bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of RP-UPLC method for the assay and stability evaluation of letrozole in pharmaceutical emulgels
Authors: Younes Husam
Published: November 2013

Purpose: The main objective of this study was to develop and validate a simple, rapid and stability-indicating ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method for the determination of Letrozole in pharmaceutical gels. Methods: Chromatographic separation was achieved using Aquity UPLC BEH C-18 (2.1 x 50 mm, 1.7µm particle size) with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile: water (35:65, v/v). The flow rate was set to 0.3 ml/min, injection volume was set to 1µl, and the UV detection was carried out at λ= 240 nm. The method was validated as per ICH guidelines. Letrozole was subjected to different stress conditions (acidic, basic, oxidative, thermal, UV-radiation) to assess the stability indicating power of the developed UPLC method. Letrozole was also analyzed in different emulgel formulations containing a mixture of oil, surfactants, co-surfactants and gelling polymers. Furthermore, the stability of letrozole was assessed in the presence of different emulgel ingredients , where the mixtures of the saturated solubility studies were kept at 50°C, and then analyzed by the proposed method at predetermined time intervals. Results: The retention time of Letrozole was 1.80 min (RSD=0.12%). The method was linear over the concentration range of 2.5-200 µg/ml (R2 = 0.9999). The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) were found to be 0.025 µg/ml and 0.125 µg/ml, respectively. The inter-day and intra-day precisions (% RSD) were less than 2%. All validation parameters were in the acceptable range. Neither the degradation products, nor the emulgel components interfere with the analysis of letrozole peak. Percentage recovery in emulgels were in agreement with the labeled spiked amounts. Letrozole was found unstable in the presence of PEG400, diethylene gycolmonoethyl ether, oleic acid, glycerylmonooleate when stored at high temperature of 50°C. Conclusions: The proposed method is simple, rapid, accurate, and can be successfully used for the analysis of letrozole's content and its stability in the pharmaceutical emulgels. Acknowledgements: This work has been financially supported by a grant to HM Younes and AA Sallam provided by Qatar National Research Foundation through the National Priorities Research Program grant # 4 - 496 - 3 - 157. Ahmed Abu Helwa is a research assistant financially supported by the same grant.
Role of calreticulin in the regulation of long non-coding RNA: MALAT-1 expression in mouse adenocarcinoma cells
Authors: Mesaeli Nasrin
Published: November 2013

Calreticulin (CRT) is a ubiquitously expressed protein in mammalian cells, with both calcium binding and chaperone activity. As such CRT is involved in quality control process during the folding and maturation of proteins in endoplasmic reticulum. Recent research in our lab showed that overexpression of CRT under control of Tie-2 promoter resulted in the development of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. In order to examine genes involved in the development of lung cancer we carried out microarray analysis on RNA isolated from mouse lung tumors versus control lungs. In this screen we observed a significant increase (over 2 fold) in Metastasis Associated Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript-1 (MALAT-1) long noncoding RNA (LncRNA) in the lungs of CRT overexpressing mouse models. MALAT-1 has been documented to be up-regulated in the human lung adenocarcinoma. This LncRNA has been shown to be associated with metastasis. Thus the aim of our study was to investigate the mechanism of regulation of MALAT-1 expression and role of CRT in this process. No data is available on the mechanism of regulation of MALAT-1 expression. We hypothesized that CRT as a regulator of intracellular calcium homeostasis regulated MALAT-1 expression thus inducing the development of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma in our mice model. Our data showed a significant correlation between intracellular calcium levels and expression and stability of MATAT-1 RNA level as determined using quantitative real time PCR. Treatment of adenocarcinoma cells with BAPTA-AM (to reduce intracellular calcium) resulted in a significant reduction in MALAT-1 level. Furthermore, treating the cells with thapsigargin (to elevate intracellular calcium) induced a 2 fold increase in MALAT-1 expression. We also demonstrated that knock down of MALA-1 expression using specific siRNA reduces the proliferation of adenocarcinoma cell derived from our CRT overexpressing mouse. Our data demonstrate for the first time involvement of calcium binding protein CRT and intracellular level of calcium on expression and stability of MALAT-1 that is involved in development of lung adenocarcinoma. This research was funded by Qatar National Research Fund (NPRP4-043-3-016).
Metoclopramide versus ondansetron for the treatment of vomiting in children with acute gastroenteritis: A randomized trial
Authors: Al Ansari Khalid
Published: November 2013

Abstract Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of ondansetron versus metoclopramide in the treatment of vomiting for acute gastroenteritis in the prehospital setting. Study design: This was a double-blind trial including consecutive patients aged between 1-14 years treated in an urban urgent care setting. A total of 167 children were randomized to receive a single dose of intravenous ondansetron or metoclopramide. The primary efficacy outcome was the proportion of patients with cessation of vomiting right after completion of the study medication infusion in each group. Observed side effects, diarrhea frequency in admission and follow up were recorded to assess safety. Results: A total of 167 previously healthy children (median age, 3 years) diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis with persistent vomiting completed treatment and observation. Cessation of vomiting was achieved in 68/84 patients (81%) of the ondansetron, and 60/83 (72%) of the metoclopramide groups, P=0.14. Mean time to complete cessation of vomiting was 39 min (SD111) for ondansetron, and 61 min (SD110) for metoclopramide groups, P= 0.2. The mean length of hospital stay was 550 min (SD 427) for ondansetron, and 575 min (SD 449) for metoclopramide groups, P=0.71. Revisits rate, readmissions rate and frequency of diarrhea after discharge were similar in the 2 treatment groups. No adverse reaction or other safety concerns were identified. Conclusions: Intravenous metoclopramide is effective and might be considered a safe alternative to ondansetron in the treatment of persistent vomiting for children with gastroenteritis admitted for intravenous fluid hydration.
let7 as a potential mediator of insulin resistance in normal weight subjects
Authors: Elrayess Mohamed
Published: November 2013

Background and objectives: A high prevalence of insulin resistance (IR) amongst normal weight Qatari individuals may contribute to progression of type II diabetes and account for the current epidemic. Factors contributing to this increased risk of IR and its associated co-morbidities, especially in the absence of obesity, are still under investigation. Therefore the objectives of this pilot study were to characterize components of IR in normal weight Qatari individuals and to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms underlying this phenotype. Methods: Non-diabetic lean/overweight Qatari subjects were recruited and anthropometric measures including body weight (kg), height (m) and blood pressure recorded, along with determination of systemic lipids, glucose, insulin and adipokines. Subjects were dichotomized into IR and IS groups based on their HOMA index (fasting plasma glucose < 6.8 mmol/l and insulin levels < 6.5 miU/ml). The expression of 84 most abundantly expressed and characterized miRNA species was profiled in peripheral blood samples. Target genes of miRNA let7 were determined using Human let-7a Targets PCR Array. Results: When subjects (29+/-6.8 years old, BMI of 23+/-4.9 kg/m-2) were stratified into two groups based on their HOMA index (IS 1.3 (1-1.6) and IR 2.2 (1.6-2.7), IR (66%) was only associated with higher insulin levels {(IS 5.3 (5.2-5.5) vs IR 9.5 (7.7-12.1) u/ml, p <0.01)} with no significant differences in blood pressure, lipids profile or adipokines levels. Among 84 profiled miRNA species, the expression of 7 miRNA varied significantly between the two groups; among these were four members of let7 family (g/b/c/f). Three potential target genes of let7 exhibited significant variable expression between the two groups, including dual specificity protein phosphatase 1 (DUSP1). Conclusions: Prevalence of IR among young, lean/overweight Qatari individuals is alarmingly high (66%). This study has revealed let7 miRNA as a potential target mediating this phenotype. This miRNA has been shown previously to play an essential role in adipogenesis. The targets of let7 with an ability to regulate adipogenesis is currently being investigated to confer functionality.
Development of a molecular assay For rapid detection of six major enteric pathogens
Authors: Ghunaim Haitham
Published: November 2013

"Golden" standard laboratory diagnostic tests for enteric pathogens are generally time and labor intensive. Over the last ten years, advances in molecular biology have paved the way for the development of highly specific and sensitive real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detection assays. Worldwide adoption of RT-PCR machines have lowered the cost of conducting such assays to where it became the standard diagnostic tool in detection of enteric pathogens. Herein, we developed a molecular method to screen the stool specimens from food workers and housemaids in Qatar for the presence of several common enteric bacteria and parasites using RT-PCR. A total of 200 samples were collected from apparently healthy subjects during a routine health check-up. The stool specimens were collected over the period of 4 months and screened for the presence of Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Campylobacter jejuni, Entamoeba hystolytica, Cryptosporidium parvum, and Giardia lamblia using multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The technique allows simultaneous detection of either the bacteria or the parasites in a single reaction tube within 3 hours of receiving the sample. The specificity and sensitivity of the assay was established using a serial dilution of DNA extracted from a stool sample spiked with the corresponding pathogen. For each of Salmonella and Campylobacter only one sample was found to be positive (0.5% prevalence), while two samples were positive for Shigella, Cryptosporidium, and Entamoeba (1% prevalence), and 14 for Giardia (7% prevalence).These initial results give an indication that food workers in Qatar are shedding several important enteric pathogens and their role in spreading the infection requires further investigation. The development of the assay reported here will allow for an in-depth investigation of these pathogens in the future.
Molecular stratification of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) patients in the State of Qatar according to World Health Organization (WHO) 2008 Criteria
Authors: Al-Dewik Nader
Published: November 2013

Background: MPNs are clonal haemopoietic disorders that are characterized by excessive proliferation of one or more of blood lineages. MPNs include PV, ET and PMF which are associated by the presence of JAK2 V617F mutation in about 90% of PV and 50% of ET and PMF. The molecular workup of JAK2 & related gene mutations were included in WHO 2008 as one major criterion for the diagnosis of Ph- MPNs. Aim: To genetically characterize MPN patients (pts) in Qatar according to the latest(WHO 2008) criteria using molecular studies for JAK2 V617F mutation, JAK2 exons 12-15 & MPL (S505N & W515 L/K) mutations. Methods: Blood samples were collected from suspected MPN cases & DNA was extracted. Allelic discrimination assays were used to evaluate point mutations causing JAK2 V617F & MPL (W515 L/K) mutations. JAK2 Exon 12 was analyzed using High Resolution Melting Curve (HRM) assay & Sanger Sequencing. In some cases the entire MPL exon 10 & exons 12-15 was studied by RNA extraction followed by cDNA synthesis, amplification & sequencing. Results: 400 patients were classified into PV, ET and PM. Out of 180 PV, 97% of cases were positive for the JAK2 V617F mutation and 3% of cases were negative for other mutations. Out of 200 ET, 48% of cases were positive for JAK2 V617F, one had MPL S505N mutation and 50% of cases were negative for other mutations. Out of 20 PMF, 33% of cases were positive for JAK2 V617F and one unclassified case was characterized by DVT had JAK2 exon 13 mutation (R564L). Conclusion: This study used novel molecular approaches to confirm the diagnosis of MPNs cases in Qatar. The observed patterns of mutations were found to be similar to the international data. In our cohorts of patients, JAK2 V617F mutation was found to be present in almost every patient with PV, nearly 50% of ET patients and less than 50% of PMF patients due to the low number of PMF patients in this study. Our original findings show the presence of MPL S505N mutation in one ET patient which was reported both as an inherited or acquired mutation in very rare cases of ET and R564L mutation in one unclassified MPNs case. An ET patient with MPL S505N progressed to AML. The impact of R564L mutation found in 1 atypical case is still unknown & needs further investigation. We report for the first time the presence of most frequent mutations found in MPNs patients in Qatar. This study is preliminary before further molecular investigations to explore & identify mutations in other candidate genes.
Epidemiologic implications of air pollutants in Houston, TX
Authors: Sharif Hatim
Published: November 2013

The adverse health effects of high concentrations of ground-level air pollutants are well-known, but estimating exposure is difficult due to the sparseness of urban monitoring networks. This sparseness discourages the reservation of a portion of the monitoring stations for validation of interpolation techniques precisely when the risk of overfitting is greatest. In this study, we test a variety of simple spatial interpolation techniques for 8-h ozone with thousands of randomly selected subsets of data from two urban areas with monitoring stations sufficiently numerous to allow for true validation. Results indicate that ordinary kriging with only the range parameter calibrated in an exponential variogram is the generally superior method, and yields reliable confidence intervals. Based on this analysis, the temporal and spatial distributions of ambient ozone and particulate matter concentrations in Houston, TX metropolitan area during the summers of 2000-2010 were assessed. The epidemiologic implications were also examined through the analysis of children hospital's emergency room visits with focus on asthma exacerbation. The impact of demographic covariates in spatiotemporal assessments of associations of ambient air pollutant concentrations with health outcome was also examined.
A novel mutation in the MASP1 gene causes autosomal recessive multiple congenital anomaly syndrome
Authors: Boulos Hala
Published: November 2013

Three patients from two related and consanguineous sibships of Pakistani ethnic origin are affected by a recognizable pattern of multiple congenital anomalies. The clinical picture includes increased inner canthal distance, hypoplastic upper lid with ptosis, blepharophemosis, maxillary hypoplasia, facial asymmetry, cleft lip/palate, high arched palate, irregular dentition, low set ears and low posterior hairline, mild scoliosis and decreased carrying angle of elbow. The apparent clinical characteristics overlap, but do not identify solely, with the individual Malpuech, Michels, Mingarelli or Carnevale syndromes, or what has been collectively referred to as the 3MC syndrome; hence, the referral to the phenotype as Multiple Congenital Anomaly syndrome. The family was studied by homozygosity mapping, and Whole Exome Sequencing of a single affected individual performed on ABI SOLiD4. A novel homozygous mutation [c.G542A] affecting the evolutionary conserved residue p.C181Y was identified at 3q27 in the MASP1 encoding a mannose-associated serine protease 1. The variant was confirmed by Sanger sequencing, segregates with the phenotype in the family and is predicted to be damaging by PolyPhen and SIFT. MASP1 functions as a component of the lectin pathway of complement activation. Mutations in the MASP1 gene and another gene (COLEC11) involved in the same pathway have been associated with human craniofacial malformation indicating an impending role for complement pathway elements in vital developmental processes during embryogenesis. The identified autosomal recessive variant extends further support to this hypothesis.
Designing coding and modulation schemes for body-area networks
Authors: Biglieri Ezio
Published: November 2013

A major role in the realm of health care is played by wireless monitoring systems. Body-area networks (BANs), which use the human body to support communication using low-power wireless sensor network technology, of late have been attracting a considerable interest. Now, the design of a transmission system for reliable communication through a BAN is a challenging problem. First, communication takes place on different types of links, depending on the body parts to which transmit and receive antennas are attached, e.g., trunk-to-trunk, trunk-to-head, trunk-to-hand, on where the hardware is located (body-to-body, offbody, on-body, and in-body links), and on antenna type and orientation, body size, location, and posture. In addition, propagation in on-body links may combine surface wave, creeping wave, diffracted waves, scattered waves, and free space propagation, depending on the antenna positions and the body postures. The use of multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) systems in BANs has also been advocated, and MIMO BAN channel models discussed. Even if adaptive techniques are used to adjust modulation and coding to the changing environment, reliable mathematical models for the transmission channel are called for, but they are difficult to obtain because of the variations of the environment in which the transmission is taking place. We argue that the design of modulation and coding schemes in BANs should be based on their robustness to uncertainties of channel model. To avoid catastrophic performance degradations due to model uncertainties, system performance must be examined by evaluating the effects of a discrepancy between the nominal distribution of channel statistics and the actual distribution. Based on this concept, the robustness of system design to channel modeling can be assessed. In this paper, we examine mathematical tools allowing designers to assess a BAN system performance under modeling uncertainty: moment-bound techniques and optimization techniques are applied to obtain performance bounds with and without error-control coding. Based on these bounds, we propose robust coding/modulation techniques making that performance less sensitive to modeling errors. Finally, we examine the design of an architecture to operate BANs in a cloud environment. Our architecture facilitates smooth convergence and operation of BANs in cloud computing, and helps the users to rely upon an efficient, reliable, and fault-tolerant cloud infrastructure for communication.
Pronunciation verification method for childhood apraxia of speech assessment tool
Authors: Shahin Mostafa
Published: November 2013

Background and Objectives Language production and speech articulation can be delayed in children due to developmental disabilities and neuromotor disorders such as childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). One of the behaviors that are commonly associated with the CAS is the articulation errors where the child mispronounced some of the produced phonemes. The presented Pronunciation Verification (PV) method automatically evaluates the child speech and detects any insertion, deletion or substitution errors made by the child on the phoneme level. Method The proposed PV method based on a search lattice with different competing paths to allow the system to detect insertions, deletions and substitutions of phonemes. Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of the lattice based PV component. The prompted word is first phonetically transcribed to obtain the expected phoneme sequence. The lattice generator then uses the phoneme sequence to generate a search lattice fed to the speech recognizer. The generated lattice is flexible enough to cover all the possible pronunciation errors (insertion, deletion and substitution) by adding alternative paths to the correct path for each of the expected errors. The deletion path can be represented as a null arc to allow the recognizer to skip the phoneme node during decoding while the garbage node is used as an alternative to collect phoneme other than the expected one (substitution error). A garbage loop is also added between two consecutive phonemes to collect inserted phonemes frames. Fig. 2 (a) shows an example of the lattice for the word "chair" where PG and PD are the penalties attached to the garbage and deletion arcs respectively, these penalties are added to avoid the recognizer skipping phonemes or aligning speech to the garbage node unless the fit is better than the correct path. The garbage node is composed of all the phonemes connected in parallel as shown in Fig. 2 (b). The Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) are extracted from the speech signal with delta and acceleration to produce a 39 dimension feature vector per frame. The extracted features are then fed to the speech recognizer along with the created lattice and the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) acoustic models to generate a sequence of phonemes from the child's utterance. The Context Dependent (CD) HMM model consists of multi-mixture tied-state tri-phones while the garbage model consists of single mixture mono-phones to reduce the complexity and speed up the recognition process. The output phoneme sequence is then compared to the expected phoneme sequence, if matched the utterance is marked as correct otherwise incorrect. Results The system overall accuracy is 88.2% where the Correct Acceptance (CA) is 91.5% and the Correct Rejection (CR) is 83.4%. Conclusion A PV method that uses a search lattice with different alternative paths and a garbage model was used to detect the articulation errors made by the child with overall accuracy around 88%.
Role(s) of microRNAs as markers and mediators of insulin resistance
Authors: Aljaber Mashael
Published: November 2013

Background: Early and rapid onset of obesity in the Qatari population, consequent to expansion primarily of abdominal adipose tissue, is closely associated with inflammation and insulin resistance. Recent interest has focused on microRNA (miRNA), both as biomarkers and mediators, of disease and therefore potentially therapeutic targets. MiRNAs are stable, non-coding species involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Aims: This study investigated the expression of a panel of miRNAs associated with inflammation and insulin resistance in peripheral blood cells of subjects with a range of adiposities and insulin sensitivities. The effect of surgical weight loss on these miRNAs was also investigated in a subset of patients. Method: Non-diabetic Qatari subjects were recruited from patients awaiting weight reduction surgery and from a normal population. Anthropometric measures were recorded. Fasting blood samples were obtained from all subjects, and in a subset after surgical weight loss, for determination of lipids, glucose, insulin and adipokines. miRNA from peripheral blood cells was used to assess their expression using an inflammatory array. Subjects were grouped by body mass index and insulin sensitivity. Results: Three comparisons were carried out: 1. Normal/over-weight (N/OW) versus obese (Ob), 2. Insulin Sensitive (IS) versus Insulin Resistant (IR), and, 3. Before (BWL) and after weight loss (AWL). Despite being matched for age (M 29.5±9.8 vs F 30.1±6.5 years), and BMI (M:36.1±12.9 vs 36.6±10.0 kg/m2) the males had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure, while levels of both leptin and adiponectin were higher in females. The N/OW, compared to the Ob group, had lower levels of systolic blood pressure, higher HDL-cholesterol, lower leptin, interleukin-6 and higher adiponectin levels. The IS group compared to the IR, matched for BMI, age and plasma glucose, had lower insulin and HOMA index of insulin resistance, as well as leptin and adiponectin. Weight loss was accompanied by a significant reduction in BMI (BWL:41.6±8.6 vs AWL 34.7±8.7 kg/m2), leptin, insulin and HOMA-IR. Three miRNA were significantly different between the different body weight groups. Conversely, 12 miRNA changed significantly when IS were compared to the IR. Weight loss also produced changes in the expression of ten miR species. Conclusion: It is apparent that significant differences in expression of the miR species occur along with changes in metabolic and inflammatory parameters in the different body weight groups, which are further enhanced both synergistically and independently by insulin resistance. Some, but not all, of the metabolic and inflammatory lesions that accompany obesity and insulin resistance appear to be ameliorated by weight loss. The target genes of these miRNAs are currently being investigated to assign possible functionality.
The development of analytical measurements for point of care testing in chronic wound healing
Authors: Milne Stephen
Published: November 2013

In recent years a specialist interest has developed worldwide in Advanced Wound Management for difficult to heal chronic wounds. This is timely given the increasing number of elderly in the population and the growing burden of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease that all contribute to an increase in hard to heal wounds. Further progress in Advanced Wound Management will require an improvement in personalised medicine for the patient and in particular an improvement in the availability of diagnostic tests and parameters that fulfil clinical need in wound management decisions. At the current time in wound care there is little available in near patient testing for clinical diagnostics. This research project focuses on a number of metrics for wound condition and wound healing: wound moisture, wound fluid pH, and wound matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) enzyme activity. To observe these important markers a state of the art sensor for wound moisture monitor is being deployed in clinical studies and new sensors are currently in development for both pH and MMP-9 enzyme level. Moisture levels in wounds can determine how well a wound heals and in addition it is possible to make decisions on the need for dressing changes based upon moisture readings taken from inside the dressing. The pH of a wound can affect many different phases of the healing process such as oxygen levels, cell proliferation, protease enzyme activity and bacterial growth. If the pH level of a wound can be effectively monitored then it can act as a biological marker to aid in diagnostics and in establishing the optimum conditions for healing. The pH electrode has not been successfully adapted into smaller and alternate packaging because the membrane that forms the selective part of the electrode, being made of silicon glass, is fragile, thus limiting manufacture, sterilisation and practical application. A disposable sensor has been produced through a screen printing method with an ion-selective membrane. The sensor is able to detect the pH in an operational range in the pH 3.5-10 with as little 10µL of fluid. MMPs are involved in every phase of wound healing. If the balance of the MMPs is upset within a wound it can upset the cellular processes preventing healing and eventually causing further damage to the wound. In chronic wounds the amount of MMP-9 activity has been found to be 30 times more than in acute wounds. By measuring the MMP-9 level of a wound the clinician will be able to choose treatment appropriately to return the MMP level to optimum healing conditions. The project has developed an assay for measuring MMP-9 at physiologically relevant levels between 0.01-100ng/ml. These sensors will enable the wound healing markers of moisture, pH and MMP enzyme activity to be studied and profiled in Hamad Medical Corporation which will further the understanding of these markers and their relationship in the complex healing process involved in chronic wound healing.
The epidemiology of hepatitis C virus in Qatar: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mohamoud Yousra
Published: November 2013

Abstract (342 words) Background: The scale and nature of hepatitis C virus (HCV) disease burden in Qatar is poorly known. In addition to establishing the level of infection among the Qatari population, characterizing HCV disease burden is of particular relevance as Qatar has a large expatriate population some of whom are from countries with substantial HCV prevalence. Objective: To investigate the epidemiology of HCV in Qatar among Qataris and expatriate resident populations. Methods: We conducted a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Sources of data included PubMed and Embase databases. Our analysis included all primary studies reporting HCV prevalence or incidence measures in Qatar. Extracted measures were then classified and analyzed on the basis of the study population's risk of acquiring HCV. Meta-analyses were conducted incorporating inverse variance weighting and using a random-effects model to pool summary estimates of HCV prevalence, among general population groups, for Qataris and the population as a whole. Results: We identified seven studies providing a total of 23 measures on HCV prevalence and none on incidence in Qatar. HCV prevalence in the general population was 0.51% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.43-0.59) among Qataris, and 1.01% (95% CI: 0.43-1.82) overall. Among blood donors the prevalence ranged from 0.3-11.2% depending on country of origin. The highest prevalence was reported among Egyptian migrants followed, though by a large margin, by Pakistani migrants. Among high risk populations, HCV prevalence was as high as 44.6% in hemodialysis patients, 25.8% among cirrhosis patients, and 9.0% among lichen planus patients. Conclusions: National-level HCV prevalence in Qatar is comparable to that in developed countries, but higher prevalence is found in specific expatriate populations reflecting the higher prevalence in the countries of origin. The high prevalence found among high risk groups possibly dates back to exposures that occurred prior to the enforcement of stringent infection control and blood screening protocols, implemented in the 1990s after the virus discovery. Since HCV prevalence is rather low, HCV prevention policy in Qatar should focus mainly on prevention and infection control in clinical settings.
New insights into the genetics of DCM from the QCRC intercontinental genetic consortium (QCRC-IGC)
Authors: Sanoudou Despina
Published: November 2013

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause for heart failure characterized by an enlarged ventricular cavity causing systolic dysfunction. Although a multifactorial disease, DCM has been attributed to gene mutations in approximately 30-50% of cases. However, the full spectrum of the genetic basis of DCM remains elusive. QCRC-IGC is a Doha-centered intercontinental consortium comprising teams from Egypt, Greece, UK, Italy and the USA. It aims at discovering novel gene variants implicated in DCM pathogenesis and/or progression, through the establishment of a multinational DCM patient cohort and the genetic investigation of over 170 genes (including all DCM genes) using the cutting-edge technology of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). Herein we present the genetic screening of sixteen DCM patients (5 sporadic and 11 familial), as confirmed by echocardiography and/or MRI, who did not have a history of alcoholism or coronary angiography findings. Over 1,600 variants were detected in each patient, the vast majority of which represent well documented benign polymorphisms. Forty variants had never been reported before, involving the genes: TTN, SYNE1, MYH6, ALMS1, SDHA, MYPN, LAMA2, TPM1, PLEC, FOXD4, ILK, SGCB and DSP. TTN mutations are being detected in 27% of DCM cases. Of particular interest is the polymorphism observed in the gene DSP, as it was detected in two affected sisters of the same family, it represents the only common potentially pathogenic variant shared between them, and it is bioinformatically predicted to lead to a dysfunctional protein product. Importantly, other mutations in DSP have been previously associated with DCM as well as ARVC. Significant findings of immediate research and ultimately diagnostic/prognostic value are beginning to emerge. Additionally, the discovery of novel pathogenic mutations would unveil promising new therapeutic targets. QCRC is currently intensifying the patient recruitment process at the clinical level, while focusing on the molecular characterization of the emerging novel variants using in silico modeling, induced pluripotent stem cells, and systems biology approaches.
Impact of a school-based shisha use prevention program in Qatar: A pilot study
Authors: Almulla Ahmad
Published: November 2013

Background: Shisha: a re-emerging type of tobacco use contains harmful substances. Around 21% of 7 to 9th Graders students (29%: boys and 15.4%: girls) smoke any forms of tobacco in Qatar (GYTS, 2007). The prevalence of shisha use at young ages is alarming and calls for immediate intervention. To date, and despite the increasing prevalence of shisha use among youth, and its documented health hazards, no intervention to delay or prevent initiation has been evaluated. As such, this study was conducted to test for the impact of a shisha prevention program on controlling use of shisha by 7th and 8th graders in Doha, Qatar. Significance: This is the first piloted school based intervention related to shisha smoking and hence results of this study are important for researchers in the field given the high increase in shisha use among youth in the region and worldwide. Methodology: The intervention was based on the Health Belief Model and the Theory of Planned Change as the theoretical models of health behavior and targeted 7th and 8th graders in both public and private schools in Qatar. The intervention consisted of 8 sessions. The 8 sessions were targeting knowledge, decision making skills/self-efficacy, refusal skills, media literacy around tobacco & social promise. Results: A total of 253 students took the pre-test with 146 and 107 students assigned to the intervention and control groups respectively. Overall, there was a significant increase in the total shisha knowledge score among the intervention arm but not among the control arm. In the intervention arm, there were significant increases in the percentage of students with positive responses towards 9 out of the 16 attitude statements. In contrast, in the control arm there were significant decreases in positive responses to 4 of the 16 attitude statements and only for one statement there was observed a significant increase in positive response. Conclusion: The study demonstrated the feasibility of doing such an intervention in schools in Qatar. The intervention succeeded in increasing knowledge and perceived severity of the hazardous effects of shisha use. The intervention succeeded in increasing knowledge and positive attitudes towards shisha use. This is very essential as a first step towards behavioral change especially in a subject (shisha smoking) where misconceptions among adults as well as youth are high.
HIV Nef expression in an AIDS mouse model favors the accumulation of CD4+ Treg cells which retain important suppressive functions
Authors: Hanna Zaher
Published: November 2013

HIV-1 infection causes depletion and/or dysfunction of distinct CD4+ T cell subsets and may affect these differently. Regulatory CD4+ CD25Hi Foxp3+ T cells (Treg) represent a distinct CD4+ T cell subset with suppressor activity. These cells play an important role in the regulation of self-tolerance and autoimmunity, and in the regulation of immune responses against cancerous tumors and pathogens. During HIV infection, several studies have reported abnormalities of CD4+ Treg in blood and/or lymphoid organs. However, it has not been possible to firmly establish whether Treg are beneficial or pathogenic to the host during HIV infection. Because much remains to be learned about Treg in the context of HIV-1 infection, and because the mouse has so far been one of the best models to study the biology of Treg, we hypothesize that a study on Treg in a mouse model of AIDS may facilitate our understanding of their role in this disease. In the present study, we used the CD4C/HIVNef transgenic (Tg) mouse model to investigate Treg disturbances and characteristics. These Tg mice express Nef under the regulation of the upstream elements of the human CD4 gene and develop a very severe AIDS-like disease. In particular, they exhibit abnormal development of thymic CD4+ T cells, loss and enhanced apoptosis of CD4+ T cells and activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. We report that HIV-1 Nef in this Tg mouse model causes depletion of total CD4+ T cells, but preserves and relatively enriches CD4+ Treg. We found that Nef-mediated CD4+ Treg enrichment is the direct result of Nef expression in CD4+ T cells and occurs independently of Nef-induced lymphopenia. Tg CD4+ Treg accumulation likely results from multiple mechanisms: lower apoptosis, enhanced cell division and increased generation from precursors. Interestingly, Tg CD4+ Treg enrichment could be reversed by enhancing Lck activity. Most importantly, we show that, in contrast to Tg helper CD4+ T cells which have lost their function, Nef-expressing CD4+ Treg retain their regulatory function in vitro and also in vivo, under some settings. In particular, we found that Treg prevent expansion of Tg B and non-Treg T cells in vivo. Our study reveals that Nef affects distinct CD4+ T cell subsets differently and uncovers the high proliferative potential of B and non-Treg T cells in this mouse model.
Estrogen Receptor Α Gene And Vitamin K Epoxide Reductase (Vkorc1) Gene Haplotypes And Low Bmd In Palestinian Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Darwish Hisham
Published: November 2013

Background Osteoporosis is a common skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass and microarchetectual deterioration of bone tissue with increased susceptibility to fractures. Osteoporosis is considered a multifactorial polygenic disease. The prevalence of postmenopausal osteoporosis in Palestine, based on of BMD at femoral neck, total hip and spine was 24%, 14% and 29.7% respectively. Previous studies on the effect of genetic polymorphisms on bone mineral density (BMD) showed significant correlation between various haplotypes and mutations in the VDR and MTHFR and low bone mineral density [BMD] among Palestinian postmenopausal subjects. Estrogens are known to play an important role in regulating bone homeostasis. Estrogen act through binding to Estrogen Receptor Î± (ERÎ±) which is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand activated transcription factors. Vitamin K hydrochinon is an important cofactor for gamma carboxylation of osteocalcin, a major bone matrix protein . The reduction of vitamin K to vitamin K hydrochinon depends on the vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 (VKORC1). Aim In the present study, correlation between specific XbaI and PvuII polymorphisms in the ERÎ± gene and selected polymorphisms in the VKORC1 gene with low BMD and fractures risk were investigated in 345 postmenopausal Palestinian women including 165 osteoporotic, 93 osteopenic and 86 normal subjects using allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and RFLP-PCR technology. Results The data showed significance association between the XX haplotype of the XbaI in ERÎ± gene and lower BMD at the hip (P=0.012). Similarly the PP haplotype of PvuII ER Î± gene was significantly associated with lower hip BMD ( P=0.03). In addition, the 9041G allele [GG and GA] was significantly more frequent in patients with low BMD (P = 0.012). In our cohort, a genetic variation in the 3'-region of the VKORC1 gene (9041 AG and GG) was significantly associated with low BMD. The data also revealed the +2255 TT haplotype which is linked to lower activity of the enzyme was associated with low BMD while the presence of the C allele [CC or CT], linked to higher activity at this locus, was associated with normal BMD levels [P=0.02]. Conclusions These findings indicate that specific polymorphisms in the ERÎ± gene and VKORC1 gene are correlated with variation in BMD levels among our subjects. These results along with previous data with the VDR and MTHFR genes provide evidence for the strong correlation between genetics and osteoporosis in our population may be significant for treatment decisions and screening of osteoporotic patients. The involvement of other genes variation like the osteoprotegrin and TNF superfamily member genes are underway. The overall data will eventialy be employed for direct correlation and evaluation between the genetic background of patients and the efficacy of selected specific drugs used to treat osteoporosis.
How Do Pharmacists Advise Diabetes Patient Self-Management During The Holy Month Of Ramadan?
Authors: Tawengi Kawthar
Published: November 2013

Background Many diabetes patients choose to participate in the Ramadan fast despite medical and religious advice to the contrary. Pharmacists, especially in ambulatory care, are considered the most easily and readily accessible health care providers whose guidance can help ensure safe fasting for these patients. Objective The aim of this novel study is to describe Qatar pharmacists' current practice, knowledge, and attitudes towards diabetes medication management during Ramadan. Methodology This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed among a convenience sample of 500 pharmacists in various practice settings in Qatar. A web-based, 30-items questionnaire was systematically developed following comprehensive literature review. The volume and nature of pharmacist interactions with diabetes patients was explored. Pharmacists' awareness and knowledge of relevant resources, endorsed by international medical and religious bodies, were evaluated. In addition, their attitudes regarding pharmacist role in diabetes care during Ramadan were assessed. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS Version 19. Results: The survey was completed by 166 (33%) pharmacists during May and June 2012. Eighty-eight (53%) were based in ambulatory care and reported somewhat more interaction (at least weekly) with diabetes patients during Ramadan than hospital pharmacists (70.4%, vs. 55.8%, p=0.08). Three-quarter of respondents had never read recommended diabetes Ramadan guidelines with 62% using Internet resources as their primary reference to answer fasting-related diabetes questions. Two-thirds of respondents correctly identified how to modify oral diabetes therapy dosing during Ramadan, but just 20 (12%) did so for insulin. Despite stated barriers of workload, insufficient access to patient medical records and private counseling areas, pharmacists overwhelmingly expressed willingness to assume greater roles in diabetes patient education during Ramadan. Conclusion Qatar pharmacists frequently interact with diabetes patients, but application of recommended medical guidelines for care and medication dosing for fasting patients is not optimal. While there are various barriers limiting pharmacist participation in diabetes management during Ramadan, they are motivated to assume a greater role in developing this service.
Bioinformatics applications for Bacteriophages and their pathogenic bacteria proteins Analysis
Authors: Elshayeb Ayman
Published: November 2013

Introduction: E. coli is usually harmless to the host, sometimes causes diarrhoeal and other diseases in humans. In the meantime, S. aureus is the cause of a wide range of different kinds of major and minor pyogenic infections. Rational : The mechanical action of the bacteriophage on the selected bacteria species depend on their receptors that adsorb them to their hosts, some proteins of the bacterial outer membrane acts as the receptor for phage infection, to isolate the phages and identify their species through electron microscopy analysis and/or DNA hybridization assays, the relationship between bacteriophages and bacteria proteins could be found by the protein profiles analysis Methods: The proteins of the Escherichia .coli phage and the E. coli bacteria were separated by Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate Poly Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to estimate their molecular weights; the migration of each band was compared to the standards of known weights in the molecular ladder. Results: The mobilised proteins of the phage showed three major bands with molecular weights of 46, 35 and 24 kDa. Meanwhile, the bacteria showed clear nine bands with molecular weight ranged between 96 and 14 kDa. This was analysed by the programme ImageJ136b which showed molecular masses of 47, 34 and 16 kDa, The analysed data showed the protein bands distance migration and plot area of the phage and the bacteria, the results in size from 47.7 to 34.3 kDa resembles 43.3% of total phage protein which formed the capsid head and the coil, while the molecular weight mass of 22.5 formed the tail proteins, we found that the band of 34 kDa was the common shared peak between them. Conclusion The bacterial host E. coli protein profile showed more bands and more peaks than the bacteriophages ones, this is related to the lytic cycle of the bacteriophages and their phenomenon in utilizing the bacterial DNA in proteins manufacturing during their multiplication inside the host.
The Polyamine Binding Protein, Potd, Is Needed For Intracellular Establishment Of The Waterborne Pathogen Legionella Pneumophila
Authors: Nasrallah Gheyath
Published: November 2013

The Polyamine Binding Protein, PotD, Is Needed for Intracellular Establishment of the Waterborne Pathogen Legionella pneumophila
Sanad: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Smart Mobile Diabetes Management System Embedding Social Networking Platform
Authors: Alanzi Turki
Published: November 2013

SANAD: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Smart Mobile Diabetes Management System Embedding Social Networking Platform
Cross-Sectional Study Of Total And Central Body Fatness And C-Reactive Protein Among Qatari Men And Women: The Qatar Biobank Project
Authors: Nasralla Eman
Published: November 2013

Cross-sectional study of total and central body fatness and c-reactive protein among Qatari men and women: The Qatar Biobank Project
Etiologic Studies On Equine Motor Neuron Disease: A Natural Model For Als
Authors: Mohammed Hussni
Published: November 2013

Etiologic Studies on Equine Motor Neuron Disease: A natural model for ALS
Mechanism Of Regulation Of Extracellular Matrix Upon Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
Authors: Mesaeli Nasrin
Published: November 2013

Mechanism of regulation of extracellular matrix upon endoplasmic reticulum stress
Assessment Of Parylene C Thin Films For Heart Valve Tissue Engineering
Authors: Marei Isra
Published: November 2013

Assessment of Parylene C Thin Films for Heart Valve Tissue Engineering