Post-pandemic American travelers' behavior given a chikungunya outbreak

Introduction: Mosquito-borne diseases have historically affected communities, especially in tropical areas where mosquitoes and illnesses are endemic. Globalization, climate change, and increased travel have created ideal conditions for outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases that could threaten the American health system and place a burden on the national economy, especially in southern states. Methods: The study adopts a quantitative cross-sectional design with a retrospective survey carried out using the Pollfish platform in June 2022. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple regression to assess the three hypotheses: (H1) Chikungunya awareness is related to sociodemographic factors;(H2) Wearing long sleeves and pants is related to (a) Chikungunya awareness and (b) information-seeking behaviors, when controlling for sociodemographic variables;(H3) Use of insect repellents is related to (a) Chikungunya awareness and (b) information-seeking behaviors when controlling for sociodemographic variables. Results: The results highlight the relationships between chikungunya's awareness, information-seeking behavior, and willingness to engage in protective behaviors. 45.91% of the participants mentioned not having heard about chikungunya, and 67.07% of respondents had sought information about mosquito-borne illnesses in the past, 55.9% have looked at the U.S. State Department's website for mosquito-borne diseases, 38.32% have visited the U.S. CDC website for information specifically about chikungunya. Conclusions: The results of this study show that most American travelers are unaware of chikungunya and its mode of transmission. Travel could likely introduce the chikungunya virus to the United States. Despite increased health information-seeking behavior among U.S. residents after the Covid19 pandemic, Chikungunya awareness is low.

Pandemic Produce: Impacts of COVID-19 on Florida's Fruit and Vegetable Industries

Florida has one of the most diverse agricultural economies in the United States, producing several dozen types of fruits and vegetables that are consumed within the state, across the country, and around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting policy responses occurred during the peak of spring harvest season for many crops in Florida, abruptly removing market demand from the food service industry and shifting consumer purchasing habits, which enabled insights into several aspects of the fruit and vegetable supply chain. This article examines how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted fruit and vegetable industries in Florida, how these industries responded to COVID-19 impacts, and how Florida's experience compared to that of other states. Data are derived from several sources including a statewide survey that measured agricultural production losses in Florida resulting from COVID-19 in early 2020, interviews with Florida operations that provided insights into how the pandemic induced change across the food supply chain, and a survey of food supply chain operations in three regions of the United States conducted in 2021. © 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.

‘The plural of silo is not ecosystem': Qualitative study on the role of innovation ecosystems in supporting ‘Internet of Things' applications in health and care

Background: Internet of Things (IoT) innovations such as wearables and sensors promise improved health outcomes and service efficiencies. Yet, most applications remain experimental with little routine use in health and care settings. We sought to examine the multiple interacting influences on IoT implementation, spread and scale-up, including the role of regional innovation ‘ecosystems' and the impact of the COVID-19 context. Methods: Qualitative study involving 20 participants with clinical, entrepreneurial and broader innovation experience in 18 in-depth interviews, focusing primarily on heart monitoring and assistive technology applications. Data analysis was informed by the NASSS (non-adoption, abandonment, scale-up, spread, sustainability) framework. Results: Interviewees discussed multiple tensions and trade-offs, including lack of organisational capacity for routine IoT use, limited ability to receive and interpret data, complex procurement and governance processes, and risk of health disparities and inequalities without system support and funding. Although the pandemic highlighted opportunities for IoT use, it was unclear whether these would be sustained, with framings of innovation as ‘disruption' coming at odds with immediate needs in healthcare settings. Even in an ‘ecosystem' with strong presence of academic and research institutions, support was viewed as limited, with impressions of siloed working, conflicting agendas, fragmentation and lack of collaboration opportunities. Conclusions: IoT development, implementation and roll-out require support from multiple ecosystem actors to be able to articulate a value proposition beyond experimental or small-scale applications. In contexts where clinical, academic and commercial worlds collide, sustained effort is needed to align needs, priorities and motives, and to strengthen potential for good value IoT innovation. © The Author(s) 2023.

Change and Innovation within Florida's Food System in Response to COVID-19

The overall socioeconomic impacts of a pandemic event will vary temporally and geographically with differences in duration and scope of the event as well as with the extent and pervasiveness of the individual and institutional behavioral effects in response to the event. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated these behavioral shifts are impacted by several factors, each with differing levels of influence on the overall effects of the pandemic. In some instances, new or more tightly enforced regulations or laws limited the extent and manner in which individuals could interact outside their homes. In some cases, these regulations forced businesses to close or impeded their ability to adapt quickly. In other instances, regulatory shifts aimed at easing enforcement or monetary support enabled businesses and individuals to adapt to the circumstances they operated in. Changes in food consumption patterns (e.g., food at home vs. food away from home) caused significant, abrupt shifts in product movements. Researchers from the University of Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University used a two-phase mixed methodology approach to evaluate the modifications, changes, adaptations, and innovations occurring within Florida's food system. This chapter presents findings from the second, interview-based phase of this approach, which suggest that this period of limitations and transformation led to new relationships amongst food system stakeholders that continue to provide access to new markets and new revenue streams. © 2023 selection and editorial matter, Luca Storti, Giulia Urso and Neil Reid;individual chapters, the contributors.

Procedural simulation training in orthopaedics and traumatology: Nationwide survey among surgeon educators and residents in France

Contexte: La simulation est un outil de formation qui fait partie de la maquette du Diplôme d’Études Spécialisées (DES) de Chirurgie Orthopédique et Traumatologique (COT). Sa mise en place est complexe et peu répertoriée. L'objectif de l’étude était de réaliser un état des lieux de la simulation universitaire en France. Hypothèses: Son déploiement à l’échelle nationale serait incomplet. Enseignants et internes (étudiants de 3e cycle) pourraient avoir des avis différents sur la simulation. Type d’étude: Enquête nationale en France. Matériels et méthodes: Deux auto-questionnaires spécifiques ont été construits puis envoyés électroniquement entre Décembre 2020 et Février 2021 aux enseignants membres du Conseil National des Universités et aux internes de COT pour l'année en cours. Les questionnaires portaient sur l'année 2018-2019 non impactée par la COVID-19. Deux promotions d'internes encore étudiants en médecine à cette période, non pas été inclus, laissant 3 promotions pour l'analyse. Résultats: La participation était de 67/117 (57 %) pour les enseignants et 87/369 (24 %) pour les 3 promotions d'internes concernées. Parmi les enseignants répondants, 47/67 (70 %) déclaraient participer à la simulation et citaient l'université (70 %) et l'industrie (53 %) comme principaux financeurs de la simulation. Les enseignants répondants mentionnaient l'existence d'en moyenne 1,4 ± 0,9 centre de simulation (min-max, 0-4) dans leur région. Les simulateurs prépondérants étaient os secs (77 %), sujets anatomiques (85 %), simulateurs commerciaux (74 %) notamment pour genou (87 %) et épaule (78 %). Les enseignants estimaient avoir atteint en moyenne 33 % ± 23 (extrêmes, 0-100 %) des objectifs de la maquette du DES. Manque de financement (81 %) et de temps (67 %) étaient selon eux les principales barrières. L'existence d'une activité de recherche en simulation n’était mentionnée que par 21 % des enseignants. Selon les internes répondants, les moyens d'accès à la simulation pendant leur internat étaient le DES (28/87, 32 %), les diplômes universitaires (23/87, 26 %), le service hospitalier (17/87, 18 %), l'industrie (15/87, 17 %) et 25/87 (29 %) n'y avaient jamais eu accès. Les avis respectifs des internes et des enseignants (0 = pas d'accord – 10 = d'accord) étaient: sur l'intérêt de la simulation pour la formation, de 8,6 ± 2,1 et 7,1 ± 3,0 (p < 0,001);sur la bonne incorporation de la simulation au DES de leur région, de 1,5 ± 1,8 et 3,8 ± 2,6 (p < 0,001). Conclusion: Le déploiement de la simulation était encore incomplet à l’échelle nationale. Le manque de financement et de temps étaient ressentis par les enseignants comme les principales barrières à son développement. Les internes et enseignants répondants accordaient un intérêt particulier à la simulation pour la formation. Niveau de preuve: IV;enquête nationale. © 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS

The impact of COVID-19 on global value chains: Disruption in nonessential goods production

Public health measures enacted to mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have dampened economic activity by shuttering businesses that provide ‘nonessential’ goods and services. Not surprisingly, these actions directly impacted demand for nonessential goods and services, but the full impact of this shock on the broader economy will depend on the nature and strength of value chains. In a world where production chains are increasingly fragmented, a shock in one industry (or a group of industries) in one country will affect other domestic industries as well as international trade, leading to impacts on production in other countries. We employ the World Input–Output Database to depict the interdependencies among both industries and countries, which provides a full representation of global value chains. By assuming a homogeneous impact on demand for nonessential goods and services around the world, we demonstrate asymmetric effects on production by industry and international trade, leading to asymmetric relative impacts on national economies. Our results indicate that if demand for nonessential goods and services decreases by 50%, the global gross domestic product will decline by 23%, leading to relative impacts that are larger in China, Indonesia, and some European countries. Also, international trade declines by almost 30%, largely due to a reduction in economic activity associated with the production of raw materials and certain types of manufacturing. This work highlights the relevancy of going beyond measuring the direct effects of COVID-19 and provides insights into how international trade linkages will induce broader economic impacts across the globe. © 2021 The Authors. Regional Science Policy & Practice © 2021 Regional Science Association International