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- Thomas, HS, et al.
(author)
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- 2019
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swepub:Mat__t
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- Micah, Angela E., et al.
(author)
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Tracking development assistance for health and for COVID-19 : a review of development assistance, government, out-of-pocket, and other private spending on health for 204 countries and territories, 1990-2050
- 2021
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In: The Lancet. - : Elsevier. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 398:10308, s. 1317-1343
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background The rapid spread of COVID-19 renewed the focus on how health systems across the globe are financed, especially during public health emergencies. Development assistance is an important source of health financing in many low-income countries, yet little is known about how much of this funding was disbursed for COVID-19. We aimed to put development assistance for health for COVID-19 in the context of broader trends in global health financing, and to estimate total health spending from 1995 to 2050 and development assistance for COVID-19 in 2020. Methods We estimated domestic health spending and development assistance for health to generate total health-sector spending estimates for 204 countries and territories. We leveraged data from the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database to produce estimates of domestic health spending. To generate estimates for development assistance for health, we relied on project-level disbursement data from the major international development agencies' online databases and annual financial statements and reports for information on income sources. To adjust our estimates for 2020 to include disbursements related to COVID-19, we extracted project data on commitments and disbursements from a broader set of databases (because not all of the data sources used to estimate the historical series extend to 2020), including the UN Office of Humanitarian Assistance Financial Tracking Service and the International Aid Transparency Initiative. We reported all the historic and future spending estimates in inflation-adjusted 2020 US$, 2020 US$ per capita, purchasing-power parity-adjusted US$ per capita, and as a proportion of gross domestic product. We used various models to generate future health spending to 2050. Findings In 2019, health spending globally reached $8. 8 trillion (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 8.7-8.8) or $1132 (1119-1143) per person. Spending on health varied within and across income groups and geographical regions. Of this total, $40.4 billion (0.5%, 95% UI 0.5-0.5) was development assistance for health provided to low-income and middle-income countries, which made up 24.6% (UI 24.0-25.1) of total spending in low-income countries. We estimate that $54.8 billion in development assistance for health was disbursed in 2020. Of this, $13.7 billion was targeted toward the COVID-19 health response. $12.3 billion was newly committed and $1.4 billion was repurposed from existing health projects. $3.1 billion (22.4%) of the funds focused on country-level coordination and $2.4 billion (17.9%) was for supply chain and logistics. Only $714.4 million (7.7%) of COVID-19 development assistance for health went to Latin America, despite this region reporting 34.3% of total recorded COVID-19 deaths in low-income or middle-income countries in 2020. Spending on health is expected to rise to $1519 (1448-1591) per person in 2050, although spending across countries is expected to remain varied. Interpretation Global health spending is expected to continue to grow, but remain unequally distributed between countries. We estimate that development organisations substantially increased the amount of development assistance for health provided in 2020. Continued efforts are needed to raise sufficient resources to mitigate the pandemic for the most vulnerable, and to help curtail the pandemic for all. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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- Sumaila, U. Rashid, et al.
(author)
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WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies
- 2021
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 374:6567, s. 544-544
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)
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- Ademuyiwa, Adesoji O., et al.
(author)
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Determinants of morbidity and mortality following emergency abdominal surgery in children in low-income and middle-income countries
- 2016
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In: BMJ Global Health. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2059-7908. ; 1:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Child health is a key priority on the global health agenda, yet the provision of essential and emergency surgery in children is patchy in resource-poor regions. This study was aimed to determine the mortality risk for emergency abdominal paediatric surgery in low-income countries globally.Methods: Multicentre, international, prospective, cohort study. Self-selected surgical units performing emergency abdominal surgery submitted prespecified data for consecutive children aged <16 years during a 2-week period between July and December 2014. The United Nation's Human Development Index (HDI) was used to stratify countries. The main outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality, analysed by multilevel logistic regression.Results: This study included 1409 patients from 253 centres in 43 countries; 282 children were under 2 years of age. Among them, 265 (18.8%) were from low-HDI, 450 (31.9%) from middle-HDI and 694 (49.3%) from high-HDI countries. The most common operations performed were appendectomy, small bowel resection, pyloromyotomy and correction of intussusception. After adjustment for patient and hospital risk factors, child mortality at 30 days was significantly higher in low-HDI (adjusted OR 7.14 (95% CI 2.52 to 20.23), p<0.001) and middle-HDI (4.42 (1.44 to 13.56), p=0.009) countries compared with high-HDI countries, translating to 40 excess deaths per 1000 procedures performed.Conclusions: Adjusted mortality in children following emergency abdominal surgery may be as high as 7 times greater in low-HDI and middle-HDI countries compared with high-HDI countries. Effective provision of emergency essential surgery should be a key priority for global child health agendas.
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- Khalifa, Shaden A. M., et al.
(author)
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Overview of Bee Pollination and Its Economic Value for Crop Production
- 2021
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In: Insects. - : MDPI AG. - 2075-4450. ; 12:8
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pollination plays a significant role in the agriculture sector and serves as a basic pillar for crop production. Plants depend on vectors to move pollen, which can include water, wind, and animal pollinators like bats, moths, hoverflies, birds, bees, butterflies, wasps, thrips, and beetles. Cultivated plants are typically pollinated by animals. Animal-based pollination contributes to 30% of global food production, and bee-pollinated crops contribute to approximately one-third of the total human dietary supply. Bees are considered significant pollinators due to their effectiveness and wide availability. Bee pollination provides excellent value to crop quality and quantity, improving global economic and dietary outcomes. This review highlights the role played by bee pollination, which influences the economy, and enlists the different types of bees and other insects associated with pollination.
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7. |
- Diaz, Sandra, et al.
(author)
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The IPBES Conceptual Framework - connecting nature and people
- 2015
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In: Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. - : Elsevier BV. - 1877-3435 .- 1877-3443. ; 14, s. 1-16
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The first public product of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is its Conceptual Framework. This conceptual and analytical tool, presented here in detail, will underpin all IPBES functions and provide structure and comparability to the syntheses that IPBES will produce at different spatial scales, on different themes, and in different regions. Salient innovative aspects of the IPBES Conceptual Framework are its transparent and participatory construction process and its explicit consideration of diverse scientific disciplines, stakeholders, and knowledge systems, including indigenous and local knowledge. Because the focus on co-construction of integrative knowledge is shared by an increasing number of initiatives worldwide, this framework should be useful beyond IPBES, for the wider research and knowledge-policy communities working on the links between nature and people, such as natural, social and engineering scientists, policy-makers at different levels, and decision-makers in different sectors of society.
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8. |
- Ellabban, Mohamed A., et al.
(author)
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Virtual planning of the anterolateral thigh free flap for heel reconstruction
- 2022
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In: Microsurgery. - : WILEY. - 0738-1085 .- 1098-2752. ; 42:5, s. 460-469
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose three dimensional (3-D) virtual planning is an example of computer assisted surgery that improved management of composite tissue defects. However, converting the 3-D construct into two dimensional format is challenging. The purpose of this study was to assess 3-D virtual planning of complex heel defects for better optimized reconstruction. Patients and methods a prospective analysis of 10 patients [9 male and 1 female; mean age = 27.9 years] with post-traumatic heel defects was performed. Heel defects comprised types II (three patients) or III (seven patients) according to Hidalgo and Shaw and were managed using anterolateral thigh (ALT) free flap adopting 3-D virtual planning of the actual defect which was converted into a silicone two dimensional mold. The mean definitive size of the defects was 63.4 cm(3). Functional, aesthetic, and sensory evaluations of both donor and recipient sites were performed 1 year after surgery. Results Six patients received thinned ALT (mean size = 139 cm(3)) while four patients received musculofasciocutaneous ALT flap (mean size = 199 cm(3)). One flap exhibited partial skin flap necrosis. Another flap was salvaged after re-exploration secondary to venous congestion. The mean follow-up was 20.2 months. The Maryland foot score showed 4 excellent, 5 good, and 1 fair cases. The mean American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle hind foot scoring was 76.3 (range: 69-86). All patients regained their walking capability. Conclusions 3-D virtual planning of complex heel defects facilitates covering non-elliptical defects while harvesting a conventional elliptical flap with providing satisfactory functional outcomes and near-normal contour, volume, and sensibility.
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9. |
- Hashim, Ahmed, et al.
(author)
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Pattern of novel psychoactive substance use among patients presented to the poison control centre of Ain Shams University Hospitals, Egypt : A cross-sectional study
- 2022
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In: Heliyon. - : Elsevier BV. - 2405-8440. ; 8:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Novel psychoactive substances (NPSs) are relatively new substances in the illicit drug market, notpreviously listed in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC). Strox and Voodoo are consideredsome of the most popular blends of NPS in the Egyptian drug market.Objectives: The current study was conducted to assess NPS's use pattern: Voodoo and Strox among acutelyintoxicated patients presented to the poison control center of Ain Shams University Hospitals (PCC- ASUH).Methods: A single center based cross-sectional study was carried out in the PCC-ASUH among acutely intoxicatedpatients presenting to the emergency department (ED) over four months (from January–April 2019. using apreviously adopted and validated Fahmy and El-Sherbini socioeconomic scale (SES). Data were presented asmean, median and range as appropriate. Both smoking and crowding indexes were calculated and presented aspreviously reported.Results: Fifty-one patients were presented to the ED of PCC-ASUH during the study period. A total of 96.1% (n ¼49) were males. The mean age was 25 7.5 years. The most common NPS used was Strox: 54.9% (n ¼ 28),followed by Voodoo: 27.4% (n ¼ 14). Neurological and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were the most frequentpresentations. The most common motive behind NPS use was the desire to give a trial of new psychoactivesubstances. The mean SES score was 35.1 13.17. Most patients have the preparatory as the highest education36.0% (n ¼ 18).Conclusions: NPS use is common among young males in preparatory education from different social classes,starting it most commonly as a means to experiencing a new high. Neurological and GI manifestations are themost common presenting symptoms of NPS intoxication.
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- Abd El‑Hameed, Mona M., et al.
(author)
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Phycoremediation of contaminated water by cadmium (Cd) using two cyanobacterial strains (Trichormus variabilis and Nostoc muscorum)
- 2021
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In: Environmental Sciences Europe. - Germany : Springer Nature. - 2190-4707 .- 2190-4715. ; 33:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundWater pollution with heavy metals is a severe dilemma that concerns the whole world related to its risk to natural ecosystems and human health. The main objective was to evaluate the removal efficiency of Cd of various concentrations from contaminated aqueous solution by use of two cyanobacterial strains (Nostoc muscorum and Trichormus variabilis). For this purpose, a specially designed laboratory pilot-scale experiment was conducted using these two cyanobacterial strains on four different initial concentrations of Cd (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg L−1) for 21 days.ResultsN. muscorum was more efficient than T. variabilis for removing Cd (II), with the optimum value of residual Cd of 0.033 mg L−1 achieved by N. muscorum after 21 days with initial concentration of 0.5 mg L−1, translating to removal efficiency of 93.4%, while the residual Cd (II) achieved by T. variabilis under the same conditions was 0.054 mg L−1 (89.13% removal efficiency). Algal growth parameters and photosynthetic pigments were estimated for both cyanobacterial strains throughout the incubation period.ConclusionsHigh Cd concentration had a more toxic impact on algal growth. The outcomes of this study will help to produce treated water that could be reused in agrarian activities.
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12. |
- Abdel-Hameed, Amal Mohamed, et al.
(author)
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Estimation of Potato Water Footprint Using Machine Learning Algorithm Models in Arid Regions
- 2024
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In: Potato Research. - : Springer Nature. - 0014-3065 .- 1871-4528.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Precise assessment of water footprint to improve the water consumption and crop yield for irrigated agricultural efficiency is required in order to achieve water management sustainability. Although Penman-Monteith is more successful than other methods and it is the most frequently used technique to calculate water footprint, however, it requires a significant number of meteorological parameters at different spatio-temporal scales, which are sometimes inaccessible in many of the developing countries such as Egypt. Machine learning models are widely used to represent complicated phenomena because of their high performance in the non-linear relations of inputs and outputs. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to (1) develop and compare four machine learning models: support vector regression (SVR), random forest (RF), extreme gradient boost (XGB), and artificial neural network (ANN) over three potato governorates (Al-Gharbia, Al-Dakahlia, and Al-Beheira) in the Nile Delta of Egypt and (2) select the best model in the best combination of climate input variables. The available variables used for this study were maximum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin), average temperature (Tave), wind speed (WS), relative humidity (RH), precipitation (P), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), solar radiation (SR), sown area (SA), and crop coefficient (Kc) to predict the potato blue water footprint (BWF) during 1990–2016. Six scenarios (Sc1–Sc6) of input variables were used to test the weight of each variable in four applied models. The results demonstrated that Sc5 with the XGB and ANN model gave the most promising results to predict BWF in this arid region based on vapor pressure deficit, precipitation, solar radiation, crop coefficient data, followed by Sc1. The created models produced comparatively superior outcomes and can contribute to the decision-making process for water management and development planners.
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13. |
- Almokhtar, Mokhtar, et al.
(author)
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Motor neuron-like NSC-34 cells as a new model for the study of vitamin D metabolism in the brain.
- 2016
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In: Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-0760 .- 1879-1220. ; 158, s. 178-188
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Vitamin D-3 is a pro-hormone, which is sequentially activated by 25- and 1 alpha-hydroxylation to form 25-hydroxyvitamin D-3 [25(OH)D-3] and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 [1 alpha,25(OH)2D(3)], respectively. Subsequent inactivation is performed by 24-hydroxylation. These reactions are carried out by a series of CYP450 enzymes. The 25-hydroxylation involves mainly CYP2R1 and CYP27A1, whereas 1 alpha-hydroxylation and 24-hydroxylation are catalyzed by CYP27B1 and CYP24A1, respectively, and are tightly regulated to maintain adequate levels of the active vitamin D hormone, 1 alpha,25(OH)(2)D-3. Altered circulating vitamin D levels, in particular 25(OH)D-3, have been linked to several disorders of the nervous system, e.g., schizophrenia and Parkinson disease. However, little is known about the mechanisms of vitamin D actions in the neurons. In this study, we examined vitamin D metabolism and its regulation in a murine motor neuron-like hybrid cell line, NSC-34. We found that these cells express mRNAs for the four major CYP450 enzymes involved in vitamin D activation and inactivation, and vitamin D receptor (VDR) that mediates vitamin D actions. We also found high levels of CYP24A1-dependent 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 [24,25(OH)(2)D-3] production, that was inhibited by the well-known CYP enzyme inhibitor ketoconazole and by several inhibitors that are more specific for CYP24A1. Furthermore, CYP24A1 mRNA levels in NSC-34 cells were up-regulated by 1 alpha,25(OH)(2)D-3 and its synthetic analogs, EB1089 and tacalcitol. Our results suggest that NSC-34 cells could be a novel model for the studies of neuronal vitamin D metabolism and its mechanism of actions.
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- Ranjbari, Elias, et al.
(author)
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Direct Measurement of Total Vesicular Catecholamine Content with Electrochemical Microwell Arrays
- 2020
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In: Analytical Chemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0003-2700 .- 1520-6882. ; 92:16, s. 11325-11331
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have designed and fabricated a microwell array chip (MWAC) to trap and detect the entire content of individual vesicles after disruption of the vesicular membrane by an applied electrical potential. To understand the mechanism of vesicle impact electrochemical cytometry (VIEC) in microwells, we simulated the rupture of the vesicles and subsequent diffusion of entrapped analytes. Two possibilities were tested: (i) the vesicle opens toward the electrode, and (ii) the vesicle opens away from the electrode. These two possibilities were simulated in the different microwells with varied depth and width. Experimental VIEC measurements of the number of molecules for each vesicle in the MWAC were compared to VIEC on a gold microdisk electrode as a control, and the quantified catecholamines between these two techniques was the same. We observed a prespike foot in a significant number of events (similar to 20%) and argue this supports the hypothesis that the vesicles rupture toward the electrode surface with a more complex mechanism including the formation of a stable pore intermediate. This study not only confirms that in standard VIEC experiments the whole content of the vesicle is oxidized and quantified at the surface of the microdisk electrode but actively verifies that the adsorbed vesicle on the surface of the electrode forms a pore in the vicinity of the electrode rather than away from it. The fabricated MWAC promotes our ability to quantify the content of vesicles accurately, which is fundamentally important in bioanalysis of the vesicles.
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17. |
- Tan, LK, et al.
(author)
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EXPOSURE TO DENGUE INFECTION DO NOT RAISE RISK OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: FINDINGS FROM THE MALAYSIAN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (MYEIRA) CASE-CONTROL STUDY
- 2021
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In: ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES. - : BMJ. - 0003-4967 .- 1468-2060. ; 80, s. 53-53
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Dengue infection is associated with joints pain mimicking disease onset symptom of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, there is lack of epidemiological studies on exposure to dengue infection and risk of future RA.Objectives:We investigated the relationship between exposure to dengue infection and risk of developing different subsets of RA, defined by the presence of anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) in the multi-ethnic Malaysian population.Methods:Serum samples from 1,235 RA cases (i.e. 516 Malay, 254 Chinese, 405 Indians and 60 others/mixed-ethnicity) and 1,624 epidemiological matched population-based controls (i.e. 1,023 Malay, 208 Chinese, 297 Indians and 96 others/mixed-ethnicity) were assayed for presence of dengue IgG antibody using World Health Organization recommended ELISA kits. Positive results of dengue IgG antibodies indicates previous exposure to dengue infection(s). We performed chi-square and Mann-Whitney U analysis to determine the association of ever-exposed dengue infection with ACPA-positive/ACPA-negative RA and to investigate the antibody frequency and levels among the studied populations.Results:We observed high occurrence of dengue IgG antibody in the overall RA cases (79.7%) and matched controls (77.3%), with no significant differences detected between the ACPA subsets of RA. Ethnicity stratification analysis revealed a decrease risk of developing ACPA-positive RA in the Indian patients with positive dengue IgG antibody (OR=0.59, 95% CI=0.37-0.94, p=0.03), and in particular patients with elevated level of dengue IgG antibody (OR=0.44, 95% CI=0.25-0.78, p<0.05). On the other hand, the significant decrease mean levels of dengue IgG antibody were observed in the ACPA-positive RA subset for all three major ethnic groups (i.e. Malay, p<0.0001, Chinese, p<0.01 and Indian<0.05) (Figure 1). No association was observed between presence of dengue IgG antibody and ACPA-negative RA subset.Figure 1.Comparison of mean dengue IgG antibody level between ever-exposed dengue infection RA cases, stratified by ACPA status. Comparison of median dengue IgG antibody level between the ever-exposed dengue infection ACPA-positive RA and normal controls in the four ethnic groups. The red line indicates the mean level of dengue IgG antibody levelConclusion:Our findings demonstrated that exposure to dengue infection do not increase the risk of developing future RA in the multi-ethnic Malaysian population. The inverse associations observed in the Indian ethnic group are in line with the other studies investigating exposure to viral infection and risk of RA.References:[1]Sherina et al (2017) Low levels of antibodies against common viruses associate with anti-citrullinated protein antibody-positive rheumatoid arthritis; implications for disease aetiology. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2017, 19:2169[2]Gissel García et. al. (2011) Long-term persistence of clinical symptoms in dengue-infected persons and its association with immunological disorders. International Journal of Infectious Diseases 15 (2011) e38–e43Acknowledgements:The authors would like to thank the Director General of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia for supporting this study. The authors are also indebted to participants for their kind participation. This study was financially supported by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia (JPP-IMR 17-025) and the short-term research grant by UniKL RCMP (str16037).Disclosure of Interests:None declared
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18. |
- Zayny, Ahmad, et al.
(author)
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Effects of glucocorticoids on vitamin D3 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1) in Saos-2 cells and primary human osteoblasts
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Vitamin D is essential for bone function and deficiency in active vitamin D hormone can lead to rickets, osteomalacia or osteoporosis. Long-term treatment with glucocorticoids is known to result in osteoporosis and a substantially increased risk of fractures. Although the actions of vitamin D and glucocorticoids play important roles for bone function and in the development of osteoporosis, much remains unclear regarding the effects of these compounds in cells of the bone. In the current study, the human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cell line and primary human osteoblast-like cells were found to express mRNA for the vitamin D receptor as well as both activating and deactivating enzymes in vitamin D3 metabolism. These bone cells exhibited the CYP24A1-mediated 24-hydroxylation, involved in deactivation of the active vitamin D3 form. However, bioactivating vitamin D3 hydroxylase activities could not be detected in either of these cells. Several commonly used therapeutic glucocorticoids, including prednisolone, down regulated mRNA expression for the CYP24A1 gene as well as the CYP24A1-mediated 24-hydroxylase activity in both Saos-2 and primary human osteoblast-like cells. Prednisolone had the strongest suppressive effect on CYP24A1 expression. Results from experiments with a human CYP24A1 promoter-luciferase reporter gene in Saos-2 cells, co-transfected with the glucocorticoid receptor, showed that treatment with prednisolone significantly suppresses the CYP24A1 promoter activity. Thus, the results of the present study showed suppression by glucocorticoids on expression of CYP24A1 mRNA, CYP24A1-mediated metabolism and CYP24A1 promoter activity in human osteoblast-like cells. As part of the present investigation we examined if glucocorticoids are formed locally in Saos-2 cells. The experiments indicate formation of 11-deoxycortisol, a steroid that has glucocorticoid activity and is able to bind to the glucocorticoid receptor.Our data showing suppression by glucocorticoids on CYP24A1 expression in human osteoblast-like cells suggest a previously unknown mechanism for effects of glucocorticoids in human bone, where these compounds may act by increasing the normal levels of active vitamin D.
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