Could COVID-19 Boost Greece’s Village Revival?

In the last decades, Greek villages, especially in mountainous and remote areas, are gradually depopulated and suffer from youth out-migration, school closures and unemployment. During this COVID-19 outbreak, there is an increasing trend of villages as destinations for domestic tourism for short holidays or longer stays. At the same time, this pandemic leads to a significant increase of remote working practices. This article explores the prospect for the revival of traditional villages via an Albergo Diffuso (AD) model with adjustments for both visitors and temporary distance-working residents. We analyze the AD concept as it has been employed in Italy, make minor adjustments to it, and investigate the applicability of such a model in order to overturn the current depopulation of rural and mountain villages in Greece and improve the wellbeing of the local communities. To this end, we present a comprehensive SWOT analysis and discuss the findings. Our approach lays the groundwork for further research that is required to successfully implement AD in mountainous villages.

Kaugõppe kujutamine COVID-19 pandeemia esimese laine meemides: huumor kui toimetulekuviis ja enesekaitsestrateegia

Restrictions and special measures were imposed around the world to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, one of the most important of which was certainly the reorganization of learning and work as a home-based activity. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools in Estonia remained closed from 16 March 2020 until the end of the schoolyear; further periods of countrywide distance learning were imposed also throughout the 2020/2021 schoolyear. The new way of life that accompanied the special situation was also reflected in widespread folklore, including internet memes. Defining memes as “(post)modern folklore” that expresses and shapes shared norms and values within communities, my article analyses the depiction of distance learning in Estonian memes, highlighting different points of view: the position of the students, the teachers, and the parents. The source data comes from the meme collection of the research archive of the Department of Folkloristics of the Estonian Literary Museum, which consists of more than 2,000 meme units collected during the crisis period. Some data were collected separately, for example, Tartu Variku School organized a meme competition “My distance learning” for the students of Tartu schools in April 2020 (541 memes). The comparative global collection (12,000 units) comes from the international project of corona folklore and -humour research “Humour during the global corona crisis” led by Giselinde Kuipers (Leuven Catholic University) and Mark Boukes (Amsterdam University); the project involves researchers from more than 30 countries. The study addresses the following questions: What local features emerge in distance learning memes that spread during the pandemic? How have students used other cultural resources in these memes (e.g. pop culture elements known from literature, cinema, music and other important cultural texts)? Whether and how these memes express, for example, family relationships (between children/youngsters and parents), school relationships (between students and teachers), what patterns of distance working are prevalent, etc. The meme material which has been inspired by distance learning is a fascinating contemporary subject that combines the challenging COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning as a characteristic feature of this period. Students who are the main creators of the memes regard the humorous memes about distance learning as a form of communication which offers an alternative and multifaceted perspective on this important method of learning during lockdown. The Estonian material is largely based on internationally known universal meme templates that have been adapted to the local language and cultural space. When investigating the social networks and universal motifs reflected in the memes, it is important to rely on the qualitative content analysis. It is worth noting that the subject of COVID-19 and the pandemic period are rarely explicitly mentioned in the memes. The egocentric or student-centred perspective that is characteristic of this specific material highlights the general attitudes and shared patterns that are based on opposition, which is typical of youth culture. The common pairs of opposition are me/classmates, student/teacher, and student/parent. The stereotypical roles reflected in the memes can be analysed figuratively via the ambivalent trickster figure, known from earlier folklore studies. Students are shown as cunning go-getters who use memes to discuss uncomfortable issues, mishaps, and problems. Stereotypically, the image of a teacher, but also that of a parent, is that of an authoritarian supervisor, a grade giver from the students’ perspective. This makes memes a highly important channel for schoolchildren to make their voice heard, either consciously or subconsciously. In the future, the material could be investigated in even greater detail from the aspect of youth language use and emotions, the interdisciplinary aspect, etc.

Recent Trends and Challenges in Human Resource Management

This paper analyses the various challenges and the most recent trends that have evolved in the Human Resource department in the past few years. The functionality of HR managers shifted from recruitment process to a whole new significant role, which includes recruiting, selecting, retaining, training of employees. Along with this a HR manager is supposed to deal with motivation, welfare, perks, remuneration, infringements, and incentives of employees. This paradigm shift can be attributed to globalization that brought goals to be achieved by the HR department. The changes in HR department are phenomenal and the outlook of HRM has drastically changed. Personnel department to HRM, limited role of an HR executive to a varied role of HR executive, a limited scope of HRM to multidimensional scope of HRM there has been a sea change in the approach in the recent past. One more factor that revolutionized the HR department is technology which brought a positive impact. This radical change due to technology in HR department includes outsourcing, long-distance working model, overseas recruitment, flexible timing, and work from home option and so on. Globalization changed the scope of HRM and technology changed the functionality and approach of HRM. Because of the influence of globalization and technology HR department had to adapt to the changing times and so the scope of HRM has increased.

Analysis of the tutors’ activity for creating a platform for distance tutoring

Today, in connection with the informatization of society, all spheres of life are adapting to distance working conditions. Tutors, like many other teachers, need to adapt to the new lesson format. The article examines how the services of tutors in various subjects via the Internet are provided, what software and educational resources are used to prepare and conduct distance learning, are there any significant differences from the point of view of the tutor in the distance and face-to-face training format. The preferences of tutors regarding the functionality of the system are given, which will be a tool for conducting individual lessons on the Internet. The research was carried out using an empirical method — through a survey. To participate in it were invited tutors who are already teaching online or have taught before, as well as those who are just starting to engage in online tutoring. The results of this research are presented in an article with analytical comments. A detailed description of the tutor’s activities in the process of conducting distance learning is given. As a result, it was concluded that a system for conducting distance lessons is a necessity for a modern teacher engaged in tutoring. The article presents the necessary functional minimum of such a system.

Digitalisation in times of COVID-19 - the behavioural shifts in enterprises and individuals in the Sector of Bioeconomy

Although our daily life within a modern society is unimaginable without the use of information and communication technologies (ICT), the COVID-19 crisis really highlighted the ways we can maximise the use of digital technologies in optimising our work in distance working conditions with limited ability to contact each other physically, make direct sales and ensure the physical document rotation. All these limitations have pushed the governmental organisations, enterprises, and households to utilize numerous means of digital services and digital transformation aspects that had been started to be used, but the last year has rapidly pushed forward such aspects of digitalisation as digital sales, distance work using co-working platforms and cloud storage, electronic signature of documents and others. This study aims to assess the trends in online sales and use of e-tools from the perspective of enterprises and individuals in Europe in the sector of bioeconomy with the focus of the Baltic States and Latvia that could be used to strengthen the digitalisation component during and post COVID-19. In this paper, the authors have reviewed the scientific literature, policy planning documents, analysed relevant statistical data, performed statistical analysis, and estimated the tendency of the use of eSignatures in Latvia by applying the Holt's two-parameter model of exponential smoothing. The main results indicate a significant increase in motivation towards digitalisation that has increased rapidly in line with the necessity for an online shopping and distance work setting. Authors suggest supporting this tendency also in the after-COVID life, which would have a great impact on the overall digital transformation and potential to unlock new markets for bio-based products.

A Case Study on Development of Water-flow Fractured Zone During Close-Distance Repeated Coal Mining

The upper and lower seam of seam No.3 of some coal mines in Shandong Province are in close proximity which can be regards as close-distance coal seam mining.This paper takes the close-distance working face of Fucun coal mine as engineering background and mainly focuses on the investigation and research on inaccuracy of the forecasting and incompetence of the developing principles of water-flow fractured zone(WFFZ)during close-distance coal seam group mining.First,calculations on the height of WEEZ by adopting empirical formula.And FLAC3D software was established to calculate the height of the overburden WFFZ after repeated mining of the upper and lower seam of seam No.3.At the same time,using the double-ended water plugging observation technology of downhole drilling and upward hole drilling by analyzing the water injection loss ratio of the reference hole and the post-mining hole,the accurate numerical values of the WFFZ and the ratio of WFFZ height to mining height(W-M ratio)are obtained.The comparative analysis shows that the numerical simulation results are close to the measured ones,and the empirical formula is not applicable to the near-distance repeated mining.Finally,the prediction model is established based on the measured height of the WFFZ of multiple working faces,which provides a scientific basis for further exploring the development law of the overlying rock in underwater coal mining and ensuring the safe mining of coal seams at close distances.

Akzeptanz von Distance Working bei Führungskräften

ZusammenfassungGeänderte Anforderungen an die Arbeitsplätze durch die globale Covid-Krise bedingen Veränderungen des Führungsstils. Losgelöst von althergebrachten Kontrollinstanzen definieren moderne Führungskräfte ihren Stil als „Digital Leader“ wesentlich umfassender und sind essenzieller Enabler, um Distance Working in Unternehmen zu etablieren. Obwohl Ressentiments gegen die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen im Distance Working bestehen, nehmen Führungskräfte gleichermaßen die Verantwortung für ihre Mitarbeiter und die Unternehmen wahr. Entsprechend ist es Ziel dieses Beitrags, die Bedenken und Herausforderungen von Führungskräften in Bezug auf Digital Leadership und Distance Working zu erheben und mittels Design Science aus dem aktuellen „State of the Field“ wissenschaftlicher Literatur verbunden mit einer beispielhaften Umsetzung ein Konzept zur Steigerung der Akzeptanz von Distance Working zu erstellen. Das entstandene Artefakt wird durch Interviews mit zehn Experten evaluiert. Technische Lösungen werden als Grundbedingung angesehen, die Vertrauenskultur deutlich stärker gelebt als dies von vorangegangen Stilen bekannt war. Führungskräfte empfinden beim Digital Leadership keinen Kontrollverlust, sie bringen den MitarbeiterInnen Vertrauen entgegen und monitoren deren Leistungen. Die Kommunikation wird um die außerdienstliche, soziale Komponente erweitert, da Führungskräfte erkennen, dass Mitarbeiterführung damit vertrauensvoller gelingen kann. Um das Unternehmen weiterhin gut am Markt positionieren und zukunftsorientiert agieren zu können, wünschen sich Führungskräfte im Gesetzgeber einen starken Verbündeten, der den Rahmen so gestaltet, dass sowohl Schutz des Mitarbeiters wie auch individuelle Lösungen gewährleistet bleiben.

Evidence for S2 flexibility by direct visualization of quantum dot–labeled myosin heads and rods within smooth muscle myosin filaments moving on actin in vitro

Myosins in muscle assemble into filaments by interactions between the C-terminal light meromyosin (LMM) subdomains of the coiled-coil rod domain. The two head domains are connected to LMM by the subfragment-2 (S2) subdomain of the rod. Our mixed kinetic model predicts that the flexibility and length of S2 that can be pulled away from the filament affects the maximum distance working heads can move a filament unimpeded by actin-attached heads. It also suggests that it should be possible to observe a head remain stationary relative to the filament backbone while bound to actin (dwell), followed immediately by a measurable jump upon detachment to regain the backbone trajectory. We tested these predictions by observing filaments moving along actin at varying ATP using TIRF microscopy. We simultaneously tracked two different color quantum dots (QDs), one attached to a regulatory light chain on the lever arm and the other attached to an LMM in the filament backbone. We identified events (dwells followed by jumps) by comparing the trajectories of the QDs. The average dwell times were consistent with known kinetics of the actomyosin system, and the distribution of the waiting time between observed events was consistent with a Poisson process and the expected ATPase rate. Geometric constraints suggest a maximum of ∼26 nm of S2 can be unzipped from the filament, presumably involving disruption in the coiled-coil S2, a result consistent with observations by others of S2 protruding from the filament in muscle. We propose that sufficient force is available from the working heads in the filament to overcome the stiffness imposed by filament-S2 interactions.

ADAPTATION OF THE SPHERE OF SERVICES OF UKRAINE TO NEW CONDITIONS FOR THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WORLD ECONOMY

Introduction. The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy is difficult to assess fully, but the changes that are taking place in various industries and business areas can not be ignored. One of the most affected sectors of the economy is the service sector. The decline trend in this area is traced from the beginning of quarantine restrictions mainly in all countries of the world. Ukraine is not an exception. Obviously, the service sector needs to be adapted to a distance form of work, but, of course, each scope of economic activity has undergone irreversible changes. Therefore, the object of research is the scope of services of Ukraine, and the subject – trends, problems and prospects for transforming the sphere of services of Ukraine as a result of the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to find new creative and innovative solutions for the transition of services in distance working in order to minimize losses during and after quarantine restrictions. Method (methodology). To study this topic, both theoretical and practical research methods were used. In particular, in the first stage, the method has been used to collect information on periodicals and other reliable sources. In the second stage – analysis, synthesis and content analysis, it helps to interpret the content of information through quantitative indicators. Further is the formation of a personal position and recommendations based on analyzed data. Results. The key results of this study are the outlining of potential threats with creative decisions to them, based on the experience of leading countries and analyzed information. The recommendations for companies and the Government to facilitate the release of the scope of services from the crisis situation were suggested.

Challenges for medical libraries in times of COVID-19: Making clinical decisions that uphold research quality

Distance working in the context of the COVID-19 crisis has engendered a new model of collaborative activity for the Library of Donostialdea Integrated Health Organisation (San Sebastián, Spain). Promoted by the Clinical Epidemiology and Research Unit, this initiative has enabled Hospital Management to respond to some of the gaps in information revealed during the pandemic. Changes in editorial policies offering open access information, the lack of peer-reviewed literature, and the spread of scientific literature through social media are some of the factors that stand out in the search for the best evidence during the COVID-19 pandemic.