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Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, dance education, which is heavily dependent on a face-to-face model, had to change and continue in a virtual environment. How did the rapid adoption of online technologies affect tertiary dance educators' teaching? More importantly, what were the practical ideas and effective tools/strategies learned to move dance scholarship and practice into a post-pandemic era? This study investigates nine tertiary dance educators from Europe, Oceania, North America, and Asia, who conducted online dance classes during the pandemic. This study has utilized multiple sources of data (images, videos, and writings) from dance educators to explore the challenges, benefits, and innovations in the context of virtual dance teaching. Dance educators have shared their views on teaching dance online: tools they have utilized as well as pros and cons with regards to different pedagogies and learning spaces. Findings indicate that the present online model will have a significant impact on future dance education. This article shares lessons and insights on tools, pedagogies, and strategies, which not only support dance education in a post-pandemic era but can also benefit other practice-based subjects at large. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how millions around the globe are educated. The 2nd or 3rd waves of the disease have made learning in classrooms unsafe once again. Many schools are forced to send their students home to take online classes under their government's lock-down protocols. For many young learners, engaging with school is a significant part of their well-being, which has been compromised by the extended period of remote learning and low social interaction levels during the pandemic. New and innovative solutions to address learners' needs have been called during this pandemic. The Presentria GO system is an innovative solution that enables students from K-12 to higher education to learn experientially from their cars during a city excursion. Through a survey with 74 educators and a series of expert interviews and focus group discussions, insights into the feasibility of this active learning mode are explored. This paper proposes the concept of 'in-car location-based experiential learning' as one of the methods to engage students during the pandemic and beyond.
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Introduction: Our institution cares for a largely underserved urban population, treating about 120 children annually with radiation therapy;roughly 10% are referred for proton therapy elsewhere. COVID-19 led to some decreases in medical care due to uncertainties regarding the state of public health. The purpose of this study is to evaluate existing socioeconomic disparities using the University of Wisconsin Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and whether the pandemic impacted this referral pattern. Method(s): Over the last twenty years, approximately 2,275 children have presented to our institution for radiation treatment. A retrospective chart review was conducted and a patient database of demographic and clinical information was created. We used demographic data to obtain the ADI, and compared relative disparity rankings between proton therapy recipients and a random sample of patients from the 25 most common zip codes (representative of over 20% of the total cohort). We compared the number of patients treated only at the closest proton facility before and after the onset of the pandemic. Result(s): The demographic make-up of our patient population is approximately 53.7% Latino, 22.6% White, 9.5% African American, 9.2% Asian, and 5% Other. Of these patients, about 500 had diagnoses typically referred for proton therapy (such as brain tumors, neuroblastoma, sarcomas, and Hodgkin lymphoma). At baseline, we found a statistically significant difference in the median state ADI decile of 3 and 7 for protons and photons, respectively, reflecting lower socioeconomic disadvantage in the proton group. There was a difference in the median household income (based on zip code) of $102,028 and $70,479 between the proton and photon groups (p < 0.0001). There was also a difference in median household income of $57,871 and $76,808 between Latino and Non-Latino patients (p < 0.0001). Demographic data for the proton therapy cohort showed that 46.2% of these patients were White, 15.4% were Latino, 15.4% were African American, 7.7% were Asian, and 15.4% were Other. At the closest proton facility, between 2014-2019, 16 of our patients received radiation therapy. Since the beginning of pandemic associated restrictions in March 2020, 19 patients have received proton therapy at this center. Conclusion(s): Disparities preventing patients from receiving proton therapy have been described. Our work adds granular census block data and uses the ADI which takes into account median family income, unemployment rate, households without access to a vehicle, English language proficiency and more. Those with lower ADI risk rankings were overrepresented in the proton therapy group. Despite the pandemic and added referral challenges, the number of patients able to receive proton therapy did not decrease which we hypothesize may be due to many factors, including the unanticipated flexibility of remote work amongst those with lower ADI rankings. Latinos were least likely to have proton therapy, and further research is needed to ameliorate the disparities and barriers to care which they face.
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The original version of the chapter 6 was inadvertently published without page range in the reference Polkinghorne, D. E. (1995) on page 136, and this has been included now as in below: Polkinghorne, D. E. (1995). Narrative configuration in qualitative analysis. International Journal of Qualitative studies in Education, 8(1), 5–23. The chapter and book have been updated with the changes. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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Paper 2 of the paediatric regenerative medicine Series focuses on recent advances in postnatal approaches. New gene, cell, and niche-based technologies and their combinations allow structural and functional reconstitution and simulation of complex postnatal cell, tissue, and organ hierarchies. Organoid and tissue engineering advances provide human disease models and novel treatments for both rare paediatric diseases and common diseases affecting all ages, such as COVID-19. Preclinical studies for gastrointestinal disorders are directed towards oesophageal replacement, short bowel syndrome, enteric neuropathy, biliary atresia, and chronic end-stage liver failure. For respiratory diseases, beside the first human tracheal replacement, more complex tissue engineering represents a promising solution to generate transplantable lungs. Genitourinary tissue replacement and expansion usually involve application of biocompatible scaffolds seeded with patient-derived cells. Gene and cell therapy approaches seem appropriate for rare paediatric diseases of the musculoskeletal system such as spinal muscular dystrophy, whereas congenital diseases of complex organs, such as the heart, continue to challenge new frontiers of regenerative medicine.
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In 2020, the sudden outburst of COVID-19 changed teaching and learning drastically. Teachers and students worldwide had to adapt to hybrid teaching and learning within an extremely short period of time. This study focuses on how the sudden and involuntary changes in pedagogies brought about by the onset of COVID-19 impacted students’ class engagement in a general education (GE) course delivered online. The study also examines how features such as chatrooms and share-screen in the selected video-conferencing tool enhanced the hybrid mode of teaching and learning in the GE course in question. This study is one of the few studies with a focus on teaching and learning at the tertiary level in the context of creativity during COVID-19, and it aims to demonstrate how technology has facilitated and enhanced online student engagement in the said context. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 outbreak as a world pandemic on 12th March 2020. Diagnosis of suspected cases is confirmed by nucleic acid assays with real-time PCR, using respiratory samples. Serology tests are comparatively easier to perform, but their utility may be limited by the performance and the fact that antibodies appear later during the disease course. We aimed to describe the performance data on serological assays for COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A review of multiple reports and kit inserts on the diagnostic performance of rapid tests from various manufacturers that are commercially available were performed. Only preliminary data are available currently. RESULTS: From a total of nine rapid detection test (RDT) kits, three kits offer total antibody detection, while six kits offer combination SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG detection in two separate test lines. All kits are based on colloidal gold-labeled immunochromatography principle and one-step method with results obtained within 15 minutes, using whole blood, serum or plasma samples. The sensitivity for both IgM and IgG tests ranges between 72.7% and 100%, while specificity ranges between 98.7% to 100%. Two immunochromatography using nasopharyngeal or throat swab for detection of COVID-19 specific antigen are also reviewed. CONCLUSIONS: There is much to determine regarding the value of serological testing in COVID-19 diagnosis and monitoring. More comprehensive evaluations of their performance are rapidly underway. The use of serology methods requires appropriate interpretations of the results and understanding the strengths and limitations of such tests.