Knowledge and attitude pertinent to COVID-19 and willingness to COVID vaccination among medical students of University College of Medicine & Dentistry Lahore

Objectives: To determine the awareness and beliefs of medical students towards Corona disease and the COVID-19 vaccine and to assess the willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted on undergraduate medical students at University College of Medicine and dentistry, University of Lahore (UOL). A self-developed questionnaire containing demographic information, 8 knowledge and attitude items and 11 items for perceptions and willingness to get COVID-19 vaccine was completed by 410 participants.  Results: More than ninety five percent of participants were aware of the cause, mode of transmission and mortality associated with corona disease; however, a handful of them knew about the purpose of using vaccine. Majority of the participants believed that COVID-19 vaccine will be effective and a good way to get protected from the disease. Regarding willingness to get cocid-19 vaccine, more than half of the participants wanted to be the first to get vaccinated but majority were concerned about the safety of COVID-19 vaccine.  Conclusion: The medical students of University College of Medicine and dentistry, University of Lahore (UOL) displayed an adequate level of knowledge and awareness towards COVID-19 and a positive attitude about COVID-19 vaccine. Our study noted a high level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among medical students, yet there were significant concerns about the safety of vaccine

Understanding impulse purchased in facebook commerce-does big five matter?

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of Big Five Model (BFM), the urge to purchase (UP) and urgency (UR) on impulse purchase (IP) in Facebook commerce (F-commerce), with the F-commerce purchase as control variable. So, the research purpose is explanatory as there is an existing model. Probability sampling technique was used in our research and data collection was done through Questionnaires. The sample size was 500 university students of Karachi. So, questionnaires are filled by the students of the different Universities of Karachi. The determination of the study was to classify the relationship of an impulse purchase in Face book commerce and the big five personality traits. In this research we are using correlation research design. Exploration of data was done through PLS (SEM) by performing reliability test, factor analysis and regression analysis test. The study presented that BFM, UP, UR and F-commerce purchase are important predictors of the F-commerce IP. UP is subjective by BFM and UR. BFM has a significant positive relationship with UR. The study confirms that consumer’s personality has great impact towards online buying the really most important factor in order to grab the consumer’s positive attitude towards online buying. In future researchers we can add moderating variables like age, gender and income in the same framework

The impact of COVID-19 on liver transplantation: challenges and perspectives

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presented unique challenges to patients with decompensated cirrhosis awaiting transplant, with respect to accessing medical facilities for routine clinic visits, imaging, laboratory workup, or endoscopies. There was a delay in organ procurement that led to a decrease in the number of liver transplants (LTs) and an increase in the morality of waitlisted patients at the beginning of the pandemic. LT numbers later equalized to pre-pandemic numbers due to combined efforts and adaptability of transplant centers as well as dynamic guidelines. Due to being immunosuppressed, the demographics of LT patients were at an increased risk of infection. Although there is a higher rate of mortality and morbidity in patients with chronic liver disease, LT itself is not a risk factor for mortality in COVID-19. There was no difference in overall mortality in LT patients compared to non-LT patients, and mortality risk factors were the same: age, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and chronic kidney disease. The most common causes of death were respiratory complications. Liver-related deaths were reported in 1.6% of patients. The optimal timing of liver transplantation post-infection depends on various factors, such as the severity of liver injury, the presence of comorbidities, and the progression of the underlying liver disease. There is not enough data available on COVID-19 cholangiopathy and the number of cases that will be seen in the future that will require LT. There are some concerns of lower immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines in LT patients but available evidence suggests that the vaccines are safe and well-tolerated

Understanding impulse purchased in facebook commerce-does big five matter?

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of Big Five Model (BFM), the urge to purchase (UP) and urgency (UR) on impulse purchase (IP) in Facebook commerce (F-commerce), with the F-commerce purchase as control variable. So, the research purpose is explanatory as there is an existing model. Probability sampling technique was used in our research and data collection was done through Questionnaires. The sample size was 500 university students of Karachi. So, questionnaires are filled by the students of the different Universities of Karachi. The determination of the study was to classify the relationship of an impulse purchase in Face book commerce and the big five personality traits. In this research we are using correlation research design. Exploration of data was done through PLS (SEM) by performing reliability test, factor analysis and regression analysis test. The study presented that BFM, UP, UR and F-commerce purchase are important predictors of the F-commerce IP. UP is subjective by BFM and UR. BFM has a significant positive relationship with UR. The study confirms that consumer’s personality has great impact towards online buying the really most important factor in order to grab the consumer’s positive attitude towards online buying. In future researchers we can add moderating variables like age, gender and income in the same framework

Vegetable proteins as encapsulating agents: Recent updates and future perspectives

Abstract The use of proteinaceous material is desired as it forms a protective gelation around the active core, making it safe through temperature, pH, and O2 in the stomach and intestinal environment. During the boom of functional food utilization in this era of advancement in drug delivery systems, there is a dire need to find more protein sources that could be explored for the potential of being used as encapsulation materials, especially vegetable proteins. This review covers certain examples which need to be explored to form an encapsulation coating material, including soybeans (conglycinin and glycinin), peas (vicilin and convicilin), sunflower (helianthins and albumins), legumes (glutenins and albumins), and proteins from oats, rice, and wheat. This review covers recent interventions exploring the mentioned vegetable protein encapsulation and imminent projections in the shifting paradigm from conventional process to environmentally friendly green process technologies and the sensitivity of methods used for encapsulation. Vegetable proteins are easily biodegradable and so are the procedures of spray drying and coacervation, which have been discussed to prepare the desired encapsulated functional food. Coacervation processes are yet more promising in the case of particle size formation ranging from nano to several hundred microns. The present review emphasizes the significance of using vegetable proteins as capsule material, as well as the specificity of encapsulation methods in relation to vegetable protein sensitivity and the purpose of encapsulation accompanying recent interventions

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Biopsy Versus Aspiration for Tissue Sampling Adequacy for Molecular Testing in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Background and Aims: There is limited literature on sample adequacy for molecular testing in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma obtained via endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) fine-needle aspiration (FNA) versus EUS fine-needle biopsy (FNB). We aimed to compare these two modalities regarding sample adequacy for molecular and genomic sequencing. Methods: We reviewed all patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who underwent EUS at Saint Luke’s Hospital from 2018 to 2021. The patients were categorized based on the method of EUS tissue acquisition, specifically FNA or FNB. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted for all cases by cytotechnologists. Results: Out of 132 patients who underwent EUS-guided biopsies, 76 opted for FNA, 48 opted for FNB, and 8 opted for a combination of both. The average number of passes required for FNB and FNA was 2.58 ± 1.06 and 2.49 ± 1.07, respectively (p = 0.704), indicating no significant difference. Interestingly, 71.4% (35) of FNB-obtained samples were deemed adequate for molecular testing, surpassing the 32.1% (26) adequacy observed with FNA (p p = 0.005). Conclusion: Although the number of passes required for cytologic diagnosis did not differ significantly between EUS-FNB and EUS-FNA, the former demonstrated superiority in obtaining samples adequate for molecular testing. Tumor surface area and cellularity were crucial parameters in determining sample adequacy for molecular testing, irrespective of the chosen tissue acquisition modality

Functional roles and novel tools for improving‐oxidative stability of polyunsaturated fatty acids: A comprehensive review

Abstract Polyunsaturated fatty acids may be derived from a variety of sources and could be incorporated into a balanced diet. They protect against a wide range of illnesses, including cancer osteoarthritis and autoimmune problems. The PUFAs, ω‐6, and ω‐3 fatty acids, which are found in both the marine and terrestrial environments, are given special attention. The primary goal is to evaluate the significant research papers in relation to the human health risks and benefits of ω‐6 and ω‐3 fatty acid dietary resources. This review article highlights the types of fatty acids, factors affecting the stability of polyunsaturated fatty acids, methods used for the mitigation of oxidative stability, health benefits of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and future perspectives in detail

Preeclampsia: From Etiopathology to Organ Dysfunction

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy affecting 6–12% of the population. There are various risk factors for the development of preeclampsia, ranging from advanced maternal age to genetics. The proposed etiologies for preeclampsia are abnormal placentation, immunological intolerance, endothelial damage, and genetic inheritance. The pathogenesis includes endothelial activation and dysfunction leading to vasospasm. Preeclampsia is divided into two stages: asymptomatic and symptomatic stages. Preeclampsia causes multiple organ involvement, namely central nervous system, respiratory, cardiovascular, hematological dysfunction, HELLP (hemolysis elevated liver enzymes, low platelets) syndrome, endocrine, renal, hepatic, and uteroplacental dysfunction. These organ dysfunctions increase morbidity and mortality in preeclamptic pregnant patients