Exploring pandemic metaphors in educational contexts: a survey on the language of teachers and educators in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

This study aimed to explore how metaphors were used to interpret the pandemic and to address its challenges in primary and secondary schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. A questionnaire was administered to educators and teachers to understand how languages, images, and metaphors were used by themselves and their students to talk about the pandemic and their experiences of living with it. The goal of the questionnaire was to guide critical reflection and encourage more informed language choices. While the existing literature points out the alleged overuse of war metaphors and military frames in public discourse, our findings show that war metaphors are relatively frequent, with other metaphorical frames widely used by teachers and educators to foster resilient attitudes in students. Moreover, in their professional contexts, teachers and educators mostly use metaphorical frames involving resilient attitudes. Our interpretation of the results supports the hypothesis that the purposeful use and deliberate production of metaphors support the choice of metaphors with positive, constructive implications. Finally, some implications of these findings on the theory of metaphor and the methodology of the research are discussed.

Oral History as a Source for the Interpretation of UBH: The World War II Shelters in Naples Case Study

What can be the contribution of oral history to the interpretation of tangible cultural assets? Starting from this conceptual question, this article focuses on the case study of the experiences Second World War in Naples bomb shelters, recently included within the Underground Built Heritage (UBH) class. The hypothesis of the research is that bomb shelters are very significant elements in the subsoil of Naples but that, due to the lack of distinctive elements and dedicated storytelling, they are only partially exploited in the context of urban parks or generic itineraries Naples's subsoil. The thesis of the research is that the memories of those children that took refuge there during World War II (WWII), which were collected with the adoption of the oral history methodology, can integrate their value as elements of local cultural heritage and eventually support their interpretation for the benefit of the new generations. The methodology adopted was the collection, via structured and unstructured interviews, of the direct testimonies of those who took refuge in Naples' underground during the alarms. Twenty-three interviews were carried out, and all the issues introduced have been classified according to the various themes addressed during the narration in order to allow the reconstruction of dedicated storytelling in the future. The research was carried out immediately after the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, an event that claimed many victims belonging to the generation of our witnesses, whose memories were at risk of being lost forever. © 2023 by the author.

The show will go on: Theater and entertainment during times of crisis

On this beautiful and complicated planet that we humans call "Home," performing arts and entertainment sustain us during times of crisis. This is discussed through my lens as an actor and instructor of performance and theater history. We have gathered to hear and tell stories and entertain for ten thousand years in groups of one form or another. Throughout history, we have been repeatedly put through incredible hardships, natural challenges, devastating wars, plagues, and diseases. Yet we have always managed to survive, to overcome, and to carry on. As advances are made in Science and Medicine, the great and sweeping mortality rates of the early plagues and global pandemics, including the Spanish Flu epidemic, have been mitigated - thankfully - but the battle continues. We shall look at how through successive generations, faced with insurmountable deprivations, the wholesale destruction of life and property, during times when hope had been almost crushed and no one could see a way out, life has carried on. Poets still wrote, often more eloquently than in times of peace;theater, shows, and operas were still mounted;television programs and films continued to get made. These have often carried poignant messages and clarification of our problems, challenging us to look at things another way, using our minds, words, and images to make things better. Their relevance is examined historically here during these critical times of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021. All rights reserved.

Who works on the ‘frontline'? Comparing constructions of ‘frontline' work before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

This article provides a comparative analysis of how frontline workers were constructed by the UK media prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Both the News on the Web Corpus and the Coronavirus Corpus, as monitor corpora of web-based new articles, were utilised to identify changes in both the frequency and use of the word front*line from 2010 to 2021. Findings show that, following the outbreak of COVID-19, constructions of frontline work were more frequently associated with medical professions and became more figurative in nature. Our findings provide a counterpoint to claims that the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increased awareness of the critical nature of many types of ‘low-skilled' work not previously recognised as essential. The study also extends previous research which has traced changes in language and its deployment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An Online Collaborative Biology Simulation Used by Ukrainian Students During the 2022 Russian Invasion

Although the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted learning for students worldwide, the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has more severely impacted education for Ukrainian students. This study was conducted in the context of an educational technology master's thesis (Halchevska, 2022) at the University of Tartu, Estonia. A master's student with Ukrainian background contacted a biology teacher in Ukraine and offered to help teach an online collaborative lesson about genetics and the laws of inheritance. The lesson involved using an innovative computer simulation called the Collaborative Rabbit Genetics Lab. The learning materials were translated into Ukrainian. A quasi-experimental research design compared whether prior experience working with a collaborative seesaw simulation would influence outcomes later with the biology-related collaborative simulation. Data from two classes of 9th-grade students were collected using questionnaire items related to the perception of interdependence, an open-ended question about collaboration, and a focus group interview. The results indicate that prior practice with a collaborative simulation somewhat enhanced perceived collaboration the next time students worked with a similar type of interdependent task but did not affect task performance. The findings suggest that more guidance is needed to support learners in online collaboration when they solve interdependent tasks. Copyright © 2023 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Writing and reading fiction behind the lines: Creative learning on the home front

The purpose of this paper is to investigate writing and reading that would engage postsecondary students under crisis conditions in which face-to-face peer and teachers' support might not be available. In this project, I am looking at how students can use writing and reading fiction to understand their own experiences in being locked down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting with a one-paragraph short story to a fully developed narrative with plot, characterization, theme, and narrative voice, writing assignments lead to a growing realization of how reflection and writing emerge from the body, the mind, and the imagination. Reading a novel, Deafening (2003), by Frances Itani, shows students how a writer links battle scenes from World War I to the flu epidemic on the home front. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021. All rights reserved.

Parliamentary Control of Public Finances: European Experience and Ukrainian Realities under Conditions of War and COVID-19 Pandemic

The war and the COVID-19 pandemic posed a great challenge to Ukraine from the point of view of public finances. The purpose of the study is to systematize the European experience and analyze the Ukrainian practice of implementing parliamentary control of public finances in the conditions of war and the COVID-19 pandemic. The methodological basis of the study is a systematic approach to the study of the process of parliamentary control of public finances in the conditions of war and the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve the goal, the research used scientific methods such as: the dialectical method, the method of comparative analysis, the methods of synthesis and systematization, ion, generalization, and the graphic method. The mechanism of parliamentary control in the field of public finances in Ukraine is analyzed, which allows the legislative branch of power to guarantee that public funds are used responsibly and efficiently. The functions of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine, which is an independent body that monitors and controls public finances in Ukraine, are analyzed. The problems with ensuring parliamentary control of public finances are outlined, and measures to improve the efficiency of these processes are presented. The experience of the member states of the European Union in the implementation of parliamentary control of public finances has been analyzed, which will contribute to the analysis of the possibilities of implementing successful experience in Ukrainian practice.

COVID19, the war in Ukraine, the economic crisis, the energy crisis, climate change

Each month brings new fears and new reasons to worry about the future. In a world marked by permanent change, by the occurrence of the unthinkable generating a continuous feeling of insecurity, having confidence has become increasingly difficult: confidence in the future, confidence in our environments, in our organisations, confidence in our contemporaries, confidence in our collaborators and confidence in our ability to face a difficult tomorrow. Confidence and fear are inseparable and they are like the opposite sides of the same coin. Unable to look at both sides of a coin at the same time, we must constantly fight our fears with confidence. Therefore, more than ever, trust is an essential element to obtain team security and it only takes one person feeling insecure for the overall confidence of the team to be eroded. This feeling of low self-confidence is particularly true for the younger generation of veterinary surgeons and specialized veterinary assistants. This can result in difficulties that are often unexpressed and can lead professionals to abandon these vocations of "passion" since they do not feel up to the expectations of clients and managers alike. Building the self-confidence of the people concerned has become a professional priority. The origin of the feeling of lack of self-confidence is collective. Therefore, its treatment is collective. Since each member has the capacity to fight against their fears, he or she can play their part and increase security in the team.

The Impact of Digitalization on the Sustainable Development of Ukraine: COVID-19 and War Challenges for Higher Education

Higher Education plays an important role in ensuring the Sustainable Development of the countries. The purpose of the article is to systematize scientific approaches to the study of the impact of digitalization on ensuring the Sustainable Development of Ukraine and its regions in the conditions of modern COVID-19 and military challenges. The methodological basis of this study is a systematic approach, as well as general and special scientific research methods, namely: systematic analysis and generalization, grouping, induction and deduction, -logical, scientific ion and modeling, graphic methods. The authors verified that Higher Education has a tangible positive impact on the dynamics of Sustainable Development of Ukraine and its regions. First of all, this influence is carried out through the educational and research activities of universities. The article emphasizes that it was digitalization that allowed universities to maintain their competitive positions in the educational services market in the conditions of COVID-19 and war challenges.

"[To Live] Most Agreeably in a World Full of an Increasing Number of Disagreeable Surprises”: Revisiting How to Cook a Wolf by M. F. K. Fisher in 2020 During Quarantine

M. F. K. Fisher's food memoirs have been interpreted as works that possess literary sta-tus. Fisher's 1942 book How to Cook a Wolf, a collection of essays about food rationing during World War II, became popular again during the 2020 lockdown because it pro-vided a timely reflection on the domestic kitchen as a shelter in uncertain times. This article includes an overview of food writing as a genre and considers the relevance of Fisher's book through the concepts of healthism and hypervigilant subject, which are involved in contemporary discourses on eating and the human body. My analysis aims to demonstrate that How to Cook a Wolf invites its readers to reconcile with their appetite and their corporeality and to chase the new perils away with the delight and soothing ability to eat amid periods of crisis. © 2023, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. All rights reserved.

A cold war text for the COVID generation

Not only do the early pandemic fads of sourdough baking and mushroom foraging make the narrator's frontier-style life now seem less removed from reality, the loneliness, uncertainty, and subdued terror that form the backdrop of her daily routine perhaps for the first time will be relatable to students. [...]their loneliness begets deeper woes: the most recently released Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2023) issued by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shares that almost half of high school students in 2021 reported "persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness," a significant increase from prepandemic times. In a variation of an American Association of Teachers of German sponsored public graffiti event created by my colleague several years ago to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall, I will repeat her prompt: "Which walls hold you back?" Key to her question was the understanding of a "wall" as any kind of social, physical, or mental impediment that prevented students from fully realizing their goals. In particular, the moment at which the narrator encounters the wall is jarring;a comparison of the literary versus cinematic description of this event offers students the opportunity to consider the power and/or limits of the written word.

Development and Current Situation of Forest Use by Camping Sites in Japan

After the Second World War, camping and camping sites in forests have developed and increased significantly from the 1980 s to 1990 s in Japan, relying on the laws and institutions established from the 1950 s to 1970 s across multiple administrative sectors, obtaining social approval as a legitimatized outdoor activity and forest use. Since the 2000s, the management of these camping sites has deteriorated mainly owing to economic recession, which caused the movement of camping site renewal by the private sector. This movement directed the diversification of forest use by camping sites in recent years. Camping facilities have been developed in many ways to meet the needs of campers, including organized group camps that promote education and experience in forests, solo camps, glamping, and workcations under the spread of the COVID-19 that demand relaxing or productive environment, and leisure camps that require enrichment of outdoor activities. As a result of this diversification, possibilities for effective utilization of forests and regional revitalization through the management of camping sites have been observed. Many camping sites have utilized forest lands, standing trees, and forest spaces to develop facilities and services, and there are cases where firewood production for campers has promoted the reorganization and development of local forestry and securing of personnel for forest management. In addition to securing local employment brought by reorganization, local revitalization in rural and mountainous areas has been promoted through the linkage of the needs of campers to positive economic effects, increase of the visitors who deeply connected to local people, and comprehensive and sustainable use of resources in local societies. © 2023 Nihon Ringakkai. All rights reserved.

Vitamin D deficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine

Background. Data from numerous studies indicate a significant prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Ukraine and the world. In recent years, the Ukrainian medical community has faced two important challenges — the COVID-19 pandemic and the russian aggression, which significantly affected the organization and availability of medical care. Despite the previous epidemiological studies in Ukraine devoted to the vitamin D status, there are no data during the past 5 years that became the background for this re-search. The purpose was to analyze the vitamin D status in the adult population of Ukraine during the COVID-19 pandemic and russian aggression. Materials and methods. Data of the serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in 5029 adults aged 20–99 years, who for various reasons applied for its measurement, were retro-spectively analyzed. The analysis was performed depending on the year and month of observation, the age and gender of the subjects, and the 25(OH)D level. Results. The mean serum level of 25(OH)D in the total group was 33.2 [24.1–43.8] ng/ml. The assessment of the number of 25(OH)D tests for 2018–2022 did not reveal any signi-ficant differences in 2018 and 2019 but established a significant decrease during the russian aggression in Ukraine in 2022 (by 55.7 %) compared to 2018, as well as indices during the COVID-19 pandemic (by 21.6 % compared to 2020, by 23.5 % in 2021). During the observation period, it was established a decrease in the vitamin D deficiency proportion from 20.6 % in 2018 to 9.3 % in 2022, and an increase in the proportion of subjects with suboptimal (from 6.6 to 11.4 %, respectively) and high serum concentrations of 25(OH)D (from 2.2 to 12.7 %). Conclusions. Our results indicate a grown serum 25(OH)D level during 2020–2022 in the adult population of Ukraine compared to the indices of previous years and a decreased share of vitamin D deficiency in the Ukrainian population. In ad-dition, a decrease in the number of 25(OH)D level tests was estab-lished, especially during the period of the russian aggression, which should be taken into account during the planning measures to opti-mize the vitamin D status in the adult population of Ukraine. © 2023, Zaslavsky Publishing House. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 and Its Implications on Agriculture, Environment, and Water Sectors

The advent of COVID-19 had implications for various sectors of the economy, compounding the challenges set in motion by climate change. Whilst the dawn of 2021 came with hope for recovery from the pandemic, the beginning of 2022 came with another complexity of the Russia-Ukraine war, which hampered recovery efforts. This book examines the trends, dynamics, and implications of COVID-19 for agriculture, environment, and water sectors within the broader context of Sustainable Development Goals using a cocktail of primary and secondary research techniques. The book adopts the quantitative, qualitative, and multi-methods of enquiry. Findings show the increasing temporal trend of COVID-19 cases following periodic waves and spatially variable distribution of cases, with more cases in densely populated urban areas. These trends and dynamics, influenced by a web of intermingling factors, have had ramifications on the agricultural, environmental, and water sectors and subsectors with consequent negative outcomes on virtually all facets of life. The recovery process is being hampered by several factors ranging from poor governance, which results in policy distortions and other global factors. Climate change and the Russia- Ukraine war have complicated the COVID-19 recovery process by pushing up oil and food prices, rendering the poor more vulnerable to food insecurity and increased poverty, challenging Zimbabwe's economic resilience. Social safety nets and tackling climate change and other policy distortions are critical to ensure a sustainable future. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

The Pandemic as an Idiosyncratic Case of a State of Exception

One of the characteristics of constitutionalism is that it usually flourishes in societies experiencing a state of normality. It is telling that its worldwide ascendance during the last two and a half centuries went hand-in-hand with a long-term mitigation of the use of mass organized violence in international as well as in national politics. COVID-19, however, is an asymmetric threat for humankind which could prove itself to have consequences comparable to those of a war. Whether this or eventual future pandemics might be enough to jeopardize the constitutional acquis is still an open question. Our aim shall be to show that the answer to such questions is not so much a matter of constitutional theory as of historical reality. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Reactivation of Surgical Campaigns after the Covid Pandemic: Surgeons in Action with Hernia International Foundations in 2022

Aim: The Cirujanos en Accion and Hernia International foundations carried out their own and collaborative surgical campaigns in developing countries. In 2020 and 2021 the programme had to be suspended due to Covid. In 2022 we restarted our actions, analysed the difficulties of reactivation and described the campaigns that had been carried out and those that had to be delayed. Material/ Methods: We describe the 9 campaigns of Surgeons in Action, our own and in collaboration with Hernia International and our own campaign to the region of Naborno Karabakh, planned for September and cancelled 24 hours before departure due to the resurgence of armed conflict. An analysis is made of volunteers, places, type (adults or children or mixed), collaborations with other foundations, patients operated and procedures done according to pathologies, integration with local staff with exchange of knowledge. Result(s): Made in 8 countries (Benin, Camerun, Gambia (2), Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Sierra Leone) and postponed in one country, the Naborno Karabakh region of Armenia. 85 volunteers (25 general and 10 paediatric surgeons, 19 anaesthetists, 3 intensivists, 23 nurses, 5 audiovisuals);local staff;1144 patients (473 children, 671 adults), 1325 procedures for various pathologies (hernias, goitres, hydroceles, undescendend testis, soft tissue tumours, etc.) Conclusion(s): 9 campaigns have been carried out successfully and new locations have been opened with a good projection for the coming years, and we have experienced difficulties with the cancellation of a mega-campaign in an area with geopolitical conflicts - to be taken into account in the future.

At war or saving lives? On the securitizing semantic repertoires of Covid-19

This paper offers a multi-dimensional analysis of the ways and extent to which the US president and UK prime minister have securitized the Covid-19 pandemic in their public speeches. This assessment rests on, and illustrates the merits of, both an overdue theoretical consolidation of Securitization Theory's (ST) conceptualization of securitizing language, and a new methodological blueprint for the study of 'securitizing semantic repertoire'. Comparing and contrasting the two leaders' respective securitizing semantic repertoires adopted in the early months of the coronavirus outbreak shows that securitizing language, while very limited, has been more intense in the UK, whose repertoire was structured by a biopolitical imperative to 'save lives' in contrast to the US repertoire centred on the 'war' metaphor. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Relations is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. 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 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 . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Lt Gen Kamal Davar says... India and the new geopolitical churnings

According to the WHO, this virus still exists in many parts of the globe in some form or the other. After the end of the Cold War in the early 90s, the global geopolitical and geo-economic divide, consequent to the ongoing Russo-Ukraine War, has never been so harshly polarised. [...]it is pertinent to note what President Xi had spoken recently in the National People's Congress stating that he will endeavour to "more quickly elevating the armed forces to world-class standards-and make it a great wall of steel." Importantly, for decades, India does carry some moral authority with itself with its foreign policy based on the Nehruvian concept of nonalignment now aptly called 'strategic autonomy' which has been long respected by the 'third world' now referred to as the 'global south'.

Reflexiones necesarias sobre seguridad alimentaria en Cuba

Cuba exhibe indicadores promedio de consumo aparente diario de alimentos que rebasan las recomendaciones nutricionales diarias. Sin embargo, este consumo depende en gran medida de importaciones de alimentos, ya que los esfuerzos de política por reactivar el sector agropecuario aún no se revierten en incrementos de la producción doméstica. Esta situación se ha acrecentado en años recientes, marcados por la pandemia de la Covid-19 y el recrudecimiento del bloqueo estadounidense. Como resultado, se evidencia una contracción de la disponibilidad de alimentos como resultado de las caídas en la producción nacional y en las importaciones. Ello, junto a otros factores, dificultan el acceso a los alimentos. Por demás, el gasto en alimentación sigue siendo el más importante dentro del gasto familiar, limitando las posibilidades de otros consumos igualmente relevantes. Este artículo examina en mayor profundidad la problemática que significa para las familias cubanas alcanzar la seguridad alimentaria en el contexto actual. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Cuban Studies is the property of Pluto Journals 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 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 . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Festival hiatus, resilience and innovation during COVID-19: learnings from the Edinburgh festivals

PurposeIn this paper, the authors explore how Edinburgh's key Festivals have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their response presents the emergence of more innovative festival delivery models and a different imagining of the festival space.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a qualitative mixed methods research design involving 13 in-depth semi-structured interviews with Edinburgh's Festival Directors and other cultural and policy stakeholders as part of a University-funded stand-alone research project. The interviews were supplemented with participant observation at festivals virtually and in-person to experience new and emerging formats of festival content delivery, adherence to Scottish Government guidelines on COVID-19 safety, and to experience attending festivals during a pandemic.FindingsThe authors present findings on how Edinburgh's Festivals have responded to Covid-19 and how they have adapted – and in some cases reimagined – their business models to survive.Originality/valueThe authors propose a new theoretical framework that establishes a model for how festivals can approach risk management within their business model, focused on the ‘3R's' – respond, resilience and reimagine –with communication and support being central to this framework.