Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference Proceedings Volume 2016 Issue 1

Selenium is associated with insulin resistance and may therefore affect endothelial function, increasing type II diabetes risk and associated cardiovascular-disease risk. However the underpinning molecular mechanisms involved are not clear. High selenium doses cause apoptosis in some cancer cells through the induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, a mechanism also involved in the pathogenesis of insu Read More

Background and Objective Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by abnormalities in social interaction and communication skills, in addition to stereotypic behaviors and restricted activities and interests. Autism prevalence has dramatically increased from 1 case per 5000 children in the early 1980’s to1 case per 68 children as of 2015. A recent pilot study on the demographic distribution of children with aut Read More

Background Cancer treatments are frequently associated with adverse effects, but there may be a cultural reluctance by care providers to be forthcoming with patients regarding these risks for fear of promoting non-adherence. Conversely, research in a number of countries indicates high levels of patient desire for this information. We sought to pharmacist and nurse views and experiences in educating patients regarding t Read More

Background There is no longer a question as to whether viruses contribute to the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D), as we recently reviewed, but rather how they contribute and, in particular, the role of viral diversity and evolution in the disease process. The recent finding of enterovirus (EV) capsid protein VP1 in pancreatic autopsy samples from the JDRF Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD) suppor Read More

Hypertension prevalence around the world has risen over the last few years. The gulf countries has become one of the most affected countries in the world. Saudi Arabia only estimated that 24% of the current population is suffering from hypertension. This has been attributed to elements such as lack of proper management systems for hypertension and inadequate education systems in the region. In addition to this health prob Read More

Introduction and Objectives Engineering living tissues or organs critically depends on the use of scaffolds to attract, house and instruct host cells. To achieve this, the scaffolds need to be functionalised using different strategies. One of these strategies relies on the use designer peptides to decorate scaffolds. Peptide linkers have shown increasing importance in the production of bioactive materials for various biological appli Read More

The state of health of the elderly members of society and the fact that most of this group of persons either live alone or with family creates a need for constant monitoring as they are often times left alone for the greater part of the day when their hosts or family members have to go to work. The most common cause of death among the aged is heart related. Heath related medical emergencies range from heart attacks to str Read More

Background Influenza is a highly infectious but preventable viral illness. Influenza vaccine remain the cornerstone of prevention, WHO encourages annual influenza vaccinations for all children and youth ≥ 6 months of age and those who have chronic illness at risk for the development of complications. Vaccinating pediatricians will reduce their risk of getting the flu and could potentially prevent illness in patients; their posit Read More

There have been dramatic increases in the prevalence of allergic conditions throughout the world. Until recently conditions such as allergic asthma and rhinitis, and life-threatening anaphylaxis were relatively rare in Qatar and the Gulf states, but the proportion of the population affected now seem to be approaching the high levels of many Western countries. There is a pressing need for better means for effective diagnosis, fo Read More

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic condition that emerged as serious medical, social and economic problem worldwide. Qatar was ranked by the IDF among the top 10 countries in the world with the highest prevalence of T2D that exceeds 20%. The causes of T2D are multiple but the contribution of genetic is well recognized. So far, large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 80 sus Read More