The Emergence of New Contact Zones? Ethnographic Museums, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the Digital Age

In recent years, James Clifford's (1997) notion of museums as contact zones seems to have finally arrived in Germany's ethnographic museums. However, many of the newly established collaborative projects faced setbacks in 2020, as working with others on collections became impossible because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally not known for their digital progressiveness, museums suddenly embraced communication software and online platforms in order to stay in touch with their project partners. Apparently, the pandemic accelerated the digitization of the museum. In this article, we examine the implications of digitalization for German ethnographic museums as a contact zone. Through our conversation with Andrea Scholz since 2021 curator for transcultural collaboration at the Ethnological Museum of Berlin and an expert in digital collaboration we explore what epistemological effects an expansion into the digital might have on the collaborative production of knowledge for which museums strive today. After situating the recent push for both digitalization and collaboration within the growing engagement with the colonial histories of ethnographic museums, we consider what digitalization means for collaborative projects and the unequal relations of power that continue to underlie them. Revisiting Clifford's concept, Robin Boast (2011) reminds us that, as long as the authority remains with the museums, the contact zone is an asymmetrical space. Reconstructing our conversation, we discuss how digital exchange and networking might facilitate the permanent inclusion of divergent postcolonial perspectives that might help to overcome these unequal power relations.

'Can You Hear Me?' Five Reflections on Building Rapport Online During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

Building rapport with research participants is crucial for ethnographic research. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has intensified the existing challenges of building rapport. In this article, five researchers explore the ethical and methodological implications of adapting their research processes to comply with the restrictions imposed during the pandemic. The researchers, each at various stages of their dissertation projects, ask a familiar question with renewed relevance: How can meaningful, reciprocal relationships be built with interlocutors through digital interactions? The planned fieldwork, with bazaar traders in Ukraine and Bishkek, adolescents in a Romanian post-industrial region, breastfeeding mothers in Germany, museum employees in Papua New Guinea and street `artivists' in Los Angeles, was not intended to take place remotely. Five PhD students at different stages of their doctoral projects met at the DGSKA Autumn School, 'Fieldwork meets crisis', where they decided to analyze their rapport-building strategies during the pandemic together, as they were facing different challenges in applying the methods of digital ethnography for their originally on -foot planned research. Yet evaluating the approaches that have been adapted to conceptualize, conduct, and interpret online ethnographic research provides fertile ground for discussing the following interconnected questions: How can relationships be built and maintained online? How is corporality related to trust? And to what extent is reciprocity possible online? By critically reflecting on these questions, the five researchers seek to take forward the longstanding and under-theorized debate in anthropology on building rapport.

Distance Education during the COVID-19 Shutdown: A Process Model of Online Learner Readiness, Experiences and Feelings of Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic that forced the closure of campuses in the spring of 2020 accelerated the diffusion of distance education in Universities worldwide. The need to shift to distance education without time to prepare or train teachers or students led to what has been called a crisis learning situation in what was far from a seamless transition. This article surveyed 200 students at a large university in the United States at the end of the spring semester in 2020 about their online learner readiness including access to technological infrastructure (computers and highspeed Internet access), computer self-efficacy, computer anxiety, and how that influenced positive and negative learning experiences and feelings about distance education and learning. A four-stage Structural Equation Model shows a detailed picture of the distance education process and suggests intervention points to improve its outcomes. Results suggest that access to technological infrastructure are necessary but not sufficient for successful distance education experiences and point to the critical importance of computer self-efficacy and anxiety in predicting positive (or negative) learning experiences, which lead to increased feelings of learning and the likelihood that students will choose distance education in the future. © 2022 ACM.

Strengthening a One Health approach to emerging zoonoses

Given the enormous global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Canada, and manifold other zoonotic pathogen activity, there is a pressing need for a deeper understanding of the human-animal-environment interface and the intersecting biological, ecological, and societal factors contributing to the emergence, spread, and impact of zoonotic diseases. We aim to apply a One Health approach to pressing issues related to emerging zoonoses, and propose a functional framework of interconnected but distinct groups of recommendations around strategy and governance, technical leadership (operations), equity, education and research for a One Health approach and Action Plan for Canada. Change is desperately needed, beginning by reorienting our approach to health and recalibrating our perspectives to restore balance with the natural world in a rapid and sustainable fashion. In Canada, a major paradigm shift in how we think about health is required. All of society must recognize the intrinsic value of all living species and the importance of the health of humans, other animals, and ecosystems to health for all. © 2022 Authors: Mubareka, Amuasi, Banerjee, Carabin, Jack, Jardine, Jaroszewicz, Keefe, Kotwa, Kutz, McGregor, Mease, Nicholson, Nowak, Reed, Saint-Charles, Simonienko, Weese, Parmley, and The Crown.

Practices towards SARS-CoV-2 transmission prevention among Polish high school students

Background Adolescents play a significant role in SARS-CoV-2 spread. The study objective was to assess practices towards COVID-19 among final year Polish high school students. Methods Between December 2020-March 2021 an online cross-sectional survey was conducted. Multistage random sampling selected 24 high schools in the Lubuskie region then 51 classes. Students' practices were assessed by an anonymous questionnaire. Significance was tested by Chi-square test. Results Response rate was 72.3%;638 students (360 females) participated (mean age 18.4±0.6 years);68.7% attended schools in the cities with <100,000 inhabitants;31.5% were in the science program. Most (81.3%) declared they always used masks in public spaces in the last month (74.3% males vs 86.1% females, p < 0.001;77.2% of those living in smaller vs 90.5% in larger cities, p < 0.001;89.6% in the science program vs 77.6% - in the other programs, p < 0.001);35% always avoided crowded areas (26.9% males vs 39.4% females, p = 0.001;29.5% living in smaller vs 47% in larger cities, p < 0.001;43.8% in the science program vs 30.9% - in the other programs, p = 0.002);24.3% declared always keeping social distance (19.4% males vs 27.2% females, p = 0.02), 29.9% stated they did not touch their faces (25% males vs 33.3% females, p = 0.02;27.2% living in smaller vs 36% in larger cities, p = 0.02;37.8% in the science program vs 26.3% - in the other programs, p = 0.003). Among those wearing masks - uncovered noses (64.6%) and masks around the neck (42.3%;48.1% males vs 38.9% females, p = 0.02) were the most frequent incorrect practices. Conclusions Most high school students, in particular males, living in small cities and attending non-science program have inappropriate preventive practices towards COVID-19. Health education programs are urgently needed to better equip students with COVID-19 prevention skills. Key messages The study shows data of final year high-school students' practices towards COVID-19 and maybe used by public health experts to better address educational campaigns oriented to Polish adolescents. Health education aimed at high school students would be crucial to improve compliance with SARS-CoV-2 infection control procedures.

The impact of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic on changes of eating habits and body mass

Introduction: The introduction of lockdown measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19 widely affected the lifestyle. The strict rules of social distancing and decreased individual mobility resulted in psychosocial implications. The aim of this study is to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating habits, physical activity and body mass. Methods: The survey was performed nation-wide by Internet among adult Poles between November 2020 and January 2021. Study questionnaire included 50 questions concerning anthropometric and social parameters as well as questions related to eating habits and dietary choices. The exclusion criteria were eating disorders and pregnancy. Results: Total of 1164 responders (74.5% females) in mean age 23.2 ± 7.5 years were included. 11.4%, was diagnosed with underweight, 66.1% with normal weight, 16.8% with overweight and 5.7% with obesity. In 86.2% of participants there was a change in study/work character during COVID-19 pandemic. 38.6% of participants gained weight and 26.5% of the study group loosed weight during lockdown. There was a significant increase in mean number of meals during time of COVID-19 pandemic (4.1 ± 1.3 vs. 3.7 ± 1.0 meals/day, p<0.001). 51.6% of the participants declared more frequent snacking between meals, similarly 52.6% started to cook more often and 29.3% of the group used sugar more often compared to the time before pandemic. Conclusion: The lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unfavorable changes in eating habits and weight gain a significant part of Polish population.

Conventional protective ltv versus aprv for patients with severe COVID-19 disease

INTRODUCTION: It has been postulated that the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) secondary to COVID-19 differs from ARDS in its presentation and progression. Although a protective low tidal volume ventilation (LTV) is the standard of care for patients with ARDS, the use of Airway Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV) has also been linked to improved outcomes. This project aims to compare the clinical outcomes between APRV and LTV in moderate to severe ARDS due to COVID-19. METHODS: Retrospective, single-center cohort study. After IRB approval, we reviewed the intensive care unit admissions between March 11 and May 6, 2020 and included adult patients with a confirmed COVID-19 disease and moderate to severe ARDS, as defined by Berlin Criteria. We collected baseline demographics and clinical characteristics. Our primary outcome was the number of ventilator-free days between APRV and LTV. Secondary outcomes included inhospital mortality, number of sedatives, RASS score, use of vasopressors, ICU length of stay, and pneumothorax. RESULTS: Out of 423 patients screened, a total of 178 were included in the analysis. The 18 patients who received APRV where compared with 160 in the LTV group. Baseline demographics, APACHE II on admission, and clinical characteristics were similar between groups. All patients received at least one course of steroids during the hospital stay. APRV patients received tocilizumab more frequently than LTV patients (33.3% vs. 10%, p=0.015). There was no difference in the ventilator free days (LTV 6.1 vs APRV 6.81 days, p=0.49), in-hospital mortality (50% vs. 60%, p=0.584), AKI (66.7% vs 71.2%, p=0.8), ventilator-associated pneumonia (33.3% vs 36.2%, p=0.9), ICU length of stay (18.59 vs. 21.58, p=0.185) or incidence of pneumothorax (11.1% vs 5%. P=0.26). There was a trend for an increased need of vasopressors in the LTV group (80.6% vs 61.1%, P=0.07). Finally, the RASS score was higher in the APRV group (-3.06 vs -2.12, p=0.032). CONCLUSIONS: APRV was not associated with a reduced number of ventilator-free days or in-hospital mortality. Other respiratory outcomes were similar between groups. Interestingly, patients on APRV tended to require less vasopressors, and were significantly less sedated. Prospective studies examining APRV vs. LTV for COVID-19 disease are therefore warranted.

Severe hyperphosphataemia and metabolic acidosis after administration of phosphate-containing enema in a 10-year-old girl-case report and review of literature

Constipation is among the most common complaints in GPS' offices, affecting over 10% of children reporting to the doctor [1]. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, access to specialist care has become difficult, which has led to neglect of diagnosis and managing chronic diseases. We present a case of a 10-year-old girl admitted to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms of severe constipation and abdominal pain and a history of ongoing constipation and faecal soiling for 6 months. In the ED she was given a sodium-phosphate enema twice. After a few hours she developed life-threatening hyperphosphataemia, hypocalcaemia, and metabolic acidosis. The presented patient presents an example of severe, chronic, and improperly treated constipation with an extremely rare side effect of a sodium-phosphate enema. It is important to underline that monitoring after the procedure and quick and proper treatment, if the mentioned effect occurs, can save the patient's life.