ABSTRACT
Given the severe difficulties and challenges being faced during the current COVID-19 pandemic, agribusinesses must consider alternative means to market and sell agriproducts using e-commerce and advanced technologies. Agricultural e-commerce that utilizes advanced technologies can promote sustainable economic growth and gender equality and, therefore, helps achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It also allows farmers access to new markets where they can bypass intermediaries, leading to higher income, less waste, and fresher produce for customers. The usefulness of using agricultural e-commerce depends on the efficiency of addressing the emerging challenges from merging perspectives of agricultural and e-commerce fields. Literature reviews addressed both fields from different perspectives, however, most literature addresses the agriculture and e-commerce fields separately, leading to unclarity in understanding the differences between agriproducts and other products. This study aims to present a comprehensive and robust roadmap of technological advancements and challenges in agricultural e-commerce through a thorough bibliometric and content analysis and provide a conceptual architecture for best practices. The bibliometric and content analysis sheds light on the agricultural e-commerce categories, challenges, and limitations. This study identifies the most influential research and topic trends, determines the topical discipline areas, and provides visions and directions for future research in the field of agricultural e-commerce. It discusses the challenges of agricultural e-commerce and agriproducts and how advanced technologies help solve such challenges. This study summarises the best practice implementation of agricultural e-commerce by providing strong logistics, implementing standardization, including information knowledge of agriproducts, and creating a traceability information system. The result of this paper is presented as a proposed conceptual architecture for agricultural e-commerce that addresses the abovementioned best practice concepts and utilizes the Blockchain and IoT technologies to provide innovative solutions for the agricultural e-commerce stakeholders. Finally, this study provides prospects for future research on advanced technologies in agricultural e-commerce.
ABSTRACT
The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) imparted unprecedented negative impact worldwide since it was declared as a global pandemic in 2020 due to its high infectivity and mortality rate. Consequently, those who have been infected with COVID-19 experienced significant amount of social stigma which resulting in deterioration of mental well-being. Hence, this study aimed to translate the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue Stigma Scale (EMIC-SS) into Malay and investigate the reliability and validity of the Malay version (EMIC-SS-M) among COVID-19 survivors in Malaysia. Initially, concurrent translation and back translation of the EMIC-SS was conducted followed by the assessment of its face and content validity. Then, the EMIC-SS-M was administered to 219 COVID-19 survivors recruited from three targeted centers for assessment of its reliability (internal consistency) and validity (convergent and discriminant validity, exploratory factor analysis [EFA] and confirmatory factor analysis [CFA]). The EMIC-SS-M reported an acceptable internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha of 0.727, while its domains reported acceptable Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.708 to 0.795. EFA and CFA confirmed that the EMIC-SS-M consisted of 15 items in 4 domains. The EMIC-SS-M exhibited good psychometric properties and ready for use to assess stigma among COVID-19 survivors in Malaysia. It can be adapted for use to assess stigma in other disease conditions among the Malaysian population in future studies. Copyright © 2022, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Mucosal immunity, including secretory IgA plays a vital role in host defence against respiratory pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, this study aims to analyse salivary IgA in response to the COVID-19 vaccines such as BNT162b2, CoronaVac, and AZD1222 in convalescents (RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19) and naive subjects (non-infected COVID- 19) before receiving their second dose. Material(s) and Method(s): Saliva was collected in a sterile container, centrifuged and stored at -80 degreeC until analysis. Salivary IgA was detected using an Anti-SARS-CoV-2 ELISA (IgA) kit (Euroimun-Lubeck, Germany). Result(s) and Conclusion(s): The study involved 281 participants, with 145 convalescents and 136 naive subjects. Before receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, 81.4%, 15.2%, and 3.4% of the 145 convalescents had positive, negative, and borderline results, respectively. Then, before receiving the second dose, 100% positive results were observed with the salivary IgA ratio median of 4.95, 2.71 and 3.32 among BNT162b2, CoronaVac and AZD1222, respectively. There was evidence of a difference in salivary IgA ratio between BNT162b2, AZD1222 and CoronaVac (p < 0.005). However, there was no evidence of a difference in salivary IgA ratio between CoronaVac and AZD1222. For naive subjects, 95.7%, 30.2% and 83.0% showed positive results before receiving the second dose of BNT162b2, CoronaVac and AZD1222, with the salivary IgA ratio median of 1.63, 0.74 and 1.43, respectively. There was evidence of a difference in saliva IgA ratio between BNT162b2 and CoronaVac as well as AZD1222 and CoronaVac (p < 0.005). However, no significant difference was observed between BNT162b2 and AZD1222. After the first dose of vaccination, the vaccines significantly increased the production of salivary IgA in convalescent compared to naive subjects.
ABSTRACT
Events are crucial to the industry’s growth and economic benefits. Nearly 1.5 billion people visit corporate events each year across the world. Even though the event was formerly regarded as the industry’s fastest-growing segment, it is currently undergoing a significant transformation and shift because of the COVID-19 epidemic. Businesses are embracing digital marketing to communicate with their customers during this pandemic catastrophe. As a result, the pandemic has an impact on core ideas and marketing innovations. The objective of the research is to look at the effects of digital marketing in the event industry in Malaysia and the United States (USA) during covid-19. Samples of the study were consumers who attended virtual events in Malaysia and the United States (USA) for a period of two years following the pandemic Covid-19 from 2019 to 2021. This study used a survey questionnaire to obtain the primary data. The study’s findings revealed that digital marketing had an impact on attitude, brand awareness, and trust. Whereas trust is the most critical factor for Malaysian participants, attitude is the most important factor for American participants in generating an intention to attend the event. This study recommends that event planners to develop digital marketing strategies that keep up with new technology developments and shifting customer expectations © 2022. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies.All Rights Reserved.
ABSTRACT
Cressa cretica (Shuwwayl) is a halophytic that belongs to Convolvulaceae, naturally grown in the Middle East including Iraq. Traditionally the plant is used as a paste for sore treatment, also it is used for fever, jaundice, and other illness. Regarding nonclinical use it is used as goat, sheep, and camel feed also as an oil source. Flavonoids including quercetin, kamepferol, apigenin, and their glycosides, phenolic acid as chlorogenic acid, and phytosterols mainly β–sitosterol were the most important phytochemicals that were detected in this halophyte. Crude ethanolic, methanolic extracts and ethyl acetate fraction of the areal parts were used in clinical studies and demonstrated various effects as hepatoprotective, cytotoxic, and genotoxic effect. In molecular docking studies, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid showed antiviral effect vs SARS-CoV-2 (sever acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2). The purpose of this review was to clarify and discuss all aspects regarding Cressa cretica. © 2021 University of Baghdad - College of Pharmacy. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Recently emerging pandemic SARS CoV-2 conquered our world since December 2019. Continuous efforts have been done to find out effective immunization and precise treatment stetratigies. A way from therapeutic options that were tried in SARS CoV-2, an increased attention is directed to predict natural products and mainly phytochemicals as collaborative measures for this crisis. In this review, most of the mentioned compounds specially flavonoids (biacalin, hesperidin, quercetin, luteolin, and phenolic (resveratrol, curcumin, and theaflavin) exert their effect through interfering with the action of one or more of this proteins (spike protein, papain-like protease, 3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase) that are involved in viral life cycle beside the anti-inflammatory effect of these compounds. The triterpenoids (celastrol, escin and glycyrrhizin) and the alkaloids (lycorine and cepharanthine) mediated their effect mainly through anti-inflammatory activity. Glycyrrhetinic acid (glycyrrhizin metabolite) dawn regulates ACE-2, and reduces protease expression, thus reduce viral entry. This review may be representing an initial step in long path for designing the successful and effective treatment or vaccine for this pandemic. © 2021 University of Baghdad - College of Pharmacy. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The restriction of daily and economic-related activities due to COVID-19 pandemic via lockdown order has been reported to improve air quality. This study evaluated temporal and spatial variations of four major air pollutant concentrations across Malaysia before (March 4, 2020–March 17, 2020) and during the implementation of different phases of Movement Control Order (MCO) (March 18, 2020–May 12, 2020) from 65 official regulatory air quality stations. Results showed that restriction in daily and economic activities has remarkably reduced the air quality in all sub-urban, urban, and industrial settings with relatively small contributions from meteorological conditions. Overall, compared to before MCO, average concentrations of PM2.5, CO, and NO2 reduced by 23.1%, 21.74%, and 54.0%, respectively, while that of SO2 was constant. The highest reduction of PM2.5, CO, and NO2 were observed in stations located in urban setting, where 63% stations showed significant reduction (p <0.05) for PM2.5 and CO, while all stations showed significant reduction in NO2 concentrations. It was also revealed that 70.5% stations recorded lower concentrations of PM2.5 during MCO compared to before MCO, despite that high numbers of local hotspots were observed simultaneously from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Spatial analysis showed that the northern part of Peninsular had the highest significant reduction of PM2.5, while the highest of NO2 and CO reduction were found in stations located in the central region. All pollutants exhibit similar diurnal trends when compared between pre-and during MCO although significant lower readings were observed during MCO. This study gives confidence to regulatory body;the enforcement of strict air pollution prevention and control policies could help in reducing pollution. © 2020, AAGR Aerosol and Air Quality Research. All rights reserved.