scholarly journals Beta-thalassemia in Mediterranean countries. Findings and outlook

Author(s):  
Gil Bellis ◽  
Alain Parant

Beta-thalassemia is one of the most common genetic disorders among humans. It occurs in many world regions, but the highest levels are recorded in the Mediterranean countries. This study reviews the epidemiology of β-thalassemia in these countries, as well as their resources for fighting the disease, and establishes an outlook on the trends in the pathology between now and 2050. The epidemiological parameters are based on information from specialised databases, while the outlook is derived from the global population forecasts of the United Nations. With an incidence rate at birth of 15.9 cases per 100,000 newborns, the Northern coast of the Mediterranean is the least impacted and has significant health infrastructures; the number of newborns concerned could decrease by 2050. The incidence rate on the Eastern Mediterranean coast, where numerous prevention programmes are available, is twice as high, at 31.4 per 100,000 newborns; over the next 30 years, the number of new cases at birth could increase. The incidence rate on the Southern Mediterranean coast is highest, at 36.8 per 100,000 newborns, and the region continues to suffer from a shortage of health infrastructures; the number of new cases at birth could increase considerably in the region between now and 2050. These long-term projections are based on population growth in the Mediterranean countries and will be changed only by the widespread use of antenatal practices against β-thalassemia. The findings of this study could enable the countries concerned to adapt their healthcare policies.

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 153-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Lionello ◽  
F. Giorgi

Abstract. Future climate projections show higher/lower winter (Dec-Jan-Feb) precipitation in the northern/southern Mediterranean region than in present climate conditions. This paper analyzes the results of regional model simulations of the A2 and B2 scenarios, which confirm this opposite precipitation change and link it to the change of cyclone activity. The increase of the winter cyclone activity in future climate scenarios over western Europe is responsible for the larger precipitation at the northern coast of the basin, though the bulk of the change is located outside the Mediterranean region. The reduction of cyclone activity inside the Mediterranean region in future scenarios is responsible for the lower precipitation at the southern and eastern Mediterranean coast.


2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Damien Geradin ◽  
Nicolas Petit

The main objective of this paper is to examine the state of adoption and implementation of competition rules in the 12 Southern Mediterranean countries (the "Mediterranean Partners") engaged in association agreements with the EC in the framework of the Barcelona Declaration of November 1995.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manel Grifoll ◽  
Thanassis Karlis ◽  
M. Ortego

This research investigates the traffic share evolution of the container throughput in the Mediterranean ports from 2000 to 2015 considering hierarchical clustering and concentration indexes. Compositional Data analysis techniques are used to illustrate periods with similar traffic share composition. Two different regions (East and West) in the Mediterranean Sea (Med) are selected in the function of the long haul services. The standard concentration indexes (i.e., concentration ratio, Gini coefficient, and Normalized Herfindahl-Hirschman) reveal a gentle decreasing of the concentration with relevant fluctuations mainly in the East region. This is due to the investment in port infrastructure in the area resulting from privatization initiatives in many Eastern Mediterranean countries. The periods obtained from the hierarchical clustering show a differentiated pattern in traffic share composition. For these periods, the shift-share results are consistent with traffic fluctuations and in line with the evolution of the concentration indexes. The combination of methods has allowed a good interpretation of the spatial and temporal evolution of the Med ports’ traffic being the methodology applicable elsewhere in the context of port system analysis.


2014 ◽  
Vol 142 (6) ◽  
pp. 2345-2352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Kahraman ◽  
Paul M. Markowski

Abstract A climatology of tornadoes in Turkey is presented using records from a wide variety of sources (e.g., the Turkish State Meteorological Service, European Severe Weather Database, newspaper archives, Internet searches, etc.). The climatology includes the annual, diurnal, geographical, and intensity distributions of both mesocyclonic and nonmesocyclonic tornadoes. From 1818 to 2013, 385 tornado cases were obtained. The tornadoes range from F0 to F3, with F1 being the most frequently reported or inferred intensity. Mesocyclonic tornadoes are most likely in May and June, and a secondary maximum in frequency is present in October and November. Nonmesocyclonic tornadoes (waterspouts) are most common in the winter along the (southern) Mediterranean coast and in the fall along the Black Sea (northern) coast. Tornadoes (both mesocyclonic and nonmesocyclonic) are most likely in the afternoon and early evening hours.


Check List ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 1588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saadet Yağmur Bulguroğlu ◽  
Jale Korun ◽  
Mehmet Gökoğlu

New information on distribution of marine leech, Pontobdella muricata (Linnaeus, 1758) is given here. One leech was observed on the dorsal surface of Thornback Ray, Raja clavata (Linnaeus, 1758) that was caught in 2013 in the Antalya, Turkey. This is a new record for the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey.


2000 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. PAPACONSTANTINOU ◽  
H. FARRUGIO

The aim of this paper is to give a description of the Mediterranean fisheries, and its level of exploitation and to address the main questions dealing with its management. The Mediterranean is a semi-enclosed marine area with generally narrow continental shelves. The primary production of the Mediterranean is among the lowest in the world (26-50g C m-2 y-1). The Mediterranean fisheries can be broken down into three main categories: small scale fisheries, trawling and seining fisheries, which operated on demersal, small pelagic and large pelagic resources. After a general description of the state of the resources in the different areas of the Mediterranean it is concluded that (a) the overall pictures from the western to the eastern Mediterranean are not considerably different, (b) the total landings in the Mediterranean have been increased the last decades, and (c) from the perspective of stock assessment, the very few available time series data show stable yield levels. In general fisheries management in the Mediterranean is at a rela- tively early stage of development, judging by the criteria of North Atlantic fisheries. Quota systems are generally not applied, mesh-size regulations usually are set at low levels relative to scientific advice, and effort limitation is not usually applied or, if it is, is not always based on a formal resource assessment. The conservation/management measures applied by the Mediterranean countries can be broadly separated into two major categories: those aiming to keep the fishing effort under control and those aiming to make the exploitation pattern more rational. The most acute problems in the management of the Mediterranean resources are the multispecificity of the catches and the lack of reliable official statistics.


2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (8A) ◽  
pp. 1130-1135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rekia Belahsen ◽  
Mohamed Rguibi

AbstractBackground and objectivesIn recent decades, the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disorders has increased worldwide; the objective here is to describe the situation in southern Mediterranean countries.ResultsData derived from surveys in the region countries showed that in 2002 more than 60% of all deaths in the southern Mediterranean region are attributed to NCDs. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) caused from about 34.3 to 52% of all deaths, making it the major killer among NCDs. In almost all of the southern Mediterranean countries, CVD risk factors increased with age, affected more women and urban area and were significantly associated with obesity. The Mediterranean dietary pattern, generally recognised, as a healthy diet is still the model for southern Mediterranean population; however, following the rapid process of urbanisation, southern Mediterranean populations have changed their lifestyle and food habits and tend to shift from traditional food habit. Indeed, intake trends illustrate the fall in whole-grain intake with a rise in animal sources and vegetable oils. Dietary energy has been steadily increasing by approximately 1000 kcal per capita per day between 1965 and 2000, exceeding per caput energy requirements. Protein and carbohydrate contribution to the energy intake show only small deviations and fat contribution to the energy intake is low, whereas fibre intake is generally low and that of SFA is high. Also, sedentarity appears to play a critical role in the development of body fat and may be a risk indicator for features of metabolic syndrome.ConclusionThe major goal to prevent CVD should begin by preventing obesity through physical exercise and healthy nutrition. The nutritional prevention policy required should encourage population to adhere to the Mediterranean model.


2018 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carole Nehme ◽  
Sophie Verheyden ◽  
Sebastian F.M. Breitenbach ◽  
David P. Gillikin ◽  
Anouk Verheyden ◽  
...  

AbstractLittle is known about terrestrial climate dynamics in the Levant during the penultimate interglacial-glacial period. To decipher the palaeoclimatic history of the Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 glacial period, a well-dated stalagmite (~194 to ~154 ka) from Kanaan Cave on the Mediterranean coast in Lebanon was analyzed for its petrography, growth history, and stable isotope geochemistry. A resolved climate record has been recovered from this precisely U–Th dated speleothem, spanning the late MIS 7 and early MIS 6 at low resolution and the mid–MIS 6 at higher resolution. The stalagmite grew discontinuously from ~194 to ~163 ka. More consistent growth and higher growth rates between ~163 and ~154 ka are most probably linked to increased water recharge and thus more humid conditions. More distinct layering in the upper part of the speleothem suggests strong seasonality from ~163 ka to ~154 ka. Short-term oxygen and carbon isotope excursions were found between ~155 and ~163 ka. The inferred Kanaan Cave humid intervals during the mid–MIS 6 follow variations of pollen records in the Mediterranean basins and correlate well with the synthetic Greenland record and East Asian summer monsoon interstadial periods, indicating short warm/wet periods similar to the Dansgaard-Oeschger events during MIS 4–3 in the eastern Mediterranean region.


2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1707-1722 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Reale ◽  
P. Lionello

Abstract. The link between winter (December-January-February) precipitation events at 15 Mediterranean coastal locations and synoptic features (cyclones and Northern Hemisphere teleconnection patterns) is analyzed. A list of precipitation events has been produced; q percentile thresholds (Thq) and corresponding frequency Nq (for q equal to 25, 50, 90 and 98) have been considered. A negative trend has been detected in total precipitation and N50 at many locations, while no significant trend in N25, N90 and N98 has been found. The negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the East Atlantic/West Russia pattern (EAWR) compete for exerting the largest influence on the frequency of the 25th, 50th and 90th percentiles, with EAWR and NAO exerting their largest influence in the central and western Mediterranean areas, respectively. All percentiles show a similar behavior except for the 98th percentile, which shows no convincing link to any teleconnection pattern. The cyclone tracks that are associated with precipitation events have been selected using the ERA-40 reanalysis data, and a strong link between intense precipitation and cyclones is shown for all stations. In general, the probability of detecting a cyclone within a distance of 20° from each station increases with the intensity of the precipitation event and decreases with the duration of a dry period. The origin and track of cyclones producing intense precipitation differ among different areas. When precipitation occurs in the northwestern Mediterranean, cyclones are generally either of Atlantic origin or secondary cyclones associated with the passage of major cyclones north of the Mediterranean Basin, while they are mostly generated inside the region itself for events at the eastern Mediterranean coast. An important fraction of intense events in the southern areas is produced by cyclones that are generated over northern Africa. The analysis of sea level pressure and geopotential height at 500 hPa highlights the important role of cyclone depth, circulation strength, surrounding synoptic condition, and of slow speed of the cyclone center for producing intense precipitation events.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
ABDEL FATTAH N. ABD RABOU

Abstract. Abd Rabou AFN. 2019. On the occurrence and health risks of the Silver-cheeked Toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus Gmelin, 1789) in the marine ecosystem of the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Biodiversitas 20: 2620-2627. The Silver-cheeked Toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus Gmelin, 1789) is one of the most recent invaders into the Mediterranean Sea. It represents a serious ecological risk to Mediterranean biodiversity and fisheries resources and a health risk to public health. The current study comes to handle the occurrence and health risks of the species in the Eastern Mediterranean of the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Frequent visits to local fish markets, meetings, and discussions with stakeholders, and chasing of local media reports were the main tools involved to satisfy the goals of the study, which extended from 2010 to 2019. The first record of the Silver-cheeked Toadfish in the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip was in 2006 as claimed by fisheries parties. The by-catch of the species by fishing gear extended over the entire length of the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip (42 km). The species was said to damage fishing nets, lines and hooks by its strong teeth. Prior to its banning in early 2010s, all pufferfishes including the species in question were sold freely in Gaza fish markets. Several cases of hospitalization have been reported in the Gaza Strip after consumption of the Silver-cheeked Toadfish. The symptoms of TTX intoxication included nausea and vomiting, dizziness, headache, abdominal pain, perioral paraesthesia, and tingling over the entire body. No death cases were reported locally. Many awareness campaigns have been conducted by fisheries parties to warn both fishermen and local people from the ecological and health risks associated with the Silver-cheeked Toadfish and TTX intoxication. Finally, the threats imposed by the Silver-cheeked Toadfish on the Eastern Mediterranean countries including Palestine indicate that potential solutions to the problem should be explored.


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