How Frauds in Times of Crisis Target People

While there are no new frauds, internet technology provides new opportunities for fraudsters by facilitating volumes of attacks that law enforcement then struggles to address. Moreover, since context can affect how potential victims respond to frauds, crisis context influences how fraudsters design frauds. This article assesses fraudsters' fraud design strategies during two external crisis events that impacted Australia: The Black Summer Bushfires that occurred from September 2019 to March 2020 and the onset and first year of the COVID-19 pandemic that occurred from January 2020 through January 2021. Targets, during these crises, were more likely to be vulnerable according to Steinmetz's model victim for social engineering framework. This study shows that, in both crises, fraudsters deployed the social engineering techniques of "authority” and "scarcity,” techniques that are more likely to be successful based solely on initial contact. Fraudsters designed their requests to be easily actioned and crafted their scams to reference very recent events as the external crisis events evolved. Thus, they targeted broad audiences with minimal personal involvement. Furthermore, this study shows that fraudsters, when disseminating their scams via social media outlets, attempted to build "social proof” to expand their potential victim pool to include the marks' social circles.

Effectiveness of Train-the-Trainer Workshops in Intelligent Industrial Robotics

In this work we investigate the effectiveness of two train-the-trainer workshops on intelligent industrial robotics. The two workshops, which took place in summer 2021 in Tennessee and Alabama, were the first of a series of six workshops. A total of 32 persons applied to the two summer workshops from 10 states, of whom 15 attended and successfully completed the workshops. Evaluation results show that the participants' knowledge on industrial robotics significantly improved after the workshops, and the vast majority indicated that the training will be used in their home institutions. The major challenge faced during the workshops was the spread of the delta variant of CoVid-19 at the time the workshops were scheduled to take place, and the wide diversity of the educational background of participants. © 2023 IEEE.

Food Bank Operations during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany

The COVID-19 pandemic has a substantial impact on food bank operations. This article aims to provide an overview of the challenges and responses of food banks in Germany. Publicly available data was used and surveys were conducted among 948 food banks, at three time points in 2020. More than half of participating food banks were closed in spring, whereas nearly all were open again in summer. Food banks implemented alternative modes of food distribution and response measures to stay open. However, they seem to be less resilient to challenges like COVID-19, in particular due to their reliance on volunteers.Copyright © 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Interactive Cultural Activities in Virtual Study Abroad during the Pandemic and Beyond

Some of the simplest affordances of study abroad became unavailable when students stayed stateside because of the pandemic-induced disruptions to international travel. These ranged from touring city and historical/cultural landmarks, having spontaneous and chance interactions with locals, participating in the performance of traditions and practices, visiting homes, engaging in "domestic" activities with host families and local peers, and developing a sense of community with other fellow students. This paper reports on three alternate, virtual cultural activities that were launched during the pandemic between a U.S. university and its study abroad partner institution in Morocco in order to help compensate for the health disruption. Survey responses, cultural products, and reflections from 118 participants were collected for this study over two Arabic summer intensive programs at the stateside university. The study explores the effectiveness of these activities in promoting intercultural competence and student engagement during this period and speculates on how they can be integrated into the regular programming post-pandemic in order to further enhance immersion.

What are we keeping for the future? - Survey of students on veterinary medicine studies during COVID-19.

This study evaluates the hybrid semesters (winter term 20/21 and summer term 21) conducted at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover during the Covid-19 pandemic from the students' perspective. The results will be used to adapt future veterinary teaching to the needs and wishes of the students, especially with regard to the teaching formats used in the future. For this purpose, a survey was conducted among the students enrolled at the TiHo in the summer semester 2021. 492 fully completed questionnaires were included in the analysis. The main topics of the survey were technical requirements for studying, influences of the hybrid semesters on learning, impact of the hybrid semesters on the students' studies, and general study conditions. The results of the study show a positive evaluation of the hybrid semesters. Students highlighted increased flexibility and lecture recording as main benefits of digital teaching. With the available hardware, the majority of students was able to take part in all courses of their studies. However, they indicated that digital teaching made social interaction more difficult. In order to maintain the advantages of digital teaching and com-pensate disadvantages, veterinary medicine studies should in future be conducted with suitable lectures as digital events or in a blended learning format and practical exercises as face-to-face events.Copyright © 2023 Schlutersche Fachmedien GmbH, ein Unternehmen der Schluterschen Mediengruppe ISSN 1439-0299 https://svg.to/bmtw-open-access.

Focus on Suicidal Behaviours - The experience of the11th EPA Summer School

Every year, the European Psychiatric Association organizes the EPA Summer School, an intensive program that aims to support and promote the education of young psychiatry professionals through numerous activities. The program returned to being an in-person event this year, after changes imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years. From September 29 to October 2, 2022, young psychiatrists selected by the EPA Committee on Education, 21 in total, gathered together in Strasbourg, France, to attend the activities organized around the topic "Focus on Suicidal Behaviours - One Step Beyond." This year's event adopted a blended learning format;the participants were required to attend and complete a 6-week online course entitled "Focus on Suicidal Behaviours", before coming to the in-person sessions held by a distinguished group of lecturers. The activities designed during the training days allowed the participants to not only expand their knowledge about suicide and related issues but also to exchange experiences from different European countries, and they encouraged critical thinking about what can be done more or better. In addition, they encouraged the participants to get to know each other, to socialize, and to building relationships with each other. This article presents step-by-step the activities organized during the Summer School and also attempts to describe the way the participants experienced them. © 2023 John Libbey Eurotext. All rights reserved.;Chaque année, l'Association Européenne de Psychiatrie organise une Université d'été, un programme intensif qui vise à soutenir et à promouvoir l'éducation des jeunes professionnels de la psychiatrie par le biais de nombreuses activités. Elle a pu se tenir de nouveau en présentiel en 2022, après 2 ans d'organisation en distanciel, imposée par la pandémie de covid-19. Du 29 septembre au 2 octobre 2022, les jeunes psychiatres sélectionnés par le Comité d'éducation de l'EPA, 21 au total, se sont retrouvés à Strasbourg, en France, pour assister à cette formation autour du thème « Focus sur les conduites suicidaires - One step beyond ». L'événement de cette année a été que le format était un enseignement mixte. Pour débuter, la 1re partie de la formation s'est déroulée en ligne, sous la forme d'un MOOC « Focus sur les comportements suicidaires », pour une durée de 6 semaines, la seconde partie était la formation en présentiel avec des experts internationaux, sur une durée de 2 jours 1/2. Ces journées de formation ont permis aux participants non seulement d'élargir leurs connaissances sur le suicide et les questions connexes, mais aussi d'échanger autour des expériences de différents pays européens et d'encourager la réflexion critique sur ce qui peut être fait de plus ou de mieux, en termes de prévention et de soins. De plus, la possibilité de rencontres et d'échanges entre les participants a permis la création d'un réseau social européen unique. Cet article présente étape par étape les activités de formation organisées pendant l'université d'été de l'EPA et témoigne du vécu des participants. © 2023 John Libbey Eurotext. All rights reserved.;Cada año, la Asociación Europea de Psiquiatría organiza una Escuela de Verano, un programa intensivo cuyo objetivo es apoyar y promover la formación de jóvenes profesionales de la psiquiatría a través de una gran variedad de actividades. Ha podido volver a celebrarse en persona en 2022, tras 2 años de organización a distancia, impuesta por la pandemia de la covid-19. Del 29 de septiembre al 2 de octubre de 2022, los jóvenes psiquiatras seleccionados por el Comité de Educación de la EPA, 21 en total, se reunieron en Estrasburgo (Francia) para asistir a esta formación sobre el tema "Enfoque en las conductas suicida - One step beyond (Un paso más allá"). Lo más destacado del acto de este año fue que el formato era una formación combinada. Para empezar, la 1a parte de la formación fue online, en forma de MOOC "Focus en conductas suicidas", con un duración de 6 semanas, la segunda parte fue la formación presencial con expertos internacionales, con una duración de 2 días y medio. Estas jornadas de formación les permitieron a los participantes no sólo ampliar sus conocimientos sobre el suicidio y cuestiones afines, sino también intercambiar en torno a experiencias de distintos países europeos y fomentar el pensamiento crítico sobre qué más o mejor se puede hacer, en términos de prevención y asistencia. Además, la posibilidad de encuentros e intercambios entre los participantes permitió crear una red social europea única. Este artículo presenta paso a paso las actividades de formación organizadas durante la escuela de verano de la EPA y da fe de la experiencia de los participantes. © 2023, John Libbey Eurotext. Tous droits réservés. © 2023 John Libbey Eurotext. All rights reserved.

E-research in early psychosis: Methodological recommendations for ethics and data security

Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic compelled replacement in traditional research practices (paper-pencil questionnaire) to technology-driven practices (online surveys). Such methods may be effective in reaching larger samples, geographically harder-to-reach populations, reduce recruitment costs, increase cost and time efficiency of recruitment. Despite these advantages, concerns about privacy and confidentiality, sample bias, data quality such as inaccurate responses, duplicate survey completion, and fraudster activity or bots prevail. We aim to provide researchers and reviewers with a series of recommendations for effectively executing and evaluating data collection via online platforms. Method(s): A rapid literature review was conducted and best practices and strategies to mitigate problems with e-research data collection were collated in summer 2021. Based on study needs, these strategies were applied in an on-going e-research in early psychosis intervention services with multiple stakeholder groups across Canada. Result(s): The results were categorized and prioritized based on strategy effectiveness (most, moderate, least) and at three implementation stages (before, during, and after recruitment). An 11-step data quality checklist was adapted and implemented in consultation and approval from institutional research ethics board thus ensured ethical acceptability. Key strategies include not sharing the full survey link publicly, collecting and checking paradata, attention check questions, and so forth. Conclusion(s): Given their unique strengths, the challenges of internetbased research and data collection should not deter researchers from using such approaches. Further, our study provides concrete evidence-based practices and insights for advancing ethical and highquality e-research, taking into account specific considerations associated with early psychosis settings.

Retrospective Study on Vaccine Responses and Natural Course of COVID-19 Infections in Primary Immunodeficiency

We conducted a retrospective study in the adult primary immunodeficiency clinic at UAB examining COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 antibody response from vaccination, natural infection, and immunoglobulin replacement from February 2021 to November 2022. Our goal was to determine if nucleocapsid and spike antibodies could be found in our PID patients and if these antibodies could be derived from natural infection, vaccination, or antibody replacement exclusively or combinatory. We hypothesized that increasing antibodies would be detected in our population as the COVID period extended. Two hundred and forty-five subjects were tracked over 336 clinic visits during this period. Our PID population included subjects with CVID, XLA, thymoma, hypogammaglobulinemia, IgA deficiency, IgG subclass deficiency, specific antibody deficiency, Down syndrome, IgM deficiency, and patients with recurrent sinopulmonary infections. We had 196 females and 45 males in our study. In our patient population, 47% of our patient had known COVID-19 infection. Of those 47%, 21% of those infected patients had COVID-19 at least twice. Of those infected, three did not have COVID-19 spike antibodies and chose not to get vaccinated either. Two of those patients were not on IVIG and one was on Pangyza. Of those infected, 70% (n = 80) were on IgG infusions compared to those uninfected, 77% (n = 96) were on IgG infusions. Of interest, we had three XLA patients and all three had COVID-19 infection in the summer 2021. Two of them tested positive for nucleocapsid and spike antibodies in high titers and they were receiving Gammagard or Gamunex infusions, suggesting that these immunoglobulin preparations contain COVID-19 antibodies. We are still in the process of analyzing our data to see if diagnosis, IgG preparations, date of testing, B cell numbers, and drugs play a role in producing nucleocapsid antibodies and high spike antibody titers.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc.

Characteristics and Clinical Implications of Anti-IFN-alpha cytokine antibodies in partial Recombinase Activating Gene Deficiency patients before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was increased attention on anti- IFN-alpha autoantibodies and its correlation with severe clinical outcomes in a large group of patients. However, this correlation has not been extensively investigated in patients with partial Recombinase Activating Gene Deficiency (pRD) who are known to have increased prevalence of anti- IFN-alpha autoantibodies. Therefore, there is a need to assess the presence of anti- IFN-alpha antibodies in pRD patients before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and explore the relationship between anti- IFN-alpha antibody presence and clinical outcomes. Method(s): Sera was collected from the whole blood after informed consent and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay was conducted to confirm the presence of IgG-specific anti- IFN-alpha autoantibodies. Positive samples were determined as OD values above 3 standard deviations of the healthy donor OD mean. Result(s): Our cohort included both adult (n = 13) and pediatric (n = 9) patients with variants in RAG1 and RAG2. Eleven patients (50%) out of the 22 showed elevated anti- IFN-alpha autoantibodies levels. Five patients (23%) were defined as low positive for anti- IFN-alpha autoantibodies, and 6 patients had no autoantibody titers. Of the 22 patients, 16 were symptomatic with infectious and non-infectious complications including recurrent viral and/or bacterial infections, autoimmune cytopenias, and lymphoproliferation. Ten (63%) of the symptomatic patients demonstrated high anti-IFN-alpha autoantibodies titers. Of the 11 patients with no or low neutralizing anti- IFN-alpha autoantibodies levels, 5 were asymptomatic. In temporal comparison, 16 samples were collected pre-COVID-19 pandemic;8 samples were collected during the pandemic, 2 of which belonged to patients with samples collected before and during the pandemic. In the pre-pandemic cohort, 66% had anti- IFN-alpha autoantibodies. Conversely, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 89% had anti- IFN-alpha autoantibodies. Of note, one patient who had neutralizing anti- IFN-alpha autoantibodies remained positive both before and during the pandemic despite HSCT. Patient also had a SARS-CoV-2 infection in summer of 2022 with a mild clinical course. Conclusions & Next Steps: We observed persistence of anti-IFN-alpha autoantibodies in our cohort post-pandemic and even post-HSCT. It is unclear whether the presence of anti-cytokine antibodies are risk factor for severe COVID-19.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc.

Using innovative population-level data to understand the mental health impact of community-level events on young people: An example from the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria

Aims: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant rise in mental ill-health has been observed globally in young people, particularly amongst those in their final years of secondary school. The students' negative experiences coincide with a critical transitional period, which can subsequently disrupt milestones in social and educational development. This study aims to use innovative population-level data to map the impact of the pandemic on students entering higher education. Method(s): Tertiary education application data for Victorian students were obtained from the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre both pre-pandemic (2019/2020) and pandemic (2020/2021). Prevalence of mental health special considerations were compared between cohorts across geographical areas and applicant demographic subgroups. Relative risk regression models were used to understand the role of different risk factors. Result(s): The rate of mental health special considerations increased by 38% amongst all applications (pre-pandemic: 7.8%, n = 56 916;pandemic: 10.8%, n = 58 260). The highest increases were observed amongst students in areas with severe lockdown experiences and areas impacted by 2019/2020 black summer bushfires. The increases were higher amongst year 12 students and students with other preexisting risk factors (e.g., physical condition, learning disability). However, interestingly slightly higher increases were observed in areas with higher socioeconomic status, which is potentially related to inequality in mental health service access. Conclusion(s): As the consequences of mental health difficulties and academic disruption in youth can be long-lasting, it is critical to establish a mental health supportive framework both in and outside of higher education to facilitate young people's recovery from the pandemic.

Texas grassroots Extension program maintains 50 years of impact in horsemanship

The Texas A&M AgriLife Summer Horsemanship School (SHS) program has been providing horse enthusiasts of all skill levels and ages with horsemanship skills through 2 or 3-d schools for 50 consecutive years. The long-standing impact of the program has been a significant driver for Texas A&M students' experiential learning as horsemanship instructors (~341) and grassroots education across the state for school participants (~29,400). Post surveys for (1) student instructors and (2) school participants were collected and analyzed separately in total for 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022 to evaluate participant knowledge gained, adoption of new practices, satisfaction, and increased confidence and competence, and student instructor impact. This did not include 2020, due to limited schools taught by former student instructors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was analyzed for descriptive statistics using the means and frequency procedures in SAS 9.4 (Cary, NC). Most school participants were female (77.9%), 15 years old or younger (77.3%), and reported being in 4-H (66.8%). Participants reported having riding experience of less than 1 year (8.2%), 1-5 years (35.3%), 6-10 years (30.4%), or more than 10 years (26.2%). Post-participation survey responses indicate that 81.6% could now do one or more advanced maneuvers that they were previously unable to do (n = 602) and 87.9% reported they were able to ride with more confidence (n = 546). Of the 12 horsemanship topics assessed (Table 1), participants learned "a few or more things" on average 89.1% of the time. When evaluating overall satisfaction, 94.8% stated that they enjoyed most, if not all, of the school. As for the student instructors(n = 21), 88% strongly agreed that their experience in the program had a profound impact on their collegiate careers and believed the skills they developed would be useful in their future careers. The impact of the SHS program is a testimony to the effectiveness of grassroots education on horsemanship in Extension programming, in addition to, collegiate student experiential learning.Copyright © 2023

"working in the dark but expected to be an expert": Reflecting on critical care preparations for COVID-19

Introduction: Before spring 2020, many healthcare organisations did not possess detailed plans for the expansion and delivery of critical care during a pandemic. Furthermore, there was little directly-relevant individual or institutional experience to draw upon. Local, national and international guidance was drawn up rapidly and subject to frequent revision.1 Reflecting on these challenges, we designed a study to explore critical care and anaesthetic doctors' experiences of preparation for the provision of critical care services in the first wave of COVID-19. Objective(s): 1. To establish what factors facilitated and hindered the expansion and delivery of critical care services. 2. To identify important learning points for the provision of critical care during future pandemics. Method(s): We conducted semi-structured interviews with medical staff from the anaesthesia and critical care departments of our hospital, a tertiary centre with general and cardiothoracic intensive care units, including an ECMO service. We classified participants into two groups;1. Decision makers - individuals instrumental in shaping the critical care response, e.g., clinical directors and college tutors. 2. Staff members - clinicians working within the departments, including consultants and trainees. Thirteen interviews were conducted with 15 participants: eight decision makers and seven staff members. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and anonymised. We manually coded transcripts, and carried out an inductive thematic analysis.2 Results: Eight themes were generated from our analysis: * Problem solving with simulation: simulation exercises allowed experienced clinicians to troubleshoot practical issues and helped staff to prepare for unfamiliar tasks. * A sense of togetherness: staff reported that the "all hands-on deck" ethos was protective against fatigue, although this was short-lived. * Delayed and changing guidance: frequent guideline changes created confusion and anxiety. * Leading from the front: leaders with a clinical role were perceived more positively than those operating at a distance from the "shop-floor". * Coordination, collaboration and compromise: departments that accommodated each other's needs fostered productive inter-departmental relationships. * Insecure supply chains: staff took their own measures to ensure PPE availability, including acquisition of items outside NHS supply chains. * Constant communication: rapid methods of personal communication, e.g., WhatsApp were effective, although "WhatsApp fatigue" was endemic. * Balancing skill mix and fatigue: flux in workload required dynamic staff allocation. Underutilised staff groups created frustration and low morale in overworked colleagues. Conclusion(s): The threat to health and society from pandemic events is expected to increase over time.3 We should take this opportunity to gather experiences from those involved in the COVID-19 pandemic to guide future preparations. In early 2020, decision makes in local hospitals were operating with unclear guidance from external agencies. Our data, obtained in the summer of 2021 demonstrates that individual and departmental reflections had already resulted in processes being refined in later waves of COVID-19. Whilst the exact nature of future pandemics will vary, some elements of preparation will remain consistent. We recommend that plans for pandemic management should aim to reduce workload and target the most effective interventions, including by addressing the themes outlined above.

Trends in Viral Respiratory Culture: Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Introduction Due to the increasing ease and availability of molecular assays, viral culture is rarely employed for the diagnosis of respiratory illnesses. Despite lower sensitivity than molecular techniques, viral culture may detect a wider array of viral pathogens at a lower cost relative to multiplex molecular panels. In this study, we examined the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on viral respiratory culture ordering and trends in the rates of pathogen detection. Methods Viral respiratory culture results from Jan 1st, 2017 to February 28th, 2022 were analyzed for changes in the number of monthly orders, positivity rate, and incidence of individual pathogens. To determine changes in seasonal incidence and viral etiology, a comparison was made between winter (Dec-Feb) and summer (June-Aug) months as well as acute (Influenza A/B, RSV) and chronic (HSV, CMV) infections. Given SARS-CoV-2's classification as a BSL-3 pathogen, our viral culture assay was not designed to detect this virus. As a surrogate method to measure rates of SARS-CoV-2 in viral culture specimens, we performed NAAT testing with the ThermoFisher TaqPath COVID-19, Flu A/B, RSV assay on negative specimens. Results Following the pandemic, testing volume decreased by 46.7% with the overall positivity rate decreasing from 6.67% to 4.85%. Among the 46 states for which more than ten orders were placed, monthly testing decreased in 38 states. Of the eight states with increased average monthly testing, the greatest increases were seen in Rhode Island, Nevada, and Montana. During the pre-pandemic timeframe, acute respiratory pathogens demonstrated a typical winter peak with low summer detection. Post-pandemic, there was an atypical increase of acute respiratory pathogens, driven primarily by RSV. The positivity rate for chronic viral infections increased from 3.43% pre-pandemic to 4.09% post-pandemic. Following the pandemic, HSV has replaced influenza as the most commonly detected pathogen during winter months. Molecular studies of 229 negative viral culture specimens identified 36 (15.7%) samples positive for SARS-CoV-2, 9 (3.9%) for RSV, and none for influenza A or B. Median cycle threshold values for SARS-CoV-2 samples were 21.3 (range: 9.1-36.5). Conclusions Following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the number of respiratory virus cultures ordered significantly decreased. There has also been a statistically significant decrease in the positivity rate driven by the absence of acute viral respiratory pathogens, including influenza A/B and RSV. We also observed an offseason increase of RSV during the summer months of 2021. Detection rates of chronic viral pathogens including CMV and HSV have remained relative stable. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in negative specimens raises concerns for inappropriate test utilization. While less sensitive than molecular methods, viral culture has the potential to offer a lower cost alternative for monitoring a broad range of viral pathogens.

Reaching city youth with an online summer arts workshop in Los Angeles

The Summer Arts Workshop (SAW) is a community-based art therapy program with a social justice focus. It has been offered through the Helen B. Landgarten (HBL) Art Therapy Clinic at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) since 2007 in partnership with Dolores Mission School in Boyle Heights, a historically under-resourced part of East Los Angeles. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders in Los Angeles, the SAW leadership team adapted the workshop to an online format. The authors took advantage of the online format to extend the reach of the workshop to several school sites in marginalized communities in Los Angeles County, including a juvenile hall high school, which is a prison for youth in a state youth detention centre. The greatest challenge in adapting to an online format was preserving the core component of the workshop: building trust and healthy attachments through expressive art making. The authors overcame this and other challenges and succeeded in providing connecting experiences for participants and facilitators during a time of social isolation and collective anxiety. This chapter shows how teletherapy can bridge gaps of access, particularly for marginalized populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Online Science Instruction Can Promote Adolescents' Autonomy Need Satisfaction: a Latent Growth Curve Analysis.

This research examined the differential motivational effects of a pre-college science enrichment program delivered in both online and in-person learning formats. Using self-determination theory as a guiding framework, we hypothesized that (a) students would exhibit growth in their perceived satisfaction of needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, (b) online learning would be associated with greater growth in autonomy, and (c) in-person learning would be associated with greater growth in both competence and relatedness. Using a sample of 598 adolescent participants, results of latent growth curve modeling indicated that satisfaction of the three needs grew unconditionally over the course of the program. However, format type was unrelated to growth in need satisfaction. Rather, this effect was found to be conditional upon the type of science project undertaken by students: astrophysics students exhibited significantly greater autonomy growth when receiving online instruction than did biochemistry students. Our findings suggest that online science learning can be just as effective in motivating students as in-person learning provided that the learning tasks are conducive to remote instruction.

Uneven domestic tourism demand in times of pandemic

This study investigates the short-run impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of domestic overnight stays at the regional level in the summer season 2020. Official data for 65 regions in four countries are used for the analysis (Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Switzerland). Dynamic panel data models are employed to estimate a tourism demand equation (real GDP and price fluctuations) augmented by average temperatures. Estimation results reveal that domestic overnight stays evolve unevenly in the first summer after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The short-run effects show that the number of domestic overnight stays in densely populated regions decreases by 27% in July as well as in August 2020, in comparison with the same months in previous years, ceteris paribus. To the contrary, there is a surge of 27 and 10%, respectively, for sparsely populated areas in the same months.JEL: Z3, R11 and R12.

Analysis of Antibody Response to Sars-Cov-2 Vaccination and Natural Infection in a Tertiary Centre Cohort of Lupus Nephritis Patients

Background/Aims The immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is known to be reduced in the immunocompromised. However, extent to which immunity is affected by immunosuppression in specific disease cohorts remains poorly characterised. Furthermore, implications of the ongoing vaccination booster programme require further study. Individuals with lupus nephritis (LN) require prolonged high-dose immunosuppression in order to maintain disease control, rendering them important to study in this context. We evaluated SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and spike antibody response in this cohort during the Spring/Summer 2022 booster vaccine campaign. Nucleocapsid antibody indicates previous infection whilst spike antibody indicates previous infection and/or vaccination response. Titre of spike antibody to prevent infection is not known, but presence of antibodies is likely to protect against severe disease. Methods SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid antibody were measured in adult patients with LN attending a tertiary centre rheumatology clinic. Data was collected retrospectively on disease, immunosuppression, vaccine status and history of natural exposure. Results 35 cases of LN were investigated, of which LN III, IV and V were predominant biopsy diagnoses. Regarding immunosuppressants, the Eurolupus Cyclophosphamide protocol had been used in the majority of patients to achieve initial control, with 3/35 patients still receiving pulsed courses at data collection. 18/35 were on Mycophenolate Mofetil;a further 13/35 had previously received this. 31/35 took at least 5mg Prednisolone daily;25/35 took Hydroxychloroquine;7/35 took Azathioprine;7/35 had previously been on Methotrexate, 3/35 took Tacrolimus;1/35 took Ciclosporin. Regarding B-cell depleting monoclonal antibody therapy, 13/35 had received Rituximab and 8/35 were receiving Belimumab. Antibody levels were measured between 4 weeks and 13 months after last dose of vaccination;mean duration was 6 months. 11/35 had confirmed COVID-19 infection;a further 8/35 reported a possible history. Of the 35, 32 (91%) had mounted detectable SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody above the bottom 10% of assay detection, indicating some immunity to vaccination or natural exposure. 20 (57%) had detectable nucleocapsid antibody, suggesting natural infection with antibody response. Only 2 (6%) had not mounted any antibody response. Of note, neither were fully vaccinated: one had 1 vaccination with blood test 8 months subsequent;one had 2 vaccinations with blood test 7 months subsequent. The latter was also notably on haemodialysis. All who received 3+ vaccinations had detectable spike antibody responses, as well as 75% of those who had received 2 vaccinations. Conclusion Our study is the first analysis, to our knowledge, of SARS-CoV-2 antibody response in a LN cohort. Whilst neutralising capacity and level of antibody providing protection remains under research, these findings provide at least some reassurance that individuals with LN on immunosuppression are capable of mounting an immune response against SARS-CoV-2. Further work is required to establish extent and duration of protection with serial vaccinations in this cohort.

Explaining inequalities of homeschooling in Germany during the first COVID-19 lockdown

Current studies suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening existing social inequalities in the field of education worldwide. In this paper, we argue that the pandemic is especially challenging for students from socially disadvantaged and educationally deprived homes, as parental engagement and resources are very important in terms of guiding and supporting students' learning processes during this school closure period. To examine how well parents were able to help their children with schoolwork during the homeschooling period in Germany, we used data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS, n = 3,714) collected during the first such period in May/June 2020 when students were in Grade 7. Taking known mechanisms of inequality of educational opportunity into account, we explored the effects of parents' aspirations and cultural, social, and economic capital on their ability to help their children. Our results showed that although the majority of the examined parents were able to provide good schoolwork support, as expected, we found inequalities related to social background. Parents with low education were twice as likely as highly educated parents to be unable to provide sufficient support. In our multivariate analyses, family resources had a significant positive effect on the likelihood of a parent being able to help. Moreover, regardless of the social or cultural capital endowment of the parents, good household technical equipment was associated with a higher probability of support. Thus, ensuring that students have access to technical home equipment could be a way to promote an educationally supportive learning environment across all social groups.

Chronic Chilblain Like Lesions Associated with the Covid-19 Pandemic

Background/Aims We report the features of chronic chilblain-like digital lesions newly presenting since the start of the covid-19 pandemic. Comparison with primary perniosis and acrocyanosis, reveals a unique phenotype which appears to be a long-covid phenomenon. Methods The case records of 26 patients with new onset persistent chilblain-like lesions presenting to the Rheumatology service of St George's University Hospital, London between Autumn 2020 and Spring 2022 were reviewed. Demographic and clinical features, serology, imaging, treatment response and outcome up to Summer 2022 were collated retrospectively. Results Chilblain-like lesions first occurred between September and March;2019/ 2020 6 cases, 2020/2021 18 cases and 2021/2022 2 cases. Mean age 35.4 (17-60) years, 88% female, 85% white, all non-smokers. Median body mass index (BMI) 20.2, range 17.0 - 33.2. BMI underweight (<18.5) in 27%. All cases reported new red-purple-blue colour changes of the fingers, some with pain, swelling and pruritis, affecting both hands in 12, one hand in 6, and both hands and feet in 8 cases. There was a past history of cold sensitivity or primary Raynaud's in 54%. Covid was confirmed in 3 cases, 2 - 8 months prior to onset of chilblain-like symptoms. Possible covid, unconfirmed, was suspected in 5 cases, 1 - 11 months earlier. Affected digits appeared diffusely erythro-cyanotic in 81%, with blotchy discrete maculo-papular erythematous lesions in 42%, some with both features. Involvement was asymmetric in 54%, thumbs spared in 69%. Complement was low in 50% (8/16), ANA positive in 26% (6/23). MRI of hands showed phalangeal bone marrow oedema in keeping with osteitis in 4 of 7 cases. More severe signs and symptoms were associated with low BMI, low C3/4 and a past history of cold sensitivity or Raynauds. Cold avoidance strategies were sufficient for 58%. Pain prompted a trial of NSAIDs, aspirin, nitrates, calcium channel blockers, hydroxychloroquine, oral or topical corticosteroid or topical tacrolimus in 42%. In general, these were minimally effective or not tolerated. 4 severe cases received sildenafil or tadalafil, effective in 2. In 27% complete remission occurred during the first summer season after symptoms commenced, median duration 6 (range 2 - 10) months. In the remaining 19 cases, chilblain-like symptoms returned or worsened in the subsequent second winter period, with 6 of 19 entering remission the following summer. For the remaining 13 persistent cases the total duration of symptoms spans more than a year, and in four cases more than 2 years. Conclusion This series illustrates a distinct chronic chilblain-like condition. Features similar to primary perniosis include female predominance, middle age, pruritic painful blotchy lesions, asymmetry and low BMI. Features in keeping with acrocyanosis include chronicity, extensive diffuse erythro-cyanotic discoloration, relative improvement in warm weather and lack of association with smoking.

Fostering the Next Generation of Healthcare Leaders in a Pandemic World

Purpose of Study: Since the COVID pandemic began, there have been a dearth of opportunities for pre-medical students to work with practicing physicians. This is even truer in health care shortage areas such as California's impoverished San Joaquin Valley where the majority of its residents live below the poverty line and face a number of socioeconomic and educational hardships. Inequitable educational opportunities, lack of STEM identity, as well as lack of access to local mentors contribute to underrepresentation of individuals with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds in STEM professions, including medicine. In partnership with the UCSF Fresno Department of Pediatrics we created a summer virtual Medical Education Apprentice Fellowship to help address some of these issues. Methods Used: This seven-week summer program was directed towards disadvantaged high school and undergraduate students living in the San Joaquin Valley. Four pediatric subspecialists, 4 medical students, 64 undergraduate students, and 4 high school students participated in the program. Participants were divided into specialty teams based on their interests, with each team (burn surgery, endocrinology, gastroenterology, or pulmonology) led by a medical student and faculty. Overall, this program had three primary components: (1) creating animated medical education videos for use in clinics, (2) hosting patient case study series, and (3) providing mentorship and professional development. Summary of Results: Forty-seven percent of students reported being the first in their family to pursue a STEM-related field. Prior to entering this program, only 50% of students felt strongly confident in their ability to be successful in a STEM-related field, and only 30% had a mentor that they fully trusted for guidance and resources. After completing the seven week program, 93% of students reported that they felt the program allowed them to explore medicine in innovative ways, 88% reported that they had made fruitful connections and now have a mentor and resources to guide them, and nearly 75% of students indicated a desire to address the social and health needs of the San Joaquin Valley as a healthcare professional. Conclusion(s): Our Medical Education Apprentice Fellowship provided disadvantaged students in the San Joaquin Valley with an opportunity to improve their digital literacy skills and medical knowledge while receiving mentorship from medical students and physicians. Grassroots programs such as this that form collaborative partnerships between students and health care professionals can be used to foster future healthcare leaders in order to address the health provider shortage in the San Joaquin Valley while providing underrepresented youth the chance to become healthcare champions.