Managing disruptions and strategy development during Covid-19 pandemic: the perspective of third-party logistics service providers (3PLs)

The Covid-19 pandemic forced many companies to alter and improve their logistics activities as part of their business logistics strategies, to obtain cost and service advantages. In this regard, to lessen the detrimental effects on the business environment, it is critical to develop different strategies according to the nature of the disruptions and uncertainties. This paper explores uncertainty sources confronted by third-party logistics service providers (3PLs), identifies disruptions, reveals the resources used to cope with these and develops strategies for the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing upon Resource Orchestration Theory (ROT), we reveal the important role of resource allocation in logistics and supply chains (SCs). This study proposes a conceptual framework that describes resources which can be used for strategy development in the face of uncertainties. In terms of managerial implications, this study extends knowledge in the field by providing insights enabling 3PLs to improve their capabilities and increase their performance. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The theory of technological response and progress in chaos

Purpose: This study aims to develop the first Theory of Technological Response and Progress in Chaos (TRPC) and examine the case of technological development during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research objectives of this study were to: identify the key technologies that act as a response mechanism during the chaos event, specifically in the case of COVID-19;examine how technologies evolve, develop and diffuse in an immediate crisis and a chaotic environment;theorise various types and periods of technological response and progress during the emergence of chaos and the stages that unfold;and develop policy-oriented recommendations and establish technological foundations to address subsequent chaos events. Design/methodology/approach: This study used the grounded theory as a methodology with a mixed-method approach that included quantitative and qualitative methods. The authors used the quantitative method to assist with the qualitative step to build the TRPC theory. Accordingly, this study integrated machine learning and text mining approaches to the qualitative data analysis following the steps of the grounded theory approach. Findings: As a result of the TRPC theory development process, the authors identified three types of technologies (survival, essential and enhancement technologies) and five types of periods (stable, initial, survival-dominant, essential-dominant and enhancement-dominant periods) that are specific to chaos-technology interactions. The policy implications of this study demonstrate that a required technological base and know-how must be established before a chaotic event emerges. Research limitations/implications: Concerning the limitations of this study, social media data has advantages over other data sources, such as the examination of dynamic areas and analyses of immediate responses to chaos. However, other researchers can examine publications and patent sources to augment the findings concerning scientific approaches and new inventions in relation to COVID-19 and other chaos-specific developments. The authors developed the TRPC theory by studying the COVID-19 pandemic, however, other researchers can utilise it to study other chaos-related conditions, such as chaotic events that are caused by natural disasters. Other scholars can investigate the technological response and progress pattern in other rapidly emerging chaotic events of an uncertain and complex nature to augment these findings. Practical implications: Following the indications of the OECD (2021a) and considering the study conducted by the European Parliamentary Research Service (Kritikos, 2020), the authors identified the key technologies that are significant for chaos and COVID-19 response using machine learning and text intelligence approach. Accordingly, the authors mapped all technological developments using clustering approaches, and examined the technological progress within the immediate chaos period using social media data. Social implications: The key policy implication of this study concerns the need for policymakers to develop policies that will help to establish the required technological base and know-how before chaos emerges. As a result, a rapid response can be implemented to mitigate the chaos and transform it into a competitive advantage. The authors also revealed that this recommendation overlaps with the model of dynamic capabilities in the literature (Teece and Pisano, 2003). Furthermore, this study recommends that nations and organisations establish a technological base that specifically includes technologies that bear 3A characteristics. These are the most crucial technologies for the survival- and essential-dominant stages. Moreover, the results of this study demonstrate that chaos accelerates technological progress through the rapid adoption and diffusion of technologies into different fields. Hence, nations and organisations should regard this rapid progress as an opportunity and establish the prior knowledge base and technologies before chaos emerges. Originality/value: The authors have contributed to he chaos studies and the relationship between chaos and technological development by establishing the first theoretical foundation using the grounded theory approach, hereafter referred to as the TRPC theory. As part of the TRPC theory, the authors present three periods of technological response in the following sequence: survival technology, essential technology and enhancement technology. Moreover, this study illustrates the evolving technological importance and priorities as the periods of technological progress proceed under rapidly developing chaos. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Outcome of patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia treated with high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy: a retrospective study

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy and evaluate possible factors associated with 28-day mortality in hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

The Predictive Ability of the C-reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio As A Mortality Predictor in Hospitalized Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infected Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases

Aim: Although there are few studies on the predictive value of C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients, to the best of our knowledge, there are no studies specifically conducted in COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study assessed the use of baseline CAR levels to predict death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with CVD. Methods: This study was designed as a single-center cross-sectional study. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who were admitted to the University of Health Sciences Turkey, Bagcilar Training and Research Hospital between April 16 and May 20, 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into 2 groups: those who died and those who survived, considering the follow-up period. The CAR values of the study population, as well as patients with CVD, were calculated, and the association of CAR with in-hospital mortality was evaluated. Results: The in-hospital mortality rate was 11.1% (49/442 pts) in all populations. Deceased patients had significantly more frequent CVD (p<0.001) and the mortality rate was 34.4% (30/96 pts) in those patients. Median CAR values were higher in nonsurvivors than among survivors (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that CAR was an independent predictor of mortality in patients with CVD [hazard ratio 1.013 (95% confidence interval: 1.002-1.022), p=0.018]. Conclusion: CAR is an inflammatory risk marker that independently predicts mortality in all COVID-19 hospitalized patients and patients with CVD.

The Impact of Covid-19 On State-Religion Relations: A Study On Israel And Iran

Regulations, measures and restrictions implemented by state authorities on public events and mass gatherings due to fear, anxiety, and panic caused by COVID-19 pandemic have made religious field more open to state intervention since the global pandemic started and religious practices underwent radical changes. Governments' public health measures concerning the places of mass worship and religious gatherings to stop the spread of the pandemic and the reactions of religious groups against their orders and imposed restrictions emerged as a new dimension of the debates on state-religion and state-individual relations. In this regard, the main purpose of the study is to discuss the new global religious trends that emerged with the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, which reshapes state-religion relations through the regulations and measure for containing the virus, in light of the experiences in different regions and religious traditions, and to analyze the relationship between the religion and the state in the Middle East, specifically the cases of Israel and Iran as religious character is dominant and orthodox religious groups play a significant role within the social and political structure in both countries.

Impact of acute myocardial injury on prognosis in patients with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency and impact of acute myocardial injury on prognosis in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study that included consecutive hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Clinic-demographic characteristics, laboratory values, and high-sensitivity troponin I were extracted from the electronic database. Mortality and other clinical complications, including respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and acute kidney injury were recorded. Myocardial injury was defined as having a serum troponin I value >19.8 ng/mL. We performed Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression to determine survival times and independent predictors of mortality. RESULTS: A total of 324 patients were included. Seventy-seven patients (23.8%) had acute myocardial injury. The primary outcome measure, namely death, occurred in 54.5% and 3.2% of the patients with and without myocardial injury, respectively. Notably, 75.3% of the patients with myocardial injury and 6.5% of the patients without myocardial injury developed ARDS. Overall, 50 out of 324 patients (15.4%) died during the study period. The mortality rate was 54.5% in patients with myocardial injury and 3.2% in patients without myocardial injury. Mean survival times were significantly different between the groups (15.1±0.9 days in patients with myocardial injury and 24.4±0.7 days in patients without myocardial injury, log-rank test p-value <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of chronic kidney disease and application of invasive mechanical ventilation were found to be independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. The presence of acute myocardial injury was common but not independently associated with mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The economic case for global vaccinations: an epidemiological model with international production networks

COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating effect on both lives and livelihoods in 2020. The arrival of effective vaccines can be a major game changer. However, vaccines are in short supply as of early 2021 and most of them are reserved for the advanced economies. We show that the global GDP loss of not inoculating all the countries, relative to a counterfactual of global vaccinations, is higher than the cost of manufacturing and distributing vaccines globally. We use an economic-epidemiological framework that combines a SIR model with international production and trade networks. Based on this framework, we estimate the costs for 65 countries and 35 sectors. Our estimates suggest that up to 49 percent of the global economic costs of the pandemic in 2021 are borne by the advanced economies even if they achieve universal vaccination in their own countries.

Comparison of the number of cardiovascular admissions before and after covid-19: Experience from Turkey

Background: The frequency of cardiovascular problems in patients with COVID-19 could be interpreted to suggest an increase in the number of cardiovascular admissions in the COVID-19 era. However, almost all countries announced social restrictions and distancing measures which could unintentionally lead to a decline in admissions to the hospital for acute disorders other than those associated with pneumonia. This study aimed to compare cardiovascular admissions before and after COVID-19 at the emergency department of secondary and tertiary centers in Turkey. Methods: We analyzed emergency department referrals to secondary and tertiary centers in Ordu province, Turkey for subjects with acute chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitation, leg swelling, and acute limb ischemia from March 10, 2020 to April 30, 2020. Also, we recorded the number of diagnostic coronary angiographies, peripheral endovascular interventions, and cardiac surgeries performed at our institute. The difference in the frequency of emergency department referrals due to acute cardiovascular disorders before and after COVID-19 was the primary outcome measure of this study. Results: Our findings show that, following the establishment of social restrictions 1918 patients were admitted to the emergency department with acute chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitation, leg swelling, and acute limb ischemia. Compared to the last five years (2105-2019) there was a decline in numbers of the patients admitted to the emergency department with acute coronary syndromes, and acute heart failure. There was also a dramatic decline in number of diagnostic coronary angiographies, peripheral interventions and cardiac surgeries. Finally, the number of lower extremity amputations from peripheral artery disease was increased. Conclusion: Our findings show that, compared to the same intervals in the last five years, a critical decline has occurred in the number of patients admitted to our emergency department with cardiovascular symptoms, acute heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, STEMI, while the number of diagnostic angiographies, peripheral endovascular interventions and cardiac surgeries were also decreased. The state of alarm declared by many countries may have caused a higher threshold for hospital application in patients with cardiovascular problems, possibly due to social distancing measures and concerns of contracting COVID-19 in the hospital.