Category: News Events

2023 is about to end, earlier than a couple of weeks, we shall be in 2024. This blog post at Lahore-UBAS addresses the 2023 health sciences developments. Also, you will learn what you can expect to experience in 2024. The research, development and the inclusion of technology can bring massive improvements in the coming years.  

What were the Expectations from 2023? 

Certain blog posts disclose that at the end of 2022, massive innovations were anticipated in the field of health care and life sciences. Hence, technology became the centre of attention in most of these 2023 look forwards.  

For instance, the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI), big data, nanotechnology, gene therapy, and digital health equipment was the major talk of the town this year.  

Moreover, experts expected to see a thorough shift towards consumerism, in healthcare. With a shift from hospital to home through the use of digital gadgets remained on the top this year.   

Actual 2023 Health Sciences Developments 

Studies disclose that, 2023 witnessed the actual massive developments in the life sciences and health sciences. 

Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) 

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)is the technology that collects, transmits, and shares medical data with the use of a network. The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is the usage of the well-known phenomenon of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the field of medical and health sciences.  

It is expected that the global internet of medical things will grow at the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 28.1 between the period of 2023-2031. the benefits of this latest medical tech are as follows. 

• Increase of Convenience 
• Patient Assessment & Informed Decision-Making 
• Increased IT usage in the Healthcare Industry Worldwide 
• Diverse Market Segmentation 

Longevity Technology 

The world experienced the reduced life expectancy from 2019-2021. This reduction was the major decline after 1950s. Covid-19 and major health problems like cancer, heart disease, and suicides were the significant players.  

Therefore, the experts looked deep to increase the longevity of life with an enhanced quality through the usage of digital technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), wearables, and biosensors, with a combined effort of the development in the genetical environment, psychology, and research.  

AR and VR Usage in Healthcare 

Increased use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in medical education and training is one trend in healthcare technology. In addition, AR and VR can help with surgical procedures, lessen patient discomfort, and help visualize veins.  

According to Research and Markets, an Irish research firm, the global market for AR and VR healthcare is expected to grow by 22.5 per cent between 2023 and 2027, reaching a valuation of $9.79 billion. 

Data Sciences and Standardisation 

With the progress of the internet, it is possible to make informed decisions in a more appropriate way via the use of available data. With the use of medical gadgets and network connections, doctors and healthcare professionals can foresee the medical condition of patients and can suggest the best possible solution or healthcare outlook.  

This all became possible and more common in 2023, using data sciences and data standardisation. The same improves training quality, and patient care, boosts operational efficiency, and reduces the time, money, and laborious costs to major consideration.  

2023 started and progressed with all these future outlooks and is about to end with some deep learning, such as: 

Though generative AI remained the top news, it became evident with the passage of 2023 that it takes two steps ahead and one step back from progress; artificial intelligence is effective, though not a hundred per cent reliable due to many reasons. The challenges are still there but can be worked through.

Look at the 2024 Anticipations 

Now we are heading towards 2024, and according to the expert’s opinion, as published in Forbes, we came to know that you can learn more about the advancements of health care, also, health sciences and life sciences with the following lens.  

Use of Generative AI in healthcare with respect to make personalised recommendations with easy implementation, calculation, and results of the calculations and tests done through the use of artificial intelligence.  

With advancements in genomics and artificial intelligence, experts anticipate analysing patient’s DNA through artificial intelligence and coming up with personalised treatment plans. It is further stated that this can be attained through a deep identification of the DNA structure and problems.  

In 2024, the health sciences and life sciences also look forward towards the AI based assistance. For instance, clinicians can benefit from the guidance that virtual assistants and chatbots can offer on diagnosis, treatments, and prescriptions. In addition, they can assist patients by providing information that will enable them to make better decisions. Espacially regarding their own care and by responding to inquiries about their treatment. They will be used to make and schedule appointments and interface with electronic health record systems more and more. 

Moreover, data sciences can be used effectively in health sciences. You can see the details here.  

Lahore-UBAS Offers Latest Market-Driven Education  

Lahore-UBAS is the university of biological and applied sciences. Our courses are not only approved by the relevant body but also market-driven. Furthermore, our students can get knowledge and practical skills together as Lahore-UBAS also have an on-campus hospital.  

For more details, you can visit our website at Lahore-UBAS. Various undergraduate and graduate programmes are offered.  

Its a Wrap for 2023

2023 is about to end; with the inclusion of technology and artificial intelligence, the health care and life sciences are transforming. This article is just a window to keep our students connected with what world is up to in 2024. This can open doors to research in life and health sciences developments in Pakistan also.  

Have you ever wondered why anyone behaved a certain way? Or do you want to look inside the mind of any person to follow their thought process? If so, you can achieve various benefits from studying psychology at the university level. That will also empower and enhance your career with a professional undergraduate or postgraduate degree. It also comes with expanded market opportunities and ample room for learning. This article will disclose the list of such advantages.   

Learn the Behavioural Dynamics  

Human behaviour is complex. Therefore, choosing a professional degree in psychology at university is a good option, which enables you to understand the behavioural sciences on a vast level. You will get an opportunity to understand human behaviour. You will learn how people think, act, and interact.  

Polish the Interpersonal Skills  

As a result of ample knowledge regarding human nature, human behaviours, and human insights, you would be able to handle people more effectively. Dealing with people is a part of human life. Also, because humans are social animals. We are here as humans for humans.   

Henceforth, opting for psychology at university is also a great idea to polish and enhance your communication skills and deal with people of diversified mindsets.   

Explore Personal Growth   

Addressing and dealing with others is not the only benefit of psychology. Instead, it also enables us to see through our lives and ourselves. Aristotle said, ‘Knowing yourself is the beginning of all the wisdom’.    

These days, there is a strange rise in the number of people with depression and anxiety. The root of all these anxiety problems is the unawareness about us. Knowledge of our lives and our inner selves could be the only way to handle us with much-needed attention and care.   

When you learn to handle and address your needs, work on your weaknesses and strengthen your positives. Everything else starts falling into place.   

Develop and Enhance Critical Thinking  

Another crucial skill to learn in this competitive world is to analyse situations, news, and opinions to get to know the entire point, and the correct decision is to think critically. Enrolling in psychology at university will help you develop critical thinking skills.   

Advanced Learning Opportunities  

With all these dimensions, the psychology at university also opens a gateway towards advanced learning opportunities. Psychology is further divided into various sub-types. For instance, clinical psychology, educational psychology, forensic psychology, cognitive psychology, comparative psychology, health psychology, personality psychology, sports psychology, and community psychology. 

But the list does not end here. The entire list of learning opportunities can be seen here.    

Chance to Serve the Society  

Today, we are living in a fast era and dynamic times. Competition and the race to win is the compound product of this speed. As a result, people often feel pressure with a feeling of negativity in their lives, which affects them massively.   

If you obtain skills through a degree in psychology at university and obtain a license to work as a psychologist, you will get a bright chance to serve society for the better. As a professional psychologist, you will learn that serving the community is way more satisfying and fulfilling.   

Massive Career Dimensions   

Like various learning opportunities, studying psychology at university will also open multiple career dimensions for the graduates. Career development is duly possible in national and international spheres.   

Study Clinical Psychology in Lahore  

Lahore-UBAS offers various courses in biological and applied sciences. BS Clinical Psychology is a one-of-a-kind degree that will comprehensively enrich your life.  It is a four-year-long investment that is totally worth taking the pain. It will polish you in a way that you have never dreamt of.  

Conclusion   

This article sheds light on the comprehensiveness of studying psychology at university. You can get insights into your personality and the people around you and positively handle your surroundings for the better.   

Exploring health sciences through data analytics involves using available real-time information to gain insights, make informed decisions, and improve outcomes in the healthcare domain. We live in the era of modern data sciences, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Hence, it is timely needed to utilise data analytics in health sciences to get advanced knowledge for better implementation decisions. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to approach this exploration.    

Lahore-UBAS offers various study programmes for biology and applied sciences domain. Therefore, this article will upgrade your perspective regarding the benefits and usage of data and data analytics in health sciences to make informed decisions in the life-concerning field.   

Define Objectives and Research Questions  

Clearly define the goals of your exploration or research. What specific aspects of health sciences do you want to analyse or improve through data analytics? Formulate research questions that guide your analysis. In medical or health sciences, research is an integral part of progress. The same is the case with data science research.   

Similarly, it is essential to set objectives and research question formulations when using data analytics in the health sciences domain.    

Identify Relevant Data Sources  

The next step is the identification of reliable data sources. It is always best to check the source of information to have confidence in its data and consequential results. Hence, it is always advised to determine the data types relevant to your research objectives. Data sources can include:  

• Electronic Health Records,   
• Clinical Trial Data,   
• Public Health Databases,   
• Genomic Data, and more.

   

Data Collection and Integration  

In the next step, gather the necessary data from diverse sources. Ensure that the data collected is of high quality, and if needed, integrate data from vast and multi-layered sources to create a comprehensive dataset.  

If data collection from multiple sources is possible in health sciences and health care. It will enhance the credibility of available data. In healthcare, different tools are used for data collection, cleaning, and analysis.  Furthermore, primary data is collected from direct data collection and through books and published research; it is called a secondary data source.   

Data Cleaning and Preprocessing  

Once you collect data from primary or secondary sources, cleaning the data by handling missing values, removing outliers, and addressing any inconsistencies for ready-to-use data is essential. Preprocess the data to make it suitable for data analysis, including normalisation and transformation as needed.  

The primary data here converts into secondary data sources once processed. It stays safe in collective data analytics. Furthermore, for doctors and medical practitioners, it becomes very convenient to trace back the medical history of any patient at any time of need.  

Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)  

Once your data is ready, you can conduct exploratory data analysis to understand the patterns, trends, and relationships within the data. Visualisation techniques can be valuable in gaining insights and identifying potential areas for further investigation. 

Through this method, you can get real-time data regarding the various aspects of any subject of health sciences by processing the data analytics. This technique is equally suitable for various applied sciences.   

Hypothesis Testing and Statistical Analysis  

Now, test the research question you have drafted in the initial stages. Formulate hypotheses based on your research objectives and conduct statistical analyses to test these hypotheses. Determine the significance of observed patterns or relationships.  

In this way, you can draft decisions and gather facts. This will lead you to add up proven theories or rejected statements or myths related to different health science lines and sublines. Hence, you can explore many arenas by using data analytics in health sciences.   

Predictive Modelling and Machine Learning  

Once the statistical results are drafted, it’s time to apply predictive modelling and machine learning algorithms to make predictions or classifications based on your data. This can include predicting patient outcomes, disease risk, or treatment effectiveness. In this way, you can use data analytics, data analytics algorithms and data analytics sources for a longer time. You can also testify to the progress and statements that may be new at any time.   

Clinical Decision Support Systems  

Health Sciences are very closely related to health care. Therefore, data analytics can also be applied and beneficial for the healthcare sector on national and international levels.   

You can develop or integrate data analytics tools into clinical workflows to provide healthcare professionals with real-time information and decision support. This can help in personalised patient care and treatment planning.  

In this way, the workflow would be smoother, and the chance of errors and omissions would be reduced to a greater extent.    

Ethical Considerations and Data Security  

Health sciences and healthcare are both highly sensitive. Hence, ensure compliance with ethical standards and data security protocols, especially when dealing with sensitive health information. Protect patient privacy and adhere to regulations such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Acts (abroad) or any other acts as the local or international laws are concerned.    

Ongoing Analysis and Continuous Improvement  

Data analytics in health sciences is often a continuous process. Therefore, when conducting research in health care or health sciences, it is important to regularly analyse and refine your models based on new data and insights. Stay informed about advancements in both data analytics and health sciences.   

Remember, data and methods can both become obsolete quickly.  The data analytics tools usually utilised in health care are three steps: collection, cleaning, and analysis.  

Collaborate with Domain Experts  

Ensure to work closely with healthcare professionals and domain experts to ensure that your data analytics approach aligns with clinical realities and contributes meaningfully to healthcare outcomes.  

In a nutshell  

By keeping these steps in mind, you can systematically explore health sciences through data analytics. It will help you contribute to advancements in healthcare research, patient care, and overall well-being. In Pakistan, all these things are often practised on manual and outdated procedures, which is both time-consuming and tiring. Furthermore, with data analytics in health sciences, we can work on individual and social improvement in the healthcare sector.  

Diabetes is one of the life-long and non-reversible body malfunctions. In this, the body fails to manage the carbohydrates, and eventually, the glucose levels in the blood rise. When unmanaged, they attack the major organs of humans and often result in complex cardiovascular, kidney, eyesight, and nervous system problems. To spread awareness, the international diabetes federation (IDF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) observe World Diabetes Day 2023.  

World Diabetes Day 2023 

To raise awareness around the globe, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and World Health Organisation (WHO) have joined hands to observe November 14th every year as ‘World Diabetes Day’. This year, WHO aims to emphasise the need for proper professional care for patients with diabetes. Moreover, to pursue a healthy population to live an active and healthy life to stay prevented from this deadly body disease.  

Key Facts About Diabetes in 2023 

Some of the complications and real facts about diabetes are as follows.  

• Type 1, type 2 and Gestational Diabetes are the major types of diabetes. 
• Diabetes type 1 cannot be avoided. It is frequently possible to prevent type 2 diabetes by eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, keeping a normal body weight, and quitting smoking. 
• Diabetes is a leading cause of lower limb amputation, heart attacks, strokes, blindness, and renal failure. 
•  Regular screening and treatment can prevent or delay the consequences associated with diabetes. 
•  To help with early detection, people with diabetes should get routine screenings for complications. This covers routine eye checks, foot assessments, and renal disease screening. 
• According to the latest polls, Type 2 diabetes affects over 500 million people worldwide. Comparably, in Pakistan, about 26.7% of adults have diabetes by 2022, accounting for 33,000,000 people in total.   
• Every 1 in 2 people is an undiagnosed patient with diabetes.  

Diabetes- Body Dysfunction 

Diabetes is a body disturbance that is caused when the body becomes insulin-resistant. Either the body does not produce enough insulin or does not manage it.  

Diabetes Symptoms  

The possible symptoms of diabetes are listed below. If you feel any of these in your body, please get yourself checked for blood sugar testing.   

1. Frequent nighttime urination;   
2. A feeling of extreme thirst;   
3. Sudden and spontaneous weight loss;   
4. Feeling of intense hunger;   
5. Blurred vision or difficulty in focus building;   
6. Tingling or numb hands or feet;   
7. Extreme and constant exhaustion;   
8. Dry skin;   
9. Catching more infections than usual  
10. The wound-healing process is slow  

Causes of Diabetes  

These symptoms are common in patients with diabetes. However, patients with type 2 diabetes may experience them, but they are not detectable at younger ages. The type-2 diabetes develops over time, slowly and gradually. Therefore, some of the risk factors that may lead towards type-2 diabetes are penned below to have an eye on.   

• Age around or above 45  
• Overweight body structure  
• Have a diagnosed type-2 diabetes in biological family (parent, brother, sisters)  
• Less physical activities    
• Presence of non-alcoholic fatty liver.   
• Bad stress management  
• Race and Ethnicity   

Type 1 Diabetes 

Type 1 diabetes is a condition when the body does not produce any insulin or produces less than a body requirement. It is also known as ‘insulin-dependent diabetes’. It is also known as Juvenile Diabetes. However, the other type of diabetes, which is more common in adults and preventable, is Type 2 diabetes.  

Therefore, if a person falls prey to type 1 diabetes, they can manage their blood glucose levels with the help of the following techniques.  

• Insulin Injection 
• Continuous Glucose Monitoring 
• Carbohydrate Monitoring 
• Diet and Nutrition 
• Exercise 

In the following, we shall look at some healthy lifestyle options which can be helpful in avoiding the deadly ailment of diabetes.  

How to Avoid Type 2 Diabetes?  

There is a famous elderly saying: prevention is better than cure. The same applies to type 2 diabetes, as there is no absolute cure for this body disorder. However, we can prevent diabetes type 2 with the following.   

There are some of the factors that are beyond the control; family history, age factor and race and ethnicity are some of them. On the contrary, there are factors which can reduce the risk of diabetes type 2 to the maximum level naturally. You can practice the following easy but constant steps to prevent type 2 diabetes. There is a piece of great news that we can prevent prediabetes and type 2 diabetes with some lifestyle changes.   

Maintain a healthy body weight. Avoid being obese as it increases the risk of being diabetic from 20 to 40 times.   

Active Lifestyle is a healthy lifestyle. Move your muscles and let them work hard to absorb the glucose and use insulin effectively. In this regard, there is no need for heavy workouts twice a week. However, merely a brisk walk of 30 minutes on a regular basis reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 30%  

Furthermore, eat healthy if you want to avoid the development of type 2 diabetes. Choose whole grains and whole grain products instead of processed foods. Replace artificial, sugar-added drinks with water, coffee or tea. Increase the intake of nuts, fruits, and healthy fats like beans, grains, nuts, and fish intake and reduce red meat intake. Furthermore, it would be best if you manage your stress levels on a daily basis. Effective stress management is essential for a sound mind and healthy body.   

Conclusion 

November 14 is observed as the ‘World Diabetes Day’ every year. Diabetes is one of the major reasons of death and disabilities worldwide. Till today, there is no cure for diabetes. Hence, a healthy lifestyle, clean eating and stress management is the only way to prevent diabetes. Let’s decide on World Diabetes Day 2023 to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

If you are interested in studying microbiology, you should also know that it contains a modern sub-field called functional genomics. It contains all the beneficial and advanced knowledge on gene sequencing, genomics, genetic modifications and much more. Moreover, you would be delighted to know that you can study all these knowledgeable aspects at Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences (Lahore-UBAS).  

Additionally, you will gain major concepts of gene functioning of different organisms in our BS Microbiology degree. So, start exploring our amazing degrees and curriculums, and start from here by reading the contents of this article. 

What is Functional Genomics? 

Functional Genomics is a field of microbiology which elaborates on the functioning and interaction of genes and the intergenic regions of the genome that contribute to different biological functions. Furthermore, when a researcher studies this field, they typically study genes or regions on a “genome-wide” scale.  

So, it focuses on dynamic gene expression concerning a specific context (such as at the time of growth or during illness). It particularly studies how the individual components of a biological system work to possess a specific trait in an organism (phenotype). 

Difference Between Genomics and Functional Genomics 

Well, whenever there is a talk of genomics, there is a discussion on functional genomics, too. So, genomics is the study of the whole genome including genes and all the alterations and their implication on the genome. But does it mean all genomics are the same or functional? No, as I described above, it is studied on different levels.  

Levels of Focus of Functional Genomics 

There are a variety of genomics which are functional approaches which are focused on the following levels according to the specifications of the research or study: 

1. DNA Level (genomics and epigenomics) 
2. RNA Level (transcriptomics) 
3. Protein Level (proteomics) 
4. Metabolite Level (metabolomics) 

As this is our main concern here, we should get to know how it differs from genomics. For this reason, read the next heading. 

Thus, genetics studies only a specific gene while genomics deals with the whole genome. But this elaborative field of genomics goes further as it attempts to reveal the secret of nature and how genomics affects health and disease in the complicated environment of our bodies and cells. 

Benefits of Functional Genomics 

Now, if we talk about what will you learn and what beneficial knowledge you can get by studying this field of modern science, then you should read the following advantages here: 

• Improved Disease Understanding 
• Personalised Medicine 
• Biomarker Discovery 
• Drug Discovery 
• Agricultural And Environmental Applications 
• Gene Expression 
• Encoded Protein Functions 
• Genomic Sequence 

Scope of Functional Genomics 

Definitely, this modern field of science is very useful if you want a promising future. Because the scope of this is increasing day by day. We do not know but many microbiologists have contributed to building the future in which we are living. 

Moreover, you may not have any idea, but the vaccines are a gift of the hard work of some renowned microbiologists from all over the world. They made vaccines for yellow fever, polio and most recently, COVID-19. So, yes, this field can never grow old as there is a constant need for new genomics research in Pakistan and also, some of its interventions. 

Therefore, you can work as a professor, a scientist or a researcher in your choice of sub-field (for example, functional genomics) to pursue your career. Furthermore, there are many ongoing projects and startups in this branch of science. 

Genome Projects  

On an international level, in the UK, there have been many projects introduced to study genes, gene sequencing and all the other concerning concepts. In 2012, the 100,00 Genome Project started and it was completed in 2018. And you would be delighted to know that around 20-25% of the participants with rare diseases were diagnosed for the first time. In addition to that, more than half of the cancer participants were found to be eligible for targeted treatment or to join clinical trials. 

Since 2018, Dr Faisal Khan in Peshawar Pakistan has one of the best genomics startups in Pakistan. It is a precision medicine lab concerning the study and research of this topic which tells us that our country is also not behind in implementing the knowledge of the genome. There is other panels such as the Cardiac Genes Panel, Inherited Disorder Panel, HLA panel and others also working in our country.  

Hence, this field is the future of all the biological sciences and if you want to stay up to date on the new applications, then you should consider getting a professional education in microbiology.  

BS Microbiology Teaches Functional Genomics at Lahore-UBAS 

Whoever wants to learn more in detail about the field of functional genomics should study BS Microbiology and where else you can get a better course than at Lahore-UBAS? So, you should fully explore microbiology and all its concerning sub-fields before deciding on your future.  

Upgrade your Concepts of Modern Science with Our Teachings.