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The present study aimed to examine the factors influencing future physics teachers' decision to accept Information and Communicative Competence (ICC) technologies. This is a quantitative exploratory study that used Partial Least Squares (PLS) based structural equation modeling to analyze the data. A questionnaire survey was administered among physics students to identify the factors that influence their acceptance of ICC technologies such as Online Learning Platforms, Collaborative Tools, and Adaptive Learning Software. The findings showed that Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and Perceived Costs were the three most significant factors affecting the acceptance of ICC technologies by physics students. However, Perceived Risk and Compatibility did not have a significant impact on ICC acceptance. The study also found that ICC acceptance has a positive and significant effect on ICC adoption. The practical implications of these findings highlight the importance of designing ICC technologies that are perceived as useful, easy to use, and cost-effective for future physics teachers. The study provides important insights for both educators and technology developers in enhancing ICC adoption in physics education.

Objectives: Outline the objectives, methods, and initial stages of the Prevention and Systematic Screening (PASS) initiative, a complimentary element of the innovative new approach of technical assistance mechanisms of WHO and its partners to countries aligned to the Regional TB Action Plan to End TB in the European Region by 2030. Design: To provide an objective and critical overview of the existing landscape on TB epidemic in the WHO European Region (the European Region) and ii) identify the strategic significance of proactive measures aimed at approaching TB pre-elimination in the Region. Results: Interventions primarily include systematic screening for TB disease and treatment for TB infection (TBI). Conclusions: PASS to End TB is an exemplary initiative of how technical and funding partners are joining hands to support national health programmes to work towards global commitments to curb major public health challenges like TB.

Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) germicidal light can effectively inactivate airborne pathogens and mitigate the transmission of infectious diseases. As the application of UV-C for disinfection gains popularity, practical estimation of UV irradiance is essential in determining the UV fluence (dose) and designing tubular UV lamp configurations for indoor air treatment. It is generally understood that the inverse square (∼1/d2) law (i.e., irradiance is proportional to the inverse square of the distance) applies well to point light sources. However, there has been a recognition that the ∼1/d2 law does not work well for tubular light sources in the commonly defined near-field applications where the UV source is relatively close to the treated air. Therefore, practical near-field irradiation estimation is needed for designing portable air cleaners and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) ducts with built-in UV light bulbs. This research investigated UV-C light irradiance from tubular (L = 0.9 m) light bulbs at near distances inside an air cleaner prototype duct under three power output (1-, 4-, and 8-bulb) scenarios and conducted theoretical estimation based on a line-source irradiation model. Similarly sized visible fluorescent bulbs were used as a reference. The data were fitted on both ∼1/d2 and ∼1/d correlation of irradiance with distance. Both measured and line source estimated data fit better (i.e., evaluated by R-square, standard errors, root mean squared errors) with the ∼1/d than the ∼1/d2 relationship in the near distance. Although the differences between the measured and the modeled were observed, the pattern of light distribution generally follows an inverse relationship (∼1/d) with distances (d) shorter than two tubular bulb lengths (d < 2L). The pattern applies to both UV and visible light tested in this study. It is recommended that the inverse (∼1/d) correlation be used for near-distance estimation of light distribution, especially for disinfection purposes in air ducting for indoor air quality improvement and airborne disease mitigation.

AbstractThe present study aimed to examine the factors influencing future physics teachers’ decision to accept Information and Communicative Competence (ICC) technologies. This is a quantitative exploratory study that used Partial Least Squares (PLS) based structural equation modeling to analyze the data. A questionnaire survey was administered among physics students to identify the factors that influence their acceptance of ICC technologies such as Online Learning Platforms, Collaborative Tools, and Adaptive Learning Software. The findings showed that Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and Perceived Costs were the three most significant factors affecting the acceptance of ICC technologies by physics students. However, Perceived Risk and Compatibility did not have a significant impact on ICC acceptance. The study also found that ICC acceptance has a positive and significant effect on ICC adoption. The practical implications of these findings highlight the importance of designing ICC technologies that are perceived as useful, easy to use, and cost-effective for future physics teachers. The study provides important insights for both educators and technology developers in enhancing ICC adoption in physics education.

Background In 2019, the World Health Organization called for operational research on all-oral shortened regimens for multidrug- and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB). We report safety and effectiveness of three 9-month all-oral regimens containing bedaquiline (Bdq), linezolid (Lzd), and levofloxacin (Lfx) and reinforced with cycloserine (Cs) and clofazimine (Cfz), delamanid (Dlm) and pyrazinamide (Z), or Dlm and Cfz. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of patients initiating treatment for pulmonary MDR/RR-TB under operational research conditions at public health facilities in Kazakhstan. Participants were screened monthly for adverse events. Participants with baseline resistance were excluded from the study and treated with a longer regimen. We analyzed clinically relevant adverse events of special interest in all participants and sputum culture conversion and end-of-treatment outcomes among individuals who were not excluded. Results Of 510 participants, 41% were women, the median age was 37 years (25th–75th percentile: 28–49), 18% had a body mass index <18.5 kg/m2, and 51% had cavitary disease. A total of 399 (78%) initiated Bdq-Lzd-Lfx-Cs-Cfz, 83 (16%) started Bdq-Lzd-Lfx-Dlm-Z, and 28 (5%) initiated Bdq-Lzd-Lfx-Dlm-Cfz. Fifty-eight individuals (11%) were excluded from the study, most commonly due to identification of baseline drug resistance (n = 52; 90%). Among the remaining 452 participants, treatment success frequencies were 92% (95% CI: 89–95%), 89% (95% CI: 80–94%), and 100% (95% CI: 86–100%) for regimens with Cs/Cfz, Dlm/Z, and Dlm/Cfz, respectively. Clinically relevant adverse events of special interest were uncommon. Conclusions All regimens demonstrated excellent safety and effectiveness, expanding the potential treatment options for patients, providers, and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work deals with the mathematical modeling of traffic phenomena. The submitted model is based on a prospective analogy of some described phenomena with particle sedimentation. Both the qualitative analysis of the model and the numerical experiment is carried out. Qualitative results of the research have been compared with the known data of supervision of the traffic on city highways. As a result, the main control parameters which can use for optimal traffic management are highlighted and justified.

The city from the ecological point of view represents the difficult habitat of the human including natural and anthropogenous subsystems. The first is made by the atmosphere, a lithosphere, the hydrosphere, and the biosphere, and the following subsystems enter into the second: production, town planning, and infrastructure. The degree of environmental friendliness of the city depends on a ratio of natural and anthropogenous subsystems. Currently, many ways and methods are being used to use green logistics to solve environmental issues. There are factors that can help with this: fuel, infrastructure, the aerodynamics of cars, and technology. In this literature review, green logistics in city transport road ecology is summarized as one of the main types of sources for solving environmental issues. Investigating the city ecology by factual consideration includes townplanning ecology. The difference between town-planning ecology the engineering is that a subject of discipline is not the separate enterprise, but territorial complexes and systems of the occupied places. Thus, territorial and town-planning environmental management is studied. From these positions, the town-planning ecology is the key to the planning-technical subject. Methods of achievement of ecologically optimum compromise between anthropogenous systems of different levels and environments are investigated in it.

Rifampicin-resistant/multidrug-resistant (RR/MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains of M. tuberculosis (TB) are serious public health problem in Kazakhstan. In 2012 and 2013, stringent regulatory authorities approved the first new TB drugs in fifty years, bedaquiline and delamanid, offering hope for more effective and less toxic MDR-TB treatment. The endTB Observational Study is a multi-country study that enrolled patients receiving a bedaquiline- or delamanid-containing regimen for RR/MDR-TB between 01 April 2015 and 30 September 2018. In Kazakhstan, 675 patients participated in the study; all had at least 6-months or longer of follow-up after the start of treatment. The present analysis focuses on endTB Observational Study patients living in Kazakhstan who had a positive baseline sputum culture (220 patients) and initiated a bedaquiline- or delamanid-containing regimen between February 1, 2016 and March 31, 2018. Of them, 195 (89%) of patients experienced culture conversion within six months.

Background: TB preventive treatment (TPT) is the primary available healthcare intervention to reduce the risk of progression from TB infection to TB disease. The WHO Regional Office for Europe established the European Prevention and Systematic Screening Initiative to End TB (PASS) to scale up activities related to the programmatic management of TPT. In the absence of a system to measure and monitor preventive activities, a baseline assessment survey was carried out to provide a reference to monitor the scale-up of the intervention., Methods: This was a semi-structured survey including 52 questions that was developed, implemented in the WHO-hosted LimeSurvey data form and sent to focal points in the 55 countries and territories in the European Region between September and October 2023. The questions covered TPT, systematic screening and infection prevention and control., Results: A total of 28 questionnaires were returned, corresponding to an overall 51% response rate. Most national policies for TPT and TB screening are in line with the latest WHO guidelines. However, implementation of TB screening, prevention, and infection control activities is lagging. Results are presented separately for high-priority and low-priority countries., Conclusion: The survey identified several important areas that the PASS initiative will focus on to accelerate efforts towards reaching the targets set at the 2027 UN High-Level Meeting on TB for preventive therapy in the European Region. This will require a massive scale-up of efforts and larger investments, as well as coordinated approaches and interventions across the 'cascade' of prevention, from the identification of target populations to the completion of treatment., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Treatment outcomes for Multidrug/Rifampicin-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) and Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB) remain poor across the globe and in the Russian Federation. Treatment of XDR-TB is challenging for programmes and patients often resulting in low success rates and onward transmission of drug-resistant strains. Analysis of factors affecting culture conversion rate among XDR-TB patients may serve as a basis for optimization of treatment regimens. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using health records from 54 patients with pulmonary XDR-TB treated at a tertiary level facility in the Russian Federation. The study population included adult patients with culture-positive pulmonary XDR-TB who started treatment between 1 January 2018-30 June 2019. Culture conversion was defined as two consecutive negative cultures, collected at least 30 days apart. The date of sputum culture conversion was taken from the first of two consecutive negative sputum cultures fulfilling these criteria. We measured time to culture conversion using cumulative incidence functions accounting for competing risks and applied binary cause-specific Cox regressions to assess associated factors. Sputum culture conversion was recorded for 43 (79.6%) patients. Median time to culture conversion adjusted for competing risk of loss to follow up was 4 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 2–5]. The number of patients who had culture converted by treatment months 2, 4, and 6 were 12 (22%), 29 (54%) and 38 (70%) respectively. In unadjusted analysis, positive baseline sputum smear microscopy [hazard ratio (HR): 0.34, 95% CI: 0.18-0.66; p=0.001), hepatitis C (HR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.14-0.89; p=0.023], and human immunodeficiency virus (HR: 0.30 95%, CI: 0.09-0.97; p=0.045), and receipt of fewer than 4 effective drugs in the treatment regimen (HR: 0.13, 95% CI: 0.03-0.60; p=0.009) were associated with delayed culture conversion. When compared to their combined use, patients receiving regimens with bedaquiline only (HR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03-0.49; p=0.003) or linezolid only (HR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.06-0.69; p=0.010) were less likely to achieve timely culture conversion. Factors delaying sputum culture conversion should be considered in the management of patients with XDR-TB and considered by clinicians for regimen design and treatment strategies. Our study outlines the importance of simultaneous inclusion of bedaquiline and linezolid in treatment regimens for patients with XDR-TB to reduce time to sputum conversion and increase treatment success.

To address the sub-optimal treatment outcomes among patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), the National TB Programme in Belarus started using new drugs such as bedaquiline and delamanid in 2015-16. In this study, we assessed cardiovascular safety and effectiveness (culture conversion, treatment outcomes and post-treatment recurrence) of delamanid-containing regimens among adults (>18 years) with MDR-TB or XDR-TB from June 2016 to February 2018. This was a nationwide cohort study involving analysis of routinely collected programme data from the national and six regional TB hospitals. Cardiovascular adverse events (AEs) were classified as serious or not, based on international guidelines. We conducted Cox proportional hazards regression and calculated adjusted hazards ratio(aHR) and 95% confidence intervals(CI) to evaluate factors associated with AEs and unsuccessful treatment outcomes (death, failure and lost-to-follow-up). Of 125 patients enrolled (35, 28% females; mean age 43 years), 85(68%) had XDR-TB. All the patients received delamanid and 20 patients received both delamanid and bedaquiline. Cardiovascular AEs (177 episodes in total), were observed in the majority (73%) of patients but were mild and managed easily. The most common cardiovascular AEs were QTcF prolongation (64/177, 36%) and other electrocardiography (ECG) abnormalities (40/177, 23%). There were two instances of serious AEs leading to death, both of which were not related to delamanid. In multivariable analysis, male sex (aHR 0.72; 95% CI 0.51-0.99), and baseline ECG abnormalities (aHR 1.68; 95% CI 1.19-2.36) were associated with cardiovascular AEs. Median time to culture conversion was 1.1 months (interquartile range: 1.0-2.1). Culture conversion was observed in 115 (92%) patients at six months of treatment and 110 (88%) completed the treatment successfully. Loss to follow-up, failure and death were observed in 6%, 4% and 2% patients respectively. Among those assessed at 12 months post-treatment (n=33), recurrence was seen in one patient. The only factor associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes in multivariable analysis was baseline Hepatitis C co-infection (aHR 3.61; 95% CI 1.09-11.95). In conclusion, treatment using delamanid-containing regimens was effective and had a favourable safety profile. We hope our findings inform the development of national clinical guidelines and scale-up of new drugs in other countries.

There is limited evidence describing the safety and effectiveness of bedaquiline and delamanid containing regimens in children and adolescents with Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB) globally. In this nationwide descriptive cohort study from Belarus, we examined adverse drug events, time to culture conversion, treatment outcomes including post-treatment recurrence among children and adolescents (

Editorial

The continuous flow of new research articles on MDR-TB diagnosis, treatment, prevention and rehabilitation requires frequent update of existing guidelines. This review is aimed at providing clinicians and public health staff with an updated and easy-to-consult document arising from consensus of Global Tuberculosis Network (GTN) experts.The core published documents and guidelines have been reviewed, including the recently published MDR-TB WHO rapid advice and ATS/CDC/ERS/IDSA guidelines.After a rapid review of epidemiology and risk factors, the clinical priorities on MDR-TB diagnosis (including whole genome sequencing and drug-susceptibility testing interpretations) and treatment (treatment design and management, TB in children) are discussed. Furthermore, the review comprehensively describes the latest information on contact tracing and LTBI management in MDR-TB contacts, while providing guidance on post-treatment functional evaluation and rehabilitation of TB sequelae, infection control and other public health priorities. Keywords: MDR-TB, XDR-TB, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention, Rehabilitation of sequelae

The BPaLM regimen (bedaquiline, pretomanid, linezolid and moxifloxacin) recently recommended by the World Health Organization offers short, safe, and effective treatment for multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (TB). In a survey with national TB focal points in 18 central and western European countries to explore barriers for the implementation of BPaLM, only three reported full availability of pretomanid, a necessary component of this regimen. Implementation barriers included financing and procurement. Solutions on national and supranational level are needed to guarantee universal access.

In 2022, the WHO European Region accounted for 15.1% of all incident rifampicin-resistant/multidrug-resistant TB (RR/MDR-TB) cases. Most occurred in 18 high-priority countries of eastern Europe and central Asia, many of which joined an initiative led by the WHO Regional Office for Europe. The aim was to introduce three, fully oral, 9-month modified shorter treatment regimens (mSTR) to treat RR/MDR-TB under operational research conditions. The three regimens were: 1) bedaquiline + linezolid + levofloxacin + clofazimine + cycloserine (BdqLzdLfxCfzCs); 2) BdqLzdLfxCfz + delamanid (Dlm) for children over 6 years of age and adults; and 3) DlmLzdLfxCfz for children under 6 years of age. The project aimed to enhance treatment success, facilitate mSTR implementation, promote quality of care and build research capacity, while also contributing to global knowledge on all-oral mSTR use. Between April 2020 and June 2022, >2,800 patients underwent mSTR treatment in the WHO European Region. This unique experience promoted further collaboration with national tuberculosis programmes, health authorities, experts and donors within and outside Europe, with a focus on implementing operational research and improving the quality of care in high TB burden countries of the region. In the hope of encouraging others to adopt this model, we have described the principles of the initiative, its strengths and weaknesses and next steps., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: none declared., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Developed economic - ecological model of modern large city on the example of Almaty, based on the main provisions of statistical theory, theories of logistics and the similarity of the General plan of development of Kazakhstan megapolis, the strategy of transport development of Kazakhstan, programs to reduce the traffic load on the highways regulations of international and national importance, as well as on the basis of predictive decisions arising from the comprehensive consideration of the issues city transport road ecology (CTRE). It includes for the first time scientifically grounded ecological and economic indicators and daily ecological model of Almaty which were initial data for further researches and calculations. However, this complex problem practically in all textbooks and manuals on ecology is considered factually, i.e. separately without interrelation, and questions of interrelation or mutual influence of emissions of motor transport in aggregate with infrastructure SRN (traffic lights, intersections, sidewalks, avenues, etc.) on environment are not still considered in the world literature. Besides there are no data on distribution of exhaust gases (EG) of motor vehicle in the residential area near highways in any source. Therefore, even it is difficult to expert to define the main sources of pollution of urban air environment.