Publications by authors named "Loney T"
The European subtype of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV-Eur; species , family ) was the only tick-borne flavivirus present in central Europe known to cause neurologic disease in humans and several animal species. Here, we report a tick-borne flavivirus isolated from Alpine chamois () with encephalitis and attached ticks, present over a wide area in the Alps. Cases were detected in 2017 in Salzburg, Austria, and 2023 in Lombardy and Piedmont, Italy.
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- Sexual dysfunction (SD) is a widespread issue among people with Parkinson's disease (PD), but it is often underreported and untreated, especially in various ethnic groups due to cultural beliefs.
- A study conducted in the UAE involving 513 patients found that SD was more prevalent in non-Emirati individuals, and it significantly impacted their quality of life and anxiety levels.
- The research concluded that SD affects all ethnicities similarly and emphasized the importance of culturally sensitive counseling to improve awareness and treatment.
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- The study aimed to improve global surveillance of child and adolescent movement behaviors (like physical activity and screen time) by gathering expert opinions through a Delphi method involving 62 participants.
- Experts ranked important items in categories like funding, capacity building, and methods, with a consensus on key priorities such as increased public funding and standard protocols for measures.
- The findings highlighted common priorities across different income countries and initiatives, but there was no agreement on the use of private funding for surveillance.
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- The review aimed to evaluate evidence from human studies on the link between radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) exposure and the risk of certain cancers, especially focusing on brain and salivary gland tumors.
- Researchers included various observational studies examining different types of RF-EMF exposure, such as from wireless phone use, environmental sources, and occupational settings, while emphasizing specific cancers in their analysis.
- The study assessed the quality of each study using a risk-of-bias tool and utilized advanced statistical methods to synthesize results and determine confidence in the evidence gathered.
Introduction: Global surveillance of physical activity (PA) of children and adolescents with questionnaires is limited by the use of instruments developed in high-income countries (HICs) lacking sociocultural adaptation, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); under-representation of some PA domains; and omission of active play, an important source of PA. Addressing these limitations would help improve international comparisons, and facilitate the cross-fertilisation of ideas to promote PA. We aim to develop and assess the reliability and validity of the app-based Global Adolescent and Child Physical Activity Questionnaire (GAC-PAQ) among 8-17 years old in 14 LMICs and HICs representing all continents; and generate the 'first available data' on active play in most participating countries.
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- Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a serious genetic disorder with limited treatment options, and its prevalence needs more research in Arab countries due to high rates of consanguinity.* -
- A study involved diagnosing SMA in 171 patients and newborn screenings in 1,502 Emirati infants, revealing a carrier frequency of 1.3% and an incidence of 1 in 7,122 live births for the disease in the UAE.* -
- Results indicate that implementing premarital genetic screening could significantly reduce SMA cases and save healthcare costs, highlighting the need for wider screening practices in Arab populations.*
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory condition that causes demyelination of the central nervous system accompanied by a wide range of symptoms. The high prevalence of falls among patients diagnosed with MS within the initial six months highlights the importance of this issue. The objective of this study is to identify factors associated with falls in MS patients in order to increase awareness and reduce the risk of falls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWomen with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have a higher susceptibility to infections compared to those without PCOS. Studies evaluating antibiotic use based on PCOS status are scarce. Therefore, we aimed to (i) assess the associations between self-reported PCOS and antibiotic use, and (ii) whether PCOS treatment and the age at PCOS diagnosis modified the associations above.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe IFIH1 gene, encoding melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5), is an indispensable innate immune regulator involved in the early detection of viral infections. Previous studies described MDA5 dysregulation in weakened immunological responses, and increased susceptibility to microbial infections and autoimmune disorders. Monoallelic gain-of-function of the IFIH1 gene has been associated with multisystem disorders, namely Aicardi-Goutieres and Singleton-Merten syndromes, while biallelic loss causes immunodeficiency.
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- The study focused on the prevalence of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among pregnant women in Cairo, Egypt, and explored their attitudes and knowledge regarding SHS.
- It involved a survey of 200 pregnant women in their third trimester, revealing that two-thirds had smoking husbands and a significant portion were exposed to SHS, particularly in rural areas.
- Despite high levels of SHS exposure, many participants underestimated the risks to themselves and their unborn children, highlighting the need for better education and awareness campaigns.
Health literacy among pregnant women in the United Arab Emirates: The Mutaba'ah study.
Womens Health (Lond)
January 2024
Background: Health literacy is the degree to which individuals can obtain, process, understand, and communicate health-related information. Health literacy among pregnant women, in particular, may have a significant impact on maternal and child health. In the United Arab Emirates, no previous studies have been carried out to investigate the health literacy levels of pregnant women.
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- Low hemoglobin (Hb) levels during pregnancy can lead to adverse outcomes, and this study explored how Hb levels change throughout the trimesters and what factors influence these changes.
- Using data from 1,120 pregnant women, researchers identified three clusters of Hb levels: Cluster A (normal), Cluster B (declining), and Cluster C (increasing but still low), each with different median Hb levels across trimesters.
- Factors such as higher number of pregnancies, diabetes, lack of previous pregnancies, and lower education levels were linked to lower Hb levels, while iron supplement use before pregnancy associated with higher but still insufficient Hb levels.
Article Synopsis
- * Whole exome sequencing identified rare, harmful variants in 16 immune-related genes in 31% of patients, with a significant number of these variants linked to interferon and toll-like receptor genes.
- * Findings indicate that genetic variations may contribute to severe COVID-19 outcomes, emphasizing the need for genetic research in diverse populations to enhance our understanding of disease genetics.
Background/objectives: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a rapidly developing country. With the increase in average life-expectancy, high rates of consanguinity, and the adoption of a Western lifestyle, the burden of neurological disorders is expected to increase over the next few decades. Despite the importance of neurological disorders, there has not been a systematic review of published studies on the epidemiology of neurological disorders in the UAE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAbnormal birth weight, particularly low birth weight (LBW), is known to have long-term adverse health consequences in adulthood, with disrupted sleep being suggested as a mediator or modifier of this link. We thus aimed to assess the associations between birth weight and self-reported adult sleep characteristics: sleep duration, difficulty waking up in the morning, daily nap frequency, sleep problems at night, snoring, daytime tiredness or sleepiness, and ever-stop breathing during sleep. This cross-sectional analysis used the United Arab Emirates Healthy Future Study data collected from February 2016 to March 2023 involving 2124 Emiratis aged 18-61 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlobally, hundreds of millions of outdoor workers are exposed to solar radiation (SR) for the majority of their working life. Such occupational exposure is known to induce various adverse health effects to the eyes, mainly related to its ultraviolet (UV) component. The present work is a call-to-action aimed at raising the awareness on the need of health surveillance for the prevention of the chronic ocular diseases in outdoor workers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe main mode of transmission of Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV) between dromedaries is likely via the respiratory route. However, there must be other modes to explain how the infection is brought to MERS-CoV-negative closed herds, such as transmission by ticks. Here, we present a study performed at three different locations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) involving 215 dromedary camels () and the ticks attached to them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Asthma and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are linked in several possible ways. To date, there has been no study evaluating whether pediatric asthma is an independent risk factor for adult PCOS. Our study aimed to examine the association between pediatric asthma (diagnosed at 0-19 years) and adult PCOS (diagnosed at ≥20 years).
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- Skin cancer is becoming a big health problem, but it can be prevented by limiting exposure to the sun's harmful UV rays.
- A study in Lisbon aims to measure how much UV radiation outdoor workers, like gardeners and masons, are exposed to while they work.
- Workers will wear special devices for a month to track their sun exposure, and the results will help them understand their risk of skin cancer better.
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- The study explores the connection between mothers' gestational diabetes and their children's dental service usage, finding conflicting results compared to earlier literature.
- Using data from Northern Ireland (2012-2017), researchers analyzed the dental service usage of children born to mothers with diabetes and found that maternal diabetes was linked to reduced dental services like restorations and extractions.
- The findings suggest a need for further investigation into how maternal health impacts children's dental care, as the results differ from previous studies on this topic.
The majority of emerging viral infectious diseases in humans originate from wildlife reservoirs, such as rodents and bats. We investigated a possible reservoir, namely wild gerbils and mice trapped in a desert reserve within the emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In total, 52 gerbils and 1 jird (Gerbillinae), 10 house mice (), and 1 Arabian spiny mouse () were sampled.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) 2022 Report Card provides a systematic evaluation of the physical activity (PA) levels of children and adolescents in the UAE.
Methods: The 2022 Report Card utilized data from 2017 to 2021 to inform 10 core PA indicators that were common to the Global Matrix 4.0.