Hybrid Model Teaching in the Postepidemic Period: From Nucleic Acid to Antigen for the Fluorescence Analysis of SARS-CoV-2

Owing to the global spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), education has shifted to distance online learning, whereas some face-to-face courses have been resumed with the improvement of the outbreak prevention and management situation, including a laboratory course for senior undergraduate students in chemical biology. Here, we present an innovative chemical biology experiment covering COVID-19 topics, which was created for third-year undergraduates. The basic principles of two nucleic-acid- and antigen-based diagnostic techniques for SARS-CoV-2 are demonstrated in detail. These experiments are designed to provide students with comprehensive knowledge of COVID-19 and related diagnoses in daily life. Crucially, the biosafety of this experimental manipulation was ensured by using artificial nucleic acids and recombinant protein. Furthermore, an interactive hybrid online-facing teaching model was designed to cover the key mechanism regarding PCR and serological tests of COVID-19. Finally, a satisfactory evaluation was obtained through a questionnaire, and simultaneously, reasonable improvements to the course design were suggested. The proposed curriculum provides all the necessary information for other instructors to create new courses supported by research. © 2023 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

A Physics Learning System Using Gamification for High-School Students

With rapid proliferation of digitalization and compulsion by COVID-19 pandemic, learning formats have been changing from face-To-face to online. Online education enables learners to take courses from anywhere, anytime, but it can also cause some problems for learners who struggle to maintain motivation. In addition, for STEAM education, it is important to engage in hands-on activities, but the ongoing pandemic has made it difficult for students to gather in one place to perform such activities. Incorporating gamification into online education can potentially motivate students and make STEAM education more interactive. On this premise, we have developed PhyGame as a learning system to help high-school students learn Physics. The system includes common game elements such as badges and leaderboards, and interactive simulation of Physics concepts embodying game-like charm. It also includes three modes of learning that allow students to adjust the difficulty according to their own learning levels, and a function that automatically saves learning log. For evaluation, PhyGame was used by students (N=23) at a high school in central Tokyo. The students rated the system on a scale of 1 to 10, and the main results are as follows: (1) Using PhyGame made learning enjoyable (mean score: 7.74);(2) PhyGame provided a good UI/UX (mean score: 7.83);(3) The overall experience with PhyGame was satisfactory (mean: 7.00). Our evaluation results show that interactive and gamified learning systems like PhyGame have a positive impact on user engagement and motivation. © 2023 IEEE.

Granular parakeratosis involving the dorsum of the hands; skin reactions due to irritant agents: A case report.

Key Clinical Message: We described the first case of granular parakeratosis with an unusual presentation of brown discoloration plaques and multiple erythematous on the dorsal part of the patient's hands. Skin maceration and repeated washing could have led to the development of the lesions. Abstract: Granular parakeratosis is a unique acquired keratinization disorder. Here, we described the abnormal presentation of granular parakeratosis. A healthy female aged 27 years old presented brown discoloration plaques and multiple erythematous on the dorsal part of her hands for 8 months. Using detergents, repeated washing, and skin maceration were considered the causes of her lesion.

Anthropause and Human Behaviour: Contributions from a Situated Educational Neuroscience

Objective: We develop a theoretical discussion from our perspective of the situated educational neuroscience, based on the relational anthropology point of view, to generate ambits of discussion in which the educational neuroscience can contribute into the context of COVID-19 pandemic and pospandemic. Subject: The context of the COVID-19 pandemic has made it possible to put in tension issues that were pending on the global agenda. Among these issues, the importance of the human being as part of the ecosystem with which they maintain co-construction relationships is not minor. Situated educational neuroscience is a tool that can bring valuable contributions to the discussion to collaborate in addressing this tension. Development: We organize de argumentation in four sections: 1. The opportunity the anthropause posts to the humankind and its relations with their environment, 2. The role that studies on behaviour and evolution have on this opportunity, 3. The contribution of a situated educational neuroscience as a framework and transdiscipline which works on translational research in this context of pandemics and anthropause, and 4. The succinct presentation of two examples where we argue that a situated educational neuroscience has tools to contribute. Conclusions: We propose conclusions open to discussion where we return to the idea of a situated educational neuroscience which is committed with its context. As an approach or as a transdiscipline with translational research functions, we consider that a situated educational neuroscience contains tools that can contribute to the conversation with other sciences and disciplines and with the empirical knowledge of communities, in order to join efforts to overcome social injustices and move forward as humankind from this current pandemic situa- tion, having acquired strategies of resilience that can serve to deal with other persistent and future situations.

The effect of increasing health disaster risk and public spending on economy conditions: a DSGE perspective

PurposeThe main motivation of the present study is to understand the severity of the effect of health shock on Iran's oil economy and analyze the role of government under these conditions.Design/methodology/approachDynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models can show the precise interactions between market decision-makers in the context of general equilibrium. Since the duration of the virus outbreak and its effect on the economy is not known, it is more appropriate to use these models.FindingsThe results of the survey of hands-on policies scenarios compared to the state of hands-off policy indicate that the effect of government expending shocks on the economy under pandemic disease conditions has much less feedback on macroeconomic variables.Originality/valueAs a proposed policy, it is recommended that the government play a stabilizing role under pandemic disease conditions.Key messages There is no study regarding health shock and its economic effects in Iran using DSGE models. Also, in foreign studies, the health shock in an oil economy has not been modeled.The general idea in the present study is how the prevalence of a pandemic infectious disease affects the dynamics of macroeconomic variables.In three different scenarios, according to the persistence of health disaster risk and the deterioration rate of health capital due to this shock, the model is simulated.In modeling pandemic diseases, quarantine hours are considered as part of the total time of individuals.According to the research findings, it is recommended that the government, as a policy-maker, play a stabilizing role under pandemic crises conditions.

Holistic Embodied OD: Integrating Head, Heart, Hands, and Whole Body for Change

This past decade has been filled with significant volatility and disruption for virtually every individual, group, organization, and society on Earth. The COVID-19 pandemic has been perhaps the most significant disruptor to day-to-day life globally since the age of world wars in the mid-20th century. Although OD scholar-practitioners may have seamlessly pivoted in response to COVID-19 and embraced the shift to interacting in a "virtual" world, the challenge of how to maintain an embodied use of self during relentless disruption and constant uncertainty remained. In this article, we discuss developing an enhanced use of self and propose the practice of Holistic Embodied OD as a method of integrating our entire selves-head, heart, hands, and whole body-for effective change practice through retrospective analysis of two case studies, one pre-COVID and one during COVID-19. "Holistic Embodied OD is grounded in the development of an enhanced use of self that integrates and equally values several different elements of our lived selfexperience and relationships with others: Thinking (Head), Feeling (Heart), Doing (Hands), and Being (Whole Body)" (Matthews & Szelwach, 2021, p. 7). Practicing in this way acknowledges that the body is our way of showing up and being in the world as scholar-practitioners who engage with others as embodied social beings. Through Holistic Embodied OD, we resist disembodied OD practice by staying fully present in each situation and flexibly adjusting ourselves and our methods to help organizations and communities facilitate effective and timely change.

Evaluation of Hand Washing Procedure Using Vision-Based Frame Level and Spatio-Temporal Level Data Models

Hand hygiene is obligatory for all healthcare workers and vital for patient care. During COVID-19, adequate hand washing was among recommended measures for preventing virus transmission. A general hand-washing procedure consisting several steps is recommended by World Health Organization for ensuring hand hygiene. This process can vary from person to person and human supervision for inspection would be impractical. In this study, we propose computer vision-based new methods using 12 different neural network models and 4 different data models (RGB, Point Cloud, Point Gesture Map, Projection) for the classification of 8 universally accepted hand-washing steps. These methods can also perform well under situations where the order of steps is not observed or the duration of steps are varied. Using a custom dataset, we achieved 100% accuracy with one of the models, and 94.23% average accuracy for all models. We also developed a real-time robust data acquisition technique where RGB and depth streams from Kinect 2.0 camera were utilized. Results showed that with the proposed methods and data models, efficient hand hygiene control is possible.

Influence of online steam hands-on learning on ai learning, creativity, and creative emotions

Given the importance of innovation, artificial intelligence (AI) education, and online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, we explored the effects of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) hands-on learning on online AI learning and creativity. We also analyzed the effects of creative emotions on AI learning using facial expressions. We recruited 25 preservice teachers at a public university as participants. A pretest - post-test nonequivalent comparison group design was adopted. AI learning was applied to experimental teaching. The experimental and control groups received online STEAM hands-on learning and standard teaching, respectively. The findings were as follows: STEAM hands-on learning had a significant positive effect on the conjunction item, example item, and total AI concept scores, and an even greater positive effect on AI attitude scores, particularly for AI processing and output;the effect size of STEAM hands-on learning on AI creativity was large, and the effect was positive in terms of design novelty, elaboration, and usability;and participants had higher anger levels in the designing and drawing AI learning stages, implying a high degree of focus and engagement. Finally, recommendations for instruction include the use of more online resources and engaging practical software to improve professional learning and enjoyment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Computational Materials Design (Cmd..) Workshop: A Hands-on Workshop of First-Principles Calculations Online

Operation and results of Computational Materials Design (CMD (R)) Workshop held annually at Osaka University are reported from the perspective of an online format. The first CMD (R) workshop was held in 2002 with the goal of publicizing and disseminating first-principles calculation software that is essential for advanced research in materials science. In the past, participants gathered at venues such as those on campus at Osaka University and followed instructions directly using computers provided by the organizers connected to computer clusters. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was necessary to change to an online format starting with the 37th Workshop in September 2020. Since the CMD (R) workshop required participants to connect to the Osaka University's computer clusters for hands-on training, they had to prepare in advance to connect to the computer clusters using their own computers through the Internet. For example, it was necessary to prepare a Linux environment running the X Window System for all participants. Organizers needed to instruct the participants to prepare their own computing environment for the hands-on training. The organizers needed to make thorough preparations prior to the workshop, and also make smart workarounds during the workshop to help the participants gain full benefit from the workshop. This paper presents and describes solutions to the problems inherent in holding this type of specialized hands-on workshop online, which focuses on both knowledge and real-life practice of advanced computational techniques for cutting-edge materials research.

Use of space analog missions as an educational tool in primary schools

Space exploration is a field that inspires a wide range of people, from children to university students, including the general public. With a return to the Moon planned for 2024 and the rapid expansion of the private industry, educating the next generation for this challenge becomes a priority. As many interdisciplinary programmes in universities are developed, the increasing interest in do-it-yourself projects can be observed. In addition, nothing inspires children more than the wish of becoming astronauts. By combining these two previously stated themes, space analog missions, simulations of life on another celestial body, were used as an educational tool for children, in our case in a primary school.In the frame of an EPFL semester project, such a program was run at the Vivalys primary school in Switzerland. A class of 16 children between the age of 6 and 9 successfully designed and conducted a simulated Mars-based mission from September 2020 to March 2021, in spite of the difficult COVID situation. The Vivalys Mission has been entirely integrated to the school year's program by adapting the educational subjects (mathematics, sci-ences, geography, French, sports, history, and arts), attending workshops, and performing hands-on experiments. Systems engineering approaches were adopted allowing the class to acquire knowledge regarding stakeholder analysis, risk management and decision tools. The young team made mission design choices and presented them to experts during reviews. Leadership, teamwork and autonomy were demonstrated and practiced. This tool is innovative: a do-it-yourself approach combined with education and practical work.The educational impact was studied using assessment strategies such as evaluations, rubrics and personal interviews. The progress and skills acquired, as well as their increasing will to work in the space field, were highlighted in the results. Following the success of this program, the local primary schools showed interest in running a similar project. Thanks to this first case study, lessons learned such as adapting the curriculum, organizing exterior activities, and enhancing the participation of adults, were collected.This is the first step towards impacting different age groups, starting in pre-school right up to secondary education. The success of our study underlines the current need and enthusiasm for such projects and will be further developed in the upcoming years becoming easily accessible to schools across Switzerland and the world, also through the promotion at IAC.

Increasing hand-hygiene compliance in clinical settings using a baby-eyes sticker

This double-blind field study tested the effectiveness of a baby-eyes image in promoting healthcare workers' hand-hygiene compliance in a hospital setting. Adults are inclined to take care of babies and aspire to be their role models;therefore, they should wash their hands thoroughly when being watched by babies. Participants were healthcare workers from the obstetrical and neonatology units of a women's hospital in Hangzhou. We recorded and coded 3,360 hours and 10,325 hand-hygiene events over a five-week period—from 16 October to 20 November 2018. Three types of stickers, depicting baby eyes, adult eyes, or flowers, were placed above handwashing basins to compare hand-hygiene behavior between the three conditions. Each condition continued for one week, and experimenters interchanged the stickers in each unit to control for the location and sequence effects. Participants in the baby-eyes condition (72.9%) were more likely to use sanitizer than those in the flowers condition (69.4%;χ2 = 9.74, p < .01, φc = 0.034). Moreover, participants in the baby-eyes condition were more likely to use sanitizer than those in the adult-eyes condition (70.8%);however, the difference only trended towards significance (χ2 = 2.38, p = .066, φc = 0.023). The mean handwashing time between the three conditions was significant (Welch's F(2, 3488.436) = 3.50, p < .05, η2 = 0.001). Washing time in the baby-eyes condition (17.41 ± 12.02) was significantly longer than in the adult-eyes condition (16.36 ± 11.47;p < .05). The presence of a baby-eyes image promoted hand-hygiene compliance in the hospital environment. This finding can be adopted to change public health behaviors. It also holds theoretical implications that enhance our understanding of how being monitored by children can enhance responsible behaviors.

Preventive Measures against Ebola and COVID-19 and Their Impact on Human Dirty-Hand Disease Mitigation in Côte d'Ivoire

Hygiene is the most useful public health measure for preventing infections of important endemic and emerging diseases of global significance. This study aimed to assess the impact of these public health preventive measures on dirty hand diseases. A retrospective survey was conducted in the rural general hospitals of Taabo (south-central Côte d'Ivoire) and Marcory (urban Abidjan) to collect clinical data on dirty hand diseases in the patients' records from 2013 to 2020. In addition, focus group discussions (N = 8) were conducted in the communities in both settings to identify the sociocultural and economic hindering or fostering factors that affected the adoption of and the compliance with handwashing and disinfection practices. A total of 3245 and 8154 patients' records were examined in the general hospitals of Taabo and Marcory, respectively. Compared with women, men were more affected by typhoid fever (OR, 0.68 [95%CI, 0.53–0.88]) and influenza (OR, 0.87 [95%CI, 0.75–1]). Hygiene measures promoted during Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks had no impact on the prevalence of typhoid fever in both settings;however, a positive impact was observed regarding influenza infections. Populations were aware of the importance of handwashing for public health but had difficulties adhering due to financial constraints, access to drinking water, and the absence or scarcity of handwashing facilities.

Lessons Learned from Penetration Testing Hands-on Training during COVID-19 Pandemic

Because of the increase in cyberattacks in the Internet era, cybersecurity is a crucial area that still requires many more human resources. Security handson training plays an important role in educating a skilled workforce. However, delivering hands-on training with a large number of participants during the COVID-19 pandemic was a big challenge. In this paper, we discuss differences between onsite and online penetration testing hands-on training, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. We share our teaching experiences and lessons learned and provide recommendations for preparing and delivering online hands-on training efficiently. © 2022 IEEE.

A Gesture Controlled System to Train and Guide the Healthcare Workers While Donning and Doffing Personal Protective Equipment

During the COVID-19 outbreak, many healthcare workers (HCWs) have been infected because they failed to comply with the correct process of donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE). Based on this, we develop a gesture-controlled system that not only can train HCWs but also can give HCWs real-time guidance during the process of donning and doffing PPE. It can effectively prevent the infection of HCWs. We first use the hand detection algorithm to locate the position of the HCWs, helping them to enter the proper area. Then they can use our gesture recognition algorithm to control the playback of the videos which guides them in donning and doffing PPE. We verify the effectiveness of the system through a series of experiments. The results show the great value of our system in the protection of HCWs. © 2022 IEEE.

Hand Tracking Based Human-Computer Interaction Teaching System

In the modern era of computers, various new technologies have been arising. One such thing is a touchless application that is used or controlled aerially with hand gestures and movements. Augmented reality and virtual reality have come into use which is controlled by gesture controls. Applications that work with gesture controls have started targeting all kinds of users. Python libraries like MediaPipe and OpenCV are used in hand-tracking, palm detection and object detection. Our work aims in developing a virtual painter that helps young children to draw simple images and shapes of varying sizes. The tool recognizes the hand with hand and palm detector models of MediaPipe and capture the modes for selection and drawing using OpenCV library. In the covid pandemic where children are stuck at home and everything has become online, this tool helps them in practicing simple shapes virtually and also makes it interesting for them. The system is tested by drawing aerially with hands and using selection/drawing modes. It worked well with less time latency due to the inbuilt SSD algorithm used in MediaPipe. © 2022 IEEE.

The Virtual Neurologic Exam: Instructional Videos and Guidance for the COVID-19 Era

Objective:To outline features of the neurologic examination that can be performed virtually through telemedicine platforms (the virtual neurological examination [VNE]), and provide guidance for rapidly pivoting in-person clinical assessments to virtual visits during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.Methods:The full neurologic examination is described with attention to components that can be performed virtually.Results:A screening VNE is outlined that can be performed on a wide variety of patients, along with detailed descriptions of virtual examination maneuvers for specific scenarios (cognitive testing, neuromuscular and movement disorder examinations).Conclusions:During the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid adoption of virtual medicine will be critical to provide ongoing and timely neurological care. Familiarity and mastery of a VNE will be critical for neurologists, and this article outlines a practical approach to implementation.

Time Discounting and Hand-Sanitization Behavior: Evidence from Japan

Whether non-compliance with hand sanitization is related to impatience or impulsivity is an unresolved issue. Several studies have argued that not maintaining hand sanitization requirements during a pandemic could relate to impatience or impulsivity. However, the impatience or impulsivity of hand sanitization needs to be investigated in pandemic-free situations, as government requirements for hand sanitization influence subjective preferences. Little research, however, has examined such associations in pandemic-neutral scenarios. To fill this gap, this study assesses the role of two aspects of time discounting—hyperbolic discounting and impatience—in influencing hand-sanitizing behavior in Japan. The study utilized two waves of 2021 and 2018 datasets derived from the Japanese population-based survey of the Preference Parameters Study of Osaka University (N = 725). The probit regression results provide partial support for deviation from hand sanitization as an impulsive decision because the phenomenon is evident only in females. There were no notable impacts of the impatience variable in any of the models or specifications. Our study provides important policy implications. We argue that one-size-fits-all policies may not solve the impulsivity associated with hand-sanitization behavior in Japan because the impulsivity problem is not commonly found among all respondents. Policymakers should consider underlying gender differences when designing future health-promoting measures.

Use of Student-Generated Technique Videos to Increase Laboratory Skills in an Online General Chemistry Laboratory

The goal of this study was to assess student's laboratory technique learning during online laboratories in response to the transition online caused by COVID-19. From Summer 2020 through Fall 2021 our General Chemistry 1 laboratories were completely online using at-home lab kits and 3 h weekly web conference sessions. Starting Spring 2021 select sections were given a practical final examination where they had to generate a video of themselves performing a series of basic laboratory techniques. Results from faculty coding analysis of these videos illustrated that there were gaps in student skills and an intervention was attempted in Summer and Fall 2021 by the introduction of student-generated video technique quizzes throughout the semester. After the intervention student's skills increased significantly in three key areas on the student generated final video exam: weighing solids using the balance, quantitative transfer of a solid, and creation of a solution by dilution of the solute. This study indicates that student's laboratory technique skills can be developed and improved even in a completely online laboratory environment with direct targeting using student-generated technique videos. © 2023 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

Positive Touch Deprivation during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Anxiety, Stress, and Depression among Italian General Population.

Physical distancing due to the COVID-19 Pandemic has limited the opportunities for family members, friends, and significant others to show physical affection (i.e., hugs, kisses, caresses, holding hands) during social interactions. The present study investigated the effects of positive touch and psychological distress in 991 Italian participants (Mage = 34.43, SD = 14.27). Results showed the frequency of hugs with the cohabiting partner significantly decreased the symptoms of depression (ß = -1.187, p = 0.018, eß = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.11-0.82), whereas the frequency of caresses with cohabiting relatives predicted the symptoms of anxiety (ß = 0.575, p = 0.034, eß = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.04-3.03). The frequency of hugs (ß = -0.609, p = 0.049, eß = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.30-1.00), and kisses (ß = 0.663, p = 0.045, eß = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.01-3.71) with non-cohabiting relatives predicted the symptoms of anxiety (χ2 = 1.35, df = 5, p = 0.93). These results suggest the importance of positive touch on psychological well-being in the social context.

Outreach and educational activities of ALICE in the times of the pandemic

The onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020 stopped all outreach and educational activities with in-person participation. The ALICE collaboration soon adapted to the new situation imposed by lockdowns and other restrictions. The multitude of online tools and platforms available allowed us to continue reaching out to the public. In-person visits and talks were replaced by virtual visits and virtual talks, done with dedicated equipment and allowing remote audiences to see the experiment and interact with scientists. Masterclasses for high-school students were also adapted and were held online;web-based versions for the analysis programs were developed, making it easy for students at home to take part in this exciting hands-on activity and become scientists for a day. This new format made it possible to reach out to new audiences, both students and general public, who normally would not have the opportunity to travel and participate;it also motivated more colleagues to be involved in outreach. We will discuss how these online activities were implemented and the experience gained. © Copyright owned by the author(s) under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)