Ashghal Quality Assurance & Quality Control system - QSD Role in Monitoring & Reporting the Quality Performance in Ashghal Projects

Ashghal has established a robust system of quality control and quality assurance for all projects constructed by Ashghal. Ashghal Departments are supervising a sophisticated system of quality control and quality assurance processes and procedures, implemented by the Consultants, Contractors, and Key Supply Chain Partners of Ashghal projects (e.g., Sub-Contractors, Key Suppliers, and Independent Laboratories). This paper illustrates how Ashghal Quality & Safety Department (QSD) monitors and reports the quality performance in Ashghal constructed projects to ensure continuous improvement and adherence to Ashghal quality strategy, policy mission, and targets. QSD is operating as Third Party, reporting directly to Ashghal President, and is monitoring and reporting the compliance of the industry to the quality requirements defined in Qatar Construction Specifications (QCS, 2014), Contracts, Professional Services Agreements, ISO 9001:2015 Standard and specific Ashghal requirements. Effective root cause analysis carried out by the auditing team has led to value-adding activities. QSD has established specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the management of non-conformities and corrective actions, to improve the performance and minimize the deviations and failures of compliance. QSD is conducting focused and system audits at Ashghal projects and the supply chain and is liaising with departments and individual projects as necessary, to agree on Lessons Learned and Actions to improve the quality of works. These activities include the establishment of consistent criteria of the qualifications and experience of the quality staff of Ashghal departments and Consultants' teams. QSD is making quarterly presentations to the Ashghal President regarding the performance of the Departments (including Contractors' and Consultants' performance) and of the Ashghal Project Managers. The established criteria and evaluation related to the quality are dynamic and reviewed/updated periodically to ensure the improvement of the Quality Performance of Ashghal Projects

Markers associated with covid-19 susceptibility, resistance, and severity

In December 2019, the latest member of the coronavirus family, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in Wuhan, China, leading to the outbreak of an unusual viral pneumonia known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 was then declared as a pandemic in March 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO). The initial mortality rate of COVID-19 declared by WHO was 2%; however, this rate has increased to 3.4% as of 3 March 2020. People of all ages can be infected with SARS-CoV-2, but those aged 60 or above and those with underlying medical conditions are more prone to develop severe symptoms that may lead to death. Patients with severe infection usually experience a hyper pro-inflammatory immune reaction (i.e., cytokine storm) causing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which has been shown to be the leading cause of death in COVID-19 patients. However, the factors associated with COVID-19 susceptibility, resistance and severity remain poorly understood. In this review, we thoroughly explore the correlation between various host, viral and environmental markers, and SARS-CoV-2 in terms of susceptibility and severity

Immunoinformatics prediction of potential immunodominant epitopes from human coronaviruses and association with autoimmunity

Cross-reactivity between different human coronaviruses (HCoVs) might contribute to COVID-19 outcomes. Here, we aimed to predict conserved peptides among different HCoVs that could elicit cross-reacting B cell and T cell responses. Three hundred fifty-one full-genome sequences of HCoVs, including SARS-CoV-2 (51), SARS-CoV-1 (50), MERS-CoV (50), and common cold species OC43 (50), NL63 (50), 229E (50), and HKU1 (50) were downloaded aligned using Geneious Prime 20.20. Identification of epitopes in the conserved regions of HCoVs was carried out using the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) to predict B- and T-cell epitopes. Further, we identified sequences that bind multiple common MHC and modeled the three-dimensional structures of the protein regions. The search yielded 73 linear and 35 discontinuous epitopes. A total of 16 B-cell and 19 T-cell epitopes were predicted through a comprehensive bioinformatic screening of conserved regions derived from HCoVs. The 16 potentially cross-reactive B-cell epitopes included 12 human proteins and four viral proteins among the linear epitopes. Likewise, we identified 19 potentially cross-reactive T-cell epitopes covering viral proteins. Interestingly, two conserved regions: LSFVSLAICFVIEQF (NSP2) and VVHSVNSLVSSMEVQSL (spike), contained several matches that were described epitopes for SARS-CoV. Most of the predicted B cells were buried within the SARS-CoV-2 protein regions’ functional domains, whereas T-cell stretched close to the functional domains. Additionally, most SARS-CoV-2 predicted peptides (80%) bound to different HLA types associated with autoimmune diseases. We identified a set of potential B cell and T cell epitopes derived from the HCoVs that could contribute to different diseases manifestation, including autoimmune disorders

Qatar - Longitudinal Assessment of Mental Health in Pandemics (Q-LAMP)

Aims: QLAMP aims to identify risk factors and resilience factors for symptoms of psychiatric illness during the pandemic. Study strengths include the 1-year longitudinal design and the use of standardised instruments already available in English and Arabic. The results will increase understanding of the impact of the pandemic on mental health for better support of the population during the pandemic and in future epidemics. Until an effective vaccine is available or herd immunity is achieved, countries are likely to encounter repeated ‘waves’ of infection. The identification of at-risk groups for mental illness will inform the planning and delivery of individualized treatment including primary prevention. Methodology: Longitudinal online survey; SMS-based recruitment and social media platforms advertisements e.g. Facebook, Instagram; Online consent; Completion time for questionnaires: approx. 20 to 30 minute; Baseline questionnaire with follow up at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months; Study completion date: Sept. 2021. Inclusion Criteria: Currently living in Qatar; Qatar residents: citizens and expatriates; Age 18 years; Read Arabic or English (questionnaire and consent form available in both languages). Instruments: Sociodemographic questionnaire including personal and family experience of COVID-19 infection; Standard instruments to assess psychiatric morbidity including depression, anxiety and PTSD; Research team-designed instruments to assess social impact of pandemic; Standard questionnaires to assess resilience, personality, loneliness, religious beliefs and social networks. Results: The analysis was based on 181 observations. Approximately, 3.5% of the sample was from the sms-recruitment method. The sample of completed surveys consisted of 65.0% females and 35.0% males. Qatari respondents comprised 27.0% of the total sample, while 52% of the sample were married, 25% had Grade 12 or lower level of educational attainment, and 46.0% were unemployed. Covid-19 appears to have affected different aspects of people’s lives from personal health to living arrangements, employment, and health of family and friends. Approximately, 41% to 55% of those who responded to the survey perceived changes in their stress levels, mental health, and loneliness to be worse than before the pandemic. Additionally, the wide-availability of information about the pandemic on the internet and social media was perceived as source of pandemic-related worries among members of the public. Conclusions: The continued provision of mental health service and educational campaigns about effective stress and mental health management is warranted

Prevalence and Potential Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Resistance in Qatar

Global COVID-19 pandemic containment necessitates understanding the risk of hesitance or resistance to vaccine uptake in different populations. The Middle East and North Africa currently lack vital representative vaccine hesitancy data. We conducted the first representative national phone survey among the adult population of Qatar, between December 2020 and January 2021, to estimate the prevalence and identify potential determinants of vaccine willingness: acceptance (strongly agree), resistance (strongly disagree), and hesitance (somewhat agree, neutral, somewhat disagree). Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression models estimated associations between willingness groups and fifteen variables. In the total sample, 42.7% (95% CI: 39.5-46.1) were accepting, 45.2% (95% CI: 41.9-48.4) hesitant, and 12.1% (95% CI: 10.1-14.4) resistant. Vaccine resistant compared with hesistant and accepting groups reported no endorsement source will increase vaccine confidence (58.9% vs. 5.6% vs. 0.2%, respectively). Female gender, Arab ethnicity, migrant status/type, and vaccine side-effects concerns were associated with hesitancy and resistance. COVID-19 related bereavement, infection, and quarantine status were not significantly associated with any willingness group. Absence of or lack of concern about contracting the virus was solely associated with resistance. COVID-19 vaccine resistance, hesitance, and side-effects concerns are high in Qatar's population compared with those globally. Urgent public health engagement should focus on women, Qataris (non-migrants), and Arab ethnicity

Prevalence and potential determinants of covid-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance in qatar: Results from a nationally representative survey of qatari nationals and migrants between december 2020 and january 2021

Global COVID-19 pandemic containment necessitates understanding the risk of hesitance or resistance to vaccine uptake in different populations. The Middle East and North Africa currently lack vital representative vaccine hesitancy data. We conducted the first representative national phone survey among the adult population of Qatar, between December 2020 and January 2021, to estimate the prevalence and identify potential determinants of vaccine willingness: acceptance (strongly agree), resistance (strongly disagree), and hesitance (somewhat agree, neutral, somewhat disagree). Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression models estimated associations between willingness groups and fifteen variables. In the total sample, 42.7% (95% CI: 39.5-46.1) were accepting, 45.2% (95% CI: 41.9-48.4) hesitant, and 12.1% (95% CI: 10.1-14.4) resistant. Vaccine resistant compared with hesistant and accepting groups reported no endorsement source will increase vaccine confidence (58.9% vs. 5.6% vs. 0.2%, respectively). Female gender, Arab ethnicity, migrant status/type, and vaccine side-effects concerns were associated with hesitancy and resistance. COVID-19 related bereavement, infection, and quarantine status were not significantly associated with any willingness group. Absence of or lack of concern about contracting the virus was solely associated with resistance. COVID-19 vaccine resistance, hesitance, and side-effects concerns are high in Qatar's population compared with those globally. Urgent public health engagement should focus on women, Qataris (non-migrants), and those of Arab ethnicity.Funding: The study received an Emergency Response Grant Fund from Qatar University (QUERG-CAS-2020-1).Scopu

Detection of Antinuclear Antibodies Targeting Intracellular Signal Transduction, Metabolism, Apoptotic Processes and Cell Death in Critical COVID-19 Patients

Background and Objectives: The heterogeneity of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) lies within its diverse symptoms and severity, ranging from mild to lethal. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a leading cause of mortality in COVID-19 patients, characterized by a hyper cytokine storm. Autoimmunity is proposed to occur as a result of COVID-19, given the high similarity of the immune responses observed in COVID-19 and autoimmune diseases. Here, we investigate the level of autoimmune antibodies in COVID-19 patients with different severities. Results: Initial screening for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) IgG using ELISA revealed that 1.58% (2/126) and 4% (5/126) of intensive care unit (ICU) COVID-19 cases expressed strong and moderate ANA levels, respectively. An additional sample was positive with immunofluorescence assays (IFA) screening. However, all the non-ICU cases (n=273) were ANA negative using both assays. Samples positive for ANA were further confirmed with large-scale autoantibody screening by phage immunoprecipitation-sequencing (PhIP-Seq). The majority of the ANA-positive samples showed "speckled" ANA pattern by microscopy and revealed autoantibody specificities that targeted proteins involved in intracellular signal transduction, metabolism, apoptotic processes, and cell death by PhIP-Seq; further denoting reactivity to nuclear and cytoplasmic antigens. Conclusion: Our results further support the notion of routine screening for autoimmune responses in COVID-19 patients, which might help improve disease prognosis and patient management. Further, results provide compelling evidence that ANA-positive individuals should be excluded from being donors for convalescent plasma therapy in the context of COVID-19.This study was supported by funds from QNRF, grant # NPRP11S-1212-170092

Markers Associated with COVID-19 Susceptibility, Resistance, and Severity

In December 2019, the latest member of the coronavirus family, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in Wuhan, China, leading to the outbreak of an unusual viral pneumonia known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 was then declared as a pandemic in March 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO). The initial mortality rate of COVID-19 declared by WHO was 2%; however, this rate has increased to 3.4% as of 3 March 2020. People of all ages can be infected with SARS-CoV-2, but those aged 60 or above and those with underlying medical conditions are more prone to develop severe symptoms that may lead to death. Patients with severe infection usually experience a hyper pro-inflammatory immune reaction (i.e., cytokine storm) causing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which has been shown to be the leading cause of death in COVID-19 patients. However, the factors associated with COVID-19 susceptibility, resistance and severity remain poorly understood. In this review, we thoroughly explore the correlation between various host, viral and environmental markers, and SARS-CoV-2 in terms of susceptibility and severity

دراسة التركيب النسيجي وكيمياء النسيج للقناة الهضمية للزاحف شبيه الديدان "دبلوميتوبون زاروديني " (الحرشفيات )

The structure of the digestive tract of Diplometopon zarudnyi was studied by means of light microscopic histology and PAS reaction. The oesophagus is lined with stratified columnar epithelium while the stomach is lined with mucous columnar epithelium. The small intestine is lined with brush-border absorptive columnar cells and goblet cells, while the large intestine is lined with mucous pyramidal cells and larger goblet cells with an extreme layer of mucin lining. The oesophageal and gastric mucosae are uniformly PAS positive . In both the large and small intestine, goblet cells are normal with large amounts of mucin granules. The muscular layer varies in structure being only longitudinal in the oesophagus, thin longitudinal and circular in stomach and more thick in the large intestine.يعتبر "دبلوميتويون زاروديني" من الزواحف شبيهة الديدان المعروفة في البيئة القطرية باسم "النادوس"، وقد أجريت دراسة بالمجهر الضوئي للتركيب النسيجي وكذلك تفاعل حمض البيرأيوديك وكاشف شيف . وقد لوحظ أن مخاطية المريء تتكون من طلائية عمودية مصففة بينما مخاطية المعدة خلايا طلائية عمودية مخاطية . كما وجدت الخلايا الامتصاصية ذات الحواف الفرجونية والغدد الكأسية في مخاطية الأمعاء الدقيقة ، وفي الأمعاء الغليظة لوحظ وجود مخاطية هرمية الشكل وعدد كبير من الغدد الكأسية مع طبقة محددة بوضوح من المواد المخاطية . كما أظهرت خلايا المريء والمعدة تفاعل إجابي بصورة موحدة مع تفاعل البيرأيوديك وكاشف شيف بينما تميزت الغدد الكأسية بكميات كبيرة من عديدات التسكر المخاطية شديدة التفاعل . تراوحت الطبقة العضلية بين الألياف الطولية فقط في المريء والطولية والعرضية الرقيقة في المعدة ، بينما تميزت الأمعاء الغليظة بوجود طبقتين سميكتين من الألياف الطولية والعرضية