bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Isolation, Cultivation, and Characterization of Novel Local Marine Micro-Algae for Aquaculture Feed Supplement Production
Authors: Dalgamouni Tasneem atef , Kanji Shatha , Cherif Maroua , Rasheed Rihab , Bounnit Touria , Aljabri Hareb , Saadaoui Imen , Ben Hamadou Radhouane
Published: December 2020

Aquaculture is considered as a promising alternative to support the food demands of the everincreasing population. Currently, this sector faces several challenges such as using fishmeal, which is unsustainable and expensive. Therefore, it is necessary to identify an alternative feed component that is sustainable, cost-effective and can provide the essential nutrients required by the fish. In this context, microalgae are considered as a viable source of proteins, lipids, polysaccharides and highvalue products (HVPs) such as essential fatty acids, amino acids and vitamins. They play a vital role in the marine food chain and hence can be easily assimilated by the fish. The current research targeted the isolation, identification and characterization of novel marine microalgae from Qatar coastline to produce aquaculture feed supplement. As the climate poses a number of stress factors, such as high light intensities, temperatures and varying salinities, it is expected that novel microalgae with interesting metabolite profiles can be isolated from the environment for developing aquaculture sector in Qatar. Standard plating methods were used to isolate halophilic strains from field waters. PCR-sequencing was used to identify the novel microalgae, cyanobacteria and diatom isolates. Then a comparative analysis of the growth performance and metabolite content was performed to characterize these strains. Results evidenced that the cyanobacteria strain exhibited the highest biomass productivity of 51.4 mg L-1day-1 whereas the highest lipid content was observed in the novel diatom isolate ranging up to 28.62% and the highest amount of carotenoids was detected in the case of the microalgae. As in conclusion, a rich feed supplement blending the three isolates can be considered as an alternative to fishmeal. As a continuation of this research, the potential strains will be cultivated under various stress to increase their nutritional value.
Synthesis and Characterization of Ni-P-Ti Nanocomposite Coatings on HSLA Steel
Authors: Shahzad Khuram , Fayyad Eman Mohamed Abdelkhalek , Umer Malik Adeel , Fayyaz Osama , Qureshi Tooba , Fatima Izzah , Shakoor Abdul
Published: December 2020

Nickel phosphorus (Ni-P) coatings possess tailored mechanical and anticorrosion properties and have found applications in industries like automotive, oil and gas, electronics, and aerospace. Their properties can further be enhanced by incorporating nanoparticles into their (Ni-P) matrix. In the present study, Ni-P-Ti nanocomposite coatings have been developed on high strength low alloy steel (HSLA) through electroless deposition technique. For this purpose, various concentrations of titanium (Ti) nanoparticles are used in the deposition bath containing 0.0g/L, 0.25g/L, 0.5g/L, 0.75g/L, and 1.0g/L nanoparticles. XDR, SEM, microhardness, and nanoindentation have been carried out to elucidate the role of Ti nanoparticle concertation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Ni-P-Ti composite coatings. XRD and EDX results confirm the incorporation of nanoparticles into the Ni-P matrix during deposition processing. SEM and AFM results exhibit the formation of a dense, uniform coating without any observable defects. An increase in the mechanical properties of the Ni-P matrix was observed by the addition of Ti nanoparticles. Superior mechanical properties were shown by the samples containing 0.5g/L Ti nanoparticle concentration. Improvement in the structural, as well as mechanical properties of Ni- P matrix by the addition of Ti, confirms the suitability of Ni-P-Ti composite coatings for various engineering applications.
Super-hydrophobic Membrane based on PVDF/ZnO Composite Electrospun Nanofibers for wastewater & Oil spill treatment
Authors: Abouhashem Azza , Al-Maadeed Ali , Almohannadi Abdulaziz , Rajajothi Hemalatha , Bhadra Jolly
Published: December 2020

Industrial development releases plenty of oil/dyes wastes to water making unsafe the environment to live in. This project aims to solve the problems associated with environmental pollution and discharge of industrial effluents to water bodies. This is very important in the global scenario as water is the basis of life. The problem of leaking oil and dyes in water bodies is one of the biggest problems that cause instability in the ecosystem since, it has a negative impact on marine creatures that live in these water bodies. In addition, this damage is transmitted to humans in an indirect way. The current project aims to develop ZnO/PVDF composite nanofibers using electrospun technique. The fabricated nanofibers were analyzed mainly for their morphology by using scanning electron microscope, X-Ray diffraction, mechanical tensile strength, UV light spectroscope and oil separation experiments was mainly targeted for the proposed research and photocatalytic performance. Using these nanoparticles oil absorption was done for the water contaminated with oil and dye. The novelty of this particular proposal is defined by the nontoxic material fabrication method in the form of membrane, the fabricated membrane can be used for both absorbing oil & separating dyes from water. We have successfully synthesized the flower-like ZnO architectures by hydrothermal method, developing oil and dye absorbing membrane using electrospinning techniques. It can absorb oil and dyes from water wastes, can be reused many times. The observed results suggest that the fabricated flexible electrospun nanofibers are suitable for the wastewater treatment. Our future recommendations to test different types of dyes not mentioned in this research involve, mixing two dyes together and check testing by the fabricated membrane, testing mixture of both oil and dye wastes together and develope the membrane to be as a sponge, which can hold the oil then collecting this oil and reusing it again.
Pearl Oyster: From National Icon To Guardian of Qatar's Marine Environment
Authors: BenHamadou1 Alexandra Leitao , Khatir Zenaba , Al-Shamary Noora , Hassan Hassan , Hizan Zainab , Al-Ashwal Aisha , Chatting Mark , Hamza Shafeeq , Giraldes Bruno , Minardi Diana , Bean Tim , Bayen Stephane , Lyons Brett
Published: December 2020

The NPRP9-394-1-090 project “Pearl Oyster: from national icon to guardian of Qatar's marine environment” had as main aim to develop and apply an integrated suite of chemical and biological methods as early warning tools to assess the “health” of Qatar’s marine environment. The central theme consisted in an investigative monitoring program around the use of the pearl oyster, Pictada imbricata radiata, as a sentinel or guardian species. We have characterized the main environmental contaminants of concern at a selected number of sites around the Qatari coast (UmmBab, Al Khor, Al Wakra and Simaisma), during 2 years, in summer and winter. Potential ecological effects of contaminants (targeted and untargeted) were investigated at different biological organization levels (gene, chromosome, cell, individual, population), through a multidisciplinary approach, using classical and genotoxicological endpoints, integrative histopathology and transcriptomic responses to the different environmental stresses. To our knowledge, this is the first time an integrated approach connecting all these disciplines has been applied in the Qatari marine environment. We present here the main results, of this 3 years project, obtained in all different disciplinary approaches. The results of this project will leave a legacy of resources for future Qatari researchers, including an open access transcriptome data base and the first description of common pathologies observed in the pearl oyster P. i. radiata. Moreover, they will also represent a sound science-based baseline data essential for conservation and management planning, by integration of the data from all the different disciplines applied in the project to assess the potential ecological effects of contaminants at different biological levels.
Smart and Robust Nanocomposite Fibers for Self-Powering
Authors: alkhair Shahad , Ponnamma Deepalekshmi , Aljanahi Abdulla , AlNasr Abdulla
Published: December 2020

Many of the devices, demands power sources for their continuous and long-term operations, selfpowering devices with good flexibility, mechanical robustness, highly efficient energy storage performance and environmental friendliness are investigated. Polyvinylidene fluoride hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) is used as the base polymer in our study. Hybrid combination of nanoparticles –iron oxide (FeO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used to reinforce with the polymer and the electrospinning method was adopted for the sample preparation. This specific method helps the polymer dipoles to align in specific directions so that the resultant fibers exhibit remarkable piezoelectric property. Other than studying the crystallinity and morphology, the energy storage of the material is also investigated, and correlated with the output voltage generation. The research results shows improve in the crystallinity structure of the hybrid nanocomposite thus enhanced piezoelectricity. In addition, it shows improved dielectric constant of the hybrid nanocomposite thus improving storage capabilities of the developed material. Additional researches could be directed to test the ability of the developed hybrid nanocomposite to absorb electromagnetic radiation. In addition, investigating self-cleaning properties due to the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles can be a good study. The established material can be used in numerous applications such as smart electronic textiles, biomedical applications, and artificial intelligence.
The influence of Carbon Nanotubes on the Thermoelectric Properties of Bismuth Telluride
Authors: Akbar Himyan , Youssef Khaled
Published: December 2020

Thermoelectric materials are devices that have the ability to convert waste heat to electricity. The widespread use of thermoelectric materials is currently limited by the low value their figure-ofmerit (ZT). Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) is a promising thermoelectric material in the near room temperature applications that provides a ZT value ~ 1. In order to overcome the limitation of utilizing thermoelectric materials in waste heat recovery, a ZT value > 2 is required. In this current study multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) was incorporated into Bi2Te3 bulk matrix system to enhance its mechanical and thermoelectric properties through powder processing techniques. The nanocrystalline Bi2Te3/MWCNT composites were prepared using high energy ball milling and spark plasma sintering (SPS) techniques. The structural characterization and the average grain size of both pristine Bi2Te3 and Bi2Te3/MWCNT was found to be approximately (~ 13 nm) and the average strain was found to be 0.2 using both X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Vickers Microhardness test shows significant improvement of the nanocomposite hardness up to ~2 GPa as a function of increasing the MWCNT content. As for the dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) of the composite, it is expected to increase above the value of the pure binary Bi2Te3 in the temperature range of 298–498 K the addition of MWCNT increased the ZT value from 0.48 to maximum ZT value to 0.61 at 50oC, while at 150oC the ZT value was measured to be 0.35 and 0.43 for Bi2Te3 and MWCNT/Bi2Te3, respectively. It is considered that the enhancement of the thermoelectric performance of the composite mostly derived from the thermal conductivity, which is reduced by an active phonon-scattering at the MWCNT/Bi2Te3 interfaces.
Fabrication of Flexible Electrically Conductive Polymer Based Micro-Patterns using Plasma Discharge
Authors: Abdul-kareem Asma Abdulgader , Popelka Anton , Bhadra Jolly
Published: December 2020

The application of polymer-based micro-patterns in the field of flexible micro-electronics has become the focus as to replace rigid and planar silicon based integrated circuits with weak bendability. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be used as a substrate because of its excellent flexible and mechanical properties and polyaniline (PANI) is a typical representative of the electrical conductive polymers applicable for this purpose. PANI excels by a stable and controllable electrical conductivity, high environment stability, and ease fabrication. An improvement of electrical conductivity of PANI can be achieved using different nano-particles, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs). CNTs since their discovery have attracted attention due to their excellent electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, and had divergent applications, such as complex nano/micro-electronic devices, energy storage and both chemical and bio sensors. This research was focused on the preparation of micro-patterns based on electrically conductive PANI using shaping mold and cold plasma acting as adhesion promoter for PET substrate. The PANI/CNTs nano-composite was used to enhance an electrical conductivity of prepared micropatterns. The adhesion of prepared micro-patterns was evaluated based on the peel tests measurement. Various microscopic techniques, such as profilometry, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM), proved the homogeneous structures of prepared polymer based micro-patterns. Broad dielectric spectroscopy and conductive AFM confirmed electrical behavior of prepared micro-patterns.
Development of Polymer Modified Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Membranes to Reduce both Scaling and Biofouling
Authors: Ashfaq Mohammad Yousaf , Al-Ghouti Mohammad , Zouari Nabil , Qiblawey Hazim
Published: December 2020

In seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO), membrane scaling is one of the major issues affecting its widespread application in the desalination industry. In this research, the effect of concentration of calcium and sulfate ions from 20 to 150 mM and temperature from 5 to 35̊C on calcium sulfate scaling of reverse osmosis (RO) and Graphene oxide functionalized RO membranes was investigated. It was found that increase of concentration as well as temperature enhances the mineral scaling, where morphology of crystals varies from rod shaped to rosette structures. It was also observed that commonly found seawater bacteria can use antiscalants as an energy/carbon source thereby degrading them and reducing their efficiency to reduce mineral scaling. Moreover, bacteria were found to be capable of inducing/mediating calcium sulfate precipitation on RO membranes, further enhancing the mineral scaling. Therefore, it was important to modify RO membranes capable of simultaneously reduce both mineral scaling and biofouling. For this purpose, RO membrane was modified with antibacterial graphene oxide and polymer antiscalants using microwave radiation technique. It was found that the modified membranes were able to inhibit microbial growth up to 95%, while, mineral scaling was also reduced by 97%. Hence, it was concluded that the coating of polymer modified graphene oxide nanocomposites on RO membranes can simultaneously reduce both biofouling and scaling. So far, such dual characteristics of modified membranes have not been reported in the literature.
Full-Scale Seawater Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant Simulator
Authors: Siddiqui Hammad , Elnour Mariam , Meskin Nader , Zaidi Syed
Published: December 2020

Reverse Osmosis (RO) is an efficient and clean membrane-based technology for water desalination. This work presents a full-scale seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant simulator using MATLAB/Simulink that has been validated using the operational data from a local plant. It allows simulating the system behavior under different operating conditions with high flexibility and minimal cost.
Developing an Interactive Data Visualization Platform to Present the Adaption of Electrical Vehicles in Washington, California and New York
Authors: Ayad Hiba Anis , Al-Obadi Muna Abdulrahman , Al-Kilani Lana Ala' , Hussein Haneen Tawfiq , Arshad Raiha , Kucukvar Murat
Published: December 2020

This paper is an overview of using data visualization tools to provide a better insight into a large amount of data and represent the data in a visualized form. The used data is related to electric vehicles (EV) usage in three different states in the USA, which are California, New York, and Washington. The data was collected from reliable resources to assure the reliability and accuracy of the results, then compiled as a Microsoft Excel workbook, which was then used as a data recourse in Microsoft Power BI. By visualizing the data we will end up with rich visuals which will clarify the data for the end-user. After analyzing the data, a clear vision created and recommendations have been suggested.
Polymer Nanocomposite-based Moisture Sensors for Monitoring of the Water Contents in the Natural Gas Pipelines
Authors: Mallick Shoaib , Ahmad Zubair , Touati Farid
Published: December 2020

In this study, the polymer-based humidity sensors were investigated for humidity sensing applications. The key advantages of polymers that have garnered this attraction are their lightweight, easy preparation, and low cost of both materials and fabrication process. Different techniques are used to enhance the surface morphology and sensitivity of polymeric films, which include synthesis of nanocomposites, copolymerization techniques, and blending of polymers. The incorporation of nanoparticles to the polymer matrix improves the electrical and mechanical properties of the polymeric film. We have investigated different polymer nanocomposites based humidity sensors on enhancing the sensitivity of the sensor, on achieving faster response and recovery time and lower hysteresis loss as compared to the polymeric humidity sensors. In the first phase, we investigated the PLA-TiO2 nanocomposite for humidity sensing applications. We have optimized the concentration of TiO2 in the PLA-TiO2 nanocomposite and apply acetone for the surface treatment of the sensing film. In the second phase, we studied the PVDF-TiO2 nanocomposite-based humidity sensor, achieved a linear response of the sensor, and optimized the concentration of PVDF. In the third phase, we incorporated the BaTiO3 nanoparticles within optimized PVDF and studied the dielectric property of the nanocomposite film. PVDF-BaTiO3 sensors show a smaller hysteresis response. In the 4th phase, we blend the PVDF with SPEEK polymer; the optimized concentration of SPEEK improves the sensitivity of the humidity sensors at a lower humidity level.
Assessment of Tarmat Contamination and its Chemical Characterization along the West Coast of Qatar, Arabian Gulf
Authors: Puthiyapurayil Haseeba Kaiprath , S Veerasingam , H Shafeeq , Al-Khayat Jassim , P Vethamony
Published: December 2020

Tarmat/Oil residue (hereafter ‘TM’) is one of the serious threats to the marine ecosystem due to their toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation problems. To assess the level of TM contamination and to determine the primary differences in the chemical composition, a sampling campaign was conducted in 12 beaches along the west coast of Qatar. TM contamination ranged from 0 to 104 gm-1 with an average value of 9.25 gm-1. Moreover, all the TM samples were found to be highly weathered, blackish and asphalt-like material. Though the current TM pollution level is thirty-fold lesser than those found during 1993 to 1997, the contamination pattern was similar (i.e. northwestern part was highly contaminated). The distribution of TM along the Qatar coast is as follows: Low tide> high tide> berm line. Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was used to examine the bulk chemical characteristics of the TMs. These bulk chemical characteristics have revealed several features unique to different types of TM samples.
Operational Performance and Safety Assessment of Signalized Roundabouts
Authors: Hannun Jameel , Hannun Jamal , Shamiyeh Khaled , Ghanim Mohammad , Kharbeche Mohamed
Published: December 2020

Roundabouts are widely used to reduce the severity of conflicts at intersecting roads. While they tend to provide an acceptable level of traffic operation, their operational benefits are reduced when traffic demands increase. One possible and economic mitigation is to convert the roundabouts into signalized ones to accommodate the demand increase and to further reduce the conflicts. This conversion will allow the roundabouts to perform both functions (safety and operational) within acceptable levels. Accordingly, proper signal timing parameters are often required to achieve the anticipated safety and operational levels. Unlike the operational performance of signalized intersections that can be easily assessed based on field measurements, safety assessment is far more difficult due to the need of historical crash data, which would potentially take years. This study presents the use of traffic simulation to assess the operational performance as well as the safety performance of signalized intersections. At first, a well-calibrated model of a signalized roundabout located in the city of Doha is built in microscopic traffic simulation environment based on field measurements and observations. Secondly, Surrogate Safety Assessment Method (SSAM) is used to analyze the simulated vehicular trajectories to identify the type and severity of conflicts. The results revealed that the implemented signal timing parameters have a significant impact on the safety functionality of the signalized roundabouts.
Influence of Water Table Fluctuation on Natural Source Zone Depletion in Hydrocarbon Contaminated Subsurface Environments
Authors: Ismail Reem , Shafieiyoun Saeid , Al Raoush Riyadh , Rezanezhad Fereidoun
Published: December 2020

Most of the prediction theories regarding dissolution of organic contaminants in the subsurface systems have been proposed based on the static water conditions; and the influence of water fluctuations on mass removal requires further investigations. In this study, it was intended to investigate the effects of water table fluctuations on biogeochemical properties of the contaminated soil at the smear zone between the vadose zone and the groundwater table. An automated 60 cm soil column system was developed and connected to a hydrostatic equilibrium reservoir to impose the water regime by using a multi-channel pump. Four homogenized hydrocarbon contaminated soil columns were constructed and two of them were fully saturated and remained under static water conditions while another two columns were operated under water table fluctuations between the soil surface and 40 cm below it. The experiments were run for 150 days and relevant geochemical indicators as well as dissolved phase concentrations were analyzed at 30 and 50 cm below the soil surface in all columns. The results indicated significant difference in terms of biodegradation effectiveness between the smear zones exposed to static and water table fluctuation conditions. This presentation will provide an overview of the experimental approach, mass removal efficiency, and key findings.
Preparation and Characterization of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and its application in Produced Water Treatment and Oil Recovery
Authors: Faisal Wamda , Almomani Fares
Published: December 2020

Recently, considerable amounts of oil were produced from petroleum industries and lead to serious environmental problems. In this study, Fe3O4 (MNPs) were prepared using combustion synthesis method at temperature range from 150 to 350ºC and then applied with different concentrations to the oil/water emulsion. The synthesized MNPs were characterized using various analytical techniques, and their demulsification efficiencies were then evaluated. Results showed that the application of these nanoparticles could significantly improve the efficiency of the demulsification process, Furthermore, the prepared MNPs were still effective after being recycled for 4 cycles and give oil removal about 90%.
Power Electronic Converter for Efficient Home Energy Management
Authors: Meraj Mohammad , Iqbal Atif , Al Emadi Nasser M E
Published: December 2020

The residential and commercial buildings are going green to reduce the carbon footprint. To improve the energy efficiency of the buildings, the Internet of Things can be used in conjunction with power electronic converters to improve the performance of energy efficient buildings. The distributed generation for the buildings mainly consists of battery energy storage, wind generator, solar PV panels along with the national utility grid. So, the power/energy from renewable sources can be efficiently managed by the power electronics converter. Mainly the power electronic converters are two categories one for the energy utilization side and the second is the generation, transmission, and distribution of the electrical energy. The power electronic converter has been developed to address the multiple source’s communications at the central converter, which reduces the utility bill payment to the energy (grid) suppliers and depends fully on the renewable energy sources along with the battery energy storage. To achieve this a novel power electronic converter has been proposed. This directly connects the PV panels with the semiconductor devices, passive components like inductors and capacitors along with the battery energy storage. The resultant output is directly feeding o the utility grid and simultaneously commercial home. A detailed mathematical analysis has been carried out along with the novel switching algorithm has been proposed. The simulation is performed in the MATLAB Simulink to validate the operation/working of the proposed converter. An experimental prototype 500 watt has been developed to test the mathematical validity and a suitable control algorithm has been developed for the proper operation.
Dimmable LED Driver For DC Distributed Lighting System
Authors: Meraj Mohammad , Rahman Syed , Iqbal Atif , Ben Brahim Lazhar
Published: December 2020

This abstract proposes a high brightness, high efficiency, dimmable LED driver based on linear current regulator technology for DC grid distribution systems. The proposed driver has excellent characteristics like the highest lumen per watt, long lifetime, high reliability, compact, low cost, both environmental and user-friendly which makes it suitable for lighting applications. Steady state and small-signal models of the proposed driver are performed which help in minimizing ground current and accurate compensator design, respectively. These two modeling approaches result in the optimization of both the footprint and cost of the driver. The performance of the proposed experimental prototype of the 20W driver is developed to validate the performance at different dimming levels and achieves maximum efficiency of 97%. The applications of the proposed converter are: dimmable home lighting system, advertisement boards and hoardings, industrial lighting systems, road transport indication lamps, indoor and outdoor stadium lighting, automatic street lighting, decorative systems, health appliances and auditoriums and many more.
Cantilever Beam Metastructure for Active Broadband Vibration Suppression
Authors: Ghachi Ratiba Fatma , Alnahhal Wael , Abdeljaber Osama
Published: December 2020

This paper presents a beam structure of a new metamaterial-inspired dynamic vibration attenuation system. The proposed experimental research presents a designed cantilevered zigzag structure that can have natural frequencies orders of magnitude lower than a simple cantilever of the same scale. The proposed vibration attenuation system relies on the masses places on the zigzag structure thus changing the dynamic response of the system. The zigzag plates are integrated into the host structure namely a cantilever beam with openings, forming what is referred to here as a metastructure. Experimental frequency response function results are shown comparing the response of the structure to depending on the natural frequency of the zigzag structures. Results show that the distributed inserts in the system can split the peak response of the structure into two separate peaks rendering the peak frequency a low transmission frequency. These preliminary results provide a view of the potential of research work on active-controlled structures and nonlinear insert-structure interaction for vibration attenuation.
Effects of Current, Electrodes Spacing and Operational Time on the Removal of Heavy Metals from Primary Treated Municipal Wastewater using Dielectrophoresis
Authors: Almukdad Abdulkarim Ibrahim , Alfahel Radwan Ahmad Firas , AlHawari Alaa
Published: December 2020

Electrocoagulation (EC) is an emerging technology that has been used to treat heavy metals from different kinds of wastewater. This paper discusses the effects of inducing Dielectrophoretic (DEP) force in EC system for the treatment of heavy metals from primary treated municipal wastewater. In order to achieve the optimum run of DEP, COMSOL software was used to identify the highest force that can be obtained by changing electrodes spacing and applied current. As per the results obtained from experiments and numerical methods, the optimum run was at operational time of 30 min, electrodes spacing of 0.5 cm and applied current of 600 mA (17.14 mA/cm2 current density). In both process aluminium electrodes were used and they were connected to alternative current (AC) power supply. The efficiency of AC-DEP was found to be better than AC-EC. The removal efficiencies of Fe and Mn using AC-DEP were 80.6% and 29.7% respectively, while AC-EC removed 78.23% of Fe and 28.8% of Mn. Moreover, the increase in the aluminium content using AC-DEP and AC-EC was 810.3% and 1330.8% respectively. Furthermore, the energy consumption of AC-DEP was 4.9 kWh/m3 while AC-EC consumed 5kWh/m3.
Activity of Antibiotic Producing Bacteria Isolated from Rhizosphere Soil Region of Different Medicinal Plants
Authors: Khair Nedaa Kamalalden
Published: December 2020

The rhizosphere soil of medicinal plants is rich in microorganisms that develop antibiotics as natural mechanism of protection against other microbes that live in their vicinity. The present study aims to explore the production of antibacterial agents from rhizosphere soil bacteria of 11 medicinal plants and determine their activity against Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. Soil samples were collected and used to isolate antibiotic producing bacteria (APB). Those isolates (108) were first tested using Cross-streak method against test bacteria. Then, isolates that showed a positive antibacterial effect (12) were tested by antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) of their cell free supernatant (CFS) and their extracellular and intracellular secondary metabolites extraction which gave positive results. Staphylococcus aureus found to be the most sensitive test bacteria with inhibitory zones ranging from 13.5 - 19 mm. Moreover, combinatorial effect of isolates CFS with two organic acids (3% Acetic acid and 0.4 mg/ml Acetylsalicylic acid), two commercial antibiotics (0.016 mg/ml Augmentin and 0.128 mg/ml Doxycycline), and two pure antibiotics (10 mcg/disk Penicillin and 25mcg/disk Carbenicillin) was in vitro evaluated using AST. The combinations of CFS-carbenicillin showed a marked synergistic activity against all test bacteria. The presence of possible antibacterial agents as acetic acid, lactic acid and citric acid in CFS of APB was confirmed by HPLC analysis. Ultimately, in vitro antibacterial study for rhizosphere soil bacteria in this work suggests the possibility of using these bacterial metabolites in clinical infections caused by selected test bacteria, especially when they combine with antibiotics or organic acids.
Facile Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles and its Electrochemical Conversion of CO2 to Fuels
Authors: Riyaz Najam US Sahar , Kannan Karthik , Abdullah Aboubakr M. , Sadasivuni Kishor Kumar
Published: December 2020

The increasing amount of CO2 emissions from the industries is proving to have disastrous consequences on the environment. It would be highly beneficial if this CO2 is to be recycled and converted into useful fuel. The aim of this project involves synthesizing a suitable catalyst which can be used for the electrochemical (EC) conversion of CO2 to fuel. The developed catalyst should be mesoporous silica nanoparticles and loaded on to a metal oxide surface. The synthesis involved a relatively simple procedure of forming a homogenous mixture for the nanoparticles, drying the mixture for 2 days then loading on to the metal nitrate. Finally, multiple scans and tests were run on the synthesized sample to characterize its qualities. The results show that the synthesized mesoporous silica nanoparticles have suitable catalytic properties for electrochemical reduction of CO2 to fuel.
Biosensing Studies on Cuo-Mgo Nanocomposites for Glucose Detection
Authors: Riyaz Najam US Sahar , Kannan Karthik , Krishnasamy Vinotha , Cabibihan John-John , AlAli Abdulaziz Khalid , Malik Rayaz A. , Sadasivuni Kishor Kumar
Published: December 2020

Approximately 3 million people around the world suffer from diabetes. One of the basic indications of an individual suffering from diabetes can be observed in the form of peaked levels of glucose in the blood. Thus, it is imperative for a non-invasive mechanism to be derived through which glucose levels in the blood can be detected throughout a regular time frame. The aim of this project focuses on synthesis of a nanocomposite, which can be used to detect glucose levels in the blood in a non-invasive manner. The selected nanocomposite was made from a mixture of CuO and MgO. Once synthesized, it was subjected to a series of tests and scans. The results demonstrated effective and efficient glucose detection activity of the CuO-MgO nanocomposite.
Drone-Based Cooling Leakage Measurement from Glass Front Towers
Authors: Abed Hadeel , Abdou Nada , Zorba Nizar
Published: December 2020

Drones are increasingly gaining more attention these days and they are employed in several applications. At the same time, the steps towards saving energy and improving the efficiency of the buildings are significantly increasing as well. This poster introduces an overall design for a system that will be loaded on a quadcopter to measure the cooling leakage from high-rise buildings in Qatar to meet 2030 vision in environmental development. The proposed design is achieved by using a chip thermal camera to detect the cooling leakage locations. In addition, the drone will need proximity sensors, specifically, Lidar sensor to prevent it from any collision that can happen with the towers. Moreover, a mobile application is built to monitor the tested buildings and the position of the drone.
The Impact of the Red Lotus Critical Health Promotion Model on Graduates’ Health Promotion Practice
Authors: O'Hara Lily , Taylo Jane
Published: December 2020

The Red Lotus Critical Health Promotion Model (RLCHPM) is used in health promotion teaching, research and practice in multiple countries. The model is designed to support critical health promotion as a public health practice, and responds to calls to move practice away from biomedical-behavioural approaches to health promotion. The RLCHPM includes of a system of values and principles for critical practice including health equity, holistic health paradigm, strengths-based salutogenic approaches, socioecological science, non-maleficence, and empowering engagement processes. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the RLCHPM on the practice of graduates from health promotion programs from a university in Australia. Methods: We conducted a mixed methods study involving an online survey of graduates from 2008 to 2016, followed by semi-structured interviews with a subset of self-nominated respondents. We used descriptive analyses for survey data and thematic analysis for interview data. Results: There was a total of 95 respondents (49% response rate) and 10 of these were interviewed. Participants felt knowledgeable about the model, and confident about their ability to use it. The model was understandable, easy to use, and important, relevant and useful in practice. More than half felt that the model had an impact on their health promotion practice, however less than a quarter felt that the model had an impact on institutional policies in their workplace. Interview data revealed the need for a step-by-step guide for implementing the model in multiple sectors, access to ongoing support for model implementation, and clearer links to other relevant models. Conclusions: The RLCHPM is well understood and considered to be important, relevant and useful to the practice of graduates. The study has implications for the use of the model in health promotion degree programs, and in professional development programs for health promotion practitioners.
Assessment of an Intensive Education Program on the Treatment of Tobacco-Use Disorder for Pharmacists using OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination)
Authors: El Hajj Maguy , Awaisu Ahmed , Kheir Nadir , Haniki Mohamad , Shami Rula , Saleh Rana , AlHamad Noora , Almulla Ahmed , Mahfoud Ziyad
Published: December 2020

Tobacco use is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in Qatar. The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to design, implement, and evaluate an intensive education program on tobacco-use treatment for pharmacists in Qatar. The study objectives are to assess the effectiveness of the program on pharmacists’ skills toward tobacco cessation. Methods: A random sample of community pharmacists in Qatar was selected for participation. Consenting participants were randomly allocated to intervention or control groups. Participants in the intervention group received an intensive education program on treatment of tobacco-use disorder. A short didactic session on a non-tobacco-related topic was delivered to pharmacists in the control group. The pharmacists’ tobacco cessation skills were assessed using an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Six-station OSCE targeting core smoking cessation competencies and skills was completed by participants in both groups. Performance of participants was assessed using validated assessment checklists that comprised analytical and global assessment sections. Results: A total of 54 and 32 participants in the intervention and the control group respectively completed the OSCE. Overall, pharmacists in the intervention group performed better in the analytical and global assessment sections than those in the control group. For example, for case 1, mean scores for developing rapport, data gathering and management were 2.76 vs 0.97 (p-<0.001), 5 vs 2.81 (p <0.001), and 3.5 vs 2.25 (p=0.001) respectively for the intervention group compared to the control group. Mean total analytical scores were 12.06 vs 6.4 (p-<0.001) for intervention compared to the control group for case 1. Furthermore, mean global assessment scores for case 1 were 3.19 vs 2.41 (p=0.009) for the intervention compared to the control group. Conclusion: The study results suggest that provision of an intensive educational program on the treatment of tobacco use results in improved skills toward tobacco cessation.
Awareness of Disabilities in Pharmacy Program Recruitment Material: Are we doing Enough?
Authors: Hussain Farhat Naz , Smith Alesha , Wilby Kyle John
Published: December 2020

Introduction: Targeted recruitment of students with disabilities is a novel area in pharmacy education and may help to attract qualified students in light of decreasing applicant numbers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the visibility of disabilities within online recruitment material for pharmacy programs and to determine the location of targeted information available to prospective students with disabilities. Methods: The top 50 ranked programs offering a professional pharmacy degree under the Pharmacy and Pharmacology QS subject rankings were identified and included if recruitment material was published in English. Online recruitment material was reviewed for presence of persons with disabilities in photos, presence or description of persons with disabilities in videos, information specific to disabilities on the program website, and information specific to disabilities on the university website (if not located on the program website). Results: For inclusion, 41 out of 50 pharmacy schools met the criteria. No institutions displayed visual student disabilities in pictures or videos of recruitment material. Overall, the majority of institutions (88%) provided information for prospective students with disabilities. The type of information offered was highly variable across institutions. Of the top 50 pharmacy schools in the USA, 85% have information on student disability through the pharmacy homepage and 75% of institutions in Europe provided information through the university homepage. Interestingly, 62.5% of schools in Asia did not provide student disability information. Conclusions: Recruitment material for pharmacy degree programs should be current, inclusive, and reflective of student populations eligible to be admitted. This study found a distinct underrepresentation of students with disabilities and information pertaining to disabilities within recruitment material for a sample of international pharmacy programs.( *This study has now been published. Hussain FN, Smith A, Wilby K. The Visibility of Disabilities within Pharmacy Program Recruitment Material. INNOVATIONS in pharmacy. 2020;11(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.24926/iip.v11i3.3339.)
Role of Cdk5rap2 in neocortical inhibition and excitation balance
Authors: Zaqout Sami , Becker Lena-Luise , Mustafa Ayman , Krame Nadine , Strauss Ulf , Kaindl Angela M.
Published: December 2020

Autosomal recessive primary microcephaly type 3 (MCPH3) is characterized by congenital microcephaly and intellectual disability. Further features include hyperactivity and seizures. The disease is caused by biallelic mutations in the Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 regulatory subunit-associated protein 2 gene CDK5RAP2. In the mouse, Cdk5rap2 mutations similarly result in reduced brain size and a strikingly thin neocortex already at early stages of neurogenesis that persists through adulthood. The microcephaly phenotype in MCPH arises from a neural stem cell proliferation defect. Here, we report a novel role for Cdk5rap2 in the regulation of dendritic development and synaptogenesis of neocortical layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons using a combined morphological and electrophysiological approach
Science Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching and Learning Implementing Inquiery-based Learning - A Case in Qatar Government Primary Schools
Authors: Alyafei Alshaima Saleh
Published: December 2020

The current study investigates the beliefs held by science teachers on constructivism and a traditional approach in Qatar government primary schools. More specifically, it aims to investigate the challenges that science teachers experience during inquiry-based learning implementation. A web-based survey was conducted in order to collect data from grades 4 to 6 science teachers. A total of 112 science teachers responded and completed the survey on a voluntary basis. The results indicate that science teachers hold a higher beliefs in constructivism than traditional approach. A T-test and ANOVA analysis have showed that there is no significant differences between the beliefs of science teachers’ and their gender, level of education, and years of teaching experience. In addition, science teachers faced challenges in lesson planning, assessment, and teacher support.
The McGurk Effect in Qatari Arabic: Influences of Lexicality and Consonant Position
Authors: AlAnsari Noora Essa , Idrissi Ali , Grosvald Michael
Published: December 2020

The McGurk effect is a psycholinguistic phenomenon where an illusion is made by dubbing an auditory element of one sound on a visual element of another sound, which leads to hearing a third sound. The phenomenon demonstrates how the perception of speech does not depend on audio inputs only. Rather, it shows how seeing the shape of the mouth while producing a certain sound can influence what we hear. Thus, it proves the interaction of both vision and auditory parameters in understanding language. In addition, what is known as “lexicality – the property of a word being real or not” influences speech perception. People, unconsciously, tend to alter nonwords to real words. For example, if one said “shtrength” instead of “strength”, a listener would alter and understand it as “strength”. For the purpose of the research, these two phenomena were combined. In this study, we test how effective is the McGurk effect on the Qatari Arabic dialect, which has not been investigated before. The data used were 24 minimal pairs of real and fake words with the substitution of the phonemes: /b/ and /g/ at three different positions: first, middle, final. Videos were made by dubbing audio recordings of the sound /b/ into video recordings of the sound /g/ in order to test if this creates an illusion of the sound /d/. We ran the experiment on 25 native Qatari female students, they had to sit on a computer with headphones on, watch and hear clearly what the person on the video is saying, and then they had to preform two tasks: first, lexical decision task: decide if the word is real or fake. Second, sound discrimination task: choose what sound did they hear. In general, the participants captured audio (which means they heard /b/) were only 16% of target trials, while visual capture occurred (which means they heard /g/) 45%, and the McGurk fusion (which means they heard /d/) happened on 39%. Interestingly, perceiving McGurk fusion was gradually less common at later consonants positions. A significant effect of lexicality was also found, as fusion was more likely to occur if the results of the fusion was a real word.
FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME OF COMMINUTED PROXIMAL TIBIAL FRACTURE TREATED BY LOCKING PLATE
Authors: Koya Harikrishna , Kumar Kalyan , Upendra T , Sheik Riyaz , Kumar K Satya
Published: December 2020

Most common intraarticular fractures in knee joint are tibial plateau fractures result from indirect coronal or axial compression forces. Tibial plateau fractures constitute 1% of all fractures in the human body and 8% fractures in the older people (1). Tibial plateau fractures include varied configuration of fracture pattern involving of medial condyle (10-23%), lateral condyle (55-70%), in both (11-30%) with variable articular depression. Improper restoration of plateau fracture fragments leads to axis deviation and deformity and premature.
A "Fair" Trade Law of Nations or A "Fair" Global Law of Economic Relations?
Authors: Garcia Frank J.
Published: December 2020

This essay examines the dispute between advocates of free trade and those who support fair trade (the “fair” trade debate). This debate is explored in the context of globalization. The author argues that globalization has created, and continues to create, a new global identity and global social relationships that make “justice” both possible and necessary. Such relationships have fundamental implications for thenature of global social policy, particularly international law and international trade law. The author asserts that the fair trade debate presupposes two independent contending foes: “me” versus “you,” and “mine” versus “theirs.” He argues, however, that globalization has shifted the dialogue to one of “us” and “ours.” Consequently, shared institutions are employed to determine what is best for this shared social space and disputing parties contribute to the creation and definition of this social space. The softwood lumber dispute is used to illustrate the author’s argument in that though parties to the dispute pursue their own private agendas and public mandates, they are also creating and defining a new trans-border community. As such, the dispute does not concern ensuring trade law is “fair” for the United States or “fair” for Canada; rather, the aim is a fair settlement for an emerging trans-boundary community.