ABSTRACT
Affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the way adolescents receive their education has changed drastically from offline classrooms to online digital space. Despite the benefits of digital devices, we must also be cautious of the possible negative impacts of using digital devices excessively. In this study, we proposed a smart planning course to support adolescents in managing daily digital device usage. Meanwhile, we examined the effects of this course through a novel multimodal learning analytics (MMLA) approach. Although results of the quasi-experiment indicated few significant effects of the intervention, possibly due to its timing, the proposed MMLA approach was shown to provide more comprehensive and refined data compared to traditional methods. Future studies can use this approach for further activity-based analysis of students' digital well-being. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated concern about mask-related skin problems like so-called ‘maskne’ which is likely rooted in the skin microbiome. We therefore determined if wearing an N95 mask affects the skin microbiome in a 3-day controlled study. On Day 1, subjects (n=10) followed their normal office routine without a mask. On Days 2 and 3, subjects wore an N95 mask (3M Model 8210) from morning to late afternoon (6 hours). The same mask was used both days. Microbiome diversity and composition (16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, V1-V3), stratum corneum (SC) barrier function (TEWL), SC hydration, skin redness and follicular porphyrins were measured on the cheek (masked site) and forehead (control site) each morning and afternoon. At the end of the study, a sample of each mask was collected for microbiome analysis. Mask wearing showed no significant effect on alpha (Shannon) or beta (Brays-Curtis) microbiome diversity. Mask wearing had no significant effect on Cutibacterium acnes relative abundance. Mask wearing corresponded to a small increase in the genus Staphylococcus relative abundance on Day 2 (p=0.03) but not Day 3. There was no significant effect of mask wearing on SC hydration or follicular porphyrins. TEWL and skin redness were elevated (p<0.05) on Day 2 and Day 3 on the masked cheek but not the unmasked forehead;values returned to baseline from Day 2 PM to Day 3 AM. Finally, the mask microbiome reflected that of the subject’s skin;the relative abundance of C. acnes on the subject’s mask correlated with that on the subject’s cheek skin (r2=0.46, p<0.001). In conclusion, wearing an N95 mask for 6 hours per day on two consecutive days under routine office work conditions did not significantly affect the diversity or composition of the skin microbiome and produced only transient changes in visible skin redness and barrier function. Longer term studies with different types of masks under non-office conditions are needed to further understand the influence of mask wearing on the skin microbiome.
ABSTRACT
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created an urgent need for therapeutics that inhibit the SARS-COV-2 virus and suppress the fulminant inflammation characteristic of advanced illness. Here, we describe the anti-COVID-19 potential of PTC299, an orally bioavailable compound that is a potent inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), the rate-limiting enzyme of the de novo pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis pathway. In tissue culture, PTC299 manifests robust, dose-dependent, and DHODH-dependent inhibition of SARS-COV-2 replication (EC50 range, 2.0-31.6 nM) with a selectivity index >3,800. PTC299 also blocked replication of other RNA viruses, including Ebola virus. Consistent with known DHODH requirements for immunomodulatory cytokine production, PTC299 inhibited the production of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-17A (also called IL-17), IL-17 F, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in tissue culture models. The combination of anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity, cytokine inhibitory activity, and previously established favorable pharmacokinetic and human safety profiles render PTC299 a promising therapeutic for COVID-19.