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Experts gather at Sharjah University Ramadan Fasting may protect patients with heart problems, say researchers

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International conference champions health benefits of intermittent fasting and Ramadan

International experts have lent intermittent fasting and Ramadan fasting their support, saying going without food even for short periods can help alleviate the adverse impact of a host of health problems.

During an international conference convened by the University of Sharjah’s College of Health Sciences, the experts reiterated the health benefits of fasting, presenting research with promising evidence that fasting can lower the risk of diabetes, help people lose weight, extend lifespan, and prevent metabolic diseases from aggravating.

Scientists from the U.S., France, Lebanon, Oman, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China, the U.K., Malaysia, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates attended the gathering dubbed “The International Conference on Fasting.”

The two-day conference took place just a few days before the world’s nearly two billion Muslims were preparing to take part in this year’s Ramadan, the Islamic holy month during which they do not eat or drink from dawn to sunset.

There is a plethora of research on intermittent fasting in which fasters leave long gaps between their daily meals. The hours per day Muslims fast differ in different places based on the latitude of each location and the Earth’s orbit around the sun. Most of the world’s Muslims are said to observe Ramadan, the most important month of the Islamic calendar.

University of Sharjah‘s Professor of Clinical Nutrition MoezAlIslam Ezzat Faris estimated that 1.6 billion Muslims honor Ramadan every year. However, most fasting science publications originate outside the Muslim world, he said.

“Most fasting-related publications come from North America or Europe, and are the least in the Muslim, Arab countries,” Prof. Faris said, adding scientific papers dwelling on fasting have garnered more than 26,000 citations, with Ramadan publications seeing 9% growth annually.

Dr. Elie Akl, Professor of Medicine at the American University of Beirut, called for further collaboration among fasting scientists in the Middle East whom he said churned out 20% of fasting literature every year.

The scientists at the conference said fasting was turning into a science and a topic of research interest to academics. The conference’s keynote speaker Harvard Medical School’s Professor Osama Hamdy spoke of the dawn of a new epoch of fasting science. „We are at the beginning of a whole era of science, and the science of fasting will be one big subject of research in the future.

“Years of age (are) added and (it) delays years of health aging. Dietary restriction in general has been shown for years and years to improve many problems such as Metabolic syndrome, Diabetes, Cancer, and so on.“

Prof. Hamdy gave an account of the different types of intermittent fasting, notably time-restricted eating, alternate-day fasting, the 5:2 fasting approach, and Ramadan. He accredited intermittent fasting in general with an array of health benefits.

He unveiled to a packed conference room the findings of fasting research as reported by the Diabetes Remission Outcome Program (DROP). “This is the beginning of a whole era of treating diabetes in a very early stage by just nutrition and exercise.“

He said the program pursued a two-tier approach with a 12week intervention period in which participants adhered to an 800-1000 calorie diet. „We give them diabetes-specific formula – people fast for 16 hours in time-restricted eating, then break the fast with a shake, and have dinner with 600800 calories.“

Following the intervention phase, the participants transitioned to a nine-month maintenance phase, gradually returning to a 1500-1800 caloric diet. “People lost around 8% of their body weight during intervention. Their A1C (blood sugar test) went down from 6.4 to 6.1 on no medication. This means remission.“

Even a year later, the participants remained in remission, with an improved quality of life. „This is the beginning of a whole era of treating diabetes in a very early stage by just

In the oil-rich Gulf states, for example, Iftar, the evening meal with which Muslims break their fast after the sun has gone down, is something like a lavish banquet in which sugary diets dominate. Image Credit: Pixabay

Prof. Mohamed Hassanein of Dubai Health Authority said diabetic Muslims needed special consultancy and care if they opted to observe Ramadan. Image Credit: Pixabay

nutrition and exercise,“ Prof. Hamdy said. However, the scientists showed that Ramadan intermittent fasting may have an adverse impact if fasters overeat when breaking their fast. For instance, King Saud University’s Professor of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Ahmed BaHammam, warned Ramadan fasters against binging.

For many, Ramadan is a time of feasting. In the oil-rich Gulf states, for example, Iftar, the evening meal with which Muslims break their fast after the sun has gone down, is something like a lavish banquet in which sugary diets dominate.

“Ramadan fasting’s effects don’t just affect the lifestyle. It is also the meal timing, the circadian rhythm, and interaction with insulin. This research journey has been eye-opening and humbling. It shows how science can help us understand both tradition and health,” said Prof. BaHammam.

Fasting was found to be beneficial to everyone leaving a long gap between meals, compressing meals into shorter periods, or observing longer periods like Ramadan.

Prof. Mohamed Hassanein of Dubai Health Authority said diabetic Muslims needed special consultancy and care if they opted to observe Ramadan.

“We have at least 150 million Muslims estimated to have type 2 diabetes. Ramadan needs planning. And the best of course is for any clinician or for any person with diabetes to go to the healthcare person for a proper assessment before Ramadan.”

Prof. Hassanein introduced a new app he and his colleague have developed to estimate the risk factors diabetics may encounter if they decide to fast during Ramadan.

Called the DAR Academy app, the application calculates the potential risks when people with diabetes feed it with personal health data like glycemic control, nature of the job, fasting hours, level of frailty, and social circumstances.

However, Prof. Hassanein said Muslims generally were averse to medical advice not to fast during Ramadan no matter the risks; they would only adhere to instructions supplied by their imam, or clergyman. “The patient will listen to the imam and not to the doctor.”

Prof. Hassanein advised Muslim diabetics to consult their doctors so that they can tell them what exercise they need to do, monitor their blood glucose levels, and adjust their medication timing and dosage.

Scientists uphold claim that intermittent fasting and Ramadan may lower risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

People who fast intermittently and observe Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, may lower the risk of agerelated neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, according to a study published in the journal Medicina. The literature dwells on the positive interaction between intermittent fasting and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which plays a vital role in the survival and growth of neurons—cells specialized in nerve impulses.

BDNF is an important factor in regulating glucose and energy metabolism. A drop in BDNF levels is associated with the loss of neurons which studies have found to be a sign of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s.

The authors map the literature by conducting a systematic review of experimental and observational human studies carried out from January 2000 to December 2023 and published in major databases. They say the target of their study is to measure the impact intermittent fasting and calorie restriction may have on BDNF levels and cognitive functions on humans. The systematic review suggests that intermittent fasting “has varying effects on BDNF levels and cognitive functions in healthy, overweight/obese individuals and patients with metabolic conditions.”

The authors find the association between intermittent fasting and BDNF to be of paramount importance with more and more people resorting to fasting as a healthy practice. For more than two billion Muslims worldwide, the study’s publication comes at a time they are soon to observe Ramadan, a special model of a month-long intermittent fasting which obligates Muslims not to eat or drink during the hours of daylight. Despite recommending fasting as a healthy practice, the authors highlight the controversial nature of the studies they examine.

They maintain only “few human studies have shown that IF (intermittent fasting) increases BDNF levels.” In five studies, they note the results point to “a significant increase in BDNF after the intervention.” Only five studies involving humans report “a significant decrease in BDNF levels” while six show “no significant changes in BDNF levels due to IF regimens.”

However, the authors find BDNF to improve brain function by promoting both “neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity, particularly through long-term potentiation (LTP), a process involving persistent strengthening of synapses that leads to a long-lasting increase in signal transmission between neurons.”

They point out that the literature advocates fasting “as one of the candidate therapies for neurological disorders. This comes by virtue of the fasting effect in improving cognition, slowing down neurodegeneration, reducing brain damage, enhancing functional recovery after stroke, and mitigating the pathological and clinical features of epilepsy and multiple sclerosis in animal models.”

The study examines different intermittent fasting regimes, which involve alternate-day fasting, time-restricted eating, [and] Ramadan model of intermittent fasting.

“The findings show that fasting has variable effects on the level of BDNF in healthy people and disease patients with obesity and metabolic syndrome. As for the studies on the impact of Ramadan fasting, the authors find two studies showing significant improvement in the level of BDNF, while three studies revealing a significant reduction.”

University of Sharjah’s Professor of Clinical Nutrition and the main and corresponding author, MoezAlIslam Faris, says the work underscores the significance of fasting in improving the level of one of the important protein factors that affect brain health. “This protein factor is important for the maintenance of brain function and lowering the risk of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s’ disease, and Parkinson’s, as well as in preventing mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.”

Asked about the somewhat controversial results of the study, Prof. Faris says, “The significance of the work stems from the fact that it is the first systematic review that summarizes the effect of observing caloric restriction and different intermittent fasting regimens on the level of the BDNF and the consequent mental health and cognitive health parameters.

“The significance of the project relies on the fact that intermittent fasting could be applied as one of the prophylactic, preventive strategies, and even curative interventions for the prevention and treatment of mental health problems and aging-related brain and mental health problems among elderly people.”

Prof. Faris believes the project could help “health care providers and health care teams in improving mental health and lowering the risk and severity of mental cognitive health problems such as mood disturbances by applying intermittent fasting and calorie restriction as one of the safe, costless dietary modifications to improve their patient’s mental health and cognitive function.”

“Encouraging people to follow intermittent fasting regimens as a suggested practice that helps in preventing mental health problems among healthy people and alleviating the severity of these problems among the patients, and the inclusion of intermittent fasting as an adjuvant therapy with medications for patients with mental health cognitive problems.”

The authors find the association between intermittent fasting and BDNF to be of paramount importance with more and more people resorting to fasting as a healthy practice. Image Credit: Pixabay

Ramadan fasting may protect patients with heart problems, say researchers

Those observing Ramadan may have their cholesterol, other lipids, inflammatory markers in their blood reduced, albeit temporarily. This is the conclusion of a group of scientists examining the model of Ramadan Intermittent Fasting (RIF) in overweight and obese people.

Their findings suggest that RIF is associated with improvements in blood lipids, and the level of fatty compounds called ceramides and sphingolipids in the blood as well as temporal protection against cardiometabolic risk factors.

“RIF is associated with improvements in plasma sphingosine, sphinganine sphingomyelin, and dihydrosphingomyelin lipid species,” the scientists write in their study published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.

The study, conducted jointly by scientists from the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, the U.S. University of Utah, and Jordan’s Jordan University, also notes “improved lipid profile and inflammatory markers, which may confer short-term protection against cardiometabolic problems in patients with overweight/obesity.”

There is a growing body of literature associating Intermittent Fasting (IF) with metabolic alterations, the changes in chemical reactions that occur in our bodies when converting bodystored fats into energy.

Alterations in a body’s metabolism affect a person’s health and can be markers of various diseases including cancer and heart problems.

“Intermittent fasting (IF) is associated with enormous metabolic alterations that underpin its diverse health effects. Changes in lipid metabolism, particularly ceramides, and other sphingolipids, are among the most notable of these alterations,” they write,

In their review of the literature, the authors endow IF with “a wide spectrum of positive effects on aging and neurodegenerative diseases, cardiometabolic dysfunction, and vascular problems.”

However, the authors see RIF as one of the most used types of IF in the world with Muslims worldwide considering observance of Ramadan a pillar of their faith.

The authors execute their study prior to, during, and after Ramadan, a 29–30-day holy month in the Muslim lunar calendar. Their data was derived from their examination of the health conditions of their 57 respondents.

RIF is a special type of intermittent fasting during which fasting Muslims refrain from eating, drinking (including water), smoking, or engaging in sexual activities from pre-dawn to sunset.

The fasting duration differs depending on geographical location, but it is generally estimated to last between 12-17 hours a day. The daily average fasting duration for Muslims worldwide is reported to be approximately 15 hours per day, depending on location.

However, liberal and non-restricted eating is permissible during the night corresponding to 12-17 hours of daily fasting time determined by the solar season crossing the lunar month of Ramadan.

“We compared the studied variables for each participant before and after or at the end of Ramadan, meaning each participant served as his control. Participants did not receive any recommendations for dietary, lifestyle, or physical activity changes at any stage during this study,” the authors point out.

A cohort of 57 healthy, but overweight and obese adults, 40 males and 17 females, with an age range of 18-58, comprise the sample. They are observed before the start, at the conclusion and after Ramadan. However, the females were only observed 23-25 days of fasting as Muslim Jurisdiction forbids fasting during menstruation.

The sample only includes adults as children are exempt from Ramadan fasting. Due to the diversified demographic nature of the U.A.E., the sample includes adult expatriates from countries like Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Sudan, and Egypt as well.

“At both time points, anthropometric, biochemical (lipid profile, glycemic, and inflammatory markers), and dietary intake measurements were taken,” the authors emphasize, adding the respondents were instructed to continue with their habitual exercise level since extra physical activity might have intervened in their biochemical measurement.

They find RIF to be “associated with reduced body mass and fat mass independent of changes in calorie intake” with the fasting regime resulting in a reduction of the total amount of cholesterol.

The blood tests known as “inflammatory markers” show RIF to be associated with a reduction in getting afflicted with body inflammations normally caused by diseases such as autoimmune conditions and cancers.

Scientists find RIF to be “associated with reduced body mass and fat mass independent of changes in calorie intake” with the fasting regime resulting in a reduction of the total amount of cholesterol. Image Credit: Pixabay

Scientists report problems with big pharma’s clinical trial data used to support FDA-approved anti-cancer medicine

A group of international scientists say they have encountered many hurdles in accessing information for a study to examine clinical trial data used to support FDA-approved anticancer medicines even when the data was classified as eligible for access and transparent sharing.

In an article in JAMA Oncology, scholars from Flinders University in Australia, the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and other international institutions, collaborated to vet clinical trial data on which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration leans to approve anticancer medicine. The data analysis, the scientists maintain, has helped them come up with important implications for the public and those interested in healthcare transparency.

Initially, the researchers requested data from 91 clinical trials approved by FDA. “We received data from 70 trials, which represents a success rate of 77%. This is a significant improvement in data sharing compared to a decade ago,” says Dr. Ahmad Abuhelwa, an assistant professor from the University of Sharjah, and one of the study’s senior coauthors.

The pharmaceutical industry has been sharing data from clinical trials, allowing independent researchers to access and analyze the information. The transparency has been crucial for validating results, generating new hypotheses, and improving clinical practices and patients’ care.

However, not all the data from the 70 clinical trials was comprehensively, transparently, and easily accessed and shared as the scientists cite issues related to transparency, denial of access, redactions, and lack of supporting documents.

“Transparency in the pharmaceutical industry isn’t just a buzzword; it’s an imperative for patient safety and research quality. Our research underscores the need for comprehensive data sharing, creating a win-win for all stakeholders,” confirms the study’s lead author, Dr Ashley Hopkins, of Flinders University’s College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Australia.

The scientists were presented with several challenges to secure access to the clinical trials selected for analysis. “21 trials (23%) were denied access for various reasons, including ongoing regulatory activities, data codevelopment issues, and concerns about the proposed statistical analyses. This suggests that there are hurdles in accessing data even when trials are deemed eligible for sharing,” notes Dr. Abuhelwa.

Other challenges the scientists grabbled with were related to lengthy access time and redactions. “Among the 70 trials that shared data, we faced lengthy access time (up to 1 year) and a significant number had redactions in key data domains. For instance, data on adverse events, survival, and assessment variables were partially or fully redacted in some cases. Redactions can complicate the analysis of data and limit its usability,” Dr. Abuhelwa adds.

The scientists faced problems when searching for documentation. The researchers, says Dr. Hopkins, found that a substantial number of trials did not include supporting documents like clinical study reports, data dictionaries, and anonymization guides, which are crucial for understanding and validating the data in research.

Lack of standardization is another hurdle the scientists dwell on in their study. They reveal that the clinical trial data they investigate “leads to heterogeneity” as different companies use different methods in providing their data. “This quality improvement study sheds light on the complexities and nuances of sharing individual-participant data (IPD) from pharmaceutical industry-sponsored clinical trials,” Dr. Ashley goes on.

The scientists commend pharmaceutical companies for making their clinical trials more transparently accessible. However, they say there is still more work to be done, and urge exerted efforts to address the issues they raise in their research. Thus, they recommend the pharmaceutical industry to furnish full access to complete

Researchers recommend the pharmaceutical industry to furnish full access to complete and unredacted data, emphasizing the need for transparency and standardization. Image Credit: Pixabay

and unredacted data, emphasizing the need for transparency and standardization to make it easier for future researchers to work with the data.

Of the importance of the findings, Dr. Abuhelwa says the scientists have carved a path on what big pharma need to do in order to share their clinical trial data and make it accessible for research. “Transparency in data sharing is the foundation of better patient care. Our study sheds light on the progress and challenges in sharing clinical trial data, and it’s a call to action for improving data accessibility and quality.

“The road ahead involves advocating for change. We’re championing data sharing that’s both accessible and reliable. With standardization and increased transparency, we can

elevate healthcare research and improve patient outcomes.” Dr. Ashley hopes the pharmaceutical industry will make note of the implications and findings he and his co-authors have arrived at because “data is the lifeblood of patient-centered care, and our study shows that there’s room for improvement in ensuring this data is complete and unredacted. We’re pushing for standardized data sharing practices to empower researchers and healthcare providers.”

Dr. Abuhelwa is upbeat about what he sees as groundbreaking research in big pharma’s efforts to share clinical trial data. “Patients, doctors, and researchers all stand to benefit from transparent and standardized data sharing. Our research highlights the path to a data-sharing ecosystem where data accessibility and quality are paramount.”

Metabolic syndrome rate higher in men than women among UAE adults, study finds

Men are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome than women, according to an analysis of the adult population conducted in Sharjah, one of the seven provinces constituting the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The study of 272 people, 165 women and 107 men, focuses on sociodemographic, and anthropometric measurements of the participants. It examines the cluster of symptoms indicative of the syndrome like high blood sugar and raised blood pressure. Other symptoms include abdomen fat and high cholesterol.

The study finds 25% of the population suffering from metabolic syndrome, “which is an alarming rate,” says the study’s lead author Dr. Sondos Abderraheem Harfil.

The study, published in Hamdan Medical Journal, shows the symptoms of metabolic syndrome to be more prevalent in men than women, with the former having 3.08 times greater chance of developing the syndrome than the latter.

The findings are part of an ongoing research collaboration between the UAE’s University of Sharjah, and the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

The authors say their main target is to “investigate the association of age and sex with MetS in a healthy adult population in Sharjah, the UAE” and maintain the disorder to be mainly “characterized by abdominal obesity and is considered a predictive factor for cardiovascular diseases and stroke and may increase the probability of developing these diseases by several folds.”

MeTS stands for the metabolic equivalent of task. In metabolic syndrome literature, the acronym refers to the working metabolic rate relative to resting metabolic rate. It measures a person’s activity and the rate of energy expended per unit of time.

Metabolic syndrome is a significant public health concern in the UAE and the larger oil-rich Gulf region which have shown high prevalence rates of symptoms ranging from 17% in Oman to 40.5% in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to the ATP III and IDF criteria, respectively.

The authors link the preponderance of the symptoms among the population “to dietary patterns, [lack of] physical activity, environmental factors and socio-demographic variables” which they believe to be the main cause for high rates body mass index (BMI), and body fat mass.

However, the study’s major finding relates to the sociodemographic context of the population. It reveals gender as being the only variable exerting significant influence on MetS.

The

The authors’ gender-based comparison of anthropometric characteristics shows similar median ages and body mass index (BMI) between males and females. However, other anthropometric measurements are found to be significantly lower in females, except for hip circumference (HC), which was higher in females.

Regarding BCA measurements, males exhibit significantly higher values in all variables except for fat percentage and fat mass, which were higher in females. The biochemical characteristics analyzed in the study demonstrate that most variants are found to be significantly higher in males, except for HDL levels, which were higher in females.

Three MetS components—high BP, high triglycerides (TG), and high fasting blood sugar (FBS) are also shown to be

significantly more prevalent in males than in females.

While the authors hypothesize a difference in metabolic syndrome related to age, they find age-related MetS prevalence statistically not significant. This finding contradicts previous studies on metabolic syndrome.

“The demography of the Sharjah population is dynamic, and there is a need to monitor the alterations of the MetS prevalence and the associated factors accordingly,” the authors note.

The researchers urge further exploration of metabolic syndrome through large-scale studies. “The prevalence of MetS is 25% of the population study in Sharjah, and it is considered high, which suggests ongoing follow-up studies on a larger scale.”

study finds 25% of the population suffering from metabolic syndrome. Image Credit: Pixabay

Metallic nanoparticles can kill cancer cells leaving healthy ones intact, say researchers

Metallic nanoparticles made from silver and copper can kill cancer cells with minimal or little side effects, say researchers from the Middle East.

A study, published in Advanced Biology, showed that the metallic particles “were significantly toxic to cancer cells, while having no significant toxicity on healthy cells,” according to Prof. Yousef Haik of the University of Sharjah.

Cancer treatment relies heavily on chemotherapy drugs, but their low tumor specificity, body resistance to the drug and other side effects, occasionally leading to death, have prompted scientists to seek alternative treatments.

One such alternative novel treatment that has emerged recently leans on inorganic nanoparticles. The treatment holds good prospects as a new anticancer drug that could overcome conventional body resistance that accompanies drugs targeting body tissues.

The global burden of cancer is too much to bear, with 18.1 million new cancer cases and 9.6 million associated deaths reported in 2018.

Medical research partly attributes the high mortality rate, particularly in older adults, to the toxicity risks involved when administering chemotherapy in treatment. A British inquiry has found that administering chemotherapy to cure seriously ill cancer patients caused or hastened death in 27% of cases.

Radiation, also known as radiotherapy, can kill or slow the growth of cancer cells, but it can also damage healthy ones. A research study, carried by the Journal of the American Heart Association, shows that 292,102 (13.19%) out of 2, 214,994 cancer patients died due to the side effects of radiotherapy.

Spurred by their reduced toxicity, lack of stability, retention effect and precise targeting, scientist are investigating the

use of metallic nanoparticles for the treatment of cancer.

However, research by Prof. Haik and colleagues stands out for its novel technique of getting nanoparticles into exosomes while forming inside a cell.

To ensure metallic nanoparticles directly target cancerous cells, the particles are fed into healthy cells of the same tissue origin as the cancer, said Prof. Haik.

He added that the particles then get internalized into exosomes “through a biogenesis process and shed outside the cells as drug loaded vesicles.”

Exosomes are tiny sac-like structures that are formed inside the cells and play a primary role in communication between cells and organs.

“Exosomes derived from healthy cells tend to preferentially accumulate in tumor cells of the same tissue origin by 10 folds more than any other cells due to composition matching between these exosomes and these cells” Prof. Haik stressed.

Prof. Haik co-authored the study with colleagues from Qatar’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University. The uniqueness of their research is based on using healthy cell exosomes fed with metallic nanoparticles as a means to target and kill cancerous cells.

“If the finding is applied as treatment, the novel drug will damage cancerous cells, leaving no harmful effects on the surrounding healthy tissues.

“complimentary anticancer drug and a smart delivery vesicle,” which Prof. Haik, described as “a foundational resource for the emerging field of nanoengineering and medicine.

“Silver and copper nanoparticles have shown to preferentially kill cancer cells at a low concentration without any effect on healthy cells within the therapeutic dose.”

The researchers’ finding that metallic nanoparticles can kill cancerous cells with minimum side effects is a promising approach to pharmacology with expectations

that might revolutionize the field if a metallic nanoparticle-based drug is manufactured.

“Our treatment is based on administering silver-copper nanoparticles that kill cancer cells, but leave surrounding healthy cells intact,” said Prof. Haik.

Prof. Haik said he and his colleagues needed further investigations before their findings reached the clinical stage. “However, our study demonstrated the feasibility of producing novel drug carriers from healthy cells,” he noted.

“Drug carriers decorated with antibodies are used to improve tumor targeting, however, their immunogenicity, large size, cost and lack of well-defined surface receptors limits their application,” Prof. Haik said.

The study provided a fresh and significant platform for a

Figure2: Endocytosis of AgCu-NP. Fig. 2A and 2B shows, the lower panel with blue color Alexa FL-405 emission, middle panel red color lysotracker and upper panel merged image MCF10A cells were fed with AgCu-NP-CD-9FITC, after 24hr live cell images were captured (Fig 2C) The lower panel green shows AgCu-NP-CD9-FITC and the middle panel shows Lysotracker red and the upper panel shows merged image In Figure 2 D, MCF10A cells expressing Rab7a-RFP were fed with Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)-AgCu-NP-AlexaFL-647 and after 24hr of incubation images were taken, the lower panel purple color shows WGA-AgCu-NP-AlexaFL-647, the middle panel red color shows Rab7a-RFP and the upper panel shows merged image

University of Sharjah unveils Francophonie Center

The University of Sharjah has inaugurated a Francophonie Center, the first such institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The center, officially kicked off in 2022, functions as the official portal for the six countries constituting the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain.

In a welcome note published in the center’s website, Prof. Rasha Hattab touts the center “as the official portal in the Gulf region for joint legal projects with IDEF.”

Prof. Hattab adds: “The centre seeks to establish and activate scientific, academic and research cooperation in the legal field between the University of Sharjah and Arab and Western universities related to the Francophone school.”

The center carries joint legal projects with IDEF, the international French legal institute whose aim is to bring together a world community of French-speaking lawyers who can embark on cooperation and exchanges on an egalitarian basis.

Sharjah University’s center is affiliated to the College of Law. In the three years since its inception, it has organized a series of seminars and conferences with a bearing on the legal and social aspects of Francophone school.

The IDEF is a is multidisciplinary, interprofessional institute whose members are magistrates, professors, lawyers, notaries, and in-house lawyers. Its management committee comprises representatives from member countries that share the French language or civil law legal culture.

To integrate the center with the IDEF, the University of Sharjah has added a special section for Francophone legal studies in its Journal of Law Sciences to promote research within the framework of the Francophone language.

The center’s long-term plan is to issue a scientific journal of its own “devoted to the publication of comparative legal research of a French-language nature”, according to Prof. Hattab. The center currently functions as a digital research platform providing researchers with free access to databases “dealing with Francophone and Latin studies.”

Through the center, University of Sharjah’s Frenchspeaking academics now have the chance to visit France or French-speaking universities to conduct research and co-supervise postgraduate students.

Among the center’s notable partners is the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), an international association grouping over 1000 higher education institutions, networks and scientific research centers that use French in 119 countries.

The center has organized a series of seminars and conferences with a bearing on the legal and social aspects of Francophone school.

Sharjah University hosts flagship Arab astronomy event

THE ARAB ASTRONOMY COMMUNITY GATHERED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH FOR THEIR 14TH CONFERENCE ON SPACE SCIENCES.

The four-day conference was organized by the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences (AUASS) in November 2023 and attracted scientists from over 40 countries.

Founded in 1998, the AUASS aims to raise the profile of space sciences and astronomy in the Arab world, promote exchange of information and experience in basic and applied astronomy science and preserve the Arab/Islamic astronomy heritage.

Hosted by the University’s Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences, and Technology, also known as the Sharjah Planetarium, the conference saw the presentation of more than 250 research papers and 36 key sessions and talks.

The conference sessions and presentations offered solutions and developmental strategies to advance space sciences and astronomy in areas such as education awareness, technological advancements, and international collaboration.

Professor Hamid M.K. Al Naimiy, the University Chancellor, and president of AUASS, said the conference was an opportunity to foster cooperation among Arab countries in space research. He praised the joint initiatives and recommendations adopted by the conference, describing them as “inspiring.”

Hundreds of astronomers brought their cosmic knowhow to the University of Sharjah. From Armenia, Prof.

Professor Hamid M.K. Al Naimiy, the University Chancellor, and president of AUASS, said the conference was an opportunity to foster cooperation among Arab countries in space research.

Areg Mickaelian, Director of the country’s Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, emphasized the importance of collective efforts to help manage big data in astronomy.

“There are about 500 professional observatories and very small telescopes and amateurs who observe as well. Most of these observatories are in the North; Hawai, Canary, and North of Chile are the best points in the world,” Prof. Mickaelian said.

In his presentation, Prof. Mickaelian shared the historical trajectory of big data, which spurred the establishing of

the International Virtual Observatory Alliance in 2002.

He said while the international alliance brings together space and astronomy projects across Europe as a continent, there is yet no participation in the project from a single Middle Eastern country.

It is essential for Arab countries to unite their virtual observatory databases to ensure the efficient standardization of big data collection, he added.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronomers shared their cosmic-knowhow research and contributions.

Hoor AlMaazmi from the UAE Space Agency shed light on the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM), the first probe reported to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere.

“Emirates Mars Mission has several objectives – the main program was to complete Mars Orbit Insertion by the UAE’s 50th anniversary in 2021. This mission is unique because of its unique orbit. The orbit of EMM compared to other Mars missions can get a global geographic and local time coverage in diurnal and sub

seasonal timescales to look at seasonal changes at a local time coverage scale.

“We received great details of the surface of Mars with our imager. We also observed interesting complex structures in the Martian atmosphere. We were able to see the smaller Martian moon, which was observed for the first time in 50 years since the Viking probe observed it.”

The conference, in its concluding remarks, emphasized the importance of open access to research data, regional and international cooperation, and responsible utilization of space resources.

It made a host of proposals ranging from the establishment of a specialized scientific journal in the field of space to the creation of an Arab virtual astronomical observatory linked to the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA).

In their recommendations, the participants affirmed their commitment to fostering human capacity-building initiatives and supporting sustainable practices in the realm of space sciences.

Hosted by the University’s Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences, and Technology, also known as the Sharjah Planetarium, the conference saw the presentation of more than 250 research papers and 36 key sessions and talks.

Sharjah University professor wins award for sustainable excellence in Middle East

A UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH PROFESSOR HAS BEEN ONE OF THE WINNERS OF THE PRESTIGIOUS 2023 FUTURE PIONEERS AWARD, THE PRIZE THAT SETS A NEW BENCHMARK FOR SUSTAINABLE EXCELLENCE ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICAN (MENA) COUNTRIES.

Dr. Iman AbdelShahid Ibrahim, Assistant Professor at the College of Fine Arts and Design, was among 23 winners out of 2600 entries competing for the award.

Dr. Ibrahim won with “Eco-Mesh”, a parametric panel of marvel which the artist adorns with Islamic geometry patters and blends tradition, innovation, and environmental consciousness.

“The geometric pattern is not just an aesthetic choice; it’s a functional marvel. It allows us to control natural light, shade, and airflow, offering a dynamic and adaptive solution for various spaces,” says Dr. Ibrahim.

“The panel’s elaborate designs pay homage to the timeless beauty and mathematical accuracy that have defined this art form for millennia by reimagining the geometric motifs used in traditional Islamic construction.

“Light, shadow, and airflow can all be controlled thanks to the geometric pattern that was painstakingly designed using computational techniques,” according to Dr. Ibrahim.

“The panel’s clever design allows it to adapt to its surroundings, allowing for the regulation of natural light, the provision of optimal shade, and the promotion of effective airflow.”

Dr. Ibrahim’s Islamic-imbued images come in the shape muqarnas, a three-dimensional decorative element mostly used in embellishing domes in Muslim countries.

The tempting trophy is conferred by BEEAH, which in Arabic means the environment. It is the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) most influential sustainable, smart solutions, environment and waste management group which envisions a future built on sustainability and better quality of life across the MENA region.

Dr. Ibrahim’s panel is more than decorative marvel. It is a conscientious creation. The model is a 3D, and the fusion of technology and sustainable materials showcase an ecofriendly approach to design.

Dr. Ibrahim won with“Eco-Mesh”, a parametric panel of marvel which the artist adorns with Islamic geometry patters and blends tradition, innovation, and environmental consciousness.

The 3D print of the artwork enables the creation of intricate patterns, which enliven her Islamic-inspired parametric panel.

Dr. Ibrahim says her goal is to further integrate Islamic cultural heritage and contemporary design methods.

“This involves further exploration and integration of Islamic geometric patterns in modern architectural contexts, thereby preserving cultural history while innovating in design,” she adds.

She believes her panel can be adapted to various environments due to its dynamic design.

“Future applications could see these panels being used in a wider variety of architectural spaces, both for their aesthetic appeal and their functional benefits in terms of light control, shade, and ventilation.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Ibrahim aims to promote a circular economy in building materials.

“This involves not only using recycled materials but also exploring other eco-friendly materials and processes that reduce the environmental footprint.”

Image Credit: BEEAH

The model is a 3D, and the fusion of technology and sustainable materials showcase an eco-friendly approach to design.

University of Sharjah hosts health communication Symposium

The University of Sharjah has played host to the first ever Health Communication Symposium to be held in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), according to the organizers.

A university of Sharjah professor has been one of the winners of the prestigious 2023 Future Pioneers Award, the prize that sets a new benchmark for sustainable excellence across the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries.

More than 70 scientists and practitioners from 19 countries took part in the symposium which was a joint effort in the organization of which three major institutions took part: Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Communication, and College of Health Sciences.

The conference featured a diverse range of participants from both the industry and academia.

Key presentations were led by special guests from industry and the media. One of the main presenters was Mohammed Elsonbaty Ramadan, Co-founder of Arab Forum of Science Media and Communication.

Ramadan spoke about the importance of bridging the gap between health scientists and practitioners. “Bringing

The conference featured a diverse range of participants from both the industry and academia.

both health communicators and practitioners in the same room is very important,” he told the participants.

Another key guest was Saad Lotfey, CEO of SciCommX, Middle East’s premier science and communication consultancy. Lotfey called for increased cooperation between scientists and science reporters “to keep up with all research published about science and health communication in the region.”

From academia, there was a presentation by Prof. Jairo Alfonso Lugo-Ocando, University of Sharjah’s Dean of the College of Communication. Prof. Lugo-Ocando spoke of the crucial role policymakers can play in health communication.

“It is very important to impact and influence policymakers to engage in health communication practices and standards,” Prof. Lugo-Ocando said.

Emphasizing the role of journalists as gatekeepers and the necessity of scientists to collaborate with them to gain public trust, he said: “We need to make science available and accessible to everyone.”

University of Birmingham’s Assistant Professor in Public health Dr. Marco Bardus shared research findings demonstrating a surge in health communication publications from the Arab world.

Dr. Bardus statistics pointed to 2600 records currently available across six databases from merely 66 publications reported in 2020. “More and more research is happening in the field of health communication in the Arab world.”

The symposium’s organizer Prof. Tevhide Serra Gorpe from the University of Sharjah said she hoped countries and communication institutions in the MENA region would find ways to transform the knowledge presented at the symposium into practical solutions.

“My wish is to take what we learned to create something valuable that other countries in the MENA region can be inspired by,” said Prof. Serra.

Social media outlets were the topic of a presentation by Dr. Najat AlSaied, an adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Sharjah. Dr. AlSaied’s speech dwelt on the

role of platforms like Twitter when a health crisis strikes. She said her research found that diplomats from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) utilized the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake to mend fences between the two countries and raise awareness among the UAE population about the crisis.

“Digital tools like Twitter have become instant diplomatic operations, shaping public opinions. The application of digital health diplomacy, like Twitter, has an impact on the dynamics of diplomacy among adversarial states,” she said.

The organizers are currently working on a volume of selected articles titled “Health Communication in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)” scheduled for print by Springer Publishing, award-winning publisher of healthcare and behavioral sciences.

The volume’s aim, according to the editors, is to strengthen ties between communication scholars in the region and media practitioners reporting on findings by scientists investigating health communication.

Sharjah University and IBM to address water access in arid regions of Middle East and North Africa

The University of Sharjah is working closely with IBM, the global technology innovator, to address issues underpinning water scarcity and water access in the arid and parched regions of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

The technology giant seeks to utilize research by Sharjah University’s scientists on how to combat water scarcity and lack of water access in MENA, a region suffering badly from lack of water resources for both drinking and agriculture purposes.

Drawing on Sharjah University’s scholarship investigating water access issues, IBM Sustainability Accelerator is seeking to map water access conditions in the region.

IBM’s aim from the partnership with the university is to develop innovative models and applications to monitor and forecast water resources to help alleviate water scarcity, particularly in areas witnessing depleting groundwater tables and parched landscapes.

IBM’s Levant and Pakistan General Manager Shukri Eid said in a press release the agreement with the university would help his company come up with fresh innovative techniques to offset impact of climate change in MENA.

“Our commitment to climate action is unwavering, and through our partnership with the University of Sharjah, we are empowering communities, fostering innovation, and addressing the urgent need for green and technology skills.

“Together, we are not just adapting to climate change; we are shaping a resilient and sustainable tomorrow.”

Assistant Professor at the University of Sharjah Adewale Giwa said the cooperation with IBM comes

at the right time with water access declining in MENA raising fears of environmental disasters.

This collaboration reflects our commitment to leveraging technology for the betterment of society and creating a lasting impact in the face of climate change, Prof Giwa said.

“The University of Sharjah is proud to partner with IBM in developing solutions for the pressing environmental challenges faced by communities in arid regions.

“Through the IBM Sustainability Accelerator, we aim to monitor and forecast water access conditions in the region, offering vital support to communities with limited freshwater resources.”

A study by Advance HE has recognized the University of Sharjah as among the five top universities in the world in sustainability excellence. The report by Advance HE showcases the progress the university has been making in integrating sustainability across teaching, research, estates, and engagement.

An assessment by UI GreenMetric World University Rankings granted the university the top position among 1,000 universities for endeavors to prioritize sustainability initiatives across its programs.

The university is also the first in the Arab world to earn the gold rank in the Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), a global rating body measuring sustainability excellence.

Sharjah University students win award for best air collision legal scenario

Three students from the University of Sharjah have won a prestigious award for their best-case legal scenario of two aircraft colliding in the air.

The award was part of a competition Russia’s Institute of Air and Space Law (AEROHELP) had organized in collaboration with the Lomonosov Moscow State University at the International Air Law Moot Court Competition.

AEROHELP, which is a union of lawyers in Russia, is specialized in education in the field of law and aviation. It provides legal assistance in the application and interpretation of air legislation in Russia and other countries.

The theme of AEROHELP’s competition

their legal advice for the actors involved in the air crash.

Ms. Zeina Ahmad and Dr. Attila Sipos supervised the three students and guided them through the necessary legal deliberations. The coaching had helped the students come up with a comprehensive legal presentation covering all aspects of the air incident.

The students Ahmed Adnan, Osama Abdeljalil Alblooshi, and Hamad Rashid Alketbi from the College of Law’s Air and Space Law program competed with 22 teams from different countries in a series of preliminary rounds, semi-final rounds and a final round.

They came first in the overall competition and won the top prize for the best legal

competition, College of Law’s Associate Professor Shadi Alshdaifat said: “The competition offered law students a significant platform to showcase their legal expertise and ability to handle complex international legal issues, particularly in Air Law.

Participating in such a prestigious event enabled them to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical, competitive setting, fostering critical thinking, legal research, and advocacy skills.”

Dr. Alshdaifat, who won the best judge award in the competition, said: “Judging such competitions involves a profound understanding of the law, the capability to impartially evaluate arguments, and the skill to provide constructive feedback to participants.

legal education of future practitioners, ensuring the standards of advocacy remain elevated and reflecting on the practical application of legal theory.”

AEROHELP’s competition is part moot courts which law colleges and universities regularly organize to develop student careers as law practitioners.

The event was the first edition of the International Air Law Moot Court Competition organized by AEROHELP. It focused specifically on entries with a bearing on international law and air law.

Dr. Alshdaifat said it was quite an experience for him and the students to visit Moscow. “Visiting Moscow with

the students for this competition was an enriching experience, offering a blend of academic challenge and cultural exchange.

The city’s rich history and vibrant cultural scene, coupled with the intensity of international competition, would have provided a memorable backdrop for both learning and exploration.”

The competition offered law students a significant platform to showcase their legal expertise and ability to handle complex international legal issues, particularly in Air Law.

The students came first in the overall competition and won the top prize for the best legal scenario on how to deal with an air crash.

Students show off eco-friendly sand wall design

Architectural engineering students showed a new design of an ecofriendly sand wall at the Dubai Design Week, which its creators believe could revolutionize the construction industry.

The design is the fruit of the University of Sharjah’s Assistant Professor Dr. Aref Maksoud and his students at the College of Engineering’s Architecture Department.

The original model was shown at the Dubai exhibit and combines sustainable materials and design principles inspired by mother nature.

The eco-friendly wall is wholly made of biodegradable and sustainable plastic called Polylactic Acid mixed with sand.

The 3D-printed wall comprises bricks manufactured from recycled materials that are friendly to nature and the environment.

Explaining how the brick wall works, Dr. Maksoud said: “These bricks are not only durable and structurally sound but also eco-conscious due to the use of PLA, which is derived from renewable resources like corn starch or sugarcane,” “The unique and groundbreaking aspect of the Eco-Sand wall lies in its ability to facilitate plant growth directly on the wall’s surface.

“This is achieved by embedding seeds within the brick material during the 3D printing process. The seeds are evenly distributed throughout the bricks, allowing them to sprout and grow when exposed to water.”

Asked whether the eco-friendly wall had any practical functions, Dr. Maksoud cited numerous usages and applications particularly for construction industries concerned about sustainability and environmental wellbeing.

He endowed the wall with the ability to improve air quality, promote biodiversity, and contribute to carbon sequestration.

“The Eco-Sand Wall is adaptable to various architectural settings, both exterior and interior, making it a versatile feature in sustainable architecture,” he maintained.

It is not the first time Sharjah University students show their innovative designs as part of Dubai Design Week,

which its organizers claim it to be the region’s largest creative festival.

Dr. Maksoud and his students took part in two previous exhibitions brought together by the Dubai Design Week. They showed off creative designs via augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies.

In Dubai design Week 2021, they presented a 3D printed design of concrete benches. The benches currently adorn one of the University of Sharjah’s palm-tree dotted squares.

In 2022, their contribution to the Dubai Design Week was a real-scale foam wall installation in which they explored ways to generate brick wall designs.

Of the students’ participation in the Dubai Design Week, Dr. Maksoud said exhibitions like these served “as a platform to spotlight the university’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of sustainable architecture and construction.

“The experience has been crucial for staying at the forefront of our fields, allowing us to immerse ourselves in real work and international events.

“The exhibition thus becomes a stage for promoting awareness about sustainable practices and showcasing real-world applications of eco-friendly materials, aligning with the values of the design community and the overarching themes of the event.”

The Eco-Sand Wall exhibit has already been showcased in multiple locations. After its initial appearance at the Dubai Design Week, the design was shown off in COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Dubai.

Currently, it resides at the Architectural Engineering department of the university as “both a sample and model for educational purposes, allowing students to engage with and learn from the innovative features of the Eco-Sand Wall,” said Dr. Maksoud.

The students came first in the overall competition and won the top prize for the best legal scenario on how to deal with an air crash.

Dr. Maksoud said exhibitions like these served “as a platform to spotlight the university’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of sustainable architecture and construction.”

Study Unveils Strategies For Global Virtual Teams To Facilitate Effective Long-Distance Communication

Scientists say they have revealed a host of strategies which if adopted can facilitate the flow of information among Global Virtual Teams (GVTs) of different cultural, linguistic, and geographic backgrounds.

In a study published in the International Journal of Cross Cultural management, the scientists identify three major approaches which they find necessary to ease understanding, overcome failures in communication, and bridge cultural gaps when teams of managers and employers get engaged in e-meetings.

GVTs have gained large popularity, wherein employees work remotely across different countries and time zones, with the virtual space being the common meeting ground.

The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the growth of remote working opportunities, prompting scientists to explore how these diverse teams are able to effectively exchange knowledge and insights across their cultural boundaries.

“Living in a multicultural setting necessitates people to adjust their behaviors based on different contexts when communicating with others. For example, it depends on

The study examines how people adjust cultural and linguistic behaviors when communicating globally. There is a plethora of research on behavior adjustment, but the article stands out in its focus on the phenomenon of cultural code switching.

Studying cultural behaviors took added significance in the pandemic aftermath with “multinational organizations constantly looking for strategies and approaches to manage their global workforces,” notes Dr. Zakaria.

She adds, “Current organizational practices and work structures are changing rapidly due to the volatility, unpredictability, and uncertainties of the business environment. Realistically, the COVID19 pandemic warrants many businesses, and people to consider the best modus of operandi to stay afloat, resilient, and responsive to cultural nuisances. The post COVID19 situation has allowed organizations to begin their ventures with a new work model in mind to allow flexibility and survival.”

The pandemic has made the concept of Work from Home (WFH) a global phenomenon which Dr. Zakaria says requires full understanding of the strategies on how “to enable multinational organizations manage people through a novelty work structure called GVTs. Organizations need to recognize the different stages of teamwork and dynamic process of teaming based on the cross-cultural communicative behaviors.”

“The tendency for foreign GVT members to be straightforward and precise when communicating via email influenced high-context GVT members to adapt their interaction patterns with both foreign and local team members,”said researchers. Image Credit: Pixabay

To achieve effective cultural performance, GVTs need to improve their knowledge-sharing activities. The scientists write, “For example, a technical discussion could involve providing back-end support, and the knowledge shared would be programming knowledge to develop accurate technical reports … the technical information provided may aid decision-making, such as preventive action, in the event of a breakdown.”

The scientists see the concept of cross-cultural code-switching – the act of changing linguistic and cultural behaviors – to conform to a different linguistic pattern or cultural norm as a component of effective cross-cultural performance. Their paper reads, “Based on our findings, we identified three specific culturally-attuned motivation factors that drive high-context team members to modify their communicative behaviors when working in GVTs.”

They mention three major behaviors characterizing crosscultural code switching: directness in speech, openness during knowledge sharing, and task-oriented aims. The findings, they maintain, “contribute significantly to the nascent area of GVTs, cultural effects, and switching behaviors in crosscultural management.”

The study recommends openness when GVTs engage in knowledge sharing. The researchers claim that “foreign team members’ openness and friendliness had influenced them [GTVs] to adjust their methods of expression and be more explicit to create a good level of trustworthiness among colleagues.”

The respondents in the study “made a point to use an explicit communication style in technical discussions and meetings, as this increased the chances of the discussion being successful and facilitated the decision-making process.”

The scientists divide GVTs in terms of communication into two distinct parts: high context communicative cultures and low context communicative cultures, with the former centering on underlying context, meaning, and tone in messaging while the latter demonstrating explicit and straight forward verbal communication. They associate low-high context with GVTs in highly developed Western countries.

“The tendency for foreign GVT members to be straightforward and precise when communicating via email influenced highcontext GVT members to adapt their interaction patterns with both foreign and local team members,” they say. “Our key finding showed that some high-context GVT members put extra effort into overcoming language barriers using simple English.”

The study suggests that while language and culture can obscure effective communication processes, teams can learn to be flexible and achieve effective crosscultural performance by accommodating different communicative behaviors. Dr. Zakaria thinks that the results of the study could be helpful for global businesses to effectively train their employees and ensure effective communication strategies.

“Our study suggests some practical applications to multinational organizations, global virtual team members, expatriates, and intercultural trainers. Or, more directly, the results of this study could be used for training of cross-cultural team performance in that, along with other dimensions or elements of crosscultural performance.

“Trainees can be educated about the concept of cultural code-switching and then taught to recognize the cues that might let them know that it is time to code switch if they want to perform effectively cross-culturally. As for the stakeholders, they could benefit from this study which enhances the significance of different forms of high context and low context communicators.”

The pandemic has compelled global businesses to reconsider traditional employment methods, rendering the understanding of organizational behaviors crucial for “multinational organizations to manage people through this new GVT work structure.

“The workplace of tomorrow will be filled with culturalcode switchers – people who continue to work side-byside with others by accommodating to the concepts of diversity, equality, and inclusivity without any fears and worries,” Dr. Zakaria says.

IBM’s aim from the partnership with the university is to develop innovative models and applications to monitor and forecast water resources to help alleviate water scarcity, particularly in areas witnessing depleting groundwater tables and parched landscapes. Image Credit: Pixabay

Experts gather at Sharjah University for a go at formulating gender-centric cancer policies

Driven by The Lancet Commission’s “Women, Power, and Cancer,” scientists from leading world institutions gathered at the University of Sharjah for a symposium to discuss how women with cancer and those providing cancer healthcare are “structurally marginalized.”

The Lancet Commission’s report, issued in early December, aims at addressing urgent questions with a bearing on social inequality in cancer prevention and treatment, the risks caused by cancerous diseases to women’s status and the complex ways women with cancer react in the society.

Written by global experts, the report reveals how women are subject to what it describes as “overlapping forms of discrimination, such as due to age, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, that render them structurally marginalized.” The one-day symposium was attended by commissioners from the Lancet Commission, leaders, and scientists from the oncology community in the UAE, and scientists from the Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Sharjah.

The Lancet Commission report reveals that women worldwide bear a profound burden not only when stricken with cancer but also in providing cancer healthcare. Nonetheless, bringing about a positive change is not easy, according to the experts taking part in the symposium.

“We cannot make a change unless we have diverse groups of people involved,” said Dr. Deborah Mukherji, adding that the Lancet Commission’s report constituted “a guide for what can really work where there is a will, where there is action, and where there is a positive attitude.”

Dr. Mukherji, a Commissioner at Lancet Commission for Women and Cancer, said it was important that diverse representations in cancer-related decision-making were created, with women having a say in how to address the challenges they face in the cancer workforce which is predominantly manned by women.

She said, “Women have less power and autonomy in decision making. Women are more likely than men to risk financial catastrophe when diagnosed with cancer. Women in the cancer workforce experience frequent gender-based discrimination, including bullying and sexual harassment.”

Global cancer statistics show that there were an estimated 18.1 million cancer cases around the world in 2020. Of these, 9.3 million cases were in men and 8.8 million in women. However, and despite the plethora of research illustrating that men are more likely to develop cancer than women, the symposium was critical of the fact that there were more women interacting with cancer in different ways than men.

The scientists expressed concern because cancer affected women in many complex ways and, as a result, they carried the burden of the health care system involved in cancer prevention and treatment.

They cited the Lancet Commission report to show how the dynamics of cancer treatment workforce disproportionately affected women since their numbers as cancer health care workers and health care professionals were higher than their male counterparts.

“Even though a majority of the cancer workforce are women, a small minority of them hold leadership positions,

and even those in leadership positions are less likely to hold positions where they are financially responsible for budgets and such,” said Dr. Mukherji. “We cannot make a change unless we have diverse groups of people involved.”

Emphasizing the importance of empowering women in oncology research and practice, Prof. Humaid Al Shamsi, Founder and Director of the Medical Oncology Service at Burjeel Medical City, said, “There are multiple barriers that we need to address. When it comes to empowering women in research, we have to first acknowledge that the workforce in oncology globally or GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) level needs more female oncologists. We have to support them to be part of this workforce.

“We need to look at how we can improve oncology practices led by women in the UAE. We do have different awards that support women, we do have other activities involving women to be part of this discussion. But to empower them in research, we need to empower them first to be part of the workforce.”

The Lancet Commission report comes at a time when calls for intersectional feminist approaches to healthcare are rising. Key findings from the report underscored significant gender inequalities impacting women’s risks, experiences, and outcomes. The report emphasizes that proactive measures could avert 1.5 million deaths from cancer globally through primary prevention and early detection.

The symposium adopted a series of recommendations outlined by the Lancet Commission, among them: Ensuring comprehensive data on sex, gender, and other health statistics.

Strengthening laws to reduce exposures to known cancer risks for women.

Researching, monitoring, and acting on cancer risks disproportionately affecting women.

Designing and implementing strategies for equitable access to early detection and diagnosis.

Co-creating accessible and responsive health systems offering quality cancer care for women. Ensuring equitable access to cancer research resources, leadership, and funding opportunities.

Developing policies to prevent gender-based harassment and discrimination in the workforce.

The symposium concluded with a call for global collaboration and proactive measures to implement the Lancet Commission’s recommendations in the local context, emphasizing that a collective effort was essential to address the intersection of gender, power, and cancer on a global scale.

The one-day symposium was attended by commissioners from the Lancet Commission, leaders, and scientists from the oncology community in the UAE and scientists from the University of Sharjah.

Scientists suggest eight practical measures to help managers prevent quiet quitting occurrence in their companies

Researchers provide eight practical suggestions to managers to prevent the occurrence of quiet quitting in the first place, as well as effectively handling it once it occurs.

Examining major theories on how to understand what has become a critical phenomenon influencing employees’ behavior at work, the researchers have outlined some key guidelines which they say can pave the way to alleviate quiet quitting impact.

Their paper, appearing in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, analyzes a plethora of work related to quiet quitting, using the tourism and hospitality industry as a case study.

However, the authors say the body of the literature they critically review has “not been used to examine quiet quitting, which represents an important contribution of this study.

“To the best of our knowledge, no academic effort to this point has attempted to systematically examine the relationship of quiet quitting with existing theories developed in HRM, organizational behavior and psychology.”

Following an extensive review of professional and scholarly work on quiet quitting, which became quite a common occurrence in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, the scientists provide eight key proposals on what managers should do to deal with the adverse effects of quiet quitting on their employees:

Clarify job requirements and discuss them with your employees Collect employees’ feedback regarding their level of satisfaction Evaluate the effectiveness of the organization’s familyfriendly practices and policies to promote work–life balance Rethink HRM practices and adapt them to the new reality of the labor market and the needs of a new generation of employees Adopt a human-centric approach to management Identify and understand employees’ needs and expectations of individual growth and career development Offer more management flexibility and give

employees chances to learn new skills as part of promotion policies Discourage destructive and dysfunctional leadership styles.

Human resource management, or HRM, is a strategic approach in business management that involves practices and methods for effectively managing, nurturing, motivating, and supporting employees to achieve an organization’s strategic goals.

It is about cultivating a work environment where employees thrive and contribute meaningfully to the organization’s success.

Simply put, quiet quitting refers to a decision or attitude by employees to do the bare minimum. It is an ongoing issue and a problem for companies. It can be a challenge to organizations due to its virality and different and competing interpretations which makes it hard for managers to fathom its potential impact on their employees.

Lack of convergence in the current interpretations of quiet quitting, the study authors emphasize, “creates uncertainty for managers regarding its exact nature and potential impact on their organizations … Managers are uncertain as to which interventions would be most effective in dealing with this phenomenon without risking a backlash.

“While quiet quitting is not an entirely new phenomenon, no published research has examined its relationship to existing concepts from a human resource management and organizational behavior perspective,” says the study’s lead author Dr. Salima Hamouche.

“This research paper attempts to synthesize diverse concepts and theories associated with quiet quitting to understand its meaning, potential causes and to suggest avenues for future research.”

Dr. Hamouche, SHRM-SCP, an assistant professor of human resource management at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, says the research stands out in its “critical reflection that aims to demonstrate the relationship of quiet quitting, which has grabbed significant media attention, with concepts and theories researchers in tourism and hospitality management have extensively used to study related phenomena.”

The study urges tourism and hospitality providers to rethink their management style, culture and HRM practices if they were “to retain their employees, motivate them and build strong employer branding.

“Furthermore, adopting a human-centric approach to management can also help create a balance for both employees and organizations in this industry. For example, managers should have regular (weekly) indepth discussions with their team members to boost their engagement.”

Managers, the study finds, should work hard to gather sufficient information of what their employees aspire for in terms of individual growth, expectations, needs and career development.

“They (managers) should communicate what the organization can offer to enhance long-term goals achievement, promote transparency and ensure the alignment of organizational and employees’ needs,” the researchers write.

In order to help employees not to quiet quit, the study calls on managers to “offer flexibility as well as learning and development opportunities to employees through a competency-based approach that is able to overcome the lack of flexibility of job-based approaches.”

The scientists say they hope their findings will break the proliferation of quiet quitting, improve employee conditions, and furnish managers with a better understanding of the issue which management literature has traditionally attributed to “poor management and leadership, as well dysfunctional and destructive leadership styles, such as narcissistic leadership, abusive supervision, and despotic management.”

The negative effects of practices like these, the researchers point out, exert an adverse impact “on employees’ behaviors as well as their attitudinal and work-related outcomes.”

The study calls on managers to “offer flexibility as well as learning and development opportunities to employees through a competencybased approach that is able to overcome the lack of flexibility of job-based approaches.” Image Credit: Pixabay

Corruption can better environmental efficiency and improve economy in developing countries, study finds

It is possible for corruption to lead to better environmental efficiency and improved economy in developing countries, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.

The study presents a novel Bayesian data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach to examine cross-country environmental efficiency. Though in line with at least a chunk of the literature on environmental efficiency, the findings may stun green activists and environment-friendly media as the researchers confine the inverse relationship between levels of pollution and levels of corruption merely to developing countries.

“Corruption could facilitate economic activity and improve environmental efficiency for countries with weak institutions,” argues the study’s corresponding author Dr Panagiotis Zervopoulos of the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. “In line with the economic growth and part of the environmental efficiency literature, this work identified an inverse relationship between the control of corruption and developing countries’ environmental efficiency.”

The inverse correlation is found to be “statistically significant” in developing countries, “while it is not statistically significant for developed countries. Additionally, developed countries’ environmental efficiency is not affected by formal institutional factors but rather by environmental policies,” notes Dr Zervopoulos.

The study’s findings are based on Bayesian Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) using a panel of developed and developing countries spanning from 2002 to 2019. The sample consists of 144 countries, where 35 are classified as developed and the remaining 109 as developing, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) World Economic Outlook database.

Assessing cross-country environmental efficiency by analysing labour, capital stock, energy consumption, GDP, and CO2 emissions, the authors claim their investigation is the first to elaborate the effect of institutional factors on environmental efficiency, leaning on the Bayesian DEA approach.

While the study’s findings expand prevalent environment efficiency theories, Dr Zervopoulos is quick to note that “it should not be interpreted as a justification for the presence of corruption” since developed countries, endowed with strong institutions, are “expected to have higher environmental efficiency than their developing counterparts.

“The effect of lagged environmental efficiencies on current environmental performance is strong and statistically significant, signifying the need for countries’ commitment to regulate energy consumption and CO2 emissions further, as well as to take actions supporting sustainable and resilient growth.”

The study investigates relationships among formal institutions, taking into consideration variables like voice and accountability, political stability, no violence, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption. It acknowledges that a country’s classification – in this case developing or developed – plays a significant role in the environmental efficiency level.

Asked what developing countries need to do to combat pollution, Dr Zervopoulos said, “Developing countries should consider improving factors, such as the human development index (HDI), to transform into developed.” HDI, a proxy of a country’s health, education, and wealth, is one of the criteria for classifying countries as developed or developing, according to the IMF.

Dr Zervopoulos lauds developing countries for putting “significant effort into improving their HDI ranking, reaching,

on average, the highest level in 2020, showing a gradual convergence in HDI between developing and developed countries.”

The study, according to its lead author Jawahir Alshehhi, a doctoral candidate at the University of Sharjah, has “significant country-level policy implications for the improvement of environmental performance, such as the need for countries’

commitment further to regulate energy consumption and CO2 emissions and efforts to improving non-environmental factors such as the human development index (HDI).”

“Thus, corruption in weaker institutions like those of developing countries benefits the environment efficiency, while strong institutional settings like those in developed countries exercise more control over corruption with their firmer laws and regulations.”

Moreover, the study’s implications, adds Dr Alshehhi, extend to institutions which “shape the macro environment of a country and steer its economic success and failure. Institutions use contextual controls to establish and regulate public laws and regulations.

The study investigates relationships among formal institutions, taking into consideration variables like voice and accountability, political stability, no violence, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption. Image Credit: Pixabay

Corruption could facilitate economic activity and improve environmental efficiency for countries with weak institutions. Image Credit: Pixabay

Universities urged to turn campuses paperless to cut deforestation rates

Universities will do the environment a good service and trim deforestation levels if they turn their campuses paperless, according to a study published in IEEE Xplore.

The call comes as hundreds of renowned environment academics and scientists are taking part in COP28 climate conference currently convened in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The conference is the largest annual meeting convened by the United Nations. More than 70,000 delegates are reported to have flocked to Dubai for the conference, among them hundreds of climate scientists and academics.

The scientists who wrote the study in which they demonstrate the benefits to the environment if university campuses across the world go paperless are among the COP28 delegates.

“Our study underlines the environmental and financial benefits of a paperless approach in higher education,” says Prof. Imad Alsyouf, one of the co-authors. “The study emphasizes the need for digital literacy in modern education and highlights the role of universities in promoting sustainability.”

The study’s five authors happen to be from the University of Sharjah based in the UAE, which is about 30 kilometers away from COP28 venue.

Higher education and sustainable development are a well-researched topic, and COP28’s different conference facilities showcase pavilions where universities in the region and beyond exhibit activities on how to make their campuses as sustainable as possible.

“Evidence suggests that the traditional use of paper-based processes in daily working practices results in numerous flaws, risks, and financial burdens,” write the scientists. “Many higher

The paper industry is one of the main players of deforestation, with more than 900 million trees cut every year, according to the study authors. Image Credit: Pixabay

education institutions are currently adopting this initiative of going paperless to make their operations more cost-effective, seamless and efficient.”

Higher education institutions, home to environment science, promote their sustainability achievements and vie for top places in the global sustainability assessment agency UI GreenMetric World University Rankings. The annual global higher education green metric employs a six-point approach, covering six areas: infrastructure, energy and climate change, transportation, waste, water and education. Besides making their operations more costeffective, seamless, and efficient, going paperless boosts their chances of winning better slots on the coveted international ranking of the sustainability performance of world universities.

A dedicated campaign by higher education institutions to go paperless is bound to set a good example for other organizations to reduce the use of paper, maintain the scientists. They write, “Paper industry is one of the main players of deforestation, and more than 900 million trees are cut every year for paper industries. Nowadays, papers are being produced more, and even more trees are being cut, and this leads to negative consequences in the future.

“Higher education institutions and universities play a critical role in saving the environment and raising awareness. Many administrative and educational works implemented at the universities are highly based on papers. This means using high amounts of papers and cutting more trees. In addition, this requires more storage places to store the papers and sometimes these papers could get lost or damaged.”

In their paper, the scientists investigate the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in accelerating the transition towards paperless campuses, using the authors’ home institution, the

University of Sharjah, as a case study. They analyze paper consumption data over three academic years, encompassing the pre-pandemic, peak pandemic, and post-pandemic periods.

The results, according to the study, reveal “a huge drop in paper usage during September 2019 to August 2020 and [a] cost percentage drop of 53% in September 2019 to August 2020 academic year, [followed] by a 38% decrease from September 2020 to August 2021.”

The timeframe of the study includes the peak of the pandemic (20192020) when university campuses across the world went digital. It also covers the post-pandemic period of 2021 which saw many universities returning to pre-pandemic practices of relying on paper to implement their administrative and education duties.

“Our paper demonstrates a practical framework for universities aiming to reduce paper usage. It offers insights into implementing digital solutions in educational settings, encouraging broader adoption of paperless practices,” says Prof. Alsyouf, adding that the primary goal behind undertaking the project was to “establish a more sustainable, efficient, and digitally advanced educational environment, aligning with global trends in environmental consciousness and digitalization.”

Although the study does not explicitly discuss industry interest or external engagement, the outcomes and methodologies could be appealing to institutions, and organizations focusing on sustainability and digital transformation.

The pandemic, the study observes, was a period in which the University of Sharjah, the target of the investigation, achieved substantial cost reductions through decreased paper usage and associated expenses. It highlights evidence that the traditional use of paper-based processes in daily working practices results in numerous

flaws, risks, and financial burdens.”

Asked about the practical implications of the findings, Dr Iman Abdel Shahid, a co-author, points to “the need for digital literacy in modern education and highlights the role of universities in promoting sustainability. As our concern for the environment is progressively growing, the transition to a paperless environment has become a driving force behind sustainable development.”

Despite its many benefits, a paperless campus is not easy to attain and sustain at the same time, the authors point out. They warn of many challenges ahead as going green in any aspect or area necessitates substantial steps and drastic changes.

“Shifting to a paperless system is not a task that can be accomplished in few days or weeks. It is not an easy task, and it requires patience, great efforts, and contributions from students and employees from all levels,” they write. To accomplish a paperless campus successfully, the scientists offer the following recommendations:

A reliable Wi-Fi network that can be accessed faster without any interruptions adequate training programs for the staff that are not very familiar with the advanced devices. sufficient training and workshops regarding the new web applications that are being utilized for the academic and administrative purposes. Launch of awareness campaigns to promote the benefits of going paperless. More investment in robust digital infrastructure.

Despite its many benefits, a paperless campus is not easy to attain and sustain at the same time, the authors point out. Image Credit: Pixabay

Scientists develop environment friendly and cost-effective approach to store energy and cool buildings in hot climate

A GROUP OF SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED A NEW APPLICATION TO GENERATE AND STORE CHILLED WATER TO REDUCE IMPACT OF AIR CONDITIONING ON THE ENVIRONMENT, REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION, AND LOWER DEPENDENCE ON FOSSIL FUELS.

The new scientific breakthrough, once industrialized, is certain to be good news for more than 70,000 delegates who took part in the United Nations’ largest annual climate conference convened in the United Arab Emirates and in which many world leaders took part.

The scientists say they arrived at their “novel approach” following an extensive research and development on compressed air energy storage techniques, particularly the success of a medium scale laboratory-based system they have designed to boost the practical implications of their study.

The study, published in the International Journal of Thermofluids, has already been noted by a major UAE’s oil enterprise, the Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC). The scientists expressed their optimism about the practical implications of their research, stemming from the success of their laboratory experiments.

The study, the authors write, focuses “on the potential of using expansion cooling, which is defined in conjunction with cooling effects generated during the expansion process of a gas. The interest in such cooling technology stems from the double benefit of utilizing a large-scale compressed air energy storage (CAES) system that can also provide cooling via the expansion of air.

CAES is primarily used as a method of storing energy. However, the authors write that “there is an indirect relation in which CAES can be linked to cooling systems in certain scenarios, particularly in large-scale industrial settings or combined power plants. In a typical CAES system, excess energy from power generation is used to compress air and store it in underground caverns or high-pressure containers.”

CAES consequently manifests in reducing the electrical demand required for cooling applications. Such a

concept is beneficial for hot climates, where most of the electrical demand is reserved for offsetting the cooling load, according to the study. The scientists find CAES friendly to the environment with better cooling impact and lower costs.

They remind their readers of the world’s thirst for energy, a situation which is mainly satisfied by the combustion of fossil fuels which account for most of the world’s emissions of greenhouse gasses.

“The use of fossil fuels has resulted in enormous environmental issues, such as air pollution and climate change. Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, where CO2 is regarded as one of the primary greenhouse gasses responsible for climate change,” they write.

The UAE is among the world’s ten largest oil producers, pumping more than 3.7 million barrels of oil per day. In fact, the oil oil-rich Gulf region of the Middle East supplies more than 30 percent of the world’s total oil production of more than 100 million barrels per day.

But the region is one of the hottest in the world, with temperatures usually breaking the benchmark of 50 degrees Celsius in the extended summer months. Vampire air conditioning appliances are kept on 24 hours per day throughout the year, exacerbating global warming which scientists blame for the current record-breaking weather system.

Almost all sorts of buildings in the Gulf, among them some of the world’s most known high rises, are mostly made of reinforced concrete and steel, with large panes of glass, which are no proof to the sweltering heat outside.

“Our research explores a novel approach to cool buildings in hot climates as an ancillary process to compressed air energy storage systems,” says the study’s lead investigator, Professor Abdul Hai Alami, Chairman of Sharjah University’s Department of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering.

Such systems are traditionally employed to store energy from renewable sources like wind and solar power. However, the study, according to Prof. Al-Alami, discovers

an additional application: generating chilled water for air conditioning.

The scientists’ main target for the application of their approach is the UAE, where air-conditioning consumes 60-70% of total energy demand which in terms of energy consumption per capita is among the highest in the world. However, the authors say their approach should not be confined to a single country as its implications can be suitable to cool buildings in hot climates anywhere.

The UAE is racing against time to meet a declared target of reducing overall energy consumption by 30% by 2030 at a time statistics show energy demand to be surging by an average of 7.5% on a yearly basis. “In this context,” Prof. Alami points out, “our proposed setup serves as a thermal compressed air energy storage system, where heat has to be added to the expanding air before it enters turbomachinery.

“The heat added to the expansion stage of the compressed air energy storage system produces chilled water at temperatures as low as 5 °C. We have built an experimental setup for the ancillary system with appropriate telemetric devices to measure the temporal temperature variation, which consequently can be used to estimate the available cooling capacity.”

Compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems classification based on thermal management, arranged in terms of process operational temperature.

The developed air-conditioning system was found to be financially and commercially sustainable with a promising potential of replacing the existing systems. Says Prof. Alami, “We found that one ton of conventional cooling can be replaced with a 500-L (0.5 m3) air tank at 20 bar operating for an hour. Hence, this research shows that compressed air energy storage systems have the potential to revolutionize the way we cool buildings in hot climates.”

The study shows that the system leans on utilizing renewable energy sources to produce chilled water at lower temperatures, thereby reducing current reliance on traditional air conditioning systems that consume a lot of conventional energy and contribute to climate change.

Asked about the significance of the study and its practical implications, Prof. Alami said large-scale application of the project was feasible and he believed the interest the research has so far generated would lead to practical and useful implication to energy consumption in the UAE, the larger Middle East and even beyond.

“Our project offers a dual effect of energy storage through compressed air as well as producing a cooling effect during the expansion process. It is also worthy to note that during the compression stage of the stored air, and through

proper thermal management, waste heat produced by the compressor can either be used in heating-based applications (water, air in winter), or resupply it to the air during the expansion process for enhancing the efficiency.

“Moreover, utilizing the cooling effect of air during the expansion process, and within the context of large-scale applications, falls into the proposed governmental policies, such as those in the UAE, where omitting conventional refrigerants is considered both a local and an international short-term goal”.

The authors document in their study what Prof. Alami described as “notable success” in medium scale laboratorybased systems, which they believe should help in the transition towards large-scale compressed air energy storage using depleted oil wells.

“Gaining expertise in design parameters and subcomponents, as well as coupling ancillary systems for cooling or heating will elevate the transition to large-scale systems and amplify their overall benefits,” adds Prof. Alami.

The primary goal of the project, as the authors outline in their study, is to develop a fully functional compressed air energy storage system, utilizing compressed air tanks, an air

motor, a gear box, and a generator. They examine the effect of different parameters such as compression pressure, and compressed air tanks configurations, as well as mechanical considerations such as gear box ratios and air motor ratings. In our research, supported by a CASE experimental setup, we harness “wasted potential that is manifested in the cooling effect provided through the expansion process, as well as proving its benefit on the overall performance of the energy storage system, was one of the main targets.”

The authors mention various practical applications that can accompany the development of compressed air energy storage systems like the one they have developed.

Notes Prof. Alami, “Coupling these systems with pre-existing solar PV or wind energy systems at a large scale will aid in attenuating fluctuations in energy production, as well as provide a scalable solution with a long lifetime, contrary to electrochemical-based energy storage systems.

“Additionally, in hot and arid climates, utilizing the cooling effect produced during the expansion process will help in decreasing the overall electrical load imposed by cooling requirements, by producing chilled water that can be circulated in pre-existing cooling systems. Similarly, heating effects are produced during the compression stage of air

into storage tanks (mediums) that can be used during winter season.”

Prof. Alami is upbeat about the project and believes it can revolutionize air conditioning systems. “Combining energy storage with air conditioning in the same setup resolves more than one problem; first, it introduces a robust energy storage solution to the energy mix, second it utilizes the thermal management of the air for air conditioning and finally this will automatically reduce the electrical load as air conditioning is one of the largest sectors of energy consumption in the UAE”.

Schematic of the experimental system.

The experimental setup of compressed air energy storage.

Scientists develop AI model to predict earthquakes in Arabian Peninsula

Scientists say they have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model which would efficiently interpret and recognize behavior of certain factors in seismic-prone regions to forecast earthquakes before their occurrence.

In their study, published in the Journal of Remote Sensing, the scientists’ investigation centers on the Arabian Peninsula or Arabia located in West Asia and northeast Africa. In seismic research, it is technically referred to as the Arabian Plate, a minor tectonic plate in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres.

Geographically, the Arabian Penninsula is known to cover Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, including southern Iraq and Jordan.

While not an epicenter, the Arabian Peninsula is bordered by active tectonic enclaves. The selected buffer area (2000 km radius) which the study examines is centered by Saudi Arabia, which the authors say is either unexplored or partially explored in the literature.

The literature on earthquake prediction is voluminous, the scientists point out; however, their review of previous scholarly work shows that only very few studies have used artificial intelligence in spatial probability assessment (SPA).

SPA shows the future distribution of earthquakes of a certain magnitude and the possibility of them recurring in a specific

While not an epicenter, the Arabian Penninsula is bordered by active tectonic enclaves. Image Credit: Pixabay

But the scientists find a great deal of complexity in the available SPA modeling processes due to what they describe as “the involvement of seismological to geological factors.”

Despite the plethora of SPA-based studies, earthquake prediction remains an arduous task. Hope for improved accuracy of earthquake prediction only emerged with the publication of some recent AI-based seismic studies whose data included certain integrated factors such as ground shaking gap, and tectonic contacts, the scientists emphasize.

The literature diverges in reporting seismic activity in the geographical boundaries of the Arabian Peninsula. Some studies mention that it is a stable craton, while others report small magnitude events. Within the Peninsula, the authors mention the occurrence of small-to-moderate earthquakes.

The study stands out in developing a hybrid Inception v3ensemble extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model and shapely additive explanations (SHAP). XGBoost is a powerful efficient algorithm for models relying on classification and regression, while SHAP is a game approach used to explain machine learning output. The authors claim their study is the first ever using XAI for SPA. The inventory data used for analysis in the study was collected from the US Geological Survey (USGS) for the past 22 years ranging the magnitudes from 5 Mw and above.

Landsat-8 satellite imagery and digital elevation model (DEM) data were also incorporated in the analysis. “Results revealed that the SHAP outputs align with the hybrid Inception v3-XGBoost model (87.9% accuracy) explanations,” the scientists write.

Drawing on the study’s outcome, the scientists attribute failure by previous models to accurately forecast quake occurrence to failure in adding new factors to the body of their data and analysis.

It is essential for earthquake prediction models “to add new factors such as seismic gaps and tectonic contacts, where the absence of these factors makes the prediction model perform poorly,” the study points out.

Hitherto, the most missing critical factors for SPA, according to the study, are peak ground accelerations (PGA), magnitude variation, seismic gap, and epicenter density.

“The conclusions drawn from the explainable algorithm depicted the importance of relevant, irrelevant, and new futuristic factors in AI-based SPA modeling,” they write. They say that last year’s Turkey earthquakes (Mw 7.8, 7.5, and 6.7), mostly attributed to the active east Anatolian fault, validate the AI-based earthquake SPA results they have obtained.

Conducting their SPA, the scientists used a combined approach of ML and XAL techniques. For the sake of clarity, they developed a hybrid combination of the

inception v3-XGBoost model because “feature learning is still unclear in the literature.

“This hybrid model performs both feature learning and prediction better than the standalone models. The model deeply analyses the features to improve processes, automate tasks, and predict outcomes, based on past experiences,” the study says.

The results of the study show that future earthquakes are likely to happen within their mapped seismic zones. However, they write, “This might not happen in the Arabian Plate as few areas in the peninsula have shown seismic quiescence for a long period.”

The authors convey that the AI model they have adopted improves the previous works investigating seismic activity in the Arabian Peninsula. However, they stress that “[a] large area of study needs a huge amount of training data for better accuracy. This can be studied using smart predictors to improve the SPA map.

“The proposed hybrid Inception V3-XGBoost model achieved good accuracy as compared to other state-ofthe-art ML models. However, the CNN model achieved a better accuracy in prediction which is 90%.”

Despite their promising findings, the authors reiterate the challenging character of the earthquakes spatial probability assessment “among all natural hazards owing to multiple factors and event non-linearity.”

The advantages of the study, the authors add, “deal with operationalizing AI that builds confidence in black-box models and monitors the models to optimize.”

Of the implication of the research to regions other than the Arabian Penninsula, the scientists say that while their AI-driven model has provided a robust and effective approach to SPA, “its global acceptability should be further tested with new factors and geotectonic conditions.”

Among the study’s other important findings, the scientists have shown that dominant major parts of the Arabian Penninsula like Central Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Sudan come under low probability levels of seismic events prediction.

“Very high probability index … can be found in the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Iran, and Turkey,” they write. The authors cite the Mw 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey last year and its corresponding aftershocks as an indication of the importance of their study and the validation of the results they have obtained.

In conclusion, the authors hope that their study will “substantially contribute to establishing seismic codes” for construction activities in the geographical regions the study has targeted as it provides some relevant parameters “to determine whether retrofitting is necessary to minimize ground-shaking effects in the Arabian Peninsula.”

The scientists have shown that dominant major parts of the Arabian Peninsula like Central Saudi Arabia. Image Credit: Pixabay

Method to infinitely produce magnificent arrays of Islamic geometric designs

A new method may help craftsmen to simulate and produce immeasurable numbers of stunning patterns of geometric Islamic designs traditionally used to grace mosques, madrasas, and palaces around the Muslim world.

The method draws on research produced by the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in which its author provides a “new methodology (that) differs from all previous methods worldwide” that enables artists come up with an infinite number of elegant Islamic geometric designs.

Throughout ages, scientists, craftsmen, and artists have traditionally used the drawing method to combine Islamic tiles and motifs, basically relying on grids constructed with a ruler and at least a pair of compasses.

“The largest class of Islamic design employs, in general, complex and symmetrical polygons, where, in each polygonal graph, the starting design is a cell in the form of a symmetrical shape” through which artists can create symmetrical rectangular, triangular, and circular designs with beautiful ornamental patterns, says Prof. Mostafa Zahri who currently researches and teaches at Sharjah University’s College of Sciences.

The prevalent Islamic designs are the result of drawing and combing of shapes and patterns. “What I present in my research is an analytical method based on advanced mathematical functions. The output of these functions is somehow a design. Therefore, the concept based on drawing could be limited and the concept of using parametric function could offer an infinity of possibilities for creating Islamic geometric patterns,” Prof. Zahri, the research’s author, adds.

Prof. Zahri’s research presents “a new model for simulating an interesting class of Islamic design. Well-known Islamic design generated using Zahri’s model. A tiny parametric modification of the generating sequence leads to a new derived Islamic design. As can be seen, the pieces’ sides are either multi-vertices or completely non-linear.

“Based on periodic sequences on the one-dimensional manifolds and emerging numbers, he constructs “closed graphs with edges on the unit circle. These graphs build very nice shapes, leading to a symmetrical class of so-called Islamic geometric design patterns.”

Prof. Zahri introduces mathematical equations to come up with multitudes of Islamic geometric patterns. “In our case, an Islamic design results from a predefined parameters combination.

In other words, each design has a code containing the number of loops and the vertices. In this way, we can generate infinitely many Islamic designs.”

The new methodology has spawned fresh and simple techniques not only to draw a plethora of a variety of astounding Islamic designs, but also to integrate the geometrical frameworks into mathematics education, which Prof. Zahri is also using “for motivating students to increase their interest in studying sciences, especially mathematics.”

“This mathematical project explains and gives an analytical mathematical approach to the geometry used for constructing unit cells and the different types of arrangements. Moreover, it allows, in an easy way, the production of many similar and more complicated designs,” he writes.

“Furthermore, generalizing the proposed work project to curved surface inputs is an interesting avenue for future research, particularly for developing similar and easy models to make mathematics more attractive for students, artists, scientists, and nonmathematician researchers.”

Geometry in Islamic civilization is not merely a discipline for mathematicians. Islamic craftsmen, artists and scientists turned geometry into an art form of mathematical elegance to draw remarkable Islamic patterns to adorn places of worship with geometric designs of magnificent proofs and shapes, mixing history, culture, art, and mathematics.

Islamic artists and craftsmen transformed geometry into an art

form because they were not allowed to draw representations of humans to adorn their places of worship. However, interest in this geometric artform is today not confined to holy places. Demand to embellish palaces and monuments with Islamic geometrical designs is high across the Arab and Muslim world, and often worldwide.

“The Islamic arts use complex geometric patterns and shapes.

In wood for ornamental patterns, in bricks of buildings, in brass for decorations, paper, tiling, plaster, glass, etc.,” says Prof. Zahri, adding: “Islamic Design could be found mainly in three distinct geometrical patterns: rectangular Kufic fonts, the arabesque shapes, and polygonal designs.”

Prof. Zahri notes: “Islamic architecture is renowned for its intricate use of geometric patterns as decorative elements in various structures like domes, minarets, courtyards, mosques, and public buildings. These remarkable patterns are the product of planar and spatial geometry, resulting in polygonal shapes.”

Mathematically, precise calculations create diverse unit cells, which serve to generate a vast number of shapes and designs. Through a combination of overlapping and non-overlapping arrangements, applying these mathematical principles gives rise to both symmetrical and pseudosymmetrical Islamic designs.”

Prof. Zahri’s main object is to put his model to practical use by applying “existent designs and finding scientific methods for generating other unique shapes. The main goal is to demonstrate to students how useful geometry is. And how beautiful mathematics is. From the industrial point of view, we can code these designs to present them to a special market.”

Since publishing his research, Prof. Zahri’s desire has been to popularize his model and make it accessible to students, peer scholars, and the public to help them draw lines and circles to produce patterns that will connect them to their heritage.

Prof. Zahri hopes that his research and geometric frameworks will boost interest in Islamic geometric heritage. He notes that so far artists and scientists have mostly been concentrating on replicating past design patterns with little room for creativeness and innovation.

Using the geometrical properties of connected and closed graphs with vertices on the unit circle, Prof. Zahri’s mathematical approach dwells on the modeling of an interesting class of geometric patterns in Islamic design.

“The symmetries of vertices on the one-dimensional manifold leads to the construction of two-dimensional planar patterns, which are in the literature well known as a part of Islamic design. The resulting designs define beautiful fine arts and are, in general, expressed using basic mathematical transformations,” he says.

Prof. Zahri describes his study as a harbinger of more solid research in the future in a hitherto sparsely investigated artistic discipline. “My research so far,” he says, “is merely a starting point for further research to come up with models and frameworks of other classes of more Islamic geometric Islamic designs drawing on advanced techniques like those of Graph Theory.”

In his paper, he writes: “A generalization of the proposed work to curved surface inputs is an interesting avenue for future research works, in particular for developing similar and easy models to contribute to making mathematics more attractive for students as well as for non-mathematician researchers.”

Art student creates nostalgic textile patterns that dream of home and raise questions about belonging and existence

Ahed Al Kathiri has devoted her art career to applying aesthetic concepts and feelings of nostalgia to creative and decorative textile patterns she has been producing over the years as a student in the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD).

Al Kathiri grew up away from her home country, Yemen, the thing, she says, made her suffer from loss of belonging and how a person’s home should be.

With this in mind, Al Kathiri started her painting career by adorning her canvases with frames, images and patterns expressive of the feelings of loneliness and estrangement many people go through when living away from home.

Al Kathiri’s artwork, showcased in numerous exhibitions, is testimony of her loss of homeland and upbringing in a foreign country where search for a sense of belonging is daunting.

Though born and raised in the United Arab Emirates, her origins go back to Yemen, a country torn by war and conflict. She would visit Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, every summer, and says she spent two years in her country as a child.

Al Kathiri adds, “Due to my experience away from Yemen, I always question what home should be, and because of the current conflict I did lose sense of “I don’t want to build a perfect utopia of home, but rather to construct a wonderland that will allow me to constantly question and assert the ways of being, of existing in a place.”

how to belong to Yemen.” However, she notes that “because of the ongoing conflict, I haven’t been in Yemen since 2013.”

Her drawings capture moments of nostalgia in which she has been wallowed since joining CFAD as an art student.

Her patterned textiles, layered into various forms of Qamariya, which she exhibited as part of a separate installation in Dubai Design Week 2022, provoke references of home-dreaming.

The appellation Qamariya is Arabic for the moon, a symbol of beauty and light in Arabic culture and literature. In Yemen, it refers to semi-circled or crescent-shaped, multi-coloured stained glass windows that are distinctive of Yemeni architectural culture.

Found in old Yemeni buildings, particularly in the capital Sanaa, they adorn the city’s gingerbread skyline. They have captivated Al Kathiri since childhood and feature high in her textile designs.

Of her most recent artworks, she says they “aim to build a personal, imaginary space of home. They are introspective, proposing a meaning of home from within one-self, my own emotions, relationships, memories, and daydreams.

“I don’t want to build a perfect utopia of home, but rather to construct a wonderland that will allow me to constantly question and assert the ways of being, of existing in a place.”

Now a CFAD Alumna, Al Kathiri showcases her work on her loss of a sense of belonging and home in exhibitions and galleries in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Memories of home are not confined to the majestic beauty of Yemen Qamariya. Some pieces rekindle memories of her grandmother sewing domestic objects from recycled fabric.

As an artist, Al Kathiri is interested in exploring “a way of sustaining a home within herself, a reminder that a specific place becomes a home because of how we act within it, and the ways in which we preserve and nourish it,” she writes in the preamble describing her contributions to the Dubai Design Week.

In previous work, still part of the Dubai Design Week website, Al Kathiri conveys “a meaning of home that is constructed from within oneself, utilizing memories that form an intimate connection to her grandmother’s house” in Sana’a.

Her success as a young artist won her the CFAD Ambassador Award, given to students with a high academic standard and commitment to the college’s mission.

Al Kathiri says drawing was a passion for her since childhood. However, stereotypes reinforced by traditional and conservative societies like hers were initially a hindrance to opt for a fine art school.

“When I was applying to UoS, all four majors in the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD) had the lowest admission percentages,” Al Kathiri said.

It is a pity, she says, to see many people in this part of the world underestimating how challenging and rigorous a fine arts and design curricula can be.

“We put a lot of effort into our studio practices and studies,” she adds.

Completing her Bachelor of Arts degree, Al Kathiri is currently pursuing a masters program in Contemporary Art Practice at the Royal College of Art in London.

“I hope that my international exposure will open new and exciting opportunities abroad, but most importantly, equip me with the knowledge and experience that I can contemplate on when I return as an art practitioner to the UAE and Middle East,” she says.

Her patterned textiles, layered into various forms of Qamariya, which she exhibited as part of a separate installation in Dubai Design Week 2022, provoke references of home-dreaming.