The Societal Impacts of Covid-19: a transnational perspective

[Extract] The COVID-19 Pandemic, started in China and has since spread all over the world in a short time, deeply affecting all countries.. Most countries have declared a partial or complete lockdown to limit the spread of the virus. A significant portion of employees have been unable to work in traditional ways and have had to adapt to what has become known as the “new normal”. In essence we have gone beyond the norms we used to know and have had to construct new ways of living in the times of COVID-19. The way we know how to work and live has changed. Middle and upper classes, whose jobs are suitable for digitalization, started working online. Every extraordinary period has its winners and losers. The winners of the coronavirus pandemic period were mainly hygiene materials manufacturers, gaming companies, electronic commerce, high technology, and pharmaceutical companies etc. On the other hand, economies all over the world have shrunk. The hardest hit in the pandemic have been the areas of tourism, hospitality and entertainment etc. resulting in high rates of unemployment or underemployment within these sectors. Unemployment and existential anxiety have peaked during 2020 with increased fears posed by the new risks associated with becoming infected. With the loss of loved ones and separation from friends and family. Psycho-social problems have also increased due to the effects of prolonged uncertainty imposed by the pandemic across all facets of everyday life In all life satisfaction has declined across in all social groups with the vulnerable most at risk due to the long lasting effects on the pandemi

Karte potresne opasnosti za područje zapadnog Balkana

The Harmonization of Seismic Hazard Maps in the Western Balkan Countries Project (BSHAP) was funded for 7 years by NATO-Science for Peace Program to support the preparation of new seismic hazard maps of the Western Balkan Region using modern scientific tools. One of the most important outputs of the BSHAP is an updated and unified BSHAP earthquake catalogue that is compiled directly from the datasets of earthquake data providers of the region. In the framework of BSHAP, the regional free field strong motion network capacity was increased significantly by the purchased and installed recorders and the BSHAP strong motion database that includes both pre-BSHAP (mostly analog) and post-BSHAP (all digital) recordings was compiled. The BSHAP strong motion database is used for proper selection of the ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) for the probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) by comparing the compiled strong ground motions with the predictions of candidate global, European, and Euro-Med GMPEs in a systematic manner. BSHAP collected relevant knowledge about the geological structure of southwestern Balkans provided a better understanding of the prevailing stress regime in the region. The main output of BSHAP is the new probabilistic seismic hazard maps for Western Balkans, obtained by implementation of the smoothed-gridded seismicity approach. The results are expressed in terms of peak horizontal acceleration (PGA) for 95 and 475 years return periods aligned with Eurocode 8 requirements. The seismic hazard maps derived in this project are a good basis to characterize the seismic hazard of Western Balkans. They will help the national authorities, public and private institutions, civil emergencies agencies, etc., for urban planning, disaster preparedness, and seismic hazard mitigation.Projekt usklađivanja karata seizmičke opasnosti za područje Zapadnog Balkana (BSHAP) financiran je 7 godina od strane NATO programa „Science for Peace“ za pripremu novih karata seizmičke opasnosti za područje Zapadnog Balkana upotrebom modernih znanstvenih alata. Jedan od najvažnijih rezultata BSHAP programa je ažurirani i jedinstveni BSHAP katalog potresa direktno sastavljen iz baze podataka potresa iz pojedinih regija. U okviru BSHAP-a, znatno je povećana mreža „free-field“ uređaja za snimanje jakog gibanja tla kupnjom novih i postojećih uređaja (akcelerografa), te je BSHAP baza podataka zapisa jakih (akcelerografskih) potresa sastavljena od prijašnjih (većinom analognih zapisa) prije BSHAP projekta, i novih digitalnih zapisa nakon i u toku BSHAP projekta. BSHAP baza podataka jakih gibanja koristi se za odgovarajući odabir relacija za procjenu gibanja tla (GMPE) za procjenu vjerojatnosti potresne opasnosti (PSHA) usporedbom prikupljenih zapisa jakih gibanja s GMPE relacijama na globalnoj, europskoj i Euro-Med razini. U okviru BSHAP-a, prikupljeno je relevantno znanje o geološkoj strukturi jugozapadnog Balkana koje je omogućilo bolje razumijevanje prevladavajućeg smjera napetosti u regiji. Glavni rezultat BSHAP-a su nove karte potresne opasnosti za područje zapadnog Balkana dobivene primjenom pristupa tzv. mreže izglađivanja seizmičnosti. Rezultati su izraženi preko vršnih horizontalnih ubrzanja (PGA) za povratne periode 95 i 475 godina usklađeni s zahtjevima Eurocode 8. Izrađene karte potresne opasnosti u ovom projektu dobra su osnova za opis potresne opasnosti područja zapadnog Balkana. One će pomoći nacionalnim vlastima, javnim i privatnim institucijama, civilnim agencijama za hitne slučajeve i sl., te za urbanističko planiranje, pripremu za prirodnu katastrofu i smanjenje seizmičke opasnosti

Resilience and Hopelessness: Exploring the Mediator Role of Spirituality in the Global Situation of COVID-19

This research aims to describe and to define the importance of spirituality as a mediator in the global pandemic situation of COVID-19 in Pakistan while having positive correlation with resilience and inverse with hopelessness. The correlational research design was used and data was gathered by simple random sampling and there was a use of standardized psychological instruments to measure the variables. The participants were (N=540) Pakistani general population (male and female) with the age range of 18–60. The outcomes revealed that resilience was positively correlated with spirituality (r=0.72; p <0.01) while spiritualty is negatively correlated with hopelessness (r=-0.76; p <0.01) and resilience was negatively correlated with hopelessness (r=-0.78, p <0.01). Mediation analysis shows that spirituality performed a strong intermediating role between resilience and hopelessness the direct effect of hopelessness  on resilience  was -5.9** whereas the indirect effect through spirituality was       -1.7** and the total effect size was – 7.6**. It is revealed that spirituality has a strong impact on the resilience behavior and reduces the hopelessness even in the worldwide disastrous situation. This study enhances the literature related to the psychological research and prompts the role of spiritual coping strategies especially in the state of uncertainty like coronavirus pandemic

Analysis of post-migration traumatic events influence on immigrants and their personality traits

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyse the way immigrants and their personality traits get affected by traumatic events in the post-migration process. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted through Google Forms with the involvement of 2,509 immigrants. A descriptive questionnaire, the "IFOMA Post-Migration Post-Traumatic Effect Scale" and the "GADOT Personality Types Determination Scale" were used to collect the research data. Independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and related sample Friedman's two-way analysis tests were used in data analysis. RESULTS: Immigrants were exposed to significant effects in all sub-dimensions of the Post-Migration Post-Traumatic Effect Scale. Experiencing post-traumatic stress was found to be significantly related to the research parameters, which, respectively, are gender, age, marital status, educational background, legal status, years of living in the current country, employment status, ethnicity, Turkish language proficiency, and post-migration psychological problems (p < 0.05); 42.8% of the immigrants had the Type 9 personality, and all personality types were affected by the Psychological Affection, Physical Affection, Anxiety, and Social Adaptation sub-dimensions, respectively (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: By analysing the impact of migration-induced trauma on immigrants within their society, it can be recommended to implement initiatives specific to immigrants' personality traits and to carry out protective/preventive projects that will minimize immigrants' exposure to trauma and encourage their participation in social adaptation processes

Using a performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) approach to estimate structural performance targets for bridges

Performance-based seismic evaluation aims to provide information on expected seismic performance of structures in measurable and meaningful terms for decision makers (performance objectives). The Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center utilized the performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) framework by linking the earthquake scenarios, design ground motions, structural demand, and performance variables. PBEE procedure may be simplified by decoupling the evaluation of the design ground motion levels (probabilistic seismic hazard assessment, PSHA) and that of the structural demand due to design ground motions (probabilistic seismic demand assessment, PSDA). The objective of this chapter is to present the vector-valued implementation of PEER PBEE approach. Key points of PSDA methodology such as selection of engineering demand parameters along with the intensity measures, effects of ground motion record scaling, and construction of probabilistic seismic demand models are discussed. Integration of vector-valued intensity measures into these models is explained in detail. Results of a recent study investigating the effect of vertical ground motions on ordinary highway bridges is used to demonstrate the application of PEER PBEE framework for a particular class of structures

Batı Karadeniz Bölgesi’nde Deprem Kaynaklı Heyelan Riski Analizi

Gerçekleştirilmesi planlanan bu projenin hedefi, Batı Karadeniz Bölgesi’nde özellikle Kuzey Anadolu Fay Hattı (KAF) boyunca olacak depremlerden kaynaklanabilecek heyelan (toprak kayması) duyarlılığının belirlenmesi ve bölgenin deprem kaynaklı heyelan riski analizinin yapılmasıdır. Bölgenin topoğrafyası nedeniyle deprem kaynaklı heyelanların görülme olasılığı yüksektir, örneğin 1999 Düzce Depremi sırasında Kaynaşlı Viyadüğü heyelan sebebiyle ağır hasar görmüştür. Batı Karadeniz Bölgesi’nde gelecekteki sismik riskin azaltılması ve doğru şehir planlaması için, sismik tehlikenin ve heyelan riskinin detaylı olarak değerlendirilmesi ve belirlenmesi son derece kritik önem kazanmıştır. Önerilen bu proje kapsamında KAF Hattı Bolu-Gerede segmentinin sismik kaynak modelinin oluşturulması, olasılıksal yöntemlerle her deprem senaryosu için olası toprak kayması miktarının hesaplanması, topoğrafya ve jeoloji haritalarının yardımıyla heyelan duyarlılığı olan noktaların belirlenmesi ve bölgenin deprem-kaynaklı heyelan riski haritasıın oluşturulması amaçlanmaktadır. Elde edilecek sonuçlar, riskli noktalarda eşdeğer sismik tehlike spektrumlarının hazırlanmasında ve ileriye dönük yapı hasarı tahminlerinde de kullanılacaktır

Dinamik Yükler Altında Kalıcı Şev Deformasyonu için Olasılıksal Tahmin Modellerinin Geliştirilmesi

Dinamik yüklere maruz kalan bir sevin performansının degerlendirilmesi ve deprem-kaynaklı kalıcı sev deformasyonlarının kestirilmesi, geoteknik deprem mühendisligi uygulamalarının en karmasıklarından birisidir. Deprem-kaynaklı kalıcı sev deformasyonları dogru bir biçimde belirlendigi ve olasılıksal olarak modellendigi taktirde, sev performansının deprem tehlikesi/riski bazında bölgesel ölçekte degerlendirilmesinin mümkün oldugu güncel çalısmalar tarafından gösterilmistir. Bölgesel deprem kaynaklı sev deformasyonu tehlike/risk tahminleri için, yer hareketi ve saha parametrelerine göre deprem-kaynaklı deformasyonu tahmin eden ampirik tahmin modelleri gereklidir. Bu çalısmanın amacı, dairesel ve/veya derinden geçen yenilme mekanizmalarında deprem-kaynaklı kalıcı sev deformasyonlarının tahmini için olasılıksal sismik talep modelleri (PSDM) gelistirmektir. Projenin ilk asamasında, kayaya oturtulmus istasyonlarda ölçülmüs kuvvetli yer hareketleri, Pasifik Deprem Mühendisligi Arastırma Dairesi (PEER) veritabanından seçilmistir. Elde edilen kuvvetli yer hareketi kayıtları kullanılarak, yer hareketi seçimindeki belirsizlikleri modelleyen ve mühendislik uygulamalarında kullanılabilecek bir kayıt seçimi ve ölçeklendirme prosedürü gelistirilmistir. Seçilen yer hareketi kayıtları kullanılarak, kalıcı sev deformasyonlarını tahmin etmek için sonlu farklar yazılımı olan FLAC2D aracılıgıyla çesitli sev geometrileri ve zemin özellikleri için parametrik analizler yapılmıstır. Projenin ikinci asamasında ise zemin ve yer hareketi parametrelerini ve kalıcı sev deformasyonlarını iliskilendiren PSDM?ler lineer olmayan regresyon yöntemi kullanılarak gelistirilmistir. Projenin son asamasında ise, bu tür bölgesel tehlike tahminlerine yönelik pilot bir uygulama yapılarak, önerilen modellerin kullanılabilirligi test edilmistir