Jordan Journal of Applied Science - Natural Science Series

Predicting rainfall amounts in Nablus city using time series

Israa Naem Hasan, Dr. Hassan Abu Hassan , Dr. Hussein Al-Rimmawi — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Background: This research aims to predict the rainfall of the City of Nablus, Palestine, in the years to come to assist in managing water resources in an area where rainfall quantities vary yearly. Box-Jenkins model is used in analyzing the time series, characterized by high prediction accuracy.

Methods: The study is based on rainfall data (from the Palestinian Meteorological Department) of the city of Nablus over 51 years, i.e., from 1970 to 2020.

Results: It is clear from the study that the best rainwater forecasting model is ARIMA (0,07) because the data from this series are consistent over time. The model gave good predictions that are close to the actual values. However, the results indicated that quantities in the coming years will fluctuate. The fluctuation is consistent with the Mediterranean climate, which suffers from climate changes and variations in rainfall levels.

Conclusion: The study recommends using Box and Jenkins models in time series to predict hydrological phenomena. The study recommends using Box and Jenkins models in time series to predict hydrological phenomena.

Keywords: Nablus, Palestine, Prediction, ARIMA Models, Dickey – Fuller Test.

Preparation of Nano Magnesium Oxide Loaded with Syrian Inula Plant Extract And Study of antibacterial activity Against Vibrio cholera

Dr. Abdulrazzaq Hammal, Dr. Hiba Al-Hamed Al-Duihi — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Background: Nanotechnology is considered one of the best advanced technologies in treatment through its ability to transport effective drugs and compounds and release them more effectively. MgO nanoparticles showed antimicrobial properties against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in vitro, including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as Vibrio cholera bacteria was selected during the period when the epidemic began to appear in Syria, with the presence of several people showing symptoms of diarrhea in the city of Aleppo.

Methods: In this research, Nano magnesium oxide particles were prepared by sol-gel method, then the active compounds were extracted from the Syrian Inula plant using ethanol as a solvent. next step was load the plant extract on the surface of the prepared magnesium oxide particles. The antibacterial activity of the new product was studied against the bacteria that cause cholera.

Results: Its effectiveness was compared with the effectiveness of 7 different antibiotics, and it outperformed all of them, noting that the studied isolate was resistant to three of them.

Conclusion: The combination of nanoparticles with the natural extract is more effective in fighting bacteria, because each of them works in a different way and affects differently, so the combination of the two technologies gives greater effectiveness.

Keywords: Inula, Nanomagnesium oxide, Vibrio cholera.

Recalculating the sustainability criteria within the LEED system according to the Syrian construction conditions using the FAHP method

Dr. Mohammed Ali Alshamali, Dr. Mazen Ibrahim — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Background: With the global trend to develop the construction industry and achieve the sustainability of resources, a set of systems have emerged to assess sustainable buildings, the most important of which are the Environmental Efficiency Rating System (BREEAM) in the United Kingdom, the LEED method for evaluating sustainable buildings in the United States, the Green Globes Rating System in Canada, and the ESTIDAMA Pearl Rating method. In the UAE, the Green Pyramid Rating System in the Arab Republic of Egypt and many others.

Methods: This study determined the main standards and their relative weights included in the American LEED system and then re-weighted according to the Syrian construction conditions using a (fuzzy analytic hierarchy process) (FAHP).

Results and Conclusion: The study showed that it is impossible to find a stable and effective evaluation system at every time and place due to the different construction conditions, economic situation, and priorities between one country and another, as well as the difference in climatic conditions between one region and another. Although the researchers used the same main criteria adopted in America, the results in Syria differed. This reflects the local situation in the study area (Syria).

Keywords: Sustainable Buildings, Sustainability Assessment criteria, LEED System, Fuzzy Logic, FAHP Method.

Exploring Awareness of Health Conditions Associated with Metabolic Syndrome amongst Pharmacy Students

Majdoleen Aqel, Prof. Iman Basheti — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Background: In spite of the sweeping recognition of metabolic syndrome (MeS) as an underlying cause of cardiovascular risks is increasing globally; modest research has been conducted concerning the knowledge awareness of this emerging problem among pharmacy students. This study aims to determine pharmacy students' level of knowledge and awareness concerning MeS and its associated cardiovascular risks.

Methods: A web-based survey was administered to 332 pharmacy college students from eight universities in Jordan during March 2017 and March 2018. The survey contained questions related to seven conditions associated with MeS, including diabetes, adiposity, hypertension (HTN), high serum cholesterol (hyperlipidemia), arteriosclerosis, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI). Knowledge score per question was estimated as follows: good knowledge if 81-100% of students answered the question correctly, fair and poor knowledge if 51-80% and ≤50% of students responded to the question correctly, respectively. Poisson regression model was used regressing total knowledge score on study parameters.

Results: Overall, pharmacy students' results showed they were most acquainted with knowledge about stroke, as the interpreted average percentage of correct answers was 65.8%. Students were least acquainted with MI, as students only responded to 35.1% of the enquired questions correctly. A pattern of a significant gap in knowledge regarding HTN and MI emerged since a good level of knowledge was missing for all the question topics indicated for those two conditions. Gender (being a female), student's cumulative grade point average (GPA) and the year in college (one to five years) were positively associated with more knowledge.

Conclusions: The outcomes of this study suggest that MeS awareness among pharmacy students is weak in many important aspects. This study may have implications that can be successfully harnessed in pharmacy education modalities in the academic sphere.

Keywords: Metabolic Syndrome, Pharmacy Students, Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes.