Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Imam Waked, Sherif Alsammany, Sayed Hammad Tirmazy, Kakil Rasul, Jafar Bani-Issa, Wael Abdel-Razek, Ashraf Omar, Amr Shafik, Salem Eid, Amr Abdelaal, Ahmed Hosni, Gamal Esmat
Summary: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant health concern, particularly in MENA countries, due to risk factors like viral infections and fatty liver disease. An advisory meeting was held in August 2022 with experts from 5 MENA countries to discuss HCC screening, diagnosis, treatment, and unmet medical needs. The meeting emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary care, biomarkers, screening systems, registries, referral pathways, and guideline standardization for successful HCC management in the region.
LIVER INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mohsen Fazeli-Varzaneh, Pete Bettinger, Erfan Ghaderi-Azad, Marcin Kozak, Davood Mafi-Gholami, Abolfazl Jaafari
Summary: Research trends in the field of forestry have evolved significantly in recent years, with this study using bibliometric analysis to investigate the progress of forestry research in Iran, Israel, and Turkey. The study found that Turkey was the most active in publishing research in forestry, while Iran and Israel excelled in international collaboration. The most frequent keywords used by researchers from these three countries were species, condition, forest, and tree.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Benjamin Plackett
Summary: Sickle-cell disease is prevalent in the Middle East, with 2.6% of the population in some areas affected by this genetic disorder. Adlette Inati, a specialist in clinical haematology at the Lebanese American University, and president of a foundation supporting sickle-cell disease patients in Lebanon, discusses the potential benefits of genetic screening in this region.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Lori Post, Emily Marogi, Charles B. Moss, Robert Leo Murphy, Michael G. Ison, Chad J. Achenbach, Danielle Resnick, Lauren Singh, Janine White, Michael J. Boctor, Sarah B. Welch, James Francis Oehmke
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the Middle East and North Africa region, with factors such as falling oil prices, wealth disparities, and large refugee populations exacerbating the disease burden. This study aims to provide advanced surveillance metrics for COVID-19 transmission and found that countries with the highest cumulative caseload include Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. Dynamic public health surveillance metrics can offer valuable insights for informing policies and control efforts until an effective vaccine is developed.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Business, Finance
Amal Alharthi, Corinne Cortese, Lee Moerman, Farzana Tanima
Summary: Big Data has changed the global economic landscape, allowing marketers to use customer data to influence choices and increase profits. However, this data extraction process has led to surveillance capitalism and indifference towards customer rights. This paper explores the relationship between accounting, accountability, and marketing practices, discussing the ethical concerns arising from accounting-based marketing practices.
CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zubair Akhtar, Fahmida Chowdhury, Mahmudur Rahman, Probir Kumar Ghosh, Md. Kaousar Ahmmed, Md Ariful Islam, Joshua A. Mott, William Davis
Summary: Limited data from several countries indicated reduced seasonal influenza circulation during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A study in Bangladesh found that the 2020 influenza season started later, was shorter, and less intense than previous seasons, likely due to community mitigation measures implemented to control the pandemic. These findings contribute to the growing evidence that influenza seasons were altered globally in 2020.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mohamed A. Almarri, Marc Haber, Reem A. Lootah, Pille Hallast, Saeed Al Turki, Hilary C. Martin, Yali Xue, Chris Tyler-Smith
Summary: In this study, 137 high-coverage physically phased genome sequences from eight Middle Eastern populations were generated using linked-read sequencing. The research found a close association between population movements and admixture in the region and the spread of Semitic languages, and identified traces of Neanderthal and Basal Eurasian ancestry in Middle Eastern populations. The study provides detailed insights into the genetic history and migrations of the Middle East.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Peter M. DeJonge, Arnold S. Monto, Ryan E. Malosh, Joshua G. Petrie, Hannah E. Segaloff, Erin McSpadden, Caroline Cheng, Latifa Bazzi, Amy Callear, Emileigh Johnson, Rachel Truscon, Emily T. Martin
Summary: In Southeast Michigan, active surveillance studies monitor influenza activity in hospitals, ambulatory clinics, and community households. Three networks provided comparable data in terms of timing and magnitude of influenza epidemics, supporting previous conclusions about broader characteristics of particular influenza seasons. Overall, surveillance systems based in hospital, ambulatory clinic, and community household settings appear to provide similar information regarding regional epidemic activity.
INFLUENZA AND OTHER RESPIRATORY VIRUSES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Clara Mazagatos, Concepcion Delgado-Sanz, Ana Milagro, Maria Liebana-Rodriguez, Amparo Larrauri
Summary: Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for the elderly in most countries to prevent hospitalizations and deaths associated with seasonal influenza. Studies have shown the benefits of vaccination, preventing a significant number of cases and severe outcomes. This study estimated the burden of severe influenza disease in Spain and measured the impact of vaccination in the elderly. The findings demonstrated the effectiveness of the influenza vaccination program in preventing hospitalizations and ICU admissions in the elderly.
Article
Computer Science, Cybernetics
Omar Mubin, Fady Alnajjar, Mudassar Arsalan
Summary: Research in the field of HCI in the MENA region shows that authors from high-income countries have higher research output, while those from upper-middle-income countries are more likely to publish in journals. The thematic focus of research varies based on a country's socioeconomic category, with the USA being a prominent partner and a lack of intra-MENA collaborations observed. Efforts are needed to promote more collaborations within the region.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Marlene K. Wolfe, Dorothea Duong, Kevin M. Bakker, Michelle Ammerman, Lindsey Mortenson, Bridgette Hughes, Peter Arts, Adam S. Lauring, William J. Fitzsimmons, Emily Bendall, Calvin E. Hwang, Emily T. Martin, Bradley J. White, Alexandria B. Boehm, Krista R. Wigginton
Summary: Wastewater surveillance can effectively detect influenza outbreaks in near-real time and serve as a valuable supplement to traditional influenza surveillance methods.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Genetics & Heredity
Ahmad N. Abou Tayoun, Khalid A. Fakhro, Alawi Alsheikh-Ali, Fowzan S. Alkuraya
Summary: We discuss the current status of genomic medicine in Arab countries in the Middle East, highlighting the importance of this region in Mendelian genetics due to inbreeding. We focus on genomic testing, clinical genetics, genetic counseling services, and opportunities for improvement in genomic medicine services in this region.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ioanna Miliou, Xinyue Xiong, Salvatore Rinzivillo, Qian Zhang, Giulio Rossetti, Fosca Giannotti, Dino Pedreschi, Alessandro Vespignani
Summary: This study examines the use of retail market data as a proxy signal for improving seasonal influenza forecasting. By identifying products bought together by specific customer groups, the study demonstrates that incorporating retail market data into forecasting models can enhance the accuracy of predicting seasonal flu incidence.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Q. Sue Huang, Tim Wood, Lauren Jelley, Tineke Jennings, Sarah Jefferies, Karen Daniells, Annette Nesdale, Tony Dowell, Nikki Turner, Priscilla Campbell-Stokes, Michelle Balm, Hazel C. Dobinson, Cameron C. Grant, Shelley James, Nayyereh Aminisani, Jacqui Ralston, Wendy Gunn, Judy Bocacao, Jessica Danielewicz, Tessa Moncrieff, Andrea McNeill, Liza Lopez, Ben Waite, Tomasz Kiedrzynski, Hannah Schrader, Rebekah Gray, Kayla Cook, Danielle Currin, Chaune Engelbrecht, Whitney Tapurau, Leigh Emmerton, Maxine Martin, Michael G. Baker, Susan Taylor, Adrian Trenholme, Conroy Wong, Shirley Lawrence, Colin McArthur, Alicia Stanley, Sally Roberts, Fahimeh Rahnama, Jenny Bennett, Chris Mansell, Meik Dilcher, Anja Werno, Jennifer Grant, Antje van der Linden, Ben Youngblood, Paul G. Thomas, Richard J. Webby
Summary: New Zealand has successfully controlled COVID-19 by implementing strict non-pharmaceutical interventions, leading to a significant decline in reports of influenza and other non-influenza respiratory pathogens during the winter months when these interventions were in place.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Alecio F. Lombardi, Amir M. Afsahi, Amit Gupta, Ali Gholamrezanezhad
Summary: This article reviewed the extra-pulmonary complications of SARS, Influenza, MERS, and COVID-19, finding that these viral diseases are associated with dysfunction of multiple organs, including the kidneys, endocrine system, neuromuscular symptoms, perinatal complications, and myocardial injury. Progression from pulmonary disease to a systemic condition often leads to poor outcomes and multi-organ failure.
