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Treatment of Oral Thrush and Oral Ulcer
Get PDFOral candidiasis (OC), commonly referred to as “thrush” encompasses infections of the tongue and other oral mucosal sites and is characterized by fungal overgrowth and invasion of superficial tissues [1–3]. The colloquial term “thrush” refers to the resemblance of the white flecks present in some forms of candidiasis with the breast of the bird of the same name. The etymology of oral thrush dates back to the time of Hippocrates (around 400 Before Christ (BC)) who, in his book “Of the Epidemics,” described OC as “mouths affected with aphthous ulcerations” [4]. The early descriptions of the disease predated the concept of “contagion” and, therefore, as recently as the early 1900s, it was thought that the disease was of host origin.
Approximately 200 years were required before the etiological agent of thrush was correctly identified as a fungal pathogen. In 1771, Rosen von Rosenstein defined an invasive form of thrush; however, in 1839, Langenbeck was credited with first documenting a fungus associated with thrush in a patient with typhoid fever [5,6]. In 1846, Berg presented observations that thrush was caused by a fungus, which was classified in 1847 by the French mycologist, Charles Philippe Robin as Oidium albicans, the first use of albicans which means “to whiten” [6,7]. In 1923, Berkhout reclassified the fungus under the current genus Candida, a name derived from the Latin word toga candida, referring to the white toga (robe) worn by Roman senators of the ancient Roman republic, a probable reference to the whitish colonies on agar or white lesions [6–8]. However, it was not until 1954 that the binomial Candida albicans was formally endorsed. In the 1980s, there was a clear surge of interest in oral candidal infections largely due to the increased incidence of OC because of the escalation in the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, and, to date, OC remains the most common oral opportunistic infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals and in individuals with weakened immune systems [9–13]. In fact, the opportunistic nature of the infection was first highlighted by Hippocrates, who referred to this malady as “a disease of the diseased” [14]
Human Fingernails Exposed to Gamma Irradiation
Get PDFEmergency involving ionizing radiation is a rare occurrence, yet it can leave severe damage if a population is not equipped with necessary preparation. However, in present time only personnel of rescue teams have accessed to active dosimetry such as a personal dosimeter. This motivates the study on how biodosimetry can be an alternative retrospective dosimetry. In particular, human fingernails were sampled from different age groups and exposed to gamma ray of doses 2 to 10 Gy. The irradiated sample is subjected to be optically characterised using approach Raman spectroscopy for information on vibrational modes. The crystalline structure of alpha keratin is studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) while the elemental composition of the sample is determined by energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis. From the EDX analysis using Mayneord formula, the non-irradiated nail samples shown their effective atomic number , Zeff to be in the range between 7.11 to 7.68 which is approximately near the Zeff of soft human tissues at 7.4. This supports the study that nail is a good candidate as alternative of biological dosimeter material. As for the XRD analysis, it is observed that a fingernail sample is consisted of alpha keratin structure which displays both crystalline and amorphous characteristic. The crystallite size due to the exposure effect to gamma radiation shows fluctuating pattern and whether nail possesses the ability to self recover its structural order upon defect needs to investigate in future. It is unfortunate that the present work is missing the precious data from Raman spectroscopy for the nail sample, but previous works regarding the use of Raman spectroscopy to study nail sample has been summarized. It is learned from most works, the ‘fingerprint’ of nail sample is identical in which the peak assignment concerns on the disulfide (S-S) bond and also the alpha helix content at the amide 1 region. These are the few regions which displayed major Raman shift and intensity difference from a normal nail sample and an effected nail which have the same analogy as a non-irradiated nail and an irradiated nail sample
Optimizing Renewable Energy Adoption in the GCC: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach to Assessing Policy Impact and Consumer Behaviour
Get PDFPurpose:This study, with its focus on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, aims to analyse the effectiveness of sustainable energy policies. By examining the causal relationships between policy frameworks, consumer behaviour, and the adoption rate of renewable energy technologies, it provides practical insights that can guide policymakers and professionals in the field of sustainable energy and policy development.
Design/Methodology/Approach:This research will employ a rigorous approach, utilising Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to construct a comprehensive model. This model will assess the direct and indirect effects of various policy instruments on the uptake of renewable energy in both residential and commercial sectors. Data will be collected through surveys, focusing on consumer attitudes, awareness of energy policies, and behavioural Factors, and existing government records, which will be analysed for policy implementation data, adoption rates, and economic impact data, ensuring a robust analysis of quantitative and qualitative variables influencing energy choices.
Expected Findings:The study is poised to uncover significant insights into how different policy measures influence the decision-making process of energy consumers. These findings are expected to highlight key policy levers that could significantly accelerate the transition towards sustainable energy sources within the GCC, thereby shaping future policy development in the region.
Originality/Value:This research stands out in the limited but growing frame of literature on the effectiveness of energy policies in the Middle East. It particularly shines within the context of socio-economic variables and regional sustainability goals. The study will provide unique and valuable recommendations for policymakers to refine strategies that facilitate the broader adoption of sustainable energy technologies
LEAN PRACTICES AND ITS IMPACT ON ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY OF QATARI HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Get PDFThis study examines the impact of lean practice on organizational sustainability in Qatari higher education institutions. Despite significant investments in education, Qatari universities face challenges in achieving sustainability while balancing global ambitions with local values. The research investigates how lean practice affect environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Data was collected from 124 staff members at Qatar University and the Community College of Qatar using a survey questionnaire. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling was implemented to execute the analysis. The results indicate that lean practice have a substantial positive impact on all three dimensions of sustainability. Leadership support, continuous improvement, and waste elimination were found to be particularly important. The study contributes to understanding how lean practice can enhance sustainability in higher education, providing valuable insights for institutional leaders and policymakers in Qatar. Recommendations include implementing targeted lean strategies to improve sustainability performance in Qatari higher education institutions
Utilization of Sludge for Clean Energy Production and Biodegradable Plastics
Get PDFIntroduction: The disposal of bio solid waste through landfilling imposes a financial burden on governments due to the large quantities generated and the associated operational costs, including transportation. This waste poses environmental and public health risks, emitting carbon dioxide and methane. Furthermore, landfilling renders soil unsuitable for agriculture, while leachate can contaminate groundwater. Polluted waters may seep into nearby bodies, harming aquatic life. Our research investigates treatment methods for this waste and the utilization of its byproducts to generate clean energy and produce biodegradable plastics.
Objectives: Our research explores methods to mitigate the environmental impact of sludge on human, animal, and plant health. We investigate clean energy generation from sludge and its byproducts through various chemical processes and assess the feasibility of using the remaining solid mass for biodegradable plastics while enhancing efficiency.
Methodology: We focused on the significant challenges faced by the government in waste management, identified as a major issue through extensive investigation. These challenges were analyzed to highlight the urgent need for effective and sustainable solutions.
Key Findings: The sludge undergoes anaerobic digestion, enhancing the quality of the resulting methane gas, allowing us to utilize it in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) to generate clean electricity without combustion. Additionally, processing the bio solid mass remaining after anaerobic digestion through microbial synthesis produces PHAs (Polyhydroxyalkanoates), enabling the production of biodegradable plastics. The remaining sludge can also serve as fertilizer for agricultural lands without harming the soil.
Conclusions: This facility conducts sludge treatment processes to reduce environmental impact while generating the clean energy required for operations. It also replaces non-biodegradable plastics with biodegradable alternatives from its outputs, reducing sludge transportation costs and improving health outcomes for humans, animals, and plants
SPATIALAND TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF CORAL SETTLEMENT IN CORAL REEFS OF QATAR
No full textCoral reefs are fundamental in supporting biodiversity and vital to the economically significant fishing industry that supplies food to society and provides livelihoods to fishermen and their families. Coral reefs are facing a decline in their coral cover worldwide including Qatar. The renewal of coral colonies is limited by a lack of either coral reproduction or coral larvae settlement or coral settlers' survival and growth. Our core research question is: "Is settlement occurring in the coral reefs of Qatar?". Five natural reef sites were investigated to detect spatial and temporal patterns of coral settlement. Settlement tiles were deployed and retrieved over a three-year study from 2019 to 2021. Settlement rates varied spatially and temporarily at all the investigated sites. Sheraoh Island had the highest average settlement rates throughout 2019-2021, with 106, 343, and 42 settlers/m2/day in Q4 2019, Q3 2020, and Q3 2021, respectively, among all sites and seasons. The exception was in Q4 2020, where MM had the highest average settlement rate with 15 settlers/m2/day. However, Fasht East Halul had the lowest average settlement rates in Q3 in both years 2020 and 2021 with zero settlers/m2/day whereas BZ and UAA had the lowest average settlement rates in Q4 in both years 2019 and 2020 with zero settlers/m2/day. Several factors might affect the settlement process, such as currents in the Arabian Gulf, where larvae could settle in adjacent reefs. However, no settlement was observed during the winter and spring seasons. Furthermore, coral settlement seemed to be negatively correlated with coral cover and richness. Additionally, Qatar's reefs contain both reef-building and non-reef- building settlers, with the majority being reef-building species, however, Acropora was absent in all the sites
EVALUATION OF GROUNDWATER QUALITY VARIATION IN THREE AQUIFER SYSTEMS IN QATAR: CHARACTERIZATION AND DPSIR FRAMEWORK APPROACH
No full textQatar's arid climate, limited natural freshwater resources, and increasing water demand make groundwater a primary natural water source in the country. However, overexploitation has led to environmental challenges such as aquifer depletion, seawater intrusion, groundwater quality deterioration, and increased salinity levels. In this study, twenty groundwater samples from the main aquifers in Qatar, including the Rus Formation, Umm er Radhuma Formation (UER), and Aruma Formation from the north and south basins were collected to study the physical, microbiological, and chemical properties of groundwater quality. Groundwater in Qatar is primarily sourced from carbonate aquifers, which are subject to various forms of contamination and degradation. Groundwater quality is deteriorating due to over-extraction, salinization, and pollution from agricultural runoff and urban development. High concentrations of heavy metals such as chromium, manganese, and molybdenum have been detected in 3 wells. The electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids levels in many groundwater samples exceed tolerable thresholds, indicating high salinity, which is detrimental to both human consumption and agricultural use. Furthermore, water hardness, microbial parameters, sodium (Na+), calcium (Ca2+), sulfate (SO42-), and chloride (Cl-) concentrations have reached levels that make groundwater unsuitable for drinking and consumption. The DPSIR model analyzed the key challenges confronting Qatar's groundwater condition in terms of water quality and sustainability
Criminal Liability for Money Laundering Crimes Using Virtual Currencies
No full textتناول هذا البحث المسؤولية الجنائية عن جرائم غسل الأموال باستخدام العملات الافتراضية"، وهو موضوع ذو أهمية متزايدة في ظل التطورات التكنولوجية السريعة التي يشهدها العالم اليوم.
تتمثل مشكلة الدراسة في التحديات التي تفرضها العملات الافتراضية على الجهود القانونية الرامية إلى مكافحة جرائم غسل الأموال، حيث وفرت هذه العملات وسيلة جديدة للمجرمين لإخفاء مصادر أموالهم غير المشروعة.
تبدأ الرسالة بتقديم شرح واف لمفهوم العملات الافتراضية، التي تعرف بأنها تمثيل رقمي لقيمة
يمكن تداولها إلكترونيا.
كما تبرز خصائص هذه العملات مثل اللامركزية، الأمان، وإمكانية إخفاء الهوية، والتي تجعل من
الصعب تتبع العمليات المالية التي تتم عبرها.
وتشير الرسالة إلى أن هذه الخصائص، رغم أنها تقدم فوائد تكنولوجية واقتصادية، تخلق بيئة
ملائمة لغسل الأموال. الرسالة تعتمد على المنهج التحليلي الدراسة كيفية تطور جريمة غسل الأموال التقليدية إلى جريمة
أكثر تعقيدا باستخدام العملات الافتراضية، وتقوم بمقارنة بين الأطر القانونية التقليدية وتلك الحديثة الموجهة لمكافحة غسل الأموال.
يتم تسليط الضوء على التشريعات القطرية المتعلقة بمكافحة غسل الأموال، ومدى قدرتها على
مواجهة التحديات التي تفرضها العملات الافتراضية.
إحدى النقاط المحورية التي تناقشها الرسالة هي أن النظام المالي العالمي يواجه تحديات كبيرة في التعامل مع الطبيعة اللامركزية للعملات الافتراضية، والتي تجعل من الصعب تتبع المعاملات
المالية المشبوهة.
كما تتناول الرسالة تطورات التشريعات في بعض الدول الأخرى، مثل الولايات المتحدة، وكيفية
تعاملها مع غسل الأموال بالعملات الافتراضية.
في النهاية، تقدم الرسالة توصيات حول كيفية تعزيز الأطر القانونية، خاصة في قطر، لمواجهة هذه الظاهرة المتنامية.This research addresses the topic of “Criminal Liability for Money Laundering Crimes
Using Virtual Currencies,” a subject of increasing importance considering the rapid
technological developments the world is witnessing today. The research problem
revolves around the challenges posed by virtual currencies to legal efforts aimed at
combating money laundering crimes, as these currencies provide criminals with a new
method to conceal the sources of their illicit funds.
The thesis begins by providing a comprehensive explanation of the concept of virtual
currencies, which are defined as a digital representation of value that can be traded
electronically. It highlights the characteristics of these currencies, such as
decentralization, security, and the ability to anonymize transactions, which make it
difficult to trace financial activities conducted through them. While these features offer
technological and economic advantages, they also create a conducive environment for
money laundering.
The thesis adopts an analytical approach to study how traditional money laundering
crimes have evolved into more complex crimes using virtual currencies. It compares
the traditional legal frameworks with modern ones designed to combat money
laundering. The thesis also sheds light on Qatari legislation related to combating money
laundering and its ability to address the challenges posed by virtual currencies.
One of the central points discussed in the thesis is that the global financial system faces
significant challenges in dealing with the decentralized nature of virtual currencies,
which makes it difficult to track suspicious financial transactions. The thesis also
examines legislative developments in other countries, such as the United States, and
how they are addressing money laundering using virtual currencies.
In conclusion, the thesis offers recommendations on how to strengthen legal
frameworks, particularly in Qatar, to address this growing phenomenon
MULTI-TASK LEARNING MODEL FOR MOBILE MALWARE DETECTION AND CLASSIFICATION
No full textThe rapid growth of mobile devices, especially those running the Android operating system, has made them attractive targets for cybercriminals. The increasing sophistication of mobile malware, including zero-day threats, challenges traditional signature-based detection methods, which struggle to identify newand evolving malware families. To address these limitations, this thesis proposes a multi-task learning (MTL) model capable of simultaneously performing binary classification (malware detection) and multi-class classification (malware family identification) by utilizing shared representations across tasks. Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted to assess the current landscape of MTL applications in cybersecurity. While MTL has shown promise in other areas such as network intrusion detection, a significant research gap was identified in its application to mobile malware detection. This thesis aims to bridge that gap by developing an MTL model that improves both malware detection and classification performance, contributing to advancements in mobile security. The proposedMTLmodelwas trained and evaluated on the CCCS-CIC-AndMal- 2020 dataset, which contains API-based static features of Android applications. To enhance computational efficiency, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed for feature reduction, and class imbalance was mitigated using a weighted loss function. Hyperparameter tuning with Optuna further optimized key parameters, including layer configurations, learning rate, and loss weights, ensuring robust model performance. Experimental results demonstrate that the MTL model outperforms Single-Task Learning models in both malware detection and malware family classification. The model achieved 97% accuracy in detecting malware and 91% accuracy in identifying malware families, demonstrating superior generalization across different malware types. The weighted loss function improved the detection of minority classes, addressing class imbalance challenges, while hyperparameter tuning resulted in reduced validation loss and improved stability. This research contributes to the field of mobile malware detection by introducing an MTL-based model that addresses the shortcomings of STL models. The findings indicate that MTL, combined with feature selection and optimized hyperparameters, provides a scalable and effective solution for improving the accuracy and robustness of malware detection systems. Future work could explore integrating dynamic analysis features and deploying the model for real-time malware detection
The Legal System of Renewable Energy Contract of the state of Qatar
No full textبعد عقد الطاقة المتجددة من العقود الحديثة التي تتميز بطابعها التعاقدي الخاص ابتداء من المرحلة التمهيدية في تكوين العقد وانعقاده مروراً باثاره في المرحلة التنفيذية وعوارضها والأحكام التي تنظم مرحلة انقضاء العقد، ونظراً لوجود نقص بالدراسات الفقهية المعقمة في الطاقة المتجددة والفراغ التشريعي في القانون الوطني، تتبلور الإشكالية الرئيسية في مدى كفاية قواعد النظرية العامة للالتزام في تنظيم هذا العقد، وأهمية وضع قانون خاص من خلال اتباع المنهج التحليلي للدراسات القانونية والفقهية، والمنهج المقارن للقواعد القانونية والأحكام القضائية في دولة قطر والقانون المقارن.
وتوصلت الدراسة إلى أن عقد الطاقة المتجددة منظم وفقاً لقانون الشراكة بين القطاعين الحكومي والخاص رقم 12 لسنة 2020 والقانون المدني القطري رقم 22 لسنة 2004، ولا يوجد تنظيم قانوني للمفاوضات الممهدة لإبرام العقد، ولا يوجد تنظيم واضح للمتطلبات الشكلية والإجرائية اللازمة في تكوين عقد الطاقة المتجددة وأثرها مما يستدعي وجود قانون خاص براعي الإجراءات الشكلية والالتزامات المترتبة على انشاء وتشغيل محطة لتوليد الطاقة المتجددة، كما يستلزم تقرير اللجوء للوسائل الحديثة في مواجهة الظروف الطارئة من خلال شرط إعادة التفاوض، كما أن طبيعة المنازعات الفنية والهندسية المرتبطة بالعقد تستدعي اختيار التحكيم كوسيلة لفض المنازعات.The renewable energy contract is one of the modern contracts that is
characterized by its special contractual nature, starting from the
preliminary stage in the formation and conclusion of the contract, through
its effects in the executive stage and its consequences and the provisions
that regulate the expiration stage of the contract. Given the lack of sterile
jurisprudential studies in renewable energy and the legislative vacuum in
national law, the main problem crystallizes in the extent of the adequacy
of the rules of the general theory of obligation in regulating this contract,
and the importance of establishing a special law by following the analytical
approach of legal and jurisprudential studies, and the comparative
approach of legal rules and judicial rulings in the State of Qatar and
comparative law.
The study concluded that national law does not regulate the negotiations
preparatory to the conclusion of the contract, and regulate the formal
requirements in the formation of the contract and its effect, which requires
the existence of a special law that takes into account the formal procedures
and obligations arising from the contract, and decides to resort to modern
means in facing emergency circumstances through the condition of
renegotiation, and the nature of technical and engineering disputes related
to the contract requires the choice of arbitration as a means of resolving
disputes