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To meet the demands of the 21st century, adult learners must display a range of sophisticated strategies for dealing with the digital world. With the switch to online instruction over the last months this need is only greater. In this article, I describe specific activities I implement with adult learners in a math and science class to help them develop these essential abilities while also enhancing their learning toward the content outcomes.

Given the social and emotional tolls of the COVID-19 pandemic on college and university students, many students have become academically disengaged during the pandemic. Although some colleges and universities have the capacity to promote social support for their students, research has yet to comprehensively demonstrate the relationship between social support and academic engagement. To fill this gap, we leverage survey results from four universities across the United States and Israel. Through multi-group structural equation modelling, we explore (a) how perceived social support relates to being emotionally unavailable for learning, (b) how this relationship is partially explained through coping and COVID-19 concerns, and (c) how these relationships can differ across countries. We find that students who perceived higher levels of social support had lower rates of being emotionally unavailable for learning. Part of this relationship occurred through greater rates of coping and, subsequently, fewer concerns about the pandemic. We also noticed significant differences in these relationships between countries. We conclude with a discussion of study implications for higher education policies and practices.

Although social support is strongly related to college students' mental health in the context of COVID‐19, little is known about the academic mechanisms that explain and influence this relationship. This knowledge gap limits our ability to create effective interventions. Our current study extends the previous research by using longitudinal data from 2020 to 2021 and leveraging a unique panel dataset from over 1,500 university students in Israel. By using a cross‐lagged panel model, we examine how the relationship between social support and mental health is partially explained by academic coping, as well as how these relationships differ across perceived teaching quality. We find that academic coping partially explains the relationship between social support and depression for students who perceived higher‐quality instruction but not for students who perceived lower‐quality instruction. Moreover, these relationships are not apparent for anxiety, suggesting that anxiety may relate to out‐of‐school considerations like pandemic‐related health concerns and hardships. We close with implications for policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommend the empiric treatment of infections before definitive treatment begins. However, ethical concerns limit the availability of clinical trials in neonates and paediatrics to fully ascertain the safety profile of antibiotics in these populations. Aim: This study aimed to quantify the use of antibiotics among neonates and paediatrics and commented on the use, rationale and appropriateness of antibiotics prescribed. Setting: A secondary level public sector hospital located in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Methods: Demographic and treatment information of neonates and paediatrics were collected retrospectively from January 2022 to June 2022. Data were obtained from patient files and extracted for analysis using Microsoft Excel ®. Analytical and descriptive statistics were used to analyse patient demographics and treatment variables. Results: A total of 568 antibiotics, issued to 389 patients, were reviewed. Penicillins (40.1%), aminoglycosides (24.3%) and combination penicillin-beta-lactam inhibitors (23.3%) were identified as the most frequently prescribed antibiotics for inpatients. Most antibiotics prescribed to inpatients were for complications associated with pre-term birth (66.9%). Combination penicillin-beta-lactam inhibitors (34.7%), penicillins (29.5%) and cephalosporins (29.5%) were the most frequently prescribed antibiotics to outpatients. A correlation was found between the route of administration and the duration of therapy; the intravenous route (63.6%) was preferred over the oral route (36.4%) for administration. Conclusion: Many broad-spectrum antibiotics were prescribed, thus increasing the risk of resistance. Antibiotics were being prescribed according to the guidelines; however, there is still a need for therapeutic drug monitoring to ensure the continuation of rational drug use. Contribution: There was evidence of rational use of antibiotics in the public hospital (KwaZulu- Natal), in keeping with economic and availability factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews several online articles published in the previous issues of the periodical related to instructional approaches for digital problem solving and teaching digital literacy in adult basic education (ABE) classrooms. Topics include basic digital literacy skills as the physical ability of using computer files and digital devices, future population capable of problem solving in technology rich environments and digital literacies in English language learners (ELLs) classes.

Purpose: Food insecurity has far-reaching consequences for health and well-being, especially during pregnancy and postpartum periods. This study examines a food-is-medicine approach that aimed to reduce food insecurity, maternal stress, depression, anxiety, preterm labor, and low birthweight. Design: Pre-post interventional study of FreshRx: Nourishing Healthy Starts, a pregnancy focused food-is-medicine program led by a local hunger relief organization and obstetrics department. Setting: St. Louis, Missouri, a Midwestern U.S. city with higher-than-average infant mortality, low birthweight, and preterm birth rates. Sample: Participants (N = 125) recruited from a local obstetrics clinic had pregnancies earlier than 24 weeks gestation; spoke English; and were enrolled in Medicaid. At baseline, 67.0% reported very low food security and none reported high food security, while 34.7% indicated depressive symptoms. Intervention: FreshRx included weekly deliveries of fresh food meal kits, nutrition counseling and education, care coordination, and supportive services. Measures: 18-Question U.S. Household Food Security Survey, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, birthweight, gestational age. Analysis: Single arm pre-post analysis. Results: Average gestational age of 38.2 weeks (n = 84) and birthweight of 6.7 pounds (n = 81) were higher than rates for the general population in the area. For study participants who completed a sixty-day post-partum assessment, 13% (n = 45) indicated maternal depression (P <.01). Conclusion: Food-is-medicine interventions may be an efficient, effective, and equitable tool for improving birth and maternal health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommend the empiric treatment of infections before definitive treatment begins. However, ethical concerns limit the availability of clinical trials in neonates and paediatrics to fully ascertain the safety profile of antibiotics in these populations., Aim: This study aimed to quantify the use of antibiotics among neonates and paediatrics and commented on the use, rationale and appropriateness of antibiotics prescribed., Setting: A secondary level public sector hospital located in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal., Methods: Demographic and treatment information of neonates and paediatrics were collected retrospectively from January 2022 to June 2022. Data were obtained from patient files and extracted for analysis using Microsoft Excel ® . Analytical and descriptive statistics were used to analyse patient demographics and treatment variables., Results: A total of 568 antibiotics, issued to 389 patients, were reviewed. Penicillins (40.1%), aminoglycosides (24.3%) and combination penicillin-beta-lactam inhibitors (23.3%) were identified as the most frequently prescribed antibiotics for inpatients. Most antibiotics prescribed to inpatients were for complications associated with pre-term birth (66.9%). Combination penicillin-beta-lactam inhibitors (34.7%), penicillins (29.5%) and cephalosporins (29.5%) were the most frequently prescribed antibiotics to outpatients. A correlation was found between the route of administration and the duration of therapy; the intravenous route (63.6%) was preferred over the oral route (36.4%) for administration., Conclusion: Many broad-spectrum antibiotics were prescribed, thus increasing the risk of resistance. Antibiotics were being prescribed according to the guidelines; however, there is still a need for therapeutic drug monitoring to ensure the continuation of rational drug use., Contribution: There was evidence of rational use of antibiotics in the public hospital (KwaZulu-Natal), in keeping with economic and availability factors., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationship(s) that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article., (© 2023. The Authors.)