In late 2012, a novel coronavirus that had not previously been seen in humans was identified for the first time in a resident of the Middle East. The virus, now known as the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERSCoV), 1 has (as of 26 June 2015) caused more than 1350 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection. Thus far, all patients infected with MERS-CoV have had a direct or indi...

BACKGROUND Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancers affecting women worldwide. The main objective of this study was to assess and compare research activity in breast cancer in Arab countries with non-Arab Middle Eastern countries. METHODS Publications about "breast cancer" as a research topic were retrieved using the ISI Web of Science database. Analysis was confined to origin...

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) encompasses a group of hepatic diseases that range in severity. NAFLD is increasingly recognized as an epidemic among different populations, including those in Africa and the Middle East. The objective of this narrative review is to document the prevalence of and risk factors for NAFLD in Africa and the Middle East and the potential implications on the ...

Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection is probably the most important factor that has been associated with the development of gastric cancers in human populations. However, there are no reliable data on the prevalence of this infection in the Middle East. In this article, based on a comprehensive literature review, we aimed to evaluate the situation in this region. The literature has been sea...

F rom the viewpoint of economic theories, total factor productivity (TFP) is the most important component that leads to economic growth and development. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of knowledge-based economy on total factor productivity in the member countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. For this purpose, the panel data regression analysis ha...

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) is a disorder of increased intracranial pressure without any identifiable etiology. It is defined by elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) with normal neuroimaging and normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contents. IIH typically affects young obese women and produces symptoms and signs related to high ICP. Headache and blurred vision are the most common sym...

Through history, Arabs and Muslims have made valuable contribution to medicine and science. The main objective of this study was to assess the contribution of Arab researchers to ophthalmology using bibliometric indicators. Published articles in "Ophthalmology" authored by Arab researchers were screened and analyzed using ISI Web of Science database. Worldwide research productivity in ophthalmo...

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to assess the impact of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), spending on Research and Development (R&D), the number of universities and scientific journals on the published research documents, citable documents, citations per document and H-index in environmental sciences in the Middle East countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS All the 16 Middle East countries were include...