Epidemiology and spatiotemporal analysis of visceral leishmaniasis in Palestine from 1990 to 2017

Objectives: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a deadly disease endemic in all countries around the Mediterranean Sea. In Palestine, VL is transmitted to humans from infected dogs by a sandfly bite. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology and spatiotemporal pattern of VL in Palestine within a period of 27 years (1990–2017). Methods: A long-term descriptive epidemiological study on human VL was conducted based on patient's profiles to calculated disease prevalence, geographical, spatiotemporal and seasonal distribution, distribution by age and gender, diagnosis, treatment, and treatment outcome. Results: A total of 343 patients were reported, the average annual incidence rate was 0.73 case/100 000 population. Most cases came from the western parts of the West Bank. The number of reported males was 162 (51%), and patient’s age ranged from 4 months to 16 years (average 2.5 years), of which 93.3% were 5 years old. The annual incidence rate increased between 1993–1999, peaked in 1995, and dropped as from 2002. The future projections of VL indicate that the endemic foci in most governorates are projected to disappear in the future and only the very northwest of the West Bank will be at risk of VL. Conclusions: Visceral leishmaniasis continues to be endemic in the West Bank but not the Gaza Strip. Pentavalent antimonial sodium stibogluconate continues to be the first line treatment and physicians are recommended to consider liposomal Amphotericin B (AmBisome) for refractory patients only. Geographical, spatiotemporal and seasonal trends of VL were identified.Funding source The author did not receive any specific fund for this research. Acknowledgements The author would like to thank the Palestinian Ministry of Health and the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) for their support. Many thanks for Prof. Marcus Frohme and Miss Olga Moskalenko for their help in spatiotemporal analysis. Many thanks also to Dr. Omar Najjar for reading and editing of the manuscript

Treatment of Petroleum Refinery Wastewater using Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) Reactor

The project is to study the treatment of petroleum refinery's wastewater using upflow anaerobic sludge blanket, and the experiment was carried out in a laboratory scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) with a volume of 5 liters. The study of removal efficiency of COD and alkalinity has been studied in addition to the volatile fatty acid (VFA) and methane gas collection. In this study the UASB was used for treating wastewater from a petroleum refinery, where the current system used at the refinery is activated sludge system. The UASB was able to achieve an average of 70% removal of COD with an effluent concentration of 90 mg/l, 30% removal of alkalinity, whereas the influent concentration of COD is average of 450 mg/l. The experiment was conducted under different hydraulic retention times (HRT), starting with 5 days hydraulic retention time, and then changed to 4 days HRT to check the removal efficiencies under different condition. At 4 days HRT the highest removal efficiency for the COD was obtained and the reactor had acted significantly. Finally the HRT was changed into 3 days HRT, and more test results were conducted for more analysis and investigation

Knowledge and awareness of radiation hazards among Palestinian radio technologists

This study investigated 94.4% of Palestinian radio technologists and the mean percentage of correct answers for knowledge and awareness questions was 26.4%. The percentage of correct answers for questions testing knowledge of the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle and hormesis hypothesis was 66.5% and 17.2%, respectively. Radio technologists with education level higher than bachelor degree and < 5 years' work experience showed a significantly higher level of knowledge. The most radiosensitive organs were correctly identified as the lungs and stomach by 6.9% and 4.9%, respectively, and 2.5% correctly identified the gonads as the next most radiosensitive organ. There was a serious deficit in knowledge and awareness of radiation hazards among Palestinian radio technologists, which may expose patients to unnecessary doses of ionizing radiation. This indicates the need for mandatory training and education about radiation protection in all Palestinian healthcare institutions.Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Dr. Abed A. Sabbah, for his assistance with the statistical analysis, and Dr. Hussein A. Sharkh and Dr. Tewfeik Al-Jundi for their invaluable detailed advices on radiation and medical imaging. We are grateful to Miss Sarah Whitear for English language editing. Funding: None

The Functionality of Lexical Patterns in Achieving Written Text Unity in English as a Foreign Language General Writing at Omar Ibn Al Khatab Secondary School in Jordan

This research paper aims at exploring the functionality of lexical patterns in achieving written text unity in English as a foreign language general writing at secondary school level in Jordan b in general and in secondary school for boys at Omar Ibn Al Khatab Jordan at Al Qaser Directorate of Education in particular.Sample consists of 20 students selected randomly. In order to achieve the study’s objectives two research instruments used namely; Hoey's (1991) Matrix of Lexical Patterning. Quantitative data analysis results are expressed Keywords: Lexical Patterns, Repetition Jordan. Foreign language DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-26-06 Publication date:September 30th 2019

Dialogue and Symbolism in Hemingway’s the Old Man and the Sea (Dialogue) and Hills Like White Elephants (Symbolism) from Mu'tah University Students' Perspective

This research paper aims at investigating the extent of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea of being a dialogue novel and Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants as a novel of symbolism from Mut’ah University students’ perspective. A thorough evaluation of the novels was conducted, examining dialogue in the first story and symbolism in the second story. A qualitative approach was used to collect data. Structured interviews were conducted with seven students from Mu’tah University, Faculty of Arts in Karak, Jordan. The participant students were selected randomly to be the sample for the study. The interviewees were asked about their thinking in regard to dialogue and symbolism in the study’s participated novels.  A questionnaire with open-ended items was utilized for this purpose. Data analysis confirmed that the Old Man and the Sea is a novel built on dialogue, and Hills Like White Elephants is a novel of symbols. Keywords: Hemingway, Old Man and the Sea, Hills Like White Elephants, Dialogue, Symbolism DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/60-05 Publication date:September 30th 201

Remote beehive monitoring using acoustic signals

Recent developments in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have led to their use in remote data acquisition and automatic data analysis applications, which have proven to be an invaluable tool in a diverse range of fields including biosecurity. Further indications have been found that honeybee health can be monitored and determined through the use of acoustic analysis. In this paper, we present a system that has the ability to remotely detect the presence of pest infestation on a colony of honeybees by comparing the acoustic fingerprint of a hive to a fingerprint of known status. This will aid the goals of increasing surveillance programs by reducing the labour time and costs that are associated with managing and maintaining monitoring programs. Other benefits of the system proposed in this article include the ability to make available a collection of deterministic, standardised and nondiscriminatory statistical data for the purpose of research into determining the causes of colony collapse disorder

Urogenital Myiasis Caused by Psychoda albipennis in a Female Child in Libya

Urogenital myiasis is a parasitic infestation caused by larvae of Psychoda spp. and it is very rare in humans. A 10- year old female was presented with urogenital myiasis and 4th stage Larvae of Psychoda albipennis (Diptera: Psychodidae) were found in urine. The patient was complained of painful sensation, discomfort and burning while urination. Urinary tract antiseptics were prescribed for the patient and advised to drink plenty of water for hydration. Local health authorities should take proper measures to maintain hygienic conditions for the people under risk

Treatment of Petroleum Refinery Wastewater using Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) Reactor

The project is to study the treatment of petroleum refinery's wastewater using upflow anaerobic sludge blanket, and the experiment was carried out in a laboratory scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) with a volume of 5 liters. The study of removal efficiency of COD and alkalinity has been studied in addition to the volatile fatty acid (VFA) and methane gas collection. In this study the UASB was used for treating wastewater from a petroleum refinery, where the current system used at the refinery is activated sludge system. The UASB was able to achieve an average of 70% removal of COD with an effluent concentration of 90 mg/l, 30% removal of alkalinity, whereas the influent concentration of COD is average of 450 mg/l. The experiment was conducted under different hydraulic retention times (HRT), starting with 5 days hydraulic retention time, and then changed to 4 days HRT to check the removal efficiencies under different condition. At 4 days HRT the highest removal efficiency for the COD was obtained and the reactor had acted significantly. Finally the HRT was changed into 3 days HRT, and more test results were conducted for more analysis and investigation

Clustring for competitiveness in the SME'S in Hebron/ A structural Equation Modeling Analysis (SEM)

Hebron city is known as “Khalil Al-Rahman City”. It‟s numerous features are unique and have made it a significant destination for tourists from all over the world. Hebron also it contains many traditional craft industries, which include shoes and leather industry. Working in a cluster is an efficient and effective way to enhance the competitiveness of shoes and leather firms. Firms in the cluster area have greater ability to access larger local markets, and they are encouraged to be more innovative because there is rivalry amongst firms in the cluster. There are two main motivators for doing this thesis. First, this thesis aims to map the existing cluster in the leather & shoe sector as a tool to improve its competitiveness. Second, the study aimed to identify and determine the factors of competitiveness of the SMEs working in processing the leather & shoe sector in Hebron and determine the factors that need improvements in order to improve the level of competitiveness of these SMEs. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods- mixed methodologywas used in this research. The researcher randomly selected and distributed 131 questionnaires to the companies working in the shoes and leather sector. The questionnaire was addressed to the owner/manager of the firms that were selected. The results of the research show that the Palestinian shoes and leather cluster sector is vital and strong and the performance of shoes and leather firms working within the cluster is very vital and strong. Additionally, the results show a positive and strong relationship between working in a cluster and enhanced competitiveness achieved through this technique. Working in a cluster has been shown to promote productivity, innovation and competition in a number of ways, e.g., the reduced cost of sharing resources, the critical mass created by having a pool of specialized skills, expertise and value-added products. The cluster also enhances economic foundations such as a skilled workforce, research and development capacity and infrastructure; and thus creates assets such as trust, synergy, collaboration and cooperation, which are all essential for competitiveness and business sustainability