Predicting the climate impact of aviation for en-route emissions: the algorithmic climate change function submodel ACCF 1.0 of EMAC 2.53

Using climate-optimized flight trajectories is one essential measure to reduce aviation's climate impact. Detailed knowledge of temporal and spatial climate sensitivity for aviation emissions in the atmosphere is required to realize such a climate mitigation measure. The algorithmic Climate Change Functions (aCCFs) represent the basis for such purposes. This paper presents the first version of the Algorithmic Climate Change Function submodel (ACCF 1.0) within the European Centre HAMburg general circulation model (ECHAM) and Modular Earth Submodel System (MESSy) Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) model framework. In the ACCF 1.0, we implement a set of aCCFs (version 1.0) to estimate the average temperature response over 20 years (ATR20) resulting from aviation CO2 emissions and non-CO2 impacts, such as NOx emissions (via ozone production and methane destruction), water vapour emissions, and contrail cirrus. While the aCCF concept has been introduced in previous research, here, we publish a consistent set of aCCF formulas in terms of fuel scenario, metric, and efficacy for the first time. In particular, this paper elaborates on contrail aCCF development, which has not been published before. ACCF 1.0 uses the simulated atmospheric conditions at the emission location as input to calculate the ATR20 per unit of fuel burned, per NOx emitted, or per flown kilometre.In this research, we perform quality checks of the ACCF 1.0 outputs in two aspects. Firstly, we compare climatological values calculated by ACCF 1.0 to previous studies. The comparison confirms that in the Northern Hemisphere between 150–300 hPa altitude (flight corridor), the vertical and latitudinal structure of NOx-induced ozone and H2O effects are well represented by the ACCF model output. The NOx-induced methane effects increase towards lower altitudes and higher latitudes, which behaves differently from the existing literature. For contrail cirrus, the climatological pattern of the ACCF model output corresponds with the literature, except that contrail-cirrus aCCF generates values at low altitudes near polar regions, which is caused by the conditions set up for contrail formation. Secondly, we evaluate the reduction of NOx-induced ozone effects through trajectory optimization, employing the tagging chemistry approach (contribution approach to tag species according to their emission categories and to inherit these tags to other species during the subsequent chemical reactions). The simulation results show that climate-optimized trajectories reduce the radiative forcing contribution from aviation NOx-induced ozone compared to cost-optimized trajectories. Finally, we couple the ACCF 1.0 to the air traffic simulation submodel AirTraf version 2.0 and demonstrate the variability of the flight trajectories when the efficacy of individual effects is considered. Based on the 1 d simulation results of a subset of European flights, the total ATR20 of the climate-optimized flights is significantly lower (roughly 50 % less) than that of the cost-optimized flights, with the most considerable contribution from contrail cirrus. The CO2 contribution observed in this study is low compared with the non-CO2 effects, which requires further diagnosis.

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Sars-Cov-2 Omicron Variant and COVID-19 Vaccination with Clinical Outcome Findings in Shanghai, China: A Single Center, Retrospective, Observational Study

Objectives: This study aimed to determine disease severity, clinical features, clinical outcome in hospitalized patients with the Omicron variant and evaluate the effectiveness of one-dose, two-dose, and three-dose inactivated vaccines in reducing viral loads, disease course, ICU admissions and severe diseases. Method(s): Retrospective cohort analysis was performed on 5,170 adult patients (>=18 years) identified as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positive with Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction admitted at Shanghai Medical Center for Gerontology between March 2022 and June 2022. COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness was assessed using logistic regression models evaluating the association between the risk of vaccination and clinical outcomes, adjusting for confounders. Result(s): Among 5,170 enrolled patients, the median age was 53 years, and 2,861 (55.3%) were male. 71.0% were mild COVID-19 cases, and cough (1,137 [22.0%]), fever (592 [11.5%]), sore throat (510 [9.9%]), and fatigue (334 [6.5%]) were the most common symptoms on the patient's first admission. Ct values increased generally over time and 27.1% patients experienced a high viral load (Ct value< 20) during their stay. 105(2.0%) of these patients were transferred to the intensive care unit after admission. 97.1% patients were cured or showed an improvement in symptoms and 0.9% died in hospital. The median length of hospital stay was 8.7+/-4.5 days. In multivariate logistic analysis, booster vaccination can significantly reduce ICU admissions and decrease the severity of COVID-19 outcome when compared with less doses of vaccine (OR=0.75, 95%CI, 0.62-0.91, P<=0.005;OR=0.99, 95%CI, 0.99-1.00, p<0.001). Conclusion(s): In summary, the most of patients who contracted SARSCoV-2 omicron variant had mild clinical features and patients with vaccination took less time to lower viral loads. As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, an older and less vaccinated population was associated with higher risk for ICU admission and severe disease.Copyright © 2023

The effect of the emergency shift to virtual instruction on student team dynamics

In spite of the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many instructors who used team-based pedagogies shifted them online rather than suspending them entirely, but with limited time and resources. To examine the difference in team dynamics and outcomes for courses in Spring 2019 and Spring 2020 of over 1500 first-year engineering students per semester, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and random forests method were used. Results show that students reported less improvement in team-member effectiveness, lower psychological safety, and less satisfaction in the semester with the emergency transition. However, students also reported lower conflict. The most important factor predicting project grades shifted from 'Interacting with teammates' to 'Having relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities' amid the emergency shift, accompanied by a reduction in team interdependence. In spite of the collection of data during an emergency transition, the foundation of face-to-face interaction before moving to virtual cooperation represents a useful contribution to research that has focused exclusively on virtual learning circumstances.

Changes in state policy for promoting a healthy lifestyle. (A historical aspect).

Healthy lifestyle promotion from the perspective of state policy, journalism, healthcare, sociology, and psychology was analyzed. The objective of the study was to analyze changes in the financial and agitation state policy aimed at increasing the motivational activity of citizens of the Russian Federation towards a healthy lifestyle (HLS) in the Soviet era and at the post-Soviet stage and assess the effectiveness of these measures. The effectiveness of the Soviet propaganda of healthy lifestyles among the population was evaluated. Crisis phenomena in public health, low persuasiveness of the media presentation of the healthy lifestyle value, the COVID-19 pandemic, difficulties in implementing corporate health promotion programs in the workplace at individual en-terprises, and ignoring gender stereotypes in attitudes to health are the reasons that contribute to the adherence of Russian workers to unhealthy behaviors, that cause an increase in the incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases. The historical aspect of changes in state policy for health promotion made it possible to determine the tasks in developing health-saving programs.Copyright © 2023, Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Telehealth and its impact on the management of type 2 diabetes

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has created many challenges and barriers in healthcare, which includes the treatment and management of patients with type 2 diabetes (Robson & Hosseinzadeh, 2021). The purpose of this Evidence-Based Project (EBP) project is to evaluate the effectiveness of type 2 diabetes management through telehealth and answers the following PICOT question: In patients with diabetes type 2 who have difficulties with medical visit compliance (P), will the telehealth platform (I), compared to patient's previous visit HbA1c (C) improve the Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) diagnostic marker (O) over a 12-week period(T)? An extensive literature search of five databases was performed, citation chasing, and a hand search yielded fourteen pieces of evidence ranging from level I to VI (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2019). The pieces of evidence selected for this project support the evidence that telehealth implementation is as effective as the "usual care" or in-person visits to treat type 2 diabetes. The John Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) model was selected. Patients with a HbA1c of greater than 6.7% have been asked to schedule two six-week telehealth visits. During the live video visit, a review of medications, and diabetes self-management education (DSME) will be conducted. Participants will be provided with education to promote lifestyle modifications. The visits will be conducted through an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system that is Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant. A paired t-Test will be used with the data collected from the pre-and post-HbA1c. Improve the management of type 2 diabetes with the incorporation of telemedicine in primary care. Research supports the need to further expand the use of telehealth in primary care, to improve patient outcomes and decrease co-morbidities related to type 2 diabetes.

Pandemic's effect on the relationship between lean implementation and service performance

Purpose: This paper aims at examining the impact that COVID-19 pandemic and its related work implications have on the relationship between lean implementation and service performance. Design/methodology/approach: The author surveyed service organizations that have been implementing lean for at least two years and remotely maintained their activities during the COVID-19 outbreak. Multivariate data techniques were applied to analyze the dataset. This study was grounded on sociotechnical systems theory. Findings: The findings indicate that organizations that have been implementing lean services more extensively are also more likely to benefit from the effects that the COVID-19 had on work environments, especially in the case of home office. Nevertheless, social distancing does not appear to mediate the effects of lean services on both quality and delivery performances. Originality/value: Since the pandemic is a recent phenomenon with unprecedented effects, this research is an initial effort to determine the effect the pandemic has on lean implementation and services' performance, providing both theoretical and practical contributions to the field. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Reproduction of the Control Group in REMDACTA Trial Using the Millennial Medical Record, an Electric Health Record Database, in Japan

Objectives: Developing a control group of a clinical trial using real world data is desirable and ethically sound despite challenges pertaining to internal validity. To examine the internal validity, we reproduced the control group in a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) using Electric Health Record (EHR) data and evaluated the difference between the outcome of the original trial and that of the reproduced analysis. Method(s): We selected an RCT, REMDACTA trial, that was performed to evaluate the efficacy of tocilizumab plus remdesivir against placebo plus remdesivir in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. We reproduced its control group (patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia taking only remdesivir), using Japanese EHR data, Millennial Medical Record provided by Life Data Initiative. Target patients for the main analysis were those prescribed remdesivir within 2 days after admission and diagnosed with COVID-19 (defined by ICD-10 code, U07.1) and/or with COVID-19 pneumonia (defined by diagnosis name). Patients in the sub analysis included only those with COVID-19 pneumonia diagnosis. Among the target patients, those undergoing image inspection, oxygen administration, and not taking any medicines for pneumonia before the first remdesivir prescription were eligible for the analyses. Median length of stay was compared in the reproduced group and in REMDACTA trial. Result(s): The database included 676 and 110 target patients for the main and sub analyses, respectively. However, only 57 and 14 patients met the eligibility criteria for the main and sub analyses, respectively. The reduction in the number of patients is attributed to the criteria of image inspection and oxygen administration. Median length of stay in the reproduced group were 13 and 11 days in the main and sub analyses, respectively. In REMDACTA trial, 95% CI of median time was 11.0-16.0. Conclusion(s): We successfully reproduced the median time of the control group by EHR data.Copyright © 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic and the characteristic comparison of English achievement tests

Aim. The objectives of this research were to characterize and contrast the features of English language proficiency tests conducted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology and research methods. Before coronavirus pandemic, there were 287 students;during pandemic, there were 288 pupils;there were also an English teacher and a forum for English teachers. Through documentation and interviews, the information was gathered from eighth-graders at SMP Negeri 2 Semarang in Central Java, Indonesia. Results. Some aspects of English accomplishment tests made before COVID-19 can be seen. First, the percentages of items in the Easy, Moderate, and Difficult categories are 55%, 37.5%, and 7.5%, respectively. The item discrimination percentages for the Poor, Fair, Good, and Very Good categories are 10%, 30%, 25%, and 35%, respectively. Third, the distractor's effectiveness as a percentage is 53.30% and 46.70%. (effective: ineffective). Finally, the test reliability value is 0.990. The English proficiency test created during COVID-19 exhibits some of the same traits. First, the percentages for Easy, Moderate, and Difficulty categories for item difficulty: 10%, 84%, and 6%. The item discrimination percentages for the Poor, Fair, Good, and Very Good categories are 2%, 4%, 14%, and 80%, respectively. Third, the distractor's percentage efficacy is 99.30%: 0.70% (effective: ineffective). Finally, the test reliability value is 0.960. The foundation of classical test theory (CTT) was the effectiveness of the distractor, item difficulty, and item discrimination. The exams administered during coronavirus pandemic were more normally distributed than the tests administered prior to pandemic based on item difficulty. The tests given during coronavirus pandemic fell more into the very good category than the tests given before pandemic, according to item discrimination. In comparison to tests conducted before to coronavirus pandemic, more tests during pandemic were classified as effective based on the distractor's effectiveness. Both tests were compared based on the data of the collected features. The English achievement exam created during the epidemic was determined to be superior to the test created prior to the outbreak based on CTT. However, the English performance exam created before the epidemic is superior than that created during the pandemic, according to Item Response Theory (IRT). IRT was based on item fit and dependability. Testing for dependability before COVID-19 is more accurate than during pandemic. Before COVID-19, item fit tests were more favorable than during pandemic. Conclusions. The English proficiency test that was created during the epidemic is superior to the test that was created prior to the pandemic based on CTT. But according to IRT, the English proficiency exam created before the pandemic is superior to that created during the pandemic. © 2023 LLC Ecological Help. All rights reserved.

Low-intensity online intervention (LiON) for distressed young people in Hong Kong: Preliminary findings

Previous studies have demonstrated that low-intensity intervention is effective in improving mental health in young people. Whilst interventions have majorly been offered online during COVID-19 pandemic, it is not known whether low-intensity interventions delivered online can also help reduce the level of distress experienced by young people. The study aimed to determine whether a low-intensity online intervention (LiON) can reduce levels of distress in young people greater than those in similar initial distress levels but received no intervention. Young people aged 15 to 24 were recruited for the 4-weekly LiON intervention consisting of three modules namely sleep and relaxation, stress-coping and problem-solving. The reductions in distress level after intervention were compared to those that occurred over a period of 3 months among community young people with similar baseline K6 distress levels. Seventy-four young people (mean age 20.24 [SD 2.26] years, 71.6% female) received the LiON intervention from December 2021 to July 2022. We observed a greater improvement in their distress levels after receiving the intervention than those with no intervention in the community (beta -4.13, 95%CI -5.12, -3.07, p < .001, Cohen's f2 0.027). The findings offered evidence that the LiON intervention significantly reduced young people's distress level in addition to the improvement that may occur naturally. The use of LiON is adaptable to a wider variety of frontline community organizations. Future evaluation of its cost-effectiveness is warranted.

Glucosaminylmuramyl dipeptide efficacy in post-COVID-19 patient rehabilitation treatment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered people's lifestyles around the world. Prevention of recurrent episodes of the disease and mitigation of its consequences are especially associated with effective post-COVID-19 rehabilitation in patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of the drug Likopid (glucosaminylmuramyl dipeptide, GMDP) for post-COVID-19 rehabilitation in patients. Material and methods. Patients who recovered from mild to moderate COVID-19 (n=60, mean age 54+/- 11.7 years) were randomized into the observation group (n=30, 15 men and 15 women) who received 2 courses of Licopid (1 mg twice a day) and the comparison group (n=30, 15 men and 15 women). Analysis of the phenotypic and functional characteristics of the innate immune cellular factors was carried out before the start of immunomodulatory therapy, immediately after the end of the course, and also after 6 months observations. In order to assess the quality of life of all patients, we used the SF-36 Health Status Survey and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaires. Results. During assessing the effect of immunomodulatory therapy on the parameters of innate immunity of patients at the stage of rehabilitation after COVID-19, an increase in the protective cytolytic activity of CD16+ and CD8+Gr+ cells, as well as a persistent increase in TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 expression was found, which indicates the antigen recognition recovery and presentation at the level of the monocytic link of the immune system. The use of GMDP as an immunomodulatory agent resulted in an 8-fold reduction in the frequency and severity of respiratory infections due to an increase in the total monocyte count. As a result of assessing patients' quality of life against the background of the therapy, a positive dynamic in role functioning was revealed in patients. In the general assessment of their health status, an increase in physical and mental well-being was noted during 6 months of observation. The comparison group showed no improvement in the psychoemotional state. Discussion. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of GMDP immunomodulatory therapy in correcting immunological parameters for post-COVID-19 rehabilitation in patients. The data obtained are consistent with the previously discovered ability of GMDP to restore impaired functions of phagocytic cells and induce the expression of their surface activation markers, which in turn contributes to an adequate response to pathogens. Conclusion. The study revealed that the correction of immunological parameters with the use of GMDP in COVID-19 convalescents contributed not only to a decrease in the frequency and severity of respiratory infections, but also to an improvement in the psycho-emotional state of patients, and a decrease in anxiety and depression.Copyright © Eco-Vector, 2023. All rights reserved.

Physical Education Teacher Experiences through the Lens of a Pandemic: Putting a Spotlight on Teacher Beliefs, Practices, Emotional Fragility, and Well-Being

Teaching physical education during the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges, putting a spotlight on problematic school structures and teacher beliefs that influence teacher effectiveness and well-being. The purpose of this study was to capture physical education teachers' (N = 10) experiences during the pandemic to understand perceptions of support, teaching beliefs, and emotions/reactions to the new environment. Short-term longitudinal qualitative analysis was used to collect pre/post semester interviews and critical incidence forms throughout the semester. Resulting themes included: (a) superficial versus tangible support, (b) planning for curricular changes, (c) student--teacher connections, and (d) emotional labor and uncertainty. Results provide insight about thriving versus surviving as learned from teaching during a pandemic. Teachers who displayed positive emotions, sought student connections, and exhibited stronger core beliefs, resilience, and flexibility within instructional decisions perceived more effectiveness and well-being. Findings support investigating holes in teacher belief systems and the interconnectedness between emotions and teacher effectiveness and well-being.

Covid-19 and online classes: Measuring Indian parents' attitude towards online classes at kindergarten and junior school level

The study aims to examine the readiness of Indian parents towards online classes at kindergarten and junior school levels, by identifying the perceived barriers, perceived effectiveness and health impact of online classes on young children. The study is based on data collected across a random sample of 750 parents of students studying at junior and kindergarten levels in urban private schools which offer online classes. The data was analyzed through exploratory factor analysis, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. Technological, infrastructural, and personal barriers related to students, and parents, were identified as perceived barriers by parents in availing online classes for their kids. Parents' attitude towards online classes at kindergarten and primary levels gets negatively influenced by the barriers they face, and the perceived negative impact of technology usage on their kids' health, while;perceived effectiveness was found to have a positive impact on the parents' attitude. The study is unique as it includes the interest of such young stakeholders of the education system. The study highlights the barriers faced by parents related to online classes and the health-related concerns which play a major role in the adoption of online mode of education for their kids. Research gives insights to school authorities and the government to work on these barriers and make the online education system effective which is the need of the hour during COVID-19.

Student Satisfaction on Lecturers' Effectiveness, Efficiency and Productivity: Malaysian Education Landscape during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has engulfed the whole planet, including the education sector in Malaysia. As a result, the quality of lecturers' work is critical in maintaining the number of students in a university, particularly during a pandemic. Lecturers are put through their paces as they move from traditional to e-learning, learning new ways to teach classes, navigating technology, using new skills, and utilising their own knowledge. This study analysed responses of 892 local students from various officially registered public higher learning institutions throughout Malaysia. Convenient sampling method was used to gather responses through online google forms from the above respondents. The outcomes of this study provided some insight on how Malaysian higher education institutions might redeem themselves by offering better service to the society, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Impact of Embodiment on Training Effectiveness

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and compulsory social distancing, researchers in educational fields started to investigate alternatives to face-To-face (F2F) training methods with greater focus, such as video conferencing (VC) and virtual reality (VR) applications. This study investigated the differences between VC, VR and F2F training conditions by evaluating the level of body ownership and agency perceived by trainees. An electrical circuit repair task and multiple surveys were used to gather data from 106 participants in the form of four dependent variables: A circuit knowledge test, task completion rate, number of the subtasks completed by failing participants, and test phase duration. The study included two visits by each participant to measure knowledge retention while there were no training and surveys in Visit 2. Results showed significantly higher circuit learning and knowledge retention scores in F2F and VR conditions than in VC. Also, regarding the retention of knowledge, participants had significantly better knowledge retention in Visit 1 than Visit 2. The authors hope the results of this study enable training developers to enhance the learning process in computer mediated communications. © 2023 IEEE.

The effectiveness of Tocilizumab in severe covid 19 pneumonia among critically ill patients

Background: Tocilizumab, an interleukin-6 (IL-6) antagonist, is being evaluated for the management of covid-19 pneumonia. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Tocilizumab in severe covid-19 pneumonia. Method(s): This was a retrospective, observational, single centre study performed in 121 patients diagnosed with severe covid-19 pneumonia. 83 patients received standard of care treatment whereas 38 patients received tocilizumab along with standard of care. Tocilizumab was administered intravenously at 8mg/kg (upto a maximum of 800mg). The second dose of Tocilizumab was given 12 to 24 hours apart. The primary outcome measure was ICU related and hospital related mortality. The secondary outcome measures were change in clinical status of patients measured by WHO (World Health Organisation) 7 category ordinary scale, changes in interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, secondary infections and duration of ICU stay. Result(s): Tocilizumab was administered between 3-27 days after the patient reported symptoms ( a median of 10.9 days ) and between the 1st to 3rd day of ICU admission (median of 2.1 days) . In Tocilizumab group, 16(42.1%) of 38 patients died in ICU whereas in standard of care group, 27(32.53%) of 83 patients died. The difference in clinical status assessed using WHO (World Health Organisation) 7 category ordinary scale at 28 days between Tocilizumab group and standard of care group was not statistically significant (odds ratio 1.35, 95% confidence interval 0.61 to 2.97, p = 0.44). Conclusion(s): Tocilizumab plus standard care was not superior to standard care alone in reducing mortality and improving clinical outcomes at day 28.Copyright © RJPT All right reserved.

Preliminary results from phase 2 of CC-92480- MM- 001: Mezigdomide plus dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM)

In phase 1 of CC-92480- MM- 001 (NCT03374085), the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of mezigdomide plus dexamethasone (MEZI-d) was selected at 1 mg once daily for 21/28 days. Here we report preliminary results from the MEZI-d dose-expansion cohort in patients with heavily pretreated RRMM. Key eligibility criteria were: RRMM;>=3 prior lines of therapy;disease progression <=60 days of last myeloma therapy;refractoriness to lenalidomide/pomalidomide, a proteasome inhibitor, a glucocorticoid, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody. Oral mezigdomide 1 mg was given on days 1-21 of each 28-day cycle, plus weekly dexamethasone (40 mg;20 mg if >75 years of age). Primary objective was to evaluate efficacy (overall response rate [ORR]);secondary objectives included safety/tolerability and additional efficacy assessments. Pharmacodynamics was an exploratory objective. As of 16/Sep/2022, 101 patients had received MEZI-d at the RP2D. Median age was 67 (range 42-85) years, median time since initial diagnosis was 7.4 (1.1-37.0) years;39.6% of patients had plasmacytomas and 37/101 patients had high-risk cytogenetics (56/101 not evaluable). Median number of prior regimens was 6 (3-15);prior therapies included stem cell transplantation (77.2%) and anti-BCMA therapy (29.7%). All patients were refractory to last myeloma regimen and triple-class refractory. Median follow-up was 7.5 (0.5-21.9) months, with a median of 4 (1-20) cycles;10.0% of patients continued treatment;progressive disease was the main reason for discontinuation (60.4%). ORR was 40.6% for all patients. Whilst data are not mature yet, median PFS was 4.4 (95% CI 3.0-5.5) months and median duration of response was 7.6 (95% CI 5.4-9.5) months. ORR was 30.0% in patients with plasmacytomas (N = 40) and 50.0% in patients with prior anti-BCMA therapy (N = 30). Ninety-one (91.1%) patients experienced a grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE). Most frequent hematologic grade 3/4 TEAEs were neutropenia (75.2%), anaemia (35.6%), and thrombocytopenia (27.7%);34.7% of patients had grade 3/4 infections, including grade 3/4 pneumonia (15.8%) and COVID-19 (7.0%). Occurrence of other grade 3/4 non-hematologic TEAEs was generally low. Due to TEAEs, 76.2% and 29.7% of patients had mezigdomide dose interruptions and reductions, respectively;90.1% of patients discontinued mezigdomide. Mezigdomide induced substrate degradation and increases in activated and proliferating T cells in patients, including those directly refractory to pomalidomide-based therapies. MEZI-d had a manageable safety profile with encouraging efficacy in patients with triple-class refractory RRMM, including patients with prior BCMA-targeted therapies. These results strongly support the continued development of mezigdomide in MM, and especially in combination.

A comprehensive review on technological advances in alternate drug discovery process:Drug repurposing

The traditional de novo drug discovery is time consuming, costly and in some instances the drugs will fail to treat the disease which result in a huge loss to the organization. Drug repurposing is an alternative drug discovery process to overcome the limitations of the De novo drug discovery process. Ithelps for the identification of drugs to the rare diseases as well as in the pandemic situationwithin short span of time in a cost-effective way. The underlying principle of drug repurposing is that most of the drugs identified on a primary purpose have shown to treat other diseases also. One such example is Tocilizumab is primarily used for rheumatoid arthritis and it is repurposed to treat cancer and COVID-19. At present, nearly30% of the FDA approved drugs to treat various diseases are repurposed drugs. The drug repurposing is either drug-centric or disease centric and can be studied by using both experimental and in silico studies. The in silico repurpose drug discovery process is more efficient as it screens thousands of compounds from the diverse libraries within few days by various computational methods like Virtual screening, Docking, MD simulations,Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS), etc. with certain limitations.These limitationscan be addressed by effective integration of advanced technologies to identify a novel multi-purpose drug.Copyright © 2023, Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy. All rights reserved.

Fuzzy logic approach to assess the effectiveness of online course delivery in management education: a case of B-school from India

PurposeThe future of management studies is invariably steering towards online and hybrid modes of course delivery. Therefore, assessing the effectiveness of online course delivery is exceptionally crucial. This study attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of online course delivery in management education involving the instructor, participant and technological component. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in three ways. First, the study proposes an approach to assess the effectiveness of online courses in management education. The study demonstrates this by taking a case study of a business school (B-school) in southern India. Second, the study identifies the shortcomings and areas that need improvement to enhance the overall effectiveness further. Third, the study outlines suggestive measures to improve the effectiveness of online course delivery by addressing technical, infrastructural, instructor and student behavioral components.Design/methodology/approachTo accomplish the objectives, a case study approach has been adopted and fuzzy logic has been used as a methodology to assess the effectiveness of online course delivery in management education.FindingsThe findings suggest that instructors' use of cases and animation during online sessions, use of whiteboards, digital pens and other tools, attempts to draw participant's interest and the users' sense of belongingness in the online cohort, self-discipline and motivation from students' side, easy to use Learning Management System (LMS), audio-visual platforms, active electronic communication and training on the technical aspect of the online platform need to be improved to enhance the effectiveness of online course delivery further. The current effectiveness of online course delivery in the case of B-school was found to be "Fair,” which is average in relation to the effectiveness labels.Research limitations/implicationsThis study doesn't investigate the factors that moderate the effectiveness of online course delivery and how the factors influence each other. Future research endeavors can be extended in this direction to enrich the body of knowledge with new insights. Apart from this, the results outlined in this study are about the status quo of the case B-school and can't be generalized. However, the methodology and approach can be adopted by other B-schools or higher educational institutes to measure the schools' and institutes' current level of effectiveness in online teaching.Originality/valueSo far, only a few studies have paid attention to the empirical assessment of the effectiveness of online course delivery consisting of engagement from the technical, instructor and participants' dimensions. This study proposes a novel approach to measure the level of effectiveness and identifies the shortfalls that impede good effectiveness in online course delivery.

Acceptance of Mobile Learning Technology by Teachers: Influencing Mobile Self-Efficacy and 21st-Century Skills-Based Training

This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the acceptance of mobile learning technology for 21st-century skills-based training among teachers in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. This study adopted the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, which included constructs such as performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, social influence, mobile self-efficacy, student self-efficacy, behavioural intention, 21st-century skills-based training, and creative thinking skills. A survey was conducted with 619 teachers from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan who participated in a two-week mobile learning-based training session. The data were analysed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that all hypotheses were supported, indicating a positive relationship between the constructs and the acceptance and use of mobile learning technology for 21st-century skills-based training. This study's findings suggest that by emphasising factors such as performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, social influence, mobile self-efficacy, and student self-efficacy when designing mobile learning interventions, teachers will be more likely to accept and use mobile learning technology for 21st-century skills-based training and contributed to sustainability by providing increased access to quality education.

Institutions, corruption and transparency in effective healthcare public procurement: Evidence from Central and Eastern Europe

The benefits of good procurement practices in the healthcare sector are well known. Indeed, the importance of transparent, effective and efficient procurement of medical goods and services has gained momentum even more in light of the recent Covid-19 pandemic. However, there is little evidence of how traditional factors occurring on a procedure or contract level affect the effectiveness of public purchases when they take play in different institutional environments. This paper, therefore, contributes to this evidence using a large sample of public contracts in healthcare sectors awarded in 11 Central and East European Countries. The results support the previous evidence on the important role of transparency and open competitive bidding. Procedures with a prior call for competition and allowing for an unrestricted number of competitors lead to cost-effective contracts and higher direct savings. Effective government and lessening corruption have proven to facilitate better procurement outcomes, considering the financial aspects of awarded contracts. Moreover, the results on the effects of institutions contribute to the current academic debate by providing insight into the mechanism of obtaining cost-effectiveness and showing that strong institutions can play an important role in mitigating the adverse procurement outcomes related to less transparent and competition-restricting procedures.