Breathing Clean Air: Navigating Indoor Air Purification Techniques and Finding the Ideal Solution

The prevalence of airborne pathogens in indoor environments presents significant health risks due to prolonged human occupancy. This review addresses diverse air purification systems to combat airborne pathogens and the factors influencing their efficacy. Indoor aerosols, including bioaerosols, harbor biological contaminants from respiratory emissions, highlighting the need for efficient air disinfection strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the dangers of airborne transmission, highlighting the importance of comprehending how pathogens spread indoors. Various pathogens, from viruses like SARS-CoV-2 to bacteria like Mycobacterium (My) tuberculosis, exploit unique respiratory microenvironments for transmission, necessitating targeted air purification solutions. Air disinfection methods encompass strategies to reduce aerosol concentration and inactivate viable bioaerosols. Techniques like ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), photocatalytic oxidation (PCO), filters, and unipolar ion emission are explored for their specific roles in mitigating airborne pathogens. This review examines air purification systems, detailing their operational principles, advantages, and limitations. Moreover, it elucidates key factors influencing system performance. In conclusion, this review aims to provide practical knowledge to professionals involved in indoor air quality management, enabling informed decisions for deploying efficient air purification strategies to safeguard public health in indoor environments.This research was funded by Qatar Petroleum grant number QPH3P-BRC-2021-604, and the same grant funded the APC

Urine Tests for Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases and Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens

The relation between disease and urine was recognized by physicians since the earliest civilization BC. Urine is considered an ideal diagnostic specimen for its noninvasive and easy method of collection. Urinalysis encompasses a wide range of tests, which includes a variety of chemical tests, urine microscopy, bacterial cultures, and molecular tests. Importantly, urine tests can diagnose patients with antibiotic-resistant urinary tract infections (UTI), directly from urine and/or bacterial culture. This chapter summarizes the most common urine tests in the infectious disease field, with a special focus on diagnosing UTI and characterizing their antibiotic resistant. In addition to describing the advantages and limitation of these tests, the chapter explores the promising emerging technologies and methods in this field. This chapter is beneficial for scientists and healthcare workers in the field

A novel in ovo model to study cancer metastasis using chicken embryos and GFP expressing cancer cells.

Cancer metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. To date, several in vitro methodologies have been developed to understand the mechanisms of cancer metastasis and to screen various therapeutic agents against it. Nevertheless, mimicking an in vivo microenvironment in vitro is not possible; while in vivo experiments are complex, expensive and bound with several regulatory requirements. Herein, we report a novel in ovo model that relies on chicken embryo to investigate cancer cell invasion and metastasis to various organs of the body. In this model, we directly inject green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressing cancer cells to the heart of chicken embryo at 3 days of incubation, then monitor cell migration to various organs. To this end, we used a simple tissue processing technique to achieve rapid imaging and quantification of invasive cells. We were able to clearly observe the migration of GFP expressing cancer cells into various organs of chicken embryo. Organ specific variation in cell migration was also observed. Our new slide pressing based tissue processing technique improved the detectability of migrated cells. We herein demonstrate that the use of GFP expressing cancer cells allows easy detection and quantification of migrated cancer cells in the chicken embryo model, which minimizes the time and effort required in this types of studies compared to conventional histopathological analysis. In conclusion, our investigation provides a new cancer metastasis model that can be further improved to include more complex aspects, such as the use of multiple cell lines and anti-metastatic agents, thus opening new horizons in cancer biology and pharmaceutical research

Canagliflozin exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in the heart and skin tissues: Biochemical and histopathological assessment in a model of accelerated aging induced by D-galactose in mice

Canagliflozin was assessed for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects as an anti-aging drug in animal models. 50 Swiss albino male mice were divided into five groups; all groups received their intervention using gastric gavage; group 1 received normal saline for 14 weeks; group 2 received induction by D-galactose 200 mg/kg/day for seven weeks; and group 3 to 5 received the same induction for seven weeks, followed by another seven weeks of investigated drugs; group 3 received Vitamin C (100 mg/kg/day); group 4 received canagliflozin (3 mg/kg/day); and group 5 received canagliflozin (1 mg/kg/day). At the end of 14 weeks, all animals were euthanasiad, and heart and skin tissue were harvested for further analysis. Canagliflozin at both 1 and 3 mg/kg was successful in reducing the levels of inflammatory mediators (TNF-alpha and IL6), reducing levels of MDA, increasing the levels of SOD, and increasing the levels of collagen-1 and elastin in skin tissue. Additionally, 3 mg/kg Canagliflozin showed a better effect compared to 1 mg/kg regarding its effect on IL6, SOD, and elastin. Histopathologically, treatment with both doses of Canagliflozin attenuates abnormalities induced by D-galactose (bizarre, irregular, and hyperchromatic nuclei). Canagliflozin exhibits potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in living organisms, effectively prevents cardiac and skin damage generated by D-galactose, and possibly reduces aging

Mathematics teachers’ practices in light of the effective teaching practices

Recognising the pivotal role of effective teaching practices in enhancing student learning outcomes, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has outlined a comprehensive framework of key strategies. However, empirical research on these practices remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the extent to which mathematics teachers apply NCTM-identified effective teaching practices and examine potential differences attributable to teachers' gender and teaching experience. Adopting a quantitative approach and employing a descriptive survey, the study systematically assessed eight designated practices using a validated observation checklist in the Jazan Education Administration, observing 38 mathematics teachers during routine classes. The results indicated a moderate level of implementation overall, with ten practices demonstrating high application. Statistical analyses found no significant differences in practice implementation based on gender or teaching experience at the .05 level. The limitations included the study's relatively small sample size, potentially limiting generalisability, and the observational nature of the checklist, which may not fully capture nuanced teaching dynamics. Future research could focus on developing training initiatives to enhance educators' application of NCTM-recommended practices and undertake qualitative inquiries to understand barriers to integration and teachers' attitudes towards these practices. Finally, this study contributes to the discourse on effective mathematics teaching by providing empirical insights into current practices and highlighting avenues for further investigation and professional development in educational settings

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by direct RT-qPCR on nasopharyngeal specimens without extraction of viral RNA.

To circumvent the limited availability of RNA extraction reagents, we aimed to develop a protocol for direct RT-qPCR to detect SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal swabs without RNA extraction. Nasopharyngeal specimens positive for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses collected in universal viral transport (UVT) medium were pre-processed by several commercial and laboratory-developed methods and tested by RT-qPCR assays without RNA extraction using different RT-qPCR master mixes. The results were compared to that of standard approach that involves RNA extraction. Incubation of specimens at 65°C for 10 minutes along with the use of TaqPath™ 1-Step RT-qPCR Master Mix provides higher analytical sensitivity for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA than many other conditions tested. The optimized direct RT-qPCR approach demonstrated a limit of detection of 6.6x103 copy/ml and high reproducibility (co-efficient of variation = 1.2%). In 132 nasopharyngeal specimens submitted for SARS-CoV-2 testing, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of our optimized approach were 95%, 99% and 98.5%, respectively, with reference to the standard approach. Also, the RT-qPCR CT values obtained by the two methods were positively correlated (Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0.6971, p = 0.0013). The rate of PCR inhibition by the direct approach was 8% compared to 9% by the standard approach. Our simple approach to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA by direct RT-qPCR may help laboratories continue testing for the virus despite reagent shortages or expand their testing capacity in resource limited settings

Trends in Bacterial and Candida Infections Before and Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)virus, resulted in significant global health consequences. The interventions introduced to limit the spread of the virus had a significant impact on the course of the pandemic, but they might also involve other pathogens besides SARS-CoV-2. This study investigates the epidemiological variations for major bacterial and common fungal pathogens represented by Candida species infection in Qatar through retrospective hospital records. Retrospective data were collected on all bacterial and Candida infections from Hamad General Hospital between January 2019 and December 2021. Statistical analyses were performed using R (Version 4.1.0). Infection count comparisons were performed using chi-square goodness of fit tests. Differences in patient numbers were tested with one-way ANOVA followed by post hoc Tukey HSD. The number of infections and measures were correlated using Spearman rank correlation. The significance level was set at 0.05, and where applicable, the Holm–Bonferroni method was used to correct for multiple testing. The general trend for bacterial and Candida infections showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) following the imposed restrictions and increases during restriction lifting periods. The number of bacterial infections correlated with the number of international visitors (ρ = 0.61, p < 0.01), while the number of Candida infections correlated with hospital admissions of COVID-19 patients (ρ = 0.59, p = 0.013). The results provide a general overview of the infection trends in Qatar during the COVID-19 pandemic and illustrate some of the pandemic interventions’ effects on bacterial and Candida infections. However, further research is needed to better understand the underlying trend dynamics

Effects of neratinib on angiogenesis and the early stage of the embryo using chicken embryo as a model

Angiogenesis is the process of forming new blood capillaries from pre-existing vessels. Even though it is essential during normal development, it plays a major role in cancer progression. Neratinib is a pan-human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) inhibitor that has recently been approved for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. However, its effects on angiogenesis and embryogenesis remain unknown. This study examined the antiangiogenic effects of neratinib using the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of chicken embryos. We also evaluated neratinib’s toxicity during the early stages of normal development using the chicken embryos, primary embryonic fibroblasts (EFBs), and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Our findings revealed that neratinib significantly inhibited the CAM angiogenesis compared to controls by reducing vessel percentage area and the average vessel length. Furthermore, neratinib downregulated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a key mediator of angiogenesis. At lower concentrations, neratinib was well-tolerated during early stages of normal development. Additionally, EFBs treated with neratinib showed no morphological or viability changes when compared to controls. However, at the highest concentration tested, neratinib treatment reduced HUVEC cell viability. This effect may be associated with the dysregulation of key apoptotic genes, including caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, and the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) gene. Our findings indicate a novel potential application of neratinib as an antiangiogenic agent, exhibiting tolerable toxicity in the early stages of embryogenesis

Validation of Selected Commercial Serological Assays for Diagnosis of COVID-19

As researchers around the globe rush to put the available antibody tests to use, concerns have been raised about their precision. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the performance of selected commercial & automated serological assays, that are widely used in different clinical settings in Qatar. We validated the performance of five commercial IgG and IgM ELISA kits, three fully automated immunoassays, and two commercial rapid tests. The sensitivity of all assays was compared to RT-PCR and a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT). In addition, cross-reactivity was investigated. Among the evaluated kits, Lionex IgG assaydemonstrated the best performance (~88% sensitivity and ~99 specificity). All automated assays showed an excellent correlation with the neutralization test with an overall agreement of 93.6-98.5%. The rapid assays demonstrated a very good performance in detecting IgG antibodies (86.0-88.0% sensitivity and 98.0-100% specificity)

E-Cigarette Liquid Provokes Significant Embryotoxicity and Inhibits Angiogenesis.

E-cigarette smoking (ECS) is a new method of tobacco smoking that is gaining popularity as it is thought to be a "healthy method" of tobacco consumption. The adverse outcomes of ECS on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems in humans have been recently demonstrated. Nevertheless, the effect of e-cigarette liquid (ECL) on the early stage of embryogenesis and angiogenesis has not been explored yet. Chicken embryo at 3 days of incubation and its chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of 5 days were used to explore the outcome of ECL on the embryo. Real-time PCR was also employed to study the regulation of a set of key controller genes of embryogenesis as well as angiogenesis. Our study revealed that ECL exposure is associated with a high rate of mortality in embryos as around 70% of treated embryos, at 3 days of incubation, die after 5 days of exposure. Additionally, ECL inhibits angiogenesis of the CAM of 5 days of incubation by more than 30%. These effects could be explained by the upregulation of , and as well as the downregulation of and genes, which are important key controller genes of embryogenesis as well as angiogenesis. Our data suggest clearly that ECS can have dramatic toxic outcomes on the early stage of embryogenesis as well as angiogenesis. Accordingly, we believe that further studies to assess the effects of ECS on human health are essential.A-E-A.M’s lab is supported by grants from the Qatar University: QUHI-CMED-19/20-1, GCC # 2017- 002 QU/KU, and QUST-1-CMED-2020-2