ABSTRACT
Generation Z, who can handle almost everything online, from the picture taken by their mobile phone to purchasing or transferring money. Therefore, using several tech solutions, they are not looking for traditional banking solutions, like the ones where physical presence is needed. Their wish is to obtain secure, fast, easy financial solutions, and services. Additionally, to ensure payments can be easily made and investments are available on hand. All of this being virtually available any time when it is needed, even from their mobile phones and also providing a high-level of personalization possibilities. In our study, we surveyed risk attitudes governing individual investment decisions based on primary research conducted on a large sample size among university students. When surveying risk attitudes, we presented a group of university students studying in Hungary with questions of a test published in an international journal article by John Grable and Ruth H. Lytton (Grable - Lytton, 1999). Between early December 2020 and 15 January 2021, more than 2,000 students filled out our questionnaire. The results of the questionnaire show that risk attitude values among the group of Hungarian university students are in line with international experiences. Primary data collection will continue in the spring of 2021, and it will subsequently allow a comparison to be made between the attitudes to risk and investment of university students from different fields of study. The composition of the questionnaire's respondents will make it possible to survey and compare the 'Z' generation's attitude with that of other generations.
ABSTRACT
Histamine is a major mediator released by the immune system as a result of SARS-CoV-2 virus invasion, that can lead to a cytokine storm and consequently multiple organ failure. In patients who suffer from DAO (Diamine-oxidase) deficiency there are high levels of circulating histamine. Higher histamine release associated with SARS-CoV-2 virus-induced mastocytosis worsens the inflammatory process generated by the infection. Two genes can play a fundamental role: NOS2, which expresses inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2), and AOC1, which encodes diamine oxidase. In the first quarter of 2020, our laboratory received 1353 DAO enzyme test requests (mean value: 11.38±7.65) of which 1029 were requested by physicians and 324 were requested by private patients. In contrast, in the first quarter of 2021, 1925 were requested by physicians and 408 were performed for private patients from the total of 2333 DAO examinations (mean value: 9.58±6.83). Asandwich ELISA technique was used to determine the enzyme activity with two polyclonal antibodies against recombinant DAO. The mean ages of the two groups studied were nearly the same (40.34±15.28 and 39.72±14.52 years). In 2021, we found much more histamine intolerance patients. The relation to SARS-CoV-2 virus infection was suspected. In the first three months of 2021, 63% of all tests already showed low DAO values compared to 54% measured in the previous year. Statistical analysis showed a significance difference (p<0.0001). In the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the DAO levels of studied patients were significantly lower compared to the previous year. The high incidence of histamine intolerance may require further investigation. We still do not know whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection directly contributed to the development of these symptoms of histamine intolerance or exacerbated pre-existing histamine intolerance.