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Purpose: This study aims to understand the consequences of the decision by some hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic to contract their accommodation to be used as managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities. Specifically, this study aims to understand the impact of this decision in terms of corporate brand image, brand loyalty, negative word of mouth (NWOM) and purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through a quasi-experimental research design and was analysed through a t-test. Findings: This study hypothesises that the use of a hotel brand as a COVID-19 MIQ facility will be detrimental to its corporate brand image because of the expectation disconfirmation theory and attribution theory, thus reducing brand loyalty and increasing NWOM. The result supports the hypotheses. Research limitations/implications: This study does not factor in a time period for the observed effects. While the results indicate that hotels used for MIQ purposes have reduced corporate brand image, brand loyalty and purchase intention, this study does not establish the duration of the damage. Originality/value: This study provides insight into consumers' perceptions of hotel brands that served as COVID-19 MIQ facilities. The originality lies in the discovery that the decision by hoteliers to opt to use their facilities for COVID-19 MIQ facilities was detrimental to corporate brand image and brand loyalty. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Purpose: COVID-19 pandemic has overturned the work and family life challenging the world in unpredictable ways that were previously unimaginable. With universities shutting down and emergence of online classes, this phenomenon is prevalent among academicians as well. With this background, the current study aims to investigate the direct relationships between workplace isolation (WPI) during COVID-19 and work–family conflict (WFC) with psychological stress (PS) mediating and organizational identification (OI) moderating the relationship between the two. Design/methodology/approach: The authors employed time lagged survey and collected data at three different time intervals (T1, T2, T3) from 203 academicians working across various universities and colleges in India. The data were analyzed quantitatively using SPSS PROCESS Macro and AMOS. Findings: The results indicated that WPI during COVID-19 has a significant positive relationship with PS and WFC. It was also found that PS partially mediated the relationship between WPI during COVID-19 and WFC. Further, OI emerged as a potential moderator. Originality/value: Based on the current empirical studies, it remains unclear if WPI during COVID-19 is associated with WFC. Therefore, drawing upon stress–strain–outcome (SSO) model and the conservation of resource theory, this study makes a significant contribution to the existing body of literature by exploring the unexplored associations. To the best of the authors' knowledge, such an association has not received much scholarly attention before. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Introduction: Ageism and loneliness are two relevant public health phenomena because of their negative impact on the senior's mental health. With the increase in average life expectancy, these tend to co-occur, which may increase the psychological distress (PD) of seniors. Resilience has been shown to be an important protective factor of seniors mental health, although its potential buffering role of public health risk factors with cumulative impact on mental health, such as loneliness and ageism, needs to be more studied. Aim: To assess the potential mediator role of resilience between the effects of ageism and loneliness on PD in seniors. Methods: A sample of 349 Portuguese seniors aged 60 years and over was collected through an online survey and during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Seniors completed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), the Short-Form of UCLA Loneliness Scale (USL-6), the Ambivalent Ageism Scale (AAS) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). A mediation analysis model was developed with resilience as a mediating variable. Results: There were moderate to high levels of PD and moderate levels of ageism, loneliness and resilience. Resilience fully mediated the effect of ageism on PD and partially mediated the effect of loneliness on PD. Conclusions: Resilience was an important protective factor of mental health against the effects of ageism, and partially protected mental health from the effects of loneliness among seniors. It is suggested that resilience be considered as a factor to be integrated in future intervention programs for mental health. The practical applicability of this study is discussed. © 2022 The Authors
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SARS-CoV-2 protease Nsp3 is a therapeutic target for developing anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs. Nsp3 is a large multi-spanning membrane protein, and its characterization in vitro has been challenging. Here we describe an in vitro assay to characterize the biochemical activity of full-length Nsp3 isolated from cells. The assay can be used to evaluate Nsp3 inhibitors. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of social isolation due to COVID-19 on the vulnerable geriatric population. Design/methodology/approach: Ten individual interviews of people above 70 years of age were conducted in 2021. The data was collected through interviews and observation. The authors observed the people from the age. Findings: The geriatric population faced physical challenges like poor sleep and digestive health along with neglect of their persisting ailments, which needed attention. Mental issues were also very serious, such as fear of death, anxiety, stress and depression. This paper urges the policymakers to focus on coming up with support systems for the geriatric population and finding long-term solutions to mitigate the repercussions faced by them. Originality/value: This paper attempts to underline the mostly unnoticed physical and psychological issues troubling usually neglected strata of the population as they do not make a part of an income-earning segment. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Psychosocial effects of COVID-19 patients have a long-term impact. Isolation is carried out to prevent transmission of the virus for several months causing anxiety, saturation, and even patients experiencing insomnia. Well-being is very subjective, differing from one individual to another, and where well-being can be used as an indicator of a person's happiness or not. The sample this study was amounted to 50 people who were COVID-19 patients. They were undergoing self-isolation in the isolation house of Jambi Province, Indonesia. The study was conducted using self report questionarre 29 (SRQ 29) and subjective well-being scale. In this study, most of the respondents experienced mental emotionaldisorders, negative emotions, and felt satisfied in living their lives. They experienced insomnia or sleep disorders. © 2023, Intelektual Pustaka Media Utama. All rights reserved.
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This article investigates the social isolation of the protagonist in a crisis using the example of Iwein by Hartmann von Aue. It is an Arthurian novel written around 1203 which depicts the adventures of the knight Iwein of the Round Table. The novel embodies various medieval topics such as the struggle for honour, loyalty, knight's duties and virtues, challenges, mythical and fantastic beasts, etc. Among these subjects, there is also the so-called crisis of a hero, which is represented by social isolation and mental illness, i. e. by the knight's insane behaviour. Thus, the depiction of Iwein's isolation will be interpreted, analysed and critically evaluated in relation to his illness and recovery in the context of the crisis. In addition, the function and the representation of this isolation in regard to the knighthood and court society of the time will also be examined. Therefore, this article attempts to answer the following questions: How is Iwein's social isolation depicted during his crisis and what role does this isolation play during the crisis in terms of his illness and recovery? What is the difference between isolation, loneliness and marginalisation in this novel? The crisis will be examined in the context of literature and literary studies and at the same time with reference to the social isolation. Using the example of this Arthurian novel, the crisis of the protagonist before and during the period of isolation will be analysed and interpreted with regard to overcoming challenges (physical and psychological), loneliness, despair and even madness. The previous research of this Arthurian romance focused mainly on topics such as the question of Iwein's guilt or madness. Especially, it is Iwein's phase of madness during his isolation that most of these works investigate, either in the context of illnesses as shown by Christine Saygin (35-60) or, for example, in relation to the adventures and the function of madness in Chretien's and Hartmann's version of this story as shown by Wolfgang Mohr (71). Saygin (59), for example, assumes that Iwein's insanity was created by the author to characterize Iwein's illness and is considered to be an "alternative to suicide". Saygin (59) also explains that madness "... perhaps also offers the knight the possibility of ultimately redeeming himself [...]".6In this paper, however, it is assumed that Iwein's isolation plays a crucial role in Iwein's illness and recovery and that his madness can only be interpreted as a symptom of this isolation. In this way, his insane episode is observed in relation to his isolation and not separately. The beginning of Iwein's state of madness matches approximately the beginning of his isolation -after his wife Laudine realized that he had not kept his end of their agreement, therefore their honour was violated. So Laudine makes the decision to part with Iwein forever, in order to avoid any more shame. At this point in the plot, Iwein's isolation phase begins, as described in the following verses: ,,nach einem dinge jamert in, / daz er w ae re etewa / daz man noch wip enweste wa / und niemer gehorte mare / war er komen ware." (Hartmann, V. 3216-3220)The phenomenon of isolation is often associated with the feeling of loneliness. Walter Haug (1), who deals with the subject of loneliness of the epic hero in works such as Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach, "Gregorius" by Hartmann von Aue or Tristan by Gottfried von Stra ss burg, offers his own definition of loneliness. According to Haug (1), it would be better to avoid the term loneliness and instead use another term meaning "belonging to a society"7. Besides loneliness, one must also offer here a definition of the term isolation. Albrecht Classen (14) defines isolation using the example of Heinrich, Hartmann von Aue's Arthurian novel of the same name, as the withdrawal from society because of [Heinrich's] preparation for the coming death. In this paper, the absence of "being included in a society" 8 as defined by Haug (1) is considered as social isolation, and the aforementioned loneliness as yet another symptom of social isolation. Classen (14) also explains that Heinrich's (mental and physical) state does not change during his isolation, because it is closely linked to his illness and since the latter seems to be incurable, the isolation does not help him to overcome the crisis.The obvious difference between Heinrich and Iwein lies in the fact that Heinrich suffers from a physical and disgusting illness, while Iwein suffers from a mental disorder. Moreover, Iwein's illness reveals itself only during his isolation, which is not the case with Heinrich. For both protagonists, however, the isolation symbolises an exit from a shameful situation, i. e. they choose isolation because they were experiencing a crisis and can no longer bear the shame of the lost honour.Iwein's isolation from the society also symbolises his return to his innate nature. He gives in to primordial urges that forces him to seek safety and comfort in isolation. As a matter of fact, these are somewhat animalistic and wild needs that force him to act uncontrollably, as seen in the scene where he rips off his clothes and exposes himself. In a symbolic manner, he thus gets rid of the shackles of the court and the Round Table, as well as the negative feelings and the shame, and only then does his phase of madness truly begin. It can also be noted that up to this point in the plot, Iwein's thoughts and those of the other characters have been described and commented by the narrator on several occasions. However, in Iwein's state of insanity his thoughts are completely suppressed. The reader (or the listener) no longer gets glimpses into the hero's thoughts as they are restricted by strong, primal urges such as hunger or thirst. In fact, it could be said that, the knight acts as if he was stunned and his thoughts and mind were frozen in a coma-like state: ,,als in der hunger bestuont, / so teter sam die toren tuont: / in ist niht mere witze kunt / niuwan diu a umbe den munt. "(Hartmann, V. 3266-3270)Since the medieval perception of diseases, epidemics and mental disorders was strongly influenced by people's superstitions and beliefs, it is not surprising that Iwein's illness and healing cannot be traced gradually. He suddenly became insane, that is, sick and in the same way will he later suddenly be cured, by magic and without further explanation.Hence, his illness represents nothing more than a crisis, or a heroic crisis to be exact, that Iwein has to overcome. According to Vollmann (237), "the classic Arthurian hero is a crisis-prone and that is his strength."9 Moreover it can be observed that Hartmann von Aue introduces the hero's crisis into the story in an already familiar manner which corresponds to the so-called double path structure, because the crisis represents the turning point of the plot according to this structural model. Similar to his work Poor Heinrich, the knight falls into a crisis that is triggered by various factors that vary from illness (Heinrich), violation of honour (Iwein) to committing a serious sin (Gregorius). Aside from how the hero's crisis is triggered, it offers the protagonist his salvation by empowering him, so that he is able to overcome in future more difficult challenges. However, the reason for the occurrence of a heroic crisis is common to all these knights - when a large discrepancy between the knight's moral values or philosophies of life and the expectations and norms of the society emerges, a crisis occurs. Since this discrepancy requires a change in order to be reconciled, the knight can no longer remain in the society whose norms and traditions he does not conform to anymore, and this will often result in knight's isolation. In this case, Iwein isolates himself from the court and the Round Table, which he can no longer be a part of. In developing the heroic crisis, Hartmann uses a role model that is considered as the starting point of all ideas about a knight in a knightly society - at the court of King Arthur, it is Arthur himself who serves as a role model for all knights.If the members of a knightly society do not conform to the knightly role model, they may also be marginalized. This is the case with Iwein, whose previously mentioned new, untamed and wild way of life is perceived as insane by the court society. Consequently, he becomes gradually marginalized from this society. However, his isolation need not be considered marginalization if one assumes that Iwein has deliberately distanced himself from society. Auffahrt (340) defines marginality as: "a sociological model for people who live on the margins of society, that is, who are excluded from the privileges of those who determine society (this is not necessarily the majority of a society). Accordingly, they have a different view of the living world and develop their own values."10 The difference between marginalization and marginality here lies in the fact that marginalization refers to the process and marginality refers to the result of that process. Crewe (121) adds on the topic of marginality in literature that this phenomenon necessarily juxtaposes notions of "center" and "margin" in the context of Jacques Derrida's deconstructionist theories. In relation to the Arthurian novel, it can be stated that the Arthurian court, together with King Arthur along with his knights, represents the center of courtly society and, according to Wolfzettel (4), even the center of the world (Wolfzettel 4). Furthermore, the marginality in the Arthurian novel can be defined as a concept of representing characters who are either in Arthur's court (at the center of society) or outside the court (at the margins of society). Regarding the aforementioned definition of Auffahrt (340) Iwein can be seen as an individual onthe margins of society who is considered different from the center of his society or from the Arthurian court by "his view of the living world".The reason for the marginalization lies above all in the question of how useful a person is for the society, or in this case for the court society and for the Round Table. Using Heinrich as an example, it can be seen that the protagonist himself recognized beforehand that he could no longer be of use to his society and for this reason he opts for isolation. With regard to Iwein, a situation is shown where the protagonist cannot bear that his society sees him as an unworthy member. Therefore, he isolates himself from others before they can exclude him from the society and marginalise him. This can be seen in the example of the forest man, who was mentioned at the very beginning of the story and whom first Kalogrenant and then later Iwein encounter, while searching for the magic fountain. From the perspective of the knights of the Round Table, the forest man is perceived as a mad and a strange beast, also marginalized by the chivalric society. Similarly, it is now Iwein who evokes such reactions from others when they meet him. In other words, he has shifted from the role of the knight of the Round Table to the role of a lunatic resembling the forest man. What he once perceived as wild and inhuman about the forest man will not only known but also inherent to him. In the same way, Iwein is now seen as a madman from the perspective of the knights of the Round Table and the court society, for whom he has lost the qualities that used to make him human. Even though his humanity is not determined by this society, it is judged by it, which is why he no longer conforms to the idea of humanity at the court of King Arthur.Hence, what was considered to be the madness of Iwein is actually the madness of the Arthurian court and the Round Table. The madness of an entire society that forces a knight to reinvent his very essence, so that he could once again conform to the norms and role models of this society. Regarding that society, Sacker (5-6) argues that King Arthur is portrayed as a passive and weak figure and the Knights of the Round Table as useless members of this society. Furthermore, Sacker (8) explains that the depiction of the knightly duel and the winning of the ere through the murder of the opponent are actually symptoms of a society in crisis that lives by a flawed code that no one questions. Thus, the events and the transformation of Iwein that occur during his crisis can be seen as an ironical depiction of Hartmann's critique of a flawed medieval society and the knightly codex.Even though, Iwein successfully overcame his crisis, it can be observed that, in what was probably Hartmann von Aue's last Arthurian novel, a novelty in overcoming the heroic crisis was introduced. This is precisely Iwein's isolation and its role in overcoming the crisis. When it comes to healing his sickness, the isolation is a novelty in the structuring of the heroic crisis in medieval literature. The heroes mentioned earlier always sought an exit from difficult or unbearable situations in isolation and this is also the case with Iwein, but unlike them, Iwein uses the isolation as a shield against societal expectations and judgments, which allows him to rediscover his true purpose and inner nature in the isolation amidst the chaos and the balance of nature.The Round Table and King Arthur recognize the knight Iwein as a loyal, honourable, and courageous knight, but only after he had overcome all the challenges that were set before him after his isolation. In this respect, the novel also portrays a socio-critical dimension, which primarily refers to social double standards and the loss of identity of the individual within a society. Because of this, the court's attitude to Iwein during his isolation can rather be described as a hindrance on his path to recovery, while the isolation, on the other hand, has the value of a remedy for Iwein. In the end, the crisis that Iwein experienced up to this point in the plot disappears and the aforementioned discrepancy between his expectations and those of the court society is reconciled. In fact, the function of the isolation was to provide Iwein with a safe area in which he could heal without being hindered by outside factors or influences. His numbness during this isolation served as a shield against feelings of loneliness, despair, or shame. Since there are no expectations, mistakes, shame or misdeeds in the wilderness, his isolation helps him reconnect with his inner nature and find balance in his life. Thus, the power of isolation does not lie in the loneliness, but in the reflection of the solitude, which allows the individuum to rebalance themselves, far from the disruptions of everyday life. After all, even today, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, things are out of balance. However, this pandemic has brought to light that even now, perhaps more than ever, one has the possibility to reconnect with oneself and with one's nature due to the isolation.
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Introduction: due to the worldwide pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), authorities have chosen to confine their citizens as an epidemiological containment measure, considerably reducing physical activity levels in the adolescent population. Objective: The evidence indicates the importance of physical activity in mental health, development of motor skills, improvements in cardiovascular risk profile, cognitive functions, increased self-esteem, and quality of life in adolescence. Considering the importance of physical activity and, specifically, the insufficient levels of physical activity in the adolescent population, the question of the levels of physical activity performed by high school students in subsidized private schools in the district of Talcahuano during the period of confinement was raised. Method: 152 males and 177 females between 14 and 17 years of age from three subsidized private schools in the municipality of Talcahuano were evaluated. A digital questionnaire was administered on the day of distance learning. Results: The mean questionnaire score was 2.37 ± 0.68. The obtained score classified the students as inactive since they had values lower than 2.75 on the PAQ-A questionnaire. Mann-Whitney U test was performed to determine the differences in median questionnaire scores for male and female groups. The median was statistically significant between the groups p= 0.001. A Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to compare the age groups. As a result, the median was not significantly different between age groups, P = 0.224. Conclusion: men are, on average, more physically active than women, and there is no difference in the median age between 14 and 17 years in the confinement periods. © 2023 MHSalud. All right reserved.
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In this study, we focus on decrease in public activity of news media audiences on social networks and on possible media strategies of "comfortable involvement" of socially anxious people into commenting. We draw upon cognitive research that describes a vicious circle of user experience. The environment for the anxiety scenarios in relation to user comments creates favorable conditions for the growth of digital escapism. We hypothesize that: 1) Users who are looking for getting rid of anxiety on social networks are drawn into an even greater spiral of anxiety, interacting with other people in the context of news stories that provoke the whipping up of negative emotions;2) The dynamics of the cascade of messages can depend on the characteristics of the emotions embedded in the message and its context. We took 10 Russian regional media and their content on the VKontakte social network published from November 2020 to November 2021 and processed all commented posts in each media. Frequency analysis of messages demonstrated no specific pattern for anxiety. Number of comments and likes on comments correlated with specific regional issues and local news agenda more than with coronavirus agenda. Our results showed that engaged users comment more than 2 times in a period but drop out of the discussion in 2-3 moths if agenda is not escalated by news outlet itself. Emotional triggers in news stories containing reasons for anxiety depends on a combination of factors from the site's functionality to the type of news media and local information policy.
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The article discusses the significance of telework for workers with disabilities. Topics discussed include increased open-mindedness about granting part-time or full-time telework as a reasonable accommodation, reasonable accommodations under the Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and work environment or hiring process to create equality for someone with a disability.
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Inequalities in health care exist in many countries in the world. In 2008 the then UK Secretary of State for Health commissioned the Marmot review, ‘Fair Society, Healthy Lives', to propose strategies to address health inequalities in the UK. Most of Marmot's proposals were not acted upon and in 2020, 10 years after the initial recommendations were published, Marmot found that there had been no improvement and some things were worse. In diabetes care inequalities are widespread, impacting on prevention, treatment, access to technology, screening for complications, risk of complications, morbidity and mortality. Ethnicity is a major risk factor, starkly demonstrated by the increased COVID-19 related mortality in people from minority ethnic groups with diabetes. Disadvantaged groups include, but are not limited to, those with social deprivation, intellectual and physical disabilities and severe mental illness. The decision to shelve the long-awaited white paper on tackling health inequalities, taken recently by the last Secretary of State for Health amid protests from a coalition of medical organisations, makes it unlikely that the government will take the actions proposed by Marmot. In the absence of a national strategy, responsibility to recognise and address inequalities in diabetes care falls on health care professionals, in teams and as individuals. Copyright © 2023 John Wiley & Sons.
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The article is devoted to the problem of humans joining the ranks of hikikomori at the time of and after the introduction of strict quarantine measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lifestyle of the hikikomori, as a specific subcultural trend that focuses on the physical distancing of the individual from the space of social communication, is emphasised. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hikikomori lifestyle became common to many people under a regime of enforced self-isolation. However, even when quarantine measures are relaxed and a return to familiar communication practices is allowed, not all people are willing to return to offline life. Attitudes towards temporality also change under conditions of pandemic and enforced self-isolation, where complex ethico-social dilemmas arise, bringing psychological discomfort to the individual on micro-and macro levels.
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We previously proposed the term ‘opportunistic non-communicable diseases (NCDs)' to raise awareness of how NCDs thrive in societies with inadequate healthcare services. However, we did not anticipate that within the next year the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) would sweep the globe. Lockdowns became the primary strategy for mitigation in most countries. However, the extensive restrictions and allocation of resources towards the containment of the pandemic have likely served as a catalyst of NCDs, especially in populations, societies and individuals already at high risk. We are presenting evidence to qualify two primary factors responsible for the potential impact on the development of NCDs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first is disrupted healthcare services including avoidance and postponement of healthcare visits. The second is effects of changing lifestyle and living conditions including isolation, loss of job and income. The accumulated effect of these factors will likely further accelerate the development of NCDs and impair their management, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Insufficient vaccination coverage due to inequality in vaccine distribution and vaccine hesitancy left room for the incubation of immune-evasive variants that threatened to sustain or reinitiate the pandemic. We believe the concept of opportunistic NCDs and the potential catalytic effect that pandemics may have on the development of NCDs and their management, should be used as further arguments to secure equal vaccine distribution, promote global vaccine acceptance and to speed up and increase investments in primary health care in low- and middle-income countries to cope with the already existing NCD crisis and to prepare for future epidemics. © 2022 Scandinavian Societies for Pathology, Medical Microbiology and Immunology.
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The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has dramatically impacted Canadians' mental health, including those who live in rural areas. Rural psychologists have long faced unique challenges associated with practice related to accessibility, isolation, and technology. They also have extensive experience in practicing with flexibility, creativity, and complex ethical considerations such as competency (generalist vs. specialist, cultural competence vs. content competence). Therefore, they may have adapted relatively rapidly to the dramatic changes that came along with the pandemic and be well positioned to lead their urban colleagues and organizations as we move forward. Whereas new and pre-existing challenges have been exacerbated by the pandemic, strengths of rural psychologists (e.g., managing geographical isolation, familiarity with telehealth) have emerged. This article looks at the strengths embedded in rural psychology that facilitated service provision during the pandemic. It also reviews future directions to build upon within the rural Canadian context. La pandémie causée par le coronavirus (COVID-19) a eu d'importantes répercussions sur la santé mentale de la population canadienne, y compris dans les régions rurales. Les psychologues des régions rurales doivent composer depuis longtemps avec des difficultés particulières dans leurs pratiques en matière d'accessibilité, d'isolement et de technologie. Ils possèdent une vaste expérience d'une pratique caractérisée par la flexibilité, la créativité et des considérations éthiques complexes, telles que les champs de compétence (généraliste vs spécialiste, compétence culturelle vs compétence relative au contenu). Ainsi, ils ont peut-être pu s'adapter relativement rapidement aux importants changements suscités par la pandémie et sont peut-être bien placés pour diriger leurs confrères, consoeurs et organismes des villes pour la suite des choses. Étant donné que des difficultés nouvelles et existantes ont été exacerbées par la pandémie, les forces des psychologues des régions rurales ont été mises en relief, par exemple, la gestion de l'isolement géographique et leur connaissance préalable des consultations à distance. Cet article examine les forces inhérentes aux services psychologiques en région rurale qui en ont facilité l'accès durant la pandémie. De plus, il présente les orientations futures sur lesquelles s'appuyer dans le contexte rural au Canada.
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Objective This multicenter clinical evaluation analyzed the clinical performance of five fast nucleic acid detection systems for 2019-nCoV. Methods Clinical performance of the five fast nucleic acid detection reagents approved in China was evaluated in the present study. Fifty-seven throat swabs samples from COVID-19 patients and fifteen throat swabs samples from healthy people were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University school of Medicine, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College of HUST, and National Institute of Viral Disease Control and Prevention of CDC to evaluate the positive coincidence rate, negative coincidence rate, total coincidence rate, the detection time and retest rate as well as the relation between positive intensity and positive coincidence rate of the five fast nucleic acid detection systems in November 2020. Results The positive coincidence rates of the five kits were 92.59% (50/54), 83.64% (46/55), 98.25% (56/57), 94.44% (51/54) and 98.18% (54/55);and the negative coincidence rates were 93.33% (14/15), 93.33% (14/15), 86.67% (13/15), 100% (14/14) and 93.33% (14/15);and the total coincidence rates were 92.75% (64/69), 85.71% (60/70), 95.83% (69/72), 94.20% (65/69) and 97.14% (68/70), respectively. The positive coincidence rate of the five kits reached 100% for the strong-positive (90/90) and medium-positive samples (84/84), but only 82.18% (83/101) for weak-positive samples (cycle threshold value>33), and the retest rate of two kits were 15.28% (11/72) and 12.50% (9/72), which were both higher than 10%. Total time from sample extraction to amplification was between 32.33-65.33 minutes for these five kits. Conclusion The five fast nucleic acid detection reagents have good performance and can be used as a supplement to routine nucleic acid detection reagents.
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Objective: In recent years, the rapid spread of resistance caused by the production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) among bacteria has increased the importance of K. pneumoniae bacteria. Regular monitoring of antibiotic resistance rates of bacteria is very important for the treatment of infections and new treatment methods that can be developed. In the study, it was aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance profiles and ESBL positivity rates of K. pneumoniae isolated from patients who applied to Biruni University Hospital between March 2020 and March 2021, covering the COVID-19 Pandemic. Material and Method: In the study, antibiogram test results and ESBL presences of K. pneumoniae bacteria isolated from samples sent from different outpatient clinics and services were evaluated retrospectively. GraphPad InStat V. 3.05 was used for statistical analysis. Result and Discussion: In the study, 423 K. pneumoniae bacteria were isolated from different clinical samples. Of the isolates, 161 (38%) were obtained from the endotracheal aspirate (ETA) sample, and 349 (82.5%) were obtained from the intensive care clinic. In addition, 358 (84.63%) of the isolates were ESBL positive and 65 (15.36%) ESBL negative. It was observed that the majority of the isolates obtained were resistant to ampicillin, and almost all of the ESBL positive isolates were resistant to ceftazidime. Both the studies and the results of the study show that the number of K. pneumoniae strains showing multiple antibiotic resistance has increased over time and this increase continues exponentially.
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Objective: In recent years, the rapid spread of resistance caused by the production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) among bacteria has increased the importance of K. pneumoniae bacteria. Regular monitoring of antibiotic resistance rates of bacteria is very important for the treatment of infections and new treatment methods that can be developed. In the study, it was aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance profiles and ESBL positivity rates of K. pneumoniae isolated from patients who applied to Biruni University Hospital between March 2020 and March 2021, covering the COVID-19 Pandemic. Material and Method: In the study, antibiogram test results and ESBL presences of K. pneumoniae bacteria isolated from samples sent from different outpatient clinics and services were evaluated retrospectively. GraphPad InStat V. 3.05 was used for statistical analysis. Result and Discussion: In the study, 423 K. pneumoniae bacteria were isolated from different clinical samples. Of the isolates, 161 (38%) were obtained from the endotracheal aspirate (ETA) sample, and 349 (82.5%) were obtained from the intensive care clinic. In addition, 358 (84.63%) of the isolates were ESBL positive and 65 (15.36%) ESBL negative. It was observed that the majority of the isolates obtained were resistant to ampicillin, and almost all of the ESBL positive isolates were resistant to ceftazidime. Both the studies and the results of the study show that the number of K. pneumoniae strains showing multiple antibiotic resistance has increased over time and this increase continues exponentially. © 2023 University of Ankara. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Against the backdrop of a biogenic threat (coronavirus infection), many people tried to strengthen control over their life, in particular, in eating behavior, or, on the contrary, turned it into uncontrolled autotherapy. To study changes in eating behavior and related lifestyle changes, a compact scaled questionnaire instrument by Indian colleagues was chosen (Kumari et al., 2020). To adapt the questionnaire and diagnose changes in the eating behavior of Russians, an empirical study was performed (827 respondents from 17 to 75 years old) against the backdrop of the second wave of the pandemic (November 2020 - January 2021). The research toolkit also included a modified (short) version of T.A. Nestik's "Attitude to the epidemiological threat", supplemented by the question of attitude to the requirements of self-isolation, and the technique "Time attitudes" by J. Nuttin modified by K. Muzdybaev. The results of the study allowed us to confirm the construct validity and reliability of the questionnaire on changes in eating behavior during the pandemic, as well as to identify the optimal (health, immunity, performance) and non-optimal behavioral strategies. In addition, it was shown that respondents with a behavioral strategy that has changed in favor of a healthy lifestyle have a more positive attitude towards their past and future, and a more meaningful attitude towards the present. They approach the demands of self-isolation more positively and more constructively, in particular by trying to reduce the threats of the situation at the level of eating behavior, which, in turn, contributes to their greater emotional stability.
ABSTRACT
A preceptorship programme for health visitors and school nurses in Highland, Scotland, was developed, delivered and evaluated from 2015 until 2021. The programme used video-conferencing technology to connect remote and rural preceptees, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Preceptees' feedback about the programme was positive;the key benefits highlighted were better networking and peer support capabilities and reduced isolation. As well as describing the programme and its development, this article provides recommendations for other organisations about how to develop a preceptorship programme in their field of practice.
ABSTRACT
Social isolation and loneliness are serious public health concerns. Music engagement can strengthen social connections and reduce loneliness in some contexts, although how this occurs is not well understood; research suggests that music's capacity to manipulate perceptions of time and space is relevant. This study adopted a qualitative perspective to examine how music engagement shaped the experiences of residents of Victoria, Australia, during conditions of restricted social contact during the lockdowns of 2020. Semi-structured interviews explored participants' lived musical experiences while giving focus to perceptions of time and space (e.g., how music helped restructure home and workspaces in response to lockdown regulations, or punctuate time where older routines were no longer viable). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the interview transcripts identified five themes representing the key findings: (1) a super-ordinate theme of perceived control, which comprises four themes: (2) dynamic connection; (3) identity; (4) mobility; (5) presence. Each theme describes one generalised aspect of the way music engagement shaped participants' perceptions of time and space during lockdown and supported their processes of adaptation to and coping with increased social isolation. The authors argue that these findings may inform the way music can be used to address loneliness in everyday life.