Internet of Things (IoT) based Health Monitor Device

Health is the centre of human enlightenment. Due to the recent Covid outbreak and several environmental pollutions, checking one's vitals regularly has become a necessity. Ours is an IoT-based device that measures a user's heart rate, blood oxygen level and body temperature. The device is compact and portable, making it easy for users to wear. The readings are measured and shown on an OLED display with the help of sensors. The data is also available on the cloud. A webpage and a mobile application were developed to view the data from the cloud. Individual graphs of the vitals with time are available on the mobile application. This can be used for progress measurement and statistical analyses. Authorized personnel can access the patient's vitals. This creates a scope for Tele-medication in rural and underdeveloped regions. Besides, one can also view his/her vitals for personal health routine. © 2022 IEEE.

Online creative community support: Framing of two independent documentary films? creation from Caochangdi Workstation during the COVID-19 pandemic

In late December 2019, the world witnessed the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which subsequently led to numerous social and work limitations including face-to-face communication and documentary production worldwide. While many studies have focused on the framing of COVID-19 by mainstream news agencies and political figures, few studies have concentrated on the perspectives of independent filmmakers regarding the pandemic. The challenges faced by these niche filmmakers during COVID-19 would have likely magnified and changed due to the uncertainties that befell filming and distribution. In this intrinsic case study, the researcher aims to explore the creative processes of two documentary films, Luo Luo's Fear and Entrapment, produced by emerging and experienced filmmakers, respectively, during the pandemic while participating in the Caochangdi (CCD) Workstation's Folk Memory Project. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on data collected from in-depth interviews with two participants and their reflective memos. This work also seeks to describe the filmmakers' experiences of filming during the pandemic and how these experiences framed their documentary filmmaking. Next, the researcher explores the salient visual framework used by the filmmakers through their documentary film analysis. Both films focused on their fears and challenges at this particular time of the pandemic, framing the entire film through internal monologues that have also become a distinctive style of their own creation. Overall, the current research contributes to the limited literature by focusing on the impacts of building of online strategies and creative community support on independent filmmakers' self-rescue during the pandemic and how visual framing can be enhanced in the study of films.

Covid-19 Effect on Community Mobility and Stock Market of Malaysia

Physical distancing is believed to contain the spread of COVID-19 virus. With data provided by COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports from Google, this study examines the mobility patterns at different stages of Movement Control Order (MCO) and investigates whether lower mobility reduces the number of new cases, death cases, and recovery rate. This research also covers the time spent in places such as i) retail and recreation, ii) grocery and pharmacy, iii) parks, iv) transit stations, v) the workplace, and vi) residential areas. As each of these types of places has distinct epidemiological characteristics, they may spread transmission differently. This study also correlates the stock market with mobility patterns of Malaysians in order to evaluate the effectiveness of lockdowns on COVID-19 incidents and its impact on the stock market, in this case;Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI). Findings of this study highlight the effects of pandemic COVID-19 on stock market daily performance by utilizing prospect and uncertainty theory in predicting the short-term impacts of the epidemic.

INITIAL STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON BUSINESS SURVIVAL AMONG SINGLE MOTHER ENTREPRENEURS: DOES DIGITAL MARKETING MATTER?

Since 2019, the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has hit the whole world significantly and has been one of the worst nightmares for us. Single mother entrepreneurs have been one of the most affected groups due to COVID-19, and this group's gradual implementation of technology is called for. This article aims to determine the pandemic's implications for SMPs and whether they have taken any new strategies or changes for the survival of their business. Adopting a qualitative research approach, an open group discussion has been conducted at Padang Jawa, Klang. A total of seven SMPs have been interviewed. The COVID-19 Movement Control Order (MCO) impacts on single mother entrepreneurs and strategies have been divided into two sections: the entrepreneur's perspective on COVID-19 and their current view and approach to facing the pandemic. © School of Engineering, Taylor's University.

Direct Admission Versus Secondary Transfer for Patients Treated with Mechanical Thrombectomy in Our Comprehensive Stroke Centre - Has Our Relocation Been Justified?

Background and Aims: Mechanical thrombectomy can only be performed in comprehensive stroke centres (CSC) which provide onsite interventional radiology and neurosurgical services. The benefits of direct admission to a CSC versus secondary transfer following initial admission to a stroke unit without MT service are heavily contested. Nottingham University Hospitals provides the East Midlands' Mechanical Thrombectomy (MT) service in the United Kingdom. With an aim to reduce the number of transfers for patients eligible for MT within the region, we relocated our stroke services from Nottingham City Hospital (NCH) to Queens' Medical Centre (QMC), a major trauma centre with on-site interventional services in July 2020. Method(s): We compared timings of stroke assessment and outcomes for consecutive patients transferred from NCH to those who were directly admitted to QMC after the change in our service model. Result(s): 101 patients admitted from Nottingham underwent MT between January 2019 and January 2022. For patients transferred (n=48) and patients directly admitted (n=53) respectively: average time from CT scan to groin puncture were 163 and 151 minutes;reperfusion rates (TICI>2a) were 100% and 96%. The median modified Rankin Score on discharge were 3.5 and 3.6 respectively. Conclusion(s): Although shorter imaging-to-groin puncture time was demonstrated post-relocation, comparable functional outcomes were seen between patients transferred and directly admitted to our CSC. This could be attributed to an increased time window of MT eligibility from 6 to 24 hours post symptom onset after our relocation. Further studies are required to establish its effects and explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our stroke service.

ISOLATION AND MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF ACINETOBACTER BAUMANNII IN COVID-19 PATIENTS

This study was conducted to investigate isolation and molecular identification of Acinetobacter baumannii in COVID-19 patients from clinical specimens includes, sputum, lower respirayory secretion of patients admitted to Medical Teaching City and Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, Al-Hussein teaching hospital in Karbala, with study the rate of biofilm formation in Acinetobacter baumannii. In addition to investigate the to determine the frequency of responsible virulence genes. During a period from the first of October 2020 to the end of May 2021. A total of 100 respiratory patients 25 patients positive A. baumannii enrolled in this study, patient’s age ranged from (≤ 25-88) year, 9 female and 16 male. A. baumannii were isolated and diagnosed primarily by characteristic features on culture media and biochemical tests then by VITEK 2 system to confirm diagnosis. A total of (25%) Acinetobacter baumannii were isolated in this study. The highest proportion (21%) of Acinetobacter baumannii was from sputum specimens, which include 27.59% in males and 21.43% in females, followed by (4%) in lower respiratory secretion of patients, which is all from males. According of infection a 25 A. baumannii isolated from covid-19 patients. the result showed that positive of A. baumannii 9 (36.0%) of isolated respiratory patients of Negative covid-19, while 16(64.0%) of positive A. baumannii of positive covid-19. In present study, out of 16 isolates of Covid 19 patient that were ITS gene (68.80%). In conclusion, high frequency of Acinetobacter baumannii infection was observed among (>45 year) and covid-19 patients.

Small and Medium Business Resilience Framework : A systematic review

A business resilience framework is an organization's ability to generate responses to uncertain events and be competitive with large profit-making companies. This systematic literature review focuses on the business resilience framework among small and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs) to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and sustain business performance, which can be recognized as the factors in determining business performance and sustainability. Although the study could not cover all SMEs in Malaysia due to a lack of reporting, it is still significant. The study could assist businesses in developing resilience strategies through which they can respond to uncertain environments.

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS TO SHORTAGE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY ON CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY RESPONSE

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in declining global economy in many sectors, including the manufacturing of personal protective equipment (PPE), as a result of factory lockdowns, restriction of movement and social distancing. At the peak of infection, the demand of PPE superseded the supply causing an alarming crisis capacity. Contingency plans to ensure continuous PPE availability at hospitals or clinical centres were critical to safeguard health care workers and the front-line personnel. Best practice guidelines from the Ministry of Health were followed and adjusted to local setting to optimise the use of PPE. Many contributions were made by the citizens to overcome this pandemic, and this section discusses the responses from other organizations and communities. Reachout programmes to the community, corporate and non-governmental organisations were part of the strategy to overcome the critical PPE supply. Promotional flyers to attract donation, resources and man power for “do-it-yourself” PPE projects were some of the initiatives taken at our institute. This article highlights the challenges and solutions to PPE shortages, including corporate and community’s rapid and enormous response at the age of COVID-19 pandemic experienced at the Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia. © Penerbit UMT

Digitalization of Business for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

Digitalization is critical for the long-term viability of small businesses in the new economy. As global digitalization accelerates, Malaysian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) must embrace the digital economy to contribute to economic growth. A critical issue confronting SMEs in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic is adopting a digital business model. This study examines the importance of embedding digital technology into business models among SMEs, which has been shown to increase long-term productivity and sustainability. Technology adoption will help close the productivity gap between SMEs and large corporations by increasing capacity and capability for greater competitiveness and innovation.

Correlation between Helicobacter pylori Infection and COVID-19

Aims COVID-19 and Helicobacter pylori are pathogens associated with the most common viral and bacterial infections globally. The coinfection of pathogenic bacteria and COVID-19 represented a true health challenge. The current study aimed to estimate the incidence of H. pylori in patients with COVID-19. Materials & Methods This experimental study was conducted in Karbalaa’s COVID-19 Isolation Center from Feb. 2021 to July 2021, 130 COVID-19 patients were entered the study. A control group of 130 seemingly healthy people of similar ages and sexes was also enlisted in this research. COVID-19-infected patients were confirmed by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction device. The samples were processed for total WBCs, and neutrophils were automatically computed. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 software by independent T and Chi-square tests. Findings COVID-19 infection was more frequent in males than females, especially between 15 and 25 years. The COVID-19 patients were detected to have increased neutrophils count (p<0.0001) and decreased lymphocytes compared to the healthy persons (p<0.0001). A significant correlation between H. pylori and COVID-19 was discovered, especially in females. COVID-19 infection was more frequent in males than females, especially between 15 and 25 years. The COVID-19 patients were detected to have increased neutrophils count (p<0.0001) and decreased lymphocytes compared to the healthy persons (p<0.0001). A significant correlation between H. pylori and COVID-19 was discovered, especially in females. Conclusion H. pylori-infected patients are more susceptible to COVID-19 than other persons without H. pylori infections. Copyright © 2021, the Authors.

A Greedy-based Algorithm in Optimizing Student’s Recommended Timetable Generator with Semester Planner

Semester planner plays an essential role in students’ society that might help students have self-discipline and determination to complete their studies. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they faced difficulty organizing time management and doing a manual schedule. It resulted in substantial disruptions in learning, internal assessment disturbances, and the cancellation of public evaluations. Hence, this research aims to optimize the recommended semester planner, Timetable Generator using a greedy algorithm to increase student productivity. We identified three-set control functions for each entered information: 1) validation for the inserted information to ensure valid data and no redundancy, 2) focus scale, and 3) the number of hours to finish the activity. We calculate the priority task sequence to achieve the best optimal solution. The greedy algorithm can solve the optimization problem with the best optimal solution for each situation. Then, we executed it to make a recommended semester planner. From the test conducted, the functionality shows all the features successfully passed. We validate using test accuracy for the system’s reliability by evaluating it compared to the Brute Force algorithm, and the trends increase from 60% to 100%. © 2022, International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications. All Rights Reserved.

A group of homoeopathic medicines for COVID-19: A systematic review of clinical features

Background: Historically, several homoeopathic medicines are known to have attributed a significant role in the control and management of infectious epidemic diseases. Objectives: This study aimed to compile a list of prospective homoeopathic medicines for the treatment and prophylaxis of the COVID-19 epidemic by conducting a systematic review and statistical analysis of clinical characteristics of this emerging coronavirus disease. Materials and Methods: A> systematic review protocol was developed according to the reporting items of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Articles for review were selected from PubMed, World Health Organization database, MedRxiV, and BioRxiv. Studies in English and simplified Chinese from December 2019 to March 26 2020 were included. Data on clinical characteristics, laboratory and CT chest results of COVID-19 were extracted and analysed. Several symptoms and their intensity were statistically analysed. Results: Seventy-three studies were included. Amongst COVID-19 patients, fever (119.869 ± 24.425 [95% confidence intervals: 71.149-168.589]), dry cough (91.028 ± 19.555 [52.007-130.050]) and dyspnoea (24.594 ± 5.949 [12.722-36.465]) were the most common symptoms. Leucopenia (16.06 ± 5.07 [5.95-26.18]) in blood, ground-glass opacity (62.23 ± 18.82 [24.74-99.72]), patchy (21.48 ± 12.36 [3.13-46.11]) and consolidation (18.67 ± 9.18 [0.373-36.968]) in the lungs were observed. The selected sign and symptoms were repertorised, which resulted in a list of multiple homoeopathic medicines as potential medicines for COVID-19, led by Arsenic Album (94.59%) and Bryonia alba (91.89%). Conclusion: Considering the current clinical manifestations, this is a pioneer study related to finding a plausible list of homoeopathic medicines that might help the profession in the treatment as well as to select a prophylactic of COVID-19 disease. © 2021 Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy ;Published by Wolters Kluwer-Medknow.

Recent development in the formulations of ginger for therapeutic applications and an overview towards the action on sars-cov-2

Ginger or Zingiber officinale, Roscoe of the Zingiberaceae family is a rhizome that is widely found and most consumed in South east Asian countries;also used as a traditional remedy to treat various ailments like nausea, vomiting, pain, arthritis, indigestion, gastro reflux, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, microbes, cancer, inflammation, oxidation, and wounds to name some of its activity which is based on the various chemical constituents present in ginger as it is found to contain more than 400 different compounds which include sugar, protein, and fats. The major phenolic active constituents of ginger are 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol and 6- paradol;which are safe and showing only a few insignificant adversarial effects. Here, this review aims to summarize and discuss the ideas on how ginger is formulated and improve from conventional to novel formulations using novel techniques;to improve the pharmacological, biopharmaceutical and chemical properties of ginger extract and its compounds. Different novel formulations of ginger like a tablet, capsule, powder, cream, gel, transdermal patch, nanoparticles, liposomes and phytosomes along with its therapeutic actions that were developed in recent years. Future aspects in research are suggested for the advances in the novel formulation of ginger using each isolated compound and improving bioavailability, therapeutic effect, and delivery. Also, this article discusses the in silico studies that have been carried out for ginger and its phytochemicals that may be considered as potential agents in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2.

Impacts of COVID-19 on the finfish aquaculture industry of Bangladesh: A case study

The COVID-19 outbreak, and the onset of a new normal, has shocked every entrepreneurial sector in Bangladesh including the burgeoning aquaculture sector. To unpack the COVID impacts on finfish aquaculture, two online based surveys were performed in Mymensingh, Bangladesh using structured questionnaires with 40 farmers to assess the economic feasibility of aquaculture farming, and 120 middlemen of the supply chain to unpack market instability. This was followed up with a further open-ended survey done with 120 consumers to gain a clear view of the marketing insights. Our study has revealed that COVID has resulted in a squeeze on profit for the finfish farmer and has opened up inequalities within the supply chain. Benefit-cost ratio analysis of farming reveals that although carp and other catfish farming remain close to the break-even level, pangasius and tilapia farming was potentially putting the farmers in debt. Whilst the consumers are now paying higher prices for pangasius and carp, and slightly reduced prices for tilapia and other catfish, the finfish farmers were receiving less profits. By contrast, the middlemen have increased their selling prices, presumably to offset increased costs and maintain profitability. To compensate rising operational costs and reduced income, farmers have reduced labor costs through reduction in number of staff and their wages. However, this compensation tool risks frustrating working-class people in rural areas and posing huge socio-economic burdens. Finally, the economic difficulties and a lack of support to process fish imposed by COVID restrictions have switched consumer's attitudes regarding fish as their protein source preference. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

To scan or not to scan - D-dimers and computed tomography pulmonary angiography in the era of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had many ramifications on healthcare delivery and practice. As part of this, utilising biomarkers to risk stratify patients has become increasingly popular. During the COVID-19 pandemic the use of D-dimer has increased due to the evidence of COVID-19 induced thrombo-embolic disease. We evaluated the use of D-dimer on all hospital admissions during the peak of the pandemic and evaluated its sensitivity in diagnosing pulmonary embolic disease (PE). Patients without COVID-19 infection were as likely to have evidence of PE as their COVID-positive counterparts. However, the sensitivity of a D-dimer was higher in COVID-positive patients at a lower D-dimer level (>1,500 µg/L, sensitivity 81%, specificity 70%) than in those without clinical, immunological or radiological evidence of COVID-19 infection (D-dimer >2,000 µg/L, sensitivity 80%, specificity 76%). These data suggest higher D-dimer thresholds should be considered for the exclusion of pulmonary emboli.

Novel coronavirus: A newly arranged mini-review

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was originally known as a virus that infects animals and rarely can be transmitted to humans in large populations, is now transformed into one of the most feared pandemics causes worldwide. Infection by a virus that is officially known as COVID-19 has caused global concern mainly due to the number of deaths caused. Since it was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019, now COVID-19 has spread to almost all parts of the world with a very rapid spread rate. The main symptom of this infection is a respiratory disease accompanied by other symptoms that resemble flu-like illness. Everyone can suffer from COVID-19, but the elderly, toddlers, pregnant women, and people with certain diseases and disorders of the immune system show more severe symptoms. The disease is transmitted through inhalation or contact with droplets, where the incubation period ranges from 2 to 14 days. Until now, specific therapy to treat COVID-19 has not been found, with preventive measures taken to control its spread. In this mini-review, we will explain important information related to COVID-19. Copyright © 2020 Siwani Devi, Kishan Tripathi, Mohammad Mukim, Vidhi Jain, Nesar Ahmad, Noorul Hasan, Prashant Kumar Singh, Mohammad Khalid. Published by Institute for Research and Community Services Universitas Muhammadiyah Palangkaraya. This is an Open Access article under the CC-BY-SA License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).