Evaluation of community pharmacists' awareness towards Middle East respiratory syndrome: a simulated client method.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus variant in the Arabian Peninsula. There is a lack of information regarding awareness and practices of community pharmacists in Qatar for this contagious disease. To determine the quality of the MERS-related information, recommendations, and counselling practices provided by Qatar's community pharmacists by using Simulated Client Method (SCM). An observational cross-sectional study using a non traditional SCM was conducted in community pharmacies of Qatar from February 2017 to April 2017. A total of 30 community pharmacies were visited twice by two independent simulated clients and data regarding, provision of evidence -based information, recommendations and counselling practices were collected to assess the competency of pharmacists in managing MERS as a primary care problem. Both descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used for data analysis. In present study, majority of pharmacists encountered were male and younger than 45 -year -old with 44 (73.3%) each. The average number of pharmacists who did not ask about the patient's current medical conditions 56 (93.3), medications 58 (97.5%), allergies, and smoking status in both scenarios were not asked by any of the pharmacist. Most of the pharmacists gave an incorrect explanation of MERS 43 (71.7%). The overall quality counselling score for the pharmacists (mean +/- SD; median (IQR)) was {27.5 +/- 4.5; 28.5 (25.3-30.0)}. Quality counselling was significantly related to the type of pharmacy (p=0.0478). Qatar community pharmacist's MERS related information, recommendations, and counselling practices were below expectations and inconsistent, thus urging the need for continuous professional development

Neuronal autoantibodies in a sample of Egyptian patients with drug-resistant epilepsy

Abstract Background Epilepsy is one of the most common and chronic neurological diseases. About one-third of epilepsy patients do not achieve seizure freedom despite adequate therapy with antiseizure medications (ASMs) and develop drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Autoimmunity is increasingly being recognized as a cause of epilepsy in those patients. Some cases are associated with antibodies against several target antigens, including neuronal extracellular proteins as well as intracellular structures. In such patients, immunotherapy may be highly effective. This study aimed to investigate the presence of NMDA-R, AMPA1-R, AMPA2-R, CASPR2, LGI1, GABAB-R, and GAD65 autoantibodies in a sample of Egyptian patients with new-onset DRE; also, to assess the clinical, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), electroencephalogram (EEG), and radiological characteristics of those patients. Twenty-five patients with recent onset DRE were recruited from the department of Neurology at Ain Shams University (ASU) hospitals. All patients underwent serum and CSF antibody testing using cell-based assay (CBA) at the Immunology unit of the Clinical pathology laboratory at ASU hospitals. This is beside routine CSF analysis, EEG and MRI brain with contrast. Results Out of 25 patients with recent onset DRE, one (4%) patient tested positive to anti-NMDA-R antibodies and another one (4%) tested positive to anti-GAD 65 in both serum and CSF. Although the remaining 23 patients tested negative for the 7 autoantibodies, yet 92% of them achieved either seizure freedom or more than 50% reduction in the frequency of seizure and 84% had marked improvement in seizure-associated symptoms after receiving immunotherapy trial. Also, evidence of neuroinflammation was detected in the CSF and MRI brain of the majority of those patients. Conclusions Autoimmunity should be considered as a possible etiology of new-onset DRE. It is essential to provide insight into the clinical phenotypes and other associated features of those patients, as there are probably numerous patients who are not positive for one of the available antibodies via clinical laboratory testing. In addition to early diagnosis, early treatment and empirical immunotherapy trial based on the clinical judgment is crucial and is likely to improve outcomes with near-complete seizure freedom

Waste audit: Pathway to attain sustainability at Qatar University

Waste audit has proved to be a valuable first step in development of a viable waste minimization and recycling program. Waste characterization has been successfully used at many educational institutions in the United States and elsewhere for advancing campus sustainability plan. As part of the requirements for the special topic course: "Solid and Hazardous Waste Management," taught by the first author at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Qatar University, in Spring 2016, students conducted waste audit of selected buildings on the campus. The designated buildings were visited before performing the waste audit and a questionnaire was used to record vital information about each building. Using common materials along with a portable electronic balance, the students sorted the waste into various categories to determine relative amount of each type generated at a particular building. The audit was conducted twice at each of the four buildings to obtain an average value. While the waste stream at the four buildings consisted essentially of paper, plastics, metals, and food waste, it was found that the relative abundance of each of type of waste was a function of the purpose and use of the building. Details of the waste audit procedure, materials and methods, along with discussion of the results obtained are included in the presentation. Results of the waste audit should provide baseline data for developing a sound waste minimization and recycling program at Qatar University. This information, combined with assessment of energy and water use on the campus, would serve as major steps in reduction of greenhouse gases by preventing recyclables from ending up in landfills; saving natural resources by increased recycling; and conservation of energy and water resources. Recommendations are made for expanding waste audit to cover all buildings on the campus to obtain comprehensive data for advancing Qatar University's sustainability plan. We recommend that a concerted effort be initiated to encourage the campus community to sort paper, plastic, metal, and food waste before tossing them into the trash receptacles; avoid co-mingling the waste, and to practice energy and water conservation.qscienc