Lessons From the Subprime Years For the Covid Years

This study aims to draw lessons about the subprime crisis and how it differentially affected different business sectors. Based on empirical data from Eurostat, it aims to assess the resilience of firms during the subprime crisis (years 2008-2014) and whether they belong to some industries and economic sectors. It is also intended to analyse whether, regardless of whether an industry is resilient on average or not, it holds resilient segments. Finally, we evaluate the changes in the structure of the economy during the crisis;as well as draw whether the inferences drawn about the subprime crisis are compatible with recent Covid 2020 data. © 2022, Council for Social and Economic Studies. All rights reserved.

Corporate simulation and the articulation of the problem-based learning methodology with the continuous assessment model

Academic success is a priority, and according to the literature review, it is associated with the application of problem-based learning methodologies or the continuous assessment model. The case study performed was based on the course unit Corporate Simulation (CS), part of the Accounting and Finance course academic curriculum. After describing the functioning process, objectives, and assessment model of CS, it was shown that from 2014/15 to 2019/20, the level of approval of CS was 94.8%. Also, from the results of the survey conducted with the students who completed CS, from 2007/08 to 2018/19, on a scale of 1 to 5, in options 4 and 5 (good and very good), the objectives weigh on average, 85.3%, and that, in the academic year 2019/20, the specific characteristics of functioning, as a consequence of COVID 19, did not cause changes in the trends of assessment and approval in CS. © 2022, IGI Global.

Entrepreneurial activity dynamics that enhance tourism in Montijo municipality: Before and after COVID-19

Montijo municipality is in Setúbal district and belongs to Lisbon metropolitan area. Many new projects have emerged in the county related to tourism. However, the health crisis that plagued the world in early 2020 raised several concerns about the entrepreneurial activity of this municipality. Thus, this study has as main objective to broadcast the entrepreneurial activity that enhances tourism in Montijo municipality, before the health crisis and to present a reflection on the future of this activity in the post-COVID-19 era. It was possible to verify that the county has a set of positive indicators with regard to tourism activity and is one of the most dynamic at national level in terms of entrepreneurship. Besides that, the implementation of new business models, new products and services, new distribution and marketing forms, based on information and communication technologies can be very important to disseminate the region and to add value to the tourist experience and business, contributing to making the region a national reference of economic and social progress. © 2021, IGI Global.

Augmented Reality on Museums: The Ecomuseu Virtual Guide

Studies point that smartphones show an important role in the improvement of museum visitors experience. Mobile devices have become the main tool available for travellers, which enables the diffusion of augmented reality solutions through this channel. Based on that, a virtual guide prototype was developed to enhance the museum visitors experience inside a famous attraction from Foz do Iguaçu, the Ecomuseu, constructed with the objective to show the work of Itaipu's hydroelectric power plant and the history regarding the region occupied by its reservoir. The developed application inserts virtual elements in different locations of the museum. Whenever such elements are "captured", they tell the visitor information about what is being exhibited so the perception of the visitor and knowledge absorption can be improved. To validate the proposed solution, we tested the app with 15 different users. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted the app and performed the evaluation over the virtual tour of the same museum, which is available online. For the sake of our knowledge, this is the first time an augmented reality application is evaluated over a virtual representation of a museum. Despite the difficulties imposed by the current context, the feedback from the tested users was very positive. © 2021 ACM.

Patterns of oxygen saturation in prolonged recovery from COVID-19 pneumonia.

During the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, a recurrent pattern of prolonged recovery after acute COVID-19 pneumonia, characterised by low oxygen saturation levels for >2 weeks, was observed in an intermediate-care facility in Cape Town. A case study together with a series of 12 patients is presented to illustrate this phenomenon, and two types of 'sats gap' are described, which were used by physiotherapists and doctors to monitor daily progress. We attempt to explain this prolonged recovery in terms of the possible pathophysiology, and suggest a number of learning points to guide further research.

Integration in Central European capital markets in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic

Research background: Covid-19 pandemic had a strong impact on the economy and capital market. In times of crisis, it is important for investors to be able to diversify their investment portfolio in order to mitigate risk. However, the growing trend towards capital market integration may make it ineffective. Research on financial integration, during the Covid-19 period, has started to develop, mainly in major global capital markets. It is, therefore, important to extend this research to other capital markets. The purpose of the article: This contribution aims to analyze financial integration in the stock indexes of the capital markets of Austria (ATX), Slovenia (SBITOP), Hungary (BUDAPEST SE), Lithuania (OMX VILNIUS), Poland (WIG), the Czech Republic (PX PRAGUE), Russia (MOEX) and Serbia (BELEX 15), in the context of the global pandemic (COVID-19). Methods: To measure the unit roots in the time series, we used ADF, PP, and KPSS tests, and Clemente et al. (1998) test to detect structural breaks. To ana-lyse financial integration, we applied the Gregory and Hansen integration test, and to validate the robustness of results, we use the impulse-response function (IRF) methodology, with Monte Carlo simulations, as they provide a dynamic analysis generated from the VAR model estimates. Findings & Value added: The results suggest very significant levels of integration, which decreases the chances of portfolio diversification in the long-term. Evidence shows 47 pairs of integrated stock market indexes (out of 56 possible). The stock indexes ATX, BUDAPESTE SE, BELEX 15 show financial integration with all other indexes. On the contrary, the index of OMX VILNIUS shows only 3 integrations. Results also show that most of the significant structural breaks occurred in March 2020. The analysis of the relationship between markets, in the short term, shows positive/negative co-movements, with stati-tical significance and with a persistence longer than one week.

Saliva in the Diagnosis of COVID-19: A Review and New Research Directions.

This review presents literature that highlights saliva's utility as a biofluid in the diagnosis and monitoring of COVID-19. A systematic search was performed in 5 electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, LILACS, Scopus, and Web of Science). Studies were eligible for inclusion if they assessed the potential diagnostic value and/or other discriminatory properties of biological markers in the saliva of patients with COVID-19. As of July 22, 2020, a total of 28 studies have investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva. Several of those studies confirmed reliable detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the saliva of patients with COVID-19. Saliva offered sensitivity and specificity for SARS-CoV-2 detection comparable to that of the current standard of nasopharyngeal and throat swabs. However, the utility of saliva in diagnosing COVID-19 infection remains understudied. Clinical studies with larger patient populations that measure recordings at different stages during the disease are still necessary to confirm the accuracy of COVID-19 diagnosis with saliva. Nevertheless, the utility of saliva as a diagnostic tool opens the possibility of using rapid and less invasive diagnostic strategies by targeting bioanalytes rather than the pathogen.