Job Satisfaction of U.A.E. Dental Practitioners.

OBJECTIVE: The study aims to analyze job satisfaction among registered clinical dentists in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and also to explore satisfaction with different work environmental factors and relate them to overall job satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey modified from the American Dental Association version of job satisfaction published in 2013 to 2014, was given to 197 licensed dentists in Dubai and Sharjah cities in the UAE. The questionnaire included four main sections, in addition to the demographic factors questions. All questions were answered using the 5-point Likert scale. The only exception was the comfortability in the working environment which was answered using a 3-point Likert scale. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Categorical data were presented as frequencies and percentages, and data were analyzed using means and standard deviations. Regression analysis was performed with overall job satisfaction as the dependent variable and seven aspects of satisfaction with work and individual characteristics as the independent variables. An α level of 0.05 was used for tests of statistical significance. RESULTS: The overall job satisfaction of dentists working in the UAE is high compared with other countries. Highest satisfaction was related to the relationship with patients, colleagues, and staff. On the other hand, the least satisfaction was linked to the opportunity for part-time work and benefits package. There were no significant differences between male and female participants regarding all work-related factors apart from autonomy. However, private sector dentists had a higher level of satisfaction compared with the public sector in many work-related factors. CONCLUSION: There are various dimensions that collectively influence the level of overall job satisfaction. Difference existing between the levels of job satisfaction among private and public sector dentists and between male and female dentists need to be addressed to increase the level of job satisfaction among UAE dentists and thus improve all dental care system.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene Variants Confer Potential Vulnerability to Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Saudi Community.

PURPOSE: Several interacting genes or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are vulnerable to the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here we explored associations between SNPs in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene or combined genotypes and the risk of ASD in a Saudi community. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: ASD severity symptoms were assessed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) criteria and scores on the childhood autism rating scale (CARS). Genomic DNA from buccal cells was analyzed for 112 cases and 104 healthy controls using TaqMan genotyping assays of 677C>T rs1801133 and 1298A>C rs1801131 SNPs in the MTHFR gene. SNPStats software was utilized to determine the best interactive model of inheritance of genotypic data. RESULTS: Controls were consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the examined SNPs. Our data showed associations between the 677C>T and 1298A>C SNPs and ASD risk (odds ratio [OR]= 5.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.1-9.8 and OR= 22.2; 95% CI, 7.9-62.3, respectively). Genotype associations of 677C>T and 1298A>C were identified in cases compared with controls (P= 0.0012 and P= 0.0008, respectively). The examined SNPs were significantly associated with ASD cases having ≥37 scores (codominant and recessive models; P= 0.001 and P= 0.0005, respectively). Six combined genotypes-C/C-A/A (42.9%), C/T-A/A (17.9%), C/T-C/C (14.5%), C/T-A/C (10.9%), T/T-C/C (10.9%), and T/T-A/A (3.6%)-were found in ASD cases. Global haplotype analysis showed a significant difference in haplotype distribution between cases and controls (P= 0.00057). The two SNPs were found to be in relatively strong linkage disequilibrium (D`= 0.63, r 2= 0.260). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the 677C>T and 1298A>C SNPs add to each other for potential vulnerability to increase the risk of ASD, particularly if they can be confirmed in larger cohorts along with other genetic/environmental factors. Our study could create reference data for future genetic association studies in the Saudi population and for use by government and health experts to develop regional health management programs.

Psychometric Properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) in a Non-Clinical Sample of Children and Adolescents in Saudi Arabia.

This paper examined the reliability, convergent validity and factor structure of the self-report Screen for Child Anxiety Disorders (SCARED; Birmaher et al. in J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 36:545-553, 1997) in a large community sample of children and adolescents in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire showed moderate to high internal consistency and satisfactory test-retest reliability over a 2 week period. In addition, there were significant positive correlations between reported anxiety symptoms with parent report behavioural difficulties. The five factor structure model of the SCARED also had a good model fit in this population. The results showed that self-report anxiety symptoms decreased with age (for boys and not girls) and were higher in adolescent girls. The results suggest that the SCARED could be useful in this population to identify individuals who are at risk of developing anxiety disorders in childhood with a view to implementing prevention and intervention methods to ensure positive developmental outcome over time.

Association between ANKK1 (rs1800497) and LTA (rs909253) Genetic Variants and Risk of Schizophrenia.

Limited research has assessed associations between schizophrenia and genetic variants of the ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1 (ANKK1) and lymphotoxin-alpha (LTA) genes among individuals of Middle Eastern ancestry. Here we present the first association study investigating the ANKK1 rs1800497 (T>C) and LTA rs909253 (A>G) single-nucleotide polymorphisms in an Egyptian population. Among 120 patients with DSM-IV and PANSS (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) assessments of schizophrenia and 100 healthy controls, we determined the genotypes for the polymorphisms using endonuclease digestion of amplified genomic DNA. Results confirmed previous findings from different ethnic populations, in that the rs1800497 and rs909253 polymorphisms were both associated with risk of schizophrenia. Differences between the genotypes of cases and controls were strongly significant (P = 0.0005 for rs1800497 and P = 0.001 for rs909253). The relative risk to schizophrenia was 1.2 (P = 0.01) for the C allele and 0.8 (P = 0.04) for the G allele. The CC, GG, and combined CC/AA genotypes were all more frequent in cases than in controls. These results support an association between ANKK1 and LTA genetic markers and vulnerability to schizophrenia and show the potential influence of just one copy of the mutant C or G allele in the Egyptian population.

The MTHFR 677T allele may influence the severity and biochemical risk factors of Alzheimer's disease in an Egyptian population.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated whether the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C>T marker influences the risk and severity of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and whether AD is associated with homocysteine, vitamin B12, and cholesterol levels in Egypt. METHODS: Forty-three Alzheimer's cases and 32 non-AD controls were genotyped for the 677C>T polymorphism. Clinical characteristics and levels of homocysteine, vitamin B12, and cholesterol were assessed. RESULTS: No significant differences in the frequencies of the MTHFR alleles or genotypes between AD cases and controls (P = 0.14) were identified. The 677T mutant allele was significantly overrepresented in AD cases compared to controls (OR = 2.22; P = 0.03). The 677T/T frequency was three times higher in AD patients than in controls, which could increase plasma homocysteine levels. Severe cases of AD were the most frequent in patients with the T/T genotype (11.6%). The effect of the MTHFR polymorphism on the risk of AD may be independent of homocysteine, vitamin B12, or even cholesterol levels. CONCLUSIONS: The MTHFR 677C>T polymorphism--especially the presence of one copy of the T allele--appears to confer a potential risk for the development of AD. The T/T genotype may contribute to hypercysteinemia as a sensitive marker.