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Purpose: This study is part of the Balqarad system's commissioning project. Optimizing the radioactivity detection and measurement using the Balqarad setup is highly important to investigate and explain the self-induced and ambient backgrounds to determine the actual sample-related features in the spectra acquired. Methods: Balqarad is a radiation detection system composed of a clover, a variety of scintillators, lead shielding, and the standard electronics needed for the construction of gamma spectra. Four distinct setup configurations were set up to measure background radiation using a tailored analysis code. Results: Background radiation from Balqarad components was assessed using two-dimensional background spectra features (hotspots and lines). Background sources in the system’s proximity were studied using one-dimensional spectra in both direct (single) and addback modes. Furthermore, these spectra were crucial in detecting and investigating any potential 207Bi contamination of the bismuth germanium oxide (BGO) material. The results show that the decay from 211 + 211mPo to the energy levels of 207mPb was measured, and this could be incorrectly interpreted as the decay of 207Bi. Another noteworthy finding is the presence of a 59.5 keV peak, which was a significant contribution from the shielding to the detector’s background. This study also confirmed the detection of the cosmic peak of 74*Ge generated by the (n, γ) reaction at 596.5 keV in the Ge-BGO system. Conclusion: The technique was applied for Balqarad setup components in different configurations for background measurement. The study applied a coincidence/anticoincidence technique to the various configurations, resulting in a reduced cosmic background and the Compton continuum by a factor of 53%.

•The traditional cultivation of wild melon varieties to feed and water animals during the dry season has proven to be economically sound and environmentally sustainable.•The practice is an example of mutual benefit and cooperation between settled agropastoral communities and mobile transhumant pastoralists.•Although the practice of cultivating local melon varieties to feed animals appears to be currently thriving, it might become endangered in the future because of the introduction of mechanization of crop farming as well as the increasing cultivation of hybrid melons that have brought new pests and diseases.

The purpose of this study is to determine the moderating effect of customer relationship management in the relationship between e-marketing and the effectiveness of integrated model of marketing communication. Data were collected from 322 respondents through a questionnaire-based survey. Moreover, structural equation modelling (SEM) was used as an inferential statistical analysis technique to test the hypotheses of the study while determining the moderating effect along with path assessment and CFA. The result of this study revealed that there are significant effects of e-mail marketing, mobile marketing, social media marketing and customer relationship management on the effectiveness of integrated model of marketing communication. On the other hand, it was found that customer relationship management moderates the relationship between social media marketing and the effectiveness of integrated model of marketing communication. Based on these results, companies are recommended to consider the importance of e-marketing in elevating the effectiveness of integrated model of marketing communication and to consider CRM to increase the effect of social media marketing on the effectiveness of integrated model of marketing communication. Further studies should be conducted to confirm the results and retest the moderate effect of CRM using other samples from other industries.

The aim of this study is to explore customers' acceptance of digital marketing techniques. Based on a literature review on digital marketing research, three techniques were chosen for the purpose of the study: search engine, email, and social media marketing. Data were collected using a questionnaire administered to grocery customers. Ninety-eight questionnaires were returned with a response rate of 65%. Analysing data using IBM SPSS and Smart PLS 3.0, the results found that both search engines and emails had no significant effects on customers' acceptance of digital marketing. On the other hand, the results showed that social media as a common technique among customers had a significant and positive effect on customers' acceptance of digital marketing. The contribution of the study is that it established a link between customer perspectives and digital marketing acceptance. Research implications, recommendations and future research directions are reported.

Introduction: Laser markers installed on the walls and ceiling of the bunker are usually used for patient positioning in radiotherapy. Therefore, they directly influence radiotherapy treatment accuracy. The present study aimed to develop a new method without using an external portable laser source or any dedicated laser alignment phantom to align the radiotherapy setup lasers installed in treatment bunkers. Methods: A patient-specific IMRT quality assurance phantom (OCTAVIUS 4D in our study) was used as a phantom having a similar size of patients and surface markers precisely showing the central point of the phantom. After ensuring the precise coincidence between light and radiation isocenters at various gantry angles (0, 90, and 270 degrees), true laser positions were found optically by matching the shadows of all the cross hair lines (CHLs) on the external window of the gantry head and also on the phantom surface at various gantry angles. The distances between the laser lines and light field crosslines on the treatment room walls for our proposed approach were compared with the conventional laser calibration technique (laser calibration with an external laser source positioned in the machine isocenter) and reported as laser alignment accuracy. Results: The mean displacements performed for laser alignment on the phantom surface were 1.2 ± 0.2, 1.1 ± 0.1, and 1.0 ± 0.1 mm for sagittal, coronal, and axial lasers, respectively. These displacements on the gantry head exit plane were 1.4 ± 0.3, 1.2 ± 0.2, and 1.1 ± 0.1 mm, respectively. Mean value of laser alignment accuracy on the wall of the treatment room was 19.5 ± 0.5 mm for our new method, whilst it was 32.7 ± 0.7 mm for adjusting lasers with the conventional method. Conclusion: Our new approach for laser alignment was performed and evaluated successfully. This method can provided a more accurate procedure than the conventional method without needing an external laser source or dedicated laser alignment phantom.

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of innovation management on the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and organisational performance. The study data was collected through a survey questionnaire from 551 respondents. The SEM technique was used along with CFA and path analysis to test the study hypotheses. In this regard, AMOS has been used in this study to accomplish the key research objectives. It has been found that there is a significant impact of innovativeness and risk-taking on the operational performance, whereas risk-taking and creativity aspects of entrepreneurial leadership are found to have a significant impact on the financial performance of the manufacturing firms in Jordan. On the other hand, it is also determined that technical performance significantly moderates the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and operational performance. Moreover, commercial performance and social performance significantly moderates the association between entrepreneurial leadership and financial performance.

Cancer deaths and other dangerous symptoms associated with it make the search for therapies to combat it a necessity. The use of drugs has been implicated in some debilitating side effects, this makes scientists to look for safer, cheaper, and more effective alternatives. One of such ways is the use of plants/fruits that are rich in bioactive components. Citrullus lanatusis one plant that is grown in almost every part of the world and rich in bioactive secondary metabolites. Kirsten rat sarcoma virus is a very popular oncogene in human tumours that has been targeted in the search for anticancer drugs. This work therefore screened the phytochemicals in Citrullus lanatusagainst a KRAS receptor via molecular docking. The hit compounds and the co-crystallized ligand of the receptor were subjected to molecular dynamic simulation to determine their stability, modelled and optimized at the DFT/B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory and also screened for their drug-likeness and ADMET properties. Extra-precision docking revealed that ( ±)-Taxiforin (-7.23 kcalmol−1), (E)-Coniferin (-6.31 kcalmol−1) and Isorhamnetin (-5.71 kcalmol−1) displayed better docking scores than the reference compound (-5.07 kcalmol−1). Molecular dynamics simulation reveals the stability of KRAS-ligand complexes. The molecules have sites to interact with biological systems, as revealed by the DFT results. Pharmacokinetics and drug-likeness revealed that the molecules are promising and safe. Citrullus lanatusshould be encouraged for consumption, while the hit compounds should be subjected to further pre-clinical and clinical investigations.

This study purposed to investigate the impact of electronic archiving quality on employees' performance in the presence of organisational development as a mediating variable. The qualitative questionnaire was utilised to measure levels and relationships among variables in the ministry of planning and international cooperation. A total of 260 questionnaires were distributed using the complete census method to the employees, whereby 186 questionnaires were returned and used for analysis. By using structural equation modelling (SEM), data have been analysed to test the study hypotheses and meet its objectives. The study results indicated that a significant relationship between electronic archiving quality and both employees' performance and organisational development. Indeed, organisational development was found a mediating variable in the impact relationship between electronic archiving quality and employees' performance. Consequently, the study contributes to highlighting the role of electronic archiving as a factor related to the theory of change that aims to enhance the organisations' ability to cope with rapid change environments. Moreover, the study suggested adopting a digital transformation strategy by providing the developing equipment and supplies for employees to perform their duties in the best way.

Background: This article presents a new analytical approach to acute malnutrition causal analysis that is different from the orthodox approach in 2 respects. First, it engages with basic causes, that is, beyond the usual focus on individuals and households. Second, it uses a relationalview in the causal analysis. The orthodox approach identifies the malnourished and their individual and household characteristics. In contrast, a relational approach explores the ways in which the relationships between people, their livelihoods, and the environment, mediated by systems and institutions, create the underlying drivers associated with acute malnutrition for some, while simultaneously creating better conditions for others.Methods: The article draws on 2 case study communities in West Darfur, Sudan, first considering the Darfur context and the inequitable policies and weakened institutions that have led to ethnic polarization, multilayered conflict, and humanitarian crises. The article explores how this context has played out differently in each community, contrasting their livelihood specializations, conflict-related losses, and livelihood diversification over time.Findings: This analysis shows how the relative vulnerability of some people versus others is strongly influenced by their social, economic, and political relationships, as reflected in their shifting power relations and uneven control over livelihood resources.Conclusions: Shifting the focus to the basic drivers, especially the institutional structures, processes, and relationships, will deepen the causal analysis of child acute malnutrition, make it more meaningful, and provide a new direction for engagement, learning, and action to address the deepening problem of child acute malnutrition.

Anthropomorphic phantoms, which can provide equivalent human tissue densities, are one of the best solutions for verifying the quality of radiotherapy treatment plans produced by treatment planning systems. The goal of this work was to develop and fabricate a breast phantom to estimate radiation doses to the breast, lung, and surface using radiochromic films (EBT3) for basically two techniques of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) treatment planning. Thirty-two acrylic slices were used to construct the phantom. Cork and Teflon were used to mimic the lung and bone, respectively. Four slots were drilled for dosimetry purposes to allow access to the areas of ionization chamber installation. Both wedged and open of two tangential beams techniques were applied. With a mean deviation of 1.02 ± 1.1, the variation between estimated point doses and measurements using the three ionization chambers ranged from 2.9 to 1.4%. Using 0, 5 and 10 mm boluses, the mean percentage doses on the target surface were 54.7, 88.6 and 91.7% of the prescribed dose (PD), respectively. The homemade phantom was appropriate for conducting quality control (QC) tests for 3D-CRT planning techniques for breast radiotherapy.

•The photocatalytic degradation of acid blue 113 using CuFe2O4/MMT was studies.•The characterization properties of used materials were identified.•Mineralization, biodegradability, energy consumption, and toxicity were tested.•Both SO4•-and •OH were the main active radicals in the degradation reactions.•CuFe2O4/MMT operated as an efficacious catalyst of high reusability percentage.•In the presence of Daphnia Magna, reducing the toxicity was detectable.

Background Research studies have focused on discovering new anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic agents derived from natural products from which honey constitutes a prominent candidate. The Acacia honey (AH) is known to display anticancer activity, but the mechanisms of action are still not well defined.Objectives Using in vitroand computational approaches, we aimed to assess the interaction among selected bioactive compounds derived from AH, with the apoptotic protein p53, which could trigger apoptosis.Materials and Methods The phytocompounds of AH were investigated via gas chromatography–mass spectrophotometry analysis. The cytotoxic effect and induced apoptosis on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide and acridine orange-ethidium bromide staining approaches. The molecular docking analysis between AH compounds and p53 was carried out.Results The drug-likeness prediction revealed that most of the identified compounds meet Lipinski’s rules. We demonstrate that AH exerts an interesting cytotoxic effect in a dose-dependent manner against the MCF-7 cell line with IC505.053µg/mL. Significant cell alterations and notable induced apoptosis were detected when cells were treated with AH. The molecular docking analysis revealed that melezitose is among the most important potential bioactive compounds that interact with p53 leading to apoptosis. The binding affinity was −8.1 kcal/mol, and the closest molecular interactions in the active site included 10 residues, which could explain the potential biological activity.Conclusion This work sheds light on AH as a significant source of bioactive chemicals with potential for promoting apoptosis that may be exploited as an alternative therapy for breast cancer.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of green human resources practices (GHRP) on achieving strategic objectives in the presence of organisational power. The data for this study were obtained from a questionnaire survey. The population of the study was represented from the academic and administrative staff of Arab Open University. Ninety-three questionnaires were distributed to the participants, and a total of 81 questionnaires were returned and completed and were valid for statistical analysis purposes with a response rate of 87.1%. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, as well as structural equation modelling was conducted, using IBM SPSS 24 and AMOS 22. The results pointed out that there was a significant effect of GHRP on strategic objectives in the presence of organisational power. This study recommends for managers and decision-makers of Arab Open University to increase the adoption of recruitment and selection practices and to enhance the adoption of green training and development practices. This will enable the university to become a point of reference for other universities in performing jobs.

The study aimed at examines the mediating effect of digital supply chain management among the relationship between lean management and supply chain operations of the manufacturing companies operating in Jordan. The population of the study consists of the managers of the manufacturing sector of Jordan which includes garments, automobiles, and electronics. The sample size was 445 participants belonging to the manufacturing industry of Jordan. The analysis was carried out using structural equation modelling (SEM) technique on smart PLS. It was identified based on the analysis that technology has a significant impact on the supply chain operations of the companies. On the other hand, the communicative and structural dimensions were also found to have a positive and significant impact on supply chain operations. With respect to the mediation, the partial mediation of digital supply chain was determined among the relationship between lean management and supply chain operations of the company in the context of technology and communicative and structural dimensions.

The research aimed to illustrate the usefulness of online learning on quality of education during COVID-19 pandemic collecting the evidence from Jordanian universities' students. The research design of the study was based on quantitative data which was gathered from students belonging to Jordan universities. In addition, a close-ended survey questionnaire was used for collecting data, and the sample size on which relevant tests were conducted was 316. The results were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) which included confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and assessment of the proposed path. The tests were conducted on SmartPLS. The results showed that online system of education in Jordanian universities during COVID-19 was dependent on various factors such as: institutional support, technology infrastructure, online teaching expertise, students' readiness to move online, and development of course presenting.

ABSTRACT Recycle construction wastage is the promising way towards sustainable construction. Recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) is the most common idea, but it does not gain wide acceptance among practitioners due [...]

A sample of 221 women who delivered at Al Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, were included in this prospective study to identify breastfeeding patterns at day 1, 1 month, [...]

Patients with diabetes presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have a poor in-hospital and long-term prognosis (1). The excess in-hospital mortality and morbidity correlates primarily with an increased incidence of [...], Patients with diabetes presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have an increased rate of death and heart failure. Patients with diabetes homozygous for the haptoglobin (Hp) 1 allele (Hp 1-1) develop fewer vascular complications. We tested the hypothesis that Hp type is related to the outcome of patients with diabetes presenting with AMI. We prospectively assessed the relationship between Hp type and 30-day mortality and heart failure in 1,437 patients with AMI (506 with diabetes). Multivariate logistic regression identified a significant interaction between Hp type and diabetes status on these outcome measures. Hp type was not related to outcome among patients without diabetes. In contrast, Hp 1-1 was associated with a strong protective effect with regard to the primary end point of death (OR 0.14, P = 0.015) and for death and heart failure (OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.15-0.86, P = 0.018) among patients with diabetes. Finally, among patients with diabetes, Hp 1-1 was associated with smaller infarct size. This study demonstrates that in patients with diabetes and AMI, the Hp type is an important determinant of clinical outcome and infarct size.

To present the results of a local diagnostic reference level (LDRL) audit for 50thfluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG), Gallium-68 etraazacyclododecane tetraacetic acid–octreotide (68Ga-DOTATATE), and 68Ga prostate-specific membrane antigen (68Ga-PSMA) whole-body and 18F-FDG brain imaging positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans.

job satisfaction among healthcare workers plays a crucial role in improving radiology service, including diagnosis of imaging, disease monitoring, therapy guidance, and treatment plans.

The following study was conducted to determine the impact of social media marketing on building brand loyalty through customer engagement in Jordan. The current trend of using social media has revealed insights about customer trends and brands use them to engage with them and create different strategies. This study aims to discover whether or not customers' engagement mediates the impact of social media marketing on brand loyalty in Jordan. This study population consists of college students in Jordan. A sample of 214 respondents was once obtained; the survey for statistical analysis was 208. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used as an inferential statistical analysis technique to test the hypotheses of the research. With R value of 0.686, it indicates that there is statistically strong relation between social media marketing and brand loyalty. The results of the study showed that social media marketing dimensions affect brand loyalty. Also, it was noticed that there was an impact of social media marketing on building brand loyalty through customer engagement. Based on the obtained results, the authors recommend managers and decision-makers to exert effort in using social media's word-of-mouth to be able to reap additional benefits.

Radiosensitive organs in the pelvic cavity of 313 patients were exposed to low-dose diagnostic radiation to assess the entrance surface air dose (ESD) and effective doses (ED), and also to compare the X-ray and computed tomography (CT) dose levels. The patients were examined at King Abdul Aziz Specialist Hospital and King Faisal Medical Complex in Taif City, Saudi Arabia for 4 months in 2020. In conventional pelvic imaging, the DOSCAL software was used to assess the ESD. To estimate the CT radiation dose to the pelvis, the CT dose index (CTDIw, usually CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) were utilized. For routine pelvic X-ray imaging, the mean ESD and ED were found to be 7.2 mGy and 0.38 mSv, respectively. For CT imaging, the mean values of CTDIw, DLP, and ED were found to be 10.9 mGy, 593 mGy-cm, and 8.9 mSv, respectively. The obtained values of ESD and ED were found in agreement with the reported data available in the literature. However, a significant variation has been observed for conventional X-ray and CT doses among the selected hospitals. In comparison to conventional radiography, the CT induces 20 times higher doses to pelvic organs. The obtained results may help to establish the local diagnostic reference levels (DRLs).

As a result of its strong oxidative activity, iron (1) has been hypothesized to be of importance in morbidity and mortality from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) (2). Numerous studies (3) [...]

Purpose: Globally, several studies have shown that hospital building is charged with multiple inherent risks because a large number of users are vulnerable in tragic events. Thus, the need for the fire safety management plan (FSMP) has been proved as an instrument to mitigate fire and related risks in healthcare facilities. In Malaysia, FSMP regarding public healthcare building is yet to be explored in-depth. Therefore, this paper explores the information necessary to develop the FSMP framework for public hospital buildings. Design/methodology/approach: The paper’s objectives were accomplished via a combination of five face-to-face interviews and observations of five selected public hospitals in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. The five key participants were across the five public hospitals and collated data analysed through thematic analysis with the assistance of MAXQDA 2018. Findings: Findings show that fire safety stakeholders practice system, fire safety action plan and fire risk management were the three main variables that promote fire safety programme and will improve FSMP for Malaysia’s public hospital buildings. Research limitations/implications: This paper’s data collection is limited to Penang, Malaysia, and a qualitative research approach was used, but this does not deteriorate the strength of the findings. Future studies are needed to consider validating findings from this paper via a quantitative approach. Practical implications: The suggested framework can be employed by Malaysia’s public hospital authorities as a guideline to mitigate fire hazards in the country’s healthcare facilities. Originality/value: This paper is encouraging hospital operators and other key stakeholders to improve on their FSMP for healthcare buildings across Malaysia as part of the study implications.

Introduction: Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most frequent malignancy of the urinary tract. Recent studies demonstrated the role of aquaporins urothelial tumor cells (AQPs) as potential prognostic factor for tumor progression and invasion. In this study we investigated the AQP3 expression levels inside primary superficial (pTa) low grade bladder cancer, correlating with pathological parameters and clinical outcomes.Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed tumor samples of 66 patients with diagnosis of superficial urothelial (pTa) bladder cancer between 1997 and 2007. All patients underwent transurethral bladder resection (TURB) and immediate single instillation of mitomycin C. All tumors samples were blindly reviewed by two expert anatomopathologists and only pTa low grade urothelial bladder cancer were included. Cancer recurrence was defined as the detection of bladder lesions during follow-up cystoscopy. AQP3-immunoreactive areas detected at immunohistochemical analysis were classified as AQP3 positive.Results: Of these 60.6% of patients was detected as negative for AQP3 expression. Forty-two patients develop cancer recurrence during follow-up with a mean progression free survival of 16.44 months. The absence of reaction for AQP3 was observed 56% (9/16) tumor grading G1 and 62% (31/50) tumor grading G2. No correlation was observed with sexual gender, grading of tumor differentiation, and recurrence of cancer disease. Kaplan-Meier curves of disease-free survival (DFS) showed a significant separation (p= 0.028) between patients AQP3-positive and AQP3-negative. It was observed a mean DFS of 23.83 and 14.43 months respectively in absence and presence of AQP3 expression.Conclusion: AQP3 expression is related to disease-free interval (DFI) and the absence of AQP3 expression correlates with a late relapse. The expression of AQP3 does not provide a reproducible quantitative aspect. AQP3 are not suitable to forecast tumor cell behavior but they perform a role as regulator for tumor cell homeostasis and for additional therapeutic developments.

Introduction: The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the imaging characteristics of 89Zr-PET in comparison with those obtained using fluorine-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose (18FFDG) PET (a gold standard tracer in PET imaging) using a small-animal NanoScan PET/CT scanner. Methods: The system’s spatial resolution, sensitivity, uniformity, and image quality were measured on a Nano Scan small-animal PET/CT scanner according to the NEMA NU4-2008 protocols. For reconstruction images, we used 2D and 3D reconstruction algorithms. The reconstruction methods included filter back projection (FBP), the ordered subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm, and the 3D Tera-Tomo algorithm, which are developed for the NanoScan small-animal PET/CT scanner. Results: The results obtained showed a significant difference in the spatial resolution for 89Zr as compared to 22Na and 18F when using a 2D reconstruction algorithm. The spatial resolution values were much enhanced by using the 3D Tera-Tomo reconstruction for each isotope, the Full width at half maximum (FWHM) values was less than 1 for all isotopes at the center of the field of view (FOV). This difference in spatial resolution is dependent on the positron range, energy, and the reconstruction method. Conclusion: The long half-life of 89Zr makes it an ideal positron emitter for performing immuno- PET, which is matched with the biological half-life of intact mAbs.89Zr can also give several advantages over other long half-life positron emitters in relation to the overall imaging performance because of its relatively short positron range and simpler decay scheme. The values of 89Zr sensitivity that were obtained in the present study were less than those of previous studies.

This study aimed to identify the impact of mobile marketing on the customer's loyalty in Jordan. The dimensions of mobile marketing were interactivity, personalisation, localisation, and convenience. The study population consisted of the customers shopping through mobile in Jordan; samples of 403 customers were taken. Their responses were investigated using a questionnaire designed for this purpose. The results were collected, inputted into the computer and the hypotheses were tested, using the SPSS program. The study results showed a statistically significant effect of mobile marketing (interactivity, personalisation, and convenience) on customers' loyalty, and there is a statistically insignificant effect of localisation on customers' loyalty. Based on the results, the researchers came up with some recommendations related to the fields of mobile content design, sharing information, benefit from the experiences, and solving customers problems.

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of strategic learning on the dynamic capabilities of human resources in airline companies in Kuwait. The study sample consisted of all managers working at different levels in these airline companies. To collect the data, a questionnaire-based survey was used and the model was empirically tested using 110 responses from the airline companies in Kuwait and applying multiple regression tests using SPSS software. It was found that strategic learning had a significant impact on the dynamic capabilities of the human resources workforce in airline companies in Kuwait with regards to the four dimensions studied. Based on the study results, the researchers recommended that managers and decision makers in the airline industry in Kuwait should have the ability through various strategies to seize opportunities from companies that show great importance within the market because of their ability to increase the market share which was in turn reflected by an enhancement of their competitive position.

The objective of the present study is to investigate the effect of solvent type (methanol, acetone, ethanol, n-propanol, and water), solvent-to-solid ratio (20–100 mL/g), solvent acidity (0–1.25% HCl), extraction time (60–300 min) and extraction temperature (30–70 °C) on total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and the free radical-scavenging capacity (2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ABTS radical scavenging assay) of koreeb (Dactyloctenium aegyptium) seeds using single-factor experiments. On the basis of TPC and antioxidant activity assays, the best extraction conditions were 80 mL methanol/g, 1.00% HCl, 180 min and 60 °C, as well as the results of TPC, TFC and DPPH were 32.38 mg GAE/g, 20.88 mg QE/g and 82.22%, respectively. The TPC was positively observed to be correlated with TFC, DPPH and ATBS (r = 0.89, 70 and 0.66, respectively) of koreeb seeds flour (KSF) extracts, under influence of solvent type extraction, whereas TPC and TFC were significantly correlated with DPPH (0.97 ≥ r ≥ 0.94) and ABTS (0.95 ≥ r ≥ 0.94) under the effect of extraction temperature. In general, KSF can be applied in functional foods and medicine related products for its health benefits.

Medical linear accelerator (Linac) is widely used for radiotherapy purposes which is one of the modalities for radiation therapy. When a Linac is being installed, an initial survey is required during the first beam and a complete shielding survey must be carried out after the Linac has been operational and calibration is completed. Based on the detailed survey report, the facility license is issued. Worldwide several organizations provide various recommendations regarding shielding design and radiation safety issues. The purpose of this paper is to show how to assess or validate the radiation safety and shielding status of the newly installed Linac facility in Bangladesh. In this study, one of the Linac facilities in Dhaka city has been chosen which was installed in 2021. The dose rate meter RadEYE PRD and tele survey meter TELE-STTC are used for x-ray/gamma-ray dose measurement and REM 12/4 count rate meter for neutron measurement. A maximum photon dose of 5.56 μSvh−1was observed at a gantry angle of 900along the center front of the door, while a maximum neutron dose of 1 μSvh−1was found at three different locations. The obtained results are in line with the recommendations by controlling organizations. This study found that the Linac can be operated safely for both conventional and IMRT modes, and the same shielding procedure can be followed all over the country for the same Linac setting.

The most basic and sensitive routine quality control (QC) of gamma camera is that of intrinsic uniformity. Intrinsic uniformity must be assessed daily and after each repair, it must be critically evaluated and any necessary action must be undertaken before using the gamma camera for patient imaging. The main objective of this work is to determine the best parameters for daily quality control testing of intrinsic uniformity for the single-head gamma camera from MEDISO Company installed at Institute of Nuclear Medicine--University of Gezira. Intrinsic uniformity test was done by placing a point source [sup.[sup.99m]]TcO([sup.[sup.99m]]Tc) in front of the detector with removed collimator to measure the effect of correction matrix, source-to-camera distance, a count rate and activity volume on intrinsic uniformity. The result shows that the best intrinsic uniformity image obtained at distance of 100 cm, with correction matrix, activity volume in range of 0.1-0.4 ml in 3 ml syringe and a count rate in between 25-30 kcps which takes less than 14 min to get uniform image. Keywords: single-head planer gamma camera | intrinsic uniformity | collimator | quality control (QC) | Kilo Count Per Second (kcps)., Introduction Uniformity test is the most common practice in present gamma camera quality control procedures, suggested by NEMA (National Electrical Manufacture Association), IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and IEC (International [...]

An emphasis is made on the global leadership race where members of the multinational corporations (MNCs) have considerable advantages over the emerging markets. To continue achieving true globalization of their leadership market, considerable efforts will have to be made to allow emerging markets to compete effectively with their home office colleagues.

Citrus medicaL. var. sarcodactylisswingle and it is known as Foshou fruit has gained significant importance by researchers because of its large number of functional benefits. In this research we particularly focused on the evaluation of antioxidant and nutritional properties of the peel and pulp of the Foshou. The Foshou peel showed significantly higher antioxidant properties and nutritional contents than the pulp, excluding water, carbohydrate, and energy content. The water extract of Foshou peel and pulp contained 227.45 and 88.76 mg GAE/100 g fresh weight (FW) of total phenolic compounds, with IC50DPPH·-scavenging activity 22.79 and 54.74 μg GAE/mL, respectively. The antioxidant capacity for Foshou peel and pulp was 214.81 and 71.53 mg Trolox equivalents per 100 g FW respectively. Our results indicated increased levels of pyridoxine, thiamin, riboflavin, copper, and iron in Foshou peel whereas thiamin and pyridoxine were the highest in the pulp. In this research, we found that 100 g of Foshou contribute significantly to the recommended daily intake (RDI) of nutrients. These results draw attention towards the potential use of Foshou as a source of health-enhancing compounds.

This article aims at examining the impact of electronic human resource management practices on organisational learning capabilities in commercial banks in Jordan. Workers at commercial banks have been chosen to be the population of this study, and due to their large number, only 400 participants were taken as a random sample. SPSS was used to analyse the data that was collected to achieve the study's objectives. Results showed that there is a statistical significant impact of the electronic human resources management practices on organisational learning capabilities in commercial banks working in Jordan. The adaption of these electronic human resource management practices on the ground, in any sector in Jordan, is highly recommended, which will reflect positive results regarding the organisational learning capabilities.

This study was designed to characterize portal hypertension (PH) by assessing cirrhosis, estimating portal vein (PV) width and spleen size, identifying ascites and deciding abnormal collateral routes in hepatosplenic Schistosoma mansoni patients using brightness mode (B-mode) ultrasound (US). A total of 209 adult patients with hepatosplenic Schistosoma mansoni were prospectively recruited from the Gezira state in central Sudan between February 2016 and May 2019. The sonographic features observed include the overall assessment of liver size, PV diameter, gallbladder (GB) wall thickness, splenic size, the lack of or reduced respiratory variations of the splenic vein (SV), collateral circulation and the presence of ascites. The results revealed that a majority of patients were affected with PH due to schistosomiasis infection (94.7%), liver cirrhosis (3.8%) and viral cirrhosis (1.4%). The measures of PV diameter and the lack of or reduced respiratory variations of SV in patients affected with schistosomiasis were statistically significant when compared with the mean value obtained from the healthy adult participants in the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, over half of the examined patients presented with portosystemic collaterals. In conclusion, the US findings were highly specific and sufficient to diagnose PH due to schistosomiasis infection.

Thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) is useful for radiation detection for a wide range of applications with reasonable accuracy since its introduction to the clinical environment in 1954. However, the determination of uncertainty is crucial to obtain accurate measurements. This study intended to evaluate different types of expected classified errors for strontium tetraborate (SrB4O7) doped with Samarium (Sm+3) to obtain accurate electron dose using luminescence characteristics. Higher temperature solid-state reaction was used to prepare the phosphor. TL glow curves examined after irradiation with a 50 Gy single electron dose. The different causes of uncertainty for the dosimetric material under investigation were assessed. The obtained values of uncertainty were multiplied by the coverage factor two in order to get the expanded doubt at a 95% certainty level. The extended uncertainty from the different examined sources does not surpass 0.8546 nC. When SrB4O7: Sm+3used as a TLD detector for electron beam dosimetry, the expanded uncertainty recommended to be added to the measured dose to attain the precise dose.

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations.

The effects of different fermentation time (0–72 h) on rheological and thermal properties of the dough and physicochemical characteristics of kisrabread prepared from the koreeb seed flour were evaluated. The pH of the fermented kisradough decreased, whereas titratable acidity increased. In addition, fermentation time exhibited a significant decrease in rheological moduli (G′ and G″) and an increase in rheological tangent (δ). Gelatinization temperature and degree of starch gelatinization increased, while enthalpy decreased. An increase of protein content and in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) was observed in kisrabreads. Fermented kisrabreads exhibited the highest acceptability scores in sensory evaluation, especially the sample fermented for 36 h compared to the control. The X-ray diffractograms of stored kisrabreads showed the B-type structure with the presence of peaks at 13.5°, 17.5°, and 26.5° 2θ. In addition, all samples exhibited a peak centered at 20° 2θ, which reflects V-type crystal structure of amylose–lipid complex. Overall, the fermentation process enhanced the nutritional, sensorial and health attributes of kisrabreads.

Enrichment of gluten-free bread (GFB) with mushroom polysaccharide and prebiotic is necessary to enhance its organoleptic and health attributes. This work investigated the enrichment effect of the GFB with Agaricus bisporuspolysaccharide (ABP) flour and inulin. Volatile compounds, as well as the antioxidant and structural properties of the fortified GFB were evaluated. Sweet potato-glutinous rice flour was fortified with ABP flour and the same with inulin at different levels (3, 6 and 9%), besides a constant percentage of xanthan gum (0.5%) was added to all the blends. Addition of ABP flour resulted in higher levels of volatile compounds compared to inulin addition and the control. ABP flour formulation (F3) had the highest total phenolic content (19.05 mg GAE/g), reducing power (5.31 mg/mL, EC50value), DPPH (6.85 mg/mL, EC50value), ABTS (8.86 mg/mL, EC50value) radical-scavenging activities, and β-carotene bleaching (13.22 mg/mL, EC50value). Conversely, the control and inulin formulation (F1) showed the lowest levels of these activities. The micrographs of the ABP flour formulations showed polyhedral, aggregated, and some spherical granules, whereas inulin formulations revealed spherical granules bound together with deformed granules. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of the amide I band and both α- and β-glycosidic linkages. The current findings exhibited that ABP flour and inulin had good attributes to improve the antioxidant activity of GFB and modify its structural characteristics.

Natural soil-forming factors such as landforms, parent materials or biota lead to high variability in soil properties. However, there is not enough research quantifying which environmental factor(s) can be the most relevant to predicting soil properties at the catchment scale in semi-arid areas. Thus, this research aims to investigate the ability of multivariate statistical analyses to distinguish which soil properties follow a clear spatial pattern conditioned by specific environmental characteristics in a semi-arid region of Iran. To achieve this goal, we digitized parent materials and landforms by recent orthophotography. Also, we extracted ten topographical attributes and five remote sensing variables from a digital elevation model (DEM) and the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM), respectively. These factors were contrasted for 334 soil samples (depth of 0–30 cm). Cluster analysis and soil maps reveal that Cluster 1 comprises of limestones, massive limestones and mixed deposits of conglomerates with low soil organic carbon (SOC) and clay contents, and Cluster 2 is composed of soils that originated from quaternary and early quaternary parent materials such as terraces, alluvial fans, lake deposits, and marls or conglomerates that register the highest SOC content and the lowest sand and silt contents. Further, it is confirmed that soils with the highest SOC and clay contents are located in wetlands, lagoons, alluvial fans and piedmonts, while soils with the lowest SOC and clay contents are located in dissected alluvial fans, eroded hills, rock outcrops and steep hills. The results of principal component analysis using the remote sensing data and topographical attributes identify five main components, which explain 73.3% of the total variability of soil properties. Environmental factors such as hillslope morphology and all of the remote sensing variables can largely explain SOC variability, but no significant correlation is found for soil texture and calcium carbonate equivalent contents. Therefore, we conclude that SOC can be considered as the best-predicted soil property in semi-arid regions.

Gallbladder cancer (GC) is a relatively rare disease. To date, there are no studies describing the epidemiology of this disease in Qatar.

This article explores an innovative approach to finding a solution to the existing and imminent violent struggles in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), particularly with regard to the issue of reconciliation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The article defines a scientific approach adopted by the Jena Center for Reconciliation Studies (JCRS), cited as the Holderlin Perspective (Martin Leiner, Susan Flamig, 2012, p. 18). It illustrates the philosophical foundation for applying the Holderlin Perspective, using Phronetic Social Science, to engage in reconciliation processes in the middle of conflicts. It also illustrates the German approach toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, lastly, presents some concrete, tangible results that have already been achieved as well as projects that are currently under way with regard to the MENA region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]