Effects of endoscopic reprocessing on disinfection and its influential factors during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Objective To explore the effects of endoscopic reprocessing on disinfection and its influential factors under the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods A total of 450 endoscopes cleaned and disinfected according to Technical Specifications for Cleaning and Disinfection of Endoscopes from November 2019 to January 2020, and 450 endoscopes cleaned and disinfected according to The recommended procedure for cleaning and disinfection of gastrointestinal endoscopes during COVID-19 epidemic by Chinese Society of Digestive Endoscopology from February to April 2020 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were enrolled in the control group and observation group respectively by random number method. Both the control group and the observation group contained 200 gastroscopes, 200 enteroscopes and 50 ultrasound endoscopes. ATP fluorescence detection method and pour plate technique were used to evaluate the disinfection effect of endoscopes. Single factor analysis and multiple logistic regression were used to analyze the risk factors for unqualified sterilization after endoscopic reprocessing. Results The disinfection pass rates of gastroscopes, enteroscopes and ultrasound endoscopes in the observation group were not significantly different compared with those of the control group (P>0. 05). The sterilization pass rates and ATP test pass rates of gastroscopes, enteroscopes and ultrasound endoscopes in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0. 05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that non-strict implementation of endoscopic reprocessing (OR = 7. 96, 95%CI: 4. 55-22. 84, P<0. 001), non-standard operation (OR = 2. 26, 95%CI: 1. 24-5. 63, P<0. 001), insufficient concentration of disinfectant (OR = 5. 43, 95% CI: 2. 52-9. 02, P < 0. 001), insufficient concentration ratio of multi-enzyme solution (OR = 4. 38, 95% CI: 1. 95-8. 61, P < 0. 001), non-timely cleaning (OR= 2. 86, 95%CI: 1. 33-6. 42, P<0. 001), incomplete cleaning (OR = 3. 75, 95%CI: 1. 61-7. 49, P<0. 001) and improper endoscopic preservation (OR= 2. 12, 95%CI: 1. 36-4. 12, P<0. 001) were independent risk factors for unqualified sterilization after endoscopic reprocessing. Conclusion In COVID-19 pandemic, endoscope reprocessing can significantly improve the disinfection effect of endoscopes, worthy of further clinical promotion. The failure to strictly implement the reprocessing procedure is an important factor that may lead to unqualified sterilization.Copyright © 2021 The authors.

Barriers to Engagement in Surgical Simulation Education

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted clinical experience and case volumes. Surgical simulation is now an even more powerful training tool and, to maximize potential, we must ensure learner engagement. Our aim was to identify barriers to surgical simulation engagement and strategies to mitigate these. Method(s): Scoping search was performed with a trained librarian of PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. Title and screening were completed with inclusion criteria: articles describing barriers to engagement with surgical simulation. After full text screening, data was extracted from included articles: type of study, MERSQI score, type/number of participants, barriers to engagement and strategies to mitigate these. Result(s): Twenty-nine manuscripts were included with 951 faculty and 2,467 residents. The majority (86%) were in high income countries (HIC) and four in LMICs. Most were surveys (22/29), and five involved semi-structured interviews/focus groups. Mean adjusted MERSQI score was 8. Commonest barriers to HIC engagement were learner clinical duties (9/25), lack of learner time (13/25), lack of learner interest/motivation (9/25) and lack of faculty time or interest to participate (12/25). In LMIC, commonest barriers were lack of simulation lab/equipment (4/4), cost (3/4) and inadequate supervision (3/4). Strategies to improve HIC engagement were mandatory/protected resident simulation training (9/25) and, in LMIC, low cost simulators (4/4) and sharing resources (2/4). Conclusion(s): Identification of barriers to simulation engagement is crucial for successful learning. Given the increased importance of simulation education due to the COVID-19 pandemic, surgical educators should strategize to maximize engagement.

Simulation to Educate Practicing Urologists in Rural Locations: Identifying Strategies to Increase Procedural Adoption

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated proliferation of telesimulation. This pedagogy may be useful in rural areas to increase procedural adoption and reduce healthcare disparities. Our aim was to determine the current status of surgical simulation education to retool rural practicing Urologists. Method(s): Literature search was performed with a trained librarian for PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. Title/ screening were performed to include all studies of surgical simulation involving rural surgical learners to identify simulation education opportunities for practicing rural Urologists. Data was then extracted: simulation event, skills focus, MERSQI score, type/number of learners, learner assessment and event evaluation. Result(s): Seven manuscripts met inclusion criteria. Most were published 2019-2020 and were cross sectional (5/7, 71%). Mean adjusted MERSQI score was 13 (range 6-15.5). A wide range of surgical skills were taught (incl. laparoscopy, cricothyroidotomy, chest tube insertion, damage control laparotomy), but no Urological surgical skills. Two articles described mobile simulation units for rural areas. A total of 232 learners were identified including 69 medical students. One fifth of rural learners were non-medical or non-physicians. Only one study involved faculty, who were general surgeons. Conclusion(s): Telesimulation education for practicing Urologists in rural areas is lacking. Current in-operating room telementoring for rural Urologists requires surgeons to travel and perform their first cases utilizing this new technique on patients. Telesimulation to teach Urological skills in rural areas of the US may increase dissemination of techniques with no patient risk and has significant potential to redress current healthcare disparities.

Reconceptualizing principal well-being: state, measurement and consequences

PurposePrincipals' well-being worldwide is under increasing threat due to the challenging and complex nature of their work and growing demands. This paper aimed at developing and validating a multidimensional Principal Well-being Inventory (PWI) and examining the state and consequences of principal well-being.Design/methodology/approachThis paper involves four independent samples of principals working in schools from Hong Kong and Mainland China. The research design consisted of four phases with four sequential empirical studies. Phase 1 was to establish the content validity (literature review and Study 1);Phase 2 was to test the construct validity (Study 2 and Study 3);Phase 3 was to build the criterion validity (re-use the data from Study 3) and Phase 4 was to test the cross-validity of the PWI (Study 4).FindingsBased on published literature and four successive empirical studies, a 24-item PWI was created via a theoretical-empirical approach of test construction. Validity was confirmed through construct-, content-, criterion- and cross-validity testing. The PWI covers the six important well-being dimensions - physical, cognitive, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual - to present a general picture of principals' occupational well-being associated with job nature, well-being literacy, leadership and context.Research limitations/implicationsThe inventory will aid efforts to promote principal well-being as an essential component of schoolwide well-being, quality education and a wellness society.Practical implicationsDuring the post-COVID-19 period, this project is deemed both critical and timely so that quality education will not be sacrificed due to factors affecting principal well-being.Originality/valueThis theoretically and empirically validated inventory serves as a robust tool for comprehensively understanding principal well-being and a fuller exploration of their well-being literacy, drivers and outcomes.

Remote Learning Readiness and Challenges: Perceptions and Experiences among Tertiary State University Management Students

COVID-19 has disrupted the education system globally, leading education institutions to migrate into remote learning. This study on online learning readiness and competence was conducted among management students on their perceptions on the importance of, and the confidence level of their online learning competence factors. Using the Student Readiness for Online Learning (SROL) instrument, the results show that the students consider Technical Competence as very important and that they are somewhat confident with their online learning competence. Both perceptions of the importance of the online competence factors and competency levels significantly correlate with the students' self-report of whether or not they have learned in the course. Among the eight online learning challenges, the students find the "lack of technical skills in using online learning” as the least challenging. This study concludes with the recommendations that pedagogical and technological interventions be pursued to address the inadequacies in the online teaching-learning process. © 2021, University of San Jose-Recoletos. All rights reserved.

Instructional Usability and Learner-User eXperience Assessment in a Virtual Reality Educational Milieu: A Deductive Tech-Instructionality Model from EdTech

Educational Technology (EdTech) lacks a foundational, formal, scientific, epistemic theory. Therefore, it lacks native constructs/variables and an epistemological object of study for scientifically deploying its work. This study determines the existence (ontology) of the theorized constructs Instructional Usability (UsI) and Learner-User eXperience (LUX) and defines their characterization (epistemology). Both constructs were modeled and instrumented. Furthermore, a Tech-Instructionality Model (TIM) was theorized and developed in this paper, both analytically and empirically. The model integrates UsI and LUX as two pairs of constructs linked with two EdTech epistemological objects of study, the instructional interface and the instructional interaction in two assessment modalities, testing mode (user-learner view) and inspection mode (expert/designer view). Two instruments were developed and validated in this study for testing mode, the Instructional Usability Scale (SUsI) and the Learner-User eXperience Questionnaire (QLUX). Both instruments were tested in a non-immersive virtual reality educational milieu during the academic lockdown of the Covid19 pandemic. The results show that both SUsI and QLUX consistently measured UsI and LUX, thus, providing a valid assessment for tech-instructionality and a foundation for constructing a scientific theory of EdTech. © 2023 IEEE.

The Introduction of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans in the Light of the Visegrád Grup Countries' Experience

National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRPs) set out the objectives for recovery and building the socio-economic resilience of EU Member States following the crisis caused by COVID-19. In their framework, countries also declare the introduction of structural reforms and investments for their implementation. The author aims to offer a closer look at and characterize the adoption procedure and basic assumptions of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans developed by Visegrád Group Member States, which are among the greatest beneficiaries of the Plans. Thus, it is worth zooming in on the national design and approval procedures for the various recovery plans, their basic assumptions, and procedures for their approval by Union bodies. The reason for researching this issue is the characteristic distribution of accents in existing research. On the one hand, there are many publications on the European Instrument for Reconstruction and Enhancement of Resilience. On the other hand, the analysis of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans of the Visegrad Group countries has not, so far, been the scope of broader legal and comparative research. © 2023, Spoldzielczy Instytut Naukowy. All rights reserved.

Maladaptive schemas, health anxiety and mental health of college students during the pandemic

Objective: this study examined, through structural equa-tion modeling, whether cognitive schemas influence health anxiety and whether they have an effect on mental health, particularly symptoms of anxiety and depression, in college students. Design: a study with a quantitative, ex post fac-to, non-experimental, explanatory level, and cross-sectional approach was carried out.Through a non-probabilistic sam-pling for convenience, 1004 undergraduate students from three universities were included. Results:it was possible to demonstrate, through a path analysis, that maladaptive schemes influence health anxiety and health anxiety affects the mental health of college students (CMIN/DF = 2.411;RMR = 0.036;GFI = 0.936;AGFI = 0.925;NFI = 0.918;CFI = 0.95;RMSEA = 0.038[LO 90 = 0.036;HI 90 = 0.042]). The model showed that the insufficient self-control scheme has a strong effect on the fear of disease and fear of disease predicts the psychological symptoms of anxiety and depression. Conclusion: The model developed in the present study showed that health anxiety explains part of the psychological symptomatology in university students. Moreover, we were able to explain some of the health anxi-ety by appealing to two maladaptive schemas.

The role of the European Central Bank in response to COVID19. An evaluation of its mandate

This article evaluates the role of the ECB in response to COVID19. The article assess this response in light of the separation of economic and monetary policy. It concludes that the ECB has responded in a more conservative manner during the COVID19 crisis. The ECB did however confirm its willingness to respond to an economic crisis. The ECB has confirmed this willingness by generating a framework of different policy options. This article then concludes that whilst these policies deviate from a very conservative central bank, they are not perse illegal. There is however some indication that the ECB is deviating from its capital key and thereby violating important rules. This violation may erode some of its legitimacy. This article further briefly assesses whether these changes should be considered permanent. Based upon the structure of policies that the ECB is creating these measures indicate permanence. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of European Integration is the property of Routledge 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.)

Design and Development of Toroidal Core Winding Machine with Digital Interface

The small size and inherent superior electrical characteristics of a toroid has made it the first choice for many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). However, the lack of knowledge regarding the toroidal coil winding equipment is still hampering the growth of toroid as the first choice for transformers, inductors and other electrical applications. Additionally, due to Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown situation, small scale companies are lacking skilled manpower for the high precision task of toroidal core winding and taping. Although the machine is readily available in the market, the cost is still very high. Toroidal core winding machine is an equipment used for the purpose of winding toroidal cores which is used in various electrical machines such as current transformers, power transformers, isolation transformers, inductors and chokes, auto transformers, etc. This project aims to develop a low-cost toroidal winding machine with a user-friendly digital interface for selection of winding parameters as per the user input. The winding machine developed in this project is efficient and reliable with high-speed performance and negligible error. © 2022 IEEE.

Three-Dimensional Printing Process for Musical Instruments: Sound Reflection Properties of Polymeric Materials for Enhanced Acoustical Performance.

Acoustical properties of various materials were analyzed in order to determine their potential for the utilization in the three-dimensional printing process of stringed musical instruments. Polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene terephthalate with glycol modification (PET-G), and acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) filaments were studied in terms of sound reflection using the transfer function method. In addition, the surface geometry parameters (Sa, Sq, Sz, and Sdr) were measured, and their relation to the acoustic performance of three-dimensional-printed samples was investigated. It was found that a higher layer height, and thus a faster printing process, does not necessarily mean poor acoustical properties. The proposed methodology also proved to be a relatively easy and rapid way to test the acoustic performance of various materials and the effect of three-dimensional printing parameters to test such a combination at the very beginning of the production process.

Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Atmospheric Environment over China: A Satellite Perspective

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has lasted for more than two years, has had a huge impact on human health and the global economy, as well as the ecological environment. In this study, the variations of atmospheric environment over China from 2019 to 2020 were calculated and analyzed based on the measured total columns of ozone (O-3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and aerosol optical depth (AOD) from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aboard NASA's Aura satellite. The study shows the impact of the epidemic prevention and control measures and the resumption of work and production on atmospheric environment, and demonstrates that satellite remote sensing can play an important role in the monitoring of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially its impact on atmospheric environment.

Initial psychometric properties of the provider-co-management index-RN to scale registered nurse-physician co-management: Implications for burnout, job satisfaction, and intention to leave current position.

Team-based care has become a cornerstone of care delivery to meet the demands of high-quality patient care. Yet, there is a lack of valid and reliable instruments to measure the effectiveness of co-management between clinician dyads, particularly physicians and registered nurses (RNs). The purpose of this study was to adapt an existing instrument, Provider Co-Management Index (PCMI), previously used among primary care providers into a new version to scale RN-physician co-management (called PCMI-RN). We also aimed to explore preliminary associations between RN-physician co-management and burnout, job satisfaction, and intention to leave current job. Face, cognitive, and content validity testing, using mixed methods approaches, were preceded by initial pilot testing (n = 122 physicians and nurses) in an acute care facility. The internal consistency reliability (α=.83) was high. One-quarter of participants reported burnout, 27% were dissatisfied with their job, and 20% reported intention to leave their job. There was a weak significant correlation between co-management and burnout (p = .010), and co-management and job satisfaction (p = .009), but not intention to leave current position. Construct validity testing is recommended. Future research using PCMI-RN may help to isolate factors that support or inhibit effective physician-nurse co-management.

The use of monopolar diathermy in laparoscopic appendectomy, Is it really safe?

Background: There have been numerous techniques used in laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) to divide the mesoappendix, including LigaSure, Harmonic scalpel, clips, endoloop ligatures, Endo GIA staplers, and bipolar coagulation. However, few studies have investigated monopolar diathermy for mesoappendix division. Therefore, this study aimed to assess both its safety and efficacy in LA. Method(s): In this prospective non-randomized study, patients (n = 87) who underwent LA for acute appendicitis were included. The bipolar electrocautery was used for mesoappendix division in the first 33 patients (BC group), while the monopolar electrocautery was used in the next 54 patients (MC group). Result(s): The median operative time was significantly shorter in the MC group (42 min. vs 47 min. in BE group, p = 0.01). One patient converted to open surgery in the MC group due to uncontrollable bleeding. There were no significant differences between both groups regarding postoperative complications and hospital stay (p = 0.91, p = 0.13, respectively). Conclusion(s): Monopolar electrocautery is safe and effective for mesoappendix division in LP in comparison to bipolar electrocautery. However, larger and multicentric studies are required to validate our results.Copyright © 2023 The Authors

Development of Discharge Planning Instruments Based on Patient Family-Centered Care in the COVID-19 Inpatient Room, Universitas Airlangga Hospital, Surabaya

Introduction: The current era of the COVID-19 pandemic requires innovation in the provision of discharge planning by involving family members through the media safely and effectively. This study aimed to develop a discharge planning instrument based on patient family-centered care. Method: Research design Research and Development. The sampling technique used purposive sampling with a total sample of 110 medical record documents, 23 focus group discussion participants, and 2 experts (expert consultation). Data were collected through observation sheets, focus group discussions, and expert consultations. Data analysis using descriptive analysis, and validity test using I-CVI. Results: Development of a patient family centered care-based discharge planning instrument at the beginning of the patient's admission (admission), namely sorting and adding assessment items to the level of knowledge of the disease, information and education needs, values, and beliefs, cultural background as well as physical and psychological. During treatment, namely arranging and sorting discharge planning items, providing information and education according to the assessment results using a media approach and the method according to the COVID-19 pandemic protocol. Towards home that is adding items;readiness or environmental conditions (environment), referral plans (Outpatient referral), and continued treatment while at home (Medication). Conclusion: The developed instrument tested is valid. As a result of this development, the new instrument can be tested and applied, and researched in the next stage on the outcomes of patient family-centered care. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.

Decision Aid Digital Instrument Within Arctic Maritime Logistics During Polar Night

In the article, there are considered decision aid digital instrument development results for arctic maritime logistics during polar night under climate change and COVID-19 pandemic within Industry 4.0 era. In research, there are used risk management, situational analysis, web technologies and building database methods in distributed networks. As the research result, it is proposed the using of geodata from the active remote sensing and supercomputer modelling to increase the efficiency and reliability of arctic maritime logistics during polar night within the global environmental economics. As the decision aid digital instrument, it is proposed to use modular decision aid system, which integrate the heterogeneous hardware and the software resources in distributed networks. As the research results, there are demonstrated examples for arctic maritime logistics in central and eastern Russian Arctic during polar night. Presented in this paper study results have scientific novelty and can be used by the different players, including energy export sector, insurance business and institutional investors. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Musical achievement during a lockdown: The parental support miracle

The quality of parental support is recognized as a crucial factor in the early stages of a student's development, and particularly in instrumental music education. At the start of 2020, the outbreak of a global pandemic crisis posed new and unprecedented challenges to education, forcing families to stay at home to prevent contagion. This investigation was conducted during the period of a COVID pandemic lockdown in Portugal. We explored whether parental support, provided during the lockdown period, was associated with their child's achievement as reported by their instrumental music teacher. For this study, 39 parent-teacher dyads of first-grade students of an instrument music course were recruited from two public music conservatories. Parents supplied information on the frequency in which they provided student-support-related attitudes and actions in the home context. Simultaneously, teachers provided information about the student's achievement during the lockdown compared with the previous in-person performance period. Results indicate a strong relationship between parental support and musical achievement, with students who received higher levels of supportive parental involvement performing better than before the pandemic crisis. The findings are discussed in relation to the importance of parental involvement in a child's instrumental music education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Male and female sterilisation

Male and female sterilisation are important forms of contraception worldwide despite declining popularity in developed countries and limited access during the Covid-19 global pandemic. Vasectomy is the only highly reliable form of male contraception. Appropriate counselling about permanent methods of contraception in both sexes is vital and should include information about irreversibility, failure rates and complications. The alternatives to sterilisation, particularly long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), should be discussed in detail as they are at least as effective and have the advantage of reversibility. Hysteroscopic techniques for female sterilisation are no longer available. In males the no-scalpel technique vasectomy requires minimal operating time and results in less post-operative discomfort than the incisional method. Regret after sterilisation and requests for reversal are more common in patients under 30 years and in men with no children.Copyright © 2023

A New 222nm-Illuminator for the Suppression of Airborne Viral Epidemic Spread

The Covid-19 epidemic has been the most consequential global health crisis since the era of the influenza pandemic of 1918 [1]. Due to its high spreading rate, the virus disseminated across the world in a very short time span, forcing the World Health Organization to declare Covid-19 a global pandemic after just 3 months from the first reported case in China. At the beginning of the pandemic, when no vaccines were available, people entrust their safety to very few devices such as personal protective equipment (face masks, shields, and gloves), lock-down, and social distancing. The lack of alternative and not conventional techniques to suppress the spread of airborne epidemics among humans has pushed the research to develop new antiviral devices. The SAVE-US project (Suppression of Airborne Viral Epidemic Spread by UV-Light Barriers) aims at developing and demonstrating an innovative antimicrobial device based on 222nm-radiation. As known from the literature, the UVC radiation (200-280 nm) is the most effective wavelength for the inactivation of viruses and bacteria, corresponding to the DNA and RNA absorption peaks, but may also be mutagenic. For this reason, UVC-light sterilization is commonly performed in the absence of living organisms. Radiation in the far-UVC, especially at 222 nm, has been recently investigated because it shows a good antimicrobial efficacy, tested already on both bacteria [2] and virus [3] models including coronavirus, with very limited risks to human health. The low risk is associated to the small penetration depth of 222 nm light (a few mum): the energy is absorbed by the superficial stratum corneum of the skin that contains dead cells, with negligible irradiation of the underlying live tissue [4]. We will present the first version of a new prototype of 222 nm-illuminator and some preliminary results on its characterization;the presented device will be used in successive in vitro and in vivo experiments with SARS-CoV-2 virus. The device embeds a far-UVC lamp emitting at 222 nm, optical filters, and the controlling electronics. We show results on the spatial homogeneity of the emission intensity and the dependence on the lamp-virus distance. We also report on the ozone production due to absorption of far-UVC light from molecular oxygen naturally present in the air in order to evaluate its safety for human being and to properly evaluate its photo-killing efficacy.Copyright © 2023

Psychometric Properties of the Greek Version of FCV-19S.

As COVID-19 delivered a devastating blow around Europe, unprecedented mental health issues have arisen. This study outlines the Greek translation and validation of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in the general population. A sample of 3029 Greek-speaking individuals completed the FCV-19S, as part of a large online survey reporting on the aftermath of the coronavirus on the psychological health of Greeks. A total of 2970 participants completed all items without missing values, and their responses were included in the statistical analysis. The confirmatory factor analysis suggested an acceptable model fit. The internal consistency measured by Cronbach's alpha = .87 for the whole scale. All hypothesized correlations were as expected, confirming the construct validity of the scale. The results of the analyses suggest that the psychometric properties of the Greek FCV-19S are sufficient.