An Extended Model of In-Situ Trip Satisfaction Formation

Tourists'satisfaction with their trips has two elements: affective (emotional impressions) and cognitive (rational evaluations). The former often depends on the latter (which includes the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and contextual sub-elements). Trip satisfaction, nevertheless, is usually measured after the trip has finished. Thus, a lag effect may have certain impacts on the evaluations. In addition, the influences of the current COVID-19 pandemic on tourists'satisfaction, in general, and their emotions, in particular, have not yet been considered. The purpose of this study is to examine tourists' in-situ emotions by tracing their antecedents, including the above-mentioned factors and those beyond them. Using data collected from one young tourist sample (n = 298) in Vietnam, this study found that the intrapersonal element of "nonverbal communication skills,” the interpersonal element of "relationship satisfaction,” and the contextual elements of "destination attributes” and "symbolic values” were influencers of these tourists' positive emotions. The situational elements of "COVID-19 self-efficacy” and "COVID-19 fear” did not have positive impacts. Theoretical contributions to the literature, and practical implications for trip operators and tourists are discussed. ©Copyright IJHTS.

A Laboratory Validation of Self-Collected Nasal Swab and Rhinoswab for the Detection of Sars-Cov-2

Intro: In Australia, the main methods to diagnose COVID-19 are through rapid antigen tests (RATs) and through nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT, including polymerase chain reaction) on healthcare worker (HCW)-collected combined nose/throat swabs. With self-collection widely used by the public for RATs, the aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of self-collected samples using commercial NAAT for SARS-CoV-2. Method(s): Consenting participants aged 14 years and older were provided with a self-collection pack containing instructions and either a FLOQSwab (Copan) or a Rhinoswab (Rhinomed). Participants collected their own nasal sample unsupervised prior to having a HCW-collected combined nose and throat swab taken for standard of care NAAT. Paired self-collected and HCW samples were tested on the cobas SARS-CoV-2 assay (Roche) and the Aptima SARS-CoV-2 assay (Hologic). Finding(s): We demonstrated comparable sensitivity, specificity, and agreement between self-collected nasal and Rhinoswab samples, compared to HCW- collected samples tested using the cobas SARS-CoV-2 and Aptima SARS-CoV-2 assays. In our study the clinical performance of self-collected specimens was comparable to HCW-collected samples, with both self-collect nasal and Rhinoswab samples resulting in 90-95% sensitivity, and in most cases >95% specificity. Discussion(s): Without the availability of samples for NAAT the ability to perform genomic testing is limited, reducing surveillance and public health investigations. We showed that genomic sequencing from self-collected samples can correctly identify the virus lineage and that the main determination of successful genomic testing is a high viral load rather than collection method. Conclusion(s): These data support self-collection as an accessible method for community testing for COVID-19 and introduces a novel collection device, the Rhinoswab as an alternative to the standard nasal swab. The testing method of self-collection can be expanded from the widely used RATs to NAAT and genomic testing which may inform the management and public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Copyright © 2023

A LASSO-based model for financial distress of the Vietnamese listed firms: Does the covid-19 pandemic matter?

Financial distress is a vexing managerial challenge for businesses worldwide, especially during a turbulent period like the COVID-19 pandemic. Motivated by an increasing number of closed businesses in Vietnam during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, this study is conducted to provide a comprehensive analysis of financial distress for Vietnamese listed firms. Machine learning approaches are employed using the annual data of 492 listed firms from 2012 to 2021. Specifically, we aim to identify the appropriate distress predictors for the Vietnamese listed firms using LASSO, a technique known to be superior compared to other variable selection techniques. Empirical results reveal that there are four key financial distress predictors for the Vietnamese listed firms, namely the ratios of (i) working capital and total assets, (ii) retained earnings and total assets, (iii) earnings before interest and taxes and total assets and (iv) net income and total assets. We also conducted an industry-level analysis and found that the Energy sector experienced the highest number of financially distressed firms during Covid-19. In contrast, Communication Services, Health Care, and Utilities had the lowest number of distressed firms. Policy implications have emerged based on these important findings from our analysis.

Impact of the Mobile Banking Application Ratings on the Vietnamese Bank Service Income

Based on the relationship between fintech and bank performance and the role of mobile ap- plications in bank operations, we investigate the impact of mobile banking application (MBA) ratings on bank service income. The quarterly data from the 15 biggest Vietnamese commer- cial banks in 2019-2020 were extracted from the public financial statements and the Google Play Store. The Generalized Least Squares method is applied to process the proposed regression models. We find a positive impact of MBA ratings on bank service income. We additionally ex- plore the MBA quality of a large bank that does not meet customer expectations and how the in- teraction between MBA ratings and leverage harms bank service income. Finally, users gener- ally appreciate the MBA quality, and COVID-19 does not affect the link between MBA ratings and bank service income. The study provides novel knowledge on customer behavior through MBA ratings and their effect on bank service income in an emerging country.

Measuring the Distance Body Temperature in Real-Time based on the Recursive Least Square Estimation

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread all over the world. People go to public or crowded areas (i.e., schools, universities, hospitals, and government agencies), they take a lot of time to be checked the fever symptoms because of coronavirus. Therefore, this paper presents a method to automatically detect the body temperature by distance based on the recursive least square estimation. An infrared thermal camera is utilized to measure both human and environmental temperatures in real-time within a two-meter distance. The recursive least square approach is applied to estimate parameters for these correct temperatures. A microcontroller is integrated to read, compute, and send the measured temperatures to both web browsers and smartphones using the message queuing telemetry protocol. Moreover, the module of radio frequency identification is utilized for identification of the personal information. To validate our proposed temperature measurement system, fifteen male healthy students are invited to record their body temperature. The experimental result showed that our proposed approach was the correct temperature compared with the commercial device (37 ± 0.17 ° C). However, our proposed system is more stable than the commercial device: the standard deviation of the commercial device and ours is 0.41 C and 0.09°C, respectively. The measured temperature of each person is monitored and stored in the cloud. It is easily accessed by web browsers and smartphones. In addition, our proposed system can show a warning if the measured temperature is greater than the threshold. This work promises to automatically initial selection for suspected cases of COVID-19 disease to reduce the infection of this pandemic. © 2022 IEEE.

A Decentralized COVID-19 Vaccine Tracking System Using Blockchain Technology

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines play a crucial role in preventing the spread of the disease. However, the circulation of low-quality and counterfeit vaccines seriously affects human health and the reputation of real vaccine manufacturers (VMs) and increases the amount of fear concerning vaccination. In this study, we address this problem by developing a blockchain-based COVID-19 vaccine tracking system called "Vacchain”. Our Vacchain allows users (USERs) to track and trace the route of vaccines. We propose three mechanisms, namely, a system manager (SYS-MAN), a mutual agreement concerning vaccine ownership, and vaccine passports, to enhance the security and reliability of data recorded in the Vacchain ledger. We develop this system on the Substrate platform with the Rust language. Our implementation, evaluation, and analysis have shown that Vacchain can trace and track vaccines smoothly. In addition, data security and reliability are enhanced by the abovementioned three mechanisms. The proposed system is expected to contribute to preventing the spread of COVID-19. © 2023 by the authors.

Improving English Communication Skills in Online Learning Through the Utilization of Feedback Provision and Learning Analytics: A Conceptual Framework

The emergence of educational technological tools and applications have changed the ways of teaching and learning among students and teachers in online learning, especially with the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 all over the place, forcing the educational sector to completely be shifted from traditional classroom to online learning. However, despite the rise of the educational technologies in online learning setting, the problem of English communication skills especially in written form faced by students is being emphasized as one of the urgent matters that requests more attentions and solutions. The problem also includes the students lost their motivation to communicate in English language, in online learning setting particularly. Through literature, it is found that the implementation of feedback provision and the utilization of learning analytics are regarded as one of the effective ways in improving students' written communication skills and motivation to communicate in online learning setting. However, very limited studies focusing on such area are found in language education. As a result, it is necessary to propose a conceptual framework of implementation of both feedback provision and learning analytics in language education context to improve English communication skills in online learning. Therefore, this study is intended to provide a conceptual framework on improving English communication skills in online learning through the utilization of feedback provision and learning analytics. This could serve as a roadmap for future research into this topic. Furthermore, the ways to implement this framework and the implication of the framework are also discussed in this paper that can contribute for literatures. © 2022 Association for Computing Machinery.

Stock markets' reaction to COVID-19: the joint impact of uncertainty avoidance culture and government response–evidence from emerging countries

Purpose: The authors examine whether the uncertainty avoidance culture and the stringency of government response play a role in shaping the stock market's response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The authors find that investors' response to the pandemic will not only depend on their instinct of uncertainty aversion but also on their expectation about the effectiveness of the government measures. The uncertainty avoidance culture amplifies the irrational actions of investors. However, harsh government responses will weaken this effect. Harsh government responses also send a negative signal to the market about the extent of the pandemic and the economic damage caused by anti-COVID measures. Governments need to be balanced in imposing anti-COVID measurements to preserve market confidence. Design/methodology/approach: In this article, the authors investigate whether the stock market volatility of emerging countries is simultaneously driven by two factors: the uncertainty-aversion culture of investors in a country and the stringency of the government's response to the pandemic. The authors conduct an empirical study on a sample of 20 emerging countries during the period from January 2020 to March 2021. Findings: The authors find that the national-level uncertainty aversion amplifies the irrational actions of investors during the period of crisis. However, harsh government responses will weaken this effect. The authors' findings show evidence that investors' response to the pandemic will not only depend on their instinct of uncertainty aversion but also on their expectation about the effectiveness of the government measures. Although harsh government responses can stabilize the investors' sentiment in countries with high levels of uncertainty aversion, they also send a negative signal to the market about the extent of the pandemic as well as the economic damage caused by anti-COVID measures. Originality/value: First, the study's results complement evidence from existing studies on the effect of uncertainty avoidance culture in determining stock market responses to COVID-19. Second, an important difference from previous studies, this paper adds to the behavioral finance literature by showing that investors' investment decisions in the face of economic uncertainty are not driven solely by their cultural values but also by their expectation about the effectiveness of the government policy. During a crisis, when the market has neither rational information nor adequate experience to forecast the future, the government must play an important role in stabilizing investors' sentiment and reactions. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Parent-Reported Use of Pediatric Primary Care Telemedicine: Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine delivered from primary care practices became widely available for children during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: Focusing on children with a usual source of care, we aimed to examine factors associated with use of primary care telemedicine. METHODS: In February 2022, we surveyed parents of children aged ≤17 years on the AmeriSpeak panel, a probability-based panel of representative US households, about their children's telemedicine use. We first compared sociodemographic factors among respondents who did and did not report a usual source of care for their children. Among those reporting a usual source of care, we used Rao-Scott F tests to examine factors associated with parent-reported use versus nonuse of primary care telemedicine for their children. RESULTS: Of 1206 respondents, 1054 reported a usual source of care for their children. Of these respondents, 301 of 1054 (weighted percentage 28%) reported primary care telemedicine visits for their children. Factors associated with primary care telemedicine use versus nonuse included having a child with a chronic medical condition (87/301, weighted percentage 27% vs 113/753, 15%, respectively; P=.002), metropolitan residence (262/301, weighted percentage 88% vs 598/753, 78%, respectively; P=.004), greater internet connectivity concerns (60/301, weighted percentage 24% vs 116/753, 16%, respectively; P=.05), and greater health literacy (285/301, weighted percentage 96% vs 693/753, 91%, respectively; P=.005). CONCLUSIONS: In a national sample of respondents with a usual source of care for their children, approximately one-quarter reported use of primary care telemedicine for their children as of 2022. Equitable access to primary care telemedicine may be enhanced by promoting access to primary care, sustaining payment for primary care telemedicine, addressing barriers in nonmetropolitan practices, and designing for lower health-literacy populations.

The mental health of Asian American adolescents and young adults amid the rise of anti-Asian racism.

Objectives: We describe the perceptions and experiences of anti-Asian racism and violence and depression severity prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic among a sample of Asian American (AA) adolescents and young adults. Methods: We used data from the Young Asian American Health Survey (YAAHS), an online-recruited sample of AA adolescents (ages 13-17) and young adults (ages 18-29 years) conducted during May 2021 to March 2022. We presented descriptive statistics examining the univariate distribution and bivariate relationships of depression severity, sociodemographic characteristics, and experiences and perceptions of anti-Asian violence. Results: Our sample (n = 176) comprised AA adolescents and young adults from 17 Asian ethnicities. A quarter said that the frequency and/or severity of their personal experiences of anti-Asian harassment had increased since the pandemic started. 76% indicated feeling less safe now than before the pandemic. Two-thirds reported that their depressive symptoms have increased since the pandemic started. Participants who reported feeling less safe now than before the pandemic were more likely to report increased personal experiences with anti-Asian harassment and increased depression severity since the pandemic started than those who reported feeling as safe or safer before the pandemic (p < 0.01 for both). Discussion: Findings illustrate AA adolescent and young adults are experiencing multiple health and social crises stemming from increased anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. We urge policymakers to strengthen data systems that connect racial discrimination and mental health and to institute prevention measures and anti-racist mental health services that are age- and culturally-appropriate for AA adolescent and young adults.

The mental health of Asian American adolescents and young adults amid the rise of anti-Asian racism

Objectives We describe the perceptions and experiences of anti-Asian racism and violence and depression severity prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic among a sample of Asian American (AA) adolescents and young adults. Methods We used data from the Young Asian American Health Survey (YAAHS), an online-recruited sample of AA adolescents (ages 13–17) and young adults (ages 18–29 years) conducted during May 2021 to March 2022. We presented descriptive statistics examining the univariate distribution and bivariate relationships of depression severity, sociodemographic characteristics, and experiences and perceptions of anti-Asian violence. Results Our sample (n = 176) comprised AA adolescents and young adults from 17 Asian ethnicities. A quarter said that the frequency and/or severity of their personal experiences of anti-Asian harassment had increased since the pandemic started. 76% indicated feeling less safe now than before the pandemic. Two-thirds reported that their depressive symptoms have increased since the pandemic started. Participants who reported feeling less safe now than before the pandemic were more likely to report increased personal experiences with anti-Asian harassment and increased depression severity since the pandemic started than those who reported feeling as safe or safer before the pandemic (p < 0.01 for both). Discussion Findings illustrate AA adolescent and young adults are experiencing multiple health and social crises stemming from increased anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. We urge policymakers to strengthen data systems that connect racial discrimination and mental health and to institute prevention measures and anti-racist mental health services that are age- and culturally-appropriate for AA adolescent and young adults.

Advancing the Understanding and Measurement of Workplace Stress in Remote Information Workers from Passive Sensors and Behavioral Data

Workplace stress has been increasing in recent decades and has worsened by the unique demands imposed by COVID-19 and the new remote/hybrid work settings. High-stress working conditions can be detrimental to the health and wellness of workers and can lead to significant business costs in terms of productivity loss and medical expenses. An essential step toward managing stress involves finding comfortable ways to sense workers and recognizing stress as soon as it happens. This work explores the potential value of using pervasive sensors such as keyboards, webcams, and behavioral data such as calendar and e-mail activity to passively assess individual stress levels of work in real-life. In particular, we collected a large corpus of such data from 46 remote information workers over one month and asked them to self-report their stress levels and other relevant factors several times a day. Analysis of the data demonstrates that passive sensors can effectively detect both triggers and manifestations of workplace stress and that having access to prior data of the worker is critical for developing well-performing stress recognition models. Furthermore, we provide qualitative feedback capturing workers' preferences in workplace stress monitoring.

Covid-19 Detection Based on Lung Lesion Signs in Big Data Processing Environment

The world is going through a global health crisis known as the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, the outbreak is still evolving in a complicated way with a high spreading speed and new variants appearing constantly. RT-PCR test is preferred to test a patient infected with Covid-19. However, this method depends on many factors such as the time of specimen collection and preservation procedure. The cost to perform the RT-PCR test is quite high and requires a system of specialized machinery for sample analysis. Using deep learning techniques on medial images provides promising results with high accuracy with recent technological advancements. In this study, we propose a deep learning method based on CasCade R-CNN ResNet-101 and CasCade R-CNN EfficientNet in a big data processing environment that accelerates the detection of Covid-19 infections on chest X-rays. Chest X-ray can quickly be performed in most medical facilities and provides important information in detecting suspected Covid-19 cases in an inexpensive way. Experimental results show that the classification of lung lesions infected with Covid-19 has an accuracy of 96% and mAP of 99%. This method effectively supports doctors to have more basis to identify patients infected with Covid-19 for timely treatment. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Logistics Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, and Loyalty During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Vietnam

The goal of the study is to examine and assess how the factors of logistics service quality provided by logistics service providers influence customer loyalty and satisfaction in Vietnam. This study employs samples of the Kansei technique. The article's data was gathered through an online survey of 388 distinct Vietnamese customers who used logistics services before and during the Covid-19 outbreak. After the data was obtained, it was evaluated using SmartPLS 3.0's Cronbach's Alpha test and structural equation model (SEM). Staff service quality, operational service quality, and technical service quality are the three factors that determine the quality of logistics services in the study. Out of the 10 proposed hypotheses, research findings show that five are acceptable. The Covid-19 Pandemic in Vietnam had a significant impact on all dimensions, but it had no effect on how satisfied customers were with the logistics service providers. Nevertheless, loyalty is considerably influenced by only one factor, which is customer satisfaction, and customer trust moderates the relationship between these two factors. As a consequence of that, several managerial implications have been proposed to help logistics service providers improve their services to attract and keep Vietnamese customers using their service in the long term.

Immunogenicity, efficacy and safety of mRNA-COVID-19 vaccines in people with multiple sclerosis

Introduction: Knowledge regarding the development of protective immunity after COVID-19 vaccines is needed to guide medical, political and public health measures against the current and future pandemics. Objectives and Aims: To characterise and compare the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of mRNA-COVID-19 vaccines in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) and healthy controls (HCs). Method(s): All pwMS vaccinated against COVID-19 in Norway were invited to participate in an ongoing observational cohort study (NevroVAX) from March 2021. Demographic-, immunisation-and disease-specific data were acquired from patient journals, web-questionnaires, the Norwegian Immunization Registry and Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases. Antibodies to full length spike protein and the receptor-binding domain (RBD) from SARS-CoV-2 were measured using a bead-based flow cytometric assay, while cellular immunity was investigated using high dimensional multiparameter analyses. Results and Conclusion(s): To date, 5545 pwMS were included with results available regarding humoral responses in 3021 (mean follow-up time 257 days), cellular responses in 140, and clinical efficacy in 900 pwMS. Those treated with anti-CD20 therapy or sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulators (S1PM) had weak humoral immune responses after two doses of mRNA-COVID-19 vaccines (80% and 91% <200 BAU/ml, respectively). Additional vaccine doses were safe and associated with a modest increase of anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD IgG antibodies (72% and 83% <200 BAU/ml after three, 74% and 89% <200 BAU/ml after four doses). Humoral responses were weaker after all vaccine doses in pwMS (also in those without treatment) compared to HCs. Cellular responses were significantly attenuated in pwMS treated with S1PM. An elevated rate of non-omicron breakthrough infections was observed in the anti-CD20 (19%), S1PM (18%), and HSCT (14%) group, compared to pwMS on other high-or low-efficacy DMTs or without treatment (13%, 10%, and 7%, respectively). Among 900 pwMS treated at the same hospital, 12 (1%) were hospitalized due to COVID-19, one requiring intensive care. Our results show that antibody responses correlated with the rate of breakthrough infections but is not necessarily indicative of a failed cellular or clinical response to vaccination, and that pwMS have weaker humoral responses than HCs regardless of treatment status. Updated, real-world data from NevroVAX will be presented at ECTRIMS 2022.

Characteristics of critically Ill COVID-19 patients with positive heparin-induced thrombocytopenia antibody

Background: COVID-19 triggers a potentially fatal hypercoagulable state. Multiple mechanisms may contribute to this disorder, among which the production of abnormal antibodies, especially Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) antibodies. There have been a few single case reports about HIT in COVID-19 patients. Nevertheless, risk factors for HIT in COVID-19 patients are still under investigation. Aim(s): We present a case series of critically ill COVID-19 patients with positive HIT antibodies treated at Cho Ray Hospital from July 2021 to December 2021. Method(s): This is a retrospective case series report of critically ill COVID-19 patients who were tested positive for HIT antibodies using an Anti-PF4/ Heparin antibody chemiluminescent assay with a cut-off value of 1.0 U/ml. Demographic information, clinical and laboratory characteristics were described. Result(s): 17 patients (9 female, 8 male) were included in the case series. Mean age was 59.24 +/- 12.95. Mean heparin exposure duration was 13.94 +/- 8.26 days for all types and 10.88 +/- 7.15 days for unfractionated heparin. Mean HIT antibody titer was 2.45 +/- 1.91 U/ ml. 2/17 patients were also tested positive for antiphospholipid antibodies. Baseline platelet count was 235.82 +/- 76.42 x 10e9/L. Nadir platelet count was 63.35 +/- 51.58 x 10e9/L. Baseline D-dimer was 6813.47 +/- 15028.00 ng/ml. Peak D-dimer was 14839.71 +/- 16,436.64 ng/ml. Only 2/17 patients had proven thrombosis. 10/17 patients had secondary infections, most notably with Acinetobacter baumanii (6/17) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (5/17.) 16/17 patients perished in-hospital. Conclusion(s): From our case series, we suspect that beside long, continuous exposure to heparin, secondary bacterial infections can be an important risk factor for HIT in COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, co-positivity with antiphospholipid antibodies may occur and complicate treatment options. Lastly, critically ill COVID-19 patients with positive HIT antibody seemed to have a very poor survival rate. However, whether this phenomenon is related to HIT remains to be investigated in future studies. (Table Presented).

Five-Year Follow-Up of a Phase 1 Trial of Donor-Derived Modified Immune Cell Infusion in Kidney Transplantation

Background: The administration of modified immune cells (MIC) prior to kidney transplantation led to specific immunosuppression against the allogeneic donor and a significant increase in regulatory B lymphocytes (Breg) (Morath et al., J Clin Invest 2020). We now wanted to investigate how this approach affects the clinical course of treated patients. Method(s): Clinical results of ten patients from a phase I clinical trial who had received MIC infusions before kidney transplantation were compared to results of 15 matched standard-risk recipients. Follow-up was until year five after surgery. Result(s): The 10 MIC patients had an excellent clinical course with stable kidney graft function and showed no donor-specific human leukocyte antigen antibodies (DSA) or acute rejections during follow-up. In contrast, 1 of 15 controls died and 5 of 15 controls developed DSA (log rank P = 0.046) (Figure 1 A, B). While the number of patients with a non-opportunistic infection did not differ significantly between groups (P = 0.36), opportunistic infections were reported more frequently in controls (log rank P = 0.033) (Figure 1 C). Compared to controls, MIC patients were found to have a trend towards a higher COVID-19 anti-S1 IgG index after vaccination with a median of 53 vs. 2 (P = 0.16). Importantly, the four MIC patients who had received the highest MIC cell dose 7 days before surgery and were on low immunosuppression during follow-up, continued to show absent anti-donor T lymphocyte reactivity in vitro and high CD19+CD24hiCD38hi transitional Breg as well as CD19+CD24hiCD27+ memory Breg. Conclusion(s): MIC infusions together with reduced conventional immunosuppression were associated with lower de novo DSA development and lower rates of opportunistic infections. In the future, MIC infusions could contribute to graft protection while reducing the side effects of immunosuppressive therapy. (Figure Presented).

Neutralization of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron Variants in Previous Non-Responder Kidney Transplant Recipients After Short-Term Withdrawal of Mycophenolic Acid

Background: Response to COVID-19 vaccination is significantly impaired in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) even after three doses of an mRNA vaccine. Adaptive immunization strategies are urgently needed to ultimately protect these patients from COVID-19. Method(s): We determined the effect of an additional mRNA-1273 vaccine dose in 76 non-responder KTR with at least 3 previous vaccine doses. In 43 KTR with triple immunosuppressive therapy including a calcineurin inhibitor (CNI), mycophenolic acid (MPA), and corticosteroids (CS), MPA was withdrawn to investigate the effect of short-term MPA withdrawal on COVID-19 vaccine immunogenicity. Seroconversion was determined four weeks after vaccination. In addition, neutralization of the delta and omicron variants was determined using a live-virus assay. In patients with temporary MPA withdrawal, donor-specific antibodies (DSA) and donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) were monitored before MPA withdrawal and at follow-up. Result(s): After vaccination, 24/69 (35%) KTR showed anti-spike S1 IgG antibodies above the predefined cut-off, excluding 7 breakthrough infections that occurred during follow-up. SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies were significantly higher in patients where MPA was withdrawn (Figure 1A). Neutralization of the delta variant was significantly better compared to neutralization of the omicron variant (Figure 1B). Higher SARSCoV-2-specific antibodies were associated with better in-vitro neutralization of the delta and omicron variants (Figure 1C). In KTR with MPA withdrawal, no significant changes in S-creatinine, proteinuria or dd-cfDNA were observed. No acute rejection episode occurred during short-term follow-up. However, resurgence of pre-existing DSA was observed in 7 patients and the development of de novo DSA in one patient. Conclusion(s): MPA withdrawal seems reasonable to increase immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. For safety reasons, this may only be offered to patients without current or previous DSA.

Factors influencing continuance intention of online shopping of generation Y and Z during the new normal in Vietnam

This study investigated the determinants of online shopping continuance intention of Generation Y and Z during the new normal. A conceptual framework, which was an extension of the Technology Acceptance Model, was empirically tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling, multi-group analysis technique, and the data collected from 847 Gen Y-ers and Gen Z-ers in Hanoi, Vietnam during March 2022. The results revealed that facilitators of repurchase intention included perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, satisfaction, and environmental awareness while perceived risks of online shopping served as a barrier. Notably, the barrier was found to affect Gen Y's repurchase intention more severely. Personalization was not directly associated with the intention but had strong indirect effects through perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and satisfaction. The risk of COVID-19 was not a predictor of online repurchase intention. Understanding of the continuance intention of online shopping among consumers from different generations in an emerging country during the new normal may aid to enhance the quality of decision-making. Specifically, platforms and sellers should adopt customized marketing programs towards Gen Y and Gen Z. Additionally, a user-friendly and informative purchasing process with personalized features should be formulated. Demonstrating online shopping as a green behavior would be useful. This study differs from earlier research by considering and comparing factors influencing the intention to keep shopping online of Gen Y and Gen Z in a developing country when the COVID-19 is well controlled.