Mentorship of young researchers in resource-limited settings: experiences of the mentees from selected health sciences Universities in Tanzania.

INTRODUCTION: Mentorship is an essential component of research capacity building for young researchers in the health sciences. The mentorship environment in resource-limited settings is gradually improving. This article describes mentees' experiences in a mentorship program for junior academicians amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania. METHODS: This is a survey study that examined the experiences of mentees who participated in a mentorship program developed as part of the Transforming Health Education in Tanzania (THET) project. The THET project was funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) under a consortium of three partnering academic institutions in Tanzania and two collaborating US-based institutions. Senior faculty members of respective academic institutions were designated as mentors of junior faculty. Quarterly reports submitted by mentees for the first four years of the mentorship program from 2018 to 2022 were used as data sources. RESULTS: The mentorship program included a total of 12 mentees equally selected from each of the three health training institutions in Tanzania. The majority (7/12) of the mentees in the program were males. All mentees had a master's degree, and the majorities (8/12) were members of Schools/Faculties of Medicine. Most mentors (9/10) were from Tanzania's three partnering health training institutions. All mentors had an academic rank of senior lecturer or professor. Despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the regular weekly meetings between mentors and mentees were not affected. By the fourth year of the mentorship program, more than three-quarters of mentees had published research related to the mentorship program in a peer-reviewed journal, over half had enrolled in Ph.D. studies, and half had applied for and won competitive grant awards. Almost all mentees reported being satisfied with the mentorship program and their achievements. CONCLUSION: The mentorship program enhanced the skills and experiences of the mentees as evidenced by the quality of their research outputs and their dissemination of research findings. The mentorship program encouraged mentees to further their education and enhanced other skills such as grant writing. These results support the initiation of similar mentorship programs in other institutions to expand their capacity in biomedical, social, and clinical research, especially in resource-limited settings, such as Sub-Saharan Africa.

Documentation Of Cultural And Spiritual Experiences In The Face Of The COVID-19 Crisis

Introduction and objective: Undoubtedly, employees face a variety of organizational problems and issues during the service period. Employees' decisions and actions in facing these problems and issues will be based on their knowledge and mental patterns. This study aimed to document and record the cultural and spiritual experience in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. Method: This research was an applied, inductive and exploratory-descriptive case study, which was conducted as a one-time crosssectional survey in a qualitative manner. Data was collected using documentary reviews and questionnaires. The statistical population of this study included managers, experts, and administrators of Baqiyatallah University located in Tehran, Iran. According to the qualitative approach of the research, purposeful sampling was used and data collection was continued until the required data was collected. Data analysis was performed in MaxQDA 2020 and Excel 2019 software. Results: The results showed a total of 282 open source codes. Code frequencies were as follows: 25 codes for event dimension, 54 for issue dimension, 61 for measures and decisions dimension, 71 for output-outcome dimension, 35 for suggestions dimension, 17 for scenario planning and modeling dimension, and 19 for lessons learned dimension. Conclusion: The results of this study can be used as a basis for managers to plan and implement experience documentation in cultural and spiritual areas in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Pharmaceutical Negative Results is the property of ResearchTrentz 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 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 . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Public Health Laboratories Response to SARS-COV-2 Diagnostic Testing during COVID Pandemic in Pakistan

During COVID-19 Pandemic, diagnostic laboratories played a vital role in outbreak investigation, surveillance, patient monitoring, and therapeutic effectiveness, and hampered the transmission cycle globally. In Pakistan, the health department took an initiative to build BSL-III labs at divisional levels. A qualitative study was conducted among healthcare professionals from 13 major public health national-level laboratories through in-depth interviews with key informants to note down the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic during diagnostic testing. In this study, 77 % of public health laboratories faced sampling, administrative, and leadership issues. 53 % of laboratories have faced the unavailability of well-trained staff and human resources while both the biosafety and biosecurity protocols, and the lack of resources were compromised in 69 % of labs. Some lab staff (54 %) felt the wastage of resources in terms of excessive testing and fake sampling, while others (54 %) discussed a lack of training and work experience issues. As the majority of the technical lab staff was hired in temporary consultancy mode so 61 % of issues were related to late salaries. 38 % of issues were about fake reporting pressure from higher authorities. 69 % had issues with the continuous supply chain of kits, reagents, PPEs, etc. The work environment was not up to the mark of 69 %. High workload and mental health issues were faced by 92 %, while waste management was 23 %, shortage of lab space for massive testing by 38 %, and stigma and discrimination among healthcare workers and the general public due to involvement in COVID-19 testing were felt by 46 %. © Pakistan Academy of Sciences.

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines, Vaccine Development Technologies, and Significant Efforts in Vaccine Development during the Pandemic: The Lessons Learned Might Help to Fight against the Next Pandemic.

We are currently approaching three years since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 has caused extensive disruptions in everyday life, public health, and the global economy. Thus far, the vaccine has worked better than expected against the virus. During the pandemic, we experienced several things, such as the virus and its pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and treatments; emerging variants; different vaccines; and the vaccine development processes. This review describes how each vaccine has been developed and approved with the help of modern technology. We also discuss critical milestones during the vaccine development process. Several lessons were learned from different countries during the two years of vaccine research, development, clinical trials, and vaccination. The lessons learned during the vaccine development process will help to fight the next pandemic.

Lessons learned from UNDP support to e-governance: Rapid evidence assessment of evaluations from the last decade

COVID-19 has highlighted and fast tracked the use of e-governance tools for service continuity and citizen participation, but e-governance regulation, policy and capacity remain largely unaddressed especially in the least developed and low-income countries. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality, with increasing strategic focus on digitalization support to improve public services and other government functions. This study aims to better inform future international development programming and operations on e-governance support. Using a rapid evidence assessment method and aided by artificial intelligence tools, this study synthesizes the findings from the evaluations of UNDP projects and interventions in e-governance over the last 10 years to draw out lessons on what has (not) worked. Wherever possible, the study focuses on the lessons learned from e-governance interventions during the COVID-19 response and recovery process. This study is ongoing and will be completed by 2022. © 2022 ACM.

REQUIREMENT FOCUSED INTERVENTION-MATCHING FOR PANDEMIC MANAGEMENT: NATIONAL PERSPECTIVES FOR INVOLVEMENT OF EVIDENCE BASED LESSONS LEARNED

COVID-19 still represents one of the greatest global challenges of the last decades in terms of medical, coordination and management aspects, but also on the societal and economic level. Even after more than two years, the rapidly changing requirements that the emerging variations of the virus call for, show that Austria – as the majority of countries and organizations – is still struggling with a stringent and pertinent management approach. The call for a comprehensive, applicable and interoperable solution portfolio including evidence-based analysis of current processes/structures, tools and infrastructures as well as lessons learned from the current pandemic response, is evident. The enhanced “ROADS to Health”-approach, currently evaluated by national funding agencies, reflects this aim: a holistic solution set aiming at a technologically supported, lessons learned based system for the pandemic management for the future. ROADS focuses on a basis for optimized crisis management for future pandemics/epidemics from a holistic, user-centric perspective. The concrete goal is to create a basis for a technologically supported measure matching to current requirements for decision-makers and critical infrastructures. Thus, interventions or future mitigation measures for the management of a pandemic are matched with concrete and current requirements. This measure matching will build upon the existing "Portfolio of Solutions" (POS) platform developed by AIT. Relevant medical/epidemiological, social, economic and legal fundamentals and different types and characteristics of pandemics/epidemics will also be considered (infection routes, morbidity and mortality risks, affectedness: age, gender ...) as well as various needs, given resources and processes. International lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis, knowledge and results from merging practical experiences from crisis management feed into a concept design to facilitate and initiate technological support for enhanced future pandemics/epidemics tackling and potentially for other crisis situations. This keynote paper will draft the frame of this model by presenting the underlying background and basis of the ROADS to Health-solution set and open the floor for a wider range of perspectives of optimization in pandemic and crisis management. © 2022 IDIMT. All rights reserved.

Aspects of Pervasive Health and Technology Use in Care Organizations During the Pandemic: Report from a Municipality Covid-19 Study

The Covid-19 pandemic struck the world in spring 2019 and affected most people in the world. One group that suffered the most was older adults and others ‘weak’ citizens. In Sweden where the reported-on study was situated, especially people living in nursing homes and other care facilities suffered immensely, especially in the early stages of the pandemic. In this paper we report on perspectives and lessons learned from a survey compiled by 13 care managers in eleven Swedish municipalities followed by a workshop with ten of these municipality health managers. Our study showcase how technology has been a valuable tool for these organizations during the pandemic. While Internet-cameras in some instances has been used in private homes to facilitate ‘remote monitoring’, many of our findings points to aspects of managing care – a less studied aspect within the Pervasive health community. © 2022, ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering.

Lessons Learned on Knowledge Management to Produce Online Teaching Materials for PSU-MOOC: A Case Study of the Subject 'Social Etiquette in the Digital Age'

This study aimed 1) to present an example of a learning plan for social etiquette courses in the digital age, 2) to use lessons from knowledge, skills and experiences that teacher who produce online teaching materials for PSU-MOOC have received, 3) to reflect on the youth participating in the production of online teaching materials for PSU-MOOC. The research methodology used was Classroom Action Research. The study population was more than 70 courses in 2021 over 4 months (May-August 2021). An example on the subject 'social etiquette in the digital age' is assessed, with an analysis and synthesis of the characteristics of lessons learned. The results of the study are as follows. Objective I: The subject 'Social Etiquette in the Digital Age' is one of the courses offered online at PSU-MOOC. It is expected to be started in late 2021. There are 3 chapters in total for generating teaching media in video format, totaling 10 clips, each 5-10 minutes long. Objective II: most of the problems and obstacles in the preparation of this course are related to having a limited preparation time of approximately 4 months. Therefore, time management principles must be used to achieve the objectives within the specified time. Also, filming the clips is difficult during the COVID-19 epidemic. Objective III: 6 students participated in making the clips as teaching assistants. They reflect on their experiences in interviews on relevant issues and participation as an actor in a simulation, including the opportunity to help with clip editing and graphic design. All of these enhance creative and imaginative skills, adaptation to living with others with respect and dignity, and basic social etiquette like not to bully, curse, or slander. Especially in the digital age, everyone needs to practice social etiquette that makes society livable, with caring, dependence on one another, and responsibility. © 2021 IEEE.

Addressing the Challenges to Successfully Manage University-Industry R&D Collaborations

University-industry R&D collaborations (UICs) are becoming more critical for discovering innovations that can lead to the development of new products, services, and processes and, more broadly, social impact in terms of employment, economic development, and public health. The Covid-19 pandemic, for example, has seen an unprecedented rise in UICs and illustrates how vital their success can be for positively impacting the collaborators involved and society at large. Several challenges face the successful execution of UICs, not the least of which is the cultural difference between the collaborators. Overcoming these challenges is the subject of several research initiatives that seek to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) that UIC consortiums can use to develop their internal capabilities and project management maturity. The challenges facing one large UIC have been studied in Portugal. Practitioners and researchers were involved in generating insights into how the UIC could be more effective. This paper presents some of these challenges facing the UIC and how they were addressed. It also offers early results into the CSFs deemed essential by researchers and practitioners based on their experience together over seven years. Top CSFs include senior management commitment, effective communication, stakeholder engagement, good leadership, clear and realistic goals, mutual trust and respect, interpersonal teamwork, and clear roles and responsibilities. © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 impact on pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and opportunities.

The first case of COVID-19 was announced at the end of year 2019, and later many cases were identified worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, the first case was announced on 2 March 2020. To prevent the spread of this pandemic disease, many precautionary actions were taken by Saudi government. One of these actions was closing public and private schools and universities and transfer the educational activities to virtual platforms. All colleges of Pharmacy in Saudi Arabia, whether the 21 public or the eight private ones, were affected by those sudden transitions and their responses varied according to their preparedness levels. Here we shared our experience in king Saud University in the curricular components of pharmacy school that includes classroom teaching, laboratory teaching, experiential training, assessment, and extracurricular activity and student support during COVID-19 compulsory lockdown. Lastly, we presented the lesson learned toward pharmacy education from COVID-19 pandemic.