| 1. |
- Al-Ketbi, Alfan, et al.
(författare)
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School bullying prevention and intervention strategies in the United Arab Emirates : a scoping review
- 2024
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Ingår i: Injury Prevention. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 1353-8047 .- 1475-5785.
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) witnessed an increase of 7% in bullying prevalence since 2005. This review aimed to map antibullying interventions in the UAE.METHODS: A systematic search was performed in five electronic databases (EMBASE, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus and Eric) using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Review. Studies addressing antibullying interventions and grey literature in the UAE from 2010 to 2021 were included. Interventions were mapped using distribution across key sectors, public health practice levels, and organisation types. RESULTS: Of the 2122 identified papers, only 2 were included. Both articles were published in 2019 and used qualitative methods. From the search of governmental and non-governmental websites, 22 multilevel interventions were included and presented on the three levels of public health practice across the different sectors and target stakeholders. Eight interventions were at the federal level, and six were by private stakeholders. The government funded 59% of all interventions. Four interventions addressed cyberbullying, and three used multisectoral collaboration.CONCLUSIONS: Although the UAE is building capacity for bullying prevention, we found limited knowledge of antibullying prevention efforts. Further studies are needed to assess current interventions, strategies and policies.
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| 2. |
- Pozdniakova, Tatiana A., et al.
(författare)
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Optimization of a hybrid bacterial/Arabidopsis thaliana fatty acid synthase system II in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
- 2023
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Ingår i: Metabolic Engineering Communications. - 2214-0301. ; 17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fatty acids are produced by eukaryotes like baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae mainly using a large multifunctional type I fatty acid synthase (FASI) where seven catalytic steps and a carrier domain are shared between one or two protein subunits. While this system may offer efficiency in catalysis, only a narrow range of fatty acids are produced. Prokaryotes, chloroplasts and mitochondria rely instead on a FAS type II (FASII) where each catalytic step is carried out by a monofunctional enzyme encoded by a separate gene. FASII is more flexible and capable of producing a wider range of fatty acid structures, such as the direct production of unsaturated fatty acids. An efficient FASII in the preferred industrial organism S. cerevisiae could provide a platform for developing sustainable production of specialized fatty acids. We functionally replaced either yeast FASI genes (FAS1 or FAS2) with a FASII consisting of nine genes from Escherichia coli (acpP, acpS and fab -A, -B, -D, -F, -G, -H, -Z) as well as three from Arabidopsis thaliana (MOD1, FATA1 and FATB). The genes were expressed from an autonomously replicating multicopy vector assembled using the Yeast Pathway Kit for in-vivo assembly in yeast. Two rounds of adaptation led to a strain with a maximum growth rate (μmax) of 0.19 h−1 without exogenous fatty acids, twice the growth rate previously reported for a comparable strain. Additional copies of the MOD1 or fabH genes resulted in cultures with higher final cell densities and three times higher lipid content compared to the control.
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| 3. |
- Sherif, Moustafa, et al.
(författare)
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Genotoxicity of Occupational Pesticide Exposures among Agricultural Workers in Arab Countries : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- 2023
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Ingår i: Toxics. - : MDPI. - 2305-6304. ; 11:8
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Exposure to pesticides in Arab countries is a significant public health concern due to extensive agricultural activity and pesticide use. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the genotoxic effects of agricultural pesticide exposure in the region, identify research gaps, and assess methodological limitations. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search yielded five relevant studies conducted in Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. Various genotoxicity assays were employed, revealing a higher level of DNA damage in exposed compared to non-exposed individuals. Farmers exposed to pesticides exhibited a significantly higher occurrence of chromosomal translocation (t(14;18)), micronuclei, and chromosomal aberrations. However, only two studies assessed cytotoxicity indirectly. The studies predominantly focused on male participants, with variations in sample size and pesticide types. The lack of detailed exposure data necessitates cautious interpretation. This review underscores the need for further research on the genotoxicity of occupational pesticide exposure in the Middle East. Future studies should adopt robust study designs, collect biological and environmental samples, conduct repeated sampling, analyze seasonal variations, and encompass diverse study sites associated with specific crop groups.
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| 4. |
- Muratovska, Nina, et al.
(författare)
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Towards engineered yeast as production platform for capsaicinoids
- 2022
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Ingår i: Biotechnology Advances. - : Elsevier BV. - 0734-9750. ; 59
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Capsaicinoids are bioactive alkaloids produced by the chili pepper fruit and are known to be the most potent agonists of the human pain receptor TRPV1 (Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Subfamily V Member 1). They are currently produced by extraction from chili pepper fruit or by chemical synthesis. Transfer of the biosynthetic route to a microbial host could enable more efficient capsaicinoid production by fermentation and may also enable the use of synthetic biology to create a diversity of new compounds with potentially improved properties. This review summarises the current state of the art on the biosynthesis of capsaicinoid precursors in baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and discusses bioengineering strategies for achieving total synthesis from sugar.
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| 5. |
- Karkaz, Ibtisam, et al.
(författare)
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Sharps injuries and splash exposures among healthcare workers in Arab countries : protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis
- 2021
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 11:10
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Sharps injuries, including needlestick injuries and splash exposures, constitute serious occupational health problems for healthcare workers, carrying the risk of bloodborne infections. However, data on such occupational incidents and their risk factors in healthcare settings are scarce and not systematically summarised in the Arab countries. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to review published literature about sharps injuries and splash exposures of healthcare workers in Arab countries, with the objectives to determine the incidence and/or prevalence of these events, their identified risk factors and the applied preventive and postexposure prophylactic measures.Methods and analysis: The protocol is developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocol guidelines. A comprehensive presearch developed in January to March 2021 in the database PubMed will be followed by a systematic search of six, core medical and health science databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science and Africa-Wide Information in May 2021. The search will be performed without any filters or restrictions for publication years. Covidence systematic review tool will be used for document management, blinded screening and study selection. Two reviewers will independently screen the records, extract data and conduct risk of bias assessment. Results will be synthesised narratively in summary tables, and, if findings allow, meta-analysis will be conducted on the incidence and/or prevalence of sharps injuries and splash exposures, and on the effect size of risk factors.Ethics and dissemination: The systematic review methodology does not require ethics approval due to the nature of the study design based only on published studies. The results of the systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, disseminated to stakeholders and made publicly available.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021242416.
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| 6. |
- Sundberg, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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High-risk human papillomavirus in patients with oral leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma-A multi-centre study in Sweden, Brazil and Romania.
- 2021
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Ingår i: Oral Diseases. - : Wiley. - 1354-523X .- 1601-0825. ; 27:2, s. 183-192
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: Although causal associations between oral leukoplakia (OL), oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) have been speculated upon in several reports, conclusive evidence has not been presented. This study investigates whether the number of cases of HR-HPV in OL has increased over time and whether the prevalence of HR-HPV-positive OL differs in various parts of the world.PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 432 patients with OL from Sweden, Brazil and Romania were analysed. Patients were divided into historical (1992-2002) and contemporary (2011-2017) cohorts from the respective countries. Seventeen patients with OL developed oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). A real-time PCR assay, targeting HPV sub-types 6,11,16,18,31,33,35,39,45,52,56,58 and 59, was performed to detect HR-HPV in patients with OL.RESULTS: In the Swedish and Romanian cohorts, none of the investigated HPV sub-types were detected. In the Brazilian cohorts, five patients with OL (3%) were positive for HR-HPV, including four patients from the contemporary cohort (HPV 16, 31, 33) and one from the historical cohort (HPV 11). All the cases of OL that transformed into OSCC were HR-HPV-negative, as were the corresponding tumours.CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the prevalence of HR-HPV in OL is low in all the tested countries, and the incidence has not changed over time. HR-HPV in OL does not seem to be a driver of oncogenesis.
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| 7. |
- Swatuk, Larry A., et al.
(författare)
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The ‘boomerang effect’ : insights for improved climate action
- 2021
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Ingår i: Climate and Development. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1756-5529 .- 1756-5537. ; 13:1, s. 61-67
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- States have been negotiating climate mitigation actions centred around greenhouse gas emissions for several decades. In the wake of the Paris Agreement, a significant body of research has emerged reflecting on the unintended negative consequences of climate mitigation action. More recently, this research includes a focus on climate adaptation actions. The negative impacts have, together, been labelled ‘maladaptation’. Maladaptation as articulated in the literature takes many forms: e.g. displacement of communities from traditional lands such as forests and pasture, violent conflict at different scales, resource capture by elites. In this article, we argue in support of a careful delineation between local-level side effects of climate action and negative effects reaching back to the state (through different pathways and at different levels). The latter we label ‘boomerang effects’. We illustrate, through several examples, the pathways leading from climate action to local impact to boomerang effect, arguing that careful articulation of policy and program decisions, actions and effects upon the state provide support for improved policy making. Climate action is necessary, and necessarily must be better informed in order to achieve the broadest socio-ecological benefits possible.
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| 8. |
- Al Alawi, Laila, et al.
(författare)
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Environmental assessment of cytotoxic drugs in healthcare settings : protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
- 2020
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Ingår i: Systematic Reviews. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 2046-4053. ; 9:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Occupational exposure to cytotoxic drugs is associated with various unfavorable health outcomes. This protocol reports a methodology for a systematic review and meta-analysis that aims to systematically review the published literature and quantify the level of environmental contamination of healthcare settings with cytotoxic drugs.Methods: This protocol is developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocol-2015 (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Six electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and EMBASE) will be searched with no restrictions on publication period. Eligible studies will be identified and data will be extracted using a predefined data extraction form by at least two independent reviewers following best practice. Eligible studies should report calculated or calculable estimates on the proportion of positive samples tested for cytotoxic drugs and/or estimates on the concentration of the cytotoxic drug(s) in the tested samples. Risk of bias (RoB) will be assessed by using the RoB in Studies estimating Prevalence of Exposure to Occupational risk factors (RoB-SPEO) tool, which developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) for environmental and occupational health systematic reviews. The random-effects model will be used to perform meta-analyses.Discussion: Occupational exposure to cytotoxic drugs is associated with short- and long-term adverse health outcomes. Following this protocol, the review to be carried out will be the first to fill an evidence gap on the environmental contamination of healthcare settings with cytotoxic drugs. The findings of this review will help in the understanding of the risk of occupational exposure of healthcare workers to cytotoxic drugs and facilitate the identification of priority areas for specific interventions.Ethics and dissemination: The systematic review methodology does not require ethics approval due to the nature of the study design. The results of the systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and will be publicly available.Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, dated July 14, 2020
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| 9. |
- Bergamini, Mariana Lobo, et al.
(författare)
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Presence of langerhans cells, regulatory T cells (Treg) and mast cells in asymptomatic apical periodontitis
- 2020
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Ingår i: BRAZILIAN ORAL RESEARCH. - : FapUNIFESP (SciELO). - 1807-3107 .- 1806-8324. ; 34
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Asymptomatic Apical Periodontitis is essentially an inflammatory disease of microbial aetiology. Association and function of the cell components involved, or specific inductive factors and growth mediators associated with development, maintenance and resolution of the periapical lesions are still unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentration of Regulatory T cells (FoxP3+; Treg), Langerhans cells (CD1a+; LC) and mast cells in asymptomatic apical periodontitis. 73 cases were selected: 30 periapical granulomas, 29 radicular cysts and 14 residual cysts. All groups were submitted to morphological analysis for classification of inflammatory infiltrate and thickness of the epithelial lining as well as to immunohistochemical analysis for detection of LC and Treg cells. Toluidine blue staining was used for detecting mast cells. Analysis showed higher mean numbers of LC (8.2 cells/0.2mm(2)), and Treg cells in radicular cysts (5.910 cells/0.2mm(2)). As for mast cells, it was found that radicular cysts had a higher mean number of these cells compared to other periapical lesions (12.68 cells/0.2mm(2)). The association between thickness of the epithelial lining and inflammatory cells showed that the presence of hypertrophic epithelium in radicular cysts presented higher density of LC. The number of LC and Treg cells play an important role in the control of the inflammatory micro-environment in periapical granulomas and radicular cysts, respectively. The presence of mast cells in radicular cysts may be associated with progression of the lesion. Knowledge regarding the inflammatory cell profile is therefore essential for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of asymptomatic periapical periodontitis.
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| 10. |
- Bettencourt-Silva, Rita, et al.
(författare)
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Diabetes-related symptoms, acute complications and management of diabetes mellitus of patients who are receiving palliative care : a protocol for a systematic review
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 9:6
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Worldwide, an estimated 40 million people are in need of palliative care each year, but only 14% receive it. The incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in patients receiving palliative care is higher than in the general population. This association is intended to grow as a result of the rising burden of DM worldwide, ageing populations and the improved overall survival time of several diseases over the last few decades. Recommendations for DM management in the context of palliative care are mainly based on expert opinion as there is a lack of suitable evidence base and randomised clinical trials in palliative care are scarce. The aim of our systematic review is to identify the best DM management practices in order to reduce important DM-related symptoms and acute complications in patients receiving palliative care.Methods and analysis: The authors will study the DM treatment and management literature, surveying the different approaches employed to treat adult palliative patients. Core health bibliographic databases will be searched from January 1990 to May 2019. Data sources will include Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Web of Sciences, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and grey literature. Details regarding diet, oral and injectable glucose-lowering medicines, insulin regimens and blood glucose monitoring strategies will he evaluated. We defined the primary outcomes to compare between DM management approaches as the presence of symptoms (polyuria, polydipsia and polyphagia) and acute complications of DM (hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemic hyperosmolar state and diabetic ketoacidosis), and secondary outcomes as hospital admissions and deaths due to DM-related complications, health-related quality of life and glycaemic control.Ethics and dissemination: The systematic review methodology does not require ethics approval due to the nature of the study design. The results of the systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and will he publicly available.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018115772.
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