ABSTRACT
The region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is diverse and retains a superior growth potential. It benefits from a privileged geographical location with big markets, a young and growing educated population, and competitive advantages in several industries. Regardless of their differences, countries face shared concerns, most notably in health. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MENA countries enact reforms to create a more robust and inclusive digital health systems to increase growth, development, and integrity. Throughout the coordinated containment and mitigation efforts, most of the countries have integrated digital technologies into the health systems. These procedures include digital government initiatives, the introduction of digital health training courses, live video surgeries and virtual patient monitoring, rural and remote telemedicine programs, and the development of a national electronic health records (EHR) system. Each country took necessary actions to address equity, literacy, and development of resilient health systems. The nine featured countries in this report illustrate the diversity among the MENA region and account for major opportunities and achievements as well as promises and challenges that digital health presents for its populations. © 2022 IMIA and Georg Thieme Verlag KG.
ABSTRACT
Online websites have become an important source of information in all domains. Health has become one of the most Internet-dependent domains for information for the common users and experts alike. However, health information can be a critical determinant of human health and false information may cause real harm to Internet users. In this research, we aim to develop a model that evaluates the degree of trust in websites that provide health information. We conducted a quasi-experiment to assess the factors that affect user trust in health information providing websites. The experiment was conducted on pre-selected websites that provided information on Covid-19, ranging from official sources to those reported as providing misinformation. Participants had to assess the websites and determine factors that affected their level of trust. A total of 30 participated in the quasi-experiment, including both common users (46%) and health experts (56%). As a result, we identified the user-perceived importance weight of each of the studied factors that affect user trust in the studied websites. Using the identified importance weights of the factors, we developed a trust model and algorithm to evaluate the degree of trust in websites that provide health information. To evaluate the scalability of the developed model and algorithm, they were additionally applied on a set of pre-identified websites. The results were compared to the manually assessed scores conducted by health expert participants. The developed model achieved an error rate between 15%-19%, depending on the type and nature of the information-providing websites.
ABSTRACT
3,5-Di[(E)-arylidene]-1-[3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)alkyl]piperidin-4-ones 7 a-k were synthesized through dehydrohalogenation of 1-(2-chloroacyl)piperidin-4-ones 5 a-k with N-methylpiperazine (6). High antiproliferation potencies were observed by most of the synthesized agents against both HCT116 (colon) and MCF7 (breast) cancer cell lines relative to the standard references (sunitinib and 5-fluorouracil). The synthesized agents are of dual activity against topoisomerases I and II alpha however, with higher efficacy against topoisomerase II alpha rather than topoisomerase I. Flow-cytometry cell cycle studies support the observed antiproliferation properties and exhibit the capability of 1-(2-chloroacetyl)-3,5-bis[(E)-4-chlorobenzylidene]piperidin-4-one (5 e) and 3,5-bis[(E)-4-bromobenzylidene]-1-[2-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)acetyl]piperidin-4-one (7 g) to arrest the HCT116 cell cycle progression at G1/S and G1 phases, respectively. Noticeable anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties were observed by many synthesized agents. 3,5-Bis[(E)-4-chlorobenzylidene]-1-[3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)propanoyl]piperidin-4-one (7 f) is the most effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 synthesized with high SI. Applicability of the highly effective candidates synthesized as antitumor and anti-SARS-CoV-2 is due to the safety observations against normal (RPE1 and VERO-E6) cells. QSAR models validated internally and externally, support their possibility for optimizing more hits/leads.
ABSTRACT
This report announces the complete genome sequences of two severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) isolates detected in Egypt. The isolates were obtained from oropharyngeal swab specimens from two Egyptians in Upper and Lower Egypt. Sequence analysis showed mutations that differentiate Egyptian strains from the reference strain 2019-nCoV WHU01.