Publications by authors named "Alaa Youssef"

Millions of men and women suffer from alopecia, especially androgenic alopecia (AGA), which is considered the most common form of hair loss. The available treatments for hair loss include multiple approaches, with the most popular being synthetic drugs including minoxidil and finasteride, in addition to natural products. However, synthetic drugs have shown many undesirable side effects, on the contrary, the specifications of the commonly used natural drugs have not been reported in most of the previous studies, despite the high market preference for them.

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Importance: Safe integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical settings often requires randomized clinical trials (RCT) to compare AI efficacy with conventional care. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening is at the forefront of clinical AI applications, marked by the first US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) De Novo authorization for an autonomous AI for such use.

Objective: To determine the generalizability of the 7 ethical research principles for clinical trials endorsed by the National Institute of Health (NIH), and identify ethical concerns unique to clinical trials of AI.

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Given the potential benefits of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) within healthcare, it is critical to consider how these technologies can be deployed in pediatric research and practice. Currently, healthcare AI/ML has not yet adapted to the specific technical considerations related to pediatric data nor adequately addressed the specific vulnerabilities of children and young people (CYP) in relation to AI. While the greatest burden of disease in CYP is firmly concentrated in lower and middle-income countries (LMICs), existing applied pediatric AI/ML efforts are concentrated in a small number of high-income countries (HICs).

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Biomphalaria spp. snails are freshwater gastropods that responsible for Schistosoma mansoni transmission. Schistosomiasis is a chronic illness that occurred in underdeveloped regions with poor sanitation.

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Importance: Limited sharing of data sets that accurately represent disease and patient diversity limits the generalizability of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms in health care.

Objective: To explore the factors associated with organizational motivation to share health data for AI development.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This qualitative study investigated organizational readiness for sharing health data across the academic, governmental, nonprofit, and private sectors.

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Background: Administrative data are generated when educating, licensing, and regulating future physicians but these data are rarely used beyond their pre-specified purposes. The capacity necessary for sensitive and responsive oversight that supports the sharing of administrative medical education data across institutions for research purposes needs to be developed.

Method: A pan-Canadian consensus-building project was undertaken to develop agreement on the goals, benefits, risks, values, and principles that should underpin inter-institutional data-driven medical education research in Canada.

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Importance: The lack of data quality frameworks to guide the development of artificial intelligence (AI)-ready data sets limits their usefulness for machine learning (ML) research in health care and hinders the diagnostic excellence of developed clinical AI applications for patient care.

Objective: To discern what constitutes high-quality and useful data sets for health and biomedical ML research purposes according to subject matter experts.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This qualitative study interviewed data set experts, particularly those who are creators and ML researchers.

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Background: There is considerable evidence that microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate several key tumor-associated genes/pathways and may themselves have a dual regulatory function either as tumor suppressors or oncogenic miRNA, depending on the tumor type. MicroRNA-590-3p (miR-590-3p) is a small non-coding RNA involved in the initiation and progression of numerous tumors. However, its expression pattern and biological role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are controversial.

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We carried out this study to validate the use of ultrasound sliding sign to predict intraperitoneal adhesions in women undergoing repeated caesarean section (CS). A cross-section study was performed in women with at least one CS scheduled for an elective CS. We used the sliding sign of the uterus against the anterior abdominal wall to assess intraperitoneal adhesions, positive sliding sign if uterus moved freely and a negative sliding sign if limited mobility.

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Alopecia or hair loss is a widespread issue that has significant effects on personal well-being for both genders nationally and internationally. In addition, alopecia causes extreme emotional stress and negatively impacts the psychological health and self-esteem of cancer patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced alopecia. Unfortunately, available synthetic medications are costly, invasive, or have extreme adverse effects.

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Although most bariatric patients achieve significant weight loss and improvements in both physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the short-term, there is wide variability in weight and long-term HRQoL outcomes. The role of bariatric patients' self-management style in explaining variability in long-term outcomes is unclear. This qualitative study examined bariatric patients' self-management experiences after bariatric surgery in relation to long-term outcomes.

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Article Synopsis
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant mental health challenges in Canada, with over 22% of individuals reporting feelings of depression in a December 2020 survey, highlighting the urgency for effective mental health support.
  • The research aimed to identify digital interventions for supporting mental health during the pandemic, focusing on population-specific needs, intervention effectiveness, and barriers or facilitators to use.
  • A comprehensive review identified 31 mobile apps and 114 web-based resources (like telemedicine and peer support) that can aid Canadians' mental health, all compiled in a publicly accessible directory.
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Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had far reaching consequences on the health and well-being of the general public. Evidence from previous pandemics suggest that bariatric patients may experience increased emotional distress and difficulty adhering to healthy lifestyle changes post-surgery.

Objective: We aimed to examine the impact of the novel COVID-19 public health crisis on bariatric patients' self-management post-surgery.

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Background: While bariatric surgery has proven to be effective to achieve significant weight loss and short-term improvements in both physical and mental (HRQoL), little is known about the factors associated with long-term decline in mental HRQoL after bariatric surgery.

Objective: To examine differences in physical and mental HRQoL trajectories in a bariatric patient population 3 years after bariatric surgery and examine associated sociodemographic, weight, and mental health factors.

Setting: A Canadian academic bariatric care center.

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Objective: The aim of this study is to examine patients' experiences in integrated care (IC) settings.

Design: Qualitative study using semistructured interviews.

Settings: Two IC sites in Toronto, Canada: (1) a community-based primary healthcare centre, supporting patients with hepatitis C and comorbid mental health and substance use issues; and (2) an integrated bariatric surgery programme, an academic tertiary care centre.

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Infection with trematodes produces physiological and behavioural changes in intermediate snail hosts. One response to infection is parasitic castration, in which energy required for reproduction of the host is thought to be redirected to promote development and multiplication of the parasite. This study investigated some reproductive and biochemical parameters in the nervous (CNS) and ovotestis (OT) tissues of Biomphalaria alexandrina during the course of Schistosoma mansoni infection.

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Introduction: Practice data can inform the selection of educational strategies; however, it is not widely used, even when available. This study's purpose was to determine factors that influence physician engagement with practice data to advance competence and drive practice change.

Methods: A practice-based, pan-Canadian survey was administered to three physician subspecialties: psychiatrists (Psy), radiation oncologists (RO), and general surgeons (GS).

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Objectives: Despite the established clinical and cost-effectiveness of integrated care (IC) models for patients with comorbid mental and physical illness, little is known about whether these models facilitate a better care experience from the patient's perspective. The authors conducted a scoping review of the literature to explore how IC influences patients' care experiences.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PSYC INFO CINAHL, AMED, the Cochrane Library, and grey literature were searched to identify relevant articles.

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A wide range of endocrine disruptor compounds are routinely discharged to the ecosystem. Water contaminated with these compounds has a potential effect on the reproductive physiology of aquatic organisms as well as humans. In the present study, we tested the effect of the steroid estrogen, 17β-estradiol, on Biomphalaria alexandrina, a snail species that is widely distributed in Egypt and that acts as an intermediate host for the human blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni.

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Multiple sclerosis is among the most common causes of neurological disabilities in young adults. Over the past decade, several therapeutic strategies have emerged as having potential neuroprotective and neuroregenerative properties. We investigated the effect of intranasal administration of LINGO-1-directed siRNA-loaded chitosan nanoparticles on demyelination and remyelination processes in a rat model of demyelination.

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Objective: The current study aims to evaluate a simple method for sonographic measurement of the fetal biacromial diameter for prediction of fetal macrosomia in term pregnancy.

Materials And Methods: The current study was a single center prospective observational study conducted in a tertiary University Hospital from January 2015 to May 2017. We included all consecutive term (37-42 weeks) pregnant women presented to the labor ward for delivery.

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Introduction: Integrated care (IC) models have emerged to address gaps in care for individuals with complex healthcare needs. Although the clinical and cost-effectiveness of IC models are well-established, our understanding of whether IC models facilitate a patient-centred care experience from the patients' perspective is not well understood. This scoping review aims to comprehensively map the literature to provide a broad overview of patients' experiences in IC settings with a focus on the experiences of complex patients with comorbid mental and physical illnesses.

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