Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference Proceedings Volume 2016 Issue 1

Photosensitive molecules such as quinones in drugs may become activated by exposure to UV-A light (320–400 nm) of the solar spectrum and cause damages to biological materials such as amino acids, nucleic acids, lipids, etc.. 9,10-anthraquinone (AQ) and 1,4-naphthoquinone (NQ), based drugs are commonly used as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antitumor and antimalarial. Synephrine (SY) is used in traditional Read More

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is the most common valvular disorder, affecting approximately 25% of the population aged over 65 years. The formation of calcific nodules on the aortic surface of the leaflets contributes to a progressive obstruction of the left ventricular outflow and leads ultimately to heart failure (Stewart et al., 1997). While CAVD has been described historically as a passive degenerative process, it has no Read More

Background The X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) is a promising molecular target for the design of novel anticancer drugs aiming at overcoming apoptosis-resistance of cancer cells. Recent studies demonstrated that the BIR3 domain of XIAP where caspase-9 and Smac proteins bind is an attractive site for designing small-molecule inhibitors of XIAP. Embelin, identified primarily from the Embelica ribes plant, is one such co Read More

The overlap stage is one of the most time- and space-consuming steps in de novo genome assembly. The huge size of output of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), represented by small segments of multiple copies of the original genome, creates a serious computational challenge. The target is to find overlaps between each pair of sequences (reads) in order to build an overlap-based graph which constitutes the input for the a Read More

Background Duncan-Hewitt and Austin (2005) argue that pharmacist education has shifted from apprenticeship into higher education. This shift created “a gap between education theory and education practice”. Therefore, the role education theory plays in educational practices should be examined. Objectives Analyze the PharmD programme at QU through the lens of a theory-informed CoPF comprising of six elements: e Read More

Background Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease affecting 70,000 individuals worldwide and results from mutations in the gene that encodes the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). In the lungs, the mucociliary clearance mechanism is impaired and the airways of CF patients are often colonized by bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi. Among clinically significant fungi, Candida spp. are the most com Read More

Introduction This study was held on the in vitro tests for the bacteriophages and their efficiency comparing with the antibiotics susceptibility in destroying bacteria. Because the development of the resistance to chemotherapeutic agents is becoming an increasing problem. Antimicrobial phage therapy trials have demonstratedphage infection of the increasing incidence resistantbacteria against most or all known antibioti Read More

The key challenge with Epidemics includes its ability to spread rapidly and impact several large communities with high fatality rates. These characteristics make it difficult and very expensive to manage epidemics once it has broken out. History is replete with several cases of epidemic out breaks spreading from the point of origin and being transmitted to other areas resulting in the deaths of several thousands and in so Read More

Background & objective In order to survive the effects of the stress conditions, such as hypoxia and glucose starvation (GS) that exist in a tumor microenvironment, the regulatory mechanisms that control metabolism in cancer cells undergo change so that sufficient energy sources are available for proliferation, migration and invasion - thus facilitating metastasis. Via what is referred to as The Warburg Effect cancer cell Read More

Introduction Warfarin has been the cornerstone oral anticoagulant for more than 60 years. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been introduced to the market since 2008. In Qatar, dabigatran was introduced in 2011 followed by rivaroxaban in 2014 and both DOACs are currently used along with warfarin for the treatment and prophylaxis of different thromboembolic diseases. Despite the perceived advantages of t Read More

Several lines of evidence implicated the pathophysiological role of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in obesity-induced insulin resistance and diabetes. Using a targeted transcriptomic profiling approach consisting of the Heat Shock Response RT2 Profiler PCR Array, we previously reported impaired expression of DNAJB3/Hsp-40 cochaperone in obese and diabetic human subjects that was restored by physical exercise. In ad Read More

Background Foreign Body Aspiration (FBA) is a serious common problem in children, which needs prompt diagnosis and management; delays can result in devastating consequences. Physicians often struggle with the all too important, yet elusive, decision of “To bronch, or not to bronch” patients who present with a suspected FBA. In most cases, the history is often vague, with only subtle, if any, physical and chest radiogr Read More

Chemical composition of fingerprints includes the presence of salts, ions, fatty acids, lipids, amino acids, nucleobases, nucleotides, and nucleic acids. Many methods used to detect latent fingerprints on porous surfaces such as paper exploit the reactivity of amino acids with a number of different reagents, including ninhydrin and lawsone (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone; HNQ). HNQ, also known as hennotannic acid, is a na Read More

Introduction Dissatisfaction with health care performance is an important source of information about health care reforms as perceived by the public as it is associated with negative beliefs about health system. Previous studies have shown that dissatisfaction with health care has a long-term negative impact on the health care users' relationship with healthcare providers, health related behaviors, and health outcomes. In Read More

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept describes how the environment impinges on intra-uterine development and early childhood and how it induces changes in the development that have long term impact on later health and disease risk. Environmental exposures including parental lifestyle and diet, obesity and chemical exposure have been shown to modulate disease risk. The effects do Read More

North Carolina Research Campus, 500 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, NC 28081, United States Abstract Chronic hyperglycemia is an important risk factor involved in the onset and progression of secondary complications of diabetes. Aldose reductase (AR) has been implicated in the etiology of diabetic eye diseases, diabetic cardiomyopathy and/or nephropathy. High glucose levels activate AR, which is one of the key rate limiting Read More

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy is an established procedure by which to sample thyroid nodules to ascertain etiology and produce a diagnosis conveying risk of malignancy with recommended patient follow-up. This procedure is well-tolerated and endorsed given the accessibility and vascularity of the thyroid gland. FNA cytopathology has proven efficacious for the primary assessment of thyroid nodules. Well-differenti Read More

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction, repetitive and restrictive behavior, extensive clinical and etiologic heterogeneity. ASD underlying genetic basis, range from effects of single genes to that of multiple genes and chromosomal regions, hallmarking the multifactorial and complex etiology. While a genetic etiology is ident Read More

To answer questions from parents of children autism spectrum more than 300 children from various Arab countries as well as Arab expatriates residing in the foreign and Arab countries. We found that 90% of children have been exposed to neglect inadvertently leaving them in front of children's channels in the first year for a long time or screens devices in the first year or second. The most of them left by parents to wa Read More

Background Endothelial cells line blood vessels and the heart where they release cardio-protective hormones that prevent thrombosis. Available replacements to treat heart valve diseases are limited by the lack of the endothelial cell layer, making them susceptible to calcification and thrombosis, which limits utility and increases the need for multiple replacements[1]. A suggested solution is to adapt tissue engineering t Read More

Klinefelter Syndrome (KS) was first described 73 years ago. Surprisingly KS yet remains underdiagnosed in the population. Lack of awareness about symptoms and the guidelines of KS diagnosis among paediatricians and General Practitioners (GP) could be the main reason. Failing to perform a thorough physical examination, not considering or unable to get cytogenetic confirmation on suspected patients are causative factors fo Read More

Background Vascular calcification and increased mortality is now well linked in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Among the inhibitors and promoters of calcium-phosphate and bone metabolism, we studied Sclerostin, a glycoprotein mainly expressed by osteocytes, involved in regulating bone formation by inhibiting Wnt–β-catenin signaling. Studies demonstrated, in experimental CDK animal model, a positive association betwee Read More

Introduction Cirrhosis is an abnormal liver condition, mainly caused by viral hepatitis B or C, fatty liver diseases and alcoholism. Ascites is common complication of cirrhosis, associated with poor quality of life, abnormal cognitive functions, increased work disability and increased risk of infection, consequently development of hepatic encephalopathy1. Studies have suggested that inflammation caused by secondary infection with h Read More

Critically ill patients in the intensive care units (ICUs) are often in acutely disturbed state of mind characterized by restlessness, illusions, and nervousness. Such patients, for instance, those who are mechanically ventilated may incur difficulties during treatment procedures such as endotracheal tube intubation/extubation. Apart from critical illness, treatment induced delirium may cause them to dislodge themselves Read More

In order to provide a protective host response to a vast array of invading pathological microorganisms the ability of naïve CD4+T cells to differentiate into discrete effector subsets, each able to mediate specific aspects of immunity is a central tenet of the adaptive immune response. T helper (Th) 1 cells mediate protection against intracellular pathogens, such as bacterial and viral infections, whereas Th2 cells mediate p Read More

Background Melanoma is an aggressive neoplasm characterized by a complex etiology. Several molecular alterations occur during melanoma progression. The most commonly mutated pathway is the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK)/ERK cascade. The activation of the MAPK/ERK signaling occurs either through gain-of-function mutations in BRAF and NRAS gene or through autocrine growth factor stimulation. Docu Read More

Background Monoallelic expression (MAE) is a frequent genomic phenomenon in normal tissues, however its role in cancer is yet to be fully understood. MAE is defined as the expression of a gene that is restricted to one allele in the presence of a diploid heterozygous genome. Constitutive MAE occur for imprinted genes, odorant receptors and random X inactivation. Several studies in normal tissues have showe Read More

Background Obesity related diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease have become major health problems. Inappropriate insulin production and dyslipidemia are commonly associated with obesity. It is multifactorial and heterogeneous in origin. While 60–80% of obese subjects are insulin resistant (IR) and rapidly develop metabolic diseases, called pathologically obese (PO), a pro Read More

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is a ubiquitous Ca2+ influx pathway essential for many physiological functions and failure to maintain normal calcium homeostasis is one of the leading causes of cellular dysfunction in a wide variety of pathological conditions. Orai1, a key regulator of SOCE, constitutively recycles at steady state in the frog oocyte and internalizes into intracellular vesicular compartments during meiosis, leadin Read More

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in Qatar and a major health concern for the Qatari population. Qatar has the highest rate of colon cancer compared to other countries in the eastern Mediterranean, West Asia and North Africa. Colon cancer is the most common cancer among Qatar's male population and according to the world age standard rates, around 20.8% of male Qataris have thi Read More

Background Imported malaria has been a great challenge for public health in the State of Qatar due to the large number of immigrant workers come from the Indian subcontinent and Sub-Saharan Africa. Antimalarial drug resistance has emerged as one of the greatest challenges facing malaria control today. Chloroquine (CQ) resistance in Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) is associated with genetic polymorphisms in Pf CQR-tr Read More

Introduction The levels of chronic disease amongst the Qatari population have increased dramatically in recent years. Whilst these diseases are highly prevalent in Qatar, awareness surrounding the recognition of symptoms and the disease itself are limited. Sourcing accurate information about health conditions is crucial. It is currently unknown how Qatari people source information concerning health problems for themsel Read More

Background Despite being a major cellular component of various engineered skin substituent, underlying mechanism of successful fibroblast transplantation in wound healing is not clear. Here we show that substances derived from starved fibroblast accelerate wound healing process in rat. Material and methods Starved human fibroblast cell culture supernatant (SFS) was prepared and tested for its wound healing capaci Read More

Background Diabetes is a chronic illness in which the body cannot manage the levels of sugar, and it affects an estimated 387 million people worldwide. According to World Health Organization it is the 7th leading cause of death in the world. Frequent monitoring (3 to 10 times) of blood glucose is important for diabetes patients to prevent serious health problems, but existing commercial products of blood glucose measu Read More

Background With the advance of semiconductor technologies, bio-technological application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) have become a major trend of the industry. Examples include Microelectrode measurement array systems for in-vitro and in-vivo physiological research at the cellular level [1] [2]. Using DNA microarrays can lead to a high throughput, which finds wide applications in genome research and drug d Read More

Rationale Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent neurologic conditions. It is estimated to affect 70 million people worldwide. Epilepsy is an important cause of disability and mortality. It is associated with social stigma and significant economic costs. Although epilepsy is a disease with a worldwide distribution, its prevalence varies between different countries. Very little is known about the epidemiology of epilepsy in Qatar. Qatar's p Read More

Background and Objective Often times, clinicians use a three-dimensional set of medical images to diagnose and plan treatments, which typically include visual identification of structures such as bones and tissues [1]. This can be a challenging task as anatomical structures of interest can contain significant noise, and easily blend with neighboring tissues. We propose to tackle 2 cases: (a) treatment planning of pelvic fractu Read More

In the last decade, starting from family-based association analysis and progressing to population-based association analysis have helped in understanding etiology of many rare and complex disorders. As of Nov. 2013, National Human Genome Research institute (NHGRI) Catalog of published Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) contained 1,751 manually curated publications with 11,912 SNP-trait associations. Read More

A self-calibrated gas sensing system for breath analysis is introduced. The system is composed of an array of high sensitivity gas sensor combined with temperature, humidity and flow sensor for calibration. The system is able to diagnose common diseases and help people stop them at early stages. 1. Introduction Breath analysis is a new method for point-of-care health monitoring and diagnosis. Compared to traditional diagn Read More

Circular RNA (circRNA) represent a large class of noncoding RNAs that were previously considered as possible artifacts of abnormal RNA splicing, however, recent studies has shown that circRNA play an important role in regulating gene expression in mammals. Unlike linear RNAs, the downstream 5’ (splice donor) and upstream 3’ (splice acceptor) join together to form a closed continuous loop and this is one of the way Read More

Neuroblastoma, a type of solid malignant tumour diagnosed during infancy represents around 10% of all paediatric cancers, marking it as the second most common paediatric cancer. It is identified as a highly heterogeneous tumour that varies from persistent progression to a spontaneous progression. Development of neuroblast masses occur mostly in abdomen (65%), chest (20%), neck (5%) or pelvis (5%) and is classified Read More

Background Technological breakthroughs witnessed over the past decade have led to an explosive increase in molecular profiling capabilities. This has ushered a new “data-rich era” for biomedical researchers. Indeed the recent availability of vast compendia of biomedical “Big Data” offers unique opportunities to devise novel approaches to knowledge discovery. We have launched an innovative “Collective Data to Knowledg Read More

Understanding population level food consumption, which has considerable influence on population health, is a major challenge. For instance, obesity, which is particularly pressing in the Gulf region, is largely driven by changes in food consumption. Many other widespread diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, are directly or indirectly affected by eating habits. Understanding food consumption g Read More

Background Respiratory viruses have a predictable seasonality, which varies regionally. The reason for such seasonality is not well known yet, but atmospheric factors such as high humidity and temperature may assist virus survival in small particle droplets or aerosols, and on infected surfaces. Objective The goal of the study was to determine the seasonal variation in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in a deser Read More

Summary In this paper, we present a novel interpolation-based Stokes image reconstruction scheme for the division-of-focal-plane (DoFP) polarization image sensors. Different from the previous implementations, our proposed method first demosaics the raw image by mainstream interpolation algorithms then converts the up-sampled images to Stokes images with much richer polarization-related physical informati Read More

1. Background Stroke, i.e. loss of brain function(s) due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain, is the main cause of adult disability (e.g. paralysis) in the world, leaving more than half of the patients dependent on daily assistance. In Qatar, stroke is a major health problem with an estimated incidence of 238/100,000 per year for the population over 45 years old [1]. Stroke patients are often hospitalized and/or subje Read More

Thymidylate kinases (TMKs) play a central role in the production of nucleotide precursors that are required for the replication of DNA. Consequently, this enzyme is a potential drug target for the discovery of anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic drugs. In addition, TMKs are also involved in the activation of prodrugs. In particular, the anti-HIV drug AZT is activated by human TMK (huTMK) and the low efficienc Read More

Background Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women and it is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Lung cancer can be divided into two broad categories: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which consists of about 85% of all lung cancers and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which account for 15% of all lung cancers. The evolution of lung cancer is a multistep process involving genetic and Read More

Breast cancer is the most common type of tumor in women in the MENA region and it represents about 20% of the cancers diagnosed every year in Qatar. Although the implementation of cancer therapy has led to an improvement of patients' survival, metastatic breast cancer remains an incurable condition. Immunotherapy is emerging as an innovative therapeutic tool able to cure in some cases established metastatic tu Read More