ABSTRACT
The city of Christchurch, New Zealand, incurred significant damage due to a series of earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. The city had, by the late 2010s, regained economic and social normalcy after a sustained period of rebuilding and economic recovery. Through the concerted rebuilding effort, a modern central business district (CBD) with redesigned infrastructure and amenities was developed. The Christchurch rebuild was underpinned by a commitment of urban planners to an open and connected city, including the use of innovative technologies to gather, use and share data. As was the case elsewhere, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about significant disruptions to social and economic life in Christchurch. Border closures, lockdowns, trading limitations and other restrictions on movement led to changes in traditional consumer behaviors and affected the retail sector's resilience. In this study, we used CBD pedestrian traffic data gathered from various locations to predict changes in retail spending and identify recovery implications through the lens of retail resilience. We found that the COVID-19 pandemic and its related lockdowns have driven a substantive change in the behavioral patterns of city users. The implications for resilient retail, sustainable policy and further research are explored. © 2023 by the authors.
ABSTRACT
While there have been numerous studies investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, few research projects have examined the impact of the outbreak on using smart tourism technologies (STT), especially in developing countries. This study adopted thematic analysis, with data collected using in-person interviews. The participants for the study were selected using the snow-balling technique. We explored the process of developing smart technologies during the pandemic and its impact on smart rural tourism technology development upon travel restart. The subject was investigated by focusing on five selected villages in central Iran which have tourism dependent economies. Overall, the results indicated that the pandemic partially changed the government's resistance towards the fast development of smart technologies. Thus, the role of smart technologies in curbing the virus spread was officially recognized. This change of policy led to the implementation of Capacity Building (CB) programs to improve digital literacy and minimize the digital gap that exists between urban and rural areas in Iran. Implementing CB programs during the pandemic directly and indirectly contributed to the digitalization of rural tourism. Implementing such programs enhanced tourism stakeholders' individual and institutional capacity to gain access to and creatively use STT in rural area. The results of this study improve our understanding and knowledge of the impact of crises on the degree of acceptability and use of STT in traditional rural societies.
ABSTRACT
This review article surveys recent work in political theory that has brought together biopolitics and the COVID-19 pandemic. Centered on 2021 books by Giorgio Agamben and Benjamin Bratton, the essay outlines prominent visions of "negative" (Agamben) and "positive" (Bratton) biopolitical responses to the pandemic, engages public reactions to these approaches, and reassesses the position of biopolitical thinking in light of these. In doing so, the article recalls the foundations and original interventions of biopolitical theory, calling for a renewed engagement with the perspectives afforded by biopolitics that pushes past the negative/positive binary. Ultimately, the essay gathers together major developments in biopolitical thinking today, counters moves to discard the theoretical approach despite the limitations of recent examples, and repositions biopolitics as an ambivalent tool for political thought and practice going forward.
ABSTRACT
Pivoting to emergency remote learning (ERL) during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the ingenuity and perseverance of teacher educators. As a hallmark of the shift to ERL, teacher educators provided authentic and meaningful science learning experiences for students and teachers despite facing incredible struggles. This chapter focuses on the affordances and challenges of developing, disseminating, and reimagining online classroom materials, resources, and experiential learning. The three sections of this chapter include creative solutions to utilize physical resources through repurposing household items and distributing science kits, adapting physical resources to the digital world, and capitalizing on existing online infrastructure such as live animal cameras and videos. The examples shared in this chapter are intended to provide teacher educators inspiration and pathways to implement engaging and high-quality virtual science learning experiences for in-service and pre-service teachers, with the intention that such practices be leveraged during ERL and beyond. © 2023, IGI Global.
ABSTRACT
Risk perceptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic are significant factors shaping contemporary tourists' travel behaviour. While the relationship between perceived risk and tourists' decision-making and behaviour in relation to COVID-19 is already a significant area of tourism research, the role of exposure to media outlets in affecting travel intentions has only seen very limited attention. This is despite the clear importance of media in influencing risk perceptions and travel behaviour in general. This study proposes a framework linking crisis management, healthcare system, solidarity and destination marketing shaped by media exposure to post-pandemic travel intentions. This research lays a foundation for future research on media exposure and tourists' travel behaviour in times of crisis.
ABSTRACT
In an effort to contain the advancement of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many states have introduced unprecedented peacetime measures ranging from border closures and travel bans to the suspension of visa exemptions, as well as internal mobility restrictions, including full lockdowns and quarantine for incoming passengers. Nevertheless, coercive measures such as sanctions continue to be applied during the COVID-19 outbreak and have largely undermined sanctioned countries' capacity to respond to the pandemic. The latter has prompted renewed discussion of the humanitarian costs of this frequently deployed foreign policy tool against the civilian populations in the target countries. The inconsistent application of border controls and travel restrictions by states also raise questions as to the politics of pandemics and how they fulfill the International Health Regulations. Framed from a geopolitical perspective, this study aims to discuss the power of sanctions regime in relation to state responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper also discusses the degree of selectivity of border restrictions by major global tourism destinations. While the COVID-19 pandemic is first and foremost a health crisis, its implications are economically and geo-politically far-reaching with corresponding implications for the framing of travel and tourism within humanitarian and political contexts.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: In 2020, stroke and ambulance clinicians in North Central (NC) London and East Kent introduced prehospital video triage, which permitted stroke specialist assessment of suspected stroke patients on scene. Key aims included reducing conveyance of non-stroke patients to stroke services and reducing transmission of Covid-19. Method(s): Rapid, mixed-method evaluation of prehospital video triage in NC London and East Kent (conducted July 2020-September 2021), drawing on: * Interviews with ambulance and stroke clinicians (n=27);observations (n=12);documents (n=23). * Survey of ambulance clinicians (n=233). * Descriptive analysis of local ambulance conveyance data (n=1,400;April-September 2020). * Difference-in-differences regression analysis: team-level national audit data, assessing changes in delivery of clinical interventions in NC London and East Kent relative to elsewhere in England (n=137,650;2018-2020). Result(s): Clinicians perceived prehospital video triage as usable, safe, and preferable to 'business-as-usual'. Several interrelated factors influenced implementation: impetus of Covid- 19, facilitative local governance, receptive professional values, engaging clinical leadership, active training approaches, and stable audio-visual signal. Stroke clinician capacity was a risk to sustainability. Neither area saw increased time from symptom onset to arrival at services. Delivery of clinical interventions either remained unchanged or improved significantly, relative to elsewhere in England. Conclusion(s): Prehospital video triage in NC London and East Kent was perceived as usable, acceptable, and safe;it was associated with some significant improvements in secondary care processes. Key influences included national and local context, characteristics of triage services, and implementation approaches.
ABSTRACT
Advocates for a Universal Basic Income (UBI) argue that it would provide citizens with a basic foundation for financial security, boost the economy, alleviate poverty, encourage entrepreneurship, reduce crime, and insulate the employment sector against job losses due to automation. Still, the idea lags in popularity in the United States compared to existing cash policies such as the annual Earned Income Tax Credit and one-time COVID-19 relief packages. We hypothesize that this disparity is related to predicted uses of a UBI in comparison to annual or lump sum cash programs. In this survey of 836 Americans, we explore whether predicted behavioral responses to four randomly assigned hypothetical cash transfer scenarios vary across the domains of amount and frequency. Respondents are more likely to associate monthly payments with work disincentives and lump-sum transfers with debt repayment. Implications for UBI advocates include the need to continue educating the public on the empirical associations between UBI, employment, and expenditures. © 2023 by the authors.
ABSTRACT
Quarantine hotels have been established by governments to accommodate COVID-19 infected or potentially infectious guests. The employees of these hotels, despite the high-risk environment, must provide services to guests. However, limited research is conducted on the impacts of the pandemic on their psychological well-being and health. This study investigates the protection motivation of quarantine hotel employees, fear of infection, coping strategies and behavioural intentions towards guests. A sample of 242 respondents in designated quarantine hotels in Iran revealed that fear of infection significantly affects employees' protection motivation intention. Employee psychological resilience is greatly affected by different coping strategies. The findings indicate that untact hospitality can significantly be increased by the protection intentions of hotel employees. Cautious contact with guests is also significantly increased by protection motivation intention and employees' psychological resilience. The results offer both theoretical and practical implications.
ABSTRACT
This review article surveys recent work in political theory that has brought together biopolitics and the COVID-19 pandemic. Centered on 2021 books by Giorgio Agamben and Benjamin Bratton, the essay outlines prominent visions of "negative” (Agamben) and "positive” (Bratton) biopolitical responses to the pandemic, engages public reactions to these approaches, and reassesses the position of biopolitical thinking in light of these. In doing so, the article recalls the foundations and original interventions of biopolitical theory, calling for a renewed engagement with the perspectives afforded by biopolitics that pushes past the negative/positive binary. Ultimately, the essay gathers together major developments in biopolitical thinking today, counters moves to discard the theoretical approach despite the limitations of recent examples, and repositions biopolitics as an ambivalent tool for political thought and practice going forward. © The Author(s) 2022.
ABSTRACT
Purpose>This paper aims to identify research approaches and issues in relation to the main paradigms of resilience: engineering resilience, ecological resilience and socio-ecological resilience. This paper provides a synthesis of the core elements of each resilience approach and their implications.Design/methodology/approach>A critical thematic review was undertaken of the hospitality and tourism resilience literature.Findings>Resilience is a contested boundary object with different understandings according to conceptual and disciplinary position. The dominant approach in hospitality and tourism studies is primarily informed by engineering resilience with the focus at the organizational level. The ontological and epistemological understanding of resilience and change concepts appears limited leading to a lack of appreciation of the multi-scaled nature of resilience and the importance of slow change.Research/limitations/implications>The research has important implications for understanding the key elements of different approaches to resilience.Practical implications>The research synthesis may help improve resilience strategy and policymaking, including indicator selection.Social implications>The research notes the relationship of resilience to sustainability, the potential for learning and decision-making practices.Originality/value>In addition to thematic analysis, a model of the multi-scaled nature of resilience is provided and the key elements of the three main approaches with implications for theory and practice.
ABSTRACT
Background: The PEXIVAS trial (2018) showed no outcome benefit with the routine use of plasma-exchange (PLEX) in patients with ANCA vasculitis and eGFR < 50mL/min. As a result, our clinical practice changed in favour of no PLEX and replacing a standard steroid wean with a fast steroid taper, thus altering the burden of immunosuppression in patients with ANCA vasculitis. We performed a retrospective analysis of a cohort of patients with ANCA vasculitis and renal involvement to determine whether this change in management impacted on patient outcomes and infections requiring hospitalisation. Method(s): We audited a cohort of ANCA vasculitis patients with renal involvement under follow-up at a tertiary centre diagnosed in the last 20 years. We collected demographic and clinical data including induction agent, PLEX regimen, and details of infections due to immunosuppression. The outcomes measured were patients who were in remission at one year and infections that required hospitalisation or CMV viraemia within 1 year of diagnosis Results: A total of 134 patients were identified, 91 diagnosed pre-PEXIVAS and 43 post-PEXIVAS. 6 patients died from COVID-19 by 1 year in the post-PEXIVAS group, these patients were excluded from analysis. Pre- and post-PEXIVAS mean age (60.6 yrs and 59 yrs respectively) and sex ratio (54/91 (59%) and 24/43 (55%)) were similar. The preferred induction agent pre-PEXIVAS was cyclophosphamide (65/91 (75%)) whilst there was a move to Rituximab in the post-PEXIVAS cohort(13/43 (48%)). Pre-PEXIVAS, 27/91 (29%) patients underwent PLEX versus 2/43 (4%) post-PEXIVAS. Remission rates at 1 year after diagnosis were similar between the two cohorts (pre: 65/91 (71.4%);post: 23/37 (53%);p=0.18 by Fisher's exact test). Infections that required hospitalisation were not significantly different but there was a trend to lower rate of admissions (pre: 16/91 (17.6%);post: 5/37 (12.2%);p=0.61 by Fisher's exact test). Conclusion(s): Our results suggest that change in clinical management after PEXIVAS was not associated with poorer outcomes in relation to treatment response and there was no significant difference in infections requiring hospitalisation at 1 year in patients with ANCA vasculitis. Our work complements recent findings that PLEX was not associated with improved rates of renal replacement therapy or mortality (Nezam et al. 2022).
ABSTRACT
Purpose: In organ transplant, med errors, adverse drug events, and nonadherence lead to increased healthcare utilization and graft loss. Veterans with transplants are a high-risk population. Method(s): A med safety dashboard was created to identify potential issues that included missing pertinent labs, concerning trends in labs, drug-drug interactions, immunosuppressant non-adherence (refill gaps, expired meds), and transitions in care. This system was tested through a 24-month, prospective, cluster-randomized controlled multicenter study. Pharmacists at 5 intervention sites used the dashboard to identify and address potential med safety issues, which was compared with usual care provided at 5 control sites. Interim findings regarding dashboard functionality and interventions are reported here. Result(s): The study opened Mar 2019 and closed Jun 2021, with a COVID-19 induced hiatus (Apr to Jun 2020). As of the last interim analysis (18m follow-up), there were 1,928 patients enrolled across the 10 sites (1,181 intervention vs 815 control). Mean age was 65 years, 95% male, and 27% Black. Mortality was 9.3%, with no difference between arms (intervention 9.5% vs control 9.0%). ED visits (intervention 38.4% vs control 45.6%) and hospitalizations (intervention 25.6% vs control 37.6%) were higher in the control arm. The dashboard produced a total of 18,132 alerts from the 5 intervention sites;a rate of 1-2 per pt-month. Lab-based issues were most common (Figure 1), followed by non-adherence and transitions in care;70% of alerts were addressed (Figure 2 blue bars) in about 40 days (Figure 2 orange line). Actions taken by pharmacists are displayed in Figure 3, which were often already addressed or not clinically relevant. Adjustments made to med regimens based on dashboard alerts were uncommon. Multivariable modeling demonstrated location site, type of alert, and transplant type were predictors of alerts being addressed (Table 1). Conclusion(s): This multicenter cluster-randomized controlled trial demonstrates that a med safety dashboard is feasibly deployable across the VA healthcare system, creating valid alerts;although most alerts were already addressed by other providers or deemed not to be clinically actionable. Future dashboard refinements should focus on reducing non-actionable alerts and addressing workload barriers to timely review. (Figure Presented).
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In response to COVID-19, alongside other service changes, North Central London and East Kent implemented prehospital video triage: this involved stroke and ambulance clinicians communicating over FaceTime (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, USA) to assess suspected stroke patients while still on scene. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the implementation, experience and impact of prehospital video triage in North Central London and East Kent. DESIGN: A rapid mixed-methods service evaluation (July 2020 to September 2021) using the following methods. (1) Evidence reviews: scoping review (15 reviews included) and rapid systematic review (47 papers included) on prehospital video triage for stroke, covering usability (audio-visual and signal quality);acceptability (whether or not clinicians want to use it);impact (on outcomes, safety, experience and cost-effectiveness);and factors influencing implementation. (2) Clinician views of prehospital video triage in North Central London and East Kent, covering usability, acceptability, patient safety and implementation: qualitative analysis of interviews with ambulance and stroke clinicians (n = 27), observations (n = 12) and documents (n = 23);a survey of ambulance clinicians (n = 233). (3) Impact on safety and quality: analysis of local ambulance conveyance times (n = 1400;April to September 2020). Analysis of national stroke audit data on ambulance conveyance and stroke unit delivery of clinical interventions in North Central London, East Kent and the rest of England (n = 137,650;July 2018 to December 2020). RESULTS: (1) Evidence: limited but growing, and sparse in UK settings. Prehospital video triage can be usable and acceptable, requiring clear network connection and audio-visual signal, clinician training and communication. Key knowledge gaps included impact on patient conveyance, patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness. (2) Clinician views. Usability - relied on stable Wi-Fi and audio-visual signals, and back-up processes for when signals failed. Clinicians described training as important for confidence in using prehospital video triage services, noting potential for 'refresher' courses and joint training events. Ambulance clinicians preferred more active training, as used in North Central London. Acceptability - most clinicians felt that prehospital video triage improved on previous processes and wanted it to continue or expand. Ambulance clinicians reported increased confidence in decisions. Stroke clinicians found doing assessments alongside their standard duties a source of pressure. Safety - clinical leaders monitored and managed potential patient safety issues;clinicians felt strongly that services were safe. Implementation - several factors enabled prehospital video triage at a system level (e.g. COVID-19) and more locally (e.g. facilitative governance, receptive clinicians). Clinical leaders reached across and beyond their organisations to engage clinicians, senior managers and the wider system. (3) Impact on safety and quality: we found no evidence of increased times from symptom onset to arrival at services or of stroke clinical interventions reducing in studied areas. We found several significant improvements relative to the rest of England (possibly resulting from other service changes). LIMITATIONS: We could not interview patients and carers. Ambulance data had no historic or regional comparators. Stroke audit data were not at patient level. Several safety issues were not collected routinely. Our survey used a convenience sample. CONCLUSIONS: Prehospital video triage was perceived as usable, acceptable and safe in both areas. FUTURE RESEARCH: Qualitative research with patients, carers and other stakeholders and quantitative analysis of patient-level data on care delivery, outcomes and cost-effectiveness, using national controls. Focus on sustainability and roll-out of services. STUDY REGISTRATION: This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42021254209. FUNDING: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme and will be published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research;Vol. 10, No. 26. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
ABSTRACT
Natural disasters and other crises present methodological challenges to organizational researchers. While these challenges are well canvassed in the literature, less attention has been paid to understanding how distinct crisis events may present, not only unique challenges, but also important opportunities for research. In this chapter, we draw on our collective experience of conducting post-earthquake research and compare this with the COVID-19 pandemic context in order to identify and discuss the inherent vulnerabilities associated with disaster studies and the subsequent methodological challenges and opportunities that researchers might encounter. Adopting a critical perspective, the chapter grapples with some of the more contentious issues associated with research in a disaster and crisis context including aspects of stakeholder engagement, ethics, reciprocity, inequality, and vulnerability.
ABSTRACT
The role of domestic tourism as a substitute for international tourism has not received adequate attention in the literature. However, the potential for substitution has become particularly important in the COVID-19 pandemic context which has significantly impacted travel flows as well as the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Drawing upon data on major tourism destinations and generating markets, a tourism policy thought experiment is conducted to explore the substitutability of domestic for international tourism in selected countries in light of COVID-19 and other situations, such as the climate crisis and the urgent need for low carbon tourism. The analysis and discussion highlight the complexities in achieving sustainable substitution in rescaling international mobilities to domestic. It is argued that without careful changes to overall tourism provision and consumption behaviours in the international-domestic tourism division, a (partial) shift may provide short gains but is likely to fail in the long term. The paper concludes with a critical analysis of contemporary debates on COVID-19 related tourism transformation in relation to substitution between domestic and international tourism and sustainable tourism futures.
ABSTRACT
Background: In 2020, North Central (NC) London and East Kent introduced prehospital video triage, where stroke and ambulance clinicians used videoconferencing to assess suspected stroke patients on scene. The aim was to reduce conveyance of non-stroke patients to stroke services and reduce transmission of Covid-19. Methods: Rapid, mixed-method evaluation of prehospital video triage in NC London and East Kent (July 2020-September 2021), drawing on: • Interviews with ambulance and stroke clinicians (n=27);observations (n=12);documents (n=23);• Survey of ambulance clinicians (n=233) in NC London and East Kent. • Descriptive statistical analysis of local ambulance conveyance data (n=1,400;April-September 2020). • Difference-in-differences regression analysis of team-level national audit data, to understand changes in delivery of clinical interventions in NC London and East Kent relative to the rest of England (n=137,650;2018-2020). Results: Interview and survey data suggested clinicians perceived prehospital video triage as usable, safe, and preferable to 'business-as-usual'. Several interrelated factors influenced implementation, including impetus of Covid-19, facilitative local governance, receptive professional values, engaging clinical leadership, active training approaches, and stable audiovisual signal;stroke clinician capacity was a potential risk to sustainability. Neither area saw increased time from symptom onset to arrival at services, while delivery of clinical interventions either remained unchanged or improved significantly, relative to the rest of England. Conclusions: Prehospital video triage in NC London and East Kent was perceived as usable, acceptable, and safe;it was associated with some significant improvements in secondary care processes. Key influences included national and local context, characteristics of triage services, and implementation approaches.
ABSTRACT
Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI (Xe-MRI) is eliciting increasing interest as an outcome measure in clinical trials, and, with FDA approval expected in 2022, for clinical application. This technique can provide 3D images of pulmonary structure and function non-invasively and with no ionizing radiation. In particular, Xe-MRI can be used to map regional ventilation and gas exchange, both of which have proven effective at identifying structure and function abnormalities in a variety of pulmonary diseases. However, multiple breath-holds are required to collect ventilation and gas exchange images, which increases patient burden and the time/cost of imaging. Building on recent advances to Xe-MRI, namely 3D spiral imaging and flip angle/TR equivalence, we have developed an imaging sequence that can acquire high quality ventilation and gas exchange images within a single, clinically feasible (∼10 s) breath-hold. This sequence uses an interleaved 3D spiral/3D radial 1- point Dixon approach to simultaneously acquire ventilation and gas exchange images. In postprocessing, images are generated of ventilation (voxel size 4 x 4 x 4 mm3) and gas exchange, including xenon dissolved in tissues (“Barrier”) and red blood cells (RBCs) (voxel size 6.25 x 6.25 x 6.25 mm3). This sequence has been used to acquire images in 8 subjects, including 4 healthy volunteers, 1 patient with scleroderma associated ILD (SSc-ILD), and 3 patients experiencing respiratory post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Of these, 7 subjects had a dedicated breath-hold for imaging ventilation, and 5 subjects had a dedicated gas exchange image. In all cases, image signal to noise ratio was equal or superior to dedicated breath-hold images. Qualitative agreement between ventilation/gas exchange images in dedicated breath-holds (Figure A, B) and single-breath images (Figure C) was excellent, and quantitative biomarkers, including ventilation defect percentage (VDP) (ICC = 0.90, p = 0.006), mean barrier signal (ICC = .99, p = 0.001), mean RBC signal (ICC = 0.93, p < 0.001), global RBC oscillation (ICC = 0.984, p = 0.001), percent of the lungs with low barrier (ICC = .98, p = 0.001), and percent with low RBC signal (ICC = 0.92, p = 0.006) were closely correlated. Single-breath imaging was able to identify ventilation defects (Figure C), elevated barrier (in SSc-ILD), and RBC defects (in SSc-ILD, PASC). These data show that hyperpolarized 129Xe ventilation and gas exchange images can effectively be acquired within a single, clinically manageable breath-hold, which may help to pave the way for increased clinical utilization of hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI. (Figure Presented).