Towards a holistic interpretation of resilient cities' concept: The case of Doha, Qatar

Resilience and resilient cities are heavily used terms in the current architecture and planning discourse. Given the mixed interpretations of the concept of “Resilient Cities”, this paper calls for a more holistic understanding of the concept and its impact on the way cities are designed, planned and developed. By labelled as resilient, cities should transcend the current limited definition of the resilient cities concept which focuses merely on facing environmental challenges and readiness for climate change impact and other forms of natural disasters. Resilience as an attribute for cities and as will be shown in the case of Doha, the capital city of Qatar, should be holistic and inclusive to embrace all aspects of city development including economical base, cultural assets, social structure and urban development. Using the case of Doha, the paper illustrates a new conceptual understanding of cities’ resilience. The paper analyses the contemporary evolution in Doha and highlights the milestones in structuring the new vision for Doha’s development as a resilient city holistically. In the last decade, the city was subjected to several radical transformations started from winning the bid to host the 2022 FIFA world cup, decrease in oil prices and finally the sea, air and land blockade imposed on Qatar by its adjacent neighbors. The paper illustrates Doha’s model in providing a worthy case of resilience which allows the city to successfully cope with the consequences of all the major shocks, stress and unforeseen challenges, the city have faced in the last decade

Towards a holistic interpretation of resilient cities' concept: The case of Doha, Qatar

Resilience and resilient cities are heavily used terms in the current architecture and planning discourse. Given the mixed interpretations of the concept of “Resilient Cities”, this paper calls for a more holistic understanding of the concept and its impact on the way cities are designed, planned and developed. By labelled as resilient, cities should transcend the current limited definition of the resilient cities concept which focuses merely on facing environmental challenges and readiness for climate change impact and other forms of natural disasters. Resilience as an attribute for cities and as will be shown in the case of Doha, the capital city of Qatar, should be holistic and inclusive to embrace all aspects of city development including economical base, cultural assets, social structure and urban development. Using the case of Doha, the paper illustrates a new conceptual understanding of cities’ resilience. The paper analyses the contemporary evolution in Doha and highlights the milestones in structuring the new vision for Doha’s development as a resilient city holistically. In the last decade, the city was subjected to several radical transformations started from winning the bid to host the 2022 FIFA world cup, decrease in oil prices and finally the sea, air and land blockade imposed on Qatar by its adjacent neighbors. The paper illustrates Doha’s model in providing a worthy case of resilience which allows the city to successfully cope with the consequences of all the major shocks, stress and unforeseen challenges, the city have faced in the last decade

Manama, Bahrain

Kish is a low-lying island of coral rock, 90 km2 in area, a few kilometres off the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf. Ferdousi Street is the actual main avenue of Kish, but in spite of its line of hotels, amusements and shopping malls, this cannot really be classified as an urban centre, as it fails to give any form to public space. Strangely, there is no mosque in the city centre'. Instead there is only an abandoned casino, shaped like a spiky crown, at the end of this major axis, backing onto the beach but more of that later. The position that Kish has held within the Persian Gulf for millennia as an international trading post, and as a bridge' between Persia and Arabia, accords with its new free-zone' status and is reflected in its eclectic architectural identity. A thousand years ago, Harireh was one of the Gulf's most important centres of pearl diving, fishing and trading. The editors and contributors 2013.Scopu

A Survey of Neck Pain among Dentists of the Lebanese Community

Background and Objectives. In the area of dentistry, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), particularly neck discomfort, are significant occupational health hazards. The purpose of this study was to ascertain how neck pain affected the capacity and productivity of dental practices. Additionally, it examined the advantages of preventive measures in lessening pain intensity and rated the degree of dentists’ incapacity. Subjects and Methods. This study used a cross-sectional survey design to examine how neck pain affected dentists’ ability to work and their productivity between July 2022 and November 2022. The study included 342 dentists from all around Lebanon. An online validated survey was designed, and the data collection process was performed via direct calls and emails where the survey link was shared. Data included demographic characteristics, gender, type, and duration of the dental practice, which were presented by the toll of hours of work per week, general health status, exercise habits, and Neck Disability Index (NDI). The weight of the participants was not included in the study. The statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 25. Results. The majority of participants were between the ages of 25 and 35, and the gender distribution of the demographic distribution was comparable. The prevalence of pain was 86.8% (97/342 dentists). NDI analysis showed that 65.7% had mild disability, 12.8% have a moderate disability, and 1% had severe disability. Bivariate analysis showed that pain was affected by age (p=0.013), orthodontist practices (p=0.031), regular exercise (p<0.001), using vibrating instruments (p<0.001), cervical flexion for better vision while working (p<0.001), knowledge, and experience about ergonomic posture (p<0.005). Multivariate analysis showed four predictors for pain: age (p=0.017), performing stretching exercises after finishing clinical practice (p=0.022), orthodontist specialty (p=0.029), and performing cervical flexion for better vision while working (p=0.004). Conclusion. This study showed that through the application of some strategies such as stretching, exercising, and being careful in using vibrating instruments, the dentist may be able to relieve the pain

Assessment of topoisomerase II-alpha gene status by dual color chromogenic in situ hybridization in a set of Iraqi patients with invasive breast carcinoma

Background: The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) proto-oncogene is overexpressed or amplified in approximately 15%–25% of invasive breast cancers. Approximately 35% of HER2-amplified breast cancers have coamplification of the topoisomerase II-alpha (TOP2A) gene encoding an enzyme that is a major target of anthracyclines. Hence, the determination of genetic alteration (amplification or deletion) of both genes is considered as an important predictive factor that determines the response of breast cancer patients to treatment. The aims of this study are to determinate TOP2A status gene amplification in a set of Iraqi patients with breast cancer that have had an equivocal (2+) and positive HER2/neu by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and to compare the results with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2/neu status. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study done on 53 patients with invasive breast carcinoma. Twenty-six out of total 53 cases were positive HER2/neu (3+), the remaining 27 equivocal HER2-IHC (2+) cases reanalyzed using dual-color chromogenic in situ hybridization (ZytoVision) probe kit for further identification of HER2/neu gene amplification. Using chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH), TOP2A gene status determination was done for all cases. Results: There is a direct significant correlation between TOP2A gene amplification and HER2/neu positivity, P < 0.05 in that 15 (39.4%) out of 38 positive HER2/neu cases were associated with topoisomerase gene amplification. Regarding relation of topoisomerase gene to hormone receptor status (ER and PR), there was a significant negative relationship between the gene and ER receptor status. The higher level of gene amplification was noticed in ER and PR negative cases in about 13 (43.3%) and 14 (48.2%) for ER and PR, respectively. Conclusion: TOP2A gene status has a significantly positive correlation with HER2/neu status while it has a significantly negative correlation with hormone receptor status

‘There is no heritage in Qatar’: Orientalism, colonialism and other problematic histories

This article discusses the construction of Qatari heritage in the context of pre-conceived ideas of ‘cultural heritage’ predominant in the global and regional spheres that operate in this country. It considers the location of Qatar within Middle Eastern heritage discourses and debates, and identifies productive similarities as well as unique avenues for further discussion. The authors identify the challenge of formulating methodologies that are able to recognize, accommodate, encompass and reflect local heritage dialogues and practices that exist in Qatar, which may aid in further researching the wider Arabian Peninsula, its histories and heritages