scholarly journals Organizational Level Responses to the COVID-19 Outbreak: Challenges, Strategies and Framework for Academic Institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jagannath Biswakarma ◽  
Danielle Rushworth ◽  
Gitika Srivastava ◽  
Gagandeep Singh ◽  
Kyounglim Kang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Career ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Academic Institutions ◽  
Home Office ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Near Future

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)–CoV-2, has gained unprecedented global attention. SARS-CoV-2, which causes the newly described coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has affected millions of people and led to over 1.9 million deaths worldwide by the beginning of January 2021. Several governments have opted for lockdown as one of the measures to combat the rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases. Academic institutions (i.e., universities, colleges, research centers and national laboratories), which are home to thousands of students, researchers, technicians, and administrative staff, have strictly followed government regulations. Due to the lockdown, the majority of academics have been facing various challenges, especially in transitioning from classroom to remote teaching and conducting research activities from a home office. This article from an early-career researchers’ perspective addresses the common challenges that academic institutions have encountered and possible strategies they have adopted to mitigate those challenges at the individual organizational level. Furthermore, we propose a framework to facilitate the handling of such crisis in any near future at the organizational level. We hope academics, policymakers and (non) government organizations across the globe will find this perspective a call to better improve the overall infrastructure of academic institutions.

International economy: deepening and expanding research potential in Ukraine

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (11) ◽  
pp. 45-53
Author(s):  
Yevhen SAVELIEV ◽  
◽  
Vitalina KURYLYAK ◽  
Keyword(s):  
International Economics ◽  
Highly Qualified ◽  
Foreign Economic Policy ◽  
Economic Competition ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Research Organizations ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Agricultural Business ◽  
Conducting Research

The topical issues of the development of the research potential of Ukraine in the field of international economics , capable of creating scientific support for the foreign economic activity of entrepreneurial structures and government organizations in the context of world and European integration, have been investigated. The creation of the infrastructure of research organizations specializing in the international economics has been substantiated, in particular, the feasibility of creating research institutes in the USA and Canada, Europe, and the Center for International Agricultural Business. The article considers the expediency of conducting research on the issues of cooperation with interstate integration associations of countries, including the EU, ASEAN, TPP, APEC, BRICS, for the implementation of the country's foreign economic policy. A special place in the system of international economics research should be occupied by the problems of Industry 4.0 and the leadership of Ukrainian IT companies in the system of global economic competition. The state of the staffing of research activities in international economics is analyzed and proposals for training of highly qualified specialists in international economics in large industrial centers: Kharkov, L’viv. Dnieper, Odessa and Zaporizhia are formulated.

scholarly journals Research Barriers from the Viewpoints of Staff of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in 2018

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmadreza Motealehi ◽  
Mohamadreza Vafaeenasab ◽  
Hasan Jafari ◽  
Masoud Safari ◽  
Asghar Zare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
New Information ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Quantitative Descriptive ◽  
The Individual

Introduction: Research activities are the main sources of new information and knowledge used by  different organizations. Research is an attempt to find the best possible solutions for solving problems in different life aspects. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the research barriers from the viewpoints of the staff of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd in 2018. Methods: This quantitative, descriptive,  analytical, and cross-sectional study was carried out among the staff working in Deputy of Management Development and University Resources selected using the census method. A researcher-made questionnaire was administered to collect data, which addressed the individual, organizational, cultural, social, economic, and demographic barriers. The questionnaire's validity was confirmed by a panel of experts and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach alpha of 87.2. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The participants' overall satisfaction of economic, social and cultural, organizational, and individual factors was less than the average (12.8%), more than the average (57%), moderate (21.9%), and moderate (40.7%), respectively.  A significant association was observed between history of research activities and economic factors as well as between organizational status and organizational and individual factors (participants = 0.05). Conclusion: The university should provide the researchers with spiritual appreciation, seek to eliminate economic barriers for further research, allocate more resources for research, provide an easy access to facilities for conducting research, conduct research methodology training courses within the organization tailored to the existing administrative expertise, and review the processes of presenting projects and payments.

Barriers and facilitators to conducting research by early career psychiatrists: a literature review

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-154
Author(s):  
Katja Koelkebeck ◽  
Maja Pantovic Stefanovic ◽  
Dorota Frydecka ◽  
Claudia Palumbo ◽  
Olivier Andlauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Participation ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Research Career ◽  
Hand Search ◽  
Electronic Search ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
The Cochrane Library ◽  
To Receive

AbstractObjectivesTo understand and identify factors that promote and prevent research participation among early career psychiatrists (ECPs), in order to understand what would encourage more ECPs to pursue a research career.MethodsWe conducted an electronic search of databases (PubMed and the Cochrane library) using the keywords ‘doctors’, ‘trainees’, ‘residents’, ‘physicians’ and ‘psychiatric trainees’ as well as ‘research’ (MeSH) and ‘publishing’ (MeSH). This search was complemented by a secondary hand search.ResultsWe identified 524 articles, of which 16 fulfilled inclusion criteria for this review. The main barriers included lack of dedicated time for research, lack of mentoring and lack of funding. The main facilitators were opportunities to receive mentorship and access to research funding.ConclusionsAction is needed to counteract the lack of ECPs interested in a career in research. Specific programs encouraging ECPs to pursue research careers and having access to mentors could help increase the current numbers of researching clinicians in the field.

scholarly journals An outline of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and the complement cascade of immune system

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Padmalochan Hembram
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Main Body ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Transmission Chain ◽  
The World ◽  
Therapeutic Molecules ◽  
Rapid Transmission ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Near Future

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 19 is a viral infection caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. It was first notified in Wuhan, China, is now spread into numerous part of the world. Thus, the world needs urgent support and encouragement to develop a vaccine or antiviral treatments to combat the atrocious outbreak. Main body of the abstract The origin of this virus is yet unknown; however, rapid transmission from human-to-human “Anthroponosis” has widely confirmed. The world is witnessing a continuous hike in SARS-CoV-2 infection. In light of the outbreak of coronavirus disease 19, we have aimed to highlight the basic and vital information about the novel coronavirus. We provide an overview of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, timeline and its pathophysiological properties which would be an aid for the development of therapeutic molecules and antiviral drugs. Immune system plays a crucial role in virus infection in order to control but may have dark side when becomes uncontrollable. The host and SARS-CoV-2 interaction describe how the virus exploits host machinery and how overactive host immune response can cause disease severity also addressed in this review. Short conclusion Safe and effective vaccines may be the game-changing tools, but in the near future wearing mask, washing hands at regular intervals, avoiding crowed, maintaining physical distancing and hygienic surrounding, must be good practices to reduce and break the transmission chain. Still, research is ongoing not only on how vaccines protect against disease, but also against infection and transmission.

A Culture of Organizational Grit From the Perspective of U.S. Military Officers: A Qualitative Inquiry

2021 ◽  
pp. 0095327X2098519
Author(s):  
Celeste Raver Luning ◽  
Prince A. Attoh ◽  
Tao Gong ◽  
James T. Fox
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Growth Mindset ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Military Officers ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Professional Pride ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Military

With the backdrop of the utility of grit at the individual level, speculation has begun to circulate that grit may exist as an organizational level phenomenon. To explore this potential construct, this study used an exploratory, qualitative research design. This study explored grit at the organizational level by interviewing leaders’ perceptions of what may be a culture of organizational grit. Participants included 14 U.S. military officers. Seven themes emerged relative to the research question: “What do U.S. military officers perceive as a culture of organizational grit?” Themes included professional pride, team unity, resilience-determination, mission accomplishment, core values, growth mindset, and deliberate practice. This study indicated that a culture of organizational grit is likely a combination of converging organizational elements. Overall, findings indicate that there may be a culture of organizational grit in the military and at the least, more research examining the concept is warranted.

scholarly journals Antiviral Activity of the PropylamylatinTM Formula against the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 In Vitro Using Direct Injection and Gas Assays in Virus Suspensions

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 415
Author(s):  
Ashley N. Brown ◽  
Gary Strobel ◽  
Kaley C. Hanrahan ◽  
Joe Sears
Keyword(s):  
Propionic Acid ◽  
Infectious Virus ◽  
Direct Injection ◽  
Plaque Assay ◽  
Antiviral Effect ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Individual

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has become a severe threat to global public health. There are currently no antiviral therapies approved for the treatment or prevention of mild to moderate COVID-19 as remdesivir is only approved for severe COVID-19 cases. Here, we evaluated the antiviral potential of a Propylamylatin formula, which is a mixture of propionic acid and isoamyl hexanoates. The Propylamylatin formula was investigated in gaseous and liquid phases against 1 mL viral suspensions containing 105 PFU of SARS-CoV-2. Viral suspensions were sampled at various times post-exposure and infectious virus was quantified by plaque assay on Vero E6 cells. Propylamylatin formula vapors were effective at inactivating infectious SARS-CoV-2 to undetectable levels at room temperature and body temperature, but the decline in virus was substantially faster at the higher temperature (15 min versus 24 h). The direct injection of liquid Propylamylatin formula into viral suspensions also completely inactivated SARS-CoV-2 and the rapidity of inactivation occurred in an exposure dependent manner. The overall volume that resulted in 90% viral inactivation over the course of the direct injection experiment (EC90) was 4.28 µls. Further investigation revealed that the majority of the antiviral effect was attributed to the propionic acid which yielded an overall EC90 value of 11.50 µls whereas the isoamyl hexanoates provided at most a 10-fold reduction in infectious virus. The combination of propionic acid and isoamyl hexanoates was much more potent than the individual components alone, suggesting synergy between these components. These findings illustrate the therapeutic promise of the Propylamylatin formula as a potential treatment strategy for COVID-19 and future studies are warranted.

Assessment of bio-medical waste before and during the emergency of novel Coronavirus disease pandemic in India: A gap analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 0734242X2110214
Author(s):  
Rahul Rajak ◽  
Ravi Kumar Mahto ◽  
Jitender Prasad ◽  
Aparajita Chattopadhyay
Keyword(s):  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
Medical Waste ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Central Pollution Control Board ◽  
Treatment Facilities ◽  
The Government ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Considering the widespread transmission of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) globally, India is also facing the same crisis. As India already has inadequate waste treatment facilities, and the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 virus has led to significant growth of Bio-medical waste (BMW), consequently safe disposal of a large quantity of waste has become a more serious concern. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of BMW of India before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this article highlights the gaps in the implementation of BMW rules in India. This study uses various government and non-government organizations, reports and data specifically from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The finding of the study demonstrated that most of the States/Union Territories (UTs) of India are lacking in terms of COVID-19 waste management. India has generated over 32,996 mt of COVID-19 waste between June and December 2020. During this period, Maharashtra (789.99 mt/month) is highest average generator of COVID-19 waste, followed by Kerala (459.86 mt/month), Gujarat (434.87 mt/month), Tamil Nadu (427.23 mt/month), Uttar Pradesh (371.39 mt/month), Delhi (358.83 mt/month) and West Bengal (303.15 mt/month), and others respectively. We draw attention to the fact that many gaps were identified with compliance of BMW management rules. For example, out of all 35 States/UTs, health care facilitates (HCFs), only eight states received authorization as per BMW management rules. Moreover, the government strictly restricted the practice of deep burials; however, 23 States/UTs are still using the deep burial methods for BMW disposal. The present research suggests that those States/UTs generated on an average of 100 mt/month COVID-19 waste in the last 7 months (June–December 2020) should be considered as a high priority state. These states need special attention to implement BMW rules and should upgrade their BMW treatment capacity.

scholarly journals Natural variants in SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein pinpoint structural and functional hotspots with implications for prophylaxis and therapeutic strategies

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suman Pokhrel ◽  
Benjamin R. Kraemer ◽  
Scott Burkholz ◽  
Daria Mochly-Rosen
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Severe Respiratory Distress ◽  
S Protein ◽  
Individual Sequences ◽  
Natural Variants ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Individual

AbstractIn December 2019, a novel coronavirus, termed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of pneumonia with severe respiratory distress and outbreaks in Wuhan, China. The rapid and global spread of SARS-CoV-2 resulted in the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Earlier during the pandemic, there were limited genetic viral variations. As millions of people became infected, multiple single amino acid substitutions emerged. Many of these substitutions have no consequences. However, some of the new variants show a greater infection rate, more severe disease, and reduced sensitivity to current prophylaxes and treatments. Of particular importance in SARS-CoV-2 transmission are mutations that occur in the Spike (S) protein, the protein on the viral outer envelope that binds to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme receptor (hACE2). Here, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of 441,168 individual virus sequences isolated from humans throughout the world. From the individual sequences, we identified 3540 unique amino acid substitutions in the S protein. Analysis of these different variants in the S protein pinpointed important functional and structural sites in the protein. This information may guide the development of effective vaccines and therapeutics to help arrest the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abiding by the Law? Using Benford’s Law to Examine the Accuracy of Nonprofit Financial Reports

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 548-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heng Qu ◽  
Richard Steinberg ◽  
Ronelle Burger
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Methods ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Benford’S Law ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Forensic Accounting ◽  
Data Form ◽  
Benford's Law ◽  
Natural Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Academic Study

Benford’s Law asserts that the leading digit 1 appears more frequently than 9 in natural data. It has been widely used in forensic accounting and auditing to detect potential fraud, but its application to nonprofit data is limited. As the first academic study that applies Benford’s Law to U.S. nonprofit data (Form 990), we assess its usefulness in prioritizing suspicious filings for further investigation. We find close conformity with Benford’s Law for the whole sample, but at the individual organizational level, 34% of the organizations do not conform. Deviations from Benford’s law are smaller for organizations that are more professional, that report positive fundraising and administration expenses, and that face stronger funder oversight. We suggest improved statistical methods and experiment with a new measure of the extent of deviation from Benford’s Law that has promise as a more discriminating screening metric.

Bachelorhood and Sexuality in a Context of Female Shortage: Evidence from a Survey in Rural Anhui, China

2013 ◽  
Vol 215 ◽  
pp. 703-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Attané ◽  
Zhang Qunlin ◽  
Li Shuzhuo ◽  
Yang Xueyan ◽  
Christophe Z. Guilmoto
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Family Formation ◽  
Rural Society ◽  
General Situation ◽  
Rural County ◽  
Chinese Men ◽  
Married Men ◽  
Exploratory Survey ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Near Future

AbstractTraditionally, marriage is a near universality in China. However, in the coming decades, owing to the growing sex imbalance, millions of men will be unable to marry. As a consequence, bachelorhood is becoming a new demographic concern, particularly affecting men from the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups. In China's cultural context today, heterosexual marriage remains a prerequisite for family formation and, in rural society particularly, the legitimate setting for sexual activity. Under such circumstances, bachelorhood is likely to produce privations on various fronts, the consequences of which for both the individual and the community are still largely unknown. This article focuses on the opinions and sexual behaviour of bachelors, and highlights significant variations from those of married men. It is based on the findings of an exploratory survey conducted in 2008 in selected villages in a rural county in Anhui province, referred to here as JC county. The survey provides insights into the more general situation of rural men unable to marry in a context of female shortage, and indicates the conditions a growing number of Chinese men will face in the near future.

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