Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum Volume 2013 Issue 1

Abstract Diabetes is widely prevalent in the Middle East. Its incidence and prevalence are on the rise in the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) nations. In Qatar, the World Health Organization estimates that diabetes accounts directly for 7% of total deaths, while cardiovascular diseases account for 23% [1], both of which are related to lifestyle factors. Risk factors for diabetes are fairly well established. But it is worrisome that they ar Read More

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is an attractive source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). However, the number of HSCs in UCB is limited, and attempts to amplify them in vitro remain inefficient. Several publications have documented amplification of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) on endothelial or mesenchymal cells, but the lack of homogeneity in culture conditions and HSC definition impairs direct comparison of the Read More

It is common nowadays to implement principles of continuum mechanics to describe the behavior of advance engineering materials. Continuum mechanics take into account the mapping of material pointsXdescribed in reference (undeformed) configuration into x described in current (deformed) configuration due to action of physical factors e.g. force or heat. The gradient of this mapping is denoted by F. It is common Read More

Remote monitoring of patient vital signs either in hospital or in home provides ease to both patient and hospital staff. It results in less visits of patient to hospital, lesser likelihood of measurements errors, while recording vital sign information. Moreover, due to the rapid ageing in our society, continuous monitoring of the critical patient in home health care is also increasing. Recent progresses in biomaterials, biosensor Read More

Population aging is a worldwide phenomenon, but its impact on Qatar is unique. It is reported that Qatar's elderly population is estimated to reach 21% by 2050 and studies have shown that aging has the strongest impact on long-term care expenditures. Moreover, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Qatar and the mortality rate is ever-increasing. Qatar now has a public health service providing free or very lo Read More

Plant oils, marine and animal fats are major components of the human diet and they are economically important for many exporting countries. Triacylglycerols (TAG) are the major fat components in human diet. Food consumed by Muslims must be HALAL. Food products with a HALAL designation do not only relate to meat, but also include canned, processed and frozen foods, organic foods, bakery products, pastry and Read More

Background: Lead (Pb2+) is ubiquitously distributed in the environment and shows significant health effects in humans. In 1999 the WHO published a preliminary study on lead poisoning in the State of Qatar based on a survey conducted during 1995-96. Water, Food and Blood samples were collected. 19% of the 200 blood samples collected exceeded a critical lead content of 10ug/dl, while the highest level was reported in th Read More

Purpose. To formulate and evaluate sustained-release hard gelatin capsules (HGC) filled with Metformin hydrochloride (MH) dispersed in semisolid matrices able to increase MH bioavailability and address the shortcomings in the currently marketed sustained-release tablets. Methods. Gelucire® 50/13 and various proportions of high molecular weight hydrophilic polymers, hydrophobic oily semisolid excipients, and muco-adhesive Read More

The adverse health outcomes, road traffic injuries [RTI's] and deaths, that result from motor vehcile crashes [MVC's] in Qatar have been measured and evaluated. Improvements in this field have been noted; citing improvements in numerous ways using a variety of tools. Deaths are most commonly used with measures of non-fatal outcomes of MVC's rare. The number of MVC's causing injury, number of traffic violations an Read More