ABSTRACT
Background: Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) arise and affect society in complex ways. We conducted a scoping review to explore how systems-oriented methods have been used to prevent and control EIDs. Methods: We used the Joanna Briggs Institute framework for scoping reviews in this study. We included peer-reviewed articles about health care systems preparedness and response, published from 1 January 2000. We considered the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) list of prioritised diseases for research and development when choosing the pathogens and only included studies that considered the dynamics between the system’s elements. Results: Our initial search yielded 9985 studies. After screening, 177 studies were considered for inclusion in this review. After assessment by two independent reviewers, seven studies were included. The studies were published between 2009 and 2021. Most focused on sarbecoviruses and targeted healthcare policymakers and governments. System dynamics approaches were the most used methods. Most of the studies incorporated the classical epidemiological models alongside systems-oriented methods. The studies were conducted in context of diseases dynamics and its burden on human health, the economy and healthcare systems. The most reported challenge was epidemiological and geographical data timeliness and quality. Conclusions: Systems dynamics approaches can help policy makers understand the elements of a complex system and thus offer potential solutions for preventing and controlling EIDs. © 2022 by the authors.
ABSTRACT
Background & Objective: Measurement of inflammatory markers and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) may contribute to the evaluation of lung involvement severity. This study aimed to evaluate relationship between severity of primary lung involvement with highest level of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and LDH in patients with COVID-19. Materials & Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 123 patients with COVID-19 in Shahid Sadoughi Hospital. Data including age, gender, ESR (mm/h), LDH (U/L), and high-resolution Computed Tomography scan (HRCT) findings and hospitalization ward were extracted from medical records. The regression model was used to determine the relation between HRCT findings with LDH and ESR. Results: Mean LDH, ESR, and HRCT findings were 508.41±224.65, 52.23±29.56, and 37.17± 22.18 respectively. A significant relation was seen between HRCT findings with highest level of LDH and ESR (P=0.001). A significant relation was observed between the highest levels of ESR and HRCT findings, regarding age, gender, and hospitalization wards (P<0.01). There was a significant relation between the highest level of LDH and HRCT findings regarding age group and hospitalization wards (P<0.01). Conclusion: A significant relation was seen between HRCT findings and highest levels of ESR and LDH in patients with COVID-19. Therefore, it seems that assessment of laboratory findings such as LDH and ESR can be helpful as cost-effective markers instead of chest CT scan for predicting the severity of lung injury when the CT scan report is controversial. The relation between HRCT findings with LDH and ESR were affected by age and hospitalization ward. However, more studies should be conducted in this regard.
ABSTRACT
Environmental disruptions can disturb the status quo. This can create the need for employees to navigate rapidly evolving demands in their work environment, often before formalized strategic plans can be developed and/or implemented. As such, understanding how employees experience and respond to these disruptions is critical for effective strategic human resource management. Drawing on appraisal theories of emotion, we argue that employees' appraisals of how the disruption has impacted their work can elicit discrete emotions (e.g., frustration and pride). In turn, these emotions can encourage employees to address challenges and opportunities by engaging in job crafting behaviors. Importantly, job crafting behaviors can have implications for subsequent employee outcomes (e.g., performance and well-being). We test our predictions using a three-wave survey (N = 402) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic-an unexpected environmental disruption that sparked rapid change. Theoretically, our findings provide insight into why and how employees can self-initiate changes to their jobs in response to environmental disruptions as well as how job crafting behaviors impact employee outcomes. Practically, our findings provide insight and guidance to SHRM practitioners on how to effectively support and manage employees before, during, and after environmental disruptions.
ABSTRACT
This paper looks at the effects the current coronavirus pandemic has had on the themed entertainment industry-specifically on Disney Parks and Resorts. It utilizes tools from the Systems Thinking field, including stakeholder analysis, shaping force analysis, a conceptagon triple, causal loop diagrams, and systemigrams to provide insights into the problem space facing Disney theme parks. This analysis reveals aspects of the problem that need to be considered when evaluating potential solutions to interim and long-term challenges presented. It points out the natural boost that the pandemic gave to Disney's streaming service, Disney+, and it explores ways to mimic that phenomenon to provide increased opportunities for the company. It highlights the importance of group experience to theme parks and the prominent role that destination plays in the current makeup of themed entertainment experience. It concludes that design efforts are best aimed at exploring solution spaces that place emphasis on multi-generational experiences that allow connection to the Disney brand without requiring significant extra-party interaction. Augmented Reality is one technology that shows promise for addressing social distancing concerns while fostering group experiences. Design work can and should be both interested in destination experiences and experiences that can be implemented in non-traditional locations. © 2021 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
In December 2019, a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) suddenly emerged in Wuhan, China. In March 2020, WHO declares the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. The virus has spread quickly to all over China and most of the countries and regions within the increasing urbanization and globalization, infected more than three million people worldwide. A crucial factor that may significantly affect the spread of COVID-19 is the multiple, interactive, emergent, and complex characteristics and systems of the social systems. This paper describes a systems approach modeling and analyzing the emergence and spread of COVID-19 in urban systems, seeking to combine the multi-layer urban structure between complex infrastructure systems, human activities and policy systems. Moreover, a complex network model is built to illustrate the diffusion of the virus with or without the intervention of policy systems under the different policy intensity by the changed basic reproduction number (R-0). Besides, a system dynamics model, including feedback loops and changes, is proposed to demonstrate how the COVID-19 spreads out under the interactive and interrelated characteristics and systems of the complex systems at different levels.