The impact of COVID-19 quarantine on lifestyle indicators in the United Arab Emirates

Regional Agriculture and Food Systems Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the Near East and North Africa Region

The COVID-19 pandemic affected agri-food systems worldwide. However, while the impacts differed from one country/region to another, the scholarly literature seems to focus on developed countries in the Global North. Consequently, this review scrutinizes the literature on the pandemic's impacts in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. A search on the Web of Science in March 2023 generated 334 documents, of which 151 were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review. According to the bibliometric analysis, the most active nations are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon. In general, the coverage of studies is better in the Gulf region than in the less developed countries of North Africa and those suffering from wars (cf. Libya, Syria, and Yemen). Studies generally focus on crop production and the downstream food chain (cf. distribution and consumption). While the pandemic influenced every pillar of food security, this research concentrates on access and utilization. Meanwhile, the lion's share of the literature deals with the pandemic's socio-economic effects, especially those linked to food (in)security and health. The pandemic, which laid bare the agri-food system vulnerabilities, should be seized to foster the transition towards more resilient agri-food systems in the NENA region.

IoT-Based Solution for Detecting and Monitoring Upper Crossed Syndrome

A sedentary lifestyle has caused adults to spend more than 6 h seated, which has led to inactivity and spinal issues. This context underscores the growing sedentary behavior, exemplified by extended sitting hours among adults and university students. Such inactivity triggers various health problems and spinal disorders, notably Upper Crossed Syndrome (UCS) and its association with thoracic kyphosis, which can cause severe spinal curvature and related complications. Traditional detection involves clinical assessments and corrective exercises; however, this work proposes a multi-layered system for a back brace to detect, monitor, and potentially prevent the main signs of UCS. Building and using a framework that detects and monitors signs of UCS has facilitated patient-doctor interaction, automated the detection process for improved patient-physician coordination, and helped improve patients' spines over time. The smart wearable brace includes inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors targeting hunched-back postures. The IMU sensors capture postural readings, which are then used for classification. Multiple classifiers were used where the long short-term memory (LSTM) model had the highest accuracy of 99.3%. Using the classifier helped detect and monitor UCS over time. Integrating the wearable device with a mobile interface enables real-time data visualization and immediate feedback for users to correct and mitigate UCS-related issues.

The effect of COVID-19 on the academic performance of Zayed University students in the United Arab Emirates

Purpose

The outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to significant changes across various sectors, including the field of education. In response to the pandemic, educational institutions worldwide, including Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), transitioned to online learning. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the academic performance of students in the UAE and their satisfaction with remote learning, while also examining gender differences in these variables.

Methods

This study used a quantitative research design in which a questionnaire was used to collect data. The study employed a snowball sampling method to recruit a total of 1,780 male and female students aged 18 and above from Zayed University in the UAE. The collected data were analyzed using appropriate statistical techniques.

Results

This study revealed that students at Zayed University maintained a good level of academic performance (M = 3.34, SD = 0.76) during the COVID-19 pandemic and were satisfied with online learning (M = 3.48, SD = 0.84) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A significant positive correlation was observed between students' academic performance and their level of satisfaction with online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.001). Furthermore, no significant differences were found between gender and both academic performance and level of satisfaction with online learning. Finally, we found that more males leaned toward online learning while more females leaned toward face-to-face learning.

Conclusion

This study contributes to understanding the impact of COVID-19 on students' academic performance and satisfaction with remote learning in the UAE context. The findings highlight the significance of student satisfaction for successful online learning and emphasize the need for adequate resources and the maintenance of education quality.

Prevalence of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome amongst Females Aged between 15 and 45 Years at a Major Women's Hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Objective criteria have been scarce in published data on the occurrence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is crucial that we enhance our comprehension of PCOS prevalence in the UAE to inform key stakeholders about the disease's burden and enable comparisons with other nations. This research aimed to examine the PCOS prevalence at a large academic tertiary centre in Dubai, UAE, called Latifa Women and Children's Hospital. We performed a cross-sectional study by reviewing the electronic medical records of patients accessing care between 2017 and 2022 (5 years). By utilizing the international classification of diseases codes (ICD-10), we discovered a period prevalence of PCOS of 1.6% among 64,722 women aged between 15 and 45 years. It is worth noting that the estimated annual point prevalence rose from 1.19% in 2020 (at the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic) to 2.72% in 2022 (after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic). Therefore, the odds ratio of the risk of a PCOS diagnosis in 2022 compared to 2020 was 2.28. The majority of the women diagnosed with PCOS in this study had an ICD-10 code of E28.2. Women with PCOS were younger than the controls, less likely to be pregnant, and had a higher body mass index and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This is the most extensive research to date examining PCOS prevalence in the UAE, and it emphasizes the significance of this condition. It is crucial to prioritize PCOS to prevent morbidity and mortality from reproductive and long-term health consequences, including infertility, type 2 diabetes and endometrial cancer, which is presently the most frequent gynecological cancer in the UAE.