post-COVID Era Research Articles

BN SO37 - Upper GI surgical training in the UK: Are there enough training opportunities? 10-year trends in Benign Upper GI index procedures and the impact of COVID-19

Abstract Background Surgical training was adversely impacted during the COVID pandemic, with reports of reduced logbook numbers and challenges in meeting training competencies. Despite a national elective care recovery plan, and interventions aimed at maintaining training opportunities, waiting list expansion has continued and has particularly impacted benign procedures. Upper GI trainees are all required to achieve “Level 4” (independent) competence in Cholecystectomy and Antireflux surgery, however there are anecdotally. fewer opportunities in the post-COVID era to train in these procedures. This study aimed to evaluate trends in these index procedures and to compare the pre- and post- COVID eras. Method The annual Admitted Patient Care (APC) publications draw on Hospital Episode Statistics and summarise activity for each financial year by OPCS4 codes. Codes pertaining to cholecystectomy and antireflux surgery (the “Benign Upper GI” competences on the Joint Committee of Surgical Training New Curriculum Checklist) were screened for inclusion. Data were extracted from APC publications between 2013 and 2023. These data were summarised in a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet, categorised by index procedure and divided into pre-covid (2013-2019) and post-covid (2019-2023). Trends were evaluated using a Mann-Kendal Non-Seasonal Trend Test. Comparisons were undertaken using a two tailed unpaired t-test. Results Between 2013 and 2023 there was a statistically significant negative annual trend in the number of cholecystectomies from 75934 to 68182 (p=0.02), with a minimum of 47803 in the 2020-2021 financial year and a non-significant positive trend in the subsequent years. There were significantly fewer cholecystectomies in the 4 years following COVID (mean 77357 vs 63882, p=0.015). Antireflux procedures also underwent a significant negative trend from 5467 to 4745 (p=0.02), with a minimum of 2565 in the 2020-2021 financial year and a non-significant positive trend in subsequent years. Mean post-COVID antireflux procedures were also significantly lower (5548 vs 4256, p=0.03). Conclusion The procedures required for training in Benign Upper GI surgery in the UK are occurring with lower frequency than before the COVID pandemic. Whilst this may reflect ongoing operational pressures, or changes in clinical practice, this evidence suggests that training opportunities are now less frequent. This highlights the importance of focussed training and an awareness of training needs amongst both trainees and their mentors.

Abstract 4119613: Evaluation of Gender, Racial and Ethnic Differences in Time to PCI in the Pre and Post Covid-19 Era

Introduction: Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is recommended for reperfusion of patients presenting with ST-segment myocardial infarction (STEMI) within 90 minutes. In this study, we sought to identify differences in PCI timing based on gender, race and ethnicity in the pre- and post-COVID era. Methods: We collected retrospective data on 760 patients admitted with STEMI at our quaternary academic medical center from 2018-2022. We defined our binary outcome as time to PCI less than 90 minutes, and adjusted for transfers from outside hospitals. We utilized univariate logistic regression analysis to analyze the association of demographic, clinical, and cardiac catheterization details on our outcome. We then utilized multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine the association of our covariates of interests with time to PCI. The logistic regression model was adjusted for collinearity which were deemed not significant. Results: Among our study population, COVID did not significantly impact whether or not a patient had a diagnostic cardiac catheterization on univariate analysis (OR 2.68, 95% CI 0.61-18.40, p=0.23). However, the post-COVID era was significantly associated with a delayed time to PCI on multivariate analysis [OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.04-2.55, p=0.035) [Figure 1]. In addition, females were 1.8x more likely to have a delayed PCI than males on multivariate regression [OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.10-2.95, p= 0.019) [Figure 1]. Interestingly, on multivariate analysis, females were more likely to have delayed reperfusion in the pre-COVID era (OR 2.92, 1.29-6.77,p= 0.01) but not the post-COVID era (OR 1.54, 0.78-3.06,p=0.2134). Patients in the post-COVID era had increased risk of having their culprit coronary not revascularized on multivariate analysis (OR 2.85, 1.2-8.03, p= 0.03). Conclusions: At our center, COVID did not significantly impact cardiac catheterization rates. However, COVID was significantly associated with delayed reperfusion timing and not revascularizing culprit vessels. Females were much more likely to have a delayed PCI than males in the pre-COVID era which was not seen following COVID-19.

Preventing health care worker burnout in primary care settings through the trauma-informed CARES leadership competency model.

Staff burnout, a pervasive and persistent issue in the Canadian primary care environment, demands urgent and immediate attention. The managerial response to this problem has been largely reactive, especially in the post-COVID era. The need for proactive approaches to equip health leaders to detect early signs of burnout in healthcare workers and intervene effectively is more pressing than ever. Health leaders are beginning to acknowledge the significant role that trauma plays in impacting workers' propensity to experience burnout, leading to the growing recognition of trauma-informed best practices in healthcare management. This article will introduce the CARES model, a leadership competency framework that underscores the connections between leadership competencies and employee-leader engagement to detect early signs of burnout in primary care workers. The model, along with the proposed CARES toolkit, strongly emphasizes trauma-informed best practices and will enable health managers to better proactively prevent burnout through appropriate, empathetic, and efficient interventions.

Telehealth Research Strategies in a Post COVID-19 Era: A Roadmap for the Coming Decade.

An Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-funded Think Tank, held at Michigan State University, brought together a wide range of subject matter experts in telemedicine, telehealth, digital health, digital access, and health care. The authors of this article represented a group focused on the research needs, constructs, and strategies in the post-COVID era. While telemedicine and telehealth grew exponentially during the pandemic, the challenges that have been with us for decades, while ameliorated to some extent, remain. To showcase the State of Michigan as a model, the authors reviewed challenges and opportunities related to telehealth and telemedicine usage and categorized them into seven areas of highest priority. Based on a review of the literature and consultation in the fields of telehealth, telemedicine, and digital access, we identified seven key categories where research would be most effective going forward. These categories include research into the impact of telehealth on clinical services, telehealth's use in administrative activities, education and training for health care providers and patients, telehealth policy implications at state and federal levels, the impact of future technology and innovation on telehealth services, patient characteristics and their experiences, and the ethical aspects of telehealth in the future. We have formulated this overview of our findings to act as a roadmap for future telehealth research. We recommend that ongoing studies should explore each of the seven categories identified above. The search for solutions to overcome the challenges within these topics must not be constrained to research that has been conducted recently; many of these challenges have faced telehealth researchers for decades, and numerous solutions have been proposed over the years. Some of these proposals should be explored once again in light of technological and societal advances. The findings from these studies should be shared in ways and through venues that can make them accessible outside the spheres of academic research, but also by practitioners, policymakers, and patients. Third, research into telehealth in all its incarnations must be prioritized, and leadership is needed to ensure these areas of study are continued to be spotlighted after the noise of the COVID-19 pandemic grows quiet.

Transforming STEM Education with Design Thinking

This poster showcases the Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) pedagogy designed for a health discipline course at an Australian University. The use of the design thinking process for problem-based learning was implemented to enhance first-year students' creative and digital skills. Collaboration with the industry partners enabled an authentic learning experience. In the post-COVID era, students are more diverse, demanding, discerning, and inclined towards flexible learning to shape their educational experiences. To meet these evolving needs, we adhered to digital accessibility guidelines and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, promoting inclusive education. A student-centric approach to TEL pedagogy is essential for delivering authentic and connected learning experiences (Ní Shé, 2022). In our health course, we designed interactive content using HTML5 Package (H5P) to create engaging learning materials and activities in health course modules. This included multiple-choice questions, interactive text, images, and videos, providing opportunities for students to answer questions, solve problems, and explore content knowledge. This also included formative feedback and opportunities for students to test their understanding. Additionally, design thinking was incorporated to allow students to test their understanding of the health applications, solve ‘wicked’ real-world problems and create human-centric solutions (Brenner et al., 2016). In a three-week course module, Week 1 presented an open-ended real-world problem, designed and developed in collaboration with an industry partner, to help students understand user needs and pain points. Later in the week, students defined the problem by narrowing the scope down and identifying characteristics of the user persona. In Week 2, students ideated multiple responses to the defined problem, utilising problem-solving skills and creativity (Jia, Jalaludin, & Rasul, 2023) to think critically and brainstorm the appropriate solutions using Miro, and then created a low-fidelity prototype to meet the user requirements. In Week 3, students applied their knowledge to test the solution against user needs, constructively aligned with the industry practices. Through the experience of design thinking to solve open-ended, real-world problems, we employed problem-solving learning pedagogy to develop an iterative process of group work (Dam?a & Wittek, 2020). Academics acted as facilitators rather than traditional lecturers, providing support and resources as needed, but allowing students to take the lead. Students took responsibility for their learning by collaborating to explore design thinking and refining their solutions as they gathered information and feedback from various sources, integrating their own disciplinary knowledge as jigsaw pieces (Calkins & Rivnary 2022). For the purpose of authentic assessment, we designed challenging activities that required students to apply design thinking in problem-solving. The assessment tasks focused on both the process and the final solution, as well as the reflective component, including self-assessment and peer assessment. Students increased their effort towards this problem-based assessment because it held more real-life relevance and allowed them to apply their knowledge and skills in practical contexts.

Towards social sustainability in urban communities: exploring how community parks influence residents’ social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 outbreak and associated lockdowns have heightened the challenges of social isolation in urban communities. Social interaction is recognized as a key factor in promoting people’s health, wellbeing, and social sustainability within urban communities. Public open spaces serve as a vital link between communities’ environment and individuals’ wellbeing. However, there has been limited research exploring how community parks impact residents’ social interaction in urban communities during the pandemic, particularly a lack of in-depth qualitative research in this area. To address this gap, this research investigated the impact of community parks on social interaction in master-planned communities in Sydney, using a qualitative case study method. A total of sixteen residents living in two selected communities—Breakfast Point and Liberty Grove—were interviewed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. It was found that three themes and seven underlying subthemes of park-use factors influence residents’ social interactions: (1) quality of park spaces (rest spaces, BBQ/picnic recreation spaces, children’s playgrounds, sport facilities, and nature amenities), (2) pedestrian integration of parks (interconnected park network and well-dispersed small parks), and (3) pedestrian connectivity with surroundings. The findings provide theoretical, empirical, and practical implications for promoting social wellbeing and community sustainability in the post-COVID era.

Infection Control in Dentistry in the Post-COVID Era: A Timely Update

Infection Control in Dentistry in the Post-COVID Era: A Timely Update

Facing a new reality: significant increase in necrotizing fasciitis in the post-covid era?

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a rare, rapidly progressing soft tissue infection characterized by the widespread necrosis of fascial planes and surrounding tissues. We discuss four consecutive necrotizing fasciitis cases of the head and neck region, that accured in a time window of 6 months. Patient demographics, clinical features, laboratory analyses, imaging findings, surgical interventions, and outcome were collected, assessed and discussed. These findings were checked against recent epidemiological data of invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) in Europe. Four patients (two males and two females) aged between 31 and 65 years were included. The most common presenting symptom was severe pain and facial swelling (100%), followed by fever (50%) and erythema (50%). All patients underwent emergency surgical debridement, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy was initiated promptly. Streptococcus pyogenes was isolated in every patient. Three patients required multiple debridement procedures, and one case necessitated extensive neck resection due to the involvement of deeper structures. Overall, two patients recovered with no to minor residual deficits, one patient experienced persistent trismus and one patient passed away due to septic shock and multiorgan failure. Prevalence of iGAS infections have increased in European countries, therefore increased vigilance is recommended so that a quick diagnosis can be established and appropriate treatment can be administered to avoid serious morbidity and mortality.

The impact of restaurant safety measures on customer revisit intentions in the post-covid era

ABSTRACT Restaurant safety measures have become a key concern for customers since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has increased customers’ awareness and concern toward restaurants’ hygiene standards. This study investigated the influence of restaurant safety measures on customer revisit intentions in the post-pandemic era with the mediating effect of customer engagement, gratification, and perceived risk reduction. A quantitative survey-based study was conducted using a structured questionnaire on 248 restaurant customers in Penang and Selangor, Malaysia. The findings reveal that restaurant safety measures do not directly influence customer revisit intentions. In contrast, customer engagement, gratification, and perceived risk reduction positively mediate the relationship between restaurant safety measures and customer revisit intentions. This study provides significant theoretical and practical implications by highlighting insights into how restaurant safety measures trigger customers to revisit restaurants for the restaurant authorities in Malaysia.

Embracing the New Normal or Clinging to the Past? Digital Anxiety Among Elementary School Teachers in Post-COVID Taiwan

AbstractThis study investigates the extent of digital anxiety among elementary school teachers in Hsinchu City, Taiwan, in the context of the post-COVID new normal. Specifically, the study employs the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) to measure the level of anxiety experienced by teachers in adapting to digital teaching methods. The online survey was conducted in November 2021, and 358 valid responses were obtained from Hsinchu City. The results of the survey provides insights into the challenges that teachers face in adapting to the new normal and the impact of digital anxiety on their change of teaching. Result reveals that when going back to teaching face-to-face, teachers’ levels of depression, anxiety, and stress soon returned to normal. However, the stress of teachers without kids and special education teachers dropped dramatically. Overall, this research provides a comprehensive analysis of digital anxiety among elementary school teachers in Hsinchu City and offers recommendations for supporting teachers' well-being and promoting effective digital teaching practices in the post-COVID era.

How have respiratory tract infections changed in the post-covid era for children under 5 years?

Abstract Background Social distancing measures introduced in response to the covid-19 pandemic reduced transmission of all respiratory pathogens. Exposure to respiratory pathogens in early life affects future lung health. We aimed to describe changes in the incidence of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in children <5 years in England in the post-pandemic era. Methods Population-based retrospective cohort study using electronic health records. We included all children aged <5 years registered with a primary care practice from April 2016 to March 2023. We compared monthly GP consultation rates for RTIs in the two post-pandemic years (April 2021 - March 2022 and April 2022 - March 2023) with corresponding months during pre-pandemic years (April 2016 - February 2020). Results There were 3 045 701 respiratory tract infections among 2 894 539 children <5 years registered with a GP practice during the study period. Pre-pandemic, monthly RTI rates varied from lows of 29.1 per 100 child-years in August to highs of 108.8 per 100 child-years in November. In 2021/22, monthly RTI rates were bimodal peaking in June and October, although the winter peak was lower than pre-pandemic years and mean monthly RTI rates were ∼15% lower overall. In 2022/23 mean monthly RTI rates remained ∼15% lower than pre-pandemic years, but there was a single peak in December 2022 of 117.6 RTIs per 100 child-years, exceeding the pre-pandemic winter peaks by 8.1%. Conclusions Overall, monthly RTIs in post-pandemic years were 15% lower than pre-pandemic years. However, there was a concerning peak in December 2022 that exceeded the winter peaks from previous years. Comparisons with national surveillance data suggest this peak reflects changes in RTI incidence, particularly among group A streptococcal infections, but this peak may also reflect changes in access to care or healthcare seeking behaviour. Continued monitoring of post-pandemic seasonal patterns will assist in planning for health service use. Key messages • Respiratory tract infections in children <5 years in post-pandemic years were 15% lower than pre-pandemic years, but winter peaks in incidence may be of greater magnitude in the post pandemic era. • Ongoing monitoring of patterns of respiratory tract infections in young children is important for future health service planning and delivery.

TRANSFORMATION OF DIGITAL INNOVATION IN EDUCATION IN THE POST-COVID ERA: AN EXPLORATION CENTERED ON DRONES AND VIRTUAL REALITY

The relevance of this study is underscored by the significant shifts in traditional methods of teaching software disciplines in the post-COVID era. The widespread adoption of remote learning and integrating innovative technologies have necessitated re-evaluating educational practices. This study aims to explore the impact of modern innovative technologies on the effectiveness of education and the quality of learning in the post-COVID period. The primary method employed in this study was a survey, through which questions related to the use of drones and virtual reality (VR) technologies in the educational process were posed to students and educators. The results obtained during this study indicate a high level of acceptance by modern students and their educators of the role of drones and VR technologies in the educational environment of contemporary educational institutions. Participants in the surveys positively assessed the transformation trends of innovative technologies in the educational environment, which applies to almost all groups of students and educators without exception, regardless of their specialties. Respondents highlighted multiple positive effects of integrating drones and VR technologies into the educational space of educational institutions, including a high level of comfort when using these technical devices, improvement in the perception of educational material, and enhancement of the quality of mastering software disciplines. Both educators and students positively view the emerging prospects of practical use of drones and VR technologies in educational institutions' educational space, particularly in the post-COVID period and beyond.

Exploring the experience of cardiothoracic ICU clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: A grounded theory study.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic a flexible approach to visiting was adopted by many Intensive Care Units in the United Kingdom. Due to the rapid spread globally of COVID-19, significant policy changes were put in place, including the restriction on visitors to patients in hospital. Evidence has emerged demonstrating the negative impact of these restrictions on patients with COVID-19, their families and the staff caring for them. However, there is limited data about the impact of these restrictions in the non-COVID ICU environment. This study aimed to explore the experiences of staff caring for non-COVID-19 patients in a cardiothoracic critical care unit during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative research study adopted a grounded theory methodological approach. This methodology was used due to the unique situation, with no prior research available. We recruited healthcare staff that worked in a cardiothoracic critical care unit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi structured interviews were carried out, transcribed, and analysed. Using the data collected, a theory was constructed. Interviews were carried out with 20 healthcare staff from a range of professions including nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals. Following data analysis four main categories emerged from the data: impact and implementation of visiting restrictions; the dehumanisation of patients; end-of-life care and witnessing distress. From these four categories, a theory has emerged suggesting that healthcare staff in a non-covid ICU were regularly exposed to potentially moral injurious events, despite being shielded from caring for patients with COVID-19. This study provides a theory that healthcare staff caring for non-COVID-19 critical care patients during the period of visiting restrictions were exposed to potentially morally injurious events. Repeated exposure to potentially morally injurious events can lead to the development of moral injury and its adverse consequences. This study highlights the need to support all staff in the post COVID era, including those who worked in a non-COVID environment.

Breast Cancer Detection System Using Machine Learning

This study, titled "Students' Attitudes in the Post-COVID Era: A Study on the Impact of Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic," explores the effects of the rapid shift to online learning on students' attitudes, experiences, and future expectations in education. The COVID-19 pandemic forced educational institutions worldwide to adopt online learning models, which significantly altered the traditional dynamics of teaching and learning. This research investigates how students from diverse educational levels and backgrounds responded to these changes, examining both the positive and negative aspects of online learning. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining quantitative data from 400 students through surveys. Key findings reveal that while students appreciated the flexibility and convenience of online learning, many struggled with engagement, technical difficulties, and feelings of isolation. The study also highlights how socioeconomic factors and access to technology influenced students’ experiences, with those from underprivileged backgrounds facing greater challenges. A significant portion of students expressed a preference for blended learning models, which integrate both online and in-person elements. The research concludes that online learning has the potential to enhance education if critical challenges such as the digital divide, mental health support, and hands-on learning deficiencies are addressed. The study’s recommendations focus on adopting flexible learning approaches, improving digital infrastructure, and providing better support for both students and educators in the evolving educational landscape. This study provides valuable insights into the future of education post-pandemic and suggests that, with the right interventions, the digital transformation in education can lead to more inclusive and effective learning environments.

E-Learning in the Post-COVID Era: Undergraduate Students’ Experience in Nigerian Universities

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted traditional classroom learning in Nigerian universities and prompted the adoption of e-learning as an alternative means of delivering academic content. This research paper aimed to explore the experience of undergraduate students in Nigerian universities during the post-COVID era, with a specific focus on the effectiveness of e-learning. This study employed a quantitative approach. The study population consisted of 237 undergraduate students from seven selected universities in Nigeria. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire. The findings of this study showed that while e-learning has its advantages, it also presents several challenges to undergraduate students in Nigerian universities. Some of the challenges include poor internet connectivity, lack of access to electronic devices, and insufficient training on how to use e-learning platforms. The study recommends that Nigerian universities and the government should invest in improving internet connectivity and power supply to support e-learning; and institutions should provide consistent and comprehensive technical support to all students, ensuring they have the necessary resources and assistance.

Exploring the changing landscape of medical imaging: insights from highly cited studies before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To investigate whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed medical imaging trends by synthesizing the highly cited studies before and during the pandemic. In this cross-sectional study, we identified highly cited studies on medical imaging from the essential science indicators (ESI) database, categorizing them into two periods: before the pandemic (January 2016-December 2019) and during the pandemic (January 2020-December 2023). We conducted a global research landscape comparative analysis and utilized CiteSpace and VOSviewer software to create knowledge maps for analyzing the co-occurrences of keywords and references in this field. A total of 2914 highly cited studies were included in this study, which revealed a notable 30.1% increase in medical imaging publications during the pandemic. Enhanced international cooperation has been observed, with European countries and the US leading the research efforts. Keyword analysis revealed that artificial intelligence (AI) has remained a dominant hotspot in medical imaging research before and during the pandemic. References analysis showed a shift in focus towards COVID-19-related studies, overshadowing some important areas including cancer imaging, cardiac imaging, and neuroimaging. Over the past four years, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in the research output, international collaborations, and hotspots within highly cited medical imaging studies. Navigating the post-COVID era, it is imperative to continue fostering international collaboration, prioritize resource allocation to refocus on overlooked research areas, and develop long-term strategic plans to prepare for and mitigate the impact of future public health crises. Question Understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed medical imaging trends and priorities, which is crucial for preparing against future public health crises, remains unclear. Findings The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increases in highly cited medical imaging studies, enhancements in international collaborations, and shifts in research hotspots. Clinical relevance This study provides a comprehensive overview of highly cited studies on medical imaging before and during the pandemic, highlighting the pivotal role of AI in the post-COVID era and emphasizing the need to refocus on potentially neglected research areas.

Pandemic scars: long-term impact of COVID-19 on work stress among healthcare workers in China.

This study mainly focused on the long-term effect of different risk exposure levels and prior anti-epidemic experience of healthcare workers in mitigating COVID-19 on their work stress in the post-COVID era. The study sample included 359 physicians, 619 nurses, 229 technicians and 212 administrators, for a total of 1,419 healthcare workers working in the Lanzhou area during the investigation. Data were analyzed by multivariate regression models. Our findings indicated that the interaction between pandemic effect mitigation experience and high-risk exposure significantly affected healthcare workers in the post-COVID era by increasing their work stress (p<0.001) and reducing their rest time (p<0.001). Healthcare workers may have experienced worse outcomes in the long term if they had higher levels of risk exposure and more experience in fighting epidemics. Furthermore, poor mental health (p<0.001) and prior experience with SARS (p<0.001) further amplified these adverse effects. However, surprisingly, we did not observe any effect of prior anti-epidemic experience or high-risk exposure on the mental health of healthcare workers in the post-COVID era (p>0.1). The adverse impact of COVID-19 may have left long-lasting effects on Health professionals (HPs), particularly those with high Risk exposure (RE) and more mitigation experience. Poor Mental health (MH) and previous experience in mitigating previous similar outbreaks (such as SARS) are risk factors that should be considered. Support programs must be designed and promoted to help HPs respond and improve their performance. Our study presents compelling evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic will have long-term detrimental effects on the work stress of healthcare workers.

국내외 교육 커먼즈 연구에 관한 체계적 문헌고찰

Objectives This study aims to identify the landscape of discussions on educational commons in domestic and international research, discover the value of educational commons, and explore its applicability. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted on 28 studies related to educational commons (5 domestic and 23 international). For data collection, various combinations of the keywords “education” and “commons” were searched on academic databases, including RISS, KISS, SCHOLA, eArticle, DBpia, domestic and international university libraries' databases, and Google Scholar. The searches were conducted twice between January 19, 2024, and January 26, 2024. The final selected literature underwent a process of planning, screening, extraction, and implementation, with frequency analysis conducted using SPSS 18. Results Research was minimal from 2008 to 2018 but increased from 2019, with the most studies conducted in 2023, sparking related discussions. All studies proposed educational commons as an alternative educational framework based on concerns about capitalist and neoliberal educational systems. The most common research methods were literature reviews and case studies. The main trend was that discussions on educational systems emerged as a key debate surrounding educational commons. Interest in educational commons is growing in various fields, such as environmental and civic education. Additionally, the discourse on educational commons is expanding beyond schools to broader social contexts, covering from preschool children to adults. Conclusions Educational commons is confirmed to be a crucial concept for reimagining and realizing new education in the post-COVID era. However, to enhance both the quantity and quality of discourse on educational commons, it is necessary to 1) reach an academic consensus on the scope of the concept of educational commons, 2) engage in more fundamental discussions on educational commons, and 3) consider the discourse within the context of a digital-based society. It is suggested that future research on educational commons suitable for domestic circumstances should accumulate both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Business models transformation in the creative industries: Performing arts organizations in the post-COVID era

Rapid changes in the business models (BMs) of cultural and creative industries (CCIs) have occurred recently, owing largely to the dynamics accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and technological evolution, which have resulted in a strong interconnection between social, cultural, and digital challenges. The present review highlights the main changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the BM of 12 Italian performing arts organizations using a mixed research methodology (qualitative and quantitative) carried out through semi-structured interviews, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis, and an analysis of the economic-financial data of the organizations involved. The paper presents the study&amp;rsquo;s main findings and contrasts them with some recent scientific research on BM, allowing for comparison and debate on significant issues developed (new technologies and social and environmental impact). The uniqueness of the approach employed in this review lies in recognizing these characteristics, particularly the challenges of sustainability, as critical in producing value for CCI.

Evaluation of the Clinical Impact of a Smartphone Application for Cataract Detection.

Background Approximately 10 million people in India suffer from bilateral blindness, with cataracts accounting for roughly 70% of these cases. However, there is a severe scarcity of ophthalmologists in India (12,000 across the country), which makes routine cataract screening very difficult, particularly in rural areas. To tackle this problem, we investigated the use of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based application for cataract screening at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bibinagar, that can be used by nursing officers and other healthcare professionals as a primary screening tool. Ophthalmologists from AIIMS Bibinagar additionally validate the results of this application. Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the clinical performance of a smartphone-based cataract screening application that uses an AI module to identify cataracts in photos taken with the device's camera. The study compared the application's results with diagnoses made by ophthalmologists using a slit lamp. Methods At AIIMS Bibinagar, 495 patients participated in a prospective clinical trial. The AI-based screening solution examined smartphone images that were taken in accordance with a set protocol to identify whether cataracts were present. The results of the application were then compared with the diagnoses made by ophthalmologists based on slit-lamp tests. Results The study included 990 eye images. The AI screening application demonstrated an overall accuracy of 90.01% for cataract detection. Specific metrics include a sensitivity of 89.50%, specificity of 89.73%, precision of 91.43%, and an F1 score of 90.36%. The positive predictive value (PPV) was approximately 91.3%, based on 485 true positives and 46 false positives. The negative predictive value (NPV) was approximately 87.6%, based on 402 true negatives and 57 false negatives. Conclusions The smartphone-based cataract screening application proves to be an effective tool for community-level cataract screening in remote areas where access to expensive equipment and specialized ophthalmic care is limited. Its high accuracy and efficiency make it a valuable option for low-resource settings and suitable for home screening, particularly in the post-COVID era.