Faculty Publications (CoM)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://repository.mbru.ac.ae/handle/1/13

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 1014

Exploring the impact of stimulant medications on weight in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
(2024) Al Eid, Faten; Albanna, Ammar; Joseph, Jessie; Talo, Sami; Jeyaseelan, Lakshmanan; Sultan, Meshal A
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), prevalent in 5% of children worldwide, impacts academic performance and often coexists with psychiatric disorders. Psychostimulant medications are primary treatments for ADHD, enhancing dopamine to reduce symptoms. However, dopamine increase may cause appetite loss. This pioneering study in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) explores psychostimulant effects on weight in children diagnosed with ADHD, aiming to uncover unique regional characteristics and contributing factors to weight changes.
Microcirculation: Current Perspective in Diagnostics, Imaging, and Clinical Applications.
(2024-11-10) Goswami, Nandu
This review discusses the pivotal role of microcirculation in maintaining tissue oxygenation and waste removal and highlights its significance in various pathological conditions. It delves into the cellular mechanisms underlying hemodynamic coherence, elucidating the roles of the endothelium, glycocalyx, and erythrocytes in sustaining microcirculatory integrity. Furthermore, the review gives comprehensive information about microcirculatory changes observed in cardiac surgery, sepsis, shock, and COVID-19 disease. Through comprehensive exploration, the review underscores the intricate relationship between microcirculation, disease states, and clinical outcomes, emphasizing the importance of understanding and monitoring microvascular dynamics in critical care settings.
Editorial: Women in psychiatry 2023: psychopharmacology
(2024) Jan, Reem Kais
Potential impact of GLP-1 receptor agonists on male fertility: a fable of caution
(2024) Du Plessis, Stefan S; Omolaoye, Temidayo S
A Prospective Cohort Study on the Effect of Antiseizure Medications on Thyroid Function in Children Aged 6 Months to 12 Years with Epilepsy
(2024-11) Rameshkumar, Ramachandran
This study aimed to explore the effect of antiseizure medications (ASM) on thyroid function in children with epilepsy.
The first cross-sectional comparative observational study of sexual dysfunction in Emirati and non-Emirati Parkinson's disease patients (EmPark-SD) in the United Arab Emirates
(2024-11-21) Benamer, Hani T S; Loney, Tom
Sexual dysfunction (SD) is a common non-motor symptom in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) yet underreported and undertreated specifically in many ethnic PD groups because of religious, social and personal perceptions. We conducted the first single-centre cross-sectional study in the United Arab Emirates of SD in 513 consecutive patients who agreed to complete the survey questionnaires. Data was collected on SD using the Nonmotor Symptoms Scale (NMSS), Index of Erectile Function, and Female Sexual Function Index. Our results show that the non-Emirati group had higher NMSS-SD scores than the Emirati group. SD was reported independent of ethnicity, race and disease stage (p < 0.001). SD correlated with worsening quality of life (p < 0.001) and anxiety domain, especially in young PD patients (p < 0.001). Our data concludes that there is no significant difference in SD between different ethnicity groups, contrary to common perception. SD appears to be underreported in this population and needs addressing using culturally sensitive bespoke counselling.
The Lost Nasopharyngeal Airway: A Sentinel Event to Ponder?
(2024-11) Mudaraddi, Rajashekar R; Bodhey, Abhay Kuber; Masood, Naved Ahmed; Greiss, Hany Fawzi; Al Ani, Osama Sami Maki; Maarouf, Mahmoud Younes
Aspiration of the nasopharyngeal airway (NPA) is one of the rarest and life-threatening complications. In the literature, very few cases have been reported. The advent of NPA to protect the airway in semiconscious patients acts like a double-edged sword, based on the patient's condition. The patient factor plays a crucial role. Here, we are reporting a case of aspirated NPA due to the patient's poor gag reflex and human factors at the workplace. The incidence can be minimized if proper handover and documentation by caring personnel are done, which will help reduce the risk of aspiration.
Genomics of rare diseases in the Greater Middle East.
(2025-02-03) Chekroun, Ikram; Almarri, Mohamed A; Uddin, Mohammed; Alkhnbashi, Omer S; Ali, Fahad R; Alsheikh-Ali, Alawi; Abou Tayoun, Ahmad N
The Greater Middle East (GME) represents a concentrated region of unparalleled genetic diversity, characterized by an abundance of distinct alleles, founder mutations and extensive autozygosity driven by high consanguinity rates. These genetic hallmarks present a unique, yet vastly untapped resource for genomic research on Mendelian diseases. Despite this immense potential, the GME continues to face substantial challenges in comprehensive data collection and analysis. This Perspective highlights the region's unique position as a natural laboratory for genetic discovery and explores the challenges that have stifled progress thus far. Importantly, we propose strategic solutions, advocating for an all-inclusive research approach. With targeted investment and focused efforts, the latent genetic wealth in the GME can be transformed into a global hub for genomic research that will redefine and advance our understanding of the human genome.
DNA methylation and its influence on the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis: a systematic literature review.
(2025-02-01) Nau, Thomas; Naidoo, Nerissa
Purpose: Evolving evidence demonstrates the role of epigenetics in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA), whereas in terms of mechanism, DNA methylation has received the highest attention thus far. This systematic review summarizes the current knowledge of DNA methylation and its influence on the pathogenesis of OA.
Premarital genomic screening in Arab populations of the Middle East.
(2025-02) Chekroun, Ikram; Rabea, Fatma; Alsheikh-Ali, Alawi; Tayoun, Ahmad Abou
Comparative Analysis of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Left Main Disease Stratification by Angiographic SYNTAX Score.
(2025-02-19) Abourehab, Nadine
Using the SYNTAX score (SS) for decision-making between percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) for left main coronary artery (LMCA) revascularization is under scrutiny. This study investigated the clinical outcomes of LMCA revascularization stratified by SS. This multicenter study included 2138 patients recruited between 2015 and 2020 who underwent LMCA disease revascularization using PCI or CABG and were categorized based on their SS into three groups: low (≤22), intermediate (23-32), and high (≥33). Patients with a high SS compared with those with an intermediate SS experienced increased hospital mortality (Odds ratio: 1.99; = .026) and Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Event (MACCE; OR: 2.17; = .006). With an average follow-up of 24.7 months, no substantial differences emerged in MACCE (Hazard ratio: 1.23; = .52) or mortality (HR: 3.26; = .073] between patients with high and intermediate SSs. A significant interaction between the SS category (low vs intermediate) and LMCA revascularization modality was observed for hospital MACCEs, favoring PCI over CABG (OR: 0.32; = .033). However, no noteworthy interactions between SS categories and revascularization modalities were noted concerning hospital or follow-up mortality or follow-up MACCEs. These findings raise doubts about the utility of SS alone in selecting left-main revascularization modalities for LMCA disease.
Metabolomic Analysis, Antiproliferative, Anti-Migratory, and Anti-Invasive Potential of Amlodipine in Lung Cancer Cells.
(2025) Soares, Nelson C
Background and Objective: Lung cancer stands as the leading cause of cancer-related fatalities worldwide. While chemotherapy remains a crucial treatment option for managing lung cancer in both early-stage and advanced cases, it is accompanied by significant drawbacks, including severe side effects and the development of chemoresistance. Overcoming chemoresistance represents a considerable challenge in lung cancer treatment. Amlodipine cytotoxicity was previously demonstrated and could make lung cancer cells more susceptible to chemotherapies. This research aims to examine the metabolomics changes that may occur due to amlodipine's anticancer effects on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells.
Pharmacy workforce: a systematic review of key drivers of pharmacists' satisfaction and retention.
(2025) Sallam, Mohammed
Background: Pharmacy workforces are central to healthcare systems, yet the profession faces challenges in job satisfaction and retention due to evolving roles, workload pressures, and other issues. Understanding workforce stability is crucial for optimising pharmacy services.
Does fasting increase rates of trauma in Ramadan? A systematic review
(2024-09-15) Kellett, Catherine
Background: As part of their religious obligation, Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn until dusk for a 30-day period during Ramadan. Fasting may affect daily functioning, such as increased risk of collision for drivers. A study of the impact of fasting during Ramadan on trauma incidence may allow for the creation of public health campaigns targeting this potential phenomenon. We aimed to determine whether trauma incidence increases during Ramadan, and to characterise the trauma occurring during Ramadan. Methods: Both published and unpublished literature, along with conference proceedings and reference lists from the selected studies, were searched up until the 1st of July 2023. A narrative synthesis was conducted, and the included studies were evaluated using appropriate tools based on their study design. Results: Seventeen studies (964,631 subjects) were included. There were methodological concerns pertaining to their low level of evidence and risk of bias. Of nine studies reporting on road traffic accidents (RTAs), six found a higher incidence during Ramadan. Road traffic accidents and occupational injuries (OIs) were more likely to occur near or at sunset (marking the end of the fast). Two studies presented conflicting evidence regarding the effect of fasting in Ramadan on sports-associated injuries. Current evidence suggests that falls and violence-related trauma do not occur more frequently during Ramadan, with insufficient evidence to determine the occurrence of other injury mechanisms. Conclusion: Individuals who fast may be at a higher risk of RTAs and OIs during Ramadan than outside this month. Due to the lack of studies performed in the Americas and Europe, it is unclear whether the findings are applicable to these regions. Current evidence is limited by lack of stratification according to time of trauma occurrence, and high risk of bias.
SpacerPlacer: ancestral reconstruction of CRISPR arrays reveals the evolutionary dynamics of spacer deletions
(2024-10-14) Alkhnbashi, Omer S
Bacteria employ CRISPR-Cas systems for defense by integrating invader-derived sequences, termed spacers, into the CRISPR array, which constitutes an immunity memory. While spacer deletions occur randomly across the array, newly acquired spacers are predominantly integrated at the leader end. Consequently, spacer arrays can be used to derive the chronology of spacer insertions. Reconstruction of ancestral spacer acquisitions and deletions could help unravel the coevolution of phages and bacteria, the evolutionary dynamics in microbiomes, or track pathogens. However, standard reconstruction methods produce misleading results by overlooking insertion order and joint deletions of spacers. Here, we present SpacerPlacer, a maximum likelihood-based ancestral reconstruction approach for CRISPR array evolution. We used SpacerPlacer to reconstruct and investigate ancestral deletion events of 4565 CRISPR arrays, revealing that spacer deletions occur 374 times more frequently than mutations and are regularly deleted jointly, with an average of 2.7 spacers. Surprisingly, we observed a decrease in the spacer deletion frequency towards both ends of the reconstructed arrays. While the resulting trailer-end conservation is commonly observed, a reduced deletion frequency is now also detectable towards the variable leader end. Finally, our results point to the hypothesis that frequent loss of recently acquired spacers may provide a selective advantage.
Drugs in focus: Botulinum toxin in the therapy of gastrointestinal disorders in children
(2024-12) Tzivinikos, Christos
What is Known: Botulinum toxin (BoNT) causes muscle relaxation by inhibiting acetylcholine release from presynaptic motor neurons at the neuromuscular junction. What is New: In children with achalasia, BoNT can be considered only in patients in whom rapid weight gain is important to improve surgical outcomes. BoNT has been suggested for treating cricopharyngeal achalasia and delayed gastric emptying. Anal achalasia and constipation after Hirschsprung disease corrective surgery are very promising indications for BoNT use. In selected children with resistant type of functional constipation and chronic anal fissure, BoNT is a viable option for treating.
Improving National and International Surveillance of Movement Behaviours in Childhood and Adolescence: An International Modified Delphi Study.
(2024-10-03) Loney, Tom
Background: The actions required to achieve higher-quality and harmonised global surveillance of child and adolescent movement behaviours (physical activity, sedentary behaviour including screen time, sleep) are unclear.
Targeting PAR2-mediated inflammation in osteoarthritis: a comprehensive in vitro evaluation of oleocanthal's potential as a functional food intervention for chondrocyte protection and anti-inflammatory effects.
(2024-10-01) Patnaik, Rajashree; Varghese, Riah; Jannati, Shirin; Naidoo, Nerissa; Banerjee, Yajnavalka
Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease characterized by chronic inflammation and progressive cartilage degradation, ultimately leading to joint dysfunction and disability. Oleocanthal (OC), a bioactive phenolic compound derived from extra virgin olive oil, has garnered significant attention due to its potent anti-inflammatory properties, which are comparable to those of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This study pioneers the investigation into the effects of OC on the Protease-Activated Receptor-2 (PAR-2) mediated inflammatory pathway in OA, aiming to validate its efficacy as a functional food-based therapeutic intervention.
Triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) as a novel biomarker in the era of cardiometabolic medicine.
(2025-01-01) Rizzo, Manfredi
In the period of increasing prevalence of metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes, healthcare professionals are facing significant challenges. Therefore, an accurate global assessment of insulin resistance is of utmost importance. Current medical research is focused on identifying an easily accessible and reproducible gold-standard surrogate marker for insulin resistance. Ideally, such a marker would enable healthcare providers to predict the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) is a promising marker for preventive cardiology and cardiometabolic medicine. This narrative review article aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the credibility of TyG as a surrogate marker of insulin resistance among patients at different stages across the cardiometabolic continuum. This assessment fully complies with evidence-based medicine and offers valuable insight into the clinical utility of TyG.
Genomic insights from a deeply phenotyped highly consanguineous neurodevelopmental disorders cohort.
(2024-09-26) Mohamed, Nesrin; Satsangi, Dharana; Hanif, Shehzad; Tambi, Richa; Nassir, Nasna; Uddin, Mohammed
Purpose: The genetic underpinning of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in diverse ethnic populations, especially those with high rates of consanguinity, remains largely unexplored. Here, we aim to elucidate genomic insight from 576 well-phenotyped and highly consanguineous (16%) NDD cohort.

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