Comparison of capillary blood and plasma samples for the evaluation of seroprevalence to SARS-CoV-2 antibodies by lateral flow immunoassay in a university population in Medellín, Colombia, 2020.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using the SARS-CoV-2 antibody test in a university population. Capillary blood and plasma samples were compared and correlated with symptomatology to establish rapid treatment processes and develop a public health strategy within the community. Study design: Descriptive study of seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in a university population. Methods: Standardised and validated laboratory serological tests were used to assess the immune response detected in capillary blood and plasma samples. In this study, 280 participants from the University Colegio Mayor de Antioquia in the Municipality of Medellín, Colombia, were tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in capillary blood and plasma samples between November 2020 and January 2021. Results: In total, 29 (11.2%) individuals had positive results for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgG/IgM); 28 (96.6%) had positive results in plasma samples and 11 (37.9%) in capillary blood samples. The two tests were compared, and the overall sensitivity and specificity of capillary vs plasma samples was 36.7% and 99.6%, respectively. Conclusions: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgG/IgM) can be used to estimate the seroprevalence in populations, including immunity by vaccination; however, capillary blood samples should not be used to detect previous infection as they provide low sensitivity compared to plasma samples.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus: Clinical outcomes due to COVID-19. Protocol of a systematic literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes has been associated with an increased risk of complications in patients with COVID-19. Most studies do not differentiate between patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, which correspond to two pathophysiological distinct diseases that could represent different degrees of clinical compromise. OBJECTIVE: To identify if there are differences in the clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19 and diabetes (type 1 and type 2) compared to patients with COVID-19 without diabetes. METHODS: Observational studies of patients with COVID-19 and diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) will be included without restriction of geographic region, gender or age, whose outcome is hospitalization, admission to intensive care unit or mortality compared to patients without diabetes. Two authors will independently perform selection, data extraction, and quality assessment, and a third reviewer will resolve discrepancies. The data will be synthesized regarding the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with diabetes and without diabetes accompanied by the measure of association for the outcomes. The data will be synthesized regarding the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with diabetes and without diabetes accompanied by the measure of association for the outcomes. EXPECTED RESULTS: Update the evidence regarding the risk of complications in diabetic patients with COVID-19 and in turn synthesize the information available regarding type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, to provide keys to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of diabetics. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRY: This study was registered at the International Prospective Registry for Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO)-CRD42021231942.

Green Information System (GIS) Model in the Conference Sector: Exploring Attendees' Adoption Behaviors for Conference Apps.

Introduction: Academic conferences are carbon-intensive. Conference travel by air contributes to huge amount of global greenhouse gas emissions, which can be reduced by adopting green information systems (green IS or GIS). This study aims to investigate attendees' behaviors for adopting green IS (such as conference apps) from an ecological perspective. Methods: For this research, a survey method was used. Survey instrument had 29 items adapted from existing scales. Data was collected using Mturk's panel of respondents on online Qualtrics. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted on 403 responses for data analysis and validation of the results using SPSS AMOS ver. 24. Findings: This study provides empirical evidence to add ecological beliefs as a key predictor of green IS adoption models. Findings demonstrate that attitudes and ecological beliefs play an essential role in conference app adoption, in comparison with performance expectations, social impacts, and facilitation conditions, as presented in the traditional technology acceptance literature. Findings assist conference owners develop essential communication strategies for green attendees.

Associations between Physical Activity Level and Mental Health in the Spanish Population: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles appear to be critical factors in developing mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and other diseases in developed societies. This study analysed the associations between physical activity level (PAL) and mental health using the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12) in the Spanish population before the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional design, based on data from the Spanish National Health Survey (ENSE 2017), the last health survey before the pandemic, was carried out with 17,641 participants. Data did not follow a normal distribution, so non-parametric tests were used to analyse intergroup differences, differences at baseline and post hoc, and correlations between variables. Associations were found between the PAL, mental health and all its dimensions. The groups that performed moderate and intense PAL showed lower values in the GHQ12 questionnaire than those who walked or were inactive. Thus, higher PAL was associated with better mental health indicators, including successful coping, self-esteem and stress. This study provides a framework to compare outcomes between the pre- and post-pandemic periods, as the ENSE is performed every five years.

Impact of Techno-Creators and Techno-Inhibitors on Techno-Stress Manifestations in Chilean Kindergarten Directors in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Teleworking.

The research objective was to predict the impact of techno-creators and techno-inhibitors on the different manifestations of technostress in kindergarten directors in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and telework. The participants were INTEGRA Foundation kindergarten directors, from a sample of 567 kindergartens in Chile. To measure the technostress manifestations, the RED-TIC questionnaire was used as an instrument, and concerning techno-creators and techno-inhibitors, those established in previous research were considered. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) methodology was used, and the model estimation was performed using SmartPLS version 3.0 software. It was obtained that techno-creators correlate positively and significantly with the technostress manifestations. A negative correlation was found between techno-inhibitors and technostress manifestations and techno-creators, but not significant for skepticism and inefficacy manifestations. Therefore, it is concluded that techno-creators lead to technostress manifestations, however, techno-inhibitors did not show a significant effect in reducing these manifestations in the sample studied.

A Cross-Sectional Study about the Associations between Physical Activity Level, Self-Perceived Health Perception and Mental Health in Informal Caregivers of Elderly or People with Chronic Conditions in Spain.

Providing informal care for older people, or people with chronic conditions, is associated with poorer physical and mental health and reduced quality of life. This task, in many cases, often relies on the women in the immediate family. Physical activity (PA) is a tool to enhance caregivers' physical and mental health and their quality of life. Thus, this study aimed to analyse the associations between the physical activity level (PAL), self-perceived health (SPH) and mental health (SM) and its factors (positive coping, self-esteem, and stress) by conducting a cross-sectional study by using data from in the National Health Survey 2017 (ENSE 2017), the last one before the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample included 2225 caregivers (866 men and 1361 women). Descriptive analysis and non-parametric statistical tests, including chi-square, the Kruskal-Wallis test, the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Spearman's rho correlation coefficient, were used. Dependence relationships were found between PAL and SPH and MH and their factors. The population groups that performed moderate or vigorous PA showed better results in both SPH and MH. Women scored worse than men in all the variables analysed. Hence, intense, or moderate PA practice may improve SPH and MH in Spanish informal caregivers, requiring the implementation of policies and programs considering the differences found between men and women in PAL, SPH, and MH.

The Effects of Media Encouragements on Coronavirus Vaccination Decision and Public Interest in Traveling Abroad

A lack of knowledge exists about individuals’ vaccination decisions and their relation to their tourism behaviors. In this regard, this study examines the willingness of international travelers to take a COVID-19 vaccine prior to traveling. A quantitative research design with a survey method and the ordinary least square (OLS) multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The media encouragement positively affected the travelers’ attitude toward the behavior and their injunctive social norm, whereas the travelers’ attitude toward the behavior and injunctive social norm positively affected their COVID-19 vaccination intention. The regression results also proved the mediating effect of both attitudes toward the behavior and injunctive social norm in the relationship between media encouragement and COVID-19 vaccination intention. This research successfully provided evidence regarding the role of media encouragement in travelers’ willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccination.

Does Servant Leadership Control Psychological Distress in Crisis? Moderation and Mediation Mechanism

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of servant leadership on the psychological distress of healthcare staff during the Covid-19 crisis. The authors propose that work engagement mediates and mindfulness moderates the direct relationship between servant leadership and psychological distress. Methods Time-lagged data were collected from 277 healthcare staff working at different hospitals in Pakistan. Process Macro version 3.1 on SPSS 23 was used for statistical analysis. For model fitness, we used AMOS V 22. Results The results show that servant leadership is negatively related to psychological distress. Furthermore, work engagement mediates the relationship between servant leadership and psychological distress. Moreover, mindfulness is anticipated to moderate the direct relationship between servant leadership and psychological distress, drawing on the social exchange and conservation of resources theory. Discussion This study finds that servant leadership is vital for the mental health of healthcare staff. Thus, it extends the utility of the concept of servant leadership to the psychology and crisis management literature.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Food Supply Chain and the Role of E-Commerce for Food Purchasing

The world has been plagued by an unforeseen threat to public health by the appearance of COVID-19, which has impacted the world's economy and the worldwide supply chain. The unexpected pandemic (COVID-19) quickly spread across the world, leaving not a single country unaffected by the worldwide pandemic. At the start of COVID-19, several countries adopted social distancing and lockdowns due to the virus. The existing pandemic's discriminatory aspect has a negative influence on human health and the standard of living, as well as worldwide trade, supply chains, and major economies. COVID-19 has been shown to have an effect throughout the broader food supply chain, one of the largest significant sectors of any country, from the field to the consumers. There are currently substantial concerns regarding food production, manufacturing, delivery, and consumption in light of emerging issues within the food supply chain. Limitations on the mobility of workers, variations in consumer demands, the shutdown of food manufacturing industries, limited food trading regulations, and financial stress throughout the food supply chain are all results of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic (COVID-19) has changed consumer behavior and affected the business and economic sector. The purpose of this study was to explore the application of the Q-technique in the investigation of online consumer and manufacturer behavior in relation to end-user food purchases via digital marketing skills, supply chain possibilities, food purchaser and consumer happiness, and e-commerce infrastructure efficiency under the influence of COVID-19. The results show that in the crisis of supply chain management, clarifying the import food industry e-commerce supply chain crisis items, and determining their priority and strength can help enterprises make emergency decisions regarding supply chain operation;they can also be used as a reference for enterprises to use in responding to the crisis.

Examining Whistleblowing Intention: The Influence of Rationalization on Wrongdoing and Threat of Retaliation

Whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing often face several concerns, pressures, and threats of retaliation before reaching a final decision. Specifically, this study examines the effects of perceived seriousness of wrongdoing (PSW) and perceived threat of retaliation (PTR), as well as the impact of rationalization (RNL), comparing perceived seriousness of wrongdoing, perceived threat of retaliation and whistleblowing intention. Furthermore, this study aims to determine the mediating effect of anticipated regret (AR) on the relationship between perceived seriousness of wrongdoing and whistleblowing intention. We validated our model by analyzing data gathered across three stages from employees in the telecom sector in Pakistan. The key findings of our research may be summarized as follows: (i) individuals’ willingness to ‘blow the whistle’ increases as a result of perceived seriousness of wrongdoing;(ii) whistleblowers are more likely to opt to remain silent if they anticipate a greater threat of retaliation, and (iii) our study establishes a positive connection between perceived seriousness of wrongdoing and whistleblowing intention, indicating that perceived seriousness of wrongdoing enhances people’s willingness to blow the whistle, and whistleblowers are more likely to choose to emerge if the behaviour is more serious in nature;(iv) the data we have uncovered indicates a moderating role of rationalization in regulating the connections between perceived seriousness of wrongdoing, perceived threat of retaliation, and whistleblowing intention;and (v) the findings demonstrate that anticipated regret mediates the connection between perceived seriousness of wrongdoing and the intention to report wrongdoing. Additionally, the results are discussed in terms of their significance for corporate ethics researchers and managers, as well as for end-users who are interested in whistleblowing.

Towards Examining the Link Between Workplace Spirituality and Workforce Agility: Exploring Higher Educational Institutions.

PURPOSE: Spiritual inherited employees quickly shift to new changes that occur very quickly in our daily lives in different ways. We are inspired by the dynamic changes in our daily lives due to the Covid 19 situation, an urgent need to specify the shift from the traditional approach to the agile approach during a pandemic. This study aimed to figure out the effect of workplace spirituality on workforce agility; further, this study underpinning spillover theory to examine the role of job involvement as a mediator. METHODS: This study investigates a sample of 236 teaching and administrative staff working in public sector institutes located in Peshawar, Pakistan. For data analysis, we used SPSS v. 25, and for model fitness, we used AMOS version 22. Furthermore, we used Process Hayes (Model 4) to test the theoretical model and research hypothesis for mediation. RESULTS: This unique study offers a paradigm in which spirituality in the workplace substantially influences the agility of teaching and administrative professionals by positively mediating the effects of job involvement. DISCUSSION: An in-depth examination of the literature showed that no prior research had studied the connection between WPS, job involvement, and workforce agility. Furthermore, there is very little research regarding WPS and its connection with other components in the Covid 19 scenario. The current study was a modest attempt to address this gap in the literature. This research has succeeded in making substantial additions to management literature.

Promoting Rural Tourism in Inner Mongolia: Attributes, Satisfaction, and Behaviors among Sustainable Tourists.

With the growth of rural tourism in China, this study aims to determine the destination attributes, tourism satisfaction, and intention of revisiting Inner Mongolia. This study also investigated the mean comparison of tourist satisfaction and revisit intention across domestic tourists' demographic characteristics. Structural analysis revealed that destination attributes have a positive influence on satisfaction and revisit intention. In addition, the result of the mean difference test showed that satisfaction is significantly different between male and female tourists, and revisit intention significantly varies across the season. Our findings have an excellent directive significance to bring forward rural tourism in Inner Mongolia.

Quality of Life of Vegetarians during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil.

Health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic can negatively impact quality of life (QoL) due to higher levels of stress, social isolation, and uncertainties. In this scenario, distinct population groups might react differently. Vegetarians, who follow a non-conventional dietary pattern, could be more vulnerable to the abrupt changes in normal life routine and economic instability. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating if the current pandemic situation somehow affected vegetarians' QoL. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Brazil between 28 July and 14 September 2020 to evaluate the QoL in vegetarians during the pandemic period. Vegetarian adults replied to an online survey that included the VEGQOL and WHOQOL-BREF instruments to evaluate QoL and questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 1282 individuals participated. Only 3.8% had tested positive for COVID-19, but 39.9% affirmed having a family member who tested positive for the disease. Almost half (46.3%) of the sample had an income drop due to the pandemic. Results of QoL scores in the different subcategories of vegetarians were similar to previously published data. Individuals who had already tested positive for COVID-19 had lower QoL scores than those who did not test positive, but only in the VEGQOL. QoL was lower for the participants who declared that Sars-Cov-2 had already infected a family member for almost all the parameters evaluated. On the other hand, an income drop affected QoL only partially. Studying how vegetarians are influenced by such conditions contributes to the generation of relevant data that can be used to support healthcare and public policies in the future.

The Role of B Companies in Tourism towards Recovery from the Crisis COVID-19 Inculcating Social Values and Responsible Entrepreneurship in Latin America

One of the particularities of companies with a social purpose is that, through their business model of B companies, they have incorporated into their processes the necessary mechanisms to obtain, simultaneously, the profits to ensure the existence of the organization in the market. At the same time, social value is generated, which is necessary to address the problems of the social crisis caused by COVID-19 and the environmental problems affecting the community. The current global health and economic crisis has opened up the possibility of adopting business model B and focusing more on the individual. Based on the grounded theory method, we have examined 3500 B Corporations in Latin America, of which 57 were examined in 10 countries listed in the Directory of B Corporations for Latin America. The main conclusions are that B Corporations dedicated to tourism through responsible entrepreneurship develop a more inclusive, sustainable and environmentally friendly economy for the benefit of society, go beyond the notion of CSR and move away from traditional business, as B Corporations combine social development and economic growth.

A Threat of Customer Incivility and Job Stress to Hotel Employee Retention: Do Supervisor and Co-Worker Supports Reduce Turnover Rates?

The study investigates the impact of customer incivility, job stress, perceived supervisor support, and perceived co-worker support on the turnover intention of frontline employees. A survey-questionnaire approach was used to collect the point of view of frontline employees that work in five-star hotels in a metropolitan city of Korea. Four independent variables that were extracted from valid theoretical backgrounds along with four demographic variables were used in the study. The regression analysis was conducted to test the hypotheses, which revealed that job stress directly affected the employees' desires to leave their organization. It also showed that perceived supervisor support mitigates employee turnover, and there were significant correlations between turnover intention with the employees' marital status and job position. Gender and years of service did not affect the employees' thinking of quitting their job. Our findings help hotel entrepreneurs better understand how to deal with customer incivility and employee job stress, and better comprehend the factors that minimize employees' negative behaviors for the organization.

Concerns, Knowledge, and Practices of Dentists in Mexico Regarding Infection Control during the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Dentists are highly exposed and vulnerable during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as physical proximity to patients is necessary for effective dental examination and treatment. The objective of this study was to describe the concerns, knowledge, and infection control practices of dentists in Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this cross-sectional study conducted from 22 May 2020 to 8 July 2020, an anonymous survey was distributed to dentists, which covered information regarding dentists' sociodemographic and professional characteristics, clinical practices during the pandemic, and perceptions regarding the application of infection prevention and control guidance for dental settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of 703 respondents, 73.1% (n = 514) were women and 53.6% (n = 377) were dentists with 1-10 years of experience. Regarding the statements issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the responses for 11 survey items had total agreement rates >90% (high frequency); seven and nine items had moderate and low frequency of total agreement, respectively. Most dentists in this study agreed with the WHO and CDC statements and were concerned regarding the possibility of infection, despite using the protective gear.

Technostress of Chilean Teachers in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Teleworking.

This article shows the levels of technostress in primary and secondary education teachers in Chile, in the context of educational telework that Chile has adopted in connection with the health crisis by COVID-19. The information has been collected with the use of the RED-TIC scale, previously used in this country, whose validity and reliability of the instrument has been treated, for this case, with confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA) with a national coverage sample of 3006 teachers. The results show that 11% of teachers reveal techno anxiety and 7.2%, techno fatigue. Combining both manifestations, we find that 6.8% of teachers are techno stressed. Finally, fatigue and anxiety factors are higher for female teachers.

Port Governance and Cruise Tourism

Cruise activities, until 2020, have presented a significant increase in revenue, as well as number of cruises and passengers transported, and it has become a challenge for ports to respond to this demand for services. In response to this, the world’s ports have implemented different governance models. In this context, in this paper, we aim to review the different governance models, as well as port cooperation, competition, and stakeholders. For this purpose, using science metric meta-analysis, an article set is extracted that strictly refers to the governance model of two databases integrated into the Core Collection Web of Science, whose selection process is polished with the PRISMA guidelines, establishing the eligibility criteria of studies using PICOS tool, to which a qualitative meta-analysis is applied. A limited studies set is identified, that includes governance model implementations, private strategies and internalization patterns in the port sector and cruise ships, patterns of port cooperation and governance, governance models in cruise ports, structures and strategies, and changes in the cruise market. Finally, various governance model forms are determined, all documented in the scientific research worldwide, discussing the various components of study topics.

Major determinants of death in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the first epidemic wave in Madrid, Spain.

ABSTRACT: Spain is one of the European countries most largely affected by COVID-19, being Madrid the epicenter. A good knowledge of the main features of hospitalized patients during the complete lockdown should improve the management of new COVID-19 surges.All patients hospitalized at one large tertiary hospital in Madrid for suspected COVID-19 pneumonia from March 1 to May 31 were retrospectively identified.A total of 1752 patients were admitted with suspected pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection during the 3-month study period. The peak of daily admissions (n = 84) was reached on March 24, whereas the maximal cumulative number of hospitalized patients (n = 626) occurred on March 30. Overall, 85.3% had a positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 at least once during admission. Their median age was 65 (54-77) and 59.9% were male. The median length of hospitalization was of 7 (4-13) days. Roughly 6.5% were admitted at the intensive care unit.Death occurred in 242 (13.8%). Overall, 75% of deaths occurred in patients older than 75 years-old. It was 38.2% in patients hospitalized older than 80 years-old versus 2.2% in patients younger than 60 years-old (p < 0.001). Up to 94 (38.8%) of deceased patients had been transferred from nursing homes. The median Charlson co-morbidity score was 6 in deceased patients.The in-hospital mortality rate during the first wave of COVID-19 in Madrid was 14%. It was largely driven by older age, the presence of underlying chronic conditions (≥2) and living at nursing homes.

Adaptive Metabolic and Inflammatory Responses Identified Using Accelerated Aging Metrics Are Linked to Adverse Outcomes in Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

BACKGROUND: Chronological age (CA) is a predictor of adverse coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes; however, CA alone does not capture individual responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Here, we evaluated the influence of aging metrics PhenoAge and PhenoAgeAccel to predict adverse COVID-19 outcomes. Furthermore, we sought to model adaptive metabolic and inflammatory responses to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection using individual PhenoAge components. METHOD: In this retrospective cohort study, we assessed cases admitted to a COVID-19 reference center in Mexico City. PhenoAge and PhenoAgeAccel were estimated using laboratory values at admission. Cox proportional hazards models were fitted to estimate risk for COVID-19 lethality and adverse outcomes (intensive care unit admission, intubation, or death). To explore reproducible patterns which model adaptive responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection, we used k-means clustering using PhenoAge components. RESULTS: We included 1068 subjects of whom 222 presented critical illness and 218 died. PhenoAge was a better predictor of adverse outcomes and lethality compared to CA and SpO2 and its predictive capacity was sustained for all age groups. Patients with responses associated to PhenoAgeAccel >0 had higher risk of death and critical illness compared to those with lower values (log-rank p < .001). Using unsupervised clustering, we identified 4 adaptive responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection: (i) inflammaging associated with CA, (ii) metabolic dysfunction associated with cardiometabolic comorbidities, (iii) unfavorable hematological response, and (iv) response associated with favorable outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Adaptive responses related to accelerated aging metrics are linked to adverse COVID-19 outcomes and have unique and distinguishable features. PhenoAge is a better predictor of adverse outcomes compared to CA.