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Background: Social media applications and their use among students have increased in the last decade. However, their impact on academic performance remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social media usage and the academic performance of medical students at Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study pertaining to 200 medical students' viewpoints of 2nd to 4th-year medical students of Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College in 2023. A research-made online questionnaire consisting of four demographic questions and three main components was designed to gather data. The data was collected from January to February 2023, and all 300 participants were asked to fill out an informed consent before participating in the study. Finally, 200 participants filled out the questionnaires completely. The Microsoft Office Excel software kit and SPSS Version 24 were used for data analyses. Results: The students' most commonly used applications were YouTube, LMS (Moodle, etc.), Osmosis, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, respectively, with an average of 4 to 5 hours using these applications for educational purposes. The survey also revealed that 54% of participants prefer e-learning, while 46% still value traditional books for comprehension. Using social media for educational activities showed a positive relation with academic performance (P=0.024). Conclusion: It appears that the practical use of social media could significantly influence students' academic performance. According to the findings of this study, YouTube is the most crucial social media platform for students. This suggests that students prefer video-based platforms, and it would be advantageous to consider this for future educational planning and virtual learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the causes and consequences of slope instability around the historical Himalayan town of Joshimath, Uttarakhand, India. The town is in the Higher Himalaya near the Main Central Thrust. The lithology constitutes fissile, shattered and sheared gneiss. Consequently, the slopes are prone to land subsidence and mass wasting. In the last few decades rise in population has led to a surge of infrastructure development, thus causing immense pressure on the finite resources and limited accommodation space on precariously balanced vulnerable slopes. Particularly, the unplanned infrastructure development, lack of adequate drainage and excavation of roads through unstable debris slopes are some of the reasons that seem to have accelerated the ongoing slope instability and land subsidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the correlation between vitamin D levels and cardiovascular health, focusing on hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cardiac dysfunction. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) rank as the leading global cause of death, underscoring the significance of exploring vitamin D's potential role in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system. It discusses vitamin D's mechanisms of action, including genomic and non-genomic pathways, and explores risk factors like smoking, obesity, and hypertension, linked to vitamin D deficiency. Additionally, it delves into its role in regulating the renin-angiotensin system, cardiac hypertrophy, and inflammation. The link between vitamin D supplementation and a lower risk of cardiovascular events, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure, is considered. However, inconsistent results from supplementation trials call for further research to establish efficacy for cardiovascular health. In conclusion, the article emphasizes the importance of vitamin D for cardiovascular well-being and calls for comprehensive studies to explore its therapeutic potential in treating cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Various antiplatelet drugs, such as clopidogrel and ticagrelor, are available on the market for use after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the efficacy of such drugs in patients being managed with therapeutic hypothermia (TH) has always been debated. In light of this controversy, this systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to enhance existing literature. Various databases were searched for potentially relevant studies from inception to April 2023, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for cohort studies and the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized controlled trials. Outcomes of interest included risk of bleeding, stent thrombosis, and all-cause mortality. Five studies were shortlisted for inclusion into the meta-analysis, featuring a total of 245 patients receiving either clopidogrel or ticagrelor. Overall, no significant differences were noted when the use of clopidogrel and ticagrelor was compared in PCI patients being managed with TH. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive meta-analysis comparing the outcomes of clopidogrel and ticagrelor in PCI patients being managed with TH. Despite existing studies claiming an altered efficacy of clopidogrel in such conditions, our meta-analytic findings could not prove this relationship. Due to the limited sample size, further comprehensive and randomized studies are encouraged to arrive at a robust conclusion.