The Dissonance Tourist Demand Prices. The Evolution of Romanian Tourist Packages to Turkey and Egypt Destination, During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The travel industry and tourism can rightly be considered the most affected branches of the global economy in the COVID-19 era, the tourism market registering the sharpest post-war decline with significant disruptions to the supply-demand ratio. An analysis of the tourist offers promoted by two of the most prolific tour operators in Romania states a strategic endurance approach based on psychological prices easily predictable, but focused on regaining a large segment of Romanian tourists who before 2020 practiced outgoing tourism . Turkey and Egypt are considered the destinations of the pandemic moment, the most appreciated in a state of continuous uncertainty, insecurity and reluctance to travel. During the years 2019-2020, the price offers of the Romanian tour operators did not register major changes, even if the outgoing tourist packages experienced, in full pandemic, conjunctural oscillations with reasonable decreases of prices followed, in some places, by price increases meant to suggest an intensification of tourist consumption with the lifting of the lockdown in various countries and the announcement of the first measures of social relaxation. The measures regarding the vaccination and the immunization of the population determined the Romanian tourists to react positively to the inner, urgent desire to travel regardless of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the temporary restrictions determined by it.

Changing from mandatory to optional genotyping results in higher acceptance of pharmacist-guided warfarin dosing

Aim: We evaluated the clinical acceptance and feasibility of a pharmacist-guided personalized consult service following its transition from a mandatory (mPGx) to optional (oPGx) CYP2C9/ VKORC1/ CYP4F2 genotyping for warfarin. Methods: A total of 1105 patients were included. Clinical acceptance and feasibility outcomes were analyzed using bivariate and multivariable analyses. Results: After transitioning to optional genotyping, genotype testing was still ordered in a large segment of the eligible population (52.1%). Physician acceptance of pharmacist-recommended doses improved from 83.9% (mPGx) to 86.6% (oPGx; OR: 1.3; 95% CI: 1.1–1.5; p = 0.01) with a shorter median genotype result turnaround time (oPGX: 23.6 hr vs mPGX: 25.1 hr ; p < 0.01). Conclusion: Ordering of genotype testing and provider acceptance of dosing recommendations remained high after transitioning to optional genotyping.

Salutogenesis and the Sense of Coherence in Middle Adulthood

In this chapter, the authors focus on the transition from middle to late adulthood. The questions of when and how past transitions affect subsequent ageing is discussed. Whilst middle age was long considered undramatic, the authors state that it is increasingly gaining profile. They focus on a phase typically observed in the sixth decade of life, characterized by the initiation of the transition to de-professionalization and change of responsibilities within the family when crisis and chronic situations can lead to the need for help from health professionals.The authors deliberate on how a dialogue between middle-aged adults and professionals can contribute positively to the naming, modification, design and further development of health goals, linking physiological and unconscious processes to the theory of salutogenesis.Notably, the authors frame illness processes from the perspective of salutogenic resources, also discussing the benefits of crises experienced in middle adulthood.The authors’ novel ideas about a salutogenic perspective on life in middle adulthood will inspire researchers and practitioners to a more innovative approach to this large segment of society.

Militaries in Sahelian Politics

The chapter analyses the trajectories of military rule across the francophone Sahel. It distinguishes between three clusters of countries. Senegal constitutes one extreme on the civil–military spectrum as it has enjoyed continuous civilian rule. Mauritania and Chad, where military rulers have remained part of the ruling elites since the 1970s, constitute the other extreme. Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali are located somewhere in between. Although the Burkinabè armed forces for a long time acted as a pillar of autocratic rule, a large segment of the military eventually helped pave the way for democratization. In Niger and Mali military rule ended with the liberalization of Africa’s political sphere in the early 1990s. Both militaries have again intervened in politics through coups, yet each intervention has proven short-lived. There remains, however, a visible faction that wishes to return to military rule within the armed forces in every Sahelian country.

Misokinesia is a sensitivity to seeing others fidget that is prevalent in the general population

Misokinesia––or the ‘hatred of movements’––is a psychological phenomenon that is defined by a strong negative affective or emotional response to the sight of someone else’s small and repetitive movements, such as seeing someone fidget with a hand or foot. Among those who regularly experience misokinesia sensitivity, there is a growing grass-roots recognition of the challenges that it presents as evidenced by on-line support groups. Yet surprisingly, scientific research on the topic is lacking. This article is novel in systematically examining whether misokinesia sensitivity actually exists in the general population, and if so, whether there is individual variability in the intensity or extent of what sensitivities are reported. Across three studies that included 4100 participants, we confirmed the existence of misokinesia sensitivity in both student and non-student populations, with approximately one-third of our participants self-reporting some degree of sensitivity to seeing the repetitive, fidgeting behaviors of others as encountered in their daily lives. Moreover, individual variability in the range and intensity of sensitivities reported suggest that the negative social-affective impacts associated with misokinesia sensitivities may grow with age. Our findings thus confirm that a large segment of the general population may have a visual-social sensitivity that has received little formal recognition.

Datta Bhagat’s Routes and Escape Routes and Vijay Tendulkar’s Kanyadaan: Critiquing the Dalit

This article seeks to understand Indian theatre’s take on Dalit politics of our time through a critical reading of two post-independence plays—Datta Bhagat’s Routes and Escape Routes and Vijay Tendulkar’s Kanyadaan. Politically, ‘Dalit’ becomes important only after 1947 in post-independence and post-colonial India or more specifically from the 1970s. In the post-Ambedkar phase of Dalit re/configuration, they begin to self-assert through politics, art, and literature, most effectively and convincingly, only with the rise of Dalit Panthers and in the aftermath of the implementation of Mandal Commission’s recommendation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation. The article tries to examine the fresh critique of the Dalit vis-à-vis the upper caste-centric society, undertaken in this crucial context of reconfiguration and from beyond any traditional parameter of understanding, and map, through the plays, the plurality hidden within the perceived monolith of Dalit consciousness. Consequently, Dalit experiences against the backdrop of their struggle are laid bare, and unfamiliar realities come out to upset our comfortable knowledge about this large segment of Indian society.

COVID-19, Social Media, and the Role of the Public Physician

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an avalanche of information, much of it false or misleading. Social media posts with misleading or dangerous opinions and analyses are often amplified by celebrities and social media influencers; these posts have contributed substantially to this avalanche of information. An emerging force in this information infodemic is public physicians, doctors who view a public presence as a large segment of their mission. These physicians bring authority and real-world experience to the COVID-19 discussion. To investigate the role of public physicians, we interviewed a convenience cohort of physicians who have played a role in the infodemic. We asked the physicians about how their roles have changed, how their audience has changed, what role politics plays, and how they address misinformation. The physicians noted increased audience size with an increased focus on the pandemic. Most avoided confronting politics, but others found it unavoidable or that even if they tried to avoide it, it would be brought up by their audience. The physicians felt that confronting and correcting misinformation was a core part of their mission. Public physicians on social media are a new occurrence and are an important part of fighting online misinformation.

Design of a Prosthetic Ankle Complex

Nature has, over a large span of geological time, engineered near perfect solutions to most problems humans face today. Motion of the limbs is one such area, and the cutting edge in the development of effective prostheses is biomimetics. Limb prostheses have been used by mankind for the better part of known history, and most of the technology currently available in prosthetics is not exclusively new. However, modern prosthetics either are uncomfortable—and the lack of flexion affects the gait of the patient—or too expensive for a large segment of the populace. This chapter seeks to study the mimicry of physiological systems through the design for an ankle prosthesis that includes a passive damper and mimics the shape and behavior of the natural ankle joint.

CSR as a Stakeholder to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Corporates around the world have engaged themselves in a wide range of philanthropic and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to protect their employees, support communities, and maintain trust in society during the COVID-19 pandemic. This chapter highlights the CSR initiatives by 20 major companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The contributions relate to technology solutions, support to education and healthcare, support to government initiatives, and support to own employees and customers, etc. Providing free tools for collaboration and the development of chatbots are some innovative solutions that have affected a large segment of the people. Along with this, traditional methods of support like eradication of hunger, healthcare, education, and disaster management have remained a focus for a number of corporates across the globe. The chapter analyses the prominent initiatives and their contribution to society during a pandemic and discusses their sustainability perspective.

Commissioned educational and scientific works as a freelance activity: socio-economic aspects

Nowadays, a large segment of shadow economy is related to educational and scientific works to order. It is characterized by significant demand. Special types of social and economic entities, their practices and interactions are formed in the structure of this market. However, meaningful characteristics of such employment are virtually unexplored. It can be noted that the place of this employment in the general context of freelance is not sufficiently studied. Its professional structure, its specifics and financial and economic characteristics, as well as social values and attitudes of performers of commissioned works, are not sufficiently studied. This paper is aimed at filling these gaps. The purpose of the paper is a socio-economic analysis of employment in preparing commissioned educational and scientific works. The results of the author’s sociological study (an expert survey of work performers, N = 48), as well as statistical and secondary sociological data are given. Social and economic parameters of preparing commissioned educational and scientific works are considered. An analysis of economic characteristics of commissioned educational and scientific works was carried out; a typology of motivations of this employment is given. The author concludes that preparation of commissioned works has social and economic attractiveness for performers in the general context of informal employment. Mechanisms for professionalization and continuation of this activity are being formed, which has an impact on market and educational institutions.