Prediabetes and diabetes prevalence and risk factors comparison between ethnic groups in the United Arab Emirates

The economic growth has paralleled the rise of diabetes and its complications in multiethnic population of United Arab Emirates (UAE). Previous studies have shown that characteristics of diabetes is variable across different ethnicities. The objective of this study was to compare diabetes prevalence and risk factors between UAE nationals and different expatriate's ethnic groups in UAE using data from UAE National Diabetes and Lifestyle Study (UAEDIAB). The UAE nationals made one-fourth (n = 797, 25%) of total cohort and the remaining 75% belonged to immigrants. Across different ethnicities, adjusted prevalence of prediabetes ranged from 8% to 17%, while adjusted prevalence of newly diagnosed diabetes ranged from 3% to 13%. UAE nationals, Arabs non-nationals and Asians had the highest number of pre-diabetic as well as newly diagnosed diabetic patients. Adjusted prevalence of diabetes was highest in UAE nationals (male 21% and female 23%) as well as Asian non-Arabs (male 23% and female 20%), where 40% of both groups fell under the range of either prediabetes or diabetes conditions. Multivariate factors of diabetes versus non-diabetes included older age, ethnicities of Asian non-Arabs and local UAE nationals, family history of diabetes, obesity, snoring, decreased level of high density lipoprotein, elevated levels of triglycerides and blood pressure. In conclusion, diabetes prevalence and risk factors vary across the different ethnic groups in UAE, and hence interventions towards identification and prevention of diabetes should not treat all patients alike

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF ZILEUTON AND MK-866 AGAINST HEPATIC DAMAGE INDUCED BY DOXORUBICIN

Objective: The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of Zileuton and MK-886 against hepatic damage induced by doxorubicin. Methods: A total of 30 healthy adult male albino rats were randomized and rats were divided into five groups, six animals in each: Control negative group, Vehicle group: Rats were given ethanol i.p., Dx group: Doxorubicin (15 mg/kg), Mk group: Mk-886-treated rats given 0.6 mg/kg of Mk-886 i.p, and Z group: Zileuton-treated rats given zileuton 10 mg/kg i.p. Biochemical tests of the serum for ASAT and ALAT level were estimated. Serum glutathione (GSH) concentrations (μg/ml) were determined using GSH ELISA Kit, while serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations (ng/ml) were determined using MDA ELISA Kit. Livers were removed from each rat and fixed in 10% neutral-buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin for histopathological studies. Results: MK- and zileuton-treated groups showed higher GSH levels and lower MDA levels as compared with Dx-treated group. MK-886 associated with significant p<0.05 decreased the liver enzymes in comparison with doxorubicin-treated rats. Zileuton showed insignificant (p>0.05) changes. The liver tissues that treated with Dx only showed several histopathological changes such as moderate sinusoidal dilation, vacuolation, mild-to-moderate hepatocyte necrosis/degeneration and inflammatory cell infiltration, and severe congestion. Liver tissues that treated by zileuton with Dx showed sinusoidal dilation, vacuolation, mild congestion, and inflammatory cell infiltration, while those treated with Mk-886 plus Dx showed nearly normal liver pathophysiology. Conclusion: It has been concluded that Zileuton and MK-886 have protective effects against hepatic damage induced by doxorubicin

Incidence of Toxoplasmosis in Psoriasis Patients and Possible Correlation with Tumor Necrosis Factor-α

               المقوسات الكوندية هي طفيليلت اجبارية داخل خلوية وتعتبر طفيليًا غازيا في الأفراد الذين يعانون من نقص المناعة. تهدف هذه الدراسة تحديد مدى انتشار داء المقوسات في مرضى الصدفية. بالإضافة إلى ذلك ، دراسة دور العقاقير البيولوجية ETN في نشاط الصدفية وداء المقوسات من خلال تقييم عامل نخر الورم - ألفا (TNF- α) قبل وبعد العلاج في المرضى من مختلف الأعمار والاجناس.   تم جمع عينات الدم من 130 شخصا من بينهم 60 عينة كمجموعة سيطرة  و 70 عينة لاشخاص مصابين بالصدفية يراجعون مستشفى مدينة الطب في محافظة بغداد من شهرأكتوبر 2017 إلى شهريناير 2018. تم اختبار الأمصال لتحديد الأجسام المضادة لـداء المقوسات (IgM  و IgG) وعامل نخر الأورام - ألفا (TNF- α) باستخدام الإنزيم المرتبط وقد لوحظ أعلى معدل إيجابي للاجسام المضادة لـداء المقوسات (IgG)  في المرضى الذين يعانون من الصدفية قبل المعالجة والتي كانت 45 (64 .29٪) مقارنة مع السيطرة التي كانت 33 (55.00٪) ، في حين كان أعلى معدل إيجابي للمصل ولوحظ للاجسام المضادة لـداء المقوسات (IgM)  في مجموعة السيطرة  14 (23.33 ٪) مقارنة مع المرضى الذين يعانون من الصدفية 10 (14.29 ٪). وفقا للفئات العمرية ، كان معدل الانتشار المصلي لمرض المقوسات الكوندية الأعلى في الفئة العمرية (21-30) سنة في مرضى الصدفية التي كانت 14 (31.82٪). بالإضافة إلى ذلك ، كانت مستويات الـ TNF- α في مرضى الصدفية قبل المعالجة 180.2 ± 2.2 ميكروغرام / مل ، وبعد المعالجة كانت 223.3 ± 41.1 ميكرغرام / مل مقارنة مع مجموعة السيطرة الصحية 90.5 ± 1.9 ميكروغرام / مل. هذه النتائج تشير إلى أن معدل  داء المقوسات هو أعلى في مرضى الصدفية. وبالتالي ، يمكن اعتبار الاصابة بداء المقوسات مؤشرا على ارتفاع مخاطر الإصابة بالصدفية.            Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic parasite in immune-compromised persons. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis in psoriasis patients is investigated. In addition, the treatment effect on psoriasis patients infected with toxoplasmosis through evaluating Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) cytokine levels is studied. Blood samples were collected from 130 individuals who involved 60 control samples and 70 samples with psoriasis. They attended Medical City Hospital in Baghdad province from October 2017 - February 2018. Then, the anti- T. gondii antibodies (IgM and IgG) and TNF- α in the sera were determined via the enzyme linked immune-sorbent assay. The highest rate of anti-Toxoplasma IgG was in psoriasis patients before treatment, it was 45 (64.29%) compared with the control which was 33 (55.00%), while the highest sero-positive rate of T. gondii IgM in the control group was 14 (23.33%) compared with patients with psoriasis 10 (14.29%). The highest rate of toxoplasmosis was in the age group (21-30) years in psoriasis patients which was 14 (31.82%). In addition, the TNF- α levels in psoriatic patients before treatment were 180.2±2.2 µg/ml, and after treatment were 223.3±41.1 µg/ml compared with the healthy control group 90.5±1.9 µg/ml. These findings suggest that incidental rate of toxoplasmosis is higher in psoriasis patients. Thus, the incidental rate of toxoplasmosis could be considered as an indication to the high risk of psoriasis

CFD study to improve PV cell performance by forced air: Modern design

A theoretical study was conducted on the performance of photovoltaic cells by forced airflow on the cell base. The study was conducted using numerical simulation software (ANSYS- cfx) to select the best model for its manufacture. The simulation results showed that the air guides model is the best, directing the largest amount of air to the base of the cell and the lowest cost and available in local markets. Air guides shall be installed inside an aluminum channel fixed to the bottom of the cell base and the channel dimensions shall be selected according to the dimensions of the photovoltaic cell to be cooled. A numerical study determine the best number and best location of the air guides inside the duct channel and the tilt angle of air guides and showed that the optimum number of pneumatic guides is (18) in a position (70 mm) from the base of the channel and at a 45-mile angle with the horizon

Models and methods for transport demand and decarbonisation: A review

Rising global greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector pose a major challenge to meeting the targets of the Paris Agreement. This raises questions of how technology, infrastructure and societal trends and policies can influence transport demand and thus also emissions, energy demand and service levels. Here the literature on factors relevant to shifting total transport activity and mode shares, categorised into exogenous drivers, socio-behavioural, infrastructural and technological aspects, is reviewed. For each factor, current approaches to modelling and measuring the impact of each factor on transport systems are summarised, resulting in a proposed taxonomy to classify transport demand modelling approaches. We then comment on the suitability and sufficiency of existing modelling approaches for representing scenarios consistent with the Paris Agreement targets in models of the entire global energy system. Factors that affect transport demand are currently insufficiently represented in integrated assessment modelling approaches and thus emission reduction pathways. Improving the comprehension and representation of diverse factors that affect transport demand in global energy systems models, by incorporating features of complementary models with high resolution representations of transport, holds promise for generating well informed policy recommendations. Accordingly, policies could influence the development of the factors themselves and their potential role in mitigating climate change

Erratum: A review of trends and drivers of greenhouse gas emissions by sector from 1990 to 2018 (Environmental Research Letters (2021) 16 (073005) DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/abee4e)

This corrigendum resolves an error in figure 17 and clarifies the scope of the cement sector in figure 2. Figure 17 in the original published manuscript depicts a Kaya identity for the agriculture, forestry and other land uses (AFOLU) sector. We unintentionally excluded land-use CO2 emissions from total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in this identity, and depicted only agricultural GHG emissions

Impact of alternative solid state forms and specific surface area of high-dose, hydrophilic active pharmaceutical ingredients on tabletability

YesIn order to investigate the effect of using different solid state forms and specific surface area (TBET) of active pharmaceutical ingredients on tabletability and dissolution performance, the mono- and dihydrated crystalline forms of chlorothiazide sodium and chlorothiazide potassium (CTZK) salts were compared to alternative anhydrous and amorphous forms, as well as to amorphous microparticles of chlorothiazide sodium and potassium which were produced by spray drying and had a large specific surface area. The tablet hardness and tensile strength, porosity, and specific surface area of single-component, convex tablets prepared at different compression pressures were characterized. Results confirmed the complexity of the compressibility mechanisms. In general it may be concluded that factors such as solid-state form (crystalline vs amorphous), type of hydration (presence of interstitial molecules of water, dehydrates), or specific surface area of the material have a direct impact on the tabletability of the powder. It was observed that, for powders of the same solid state form, those with a larger specific surface area compacted well, and better than powders of a lower surface area, even at relatively low compression pressures. Compacts prepared at lower compression pressures from high surface area porous microparticles presented the shortest times to dissolve, when compared with compacts made of equivalent materials, which had to be compressed at higher compression pressures in order to obtain satisfactory compacts. Therefore, materials composed of nanoparticulate microparticles (NPMPs) may be considered as suitable for direct compaction and possibly for inclusion in tablet formulations as bulking agents, APIs, carriers, or binders due to their good compactibility performanceSolid State Pharmaceutical Cluster (SSPC), supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 07/SRC/B1158

Effects of Detraining on Resting Cerebral Blood Flow in Master Athletes

Please view abstract in the attached PDF file