Assessing students' learning during pandemic: responses to crisis period at Singapore's higher education institutions

This study presents reflections from accounting lecturers in Singapore on the challenges and opportunities of conducting assessments during the crisis period of COVID-19. We seek to answer the following research question: What were the responses of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Singapore to the pandemic to maintain order in the accounting course assessment? We interviewed ten lecturers representing higher education institutions in Singapore that offer undergraduates and diplomas in accounting. Drawing on chaos theory in crisis management literature, we elaborate our findings thematically in five areas: assessment policies, formative and summative assessments, the role of technology, academic integrity, and addressing students' problems. Finally, we summarize our findings and conclude with lessons learned regarding accounting assessment in the crisis period. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Ambient fine particulate matter exposures and oxidative protein damage in early pregnant women

The association between oxidative protein damage in early pregnant women and ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is unknown. We estimated the effect of PM2.5 exposures within seven days before blood collection on serum 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) in 100 women with normal early pregnancy (NEP) and 100 women with clinically recognized early pregnancy loss (CREPL). Temporally-adjusted land use regression model was applied for estimation of maternal daily PM2.5 exposure. Daily nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure of each participant was estimated using city-level concentrations of NO2. Single-day lag effect of PM2.5 was analyzed using multivariable linear regression model. Net cumulative effect and distributed lag effect of PM2.5 and NO2 within seven days were analyzed using distributed lag non-linear model. In all 200 subjects, the serum 3-NT were significantly increased with the single-day lag effects (4.72%–8.04% increased at lag 0–2), distributed lag effects (2.32%–3.49% increased at lag 0–2), and cumulative effect within seven days (16.91% increased). The single-day lag effects (7.41%–10.48% increased at lag 0–1), distributed lag effects (3.42%–5.52% increased at lag 0–2), and cumulative effect within seven days (24.51% increased) of PM2.5 significantly increased serum 3-NT in CREPL group but not in NEP group. The distributed lag effects (2.62%–4.54% increased at lag 0–2) and cumulative effect within seven days (20.25% increased) of PM2.5 significantly increased serum AOPP in early pregnant women before the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic but not after that, similarly to the effects of NO2 exposures. In conclusion, PM2.5 exposures were associated with oxidative stress to protein in pregnant women in the first trimester, especially in CREPL women. Analysis of NO2 exposures suggested that combustion PM2.5 was the crucial PM2.5 component. Wearing masks may be potentially preventive in PM2.5 exposure and its related oxidative protein damage. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

Case Presentation Theme - "I Cannot be Loved Unless I'm Special"

Objectives: This section aims to present a clinical case to illustrate the art of medicine and to portray a more personal lens with the audience in working with an Asian American (AA) youth struggling with an eating disorder. The case will aim to bridge the practice gap in comfort and cultural humility in working with AA youths with eating disorders. Method(s): We will present a clinical case of a 13-year-old Chinese American female who was born and raised in Hong Kong and immigrated in the year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and was hospitalized and subsequently followed up with outpatient mental health treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN). Result(s): The patient (G) and her family had no experience with mental health treatment until she was first hospitalized for AN. She was also diagnosed with MDD with suicidal ideation, and generalized anxiety disorder. G started weekly therapy with family-based treatment and pharmacotherapy sessions. She struggled with her eating disorder but did make gradual progress in weight restoration. She frequently experienced emotional dysregulation and also reported feeling "tired" and would nod off. With treatment, G became more aware of her body and gradually more comfortable sharing underlying thoughts and feelings of being unloved by her parents and herself, which she regulated by her drive for perfection and thinness. She shared about how her Asian parents were uncomfortable with emotions. The role of Asian cultural collectivistic values affected G's clinical presentation and treatment, including values on family cohesion and interdependence, self-control and personal discipline, an emphasis on educational achievement, filial piety, and the use of shame for behavioral control. Conclusion(s): G initially experienced a fragmented sense of self, within one's community, family, and oneself, through her bicultural identity as an AA youth. Through treatment, G was more able to experience the world with a sense of agency and was less preoccupied with the drive for "perfection," with slightly more acceptance of herself and others. This case portrays how Asian cultural values with its basis in collectivism can affect clinical presentation and treatment engagement, with challenges and opportunities, for AA youths struggling with an eating disorder. CUL, AXN, TREAT Copyright © 2022

COVID-19 in a 16-Year-Old Adolescent With Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II: Case Report and Review of Literature

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with underlying diseases, is associated with high infection and mortality rates, which may result in acute respiratory distress syndrome and death. Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type II is a progressive metabolic disorder that stems from cellular accumulation of the glycosaminoglycans, heparan, and dermatan sulfate. Upper and lower airway obstruction and restrictive pulmonary diseases are common complaints of patients with MPS, and respiratory infections of bacterial or viral origin could result in fatal outcomes. We report a case of COVID-19 in a 16-year-old adolescent with MPS type II, who had been treated with idursulfase since 5 years of age. Prior to infection, the patient’s clinical history included developmental delays, abdominal distension, snoring, and facial dysmorphism. His primary complaints at the time of admission included rhinorrhea, cough, and sputum without fever or increased oxygen demand. His heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation were within the normal biological reference intervals, and chest radiography revealed no signs of pneumonia. Consequently, supportive therapy and quarantine were recommended. The patient experienced an uneventful course of COVID-19 despite underlying MPS type II, which may be the result of an unfavorable host cell environment and changes in expression patterns of proteins involved in interactions with viral proteins. Moreover, elevated serum heparan sulfate in patients with MPS may compete with cell surface heparan sulfate, which is essential for successful interaction between the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein and the host cell surface, thereby protecting against intracellular penetration by SARS-CoV-2.

The impact of COVID-19 on museums in the digital era: Practices and challenges in Hong Kong

Purpose - During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, museums, as public gathering places for citizens, have encountered unprecedented difficulties due to limitations to operate as usual for their traditional exhibitions and curations. Thus, museums made corresponding emergency attempts to accelerate digital resource and service platform constructions. Such difficulties aroused many potential problems with the applicability of electronic resources and the mismatch between user expectations and museum services. This study investigates the challenges faced by Hong Kong museums under COVID-19, emergency responses and deliberate practices of Hong Kong museums from the perspective of both museum staff and visitors, and COVID-19's influence on the roles and functions of Hong Kong museums. Design/methodology/approach - Qualitative interviews with museum staff and visitors were conducted to collect opinions and experiences in the construction and maintenance of museums during the pandemic. Further thematic analyses of museum websites, evaluations, and suggestions were formulated guided by the PEST (Political, Economic, Social, Technological) and AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) models. Findings - Findings revealed many online interactions and offline renovations, but the perceptions of visitors and staff differed considerably. While online resources and virtual museums were expanded and well received, long-term prohibitions and repressions drove physical visit desire. Participants emphasized finding a balance between user expectations and realistic practices. Originality/value - Scant studies focus on the impact of COVID-19 on the cultural industry, especially in East Asia. This study also highlights new practices of digitalization and the challenges of functional transformation. The authors' findings and suggestions provide hints to optimize the curation of information resources and improve museum service quality in the new digital era. This study also serves as a reliable and meaningful record of COVID-19 impacts on Hong Kong museums.

Chasing Play on TikTok from Populations with Disabilities to Inspire Playful and Inclusive Technology Design

There is an open call for technology to be more playful [5, 79] and for tech design to be more inclusive of people with disabilities [80]. In the era of COVID19, it is often unsafe for the public in general and people with disabilities, in particular, to engage in in-person design exercises using traditional methods. This presents a missed opportunity as these populations are already sharing playful content rich with tacit design knowledge that can be used to inspire the design of playful everyday technology. We present our process of scraping play potentials [4] from TikTok from content creators with disabilities to generate design concepts that may inspire future technology design. We share 7 emerging themes from the scraped content, a catalog of design concepts that may inspire designers, and discuss the relevance of the emerging themes and possible implications for the design concepts.

Implementing a COVID-19 specialist smell clinic: experience at the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals (WWL), NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

INTRODUCTION: It is clear that a proportion of patients continue to suffer long-lasting symptoms following acute infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Persistent olfactory dysfunction is one of the commonest complaints reported in the condition colloquially known as long COVID (now known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC)). The prevalence, risk factors and clinical course of long COVID olfactory dysfunction are not yet well understood. At present, the main stay of treatment is olfactory training. Quantitative olfactory testing and impacts on patient quality of life have not been widely studied. This study describes our experiences at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals, UK (WWL) of establishing a COVID-19 smell clinic, along with preliminary data on patient demographics, baseline smell test scores and quality of life questionnaire scores before olfactory training. METHODS: We piloted a COVID-19 smell clinic. We recorded patient demographics and clinical characteristics then performed clinical assessment of each patient. Quantitative measurements of olfactory dysfunction were recorded using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT). We measured the impact of olfactory dysfunction on patient quality of life using the validated English Olfactory Disorders Questionnaire (eODQ). RESULTS: 20 patients participated in the clinic. 4 patients were excluded from analysis due to missing data. Median age was 35 years. 81% (n=13) of the participants were female. 50% (n=8) of patients suffered with a combination of anosmia/ageusia and parosmia, whilst 43% (n=7) of patients suffered with anosmia/ageusia without parosmia. Almost all the patients registered UPSIT scores in keeping with impaired olfaction. Patient scores ranged from 22 to 35, with the median score at 30. All patients reported that their olfactory dysfunction had an impact on their quality of life. The median eODQ score reported was 90, with scores ranging from 42 to 169 out of a maximum of 180. CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that it is simple and feasible to set up a COVID-19 smell clinic. The materials are inexpensive, but supervised completion of the UPSIT and eODQ is time-consuming. Patients demonstrate reduced olfaction on quantitative testing and experience significant impacts on their quality of life as a result. More research is needed to demonstrate if olfactory training results in measurable improvements in smell test scores and quality of life.

Risk of nosocomial transmission of coronavirus disease 2019: an experience in a general ward setting in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan in December 2019 and has rapidly spread across different cities within and outside China. Hong Kong started to prepare for COVID-19 on 31st December 2019 and infection control measures in public hospitals were tightened to limit nosocomial transmission within healthcare facilities. However, the recommendations on the transmission-based precautions required for COVID-19 in hospital settings vary from droplet and contact precautions, to contact and airborne precautions with placement of patients in airborne infection isolation rooms. AIM: To describe an outbreak investigation of a patient with COVID-19 who was nursed in an open cubicle of a general ward before the diagnosis was made. METHOD: Contacts were identified and risk categorized as 'close' or 'casual' for decisions on quarantine and/or medical surveillance. Respiratory specimens were collected from contacts who developed fever, and/or respiratory symptoms during the surveillance period and were tested for SARS-CoV-2. FINDINGS: A total of 71 staff and 49 patients were identified from contact tracing, seven staff and 10 patients fulfilled the criteria of 'close contact'. At the end of 28-day surveillance, 76 tests were performed on 52 contacts and all were negative, including all patient close contacts and six of the seven staff close contacts. The remaining contacts were asymptomatic throughout the surveillance period. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is not spread by an airborne route, and nosocomial transmissions can be prevented through vigilant basic infection control measures, including wearing of surgical masks, hand and environmental hygiene.