Sustainable management of drinking plastic straws is required to reduce plastic pollution: Are we using them more during COVID-19?

Nowadays, single-use plastic pollution attracts the attention of scholars, policymakers, and practitioners. In addition to personal protective equipment (PPEs) waste during the COVID-19 pandemic, other unpreceded plastic wastes such as packaging from online shopping and food delivery, viruses confirmatory testing, and drinking straws also contributed to pollution and worsened around the globe. This perspective aimed to provide insights into drinking plastic straws as an important source of plastic pollution. Literature searches confirmed that drinking plastic straws, unlike PPEs, have not been researched whether it is an important contributor to pollution or not during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, research on the pollution level of this plastic waste and its association with COVID-19 is required. Drinking straw producers and users require adequate strategies and management of this plastic pollution and more widespread rules and regulations to prevent environmental implications and health risks. This study can usefully give highlights for environmentalists, solid waste management experts, policymakers, and governments by describing the environmental impact and raising health risks of drinking plastic straw pollution.

Emergency plan selection for epidemic prevention and control based on cumulative prospect theory and hybrid-information MADM

PurposeDecision-making problems in emergency plan selection for epidemic prevention and control (EPAC) are generally characterized by risky and uncertainty due to multiple possible emergency states and vagueness of decision information. In the process of emergency plan selection for EPAC, it is necessary to consider several obvious features, i.e. different states of epidemics, dynamic evolvement process of epidemics and decision-makers' (DMs') psychological factors such as risk preference and loss aversion.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, a novel decision-making method based on cumulative prospect theory (CPT) is proposed to solve emergency plan selection of an epidemic problem, which is generally regarded as hybrid-information multi-attribute decision-making (HI-MADM) problems in major epidemics. Initially, considering the psychological factors of DMs, the expectations of DMs are chosen as reference points to normalize the expectation vectors and decision information with three different formats. Subsequently, the matrix of gains and losses is established according to the reference points. Furthermore, the prospect value of each alternative is obtained and the comprehensive prospect values of alternatives under different states are calculated. Accordingly, the ranking of alternatives can be obtained.FindingsThe validity and robustness of the proposed method are demonstrated by a case calculation of emergency plan selection. Meanwhile, sensitivity analysis and comparison analysis with fuzzy similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS) method and TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese for interactive and MADM) method illustrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.Originality/valueAn emergency plan selection method is proposed for EPAC based on CPT, taking into account the psychological factors of DMs.HighlightsThis paper proposes a new CPT-based EDM method for EPAC under a major epidemic considering the psychological factorsof DMs, such as risk preference, loss aversion and so on.The authors' work gives approaches of normalization, comparison and distance measurement for dealing with the integration of three hybrid formats of attributes.This article gives some guidance, which contributes to solve the problems of risk-based hybrid multi-attribute EDM.The authors illustrate the advantages of the proposed method by a sensitivity analysis and comparison analysis with existing FTOPSIS method and TODIM method.

Closing the Gap Between Decision Analysis and Policy Analysts Before the Next Pandemic

Decision analysis (DA) is an explicitly prescriptive discipline that separates beliefs about uncertainties from value preferences in modeling to support decision making. Researchers have been advancing DA tools for the last 60 years to support decision makers handling complex decisions requiring subjective judgments. Recently, some DA researchers and practitioners wondered whether the difficult decisions made during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding testing, masking, closing and reopening businesses, allocating ventilators, and prioritizing vaccines would have been improved with more DA involvement. With its focus on quantifying uncertainties, value trade-offs, and risk attitudes, DA should have been a valuable tool for decision makers during the pandemic. To influence decisions, DA applications require interactions with policymakers and experts to construct formal representations of the decision frame, elicit uncertainties, and assess risk tolerances and trade-offs among competing objectives. Unfortunately, such involvement of decision analysts in the process of decision making and policy setting did not occur during much of the COVID-19 pandemic. This lack of participation may have been partly because many decision makers were unaware of when DA could be valuable in helping with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, decision analysts were perhaps not sufficiently adept at inserting themselves into the policy process at critical junctures when their expertise could have been helpful.

Sliding into Your Dms in 1, 2, 3: Instagram-Dating Practices of Filipino Professionals in a Relationship Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic

This study explores self-reported narratives of Filipino professionals in a relationship (FPR) in terms of their online-dating practices. It examines how romantic alternatives are experienced and expressed through Instagram (IG) My Stories during the quarantine period brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the present study aims to investigate the reasons and dynamics of IG-dating practices as well as how social media usage impacts romantic alternatives. The study hopes to fill the knowledge gap on the role IG dating plays in the various stages of online-dating practices during the quarantine period. The researchers analysed responses from two semi-structured interviews, six narratives or written responses, and follow-up email interviews with all eight FPR involved in this study. Findings indicate that compared to previous findings, the FPR did not regard being in IG as an important marker of their romantic and emotional relationships as it is merely their coping and surviving mechanism against boredom at the time of quarantining and their way of escaping and diverting their worries about the pandemic;hence, ending a relationship can take place at any stage in the form of "ghosting". Furthermore, IG's main activities such as posting, reacting, replying/ commenting, and chatting can initiate and maintain these romantic alternatives, and the primary motivation of the FPR to engage in IG dating concerns face-/self -presentation and negotiation. Finally, the term "quaranfling" is proposed to describe a phenomenon pertaining to a no-strings-attached flirting during quarantine, which is basically a casual romantic relationship. The current study may be a precursor to further investigations on quaranfling and whether online platforms (e.g., social media and dating apps) can be attributed to the growing number of relationship dilemmas (e.g., cheating and breakups) among modern-day couples not only in the Philippines but also in Asia Pacific.

Investing in radical change: the future of Canadian public banks

Multiple overlapping crises, such as the Global Financial Crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and climate change, have exposed the deficiencies of a market-led political economy. Financialization and the dominance of a private financial system are deeply implicated as causes and therefore cannot realistically be part of the solution. A rejuvenated public sector is needed to institute massive and targetted funding, and the role of public banks should be a central component as alternatives to neoliberal financial capitalism are devised. © 2023 Studies in Political Economy.

Participatory sport events in times of COVID-19: Analysing the (virtual) sport behaviour of event participants

Research question: Due to government restrictions because of COVID-19, all participatory sport events (PSEs) were cancelled. As a result, knowledge is needed as to how and to what extent participants of PSEs modified their sport behaviour to fill the void of event cancellation. Therefore, this study aimed to (1) investigate to what extent event participants have modified their sport behaviour as a result of the COVID-19 measures, and (2) analyse the factors that determine participation in virtual events (real activities using an online recording platform). Research methods: A total of 2869 respondents completed an online survey which was widely disseminated in Flanders (Belgium) six weeks after the announcement of the COVID-19 lockdown. The sample included both event and non-event participants. Descriptive and binary logistic regression analyses were used to investigate how event participants adapted their sport behaviour and which factors determined virtual event participation. Results and findings: Since the COVID-19 measures, event participants did not decrease the frequency but only the intensity of their sport behaviour. Based on social ecological theory, participation in virtual events could be explained by both individual determinants (e.g. motivation towards developing skills), and interpersonal determinants (e.g. previous participation in a virtual event). Implications: This study contributes to research on the impact of COVID-19 measures and consequently the cancellation of PSEs on sport behaviour of event participants. Confronted with an uncertain future, the findings provide insights for event organisers to develop and optimise virtual event experiences in order to reach non-event participants as well. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Where left to seminar in 2022?

The university has now, totally, found its way into our homes. First through demands of the kitchen table to provide the setting for teaching preparation. Then inadvertently: the endless work done with others in mutable workspaces, such as the home, characterizing that same teaching. And now recently, the coronavirus pandemic has found a new, hybrid, teaching space – (working from) home. So, where else is there ‘to seminar'? These questions are not new: Roland Barthes made an everlasting call to ‘outline a space and call it: seminar'. Henk Slager, whose plea in 2017 to ‘[re]activate [the] "unpredictable rhythm” of the seminar' echoed Barthes, following artists, activists, teachers and organizers calling for new alternatives to ever-institutionalized formats and modes of education. Much of this – sentimentalizing, reproducing, extracting educational forms – is held within the discursive framework of art's ‘Educational Turn'. In the light of impact that the ‘move online' has had on art education I am reframing this question of the seminar's ‘where' else and ‘what' else, again in 2022. Once obvious spaces of art education, clearly defined, are left empty, expensive, expansive and broken. Where ghosts and infrastructures contend with one another, the mechanisms of universities are, in theory, open bare;their complex continues to be impenetrable. This text constellates a set of infrastructural considerations to take stock of what it means to ask this question of ‘where' else and ‘what' else in 2022. © 2022 Intellect Ltd Article. English language.

this Research has Important Policy Implications...

The COVID 19 pandemic has generated much interest in the relationship between research and policy. It has drawn new attention to the limitations of a linear model, where policy is based on first observing prior scientific research and then designed in response to this. Conflict researchers often motivate the importance of their work by claiming that their "research has important policy implications", but the proposals offered are often at best incomplete. I identify a number of common limitations in claims about policy implications, including a lack of discussion of objectives and priorities, stating objectives themselves as if they were policies, claims about targeting factors without discussing the effectiveness of possible interventions, and a failure to consider uncertainty and potential tensions with other objectives or unintended effects. Research can potentially inform policy discussions and improve decisions, but the incentives in academic research are very different from policy decisions, and the latter often calls for very different evidence than what is offered by the former. Rather than attempting to offer policy prescriptions as an afterthought to academic articles, research can be more helpful to policy by trying to inform debates, focusing on what we know from the cumulative body of research than individual manuscripts, and providing new data and empirical material that allow for better problem description and analysis. © 2023 the author(s), published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston 2023.

Islamic Finance an alternative mode for short term financing – working capital management

PurposeThis paper aims to review and compare the conventional and Islamic perspectives of working capital management (WCM) to devise the best option of financing for managing working capital (WC) in South Asia. The paper also aims to help the business world for running its operations more smoothly by devising an alternative source of financing especially during crises such as the global financial crisis 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe divergence approach is used for a critical analysis of existing literature to derive the best possible alternative to the conventional system of financing.FindingsThis paper identifies that Islamic financing is an appropriate mode of financing as compared to conventional financing for meeting WC requirements in South Asia. Furthermore, under Islamic financing, the best available alternative way for managing WC needs is the Mudarabah Islamic mode of financing.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a theoretical paper and thus does not include empirical results.Practical implicationsThis paper provides conventional and Islamic perspectives of WCM. The Islamic banks in South Asia may devise policies to encourage and convenience firms for using Mudarabah mode for meeting their WC needs instead of conventional sources. This paper also identifies that small and medium enterprises may be targeted by Islamic banks in Asian markets for providing funds for their smooth operations especially during a financial crisis when conventional banks refuse to lend. This will help managers to run businesses more efficiently and effectively especially during any kind of financial crisis in the future.Originality/valueTo the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study that studies the relationship between WCM and Islamic financing in comparison to conventional financing. Although prior studies identify an alternative to conventional financing as Islamic financing, no one studied while considering the WC as the main variable. This paper informs practitioners and researchers about a "state of the art” Islamic perspective of WCM.

Users' Preferences in Selecting Transportation Modes for Leisure Trips in the Digital Era: Evidence from Bandung, Indonesia

Leisure trips have become more important in an era where people are increasingly concerned with quality of life. Leisure trips are unique in that they are not as strict as mandatory trips, while, at the same time, they have wider characteristics because of their flexibility. Research on leisure trips from developing countries is still under-represented as there is still a focus on commuting trips. This study aims to identify factors that influence the mode of transportation choice for leisure trips by domestic travelers who live in cities surrounding Bandung, Indonesia. Data were collected using stated-preference self-report questionnaires distributed to locals who have the intention to travel for leisure in Bandung in the future. Based on responses from 305 respondents with a total number of 1220 observations, a multinomial logit model was estimated. It was found that trains and buses were selected more often by locals than other modes of transportation, including private cars, for leisure trips. Our model showed that locals considered travel time and travel costs as the most significant factors in selecting the mode of transportation for their leisure trips. Besides the existence of online transportation—hailing rides through mobile apps—as an alternative, this study also reveals payment method to be a unique consideration of locals when travelling leisurely in this digital era.

Meet the Meatless: Demand for New Generation Plant-Based Meat Alternatives.

With the unique mimicry of the sensory experiences of meats, the plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA) appeal to consumers outside the traditional vegetarian demographics. This study analyzes market expenditure data from 2017 to 2020 to evaluate the demand for PBMA in relation to meats. Results show that PBMA is a complement for beef and pork while a substitute for chicken, turkey, and fish. Although the current market demand for PBMA is still incomparable with meats, the growth of PBMA sales is significant. This study sheds light on marketing strategies and policies towards the future of PBMA and the fresh meat sector.

Alternatives to tackle climate crisis. How do non-hegemonic vehicles defend the common goods?

This article aims, from the perspective of Journalism studies, to discuss how the representation of solutions or responses associated with the climate crisis can help to sustain or break with the causes of environmental destruction, especially in the context of recovery from the covid-19 pandemic. For this, it analyzes the climate coverage of Colabora and Conexao Planeta in 2020, vehicles considered non-hegemonic dedicated to environmental issues. Based on the Critical Discourse Analysis, it seeks to verify what forms of confronting the climate crisis they make visible. Although the studied vehicles do not follow the logic of mainstream journalism, it is identified that the responses presented in the coverage of climate change in the analyzed vehicles do not always systematically and/or forcefully question the hegemonic system, based on the exploration of nature, offering palliative solutions which contribute to maintaining the status quo.

Proposal for a User-Centered Virtual Reality System for Promoting Tourism in Peru

Tourism has a substantial impact on the economy of different regions of the world such as Latin America, however due to the health crisis generated by COVID-19 this sector has been one of the most affected, for this reason, different investigations have been carried out focused on solving the problems generated by the pandemic. Therefore, it has become necessary to implement new technological alternatives that allow promoting alternative tourism;for example, take virtual tours of different tourist attractions with the help of virtual or augmented reality. In this article we present a proposal for a virtual reality application focused on promoting tourism in Peru using a user-centered design. To make this proposal, an analysis of tourism in Peru was carried out, analyzing the impact of the pandemic in Peru and the most visited attractions in the city of Arequipa to select the scenarios to be virtualized. An important aspect of the proposed is the creation of a user-centered design, for which a set of functions focused on users was proposed, such as the use of a map to select the tourist attractions to visit, showing updated information of the tourist attractions, the use of multiple methods of movement in virtual reality environments and a camera that allows taking pictures when navigating the virtual scenario. © 2022, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Applications of microphysiological systems to disease models in the biopharmaceutical industry: Opportunities and challenges.

Disease models enable researchers to investigate, test, and identify therapeutic targets that would alter patients' disease condition and improve quality of life. Advancements in genetic alteration and analytical techniques have enabled rapid development of disease models using preclinical animals and cell cultures. However, success rates of drug development remain low due to limited recapitulation of clinical pathophysiology by these models. To resolve this challenge, the pharmaceutical industry has explored microphysiological system (MPS) disease models, which are complex in vitro systems that include but are not limited to organ-on-a-chip, organoids, spheroids, and 3D bioengineered tissues (e.g., 3D printing, hydrogels). Capable of integrating key in vivo properties, such as disease-relevant human cells, multi-cellularity/dimensionality of organs, and/or well-controlled physical and molecular cues, MPS disease models are being developed for a variety of indications. With on-going qualifications or validations for wide adoption within the pharmaceutical industry, MPS disease models hold exciting potential to enable in-depth investigation of in vivo pathophysiology and enhance drug discovery and development processes. To introduce the present status of MPS disease models, this paper describes notable examples in six disease areas: cancer, liver/kidney diseases, respiratory diseases/COVID-19, neurodegenerative diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, and select rare diseases. Additionally, we describe current technical limitations and provide recommendations for future development that would expand application opportunities within the pharmaceutical industry.

Expanding Home Detention at Sentencing: FSR

Expanding Home Detention at Sentencing is an article that addresses some of the current issues facing our nation with the reality of overly utilizing incarceration as a punitive measure. This issue raises the question: Could expanded community custody finally be considered as a desperately needed pressure relief valve? When passing the CARES Act, Congress acted early to grant authority to the Attorney General and the BOP Director to expand home confinement options. This discretion includes the AG taking the unprecedented step to directly publish a ruling in the Federal Register on behalf of the BOP. The discretion granted to BOP staff to lower the prison population inadvertently brings their own job security into question and this creates a conflict of interest. Allowing for those who've been convicted of non-violent offenses to be placed in home confinement as opposed to in custody will reduce costs, encourage reduced recidivism, and reduce health risks in facilities. In light of the fact that the BOP and the U.S. Probation Office has established new technology with the capacity to monitor large community custody populations, this article suggests that the sentencing guidelines be updated to encourage judges to utilize home detention measures, in part or in entirety, when sentencing.

Antimicrobial Properties of CuO Particles Deposited on a Medical Mask.

Medical face masks help to reduce the transmission of pathogens, however, the number of infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens continues to increase. The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial effect of an experimental medical mask layer coated with copper oxide using an environmentally friendly non-thermal physical vapour deposition approach. Pure CuO nanoparticles were successfully deposited on the middle layer of a face mask. The particles were distributed in different size clusters (starting from less than 100 nm dots going up to about 1 µm cluster-like structures). The CuO clusters did not form uniform films, which could negatively influence airflow during use of the mask. We investigated the antimicrobial properties of the experimental mask layer coated with CuO NPs using 17 clinical and zoonotic strains of gram-negative, gram-positive, spore-forming bacteria and yeasts, during direct and indirect contact with the mask surface. The effectiveness of the coated mask layer depended on the deposition duration of CuO. The optimal time for deposition was 30 min, which ensured a bactericidal effect for both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant strains, using 150 W power. The CuO NPs had little or no effect on Candida spp. yeasts.

COVID-19: The effects of perceived organizational justice, job engagement, and perceived job alternatives on turnover intention among frontline nurses.

Nurses' turnover intention has become a concern for medical institutions because nurses are more needed than ever under the prevalence of COVID-19. This research sought to investigate the effects of the four dimensions of organizational justice on COVID-19 frontline nurses' turnover intention through the mediating role of job engagement. We also tested the extent to which perceived job alternatives could moderate the relationship between job engagement and turnover intention. This descriptive cross-sectional study used an online survey to collect data from 650 frontline nurses working in appointed hospitals in Jiangsu province, China. Hierarchical regression was used to analyze the hypothesized relationships. Findings revealed that all organizational justice components significantly influenced job engagement and turnover intention. Job engagement also significantly affected nurses' turnover intention and mediated the relationships between organizational justice components and turnover intention. Besides, perceived job alternatives moderated the relationships between job engagement and turnover intention. The implications of this study include demonstrating that healthcare authorities should respect human rights through effective organizational justice as this approach could encourage nurses to appreciate their job and be more devoted to staying and achieving their institutional duties, especially under challenging circumstances.

Efficiency & Outcomes of Direct Access to Physical Therapy for Musculoskeletal Disorders vs Physician-First Access in the US Panel Session: Panel Session

Musculoskeletal disorders effect one in every two Americans costing $213 billion a year. They are also the #1 cause of disability worldwide. With advancements in medicine and technology, the cost and disability rates of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) continues to escalate. Speakers will discuss innovative ways to reduce the musculoskeletal epidemic through proven results and published research on the cost effectiveness of physical therapy (PT) and virtual care from employer, employee and overall impact on the healthcare market. Discussion topics Outcomes of specialty trained PTs in MDT vs traditional community care? What is PT Direct Access and what the APTA’s stance is on both DA and telePT? What does published research tell us about the cost effectiveness of PT Direct Access? Misdiagnosis and training vs MDs? What’s the primary dilemma of the traditional model of care for MSDS? How has teleheath impacted traditional care for MSDS? What are the strengths and weaknesses of telerehab? What are the main obstacles and misperceptions to Direct Access? Since COVID 19, what are the obstacles to telerehab? What are the outcomes for WorkComp, Self-Pay and Group Health?

Evidence of COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Travellers’ Preferences for Crowded Versus Non-crowded Choices in Bangalore City

In a variety of retail and travel scenarios, crowding has an adverse influence on the customer experience and preferences. When travellers evaluate their travel and accommodation alternatives, they take perceived proximity into account. In response to current health concerns, travellers choose between crowded and less congested choices (the COVID-19 pandemic). We believe that while the epidemic is continuing, travellers would seek out less crowded travel and hotel choices. The threat’s prominence had a consistent influence on how individuals felt while travelling through all modalities. On the basis of these results, we hypothesised a possible pandemic recovery mechanism for visitors with a high need for novelty and excitement. Three experiments have significant implications for travel and hotel marketing theory and management. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.