A review on water-saving agriculture in Europe

This paper aims to analyze the research on the current situation of water-saving agriculture development in Europe. Water-saving agriculture in Europe started early, governments and farmers in various countries have a strong awareness of water-saving in agriculture and have achieved certain results. Due to the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of up-to-date field research, the complexity of various agricultural disciplines and categories, and the lack of information sharing, the current cognition of recent progress in the development of water-saving agriculture in Europe is not comprehensive enough. This paper selects four representative European countries: Spain, Germany, Italy, and Denmark as the research objects. Based on the existing research of Chinese and Western scholars, this paper analyzes and studies the current situation of water-saving agriculture in Europe. It has far-reaching significance for other countries in the world to have further development in water-saving agriculture and to protect water resources.

High mortality among patients with severe COVID-19 and Do Not Intubate orders

INTRODUCTION. Moderate to severe respiratory distress among patients with COVID-19 is associated with a high mortality. This study evaluated ventilator support and mortality by Do Intubate (DI) or Do Not Intubate (DNI) orders. METHODS. This was a retrospective study of patients with COVID-19 and a supplemental oxygen requirement of 15 l/min. The patients were divided into two groups corresponding to the first and second wave of COVID-19 and were subsequently further divided according to DI and DNI orders and analysed regarding need of ventilator support and mortality. RESULTS. The study included 178 patients. The mortality was 24% for patients with DI orders (n = 115) and 81% for patients with DNI orders (n = 63) increasing to 98% (n = 46) for patients with DNI orders and very high flow oxygen requirements ( 30 l/min.). From the first to the second wave of COVID-19, the use of constant continuous positive airway pressure (cCPAP) increased from 71% to 91% (p < 0.001), whereas the use of mechanical ventilation decreased from 54% to 28% (odds ratio = 0.38 (95% confidence interval: 0.17-0.85)). CONCLUSION. The mortality was high for patients with DNI orders and respiratory distress with very high levels in supplemental oxygen in both the first and second wave of COVID-19 despite an increase in use of cCPAP and treatment with dexamethasone and remdesivir during the second wave. Hence, careful evaluation on transition to palliative care must be considered for these patients.

Elite-level coaches' coping: stress appraisal and COVID-19

The current study investigated 97 Norwegian elite-level coaches' appraisal of working as a coach during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the predictive outcomes of these cognitive processes. The participants were part of a Norwegian coach education program carried out by the Norwegian Olympic Sport Center (NOSC). The results in the current study show that the coaches appraised their work during the pandemic as controllable-by-self, as a challenge, as controllable-by-others, and stressful. The regression analysis showed that challenge and controllable-by-self were unique and positive significant predictors of the coaches' subjective performance, and that controllable-by-self was the strongest predictor of the two. Appraising the situation as uncontrollable-by-anyone was also a significant positive predictor of coaches' subjective performance in the step 2 of the regression analysis, and not coaches' exhaustion level as hypothesized. Threat appraisals were found to significant predict coaches' exhaustion level at the first step of the regression analysis, whereas controllable-by-self was the strongest negative significant predictor for coaches' exhaustion. The results indicate that controllable-by-self appraisals play a particular role in preventing burnout and inducing performance in elite coaches when they face stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on movement behaviors of children under the age of five, a narrative review

Background: In March 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Since then, our lives have changed significantly, particularly vulnerable groups, such as young children. A young child's movements throughout a typical day include sleeping, sitting, and physical activity (PA) of different intensities. In 2019 the WHO released the first global guideline for movement behavior of children under the age of five. Due to the distinct movement behavior recommendations for this age group and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these behaviors, the present review aims to appraise the literature from across the globe on the effect of COVID-19 on movement behaviors, including screen-time, PA, and sleep in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Methods: PubMed and Google scholar electronic database were searched, the titles and s of all articles retrieved from the search were screened and duplicates were removed. The full texts of potential articles to be included in the study were then reviewed based on the inclusion criteria, and data were extracted from the selected studies using a Microsoft Excel sheet. Results: This review included 11 studies. Four studies cross-sectional, six longitudinal, and one cohort study. The sample size ranged from 25 to 4,136 children. In all of the studies, the sedentary screen-time increased significantly. Sleep, on the other hand, did not change significantly in the majority of the studies, although sleep duration increased in some studies. There were large discrepancies between the device-measured and parent-reported outcomes regarding physical activity that decreased in all studies, except for the Hong Kong and Sweden studies it increased. Conclusion: As the world is still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and managing the uncertainty of other pandemics that may occur, our review can help to promote a healthy balanced pattern of movement behaviors by providing information to support parents of young children.

Advancing patient safety governance in the COVID-19 response

In the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring the safety of health care services remains a serious, ongoing challenge. This once-in-a-century global health crisis exposed the vulnerability of healthcare delivery systems and the subsequent risks of patient harm. Given the scale of the occurrence and costs of preventable patient safety events, intervention and investment are still relatively modest. Good patient safety governance focuses on what leaders and policy makers can do to improve system performance and reduce the financial burden of avoidable care. Moreover, it is essential in driving progress in improving safety outcomes. This report examines how patient safety governance mechanisms in OECD countries have withstood the test of COVID-19 and provides recommendations for countries in further improving patient safety governance and strengthening health system resilience.

Prepared food on the trail: exploring sustainability in outdoor recreation food choices. (Special Issue: Covid-19 and outdoor recreation.)

Given the breadth and depth of environmental concerns such as biodiversity loss and climate change, sustainability is a topic for all sectors of contemporary society, inclusive of outdoor recreation. The guiding global framework focus for sustainability is the United Nations Agenda 2030;this framework is used to support a transition to a more sustainable society. Within outdoor recreation, sustainability can be explored and pursued from a multitude of perspectives, for example, participant behavior, outdoor recreation product production, or outdoor resource management. This paper will provide one small example of how an element of outdoor recreation, prepared backcountry food, can serve as a model for the numerous other questions that need to be addressed to pursue more sustainable outdoor recreation. The research will highlight the complexity of the details of sustainability and the opportunity for sustainable transitions. Outdoor recreation participants make extraordinary decisions as they plan and execute their participation;sustainability can be one of those critical decisions.

Improving the timeliness of health expenditure tracking in OECD and low-and middle-income countries

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that access to timely health spending data is crucial for informed policy-making. This Health Working Paper summarises and compares the methodologies applied in around half of OECD countries to estimate public and private health spending for the most recent year (i.e. t-1) as well as the approaches taken by the OECD Secretariat to fill existing data gaps for the remaining OECD countries. For the first time, the paper also explores the feasibility of nowcasting health spending for the current year (i.e. t) and examines data sources that could be potentially useful in such an exercise. While this review should help OECD countries that do not yet have experience in estimating health spending for year t-1 to improve the timeliness in their data reporting, a special focus in this paper lies on testing the applicability of the methods in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), using the WHO Western Pacific Region (WPRO) as an example. Generally, different data sources exist in many countries that would allow for a more timely estimation for health spending aggregates.

Academic freedom in Scandinavia: has the Nordic model survived?

The Scandinavian states have international reputations for promoting social democratic ideals, which have long been manifest in Nordic universities, e.g. legal protection for academic freedom and university studies free of charge. However, Nordic governments have made new h.e. laws, thereby changing university autonomy and management structures, leading to greater involvement by external personnel in university governance, and reduced academic freedom for academic staff. Utilizing legal data, and a survey of+5,000 academics from the EU states, this paper compares the protection for academic freedom in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The de jure analysis shows that a single Nordic grouping is not apparent, but that there are two distinct Scandinavian cohorts. The de facto analysis reveals differences between the Nordic nations and other EU states but does neither confirm the Nordic model nor substantiate two regional cohorts identified in previous research and in the de jure analysis.

LEARNING AND PROGRESSION IN (TOO MUCH OF?) AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CHALLENGE DURING COVID-19

A venture creation programme (VCP) is an academic programme in which students' creation of a new entrepreneurial venture is a central vehicle for learning. A VCP puts students in the role of entrepreneurs with real opportunities and challenges. The entrepreneurial journey is a bumpy ride, and COVID-19 has added significant challenges for entrepreneurs, including students in VCPs. Previous research emphasises how entrepreneurial learning occurs through handling entrepreneurial challenges. The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the role of COVID-19induced challenges in VCP students' learning. We applied fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to data from students in a technology-oriented VCP in Scandinavia, collected in April 2021. FsQCA offers the opportunity to investigate complex logic combinations of factors that explain an outcome and is particularly suited for small samples. Multi-item measures assessed (1) the progress of students' ventures, (2) entrepreneurial learning and (3) perceived challenges from COVID-19. We also asked whether students had entered or exited an entrepreneurial project and whether these projects were run by a team or only the individual student. We found that COVID-19-induced challenges impeded VCP students' learning and that students' individual progress was important for learning during crisis situations. Thus, entrepreneurship educators should help students get 'back on the horse-which means being involved in new entrepreneurial projects-if their challenges lead them into stagnation and inactivity. Progress, both in students' ventures and for students as individuals, should be nurtured by entrepreneurship educators. © 2022 SEFI 2022 - 50th Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education, Proceedings. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 mortality attenuated during widespread Omicron transmission, Denmark, 2020 to 2022

Background: It sparked considerable attention from international media when Denmark lifted restrictions against COVID-19 in February 2022 amidst widespread transmission of the new SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and a steep rise in reported COVID-19 mortality based on the 30-day COVID-19 death count. Aim: Our aim was to investigate how coincidental infections affected COVID-19 mortality estimates following the introduction of the Omicron variant in late 2021. Methods: We compared the 30-day COVID-19 death count with the observed mortality using three alternative mortality estimation methods;(i) a mathematical model to correct the 30-day COVID-19 death count for coincidental deaths, (ii) the Causes of Death Registry (CDR) and (iii) all-cause excess mortality. Results: There was a substantial peak in the 30-day COVID-19 death count following the emergence of the Omicron variant in late 2021. However, there was also a substantial change in the proportion of coincidental deaths, increasing from 10-20% to around 40% of the recorded COVID-19 deaths. The high number of 30-day COVID-19 deaths was not reflected in the number of COVID-19 deaths in the CDR and the all-cause excess mortality surveillance. Conclusion: Our analysis showed a distinct change in the mortality pattern following the introduction of Omicron in late 2021 with a markedly higher proportion of people estimated to have died with, rather than of, COVID-19 compared with mortality patterns observed earlier in the COVID19 pandemic. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating alternative mortality surveillance methods to more correctly estimate the burden of COVID-19 as the pandemic continues to evolve.

Multiple hazards and risk perceptions over time: the availability heuristic in Italy and Sweden under COVID-19

The severe impact of global crises, such as COVID-19 and climate change, is plausibly reshaping the way in which people perceive risks. In this paper, we examine and compare how global crises and local disasters influence public perceptions of multiple hazards in Italy and Sweden. To this end, we integrate information about the occurrence of hazardous events with the results of two nationwide surveys. These included more than 4000 participants and were conducted in two different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic corresponding to low (August 2020) and high (November 2020) levels of infection rates. We found that, in both countries, people are more worried about risks related to experienced events. This is in line with the cognitive process known as the availability heuristic: individuals assess the risk associated with a given hazard based on how easily it comes to their mind. Epidemics, for example, are perceived as less likely and more impactful in Italy compared to Sweden. This outcome can be explained by cross-country differences in the impact of, as well as governmental responses to, COVID-19. Notwithstanding the ongoing pandemic, people in both Italy and Sweden are highly concerned about climate change, and they rank it as the most likely threat.

Recovery rates and parosmia in olfactory loss during the COVID-19 era

INTRODUCTION. Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a common symptom of COVID-19. In some patients, OD persists for many months, fluctuates during recovery or parosmia may occur. Knowledge about the prognosis of these patients is insufficient. METHODS. Data on chemosensory function and possible prognostic factors were collected through a baseline questionnaire and six follow-up questionnaires answered at 2-3-month intervals. RESULTS. One year after onset of OD, 42.0% of the respondents reported sustained complete recovery, 41.7% reported partial recovery and 2.4% reported no improvement of olfaction. Follow-up was unavailable for 13.9%. Parosmia, high severity of OD and female sex were associated with lower rates of recovery. Subjects who reported that OD had a high impact on their quality of life were less likely to recover within one month. Smoking, alcohol habits, BMI and physical activity were not associated with persistence of OD. CONCLUSIONS. High recovery rates were reported within the first months. Recovery of sensory function after more than six months with no prior improvement was reported. After one year, 97.1% of participants with at least one year of follow-up had reported at least some recovery. Recurring OD after initial complete recovery was reported by 24.5% of participants. Parosmia and severity of OD were associated with prolonged recovery rates. FUNDING. AF received research funding from Velux Fonden. The sponsors had no say nor any responsibilities in relation to the study.

Food involvement, sustainable practices, and travel intent: moral tensions?

Considerable work has identified the characteristics and travel preferences of foodies. Many food tourists are seduced by high end indulgent activities, not necessarily aligned with sustainability objectives. In this article we ask: Are food tourists' involvement levels and travel choices in accordance with sustainability objectives? In so doing we explore moral tensions. Using Swedish survey data incorporating a food involvement scale we capture domestic sustainability sensibilities and infer food involvement and travel intention implications. Results show (a) strong linkages between domestic sustainability food practices and involvement and (b) that those seeking novel and new food experiences are likely to travel. On the other hand, foodies that practice sustainability in their domestic life are less inclined to travel. Inherent to these findings is an identity tension between the hedonic epicure and the sustainable food-wise foodie. Theoretically, this suggests sustainability, in parallel with hedonism, is a sensitizing driver of involvement. Practically, the implications are that destinations post-COVID-19 will have to work harder on image enhancement campaigns targeting sustainably sensitive food tourists.

Lars August Hafting Kvestad, Esmeralda Colombo, The system of government in the Kingdom of Norway: Regional and local institutions

This essay offers a critical analysis of the system of regional and local forms of government in the Kingdom of Norway. The principle of local affairs government is strongly anchored in the Norwegian Constitution, Grunnlova, which is the world's second-oldest Constitution still in operation, from 1814. However, several policy choices seem to have changed and challenged the dynamics of local democracy and municipal self-governance over the years. In this light, this paper's central question is to what extent the right to govern local affairs through local democratically elected bodies in Norway is either a vision or a reality today. To do so, the article first offers an historical trajectory of local state formation in Norway. The first section describes the legal traditions that are especially relevant for local and regional governance and the development of administrative boundaries throughout the centuries. This section shows that the Government of the Kingdom of Norway has become more centralized over time. Because centralization is a common development for many states, the paper proceeds by elucidating the specific tensions among select levels of governance in Norway to this day. Conclusively, the paper indulges on an outstanding issue for governance in Norway: the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic to self-government. © 2021 Societa Editrice Il Mulino. All rights reserved.

A cohort study of trauma patients in Sweden during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic: a small reduction in trauma admissions.

BACKGROUND: Given that Swedish authorities have been widely viewed as having practiced an unusual approach to the COVID-19 pandemic and given that Sweden is notable for a low incidence of trauma, we wanted to learn how the pandemic may have affected the number of trauma admissions in Sweden. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study based on the Swedish trauma registry (Svenska Traumaregistret). The study period was March 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020. As a basis for comparison, the record for the same time during the previous year, 2019 was used. RESULTS: During the four months of the first wave of COVID-19, 2020 there was a decline of 24.2% in the total number of trauma patients in Sweden. There was no significant change in 30-day mortality rates, 4.7% 2019 and 5.1% 2020, (p = 0.30). The number of injuries per patient was higher during the pandemic 3.8 injuries 2019 and 4.1 injuries 2020 (p = 0.02). The NISS 6, 2019 and 8, 2020 was higher during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: As a consequence of what were seen by many as all too lenient actions taken to deal with COVID-19 in Sweden during spring 2020, there was still a reduction in trauma admissions most likely due to an adherence to the voluntary recommendations, the reduction was not as prominent as what was seen in many countries with harsher restrictions and lockdowns.

Norwegian Public Health Conference, Trondheim, Norway, 27-29 October 2021

These proceedings contain articles that discuss social inequality, physical activity, and good practices, to health promotion in local community settings, digital health, quality of life, mental health, as well as living conditions that are conducive to health, schools and kindergartens that foster health, climate and mental health, food, health, and sustainability, the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, mental Health, COVID-19 and a poster session on various topics. In order to better awareness of various approaches to the numerous themes within climate changes and public health, practitioners are also welcomed to these sessions to present their project experiences, meet with researchers, and engage in discussion.

SARS-CoV-2 infections in farmed minks (Neovision vision) - current data on the disease, epidemiology and emerging threat for humans and other animals

SARS-CoV-2, the betacoronavirus that causes COVID-19, has spread rapidly around the world since December 2019. It was suspected from the beginning that the primary outbreak in China, was of a zoonotic origin, but the SARS- CoV-2 animal reservoir(s) has not been definitively identified yet. So far, it has been confirmed that numerous animal species are susceptible to infection and that experimentally infected cats, shrews, hamsters and ferrets can also shed the virus. The SARS-CoV-2 was also detected in farmed mink (Neovison vison), in which it caused both, the clinical and subclinical disease, with respiratory symptoms and increased mortality. In April 2020, the first SARS-CoV-2 cases were detected in minks in the Netherlands, and to date (November 2020), further outbreaks have been confirmed in Denmark, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the United States, Greece, France and Poland. It has also been shown that the transmission of infection from humans to minks and from minks to humans may occur. The OIE is working on the inclusion of mink in the WAHIS database and encouraging the Members to provide appropriate data for this species to improve the monitoring of the epidemiological situation worldwide and prevent the establishment of a possible new reservoir for SARS-CoV-2.

Existence of severe acute respiratory syndrome causing Coronavirus-2 (COVID-19) on aquatic animals and aquatic products: a review

Many pandemic diseases have emerged in the history and millions of people affected from these diseases. Among the marked pandemics in history, the plague, known as the black death, was recorded to cause the death of 17-54% of the world population. Similar to previous pandemics, as the SARS CoV-2, which emerged in 2019 and belonged to the coronavirus family, caused an epidemic and turned into a pandemic infection, positive cases were detected in more than 483 million people, and more than 6.1 million people died. While this emerging epidemic is still continuing its effects, it has been determined that there are positive cases in pets such as dogs and cats, especially in mink (Neovison vison). Especially in Denmark, Netherlands and Finland, positive animals for COVID-19 were accepted. Unlike the pandemic until today, the COVID-19 has spread to broader geographies and affected many animal species. With the reports that the SARS-CoV-2 - was first transmitted from bats to humans, this viral agent has been accepted as zoonotic, but a complete transmission route has not been shown for its transmission from other animals to humans except bats. It is reported that there is no significant risk of transmission of the virus, which is transmitted primarily by the respiratory route, from both pets and edible foods to humans. Although there are many reports in terrestrial animals, studies on the presence of SARS-CoV-2 - in aquatic animals or aquatic environments and COVID-19 transmission in aquatic animals have doubts. Here we reviewed the viability of the SARS-CoV-2 - in the aquatic environment, transmission to the aquatic ecosystem and aquatic animals, and therefore the risks to humans through water or aquatic products.

Leading and managing during COVID-19: empirical insights from the Norwegian women's national handball team in a time of crisis. (Special Issue: Global challenges and innovations in sport.)

From March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic influenced elite sport as uncertainty and restrictions came with the crisis. National teams had to implement crisis management. This qualitative case study examines how the leader group led and managed the Norwegian national women's handball team through three phases of the crisis, trying to uphold performance. We found that collective leadership efforts led to new ways to use digital communication tools and flexible management. From a framework of concepts from organisational culture, leadership, and management during a crisis, we argue that the leader group used the pandemic to take advantage of the opportunities. They implemented a focus on improving the players' physical and tactical conditions and their restitution. Furthermore, the leader group draw on robust institutional factors such as trust to handle the crisis. This study contributes to knowledge on leadership and management in a time of crisis and, in particular, on COVID-19.

An Innovative School Design Based on a Biophilic Approach Using the Appreciative Inquiry Model: Case Study Scandinavia

To understand the school’s role in society and its works, it became essential to reevaluate its functions and importance for society after the aggressive attack of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, a new educational space design represents a powerful and required tool for stimulating creativity and increasing concentration, motivation, and assimilation of knowledge for future generations. The article will use appreciative inquiry as a method that works with perspective ideas readings doted by high positive human sensitivity. It also represents a powerful tool for the students’ opinions about the teaching spaces and environments. To improve the performance of educational institutions and schools, considering the sustainability concepts and biophilic designs has become an urgent necessity within the Scandinavian countries and in the world in general. The scientific research and theoretical analysis within the biophilic theory have been conducted to see how the designer can integrate the nature components holistically in the educational environment based on spatial, visual, and ecological integration concepts. The study aims to develop knowledge about applying biophilia as a phenomenon in educational institutes of Scandinavia where the students among others are the main decision-maker. The article’s main finding is that students dream of free open teaching spaces integrated with nature, where the biophilic theory frameworks are suitable to form this sustainable model that enables educational institutions and schools to improve their performance within different stages of the study.