scholarly journals Male Gender is A Risk Factor For Sever Form of COVID-19 Illness and Worse Outcome in The Middle East

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Y Hachim ◽  
Mahmood Y Hachim ◽  
Kashif Bin Naeem ◽  
Haifa Hannawi ◽  
Issa Al Salmi ◽  
...  

Abstract The identification of risk-factors, predicting the disease severity and outcome in novel coronavirus-disease-19 (COVID-19) patients, is essential to improve responsiveness to this pandemic. The association between gender and wide-range of clinical, pathological, and epidemiological factors was studied in 200-patients recruited during March-April 2020. A higher prevalence of COVID-19 infection in male (72%) compared to females (28%). Age and history of previous comorbidities were nearly comparable between genders (P value 0.75 and 0.97, respectively), male-patients had higher incidence of sever-critical form of the disease (44.67%) compared to only 23.22% in female-patients (P < 0.001). A 26.39% and 1.79% of male and female patients needed Intensive-care-unit (ICU) admission(P < 0.001), respectively. Male-patients developed a significant higher rate of lung injury presented as bilateral airspace consolidation in the plain chest X-ray at admission (38.89%) compared to 23.21% in female patient (P = 0.036%). A significant impairment of the renal-function (P = 0.031) and liver-function tests with higher level of lactate-dehydrogenase (LDH) (P < 0.001), serum bilirubin (P < 0.001), alanine-transferase; ALT (P = 0.036), and aspartate-aminotransferase, AST (P = 0.022) in male patients compared to female patients. In conclusion, this is the first detailed analysis in the middle east that thoroughly investigate the role of gender in determining the clinical course and severity of COVID-19 infection. Males compared to their age matched females, with same prevalence of comorbidities were more vulnerable to the sever COVID-19 illness with higher probability for ICU admission.

Author(s):  
Mohamed Saleh

This chapter investigates a long-standing puzzle in the economic history of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region: why do MENA’s native non-Muslim minorities have better socioeconomic (SES) outcomes than the Muslim majority, both historically and today? Focusing on the case of Coptic Christians in Egypt, the largest non-Muslim minority in absolute number in the region, and employing a wide range of novel archival data sources, the chapter argues that Copts’ superior SES can be explained neither by Islam’s negative impact on Muslims’ SES (where Islam is defined as a set of beliefs or institutions) nor by colonization’s preferential treatment of Copts. Instead, the chapter traces the phenomenon to self-selection on SES during Egypt’s historical conversion from Coptic Christianity to Islam in the aftermath of the Arab Conquest of the then-Coptic Egypt in 641 CE. The argument is that the regressivity-in-income of the poll tax on non-Muslims (initially all Egyptians) that was imposed continuously from 641 to 1856 led to the shrinkage of (non-convert) Copts into a better-off minority. The Coptic-Muslim SES gap then persisted due to group restrictions on access to white-collar and artisanal skills. The chapter opens new areas of research on non-Muslim minorities in the MENA region and beyond.


Author(s):  
Selma Zecevic

The emergence of women’s studies in the 1970s and 1980s significantly broadened the scope of sources and methods in the study of the socio-economic, cultural, and legal history of Ottoman women. Basing their research on multigenre documents from Ottoman courts of law, historians began to shed light on the active role of Ottoman women in the economic, religious, and social lives of their communities. From the mid-1980s, much of the scholarship on Ottoman women has espoused methods and theories that emerged in feminist, gender, cultural and postcolonial studies. Critical analyses of 18th- and 19th-century Orientalist texts and images provided ample evidence that the representations of Ottoman women as powerless, idle, and perpetually subjected to sexual exploitation played a key role in the European colonialist and imperialist discourses of alterity. In dismantling such misconceptions, scholars focused on a wide range of documents from Imperial and local archives to demonstrate the agency and power of Ottoman women, and their ability to undermine gendered laws of marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Studies that focused on Ottoman women’s management of property convincingly argued that women made strategic investments to participate in the economic and political sectors of Ottoman societies. In the 1990s and early 2000s, scholars increasingly relied on feminist methodologies in their investigations of the female perspectives on patriarchy, seclusion, and female sexuality. In particular, analyses of women’s magazines, novels, autobiographies and polemics produced by late 19th- and early 20th-century Ottoman women have offered important insights into the female perspective on the “women question” that was on top of the agenda of all male reformers of the late Ottoman Empire. Contemporary scholarship on Ottoman women goes beyond adding women to Ottoman history and refuting the Orientalist clichés. Modern works that destabilize the dichotomies of public/private, male/female, and visible/invisible to address the complexities of Ottoman women’s experiences display a great deal of theoretical and methodological sophistication. In addition, modern-day scholarship on Ottoman women take important steps toward a comparative investigation of the condition of women across the boundaries of ethnic and/or religious affiliation. However, like earlier scholarly works on Ottoman women, modern-day studies are limited by availability of source material. Consequently, much of the history of Ottoman women of modest means, and women who inhabited rural areas of the Empire, remains undocumented and therefore unexamined. This article presents an overview of scholarly works that focus on various aspects of the history of Ottoman women. With the exception of three works, all works are written and/or available in English. Those who are interested in more general topics on Muslim women in the Ottoman Middle East should consult the Oxford Bibliographies in Islamic Studies article “Women in Islam.” Important works on gender and sexuality in the Ottoman Middle East can be found in the Oxford Bibliographies in Islamic Studies article “Gender and Sexuality.”


Medicina ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Renata Balnytė ◽  
Daiva Rastenytė ◽  
Dalia Mickevičienė ◽  
Antanas Vaitkus ◽  
Erika Skrodenienė ◽  
...  

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of HLA-DRB1 alleles on the genetic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis in the Lithuanian population. Material and Methods. A total of 120 patients with multiple sclerosis and 120 unrelated healthy controls were enrolled in this case-control study. Allelic frequencies were compared between the groups. HLA-DRB1 alleles were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction. Results. HLA-DRB1*15 was present in 55.8% of the patients with multiple sclerosis and 10.0% of the controls (OR, 5.58; 95% CI, 3.19–9.77; P<0.0001). The protective alleles that were found to be more prevalent among the controls compared with the patients with multiple sclerosis were HLADRB1* 01 (26.7% vs. 7.5%, P<0.0001), *03 (17.5% vs. 8.3%, P=0.034), and *16 (11.7% vs. 3.3%, P=0.014). HLA-DRB1*15 was more common among the female patients with multiple sclerosis than among the male patients (68.4% vs. 34.1%; OR, 4.18; 95%, CI 1.90–9.22; P=0.001). The heterozygous inheritance of HLA-DRB1*15 allele was more common in the patients with a history of maternal multiple sclerosis than in those with a history of paternal multiple sclerosis (29.4% vs. 9.8%; P=0.045). Conclusions. HLA-DRB1*15 was found to be associated with multiple sclerosis in the Lithuanian population. This allele was more prevalent among the female patients with multiple sclerosis. Maternal multiple sclerosis was more common than paternal multiple sclerosis, but the relationship with HLA-DRB1*15 allele was not established. HLA-DRB1*01, *03, and *16 appeared to be the protective alleles in this series.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 789-789
Author(s):  
Laine Elliott ◽  
Allison E. Ashley-Koch ◽  
Jude Jonassaint ◽  
Jennifer Price ◽  
Jason Galloway ◽  
...  

Abstract Priapism, a painful and prolonged erection, has been reported to occur in 30–45% of male patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). However, little is known about the pathological processes and genetic risk factors that contribute to the occurrence of priapism. The identification of genetic variables that are associated with priapism may therefore help define both critical pathophysiologic mechanisms not otherwise apparent, as well as patients at increased risk. We examined genetic variation in our sample of 199 unrelated, adult (&gt;18 years), male patients with Hb SS and Hb Sβ0-thalassemia, 83 (42%) of whom reported a history of priapism. Candidate genes for association with priapism were identified based on their involvement in adhesion, coagulation, inflammation, and cell signaling. Additionally, we examined genes involved in NO biology (NOS2, NOS3, SOD1, SLC4A1). Finally, we also examined polymorphisms in the KLOTHO gene, which has previously been associated with priapism. We examined a total of 389 SNPs in 48 candidate genes. Except for the gene encoding the β2 adrenergic receptor, SNP genotyping was performed by TaqMan, using Assays-on-Demand or Assays-by-Design genotyping products (Applied Biosystems). Allele tests were used to detect genetic associations with priapism. Strong evidence of association was found for SNP rs7526590 in the transforming growth factor-β receptor, type III (TGFBR3) gene (p=.00058), SNP rs10244884 in the aquaporin (AQP1) gene (p=.00068), and SNP rs3768780 in the integrin αV (ITGAV) gene (p=0.00090). A second ITGAV SNP (rs3768778), in linkage disequilibrium (r2=.59) with the first, also showed association with priapism (p=.00888). The A1 subunit of coagulation factor XIII (F13A1) had four SNPs (hcv1860621, rs1032045, rs1674074, rs381061) with p-values less than 0.010 (p-values = 0.00156, 0.00415, 0.00648, and 0.00712, respectively). The linkage disequilibrium among these F13A1 SNPs is negligible (r2 &lt;.15). We also adjusted for multiple testing using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure (significance threshold &lt;.10). SNP rs7526590 in TGFBR3, SNP rs10244884 in AQP1 and SNP rs3768780 in ITGAV each had a false discovery rate (FDR) p-value of .09834. SNP rs1674074 in F13A1 had an FDR p-value of .12733. The other SNPs in F13A1 had large FDR p-values, close to .30. We did not detect an association between priapism and genetic variation in the Klotho gene, as was previously reported by Nolan et al. (2005). Specifically, SNPs rs2249358, rs211234 and rs211239 showed a virtually identical distribution of genotypes for individuals with and without a history of priapism. However, our population is not identical to the previous study, which included patients as young as 10 years old. In conclusion, our data support the hypothesis that genetic variation is associated with risk for priapism among males with SCD and suggest that genes involved in the TGFβ pathway, coagulation, cell adhesion and cell hydration pathways may be important.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-202
Author(s):  
N. G. Antonova

On April 19–21th, 2021, Institute of Oriental Manuscripts (Saint-Petersburg) hosted the 43rd Annual Session of St Petersburg Arabists in tribute to professor O. G. Bolshakov (1929 – 2020). The conference was held for two days under the chairmanship of Associate Professor S. A. Frantsuzov and included morning and afternoon sessions, which covered interesting reports by Arab scholars from St. Petersburg, Moscow and Kazan in person and online. Arabic messages were accompanied by scholarly discussions on various topics on the history of the Middle East and cultural linguistics. More than 35 speakers from different countries including Canada and Switzerland took part in the conference and were able not only to meet their colleagues, but also to take advantage of a spare day between the sessions and to visit unique sights St. Petersburg has to offer. MGIMO University was represented at the scientific conference by N. G. Antonova, lecturer of the Department of Middle East Languages, with a report on the topic The History of Arabisms in the Spanish Language devoted to the analysis of words borrowings, their introduction into the Spanish language, main groups and levels at which the linguistic process took place. A. O. Bolshakov and F. A. Asadullin delivered their reports about a prominent historian and Arabist O. G. Bolshakov who dedicated his life to the study of the history of Caliphate and Islam. Researchers in the field of linguistic cultural studies spoke about Moscow Arabs, development of the theory of jihad, and various aspects of the Arabic language. A lot of speakers touched upon the topic of religion, including pre-islamic beliefs, and the Quran, its translations and editions kept in the museum collections. The representatives of Saint Petersburg State University gave reports on a wide range of linguistic, historic and ethnographic issues. A. A. Mokrushina made an interactive presentation on the special aspects of commercials in Arab countries. Participation in the session of St. Petersburg Arabists served as a valuable opportunity to make a presentation of one’s current research to colleagues-Arabists, to carry out professional and scientific communication, to hold scientific discussions and to gain a deeper understanding of the history and culture of the Arabic language.


2001 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 416-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard E Bruder ◽  
Jonathan W Stewart ◽  
Craig E Tenke ◽  
Patrick J McGrath ◽  
Paul Leite ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Jean Louis Yoko ◽  
John Tumbo ◽  
Benjamin A Mills ◽  
Cila Dominic Kabongo

Aim: To determine the characteristics of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis registered in primary health care facilities in Moses Kotane region North West Province. Method: A retrospective record review of pulmonary TB patients registered in five community health centres (CHCs) in 2010 was conducted. Results: Of the 229 new patients diagnosed using sputum microscopy or culture, 176 were cured and 53 were not cured. The mean age for cured patients was 36.4 years and 34.0 years for not cured patients with standard deviations of 13.5 and 11.4 respectively (p-value 0.195). In total, 97 (55.1%) female patients and 79 (44.9%) male patients were cured while 24 (45.3%) female patients and 29 (54.7%) male patients were not cured (p-value 0.214). Among the 169 unemployed patients, 120 (68.2%) were cured and 40 (75.5%) were not cured. Of the 69 patients with employment, 56 (31.8%) were cured and 13 (24.5%) failed to cure (p-value 0.394). Of 176 cured patients, 130 had directly observed treatment (DOT) support while 31 of 53 not cured patients did not have DOT support (p-value 0.00002). Some 154 (67.2%) patients were HIV positive and among them 119 (67.6%) were cured and 35 (66.0%) were not cured while of the 75 who were HIV negative 57 (32.4%) were cured and 18 (33.9%) were not cured (p-value 0.8680). Conclusion: DOT support was a strong predictive characteristic for the outcomes of these TB patients during their treatment with a statistically significant difference between cured and not cured patients; the majority of not cured patients did not have DOT support. Other characteristics like gender, age, HIV status, employment or other medical conditions did not show any statistically significant difference between cured and not cured patients. (Full text of the research articles are available online at www.medpharm.tandfonline.com/ojfp) S Afr Fam Pract 2017; DOI: 10.1080/20786190.2016.1272249


Author(s):  
Alexander Sosa Frias ◽  
Aimara de la C Vergara Santos

Background: The new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Researchers described COVID-19 mortality risk factors as being elderly, male, having comorbidities, and in some ethnicities. Some authors validated the use of first chest x-ray (CXR) severity scores (CSE) as an independent indicator of poor outcomes with COVID-19. Our objective was to evaluate the clinical and CXR findings as predictors of poor outcomes (death, needing intubation, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission) in patients with COVID-19. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of case-controls using a sample size of 60 patients admitted with the diagnosis of COVID-19 during the period of July-August 2020 to the Cuban Hospital in Qatar, as determined with the free online OpenEpi software (https://www.openepi.com/SampleSize/SSCC.htm). We defined cases as patients with a complication like death, needing intubation, ICU admission, or organ failure, and controls as patients who did not demonstrate the described complications. The dependent variables used were patient evolution divided into poor outcome or good outcome. The independent variables used were age, history of diabetes mellitus type II, and high blood pressure (HBP), CSE, and white blood count (WBC). The bivariate analysis was performed using the Chi-Square test or Fisher exact test. Multivariate analysis was done using binary logistic regression (IBM SPSS software 25). The results are expressed in Odds Ratio with p-value < 0.05 defined as statistically significant. Results: The bivariate analysis showed being older, having a history of HBP, diabetes, abnormal WBC, and high CSE were linked to poor outcome (p < 0.05) . The multivariate analysis defined WBC and CSE with independent influence over the patient evolution . Conclusion: We demonstrated that the value of WBC and CSE are predictors of poor outcome in patients with COVID-19. WBC increases the possibility of the described complications in COVID-19 patients 68,634 times and CSE 12,201 times.


2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (01) ◽  
pp. 94-99
Author(s):  
SHAFIQUE AHMED ◽  
MUHAMMAD BILAL AHSAN ◽  
EHSAN ULLAH ◽  
Raees Abbas

Objective: To see the frequency of coronary artery stenosis in the patients of stable angina having left bundle branchblock, and to see the effects of gender and age on this correlation. Design: Experimental case series. Setting: Bahawal Victoria Hospital,Bahawalpur. Period: June 2006 to May 2008. Methods: One hundred and forty one (141) patients of Stable Angina presenting with atypicalchest pain, both male and female of 30—70 years age, positive for LBBB and with normal Cardio-Thoracic Ratio, normal echocardiographyand negative for conventional risk factors and family history of Coronary Artery Disease were taken. All patients were angiographied .Results: A total of 141 patients were investigated through coronary angiogram to see the frequency of coronary artery stenosis in thesepatients. Ninety five (67.4%) patients proved to have coronary artery stenosis. The male patients showed higher frequency (87.4%) ofharboring coronary vessel blockade as compared to that (35.2%) in females (P value <0.0005). There was no relation between age and thefrequency of coronary stenosis (P value >0.05). Conclusions: There is significant difference (P value <0.0005) in coronary artery stenosisamong men and women having LBBB.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasra Honarmand Tamizkar ◽  
Pooneh Gorji ◽  
Mahdi Gholipour ◽  
Bashdar Mahmud Hussen ◽  
Mehrdokht Mazdeh ◽  
...  

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been recently reported to be involved in the pathoetiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Circulatory levels of lncRNAs might be used as markers for PD. In the present work, we measured expression levels of HULC, PVT1, MEG3, SPRY4-IT1, LINC-ROR and DSCAM-AS1 lncRNAs in the circulation of patients with PD versus healthy controls. Expression of HULC was lower in total patients compared with total controls (Expression ratio (ER)=0.19, adjusted P value&lt;0.0001) as well as in female patients compared with female controls (ER=0.071, adjusted P value=0.0004). Expression of PVT1 was lower in total patients compared with total controls (ER=0.55, adjusted P value=0.0124). Expression of DSCAM-AS1 was higher in total patients compared with total controls (ER=5.67, P value=0.0029) and in male patients compared with male controls (ER=9.526, adjusted P value=0.0024). Expression of SPRY4-IT was higher in total patients compared with total controls (ER=2.64, adjusted P value&lt;0.02) and in male patients compared with male controls (ER=3.43, P value&lt;0.03). Expression of LINC-ROR was higher in total patients compared with total controls (ER=10.36, adjusted P value&lt;0.0001) and in both male and female patients compared with sex-matched controls (ER=4.57, adjusted P value=0.03 and ER=23.47, adjusted P value=0.0019, respectively). Finally, expression of MEG3 was higher in total patients compared with total controls (ER=13.94, adjusted P value&lt;0.0001) and in both male and female patients compared with sex-matched controls (ER=8.60, adjusted P value&lt;0.004 and ER=22.58, adjusted P value&lt;0.0085, respectively). ROC curve analysis revealed that MEG3 and LINC-ROR have diagnostic power of 0.77 and 0.73, respectively. Other lncRNAs had AUC values less than 0.7. Expression of none of lncRNAs was correlated with age of patients, disease duration, disease stage, MMSE or UPDRS. The current study provides further evidence for dysregulation of lncRNAs in the circulation of PD patients.


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