Sharing Data for Social Good: From Uninformed Consent to Misinformed Dissent (preprint)

When deciding to disclose data for personal benefits, consumers are fast to underestimate privacy-related costs and hence, freely share their personal data (uninformed consent). The present research shows that this cost-benefit analysis shifts in the context of sharing data for social good. When people decide to share data with a service that serves a social good (e.g., to contain the spread of the coronavirus or fight climate change), they tend to overestimate the privacy-related costs (cost illusion). In consequence, people fail to share data for social good (misinformed dissent). To reduce this cost illusion and foster sharing data for social good, we tested two communication strategies for privacy-related information. We find that not single, but comparative information is effective in reducing the cost illusion. Thus, privacy related information of services using data should be displayed in a comparative manner. Our results provide important theoretical insights and managerial implications for the privacy calculus in the highly relevant context of sharing data for social good.

Business continuity beyond COVID-19: Lessons learned and the 'illusion of preparedness'.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced organisations to react swiftly to an evolving crisis and find creative solutions in real time. In a relatively short period, remote access, employee hardware requirements and flexible work schedules have significantly raised people's expectations regarding what constitutes a 'normal' level of preparedness. However, have organisations capitalised on the lessons learned from the event to improve operational practices and business opportunities, or has the situation merely created an illusion of preparedness? This paper describes the incredible strides made over the last two years before exploring the key lessons that have been overlooked and discussing the potentially misleading sense of readiness that threatens to prevail.

The analyst as user illusion: therapy in the time of COVID-19.

In his essay The Spiritual Problem of Modern Man, Jung states that 'The spiritual problem of modern man is one of those questions which are so much part of the age we live in that we cannot see them in proper perspective. Modern man is an entirely new phenomenon; a modern problem is one which has just arisen and whose answer still lies in the future' (Jung 1928, para. 148). During the pandemic, analytic treatment largely moved to online platforms. I propose an examination of the implications of video therapy for our experience and understanding of the analytic frame and container. Through the introduction of Marina Abramovic's performance piece entitled The Artist is Present, which took place at MoMA, New York, in 2010, I explore some reverberations of technologically-mediated sessions. By putting Abramovic's piece in context with some of my experiences, I draw conclusions regarding a technologically-mediated therapeutic paradigm. Supported by writings from authors André Sassenfeld, Tor Nørretranders and Iain McGilchrist, I introduce the concept of 'exformation' and investigate different neuroscientific presets of human perception and communication. I will ask how they might affect online therapeutic work and our experience of an embodied versus a virtual co-presence.

Dans son essai « Le Problème Spirituel de l'Homme Moderne ¼, Jung déclare que « Le problème spirituel de l'homme moderne est l'une de ces questions qui font tellement partie de l'époque que l'on vit que nous ne pouvons pas les voir à partir d'une perspective appropriée. L'homme moderne est un phénomène entièrement nouveau ¼ (1928, para.148). Pendant la pandémie les cures analytiques se sont largement déplacées de la salle de consultation aux plateformes en ligne. Je propose un examen des conséquences de la thérapie par vidéo pour notre expérience et notre compréhension du cadre analytique et du contenant. En m'appuyant sur la représentation de la performance de Marina Abramovic, « L'artiste est là ¼, qui s'est tenue au MoMa (New-York) en 2010, j'étudie certaines répercussions de séances utilisant la médiation technologique. En mettant la performance d'Abramovic dans le contexte de mes expériences, je tire des conclusions concernant le paradigme thérapeutique quand cette thérapie s'appuie sur la médiation technologique. Soutenu par les écrits d'auteurs tels qu'André Sassenfeld, Tor Norretranders et Ian McGilchrist, je présente le concept d' « exformation ¼ et j'explore différents préréglages neuroscientifiques de la perception et de la communication humaines. Je soulève la question de comment ceux-ci peuvent affecter le travail thérapeutique en ligne et notre expérience d'une co-présence incarnée par opposition à virtuelle.

En su ensayo 'El Problema Espiritual del Hombre Moderno', Jung afirma que 'El problema espiritual del hombre moderno es una de aquellas cuestiones que forma parte de la edad en que vivimos, en cuanto a que no podemos verla desde una correcta perspectiva. El hombre moderno es enteramente un nuevo fenómeno; un problema moderno es aquel que acaba de emerger y cuya respuesta yace todavía en el futuro' (1928, para.148). Durante la pandemia, el tratamiento analítico se movió en gran medida a plataformas virtuales. Propongo una exploración de las implicancias de la terapia virtual en virtud de nuestra experiencia y comprensión del encuadre analítico y del espacio contenedor. A través de la introducción de la performance titulada 'La Artista está Presente', de Marina Abramovic, llevada a cabo en el MoMA, Nueva York, en 2010, exploro algunas reverberaciones de las sesiones virtuales. Al poner la pieza de Abramovic en contexto con algunas de mis experiencias, saco conclusiones respecto a un paradigma terapéutico mediado por la tecnología. Basándome en los escritos de autores como André Sassenfeld, Tor Nørretranders y Iain McGilchrist, introduzco el concepto de 'exformación' e investigo diferentes programas neurocientíficos sobre la percepción y la comunicación humana. Pregunto cómo podrían afectar el trabajo terapéutico online y nuestra experiencia de una co-presencia corporizada versus una co-presencia virtual.

Em seu ensaio O Problema Espiritual do Homem Moderno, Jung afirma que 'O problema espiritual do homem modern é uma daquelas questões que fazem parte da época em que vivemos e que não podemos vê-las em perspectiva adequada. O homem moderno é um fenômeno totalmente novo; um problema moderno é aquele que acabou de surgir e cuja resposta ainda está no futuro' (1928, parágrafo. 148). Durante a pandemia, o tratamento analítico mudou-se em grande parte para plataformas on-line. Proponho um exame das implicações da videoterapia para nossa experiência e compreensão do quadro analítico e do recipiente. Através da introdução da peça de performance de Marina Abramovic intitulada, que aconteceu no MoMA, Nova York, em 2010, exploro algumas reverberações de sessões tecnologicamente mediadas. Ao contextualizar a peça de Abramovic com algumas das minhas experiências, tiro conclusões sobre um paradigma terapêutico mediado tecnologicamente. Apoiado por escritos dos autores André Sassenfeld, Tor Nørretranders e Iain McGilchrist, introduzo o conceito de "exformação" e investigo diferentes predefinições neurocientíficas da percepção e comunicação humanas. Perguntarei como eles podem afetar o trabalho terapêutico on-line e nossa experiência de uma copresença incorporada versus virtual.

Electron microscope images of human coronaviruses - Reality versus illusion.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic disease earlier in 2020, several publications reported the electron microscope images of SARS-CoV-2. This article reviews 73 articles from March 1956 till April 2021, focusing on the ultrastructure characteristics of the coronaviruses. We present the scientific debate and provide an opinion on the current controversy of electron microscopic images interpreted as SARS-CoV-2 particles in specimens from patients with COVID-19. Finally, we report our findings in a post-mortem lung specimen of a COVID-19 patient. With this we hope to facilitate accurate interpretation of TEM findings, and contribute to the building of a unified database in the face of COVID-19 (Tab. 2, Fig. 8, Ref. 81). Keywords.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of CoronaVac Side Effects: An Independent Cross-Sectional Study Among Healthcare Workers in Turkey (preprint)

Background: COVIC-19 vaccine hesitancy is a serious threat to mass vaccination strategies that need to be accelerated currently for achieving a substantial level of community immunity. Independent (non-sponsored) studies have a great potential to enhance public confidence in vaccines and accelerate their uptake process.Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study for the side effects (SE) of CoronaVac was carried out in February 2021 among Turkish healthcare workers who got recently vaccinated. The questionnaire inquired about local and systemic SEs that occurred in the short-term, within four weeks, following vaccination.Findings: A total of 780 healthcare workers were included in this study; 62.5% of them experienced at least one SE. Injection site pain (41.5%) was the most common local SE, while fatigue (23.6%), headache (18.7%), muscle pain (11.2%) and joint pain (5.9%) were the common systemic SE. Female healthcare workers (67.9%) were significantly more affected by local and systemic SEs than male colleagues (51.4%). Younger age, previous infection, and compromised health status (chronic illnesses and regular medicines uptake) can be associated with an increased risk of CoronaVac SEs.Interpretation: The independent research shows a higher prevalence of CoronaVac SEs than what is reported by phase 1 – 3 clinical trials. In general, the results of this study confirm the overall safety of CoronaVac and suggest potential risk factors for its SEs. Gender-based differences and SEs distribution among age groups are worth further investigation.Trial Registration: The study protocol was registered in the National Library of Medicine (NLM) registry – NCT047706156Funding Statement: This study was supported by the INTER-EXCELLENCE grant number LTC20031 — "Towards an International Network for Evidence-based Research in Clinical Health Research in the Czech Republic".Declaration of Interests: None to declare. Ethics Approval Statement: The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the General Directorate of Health Services of the Turkish Ministry of Health within the scope of the Public Health Law no. 1593; additionally, it had been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University (MUNI) on January 20th, 2021 (Ref. 2/2021).(16) All the participants had to provide their informed consent digitally before joining the study, and the data was stored and handled by MUNI in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).(

Material Adverse Effect Clauses and the COVID-19 Pandemic (preprint)

This paper considers whether the COVID-19 pandemic, the governmental responses thereto, and actions taken by companies in connection with both of these constitute a “Material Adverse Effect” (MAE) under a typical MAE clause in a public company merger agreement. Although in any particular case everything will depend on the exact effects suffered by the company and the precise wording of the MAE clause, this paper concludes that, under a typical MAE clause, given the current tremendous contraction in economic activity, most companies will have suffered a material adverse effect as such term in used in the base definition of most MAE clauses. The question thus becomes whether the risks of a pandemic or of governmental responses thereto have been shifted to the acquirer under exceptions to the base definition. This paper considers some of the difficult causal questions that would arise in answering this question, including the relation of actions taken by the company to remain solvent while suffering the effects of COVID-19 and governmental lockdown orders, and concludes that, in some instances, a company will have suffered an MAE even if the MAE clause contains exceptions for pandemics, changes in law, or both.

Microsimulation Analysis for Network Traffic Assignment (MANTA) at Metropolitan-Scale for Agile Transportation Planning (preprint)

Abrupt changes in the environment, such as increasingly frequent and intense weather events due to climate change or the extreme disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, have triggered massive and precipitous human mobility changes. The ability to quickly predict traffic patterns in different scenarios has become more urgent to support short-term operations and long-term transportation planning, emergency management, and resource allocation. Urban traffic exhibits a high spatial correlation in which links adjacent to a congested link are likely to become congested due to spillback effects. The spillback behavior requires modeling the entire metropolitan area to recognize all of the upstream and downstream effects from intentional or unintentional perturbations to the network. However, there is a well-known trade-off between increasing the level of detail of a model and decreasing computational performance. This paper addresses these performance shortcomings by introducing a new platform MANTA for traffic microsimulation at the metropolitan-scale. MANTA employs a highly parallelized GPU implementation that is fast enough to run simulations on large-scale demand and networks within a few minutes. We test our platform to simulate the entire Bay Area metropolitan region over the course of the morning using half-second time steps. The runtime for the nine-county Bay Area simulation is just over four minutes, not including routing and initialization. This computational performance significantly improves state of the art in large-scale traffic microsimulation and offers new capacity for analyzing the detailed travel patterns and travel choices of individuals for infrastructure planning and emergency management.