Parents' digital skills and their development in the context of the Corona pandemic.

We investigate parents' and guardians' digital skills and the extent of their development in the context of the spread of the Corona epidemic. In addition, we sought to explore the differences in digital skills between parents and their employment status, age, and responsibility in teaching children. We sought to rely on the descriptive-analytical approach and prepared a scale of eight theoretical dimensions with the participation of 250 students' Saudi parents. The application of the study was by online submission form (via Edit Submission). Our findings showed that there was a discrepancy in the performance of the sample, which was very high in the dimensions of operational skills, instrumental skills, and cognitive constructivism skills. There were also differences between the effect of computers on the instrumental skills and cognitive constructivism skills of the parents. Parents' dependence on alternative digital sources in exploring for information, formulating knowledge, manipulating it, and criticizing. The learner can reach the cognitive level in a more flexible manner, which allows him to gain learning objectives. The knowledge navigation can be developed because of different online outdoor exercises and software familiar. This requires self-organization to search for appropriate knowledge to use in the renewal of the cognitive structure.

COVID-19 the Gateway for Future learning: The Impact of Online Teaching on the Future Learning Environment (preprint)

COVID-19 has changed the shape of education. These changes may be undone once universities return, and not all of them are reforms. Yet, some of these changes offer unique opportunities matching pre-COVID-19 proposals.This study’s purposes are to study staff members' perceptions of online teaching during COVID-19 and identify the drivers of change in the future learning environment. The study community represents faculty staff in Saudi universities. The sample consisted of 127 faculty staff in 9 Saudi universities. Participants had positive perceptions of the usage of e-learning platforms during COVID-19, according to data analysis (though negative experiences existed). Future research must focus on the subtle challenges of aligning theoretical and methodological designs to appropriately analyze the phenomenon under inquiry while contributing to a well-executed body of research in the field of educational technology. Future research is needed to see how lecturers view ICT trading post-COVID-19 strategies.Originality/valueThis research is unique in that it entails cloud computing applications in future education, as well as remote/distance learning, which have not before been investigated in the literature.

Interaction between cognitive styles and genders when using virtual laboratories and its influence on students of health college's laboratory skills and cognitive load during the Corona pandemic.

This study examined the interaction between cognitive style-gender within Virtual Laboratories (VL) and its influence on students of health college's Laboratory Skills (LS) and Cognitive Load (CL) during the Corona pandemic. This research method is a combination of quasi-experimental research and survey research; consisting of two male and two female experimental groups (contemplative and impulsive). Each group had 20 students from General Health colleges. In the third level, with the microbiological course, eight experiments were studied by a Virtual laboratory (Praxilabs) during the eLearning study in 2020's first semester. Results showed that VL-using Students of General Health colleges studying microbiology had better CL and LS, besides significantly distinguishing between males and females using VLs in CL and LS where males benefited more. Also, a significant difference was established between CS (contemplative/impulsive) VL-using students in CL and LS to the benefit of the contemplative cognitive style. There LS significantly differ due to gender-CS interaction; however, CL does not have any differences because of this interaction.

Unusual pattern of thrombotic events in young adult non-critically ill patients with COVID-19 may result from an undiagnosed inherited and acquired form of thrombophilia.

In 145 previously healthy non-critically ill young adults, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related symptoms, risk factors for thrombosis, coagulation and inflammatory parameters were compared, with 29 patients reporting unusual thrombotic events (UTEs) and 116 not having thrombotic events. The inflammatory indices, coagulation and prothrombotic platelet phenotype (PTPP) were significantly higher in patients with UTEs versus those without. Patients with UTEs were categorised according to detection of thrombophilic genes (TGs), coagulation and inflammatory markers to the non-TG and TG subcohort. A total of 38 UTEs were identified, which included splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT; 11), stroke (six), cerebral vein thrombosis (five), thrombotic microangiopathy (four), limb ischaemia and inferior vena cava thrombosis (three each), ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (two), superior vena cava thrombosis (two), upper limb deep venous thrombosis and retinal vein thrombosis, one each. We found a 55% prevalence of TGs mainly heterozygous coagulation factor II, thrombin (FII)-G20210A, Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)-V617F, protein-S, and antithrombin III deficiency with a high (76·9%) prevalence of venous UTEs, multiple vessels thrombosis, and recurrence rate among the TG versus non-TG subcohort. The presence of JAK2-V617F, and FII-G20210A mutations was linked with SVT. Thrombosis in the non-TG subcohort was associated with more haemorrhagic problems, thrombosis progression and a significantly higher level of inflammatory markers, PTPP, mean platelet volume, von Willebrand factor, and factor VIII, which remained high for up to 6 months, as well as elevated D-dimer. Acquired and inherited thrombophilia with endotheliopathy appeared to be a relevant mechanism to explain the occurrence of UTEs that are not correlated to COVID-19 severity.

Hematological laboratory parameters: may act as a surrogate of chest radiographs in Pediatric COVID-19 Pneumonia. (preprint)

Background: COVID-19 infection continues to be a serious health concern in pediatric patients, associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. An important clinical question is whether laboratory hematologic parameters may act as a surrogate for imaging findings in pediatric COVID-19 pneumonia, in order to reduce exposure to ionizing radiation. The aim is to investigate the relationship between radiographic findings and hematological laboratory parameters in pediatric patients with COVID-19 infection by directly comparing the findings from both studies. Methods: This was an institutional review board-approved retrospective study of 187 consecutive pediatric patients with microbiologically confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia and available initial chest radiographs at the time of diagnosis, obtained between March 2020 and December 2020. Two groups of patients were created: 1) 1st group (without radiographic evidence of COVID-19 pneumonia) and 2) second group (with radiographic evidence of COVID-19 pneumonia). Two experienced radiologists independently reviewed the initial chest radiographs for abnormalities. Patients’ medical records were reviewed for clinical presentation, hematological laboratory parameters, and patient outcomes. The relationship between initial chest radiographic findings and hematological laboratory parameters was evaluated between the two groups. Interobserver agreement was estimated with the Cohen k coefficient.  Results: The study population consisted of 187 chest radiographs from 187 individual pediatric patients (95 males and 92 females; mean age ± SD, 10.1 ± 6.0 years; range, 9 months – 18 years). Group 1 consisted of 103 chest radiographs (55.0%) from 103 individual pediatric patients (54 males and 49 females; mean age ± SD, 12.5 ± 5.2 years; range, 9 months – 18 years). Group 2 consisted of 84 chest radiographs (45.0%) from 84 individual pediatric patients (41 males and 43 females; mean age ± SD, 7.0 ± 5.6 years; range, 11 months – 18 years). In group 2, observed chest radiographic abnormalities included ground-glass opacity (GGO) in 75 patients (89.2%), GGO and consolidation in 6 (7.2%), peribronchial thickening in 1 patient (1.1%), consolidation in 1 patient (1.1%), and peribronchial thickening, GGO and consolidation in one patient (1.1%). In addition, group 2 patients (with radiographic abnormalities of COVID-19 pneumonia) had significantly elevated LDH (p = 0.001) compared to group 1 patients (without radiographic findings of COVID-19 pneumonia). All pediatric patients in both groups completely recovered from COVID-19 infection. Interobserver agreement for chest radiographic findings was nearly perfect between the two reviewers in both groups (k = 0.96, p = 0.001).Conclusion: The presence of radiographic abnormalities on initial chest radiographs correlates well with hematologic laboratory abnormalities, specifically elevated LDH, in pediatric patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that hematologic laboratory parameters may act as a surrogate for chest radiography in pediatric COVID-19 pneumonia and that chest radiography may not be clinically indicated in pediatric patients with COVID-19 infection with normal LDH level, resulting in decreased exposure to ionizing radiation in this vulnerable population.

Could Bordetella pertussis vaccine protect against coronavirus COVID-19?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of today, there are 2.165.500 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and 145.705 deaths in over 185 countries. Unfortunately, despite the tremendous efforts to develop a vaccine initiated by various leading health institutions all over the world, it may be 18 months before a vaccine against the coronavirus is publicly available. We are proposing a theory about testing the use of the Bordetella pertussis vaccine to protect against COVID-19. We deliver this theory to the scientific community, aiming to raise the concern about it, and to provide us with support by realistic and experimental evidence.