Sociomateriality Implications of Software As a Service Adoption on IT-workers’ Roles and Changes in Organizational Routines of IT Systems Support

This paper aims to deepen our understanding on how sociomateriality practices influence IT workers’ roles and skill set requirements and changes to the organizational routines of IT systems support, when an organization migrates an on-premise IT system to a software as a service (SaaS) model. This conceptual paper is part of an ongoing study investigating organizations that migrated on-premise IT email systems to SaaS business models, such as Google Apps for Education (GAE) and Microsoft Office 365 systems, in New Zealand tertiary institutions. We present initial findings from interpretive case studies. The findings are, firstly, technological artifacts are entangled in sociomaterial practices, which change the way humans respond to the performative aspects of the organizational routines. Human and material agencies are interwoven in ways that reinforce or change existing routines. Secondly, materiality, virtual realm and spirit of the technology provide elementary levels at which human and material agencies entangle. Lastly, the elementary levels at which human and material entangle depends on the capabilities or skills set of an individual

Ecological barriers mediate spatiotemporal shifts of bird communities at a continental scale

This study was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant P2BEP3_195232) and by the Academy of Finland (project 323527 and project 329251).Species' range shifts and local extinctions caused by climate change lead to community composition changes. At large spatial scales, ecological barriers, such as biome boundaries, coastlines, and elevation, can influence a community's ability to shift in response to climate change. Yet, ecological barriers are rarely considered in climate change studies, potentially hindering predictions of biodiversity shifts. We used data from two consecutive European breeding bird atlases to calculate the geographic distance and direction between communities in the 1980s and their compositional best match in the 2010s and modeled their response to barriers. The ecological barriers affected both the distance and direction of bird community composition shifts, with coastlines and elevation having the strongest influence. Our results underscore the relevance of combining ecological barriers and community shift projections for identifying the forces hindering community adjustments under global change. Notably, due to (macro)ecological barriers, communities are not able to track their climatic niches, which may lead to drastic changes, and potential losses, in community compositions in the future.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

The cost of lost productivity due to premature mortality associated with COVID-19: a Pan-European study

Background Economic cost estimates have the potential to provide a valuable alternative perspective on the COVID-19 burden. We estimate the premature mortality productivity costs associated with COVID-19 across Europe. Methods We calculated excess deaths between the date the cumulative total of COVID-19 deaths reached 10 in a country to 15th May 2020 for nine countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland). Gender- and age-specific excess deaths and Years of Potential Productive Life Lost (YPPLL) between 30 and 74 years were calculated and converted into premature mortality productivity costs €2020 for paid and unpaid work using the Human Capital and the Proxy Good Approaches. Costs were discounted at 3.5%. Results Total estimated excess deaths across the nine countries were 18,614 (77% in men) and YPPLL were 134,190 (77% male). Total paid premature mortality costs were €1.07 billion (87% male) with Spain (€0.35 billion, 33.0% of total), Italy (€0.22 billion; 20.6%) and The Netherlands (€0.19 billion; 17.5%) ranking highest. Total paid and unpaid premature mortality costs were €2.89 billion (77% male). Premature mortality costs per death ranged between €40,382 (France) and €350,325 (Switzerland). Spain experienced the highest premature mortality cost as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (0.11%). Conclusion Even in the initial period of the pandemic in Europe, COVID-19-related premature mortality costs were significant across Europe. We provide policy makers and researchers with a valuable alternative perspective on the burden of the virus and highlight potential economic savings that may be accrued by applying timely public health measures

The stability of natural waters from different sources of Vinnytsia

Досліджено стабільність природних вод з різних джерел м. Вінниці. Встановлено, що вода із більшості джерел питного водопостачання м. Вінниці є стабільною. Агресивною є вода отримана з талого снігу. Показано, що джерельна, озерна та артезіанська води є нестабільними. Виявлено, що питна вода відібрана з артезіанських свердловин має перевищення допустимого значення загальної лужностіThe stability of natural waters from different sources of the city of Vinnytsia is investigated. It was established that water from most sources of drinking water supply in Vinnytsia is stable. Aggressive is the water obtained from melting snow. It is shown that spring, lake and artesian water are unstable. It was found that drinking water selected from artesian wells has an excess of the admissible value of total alkalinit

How topographic variation buffers the effects of climate change on mountain butterfly communities

Understanding how topography influences ecological responses to climate change is needed to assess the scope of mountains to act as refugia. Here, we show how topographic variation buffers the effects of climate change on butterflies in the Iberian Peninsula, by combining 10 km atlas data with repeat field samples from 78 sites in four mountain ranges. At 10 km resolution, more topographically variable regions showed reduced rates of change between 1901-1979 and 1980-2016 both in climatic conditions and butterfly community responses to the climate. In contrast, butterfly communities at the 78 field sites are now increasingly composed by warm- or dry-adapted species in comparison with recent decades. The results suggest that regional faunal changes are moderated in topographically heterogeneous regions because local communities differ in their rates or trajectories of change. Protecting sites varying in topography or habitat across landscapes is therefore important for adapting conservation to climate change