Music in Spanish schools, high schools and conservatories: educational response strategies against the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that practically all Spanish educational centers have had to adapt the teaching they provide. The case of the musical field in general and that of instrumental practice in particular has had to organize an effective educational response with which to ensure the well-being and learning of students. That is why we have carried out a systematic review based on research questions and a main objective related to the strategies that conservatories and general education centers have adopted in the musical field. Initially we selected a series of databases of recognized international and Hispanic prestige in which to carry out searches with the defined key terms. The different phases of study of the documents were limited by the inclusion criteria and the search formulas, giving rise to the final selection once those documents that appeared duplicates in the databases had been eliminated. The results show how the main strategies in the primary stages are related to collaborative and cooperative work, even in the phase of suppression of educational attendance. In addition, in music conservatories, group instrumental practice has had certain peculiarities during the different phases of the pandemic, with the main strategy carried out by teachers being teacher coordination.

Music in Spanish schools, high schools and conservatories: educational response strategies against the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that practically all Spanish educational centers have had to adapt the teaching they provide. The case of the musical field in general and that of instrumental practice in particular has had to organize an effective educational response with which to ensure the well-being and learning of students. That is why we have carried out a systematic review based on research questions and a main objective related to the strategies that conservatories and general education centers have adopted in the musical field. Initially we selected a series of databases of recognized international and Hispanic prestige in which to carry out searches with the defined key terms. The different phases of study of the documents were limited by the inclusion criteria and the search formulas, giving rise to the final selection once those documents that appeared duplicates in the databases had been eliminated. The results show how the main strategies in the primary stages are related to collaborative and cooperative work, even in the phase of suppression of educational attendance. In addition, in music conservatories, group instrumental practice has had certain peculiarities during the different phases of the pandemic, with the main strategy carried out by teachers being teacher coordination. © 2023, Universidad Pablo de Olavide. All rights reserved.

Exploring intergenerational interactions through an online storytelling experience

Intergenerational games to be played by grandparents and their grandchildren can be mutually beneficial for both age groups: breaking with age stereotypes, linking the learning and leisure needs of both generations and encouraging communication, solidarity, and social connectedness between generations. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was necessary to switch from co-located physical intergenerational play to online experiences. This type of experience, in which grandparents connect from their own houses to participate, represents a challenge in terms of recruiting participants and carrying out the online sessions, due to grandparents'technological insecurities and their reluctance to play videogames. Besides, intergenerational games have to be carefully designed to promote symmetrical interactions, fun and engagement on the part of both age groups as well as to develop easy to use interfaces. In this work, we present an online storytelling game designed to be played by family teams formed by grandparents and their grandchildren. The guidelines followed, the assessment tools designed to evaluate the intergenerational dynamics and the emotions that arise during the experience are also presented. Results of the three online sessions carried out are presented and discussed. IEEE

Impacts of COVID-19: Toward a Streaming-Preferred Video Collection Policy

The abrupt transition to fully remote instruction and work due to COVID-19 forced many academic libraries to strategically move to e-preferred acquisition models while also facing new budgetary and staffing constraints. This article traces the evolution of streaming video acquisitions at Yale Library, and the impact of COVID-19 on video collection development and funding, as well as the development of technical workflows for the acquisition, receipt, and management of streaming video. It also discusses lessons learned and opportunities for future growth including cross-departmental training and collaboration, routine usage assessment for budgeting and discoverability purposes, and development of a holistic video collection development policy. © 2022 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Formative Assessment in Context of COVID-19 Pandemic

The pandemic situation is contributing to the redesign of training models, promoting new scenarios, or readjusting other pedagogical resources already known, which help to deal with the uncertainty and doubts that have arisen. This context raises new requirements and solutions in the approach of the face-to-face, online and mixed model. Adaptation of spaces, compliance with prevention measures, interaction with students, methodologies and especially, an assessment system, which helps to keep track of the subject, so that a more active attitude of the student and their commitment to this process, are of great value. From the reflection on the achievement of objectives, follow-up of the subject, and the auto- and peer-assessment, an experience of formative assessment is presented in two environments, online and face-to-face. Both are supported by a process of self-assessment and peer-assessment, which has allowed students to successfully face the subject of Artistic Expression I, in the Degree in Engineering in Industrial Design and Product Development at the University of Zaragoza (Spain). © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Formative Assessment in Context of COVID-19 Pandemic

The pandemic situation is contributing to the redesign of training models, promoting new scenarios, or readjusting other pedagogical resources already known, which help to deal with the uncertainty and doubts that have arisen. This context raises new requirements and solutions in the approach of the face-to-face, online and mixed model. Adaptation of spaces, compliance with prevention measures, interaction with students, methodologies and especially, an assessment system, which helps to keep track of the subject, so that a more active attitude of the student and their commitment to this process, are of great value. From the reflection on the achievement of objectives, follow-up of the subject, and the auto- and peer-assessment, an experience of formative assessment is presented in two environments, online and face-to-face. Both are supported by a process of self-assessment and peer-assessment, which has allowed students to successfully face the subject of Artistic Expression I, in the Degree in Engineering in Industrial Design and Product Development at the University of Zaragoza (Spain). © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Effectiveness of COVID -19 vaccine on cancer patients in one Latin American country: A follow-up of ACHOC-C19 study

Background: In our experience during the first year of development of ACHOC-C19 study, we observed 26% mortality in patients with cancer and COVID 19 infection. The impact of vaccination was not evaluated prior to the implementation of this strategy worldwide in this kind of population. It was proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of immunization during the second phase of our investigation. Methods: Cohort study derived from the National Registry of Patients with Cancer and COVID-19 (ACHOCC-19). Data were collected from June 2021 since vaccine was available. Patients were: older than 18 years, diagnosed with cancer (solid tumors), treated and/or under follow-up, and with COVID-19 infection. The comparative analysis of the vaccinated and non-vaccinated cohort is presented. Outcomes included: all-cause mortality within 30 days of infection diagnosis, hospitalization, and mechanical ventilation. Effect estimation was performed through relative risk (RR) and multivariate analysis for each event, using generalized linear models of the binomial family. Results: 896 patients were included, 470 were older than 60 years (52.4%) and 59% women (n = 530). 172 patients were recruited in the vaccinated cohort and 724 in the non-vaccinated cohort (ratio: 1 to 4.2). The cumulative incidence of hospitalization among the unvaccinated was 42.4% (n = 307), and among the vaccinated, 29% (n = 50);invasive mechanical ventilation requirement was 8.4% (n = 61) in unvaccinated, and 4.6% (n = 8) in vaccinated. The cumulative incidence of mortality from all causes in the unvaccinated was 17% (n = 123) and in the vaccinated 4.65% (n = 8). Table summarizes the multivariate analysis. The adjusted RR for mortality for the unvaccinated is 3.4 (95% CI: 1.7-6.8), for hospitalization 1.36 (95% CI: 1.08-1.72), and for mechanical ventilation 2.1 (95% CI: 1.02-4.2). Conclusions: The incidence of complications and death in patients with cancer and COVID-19 infection is significantly higher in those who have not received a vaccination schedule compared to those who have been vaccinated. Immunization should be promoted and intensified in this population group.

The real impact of the delay in presenting to the emergency department with acute renal colic: which patients are at risk?

Introduction & Objectives: The optimum length of time for conservative treatment in patients with acute renal colic is unclear and there is no clear consensus on the time scale. The aim of this study is to verify the impact of delay on biochemical and clinical outcomes for patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute renal colic. Materials & Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from three institutions from two European countries from 01 January to 30 April 2020. Patients who presented to the ED with unilateral or bilateral renal colic caused by imaging confirmed urolithiasis were included. Exclusion criteria were: flank pain not caused by urolithiasis, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) grade >II and solitary kidney. Patients with a SARS-CoV-2 positive PCR swab test were excluded. Presentation after 24 hours since the onset of symptoms was considered a delay. Patients presenting before 24 hours from the symptom onset were included in Group A, while patients presenting after 24 hours in Group B. Clinical and biochemical parameters and management were compared. Continuous parametric and non-parametric data were analyzed with Student’s t-test and Mann-Whitney U test respectively. Categorical variables were analyzed with Chi-squared test. All statistical tests were two sided with the significance level set at 0.05. Results: 397 patients who presented to ED with confirmed urolithiasis were analysed (Group A, n= 199;Group B, n=198). The median (IQR) delay in presentation was 2 days (1,5-4). At presentation, no statistically significant differences were found amongst the two groups of patients regarding presenting symptoms such as fever and flank pain, and the median serum levels of creatinine, C reactive protein and white blood cells (see Table 1). No differences were found in terms of conservative or operative management. (Table Presented) Conclusions: In stable and selected patients, the clinical and biochemical parameters do not tend to worsen in the first days following the first renal colic. Most patients with suspected renal colic do not necessarily need urgent attendance to the ED and may be managed as outpatients.

Prevention of Emotional Disorders and Symptoms Under Health Conditions: A Pilot Study using the Unified Protocol in a Fertility Unit

Emotional Disorders (EDs) are common in women who undergo fertility treatments. The Unified Protocol (UP) is a transdiagnostic intervention that has demonstrated efficacy in preventing EDs under different health conditions. The aim of this pilot study is to: 1) improve emotional dysregulation for the prevention of anxiety and depressive symptoms in women undergoing intrauterine inseminations (IUI);2) assess their acceptability (e.g., satisfaction and adherence rates). Method: Five women undergoing IUI, with no clinical diagnoses, responded to measures of mood (anxiety and depression), affect, quality of life and emotional dysregulation in the pre-and post-assessments, and at the 1-, 3-and 6 month follow-ups. The UP was adapted to be applied during six face-toface group sessions lasting 2 h. The COVID-19 pandemic situation implied changing to an online format to end the program. Results: The results showed that women did not develop EDs, and no statistically significant pre-post and pre-follow-up differences were found for anxiety, depression, quality of life and emotional dysregulation (all p > .050). A tendency towards improvement in the post-assessment evaluation was noted. Satisfaction with the format and UP program was high. Conclusions: It would seem that programs focusing on therapeutic common factors like the UP could have an emotional preventive effect during IUI.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute appendicitis in children.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Since the COVID-19 pandemic confinement was established in Spain on March 9, 2020, the number of visits to the pediatric Emergency Department (ED) has decreased dramatically, probably due to the fear of parents becoming infected in the hospital environment. The aim of this work was to analyze the medium-term consequences during the first 9 months after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in children with acute appendicitis (AA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on children operated on for AA in our institution between 2017 and 2020, who were distributed in two groups according to the date of surgery: COVID-19 group (after March 9, 2020) and control group (before March 9, 2020). Demographic variables, associated symptoms, time from symptoms onset, hospital stay, rate of complicated AA and postoperative complications were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 1274 patients were included (288 COVID group; 986 control group), without demographic differences. Time from symptom onset was significantly longer in COVID-19 group (34.5 vs. 24.2h; p=0.021), although no differences in associated symptoms were observed between both groups. COVID-19 group presented a higher rate of complicated AA (20.1% vs. 14%; OR: 1.55; CI 95% [1.10-2.18]; p=0.008), a longer hospital stay (3.5 vs. 2.8 days; p=0.042) as well as a higher rate of postoperative complications (21.5% vs. 15.7%; OR: 1.47; CI 95% [(1.06-2.04)]; p=0.008). CONCLUSION: In our experience there was a negative medium-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with acute appendicitis: delayed ED visits, increased rate of complicated AA, increased hospital stay and increased postoperative complications.

Doctors: their satisfaction as patients or when treating another doctor. Comparison with the general population in Venezuela: a pilot study

The way in which physicians manage their health and that of their families and colleagues is an issue of practical and humanistic value. However, there are few published studies on these topics, and discussion is often based on anecdotes. We determined the level of satisfaction of physicians when treating a colleague and, in turn, when they became patients in Merida, Venezuela, We additionally, evaluated the satisfaction with the medical attention in subjects from the general population (PG). The variable under study was analyzed in three levels: 1) positive opinion or satisfaction;2) neutral opinion and 3) negative opinion or dissatisfaction. The answers' temporal frame referred to the opinion 'in general' and in 'the last occasion' that the respondents referred when provided or received medical assistance. We obtained a probabilistic sample of 52 specialists and 84 residents, and 494 subjects from the GP. All subjects answered a self-administered questionnaire, whose psychometric assessment showed a content validity coefficient of 0.82, which qualifies as 'good'. All the subjects reported their satisfaction as patients, and the physicians also reported their satisfaction level when treating other physicians. Male specialists reported the highest dissatisfaction frequencies in the personal attitudes toward them, of the physicians that they treated (28.6%, p = 0.05-0.1) and their performance as treating physicians (7.1%, p >0.05). Similarly, the male specialists (38.4-42.9%, p <0.05) reported the highest dissatisfaction frequencies as patients. Female residents, compared to all the physicians, reported the lowest dissatisfaction levels as providers or recipient of medical attention, but the figures did not reach statistical significance. The GP masculine group reported lower dissatisfaction levels than the physicians as a group (6.6%, p <0.05). We conclude that a significant proportion of physicians, particularly male specialists, are dissatisfied in their roles of treating physicians of another colleague and are also dissatisfied as patients. Ad hoc programs of professional education should be designed to modify this important health issue, which could be even more important during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Telephonic Postoperative Follow-up During a Pandemic: Cohort Study

Introduction: According to the available scientific evidence It is unknown whether replacing clinic follow-up visits with telephone follow-up for low-risk elective and non-elective surgeries is safe. Nonetheless;using telemedicine has become one of the most needed and used methods during this pandemic to avoid COVID-19 disease spreading among surgical teams and patients. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed. We compared the frequency of needing of any health assistance, adverse event and readmissions after been discharged and during the first 30 postoperative days, between two groups of patients, the first one with exclusive telephone follow-up vs the traditional face-to-face visit. Results: We registered the data from 324 patients who underwent elective and non-elective low-risk surgeries between May 1st and December 1st 2020. The overall health assistance rate during the first 30 days after been discharged home was 11,54%. The telephone follow-up group we registered only 18 adverse events compared with 29 for the traditional visit group this was statistical significant. We found 13 consults for telephonic follow-up group and 14 for traditional visit this was statistical significant as well. We also found difference between the two groups in matter of readmissions in favor of telephonic follow-up. All these differences were statistically significant. Conclusion: No standardized postoperative management algorithm exists for patients undergoing surgery during a pandemic. We propose the telephonic follow-up based on our findings, as a safe and effective approach. Future studies are needed to validate the current proposal.

Impact of COVID-19 infection on breast cancer patients: Experience in Latin-American country ACHOCC-19B study

Background: There are not specific information about otucomes of COVID-19 infection in patients with breast cancer. We aimed to describe the outcomes in this population in our national cohort of patients with cancer and infection for COVID-19. Methods: ACHOCC-19B registry is a multicenter observational study composed of a cross-sectional and a prospective cohort component. Eligibility criteria were the diagnosis of breast cancer and COVID-19 infection confirmed with RT-PCR. Follow-up of 30 days was completed. Clinical data were extracted of the multicentric register of cancer and covid-19 in Colombia (ACHOCC-19), collected from Apr 1 until Oct 31, 2020. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality from all causes and secondary outcome was asymptomatic disease. Associations between demographic or clinical characteristics and outcomes were measured with odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs using multivariable logistic regression. Results: 132 patients were included(18,5% of global ACHOCC-19 cohort). 18,2% died and 25,8% was asymptomatic. In relation to the patients who died vs did not died, 68 vs 66% were > 50 years, 20 vs 10,2% with obesity, 32 vs 51,4% without comorbidities: 24 vs 12% with Diabetes, 56 vs 29% arterial Hypertension, 17,75 vs 3.88% ECOG >2, 50 vs 12,5% progressive cancer, 20 vs 5,6% bacterial coinfection, 65 vs 25,2% received antibiotic and 68 vs 19% steroids for Covid-19 infection. 11.3% had severe infection and received ventilatory support and 66% died. About the asymptomatic patients 74% were > 50 years, 2,9% had obesity, 56% without comorbidities, 56% with ECOG 0 and 17,6% had metastatic disease. In the logistic regression analysis, age > 50 years (OR 2,7 95% 0,54-13,81), >2 comorbidities (OR 3,48 95% 0,26-45,71), progressive disease (OR 3,52 95% 0,47-26,57), steroids (OR 6,62 95% 1,5-26,6) and antibiotic treatment for Covid19 (OR 6,88 95% 1,60-29,76) behaved as a risk factors for mortality, but only steroids and antibiotic was statistically significant. Conclusions: In our study, breast cancer patients have high mortality by Covid-19 infection. Age, comorbidities, ECOG >2, progressive disease, and use of antibiotic and steroids are factors for worse prognosis. Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors. Funding: Has not received any funding. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Description of asymptomatic cancer patients with COVID-19 infection: Experience of the ACHOCC-19 study in one Latin American country

Background: Cancer has been described as a risk factor for worse prognosis in people with Covid-19. However, there are few studies informing on the characteristics of cancer patients that have asymptomatic SARS-cov2 infection. The ACHOCC-19 study included asymptomatic patients. Methods: Analytical cohort study of patients with cancer and SARScov2 infection in Colombia. From April 1 to October 31, 2020, we collected data on demographic and clinical variables related to cancer and COVID-19 infection. We describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients who had no symptoms of COVID19. Association between outcomes and prognostic variables was analyzed using logistic regression models. Results: We included 742 patients, of which 205 (27.6%) were asymptomatic. Of these 62.2% were older than 61 years, 66% were women, 1.42% were smokers. The most frequent malignancy was breast cancer (25%), followed by colon-rectum (14.6%), sarcoma/soft tissues (5.66%) and lung cancer (5.19%). Patients were more likely to be asymptomatic if they had fewer comorbidities (0-1 comorbidities: 84% asymptomatic, 2 comorbidities: 10.85%, more than 2 comorbidities: 5.15%). 90.5% lived in urban areas and 53.37% had low income. 35.4% of patients had metastatic disease, 8.7% had progressive cancer, 40% had stable disease or partial response. No patient had an ECOG PS of 4 or more, and only 1.91% had ECOG 3. In logistic regression analysis statistically significant associations for having symptomatic disease included: man, presence of 1, 2 or > 2 comorbidities, ECOG 1,2 or 3 and cancer in progression. On the other hand, the statistically significant ORs for having asymptomatic disease were age between 18 and 30 years old, cancer in remission and receiving non-cytotoxic treatment. Table sumarizes ORs and their respective 95% CIs of the variables adjusted in the logistic regression model. Conclusions: In our stumdy, cancer patients had a higher probability of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection if they were women, between the ages of 18 and 30 years, had cancer in remission , ECOG 0 and no comorbidities. This is the first cohort of patients with cancer and asymptomatic covid 19 with a significant sample size in Latin America.

Identification of repurposing drugs against SARS-CoV-2 using human lung tissues

Background: No effective drugs against SARS-CoV-2 infection are available. Screening of therapeutic candidates is primarily performed using immortalized cell lines. However, primary cell targets might show intrinsic differences in the expression profile of relevant host proteins, required for viral replication that could significantly affect the activity and potency of antivirals. Thus, the development of more physiological models for antiviral drug screening are urgently needed. Methods: Lung tissue was obtained from routinely thoracic surgical resections and was immediately digested before experiment set up. Cell populations and expression of ACE2 were characterized by FACS, and cell targets for SARS-CoV-2 were identified using a VSV∗ΔG(GFP)-S pseudotyped virus. 39 repurposing drugs previously identified by in silico models as potential viral entry inhibitors were tested using a VSV∗ΔG(Luc)-S virus. Cytotoxic concentration (CC50) and inhibitory concentration (IC5O) values were calculated using a non-linear regression dose-response curve and were compared to drug activity in VeroE6 cells. Results: Alveolar type II (AT-II) cells, the main cell target for SARS-CoV-2 infection in lungs, were identified within a fraction of cells characterized by CD45-, CD31-, EpCAM+ and HLA-DR+, (∼0.01-0.5% of viable cells). Using a VSV∗ΔG(GFP)-S virus we showed that viral entry was occurring in cells compatible with an AT-II phenotype, and infection was efficiently blocked with an anti-ACE2 antibody (Figure 1). Despite low and variable numbers of AT-II targets, antiviral assays using VSV∗ΔG(Luc)-S were highly sensitive and reproducible (CV of 17%). Compared with VeroE6 cells, IC50 values trended to be higher in tissues. Moreover, we found that 12.8% of the tested compounds had discordant results, where 10.25% of the drugs showed some antiviral effect in lung cell suspensions but no activity in VeroE6 and 3.9% showed only antiviral effect in VeroE6. Modulation of ACE2 expression by some of these compounds was also highly discordant between the cell line and lung tissue. Cepharantine (IC50=6μM, CC50=14μM) and Ergoloid (IC50=4.3μM, CC50=24μM) were identified as the most active entry inhibitors in lung cell suspension. Conclusion: The use of lung tissue for the screening of antiviral compounds represents a valid physiological and relevant model, which evidences intrinsic discrepancies with cell lines. Importantly, we identified repurposing drugs against SARS-CoV-2 with potential for clinical testing.