post-COVID World Research Articles

Political identity as a driver of hunter responses to chronic wasting disease in a post-COVID world

ABSTRACT Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has emerged as a wildlife management challenge. Human dimensions of CWD management are critical because hunters impact disease transmission and influence management viability. We expanded recent research by evaluating how political identity contributed to perceived risk, concern, intended behavior, and management preferences for CWD among deer hunters in North Carolina and South Carolina (n = 1430) during 2022. Political identity was among the most influential predictors of responses to CWD. Compared to moderates and liberals, conservative hunters reported lower risk perceptions, lower concern about risk to themselves and people that they know, greater likelihoods of hunting in an area with detections, and lower acceptances of management actions to limit the spread of CWD. To garner support for management, CWD communications may need to emphasize the necessity of agency intervention or the disease’s low risk toward human health, depending on the political identity of the audience receiving the information.

Key Transfer Pricing Issues Arising from Remote Working and Employee Mobility in a Post-Covid World

Key Transfer Pricing Issues Arising from Remote Working and Employee Mobility in a Post-Covid World

A-287 Mycoplasma pneumoniae outbreak in 2023: Post pandemic resurgence of an atypical bacterial pathogen

Abstract Background Mycoplasma pnuemoniae is an atypical fastidious bacteria known to cause respiratory infections of both upper and lower tract, with a wide range of clinical presentations. M. pnuemoniae is one of the major causes of community acquired pneumonias worldwide. Almost all of the M pnuemoniae outbreak incidences have been reported in closed- community or congregate settings, such as schools, universities and colleges, and hospitals and long-term care facilities. Since the clinical symptoms of M pneumoniae overlap with other pneumonia causing pathogens, detection via multiplex PCR remains paramount for accurate and timely diagnosis to curb the infection spread. In the present study we demonstrate an unexpected increase in the detection of M. pneumoniae in the outpatient population, during 2023, as compared to the previous two years. In addition, a detailed analysis of the ICD10 diagnostic codes associated with the outbreak is also presented. Methods Respiratory samples (oropharyngeal, nasopharyngeal, sputum and EBL) summited to the HealthTrackRX laboratories were tested for the presence of M. pneumoniae and other respiratory bacterial and viral pathogens using the nanofluidic OpenArray qPCR platform (ThermoFisher, California, USA). Patient data was analyzed on the basis of age, gender and geographical location. Data was also classified in the basis of ICD10 diagnostic codes associated with the patient samples. All statistical analysis was performed using R version 3.6.0 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing). Results A total of 541,267 samples were submitted for testing at the HealthTrackRX facilities between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2023. Only 13 samples tested positive for M. pneumoniae between 2021 (0.004%, n =3/61,498) and 2022 (0.006%, n = 10/165,423). The positivity rate of M. pneumoniae in 2023 increased to 0.19% (n = 621/314,346). The highest proportion of M. pneumoniae cases were detected from Georgia (26.8%), followed by Ohio (21.7%), Texas (8.5%) and California (6.4%). Most of the outbreak appears to be concentrated in large urban settings. Median age of the patients testing positive for M. pneumoniae was 10 (interquartile range [IQR] 8-18) years. Gender classification of the positive samples showed an almost equal distribution between females (49.8%) and males (50.1%). Co-infecting pathogens detected in samples positive for M. pneumoniae were similar in proportion to the M. pneumoniae negative population. The co-detected pathogens at a statistically significant difference were lower than the negative population. Survey of the ICD-10 codes submitted in conjunction with the samples suggest that the current outbreak is mostly associated with upper respiratory tract infections. Conclusions The present study shows an unprecedented increase in the detection of M. pneumoniae in the outpatient population in the United States during 2023. Our analysis suggests that this outbreak was not associated with any other bacterial or viral respiratory pathogen but appears to be case of “immunity debt” caused by the COVID19 pandemic. The outbreak of this atypical pathogen was concentrated in the pediatric population in large urban areas. Our study highlights the importance of performing continuous surveillance of respiratory pathogens, especially in the altered epidemiological landscape of the post COVID world.

Education in Transition: Adapting and Thriving in a Post-COVID World

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted traditional education systems worldwide, prompting a rapid shift to online platforms and the emergence of innovative teaching strategies. This paper critically reviews the extensive body of research on post-COVID-19 education, focusing on the practical and feasible solutions proposed to maintain and enhance educational continuity. The review categorizes and examines studies on various approaches, including simulation-based training, project-based learning, and hybrid models, highlighting their effectiveness during and after the pandemic. Special attention is given to the role of information technology, the challenges faced by educators and students, and the importance of mental health support in the new educational landscape. The findings suggest that while digital tools such as virtual reality and 3D environments show promise, their implementation remains limited, particularly in resource-constrained settings. The study also identifies a significant gap in empirical research on these innovations in the post-pandemic era. Furthermore, the paper highlights the need for systemic changes in curriculum design, educator training, and policy development to address the long-term impacts of the pandemic on education. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, offering insights into how educational institutions can better prepare for future crises.

Students’ experiences of peer learning in an accounting research module: Discussion forums, peer review and group work

Collaborative or peer-learning strategies could enhance student engagement in management education, improve learning and help students develop workplace skills. The aim of this action research study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the peer learning (discussion forums, peer review and group work) employed in a postgraduate accounting research module. Findings from semi-structured interviews reveal that participants believed peer learning to facilitate social, cognitive, behavioural, collaborative and social engagement. Posting and reviewing comments on discussion forums developed students’ communication skills and fostered a sense of community. Participants recommended that discussion forums should include a balance of applied and theoretical questions. Peer reviews allowed students to obtain feedback on their writing prior to their work being graded, and to develop the workplace skill of giving and receiving criticism. Participants believed that group work improved their teamwork skills and collaborating online prepared them for working in a post-COVID world. While some groups valued the social and emotional engagement facilitated by in-person group work, other groups found it more efficient to interact online. The findings emphasise the usefulness of peer learning strategies in management education, and especially in research modules, to foster engagement, increase student learning and to prepare students for the workplace.

COVID futures: Social imaginaries of post-pandemic lives in Australia

Many expert commentaries predicting what life will be like in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have been published. The views of the public on post-COVID futures have received less attention. To explore these issues, this article draws on qualitative interviews conducted with Australian adults, conducted in three stages in each of the first pandemic years of 2020, 2021 and 2022. The final questions asked were: ‘What do you think your way of life will be like once the COVID crisis has passed? Will it go back to the way it was before – or be different in important ways?’. This article analyses participants’ responses to these future-facing questions across the three annual interview sets. Continuities and differences in the imaginaries of pandemic futures expressed in each of these years are identified. Findings demonstrate the value of documenting public understandings, practices and feelings concerning imaginaries of the future of crises such as the pandemic across an extended timescale. The study identified the complexity of how quotidian life, emotions and biographical experiences are entangled with broader socioeconomic, policy, infrastructural, cultural and political dimensions in people’s predictions of what a post-COVID world might be like at different stages of the pandemic.

The Road Ahead: Advancing Antifungal Vaccines and Addressing Fungal Infections in the Post-COVID World.

In impoverished nations, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a widespread occurrence of deadly fungal diseases like mucormycosis. The limited availability of effective antifungal treatments and the emergence of drug-resistant fungal strains further exacerbate the situation. Factors such as systemic steroid use, intravenous drug misuse, and overutilization of broad-spectrum antimicrobials contribute to the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections caused by drug-resistant fungi. Fungal infections exploit compromised immune status and employ intricate mechanisms to evade immune surveillance. The immune response involves the innate and adaptive immune systems, leading to phagocytic and complement-mediated elimination of fungi. However, resistance to antifungals poses a challenge, highlighting the importance of antifungal prophylaxis and therapeutic vaccination. Understanding the host-fungal immunological interactions and developing vaccines are vital in combating fungal infections. Further research is needed to address the high mortality and morbidity associated with multidrug-resistant fungal pathogens and to develop innovative treatment drugs and vaccines. This review focuses on the global epidemiological burden of fungal infections, host-fungal immunological interactions, recent advancements in vaccine development and the road ahead.

Reimaging Innovation System in the Covid and Post-Covid World

Reimaging Innovation System in the Covid and Post-Covid World

Security matters: Empowering e-commerce in Sri Lanka through customer insights

In the fast-paced, post-COVID digital world, e-commerce presents promising prospects for significant advancement. However, customers often feel uncertain due to persistent concerns about the robustness of security measures safeguarding e-commerce platforms. The primary objective of our study was to identify factors affecting the security of e-commerce platforms based on the perceptions of Sri Lankan customers. This research was conducted using data collected from Sri Lankan e-commerce users via both online and offline surveys. An ordered probit regression model was utilised, demonstrating that transaction security, privacy, vendor system security, and platform quality positively impact the perceived security of e-commerce. The e-commerce industry in Sri Lanka is expected to see growth and an increased user penetration rate. The findings of this study are anticipated to assist e-commerce business owners and policymakers in addressing critical security issues, namely vulnerabilities in transactional security, low privacy, inadequate system security, and poor e-commerce platform quality. These improvements are expected to build trust and credibility among consumers, maximising e-commerce success.

Editorial: Fostering the energy transition amidst geopolitical and climate risks in a post-COVID world

Editorial: Fostering the energy transition amidst geopolitical and climate risks in a post-COVID world

Actor as expert: Developing an improvisational actor training approach for social work simulations

The increased reliance on online platforms such as Zoom and Teams for skills training for allied health specialists has presented new challenges for the actor and the actor trainer. The research reported in this article grew out of a project set up to investigate these challenges. Since 2021, members of the Deakin University Theatre Department have been collaborating with the charity Anglicare Victoria to deliver online training for Rapid Response social workers who work with families in danger of having their children removed. This has involved recruiting and training actors to act as family members in relevant scenarios in ‘real play’ online simulations so the Anglicare Rapid Response trainee can develop essential skills. Within a practice-led research approach, we ask what might be required when this live embodied skillset is moved online. The article utilizes observations of the video recordings of the training sessions, recordings of debrief sessions and reflections from the author-actors to report on an emerging approach for preparing actors for this type of engagement. We reflect on the ways improvisation is impacted using the ‘online performance’ space, especially how status, eye gaze, body positioning and mise en scène can be utilized in the online environment. We also consider the importance of actor self-care. The article offers a basis of training for a field of endeavour that is becoming more prevalent in the post-COVID world: online simulation scenarios for care workers.

“A Change Is Gonna Come”: Pedagogical Shifts in a Post-COVID World

Background/Context: COVID-19 changed how students learn, the challenges they face both in and out of the classroom, and the ways they access and engage with higher education. COVID-19 also highlighted inequalities in higher education. In response, faculty have also had to change their pedagogical approaches. Purpose/Focus of Study: This article presents ideas to address some of the challenges that COVID-19 has brought to the community college classroom. The focus of these strategies and pedagogical changes is to create a more equitable and successful environment for all students. Research Design: The author’s praxis used Paulo Freire’s 1970 work, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, as a guide to critically examine pedagogical practices and choices for sociological curriculum development at a medium-sized, urban, Hispanic-serving community college. Changes were evaluated through final grade analysis and student feedback. Findings: Ten changes were implemented: making the course mobile phone/tablet accessible, incorporating audio transcripts for all, using additional video formats, engaging families/children, addressing student anxieties, incorporating more assignment choices, using Open Educational Resources for reduced costs, allowing more flexibility in assignments, extending submission times, and varying course length. These changes have reduced barriers, decreased student anxiety, and increased student success. Conclusions: The pedagogical changes made seemed to help students be more successful in their courses.

International trends in the implementation of assessment for learning revisited: Implications for policy and practice in a post-COVID world

This paper discusses the evolution of assessment for learning (AfL) across the globe with particular attention given to Western educational jurisdictions. Scholars from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, and the United States discuss prominent assessment reforms within their respective countries over the last decade. Particular attention is given to the impact of the pandemic as well as technological developments for classroom assessment policies and practices. Ongoing tensions that exist between AfL and summative forms of assessment within national policy initiatives are also revisited in relation to the seminal version of this article published 10 years ago.

Solution Focused Team Coaching: Second Edition by Kirsten Dierolf, Cristina Mühl, Carlo Perfetto and Rafal Szaniawski

In our post-covid world there is an ever-increasing need to ensure that our group events, particularly if taking place online, are engaging and participative if we are to gain the attention and enthusiasm of our group. The tools and techniques in this book will help us to achieve this, with plenty of ideas and variety that will keep group coaching or group thinking sessions fresh and dynamic.

What sweeter music: an examination of the development and popularity of carol services in cathedrals

ABSTRACT Carol services have always been among the most popular of cathedral offerings, including with those who have little or no regular church affiliation. Their high-quality music may make them attractive to the growing numbers of ‘spiritual but not religious’, in similar ways to choral evensong; the fact that they also tell the story of human salvation through the incarnation creates an opportunity for mission which is often underestimated. The success of carol services might even stimulate questions as to whether nostalgia and tradition, paradoxically, act as drivers for mission in cathedrals. A rethinking of Benedictine identity is key to many cathedrals’ exploration of their place in a post-Covid world of rapid change: the popularity of ‘traditional’ services in a cathedral setting is one indicator of how the search for Benedictine stabilitas might become a positive rather than a backwards-looking movement in a time of uncertainty.

Riding for Focus as a Pathway to Improved Mental Health in Middle School Students

Youth mental health remains in a critical state even in a post-COVID pandemic world. Exercise is a well-regarded method to boost mental health and well-being in all age groups. The Riding 4 Focus (R4F) program is a cycling education program designed to equip students with basic cycling handling skills and introduce students to the lifetime physical activity of cycling. A secondary outcome of this program is to improve the behavioral health and well-being of adolescents in middle schools, primarily aged 10-14. The current study examined associations between participating in the R4F program and mental health and well-being in those with specific unmodifiable risk factors including gender, socioeconomic, and racial identity. Anonymous online surveys were collected from 3924 adolescent participants before the R4F program and 3289 students after the cycling program across 31 schools during the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters. Psychosocial well-being was quantified using the WHO-5 and PSC-17-Y metrics. Using non-parametric test statistics, the data shows a significant increase in the mental health and well-being of participants after the program. Further analysis revealed that participation in the R4F program was associated with improved psychological health and well-being of minority and low-income adolescents, as well as protective associations for both genders. Although these findings are encouraging, the effcacy of the program depends on a number of factors, and future studies are needed to assess causality. Outride, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, University of Redlands Summer Research Program, P20MD006988. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

A face of one’s own: The role of an online personae in a digital age and the right to control one’s own online personae in the presence of digital hacking

In the post-Covid world, our online personae have become increasingly essential mechanisms for presenting ourselves to the world. Simultaneously, new techniques for hacking online personae have become more widely available, easier to use, and more convincing. This combination, of greater reliance on online personae and easier malicious hacking, has created serious societal problems. Techniques for training users to detect false content have proved ineffective. Unfortunately, legal remedies for dealing with hacked personae have also been inadequate. Consequently, the only remaining alternative is to limit the posting of false content. In this discussion paper, we provide an overview of online personae hacking. As potential remedies, we propose to redesign search engine and social media algorithms allowing platforms to detect and restrict harmful false content and a new fundamental right for the EU Charter that would provide legal justification for platforms to protect online reputations. For those platforms that might choose not to protect online reputations, this new right would require that they do so.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae Outbreak in 2023: Post-pandemic Resurgence of an Atypical Bacterial Pathogen.

The syndromic nature of infections caused by pneumonia-causing pathogens including Mycoplasma pneumoniae necessitatesdetection via multiplex PCRfor accurate and timely diagnosis to control the infection spread. In this study, we demonstrate anincrease in the detection ofM. pneumoniaein the outpatient population, during 2023, as compared to the previous two years (2021-2022). In this aggregated survey, respiratory samplescollected within the continental United Stateswere tested for the presence ofM. pneumoniaeand other respiratory bacterial and viral pathogens using a multiplex PCR assay. Patient data was analyzed on the basis of age, gender and geographical location. The positive detection of M. pneumoniae in 2021 and 2022 was 0.004% and 0.006%, respectively. The positivity rate of M. pneumoniae in 2023 increased to 0.21%. The highest proportion ofM. pneumoniaecases were detected from Georgia with the outbreak generally concentrated in large urban settings. Median age of the patients testing positive for M. pneumoniae was 10 (interquartile range [IQR] 8-18) years with an almost equal distribution between male and female patients. Other respiratory, viral and bacterial, pathogens detected in samples positive for M. pneumoniae were similar in proportion to theM. pneumonia-negative population. A survey of the ICD-10 codes submitted in conjunction with the samples suggests that the current outbreak is mostly associated with upper respiratory tract infections. The present study is the first detailed report in the United States that shows an unprecedented increase in the detection of M. pneumoniae in the outpatient population during 2023. Our analysis suggests that this outbreak was not associated with any other bacterial or viral respiratory pathogen. The outbreak of this atypical pathogen was concentrated in the pediatric population in large urban areas. The 2023 outbreak could be a return of the cyclical M. pneumoniae outbreaks witnessed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study highlights the importance of performing continuous surveillance of respiratory pathogens, especially in the altered epidemiological landscape of the post-COVID world.

Model of Family and the Propensity to Build Sustainable Savings Attitudes in the Post-COVID World: A Case Study of Poland

This article investigates the role of the model of family and their savings as a support to growth and source of economic sustainability. The central objective of the present article was to determine the impact of the model of a family on the propensity to save money in the population of Poland. As indicated by independence tests, in most studied cases, the model of a family does not have a key role in sustainable consumption and saving behavior. The only exception are the forms of allocation of the saved capital. The study results suggest that households in Poland hold traditional views on the family model and the allocation of their savings. Decisions in everyday life are often reached together with the partner, which may attest to the growing egalitarian tendencies in Polish families. The research shows that the funds saved monthly by households are not planned in advance but constitute a financial surplus after all the expenses have been paid, which is then set aside as a reserve for the future. Partners usually prefer to have separate bank accounts with funds for day-to-day spending. However, the awareness concerning the forms of allocating capital is still poor, which is confirmed by the fact that most of the financial surplus is kept in the current account. The funds saved this way are spent to satisfy current needs, such as holidays or durable goods, and cover expenses in emergencies, which may be particularly important in the context of minimizing the risk of poverty and social exclusion, which should be prevented in line with the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Beyond the classroom walls: Stakeholder experiences with remote instruction in Post RN baccalaureate nursing program during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative inquiry.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of educational campuses and the suspension of conventional classroom teaching globally and locally, and many switched overnight to an online modality. The change was experienced differently by varied audiences, given the availability of resources. The study aimed to examine stakeholders' experiences of emergency remote instructions in the Post-RN Baccalaureate Nursing Program during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative descriptive exploratory design with a purposive sampling technique was used at a private nursing university in Karachi, Pakistan. Focus group discussions with students and faculty were conducted separately, while in-depth interviews with key informants were held using semi-structured interview guides. The focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were recorded electronically and transcribed and translated, coded, and analysed manually. Findings uncovered two major themes. (a) Remote teaching and learning-a paradigm shift; and (b) Remote learning ecosystem-a challenging team sport. The first theme denotes a major shift in pedagogical approach migrating from blended learning model to a complete online modality. Theme two uncovers the efforts and teamwork of the various stakeholders who assisted in mitigating the challenges collaboratively when migrating to virtual learning environment. Findings suggest that to continue to thrive in the post-COVID world, faculty, students, and key informants must collegially enhance the teaching, learning, and assessment strategies and student-teacher interaction, capitalising on evidence-based practices, trial and error, multi-level support mechanisms, and partnerships. The study recommends building resilience in instructional and administrative infrastructure to prepare for future events like pandemics and suggests development of evidence-informed blended and online nursing programmes in the region.