The incidence of metabolic syndrome amongst Qatar migrants 24 months post-migration: a prospective longitudinal observational cohort study.

Background and Objective: Evidence indicates that migration to Western countries is associated with increased metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk. There is, however, a scarcity of data about MetS incidence in migrants to Middle Eastern countries. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between migration and the incidence of MetS following a 24-months residency in Qatar. Method: Following the necessary ethics approvals, migrants to Qatar aged 18–65 years were invited to participate. Baseline screening for MetS parameters included glycated haemoglobin, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference. Migrants with normal metabolic parameters were invited for rescreening 24-months post-migration and, parameters repeated. Those with abnormal metabolic parameters were counselled or referred for medical review and excluded from follow up. Main outcome measures: The incidence of metabolic syndrome amongst initially metabolic syndrome-free moigratns, 24-months post migration. The determinants of MetS andMetS elements among Qatar migrants, 24 months post migration. Results: Four hundred seventy-two consented to participate of 1379 identified. 205 (43.4%) migrants had normal metabolic parameters at baseline and were recalled 24 months post-migration, with 160 completing follow-up. The incidence of MetS within this group rose to 17% (n=27/160, 95% CI; 11.0%–23.0%) and 81% (n=129/160) developed at least one element of MetS following 24 months in Qatar. Conclusion: Migration to Qatar was associated with the development of MetS after 24 months of migration. Further studies are required to determine the risk factors and the predictors of MetS amongst migrants to Qatar

The Vehicle, Spring 1976

Table of Contents PhotoJim Painterpage 1 The City is the Black Man\u27s LandCharles (Omar) Davispage 2 NIGGER!Sibyl Burrellpage 2 EssayEl-Edrisi Assibaipage 3 PhotoTom Tieffenbacherpage 3 The Gypsy GhostBill Vermillionpage 4 PhotoTom Tieffenbacherpage 5 PhotoTom Tieffenbacherpage 6 e.e.,H.M. (Wendy) Smithpage 7 Fair LovingGary Thomaspage 7 PhotoTom Tieffenbacherpage 7 Night and Summer in Two WorldsBarry Smithpage 8https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1034/thumbnail.jp

Is there a role for the pharmacist in screening for metabolic syndrome?

Evidence for a pharmacist role in the screening of MetS has been shown to be effective in at risk populations. Despite migrants being an at risk group for the development of MetS, no literature has described screening of migrants by pharmacists. The aim of this research was therefore to identify the impact of the pharmacist role in screening migrants on arrival in a Middle Eastern country and following 24 months of residency in the Middle East. This was a prospective longitudinal observational study. Migrants aged 18–65 years were informed about the research by pharmacists and consented to participate. Baseline screening for MetS risk factors was conducted. Parameters included glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), blood pressure (BP) and waist circumference (WC). All migrants with identified metabolic abnormalities at this screening stage were referred to physicians by the pharmacist for further management. Migrants with normal metabolic parameters at baseline were invited to be re-screened by pharmacists. This will allow identification of an increase in any incidence of MetS, and will allow for earlier intervention and management. Of the 1379 identified migrants, 460 consented to participate; 70% were men and 82.2% (378) were Asians. Pharmacist-led screening revealed 13.9% (64) with abnormal BP, 6.7% (31) with pre-diabetes, 21.4% (91) with elevated TG, 25% (115) with low HDL–C and 47% (219) with high WC. 16% (75) were found to have MetS and were referred to the physician for follow-up. These participants were consequently identified as at risk for development of MetS at a much earlier stage. A total of 199 migrants with normal metabolic parameters will be followed-up following 24 months of residency in the Middle East. Throughout the study, migrants with metabolic abnormalities were referred by pharmacists to physicians for further management. The study indicates that pharmacist screening is effective for early identification and potential early management of MetS in this migrant population

Biofuel production using thermochemical conversion of heavy metal-contaminated biomass (HMCB) harvested from phytoextraction process

Over the past few decades, bioenergy production from heavy metal-contaminated biomasses (HMCBs) has been drawing increasing attention from scientists in diverse disciplines and countries owing to their potential roles in addressing both energy crisis and environmental challenges. In this review, bioenergy recovery from HMCBs, i.e. contaminated plants and energy crops, using thermochemical processes (pyrolysis, gasification, combustion, and liquefaction) has been scrutinized. Furthermore, the necessity of the implementation of practical strategies towards sustainable phytoextraction and metal-free biofuels production has been critically discussed. To meet this aim, the paper firstly delivers the fundamental concepts regarding the remediation of the brownfields using phytoremediation approach, and then, reviews recent literature on sustainable phytoextraction of heavy metals from polluted soils. Thereafter, to find out the possibility of the cost-efficient production of metal-free biofuels from HMCBs using thermochemical methods, the impacts of various influential factors, such as the type of feedstock and metals contents, the reactor type and operating conditions, and the role of probable pre-/post-treatment on the fate of heavy metals and the quality of products, have also been discussed. Finally, based on relevant empirical results and techno-economic assessment (TEA) studies, the present paper sheds light on pyrolysis as the most promising thermochemical technique for large-scale electricity and heat recovery from HMCBs

Anti-inflammatory Components from Functional Foods for Obesity

Obesity, defined as excessive fat accumulation that may impair health, has been described throughout human history, but it has now reached epidemic proportions with the WHO estimating that 39% of the world’s adults over 18 years of age were overweight or obese in 2016. Obesity is a chronic low-grade inflammatory state leading to organ damage with an increased risk of common diseases including cardiovascular and metabolic disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, osteo-arthritis and some cancers. This inflammatory state may be influenced by adipose tissue hypoxia and changes in the gut microbiota. There has been an increasing focus on functional foods and nutraceuticals as treatment options for obesity as drug treatments are limited in efficacy. This chapter summarises the importance of anthocyanin-containing fruits and vegetables, coffee and its components, tropical fruit and food waste as sources of phytochemicals for obesity treatment. We emphasise that preclinical studies can form the basis for clinical trials to determine the effectiveness of these treatments in humans

Sustainability Analysis of Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC Based Restoration of Degraded Land in North India

Restoration of marginal and degraded lands is essential for regaining biodiversity and ecosystems services, and thereby attaining UN-Sustainable Development Goals. During the last few decades, many fast growing and hardy trees have been introduced worldwide to restore the marginal and degraded lands for ecosystem stability. Unfortunately, most of these introduced species have become invasive and invaded the nearby productive systems, leading to significant biodiversity loss and land degradation. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct a sustainability analysis of the introduced species for necessary course correction and also for preventing the future utilisation of such species for land restoration. With this backdrop, the present study was conducted to analyse the socio-ecological impacts of a widely used species, i.e., Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC based restoration of degraded land of Lucknow, North India. For this, ecological (soil quality and plant biodiversity) and social (livelihood) indicators have been studied over a period of two years (2015–16) through direct field sampling and questionnaire-based surveys. While there was a positive difference (p < 0.01) in the key physico-chemical properties of the P. juliflora-invaded soil than the non-invaded site, the belowground microbial load was significantly lower (19.46 × 106 g−1 of soil) in invaded land as compared to the non-invaded one (31.01 × 106 g−1). Additionally, the invasion of P. juliflora had significantly reduced the biodiversity by displacing the local flora such as Achyranthes aspera L., Amaranthus spinosus L., Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers, Euphorbia hirta L., etc. The invaded area had only eight plant species having an effective number of species (ENS) of 7.2, whereas the non-invaded area had the presence of 26 plant species with an ENS of 23.8. Although the local people utilised P. juliflora as fuelwood mostly during summer and winter seasons, the invasion resulted in a fodder deficit of 419.97 kg household−1 y−1 leading to resource scarcity in the invaded area in comparison to the non-invaded area. Ecodistribution mapping clearly showed that P. juliflora is already found in most of the tropical and subtropical countries (~103) including in India and has become invasive in many countries. Therefore, we recommend that P. juliflora must be wisely used for the land restoration programs targeted during the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) as this species has invasive traits and thereby reduces the ecosystem sustainability of the invaded areas

The Vehicle, Spring 1976

Table of Contents PhotoJim Painterpage 1 The City is the Black Man\u27s LandCharles (Omar) Davispage 2 NIGGER!Sibyl Burrellpage 2 EssayEl-Edrisi Assibaipage 3 PhotoTom Tieffenbacherpage 3 The Gypsy GhostBill Vermillionpage 4 PhotoTom Tieffenbacherpage 5 PhotoTom Tieffenbacherpage 6 e.e.,H.M. (Wendy) Smithpage 7 Fair LovingGary Thomaspage 7 PhotoTom Tieffenbacherpage 7 Night and Summer in Two WorldsBarry Smithpage 8https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1034/thumbnail.jp

The effect of migration on the incidence of new-onset metabolic syndrome in migrants to Qatar

Background: There is substantial evidence that migration to Western countries is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) 1 . However, there is a paucity of data on the incidence of MetS in migrants from different countries coming to Qatar. As a result, an important health problem is overlooked, and prevention measures are absent. This study aimed to investigate the effects of migration on the incidence of MetS following 24 months of residency in the Middle East (ME) among a group of migrants employed at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). Methods: This is a prospective longitudinal observational study. Migrants aged 18-65 years who joined HMC from June to December 2017 were invited to consent and participate. Baseline screening for MetS was conducted. Parameters included glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), blood pressure (BP), and waist circumference (WC) measurement. Migrants with normal metabolic parameters at baseline were invited to be rescreened 24 months post-migration. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Consensus Worldwide Definition of MetS was employed to diagnose MetS 2 . Inferential statistics were applied to compare results before and after migration. Throughout the study, migrants with metabolic abnormalities were referred to physicians for further management. Results: Of the 1,379 screened migrants, 472 consented to participate. Of those, only 205 migrants had normal metabolic parameters. The incidence of MetS within the group with normal parameters rose to 17% (n = 27) after 24 months of residing in Qatar. Eighty-one percent (n = 129) developed at least one element of MetS. Migrants receiving medications that potentially induce MetS were more likely to develop MetS (odds ratio OR [(AOR 6.3, p < 0.001); 95% [CI], 0.07-0.59. p = 0.003). Conclusion: The incidence of MetS amongst migrants increases following residency in Qatar however, it is lower than that estimated in many developed countries (3, 4).qscienc