Adapting to Crisis: A Binational Study on the Impact of Flexibility on Latent Profiles of Coping with COVID-19

Introduction. The high level of uncertainty brought by the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the general population’s well-being and ability to cope with daily challenges. Studies indicate that flexibility, defined as the ability to employ and adapt a variety of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral strategies in accordance with changing contextual demands, may significantly contribute to coping with long-term stressors such as COVID-19. Objectives. We aimed to investigate which facets of flexibility predict different latent coping profiles in Israel and Germany. Methods. 2330 Israelis and 743 Germans completed online questionnaires measuring cognitive, emotional and trauma-related regulatory flexibility, and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral coping with COVID-19. Results. Analyses revealed three distinct coping profiles in each country (high, medium and low). These profiles differed in both anxiety and depression symptoms with the low coping group experiencing clinically relevant symptoms both in Israel and in Germany. Additionally, cognitive flexibility and trauma-related regulatory flexibility, but not emotion regulatory flexibility, emerged as significant predictors of coping in both countries. Conclusions. Training cognitive and trauma-related regulatory flexibility may help individuals to better cope with psychosocial stressors such as COVID-19. Such trainings could be selectively administered to less flexible subpopulations, as well as adapted to the specific population characteristics.

The influence of fashion blogger credibility, engagement and homophily on intentions to buy and e-WOM. Results of a binational study

PurposeThe study aims to contribute to the knowledge on the role of the fashion bloggers in the product adoption process in both advanced and emerging markets. Specifically, the study investigates the impact of credibility, engagement and homophily on intentions to buy fashion products recommended by the blogger.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical research builds on an online survey with a sample of 402 consumers (189 Italian and 213 Taiwanese). The proposed model was tested through structural equation modeling.FindingsResults showed that homophily and the fashion blogger credibility positively influenced the engagement within the blog. Moreover, perceived similarity with the other blog's followers (homophily) and a higher engagement with the blog both translated in a stronger intention to buy the sponsored products and to spread a positive word-of-mouth about the fashion blogger.Practical implicationsThe study has practical implications since it identifies strategic suggestions for both companies that create partnerships with famous fashion bloggers and bloggers who have turned their diary-style websites into a business.Originality/valueThe study contributes to a better understanding of the influence exerted by blog engagement on intentions to follow blogger's recommendations. The study also examines credibility and homophily as antecedents of engagement, which have not been extensively researched in the past with respect to blogs.

SARS-CoV-2 detection in the lower respiratory tract of invasively ventilated ARDS patients

Background Data on SARS-CoV-2 load in lower respiratory tract (LRT) are scarce. Our objectives were to describe the viral shedding and the viral load in LRT and to determine their association with mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Methods We conducted a binational study merging prospectively collected data from two COVID-19 reference centers in France and Switzerland. First, we described the viral shedding duration (i.e., time to negativity) in LRT samples. Second, we analyzed viral load in LRT samples. Third, we assessed the association between viral presence in LRT and mortality using mixed-effect logistic models for clustered data adjusting for the time between symptoms’ onset and date of sampling. Results From March to May 2020, 267 LRT samples were performed in 90 patients from both centers. The median time to negativity was 29 (IQR 23; 34) days. Prolonged viral shedding was not associated with age, gender, cardiac comorbidities, diabetes, immunosuppression, corticosteroids use, or antiviral therapy. The LRT viral load tended to be higher in non-survivors. This difference was statistically significant after adjusting for the time interval between onset of symptoms and date of sampling (OR 3.78, 95% CI 1.13–12.64, p = 0.03). Conclusions The viral shedding in LRT lasted almost 30 days in median in critically ill patients, and the viral load in the LRT was associated with the 6-week mortality.

La Dimensión Conceptual del Conocimiento en Educación Física: Un estudio Binacional (Conceptual Dimension of Knowledge in Physical Education: A Binational Study)

La dimensión conceptual del conocimiento, es entendida como el “saber qué”, habitualmente comunicado o enseñando desde las diferentes asignaturas escolares, excepto en educación física. El objetivo de la presente investigación es comprender el conocimiento en educación física desde su dimensión conceptual que manifiestan los estudiantes de Chile y Colombia y establecer las diferencias que existen en las variables sexo, país y edad. El estudio fue metodológicamente de corte descriptivo transversal de medición única. Para este propósito se construyó y validó un instrumento de acuerdo a los planes de estudio de la disciplina. Los resultados indican que solo el 21.3% en el caso de Chile y un 9.5% en Colombia en las respectivas muestras, logran superar la puntuación media del cuestionario (16 puntos). Estos resultados evidencian el bajo bagaje cultural frente a la disciplina en los estudiantes de Chile y Colombia. Abstract. The conceptual dimension of knowledge is understood as the "knowing what", usually communicating or teaching from different school disciplines, except in physical education. The objective of the present investigation is to understand the knowledge in physical education from its conceptual dimension expressed by the students of Chile and Colombia and to establish the differences that exist in the variables (gender, country, and age). The study was methodologically descriptive and cross sectional using a single measurement. For this purpose, a psychometric instrument was created and validated. The results indicate that only 21.3% in the case of Chile and 9.5% in Colombia managed to surpass the average score of the questionnaire (16 points). These results demonstrate a low culture of conceptual knowledge that the students of Chile and Colombia have.