Search

The paper presents a case study whose focus is on examining the relationship among students of one fifth grade class during the period of combined schooling in the school year 2020/2021. This schooling model was introduced in order to enable appropriate physical distance among students in the classroom. Also, this was one of the important preventiv measures of the COVID-19 epidemic. Our intention is to check whether and to what extent the application of this schooling model, which included the division of classes into two groups, reflected on the mutual relations of students. We paid the most attention to friend’s relations. This paper represents an anthropological contribution to the issue of interpersonal relations among children in condition when many relations in society have changed due to the ‘new normality’.

Abstract Background Routine preoperative methods to assess airway such as the interincisor distance (IID), Mallampati classification, and upper lip bite test (ULBT) have a certain risk of upper respiratory tract exposure and virus spread. Condyle-tragus maximal distance(C-TMD) can be used to assess the airway, and does not require the patient to expose the upper respiratory tract, but its value in predicting difficult laryngoscopy compared to other indicators (Mallampati classification, IID, and ULBT) remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to observe the value of C-TMD to predict difficult laryngoscopy and the influence on intubation time and intubation attempts, and provide a new idea for preoperative airway assessment during epidemic. Methods Adult patients undergoing general anesthesia and tracheal intubation were enrolled. IID, Mallampati classification, ULBT, and C-TMD of each patient were evaluated before the initiation of anesthesia. The primary outcome was intubation time. The secondary outcomes were difficult laryngoscopy defined as the Cormack-Lehane Level > grade 2 and the number of intubation attempts. Results Three hundred four patients were successfully enrolled and completed the study, 39 patients were identified as difficult laryngoscopy. The intubation time was shorter with the C-TMD>1 finger group 46.8 ± 7.3 s, compared with the C-TMD1 finger group 98.9% than in the C-TMD

The problem motivating this study is the fact that almost 19.70 million university students in China have been required to engage in e-learning under the government's initiative of "Classes are Suspended, yet Learning is still Ongoing" during the COVID-19 epidemic, coupled with varied responses, uneven adoption of e-learning platforms and varying degrees of satisfaction toward them. Using the online database adoption and satisfaction (ODAS) model, this study examines the determinants which impact university students' adoption of and satisfaction with e-learning platforms at this particular time in China. The ODAS model was also cross-validated using gender as a moderating variable. A purposive sampling procedure was used to survey a total of 1,136 students from six universities in five provinces or municipalities of China. The data for this survey were estimated using the Rasch model and structural equation modeling. Results exhibit that students' adoption of and satisfaction with e-learning platforms were significantly measured by their computer self-efficacy, their intention to use e-learning platforms, and their perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of these platforms, while the relationships among these components were moderated by gender differences. This empirically-based cross-validation of the ODAS provides recommendations for future studies, including practical implications for e-learning. This current study contributes to the body of knowledge in evaluating e-learning platforms during the COVID-19 epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Primary health care is a holistic approach that aims to maximize people's health and well-being as quickly as possible in their immediate living environment. The primary health care system is the first point of contact of the people with the health system. Therefore, increasing its resilience will play a significant role in controlling and managing pandemics. This research aimed to identify strategies to strengthen the resilience of the primary health care system in the Covid-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted using the scoping review method. Using appropriate keywords search was done on the subject of the study in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, SID, Iranmedex and Magiran databases and Google and Google Scholar search engines. Finally, after screening and reviewing the titles, abstracts and texts of the retrieved documents, 36 articles were selected and strategies to strengthen the resilience of the primary health care system in the Covid-19 pandemic were extracted from them. Results: A total of 48 strategies/solutions were extracted to strengthen the resilience of the primary health care system, categorized into 6 groups, namely, governance and leadership, financing, human resources, medicines and equipment, health information systems, and health service delivery. Among the most frequently solutions mentioned were the following: Dynamic and accountable leadership, using valid research evidence in policy-making, contingency planning, increasing inter-sectoral cooperation, advocacy for health policies, community involvement, sustainable financing, recruiting additional staff and training and supporting them, providing sufficient stocks of medicines and diagnostic kits, developing and modernizing public health information systems, facilitating people's access to health centers, continuing to provide health services, and increasing the community’s health literacy. Conclusion: The structural and process components of the primary health care system including "governance and leadership", "financing", "staff", "equipment, vaccines and medicines", "information" and "health care delivery" should be strengthened in a coordinated manner in the primary health care system to be prepared for future epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Inonu University Journal of the Faculty of Education (INUJFE) is the property of Inonu University Journal of the Faculty 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 Journal of Chengdu University (Social Science) is the property of Journal of Chengdu University (Social Science Edition) Editorial Office 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 Journal of Medical & Pharmaceutical Sciences is the property of Arab Journal of Sciences & Research Publishing (AJSRP) 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.)

We investigate the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on gender disparities in three employment outcomes: labor force participation, full-time employment, and unemployment. Using data from the monthly Current Population Survey, in this research note we test individual fixed-effects models to examine the employment status of women relative to that of men in the nine months following the onset of the epidemic in March of 2020. We also test separate models to examine differences between women and men based on the presence of young children. Because the economic effects of the epidemic coincided with the summer months, when women's employment often declines, we account for seasonality in women's employment status. After doing so, we find that women's full-time employment did not decline significantly relative to that of men during the months following the beginning of the epidemic. Gender gaps in unemployment and labor force participation did increase, however, in the early and later months of the year, respectively. Our findings regarding women's labor force participation and employment have implications for our understanding of the long-term effects of the health crisis on other demographic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This work is devoted to a stochastic model on the spread and control of corona virus (COVID-19), in which the total population of a corona infected area is divided into susceptible, infected, and recovered classes. In reality, the number of individuals who get disease, the number of deaths due to corona virus, and the number of recovered are stochastic, because nobody can tell the exact value of these numbers in the future. The models containing these terms must be stochastic. Such numbers are estimated and counted by a random process called a Poisson process (or birth process). We construct an SIR-type model in which the above numbers are stochastic and counted by a Poisson process. To understand the spread and control of corona virus in a better way, we first study the stability of the corresponding deterministic model, investigate the unique nonnegative strong solution and an inequality managing of which leads to control of the virus. After this, we pass to the stochastic model and show the existence of a unique strong solution. Next, we use the supermartingale approach to investigate a bound managing of which also leads to decrease of the number of infected individuals. Finally, we use the data of the COVOD-19 in USA to calculate the intensity of Poisson processes and verify our results.

Abstract Background Since the first outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the clinical characteristics of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been progressively changed. Data reporting a viral intra-host and inter-host evolution favouring the appearance of mild SARS-CoV-2 strains are since being accumulating. To better understand the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity and its adaptation to the host, it is therefore crucial to investigate the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 strains circulating lately in the epidemic. Methods Nasopharyngeal swabs have been analyzed for viral load in the early (March 2020) and late (May 2020) phases of epidemic in Brescia, Italy. Isolation of SARS-CoV-2 from 2 high viral load specimens identified on March 9 (AP66) and on May 8 (GZ69) was performed on Vero E6 cells. Amount of virus released was assessed by quantitative PCR. Genotypic characterization of AP66 and GZ69 was performed by next generation sequencing followed by an in-depth in silico analysis of nucleotide mutations. Results The SARS-CoV-2 GZ69 strain, isolated in May from an asymptomatic healthcare worker, showed an unprecedented capability of replication in Vero E6 cells in the absence of any evident cytopathic effect. Vero E6 subculturing, up to passage 4, showed that SARS-CoV-2 GZ69 infection was as productive as the one sustained by the cytopathic strain AP66. Whole genome sequencing of the persistently replicating SARS-CoV-2 GZ69 has shown that this strain differs from the early AP66 variant in 9 nucleotide positions (C2939T; C3828T; G21784T; T21846C; T24631C; G28881A; G28882A; G28883C; G29810T) which lead to 6 non-synonymous substitutions spanning on ORF1ab (P892S; S1188L), S (K74N; I95T) and N (R203K, G204R) proteins. Conclusions Identification of the peculiar SARS-CoV-2 GZ69 strain in the late Italian epidemic highlights the need to better characterize viral variants circulating among asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic individuals. The current approach could unravel the ways for future studies aimed at analyzing the selection process which favours viral mutations in the human host.

Abstract In this work, we formulate and analyze a new mathematical model for COVID-19 epidemic with isolated class in fractional order. This model is described by a system of fractional-order differential equations model and includes five classes, namely, S (susceptible class), E (exposed class), I (infected class), Q (isolated class), and R (recovered class). Dynamics and numerical approximations for the proposed fractional-order model are studied. Firstly, positivity and boundedness of the model are established. Secondly, the basic reproduction number of the model is calculated by using the next generation matrix approach. Then, asymptotic stability of the model is investigated. Lastly, we apply the adaptive predictor–corrector algorithm and fourth-order Runge–Kutta (RK4) method to simulate the proposed model. Consequently, a set of numerical simulations are performed to support the validity of the theoretical results. The numerical simulations indicate that there is a good agreement between theoretical results and numerical ones.

A case of acute respiratory distress syndrome due to SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A co-infection and a mini-review of the literature is reported. Even in COVID-19 epidemics, the early identification of concurrent respiratory pathogens is important to improve etiological diagnosis, preventive measures and patients’ clinical management and outcome.

Objective: Stressful events increase in traumatic conditions. Coronavirus is a new and serious challenge and significant public health problem, which can cause different stressors. This study has identified stressful events experienced by Iranian adults during the COVID-19 epidemic. Method: Data on stressful events during the COVID-19 epidemic were collected online from 418 adults (mean age 37.16 years; 57.4% female and 42.6% male) using quota sampling method. Epidemic Stressful Events Checklist was applied for data collection. Data were analyzed by applying descriptive graphs and tables, the independent sample t-test, the Fisher’s F test, and post hoc Bonferroni test. Results: The most frequent stressful event was rise in essential goods prices (84.7%); however, its perceived stress was not at the highest level. The highest severity of perceived stress was related to the death of a family member (4.83) due to COVID-19 infection, which was an event with the least occurrence, and the lowest severity of perceived stress was related to medical team performance (2.50). The results showed the severity of perceived stress is higher in women than men (t = 3.42; P value < 0.01) and also in the laboring occupations compared to other occupations (F = 3.18; P value < 0.05). Conclusion: Traumatic events can lead to more serious concerns, eg., worrying about those we love, concerns about the future of our life, and about what politicians and macro planners will do to protect our lives. Moreover, traumatic events can cause concerns about food, basic needs, and lack of resources to survive.

The authors express gratitude to all healthcare professionals of Moscow and regions who took part in the research. The authors are also grateful for assistance by the consultations in data processing period to A.A. Gerasimova, medical psychologist of the Moscow Service of Psychological Population Assistance.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, detected first in China in December 2019, is now rapidly spreading across the world. India responded by drawing up National Containment Plan for COVID-19 that envisaged screening of people for COVID-19 for early detection of infection, providing community, primary health care-centered management for those with mild infection, tertiary care for those with severe infection, and health education to the population to reduce person-to-person transmission of infection. To minimize the spread of infection from other countries, all travelers were screened and quarantined; in the third week of March, India imposed ban on all international travel. To prevent person-to-person spread, congregation of people for commercial, educational, entertainment, sports, religious, and other social activities was banned. To minimize intracity, interstate, and urban rural spread, India imposed nationwide lockdown on 25th March 2020. The lockdown flattened the epidemic curve and provided needed time for the country to reorganize the health system, so that it can provide needed care for the increasing number of COVID-19 patients at all levels of health care. National guidelines for screening of people for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 infection, quarantine, and home isolation and care of infected people were drawn up and implemented. Health education on methods by which person-to-person transmission of infection can be minimized has been provided using all media of communication. Global comparison shows that currently India has low infection rates, low fatality rates per 1,00,000, and high recovery rates. There are ongoing research studies to document the course and outcome of COVID-19 in India. Clinical trials of potential drugs for treatment of severe infections and vaccines for preventing infection in the high-risk groups are underway. A COVID-19 disease surveillance program is underway to track the infection rates and bring appropriate midcourse corrections in interventions. In the coming months, the people and health system will not only have to evolve a sustainable strategy to provide needed care for COVID-19 cases but also ensure that all other health care programs are implemented and patients with other illnesses get optimal care too.

The question of whether to drop or to continue wearing face masks especially after being vaccinated among the public is controversial. This is sourced from the efficacy levels of COVID-19 vaccines developed, approved, and in use. We develop a deterministic mathematical model that factors in a combination of the COVID-19 vaccination program and the wearing of face masks as intervention strategies to curb the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. We use the model specifically to assess the potential impact of wearing face masks, especially by the vaccinated individuals in combating further contraction of COVID-19 infections. Validation of the model is achieved by performing its goodness of fit to the Republic of South Africa's reported COVID-19 positive cases data using the Maximum Likelihood Estimation algorithm implemented in the fitR package. We first consider a scenario where the uptake of the vaccines and wearing of the face masks, especially by the vaccinated individuals is extremely low. Second, we consider a scenario where the uptake of the vaccines and wearing of the face masks by people who are vaccinated is relatively high. Third, we consider a scenario where the uptake of the vaccines and wearing of the face masks by the vaccinated individuals is on an upward trajectory. Findings from scenario one and scenario two, respectively, indicate a highly surging number of infections and a low recorded number of infections. For scenario three, it shows that the increased extent of wearing of the face masks by the vaccinated individuals at increasing levels of vaccine and face mask average protection results in a highly accelerated decrease in COVID-19 infections. However, wearing face masks alone also results in the reduction of the peak number of infections at increasing levels of face mask efficacy though the infections delay clearing.

Surveying patient satisfaction is considered an important part of any systematic program of quality assurance. Quality of healthcare service and patient satisfaction has been affected by the current COVID-19 epidemic. The purpose of the study was to determine how COVID-19 epidemic has affected patients in Slovenia as it is evident via permanently available questionnaire and from studying this data source to improve our response to future crises and to improve the resilience of healthcare systems. A secondary analysis of 12,756 completed questionnaires was performed via freely available patient satisfaction questionnaire in the period from October 2019 to June 2021. The number of completed questionnaires was significantly higher in the period before the COVID-19 outbreak than in the subsequent periods. Comparing COVID-19 period and epidemic-free period statistically significant differences in satisfaction assessment occurred in four variables. More patients recognized opportunities for improvement in the COVID-19 epidemic than in the epidemic-free period. This study can be upgraded with qualitative studies and implementation of systemic measures.

Background:At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, there was a lack of sufficient nursing experience for pneumonia caused by COVID-19. All nursing decisions had to be innovatively made and measures taken by nurses using their existing knowledge and skills. This required nurses to have a solid theoretical understanding of infectious diseases and epidemiology, evidence-based solid practice skills, and problem-solving skills. The COVID outbreak reminded undergraduates to master relevant knowledge and abilities during school study.MethodsQualitative research on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of the COVID-19 epidemic was conducted using semi-structured interviews among sophomore nursing students in the university. Based on the characteristics of the KAP of nursing students, we analyzed the deficiencies of the knowledge and ability to deal with large-scale public health emergencies in the second-year nursing education.ResultsA total of 12 subject headings and 41 sublevel headings were identified from three aspects of KAP. The subject headings included knowledge aspect (the origin of the disease, the route of transmission, main symptoms, the epidemiological characteristics of the disease, scientific cognition of information sources), attitude aspect (different emotional experiences, a certain degree of influence, different views on the development trend of the epidemic, support the government's prevention and control strategies), and behavior aspect (do an excellent job in self-protection, help family members to protect, and participate in social anti-epidemic actions). According to this analysis, second-year nursing students have three deficiencies in dealing with large-scale public health emergencies: knowledge of infectious diseases and epidemiology, evidence-based practice skills, and problem- solving ability.ConclusionWhen students start nursing professional courses, the knowledge of infectious diseases and epidemiology, training of evidence-based practice skills, and problem-solving ability should be strengthened to improve the ability of nursing undergraduates to respond to large-scale public health emergencies after entering the workplace.

Background: ELT scenario in Saudi Arabia has undergone a sea change since the pandemic. With an aim to maximize resource utilization and ensure wide learner base, college students (male and female) are taught simultaneously, the former in a face-to-face mode and the latter in an audio-only mode. The nomenclature given to this unique classroom design by the researchers is Lateral Multimodal Learning (LML), one which has its own advantages and disadvantages. This mode of learning puts a great deal of pressure on the teachers as they must attend to a huge number of students with different needs and levels of competence, whereas it ensures best utilization of infrastructural and human resources by the administrations. Being a newly developed educational model, it is important to assess the efficiency of this type of learning. Methods: This study evaluates the model from the point of view of students (99), using a questionnaire, and that of teachers (06), using semi-structured interviews. Results: The results show that Saudi female students present high perceptions of learning via LML (M=4.03); are satisfied with this type of learning (M= 3.81) and the aids applied in learning via LML (M= 4.02). Findings also show moderate perceptions on the difficulties they encountered while emerging in LML mode (M =3.39). Furthermore, the study shows correlation between the four domains, i.e., perceptions, satisfactions, challenges, and aid. The highest correlations were between perceptions and satisfactions (r=.719); perceptions and aids (r=.659), and satisfaction and aids (r=.656). The teachers’ interviews show their agreement on the efficacy of LML as being professionally fulfilling and one that they would like to continue with in the future too. Conclusions: The study concludes with recommendations, which would be of great benefit and help for all parties or stakeholders involved.

The study investigates the influence of the COVID-19 on the rate of R&D investment and foreign exchange development of China's most important emerging industry firms. From 2010 to 2020, data were collected from 26 locations across China, focusing on seven different types of critical creating companies. To analyze the data, we have applied Fourier Increased Unit Root Test, Granger causality assessments test, Pattern Assessment test, Poisson pseudo most excellent probability (PPML) approach, Wald test, and Regression analysis test. The results of the tests reveal a clear underlying association among COVID-19 relates Chinese exports and imports. COVID-19's instant effects on imports and exports lack working capital have been calculated, but the short-term, medium-to-long-term products are composite and unidentified. The article result main results are following: (i) The COVID-19 impacts the R&D investment is main industries like as high-end equipment industry, new materials industry, and new-era data innovation. (ii) The COVID-19 highly affects the imports and exports development network of Chinese strategic emerging industries which emphasizes cross-industry grouping features. The study provides the guidance to the future researchers to focus on COVID-19 affects on the strategic emerging industries of developed and underdeveloped countries to determine of foreign direct investment inflow and unemployment growth rates.JEL: G20, O10, O40

Objective: We sought to compare the clinical characteristics of pediatric respiratory tract infection and respiratory pathogen isolations during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to those of cases in 2018 and 2019.Methods: Our study included all children from 28 days to 15 years old with respiratory tract infections who were admitted to the Department of Respiration, in the Children's Hospital of Soochow University, between January 2018 and December 2020. Human rhinovirus (HRV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and human bocavirus (HBoV) were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR); In parallel, Mycoplasma pneumoniae was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and bacteria were detected by culture in blood, bronchoalveolar lavage specimen, and pleural fluid.Results: Compared to 2018 and 2019, the pathogen detection rate was significantly lower in 2020. With regard to infections caused by single pathogens, in 2020, the detection rates of MP were the lowest and those of HRV were the highest when compared to those in 2018 and 2019. Meanwhile, the positive rates of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and hMPV reported in 2020 were less than those recorded in 2018 but similar to those recorded in 2019. Also, the 2020 rate of adenovirus (ADV) was lower than that recorded in 2019, but similar to that recorded in 2018. There were no statistical differences in the positive rates of HBoV and PIV III over the 3 years surveyed. Infections in infants were significantly less common in 2020, but no significant difference was found among children aged 1 to 3 years. The detection rate of pathogens in children old than 5 years in 2020 was significantly lower than those recorded in the previous 2 years. Notably, the pathogen detection rates in the first and second quarters of 2020 were similar to those recorded in the previous 2 years; however, the rates were reduced in the third and fourth quarters of 2020. As for co-infections, the positive rate was at its lowest in 2020. In the previous 2 years, viral–MP was the most common type of mixed infection. By contrast, in 2020, viral–viral infections were the most common combination.Conclusion: The pathogen detection rate was significantly reduced in Suzhou City during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public interventions may help to prevent respiratory pathogen infections in children.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of working stress to medical workers and has a certain impact on their mental health. Working stress is closely related to the increase in anxiety, but few studies have explored whether their relationship will be affected by positive psychological factors in the special situation.Methods: 798 medical workers were investigated online after the outbreak of the COVID-19 (10 February to 1 March 2020) in China. The relevant questionnaires were used to evaluate working stress, anxiety, sense of control, and psychological capital. The moderated mediation model test was performed using the SPSS software and PROCESS macro program.Results: Working stress could directly affect anxiety, and indirectly affect anxiety through sense of control. In addition, psychological capital moderated the direct effect of working stress on anxiety, which is more effective at high level of psychological capital. Psychological capital also moderated the second half of the indirect effect of working stress on anxiety, at low level of psychological capital, sense of control was more effective in predicting anxiety.Limitations: All the data in this study was collected through online questionnaire. The anxiety response measured in this study cannot be specific to the viral epidemic.Conclusions: Under the COVID-19 epidemic situation, for medical workers, low sense of control and low level of psychological capital may be important risk factors of anxiety caused by working stress. Thus, strengthening the sense of control and psychological capital of medical workers would be helpful to reduce their anxiety and maintain their mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The goal of this research aims to explain how a university library handled the epidemic -19 that began in March 2020. This research examines the library's state throughout the dilemma and shows how the epidemic has posed unexpected hurdles to digital services. It also clarifies why the beginning of 23 March 2020, the library has converted some existing services to an electronic format and investigates various programmes and practices to assist with all aspects of the university's online learning and teaching. Design/methodology/approach - During the COVID-19 epidemic, Many of the libraries' digital resources were employed to address the needs of their patrons. The methodologies employed were the author's own experiences working in an academic library, monitoring of the library's responses to the library's digital services and comments on what can be reviewed for development now and in the future. It stresses the establishment of plans and better practices for electronic library resources and services in the event of a public health emergency Findings/Purpose -The purpose of this study is to enlighten the efforts of libraries of various universities to provide online services to their students and faculty during the epidemic. This article also revealed the issues faced by the library personnel and professionals during the provision of services while operating from home or distantly. Originality/value -This report is highly helpful in giving insight with better practical suggestions for other libraries dealing with similar challenges and providing electronic library materials and services in the aftermath of an international health catastrophe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: COVID-19 has become a global concern because it has extensive damage to health, social and economic systems worldwide. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop tools to understand, analyze, monitor and control further outbreaks of the disease. Methodology: The Susceptible Infected Recovered-Particle SwarmOptimization model and the feed-forward artificial neural network model were separately developed to model COVID-19 dynamics based on daily time-series data reported by the Saudi authorities from March 2, 2020 to February 21, 2021. The collected data were divided into training and validation datasets. The effectiveness of the investigated models was evaluated by using various performance metrics. The Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Particle-Swarm-Optimization model was found to well predict the cumulative infected and recovered cases and to optimally tune the contact rate and the characteristic duration of the illness. The feed-forward artificial neural network model was found to be efficient in modeling daily new and cumulative infections, recoveries and deaths. Results: The forecasts provided by the investigated models had high coefficient of determination values of more than 0.97 and low mean absolute percentage errors (around 7% on average). Conclusions: Both the Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Particle-Swarm-Optimization and feed-forward artificial neural network models were efficient in modeling COVID-19 dynamics in Saudi Arabia. The results produced by the models can help the Saudi health authorities to analyze the virus dynamics and prepare efficient measures to control any future occurrence of the epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research first adopts three indicators to measure the systemic risk of different financial industries in China. Second, we employ the Time Varying Parameter-Stochastic Volatility-Vector Auto Regression (TVP-SV-VAR) model to investigate the time-varying relationship among COVID-19 epidemic, crude oil price, and financial systemic risk. The results herein not only help us grasp the current level of systematic risk in China, but also can assist at improving the early warning risk indicators and enhance the risk management system. Lastly, this research can also help investors to make reasonable asset planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research paper explored the impact of social stigma on people infected with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia and the factors that worsen the stigma against COVID-19 patients. The research sample consisted of fifteen Saudis recovering from COVID-19 aged 25–55; eight males and seven females. Using the purposive sampling method, the research utilized a guided interview consisted of four main sections. Following qualitative research design, the research administered the instrument to obtain and discuss the results. The research was conducted during the academic year 2020.The results showed that there was a positive association between social stigma and COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, there was no difference between the participants in the rate of social stigma according to gender. Moreover, this also highlighted that the experienced social stigma is varied in its form and in people's behavior. Cooperation between society institutions and media is recommended to increase the awareness of rejecting discrimination and social stigma. Furthermore, stigmatized persons should be provided with early intervention and ongoing counseling programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine how the COVID-19 epidemic has affected the working capital management practices of Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) companies. From 2012 to 2021, 101 firms were studied in the financial sector. The data was also examined using a Multiple Regression Model in the study. The results revealed that Covid-19 Pandemic has significant and negative effect on working capital management. According to the results, companies tended to take a relatively conservative approach to managing their working capital. More importantly, the data demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic crisis drove changes in working capital management practices. Companies with a high FL, QR, and CCC have attempted to increase their client base by prolonging the average age of their accounts receivable and decreasing the turnover rate of their liabilities, respectively. Companies with a greater CCC, as well as those whose principal current assets are accounts receivable, outperformed the other working capital management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Student Niepełnosprawny. Szkice i Rozprawy is the property of Siedlce University of Natural Sciences & Humanities 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 Karbala Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) 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.)

This paper aims to study the feasibility of using prospective space-time permutation scan statistics model to detect the potential outbreak areas of COVID-19 epidemic in the specific country and to provide early warnings. Using the analysis software SaTScan 9-7, the daily simulation monitoring and early warning on the geographical distribution of 1616 COVID-19 cases in 16 federal states, 40 administrative regions and 225 counties in Germany are conducted. The results show that: based on the prospective space-time permutation scan statistics model, a total of 6 clusters are detected across Germany on March 8, 9, 10, and 11, and they are all non-randomly significant clusters, which successfully warn the trend of outbreaks in some border areas of Saxony and Thuringia. The study has also verified that this method has certain practical value for the space-time detection of the outbreak of COVID-19 epidemic, and can provide scientific methods and case references for the early warning of domestic epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vietnam’s success in attracting foreign direct investment and international economic integration has enabled Vietnamese key products to gain foothold in major markets, increasing its competitiveness in the global supply chain thereby. The article analyzes the role of some key sectors in the manufacturing industry of Vietnam in the current global supply chain such as electronics, textile, footwear, and farm produce and fi sh processing. It also identifi es diffi culties faced by enterprises in the context of the epidemic and suggests several remedies for securing Vietnam’s position in the global supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the influence of COVID-19 epidemic on the recruitment of sperm donors, and to provide suggestion for sperm bank recruitment in the post-epidemic period. Methods The sperm donors for preliminary screening in Hunan Sperm Bank were statistically analyzed, and the changes in the recruitment and the qualified rate of sperm donors before and after the epidemic were analyzed, as well as the changes in the qualified rate of sperm donors of different populations in the post-epidemic period. Results The qualified rate, semen concentration and sperm motility of sperm donors decreased significantly after the epidemic, the qualified rate of sperm donors in age group 20~24, 25~29, 30 ~34 was significantly different before and after the epidemic. In the post-epidemic period, the qualified rate of sperm donors was not significantly affected by the donor's occupation, age and education background, but was significantly affected in different seasons. Conclusion The COVID-19 epidemic has a great impact on the recruitment of sperm donors. It is suggested that the donor recruitment of sperm bank in the post-epidemic period should be mainly comprised of college students, people aged 20-30, and people with college degree or above. In the season with suitable temperature, we should increase the publicity of sperm supply and pay attention to the mental health of sperm donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We assessed the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on HIV suppression rates in people living with HIV (PLWH) attending a large Italian HIV clinic. Setting: The HIV outpatient clinic of the Infectious Diseases Department of Luigi Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy, which serves more than 5000 PLWH per year. Methods: A before and after quasi -experimental study design was used to make a retrospective assessment of the monthly trend of HIV-RNA determinations of ≥50 among the PLWH attending our clinic, with "before" being the period from January 1, 2016 to February 20, 2020, and "after" being the period from February 21, 2020 to December 31, 2020 (the COVID-19 period). Interrupted time series analysis was used to evaluate any changes in the trend. Results: During the study period, 70,349 HIV-RNA viral load determinations were made, and the percentage of HIV-RNA viral load determinations of <50 copies/mL increased from 88.4% in 2016 to 93.2% in 2020 (P < 0.0001). There was a significant monthly trend toward a decrease in the number of HIV-RNA determinations of ≥50 copies/mL before the pandemic (β −0.084; standard error 0.015; P < 0.001), and this did not significantly change after it started (β −0.039, standard error 0.161; P = 0.811). Conclusions: A high prevalence of viral suppression was maintained among the PLWH referring to our clinic, despite the structural barriers raised by the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of simplified methods of delivering care (such as teleconsultations and multiple antiretroviral treatment prescriptions) may have contributed to preserving this continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the Chinese government called for "targeted resumption of work and production in different regions and at different levels" after the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) outbreak, rural migrant workers returning to work became an important factor for economic recovery and stabilizing labor supply. Based on data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, this paper investigates farmers' perception of risk in the epidemic situation and reveals the impact of farmers' risk perception on working outside of their hometowns. The results show that: 1) farmers generally believe the risk of epidemics is higher in urban areas than in rural areas; and 2) farmers' risk perceptions significantly influence their decisions of working outside of their hometowns. This paper provides important policy implications in labor supply and crisis management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Frontiers of Information Technology & Electronic Engineering is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

This study aimed to explore the psychological status and influencing factors of men who have sex with men (MSM) during the stable period of the COVID-19 epidemic, to provide a reference for the mental health counseling of MSM, and to provide a scientific basis for this group to actively respond to public health emergencies. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on the demographic characteristics, epidemic experiences, risk perception, and COVID-19-related attitudes of MSM in western China, and MSM anxiety and depression were assessed by using the Anxiety Self-Rating Scale and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale. The incidences of MSM anxiety and depression in the post-COVID-19 epidemic period are 21.7% and 38.0%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that in terms of anxiety, high controllability of the epidemic (OR = 0.7616) is a protective factor. Thinking that they are more susceptible to COVID-19 (OR = 1.6168) and worrying about another outbreak of the epidemic (OR = 1.4793) are risk factors. In terms of depression, being able to protect themselves from being infected with COVID-19 (OR = 0.6280) is a protective factor. The role of anal sex as "0"/"0.5," and believing that they are more susceptible to COVID-19 (OR = 1.3408) are risk factors. The sudden outbreak affected the psychological state of MSM and even caused negative feelings of anxiety and depression. These findings suggest that prevention and education should be strengthened, and effective intervention measures should be taken as soon as possible, to improve the mental health of MSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Secretary (16742354) is the property of Secretary Editorial Office 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.)

Background: Solidarity, such as community connectedness and social cohesion, may be useful in improving HIV testing uptake among men who have sex with men (MSM). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of solidarity on HIV testing before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and HIV testing willingness during COVID-19 among MSM in China.Materials and Methods: An online survey was conducted to collect sociodemographic, sexual behavioral, and solidarity items' information from the participants. We first used factor analysis to reveal the principal component of the solidarity items and then used logistic regression to study the impact of solidarity on HIV testing, by adjusting the possible confounding factors, such as age and education.Results: Social cohesion and community connectedness were revealed by the factor analysis. MSM with high community connectedness were more willing to undergo HIV testing before the epidemic adjusted by age [odds ratio (OR): 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01–1.13]. The community connectedness was also related to the willingness of HIV testing during the epidemic, with adjustments of 1.09 (95% CI: 1.03–1.15). People who did not test for HIV before the COVID-19 epidemic were more willing to have the HIV test during the epidemic, which was correlated with the community connectedness, and the OR value was 1.14 (95%: 1.03–1.25).Conclusion: A high level of community connectedness helped to increase the HIV testing rate before COVID-19 and the willingness of HIV testing during the epidemic among MSM. Strategies can strengthen the role of the community in the management and service of MSM.

Triggered by COVID-19, one of the most dramatic crashes in the stock market in history occurred in March 2020. The sharp reductions in NASDAQ insurance stock indexes were observed after the occurrence of COVID-19 and in March 2020. In this study, the NASDAQ insurance stock markets (including NASDAQ Insurance Index, Developed Markets Insurance Index, and Emerging Markets Insurance Index) and NASDAQ Composite Index are utilized. The “scissors difference” between the NASDAQ Insurance Index and NASDAQ Composite Index is observed. The dynamic effects of the COVID-19 epidemic and the March 2020 crash on the multifractality of four series are explored. Firstly, the apparent and intrinsic multifractality, the components of multifractality, and the dynamic effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on these indexes are analyzed. Secondly, the multifractal cross-correlation between the NASDAQ Insurance Index and NASDAQ Composite Index is investigated. The dynamic influence of the COVID-19 epidemic on the cross-correlation is examined. The multifractal analysis results reveal that four series both before and after the occurrence of COVID-19 have multifractal characteristics. The stronger multifractal characteristics and the greater multifractal degree are obtained after the occurrence of COVID-19. The intrinsic multifractality of the three indexes ascends largely after the occurrence of COVID-19. The multifractal cross-correlation analysis illustrates that the cross-correlation between two indexes before and after the occurrence of COVID-19 is multifractal. The stronger multifractal cross-correlations and greater multifractal degrees are shown. The contribution of the intrinsic multifractal cross-correlation increased after the occurrence of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has ravaged the world, has led to a rethinking of the relationship between humans and nature and the clichés of the economic-centered model. Thus, the ecological economy has been reviewed, especially from an ethical worldview. This paper uses statistical methods to retrieve and categorize 3,646 wildlife crime cases for analysis and quantitative research. It adopts legal and ethical perspectives to analyze the subject and the subjective, incidence, and sentencing factors of wildlife crimes and uses the ecological economic ethical model to measure wildlife crimes. We argue that the existing judicial system fails to answer the difficulties of the economic ethics of wildlife crimes. It is recommended that ecological and economic ethical awareness be internalized. We suggest calling for comprehensive legislation on wildlife crimes from the perspective of ecological economic ethics to effectively prevent and reduce wildlife crime and eventually promote public health.

Objective: Our objective is to explore the effect of applying cloud video conferencing methods to the informed consent process in an early-phase clinical trial during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: All participants who intended to participate in the trial were informed via a cloud video conference before signing the informed consent forms (ICF). Then, the attitudes of the participants with the cloud video conference and their understanding of the trial were evaluated using a questionnaire when they visited to sign the ICF onsite.Results: A total of 165 subjects participated in the cloud video conference process, and 142 visited the site to sign and date the ICFs at the center during the appointment time. The survey showed that nearly 100% of the subjects evaluated the video-based informed consent process as very good or good and gave correct answers to questions about the trial. Furthermore, 136 (95.8%) subjects believed that the knowledge about the trial derived via the video-based informed consent process was consistent with the onsite reality, and 139 (97.9%) subjects expressed their willingness to participate in an informed consent procedure undertaken through an online video conference.Conclusions: The video-based informed consent process achieved the same effects as an onsite informed consent process. The former saves time and cost of transportation for the subject and exhibits good public acceptance; especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this process is conducive for reducing the risk of subject infection due to travel and would also help avoid crowding on site.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the form of a reduction in the own revenue of local government units and the corresponding reduction in their expenditure, including asset expenditure, were the determining factor for the introduction of extraordinary and temporary mechanisms to minimise this negative phenomenon from 2020. One of such solutions is the Government Fund for Local Investments, separated within the state special-purpose fund - the COVID-19 Counteracting Fund. The aim of this study is to establish the legal status of the Government Fund for Local Investments (Rządowy Fundusz Inwestycji Lokalnych - RFIL). The hypothesis about the temporary nature of this fund and its close relations with the COVID-19 Counteracting Fund has been verified as being true. It has been established that the RFIL does not have its own sources of revenue, and its financial resources are the result of separating a certain amount of funds accumulated in the account of the COVID-19 Counteracting Fund, which means it is, in fact, its sub-fund with clearly defined tasks to be performed. The RFIL-provided support is non-returnable, and its only beneficiaries are local government units. The resources transferred from this fund may only be used for the implementation of investment projects or for meeting asset expenses. The study uses the legal-dogmatic method and, additionally, the statistical analytical method, to present specific numerical values reflecting the importance of the RFIL support in relation to the own revenue of local government units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to limit the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic determined by restrictions in economic activity and various areas of social activity, the catalogue of preventive actions was expanded by tax and legal instruments in the form of income tax reliefs inclining taxpayers to certain behaviours. The reliefs entitle taxpayers to deduct the value of donations made for the purposes of counteracting COVID-19 from the tax base. Two types of such donations have been distinguished, i.e., donations for entities participating in the treatment of infected persons and donations for educational institutions providing remote education. The aim of this article is to establish the premises justifying the claim that the tax reliefs for donations made by income tax payers are autonomous in relation to other tax preferences available to taxpayers making donations for other socially useful purposes. The hypothesis about the ad hoc and temporary nature of these tax reliefs has been verified as true, and the dominance of the motivating and stimulating function over their fiscal function has been demonstrated. Symmetrical solutions have been identified in the legal structure of the subject tax reliefs, as the donor uses a deduction from the tax base, while the recipient does not include the accepted donation in their income. The study uses the legal-dogmatic method and, in addition, the empirical analytical method to present the jurisprudence of courts in the field of applying tax reliefs due to donations made by income tax payers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a deep impact on the lives of the entire world population, inducing a participated societal debate. As in other contexts, the debate has been the subject of several d/misinformation campaigns; in a quite unprecedented fashion, however, the presence of false information has seriously put at risk the public health. In this sense, detecting the presence of malicious narratives and identifying the kinds of users that are more prone to spread them represent the first step to limit the persistence of the former ones. In the present paper we analyse the semantic network observed on Twitter during the first Italian lockdown (induced by the hashtags contained in approximately 1.5 millions tweets published between the 23rd of March 2020 and the 23rd of April 2020) and study the extent to which various discursive communities are exposed to d/misinformation arguments. As observed in other studies, the recovered discursive communities largely overlap with traditional political parties, even if the debated topics concern different facets of the management of the pandemic. Although the themes directly related to d/misinformation are a minority of those discussed within our semantic networks, their popularity is unevenly distributed among the various discursive communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a case study whose focus is on examining the relationship among students of one fifth grade class during the period of combined schooling in the school year 2020/2021. This schooling model was introduced in order to enable appropriate physical distance among students in the classroom. Also, this was one of the important preventiv measures of the COVID-19 epidemic. Our intention is to check whether and to what extent the application of this schooling model, which included the division of classes into two groups, reflected on the mutual relations of students. We paid the most attention to friend's relations. This paper represents an anthropological contribution to the issue of interpersonal relations among children in condition when many relations in society have changed due to the 'new normality'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper takes Beijing as a case to study regional economic resilience. • We systematically explore the effects of COVID-19 on industrial dynamics. • Individual-owned firms located in high-risk regions are more vulnerable. • The epidemic shock leads to cascading effects among the local industrial network. The COVID-19 epidemic has altered the economic geographies of cities. However, the academic focus on urban industries and their structural dynamics is far from enough. In this paper, we integrate literature from economic geography, business studies and network sciences, and design an adaptation framework to theorize urban economic resilience. Taking the COVID-19 outbreak in Xinfadi, Beijing during the summer of 2020 as a case study, we use Logit regressions and DID estimations to identify the impacts of the epidemic on local industrial dynamics. Our results support that the COVID-19 outbreak significantly increases the number of business exits. The negative impacts are concentrated in high-risk regions, pointing to specific industries and individual-owned firms. Furthermore, we use a machine learning method to visualize the dynamics of industry networks in a small-scale urban area, and then simulate the transmission paths of industry-failure. In doing so, we contribute to current economic resilience literature that firm-level adaptation and industrial dynamics complement regional adaptation theory, while the cascading effects in the industry network underpin the micro foundations of resilience formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has struck the world and forced countries to go into lockdown including education sector. Students have been staying in hostels or houses, unable to go to university campuses. This situation has left university administrators no choice, but to have an online learning channel. Malaysian universities in particular have gone through many challenges to bring their online learning system up and ready to resume education process. However, students have found themselves caught in this situation (pure online learning) with no plan or readiness. Literature reviews showed that students encountered some challenges that could not be easily resolved. This study explored the challenges encountered by students of a government-linked university. This university is one of the largest in Malaysia with over 10 campuses across the country. This study collected 284 valid answers. The findings show that respondents lacked full readiness in this situation physically, environmentally, and psychologically with some differences in perspectives according to their gender, age, and residing state. Respondents were concerned about the implications of lockdown on their performance. The findings of this study indicate that a sudden switch to a pure online alternative creates considerable challenges to students who have no plans to be physically apart from classes. The findings also indicate that the current blended learning process which uses online learning as a support mechanism for face-to-face learning has faced a considerable challenge to replace it, particularly with unprepared students.

Abstract This study suggests the importance of instituting accompanying measures to prevent potential negative mental and social impacts on people receiving false‐positive results.