Medium-term outcome of liver recipients from COVID-19 donors

Background: COVID-19 is associated with thrombotic complications and can result in hepatobiliary injury. Excellent early outcomes have been reported in recipients of solid non-lungs organs from SARS-CoV-2-infected donors, however longer follow-up data are lacking. We aimed to describe the medium-term outcome of our liver transplants (LT) from COVID-19 donors. Methods: From 11/2020 to 03/2022, we consecutively enrolled all patients who received a graft from COVID-19 donor in our Centre. Protocol liver biopsy and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) after 1-year from LT were reported. Results: In the study period 12/213 (5.6%) adult LT patients received a COVID-19 donor (11 active, 1 resolved COVID-19)1. Eleven patients underwent end-to-end biliary anastomosis and 1 biliodigestive anastomosis. Recipients' and donors' characteristics are reported in table 1. Two recipients tested SARS-CoV-2 RNA positive on nasopharyngeal swab at LT and one was treated with sotrovimab on day-1 after LT. None of the patients developed COVID-19 after LT. One patient underwent hepatic artery thrombectomy at day-1 and died after 320 days for HCC recurrence. Until now: -10 patients underwent protocol MRCP (median time from LT 562 days, IQR 245-614), which showed: 7 no visible abnormalities, 1 donor-recipient's bile duct size discrepancy, 2 caliber changes <50% at the anastomotic level (untreated for the absence of cholestasis);-7 patients underwent protocol liver biopsy (median time from LT 553 days, IQR 311-557) which showed 1 acute cellular rejection (RAI 4/9) successfully treated with steroids;no signs of fibrosis, rejection or biliopathy in the other 6 patients. Conclusions: 11/12 patients who received a LT from COVID-19 donors are alive, without evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. At a median follow-up of 1.5 years, protocol liver biopsy and MRCP did not show biliopathy, supporting the utilization of COVID-19 donors to expand the donor pool and reduce the waiting list mortality.

DISTANCE LEARNING WITH EDMODO DURING THE CORONAVIRUS SCHOOL CLOSURES

The paper deals with using Edmodo (an educational social network) as a distance learning substitution tool in teaching English within university English courses during the first wave of COVID-19 in Slovakia. It draws the basic difference between online learning and distance learning and introduces the network's main features that can be utilised in the process of distance learning of adult learners. It presents the results the research that was conducted with the students of Faculty of Mass Media Communication of UCM in Trnava during ten weeks of distance learning in the period of March - May 2020. Via the quantitative method of a questionnaire survey, the research participants provided feedback on asynchronous distance learning with Edmodo. The findings present students' perception of the educational platform pointing to its benefits, weaknesses and overall effectiveness as a communication platform within distance learning.

EFFECTIVENESS OF TESTING ENGLISH ONLINE IN DISTANCE LEARNING

The paper presents the results of a comparative quantitative analysis of the effectiveness of online testing of English as a foreign language. It briefly explains how tuition and subsequent regular testing were conducted within different types of learning and describes the tasks used in testing. It compares university students' performance in different types of testing (paper-based testing, online testing) within the conditions of different types of learning (face-to-face learning, asynchronous distance learning, synchronous distance learning) that had to be carried out in reaction to the first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The analysis is complemented by the results of a quantitative questionnaire survey conducted in order to obtain students' feedback on online testing in asynchronous distance learning. Based on the results of the conducted analysis and questionnaire survey, conclusions about the effectivity of the above-mentioned types of testing are drawn.

Asynchronous And Synchronous Distance Learning Of English As A Foreign Language

The paper deals with using Edmodo (an educational social network) and Google Meet as distance learning tool and platform in teaching English within university English courses during the first and second waves of COVID-19 in Slovakia. It draws the basic difference between online learning and distance learning, as well as between asynchronous and synchronous distance learning. It briefly introduces Edmodo's and Google Meet's main features that can be utilised in the process of distance learning of university students. It presents the results of the research that was conducted with the students of Faculty of Mass Media Communication of UCM in Trnava, who participated in English courses conducted by the means of asynchronous and synchronous distance learning during the summer term of the academic year 2019/20 and the winter term of 2020/21, i. e. during both waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Via the quantitative method of a questionnaire survey, the research participants provided feedback on both asynchronous distance learning (with Edmodo) and synchronous distance learning (combining Google Meet with Edmodo). The findings present students' perception of the educational platform and the videoconferencing tool pointing to their benefits, weaknesses and overall effectiveness as communication platforms within both forms of distance learning, asynchronous and synchronous. The paper draws comparison of the two methods and assumes conclusions regarding their effectiveness in distance learning of English.