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OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to determine the use of systemic corti-costeroids (SCs) in patients with bronchial asthma using big data analysis. METHODS: We performed an observational, retrospective, noninterventional study based on secondary data captured from free text in the electronic health records. This study was per-formed based on data from the regional health service of Castille-La Mancha (SESCAM), Spain. We performed the analysis using big data and artificial intelligence via Savana® Manager version 3.0. RESULTS: During the study period, 103 667 patients were diagnosed with and treated for asthma at different care levels. The search was restricted to patients aged 10 to 90 years (mean age, 43.5 [95%CI, 43.4-43.7] years). Of these, 59.8% were women. SCs were taken for treatment of asthma by 58 745 patients at some point during the study period. These patients were older, with a higher prevalence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, ob-esity, depression, and hiatus hernia. SCs are used frequently in the general population with asthma (31.4% in 2015 and 39.6% in 2019). SCs were prescribed mainly in primary care (59%), allergy (13%) and pulmonology (20%). The frequency of prescription of SCs had a direct impact on the main associated adverse effects. CONCLUSION: In clinical practice, SCs are frequently prescribed to patients with asthma, especially in primary care. Use of SCs is associated with a greater number of adverse events. It is necessary to implement measures to reduce prescription of SCs to patients with asthma, especially in primary care.
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Background: Incidence of cancer is constantly increasing in the United States, and Puerto Rico is no exception. The island is currently experiencing low birth rates, signifying that its population is primarily composed of aging citizens that experience a growing need for access to healthcare and medical literature, especially in those with cancer. In this study, we aimed to characterize an aging Puerto Rican cohort with a diagnosis of cancer. Method(s): A questionnaire with sociodemographic and medical inquiries was administered to participants receiving an mRNA vaccine at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic between December 2020 and June 2021. Participants of age 60+ with a diagnosis of cancer, along with their comorbidities, were identified. Multivariate analyses were executed. This study is IRB approved. Result(s): A total of 100 aging participants with a diagnosis of cancer were included: 55 were female and 45 were male, with a mean age of 72.70+/-8.07 (age range: 61-95). When assessing race, participants identified as follows: 68% White, 23% Black or African American, 8% other race, and 1% American Indian or Alaska Native. Concerning ethnicity, 97% identified as Hispanic or Latino, while 3% did not regard themselves as such. When evaluating the cancer diagnoses provided, 27% of female participants had breast cancer and 7% had some form of gynecologic malignancy. Whereas, in males, 42% indicated a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Regarding concomitant comorbidities, 45% of participants had hypertension, 30% had diabetes mellitus, 18% had hypothyroidism, 15% had asthma, and 3% had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There was no statistically significant difference when comparing sex and prevalence of concomitant diabetes mellitus or hypertension (p=0.2125). There was also no statistically significant difference when assessing racial identity and presence of concomitant diabetes mellitus or hypertension (p=0.7373). Out of 91 participants who answered the health insurance inquiry, 82% possessed private insurance, 13% had public insurance, and 4% did not have insurance. There was no statistically significant difference when assessing private, public, or no health insurance status and the presence of concomitant diabetes mellitus or hypertension (p=0.9086). Conclusion(s): Data evidenced a diverse aging Puerto Rican cohort with cancer, showing a predominance in prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. Analysis suggested that the presence of concomitant diabetes mellitus or hypertension in an aging population with cancer was not linked to sex or racial identity. Additionally, the type or lack of health insurance did not influence the prevalence of concomitant diabetes mellitus or hypertension. Characterizing the aging Hispanic population in Puerto Rico and the United States is important, as these studies could be beneficial in the future approach, understanding and treatment of this population with historically limited medical data available.
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Technologies in educational institutions during the pandemic have provided an effective response to a health emergency. Determining the economic and technical resources, the adaptability, the impact of the emerging mode of study and the effect of the initiatives with the use of ICTs, are the challenges that different investigations must be contrasted. This work contributes with an inventory of ICTs used in engineering careers at the Salesian Polytechnic University of Guayaquil in Ecuador. A descriptive analytical methodology with quantitative approach is developed using the random survey technique to a sample of 62 professors. The results with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 9% have allowed us to have an x-ray of how the community of professors has faced the pandemic from a responsible management of the technological resources provided by the institution to the context occurred. Eleven categories of ICTs are evidenced for classroom work.
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The Covid-19 pandemic, still present, has transformed the management of universities around the world. The teaching activity is actively seeking our strategies to ensure the quality of learning experiences. Thus, collaborative work has become essential to create innovative, responsible, and responsive knowledge. This paper presents a crowdlearning strategy to support the performance of first-year university students in eLearning environments. Empirical-analytical research with quantitative, quasi-experimental approach is conducted using the online survey technique with Likert scale to a sample of 216 students. With a confidence level of 99% and a margin of error of 1%, the results show that the applicability of the crowdlearning methodology in study groups and subgroups reaches 83% effectiveness and 95% satisfaction. The importance of the knowledge that is built in learning communities and how the crowdlearning methodology can contribute to the learning process in crowds is evidenced.
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OBJECTIVE: Growing interest is directed to the outcomes of COVID-19 in survivors, both in the convalescent period and in the long-term, which are responsible for morbidity and quality of life deterioration. This article aims to describe the mechanisms supporting the possible use of NAC as an adjuvant treatment for post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE. RESULTS: Interstitial changes have been observed in the CT scan of COVID-19 pneumonia. In patients with respiratory outcomes in the post-COVID-19 stage, glutathione (GSH) deficiency was found and interpreted as a reaction to the inflammatory cascade caused by the viral infection, while the pathophysiological process of pulmonary fibrosis involves numerous cytokines, such as TGF-ß, TNF-α, IL-1, PDGF and VEGF. NAC has a good tolerability profile, is easily administered orally and inexpensively, and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that may target the pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in pulmonary fibrosis. It may revert GSH deficiency, exerts direct and indirect antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity and improves immune T-cell response. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanism of action of NAC suggests a role in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis induced by COVID-19.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Pulmonary Fibrosis , Acetylcysteine/pharmacology , Acetylcysteine/therapeutic use , Anti-Inflammatory Agents , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Glutathione , Humans , Pulmonary Fibrosis/chemically induced , Pulmonary Fibrosis/drug therapy , Quality of LifeABSTRACT
Virtual learning environments during the pandemic have made it possible to support the originally face-to-face modalities in education at all levels. The teaching and learning processes require educational strategies that make it possible to take classrooms to the virtual world and be as effective as in the face-to-face setting. The objective of this work is to determine a virtual classroom design model that generates a positive effect on the motivation and performance of the participants. A descriptive methodology with quantitative approach is developed using the survey technique in two courses of first academic cycle of engineering careers at the Salesian Polytechnic University in the city of Guayaquil, during two academic periods, one from May to September 2020, another from October 2020 to February 2021, and five courses during May to September 2021. The analysis determined the relationship of the virtual classroom design, with the order, graphic line, formats, and amount of resources, with the motivation and performance of the participants. It is concluded the positive effect that the learning activities have, making them more meaningful for the student, in relation to the model of their presentation, generating an intention of appropriation and belonging on the part of the participant, due to its immediate comprehension and ease of realization. This study presents a virtual classroom design model, as well as a set of digital educational media and meaningful learning activities for virtual environments on Moodle, which have proven to be effective in their application. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated all of Spain with Madrid as the epicenter of infections and deaths. Despite the general confinement of the population, news journalism continued as an essential service, carrying out its usual work. This new global paradigm has transformed the uses and customs of both emitters and receivers. For all these reasons, the main objective of this investigation is to know the opinion of "pandemic journalism" of a specific media group, with a prosumer profile and who has lived with the worst scenario of the disease: the students of the Journalism Degree of Madrid universities. The method of analysis is based on an opinion poll, the results of which show how the consumption of information by this group has been almost exclusively centralized in digital media and social networks. In addition, the present study reveals that the respondents are critical of the veracity of the news and the existence of fake news and the problem of the overabundance of information about the pandemic is verified, which has already been conceptualized as an infodemic. Finally, there is a low level of student media literacy, as well as a lack of mechanisms to overcome the threats of journalism in the post-truth era.
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In times of pandemic, the meeting spaces formed by university groups have been replaced by virtual communication meetings. This has benefited young people by generating options to continue with their preparation in associative training groups that they find in the university, which have been creatively supported by means of technologies. Google Classroom has been part of those solutions that students and tutors have found to meet, train, and share content on topics specific to their associations or extracurricular groups, as well as an exchange of interactions that minimize the impact of social isolation. The advent of education carried out with technological means in emergency situations has opened virtual meeting spaces that manage to create meeting spaces that go beyond the frontier of face-to-face meetings. This paper presents the strategy of using Google Classroom technology for groups of Salesian University Associations that promote the continuity of their activities supported by blended learning technology to meet the objectives within an academic period during a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results presented open one more path, like those found in previous works, from a practical action for university extracurricular work groups. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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This quantitative study explored the preparedness of foreign language teachers for technology-mediated instruction and the burnout conditions that characterized their transition from in-person to off-campus second/foreign language education during the covid-19 pandemic. The data were collected from 104 university instructors through a Google Forms® survey and a burnout questionnaire in a Mexican state which was severely hit by the virus in the spring of 2020. The survey elicited information about institutional conditions, teacher education and technology access and use. The burnout questionnaire explored exhaustion, depersonalization and accomplishment during off-campus technology-mediated language instruction. Both survey and questionnaire answers were subject to frequency analyses. In terms of teacher preparedness, data analyses revealed that the participants had a large number of teaching hours;they held sustained computer/ Internet access but lacked technology-assisted language teaching training;thus, they independently sought out technological resources for the delivery of their lessons. With regard to burnout, data analyses indicated that many participants experienced exhaustion due to work overload, use of technology, and its proper integration in the lessons. Nonetheless, the use of technology helped them maintain interest in their learners, feel satisfaction and accomplish academic aims. © 2021 Universidad de Antioquia. All Rights Reserved.
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This research project aims to know the opinion about the "pandemic journalism" on the part of the Journalism students of Spanish Universities. The method applied was the opinion survey, with 685 tests performed;which gives a sample confidence of 99,23% with a standard error of 5%. The different universities that provide journalism studies and the number of students enrolled at each site were considered as the stratification criteria adopted. The results shows that students are largely critical of the phenomenon of "infodemic", as well as of the media accuracy and claim to be victims of fake news.
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The field of education has been completely revolutionized due to the worldwide pandemic caused by COVID-19. Student evaluations, used as tools in the teaching-learning process, have had to be adapted to online learning environments (or in some cases hybrid online/in class learning) that most educational centers are currently using. This descriptive, quantitatively focused study evaluates the effectiveness of ExamView as a tool to construct and apply evaluation questionnaires in the online learning setting. During the study, 91 students belonging to three classes of Linear Algebra 1 participated in a survey evaluating the efficiency, pertinence, and motivation of three assessment models: Model A, a traditional, pen and paper questionnaire;Model B, an online multiple-choice questionnaire;and Model C, an online questionnaire including questions in a variety of formats such as multiple-choice, true/false, short answer, and matching. The results of the survey show that due to the familiarity and simplicity that students perceive when answering this type of multiple-choice questionnaire, more students prefer Model B than the other two models. © 2021 IEEE.
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COVID-19 has had a swift and deep impact on almost all economic sectors, with its effects on the automotive industry standing out in Mexico due to its economic relevance and international ties. Using official statistics and newspaper sources, this investigation shows the resilience of the Mexican automotive industry;its nearly complete halt in production and exports contrasts with a limited destruction of jobs, as they are mainly made up of formal jobs in large companies. But the recovery comes at a price, lower wages and different speeds of recovery, with the Bajio as the most affected region. Similarities with the 2008-09 crisis are clear (fast reestablishment of production and export vs. slower reinstatement of employment) and its solution will also depend on the external sector, mainly the United States.
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After a brief review of the implications for Mexico of the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in 2009 and similar studies on the impact of COVID-19 on the labor market, this study addresses the early development of the epidemic in Mexico and the actions taken by the federal government to face this issue. Its impacts on the economy in general and on the labor market in particular are analyzed below. The focus is on its consequences on formal employment based on data from the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) to determine spatial patterns and their relationship with economic activities. The dramatic loss of jobs in traditional beach+sun resorts that hit particularly hard the Cancun, Riviera Maya and Riviera Nayarit destinations has occurred along with a crisis in the accomodation and catering services in large cities such as Mexico City. The near-total closure of manufacturing activities, particularly in the automotive industry, has severely affected the Bajío corridor, while the northern border underwent a major industrial diversification triggered by the crisis. Construction is also seriously affected, impacting both the scarce formal employment in small rural municipalities and jobs in large metropolitan areas and cities;especially the Monterrey metropolitan zone and oil-extraction areas such as Cd. del Carmen and Tampico-Altamira-Cd. Madero. Last, the decline in formal employment in certain agricultural regions, mainly areas of commercial agriculture, is not attributable to the epidemic but to the seasonal nature of this activity. © 2021 Instituto de Geografia. All rights reserved.
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This research analyses the opinion articles about the COVID-19 published in the main newspapers of Italy, Spain and Germany. To this purpose, a qualitative inductive-deductive content analysis methodology has been used along two complementary phases. The first included the detailed analysis of the sample, and the second involved a method of comparative textual analysis using the Sketch Engine software. The results show the existence of some common issues about the virus, although with different approaches depending on the country: a certain vision marked by national politics in the Spanish case, an interpretative view in the case of Germany and a more social-humanistic perspective in the Italian dailies. A discourse contrary to generating panic is common in the three countries studied, but with a clear underestimation of the virus' potential consequences in the first couple of months after the outbreak in Wuhan as regards the Spanish and Italian press. (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Esta investigación analiza los artículos de opinión referidos a la COVID-19 publicados en los principales periódicos de Italia, España y Alemania. Para ello se ha empleado una metodología de análisis de contenido inductivo-deductivo de corte cualitativo a través de dos fases complementarias. Una primera, mediante el examen pormenorizado de la muestra y una segunda en la que se ha seguido un método de análisis textual comparado mediante el uso del software Sketch Engine. Los resultados muestran que existen unos temas comunes sobre el virus, aunque con enfoques diferentes según los países: una visión marcada por la política nacional en el caso español, más interpretativa en el caso alemán y más social-humanística en el italiano. Así, en los tres países estudiados un discurso contrario a generar pánico, pero con una clara subestimación del virus en sus primeros meses de aparición en el caso de la prensa de España e Italia. (Spanish) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Revista de Comunicación is the property of Revista de Comunicacion-Universidad de Piura 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 abstract 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 abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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Background: The lockout of borders, lockdown of the population and social isolation are key measures adopted in many countries to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. This study describes changes in eating habits and other lifestyles during confinement in a population group in Spain. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted on a convenience sample of people aged 18 yr. and over, recruited online between April 21 and May 8, 2020 (weeks 6-8 of lockdown) in Spain (n = 1036). The protocol considered sociodemographic data, characteristics of confinement, usual food consumption and physical activity, and changes during confinement. Results: Most frequently reported changes in dietary habits are increased consumption of fruit (27%), eggs (25.4%), legumes (22.5%), vegetables (21%) and fish (20%) and reduced consumption of processed meats (35.5%), lamb or rabbit (32%), pizza (32.6%), distilled alcoholic beverages (44.2%), sugary drinks (32.8%) or chocolate (25.8%). Some differences were observed depending on age and adequacy of the usual diet. Some 14.1% who do not usually cook do so during this period;15% do not do physical exercise, 24.6% sit more than 9 hours a day and 30.7% of smokers (14.7%) report increased tobacco use. 37% reported not sleeping well. Conclusions: Participants in this study report dietary changes during lockdown in Spain with a trend towards greater consumption of healthier foods, less consumption of foods of poor nutritional interest and an increase in the practice of cooking at home. © 2020 Sociedad Espanola de Nutricion Comunitaria. All rights reserved.
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This paper reports a training process undertaken by teachers from the Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (Salesian Polytechnic University) in Guayaquil. The process was carried out between the months of March and April 2020 using crowdlearning as a teacher training innovative initiative to face the challenge of online university education as a measure proposed by the Ecuadorian Government to tackle the health crisis caused by COVID-19. This crowdlearning proposal convened, trained and motivated faculty to face the health emergency in the academic period that was about to begin (May-September 2020). This initiative, which originated from a group of professors, summoned (voluntarily) the entire academic team from the Guayaquil campus to be part of a virtual space for the exchange of knowledge on the use of technologies for virtual education. A training experience based on virtual conferences was developed applying multiple teaching tools, exploring innovative strategies for online education, and training the academics in the use of digital tools to enhance the teaching-learning process. Beside the meaningful and effective learning on the use of online and virtual teaching-learning strategies, resources and tools, it was possible to help the teachers mitigate the negative effects of isolation such as apprehension, fear, anxiety about the unknown and uncertainty, according to what the participants stated. © 2020 IEEE.