Research Title: Modulation of CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 activity by Bulbine natalensis and its constituents: An assessment of HDI risk of B. natalensis containing supplements

Author: Manal Mohammad Alhusban, Published Year: 2021

Phytomedicine, 81

Faculty: Pharmacy

Abstract: This study was aimed to investigate the HDI potential of B. natalensis in terms of the pregnane X receptor (PXR)-mediated induction of major drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450 enzyme isoforms (i.e., CYP3A4 and CYP2C9) as well as inhibition of their catalytic activity.

Keywords: Bulbine natalensisPregnane X receptorCytochrome P450KnipholoneHerb-drug interactions

Research Title: البنية العاملية لقائمة التشوهات المعرفية بإستخدام التحليل العاملي التوكيدي متعدد المستويات

Author: Abeer Kamal Taha Abu-Wardeh, Published Year: 2021

Faculty: Arts

Abstract: هدفت الدراسة الحالية إلى فحص البنية العاملية لقائمة التشوهات المعرفية لدى طلبة جامعة فيلادلفيا على مستوى الأفراد ومستوى الكليات، وللتحقق من ذلك تم اجراء التحليل العاملي التوكيدي متعدد المستويات لقائمة التشوهات المعرفية باستخدام عينة مكونة من (600) طالب وطالبة موزعين على (8) كليات للفصل الثاني من العام الجامعي 2019/2020. في البداية تم استخدام طريقة المكونات الرئيسية لاستخراج العوامل، والتدوير المتعامد بطريقة الفاريماكس، أشارت نتائج الدراسة إلى أن البنية العاملية تتألف من (11) عامل. ومن ثم تم اجراء التحليل العاملي التوكيدي متعدد المستويات حيث دعمت النتائج نموذجًا مكونًا من (11) عامل في كل مستوى من مستويات الأفراد والكليات. وكانت تشبعات العوامل في النموذج النهائي متعدد المستويات أعلى على مستوى الكليات مقارنةً بمستوى الأفراد. ومن ثم تم التحقق من درجات ثبات العوامل على مستوى الأفراد والكليات، وقد تراوحت درجات الثبات على مستوى الأفراد (0.73-0.896)، في حين تراوحت درجات الثبات على مستوى الكليات (0.778-0.927). كما أظهرت النتائج وجود لاتغير تكويني ولاتغير متري ولاتغير عددي في فقرات قائمة التشوهات المعرفية وفقا لمتغير الجنس.

Keywords: التحليل العاملي، التحليل العاملي التوكيدي متعدد المستويات، البنية العاملية، التشوهات المعرفية، قائمة التشوهات المعرفية

Research Title: Intercultural Dialogue in Leila Aboulela's The Translator

Author: Areen Ghazi Khalifeh, Published Year: 2019

مجلةالمشكاة للعلوم الإنسانية والإجتماعية, volume 7, number 3

Faculty: Arts

Abstract: Leila Aboulela’s The Translator is a novel where different cultures, languages, and religions meet. The love story of the Sudanese widow Sammar and the secular Scottish Middle East expert Rae Isles is the driving force that establishes a cross-cultural dialogue in the novel. The aim of this study is to analyze how Aboulela as an Anglophone female writer represents the meeting of two different cultures through the lives of its characters. The difference, and sometimes the conflict, between East and West and between the protagonists at the beginning of the novel culminates to a productive, exemplary cultural dialogue in the end. At the end of The Translator, there is no domination from a feminist and post-colonial perspective. Instead, there are toppling of traditional concepts with regard to interaction between genders and cultures. There are also eventually understanding and embracing of new identities where Islam plays a significant and a positive role.

Keywords: Leila Aboulela, Anglophone writer, The Translator, Islam, post colonialism, feminism.

Research Title: Healthy nutritional behavior during COVID-19 lockdown: A cross-sectional study

Author: Nour Ratib Batarseh, Published Year: 2021

Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 42

Faculty: Allied Medical Sciences

Abstract: Background Ongoing outbreak of the novel coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID- 19) constitutes a major global pandemic health care system challenge. Shortly following the disease outbreak, like SARS-CoV virus, all affected countries are implementing various preventive and control measures to mitigate the spread of the disease. Optimizing public health system during COVID-19 pandemic requires not only advanced medical and biological sciences knowledge, but also all human sciences related to social, as well as nutritional behavior, and lifestyle practices. Aim To investigate the effect of COVID-19- quarantine on healthy nutritional behavior and lifestyle practices among Jordanian population. Methods A cross-sectional study among Jordanian population was conducted using an online questionnaire between March and April 2020. Participants were kindly requested to answer a standardized and validated structured questionnaire. Demographic information (age, gender, place of residence, and occupation), anthropometric data (reported weight and height); nutritional behavior information (number of meals per day, snakes, water intake), and physical activity behavior were requested. Results A total of 4473 respondents were included in the study; obese (n = 1135), normal body weight (n = 1561), and underweight (n = 116). During COVID-19 quarantine, a significant increase in body weight (12.9% underweight, 28.5% normal body weight, 36.4% overweight’ and 41.1% of obese (p < 0.001) was reported. Moreover, the number of snacks between meals (p < 0.001), number of main meals (p < 0.001), and the smoking rate was also increased significantly; however, there was no significant difference regarding physical activity among various weight status groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions In this study, we have provided evidence, for the first time, that there were significant negative changes in healthy nutritional behavior among Jordanians during COVID-19 quarantine who encountered significantly increased body weight, appetite, and smoking. Hence, future larger cross-sectional studies are warran

Keywords: COVID-19, Coronavirus, Eating habits, Lifestyle

Research Title: Acute kidney and liver injury could be the cause of death in patients with COVID-19

Author: Yousef Abdel-Kareem Abusamra, Published Year: 2021

Authorea,

Faculty: Pharmacy

Abstract: We evaluated the increase in the risk of developing acute kidney and hepatic injury. Moreover, we investigate the association between kidney and liver biomarkers with poor prognosis and mortality rate. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 397 adult patients with an average age of 48.03 ± 14.09 who were diagnosed with COVID-19 of whom, 46 (11.59%) died in hospital. The upper values of the kidney and liver biomarkers were obtained from the recovered patients during the disease period and are compared to the data for dead patients at admission (Baseline) and one day before death. Results: At admission to the hospital, the baseline S.Cr, BUN, and eGFR were not significantly varied between recovered and dead patients. Furthermore, the baseline values for AST, ALT, and ALP were not significantly differed between both groups. Whereas, baseline value of total serum bilirubin was higher in died compared to the recovered patients. For dead patients, the day before death, 52.17% of the patients had progressed to stage III and stage IV AKI. S.Cr and BUN were significantly higher, and eGFR was lower compared to the recovered patients. All of the kidney and liver function tests were abnormally increased from baseline to the day before death. The AST, ALT, and total bilirubin one day before death were significantly higher compared to their baseline value. Conclusions: COVID-19 patients have a high risk for the development of AKI and liver injury that can be progressed to a chronic stage and increase the mortality rate.

Keywords: COVID-19, acute kidney injury, acute liver injury

Research Title: CIRCUMNUCLEAR DENSE GAS IN OH-MEGAMASER GALAXIES

Author: Mustafa Mohammad Al-Zyout, Published Year: 2010

Astrophysics, 53

Faculty: Science

Abstract: The properties of a sample of extragalactic OH maser sources over a wide spectral range are discussed. Based on a sample of 22 maser galaxies it is shown that OH, HCN, and x-ray emission are closely related. On the other hand, these emissions depend on the mass of the galactic nucleus. It is shown that the broadening of the OH emission line is caused by the rotation of the circumnuclear disk, dense regions of which serve as the sources of OH and HCN emission. X-ray heating can excite OH and HCN molecules.

Keywords: masers- galaxies: molecules- galaxies: x-ray emission

Research Title: EXTRAGALACTIC H2O MASER SOURCES AND THEIR PROPERTIES

Author: Mustafa Mohammad Al-Zyout, Published Year: 2010

Faculty: Science

Abstract: The properties of a sample of extragalactic H2O maser sources over a wide spectral range are discussed. Based on a sample of 81 maser galaxies it is shown that mega- and kilomasers have completely different properties. In particular, for megamasers the strongest observed relationships are between the parameters of the H2O line and the mass of the galactic nucleus, while the parameters of the line are uncorrelated with the x-ray, infrared, and radio emission. A weak correlation between megamaser emission and the surface (column) density of hydrogen is observed. As for kilomasers, their H2O luminosity depends weakly on the x-ray emission, although in the case of soft x rays this dependence is significant. The H2O luminosity of kilomasers is moderately correlated with the infrared and radio continuum luminosities, but the line parameters are independent of the mass of the nucleus and the surface density of hydrogen.

Keywords: maser-galaxies: active galaxies: galaxies with active star formation

Research Title: Safe navigation and target recognition for a mobile robot using neural networks

Author: Mohammed Mahdi Ali, Published Year: 2017

2017 14th International Multi-Conference on Systems, Signals & Devices (SSD), Morocco

Faculty: Engineering and Technology

Abstract: Recently, there is a large demand on using mobile robots in different life applications. Thus, it is of importance to ensure mobile robot safe navigation towards its destination. In this research Robotino® from Festo company is used to confirm safe navigation issue along with red color target recognition using its IR and camera sensors respectively. Real-time and simulation experimental results have been obtained in laboratories of faculty of engineering / Philadelphia university / Jordan. Results were taken to train two multi-layers perceptron neural networks. One of them is used to force Robotino® moving towards its target by controlling its linear velocity, while the other one is used to move Robotino® avoiding any possible static or dynamic obstacle in its route. Matlab workspace is used for system analysis and design

Keywords: Safe navigation, Robotino, Neural Networks

Research Title: Obstacles avoidance for omnidirectional mobile robot using line trajectory adaptation

Author: Mohammed Mahdi Ali, Published Year: 2016

13th International Multi-Conference on Systems, Signals & Devices (SSD), Germany

Faculty: Engineering and Technology

Abstract: This paper presents an algorithm which is designed based on the adaptation of Straight-Line Equation parameters in order to detect and avoid both static and dynamic obstacles. A real-time measurement is collected making use of the already built-in nine infrared sensors along with the added ultrasonic sensor to increase the obstacle recognition range. The related control actions coming from the executing of the control algorithm are used to force the mobile robot movement through its three drive units to reach destination safely. This has been achieved by updating the required distance and orientation angle. The experimental results showed the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in the sense of avoiding obstacles without collision and reaching the goal with minimum position error

Keywords: Mobile Robot, Robotino®, Obstacle Avoidance, line trajectory adaptation

Research Title: Path tracking control of a mobile robot using fuzzy logic

Author: Mohammed Mahdi Ali, Published Year: 2016

13th International Multi-Conference on Systems, Signals & Devices (SSD), Germany

Faculty: Engineering and Technology

Abstract: Recently, the study and development of the mobile robot is considered as a very important issue for many researchers. This is because the wide range of mobile robot applications in real life. One of the most important mobile robot tasks is the control of its navigation in tracking its predefined path. This also need a good capability in avoiding any static or dynamic obstacles that the mobile robot faces in its route until reaching its destination. The difficulty in finding a good mathematical model for the mobile robot used in this research "Robotino® from Festo company" made the decision to use fuzzy logic to design a controller capable to introduce a safe Robotino® navigation. Fuzzy logic controller needs information about Robotino® features and behavior in order to build its rule base which are inspired from human experience in such application. These rules can be easily programmed to bring out an efficient controller. Sugeno algorithm is implemented which the experiments results validated its efficiency. Fuzzy logic controller with 153-fuzzy rule is used for controlling the Robotino® path tracking issue, while another fuzzy logic controller with 27-fuzzy rule is applied for the Robotino® obstacle avoidance feature. Matlab is used as a tool to implement the two proposed fuzzy controllers. Many real-time experiments have been conducted in the Faculty of Engineering research laboratory at Philadelphia University. Results reflect the good abilities of the proposed controllers.

Keywords: Mobile Robot, Robotino®, Path Tracking, Obstacle Avoidance, Fuzzy Logic Controller.