The COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled the critical role that supercomputers play in addressing global health crises. This perspective article explores the transformative impact of supercomputing in pandemic response, highlighting how these powerful machines have transitioned from crisis management tools to essential components of preparedness strategies. In this article, we examine the key contributions of supercomputers in combating the pandemic, including their ability to accelerate scientific research, facilitate data analysis, model complex scenarios, and optimize resource allocation. Furthermore, we delve into the role of supercomputing in strengthening public health infrastructure and preparedness. We analyze the lessons learned from the pandemic and emphasize the need for proactive investment in supercomputing capabilities, data infrastructure, and computational expertise as a crucial element of pandemic preparedness efforts. By harnessing the potential of supercomputers, countries can establish robust computational frameworks that enable real-time monitoring, early detection, and effective response to future outbreaks. Moreover, we address the challenges faced by supercomputing initiatives, including the need for enhanced international collaboration, equitable access to computing resources, and the ethical considerations associated with data privacy and security. We discuss potential strategies to overcome these challenges and foster a global network of interconnected supercomputing centers dedicated to pandemic preparedness and response. Finally, we highlight ongoing research and development efforts aimed at advancing supercomputing technologies, such as exascale computing and quantum computing, and their potential to revolutionize pandemic response. We emphasize the importance of sustained investment in research and development to ensure that supercomputing remains at the forefront of future pandemic preparedness strategies.

This paper delves into the essential role of local communities in mitigating climate change in the post-pandemic landscape, with a specific focus on Barangay Acmac, Iligan City, Philippines. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study integrates in-depth literature reviews, informal interviews with participants (B-Part 1 to B-Part 20), meticulous observations, and thematic analysis. The research has uncovered crucial insights, including variations in community climate change awareness that emphasize the necessity of comprehensive education and awareness campaigns. It highlights the significance of community-driven initiatives, adaptation, and resilience as key elements in addressing climate change. Collaborative efforts between local government officials and the community are showcased as effective instruments of climate change mitigation, yet challenges persist, including addressing the perceived powerlessness of some community members. The methodology, participants, and theoretical framework offer a robust foundation for exploring community responses to climate change. Drawing from a diverse theoretical framework, this study presents a comprehensive understanding of the climate change and pandemic intersection. The findings firmly establish that local communities are pivotal players in the global endeavor to mitigate climate change, underscoring the need for collective action, extensive education, and shared responsibility. The post-pandemic era presents a unique opportunity for local communities, policymakers, barangay officials, and residents to champion climate education, foster community-driven initiatives, and empower individuals to enact change at the grassroots level. The collaborative spirit observed in Barangay Acmac in 2022 serves as a model for communities worldwide, offering a blueprint for addressing similar challenges. Overall, this paper concludes with a resounding call to action, advocating for the recognition of local communities as the driving force in climate change mitigation, stressing that the power to combat climate change resides within these communities. The time for action is now, and local communities are the catalysts of this essential mission.

The disruption of conventional manufacturing, supply, and distribution channels for medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread shortages and catalyzed local efforts to use nontraditional, rapid manufacturing to meet urgent healthcare needs. Here we present a crisis-responsive design framework designed to assist with product development under pandemic conditions. The framework utilizes extensive stakeholder engagement, comprehensive and dynamic needs assessment, local manufacturing, and product testing for the accelerated development of healthcare products. We contrast this framework with traditional medical device manufacturing and discuss relevant regulatory policies. We highlight the applicability of the crisis-responsive framework to a successful local program that designed and supplied face shields for a large US academic hospital. Finally, we make recommendations aimed at improving future resilience to healthcare emergencies. These include continued development of open source designs suitable for rapid manufacturing and changes in regulatory policy that strike a balance between rigidity and uncontrolled innovation.

COVID-19 pandemic has affected the public educational sectors in terms of adjustment in educational modalities of instructional delivery, school operations, and policies. With this emerging paradigm shift, teachers' crisis self-efficacy and work commitment are relevant for research. This study's main objective was to determine the significant influence of crisis self-efficacy on the work commitment of public school teachers in Region XI (Davao Region), Philippines, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 1,340 public school teachers across the Davao Region. The researchers collected the data through adapted questionnaires contextualized to the local setting and administered through online Google forms with appended consent. Mean, standard deviation, Pearson r, and regression analysis were used to analyze data. Results revealed that crisis self-efficacy significantly influences the work commitment of public school teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncertainty management during this crisis, in particular, best predicts teachers’ work commitment. Data also showed a high level of crisis self-efficacy in terms of action, preventive, achievement and uncertainty management, and high level of teachers’ work commitment in terms of commitment to school, commitment to students, commitment to teaching, and commitment to profession. Correlation results also showed a link between crisis self-efficacy and the work commitment of teachers amid pandemic. Finally, the study concluded with practical recommendations and directions for future research.

This study investigates the impact of global financial crisis and the present COVID-19 pandemic on daily and weekly Crude oil futures using four variants of ARMA-GARCH models: ARMA-sGARCH, ARMA-eGARCH, ARMA-TGARCH and ARMA- aPARCH with dummy variables We also investigated the persistence, half-life and backtesting of the models. This study therefore seeks to contribute to the body of literature on the impact of global financial crisis and the present COVID-19 pandemic on crude oil futures market. This investigation of the impact of global financial crisis and the COVID-19 on crude oil futures has not been much studied at present. We obtained and analyzed the daily and weekly crude oil futures from secondary sources. Daily crude oil futures used in this study covers the period from the 4th January 2000 to 27th April 2020 while the weekly crude oil futures covered from 2ndJanuary 2000 to 26th April 2020 . The global financial crisis period covered from 2nd July 2007 to 31st March 2009 and the current COVID-19 pandemic covered from 1st January 2020 to 27th April, 2020. The study used both student t and skewed student t innovations with AIC, goodness-of-test fit and backtesting to select the best model. Most of the estimated ARMA-GARCH models are supported by skewed student t distribution while most of the ARMA-GARCH models exhibited high persistence values in the presence of global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. In the overall, the estimated ARMA(1,0)-eGARCH(2,1) and ARMA(1,0)-eGARCH(2,2) model for daily crude oil futures and weekly crude oil futures respectively have been significantly impacted by the global financial crisis and the Present COVID-19 pandemic while the preferred estimated models also passed the goodness-of-test fit and backtesting.This study recommends shareholders and investors should think outside the box as crude oil futures tend to be affected by global financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic while countries also that depend mostly on crude oil are encouraged to diversify their economy in other to survive and be sustained during financial and health crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic situation, disease intensity, weak healthcare facilities, unawareness, and misinformation led people to fear and anxiety in Bangladesh. This study intended to get peoples’ perception on psychosocial, socio-economic and environmental crisis amidst the pandemi. An online questionnaire was surveyed nationwide (respondents no.1066). Datasets were analyzed through the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), hierarchical Cluster Analysis (CA), Pearson’s correlation matrix (PCM), Linear regression analysis (LRA), and psychometric characteristics were included in the Classical Test Theory (CTT) analysis. There were good associations among the psychosocial, socio-economic and environmental parameters. A significant association between fear of COVID-19 with struggling healthcare system (p<0.05) was found. Also, negative association between fragile health system and government’s ability to deal with the pandemic (p<0.05) revealing poor governance. Again, a positive association of shutdown and social distancing with fear of losing life, and due to lack of health treatment (p<0.05) reveals that shut down hampers normal activities which may lead to mental and economic stress. However, a positive association of socio-economic impact of the shutdown with poor people’s suffering, the price hike of basic need, hamper of formal education (p<0.05) may lead to severe socio-economic and health crisis. There is a possibility of climate-induced disaster during/after the pandemic, which will create severe food insecurity (p<0.01). Daily wage earners and poors will suffer most by food and nutritional deficiency, and the country may face huge economic burden. Proper risk assessment and communications is needed to alleviate fear and anxiety. Thus, financial support and mental boosting is required.

: The purpose of this research was to verify the importance and performance of crisis management in Korean fitness center using Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). For this study, 304 fitness center executives and managers in Seoul and Gyeonggi region were selected as from March 21 to May 17, 2020. Frequency analysis was performed using SPSS 24.0 and exploratory factor analysis was conducted to verify the validity and reliability. Priority analysis and IPA analysis were performed to compare the mean values, and the following results were obtained. First, in the first quadrant, there were 6 attributes besides keep social distancing between employees and customers. Second, in the second quadrant, there were four attributes in addition to regular disinfection of the gymnasium. Third, in the third quadrant, there were 6 attributes besides maintain furniture clean. Third, there were 6 attributes other than maintaining furniture clean in the third quadrant. Fourth, in the fourth quadrant, there are three attributes in addition to the restriction of face-to-face meetings. The conclusion is as follows. First, equip supplies for prevention of covid19, keep social distance, and check government support policies. Second, analyze of economic support policies, and research on their application methods. Third, Prepare various non-face-to-face communication methods and Untact(non-contact) marketing strategies. Fourth, make a checklist for factors with relatively little importance.

This study aims to understand the global environment of COVID-19 management and guide future policy directions after the pandemic crisis. To this end, we analyzed a series of the World Economic Forum’s COVID-19 response reports through text mining and network analysis. These reports, written by experts in diverse fields, discuss multidimensional changes in socioeconomic situations, various problems created by those changes, and strategies to respond to national crises. Based on 3,897 refined words drawn from a morphological analysis of 26 reports (as of the end of 2020), this study analyzes the frequency of words, the relationships among words, the importance of specific documents, and the connection centrality through text mining. In addition, network analysis helps develop strategies for sustainable response to and management of national crises through identifying clusters of words with a similar structural equivalence.

Risk protection and precaution are noticeable present, especially in times of a pandemic like Covid 19. However, it is not only in times of abruptly upcoming and unexpected situations like Corona that companies and economic entities are exposed to opportunities and threats. Internal and external developments that could influence the organization’s aims are defined as risks. Hence, it is important to emphasize that every operational activity is associated with risks and is consequently a challenge for companies. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the identification and classification of individual risks. In this regard, the objectives and relevance of risk management are highlighted. Through the accomplishment of a classic literature review and the application of a comparative methodology the procedure of how hedging instruments are applied, is elaborated. The analysis indicates that various business concerns have a high awareness of risks inherent in business transactions, although they are still very hesitant to insert hedging instruments. Their uncertainties consist in defining and classifying the relevant risks plus identifying the appropriate hedging methods for them. Thus, this research can add new dimensions to hedging transactions and, particularly, express the benefits and opportunities of hedge accounting.

In order to achieve the elimination of the negative impacts of transport on road safety, the European Union is taking various measures resulting from its commitment to improve road safety. One of the instruments for achieving the objectives set is social legislation for the work of drivers in road freight and passenger transport. In line with the objective of improving the quality of working conditions for road transport drivers and road safety, the European Union applies Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport, which lays down rules on driving times, breaks and rest periods for drivers operating in road freight and passenger transport. The main objective of the paper is to assess the impact of social legislation on road transport safety by means of real research and to identify the factors influencing the violation of the legislation depending on the type of transports carried out in domestic or international road freight transport.

In the present paper, we investigate the impact of the timescale factor on the quality of life index behavior on specific time intervals characterized by the presence of socio-economic, political, and/or health severe movements such as pandemics and crises. We essentially aim to show that effectively the quality of life measuring based on a single index in the existing studies may be described more adequately by a variable index due to the social, political, economic, and also healthy environment. The variability discovered is expressed by the existence and the estimation of a multi-index instead of a single one relatively to many factors. Our focus is mainly on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life. Our model is applied empirically to a sample corresponding to Saudi Arabia as a case of study during the period from January 1990 to December 2021 as the main period affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample is based on social media conversations and texts discussing and describing the satisfaction with the quality of life. The study confirms effectively that the role of the timescale factor is more described when considering a multi-index rather than measurement on the whole time interval.

The aim of the article is to verify differences in the perception of selected factors of sustainability among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Central Europe. The subjects of analysis are factors such as corporate social responsibility (CSR), business risk sources (market, financial, personnel, and operational), reputation and social media, national support, social changes, and crisis events in business. The questionnaire was completed by 1,090 SMEs from the business environments of Visegrad Group countries. Statistical hypotheses were verified using Z-scores for two population properties. The most negatively perceived factors among owners and managers in the SME segment are national support and legislative changes. The most positively perceived factor is reputation and social media. The country of doing business is a significant factor. The perception of crisis events in business is most negative among Czech SMEs. More than 80% of Hungarian SMEs perceive their companies as sustainable. In comparison with Slovak and Polish SMEs, Hungarian perceptions are more positive in the context of sustainability. The country of doing business is the strongest factor in evaluating CSR indicators. The positive perception of CSR in Czech SMEs (43.9%) is lower than in other countries.

Most vulnerable individuals are particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study takes place in a large city in France. The aim of this study is to describe the mobility of the homeless population at the begin-ning of the health crisis and to analyze its impact in terms of COVID-19 prevalence. From June to August 2020 and September to December 2020, 1272 homeless people were invited to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and virus in and completed questionnaires. Our data show that homeless populations are sociologically dif-ferent depending on where they live. We show that people living on the street were most likely to be relocated to emergency shelters than other inhabitants. Some neighborhoods are points of attraction for homeless peo-ple in the city while others emptied during the health crisis, which had consequences for virus circulation. People with a greater number of different dwellings reported became more infected. This first study of the mo-bility and epidemiology of homeless people in time of pandemic provides unique information about mobility mapping, sociological factors of this mobility, mobility at different scales and epidemiological consequences. We suggest that homeless policies need to be radically transformed since actual model exposes people to infection in emergency.

The Covid-19 pandemic was a challenge for the whole world and it had major secondary effects on humans and environmental health. The viral infection induced, in many situations, secondary bacterial infections, especially enteric infections by destabilizing the balance of the gastrointestinal microbiota. The large-scale use of antibiotics and biocides both for curative and preventive purposes has determined an increase in bacterial resistance and at the same time the possibility of pathogenic microorganisms’ multiplication and their dissemination to natural environments. Wastewater is the main vector of faecal microorganisms that favour their dissemination into natural aquatic ecosystems. The present paper aimed to analyze the effect of Covid-19 pandemic on the microbiological quality of wastewater from sewage treatment plants in Romania and its impact on receiving rivers. In order to highlight different and important areas of Romania, 3 cities from the east, center and west were selected for a microbiological evaluation of their WWTPs influent and effluent between ante-Covid-19 and Covid-19 pandemic peak period, when the Covid-19 pandemic had a direct impact on WWTPs microbial composition. Our study showed a higher contamination with fecal bacteria linked to a higher Covid-19 incidence. The increased usage of pharmaceutical compounds, at their turn, increased the number of resistant bacteria reaching the environment via WWTP effluents.

The purpose of this study is to examine the match-related performance (scores and penalties) of the athletes in the Junior EJC (European Judo Championship) and U23 EJC categories before and immediately after the Covid-19 quarantine, according to gender and weight category groups. Our sample was based on the junior and U23, male and females, 2019-2020 Junior European Judo Championships and 2019-2020 U23 European Judo Championships. A total of 1431 matches in these tournaments were analyzed: male (n=812) and female (n=619). The main findings of this study showed that most matches in both the male and female categories resulted in ippon (2019-2020 average: 64,35% for Junior male, 70,55% for U23 male and 69,3% for Junior female, 64,4% for U23 female). No significant differences (p &gt; 0.05) were observed between gender and age groups concerning the match scores. In the formation phase of the technique, considerations of high- and low-intensity actions, and analysis of the speed of athletes during matches in official competitions can help to better understand the dynamics of the variability of movements in judo matches. In addition, suggestions are presented to be applied to athletes in different age categories who are on the way to become Olympic athletes.

The objective of the present study is to analyze COVID-19 transmission in specific dampest regions with excess rainfall and recurring fogs. The working hypothesis is that widespread transmission of SARS CoV 2 (leading to COVID-19) and similar viral agents can be explained by specific climate factors having high air humidity. The main case study of the Turkish Black Sea region is investigated. Results reveal that the provinces in region under study have some climate factors and geographical features that foster the accelerated transmission of viral agents, such as SARS-CoV-2, and consequential negative impact on society. In particular, Spearman's Correlation Coefficient shows a statistically significant positive association between the average atmospheric pressure and the spread of the COVID-19 confirmed cases in Samsun province (Spearman’s correlation coefficient rs =0.86, p-value 0.05). A statistically significant positive association between the average precipitation and the spread of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Sinop province (Spearman’s correlation coefficient rs =0.79, p-value 0.05), and finally, a statistically significant negative association between the average sun hour and the spread of the COVID-19 confirmed cases in Samsun province (Spearman’s correlation coefficient rs = 0.89, p-value 0.01). These findings suggest that regions' geographical characteristics, demographic structure, climate and environmental parameters must be considered in the national scale epidemic management plans to design effective anti-pandemic health policies to cope with future waves of the COVID-19 and new airborne diseases and to reduce negative effects on health, social and economic systems.

How does fiscal devolution affect the probability of a sovereign debt crisis? Using annual cross-country panel data from 82 advanced and developing countries, the association between the sovereign debt crisis and fiscal decentralization is investigated. We employ an instrumental variable panel probit model to address potential endogeneity. The results reveal that local tax autonomy reduces the probability of a sovereign debt crisis. In contrast, expenditure devolution is found to increase the probability of a sovereign debt crisis. These favorable and unfavorable effects of fiscal devolution are found to be more evident in the case of decentralization to local governments than in the case of decentralization to subnational governments. In terms of relative magnitudes, our discrete choice analysis demonstrates that the undesirable effects of expenditure decentralization are greater than the favorable effects of tax revenue decentralization. Therefore, countries should be cautious about risks associated with fiscal devolution, particularly the contrasting impact of tax revenue and spending decentralization on the likelihood that sovereign debt crises occur.

Taking advantage of tourists’ intensive flow, the SARS-CoV-2 virus rapidly spread causing thousands of deaths globally. Trying to contain the already pandemic virus, government travel restrictions were suddenly imposed. Consequently, the tourism industry, which at that moment employed one in ten workers globally, suddenly collapsed. Hundreds of thousands of workers immediately lost their income. Flights were cancelled, and thousands of tourists were stuck abroad with no means to return to their home countries. The gravity of the situation raised the question of whether there was scholarly knowledge that could have helped manage tourism during the current pandemic. To answer this question, a methodical literature review was performed, allowing for up to 900 publications to be analysed. Keywords used were pandemic, tourism, tourist and travel. Based on this process, 63 publications were selected for further analysis. Among these, less than 5% were focused on the tourism side of the problem. As such, this research concludes that, by the time the novel coronavirus emerged, there was, virtually, no scholarly knowledge on how to manage tourism during pandemic times so as to avoid chaos, and that the scholarly community studying related issues is very small. Moving forward, this article recommends that research funding agencies and universities encourage the sound development of this area of knowledge. Aspects that should be investigated include when, how and by whom should tourism be halted, as well as the feasibility of a Tourism World Fund for supporting related costs.

Feedback from the earthquake zone in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey has established that the emerging field of Crisis Translation and Interpreting (CTInt) requires a free smartphone application, to enable Crisis Translators and Interpreters (CTIs) to access multilingual terminology resources on-/offline when assisting Search and Rescue (SAR) teams responding to man-made and/or natural disasters.The aim is to design not only a multilingual compilation of Crisis Terminology (CTerm), downloadable to smartphones enabling access when there is a failure in the internet connection, but also a unified search tool which will browse and redirect the user to existing termbanks when the internet is accessible. Nevertheless, terminological records available in the domain of CTerm are inadequate and dispersed, with different interfaces and language combinations, requiring enhancement and harmonisation. Furthermore, automated translation and interpreting software/systems supported by the multilingual compilation of the crisis terminology portal (CTermPort) ideally need to be developed or, alternatively, existing ones integrated into the crisis termbank (CTermBank) collection for those who would lack the support of CTIs.The design of the CTermPort will significantly impact civil societies by providing a lifesaving tool for CTIs who need a reliable terminological reference point and automated translation options, and those unable to be assisted. In this respect, the project also promises strong prospects of sustainability past the project duration, as the tool to be developed will serve international SAR teams working closely with CInts during response times, but also medical staff in field hospitals collaborating with CTIs in rehabilitation and recovery phases, and beyond.

Objective: The aim of our study was to perform a retrospective analysis of the volume of cervical screening tests, the number of patients treated with an excision method, and the incidence of invasive and non-invasive cervical during a pandemic and pre-pandemic period of 24 months. Results: There was a statistically significant age difference between the two study periods, both by the average age of patients and by age group. The mean difference was 32 years before the pan-demic and 35 years during the pandemic (p-value >0.05). The majority of patients presenting for investigations before and during the pandemic were in the 30-39-year-old age group (31.95%, respectively; 34.2% (p-value = 0.003). The biggest patient loss ratio identified by age group was in the 50–59 years: 14,53% in the pre-pandemic period and 9,1% in the pandemic period. In the pan-demic period, patients from rural areas presented in the clinical trial with a lower rate of 39.52% (83 patients) vs. 60.47% (127 patients) in urban areas. A higher percentage of patients experiencing cervicorrhagia as a clinical manifestation in the pandemic period vs. the prepandemic period, with an increase in more severe lesions in the pandemic period, has a statistical significance of 8% more newly diagnosed compared to the pre-pandemic period. Conclusion: The addressability of the patients during the COVID period was not affected in a drastic way in our study. We encountered a decrease in appointments in the age group 50–59 years and a decrease in patients with rural residence. In our study, we found an increase in cervicorrhagia as a reason for consultation in the pandemic period with a higher lesion degree, both on a pap smear and on a cervical biopsy.

One of the main challenges of the globalization became the increased destabilization and frequent economic crises. In general, managing an economic crisis is a particularly difficult task for any economy (developed or developing, and regardless the size). In the context of globalization, the process faces additional challenges. On the one hand, the world economy witnessed a shift from traditional purely economic instruments to more financial mechanisms of economic development. Indeed, the liberalization of the economy since the 1990s complicated the traditional trends of the world market development, resulting in significant fluctuation of the growth rates between different countries and regions. To respond to this evolution, governments and international organizations changed well-established strategies. For example, financial sector found itself given expanded role in economic development, with, different financial mechanisms used as key variables to evaluate an economic growth. On the other hand, the increased role of financial sector in a globilised world, increased financial relations among individual states and thus, interdependences. This “financial globalization” causes important fluctuations in the system and, as a result, causes instability in socio-economic development. Thus, an economic crisis of any important economy soon becomes a global issue (financial crisis of 2008, economic crisis of 2020).The recent global economic crisis due to the Covid-19 world pandemic, appeared to be unique for several reasons. First, it highlighted the transnational and origin-specific nature of the crisis. Second, it appeared to be the first case when non-economic factors caused a major economic crisis. As a result, this crisis turned out to be particularly difficult to predict and to manage. In this case, the main strategy of the global post-crisis rehabilitation became the restoration of the economy's predictability and ensuring its ability to obey the classical principles. According to the Organic Law on "Economic Freedom" of the European Union (2011), any factor which increases the equilibrium amount of output is reflected in the economic rehabilitation plan. Such exogenous factors are primarily fiscal mechanisms, i.e. - Reduction of taxes and increase of state expenditures. This crisis caused important structural problems with their effects on public expenditures (especially health expenditures, to the public expenditures, economic growth, price stability and budget balance) in both, developed and developing countries. Nearly every state declared an increase in public debt, inflation, and unemployment rates, while an important decrease was shown in growth rates and capital outflows. As the crisis due to the world pandemic was radically different from previous economic crises, it was difficult to manage it efficiently at the initial stage. It was complicated to forecast the scenarios of the unknown crisis with non-standard nature which was more linked to epidemiologic factors than objective economic law. The dynamics of crisis resolution depended on correct forecasting and effective implementation of global, but especially country-based reforms. More importantly, this crisis showed the important role of individual states to manage the global crisis. The traditional function of a government to ensure country’s socio-economic growth and security, increases in an extraordinary environment, such as sharp economic fluctuations and crises. In such contexts, the centralized management functions are sharply activated. The global pandemic processes have updated the economic essence of the state. The large scale of the latest economic crisis due to the world pandemic has determined the need for mutually coordinated development of anti-crisis plans of different countries. In today's dynamic landscape, modern global systems are redefining the standards and priorities of national economic policies. The economic status of countries is changing significantly as a result of their participation in these systems. As a result of these changes, today's global economy is marked by the proliferation of regionalism and the emergence of spatial economic frameworks. Thus, classical economic concepts are evolving, giving rise to a new model known as economic nationalism. This paradigm shift is generating new risks, which are increasing in severity and scope. The overriding objective of economic policy is now to ensure and predict stable development. Reflections are underway to meet the challenges of economic equilibrium and its social and institutional sustainability.In addition to the decentralization of the unified governance system, the global economy is characterized by the activation of centralized governance elements within individual countries. This requires the development of new norms for global cooperation and the careful balancing of national integration and development factors. The question of government's influence on the economy and the delegation of its powers becomes relevant once again. Effective coordination of public administration is based on the principle of decentralized government, which is a key element of a democratic model of society and facilitates the transfer of management tools to the public. The key objectives of this research are focused on the optimal distribution of state functions and the study of hierarchical principles of territorial organization within the country, fiscal mechanisms for the distribution of powers, as well as the particularities of the structuring of the spatial economy and its budgetary provisioning mechanisms.The example of the last two economic crisis showed that contemporary anti-crisis strategies should reflect several considerations. First, it becomes impossible to develop a single unified model of crisis management. Even in the context of important economic and financial globalization, the current decentralization and new spatial economic processes make it necessary to find a balance between the local priorities and global interests. Second, the role of non-economic crisis-causing factors increases compared to economic determinants. That is why international and country-based reforms should aim at not only economic rehabilitation, but also on the social, cultural and environmental restorations. Third, it becomes difficult to correctly predict the consequences of the crisis and thus, the effects of the anti-crisis strategy. Consequently, the success of the post-crisis rehabilitation of the countries' economies depends significantly not only on the effective realization of their own plan, but also, in general, on the specificities of the global economy and on the ability of the world markets to overcome the negative consequences of a crisis. In this context, the development of complex post-crisis platforms and state post-crisis strategies is the priority. The most effective component in the anti-crisis strategy is the monetary instruments of economic management. As for the determinant of successful functioning of economy, the priority should be given to the regulation of exchange rate, interest rate and inflationary processes. A state anti-crisis programs should reflect the crisis prevention strategy, which, on its turn, should differentiate the economic functions of the state and crisis management mechanisms according to the specific trends of given processes. It should aim at gaining stable development of the economy. Additionally, an anti-crisis plan should reflect the role of the society in the development process and its mental changes under crisis conditions. The state should be responsible for establishing and monitoring anti-crisis management mechanisms, financial recovery of the country and formation of correct relations. It is especially important to ensure economic security, to stabilize the development process and standard of living, to support the private sector and small entrepreneurship, to increase economic freedom, to ensure effective distribution of labor and capital, and others. All strategies of the anti-crisis platform should be focused on social results, as it should contribute to a fair distribution of income and to poverty reduction.

The Covid-19 health crisis and its related confinement measures and policies has had a significant impact on the telework adoptions rates, where many businesses were affected abruptly without being prepared, resulting in numerous ad-hoc applications especially while assessing employee’s performance and productivity while working remotely. The difficulties that have emerged with the pandemic have revealed the fragility of the traditional performance appraisal process and the unintentional existence of proximity bias. The Lebanese liquidity crisis is an ongoing financial crisis affecting Lebanon that became fully apparent toward late-2019 when large demonstrations erupted amid acute political instability and economic challenges. In light of the compounded simultaneous occurrence of recurring episodes of COVID-19 outbreaks and the ongoing country’s financial liquidity crisis, the standing of the Lebanese banking sector – who played key roles in the Lebanese economy and were long considered as financially sound and stable – has drastically changed. Faced with such a situation, Lebanese commercial banks started contracting both their branch network and human capital base, and thus they been forced to rethink their human capital strategies by implementing new practices allowing them to adapt to this context of crisis. It is in this perspective that the present research work is inscribed, where we explore the main managerial practices and processes implemented within top Lebanese banks to assess their employee’s performance during the compounded simultaneous crises. A thematic qualitative analysis method of an exploratory nature was adopted, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior managers from top Lebanese commercial banks. Results were processed using a deductive approach for themes identifications. Accordingly, it was concluded that in such times of acute crisis, Lebanese banks have altered the purpose of their Performance Appraisal Review (PAR) process and have implicitly or explicitly adopted a Forced Ranking method to primarily focus on retaining just the top performers, while placing those at the bottom on probation with the risk of termination.

While some researchers have suggested that the self-employment (SE) sector is a haven during a financial Crisis, others believe that SE is not necessarily the desired outcome, but an indicator that the labor market is tightening for some groups. Few researchers have compared the SE sector before and after the occurrence of a significant financial Crisis, especially in developed countries. This paper analyzes the determinants of entry into self-employment during the 2008 Spanish Crisis. Using data from the Encuesta de Presupuesto Familiar (EPF), results show that although the rate of SE did not experience a significant change during this time the Crisis affected people differently based on gender, with being females more affected than males. Results also suggest differences between Comunidades Autonomas in how the self-employment sector behaved during the Crisis.

Background: The enduring psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to affect individuals long after the immediate health concerns have subsided. This research aims to identify specific groups within the Romanian population who are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health challenges that can interfere with everyday life and may lead to more serious mental health disorders. Methods: Conducted as a cross-sectional survey, this study evaluated the prevalence and intensity of psychological distress using the DASS-21 questionnaire. An online survey distributed via Google Forms also gathered socio-demographic data and COVID-19-specific information. Statistical analyses included the Shapiro-Wilk test, Fisher's exact test, and Z-tests with Bonferroni correction. Quantitative independent variables that lacked a normal distribution were compared between groups using either the Mann-Whitney U test or the Kruskal-Wallis H test. Results: Analysis of 521 questionnaires, filled out by a predominantly middle-aged cohort of 320 women and 201 men, revealed that 63.72% of participants worked outside the healthcare field. Those unemployed or retired reported significantly higher anxiety levels than individuals in other sectors. Moreover, living alone, experiencing the loss of close relatives (6.14%) or friends (33.59%), and undergoing hospitalization or reinfection due to COVID-19 were linked to significantly elevated distress scores. Conclusion. By identifying the segments of the population most vulnerable to psychological distress, as evidenced by higher scores among the unemployed, retirees, individuals living alone, and those directly affected by COVID-19 through personal health or loss, targeted initiatives for psychological screening and therapy can be established. Such measures are essential for enhancing the post-pandemic mental well-being of Romanians, addressing the specific needs uncovered in this study.

The presence of burnout, anxiety and depression among health professionals is a crucial issue that must be carefully addressed. The aim of the present study is to investigate levels of burnout, anxiety and depression among health professionals (medical and nursing staff) during the pandemic crisis, the association of burnout with anxiety and depression as well as the impact of occupational and demographic factors. One hundred twenty-five health professionals (medical and nursing staff) participated who were working in a public hospital in the broader area of Athens (sample of convenience). Specifically, 41 males and 84 females with the majority of them being in the category of 36-45 years of age. For the data collection, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the HADS questionnaire were used. The results showed that there was a statistically significant and negative correlation of emotional exhaustion to HADS total (r= -0,377, p=0,000) as well as HADS anxiety (r= -0,417, p=0,000). Also, there was a statistically significant and negative correlation of depersonalization to HADS total (r= -0,370, p=0,000) as well as HADS anxiety (r= -0,431, p=0,000). Moreover, there was a statistically significant effect (p<0,05) of occupational and demographic characteristics.

This paper discovers that current variational principle and Noether theorem for different physics systems with (in)finite freedom systems have missed the double extremum processes of the general extremum functional that both is deduced by variational principle and is necessarily taken in deducing all the physics laws, but these have not been corrected for over a century since Noether's proposing her famous theorem, which result in the crisis deducing relevant mathematical laws and all physics laws. This paper discovers there is the hidden logic cycle that one assumes Euler-Lagrange equations, and then he finally deduces Euler-Lagrange equations via the equivalent relation in the whole processes in all relevant current references. This paper corrects the current key mistakes that when physics systems choose the variational extreme values, the appearing processes of the physics systems are real physics processes, otherwise, are virtual processes in all current articles, reviews and (text)books. The real physics should be after choosing the variational extreme values of physics systems, the general extremum functional of the physics systems needs to further choose the minimum absolute extremum zero of the general extremum functional, otherwise, the appearing processes of physics systems are still virtual processes. Using the double extremum processes of the general extremum functionals, the crisis and the hidden logic cycle in current variational principle and current Noether theorem are solved. Furthermore, the new mathematical and physical double extremum processes and their new mathematical pictures and physics for (in)finite freedom systems are discovered. This paper gives both general variational principle and general Noether theorem as well as their classical and quantum new physics, which would rewrite all relevant current different branches of science, as key tools of studying and processing them.

The effects of the climate crisis are affecting ecosystems at different scales and magnitudes. This paper focuses on a massive Mediterranean mussel die-off observed along the middle Italian Adriatic coast in the summer of 2022. We considered the possible environmental causes of this phenomenon and carried out a climatic analysis of the last decade. We performed field surveys in different locations along a 16 Km coastal stretch (from Martinsicuro (TE) on the South, to Grottammare (AP) on the North). The study area includes two marine Sites of Community Importance under the European Natura 2000 network. The mussels die-off has interested practically all the natural mussel-beds colonizing the study area. Mussels are sessile filter-feeding organisms inhabiting the intertidal zone, therefore, are highly exposed to variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and nutrient load. We discuss the possible causes of this die-off, proposing that high temperature and the scarce availability of food acted simultaneously as stress factors, generating local unsustainable living conditions for this species.

In chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a clonal proliferative disorder of granulocytic lineage, the 90%‐95% of cases are characterized by t(9;22) (q34.1;q11.2) translocation, leading to the Philadelphia chromosome (1). Rarely, CML patients directly present a blast crisis, mostly of myeloid origin (2, 3). Herein, we describe one rare CML case, showing an unusual early T lymphoid blastic crisis.

Forestry and the wood-based sector, including the wood industry, which is an important element of economic systems and a source of budget revenues for many countries in the world, found itself in the first quarter of 2020 in a situation of a serious threat of a prolonged crisis as a consequence of the pandemic. In this perspective, it is necessary to review existing sector strategies and look for new solutions to ensure first survival, then functioning and finally development of entities forming the wood market. In the scientific research, which is the subject of this work, an attempt was made to multi-criteria analysis of the selection of the optimal anti-crisis strategy for actors from forestry and the wood-based sector in the face of a pandemic. Preparatory studies were conducted on the example of Poland, where both forestry and the wood industry belong to the dominant sectors of the economy, conducting them at the turn of March and April 2020. The research was referred to the primary wood raw material market in Poland, which is the main link in the value chain, created first by the dominant owner: Państwowe Gospodarstwo Leśne "Lasy Państwowe" - the “State Forests” National Forest Holding (SFNFH), and then forest service entrepreneurs, to entities representing the wood industry. The work uses a concept modified for the purposes of the author's research scenario, based on the method of multi-criteria hierarchical analysis AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process). The best possible decision was to be searched that would allow the selection of the optimal anti-crisis strategy for enterprises - actors of the sector concerned. Based on the collected results and their expert discussion, recommendations for sectoral policy for forestry and the wood-based sector were then formulated. The proposed solutions are located against the background of a dispute between the concept of institutional intervention and a model taking into account the effects of market factors. The work is both cognitive (optimization and adaptation of the research method) and practical up-to-date. An accurate development strategy for forestry and the wood-based sector is urgently needed and necessary to implement as quickly as possible.

Purpose: The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has created the need for social distancing between medical staff and patients, therefore, healthcare robotics is increasingly important as regards infectious control. The purpose of this study was to design and fabricate a remote controlled transport robot that could provide an optimum technology base for developing countries, having dual functions of telepresence and delivery operations inside or outside buildings, is easy to assemble and also easily able to be cleaned using standard chemical agents.Methods: This machine was designed and fabricated to incorporate two main functions; delivery and telepresence. The robot consists of a base frame, DC motors for driving and steering systems, actuator motor for driving wheel elevation, Wi-Fi AP/Repeater, network camera, and a necessary a back-up power system.Results: This robot can be used both indoors and outdoors. It can carry loads of more than 80 kg. The machine can cross obstacles greater than 3 cm. It can be cleaned by disinfectant agents. An actuator motor can lift the driving wheels above the surface to prevent gear damage. Conclusion: This article demonstrates the concept of a healthcare telepresence and delivery robot that can provide distancing during the present COVID-19 crisis, using optimum technology for low and middle-income countries. In the future, the researcher should consider development of the delivery controls, combined with the telepresence system using the internet of things, to improve the navigation system, the manipulator system for supporting multi-floor transportation, and also other multi-functional purposes.

Healthcare crises occur occasionally are very disruptive and resource consuming. The Covid-19 pandemic provided an example of inefficient wasteful resource management that would be unsustainable in the long term. This paper presents a framework for sustainable crisis management that will be applicable for future crises. The methodology is also applicable to other pandemics, wars, multi-casualty natural disasters, industrial disasters, etc. Attention focuses on rapid crisis resolution such as lockdowns. Despite unprecedented investments in healthcare, lack of capacity and timeliness are still problems affecting every country, even the wealthier ones. During the Covid19 pandemic, some healthcare systems around the world have collapsed. For example, Brazil, Spain, Italy, and more. This is due to the lack of a clear methodology for handling such crises. This paper presents a resource-based methodology to cope with healthcare crises considering three scenarios: “Peace”, “War” and “Tsunami”. The paper outlines a methodology for identifying the system bottlenecks for coping with the crisis in each scenario by using established simple tools. These tools assure significant resource frugality that will enhance sustainability. The paper also analyses where the system constraint should be and prescribes how to prepare for such scenarios. A large medical center case study demonstrates our approach. During “peace” times, evolutionary strategies should be used exclusively. During “war” times, a hybrid – evolutionary/disruptive (revolutionary) strategy. During the “Tsunami” scenario, one should rely only on the disruptive (revolutionary) strategy. This methodology can be extended to other scenarios and other lines of research.

Due to the increasing risk of extreme events caused by climate change (i.e. floods, fires, hurricanes) or wars, European veterinary public health may need some improvement. Utilizing a mix of qualitative (participatory observation) and quantitative methods (Internet mining), we analyzed the Greek media responses to the millennial flood in Thessaly (September 2023), focusing on animal health (including wild, companion animals and livestock) and public sentiment towards epizootic/epidemic threats. The study revealed a gap in crisis management plans regarding veterinary-related issues, emphasizing the need for comprehensive emergency response strategies. Our findings show how: (i) lay-referral system is projecting perception of epidemic threats into the population; (ii) emotional load of images of animal carcasses is misused by media creators aiming for big audience; (iii) pets owners are creating on-line communities for searching and treatment of their pets. Our results stress the importance of integrating crisis communication in consecutive phases of the discourse, such as (i) weather change; (ii) acute flood; (iii) recovery; (iv) outbreaks, into veterinary practices to better prepare for such disasters.

The COVID-19 crisis has brought unprecedented strain on healthcare systems around the world. It has perhaps taught us some key lessons that are worth considering and addressing to help build more sustainable health systems as well as improve our ability to combat future epidemics.

The current discussion about a “risk culture” in financial services was triggered by the recent series of crisis (from the US subprime mortgage crisis to the lock-in trap of central banks in the aftermath of the sovereign debt crisis). The last decade saw a long list of hybris, misconduct and criminal activities by human beings on a single or even a collective basis in banks, in the industry or in the whole economy. As a counter-reaction, financial authorities called for a guidance by a “new” risk culture in financial institutions based on a set of abstract, formal and normative governance processes. In the humanities, culture is a paraphrase for the behaviour in collectives and dynamics of organization found in human societies. Therefore, a “risk culture” should be a link between those normative guidelines and the positive “real-world” decision-making in financial services. This paper will focus on “risk culture” from the perspective of human beings interacting in dynamical and intertemporal commercial relations. In this context, “risk” is perceived by economic agents ex-ante as the consequence of the time-lag between the present and the uncertain future development (compared to a probability distribution calculated by observers ex-post). For all those individual decisions – to be made under uncertainty – future “risk” includes the so-called “normal accidents”, i.e. failures that will happen at some uncertain point in time but inevitable, and it is only the questions, when failure will happen and how to maintain function in the first line of defence. Finally, the sum of all decisions with individual responsibility for things to come is the positive economical context of a “risk culture” in the sense of the (rational) behaviour of an honourable merchant in long-term and repeated commercial relations in a merchant community, as this is a heritage of European business culture.

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is believed to follow a waxing and waning course, often according to environmental stressors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pre-existing OCD symptoms were reported to increase and to change from checking to washing behaviors, while new-onset symptoms were predominantly of the hoarding type. In the present study, we followed the evolution of OCD symptoms, anxiety, depression, and insight of illness in forty-six OCD patients throughout the pandemic. Clinical measures were collected at four different time points before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. Within-subject comparisons were used to compare clinical scale scores across time, and correlations were examined between patients' baseline characteristics and changes in clinical scores. We found that all clinical measures increased during the first Italian lockdown, with respect to the pre-pandemic values. Anxiety decreased during the temporary elimination of restriction provisions, whereas severity of OCD symptoms and insight returned to pre-pandemic values during the second mandatory lockdown. These results were observed only in two sub-groups of patients: those taking benzodiazepines and those with shorter illness duration. Our findings suggest the need of additional clinical attention to these specific sub-groups of OCD patients in case of particularly distressing circumstances, while pointing to a possible adaptive role of their OCD symptoms when the environment requires a higher care of hygiene and extraordinary supply of essential resources.

Providing user confidence in Mobile Government Services (MGS) is essential for the success of mobile government. This study aimed to test the moderating role of techno-skepticism in the impact of crisis management on mobile government. Some scholars have stated that government investment in mobile government services for public administration during the financial crisis is a critical issue for crisis management. In the constantly evolving and changing world, the rapid advancement of technology in modern societies has prompted an acceleration in investments in information and communication technologies. However, due to several inadequacies, citizens seem to respond negatively to the use of certain public technological services, leading them to develop a perspective of techno-skepticism. This issue has been cited in numerous scholarly studies as a critical subject for the effective implementation of technological innovations. The effectiveness of digital technology in the procurement of public services is highly dependent on the perceptions and behaviors of users. In this context, this study measured the attitudes of the participants and the connections between techno-skepticism, mobile government use, and crisis management among Northern Cyprus residents over 18 years old. The study employed a quantitative approach. A 5-point Likert scale was used to collect data by modifying the survey questions to fit the scope of the study. The study participants were selected using the random sampling method to acquire data from a total of 402 citizens. The study findings revealed that techno-skepticism mediates the impact of crisis management on mobile government. As a result, techno-skepticism is a critical and decisive factor in citizens’ mobile government use, affecting its utilization frequency. Techno-skepticism was also found to play a vital role in mobile government use. The current study represents a pioneering effort in testing the moderating role of techno-skepticism in the impact of crisis management on mobile government. It also provides various contributions to theory and practice, particularly in the fields of mobile government and the use of digital technologies.

This study explores the geopolitical dynamics of water conflicts in Central Asia, focusing on Uzbekistan and its neighboring countries. Using a mixed methods approach within the framework of political geography, the research analyzes interactions among regional countries and the implications of population growth, agricultural industrialization, and economic competition, which heavily rely on shared irrigation systems and watersheds. It establishes research objectives, evaluates the water crisis, addresses challenges in water management, and examines contentious issues like hydropower, resource hegemony, and ethnic conflict. Also, the study uncovers historical and contemporary factors influencing water conflicts, regional power dynamics, and the complexities of water governance. The findings highlight the potential for conflict, regional instability, and disruptions to peace resulting from population growth and economic competition within shared watersheds. The study concludes with recommendations to enhance regional cooperation, sustainable water management, and peacebuilding, drawing on soft power theory and advocating for collaborative approaches. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders involved in water management and regional cooperation amid evolving geopolitical challenges, contributing to informed decision-making, and promoting strategies for sustainable development in the region.

This study uses the social impact theory to analyse consumer behaviour amidst Covid-19. Fear of scarcity has changed consumer buying behaviour in crisis times such as the now abating global health crisis – i.e., Covid-19. The study asserts that the existing five-stage model of consumer purchasing decisions does not fit neatly in turbulent times. It proposes a shortened four-stage process of need recognition, purchase, ownership and satisfaction as a better and more adaptable fit. Cutting out information search and evaluation of alternatives in the old model, and replacing these with ownership, is where the main contribution of the study lies. The study has implications for managing the marketing mix as we know it. It asserts that not all the 4Ps of the marketing mix are important in crisis times.

Providing patient-centered care to manage chronic pain and opioid use disorder (OUD) is associated with improved health outcomes. However, adopting a holistic approach to providing care is often challenging in rural communities. This study aims to identify and contrast challenges to providing patient-centered care from the perspective of patients and providers. A participatory design approach was adopted to elicit the perceptions of providers and patients with lived experiences of chronic pain and OUD in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Two focus groups were conducted with each stakeholder group to identify problems that participants face with respect to chronic pain management and OUD and possible solutions. Four interviews were conducted with providers experienced in chronic pain management. Analysis of focus group sessions and interviews show consensus among patients and providers that lack of behavioral health and recovery resources create barriers to effectively manage OUD and chronic pain. However, there was discordance among the two groups about other barriers such as patient and provider attitudes, tapering approach, and access to medications for OUD. This tension among patients and providers can influence patients’ retention in therapy. More efforts are needed to mitigate stigma among providers in rural communities and support psychosocial needs of patients.

This paper proposes a concise literature review aimed at identifying the current body of knowledge on the adoption of Social Networks in Crisis Management. The major input is a structured research question based on the initial reading around the topic. Before the recent pan-demic, most literature has focused on local crises, with a relatively low number of exceptions. Additionally, self-organizing system are spontaneous established between people who are af-fected by a crisis. Among the identified challenges, there is the need to integrate official commu-nication by emergency agencies with citizen-generated contents in a contest of credibility and trustworthiness. In certain cases, it has been reported a lack of specific competence, knowledge, and expertise, as well as a lack of sufficient policies and guidelines in the use of Social Networks. Those challenges need to be framed by considering the classic difficulties to provide timely and accurate information, to deal with fake news, unverified or misleading information, and infor-mation overload. Bridging major gaps though advanced analytics and AI-based technology is expected to provide a key contribution to establish and safely enable in practice an effective and efficient communication, to contrast dissonant mental models, which are often fostered by Social Networks, and to enable a shared situational awareness.

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to identify predictors of the unmet health care needs during the financial and recent health crisis in Greece. (2) Methods: Time series analysis was performed for the years 2008 through 2022 using the Eurostat database. The dependent variable was the percentage of people who reported unmet need for medical care. Demographic, socioeconomic and health data as well as health expenditures were used as independent variables. Correlation analysis and simple linear regression models were conducted to analyze the results. (3) Results: Unmet health needs in Greece increased from the start of the crisis until 2016, as a gradual de-escalation of the crisis is observed. However, in 2019 the country recorded the second highest level of unmet needs for medical care before the health crisis. People with limitations in usual activities, those who report bad/very bad health status, unemployed and with low-income increased the likelihood of unmet needs. Health expenditures (public or private) were also significant determinants of unmet healthcare needs. (4) Conclusions: The increased unmet health needs widen inequalities in health and healthcare access. Therefore, health policy should eliminate barriers which restrict the access to health and enhance healthcare services, developing conditions for citizens' well-being.

Nurses have experienced several psychological and work-related issues during the COVID-19 pandemic including pandemic burnout and job burnout. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of social support and resilience on COVID-19 pandemic burnout and job burnout among nurses. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Greece. Study population included 963 nurses. We measured social support, resilience, COVID-19 pandemic burnout, and job burnout with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Brief Resilience Scale, COVID-19 burnout scale, and single item burnout measure respectively. Nurses received high levels of social support, while their resilience was moderate. Additionally, nurses experienced moderate levels of COVID-19 burnout and job burnout. Increased social support (adjusted beta = -0.075, 95% CI = -0.125 to -0.024) and increased resilience (adjusted beta = -0.399, 95% CI = -0.491 to -0.308) were associated with reduced COVID-19 pandemic burnout. We found a negative relationship between social support and job burnout (adjusted beta = -0.263, 95% CI = -0.405 to -0.121). A similar negative relationship was found between resilience and job burnout (adjusted beta = -0.529, 95% CI = -0.785 to -0.272). Social support and resilience can act as protective factors against COVID-19 pandemic burnout and job burnout among nurses. Policy makers should develop and implement appropriate strategies to improve nurses’ social support and resilience since they are the backbone of healthcare systems worldwide.

This paper sheds light on how crisis management affects post-disaster re-covery. Based on the study of the management of a major environmental disaster, hurricane IRMA, we consider how post-disaster recovery is impacted by crisis management strategies. The perspectives of local stakeholders from the islands of St Martin and St Barthélémy will be shared. We analyze how territories exposed to the same natural phenomena have different outcomes and consider some of the possible reasons. This study reveals underlying risk drivers, to address governance reorganization with a view to better managing socio-economic recovery.

The current crisis in psychopharmacology has a long history and needs to be addressed with innovative and effective strategies. Here we discuss some of the roots of this crisis and suggest that the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs represents a promising and integrative treatment with enduring effects for mental health problems.

Drawing on contextualization literature, this paper seeks to evaluate the impact of contextual theology from a Latin American perspective. Bevans' (2002) Praxis Model of contextual theology sets the conceptual framework used to evaluate the evangelical response to the sociopolitical crisis in Nicaragua. The case study provides an example of how Bevans’ Praxis Model can be applied by looking at the manner with which the evangelical and the catholic church have responded to the sociopolitical upheaval in Nicaragua. The literature on contextualization highlights how theologizing is inextricably tied to culture, that contextual theology is necessary to effectively communicate the truth of the Gospel in varying cultural contexts, and that the issues of syncretism and the plurality of theologies can be effectively addressed.

The COVID-19 pandemic halted progress in global vaccine coverage and disrupted routine childhood vaccination practices worldwide. While there is ample evidence of vaccination declines experienced during the pandemic, it is less clear how low-income countries were affected. We executed a systematic review to synthesize the current literature on impacts to routine childhood vaccinations in low-income countries from January 1, 2020 to February 8, 2023. We collected data using an extraction form on Covidence and assessed the quality of studies included in the review using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Effect estimates for changes in vaccination during the pandemic were reported and summarized. Factors that influenced changes were grouped into descriptive themes. Thirteen studies, encompassing 18 low-income countries and evaluating 15 vaccines at varying doses, were included in the final review. We found that routine childhood vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic varied considerably by vaccine type, location, and phase of the pandemic. Nine different themes were identified as factors that influenced changes in vaccination. Documenting past experiences and lessons learned is crucial for informing preparedness efforts in anticipation of future public health emergencies. Failure to effectively address these things in the next public health emergency could result in a recurrence of declining routine childhood vaccinations.

Background: to analyze the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on characteristics and management of uveal melanoma (UM) in National Referral Center in Poland. Materials and Methods: the retrospective analysis of 1336 patients who were newly diagnosed with UM at Department of Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Oncology, Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum Krakow, Poland between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2021. The demographic and clinical data were compiled including localization, size and treatment methods of tumors. Results: In total, 728 patients with UM were included before COVID-19 pandemic in years 2018-2019 and 608 were included during COVID-19 pandemic in years 2020-2021. Fixed-base dynamics indicators for the incidence of uveal melanoma (base year 2018) in the national referral center in Poland were 80.22% and 86.81% in year 2020 and 2021, respectively. UMs were statistically significantly larger and more frequently localized anterior to the equator of the eye globe in year 2021 than in year 2018 (Chi^2 Pearson test p= 0.0001 and p= 0.0077, respectively). The rate of patients treated with enucleation increased from 15.94% in year 2018 to 26.90% in year 2021 (Chi^2 Pearson test p=0.0005). Conclusions: statistically significant differences were found in the management of uveal melanoma in National Referral Center in Poland during COVID-19 pandemic with tumors being larger, more frequently localized anterior to the equator of the eye globe and more often enucleated.

Aim To explore the impact of cardiovascular risk factors on the type and outcome of hypertensive crises. Additionally, to investigate the occurrence of new cardiovascular events in a six-month period for both types of hypertensive crises and to define possible risk factors that may influence this.Method The data from the hospital electronic medical records of patients who presented with hypertensive crises at the Emergency Medicine Clinic of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo over a six-month period were retrospectively collected. Pregnant women were excluded. Patients who died before completing the diagnostic examination as well as patients with incomplete data were also excluded. Data collection encompassed blood pressure levels, age, sex, history of chronic hypertension, smoking status, and presence of diabetes mellitus as cardiovascular risk factors. Outcomes after initial admission and after 6 months follow up were recorded. Results The study included 243 patients: 66 (27.2%) with hypertensive emergencies and 177 (72.8%) with hypertensive urgencies. There was no significant difference between these groups in age, history of chronic hypertension, presence of dyslipidemia, smoking status, and presence of diabetes mellitus (p>0.05). Men predominated in HE, while women predominated in HU group (p<0.05). Diastolic blood pressure values were higher in HE patients (p<0.05). 98.3% of HU patients were discharged, while 92.4% of HE patients were hospitalized. Mortality after initial admission was 3%, all of whom were hypertensive emergencies. After a 6-month follow-up, there was no significant difference in the number of readmissions between these two groups (p>0.05), but mortality was significantly higher in hypertensive emergencies (15.15% vs 6.21%) (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the investigated risk factors between patients without readmissions, with readmissions without fatal outcomes, and deceased patients (p>0.05) except for age, which was significantly higher in patients with fatal outcomes (p<0.05).Conclusion Male sex and higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP) are identified as risk factors for hypertensive emergency (HE), suggesting a higher likelihood of hospital treatment and increased intrahospital mortality. Patients with HE also exhibit a higher risk of a lethal outcome within six months. Advanced age is associated with an increased risk of six-month readmission and a lethal outcome.

According to its inner property, a crisis in the financial market can be considered as a collective behavior phenomenon. Through the prism of collective behavior, the crisis does not happen if the companies are independent of each other. In this work, cooperative movement processes in a stock market are investigated in a manner similar to that Vicsek first described collective behavior for self-propelled entities. To this end, a phase space is defined as the one in which the return of volume of transactions versus return of price is represented with each share in each day corresponding to a unique point in the space. The findings of the observation show that during times of crisis, the phase space is limited with the vector velocity of shares in the same direction. In contrast, on a regular day, the phase space is entirely accessible, with vector velocity aligned randomly. Moreover, in line with the Vicsek model, an order parameter is introduced, which evaluates the cooperative effects for the shares so that the higher the value of this parameter, the stronger the collective behavior of the shares.

COVID-19 is causing major turmoil around the globe, and the clinical trial industry is likely to face unprecedented challenges to health and business sectors. In an effort to find a suitable treatment and prevention options for COVID-19, several COVID-19 clinical trials are being planned and initiated, while a large number of clinical trials for non- COVID-19 indications are suffering delays. With over more than 1000 trials being disrupted and more trials being added to this category daily, there is a direct impact on trial site activation and patient enrolment. This analysis deals with the specific impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clinical trial and pharmaceutical industry. The objective of this study is to provide an updated information of the disrupted clinical trials and its impact on various therapeutic areas and different drugs. Among the severely affected clinical trials, oncology and CNS trials are the hardest hit therapy areas.This article will certainly emphasize the need for advanced and innovative approaches to maintain the health of the clinical trial ecosystem by continuing the existing trials and the start of the new studies. We have to take and follow necessary actions to guarantee that the initiatives will not be locked during the COVID-19 pandemic, both for the treatment of patients and for the researchers to conduct decision-relevant clinical trials.

Purpose: This review features a generalized overview of dengue outbreaks, dengue pathogenesis, symptoms, immune response, diagnosis methods and preventive measures which facilitates the better understanding of the global expansion and concerns relating to the disease. Recent Findings: A recent study showed that natural killer cells of the infected person become activated soon after the infection which may help in treatment and vaccine development. A research team has also produced synthetically engineered mosquitoes that can prevent the transmission and dissemination of the dengue virus by the activation of an antibody. Furthermore, a mutation in the protein envelope of the dengue virus leads to variation in shapes, developing resistance towards the vaccine. Summary: The increasing number of reported cases indicated the worldwide distribution of the mosquito vectors, which was further facilitated by the growth in the shipping and commerce industries. The immune system, through activation of the innate and adaptive immune responses, facilitates the recruitment of an array of leukocytes which help neutralize the virus. However, the 4 different viral serotypes increases the risk of a life-threatening secondary infection due to the varying serotypes. Apart from the laboratory standard PRNT method, several other dengue detection methods such as ELISA, RT-LAMP and several optical, microfluidic and electrochemical methods have been developed. Since Dengvaxia® (CYD-TDV) has its own set of drawbacks and limitations, several companies have been investing for the production of more potential vaccines that are currently in trial.

Background: Brief Resolved Unexplained Events (BRUEs), formerly known as Apparent Life-Threatening Events (ALTE), are concerning episodes of short duration (typically &lt; 1 min) characterized by a change in breathing, consciousness, muscle tone, and/or skin color. In some cases, SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with episodes of BRUEs in previously healthy children.This study aimed to compare the demographic, respiratory, perinatal, and infectious characteristics in children affected by BRUE before the COVID-19 pandemic and after the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study covering January 2018 to March 2020 (pre-COVID-19) and April 2023 (during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic). Collected variables included clinical information during pregnancy and neonatal details of children with BRUE. Results: The number of children in the pre-COVID-19 period was 186 (41%); after the emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2, it was 268 (59%). The risk of infection at birth for children developing BRUE was higher during the pandemic. Children were less likely to have ongoing symptomatic infection during BRUE during the pandemic (coefficient B = 0.783; p=0.009). Respiratory symptoms during BRUE were more frequent during the pandemic (coefficient B = 0.654; p=0.052). Fever during BRUE was less likely during the pandemic (coefficient B = -0.465, p=0.046). Conclusions: The study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted children with BRUE, potentially due to changes in hygiene practices and maternal-fetal infections.

The relative force strengths of the Coulomb forces, gravitational forces, dark matter forces, weak forces and strong forces are compared for the dark matters, leptons, quarks, and normal matters (p and n baryons) in terms of the 3-D quantized space model. The quark confinement and asymptotic freedom are explained by the CC merging to the A(CC=-5)₃ state. The proton with the (EC,LC,CC) charge configuration of p(1,0,-5) is p(1,0) + A(CC=-5)₃. The A(CC=-5)₃ state has the 99.6% of the proton mass. The three quarks in p(1,0,-5) are asymptotically free in the EC and LC space of p(1,0) and are strongly confined in the CC space of A(CC=-5)₃. This means that the lepton beams in the deep inelastic scattering interact with three quarks in p(1,0) by the EC interaction and weak interaction. Then, the observed spin is the partial spin of p(1,0) which is 32.6 % of the total spin (1/2) of the proton. The A(CC=-5)₃ state has the 67.4 % of the proton spin. This explains the proton spin crisis. The EC charge distribution of the proton is the same to the EC charge distribution of p(1,0) which indicates that three quarks in p(1,0) are mostly near the proton surface. From the EC charge distribution of neutron, the 2 lepton system (called as the koron) of the koron is, for the first time, reported in the present work.

Due to the continuing high suicide rates among young men, there is a need to understand help-seeking behaviour and engagement with tailored suicide prevention interventions. The aim of this study was to compare help-seeking among younger and older men who attended a therapeutic centre for men in a suicidal crisis. In this case series study, data were collected from 546 men who were referred into a community-based therapeutic service in North West England. Of the 546 men, 337 (52%) received therapy; 161 (48%) were aged between 18 and 30 years (mean age 24 years, SD=3.4). Analyses included baseline differences, symptom trajectories for the CORE-34 Clinical Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) and engagement with the therapy. For the CORE-OM there was a clinically significant reduction in mean scores between assessment and discharge (p<0.001) for both younger and older men. At initial assessment, younger men were less affected by entrapment (46% v 62%; p=.02), defeat (33% v 52%; p=.01), not engaging in new goals (38% v 47%; p=.02), and positive attitudes towards suicide (14% v 18%; p=.001) than older men. At discharge assessment, older men were significantly more likely to have an absence of positive future thinking (15% v 8%; p=0.03), have less social support (45% v 33%; p=.02) and feelings of entrapment (17% v 14%; p=.02) than younger men. Future research needs to assess the long-term effects of help-seeking using a brief psychological intervention for young men in order to understand whether the effects of the therapy are sustainable over a period of time following discharge from the service.

This paper reviews the management of the COVID-19 crisis and the difficulty of cost estimation model, comparing centralized management or bureaucratic government coaction and the agile market alternative or spontaneous social coordination. This is a study of Political Economy and Health Economics from the perspective of Austrian Economics. We describe and compare the al-ternative models, which are adapted to the current crisis. The analysis is based on the theorem of the impossibility of the economic calculation under coactive systems, and other principles of economy. In this context we pay also attention to collateral problems of the centralized and coac-tive management. Finally we propose a solution based on dynamic efficiency and the constitutions of wellbeing economics

Various methods of water purification, the aim of which is to obtain such a purity class that makes it suitable for consumption are presented in the article. It is a review of solutions, ranging from methods known and used for over 100 years, through research and experiments underway, to those that are only a concept. Some of the solutions are so effective that they should also be combined with the possibility of safe storage of purified water. Flexible tanks are used for this, which significantly improve logistics and provide a supply of water in all places where it is needed.

The “Crisis of Reproducibility” has received considerable attention both within the scientific community and without. While factors associated with scientific culture and practical practice are most often invoked, I propose that the Crisis of Reproducibility is ultimately a failure of generalization with a fundamental scientific basis in the methods used for biomedical research. The Denominator Problem describes how limitations intrinsic to the two primary approaches of biomedical research, clinical studies and pre-clinical experimental biology, lead to an inability to effectively characterize the full extent of biological heterogeneity, which compromises the task of generalizing acquired knowledge. Drawing on the example of the unifying role of theory in the physical sciences, I propose that multi-scale mathematical and dynamic computational models, when mapped to the modular structure of biological systems, can serve a unifying role as formal representations of what is conserved and similar from one biological context to another. This ability to explicitly describe the generation of heterogeneity from similarity addresses the Denominator Problem and provides a scientific response to the Crisis of Reproducibility.

Avian Influenza viruses (AIVs) has posed a significant pandemic threat since their discovery. This review mainly focuses on the epidemiology, virology, and pathogenesis, and treatments of avian influenza viruses. We delve into the global spread, past pandemics, clinical symptoms, severity, and immune response related to AIVs. The review also discusses various control measures, including antiviral drugs, vaccines, and potential future directions in influenza treatment and prevention. Lastly, by summarizing the insights from the previous pandemic control, this review aims to direct effective strategies for managing future influenza pandemics.

C. auris is a newly emerging yeast, raising public health concerns due to its outbreak potential, lack of protocols for decontamination and isolation of patients or contacts, increased resistance to common antifungals and associated high mortality. This research aimed to describe the challenges related to identifying the outbreak, limiting further contamination, and treating affected individuals. We retrospectively analysed all cases of C. auris detected between October 2022 and August 2023, but our investigation focused on a three-month-long outbreak in the department of cardio-vascular surgery and the related intensive care unit. Along with isolated cases in different wards, we identified 13 patients who became infected or colonized in the same area and time, even though the epidemiological link could be traced only in 10 patients, according to the epidemiological investigation. In conclusion, our study emphasizes the substantial challenge encountered in clinical practice when attempting to diagnose and limit the spread of an outbreak. Therefore, it is crucial to promptly apply contact precaution measures and appropriate environmental cleaning, from the first case detected positive.

The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has brought about unprecedented economic and social consequences worldwide. The implementation of isolation measures, including national and international travel restrictions, significantly affected contact-intensive sectors such as tourism. During this lockdown period, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was crucial in maintaining connectivity and enabling remote activities. Governments across the world implemented discretionary measures to mitigate the crisis's adverse effects on economic activity. This paper aims to analyze whether the level of ICT adoption and the importance of tourism influence the fiscal policy efforts pursued by governments. Based on the results of a linear regression analysis for 154 countries, the findings suggest that in countries with higher international tourism receipts, the governments had to promote higher fiscal stimulus. At the same time, ICT development diminished the efforts of the fiscal policy response to the crisis since it facilitated economic resilience. The findings of this study can contribute to understanding how governments responded to the pandemic crisis and the factors that influenced their fiscal policy decisions.

The distribution laws of various natural and anthropogenic processes in the world around us are stochastic in nature. The development of mathematics and, in particular, of stochastic modelling allows us to study regularities in such processes. In practice, stochastic modelling finds a huge number of applications in various fields, including finance and economics. In this work, some particular applications of stochastic processes in finance are examined in the conditions of financial crisis. More specifically, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models and Modified Ordinary Differential Equations (ODE) models, which have been previously developed by the authors to predict assets’ prices of four Bulgarian companies, are validated on a time period during the crisis. Estimated rates of return are calculated from the models for one period ahead. The errors are estimated and the models are compared. The predicted return values with each of the two approaches are used to derive optimal risk portfolios based on the Markowitz Model. The resulting portfolios are compared in terms of distribution (weights of the stocks), risk and rate of return.

A significant number and range of challenges besetting sustainability can be traced to the actions and interactions of multiple autonomous agents (people mostly) and the entities they create (e.g., institutions, policies, social network) in the corresponding social-environmental systems (SES). To address these challenges, we need to understand decisions made and actions taken by agents, the outcomes of their actions, including the feedbacks on the corresponding agents and environment. The science of Agent-based Complex Systems—ACS science—has a significant potential to handle such challenges. The advantages of ACS science for sustainability are addressed by way of identifying the key elements and challenges in sustainability science, the generic features of ACS, and the key advances and challenges in modeling ACS. Artificial intelligence and data science promise to improve understanding of agents’ behaviors, detect SES structures, and formulate SES mechanisms.

The COVID-19 is a highly contagious viral infection which played havoc on everyone's life in many different ways. According to the world health organization and scientists, more testing potentially helps governments and disease control organizations in containing the spread of the virus. The use of chest radiographs is one of the early screening tests to determine the onset of disease, as the infection affects the lungs severely. This study will investigate and automate the process of testing by using state-of-the-art CNN classifiers to detect the COVID19 infection. However, the viral could of many different types; therefore, we only regard for COVID19 while the other viral infection types are treated as non-COVID19 in the radiographs of various viral infections. The classification task is challenging due to the limited number of scans available for COVID19 and the minute variations in the viral infections. We aim to employ current state-of-the-art CNN architectures, compare their results, and determine whether deep learning algorithms can handle the crisis appropriately. All trained models are available at https://github.com/saeed-anwar/COVID19-Baselines

Leaders are failing to respond to the climate and environmental urgency the world is facing. A growing action gap, clearly visible during the recent CoP25, has been fueled by leaders' inability to respond efficiently to the mounting threats scientists—and increasingly society—are concerned about. Bridging this gap and tackling the growing polarization within society calls for leaders to accept the full complexity of the issues the world is facing. This will require them to question their understanding of these geopolitical affairs and embrace the dynamics at play, and avoid falling back on simplistic cognitive models. We propose a heuristic to convey the pathways available to decision-makers to make their way out of the current inaction impasse. By breaking free of this deadlock, a social transition will have the potential to take place, helping us to avoid crossing the climate system tipping points.

The development of dispersed urbanism in Spain ran parallel to the real estate boom and consolidated a new model of city sprawl based on the expansion of suburban areas. This process, which started in the mid 1980s, came to a halt with the onset of the economic crisis in 2007. With it, construction stopped, mobility fell and urban growth came to a standstill. The purpose of this article is to carry out an analysis of the recent evolution and chronology of the expansion of dispersed urbanism in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region (BMR) in order to gain an insight into some of the explanatory factors of such expansion and to deal with the future prospects of middle-term development of dispersed urbanism in the BMR and in Spain. To do this, we examine the trends in the housing market, in residential mobility and we take stock of the impact of business cycles. The conclusion is that dispersed areas retain their appeal in the stages of creation and expansion of households. For this reason, an effective economic recovery and a renewed rise in the price of housing in denser cities may contribute to an upturn in the popularity of the dispersed residential model, which nowadays could be considered to be in a ‘lethargic’ stage, waiting for certain factors to coincide and re-activate its expansion.

Amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis, marked variations in individuals' resilience and vulnerability have emerged. This eight-month longitudinal study engaged 535 community adults (58% female, M_age = 43.97) to explore the nuanced aspects of coping and personal growth during the challenging period. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, the research examines the influence of autonomy support from close others—manifested through active listening and providing choices—on psychological need satisfaction (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness), integrative regulation of emotions; posttraumatic growth; and subjective well-being (positive affect and life satisfaction). Structural equation modeling revealed that, over time, the experience of psychological need satisfaction was intricately related to integrative regulation, posttraumatic growth, positive affect, and life satisfaction. Notably, the impact was partially mediated by autonomy support. These findings shed light on the pivotal role that autonomy supported relationships play in fostering personal growth and meaning making during life's difficult junctures. The study underscores the practical significance of purposeful support from close others and paves the way for future research endeavors.

An experiment was conducted in 2016 & 2017 for development of novel rice hybrids for aerobic ecology with lesser yield penalties in comparison to irrigated ecosystem, further with added advantage of reduced methane emissions and water budget as witnessed in irrigated system. Based on the restorer / maintainer reaction and spikelet fertility (%), 10 restorer lines were selected to cross with 3 CMS lines in the line by tester fashion in Yasangi (summer) season 2016-17. Resulting 30 experimental hybrids besides 13 parental lines (10 Restorer lines and 3 B - lines of akin CMS lines) and checks (GK 5022, CR Dhan 201) assessed during Vankalam (rainy) season 2017 at three different places/locations viz., Rajendranagar, Warangal and Kampasagar. The outcome of experiment were two experimental hybrids viz., APMS-6A × HRSV – 7 and IR-79156A × ATR – 372, were categorized as stable hybrids with desirable sca effects, heterosis (ranging from 7% to 13%) over best check GK 5022 along with an in-essence performance for yield and other yield attributing characters.

This study evaluates inequalities in the use of dental services according to place of birth before and after the economic crisis in Spain. A cross-sectional study was performed in the population aged 18 to 65 years in Spain. We used data from three Spanish National Health Surveys for years 2006 (before the crisis), 2014 and 2017 (after the crisis). Log-binomial regression was used to quantify the association between region of origin and use of dental care services before and after controlling for the selected covariates. In 2006, we found a greater probability of not using dental care services in immigrants from Asia (PR:1.36, 95% CI:1.10–1.67) and Africa (PR:1.16; 95% CI:1.05–1.28) compared to the natives. For 2014, the probability of not using dental care services was greater for all immigrants compared to the natives, with the greatest odds for those from Africa (PR:1.71; 95% CI:1.46–2.01) and Asia (PR:1.3; 95% CI:1.23–1. 47). The associations for 2017 were weaker in magnitude than the ones observed for 2014, although stronger than for 2006. This study suggests that the economic recovery did not have the same impact for natives and immigrants regardless of regions of origin, given the observed inequalities in use of dental services.

The aim of study was to investigate epidemiology aspects of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during COVID-19 pandemic. The study comprised depersonalized residents of Tomsk and Tomsk Region (n = 1714). Invitations to take online survey were sent to 50,000 residents by target SMS with response rate of 1.2% (n = 727, Cohort 1). Cohort 2 comprised retrospective patients (n = 987) who underwent contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI (CMR) in 2019-2022. Referrals, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, gender, age, past COVID-19, MRI study protocols, and MRI data were analyzed. 29% of respondents in cohort 1 received MRI examination within past two years; 26% of respondents considered MRI the most informative imaging modality for detecting COVID-19 pneumonia; 12% of respondents reported MRI unavailable. Proportion of CMR among MRI studies increased during COVID-19 pandemic, and maximum incidence of cardiac diseases detected by MRI was in 2021. Incidence of myocardial fibrosis increased from ~67% in 2019 to ~84% in 2022. The rate of outpatient MRI studies significantly increased in 2020, but returned to pre-pandemic level in 2021. COVID-19 pandemic increased the need for MRI and CMR. Patients with history of COVID-19 had persistent and newly occurring symptoms of myocardial damage suggesting chronic cardiac involvement requiring continuous follow-up.

Post-COVID-19 bacterial infections are a significant threat to global health, mainly due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. The review highlights the importance of using antibiotics judiciously and following appropriate guidelines and recommendations. The article also examines the potential indirect contribution of steroids to antibiotic resistance through immune suppression in severe cases of COVID-19. Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide that continues as a silent pandemic caused by the major AMR superbug includes Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), Extended-spectrum Beta Lactamase producing Enterobacterales (ESBL) which is resistant to cephalosporin and Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Ongoing surveillance and monitoring of antibiotic use and resistance helped to minimize the risk of antibiotic resistance and shrink it from pandemic to endemic.

Analysis of immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMEs in Rwanda aims to assess and quantify the economic and financial impacts of the pandemic during the lockdown and presents options adopted by SMEs to reopen their business opera-tions. It also seeks to recommend options for sustainable and resilient economic recovery from the scars of COVID-19. This analysis used data collected from nearly 220 SMEs located across the country and applied an Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) and multivariate linear regression models to measure the pandemic effects. The study revealed that firms downsized employment by 36.4 per cent, but data depict significant deviation within SMEs by their size. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a greater magni-tude of negative effects on sales levels among small businesses. Tax amounts were reduced amidst the crisis however, data do not show any significant variations among SMEs. Additionally, SMEs owners applied various coping mechanisms during re-opening. The study used firm-level data, providing detailed and reliable effects of the shocks on business performance. This analysis recommends establishing the medium-term financing and technical support for SMEs to ensure steady and sustainable recovery from pandemic effects as well as strengthening their resilience to any other socio-economics shocks.

Background: Here, we investigated the inflammaging and physical performance in older adults before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Women(n=18) and men(n=7) older were evaluated before the COVID-19 pandemic(PRE), 12 months after the lockdown(POST), and 10 months after resuming exercise training(POS-TR). Physical tests [gait speed(GS) and timed-up-and-go(TUG)]; muscle strength (handgrip-HG), and serum cytokine levels were assessed. Results: The older women showed higher GS and TUG at POST than PRE and POST-TR, besides lower HG at POST-TR than PRE, whereas older men exhibited lower HG at POST and POST-TR than PRE. Both groups presented (1)lower IL-10 and IL-12p70 values in contrast to higher IL-6/IL-10 and IL-8/IL-10 ratios at POST than PRE; (2)higher IL-10 values and lower IL-8/IL-10 ratio at POST-TR than POST; (3)higher IL-12p70/IL-10 ratio at POST-TR than PRE and POST. Particularly older women showed: (4)lower IL-6 values at POST and POST-TR than PRE; (5)lower IL-8 and IL-10 values at POST-TR than POST; (6)and higher TNF-α/IL-10 and IFN-γ/IL-10 ratios at POST than PRE and POST-TR. Significant correlations between the variables were found in both groups. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, detraining and resumption of exercise training promoted distinct alterations in physical capacity and inflammaging among older women and older men population.

The Saudi government has undertaken rapid and swift actions, such as suspending Omrah and holding international flights. Such affirmative actions enhanced citizens and residents’ confidence in the government officials’ ability to fight the pandemic. However, there are more than 361,178 reported cases of Covid-19 with 6131 deaths as of December 22, 202. As nurses are the largest component of the health care workforce in Saudi Arabia, it is important that they are trained and have the skills and resources to adapt, whether on the frontline of a crisis or in a clinical environment. Nurses play a key function in fulfilling the needs of medical treatment by being the most important part of the health care delivery system.

This paper uncovers that quantum uncertain principle makes the single particle with global property have no certain path, and then wave of quantum particle can simultaneously do pass the double slits. The two subwaves after passing Young’s double slits are entanglement, they may form interference of subwaves. Consequently, we find a kind of quantum probabilistic entanglements with Wheeler's delayed choice. Quantum particles such as photons, electrons, neutrons, protons etc mean that wave of the quantum particle can simultaneously do pass through Young's double slits, rather than individual quantum particle may pass through Young's double slits at the same time. When considering wave property, we cannot consider particle property (Just as in the photoelectric effect, considering the particle nature of the system, people cannot consider wave property, otherwise the photoelectric effect cannot appear). Therefore, this paper discovers that the ability of single photon to hit electrons out in photoelectric effect is complementarily equivalent to the ability of wave of the single photon to simultaneously pass through Young's double slits in wave-particle duality. Objective criteria for distinguishing classical and quantum particles are discovered and objectively give the applicable realm of quantum mechanics for the first time. The crisis of the single particle’s simultaneously passing through Young's double slits, which has been plaguing physicists in the whole world up to now for decades, is solved, in which the studies are classified as classical and quantum particles, the classical particle and quantum particle wave cannot and can pass the Young’s slits, respectively. This paper discovers both the new physics mechanism of passing the double slits of the wave with the amplitude of 4-dimensional momentum representation wave function reflecting particle nature and the principle of self-adaptive emergence of wave-particle duality, and then using the principle, this paper gives both direct explanations to the current experiments and new predictions of new some experiments for wave-particle duality. All the deduced results here are consistent with all relevant physics experiments.

The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increases in some healthcare-associated infections. We investigated the impact of the pandemic on rates and molecular epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) within one VA Hospital. We anticipated that the potential widespread use of antibiotics for pneumonia during the pandemic might increase CDI rates given that antibiotics are a major risk for CDI. Hospital data on patients with CDI and recurrent CDI (rCDI) were reviewed pre-COVID-19 pandemic (2015 to 2019) and during the pandemic (2020 - 2021). Restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) strain typing was performed on CD isolates recovered from stool samples collected from 10/2019 – 3/2022. CDI case numbers declined 43.2% in 2020 – 2021 compared to the annual mean over the previous 5 years. Stool test positivity rate was also lower during the COVID-19 pandemic (14.3% vs. 17.2%; P = 0.013). Although inpatient volume declined, rates of CDI among inpatients were reduced by 34.2% in 2020 – 2021. Mean monthly cases of rCDI also declined significantly after 2020 [3.38 (95% CI: 2.89 – 3.87) vs. 1.92 (95% CI: 1.27 – 2.56); P = &lt;0.01]. Prior to the pandemic, REA group Y was the most prevalent CD strain among the major REA groups (27.3%). During the first wave of the pandemic from March 8, 2020, through June 30, 2020, there was an increase in the relative incidence of REA group BI (26.7% vs. 9.1%. After adjusting for CDI risk factors, a multivariable logistic regression model revealed that odds of developing an REA group BI CDI increased during the first pandemic wave (OR 6.41, 95% CI: 1.03 – 39.91) compared to the pre-pandemic period. In conclusion, the incidence of CDI and rCDI decreased significantly during the initial waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, REA BI (Ribotype 027), a virulent, previously epidemic CD strain and frequently associated with hospital transmission and outbreaks, reappeared as a prevalent strain during the first wave of the pandemic.

In order to ensure sustainable tourism development, it is currently becoming crucial to look into promotion of popular tourist destinations in Russia. This is due to a number of factors, including the acceptance of the credibility and importance of the concept of sustainable tourism, as well as the awareness of the necessity of taking into account a wide range of short- and long-term effects, external factors, and interdisciplinary aspects of the development of the Russian tourism industry. In the context of a local tourist destination during the economic crisis, the study aims to highlight some of the key economic elements of sustainable tourism. The decision to adopt a regional perspective is necessitated by the fact that many of the most crucial elements for the long-term sustainable development of the tourist complex are established at this level, including decision-making by businesses and authorities that are economically viable. The research focuses on the economic aspects to be considered while designing an overall strategy for the long-term development of regional tourist destinations in Russia. The authors define sustainable tourism from the viewpoint of economics. This understanding extends beyond the relatively limited framework of environmental and socioeconomic consequences of tourism development, affecting some less obvious economic aspects of a regional destination that directly relate to sustainable development.

How can neuroscience help everyone to live and care for our confined brains? Understanding and studying human behaviour allows us to measure the impact of such confinement on each of us and to identify those who need help. The challenges are to understand the psychological repercussions following confinement and to understand how neuroscience and neurotechnology can be very interesting tools for dealing with the health crisis. Neuroscience is changing our traditional philosophical and ethical views by providing information about the biological basis of our moral behaviour. The exception of the brain is at the heart of neuroethical thinking and discourse. Neuroethics is an interdisciplinary discipline placed at the intersection between the human sciences and the neurosciences, and aims to help understand how knowledge and research in neurosciences and neurotechnologies will affect the future of society, their impact on humans, relationships, daily life, the labour market ... but also how they can help and provide solutions and answers to the questions of citizens in a health crisis. But it's a double-edged sword, collecting and analyzing brain data in real time seems to be increasingly simple and within everyone's reach, without having the hindsight of the real meaning of these data, allowing one day to read people's thoughts, control them and manipulate them. It is becoming clear that the boundaries between medical and non-medical uses of neuroscience and neurotechnology are becoming very porous, inviting us to reflect on neuroethical issues in order to put safeguards on these uses.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has witnessed a digital revolution that has transformed the way information are broadcast and consumed. This rapid evolution was accompanied by an “infodemic” (Beaulieu, 2019), a transformation of workplaces (Lulli LG, 2021)and difficulties in managing information flows (Bendahan & Nader, 2020). In this scientific article, we examine the communication strategies adopted by hospital structures as they are perceived by staff, highlighting their psychological and professional experiences throughout the crisis period. The results of the study carried out among hospital staff (n=200) demonstrate that the perception of communication strategies is generally positive for 78.56% of participants (M=1.85). The assessments of the staff interviewed as for the effect of this communication on the psychological experience and on the management of professional tasks have a positive trend respectively (M=2.15) and (M=1.86)

The Anthropocene has emerged as the dominant conceptualization of the current geological epoch and, more significantly, of Humanity’s relation to nature. By its proponents the Anthropocene is espoused as a “solution formulation,” an analytical tool which clarifies Humanity’s multifarious impacts on nature and nature’s subsequent crises; and further as a conceptual apparatus from which to launch mitigation and adaption strategies, promising deliverance from or at least engagement with ecological crises. However, the Anthropocene is not a neutral concept, merely illuminating transition within ecological conditions and connections between human activities and nature; rather, it is a particular prism from which to understand humanity’s relation to nature. And, as the Anthropocene becomes ascendant both analytically and politically, it becomes vital to question its imaginary, how it constructs nature and Humanity, how it influences and constrains responses to ecological crises, and what the long-term implications of operating within this imaginary are. I argue that the Anthropocene as a political/analytical prism rests upon flawed conceptions of nature, history, and humanity, rending it an impotent construct from which to respond to ecological crises; offering only partial and presumptive “solutions” in the form of intensified governmental regulation and the application of manifold technological “fixes” through the geoengineering of Earth’s systems, in an attempt to address isolated aspects of ecological destruction.

This paper analyses the COVID-19 crisis and its management, under the Austrian Economics. The attention is focused in the States’ coercive intervention, to evaluate the positive or negative effects of pandemic, according to the Principles of Political Economy and the theory of capital and economic cycles. The paper examines the specific case of massive intervention by governments and, especially, central banks in monetary and financial markets to deal with the pandemic by seeking to lessen its effects. Also, it is offered a critical analysis on simultaneous government policies involving taxes and an increase in public spending which are presented as the panacea and universal remedy for the evils that afflict the society, instead of promoting the transit to Wellbeing Economics. To conclude the review, there is a proposal of paradigm review, in the way to offer a sustainable model.

A vivid debate is ongoing in the scientific community about statistical malpractice and the related publication bias. No general consensus exists on the consequences and this is reflected in heterogeneous rules defined by scientific journals on the use and reporting of statistical inference. This paper aims at discussing how the debate is perceived by the agricultural economics community and implications for our roles as researchers, contributors to the scientific publication process, and teachers. We start by summarizing the current state of the p-value debate and the replication crisis, and commonly applied statistical practices in our community. This is followed by motivation, design, results and discussion of a survey on statistical knowledge and practice among the researchers in the agricultural economics community in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. We conclude that beyond short-term measures like changing rules of reporting in publications, a cultural change regarding empirical scientific practices is needed that stretches across all our roles in the scientific process. Acceptance of scientific work should largely be based on the theoretical and methodological rigor and where the perceived relevance arises from the questions asked, the methodology employed, and the data used but not from the results generated. Revised and clear journal guidelines, the creation of resources for teaching and research, and public recognition of good practice are suggested measures to move forward.

Disadvantaged groups around the world have suffered and endured higher mortality during the current COVID-19 pandemic. This contrast disparity suggests that socioeconomic and health-related factors may drive inequality in disease outcome. To identify these factors correlated with COVID-19 outcome, country aggregate data provided by the Lancet COVID-19 Commission subjected to correlation analysis. Socioeconomic and health-related variables were used to predict mortality in the top 5 most affected countries using ridge regression and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) models. Our data reveal that predictors related to demographics and social disadvantage correlate with COVID-19 mortality per million and that XGBoost performed better than ridge regression. Taken together, our findings suggest that the health consequence of the current pandemic is not just confined to indiscriminate impact of a viral infection but that these preventable effects are amplified based on pre-existing health and socioeconomic inequalities.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is clearly taking a firmer grip on South Africa and more podiatrists will face the potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Government response was swift with the implementation of a travel ban, strict national lockdown as well as social distancing and hygiene protocols in line with international health regulations. Co-morbidities such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, endemic to South Africa, are considered a dangerous combination with COVID-19, making many South Africans vulnerable to contracting the COVID-19. Patients with diabetes as well as the aged are vulnerable, both in terms of potential combined complications and challenges in continuity in foot care. The demands of the pandemic may outstrip the ability of the health systems to cope. Should this time arrive, all healthcare practitioners, including podiatrists, would have to step in and take on a role beyond their scope of practice in order to ensure that the healthcare system does not get overwhelmed. It is important for podiatrists to keep abreast with the developments around the COVID-19, in order that they may institute appropriate clinical practice which will ensure maximum protection for themselves, staff and patients as well as providing quality foot health care.

The world is currently experiencing COVID-19, one of the worst pandemics that have happened in this century, affecting 10.7 million people worldwide. It has caused massive growth in the number of employees working from home. However, employees have minimal cybersecurity resources unlike organizations with security teams protecting them against attacks. Hence, cybersecurity plays an important role as users can be easily targeted by cybercriminals. This paper examines how cyberattacks have increased during this pandemic and shows how greatly they have affected health organizations, individuals and social networking applications. Results of the attacks include data breaches, false announcements and operations being disrupted. Attacks occurring during this pandemic and how they were handled are also critically discussed. The existing contributions do touch on related attacks but do not provide in-depth solutions regarding the issues. Even though there are many works and findings that were done previously, technology is ever evolving. Therefore, we need to be well versed with current and future issues and provide the latest mechanisms to prevent cybersecurity threats from occurring. On our share, we intend to present our findings on the challenges being faced by the population and its increasing threats as well as presenting unique solutions that can help organizations or related persons understand or spread awareness on the importance of cybersecurity. Through the research performed in this paper, it is found that there are many ways these issues can be alleviated. However, the issue is that there is significant lack of action and investment in terms of actual implementation and application of the available solutions.

The outbreak of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) associated with acute respiratory disease called COVID-19 marked the introduction of the third spillover of an animal CoV to humans in the last 2 decades. The SARS-CoV2 genome analysis with various bioinformatics tools revealed that it belongs to beta CoVs genera, with highly similar genome as bat coronavirus and receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike glycoprotein as Malayan pangolin coronavirus. Based on its genetic proximity, SARS-CoV2 is likely to be originated from bat derived CoV and transmitted to humans via an unknown intermediate mammalian host, probably Malayan pangolin. Further spike protein S1/S2 cleavage site of SARS-CoV2 has acquired polybasic furin cleavage site which is absent in bat and pangolin suggesting natural selection either in an animal host before zoonotic transfer or in humans following zoonotic transfer. In the current review, we recapitulate a preliminary opinion about the disease, origin and life cycle of SARS-CoV2, roles of virus proteins in pathogenesis, commonalities and differences between different corona viruses. We have also highlighted the evidences regarding the potential drugs and vaccine candidates with their modes of action to cope with this viral outbreak. Our review provides comprehensive up-dated information on molecular aspects of the SARS-CoV2.

late in December 2019 2019-nCoV was identified as the pathogen responsible for an outbreak of severe respiratory distress in Wuhan, China. The virus was detected in multiple countries during January, but it is believed widespread community transmission began late in February or early March. Since March the virus has caused over 100k confirmed deaths in the US, with some states more severely impacted, notably NY and NJ. Here I examine excess mortality at the national and state level from January through July 2020. I find that the increase in excess mortality began in late February, suggesting the pathogen was circulating undetected earlier than assumed. The timing and intensity of the increase in excess mortality varied across states, with two patterns emerging: an early, sharp increase reaching a peak during April-May, best exemplified by NY and NJ, and a shallower, sustained increase, reaching a peak in late July, observed mostly in the southern regions of the US.

(1) Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for patients and healthcare providers, especially for those working with obesity and related health problems. E-health has emerged as a crucial tool for the follow-up of users undergoing bariatric surgery during this period, allowing remote monitoring of users' health status and providing access to virtual consultation with health professionals. This study aims to analyze the impact of the use of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic on the results of bariatric surgery and user satisfac-tion with this follow-up. (2) Method: Observational study with retrospective data collection. The variables were divided into several groups: health data, associated comorbidities, quality of life, quality of sleep and satisfaction with telemedicine monitoring. (3) Results: Surgery significantly affected weight loss, in general more than 75% loss of excess weight. Comorbidities, like the qual-ity of life, were reversed over time, with 50% of subjects maintaining excellent levels. Although most users were satisfied with the monitoring, the variables had no relationship. (4) Conclusions: The follow-up assured by telemedicine did not alter the results of bariatric surgery, which may allow us to infer that it may be an option to consider for regular monitoring of the post-bariatric surgery process.

COVID-19 has brought unprecedented challenges and exacerbated existing work-related struggles resulting in heightened occupational stress and impacted work performance among health caregivers. This study utilised the transactional model of stress and coping to explore the coping strategies adopted by radiology health caregivers during the pandemic with the aim to provide baseline data for enhancing preparedness and development of interventions to support staff during future health crises. A qualitative, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology coupled with constructivist and interpretivist philosophical views were utilised in a multi-method context to conduct semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions among 24 radiology health caregivers in the eThekwini district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Data were transcribed verbatim and manually analysed using the IPA framework. The radiology health caregivers highlighted resilience, adaptability and identified emotion-focused and problem-focused coping as their mostly preferred strategies of dealing with COVID-19 related mental distress. These included accepting professional responsibilities and duties, social coping, spiritual therapy, adaptive behavioural coping, escape-avoidance and solution-oriented approaches. The findings can guide radiology departments in developing bespoke mental health interventions to support radiology health caregivers during any future health crises.

Available options to combat bacterial infections are getting scarce. We require innovative and imaginative approaches to enhance the identification and discovery of effective antimicrobials capable of combating bacteria resistant to multiple or all available drugs. These methods should either directly eliminate the resistant bacteria or influence their viability indirectly by inhibiting their virulence or reducing their resistance to antibacterial agents. One interesting approach is to analyze ancient remedies presumably used to treat bacterial infections, try formulating them, and test them against modern microbes. The field was recently named ancientbiotics. This approach allows us to take advantage of centuries of accumulated empirical knowledge, from several traditional medicines of various ancient cultures across the world. The strategy has already resulted in promising formulations to combat the ESKAPE group of nosocomial pathogens. Moreover, molecular de-extinction consists of genome analysis of extinct species in the search for useful antimicrobials, such as peptides. The de-extinction of simple organisms such as bacteriophages may eventually become a resource for novel tools to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria. In this review, we summarize and discuss the reported antimicrobial effects of ancient remedies and de-extinct molecules known to modern science, and discuss possible new strategies to further harness the potential of past remedies and molecules to help us fight the rise of superbugs.

This research identifies the resilience factors of tax centers in Cameroon. To do so, we use binary logistic regression on data collected from tax revenue mobilization centers (TRMC). the results show that the digitization of the tax system and leadership are factors in absorbing the crisis. Access to electricity and staff at the center are the recovery factors for the level of revenue after the crisis. We recommend that public institutions improve the digitalization processes of tax administrations. The transmission channels of digitization such as access to electricity and telecommunications networks must be ensured in the tax centers. Furthermore, we propose to increase the number of tax centers or to build tax kiosks to reduce the distance between taxpayers and their centers of attachment.

Testing and isolation have been crucial for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Venezuela has one of the weakest testing infrastructures in Latin America and the low number of reported cases in the country has been attributed to substantial underreporting. However, the Venezuelan epidemic seems to have lagged behind other countries in the region, with most cases occurring within the capital region and four border states. Here, we describe the spatial epidemiology of COVID-19 in Venezuela and its relation to population mobility, migration patterns, non-pharmaceutical interventions and fuel availability. Using an SEI metapopulation model, we explore how movement patterns could have driven the observed distribution of cases. Low within-country connectivity most likely delayed the epidemic in most states, except for those bordering Colombia and Brazil where high immigration seeded outbreaks. NPIs slowed early epidemic growth and subsequent fuel shortages appeared to be responsible for limiting the spread of COVID-19 across the country.

This paper derives measurement and identical principles, then makes the two principles into measurement and identical theorems of quantum mechanics, plus the three theorems derived earlier, we deduce the axiom system of current quantum mechanics, the general quantum theory no axiom presumptions not only solves the crisis to understand in current quantum mechanics, but also obtains new discoveries, e.g., discovers the velocities of quantum collapse and entanglement are instantaneously infinitely large. We deduce the general Schrȍdinger equation of any n particles from two aspects, and the wave function not only has particle properties of the complex square root state vector of the classical probability density of any n particles, but also has the plane wave properties of any n particles. Thus, the current crisis of the dispute about the origin of wave- particle duality of any n microscopic particles is solved. We display the classical locality and quantum non-locality for any n particle system, show entanglement origins, and discover not only any n-particle wave function system has the original, superposition and across entanglements, but also the entanglements are of interactions preserving conservation or correlation, three kinds of entanglements directly give lots of entanglement sources. This paper discovers, one of two pillars of modern physics, quantum mechanics of any n particle system is a generalization ( mechanics ) theory of the complex square root ( of real density function ) of classical statistical mechanics, any n particle system’s quantum mechanics of being just a generalization theory of the complex square root of classical statistical mechanics is both a revolutionary discovery and key new physics, which are influencing people’s philosophical thinking for modern physics, solve all the crisises in current quantum theories, quantum information and so on, and make quantum theory have scientific solid foundations checked, no basic axiom presumption and no all quantum strange incomprehensible properties, because classical statistical mechanics and its complex square root have scientific solid foundations checked. Thus, all current studies on various entanglements and their uses to quantum computer, quantum information and so on must be further updated and classified by the new entanglements. This and our early papers derive quantum physics, solve all crisises of basses of quantum mechanics, e.g., wave-particle duality & the first quantization origins, quantum nonlocality, entanglement origins & classifications, wave collapse and so on.Key words: quantum mechanics, operator, basic presumptions, wave-particle duality, principle of measurement, identical principle, superposition principle of states, entanglement origin, quantum communication, wave collapse, classical statistical mechanics, classical mechanics

This paper surveys estimates of the transmission features of the novel coronavirus, and then proposes a model to address sample-selection bias in estimated determinants of infection. Containment assumptions of the infection forecasting models depend on assumed effects of policies and self-regulating behavior. In the commons dilemma of the pandemic, the perceived ‘low risks’ of unregulated marginal choices do not reflect the full social cost, implying non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) to reduce mortality can enhance social welfare. As more economic activity renews with liftings of restrictive NPI (RNPI), a critical question concerns the ability of milder NPI (MNPI) and voluntary precautions to mitigate the risk of greater infections and deaths while also limiting the pandemic’s economic damage and its social costs. Ineffective NPI could lead to continued COVID-19 waves and new types of crises, worsened expectations and delayed economic recoveries. From the central range of surveyed estimates of transmission and alternative herd-immunity-threshold estimates, a ‘worst-case’ virus guidepost suggests eventual deaths of around 25 to 41 million worldwide and 1.1 to 1.7 million in the U.S. needed to reach herd immunity with no vaccine or treatment. The most optimistic study surveyed (theoretical model from a non-reviewed preprint study) combined with the low end of the range of the estimated mortality rate suggests 6 to 9 million deaths worldwide and 250 to 370 thousand in the U.S. to reach herd immunity. Successes in the mix of NPI, treatments, and vaccine can limit the eventual global death toll of the virus. Improved estimation models for forecasting and decision making may assist in better targeting the local timings and mix of NPI. Diagnostic tests for the virus have been largely limited to symptomatic cases, causing possible sample selection bias. A recursive bivariate probit model of infection and testing is proposed along with several possible applications from cross-section or panel-data estimation. Multiple potential explanatory variables, data sources, and estimation needs are specified and discussed.

The Capital Asset Pricing Model is a widely applied model to describe risky markets and to deduce their systematic risk. Its estimation, therefore, remains an important task in Econo-financial studies. Empirically, it focuses on the impact of return interval on the betas. Existing studies somehow turn around the same idea of measuring the value of the beta according to the uniform intervals of time during a fixed period. However, it is noticed easily, and especially in the last decade that many factors such as socio-political, and Econo-environmental ones have led to a perturbation in the timeline of the worldwide development, and especially in countries and regions having political changes. This led us to introduce a new idea of risk estimation taking into account the non-uniform changes in markets by introducing a non-uniform wavelet analysis. We aim to explain the Econo-political situation of Arab spring countries and the effect of the revolutions on the market beta. The main novelty is firstly the construction of a dynamic backward-forward model for missing data, and next the application of random non-uniform wavelets. The proposed procedure will be acted empirically on a sample corresponding to TUNINDEX stock as a representative index of the Tunisian market actively traded over the period January 14, 2016, to January 13, 2021. The chosen 5-years period is important as it constitutes the first 5-years-after the revolution and depends strongly on the Socio-Econo-political stability in the revolutionary countries.

There has been rampant fold-ups, merger and acquisitions occurring in the Ghanaian banking industry. Then, the questions arise: Is the Ghanaian Financial System in Crisis? This study was conducted to find answers to these problems unsolved with prior literature. A sample of seventy customers of the Royal Bank, 8 employees of the Royal Bank and 2 managers of the Royal Bank were selected for a case-survey. The study also monitored the Trend of the Ghanaian Financial System through the reading and monitoring of daily news on the Financial System and reports of banks. The data from the field and the secondary data from news and reports were analysed symmetrically. The study drew on Minsky’s Financial Crisis Theory to explain the phenomenon in the Ghanaian economy and to draw predictions of what would happen in other developing economies. The study found out that: (1) The Ghanaian financial system is fragile and it holds true for most developing economies; (2) The financial system suffers greatly when the confidence level of customers falls significantly; (3) Management information systems raises the confidence level of customers (borrowers and lenders) such that there is a greater fall and impact in times of instability in the economy; (4) The higher the level of MIS adoption in an unstable economy, the more fragile the Financial System becomes and (5) A higher adoption of Management Information Systems in a Fragile Financial System indirectly contributes to Financial Crisis of the Financial System.

In the wake of globalization and the revolutionary impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI), literature and language education play a pivotal role in preparing the next generation to navigate an ever-changing world. This reflective concept paper explores the profound insights shared by educators, focusing on literature and language education amidst globalization and AI. Drawing on interviews and observations, teachers' reflections reveal the enduring value of literature in shaping young minds, fostering critical thinking, and promoting empathy. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of embracing multilingualism and cultural diversity to equip students for an interconnected world. In the face of challenges, educators showcase their resilience and adaptability, harnessing technology, particularly AI-driven tools, to foster future-ready learners. Identifying gaps and implications in literature and language education, this paper sets the stage for collective efforts among stakeholders to shape the future of education. Ultimately, teachers hold the key to nurturing a generation capable of embracing the complexities of the AI-driven global landscape with confidence and compassion, empowering students as transformative agents in a rapidly changing world.

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak has accelerated the huge difference between medical care and disease prevention in Chinese medical institutions. This study aimed to investigated the relationship between the symbiotic units, environments, models, and effects of the integration of medical and disease prevention. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 762 employees of public hospitals in 11 cities in Zhejiang Province by random stratified sampling. We analyzed the influence paths of elements in the mechanism of integration of medical and disease prevention and the mediating effect of symbiotic models among symbiotic units, symbiotic environments, and effects for on this integration. Results: The path coefficient of symbiotic unit on the symbiosis model was 0.46 (p&lt;.001), the path coefficient of symbiotic environment on symbiosis model was 0.52 (p&lt;.001). The path coefficient of the symbiotic unit and environment was 0.91 (p&lt;.001). The symbiotic models exhibited a partial mediation effect between symbiotic units and the effect of this integration. Sobel test = 3.27, β = 0.152, and the mediating effect accounted for 34.6%. Conclusions: It is suggested that Health policy-makers and public hospital managers should provide sufficient symbiotic units, establish collaborative symbiotic models, and improve the effects of integration of medical and disease prevention in public hospitals.

The expansion of Open World Video Games (OWVGs) has seen the emergence of multiple new fictional worlds. This type of video game is characterized by total immersion in a world built for the players entertainment. What videogames developers want when players enter an OWVG is that they could feel like if they were open a door to an entirely new world and leave the real world behind. These virtual worlds manifest as a complement, an alternative, or the successor to the physical universe, and in some way continue the philosophical tradition of possible worlds begun by Leibniz. Accustomed to ‘surviving’ in hostile environments, millions of people continued to improve their skills in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic while locked in their homes. Once the pandemic seems to start to be left behind, the paper analyzes the virtual worlds created by the video games and the relations between the pandemic and these fictional worlds.

The Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic situation has posed significant effect on tourism industry. Tourism destinations have embraced emergency health care measures and restrictions imposed on human movement around the world. Beaches and resorts are empty, peoples’ movements are stopped and travelling between territories is strictly controlled. The COVID-19 lockdown around the world has imposed negative impact on the livelihood of people and world economy as well. The present study attempts to find out the scopes for sustainable tourism development in near future from the consequences of social, economic, and environment in COVID-19 pandemic situation.

The outbreak of COVID-19 started in mainland China and has rapidly spread to more than 200 countries and territories around the world (WHO, 2020). The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus and its transmission is known to occur by upper respiratory secretions, including airborne droplets after coughing or sneezing. There is no evidence to support the role of food in the transmission of COVID-19. However, sharing food in public places is not encouraged. Furthermore, standard operating procedures of food safety like thorough washing, avoid cross contamination, keeping raw and cooked foods separated, refrigeration and heating are highly suggested. The pandemic has dramatically increased food insecurity across the countries and threatens the food security and nutrition of millions of people. The review presents information about SARS-CoV-2 with respect to food, including a brief history of coronavirus, its classification and transmission. It further presents the role of food as a carrier of the virus, which looks unlikely so far but cannot be fully ruled out, food contamination and handling followed by prevention and safety measures as per the standard guidelines, and conclusive remarks.