Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference Proceedings Volume 2016 Issue 1

The Conversion of natural gas into synthetic liquid fuel carried out through a catalytic conversion process, known as the gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology, had a great impact since its discovery. The process utilizes the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) chemistry that was first developed in 1925. Gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuels are synthetic fuels that are intrinsically cleaner than conventional fuels.[1] They are environmentally beni Read More

Abstract Introduction: Of the various devastating diseases triggered by necrotrophic fungi, the diseases caused by following fungi Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani and Rhizectonia solani are of particular economic significance in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) growing countries. Undoubtedly date palm is the most important fruit tree cultivated in Arabian Peninsula. Unfortunately date palm cultivation encounter m Read More

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN has been the tool to performing ground-breaking research in high energy physics. The CMS detector has been built over the last two decades by an international collaboration of scientists from all over the world. Two years after its operation, the two experiments ATLAS and CMS have announced in 2012 the discovery of the Higgs b Read More

Abstract Purpose: The invention relates to the oil industry, inorganic chemistry, in particular, to the methods of complex processing of formation water, using flare gas of oil and gas field as fuel for producing enriched concentrates of iodine, bromine, magnesium and valuable trace elements, as well as desalinated water (technical and drinking water). The technology includes pre-cleaning of formation water from mechanical i Read More

By stepwise refinement on multiple data, the method increases the accuracy of 3D models gradually and effectively. In addition, the mechanisms used in the method for organizing and manipulating information can have an equally important impact upon geologists’ thought, the interpretation of geological data, and 3D modeling methodology. A concrete example of using the method to Huai Bei fault and fold belt shows that th Read More

Solar thermal energy research and utilization is progressing rapidly since it is clean energy and can achieve carbon credits in developed and developing countries. The energy conversion efficiency of most of the solar collectors is low, as much of the energy absorbed by collectors is lost due to transient atmospheric conditions. Reduction of losses and improving the performance of collectors by providing economical soluti Read More

Background: Obesity (BMI ≥  30 kg/m2) is associated with T2 diabetes (40-fold relative risk) and cardiovascular complications. Bariatric surgery is becoming a treatment of choice in obese individuals because of the multiple benefits associated with significant weight loss leading to an improved quality of life and decreased morbidity and mortality, which far out weighs the cost of surgery. A major metabolic benefit is the remissio Read More

Developing effective treatments for neurodegenerative diseases is one of the greatest medical challenges of the 21st century. Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are very common neurological disorders of the elderly (Jankovic et al., 2008). Although many of these clinical entities have been recognized for more than a hundred years, it is only during the past fifteen years that the molecular events th Read More

The liver is the largest internal organ in the human body and performs a broad range of functions. Hepatocytes are the primary cells of liver. They perform many functions, an endocrine function, secretion of most proteins found in the blood plasma including albumin, exocrine functions and secretion of bile into the digestive tract. They are also involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, drug detoxification and storage of Read More

Objective: To explore the perceptions and attitudes about clinical research participation prevalent amongst the general public in State of Qatar. Background: Recruitment into research trials is a major challenge and an ongoing problem for biomedical researchers.1 A recent report indicates that only 6% of eligible subjects actually participate in a clinical trial.2 Costs of low recruitment rates are high. This includes not just loss Read More

Introduction: Tissue engineered heart valves offer a promising alternative for the replacement of diseased heart valves avoiding the limitations faced with currently available bioprosthetic and mechanical heart valves. The aim of the tissue engineering is producing living heart valves that can be used to replace those affected by congenital and acquired disease, especially in younger patients. The central challenge of any tissue Read More

The term epigenetics describes the study of relatively stable changes in gene expression which occur without changes of the DNA sequence. The three best described mechanisms are: 1, cytosine methylation at cytosine-guanine dinucleotides of the DNA; 2, histone modifications (such as acetylation, methylation, and phosphorylation); and 3, micro RNA interference. The interplay between DNA methylation, histone modific Read More

Septrin Objective The primary purpose of this research is to evaluate the risk of hyperkalemia in patients receiving co-trimoxazole. The secondary purpose is to detect the changes of potassium levels from baseline to 7, 14, 21, and 30 days, determine the association between co-trimoxazole dose and potassium level and examine the relationship between renal function and hyperkalemia. Methods The approach was through r Read More

Diabetic Foot in Qatar A primary care Perspective Introduction Diabetes represents a major public health burden in developing countries, especially the Arabian Gulf region, which is going through a rapid socioeconomic transition. Diabetic foot is becoming an escalating problem in Qatar due to the high prevalence of diabetes which is around 16%. Currently, diabetic footcare is disintegrated within the health system resulting in in Read More

Objective This study aimed to assess the adherence and persistence to Calcium and vitamin D, and address the reasons of non-adherence. Methods All patients attending a secondary care rheumatology clinic in a teaching hospital serving a multiethnic population, in the period between April and June fulfill the inclusion criteria. Patients were asked verbally before distributing the question air about the duration and reason Read More

الأهداف: تحدد هذه الدراسة أفضل ممارسة لتسليم المناوبة طبية وتقدم أداة جديدة تستخدم لتسليم المسائل السريرية والتشغيلية في نهاية جميع التحولات والمناوبات في أقسام الطوارئ. الأساليب: تم ومراجعة استعراض التراث الطبي لهذا الموضوع. وبعد المقابلات شبه المنظمة والملاحظات لتسليم المناوبات. مع المشاركين من المقيمين والأخصائيين والاستشاريين و كبار الممرضات. تم التوصل الى عملية موحدة لتسليم المناوبة الطبية في قسم الطوارئ للتعرف على أفضل الممارسات المتفق عليها ، واشتقاق أداة ل Read More

Desert truffles are an obligate hypogenous ectomycorrhizal fungi in association with host plant roots Helianthemum sp. and are of socioeconomically important and naturally grown in the Middle East, North Africa, Southern Europe, Mediterranean countries including Arab Gulf countries. Truffles are edible and a rich source of protein and various chemical compounds and traditionally have been used as folk med Read More

Background Despite the long hours of sunlight in Qatar and other regions of the Middle East, vitamin D deficiency ( < 20 ng/mL) has been rising. There are many factors that affect the synthesis of vitamin D including age, ethnicity, skin pigmentation, anthropometric measures, diet, smoking, physical activity, cholesterol levels, and sunscreen usage. In parallel, the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome has also been i Read More

We analysed the prevalence of helminth infection in a dataset of 31,008 records of subjects referred for stool examination at the Hamad Medical Corporation over the course of a decade (2005 to 2014, inclusive). Overall prevalence of combined helminthe infections was low (1.78%) but there were significant temporal trends, age and sex effects and those arising from region of origin of the subjects. The most common helmint Read More

Objectives and Rationale This paper examines differentials in self-rated health among older adults aged 60 years and more across three impoverished and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in post conflict Lebanon and assesses whether variations are explained by social and economic factors. This study comes to fill a gap in the aging literature for Arab countries and aims to contribute to a better understanding of the s Read More

Nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP) is defined as low back pain not attributed to recognizable, known specific pathology (van Tulder 2006). The global prevalence of activity-limiting LBP was recently estimated to be approximately 39% for lifetime prevalence and 18% for point-prevalence (Hoy et al. 2012). In spite of an enormous increase in the health resources spent on LBP disorders, the disability relating to them continu Read More

Background Patients with type 2 diabetes have an increased prevalence of lipid abnormalities, contributing to their high risk of CVD. Multiple clinical trials have demonstrated significant effects of pharmacological (primarily statin) therapy on CVD outcomes in individual subjects with CHD and for primary CVD prevention. Our aim is to improve documentation of cardiovascular disease risk in medical records of diabetic patients atte Read More

The occurrence of disinfection by-products (DBPs) of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) in drinking water, namely: chlorite, chlorate, and THMs as well as the concentration of ClO2 were investigated. Two hundred ninety four drinking water samples were collected during the time period from March to August 2014. The water samples were collected from seven desalination plants (DPs), four reservoirs and eight mosques distributed in S Read More

Integrating strain sensors into textiles opens new applications. For example when attaching the sensors in the knee or elbow region, the bending angle of the joints can be measured. Such a measurement can be used in sports (e.g. to measure the number of steps and the speed while jogging) or in rehabilitation to give the patient an online feedback whether he practices the injured joint in the appropriate range. Measurement Read More

Reverse addition-fragmentation atom transfer (RAFT) living polymerization, a popular means of preparing coplymers of methacrylate and methyl methacrylate with narrowly defined size distributions and architectures, can readily be performed in sub-mililiter quantities in the absence of stirring, yielding biocompatible materials with excellent yields and low PDI values, and a linear molecular weight response curve extendi Read More

Objective To determine the causing association of the cigarettes smoking (measured by cotinine level in the seminal plasma) on the immunologic inflammatory markers (PMN-elastase, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and leukocytospermia) in seminal fluid (SF) of unexplained infertile men. Materials and Methods Tow hundred-thirty six unexplained infertile men, one hundred fourteen smoking and ninety six non-smokers wer Read More

Introduction Culture has been defined as: “a tradition of knowledge and practice that is shared, albeit imperfectly, across the members of a society and across its generations” [Zou et al 2009]. It shapes people's experiences and their emotional reactions [Gard et al 2005], including their understandings of what it means to be healthy, the meanings of symptoms, attitudes towards disability and treatment, and coping strat Read More

Aims Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a disease that mainly affects young mans. It is characterized by striated muscle disorder. DMD is associated with depressed heart pump function resulting from a down regulation of the left ventricular (LV) contractility. However, its effects on myofilament structure and function are poorly understood. A healthy heart is characterized by gradient of contractility spanning through Read More

Background Anemia is the most common hematologic abnormality that a pediatrician encounters in clinical practice. Alpha-Thalassemia (a-thal) is widely reported in the Arabian Peninsula as one of the main causes ofasymptomatic microcytic hypochromic red blood cells with or without anemia in the pediatric population. The most common cause of anemia is either iron deficiency or thalassemia trait. Majority of the carriers for Read More

Background Development of clinical guidelines in health services is generally considered important for improving and managing the care process (Grimshaw et al., 1995a, Grimshaw et al., 1995b, Grol and Grimshaw 2003, Grol et al., 2004). Clinical guidelines are systematically developed statements designed to help practitioners and patients to make decisions about appropriate health care (Field and Lohr 1992). Higher qu Read More

The use of mechanical or animal derived valves were replaced by tissue engineered (TE) heart valves (HV) due to their disadvantages such as thrombogenicity and poor durability. A tissue engineered valve, ideally mimics the function of a native valve by responding to growth and physiological forces. It is also believed to have a longer life span, close to that of a native valve. Knitting is a versatile technology, which Read More

Healthcare associated infections (HAI) are unnecessary adverse events as they are preventable with proper implementation of the best evidence about the topic. The surgical site infections (SSI) account the 17% of HAI in the U.S. In South Asian countries the pooled estimate of SSI incidence according to a recently published meta-analysis was 8.6%, meanwhile a report of Rosenthal and colleagues describes higher incidence i Read More

Body image is a psychological construct which refers to self-concept including self-image and feelings an individual perceives regarding his or her body. Several studies have examined how women subjectively perceive their bodies in Western cultures compared to objective measures. However, limited studies have examined this relationship among women in the Gulf region (e.g., Qatar) in which Islamic traditional clothing (i.e., A Read More

Introduction In a report by the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region 1, the non-use of child restraints for children was identified as a key risk factor that can be addressed by the adoption and enforcement of legislation that will increase their use. Currently, there are no child restraint laws in Qatar. The objective of the study is to report baseline data on child restraint use and to provide evidence to inform the passage of child Read More

Determining the complement of binding partners for a given protein is one of the most common questions in the field of biochemistry. Understanding complex protein interaction networks enables predictions about putative drug targets and the effects of mutations. Among the many techniques used to study protein-protein interactions, cDNA phage display stands out as a relatively unbiased method of finding pr Read More

Breast cancer is both genetically and histopathologically heterogeneous disease, the biological basis for this heterogeneity is unknown, although there are some distinct phenotype-genotype correlations. Approximately 5% to 10% of breast cancer is hereditary and BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are responsible for the majority of hereditary breast cancers. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutant cells have defects in the DNA repair and chrom Read More

Positron Emission Tomography system is a functional medical imaging technique providing 3D images of the living processes inside the body relying on isotopes. These systems are used to study animal models of human disease. It has been found that significant benefits in spatial resolution, sensitivity, image quality, and quantification were achievable using preclinical systems. The physics of PET systems is based on the dete Read More

Background Qatar demonstrated high incidence of low birth weight (8.8%), preterm deliveries (8.5%), and stillbirths rate (6.85) (Rahman et all, 2013). In addition, Qatari pregnant women are 1.2 times more likely to have a low birth weight newborn compared to other Arab women, where Gestational Diabetes (13.4%–20.8%) and Gestational Hypertension (15.2%–21.6%) were the leading maternal complications observed.). Read More

Introduction Seizures are among the most common neurological disorders in the pediatric age group. Up to 10% of children might experience at least one episode suggestive of seizure activity in their life. It is thought that 5% of all medical attendances to emergency department are related to seizures. Whether the first non-febrile seizure is the kick start of long term epilepsy is always a question that physicians & families enc Read More

Introduction Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF-21) belongs to the FGF family of growth factors. FGF-21 regulates various aspects of glucose and lipid metabolism and is anti-diabetic. For example, FGF-21 administration or transgenic overexpression alleviates hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in obese mice, reduces body weight, and protects against fatty liver disease. FGF-21 signals via the FGF receptors and signaling also requir Read More

Background Systemic inflammation is the continuous phenomenon of inflammatory response which can promote tissue damage. Systemic inflammation is characterized by circulatory elevation of many inflammatory mediators such as (CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α). This state plays a pivotal role in all stages of type 2 diabetes. Stages include pathogenicity and progression and chronic complication development. This study aimed a Read More

Obtaining Reliable Evidence on the Determinants of NCDs in the UAE: The Abu Dhabi Cohort Study Cardiovascular disease and diabetes are extremely common in Abu Dhabi and throughout the Arab World. While cohort studies have made tremendous contributions to scientific knowledge of the epidemiology and determinants of cardiovascular disease, few have been done in Arab populations. To study the causes of these Read More

Introduction Stroke, a neurological disorder that continues to be considerable burden on health systems due to high fatality rates and a major disability in survivors. Despite a decline in stroke incidence in the developed world, developing nations are still facing the problem at its eminent peak. Over 80% of all stroke deaths in the world occur in developing countries. This includes the MENA region, which not only comprises Read More

Objectives Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions—increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, abdominal fat accumulation and abnormal cholesterol levels—that occur together, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Mitochondria play a central role in the energy metabolism. Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders. Abnorm Read More

Introduction Our long term goal is to develop a visual prosthesis which interfaces with the thalamic visual center of the brain to restore vision to patients who have lost sight through glaucoma, the leading cause of blindness for which no satisfactory medical treatment exists. Glaucoma is a group of neurodegenerative disorders that affects the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) layer of the eye in 60 million people worldwide [1] and i Read More

Diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States. Most diabetes patients die from diabetic complications, such as renal failure, heart attack or stroke. However, diabetic complications are still neither preventable nor curable. New strategies that can prevent, treat, or cure diabetic complications are needed. Increasing evidence has identified the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) as a major path Read More

Introduction Sbar is a techinique that can be used to facilitate prompt and appropriate communication. It is a way for healthcare proffessionals to communicate effectively. The sbar tool is a memory prompt which helps the medical staff handover, prepare information just before handing over the required details/outcomes/result of the concerned patient from one shift to another shift duty incharge. Aim/objectives To increase a Read More

Background Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a neuropeptide that controls the proliferation, differentiation, and survival of various normal and cancer cells. Elevated expression of VIP receptors has been found in prostate and breast cancer; and antagonists of VIP inhibit the growth of cancer xenografts. We previously reported the cytoprotective mechanisms activated by VIP in differentiated cancer cells that form the b Read More

Purpose Statins selection for the largest hospital formulary in Qatar is not systematic, not comparative, not cost saving, and does not consider the multi-indication nature of statins. There are no literature reports of multi-indication based comparative scoring models of statins, or reports of statins selection criteria weights that are primarily based on local clinicians' preference and experiences. The study sought to comparati Read More

Purpose The purpose of our study is to determine indications for the use of an IMRT technique for large volume size left breast cancers. Materials/methods We ran a retrospective review of Stage 0-III left breast cancers with large volumes treated with conservation therapy from April 2011 to January 2012 at the Radiation Oncology Department at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research in Doha, Qatar. Comp Read More