Aflatoxin in human and camel milk in Abu Dhabi,United Arab Emirates

During an initial survey, using thin layer chromatography, 10 of 64 samples of mothers’ breast milk, collected from donors at the Corniche Maternity Hospital and the Al-Nehyan Clinic for Maternity and Childhood, were found to contain Aflatoxin M₁ at concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 1.3 ng mL^?1. A second survey using HPLC showed Aflatoxin M₁ at concentrations ranging from 7 to 23 pg mL^?1 in all of the 15 samples collected. 6 of 20 samples of camel milk collected from several sources in Abu Dhabi were also found to contain Aflatoxin M₁ at levels ranging from 0.25 to 0.8 ng mL^?1.     

United Arab Emirates: Phylogenetic relationships and ancestral populations

In the current report, 109 unrelated individuals from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were typed across 15 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci (D8S1179, D21S11, D7S820, CSF1PO, D3S1358, TH01, D13S317, D16S539, D2S1338, D149S433, vWA, TPOX, D18S51, D5S818 and FGA) routinely employed in population genetics analyses and compared across a set of ethnically and geographically targeted reference collections. UAE, located at the southeastern most portion of the Arabian Peninsula, in the tri-continental crossroads connecting Africa, Europe and Asia, has been influenced by a number of human dispersal waves from a plethora of sources including the Paleolithic “Out of Africa” migrations, the exodus of Neolithic pastoral agriculturalists from the Fertile Crescent and Northern Africa, as well as more recent migrations from Asia and the Middle East. We found that despite the high levels of consanguinity that characterize UAE, this population is genetically highly heterogeneous. When compared to various world-wide biogeographical regions, the Arabian Peninsula exhibits the highest intra-population variance. Admixture analyses indicate that UAE and Bahrain uniquely in Arabia share 23.7% and 22.9%, respectively, of their DNA with Southwest Asian populations. Similar and complex Structure profiles are seen among Arabian Peninsula populations underscoring the high genetic diversity of the region. Although UAE shares a number of genetic characteristics in common with the rest of the populations in the Arabian Peninsula, it is unique in terms of its relative high Asian genetic component, likely the result of geographical proximity to Southwest Asia, west-bound waves of migration and socio-political ties with territories to the east.     

Deaths and Medical Visits Attributable to Environmental Pollution in the United Arab Emirates

Background

This study estimates the potential health gains achievable in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with improved controls on environmental pollution. The UAE is an emerging economy in which population health risks have shifted rapidly from infectious diseases to chronic conditions observed in developed nations. The UAE government commissioned this work as part of an environmental health strategic planning project intended to address this shift in the nature of the country’s disease burden.

Methods and Findings

We assessed the burden of disease attributable to six environmental exposure routes outdoor air, indoor air, drinking water, coastal water, occupational environments, and climate change. For every exposure route, we integrated UAE environmental monitoring and public health data in a spatially resolved Monte Carlo simulation model to estimate the annual disease burden attributable to selected pollutants. The assessment included the entire UAE population (4.5 million for the year of analysis). The study found that outdoor air pollution was the leading contributor to mortality, with 651 attributable deaths (95% confidence interval [CI] 143–1,440), or 7.3% of all deaths. Indoor air pollution and occupational exposures were the second and third leading contributors to mortality, with 153 (95% CI 85–216) and 46 attributable deaths (95% CI 26–72), respectively. The leading contributor to health-care facility visits was drinking water pollution, to which 46,600 (95% CI 15,300–61,400) health-care facility visits were attributed (about 15% of the visits for all the diseases considered in this study). Major study limitations included (1) a lack of information needed to translate health-care facility visits to quality-adjusted-life-year estimates and (2) insufficient spatial coverage of environmental data.

Conclusions

Based on international comparisons, the UAE’s environmental disease burden is low for all factors except outdoor air pollution. From a public health perspective, reducing pollutant emissions to outdoor air should be a high priority for the UAE’s environmental agencies.     

Strengthening desert plant biotechnology research in the United Arab Emirates: a viewpoint

The biotechnology of desert plants is a vast subject. The main applications in this broad field of study comprises of plant tissue culture, genetic engineering, molecular markers and others. Biotechnology applications have the potential to address biodiversity conservation as well as agricultural, medicinal, and environmental issues. There is a need to increase our knowledge of the genetic diversity through the use of molecular genetics and biotechnological approaches in desert plants in the Arabian Gulf region including those in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This article provides a prospective research for the study of UAE desert plant diversity through DNA fingerprinting as well as understanding the mechanisms of both abiotic stress resistance (including salinity, drought and heat stresses) and biotic stress resistance (including disease and insect resistance). Special attention is given to the desert halophytes and their utilization to alleviate the salinity stress, which is one of the major challenges in agriculture. In addition, symbioses with microorganisms are thought to be hypothesized as important components of desert plant survival under stressful environmental conditions. Thus, factors shaping the diversity and functionality of plant microbiomes in desert ecosystems are also emphasized in this article. It is important to establish a critical mass for biotechnology research and applications while strengthening the channels for collaboration among research/academic institutions in the area of desert plant biotechnology.     

Age-related plasma chemistry changes in houbara and kori bustards in the United Arab Emirates

Plasma chemistry parameters were measured in adult (> 1.5 yr) and juvenile (4-8 and 9-16 wk) captive houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii) and from adult (> 1.5 yr) and juvenile (4-8, 9-16, 17-24, 25-32, 33-40 and 41-52 wk) captive kori bustards (Ardeotis kori) to study age-related changes. A comparison of the values obtained was made between adult and juvenile bustards of both species and from the literature with other bustard species. Significant differences between adult and juvenile bustards of both species were found for glucose, total protein, alkaline phosphatase (ALKP), aspartate amino transferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase, and calcium. Some parameters, such as calcium, showed comparable age-related changes in both species. In contrast, other parameters showed clear differences in the type (ALT, AST) or magnitude (ALKP) of age-related change between the species, demonstrating the importance of determining normal values for individual species. The results obtained from this study provide blood chemistry values for these species and demonstrate age-related differences between adult and juvenile birds.     

Sedimentary facies analysis of the subsurface triassic and hydrocarbon potential in the United Arab Emirates

Summary The Triassic sediments in the subsurface of the United Arab Emirates has been divided into three formations (from bottom to top): Sudair, Jilh (Gulailah) and Minjur. The Sudair Formation consists of four lithofacies units composed mainly of limestones and minor dolomites interbedded with terrigenous shaley mudstones and anhydritic dolomitic limestones. These were deposited in shallow marine supratidal to subtidal settings. The Jilh (Gulailah) Formation has five lithofacies units dominated by anhydritic dolomitic limestone, fine terrigenoclastic sediments and bioclastic and intraclastic limestones. The formation was laid down under lagoonal to supratidal sabkha conditions with little normal marine influence. The Minjur Formation is composed of three lithofacies units characterized by argillaceous quartzitic sandstones, shales, mudstones, dolomitic and ferruginous limestones with thin coal seams. These facies represent deposition in prograding delta lobes, reflecting humid continental to marginal-marine conditions. Diagenesis plays a major role in the reservoir development in the Triassic sediments, the pores are occluded by dolomite and anhydrite. The grains are compacted, leached or cemented by marine cements. Porosity generally ranges from fair to poor with values from 6% to 9% in the carbonates and from 6% to 15% in the clastics. Interparticle and vuggy porosities are the main pore types. The porosity was controlled by diagenesis, depth of burial and lithology. No oil has been discovered so far in the Triassic sediments of the United Arab Emirates but pronounced gas shows have been reported from offshore fields. Western offshore United Arab Emirates is a promising area for potential hydrocarbon accumulations. The Triassic sediments have low to moderate source rock potential; the organic matter is mainly sapropelic kerogen, and the degree of thermal alteration ranges between mature to highly mature stages.     

Applicability of Heavy-Metal Phytoextraction in United Arab Emirates: An Investigation of Candidate Species

Phytoremediation of contaminated calcareous desert land in the United Arab Emirates has been investigated. Soils from 12 northern UAE sites, suspected of metal contamination, were acid-extracted and analyzed by ICP-OES for Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Twenty-two plants naturally growing at contaminated sites were sampled and analyzed for their uptake of Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn and eight commercially available plants, grown under controlled conditions, were also studied for their phytoextraction capabilities. The concentration of available Cr was found to be 1300 ± 150 mg/kg in the soil of the Ajman Industrial Zone and 80 ± 10 mg/kg of Pb was found at Bithna. Among the plants investigated, Portulaca oleracea and Iresine herbstii showed potential for Cr(VI) and Pb(II) accumulation, respectively, with bioconcentration factors (BCF) greater than unity. Atriplex halimus accumulated Co(II), Cr(III), and Cu(II) each with a BCF > 1.     

Cervical smear abnormalities in the United Arab Emirates: a pilot study in the Arabian Gulf

OBJECTIVE: To gather epidemiologic data on cervical abnormalities and make recommendations pertaining to a national cervical screening policy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey of patients and physicians in the UAE with regard to cervical cytology was carried out. Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of a group of female primary care physicians on cervical cytology were assessed by a self-administered questionnaire. Pap smears and Chlamydia testing were offered to women attending selected primary care centers and secondary health care facilities. RESULTS: Results of Chlamydia prevalence and KAP were published elsewhere; this report addresses the cytologic aspects of this study. There were 2,013 smears collected from primary health centers and 2,042 from secondary care. The overall rate of cervical screening among women in this survey was 85.5% in primary care and 77% in secondary care. The proportion of unsatisfactory smears was < 5%. The prevalence of cervical abnormalities according to the Bethesda System 2001 was 3.6%. There were 9 (primary care) and 21 (secondary care) cases of low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSILs), for a prevalence of 0.77%. There were 4 primary care and 17 secondary care cases of high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), for a prevalence of 0.54%. The combined prevalence for LSIL and HSIL is 1.32%. There were 3 cases of glandular abnormalities. The atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance/SIL ratio was 1.71. No cases of squamous cell carcinoma were detected. No tissue follow-up information is available. The prevalence of cervical abnormalities is low in the UAE. We first recommend the institution of a more organized approach to opportunistic screening in the UAE with appropriate clinical follow-up rather than the immediate launch of a cervical mass screening program.     

Breast Cancer Screening Awareness,Knowledge, and Practice among Arab Women in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background

Breast cancer screening can reduce morbidity and mortality and improve the survival rate for this malignancy. Low participation in screening programs has been attributable to many factors including lack of knowledge. The aim of this study was to assess breast cancer screening knowledge, attitudes and practices among women of screening age (≥40 years old) in the city of Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2013 using the Breast Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM). Four out of twelve cultural and religious community centers in Al Ain city were randomly selected. Two hundred and forty seven women were interviewed. Chi Square test and regression analysis were used to analyze the data.

Results

Despite the increase in the uptake of screening modalities in our study group, a lack of knowledge about breast cancer screening is still evident. Almost half (44.8%) of women who never had a Clinical Breast Exam (CBE) and 44.1% of women who never had a mammography expressed a lack of knowledge about the existence of these screening techniques. Nearly one third of the participants interpreted the presence of a breast lump incorrectly and, moreover, expressed fewer worries about the nature of the lump than would normally be expected.

Conclusions

The National screening program needs to be improved and directed towards more efficient and targeted utilization of resources. Healthcare professionals play a major role in alerting women to the importance of periodic screening.     

Recruitment and larval connectivity of a remnant Acropora community in the Arabian Gulf,United Arab Emirates

Coral cover and community structure in the Arabian Gulf have changed considerably in recent decades. Recurrent bleaching events have dramatically reduced the abundance of previously dominant Acropora corals and have given space to other more thermally resistant coral taxa. The loss of Acropora spp. has reduced reef structural complexity and associated biodiversity. Sir Bu Nair Island (SBN) is a nature reserve in the United Arab Emirates that sustains some of the last dense and extensive Acropora stands in the southern Gulf. This study investigated coral recruitment at a southern coral reef on SBN and examined larval dispersal and reef connectivity between SBN and other local and regional reefs through an agent-based model coupled with a 3D hydrodynamic model. Recruitment was surveyed with settlement tiles deployed from April to September 2019. Contrary to other reefs in the Gulf, we found that Acropora is indeed the major coral recruiter settling at SBN reefs, followed by Porites. The models indicate that SBN reefs are mostly self-seeding but also connected to other reefs in the Gulf. SBN can supply coral larvae to the neighbouring islands Siri and Abu Musa, and nearby reefs along with the north-eastern Emirates, Iranian coast and Strait of Hormuz. Findings highlight the importance of SBN to protect remnant populations of the locally almost extinct Acropora in a region where natural coral recovery is increasingly sparse.

     

New occurrence of the brachyuran crab Palaeocarpilius macrochelus () from the Oligocene of the United Arab Emirates

A new occurrence of the Palaeocarpilius macrochelus (Desmarest, 1822) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura), from the Middle Oligocene rocks of the United Arab Emirates is systematically and paleogeographically described. The Oligocene Asmari Formation is well exposed on the flanks of Jabal Hafit anticline near Al Ain City, UAE, and represents one of the very interesting fringing reef complex outcrops at the western margin of the Northern Oman Mountains. A relatively well preserved single specimen was collected from the Asmari Formation of Jabal Hafit. The specimen is herein described and assigned to Palaeocarpilius macrocheles (Desmarest, 1822). The present record complements the information on the temporal and spatial distribution of decapods at the southern margin of the Tethyan Ocean during the Middle Oligocene times.     

Oligocene larger foraminifera from United Arab Emirates,Oman and Western Desert of Egypt

An early Oligocene (Rupelian) diagnostic larger foraminiferal assemblage is described and illustrated from marls and limestones of the Asmari Formation, at Jabals Hafit and Malaqet in the UAE. An equivalent assemblage is identified in the mudstones of the Tahwah Formation, Wadi Suq, Oman. Although Nummulites intermedius (D'Archiac 1846) and N. fichteli are fully synonymous (e.g. Roveda 1970; Schaub 1981; Sirel 2003), in this study both species are biometrically differentiated, distinct and both names are valid. N. fichteli Michelotti 1841, N. intermedius (D'Archiac 1846) and N. emiratus n. sp., which are index for the early Oligocene (Rupelian), and they are replacing each others competitively and environmentally.

The presence of Blondeauina bouillei n.gen., N. emiratus n.sp., N. intermedius, N. fichteli, Planoperculina complanata (Defrance 1822) and Austrotrillina asmariensis Adams 1968 ascribed the section of the Asmari Formation to the early Oligocene (Rupelian). The studied marls and limestones were deposited in outer and inner shelf environments, respectively. The Asmari Formation in the area studied consists mainly of marl in its lower portion and reefal limestone in its upper part, indicating a major marine regression. The Tahwah Formation in Oman is composed of bioturbated silty and muddy marls and is a facies equivalent to the Asmari Formation marls. The Asmari Formation facies change probably relates to a mid-Oligocene fall in global sea level.

In this study, the Dabaa Formation, a subsurface unit of late Eocene–Oligocene marine shales in the north Western Desert of Egypt, was chosen to correlate with the Oligocene of Emirates and Oman. The Dabaa Formation comprises Spiroclypeus ornatus (Henson 1937) and Eulepidina dilatata (Michelotti 1861). The environment of deposition was inner shelf to littoral, which become estuarine towards the top in many areas. This Oligocene Dabaa sequence is correlatable with Wadi El Arish sequence recently discovered by Kuss and Boukhary (2008) from Risan Aneiza, Northern Sinai, Egypt.     

Economic growth,electricity consumption,urbanization and environmental degradation relationship in United Arab Emirates

The present study explores the relationship between economic growth, electricity consumption, urbanization and environmental degradation in case of United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study covers the quarter frequency data over the period of 1975–2011. We have applied the ARDL bounds testing approach to examine the long run relationship between the variables in the presence of structural breaks. The VECM Granger causality is applied to investigate the direction of causal relationship between the variables. Our empirical exercise reported the existence of cointegration among the series. Further, we found an inverted U-shaped relationship between economic growth and CO₂ emissions i.e. economic growth raises energy emissions initially and declines it after a threshold point of income per capita (EKC exists). Electricity consumption declines CO₂ emissions. The relationship between urbanization and CO₂ emissions is positive. Exports seem to improve the environmental quality by lowering CO₂ emissions. The causality analysis validates the feedback effect between CO₂ emissions and electricity consumption. Economic growth and urbanization Granger cause CO₂ emissions.     

A serologic survey for Coxiella burnetii in semi-wild ungulates in the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Q fever, a highly infectious zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, has not been officially reported in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This first serosurvey of a large group of semi-free-ranging animals in the UAE indicates that a wide range of ungulates have been exposed C. burnettii in the region.