Yemeni Population Research Articles

Yemeni palatal morphology

Introduction: The palate has also been of interest in orthodontic literature because palatal dimensions often need to be altered during orthodontic or orthognathic surgical treatment. Aim: This present study was conducted to assess the palatal dimensions of a Yemeni adults sample aged (18-26) years. Study and Design: Cross-sectional comparative study. Materials and Methods: The investigation involved clinical examination of (1285) subjects of whom only (287) were selected (141 females, 146 males) to fulfill the criteria for the study sample. Study models were constructed and evaluated to measure palatal width and length using the modified sliding caliper gauge and a Paltometer to measure the palatal depth. Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 13. Descriptive analyses were conducted to determine the mean, standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV) of the study variables. Independent sample t-test was applied to test the level of significance between the mean for female and male for all palatal dimensions. Results: The mean (SD) of palatal width and depth in male was 41.7 (2.8) and 21.2 (1.5) while in female was 39.1 (2.3) and 20.7 (1.4) respectively. On other hand, the length of the palate seems to be larger in female 30.4 (2.04), when compared with that of male 29.01 (2.01), and these differences are considered statistically significant at P < 0.05 significant level. Conclusion: Based on study results, the palatal morphology of Yemeni population is averaged in size and confirms the accepted view that male have greater palatal size than female only in the transverse and vertical dimensions.

Current Pharmaceutical Situation (Services) in Yemen and Future Challenges

This article deals with Yemen’s current pharmaceutical scenario and possible future challenges that it may face. The manuscript provides an overview of health services particularly pharmaceutical services and the critical health challenges facing the people of the country. Details included are statistical data with regard to the health of the Yemeni population and their demographic backgrounds following administrative issues, policy for the medicinal trade and production, the regulation and financing. The manuscript also deals with the government’s action about medicines, their procurement, and distribution in the public sector, and the public perception of medicines. Rational use of medicines is determined by the knowledge and attitude of the consumers. Future challenges are also anticipated. World health systems have been facing an incredible transformation to address new challenges with regard to the demographics, disease trends, the emergence and the re-emergence of diseases along with higher costs of health care delivery. This has led to a comprehensive review of health systems and how they function to serve the masses. Some health systems do not seem to adequately provide services that really matter to the people and some deteriorate, following governments’ lack of efficiency in supporting and extending the services. Other issues can also affect the ability of the health systems to deliver including health administration, healthcare financing, the lack of balance of the human resources, inaccessible and poor quality services and the impact of modifications and reform prevalent in other economic areas.

Assessment of genetic diversity in the endangered populations of Breonadia salicina (Rubiaceae) growing in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia using inter-simple sequence repeat markers.

BackgroundBreonadia salicina (Rubiaceae) is a critically endangered plant at the local scale native to southwestern Saudi Arabia. To understand the levels and partitioning of genetic variation across populations and geographical regions of this species, we assessed its genetic diversity using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers.ResultsFourteen ISSR primers selected from 43 primers gave rise to 211 amplified loci, of which 68 were polymorphic. The percentage of polymorphic loci (PPL) at the population level ranged from 17.1 to 23.7%, with an average of 21.3%. Nei’s gene diversity (h) and Shannon’s information index (I) were 0.086 and 0.125, respectively. At the species level, PPL was 32.2%, while h and I were 0.116 and 0.172, respectively. A hierarchical analysis of molecular variance revealed a high level of genetic differentiation among populations (17% of total variance, P = 0.001), consistent with the gene differentiation coefficient (GST = 0.256). Nevertheless, the evaluated genetic diversity was very low within populations; while relatively high among populations, levels were insufficient for long-term survival. Saudi Arabian accessions were also compared to accessions of a population from Yemen, where the species is more widespread. The Yemeni population also showed low genetic diversity but clustered separately.ConclusionsBreonadia salicina in Saudi Arabia is characterized by low within-population genetic diversity and high among-population genetic differentiation. Based on our findings, this locally endangered species is on the verge of local extinction. The species’ survival depends on successful implementation of suggested strategies for its long-term conservation.

Early back-to-Africa migration into the Horn of Africa.

Genetic studies have identified substantial non-African admixture in the Horn of Africa (HOA). In the most recent genomic studies, this non-African ancestry has been attributed to admixture with Middle Eastern populations during the last few thousand years. However, mitochondrial and Y chromosome data are suggestive of earlier episodes of admixture. To investigate this further, we generated new genome-wide SNP data for a Yemeni population sample and merged these new data with published genome-wide genetic data from the HOA and a broad selection of surrounding populations. We used multidimensional scaling and ADMIXTURE methods in an exploratory data analysis to develop hypotheses on admixture and population structure in HOA populations. These analyses suggested that there might be distinct, differentiated African and non-African ancestries in the HOA. After partitioning the SNP data into African and non-African origin chromosome segments, we found support for a distinct African (Ethiopic) ancestry and a distinct non-African (Ethio-Somali) ancestry in HOA populations. The African Ethiopic ancestry is tightly restricted to HOA populations and likely represents an autochthonous HOA population. The non-African ancestry in the HOA, which is primarily attributed to a novel Ethio-Somali inferred ancestry component, is significantly differentiated from all neighboring non-African ancestries in North Africa, the Levant, and Arabia. The Ethio-Somali ancestry is found in all admixed HOA ethnic groups, shows little inter-individual variance within these ethnic groups, is estimated to have diverged from all other non-African ancestries by at least 23 ka, and does not carry the unique Arabian lactase persistence allele that arose about 4 ka. Taking into account published mitochondrial, Y chromosome, paleoclimate, and archaeological data, we find that the time of the Ethio-Somali back-to-Africa migration is most likely pre-agricultural.

Prevalence of obesity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in yemen.

Background:Obesity is common in type 2 diabetic patients in some of the Middle Eastern countries, which are amongst the countries with highest rates of diabetes mellitus and obesity.Objectives:We conducted this study to assess the prevalence of obesity in Yemeni patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Patients and Methods:Body mass index (BMI) of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were 25-years-old or older was measured during their first visit to an endocrinology and diabetes clinic in Sana’a, Yemen over a 4-year period from May 2007 to May 2011.Results:The BMI was measured in 1640 patients (721 males and 919 females) who attended the clinic. According to the measured BMI, 328 (45.5%), 314 (43.5%), 79 (11%) of the male patients were non-obese (BMI < 25 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2), and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), respectively. On the other hand, 256 (28%), 369 (40.0%), and 294 (32%) of the female patients were non-obese (BMI < 25 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2), and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), respectively.Conclusions:The prevalence of obesity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Yemen is high with respect to the Yemeni population, especially in females.

The subjective orthodontic treatment need assessed with the aesthetic component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need

Abstract Objective The objective of this research was to evaluate the subjective orthodontic treatment with the aesthetic component (AC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need among a sample of Yemeni population. Materials and methods The investigation was carried out in Sana’a city, a total of 368 participants were randomly selected from a list of 1376 university students excluding dentistry students, among them 165 responded (92 females and 73 males) based on a questionnaire. The questionnaire checked items concerning the subjective assessment of dental appearance, demand for orthodontic treatment, and any functional disorders (speech, mastication, muscular pain). For statistical analysis chi-square test was used. A probability at the 5% level or less (P Results Overall, 96.4% of the sample classified themselves in the ‘no treatment need’ category, 3% classified themselves in the ‘great treatment need’ category. Satisfaction with dental aesthetics was expressed by 65.5% of respondents. Out of the total sample, 41.8% said that they should have orthodontic treatment, the sex distribution was significantly different (chi-square = 4.279, df = 3, P = 0.001). Conclusion According to the AC of IOTN, almost 3.6% of the evaluated Yemeni subjects had a ‘borderline need’ to a ‘great need’ for orthodontic treatment. If the answers of those who said that they should have orthodontic treatment are considered, the need would increase to two-fifth (41.8%) of the sample.

Molecular Characterization of Alpha and Beta Thalassemia in Yemeni Sickle Cell Disease Children

There are no previous reports about the molecular defects of alpha and beta thalassemia in Yemeni sickle cell disease (SCD) patients, except one report about alpha thalassemia in Yemeni SCD children living in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. The aim of this clinical cross-sectional study was directed to determine the genetic defects of α and β- thalassemia in Yemeni sickle cell disease children and to determine their prevalence in Taiz governorate Yemen where the prevalence of sickle-cell trait HbAS is about 8.2%. Blood samples were collected from 145 SCD children to determine the complete blood count, sickling tests and hemoglobin fraction analysis by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Serum ferritin was determined in serum of those patients who had low mean cell volume (MCV) and low mean cell hemoglobin (MCH) to exclude presence of iron deficiency anemia. The DNA was analyzed in 30 patients with thalassemia indices after exclusion of iron deficiency anemia using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based techniques namely (The β- Globin and α-globin test Strips assay and Gap PCR). This study showed that in Taiz governorate the overall prevalence of SCD with thalassemia was (27.5%) and according to DNA analysis the prevalence of ( HbSS+α-thalassemia) and (HbS/β0- thalassemia) were 18.5% and 5.9%, respectively. For first time in Taiz and Yemen the present study confirms presence of different combination between sickle cell gene, β0- Thalassemia and α-Thalassemia genes which means presence of these genetic diseases in Yemeni population. There were 8 patients (26.6%) with (βS/ β0) - thalassemia and 22 (73.3%) with (HbSS/ α�thalassemia). There were three β thalassemia mutations detected the most common mutation was the ( IVS II-1 A>T ) type with frequency of (75%), and the α-thalassemia deletion found in Yemeni SCD children was of right ward deletion (-3.7 kb), and 17 patients (68%) had one gene deletion and 8 patients (32%) two gene deletions.

Mesiodistal tooth width and tooth size discrepancies of Yemeni Arabians: A pilot study.

Objectives:The aims of this study were to determine the mean mesiodistal tooth size width and Bolton's anterior and overall ratios, find any possible sex differences, and study the frequency of tooth size discrepancies among Yemeni population and if there is a difference in tooth size between the right and left sides.Materials and Methods:176 subjects aged 13–25 years (94 females and 82 males) with different types of malocclusions (94 Angle Class I, 37 Class II division 1, 36 Class II division 2, and 9 Class III) were included in the present study. The mean mesiodistal tooth size width and Bolton's ratios were determined.Results:The results showed that males had significantly larger teeth than females. The prevalence rates of clinically significant discrepancy greater than 2 SD were 29.53% and 14.20% in the anterior and overall tooth size ratios, respectively. Further, the results revealed that there were no significant differences in the tooth size width between right and left sides.Conclusion:The findings of the present study indicate that there was no significant difference between Bolton's ratio and that of Yemeni population.

Yellow-bellied or white-bellied? Identity of Arabian house bats (Vespertilionidae: Scotophilus) revealed from mitochondrial DNA and morphology

The yellow-bellied Scotophilus dinganii is the only African house bat species reported to occur in the Arabian Peninsula. Formerly, the Arabian house bats were referred to similar-looking white-bellied S. leucogaster, which differs from S. dinganii mainly by the colour of ventral pelage. We reassessed the taxonomic status of house bats from southwestern Yemen using genetic and morphological analyses. The Yemeni specimens clustered within two distantly related mitochondrial lineages of African Scotophilus: East African S. aff. dinganii, which is a paraphyletic group to S. dinganii s.str. from South Africa, andWest African S. leucogaster. This taxonomic assignation was based on published sequences of reference museum specimens. Differences in external and cranial measurements also indicated the presence of two distinct taxa in Yemen. The Yemeni and comparative Ethiopian populations of S. aff. dinganii showed close morphological similarity to the type specimen of S. nigrita colias from Kenya. Because the Yemeni and Ethiopian yellow-bellied house bats cannot be synonymized with S. dinganii, the designation S. colias is tentatively suggested for this particular East African and Yemeni lineage of the S. dinganii complex. However, final correspondence of this name with the respective populations or applicability of some of other available names must yet be explored. Based on environmental differences of the Yemeni localities of origin, S. colias appears to be ecologically delimited to mountainous habitats, while S. leucogaster to harsh lowland deserts. This is consistent with known habitats of African populations of both species.

The Evolution of human populations in Arabia: paleoenvironments, prehistory and genetics

1. Tracking the Origin and Evolution of Human Populations in Arabia, Jeffrey I. Rose and Michael D. Petraglia Part I. Quaternary Environments and Demographic Response 2. The Red Sea, Coastal Landscapes, and Hominin dispersals, Geoff Bailey 3. Pleistocene Climate Change in Arabia: Developing a Framework for Hominin Dispersal over the Last 350 ka, Adrian G. Parker 4. Environment and Long-term Population Trends in Southwest Arabia, Tony J. Wilkinson Part II. Genetics and Migration 5. Mitochondrial DNA Structure of Yemeni Population: Regional Differences and the Implications for Different Migratory Contributions, Jakub Ridl, Christopher M. Edens, Viktor Cerny 6. The Arabian Peninsula: Gate for Human Migrations Out of Africa or Cul-de-sac? A Mitochondrial DNA Phylogeographic Perspective, Vicente M. Cabrera, Khaled K. Abu-Amero, Jose M. Larruga, and Ana M. Gonzalez 7. Bayesian coalescent inference from mitochondrial DNA variation of the colonization time of Arabia by the hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas hamadryas), Carlos A. Fernandes Part III. Pleistocene Archaeology 8. Acheulean Landscapes and Large Cutting Tool Assemblages in the Arabian Peninsula, Michael D. Petraglia, Nick Drake and Abdullah Alsharekh 9. A Middle Paleolithic Assemblage from Jebel Barakah, Coastal Abu Dhabi Emirate, Ghanim Wahida, Walid Yasin Al-Tikriti, Mark J. Beech, and Ali Al Meqbali 10. Paleolithic stone tool assemblages from Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, Julie Scott-Jackson, William Scott-Jackson, and Jeffrey I. Rose 11. The Central Oman Palaeolithic Survey: Recent research in Southern Arabia and reflection on the prehistoric evidence, Reto Jagher 12. The Middle Paleolithic of Arabia: The View from the Hadramawt Region, Yemen, Remy Crassard 13. The 'Upper Paleolithic' of South Arabia,Jeffrey I. Rose and Vitaly I. Usik 14. The Late Pleistocene of Arabia in Relation to the Levant, Lisa A. Maher Part IV. The Early Holocene 15. The Holocene (Re-)Occupation of Eastern Arabia, Hans-Peter Uerpmann, Daniel T. Potts, and Margarethe Uerpmann 16. Early Holocene in the highlands: data on the peopling of the eastern Yemen Plateau, with a note on the Pleistocene evidence, Francesco G. Fedele 17. Southern Arabia's Early Pastoral Population History: Some Recent Evidence, Joy McCorriston and Louise Martin 18. Archaeological, Linguistic and Historical Sources on Ancient Seafaring: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Early Maritime Contact and Exchange in the Arabian Peninsula, Nicole Boivin, Roger Blench, and Dorian Q. Fuller 19. Holocene Obsidian Exchange in the Red Sea Region, Lamya Khalidi Part V. Synthesis and Discussion 20. The Paleolithic of Arabia in an Inter-Regional Context, Anthony E. Marks

Yemen: A Collapsed Economy

This article explores the economic development of Yemen after the 1970s in order to identify and analyze the variables that have contributed to its near collapse. It will be argued that the structural changes that took place in the Yemeni economy, particularly over the twenty-year period between 1970-1990, created a unique development experience that, once it collapsed due to the Gulf Crisis of 1990, left the majority of Yemenis with little means of survival. Moreover, it is argued that the structure of the Yemeni economy (which had been based on sustaining labor migration) could not and would not adapt to the changing circumstances. Furthermore, Yemen continues to survive on the substitution of revenue from oil rents for the revenue from labor migration. These rents from oil have not trickled down to the vast majority of Yemenis that had come to rely on labor migration rents either directly or indirectly for over two decades. These revenues significantly shifted the economic base away from the general population and narrowed it to a few individuals associated with the government. Although there have been attempts to restructure the economy with the assistance of international agencies, Yemen's economy remains underdeveloped and appears ready to collapse under the burden of unemployment, poverty, and rapid population growth. In the late 1980s, Yemen was a poor country. There was, however, a constant influx of new money as fellow Yemenis in the Gulf sent home their workers' remittances. Back then, the streets of Sana'a were filled with poor people, but most had a place to sleep at night and some food to eat. There was also hope - hope that Yemen would soon be able to pull itself out of its poverty-stricken position and join the global economy. Over the course of the 1990s and into the 21st century, Yemen began to resemble other developing nations more and more closely - luxurious villas and cars for the few and not much for everyone else. The streets of Sana'a were filled with beggars and street children longing for a place to sleep and a bite to eat. The workers' remittances that had sustained so many families during the 1980s had dwindled, but the government had learned to rely on oil wealth. The Gulf states that needed the unskilled laborers in the 1970s now found them a nuisance. What is most striking now, however, is that hope is gone; Yemenis no longer believe that they or their government can rise out of poverty. The loss of hope has been accompanied by gradual chaos, a lack of faith in the Yemeni government, and a return to tribalism as the way forward.1 The story of Yemen is a very important lesson in how societies on the edge of change can either move forward or self-destruct. Unfortunately, Yemen is doing the latter. It will be argued that the structural changes that took place in the Yemeni economy, particularly over the twenty-year period between 1970-1990, created a unique development experience that, once it collapsed, left the majority of Yemenis with little means of survival. When the Gulf Crisis of 1990 caused an end to the mass labor migration to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, the shock was highly severe and disruptive because the structure of the Yemeni economy had been based on this migration being sustained. The aftershock of this event affected the vast majority of the Yemeni population who were either direct or indirect recipients of labor remittances. Furthermore, these rents were replaced with another rent that did not trickle down - oil revenues. These revenues significantly shifted the economic base away from the general population and narrowed it to a few individuals associated with the government. Although there have been attempts to restructure the economy with the assistance of international agencies, Yemen's economy remains underdeveloped and appears ready to collapse under the burden of unemployment, poverty, and rapid population growth. THE MIGRATI ON BOOM: 1970 - 1990 The migration boom of the 1970s and 1980s gave rise to a number of structural changes in the Yemeni economy. …

Regional differences in the distribution of the sub‐Saharan, West Eurasian, and South Asian mtDNA lineages in Yemen

Despite its key location for population movements out of and back into Africa, Yemen has not yet been sampled on a regional level for an investigation of sub-Saharan, West Eurasian, and South Asian genetic contributions. In this study, we present mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data for regionally distinct Yemeni populations that reveal different distributions of mtDNA lineages. An extensive database of mtDNA sequences from North and East African, Middle Eastern and Indian populations was analyzed to provide a context for the regional Yemeni mtDNA datasets. The groups of western Yemen appear to be most closely related to Middle Eastern and North African populations, while the eastern Yemeni population from Hadramawt is most closely related to East Africa. Furthermore, haplotype matches with Africa are almost exclusively confined to West Eurasian R0a haplogroup in southwestern Yemen, although more sub-Saharan L-type matches appear in more northern Yemeni populations. In fact, Yemeni populations have the highest frequency of R0a haplotypes detected to date, thus Yemen or southern Arabia may be the site of the initial expansion of this haplogroup. Whereas two variants of the sub-Saharan haplogroup M1 were detected only in southwestern Yemen close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, different non-African M haplotypes were detected at low frequencies (approximately 2%) in western parts of the country and at a higher frequency (7.5%) in the Hadramawt. We conclude that the Yemeni gene pool is highly stratified both regionally and temporally and that it has received West Eurasian, Northeast African, and South Asian gene flow.

Qat Habit in Yemen Society: A Causative Factor for Oral Periodontal Diseases

The effect of a common habit among Yemeni population on the periodontal status was investigated. This cross-sectional study was done on 2500 Yemenis with mean age 27.01 years (1818 males and 682 females). Among these 1528 were qat chewers and 972 were non-chewers. Detailed questionnaire and pre-designed scoring system for the periodontal status were employed for each case. Study results indicated that out of 972 non-chewers 116(12%) had periodontal pocketing and 18 (1.9%) cases had gingival recession. On the other hand, out of 1528 chewers, 468 (31.8%) had periodontal pockets and 98 (6.4%) with gum bleeding, p<0.05. These effects were found to increase with increased frequency and duration of chewing. It was concluded that habit of qat can cause damage to the periodontal ligament as pocketing and gum recession.

Prevalence of differentiated thyroid cancer in 810 cases of surgically treated goiter in Yemen

BACKGROUNDIn 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested that severe iodine deficiency exists in Yemen. Therefore, we looked at the prevalence of differentiated thyroid goiter in 810 cases consecutively treated by surgery for goiter.METHODSThis was a retrospective study of 810 surgically operated cases of goiter over a 5-year period (1999–2003). All cases were evaluated on H&E stained sections from embedded, 10% buffered formalin fixed tissue blocks. Special stains and immunohistochemical analysis were done in Yemen and abroad. Most patients were older than 20 years of age and were from the high altitude areas (2000 to 2600 meters above sea level), where iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) are well documented.RESULTSIn the 810 cases, 729 (90%) were females and the remaining 81 (10%) were males, with female-to-male ratio of 9:1. Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) was found in 170 (21%) cases, including 148 (86.4%) females and 22 (13.6%) males. Nearly 60% of the cases were in the age group of 21–40 years. Papillary carcinoma was the most common type of DTC (164 cases, 96.5%).CONCLUSIONSIn a Yemeni population, which has a high prevalence of iodine deficiency, 21% of patients operated on for nodular goiter without pre-operative fine needle aspiration biopsy had thyroid cancer, mostly of the papillary type. In this study, males and elderly patients with goiter had a higher chance of having malignancy.

Type II Diabetes Mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance in Yemen: prevalence, associated metabolic changes and risk factors

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of type II Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and identify the metabolic abnormalities and risk factors associated with these conditions in an urban city of Yemen. Research design and methods: Cross-sectional, population-based study investigating 498 adults (245 males and 253 females) aged 25–65 years. The 1999 modified World Health Organization criteria were adopted for the diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus and IGT. A standard questionnaire was applied and blood lipids, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and waist/hip ratio (WHR) were determined. Results: The overall prevalence of type II Diabetes Mellitus was 4.6% (7.4% in males and 2% in females). Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) were found in 2% and 2.2% of the study population. Factors independently related to any abnormality in glucose tolerance, using logistic regression analysis, were sex, hyperlipidaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, and hypertension; whereas sex and age related to DM. More than 80% of the type II diabetics were over the age of 40, 35% being hyperlipidaemic, 22% being hypertensive and 18% obese. Sixty percent of IGT subjects were hyperlipidaemic and 20% were obese. Approximately 78% of obese individuals (≥30 kg/m 2) had normal glucose tolerance. Conclusion: The prevalence of type II DM and its potential increase reflected by the high prevalence of obesity in normal glucose tolerance subjects in the Yemeni population constitutes a major public health problem.

Exploration of adverse psychological symptoms in Yemeni khat users by the Symptoms Checklist-90 (SCL-90).

The present study was aimed at assessing associations between psychological symptoms and khat use in the Yemeni population. The survey was performed in 2000/2001, in different zones including three urban and three rural areas. The survey was carried out in 800 Yemeni adults (15-76), both male and female, representing mainly urban populations of students, state employees and housewives. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken using face-to-face interviews and no preset selection criteria regarding profession, socio-economic status, age or gender. The Symptoms Checklist-90 (SCL-90) was used containing 90 items, which cover nine scales of the following domains: somatization, depression, anxiety, phobia, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, paranoia and psychoticism. Details of khat use and socio-demographic data were also collected. At least one life-time episode of khat use was reported in 81.6% of men and 43.3% of women. Male users tended to use more frequently. The incidence of adverse psychological symptoms was not greater in khat users; in fact, there was a negative association between the incidence of phobic symptoms and khat use. Khat use is very common in the Yemeni population, particularly men, but it is not associated with adverse psychological symptoms.

Genetic differentiation of Yemeni people according to rhesus and Gm polymorphisms

For introducing Yemeni population in synthesis of genetic relationships of human populations, analysis of rhesus and Gm polymorphisms have been carried out for a population sample of 210 Yemenites. Rhesus haplotype frequencies were compared to those estimated in an original sample of 171 Tunisians and to available data for other populations. Gm haplotype frequencies were introduced in a wide synthesis of genetic relationships for 67 populations from Africa, Europe, the Near East and India. The genetic profile of Yemeni people would be close to that of a highly diversified ancestral population. The first inhabitants of North Africa, the Berbers and Yemenites have very likely a common origin and were not subject to important genetic drift after their geographic differentiation. While, the divergence between Yemenites and their neighbours of sub-Saharan Africa would have occurred with a founder effect and a long isolation. An important parallelism is observed for the Gm system between genetic and linguistic differentiations.

Alpha thalassaemia in Yemeni children with sickle cell disease.

Alpha thalassaemia frequently occurs in several of the Middle Eastern populations. This study was conducted on 26 sickle cell disease (SCD) patients from Yemen and 19 normal children (Hb AA) living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Blood samples were extracted by venepuncture, and haematological and biochemical parameters were estimated. DNA was extracted from the buffy coat and analysed for alpha-gene arrangement using Bam HI and Bgl II. The frequency of alpha-gene deletion in the total Yemeni group (26 SCD + 19 Hb AA) was 0.311 for one alpha-gene deletion (-alpha/alpha alpha) and 0.13 for two alpha-gene deletions (-alpha/-alpha). When separated on the basis of the Hb phenotype the alpha-gene deletion frequency was significantly higher (-alpha/alpha alpha = 0.346 and -alpha/-alpha = 0.231) in the SCD patients compared to the normal Hb AA group (-alpha/alpha alpha = 0.263 and -alpha/-alpha = 0). In the Hb AA group one child had triple alpha-gene arrangement (alpha alpha alpha/alpha alpha) giving an overall frequency of triple alpha-gene as 0.022. Haematological parameters showed variations in the SCD patients with and without alpha-gene deletion. This paper shows for the first time that alpha-gene deletion occurs in the Yemenis and the frequency is higher in patients with SCD. Further population-based studies are required to determine the exact frequency of the different types of alpha-thalassaemias in the overall Yemeni population.

The Red Cross in the Yemen: A new film

In 1963, the International Committee answered the appeal for help from the entire Yemeni population. It installed humanitarian missions for both sides of the conflict, in the North as well as in the South and its action is still being pursued today.