Essays on human capital formation of youth in the Middle East: the role of migrant remittances in Jordan and armed conflict in Lebanon

Human capital formation is a fundamental requirement for countries’ long term economic development and societal prosperity. This process can be enhanced or disrupted by internal factors such as migration and remittances, or external ones like wars. This thesis is interested in investigating both phenomena. The following questions are addressed: what is the impact of migrant remittances on human capital formation, do these private inflows induce any changes in the behavior of remittance-receivers towards education expenditure, and finally what is the short term micro-economic effect of armed conflicts on education in post war countries. In investigating these issues, focus is made on two perspectives: first youth, an active group in the society whose age matches up higher education levels and labor force entry simultaneously; second gender differentials both in terms of impact and behavior. The research explores new surveys from the Middle East, datasets that have not been analyzed previously from an education angle and that are not generally available to researchers. These datasets come from Jordan and Lebanon, two middle income non-oil producer countries. The thesis is composed of three independent essays. The first examines the impact of migrant remittances on human capital accumulation among youth in Jordan and highlights the various ways in which remittances influence education outcomes. The analysis takes a gender dimension and examines whether the effects and magnitude of such impact is different between males and females. The second essay considers remittances receipt, from both domestic and international sources, and examines their impact on Jordanian households’ education spending patterns. Following the literature on intra-household bargaining and gender expenditure preferences, the analysis examines whether such impact is potentially different between male and female headed households. The third essay tackles the impact of the 2006 war on education attendance of youth in Lebanon. The chapter captures households’ schooling responses in the aftermath of the war. By looking at the implications of a diversified array of damages sustained; reflecting physical, human, income and employment losses; the chapter examines possible linkages between the nature of the damage incurred and the manner and magnitude in which such damage affects education

Fitness Characteristics of Jordanian Emergency Medical Technicians

Introduction: Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) should be always prepared to deal with the stressful condition of treating patients with serious physical and emotional injuries. Given that EMTs consider safety the first priority, they must pay adequate attention to their own physical well-being and fitness to practice. Objective: The present study was conducted to analyze the fitness of Jordanian EMTs. Method: The present prospective study was conducted to evaluate the well-being of Jordanian paramedics. The survey was designed using Google forms, which were completed by the participants. The data collection tools comprised an already-designed checklist, including items such as age, gender as well as height and weight, which are used for calculating body mass index (BMI). In addition, the presence of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, renal failure and cardiorespiratory diseases as well as the history of surgeries and disabilities were investigated. The participants were also asked about their smoking status and other health-related habits. Results: Out of 115 surveys conducted, 7 were discarded owing to loss of information or making completion mistakes. Out of the remaining 108 respondents, 82 (75.9%) were male and below 10% were over the age of 30 years. BMI was over 25 in 40.7% of the respondents, and only 4 (3.7%) had chronic diseases. Moreover, 46 (42.6%) respondents were smokers, and only 30 (27.8%) performed regular exercise. Conclusion: The present findings suggest health problems in a small percentage of the EMTs, potentially due to the appropriate support provided by the employers or university authorities in this regard. The major health problem was overweight and unhealthy lifestyle, including smoking and not doing regular exercise

SAXAGLIPTIN LEVELS AND ITS PHARMACOKINETIC APPLICATION IN PRESENCE OF SUCRALOSE IN ANIMALS SERUM BY HPLC METHOD

Objective: It is to develop a simple, valid and rapid chromatographic method for quantification of saxagliptin in rats serum in order to study saxagliptin pharmacokinetics parameters in sucralose fed rats simultaneously to detect any interaction possibility between saxagliptin and sucralose in rats. Methods: In our developed method of analysis, mobile phase was consisted of phosphate buffer (pH =4) and methanol (70:30) v/v at flow rate of 1 ml/min with UV detection at 230 nm., C8 column of separation was used with the temperature of 40 °C using injection volume of 50 µl, samples run time was 10 min, and sildenafil citrate was used as internal standard. Saxagliptin was given to rats orally of (2g/kg) dose while sucralose was given with (11 mg/kg/day) dose.Results: A successful HPLC method was validated and developed to determine saxagliptin in rats serum, overall intra-day precision and accuracy were reasonable with coefficient of variation percentage CV % values range (o.14-4.03) and accuracy % range (99.5-104), while inter-day precision and accuracy showed accepted precision with CV% range (0.15-2.81) and accuracy % range (99.9-116). The coefficient of correlation was 0.99949 with reasonable sensitivity and selectivity. Combination effect of saxagliptin with sucralose on saxagliptin serum profile was demonstrated as strong statistical effect according to Cohen's d and significant P values too.Conclusion: A successful HPLC method was validated and developed to quantify saxagliptin in rats serum, combination effect of saxagliptin with sucralose over all time intervals of saxagliptin serum profile was demonstrated as strong statistical effect. Â

SAXAGLIPTIN LEVELS AND ITS PHARMACOKINETIC APPLICATION IN PRESENCE OF SUCRALOSE IN ANIMALS SERUM BY HPLC METHOD: A RESEARCH ARTICLE

Objective: It is to develop a simple, valid and rapid chromatographic method for quantification of saxagliptin in rats serum in order to study saxagliptin pharmacokinetic parameters in sucralose fed rats simultaneously to detect any interaction possibility between saxagliptin and sucralose in rats. Methods: In our developed method of analysis, mobile phase consisted of phosphate buffer (pH =4) and methanol (70:30) v/v at flow rate of 1 ml/min with UV detection at 230 nm., C8 column of separation was used with temperature of 40 C ° using injection volume of 50 µl, samples run time was 10 min, and sildenafil citrate was used as internal standard. saxagliptin was given to rats orally of (2g/kg) dose while sucralose was given with (11 mg/kg/day) dose.Results: A successful HPLC method was validated and developed to determine saxagliptin in rats serum, overall intra-day precision and accuracy were reasonable with coefficient of variation percentage CV % values range (o.14-4.03) and accuracy % range (99.5-104), while inter-day precision and accuracy showed accepted precision with CV% range (0.15-2.81) and accuracy % range (99.9-116). The coefficient of correlation was 0.99949 with reasonable sensitivity and selectivity. Combination effect of saxagliptin with sucralose on saxagliptin serum profile was demonstrated as strong statistical effect according to Cohen's d and significant P values too.Conclusion: A successful HPLC method was validated and developed to quantify saxagliptin in rats serum, combination effect of saxagliptin with sucralose over all time intervals of saxagliptin serum profile was demonstrated as strong statistical effect

Pelvic exenteration and composite sacral resection in the surgical treatment of locally recurrent rectal cancer

AbstractBackgroundThe incidence of rectal cancer recurrence after surgery is 5–45%. Extended pelvic resection which entails En-bloc resection of the tumor and adjacent involved organs provides the only true possible curative option for patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer.AimTo evaluate the surgical and oncological outcome of such treatment.Patients and methodsBetween 2006 and 2012 a consecutive series of 40 patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer underwent abdominosacral resection (ASR) in 18 patients, total pelvic exenteration with sacral resection in 10 patients and extended pelvic exenteration in 12 patients. Patients with sacral resection were 28, with the level of sacral division at S2–3 interface in 10 patients, at S3–4 in 15 patients and S4–5 in 3 patients.ResultsForty patients, male to female ratio 1.7:1, median age 45years (range 25–65years) underwent extended pelvic resection in the form of pelvic exenteration and abdominosacral resection. Morbidity, re-admission and mortality rates were 55%, 37.5%, and 5%, respectively. Mortality occurred in 2 patients due to perineal flap sepsis and massive myocardial infarction. A R0 and R1 sacral resection were achieved in 62.5% and 37.5%, respectively. The 5-year overall survival rate was 22.6% and the 4-year recurrence free survival was 31.8%.ConclusionExtended pelvic resection as pelvic exenteration and sacral resection for locally recurrent rectal cancer are effective procedures with tolerable mortality rate and acceptable outcome. The associated morbidity remains high and deserves vigilant follow up

Prevention of DNA Replication Stress by CHK1 Leads to Chemoresistance Despite a DNA Repair Defect in Homologous Recombination in Breast Cancer

Chromosomal instability not only has a negative effect on survival in triple-negative breast cancer, but also on the well treatable subgroup of luminal A tumors. This suggests a general mechanism independent of subtypes. Increased chromosomal instability (CIN) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is attributed to a defect in the DNA repair pathway homologous recombination. Homologous recombination (HR) prevents genomic instability by repair and protection of replication. It is unclear whether genetic alterations actually lead to a repair defect or whether superior signaling pathways are of greater importance. Previous studies focused exclusively on the repair function of HR. Here, we show that the regulation of HR by the intra-S-phase damage response at the replication is of overriding importance. A damage response activated by Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3 related-checkpoint kinase 1 (ATR-CHK1) can prevent replication stress and leads to resistance formation. CHK1 thus has a preferred role over HR in preventing replication stress in TNBC. The signaling cascade ATR-CHK1 can compensate for a double-strand break repair error and lead to resistance of HR-deficient tumors. Established methods for the identification of HR-deficient tumors for Poly(ADP-Ribose)-Polymerase 1 (PARP1) inhibitor therapies should be extended to include analysis of candidates for intra-S phase damage response

Bioactive strawberry fruit (Arbutus unedo L.) extract remedies paraquat-induced neurotoxicity in the offspring prenatally exposed rats

BackgroundParaquat (1,1′-dimethyl-4-4′-bipyridinium dichloride) exposure is well-established as a neurotoxic agent capable of causing neurological deficits in offspring. This study aimed to investigate therapeutic effects of Arbutus unedo L. aqueous extract (AU) against paraquat (PQ) exposure.MethodsFor that the phytoconstituents of AU was determined by LC/MS, and then its antioxidant potential was assessed by DPPH and ABTS assays. The assessment included its impact on cell viability and mitochondrial metabolism using N27 dopaminergic cells. Additionally, we evaluated the effects of prenatal PQ exposure on motor coordination, dopamine levels, trace element levels, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in rat progeny.ResultsThe phytochemical profile of AU extract revealed the presence of 35 compounds, primarily phenolic and organic acids, and flavonoids. This accounted for its strong in vitro antioxidant activities against DPPH and ABTS radicals, surpassing the activities of vitamin C. Our findings demonstrated that AU effectively inhibited PQ-induced loss of N27 rat dopaminergic neural cells and significantly enhanced their mitochondrial respiration. Furthermore, daily post-treatment with AU during the 21 days of the rat's pregnancy alleviated PQ-induced motor deficits and akinesia in rat progeny. These effects inhibited dopamine depletion and reduced iron levels in the striatal tissues. The observed outcomes appeared to be mediated by the robust antioxidant activity of AU, effectively counteracting the PQ-induced decrease in TAC in the blood plasma of rat progeny. These effects could be attributed to the bioactive compounds present in AU, including phenolic acids such as gallic acid and flavonoids such as quercetin, rutin, apigenin, glucuronide, and kaempferol, all known for their potent antioxidant capacity.DiscussionIn conclusion, this preclinical study provided the first evidence of the therapeutic potential of AU extract against PQ-induced neurotoxicity. These findings emphasize the need for further exploration of the clinical applicability of AU in mitigating neurotoxin-induced brain damage

Second-Generation Antiandrogen Therapy Radiosensitizes Prostate Cancer Regardless of Castration State through Inhibition of DNA Double Strand Break Repair

(1) Background: The combination of the first-generation antiandrogens and radiotherapy (RT) has been studied extensively in the clinical setting of prostate cancer (PCa). Here, we evaluated the potential radiosensitizing effect of the second-generation antiandrogens abiraterone acetate, apalutamide and enzalutamide. (2) Methods: Cell proliferation and agarose-colony forming assay were used to measure the effect on survival. Double strand break repair efficiency was monitored using immunofluorescence staining of γH2AX/53BP1. (3) Results: We report retrospectively a minor benefit for PCa patients received first-generation androgen blockers and RT compared to patients treated with RT alone. Combining either of the second-generation antiandrogens and 2Gy suppressed cell growth and increased doubling time significantly more than 2Gy alone, in both hormone-responsive LNCaP and castration-resistant C4-2B cells. These findings were recapitulated in resistant sub-clones to (i) hormone ablation (LNCaP-abl), (ii) abiraterone acetate (LNCaP-abi), (iii) apalutamide (LNCaP-ARN509), (iv) enzalutamide (C4-2B-ENZA), and in castration-resistant 22-RV1 cells. This radiosensitization effect was not observable using the first-generation antiandrogen bicalutamide. Inhibition of DNA DSB repair was found to contribute to the radiosensitization effect of second-generation antiandrogens, as demonstrated by a significant increase in residual γH2AX and 53BP1 foci numbers at 24h post-IR. DSB repair inhibition was further demonstrated in 22 patient-derived tumor slice cultures treated with abiraterone acetate before ex-vivo irradiation with 2Gy. (4) Conclusion: Together, these data show that second-generation antiandrogens can enhance radiosensitivity in PCa through DSB repair inhibition, regardless of their hormonal status. Translated into clinical practice, our results may help to find additional strategies to improve the effectiveness of RT in localized PCa, paving the way for a clinical trial

Genomic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 in Egypt: insights into spike protein thermodynamic stability

The overall pattern of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic so far has been a series of waves; surges in new cases followed by declines. The appearance of novel mutations and variants underlie the rises in infections, making surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 mutations and prediction of variant evolution of utmost importance. In this study, we sequenced 320 SARS-CoV-2 viral genomes isolated from patients from the outpatient COVID-19 clinic in the Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt 57357 (CCHE 57357) and the Egypt Center for Research and Regenerative Medicine (ECRRM). The samples were collected between March and December 2021, covering the third and fourth waves of the pandemic. The third wave was found to be dominated by Nextclade 20D in our samples, with a small number of alpha variants. The delta variant was found to dominate the fourth wave samples, with the appearance of omicron variants late in 2021. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that the omicron variants are closest genetically to early pandemic variants. Mutation analysis shows SNPs, stop codon mutation gain, and deletion/insertion mutations, with distinct patterns of mutations governed by Nextclade or WHO variant. Finally, we observed a large number of highly correlated mutations, and some negatively correlated mutations, and identified a general inclination toward mutations that lead to enhanced thermodynamic stability of the spike protein. Overall, this study contributes genetic and phylogenetic data, as well as provides insights into SARS-CoV-2 viral evolution that may eventually help in the prediction of evolving mutations for better vaccine development and drug targets