// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // isValidEmail
    // This function checks if a given email address is valid
    // Returns true or false
    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    qars_isValidEmail     =   function (  email )
    {
        var re = /^(([^<>()\[\]\\.,;:\s@"]+(\.[^<>()\[\]\\.,;:\s@"]+)*)|(".+"))@((\[[0-9]{1,3}\.[0-9]{1,3}\.[0-9]{1,3}\.[0-9]{1,3}\])|(([a-zA-Z\-0-9]+\.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}))$/;
        return re.test(String(email).toLowerCase());
    }

    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // isValidIdentityCard
    // This function checks if a given identityCard is valid
    // Returns true or false
    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    qars_isValidIdentityCard     =   function (  idCard )
    {
        var validChars = 'TRWAGMYFPDXBNJZSQVHLCKET';
        var nifRexp = /^[0-9]{8}[TRWAGMYFPDXBNJZSQVHLCKET]$/i;
        var nieRexp = /^[XYZ][0-9]{7}[TRWAGMYFPDXBNJZSQVHLCKET]$/i;
        var str = idCard.toString().toUpperCase();

        if (!nifRexp.test(str) && !nieRexp.test(str)) return false;

        var nie = str
        .replace(/^[X]/, '0')
        .replace(/^[Y]/, '1')
        .replace(/^[Z]/, '2');

        var letter = str.substr(-1);
        var charIndex = parseInt(nie.substr(0, 8)) % 23;

        if (validChars.charAt(charIndex) === letter) return true;

        return false;
    }