Academic Framing of Computational Representations in the Virtual Classroom during Covid-19

Keywords: Agenda;Framing;Social representations;Expectations;Computer Introduction The development of research projects often requires the competition of computers, software and data analysis techniques, but the acceptance, appropriation and intensive use of them presents limitations in terms of utility and risk expectations [1]. Some explanatory models of human capital formation suggest that the formation of talent or intellectual capital in intangible assets of organizations is due to habitus [3]. [...]the predictive models of the social representations of these determinants have not been observed in the explanation of the relations with the intensive use of technologies, devices and electronic networks. [...]the objective of the present work was to establish the academic link relative to the social representations of computer computers, considering the dimensions of the organizational, educational and cognitive models. Methodology A documentary, retrospective and exploratory study was carried out with a selection of sources indexed to international repositories Table 1, considering the indexing period from 2019 to 2021, as well as the search by allusive keywords for negative (stigma, risk, rejection) and positive (utility, acceptance, appropriation) (Table 1) Content analysis and opinion matrices were used, considering the inclusion of findings, ratings and comparisons of coded data such as;-1 for negative dimensions (stigma, risk and rejection) and +1 for positive dimensions (utility, acceptance and appropriation) The qualitative data analysis package was used, considering equation (1) in which the contingency relations and the proportions of probabilities of taking risks in permissible thresholds of human capital formation stand out The contrast of the null hypotheses was made from the estimation of these parameters.

Formation of Intellectual Capital in the Face of Covid-19

Theory of Intellectual Capital The principles that g=uide the rational choice lie in the tastes and preferences crystallizing objectives of the actors (Sanchez, 2020). [...]before taking any decision binding preferences strategies, achieve collect information that will determine the election. Studies of Intellectual Capital If rational choice is brewing from preferences based on information available to determine tastes and objectives, the prospective attitude suggests that the absence of information creates uncertainty that determines risk aversion or waiver of certain gains and risk appetite when losses are imminent. [...]the utility, benefit or happiness crystallizes into losses or gains, circumventing the process of rational choice and legitimizing an irrational choice. [...]a prospective is more than a decision lies in attitude and expectation of risk or certainty to gains and losses in the immediate future. [...]an overview of the environment, their demands and opportunities conducive categories of accessible and abundant availability of information that will influence a spendthrift behavior such as believing that jobs, wages and financial credits significantly increase (Moreno, 2019).

Difference in mortality rates in hospitalized COVID-19 patients identified by cytokine profile clustering using a machine learning approach: An outcome prediction alternative.

COVID-19 is a disease caused by the novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing an acute respiratory disease that can eventually lead to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). An exacerbated inflammatory response is characteristic of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which leads to a cytokine release syndrome also known as cytokine storm associated with the severity of the disease. Considering the importance of this event in the immunopathology of COVID-19, this study analyses cytokine levels of hospitalized patients to identify cytokine profiles associated with severity and mortality. Using a machine learning approach, 3 clusters of COVID-19 hospitalized patients were created based on their cytokine profile. Significant differences in the mortality rate were found among the clusters, associated to different CXCL10/IL-38 ratio. The balance of a CXCL10 induced inflammation with an appropriate immune regulation mediated by the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-38 appears to generate the adequate immune context to overrule SARS-CoV-2 infection without creating a harmful inflammatory reaction. This study supports the concept that analyzing a single cytokine is insufficient to determine the outcome of a complex disease such as COVID-19, and different strategies incorporating bioinformatic analyses considering a broader immune profile represent a more robust alternative to predict the outcome of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Levels of Physical Activity and Psychological Well-Being in Non-Athletes and Martial Art Athletes during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to identify which of the sociodemographic variables affected psychological well-being in two populations that differed in their sports practice at the end of the COVID-19 lockdown in Colombia. METHODS: The study was conducted through an online survey using the IPAQ-S and PGWBI-S questionnaires six months after the first SARS-CoV-2 lockdown, between 8 and 22 September 2020 in Colombia. The total number of study participants was 582, subdivided into two groups: (i) non-athlete university population (NA) without constant practice in physical activity or sports training (n = 470); and (ii) martial arts athletes (n = 122) with a sports career (A), 7.4 ± 3.4 years of experience, at different levels (advanced belts and black belts). RESULTS: Sports practice, normal BMI levels and high levels of physical activity translated into absence of distress (ND) in the psychological well-being of populations. The variance between the factors could be explained by the general health dimension (2.4% population; 4.2% sex; 12% physical activity; 2.6% age). A moderate correlation between vitality and MET was found (r = 0.33; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The practice of a sport such as martial arts, normal body mass index and high levels of physical activity were factors that positively reduced levels of distress, translated into better psychological well-being in populations, and the general health dimension presented important contributions to psychological well-being. Intervention plans must be carried out, especially in populations that do not practice physical activity-mainly female and those under 40 years of age.

Assessment of Post-COVID Symptoms Using the C19-YRS Tool in a Cohort of Patients from the First Pandemic Wave in Northwestern Spain.

Introduction: The emergence or persistence of symptoms after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection has made it necessary to develop tools to detect them and assess their impact on patients' quality of life. One of these tools is the COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Screening (C19-YRS) scale. We present the results of this tool in a cohort of first pandemic wave patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study of patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from March to May 2020 in Lugo (northwestern Spain). C19-YRS was administered via phone 10 months after the acute infection to both former inpatients and outpatients. Electronic medical records were reviewed and relevant data from the acute episode were collected. The main outcome was the presence of impairment in different areas measured by the C19-YRS scale. Results: The answer rate was 63.2%. The mean age was 54 ± 16 years, 38.4% were male and 190 (42.9%) had some comorbidity. Eighty-seven patients (19.6%) required hospitalization and 10 (2.3%) required intensive care unit admission. Ten (3.5%) patients lost their job due to the pandemic. Two hundred seventy-six patients (62.3%) related any symptoms; fatigue (37.2%) and exertional dyspnea (33.4%) were the most common with significant worsening in both cases compared with the situation before the infection. Subgroup analysis showed that more symptom domains were impaired in women than men. Older patients, those with comorbidity and those who needed hospital admission, demanded more health resources after the acute infection. Discussion: C19-YRS is useful for the detection and quantification of symptoms after COVID-19 and provides relevant social, health, and occupational information.

Inter-Rater Variability in the Evaluation of Lung Ultrasound in Videos Acquired from COVID-19 Patients

Lung ultrasound (LUS) allows for the detection of a series of manifestations of COVID-19, such as B-lines and consolidations. The objective of this work was to study the inter-rater reliability (IRR) when detecting signs associated with COVID-19 in the LUS, as well as the performance of the test in a longitudinal or transverse orientation. Thirty-three physicians with advanced experience in LUS independently evaluated ultrasound videos previously acquired using the ULTRACOV system on 20 patients with confirmed COVID-19. For each patient, 24 videos of 3 s were acquired (using 12 positions with the probe in longitudinal and transverse orientations). The physicians had no information about the patients or other previous evaluations. The score assigned to each acquisition followed the convention applied in previous studies. A substantial IRR was found in the cases of normal LUS (kappa = 0.74), with only a fair IRR for the presence of individual B-lines (kappa = 0.36) and for confluent B-lines occupying < 50% (kappa = 0.26) and a moderate IRR in consolidations and B-lines > 50% (kappa = 0.50). No statistically significant differences between the longitudinal and transverse scans were found. The IRR for LUS of COVID-19 patients may benefit from more standardized clinical protocols.

A Quantitative Analysis of Information Systems Management in the Educational Industry

1. Purpose: One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic period was the migration of educational centers from face-to-face learning to e-learning. Most centers adapted their educational services and technological resources so that the students could attend the courses online and the teachers (and the rest of the staff) could telework. So, technology departments have become critical in educational services and need to adapt their processes. The ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) standard guides companies for this transformation. If educational centers are involved in digital transformation, the question to solve is the following: How far are the processes used in the technology departments of educational centers from the ITIL standard adopted in the information technology industry? The purpose of this research was to investigate whether technology departments have implemented the necessary processes. 2. Methods. The research was conducted by means of an online form sent to educational organizations to gather information about their technological processes. The responses collected from the web forms were statistically analyzed. 3. Results and conclusion. The main finding in this paper was that technology departments in educational centers have yet to adopt the processes required for an intensive online service, demonstrating a weakness in educational institutions.

Public diplomacy in an age of perpetual crisis: assessing the EU's strategic narratives through six crises

Purpose The purpose of this research is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the EU's public diplomacy - towards both domestic and external audiences - during times of crisis. The EU's public diplomacy is examined across six major crises: the Eurozone crisis (2008), the Ukrainian crisis (2014), the migrant crisis (2015), the Brexit referendum (2016), the new transatlantic relationship (2017) and the COVID-19 pandemic (2019). The goal of examining these crises in conjunction is to derive policy-relevant insights. Design/methodology/approach This article adopts a problem-driven approach - the problem being how successful is the EU at public diplomacy during times of crisis - that draws theoretical and empirical insights from Communication Studies, International Relations and EU studies via a "strategic narratives" framework. It situates the EU as a unique public diplomacy actor, one which is becoming more prominent due to the mediatisation of diplomacy, especially driven by the advent of cyberspace. Findings The article finds that the EU has been experiencing a cycle of crises that have affected the political, economic, symbolic and social foundations of the common project. The EU has had some notable success - such as restoring confidence at the height of the Eurozone crisis - and some notable challenges - such as effectively combatting disinformation. Regardless, the EU has the potential to better manage these and future crises by engaging in an effective public diplomacy strategy that tells a shared European story that informs and inspires people, both domestically and externally. Originality/value The article offers an original examination of the EU's public diplomacy response to six different crises. It looks at different types of crises and utilises concepts from different social science perspectives. It offers novel strategic and policy recommendations.

Difference in mortality rates in hospitalized COVID-19 patients identified by cytokine profile clustering using a machine learning approach: An outcome prediction alternative

COVID-19 is a disease caused by the novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing an acute respiratory disease that can eventually lead to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). An exacerbated inflammatory response is characteristic of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which leads to a cytokine release syndrome also known as cytokine storm associated with the severity of the disease. Considering the importance of this event in the immunopathology of COVID-19, this study analyses cytokine levels of hospitalized patients to identify cytokine profiles associated with severity and mortality. Using a machine learning approach, 3 clusters of COVID-19 hospitalized patients were created based on their cytokine profile. Significant differences in the mortality rate were found among the clusters, associated to different CXCL10/IL-38 ratio. The balance of a CXCL10 induced inflammation with an appropriate immune regulation mediated by the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-38 appears to generate the adequate immune context to overrule SARS-CoV-2 infection without creating a harmful inflammatory reaction. This study supports the concept that analyzing a single cytokine is insufficient to determine the outcome of a complex disease such as COVID-19, and different strategies incorporating bioinformatic analyses considering a broader immune profile represent a more robust alternative to predict the outcome of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

La externalización de los servicios de información turística en el contexto de la COVID-19

La legislación española permite a las administraciones públicas la externalización de determinados servicios a falta de medios propios para prestarlos. Los servicios de información turística son uno de los servicios que las administraciones suelen externalizar al requerir de una mayor flexibilidad horaria para atender las necesidades de los turistas. El objetivo general de este trabajo es analizar la tendencia a la externalización de los servicios de información turística y cómo la COVID-19 ha influido en la misma. Para ello se ha diseñado una investigación que analiza las licitaciones publicadas en la Plataforma de Contratación del Estado según el CPV 6351300 Servicios de información turística de 2018 a 2020. Los datos parecen sugerirnos la existencia de una tendencia positiva y que la COVID-19 ha influido levemente. También parece indicarnos que las administraciones públicas no utilizan de manera adecuada el código CPV en sus procesos de licitación aunque parece estar corrigiéndose.Alternate : Spanish legislation allows public authorities to outsource the provision of certain services when they lack their own means to do so Thus, tourist information services are one of the services that authorities tend to outsource because tourism’s broad and flexible time margins cannot always be covered by the public sector. In addition, tourism has been one of the economic sectors hardest hit by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, with significant effects on employment, demand and the arrival of international tourists, among others. Thus, the general objective of this work is focused on analysing the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the outsourcing of tourist information services. As such, an investigation has been designed that researches the tenders from the Spanish State Contract Platform from 2018 to 2020. The results seem to suggest a positive trend and that COVID-19 has had a slight influence. The research also seems to indicate that public administrations do not use the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) code adequately in their tender processes, although it seems to be being corrected.

Residential Refrigeration MEPS in Colombia: A Review and a Comparative Analysis

This paper addresses the energy efficiency issue in household appliances, which has led to the establishment of policies at a global level in favor of setting minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), which guarantee end users are able to select more efficient equipment. The countries of the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and the Community of the European Union were taken as references to review their policies and implementation strategies, in order to be compared with the Colombian panorama (at the market, technical and political levels). This allows the establishment of common aspects and differences related to the determination of energy consumption, adjusted volume, and formalization of efficiency ranges, and in the specific case of domestic refrigeration. Managing to distinguish the most relevant aspects for the successful adoption of these policies in Colombia. It is evident that the implementation of these guidelines has a positive impact on the market of the countries and communities of reference. Similarly, the MEPS are shown as a mechanism to regulate energy consumption in the residential sector.

D dimer concentration variation as predictor of mortality in patients with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the D dimer levels after the admission of patients with COVID-19 and to stablish cut-off points that are associated with more complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective study with inpatients with severity criteria that compared the D dimer levels at admission and 48 hours later;mean D dimer concentrations were evaluated and cut-off points were stablished. RESULTS: Considering D dimer 48 hours after admission, patients that did not survive had mean levels of 5380 ng/mL versus 1811.3 ng/mL among those that survived (p < 0.005);a cut-off point of 1725 ng/mL was stablished that predicted mortality with sensitivity of 85.7%, specificity of 63%, and negative predictive value of 89.4%. In the group of patients that required invasive mechanical ventilation, mean D dimer was 4672.2 ng/mL versus 1652.6 ng/mL in those who did not need it (p < 0.001) and a cut-off point of 1770 ng/mL was calculated which predicted invasive mechanical ventilation with sensitivity of 84.6%, specificity of 63%, and negative predictive value of 89.4%. CONCLUSIONS: D dimer concentrations after 48 hours of admission can discard the development of complications, so its determination may be useful for determining the adverse evolution risk. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] OBJETIVO: Evaluar las concentraciones de dímero D posteriores al ingreso de pacientes con COVID-19 y estipular puntos de corte que se asocien con complicaciones. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Estudio prospectivo efectuado en pacientes hospitalizados con criterios de severidad que comparó las concentraciones de dímero D al ingreso y a las 48 horas;se compararon las medias de dímero D y se estipularon puntos de corte. RESULTADOS: Respecto al dímero D a las 48 horas, los pacientes que fallecieron tuvieron una media de 5380 ng/mL, a diferencia de los que no con 1811.3 ng/mL (p < 0.005);se estableció un punto de corte de 1725 ng/mL para predecir mortalidad con sensibilidad del 85.7%, especificidad del 63% y valor predictivo negativo del 89.4%. La media de dímero D de los que requirieron ventilación mecánica invasiva fue de 4672.2 ng/mL contra 1652.6 ng/mL (p < 0.001) y el punto de corte de 1770 ng/mL predice ventilación mecánica invasiva con sensibilidad del 84.6%, especificidad del 63% y valor predictivo negativo del 89.4%. CONCLUSIONES: Las concentraciones de dímero D a las 48 horas de ingreso en pacientes con COVID-19 pueden descartar la aparición de complicaciones, por lo que este marcador es útil para determinar el riesgo de evoluciones adversas. (Spanish) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Medicina Interna de Mexico is the property of Colegio de Medicina Interna de Mexico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Relationship between double COVID-19 vaccine uptake and trust in effectiveness and safety of vaccination in general in 23 Member states of the European Union: an ecological study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between double COVID-19 vaccine uptake and trust in effectiveness and safety of vaccination in general in 23 European Union (EU) countries. METHODS: Ecological study. Data was retrieved from the Flash Eurobarometer 494 and Our World in Data. We estimated Pearson's correlation coefficients and fitted multiple linear regression models. RESULTS: There is a negative linear correlation between the percentage of people doubly vaccinated and the percentage of low trust in vaccine effectiveness (r = -0.48, p-value = 0.021), and the percentage of low trust in vaccine safety (r = -0.43, p-value = 0.041). There is a negative adjusted relation between the percentage of low trust in vaccine safety and the percentage of people doubly vaccinated (aß% low trust in vaccinesafety:-0.25; 95% CI: -0.49,-0.01, p-value = 0.045). CONCLUSION: An increase in health literacy of people living in certain countries in the EU may be needed to boost COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

Saliva changes in composition associated to COVID-19: a preliminary study.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV 2), is usually associated with a wide variety of clinical presentations from asymptomatic to severe cases. The use of saliva as a diagnostic and monitoring fluid has gained importance since it can be used to investigate the immune response and to direct quantification of antibodies against COVID-19. Additionally, the use of proteomics in saliva has allowed to increase  our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of diseases, bringing new perspectives on diagnostics, monitoring, and treatment. In this work, we compared the salivary proteome of 10 patients with COVID-19, (five patients with mild and five patients with severe COVID-19) and ten control healthy patients. Through the application of proteomics, we have identified 30 proteins whose abundance levels differed between the COVID-19 groups and the control group. Two of these proteins (TGM3 and carbonic anhydrase-CA6) were validated by the measurement of gGT and TEA respectively, in 98 additional saliva samples separated into two groups: (1) COVID-19 group, integrated by 66 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 (2) control group, composed of 32 healthy individuals who did not show any sign of disease for at least four weeks and were negative for COVID-19 in RT-PCR. In the proteomic study there were observed upregulations in CAZA1, ACTN4, and ANXA4, which are proteins related to the protective response against the virus disturbance, and the upregulation of TGM3, that is correlated to the oxidative damage in pulmonary tissue. We also showed the downregulation in cystatins and CA6 that can be involved in the sensory response to stimulus and possibly related to the presence of anosmia and dysgeusia during the COVID-19. Additionally, the presence of FGB in patients with severe COVID-19 but not in mild COVID-19 patients could indicate a higher viral aggregation and activation in these cases. In conclusion, the salivary proteome in patients with COVID-19 showed changes in proteins related to the protective response to viral infection, and the altered sensory taste perception that occur during the disease. Moreover, gGT and TEA could be potential biomarkers of respiratory complications that can occurs during COVID 19 although further larger studies should be made to corroborate this.

Mental Health Factors That Guide Individuals to Engage in Overconsumption Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Cultural Study Between USA and Ecuador.

Background: This study tests a framework that examines the role of several mental health factors (mood, wellbeing, health consciousness, and hoarding) on individuals' overconsumption behavior under the novel coronavirus context. This examination is relevant to public health literature because it increases our knowledge on how the context of COVID-19 pandemic affects people's mental health and provides answers to why individuals engage in overconsumption behavior. Additionally, this research also follows a cross-cultural perspective aiming to understand how individuals from different cultural orientations cope with the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that compares samples from two countries: Ecuador (n = 334) and USA (n = 321). Data was collected via an online survey. The timing of data collection was set during the mandatory lockdowns and social distance measures taken by both countries to fight against the COVID-19 virus breakout. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the theorized framework. Multi-group analysis was used to explore cultural orientation differences among the relationships included in the model. Results: The results indicate that individuals' mood state has a positive relationship with health consciousness, as people try to regulate their health concerns by maintaining positive perceptions of their subjective wellbeing. Further, the increased concern individuals express in their health is responsible for them to engage in overconsumption behavior. Cultural orientation (individualism vs. collectivism) moderates the relationship between mood and health consciousness. No moderation effect was found for the relationship between health consciousness and overconsumption. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has generated negative effects in individuals' mental health. Findings from this study suggest that maintaining a positive mood is important for individuals at the time of mandatory lockdowns, and this effort is related to a greater concern and awareness of their health. Further, health consciousness is responsible to stimulate overconsumption behavior. This chain of effects can be explained by individuals' interest in their wellbeing. Culture plays a role in these effects. People from individualistic countries (USA) compared to people from collectivistic countries (Ecuador) demonstrate greater motivation in maintaining their positive mood by showing greater health consciousness.

[Recommendations on the use of telemedicine as applied to nutritional pathology]. / Recomendaciones sobre el uso de la telemedicina aplicada a la patología nutricional.

Introduction: Introduction: telemedicine can improve the standards of clinical care and use of resources. The COVID-19 pandemic has required its implementation in routine practice. For this reason, a group of endocrinologists from Valencia, Murcia and the Balearic Islands created a committee for its development. Objectives: to establish recommendations in order to improve the quality of consultation in nutritional disorders, and to create indicators for its management. Methodology: the Delphi methodology was followed with the participation of 13 professionals in order to reach the widest consensus. A 16-item questionnaire was distributed within 3 rounds: in the first round, the degree of consensus was established; in the second round, the participants responded to the posed questions after having access to the first-round results. Agreement was considered if ≥ 75 % participants reached consensus, while strong agreement was considered if consensus was reached by ≥ 90 %. In addition, quality indicators were established. In a third round, these indicators were developed. Results: after 3 rounds and a revision 5 recommendations with strong agreement were established based on organizational aspects. Regarding administrative aspects, 6 recommendations with strong agreement were established while 4 recommendations reached the level of agreement. Eight quality indicators were selected and developed. Conclusions: this document compiles a list of recommendations about needs and requirements to be taken into account for a quality telematic consultation in patients with nutritional disorders. In addition, health care quality indicators have been created and developed.

Introducción: Introducción: la telemedicina puede mejorar la calidad asistencial y el uso de recursos. La pandemia de COVID-19 ha hecho necesaria su implementación en la práctica habitual. Por ello, un grupo de endocrinólogos de la Comunidad Valenciana, Murcia y Baleares creó un comité para su desarrollo. Objetivos: establecer unas recomendaciones para mejorar la calidad de la consulta de patología nutricional y diseñar unos indicadores para su gestión. Metodología: se siguió la metodología Delphi con participación de 13 profesionales con el fin de alcanzar el mayor consenso. Para ello se circuló un cuestionario de 16 puntos en 3 rondas: en la primera se estableció el grado de consenso; en la segunda, los participantes tuvieron acceso a los resultados de la primera y respondieron a las cuestiones planteadas. Se consideró que había acuerdo si el consenso era ≥ 75 % de los participantes, y que existía acuerdo fuerte si este era ≥ 90 %. Además, se estableció la temática de los indicadores de calidad. En la tercera se desarrollaron dichos indicadores. Resultados: tras 3 rondas y una reunión de revisión se establecieron los sobre aspectos organizativos 5 recomendaciones con acuerdo fuerte; sobre los aspectos administrativos, 6 recomendaciones con acuerdo fuerte y 4 con acuerdo. Se seleccionaron 8 indicadores de calidad que se desarrollaron en formato de fichas. Conclusiones: este documento recopila una serie de recomendaciones sobre cuestiones, necesidades y requisitos a tener en cuenta para una consulta telemática de calidad al paciente con patología nutricional. Así mismo, se han desarrollado unos indicadores para mejorar la calidad asistencial.

Alzheimer's disease research progress in the Mediterranean region: The Alzheimer's Association International Conference Satellite Symposium.

As research and services in the Mediterranean region continue to increase, so do opportunities for global collaboration. To support such collaborations, the Alzheimer's Association was due to hold its seventh Alzheimer's Association International Conference Satellite Symposium in Athens, Greece in 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was held virtually, which enabled attendees from around the world to hear about research efforts in Greece and the surrounding Mediterranean countries. Research updates spanned understanding the biology of, treatments for, and care of people with Alzheimer's disease (AD_ and other dementias. Researchers in the Mediterranean region have outlined the local epidemiology of AD and dementia, and have identified regional populations that may expedite genetic studies. Development of biomarkers is expected to aid early and accurate diagnosis. Numerous efforts have been made to develop culturally specific interventions to both reduce risk of dementia, and to improve quality of life for people living with dementia.