Flow and Ebb: Factors affecting SMEs to exit from the DRP market during pandemic

Based on organizational ecology theory, this study demonstrates the exit issue of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that grasped the opportunity from the surging demand for disaster relief products (DRPs) while facing uncertainty during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we find that higher product complexity and spatial proximity limit DRP SMEs’ organizational niches and increase the competition within organizational niches, facilitating their exit. Following the framework of organizational ecology theory, we further clarify the moderating effects of market demands and managerial experience. Our findings extend the firm exit literature by shedding light on the opportunity-seized SMEs during the pandemic and contribute to the organizational ecology literature by expanding its application to the disaster context.

Factors influencing physician's behavioral intention to use Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat coronavirus disease 2019 based on the theory of planned behavior.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the factors influencing physicians' intentions to use Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: A cross-sectional, self-report online survey was conducted from March 16, 2020, to April 2, 2020, in China. Participants were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Data were collected by using a self-designed questionnaire based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 494 physicians were enrolled in this study. Overall, the model explained 75.4% and 75.5% of the total variance in intention and attitude, respectively. Specifically, attitudes (ß = 0.467, P < 0.001), past behavior (ß = 0.384, P < 0.05), subjective norms (SN) (ß = 0.177, P < 0.001), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) (ß = 0.133, P < 0.05) significantly affected physicians' intention to use TCM. Cognition (ß = 0.606, P < 0.001) and PBC (ß = 0.569, P < 0.01) significantly influenced physicians' attitudes toward using TCM. SN (ß = 0.064, P = 0.263) was not a factor affecting attitude. CONCLUSION: Physicians' intention to use TCM was significantly associated with attitude, past behavior, PBC, and SN. The findings may not only be useful for understanding the influencing factors and paths of physicians' intention to use TCM to treat COVID-19 but also provide a reference for health authorities and policymakers to promote physicians to utilize TCM.

Cross-species tropism and antigenic landscapes of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants

Zhang et al. show in vitro cross-species infectivity and neutralization-escape characteristics of 153 SARS-CoV-2 RBD mutants and 11 globally circulating VOC/VOI variants. They reveal an association between enhanced cross-species infection potential and the current cumulative prevalence of mutations, which can inform surveillance and forecasting of SARS-CoV-2 spike mutations.