1,011 research outputs found
Oversight over The Constitutionality of the Legislative Acts of the Executive Authority: A Comparative Study
This study deals with the constitutional oversight over the legislative acts, which are issued by the executive authority pursuant to the Jordanian Constitution. The study will shed the light on the nature of legal rules enacted by the Cabinet, with the approval of the King, and what extent they are subject to oversight by the Constitutional court. The legislation issued by the Executive authority are called regulations, which are of various types: independent, executive and legislative (Temporary Laws), in addition to the administrative instructions that are passed in normal circumstances. Defense orders are also legal rules issued by the Prime Minister to issue to face exceptional emergency circumstances in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. This study concludes that the constitutional oversight over the executive authority legal rules is limited to regulations only, without the written instructions and defense orders issued in accordance with the Defense Law
3D Indoor Instance Segmentation in an Open-World
Existing 3D instance segmentation methods typically assume that all semantic
classes to be segmented would be available during training and only seen
categories are segmented at inference. We argue that such a closed-world
assumption is restrictive and explore for the first time 3D indoor instance
segmentation in an open-world setting, where the model is allowed to
distinguish a set of known classes as well as identify an unknown object as
unknown and then later incrementally learning the semantic category of the
unknown when the corresponding category labels are available. To this end, we
introduce an open-world 3D indoor instance segmentation method, where an
auto-labeling scheme is employed to produce pseudo-labels during training and
induce separation to separate known and unknown category labels. We further
improve the pseudo-labels quality at inference by adjusting the unknown class
probability based on the objectness score distribution. We also introduce
carefully curated open-world splits leveraging realistic scenarios based on
inherent object distribution, region-based indoor scene exploration and
randomness aspect of open-world classes. Extensive experiments reveal the
efficacy of the proposed contributions leading to promising open-world 3D
instance segmentation performance.Comment: Accepted at NeurIPS 202
Sri Lankan tsunami refugees: a cross sectional study of the relationships between housing conditions and self-reported health
BACKGROUND: On the 26th December 2004 the Asian tsunami devastated the Sri Lankan coastline. More than two years later, over 14,500 families were still living in transitional shelters. This study compares the health of the internally displaced people (IDP), living in transitional camps with those in permanent housing projects provided by government and non-government organisations in Sri Lanka. METHODS: This study was conducted in seven transitional camps and five permanent housing projects in the south west of Sri Lanka. Using an interviewer-led questionnaire, data on the IDPs' self-reported health and housing conditions were collected from 154 participants from transitional camps and 147 participants from permanent housing projects. Simple tabulation with non-parametric tests and logistic regression were used to identify and analyse relationships between housing conditions and the reported prevalence of specific symptoms. RESULTS: Analysis showed that living conditions were significantly worse in transitional camps than in permanent housing projects for all factors investigated, except 'having a leaking roof'. Transitional camp participants scored significantly lower on self-perceived overall health scores than those living in housing projects. After controlling for gender, age and marital status, living in a transitional camp compared to a housing project was found to be a significant risk factor for the following symptoms; coughs OR: 3.53 (CI: 2.11-5.89), stomach ache 4.82 (2.19-10.82), headache 5.20 (3.09-8.76), general aches and pains 6.44 (3.67-11.33) and feeling generally unwell 2.28 (2.51-7.29). Within transitional camp data, the only condition shown to be a significant risk factor for any symptom was household population density, which increased the risk of stomach aches 1.40 (1.09-1.79) and headaches 1.33 (1.01-1.77). CONCLUSION: Internally displaced people living in transitional camps are a vulnerable population and specific interventions need to be targeted at this population to address the health inequalities that they report to be experiencing. Further studies need to be conducted to establish which aspects of their housing environment predispose them to poorer health
Epidemiology of respiratory infections among adults in Qatar (2012-2017).
Limited data is available about the etiology of influenza like illnesses (ILIs) in Qatar. This study aimed at providing preliminary estimates of influenza and other respiratory infections circulating among adults in Qatar. We retrospectively collected data of about 44,000 patients who visited Hamad General Hospital clinics, sentinel sites, and all primary healthcare centers in Qatar between 2012 and 2017. All samples were tested for influenza viruses, whereas about 38,000 samples were tested for influenza and a panel of respiratory viruses using Fast Track Diagnostics (FTD) RT-PCR kit. Among all ILIs cases, 20,278 (46.5%) tested positive for at least one respiratory pathogen. Influenza virus was predominating (22.6%), followed by human rhinoviruses (HRVs) (9.5%), and human coronaviruses (HCoVs) (5%). A detection rate of 2-3% was recorded for mycoplasma pneumonia, adenoviruses, human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and human metapneumovirus (HMPV). ILIs cases were reported throughout the year, however, influenza, RSV, and HMPV exhibited strong seasonal peaks in the winter, while HRVs circulated more during fall and spring. Elderly (>50 years) had the lowest rates of influenza A (13.9%) and B (4.2%), while presenting the highest rates of RSV (3.4%) and HMPV (3.3%). While males had higher rates of HRVs (11.9%), enteroviruses (1.1%) and MERS CoV (0.2%), females had higher proportions of influenza (26.3%), HPIVs (3.2%) and RSV (3.6%) infections. This report provides a comprehensive insight about the epidemiology of ILIs among adults in the Qatar, as a representative of Gulf States. These results would help in improvement and optimization of diagnostic procedures, as well as control and prevention of the respiratory infections.This study was supported by funds from Hamad Medical Corporation (grant # 16335/16) and Qatar University (grant # QUCG-BRC-2018/2019-1)
Enhancing the sensitivity of rapid antigen detection test (RADT) of different SARS-CoV-2 variants and lineages using fluorescence-labeled antibodies and a fluorescent meter
RT-qPCR is considered the gold standard for diagnosis of COVID-19; however, it is laborious, time-consuming, and expensive. RADTs have evolved recently as relatively inexpensive methods to address these shortcomings, but their performance for detecting different SARS-COV-2 variants remains limited. RADT test performance could be enhanced using different antibody labeling and signal detection techniques. Here, we aimed to evaluate the performance of two antigen RADTs for detecting different SARS-CoV-2 variants: (i) the conventional colorimetric RADT (Ab-conjugated with gold beads); and (ii) the new Finecare™ RADT (Ab-coated fluorescent beads). Finecare™ is a meter used for the detection of a fluorescent signal. 187 frozen nasopharyngeal swabs collected in Universal transport (UTM) that are RT-qPCR positive for different SARS-CoV-2 variants were selected, including Alpha (n = 60), Delta (n = 59), and Omicron variants (n = 108). Sixty flu and 60 RSV-positive samples were included as negative controls (total sample number = 347). The conventional RADT showed sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 62.4% (95%CI: 54–70), 100% (95%CI: 97–100), 100% (95%CI: 100-100), and 58% (95%CI: 49–67), respectively. These measurements were enhanced using the Finecare™ RADT: sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 92.6% (95%CI: 89.08–92.3), 96% (95%CI: 96–99.61), 98% (95%CI: 89–92.3), and 85% (95%CI: 96–99.6) respectively. The sensitivity of both RADTs could be greatly underestimated because nasopharyngeal swab samples collected UTM and stored at −80 °C were used. Despite that, our results indicate that the Finecare™ RADT is appropriate for clinical laboratory and community-based surveillance due to its high sensitivity and specificity.This work was made possible by partial funds from REP29-026-3-004 grant from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation) AND QUCG-BRC-2022/23-578 . The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors. We thank the many dedicated persons at Hamad Medical Corporation, Sidra Medicine, and the National Reference lab for their diligent efforts and contributions to making this study possible. Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library
Critically ill patients with diabetes and Middle East respiratory syndrome:a multi-center observational study
Background: Diabetes is a risk factor for infection with coronaviruses. This study describes the demographic, clinical data, and outcomes of critically ill patients with diabetes and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at 14 hospitals in Saudi Arabia (September 2012–January 2018). We compared the demographic characteristics, underlying medical conditions, presenting symptoms andsigns, management and clinical course, and outcomes of critically ill patients with MERS who had diabetes compared to those with no diabetes. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine ifdiabetes was an independent predictor of 90-day mortality.Results: Of the 350 critically ill patients with MERS, 171 (48.9%) had diabetes. Patients with diabetes were more likely to be older, and have comorbid conditions, compared to patients with no diabetes. They were more likely topresent with respiratory failure requiring intubation, vasopressors, and corticosteroids. The median time to clearance of MERS-CoV RNA was similar (23 days (Q1, Q3: 17, 36) in patients with diabetes and 21.0 days (Q1, Q3: 10, 33) in patients with no diabetes). Mortality at 90 days was higher in patients with diabetes (78.9% versus 54.7%, p <0.0001). Multivariable regression analysis showed that diabetes was an independent risk factor for 90-day mortality(odds ratio, 2.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.18–3.72).Conclusions: Half of the critically ill patients with MERS have diabetes; which is associated with more severe disease. Diabetes is an independent predictor of mortality among critically patients with MERS
Critically ill patients with diabetes and Middle East respiratory syndrome:a multi-center observational study
Background: Diabetes is a risk factor for infection with coronaviruses. This study describes the demographic, clinical data, and outcomes of critically ill patients with diabetes and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at 14 hospitals in Saudi Arabia (September 2012–January 2018). We compared the demographic characteristics, underlying medical conditions, presenting symptoms andsigns, management and clinical course, and outcomes of critically ill patients with MERS who had diabetes compared to those with no diabetes. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine ifdiabetes was an independent predictor of 90-day mortality.Results: Of the 350 critically ill patients with MERS, 171 (48.9%) had diabetes. Patients with diabetes were more likely to be older, and have comorbid conditions, compared to patients with no diabetes. They were more likely topresent with respiratory failure requiring intubation, vasopressors, and corticosteroids. The median time to clearance of MERS-CoV RNA was similar (23 days (Q1, Q3: 17, 36) in patients with diabetes and 21.0 days (Q1, Q3: 10, 33) in patients with no diabetes). Mortality at 90 days was higher in patients with diabetes (78.9% versus 54.7%, p <0.0001). Multivariable regression analysis showed that diabetes was an independent risk factor for 90-day mortality(odds ratio, 2.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.18–3.72).Conclusions: Half of the critically ill patients with MERS have diabetes; which is associated with more severe disease. Diabetes is an independent predictor of mortality among critically patients with MERS
Antimicrobial modification of PLA scaffolds with ascorbic and fumaric acids via plasma treatment
An optimal medical scaffold should be biocompatible and biodegradable and should have adequate mechanical properties and scaffold architecture porosity, a precise three-dimensional shape, and a reasonable manufacturing method. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a natural biodegradable thermoplastic aliphatic polyester that can be fabricated into nanofiber structures through many techniques, and electrospinning is one of the most widely used methods. Medical fiber mat scaffolds have been associated with inflammation and infection and, in some cases, have resulted in tissue degradation. Therefore, surface modification with antimicrobial agents represents a suitable solution if the mechanical properties of the fiber mats are not affected. In this study, the surfaces of electrospun PLA fiber mats were modified with naturally occurring L-ascorbic acid (ASA) or fumaric acid (FA) via a plasma treatment method. It was found that 30 s of radio-frequency (RF) plasma treatment was effective enough for the wettability enhancement and hydroperoxide formation needed for subsequent grafting reactions with antimicrobial agents upon their decomposition. This modification led to changes in the surface properties of the PLA fiber mats, which were analyzed by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. FTIR-ATR confirmed the chemical composition changes after the modification process and the surface morphology/topography changes were proven by SEM and AFM. Moreover, nanomechanical changes of prepared PLA fiber mats were investigated by AFM using amplitude modulation-frequency modulation (AM-FM) technique. A significant enhancement in antimicrobial activity of such modified PLA fiber mats against gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Escherichia coli are demonstrated herein. © 2020 The AuthorsQatar National Research Fund (a member of The Qatar Foundation) [22-076-1-011]; Qatar University Collaborative Grant [QUCG-CAM-20/21-3]; Czech Science FoundationGrant Agency of the Czech Republic [19-16861S
Cake compressibility analysis of BPOME from a hybrid adsorption microfiltration process
This study investigates the utility of a hybrid adsorption-membrane process for cake compressibility evaluation of biotreated palm oil mill effluent. A low-cost empty fruit bunch (EFB) based powdered activated carbon (PAC) was employed for the upstream adsorption process with operation conditions of 60 g/L PAC dose, 68 min mixing time, and 200 rpm mixing speed to reduce the feed-water strength and alleviate probable fouling of the membranes. Two polyethersulfone microfiltration (MF) membranes of 0.1 and 0.2 lm pore sizes were investigated under constant transmembrane pressures (TMP) of 40, 80, and 120 kPa. The compressibility factors (z), which was obtained from the slopes of power plots (function of
specific cake resistance (a) and pressure gradient) were
evaluated. The z values of 0.32 and 0.52, respectively obtained, for the 0.1 and 0.2 lm MF membranes provided compressible and stable z values as observed from their power plots. Besides, these membranes were found suitable for the measurement of z since the results are in consonance with the established principle of cake compressibility. Moreover, the upstream adsorption mitigated the clogging of the membranes which ultimately led to moderate resistances and cake compressibility. These are indications that with the secondary cake filtration, a sustainable flux can be achieved during BPOME filtration. The membranes exhibited close to 100% restoration after cleaning
Profiling of intestinal microbiota in patients infected with respiratory influenza a and b viruses
Little is known about the association between respiratory viral infections and their impact on intestinal microbiota. Here, we compared the effect of influenza types, A and B, and influenza shedding in patients’ stools on the gut microbiota diversity and composition. Deep sequencing analysis was performed for the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Fecal samples were collected from 38 adults with active respiratory influenza infection and 11 age-matched healthy controls. Influenza infection resulted in variations in intestinal bacterial community composition rather than in overall diversity. Overall, infected patients experienced an increased abundance of Bacteroidetes and a corresponding decrease in Firmicutes. Differential abundance testing illustrated that differences in gut microbiota composition were influenza type-dependent, identifying ten differentially abun-dant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) between influenza A-and influenza B-infected patients. Notably, virus shedding in fecal samples of some patients had significantly reduced gut bacterial diversity (p = 0.023). Further taxonomic analysis revealed that the abundance of Bacteroides fragilis was significantly higher among shedders compared to non-shedders (p = 0.037). These results pro-vide fundamental evidence of the direct effect of influenza infection on gut microbiota diversity, as reported in patients shedding the virus
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