Development of a virtual microscope with integrated feedback for blended geology labs

A virtual microscope resource was created when face-to-face labs were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 to replicate the learning goals of an introductory petrology course on microscopy. This virtual microscope resource utilized images and videos of thin sections, as well as 3D rock models to allow students to complete labs online. It also incorporated directed questioning and feedback as would be provided by demonstrators (teaching assistants) in a face-to-face lab. Insights obtained from student reflective questionnaires (n = 75) were used to adapt the online resource so that it could be used in conjunction with the face-to-face lab, thus becoming a blended lab resource in the subsequent year. These reflective questionnaires were utilized again to provide feedback on the revised version of the resource for blended learning. Findings showed that students in the blended learning cohort rated the quality of the available online material higher than the previous students. The blended learning cohort appreciated the immediate feedback from the resource, as well as its ability to provide remote access to lab materials. They also gained confidence by being able to review the material multiple times online. We conclude that blended resources are a useful tool in introductory petrology which we hope to see become more commonplace in the future. © 2023 National Association of Geoscience Teachers.

Accessibility and Financial Barriers in the Utilization of Alternative to Discipline Programs in the United States

Nurses are facing increased mental health issues, substance use, and even suicide since the novel coronavirus pandemicarrived in the United States. Nurses with substance use disorder (SUD) may enroll in alternative-to-discipline (ATD)programs to retain their license during initial treatment with the goal to return to practice, but this process is not withoutchallenges. For example, previous analyses have shown that the time surrounding disciplinary/regulatory process regardingsubstance use disorder (SUD) by either employers or licensure boards was a trigger for nurses who died by suicide. Internetsearches are a common approach to find information on health-related topics. This limited critical review sought toreplicate and evaluate a simple internet search that a nurse seeking information on their state ATD program may complete.Google searches for information on ATD programs were completed on the 50 continental states and Washington, DCbetween April and September 2022. States with ATD programs were evaluated for evidence-based components andbarriers to accessing program information. Publicly available ATD program information ranged from requirements forcontact information to obtain details to websites that outline the entire program, including associated costs. While ATDprograms offer a significant improvement over traditional disciplinary responses to nurse substance use, a significantbarrier is program cost, which can often exclude participation. In this article, we discuss the detailed results of our criticalreview and offer implications for practice that include opportunities for research and a national database to track ATDprogram components and target outcomes to support return to practice for nurses with SUDs © 2023, Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.All Rights Reserved.

Impact of human'human virus transmission in an air-conditioned room with proper ventilation system

As we are probably aware of certain infectious diseases that transmit from body to body because of perspiration or respiration of air from a human being containing strains of the infection, the goal of this investigation is to see how the infection is getting spread from a human residing in a closed area provided with air conditioner and with an appropriate ventilation framework that need to be involved to diminish infection dissemination in this enclosed area. Considering the present COVID-19 situation, it is important to discover the effect of infection spread to an individual contagion source. An appropriate CFD-model giving analysis of infection transmission from individual to individual in an air-conditioned room would give results to understand such situations. Likewise, this examination would help in determining the velocity, temperature, and particle contours in a characterized walled area. Besides, we have displayed various nooks utilizing different ventilation frameworks to discover which framework would give better outcomes to decrease infection transmission. Our investigation would provide how varying flow rates in a room at an outlet could be effective in reducing virus dissemination, as this model could be applied to cafes, cinemas, inns, and above all emergency clinics where individuals remain in an enclosed air-conditioned room. © C. Manas et al., Published by EDP Sciences, 2022.

Differences in Inequalities of Uterine Cancer Treatment Before and After COVID-19 in England

Objectives: Uterine cancer (UCa) is the most common gynecological cancer and 4th most common cancer in women. It has been well documented that the incidence rates of UCa are higher in older women, more socially deprived areas, and among women of Black ethnicity. The objective of our analysis was to describe changes in inequalities in UCa before and after COVID-19. Method(s): Using an England-wide reimbursement secondary care dataset we identified all women diagnosed with UCa. We used a binary classification of pre- (01 April 2018 to 31 March 2020) and post-COVID-19 pandemic (01 April 2020 to 31 March 2022) to group timing of diagnosis. We compared the age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic profile of the women diagnosed before and after COVID-19 using chi2 tests. Socioeconomic deprivation was derived from Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintiles. Where there is no difference of effect, 20% of the given population should be observed in each quintile. Result(s): There were 11,231 women in England first diagnosed with UCa between April 2018 and March 2022;6,177 were diagnosed pre-COVID-19 pandemic and 5,054 post-COVID-19. There was no difference in the age breakdown of those diagnosed with uterine cancer pre- and post-COVID-19 (50-59 years 20.8% in both time periods. Pre-COVID-19, fewer women from the most deprived IMD quintile were diagnosed with UCa compared with the least deprived group (p-value 0.034). In the post-COVID-19 period, UCa diagnoses fell significantly among the least deprived compared with pre-COVID-19 (14.6%, vs 16.3% pre-COVID-19;p-value 0.04). Conclusion(s): Diagnosis of uterine cancer decreased after the onset of COVID-19, likely due to reduced non-COVID-19 healthcare interactions. Prior to COVID-19, there were fewer women from the most deprived areas of England with a Uca diagnosis, this reduced further after the onset of the pandemic. This finding warrants further investigation to ensure equal access to care. Copyright © 2022

Interventional radiology workflow and hospital occupancy in the pandemic era: areas for improvement

Purpose: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing hospital occupancy rate has been an ongoing issue, with several hospitals operating at or near full capacity. Emphasis has been placed to improve discharge strategies to maintain bed space and decrease hospital occupancy rate. The interventional radiology (IR) department can play a pivotal role in the discharge process by providing timely interventions that are essential prior to a patient’s discharge. This project aims to define the time intervals between the date of priority request for an IR procedure (in preparation to discharge), date of IR procedure, and date of patient’s actual discharge. Materials and Methods: Between April–September of 2021, a retrospective review of hospitalized patients in a tertiary medical center for whom an IR procedure labeled as “Priority Discharge” was requested by primary teams was performed. Multiple procedure-related variables, including time intervals between the placement of the order, and the patient’s actual discharge were recorded. Results: During the study period, a total of 75 IR procedure requests (42 male, 33 female, mean age of 60y, range 21-98y) were labeled as “Priority Discharge.” Overall 74 of 75 (99%) procedures were completed on the same day of request. Performed procedures were: peripherally inserted catheter (51%) midline (24%), tunneled hemodialysis catheter (16%), and other (9%). The average time interval that patients stayed in the hospital after the IR procedure was 3 days (SD: 4, Range of 0-20 days). Of the total 75 patients, 23 (31%) patients were discharged on the same day as the procedure, 33 (44%) patients were discharged within 1-4 days after the procedure, 12 (16%) patients were discharged within 5-9 days after the procedure, and 7 (9%) patients were discharged 10 or more days after the procedure. The average admission duration for the study population was 10 d (range 2-33 d). Conclusion: Due to the inherent complexity of the hospital operations, strategies aiming to prioritize IR procedures for patients pending discharge could help to improve hospitals’ occupancy rates. Nevertheless as shown in our study a considerable percent of these patients stay in hospital for several days after the procedure is complete. Inefficient application of this system could disrupt the triage of the requested procedures, which may eventually lead to an unnecessary delay for other patients and prolong their hospitalization. Accordingly, tools should be incorporated into these strategies that could improve IR workflow and decrease susceptibility of these strategies to miscommunication and errors.

COVID-19 and vertical transmission: assessing the expression of ACE2/TMPRSS2 in the human fetus and placenta to assess the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women have been identified as a potentially at-risk group concerning COVID-19 infection, but little is known regarding the susceptibility of the fetus to infection. Co-expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 has been identified as a prerequisite for infection, and expression across different tissues is known to vary between children and adults. However, the expression of these proteins in the fetus is unknown. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of a single cell data repository. The data were then validated at both gene and protein level by performing RT-qPCR and two-colour immunohistochemistry on a library of second-trimester human fetal tissues. FINDINGS: TMPRSS2 is present at both gene and protein level in the predominantly epithelial fetal tissues analysed. ACE2 is present at significant levels only in the fetal intestine and kidney, and is not expressed in the fetal lung. The placenta also does not co-express the two proteins across the second trimester or at term. INTERPRETATION: This dataset indicates that the lungs are unlikely to be a viable route of SARS-CoV2 fetal infection. The fetal kidney, despite presenting both the proteins required for the infection, is anatomically protected from the exposure to the virus. However, the gastrointestinal tract is likely to be susceptible to infection due to its high co-expression of both proteins, as well as its exposure to potentially infected amniotic fluid. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: This work provides detailed mechanistic insight into the relative protection & vulnerabilities of the fetus & placenta to SARS-CoV-2 infection by scRNAseq & protein expression analysis for ACE2 & TMPRSS2. The findings help to explain the low rate of vertical transmission.

Fractured bonds and crystal capital: Social capital among COVID-era music communities

As COVID-19-driven lockdowns and social distancing became the new normal in 2020, musicians experienced a reshuffling of their social networks. This article uses in-depth interviews with nine community arts practitioners in Australia, Norway and the United States to explore the impact of COVID-19 on their ability to practise, collaborate and connect with their musical communities. Results showed that, while social distancing has significantly disrupted active connection with localized communities and musical networks, participants reported increased connection and engagement with wider networks through technology. Applying Putnam's concepts of bonding and bridging capital, the authors posit that COVID-era music engagement has seen a shift towards decentralized communities through an emphasis on bridging capital. Ultimately, however, analysis showed Putnam's concepts to be unhelpful in describing online music connections, and 'crystal capital' is proposed as a possible way to theorize the subjective nature of online music engagement.

ACM publications finances for 2020

Researchers provide an annual update on ACM Publications finances, following up on their initial report published in the May 2020 issue of Communications of the ACM. This report summarizes income and expenses for the 2020 calendar year. Specific notes explain significant changes between 2019 and 2020. There are several key themes that cut across the various categories, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, digital Library development, transition to ACM Open is a five-year effort, and improved financial reporting. The report revealed that total publications income remained essentially flat from 2019. 2020 ACM Open income has come from 35 institutions in Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and the US.

Abstract No. 589 Assessing the role of interventional radiology during the initial phase of COVID-19: a large health system experience

Purpose: COVID-19 remains a global health crisis and continues to greatly impact health care systems. Our study highlights the role of interventional radiology (IR) during the initial phases of COVID-19 in a large health care system based in the Midwest. Materials and Methods: IR procedural volumes were compiled and stratified by service location from January 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020 for a large health care system in the Midwest. Seven-day rolling aggregate values were calculated and comparisons were made to diagnostic radiology (DR) imaging volumes during the same time frame. Percentage change in volume was calculated in relation to a state-mandated order to halt all nonessential medical care on March 17, 2020. IR procedures were stratified by category with interventional oncology (IO), dialysis interventions, and aspiration/drainage interventions comprising a majority of procedures. A Z-test for proportions was performed to assess for change in each following the state-mandated shutdown. Results: IR demonstrated a 34.9% decrease in total procedural volume following the shutdown of nonessential medical care, compared to a 45.4% decrease in DR volume. There was a 25.4% decrease in inpatient IR volume and a 41.0% decrease in outpatient volume, DR volume showed 22.2% and 57.3% decrease, respectively. Weekly outpatient volume analysis revealed the largest decrease in week 2 for IR at 49.3% and week 4 for DR at 67.0%. IO, dialysis and aspiration/drainage procedures comprised 29.1%, 13.8% and 20.4% of procedures prior to the state mandated shutdown and 31.7%, 16.2% and 26.3% afterwards. The proportion of IO and dialysis procedures were not statistically significant (P = 0.16 and 0.08 respectively) while aspiration/drainage procedures comprised a significantly higher proportion (P < 0.05) after the shutdown. Conclusions: IR volumes during the initial phase of COVID-19 were relatively less affected than total DR volumes. Specific attention to outpatient IR volumes demonstrates the valuable care provided following the state-mandated shutdown of nonessential procedures. There was no significant change in oncology or dialysis interventions provided with a significant increase aspiration/drainage procedures.

Abstract No. 205 COVID-19 and redefining essential procedures: a comparison of interventional radiology and procedural specialties in large health system

Purpose: COVID-19 has had a large impact on health care systems during the initial surge phase. Early state mandated guidelines limited non-essential medical care to help curb transmission, preserve medical resources, and ease the burden on health care systems. Our study evaluates the impact on interventional radiology (IR) and surgical procedural volumes following a state mandate to halt non-essential care in March 2020. Materials and Methods: Total IR volume and procedural volume for other surgical specialties, including vascular surgery, urology, general surgery, gynecology, and GI surgery were compiled for March 2020 and April 2020 for a large health care system based in the Midwest. Procedural volumes were compared to monthly baseline volumes calculated as an average of 6 months (January 2019 through April 2019 as well as January and February 2020). Percent change in volume for each specialty was calculated. Results: A total of 919 and 708 procedures were performed by IR during March and April 2020, respectively. The aforementioned specialties performed a total of 2,467 and 1,041 procedures in March and April 2020. IR demonstrated a 3.5% decrease in volume during March and 25.7% decrease in volume during April 2020. Vascular surgery, general surgery, urology, gynecology and GI surgery demonstrated 11.2%, 20.2%, 25.4%, 30.6%, 38% decrease in March and 25.7%, 47.4%, 63.3%, 68.0%, 72.9% and 78.7% reduction in volume in April 2020, respectively. Conclusions: Procedural volumes during the initial phase of the COVID-19 health crisis were decreased compared to baseline values. Analysis following a state mandated halt on all non-essential care yielded large resultant reductions in volumes for multiple specialties. IR volumes were relatively less impacted, suggesting a larger proportion of essential procedures during this time frame.