The Psychological Impact of Isolation on Hospitalised Patients with COVID-19 Infection in the UAE.

Infection prevention and control measures for COVID-19 may include immediate admission to an isolation facility for the infected. However, the mental health impact of this isolation worldwide is not fully documented. This study aims to contribute to global data on the psychological impact of COVID-19 and to be the first study to assess psychological distress among hospitalised patients with COVID-19 in the UAE. Using a cross-sectional study design on 132 hospitalised patients, we found that 90% of participants scored within the normal levels for psychological distress. The length of stay was associated with higher levels of psychological distress and those aged 41-60 years had lower levels of psychological distress compared to the 31-40 years group. Our results contributed to global data on the psychological impact of COVID-19 and may help to identify those at risk for psychological distress due to COVID-19 hospitalisation for targeted prevention and future pandemic preparedness plans.

Child maltreatment and neglect in the United Arab Emirates and relationship with low self-esteem and symptoms of depression.

OBJECTIVES: To our knowledge, this study is the first in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to investigate the prevalence of child maltreatment in relation to depressive symptoms and self-esteem. STUDY DESIGN: Exposure to physical maltreatment, emotional abuse and neglect was evaluated in 518 adolescents (86% response rate) randomly selected from schools in Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Rosenberg self-esteem scale and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to measure self-esteem and depressive symptoms by using multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The mean age of study participants was 14.3 years. Emotional abuse was the most frequent form of maltreatment (33.9%), physical abuse (12.6%) and neglect (12.1%) followed. Male sex was a positive predictor of physical abuse (OR = 2.12; 95% CI 1.18-3.77), whilst higher maternal level of education was protective (OR = 0.40; 95% CI 0.19-0.86). Daily screen time (OR = 2.77; 95% CI 1.17-6.56) and tobacco smoking (OR = 1.86; 95% CI 1.09-3.18) positively predicted emotional abuse. Emotionally maltreated and neglected participants were less likely to report high level of self-esteem and more likely to report symptoms of depression. CONCLUSIONS: Child maltreatment in the UAE is of a similar magnitude to what reported in other countries around the world and significantly associated with low self-esteem and depressive symptoms.

Role of ceramide in diabetes mellitus: evidence and mechanisms.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease with multiple complications that causes serious diseases over the years. The condition leads to severe economic consequences and is reaching pandemic level globally. Much research is being carried out to address this disease and its underlying molecular mechanism. This review focuses on the diverse role and mechanism of ceramide, a prime sphingolipid signaling molecule, in the pathogenesis of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and its complications. Studies using cultured cells, animal models, and human subjects demonstrate that ceramide is a key player in the induction of ß-cell apoptosis, insulin resistance, and reduction of insulin gene expression. Ceramide induces ß-cell apoptosis by multiple mechanisms namely; activation of extrinsic apoptotic pathway, increasing cytochrome c release, free radical generation, induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress and inhibition of Akt. Ceramide also modulates many of the insulin signaling intermediates such as insulin receptor substrate, Akt, Glut-4, and it causes insulin resistance. Ceramide reduces the synthesis of insulin hormone by attenuation of insulin gene expression. Better understanding of this area will increase our understanding of the contribution of ceramide to the pathogenesis of diabetes, and further help in identifying potential therapeutic targets for the management of diabetes mellitus and its complications.

Purification and biochemical characterization of membrane-bound neutral ceramidase from camel brain (Camelus dromedarius).

Ceramidases cleave the N-acyl linkages of ceramide to generate sphingosine and its subsequent product sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). Ceramide and S1P are important bioactive lipids, and ceramidases are important in regulating the availability of these lipids. In this study, we report the purification and characterization of camel brain neutral ceramidase (CBCDase). The novel CBCDase was purified from camel brain using sequential chromatography of DEAE-Sepharose, Phenyl-Sepharose, Superdex, and Mono Q column. The Mono Q fractions containing ceramidase activity were used for enzyme characterization. The purified CBCDase showed a single band corresponding to a molecular weight of ~100 kDa, displaying classical Michaelis-Menten kinetics, with maximum enzymatic activity at pH 7.0. Deglycosylation of the enzyme yields an apparent molecular weight of ~80 kDa. The purified CBCDase was inhibited by Zn(2+) and Cu(2+), while Ca(2+) stimulates the activity. Phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine completely inhibited enzyme activity at low concentrations. Thiol-containing compounds inhibited the CBCDase activity. Among the nucleotides, ADP, UMP, and TMP inhibited the enzyme activity at low concentrations, whereas, ATP inhibited the activity at higher concentrations only. The CBCDase catalysed both ceramide hydrolysis and reverse CDase reactions. For the first time, we have purified to apparent homogeneity of a ~100 kDa nCDase from camel brain.

Suicidal behavior and attitudes among medical students in the United Arab Emirates.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated suicidal behavior and attitudes of medical students. We are not aware of any previous reports emerging from the Arab world. AIMS: To investigate suicidal behavior and attitudes among medical students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHOD: The prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts as well as attitudes toward suicide and reactions to a hypothetical suicidal friend were assessed using a self-report survey. Furthermore, the survey included the self-assessment of the current mood and religiosity, and socio-demographic information. RESULTS: A group of 115 medical students (mean age 20.7 years, 59.1% female) participated in the survey. The prevalence of lifetime suicidal ideation was 17.5% and of suicide attempts 1.8%. In general, students showed very low acceptability of suicide, strong beliefs in the punishment after death, and highly endorsed communicating problems with parents. Moreover, high acceptance of and support for a suicidal friend were found. Sadness was associated with higher acceptability of suicide and fewer beliefs in punishment after death. Religiosity was associated with less acceptability of suicide, seeing suicide in context of mental illness, communicating problems with parents, and greater support for a suicidal friend. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts among medical students in the UAE was in the lower range in international comparison. Negative attitudes toward suicide were accompanied by a strong support for a suicidal friend, and both were related to religiosity.

Glutathione selectively inhibits Doxorubicin induced phosphorylation of p53Ser¹5, caspase dependent ceramide production and apoptosis in human leukemic cells.

Glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant non-protein antioxidant in mammalian cells. It has been implicated in playing an important role in different signal transduction pathways, and its depletion is an early hallmark in the progression of apoptosis in response to a number of proapoptotic stimuli. We have selectively investigated the role of GSH in cytotoxic response of Jurkat and Molt-4 human leukemic cells to the anti-cancer drug Doxorubicin. In this study, we have shown that extracellular supplementation of GSH to human leukemic cells renders them a resistant phenotype to Doxorubicin treatment. Glutathione pre-treatment inhibits Doxorubicin-induced p53Ser(15) phosphorylation, caspase dependent ceramide (Cer) generation, Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage, and DNA fragmentation. Taken together, these results indicate that the major cellular antioxidant GSH influences the chemotherapeutic efficacy of Doxorubicin towards human leukemic cells.

Similarities and differences in the glycosylation mechanisms in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Recent years have witnessed a rapid growth in the number and diversity of prokaryotic proteins shown to carry N- and/or O-glycans, with protein glycosylation now considered as fundamental to the biology of these organisms as it is in eukaryotic systems. This article overviews the major glycosylation pathways that are known to exist in eukarya, bacteria and archaea. These are (i) oligosaccharyltransferase (OST)-mediated N-glycosylation which is abundant in eukarya and archaea, but is restricted to a limited range of bacteria; (ii) stepwise cytoplasmic N-glycosylation that has so far only been confirmed in the bacterial domain; (iii) OST-mediated O-glycosylation which appears to be characteristic of bacteria; and (iv) stepwise O-glycosylation which is common in eukarya and bacteria. A key aim of the review is to integrate information from the three domains of life in order to highlight commonalities in glycosylation processes. We show how the OST-mediated N- and O-glycosylation pathways share cytoplasmic assembly of lipid-linked oligosaccharides, flipping across the ER/periplasmic/cytoplasmic membranes, and transferring "en bloc" to the protein acceptor. Moreover these hallmarks are mirrored in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. Like in eukaryotes, stepwise O-glycosylation occurs on diverse bacterial proteins including flagellins, adhesins, autotransporters and lipoproteins, with O-glycosylation chain extension often coupled with secretory mechanisms.