Ultrafast Electron Diffraction Study of the Dynamics of Antimony Thin Films and Nanoparticles

The ultrafast fast phenomena that take place following the application of a 120 fs laser pulse on 20 nm antimony thin films and 40 nm nanoparticles were studied using time-resolved electron diffraction. Samples are prepared by thermal evaporation, at small thickness (\u3c 10 nm) antimony nanoparticles form while at larger thicknesses we get continuous thin films. The samples are annealed and studied by static heating to determine their Debye temperatures, which were considerably less than the standard value. The thermal expansion under static heating also yielded the expansion coefficient of the sample material. Nanoparticle samples gave a very accurate thermal expansion coefficient (11 × 10-6 K-1). Ultrafast time resolved electron diffraction studies with ∼1.5 ps resolution are performed for both kinds of samples to determine the lattice thermalization time and study the difference in relaxation time between the thin films and nanoparticles. Knowing the Debye temperature from the static heating experiment (144 K for nanoparticles and 148 K for 20 nm thin films), we could measure the temperature rise due to the laser pulse. The thermal pressure and acoustic lattice oscillations are also studied. There was a noticeable delay of 6 ps between the onset of the drop of intensity and the onset of the drop in diffraction ring size, which indicates the propagation of a thermal stress front in the film

The Impact of Service Quality Dimensions on Customer Satisfaction: A Field Study of Arab Bank in Irbid City, Jordan

Service-offering channels in the banking system has emerged on the scene with a wide variety of forms such as internet banking, automated teller machine (ATM), telephone banking and banks . Mature competition and global financial systems have been forced to investigate the significance of customer satisfaction.Therefore, the research should shed light on the changing status of the banking system and financial market dynamics. This study has used the model of service quality (Parasuraman et al., 1988) with five dimensions to evaluate its effect on the customer satisfaction among Arab bank customers in the city of Irbid. The results indicate that the higher the service quality, the more the costumer’s satisfaction. The Dimensions of service quality plays an important role in this equation. These dimensions are tangibility, responsiveness reliability, empathy, and security. Finally, the findings indicate that these five factors have positively affected the customer satisfaction. This research also shows that the service quality is an appropriate tool to measure the quality of service in the banking sector in the Arab bank. Therefore, the banking sector practitioners regard this instrument a very important tool to evaluate, support, and improve the quality of their services. Keywords: Service quality, Customer satisfaction, Banking industry, Jorda

The Direct and Indirect Effect of Predictor Variables on Destination Brand Loyalty in Jordan

Destination branding literature generally lacks empirical data evaluating the effectiveness of brand campaigns, particularly in terms of enhancing destination brand loyalty. In particular, little is known about the relationship between destination brand awareness, destination brand image, destination brand quality, destination brand promotion, and destination brand loyalty. To fill this gap, this study examined the relationships between destination brand awareness, destination brand image, destination brand quality, and destination brand promotion on destination brand loyalty. Based on the Theory of Brand Equity, this study had the following objectives: (1) to identify the relationship between destination brand awareness, destination brand image, destination brand quality, and destination brand promotion on destination brand loyalty; (2) to examine the relationship between destination brand awareness, destination brand image, destination brand quality, and destination brand promotion on destination perceived value; and (3) to determine the mediating effect of destination perceived value on the relationship between destination brand awareness, destination brand image, destination brand quality, and destination brand promotion with destination brand loyalty. The data was collected at Jerash, Petra, and the Dead Sea, Jordan, during November and December 2010. Of the 700 tourists participating in the 54-questions, face-to-face intercept survey, 600 or about 86% responded. After dropping incomplete questionnaires, 550 usable responses were analyzed using SPSS. Multiple regression analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between destination brand awareness, destination brand image, destination brand quality, destination brand promotion, and destination brand loyalty. Results showed significant, positive relationships between destination brand awareness, destination brand image, destination brand quality, destination brand promotion and destination brand loyalty. However, the study found no significant relationships between destination brand image and destination perceived value. Finally, destination perceived value was found to mediate the relationship between destination brand awareness, destination brand quality, destination brand promotion, and destination brand loyalty

Carbohydrate metabolising enzymes in male and female rats

It has been reported that the increase in the concentration of triglyceride in fasting serum is more likely to be induced by carbohydrates than by fats in the diet. This fact has focussed the attention of researchers on the possible role of dietary carbohydrates in the aetiology of ischaemic heart disease. Epidemiological studies have also shown that there is a positive correlation between the incidence of atherosclerosis and (1), the amount of sucrose in diet and (2), the level of triglyceride in the fasting serum. Moreover, some epidemiological studies suggest that the increase in the death rate from ischaemic heart disease coincides with the increased consumption of sucrose in western countries. Feeding sucrose has been reported to produce hypertriglyceri-daemia in man and experimental animals and this carbohydrate has a greater hypertriglyceridaemic effect than glucose or starch. Sucrose-or fructose-induced hypertriglyceridaemia is more marked in male animals than females. These facts when considered together, suggested that an examination of sex differences in the metabolism of sucrose might throw some light on the different incidence of ischaemic heart disease in men and women. Hence the activities of a number of liver enzymes involved in fructose metabolism have been examined using male and female rats on normal and carbohydrate-supplemented diets. Sex differences were observed in three cases: glycerol kinase, glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and sorbitol dehydrogenase but dietary factors modified or nullified these differences. The conclusion was reached that glycerol 3-phosphate might be produced more readily in female rats than males because aldolase and glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activities were higher in the females. The effect of sex hormones on the activity of glycerol kinase was examined using hepatocyte preparations. A rapid activation of this enzyme in cells from both male and female livers was observed when relatively high concentrations of dihydrotestosterone were used. Estradiol-17B had no effect. The activation was most marked with hepatocytes from castrated male rats and the phenomenon could only be demonstrated with intact cells. There was no evidence that the dihydrotestosterone effect was mediated through protein synthesis.<p

توجيه القول التفسيري (تأصيل وتطبيق) Explanatory Statement Directive (Rooting and Application)

ملخص يعالج البحث إحدى المقاربات المنهجية في حسن النظر في الاجتهادات المعتبرة في التفسير، وذلك من خلال دراسة الأقوال التفسيرية دراسةً تتيح للناظر في تلك الأقوال أن يصل إلى جمع وتوجيه وتعليل للقواسم المشتركة بينها، فالأقوال التفسيرية هي اجتهادات علمية قائمة على أصول وضوابط وأركان، وهي نتائج تلك الأصول وثمراتها، ومن شأن الثمرات أن تتعدد أشكالها، وتتنوع ألوانها، وتتفق في مقصود مآلها، وللقول التفسيري مجموعة من الضوابط المنهجية، والقواعد التي تُعين على فهمه، وهو ينقسم إلى مجموعة من الأنواع وهي: التوجيه المقبول، والتوجيه المحتمل، والتوجيه الممتنع، وهي الأنواع التي عليها مدار العمل في توجيه الأقوال التفسيرية، وما من قول تفسيري إلا ويندرج تحت أحد هذه الأنواع، وخرج البحث بفوائد منهجية من شأنها إعادة قراءة الأقوال التفسيرية على ضوء علم التوجيه، للوصول إلى بيان التعددية التفسيرية للنص القرآني، وإمكانية الجمع بينها وتوجيهها في مقصد واحد، في سبيل الوصول إلى منهج واضح يقرب بين الأقوال ولا يباعد. الكلمات المفتاحية: (التوجيه – القول التفسيري – تأصيل علم التفسير). Explanatory Statement Directive (Rooting and Application) Abstract The research addresses one of the systematic approaches in enhancing the consideration of judgments taken up in the interpretation, and that through studying the interpretive opinions in a way to allow the beholder of such opinions to compile, direct and account for the common grounds between them, so, the interpretive opinions are scientific judgments based on procedures, controls and components, which are the results of those procedures and yields, and such yields would come in multiple forms, colors and agree on their intended ends; however, the interpretive opinion has a number of systematic controls, and rules that help to understand it, and it is divided into a set of kinds, namely: acceptable guidance, possible guidance, impossible guidance, the kinds over which work revolves in directing the interpretive opinions, and, there is no interpretive opinion but falls under any of such kinds, whereupon, the researcher found systematic benefits that would reinstate the reading of interpretive opinions in light of guidance science,in order to demonstrate the interpretive multiplicity of Quran text, and to possibly combine between them and direct them to one purpose, in order to achieve a clear method that would bring the opinions closer together and not to keep them apart. Key words: (guidance - interpretive opinion - consolidation of the interpretation science)

EFFECT OF GRINDING AND PARTICLE SIZE ON SOME PHYSICAL AND RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF CHITOSAN

The present study was conducted to prepare nano-chitosan particles (CN) by ultrafine grinding  from crude chitosan powder (CC) using a ball mill with 130 numbers of zirconia beads in range from 0.5 to 1.5 mm diameter (75 beads 0.5 mm diameter, 30 beads 1.0 mm diameter and 25 beads 1.5 mm diameter). In addition, physical and rheological properties of chitosan solutions were determined. The results revealed that ultrafine grinding has effectively milled the chitosan particles to nanoscale. Prepared chitosan nanoparticles were characterized by  devices  X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Zetasizer particle sizes and Zeta potential of chitosan particles (after milling for 30, 60 and 90 minutes). The particle size of nano-chitosan was distributed in a range of 250-600 nm. with a polydispersity index use as an anti-oxidant and antimicrobial with reducing the amount used to deliver the desired purpose. Additional research is required to further investigate the potential value-added utilization of these chitosan derivatives in improving the quality and safety of some food products

Effect of Sildenafil Citrate on Success Rate of Ovulation Induction by Clomiphene Citrate

Background: Disorders of ovulation are common causes of infertility, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is by far the most frequent condition. Objetive: The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of adding vaginal sildenafil citrate to clomophine citrate used as ovarian stimulant drug on both endometrial thickness and pregnancy rate in patient with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO). Patients and Methods: This prospective Comparative study included a total of 58 patients with primary and secondary infertility aged between18 years to 35 years, attending at Outpatient Clinics, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Zagazig University Hospitals. Patients were divided into two equal groups; each were 29. 1st Group was given clomiphene, and 2nd group was given Clomophine citrate and Sildenafil. A transvaginal Scan for imaging the uterus and adnexa for any pathology and measuring the basic endometrial thickness was also done on Day 3. Results: This study shows that there was an increase in endometrial thickness in sildenafil group (13.4±1.814 mm) comparable with clomiphene citrate group only (8.52±2.081 mm) (P=0.01). The result was statistically significant with increase threshold regard for implantation with statistically significant in group B (P=0.018). Conclusions: It could be concluded that addition of sildenafil citrate to clomiphene citrate therapy for induction of ovulation in patients with PCOS resulted in significant increase of endometrial thickness and non-significant increase of pregnancy Rates

Enhanced Removal of Lead by Chemically and Biologically Treated Carbonaceous Materials

Hybrid sorbents and biosorbents were synthesized via chemical and biological treatment of active carbon by simple and direct redox reaction followed by surface loading of baker's yeast. Surface functionality and morphology of chemically and biologically modified sorbents and biosorbents were studied by Fourier Transform Infrared analysis and scanning electron microscope imaging. Hybrid carbonaceous sorbents and biosorbents were characterized by excellent efficiency and superiority toward lead(II) sorption compared to blank active carbon providing a maximum sorption capacity of lead(II) ion as 500 μmol g−1. Sorption processes of lead(II) by these hybrid materials were investigated under the influence of several controlling parameters such as pH, contact time, mass of sorbent and biosorbent, lead(II) concentration, and foreign ions. Lead(II) sorption mechanisms were found to obey the Langmuir and BET isotherm models. The potential applications of chemically and biologically modified-active carbonaceous materials for removal and extraction of lead from real water matrices were also studied via a double-stage microcolumn technique. The results of this study were found to denote to superior recovery values of lead (95.0–99.0 ± 3.0–5.0%) by various carbonaceous-modified-bakers yeast biosorbents

Improving Working Capital Solvency of Islamic Banks Under Macroeconomic Variables

Purpose: The aim of this paper examines the impact of macroeconomic variables: public debt growth, inflation, money supply, balance of payments, and unemployment rate on the solvency of the working capital of Islamic banks in Jordan.   Theoretical framework: The financial ratio index is used by Alhayali and Albutma (1996) to compare total Assets to equity and assess whether the owners have enough rights to keep investing in fixed assets. we couldn't determine the type of relationship of macroeconomic factors on capital solvency.   Design/Methodology/Approach:  The study analyzed multiple linear regression data of economic variables and performance data in Islamic banks during the period 2005-2021.   Findings: The findings demonstrated that economic parameters, with the exception of money supply, are negatively correlated with the solvency of working capital (return on assets, return on deposits, and capital adequacy ratio). And the balance of payments has a positive effect.   Research, practical &amp; social implications: The researcher suggested that the government should reduce the growth rates of public debt, inflation, and unemployment rate, Increasing the balance of payments and the money supply through the establishment of projects that are characterized by labor, and are financed through Islamic banks.   Originality/Value: The improvement of working capital comes as a result of an increase in projects, which in turn will lead to an increase in employment, cash flow, an improvement in exports, and the balance of payments, a decrease in unemployment, and inflation, and thus an improvement in the capacity of working capital

Assessment of Antibody Titer to Pneumococcal Vaccine in Nephrotic Syndrome Children post Vaccination

Background: The most common glomerular condition in children is idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS). Pneumococcal infections are one of the most serious consequences for children with nephrotic syndrome. Objective: Assessment of antibody titer in children with renal impairment 1- and 3-months after immunization with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13 (PCV13). Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional research including 24 nephrotic children was carried out at Pediatric Nephrology Unit and Outpatient Nephrology Clinics of Children Hospital at Zagazig University over a period of one year from April 2020 to March 2021. Results: At 1- and 3-months following vaccination, level of antibody titer was significantly higher among patients within group II. There was statistically significant difference between the studied groups regarding trend of antibody at three months. Steroid dosage at time of immunization was strongly associated with antibody titer one month (M) after vaccination in both groups. While there was statistically significant negative correlation between steroid dose at time and 3 months after vaccination with antibody titer at 3 months post vaccination in both groups. Conclusion: Nephrotic children in both groups can mount adequate antibody production to pneumococcal vaccine post vaccination, which is equal or higher than 0.35 μg/ml. On low doses of oral steroids and immunosuppressive medications, PCV-infected nephrotic youngsters developed strong protective antibody titers