Light Rail Transit and Land Use in Qatar: An Integrated Planning Strategy for the Impelmentation of West Bay Al Sadd Al Wakra Tod'S

The research study aligns with the social sciences, art and humanities, themes of the main research priority areas of the four ARC'18 pillars (The Context) Recent Transit oriented development in Qatar embodies transportation and land use planning strategies targeting a cardinal improvement based on shifting from a car dependent era-associated with intense traffic congestion and environmental impacts- to public transport dependent era. The correlation between practicality of form, use, and density in transit driven urban development goes far beyond environmental influence; it also acts as a stimulus for livability, cultural stability, mobility, and socioeconomic performance. (The problem) Transit Oriented Developments (TODs) does not automatically generate better livability. The absence of a well-planned mediating element between complexity of transit stations and surrounding developments can result in TOD exclusion and decay. The comprehensive planning of multifaceted relations between built environment, mobility network and social interactions is the key to TODs revitalizing the sources of the city. (The Objective) This research study aims to form alternate integration strategies related to how public transit systems and land use fit into the larger challenge of urban transformation and regeneration, particularly focusing on the TODs of Alwakrah, Alsadd, West bay). Three governance arrangements are distinguished at the station, corridor and neighborhood levels as a catalyst for progressive sustainable urbanism and smart growth around transit stations in Qatar. (The research Design) Subsequent to a comprehensive discussion of existing literature on TODs' spatial urban form towards the improvement of livability by enhancing social interactions and capital, a thorough analysis of Alwakrah, Westbay and Alsadd transit urban zones is performed based data collected from surveys, in-depth interviews of key personal in planning authorities and site analysis documentation. (The findings and contribution to knowledge) The three primary cases are investigated and discussed individually to evaluate possible conceptual integration strategies of TODs in Qatar. The identification of ultimate relations between the morphology of single urban development features into the overall TOD environment, whilst considering social and cultural stability as a doctrine in means to resemble the incremental prototypical model of development strategies and policy making in TOD future vision of Qatar, will contribute to define measuring tools for the contemporary development of transit urban villages, where a sense of heritage, community and livability are enhanced by well-connected physical urban arrangements.qscienc

Glycemic Control in Patients with Diabetes across Primary and Tertiary Government Health Sectors in the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates: A Five-Year Pattern

Objectives: In the UAE, the comparative prevalence of diabetes is reported as 18.98%, but there are very few studies evaluating glycemic control. Attaining the optimum glycemic control has been a global challenge over the years. However, there is a trend of global improvement with the availability of newer options of antidiabetic medications, increasing numbers of physicians, and patient awareness. Our primary aim was to assess the level of glycemic control across Dubai Health Authority points of care over the past five years. Additionally, we aimed to compare the differences in glycemic control between primary and tertiary centers, between nationalities, and type I and II diabetes. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the electronic medical records of all patients who attended primary and tertiary care centers within the Dubai Health Authority between 2012 and 2016. All patients with any type of diabetes were included in this assessment. Results: A total of 26 447 patients were included in the study; of these, 73.8% (n = 19 508) were UAE nationals while the other nationalities accounted for 26.2% (n = 6939) of patients. The overall mean glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels from 2012 to 2016 was 7.76%. Patients attending primary care clinics had a mean HbA1c of 7.64% compared to 7.68% for the tertiary care cohort. Out of the total population, 37.7% achieved HbA1c < 7%. Over 40% of the patients attending primary care centers achieved HbA1c < 7% compared to 34.9% of those who attended tertiary care centers. Conclusions: Optimum glycemic target was achieved by less than 40% of patients. Glycemic control is still below the desired levels. However, there has been a trend of improvement in the last few years and we are achieving the international average targets. Further collaborative actions from clinical, educational, and strategic sectors are needed to improve our goals further

The ITIM-Containing Receptor: Leukocyte-Associated Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor-1 (LAIR-1) Modulates Immune Response and Confers Poor Prognosis in Invasive Breast Carcinoma

Background: The leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor-1 (LAIR-1) plays a role in immune response homeostasis, extracellular matrix remodelling and it is overexpressed in many high-grade cancers. This study aimed to elucidate the biological and prognostic role of LAIR-1 in invasive breast cancer (BC). Methods: The biological and prognostic effect of LAIR-1 was evaluated at the mRNA and protein levels using well-characterised multiple BC cohorts. Related signalling pathways were evaluated using in silico differential gene expression and siRNA knockdown were used for functional analyses. Results: High LAIR-1 expression either in mRNA or protein levels were associated with high tumour grade, poor Nottingham Prognostic Index, hormone receptor negativity, immune cell infiltrates and extracellular matrix remodelling elements. High LAIR-1 protein expression was an independent predictor of shorter BC-specific survival and distant metastasis-free survival in the entire BC cohort and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)+ subtype. Pathway analysis highlights LAIR-1 association with extracellular matrix remodelling-receptor interaction, and cellular proliferation. Depletion of LAIR-1 using siRNA significantly reduced cell proliferation and invasion capability in HER2+ BC cell lines. Conclusion: High expression of LAIR-1 is associated with poor clinical outcome in BC. Association with immune cells and immune checkpoint markers warrant further studies to assess the underlying mechanistic roles

Assessing the Knowledge of Analgesic Drugs Utilization during Pregnancy among Women in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Pain is a common compensation mechanism in pregnant women that they may face during gestation due to physiological changes. Paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the most administered analgesic drugs worldwide. Therefore, safety and efficacy are important measures for the use of analgesics during pregnancy. Objective: Assess the knowledge of analgesic drug utilization among Saudi pregnant women. Method: We conducted a self-administered survey with an electronic questionnaire via Google Drive among a sample of 406 Saudi women. Results: About half of the respondents took analgesics during the first trimester, and 52.5% of women have used analgesics at least once without any medical advice during their gestation. Most participants agreed that paracetamol is the safest and effective analgesic drug during pregnancy, yet 61.8% of women are not aware that analgesics could be detrimental to the fetus if inappropriately administered in the third trimester. Conclusion: Participants have a good perception of the safest and most effective analgesic drug during pregnancy, but they have poor knowledge about analgesics’ side effects