions and hospitalizations than those non-infected. However, no significant impact on cancer outcome was observed. Also, no difference was seen between cases on antiangiogenics or immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to analyze temporal changes in social needs (SN), comparing those who received routine annual in-person care to those receiving SN screenings through a combination of tele-social care and in-person care biannually. Our prospective cohort study used a convenience sample of patients from primary care practices. Baseline data were collected from April 2019 to March 2020. The intervention group (n = 336) received SN screening and referral telephone outreach from June 2020 to August 2021. The control group (n = 2890) was screened, in person, during routine visits at baseline and summer 2021. We used a repeated-measures logistic regression with general estimating equations to assess incremental change in individual SN for the intervention group. Food, housing, legal and benefit needs increased and peaked at the beginning of the pandemic and decreased after interventions (P < 0.001). There was a 32% decrease in the odds of food insecurity for those in the intervention group compared to the control group (adjusted OR 0.668, 95% confidence interval 0.444–1.004, P = 0.052), and a 75% decrease in the odds of housing insecurity (adjusted OR 0.247, 95% confidence interval 0.150–0.505, P < 0.001). During COVID-19, there was an increase in SN followed by a decrease after interventions were offered. Those who completed tele-social care showed greater improvements in social needs than those in routine care, with the greatest improvements in food and housing needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A randomized‐controlled‐trial study (N = 219) tested two pre‐registered hypotheses that mobile‐phone app‐based mindfulness training improves wellbeing and increases self‐transcendent emotions: gratitude, self‐compassion, and awe. Latent change score modeling with a robust maximum likelihood estimator was used to test how those changes are associated in the training versus the waiting‐list group. The training increased wellbeing and all self‐transcendent emotions regardless of interindividual variance in the changes across time. Changes in all self‐transcendent emotions were positively associated with changes in wellbeing. The strength of those associations was comparable in the waiting‐list group and the training group. More studies are needed to test whether the effects of mindfulness practice on wellbeing are driven by increases in self‐transcendent emotions. The study was conducted over 6 weeks during the COVID19 pandemic. The results indicate that the mindfulness training can be an easily accessible effective intervention supporting eudaimonic wellbeing in face of adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling mediates sustained systemic inflammation in(COVID)-19 patients. We aimed to assess the serum levels of sTLR4 and sCD14 as negative regulators of Toll like receptor signaling and their association with laboratory markers and clinical severity in covid 19 patients. Ninety-eight patients with COVID-19 (70 severe and 28 non-severe) were enrolled in the study. Serum sCD14 andsTLR4were determined by ELISA. A significant increase in serum sTLR4 and sCD14 levels was detected in severe compared to non severe COVID19 patients.Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis revealed significant diagnostic potential of serum sTLR4 and sCD14 in covid19 patients.We conclude that Serum sTLR4 and sCD14 may be promising clinical severity markers for COVID19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to assess the sustained immunological response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRD) undergoing different treatment regimens. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study involving 157 AIRD patients without prior COVID-19 infection. Treatment regimens included non-treatment or glucocorticoid-only (not-treated/GCs), non-biological drugs, biological therapy, and JAK inhibitors. All participants completed the two-dose vaccine schedule, and 110 of them received an additional booster dose. Serum samples were collected approximately 3–6 months after the second and third vaccine doses to measure antibodies against the Spike protein (antiS-AB) and neutralizing antibodies (nAB) targeting six SARS-CoV-2 variants. Results: Following the third dose, all patients exhibited a significant increase in antiS-AB (FC = 15, p < 0.0001). Patients under biological therapy had lower titres compared to the non-biological (66% decrease, p = 0.038) and the not-treated/GCs group (62% decrease, p = 0.0132), with the latter persisting after the booster dose (86% decrease, p = 0.0027). GC use was associated with lower antiS-AB levels in the biological group (87% decrease, p = 0.0124), although not statistically significant after confounders adjustment. nABs showed the highest positivity rates for the wild-type strain before (50%) and after the booster dose (93%), while the Omicron variant exhibited the lowest rates (11% and 55%, respectively). All variants demonstrated similar positivity patterns and good concordance with antiS-AB (AUCs from 0.896 to 0.997). Conclusions: The SARS-CoV-2 vaccine booster strategy effectively elicited a sustained antibody immune response in AIRD patients. However, patients under biological therapies exhibited a reduced response to the booster dose, particularly when combined with GCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human coronaviruses can be divided based on their pathogenicity. The types with high pathogenicity including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and the current novel SARS-CoV2. SARS COV2 has led to possibly the worst pandemic of this century in the form of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Initially recognized as a respiratory system disease, COVID-19 has been found to interact with functions of other organ systems like cardiovascular, GIT, CNS Peripheral nervous system, during the course of the disease and postcovid syndromic manifestations including Endocrinal and psychological. The acute manifestations primarily lung will be involved that leads to ARDS, in severe disease all the organs will be effected that may lead to multiorgan dysfunction (MODS), and death. AIM: Evaluation of various endocrinal manifestations secondary to endocrinal gland dysfunction, in COVID 19 peak of the pandemic causing morbidity and mortality. In this COVID 19 pandemic everywhere the mortality was very high, the researchers and all over the globe thought that this is not only viral invasion or host's immune mediated of it's not due to viral virulence and postulated the actual pathogenesis of the disease and its manifestations causing morbidity and mortality. Some patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) develop a life-threatening hyper-inflammatory state that is commonly referred to as cytokine storm. This is the prime cause of all the syndromes presenting in this SARS COV2. The mortality has been increasing and new biochemical parameters are increasing in moderate to severe disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unanticipated arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has upset thousands of adolescents worldwide, whereas shifts to remote schooling have minimized their access to school-based support. This study focused on three research questions: How do School Counselors (a) evaluate the impact of COVID-19 restrictive measures on adolescents' mental health? (b) appraise their self-efficacy to help adolescents cope with the challenges? (c) Assess post-pandemic pupil behavior and their self-efficacy beliefs. It aimed to resource creative school-counseling approaches to improve youth resilience. Findings showed that counselors regarded generalized worry, concern about academic studies and job development, and increasing internet use as adolescents' most important psychological/behavioral issues. Most counselors felt efficient in their professional development, teamwork, cross-cultural sensitivity, leadership, assessment, personal and social growth, and development. Counselors who evaluated pupils as high/medium in generalized anxiety, depressive symptoms, academic/career development, and excessive internet time evaluated themselves significantly higher on all factors of the self-efficacy scale compared to those who assessed students as medium/low on the aforementioned factors, who scored significantly lower in self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the impact of NO2 emissions reduction on O3 and CH4 levels in 14 metropolitan areas of Japan in 2020. To account for meteorological variations, we employ business-as-usual air quality time series generated by machine learning models. Additionally, we use satellite observations and biogeochemical model simulations to analyse air quality changes. During the lockdown period from April 7 to May 25 in 2020, we observed a NO2 reduction that equated to a decrease equivalent to 3.4 and 5 years of the corresponding trends in roadside and ambient air quality recorded from 2010 to 2019. After meteorological normalization, NO2 decreased by 14.5% at ambient air stations and 19.1% at roadside stations. Surprisingly, the NO2 reduction did not immediately lead to increased O3. Instead, O3 levels rose after the lockdown, specifically in August due to favorable sunny conditions. This finding is important for Japan and has not been reported in previous studies. We found that changes in NO2 and CO marginally contributed to variations in CH4 levels across the study areas. It is recommended to simultaneously reduce NOx as well as non-methane volatile organic compounds to mitigate their adverse effects on future policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus pandemic originated in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and swiftly spread worldwide, resulting in 1,813,811 deaths in 2020 and approximately 3,000,000 excess deaths. Amidst this crisis, Asians with Mongoloid features faced wrongful psychological and physical abuse globally due to unfounded accusations of spreading the virus. This discrimination extended to North Eastern Mongoloids in India, who suffered harassment from their compatriots. Interestingly, some Indians perpetrating such abuse within their country have themselves faced racial discrimination abroad, blamed for the spread of the Delta variant. This examination will explore the forms, nature, and scope of such racial harassment against Asian Mongoloids globally and North Eastern Mongoloids in India, drawing from various sources. It will critically analyze ethnocentric racial profiling, particularly of Mongoloid individuals, through the lens of biological diversity and the sociocultural framework of critical cultural relativism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Vaccination, as one of the most cost-effective medical interventions, has significantly reduced the incidence of many infectious diseases. This study aimed to examine the moderating effect of mandatory vaccination policies on the relationship between corona anxiety and vaccine hesitancy among the employees of medical universities. Materials and Methods: A descriptive-correlational study was conducted using convenience sampling on a sample of 152 employees selected from a medical university in North Khorasan Province, Iran. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire on mandatory vaccination policies and vaccine hesitancy and Corona anxiety questionnaires. Pearson correlation coefficient and hierarchical regression were employed to test the research hypotheses, and data analysis was performed using the SPSS and AMOS software. Results: The findings showed that 77% of the employees supported mandatory vaccination policies in the workplace. In addition, the correlation coefficients between Corona anxiety and mandatory vaccination policies with vaccine hesitancy were significant (p<0.001). Furthermore, the interaction of Corona anxiety and mandatory vaccination policies accounted for an additional 2% unique variance in the model (R2Δ=0.02, FΔ=4.02, p=0.05). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study it can be said that mandatory vaccination policies can moderate the relationship between Corona anxiety and vaccine hesitancy among employees of medical universities. It is, thus, recommended to use appropriate and cost-effective policies and executive guarantees to improve vaccination attitudes in employees with anxiety [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is necessary to harmonize and standardize data variables used in case report forms (CRFs) of clinical studies to facilitate the merging and sharing of the collected patient data across several clinical studies. This is particularly true for clinical studies that focus on infectious diseases. Public health may be highly dependent on the findings of such studies. Hence, there is an elevated urgency to generate meaningful, reliable insights, ideally based on a high sample number and quality data. The implementation of core data elements and the incorporation of interoperability standards can facilitate the creation of harmonized clinical data sets. Objective: This study's objective was to compare, harmonize, and standardize variables focused on diagnostic tests used as part of CRFs in 6 international clinical studies of infectious diseases in order to, ultimately, then make available the panstudy common data elements (CDEs) for ongoing and future studies to foster interoperability and comparability of collected data across trials. Methods: We reviewed and compared the metadata that comprised the CRFs used for data collection in and across all 6 infectious disease studies under consideration in order to identify CDEs. We examined the availability of international semantic standard codes within the Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms, the National Cancer Institute Thesaurus, and the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes system for the unambiguous representation of diagnostic testing information that makes up the CDEs. We then proposed 2 data models that incorporate semantic and syntactic standards for the identified CDEs. Results: Of 216 variables that were considered in the scope of the analysis, we identified 11 CDEs to describe diagnostic tests (in particular, serology and sequencing) for infectious diseases: viral lineage/clade; test date, type, performer, and manufacturer; target gene; quantitative and qualitative results; and specimen identifier, type, and collection date. Conclusions: The identification of CDEs for infectious diseases is the first step in facilitating the exchange and possible merging of a subset of data across clinical studies (and with that, large research projects) for possible shared analysis to increase the power of findings. The path to harmonization and standardization of clinical study data in the interest of interoperability can be paved in 2 ways. First, a map to standard terminologies ensures that each data element's (variable's) definition is unambiguous and that it has a single, unique interpretation across studies. Second, the exchange of these data is assisted by "wrapping" them in a standard exchange format, such as Fast Health care Interoperability Resources or the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium's Clinical Data Acquisition Standards Harmonization Model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates self-perceptions of voice-related handicap as a function of facemask use in the general working population during the COVID19 outbreak, using the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Each VHI item was answered twice in a row; the first answer referred to the condition of not wearing a facemask (henceforth, the Without condition) and the second to the condition of using a facemask (henceforth, the With condition). VHI scores were collected via Google Forms (Google, Mountain View, California), targeting 2 groups of speakers of different nationalities, Portuguese (n = 261) and Spanish (n = 297). A Wilcoxon test was carried out to compare VHI scores between With and Without conditions for each group of speakers; a Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare groups within each condition. Results suggested that VHI overall scores and scores for all dimensions were higher for the With condition, for both Portuguese and Spanish speakers. When comparing groups of speakers, Spanish speakers presented higher scores for functional and emotional dimensions, for both With and Without conditions. In addition, the overall score for the Without condition was higher for Spanish speakers. No differences between groups were found for the total VHI score for the With condition. When comparing overall VHI diff between speakers, that is, the difference in the VHI total score between With and Without conditions, no significant differences could be found. Thus, a multiple regression analysis was carried out between the VHI diff and the independent variables of interest: age, sex, smoking habits, professional occupation, nationality, facemask type and its hours of use. The resulting model providing the highest association suggested that 2.5% of the variation in overall VHI diff total score could be associated with sex, smoking habits, and professional level. Female smokers who use their voices during prolonged hours at work (e.g., teachers, lawyers, sales people) presented a higher VHI total score when wearing a mask. Future voice-related health interventions should address preventive strategies towards speaking behaviors leading to vocal fatigue and vocal effort as a consequence of compulsory facemask use, especially with respect to female professional voice users who smoke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the environmental and social challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are actively seeking ways to generate social benefits while also boosting their financial performance. Corporations are embracing corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices as a means to achieve this dual objective. This study aims to investigate how global corporations have responded to the pandemic by promoting their CSR commitments through CSR advertising. A quantitative content analysis was conducted to examine how leading global corporations promote their CSR practices on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the study examined CSR advertising posts from twelve global corporations' Instagram accounts across the years 2019, 2020, and 2021, totaling 886 posts. The findings show that corporations immediately responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by adopting CSR practices in myriad areas of social concern and strategically framing those efforts through CSR advertising. This study contributes to the CSR literature by providing an instrument for scholars and practitioners to reevaluate the role of business and CSR initiatives during uncertain times. Furthermore, it highlights opportunities for corporations to prioritize CSR initiatives, not only during the pandemic but also in the long term, to achieve a balance between social, environmental, and economic goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Itobiad: Journal of the Human & Social Science Researches / İnsan ve Toplum Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Itobiad: Journal of the Human & Social Science Researches and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista del Centro de Investigación. Universidad La Salle is the property of Universidad La Salle and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Business Economics & Management Research is the property of Bayburt University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Panorama Económico (1870-2171) is the property of Economic Panorama Magazine / Revista Panorama Economico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) is defined as persistent or emerging symptoms after infection with the virus. The COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale was developed to identify and measure the severity of PCS symptoms and was later modified. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the modified COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale. Methods: Language validity, content validity, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were performed for construct validity of the scale. Guttman split-half coefficients obtained by the split-half method, Cronbach alpha values, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) examined the reliability of the fit. Results: The study included 202 patients with a mean age of 57.6±13.4 years. Construct validity results showed that factorial findings demonstrated the factorable structure (Bartlett's test of sphericity (χ2=1554.8; p<0.001) and good model fit (NFI=0.88, GFI=0.85, root mean square error of approximation=0.10, root mean square residual= 0.03) for the present data. For criterion validity, correlation coefficients were found to range from -0.22 to 0.57 (p<0.05, for all), indicating moderate relationships between sub-dimensions. In addition, a high level of reliability was found for the adaptation, as suggested by Guttman's split-half coefficients (0.90, 0.83, and 0.88 for symptom severity, functional ability, and the full scale, respectively), Cronbach's alpha (0.89, 0.83, 0.92), and ICC coefficients (0.88, 0.81, 0.90). Conclusion: The Turkish version of C19-YRSm has 2 sub-dimensions such as symptom severity and functional ability and is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring patient assessment and monitoring in PCS in Turks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Kinanthropologica is the property of University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Education, Department of Physical Education & Sport and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an emergent disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly spread throughout the globe since its discovery in December 2019. Although first appreciated to cause pneumonia, numerous organ systems are now known to be involved. The objective of this article is to review the broad spectrum of cutaneous manifestations reported in association with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The most commonly reported cutaneous manifestations associated with COVID-19 infection include pernio (chilblain)-like acral lesions, morbilliform (exanthematous) rash, urticaria, vesicular (varicella-like) eruptions, and vaso-occlusive lesions (livedo racemosa, retiform purpura). It is important to consider SARS-CoV-2 infection in the differential diagnosis of a patient presenting with these lesions in the appropriate clinical context, as cutaneous manifestations may be present in otherwise asymptomatic individuals, or present before developing other symptoms of infection. With increased access to diagnostic testing, we are beginning to understand the utility and limitations of currently available assays.