Research Title: Reliability and preliminary reference values for the Total Faulty Breathing Scale (TFBS): A cross-sectional study

Author: Madhanagopal Jagannathan, Published Year: 2022

Health Science Reports, 5

Faculty: Allied Medical Sciences

Abstract: Background and Aims The evaluation of breathing function is crucial in the clinical examination of the respiratory system. The Total Faulty Breathing Scale (TFBS) could be used in clinical settings to quantify the measurement of breathing dysfunction. Reliability data for the TFBS are available for males, but there is a requirement to determine reliability for females and to develop reference values. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine the reliability in females and to establish the preliminary reference values for the TFBS. Methods Twenty-three healthy female participants for reliability and 44 (7 male and 37 female) participants for preliminary reference values participated in this cross-sectional study. For both aspects of the study, participants were instructed to breathe at their own pace with no specific instruction. Then each participant was observed carrying out normal breathing for a period of 10 breaths and deep breathing for a period of 10 breaths while being assessed with the TFBS. Results Intrarater and interrater reliability of the TFBS showed a kappa value of 0.769 and 0.751, respectively, indicating substantial agreement for female participants. The preliminary reference categories for TFBS were reported to be normal for 20 (45.5%) participants and mild faulty breathing for the remaining 24 (54.4%) participants. Conclusions The findings of this study suggested that TFBS was reliable to measure breathing function among female participants, and the reference categories may be helpful in the identification of normal and faulty breathing.

Keywords: breathing function, interrater reliability, intrarater reliability, scale.

Research Title: Classification of SARS-CoV-2 and non-SARS-CoV-2 using machine learning algorithms

Author: Madhanagopal Jagannathan, Published Year: 2021

Computers in Biology and Medicine, 136

Faculty: Allied Medical Sciences

Abstract: Abstract Due to the continued evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, researchers worldwide are working to mitigate, suppress its spread, and better understand it by deploying digital signal processing (DSP) and machine learning approaches. This study presents an alignment-free approach to classify the SARS-CoV-2 using complementary DNA, which is DNA synthesized from the single-stranded RNA virus. Herein, a total of 1582 samples, with different lengths of genome sequences from different regions, were collected from various data sources and divided into a SARS-CoV-2 and a non-SARS-CoV-2 group. We extracted eight biomarkers based on three-base periodicity, using DSP techniques, and ranked those based on a filter-based feature selection. The ranked biomarkers were fed into k-nearest neighbor, support vector machines, decision trees, and random forest classifiers for the classification of SARS-CoV-2 from other coronaviruses. The training dataset was used to test the performance of the classifiers based on accuracy and F-measure via 10-fold cross-validation. Kappa-scores were estimated to check the influence of unbalanced data. Further, 10 × 10 cross-validation paired t-test was utilized to test the best model with unseen data. Random forest was elected as the best model, differentiating the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus from other coronaviruses and a control a group with an accuracy of 97.4 %, sensitivity of 96.2 %, and specificity of 98.2 %, when tested with unseen samples. Moreover, the proposed algorithm was computationally efficient, taking only 0.31 s to compute the genome biomarkers, outperforming previous studies.

Keywords: COVID-19, Signal processing, Biomarker, Machine learning

Research Title: New real-time force monitoring device with enhanced accuracy for evaluation of applied force during the joint mobilization technique

Author: Madhanagopal Jagannathan, Published Year: 2021

Technology and Health Care, 29

Faculty: Allied Medical Sciences

Abstract: Abstract: BACKGROUND: Force Monitoring Devices (FMDs) reported in the literature to monitor applied force during Joint Mobilization Technique (JMT) possess complex design/bulky which alters the execution of treatment, has poor accuracy and is unable to feel the resistance provided by soft tissues limits its usage in the clinical settings. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to develop a highly accurate, portable FMD and to demonstrate real-time monitoring of force applied by health professionals during JMT without altering its execution. METHODS: The FMD was constructed using the FlexiForce sensor, potential divider, ATmega 328 microcontroller, custom-written software, and liquid crystal display. The calibration, accuracy, and cyclic repeatability of the FMD were tested from 0 to 90 N applied load with a gold standard universal testing machine. For practical demonstration, the FMD was tested for monitoring applied force by a physiotherapist while performing Maitland’s grade I to IV over the 6th cervical vertebra among 30 healthy subjects. RESULTS: The obtained Bland-Altman plot limits agreement for accuracy, and cyclic repeatability was -1.57 N to 1.22 N, and -1.26 N to 1.26 N, respectively with standard deviation and standard error of the mean values of 3.77% and 0.73% and 2.15% and 0.23%, respectively. The test-retest reliability of the FMD tested by the same researcher at an interval of one week showed an excellent intra-class correlation coefficient of r= 1.00. The obtained force readings for grade I to IV among 30 subjects ranged from 10.33 N to 45.24 N. CONCLUSIONS: Appreciable performance of the developed FMD suggested that it may be useful to monitor force applied by clinicians during JMT among neck pain subjects and is a useful educational tool for academicians to teach mobilization skills.

Keywords: Force monitoring device, joint mobilization, neck pain, accuracy, reliability

Research Title: Prevalence of Obesity and Perceptions of Body Weight among University Students: Evidence from Jordan

Author: Hani Jameel Mohammad Hamad, Published Year: 2017

Faculty: Allied Medical Sciences

Abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of measure the prevalence of obesity among university population in Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) University, Northern Jordan. A crosssectional survey of (370) university male students were recruited from different majors and academic years. They were asked to answer questions concerning ; perception of their body weight and weight changes after leaving home; Participants’ desire to reduce their body weight; the reasons that drive this desire and means used for weight reduction. Weights, heights and body mass index (BMI) were measured. The prevalence of the BMI categories in the sample were: 50% of the study sample is overweight making up the majority, participants with a normal BMI are 28%, 11.1% are underweight and 11% of participants suffer from obesity. Regarding to the participants’ perception of their body weight and weight changes, the study results showed that 74.8% of the students in the study sample are in the normal or overweight categories, 22% are underweight and 3% are obese. The extent of weight change due to living away from home was also reported, where 50% confirmed a slight loss in their weight, 5% had a significant increase and 12% experienced no changes in their body weight. 67% of the total participants had a desire to lose weight where the rest of the 33% had no desire to lose weight. In conclusion, overweight and obesity do exist in the university students and this maybe a reflection of the lifestyle; dietary habits and pattern of living in university. Further research is needed to investigate the dietary habits and lifestyle behaviors of the university students.

Keywords: Obesity, Overweight, Perceptions of body weight, University students, JUST University, Jordan

Research Title: Characterization of staphylococci sampled from diabetic foot ulcer of Jordanian patients

Author: Ghadeer Abdel Razzaq Othman, Published Year: 2021

Journal of Applied Microbiology, 131

Faculty: Allied Medical Sciences

Abstract: Aims The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize staphylococcal isolates from diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) in Jordanian patients. Methods and Results Selected aerobic pathogens recovered from DFU specimens and patients' nares with a focus on staphylococci were investigated. Antimicrobial susceptibilities and the prevalence of methicillin‐resistant staphylococci (MRS) were determined. SCCmec types and toxigenic characteristics were analysed and spa typing was performed for methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates. The relationship between toxigenic characteristics of MRSA and the Wagner ulcer grading system was statistically analysed. A total number of 87 DFU patients were recruited for the study. The DFU cultures were polymicrobial. Members of the genus Staphylococcus were the most common among DFU‐associated isolates found in 48·3% (n = 42) of all patients …

Keywords: staphylococcus, MRSA, diabetic foot, Jordan

Research Title: Nutritional, functional and microbiological characteristics of Jordanian fermented green Nabali Baladi olives

Author: Ghadeer Abdel Razzaq Othman, Published Year: 2021

Grasas y Aceites, 72

Faculty: Allied Medical Sciences

Abstract: The quality characteristics of green olives produced by the traditional spontaneous fermentation method in Jordan have never been studied. We investigated the nutritional, functional, and microbiological characteristics of Jordanian fermented green Nabali Baladi olives (GNBFO). Proximate composition, fatty acids, and total polyphenols were determined by standard protocols. Cultivable microflora was monitored over 3 months of fermentation. Isolated microorganisms were identified by molecular sequencing and in vitro probiotic traits were tested. GNBFO contained fiber (3g⁄ 100g), total polyphenols (306mg⁄ 100g), oil (19.3 g⁄ 100g), and oleic acid (70%). Yeast strains (Candida diddensiae and Candida naeodendra) were predominant and showed acid (pH= 2.5) and bile salt (0.1% and 0.3%) resistant and high adhesion ability (ca∼ 107CFU/ml) to intestinal cell lines; they were positive to catalase and negative to lipase and none possessed antimicrobial activity against selected pathogens. Lactic acid bacteria were not detected. In conclusion, the GNBFO have promising functional characteristics as they contain valuable nutrients, antioxidants, and yeast strains with potential probiotic traits.

Keywords: olive, fermented olive, Jordan, functional food

Research Title: Meeting Dietary Food Groups Serving’s Requirements of Food Guide Pyramid among Jordanian University Students

Author: Hani Jameel Mohammad Hamad, Published Year: 2017

Faculty: Allied Medical Sciences

Abstract: The current study was conducted in the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), Northern of Jordan. The aim of this study is to determine the consumption from food groups compared with the food guide pyramid among University students living away from their homes and to examine how the economic status of the study sample and the influence it has on spent on food. The study targeted male students known to live away from their parents, where a convenient sample of 370 male students chosen randomly from different majors and academic years and with different socio-economic backgrounds. Participants were interviewed by trained nutritionists where the actual intakes number of servings from each food groups was recorded. The results of the study showed that 75.7% of the study subjects who lived away from home; they reside in Jordan, while 24.3% of the students’ parents were living outside Jordan. In addition, most of outside students fit in the highest financial income per month category comprising three-quarters those in the “more than 201 dinar” category. Regarding the number of servings consumed from each group, 44% of the study sample consume less than the minimum recommended servings for the dairy group; most participants don’t meet the recommendations for meat and meat substitutes group by a percentage of 38.9%; only 11.1% meet daily recommendations from vegetables group; 46% of students do not meet the minimum recommended number of servings of fruits group and most of the study sample (43.8%) meet recommended number of servings from grain group. It is recommended to meet daily recommendations of servings from the food groups (dairy, meat, grains, fruits and vegetables); specifically to increase fruits intake; for it’s rich content of nutrients not available from any other sources. Further studies are suggested to evaluate the food intake with different dietary evaluation tools.

Keywords: Food Groups, Serving, Food Guide Pyramid, Residency, University Students, Jordan.

Research Title: Household Food Insecurity (HFIS): Definitions, Measurements, Socio-Demographic and Economic Aspects

Author: Hani Jameel Mohammad Hamad, Published Year: 2016

Faculty: Allied Medical Sciences

Abstract: Poverty, food security and malnutrition are major concerns among international health, development and economic organizations. Increasingly, in the last decade, attention has been focused on means of eliminating food insecurity and hunger world-wide (Kennedy, 2002a). For example, the International Congress of Nutrition held in Bangkok, Thailand in 2009 devoted much emphasis on “Nutrition Security For All” (Proceedings:19th International Congress of Nutrition, 2009). Issues on malnutrition in women and children, school-feeding, the World Food Program, and combating hunger worldwide were addressed.

Keywords: Household Food Insecurity (HFIS), children, Socio-Demographic and Economic

Research Title: Dietary and Lifestyle Behaviors of the University Students Living Away from Their Home: A Cross-Sectional Study

Author: Hani Jameel Mohammad Hamad, Published Year: 2017

Faculty: Allied Medical Sciences

Abstract: Dietary behaviors of the young population are affected by numerous factors. University study period also influences the lifestyle of students, including diet. The objective of this study was to explore dietary and lifestyle behaviors of Jordan University of Science and Technology (J.U.S.T.) students living away from their home. A convenient sample of 370 male students was recruited from different majors and academic years and with different socio-economic backgrounds. The sample size was calculated proportionally to the total number of university students. Participants filled out a self-reported questionnaire (included questions on eating and physical activity habits). Most participants spend around 51% of their financial income on food items. Statistical analysis of the available data shows that the general health in majority of the study sample is good. The psychological status of the participants has a significant direct effect on food intake. Results show that 71% of the study sample are not interested nor affected at all by books, internet, videos and magazines that portray food. In addition, fresh foods are predominantly consumed in both breakfast and lunch, while processed foods are more common in the dinner between 71% participants. Furthermore, consumption of snacks with discretionary calories is much higher that than of healthy snacks like fruits. It is recommended to plan and implement a nutritional intervention, extension and education programs which allow university students to improve their nutritional knowledge.

Keywords: Dietary behaviors, Lifestyle, University students, Diet, Cross-sectional study, J.U.S.T., Jordan

Research Title: Obesity and Related Factors among Jerash University Population

Author: Hani Jameel Mohammad Hamad, Published Year: 2017

Faculty: Allied Medical Sciences

Abstract: This study aims to measure the prevalence of obesity, to assess the food habits and physical activity among university population in Jerash University, Northern Jordan. A cross-sectional survey of (203) university students and employee (147 males and 56 females) aged 20 to 60 years were selected randomly during the spring 2016 semester. Participants filled out a self-reported questionnaire (included questions on eating and physical activity habits). Weights, heights body mass index (BMI) measured. Study results showed that (39.4%) of sample were overweight and (24.1%) were obese. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was more common among males compared to females (40.8% and 25.2% vs. 35.7% and 21.45 respectively). In contrast 12.5?males were under weight compared to 5.4% males. Majority of the sample (68%) reported taking meals irregularly. A total of (64.3%) of the subjects reported the consumption of colored vegetable while (30%) reported eating fruits daily. More than half of both males and females did not eat fast foods. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were higher in males within the age of 20-25 years while in contrast it is higher in females within the age of more than 30 years (36% and 22.5% in males vs. 7.1% and 26% in females). More than one third of the participants did not engage in any sport exercises for at least 30 minutes during the week.

Keywords: Overweight, Obesity, Food consumption, physical activity, Jordan