Para-infectious brain injury in COVID-19 persists at follow-up despite attenuated cytokine and autoantibody responses

To understand neurological complications of COVID-19 better both acutely and for recovery, we measured markers of brain injury, inflammatory mediators, and autoantibodies in 203 hospitalised participants; 111 with acute sera (1–11 days post-admission) and 92 convalescent sera (56 with COVID-19-associated neurological diagnoses). Here we show that compared to 60 uninfected controls, tTau, GFAP, NfL, and UCH-L1 are increased with COVID-19 infection at acute timepoints and NfL and GFAP are significantly higher in participants with neurological complications. Inflammatory mediators (IL-6, IL-12p40, HGF, M-CSF, CCL2, and IL-1RA) are associated with both altered consciousness and markers of brain injury. Autoantibodies are more common in COVID-19 than controls and some (including against MYL7, UCH-L1, and GRIN3B) are more frequent with altered consciousness. Additionally, convalescent participants with neurological complications show elevated GFAP and NfL, unrelated to attenuated systemic inflammatory mediators and to autoantibody responses. Overall, neurological complications of COVID-19 are associated with evidence of neuroglial injury in both acute and late disease and these correlate with dysregulated innate and adaptive immune responses acutely

Para-infectious brain injury in COVID-19 persists at follow-up despite attenuated cytokine and autoantibody responses

To understand neurological complications of COVID-19 better both acutely and for recovery, we measured markers of brain injury, inflammatory mediators, and autoantibodies in 203 hospitalised participants; 111 with acute sera (1–11 days post-admission) and 92 convalescent sera (56 with COVID-19-associated neurological diagnoses). Here we show that compared to 60 uninfected controls, tTau, GFAP, NfL, and UCH-L1 are increased with COVID-19 infection at acute timepoints and NfL and GFAP are significantly higher in participants with neurological complications. Inflammatory mediators (IL-6, IL-12p40, HGF, M-CSF, CCL2, and IL-1RA) are associated with both altered consciousness and markers of brain injury. Autoantibodies are more common in COVID-19 than controls and some (including against MYL7, UCH-L1, and GRIN3B) are more frequent with altered consciousness. Additionally, convalescent participants with neurological complications show elevated GFAP and NfL, unrelated to attenuated systemic inflammatory mediators and to autoantibody responses. Overall, neurological complications of COVID-19 are associated with evidence of neuroglial injury in both acute and late disease and these correlate with dysregulated innate and adaptive immune responses acutely

IMPACT OF PERSONALITY ON JOB PERFORMANCE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS IN THE SRI LANKAN STATE UNIVERSITIES

Administrative officers are the key to success of non academic matters of the university system. Existing literature clearly indicates that there were no sufficient empirical evidences to substantiate the relationship between the personality traits and job performance of the administrative officers of the state universities in Sri Lanka. Hence, this research studies the relationship between personality and job performance of the administrative officers of the Sri Lankan state universities. The main objective of this research is, to identify personality factors which affect job performance of the administrative officers. The research question addressed for the study was “Do personality characteristics of the administrative officers have an impact on their job performance?” Personality factors were the independent variables and job performance was the dependent variable. By using stratified sampling method, one hundred administrative officers of four state Universities were selected as the sample. Five point Likert scale type questionnaire was administered as the data collection tool. Validity and reliability were tested appropriately. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate, analyses were used in analyzing the data. It was revealed that three personality variables extroversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience are good predictors of the job performance. Consequently, personality is an important predictor of the job performance of the administrative officers of the state universities.Key Words: Personality, Job Performance, Extroversion, Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience,Agreeableness, Emotional StabilityFor full paper: [email protected]

IMPLEMENTATION FEEDBACK ON RESTRUCTURING PROGRAM OF FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES AND COMMERCE, UNIVERSITY OF SRI JAYEWARDENEPURA

Adhering to the educational reforms implemented on national level on the recommendation of the presidential task force, The Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce (FMSC), University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ) was restructured in the year 2000. This effort comprised of the achievement of objectives to face the challenges of the new millennium, specially to address the gap created due to the paradigm shift from labor-intensive industry to knowledge based technology. How did the faculty members of FMSC evaluate the implementation phase of the restructuring program and its study effectiveness were studied in this attempt. Structured questionnaires were administered to fifty-four senior lecturers that have taught in both systems and the response rate was 66%. There was 50% response rate for each system for the question on the suitability of new and old systems for the present Sri Lankan universities with respect to teaching, learning, assessments and student-teacher relationships. This follows the finding that most of the objectives of restructuring are being achieved at a moderate level. Accordingly students are benefited through rendering the maximum service of the expert teacher in respective areas of specialization, dissemination of the same level of knowledge and availability of different specialization areas. Establishment of service departments to develop a research culture at FMSC has been achieved at a moderate level but lack of freedom to get involved in such activities hinders the above trend. Teaching in the old system is preferred by 60% of the respondents along with a better position on student learning. Student evaluations too are more successful in the old system than in the new system. Findings strongly support the view that student-teacher relationships in with the new system are at a stake. Keywords: Evaluation, Implementation feedback, Restructuring, Organization, Development For full Paper: [email protected]