ABSTRACT
Purpose: Construction industry is one of the worst affected sectors due to the impact of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the key competencies that should be demonstrated by the contractors in the post-COVID-19 scenario to make them resilient to the adverse impact of pandemic outbreaks. Design/methodology/approach: A survey instrument was developed using an extensive literature review and was tested using a pilot study. It was then administered online using survey monkey to 900 respondents, out of which 324 complete responses were obtained. The data analysis was performed using exploratory factor analysis and second-order confirmatory factor analysis. Findings: After analyzing the data, it was identified that the most critical competence was managing site safety (standard factor loading (SFL) = 0.91), followed by leadership skills (SFL = 0.88), technical competence (SFL = 0.81), managing supply chain disruption (SFL = 0.73) and financial stability (SFL = 0.48) that were found to be less essential from the respondents’ point of view. Originality/value: The study is first of its kind to identify the core competencies that should be demonstrated by the contractors to cope with COVID-19-induced disruptions. The findings of this article can be used by the practitioners to develop policies and procedures for selection of contractors. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
ABSTRACT
Infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite a preferential respiratory tropism of SARS-CoV-2, multi-organ involvement has been described. SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells is mediated by the entry factors angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2). Recent studies suggest that SARS-CoV-2 causes direct hepatic impairment in COVID-19 patients. Interestingly, ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are also expressed in primary human hepatocytes (PHH). Despite this evidence, data on infection and factors modulating functional regulation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in PHHs are scarce. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that have been described to modulate various cellular processes and have been implicated as potential therapeutic target. We aimed to study the infection of PHHs with SARS-CoV-2 and to evaluate the potential of miRNAs for modulating viral infection. We could demonstrate that PHHs can be readily infected with SARS-CoV-2. Bioinformatics analyses revealed miR- 200c-3p, miR-429, let-7c-5p and miR-141-3p as candidate miRNAs targeting ACE2 and TMPRSS2. All miRNAs were able to reduce SARS-CoV-2 burden in PHH by supressing ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Our findings provide the first evidence of the applicability of miRNA molecules in reducing SARS-CoV-2 viral loads.
ABSTRACT
The current outbreak of the coronavirus disease has left the whole world traumatised. The illness triggered by the novel coronavirus is named as COVID-19. It is pre-fixed with the word "novel" because it comes under the new strain of the virus that has not been reported before. This virus outbreak has disrupted human life in the most petrifying way worldwide. The present study aims to analyse the work done in this field through a state-of-the-art review of articles based on COVID-19 and discuss the current trends in the epidemiology of this disease entity with special reference to India and the effects of this pandemic on the environment. The time frame selected for review is the beginning of this pandemic to April 10th, 2020. Scopus® database is used to carry out the analysis. Moreover, the most contributed authors, institutions, countries, etc. are showed through the analysis. The purpose of this review is to get an idea about the direction of the flow of current research, the association of various authors with each other, the role of collaboration between several institutions and the position of India in current explosive ongoing research. © 2020, International Journal of Mathematical, Engineering and Management Sciences.