Impact of price reductions, subsidies, or financial incentives on healthy food purchases and consumption: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Poor diets are a global concern and are linked with various adverse health outcomes. Healthier foods such as fruit and vegetables are often more expensive than unhealthy options. This study aimed to assess the effect of price reductions for healthy food (including fruit and vegetables) on diet.

Modeling the population-level impact of treatment on COVID-19 disease and SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Different COVID-19 treatment candidates are under development, and some are becoming available including two promising drugs from Merck and Pfizer. This study provides conceptual frameworks for the effects of three types of treatments, both therapeutic and prophylactic, and to investigate their population-level impact, to inform drug development, licensure, decision-making, and implementation. Different drug efficacies were assessed using an age-structured mathematical model describing SARS-CoV-2 transmission and disease progression, with application to the United States as an illustrative example.

A systematic review of interventions to promote physical activity in six Gulf countries.

Physical activity (PA) levels are low in Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC; Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates). We carried out a systematic review (PROSPERO registration number 131817) to assess the effect of interventions to increase PA levels in this region. We also assessed their effects on anthropometry and cardiovascular risk.

Epidemiology of herpes simplex virus type 2 in sub-Saharan Africa: Systematic review, meta-analyses, and meta-regressions.

Background: Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection is a prevalent, sexually transmitted infection with a sizable disease burden that is highest in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to characterize HSV-2 epidemiology in this region.

Methods: Cochrane and PRISMA guidelines were followed to systematically review, synthesize, and report HSV-2 related findings up to August 23, 2020.

Interventions promoting physical activity among adults and children in the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries: protocol for a systematic review.

Introduction: Prevalence of overweight, obesity and diabetes are high and rising across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates). In parallel, physical activity (PA) levels are low relative to international standards. PA aids weight control and reduces risk of non-communicable diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Effect of subsidies on healthful consumption: a protocol for a systematic review update.

Introduction: The prevalence of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rapidly increasing in most parts of the world. In order to ameliorate the related public health burden, evidence-informed policies to improve diet need to be implemented. Financial subsidies that promote healthful consumption patterns have the potential to reduce NCD risk and may also reduce inequality if targeted at those of low socio-economic position.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 in Europe: systematic review, meta-analyses and meta-regressions.

Objective: To describe the epidemiology of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in Europe.

Methods: We systematically reviewed HSV-1 related publications, conducted various meta-analyses and meta-regressions, assessed pooled mean seroprevalence, and estimated pooled mean proportions of HSV-1 viral detection in clinically diagnosed genital ulcer disease (GUD) and in genital herpes.

Results: We extracted, from 142 relevant records, 179 overall (622 stratified) seroprevalence measures, 4 overall proportions of HSV-1 in GUD and 64 overall (162 stratified) proportions of HSV-1 in genital herpes.

Global epidemiology of in infertile populations: systematic review, meta-analysis and metaregression.

Objective: To provide an in-depth systematic assessment of the global epidemiology of gonorrhoea infection in infertile populations.

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted up to 29 April 2019 on international databases and WHO regional databases, and reported following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. All prevalence measures of gonorrhoea infection among infertile populations, based on primary data, qualified for inclusion.

A one-year cost-utility analysis of REBOA versus RTACC for non-compressible torso haemorrhage.

Introduction: Major trauma is a leading cause of death and disability in young adults, especially from massive non-compressible torso haemorrhage. The standard technique to control distal haemorrhage and maximise central perfusion is resuscitative thoracotomy with aortic cross-clamping (RTACC). More recently, the minimally invasive technique of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) has been developed to similarly limit distal haemorrhage without the morbidity of thoracotomy; cost-utility studies on this intervention, however, are still lacking.

The relation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene polymorphisms on VEGF levels and the risk of vasoocclusive crisis in sickle cell disease.

Objective: The association of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA) variants and VEGF secretion with sickle cell disease (SCD) vasoocclusive crisis (VOC) was investigated in 210 VOC patients and 114 pain-free control patients.

Methods: VEGFA -2578C/A (rs699947), -460T/C (rs833061), -1154G/A (rs15703060), -634G/C (rs2010963), 398G/A (rs833068), 497G/A (rs833070), -583T/C (rs3025020), and 936C/T (rs3025039) were carried out by real-time PCR.

Results: Higher frequency of rs2010963 C-allele, rs833068 A-allele, and rs3025020 C-allele and significant differences in rs2010963, rs833068, and rs3025020 genotype distribution were seen in VOC than steady-state patients.

Protein Z polymorphisms associated with vaso-occlusive crisis in young sickle cell disease patients.

We investigated the association of protein Z (PZ) promoter (rs3024718, rs3024719, and rs3024731) and intron (rs3024735; G79A) SNPs with sickle cell disease (SCD) vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC). Study subjects included 239 SCD patients with VOC and 138 pain-free SCD control patients. PZ genotyping was done by allelic discrimination (real-time PCR) assays.

Anti-phosphatidylserine, anti-cardiolipin, anti-β2 glycoprotein I and anti-prothrombin antibodies in recurrent miscarriage at 8-12 gestational weeks.

Objective: To investigate the association of antibodies to β2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI), cardiolipin (ACA), phosphatidylserine (anti-PS) and prothrombin (anti-PT) with recurrent spontaneous miscarriage (RSM).

Study Design: Case-control study involving 277 RSM cases and 288 controls: autoantibody levels were measured by ELISA. Differences between cases and controls were analyzed by nonparametric Mann-Whitney test, and logistic regression was used in analyzing the association of autoantibodies with RSM.