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Government response to the COVID 19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 came as a wave of physical closures requiring sudden change in the method of instruction from face-to-face to a completely online. Assessment of students adaptation to this change during emergency lockdown is the focus of this study. We used a One-way ANOVA to compare pandemic and pre-pandemic Performance of First Year medical students at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in the brain and behavior module. Students’ test scores related to perception of persistence levels was studied using correlation analysis. In addition, a regression analysis was performed to examine prediction factors of medical student course grades during COVID-19. Students’ grades in the module during the COVID-19 were significantly higher compared to the grades in recent prior years at the p

Non-orthogonal multiple access is a promising technology for improving the spectral efficiency in 5G networks and beyond. Also, the deployment of heterogeneous networks for densifying the existing networks enhances the capacity and the coverage. Spectrum allocation is very important for the in-band heterogeneous networks where different tiers operate at common frequencies. Hence, this paper proposes resource and power allocation solution for optimizing the utility of spectral efficiency of small cell users (SCUs). The considered constraints are the small cell base stations power budget and the condition for applying successive interference cancellation (SIC) on NOMA users. The proportional fairness utility is considered to guarantee fairness between SCUs of different channel conditions. We used the Kuhn-Munkres algorithm to optimize the spectrum allocation process with low complexity. The power allocation process for SCUs is solved through sequential convex programming (SCP) to maximize the spectrum efficiency utility of SCUs. The results show that the proposed algorithm based on the Kuhn-Munkres (CRA) algorithm for resource allocation outperforms the JSAPCA-1 algorithm in terms of the spectral efficiency achieved by SCUs beside achieving a comparable level of the interference experienced by MCUs.

The COVID-19 academic interruption caused emergency pedagogical transformation of medical school curricula in the Spring of 2020 when the country went into lockdown. This transformation included changes in students? contact hours, the use of technologies in classroom and laboratories, and the implementation of active self-directed learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of these pedagogical changes on students? academic and mental states. To achieve this goal, we proposed two questions: First question was to examine whether there was a difference between male and female students? exam grades in the brain and behavior module during the COVID-19 lockdown. In the second question, we examined whether there was a difference between students? stress level in all age groups (22-24), (25-28) and 29 and above during the pandemic lockdown. This study employed a between-subject design and utilized convenience sampling technique to include 79 first-year medical students. The present study included the following variables: students module final exam grades, students? perception about their stress levels during COVID-19 and their age groups (22-24), (25-28) and 29 and above. We first used a comparison design between male and female students? academic performance during COVID-19. Further, we used a comparison design to compare between students? stress level in all age groups (22-24), (25-28) and 29 and above during the pandemic lockdown. In the first question, the result of the one-way between subject's ANOVA found that there was no statistically significant difference between male and female student? grades in the brain and behavior module during the pandemic lockdown. These findings suggest that both male and female students were able to overcome many of the challenges triggered by the COVID-19 in the learning environment and succeed in this module. In the second question, the one-way between subject's ANOVA found that there was no statistically significant difference between students? stress level in all age groups (22-24), (25-28) and 29 and above during the pandemic lockdown. These findings suggest that students in all ages felt the same level of stress during the COVID-19 lockdown. We concluded that there was no difference in students? final grades during pandemic, regardless of their gender, where all students maintained a high level of academic success. Additionally, students in all age groups were subjected to the same level of stress during COVID-19. With the faculty help and guidance, students were able to adjust and counterbalance the missing elements of the face-to-face instruction during COVID-19.