Participatory tomato variety selection in the lowland areas of North Shewa

The production and productivity of tomatoes in Ethiopia as well as in Amhara Region are very low because of lack of improved and adapted varieties, inadequate knowledge of production and management, and a poor marketing system. The field experiment was carried out during the 2018 irrigation seasons at Ataye and Shewarobit to identify adaptive, high yielding and disease tolerant varieties of tomato. Eight improved tomato varieties were laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The collected biological data were analyzed using SAS statistical software version 9.4, and farmers’ preferences for those varieties were also assessed based on selection attributes set by them. The combined analysis of variance revealed that there was significant difference between the varieties on the number of fruits per cluster, plant height, marketable number, unmarketable number and average weight of a tomato. The highest number of fruits per cluster was recorded from variety Mersa (3.83), followed by Melkasalsa (3.73) and Melkashola (3.7). The variety Mersa was the tallest followed by Weyno with plant heights of 110.5 cm and 110.96 cm, respectively.  The highest average fruit weight was recorded for the variety D2 (61.25 g) followed by Cochoro (46.46 g). Even though it was not statistically significant, the variety Melkashola has given the highest marketable yield (32.98 t ha-1) and showed a better reaction to late blight disease as low as 27.5 %. In addition to this, variety Melkashola was highly preferred by the farmers. Based on the biological data and farmer’s preference variety Melkashola has been recommended for Ataye and Shewarobit as well as for other similar agro-ecologies

Perception of consanguineous marriage among the qatari population

BackgroundHereditary blood diseases are widespread among the Arab population due to the high rates of consanguineous marriages; research regarding the perception of consanguineous marriage in some countries, such as Qatar, is extremely scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of consanguineous marriage and assess the perception of consanguineous marriage among the Qatari population.MethodsA cross-sectional study used a self-administered questionnaire among 395 Qatari adults aged 18–35 who attended primary healthcare institutions in Qatar. A convenience sampling technique was used to select the study participants. An independent t-test was used to compare the significance of the mean between the two groups with positive and negative perceptions of consanguineous marriage. Categorical data were analyzed for association using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test. Finally, a multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the significant predictors of the positive perception of consanguineous marriage. A significant level was set at p < 0.05.ResultsApproximately 45% of the participants had a positive perception toward consanguineous marriage, and the most common reason stated by those participants was “habit and traditions.” The prevalence of consanguineous marriage among married couples was 62.6%, and among those with consanguineous marriage, most were married to first cousins (81.7%). Moreover, compared to the participants with negative perceptions of consanguineous marriage, those with positive ones were significantly older, married, with lower educational levels and higher monthly income levels, did not hear about glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, did not know what kinds of diseases are being screened in the premarital test, and were married to a relative.ConclusionThe prevalence of consanguineous marriage is high among the Qatari population, and this requires an immediate need for community-based campaigns to raise public awareness about the problem and its potential impact

Sustaining Synchronous Interaction Effectiveness in Distance Writing Courses: A Mixed Method Study in a KSA University

The sudden transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for many learners and teachers due to the fact that most universities suddenly shifted to online learning without providing adequate time for preparing and training teachers and learners in using interactive educational technologies. Such challenges are even more pronounced for language instructors in cultivating and sustaining interactions among learners, especially in writing courses that demand active engagement and interactions. Therefore, this study focused on what and how a writing instructor did through technology in creating an interactive writing environment for KSA learners joining five online writing courses and how learners perceived interactions and identifies the major factors affecting their perceptions. The data were collected from multiple sources: WhatsApp chats, Google Docs chats and comments, screencast recorded discussions, students’ texts, and their responses to an electronic (e-) survey as well as follow-up interviews. The study revealed that in connecting Google Docs to the Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, the instructor engaged learners in multidirectional and multimodal interactions and text writing and revising. The WhatsApp group was also used for individual learner-learner and learner-teacher interaction illustrating support and consultation-seeking behaviors of learners beyond the online classroom time. The learners’ perceptions of technology-mediated interactions (overall, learner-learner and learner-teacher) in the online writing courses were at high levels, though such perceptions varied according to several factors, including socio-demographic characteristics. The study concludes by offering useful pedagogical and research implications

Sustaining Synchronous Interaction Effectiveness in Distance Writing Courses: A Mixed Method Study in a KSA University

The sudden transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for many learners and teachers due to the fact that most universities suddenly shifted to online learning without providing adequate time for preparing and training teachers and learners in using interactive educational technologies. Such challenges are even more pronounced for language instructors in cultivating and sustaining interactions among learners, especially in writing courses that demand active engagement and interactions. Therefore, this study focused on what and how a writing instructor did through technology in creating an interactive writing environment for KSA learners joining five online writing courses and how learners perceived interactions and identifies the major factors affecting their perceptions. The data were collected from multiple sources: WhatsApp chats, Google Docs chats and comments, screencast recorded discussions, students’ texts, and their responses to an electronic (e-) survey as well as follow-up interviews. The study revealed that in connecting Google Docs to the Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, the instructor engaged learners in multidirectional and multimodal interactions and text writing and revising. The WhatsApp group was also used for individual learner-learner and learner-teacher interaction illustrating support and consultation-seeking behaviors of learners beyond the online classroom time. The learners’ perceptions of technology-mediated interactions (overall, learner-learner and learner-teacher) in the online writing courses were at high levels, though such perceptions varied according to several factors, including socio-demographic characteristics. The study concludes by offering useful pedagogical and research implications

Intercultural Learning Challenges Affecting International Students’ Sustainable Learning in Malaysian Higher Education Institutions

The tendency for internationalization of higher education in many Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) around the world, including those of Malaysia, is increasing with the current wave of globalization; however, the main challenge of international HEIs is how to manage intercultural diversity and overcome intercultural learning challenges that affect international students’ learning outcomes and learning sustainability. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate intercultural learning challenges that affect international students’ learning sustainability through a proposed measurement model. The data were collected from 273 international students in Malaysian HEIs through a survey and were analyzed using variance-based structural equation modeling (i.e., PLS-SEM). The results showed that intercultural challenges did not have a significant effect on students’ learning sustainability. Nevertheless, language challenges, academic challenges, and research challenges were found to have a significant negative impact on the learning sustainability of international students. The study concluded that intercultural learning barriers are considered to be intercultural learning challenges, which have a negative effect on international students’ learning sustainability even though international students might overcome such challenges with the passage of time. In addition, the study identified different factors pertaining to international students’ learning sustainability, such as students’ language and learning skills, Higher Education Institutions’ educational systems, and lecturers. Based on the finding of the study, Higher Education Institutions need to create a clear framework that encompasses these factors to improve learning sustainability among international students

Sleep Quality Among People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus During COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Qatar’s National Diabetes Center

Yasamin Abdu,1 Sarah Naja,1 Mohamed Izham Mohamed Ibrahim,2 Mariam Abdou,1 Romaisa Ahmed,3 Salma Elhag,4 Ahmed O Saleh,5 Mohamed Yassin,6 Iheb Bougmiza7,8 1Community Medicine Department, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; 2College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; 3University of Elimam Almahadi, Khartoum, Sudan; 4Wad Medani College of Medical Sciences and Technology, Jazeera, Sudan; 5Department of Internal Medicine, Unity Hospital, Rochester, NY, USA; 6Hematology Department, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; 7Community Medicine Department, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar; 8Community Medicine Department, College of Medicine, Sousse University, Sousse, TunisiaCorrespondence: Yasamin Abdu, Community Medicine Department, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, Qatar, Tel + 97466900210, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: Sleep disturbance is suspected to increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, and people with type 2 DM are known to have a higher risk of sleep disturbance. We aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of sleep disturbance through Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) during the COVID-19 pandemic.Patients and Methods: We randomly selected two hundred eighty-eight people with T2DM from the outpatient clinics of the National Diabetes Centre in Qatar. We used Chi-square, Mann–Whitney, Spearman, and Point Biserial correlation tests to examine the association between sleep quality and the independent variables. Finally, we conducted multiple logistics regression to identify the predictors of poor sleep quality and set the alpha level at 0.05.Results: In our sample, the mean age (±SD) was 51.4 (± 9.5) years, and 64.3% of the study participants were males. The median (IQR) duration of diabetes was 10 (11) years. Additionally, 6.3% of the participants were on insulin. The median HbA1c was 7.6% (2.4). Three in ten patients reported poor sleep quality (PSQI> 5); (n=103; 35.8%). Poor sleep quality was statistically associated with young age, previous history of sleep disturbance, prior diagnosis of sleep disorders, high depression score, and high perceived stress score. After adjusting for confounders, only high depressive symptoms score and previous history of sleep disorder were significant predictors of poor sleep quality (p < 0.001), with adjusted odd ratios of (aOR = 1.421; 95% CI: 1.242– 1.625) and (aOR = 3.208; 95% CI: 1.574– 6.537), respectively.Conclusion: The prevalence of poor sleep quality among people with T2DM during the COVID-19 pandemic is high. Physicians must screen for depression, stress, and previous history of sleep disorder to tackle poor sleep among T2DM.Keywords: poor sleep quality, sleep disturbance, T2DM, COVID-19, depressio

Sleep Quality Among People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus During COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Qatar\u27s National Diabetes Center

Purpose: Sleep disturbance is suspected to increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, and people with type 2 DM are known to have a higher risk of sleep disturbance. We aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of sleep disturbance through Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients and methods: We randomly selected two hundred eighty-eight people with T2DM from the outpatient clinics of the National Diabetes Centre in Qatar. We used Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, Spearman, and Point Biserial correlation tests to examine the association between sleep quality and the independent variables. Finally, we conducted multiple logistics regression to identify the predictors of poor sleep quality and set the alpha level at 0.05. Results: In our sample, the mean age (±SD) was 51.4 (± 9.5) years, and 64.3% of the study participants were males. The median (IQR) duration of diabetes was 10 (11) years. Additionally, 6.3% of the participants were on insulin. The median HbA1c was 7.6% (2.4). Three in ten patients reported poor sleep quality (PSQI\u3e 5); (n=103; 35.8%). Poor sleep quality was statistically associated with young age, previous history of sleep disturbance, prior diagnosis of sleep disorders, high depression score, and high perceived stress score. After adjusting for confounders, only high depressive symptoms score and previous history of sleep disorder were significant predictors of poor sleep quality (p \u3c 0.001), with adjusted odd ratios of (aOR = 1.421; 95% CI: 1.242-1.625) and (aOR = 3.208; 95% CI: 1.574-6.537), respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of poor sleep quality among people with T2DM during the COVID-19 pandemic is high. Physicians must screen for depression, stress, and previous history of sleep disorder to tackle poor sleep among T2DM

The effect of intermittent fasting on the clinical and hematological parameters of patients with sickle cell disease: A preliminary study

Introduction: Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that frequently presents with vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC). Most patients with sickle cell disease in Qatar are Muslims; hence, they practice intermittent fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. However, there is a paucity of literature describing the effect of intermittent fasting on the occurrence of severe VOC. As a result, there is a lack of guidelines or standardized protocols that can help physicians advise patients with sickle cell disease who wish to practice intermittent fasting. Therefore, this study's aim was to investigate the effect of intermittent fasting on the clinical and hematological parameters of individuals with sickle cell disease. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study for 52 Muslim patients with sickle cell disease in Qatar aged ≥18 years who were confirmed to be fasting during the holy month of Ramadan during any of the years 2019–2021. The difference in the occurrence of severe VOC, hemolytic crisis, and other clinical, hematological, and metabolic parameters were studied one month before, during, and one month after the intermittent fasting of Ramadan using the patient's medical records. Mean (sd), median (IQR), and frequency (%) described the data. One-way with repeated measures ANOVA with a Greenhouse-Geisser correction and Friedman tests (*) were used at alpha level 0.05. Results: The study participants' (mean±sd) age was (31.1±9.2) years, 51.9% were males, and 48.1% were females. Roughly seventy percent of the participants were of Arab ethnicity, while the rest were either African or Asian. Most of the patients were homozygotes (SS) (90.4%). The median number of severe VOC (P = 0.7) and hemolytic crisis (P = 0.5) was not found to be significantly different before, during, or after Ramadan. Significant differences, however, were found in platelet count (P = 0.003), reticulocyte count (P < 0.001), and creatinine level (P = 0.038) with intermittent fasting. Discussion: In this preliminary study, intermittent fasting does not seem to influence the rate of occurrence of severe vaso-occlusive crisis or hemolytic crisis in patients with sickle cell disease; however, it was found to be associated with differences in platelet count, reticulocytes count, and creatinine level. The statistical and clinical significance of these findings needs to be confirmed in studies with a larger sample size.This study was funded by the Academic Health System-Hamad Medical Corporation