Khalifa University Research Articles

Perspectives of social policies and programs in the post-COVID-19 era

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Qatar 2021 National Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour: A descriptive review

Background: Regular physical activity (PA) is an effective preventative measure for diverse health risks among all age groups 1. Global PA guidelines provide recommendations on the required levels for active lifestyle based on evidence-based behavioral benchmarks to increase awareness and reduce overall morbidity and mortality rates 2. The Qatar National Physical Activity Guidelines (QNPAG) were first developed in 2014. The recently released QNPAG-2021 provides an updated evidence-based practical guide on PA prescription for practitioners, physicians, educators, and individuals who wish to engage in regular PA. This review aims to provide a summary of how the second QNPAG was developed. Methods: QNPAG was developed by Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in collaboration with key stakeholders in Qatar; such as the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar University, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, Naufar and others. The steering committee formed a technical advisory group of local and international sport medicine scientists, epidemiologists, and public health experts. Recent literature and global guidelines were evaluated and synthesized. Specific health outcomes and population groups were then proposed taking into consideration the prevalence of diseases, culture, and geographical location. Results: Three main chapters were added on PA benefits and sedentary behavior-associated risks for healthy population; people with medical conditions; and people with special challenging conditions. QNPAG 2021 included additional sections on pandemics, outbreaks and quarantine; humidity and air pollution; substance use; and locations for PA in Qatar. Other topics were added targeting obesity, osteoporosis, cancer, disabilities, mental health disorders, and down's syndrome. Detailed exercise prescription (Frequency/Intensity/Time/Type), and relevant examples were provided together with safety tips. Conclusion: The updated QNPAG is expected to raise awareness and help increase PA levels in Qatar. However, more emphasis on PA recommendations and strategical implementation is required through promotion, practice, and policies within the different sectors in the country.

Enhancing Lifetime of 1U/2U CubeSat Electric Power System With Distributed Architecture and Power-Down Mode

The successful mission of CubeSat require reliable and fault-tolerant electrical power system (EPS) that powers all the other subsystems and payloads. Several studies have shown that EPS failure has been one of the main contributors for the CubeSat mission failure. The main objective of this paper is to enhance the lifetime of CubeSats EPS by proposing a distributed EPS architecture and power-down mode. The distributed architecture consists of independent converters for maximum power point tracking operation of photovoltaic (PV) panels. This is possible by using gallium nitride field-effect transistors to reduce the converter footprint and placing the converters on the back-side of the PV panels. Also, single-inductor based <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N$</tex-math></inline-formula>-1 redundant converters for generation and load-side are proposed to provide uninterrupted operation during component failures. Thus, the proposed distributed architecture not only improves the reliability but also facilitates placement of redundant converters to achieve the fault-tolerant capability. To further reduce the electrical and thermal stresses on the semiconductor devices and thus, improve the EPS life span, a novel power-down mode is proposed for the power converters. In this mode, semiconductor devices are switched-<small>off</small> whenever the power processed is below the threshold level and/or no-load operation. Reliability block diagrams are illustrated to demonstrate the reliability improvement and calculations shows that the proposed distributed architecture has higher reliability than the conventional EPS architecture. All the proposed concepts are validated using a prototype developed based on the specifications of MYSAT-1, which is an 1U CubeSat launched by Khalifa University.

Khalifa University of Science and Technology

Khalifa University of Science and Technology

Guest editorial for special issue on potential energy solutions

Investigation of potential energy solutions paves the way for a more sustainable future by addressing the energy-related climate change effects. This special issue on “Potential Energy Solutions” contains numerous papers selected from the 12th International Exergy, Energy, and Environment Symposium (IEEES-12), which was virtually organized during December 20 to 24, 2020 by Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar. This version of the IEEES series has been marked to be the first virtual symposium under COVID-19 circumstances. This conference was a multi-disciplinary international conference in the areas of sustainable energy and environment including several aspects such as materials, renewables, energy applications, simulations, and optimization. IEEES-12 aimed to provide a forum for the exchange of technical information, dissemination of high-quality research results, presentation of new policy and scientific developments, and promoting future priorities for better environmental, energetic, technical, and social sustainability. Distinguished researchers around the world delivered numerous keynotes and invited talks to present the recent advances on the topics of Energy-Climate Change-Sustainability triangle, Hydrogen and Natural Gas, Photovoltaics, Renewable Energy, and Desalination. After successfully completing the conference, selected papers were asked to be extended and submitted to the prestigious International Journal of Energy Research. After a rigorous peer-review process, they were accepted for publication. In this special issue, these selected publications are included covering multiple topics such as heat transfer of nanofluids, machine learning algorithms for irradiation prediction, parabolic trough collector, molten carbonate fuel cell, nanocomposites, solar cells, electric vehicle charging stations, hybrid energy systems, nuclear energy, lithium−sulfur batteries, thermal energy storage, thermoelectric materials, vanadium flow battery, antireflective coatings for solar cells, and many more. I take this opportunity to warmly thank the symposium founding chair of IEEES-12 and the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Energy Research, Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Dincer, the editorial team of Wiley, keynote and invited speakers, all contributing authors, reviewers, organizing committee members, international scientific committee members, national and international sponsors for their efforts that have made this special issue a true success.

JEMTAC: Two Years Later

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Genome-wide association study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the United Arab Emirates.

BackgroundThe heterogeneity in symptomatology and phenotypic profile attributable to COVID-19 is widely unknown. The objective of this manuscript is to conduct a trans-ancestry genome wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of COVID-19 severity to improve the understanding of potentially causal targets for SARS-CoV-2.MethodsThis cross-sectional study recruited 646 participants in the UAE that were divided into two phenotypic groups based on the severity of COVID-19 phenotypes, hospitalized (n=482) and non-hospitalized (n=164) participants. Hospitalized participants were COVID-19 patients that developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia or progression to respiratory failure that required supplemental oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation support or had severe complications such as septic shock or multi-organ failure. We conducted a trans-ancestry meta-analysis GWAS of European (n=302), American (n=102), South Asian (n=99), and East Asian (n=107) ancestry populations. We also carried out comprehensive post-GWAS analysis, including enrichment of SNP associations in tissues and cell-types, expression quantitative trait loci and differential expression analysis.FindingsEight genes demonstrated a strong association signal: VWA8 gene in locus 13p14·11 (SNP rs10507497; p=9·54 x10-7), PDE8B gene in locus 5q13·3 (SNP rs7715119; p=2·19 x10-6), CTSC gene in locus 11q14·2 (rs72953026; p=2·38 x10-6), THSD7B gene in locus 2q22·1 (rs7605851; p=3·07x10-6), STK39 gene in locus 2q24·3 (rs7595310; p=4·55 x10-6), FBXO34 gene in locus 14q22·3 (rs10140801; p=8·26 x10-6), RPL6P27 gene in locus 18p11·31 (rs11659676; p=8·88 x10-6), and METTL21C gene in locus 13q33·1 (rs599976; p=8·95 x10-6). The genes are expressed in the lung, associated to tumour progression, emphysema, airway obstruction, and surface tension within the lung, as well as an association to T-cell-mediated inflammation and the production of inflammatory cytokines.InterpretationWe have discovered eight highly plausible genetic association with hospitalized cases in COVID-19. Further studies must be conducted on worldwide population genetics to facilitate the development of population specific therapeutics to mitigate this worldwide challenge.FundingThis review was commissioned as part of a project to study the host cell receptors of coronaviruses funded by Khalifa University's CPRA grant (Reference number 2020-004).

Competition between Chiral Energy and Chiral Damping in the Asymmetric Expansion of Magnetic Bubbles

AG gratefully acknowledges the support from Khalifa University, UAE and PSE Division, KAUST, Saudi Arabia. In addition, GD and AG acknowledge the support of the Khalifa University internal funding FSU-2020-08 (8474000233).

Technology Focus: Hydraulic Fracturing Modeling (November 2021)

In the past decades, the success of unconventional hydrocarbon resource development can be attributed primarily to the improved understanding of fracture systems, including both hydraulically induced fractures and natural fracture networks. To tackle the fracture characterization problem, several recent papers have provided novel insights into fracture modeling technique. Because of the complex nature and heterogeneity of rock discontinuity, fabric, and texture, the fracture-modeling process typically suffers from limited data availability. Research shows that modeling results reached without interrogation of high-resolution petrophysical and geomechanical data can mislead because the fluid flow is actually controlled by fine-scale rock properties. A more-reliable fracture geometry can be obtained from an enhanced modeling process that preserves the signature from high-frequency data. Advanced techniques to model fracturing processes with proppant transportation and thermodynamics require even more-sophisticated simulation and computation power. When the subsurface is too puzzling to be described by a physical model and existing data, machine learning and artificial intelligence can be adapted as a practical alternative to interpret complex fracture systems. Taking a discrete fracture network (DFN) as an example, a data-driven approach has been introduced to learn from outcrop, borehole imaging, core computed tomography scan, and seismic data to recognize stratigraphic bedding, faults, subseismic fractures, and hydraulic fractures. Input data can be collected by hand, 3D stereophotogrammetry, or drone. When upscaling DFN into a coarse grid for reservoir simulation, deep-learning techniques such as convolutional neuron networks can be used to populate fracture properties into a dual-porosity/dual-permeability model approved to yield high accuracy compared with a fine-grid model. Furthermore, the new techniques greatly extend the application of fracture modeling in the arena of the energy transition, such as in geothermal optimization. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. SPE 203927 - Numerical Simulation of Proppant Transport in Hydraulically Fractured Reservoirs by Seyhan Emre Gorucu, Computer Modelling Group, et al. SPE 202679 - Deep-Learning Approach To Predict Rheological Behavior of Supercritical CO2 Foam Fracturing Fluid Under Different Operating Conditions by Shehzad Ahmed, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, et al. SPE 203983 - A 3D Coupled Thermal/Hydraulic/Mechanical Model Using EDFM and XFEM for Hydraulic-Fracture-Dominated Geothermal Reservoirs by Xiangyu Yu, Colorado School of Mines, et al.

Acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination among health care workers: a cross-sectional survey in Morocco

ABSTRACT Introduction This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination among health care workers prior to the start of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Morocco. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Cheikh Khalifa University Hospital of Casablanca-Morocco. Utilizing a web-based platform surveys were distributed over a 3-week period via professional mailing list and social media. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated by using logistic regression models. Results A total of 303 health care workers participated in this study. The results showed a relatively high rate of vaccination acceptability (62.0%) among health care workers included in this study. Participants were more likely to accept the COVID-19 vaccine if they were physician, nurse, or technician (OR 1.79; 95% CI: 1.09–2.95), had high score of confidence in the information circulating about COVID-19 (OR 1.91; 95% CI: 1.36–2.69), or had high score of perceived severity of COVID-19 (OR 1.55; 95% CI: 1.11–2.15). Reasons of hesitation/or refusal of COVID-19 vaccine were fear of the likely side effects of the vaccine for 74.8% of participants, and concern about the effectiveness of the vaccine for 47.8%. Conclusion This study showed a relatively high rate of the COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among health care workers in Morocco. Willingness to be vaccinated was significantly associated with job category, confidence in the information circulating about COVID-19, and perceived severity of COVID-19. These results could be useful in the development of educational interventions to increase the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among health care workers in Morocco and similar settings.

Use of corticosteroids in COVID-19 patients vs. acute respiratory distress syndrome of other etiologies: Are there any differences?

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Physical and mental health aspects in COVID-19: Two sides of a coin

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Pharmacological management of psychiatric agitation in COVID-19 hospitalized patients

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Perceptions on Genetic and Genome Screening among College Students in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi

Introduction: Genetic testing is playing a greater part in contemporary medical practice. The ability of high throughput and parallel detection of variants that could predict the possibility of developing genetic diseases and to deliver personalized health care for individuals is slowly but most certainly gaining traction. This study was conceived to investigate the knowledge level and degree of awareness among youth in the United Arab Emirates, on the role of genetic testing in society, and the delivery of health care. Methods: Data from individuals were collected, and statistical analyses were performed to assess whether or not there were differences in people’s attitude toward genetic testing, depending on variables such as age, gender, and prior knowledge of genetic testing. Volunteers were recruited at the main campus of Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi via walk-ins to the recruitment desk or via an email which was circulated to both the staff and student population of the university. The survey that was circulated through email was also shared with friends and family, and through social media, to try to capture a larger and more diverse demographic population. Results: Results found that most of the participants were aware of genetic testing and showed a positive attitude toward the technology. However, there was an apparent lack of knowledge and understanding of regarding certain genetic concepts, such as the alternate sources of obtaining genetic information other than blood samples. The mean knowledge score was 6.3 ± 1.9 out of 9, and mean attitude score was 3.6 ± 1.3 out of 6. The main factors that affected knowledge and attitude were gender and prior knowledge of genetic testing. Conclusion: This study used surveys as an effective tool to evaluate the general knowledge of genetic testing of the general public. It is recommended to embed genetic topics in schools and universities to further increase people’s awareness regarding genetic testing.

Libraries and misleading information: a new approach to serving the society

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Cardiovascular risk assessment for patients with serious mental illnesses: An internal review.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of excess premature mortality among patients with serious mental illness (SMI), mainly because of higher cardiovascular risk and metabolic syndrome compared to the general population.1,2 A pertinent contributing factor is second-generation antipsychotics, which further negatively impact the cardiovascular risk burden, amounting to a significant clinical and public health challenge among patients with SMI.3 Qatar has a high metabolic syndrome prevalence of 26%, and the blood pressure of patients with SMI receiving antipsychotics is significantly higher.4 In 2019, the Pharmacy Department of Mental Health Services at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in Doha, Qatar flagged four moderately and one mildly severe cases of adverse drug reaction secondary to antipsychotics. In response to above mentioned incidents, this quality improvement (QI) project was conducted in an acute inpatient male ward from November 2019 to June 2020 in the Psychiatry Hospital of Hamad Medical Corporation to implement a cardiovascular risk assessment for inpatients with SMI.The atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk estimator was used to estimate the 10-year risk of CVD, and inpatients were categorized into low-risk ( < 5%), borderline risk (5%–7.4%), intermediate-risk (7.5%–19.9%), and high risk ( ≥ 20%).5 Patients with SMI above 40 years of age were included. Within 72 hours of admission, the admitting inpatient nurse filled a cardiovascular risk assessment (CVRA) questionnaire, including basic demographics, past and present cardiology and smoking history, laboratory test results such as lipid panel, and renal function tests. This study used an in-depth, semi-structured face-to-face interview as a primary data collection technique. An interview guide was developed to address the purpose. At the end of each assessment, the QI nurse approached the participants again to educate them about the cardiovascular risk result accordingly and explained the required referrals (Cardiology and/or Smoking Cessation). The QI team member calculated the cardiovascular risk by utilizing the ASCVD plus application to determine inpatient cardiovascular risk.Out of 26 inpatients with SMI who underwent CVRA, nine (35%) scored moderate to high risk, and were referred to Cardiology for further intervention. Among these nine patients, two (22%) were started on statin therapy, three (33%) started on aspirin, and the remaining four (44%) received lifestyle modifications advice and counseling. Ten (38%) were referred to a smoking cessation clinic for nicotine replacement therapy and counseling. Table 1 shows the clinical characteristics of patients included in this study. Three inpatient consultations to cardiology were rejected, which shows how health professionals underestimate and stigmatize effective interventions for patient with SMI. In case of comorbidities of two diseases, one of them is known overlooked and this is particularly true for mental illness.6 A cohort study on medical comorbidities in patients with SMIs in Qatar concluded that an evidence of individuals with SMI is less likely to receive standard levels of care for their medical comorbidities.7 Mental health training could help medical health professionals from other specialties improve their understanding on the impact of both psychotropic medications and mental illness in the physical health of people with SMI and address the fear and stigma. Communication improvement between professionals by meaningful discussion of objectives of referral with the patient and contacting the consultant referred to might improve coordination among the referring psychiatrist, physician referred to, and patient.8 Patients who scored high on (ASCVD) assessment and are asymptomatic might benefit from referral to primary health care centers for further assessment by a generalist from whom a referral to other specialty like cardiology might be more easily accepted. From the patients’ perspective, physical health education, and most importantly, cardiovascular risk assessment are now significantly invested. All patients above 40 years old with SMI will undergo a CVRA. Besides, their assigned nurse will work jointly with allied health professionals to educate them about the importance of healthy lifestyle, including healthy diet and staying fit. Tailor-made recommendations will be established, taking into consideration the cardiovascular risk status and antipsychotic medications. Close participation with the clinical pharmacist and dietician will ensure constant psychoeducation about the metabolic side effects of antipsychotic medications. Physiotherapists will identify barriers, if any, for patients to participate in physical activities offered by the ward. Simultaneously, facilitators will include one-to-one contact with staff and work on increasing awareness of the positive impact of physical activity at the departmental level. Leadership involvement is crucial to ensure joint agreement with different specialties, particularly those based in other HMC facilities, such as cardiology and smoking cessation clinics, to accept referrals when required.

A Complete Mission Concept Design and Analysis of the Student-Led CubeSat Project: Light-1

Terrestrial gamma ray flashes (TGF) are intense and prompt bursts of X- and gamma-rays of up to 100 MeV of energy. Typically associated with thunderstorm activity, TGFs are produced by bremsstrahlung effects of electrons accelerated in strong electric fields generated by lightning. TGFs can be effectively targeted by gamma detectors with enhanced time stamping capabilities onboard of satellites operating at near-Earth low obits (LEO). Light-1 is a miniature satellite, a 3U CubeSat designed to detect, monitor and study terrestrial gamma ray flashes in low Earth orbit. The two payload detectors are composed of a photomultiplier tube and silicon photomultipliers. The two detectors are mounted at two ends of the CubeSat and the proposed orientation of the CubeSat will ensure maximum TGF detection probability. To allow an increased frequency of data downlink, Khalifa University has collaborated with NanoAvionics Corp, and hence Light-1 has access to three ground stations situated across the map, Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates, Vilnius in Lithuania, and Aalborg in Denmark. The satellite expected to launch in late-2021 is currently in its assembly and integration phase. This paper describes mission, concept, objectives, success criteria, design, analysis, status, and the future plans of Light-1 satellite.

Understanding environmental epigenomics in autism spectrum disorder: an interview with Farah RZahir.

In this interview, Dr Farah RZahir speaks with Storm Johnson, Commissioning Editor for Epigenomics, on her work to date in the field of epigenomics, autism and intellectual disability. Dr Farah RZahir specializes in the identification of novel genetic and epigenetic causes for neurodevelopmental diseases. Her PhD, awarded in 2011 by the University of British Columbia (UBC), resulted in the characterization of new intellectual disability (ID) syndromes, as well as discovery of several new causative genes for the disorder. She was awarded the prestigious James Miller Memorial Prize for integrating basic and clinical science in 2010. Her PhD dissertation was nominated for the Governor General's gold medal - the highest possible accolade at UBC for doctoral research work. She then completed a postdoctoral tenure in Canada's premier Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, where she used whole-genome-sequencing methods to comprehensively assess genetic, molecularand structural causes for ID, employing several firsts for bioinformatic data mining in the field. During her postdoctorate she won three distinguishedawards and was a fellow of the Canadian Institute of Health Research, ranking in the top 2% nationally. Dr Zahir was appointed as an Assistant Professor at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University in 2016, where she led a group focused on neurogenomics and neuroepigenomics research. She was a foundingmember of the Precision and Genomics Medicine graduate program there. Currently she has rejoined UBC's department of Medical Genetics. Among her most significant achievements is the establishment of the novel Zahir Friedman syndrome, an intellectual disability/autism spectrum disorder syndrome that is caused by a major epigenomic regulator. Her current primary research interest is how epigenomics can be changed by environmental impactsand how these effects may be harnessed for neurodevelopmental disorders' prophylaxis and therapeutics.

Telephone counseling and quitline service: An opportunity for tobacco use cessation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Welcome to the first JEMTAC issue of 2021

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