The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Coworking Spaces in Poland

The chapter deals with the changes occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic in the coworking sector. We have collected data and information from primary and secondary sources. The latter include in-depth interviews, covert participant observations and computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI). We analysed the changes of the number of coworking spaces (CSs) and main mechanisms behind them. The findings reveal the relatively limited scale of decrease in the number of coworking spaces and illustrate how the pandemic outbreak influenced the effects of CS operations, especially on the real estate market. It is argued that independently-run CSs suffered the most, whereas corporate CSs with a stable core of corporate clients, central location and limited competition have been more resilient. With regard to the changes generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the most significant transformations are seen in the decreasing number of non-virtual events organised by CSs, whereas the scale of the other impacts of CSs on the local milieu decreased slightly. © 2023, The Author(s).

Shared E-Scooter Trajectory Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Austin, Texas.

By March of 2020, most cities worldwide had enacted stay-at-home public health orders to slow the spread of COVID-19. Restrictions on nonessential travel had extensive impacts across the transportation sector in the short term. This study explores the effects of COVID-19 on shared e-scooters by analyzing route trajectory data in the pre- and during-pandemic periods in Austin, TX, from a single provider. Although total shared e-scooter trips decreased during the pandemic, partially owing to vendors pulling out of the market, this study found average trip length increased, and temporal patterns of this mode did not meaningfully change. A count model of average daily trips by road segment found more trips on segments with sidewalks and bus stops during the pandemic than beforehand. More trips were observed on roads with lower vehicle miles traveled and fewer lanes, which might suggest more cautious travel behavior since there were fewer trips in residential neighborhoods. Stay-at-home orders and vendor e-scooter rebalancing operations inherently influence and can limit trip demand, but the unique trajectory data set and analysis provide cities with information on the road design preferences of vulnerable road users.

Equity Implications of Ride-Hail Travel during COVID-19 in California.

COVID-19 has shocked every system in the U.S., including transportation. In the first months of the pandemic, driving and transit use fell far below normal levels. Yet people still need to travel for essential purposes like medical appointments, buying groceries, and-for those who cannot work from home-to work. For some, the pandemic may exacerbate extant travel challenges as transit agencies reduce service hours and frequency. As travelers reevaluate modal options, it remains unclear how one mode-ride-hailing-fits into the transportation landscape during COVID-19. In particular, how does the number of ride-hail trips vary across neighborhood characteristics before versus during the pandemic? And how do patterns of essential trips pre-pandemic compare with those during COVID-19? To answer these questions, we analyzed aggregated Uber trip data before and during the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic across four regions in California. We find that during these first months, ride-hail trips fell at levels commensurate with transit (82%), while trips serving identified essential destinations fell by less (62%). Changes in ride-hail use were unevenly distributed across neighborhoods, with higher-income areas and those with more transit commuters and higher shares of zero-car households showing steeper declines in the number of trips made during the pandemic. Conversely, neighborhoods with more older (aged 45+) residents, and a greater proportion of Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Asian residents still appear to rely more on ride-hail during the pandemic compared with other neighborhoods. These findings further underscore the need for cities to invest in robust and redundant transportation systems to create a resilient mobility network.

Non-Stationary Time Series Model for Station-Based Subway Ridership During COVID-19 Pandemic: Case Study of New York City.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has caused sudden shocks in transportation systems, specifically the subway ridership patterns in New York City (NYC), U.S. Understanding the temporal pattern of subway ridership through statistical models is crucial during such shocks. However, many existing statistical frameworks may not be a good fit to analyze the ridership data sets during the pandemic, since some of the modeling assumptions might be violated during this time. In this paper, utilizing change point detection procedures, a piecewise stationary time series model is proposed to capture the nonstationary structure of subway ridership. Specifically, the model consists of several independent station based autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models concatenated together at certain time points. Further, data-driven algorithms are utilized to detect the changes of ridership patterns as well as to estimate the model parameters before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data sets of focus are daily ridership of subway stations in NYC for randomly selected stations. Fitting the proposed model to these data sets enhances understanding of ridership changes during external shocks, both in relation to mean (average) changes and the temporal correlations.

Decline in Traffic Congestion Increased Crash Severity in the Wake of COVID-19.

Highway fatalities are a leading cause of death in the U.S. and other industrialized countries. Using highly detailed crash, speed, and flow data, we show highway travel and motor vehicle crashes fell substantially in California during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we also show the frequency of severe crashes increased owing to lower traffic congestion and higher highway speeds. This "speed effect" is largest in counties with high pre-existing levels of congestion, and we show it partially or completely offsets the "VMT effect" of reduced vehicle miles traveled on total fatalities. During the first eleven weeks of the COVID-19 response, highway driving decreased by approximately 22% and total crashes decreased by 49%. While average speeds increased by a modest 2 to 3 mph across the state, they increased between 10 and 15 mph in several counties. The proportion of severe crashes increased nearly 5 percentage points, or 25%. While fatalities decreased initially following restrictions, increased speeds mitigated the effect of lower vehicle miles traveled on fatalities, yielding little to no reduction in fatalities later in the COVID period.

Mobility Dynamics amid COVID-19 with a Case Study in Tennessee.

The year 2020 has marked the spread of a global pandemic, COVID-19, challenging many aspects of our daily lives. Different organizations have been involved in controlling this outbreak. The social distancing intervention is deemed to be the most effective policy in reducing face-to-face contact and slowing down the rate of infections. Stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders have been implemented in different states and cities, affecting daily traffic patterns. Social distancing interventions and fear of the disease resulted in a traffic decline in cities and counties. However, after stay-at-home orders ended and some public places reopened, traffic gradually started to revert to pre-pandemic levels. It can be shown that counties have diverse patterns in the decline and recovery phases. This study analyzes county-level mobility change after the pandemic, explores the contributing factors, and identifies possible spatial heterogeneity. To this end, 95 counties in Tennessee have been selected as the study area to perform geographically weighted regressions (GWR) models. The results show that density on non-freeway roads, median household income, percent of unemployment, population density, percent of people over age 65, percent of people under age 18, percent of work from home, and mean time to work are significantly correlated with vehicle miles traveled change magnitude in both decline and recovery phases. Also, the GWR estimation captures the spatial heterogeneity and local variation in coefficients among counties. Finally, the results imply that the recovery phase could be estimated depending on the identified spatial attributes. The proposed model can help agencies and researchers estimate and manage decline and recovery based on spatial factors in similar events in the future.

Enhanced telemedicine in a mobile integrated health program to improve healthcare access during Covid-19 pandemic: OJNI

Background: When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, primary care and specialist visits declined.  During the pandemic, Baltimore City Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) continued with targeted home visits among complex patients to help reduce hospital readmission rates. Many provider offices and specialists were closed for in-person clinic visits, creating disruption in continual care of chronic disease. To fill in gaps in care, MIH sought to facilitate these visits via telemedicine for their complex patient population. Methods: A retrospective chart review of MIH-enrolled patients was performed from March 2020 to August 2020. State health information exchange systems were also reviewed for hospital contact. To evaluate if the telemedicine visit was effective in reducing the readmission rate, the study compared the risk-adjusted readmission rate and chi square analysis of patients who received a telemedicine visit with their primary care/specialist as a part of their MIH visit versus MIH patients who did not. Results: From March 2020-August 2020, telemedicine was utilized 26 times for 14 patients to connect with their providers. The risk-adjusted readmission rate for MIH patients that received telemedicine primary care/specialist visits were 7.7%;the rate for MIH patients who did not was 16%.  Chi square analysis did not reveal statistical significance among the two groups. Conclusion: Flexible and innovative use of telemedicine technology improves team communication and can also be used to facilitate existing care relationships between underserved populations and their care providers. The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) partnered with the Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD) to form Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) in 2018. This partnership aims to support medically complex patients’ transition to home after hospital admissions. This innovative, community-based program supports the health of individuals through a comprehensive, multidisciplinary care model that provides patient care outside the hospital setting. The program is designed to reduce health disparities, decrease emergency department visits, and prevent hospital readmissions. One of the main objectives for this MIH program is to have patients connect with their primary care providers (PCPs) shortly after discharge so that the PCPs can continue to manage their chronic health conditions and medications and prevent readmission to the hospital. Prior to March 2020, none of the patients enrolled in UMMC-BCFD MIH utilized telemedicine for their medical visits (Mobile Integrated Health Community Paramedicine Program, 2020). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance advising patients and health care providers to practice social distancing and encouraged the use of telehealth (Koonin et al., 2020). A study conducted by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) found that there was a 56% decrease in in-person outpatient visits during the COVID-19 pandemic (Baum, et al., 2021). However, the UMMC-BCFD MIH program remained in operation with no change in staffing or practice. With the need to connect patients with their PCPs, the UMMC-BCFD MIH program needed to pivot their normal operations to continue to meet the needs of the patients. A retrospective chart review was completed to evaluate the enrollment rate of visits facilitating PCP and/or specialist encounters and if in-person visits impacted hospital re-admission rates among this population. Prior to the pandemic, patients that were enrolled in the MIH program regularly saw their PCPs in-person from 40-80% of the time during their enrollment. However, when COVID restrictions began, those in-person visits decreased to about 20% of the enrolled patients seeing their PCPs. The MIH program was able to change its normal operation to connect patients to primary care providers and specialists via telemedicine to meet the needs of medically complex patients during a pandemic.

Improving electronic portal use in groups with low utilization at a family medicine practice: OJNI

Background: Electronic patient portals benefit health outcomes;yet, they are underutilized in certain patient sub-populations including adolescents, adults over age 65, racial/ethnic minorities, and non-English-speaking patients. Purpose: This study describes a multi-faceted intervention to increase patient portal use and assesses the program’s effectiveness in these patient subgroups. Method: An intervention was developed with three areas of focus: 1) patient education, 2) provider engagement and education, and 3) health information technology engagement. Baseline data were collected for the entire patient population and segmented by sub-populations of interest. The percentage of patients with an active patient portal were monitored at 12 months and 18 months. Analysis: Logistic regression models examined the change in portal activation over time within sub-populations. Portalactivation increased significantly in all sub-populations examined (ranging from 5-12%), and changes in activation rate within sub-populations were consistent with other patient groups that were higher utilizers. Despite the significant increases, the disparities in portal activation remained. Results: This study suggests that, while disparities were not reduced, a multifaceted intervention involving patient education, provider engagement and education, health information technology increased activation in patient groups that are low utilizers. This increased activation is an important first step toward reducing disparities in patient portal use, which can impact patients’ experiences and outcomes. Patient portals are internet-based services that allow patients to view health records and appointment information and to submit requests for appointments and medication refills. The effective use of online patient portals through which patients can access their health information and communicate with their clinical team members has become increasingly important. The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services’ (n.d.) Medicare and Medicaid Promoting Interoperability Program Basics outline requirements for the use of electronic health records, a component of which is provider-to-patient exchange including patient electronic access to personal health information. Further, in the COVID-19 pandemic era during which telemedicine increased across many primary care practices, patient portals are instrumental in bridging care gaps. Patient portals are a potentially under-utilized resource with many actual and perceived barriers to its adoption ( Miller et al., 2016). Patient portal use benefits include improved patient satisfaction, patient-provider communication, patient self-management, and quality of care (Miller et al., 2016;Osborn et al., 2010;Zhong et al., 2020). Improved chronic disease monitoring and overall outcomes associated with diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure control have been demonstrated among patients using electronic portals (Sorondo et al., 2016;Zhong et al., 2020). Furthermore, patient portal use can increase the utilization of health services resources. Zhong et al., (2020), demonstrated that patients who used a portal for messaging and laboratory functions had lower rates of appointment no-shows compared to non-users. Another study that examined healthcare utilization outcomes following a patient portal education intervention demonstrated a 21% decrease in emergency department admissions (per 1,000) and a 38% decrease in hospital admissions (per 1,000) after seven months (Goel et al., 2011). Despite the benefits of patient portal use, several disparities in activation and engagement are well-documented (elderly, racial and ethnic minorities, low health literacy, chronic illness, insurance status). Compared to non-Hispanic White patients, Latino and African-American patients are less likely to use a patient portal (Sarkar et al., 2011). The Health Information National Trends Survey suggested Hispanic and Black non-Hispanic patients are less likely to use patient portals and were less likely to be offered access to thei patient portal (Clarke et al., 2021). Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) also lagged behind in patient portal utilization (Ancker et al., 2011). Older adults (aged 65+) are less likely to be willing or able to enroll in and use patient portals (Goel et al., 2011). Adults age 70+ are especially less likely to register for patient portals, own a digital device, use the Internet, or be willing to use an electronic platform for health management. Among older adults who do not use patient portals, common concerns are security of information, lack of personalization, and limited understanding of portal utility (Price-Haywood et al., 2017). Patient stakeholders have recommended strategies to increase portal use in older adults, including explaining to them what patients can do on portals, how to use portals, and why increasing portal use in older adults is useful (Price-Haywood et al., 2017). Another group with notable underutilization of patient portals is adolescents (Goldzweig et al., 2013;Olphert & Damodaran, 2013;Riippa et al., 2014). Despite adolescents being early adopters of technology, uptake of and engagement with patient portals has been challenging. In a feasibility assessment of a portal uptake intervention in adolescents, Ramsey et al., (2018), reported that most intervention participants felt there was a high need for access to the electronic health record through patient portals. Another study in a California detention center suggested 90% of 13-18 year olds were interested in accessing their health information (Irizarry et al., 2015). Despite this interest, rates of patient portal activation in youth are low. Specific Aims The transition to telemedicine for a large portion of patient care at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic placed an urgent emphasis on patient portal use and its benefits. Patient portals are helpful tools to assist patient-provider and patient-nursing communication, appointment scheduling, and the flow of telemedicine visits through delivery of secure links via messaging. The specific aim of this study was to assess the preliminary effectiveness of a practice-level, multi-faceted intervention - engaging patients, providers and information technology - on increasing the activation of patient portals among demographics known for underutilization (Black/African American, Hispanic, adults age 65+, adolescents aged 13-18, and non-English-speaking patients).  For patients under age 18, parents could activate the portal as a proxy and use the portal on the child’s behalf. Youth aged 13 and above were allowed confidential access to their patient portal and could grant parents proxy rights. The intervention was developed with the intention to benefit all patients at the practice;however, this study presents the assessment of effectiveness in underutilizers, comparing changes in portal activation status between these patients and the larger patient population. Understanding how practice-wide interventions impact underutilizers can provide beneficial information about whether targeted interventions are needed for sub-populations in the future.

Using an audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) to screen older adults for fall risk in an outpatient primary care setting: OJNI

Background: Older adults face an increased risk for falling and resulting injury due to age-related physiological changes (Sharif et al., 2018). Effective fall risk screening programs in the primary care setting may be a promising approach to reduce the incidence of falls within this population (Siegrist et al., 2016). The use of technology can be beneficial in supporting care delivery and further reducing the risk. Purpose: This article discusses the implementation of a fall risk screening and reduction program in a primary care setting. The program uses resources of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI) Initiative and the development of an Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI). This study aimed to increase community-dwelling older adult safety by identifying and reducing fall risk. Clinical Relevance: ACASI is an effective alternative to traditional interview methods due to its speed in data capture and the potential for increased accuracy of self-reported data. Introducing ACASI technology in nursing practice is an innovative approach to collecting patient data in a manner that limits physical interaction, reduces bias, and promotes safe social practices, especially when considering the current COVID-19 pandemic. Approach: Participants were recruited from an outpatient facility and consented to participate in the study. Chart reviews were conducted to identify eligible participants. To determine the baseline fall risk scores, questionnaires were presented to participants in the form of an ACASI. This technology was used to communicate the assessment questions and facilitate data collection. Evidence-based informational materials were administered to participants to provide education on fall prevention safety and limiting fall risk. Eight weeks after receiving education on fall risk reduction behavioral and environmental modifications, a follow-up, ACASI- formatted questionnaire was administered to assess for a change in fall risk scores. Results: The research findings demonstrated a significant reduction in fall risk scores (t (40) = -2.220, p =.032) from pre- to post-assessment. Overall fall risk scores among the participants decreased by 43% within a 12-week timeframe. One in four adults age 65+ report falling, resulting in over 50% of all injury-related deaths (Haddad et al., 2018). Individuals who suffer from falls are not only predisposed to injury and untimely death, but also decreased mobility, decreased independence, hospitalization, and nursing home placement (Phelan et al., 2016). The cost to medically treat a fall is approximately $10,000 in direct fees (Dellinger, 2017). Costs associated with caring for fall-related injuries exceed $30 billion each year (Phelan et al., 2016).  The National Patient Safety Goals, established by The Joint Commission (TJC) in 2003, is a safety and quality improvement program to help healthcare organizations target concerning areas of need (The Joint Commission, 2022a). Sentinel Event Alerts, which warn healthcare organizations about risks to patient safety, are included with the safety goal reports. Injurious patient falls have regularly ranked in the top 10 among the TJC’s list of Sentinel Events (The Joint Commission, 2022b). Most falls among older adults result from a combination of risk factors. Approaches to assess and manage modifiable risk factors have been identified as effective interventions for individuals at risk of falling (Phelan et al., 2016). Primary care practitioners can play a key role in identifying and reducing fall risk among patients by identifying and discussing risk factors during regular office visits. The physiologic changes and high incidence of falls in the elderly make it necessary to conduct regular fall risk assessments and interventions among this population (Siegrist et al., 2016). Among the leading fall risk assessment resources that have recently been developed is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accide ts, Deaths & Injuries) Initiative (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017c). STEADI offers healthcare providers a standardized approach to conduct fall risk screenings, assessments, and interventions for older adults (Howland et al., 2018). Technology can assist in screening patients for fall risk in the form of an Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI). An ACASI-administered survey is a method of data collection that allows participants to complete interviews on their own without the presence of a human interviewer. Questions and response options are displayed as digital text on a personal electronic device and read aloud to participants. The participants listen to the pre-recorded questions and respond by selecting their answers directly on the screen. ACASI is believed to improve the quality of data collection by minimizing data entry errors. Additional benefits of using ACASI, as opposed to traditional survey questionnaires, include increased privacy for participants, accessibility for illiterate participants, reduced staff time for interviewing, and increased data validity for sensitive questions (Kane et al., 2016). In this study, an ACASI was developed and administered to participants in tandem with CDC STEADI (2017c) resources, as part of a fall risk screening and reduction program to identify and reduce the risk of falling among community-dwelling older adults.

Success and Challenges of Telemedicine in the Care of Pediatric Heart Transplant Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic: OJNI

Background: During the COVID-19 surge and shutdown of New York City from March 2020 through May 2020, we transitioned to telemedicine to provide routine and urgent care to our pediatric heart transplant patients. The effectiveness of telemedicine in this population has not been described. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore.  Electronic health records of all pediatric heart transplant patients who received care from January 3, 2020, to August 31, 2020 were queried. Data collected included frequency of telemedicine visits, in person, and emergency room visits, hospitalizations, immunosuppression levels requiring adjustment, and out-of-window patient follow-up. The proportion of immunosuppression levels out of range was compared among four identified groups by chi-square analysis. Results: During the shutdown period (March 13, 2020, to May 12, 2020) there were 54 telemedicine visits: 61% routine and 39% urgent. Five (24%) urgent telemedicine visits justified an in-person follow-up: three clinic visits, two ED visits, one patient hospitalized.  During the post-shutdown period 1 (May 13, 2020, to June 20, 2020) when in person visits resumed, nine patient visits were out of window for routine follow-up, with a median of six weeks delayed.  Immunosuppression levels were not therapeutic in 29% of patients in the pre-shutdown period (January 3, 2020, to March 18, 2020) compared to 46% during the post-shutdown period 1 (p=0.06). By post-shutdown period 2 (June 12, 2020, to August 31, 2020), out of range immunosuppression levels had returned to pre-shutdown out of range levels (25% of patients) with a p=0.6. The percent of immunosuppression levels out of range between post-shutdown period 1 and post-shutdown period 2 was statistically significant (p=0.04). Conclusion: Telemedicine can be utilized to stay connected to patients when routine in person care is disrupted.  The higher percentage of patients with immunosuppression levels out of range seen during post COVID-19 shutdown period 1 reinforces the importance of routine immunosuppression level surveillance.

Factors Affecting Palestinian Citizens’ Satisfaction Toward Free Health Line Services During COVID 19

This study investigates factors affecting Palestinian citizens’ satisfaction toward free health line services during COVID 19. A questionnaire was created using the descriptive-analytical approach to collect data from all Palestinian citizens in the Gaza Strip. The data from 376 respondents was analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The results showed that the independent factors (i.e. healthcare professionals-patient relationship, responsiveness, adequacy of the free health line services provided, and confidentiality of data and information) influenced Palestinian citizens’ satisfaction. While this study adds to earlier research, it also provides data that academics and practitioners may use to increase the satisfaction of Palestinian citizens. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

COVID-19 Sentiment Analysis applying BERT

The growth of social data on the internet has accelerated during the last two decades. As a result, researchers can access data and information for various academic and commercial purposes. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a current pandemic that has sparked widespread concern worldwide. Spreading misleading information on social media platforms like Twitter, on the other hand, is exacerbating the disease's concern. This research aims to examine tweets and develop a model that can detect public sentiment from social media posts;consequently, necessary precautions can be taken to preserve adequate validity of information for the general public. We believe that various social media platforms have a significant impact on creating public awareness about the disease's importance and encouraging preventive measures among community members. For this study, we applied the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) model, a new deep-learning technique for text analysis and performance with exceptional multi-class accuracy. We also compared it with six shallow machine learning models. © 2022 IEEE.

Application of Cloud-based Data Analysis in Applied Mathematics

The application field of big data technology is very wide. In any industry, data and information can be analyzed through big data, and the results of these analysis are of high practical value. However, with the advent of the Internet era today, various fields are constantly developing, including the education circle. Using network education to carry out a series of teaching activities, can comprehensively improve the effectiveness of education. In the current COVID-19 epidemic, many schools and many industries have adopted computer technology and big data technologies, such as web conferencing, online classroom, remote conferencing, remote video and other teaching and production activities. This paper focuses on the role and value of computer data analysis in applied mathematics. The research shows that cloud data analysis has super high application value in applied mathematics. © 2022 SPIE

A Real-Time Human Mobility Visualization of Covid-19 Spread from East Asian Countries

Human mobility using different modes of transportation is constantly increasing. The culture of posting activities while travelling has gained attention on social networks immensely. The evolution of social networking platforms has resulted in an engaging user base multiplying across the globe. The combination of data and information created by these online platforms is massive in terms of the volume and variety of topics. The real-time existence of user-produced information has inspired researchers to analyze material to obtain real-time insight into current affairs. The focus is on collecting tweets of real-time travelling activities for the first 100 days of Covid-19 keeping Chinese Airports as the source. This paper illustrates the multidimensional visualization of real-time covid-19 spread from China neighbouring East Asian countries to the rest of the world. The visualization tools used are python folium, matplotlib networks/graphx, Carto, Tableau, Google Data Studio, and MS Excel. © 2021 IEEE.

Open Market for Reusing Auto Parts with Blockchain

The evolution of technologies in recent years has allowed many advances in various areas, such as robotics, the Internet of Things, Big Data, Blockchain, among others. These advances have allowed to solve many of the problems we face nowadays, such as today, for example, they have been used recently in the fight against Covid-19 which has affected and continues to affect people and organizations around the world. Taking advantage of the advancement of these technologies, the circular economy concept has been successfully implemented in various spheres of society and in various countries, with the aim of transition from linear economy ideas (produce, consume, and dispose) to more sustainable models (recycle, reuse, and reduce), keeping products and raw materials in circulation if possible, while adding value for society and business. In this paper we will address how Blockchain can leverage the ideals of the circular economy, analysing and implementing a prototype Blockchain network in the used car parts market. The structure of this work is based on bibliographical research that served as a basis to collect data and information relevant to the themes in question, as well as the practical implementation of the concepts in the case of the reuse of used parts. © 2022, ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering.

Cell Phones and Your Health: Student Editorial: OJNI

Cell phones are an item that many people cannot live without. They are used for many different things daily, whether in regard to personal or professional lives. One thing that is gaining in popularity in the world of cell phone usage is how they can be used for health-related aspects. Many people are starting to take advantage of the ability of cell phones to be an integral part of our health and well-being. Not only cell phones, but technology-based products in general. The world of informatics and how nurses can impact their clients lives with education and accessibility is ever-growing. This is an editorial discussing a personal experience with technology and health related applications and was previously submitted as a graduate student assignment. Before you leave your house, you make a list in your head of everything you need to bring with you for the day. What is usually on your list? On a usual day mine would be car keys, a water bottle, my purse, and depending on the weather, a jacket. What am I forgetting? Oh yes, cell phone! I am sure this item would be on a majority of people’s list nowadays. So many of us are attached at the hips to our cell phones, so much so to the point of calling them a “lifeline.” A lifeline to the world and a lifeline to ourselves. We use them to communicate with friends and family, to keep our schedule straight, to manage finances, and for entertainment. Really, what can a cell phone not do?  One thing that many people are starting to take advantage of is the ability for cell phones to be an integral part of our health and well-being. According to Serrano et al., (2017), within the mobile health application spectrum, there are unprecedented opportunities to engage people in real-time and in the real world. For the topic of this editorial I will be referencing Apple products, like the iPhone. There are multiple applications (apps) that are free or that can be purchased to allow individuals to track their health on a convenient handheld platform. The main one that comes to mind, and that I use personally is the Apple Health application that is already on all new iPhone editions. This application allows you to keep track of doctor’s appointments, lab results, medications, vitals, mobility, food intake, and sleep patterns. Another form of healthcare technology are wearable devices, like an Apple watch. If you have an Apple watch, you have seen the many features it can offer. These wearable devices track your steps, activity, workouts, sleep and even your heart rate. An increasingly popular subject for discussion is the heart rate monitor. The device will alert you if your heart rate falls below 40 or above 120 for an active period of ten minutes. The new editions even contain an arrhythmia detection feature that will alert you if go into an irregular rhythm, like atrial fibrillation. As always, the settings can be turned on or off and set to the level you prefer before notification happens. Personally, I wear an Apple watch, mostly when I am at work. I do not use this piece of technology to the extent it could be used, health applications included. Currently, I have an application to link me to my primary care provider where I can make appointments, see my lab results, and even communicate with my provider through email or video. The COVID-19 pandemic has made these online resources increasingly important due to the world around us being shut down, doctor’s offices included. With the increased move to the technological aspect of healthcare, it is important that others have access as well. This could be seen as a barrier in the older community, or those that are not as well versed with technology as say, the younger generation. According to Kaminski (2020), nurses can be key players in supporting the use of mobile devices and apps for their clients. Within a hospital setting, nurses can use this time to try to educate and answer questions from their patients on different technology features that can be used from their home setting to keep up to date with their health status and in contact with their health care providers. The Apple technology is just one form in a world full of accessible platforms. Currently, there are 318,000 health applications available to users and 200 more released each day (Kaminski, 2020). Honestly, the amount of health-related applications that are offered to the public for free are clearly endless. It is hard to discuss all of them in one article. However, I think it is safe to say that cell phones are much more than a lifeline to friends and family. They are a lifeline to your own health as well. So, don’t forget to add these handheld devices to your daily list of remembered items before leaving home for the day! Online Journal of Nursing Informatics Powered by the HIMSS Foundation and the HIMSS Nursing Informatics Community, the Online Journal of Nursing Informatics is a free, international, peer reviewed publication that is published three times a year and supports all functional areas of nursing informatics. Read the Latest Edition

ReImagine Health: Creating space for Nursing Informatics in the Vision: OJNI

When the copious amounts of data within electronic health records (EHR) are harnessed using predictive algorithms through artificial intelligence and machine learning, this data can support care planning and cohesiveness that is otherwise difficult to achieve. "With the goal to expand information sharing and increase data portability as patients transition through different phases of care, opportunities exist to use predictive modelling to increase patients' self-efficacy in taking control and managing health concerns or illnesses" (Garcia-Dia, 2021b, p. 48). Predictive analytics can support the holistic view of a patient through robust use of data mining, statistical modeling, machine learning, predictive modeling, and pattern matching, taking into consideration their preferences, lifestyle choices and practices, genetics, history and predicted future risk to help nurses create truly unique and ongoing care plans for individuals.

COVID-19's lockdown effect on air quality in Indian cities using air quality zonal modeling.

The complete lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the improvement of air quality across the countries particularly in developing countries including India. This study aims to assess the air quality by monitoring major atmospheric pollutants such as AOD, CO, PM2.5, NO2, O3 and SO2 in 15 major cities of India using Air Quality Zonal Modeling. The study is based on two different data sources; (a) grid data (MODIS- Terra, MERRA-2, OMI and AIRS, Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA) and (b) ground monitoring station data provided by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) / State Pollution Control Board (SPCB). The remotely sensed data demonstrated that the concentration of PM2.5 has declined by 14%, about 30% of NO2 in million-plus cities, 2.06% CO, SO2 within the range of 5 to 60%, whereas the concentration of O3 has increased by 1 to 3% in majority of cities compared with pre lockdown. On the other hand, CPCB/SPCB data showed more than 40% decrease in PM2.5 and 47% decrease in PM10 in north Indian cities, more than 35% decrease in NO2 in metropolitan cities, more than 85% decrease in SO2 in Chennai and Nagpur and more than 17% increase in O3 in five cities amid 43 days pandemic lockdown. The restrictions of anthropogenic activities have substantial effect on the emission of primary atmospheric pollutants.