Role of technology in motivating the graduate students in conducting research amidst the Covid-19 pandemic

Technology is already widely used in graduate school, especially in this new normal. Textbooks and references are reliable sources of reference materials while doing research;however, due to the pandemic, technology should be used to deliver the content of graduate school courses. However, not all graduate students have the motivation to conduct research. Thus, this study looked into the role of technology in motivating the students in the graduate studies in conducting research. This study employed the qualitative research approach and the convenience sampling was utilized to elicit the participants' perspectives on the role of technology in motivating graduate students in conducting research amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. An unstructured survey questionnaire was distributed to ten participants via google link. The findings were evaluated and interpreted in view of the documentary analysis. It has been discovered that there was a great impact of the role of technology in the graduate students to be motivated in conducting a research. Majority of the respondents believed that the use of technology paly a vital role in the conduct of research. This makes their life simpler and easier when supported with various technological tools, support from the adviser and the institution. The drawbacks, on the other side, can be utilized to strengthen the technological techniques of both professors and students in order to increase the motivation of the graduate students in their research writing. It was also found out that the graduate students are more motivated to conduct a study when they are provided with the library resources, support from the adviser, and support from the management or the institution. The research further suggests the potential solutions to the graduate students' problems through the use of themes that will form part of the role of technology in motivating the graduate students to do their thesis writing. This implies that technology has a greater impact in motivating the graduate students to write their thesis writing based on the result of the study. © 2023 Author(s).

Localizing the sustainable development goals: A multivariate analysis of Spanish regions

Based on the content analysis of the websites of 102 Spanish municipalities related to actions aligned with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the X-STATIS technique was applied to analyze the status and dynamic evolution of commitment to the SDGs in regional and local governments over the period of 2016-2021. The results show a low but increasing level of SDG commitment, which also varies significantly across municipalities and regions, as well as by SDGs, which can be attributed to the influence of several sociodemographic factors, such as the number of inhabitants, dependent population and population density. SDG8 and SDG11 stand out as the main priorities of the municipalities, while initiatives related to SDG5, SDG6 and SDG 17 are the least prioritized. The COVID-19 pandemic has marked a turning point in this regard, with greater importance being given to the SDGs more related to people and prosperity. Our findings help citizens and public authorities to understand sustainable regions and municipalities, assess their performance in relation to different dimensions of sustainability and identify key challenges for future improvements. Specifically, the results suggest that public policies should promote actions related to gender equality, drinking water and sanitation and partnerships, as well as favor investment in the regions and municipalities that are lagging behind, in order to improve their level of commitment to the 2030 Agenda and reduce inequalities. From an academic point of view, our results open a door for the analysis of possible trajectories in the implementation of the SDGs at regional and local levels and the study of their determinants. © 2023 the Author(s), licensee AIMS Press.

First isolation and characterization of the prototype strain of the SARSCoV-2 virus at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru

Introduction: Currently, isolated from SARS-CoV-2 virus exceed 600 million cases in the world. Objective(s): Isolation and characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic in Peru. Method(s): Twenty nasal and pharyngeal swab samples were isolated from SARS-CoV-2 using two cell lines, Vero ATCC CCL-81 and Vero E-6;virus identification was performed by RT-PCR and the onset of cytopathic effect (CPE) was evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence and subsequent identification by genomic sequencing. One of the most widely circulating isolates were selected and named the prototype strain (PE/B.1.1/28549/2020). Then 10 successive passages were performed on Vero ATCC CCL-81 cells to assess mutation dynamics. Result(s): Results detected 11 virus isolates by cytopathic effect, and subsequently confirmed by RT-PCR and indirect immunofluorescence. Of these, six were sequenced and identified as the lineages B.1, B.1.1, B.1.1.1, and B.1.205 according to the Pango lineage nomenclature. The prototype strain corresponded to lineage B.1.1. The analysis of the strains from the successive passages showed mutations mainly at in the spike (S) protein of the virus without variation in the identity of the lineage. Conclusion(s): Four lineages were isolated in the Vero ATCC CCL-81 cell line. Subcultures in the same cell line showed mutations in the spike protein indicating greater adaptability to the host cell and variation in pathogenicity in vitro, a behavior that allows it to have more survival success.Copyright © 2023 Anales de la Facultad de Medicina. All rights reserved.

Corona Larona: A 2.5D Mobile Game Advocating COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Mitigation Strategies

Governments and health agencies around the world have been at the forefront of managing the COVID-19 pandemic. To control the spread of the outbreak, mandatory safety protocols have been put into effect. Despite the continuous development and strict enforcement of these preventive guidelines, non-compliance with these mandatory safety protocols has been reported. Getting the message to the public is one of the key challenges in convincing people to follow mitigation policies. In this study, we employed the media of video games to advocate for COVID-19 safety protocols. We developed a video game called "Corona Larona"that features microgames with action gameplay playable on a mobile platform. Our video game concentrated on several preventive measures such as physical distancing, hand washing, wearing face masks as well as basic knowledge about the virus using in-game multiple choice questions. To our knowledge, this is the first video game dedicated to the COVID-19 outbreak and the mandatory safety protocols. In a time when many people play video games to survive their current situation, the Corona Larona game is a strategic example of using and maximizing this form of media for a more noble purpose. © 2022 IEEE.

Community outreach and engagement to increase colorectal cancer screening in ethnic minority communities

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is preventable with screening, yet remains the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. Nationally, CRC screening substantially declined during the COVID-19 pandemic and is underutilized by ethnic minorities and in safety-net systems. Therefore, City of Hope partnered with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community and faithbased organizations to improve CRC screening among medically underserved communities. METHOD(S): Between October 2020 and October 2022, we implemented a multi-component intervention that included community outreach and education (a multi-ethnic multimedia campaign and community training adapted from the NCI Screen2Save (S2S) program) and clinic-based interventions (provider/staff training and patient education). Intervention reach and training participant surveys were assessed. Within our four FQHC sites, we also compared clinic-level CRC screening rates among age-eligible patients before (June 2021) and after implementation of the clinic-based intervention (June 2022). RESULT(S): Our reach assessment showed that our multi-ethnic multimedia campaign reached 35.4 million impressions, our S2S education training reached 300 diverse community members, and our provider/staff training reached 150 medical providers. Among the 100 providers surveyed, >80% felt confident they could get their patients to complete their CRC screening test and follow-up care. For the clinic-based intervention component, our baseline sample included 11,259 age-eligible patients across the four FQHC sites. Overall CRC screening rates increased from 45% to 52% before vs. after the intervention implementation period. The site with the highest CRC screening rate (>62%) maintained steady rates over the observation period, whereas three sites with lower baseline rates showed greater pre-post improvements (average 15 percentage-point increase). CONCLUSION(S): An overall increase in CRC screening rates was achieved across FQHCs, despite clinic staffing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Intervention implementation is ongoing with attempts to document individual, clinic improvements by race/ethnicity.

New science, drug regulation, and emergent public health issues: The work of FDA's division of applied regulatory science.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Division of Applied Regulatory Science (DARS) moves new science into the drug review process and addresses emergent regulatory and public health questions for the Agency. By forming interdisciplinary teams, DARS conducts mission-critical research to provide answers to scientific questions and solutions to regulatory challenges. Staffed by experts across the translational research spectrum, DARS forms synergies by pulling together scientists and experts from diverse backgrounds to collaborate in tackling some of the most complex challenges facing FDA. This includes (but is not limited to) assessing the systemic absorption of sunscreens, evaluating whether certain drugs can convert to carcinogens in people, studying drug interactions with opioids, optimizing opioid antagonist dosing in community settings, removing barriers to biosimilar and generic drug development, and advancing therapeutic development for rare diseases. FDA tasks DARS with wide ranging issues that encompass regulatory science; DARS, in turn, helps the Agency solve these challenges. The impact of DARS research is felt by patients, the pharmaceutical industry, and fellow regulators. This article reviews applied research projects and initiatives led by DARS and conducts a deeper dive into select examples illustrating the impactful work of the Division.

Consumers' purchase intention of rapid COVID-19 tests

PurposeThis research aims to analyse the variables related to the purchase intention of COVID-19 rapid tests in Monterrey, Mexico's metropolitan area.Design/methodology/approach The chosen method was probit regression. The results show that purchase intention depends on the consumer's perceived value and the perception of having a potential contagion and/or presenting symptoms related to the virus. Regarding limitations, the sampling method used in this investigation is a nonprobabilistic convenience approach delivered through a digital platform, which may not be the first option in other contexts.FindingsThe findings indicate that the probability of the purchase intention of rapid COVID tests increases when consumers perceive symptoms of the disease and when they have higher education or are female rather than concerning price or income, as suggested by classical demand theory.Research limitations/implicationsProbabilistic sampling was impossible due to the difficulty of collecting surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, a nonprobabilistic sample of a representative random selection of different zip codes from the responses received was considered.Originality/valueThe originality of the paper is its contribution to consumer behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Latin American context.

The war effect: a macro view of the economic and environmental situation of Ukraine

Today, Ukraine find itself in a very difficult situation, on the one hand, the already unstable economy has just begun to recover after the coronavirus crisis;on the other hand, it is suffering colossal losses from Russian aggression. The article examines the current economic and ecological state of Ukraine, considering the influence of such drastic external factors as a military invasion with the aim of determining the prerequisites for the formation of an effective social and environmental policy and developing approaches to the improvement and stabilization of the national economy. To achieve the goals of the article, have been used intersectoral balance and in particular economic impact analysis (EIA), which was conducted on the example of the Ukrainian agricultural sector, because it is one of the three driving forces of its economy. The results of the study showed the scenarios of possible changes and their consequences for the economy of the state as a whole, and in the future can be used for study in order to develop new and improve existing methods of solving socio-economic problems at the national level and preserving natural capital, as one of the key elements on path to sustainable development.

Analysis of the Determining Factors of Informal Micro Entrepreneurs, 2016-2020

The objective of this research is to offer a trajectory of the factors that determine that Mexican heads of families decide to participate in the most visible informal microenterprise sector;before and during COVID-19. The data from the National Household Income and Expenditure Survey (ENIGH) and prepared by the National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics (INEGI) of Mexico have been used and a Heckit model has been applied for its treatment and analysis. The findings show that income is the main cause of the informal economy of the heads of family, thus confirming the choice as a solution to economic difficulties. In addition, it is shown that there is a labor supply that excludes the demand with a higher educational level. In addition, informal enterprises are identified by higher remuneration for time spent, flexibility and reduction in working time, participation of more household members, and lower remuneration for women.

Teaching demands and resources: early childhood teachers' experiences of remote and hybrid instruction during COVID-19 in the United States

Anchored in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this study investigated the remote and hybrid teaching experiences of seven early childhood teachers (teaching preschool-1st grade) during the 2020-2021 school year amidst COVID-19 in the United States. They were all female (Age = 33-54 years, M = 44 years). Each teacher was interviewed for 30-60 min (M = 40 min) virtually via Zoom. Thematic analysis of the data revealed three main themes linked to teaching demands: (1) the challenge of implementing developmentally appropriate practice effectively, (2) the difficulty of managing the increased teaching workload, and (3) the barriers to promoting student engagement. It also highlighted two salient themes related to teaching resources: (1) institutional support, and (2) emotional support from the students' parents. Embedded within institutional support, there were two distinct types: (1) vertical support, referring to the professional and emotional support from education leaders, and (2) horizontal support, referring to the instrumental and emotional support from fellow teachers.

Dengue fever after the covid-19 pandemic: a statistical software analysis of its current situation in Ecuador

Dengue is an acute viral disease that is transmitted by the bite of mosquitoes. Today, dengue infection is the most notable arbovirus infection worldwide in terms of mortality and morbidity. The first case of dengue fever was reported in China in 992 and in 1975 this disease covered much of the world and caused many deaths, especially among children, later in the 1980s it became a common epidemic, at the beginning of the 2000s dengue became the second most common vector-borne disease, it is composed of four distinguishable viral serotypes 1,2,3 and 4 any of them is capable of producing severe forms of the disease, however serotype 2.3 are associated with a greater number of serious cases and deaths, dengue disease has 3 stages, initial phase that occurs from the moment of contagion until the first symptoms occur, Clinical phase of the disease begins to show characteristic symptoms, when the disease exceeds the barrier of six months it becomes chronic and an appropriate treatment must be applied to ensure a prompt recovery without sequelae, then we have the resolution phase in this phase there are several aspects it may be that the disease ends or passes be chronic or even become terminal, according to reports in the last 50 years its incidence has increased annually, an assumption of 50 million infected occur, in America in 2018 560,586 cases were reported with an incidence of 57.3 per 100,000 inhabitants of which 3,535 were classified as severe dengue. Dengue in Ecuador represents a priority problem in public health, this is due to the fact that each year there are a large number of cases, in 2018 Ecuador reported 3,094 cases, of which 2,965 were dengue without an alarm sign and 123 cases were reported with alarm sign, in the last six years Ecuador has reported a greater number of cases in 2018 and 2020. © 2022, Associacao Iberica de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informacao. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the Level of Physical Activity and Physical Fitness in a Sample of University Students. Comparison after the Covid-19 Pandemic

The transition from secondary education to university education has become a critical moment for the lifestyle of young people, especially for the practice of physical activity. Therefore, the main objective of the present study was to assess the levels of physical activity in university students, by correlating the results of the IPAQ-SF and the different physical fitness variables (Eurofit). The sample consisted of 194 students of the Primary Education Degree, with a mean age of 21.37 +/- 2.66 years. The main results obtained reflect the direct relationship between the practice of physical activity in general, and vigorous physical activity in particular, and optimal physical fitness of university students, linked above all to the strength component. As for the comparison between prepandemic ( 18/19) and post-pandemic (21/ 22) university students, the increase in physical activity after the pandemic did not show substantial differences in the physical fitness components. In conclusion, these results should lead us to reflect on the influence of an active lifestyle on physical fitness, which has an impact on overall health status and quality of life.

The importance of social policy and economic context for social work: a Latin American dialogue

This article delineates the importance of critical social work understanding and engagement in social policy analysis and practice. Using a Marxist lens, we initially explore the context of globalisation and its challenges, and locate the contradictions inherent in capitalism for social policy, especially in a Latin American context. Our analysis considers the current capitalist and COVID-19 crisis, before reviewing the withdrawal of social policy in the reproduction of the workforce. We use Brazil as an example because, along with other Latin American countries, it has never witnessed the consolidation of government-supported, universal and comprehensive social policies to meet the needs of the entire population. We conclude that we continue to face a clash between capital and labour, which sets most global workers, especially those of underdeveloped countries, in a precarious, if not life-threatening, situation, and we highlight the importance for social work to engage critically with social policy.

Effectiveness of a telerehabilitation intervention using ReCOVery APP of long COVID patients: a randomized, 3-month follow-up clinical trial.

The main objective of this study is to analyze the clinical efficacy of telerehabilitation in the recovery of Long COVID patients through ReCOVery APP for 3 months, administered in the Primary Health Care context. The second objective is to identify significant models associated with an improvement in the study variables. An open-label randomized clinical trial was conducted using two parallel groups of a total of 100 Long COVID patients. The first group follows the treatment as usual methods established by their general practitioner (control group) and the second follows the same methods and also uses ReCOVery APP (intervention group). After the intervention, no significant differences were found in favour of the group intervention. Regarding adherence, 25% of the participants made significant use of the APP. Linear regression model establishes that the time of use of ReCOVery APP predicts an improvement in physical function (b = 0.001; p = 0.005) and community social support (b = 0.004; p = 0.021). In addition, an increase in self-efficacy and health literacy also contribute to improving cognitive function (b = 0.346; p = 0.001) and reducing the number of symptoms (b = 0.226; p = 0.002), respectively. In conclusion, the significant use of ReCOVery APP can contribute to the recovery of Long COVID patients. Trial Registration No.: ISRCTN91104012.

Exposing learners to practice: When crisis presents new opportunities

Clinical education is the center of professional preparation in healthcare fields, linking theoretical knowledge with clinical practice in the minds and behaviors of student clinicians. Clinical education, supervised by educators who are licensed professionals, is essential in the process of creating new professionals. What does a professional training program do about clinical education when the world shuts down? This chapter addresses the context of a private, not for profit university's response to the COVID-19 public healthcare crisis in spring of 2019 and the process by which a graduate training program in speech-language pathology re-organized, and re-visioned, clinical education in that context. The process allowed an upper cohort of students to graduate successfully and on time, engaged a lower cohort of brand-new clinicians in meaningful clinical learning, and taught the program new lessons about what is important in designing clinical education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Competitive cause of death in elderly breast cancer survivors

Background: Breats cancer is a major health problem in elderly ( >= 70 years) women. Increase incidence with age and the progressive increase in life expectancy mean that the numbers in elderly breast cancer diagnosis are increasing. These patients do not always receive the proper treatment and despite this the survival of this population is not always depends on cancer, there are other competing causes of death typical of the aging population. Method(s): A retrospective observational analysis of women >= age 70 diagnosed with breast carcinoma in HUPHM between 2014 and 2020 was made. Clinical, pathological data and stages at diagnosis were analyzed. We checked our patients with the national death center (official national registry) thus obtaining an exact date of death and the cause of death. Data updated in January 2023 , ensuring a minimum follow-up of 24 months. We excluded deaths from Covid or of unknown cause to avoid bias. Result(s): A total of 421 patients were analyzed, mean age of 78.6 years and median follow-up of 48 months. 28% of patients had died at the time of analysis, 11% due to cancer and 17% from other causes. If we analyze the population deceased by cancer, no deaths are detected in patients diagnosed with carcinoma in situ (4% of the population), in stage I (30% of the population) the cumulative incidence of cancer death at 5 years is 3%, 7% In stage II (30% of the population), 15% in stage III (16%) and 70% in stage IV (12%). Death by other causes are more frequent in early breast cancer, the cumulative incidence at 5 years are 10% in stage I, 22% in stage II, 44% in satge III and just 10% in stage IV. The most frequent causes of death in this population were caridovascular events and infections. There are no differences in 5-year mortality according to histological subtypes 20%, 12%, 25% and 12% for triple negative, Rh+/HER2-, RH+/her2+ and RH-/HER2+ respectively. Conclusion(s): Although elderly patients do not receive optical treatments, mortality from cancer in early stages is incidental at 5 years, a different scenario is seen in metastatic disease in which the patient's prognosis depends mainly on the oncological disease, Therefore, an effort should be made in the treatment of these patients with metastatic breast cancer since adequate treatments can have a clearly positive impact on the survival of patients. Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors. Funding(s): Has not received any funding. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.Copyright © 2023

Seguridad De La Endoscopia Ambulatoria Sin Test De Cribado Para Sars-Cov-2. Desde La Reanudacion De La Actividad Endoscopica Hasta La Vacunacion

Introduccion: Durante la pandemia del COVID-19 las sociedades endoscopicas recomendaron el uso de equipos de proteccion personal (EPP) y la realizacion de cuestionarios de cribado (CC) dirigidos a la deteccion de sintomas;sin quedar clara la necesidad de realizar test diagnosticos de SARS-Cov-2 (SCV-2). La seguridad de esta actitud no ha sido valorada adecuadamente. Metodos y objetivos: Nuestro objetivo primario es evaluar si para prevenir la infeccion por SCV-2 en los trabajadores de nuestra unidad (t-UE) es seguro hacer un CC a los pacientes con endoscopias programadas, sin realizarse test diagnosticos. Nuestro objetivo secundario es comparar la incidencia de SCV-2 en la poblacion de referencia (PR), los pacientes programados (SPs) y en t-UE. Se analizaron retrospectivamente los pacientes con endoscopias programadas de forma ambulatoria previamente a la vacunacion (junio/2020- diciembre/2020). Se realizo un CC en las 72h previas a la prueba y en el dia de la misma. Todos los trabajadores disponian de EPP. Resultados: Se programaron 7.089 endoscopias. Un 9,5% fueron canceladas: un 0,35% por sospecha de SCV-2 y un 0,1% por SCV-2 confirmado antes del procedimiento. 638 pruebas se suspendieron por motivos no relacionados con SCV-2. Se realizaron 6,419 endoscopias. Se diagnostico SCV-2 en 15 pacientes en los 15 dias siguientes a la endoscopia. De los 106 profesionales trabajaron en nuestra unidad se diagnostico SCV-2 en tres casos durante este periodo. En ninguno de ellos se demostro relacion con la exposicion laboral. En la tabla se muestra la densidad de incidencia (DI, x 100,000 habitantes) y la razon de tasas (RR) de la infeccion por SCV-2 en la PR, SPs y t-UE. [Table presented] Conclusiones: En ninguno de los trabajadores con diagnostico de SCV-2 se pudo atribuir la infeccion al medio laboral. La implementacion de CC de SVC-2 resulto seguro para los t-UE, incluso en ausencia de vacunacion global de la poblacion. La incidencia de SCV-2 fue menor en SPs y en los t-UE que en la PR.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. Todos los derechos reservados.

Identification of inhibitors of the RdRp and Mpro enzymes of SARS-CoV-2 virus by structural homology

TCOVID-19 has enormously impacted global public health due to the high infection and mortality rates associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus-causing disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) approved 10 safe and effective vaccines. However, there are still significant limitations to their administration in developing countries and remote locations. Concerns remain about the emergence of virus variants that may evade immunity acquired through vaccination. In addition to preventing infection, effective therapeutic agents are needed to treat patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Under this context, the present study aimed to perform a structure-based virtual screening of the protease (Mpro) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) enzymes of SARS-CoV-2. For this purpose, homologous protein inhibitors belonging to different viruses were tested. Multiple sequence alignment of these enzymes allowed us to recognize the high conservation of these enzymes between species, especially of the regions comprising the inhibitor binding sites. Therefore, it follows that it is possible to employ a redirection approach to inhibitors that were designed to treat other viral diseases. Molecular docking experiments identified that RTP inhibitors (binding affinity = -7.3 kcal/mol) and V3D (binding affinity = -8.0 kcal/mol) are excellent inhibitors of RdRp and Mpro, respectively. These results suggest that these molecules can virtually bind and inhibit the activity of RdRp and Mpro and thus constitute potential drugs to combat SARS-CoV-2. © 2022 by the authors.