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Approximations to noisy data are constructed to obtain unimodality of successively updated data. Precisely, a method is developed that calculates least squares monotonic increasing - decreasing approximations to n data, for successive values of n. Having fixed n, the statement of the increasing-–decreasing constraints in terms of first differences of the data subject to one sign change gives rise to a discrete search calculation, because the position of the sign change is also an unknown of the optimization problem. Although this problem may have many local minima for each value of n, the method is made quite efficient by taking advantage of two properties of the optimization calculation. The first property, for fixed n, provides necessary and sufficient conditions that reduce the optimal selection of the position to solving two sequences of monotonic approximation problems to subranges of data in the least complexity $ \mathcal {O}(n) $ O (n). The sufficiency conditions is a new result. The second property shows that the optimal position increases as n increases. Hence, if this position of a fit to the first n−1 data is available, then in order to calculate the required position of a fit to the first n data there is no need to consider data that are before the current position. A Fortran program has been written and some timings of numerical results are given for up to $ n=30{,}000 $ n = 30,000 data and various levels of noise. They seem to be proportional to n. The method is applied to data of daily Covid-19 deaths of the United Kingdom for a period that exhibits a major outbreak, and obtains insights of the evolution of the process as new data enter the calculation. The results reveal certain features of the calculation that may be helpful to supporting policy making, when used in modelling epidemic processes. Further, a procedure is proposed where our method initializes the nonlinear least squares calculation of Richards epidemiological model, and the numerical results confirm some useful advantages over the plain use of this model. One benefit of our method for unimodal smoothing of successive data and estimation of the associated turning points is that it provides a property that appears in a wide range of processes from biology, economics, finance and social sciences, for instance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work endeavours to explore the experiences of university-level students from Pakistan and Nepal after the COVID-19 outbreak. A comprehensive electronic survey was carried out utilising a meticulous cluster sampling technique encompassing two distinct populations, i.e. Pakistan and Nepal, during the period extending from September 2022 to January 2023. A total of 2496 participants completed the questionnaire (Pakistani population: 55.45% and Nepalese population: 44.55%). We utilised the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form (MHC-SF), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), feeling of loneliness (UCLA), interdependent happy scale (IHS), and fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S). Notably, a significant intercultural disparity was observed, particularly concerning the level of COVID-19 fear which was higher among the Nepalese population. However, this particular variable did not demonstrate any significant associations with other variables, except for the social dimension of MHC-SF. There was a negative correlation observed between this variable and IHS within the Pakistani population. Irrespective of the varying degrees of apprehension towards COVID-19 within the two distinct cultural contexts, there exists a significant positive correlation between the assessed psychological assets and individual well-being, as well as the resumption of regular activities after the outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The profound impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led to an increased demand for sustainable pandemic governance practices. This study explored emerging hybrid governance practices that provide robust evidence on how to address the complex challenges of pandemics effectively. South Korea, which was severely affected by COVID-19, has implemented a novel governance approach using a whole-of-nation (WoN) model. This hybrid pandemic governance approach, which integrates both whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, has enabled synergistic and cohesive multi-sectoral coordination among all stakeholders (public authorities, private enterprises, and civil society) to address multifaceted challenges collectively and strengthen their resilience capacity. This study investigated South Korea's WoN practices and their embedded context and identified key governance enablers facilitating this approach. Methods: This study employed a case study design based on an extensive analysis of policy and program documents, drawing on South Korea's publicly available data from January 1, 2020 to March 30, 2023. It assessed six system-level collaborative pandemic governance practices and key enablers, all of which were intended to fortify the country's pandemic response. Results: The primary areas of the country's WoN governance practices for COVID-19 control were (i) whole-of-government policy-making and response, (ii) COVID-19 testing system, (iii) digital surveillance of COVID-19, (iv) COVID-19 triage and treatment system, (v) domestic vaccine production, and (vi) community engagement. Key governance enablers for implementing the WoN model were establishing a legal foundation, ensuring decisive and strong governance and leadership, increasing public investment, applying a whole-of-health approach with augmented investment in public health, enhancing crisis communication, and mobilizing local leaders and civil society organizations in the national public health response. Conclusions: In exploring innovative approaches to pandemic governance for increased efficacy, responsiveness, and impact, the WoN approach emerged as highly relevant. This example of emerging practice allows policy-makers to re-evaluate their governance strategies and initiatives to improve multi-agency partnerships across the country in their pandemic-preparedness planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Distress during SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreak affected also cancer patients' well‐being. Aim of this study was to investigate patient' reactions and behavior (flexible‐adaptive vs. inflexible‐maladaptive) during the SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreak. Methods: A cross‐sectional survey was designed with a self‐report questionnaire, "the ImpACT questionnaire," developed for the study. Regression analysis was performed on data. Results: Four hundred and forty five cancer patients from 17 Italian regions participated in the study. 79.8% of participants were female (mean age of 58 years). 92.6% of participants reported feeling vulnerable to COVID‐19 contagion; 75.6% reported helpless, 62.7% sad, 60.4% anxious, and 52.0% anger. Avoidance of thinking about coronavirus is the principal maladaptive behavior that emerged. Participants who reported feeling anxious were more likely to have fear of staff being infected with COVID‐19 (OR = 3.01; 95% CI = 1.49–6.30) and to have disrupted sleep due to worry (OR = 2.42; 95% CI = 1.23–4.83). Younger participants reported more anxiety (OR = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.94–1.00); men reported feeling calm more than women (OR = 2.60; 95% CI = 1.27–5.43). Conclusions: Majority of cancer patients reported serious concerns regarding SARS‐CoV‐2 infection; reliable information and psychological support must be offers to respond to these needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During and after the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the use of personal care products and disinfectants increased in universities worldwide. Among these, quaternary ammonium-based products stand out; these compounds and their intermediates caused substantial changes in the chemical composition of the wastewater produced by these institutions. For this reason, improvements and environmentally sustainable biological alternatives were introduced in the existing treatment systems so that these institutions could continue their research and teaching activities. For this reason, the objective of this study was to develop an improved culture medium to cultivate ammonium oxidising bacteria (AOB) to increase the biomass and use them in the treatment of wastewater produced in a faculty of sciences in Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. A Plackett Burman Experimental Design (PBED) and growth curves served for oligotrophic culture medium, and production conditions improved for the AOB. Finally, these bacteria were used with total heterotrophic bacteria (THB) for wastewater treatment in a pilot plant. Modification of base ammonium broth and culture conditions (6607 mg L−1 of (NH4)2SO4, 84 mg L−1 CaCO3, 40 mg L−1 MgSO4·7H2O, 40 mg L−1 CaCl2·2H2O and 200 mg L−1 KH2PO4, 10% (w/v) inoculum, no copper addition, pH 7.0 ± 0.2, 200 r.p.m., 30 days) favoured the growth of Nitrosomonas europea, Nitrosococcus oceani, and Nitrosospira multiformis with values of 8.23 ± 1.9, 7.56 ± 0.7 and 4.2 ± 0.4 Log10 CFU mL−1, respectively. NO2− production was 0.396 ± 0.0264, 0.247 ± 0.013 and 0.185 ± 0.003 mg L−1 for Nitrosomonas europea, Nitrosococcus oceani and Nitrosospira multiformis. After the 5-day wastewater treatment (WW) by co-inoculating the three studied bacteria in the wastewater (with their self-microorganisms), the concentrations of AOB and THB were 5.92 and 9.3 Log10 CFU mL−1, respectively. These values were related to the oxidative decrease of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), (39.5 mg L−1), Ammonium ion (NH4+), (6.5 mg L−1) Nitrite (NO2−), (2.0 mg L−1) and Nitrate (NO3−), (1.5 mg L−1), respectively in the five days of treatment. It was concluded, with the improvement of a culture medium and production conditions for three AOB through biotechnological strategies at the laboratory scale, being a promising alternative to bio-augment of the biomass of the studied bacteria under controlled conditions that allow the aerobic removal of COD and nitrogen cycle intermediates present in the studied wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Points: Nasal tight junction module score correlates negatively to allergy module score in COVID‐19.Omicron variant may slow‐down tight junction restoration in patients with AR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate COVID-19 outbreak in Calabar Metropolis. This really analyzed the challenges encountered in carrying out educational research in the time of Covid-19 pandemic, and then, offered solution to strengthen research activities at all times. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional mix methods design involving both qualitative (exploratory) and quantitative (explanatory) approaches. Four research questions and two hypotheses guided the quantitative part of the study while the qualitative part was guided by the a key informant interview with responses grouped in themes and subthemes – reflecting the direct quotes of the participants. The population of this study included all university lecturers (3,860) and postgraduate students (2,383) from public and private tertiary institutions in Calabar Metropolies who were researching at the time of this study. A total of 600 male and female researchers constituted the sample for the quantitative study while 24 key informants constituted the participants for the qualitative part of the study. Participants were sampled through purposive sampling technique to recruit only respondents that have rich information for the study. As inclusion criteria, only researchers who were researching at the time of data collection in the period of the pandemic were recruited in this study. The researchers’ questionnaire and key informant interview guide were the instruments validated and used for data collection. The estimates of Cronbach alpha reliability of the instruments ranged between 0.82 and 0.87. Data were analyzed through descriptive (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (independent t-test and analysis of variance- ANOVA). Data from the qualitative part was transcribed and thematically reported verbatim. Ethical clearance was obtained from Cross River State Research Ethics Committee. One of the major experiences of researchers during the pandemic is the inability to interface with respondents, 61.5% of respondents could not participate in the studies because of fear of contracting the virus. Majority of the respondents (91.5%) admitted that the outbreak did help to facilitate the use and mastery of the media in research especially in data collection via calls (50.2%), emails (38.5%), zoom (14.8%). The study found out that researchers encountered both negative and positive impact of COVID-19 in the course of researching during the pandemic and this was found to be more among female lecturers and students than their male counterparts. In conclusion, there was high attrition rate and inability to conduct face-to-face investigation and this led to greater need for utilization of media, ICT, and technology in research during the pandemic. This has significant policy implication for increasing technology use and greater capacity building in these areas for enhanced performance in research activities of lecturers and graduate students especially in critical times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic has posed a tremendous threat to the public and health authorities. Wuhan, as one of the cities experiencing the earliest COVID‐19 outbreak, has successfully tackled the epidemic finally. The main reason is the implementing of Fangcang shelter hospitals, which rapidly and massively scale the health system's capacity to treat COVID‐19 confirmed cases with mild symptoms. To give insights on what degree Fangcang shelter hospitals have contained COVID‐19 in Wuhan, we proposed a piecewise smooth model regarding the patient triage scheme and the bed capacities of Fangcang shelter hospitals and designated hospitals. We used data on the cumulative number of confirmed cases, recovered cases, deaths, and data on the number of hospitalized individuals in Fangcang shelter hospitals and designated hospitals in Wuhan to parameterize the targeted model. Our results showed that diminishing the bed capacity or delaying the opening time of Fangcang shelter hospitals, both would result in worsening the epidemic by increasing the total number of infectives and hospitalized individuals and the effective reproduction number Re(t)$$ {R}_e(t) $$. The findings demonstrated that Fangcang shelter hospitals avoided 17,013 critical infections and 17,823 total infections while it saved 7 days during the process of controlling the effective reproduction number Re(t)<1$$ {R}_e(t)<1 $$. Our study highlighted the critical role of Fangcang shelter hospitals in curbing and eventually stopping COVID‐19 outbreak in Wuhan, China. These findings may provide a valuable reference for decision‐makers in regarding ramping up the health system capacity to isolate groups of people with mild symptoms in areas of widespread infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected the entire world, has caused changes in many areas of life worldwide. These changes have also influenced and continue to influence consumer behaviors. During the restrictions, people staying at home and only going out for essential needs such as grocery shopping has caused changes in their shopping and consumption habits. The changing consumer behaviors related to the process have brought about many studies. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, it has caused significant changes in the attitudes and behaviors of individuals in the world and in Türkiye. Numerous studies have been conducted to understand these changes. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the pandemic on the food demand and nutritional habits of individuals residing in Tekirdağ province. To achieve this, a survey was conducted with consumers living in Tekirdağ. According to the research's predicted 10% margin of error and 99% significance level, the sample size was calculated to be 166 people. Factor analysis was applied during the statistical analysis of the findings. Based on the results of the factor analysis, it was found that the desire of individuals to consume organic products and their awareness of healthy nutrition were high. The negative conditions that occurred during the pandemic increased the desire of individuals to eat. It has shown that consumers are more sensitive about healthy eating during the Covid-19 pandemic process. An increase in the consumption of food products that form the basis of a healthy diet, such as fruits, vegetables and eggs, and a corresponding decrease in the consumption of carbonated drinks and prepackaged food also support this finding. However, the high increase in the consumption of pastries and nuts can be given as examples of the negative effects of the need to stay at home and the restriction of physical activities due to the Covid-19 outbreak. In addition, their buying behavior changed, and the number of people who procure food products through online shopping increased. The aim of this study is to inform consumers and researchers working on this subject about how food consumption of consumers has changed after Covid-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 epidemic has expanded globally and remains a significant issue in every country. Vaccines continue to attract attention from countries worldwide, whether for preventing the spread of COVID-19 or mitigating the severity of the disease. This study has been classified as a correlation study aimed at investigating the COVID-19 vaccine landscape, particularly focusing on the relationship between the number of vaccine recipients and the incidence of COVID-19 cases. Secondary data were obtained by the researchers from departments and organizations affiliated with the Ministry of Public Health. The survey encompassed six primary tourist cities situated in major urban areas of Thailand. The researchers utilized data pertaining to the fifth wave of outbreaks (occurring within a 14-day cycle) across six provinces, alongside data on the number of individuals who received COVID-19 vaccinations. To analyze the data in this study, statistical methods including frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, correlation, and Geographic Information System (GIS) were employed. The findings revealed that receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was significantly correlated with the prevalence rate of COVID-19 per 100,000 individuals at a significance level of 0.05 (R2 = 0.82). Furthermore, at a significance level of 0.05, full vaccination against COVID-19 was significantly associated with the prevalence rate of COVID-19 per 100,000 individuals, showing a correlation coefficient of 0.829 in the same direction. Additionally, at a significance level of 0.01, the number of COVID-19 cases within a 14-day period exhibited a strong correlation with the trend of COVID-19 incidence, which decreased over approximately 14 days, indicating an inverse relationship (R2 = -0.928). Lastly, at a significance level of 0.05, the prevalence rate of COVID-19 per 100,000 individuals was significantly correlated with the trend of COVID-19 incidence, which decreased over approximately 14 days, again demonstrating an inverse relationship (R2 = -0.812). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions to minimize transmission of the virus affected the population worldwide. As a result of prolonged home confinement in Greece, changes in work schedules, disruptions of the educational process, the challenge of online learning, the constant need for self-protection, and the restrictions on social interaction, the family life was dramatically altered. In this study, sleep patterns of preschool children were recorded, and effects of screen time and diet were investigated in relation to quarantine due to COVID-19. Parents of 146 children provided data on their children's night-time sleep habits, dietary habits, and screen time exposure. Children's sleep problems were measured with the Children's Sleep Questionnaire. Descriptive and qualitative analyses showed that most parents (54.1%) reported that children's sleep habits changed during the imposed home confinement. Children with more sleep problems were more likely to have increased screen exposure. The present study provides evidence on the negative impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the sleep behavior of Greek preschoolers. Focused action is needed to safeguard and promote preschoolers' physical and mental health during the lockdown and the recovery period. Highlights: Preschoolers' sleep behavior has been highly influenced by the imposed lockdowns Prolonged screen exposure is associated with increased sleep difficulties Reasons for screen exposure were mainly related to education, entertainment, communication, familiarity with technology, and gaming [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the long-term effect of the pandemic on mental health and self-care parameters in patients with diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. After 18 months of pandemic, 118 participants remained in the study (mean age of 56.6 ± 13.4 years, 66.7% were women). We observed no change in the scores for mental health disorders screening. Regarding self-care, patients with type 1 diabetes showed an improvement in the adherence score compared to those found at the beginning of the pandemic (variation + 3.5 (−6.0 to +15.8) points, p = 0.02), and also compared to those with type 2 diabetes. Although the pandemic have negatively affected many people's mental health, especially in those with chronic diseases, our results show that patients with diabetes may have developed good coping and adaptive strategies to maintain diabetes control and symptom pattern of mental health disorders over the course of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The government of Bangladesh has implemented the "Stay Home" policy following the WHO recommendation to resist the community transmission of Covid-19. As a result, the routine activities of all government, semi-government establishments, including educational institutions, are severely affected, and the country's economic growth becomes slowed down. To overcome such a situation, the relevant authorities have introduced the "Work from Home" policy for the employees and "Remote Education" for students. However, due to the persistence of multi-dimensional socio-economic problems, many employees and students face big challenges in performing their regular jobs while adopting such a policy. Consequently, enormous psychological anxiety has been developed for all people, including students, parents, employees, etc., and concurrently created severe changes in their behavior. This study aims to analyze the reasons for the behavioral changes of the employees, students, academic staff, and family members of different ages due to psychological anxiety, stress, or physical issues. A comprehensive online-based survey has been carried out on people working in various sectors in Bangladesh. A modified Apriori Algorithm has been used to sort out the associations between the causes and types of behavioral changes. Analyzed data revealed a massive human behavioral change in most participants. This finding indicates that the negligence of those significant human behavioral changes may cause a higher risk of creating psychological imbalance. Therefore, there is a need to have a solid understanding of the reasons for the behavioral changes and set up standard guidelines to maintain "Work from Home" in this Covid- 19 situation to avoid psychological imbalance. Based on this study, some suggestions have been given for implementation by the government on an urgent basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has been the first country to be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic resulted in significant disruption of Health Care Services worldwide, and this effect on treatments for urinary stones is currently unclear. This is the first retrospective study involving three tertiary referral centers for urolithiasis across China. We evaluated surgical volumes and peri-operative outcomes of procedures delivered for upper urinary tract stones. We compared trimester prior to restrictions for COVID-19 (October 1st, 2019 to December 31st, 2019, period A), during restrictions (February 1st, 2020 to March 31st, 2020, period B), and afterword (April 1st, 2020 to June 31st, 2020, period C). A total of 2,543 procedures have been carried out. We observed a loss of 743 cases during period B (−29.2%) and 201 during period C (−7.9%). Percutaneous surgery showed the worst reduction, with 507 mini-PCNLs delivered in period A, 168 in period B (−60.8%), and 389 (−18.3%) in period C (p = 0.001). A worst trend was shown for standard PCNLs with 84 procedures carried out in period A, 5 in period B (−95.2%), and 9 (−89.2%) in period C (p = 0.001). Retrograde surgery also decreased, from 420 cases in period A to 190 cases in period B (−54.8%). An increment was however seen in period C when 468 cases have been carried out (+ 11.4%, p = 0.008). In term of SFRs, a difference was noticed for RIRSs, being 69.2%, 80.5%, and 69.3% during three periods (p = 0.045) and semirigid ureteroscopies (90.3%, 97.1%, and 84.8%, p = 0.013). Charlson's Comorbidity Score could not show any difference between groups as well as no differences in term of post-operative complications have been noticed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the dynamics of tail dependence across returns of 105 global energy firms from 26 countries covering the regions of America, Asia Pacific and Europe. A partial correlation-based approach is used to quantify the dependence structure and level of systemic risk under relatively stable and extremely bearish and bullish market conditions. The dependence network of energy stock returns is constructed based on the novel triangulated maximally filtered graph (TMFG). The results reveal a high degree of tail dependence and role played by geographical proximity. The strongest links are found under extreme bearish market conditions. American and European energy firms are more interconnected and contribute more to systemic risk than Asian-Pacific companies. The dependence intensifies during periods of market turmoil, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. A higher instability in the dependence structure is observed during extremely bearish market circumstances. A simple portfolio trading strategy based on the dependence ranking of energy firms outperforms a naive equally-weighted buy-and-hold portfolio strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2019, the world has been experiencing an outbreak of a novel beta-coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2. The worldwide spread of this virus has been a severe challenge for public health, and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. As of June 8, 2023, the virus' rapid spread had caused over 767 million infections and more than 6.94 million deaths worldwide. Unlike previous SARS-CoV-1 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus outbreaks, the COVID-19 outbreak has led to a high death rate in infected patients; this has been caused by multiorgan failure, which might be due to the widespread presence of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors—functional receptors of SARS-CoV-2—in multiple organs. Patients with cancer may be particularly susceptible to COVID-19 because cancer treatments (e.g., chemotherapy, immunotherapy) suppress the immune system. Thus, patients with cancer and COVID-19 may have a poor prognosis. Knowing how to manage the treatment of patients with cancer who may be infected with SARS-CoV-2 is essential. Treatment decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, and patient stratification is necessary during COVID-19 outbreaks. Here, we review the management of COVID-19 in patients with cancer and focus on the measures that should be adopted for these patients on the basis of the organs or tissues affected by cancer and by the tumor stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 outbreak, which emerged in China in December 2019, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. The epidemic has negatively affected all aspects of daily life. In order to cope with the epidemic, measures have been taken that completely affect social life. Treatment and vaccine studies have started all over the world. Individuals have applied to complementary and alternative medicine methods against the disease. This research was planned to examine the herbal products consumed by individuals in order to avoid the disease due to the Covid-19 epidemic, and the relationship between these herbal products used and the state of passing the Covid-19 disease. Relational screening model was used in this research. The data collection phase of the study was done by face-to-face survey method. The research was carried out in Muş 1 and 2 Family Health Centers in April and May 2023. 26 of 430 individuals aged 15 and over who voluntarily participated in the study were not included in the study due to discontinuation from the study or missing information in the questionnaires. For these reasons, 144 women and 260 men with a mean age of 31.90±14.5 were included in our study. The data we obtained in our research, 48.5% of the individuals participating in the research think that herbal products protect from Covid-19, and it has been determined that they consume the most mint plant with 65.3%. A statistically significant difference was found between the status of contracting Covid-19 disease and the protection of herbal products (p<0.05). However, it was determined that 69.1% of those who did not have the disease consumed mint, 63.6% thyme, 58.2% garlic or onion. As a result, it was determined that more than half of the participants in the study were protective of herbal products, and those who did not suffer from the disease used mint, thyme, garlic and onions. The fact that individuals using herbal products are statistically significantly less likely to catch Covid-19 shows that herbal products provide protection against Covid-19 in individuals, but more research is recommended to examine the relationship between herbal product use and infectious diseases such as Covid-19 disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Since the first lockdown of Spring 2020, the COVID‐19 contagion waves pervasively disrupted the sleep and mental health of the worldwide population. Notwithstanding the largest vaccination campaign in human history, the pandemic has continued to impact the everyday life of the general population for 2 years now. The present study provides the first evidence of the longitudinal trajectories of sleep disturbances and mental health throughout the pandemic in Italy, also describing the differential time course of age groups, genders and chronotypes. A total of 1062 Italians participated in a three‐time‐point longitudinal study covering two critical stages of the emergency (the first lockdown in April 2020 and the second partial lockdown in December 2020) and providing a long‐term overview 2 years after the pandemic outbreak (April 2022). We administered validated questionnaires to evaluate sleep quality/habits, insomnia, depression, stress and anxiety symptoms. Analyses showed a gradual improvement in sleep disturbances, depression and anxiety. Conversely, sleep duration progressively decreased, particularly in evening‐type and younger people. Participants reported substantial earlier bedtime and get‐up time. Stress levels increased during December 2020 and then stabilised. This effect was stronger in the population groups apparently more resilient during the first lockdown (older people, men and morning‐types). Our results describe a promising scenario 2 years after the pandemic onset. However, the improvements were relatively small, the perceived stress increased, and the re‐establishment of pre‐existing social/working dynamics led to general sleep curtailment. Further long‐term monitoring is required to claim the end of the COVID‐19 emergency on Italians' sleep and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic has affected thousands of people around the world. In this study, we used artificial neural network (ANN) models to forecast the COVID‐19 outbreak for policymakers based on 1st January to 31st October 2021 of positive cases in India. In the confirmed cases of COVID‐19 in India, it's critical to use an estimating model with a high degree of accuracy to get a clear understanding of the situation. Two explicit mathematical prediction models were used in this work to anticipate the COVID‐19 epidemic in India. A Boltzmann Function‐based model and Beesham's prediction model are among these methods and also estimated using the advanced ANN‐BP models. The COVID‐19 information was partitioned into two sections: training and testing. The former was utilized for training the ANN‐BP models, and the latter was used to test them. The information examination uncovers critical day‐by‐day affirmed case changes, yet additionally unmistakable scopes of absolute affirmed cases revealed across the time span considered. The ANN‐BP model that takes into consideration the preceding 14‐days outperforms the others based on the archived results. In forecasting the COVID‐19 pandemic, this comparison provides the maximum incubation period, in India. Mean square error, and mean absolute percent error have been treated as the forecast model performs more accurately and gets good results. In view of the findings, the ANN‐BP model that considers the past 14‐days for the forecast is proposed to predict everyday affirmed cases, especially in India that have encountered the main pinnacle of the COVID‐19 outbreak. This work has not just demonstrated the relevance of the ANN‐BP techniques for the expectation of the COVID‐19 outbreak yet additionally showed that considering the incubation time of COVID‐19 in forecast models might produce more accurate assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with the AKP (Justice and Development Party) right-authoritarianism during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, as seen from the perspective of necropolitics. It examines the relationships between politics and death, asking the question of how such relationships fell into an authoritarian character adversely influencing democracy and democratic values. For this, the study centres on the AKP government's response to the pandemic crisis, discussed as a manifestation of necropolitics. The paper explains the concept of necropolitics and underlines two of its fundamental characteristics: state of exception and creation of enemy. The paper focuses on these two traits to frame and critique the AKP's right-authoritarian politics during the COVID-19 outbreak. The aim of the analysis is to show how AKP politics has politicised death, bearing in mind the social and political opposition's moves against such politics in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater surveillance is considered a promising approach for COVID-19 surveillance in communities. In this study, we collected wastewater samples between November 2020 and February 2022 from twenty-three sites in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants for comparison to standard clinical sampling. A total of 215 wastewater samples were collected and tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by real-time PCR with three targeted genes (N, E, and ORF1ab); 102 samples were positive (42.5%). The SARS-CoV-2 variants were determined by a multiplex PCR MassARRAY assay to distinguish four SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron. Multiple variants of Alpha–Delta and Delta–Omicron were detected in the wastewater samples in July 2021 and January 2022, respectively. These wastewater variant results mirrored the country data from clinical specimens deposited in GISAID. Our results demonstrated that wastewater surveillance using multiple signature mutation sites for SARS-CoV-2 variant detection is an appropriate strategy to monitor the presence of SARS-CoV-2 variants in the community at a low cost and with rapid turn-around time. However, it is essential to note that sequencing surveillance of wastewater samples should be considered complementary to whole genome sequencing of clinical samples to detect novel variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 turned into a global epidemic in a short time, due to its rapid rate of infection and its longevity on surfaces. Its rapid spread caused problems in the municipal services especially Waste Management. There have been serious increases in the amount of protective equipment such as disposable masks, gloves, goggles and the amount of infected waste from hospital intensive care units. This put pressure on existing waste disposal systems. National and international circulars were published to prevent the spread of the epidemic. In this process emerged innovative studies such as biodegradable plastics, system optimization studies for environmentally and economically appropriate disposal methods, the creation of appropriate management plans, and data generation, storage, processing. In this study, during the epidemic, Waste Management problems, its environmental and economic effects, the related legal regulations, the recommended disposal methods and innovative studies were examined. Considering the increasing population and the long-term effects of climate change, this epidemic is not the first and will not be the last. Innovative studies carried out with the momentum gained in this period should continue without losing speed and their use within the sector should be expanded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People are often exposed to gender roles from birth to determine consumption preferences and decisions in line with these roles in their future lives. These roles, which have changed from society to society, can enable people to take an effective position in the decisions of consumption. However, previous studies have shown that individuals have similar consumption preferences on the consumption of a global shock. In this context, the aim of the study is to demonstrate the way that the consumption patterns of the roles that society has put into the gender, along with the Covid-19 epidemic, have changed on young adults. Indepth interview technique from qualitative research techniques was used as a method of research. These meetings were held with 40 students in the departments of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences (business, economics, public administration, political sciences and international relations) of Muğla Sitki Kocman University within the scope of the study. As a result, participants who have made procurement against the perception of gender with the global outbreak have been extremely low, and even the majority of young adults have shown that they do not consume and oppose gender-dependent consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Nurses show higher psychological distress associated with physical difficulties during the COVID-19 outbreak. To compare burnout levels among nurses engaged in the front line of patients with COVID-19 during the first wave and the second wave of the pandemic. (2) Methods: Two cohort online surveys were conducted thanks to the Google Modules function: the first one was administered from March 2020 to April 2020 and the second survey, which included the same questionnaire, was administered from September 2020 to October 2020. (3) Results: There were significant differences in the emotional exhaustion sub dimension (p < 0.001): The first wave group recorded higher levels than the second wave one. While, as regards to the values of the dimension of the depersonalization, the second wave group reported significantly higher values than the first wave group (p = 0.006). No significant difference was recorded for the personal accomplishment sub dimension (p = 0.108). By considering the gender variable, significant difference was reported in personal accomplishment sub dimension, as during the second wave, females recorded lower levels in personal accomplishment while males reported significantly higher levels in the same sub dimension than the first wave (p = 0.012); while no statistically significant differences were reported in burnout sub dimensions during the first and the second waves according to years of work experience. (4) Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic represents an important provocation for nurses all around the world and, at the same time, constitutes a learning lesson to improve better approaches for the subsequent waves. Several interventions could be introduced to moderate the mental health influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Given racial disparities in both dementia and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), non-Hispanic Black (Black) dementia caregivers (CGs) may be at greater risk for care burden during the COVID-19 pandemic than non-Hispanic White (White) CGs. This study investigates the impact of dementia care provision on CGs' quality of life by race using the 2020 National Health and Aging Trends Study Family Members and Friends COVID-19 data (FF). Methods This study features a secondary analysis of FF data (2020–2021), including 216 Black and 1,204 White CGs. We used ANOVA to determine differences in caregiving stressors (i.e. changes in providing help with activities of daily living [ADL], instrumental ADL [IADL], and emotional support). Ordinary least square regression was used to investigate the moderating effects of dementia care on the associations of race with perceived well-being, care burden, and self-reported health and to conduct subgroups analyses of Black and White dementia CGs. Results Black dementia CGs provided significantly more help with ADL before and during the COVID-19 pandemic than Black nondementia, White dementia, and White nondementia CGs. Dementia care status did not moderate the associations between race and CG outcomes. For Black dementia CGs, changes in objective stressors (assistance with ADL and IADL) were associated with care burden and well-being. For White CGs, the provision of emotional support was associated with care burden and well-being. Discussion This study highlights that increased caregiving demands during the pandemic amplified racial differences in CG stress. Findings suggest that outreach to reduce CG stress and burden is critical for Black dementia CGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the World Health Organization updates, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused a pandemic between 2019 and 2022, with millions of confirmed cases and deaths worldwide. There are various approaches to predicting the suspected, infected, and recovered (SIR) cases with different factual or epidemiological models. Some of the recent approaches to predicting the COVID-19 outbreak have had positive impacts in specific nations. Results show that the SIR model is a significant tool to cast the dynamics and predictions of the COVID-19 outbreak compared to other epidemic models. In this paper, we employ the Monte Carlo simulation to predict the spread of COVID-19 in the United Arab Emirates. We study traditional SIR models in general and focus on a time-dependent SIR model, which has been proven more adaptive and robust in predicting the COVID-19 outbreak. We evaluate the time-dependent SIR model. Then, we implement a Monte Carlo model. The Monte Carlo model uses the parameters extracted from the Time-Dependent SIR Model. The Monte Carlo model exhibited a better prediction accuracy and resembles the data collected from the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, United Arab Emirates, between April and July 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a fractional temporal SIR model is considered. The total population is divided into three compartments—susceptible, infected and removed individuals. It generalizes the classical SIR model and consists of three coupled time-fractional ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The fractional derivative is introduced to account for the subdiffusion process of confirmed, cured and deceased people dynamics. Although relatively basic, the model is robust and captures the real dynamics, helped by the memory property of the fractional system. In the paper, the issue of an adequate model reconstruction is addressed, and a coefficient identification inverse problem is solved; in particular, the transition and recovering rates, varying in time, are recovered. A least-squares cost functional is minimized for solving the problem. The time-dependent parameters are reconstructed with an iterative predictor–corrector algorithm. Its application is demonstrated via tests with synthetic and real data. What is more, an approach for economic impact assessment is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective : This study aimed to test the feasibility and efficacy of a self-guided online cognitive behaviour therapy (iCBT) for university students in Hong Kong during COVID-19. Method : One group pre-post-test design with convenient sampling was adopted in this study, involving 84 university students who received a newly developed iCBT within an 8 week intervention period. The iCBT offered eight online modules for students to learn the skills of CBT at home through an online platform which was accessible any time anywhere anonymously with technical support only. Standardized assessment tools were used for outcomes assessment at the pre- and post-intervention periods. Results : Three quarters of participants completed all iCBT modules. The results of paired t-tests showed that, after completing the iCBT, participants showed reduction in anxiety, depression, and perceived stress. Conclusion : This study provides preliminary evidences to support the feasibility and efficacy of the self-guided iCBT for university students during COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elderly people in long-term care facilities (LTCF) are at higher risk for (severe) COVID-19, yet evidence of vaccine effectiveness (VE) in this population is scarce. In November 2021 (Delta period), a COVID-19 outbreak occurred at a LTCF in the Netherlands, continuing despite measures and booster vaccination campaign. We investigated the outbreak to assess VE of primary COVID-19 vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality, and to describe the impact of the booster vaccination. We calculated attack rate (AR) and case fatality (CF) per vaccination status (unvaccinated, primarily vaccinated and boostered). We calculated VE – at on average 6 months after vaccination – as 1- risk ratio (RR) using the crude risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between vaccination status (primary vaccination versus unvaccinated) and outcomes (SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality < 30 days after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2). The overall AR was 67% (70/105). CF was 33% (2/6) among unvaccinated cases, 12% among primarily vaccinated (7/58) and 0% (0/5) among boostered. The VE of primary vaccination was 17% (95% CI −28%; 46%) against SARS-CoV-2 infection and 70% (95% CI −44%; 96%) against mortality. Among boostered residents (N = 55), there were 25 cases in the first week after receiving the booster dose, declining to 5 in the second and none in the third week. VE of primary vaccination in residents of LTCF was very low against SARS-CoV-2 infection and moderate against mortality. There were few cases at 2 weeks after the booster dose and no deaths, despite the presence of susceptible residents. These data are consistent with the positive impact of the booster vaccination in curbing transmission. Timely booster vaccination in residents of LTCF is therefore important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding the changes in characteristics of patients who visited trauma centres during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is important to facilitate aneffective response. This retrospective study was conducted to analyse differences in the characteristics and outcomes of patients who visited our trauma centre between pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 eras.Methods: Medical data of trauma patients enrolled in the Korean trauma database from 1 January 2018 to 31 August 2021 were collected. The number of trauma centre visits, patient characteristics, factors associated with in-hospital intervention, and outcomes werecompared between patients in the two time periods. Propensity score matching was performed to analyse the outcomes in patients with similar characteristics and severitybetween patients in the two time periods.Results: The number of emergency department (ED) trauma service visits reduced in the COVID-19 era. Based on the mean age, the patients were older in the COVID-19 era. Abbreviated injury scale (AIS) 1, AIS3, AIS5, and injury severity score (ISS) were higher in the COVID-19 era. The proportion of motor vehicle collisions decreased, whereas falls increased during the COVID-19 era. Ambulance transportation, admission to the general ward, and time from injury to ED visit significantly increased. Patient outcomes, such as hospital length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) LOS, and duration of mechanical ventilation improved, while injury severity worsened during the COVID-19 era. After adjusting for patient characteristics and severity, similar findings were observed.Conclusion: The small reduction in the number of trauma patients and visits by patients who hadhigher ISS during the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of maintaining trauma service capacity and capability during the pandemic. A nationwide or nationalmulticentre study will be more meaningful to examine the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the changes in trauma patterns, volume, and patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are more than others likely to be exposed to a viral overload regardless of the protective equipment and systems. Recent studies have reported that quarantine time is stressful for healthcare workers. We explored the impact of quarantine time as an external stressor on distress, sleep, healthy lifestyle behaviors, and familial relations among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A surgery team (n = 12) were working on a patient with confirmed thyroid cancer. This team was quarantined for 14 days as per the criteria of the local health government after the patient tested positive for COVID-19. We included and interviewed this team through a purposive technique in this qualitative study in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2020. Using the Graneheim and Lundman method, we analyzed the data via thematic content analysis with a deductive approach. Results: The participants experienced distress with mental health burdens during these difficult times. Some of them had to stay away from their families and friends for the first time. The first and last days were stressful for them due to fear of infection. The HCWs attempted to maintain their healthy lifestyles, including getting sufficient sleep, reducing stress levels, and creating a positive relationship with their families. The HCWs used the following coping strategies to alleviate the effects of COVID-19: beliefs, habits, and familial support. Familial and social support were their main strategies for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The intensity level of familial and social relations was found to be a positive experience for HCWs during this stressful period. Conclusions: This study showed that HCWs experienced psychological stress during the quarantine time of the COVID-19 outbreak. The HCWs' quality of sleep was affected adversely along with negative effects on their lifestyles. However, the level of support from familial and social relations increased during the COVID-19 outbreak. This was the major means for them to deal with stress during this difficult time of their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The pandemic resulted in a lifestyle crisis which may negatively affect patients with diabetes. Despite current knowledge, there is a lack of longitudinal studies evaluating this effect. To assess patients' perceptions about changes in lifestyle, and eating and sleeping patterns after 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify if aspects related to the pandemic (social distancing, COVID-19 infection, behavioral changes, and financial difficulties) are predictors of worsening in eating and sleeping parameters. Methods: This was a longitudinal study that followed patients with diabetes from April 2020 to July 2021 in Southern Brazil. Individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, aged ≥ 18 years, were included. The outcome of this study was the assessment of daily habits during a 18-month period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific questionnaires were applied once participants were included in this study (3 months after the onset of the pandemic) and at the 18-month follow-up, which included the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), the Mini-Sleep Questionnaire (MSQ), and a specific questionnaire on diet, physical activity, and sleep pattern. Data were compared within and between groups (type 1 and type 2 diabetes), and multivariable models were used to identify subgroups of worse outcomes. Results: A total of 118 (78.6%) participants remained in the study at follow-up (mean age 54.6 ± 13.9 years, 41.3% male). In total, 33.9% of participants perceived weight gain during the pandemic, especially those with type 1 diabetes (43.1% vs 25.0% in type 2 diabetes, P = 0.04). About one in four participants reported emotional eating and changes in their eating habits for financial reasons. Regarding sleep patterns, more than half the participants reported taking naps during the day, out of which 30.5% of them perceived worse sleep quality, with no difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes groups. There were no within-group differences in MSQ and EAT-26 scores. Among participants with type 2 diabetes, age ≥ 60 years (OR 27.6, 95%CI 2.2–345.7), diabetes duration ≥ 15 years (OR 28.9, 95%CI 1.4–597.9), and perceived emotional eating (OR 10.9, 95%CI 1.1–107.5) were associated with worsened food quality. Worse sleep quality during the pandemic was associated with age ≥ 60 years for both type 2 diabetes (OR 5.6, 95%CI 1.1–31.5) and type 1 diabetes (OR 5.5, 95%CI 1.0–29.9). Conclusions: Follow-up data from a cohort of patients with diabetes indicate that at the end of 18 months of social distancing, some lifestyle aspects worsened and some improved, showing that these patients responded differently to the adversities of this period. The evidence of clinical features associated with worsening in food and sleep quality provides new insights to prioritizing actions in crisis situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused some difficulties in the management of breast cancer, so we examined the effect of this challenging condition on the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Methods: In this study, the 26 month period from March 2019 to April 2021 was divided into two periods according to the start date of the pandemic. The previous 13 months were defined as A, the next 13 months as B, and the first 3 months of both periods were defined as A* and B*. All patients diagnosed with breast cancer were evaluated retrospectively based on hospital records, in terms of some characteristics like histopathological, and molecular subtypes of the tumor, primary systemic treatment (PST) frequency and its model, axillary staging method before PST, and surgical method. The results were evaluated with the chi-square test, and p>0.05 was statistically significant. Results: All patients were female, 356 cases were in the A period, 30.3% of them had PST as neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and 37% (n=40) had sentinel lymph node biopsy before PST. There were 281 patients in period B, 116 cases received PST (41.2%); NAC and neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) were staged radiologically and cytologically if necessary. When the findings of periods A and B (and A*-B*) were compared, the difference in PST in B compared to period A was statistically significant (p=0.005), insignificant for NAC (p=0.849), and highly significant for axillary approach and NET (p=0.000). In period B, more breast-conserving surgery (BCS) was applied, which may have been due to more initiation of PST. Overall, results in A* and B* were broadly similar to periods A and B. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, some adjustments were made in breast cancer management plans. PST was applied more often, NET became an option to start treatment, the axillary staging was performed based on a non-invasive method and surgically, BCS was performed more frequently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explained the importance of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) approach in dealing with individuals to find solutions both after and during the occurrence of psychological anxiety, the application of SBFT can be done practically, effectively, and efficiently. This study uses comparative analysis, which refers to various relevant literature between SFBT and psychological anxiety, especially in COVID-19 outbreak in the form of scientific journal articles, reference books, and other information from trusted sources. The results revealed that there is a significant correlation between theories, both basic assumptions and concepts related to the SFBT intervention process in an effort to help individuals find solutions to problems that are or will be experienced. This study can then be a scientific reference for the application of the SFBT approach as an effort to improve the ability to find solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This correlational study investigated the mediation of emotion regulation and self-compassion in the relationship between teacher need satisfaction/frustration and adoption of (de)motivating styles before and during the COVID-19. Two groups of Italian teachers tested in 2019 (n = 259) and 2020 (n = 233) completed a series of questionnaires. In both times, need satisfaction was positively associated with adoption of motivating styles (bright path), whereas need frustration was associated with demotivating styles (dark path). Before, emotion reappraisal mediated this relationship, whereas self-compassion was the mediating factor during the lockdowns, suggesting that coping mechanisms can differ in stressful circumstances. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. • Teacher need satisfaction related with adoption of motivating styles. • Teacher need frustration was associated with adoption of demotivating styles. • Before the pandemic emotional reappraisal mediated the relationship. • During the lockdowns self-compassion was the mediating factor. • Coping and adaptation differ in stressful vs not stressful contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast transmission of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to a pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) through the world. The spread of this virus is continuing to generate a universal health crisis that led to severe impacts on all people across the world. This disease has resulted in an enormous number of infected cases that must be hospitalized. The exponential increase in the number of tested positive patients systematically leads to an exponential generation of healthcare wastes. Indeed, healthcare waste management is a challenge task for the municipal authorities and healthcare providers since inadequate management policies can lead to serious problems for both human health and environment. In this context, in order to face the third wave pandemic pick, we propose in this paper a multi-objective mixed integer mathematical program to expend the capacity of medical waste facilities by locating temporary treatment centers as well as temporary landfills. In addition, the proposed model allows optimizing COVID-19 medical waste routing from hospitals to disposal centers. The location-routing suggested model aims at minimizing the risk of virus transmission as well as total costs and is applied on a real case study based on the COVID-19 outbreak in Tunisia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cruise ship sector is a major part of the tourism industry, and an estimated over 30 million passengers are transformed worldwide each year. Cruise ships bring diverse populations into proximity for many days, facilitating the transmission of respiratory illnesses. The objective of this study is to develop a modeling framework to inform the development of viable disease risk management policies and measures to control disease outbreaks on cruises. Our model, parameterized and calibrated using the data of the COVID-19 outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in 2020, is used to assess the impact of the mitigation measures such as mask wearing, vaccination, on-board and pre-traveling testing measures. Our results indicate mask wearing in public places as the cheapest and most affordable measure can drop the number of cumulative confirmed cases by almost 50%. This measure along with the vaccination by declining the number of the cumulative confirmed cases by more than 94% is the most effective measure to control outbreaks on cruises. According to our findings, outbreaks are more predominant in the passenger population than the crew members, however, the protection measures are more beneficial if they are applied by both crew members and passengers. Regarding the testing measure, pre-traveling testing is more functional than the on-board testing to control outbreaks on cruises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to measure economic uncertainty in Turkey by a novel economic uncertainty index (EUI) employing principal component analysis (PCA). We assess the impact of Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey with our constructed uncertainty index. Design/methodology/approach: In order to obtain the EUI, this study employs a dimension reduction method of PCA using 14 macroeconomic indicators that spans from January 2011 to July 2020. The first principal component is picked as a proxy for the economic uncertainty in Turkey which explains 52% of total variation in entire sample. In the second part of our analysis, with our constructed EUI we conduct a structural vector autoregressions (SVAR) analysis simulating the Covid-19-induced uncertainty shock to the real economy. Findings: Our EUI sensitively detects important economic/political events in Turkey as well as Covid-19-induced uncertainty rising to extremely high levels during the outbreak. Our SVAR results imply a significant decline in economic activity and in the sub-indices as well. Namely, industrial production drops immediately by 8.2% and cumulative loss over 8 months will be 15% on average. The losses in the capital and intermediate goods are estimated to be 18 and 25% respectively. Forecast error variance decomposition results imply that uncertainty shocks preserve its explanatory power in the long run, and intermediate goods production is more vulnerable to uncertainty shocks than overall industrial production and capital goods production. Practical implications: The results indicate that monetary and fiscal policy should aim to decrease uncertainty during Covid-19. Moreover, since investment expenditures are affected severely during the outbreak, policymakers should impose investment subsidies. Originality/value: This is the first study constructing a novel EUI which sensitively captures the critical economic/political events in Turkey. Moreover, we assess the impact of Covid-19-driven uncertainty on Turkish Economy with a SVAR model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to determine academics' user resistance to distance learning, their perceptions of the distance learning systems and factors affecting their perceptions of the changes in the education system during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study's population consists of 440 academics working in 43 different universities in Turkey. The research sample were determined through convenience and snowball sampling methods. The data were collected using an online questionnaire form created within Google Forms. After validity and reliability analyses on the data, eight different hypotheses were tested using structural equation analysis. All eight hypotheses proposed within the study were accepted after receiving the results of this analysis. The results of the study show that user resistance has a significantly negative effect on the users that utilise distance learning. However, the perceived ease of use and usefulness have a significantly positive effect on attitude and behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Patients on maintenance haemodialysis (HD) have an increased risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and a reduced response to vaccines. Data are needed to identify immune correlates of protection in this population. Methods Following a COVID-19 outbreak among vaccinated patients in a HD unit, clinical data and serological response to BNT162b2 vaccine were retrospectively recorded. Results Among 53 patients present in the dialysis room, 14 were infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) alpha variant (COVID_Pos) and 39 were not. Compared with uninfected patients, COVID_Pos patients more frequently had additional causes of immunosuppression (50% versus 21%; P  = .046) and were more often scheduled on the Monday–Wednesday–Friday (MWF) shift (86% versus 39%; P  = .002). Moreover, COVID_Pos had lower anti-spike (S) immunoglobulin G (IgG) titres than uninfected patients {median 24 BAU/mL [interquartile range (IQR) 3–1163] versus 435 [99–2555]; P  = .001} and lower neutralization titres [median 108 (IQR 17–224) versus 2483 (481–43 908); P  = .007]. Anti-S and neutralization antibody titres are correlated (r  = 0.92, P  < .001). In multivariable analysis, an MWF schedule {odds ratio [OR] 10.74 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9–93.5], P  = .014} and anti-S IgG titres 1 month before the outbreak [<205 BAU/mL: OR 0.046 (95% CI 0.002–0.29), P  = .006] were independently associated with COVID-19 infection. None of the patients with anti-S IgG >284 BAU/mL got infected. Ten of 14 COVID_Pos patients were treated with casirivimab and imdevimab. No patient developed severe disease. Conclusions Anti-S IgG titre measured prior to exposure correlates to protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection in HD patients. BNT162b2 vaccination alone or in combination with monoclonal antibodies prevented severe COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a huge impact on people's lives, families and communities after it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The success or failure of governments in the fight against the global COVID-19 epidemic is discussed from different perspectives. Considering the results obtained through these discussions, it is seen that the determining dynamics of the success of crisis management are strong state capacity and implemented government policies. The purpose of this study is to examine Turkey's struggle and implementation of government policies in the first period of deadly Covid-19 pandemic occurred in December of 2019 in China and spread on a global level in a short time March 11th-June 1) in the terms of crisis management perspective. As a result, it has been observed that three important factors stand out in Turkey's successful management of the crisis. The first is the immunity of the country against crises due to the state and government facing many crises in the last 10 years. Second, it would be given special importance to the health sector and the health sector is one of Turkey's leading countries in the world have facilitated the struggle of Turkey's crisis. Thirdly, the change in the political system with the transition to the Presidential Government system facilitated the effective and rapid decision-making of the state in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the last few years, several studies confirmed the effectiveness of music therapy (MT) for the rehabilitative management of patients with neurological disorders.Aim: Here we discuss the feasibility and disadvantages of tele-neurological MT (tele-NMT) compared to the traditional MT programmes.Methods: We selected all the articles registered in the Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect from March 2020 to November 2021 concerning tele-NMT during the COVID-19 outbreak, collecting same examples and experiences.Results: With the advent of the COVID-19, several music-based interventions (MBIs) have been adapted from "in person" to a "remote and virtual" mode (through the telemedicine).Discussion: Tele-NMT could represent a promising option to provide constant care and support to people with neurological diseases during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental and physical health of the world population. This study aims to investigate incidence of sleep-related difficulties and post-traumatic stress disorder in the school-aged children after 1 year of the pandemic. Methods: A sample of Italian children (6-12 years) was queried about their sleep behaviors after 1 year of the pandemic, answering the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). We also evaluated trauma symptoms with the Children's Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-8). Results: Among 205 participants, 184 (89.8%) presented sleep-related difficulties. Out of all, 99 (48.3%) had a high risk to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Ninety-five (51.6%) children with sleep-related difficulties also presented an abnormal CRIES-8 total score. A correlation was found between the CSHQ total score and the CRIES-8 total score (r = 0.354, P <.01). Conclusions: The sleep-related difficulties occurring during COVID-19 outbreak may compound to increase the risk to develop post-traumatic stress disorder among Italian children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate impact of Yoga and Music Intervention on anxiety, stress, and depression levels of health care workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This study was conducted to assess psychological responses of 240 healthcare workers during COVID-19 outbreak. We used Yoga and Music Intervention in normal and abnormal subjects based on Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-42 (DASS-42). Results: Of all 209 participants, 105 (50.23%) had symptoms of depression (35.88%), anxiety (40.19), and stress (34.92%) alone or in combination. The data suggest that there is significant improvement in test scores after intervention. Majority of persons with abnormal score exhibited improved DASS-42 score on combined interventions of Yoga and music compared to control group. Even subjects without abnormalities on DASS-42 score also showed improved DASS-42 scores in intervention (n = 52) group compared to nonintervention (n = 52) group. Conclusions: Our findings highlighted the significance of easily available, simple, inexpensive, safe nonpharmacological interventions like Yoga and Music therapy to overcome stress, anxiety, and depression in present times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected public health and wellbeing. In response to the pandemic threat of the coronavirus epidemic, several countries, including China, adopted lockdown and quarantine policies, which may cause psychological distress. This study aimed to explore the psychological impact of province-wide lockdown and personal quarantine during the COVID-19 outbreak in China as well as the corresponding risk factors and protective factors. Methods: We examined the immediate (2-week) and delayed (2-month) impact of province-wide lockdown and personal quarantine on psychological distress in a national sample of 1390 Chinese residents. Results: No immediate impact of province-wide lockdown on psychological distress was observed, whereas personal quarantine increased individuals' anxiety, fear, and anger. Despite the lack of initial association, psychological distress increased among those in province-wide lockdown. Self-stigma and personal control both significantly moderated the association between lockdown and psychological distress, but in different directions. Those with higher self-stigma and lower personal control were more impacted by the lockdown. Government support moderated the impact of quarantine on psychological distress, but not that of lockdown. Conclusions: The delayed effects of lockdown and quarantine on psychological distress were observed, and self-stigma, social support, and perceived control moderate the relationships. This study is the first to demonstrate the psychological costs of province-wide lockdowns on individuals' mental health, providing evidence of the need for mitigation strategies and timely public mental health preparedness in countries with recent outbreaks of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal migration is an essential part of regional population change. Driven by various determinants, internal migration has been unequal across time and space. Migration responses to the changes in societal circumstances make it relevant to investigate the spatial and temporal dimension of internal migration in Serbia before and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The research aims to identify to what extent and in what way the pandemic has changed the magnitude and geographical patterns of internal migration in Serbia. The study is based on additionally processed official statistics on internal migration for the period 2018--2020, from March to December for each year, at the municipal, district (oblast, plural--oblasti), and regional levels. These are aggregate administrative data on usual residence registration by month. The derived data on the net migration rate is cartographically presented using the classification method natural Breaks (Jenks). Spatial dependence was assessed applying the spatial autocorrelation method, based on the Local Moran statistic. The results revealed that the pandemic affected not only the volume of internal migration but also its spatial patterns. The findings present new insights on the role of internal migration in reallocation of population across Serbia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic while underlying the importance of further research to deepen the understanding of internal migration trends upon the COVID-19 outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent literature has shown that sleep patterns are shaped during the first years of life, playing a relevant role in children's functioning. We focused on comparing sleep patterns in infants and toddlers in Spain before and during COVID-19 home confinement to assess the immediate impact on sleep patterns. We compared data from two cross-sectional surveys from parents of 1658 children three to 36 months of age from Spain. One conducted before COVID-19 (2017–2018, n = 1380) and another during COVID-19 pandemic (March–May of 2020, n = 254). We used an internet self-administrated questionnaire using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ) criteria in both surveys. During confinement, infants and toddlers went to sleep later (median bedtime 21:30 before confinement vs. 21:36 during confinement (p = 0.004)). More infants and toddlers showed longer sleep latencies (> 30 min) during confinement median 33.9% versus 12.3% (p < 0.001). Based on the recommended BISQ criteria, we observed an increase in poor sleepers meeting at least one criterion of inadequate patterns during confinement (p < 0.001). Parental perception of a child's sleep as problematics were 39.4% and 44.1% (adjusted p = 0.363) before and under lockdown, respectively. Conclusion: Home confinement generally affected infant's and toddler's sleep patterns negatively; however, parents did not report worse perception of sleep quality of their children. Follow-up studies can help understand the potential long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep patterns. What is Known: • Adequate sleep patterns in infants and toddlers are relevant as they are linked to proper and long-term social-emotional development as well as adequate daytime functioning. • Regarding sleep patterns in paediatrics during the COVID pandemic, recent literature has described an increase in total daily sleep time as well as more exposure to screens in children and adolescents, providing evidence of immediate collateral consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak. What is New: • Comparing sleep patterns in two samples of infants and toddlers in Spain before and during COVID-confinement, we found later bedtimes as well as a significant increase in infants' and toddlers' sleep latency by >30 min during confinement. • Parental self-reported questionnaire during COVID-19 home confinement reported an overall worsening of their children's sleep based on the BISQ criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the application of spatial statistical epidemiological modeling and its inference and applies it to COVID-19 case data, looking at it from a spatial perspective, and considering time-series data. COVID-19 cases in Indonesia are increasing and spreading in all provinces, including Kalimantan. This study uses applied mathematics and spatiotemporal analysis to determine the factors affecting the constant rise of COVID-19 cases in Kalimantan. The spatiotemporal analysis uses the Geographically Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) model by developing a spatial and temporal interaction distance function. The GTWR model was applied to data on positive COVID-19 cases at a scale of 56 districts/cities in Kalimantan between the period of January 2020 and August 2021. The purpose of the study was to determine the factors affecting the cumulative increase in COVID-19 cases in Kalimantan and map the spatial distribution for 56 districts/cities based on the significant predictor variables. The results of the study show that the GTWR model with the development of a spatial and temporal interaction distance function using the kernel Gaussian fixed bandwidth function is a better model compared to the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model. According to the significant variables, there are various factors affecting the rise in cases of COVID-19 in the region of Kalimantan, including the number of doctors, the number of TB cases, the percentage of elderly population, GRDP, and the number of hospitals. The highest factors that affect COVID-19 cases are the high number of TB cases, population density, and the lack of health services. Furthermore, an area map was produced on the basis of the significant variables affected by the rise in COVID-19 cases. The results of the study provide local governments with decision-making recommendations to overcome COVID-19-related issues in their respective regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to increase suicidal behavior. However, data available to date are inconsistent. This study examines suicidal thoughts and behaviors and suicide trends in 2020 relative to 2019 as an approximation to the impact of the pandemic on suicidal behavior and death in the general population of Catalonia, Spain. Data on suicide-related thoughts and behaviors (STBs) and suicidal mortality were obtained from the Catalonia Suicide Risk Code (CSRC) register and the regional police, respectively. We compared the monthly crude incidence of STBs and suicide mortality rates of 2020 with those of 2019. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to assess changes in trends over time during the studied period. In 2020, 4,263 consultations for STBs and 555 suicide deaths were registered in Catalonia (approx. 7.5 million inhabitants). Compared to 2019, in 2020 STBs rates decreased an average of 6.3% (incidence rate ratio, IRR=0.94, 95% CI 0,90–0,98) and overall suicide death rates increased 1.2% (IRR=1.01, 95% CI 0.90–1.13). Joinpoint regression results showed a substantial decrease in STBs rates with a monthly percent change (MPC) of -22.1 (95% CI: -41.1, 2.9) from January-April 2020, followed by a similar increase from April-July 2020 (MPC=24.7, 95% CI: -5.9, 65.2). The most restrictive measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic reduced consultations for STBs, suggesting that the "stay at home" message may have discouraged people from contacting mental health services. STBs and mortality should continue to be monitored in 2021 and beyond to understand better the mid-to-long term impact of COVID-19 on suicide trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covid-19, one of the rare global epidemics experienced by the modern world, has deeply affected not only the health sector but also all areas of social life, from politics to economy and from education to tourism. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, Covid-19 has been on the top of the agenda in the world media and it started to find wide coverage in the Turkish media with the spread of the virus in Turkey. Newspapers, the leading sources informing society about the nature and course of the epidemic, also have important social responsibilities in the presentation of Covid-19 news. It is a fact that the news presented by using fear-appeal, increases the readership. An alternative to this discourse, which has become problematic considering the negative factors it may cause on the psychology of society is the rationality of the discourse developed for the dangers of Covid-19. Hurriyet, Sabah, and Cumhuriyet newspapers were selected as samples within the scope of the study, it was investigated how the fear appeal was used in the presentation of Covid-19 news in the Turkish media. As a result of the research in which the Covid-19 news on the websites of the mentioned newspapers was subjected to discourse analysis, regarding sensitive periods such as disasters, the mutual importance of developing a sensible language for the media and society was emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]