Associations between weight loss difficulty, disordered eating behaviors and poor weight loss outcomes in Arab female university students

Little is known about the impact of eating behaviors on weight management efforts among college students in non-Western settings. This study aimed to explore the relationship between eating behaviors, weight loss outcomes, and perceived weight loss difficulties (PWLD) among young Arab women trying to lose weight. A cross-sectional probability sample was used to recruit female university students aged 18 years and older in the state of Qatar. Participants (N = 937) completed an online survey measuring their attitudes and behaviors towards healthy eating, body image, and weight loss. More than two third (67.2%) reported facing difficulties when trying to lose weight and around one-third (31.2%) screened positive for disordered eating. Chi-squared and logistic regression analyses showed a strong and independent association between unsuccessful weight loss including lack of weight loss or maintenance after weight loss attempts, and PWLD (OR 8.6, p = .002). In addition, eating meals a few hours before sleeping (OR 1.98; p = .02) and having disordered eating (OR 2.28; p = .02) were positively associated with PWLD. BMI, weight loss goal and skipping breakfast were not associated with PWLD after adjustment for all covariates. Future studies are needed to develop better tools to comprehensively assess PWLD and validate against short- and long-term measured weight loss outcomes

ORIGINAL ARTICLE IN BEHAVIORAL PSYCHOLOGY: Relationship between social media use and disordered eating behavior among female university students in Qatar

Introduction: Abundant literature has established the negative impact of traditional media on body image and disordered eating behaviors among young women. In the past few years, social media use has soared especially among youth, yet the influence of social media in relation to disordered eating has not been fully explored. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between social media use and disordered eating outcomes among young Arab women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a probability sample of 1,418 undergraduate female students living in Qatar, a rapidly developing nation in the Middle East. Popular social media platforms were assessed including Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter. Other covariates assessed included body image, body mass index, and socioeconomic status. To assess the multivariate association between social media (main predictor or exposure variable), and disordered eating as measured by three levels of the 26-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) (dependent variable), stepwise backward ordinal regression models were fit to the data. Data analysis was performed using Stata 14 software. Results: Findings confirmed that intensive use of social media, particularly Instagram, was positively associated with increased disordered eating behaviors among young women. Social media use intensity showed a significant association with increased disordered eating [(OR 1.207, SE (0.075), P < 0.01, 95% Confidential Interval [CI] 1.068 to 1.363)]. Among the four social media platforms measured, Instagram use had a significant association with disordered eating [OR 1.387, SE (0.186), P < 0.05, 95% CI 1.107 to 1.804)]. Discussion and Conclusions: This study highlights the significant role of social media on the behavior of young women, and supports the sociocultural theory linking media to disordered eating. Such an understanding of social media’s role is instrumental for the promotion and prevention of disordered eating among young women

Human and Economic Resources for Empowerment and Prenatal Mental Health in the Arab Middle East: A systematic review

Purpose: This systematic review synthesizes research on the influence of human and economic resources for women’s empowerment on their pre- and post-natal mental health, understudied in the Arab world. Methods: We include articles using quantitative methods from Pub Med and Web of Science. Two researchers reviewed databases and selected articles, double reviewing five percent of articles designated for inclusion. Twenty-four articles met inclusion criteria. All 24 articles measured depression as an outcome, and three included additional mental health outcomes. Results: Nine of 17 studies found an inverse association between education and depression; two of 12 studies found contradictory associations between employment and depression, and four of six studies found a positive association between financial stress and depression. These results suggest that there is a negative association between education and depression and a positive association between financial stress and depression among women in the Arab world. Firm conclusions warrant caution due to limited studies meeting inclusion criteria and large heterogeneity in mental health scales used, assessment measures, and definitions of human and economic resources for women’s empowerment. Conclusions: It is likely that education reduces depression among post-partum women and that financial stress increases their depression. These findings can be used to aid in the design of interventions to improve mother and child outcomes. However, more research in the Arab world is needed on the relationship between human and economic resources for women’s empowerment and perinatal mental health, and more consistency is needed in how resources and mental health are measured

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in the Medical ICU: A Single-Institution Cohort Study on Acute Liver Failure and Mortality

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is a life-threatening hyperinflammatory disorder that is associated with high morbidity and mortality in the ICU. It has also been associated with acute liver failure. Design: Retrospective observational study. Setting: Tertiary-care medical ICU. Patients: Thirty-one patients critically ill with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Interventions: None. Measurements and main results: We performed a comprehensive review of critically ill hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis patients admitted to a tertiary-care medical ICU from January 2012 to December 2018. Most patients presented with constitutional symptoms and elevated liver enzymes and thrombocytopenia were common upon hospital admission. ICU admission laboratory and clinical variables were used to calculate Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, hemophagocytic syndrome diagnostic score, and model for end-stage liver disease. Mean age of the cohort was 48.1 years, and 45% were male. The mortality rate was 65% at 28 days and 77% at 1 year. About 28-day survivors were younger, had lower mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (16.5 vs 23.0; p = 0.004), and higher mean hemophagocytic syndrome diagnostic score (249.1 vs 226.0; p = 0.032) compared with nonsurvivors. Survivors were less likely to receive mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy, or vasopressor support and were more likely to receive chemotherapy for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. In this ICU cohort, 29% were diagnosed with acute liver failure, of whom only 22% developed acute liver failure early during their hospital stay. Acute liver failure was associated with a higher model for end-stage liver disease score upon hospital admission. Available histology in those that developed acute liver failure showed massive hepatic necrosis, or histiocytic or lymphocytic infiltrates. Conclusions: Patients admitted to the ICU with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis have a high mortality. Those who survived had lower Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation scores, had higher hemophagocytic syndrome diagnostic scores, are more likely to receive hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis specific chemotherapy, and are less likely to have organ failure. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis can be associated with acute liver failure especially when model for end-stage liver disease score is elevated upon admission.Supported, in part, through T32HL091816 to Indiana University (Dr. Al Nasrallah). Dr. Sears receives research support to the institution through the American Cancer Society (128511-MRSG-15-163-01-DMC), National Institutes of Health, and Veterans Affairs Health Services, and is on the Scientific and Medical Advisory Boards for Biodesix and bioAffinity Technologies. The remaining authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest

Social resources and Arab women’s perinatal mental health: A systematic review

Background Women’s mental health in the perinatal period is understudied worldwide and in Arab countries especially. Aim This systematic review explores evidence of the association between women’s social resources for empowerment in the Arab World and their mental health in the prenatal and postnatal (≤1 year postpartum) periods. Methods Guided by Kabeer’s framework of empowerment, the authors applied a search string in PubMed and Web of Science databases to identify studies in countries of the Arab League (hereafter the Arab World) that address mental health and social resources for women’s empowerment in the perinatal period. Findings Of 1865 electronically retrieved articles, 23 met the inclusion criteria. Overall, the majority of studies found a positive association between social resources for empowerment and perinatal mental health. Seven studies explored the relationship between familial or general social support and prenatal mental health in Arab women, and found a significant positive association. Sixteen of the 18 studies of women in the postnatal period found that enabling familial, extra-familial, and/or general social support was positively associated with mental health. Conclusion This review demonstrates an association between social resources and perinatal mental health, but there is a dearth of research in this area. We call for additional research on Arab women in the perinatal period using context-specific but standardized tools to assess social resources and mental health. Evidence on positive mental health, resilience, and the influence of social resources can guide the improvement of prenatal and postpartum care services

المسح السنوي الشامل : مسح عن الحياة في دولة قطر 2014

This Executive Summary presents the highlights of the 2014 Omnibus survey, the fourth in a series of Omnibus surveys since 2010. The surveys were carried out by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) of Qatar University. Each Omnibus survey interviews a large and representative sample of Qatari citizens, resident expatriates and laborers. In these surveys, we asked a number of questions covering several topics of importance to Qatari society, including their attitudes and behaviors related to media; political values and attitudes; gender; charities and charitable donations; traffic; and laborers. The survey was designed and carried out in accordance with the highest scientific and ethical standards. Respondents were assured that their answers would be confidential and presented in an aggregate format. This project was fully funded by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University. The findings made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.يقدم هذا التقرير الموجز أبرز ما في المسح الشامل لعام 2014 ،الرابع في سلسلة المسوح الشاملة منذ عام 2010 .تم تنفيذ البحوث من قبل معهد البحوث الاجتماعية والاقتصادية المسحية((SESRI بجامعة قطر. في كل مسح شامل تم استطلاع آراء عينة كبيرة تمثل المواطنين القطريين، والمقيمين والعمال. في هذه المسوح تم طرح عدد من الأسئلة تغطي العديد من المواضيع التي تهم المجتمع القطري، بما في ذلك المواقف والسلوكيات المتعلقة بوسائل الإعلام؛ والقيم والمواقف السياسية؛ دور الرجل والمرأة؛ المؤسسات والتبرعات الخيرية؛ وحركة المرور؛ والعمال الوافدين. صمم ونفذ هذا المسح وفقا لأعلى المعايير العلمية والأخلاقية. وتم التأكيد على المشاركين بأن إجابتهم سرية ومقدمة في شكل إجمالي. وقد تم تمويل هذا المشروع بالكامل من قِبل معهد البحوث الاجتماعية والاقتصادية المسحية بجامعة قطر. وإن الاستنتاجات الموجودة في هذا التقرير هي مسؤولية المؤلفين وحدهم

Willingness to participate in genome testing: a survey of public attitudes from Qatar

Genomics has the potential to revolutionize medical approaches to disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, but it does not come without challenges. The success of a national population-based genome program, like the Qatar Genome Program (QGP), depends on the willingness of citizens to donate samples and take up genomic testing services. This study explores public attitudes of the Qatari population toward genetic testing and toward participating in the QGP. A representative sample of 837 adult Qataris was surveyed in May 2016. Approximately 71% of respondents surveyed reported that they were willing to participate in the activities of the QGP. Willingness to participate was significantly associated with basic literacy in genetics, a family history of genetic diseases, and previous experience with genetic testing through premarital screening. Respondents cited the desire to know more about their health status as the principle motivation for participating, while lack of time and information were reported as the most important barriers. With QGP plans to ramp up the scale of its national operation toward more integration into clinical care settings, it is critical to understand public attitudes and their determinants. The results demonstrate public support but also identify the need for more education and individual counseling that not only provide information on the process, challenges, and benefits of genomic testing, but that also address concerns about information security

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities from a Qatari Human Rights Perspective

For a long time disability was considered a question of social development, outside the responsibilities of official human rights institutions. Over the last three decades this approach has evolved, and disability is now viewed in terms of human rights, a change that has received important support from the United Nations and its Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) of 2006. Qatar ratified the CRPD in 2008. The main purposes of the CRPD are "to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity". The CRPD embodies the philosophy of the social model of disability; that is, the idea that an individual's disability is largely the product of a social order in which someone who is different does not fit in. This is clear in the Convention's definition of disability and in its guiding principles of non-discrimination, universal accessibility and legal capacity, inclusion and diversity. In its journey towards implementing the CRPD, Qatar will likely face challenges common to all signatory countries: the philosophical questioning of the Convention's theoretical framework, as well as objections from traditional legal theorists to the Convention's doctrine. The challenges to the theoretical basis of the Convention will likely converge around philosophical doubts regarding adopting the social model of disability as a new paradigm and concerns that such a model is impossible to implement. The doctrinal legal objections are most often linked to the relative difficulty of applying international mandates to domestic laws. In addition, the rights of persons with disabilities are often considered economic, social and cultural rights, which are provided for depending on the resources actually available; those rights are often not viewed as individual, civil and political rights under the human rights statute, independent of the fact that they need an action or an abstention from the state. Finally, traditional legal doctrine holds that individual legal capacity requires full mental competence as a pre-requisite. The CRPD, instead, advances a model of assisted capacity; this means that a degree of legal capacity is recognized in each individual according to his or her condition. The individual receives assistance in making decisions, while in the classical doctrine the individual is substituted altogether by a guardian. Other challenges to full CRPD implementation are more specific to Qatar. Qatar has traditionally conceived disability as a medical problem of the individual, who is given support and rehabilitation. The legal framework approaches disability from that perspective, and the medical model seems to be deeply rooted in Qatar. Disability is presented as a problem of individuals with special needs that must be corrected, rectified or tempered by providing as much support as possible. This is not the model of the Convention, and Qatari legislation must be brought into the fold of the social and human rights model in order to be compliant with the CRPD's mandate.qscienc

Discovery and development of novel DNA-PK inhibitors by targeting the unique Ku–DNA interaction

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) plays a critical role in the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair pathway and the DNA damage response (DDR). DNA-PK has therefore been pursued for the development of anti-cancer therapeutics in combination with ionizing radiation (IR). We report the discovery of a new class of DNA-PK inhibitors that act via a novel mechanism of action, inhibition of the Ku-DNA interaction. We have developed a series of highly potent and specific Ku-DNA binding inhibitors (Ku-DBi's) that block the Ku-DNA interaction and inhibit DNA-PK kinase activity. Ku-DBi's directly interact with the Ku and inhibit in vitro NHEJ, cellular NHEJ, and potentiate the cellular activity of radiomimetic agents and IR. Analysis of Ku-null cells demonstrates that Ku-DBi's cellular activity is a direct result of Ku inhibition, as Ku-null cells are insensitive to Ku-DBi's. The utility of Ku-DBi's was also revealed in a CRISPR gene-editing model where we demonstrate that the efficiency of gene insertion events was increased in cells pre-treated with Ku-DBi's, consistent with inhibition of NHEJ and activation of homologous recombination to facilitate gene insertion. These data demonstrate the discovery and application of new series of compounds that modulate DNA repair pathways via a unique mechanism of action

Advancing schizophrenia drug discovery : optimizing rodent models to bridge the translational gap

Although our knowledge of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia has increased, treatments for this devastating illness remain inadequate. Here, we critically assess rodent models and behavioural end points used in schizophrenia drug discovery and discuss why these have not led to improved treatments. We provide a perspective on how new models, based on recent advances in the understanding of the genetics and neural circuitry underlying schizophrenia, can bridge the translational gap and lead to the development of more effective drugs. We conclude that previous serendipitous approaches should be replaced with rational strategies for drug discovery in integrated preclinical and clinical programmes. Validation of drug targets in disease-based models that are integrated with translationally relevant end point assessments will reduce the current attrition rate in schizophrenia drug discovery and ultimately lead to therapies that tackle the disease process