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Fulltext Electromagnetic Field Exposure and Abortion in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Irani M, Aradmehr M, Ghorbani M, Baghani R

Malays J Med Sci, 2023 Oct;30(5):70-80.
PMID: 37928787 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2023.30.5.6

This study examined the effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) on pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage. We performed a systematic search for relevant studies published to August 2021 in the medical databases of PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library. The following key terms were used: 'electromagnetic field,' 'mobile phones,' 'mobile phone base stations,' 'watching TV,' 'using Internet,' 'miscarriage,' 'abortions,' 'spontaneous abortion,' 'early abortion' and 'late abortion'. All case-control and cohort studies that investigated the effect of EMF exposure on the risk of miscarriage were included without any restriction of language or time. Statistical analyses were done using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (version 2.0). A random-effects model was performed to calculate the overall effect size. A primary search revealed a total of 982 relevant studies; six articles (N = 3,187 participants) met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. The results of the random-effects meta-analysis indicated that EMF exposure had a significant effect on miscarriage: rate ratio (RR) = 1.699; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.121, 2.363 (P < 0.001); and heterogeneity (I2) = 84.55% (P < 0.001). The findings showed that pregnant woman who were exposed to high levels of EMF had an increased risk of miscarriage.
Ozonation-pelleting of nitrogen-enriched wheat straw: Towards improved pellet properties, enhanced digestibility, and reduced methane emissions

Ghorbani M, Kianmehr MH, Sarlaki E, Angelidaki I, Yang Y, Tabatabaei M, et al.

Sci Total Environ, 2023 Sep 20;892:164526.
PMID: 37257609 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164526

The livestock industry needs to use crop straws that are highly digestible to improve feed productivity and reduce ruminal methane emissions. Hence, this study aimed to use the ozonation and pelleting processes to enhance the digestibility and reduce the ruminal methane emissions of wheat straw enriched with two nitrogen sources (i.e., urea and heat-processed broiler litter). Various analyses were conducted on the pellets, including digestibility indicators, mechanical properties, surface chemistry functionalization, chemical-spectral-structural features, and energy requirements. For comparison, loose forms of the samples were also analyzed. The nitrogen-enriched ozonated wheat straw pellets had 43.06 % lower lignin, 28.30 % higher gas production for 24 h, 12.28 % higher metabolizable energy, 13.78 % higher in vitro organic matter digestibility for 24 h, and 28.81 % higher short-chain fatty acid content than the nitrogen-enriched loose sample. The reduction of methane emissions by rumen microorganisms of nitrogen-enriched wheat straw by ozonation, pelleting, and ozonation-pelleting totaled 89.15 %, 23.35 %, and 66.98 %, respectively. The ozonation process resulted in a 64 % increase in the particle density, a 5.5-time increase in the tensile strength, and a 75 % increase in the crushing energy of nitrogen-enriched wheat straw. In addition, ozone treatment could also reduce the specific and thermal energy consumption required in the pelleting process by 15.10 % and 7.61 %, respectively.
Understanding the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia

Ghorbani M, Rajandas H, Parimannan S, Stephen Joseph GB, Tew MM, Ramly SS, et al.

Psychiatr Genet, 2021 Apr 01;31(2):39-49.
PMID: 33252574 DOI: 10.1097/YPG.0000000000000270

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder with marked symptoms of hallucination, delusion, and impaired cognitive behaviors. Although multidimensional factors have been associated with the development of schizophrenia, the principal cause of the disorder remains debatable. Microbiome involvement in the etiology of schizophrenia has been widely researched due to the advancement in sequencing technologies. This review describes the contribution of the gut microbiome in the development of schizophrenia that is facilitated by the gut-brain axis. The gut microbiota is connected to the gut-brain axis via several pathways and mechanisms, that are discussed in this review. The role of the oral microbiota, probiotics and prebiotics in shaping the gut microbiota are also highlighted. Lastly, future perspectives for microbiome research in schizophrenia are addressed.
Fulltext Stroke services in the Middle East and adjacent region: A survey of 34 hospital-based stroke services

Al Hashmi AM, Shuaib A, Imam Y, Amr D, Humaidan H, Al Nidawi F, et al.

Front Neurol, 2022;13:1016376.
PMID: 36408502 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.1016376

Background: Acute stroke care is complex and requires multidisciplinary networking. There are insufficient data on stroke care in the Middle East and adjacent regions in Asia and Africa.
Objective: Evaluate the state of readiness of stroke programs in the Middle East North Africa and surrounding regions (MENA+) to treat acute stroke.
Method: Online questionnaire survey on the evaluation of stroke care across hospitals of MENA+ region between April 2021 and January 2022.
Results: The survey was completed by 34/50 (68%) hospitals. The median population serviced by participating hospitals was 2 million. The median admission of patients with stroke/year was 600 (250-1,100). The median length of stay at the stroke units was 5 days. 34/34 (100%) of these hospitals have 24/7 CT head available. 17/34 (50%) have emergency guidelines for prehospital acute stroke care. Mechanical thrombectomy with/without IVT was available in 24/34 (70.6%). 51% was the median (IQR; 15-75%) of patients treated with IVT within 60 min from arrival. Thirty-five minutes were the median time to reverse warfarin-associated ICH.
Conclusion: This is the first large study on the availability of resources for the management of acute stroke in the MENA+ region. We noted the disparity in stroke care between high-income and low-income countries. Concerted efforts are required to improve stroke care in low-income countries. Accreditation of stroke programs in the region will be helpful.