Scheduled Courses Research Articles

Effectiveness of Switching to Right Unilateral From Bilateral Stimulation in Patients With Inadequate Seizures During Acute Electroconvulsive Therapy

Aim To determine the effectiveness of switching to right unilateral (RUL) from bilateral (BL) stimulation in patients with inadequate seizures during acute electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Methods A retrospective review of medical records was conducted of patients admitted to the Department of Psychiatry, Hiroshima Citizens Hospital, who received acute ECT from January 2019 to December 2021. Clinical characteristics including ECT procedures and adverse events were examined in patients who switched to RUL from BL. Results Thirteen patients (7 male and 6 female patients, 66–89 years old) underwent switching to RUL from BL. The total number of ECT sessions including those for seizure titration per patient ranged from 10 to 31, whereas after switching, the number of RUL ECT sessions ranged from 2 to 18. Adequate seizure stimulation was observed from 0 to 11 sessions in patients who underwent RUL. The titrated seizure threshold for RUL was 25.2 mC in 3, 50.4 mC in 8, 75.6 mC, and 100.8 mC in 1. Clinical improvement, assessed by Clinical Global Impressions—Improvement score, was noted in all patients after switching. At the end of the acute ECT course, which included concurrent oral theophylline augmentation in 4 and shortened pulse width in 1 patient, the Clinical Global Impressions—Improvement score was very much improved in 9 and much improved in 3. All 13 patients finished the scheduled ECT course. Conclusion Switching to RUL from BL can be considered as an effective treatment option for patients undergoing ECT with inadequate seizures.

Time and doctoral degrees wait for no one: an autoethnography on the creation of a culture of support in an online EdD program amidst a global pandemic

Purpose March 2020 signaled school closures and moves online for many institutions, but an online EdD program at a midsize, Christian university featured fewer than-expected programmatic changes. Because of its modality, program operations continued with relatively few changes. Although COVID-19-related campus closures did not interrupt these students’ scheduled courses, they substantively impacted their personal and professional lives. As a result, the authors in the program-specific writing center serving these students found themselves helping them navigate not only stresses related to the already-strenuous task of writing a dissertation but also personal and professional anxieties related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to explore and reflect on the strategies employed by a program‐specific writing center to support doctoral students during the COVID‐19 pandemic, focusing on relaxed scheduling policies, emotional support beyond writing, and fostering deeper interpersonal connections to address the unique challenges students faced during this period. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted an autoethnographic exploration of their experiences to consider and examine effective strategies for supporting students in times of stress. The authors guided this inquiry by reviewing logs, notes and video recordings of sessions held or rescheduled in Spring 2020. Findings The authors identified three major themes in how they adjusted their approach to considering the pandemic: relaxed scheduling policies, emotional support beyond the writing process by permitting students to set the writing aside while they focused on the more immediate concerns emerging from the rapid onset of pandemic life and intentionally using the opportunity to form deeper interpersonal connections with students in their home environments. Originality/value As institutions reflect on lessons learned during pandemic stresses, closures and mandates, intentional exploration and reflection allow for a greater understanding of what improvements the authors can make to future practice. This uniquely positioned study offers a valuable perspective on supporting students through crisis.

Timetabling Courses in Single-Subject Intensive Block Scheduling: Challenges and Solutions

Block scheduling employs non-traditional approaches to the structure of class meeting times. Developing the schedule of courses offered during an academic term presents unique challenges for single-subject intensive block scheduling compared to traditional scheduling. This paper analyzes the key challenges, offers solutions, and identifies areas for future research.

Programmable Lipid Bilayer Tension-Control Apparatus for Quantitative Mechanobiology.

The biological membrane is not just a platform for information processing but also a field of mechanics. The lipid bilayer that constitutes the membrane is an elastic body, generating stress upon deformation, while the membrane protein embedded therein deforms the bilayer through structural changes. Among membrane-protein interplays, various channel species act as tension-current converters for signal transduction, serving as elementary processes in mechanobiology. However, in situ studies in chaotically complex cell membranes are challenging, and characterizing the tension dependency of mechanosensitive channels remains semiquantitative owing to technical limitations. Here, we developed a programmable membrane tension-control apparatus on a lipid bilayer system. This synthetic membrane system [contact bubble bilayer (CBB)] uses pressure to drive bilayer tension changes via the Young-Laplace principle, whereas absolute bilayer tension is monitored in real-time through image analysis of the bubble geometry via the Young principle. Consequently, the mechanical nature of the system permits the implementation of closed-loop feedback control of bilayer tension (tension-clamp CBB), maintaining a constant tension for minutes and allowing stepwise tension changes within a hundred milliseconds in the tension range of 0.8 to 15 mN·m-1. We verified the system performance by examining the single-channel behavior of tension-dependent KcsA and TREK-1 potassium channels under scheduled tension time courses prescribed via visual interfaces. The result revealed steady-state activity and dynamic responses to the step tension changes, which are essential to the biophysical characterization of the channels. The apparatus explores a frontier for quantitative mechanobiology studies and promotes the development of a tension-operating experimental robot.

Programmed cell death 1 inhibitor sintilimab plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, a malignancy that arises in the cells of the pancreas, is a devastating disease with unclear etiology and often poor prognosis. Locally advanced pancreatic cancer, a stage where the tumor has grown significantly but has not yet spread to distant organs, presents unique challenges in treatment. This article aims to discuss the current strategies, challenges, and future directions in the management of locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (LAPC). To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor sintilimab plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy for LAPC. Eligible patients had LAPC, an Eastern cooperative oncology group performance status of 0 or 1, adequate organ and marrow functions, and no prior anticancer therapy. In the observation group, participants received intravenous sintilimab 200 mg once every 3 wk, and received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (concurrent conventional fractionated radiotherapy with doses planning target volume 50.4 Gy and gross tumor volume 60 Gy in 28 fractions and oral S-1 40 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1-14 of a 21-d cycle and intravenous gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 of a 21-d cycle for eight cycles until disease progression, death, or unacceptable toxicity). In the control group, participants only received concurrent chemoradiotherapy. From April 2020 to November 2021, 64 participants were finally enrolled with 34 in the observation group and 30 in the control group. Thirty-four patients completed the scheduled course of chemoradiotherapy, while 32 (94.1%) received sintilimab plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy with 2 patients discontinuing sintilimab in the observation group. Thirty patients completed the scheduled course of chemoradiotherapy in the control group. Based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors guidelines, the analysis of the observation group revealed that a partial response was observed in 11 patients (32.4%), stable disease was evident in 19 patients (55.9%), and 4 patients (11.8%) experienced progressive disease; a partial response was observed in 6 (20.0%) patients, stable disease in 18 (60%), and progressive disease in 6 (20%) in the control group. The major toxic effects were leukopenia and nausea. The incidence of severe adverse events (AEs) (grade 3 or 4) was 26.5% (9/34) in the observation group and 23.3% (7/30) in the control group. There were no treatment-related deaths. The observation group demonstrated a significantly longer median overall survival (22.1 mo compared to 15.8 mo) (P < 0.05) and progression-free survival (12.2 mo vs 10.1 mo) (P < 0.05) in comparison to the control group. The occurrence of severe AEs did not exhibit a statistically significant difference between the observation group and the control group (P > 0.05). Sintilimab plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy was effective and safe for LAPC patients, and warrants further investigation.

The Influence of Artificial Intelligence Technology on the Optimization of the Teaching Model of Higher Education in the Context of the Pandemic

The environment of the epidemic is a life changer for everyone, and specifically for the educational system is progress. In order to overcome the challenges in the educational system, this study proposes a new intelligent approach to teaching and learning. Teaching plays a vital role in higher education and can be advanced by utilising certain tools and technologies such as internet enabled mobile applications, automated scheduling of courses, assessment etc. The Emergency Distance Learning Methodology (EDLM) is proposed to improve the teaching-learning process by implementing artificial intelligence. Comparing the proposed system with the existing qualitative response analysis methods, it is observed that the proposed system provides 98.56% accuracy over the existing models. This study aims to assess the optimisation of teaching and learning models in higher education.

Efficacy of perioperative FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy versus FLOT chemotherapy in patients with resectable adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction (SIEWERT types II–III, cT4aN0M0, T1–4cN+ cM0): preliminary results of the study

Introduction: The main current approach to the treatment of patients with resectable cancer of the stomach and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) is perioperative FLOT chemotherapy. The mFOLFIRINOX regimen has been shown to be effective and safe in disseminated adenocarcinoma of the stomach and GEJ. This article presents preliminary results of the efficacy and safety assessment of perioperative FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy in patients with resectable cancer of the stomach and gastroesophageal junction.Materials and Methods: The FOLFIRINOX / FLOT study is a phase 2 / 3 open-label, randomized trial. Study enrollment was started in January 2019 and is currently ongoing. The inclusion criteria are: histologically confirmed resectable adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction, Siewert types II–III, clinical stage cT4aN0M0, cT1–4N1–3M0 or cT2–4N0–3M0, with total or subtotal involvement of the stomach. The following regimens were used for perioperative chemotherapy: FLOT — docetaxel 50 mg / m2 on day 1, oxaliplatin 85 mg / m2 on day 1, leucovorin 200 mg / 2 on day 1, 5FU 2600 mg / m2 × 24 hours starting on day 1, or mFOLFIRINOX — irinotecan 180 mg / m2 on day 1, oxaliplatin 85 mg / 2 on day 1, leucovorin 200 mg / m2 on day 1, 5FU 250 mg / m2 bolus on day 1 and then 2200 mg / m2 × 48 hours on day 1. The primary endpoint was 5‑year overall survival.Results: All planned preoperative courses of chemotherapy had been administered to 25 (86 %) patients in the FLOT group (n = 29) and 22 (92 %) patients in the FOLFIRINOX group (n = 24). Four (12 %) and 2 (8 %) patients in the FLOT and FOLFIRINOX groups, respectively, discontinued the treatment. The surgical staging was used in 48 patients (91 %) (25 [86 %] in the FLOT group and 23 [96 %] in the FOLFIRINOX group). Complete tumor regression (Mandard grade 1) had been achieved in 4 patients (2 [7 %] in the FLOT group and 2 [8 %] in the FOLFIRINOX group). Postoperative complications were detected in 2 patients (8 %) in the FLOT group and 4 (17 %) in the FOLFRIRNOX group. Thirty-three patients (62 %) received all scheduled postoperative treatment courses (n = 19, 66 % for FLOT and n = 14, 58 % for FOLFIRINOX).Conclusions: The preliminary results of the FOLFIRINOX / FLOT study showed comparable tolerability of the regimens and comparable complete pathological response rates. However, there was a higher incidence of postoperative complications detected among patients who received the FOLFIRINOX regimen compared to the FLOT group.

Factors Associated with Poor Quality of Sleep on Medical Students at Faculty of Medicine Udayana University

Background: Medical students are among the populations most vulnerable to poor sleep quality. This was a result due to the demanding schedule and extensive course material required of a prospective physician. Sleep problems may contribute to malpractice, burnout, and a decline in professionalism at work. For that reason, monitoring sleep quality becomes an important matter to optimize the use of future health services. Purpose: To identify factors contributing to poor sleep quality in medical students of the Faculty of Medicine at Udayana University. Methods: This study was a descriptive study with a cross-sectional approach in which data were gathered by distributing a questionnaire to medical students at the Faculty of Medicine Udayana University. SPSS was used to analyze data using both univariate and bivariate analysis. Results: This study was participated by 369 medical students at the Faculty of Medicine Udayana University in from academic year 2020, 2021, and 2022. The prevalence of poor sleep quality obtained from the statistics was 285 students 77,2%. This study looks into nine variables that are thought to be associated with sleep quality. Data analysis results indicated three factors were strongly linked with poor sleep quality which was sleep hygiene (p=0.000), academic stress (p=0.000), and caffeine consumption (p=0.014). Conclusion: Poor quality of sleep in medical students at the Faculty of Medicine Udayana University was found having important significancy (p&lt;0.05) with poor sleep hygiene, high levels of academic stress, and routine caffeine consumption. Keywords: sleep quality, medical student, sleep quality factors

An Electronic and Web-Based Authentication, Identification, and Logging Management System

The need for participants’ performance assessments in academia and industry has been a growing concern. It has attendance, among other metrics, is a key factor in engendering a holistic approach to decision-making. For institutions or organizations where managing people is an important yet challenging task, attendance tracking and management could be employed to improve this seemingly time-consuming process while keeping an accurate attendance record. The manual/quasi-analog approach of taking attendance in some institutions could be unreliable and inefficient, leading to inaccurate computation of attendance rates and data loss. This work, therefore, proposes a system that employs embedded technology and a biometric/ web-based application to enhance attendance management. The hardware encompasses the integration of an ESP8266 NodeMCU and the biometric AS608 fingerprint sensor interfaced with the database for which the front-end and back-end integration was through the React framework. The system uses a web application that displays the attendance results and scheduled course data from its database, provides feedback to lecturers on which student missed classes and calculates a student’s average attendance for the semester. By implementing this system, the accuracy of student attendance is expected to experience an appreciable improvement, eliminate proxy signing, provide a more secure alternative for attendance recording, curtail tardiness to classes, and ultimately improve student productivity on execution.

A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Planned Video-assisted Health Educational Program on Knowledge of Health Hazards and its Prevention Among Selected Sanitary Workers of City Corporation Kalaburagi District of Karnataka State

Aim: The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a planned video-assisted health educational program on knowledge of health hazards and its prevention among selected sanitary workers of the city corporation Kalaburagi district of Karnataka state.Materials and Methods: This study used quasi-experimental methods. In this study, a single-group pre-test and post-test research design was used. City corporation Kalaburagi district hosted this study. This study has 100 participants. The sample size is 100. The researcher employed basic random sampling in this investigation.Results: Most subjects (50%) were 30–39 years old. The sample was 51% male. Most subjects (40%) were high school graduates. Most sanitary workers were married (65%). Hindus make up 54% of respondents. About 31% had 1–5 years of experience. About 48% of subjects obtain TV info. It also found that 98% of sanitary staff had poor pre-test knowledge. In the post-test, 46% of subjects had enough knowledge of health hazard prevention after the scheduled video-assisted health educational course The respondents’ mean pre-test knowledge scores were 19.43 (38.86%) with a standard deviation of 3.143, indicating poor knowledge. After the planned video-assisted health educational session, respondents’ mean knowledge scores improved to 37.28 (74.56%) with a standard deviation of 2.985. Furthermore, at 0.01 significance, the “t” = 40.378 was bigger than the tablevalue. Age, gender, education, marital status, religion, prior employment experience providing sanitary services, and information source were not significant at the 0.05 levels. There is no significant correlation found between the knowledge level of sanitary workers and the studied factors.Conclusion: It appears that pre- and post-test sanitary workers’ health hazard prevention knowledge differs and program of video-assisted health education on health dangers and preventive for chosen sanitation personnel of City Corporation, Kalaburagi district, Karnataka.

ASSESSING “AGE-FRIENDLINESS” ON CAMPUS: LESSONS FROM GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY 50+ STUDENTS

Abstract Older students (aged 50+) are an important, yet underrecognized group on today’s college campuses. Many campuses lack age-friendliness, which deters older students from enrolling and creates barriers for these students. In an effort to better understand age-friendliness of Georgia State University (GSU) campuses, we conducted a survey in Fall 2019 (n=411; 39% response rate). The survey assessed motivations for attending school, challenges on campus, perceptions of how the university is currently addressing their needs, factors/resources that helped adjustment to school, and the extent to which they experienced age discrimination on campus. Of the respondents, 45% were undergraduates (50% identified as Black; 38% identified as White); 41% were graduate students (29% identified as Black; 62% identified as White), and 14% were non-degree students (24% identified as Black; 62% identified as White). Thematic analysis of the responses suggest that the main challenges experienced by GSU older students are course-related (e.g., course load, bureaucracy getting enrolled, limited class options, scheduled course times, course modalities) and time-related (e.g., balance between school, work, and family). For example, students noted, “difficulties finding study groups/lab partners due to age differences” and “administrators not taking older students serious.” Technology barriers were pervasive in the open responses. Respondents further identified faculty/instructors as key resources for overcoming barriers. The survey served as an initial needs assessment to answer institutional questions informing the journey to becoming designated as an Age Friendly University. Implications for increasing age inclusivity and supporting older students will be discussed.

NEONATAL PAIN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AMONG NURSES WORKING IN NEWBORN UNITS IN NYANZA AND WESTERN KENYA

Background: Newborn babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) and Newborn Units (NBUs) undergo several procedures that cause a significant amount of pain. Nurses play an essential role in the implementation of pain assessment and management measures in neonates. However, while it remains widely known that nurses play an important role in neonatal pain management, nurses’ practices on the management of pain in neonates admitted in Newborn care units have not been widely published within the nursing science.&#x0D; Objectives: To evaluate neonatal pain management practices among nurses working in newborn units in Nyanza and Western Kenya.&#x0D; Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study using qualitative and quantitative approaches was used targeting 89 nurses. The collection of data was done through semi-structured, self-administered questionnaires with both closed and open –ended questions. Qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews. Data obtained was analyzed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 22.0 software. The study assumed a confidence level of 95% and a (p) value equal to or less than 0.05 was considered significant. Qualitative data was analyzed through logic checks to understand the emerging themes. Descriptive statistical analysis was done using frequencies, percentage and means.&#x0D; Results: The study established that a small percentage of the nurses practiced pain management in neonates through use of non-pharmacologic (34.8%) and pharmacologic (28.1%) strategies. The commonly used non-pharmacologic strategies include changing of nappies (71.9%) and repositioning (68.5). Pain assessment was however seldom done.&#x0D; Conclusion: Following the results, the study concluded that nurses practice pain management in neonates by implementing non-pharmacological and pharmacological strategies. The commonly used pain management strategy in neonates is utilization of non-pharmacological strategies such as change of nappies repositioning and kangaroo mother care. However, gaps exist in knowledge and competency on neonatal pain management aspects and practice. The study therefore recommended enhancement of awareness on aspects of neonatal pain among nurses to facilitate improved pain management practices in neonates. Further strengthening of nurses’ knowledge and skills on pain management in neonates through attending scheduled short courses, workshops and on job training is recommended.&#x0D;

Study On Application of Open Online Psychological Courses to Mental Health Education of College Students

The mental health of college students is a growing concern, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This thesis investigates the role of open online psychological courses in addressing the mental health challenges confronted by college students. Using the most recent National Mental Health Development Report (2021-2022) by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which emphasises a high prevalence of depression among this demographic, this study investigates the effect of such courses on the mental health of students. The research objectives include an examination of the utilisation patterns of open online psychological courses, an evaluation of the mental health outcomes associated with these courses, and an investigation of the barriers preventing student participation. It also investigates how educational institutions address the mental health requirements of their students in view of the persistent psychological effects of the pandemic. The majority of college students find open online psychological courses beneficial for mental health enhancement. However, significant obstacles such as schedule constraints, financial constraints, and course quality concerns remain. In addition, the study highlights the potential for these courses to incorporate mental health support into the larger educational curriculum. This research has significant implications for policymakers, educational institutions, and mental health professionals, as it provides insights into strategies for enhancing college students' mental health support and education. By resolving these challenges and leveraging the benefits of open online courses, institutions can nurture a more resilient and psychologically healthy student population.

To Schedule or not to Schedule: The Effects of Course Structure on Programming MOOC Performance

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have become hugely popular recently. MOOCs can offer high-quality education for anyone interested and equalize the whole education field. Still, there are different methodologies for running MOOCs. Coming up with the most suitable methodology benefits both students and teachers. In this study, we have limited the methodological focus to observing scheduled and unscheduled instances of similar MOOC courses. While unscheduled MOOC courses can provide flexibility, they also require self-regulated learning strategies for students to succeed. To observe this, we compare the effectiveness of scheduled and unscheduled programming MOOC courses to find the most effective methodology. For this, we compare the pass rates and grade averages of five instances (two unscheduled and three scheduled) of Python and Java programming MOOCs. The results show that while the attendance numbers are higher in the unscheduled versions, in the scheduled instances the pass rate is significantly better, and students’ progression is much swifter. It also seems that the higher proportion of university students enrolled in a MOOC course positively affects the retention rate. Moreover, the students in the recent unscheduled Python version seem to score significantly higher grades than in its scheduled counterpart. Based on our experiments, the scheduled and unscheduled versions complement each other. Hence, we suggest that, whenever feasible, the maximal benefits would be gained if both types of MOOCs are run simultaneously.

Enhancing university exam timetabling through the use of a BSet model

Forming university exam schedules in Southern Africa has always been difficult. It is a scheduling problem with strict rules (hard constraints) and flexible ones (soft constraints). Students must take a final exam for most courses they are enrolled in each semester, held in a supervised setting. Therefore, finding a suitable time and location for each student is a common challenge. This paper proposes a solution to this scheduling problem based on the behaviour of bees, using a model called BSet, which uses simulated robotic devices to find and schedule courses. The results show that this approach is efficient and effective in creating exam schedules.

Impact of course timetabling on learning quality: sustaining an optimized stress level to stimulate enhanced comprehension

This paper aims to improve students’ learning performance by optimizing their mental stresses in learning through proposing a new course timetabling method. This new method is based on two hypotheses that formulate the link between course timetabling and learning experience: i) a student’s learning performance is superior when the student is subject to moderate stress; ii) an individual’s mental capacity varies during a day according to Circadian Rhythm. The student’s mental stress in taking a course is defined as a function of their mental capacity and the workload required by the course. The workload is determined by utilizing a multi-criteria prioritization technique—Analytic Hierarchy Process. As a result, the timetabling problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming model, which is tested on an engineering program to produce a student-centered timetable for its scheduled courses. This new method differs from traditional course scheduling and timetabling approaches, which are usually tackled as a constrained optimization problem with an objective to optimize a given set of criteria, such as student and faculty preferences, walking distances between consecutive classes, classroom utilization and operating expenses.

PENERAPAN METODE GENETIK PADA SISTEM INFORMASI PENJADWALAN PERKULIAHAN STMIK JAKARTA STI&amp;K

Lecture activities from a university are increasingly complex along with the number of scientific fields in a study program. One of these complications is the scheduling of courses given to students and supporting lecturers. The number of courses and the large number of lecturers make the scheduling process require extra in managing it. STMIK Jakarta STI&amp;K is a college in the field of computers that has several study programs in the field of computers consisting of the Information Systems Study Program, Computer Systems and Information Management. At the beginning of each lecture, they often experience difficulties in scheduling the lectures. The need for a system that can process scheduling data is very important so that it can help maximize the process so that lecture activities are more organized. Answering the problem of the complicated process of scheduling lectures for students and lecturers, in this study a scheduling system was developed using the Genetic Method. The use of this genetic method can minimize scheduling conflicts between courses, between lecturers and between classes. The development of this scheduling system was developed using the PHP language and MySQL database so that it can be applied online so that the results can be directly informed to lecturers and students. Based on the application of the system developed, it helps the scheduling department of STMIK Jakarta STI&amp;K faster in making schedules because it minimizes schedule conflicts, informs schedules more quickly so that all lecturers and students are better prepared. The comparison of the average speed of making schedules manually and using genetic methods is between 69.67 and 69.72.

Best Fit of Cumulative Cost Curves at the Planning and Performed Stages of Construction Projects

The correct planning of investment costs and the effective monitoring of implementation process are significant problems in the management of investment projects. At the stage of construction works, it is worth determining the trend of the performed cost curve and periodically testing the fitting to the scheduled course of the budgeted cost curve. The aim of this research was to determine the shape and course of the cost curves for selected construction projects. A procedure was developed to forecast the distribution of cumulative costs at the planning stage of construction projects using envelopes (spaces) and cost curves for three different types of buildings and construction sectors: collective residential buildings, hotel buildings, and commercial and service buildings. An assessment of the actual costs incurred of investment tasks was carried out, the trend of which the cumulative cash flow curves can be estimated with a large match by forecasting the construction process. The article determines the best fit curves and the spaces of cost curves (the banana envelope of the S-curve) using mathematical formulas (third-degree polynomials), along with developed graphs for various construction projects. The analysis of the author’s own research was used to determine the best-fit curve and the curve’s area, which indicates the area of the correct planning of cumulative costs of construction investments.

Impact of Radiation Treatment Delay Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose/Objective(s)To study the effect of radiation treatment delay due to COVID-19 infection.Materials/MethodsThis study is a descriptive analysis. We studied all patients who were COVID-19 positive while undergoing radiation treatment. In addition, those COVID-19 positive patients before the start of radiation during their neoadjuvant treatment period or surgery were also analyzed. However, patients detected with COVID-19 infection after the radiation treatment course were excluded. The study period was from June 2020 to May 2021. A radiation treatment delay was defined as a delay in starting the treatment, a break in therapy during their scheduled radiation course, or treatment discontinuation. Patients who had a radiation treatment delay were followed-up till December 2021.ResultsNinety-four patients who met the criteria were identified for the analysis. Seventy-seven of them had a mild infection, while 17 had a moderate or severe infection. Of the 94 patients identified, 83 patients had a treatment delay. The median treatment delay (MTD) was 18 (6 to 47) days and the median follow-up period was 13 months. In this cohort, 66 patients were treated with a curative intent, of which 51 are on follow-up {34 patients are disease-free (MTD – 18.5, 10 to 43), seven had either a residual disease or locoregional recurrence (MTD – 22, 10 to 32), seven had distant metastasis (MTD – 18, 15 to 47), and three patients died (MTD – 20, 8 to 27)}. Amongst the three patients who died, only one died of COVID-19 infection or sequel (Case Fatality Rate, CFR – 1.06%).ConclusionThe CFR due to COVID-19 infection amongst those who underwent radiotherapy was low. At the same time, higher MTD might have been the reason for residual or locoregional recurrences. However, a longer follow-up is required to confirm this. Till then, it will remain debatable whether it was worth delaying radiotherapy for mild to moderate COVID-19 infection for a significant time to cause a potential cancer treatment failure.

The Impact of Academic Information System to Students’ Satisfaction in Higher Education

Academic information systems reflect the quality of management of a college and are one of the efforts of educational institutions to provide quality services to provide convenience and comfort to students. There are obstacles such as the difficulty of controlling the scheduling of courses and information that is less updated on academic information systems. This study aims to determine how much influence the academic information system has on student satisfaction. This study uses a type of research based on a quantitative approach. The research subjects were bachelor and graduate school students from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta. The data collection method used a questionnaire. Data processing techniques and data analysis using simple linear regression formulas. The results showed that (i) there was a significant influence between the implementation of academic information systems on the level of satisfaction of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta bachelor and graduate school students amount 41% (ii) supporting and inhibiting factors perceived by students in the implementation of academic information systems found in speed, timeliness, and ease of access. This article has empirical contributions related to academic information systems in higher education and can be used as insights for policy holders in universities in making policies.