THE UNIVERSITY AS A “GIANT NEWSROOM”: Not-for-profit explanatory journalism during COVID-19

Universities as institutions, and scholars as members of those institutions, have played important roles in journalism as knowledge generators, including sources and guest columnists but, usually, at arms-length. This chapter explores how universities and academics are becoming more central to journalism through a case study of The Conversation Canada’s coverage of COVID-19. Funded mostly by universities, The Conversation Canada is a not-for-profit digital journalism organization that challenges journalism’s professional identities, historic practices and commercial orientation. It has met with some institutional wariness from legacy media, reflecting how journalists have tended to react when actors outside the field have taken on activities traditionally associated with the profession. During the pandemic, public interest in COVID-19 supported a significant increase in readership for the digital publication focusing on stories that offered advice, guidance, and how-tos on issues such as the nature of the virus, social distancing, lockdowns, and hoaxes. The increased reach for The Conversation Canada came as more than 182 media outlets reported job cuts and almost 30 community newspapers were closed down across the country. The case study suggests that the higher education sector is in a unique position to provide trusted expertise during global crises. As a model, this case study suggests that partnerships or collaborations between journalism organizations and the higher education sector can be useful ways to mobilize university research and expert information given the market failure for commercial journalism in Canada, and its impact on communications infrastructures. © 2022 selection and editorial matter, Patrick Ferrucci and Scott A. Eldridge II;individual chapters, the contributors.

Motivation in the Physical Education Class during the Covid-19 Pandemic in the Upper Middle Level of Education in Mexico

The aforementioned research gives us the opportunity to learn about motivational aspects of young people who attend preparatory education in virtual physical education classes. The young participants in this research are high school students and take physical education classes in each of their 6 semesters for the conclusion of upper secondary education, prior to their undergraduate studies, male and female participants aged between 15 and 19 years old at the time of the investigation, the classes in which the students participate are taught from Monday to Friday from 7H00 to 15H00. This schedule is the same in which they are carried out when the classes are in face-to-face format. The questionnaire applied was the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport-2 (PMCSQ-2). The students who have been part of this research are regular students who participate in the classes of the 5 physical education teachers who work on campus and who teach their classes virtually or remotely.

Comparison of the Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic Versus During COVID-19

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies suggest that the rate of gestational diabetes (GDM) diagnosis has increased following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the prevalence of GDM among patients delivering at a single academic institution, prior to and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients with a singleton, full-term birth who delivered pre-COVID-19 (January 2019-May 2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (June 2020- July 2021). Institutional review board approval was obtained. Data collected included diagnosis of GDM, maternal age, prepregnancy BMI, and gestational weight gain (GWG). Chi-square tests assessed the relationship between GDM diagnosis (yes, no) and time (pre-COVID- 19, during COVID-19). Binary regression further evaluated this relationship, controlling for confounding factors. RESULTS: Among the 7,653 patients included in analysis, 58.6% delivered pre-COVID-19 and 41.1% delivered during COVID-19. During COVID-19, 12.5% of patients were diagnosed with GDM, compared to 9.0% pre-COVID-19 (P<.001). When stratified by prepregnancy weight status, the significantly increased prevalence of GDM during COVID-19 remained among those with a lean, overweight, and obese prepregnancy BMI (underweight, 6.2% versus 3.8%, P=.40;lean, 7.4% versus 5.0%, P<.01;overweight, 10.9% versus 7.4%, P<.01;obese, 21.1% versus 17.2%, P=.02). When controlling for maternal age, prepregnancy BMI, and GWG, time (related to COVID- 19) remained a significant predictor of GDM diagnosis (P<.001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates a 38.9% increase in the prevalence of GDM delivering at a single academic institution during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to pre-COVID-19. Future research is needed to determine the underlying mechanisms potentially contributing to hyperglycemia in pregnancy.