Integrating Digital Technologies Into Biochemistry Education: A Decade of Efforts, Pandemic Impacts, and Emerging Insights.

Malaria remains a global health concern, with Plasmodium vivax as predominant species in the Americas. The region has made notable strides in reducing malaria incidence, but challenges persist. Guiana Shield countries share similar malaria ecologies and vector dynamics, yet their progress toward elimination is quite different. Suriname, a low-middle income country, has pursued malaria elimination and became the first Amazonian country to receive malaria-free certification in June 2025. However, the reintroduction through imported cases from neighboring countries with higher endemicity remains a serious threat, as exemplified by the 2019 outbreak in Pelele Tepoe. The response strategy and operational measures implemented to address this P. vivax outbreak are described, along with key lessons for effective outbreak management. This descriptive study examines Suriname's most recent P. vivax outbreak, using surveillance and intervention data from November 2019 to August 2021. It outlines the rationale for employing an adaptive, multi-pronged outbreak management strategy, details implementation of approaches, tailored to evolving outbreak circumstances and evaluates the effectiveness of subsequent interventions. Factors contributing to the outbreak's prolonged duration, including COVID-19 pandemic impact are discussed, along with the resulting adaptations in the targeted responses. The P. vivax outbreak lasted 22 months, resulting in 179 infections among 153 patients. Traditional strategies with corresponding interventions were introduced at onset, including "1-3-7" surveillance, community education and engagement and vector control. Continuous trend monitoring guided the adoption of additional less conventional and innovative measures, including mass screen-and-treat, mass drug administration (MDA), parasite genotyping and targeted treatment. Mass screen-and-treat was less effective in reducing parasite prevalence than MDA. Directly observed treatment reached 95.1% efficacy by day 180, however, relapses appeared to fuel the outbreak. Implementation of the "Radical Cure" marked the end of the outbreak. The described adaptive, integrated, six-pronged approach, combining conventional strategies with targeted accelerator methods and inclusive stakeholder engagement can effectively control outbreaks in low-endemic or near-elimination regions.

Abstract This study used the Scopus platform and bibliometric methods to examine trends in scientific research on decent work, looking at two different time periods: before and after the integration of decent work as one of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. While the first phase focused on the impact of globalization on the quality of jobs in developing countries, the subsequent phase addressed a whole range of issues, including gender dynamics, corporate responsibility, the impact of pandemics and the importance of meaningful work. This thematic shift is indicative of an adaptation to current challenges and a broader approach to the concept of decent work in a changing social, economic and global context. This study offers insights into decent work research, generates novel contributions to the field, and provides valuable information for future studies.

With increasing pressure on operating room capacity due to growing surgical demand and constraints in cost, workforce, and sustainability, real-world scenarios such as the COVID-19 pandemic offer valuable insights. This study assessed the pandemic's impact on surgical care for patients with gallstone disease or inguinal hernia, focusing on disease-related and surgical complications. This multicenter historical cohort study included patients treated in 2019 and 2020 at three Dutch hospitals. Data were collected from hospital systems and patient records. The COVID period (March-December 2020) was compared to a reference period (March-December 2019). The primary outcome of this study was the rate of disease-related complications. Secondary outcomes included surgery rates, hospital presentations and admissions, time to surgery, surgical complications, length of hospital stay, and readmissions. In total, 1572 patients with gallstone disease and 1511 with inguinal hernia were included. During the COVID period, fewer cholecystectomies were performed (59.8% vs. 67.7%, p = 0.001), and complicated gallstone disease increased (28.5% vs. 21.6%, p = 0.002). No significant differences were found in the rate of inguinal hernia repairs (61.6% vs. 63.5%, p = 0.46) or hernia-related complications (5.4% vs. 3.7%, p = 0.139). Surgical complication rates were similar across both periods for both conditions. Limited surgical availability during the COVID-19 period was linked to reduced cholecystectomy rates and more complicated gallstone disease, without affecting inguinal hernia outcomes or surgical complication rates.

Various "arbitrary factors" shaped healthcare chaplains' experiences during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The author's reflection provides personal recollection, uniquely situated in the particular local organizational dynamics and inter-personal relationships among the professionals, supplementing the qualitative survey articles by the field's on-going effort to collect, organize, and interpret the pandemic's impact on the spiritual care practitioners.

Suicide is a leading cause of adolescent mortality worldwide. Exogenous poisoning-defined as exposure to toxic substances such as medications or chemicals- is a common method, but large-scale epidemiological data in Brazil are limited. This study describes sociodemographic profiles, temporal trends, regional disparities, and the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on adolescent suicide attempts by exogenous poisoning in Brazil from 2018 to 2023. We conducted a study, the SINAN database, on reported suicide attempts by exogenous poisoning in adolescents aged 10-19 years nationwide. Descriptive analyses were performed by sex, age group, toxic agent, and care setting. Temporal trends were evaluated with LOESS decomposition, the Mann-Kendall trend test, and interrupted time-series analysis (ITSA) assessed the impact of COVID-19 on suicide attempt rates. A total of 142 251 attempts were identified; notification was substantially more common among the 15-19 age group (75.4%) and females in both groups. Medications accounted for most reported agents, and most events occurred at home. Nationwide incidence rose steadily from 2018, peaked in 2019, declined significantly in 2020 (p < 0.01), and resumed increasing through 2022. Upward trends were observed in all regions, with the 10-14-year group exhibiting the largest relative increase. The Southeast region maintained the highest cumulative incidence. ITSA indicated underreporting during the pandemic, with a 66.5% decrease in ages 10-14 and a 56.2% drop in ages 15-19. The high and rising incidence of adolescent suicide attempts by exogenous poisoning in Brazil highlights the need for strengthened mental health interventions, enhanced pharmacovigilance, and targeted prevention, especially post-pandemic.

Changes in suicide rates in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic: An interrupted time series analysis.

Abstract The years 2020 and 2021 were peculiar due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which may also have had an impact on people with colorectal cancer (CRC). In the state of Bahia, Brazil, Hospital Aristides Maltez (HAM) is responsible for most of the oncological care, including malignant neoplasms of colon and rectum. Considering that most of metastatic CRC cases are no longer curable, evaluate if there was an increase in the proportion of that stage of disease can serve as a metric of the impact of this epidemic. Retrospective analysis of HAM's electronic medical records of patients with CRC that had their first consultation during the first 12 months of COVID-19 epidemic at Bahia, in comparison to those that had their first consultation during the 12 previous months. Main characteristics of both groups were similar. Median age was 63 years old, with near representation of both genders, and predominance of brown skin color and a low level of education. However, in the first year of COVID-19 epidemic, there was a 26.89% increase of subjects with already metastatic CRC in the first medical evaluation at HAM (although without statistical significance). We found a numerical increase in metastatic CRC in the COVID period cohort. In consonance with this, another Brazilian study found an increase in the proportion of new cases of advanced CRC, between March and July 2020, in comparison to the same period in 2019. Moreover, in another publication, an increase in colorectal cancer mortality in USA is projected due to delays in screening and diagnosing during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results urge attention to CRC in the following years and in the next pandemic.

This population-based cohort study in Kobe, Japan, investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infant neurodevelopment by comparing children born before and during the pandemic. Retrospective population-based cohort study of 63 703 children born between 1 April 2014 and 31 October 2020, who underwent an 18-month health check-up. Kobe, Japan. Children born between April 2014 and March 2018 (pre-COVID-19 group) or April-October 2020 (during-COVID-19 group). None MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Neurodevelopmental outcomes assessed by trained paediatricians, including language, social and behavioural indicators. The abnormal neurodevelopment prevalence was higher in the during-COVID-19 group (12.8%) than in the pre-COVID-19 group (10.2%) (OR, 1.30; 99% CI 1.16 to 1.46). Similarly, the rate of children without meaningful words was higher during the pandemic (7.1% vs 4.8%; OR, 1.52; 99% CI 1.31 to 1.78), indicating delayed language development. Intergroup differences in other outcomes were minimal. The COVID-19 pandemic may have negatively influenced early neurodevelopment, particularly language acquisition. These findings suggest that infant language development is affected by social changes, such as pandemics. Further research is required to explore the underlying causes and the long-term effects.

This study investigates the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the financial management behaviors of tourist guides, an occupational group characterized by financial vulnerability due to irregular income and high sensitivity to external shocks. The primary aim was to assess post-pandemic behavioral changes in guides who suffered severe income losses (80-100%). Employing quantitative methods, this study adopts Dew and Xiao's (2011) four-dimensional financial behavior model. An online survey administered to active tourist guides across Turkey yielded 428 valid responses, which were analyzed via factor analysis, t-tests, and ANOVA. The findings indicate that financial behaviors cluster into four dimensions: cash, credit, savings/investment, and insurance management. Although the guides demonstrated strong cash management, their insurance management scores were notably low. Furthermore, male and married participants had higher financial behavior scores. Savings and investment propensities were positively correlated with age, professional experience, and income level. Notably, 35% of guides sought alternative income sources post-pandemic, and 30.8% increased their savings and investment efforts. These findings suggest that the pandemic compelled guides to prioritize financial risk management and income diversification, highlighting the need for policies and support programs to enhance their financial literacy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has strained global health systems, exacerbating health disparities, especially among vulnerable groups. It has also worsened mental health, leading to increased rates of depression and anxiety. We study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of mental health episodes involving violence in Ontario, the largest province of Canada. We compare the dangerousness of mental health patients who needed hospitalization before and during/after the pandemic across different socio-demographic groups and geographic regions. This enables us to identify the vulnerable populations in this domain as well as the key factors associated with disparities among patients at risk of exhibiting aggression. We conducted a retrospective study from March 2017 to March 2023. The study involved 340,000+ observations from patients aged 15 and above admitted to mental health inpatient hospital wards in Ontario, Canada. We evaluated violent behavior using three mental health indicators, including the risk of harming others, hospital admissions due to threats or danger to others, and history of police intervention for violent behavior within the last 30days. We also examined associated disparities across several social determinants of health through a combination of absolute rate analysis, logistic regression, stratified autoregressive integrated moving average models, and Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition. Our findings indicated a pre-existing and noteworthy increase in violent behavior among patients with mental health conditions after the onset of the pandemic. Males, young and middle-aged adults, unmarried individuals, and low-income demographics suffered from the widening gap. The disparities were most evident in urban areas, and less educated groups showed higher levels of violent behavior. Policy announcements, such as school closures, had a substantial impact on mental health disparities, resulting in lasting effects on mental well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened mental health disparities related to violence, necessitating targeted interventions and policies to improve mental health outcomes and reduce violence-related health inequities.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Acinetobacter baumannii represents a critical global health challenge, particularly in intensive care settings where the pathogen causes severe, refractory infections. As a leading member of the ESKAPE group, A. baumannii has accumulated extensive resistance to multiple antibiotic classes, including carbapenems, resulting in the widespread emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR), and pan-drug-resistant (PDR) strains. This review provides a chronological overview of the evolution of antimicrobial therapies used against A. baumannii, spanning the early era of penicillins and tetracyclines to contemporary agents such as eravacycline and ceftazidime-avibactam. We delineate the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance development, including carbapenemase production, robust RND efflux systems, horizontal gene transfer, biofilm formation, and the global dissemination of high-risk international clones (IC1-IC9). The compounding impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the spread of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) is also examined. A special emphasis is placed on Zosurabalpin, a first-in-class macrocyclic peptide antibiotic with a unique mechanism of action that targets the LptB2FG complex essential for lipooligosaccharide (LOS) transport and outer membrane assembly. Preclinical data and emerging clinical findings highlight its potent activity against highly resistant CRAB strains and its ability to circumvent conventional resistance pathways, marking it as a promising candidate in the antimicrobial pipeline. Finally, we evaluate the limitations of current treatment modalities and explore emerging strategies, including phage therapy, novel target discovery, and non-traditional therapeutics, offering a forward-looking perspective on restoring and sustaining effective anti-Acinetobacter interventions.

Introduction Previous studies demonstrate that retired service members who undergo total joint arthroplasty (TJA) through the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system experience poorer short-term outcomes than the general population. Given that many healthcare disparities were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the aim of this study is to determine if veterans who underwent total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at a single VA medical center experienced poorer 30-day outcomes during versus before COVID-19. Methods A retrospective review of electronic medical records was conducted to identify patients who underwent primary TKA between July 2017 and November 2021 at a single VA medical center. A total of 208 patients (n=238 knees) were included in the study and divided into two cohorts: TKAs performed before COVID-19 (July 2017-March 2020, n=143 knees) and TKAs performed during COVID-19 (June 2020-November 2021, n=95 knees). Inpatient outcomes of interest included length of stay (LOS), pain, opioid use, and physical therapy (PT) attendance and performance. Outpatient outcomes of interest included 30-day complication, readmission, and mortality. Results Veterans in the COVID-19 group had a significantly shorter LOS (1.02 vs. 1.42 days) than the pre-pandemic group (p &lt; 0.0001; d = -0.61, 95% CI: -0.87, -0.34). The COVID-19 group further demonstrated significantly greater PT attendance on postoperative day (POD) 0 (p = 0.0419; RR = 1.51, 95% CI: 0.98, 2.30), and reported less pain (p = 0.0185; d = -0.32, 95% CI: -0.58, -0.06), required fewer opioids (p &lt; 0.0001; d = -0.59, 95% CI: -0.85, -0.32), and demonstrated superior PT performance on POD 1. There was no significant difference in 30-day complication, readmission, or mortality between groups. Conclusion In general, veterans who underwent TKA during COVID-19 had better 30-day outcomes than their pre-pandemic counterparts, which is consistent with trends observed in the general population.

Healthcare system strain and healthcare seeking behavior: the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB delayed diagnosis in Snohomish County, Washington

High throughput influenza A virus detection by isothermal amplification in sequential-injection paper-based microfluidics.

Assessing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on ATV-related injuries

Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of depressive disorders burden across 204 countries and territories, 1990-2021: SDI stratification, gender disparities, and future projections.

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a short-term decline in radiotherapy use was reported. In this study, we investigated long-term changes in the use of radiotherapy and hypofractionated radiotherapy before and after the COVID-19 pandemic period in Japan and assessed whether the pandemic influenced the adoption of hypofractionation. We obtained data for analysis from the National Database Open Data for fiscal years (FYs) 2014 to 2023. For the 5years from FY2019 to FY2023, with detailed monthly data available, we used interrupted time series (ITS) analysis to examine changes in the level and slope of claims at the boundaries of the baseline, pandemic and post-pandemic periods. During the 10-year study period, the number of radiotherapy claims increased by an average of 1.6% per year. In FY2020, the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of radiotherapy claims decreased by 2.0% compared to the previous year. The number of claims for extra fees for hypofractionated radiotherapy for breast and prostate cancer showed a steady increase, except for a temporary decline around the April 2022 policy change in payment requirements for prostate cancer. In the ITS analysis, there were no significant changes in the level and slope of claims for radiotherapy and extra fees for hypofractionated radiotherapy at the onset of the pandemic. In conclusion, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the utilization of radiotherapy in Japan was minimal, and the use of hypofractionated radiotherapy showed a steady increase throughout this period.

Background: The nursing profession is currently facing a critical challenge with a noticeable decline in interest among young people to pursue nursing as a career. Objectives: This study examined academics’ perceptions of factors driving low enrollment in Greek baccalaureate nursing programs and explored incentives that could motivate young people to pursue nursing careers. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study. We collected our data during October 2025 through an anonymous questionnaire. Source population included all academics in the nine nursing departments in Greece. Response rate was 54.2% (90 out of 166). Results: We classified the factors contributing to the low interest in baccalaureate nursing education programs into four groups: (a) poor working conditions, (b) negative social and cultural perceptions, (c) educational constraints, and (d) impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Academics identified negative social and cultural perceptions of nursing and poor working conditions as the primary drivers of low interest in baccalaureate nursing programs. The COVID-19 pandemic was viewed as having a moderate influence on young people’s career choices, while educational constraints were considered least important overall. Academics in nursing departments based in Greece’s capital perceived the pandemic’s impact as more substantial than colleagues outside the capital and attributed greater importance to educational constraints. Respondents without prior clinical nursing experience emphasized educational barriers more strongly. To attract students, academics prioritized improving working conditions, increasing salaries, and expanding scholarships and support. Conclusions: Academics reported that unfavorable nursing work environments, intensified during COVID-19, influence students’ career choices, underscoring the need for urgent policy and organizational actions informed by this study and existing evidence.

Research Aims: This study aims to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affects bank resilience and analyzes the role of government stimulus in moderating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on bank resilience, particularly related to loan growth and non-performing loans (NPLs) of MSME. Design/methodology/approach: This study employs a quantitative explanatory approach utilizing the Generalized Least Squares (GLS) method on panel data from 73 conventional commercial banks in Indonesia, observed quarterly over the 2020–2023 period. The moderation analysis is conducted through a mean difference test for MSME loan growth, complemented by a descriptive mean comparison analysis for MSME NPLs. Research Findings: Empirical findings reveal that COVID-19 significantly reduced MSME loan growth and increased non-performing loans (NPLs). Nonetheless, government stimulus through loan restructuring effectively mitigated these adverse effects, while the fund placement program in banks exhibited limited and delayed influence on MSME credit expansion during the pandemic, highlighting differing policy effectiveness levels. Theoretical Contribution/Originality: This study contributes to enrich financial intermediation theory by providing empirical evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on banking resilience in Indonesia and the moderating role of government stimulus. The findings offer theoretical insights and policy implications for strengthening financial stability during and after crises. Keywords: Fiscal Stimulus, Bank Resilience, MSME NPL, COVID-19, Intermediation Function.