OCCUPANT PERCEPTION OF THERMAL COMFORT IN SLEEP ENVIRONMENTS IN QATAR

A thermal comfort field survey in sleep environments in winter and spring seasons in Qatar collected 833 sets of objective and subjective thermal and sleep quality responses before going to bed and after getting up. The subjects felt cooler sensations most of the time, preferred warmer sensations and the sleep environments are considered comfortable overall. Griffiths comfort temperature (Tc) was 24.3 ˚C and 20.2 ˚C in FR and AC modes respectively.  Subjects used air-conditioner (AC)s adaptively in heating mode in winter.  In 82.7% cases in air-conditioned (AC) mode, the comfort temperature was below the lower limit of the international standard. Subjects enjoyed quality sleep in Qatar. Overall self-declared sleep quality improved with thermal acceptability. Depth of sleep was higher in AC mode (mean = 3.86). On the other hand, mean global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score was high in general (mean = 10.7), indicating good quality sleep, and significantly so in free-running mode (mean = 11) than in AC mode (mean = 10.4). It increased as subjects liked their AC systems. This study suggests that overcooling in spring can be avoided by increasing the air movement without compromising sleep quality

Correlation of Circulating ANGPTL5 Levels With Obesity, High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein in Adolescents

Angiopoietin-like proteins (ANGPTL) is a family of eight members known to play an important role in metabolic diseases. Of these, ANGPTL5 is suggested to regulate triglyceride metabolism and is increased in obesity and diabetes. However, its role in metabolic diseases in adolescents is not well-studied. In this study, we tested the hypothesis of a positive association between plasma ANGPTL5, and obesity, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (HsCRP) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) in adolescents. Adolescents (N = 431; age 11–14 years) were randomly selected from middle schools in Kuwait. Obesity was classified by the BMI-for-age based on the WHO growth charts. Plasma ANGPTL5, HsCRP, and Ox-LDL were measured using ELISA. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 20.65% and 33.18%, respectively. Mean (SD) plasma ANGPTL5 levels were significantly higher in obese, compared with overweight and normal-weight adolescents (23.05 (8.79) vs 18.39 (7.08) ng/mL, and 18.26 (6.95) ng/ml, respectively). ANGPTL5 was positively associated with both HsCRP (ρ=0.27, p \u3c 0.001) and Ox-LDL (ρ = 0.24, p \u3c 0.001). In Conclusion, ANGPTL5 levels are elevated in obese adolescents and are associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors, HsCRP and Ox-LDL. The use of ANGPTL5 as a powerful diagnostic and prognostic tool in obesity and metabolic diseases needs to be further evaluated

COVID-19 VACCINATION KNOWLEDGE AND HESITANCY AMONG STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES AT QATAR UNIVERSITY; A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Introduction: Vaccines are the most important and cost-effective public health tools known to control and prevent many infectious diseases. However, concerns regarding the safety and the need for a vaccine and reluctance and hesitancy towards vaccinations is a rising matter. Due to the emergence of the novel COVID19, high vaccine uptake will be needed to control the pandemic. Therefore, the aim of this study is to (1) assess the knowledge and attitude towards COVID19 and (2) determine the factors that influence acceptance to COVID19 vaccine. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done through a survey distributed among Qatar University students and faculties. SPSS software was used to perform the statistical analysis. Results: A total of 462 of QU staff and students participated in this study. Among our participants, 62.6% of respondents stated that they were willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine, while 37.4% were unwilling to vaccinate. Significant difference was found between gender, age, education level and nationality and willingness to vaccinate. 53% of our participants presented with a high knowledge score. The most common reason for not willing to vaccinate was vaccine safety. Side effects, length of vaccine development, importance of flu vaccine and COVID-19 news update were factors influencing vaccination acceptance and hesitancy. No significant difference was found between source of information and willingness to vaccinate. Conclusion: With the current COVID-19 disease spreading widely across the globe, our study provides insights into individuals knowledge and hesitancy to a COVID-19 vaccine and understanding of factors and determinates that influence willingness to vaccinate

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in a Representative Education Sector Population in Qatar

Even though vaccination programs have now started in earnest across the globe and in Qatar, vaccine hesitancy remains a barrier to effectively tackling the pandemic. Many factors influence willingness to take vaccines including safety, efficacy, and side effects. Given their proximity to research and education, university students and employees represent an interesting cohort in which to investigate vaccine hesitancy. The aim of this study was to assess the attitudes of Qatar University employees and students towards the COVID-19 vaccine. In total, 231 employees and 231 students participated in an online cross-sectional study in February 2021. Of the sample, 62.6% were willing to take a vaccine against COVID-19. Participants with or taking postgraduate degrees were more willing to take the vaccine compared to participants with or taking a diploma or bachelor's degree ( < 0.001). Males had a higher rate of vaccine acceptance ( < 0.001). In the group that regarded flu vaccination as important, 13% were unwilling to take COVID-19 vaccine. There were no associations between willingness to vaccinate and vaccine/virus knowledge and social media use. Participants showed a high level of concern regarding vaccine side effects in themselves or their children. Two-thirds agreed or strongly agreed that they would take the vaccine if it was mandatory for international travel. Our participants were neutral to the origin of vaccine development. These findings, which represent data collected after the start of the national vaccination program, show that vaccine hesitancy persists in the Qatari population and that some groups, such as undergraduate students, could benefit from specific, targeted public health campaigns

Enhanced adsorptive removal of rifampicin and tigecycline from single system using nano-ceria decorated biochar of mango seed kernel

Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) represent an emerging class of contaminants. With a potential to negatively impact human health and the ecosystem, existence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic systems is becoming a worrying concern. Antibiotics is a major class of PhACs and their existence in wastewater signifies a health risk on the long run. With the purpose of competently removing antibiotics from wastewater, cost-effective, and copiously available waste-derived adsorbents were structured. In this study, mango seeds kernel (MSK), both as a pristine biochar (Py–MSK) and as a nano-ceria-laden (Ce–Py–MSK) were applied for the remediation of rifampicin (RIFM) and tigecycline (TIGC). To save time and resources, adsorption experiments were managed using a multivariate-based scheme executing the fractional factorial design (FrFD). Percentage removal (%R) of both antibiotics was exploited in terms of four variables: pH, adsorbent dosage, initial drug concentration, and contact time. Preliminary experiments showed that Ce–Py–MSK has higher adsorption efficiency for both RIFM and TIGC compared to Py–MSK. The %R was 92.36% for RIFM compared to 90.13% for TIGC. With the purpose of comprehending the adsorption process, structural elucidation of both sorbents was performed using FT-IR, SEM, TEM, EDX, and XRD analyses which confirmed the decoration of the adsorbent surface with the nano-ceria. BET analysis revealed that Ce–Py–MSK has a higher surface area (33.83 m2/g) contrasted to the Py–MSK (24.72 m2/g). Isotherm parameters revealed that Freundlich model best fit Ce–Py–MSK–drug interactions. A maximum adsorption capacity (qm) of 102.25 and 49.28 mg/g was attained for RIFM and TIGC, respectively. Adsorption kinetics for both drugs conformed well with both pseudo-second order (PSO) and Elovich models. This study, therefore, has established the suitability of Ce–Py–MSK as a green, sustainable, cost-effective, selective, and efficient adsorbent for the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater

Increased LRG1 Levels in Overweight and Obese Adolescents and Its Association with Obesity Markers, Including Leptin, Chemerin, and High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein

Leucine-rich α-2 glycoprotein1 (LRG1) is a member of the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) family that is implicated in multiple diseases, including cancer, aging, and heart failure, as well as diabetes and obesity. LRG1 plays a key role in diet-induced hepatosteatosis and insulin resistance by mediating the crosstalk between adipocytes and hepatocytes. LRG1 also promotes hepatosteatosis by upregulating de novo lipogenesis in the liver and suppressing fatty acid β-oxidation. In this study, we investigated the association of LRG1 with obesity markers, including leptin and other adipokines in adolescents (11–14 years; n = 425). BMI-for-age classification based on WHO growth charts was used to define obesity. Plasma LRG1 was measured by ELISA, while other markers were measured by multiplexing assay. Median (IQR) of LRG1 levels was higher in obese (30 (25, 38) µg/mL) and overweight (30 (24, 39) µg/mL) adolescents, compared to normal-weight participants (27 (22, 35) µg/mL). The highest tertile of LRG1 had an OR [95% CI] of 2.55 [1.44, 4.53] for obesity. LRG1 was positively correlated to plasma levels of high sensitivity c-reactive protein (HsCRP) (ρ = 0.2), leptin (ρ = 0.2), and chemerin (ρ = 0.24) with p < 0.001. Additionally, it was positively associated with plasma level of IL6 (ρ = 0.17) and IL10 (ρ = 0.14) but not TNF-α. In conclusion, LRG1 levels are increased in obese adolescents and are associated with increased levels of adipogenic markers. These results suggest the usefulness of LRG1 as an early biomarker for obesity and its related pathologies in adolescents