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The authors share their online teaching experiences in a private university in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic and offer recommendations for fostering dynamic learning in synchronous online classrooms and further research. Over 60% of the world's student population has been affected by nationwide closure, and 1.2 million university students were displaced from the classroom in Canada (UNESCO, 2020). Educators who have embraced the transition to online teaching-learning try various teaching and assessment methodologies that suit their classes (Lage et al., 2000;Luthra & MacKenzie, 2020). Recent studies (Burgess & Sievertsen, 2020) have investigated the impact of the COVID-19 on educators and students' performance. However, few have reviewed technology-based instruments that could facilitate online teaching and learning at the time of a pandemic or offered recommendations for online teaching and learning improvements. This chapter reviews digital tools utilized in online synchronous classes in the Bachelor of Business Administration program at a Canadian university of 8000 to 10,000 students to address this gap. It offers educators, researchers, and educational institutions recommendations to enhance the learning experiences and foster engagement in online classrooms. This chapter first reviews research on blended learning (BL), which refers to synchronous teaching/learning classes, as well as online asynchronous resources and assignments. Then, the faculty members' online teaching experiences and challenges are presented. Finally, recommendations are considered to facilitate online teaching and advance research. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021. All rights reserved.
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Purpose of study A 32-years old male with known multi-system sarcoidosis in remission for 5 years off treatment presented to the emergency room with complaints of generalized weakness, hematemesis, epistaxis, and bruises. Physical examination was notable for petechiae, ecchymosis along with papules and plaques suggestive of active sarcoid skin lesions on his extremities. Laboratory workup was significant for thrombocytopenia 3000/uL, acute kidney injury with sub-nephrotic proteinuria. Peripheral blood smear did not show evidence of hemolysis and direct Coombs test was negative. Infectious workup including COVID-19, HIV, and hepatitis serologies were negative. Computed Tomography (CT) of chest, abdomen, and pelvis showed mild splenomegaly and an increased number of sub-centimeter hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes. The patient was treated with dexamethasone 40 mg daily for 4 days and intravenousimmunoglobulins (IVIG-2 gm/kg) for possible Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) with improvement in platelet count to 42000/uL by day 3. His workup for AKI and sub-nephrotic proteinuria was negative apart from a positive ANA (1: 160) with low complements. The anti-phospholipid antibody panel was negative. The ACE level was markedly elevated (>80U/L). The patient could not get a renal biopsy due to severe thrombocytopenia. He was discharged but was re-admitted in 15 days for severe thrombocytopenia of 1000/uL, epistaxis, and bruising. We continued high dose steroids along with IVIG 1 gm/kg for refractory ITP with minimal response and started anti-CD20 agent (Rituximab) 375 mg/m2 weekly with thrombopoietin-receptor agonist (Eltrombopag). His platelets count improved in response to treatment and subsequent renal biopsy showed focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis along with mild interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy thought to be from long standing sarcoidosis. There was also evidence of focal arteriosclerosis with no evidence of granulomas, immune complex, complement, or IgG4 deposition. Given skin lesions, thrombocytopenia, extensive lymphadenopathy, and renal involvement with markedly elevated ACE levels the overall picture was consistent with active multi-system sarcoidosis. His platelet count increased to 177,000/uL at the time of discharge. Currently, the patient is on slow steroid taper along with Eltrombopag 25 mg every other day without any recurrence of his symptoms so far. Methods used We described one case of sarcoidosis with hematologic and renal involvement. Summary of results Our patient developed hematologic and renal complications approximately 6 years after being diagnosed with sarcoidosis. Initially, he did not demonstrate sufficient clinical response to IVIG and high dose steroids. However, after a course of anti-CD20 agent (Rituximab) and with the addition of thrombopoietin-receptor agonist (Eltrombopag) he showed improvement of platelet count and stabilization of the renal function. Currently, the patient is receiving maintenance therapy with Prednisone 7.5 mg daily along with Eltrombopag 25 mg twice weekly with no recurrence of ITP and stable renal function. A further decision on whether the patient needs another cycle of Rituximab will be determined by the patient's clinical course. Conclusions Highly variable manifestations of Sarcoidosis can pose a significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenge as can be seen from our case. ITP is a rare hematological manifestation of sarcoidosis and addition of anti-CD20 agents should be considered in refractory cases.
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Hyssopus officinalis is a traditional medicinal plant that belongs to the family Lamiaceae, which has been used for centuries for various purposes like carminative, expectorant, and cough reliever. It has been used for the treatment of numerous diseases in patients such as ulcers, asthma, jaundice, leprosy, dropsy, bronchitis, COPD, diabetes, AIDS, bacterial and fungal infections as an herbal remedy due to its fewer side effects and is more efficacies than other traditional medicine. Major classes of chemical compounds found in H. officinalis essential oil are bicyclic monoter-penes, monoterpenoids, acyclic monoterpenes, phenolic monoterpenoids, monocyclic monoterpenes, monocyclic sesquiterpenes, tricyclic sesquiterpenes, bicyclic sesquiterpenes, tricyclic sesquiterpe-noids, straight chain saturated hydrocarbons. Some of the major chemical constituents present in the H. officinalis are beta-pinene, alpha-pinene, 1, 8-cineole, apigenin, diosmin, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, cis-pinocamphone, trans-pinocamphone, iso-pinocamphone, pinocarvone, which are responsible for its various pharmacological activity. Various studies have been performed on the pharmacological activity of its extract, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-leishmanial, anthelmintic, anti-protozoal, and anti-anxiety. Recently, it is used as an anticancer agent and has been demonstrated by studying its cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on breast cancer and colon cancer cells. It is used as a potent antibacterial and antifungal agent being studied on the antibiotic-resistant bacterial and fungal strains recently, which can be further useful in developing herbal medicine against AMR. It is an excellent natural antioxidant due to the presence of polyphenolic compounds, and H. officinalis is used in various food industries as a source of natural antioxidants, which has minimum side effects as compared to artificial antioxi-dants. Furthermore, the pharmacological activity of these individual chemical constituents in H. officinalis extract still needs to be investigated for identifying the effectiveness of this plant in the natural treatment of various diseases. This review aims to collect various data regarding the traditional herbal plant hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), including its photochemistry, chemical structures of the phyto-constituents and pharmacological profile, along with all the pharmacological models. This plant has significant importance in the health industry, so further studies are required on its effective usage against various emerging health problems, including COVID-19, cancer, diabetes, AMR.Copyright © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.
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Reading anxiety is a situational phobia with physical and cognitive reactions. This anxiety can be facilitative or debilitative and can result in negative impact on reading comprehension, reading competence, and reading strategies. Most previous studies on reading anxiety were carried out in traditional classrooms., but with the sudden transition to online and distance learning (ODL) due to COVID-19, the extent of reading anxiety in ODL among Malaysian university learners and its contributing factors are largely unknown. Therefore, this study was carried out to measure reading anxiety among university learners engaged in ODL as well as to find out its primary contributing factors. The objectives were achieved via a questionnaire administered on 96 learners at a Malaysian university. The participants were found to experience high degree of reading anxiety in ODL. The requirement of attending classes via ODL mode is the main cause for reading anxiety, while self-perceived English proficiency also influences reading anxiety significantly. Therefore, clear and constant instructor feedback is necessary as learners may easily divert from the purpose of ODL reading classes. The outcome of this study helps instructors in knowing the conditions of reading anxiety in ODL and may assist them in post pandemic physical classrooms. © 2023 AESS Publications. All Rights Reserved.
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The world has been pushed to the edge of a precipice commonly been addressed to as Coronavirus S (SARS-CoV2), one of the world's most widespread viral pandemic in recent times. Many studies are underway and investigating the new role of existing drugs, exploring the safety and efficacy of recently developed vaccines, after getting detailed insights into the behavioural characteristics of SARS-CoV2. Presently supportive and symptomatic treatment, along with practices like disease surveil-lance, contact tracing, and early diagnosis may help control the future of COVID-19 outbreaks. An ef-fort has been made to compile the information about coronavirus;its clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, preventive aspects, and therapeutic options as a review.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.
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BACKGROUND: Children in Afghanistan live in dangerous areas, and have been exposed to traumatic events and chaotic education. Progress has been made on access to education for girls who were the most affected by traditional attitudes against engagement in education. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to evaluate the mental health of Afghan children living in regions of conflict and the association of mental health with school attendance for girls and boys. METHOD: The study included 2707 school aged children in eight regions of Afghanistan (16 provinces) residing in households recruited through a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling strategy in 2017. The level of terrorist threat was evaluated by the intensity of terrorist attacks recorded that year in each province. Child mental health was assessed with the parental report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) along with information on school attendance, sociodemographic characteristics and geographic location. RESULTS: A total of 52.75% of children had scores above threshold for the SDQ total difficulties score, 39.19% for emotional difficulties, 51.98% for conduct challenges, and 15.37% for hyperactivity/inattention. Peer relationship problems were high (82.86%) and 12.38% reported that these problems impacted daily life. The level of terrorist threat was associated with SDQ total difficulties (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 4.08, P < 0.0001), with youth in regions with high levels of terrorist threat more likely to have problems than youth in regions with low or medium levels of danger, independent of region and ethnicity. School attendance was negatively associated with emotional symptoms (AOR = 0.65, P < 0.0001) and mental health difficulties with impairment (AOR = 0.67, P = 0.007), but positively associated with peer relationships difficulties (AOR = 1.96, P > 0.0001). Conduct (AOR = 1.66, P < .0001) and SDQ total difficulties (AOR = 1.22, P = 0.019) were higher among boys. Overall, gender did not modify the relationship between school attendance and child mental health. CONCLUSION: Attending school is essential for children's mental health, across gender, and should be supported as a priority in Afghanistan despite the return of the Taliban.
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Agriculture, education and health systems have all progressed in the last decade. In times of pandemic crises like COVID-19, IoT and sensors play a critical role in the medical industry. Sensors and IoT-based health care gadgets have emerged as saviors for humanity in the face of resource shortage. Pulse oximeters are one such instrument that has been utilized widely during pandemics. Since a long time, pulse oximeters have been used to measure crucial body functions such as saturation of peripheral oxygen (SpO2) and pulse rate. They have been utilized to detect vital signs in patients in order to diagnose cardiac trouble early. However, oximeters have been widely utilized to detect SPO2 levels in persons during the current pandemic. People are being attacked by the COVID-19, which is silently destroying their lungs, causing pneumonia and lowering oxygen levels to dangerously low levels. We propose a strategy in this study for detecting possibly vulnerable individuals by classifying them using data obtained from pulse oximeters. We propose an approach by involving volunteers who will record their vitals and share it with administrators on a regular basis. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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Introduction: During the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, a surge in acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (AIFRS) cases with high mortality was reported in India. Objective: The objective was to study the spectrum of fungus associated with AIFRS during the pandemic of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A total of 51 patients who were clinically diagnosed as cases of acute invasive rhinosinusitis in the department of ear, nose and throat (ENT) were included in the study. The clinical data along with demographic details were noted, and fungal identification was done using a conventional method. Results: Out of 51 patients, 66.6% were males and 33.4% females. Predominantly affected age group was 41-50 years. Out of 51 patients, 92.15% (47/51) had suffered from COVID-19 and 7.8% (4/51) did not have COVID-19 infection previously. Thirty-seven patients out of 51 (72.54%) were diabetics. Out of 51 samples collected from patients, 94.11% (48/51) were fungal culture-positive and only 5.8% (3/51) were culture-negative. A total of 52 fungi were isolated from the 48 culture-positive samples. Mucormycetes were predominantly isolated from the samples followed by Aspergillus species and Candida species. Among mucormycetes, Rhizopus species was the predominantly isolated. Conclusion: Patients with COVID-19, especially those at high risk, need to undergo an ENT examination once they recover because an early identification of AIFRS and a strong clinical suspicion of the disease are crucial for a successful course of treatment and to improve patient prognosis. © 2022 Medical Journal of Babylon ;Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow.
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COVID-19, A Pandemic with its increasing pace has spread across the globe. The medical care system was badly hit by it as the number of patients fared the number of available hospital beds and other facilities required to treat patients. To rescue, various Internet of Things (IoT) based devices were proposed to combat COVID-19 by offering a helping hand to the medical care system. The pace at which the death rate was increasing, it became the need to combat the root cause of COVID-19, the root cause being the quick spread. ID-Card though not so famous IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) device can be made to work smart, smart enough to monitor the home isolated patients, to keep a check on a precautionary distance measure and much more. The study aims to explore and discuss the state-of-the-art of various IoT to control the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) spread by tracing out positive patients and stopping this chain by tracing symptoms just a click away. The IoMT Smart-ID-Card is proposed to easefully detect, monitor, and combat COVID-19. © 2022 IEEE.
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The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has reverberated into calamitous illness globally, even though children have been comparatively reprieved. Coronavirus-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) has been outlined in children (MIS-C) and hardly ever in adults (MIS-A) in as much as April and June 2020, sequentially. Whilst the rudimentary immunopathology is not well demarcated, adaptive immunity is contemplated to be blameworthy. We report a case of Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children lie illness - MIS-A who presented with fever, pain abdomen, weakness and low oxygen saturation in an emergency. Truenat for SARS-CoV-2 came out negative but covid serology IGG came positive. The clinical presentation of the patient was in maintained with the clinically accepted definition of MIS-A. Copyright © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.
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Agriculture, education and health systems have all progressed in the last decade. In times of pandemic crises like COVID-19, IoT and sensors play a critical role in the medical industry. Sensors and IoT-based health care gadgets have emerged as saviors for humanity in the face of resource shortage. Pulse oximeters are one such instrument that has been utilized widely during pandemics. Since a long time, pulse oximeters have been used to measure crucial body functions such as saturation of peripheral oxygen (SpO2) and pulse rate. They have been utilized to detect vital signs in patients in order to diagnose cardiac trouble early. However, oximeters have been widely utilized to detect SPO2 levels in persons during the current pandemic. People are being attacked by the COVID-19, which is silently destroying their lungs, causing pneumonia and lowering oxygen levels to dangerously low levels. We propose a strategy in this study for detecting possibly vulnerable individuals by classifying them using data obtained from pulse oximeters. We propose an approach by involving volunteers who will record their vitals and share it with administrators on a regular basis. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients who were on maintenance hemodialysis require a stable, permanent vascular access as a lifeline. Venous mapping during prearteriovenous fistula (AVF) construction does not include central vein assessment. The guidelines on angiographic assessment of central veins during pre-AVF construction are yet to be streamlined. Moreover, during COVID pandemic, assess difficulty in catheterization laboratory and interventional radiology created devastating situation. We report 15 ESKD cases of central venous stenosis presented during the COVID pandemic time from February 2020 to July 2021. Patients' basic details were collected and initial clinical examination findings were recorded;they were subjected to Doppler and fistulogram. After the combined decision of nephrologist, interventional cardiologist, and vascular surgeon, the management (fistula closure/repair) was planned. Of 15 patients, 13 were males. Basic disease is chronic glomerulonephritis in 9, diabetic nephropathy in 4, and chronic interstitial nephritis in 2. Average number of central vein cannulation prior to AVF creation was 2.6. The median time to the development of symptoms after fistula creation was 13 months. Major initial symptoms were swelling of the upper limb in 4, dilatation of outflow veins in 5, swelling and dilatation in 2, poor flow during dialysis in 3, and dilatation of neck and chest vein in 1. Arm elevation test was positive in most of the cases. On Doppler assessment, dilated veins (> 12 mm) with high outflow (> 2000 ml/min) in 5, 4 patients showed low flow (< 400 ml/min), and six patients showed normal findings. In fistulogram, the common location of stenosis/thrombosis was brachiocephalic vein (BV) in 5 and subclavian vein (SC) in 3, BV vein + SC vein in 4, and superior vena cava in 3. Out of 15, 3 underwent balloon dilatation, 7 underwent fistula closure, 1 no intervention done, 3 lost to follow-up, and 1 expired. This is the first case series of central vein stenosis (CVS) brought in light during COVID pandemic. CVS is a serious issue, which might result in permanent vascular access failure. Further study is needed on impact of previous central vein catheterization leading to stenosis and role of pre-AVF creation angiographic assessment to avoid this type of devastating AVF complication.
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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone's life in every aspect. World Health Organization declared it as global emergency in March 2020 which leads to halt all the human activity around the world. While this pandemic was hazardous for human beings the nature was nourishing itself and seems to be on reset as the Pollution decreased due to this pandemic. In countries like China, Italy, USA and many more which initiated the lockdown in their countries to avoid the spread of this deadly virus has shown the reduction of air pollution. The emission of air pollutants were reduced due the lockdowns in many countries. In the paper different types of environmental pollution, their reasons and effects on nature are discussed and also the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on environment is discussed. © 2022 American Institute of Physics Inc.. All rights reserved.
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COVID-19 has impacted the social, economical and personal lives of every generation in every part of the country. In the times of pandemic, it is ICT ad various e-governance policies which have helped the human races to encounter the incalculable loss. In this a thorough discussion on a variety of e-governance policies which are already in place along with other innovations which can be implemented during this pandemic as well as post Covid-19 is done. Enormous application areas are identified and discussion on the number of innovations which can be applied by digitalization of existing sectors and businesses is also discussed upon. We will talk about the industry 4.0 along with its importance in existing times of pandemic. The main aim of this study is to investigate the role of e-governance in these difficult times. Digitization of health technology can innovate the procedures and methods which can facilitate in tracking and preventing the spread of corona virus. © 2022 American Institute of Physics Inc.. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: The recent pandemic outbreak Covid-19 has led to substantial illness and ultimate mortality across the globe and children are highly are in the verge of being in a critical role as vectors in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the community. There are quite a few studies which have observed that the vaccinated individuals who become infected again are on the side fewer side to transmit the virus due to reduced viral load and the duration of virus shedding and as a result, transmission from vaccinated individual to household contacts is significantly lower. This systemic review was thus undertaken with the objective of analysing the literature that were available on the safety, immunogenicity, efficacy and if any adverse effects of covid vaccination in children.Material and Methods: We conducted both a systematic review. This review was solely based on the predefined protocol and it was conducted in concordance with PRISMA guidelines.Conclusion: The available data reports similar efficacy and safety in children as of adults. Therefore, more clinical trials are needed to be conducted and published for evaluation of safety and if any long-term effects of Covid vaccines.
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Electronic resources have become an important part of a library collection. The value and use of these resourceshave increased significantly, especially in the prevailing COVID-19pandemic period. The article discusses a study conducted to explore the status of e-resources in select university libraries of Haryana.This study is based on primary data collected using a self-designed questionnaire from three well-established, multi-disciplinary state universities of Haryana, namely Kurukshetra University (KUK), Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), and Chaudhary Devi Lal University (CDLU).The study did find Vivekananda Library of MDU to be equipped with maximum hardware infrastructural facilities as compared to other two university libraries. All the three university libraries are automated and using LIBSYS software. E-ShodhSindhu is subscribed by all the university libraries. Libraries of KUK and MDU provide links of open access databases such as Directory of Open Access Repositories (DOAR), Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and National Digital Library of India (NDLI). MDU library and CDLU library are subscribing maximum e-book databases. E-journals are subscribed on perpetual access basis with archives by libraries of MDU and CDLU. The study further found that all university libraries take the feedback from their users regarding continuation or discontinuation of e-resources. Results of the study also reveal that only MDU library has permanent full-time librarian whereas other two university libraries are looked after by professor-in-charge of their universities, given the additional charge of librarian. The universities' libraries of Haryana need to subscribe more e-resources and appoint full-time librarian so as to better serve their users in the post COVID-19, new normal situation.
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Purpose-This study is conducted for the purpose of analysing the Behaviour pattern for online education acceptance among students. To know the student's perception towards e-learning and Identify the important constrains that would influence the acceptance of e-learning in university's students. Need for the study-Online education is the primary channel of learning during present pandemic. E-learning has customised schooling into more adaptable and proficient learning in under-developed countries. Even though, e-learning remains underutilized in the simple phases of advancement in developing nations like India, it is necessary to understand the basic factors for the adoption of online learning. Methodology-For this purpose, a conceptual model is framed. In order to find out the research gap, secondary data have been used and for analysis, primary data is taken. EFA in SPSS methodology is formulated for data analysis. For data collection, questionnaires have been filled by university students of Punjab State. The sample of 197 respondents have been collected for the analysis. Findings-Therefore, the finding states that e-learning acceptance rate will be high in coming future and the major constraints figured out are effective delivery and availability of content. Moreover, due to covid-19 pandemic, the impact on acceptance for Virtual Learning is high. Practical Implications-The process of calculating the impact of such factors on e-learning Buying Behaviour involves a detailed analysis of the involving factors and Personality traits that trigger Impulsive buying. It thus acts as a diagnostic tool to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the e-learning stage in higher studies. The results of the study will better equip the HEIs to assess the present position and devise future Managing strategies. Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.
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Against the backdrop of Indian companies, this paper aims to understand the challenges faced by leaders in managing employees within a hybrid workplace. While a few organizations have adopted a remote work strategy, others are opting for a hybrid model that includes some in-office work. This paradigm shift in the method of doing work in the wake of the pandemic has led to a conspicuous change in employee behaviour. The paper, based on a review of literature, broadly addresses three aspects related to this transformation: first, the differing perceptions of the employees and the management as regards telework and conflicts due to a restructuring of the work environment;second, the impact of new work arrangements on employee attitudes and on their psychological well-being, and third, the skills required for effective leadership in the changed scenario. Apart from demands on the economic resources in terms of investment in technology and employee learning and development, there is a pressing need to maintain the social capital of the firm. Leadership with its pervasive impact on organizational culture and employee behaviour has a decisive role to play in contemporary times. The paper highlights how the leaders in India who display a paternalistic style need to imbibe new skills in order to stay effective and presents a conceptual framework in this regard.
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The Online Blood Donation Management System, the purpose of which is to act as a bridge between a person who needs blood, a patient, and a blood donor. The design of an automatic blood system has become an integral part for saving the human lives, who need the blood under different situations. Since, there are various drawbacks of the pre-existing system like privacy issues for the donors, which are getting reflected directly on the interface. Thus, we have designed a robust system that will create a connection between different hospitals, NGOs, and blood banks to help the patient in any difficult situation. Thus, HIPPA model provides a backbone for security breaches The interface designed will be easy-to-use and easy to access and will be a fast, efficient, and reliable way to get lifesaving blood, totally free of charge. Apart from this the visualization of the data is present along with the one extra COVID module, which will help covid and normal patients for plasma donation. The main aim of the paper is to reduce the complications of finding a blood donor during panic situations and provide a high level of security for the donors. © 2022 IEEE.