Characterization of varieties biofortified in iron and zinc and local varieties of common bean

Iron and zinc are important minerals in humans in sub Saharan Africa, whose deficiency is known as "hidden hunger" due to the lack of recognised symptoms in the early stages. Although iron deficiency is the most prevalent, zinc is also involved in inhibition of replication of viruses, including the corona virus (COVID-19). In North Kivu and South Kivu provinces where more than 50% of common bean is produced and consumed in Democratic Republic of Congo, 36% and 47% of preschool children are anemic due to iron deficiency. This paradox is mainly due to insufficiency of iron-rich foods. The aim of this study is to characterise 59 iron and zinc biofortified varieties together with six local varieties of common bean for a potential selection programme in Butembo town in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We focused on 15 qualitative and five quantitative parameters. The qualitative parameters were helpful to distinguish the different morphotypes and for cluster analysis. In addition to the descriptive statistics, the quantitative data were used for Pearson correlation and for principal component analysis, PCA. Qualitative parameters enabled grouping of the study genotypes into 14 morphotypes according to the aspect and colour of the seed coat, the colour around the hilum and the size of seeds. Clustering grouped the 65 genotypes into 12 clusters with the most similar genotypes grouped in the same cluster. Quantitative parameters showed that the study genotypes were dissimilar (P=0.00). A positive correlation was obtained between the days to flowering and the days to maturity (P<0.05) and between the number of pods per plant and the days to flowering. A strong correlation was found between the number of pods per plant and seeds per pod (P<0.01). In contrast, a negative correlation was observed between the 100 seed weight and the number of seeds per pod. The PCA represented on two perpendicular axes showed 64.1% of the total variance of which the 42.3% is explained by the first axis and 21.8% by the second axis. Overall, the study genotypes are morphologically and quantitatively different and thus can be used in a selection programme.

Making the Business IT Alignment Evaluation Models Accessible: A Revisit of Luftman's Strategic Alignment Maturity Model and a Guide Towards Its Operationalization and Applicability Within Organizations

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been forcing organizations to search for the provision of uninterrupted modes of operation for both their internal workers and external stakeholders. Basically, enterprises had to enter in an overextended state of organizational agility by swiftly revisiting their business strategies, offerings, and services;simultaneously, the time to assess the procurement of new IT solutions that could support their new state of doing business had to be reduced significantly. This continuous process to ascertain the long-term sustenance of the organization by means of matching the business with proper IT strategies and configurations is known as the Business IT Alignment (BITA). Despite the plethora of academic studies addressing the topic of BITA, to this day, the theoretical concocting of such studies makes it difficult for organizations to find a way to operationalize them. Additionally, the existence of many alignment evaluation frameworks seems to be countered by their offering of a series of complicated assessment procedures that are difficult to be implemented. Thereby, organizations are forced to create and use ad-hoc assessment methods for their BITA analysis. For this reason, we perform an exploratory case study negotiating the conduct of in-depth semi-structured interviews within three companies operating in Belgium, to investigate the need for an operationalized version of the alignment-measuring model, created by Luftman. The development of a methodology for an operationalized version of such a model could facilitate the swift determinization of the overall strategic alignment maturity level for every organization, regardless of their size, location, context or business domain. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

[The maturity model for the public health service-a tool for assessing and improving the digital maturity level of German public health agencies]. / Das Reifegradmodell für den Öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienst ­ Ein Instrument zur Erfassung und Verbesserung des digitalen Reifegrades von deutschen Gesundheitsämtern.

The COVID 19 crisis has highlighted the key role of the public health service (PHS), with its approximately 375 municipal health offices involved in the pandemic response. Here, in addition to a lack of human resources, the insufficient digital maturity of many public health departments posed a hurdle to effective and scalable infection reporting and contact tracing. In this article, we present the maturity model (MM) for the digitization of health offices, the development of which took place between January 2021 and February 2022 and was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health. It has been applied since the beginning of 2022 with the aim of strengthening the digitization of the PHS. The MM aims to guide public health departments step by step to increase their digital maturity to be prepared for future challenges. The MM was developed and evaluated based on qualitative interviews with employees of public health departments and other experts in the public health sector as well as in workshops and with a quantitative survey. The MM allows the measurement of digital maturity in eight dimensions, each of which is subdivided into two to five subdimensions. Within the subdimensions a classification is made on five different maturity levels. Currently, in addition to recording the digital maturity of individual health departments, the MM also serves as a management tool for planning digitization projects. The aim is to use the MM as a basis for promoting targeted communication between the health departments to exchange best practices for the different dimensions.

Factors influencing small and medium size enterprises development and digital maturity in Latin America

The Covid-19 pandemic has made digital transformation no longer an option but a necessity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to succeed in a highly globalized market. The purpose of the study was to analyze the impact of digital maturity factors on the level of development of SMEs in Latin America. The data for this study was collected using an online survey from the representatives from 490 SMEs from Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and Uruguay, using structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression for the analysis. There were several results found in the study. First, the results suggested that commitment to digital maturity (CDM) does not influence participants' training and digital skills (TDS) and development level (DL) directly but does have a positive indirect influence on the development level of participants if they are provided training in digital skills. Second, digital maturity experience (DME) directly influenced TDS and positively impacted DL directly and indirectly. Third, training in digital skills does influence the development level of participants. However, CDM alone was not enough to affect the DL of SMEs and was only significant when TDS acted as a mediating variable. Few studies have been conducted to address this critical issue in Latin America, especially to determine which variables impact the development of SMEs the most. Hence, this study provides a novel contribution to the literature. The results of this study are expected to support SMEs in increasing their competitiveness in this era of accelerated digital transformation.

Modelling the operational maturity challenges faced by online food ordering and delivery enterprises during Covid-19 lockdown in Oman: a fuzzy interpretive structural modelling approach

PurposeThis research aims to ascertain the various operational maturity challenges faced by the online food ordering and delivery enterprises (OFODE), their nature and their interactive relationships. In particular, this paper aims to (a) identify the most relevant operational maturity challenges faced by the OFODE during the COVID-19 lockdown in Oman, (b) explore and establish any likely structural relationship among these challenges and (c) put them into logical clusters. Design/methodology/approachExperts helped to reduce the 18 initially identified maturity challenges to 13 most pressing ones. Mutual relationships, dominance of interactions and their classifications were explored using fuzzy interpretive structural modeling (FISM) and fuzzy MICMAC analysis. FindingsThe study of situation-specific operational maturity challenges convinced the authors to propose a distinct FISM model that depicts the relationship among these challenges. Keeping commissions and fees reasonable emerges as the challenge which all other challenges seemingly culminate into. One of the most important situation-specific challenges (i.e. customer confidence about infection free delivery) emerges as a linkage challenge which aggravates as well as is aggravated by certain challenges. Research limitations/implicationsBesides enriching literature, the proposed model has implications for practitioners particularly when the similar lethal waves are experienced anywhere. The number of respondents, subjective approach, specific context as well as the geographical area coverage are the key limitations. Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first known scientific effort which attempts to model the operational maturity challenges faced by the OFODE during COVID-19 lockdown period. The authors used the FISM modeling approach to forge these interrelated challenges into a structural model.

Digi-cultural mindset

With this chapter, we want to provide a reading experience on how digitalization not only evokes a technical transformation but is also strongly related to a company's culture. Talking about digital transformation, there is more to consider than alignment between IT and business functions. We want to arouse interest in the reader to discover their organization's value system and provide triggers toward the development of a digi-cultural mindset. We will dive deeper into the stages of change and provide a target vision with ideas on how to master a transformation journey. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021.

Comparing Responses to COVID-19 Across Institutions: Conceptualization of an Emergency Response Maturity Model.

The impact of Covid-19 on hospitals was profound, with many lower-resourced hospitals' information technology resources inadequate to efficiently meet the new needs. We interviewed 52 personnel at all levels in two New York City hospitals to understand their issues in emergency response. The large differences in IT resources show the need for a schema to classify hospital IT readiness for emergency response. Here we propose a set of concepts and model, inspired by the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) maturity model. The schema is designed to permit evaluation of hospital IT emergency readiness, permitting remediation of IT resources where necessary.

Students Digital Maturity and Its Implications for Sustainable Behavior

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transition to remote and hybrid teaching and learning, highlighting the importance of digital maturity among university staff and students. Digital maturity includes technological proficiency and skills necessary to navigate and use digital tools for personal learning and development, as well as responsible and ethical use of technology, digital citizenship, and critical thinking. Developing digital maturity among students is critical to promoting sustainable practices and success in a digitally connected world. This article examines the impact of students' digital maturity on online learning engagement and explores the relationship between digital maturity, acceptance of universities' digital transformation, online education satisfaction, student engagement, and sustainable behavior. The study randomly selected 358 students from three Polish universities who completed an online survey (CAWI). The results indicate that digital competences positively affect the students' acceptance of the digital transformation of the university. Personal innovation and motivation for formal digital learning also influence acceptance. Accepting the digital transformation has a positive impact on online learning satisfaction. Engagement in online learning has minimal impact on informal digital learning. The positive moderating effects of commitment to sustainable development on satisfaction and commitment to distance learning and informal digital learning were insignificant. The study suggests that universities need to promote digital maturity among all stakeholders, and students need to improve their digital competences to take full advantage of the educational offer of universities.

Big Data Maturity Assessment Models: A Systematic Literature Review

Big Data and analytics have become essential factors in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. As no company can escape the effects of the pandemic, mature Big Data and analytics practices are essential for successful decision-making insights and keeping pace with a changing and unpredictable marketplace. The ability to be successful in Big Data projects is related to the organization's maturity level. The maturity model is a tool that could be applied to assess the maturity level across specific key dimensions, where the maturity levels indicate an organization's current capabilities and the desirable state. Big Data maturity models (BDMMs) are a new trend with limited publications published as white papers and web materials by practitioners. While most of the related literature might not have covered all of the existing BDMMs, this systematic literature review (SLR) aims to contribute to the body of knowledge and address the limitations in the existing literature about the existing BDMMs, assessment dimensions, and tools. The SLR strategy in this paper was conducted based on guidelines to perform SLR in software engineering by answering three research questions: (1) What are the existing maturity assessment models for Big Data? (2) What are the assessment dimensions for Big Data maturity models? and (3) What are the assessment tools for Big Data maturity models? This SLR covers the available BDMMs written in English and developed by academics and practitioners (2007-2022). By applying a descriptive qualitative content analysis method for the reviewed publications, this SLR identified 15 BDMMs (10 BDMMs by practitioners and 5 BDMMs by academics). Additionally, this paper presents the limitations of existing BDMMs. The findings of this paper could be used as a grounded reference for assessing the maturity of Big Data. Moreover, this paper will provide managers with critical insights to select the BDMM that fits within their organization to support their data-driven decisions. Future work will investigate the Big Data maturity assessment dimensions towards developing a new Big Data maturity model.

Research practices for a pandemic and an uncertain future: synthesis of the learning among the social research community 2020-2022

This paper synthesises a large dataset on how social research methods and practices have been adapted or designed for use within pandemic conditions and a climate of crisis and uncertainty. The data were generated through two rapid evidence reviews of the methodological literature and in dialogue with social researchers in online knowledge exchange workshops. The authors apply the concepts of crisis, uncertainty and sustainability to discuss the ways in which social researchers are able to conduct research and make it valid, trustworthy and ethical in times of great challenge for research. The paper provides a big picture of the challenges and the degree of maturity and sustainability of various methodological responses. The authors conclude that some methods are at a critical juncture in their development for times of crisis and uncertainty and that these merit particular attention for those involved in capacity-building for social research.

Effect of subprime crisis on financing decisions and capital structure of Indian firms: a pre- and post- crisis study using system GMM methodology

Purpose: The subprime crisis (SPC) (2007–2008) has severely affected the economies across the globe. The Indian economy was also troubled because the SPC led to a sharp reduction in foreign trade and investment, a rise in the exchange rate volatility and disproportionate foreign-currency reserves. The present paper analyzes the financing pattern of Indian listed companies during the SPC. This study aims to ascertain the impacts of the SPC-2008 on the long-term and short-term financing decisions of Indian listed companies using novel data set and appropriate robust methodology. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses fixed effect model autoregressive of order 1 (FEM AR (1)) and system generalised method of moments (GMM) methodology on a sample data of 1,032 Indian non-financial listed companies on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) for the period 1999 to 2019 to analyze the financing pattern during the crisis. Findings: The study finds that the Indian firms opted for de-leveraging, shortening the maturity of debt and short-term borrowing. This significant decline in the leverage and maturity of debt indicates that the companies in India generally followed the "rat race” model of the financing mix in the crisis. After the crisis, the firms have re-leveraged and expanded the maturity of debt up to 90%. This considerable expansion in leverage and maturity implies that the Indian firms are exposed to the "rollover risk.” This re-leverage risk is asymmetrically distributed for manufacturing and services firms. Manufacturing firms are found to be more exposed to this risk. Furthermore, tangibility, free cash flows and the liquidity available within the firms are the compelling elements of the financing decision during the crisis. Research limitations/implications: The study has not included the private firms and unorganized sectors in India. Moreover, the study has not analyzed disasters such as the Asian liquidity crisis, the information technology (IT) bubble crisis, the euro bond crisis and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Practical implications: The study finds that Indian firms are exposed to higher risk during the financial crisis and this risk is further aggravated by the rollover risk. Therefore, investors and creditors should consider these additional risks in the financial decisions and take more precautions. The study suggests that the regulators should make necessary adjustments in lending policy, corporate restructuring and tax policy to deal with the menace of a financial crisis. Social implications: Indian firms should avoid following the rate race financing model. Originality/value: This study aims to ascertain the impacts of the SPC-2008 on the long-term and short-term financing decisions of Indian listed companies using novel data set and appropriate robust methodology. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Major risk shocks, financial relief policies and loan maturity for MSMEs: Evidence from China

This paper shows the effect of banking sector financial relief policies on the loan maturity of MSMEs under a major risk shock. Using 259 loan samples from China both before and after the outbreak of COVID-19, I find that financial relief policies reduced the loan maturity of MSMEs by an average of 4%. Two mechanisms are involved:the proportion of bank liquidity loans increased;banks shortened the loan maturity to respond to the increase in risk-taking of their own. This study provides an example of how macroeconomic policies influence micro-behavior in bank lending decisions. © 2023 Elsevier Inc.

Conceptual Model for Assessing Logistics Maturity in Smart City Dimensions

The advancement of new technologies and the increasingly inseparable presence of logistics systems in the daily life of cities, industries, companies, and society has been modifying how logistics processes are implemented in these environments based on technological innovations, internet, virtual businesses, mobility, and the use of multi-channel distribution. Together with these changes, urban centers have been connecting to the smart city concept as the understanding of this theme advances into the debate and improvements in the agendas of either public or private management. This research proposes a conceptual model for evaluating logistics maturity in the smart city dimensions. The method has a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, supported by the Delphi method, which uses a questionnaire and interview as a data collection instrument with specialists on the subject. We identified that qualifying logistics in the urban environment is complex and requires a specialized look at identifying cities' structural, geographic, regional, social, and environmental characteristics. As a social–technological contribution, the proposition of the logistics maturity assessment scale in smart city dimensions can serve as an evaluative model of logistics, which means helping in urban planning and strategic management of cities, offering smarter solutions to the realities of urban spaces.

The Widening Gap between the Digital Capability of the Care Workforce and Technology-Enabled Healthcare Delivery: A Nursing and Allied Health Analysis.

There is a need to ensure that healthcare organisations enable their workforces to use digital methods in service delivery. This study aimed to evaluate the current level of digital understanding and ability in nursing, midwifery, and allied health workforces and identify some of the training requirements to improve digital literacy in these health professionals. Representatives from eight healthcare organizations in Victoria, Australia participated in focus groups. Three digital frameworks informed the focus group topic guide that sought to examine the barriers and enablers to adopting digital healthcare along with training requirements to improve digital literacy. Twenty-three participants self-rated digital knowledge and skills using Likert scales and attended the focus groups. Mid-range scores were given for digital ability in nursing, midwifery, and allied health professionals. Focus group participants expressed concern over the gap between their organizations' adoption of digital methods relative to their digital ability, and there were concerns about cyber security. Participants also saw a need for the inclusion of consumers in digital design. Given the widening gap between digital innovation and health workforce digital capability, there is a need to accelerate digital literacy by rapidly deploying education and training and policies and procedures for digital service delivery.

Quality of Life in Adolescents and Young Adults With a Chronic Medical Condition: The Role of Perceived Maturity and Transition Readiness.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with a chronic medical condition (CMC) attending college must learn to manage their own healthcare (i.e., transition readiness). Maturity has been linked to positive outcomes in AYAs. Research has established a positive relationship between transition readiness and quality of life. The current study aimed to examine a model of perceived maturityàtransition readinessàmental and physical quality of life. METHOD: AYA (N = 153) with a CMC completed self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: The perceived maturity→transition readiness→mental quality of life indirect path was significant (ab = 1.96, 95% CI = 0.53 to 3.62). The perceived maturity→transition readiness→physical quality of life direct and indirect paths were not significant. DISCUSSION: Results showed that maturity and transition readiness are positively associated. Transition readiness may be one mechanism by which maturity results in enhanced quality of life. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Findings highlight the value of enhancing strengths such as maturity to promote AYA independence/autonomy.

An Evaluation of Open Source Adaptive Learning Solutions

The education sector has never been so shaken up as much as this past year. COVID-19 has imposed new rules. Several countries were forced to switch overnight from a traditional educational model to a full eLearning one. Like most other countries, the Moroccan government decided to promote distance learning by implementing several initiatives, though they remained at an embryonic stage. To contribute to the movement of transforming the national educational landscape, we aimed to develop a solution that will leverage the technological advances in this field and influence the ways students learn. This will be possible by providing learners with the latest features enabling online and adaptive learning modes. Hence, the purpose of this first study is to provide an empirical evaluation of the existing open source Ed-tech projects, which will serve as the basis for the development of our global adaptive eLearning solution. Unlike existing work, which is based on literature reviews to compare the existing adaptive eLearning platforms, we have used the OpenBRR assessment methodology as a comparison methodology due to its flexibility and ease of use. This work will help us to understand the concepts of adaptivity in education. It will also describe the most popular open source Maturity Models as well as provide a clear idea about the differences between these Ed-tech open source solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Information (2078-2489) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Developing a Capability Maturity Model for Knowledge Exchange Dynamics Among Stakeholders and Universities: Evidence From Morocco Higher Education Institution

With the advent COVID-19 pandemic, it has been proved that we live in a VUCA world. However, humanity was able to sustain the pandemic through knowledge sharing with their peers. This proves that the organization needs to engage effectively with its stakeholders to maintain itself in the VUCA world. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are no exception in such a scenario. However, there are various enablers and inhibitors in knowledge exchange dynamics (KED) in a university setting. So based on this, the study develops an inhibitor-based model for implementing KED in university projects. The inhibitors are identified through a systematic literature review and validated by experts, such as academicians and their stakeholders. Prioritizing these inhibitors allowed the expert to concentrate on the most critical inhibitors using the Orders of Magnitude-Analytic Hierarchy Process. Using the priority weights obtained from the model, a capability maturity model is developed to assess a university's capability and maturity level for a successful KED. From the capability maturity model results, one can understand the specific inhibitors that act as a hindrance to KED and set agenda for improvement for HEIs. IEEE

Adolescence faced with the health crisis: Preliminary results of a study on socio-psychological experience in the first lockdown in France

An eight-week study, PsyCADO-covid19, conducted by the BePsyLab research team from the Pays de la Loire, investigated the first lockdown in France in March 2020 and its effect on the psychological experiences of adolescents aged 14 to 17 years old. The study included a quantitative component with an online questionnaire that received 550 responses, and a longitudinal qualitative component addressing the experience of lockdown and its immediate aftermath. The latter consisted of telephone interviews with 40 adolescents. The aim was to understand adolescents' responses and adaptations to the health crisis. The article demonstrates the variability of psychological and social experiences expressed in the qualitative data, and the multiplicity and recurrence of adolescent situations presented in the quantitative data. This methodology is based on two axes of analysis, considered here as polarized continuums: object investment in a context of parental proximity and distance from peers;and subjective maturity (regressive or progressive), seen through the empowerment and sense of responsibility induced by a widespread health and social phenomenon impacting all levels of the population, including adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (French) Pendant le premier confinement en France, decrete en mars 2020, une etude scientifique s'echelonnant sur huit semaines, conduite par l'equipe de recherche BePsyLab et intitulee Psycado-covid19, s'est interessee aux vecus psychologiques des adolescents ages de 14 a 17 ans. L'etude comprend un volet quantitatif avec un questionnaire en ligne auquel 550 adolescents ont repondu et un volet qualitatif longitudinal, aupres de 40 adolescents, allant du vecu de ce confinement a son apres-coup immediat par le biais d'entretiens telephoniques de recherche. Cet article propose une restitution de cette etude afin de comprendre comment la crise adolescente se chevauche avec la crise sanitaire ou la rencontre. L'article concilie la variabilite des vecus psychologiques et sociaux exprimes dans les donnees qualitatives et la multiplicite et la recurrence des situations adolescentes presentees dans les donnees quantitatives. Cette methodologie s'articule sur deux axes d'analyse, consideres ici comme des continuums polarises : l'investissement objectal (filiatif ou affiliatif) dans un contexte de promiscuite parentale et d'eloignement avec les pairs ;la maturite subjective (regressive ou progressive) a travers l'autonomisation et la responsabilisation induites par un phenomene sanitaire et citoyen generalise, impactant toutes les couches de la population, adolescents compris. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Digital Maturity Level in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Panama

In recent years, the economic, technological, and sociocultural environments have been in constant change. Customers are more demanding and aware of market trends. Companies innovate their processes through the implementation of technologies that allow them to optimize operations and facilitate business-client interaction. However, many companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, face difficulties in adapting to new business models. There are even companies that are not willing to change the traditional way they carry out their daily business operations, which can present more challenges in today's market. The digital transformation has caused companies to restructure their business models in recent years. Currently, with the arrival of COVID-19, many businesses have been affected due to the lack of digitization in the processes. Small and medium-sized companies were forced to embark on E-Commerce in order to reach their customers and survive the competition. Still, not all companies have managed to properly implement a digital transformation strategy to redesign their structures and operations. In Panama there are still no studies focused on the degree of digitalization of small and medium-sized companies. This research aims to describe the degree of digitalization of local companies in the province of Chiriqui-Panama © 2022 IEEE.

Influential Factors for Hospital Management Maturity Models in a post-Covid-19 scenario - Systematic Literature Review

The importance of Maturity Models in healthcare is proven to support, monitor and direct healthcare organizations to better plan and execute their investments, developments and processes. In this work, two literature reviews were collected: one of them focuses on the identification of the main maturity models developed in the health area, the similarities and gaps between them, identifying what are the Influencing Factors for each model studied, and the other is the identification lessons learned for hospital management during the Covid-19 pandemic. Combining these two lines of investigation, it can be concluded that, in order to better prepare, adapt and make health systems more resilient, it is fundamental that future Maturity Models begin to map agility in diagnosing diseases, scale of exams, process of hospital disinfection and technological infrastructure, focusing on ICTs such as ML, LMS, DL, Robot Assistance, Actuators, Big Data, Blockchain, Smart Wearables, Delivery Drones, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Sensors and Cloud Technology. These IFs are identified as gaps for existing MMs in the sector. Allied to this, it is indicated that the future MMs consider expanding their focus in supply chain, services and applications, monitoring and, mainly, patient safety and care, given the importance that these IFs demonstrated in coping with the pandemic. Copyright © 2023 by Author/s and Licensed by IADiTI.