Qatar Foundation Research Articles

Epidemiology of Chlamydia trachomatis in the Middle East and north Africa: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

The epidemiology of Chlamydia trachomatis in the Middle East and north Africa is poorly understood. We aimed to provide a comprehensive epidemiological assessment of C trachomatis infection in the Middle East and north Africa. We did a systematic review of C trachomatis infection as well as a meta-analysis and meta-regression of C trachomatis prevalence. We searched PubMed and Embase, as well as regional and national databases up to March 13, 2019, using broad search terms with no language or year restrictions. Any document or report including biological measures for C trachomatis prevalence or incidence was eligible for inclusion. We extracted all measures of current (genital or rectal), recent, and ever infection with C trachomatis. We estimated pooled average prevalence in different populations using random-effects meta-analysis. Factors associated with prevalence and sources of between-study heterogeneity were determined using meta-regression. We identified a total of 1531 citations, of which 255 reports contributed to 552 C trachomatis prevalence measures from 20 countries. No incidence measures were identified. Pooled prevalence of current genital infection was 3·0% (95% CI 2·3-3·8) in general populations, 2·8% (1·0-5·2) in intermediate-risk populations, 13·2% (7·2-20·7) in female sex workers, 11·3% (9·0-13·7) in infertility clinic attendees, 12·4% (7·9-17·7) in women with miscarriage, 12·4% (9·4-15·7) in symptomatic women, and 17·4% (12·5-22·8) in symptomatic men. Pooled prevalence of current rectal infection was 7·7% (4·2-12·0) in men who have sex with men. Substantial between-study heterogeneity was found. Multivariable meta-regression explained 29·0% of variation. Population type was most strongly associated with prevalence. Additional associations were found with assay type, sample size, country, and sex, but not with sampling methodology or response rate (about 90% of studies used convenience sampling and >75% had unclear response rate). There was no evidence for temporal variation in prevalence between 1982 and 2018. C trachomatis prevalence in the Middle East and north Africa is similar to other regions, but higher than expected given its sexually conservative norms. High prevalence in infertility clinic attendees and in women with miscarriage suggests a potential role for C trachomatis in poor reproductive health outcomes in this region. National Priorities Research Program from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation).

Hybrid-boost modular multilevel converter-based medium-voltage multiphase induction motor drive for subsea applications

This publication was made possible by GSRA grant 2-1-0609-14027 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation).

Developing Polyaniline Filled Isoprene Composite Fibers by Electrospinning: Effect of Filler Concentration on the Morphology and Glass Transition

This publication was made possible by NPRP grant 6-282-2-119 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation).

Improvement of both lipid and biomass productivities of Qatar Chlorocystis isolate for biodiesel production and food security

SUMMARYMicroalgae are considered a very promising alternative for biofuel production. Several strategies were developed to modulate and improve algae metabolites production to meet the requirements for biodiesel production. Most previous research evidenced that the increase of the lipid content is accompanied by a decrease of the biomass production, which increases the cost of the downstream processing. Hence, the challenge is to find special culture conditions that increase the lipid and the biomass productivities simultaneously. In the present work, we developed a strategy for the improvement of biomass and lipid productivities in a novel local microalga isolate, Chlorocystis sp. QUCCCM14, which was not previously known as a promising strain. Indeed, culturing QUCCCM14 using f/2 medium with 10× NaH2PO4 (0.15 g L−1 NaNO3 and 5.6 mg L−1 NaH2PO4) resulted in an improvement of 3.178 folds the lipid productivity reaching 56.121 mg L−1 day−1 and enhanced the biomass productivity reaching 141.363 mg L−1 day−1, simultaneously. Comparative analyses of the FAME profiles demonstrated that fed‐batch culture with phosphate or nitrate separately leads to a high production of the omega 3 fatty acids (Linolenic acid), whereas fed‐batch culture with phosphate and nitrate simultaneously increased the production of fatty acids suitable for biodiesel production.

S73. Cerebral blood flow and auto-regulation in acute TIA patients from a general hospital in Qatar

Introduction The Arabian Gulf region is rapidly developing, with major changes in lifestyle that can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including TIA and stroke. Stroke constitutes a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Qatar. Cerebral auto-regulation (AR) is an intrinsic protective mechanism guaranteeing hemodynamic integrity of cerebral circulation. It modulates cerebral blood flow (CBF) in order to meet regional perfusion demands despite variations in arterial blood pressure. Impaired cerebral AR is associated with poor functional and prognostic outcomes in patients with ischemic stroke. Our research investigated the feasibility of TCD study of cerebral AR as a biomarker for Stroke outcome inTIA patients in a large General Hospital in Qatar. Methods Fifty-eight patients (47 men, mean age, 49.7 yrs) with acute TIA and 66 patients (58 men, mean age 51.0) with small strokes (TIAs with tissue evidence of infarction) were enrolled between 2015 and 2017 for a total sample of 124. They were evaluated with bilateral, simultaneous TCD studies of their MCAs CBF within 72 h of the indexed event. In addition to the usual CBF parameters (mean/peak flow velocities), cerebrovascular reactivity (AR) to hypercapnia as measured by the Breath-Holding Index was calculated. On best medical therapy, the patients were followed up at one year for outcomes measures of death, stroke or recurrent TIAs in an attempt to correlate these TCD with poor stroke outcome. Results There was no significant difference for any of the TCD variables including BHI when comparing TIA patients to stroke mimics and patients with small strokes. These variables also failed to distinguish, thus far, acute TIA or small stroke patients from patients with death or a recurrent ischemic event at one year follow up (Statistically significant difference using independent samples t -test P -value Conclusion There was no significant difference for any of the TCD variables including BHI when comparing TIA patients compared to patients with a stroke mimics, or TIA patients and evidence of ischemic stroke on Neuro imaging. There was no significant difference for any US measures when comparing TIA patients and patients with and without a recurrent event at follow up. Though such studies are non-invasive in acute TIA patients continued follow up and larger sample sizes may be necessary to identify a functional or structural biomaker for poor strke outcome. This study was made possible by grant NPRP 6-565-3-141 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the author[s].

CoNi Nanoparticles/CNT Composite as Effective Anode for Direct Urea Fuel Cells

This Publication was made possible by NPRP grant # [8-1344-1-246] from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The findings achieved herein are solely the responsibility of authors.

Setting up a National Research Data Curation Service for Qatar: Challenges and Opportunities

Over the past decade, Qatar has been making considerable progress towards developing a sustainable research culture for the nation. The main driver behind Qatar’s progress in research and innovation is Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development (QF), a private, non-profit organization that aims to utilise research as a catalyst for expanding, diversifying and improving the country’s economy, health and environment. While this has resulted in a significant growth in the number of research publications produced by Qatari researchers in recent years, a nationally co-ordinated approach is needed to address some of the emerging but increasingly important aspects of research data curation, such as management and publication of research data as important outputs, and their long-term digital preservation. Qatar National Library (QNL), launched in November 2012 under the umbrella of QF, aims to establish itself as a centre of excellence in Qatar for research data management, curation and publishing to address the research data-related needs of Qatari researchers and academics. This paper describes QNL’s approach towards establishing a national research data curation service for Qatar, highlighting the associated opportunities and key challenges.

British Library Qatar Foundation Partnership

British Library Qatar Foundation Partnership

Interactome mapping of the pathogen Helicobacter pylori using All‐vs‐All sequencing (AVA‐seq)

A first step in discovering new drug targets is to identify protein‐protein interactions specific to pathogenic bacteria that could be disrupted by small molecules (Valkov et al., 2011; Kuzmanov and Emili 2013). We recently developed a novel method for studying protein‐protein interactions, termed All‐vs‐All sequencing (AVA‐seq), which is rapid and sensitive. This new technique dramatically reduces the effort needed to map all protein interactions in an organism and, for the first time in protein interaction mapping, utilizes the full power of next‐generation sequencing.While this method is new, the bacterial two‐hybrid system it is based on is well validated (Dove et al., 2004). Our innovations on this original system are multiple. They include the fusion of two vectors to allow the genes encoding interacting proteins to remain fused to each other. This critical change is what allows the system to be compatible with next‐generation sequencing. Further changes include a liquid based selection rather than colony based. This allows us to detect protein interactions by changes in a population of potential interactors much the same way that RNA‐seq detect differentially expressed genes. The method returns very rich interaction data including the ability to localize the interacting domains between two proteins, quantitate their interaction strength and observe the interaction in multiple fusion forms for validation. AVA‐seq will revolutionize the way genome‐wide protein interaction maps (Interactomes) are produced.Here we show method validation using Helicobacter pylori, both for its clinical importance and, more importantly, because its interactome has been mapped with the old, labor‐intensive yeast two‐hybrid approach so it offers an excellent validation set. This older method took 14 years to complete for H. pylori and we are close to completing a similar map in just a matter of months. Additionally, our preliminary results with known interactors in H. pylori attest to the sensitivity of the method.Support or Funding InformationFunding for this research was provided by the Biomedical Research Program Grant from Qatar Foundation Research to Weill Cornell Medicine.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of Microwave Sintered Cu50Ti50 Amorphous Alloy Reinforced Al Metal Matrix Composites

This publication was made possible by NPRP Grant 7–159-2-076 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of the Qatar Foundation). Statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors

A large aggregation of self-fragmenting mushroom corals in the Arabian/Persian Gulf.

This publication was made possible by NPRP awards [NPRP 7-1129-1-201 and NPRP 8-952-1-186] from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of the Qatar Foundation) and by the Qatar Museums Authority through the project �Research on Qatar�s geological history and present-day biodiversity� granted to Naturalis Biodiversity Center. The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors. The whip coral species (Fig. 1) was identified by L. P. van Ofwegen. We thank the reviewer and editor for their constructive comments.

The effect of exposure to war-traumatic events, stressful life events, and other variables on mental health of Palestinian children and adolescents in the 2012 Gaza War

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of exposure to war-traumatic events on mental health in children and adolescents in the presence of other stressors such as stressful life events, exposure to traumatic events (not related to war trauma; eg, being in a car accident or having a serious illness), and poverty. MethodsParticipants were chosen from the Gaza Strip using a stratified random sampling method. The data were collected in October, 2013, 1 year after the Gaza War on Nov 14–26, 2012. War-traumatic events were measured using the War-Traumatic Events Checklist (W-TECh), which includes three categories: personal trauma; witnessing trauma to others; and seeing demolition of property. Stressful life events were measured using the Stressful Life Events Scale. Exposure to traumatic events (not related to war-trauma) was measured using the University of California at Los Angeles post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reaction index for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) IV (child version). PTSD was measured using the PTSD Symptoms Scale. Finally, depression was measured using the Child Depression Inventory. FindingsThe sample consisted of 1029 students aged 11–17 years. 496 (48%) participants were boys, and 533 (52%) participants were girls. 909 (88%) students had experienced personal trauma, 861 (84%) had witnessed trauma to others, and 908 (88%) had seen demolition of property during the war. Boys reported more exposure to personal trauma, witnessing trauma to others, seeing demolition of property, and overall traumatic events compared to girls. Girls reported more exposure to stressful life events, exposure to trauma (not related to war-trauma), PTSD, and depression. 549 (54%) students had a diagnosis of PTSD diagnosis. We found a positive correlation between the age and exposure to war-traumatic events and stressful life events and between family size and exposure to war-traumatic events and PTSD. By contrast, we found a negative correlation between family income and stressful life events, exposure to traumatic events not related to war trauma, PTSD, and depression. Finally, exposure to war-traumatic events, experience of stressful life events, and exposure to traumatic events not related to war-trauma were positively correlated with PTSD and depression. InterpretationSocioeconomic status such as big family size and low family income increased the severity of effects of stressful life events, exposure to war-traumatic events, and exposure to traumatic events not related to war-trauma. Consequently, the possibility of PTSD and depression was high. The findings also show that stressful life events, exposure to war-trauma, and exposure to traumatic events not related to war-trauma could be considered as risk factors for PTSD and depression. FundingQatar National Research Fund (QNRF), a member of Qatar Foundation Doha, Qatar, National Priority Research Programs under grant NPRP 7-154-3-034 to MS.

Automated defect detection tool for closed circuit television (cctv) inspected sewer pipelines

This publication was made possible by NPRP grant # ( NPRP6-357-2-150 ) from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of The Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors. Also the authors would like to thank the public works authority of Qatar (ASHGAL) for their support in the data collection.

Correction to “Semi-Supervised Deep Blind Compressed Sensing for Analysis and Reconstruction of Biomedical Signals From Compressive Measurements”

In the above paper <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[1]</xref> , the funding information should read “This work was supported by the NPRP Grant 7–684–1–127 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation).”

Effect of the organic load on salt removal efficiency of microbial desalination cell

This work was made possible by NPRP grant # 6-289-2-125 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.

Influence of modified clay on the structure and performance of polysulfone composite membrane

This paper was made possible by an NPRP Grant # 5-1425-2-607 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.

The Blockade Imposed Against Qatar: An Analytical Study of WTO Principles

تسلط هذه الدراسة التحليلية الضوء على النتائج الناجمة عن الحصار المفروض على دولة قطر وانتهاك دول الحصار — المملكة العربية السعودية. دول الإمارات العربية المتحدة، البحرين ومصر- للاتفاقيات التجارية والاقتصادية تحت منطمة التجارة العالمية (WTO). كما أنها تركز على الأسس القانونية للشكاوى التي رفعتها دولة قطر ضد المملكة العربية السعودية. دول الإمارات العربية المتحدة والبحرين. وإجراءات تسوية المنازعات والسلطه القانونية لمنظمة التجارة العالمية (WTO). والاستثناءات الخاصة بالأمن الوطني. فضلا عن المبادئ الأساسية لمعاهدات منطمه التجارة العالمية (WTO) بما فيها الاتفاقية العامة للتعرفة والتجارة الدولية (GATT). الاتفاقية العامة للتجارة في الخدمات (GATS) واتفاقية حقوق الملكية الفكرية المتعلقة بالتجارة (TRIPS).

Accession of Lebanon to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI): Lessons Learned, Analysis, and Legal Aspects of Accession

NPRP grant # [NPRP 7-1815-5-272] from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation).

Green Laboratories: University Campuses as Sustainability “Exemplars” in the Arabian Peninsula

ABSTRACTLike many universities in the West, universities across the Arabian Peninsula are increasingly home to various conspicuous sustainability initiatives. This article examines this trend at three of the region’s most prominent projects: NYU-Abu Dhabi in the Emirates, Qatar Foundation’s Education City, and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Based on the textual analysis and informed by fieldwork in these countries since 2012, this article joins interdisciplinary research in political geography, sustainability experimentation, and laboratory studies to understand their iconic campuses not as enclaves, but as “exemplars” of sustainability and renewable energy futures in the region. Tracing their effects beyond their walls, I argue that they have mostly been limited to symbolically injecting sustainability into public discourse. While more substantial shifts toward sustainable development in the region are underway, these have largely stemmed from market forces rather than a new environmental consciousness promoted by these three iconic universities.

Global Health Policy.

From the Editor-In-Chief Health AffairsVol. 36, No. 11: Global Health Policy Global Health PolicyAlan R. WeilPUBLISHED:November 2017Free Accesshttps://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1347AboutSectionsView PDFPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsDownload Exhibits TOPICSDiseasesSystems of careDiabetesGlobal healthPrimary careChildren's healthCost reductionNo matter what may divide countries, when it comes to health we have much in common. The burden of disease is shifting, efficiency and quality improvement are shared goals, and workforce challenges abound. This month’s Health Affairs covers a broad range of global health policy topics. As health systems make progress tackling communicable diseases and life expectancy has increased, countries face a rising burden of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Thomas Bollyky and colleagues map the growth of these diseases against each country’s health system functioning. They conclude that “countries that are projected to have the greatest increase in their noncommunicable disease burden as a share of health burden are also ranked lowest (least prepared) in our health system capacity index for noncommunicable diseases,” with African nations particularly at risk. As development assistance has increased dramatically over the past two decades, the risk that those funds will be poorly aligned with recipient countries’ goals has also increased. Melisa Martinez-Alvarez and colleagues examine trends in two dimensions of aid effectiveness—alignment with local strategies and harmonization across donor efforts—for reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health funding. The authors found little improvement between 2008 and 2013, and some worsening in the area of alignment. One factor in the lack of progress was the donor organizations’ perceived need for control and accountability. Improving health requires knowing which illnesses cause people to die. India, like most low- and middle-income countries, had good information on cause of death for only the small minority of people who die in the hospital. Mireille Gomes and colleagues report findings from India’s Million Death Study, which relied upon verbal autopsies to gather information regarding the likely cause of death for people who died at home. Among the many interesting findings are that deaths related to smoking and malaria have been significantly underreported, estimates of HIV-related deaths have been far too high, and there has been a substantial incidence of sex-selection abortions. Poorly managed diabetes can lead to inpatient hospital stays—which could have been avoided with receipt of appropriate primary care. Jianchao Quan and colleagues analyze avoidable admissions from diabetes complications in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and communities outside Beijing. Overall spending and preventable admission rates increased during 2008–13, but significant improvement was observed in Japan and Beijing. The authors’ results “provide empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that a higher number of…outpatient visits in a given year is correlated with a lower likelihood of a diabetes-related avoidable hospital admission in the following year.” Innovation This issue includes papers on the effects of a broad array of innovations. Adriane Wynn and colleagues show the value of community health workers in South Africa. Duncan Maru and colleagues document how a public-private partnership improved maternal, newborn, and child health services in rural Nepal. Aaron Baum and colleagues explain how microfinance institutions can be a mechanism for delivering care in rural Haiti. And Jessica Cohen and colleagues report the results of a randomized controlled trial that nudged pregnant women in Nairobi, Kenya, to deliver in higher-quality facilities. Sharing Lessons Mark McClellan and colleagues apply a framework for accountable care reform to case studies of accountable care models from around the globe. They note the “development of organizational competencies to implement the innovations, alongside payment and other policy reforms that enable the innovations to succeed and be sustained.” Achieving the promise of universal health coverage requires having the workforce to meet the health needs of the population. Arthika Sripathy and colleagues point out that “a system that focuses solely on producing greater numbers of trained health care workers is not enough.” Based upon case studies from Thailand, Brazil, and India, they explain that addressing workforce shortages depends upon providing appropriate incentives through the entire professional education pipeline. In the search for ways to save money, high-income countries have become more interested in innovations developed in resource-constrained settings, sometimes called frugal innovation. Yasser Bhatti and colleagues create case studies of innovations and analyze them for the lessons they yield. Common features of frugal innovations are use of lower-cost settings and providers, improved communication with patients, and the use of simple processes and organizational structures. Acknowledgment Health Affairs thanks the Qatar Foundation and its World Innovation Summit for Health, Imperial College London, Sidra Medical and Research Center, and Hamad Medical Corporation for their support of this issue. Loading Comments... Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. DetailsExhibitsReferencesRelated Article Metrics History Published online 6 November 2017 Information© 2017 Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.PDF download