Rural development from policy to politics. National strategic plans and their potential impact on social structural transformations. Comparative overview. Case study Romania between the European and national context

The question of rural development is of utmost for countries such as Romania. In the current climate of tension generated by the post-pandemic recovery and geopolitical turmoil, rural development has been more important than ever. We are living in a time of great structural duress and the solutions are becoming more political as the effects of the policy are political ones. There is a transformation of the policy into politics as the Common Agricultural Policy and the Rural Development policy by any other name would still be politics. In this context, the flexibilization provided by the National Strategic Plan is more than welcome. The purpose of the paper is to analyse how the policy elements from CAP are turning into politics and are influencing the Member States politics. As the CAP post- 2020 unfolded new tools such as the National Strategic Plan were added to the EC toolbox, but often their design was influenced by national specificities. The paper performs a desk review analysis of the existing sources and has a case study the way in which this process unfolded in Romania. What is of importance in all that time-consuming process is the fact that for the first time we witnessed a large-scale reflection process throughout the European Union member states. It was partially favoured by the COVID-19 pandemic which put everything on hold for a couple of months. That combined with the need to reform made everything more democratic and more advanced and reformist than the initial proposals.

Structure-guided optimization of adenosine mimetics as selective and potent inhibitors of coronavirus nsp14 N7-methyltransferases.

The COVID-19 pandemic reveals the urgent need to develop new therapeutics targeting the SARS-CoV-2 replication machinery. The first antiviral drugs were nucleoside analogues targeting RdRp and protease inhibitors active on nsp5 Mpro. In addition to these common antiviral targets, SARS-CoV-2 codes for the highly conserved protein nsp14 harbouring N7-methyltransferase (MTase) activity. Nsp14 is involved in cap N7-methylation of viral RNA and its inhibition impairs viral RNA translation and immune evasion, making it an attractive new antiviral target. In this work, we followed a structure-guided drug design approach to design bisubstrates mimicking the S-adenosylmethionine methyl donor and RNA cap. We developed adenosine mimetics with an N-arylsulfonamide moiety in the 5'-position, recently described as a guanine mimicking the cap structure in a potent adenosine-derived nsp14 inhibitor. Here, the adenine moiety was replaced by hypoxanthine, N6-methyladenine, or C7-substituted 7-deaza-adenine. 26 novel adenosine mimetics were synthesized, one of which selectively inhibits nsp14 N7-MTase activity with a subnanomolar IC50 (and seven with a single-digit nanomolar IC50). In the most potent inhibitors, adenine was replaced by two different 7-deaza-adenines bearing either a phenyl or a 3-quinoline group at the C7-position via an ethynyl linker. These more complex compounds are barely active on the cognate human N7-MTase and docking experiments reveal that their selectivity of inhibition might result from the positioning of their C7 substitution in a SAM entry tunnel present in the nsp14 structure and absent in the hN7-MTase. These compounds show moderate antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 replication in cell culture, suggesting delivery or stability issue.

Pricing Strategy in an Interval-Valued Production Inventory Model for High-Tech Products under Demand Disruption and Price Revision

Due to continuous development in technology, new and updated products are launching in the market more frequently in the area of some high-tech products such as smartphones, laptops, etc. It is noticed that after a certain period of releasing a new product by a particular company some other company develops a similar type of product at a lesser selling price. Customers generally become attracted to buy that updated product causing a sudden disruption in the demand for the first product. The demand for a normal product may also suddenly vanish as we have experienced during the COVID-19 lock down period. The manufacturer is then compelled to reduce the selling price to sell the remaining products. This paper aims at developing a single period production inventory model addressing this particular market condition. This paper also considers carbon emissions from different inventory processes and examines the optimal inventory policies under the cap and trade regulatory policy. Again, in a real-life production system, the various inventory cost components and the carbon emission rates from different inventory processes are not fixed always. To incorporate this issue, the proposed model considers these quantities as interval numbers. The resulting optimization problem is thus also interval-valued and has been solved by using the quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization technique. A numerical illustration is provided to validate the proposed model. Finally, a sensitivity analysis with respect to key inventory parameters is performed to derive some key managerial implications. It is found that the frequency of launching new products is inversely proportional to the optimum profit of the manufacturer. Also, a higher carbon tax rate is found to be beneficial from an environmental point of view.

An overview of state subsidies in Italian agriculture in the period 2000-2019

This paper provides a descriptive analysis of the trends and the main components of public support for agriculture in Italy over the two decades (2000-2019) preceding the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. For this analysis, the wealth of highly informative data contained in the CREA database "Agricultural expenditure of the Regions" was used. This is the most up-todate and consistently available source of information on public spending in agriculture, with regional details that distinguish it from other official statistical sources. Overall public support for the agriculture sector in the period under consideration decreased by over EUR 4 billion (from EUR 15,613 billion in 2000 to just below EUR 12 billion in 2019). The share of support in agricultural added value has also decreased: from 55% in 2000 to about 34% in 2019. Looking at the individual categories of support (EU CAP 1st and 2nd pillar funds, tax and social security reliefs, State transfers and regional funds) included in the analysis, it is clear that this decrease was due to the halving of tax and social security reliefs (from 26.6% to 15.8%), and the significant reduction in the support provided by the budgets of the Regions and Autonomous Provinces (from over 4 billion euros in 2000 to 1,7 billion euros in 2019). To this must be added a reduction in government contributions (from 4.3% to 4.1%). As a result, EU support was consequently stable in the first decade and increased in the last ten years (from 43.1% in 2000 to 63.9% in 2019). This analysis highlights the various support models derived from each Region's particular production and politicaladministrative situations. © 2022 Franco Angeli Edizioni. All rights reserved.

CASE REPORT: Immigrants and evolving food allergies

Case report Background: We present a case of coconut allergy as a rare evolving food allergy among immigrants. Case presentation: A 3-year-old girl, on treatment for asthma, was referred to the allergy clinic due to possible reactions to salmon and coconut. Due to COVID restrictions, the initial consultation was conducted by telephone. Reportedly, she developed hives and wheeze after eating salmon and coconut products. During the face-to-face review, it was noted that the child's paternal side of the family was of ethnic minorities. The patient had cradle cap as a baby, and coconut oil was applied for treatment as advised by family back home. During a hospital-based coconut challenge, she developed puffy eyes, and on subsequent consumption of coconut macaroon, she developed hives. The child was diagnosed with coconut allergy. Face-to-face assessment and food cultural awareness are essential for clinical diagnosis. Discussion(s): Allergy is a multifactorial illness affected by epigenetic, environmental factors, eczema during infancy and food culture. Studies suggest that the risk of allergy can be highest in immigrants to culturally stable food, particularly with delayed early taste during weaning. The dual allergen hypothesis proposes that early cutaneous exposure to food protein through damaged skin barrier can lead to sensitisation and allergy and that early oral exposure to food induces tolerance. Conclusion(s): Further research on understanding the interaction between epigenetics of the allergic disease and the environment is needed as is an understanding of how the movement of populations and different culture habits can affect the incidence of food allergy. In the meantime, is promoting healthy skin barrier and early food introduction enough to prevent food allergies.

Epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus in hospitalized children with community-acquired pneumonia in Guangzhou: a 10-year study.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common virus causing community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. To guide the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of RSV, we aimed to analyze the epidemiology of RSV in hospitalized children with CAP. Methods: A total of 9,837 hospitalized children (≤14 years old) with CAP from January 2010 to December 2019 were reviewed. Using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the oropharyngeal swab specimens were collected and tested for RSV, influenza virus A (INFA), influenza virus B (INFB), parainfluenza virus (PIV), enterovirus (EV), coronavirus (CoV), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), human bocavirus (HBoV), human rhinovirus (HRV), and adenovirus (ADV) for each patient. Results: The detection rate of RSV was 15.3% (1,507/9,837). From 2010 to 2019, the RSV detection rate showed a wavy change (χ2=166.982, P<0.001), with the highest detection rate in 2011 (158/636, 24.8%). RSV can be detected throughout the year, with the highest detection rate in February (123/482, 25.5%). Children younger than 0.5 years old had the highest detection rate (410/1,671, 24.5%). The detection rate of RSV in male children (1,024/6,226, 16.4%) was higher than that in female children (483/3,611, 13.4%) (P<0.001). A proportion of 17.7% (266/1,507) of RSV positive cases were also co-infected with other viruses, and INFA (41/266, 15.4%) was the most common coinfection virus. After adjusting for potential confounders, the RSV-positive children were associated with increased risk of severe pneumonia [odds ratio (OR) 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04 to 1.53, P=0.019]. Moreover, children with severe pneumonia had significantly lower cycle threshold (CT) values of RSV than those without severe pneumonia (28.88±3.89 vs. 30.42±3.33, P<0.01). Patients with coinfection (38/266, 14.3%) had a higher risk of severe pneumonia than those without coinfection (142/1,241, 11.4%), but the difference was not statistically significant (OR 1.39, 95% CI: 0.94 to 2.05, P=0.101). Conclusions: The detection rate of RSV in CAP hospitalized children changed by years, months, ages, and sexes. CAP hospitalized children with RSV are more likely to develop severe pneumonia than those without RSV. Policy makers and doctors should make timely adjustments to prevention measures, medical resources and treatment options based on these epidemiological characteristics.

The Clinical Utility of Relative Bradycardia for Identifying Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia: A Retrospective Pneumonia Cohort Study.

Objective Both coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia and relative bradycardia are common conditions among clinicians; however, the association between these has not been well studied. The present study assessed whether or not relative bradycardia on admission was more predominant in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia than in those with other infectious pneumonia. Methods For this single-center, retrospective cohort study, we collected data through electronic medical records and examined the occurrence of relative bradycardia on admission. We used logistic regression analyses to compare outcomes with and without relative bradycardia on admission. The primary outcome was COVID-19 pneumonia. The secondary outcome was hypoxemia during the hospital stay. We performed multivariable regression with adjusting for the effects of age, sex, healthcare-associated pneumonia, body mass index, Charlson comorbidity index, and bilateral infiltration on computed tomography (CT) as confounding factors. Patients Adult patients with new-onset hospitalized infectious pneumonia confirmed by CT between January 1, 2020, and July 31, 2021. Results This study included 395 participants. On admission, 87 (22.0%) participants exhibited relative bradycardia, and 302 (76.5%) participants had COVID-19. Relative bradycardia on admission was not significantly associated with COVID-19 pneumonia [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49-3.54, p=0.588] but was associated with hypoxemia (adjusted OR 4.74; 95%CI 2.64-8.52, p<0.001). Conclusion The study results showed that relative bradycardia on admission was not associated with COVID-19 in cases of infectious pneumonia. However, relative bradycardia may be associated with the incidence of hypoxemia in pneumonia.

Chemokines and chemokine receptors during COVID-19 infection.

Chemokines are crucial inflammatory mediators needed during an immune response to clear pathogens. However, their excessive release is the main cause of hyperinflammation. In the recent COVID-19 outbreak, chemokines may be the direct cause of acute respiratory disease syndrome, a major complication leading to death in about 40% of severe cases. Several clinical investigations revealed that chemokines are directly involved in the different stages of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we review the role of chemokines and their receptors in COVID-19 pathogenesis to better understand the disease immunopathology which may aid in developing possible therapeutic targets for the infection.

eIF3d: A driver of noncanonical cap-dependent translation of specific mRNAs and a trigger of biological/pathological processes.

Eukaryotic initiation factor 3d (eIF3d), a known RNA-binding subunit of the eIF3 complex, is a 66 to 68-kDa protein with an RNA-binding motif and a cap-binding domain. Compared with other eIF3 subunits, eIF3d is relatively understudied. However, recent progress in studying eIF3d has revealed a number of intriguing findings on its role in maintaining eIF3 complex integrity, global protein synthesis, and in biological and pathological processes. It has also been reported that eIF3d has noncanonical functions in regulating translation of a subset of mRNAs by binding to 5'-UTRs or interacting with other proteins independent of the eIF3 complex and additional functions in regulating protein stability. The noncanonical regulation of mRNA translation or protein stability may contribute to the role of eIF3d in biological processes such as metabolic stress adaptation and in disease onset and progression including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, tumorigenesis, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. In this review, we critically evaluate the recent studies on these aspects of eIF3d and assess prospects in understanding the function of eIF3d in regulating protein synthesis and in biological and pathological processes.

Preparing for the Next Influenza Season: Monitoring the Emergence and Spread of Antiviral Resistance.

Purpose: The relaxation of pandemic restrictions in 2022 has led to a reemergence of respiratory virus circulation worldwide and anticipation of substantial influenza waves for the 2022/2023 Northern Hemisphere winter. Therefore, the antiviral susceptibility profiles of human influenza viruses circulating in Germany were characterized. Methods: Between October 2019 (week 40/2019) and March 2022 (week 12/2022), nasal swabs from untreated patients with acute respiratory symptoms were collected in the national German influenza surveillance system. A total of 598 influenza viruses were isolated and analyzed for susceptibility to oseltamivir, zanamivir and peramivir, using a neuraminidase (NA) inhibition assay. In addition, next-generation sequencing was applied to assess molecular markers of resistance to NA, cap-dependent endonuclease (PA) and M2 ion channel inhibitors (NAI, PAI, M2I) in 367 primary clinical samples. Furthermore, a genotyping assay based on RT-PCR and pyrosequencing to rapidly assess the molecular resistance marker PA-I38X in PA genes was designed and established. Results: While NAI resistance in the strict sense, defined by a ≥ 10-fold (influenza A) or ≥5-fold (influenza B) increase of NAI IC50, was not detected, a subtype A(H1N1)pdm09 isolate displayed 2.3- to 7.5-fold IC50 increase for all three NAI. This isolate carried the NA-S247N substitution, which is known to enhance NAI resistance induced by NA-H275Y. All sequenced influenza A viruses carried the M2-S31N substitution, which confers resistance to M2I. Of note, one A(H3N2) virus displayed the PA-I38M substitution, which is associated with reduced susceptibility to the PAI baloxavir marboxil. Pyrosequencing analysis confirmed these findings in the original clinical specimen and in cultured virus isolate, suggesting sufficient replicative fitness of this virus mutant. Conclusion: Over the last three influenza seasons, the vast majority of influenza viruses in this national-level sentinel were susceptible to NAIs and PAIs. These findings support the use of antivirals in the upcoming influenza season.

Market reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from emerging markets

Purpose: This study examines the market reaction to the World Health Organization (WHO) announcement of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a global pandemic on the emerging equity markets and compares the reaction with developed markets. This study also compares the market reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic with the market reactions to the 2008 global financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach: Using the Morgan Stanley Capital International daily stock indices data and the Carhart and the GARCH(1,1) models for an event study, the authors examine the cumulative abnormal returns during 30 and 10 trading days and the extended 60 days before and after the WHO pandemic announcement. It also compares the market reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic with the reactions to the Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy announcement during the 2008 global financial crisis. Findings: This study finds that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significantly greater negative impact to the stock markets in emerging countries than in the developed countries. The negative impact on the emerging markets is more pronounced for firms with small market capitalizations and for growth stocks. The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is stronger in the energy and financial sectors in both emerging and developed markets. The positive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic occurred in healthcare and telecommunications for the emerging markets and information technology for the developed markets. This study also finds that the equity markets in both emerging and developed countries recovered faster from the COVID-19 pandemic relative to the 2008 global financial crisis. Social implications: Investors' desire to diversify their risks across different countries and sectors in the emerging markets could bring superior returns. The diversification strategies bring critical financial supports to forestall the contagion of COVID-19, to protect lives, and to save the emerging economies, especially for those financially constrained countries that are facing twin health and economic shocks by channeling their investments to countries with weak healthcare systems. Originality/value: This study extends the literature that examines market reactions to stock market shocks by examining the market reactions to the COVID-19 outbreak on the emerging and developed equity markets across different market capitalizations, valuation and sectors. This study also finds that the markets recovered quicker from the COVID-19 pandemic announcement than during the 2008 global financial crisis. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Macroeconomic production function of Russia and estimation of the marginal rate of technical substitution in the unprecedented socio-economic realities of 2020-2022

In the period 2020-2022 the Russian economy has been facing the new, unprecedented challenges of coronavirus and sanctions. In order to analyze the current state of affairs, we are offering an econometric study of Russia's macroeconomic production function for 1990-2022 and an estimation of the marginal rate of technical substitution under internal and external restrictions associated with the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and the conduct of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, accompanied by increased sanctions pressure on the Russian economy. We have obtained several significant results. In the years 1991-1996 the marginal rate of technical substitution was increasing, and in 1997-2020 it was decreasing except for 2008-2009 and 2015. In the context of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, the main reasons for the Russian economy's decline in 2020 and growth in 2021 were, first of all, fluctuations in the world crude oil price, and not the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic as such. We did not find any evidence that the decline in the world crude oil price in 2020 was caused by a decrease in demand from China, since Russian oil exports to China increased. Contrary to many negative forecasts, the results of our forecasting of Russia's GDP for 2022 show that under sharply increased sanctions pressure, with the world price of Urals oil at $60 per barrel, the average growth rate will be 0%, while at $70 it will be 4%, and at $80 it will be 7%. Under the reduced demand for Russian gas and the shutdown of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, the forecast volumes of gross natural gas production by Gazprom (excluding Gazprom Neft) in the Tyumen Region for 2022, based on the exponential production function studied by econometric methods, range from 364 to 392 billion cubic meters. Using the example of Great Britain, where in 2021 the average actual export prices for Russian oil and gas were the lowest compared to other Western European countries, we discuss the economic inexpediency of setting marginal prices for Russian energy products by Western consumers.

Atrio-Ventricular Block by Legionella Disease.

Although Legionnaires' disease mainly affects the lungs, it can also present with other systemic involvement, including rare cardiac manifestations. Recognised presentations are endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis, and pericardial effusion. A 72-year-old British man presented with a six-day history of dry cough and a four-day history of fever during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. His electrocardiogram showed Mobitz type II atrio-ventricular block. Although all the cultures were negative, the chest X-ray demonstrated COVID-19 infection-like features. With high clinical suspicions and chest X-ray features, the polymerase chain reaction of the COVID tests was repeated three times and all were negative. He had a positive urinary Legionella antigen, and his bradycardia and heart block improved after treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and clarithromycin. As the electrocardiogram showed Mobitz type II, a permanent pacemaker was implanted. The follow-up pacemaker check showed that he still required active pacing.

The Impact of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease on Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia Outcomes.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, while nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease. NAFLD is associated with systemic changes in immune response, possibly linked to CAP severity. However, the impact of NAFLD on CAP outcomes has not been determined. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical course, complications and outcomes of severe CAP requiring ICU treatment in patients with NAFLD in the pre-COVID-19 era. A retrospective cohort study included 138 consecutively hospitalized adult patients with severe CAP admitted to the ICU during a 4-year period: 80 patients with NAFLD and 58 controls. Patients with NAFLD more frequently presented with ARDS (68.7% vs. 43.1%), and required invasive mechanical ventilation (86.2% vs. 63.8%), respiratory ECMO (50% vs. 24.1%), and continuous renal replacement therapy (62.5% vs. 29.3%). Mortality was significantly higher in the NAFLD group (50% vs. 20.7%), and the time from hospital admission to death was significantly shorter. In survival analysis, NAFLD (HR 2.21, 95%CI 1.03-5.06) was associated with mortality independently of other components of metabolic syndrome. In conclusion, our study identified NAFLD as an independent predictor of mortality in patients with severe CAP.

Macroeconomic production function of Russia and estimation of the marginal rate of technical substitution in the unprecedented socio-economic realities of 2020-2022

In the period 2020-2022 the Russian economy has been facing the new, unprecedented challenges of coronavirus and sanctions. In order to analyze the current state of affairs, we are offering an econometric study of Russia's macroeconomic production function for 1990-2022 and an estimation of the marginal rate of technical substitution under internal and external restrictions associated with the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and the conduct of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, accompanied by increased sanctions pressure on the Russian economy. We have obtained several significant results. In the years 1991-1996 the marginal rate of technical substitution was increasing, and in 1997-2020 it was decreasing except for 2008-2009 and 2015. In the context of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, the main reasons for the Russian economy's decline in 2020 and growth in 2021 were, first of all, fluctuations in the world crude oil price, and not the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic as such. We did not find any evidence that the decline in the world crude oil price in 2020 was caused by a decrease in demand from China, since Russian oil exports to China increased. Contrary to many negative forecasts, the results of our forecasting of Russia's GDP for 2022 show that under sharply increased sanctions pressure, with the world price of Urals oil at $60 per barrel, the average growth rate will be 0%, while at $70 it will be 4%, and at $80 it will be 7%. Under the reduced demand for Russian gas and the shutdown of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, the forecast volumes of gross natural gas production by Gazprom (excluding Gazprom Neft) in the Tyumen Region for 2022, based on the exponential production function studied by econometric methods, range from 364 to 392 billion cubic meters. Using the example of Great Britain, where in 2021 the average actual export prices for Russian oil and gas were the lowest compared to other Western European countries, we discuss the economic inexpediency of setting marginal prices for Russian energy products by Western consumers. © 2022 The authors.

Volatility Forecasting during Extreme Market Events Using the Mid Cap Share Index

The JSE underperformance in 2010 to 2019 as a consequence of a collapse in mid-cap share investments signified a high risk of investing in mid-cap companies. The outbreak of Covid-19 affected the optimal lambda and mid-cap share price returns during the analysis that was extended to 31 July 2020. For this purpose, the objective of the study is to forecast volatility at the end of day n-1 using the exponential weighted moving average and the general autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity using the mid-cap share index (J201). Furthermore, the study aims to calculate the optimal lambda during the Covid-19 global pandemic. The models examined the negative relationship between share price returns and volatility during extreme events which led to fat tailed distribution of returns in share price returns. On December 2020 an unfavourable South African investment grade of negative BBB was assigned by Fitch Ratings and the days following the Covid-19 lockdown, share price returns plunged encouraging panic selling by risk averse investors.

Semi-Supervised Multi-View Fusion for Identifying CAP and COVID-19 With Unlabeled CT Images

Recently under the condition of reducing nucleic acid testing for COVID-19 in large population, the computer-aided diagnosis with the chest computed tomography (CT) image has become increasingly important in differential diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and COVID-19. In prac-tice, there usually exist a mass of unlabeled CT images, especially in regions without adequate medical resources, and the existing diagnosis methods cannot take advantage of the useful information among them. Therefore, it is practical and urgent need to develop a computer-aided diagnosis model that can effectively exploit both labeled and unlabeled samples. To this end, in this paper, we pro -pose a semi-supervised multi-view fusion method for the diagnosis of COVID-19. It explores both the discriminative features from labeled samples and the structure information from unlabeled samples and fuses multi-view features extracted from CT images, including image feature, statistical feature, and lesions specific feature, for improving the diagnostic performance. Specifically, in the proposed model, we utilize semi-supervised learning technique with pairwise constraint regularization to learn the model with both labeled samples and unlabeled samples. Simultaneously, we employ low-rank multi-view constraint to capture latent comple-mentary information among different features from CT images. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in differential diagnosis of CAP vs. COVID-19.

Joint Forces for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Training: 1st ESCAP/UEMS-CAP/EFPT Training Day for CAP Trainees

Introduction: As the Covid-19 pandemic brought about travel and social restrictions, many activities including specialty training events for medical specialty trainees moved online. The European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees, European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and hild and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) Section of UEMS joined forces to turn challenges into an opportunity for CAP trainees and jointly organized the 1st ESCAP/ UEMS-CAP/EFPT Training Day. Objective(s): The main aim was to offer CAP trainees throughout Europe high quality and up to date training content free of charge, making use of the different strengths of the organizing associations. Method(s): Content of the Training Day was prepared according to feedback and demand from CAP trainees, collected through a questionnaire prior to the event. This event took place online and ran 9 webinars/workshops as well as a plenary case session where trainees presented real life cases made more challenging with the pandemic and representatives from 3 organizing associations discussed the cases from different perspectives. Remaining webinars/workshops covered a wide range of themes including but not limited to research, leadership, administrative and management skills as well as scientific topics such as eating disorders, medically unexplained symptoms, psychosis. Result(s): Almost 200 CAP trainees from 31 countries participated in the event and received certificates of completion. The outcome of the event is being evaluated via quantitative and qualitative methods and similar events will be planned accordingly. Conclusion(s): 1st ESCAP/UEMS-CAP/EFPT Training Day for CAP trainees was a success for reaching many trainees from across Europe and experimenting with different formats which will inspire future initiatives.

Channel selection for retailers in platform economy under cap-and-trade policy considering different power structures

With the outbreak of COVID-19 and some environmental problems in recent years, consumers prefer to shop online and purchase green products. Considering the benefit of the e-commerce platform, offline retailers face the challenge of whether to enter e-commerce platforms. Moreover, different power structures may affect retailer encroachment in the platform economy. Thus, we develop theoretical models considering retailer channel selections, different power structures between a retailer and a manufacturer, and cap-and-trade policy. The main results show that the optimal channel selection of the retailer is affected by the annual service fee, the power structure and the carbon trading price. An interesting result is that the retailer entering the platform has a good chance to reduce the total carbon emissions. In the extensions, we consider online reviews, consumers’ channel preferences, the carbon emission of the logistics, and the shipping cost, and find that the robustness of the main results still holds.