Mass Closures Research Articles

Retail spaces and consumer labour in a digital first economy: A comparative study of atmospherics and shopper behaviour in Lush, Disney and Primark

A substantial body of work has evidenced the effectiveness of experiential retail design, and yet only a small proportion acknowledges the role of shopper labour in the production of value. Furthermore, studies of retail design often focus on singular elements such as lighting, failing to acknowledge that the act of shopping is always a multisensory, holistic experience. This research addresses that gap, and contributes to discourse regarding the role of brick-and-mortar stores in the digital age. Observations were undertaken in three flagship retail locations on Oxford Street, London: Lush, Disney and Primark. Data was gathered on aspects of the spaces including layout, flow, lighting and scents, as well as shopper behaviour and attitudes towards the in-store experience. Utilising this combined data, this project argues that four types of consumer labour can be seen in contemporary retail spaces: physical, emotional, social and ideological. The findings suggest that retailers may be overlooking the importance of “real life” brand interaction in stores in favour of the perceived profitability of ecommerce. Additionally, it may be pertinent to consider the cultural implications of mass closures of brick-and-mortar stores, as spaces of entertainment, leisure and socialisation, as well as spaces which facilitate certain types of care work.

Understanding the pyrolysis kinetics, thermodynamic, and environmental sustainability parameters of Sesamum indicum crop residue

In this work, the physiochemical characteristics, thermodynamics, and sustainability of the pyrolysis of Sesamum indicum biomass were assessed. The pyrolysis kinetics of sesame agro-residues performed using isoconversional techniques such as Kissinger, KAS, and OFW methods showed activation energies of 192, 120, and 123 kJ mol−1, respectively. The impact of the pyrolysis temperature (550, 650, 750 °C) on the generation of biochar, bio-oil, and gas is also studied; the exergy efficiency increased from 82.7 at 550 °C to 87.3% at 750 °C with an increase in the temperature. Sesame biochar’s Van Krevalan diagram showed how its fuel-like characteristics also grew with rising temperatures. The input and output parameters showed a high agreement in the mass, energy, and exergy balance closures. However, it was shown that the overall energy efficiency was greater at 750 °C (71.2%) compared to 55.5% and 69.8% at 550 °C and 650 °C, respectively. Sustainability analysis showed that lower temperatures had a smaller impact on the environment.

The “fish tank”: social sorting of LGBTQ+ activists in China

ABSTRACT Since 2013, LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and other) activism in China has existed in a gray area between non-criminalization in legal terms and fragmented strategies of suppression. The expansion of home-grown social media platforms has provided a (relatively) safe haven for LGBTQ+ people to connect, and a growing number of LGBTQ+ groups have established themselves in the country. However, in recent years, laws, policies, and mass closures of LGBTQ+ social media accounts have chipped away at organizational capacity. In this exploratory study, we center the voices of LGBTQ+ activist communities in China. Drawing from 26 interviews, we explore the effects of increased surveillance in digital and physical spaces on queer communities via the theoretical concept of “social sorting.” The findings suggest that LGBTQ+ communities were already under extensive institutional and digital surveillance prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has further amplified state-led surveillance and censorship. The norm setting of an ideal citizen of China has occurred through enhanced institutional marginalization, digital censorship, and police monitoring and harassment. These practices have harmed but not broken the resolve of LGBTQ+ communities, who had been finding unconventional ways to connect prior to the pandemic, albeit constrained as if in a metaphorical fish tank.

Shuttering Schools in the Gateway City: School District Viability and Black Community Relations After Mass K-12 School Closures in St. Louis, MO

ABSTRACT Since 1990, over 40% of schools have closed in the St. Louis Public Schools District (SLPSD) because of steep enrollment decline. Tracing educational trends over 30 years, I examine when, where, and why K-12 public schools closed in St. Louis in order to highlight the social conditions and policy decisions that contract contemporary urban education. I ask: What key social factors influence K-12 school closure patterns in St. Louis, Missouri? This mixed methods study summarizes analyses of data from the U.S. Department of Education, the St. Louis Public Schools District, and local news coverage to describe trends, determinants, and consequences of K-12 public school closures in St. Louis, Missouri (1990–2020). Findings demonstrated that closures in the city district were concentrated in majority-Black neighborhoods, with limited evidence of benefits to youth and communities. Findings also indicated that attempts to create educational change through the desegregation transfers program, charter school expansion, and administrative restructuring all triggered waves of closures. Drawing from community relations perspectives, I interpret mass closures as racialized policy practices that strain Black community relations and contract city districts. I argue that recurrent closures undermine youth and community development and disengage Black communities in ways that threaten district viability. Conclusions weigh whether the closure practices in the district have caused irreparable damage to Black community relations or if new policy objectives can foster long-term growth.

Assessing changes in the food retail environment during the COVID-19 pandemic: opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned

BackgroundCOVID-19 mitigation strategies have had an untold effect on food retail stores and restaurants. Early evidence from New York City (NYC) indicated that these strategies, among decreased travel from China and increased fears of viral transmission and xenophobia, were leading to mass closures of businesses in Manhattan’s Chinatown. The constantly evolving COVID −19 crisis has caused research design and methodology to fundamentally shift, requiring adaptable strategies to address emerging and existing public health problems such as food security that may result from closures of food outlets.ObjectiveWe describe innovative approaches used to evaluate changes to the food retail environment amidst the constraints of the pandemic in an urban center heavily burdened by COVID-19. Included are challenges faced, lessons learned and future opportunities.MethodsFirst, we identified six diverse neighborhoods in NYC: two lower-resourced, two higher-resourced, and two Chinese ethnic enclaves. We then developed a census of food outlets in these six neighborhoods using state and local licensing databases. To ascertain the status (open vs. closed) of outlets pre-pandemic, we employed a manual web-scraping technique. We used a similar method to determine the status of outlets during the pandemic. Two independent online sources were required to confirm the status of outlets. If two sources could not confirm the status, we conducted phone call checks and/or in-person visits.ResultsThe final baseline database included 2585 food outlets across six neighborhoods.Ascertaining the status of food outlets was more difficult in lower-resourced neighborhoods and Chinese ethnic enclaves compared to higher-resourced areas. Higher-resourced neighborhoods required fewer phone call and in-person checks for both restaurants and food retailers than other neighborhoods.ConclusionsOur multi-step data collection approach maximized safety and efficiency while minimizing cost and resources. Challenges in remote data collection varied by neighborhood and may reflect the different resources or social capital of the communities; understanding neighborhood-specific constraints prior to data collection may streamline the process.

Cultural diplomacy under the “digital lockdown”: pandemic challenges and opportunities in museum diplomacy

The article analyzes the case of museum diplomacy during the Covid-19 global outbreak to illustrate two important trends that were reinforced in the condition of the pandemic. First, it argues that digital innovations achieved by cultural institutions in their international communication in the conditions of mass closures and national lockdowns significantly accelerated and even further legitimized digital diplomacy (Bjola et al. in Hague J Dipl 14(1–2):83–101, 2019). During the Covid-19 crisis, for instance, the volume of digital cultural production and its global consumption rate have dramatically increased (UNESCO in Report “Culture & COVID-19: Impact and Response Tracker.” https://bit.ly/3iQLN74, 2020b), paving more reliable avenues for digital communication and even diplomacy. Second, the pandemics prompted cultural actors to take institutional initiatives and complement official cultural diplomacy exchanges, which due to the travel boundaries either temporarily ceased to exist or considerably slowed down.

Incisional Surgical Site Infections After Mass and Layered Closure of Upper Abdominal Transverse Incisions: First Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

To compare the early results of mass and layered closure of upper abdominal transverse incisions. Contrary to midline incisions, data on closure of transverse abdominal incisions are lacking. This is the first analysis of a randomized controlled trial primarily designed to compare mass with layered closure of transverse incisions with respect to incisional hernias. Patients undergoing laparotomy through upper abdominal transverse incisions were randomized to either mass or layered closure with continuous sutures. Incisional surgical site infection (incisional-SSI) was the primary end-point. Secondary end-points comprised suture-to-wound length ratio (SWLR), closure duration, and fascial dehiscence (clinicatrials.gov NCT03561727). A total of 268 patients were randomized to either mass (n=134) or layered (n=134) closure. Incisional-SSIs occurred in 24 (17.9%) and 8 (6.0%) patients after mass and layered closure, respectively (P =0.004), with crude odds ratio (OR) of 0.29 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.13-0.67; P =0.004]. Layered technique was independently associated with fewer incisional-SSIs (OR: 0.29; 95% CI 0.12-0.69; P =0.005). The number needed to treat, absolute, and relative risk reduction for layered technique in reducing incisional-SSIs were 8.4 patients, 11.9%, and 66.5%, respectively. Dehiscence occurred in one (0.8%) patient after layered closure and in two (1.5%) patients after mass closure (P >0.999). Median SWLR were 8.1 and 5.6 (P <0.001) with median closure times of 27.5 and 25.0 minutes (P =0.044) for layered and mass closures, respectively. Layered closure of upper abdominal transverse incisions should be preferred due to lower risk of incisional-SSIs and higher SWLR, despite clinically irrelevant longer duration.

РЕСТОРАННИЙ БІЗНЕС В УМОВАХ ПАНДЕМІЇ COVID-19: ШЛЯХИ ВИХОДУ З КРИЗИ

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the sphere of tourism and travelling were losing one million jobs every day during the peak of the crisis. Small and medium-sized businesses, which account for 80% of the hospitality sector, have become particularly vulnerable. The crisis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has been the biggest challenge facing the restaurant business in its history and has led to mass bankruptcies, closures and systemic problems of operating businesses due to the loss of market access, cash gaps, and liabilities such as rent and utility bills. This caused mass layoffs, which led to unemployment. The number of guests in restaurants has decreased, as well as their purchasing power, which is reflected in the average check and revenue of establishments. Under these circumstances, restaurant companies around the world have hopes for recovery and are looking for and finding ways out. Analysis of restaurants activity during the pandemic allowed to identify trends, namely: introduction and improvement of delivery, take away services, digitalization in all areas of business, diversification of services, including online stores selling food and beverages at home, creative marketing activities, traditional and creative security measures. The introduction of delivery requires the establishment of logistics processes and necessitates the adjustment of the menu. A combination of restaurant business and retail is promising: shops-restaurants, shops-cafes. Not all formats of restaurants can implement delivery, in particular it is challenging for bars, pubs, cafes. Of particular importance is the food design of delivered dishes. The introduction of the Drive-through service is promising. It is obvious that the Drive-through (drive-thru) service, which allows the customer to buy products without leaving the car, will be in demand in the near future and will be adopted by both restaurants and other areas of activity, such as pharmacies, retail trade. The most important component of crisis response is hygiene and health care, as people's greatest social value is their lives. Institutions taking this into account are more trusted among consumers and can count on loyalty. New realities require new business models.

Experiential Learning during COVID, a Perspective and a Proposal

Higher education has become more available to students seeking post graduate degrees. When COVID protocols required mass closures, educators had to quickly pivot to remote teaching and learn how to reach out to students in many different circumstances. Experiential learning faced different challenges. This article traces the development of experiential learning in legal education. Experiential learning in the law school curriculum has had a nuanced existence. Experiential learning placements continued with COVID protocols in place providing new insights into different models for experienced based learning and parallel new work models. This article suggests that there are many lessons that can be carried forward post COVID as experiential learning becomes a more integral part of the law school curriculum.

Experiential Learning During COVID A Perspective and A Proposal

Higher education has become more available to more students; however, post graduate education and post graduate educators had to quickly pivot to online learning when the world closed due to COVID. Experiential learning faced different challenges. This article traces the development of experiential learning in the law school curriculum and how the legal academy has responded to integrating the concept of experiential learning into the overall curriculum. This article also discusses one law schools experience with continuing experiential learning during the time of initial shutdowns due to COVID protocols and suggests lessons to carry forward in continued endeavors to include experiential learning in legal education.

The impact of COVID-19 on SMEs performance in Harare, Zimbabwe

Globaly the coronavirus has mostly negatively affected the demand and sales of companies. The virus was first detected in China in late December 2019 but the impact on various economies was perceived only later. According to various surveys conducted over different time periods in various countries showed the largest share of companies that experienced a decline in demand and sales for their products. In some countries such as Colombia and United States of America there were mass layoffs and closures which occurred just a few weeks into the crisis (Bartik, Bertrand, Cullen, Glaeser, 2020). In Zimbabwe many organizations has suffered a disruptions in supply chains due to the ravaging global health pandemic - COVID-19. This paper seeks to highlight the impact of COVID-19 on SMEs performance in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Increased proportion of physical child abuse injuries at a level I pediatric trauma center during the Covid-19 pandemic

Background and objectivesThe Covid-19 pandemic has forced mass closures of childcare facilities and schools. While these measures are necessary to slow virus transmission, little is known regarding the secondary health consequences of social distancing. The purpose of this study is to assess the proportion of injuries secondary to physical child abuse (PCA) at a level I pediatric trauma center during the Covid-19 pandemic. MethodsA retrospective review of patients at our center was conducted to identify injuries caused by PCA in the month following the statewide closure of childcare facilities in Maryland. The proportion of PCA patients treated during the Covid-19 era were compared to the corresponding period in the preceding two years by Fisher’s exact test. Demographics, injury profiles, and outcomes were described for each period. ResultsEight patients with PCA injuries were treated during the Covid-19 period (13 % of total trauma patients), compared to four in 2019 (4 %, p < 0.05) and three in 2018 (3 %, p < 0.05). The median age of patients in the Covid-19 period was 11.5 months (IQR 6.8–24.5). Most patients were black (75 %) with public health insurance (75 %). All injuries were caused by blunt trauma, resulting in scalp/face contusions (63 %), skull fractures (50 %), intracranial hemorrhage (38 %), and long bone fractures (25 %). ConclusionsThere was an increase in the proportion of traumatic injuries caused by physical child abuse at our center during the Covid-19 pandemic. Strategies to mitigate this secondary effect of social distancing should be thoughtfully implemented.

Oxidative submerged lime pretreatment and high-solids saccharification of corn stover

Economic commercial-scale production of biofuels from lignocellulose depends, in part, on the development of a suitable pretreatment. In pursuit of that goal, this study assesses the repeatability and effectiveness of submerged lime pretreatment (SLP) of two batches of corn stover designated “Field” and “Module.” SLP was performed with 0.15 g Ca(OH)2 g−1 biomass and 10 g H2O g−1 biomass at 50 °C for 4 weeks while purging with air. SLP was repeated 14 times and the results of the mass balances, closures, and compositions of raw and SLP corn stover are presented. The glucan content of corn stover prior to pretreatment was determined to be 36.1 ± 0.7% (Module washed), 37.5 ± 0.4% (Field washed), and 32.6 ± 1.4% (Field unwashed). For washed corn stover (Module and Field), the standard deviation and coefficient of variation were <1%, demonstrating that the measurements were repeatable. For unwashed Field corn stover, because of its higher content of water-soluble components, the variability was slightly higher. The mass closures were above 96% with less than 2% standard deviation. The glucan content of SLP corn stover was 44.3 ± 0.8% (Module washed), 41.5 ± 0.5% (Field washed), and 42.9 ± 2.2% (Field unwashed). This study also presents a reliable analytical method for assessing the enzymatic digestibility of high-solids (15%) lignocellulose. Inositol is used as an internal standard to determine the final reactant volume, which is difficult in high-solids saccharification. After SLP, the overall glucan digestibility was ~80% (standard deviation < 4%, coefficient of variation < 5%), supporting the potential of SLP as a reproducible, cost-effective, and scalable pretreatment.

Daytime concentrations of minor and trace elements in atmospheric aerosols at four sampling sites of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Tropospheric aerosols (total suspended particulate, TSP) were sampled at four sampling sites of various anthropogenic impact (industrial, commercial, heavy trafficked, and mixed urban influence), located in Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital of Tanzania. Air concentrations of minor and trace elements (Al, As, Br, Ca, Cd, Cl, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, S, Si, Sb, and Zn) in TSP were determined by means of wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). From these data, the main ionic composition of particulate matter was inferred by means of a species correlation/ratio-derived approach, based on former studies of the region. Enrichment factors, bivariate correlations, diagnostic ratios, and chemical mass closures were calculated utilizing the concentration data of TSP constituents for each site in order to reveal the emission sources. A couple of diagnostic ratios (Ni/Cd, Zn/Cd, Br/Ni, Ni/Sb) were useful for source identification, e.g., motor vehicle exhaust and non-exhaust emissions. Significant increases in concentrations of As, Br, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were observed, as compared to results for the city before 2010. Moreover, first-time air levels are reported for Cd and Sb, which are important markers of non-exhaust emissions. Air quality indices and calculations with the AIRQ+ model have foreseen increases in the negative health effects of the sensitive groups of the local population at the study areas, especially those with heavy traffic, industrial, and/or mixed urban influence.

Surviving the ‘retail apocalypse’: How Urban Outfitters became the bad boy of retail and lived to tell about it

Beginning in the early 2000s, retailers, such as The Gap, Old Navy, Eddie Bauer and Anne Taylor Loft, faced dwindling sales, bankruptcies and mass closures, from which some were unable to recover. Faced with increased competition from online companies like Amazon and an ever-expanding box store presence from giants like Wal-Mart and Target, traditional clothing and accessory retailers faced hard times. A massive ‘Great Recession’ in 2008 did not help either. Stores that flourished for decades in malls throughout America were faced with fewer customers and increased overheads. Some of these malls, which had been the home turf for these successful chains for years, are also facing hard times and closures. This article assesses the brand strategy of one of the companies, Urban Outfitters, in this battered and highly competitive market. Unlike its competitors, however, Urban Outfitters defied all traditional business logic and pioneered an in-your-face, non-politically correct production and marketing plan that would prove to be its most successful and fascinating management model — mainstream negativity can lead to long-term financial success.

Uticaj pandemije virusa korona na obrazovanje

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected education systems worldwide, leading to the mass closures of schools and universities. Since April 3, 2020, over 1.7 billion school and university students have stopped attending educational institutions due to their closure as part of efforts to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Over 180 countries proceeded to close educational institutions across their territory, which has affected 97% of the global student population. Not only has the shutting down of schools impacted students, teachers and families, it has also had broader economic and social repercussions. The shutting down of schools as part of the response to COVID-19 has highlighted various social and economic problems such as digital learning, homelessness, food shortages, as well as health care, child care, the internet, housing, and the care of elderly and disabled persons. The impact has been even more severe on children with developmental disabilities and their families, since it has led to an interruption of education and to care provision difficulties, and therefore also to additional expenses for families prevented from working. As a response to the closing of schools, UNESCO has proposed the implementation of distance education programs and open educational resources and platforms which could be used by schools and teachers so as to be accessible to every student, thus limiting the interruption and disruption of teaching and education.

Wound dehiscence with continuous versus interrupted mass closure of transverse incisions in children with absorbable suture: a randomized controlled trial

IntroductionNumerous meta-analyses done on adults suggest superiority of continuous mass closure technique, but any such study does not exist for the pediatric age group. The results in adults cannot be...

Chemical composition and health risk indices associated with size-resolved particulate matter in Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, China.

Size-resolved particulate matter (PM) was collected at the Heshan Super-Station in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, China, to evaluate their chemical characteristics and potential health risks. The chemical mass closures illustrate that the dominant fraction in coarse (2.5μm < Dp < 10μm) PM was dust, while organic matter made up a substantial portion of both fine (0.1 < Dp < 2.5μm) and ultra-fine (Dp < 0.10μm) PM fractions. The size distribution of most PM components varied substantially. PM, NO3-, K+, Cl-, Na+ and most of the transition/redox metals displayed bimodal size distributions with the dominant peak at 0.32-0.56μm plus a small peak at 1.8-3.2μm. In contrast, unimodal size distributions were found for the rest of the species, such as water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), NH4+, and SO42- and the majority of oxyanion metals with a single peak at 0.32-0.56μm, and Mg2+, Ca2+, and dust tracer elements which mainly accumulated in coarse particles. Based on the crustal enrichment factor (CEF) analysis, Cd, Zn, Sb, Sn, As, Pb, Mo, Cu, and Cr primarily originated from anthropogenic activities, while Ti in all size fractions and Sr, Mg, Na, and Fe in fine and ultra-fine particles were mainly emitted from natural sources. The potential health risk assessment of trace metals was performed using the hazard quotient (HQ) and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) indices. Although the adverse health effects of most metals were limited, significant potential carcinogenic risks were found for As and Cr in both fine and coarse particle size fractions, which contributed more than 95% of total ELCR. Therefore, considering that these two elements were mainly emitted from industrial processes, improvements in air quality and health risks in the PRD region can be largely achieved by reducing the emissions of local industrial sources.

Compensating for the socioeconomic costs of catchment protection: The case of China’s South-North Water Transfer

China’s government has launched a number of policies over recent years to tackle the country’s worsening water pollution crisis. Implementation of pollution control policies can have deleterious effects on the livelihoods of upstream communities, often poorer and less resilient to change than downstream beneficiaries. The distinctive Chinese concept of ‘ecological compensation’ – a blend of payments for ecosystem services and the polluter pays principle – has been developed to enable compensation for the direct and indirect costs associated with pollution reduction. This paper examines the distribution of indirect socioeconomic costs associated with protecting the Danjiangkou reservoir catchment, which provides water for 50 million people – mostly, city dwellers – in North China via the South-North Water Transfer (Middle Route). Mass closures of turmeric processing plants and a ban on cage aquaculture in the catchment have generated considerable indirect costs for individuals, communities and local upstream governments.

Mapping and quantifying isomer sets of hydrocarbons ( ≥ C12) in diesel exhaust, lubricating oil and diesel fuel samples using GC × GC-ToF-MS

Abstract. Airborne particles and vapours, like many other environmental samples including water, soils and sediments, contain complex mixtures of hydrocarbons, often deriving from crude oil either before or after fractionation into fuels, lubricants and feedstocks. Comprehensive 2D gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-ToF-MS), offers a very powerful technique that separates and identifies many compounds in complicated hydrocarbon mixtures. However, quantification and identification of individual constituents at high ionization energies would require hundreds of expensive (when available) standards for calibration. Although the precise chemical structure of hydrocarbons does matter for their environmental impact and fate, strong similarities can be expected for compounds having very similar chemical structures and carbon numbers. There is, therefore, a clear benefit in an analytical technique which is specific enough to separate different classes of compounds and to distinguish homologous series while avoiding the need to handle each isomer individually. Varying EI (electron impact) ionization mass spectrometry significantly enhances the identification of individual isomers and homologous compound groups, which we refer to as “isomer sets”. Advances are reported in mapping and quantifying isomer sets of hydrocarbons (≥ C12) in diesel fuel, lubricating oil and diesel exhaust emissions. By using this analysis we report mass closures of ca. 90 and 75 % for diesel fuel and lubricating oil, and identify 85 and 75 % of the total ion current for gas- and particulate-phase diesel exhaust emissions.