Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum Volume 2012 Issue 1

Background: The mammalian proprotein convertases (PCs) constitute a family of nine secretory serine proteases related to bacterial subtilisin and yeast kexin. Seven of them (PC1/3, PC2, furin, PC4, PC5/6, PACE4 and PC7) activate cellular and pathogen precursor proteins by cleavage at single or paired basic residues, while SKI-1/S1P and PCSK9 regulate cholesterol/lipid homeostasis via cleavage at non-basic residues or through Read More

Background: The recent approval by the FDA of the autologous, cell-based vaccine Provenge was hailed as a major advance for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer (PCa) and reinvigorated interest in the field of PCa immunotherapy. Peptide-based vaccines represent a viable, cost-effective formulation in the field of cancer vaccine development. This approach has been used successfully to treat melanoma where va Read More

Background and Aims: Tumor suppressor proteins (TSPs) are inactivated by many different mechanisms, including nuclear exclusion by the chromosome region maintenance protein (CRM-1). Increased tumor levels of CRM-1 have been correlated with poor prognosis of patients with different cancers, making it a therapeutic target. We have developed selective inhibitors of nuclear export (SINEs) that bind to CRM-1 to Read More

Background: Self-assembly and self-organization processes offer a powerful strategy for the design of nanomaterials from the ground up with predefined dimensions and properties. Central to these approaches is the design and synthesis of molecules with a built-in ability to undergo a hierarchical sequence of supramolecular reactions, culminating with the formation of a well-defined functional superstructure. The roset Read More

Background: The multi-disciplinary team (MDT) coordinator’s role is relatively new and as such is evolving. What is apparent is that the coordinator's work is pivotal to the effectiveness and efficiency of an MDT. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the views and needs of MDT-coordinators. Methods: Views of MDT-coordinators were evaluated through an online survey that covered their current practice and role Read More

Networks of dynamical systems occur in diverse areas of engineering, such as distributed computation, automated vehicular formations, and power systems networks. We investigate the interplay between network coherence and the network's interconnection topology. In such networks, synchronization or more general coherence under stochastic uncertainty is an important measure of performance. For example, in pow Read More

Background: A techno-economic analysis has been performed for a coal-fired power plant retrofitted with solvent-based post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) technology where thermal energy is partially supplied by solar thermal collectors. The plant is compared with a generic PCC plant where all the thermal energy is provided by steam bled from the steam cycle. A suite of solar thermal collectors which include flat plate Read More

In recent years, concentration has been adopted as a promising strategy to high $/W ratio of photovoltaic energy conversion. In concentrated photovoltaics, the Sun's energy is focused into a smaller area allowing for the conversion of sunlight into electricity using only a small low-cost photovoltaic cell. Conventional solar concentrators, which use III-V are, however, costly to produce. Ideally, the material should perform Read More

The evaluation of the contaminant transport is dictated by the Federal Soil Protection Regulation (BBodSchV, 1999) for sites that are suspected to endanger the groundwater. Vulnerability maps are often used for this evaluation. However, vulnerability maps consider the intrinsic vulnerability according to different methods taking some soil properties into account. Such qualitative method is not accurate when it comes to calcu Read More

Water is not just the essential ingredient for life, but also a fundamental factor in the economy and security of any country. Coupled with increased population and climate change effect, the availability of food, water, and energy are the biggest challenges that the world faces. There is also the dependency of these essential gradients and basic needs on each other; i.e., water is needed to produce energy and energy is needed t Read More

'Big Data' analysis has become a central activity in business and science. Companies such as Facebook, Yahoo, and Google now own petabyte-scale data warehouses that are accessed on a regular basis. Terabyte-scale data warehouses are now common in many smaller organizations. This big data analysis is mostly supported by the MapReduce programming and execution model and its implementations, most notably Hadoop Read More

With over 80 million Internet users in the Arab world, Arabic content growth continues to grow dramatically but lags behind other languages in comparison to the number of global Internet users. Many factors are challenging the growth of Arabic language content on the web. Just like any market and economic formula, supply and demand complement each other. The greater demand on content, the greater the need for s Read More

Background: Minimal technologies exist that provide tissue specific molecular information to the surgeon in real-unsupervised principal components time. Rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry allows near real-time characterization of tissue by mass spectrometric analysis of the smoke plume released during electrosurgical dissection. Objectives: To develop and optimize a statistical strategy for the real-time recognition Read More

HEK-293 cell lines have been widely used for over 35 years by the scientific community. Currently HEK-293 cells are the most efficient system for the improved production of ribosomal proteins and viral vectors by large-scale transfection of suspension-growing cells in serum-free medium. Also, it is the most established cell line for the production of adeno- and adeno-associated viruses, retro- and lentiviruses for gene thera Read More

Background and Objectives: This NPRP project focuses on the assessment of urban qualities needed to enhance the sustainability of urban developments with a focus on Qatar's capital Doha. Since the end of the 20th century various urban development strategies have been introduced to reduce the economic dependence on fossil fuels by attracting knowledge economies and thus to transform Doha into an international Read More

Background: Regeneration may be induced by various drivers or catalysts - such as the improvement of neighborhoods, the introduction of art and culture, the construction of iconic architecture, the reactivating of ecologies, the restoring of landscapes and archaeologies, the recycling of transport and industrial infrastructures, the revitalization of communities and economies. Good cities are dynamic and constantly reinve Read More

Background and Objectives: We randomly assigned invitations to a savings-focused financial literacy workshop for migrant Indian workers in Qatar. Via surveys of migrants, as well as their wives remaining behind in India, we provide a unique window into financial decision-making in transnational households. We examine impacts on financial decision-making of the migrant workers, migrants' attempts to influence the financial deci Read More

أن ظاهرة المديونية ليست بظاهرة جديدة على الانسان كما أنها منتشرة بين كل الشعوب، إلا أنها تأخذ أشكالا ًوأبعاداً مختلفة، كما أنها تظهر لأسباب و ظروف متباينة. و تأتي هذه الدراسة في ضوء اتساع ظاهرة المديونية بين الأسر القطرية و لجوء الكثير منهم لتمويل إنفاقها الاستهلاكي أو الاستثماري عن طريق القروض مما يشكل عبءً على كاهل بعضها ويؤثر على مستوى رفاهيتها. تهدف الدراسة إلى قياس حجم ظاهرة المديونية على مستوى الأسر القطرية و أفرادها. هذا بالإضافة إلى التعرف على خصائص تلك الاسر و تشخيص الع Read More

In the view of many non-Muslims, Islam is a religion that promotes hatred and violence and claims are repeatedly heard of how difficult it is for non-Muslim minorities to live in peace and harmony in Muslims countries. Moreover, recent clashes between Muslim and Christian groups in the aftermath of the Egyptian revolution have exacerbated prejudices against Islam, namely that it is a religion that promotes violence and t Read More

ترمي هذه الدراسة إلى تجلية الاشارات النفسية في مؤلفات علماء الدين الاسلامي وإلى الكشف عن مدى تمكن بعضهم في الحديث عن الشخصية الانسانية من الناحية النفسية ومن خلال اطلاع الباحث على مؤلفات اولئك العلماء فقد لاحظ شمول مؤلفاتهم على المشاعر الانسانية كما لاحظ كذلك أنهم طرحوا جملة من الاطروحات وعددا من القضايا التي يمكن ان تضاف إلى الرصيد العربي في مجال علم النفس. يعد الدين من مكونات الثقافة الأساسية في كثير من المجتمعات ويقوم علماء الدين بتوضيح التعاليم والاحكام الدينية لكل Read More

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Cultural diversity provides opportunities and challenges. Diversity in the workplace requires efficient communication to deliver effective leadership. Hamad Medical Corporation's expatriate population is one of its strengths. However, communication between cultures remains an issue. The aim of the study is to correlate relationships between the cross-cultural communication barriers and the l Read More

This research project explores the implementation of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) programs within the broader rule of law program context. A case study is presented using field research and primary sources of one well-developed ADR country, Qatar. In particular, Qatar showcases how arbitration and mediation are being used as positive means of resolving legal disputes and working towards better administration of justi Read More

One of the terms that cause confusion, suspicion, many conflicts and disagreement is "Islamic renewal". While renewal is legitimate and necessary, as admitted by the imams of Islam, this term has become a source of contention in recent times. Some have tried to give this term a strange mission and vision far from the truth and essence of Islam. One of the greatest fields where controversy erupts is the field of renewal of Read More

الناظر إلى واقع الأمة الإسلامية اليوم، على مختلف اتجاهاتها وتياراتها الفكرية والسلوكية؛ يرى انحرافا خطيرا عن الوسطية التي هي أخص خصائص هذه الأمة، إما إلى إفراط وإما إلى تفريط، إما إلى غلوّ وإما إلى جفاء. هذا على مستوى الأمّة عمومًا، فإذا نظرنا إلى واقع الغيّورين الذين أقضَّ مضاجعهم هذا الواقع المؤلم لأمّتهم، فطفقوا يبحثون عن سبل العلاج وطوق النَّجاة، فإننا نجد انعكاس واقع الأمة على حالهم، فمنهم المفرِط والمفرِّط، والمشَرِّق والمغرِّب، منهم من غلا وأفرط في الغلوّ، فنشأت جماعات تكفير ، وعادت سوق الخو Read More