عقود نقل التكنولوجيا كأداة للترويج السياسي

غالبًا ما يُعالج موضوع عقود نقل التكنولوجيا من وجهة نظر الدولة المستورِدة للتكنولوجيا كوسيلة مُشبعةٍ بالدعاية السياسية لتحقيق التطور الاقتصادي المرغوب. ما قد يجعل العقد غير قادر على تحقيق الغايات المرجوة منه، المتمثلة في الوصول إلى مستوىً تكنولوجي مكافئ لمستوى المُوَرِّد، دون التغافل عمّا يمكن أن يترتب عن ذلك من تكاليف باهظة قد تتحملها الأجيال اللاحقة. وتهدف هذه الدراسة إلى توضيح وجهة نظر المُوَرِّد للتكنولوجيا في محل العقد وتوضيح الأسباب السياسية والاقتصادية والقانونية لعدم نجاح الكثير من هذه العقود، وهو ما من شأنه أن يمنح لواقع هذه العقود رؤية أكثر شمولًا وواقعية، لعلها تسهم في إنجاحها مستقبلًا. لمناقشة إشكالية إخراج عقد نقل التكنولوجيا من إطاره القانوني وإدخاله في الترويج السياسي، في حالتي سوريا ومصر، يتبع البحث المنهج المقارن التقليدي في مقارنة السلوك القانوني والسياسي لكل من طرفي العقد على أساس الفعل ورد الفعل، بتحليل ودراسة بعض عقود نقل التكنولوجيا التي جرى -أو كان من المفترض أن يجري- تنفيذها في سوريا ومصر منذ خمسينيات القرن الماضي. ويخلص إلى البحث نتائج من أهمها: إنّ استخدام العقد كدعاية سياسية يؤدي إلى فشل نقل التكنولوجيا والتطور الاقتصادي، وأن شرط مراعاة العقد لمصالح الطرفين يقتضي تحقيق المنفعة المتبادلة، سواء كانت تعبيرًا عن كمال معنوي بالنسبة إلى المورد أو كوسيلة للتطور الاقتصادي بالنسبة إلى المستورد

The French Theory Of The Autonomy Of International Commercial Arbitration In Light Of Islamic Law.

تناولت كثيرٌ من الدراسات قضية إلزامية التحكيم في الشريعة الإسلامية والقانون الوضعي. لكن هذه الدراسات غالباً ما تقارن بين الفقه المالكيّ والقانون الفرنسيّ للعقود دون أن تذهب إلى مقارنة إلزامية التحكيم في الشريعة الإسلاميّة مع النظرية الفرنسيّة لاستقلال التحكيم التجاريِّ الدولي، وذلك بالرغم من معاناة بعض الدول العربية من الآثار الخطيرة لتطبيق هذه النظرية الفرنسيّة فيما سبق. وعلى اعتبار أَنَّ باريس لديها مكانة لا يُستهان بها باعتبارها مكاناً للتحكيم -خصوصاً بعد خروج بريطانيا من الاتحاد الأوربي في عام 2020- فمن المناسب مقارنة هذه النظرية الفرنسيّة مع الشريعة الإسلاميّة من أجل محاولة وضع حلولٍ قانونيةٍ تكون أكثر عدالةً مما هو مُتبعٌ في القانون الوضعي، وذلك من خلال بيان نقاط الالتقاء وأوجه التشابه بين النظرية الفرنسيّة لاستقلال التحكيم التجاريّ الدوليّ والحلول الموجودة في الشريعة. ولمقارنة النظرية الفرنسيّة لاستقلال التحكيم التجاري الدولي مع الحلول المتبعة في الشريعة الإسلاميّة يتناول البحث منهج الدراسة المقارِنة بين كلٍ من أسس وقواعد الحلول القانونية المُتبَعة في كلٍ من القانون الفرنسيّ والشريعة الإسلامية، ولاسيما المنهج المُتَّبع لتبرير الاعتراف بالقرار التحكيميّ المُلغى في بلد إصداره. يخلُص البحث إلى نتائجَ من أهمها: أن هنالك نقاط توافقٍ والتقاءٍ إلى حد التطابق في المضمون بين الشريعة الإسلامية والقانون الفرنسيّ فيما يتعلق بإلزامية اتفاق التحكيم والقرار التحكيميّ والأسباب التي يمكن أن تمنع الاعتراف والتنفيذ بالقرار التحكيميّ عامةً، والاعتراف والتنفيذ للقرار التحكمي المُلغى في بلد إصداره خاصةً. ذلك مع ملاحظة وجود نوع من العدالة التوزيعية في القانون الفرنسيّ الشيء الذي لا يوجد في الشريعة الإسلامية.There have been many studies comparing Maliki jurisprudence and French contract law. Still, little attention has been given to comparing arbitration in Islamic law with the French theory of the autonomy of international arbitration. This is surprising considering that some Arab countries have experienced serious consequences from applying the French theory in the past. Considering Paris's significant role as a place for arbitration, especially after Britain's exit from the European Union in 2020, it would be valuable to compare this French theory with Islamic law to develop fairer legal solutions than those followed in positive law. Therefore, this research compares the French theory of arbitration autonomy with the solutions used in Sharia law, focusing on the methodology of the study, which involves comparing the foundations and rules of the legal solutions used in both French law and Sharia. Specifically, it examines the approach used to justify the recognition of annulled arbitral awards in the country where they were issued. The research concludes with results, the most notable of which is that there are points of agreement and convergence in content between Sharia and French law. This is while noting that there is a form of justice distribution in French law that does not exist in Islamic law

Associations between Birth Weight and Adult Sleep Characteristics: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from the UAEHFS

Abnormal birth weight, particularly low birth weight (LBW), is known to have long-term adverse health consequences in adulthood, with disrupted sleep being suggested as a mediator or modifier of this link. We thus aimed to assess the associations between birth weight and self-reported adult sleep characteristics: sleep duration, difficulty waking up in the morning, daily nap frequency, sleep problems at night, snoring, daytime tiredness or sleepiness, and ever-stop breathing during sleep. This cross-sectional analysis used the United Arab Emirates Healthy Future Study data collected from February 2016 to March 2023 involving 2124 Emiratis aged 18–61 years. We performed a Poisson regression under unadjusted and age-sex-and-BMI-adjusted models to obtain the risk ratio and its 95% confidence interval for our analysis of the association between birth weight and each adult sleep characteristics, compared to individuals with normal birth weight (≥2.5 kg). Those with LBW had significantly a 17% increased risk of difficulty waking up in the morning, compared to those with normal birth weight. In addition, females with LBW history were also at an increased risk of reporting difficulty waking up in the morning. Studies with objective sleep assessments that include measurements of more confounding factors are recommended to confirm these risks

Association between pediatric asthma and adult polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS): a cross-sectional analysis of the UAE healthy future Study (UAEHFS)

Asthma and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are linked in several possible ways. To date, there has been no study evaluating whether pediatric asthma is an independent risk factor for adult PCOS. Our study aimed to examine the association between pediatric asthma (diagnosed at 0-19 years) and adult PCOS (diagnosed at ≥20 years). We further assessed whether the aforementioned association differed in two phenotypes of adult PCOS which were diagnosed at 20-25 years (young adult PCOS), and at \u3e25 years (older adult PCOS). We also evaluated whether the age of asthma diagnosis (0-10 vs 11-19 years) modified the association between pediatric asthma and adult PCOS. This is a retrospective cross-sectional analysis using the United Arab Emirates Healthy Future Study (UAEHFS) collected from February 2016 to April 2022 involving 1334 Emirati females aged 18-49 years. We fitted a Poisson regression model to estimate the risk ratio (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) to assess the association between pediatric asthma and adult PCOS adjusting for age, urbanicity at birth, and parental smoking at birth. After adjusting for confounding factors and comparing to non-asthmatic counterparts, we found that females with pediatric asthma had a statistically significant association with adult PCOS diagnosed at ≥20 years (RR=1.56, 95% CI: 1.02-2.41), with a stronger magnitude of the association found in the older adult PCOS phenotype diagnosed at \u3e25 years (RR=2.06, 95% CI: 1.16-3.65). Further, we also found females reported thinner childhood body size had a two-fold to three-fold increased risk of adult PCOS diagnosed at ≥20 years in main analysis and stratified analyses by age of asthma and PCOS diagnoses (RR=2.06, 95% CI: 1.08-3.93 in main analysis; RR=2.74, 95% CI: 1.22-6.15 among those diagnosed with PCOS \u3e 25 years; and RR=3.50, 95% CI: 1.38-8.43 among those diagnosed with asthma at 11-19 years). Pediatric asthma was found to be an independent risk factor for adult PCOS. More targeted surveillance for those at risk of adult PCOS among pediatric asthmatics may prevent or delay PCOS in this at-risk group. Future studies with robust longitudinal designs aimed to elucidate the exact mechanism between pediatric asthma and PCOS are warranted

The interrelationship and accumulation of cardiometabolic risk factors amongst young adults in the United Arab Emirates: The UAE Healthy Future Study.

INTRODUCTION: Similar to other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), people who develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) typically have more than one risk factor. The clustering of cardiovascular risk factors begins in youth, early adulthood, and middle age. The presence of multiple risk factors simultaneously has been shown to increase the risk for atherosclerosis development in young and middle-aged adults and risk of CVD in middle age. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to address the interrelationship of CVD risk factors and their accumulation in a large sample of young adults in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHODS: Baseline data was drawn from the UAE Healthy Future Study (UAEHFS), a volunteer-based multicenter study that recruits Emirati nationals. Data of participants aged 18 to 40 years was used for cross-sectional analysis. Demographic and health information was collected through self-reported questionnaires. Anthropometric data and blood pressure were measured, and blood samples were collected. RESULTS: A total of 5126 participants were included in the analysis. Comorbidity analyses showed that dyslipidemia and obesity co-existed with other cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs) more than 70% and 50% of the time, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of the risk factors with age and gender showed that all risk factors were highly associated with each other. The strongest relationship was found with obesity; it was associated with four-fold increase in the odds of having central obesity [adjusted OR 4.70 (95% CI (4.04-5.46)], and almost three-fold increase odds of having abnormal glycemic status [AOR 2.98 (95% (CI 2.49-3.55))], hypertension (AOR 3.03 (95% CI (2.61-3.52))] and dyslipidemia [AOR 2.71 (95% CI (2.32-3.15)]. Forty percent of the population accumulated more than 2 risk factors, and the burden increased with age. CONCLUSION: In this young population, cardiometabolic risk factors are highly prevalent and are associated with each other, therefore creating a heavy burden of risk factors. This forecasts an increase in the burden of CVD in the UAE. The robust longitudinal design of the UAEHFS will enable researchers to understand how risk factors cluster before disease develops. This knowledge will offer a novel approach to design group-specific preventive measures for CVD development

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Exploring the syntax-phonology interface in Arabic

Despite an abundance of research on Arabic syntax and phonology as separate domains, there is as yet relatively little research at the syntax-phonology interface in Arabic. This paper begins by providing an overview of what we know so far, in an effort to identify reasons for the lack of work at the interface to date. The paper then presents a review of prior work on the syntax-phonology mapping in Egyptian Arabic (EA) - set in the context of developments in the wider syntax-phonology literature - in order to show that interface work requires expertise in both phonetics/phonology and syntax. Some early results are then presented from a pilot study which compares for the first time the basic syntax-phonology mapping patterns in two dialects of Arabic - EA, and Jordanian Arabic (JA) - and explores whether dialect-internal, inter-speaker variation, previously observed in EA, is also found in JA

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication