Computer literacy and attitudes towards e-learning among first year medical students

BACKGROUND: At the Medical University of Vienna, most information for students is available only online. In 2005, an e-learning project was initiated and there are plans to introduce a learning management system. In this study, we estimate the level of students' computer skills, the number of students having difficulty with e-learning, and the number of students opposed to e-learning. METHODS: The study was conducted in an introductory course on computer-based and web-based training (CBT/WBT). Students were asked to fill out a questionnaire online that covered a wide range of relevant attitudes and experiences. RESULTS: While the great majority of students possess sufficient computer skills and acknowledge the advantages of interactive and multimedia-enhanced learning material, a small percentage lacks basic computer skills and/or is very skeptical about e-learning. There is also a consistently significant albeit weak gender difference in available computer infrastructure and Internet access. As for student attitudes toward e-learning, we found that age, computer use, and previous exposure to computers are more important than gender. A sizable number of students, 12% of the total, make little or no use of existing e-learning offerings. CONCLUSION: Many students would benefit from a basic introduction to computers and to the relevant computer-based resources of the university. Given to the wide range of computer skills among students, a single computer course for all students would not be useful nor would it be accepted. Special measures should be taken to prevent students who lack computer skills from being disadvantaged or from developing computer-hostile attitudes

Training Manual on Bundled Climate Smart Agriculture, Climate Information Services and One-Health Technologies for Priority Value Chains

The manual is an addendum to the prioritized and bundled Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and Climate Information Services Innovations that is One Health Sensitive. The manual is designed as an extension and training tool for trainers of trainees (TOT) and extension agents to support smallholder farmers most especially stakeholders in AICCRA intervention communities. Users will find the manual very useful and it is hoped that Agriculture Extension Agents (AEAs), farmers, students, and other end users will apply the modules to increase crop production in the target agroecologies. Specifically, the manual provides climate information services, climate smart agriculture innovations and one health intervention that have been prioritized along maize, cowpea, yam, sweetpotato and tomato value chains

Evaluation of Helicobacter pylori Infection, Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet–Lymphocyte Ratio in Dyspeptic Patients

Recent studies have shown a correlation between Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) infection and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between H. Pylori infection and hematimetric indices in patients with dyspepsia symptoms. Overall, 448 patients who underwent gastroscopy were analyzed retrospectively. Histopathological evaluation of biopsies according to H. pylori presence was classified as H. Pylori positive and negative groups, which are analyzed in relation with hematimetric indices. NLR and PLR measurements did not show a statistically significant difference between H. pylori negative and positive groups (p > 0.05). NLR revealed a negative correlation between hemoglobin (HGB), iron, and ferritin measurements in the correlation analysis of the H. Pylori positive group (r = −0.133, p = 0.031; r = −0.270, p = 0.002; r = −0.162, p = 0.032). Again, with PLR, there was a negative correlation between HGB, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), iron, and ferritin measurements (r = −0.310, p = 0.001, r = −0.187, p = 0.002, r = −0.335, p = 0.001; r = −0.290; p = 0.001). The results of our study do not reveal an association between H. pylori presence and inflammatory response, which is evaluated by NLR and PLR measurements in patients with dyspepsia. However, low serum iron and ferritin values of H. pylori-positive patients suggest the effect of H. pylori on iron metabolism

Validating Climate Smart Agriculture and One Health Technologies for Improved Climate Resilience and Productivity Throught Piloting

Building community resilience to climate risk through demonstration plots is a priority in sub-Saharan Africa, where the agricultural system is mainly rainfed and underdeveloped due to multiple underlying causes, such as limited access to information, improved seeds/inputs, modern production practices, and technologies. The use of demonstration plots serve as a platform to promote validated climate-smart and One health technologies.. Under the current project, demonstration plots were used to provide training on good production practices of the various AICCRA-Ghana value chains. Thirty-one (31) demonstration plots were established across eighteen (18) communities in four agroecologies (Coastal savannah, Transition, Guniea savannah, and Sudan savannah) of Ghana. The value chains piloted were maize (13 pilots), yam (6 pilots), cowpea (8 pilots), and sweet potato (4 pilots). These value chains were chosen because of their socio-economic importance in Ghana. Maize and cowpea technologies constituted 42 and 26% of the number of demonstration plots established, respectively. Twenty-one field days were organized to introduce beneficiaries and other stakeholders in the project intervention communities to the various technologies the project demonstrated (i.e climate-smart seeds, One health innovations, and good agronomic practices). A total of One thousand one hundred and thirteen (1113) people were reached out to and directly participated in the field days. Four hundred and fifty-nine of the participants, representing 41% were female. While farmers from intervention communities expressed gratituted to the project, farmers from other communities that participated in the field days have requested for the project to extend such demonstrations to them. Generally, participants expressed their satisfaction and willingness to adopt these new technologies and incorporate them into their farming business next year and beyond