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In order to slow the COVID-19 pandemic's rapid spread and put an end to it, the world needs to take extraordinary action. The knowledge, attitude, and practises (KAP) of outpatients concerning COVID-19 have an impact on the adherence to control measures. As a result, this research serves as a baseline analysis to assess Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice and serve as the foundation for our mitigation efforts. The outpatients were given this self-administrated survey. The ten-item survey was created in a way that allowed for an accurate evaluation of the knowledge, attitude, and practise components. Using SPSS software, the statistical analysis was conducted. The replies from the Google sheet were loaded into SPSS after being exported to Excel. Data were described using frequency and percentages, and chi square analysis was conducted to see whether there was any correlation between the variables. 85 outpatients in total took part in the survey. While 80% of the participants were aware of the life trajectory of Covid-infected individuals and 77.6% of them paid close attention to government directives, the overall level of awareness about COVID-19 and its prevention was rather high. 54.12% of the participants used hand sanitizer and wore masks constantly. The outcomes indicated that the participants had sound knowledge and a positive outlook. To combat this epidemic, media propaganda and instructional video production must continue to be produced and distributed. © 2023 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
A Conversation Partner Scheme (CPS) can provide an opportunity for students to learn about acquired communication disorders, develop skills to support adults in conversations and reflect on their personal attitudes about communication disability. It can also enhance communication, facilitate social inclusion and participation and increase well-being for CPS partners with acquired communication disabilities. The format of a CPS generally includes conversation-training workshops followed by face-to-face supported conversations. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health guidance necessitated the transition of all components of the scheme (training and conversations) to an online format. The aim of this case study was to investigate the feasibility of an online CPS and explore the participants' experience of this format. A case study design was undertaken with feasibility objectives examining Implementation, Practicality, Adaption, Integration and Acceptability of the online CPS. Data was gathered from students using questionnaires. Online semi-structured interviews were carried out with seven persons with aphasia (PwA) who participated as CPS partners. Technical challenges, duration of conversations and topics of conversations were also recorded. Twenty-seven speech and language therapy students and 14 CPS partners took part in the CPS. Eighty-five online conversation sessions were carried out. All seven PwA and many of the students (87.5%) perceived an online format as suitable for CPS conversations. However, many students highlighted the value of in-person contact and reported that the online format constrained the use of some communication ramps. The PwA repeatedly commended their student conversation partners and noted the CPS provided an opportunity for increased social interaction during the public health restrictions. The online CPS provided a timely opportunity for students to practice supported communication skills and was perceived to be important for student training and communication skills development.
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Numerous studies have captured the experiences of teachers teaching online, but the current 'emergency' to teach online is unprecedented and has been challenging. Grounded in the theory of cognitive dissonance, this paper attempts to recapitulate the experiences of university teachers and analyses whether they have developed the consonant cognitions to teach online during the pandemic period or would they prefer switching back to 'normal' teaching as soon as the circumstances permit. Technology-enabled teaching has been found to be complex as it mandates teaching in a computerised setting and lacks an element of social interaction, which is at the heart of face-to-face teaching. Using Structural Equation Modelling, this study presents the determining factors that motivate teachers to embrace technology-driven teaching more convincingly. The study finds that in the absence of adequate training imparted to the teachers for developing technological and pedagogical knowledge (TPK), high psychological capital and facilitating conditions are the two most important factors ensuring teaching proficiency, creating positive online experiences and a continued intention to teach online.
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PurposeThere is an increasing interest in the supply chain's digitalization, yet the topic is still in the preliminary stages of academic research. The academic literature has no consensus and is still limited to research assessing the supply chain's digitalization of organizations. This study aims to explore the supply chain digitalization drivers to understand the emerging phenomena. More specifically, the authors devised from the literature the most common factors in assessing the readiness in scaling supply chain digitalization.Design/methodology/approachThis study followed a five-phased systematic literature review (SLR) methodology in this research: designing, analyzing, conducting, writing and assessing the quality of the review. The SLR is beneficial for justifying future research regardless of the complex process that requires dealing with high-level databases, information filtering and relevancies of the content. Through analysis of 347 titles and s and 40 full papers, the authors showed and discussed the supply chain digitalization: transformation factors.FindingsThe results generated three main themes: technology, people and processes. The study also generated ten subthemes/primary drivers for assessing the readiness for supply chain digitalization in organizations: IT infrastructure, cybersecurity systems, digitalization reskilling and upskilling, digitalization culture, top management support, digitalization and innovation strategy, integrated supply chain, digital innovation management, big data management and data analytics and government regulations. The importance of each factor was discussed, and future research agenda was presented.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the key drivers of the supply chain digitalization were identified, there is still a need to study the statistical correlation to confirm the interrelationships among factors. This study is also limited by the articles available in the databases and content extraction.Practical implicationsThis study supports decision-makers in understanding the critical drivers in digitalizing the supply chain. Once these factors are studied and comprehended, managers and decision-makers could better anticipate and allocate the proper resources to embark on the digitalization journey and make informed decisions.Originality/valueThe digitalization of the supply chain is more critical nowadays due to the global disruptions caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the surge of organizations moving toward the digital economy. There is a gap between the digital transformation pilot studies and implementation. The themes and factors unearthed in this study will serve as a foundation and guidelines for further theoretical research and practical implications.
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High dropout rate is a critical problem in MOOCs. The prime objective of this study is to identify possible dropout students at the early stage of the course and reducing the number of dropouts providing proper feedback to address the relevant factor. A prediction model based on stacking ensemble machine learning is proposed to identify whether a learner is at risk of dropping a course. The proposed stacked ensemble model outperformed with an accuracy of 93.4% compared to other popular machine learning classifiers. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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Tinospora cordifolia herbal supplements have recently gained prominence due to their promising immunomodulatory and anti-viral effects against SARS-CoV-2. Mislabelling or diluting Tinospora supplements for profit may harm public health. Thus, validating the label claim of these supplements in markets is critical. This study investigated how high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and chemometrics can be used to distinguish Tinospora cordifolia from two other closely related species (T. crispa and T. sinensis). The Orthogonal Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) and PLS-DA based chemometric models predicted the species identity of Tinospora with 94.44% accuracy. These classification models were trained using 54 T. cordifolia, 21 T. crispa, and 21 T. sinensis samples. We identified 7 biomarkers, including corydine, malabarolide, ecdysterone, and reticuline, which discriminated Tinospora cordifolia from the two other species. The label claim of 25 commercial Tinospora samples collected from different parts of India was verified based on the relative abundance of the biomarker compounds, of which 20 were found authentic. The relative abundance of biomarkers significantly varied in the 5 suspicious market samples. This pilot study demonstrates a robust metabolomic approach for authenticating Tinospora species, which can further be used in other herbal matrices for product authentication and securing quality. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.
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In line with the pedagogical movement called Student Voice (Cook-Sather, 2014), a research group in the Pedagogy and Special Didactics field, from the University of Macerata, has carried out a pilot study with University students with disabilities and with Specific Learning Disorders (Giaconi, Capellini, 2015;Del Bianco, 2019). Specifically, the study will deepen how the Voices of all students can be recorded even during an emergency period and how students' feedback can be the first step to start new cooperation in the implementation of educational paths. © 2022 Copyright for this paper by its authors.
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Background: School-based sleep education programmes can promote the importance of sleep health and may improve adolescent sleep. To date, only limited research has examined the feasibility of integrating sleep programmes into the school curriculum. Objectives: This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of the Strathclyde intervention to encourage good sleep health in teenagers (SIESTA). Methods: A total 171 students (12–15 years, 53% women) from secondary schools in Scotland participated in the study. Recruitment and retention, data collection and design procedures were assessed to establish feasibility. Qualitative feedback on acceptability was collected via focus group discussions. Outcome measures assessing insomnia symptoms, sleep hygiene, depression, anxiety and stress were completed at baseline and post-intervention to explore the preliminary effects of SIESTA. Results: All schools that were approached consented to participate, and most students completed assessments at both time points (171) with a dropout rate of 5%. Assessment measures provided sufficient data to compare baseline and post-intervention values. Training and delivery manuals ensured successful delivery of the programme. Qualitative feedback indicated SIESTA was acceptable, and students spoke favourably about the content, delivery and techniques. Students reported that SIESTA was age-appropriate, relevant and the techniques were beneficial. There were significant improvements in insomnia and stress, but no improvements were noted for sleep hygiene, depression or anxiety. Conclusion: The findings suggest that SIESTA is feasible and acceptable for delivery via the school curriculum. The results indicate that a controlled trial is required to further investigate the efficacy of SIESTA implemented in an educational context.
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Mobile applications have become popular tools for supporting healthy nutrition behavior. Current tools are primarily based on the detailed tracking of a user's direct consumption, thus intervening only during or even after a user has eaten something. With increasing home office hours (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic), people are eating more often at home, which has also led to a decrease in fruit and vegetable consumption. Therefore, we aim to support people in the food-shopping process. We suggest a mobile application that helps people reflect on their purchases and tries to nudge users toward healthier product choices. We conducted a pilot study with 31 participants who used the application for two consecutive weeks. During this time, we observed a decrease in the caloric values per 100 g of purchases. Furthermore, we collected positive feedback on the app regarding acceptance, usability, and user experience. © 2023 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.
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We present a pilot study on the perception of noise and noise annoyance from various environmental sources after the COVID-19 lockdown in Serbia. We used an online platform to conduct an anonymous survey on about 190 respondents aged 15 to 75 years from all over the country. After the lockdown, there was a significant increase in the proportion of respondents who were highly annoyed by noise from the typical environmental sources, such as road traffic, air traffic, industrial facilities, and construction works on the streets, compared to the time during the lockdown. At the same time, the proportion of respondents who were highly annoyed by the sirens of ambulance vehicles decreased significantly. However, the most annoying environmental sound during and after the lockdown was that emitted by the ambulance vehicles, which respondents described as "unpleasant”, "horrifying” and "irritating”. The perception of the sounds of nature and church bells dropped significantly after the lockdown, whereas the perception of noise from the neighbors, household members, and indoor sources remained the same. In summary, after the lockdown, respondents perceive the new soundscape as louder, burdened with a cacophony of noises, and subsequently more annoying. © 2022 Internoise 2022 - 51st International Congress and Exposition on Noise Control Engineering. All rights reserved.
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Some policies implemented during the pandemic extended the time that students spend on electronic devices, increasing the risk of physical and eye strain. However, the role of different environments on eye strain recovery has not been determined. We recruited 20 undergraduate students (10 males and 10 females) from a university in eastern China and explored the restoration effects of their eye strain in different types of spaces (wayside greenspace, a playground, a square, and woodland) on campus through scale measurements. The results showed that the eye strain of the students accumulated by 15 min of e-learning was significantly relieved after 10 min of greenspace exposure compared to the indoor environment, and the recovery effect varied depending on the type of landscape. The effect of eye strain relief was found to be positively correlated with temperature, wind speed, visible sky ratio, canopy density, tree density, and solar radiation intensity, while it was negatively correlated with relative humidity. These findings enrich the research on the restoration benefits of greenspaces and provide a basis for predicting the effect of different environments on the relief of eye strain. © 2022 by the authors.
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This paper discusses an investigation into quality of life (QoL) as a pilot study from a sample of occupants living in existing dwellings, that have been (2021) or will be retrofitted in 2022 and 2023, funded by the Welsh Government's (WG's) Optimised Retrofit (OR) project. The pan Wales OR project aims to retrofit close to 2000 existing social housing dwellings targeting nearly-zero/zero operational energy standards, to alleviate occupant fuel poverty and reduce energy costs and carbon emissions and increase occupant comfort and QoL. The methodology presented builds on two previous research projects undertaken and completed by two of the authors in 2010 and 2020, to adapt and create a hybrid Short Form-36 (HSF36) health survey, accompanied by the established RAND analysis system. The HSF36 questionnaire survey has been further refined for the OR project and has been used to collect occupant data through face-to-face interviews and online surveys. The occupants live in dwellings manged by one of Wales's largest registered social housing landlords (RSL's) with circa 8000 dwellings. The challenges and solutions for undertaking occupant engagement for surveys during Covid19 restrictions are illustrated. Once dwelling retrofits are completed in 2022 and 2023, the intention is to conduct a second and third phase of occupant engagement. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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Teleconferencing technology has been widely used in the context of the covid-19 pandemic. However, local and remote participants always have a poorer experience of hybrid discussion for various reasons in the leaderless group discussions with mixed online and offline members. In this paper, this phenomenon is explored through an early pilot study. We found problems with the lack of presence of remote participants in hybrid discussion sessions, as well as unclear information about the status of members. To solve such problems, we've designed a social robot called SNOTBOX. The bot indicates the participation status (marginalized or not) of the remote participant using "Buzzo" and the remote participant's desire to be heard through a "Eureka". We used both representations to attract the attention of local participants as a way to enhance the presence of remote participants in the conference. SNOTBOX is easy to produce and allows for DIY customization, and also supports multi-participant online discussions. © 2023 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.
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To develop and evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a longitudinal pediatric distance learning curriculum for general emergency nurses, facilitated by nurse educators, with central support through the Improving Acute Care Through Simulation collaborative. Kern's 6-step curriculum development framework was used with pediatric status epilepticus aimed at maintaining physical distancing, resulting in a 12-week curriculum bookended by 1-hour telesimulations, with weekly 30-minute online asynchronous distance learning. Recruited nurse educators recruited a minimum of 2 local nurses. Nurse educators facilitated the intervention, completed implementation surveys, and engaged with other educators with the Improving Pediatric Acute Care through Simulation project coordinator. Feasibility data included nurse educator project engagement and curriculum engagement by nurses with each activity. Efficacy data were collected through satisfaction surveys, pre-post knowledge surveys, and pre-post telesimulation performance checklists. Thirteen of 17 pediatric nurse educators recruited staff to complete both telesimulations, and 38 of 110 enrolled nurses completed pre-post knowledge surveys. Knowledge scores improved from a median of 70 of 100 (interquartile range: 66-78) to 88 (interquartile range: 79-94) (P =.018), and telesimulation performance improved from a median of 60 of 100 (interquartile range: 45-60) to 100 (interquartile range: 85-100) (P =.016). Feedback included a shortened intervention and including physician participants. A longitudinal pediatric distance learning curriculum for emergency nurses collaboratively developed and implemented by nurse educators and Improving Pediatric Acute Care through Simulation was feasible for nurse educators to implement, led to modest engagement in all activities by nurses, and resulted in improvement in nurses' knowledge and skills. Future directions include shortening intervention time and broadening interprofessional scope.
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Background/Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic led to many services being conducted remotely, including ear, nose and throat services. Although much in-person activity has now resumed, some services are still being provided remotely. This pilot study explored patients' satisfaction with the virtual multidisciplinary team balance clinics established at the authors' practice, looking at the feasibility of continuing this model of service delivery in the future. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were posted to the 56 patients who had received a virtual consultation with the service between March and September 2020, of which 22 were returned. The questionnaire presented respondents with 14 items, with which they rated their agreement on a 6-point Likert scale. Correlations between the final item (which measured overall satisfaction) and the other items were analysed using Spearman's rho. Results: Overall, respondents were satisfied with the virtual consultations. Respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with 13 of the 14 items;the only exception was 'I obtained better access to healthcare services by use of telemedicine'. Most respondents were happy with the quality of communication and valued the time saved on travel, although one pointed out that this may not be an appropriate mode of service delivery for patients who are deaf. Conclusions: Virtual clinics can be an acceptable adjunct to traditional clinical consultations in an ear, nose and throat outpatient department for balance disorders and should be continued in future.
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Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate unhealthy eating behaviors and dietary patterns compared to their neurotypical counterparts. Given the increased risk of unhealthy weight gain and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, modified nutrition programs in this population are warranted. The authors independently conducted two virtual pilot interventions during COVID-19 that offered feasible and acceptable alternatives to in-person delivery, providing unique opportunities for participant engagement and family involvement. Future virtual nutrition education programs for adolescents with ASD may include visual and verbal aids through Zoom, more parent/family integration, and accommodations for those with varying ASD severity levels.
ABSTRACT
Background/Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic led to many services being conducted remotely, including ear, nose and throat services. Although much in-person activity has now resumed, some services are still being provided remotely. This pilot study explored patients' satisfaction with the virtual multidisciplinary team balance clinics established at the authors' practice, looking at the feasibility of continuing this model of service delivery in the future. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were posted to the 56 patients who had received a virtual consultation with the service between March and September 2020, of which 22 were returned. The questionnaire presented respondents with 14 items, with which they rated their agreement on a 6-point Likert scale. Correlations between the final item (which measured overall satisfaction) and the other items were analysed using Spearman's rho. Results: Overall, respondents were satisfied with the virtual consultations. Respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with 13 of the 14 items;the only exception was 'I obtained better access to healthcare services by use of telemedicine'. Most respondents were happy with the quality of communication and valued the time saved on travel, although one pointed out that this may not be an appropriate mode of service delivery for patients who are deaf. Conclusions: Virtual clinics can be an acceptable adjunct to traditional clinical consultations in an ear, nose and throat outpatient department for balance disorders and should be continued in future.
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National parks are protected areas that have provided various experiences for both domestic and international tourists. Countries around the world are re-opening tourism after the Corona virus (COVID-19) global pandemic and therefore, managing tourism is crucial particularly in the area concerning enjoyment of national parks. Tanzania is endowed with many national parks and this study was motivated to explore enjoyment of national parks. The main objective involved exploring experiences and enjoyment of national parks with a pilot study of tourists at Mikumi National Park and specifically, analysing indirect experiences and enjoyment of national parks. The study area is Mikumi National Park in Tanzania while the unit of analysis was domestic tourists. This cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach had a pilot study sample of 50 domestic tourists. Tools of analysis used are descriptive statistics and Partial Least Square Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed a significant relationship between indirect experiences and enjoyment of national parks among domestic tourists (p=0.000). Hence, the implication of this study is for tourism stakeholders to consider these results as a guide on domestic tourists' experiences and enjoyment of national parks. Future research can use a larger sample size within Mikumi National Park as well as apply quantitative and qualitative methods to enrich the understanding of domestic tourists' experiences and enjoyment of national parks. © 2022 Owner/Author.
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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several protective barrier enclosures were developed to protect healthcare providers during airway manipulation. A certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) created a barrier, the disposable intubation drape (I-Drape), that addressed limitations in range of motion. A nonrandomized, quasi-experimental design with repeated measures was used to evaluate I-Drape usability. CRNAs implemented I-Drape up to three times. Multilevel modeling was used to analyze the primary outcome: time (in seconds) to successful intubation. An online survey was used to evaluate secondary outcomes of interest: users' perceptions of features such as usability, visibility, and durability. We recruited 23 CRNAs as participants for 59 trials. Overall successful intubation and first-pass success rates were 96.6% and 93.2%, respectively. Time to successful intubation did not significantly decrease (β = -9.6, P = 0.323) or differ significantly among types of laryngoscopy device and years of experience was not a significant factor. Overall, users favorably rated I-Drape with respect to usability, visibility, durability, and feature utility. This study demonstrated the functionality, success rate, and acceptability of I-Drape. I-Drape can be used safely and efficiently with any type of laryngoscopy device by providers with various experience levels.
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The purpose of this study is to incorporate a collaborative flipped classroom technique using student-generated videos to increase classroom participation. Traditional flipped classroom methods depend on educators to spend resources to produce video content. However, there is uncertainty whether a scalable and sustainable method with student-generated content can be used. Student-generated videos may provide opportunities for increasing collaboration and online engagement. The lack of knowledge and evidence has motivated this pilot study for which students record short reflective videos prior or after class using a private social media application, Soqqle. This was performed across three classes of differing modules in Hong Kong and Thailand. Evaluation and analysis of the classes differ, between participation and learning improvements, although having a similar teaching method of using student-generated videos. Results were mixed. In some cases, the predictors of correlational analysis were contradicting. In one group, results show a 64.2% increase in participation compared to the COVID-19 period. In another group, a regression analysis was able to predict learning performance with 41.2% accuracy (p= <. 001), using the number of videos watched and average duration as predictors. A teaching and learning framework for using the collaborative flipped classroom model is proposed and can be adapted by future researchers. Suggestions to further enhance the model are discussed. © 2022 IEEE.