Bakgrund: COVID-19 pandemin har förändrat samhället och påverkat olika företags förhållningssätt. Konsumentbeteendet har förändrats på grund av isoleringar, statliga rekommendationer och riktlinjer i försök att minska smittspridningen. Detta har påverkat livsmedelsbutiker, de har infört olika åtgärder och förändringar för att möta nya efterfrågan och krav från samhället. Det är därför intressant att studera ifall konsumentbeteenden och åtgärder orsakad av COVID-19 pandemin är bestående när rekommendationer och riktlinjer har avskaffats. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka olika konsumentbeteenden och åtgärder inom livsmedelsbranschen som har uppstått till följd av COVID-19 pandemin. Studien identifierar på vilket sätt dessa nyligen antagna beteenden och åtgärder är bestående efter pandemin.  Metod: Studien utgår från en kvalitativ forskningsmetod där semistrukturerade intervjuer medtre olika bolag har sammanställts utifrån resultatet från fem olika livsmedelsföretag. Studien har antagit en abduktiv forskningsansats med fokus på att skapa en tematisk analys.  Slutsats: Studien visar att konsumentbeteendet har förändrats som ett resultat av pandemin. Samtliga livsmedelsföretag ser numera att konsumenter köper mer produkter med längre hållbarhet. Konsumenter är numera mer strategiska i sin handling av matvaruprodukter. Ehandel har ökat som ett resultat tack vare pandemin och används mer frekvent av konsumenter. Bestående åtgärder är allt ifrån plexiglas i kassor, handdesinfektion runt om i butiker för personal och kunder. / Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed society and impacted how businesses operate regularly. Consumer behaviour has altered due to isolations and government recommendations and guidelines with the goal at reducing the spread of the virus. This has influenced how grocery stores conduct their businesses, as they have implemented various measures and changes to be able to meet the new demands and social requirements. Hence it is interesting to study whether consumer behaviours and measures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are enduring when recommendations and guidelines have been repealed. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate various consumer behaviours and measures within grocery stores that have emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to identify the extent to which these recently adopted behaviours and measures have persevered after the pandemic. Method: This study has utilised a qualitative research methodology, where semi-structured interviews with three different companies have been compiled based on the findings from five distinct grocery stores. The study has adopted an abductive research approach relying on a thematic analysis. Conclusion: Key findings present that consumer behaviour has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each grocery store now observes that consumers are purchasing more products with a longer sustainability. Consumers are now more strategic while shopping for groceries. E-commerce has increased as a result of the pandemic and is now being used more frequently by consumers. Enduring implemented measures range from plexiglass at checkouts to hand sanitizing stations for both staff and customers throughout the stores.

The diploma thesis deals with a topic related to the Covid-19 pandemic, specifically the impact on the sex business, resp. to people who move in this segment of commercial sexual services. The work aimed to analyze and describe the possible effects in the defined areas, which arose from the available studied sources (mainly foreign). The impacts were examined using qualitative methods in the areas (psychosocial and socio-economic, health, safety, change of sex business, and legalization of sex business) about those who move in this area and earn their living, family security, and benefits other liabilities (e.g., debts). The analyzed areas and the described impacts resulting from the semi-structured interviews were compared in discussion with the results of foreign research reports or with Czech sources of helping organizations, and were suggested possible ways to mitigate these impacts or may be prevented by future measures.

We study how individuals' formation of inflation expectations are affected by the stringent containment and economic support measures put in place during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Using the New York Fed Survey of Consumer Expectations (SCE) and the Oxford COVID‐19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT), we find that policies aimed at containing the pandemic lead to an increase in individuals' inflation expectations and inflation uncertainty. We also find some heterogeneity in the impact across different demographic groups.

This study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management and user services of the public libraries staff in Denton County, Texas, by understanding the challenges faced by library staff during the pandemic, adaptation strategies used, and lessons learned for future crises. The study employed quantitative methodology, utilizing a survey distributed online via email to 152 library staff. Participants were selected through a random sampling method, and 107 respondents met the criteria for the study. The findings of the study are as follows: The management issues faced by the library staff involved remote work arrangements, online services provided, the need to increase the number of digital resources available, and staff training. The most common issues staff faced were providing remote library services to the user, balancing work and personal life, and attending virtual meetings using various digital platforms. The public library staff dealt with the COVID-19 changes by increasing their hours on remote work, using digital platforms, and making remote work arrangements. Despite the challenges, most participants gained valuable and positive experiences during the pandemic. It can be said that overall, COVID-19 did have an impact on the staff. The results of this study provide valuable insights for library employees, managers, policymakers, and researchers and offer guidance for future pandemic preparedness.

During the final months of the Great War, the loss of human life was not confined to the battlefields of Western Europe. The Spanish influenza virus was rapidly spreading around the globe¸ and would ultimately leave millions dead in its wake. Some American groups, both public and private, saw the pandemic as a blessing in disguise. They interpreted the pandemic as a sign that their work, whether religious, political, commercial, or health, was more vital to the world than ever before. Influenza reinforced their existing beliefs in the rightness and necessity of their causes, and used the pandemic as a call to increase their activities. American missionaries interpreted the pandemic and its spread as a sign of the backwardness of native peoples, and they argued that the United States and Americans had an increased duty after the War and pandemic to help foreign populations with education, sanitation, and religion. For American diplomats, the pandemic was a nuisance to their work of promoting and expanding American trade. Although it devastated societies, it was not destructive to international commerce. It did, though, provide an opportunity for Americans to teach foreign peoples about better health to protect them from future diseases, and to strengthen commercial ties with the rest of the world. The U.S. Government was greatly distracted with the war effort when the epidemic hit, and refused to take it seriously. They appropriated a small amount of money to the United States Public Health Service (PHS) to deal with the epidemic. This appropriation, although small, continued a trend of the federal government becoming more involved in health efforts at the expense of states, and was used as a justification for later federal health initiatives. The PHS actively used the influenza epidemic to push for their own expansion, arguing that their success in combatting influenza showed their merit, and used it to ensure that they would maintain their power and authority after the epidemic ceased. For all of these groups, the Spanish influenza epidemic provided an opportunity for their work, and reinforced their beliefs that their efforts were needed and vital to the nation and world.

Avec l’entrée d’internet dans notre quotidien, avec les réseaux sociaux, dans un monde de plus en plus numérique et mobile, le recours à la communication par internet est indispensable dans les stratégies de communication, et particulièrement en communication de crise. Une enquête, auprès d’universités françaises, permet d’analyser, à partir de l’exemple de la grippe A, comment internet est devenu un outil majeur dans la communication des universités en situation de crise. La communication par internet est d’abord une aide. Elle permet de diffuser largement les messages d’information et de prévention. A ce titre, elle est une communication interne. Elle aide aussi l’établissement à assurer la continuité du service public d’enseignement, grâce aux outils numériques qu’il développe. Mais la communication par internet présente aussi des risques. Elle peut être brouillée, altérant ainsi les effets attendus, comme il a été constaté lors de la campagne de communication sur la vaccination. Elle peut aussi être victime d’attaques, parce que toute communication empruntant la voie internet est menacée, posant ainsi le problème de la sécurité des systèmes d’information. En cas de crise, les établissements seraient confrontés, d’une part à la nécessité de maîtriser les techniques de communication, d’autre part aux besoins liés à l’utilisation des outils numériques ; mais aussi aux risques pesant sur les systèmes d’information. Prévoir, dans la mesure du possible, la survenance de problèmes qui pourraient se poser en cas de crise, est nécessaire. En se préparant à l’avance à la gestion de crise, grâce notamment à la mutualisation des moyens et à une prise de conscience des risques, les universités pourraient mieux maîtriser ces difficultés. / Internet communication is now generally acknowledged as indispensable in communication strategies, and particularly in crisis communication. A survey of French universities makes it possible to analyze, through the example of the H1N1 flu pandemic, how the Internet became a major tool for the communication of universities in a crisis. At the internal level, Internet communication appears as a reliable resource, allowing the diffusion of informative and preventive messages. It also helps the institution to ensure the continuity of public educational services through digital tools. But Internet communication also involves risks. Messages can be blurred, thus altering their expected effects, as became clear during the communication campaign on immunization. Messages can also be the victim of attacks, because any communication via the Internet channel may be threatened in various ways. This poses the problem of the security of information systems. In sum, institutions in crisis must face not only the necessity to master digital techniques of communication, and to comply with the requirements inherent in the use of digital tools, but also to manage risks that are specific to digital information systems. Anticipating, so far as is possible, the occurrence of problems that might arise in a crisis is essential. By preparing to cope with crises, including through the pooling of resources and the awareness of risks, universities may better control these difficulties. The study of this crisis reveals not only the pertinent issues, but also how such preparation might be most effectively undertaken.

A knowledge about infectious diseases and vaccination is very important in this time. The questionnaire, which is part of this thesis, is designated for 1st to 4th grade high school students and the upper grade grammar school pupils. The questionnaire was used to analyse pupils' knowledge and attitudes about infectious diseases and vaccination. Pupils' knowledge and attitudes are quite good and students are able to voice their opinion. Females have better knowledge than males and older students are better too. The thesis is further focusing on how are the infectious diseases included in the National Curriculum and examine the prevention programmes for schools. The other purpose is to follow up the threat of pandemic diseases and present state of knowledge and awareness about this topic.

Fin avril 2009, des cas de grippe causés par un nouveau virus grippal A/H1N1 d’origine porcine sont confirmés au Mexique et aux Etats-Unis. Rapidement, le virus est détecté aux quatre coins du globe causant la première pandémie du XXIème siècle. Les différents travaux présentés dans cette thèse retracent les moyens mis en œuvre pour obtenir des informations permettant d’estimer le taux d’attaque réel de ce nouveau virus et des informations sur les populations à risque. Durant les premiers mois, nous avons mis en place une plateforme de sérologies comprenant un laboratoire de réception et de traitement des échantillons pour l’exécution de notre technique d’IHA. Le traitement d’environ 40.000 sérums provenant de plusieurs endroits du globe : France, Bolivie, Djibouti, Mali, île de la Réunion et Laos a permis l’analyse de données sérologiques et leur comparaison. Nos études sérologiques de la grippe A(H1N1)pdm09 montrent que 10% à 40% des populations testées ont été infectées par ce nouveau virus après la première vague de 2009. Les plus forts taux d’attaque ont été observés chez les enfants et les jeunes adultes alors que les personnes âgées ont été relativement épargnées du fait qu’elles étaient déjà protégées contre des virus antigéniquements proches qui circulaient avant 1957 (virus pandémique et/ou saisonniers). L’analyse des données sérologiques ont également permis de tenter de définir les facteurs de risque à l’infection de A(H1N1)pdm09. / In late April 2009, news swine-origin A/H1N1 influenza virus cases were confirmed in Mexico and the United States. Quickly, it was spread worldwide causing the first flu pandemic of the 21st century. Different works presented in this thesis describe the means used to obtain information to estimate the actual attack rate of this new virus, and information on risk populations. During the first months, we have established a serology platform including a reception-processing samples laboratory for implementing our hémagglutination Inhibition technique (IHA). Processing of 40,000 sera from several parts of the world: France, Bolivia, Djibouti, Mali, Reunion and Laos, has allowed the analysis of serological data and their comparison. Our serological studies of influenza A(H1N1) pdm09 show that 10% to 40% of people tested were infected with this new virus after the first wave in 2009. The highest attack rates were observed in children and young adults, while the elderly were relatively spared because they were already protected again antigenic close viruses that circulated before 1957 (pandemic and / or seasonal). The analysis of serological data were also used to try to identify the risk factors for A(H1N1)pdm09 infection. It appears that infection with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was ubiquitous on the French territory, whatever the socio-demographic factors, and the Flu virus transmission can probably conditioned by the environmental and hygienic conditions in household.

The motivation to avoid punishment, or to pursue reward can result in certain behavioral tendencies. It is known that individuals with higher sensitivity towards reward can express traits of extrovertedness, openness to novel situations, and a general appetite for feeling good. Individuals on the other side of the spectrum tend to show a pessimistic attitude towards approaching novel situations. As a consequence, individuals with a higher tendency of approaching novel situations ought to find themselves in risky situations more frequently than individuals who would rather avoid novel situations. Looking at this from a human factors perspective, it becomes apparent that a tendency to approach situations with a lack of conflict monitoring can produce risks, but simeltaneously, disinterest in approaching a risky situation can lead to crisis events. In other words, whilst individuals with a sensitivity towards reward might have a proclivity for producing a crisis, they might also have a higher chance of solving a crisis. In order to solve unexpected crisis events, it is necessary to be able to improvise. In the experiment of this current thesis, individuals were assessed for their sensitivity towards reward and punishment, and following this, the individuals were assessed in improvisational skills. Motivation behavior and improvisation skills were investigated to see if there is a correlation between them. The purpose of this thesis was to present a multidisciplinary literature account for the relevant subjects by tying together aspects of cognition, cognitive neuroscience, human factors, and psychology, and to provide experimental data about the mentioned correlation. The present experiment showed that there is a significant correlation between sensitivity towards reward and improvisation skills. Additionally, it was also found that system-level factors i.e pre-implemented elements by a designer/organization might not facilitate improvisational performance, but this significant result did not appear in the expected manner. Future directions of research on this subject should focus on five mainpoints (1) replication of investigating the relationship between personality styles and improvisation with different methodologies, (2) investigating the mechanisms leading to the emergence of this relationship, (3) approach the subject mainly from a cognitive-neuroscientific standpoint, but complement with a multiple disciplinary approach (4) use the results within the disciplines of human factors, safety, and resilience, and (5) take data into consideration for e.g. future accident preventions policies.

Since 9/11, little statistical rigor has been placed on identifying the correlates of hospital preparedness. This quantitative study explores the research question: Is there a correlation between the employment of a designated hospital preparedness coordinator and the reported level of preparedness for: (a) general preparedness; (b) chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) events; (c) pandemic disease outbreaks; (d) mass casualty events; and (e) internal infrastructure failure, as assessed by an online survey. Alternative analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between access to resources and the 5 dependent variables. Using complexity theory as the theoretical framework, point biserial correlation and Pearson's method were used to assess the relations between the dependent and independent variables. Initially, no statistically significant correlative relationship was found using point biserial analysis. However, further analysis found that the correlation between full-time employment of a preparedness coordinator and pandemic preparedness reached significance. Point biserial analysis of the alternative research questions found statistically significant correlations between access to preparedness resources, CBRN, pandemic, and infrastructure failure preparedness. Pearson analysis found a statistically significant correlation between single facility coordinator responsibilities and pandemic preparedness. This identifies at least 2 significant correlates of hospital preparedness. Positive social change can be achieved by identifying strategies that leverage these assets in a fiscally sustainable constructs that maximize hospitals' ability to effectively serve the community in disasters but that do not so heavily rely on government funding and grants in a world of ever-changing priorities.