ZOOMING OUR WAY OUT OF THE FORUM NON CONVENIENS DOCTRINE

The effects of the pandemic have shed light on the evolution of technology in the legal space, including the use of technology in videoconferencing proceedings and facilitating court procedures. Despite the benefits associated with technology, the rapid adoption of videoconferencing proceedings in courts may have unprecedented impacts on the relevance and practicality of the forum non conveniens doctrine. Additionally, the drastically different approaches that federal courts have taken in response to the disproportionate geographic effects of the pandemic may give way to forum shopping. Plaintiffs may be more incentivized to bring their cases to forums that allow for videoconferencing proceedings as a strategic way to circumvent a defendant's potential forum non conveniens argument in a motion to dismiss. This Note argues that videoconferencing technology allows courts to effectively transcend the restrictions of geography while mitigating arguments about the relative convenience of different forums. Creating more uniform rules for videoconferencing proceedings will ensure easier predictability and uniformity in the forum non conveniens analysis. Specifically, this Note recommends that Congress and the courts mandate standardized technological videoconferencing requirements and adopt the original understanding of the forum non conveniens doctrine for lower courts to more explicitly consider the benefits of technology when making a forum non conveniens determination.

Examining the issue of employee intentions to learn and adopt digital technology. (Special Issue: How is hospitality education embedding sustainable practices in their curriculum and programme delivery? an Asian perspective.)

Purpose: In the post-COVID-19 era, the hospitality industry is rapidly moving towards digitalization, which requires employees to upgrade their knowledge and skills. Some employees resist those changes and refuse to upgrade their knowledge, skills and ways of doing things. Therefore, there is a need to understand this unexplored area and so this study examines employee intentions to embrace digital technology from the perspective of upgrading their skills and knowledge. The study investigates the moderating role of the employees' resistance to change motive (RCM) on their intention to embrace digital technology, especially in the post-COVID-19 pandemic scenario. Design/methodology/approach: The research is conducted using dynamic capability view (DCV) theory and status quo bias (SQB) theory. Drawing on the existing literature in this area, a theoretical model is developed, which is validated using the structural equation modelling technique to analyse data from hospitality industry employees. Findings: The results indicate that employees' dynamic capability plays a significant role in employees' upgrading their skill and knowledge capabilities, and this significantly improves employee intention to embrace digital technology. It also finds that the employee RCM plays a significant role in the relationship between upgrading skill capability and their knowledge capability to relation to embracing digital technology. Originality/value: The findings could be used by hospitality managers to better understand employee intentions with regard to adopting digital technology, challenges faced and the way forward.

Swine breeding in the villages of Valcea county, Oltenia (Romania) - tradition or necessity?

Food supply has been a constant source of concern for mankind. In the present context, with food security a priority of European and national policies, an analysis of pig farming in a representative NUTS2 administrative level of Romania that emphasizes the proportion of households raising at least one pig and the main factors influencing farmers to adopt or give up swine breeding could allow a much clearer understanding of this phenomenon that lies at the border between cultural tradition and socio-economic necessity. This study uses mixed methods that complement each another to help reveal this complex phenomenon in the analyzed territory. Cluster analysis shows the concentration of swine breeding and maps its spread in terms of both subsistence and larger farms, and qualitative interviews prove the motivation of farmers to continue in this occupation. As a primary result, the study visualizes the spatial distribution of pig farming in the rural environment of Valcea county, Romania, from a diachronic perspective in the post-communist period. It also reveals areas of differing concentrations of both very small-sized farms, which prioritize meeting their own food needs, and larger farms, which prioritize commercial production to supplement their revenue streams. Both categories, but particularly the latter, are of particular interest in a period in which the socio-economic environment after 1990 - marked by economic restructuring, unemployment, population migration, the economic crisis of 2008-2010, the pandemic of 2020-2021, and the most recent energy crisis - periodically highlights the importance of rural areas in ensuring food security and sufficiency at both the local and regional levels.

Comparing the Experience of Pre-Service Teachers in the First and Final Semesters in Online Learning Using a Focus Group Study

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, online learning has become the innovation and an alternative virtual education adopted by universities, due to campus closures. The sudden adoption of the innovation without prior preparation and training causes the ineffective implementation of online learning in most institutions. Based on this description, insufficient information is available regarding the experiences of the student population, which are the most affected by online learning in higher education. Therefore, this study aims to explore the experiences of pre-service teachers regarding their numerous abilities to provide a good online learning program. Using a qualitative focus group study design, data were obtained through the focus group discussion (FGD) on 58 and 52 teachers, which were divided into 10 study groups during the first and final semesters. The results showed that both groups had similar and different experiences, regarding lecturers' ability to effectively perform online learning. According to the experience of the participants, the lecturers with pedagogical and social-personal skills were able to emphasize and encourage the attractiveness of online learning. In addition, some of the differences highly depended on the specific indicators of the two aspects. These results are expected to provide a framework for university lecturers and administrators, towards implementing the learning process.

Smart Urban Governance in Epidemic Control: Practices and Implications of Hangzhou

Appropriate governance tools can facilitate urban governments' effective responses to crises. Supported by information and communication technologies (ICTs), e-government infrastructure can be employed to achieve smart governance in epidemic control. Examining the case of Hangzhou, this paper discusses the Chinese megacity's adoption of e-government infrastructure as a means of combating the COVID-19 epidemic and stimulating recovering of the economy. This paper also summarizes several policy implications that may serve as points of reference for other cities when formulating their crisis response strategies. The paper concludes that smart governance rooted in the use of e-government infrastructure has exhibited great potential for public health crisis management.

Adoption pattern of 448 varieties of tomato among the farmers of Ananthapuramu District

Andhra Pradesh is one of the major tomato producing states in the country. The presents tudy was conducted to identify the adoption pattern of 448 variety of tomato in Ananthapuramu district of Andhra Pradesh which was released by IIHR, Bangalore. The study also includes identification of the major factors for adoption and find out the major attributes of innovation that led to the adoption of 448 variety. An ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. The study included 40 respondents chosen by purposive sampling method. Data was collected with the help of well-structured interview schedule through telephonic interview due to COVID-19 pandemic. The statistical tools used for analysis are mean, standard deviation, cumulative frequency and percentage analysis. Profile characters of the respondents viz., age, educational status, occupation, farm size, farming experience, annual income, frequency of exposure to agricultural messages, scientific orientation and cropping pattern were studied. Based on the mean and SD values the respondents were classified into adopter categories. The results of the adopter categorization showed that two-fifths (40.00%) of respondents belonged to early majority and only 5.00 percent were innovators. Among the factors affecting adoption of 448 variety of tomato, majority (80.00%) adopted due to their own interest and with the influence of friends and neighbours. Compatibility (95.00%) and observability (82.50%) of the variety played an important role among the attributes of innovation for the adoption of 448 variety of tomato among the respondents.

An integrated model to decipher online food delivery app adoption behavior in the COVID-19 pandemic. (Special Issue: The impact of the covid-19 pandemic and the foodservice industries.)

The demand for online food delivery has increased considerably throughout the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers' habits in searching for information on and making decisions about ready-to-eat food have changed remarkably during this time. The purpose of this research is to explore consumers' use of online food delivery services (OFDS) during the pandemic via applications (apps) and the moderating role played by the consumers' perceived trust in the information. Data were collected from 246 users through e-mail and structural equation modeling using PLS-3 was used to analyze the data. We have shown 12 recent insights into OFDAs behavioral intention. We found that information and food service attributes influence the perceived usefulness of OFDS and ultimately shape the respondents' intention to use it. Behavioral intention toward OFDS and perceived trust have a considerable influence on the use of OFDA. This research offers insights into the effects of the pandemic on the food delivery market and shows the dynamics of the interrelationships among various information- and restaurant-related attributes that lead to actual use.

Sobre la obligatoriedad de las vacunas en tiempos de covid-19: aproximación contextual y análisis desde el Derecho y las políticas comparadas

El trabajo se centra en el estudio de la fundamentación jurídica de las normas que, en Estados Unidos y en los países miembros del Consejo de Europa, establecen la obligatoriedad de las vacunas contra la covid-19 en determinadas circunstancias o para determinados colectivos. La jurisprudencia del Tribunal Supremo, en particular la sentencia Jacobson (1905), y del Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos, singularmente la reciente sentencia Vavricka contra la República Checa (2020), es objeto de particular estudio. En ambas regiones del mundo existe una amplia coincidencia en varios aspectos: la competencia para acordar la obligatoriedad de las vacunas corresponde a los estados;esa obligatoriedad resulta respetuosa con los derechos de los ciudadanos cuando se adopta bajo determinadas circunstancias: riesgo grave de pandemia, existencia de vacunas eficaces y seguras, y ausencia de medidas alternativas menos invasivas. Las normas que establecen la obligatoriedad de la vacuna contra la covid-19 se enmarcan en el conjunto de las políticas públicas sobre vacunas que se han impulsado tanto a nivel estatal como de los organismos intergubernamentales. No se puede entender completamente el alcance de esas normas que obligan a los ciudadanos a recibir la vacuna si no ampliamos previamente el foco de atención y ofrecemos una panorámica de todas las cuestiones controvertidas que ha traído consigo el proceso de desarrollo, autorización, producción, priorización, distribución e información sobre esta vacuna. En cada una de estas cuestiones los estados han ido adoptando distintas posiciones, y frecuentemente lo han hecho con el propósito de reforzar su posición de poder en el contexto internacional. Como en tantas otras ocasiones, los principales actores estatales han sido Estados Unidos, China, Rusia y la Unión Europea. La aproximación somera a dichas controversias nos ilustra acerca del papel crucial que las vacunas contra la covid-19 han tenido y siguen teniendo en las relaciones internacionales: han servido por igual para tejer redes de colaboración, reforzar rivalidades y mantener desigualdades flagrantes.Alternate :The most important and effective action to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, once it was verified that the initial immunity due to contagion or generalized confinements did not solve the problem in the medium term, has been vaccination. The success of vaccines is nothing new. Throughout the history of humankind, vaccines have served to reduce and even eliminate some serious communicable diseases. It is not an exaggeration to say that, together with the purification of water and penicillin, the vaccination of the population against certain diseases is one of the greatest achievements both in the fields of public health and the health of individuals. However, the success of vaccines, not only in this pandemic, but throughout history, has always been in doubt. Despite the evidence of the preventative effect of vaccines, the anti-vaccine movement has endured over time and has even grown in recent decades. Such opposition has not diminished with the efficiency and safe results that the new vaccines against Covid-19 have produced using mRNA technology;on the contrary, it has continued to expand. After the development and authorization of vaccines against covid-19 in record time, the first challenge faced by vaccination campaigns around the world was to determine the priority in access to the resource when the availability of vaccines was still scarce. The criteria followed at this point were, at least in Europe, quite uniform, prioritizing the vaccination of those most in need. That is, the elderly, who are the most prone to suffering serious illnesses. Access to vaccines was very unequal worldwide and, to avoid this, different strategies were proposed, including the suspension of patent rights or the creation of the COVAX vaccine initiative to supply countries that could not buy them. Once a greater number of vaccines were available, and prioritizing access to them was no longer the main ethical-le al issue, the debate arose in many countries about the opportunity to incorporate vaccination as a legal duty. This involved changing the majority opinion in the world;although already the subject of discussion before the pandemic, it was argued to be a moral duty to receive the recommended vaccines to preserve public health and that of others. World public opinion was very attentive to this issue of compulsory vaccination, perhaps due to the rejection that vaccines aroused in certain sectors of the population and, in particular, the vaccine against Covid-19. The discussion about the balance between the freedom of individuals and the achievement of a collective interest as important as public and individual health was resolved at the legal level by the courts of justice. Specifically, the rulings of the Supreme Court in the United States and the European Court of Human Rights in Europe established criteria that were basically convergent. Both courts understand that states have the competency to oblige the population to be vaccinated in order to safeguard their health as long as certain requirements are met: a serious risk of a pandemic, a safe and effective vaccine to combat the disease exists, and the absence of less invasive measures to achieve the same result. These rulings have served to support the specific legal measures that were adopted during the pandemic by both the different states of the United States and the member states of the Council of Europe. Necessarily different concepts have been confused in the debate, in particular those of mandatory and forced vaccination, which do not belong to the same category because they limit different fundamental rights and do so with different levels of intensity. When speaking of mandatory vaccination, reference is made to a duty whose non-compliance determines a legal consequence, be it an economic sanction or a limitation of a right. Thus, the individual who neglects the obligation to be vaccinated will be fined, have their freedom of movement restricted, their working conditions altered or their employment and salary suspended. The legal consequence is not the forced vaccination of those who resist the vaccine, but generally an economic fine. On the contrary, when it comes to forced vaccination, the individual who disregards the obligation will be legally compelled to be vaccinated, resorting even to force if necessary. In other words, the right affected directly by the measure here is the integrity of the individual. These are, therefore, two measures of different significance, from the perspective of the rights ultimately affected by the limitation, and this difference must be taken into account from the principle of proportionality. In this paper we offer an overview of the various responses adopted by different States in relation to whether or not vaccination is mandatory, which have ranged from mandatory for certain groups or even for the entire population. Among those measures of indirect persuasion for vaccination are "covid passports". Our work identifies a broad agreement in the international community on the compatibility between mandatory vaccination and the safeguarding of fundamental rights when certain conditions are met. It is also recognized that proportionality in the adoption of measures is the most effective way to achieve the desired objective of reaching high levels of vaccination in the population. In any case, it would have been desirable to have advanced formulas of persuasion that would have gone beyond information and training, without incurring in the adoption of measures that strongly restrict personal liberty, such as compulsory vaccination. Faced with this international agreement, we do not find shared criteria in other areas related to vaccines: their development and authorization, their fair distribution, or information about them. This absence of shared visions and cooperation gives rise to rivalries that reinforce the traditional clashes between powers. As the purpose of the work is to compare the legal foundations of the mandatory na ure of vaccines in two territories that exert significant influence in other parts of the world, and to do so from a contextual perspective. The work has not attempted to carry out an exhaustive approach to any of the many questions raised, but rather to outline, based on some of the most accredited jurisprudential and doctrinal sources, some provisional conclusions which, at least in some cases, must be subject to successive revisions.

Understanding and enlightenment of the fundamentals of China's edible mushroom industry development

The development of Chinese edible fungus industry in recent years not only had favorable policy environment such as targeted poverty alleviation and a large health industry, but also was suffered the temporary impact of COVID-19. Under this situation, this paper analyzes the fundamentals of Chinese edible mushroom development, and its stability and internality, considering the countermeasures to meet the transfer of the global edible mushroom innovation center and recognizing the importance of independent innovation and original innovation in the science and technology of edible mushroom industry. It hoped to realize the reform of Chinese edible mushroom industry in terms of innovation mechanism, talent training and R&D investment, and joint efforts to achieve a strong edible mushroom country.

Special Issue: The impact of the covid-19 pandemic and the foodservice industries. (Special Issue: The impact of the covid-19 pandemic and the foodservice industries.)

This special issue contains 12 papers dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the foodservice industries and the response of restaurateurs to the crisis. Specific topics covered include, among others: online food delivery app adoption behaviour during the pandemic;restaurant crowdfunding during the pandemic;the impact of temporary COVID-19 legislative moves on the ability of food enterprises to pivot;restaurant patronage during the pandemic;COVID-19 policies and recommendations for foodservice reopening;managerial decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the sustainability initiatives of foodservice businesses;and consumer risk perception of online food delivery during the pandemic.

Integrating technology in mental healthcare practice: A repeated cross-sectional survey study on professionals' adoption of Digital Mental Health before and during COVID-19.

As a consequence of the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic in the spring of 2020, large-scale social distancing measures were implemented, resulting in the forced adoption of online or digital forms of psychological treatment. This sudden transition to digital care offered a unique opportunity to investigate if and how this experience impacted mental healthcare professionals' perceptions and use of Digital Mental Health tools. The current paper presents findings of a repeated cross-sectional study consisting of three iterations of a national online survey in the Netherlands. This survey contained open and closed questions on professionals' adoption readiness, frequency of use, perceived competency, and perceived value of Digital Mental Health collected in 2019 (before the pandemic), in 2020 (after the first wave), and in 2021 (after the second wave). The inclusion of data gathered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique window to assess how professionals' adoption has developed through this transition from voluntary to mandatory use of Digital Mental Health tools. Our study also re-assesses the drivers, barriers, and needs of mental healthcare professionals after having gained experience with Digital Mental Health. In total, 1,039 practitioners completed the surveys (Survey 1: n = 432, Survey 2: n = 363, and Survey 3: n = 244). Results indicate that compared to the period before the pandemic, there was a particularly large increase in use, competency, and perceived value regarding videoconferencing. Small differences were also found for some other basic tools that were crucial to ensure the continuation of care, such as e-mail, text messaging, and online screening, but not for more innovative technologies, such as virtual reality and biofeedback. Many practitioners reported to have gained skills regarding Digital Mental Health and experienced several benefits of it. They expressed the intention to continue with a blended approach, using Digital Mental Health tools in combination with face-to-face care, focused on situations in which they found it to have specific added value, such as when clients are unable to travel. Others were less satisfied with the technology-mediated interactions and remained more reluctant to future use of DMH. Implications for broader implementation of Digital Mental Health and future research are discussed.

Telemedicine as technoinnovation to tackle COVID-19: A bibliometric analysis

Telemedicine has become fundamental for the challenges posed to healthcare. This set of instruments turns pivotal for facing one of the most relevant emergencies in human history: the COVID-19 pandemic. The multisectoral crisis led to a vigorously sustained adoption of innovations, including telemedicine technology. Telehealth was proven, in this context, to be a relevant tool to reduce healthcare costs, reduce not-needed hospitalizations, and improve the results in health care. Some barriers such as the costs of technologies, patient privacy and technical literacy have slowed down telemedicine adoption. Amidst the COVID-19 era, telemedicine calls for a managerial duty to change healthcare's organizational models. The present work aims to explore the growing literature to illuminate the relationships between telemedicine, innovations and healthcare in the COVID-19 framework. A bibliometric analysis of the existing literature based on 285 published works in 2019–2020 is put forward with the aim to detect the relevant literature, themes and approaches on telemedicine and COVID-19. Making use of community detection on the co-occurrence keywords network, we identify the "semantic cores” in the literature representing the relevant results on critical themes. The sorting implications are important for researchers and policymakers by mapping the existing literature and results in evidence-based analysis. We provide the key communities as the "semantic core” of the publications and results for the considered period. This allows for future research to be oriented towards perduring health policies that could lead to the adoption of telemedicine technologies in a post-pandemic scenario. © 2021

Factores que contribuyen en la adopción del comercio electrónico en las Mipymes

La pandemia se convirtió en un impulsor para la adopción y uso de tecnologías de la información y la comunicación, así como de procesos de digitalización en las empresas. Con el confinamiento por los riesgos de la cercanía física muchas empresas vieron la conveniencia y ventajas de usar tecnologías digitales para ofrecer sus productos, llegar al cliente, mantenerse e, incluso, aumentar sus ventas. Las redes sociales posibilitaron el "contacto social" a distancia y se convirtieron en otros medios de compra-venta, por lo que el comercio electrónico cobró mayor relevancia. El uso de estas redes para comerciar es cada vez más frecuente y con mayor confianza por parte de los consumidores. Este trabajo trata sobre las micro, pequeñas y medianas empresas y el comercio electrónico;su objetivo es identificar los factores que contribuyen en la adopción del comercio electrónico. Para lograrlo se realizó un análisis de las fuentes bibliográficas, una búsqueda hemerográfica y de bases de datos estadísticos. Entre los factores están el cambio de cultura del empresario para invertir, adoptar y usar las tecnologías digitales. Ello requiere del conocimiento, aprendizaje, desarrollo de destrezas y habilidad, intercambio de experiencias en el conjunto de la empresa.Alternate :The pandemic became a driver for the adoption and use of information and communication technologies, as well as digitization processes in companies. With the confinement due to the risks of physical proximity, many companies saw the need and the advantage of making use of digital technologies to offer their products, reach the customer, maintain themselves and even increase their sales. Social networks enabled remote "social contact" and became other means of buying and selling, so electronic commerce became more relevant. The use of these networks to trade is becoming more frequent and with greater confidence on the part of consumers. This work deals with micro, small and medium enterprises and electronic commerce. Its objective is to identify the factors that contribute to the adoption of electronic commerce. To achieve this, an analysis of the bibliographic sources, a hemerographic search and statistical databases was carried out. Among the factors are the change in culture of the entrepreneur to invest, adopt and use digital technologies. This requires knowledge, learning, development of skills and abilities, exchange of experiences throughout the company.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agriculture in India: cross-sectional results from a nationally representative survey

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted agriculture in India in many ways, yet no nationally representative survey has been conducted to quantify these impacts. The three objectives of this study were to evaluate how the pandemic has influenced: (1) cropping patterns and input use, (2) farmers' willingness to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, and (3) farmers' COVID-19 symptoms. Phone surveys were conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 with farmers who had previously participated in a nationally representative survey. Values are reported as weighted percent (95% confidence interval). A total of 3,637 farmers completed the survey;59% (56-61%) were small/marginal farmers;72% (69-74%) were male;and 52% (49-55%) had a below poverty line ration card. A majority of farmers (84% [82-86%]) reported cultivating the same crops in 2019 and 2020. Farmers who reported a change in their cropping patterns were more likely to be cultivating vegetables (p = 0.001) and soybean (p<0.001) and less likely to be cultivating rice (p<0.001). Concerning inputs, 66% (63-68%) of farmers reported no change in fertilizers;66% (64-69%) reported no change in pesticides;and 59% (56-62%) reported no change in labor. More than half of farmers (62% [59-65%]) were interested in trying sustainable farming, primarily because of government schemes or because their peers were practicing it. About one-fifth (18% [15-21%]) of farmers reported COVID-19 symptoms in the past month (cough, fever, or shortness of breath) and among those with symptoms, 37% (28-47%) reported it affected their ability to work. In conclusion, COVID-19 infections had started to impact farmers' productivity even during the first wave in India. Most farmers continued to grow the same crops with no change in input use. However, many expressed an interest in learning more about practicing sustainable farming. Findings will inform future directions for resilient agri-food systems.

Impact of communication and information technologies in the fight against COVID-19

EHealth is defined as the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for health, a concept that has evolved in the last two decades, along with advances in this field. Given the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, ICTs have played an important role in society, informing the scope, risks and care of this disease, facilitating the care and monitoring of patients and allowing the logistics of Nations and organizations, among many other aspects. Additionally, technology has been a protagonist in the medical and scientific community, in the search for knowledge and understanding about the new coronavirus Sars-Cov-2, from its appearance in a Chinese town to the worrying impact by the new circulating variants, derived from the genetic mutation of the pathogen. This research study by Alphafold, GISAID and MasterOfPores, innovative technologies of public access, free and of high scientific reliability, which make up a new methodology in mutagenic detection, structural modeling and antigen research, in the fight against COVID-19 and its new variants. Finally, ICTs have been and will continue to be vital in the fight against COVID-19, in the research and development of antigens that make it possible to immunize a large part of the world's population.

Tribal public health law in tenganan pegringsingan-Bali: an emergency preparedness and response to COVID 19 pandemic

Public health law is a legal concept not only regulating the provision of health services but also improving the quality of life and extending access to the service for the public members. Covid-19 opens access to health services for the people, and it serves as an indispensable part in the survival of the people, including the vulnerable people of adat law. This research aims to analyze the degree of success in implementing public health law in Tenganan Pegrisingan village-Bali in the scope of preparedness or response to the pandemic. This research employed socio-legal methods involving interviews, observation, and focus group discussion (FGD). Primary data were collected from interviews and FGD, involving the participation of the traditional chief, village head, and other adat figures in Tenganan Pegringsingan-Bali. The research analysis required a descriptive-qualitative approach. This research sees how the tenganan Pagringsingan tribe clings on to their sovereignty to survive and respond to the Covid-19 pandemic without leaving their framework governed by international and national laws. It leads to the research result revealing that the public health law in Tenganan Pegrisingan adat village combines traditional and modern elements and spiritual and science. This approach can set a model for other village communities. The leadership role of adat people that are inherent, strong, and obeyed has made public health law more properly managed and more effective in dealing with the pandemic. The supportive policy framework that is harmonized at all international, national, and regional levels and all over adat villages is a prerequisite to help maximize the potential of tribal public health system innovation.

Crisis as driver of digital transformation? Scottish local governments’ response to COVID-19

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has, from the outset, been characterized by a strong focus on real-time data intelligence and the use of data-driven technologies. Against this backdrop, this article investigates the impacts of the pandemic on Scottish local government’s data practices and, in turn, whether the crisis acted as a driver for digital transformation. Mobilizing the literatures on digital government transformation, and on the impacts of crises on public administrations, the article provides insights into the dynamics of digital transformation during a heightened period of acute demands on the public sector. The research evidences an intensification of public sector data use and sharing in Scottish local authorities, with focus on health-related data and the integration of existing datasets to gather local intelligence. The research reveals significant changes related to the technical and social systems of local government organizations. These include the repurposing and adoption of information systems, the acceleration of inter and intraorganizational data sharing processes, as well as changes in ways of working and in attitudes toward data sharing and collaborations. Drawing on these findings, the article highlights the importance of identifying and articulating specific data needs in relation to concrete policy questions in order to render digital transformation relevant and effective. The article also points to the need of addressing the persistent systemic challenges underlying public sector data engagement through, on one hand, sustained investment in data capabilities and infrastructures and, on the other, support for cross-organizational collaborative spaces and networks.

Social networks and the actors of the honey production chain: case study with producers from Para state, Brazil

The Internet and social networks are considered as important sources of information for rural producers, regarding property management and agricultural activities. The objective of this work was to understand the influence of social networks on actors of the honey production chain, in Para state, regarding the changes of the production practices and the effect of the coronavirus pandemics on this process. This is an explanatory case study with qualitative approach carried out through semistructured interviews with beekeepers/ honey producers, and apicultural technicians, in Para state. The indication of WhatsApp as the most relevant social network for the beekeeping activity in this Brazilian state- for information exchange, remote technical assistance, broadcasting, and adoption of new technologies of production and marketing -, as well as the expansion of this relevance during the coronavirus pandemics, are the main contributions of this research that also can help to a more efficient planning of communication strategies for the technology transfer and innovation processes in the rural environment.

Improving National Public Health Data Collection as an Act of Antiracism

In their study, Aliseda-Alonso et al. compared publicly available surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)to data on COVID-19 cases and deaths from state and territorial governmental sources;they found that the CDC consistently underreports the cases and deaths of Blacks and Latinos as well as people younger than 65 years. Standardizing data collection and reporting is necessary, but not sufficient, for interoperability-the ability of the US health system's many sectors to easily exchange information to benefit clinical, public health, and research efforts. A wide variety of data sources will be required, including, but not limited to, public health surveillance data, clinical data from public and private health systems, death certificates, claims, and administrative and survey data. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has created an Interoperability Standards Advisory process to provide information regarding standards needed for interoperability, although without the authority to require implementation or adoption.7 In a 2020 report, interoperability between health systems in the United States was reported to be improving, albeit slowly;it is concentrated in cities, is highly variable, and is associated with health system size.8 In Iran, Shanbehzadeh et al. consulted the literature and convened experts to create a COVID-19 minimum data set and interoperable reporting framework to support their nation's public health pandemic response.9 Following the implementation of a standardized, interoperable data collection system, states must be held accountable for data reporting.

From Face-to-Face to Virtual Instruction: Developing Competencies to Administer a Standardized Assessment During COVID-19

The public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated that face-to-face (F2F) teaching and learning strategies be adapted to the virtual environment. This article describes a 7step method successfully used to rapidly adapt an established and valid 4- to 6-week F2F training program into a 10-week virtual format for prospective SIS-A assessors to develop assessment competencies. Strategies used to validate the adapted curriculum, instructional materials, instructional strategies, and guidance materials are discussed, as are the perspectives of the inaugural virtual training cohort. The evidence for and implications of greater adoption of technology in social work teaching, learning, and practice are considered.