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Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the prevalence, efficacy, and safety of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with pituitary diseases. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional study of adult patients with pituitary diseases followed in a reference center. Clinical data were collected and a questionnaire about SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccination and its possible adverse effects was applied. COVID-19 disease severity was defined as mild, moderate, and severe according to the WHO classification. Results: 145 patients were studied (79 women; age 50 ± 15.8 years; duration of pituitary disease 16.8 ± 11.5 years), the cause of pituitary disease was tumoral in 74.5%, and 45.9% were on glucocorticoid replacement due to ACTH deficiency. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed in 51 patients (35.2%; 32 women; age 53.8 ± 14.8 years, 22 before vaccination), with 28 (54.9%), 17 (33.3%) and 6 (11.8%) cases of mild, moderate, and severe disease, respectively, and hospitalization was indicated in 7 (14%) cases. One mild case presented pituitary apoplexy after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Advanced age was a risk factor for COVID-19. Patients with moderate and severe forms of COVID-19 had higher prevalence of dyslipidemia and duration of pituitary disease. All but one of the participants were vaccinated against COVID-19, and 60.4% had adverse events, the most common local pain (54.0%), fever (33.3%), and headache (18.4%), with one case of alopecia and two of persistent fatigue. Conclusion: The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in our cohort was 35.2%, including 14% of moderate and severe cases requiring hospitalization. The vaccination was universal and safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the concept of well-being has often been the subject of psychological studies. The current study examines how tourism relates to well-being from the perspective of tourists/visitors, through the study of the older and more recent literature. Especially when it comes to the complex and multifaceted issue of well-being, in relation to the also complex and sensitive sectors of tourism, the specificity of this relationship is reflected in the evidence and the growing number of articles published in mainstream and reliable journals. By using the PRISMA framework, this article compares and evaluates published papers on the study of well-being and tourist behavior to guide and direct future research. It has been found that the relationship between well-being and tourism, especially after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been significantly strengthened. This study highlights the need to adopt a holistic approach that considers all the connections between well-being and tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Understanding the readiness to quit smoking is essential to deliver the best quit-smoking services in Malaysia. Objective: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between biopsychosocial and spiritual factors and the readiness to quit smoking among Malaysian adults. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling was used in this study. A total of 389 smokers aged 18 years old and above who registered at jomquit.com website participated in this study voluntarily. Questionnaires such as the stages of change readiness and treatment eagerness scale for smoking cessation (SOCRATES-S), Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence (FTND), depression anxiety stress scale (DASS), the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS), and a modified version of functional assessment of chronic illness therapy - spiritual well-being for non-illness (FACITSP-Non-Illness) were used in this study. Results: The results of this study found that nicotine dependence, stress, anxiety, depression, and social support (family, friends, and significant other) have significant relationships with the early stage of readiness to quit smoking (domains of recognition and ambivalence (p<0.05). Anxiety, social support (family, friends and significant other), and spiritual well-being had a significant relationship with the end stage of the readiness to quit smoking (domain of taking action, p<0.05). Conclusion: This study conclusively showed that nicotine dependence, stress, anxiety, depression, social support, and spiritual well-being might potentially play crucial roles in the initial stages of readiness to quit smoking and the final stage of taking action towards quitting. Therefore, emphasising the significance of including these variables in programmes aimed at helping people quit smoking is noteworthy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is difficult to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health as many community surveys have limited quality, rely on screening tests to measure mental health conditions and distress, and often use convenience samples. Moreover, robust surveys come mainly from high-income countries. Aim: To measure the prevalence of depressive disorders with onset during the pandemic in a community of a Lower-Middle-income country (LMIC)-Tunisia. Methods: Clinical semi-structured face-to-face interviews were carried out during the pandemic (September–December 2021) by medical doctors among a representative sample of the general population in the governorate of La Manouba, Tunisia. Psychiatric diagnoses were established according to DSM-IV. Results: The prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) started or recurred after the pandemic was 5.66%. The factors associated with MDD were loss of job and considerably diminished income due to the pandemic (OR = 2.1, 95% CI [1.5, 2.9]) and the perception of having the family's financial situation below the Tunisian average (OR = 2.3, 95% CI [1.7, 3.2]). Female sex, marital status as separated/divorced, and having a COVID-19 infection were associated with MDD only in the overall sample and urban areas, but not in rural areas. Age and having loved ones who passed away due to COVID-19 were not associated with MDD. Conclusion: In Tunisia, the pandemic seems to have increased the risk of depression in people experiencing a precarious financial situation, also due to the pre-existing economic crisis. Specific local level factors, such as not establishing a rigid lockdown for an extended period, may have protected young people and allowed for better mourning in families suffering the loss of a loved one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the significant growth of e-commerce in Romania, which has surpassed the rates of expansion observed in other more developed countries of the European Union. Based on market analysis by sector-specific companies, the Romanian e-commerce market has reached over €6.5 billion. This rapid growth trajectory is expected to continue, driven by various factors, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the natural evolution of the market. The main purpose of this study is to assess the expansion of the e-commerce market in Romania, identify the key factors behind this growth, and project future market values. Data for this analysis has been collected from industry reports, market analysis, and relevant statistical databases. The study uses a quantitative approach, utilizing financial data and growth rates to forecast future market trends. The dataset includes financial figures from e-commerce sales, digital services such as bill payments, and airline and hotel bookings from 2018 to 2023. Projections for 2024 and beyond were derived from this historical data. In 2019, the e-commerce market in Romania was valued at €4.68 billion, representing a significant increase compared to previous years. By 2020, amid the pandemic, the market value increased to €5.5 billion, marking a 38.4% increase from the previous year. Forecasts for 2024 estimate that the market will exceed €8 billion. In addition, when related digital services are included, the total market value could exceed €10 billion, illustrating the substantial economic impact of the online sector and the growth potential. This study highlights the dynamic nature of the e-commerce landscape in Romania and underlines the significant economic opportunities it presents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Manajemen IKM: Jurnal Manajemen Pengembangan Industri Kecil Menengah is the property of IPB University 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 pandemic has had an adverse impact on the performance of companies around the world. Therefore, many companies must try to maintain their performance conditions so that they can survive during the COVID-19 pandemic and the new normal era by maximizing the performance of good corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. This study aims to find empirical evidence regarding the leading indicators of corporate governance that affect company performance and value during the COVID-19 pandemic in the new normal era. The population of this study includes all public companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange and listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. The total amount of data used in this study is 162 observations. Data analysis carried out in this study is a multiple regression method. The results of the research that has been done show empirical evidence that the variables of management ownership, institutional ownership, board of commissioners ratio, and audit committee size have no effect on performance and firm value. While the variable size of the board of directors and the implementation of corporate social responsibility was found to have an effect on the performance and value of the company.

BackgroundGiven the significant impact of the more than three-year-long COVID-19 pandemic on people’s health, social order, and economic performance, as well as the potential re-emergence of a new variant and the epidemic “Disease X,” it is crucial to examine its developmental trends and suggest countermeasures to address community epidemics of severe respiratory infectious diseases.MethodsThe epidemiological characterization of various strains of COVID-19 was modeled using an improved Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) model to simulate the infections of different strains of COVID-19 under different scenarios, taking as an example an urban area of a prefecture-level city in Shandong Province, China, with a resident population of 2 million. Scenarios 1–5 are scenario-based simulations the Omicron strain, and 6–8 simulate the original COVID-19 strain, with different parameters for each scenario. Scenarios 1 and 6 do not consider community NPIs and represent natural epidemic scenarios. Scenarios 2–4 assess the impact of different NPIs on the original COVID-19 strain. Scenarios 1–4 and 6–8 compare the effects of the same measures on different strains. Scenario 5 simulates the effects of implementing NPIs after an outbreak has spread widely. Compare scenarios 4 and 9 to analyze the effect of high grades versus dynamic clearing of NPIs. By analyzing the time at which the peak number of cases was reached and the maximum number of cases, we were able to calculate the effectiveness of urban community control measures (NPIs) and the impact of vaccination on disease trends. Based on our research into the degree of restriction of social activities in different levels of control areas during real-world epidemics, we categorized the NPIs into three levels, with controls becoming increasingly stringent from levels 1 to 3 as low-, medium-, and high-risk areas are, respectively, controlled.ResultsIn simulation scenarios 1–5 and 9, where the epidemic strain is Omicron and the susceptible population receives three doses of vaccine, it was found that the real-time peak number of cases in scenario 2, which implemented level 1 controls, was reduced by 18.19%, and in scenario 3, which implemented level 2 controls, it was reduced by 38.94%, compared with scenario 1, where no control measures were taken. Level 1 and level 2 controls do not block transmission but significantly reduce peak incidence and delay the peak time. In scenario 5, even with a high number of initial cases, the implementation of level 3 controls can still control the outbreak quickly, but it requires a longer period of time. However, Omicron has a low rate of severe illness, and the existing beds in City A could largely cope even if the control measures had not been implemented. Analyzing scenarios 4 and 9, level 3 community control and dynamic zeroing of the three zones were similarly successful in interrupting the spread of the epidemic. In simulation scenarios 6–8, where the prevalent strain was the original COVID-19 strain, only level 3 community control was able to rapidly extinguish the outbreak. Unchecked, the outbreak is severe, characterized by high peaks and substantial medical stress. Although level 2 controls reduced real-time incidence and peak new infections by 39.81 and 61.33%, and delayed the peaks by 55 and 52 days, respectively, the high rate of severe illnesses may still overwhelm the medical system.ConclusionControl effects are related to the level, timing and virus characteristics. Level 3 and dynamic zeroing measures can interrupt community transmission in the early stages of an outbreak. During a pandemic, different NPIs must be implemented, considering the virus’s status and cost of control, and ensuring that medical resources are sufficient to maintain medical order.

This study examines the significant growth of e-commerce in Romania, which has surpassed the rates of expansion observed in other more developed countries of the European Union. Based on market analysis by sector-specific companies, the Romanian e-commerce market has reached over €6.5 billion. This rapid growth trajectory is expected to continue, driven by various factors, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the natural evolution of the market. The main purpose of this study is to assess the expansion of the e-commerce market in Romania, identify the key factors behind this growth, and project future market values. Data for this analysis has been collected from industry reports, market analysis, and relevant statistical databases. The study uses a quantitative approach, utilizing financial data and growth rates to forecast future market trends. The dataset includes financial figures from e-commerce sales, digital services such as bill payments, and airline and hotel bookings from 2018 to 2023. Projections for 2024 and beyond were derived from this historical data. In 2019, the e-commerce market in Romania was valued at €4.68 billion, representing a significant increase compared to previous years. By 2020, amid the pandemic, the market value increased to €5.5 billion, marking a 38.4% increase from the previous year. Forecasts for 2024 estimate that the market will exceed €8 billion. In addition, when related digital services are included, the total market value could exceed €10 billion, illustrating the substantial economic impact of the online sector and the growth potential. This study highlights the dynamic nature of the e-commerce landscape in Romania and underlines the significant economic opportunities it presents.

This research aims to find out and analyze three forms of violence experienced by primary education students during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely domestic violence, violence due to the use of technology (gadgets, the internet), and violence committed by schools or teachers against students. In this research, the researcher did not find domestic violence committed by mothers against their children who were conducting online learning during the Covid-19 Pandemic, except found that the potential for violence still exists, so that at any time, it can be manifested if mothers fail to manage the socioeconomic pressures they face. The researcher of this study also sees the critical role of technology in online learning during the Pandemic. However, technology has also given birth to violence in its form, starting from internet access that is not easily accessible to every student, the uneven distribution of the internet network, as well the increasing number of tasks and learning loads charged to students, also the necessity for students to look for learning materials through various existing internet sources, and the demand to submit schoolwork or those that must be equipped with video images and audio (voice). During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools also failed to implement democratic learning pedagogy because schools only highlight aspects of academic learning, forgetting the importance of accommodating children’s rights in interacting and playing with others (social), so many students felt bored, saturated, and depressed.

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Creativity Are the important skills to face the globalization in this era. Students, especially preservice teacher should have these useful skills for make next generation are more creative, struggling with the competition between human and computers, struggling with the world condition during and after pandemic strikes, and well prepared for their work field. Some of the learning approaches have been applied in the courses to construct their creativity, one of them, are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) by the project. This research’s aim is to investigate how is preservice science teacher’s creativity by the STEM based project learning before, during, and after pandemic covid-19. The method that is used is qualitative research by using class observation and quantitively count by creativity rubrics that includes creative thinking, behaviour, and products. This instrument is adopted from PBLWorks creativity and innovation rubrics that has been validated by 3 experts. This research is conducted in SETS learning (2nd semester in every year) by using STEM based project from the students of science preservice teacher year 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022. STEM based project learning could improve preservice science teacher’s creativity but it has differences for each class. From class 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 has decrease of improvement of creativity. Class 2019 has outperformed for creativity among others. While, class 2022 has less performed for creativity among others. Based on the observation, the covid-19 outbreak has high influence to this result because of the way of their learning in their high school before. Full online learning makes the biggest impact to science preservice teacher’s creativity during covid-19 outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco 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 was conducted in Malaysia to examine the effectiveness of the microfinance programme for urban single mother entrepreneurs in MSMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic and Movement Control Order (MCO). Implemented as a response to the pandemic, the MCO significantly disrupted businesses, particularly MSMEs. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between empowerment factors (economic, social, digital, and psychological) and governance aspects concerning the effectiveness of microfinance programmes. Using a positivist paradigm and employing quantitative methods through online questionnaire distribution, this research established a framework based on empowerment theory. The findings underscore the importance of economic empowerment, digital empowerment, and governance aspects for microfinance programme success, and provide empirical backing for suitable mitigation strategies for MSME entrepreneurs. The study emphasises the importance of supporting single mother entrepreneurs through various developmental activities, technical and vocational training, and comprehensive financial and non-financial aid initiatives. It stresses the critical role of women, particularly single mothers, in propelling societal and economic advancement, and advocating for their empowerment through targeted interventions. Overall, the findings enhance understanding of the challenges MSMEs face during crises, and offer insights for policymakers and microfinance agencies to strengthen support for single mother entrepreneurs in navigating future challenges and fostering economic resilience and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to investigate the dependencies between selected European subindices before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research Design & Methods: The main analysis was quantitative. We used copula entropy and Pearson’s correlation. We considered the closing prices of sectoral indices from France (CAC sectors), Germany (DAX sectors), the UK (FTSE sectors), and the US (SP sectors), along with the main indices from these countries, that is CAC40, DAX, SP500, and FTSE100 (we collected the data from the database investing.com for the period from 4 January 2017 to 30 March 2023). We performed all analyses using R along with supplementary packages. Findings: When it comes to indications of the strength of dependence before and after the event (the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic) in relation to mutual information (delta) and linear correlation, we saw the biggest differences for the German market. For the DAX sectors, linear correlation underestimates post-event dependencies. The dependencies for other countries were similar on average. For half of the sectors (all markets), we recorded an increase in dependence after the event. A sector where we recorded growth in all countries was the TECH sector. Implications & Recommendations: The dependence measurement using mutual information expressed in terms of copulas has many advantages. It is not limited to measuring linear correlations. It can also capture a nonlinear correlation. Furthermore, it not only measures the dependence degree, but also considers the dependence structure, which is more than a correlation. Moreover, there was no assumption about the ellipticity of marginal and joint distribution. This dependence measure even allows for the modelling of the dependence of variables with different cumulative distribution functions. Contribution & Value Added: The novelty of this article is that it compares the results of dependence measurements by linear correlations and mutual information expressed in terms of copula entropy. Considering the indices and subindices of the main European stock markets, when both measures of dependence were used, we obtained significantly different results in both subperiods under investigation (i.e. before and after March 11, 2020). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of the research are 107 recipients of social services who have been provided residential services since the beginning of the pandemic, i.e. since March 2020. The pandemic situation has significantly affected the financing as well as the functioning of social services, their employees and individuals of residential services. This study is focused on identifying key aspects and factors that most influenced the quality of services provided and life satisfaction of seniors in context of analysing the change in lifestyle habits of seniors before and during the pandemic Covid-19.

This article analyses the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the social problems and poverty of the elderly. Quarantine measures caused increased isolation, loneliness, psychological problems and limited access to medical care, which negatively affected their physical and mental health. The demographic shift towards an aging population presents seniors with complex challenges, including the struggle to meet basic needs and live on the poverty line. These related problems, associated with a lack of attention from the environment, have a negative impact on their quality of life. In the article, we analyse the state of poverty development, based on current statistics. The current isolation, loneliness and loss of independence are intertwined with low income and the possibility of institutionalization, which has increased with the advent of the pandemic situation and the economic crisis.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with limited physical activity (PA) of most of the world’s population. This cross-sectional prospective study aimed to assess the levels of PA of university students in Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia after COVID-19 using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Methods A total of 2635 students completed questionnaires regarding their PA levels using the IPAQ-SF between September and December 2022. Results PA measured by metabolic equivalent of task (MET) scores, varied between the three countries: Slovakia median MET-minutes/week score 4459.9; Czech Republic 3838.8 Poland 3567.1. The results of the post hoc analysis revealed there were significant differences in MET-minutes/week values between the Czech Republic and Poland (p

The global COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread social isolation measures, potentially exacerbating mental health issues, especially among young adults. This demographic, known for its high social media usage, faces increased risk of negative mental health outcomes such as isolation and depression. This study explores how social media engagement and social support seeking mediate the relationship between age and social isolation symptoms during the pandemic. Using a qualitative research methodology, data was collected from twenty university students in Pakistan through semi-structured interviews. The interviews delved into various aspects including depressive symptoms, loneliness, coping mechanisms, and changes in daily routines due to the pandemic. The analysis reveals that university students experienced greater levels of loneliness compared to older age groups. Additionally, they exhibited increased use of social media platforms while seeking less social support. These findings highlight the mental health implications of fear and isolation during a global pandemic, both in Pakistan and in other countries. The study underscores the importance of targeted interventions to address the mental well-being of young adults during and after the COVID-19 crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Perspectives on Culture / Perspektywy Kultury is the property of Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow 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 and Objectives: Patients at high altitudes with COVID-19 may experience a decrease in their partial oxygen saturation (PO2S) levels. The objective was to assess the association between PO2S and intensive care unit (ICU) stay in patients at high altitudes with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Clinical records of 69 COVID-19 patients (36% women) admitted to the ICU were analyzed. Median values were considered for intra-group categories ("≤11 days" and ">11 days" in the ICU) and for PO2S height categories ("<90%" and "≥90%"). Logistic regression and linear regression models adjusted for confounding variables were used. Results: Patients with >11 days in the ICU had 84% lower odds of having a PO2S ≥ 90% (OR: 0.16 [CI: 0.02, 0.69], p = 0.005) compared to those with ≤11 days in the ICU. An increase in PO2S by 1% reduced ICU stay by 0.22 days (β: −0.22 [CI: −0.33, −0.11], p < 0.001), potentially leading to a reduction of up to 1.44 days. Conclusions: PO2S is a crucial factor in estimating ICU stays for COVID-19 patients at high altitudes and serves as an accessible and cost-effective measure. It should be used in infected patients to complement the prognosis of post-pandemic ICU stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this article is to present the situation of the housing market in the face of the conditions resulting from the covid-19 pandemic. The research focuses on the phenomena that took place in the individual quarters of the years 2019-2021, i.e. just before the pandemic period, during the restrictive phase of the pandemic and just after the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: Data for 16 cities, which are provincial capitals, were analysed. The source data comes from the Central Statistical Office (CSO) and the Report on the Situation on the Residential and Commercial Real Estate Market in Poland in 2019, 2020 and 2021 prepared by the National Bank of Poland. The methodology of the research was based on statistical methods, and a study was made of changes over time in the number of transactions made and average unit prices of residential units and rental rates, as well as the number of dwellings offered. Findings: The research shows that the market dynamics hardly slowed down during the pandemic period. In all surveyed cities, an increase in unit prices of residential units and a decrease in rental rates were observed in selected quarters of 2020. In 2021, the residential property market in the main cities in Poland was in an expansionary phase. The number of transactions made was strongly influenced by the ability to obtain mortgage loans. During the study period, the interest rate was at a significantly low level. On the basis of the research carried out, it must be concluded that the market that defended itself from the pandemic crisis was the residential market. This supports the finding that residential real estate is perceived as a relatively safe investment of capital, which has so far yielded higher rates of return compared to placing cash in safer assets such as Treasury bonds or bank deposits. Originality/value: The publication describes the behaviour of the residential property market during and immediately after the COVID 19 pandemic. Demand, supply and prices of residential units are analysed. The publication is aimed at those analysing the impact of pandemics and other unusual events on markets and real estate professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Polityka Spoleczna is the property of Institute of Labour & Social / Instytut Pracy i Spraw Socjalnych 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 outbreak of COVID-19 from Wuhan, China in 2019 has spread across the world, with more than 687 million confirmed coronavirus cases still increasing. Vaccines and medicines are one aspect of fighting the pandemic outbreak, but modern Information Technologies, web/ mobile-based technologies, blockchain, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices are being used to control the pandemic outbreak at an earlier/later stage. The IoT devices with sensors, and mobile apps/ websites having self-assessment tests can help in tracking COVID-19 infections. These people's tracking information and self-assessment tests are generating huge amounts of data. This white paper introduces an IoT and cloud-based architectural framework in the COVID-19 pandemic to predict infection risk based on citizens' self-assessments and storage of data in the cloud and the intelligent technique of hesitant Intuitionistic Fuzzy Set (IFS) has been used on the self-assessment dataset to predict the risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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 sheds light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work of university librarians in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The article's importance is in assessing the impact of new strategies in the context of the COVID-19 crisis when libraries were forced to close and operate online only. The content focuses on analysing the physical and mental health impact of COVID-19-infected librarians in leadership positions and on university librarians in general during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the immediate post-COVID period. Taking care of the physical and mental health of people infected with COVID-19 in the aftermath of the pandemic is indispensable if they are to continue to meet the requirements of their profession. This study collected data quantitatively and qualitatively through an anonymised survey and in-depth interviews in six selected university libraries. Interviews were conducted from June 2022 to August 2022, recorded, translated, and topic analysis done by the authors directly before writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic violence increased dramatically in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the previous pandemic. This article analyses how Indonesia's criminal justice system responded to domestic violence during the pandemic. This article used secondary data gathered from various online resources and legal publications. This article demonstrated that during the pandemic, victims of domestic violence in Indonesia were unable to access justice due to two significant barriers. Before filing a formal complaint with the appropriate official, victims would prefer to discuss the matter with their relatives. Furthermore, the victims could not report their cases to the responsible official due to mobility constraints. This case demonstrates that in patriarchal societies, the criminal justice system could not handle domestic violence cases more effectively. As a result, the technical operation of the criminal justice system necessitates the development of a novel method of case filing. This article proposes that the Indonesian criminal justice system establish a complaint system based on social media to provide victims of domestic violence with prompt justice. Furthermore, the legal advocacy role of the community in assisting domestic violence victims is critical.

Objective: The objective of this article is to investigate the dependencies between selected European subindices before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research Design & Methods: The main analysis was quantitative. We used copula entropy and Pearson’s correlation. We considered the closing prices of sectoral indices from France (CAC sectors), Germany (DAX sectors), the UK (FTSE sectors), and the US (SP sectors), along with the main indices from these countries, that is CAC40, DAX, SP500, and FTSE100 (we collected the data from the database investing.com for the period from 4 January 2017 to 30 March 2023). We performed all analyses using R along with supplementary packages. Findings: When it comes to indications of the strength of dependence before and after the event (the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic) in relation to mutual information (delta) and linear correlation, we saw the biggest differences for the German market. For the DAX sectors, linear correlation underestimates post-event dependencies. The dependencies for other countries were similar on average. For half of the sectors (all markets), we recorded an increase in dependence after the event. A sector where we recorded growth in all countries was the TECH sector. Implications & Recommendations: The dependence measurement using mutual information expressed in terms of copulas has many advantages. It is not limited to measuring linear correlations. It can also capture a nonlinear correlation. Furthermore, it not only measures the dependence degree, but also considers the dependence structure, which is more than a correlation. Moreover, there was no assumption about the ellipticity of marginal and joint distribution. This dependence measure even allows for the modelling of the dependence of variables with different cumulative distribution functions. Contribution & Value Added: The novelty of this article is that it compares the results of dependence measurements by linear correlations and mutual information expressed in terms of copula entropy. Considering the indices and subindices of the main European stock markets, when both measures of dependence were used, we obtained significantly different results in both subperiods under investigation (i.e. before and after March 11, 2020).

To prevent the transmission of COVID-19, the learning process that used to be face-to-face meetings has turned into online learning. In the online learning context, students’ satisfaction is one of the crucial aspects. However, limited research has looked at the factors contributing to students’ satisfaction in developing countries, including Indonesia. This study investigated the determinants of online learning satisfaction among undergraduate students in Indonesia during the pandemic COVID-19. A total of 267 students aged 17-28 years old (M=20.07, SD=1.40) were participated in this study through accidental sampling technique. This study applied a quantitative approach with six instruments: online learning satisfaction, online learning readiness, academic stress, learner-content interaction, learner-learner interaction, and learner-instructor interaction. Multiple regression analysis showed that only online learning readiness and learner-content interaction were contributed significantly to online learning satisfaction (R2 = .36, F (2,262) = 36.80, p .001). Furthermore, learner-content interaction had a more considerable contribution (b=1.41, p.001) to online learning satisfaction than online learning readiness (b=.15, p=.03). The theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

The advancement of information and communication technology (ICT) has big effects on human life in many facets, one of them is in education. However, the use of this technology left some problems faced by its users. Therefore, this study aims to explore in-depth the kindergarten student parents’ perception of the use of WhatsApp in the teaching and learning process during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. The study employed the exploratory study which engaged twenty-nine students’ parents in Lebak - Indonesia where online learning using WhatsApp was implemented. Then, six participants were voluntarily involved in the interview. The questionnaire and semi-structured interview were administered in collecting the data. The data from the questionnaire were analyzed in percentage while the content analysis technique was used in analyzing the data from the semi-structured interview. From the data analysis, this study reveals two major research findings. Firstly, the use of WhatsApp helped students in learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing, establishes student and teacher communication, Secondly, technical problems were found such as unstable internet connection, student-teacher communication and interaction are not maximized, and lastly, after a long period, the students got bored. In brief, the use of WhatsApp can be used as an alternative teaching platform in the COVID-19 age on the one hand, on the other hand, its’ usage faced barriers such as unstable internet connection.

In the research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economic situation in agriculture, the demand and supply channels are distinguished. They indicate how restrictions on economic activity translate into the volume and structure of production and the demand for agricultural products. The aim of the research was to identify and assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Polish agriculture through the transmission channel of foreign trade. The research period covered the years of 2017-2022. The primary research tool used was time series indicator analysis. During the pandemic, changes in foreign trade were limited only to short-term disruptions, which intensified in the first wave of COVID-19 (2020, second quarter). Trade in agri-food products turned out to be more resistant to shocks caused by the pandemic compared to trade in non-agricultural sectors. Therefore, disruptions on foreign markets did not significantly affect the production and economic situation of Polish agriculture. In the second quarter of 2020, the value of exports of agri-food goods decreased by 2.8% compared to the previous quarter. As it comes to other groups of goods, export values were lower by 7.2-40.1%. At the same time, the value of imports of agri-food goods was lower by 6.1% compared to the previous quarter. Imports of other goods collapsed much more severely as decrease in the value of imported goods ranged from 8.4 to 47.4%.

In recent decades, the concept of well-being has often been the subject of psychological studies. The current study examines how tourism relates to well-being from the perspective of tourists/visitors, through the study of the older and more recent literature. Especially when it comes to the complex and multifaceted issue of well-being, in relation to the also complex and sensitive sectors of tourism, the specificity of this relationship is reflected in the evidence and the growing number of articles published in mainstream and reliable journals. By using the PRISMA framework, this article compares and evaluates published papers on the study of well-being and tourist behavior to guide and direct future research. It has been found that the relationship between well-being and tourism, especially after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been significantly strengthened. This study highlights the need to adopt a holistic approach that considers all the connections between well-being and tourism.

Background: Due to the outbreak of Covid-19, medical students were suffering from poor mental health, leading to depression, anxiety, and stress. Research to better understand mental health is essential because of the high prevalence of poor mental health among students during the pandemic. Objective: Therefore, the study aims to determine the mental health status of UNIMAS medical students during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this study, the predictive validity of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) for the presence of a depressive disorder and its associated coping factors were investigated among medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students from the University Malaysia Sarawak's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. The DASS-21 was administered to 411 respondents, and data were analyzed using Man-Whitney and Chi-Square tests. Results: The result showed that most medical students had normal levels of depression (75.7%), anxiety (74.2%), and stress (92.5%). The highest coping method used was rest and sleep (95.1%), followed by singing and listening to music (91.5%). Conclusion: Most UNIMAS medical students were in good mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. They tend to have a better-coping mechanism before the stressful condition deteriorates.

DKI Jakarta, West Java, and Banten are the provinces that were the epicenter of covid 19. Every individual at that time had the potential to be exposed. However, the Badui community that also lived in the epicenter field was not much exposed. The purpose of this study was to determine the construction of social reality in the Badui society against zero percent COVID-19 transmission. The research approach is qualitative with a constructivist paradigm. The research method is descriptive with purposive data collection. The results showed that stakeholders perform effective management of externalization-internalization communication, namely instructions from the central government can be implemented with maximum coordination. The chieftain carried out communication management to legitimize socialization, namely emphasizing that COVID-19 must be overcome by treating the ancestral heritage and following the interacting instructions issued by the government. Communication management institutionalization of objectification is performed, namely, the community must obey the rules and traditional culture and believe in the Almighty. The leaders of the outer Badui conduct socialization of Communication Management, which provides input and warnings to the local community to maintain the health of their respective families.

Dentophobia is a significant problem in oral health management. In the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the associated sanitary measures (quarantine, social distancing) at national level, the fear and dental anxiety are supposedly increased, especially in children. Pediatric patients are emotionally affected when they faced with the need for emergency dental intervention. The current study seeks to assess the emotional state of children aged 8-12, who needed dental care during quarantine, at the regional level, as well as the degree of anxiety of their parents. Dental anxiety was assessed independently by the dentist, parents and children themselves. If in children, the level of dental anxiety increased insignificantly, compared to the pre-pandemic period, the levels of parental anxiety were higher. The boys in the pandemic group had a higher level of anxiety, especially in the parental assessment. The results suggest that the reorganization of oral care in the pandemic scenario did not have a major effect on children's dental anxiety. However, the results of the assessment in boys show that they may be more vulnerable and need special care to alleviate their anxiety and reduce their risk of dentophobia in the future. These conclusions should be treated with caution, given the small sample size, which requires further confirmation. It is also important to convince parents of the safety of a visit to the dentist during a pandemic, to minimize their anxiety about their children's dental fears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theme of this article is to study the judicial discretion of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) in times of the Covid-19 pandemic. The general objective is to outline a propaedeutic guide on the judicial attributions of the STF, as well as the limits of the use of judicial discretion by constitutional judges in pandemic times. The specific objective is to demonstrate, at least superficially, that the exercise of judicial discretion, which takes into account the application of hermeneutic-interpretative methods, even if used under the allegations of the "open texture of law", "pamprinciologismo" and the enforcement of guarantees constitutional individual, find limits in the normative text. Justifies the wording of this article, as the exercise of discretion is inherent to the jurisdictional activity. Nevertheless, it is important to delimit its use, so that there is no disrespect for the tripartite system of power, the usurpation of competence, illegitimacy of decisions, even in pandemic times. The methodology to be observed will be the bibliographic procedure, through the deductive method, with a qualitative approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are facing both social and environmental challenges that affect food chain, public health, and social cohesion broadly. Terms such as "Mediterranean Diet", "Urban horticulture", "Organic Farming", "Edible Landscaping" took significant position in everyday life without being sure that we could understand sufficiently their meaning. The pandemic period highlighted how useful tools these would be if we could use them correctly both in planning and development of urban green areas. Urban landscaping and especially gardening and farming connected strongly with social, economic, agricultural, nutritional, environmental, and beautifying parameters through research field in the context of a Doctoral Thesis which took place in Romania, Greece, and Cyprus with main tool a specific questionnaire. The quantitative analysis of the responses is based on a set of 302 variables and aims to elicit information with reference to the knowledge, perception, and experiences of the respondents regarding urban horticulture. The results of the analysis proved that the opinion of the great majority of respondents from Romania, Greece and Cyprus about urban horticulture is positive, with different percentages but for the same reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author explores a niche but important problem of functioning of the artistic schools during difficult times of social isolation and virtual learning. More specifically, qualitative experiences of students of artistic schools during COVID-19 pandemic were examined and reconstructed. The unusual panedmic praxis was described as percolating experiences of a sense of agency and school reality. Such a narrative was inspired by J.Bruner and H. Thierch and the concept of three dimensions: time, space and relations. Considering students as experts in their own experiences allowed the author to build a statistical model which helped to discover factors associated with the sense of agency. The author describes in depth positive factors contributing to the sense of agency. These factors can therefore be used to further improve the education system and the educational experience of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Leadership talent management (LTM) is one of the crucial aspects of HRM nowadays, which can decide of an organization success. This effect is considered in four types of contexts, i.e. in the headquarters (HQs) of multinational companies (MNCs) in the prepandemic and pandemic period of COVID-19, and in the foreign subsidiaries of these MNCs also in the pre-pandemic and pandemic period of COVID-19. The main goal of the article, identified with the main research problem, is to determine the mediating role of HRM outcomes in the relationships between LTM and company performance results and to establish whether there are any identifiable regularities in this scope in the pre-pandemic and pandemic period of COVID-19 in the HQs and foreign subsidiaries of MNCs. Design/methodology/approach: The research sample covered 200 nonfinancial business entities headquartered in a Central European country with their subsidiaries located around the World. The research was conducted using Computer Aided Telephone Interview method. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to verify the research hypotheses and assess the mediating effects. Findings: What was found in the course of the work? This will refer to analysis, discussion, or results. The mediating role of HRM outcomes in the relationships between LTM and the company performance results has been determined and some regularities in this scope in the pre-pandemic and pandemic period of COVID-19 in the HQs and foreign subsidiaries of MNCs have been identified. The mediating role of HRM outcomes is important in each of analyzed contexts, but during a pandemic, the company's performance results in HRM mediate the relationships between LTM and the company's performance results stronger than in the prepandemic time. Practical implications: The research outcomes lead to the conclusion that in difficult conditions the specific focus on HRM can be an important factor improving the company’s performance results. Originality/value: What is new in the paper? State the value of the paper and to whom it is addressed. The research is of an innovative character, identifies some general scientific laws and describes the aspects that haven’t been studied yet. The originality of own research focused on LTM, mediating role of HRM outcomes in HQs and foreign entities of MNCs are difficult to compare with similar studies. In addition, the article presents an innovative approach to taking into account employee KPIs as an indicator of performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sport is a key sector in the global economy with a strong influence in almost every sphere of business interest. The pandemic of COVID-19 has for a time paralysed all major branches of the economy with effects that are still felt today in some sectors. Sport being a conglomerate of business and connections, new challenges have emerged for all relevant actors involved. From the suspension of leagues to the closure of stadiums, the once-thriving sports business found itself navigating uncharted territories. This article delves into the dynamic realm where the love for sports intersects with the complexities of commerce, exploring how the industry coped with unprecedented challenges and adapted to the ever-evolving global landscape. However, sport is a rather volatile field and able to adapt to economic challenges, for example football, basketball and tennis have managed through various strategies to cope with crisis situations. The pandemic has created new opportunities and transformed the economics of sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how changes in economic indicators affect foreign trade in Poland during the COVOD-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: The research problem is: what impact did economic indicators have on imports and exports in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic? Main hypothesis: the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on economic indicators, which directly had a negative impact on the export and import from Polish. The conducted research used an analysis of domestic and foreign literature and method of a document examination. Findings: Research has shown that the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had a significant impact on the development of several indicators of the economic macroenvironment, in particular GDP, inflation and the unemployment rate. Indicators identifying foreign trade did not show significant dependencies on the number of infections, but on phenomena shaping sensitive indicators. Originality/value: The content of the study confirms the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on changes in most indicators of the economic macroenvironment. Additionally, it shows the phenomenon and the scale of impact, which may be important in the event of new cases of epidemiological threats or crisis situations (e.g. geopolitical). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text theoretically elaborates on the importance of education in modern society, which represents the main precondition for development. Special emphasis was placed on the importance of education and its characteristics at the time of the pandemic COVID 19. With that in mind, we conducted this research including students of the Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Social Work at the University of Sarajevo. The goal of the research was to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of online access to education from the perspective of social work students. In the interpretation of the restrictions related to the access to online classes, we particularly referred to groups of young people (students living in rural areas, students with disabilities) who encountered additional difficulties, i.e. restrictions while following "online" classes, especially during the period of complete closure of educational institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]