Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum Volume 2010 Issue 1

Abstract Dietary fat intake is associated with hepatobiliary cancers which carry a poor prognosis causing over 20,000 deaths per year in the US alone. We hypothesized that excess lipid accumulation in the liver promotes hepatic cancer through inflammation and oxidative DNA damage. In order for eukaryotic cells to protect genomic integrity, the protein kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) responds to oxidative DN Read More

Abstract Social interaction has drastically evolved over time. Moving away from face-to-face based interactions, telephone networks made the first step towards remote social interaction. The internet, further enhanced with the tremendous increase in lightweight mobile devices, has taken social interaction to new frontiers. Users can already email, chat, call, and video conference with others from around the world without necess Read More

Abstract Currently in Qatar, and to the best of our knowledge in most Gulf state countries, there is a lack of reliable information about traffic conditions and congestion. This information, especially if ubiquitous and near real time, is highly desirable to support consumer, enterprise, and government centric applications. Since no universal solution exists, a great deal of innovative research is needed. This research work ai Read More

Abstract Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)'s proven stability and scalability has made it the most widely used transport layer protocol for more than twenty years. However, as multimedia applications become ubiquitous over the internet, TCP has been found incapable of meeting their requirements, which place more emphasis on timeliness than on reliability. Because of that, many multimedia applications turn to UDP a Read More

Abstract In 2009, Carnegie Mellon Qatar, Qatar University, Texas A&M Qatar and IBM launched a joint research project on cloud computing. Cloud computing is a computing paradigm in which the computing resources, the software and the data are made available to the users as a service through the internet. In this paradigm, the software is no longer a standalone application installed on the user's platform, but resides on Read More

Abstract It is official. The automotive world is ramping up capabilities in simulation. Applications range from motorsports (optimization of vehicle dynamics, race track familiarization, car engineering), to driver-assistance systems (development of vehicle dynamics controllers), utilizing software in the loop (SIL) and hardware in the loop (HIL) validation in e.g. electronic control units (ECU). Another major emerging market is driver Read More

Abstract Spectrum sensing is one of the most important tasks of cognitive radios (CRs) in future wireless systems and of user equipment (UE) in next generation wireless networks (NGWNs). Therefore, deciding whether a specific portion of radio frequency (RF) spectrum is occupied or not is of paramount importance for all sorts of future wireless communications systems. In this study, a spectrum sensing method that employ Read More

Abstract SrTiO3 (STO) is a complex oxide perovskite of great technological interest for its superconductivity, blue-light emission and photovoltaic effect. In normal conditions, SrTiO3 crystallizes in the cubic Perovskite structure and undergoes a second-order phase transition to a tetragonal structure known as the antiferrodistortive (AFD) phase of STO at the critical temperature Tc = 105 K. The AFD phase of STO can appear Read More

Abstract In nanoparticle image velocimentry (nPIV), evanescent wave illumination is used to measure near-wall velocity fields with an out-of-plane resolution of less than 200nm. Similar methodology can be extended for temperature measurements using Brownian motion characteristics of the sub-micron tracer particles in this region. Temperature change affects Brownian motion of tracer particles through a change in Brownia Read More

Abstract The senses of vision and touch are vital modalities used in the discrimination of objects. Recent advances in human-computer interface technologies have produced various haptic force feedback devices for the industries of rehabilitation, information technology, entertainment, and more. In this research effort, an inexpensive stylus-type haptic device is used to determine thresholds of concave curvature discriminati Read More