Researchers in the US have developed a computer programme to predict if a patient is predisposed to crippling rheumatoid arthritis.
It is the latest step in predictive medicine that could encourage patients to take preventive measures before symptoms appear.
Scientists at the Mayo Clinic’s Centre of Individualised Medicine and Division of Rheumatology used a machine-learning algorithm to analyse blood markers for the disease.
Our study highlights the importance of investigating which biochemical functions are altered during the onset and progression of the disease
Dr John Davis,
clinical rheumatologist
The algorithm looked at biochemical metabolites produced by the body’s natural metabolism.
In biochemistry, a metabolite is an intermediate or end product of metabolism.
"Having fast, reliable and scalable measures for predicting the clinical course of disease activity is an important, unmet need for patients with rheumatoid arthritis,'' said Jaeyun Sung, a computational biologist at the centre.
“The study sheds light on why symptoms differ significantly among rheumatoid arthritis patients, which in turn makes it so difficult to treat.
"We turned to the blood because it could potentially provide a treasure-trove of novel biomarkers for assessing not only disease activity but also clinical subgroups, risk factors and predictors of treatment response that complement current standard laboratory tests.”
Biomarker refers to a broad range of measures that capture what is happening in a cell or organism. It is used by medics to assess the presence or progress of disease or the effects of treatment.
The research took place at Mayo Clinic’s centre in Rochester, Minnesota from where virtual consultations take place with patients at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City in Abu Dhabi.
Plasma samples were extracted from 128 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis to identify metabolites commonly related to their condition.
The debilitating disease affects around 20 per cent of the UAE population and 1.3 million in the US.
It usually appears as joint pain in the wrists and ankles and can be inflammatory and degenerative causing a deteriorating range of movement in hands and feet.
Researchers identified which of the biomarkers detected were related to worse symptoms in patients.
"The blood provides a great window into understanding disease, especially in cases where biopsies of inflamed tissue are not easily accessible,” Dr Sung said.
"We found that metabolites in the blood were different between patients with higher and lower disease activity.
”So basically, this implies that depending on the disease activity of a patient's rheumatoid arthritis — whether they're in remission or on the other end of the spectrum, possibly suffering from much pain — they have different biochemicals floating around in their blood.
“Some were molecules you don't want much of in your body but some were those you want to be kept with. This observation led us to wonder whether biochemical blood profiles predict a patient's disease activity score."
By identifying similar biomarkers, doctors could identify which patients were most likely to suffer more severely from the condition.
Treatment and preventive measures could then be offered at an earlier stage to ease or delay the onset of symptoms in other patients.
Doctors said the findings provided direction for the potential future development of lab tests and digital diagnostics to further enable precision medicine for those with rheumatoid arthritis.
Dr John Davis, a clinical rheumatologist in Mayo Clinic's Division of rheumatology, said a patient's rheumatoid arthritis disease activity was not notable through symptoms alone.
"Our study highlights the importance of investigating which biochemical functions are altered during the onset and progression of the disease," he said.
"To this end, metabolomics platforms can present unique opportunities for discovering novel biomarkers.
"Metabolomics can screen for nearly 1,000 metabolites, which is way too many to keep track of. By narrowing down this list into a panel of 51 metabolites, we obtained reasonable prediction to predict quantitative disease activity."
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
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Managing the separation process
- Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
- Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
- Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
- If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
- The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
- Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
- Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
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