Pub Date : 2021-10-20DOI: 10.29117/quarfe.2021.0082
R. Tayyem
Scientific evidence shows that dietary patterns are associated with the risk of IBD, particularly among unhealthy and Western dietary patterns. However, Western dietary patterns are not exclusive to Western countries, as Jordanians are steadily moving towards a Western lifestyle, which includes an increased consumption of processed foods. This study aims to investigate the association between dietary patterns and the risk factors for IBD cases among Jordanian adults. This case-control study was conducted between November 2018 and December 2019 in the largest three hospitals in Jordan. Three hundred and thirty-five Jordanian adults aged between 18–68 years were enrolled in this study: one hundred and eighty-five IBD patients who were recently diagnosed with IBD (n = 100 for ulcerative colitis (UC) and n = 85 for Crohn’s disease (CD)) and 150 IBD-free controls. Participants were matched based on age and marital status. In addition, dietary data was collected from all participants using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Factor analysis and principal component analysis were used to determine the dietary patterns. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a multinomial logistic regression model. Two dietary patterns were identified among the study participants: high-vegetable and high-protein dietary patterns. There was a significantly higher risk of IBD with high-protein intake at the third and fourth quartiles in the non-adjusted model as well as the other two adjusted models. In contrast, the high-vegetable dietary pattern shows a significantly protective effect on IBD in the third and fourth quartiles in all the models. Thus, a high-vegetable dietary pattern may be protective against the risk of IBD, while a high-protein dietary pattern is associated with an increased risk of IBD among a group of the Jordanian population.
{"title":"Dietary Patterns and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Findings from a Case-Control Study","authors":"R. Tayyem","doi":"10.29117/quarfe.2021.0082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29117/quarfe.2021.0082","url":null,"abstract":"Scientific evidence shows that dietary patterns are associated with the risk of IBD, particularly among unhealthy and Western dietary patterns. However, Western dietary patterns are not exclusive to Western countries, as Jordanians are steadily moving towards a Western lifestyle, which includes an increased consumption of processed foods. This study aims to investigate the association between dietary patterns and the risk factors for IBD cases among Jordanian adults. This case-control study was conducted between November 2018 and December 2019 in the largest three hospitals in Jordan. Three hundred and thirty-five Jordanian adults aged between 18–68 years were enrolled in this study: one hundred and eighty-five IBD patients who were recently diagnosed with IBD (n = 100 for ulcerative colitis (UC) and n = 85 for Crohn’s disease (CD)) and 150 IBD-free controls. Participants were matched based on age and marital status. In addition, dietary data was collected from all participants using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Factor analysis and principal component analysis were used to determine the dietary patterns. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a multinomial logistic regression model. Two dietary patterns were identified among the study participants: high-vegetable and high-protein dietary patterns. There was a significantly higher risk of IBD with high-protein intake at the third and fourth quartiles in the non-adjusted model as well as the other two adjusted models. In contrast, the high-vegetable dietary pattern shows a significantly protective effect on IBD in the third and fourth quartiles in all the models. Thus, a high-vegetable dietary pattern may be protective against the risk of IBD, while a high-protein dietary pattern is associated with an increased risk of IBD among a group of the Jordanian population.","PeriodicalId":9295,"journal":{"name":"Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72576251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-20DOI: 10.29117/quarfe.2021.0137
Yasmin A. Mahgoub, R. Arif, S. Zughaier
Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a well-known opportunistic pathogen. The gram-negative bacillus, commonly associated with hospital-acquired infections, utilizes the host’s impaired immune responses to establish infection. Of its many virulence factors, pyocyanin is essential for P. aeruginosa to establish its full infectivity. Macrophages act as sentinels of the innate immune system, as well as play other roles in homeostasis, tissue remodeling, and bridging between the innate and adaptive immune systems. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effects of pyocyanin on macrophage innate immune defenses by assessing the function of macrophages treated with pyocyanin and TLR ligands. Phagocytosis of opsonized zymosan, LPS-induced nitric oxide release and cytokine release were used as measures of functional responses. Results: This study found that pyocyanin inhibited phagocytosis-induced ROS release in a dose-dependent manner and reduced nitric oxide release from macrophages induced with P. aeruginosa LPS. In addition, pyocyanin modulated cytokines and chemokines release from macrophages exposed to P. aeruginosa LPS in a dose-dependent manner. Pyocyanin significantly enhanced IL-1β release as well as several chemokines. Therefore, pyocyanin facilitates Pseudomonas aeruginosa to persevere in the immunocompromised host through modulating macrophage’s innate immune defenses. Conclusion: Pyocyanin inhibits macrophage functional defense responses to facilitate Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.
{"title":"Pyocyanin pigment from Pseudomonas aeruginosa modulates innate immune defenses in macrophages","authors":"Yasmin A. Mahgoub, R. Arif, S. Zughaier","doi":"10.29117/quarfe.2021.0137","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29117/quarfe.2021.0137","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a well-known opportunistic pathogen. The gram-negative bacillus, commonly associated with hospital-acquired infections, utilizes the host’s impaired immune responses to establish infection. Of its many virulence factors, pyocyanin is essential for P. aeruginosa to establish its full infectivity. Macrophages act as sentinels of the innate immune system, as well as play other roles in homeostasis, tissue remodeling, and bridging between the innate and adaptive immune systems. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effects of pyocyanin on macrophage innate immune defenses by assessing the function of macrophages treated with pyocyanin and TLR ligands. Phagocytosis of opsonized zymosan, LPS-induced nitric oxide release and cytokine release were used as measures of functional responses. Results: This study found that pyocyanin inhibited phagocytosis-induced ROS release in a dose-dependent manner and reduced nitric oxide release from macrophages induced with P. aeruginosa LPS. In addition, pyocyanin modulated cytokines and chemokines release from macrophages exposed to P. aeruginosa LPS in a dose-dependent manner. Pyocyanin significantly enhanced IL-1β release as well as several chemokines. Therefore, pyocyanin facilitates Pseudomonas aeruginosa to persevere in the immunocompromised host through modulating macrophage’s innate immune defenses. Conclusion: Pyocyanin inhibits macrophage functional defense responses to facilitate Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.","PeriodicalId":9295,"journal":{"name":"Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75231117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-20DOI: 10.29117/quarfe.2021.0199
Huzeyfe Altiok
The globalization and modernization process of the 20th-21st centuries decreased diversity and created similar cultures—the modern culture also created" modern" cities. Modern cities provided humanity the integration into production. Transportation, accommodation, and the other needs of people integrated into the output have been designed into those cities. However, later developments and research denote that the cities are not sustainable for the long term. Air pollution, water supply, food, and access to services are modern cities' main concerns. Therefore, a new development in the concept of cities was created, which is smart cities. The theory of smart cities provides the administrative power of a country with a well-established, sustainable, and smart development. The theory implemented in Doha is one example of the latest developed/developing cities. The limited population of Qatar and the significant wealth of natural gas provide them the means to establish a smart city. The main catch phrase for Qataris on that development project is “modernization with protecting the heritage.” This study examines Qatar's attempts to create Doha as an example of a smart city while protecting tradition and culture. The focus of that study will be the economic, societal, and environmental developments to denote the harmony of modernity and tradition in Doha. The research indicates that the Qatari administration builds Doha on three pillars: smart society, smart environment, and smart development.
{"title":"Smart City and Preservation of Identity in Doha","authors":"Huzeyfe Altiok","doi":"10.29117/quarfe.2021.0199","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29117/quarfe.2021.0199","url":null,"abstract":"The globalization and modernization process of the 20th-21st centuries decreased diversity and created similar cultures—the modern culture also created\" modern\" cities. Modern cities provided humanity the integration into production. Transportation, accommodation, and the other needs of people integrated into the output have been designed into those cities. However, later developments and research denote that the cities are not sustainable for the long term. Air pollution, water supply, food, and access to services are modern cities' main concerns. Therefore, a new development in the concept of cities was created, which is smart cities. The theory of smart cities provides the administrative power of a country with a well-established, sustainable, and smart development. The theory implemented in Doha is one example of the latest developed/developing cities. The limited population of Qatar and the significant wealth of natural gas provide them the means to establish a smart city. The main catch phrase for Qataris on that development project is “modernization with protecting the heritage.” This study examines Qatar's attempts to create Doha as an example of a smart city while protecting tradition and culture. The focus of that study will be the economic, societal, and environmental developments to denote the harmony of modernity and tradition in Doha. The research indicates that the Qatari administration builds Doha on three pillars: smart society, smart environment, and smart development.","PeriodicalId":9295,"journal":{"name":"Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75589751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-20DOI: 10.29117/quarfe.2021.0098
Alaa Hasan Daban
Background: Qatar has one of the highest prevalence rates for diabetes in the world. Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVDs) are responsible for nearly 50% of deaths among patients with diabetes in Qatar. Treating with statins is a simple and effective approach for preventing ASCVD among patients with diabetes. Local and international guidelines recommend the use of statins for primary prevention of ASCVD in patients with diabetes, especially for those 40-75 years of age. Yet statins are still under-prescribed to diabetic individuals for primary prevention of ASCVD worldwide, especially in primary care settings which is where most of the medical management of diabetes occurs. Little is known about the prevalence of statin prescription for primary prevention of ASCVD among diabetics in primary care settings in Qatar. Objectives: To measure the proportion of T2dm patients receiving statins for primary prevention of ASCVD in primary care settings and to investigate patients’ characteristics associated with statin prescription. Results: Of 23,934 patients with complete data, 57% were males and 31.9% were Qatari nationals. Average age for participants was 54.8 ± 8.25 years. 66 % of the patients received statins at least once during the year 2019. The statin prescription rate for Non-Qatari males was 70.1% and was significantly higher than non-Qatari females, Qatari females, or Qatari males (62.2%, 62.9% and 63.9% respectively P value <0.000) In a multivariable model analysis and after controlling for other covariates in the model, statin prescription was positively associated with being male (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.2, [95% CI: 1.12-1.28]), history of smoking, i.e. former smoker (aOR 1.16 [95% CI: 1.03-1.29]), current smoker (aOR 1.11 [95% CI: 1.01-1.22 ]), associated diagnosis of hypertension (aOR 1.51 [95% CI: 1.41-1.61]), being prescribed other non-statin lipids lowering medications (aOR 1.44 [95% CI: 1.27-1.63]), increased age (aOR 1.03/year [95% CI: 1.026-1.034]), increasing daily pill burden (aOR 1.23/pill [95% CI: 1.21-1.25]), increasing number of daily medication injections (aOR 1.29/injection [95% CI: 1.23-1.35]), and frequent visits to GP clinic (aOR 1.22/visit [95% CI: 1.19-1.24]). Statin prescription was negatively associated with having a history of diabetic neuropathy (aOR 0.87 [95% CI: 0.75-1.0]), increasing BMI (aOR 0.996/unit [95% CI: 0.9892-1.00]), being Qatari (aOR 0.87 [95% CI: 0.81-0.93]) or being prescribed an anti-platelet (aOR 0.96/unit [95% CI: 0.89-1.03]). Significant negative effect modification between hypertension and either male gender or Qatari nationality was found, further lowering the odds for Qatari males. Conclusion: Prevalence of statin prescription for primary prevention of ASCVD among patients with T2dm was suboptimal in primary care settings in Qatar and need to be improved. Factors associated with a lower prevalence of statin prescription namely female gender and Qatari nationality needs to be ad
{"title":"The prevalence of statin prescription for primary prevention of Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases among patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Qatar","authors":"Alaa Hasan Daban","doi":"10.29117/quarfe.2021.0098","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29117/quarfe.2021.0098","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Qatar has one of the highest prevalence rates for diabetes in the world. Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVDs) are responsible for nearly 50% of deaths among patients with diabetes in Qatar. Treating with statins is a simple and effective approach for preventing ASCVD among patients with diabetes. Local and international guidelines recommend the use of statins for primary prevention of ASCVD in patients with diabetes, especially for those 40-75 years of age. Yet statins are still under-prescribed to diabetic individuals for primary prevention of ASCVD worldwide, especially in primary care settings which is where most of the medical management of diabetes occurs. Little is known about the prevalence of statin prescription for primary prevention of ASCVD among diabetics in primary care settings in Qatar. Objectives: To measure the proportion of T2dm patients receiving statins for primary prevention of ASCVD in primary care settings and to investigate patients’ characteristics associated with statin prescription. Results: Of 23,934 patients with complete data, 57% were males and 31.9% were Qatari nationals. Average age for participants was 54.8 ± 8.25 years. 66 % of the patients received statins at least once during the year 2019. The statin prescription rate for Non-Qatari males was 70.1% and was significantly higher than non-Qatari females, Qatari females, or Qatari males (62.2%, 62.9% and 63.9% respectively P value <0.000) In a multivariable model analysis and after controlling for other covariates in the model, statin prescription was positively associated with being male (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.2, [95% CI: 1.12-1.28]), history of smoking, i.e. former smoker (aOR 1.16 [95% CI: 1.03-1.29]), current smoker (aOR 1.11 [95% CI: 1.01-1.22 ]), associated diagnosis of hypertension (aOR 1.51 [95% CI: 1.41-1.61]), being prescribed other non-statin lipids lowering medications (aOR 1.44 [95% CI: 1.27-1.63]), increased age (aOR 1.03/year [95% CI: 1.026-1.034]), increasing daily pill burden (aOR 1.23/pill [95% CI: 1.21-1.25]), increasing number of daily medication injections (aOR 1.29/injection [95% CI: 1.23-1.35]), and frequent visits to GP clinic (aOR 1.22/visit [95% CI: 1.19-1.24]). Statin prescription was negatively associated with having a history of diabetic neuropathy (aOR 0.87 [95% CI: 0.75-1.0]), increasing BMI (aOR 0.996/unit [95% CI: 0.9892-1.00]), being Qatari (aOR 0.87 [95% CI: 0.81-0.93]) or being prescribed an anti-platelet (aOR 0.96/unit [95% CI: 0.89-1.03]). Significant negative effect modification between hypertension and either male gender or Qatari nationality was found, further lowering the odds for Qatari males. Conclusion: Prevalence of statin prescription for primary prevention of ASCVD among patients with T2dm was suboptimal in primary care settings in Qatar and need to be improved. Factors associated with a lower prevalence of statin prescription namely female gender and Qatari nationality needs to be ad","PeriodicalId":9295,"journal":{"name":"Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77669291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-20DOI: 10.29117/quarfe.2021.0097
A. Bahgat, P. Okonkwo, G. Manoj, N. Alqahtani, R. Shakoor, A. Abdullah
Non-degradable steel and titanium implants used to replace defects of the locomotor system or fabricate vascular stents provide maximum stability but have too many drawbacks. However; the defects in oxide layer and the corrosive nature of physiological environment, the thermodynamic tendencies make the alloys susceptible to release of cationic species in the form of corrosion, which result in triggering various biological factors and compromises the mechanical integrity of the implanted materials. Currently, biodegradable magnesium alloys are considered as promising materials for creation of fixation devices in orthopedics and cardiovascular surgery. In this work, zinc (Zn) and eggshell (ES) reinforced biodegradable magnesium alloy (Mg–2.5Zn), and environment concise (eco) composite (Mg–2.5Zn–xES) was fabricated using disintegrated melt deposition (DMD) technique. In vitro experiments were conducted to explore the effect variable concentration of ES ( 3 and 7 wt%) on the biodegradation behavior of Mg–Zn alloy using simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 ℃. The corrosion behavior of the Mg–2.5Zn–xES alloys was explored in SBF solution using different techniques such as weight loss measurement, hydrogen evolution, potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). EIS revealed increased in vitro degradation of the biodegradable magnesium alloy, and ecofriendly composite as the percentage of ES reinforcement was increased. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was performed to observe the chemical composition of elements and reaction products present in the degraded samples after the corrosion process.
{"title":"Study of the In Vitro Biodegradation Behavior of Mg–2.5Zn–xES Composite for Orthopedic Application","authors":"A. Bahgat, P. Okonkwo, G. Manoj, N. Alqahtani, R. Shakoor, A. Abdullah","doi":"10.29117/quarfe.2021.0097","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29117/quarfe.2021.0097","url":null,"abstract":"Non-degradable steel and titanium implants used to replace defects of the locomotor system or fabricate vascular stents provide maximum stability but have too many drawbacks. However; the defects in oxide layer and the corrosive nature of physiological environment, the thermodynamic tendencies make the alloys susceptible to release of cationic species in the form of corrosion, which result in triggering various biological factors and compromises the mechanical integrity of the implanted materials. Currently, biodegradable magnesium alloys are considered as promising materials for creation of fixation devices in orthopedics and cardiovascular surgery. In this work, zinc (Zn) and eggshell (ES) reinforced biodegradable magnesium alloy (Mg–2.5Zn), and environment concise (eco) composite (Mg–2.5Zn–xES) was fabricated using disintegrated melt deposition (DMD) technique. In vitro experiments were conducted to explore the effect variable concentration of ES ( 3 and 7 wt%) on the biodegradation behavior of Mg–Zn alloy using simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 ℃. The corrosion behavior of the Mg–2.5Zn–xES alloys was explored in SBF solution using different techniques such as weight loss measurement, hydrogen evolution, potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). EIS revealed increased in vitro degradation of the biodegradable magnesium alloy, and ecofriendly composite as the percentage of ES reinforcement was increased. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was performed to observe the chemical composition of elements and reaction products present in the degraded samples after the corrosion process.","PeriodicalId":9295,"journal":{"name":"Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74351553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-20DOI: 10.29117/quarfe.2021.0156
Mustafa Ahmed, Mohammed Houkan, K. K. Sadasivuni
The present study conceptualizes fusion of artificial intelligence and contract tracking mobile application for predicting the COVID-19 hot spots. The findings suggest that mobile technology can be used to provide real-time data on the national and local state of the pandemic, enabling policy makers to make informed decisions in a quickly moving pandemic.
{"title":"Artificial Intelligence assisted Prediction of COVID-19 Hotspots in Third Wave using EHTERAZ","authors":"Mustafa Ahmed, Mohammed Houkan, K. K. Sadasivuni","doi":"10.29117/quarfe.2021.0156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29117/quarfe.2021.0156","url":null,"abstract":"The present study conceptualizes fusion of artificial intelligence and contract tracking mobile application for predicting the COVID-19 hot spots. The findings suggest that mobile technology can be used to provide real-time data on the national and local state of the pandemic, enabling policy makers to make informed decisions in a quickly moving pandemic.","PeriodicalId":9295,"journal":{"name":"Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81370628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-20DOI: 10.29117/quarfe.2021.0109
M. A. Zahid, A. Agouni
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common subtype of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). If diagnosed in later stages, ccRCC is associated with high renal cancer related morbidity and poor prognosis. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have attracted interest as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers due to their important role in cancer development and progression. Availability of big omics data in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) coupled with data mining and machine learning have revolutionized the identification of robust diagnostic and prognostic signatures in different types of cancers. In this study, we have utilized the miRNA sequencing data of 516 ccRCC patients from TCGA to identify a diagnostic and prognostic signature by using a combined approach of differential expression analysis, survival analysis and machine learning. Differential expression analysis identified 30 downregulated and 20 upregulated miRNAs in the primary tumor as compared to solid tissue normal samples. Out of these 50 differentially expressed miRNAs, higher expression of 7 and lower expression of 6 miRNAs were found to be significantly associated with poor survival when analyzed using the Kaplan-Maier survival method. Pathway enrichment analyses related to the differentially expressed miRNAs revealed that fatty acid biosynthesis was the most significantly enriched KEGG pathway while proteoglycans in cancer pathway was enriched by the highest number of survival-associated miRNAs target genes. Differential expression and association with poor survival was used as a prefilter for training a support vector machine model capable of classifying tumor samples from solid tissue normal samples with an accuracy and precision of 99.23% and 98.50%, respectively. We have identified here a nine-miRNA signature in ccRCC patients that is capable of segregating tumor from normal tissue samples with high accuracy and precision. The future validation of this classification model in in a clinical cohort will support translation of these findings into clinical practice for early detection and follow-up of ccRCC.
{"title":"Identification of a miRNA signature as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in renal cell carcinoma","authors":"M. A. Zahid, A. Agouni","doi":"10.29117/quarfe.2021.0109","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29117/quarfe.2021.0109","url":null,"abstract":"Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common subtype of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). If diagnosed in later stages, ccRCC is associated with high renal cancer related morbidity and poor prognosis. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have attracted interest as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers due to their important role in cancer development and progression. Availability of big omics data in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) coupled with data mining and machine learning have revolutionized the identification of robust diagnostic and prognostic signatures in different types of cancers. In this study, we have utilized the miRNA sequencing data of 516 ccRCC patients from TCGA to identify a diagnostic and prognostic signature by using a combined approach of differential expression analysis, survival analysis and machine learning. Differential expression analysis identified 30 downregulated and 20 upregulated miRNAs in the primary tumor as compared to solid tissue normal samples. Out of these 50 differentially expressed miRNAs, higher expression of 7 and lower expression of 6 miRNAs were found to be significantly associated with poor survival when analyzed using the Kaplan-Maier survival method. Pathway enrichment analyses related to the differentially expressed miRNAs revealed that fatty acid biosynthesis was the most significantly enriched KEGG pathway while proteoglycans in cancer pathway was enriched by the highest number of survival-associated miRNAs target genes. Differential expression and association with poor survival was used as a prefilter for training a support vector machine model capable of classifying tumor samples from solid tissue normal samples with an accuracy and precision of 99.23% and 98.50%, respectively. We have identified here a nine-miRNA signature in ccRCC patients that is capable of segregating tumor from normal tissue samples with high accuracy and precision. The future validation of this classification model in in a clinical cohort will support translation of these findings into clinical practice for early detection and follow-up of ccRCC.","PeriodicalId":9295,"journal":{"name":"Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81592346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-20DOI: 10.29117/quarfe.2021.0041
Ersin Tutsak, Mohamed M. Mahfouz, I. Shahid
The earth’s atmosphere contains minute particles suspended within it. These atmospheric particles influence the earth's radiation budget through their ability to absorb and scatter radiation. Black carbon (BC) is a type of carbonaceous particle, characterized by highly absorbing solar radiation. Unlike sulfate and sea-salt aerosols, black carbon causes positive radiative forcing due to its absorbing nature. With the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the average global temperature increased by 1.09°C (IPCC, 2021), between 1850-1900 and the last decade. Since black carbon is one of the major light-absorbing components of aerosol, there is a need to assess BC concentration, their origin, and the contribution of both human-induced combustion and biomass burning emissions to BC levels. In this study, four-year measurements of aerosol absorption at seven wavelengths were investigated in order to determine the daily and seasonal behavior of black carbon and contribution of fossil fuel (FF) and biomass burning (BB) emissions to total BC mass concentration in a suburban area located north of Doha. The highest concentrations of BC were observed during the winter and the lowest values during the summer. The absorption coefficient (Babs) at 470 nm (950 nm) showed large daily variability, ranging from 7 (3) to 187 (95) Mm-1. The mean Babs at 470 nm and 950 nm for the full period were 55± 29 Mm -1 and 25 ± 13 Mm -1, respectively. Fossil fuel emissions were found to be the major source of BC levels. Nonetheless, the influence of biomass burning should not be disregarded. Future studies must be done to fully identify the enhanced absorption in shorter wavelengths.
地球大气层中含有悬浮在其中的微小颗粒。这些大气粒子通过吸收和散射辐射的能力影响地球的辐射收支。黑碳(BC)是一种碳质粒子，具有高度吸收太阳辐射的特点。与硫酸盐和海盐气溶胶不同，黑碳由于其吸收特性而引起正辐射强迫。随着大气中温室气体的积累，从1850-1900年到最近十年，全球平均气温上升了1.09°C (IPCC, 2021年)。由于黑碳是气溶胶的主要吸光成分之一，因此有必要评估BC浓度、它们的来源以及人为燃烧和生物质燃烧排放对BC水平的贡献。在这项研究中，为了确定黑碳的日常和季节行为，以及化石燃料(FF)和生物质燃烧(BB)排放对多哈北部郊区总BC质量浓度的贡献，研究了为期四年的七个波长气溶胶吸收测量结果。BC浓度在冬季最高，夏季最低。吸收系数(Babs)在470 nm (950 nm)处表现出较大的日变化，变化范围为7 (3)~ 187 (95)Mm-1。在470 nm和950 nm处，整个周期的平均Babs分别为55±29 Mm -1和25±13 Mm -1。化石燃料排放被发现是BC水平的主要来源。尽管如此，生物质燃烧的影响不应被忽视。未来的研究必须充分确定短波长的增强吸收。
{"title":"Atmospheric Black Carbon over Qatar: Seasonal Variability and Source Apportionment","authors":"Ersin Tutsak, Mohamed M. Mahfouz, I. Shahid","doi":"10.29117/quarfe.2021.0041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29117/quarfe.2021.0041","url":null,"abstract":"The earth’s atmosphere contains minute particles suspended within it. These atmospheric particles influence the earth's radiation budget through their ability to absorb and scatter radiation. Black carbon (BC) is a type of carbonaceous particle, characterized by highly absorbing solar radiation. Unlike sulfate and sea-salt aerosols, black carbon causes positive radiative forcing due to its absorbing nature. With the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the average global temperature increased by 1.09°C (IPCC, 2021), between 1850-1900 and the last decade. Since black carbon is one of the major light-absorbing components of aerosol, there is a need to assess BC concentration, their origin, and the contribution of both human-induced combustion and biomass burning emissions to BC levels. In this study, four-year measurements of aerosol absorption at seven wavelengths were investigated in order to determine the daily and seasonal behavior of black carbon and contribution of fossil fuel (FF) and biomass burning (BB) emissions to total BC mass concentration in a suburban area located north of Doha. The highest concentrations of BC were observed during the winter and the lowest values during the summer. The absorption coefficient (Babs) at 470 nm (950 nm) showed large daily variability, ranging from 7 (3) to 187 (95) Mm-1. The mean Babs at 470 nm and 950 nm for the full period were 55± 29 Mm -1 and 25 ± 13 Mm -1, respectively. Fossil fuel emissions were found to be the major source of BC levels. Nonetheless, the influence of biomass burning should not be disregarded. Future studies must be done to fully identify the enhanced absorption in shorter wavelengths.","PeriodicalId":9295,"journal":{"name":"Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85392219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-20DOI: 10.29117/quarfe.2021.0116
Bayan Holozadah, S. Pokharel
This study used method of Time-Driven Activity-Based costing (TDABC) approach to examined cost reduction in healthcare sector, Knee Arthroplasty Department in Al-Emadi Hospital as case-study for delivering a primary knee arthroplasty consultation. The purpose of the study is to propose an optimization model that tends to determine significant and insignificant resources and cost uncertainties in a particular healthcare service. Then compare results of optimization model with current costing methods used in healthcare. Eight-steps of TDABC method are applied to obtain Capacity Cost Rate (CCR) of each human resource involved in care-delivery cycle. Data was collected from interviewing staff and patients, financial reports, and human resource reports. Multiple linear regression (MLR) model is used to test strength of relationship between time and cost variable. Optimization model applied to decrease uncertainties by using Least Square method. Optimized model showed that human resources are not fully utilized which leads to error in costing model. Seven human resources out of eight are significant to model. Accuracy of optimized model is equal to 3%, with RMSE equal to 6. Total cost of the optimized model equal $177,492.45 which is better simulate actual cost $180,048. The research value is about building a new statistical model using MLR analysis to predict behavior and data trend of main healthcare segmentation: Human Resource. Also, propose a generic optimization model that can be used for specific healthcare service costing.
{"title":"A Framework for Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing for Orthopedic Procedure","authors":"Bayan Holozadah, S. Pokharel","doi":"10.29117/quarfe.2021.0116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29117/quarfe.2021.0116","url":null,"abstract":"This study used method of Time-Driven Activity-Based costing (TDABC) approach to examined cost reduction in healthcare sector, Knee Arthroplasty Department in Al-Emadi Hospital as case-study for delivering a primary knee arthroplasty consultation. The purpose of the study is to propose an optimization model that tends to determine significant and insignificant resources and cost uncertainties in a particular healthcare service. Then compare results of optimization model with current costing methods used in healthcare. Eight-steps of TDABC method are applied to obtain Capacity Cost Rate (CCR) of each human resource involved in care-delivery cycle. Data was collected from interviewing staff and patients, financial reports, and human resource reports. Multiple linear regression (MLR) model is used to test strength of relationship between time and cost variable. Optimization model applied to decrease uncertainties by using Least Square method. Optimized model showed that human resources are not fully utilized which leads to error in costing model. Seven human resources out of eight are significant to model. Accuracy of optimized model is equal to 3%, with RMSE equal to 6. Total cost of the optimized model equal $177,492.45 which is better simulate actual cost $180,048. The research value is about building a new statistical model using MLR analysis to predict behavior and data trend of main healthcare segmentation: Human Resource. Also, propose a generic optimization model that can be used for specific healthcare service costing.","PeriodicalId":9295,"journal":{"name":"Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77712365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-20DOI: 10.29117/quarfe.2021.0121
Noora Shams, Hanin N. AlHiraky, Nabila Moulana, Maissa Riahihi, Kaltham Alsowaidi, Khawlah Albukhati, Susu M. Zughair, Nahla O. Eltai
Background: The surge in the prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacterial infections with limited treatment options and the decrease in the development of new antibiotics are challenges that lead to the reuse of colistin to treat infections caused by MDR pathogens. This study aimed to determine economical, simple, and reliable colistin susceptibility testing methods as an alternative to the time and effort-consuming microdilution technique and identify the colistin resistance's genetic determinants to find if it affects the testing method. Material and Methods: Seven colistin susceptibility testing methods, namely, Disk diffusion, E-test, ComASPTM SensiTest, broth disk elution, colistin agar test, CHROMagarTM COL-APSE, and BD Phoenix ID/AST, were compared to the gold standard broth microdilution. Data of the 63 studied isolates were analyzed using very major error (VME), major error (ME), categorical agreement (CA), sensitivity, specificity, Kappa, positive and negative predictive values. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on all isolates to determine if the genetic resistant factors affect the accuracy of the specific colistin susceptibility testing method. Results: Our results revealed that disk diffusion is still an ineffective method for measuring colistin susceptibility with the highest ME (31.75%), the lowest Kappa 0 (0%), and CA (68.25%) values. In contrast, the highest sensitivity, specificity, CA, kappa value, positive and negative predictive values were reported on Phoenix, ComASPTM sensitest, and E-test methods compared with the microbroth dilution reference method. Our study did not ensure any relation between the type of colistin resistance genetic determinant (chromosomal/plasmid-mediated) and the performance of the specific colistin susceptibility test Conclusions: Phoenix, E-test, and CompASPT SensiTest methods have remained superior in reproducibility, sturdiness, simplicity of use with a performance similar to the current recommended BMD procedure. These methods can be an alternative to the current laborious, impractical broth microdilution technique, especially in microbiology laboratories with a large workload.
{"title":"Comparison of Available Methods for Investigating The in vitro Activity of Colistin Against Different Gram-Negative Bacilli","authors":"Noora Shams, Hanin N. AlHiraky, Nabila Moulana, Maissa Riahihi, Kaltham Alsowaidi, Khawlah Albukhati, Susu M. Zughair, Nahla O. Eltai","doi":"10.29117/quarfe.2021.0121","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29117/quarfe.2021.0121","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The surge in the prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacterial infections with limited treatment options and the decrease in the development of new antibiotics are challenges that lead to the reuse of colistin to treat infections caused by MDR pathogens. This study aimed to determine economical, simple, and reliable colistin susceptibility testing methods as an alternative to the time and effort-consuming microdilution technique and identify the colistin resistance's genetic determinants to find if it affects the testing method. Material and Methods: Seven colistin susceptibility testing methods, namely, Disk diffusion, E-test, ComASPTM SensiTest, broth disk elution, colistin agar test, CHROMagarTM COL-APSE, and BD Phoenix ID/AST, were compared to the gold standard broth microdilution. Data of the 63 studied isolates were analyzed using very major error (VME), major error (ME), categorical agreement (CA), sensitivity, specificity, Kappa, positive and negative predictive values. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on all isolates to determine if the genetic resistant factors affect the accuracy of the specific colistin susceptibility testing method. Results: Our results revealed that disk diffusion is still an ineffective method for measuring colistin susceptibility with the highest ME (31.75%), the lowest Kappa 0 (0%), and CA (68.25%) values. In contrast, the highest sensitivity, specificity, CA, kappa value, positive and negative predictive values were reported on Phoenix, ComASPTM sensitest, and E-test methods compared with the microbroth dilution reference method. Our study did not ensure any relation between the type of colistin resistance genetic determinant (chromosomal/plasmid-mediated) and the performance of the specific colistin susceptibility test Conclusions: Phoenix, E-test, and CompASPT SensiTest methods have remained superior in reproducibility, sturdiness, simplicity of use with a performance similar to the current recommended BMD procedure. These methods can be an alternative to the current laborious, impractical broth microdilution technique, especially in microbiology laboratories with a large workload.","PeriodicalId":9295,"journal":{"name":"Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91121842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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