PREBIOTICS AND PROBIOTICS: A FOCUSED REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS IN RESPIRATORY DISORDERS

The principal function of food is to provide sufficient nutrients to achieve healthy diets and give a sense of fulfillment and health to people. The prevalence, seriousness, predicted patterns and economic effects of chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma, COPD, COVID-19, and other such diseases pose a serious public health challenge. The use of, among many other therapies, antibiotics, immunosuppressants, and radiation can induce alterations and influence the gastrointestinal biome. Therefore, it would be a very enticing choice to re-establish microbial balance and avoid disease if favorable microorganisms are introduced in the GIT. Probiotic and prebiotic ingredients have been the focus of substantial studies in recent decades in human nutrition with therapeutic potentials. The number of studies on possible health advantages that come via the use of probiotics and prebiotics has improved dramatically in the last few years. The concept of probiotic products has emerged from a live active culture that enhances the balance of the intestinal microbiota composition and the immunomodulatory capacity of clearly specified strains, to specific results. Prebiotics are short-chain carbohydrates that beneficially alter the composition or metabolism of intestinal microbiota. Therefore, prebiotics is supposed to improve wellness like probiotics but at the same time are economic, less toxic, and easier to introduce into the diet than probiotics. These are used to prevent and cure different medical problems and to encourage general well-being. © 2023,Carpathian Journal of Food Science and Technology. All Rights Reserved.

Sustainable supply chain management performance in post COVID-19 era in an emerging economy: a big data perspective

Purpose: Big data analytics capabilities are the driving force and deemed as an operational excellence approach to improving the green supply chain performance in the post COVID-19 situation. Motivated by the COVID-19 epidemic and the problems it poses to the supply chain's long-term viability, this study used dynamic capabilities theory as a foundation to assess the imperative role of big data analytics capabilities (management, talent and technological) toward green supply chain performance. Design/methodology/approach: This study was quantitative and cross-sectional. Data were collected from 374 executives through a survey questionnaire method by applying an appropriate random sampling technique. The authors employed PLS-SEM to analyze the data. Findings: The findings revealed that big data analytics capabilities play a significant role in boosting up sustainable supply chain performance. It was found that big data analytics capabilities significantly contributed to supply chain risk management and innovative green product development that ultimately enhanced innovation and learning performance. Moreover, innovation and green learning performance has a significant and positive relationship with sustainable supply chain performance. In the post COVID-19 situation, organizations can enhance their sustainable supply chain performance by giving extra attention to big data analytics capabilities and supply chain risk and innovativeness. Originality/value: The paper specifically emphasizes on the factors that result in the sustainability in supply chain integrated with the big data analytics. Additionally, it offers the boundary condition for gaining the sustainable supply chain management. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Impact of Financial Threat on the Change of Investor Behavior: The Moderating Effect of Social Support During Covid-19 in Pakistan

El objetivo de este artículo es investigar los antecedentes de la amenaza financiera y su relación con la inclinación del individuo a cambiar su comportamiento financiero y su estado de salud. La población de estudio comprende a pequeños inversionistas que poseen pólizas de seguros de vida. El diseño de investigación explicativa se utiliza para conocer la relación causal entre todas las variables. Se utilizaron datos primarios recopilados a través de cuestionarios aplicados personalmente a los encuestados. Los encuestados fueron seleccionados al azar y los cuestionarios fueron aplicados de manera apropiada para facilitar la recopilación de datos. Las diferentes técnicas de datos Smart PLS3 se emplearon para las inferencias de datos. Este estudio explora que tanto las dificultades económicas como la ansiedad financiera están efectivamente asociadas con la amenaza financiera, y que la amenaza financiera también se relaciona significativamente con la voluntad de cambiar el comportamiento financiero y la angustia psicológica. La investigación también revela que la amenaza financiera media entre variables independientes y dependientes. La contribución más novedosa de este estudio es el papel del apoyo social, que moderó significativamente la relación entre la amenaza financiera y la voluntad de cambiar el comportamiento financiero. Este estudio hace una importante contribución a la literatura existente sobre las amenazas financieras, brinda excelentes sugerencias prácticas para inversionistas individuales domésticos y destaca los problemas que enfrentan estos pequeños inversores.Alternate :This paper purpose is to investigate the background of financial threat and its relationship to the individual's proclivity to change their financial behavior and health. Study population includes small investors in life insurance policies. Explanatory research design is used to know the causal relationship between all the variables. Primary data collected through questionnaires applied personally to the respondents were used. Respondents were randomly selected and questionnaires were appropriately applied to make easier data collection. Different Smart PLS3 data techniques were used for data inferences. This study explores that both economic problems and financial anxiety are definitely associated with financial threat, and that financial threat is also significantly related to willingness to change financial behavior and psychological distress. This research reveals likewise that financial threat mediates between both independent and dependent variables. The most novel contribution of this study is the role of social support which significantly moderates the relationship between financial threat and the willingness to change financial behavior. This study is an important input in existing literature about financial threats, it provides excellent practical suggestions for household individual investors and highlights the problems experienced by these small investors.

Potential role of curcumin as a treatment option for COVID-19: a review

Severe Acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes CoV disease 2019 (COVID-19) which is presently a pandemic declared by world health organization. Treatment modalities for this disease are being explored. Curcumin the phytoconstituent of Curcuma longa, can be a potential treatment for COVID-19 because various findings suggest its therapeutic properties like antioxidant, antiemetic, antifatigue effects which can potentially manage symptoms and signs of COVID-19, also it has antiviral properties such as impeding the viral binding to host cell as well as replication. It has restrictive actions on viral protease as well and having inhibitory actions on pro-inflammatory cytokine molecules. Thus, it alleviates symptoms due to inflammation such as fibrosis and edema in pulmonary region. Broncho dilatory effects of curcumin as well as suppression of cough via acting on bradykinin thus curcumin can alleviate symptoms such as cough in COVID-19 sufferers. Curcumin also has preventive actionson Cardiovascular and renal damage due to COVID-19. All these potential activities suggest the possible use of curcumin in management of COVID-19. Clinical studies should be considered to explore the same. In this review we highlight the potential therapeutic effects of curcumin against COVID-19.

Black esophagus, upside-down stomach and Cameron Lesions: Complications of a large hiatal hernia

Introduction: Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN) is an emerging cause of gastrointestinal bleeding with an increasing incidence over the past two decades. It appears as a circumferential necrotic lesion encircling the distal esophagus with various proximal extensions. It is most commonly associated with exacerbations of medical co-morbidities such as diabetes, renal failure, coronary disease;however cases of AEN due to mechanical alteration in gut anatomy are exceedingly rare and its prognosis is less defined. We present a unique constellation of AEN, Cameron ulcers (CU), and gastric volvulus from a large paraesophageal hiatal hernia. Case Description/Methods: A 77-year-old female began experiencing abdominal pain and repeated emesis. She had a history of COPD, GERD, episodes of bleeding ulcers, hiatal hernia, malnutrition, and recently COVID-19. She was hemodynamically stable, ill-appearing with tenderness to abdominal palpation and a negative stool guaiac. BP 106/48 mm/Hg, HR 107, requiring oxygen. Investigations revealed WBC 18.5 k/uL, Hgb 9.8 g/dL, and acute renal failure. A CT abdomen revealed complete herniation of the stomach into the posterior mediastinum, dilated esophagus, organoaxial gastric volvulus, and gastric distension [Figure 1 - Pane A-C]. IV fluids, pantoprazole 80 mg, and ondansetron 4 mg were given. An EGD revealed a large hiatal hernia, Cameron ulcers (CU), and necrotic ulceration along the mid-to-lower third of the esophagus. The patient deferred surgical intervention and was discharged home on hospice. Discussion: These constellations represent a common underlying pathophysiologic mechanism that stems from large hiatal hernias and their effect on surrounding structures in our case, precipitated by a paraesophageal hiatal hernia that became too large causing acute gastric volvulus. In severe presentations, the stomach may herniate into the posterior mediastinum known as an upside-down stomach requiring surgery while CU represents trauma to the mucosa from the hernia sliding. In our patient, lower esophagus blood flow traversing through the lesser gastric curvature may have been compromised during gastric necrosis. Simultaneously, sudden gastric stunning from acute outlet obstruction can lead to prolonged acidic bathing of the esophageal mucosa. Often the esophagus can compensate for this by increasing blood flow, however, this is compromised in low-flow states. Limitations of our study include lack of follow-up. A systematic review of all cases of AEN and gastric volvulus are in Table 1.

Clot characteristics in mechanical thrombectomy: Interim analysis of the excellent registry

Introduction: Red blood cell (RBC) rich vs fibrin rich clots have different mechanical properties and greater knowledge about clot composition in the context of clinical, imaging, and procedural factors in mechanical thrombectomy (MT) may help with procedural optimization. The EXCELLENT Registry (NCT03685578) is a prospective, global, multi-center, observational registry of EmboTrap as the first line MT device for large vessel occlusion (LVO). We present an interim analysis of clot collected per pass in the registry. Methods: Five hundred thirty-three clot specimens from 376 subjects were collected by 20 sites and sent for analysis by independent Central Labs under standardized protocol. Analysis was interrupted by COVID-19, but the labs were fully operational as of June 2020 and on track to deliver results for 300 subjects in Q4. At the time of abstract submission, composition data for 234 clots from 163 subjects was available. All available data will be presented at the time of the conference. Results: Cardioembolic etiology (n=100) was associated with lower RBC (40.2 vs 47.2%) and higher fibrin content (31.7 vs 26.7%) compared to large artery disease (n=12). Hyperdense/vessel susceptibility sign (78+, 24-, per independent imaging core lab) corresponded to higher mean RBC content (44.4 vs 34.9%). Treatment with IV tPA (60+, 91-) had no clear impact on clot composition (42.3 vs 40.6% RBC;30.4 vs 30.0% fibrin). Notably, clots retrieved with the first 2 passes of were more RBC rich (42.1 vs 28.0%) and clots retrieved in higher passes had a higher average fibrin content (35.5 vs 29.6%) suggesting that higher fibrin content leads to greater refractoriness. Conclusions: Clot density/susceptibility on baseline imaging, stroke etiology and number ofthrombectomy passes were associated with differential clot composition. These findings may havepotential implications for the development of better MT strategies.

Acute stroke presentations during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Decline in presentations of acute stroke during the early period of COVID-19 pandemic have been reported. We aimed to investigate the stroke presentations during the subsequent months as the pandemic evolved into a second wave. Methods: Data was obtained from a health system with 19 emergency departments (EDs) in northeast Ohio in the United States. Baseline period from January 1 to February 29, 2020, was compared with the individual months during COVID-19 period from March through July. Variables included were numbers of daily stroke alerts across the EDs, thrombolysis, thrombectomy, time to presentation, stroke severity, time from door-to-needle in thrombolysis, and door-to puncture in thrombectomy. The time periods were compared using nonparametric statistics and Poisson regression with month, weekend, and daily COVID cases as independent variables. Results: A total of 2264 stroke alerts from EDs were analyzed between January 1 to July 31, 2020. Total daily stroke alerts decreased from a median of 10 (interquartile range [IQR]:10-13) in January and February to 9 (IQR:6-11, p=0.001) in March, 8(IQR:7-10, p=0.0001) in April, 10 (IQR:8-11, p=0.04) in May, and returned similar to baseline in June (12, IQR:10-13, p=0.5) and July (13, IQR:11-14,p=0.1). In Poisson regression, stroke alert numbers showed no significant association with daily COVID-19 counts, but significant association with months, with rate ratios of 0.74 (95%CI 0.64-0.85) for March, 0.71 (95%CI 0.61-0.82) for April, and 0.86 (95%CI 0.75-0.98) for May, but not with June and July. Time to presentation and stroke severity were unchanged throughout the study period. Thrombolysis volume decreased in March and May but thrombectomy volume was unchanged. Conclusion: We observed a decrease in stroke presentations across emergency departments by about 30% during the early period of COVID-19 pandemic, followed by return to baseline frequency despite a second wave of COVID-19 cases.

The role of digital learning toward students' satisfaction and university brand image at educational institutes of Pakistan: a post-effect of COVID-19

Purpose: This study is undertaken to examine the role of information and communication technology (ICT), e-service quality and e-information quality towards brand image of universities by concentrating on students’ e-learning, e-word of mouth and satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach: The target population was the students of public and private universities in Pakistan. Data collected using an e-questionnaire by 408 students were subjected to PLS-SEM for analysis. Findings: Findings revealed that ICT, e-service quality and e-information quality are positively contributed toward students' e-learning which ultimately leads to create positive e-word of mouth and students' satisfaction. Meanwhile, results also identified that e-word of mouth and students' satisfaction lead to generate a positive brand image of universities. Practical implications: This study has unique implications for universities to develop an e-learning platform to facilitate their students in this situation of COVID-19. It provides guidelines for educational institutions to implement the learning management system effectively with a view to facilitate the students with education. Originality/value: This study has novel contribution in literature in the domain of digital learning. It is unique in a way to integrate the usage of technology with students' e-learning and satisfaction that ultimately create brand image of universities. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.