COVID-19, caused by a member of the coronavirus family of viruses, has spread to most countries around the world since it was first recorded in humans in China in late 2019. Closing universities and cancelling all face-to-face activities have become a COVID-19 inevitable reality in many parts of the world. Its impact on university programs, particularly to maintain academic standards and quality assurance procedures, has become significantly more challenging and complex. New ways of working digitally, to minimize disruption to daily operations, have also led to enormous anxiety and uncertainty within the student population, and meeting students’ expectations has also become significantly more difficult. This paper reviews actions taken by universities to safeguard high academic standards and quality assurance procedures during this time and appraise the challenges and impacts on students’ academic performance.
Oral cancers (OC) are among the most frequent malignancies encountered in Southeast Asia, primarily due to the prevalent habit of betel quid (BQ) and smokeless tobacco use in this region. Areca nut (AN), the primary ingredient in BQ, contains several alkaloids, including arecoline, arecaidine, guvacoline, and guvacine. These have been associated with both the AN abuse liability and carcinogenicity. Additionally, variations in AN alkaloid levels could lead to differences in the addictiveness and carcinogenic potential across various AN-containing products. Recent studies based on animal models and in vitro experiments show cellular and molecular effects induced by AN. These comprise promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition, autophagy initiation, tissue hypoxia, genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and cell death. Further, clinical research endorses these undesired harmful effects in humans. Oral submucosal fibrosis, a potentially malignant disease of the oral cavity, is predominantly reported from the geographical areas of the globe where AN is habitually chewed. OC in chronic AN users presents a more aggressive phenotype, such as resistance to anti-cancer drugs. The available evidence on the carcinogenicity of AN based on the findings reported in the recently published experimental studies is discussed in the present review.
The global higher education landscape is significantly impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the majority of the universities now follow an online or hybrid mode of delivery. This presents substantial challenges for universities, particularly to conduct examinations, as traditionally most exams were conducted physically on campus. During the first wave of the pandemic, many universities had no option and were forced to move online in a very short period of time, causing universities also to conduct exams online without transforming pedagogy and the structure/s of closed-book exams. Inevitably, in non-proctored and unregulated examinations, this allowed room for students to collaborate and share material during online exams without being noticed by an invigilator as in the case of physical exams. Online exams, also leave room for students to find information online which made preventing plagiarism a significant challenge. This paper investigates the practices used in both closed-book and open-book exams and identifies the challenges associated with the transition to online exams. It also identifies potential ways forward for future online exams, while minimizing opportunities for students to collaborate, plagiarise and use online material. The findings of this study reveal that online examinations affect teachers and students differently: while teachers have mixed feelings about online exams, students are anxious about their grades and the technical hassle they experience in online exams. While viva has emerged as a popular form of alternative assessment, students still feel the need of returning to physical exams. None of the teachers who participated in this study discussed a psychosocial approach to education and exams in this pandemic. We conclude this study on the note that there is a need for the collaboration of social scientists, psychologists, psychosocial specialists, educationists, and humanities scholars/humanists for better educational policy and pedagogical practices during the pandemic.
Background and AimsCytotoxicity is a key disadvantage of using chemotherapeutic drugs to treat cancer. This can be overcome by encapsulating chemotherapeutic drugs in suitable carriers for targeted delivery, allowing them to be released only at the cancerous sites. Herein, we aim to review the recent scientific developments in the utilization of nanotechnology‐based drug delivery systems for treating oral malignancies that can lead to further improvements in clinical practice.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and other notable databases to identify recent peer‐reviewed clinical trials, reviews, and research articles related to nanoplatforms and their applications in oral cancer treatment.ResultsNanoplatforms offer a revolutionary strategy to overcome the challenges associated with conventional oral cancer treatments, such as poor drug solubility, non‐specific targeting, and systemic toxicity. These nanoscale drug delivery systems encompass various formulations, including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, and hydrogels, which facilitate controlled release and targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to oral cancer sites. By exploiting the enhanced permeability and retention effect, Nanoplatforms accumulate preferentially in the tumor microenvironment, increasing drug concentration and minimizing damage to healthy tissues. Additionally, nanoplatforms can be engineered to carry multiple drugs or a combination of drugs and diagnostic agents, enabling personalized and precise treatment approaches.ConclusionThe utilization of nanoplatforms in oral cancer treatment holds significant promise in revolutionizing therapeutic strategies. Despite the promising results in preclinical studies, further research is required to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and long‐term effects of nanoformulations in clinical settings. If successfully translated into clinical practice, nanoplatform‐based therapies have the potential to improve patient outcomes, reduce side effects, and pave the way for more personalized and effective oral cancer treatments.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.