Pramoxine containing topical formulation of eberconazole in the management of dermatophytosis in India: a consensus statement

<p>Dermatophytosis, a superficial fungal infection has attained significant extents among Indian population. Its clinical presentation is diverse, often in terms of morphology, severity type and involvement of all age groups. Management of dermatophytosis has become an important public health issue in India. Cases of steroid modified dermatophytosis are being encountered frequently, mostly caused due to the inadvertent use of steroid in combination with topical antifungal agents. This combination is available over the counter and is often used for the management of inflammation and pruritis associated with the disease. Current treatment recommendations must be reviewed as per the current clinical scenario of the disease. Thus, a topical formulation of an anti-itch agent like pramoxine and antifungal agent with an anti-inflammatory property like eberconazole holds a promising treatment approach for dermatophytosis. This article focuses on the challenges encountered in the management of dermatophytosis and strategies for optimizing treatment for better patient outcomes. An expert’s panel discussion was conducted involving fifteen dermatologists all over India, during which modified Delphi method was executed for a set of nine statements. Agreement of more than 75% was set to reach the consensus. This consensus document was developed to review the available evidence and make recommendation based on the expert group’s opinion for the use of pramoxine containing topical formulation of eberconazole, as it provides the benefit of having an anti-inflammatory and anti-pruritic activity in a single formulation, where pramoxine can be utilised as an excipient to combat pruritis associated with dermatophytosis.</p><p><strong> </strong></p>

A conversation on accelerating innovation in biopharma and life sciences through global collaboration and alliances

We note and reflect on the power of international partnering and collaborations that led to many of the innovations that were brought to market extremely quickly and successfully during the Covid-19 pandemic. These collaborative global approaches suggest the potential for developing broader, open innovation models in more extensive regional and global collaborations for other biopharma and life science market segments. In this article, we adopt a ‘virtual panel discussion format” to frame and discuss potential issues and models that would need to be designed, developed and tested, with the purpose of engaging emerging global regions as equal partners. We also consider similar challenges for regions within countries – even in the US - that lack significant sources for capital across the company life cycle. Several recent open innovation alliance approaches or models are discussed as potential models. They are: the Eli Lilly FIP Net (fully integrated pharmaceutical network); the Enlight Bioscience alliance developed by Pure Tech Ventures; the Harrington Project linking academia to industry; and, the Corporate Accelerator model notably recently expanded globally by Illumina. We outline a proposal to create a guiding coalition, or “think tank” to further test and develop the proposals discussed herein.

International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC) 2020 special issue: editorial

We are pleased to bring you this Special Issue of the Journal of Virtual Exchange, the second such volume to publish articles resulting from the International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC) 2020. This special issue includes five research articles presented at IVEC 2020 (http://iveconference.org/2020-conference) and a panel discussion. Each manuscript underwent double-blind review, which was then followed by rigorous editing and revising. Their work represents the amazing diversity that is blossoming in the field of Virtual Exchange (VE) as practitioners, academic administrators, and researchers realise its potential as well as its inevitable challenges. VE research presented in this special issue ranges from the study of the impact of VE on language learning (uptake) (Feng et al.) to a complex, three-way project with a focus on physical and digital accessibility (Oswal et al.). While Bartsch et al. describe their new framework that combines inquiry-based learning with digital storytelling in VE, Ganassin et al. share their findings regarding the underexplored area of staff (administrators and instructors) perceptions of the role of VE in Internationalisation at Home (IaH). In this same vein, Ruther et al. report on their work in an assessment-based approach to VE programme building. Findings from longitudinal studies are also presented, providing evidence that VE research as a discipline is maturing.

A Scale to Measure the Joy in Work of Doctors: Development, Validity, and Reliability

Background: The aim of this study is to develop a scale and evaluate its' validity and reliability to measure the joy in work of doctors.Methods: Based on literature review and panel discussion, the scale framework and item pool were determined. Next, the items were modified by two rounds of expert consultation. Then the pre-investigation was applied and the formal version of scale was formed. Last, the reliability and validity of the scale were tested with 426 physicians.Results: The scale was composed of four dimensions: work autonomy needs, competency identification needs, competency perception needs and work relationship needs. Each dimension had 7 items, and both reliability and validity were acceptable. The Cronbach α coefficient and half-reliability coefficient of the whole scale were 0.954 (&gt;0.9) and 0.974 (&gt;0.9). The Spearman correlations of item-total score ranged from 0.556 to 0.749, indicating a good-item total score correlation. The χ 2/ df, RMSEA, RMR, GFI, CFI, and TLI, CFA of the maximum likelihood method supported a good fit with the model.Conclusions: Based on the self-determination theory, this study develops a scale to measure the joy in work of doctors. It has good validation and reliability, which is useful for doctors and medical institutions to take steps to improve happiness.

COVID-19 impacts on virtual exchange around the world

The COVID-19 pandemic has simultaneously created both opportunities and challenges for the emerging field of virtual exchange: On one hand, institutional administrators and funding organisations saw virtual exchange as the solution to global learning needs while physical travel was restricted and traditional mobility programmes were suspended. On the other hand, instructors felt overwhelmed by transitioning all of their teaching online, and without physical access to their educational institutions, many students and instructors lacked reliable internet connections or safe places to engage in learning, not to mention the financial burdens of the pandemic. This moderated panel discussion which took place during the IVEC 2020 conference invited diverse perspectives to explore the impacts of the pandemic on virtual exchange in various contexts around the world. Central to the discussion were issues of equity, inclusion and justice: Is virtual exchange truly a more accessible and equitable form of global learning, as it is often promoted to be? In this video contribution, Eva Haug moderates the conversation between Maha Bali, Paulo Goes, and Anita Patankar around the following questions. * How is virtual exchange a solution to global learning during COVID-19? * What have been the two to three most relevant impacts of the pandemic on virtual exchange activity at your institution, in your country, or region of the world? * How can we as a field of practitioners maintain and sustain the current momentum and interest in VE in a post-COVID-19 world? * Can intercultural exchange be apolitical? * If an institution is in a position of power or privilege, how can they create space in virtual exchange for institutions that are less represented? The video recording is accessible on: https://vimeo.com/459415071 (CC BY-NC-NC)

Developing Transportation Livability-Related Indicators for Green Urban Road Rating System in Taiwan

Although indicators in rating systems have been initiated to measure and promote the sustainability performance of roadway projects in some developed countries, applying those indicators to other regions/countries may still be difficult. In response to the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, local road agencies in Taiwan urgently need to establish systematic and quantifiable sustainable roadway strategies. As part of the project to develop a green urban road rating system in Taiwan, this study aims to develop transportation livability-related indicators (TLIs) and identify critical barriers to TLI application in Taiwan’s urban road system. To this end, the research employed an adaptive approach that integrates top-down and bottom-up approaches. The top-down approach included the comprehensive literature review and panel discussion to derive four TLIs and 21 corresponding requirements, and nine potential barriers to hold the indicator adoption. Four TLIs are pedestrian facilities, universal design, multimodal transportation, and utility facilities. The bottom-up approach used the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to assign weights to proposed indicators/requirements. Four critical barriers were also investigated through the Weighted Sum Model (WSM) method, namely unfavorable in-situ conditions, lack of stakeholders’ coordination, unsupported government policy and regulation, and limited budget and schedule. The findings can be beneficial to engineers and decisionmakers to enhance the livability standard of urban streets. The framework proposed in this research can be applied to other roadway characteristics aspects in different regions/countries.

Tensions Ahead: How Do We Build Feasible Digital Health Systems That Are Person-Centred and Usable?

Globally, the term person-centred care has become all-pervasive across healthcare delivery. It has been suggested that it has become synonymous with good quality care. The term is used frequently in the aims and objectives for healthcare service and provision, although what lies behind the rhetoric in terms of practice may be questionable. Further, in an environment which is becoming increasingly dependent on technology, the interaction needs the user experience of both consumer and healthcare provider. There is a challenge as national surveys of health professionals continue to criticize the usability of digital health interfaces. This panel discussion aims to highlight the factors, which should be considered when designing health information interfaces as person-centred for all users. Drawing on our panel’s expertise, we suggest interfaces need to consider two main factors: personalization and user acceptance.

Hypogonadism in Women with Prader-Willi Syndrome—Clinical Recommendations Based on a Dutch Cohort Study, Review of the Literature and an International Expert Panel Discussion

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare neuroendocrine genetic syndrome. Characteristics of PWS include hyperphagia, hypotonia, and intellectual disability. Pituitary hormone deficiencies, caused by hypothalamic dysfunction, are common and hypogonadism is the most prevalent. Untreated hypogonadism can cause osteoporosis, which is already an important issue in PWS. Therefore, timely detection and treatment of hypogonadism is crucial. To increase understanding and prevent undertreatment, we (1) performed a cohort study in the Dutch PWS population, (2) thoroughly reviewed the literature on female hypogonadism in PWS and (3) provide clinical recommendations on behalf of an international expert panel. For the cohort study, we retrospectively collected results of a systematic health screening in 64 female adults with PWS, which included a medical questionnaire, medical file search, medical interview, physical examination and biochemical measurements. Our data show that hypogonadism is frequent in females with PWS (94%), but is often undiagnosed and untreated. This could be related to unfamiliarity with the syndrome, fear of behavioral changes, hygienic concerns, or drug interactions. To prevent underdiagnosis and undertreatment, we provide practical recommendations for the screening and treatment of hypogonadism in females with PWS.

Reflections on Teaching and Learning Chemistry Through Youth Participatory Science

This chapter captures a panel discussion from the 2019 conference of Science Educators for Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice (SEEDS, http://seedsweb.org) in Norfolk, Virginia. The panel included two high school students, three high school chemistry teachers, a community organizer, an administrator for a large urban school district, and a university-based science educator. These panelists, the authors of this chapter, had been collaborating on an initiative to support youth participatory science (YPS) projects in high school chemistry classes. We share this lightly edited transcript of our conversation as a way to communicate perspectives about the opportunities and challenges of YPS from viewpoints across these constituency groups. Our conversation is organized around three questions for reflection: (1) What are some of the challenges and possibilities when it comes to engaging with YPS in science classes? (2) How has engaging in YPS exposed both insights and oversights of scientific ways of knowing? (3) In YPS, what are the relationships between learning science and engaging in political and community issues?