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Internal and external company information users (owners, managers, partners, credit institutions and organizations, investors, employees, etc.) use many tools to make the right decisions about the company. One of the tools in question is the DuPont Analysis technique, which is included in ratio analysis among financial analysis techniques. DuPont Analysis is an important analysis technique in evaluating the financial performance of companies. Because DuPont analysis offers companies the reasons why return on equity is low or high. As a result of literature research, there are many studies examining the financial performances of companies and sectors with DuPont analysis. It has been determined that the studies in question were carried out on the transportation, health, cement, food, beverage and tobacco, technology, manufacturing, finance, stationery, agriculture, tourism and real estate investment partnership sectors. However, during the literature review, the fact that no study was found that comprehensively examined BIST annual data regarding the transportation and storage sector and that it fills the gap in this field reveals the importance of the study. In this context, the purpose of this study is to examine the financial performances of companies operating in the BIST transportation and storage sector with DuPont Analysis and to contribute to the companies on the measures and improvement policies that should be taken for the future by evaluating the results obtained for the sector. It also helps both internal and external information users make accurate decisions about companies. For this purpose, data of 9 companies operating in the Borsa Istanbul (BIST) Transportation and Storage Sector between 2018 and 2022 were examined. Company-specific data was obtained from the Public Disclosure Platform and the reports on the companies' websites. The data obtained in the study were evaluated using the DuPont Analysis method. In this context, it has been determined that 2022 is the best year in terms of financial performance for the transportation and storage sector. Return on equity is one of the measures of how much profit the company's partners make in return for the capital they put in, that is, how many units of profit are created for each unit of capital. Therefore, it shows that the company earns more profit with less capital. However, with the measures and restrictions taken as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic, which occurred in 2020 and was declared a pandemic all over the world, it was found that the equity profitability of companies, especially those engaged in air transportation, was negative, in other words, they made a loss that year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the influence of COVID-19 lockdown measures on PM2.5 and its chemical components in Shenyang, PM2.5 samples were continuously collected from January 1 to May 31, 2020. The samples were then analyzed for water-soluble inorganic ions, metal elements, organic carbon, and elemental carbon. The findings indicated a significant decrease in PM2.5 and its various chemical components during the lockdown period, compared to pre-lockdown levels (p < 0.05), suggesting a substantial improvement in air quality. Water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) were identified as the primary contributors to PM2.5, accounting for 47% before the lockdown, 46% during the lockdown, and 37% after the lockdown. Ionic balance analysis revealed that PM2.5 exhibited neutral, weakly alkaline, and alkaline characteristics before, during, and after the lockdown, respectively. NH4+ was identified as the main balancing cation and was predominantly present in the form of NH4NO3 in the absence of complete neutralization of SO42− and NO3−. Moreover, the higher sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) and nitrogen oxidation ratio (NOR), along with the significant increase in PM2.5/EC, suggested intense secondary transformation during the lockdown period. The elevated OC/EC ratio during the lockdown period implied higher secondary organic carbon (SOC), and the notable increase in SOC/EC ratio indicated a significant secondary transformation of total carbon. The enrichment factor (EF) results revealed that during the lockdown, 9 metal elements (As, Sn, Pb, Zn, Cu, Sb, Ag, Cd, and Se) were substantially impacted by anthropogenic emissions. Source analysis of PMF was employed to identify the sources of PM2.5 in Shenyang during the study period, and the analysis identified six factors: secondary sulfate and vehicle emissions, catering fume sources, secondary nitrate and coal combustion emissions, dust sources, biomass combustion, and industrial emissions, with secondary sulfate and vehicle emissions and catering fume sources contributing the most to PM2.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Trakya Journal of Education is the property of Trakya Journal of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Belügyi Szemle / Academic Journal of Internal Affairs is the property of Ministry of Interior of Hungary and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The COVID-19 epidemic we have experienced is unprecedented in scale and duration. The interaction of multiple factors has led to a complex pattern in the development of the epidemic, which has also brought significant challenges to the control of the epidemic. We focus on age heterogeneity, the dynamics of individual behavioural changes, and vaccinations during the spread of COVID-19 and propose a multi-scale age structure model to explore the impact of the interaction of these factors on disease transmission. We use game theory to depictwhether individuals take normal behaviours or protective measures due to changes in fear of disease infection. Taking the cross-infection of two age groups as an example, we calculated the explicit expression of the reproductive number to explore the threshold of disease outbreak and extinction. Our results reveal that dynamic switching of behavioural changes result in multi-wave patterns. Under the interaction of multiple factors, we found several interesting phenomenon by exploring the disease dynamics. Thresholds for behavioural change in old people and young people have opposite effects on reducing the peak number of disease infections. Older people's high alertness to diseases may increase the peak infection rate for each age group. Whilst fixing other parameters, we found a critical value of the old people's attention to infective cases, at which the infection peak of the elderly can be minimised. If the vaccine is ineffective in reducing the infection rate, as the ratio of vaccination increases, the cumulative number of mild infections will increase instead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends a novel piecewise mathematical model of the COVID-19 epidemic using fractional and variable-order differential equations and fractional stochastic derivatives in three intervals of time. The deterministic models are augmented with hybrid fractional order and variable order operators, while the stochastic differential equations incorporate fractional Brownian motion. To probe the behavior of the proposed models, we introduce two numerical techniques: the nonstandard modified Euler Maruyama method for the fractional stochastic model, and the Caputo proportional constant-Grünwald-Letnikov nonstandard finite difference method for the fractional and variable-order deterministic models. Several numerical experiments corroborate the theoretical assertions and demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approaches.

AbstractDue to the COVID-19 epidemic, the tourism industry in Bangladesh has caused massive disruption in both inbound and outbound tourism, where all interdependent tourism supply chain activities (hotels, resorts, restaurants and transportation) have been forced to be bunged down. The fundamental aim of this qualitative study is to evaluate stakeholders’ experiences and opinions about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry of Bangladesh. Reliable literature reviews and qualitative interviews with stakeholders in the tourist industry were utilized to generate the data for this study. This qualitative research was conducted in three phases, comprising a longitudinal approach from January 2021 to March 2022, focusing on the perspectives of multi-level stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industry in four distinct tourist destinations in Bangladesh. Moreover, this research used a case study technique based on 36 semi-structured interviews with important stakeholders in the region. The findings indicate that the influence of COVID-19 on tourism has a substantial positive and negative impact on a number of stakeholders who contribute significantly to the region’s sustainable development. Positive impacts are (a) improved air quality, (b) reduced water and noise pollution, (d) limited natural resources consumption and (e) favourable greenhouse atmosphere; on the other hand, negative impacts are (a) reduced rate of tourists arrival (b) unoccupied hotel accommodations (c) disruption of tourism activities (d) declining purchasing trends and (e)hampering socialization process. Based on the evaluation of stakeholders’ views, an alternative re-engineering policy framework has been recommended for future strategic actions and control.

The COVID-19 epidemic has required countries to implement different containment strategies to limit its spread, like strict or weakened national lockdown rules and the application of age-stratified vaccine prioritization strategies. These interventions have in turn modified the age-dependent patterns of social contacts. In our recent paper, starting from the available age-structured real data at the national level, we identified, for the Italian case, specific virulence parameters for a two-age-structured COVID-19 epidemic compartmental model (under 60, and 60 years and over) in six different diseases transmission scenarios under concurrently adopted feedback interventions. An interpretation of how each external scenario modifies the age-dependent patterns of social contacts and the spread of COVID-19 disease has been accordingly provided. In this paper, which can be viewed as a sequel to the previous one, we mainly apply the same general methodology therein (involving the same dynamic model) to new data covering the three subsequent additional scenarios: (i) a mitigated coordinated intermittent regional action in conjunction with the II vaccination phase; (ii) a super-attenuated coordinated intermittent regional action in conjunction with the II vaccination phase; and (iii) a last step towards normality in conjunction with the start of the III vaccination phase. As a new contribution, we show how meaningful updated information can be drawn out, once the identification of virulence parameters, characterizing the two age groups within the latest three different phases, is successfully carried out. Nevertheless, differently from our previous paper, the global optimization procedure is carried out here with the number of susceptible individuals in each scenario being left free to change, to account for reinfection and immunity due to vaccination. Not only do the slightly different estimates we obtain for the previous scenarios not impact any of the previous considerations (and thus illustrate the robustness of the procedure), but also, and mainly, the new results provide a meaningful picture of the evolution of social behaviors, along with the goodness of strategic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends a novel piecewise mathematical model of the COVID-19 epidemic using fractional and variable-order differential equations and fractional stochastic derivatives in three intervals of time. The deterministic models are augmented with hybrid fractional order and variable order operators, while the stochastic differential equations incorporate fractional Brownian motion. To probe the behavior of the proposed models, we introduce two numerical techniques: the nonstandard modified Euler Maruyama method for the fractional stochastic model, and the Caputo proportional constant-Grünwald-Letnikov nonstandard finite difference method for the fractional and variable-order deterministic models. Several numerical experiments corroborate the theoretical assertions and demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in substantial job losses and an economic decline in European labour markets, with various effects observed at regional level. The unemployment rate experienced a sharp increase, disproportionately impacting the younger generation and individuals with limited skills. The prevalence of remote work has risen, creating difficulties in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. The three research questions concern: (1) examining scientific literature; (2) validating the effects of COVID-19 on the labour market; and (3) identifying the indicators and regions in Europe that have been most significantly affected. The study begins by performing an exploratory analysis of the data, then proceeds to an examination of the principal components to reduce dimensionality. It concludes with a cluster analysis to enhance the visualisation of different regions. The results are in conformity with the scientific literature but also indicate specificities for different regions or indicators. While most studies concentrate on examining the effects of this phenomenon on just a couple of European countries, the present research extensively analyses all regions across the continent. Furthermore, the study spans a prolonged period from 2018 to 2022, covering the period preceding the pandemic, the crisis itself, and the aftermath. The final contribution regards the methodology used, which considers both approaches utilised in the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Taiwan Financial & Economic Law Review is the property of Charitable Trust Fund for Taiwan Finance, Enterprise & Banking Law and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the future, new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus might emerge and cause outbreaks. If this occurs, the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) can be reconsidered. Consideration of the potential benefits and harms of implementing NPIs, and ultimately deciding about implementing NPIs, is currently mainly executed by experts and governments. However, general literature on public engagement suggests that integrating public perspectives into decision-making can enhance the quality of decisions and foster greater public understanding of them. In this study, a deliberative mini-public was conducted to integrate this public perspective. The aim was to elicit public considerations regarding non-pharmaceutical interventions by asking a diverse group of citizens to participate as decision-makers and convene, learn and deliberate about implementing non-pharmaceutical interventions during a hypothetical outbreak of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant. Participants emphasized the importance of early implementation during the outbreak, to prevent exceeding healthcare capacity, long-term mental health issues, educational deficits, and bankruptcies. Additionally, participants stressed taking public support into account, and shared ideas on maintaining support. Furthermore, participants wanted to give citizens personal responsibility and freedom in making their own assessment regarding adherence to interventions and how much risk of infection they would be willing to accept. Participants also expressed the need for the government to adopt a learning attitude towards improvements in pandemic response, and to generate more focus on long-term strategies. The deliberative mini-public, revealed public considerations that reflected public values and needs. These considerations might be helpful in better aligning epidemic management policies with public perspectives. Regarding the deliberative mini-public, uncertainties remain about the design and impact on a bigger scale.

Background: Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine (C/HC) received considerable international media attention due to anticipated treatment effect in COVID-19. This led to increased prescriptions threatening to generate product shortages for patients prescribed within approved indications.We evaluated effects of a temporary regulation mandating pharmacies to only dispense C/HC prescribed by physicians with defined specialties. Methods: Data from Region Stockholm, which include 2.4 out of 10 million Sweden’s population, were used. Weekly time trends of prescriptions and requisitions of C/HC by prescriber’s workplace during January to April 2020 were followed. Results: Numbers of unique individuals with filled prescriptions of chloroquine increased tenfold and of hydroxychloroquine more than threefold from January to March. In the first week of April, filled prescriptions of C/HC dropped. In the later weeks of April, the number of filled prescriptions was back at similar levels as before the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.During January and February, specialists in rheumatology accounted for 686 out of all 979 prescriptions dispensed (70.1%) of C/HC. In March, a large proportion of prescriptions dispensed were from specialists not usually prescribing C/HC, and rheumatology accounted for 628 out of all 1,639 prescriptions (38.3%). In April, specialists in rheumatology accounted for 386 out of all 641 prescriptions dispensed (60.0%). Conclusion: After an observed increase in prescriptions of C/HC, a temporary regulation was introduced on 2nd April 2020 to reduce prescriptions from specialists not usually prescribing C/HC to avoid shortages for patients within approved indications. Subsequently, dispensed prescriptions decreased from April and remained at pre-COVID-19 levels thereafter.

At the end of 2019. the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic brought great challenges to the world. and China's tourism industry suffered an unprecedented heavy blow. Exploring the impact of the epidemic bn tourism consumption structure has become a research focus in the post-epidemic era. In this All.4 y. based on Shandong Tourism Statistics Handbook from 2018 to 2020. taking Shandong Province as an example, the changes of total tourism revenue and tourism consumption structure in Shandong Province before and after the COVID-19 epidemic were compared to predict the development of tourism in Shandong Province in the post-epidemic era and find out existing problems. and optimization paths were put forward for the development of tourism in Shandong Province in the post-epidemic era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their impaired immune systems, lung cancer (LC) patients are especially sensitive to COVID-19 and are more susceptible to it as well as its related effects. The diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of LC patients are exceedingly difficult and time-consuming throughout an epidemic due to a multitude of factors. In these situations, the care of LC patients using cutting-edge technologies offers the potential to enhance the diagnosis, treatment, and advancements using machine learning (ML) algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI). The researchers might be able to differentiate between lung problems brought on by the corona virus and those brought on by, for example, chemotherapy and radiation, using therapeutic and imaging data as well as ML techniques. AI ensures that the appropriate individuals are enrolled in LC clinical research more effectively and rapidly than in the past, when it was done in a conventional and time-consuming manner. To effectively treat cancer patients and find new, more potent treatments, it is critical to move past traditional research approaches and make use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AIML). When applied to various patient populations, AI based algorithms can swiftly identify lung cancer CT scans with COVID-19-linked pneumonia and accurately distinguish non-COVID connected pneumonia, which is significant for thoughtful mechanisms of an outbreak that is significant to AI. It is possible to use the present challenges and projected futures in this study to direct the best application of AI and ML in an epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the mediating effect of different organizational climate on volunteer service motivation and work engagement among volunteers during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods The Volunteer Service Motivation Scale, Organizational Climate Scale, and Work Input Scale were used to investigate relevant contents among volunteers from Shaanxi, Hubei and Henan provinces who participated in prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic by convenient sampling method. Pearson correlation analysis was applied to explore the correlation among volunteer service motivation, organizational climate and work engagement. The Bootstrap method was used to analyze the mediating role of organizational climate between volunteer service motivation and work engagement. Results The scores of volunteer service motivation, organizational climate, and work engagement of the 834 volunteers were 72.45±13.66, 24.03±4.65, and 51.59±10.04, respectively. Volunteer service motivation was positively correlated with work engagement(r=0.556, P<0.001)and organizational climate(r=0.604, P<0.001). Organizational climate was positively correlated with work engagement(r=0.632, P<0.001). Organizational climate played a mediating role between volunteer service motivation and work engagement(effect value=0.278, accounting for 47.0% of the total effect). Conclusion Volunteer service motivation indirectly affects work engagement through organizational climate, indicating that volunteer team managers can improve their work engagement level by improving the organizational climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have investigated the effects of the pandemic on quality of life; both economical and psychosocial effects were explored. Some studies also mentioned mediating factors as mechanisms in this relationship; however, the mediating role of anxiety has not been examined. The present study examined the mediating effects of anxiety on the relationship between socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 and quality of life. An online survey of 280 Vietnamese residents was conducted in the context of the pandemic outbreak. Anxiety was found to be a completely mediating variable in the association between the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic and quality of life during the lockdown period. This finding contributes to a better understanding of how the pandemic affects people's quality of life and serves as the foundation for lessening the negative effects of the epidemic on people's lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a mathematical model of the COVID-19 transmission mechanism, considering therapeutic interventions like immunization and recovery or treatment. The model shows that the disease-free and endemic equilibriums are globally asymptotically stable when effective reproduction numbers are less than or larger than unity. The critical vaccination threshold depends on the vaccine’s ability to prevent or cure the illness. The model predicts the effectiveness of vaccination based on factors like vaccination efficiency, scheduling, and relaxation of social measures. The subsiding of the epidemic as vaccination is implemented depends on the scale of relaxation of social measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic has had a significant impact on the global economy. The way that enterprises respond to the crisis has become a hot topic. This study selected three automobile industry enterprises that effectively responded to the crisis during the COVID-19 epidemic. We discuss the impact of the epidemic on these enterprises and their countermeasures, and analyse the differences between these measures and the underlying selection mechanism. Through a case study, we have found that: (1) time pressure and uncertainties are key factors that stimulate enterprises to conduct improvisation behaviours in crisis; (2) the improvisation behaviours adopted by enterprises in response to crisis can be divided into adaptive improvisation behaviours and creative improvisation behaviours; (3) the higher the degree of resource constraints an enterprise faces, the more likely it is to adopt creative improvisation behaviours, and conversely, the lower the degree of resource constraints an enterprise faces, the more likely it is to adopt adaptive improvisation behaviours; (4) the more prior experience an enterprise has, the more likely it is to adopt creative improvisation behaviours, and conversely, the less prior experience an enterprise has, the more likely it is to adopt adaptive improvisation behaviours. This study enriches the classification and process research of organizational improvisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionIn the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, urban communities have emerged as the frontline defenders in epidemic prevention and control, providing the most effective means of curbing the spread of virus both inward and outward. This study attempts to explain the underlying factors and mechanisms that shape the community epidemic prevention and control capacity (CEPCC).MethodsWe adopted a resilience-based perspective and drew on a sample of 20 exemplary anti-epidemic communities in China. By constructing an analytical framework and employing the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis method (fsQCA), we explored how four conditional variables—infrastructure completeness, community self-organizing ability, redundancy of community resources, and stability of regional economic development—and their various configurations impact the CEPCC.ResultsOur findings reveal that the four conditional variables, when considered in isolation, cannot effectively enhance the CEPCC. Instead, four configuration pathways with mixed conditional variables exist. Notably, community self-organizing ability emerges as a vital condition for effectively strengthening the CEPCC.DiscussionThis study identifies four pathways to improve the CEPCC and confirms the validity of the data results through case studies. Conclusions of this research contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the factors influencing the CEPCC, which can help communities to better plan and prepare for future epidemics and ensure better response and adaptation to the impacts of future emergencies.

Objective·To investigate the occurrence of new onset anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 epidemic, and analyze the influencing factors.Methods·Based on Chengdu Positive Child Development (CPCD) cohort, a total of 5 566 children and adolescents from five primary and secondary schools in Chengdu were enrolled. Two longitudinal study cohorts of new anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents were established, and two rounds of survey were conducted. The first round of survey (baseline survey) was conducted from December 2019 to January 2020, and the general demographic characteristics of the cohort members were collected through the Student Questionnaire for the Study on Promoting Positive Growth of Children and Adolescents. The second round of survey (follow-up survey) was conducted from February to July 2020 to collect additional information on the cohorts' infection history of COVID-19, and whether their eating, learning, and social and recreational activities were affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) was used to evaluate the new onset anxiety symptoms of all subjects. The multivariate Logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of new onset anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents.Results·The results of SCARED assessment showed that the incidence of new onset anxiety symptoms among children and adolescents in Chengdu during the COVID-19 epidemic was 13.47%. In the longitudinal study cohort of new onset anxiety in children,the incidence was 11.91%, and in the longitudinal study cohort of new onset anxiety in adolescents, the incidence was 14.25%. The results of chi square test showed that there were statistically significant differences in the incidence of new onset anxiety symptoms among children in terms of age, whether they or their family members were infected with COVID-19, and whether their eating, learning and social activities were affected (all P

People with disabilities during the COVID-19 epidemic were particularly vulnerable to information exclusion, e.g. press conferences were not translated into PJM, there was no information in plain language, etc. In addition, restrictions were introduced on social contacts and the possibility of carrying out previous activities and using the support of volunteers or assistants. This made social media an important tool during the COVID-19 pandemic for people with disabilities as it often provided a way to connect with a wider community, maintain social relationships, and obtain information about the epidemic and the restrictions being imposed. The aim of the article is to demonstrate the significance of social media during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland from 2020 to 2021 for people with disabilities. This will be facilitated by netnographic research, which will be based on the analysis of content published in 10 Facebook groups for people with disabilities between March–April 2020 and December–February 2021. The results of the research indicate that social media played an important role for people with disabilities during the crisis situation of the pandemic. Analysis of the content of social media group profiles showed that they provide a space for seeking and exchanging information, sharing concerns, seeking support, and fighting for their rights by people with disabilities.

This study focuses on how the COVID-19 epidemic affects gambling motivation and behavior. This research also analyzes the behavioral intervention effects of the anti-epidemic measures on the COVID-19 epidemic and the relationship between the epidemic impact and gambling motivation and behavior. To investigate these connections, this research used Structural Equation Modeling to analyze 334 valid questionnaires collected during COVID-19 from gamblers from mainland China who visited the Macao Special Administrative Region. The results showed that the epidemic impact negatively affected gambling motivation and behavior, and gambling motivation partially mediated the relationship between epidemic impact and gambling behavior. Anti-epidemic measures positively moderated the epidemic’s impact on gambling motivation and behavior. This paper offers a theoretical contribution by proving the influence of the social environment on human motivational behavior, especially the effect of the COVID-19 crisis, and the support of government and enterprise anti-epidemic measures for behavior intervention theory. The practicality of this study consists of behavioral interventions from anti-epidemic efforts by regional government and industry to cope with the epidemic. These measures should influence the gamblers’ behavior intentions by considering the health and safety strategies that may reduce the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on mainland Chinese gamblers. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-04-024 Full Text: PDF

Abstract Background Nursing undergraduates’ academic self-efficacy is a significant factor in determining their learning motivation, cognition, and emotions. It has a significant impact on improving academic performance and achieving learning goals. Methods To explore the mechanism of psychological distress affecting the academic self-efficacy of nursing undergraduates, the generalized anxiety disorder scale-7, patient health questionnaire-9, academic self-efficacy scale, perceived social support scale and mindful attention awareness scale were conducted. Results Model fitness indexes of the structural equation model is good (CMIN/DF = 1.404, RMSEA = 0.042, GFI = 0.977, IFI = 0.977, TLI = 0.954, CFI = 0.975, NFI = 0.923). Structural equation model analysis showed that social support and mindfulness were the mediating variables of psychological distress on academic self-efficacy. Mediating variables accounted for 44% of the total effect value (− 0.3) with a value of − 0.132. Three paths were verified: psychological distress indirectly affected academic self-efficacy through social support (− 0.064); psychological distress indirectly affected academic self-efficacy through mindfulness (− 0.053); psychological distress indirectly affected academic self-efficacy through social support and mindfulness (− 0.015). Conclusions Social support and mindfulness play significant mediating roles in the effect of psychological distress on academic self-efficacy, and the chain mediating role of social support and mindfulness is also significant. Educators may mitigate the impact of psychological distress on academic self-efficacy by enhancing students’ social support and mindfulness.

AIM: To explore the characteristics of astigmatism in preschool children before, during and after the COVID-19 epidemic, so as to provide a reference for further prevention and control of children's vision.METHODS: In the consecutive four years from January 2018 to December 2021, a retrospective analysis of vision data was conducted on 2 273 preschool children(4 546 eyes)younger than 4 years old who participated in children's vision screening test in Baiyun district, Guangzhou. They were divided into 1-year old group(ages

Suppose a new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer-retailer system where the wholesale price and the order quantity are determined through a negotiation procedure. Considering the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, the manufacturer and the retailer are both assumed to be risk averse with Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) as their performance measure. With the uniform distribution assumption, we derive the equilibrium solutions as well as the players’ profit shares in the Stackelberg game and Nash bargaining framework. We quantitatively address the impacts of the players’ confidence levels and government subsidy on the equilibrium order quantity, wholesale price and profit allocation in both negotiation frameworks. We find that, in both negotiation frameworks and considering the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, a more risk-averse (i.e., with lower confidence level in CVaR model) manufacturer or retailer tends to occupy a higher profit share. On the other hand, a higher government subsidy aiming at offsetting the epidemic’s impact leads to a higher profit share for the manufacturer and a lower one for the retailer. A quantitive comparison of the equilibriums in the two negotiation frameworks indicates that more NEVs are ordered by the retailer and a higher system profit is generated in the Nash bargaining framework than the Stackelberg game. Thus, we analytically prove that the Nash bargaining framework is superior to the Stackelberg game for the NEV manufacturer-retailer system in terms of both quantity and profit with consideration of the epidemic impact. In addition, a series of numerical experiments is carried out to illustrate the effects of some significant parameters on the equilibrium order quantity and the system profit allocation in different negotiation frameworks. These numerical experiments also further demonstrate the superiority of the Nash bargaining framework for either NEV player—no matter how the epidemic trend and the government subsidy vary—and provide a quantitative scope for the retailer’s bargaining power to sustainably maintain the win-win cooperation between the NEV manufacturer and retailer in the superior Nash bargaining framework within the epidemic environment. From the perspective of policy, the government should increase subsidy within the epidemic environment to offset the negative effect and can degenerate subsidy when the epidemic dissipates. Furthermore, as the subsidy degenerates, both model results and numerical experiments show that the manufacturer suffers a more unfavorable effect, so the government can preferentially support the manufacturer by adjusting the subsidy to a higher level to alter players’ relative powers and profit shares.

In this paper, a new responsive-green-cold vaccine supply chain network during the COVID-19 pandemic is developed for the first time. According to the proposed network, a new multi-objective, multi-period, multi-echelon mathematical model for the distribution-allocation-location problem is designed. Another important novelty in this paper is that it considers an Internet-of-Things application in the COVID-19 condition in the suggested model to enhance the accuracy, speed, and justice of vaccine injection with existing priorities. Waste management, environmental effects, coverage demand, and delivery time of COVID-19 vaccine simultaneously are therefore considered for the first time. The LP-metric method and meta-heuristic algorithms called Gray Wolf Optimization (GWO), and Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) algorithms are then used to solve the developed model. The other significant contribution, based on two presented meta-heuristic algorithms, is a new heuristic method called modified GWO (MGWO), and is developed for the first time to solve the model. Therefore, a set of test problems in different sizes is provided. Hence, to evaluate the proposed algorithms, assessment metrics including (1) percentage of domination, (2) the number of Pareto solutions, (3) data envelopment analysis, and (4) diversification metrics and the performance of the convergence are considered. Moreover, the Taguchi method is used to tune the algorithm's parameters. Accordingly, to illustrate the efficiency of the model developed, a real case study in Iran is suggested. Finally, the results of this research show MGO offers higher quality and better performance than other proposed algorithms based on assessment metrics, computational time, and convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective • To investigate the occurrence of new onset anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 epidemic, and analyze the influencing factors. Methods • Based on Chengdu Positive Child Development (CPCD) cohort, a total of 5 566 children and adolescents from five primary and secondary schools in Chengdu were enrolled. Two longitudinal study cohorts of new anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents were established, and two rounds of survey were conducted. The first round of survey (baseline survey) was conducted from December 2019 to January 2020, and the general demographic characteristics of the cohort members were collected through the Student Questionnaire for the Study on Promoting Positive Growth of Children and Adolescents. The second round of survey (follow-up survey) was conducted from February to July 2020 to collect additional information on the cohorts' infection history of COVID-19, and whether their eating, learning, and social and recreational activities were affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) was used to evaluate the new onset anxiety symptoms of all subjects. The multivariate Logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of new onset anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents. Results • The results of SCARED assessment showed that the incidence of new onset anxiety symptoms among children and adolescents in Chengdu during the COVID-19 epidemic was 13.47%. In the longitudinal study cohort of new onset anxiety in children, the incidence was 11.91%, and in the longitudinal study cohort of new onset anxiety in adolescents, the incidence was 14.25%. The results of chi square test showed that there were statistically significant differences in the incidence of new onset anxiety symptoms among children in terms of age, whether they or their family members were infected with COVID-19, and whether their eating, learning and social activities were affected (all P<0.05); there were also statistically significant differences in the incidence of new onset anxiety symptoms among adolescents in gender, grade, age, residential area, and whether their eating, learning, and social and recreational activities were affected (all F<0.05). The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that, for children, 6 - 8 years old was the protective factor for their new onset anxiety symptoms, while they or their family members infected with COVID-19 and the impact of their learning activities were the risk factors (all F<0.05); for adolescents, males, residing in urban areas, and grades W 6 were the protective factors for their new onset anxiety symptoms, while the impact of their learning activities was the risk factor (all P<0.05). Conclusion For children and adolescents, the factors that affect their new onset anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 epidemic are not completely the same. For children, age, whether they or their family members are infected with COVID-19, and whether their learning is affected are independent influencing factors; but for adolescents, gender, grade, residential area, and whether their learning is affected are independent influencing factors. Therefore, in the process of dynamically paying attention to the mental health status of children and adolescents and continuously doing a good job of mental health intervention, it is necessary to follow the law of growth, fully consider the developmental characteristics of children and adolescents, and adopt different strategies and measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in significant changes in nursing education. Maintaining social distance could slow down the spread of COVID-19, and it was necessary, but it significantly reduced students' hands-on clinical practice experience in healthcare settings. Traditional classroom teaching in schools has transitioned to distance or online learning methods, which significantly reduced students' hands-on clinical practice experience in healthcare settings. Although distance education had been implemented for a long time, there are many problems and challenges to be resolved. The experiences and needs of nursing students in remote clinical training urgently require further understanding. Purpose: To understand the stress and coping strategies of online nursing practicum courses for Taiwanese nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A qualitative research approach with purposive sampling was supplemented by snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data were collected following the eight-step process outlined by Waltz, Strickland, and Lenz (2010). The participants were 12 nursing students on a two-year nursing RN-to-BSN program at a university in Eastern Taiwan, consisting of 11 females and 1 male student. Findings: The stress and coping behaviors of nursing students consist of four main themes, each with three subthemes, including "urgent changes", "the gaps between online courses and practical operations", "mixed feelings of joy and anxiety" and "unexpected gains". Conclusions: The pandemic has impacted nursing students' learning and living. Engaging in online nursing practicum brought about significant stress; nevertheless, students employed various coping strategies to navigate through this challenging period. The findings of this study would also help nursing educators understand the learning gaps in clinical practicum among students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this qualitative study, ethical problems and ethical dilemmas caused by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and teaching practices were investigated based on teachers' opinions. The study, which was carried out in October 2022 with 16 preschool teachers determined by the purposeful sampling method, was carried out face to face with a semi-structured interview form. Content analysis method was used in the analysis of the data obtained from the interviews. According to the findings: teachers conducted teaching mostly online during the epidemic and said that the effect was negative. The situations that they do not find ethical are the unequal teaching opportunities on the Internet and the inability to provide classroom management, and mostly family members get involved in online course activities. Children and families were warned about some issues and an attempt was made. Ethical dilemmas are mostly due to the difficulty of children in adapting to online education and the inability to communicate with families, and mostly the inefficiency of online preschool education. Administratively, mostly ethical problems are the lack of technological equality and the inability to be sensitive in epidemic measures. The views that the management does not act unethically are also in the majority. Finally, the teachers wished never to experience such a process again and thanked them for the study. It has been suggested to plan educational measures to overcome extraordinary situations such as epidemics with less damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze changes in the detection of parainfluenza virus (PIV) in children hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) during 2014–2022 in Hubei Province, and explore the impact of the universal two‐child policy and the public health measures against COVID‐19 epidemic on the prevalence of PIV in China. The study was conducted at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province. Children aged <18 years with ARTI admitted from January 2014 to June 2022 were enrolled. The infection of PIV was confirmed by the direct immunofluorescence method in nasopharyngeal specimens. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to analyze the influence of the universal two‐child policy implementation and public health measurements against COVID‐19 on PIV detection. Totally 75 128 inpatients meeting the criteria were enrolled in this study from January 2014 to June 2022 with an overall PIV positive rate of 5.5%. The epidemic seasons of PIV prevalence lagged substantially in 2020. A statistically significant higher positive rate of PIV was observed in 2017–2019 compared to that in 2014–2015 (6.12% vs 2.89%, risk ratio = 2.12, p < 0.001) after the implementation of the universal two‐child policy in 2016. A steep decline occurred in PIV positive rate during the COVID‐19 epidemic in 2020 (0.92% vs 6.92%, p < 0.001) and it rebounded during the regular epidemic prevention and control period in 2021–2022 (6.35%, p = 0.104). In Hubei Province, the implementation of the universal two‐child policy might have led to an increase of PIV prevalence, and public health measures during the COVID‐19 epidemic might have influenced the fluctuation in PIV detection since 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]