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Purpose: This study aims to investigate and assess the first experience of faculty members and students with distance learning implemented at Al Ain University (AAU) to contain the spread of Coronavirus or COVID-19. The paper attempted to understand faculty and students' satisfaction with institutional readiness for distance learning and perception towards opportunities and challenges of distance learning. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on data collected in March 2020 through an online survey questionnaire from the participants (students = 445, faculty members = 139). The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was used in formulating a conceptual framework. The collected data were analysed using several statistical techniques and partial least square structural equation modelling, to test and verify hypotheses. Findings: The study found that, although faculty members and students expressed high satisfaction with the institutional readiness for distance learning and believed in its opportunities and advantages, they expressed concerns about the challenges facing distance learning. Findings of the study indicated a relationship between the status or college of the participant and perceived opportunities and advantages of distance learning. Hypotheses testing supported the study framework and UTAUT theory by identifying and confirming the impact of perceived opportunities of distance learning on satisfaction with the institutional readiness for distance learning. Originality/value: The study suggested that non-distance learning institutions should keep offering courses through distance learning to prevent any shortcomings in the future.

The key aim of this study is to provide an overview of students' and instructors' attitudes and perceptions towards the potential benefits and challenges of summative e-assessment for their writing courses at a UAE university. A mixed method of quantitative and qualitative analysis is used. The findings of the study revealed that a majority of student participants reported reasonable satisfaction with the e-assessment tool in terms of screen layout and background, interface design and ease of use and access. However, they indicated their preference to "pen and paper" exams. Instructor participants identified a number of challenges associated with using summative e-assessment in the writing courses, which would require educational institutions to make changes to promote the success of e-assessment.

Objectives: To investigate the clinical and epidemiological factors associated with severe COVID-19 cases in hospitalized patients across two emirates within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: A retrospective observational analytical study analysed data from 738 medical records and conducted 573 in-depth interviews with patients hospitalized across multiple healthcare centers in the UAE, between 29 January 2020 and 14 October 2021. Regression analysis predicted risk factors for COVID-19 severity. Results: Main risk factors identified were crowding (aOR 1.919; 95%CI 1.144, 3.221), obesity (aOR 2.383; 95%CI 1.332, 4.263), diabetes (aOR 11.14; 95%CI 2.653–46.797), severe dehydration (aOR 3.219; 95%CI 2.161, 4.795), cough or sore throat (aOR 1.607; 95%CI 1.032, 2.502), shortness of breath (aOR 1.921; 95%CI 1.294, 2.853), increased days from symptom onset to admission (aOR 1.055; 95%CI 1.006, 1.105), elevated ANC (aOR 1.263, 95%CI 1.121, 1.424), and AST/SGOT (aOR 1.055, 95% CI 1.016, 1.095). Protective factors included smoking (aOR 0.367; 95%CI 0.182, 0.740), first dose of COVID-19 vaccination (aOR 0.595; 95%CI 0.377, 0.93), higher oxygen saturation (aOR 0.853; 95%CI: 0.801, 0.907) and elevated ALC (aOR 0.540; 95%CI 0.323, 0.905). Conclusion: Identifying risk factors is crucial for high-risk individuals who may require closer monitoring to improve their outcomes. This can provide guidance for surveillance systems and early detection strategies to mitigate the impact of future outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports on engineering graduates' labour market requisite communication competences and skills in the work environment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Its main purpose was to investigate whether internationally required engineering graduates' communication competences were the same in third world countries or different. It used a survey to collect responses from major engineering companies operating in the seven emirates federation forming the UAE. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with some of the participants to seek clarifications on some of the survey responses. Results indicted similar market demands to those reported in international research with differences in preferences and ranking of competences. The conclusions reported are based on the responses given in the surveys. Future research may follow up some engineering graduates and find out how they perform in labor market environments. The findings show that although engineering labor market demands are in line with global market demands, they; nevertheless, indicate differences in the ranking and importance of the required competences and skills. This has significant implications for engineering course designers.

The notions of Performance and Performative are emerging in architectural design discourses including heritage processing and repurposing. The literature review shows that the terms are semantically wide and they are linked to a variety of concepts: the open form, the flexible, the dynamic, the event—based spatial settings and the active engagement with space. The essay examines how – beyond museumification -the activation and the reuse of heritage sites can be seen through the lens of Performance and the concept of the Performative, and the difference between passive engagement and active engagement. The essay has three folds aims unfolding as follow: The first explores a literature review analysis of Performative and Performance in architectural discourse, arriving to explore those concepts in the discourses of reuse of historical heritage sites as exhibitions performative venues. The second examines a proposed performative-oriented approach to the reuse of heritage sites which aims at a dynamic and active engagement with the space, opposing to museumification which usually leads to passive engagement while taking examples from Europe. The third one will be centered on the case of the old heart of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates as a heritage site reinvented and inhabited by the Sharjah Art Foundation, which we will analyze through the lens of the Performative and the practice of Exhibiting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a chronic disorder prevalent in South and Southeast Asia and is mainly related to the habit of chewing betel quid. Although there are numerous South-Asian studies about OSF, there is no study that evaluates the awareness of OSF among expatriate populations of South-Asian origin. Evaluated the awareness of OSF among South-Asian expatriate patients reporting to a dental hospital in Sharjah. Prevalidated questionnaires were given to 150 expatriate patients of South-Asian origin with quid-chewing habit reporting to the teaching clinics of a dental hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Among the 150 patients, 103 responded to the questionnaire. Among the 103 respondents, 11.65% were aware of OSF. Respondents living in shared residency and labor camps had significantly (P = 0.43) lower awareness of OSF compared to respondents living with their families. The results of our study show that the awareness of OSF is lower among the respondents living in labor camps and shared residencies. The younger respondents had more awareness of OSMF and were more likely to quit the quid-chewing habit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the evaluation of native and non-native English instructors by 140 students enrolled in the Intensive English Program of a university in the United Arab Emirates. A forty-minute writing task was given to the candidates to elaborate on the contributions of the native and non-native instructors from various perspectives within a Grounded Theory approach. These perspectives included the instructor's oral skills, literacy skills, grammar, vocabulary, culture, teaching style, knowledge of L1 and experience of L2. The study adopts qualitative research methods in collecting and analyzing the data, where a Discourse Analytical approach is used to explore the students' perceptions of both native and non-native instructors. The results show that learners have positive perceptions of both native and non-native instructors, with distinctive qualities for each group. The findings point out that native speakerism is not a decisive factor in learners' preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) is a coronavirus-caused viral respiratory disease. MERS-CoV is a zoonotic virus that spreads between animals and humans. The objectives of this research include simulation of MERS-CoV spread using a customized animal disease spread model (i.e., customized stochastic model for the United Arab Emirates (UAE); analyzing the MERS-CoV spread and prevalence based on camel age groups and identifying the control MERS-CoV strategies to aid the decision-maker in the selection of the optimum strategy to control the spread of the disease. The results of this research conclude that movement control is the optimum "best" strategy to control the spread of MERS-CoV. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) is a coronavirus-caused viral respiratory infection initially detected in Saudi Arabia in 2012. In UAE, high seroprevalence (97.1) of MERS-CoV in camels was reported in several Emirate of Abu Dhabi studies, including camels in zoos, public escorts, and slaughterhouses. The objectives of this research include simulation of MERS-CoV spread using a customized animal disease spread model (i.e., customized stochastic model for the UAE; analyzing the MERS-CoV spread and prevalence based on camels age groups and identifying the optimum control MERS-CoV strategy. This study found that controlling animal mobility is the best management technique for minimizing epidemic length and the number of affected farms. This study also found that disease dissemination differs amongst camels of three ages: camel kids under the age of one, young camels aged one to four, and adult camels aged four and up; because of their immunological state, kids, as well as adults, had greater infection rates. To save immunization costs, it is advised that certain age groups be targeted and that intense ad hoc unexpected vaccinations be avoided. According to the study, choosing the best technique must consider both efficacy and cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Regardless of a proliferation of interest in reducing unsafe practices in healthcare, threats to patient safety (PS) remain high. Moreover, little attention has been paid towards the role of interprofessional education (IPE) in enhancing PS. This qualitative study was conducted to unfold the insights of the senior medical, dental and health sciences students at the University of Sharjah (UoS) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) about PS in an online IPE-based workshop. Methods: This inductive thematic analysis study was conducted on senior medical and health students at the Colleges of Medicine, Dental Medicine, Health Sciences, and Pharmacy of UoS. During an online workshop, students discussed plausible solutions for four real practice-based clinical scenarios with elements of unsafe healthcare practices. During the breakout rooms, the students exhibited high level of articulation and proactively participated in discussions. The data from the online workshop were transcribed and then coding, categorizing, and labelling of recurrent themes were carried out. Multiple individual deliberations, consolidation, incorporation of the identified preliminary themes, and merging and reorganizing sub-themes led to a final thematic framework. Results: This work delved into the perspectives of 248 students regarding teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and other aspects concerning PS in interprofessional settings in an online workshop. The iterative process of data transcription, curating and qualitative analysis surfaced 32 codes. Later, the inductive themaric analysis yielded five themes with distinct yet interconnected nested subthemes in the context of PS in IPE settings. These themes of information sharing and grounding (problem-solving, social skills), maintaining communication (clinical reasoning, shared mental model), executing interprofessional activities (collaborative practice, collaboration scripts), professional cognitive abilities (cognitive maturity, metacognition), and negotiating professional identities (systematic change, socio-economic scaffolding) emerged as fundamental pillars for enhancing PS in healthcare. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated the outcome of an innovative and team-based workshop which embedded PS within a scaffold of IPE environment. This research calls for incorporation of the emerging areas of clinical reasoning, problem solving, collaborative practice, and shared mental model into medical curricula for structured IPE in improving PS domains in medical education. These findings underscore the need for multifaceted dimensions of IPE imperatives for cultivating collaborative competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Continuing professional development (CPD) is essential for pharmacists to maintain and enhance their knowledge and skills. The purpose of this research was to collect data about the perception of pharmacists in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) towards CPD and identify factors that motivate or hinder their participation in different types of CPD activities. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 322 pharmacists who completed a self-administered questionnaire that assessed their demographic characteristics, CPD preferences, motivators and obstacles to attending CPD programs, and perceived learning outcomes. Results: Participants' average age was 33 years (mean = 30.6, SD = 5.97), and the range of years, since they graduated from a pharmacy degree program was 18 years (mean = 10.9, SD = 4.8). More than half of the participants were female; 198 (61.5%) and 193 (59.9%) of them were married. The study found that married pharmacists (AOR = 0.5, 95% CI 0.266–0.939, P value = 0.031), older participants (AOR = 0.232, 95% CI 0.266–0.939, P value = 0.04), and those who graduated longer than 16 years ago were less likely to attend live CPD events (AOR = 0.454, 95% CI 0.22–0.924). However, participants who worked up to 15 h had higher odds of attending live CPD events (AOR = 3.511, 95% CI 1.117–11.039, P value: 0.026). In addition, female pharmacists were less likely to participate in computer/internet-based continuing education than male pharmacists (AOR = 0.038, 95% CI 0.293–0.965, P value = 0.038). It also revealed that pharmacists who were not motivated by the topic of the CPD activity had a higher chance of attending computer/internet-based format (AOR = 2.289, 95% CI 1.198–4.371, P value = 0.012). In contrast, those who did not report the long distance to the CPD site as a hindrance had a lower likelihood of attending online internet-based CPD (AOR = 0.548, 95% CI 0.319–0.941, P value = 0.029). Conclusions: This study is the first to explore pharmacists' predictors of attending different CPD activities. These predictors are gender, age, marital status, experience since graduation, working hours, family barriers, work responsibilities, interest in the presentation topic, and the long travel distance to the site. These findings suggest that pharmacists have unique challenges and motivations regarding continuing education and that tailored approaches may be necessary to encourage participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the crucial aspect of childhood COVID-19 vaccination and its impact on parental decisions concerning learning modalities during the pandemic. This study aimed to gauge parental hesitancy towards vaccinating their children and its influence on choosing between distance and face-to-face learning options. Following STROBE guidelines for cross-sectional studies, this study surveyed 1973 parents in the United Arab Emirates using Google Forms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed that while more than half of the parents (51.6%) were willing to vaccinate their children if the COVID-19 vaccine was accessible and affordable, a significant majority (91.2%) expressed concerns about the rapid vaccine development process, which was the primary reason for vaccine rejection. Interestingly, a sizable portion (55.3%) had experienced online learning in the previous academic term, and, of those, 59.6% believed it negatively influenced their children's academic performance. Consequently, 66.4% expressed intent to shift their children back to face-to-face learning once feasible. Significantly, parents with medical backgrounds were more inclined (91.6%) to opt for face-to-face schooling compared to those without such backgrounds. Logistic regression analysis indicated associations between sociodemographic characteristics, educational level and background, and the decision to return children to face-to-face learning. Interestingly, when it comes to vaccine hesitancy, a noteworthy connection exists between the parents' reluctance to vaccinate their children and their preference for distance learning. In fact, parents who responded negatively to vaccinating their children against COVID-19, if the vaccine was available, showed a clear preference for the distance learning modality (p-value < 0.0001). This study underscores the complex interplay of factors and community perspectives shaping parental acceptance of childhood COVID-19 vaccination. The development pace of vaccines significantly influences parents' attitudes and beliefs about vaccination programs. Parents' medical backgrounds exhibit a clear correlation with their perceptions of sending children back to school safely. This highlights the potential impact of parental medical knowledge on decision making, emphasizing the need to consider parents' professional backgrounds when devising education- and vaccination-related policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate strategies today are shaped by the increased importance given by companies, investors, and regulators to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities. This paper empirically investigated the impact of ESG on the performance of banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region by collecting and analyzing the data of 29 banks located in the six GCC countries — namely the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. It studies data for the period 2010–2022 collected from the Refinitiv Eikon platform. Applying the ordinary least squares (OLS) and panel regression (fixed and random effect) techniques, it examines the impact of ESG on the performance of these banks. The significant Hausman test favored using the fixed effect results. The results suggest that a bank‘s size positively influences its performance. The larger the bank the more diverse its ESG activities and the better its performance. Additionally, ESG and asset quality have a significant negative correlation to performance, implying a lower asset quality indicates higher loan loss provision and leads to lower financial performance. Finally, the results also suggest banks are overinvesting in ESG to comply with the latest standards set by investors and regulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The COVID‐19 pandemic had a major impact on people of all ages. Adolescents' exposure to online learning is linked to excessive screen time on digital devices, which leads to poor sleep quality. This study aimed to investigate the association between screen time on different electronic devices and sleep quality among adolescents in the United Arab Emirates. This study was based on a self‐reported questionnaire, which was administered online to school‐aged adolescents (aged 12–19 years). The multicomponent questionnaire collected information on sociodemographic characteristics, sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and screen time (minutes) on TV, TV‐connected devices, laptops, smartphones, and tablets on weekdays, weeknight, and weekends using the Screen Time Questionnaire (STQ). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors correlated with poor sleep quality. A total of 1720 adolescents were recruited from private and public schools (mean age 14.6 ± 1.97 years). The mean PSQI score was 8.09 ± 3.37, and 74.3% of participants reported poor sleep (cutoff score >5). Mean scores were highest for the sleep latency (1.85 ± 0.97) and sleep disturbance (1.56 ± 0.62) domains. The highest STQ score was observed for smartphones, with a median screen time of 420 min on weekdays and 300 min on weekends. Screen time related to smartphones on weekends (p = 0.003) and increased screen time in bed (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with poor sleep. Our results confirmed the correlation between sleep and screen time in adolescents. The results may inform educational polices that target screen time and sleep among adolescents during and after the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infant formulae are a primary source of nutrition during the first years of life, to which sugars are frequently added. This may contribute to adverse dental health problems if consumed excessively when coupled with prolonged and nocturnal feeding habits. Aim: To assess the amount and type of dietary sugars in commercially available infant formulae in the UAE. Design: Sucrose, glucose, and fructose were measured in 71 different brands of commercially available infant formulae for retail sale in the UAE. Analysis was performed using high‐performance liquid chromatography with refractive index detection. Sugar values were compared with the reported levels on the nutritional labels. A comparison between findings, product labels, and international standards for infant formulae was performed. Results: Of the 71 samples, 23 had detectable sugar levels, varying between sucrose, glucose, and fructose. Ten samples were found to have sugars contributing to more than 5% of total energy intake ranging between 5.68% and 27.06%. All infant formula packages had carbohydrate levels mentioned on the labels, but very few mentioned the added sugar content. Conclusions: Many infant formula products tested contained sugars that exceeded the standard recommended intake. Tighter regulations that monitor the amount of sugar in infant formulae and guidelines for comprehensive labeling systems are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the World Health Organization updates, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused a pandemic between 2019 and 2022, with millions of confirmed cases and deaths worldwide. There are various approaches to predicting the suspected, infected, and recovered (SIR) cases with different factual or epidemiological models. Some of the recent approaches to predicting the COVID-19 outbreak have had positive impacts in specific nations. Results show that the SIR model is a significant tool to cast the dynamics and predictions of the COVID-19 outbreak compared to other epidemic models. In this paper, we employ the Monte Carlo simulation to predict the spread of COVID-19 in the United Arab Emirates. We study traditional SIR models in general and focus on a time-dependent SIR model, which has been proven more adaptive and robust in predicting the COVID-19 outbreak. We evaluate the time-dependent SIR model. Then, we implement a Monte Carlo model. The Monte Carlo model uses the parameters extracted from the Time-Dependent SIR Model. The Monte Carlo model exhibited a better prediction accuracy and resembles the data collected from the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, United Arab Emirates, between April and July 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global spread of the COVID-19 virus caused unprecedented interruptions in medical education. This paper evaluates Relational Coordination (RC): communicating and relating for task integration; between the distinct stakeholders responsible for scheduling,delivering and receiving clinical teaching in the wake of the pandemic. Methodology: Using a cross-sectional design, the level of Relational Coordination was assessed between twelve groups within a Clinical Skills Program at a Medical School in the United Arab Emirates. It also measures three relevant mental health factors: namely, Job satisfaction, Work Engagement, and Burnout. Results: Overall, RC scores were moderate (3.65 out of 5.00). Controlling for participants' position, RC was found to positively and significantly increase both job satisfaction (β = 1.10, p < 0.001) and work engagement (β = 0.78, p < 0.01)., Additionally, RC was significantly associated with lower burnout (β = -0.56, p = 0.05). Fifty percent of participants experienced high job satisfaction, with a mean score of 5.0 out of 7.0, while 73% reported being enthusiastic about their job, with a mean score of 6.0 out of 7.0. About a third of participants (27%) reported feeling burnout. Conclusions: During times of disruption and crisis, medical education can benefit from higher levels of relational coordination. Our study shows the significant impact of relational coordination on mental health measures like job satisfaction and work engagement. To achieve the full potential and benefits of excellent levels of relational coordination in this program, we recommend six interventions focusing on improving communication, work processes, regular meetings, education innovations, capacity building, and the establishment of coaching and counseling programs for students and faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study aimed to associate the expression of P53, BCL2, PTEN, and HER2/neu tumor markers in specific breast cancer lesions. Methods. This study analyzed the immunohistochemical expression of P53, BCL2, PTEN, and HER2/neu tumor markers for 306 patients who presented with lesions. Tissue blocks and patients' identification data were retrieved from the department of pathology, AL Madinah Almonwarah hospital, Al Madinah, UAE. Results. Of the 306 patients, 104 had benign lesions and 202 had malignancy (including 194 females and 6 males). Most females were presented with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), followed by infiltrating ductal carcinoma, and invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), representing 70%, 23.2%, and 3.7%, respectively. Positive P53, BCL2, PTEN, and HER2 were identified in 20.8%, 11.9%, 91%, and 18.3%, respectively. Conclusion: The expression of P53, BCL2, PTEN, and HER2/neu tumor markers among Saudi patients with breast cancer is relatively similar in many parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing use of the Internet of Things (IoT) around the world has encouraged researchers to investigate how and why the IoT is implemented in colleges and universities. Previous studies have focused on individual attitudes rather than the integration of attitudes from two different perspectives. Furthermore, other studies have investigated the use of the IoT in non-educational settings, ignoring the effect of the IoT related to the technology acceptance model (TAM) and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) model. The present work aims to address this research gap by determining the main factors that influence acceptance of the IoT, leading to increased awareness in collaborative learning, where technology forms the core tool in enhancing the use of the IoT. A questionnaire was used to collect data from teachers and students from colleges and universities in Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The data were analyzed through the structural equation modeling (SEM) method. The findings indicated that there are two levels of positive effects on the intention to use IoT. The first level is technology features, which are represented by technology optimism and technology innovation; these factors are crucial to using the IoT. The second level is learning motivation, which has a close relationship with teachers' knowledge, and content pedagogy, which has a significant effect on the familiarity with IoT tools and applications. TAM constructs have a positive and direct impact on the intention to use IoT. The practical and managerial implications show that teachers, educators, and students can obtain benefits from these results to help IoT features to suit users' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the tourism-oriented heritage districts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and explores a new approach to fostering heritage tourism. This is envisaged through conducting a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) to detect the characteristics of the tourism-oriented heritage districts from the residents and tourists. The systematic evaluation of opinions is based on indicators developed by UNESCO and ICOMOS international principles. According to the survey results, it is found that Dubai's approach was successful at reuniting people with their history via modern materials in the restoration works. This has preserved the heritage value and increased their culture and national identity. The social goal to reconnect residents to their cultural history has been realized despite the inconsistencies compared to the specification of the World Heritage Convention, which requires technical authenticity and integrity. People perceived the identities of tourism-oriented heritage districts in Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman differently. Based on the POE survey, the Shindagha area and Al Fahidi Historical Area in Dubai were perceived as traditional destinations for tourist attractions. The Heart of Sharjah area was perceived as cultural and educational tourism, and the Ajman Heritage District area was perceived as community tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although there is some evidence that vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in the Middle East, however its health impact is still not clear. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, causes and health implications of vitamin D deficiency in local United Arab Emirates (UAE) citizens. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on community free living adults living in the city of Al Ain, UAE. Following informed written consent eligible subject's blood and urine samples were taken for measurements of vitamin D [25(OH)D], metabolic and bone turnover markers. Clinical assessment that includes general and self-rated health, muscle health, and physical activity were also performed. Results: A total of 648 subjects (491 female) were included in this analysis. Their mean (SD) age was 38 (12) years. Mean 25(OH)D was 24 ng/ml (range: 4–67) with 286 (44%) subjects found to have vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/ml), 234 (36%) subjects have insufficiency (20-32 ng/ml) and 128 (20%) subjects have optimal concentrations (> 32 ng/ml). 25(OH)D concentrations were significantly higher in local indigenous UAE subjects compared to other Arab expatriates (p = 0.071). Although there were no statistically significant differences in clinical markers between groups, however, utra-sensitive C-reactive protein (us-CRP), parathyroid hormone (PTH), body mass index (BMI) and the bone markers U-PYD and PYD/CR were higher in vitamin D deficient older subjects aged ≥50 years and female subjects younger than 50 years respectively compared to those with insufficiency or optimal concentrations (p value < 0.05. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed significant and independent association between 25(OH)D status and age and sex (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Older subjects with vitamin D deficiency have increased BMI, inflammation and PTH compared with those with insufficiency or optimal concentrations. Co-existence of obesity and vitamin D deficiency may have increased adverse health effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Academic institutions play a crucial role in social and economic development. They share responsibilities to equip students with knowledge and skills. This study aims to examine and investigate the impact of knowledge sharing enablers (KSE) on knowledge sharing behavior (KSB). The paper measured KSE through perceived instructor support of knowledge sharing instructor support (IS), perceived information and communication technology (ICT) support of knowledge sharing and perceived ability to share knowledge (ASK). Design/methodology/approach: A survey questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. A sample of 597 students from Al Ain University in UAE participated in the study. The collected data were treated and analyzed through MS Excel and International Business Machines Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. The theory of reasoned action (TRA) was used in formulating a conceptual framework. Several statistical techniques, including partial least square structural equation modeling, were used to test and verify hypotheses. Findings: Findings of the study supported TRA theory by suggesting a positive and significant impact of KSE (IS, ICT and ASK) on KSB. The findings supported the stated three hypotheses and confirmed that at least 45% of the variation in students' KSB is explained by a variation in one of the three KSE indicators. The paper provided important theoretical and practical implications for researchers and managers of academic institutions. Originality/value: Academic institutions need to advance their strategies to create more collaborative environments for boosting knowledge sharing among students. Such practice will contribute in improving the students' overall capabilities, skills and success of academic institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the impact of Flipped Learning Strategy on developing listening skills of 7th grade female students in the United Arab Emirates. The study sample consisted of (44) female students selected by using the convenience sampling method from the Emirates Private School during the academic year of 2019 -2020. Those female students were distributed into two groups: An experimental group (22 students) and control group (22 students). The experimental group was taught the listening skills by using the Flipped Learning Strategy, and the control group was taught by the traditional method. To achieve the purpose of the study and answer its questions, a listening skills test was developed and its validity and reliability were also checked. At the end of the experiment which lasted for six weeks, the post-test of listening skills was carried out. The appropriate statistical methods were used to analyze the collected data. The results of the study showed that there were statistically significant differences between the two groups in the total score of the listening post-test and its three levels (audible discrimination, audible interpretation, audible criticism in favor of the experimental group. This indicates that the flipped learning strategy had a positive impact on developing the listening skills of sample students. Given such results, a number of recommendations were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pneumonia is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among adults globally. This retrospective cohort analysis assessed the pneumonia burden and related healthcare resource utilization and costs in the at-risk (low, medium, and high-risk) adult patients in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: The claims data from January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2019 were extracted from the Dubai Real-World Claims Database for patients, aged ≥18 year, having at least 1 pneumonia claim. Data for the inpatient, outpatient and emergency visits were assessed for 12-months, before (pre-index) and after (follow-up) a pneumonia episode. Healthcare costs were calculated based on dollar value of 2020. Results: Total 48,562 records of eligible patients were analyzed (mean age = 39.9 years; low [62.1%], medium [36.2%] and high [1.7%] risk cohorts). Mean all-cause healthcare costs were approximately >45% higher in the follow-up period (1,947 USD/patient) versus pre-index period (1,327 USD/patient). During follow-up period, the mean annual pneumonia incidence rate was 1.3 episodes, with a similar pattern across all cohorts. Overall, mean claims and costs (USD) per patient (all-cause) were highest in the high-risk cohort in the follow-up period (claims: overall, 11.6; high-risk, 22.0; medium-risk, 13.9; low-risk, 9.9; costs: high-risk, 14,184; medium-risk, 2,240; low-risk, 1,388). Similarly, the mean pneumonia-related costs (USD) per patient were highest for the high-risk cohort (overall: 1,305; high-risk, 10,207; medium-risk, 1,283; low-risk, 882), however, the claims were similar across cohorts (claims/patient: overall: 2.0; high-risk, 1.9; medium-risk, 2.2; low-risk, 1.9). Most all-cause and pneumonia-related costs were due to inpatient visits (4,901 and 4,818 USD respectively), while outpatient (1,232 and 166 USD respectively) and emergency visits (347 and 206 USD respectively) contributed significantly lesser. Conclusions: Pneumonia imposes a significant healthcare burden in the UAE, especially in the high-risk patients with severe comorbidities. These findings would guide clinicians and policy makers to make informed decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Candida's potential association with dental caries has previously been reported in children. This research aimed at investigating the associations between Candida species in whole saliva and dental and periodontal health indices in a sample of adult patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 160 patients investigated the associations between Candida species collected by oral rinse technique, and Decayed, Missing, and Filled Surfaces (DMFS), and periodontal health indices. Chi-square and Independent Samples t-test were used to assess the associations between Candida carriage and confounding variables. Binary logistic regression was used to assess association strengths between Candida carriage and DMFS, adjusted for socio-demographic variables, diabetes mellitus and plaque index. Results: Candida colonies were identified in 49 (30.6%) patients with CFUs ranging from 103 to 105 colonies per mL. The quantity of Candida CFUs increased with age (r = 0.200; p < 0.05). Among all dental and periodontal health indices, only DMFS was significantly associated with higher values of Candida carriage (p = 0.034), and this association was independent from sex, age, smoking, diabetes mellitus and plaque index (OR: 1.014; 95% CI 1.0–1.03; p = 0.048). Conclusion: The association between Candida species in whole saliva and DMFS reported here supports an etiological role of Candida in dental cariogenesis among adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The indiscriminate prescription of antibiotics has led to the emergence of resistance microbes worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic prescribing practices amongst general dental practitioners and specialists in managing endodontic infections in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design: General dental practitioners and specialists in the UAE were invited to participate in an online questionnaire survey which included questions on socio-demographics, practitioner's antibiotic prescribing preferences for various pulpal and periapical diseases, and their choice, in terms of the type, dose and duration of the antibiotic. The link to the survey questionnaire was sent to 250 invited dentists. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and chi-square tests for independence and level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: A total of 174 respondents participated in the survey (response rate = 70%). The respondents who prescribed antibiotics at least once a month were 38.5% while 17.2% did so, more than three times a week; amoxicillin 500 mg was the antibiotic of choice for patients not allergic to penicillin (43.7%), and in cases of penicillin allergies, erythromycin 500 mg (21.3%). There was a significant difference in the antibiotic prescribing practices of GDPs compared to endodontists and other specialties especially in clinical cases such as acute apical abscesses with swelling and moderate to severe pre-operative symptoms and retreatment of endodontic cases (p<0.05). Approximately, three quarters of the respondents (78.7%) did not prescribe a loading dose when prescribing antibiotics. About 15% respondents prescribed antibiotics to their patients if they were not accessible to patients due to a holiday/weekend. Conclusions: In general, the antibiotic prescribing practices of UAE dentists are congruent with the international norms. However, there were occasions of inappropriate prescriptions such as in patients with irreversible pulpitis, necrotic pulps with no systemic involvement and/or with sinus tracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to identify sustainability factors in the healthcare sector, introduce a hierarchical framework for the sustainability factors, and prioritize the importance of the sustainability factors and sub-factors. Measuring sustainability in healthcare systems is a complex and unstructured issue that involves many criteria and sub-criteria, requiring the issue to be deconstructed into a set of components organized into a multi-level hierarchical form. Analytical hierarchical process (AHP) methodology is used to manage the complexity of multi-criteria decision-making processes. Data were collected from five large hospitals in Abu Dhabi, which is the largest Emirate of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The AHP framework used in this study resulted in a ranking of 31 sustainability sub-factors based on evaluations by experienced healthcare professionals. This work contributes to continuing research on sustainability, giving practitioners and designers a practical means to measure and implement sustainability factors in health organizations. Through successive stages of data collection, measurement analysis, and refinement, the contribution of this research is a reliable and valid framework that can be used to conceptualize and prioritize sustainability strategies in healthcare management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article projects business risk through deferent industrial scenarios in concentrated solar investments in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Nationwide, the government seeks a sustainable solution through energy policy development and engagement of the stakeholders for clean energy generation at wider level in the long run. Support has been extended through various support schemes. In the current study, Monte Carlo simulations and net present value (NPV) risk are used to analyse the return on investment. A 5 MW concave solar panel project is evaluated. We have assessed the impact of local factors on profits through NPV. The study proposes that a higher NPV is expected if the concave solar panel project is financed 50% by Khalifa funding. The study also proposes a robust policy and highlights the opportunity of business profitability if the government subsidises land leasing with respect to each scenario. Additionally, the study also proposes a policy to maintain the interests of investors in the UAE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nearly a quarter of the population in the UAE has type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and this medical condition is associated with poorer oral health. The effects on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), however, have not been examined in this population. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the impact of oral health problems, such as caries and periodontitis, on OHRQoL among Arab patients with and without T2DM.Methods: This matched case-control study included 88 diabetic and 88 non-diabetic participants recruited from University Dental Hospital Sharjah and University Hospital Sharjah, UAE. Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire as well as the Oral Health Impact Profile short form (OHIP-14), which measures OHRQoL. Clinical examinations were conducted to assess participants' dental caries status, using the Decayed Missing Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index, and periodontal condition, via clinical attachment loss (CAL) dichotomized to CAL < 3 mm and CAL ≥3 mm. Linear regression models were used to identify the association among OHIP domains, clinical attachment loss, DMFT scores, and diabetes status.Results: The mean age of participants was 43.0 years. A significantly (p = 0.01) higher proportion of diabetic patients (23%) had a CAL ≥3 mm than non-diabetic patients (10%). No significant differences in OHIP scores were observed between diabetic and non-diabetic patients. The results of the linear regression suggested that irrespective of diabetic status, DMFT scores were significantly associated with physical disability, physical pain, psychological discomfort, and psychological disability, as well as total OHIP scores. CAL was significantly associated with the handicap domain. Among non-diabetic patients, OHIP scores were significantly associated with DMFT scores in five OHIP domains (functional limitation, physical disability, physical pain, psychological discomfort, psychological disability), as well as total OHIP scores. Among diabetic patients, CAL was significantly associated with both the social disability and handicap domains, while only the handicap domain reached statistical significance among non-diabetic patients.Conclusions: Participants who had decayed teeth, irrespective of their diabetic status, reported substantial physical and psychological impacts on OHRQoL. CAL also had a significant impact on OHRQoL, being primarily associated with the OHIP handicap domain in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anxiety disorders are common among children and adolescents. However, there is a paucity of up-to-date data on the prevalence and correlates of anxiety-related disorders among children and adolescents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study to determine the prevalence of specific anxiety-related disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, separation anxiety, social anxiety) in the UAE, and identify correlations between these disorders and adolescents' demographic variables. Participants were 968 adolescents aged 13-18 years attending secondary schools across the UAE. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants. We collected demographic information and data about participants' anxiety levels. Anxiety was assessed using the Arabic and English versions of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders scale. Univariate analyses (independent sample t-tests and analysis of variance) were performed to evaluate factors affecting participants' anxiety scores. Chi-square tests were used to compare factors associated with anxiety disorders.Results: Participants' mean age was 16 ± 1.8 years, and 65.8% were female. The overall prevalence of anxiety disorders was 28%, with this being significantly higher in girls (33.6%) than boys (17.2%) (p < 0.0001). Participants aged < 16 years had higher generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, and social anxiety scores compared with those aged ≥16 years (p ≤ 0.05). Those from households with a maid had significantly higher generalized anxiety, panic disorder, separation anxiety, and significant school avoidance scores than those without a maid (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, participants from middle and low economic backgrounds had higher separation anxiety scores compared with children from high economic backgrounds (p ≤ 0.05). The multivariate analysis showed the main associated factors with anxiety were gender (being female, p < 0.001) and caregiver (other than mother and father together, p < 0.001).Conclusions: We found a high incidence of anxiety-related disorders among school-aged adolescents in the UAE, with girls being more affected than boys. This suggests that age-appropriate initiatives are urgently needed to reduce the high rate of anxiety-related disorders. It may also be necessary to further investigate the two main associated factors with anxiety identified in this study (being female and non-parental caregivers). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Medical technologies and assets are one of the main drivers of increasing healthcare cost. The rising number and complexity of medical equipment have forced hospitals to set up and regulate medical equipment management programs to ensure critical devices are safe and reliable. The purpose of this paper is to gain insights into maintenance management-related activities for medical equipment. The paper proposes applying a tailored reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) approach for maintenance activities selection for medical equipment. Such approach will support assets management teams in enhancing operation, decrease risk and cost, and ultimately improve health of patients served by these equipment. Design/methodology/approach: The traditional RCM approach will be used with a focus on criticality reduction. By criticality, the authors refer to the severity of failures and occurrence. The proposed method relies on the use of reliability growth analysis for opportunity identification followed by a thorough failure mode and effect analysis to investigate major failure modes and propose ways to reduce criticality. The effectiveness of the proposed method will be demonstrated using a case of one of the leading obstetric and gynecological hospitals in United Arab Emirates and in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. Findings: The case examines the relationship between the current practice of planned preventive maintenance and the failure rates of the equipment during its life span. Although a rigorous preventive maintenance program is implemented in the hospital under study, some critical equipment show an increasing failure rates. The analysis highlights the inability of traditional time-driven preventive maintenance alone in preventing failures. Thus, a systematic RCM approach focused on criticality is more beneficial and more time and cost effective than traditional time-driven preventive maintenance practices. Practical implications: The study highlights the need for utilizing RCM approach with criticality as the most important prioritization criterion in healthcare. A proper RCM implementation will decrease criticality and minimize the risk of failure, accidents and possible loss of life. In addition to that, it will increase the availability of equipment, and reduce cost and time. Originality/value: This paper proposes a maintenance methodology that can help healthcare management to improve availability and decrease the risk of critical medical equipment failures. Current practices in healthcare facilities have difficulty identifying the optimal maintenance strategy. Literature focused on medical maintenance approach selection is rather limited, and this paper will help in this discussion. In addition to that, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation supports the initiative of adopting RCM on a large scale in healthcare. Therefore, this paper address the gap in the literature for medical equipment maintenance and the work is in line with the recommendation of leading healthcare association. The paper also presents statistical review of the total number of received maintenance work orders during one full year in the hospital under study. The analysis supports the need for more research to examine current practice and propose more effective maintenance approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Arab Emirates' migration system, the sponsorship–based kafala system, is defined as a temporary labour–migration regime. Although there are policies making permanent residence unattainable for virtually all migrants, it is still relevant to explore the temporality of migrations in the UAE. The purpose of this study is to investigate developments in migration, migration policies and population trends in the country, including trends that concern the duration of migrants' stay. We also identify some of the major strategies used by migrants to prolong their sojourn in the UAE. It is maintained that the migrant stock has increased continuously in the last decades and that a large number of migrants devise strategies to continue their residence and remain in the country for years. The authors also identify and discuss migrants' transition within and in‐between regularity and irregularity, and analyse the reasons for utilizing different strategies over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burnout is defined as a long-term work stress. The prevalence of burnout syndrome among nurses is 42% of nurses in England. Many countries have conducted studies to measure the level of burnout among health care providers. There is a lack of research on burnout among healthcare providers in the Arabic countries. Aims: This study aimed to assess the burnout level among healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates and to predict the burnout factors of healthcare providers working in tertiary private hospitals. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was used to evaluate the burnout among healthcare providers. A total of 900 healthcare providers working in the clinical areas of six private hospitals in the Arabia Gulf Region were recruited for the study. A total of 892 healthcare providers were included in the study. A total of eight surveys were excluded due to major missing data. Results: A total of 892 healthcare providers were included in the study. The average age was 32 years ± 7 years for male and female healthcare providers. A high burnout level was found in the results. The participating female healthcare providers had a higher level of emotional exhaustion as compared with their male counterparts. Nurses had more emotional exhaustion as compared with physicians, respiratory therapists, and other colleagues. Conclusions: High burnout levels among healthcare providers can reflect negatively on the healthcare providers well-being, job satisfaction, and mental health. Burnout has been linked with medical errors and physician–patient relationships. We believe that it is important to deal with this issue of public health in Saudi Arabia and UAE. This study aimed to explore burnout levels among healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia and UAE. Results showed a high level of burnout among the healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tobacco use is the major cause of preventable morbidity and mortality. The main objectives of this study were to identify smokers willing to participate in quit smoking campaigns using social media and to identify smoking habits of everyday smokers in Al Ain City, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Research Design and Methods: Everyday smokers from Al Ain city of the UAE were surveyed in different locations of the city including malls and specialized tobacco-selling shops. They were interviewed using a semi-structured survey and the information was recorded by one assessor. The information gathered included type and frequency of tobacco use, smoking history and habits, quitting history, desire to quit, and the preferred communication platform. Result: A total of 412 regular adult smokers were interviewed in which the majority (95%) reported first smoking at or before the age of 28 years. Participants were mainly UAE nationals (33.7%), Egyptians (14.1%), Syrians (12.9%), and Jordanians (10.9%). Manufactured cigarettes were the main form of tobacco consumption (59.5%), and smoking was mainly solitary (56.3%) and at home (26.3%) and coffee shops (24.9%). The majority of interviewed subjects (76.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 72.4%–80.5%) expressed their interest to quit smoking in the future and 55.3% (95% CI: 50.5%–60.2%) were ready to get involved immediately in a smoking cessation program. Of those, 80.3% (95% CI: 74.6%–84.9%) preferred WhatsApp for receiving smoking cessation motivational education. Conclusion: The majority of smokers started at younger ages, which warrant the age of smoking restriction to be raised to 29 years instead of 18 years by the health authority. Everyday smokers were aware of the potentially hazardous effects of tobacco smoking and many were willing to accept help to quit smoking that involves the use of WhatsApp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we take a point of departure in two recently available large quantitative sources of data from the United Arab Emirates(UAE) in order to analyse social and economic aspects of temporary labour migration to the country. We attempt to present a nuanced and broad-scale description of social and economic situation of labour immigrants in the UAE. The results paint a rather complex picture. On one hand, immigrant workers are often low-paid and harshly treated, on the other there are opportunities for economic advancement for many of them. We conclude that, although far from being a neo-liberal utopia, the UAE does provide better opportunities for millions of immigrants. Life in the country is harsh for many of immigrants but it is less harsh than the alternatives they have in home countries. Regarding the UAE citizens, they surely are or will be facing economic challenges due to massive immigration, but the country has experienced the levels of economic development that would be unimaginable without a large-scale immigration. Thus, the immigration experience of the UAE has so far largely been a win-win situation, for both natives and immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary atypical skyscrapers in United Arab Emirates became the landmarks of the city and secured the urban competitiveness via innovative building design. These contemporary skyscrapers use non-linear geometry of structural frames, it is impossible to design these structures with conventional design methods. The objective of this paper is to examine the unit technologies for structural design of an atypical skyscraper and propose an optimal structural design process. As a methodology, the status of atypical skyscraper optimization technologies is analyzed, the status of data exchange among structural analysis programs, BIM software and FEM analysis programs are examined, and the case studies of some landmark buildings in United Arab Emirates designed by well known companies such as SOM, AECOM, and Salama Structural Engineers are explored. The result has shown that the unit technologies for optimizing atypical skyscrapers can follow four phases: Concept Design Phase, Schematic Design Phase, Design Development Phase and Construction Documentation Phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article compares migrants' rights and labour-migration policies of three resourcerich receiving countries located in the Persian Gulf, North America and Europe, respectively. The wealthy economies of Canada, Norway and the United Arab Emirates have emerged as some of the largest receivers of labour migrants. The comparative analysis herein focuses on distinctive characteristics of the different migration regimes and policies which regulate the rights of labour migrants. It is maintained that the countries we have explored could hardly be more different, and that the actual similarities with regard to migration policies are limited. Yet, we have still identified some surprising and unexpected converging trends. Specifically, these countries use some similar tools and exclusionary policies in order to restrict the legal status of certain categories of labour migrants, particularly low-skilled migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impact of obesity and dyslipidemia on cardiovascular health in adolescents and young adults with diabetes is incompletely understood. This study evaluated the effects of these co-morbidities on markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in young patients with the disease. Methods: The study investigated sets of inflammatory, endothelial, and adipocyte biomarkers in 79 patients with type 1 diabetes, 55 patients with type 2 diabetes, and 47 controls. Results: Mean (±SD) age was 20±6 y (median = 17, range = 12–31). Patients with diabetes had higher levels of cytoadhesive molecules (sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1, p<0.001), adiponectin (p<0.001), and haptoglobin (p = 0.023). Their heart rate variability assessment revealed lower standard deviation of beat-to-beat intervals and lower total power (p≤0.019), reflecting autonomous nervous dysfunction. Hemoglobin A1c >8.0% (estimated average blood glucose >10 mmol/L) was associated with higher adiponectin (p<0.001) and obesity was associated with lower adiponectin (p<0.001); thus, obesity damped the effect of hyperglycemia on adiponectin. Obesity was associated with higher sICAM-1 (p≤0.015), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), p<0.001. Similarly, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) <1.02 mmol/L was associated with higher sICAM-1, TNFα, IL-6, and hsCRP (p≤0.009) and lower adiponectin (p<0.001). Adiponectin correlated negatively with the inflammatory biomarkers in patients with diabetes. Conclusion: Subclinical inflammation and endothelial dysfunction are common among young patients with diabetes. Poor diabetes control is associated with higher adiponectin. Obesity and dyslipidemia are associated with lower adiponectin and higher inflammatory and endothelial biomarkers. Intuitively, these predictors of cardiovascular disease are amenable to proper glycemic control, nutritional choices, and regular exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The aim of this study is to identify work-related accident hazards in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and examine causal factors to provide recommendations for improvement. • The paper provides a review of a sample of 1700 historical accident reports occurred during 2019–2020 in UAE. • A confirmatory factor analysis is conducted based on a survey developed using the accident reports analysis and feedback from six experts with 290 respondents. • The analysis revealed that falls, injuries due to contact with sharp edges, and burns are the most frequent accident types. The CFA analysis revealed that training enhancement and total safety operating system are viable solutions to aid in controlling the frequency and severity of these accidents. Over the last few decades, many developing countries witnessed remarkable growth that resulted in progress and prosperity across various sectors. However, such growth impacted the work-related safety accidents in terms of occurrence and/or severity. To mitigate health and safety risks, governments issued and enforced legislative regulations targeting general and specific industries. Nevertheless, the impact of these regulations in some industry sectors warrants further investigation. The aim of this study is to identify work-related accident hazards in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and examine causal factors to provide recommendations for improvement. Content analysis of accident reports and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) are the two main research tools used in this study. Content analysis is conducted based on a sample of 1700 historical accident reports occurred during 2019–2020 in UAE. The CFA is conducted based on a survey developed using the accident reports analysis and feedback from six experts with 290 respondents. The analysis revealed that falls, injuries due to contact with sharp edges, and burns are the most frequent accident types. The CFA analysis revealed that training enhancement and total safety operating system are viable solutions to aid in controlling the frequency and severity of these accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Our study sought to evaluate the association between periodontitis and body mass index (BMI) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: In this crosssectional case control study analysis of 186 diabetic patients, 112 patients had a body mass index >30kg/m2 and 74 control patients had BMI <30kg/m2. All participants underwent oral examinations including a full mouth recording of clinical attachment level (CAL). Information regarding HbA1c levels and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were also gathered. Results: Over half (61%) of patients had a BMI >30. Of these 52% had CAL less than 2mm. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that there was no association between BMI and CAL. In addition, hs-CRP levels were significantly and positively associated with CAL (OR:1.06, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.12; p=0.007). Conclusion: Among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, there was no association between periodontitis and BMI. More studies are needed to further explore this relationship taking into consideration additional lifestyle factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A water resources database was developed and used to characterize the geological and hydrogeological settings of groundwater aquifers in the northern part of the United Arab Emirates. An intensive 2D Earth Resistivity Imaging (ERI) survey was conducted in selected areas to assess the available groundwater resources and delineate the salt-water intrusion. Drilling information of the existing monitoring wells as well as their records of water table elevations and groundwater salinity were used to measure the horizontal and vertical variations in lithology, degree of saturation, and groundwater salinity and thus to improve the interpretation of ERI data. The results of the chemical analyses of water samples collected from the wells along with the 2D ERI survey profiles were used to obtain an empirical relationship between the inferred earth resistivity and the amount of total dissolved solids. This relationship was used along with the true resistivity sections resulting from the inversion of 2D ERI data to identify and map three zones of water-bearing formation (fresh, brackish, and salt-water zones) in the coastal areas. The results indicated that the depth to the fresh-brackish interface exceeded 50 m at the upstream of the wadies and was in the order of 10 m or less in the vicinity of shoreline. Because of the high resistivity contrast between dry and water saturated fractured rocks; this method was very successful in detecting water-filled fractures and cavities in the carbonate aquifer. The application of this method was unsuccessful in clayey aquifers as it was not possible to isolate lenses of gravel and/or saturated with saline or brackish water from the surrounding clayey materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In populations with high prevalences of iron deficiency and thalassemia trait, many apparently healthy individuals have abnormal erythroid parameters, which may cause diagnostic problems in clinical practice. We studied the prevalence and causes of red cell parameter values outside their reference ranges in 394 healthy individuals of Bedouin Arab origin, who had complete blood counts (CBCs), hemoglobin (Hb) analyses and serum ferritin tests done. Their mean age ± standard deviation (SD) was 24.8 ± 4.9 years and 51.8% were females. Overall, 53.0% (209/394) had low Hb, MCV or MCH or high RDW. Anemia was present in 27.0% (55/204) of the women and 3.0% (6/190) of the men. Overall prevalence of MCV <80.0 fL was 45.0% (176/394) and MCH <27.0 pg was 48.0% (190/394); RDW >14.0% was found in 21.0% (43/204) of women and 7.0% (14/190) of men. Of the women, 16.0% had iron deficiency anemia (33/204) and 65.0% had ferritin values of <30.0 μg/L (133/204). The estimated prevalence of α-thalassemia (α-thal) trait in men was 32.0% (60/190) and that of β-thalassemia (β-thal) trait in both sexes was 3.0% (12/394). In conclusion, half of the healthy Emirati population have abnormal CBC values. For clinical purposes, they require reference standards for red cells that are derived from their own population. Screening of women for iron deficiency is justified due to a high prevalence of iron deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Screening for β-thalassemia trait (BTT) relies on measuring hemoglobin (Hb) A2. Since multiple factors can affect HbA2 levels, the screening can become unreliable. In 1356 healthy Arabs enrolled into a federally funded premarital BTT screening program, the effects of iron deficiency (ID), α+-thalassemia trait, gender, smoking, and tribalism on HbA2 were studied. The complete blood count and hemoglobin fractions were determined on the entire cohort; serum ferritin (<15 µg/L) in 391 subjects was used to determine ID. BTT was present in 29 (2.1%) subjects (HbA2 > 3.5%). Among 77(20.3%) subjects with ID, the mean HbA2 (2.30 ± 0.23%) was 0.2% lower than in subjects without iron deficiency (2.50 ± 0.24%, P < 0.0001). In 65 (38%)/172 subjects with phenotypic α+-thalassemia trait, the mean HbA2 (2.43 ± 0.24%) was 0.13% lower than in subjects without ??+-thalassemia trait, P < 0.0001. The mean HbA2 did not differ between males and females, smokers and nonsmokers, and between the tribes.Thus, 35 (2.6%) subjects with HbA2 between 3.2 and 3.5% were at a risk of false negative diagnosis of BTT. Since iron deficiency and α+-thalassemia are both common and both lower HbA2, modifications in screening recommendations for BTT are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study that investigated the effects of cultural origin on the saving behavior of immigrants in the United Arab Emirates. Methodology of the study; Results of the study; Conclusion.

Simple Summary: Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), also known as sheep and goat plague, is a highly contagious animal disease affecting small ruminants and camels. It is caused by a virus belonging to the genus Morbillivirus, family Paramixoviridae. Once newly introduced, the virus can infect up to 90 percent of an animal herd. A PPR outbreak is an emergency due to its rapid spread and high animal mortality rate. This study simulated three control strategies of PPR spread among animals in the United Arab Emirates. These strategies include implementing mass vaccination, ring vaccination and ceased vaccination strategies, combined with or without strict animal movement control simultaneously. The simulation results compared the level of the effectiveness and direct government costs for each of the three strategies. Such results aid the decision-makers in the country and globally in line with the World Animal Health Organization's goal to eradicate the disease by 2030. Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an important infectious viral disease of domestic small ruminants that threatens the food security and sustainable livelihood of farmers across Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The objective of this research is to analyze the disease's spread and its impacts on direct government costs through conducting three simulations of different control strategies to reduce and quickly eradicate PPR from the United Arab Emirates in the near future. A Modified Animal Disease Spread Model was developed in this study to suit the conditions of the United Arab Emirates. The initial scenario represents when mass vaccination is ceased, and moderate movement restrictions are applied. The second scenario is based on mass vaccination and stamping out the disease, whereas the third simulation scenario assumes mass and ring vaccination when needed, very strict movement control, and stamping out. This study found that the third scenario is the most effective in controlling and eradicating PPR from the UAE. The outbreak duration in days was reduced by 57% and the number of infected animals by 77% when compared to the other scenarios. These results are valuable to the country's animal health decision-makers and the government's efforts to report to the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) regarding the progress made towards declaration of the disease's eradication. They are also useful to other concerned entities in other Middle Eastern, North African, and Asian countries where the disease is spreading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of improving indoor air quality with indoor plants. As a methodology, two target classrooms with the same size (120.64 m2) and 32 students per room were selected. Then, 48 areca palm pots (average leaf area of 300 cm2/pot) were placed, and the plant density was 14.68% of the floor area. Subjective assessment for general questions, learning motivation, perceived air quality, and SBS symptoms was conducted at 5 min after the class started and 5 min before the class ended. The results showed that the CO2 concentration by respiration of the students (average of 1873 ppm) exceeded the regulatory standard (1000 ppm), but the students did not recognize the indoor CO2 concentration. The increase in CO2 concentration in the classroom was lower in the case with plant placement (624 ppm) compared with the case without plant placement (about 1205 ppm). It was statistically proven that the CO2 concentration by respiration could be reduced by 50% if the indoor plant leaf area density were maintained at about 14.68% of the floor area. In the case with plant placement, the students perceived the indoor air quality to be 40% fresher and showed a 140% higher acceptability. Moreover, the complaining of SBS symptoms was improved by 108%, and the students' perception that it was better to focus on learning increased by about 120%. As the awareness of sustainability increases, indoor plants will be more actively placed in the United Arab Emirates. Indoor plants not only provide a visual green effect to improve human comfort but also purify indoor air pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to unprecedented urbanization, UAE had built many new residential projects with poor choices of material and ventilation. This social phenomenon is leading UAE to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) faster than any other countries. The Dubai Municipality regulates the indoor air quality with strict stipulation, but the detailed regulations are still insufficient. The objective of this paper is to measure the indoor air quality of new residential projects in Dubai to suggest the improvement of the regulations for indoor air quality. As a methodology, a field survey was conducted to investigate the status of indoor air pollution in residential buildings. Based on the field survey data, lab experiments for building materials were conducted and a computer simulation on radon gas was conducted. The result had shown that radon gas was mainly detected in new townhouses and labor camp houses, and its concentration was found to exceed the standard. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and formaldehyde (CH2O) were mainly detected in showhouses and new townhouses, and the concentration distribution was about 10 times higher than that of outdoors. It was proven that emission concentration of radon gas from various building materials were detected, and the order was red clay, gypsum board, and concrete. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are mainly detected in oil paints and PVC floor and the radiation amount of all pollutants increased with temperature increase. In computer simulation, it was found that a new townhouse needs a grace period from 20 days to 6 months to lower the radon gas concentration by 2 pCi/L. This study will serve as a basic data to establish more detailed regulation for the building materials and improve the IAQ standards in Dubai. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosecurity implemented on the poultry farms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in the form of preparedness against any possible outbreak of disease, is critical for farm survival, safety, and development. Little information on the status of biosecurity readiness for containing any outbreak of poultry disease is available. This study was conducted to evaluate the status of biosecurity on commercial poultry farms in the UAE. Four categories of biosecurity measures/actions: isolation, human and traffic flow, cleaning, and disinfection, and adoption of vaccination protocols were considered. All 37 licensed commercial poultry farms in the country were enrolled in the study's survey. Cumulative Distribution Functions (CDFs) and Artificial Neural Network statistical (ANN) methods were used for ranking biosecurity on farms, including a breakdown for large and small farms, and to identify areas that require improvements. The ANN is used to correlate preparedness in the focus areas to the poultry farms' biophysical and business characteristics, such as the number of yearly flock cycles, farm capacity, the total area of the farms, density, and the number of biosecurity workers. This study finds that more stringent implementation of vaccination protocol, isolation, and human and vehicle-flow controls for disinfection are most needed. The study also revealed that poultry farms address biosecurity preparedness differently based on the type of production on large or small farms, and for broilers or layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Visceral obesity and related diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Adiponectin is a hormone that is secreted by adipose tissue and may play an important role in obesity-related morbidity. The aim of this study was to investigate total adiponectin levels in overweight and obese UAE subjects visiting health care facilities for weight management. Methods: All overweight and obese subjects visiting community health centers were invited to take part in the study. Two hundred and six participants received individualized structured dietary education for weight management. Demographic data, anthropometric measurements and fasting venous blood samples were taken for measurements of total adiponectin and markers of inflammation and nutritional status at baseline and follow up. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the independent effects of prognostic factors on serum adiponectin levels. Results: A total of 193 (93%) females with a mean age (±SD) 36 ± 11 years were included in the analysis. During a follow up period of 427 ± 223 days, participants received 13 ± 5 structured dietary education sessions. We observed decreased levels of total adiponectin with increasing quartiles of both waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI). Male gender and history of both gestational and type 2 diabetes were associated with significantly lower total adiponectin levels (p < 0.05). After adjusting for age, gender, BMI and hip circumference, multiple regression analysis revealed a significant and independent association between waist circumference and total adiponectin levels. At follow up visceral fat loss was associated with a significant decrease in inflammatory markers and a non-significant increase in total adiponectin levels. Conclusion: Increased visceral fat in overweight and obese subjects is associated with decreased total adiponectin levels. The health benefits of increasing adiponectin levels using different dietary intervention strategies need to be explored in larger studies. Trial registration: NCT01691365, registered on 11/09/2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), several programs and centers have been established to study and evaluate halophytic and salt-tolerant plant communities. A large number of halophytic species, acquired from various parts of the world, have been evaluated and field-tested under salt and seawater irrigation regimes at UAE University and International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA). Among these species, Sporobolus virginicus and Distichlis spicata were thoroughly evaluated and showed consistent yield potential and forage quality under high levels of salinity. Currently, these grasses are grown as irrigated crops on a large scale and mechanically handled and harvested at UAE University and ICBA. Several experiments were carried out at the UAE University on sheep and goats to investigate the effect of feeding Sporobolus and Distichlis grasses as well as a mixture of Atriplex shrubs on growth performance and carcass composition. In this paper, results of five experiments aimed to evaluate the performance of sheep and goats fed these plants were presented. Animals were allocated to several dietary treatment groups to have either Sporobolus and Distichlis grass hay or a mixture of Atriplex shrubs as a source of forage in a replacement series with the conventional forage Rhodes grass commonly used in the region. Two breeds of sheep (local and Awassi breeds) and one local breed of goats were used. The result data indicated that the productive performance or carcass characteristics of sheep were not influenced by the inclusion of different levels of Sporobolus grass hay in the diets. Similarly, the inclusion of Distichlis grass hay as the only source of forage up to 100% in the diet did not have any adverse effect on growth performance or carcass composition of growing local goat kids. These studies also showed that, incorporating Atriplex spp. shrubs and Sporobolus grass hay into mixed diets enhanced growth performance of local goats. It can be concluded that when managed properly, S. virginicus and D. spicata, have the economic and environmental potential to be used in an integrated forage-sheep and goats system particularly in marginal environments with low quality soil and water resources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]