The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a public health problem at a global scale because of its high infection and mortality rate. It has affected most countries in the world, and the number of confirmed cases and death toll is still growing rapidly. Susceptibility studies have been conducted in specific countries, where COVID-19 infection and mortality rates were highly related to demographics and air pollution, especially PM_2.5, but there are few studies on a global scale. This paper is an exploratory study of the relationship between confirmed COVID-19 cases and death toll per million population, population density, and PM_2.5 concentration on a worldwide basis. A multivariate linear regression based on Moran eigenvector spatial filtering model and Geographically weighted regression model were undertaken to analyze the relationship between population density, PM_2.5 concentration, and COVID-19 infection and mortality rate, and a geostatistical method with bivariate local spatial association analysis was adopted to explore their spatial correlations. The results show that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between COVID-19 confirmed cases and death toll per million population, population density, and PM_2.5 concentration, but the relationship displays obvious spatial heterogeneity. While some adjacent countries are likely to have similar characteristics, it suggests that the countries with close contacts/sharing borders and similar spatial pattern of population density and PM_2.5 concentration tend to have similar patterns of COVID-19 risk. The analysis provides an interpretation of the statistical and spatial association of COVID-19 with population density and PM_2.5 concentration, which has implications for the control and abatement of COVID-19 in terms of both infection and mortality.

Previous research on university students’ academic performance indicates that students’ seating locations can be an indicator of their academic performance. However, previous research on the relationship between university students’ seating locations and their academic performance is mixed, and there is a lack of research about whether students’ academic discipline moderates this relationship. This study addresses this gap in the literature through a study of 182 university students in Hong Kong. Biglan categorization was used to classify disciplines into soft (a low degree of consensus) and hard fields (a high degree of consensus). The results revealed that students from soft fields who sat at the front of a class performed better than their counterparts who sat at the back, while the performance of students from hard fields was not significantly influenced by their seating location. This article’s findings suggest that classroom seating arrangements should be tailored to academic disciplines to maximize their efficacy and that universities should redesign classroom layouts to extend the experience of sitting at the front of a class to all students.

Informal learning space (ILS) has increasingly become important for higher education. Yet, most studies were conducted on a piecemeal basis, without considering the planning of the campus. This study adopts a systematic and data-driven approach in understanding the types of ILS, preferences and behaviors using a case study in Hong Kong, by first classifying ILS into user-defined types followed by usage behavior for each ILS types. A mixed-method approach was used by conducting qualitative interviews, focus groups, on-site fieldwork observations and large-scale quantitative survey (N = 999) with students. Five types of ILS with unique characteristics were identified. This applied research seeks to suggest development directions and design input for ILS types, with implications for master planning in ILS development, extending to any universities using the same procedure.

Endoscopic skull base reconstruction (ESBR) is an established option for complete reconstruction of the anterior skull base (ASB). While free mucosal grafts are still relevant for limited defects (<10 mm), the evolution of vascular flaps has extended the limits of reconstruction with up to 94% success in defect closure and avoidance of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. This article discusses the planning and execution in ESBR for anterior fossa defects. Factors influencing the choice of reconstruction (flap location, size, influence of raised intracranial pressure, high flow CSF leak, radiotherapy) are examined. The reconstructive options are discussed, including the nasoseptal flap (NSF), inferior turbinate pedicled flap and the endopericranial flap, with particular emphasis on the technical aspects of reconstruction using the NSF. A step-by-step description, with an accompanying video, is provided. Techniques applicable to ESBR in general (subdural graft placement, graft/flap placement, barrier and support dressing) are covered. Novel flaps for ASB reconstruction are also briefly-described.

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a wireless network technology used for transmitting data over short distances. BLE maintains a data transmission range comparable to the regular Bluetooth transmission, but consumes less energy and cost. iBeacon technology refers to BLE mobile devices, which allow mobile applications to receive signals from iBeacons in both indoor and outdoor environments. It is commonly used nowadays for positioning, location services, navigation and marketing, for the sustainable development of smart cities. The applications, however, can be further enhanced for use in many disciplines, such as education, health sector, and exhibitions for disseminating information. This study performed a set of robustness and performance tests on BLE-based iBeacons in the teaching and learning environments to evaluate the performance of iBeacon signals for positioning. During robustness testing, positioning accuracy, signal availability and stability were assessed under different environmental conditions, and the findings suggested pedestrian traffic blocking the line of sight between iBeacon and receiver, causing the most signal attenuations and variation in RSSI. In performance testing, a series of tests was conducted to evaluate the deployment of the iBeacons for positioning; leading to recommendations of iBeacon deployment location, density, transmission interval, fingerprint space interval and collection time in physical learning spaces for sustainable eLearning environments.

The move from traditional teaching-centred approach to student-centred approach has resulted in more student collaboration outside classroom, contributing to the growing importance of information learning space (ILS). Review of recent literature suggests the ILS research agenda is at an initial stage of development, without convergence in research methods and lacks theoretical underpinning. Research studies were conducted on a piece meal basis, lacking comparability and generalization. Using a mixed-method approach, this study contributes to ILS knowledge by introducing a qualitative methodology based on concept mapping and sorting for idea generation; to develop a taxonomy of four user-generated ILS types from a portfolio of 38 ILS sites on campus. This is followed by quantitative validation using seven ILS sites to evaluate satisfaction and usage behaviour. Drawing from middle range theory and the ILS taxonomy, practical design principles are proposed based on functionalities and features for the four ILS types. The learnings can be shared with designers, policy makers and different institutions to facilitate knowledge transfer, which contributes to generalization of learnings and theory building.