Heavy Metal Contamination of Roadside Topsoil in North East Jordan

Environmental pollution of heavy metals from automobiles has attained much attention in the recent past, a study of heavy metals in roadside soils is critical in assessing the potential environmental impacts of automobile emission on soil. The present research was conducted to study heavy metals contamination in roadside soils of Mafraq-Zarqa highway in Jordan. The soil samples were collected and analyzed for the levels of Mn, Ni, Cu, Pb, Cd and Zn using flam atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The results showed that all heavy metals except Mn are lower than other studies. Results indicate the decreasing order of the average total metals content for the studied metals: Mn> Zn > Cu > Ni> Pb> Cd, higher levels of heavy metals east of the roadside were due to the westerly prevailing wind at the sampling site. The contamination decreased with distance from off the edge of the roadside and dropped to background level at about 60m west, also the contamination of the top soil was higher than the lower soil, finally the levels of heavy metals increased with increasing traffic densities and furthermore, they reached elevated levels in urban areas. Keywords: Roadside, Soil, Heavy Metal, Mafraq,Zarqa, Jordan

The perception and practice of silence in Australian and Jordanian societies : a socio-pragmatic study

The willingness to understand the perception and practice of silence is currently receiving an increasing amount of attention in the literature on sociolinguistics and pragmatics. This study aims to investigate silence as perceived and practised by speakers of Australian English and Jordanian Arabic in casual conversation from a socio-pragmatic perspective. It also attempts to anticipate processes in which silence can be created and used in the mainstream of communication. In addition, it identifies problems in perceiving and practising silence in both cultures. The present study also looks at gender differences in both societies. Ethnographic and qualitative data were drawn from in-depth interviews, observations, and video and audio recordings. The data were collected from the North of Jordan and Western Australia. The participants of the study were 24 university students (undergraduates): twelve males and 12 females in both countries. The participants of the study were divided into two main groups: friends and people who were unacquainted. The dyadic conversations lasted for 30 minutes each. These conversations were video-taped. Ninety seconds from the beginning, 90 seconds from the middle, and 90 seconds from the end of each conversation were analysed. Praat software was used to detect the period of silence in conversations. The data analysis drew on Sacks et al’s (1974) turn-taking model, Halliday’s notion of context of situation, and Conversation Analysis. The findings of the study demonstrate that silence is significant and meaningful. It frames and structures the conversation between the interlocutors. Silence has sociolinguistic functions, and pragmatic functions which includes polite functions and discourse functions. In addition, silence is not opposite to speech. They complement each other. It has also been discovered that there are longer silences in conversations between friends rather than between people who are unacquainted. Silence is awkward in conversation between strangers, because the interlocutors are not familiar with each other. In addition, in the same–sex conversations, women practise more silences, as they feel more comfortable. There are many similarities between Jordanian and Australian speakers in perceiving and practising silence in social settings. This assumption supports the Universal Grammar of socio-pragmatic practice of silence in interpersonal communication. The results of the study contribute to an understanding of the perception and practice of silence in both societies. Practical suggestions for interpreting silence and future research are also identified

The Objectives of Educational and Scientific Researches

This study aims to identify the goals of scientific research for faculties' members at Al-Albayt University, and the impact of social status, college, academic rank, and years of experience, the nature of work, the origin of graduation, and the level of faculty members' interest into the objectives of scientific research. A surveyed   sample consisted of (113) faculty members; the study conclude the following results: The level of interest in the goals of scientific research generally is average. The Study also showed no statistically significant variation in the level of interest to the objectives of scientific research due to the social status, college, years of experience, the nature of work, and the origin of graduation. This study also showed the presence of statistically significant variation in the level of interest to the objectives of scientific research due to the variable academic ranks, specifically ranks of Assistant Professor, and professor. The researcher recommended the need to activate the role of the university in scientific research to provide financial and moral support to the faculty's member to increase communication with the local community and find solutions to the problems faced during scientific research. Key words: scientific research, the goals of scientific research, faculty member, Al al-Bayt Universit

The academic supervisor’s Role in the Advancement of the Schools' Curricula based on Secondary Schools Teachers' Perspective at the Directorate of– Almafraq – Jordan

This Study aims to identify the role of the educational supervisor in curriculum development from the point of view of the teachers from secondary schools in the Education Directorate of Mafraq- district in Jordan, and the impact of the Gender, experience in defining the role of the educational supervisor in curriculum development. A study sample consisted of (97) teachers. That study concluded the following results: that there is a role for the supervisor in the development of educational curricula, in the area of the results indicated that the objectives show that the educational supervisor is aware of the importance of the educational goals,  consequently, that objective got high score. The area of planning results has shown that the role of the supervisor in this area is vital from most teachers’ perspectives. The results of the study showed no statistically significant differences attributable to gender while results indicated the presence of significant differences due to the variable experience. The experience of more than five years. Based on the results, the study recommends the following: increasing the activation of teacher’s training programs on the new curriculum by supervisors, and emphasizing the role of supervisor as a leader in the development of educational curricula. Key Terms: Academic Supervisor – Curricula – Developmen

Self-translation: a faithful rendition or a rewriting process? Haikal’s Autumn of Fury as an example

This study aims to investigate if self-translation is a true interpretation of a Source Text (ST) into a Target Text (TT), or if it is in fact a rewriting process. The study examines Haikal’s self-translation of a book titled ‘Autumn of Fury: The Assassination of Sadat’. This self-translation is used as an example due to the modifications and changes made by Haikal, and examines to what extent the translator is faithful to his ST (English version). For the purpose of this study, fifteen examples have been selected from Haikal's version of Autumn of Fury. They are then analysed and compared to their Arabic translations (TT), and the differences are highlighted and discussed. The selected examples include words, phrases, sentences, and sometimes whole paragraphs. The study relies on Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as a theoretical framework to uncover the hidden ideologies and attitudes behind the modification, manipulation, or rewriting of the ST into Arabic. These examples are analysed from linguistic, political and ideological perspectives. The study finds that Haikal’s self-translation of Autumn of Fury into Arabic was actually a rewriting process rather than a translation process, and that a new book is almost recreated out of the original

The Use of GIS and Leachability Tests to Investigate Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution from Oil Shale Utilization at Lajjoun Area/Southern Jordan

Jordan is a country that faces "absolute water scarcity" and may not be able to meet its water needs by the year 2025. Groundwater is the major water resource for many areas of the country and the only source of water in some areas. Most of the groundwater basins in Jordan are already exploited beyond their estimated safe yield. Groundwater is the second largest contributor to the irrigation sector and is the largest source for domestic consumption. Jordan also has a huge amount of oil shale that exists in the Southern and Eastern parts of the country. It is estimated that Jordan has a reserve of 50 billion tons of oil shale. The oil shale deposits in these locations are shallow and near the surface and can be utilized by the open cut mining method. The ash is considered one of the most important factors in selecting the suitable and more economical utilization technology for Jordanian oil shale. Oil shale ash is considered one of the main environmental challenges and a barrier which stands on the way of developing oil shale industry in Jordan. The main concern in this case is that ash might reach nearby surface water and/ or leach to groundwater recourses in the area. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of pollution of groundwater resources in Lajjoun area/ Southern Jordan as a result of oil shale development. It assessed groundwater vulnerability to pollution using GIS and DRASTIC index in combination with chemical analysis and leachability tests conducted on oil shale ash that might result from two possible utilizations of oil shale; producing electricity through direct burning of oil shale and extracting oil from oil shale. It was found that Lajjoun area has a moderate groundwater vulnerability to pollution. Yet, the leachabilty tests showed that there will be huge amounts of Fe, Cr, Cd, Pb, Al and Pb as possible leachates to groundwater for both types of oil shale utilizations; oil extraction and electricity generation

The Effect of Utilizing Microbiological Parameters on Water Quality Index Values Implemented at Wadi Al-Arab Dam Reservoir, North-Jordan.

The aims of this study are to investigate the effect of using microbiological parameters, particularly Escherichia coli on water quality index values that has been implemented at Wadi Al-Arab Dam Reservoir (WADR) in Northern Jordan and to evaluate its water suitability for domestic purposes. For these purposes, the study period from January 2009 through December 2014, one sample on a monthly basis was used in the calculation of WQI. Firstly, computed the WQI for the seventy two samples that were analyzed for different physico-chemical parameters such as pH, Electrical Conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids, Total Suspended Solids, ions of Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Chloride, Sulfate, Bicarbonate, Ammonium, Nitrite and Nitrate in various  seasons (winter, spring, summer and autumn). Secondly, performing the previous calculations taking into account the Escherichia coli (species of bacteria) counts. The analyzed results (by WQI method) have been used to depicting water quality for the two approaches. Based on physico-chemical parameters, the calculated values for WQI over the 6-year study period from 2009 to 2014 were 83.4, 80.6, 59.33, 78.0, 89.3, and 85.4, respectively. On the other hand, the WQI values were 41.7, 40.1, 43.5, 44.2, 51.0 and 44.7, respectively, as a result of incorporated microbiological parameters in WQI calculations that significantly contribute to decrease the WQI values over the 6-year study period. The analysis shows that the water quality rank of the (WADR) is varies from good to marginal based on physico-chemical parameters only, and from poor to marginal based on physico-chemical and microbiological parameters. In comparison with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Jordanian Standards (JS 286:2008). The results signify that the (WADR) is not polluted based on the physical and chemical characteristics of water. However, from microbiological perspective the water is not safe for domestic use and needs further treatment. Keywords: reservoir, seasonality, Irbid, Wadi Al-Arab Dam, Water Quality Index, microbiology, Jordan

Sons, daughters, and arab-american family dynamics: does a child\u27s gender matter?

SONS, DAUGHTERS, AND ARAB-AMERICAN FAMILY DYNAMICS: DOES A CHILD\u27S GENDER MATTER? by SANAA ALHARAHSHEH December 2011 Advisor: Dr. Mary Sengstock Major: Sociology Degree:Doctor of Philosophy Gender differences exist in families in all societies and cultures, but expectations are often different from one society/culture to another. Children\u27s gender and its implications for family behavior have recently received a great deal of scholarly attention, especially in western societies; however, the influence of a child\u27s gender on Arab-American family dynamics has not been investigated. Therefore, this study is the first to examine the impact of the gender of the child in selected Arab-American family dynamics. This study specifically investigates the effect of gender ratio, children\u27s gender composition, and parents\u27 gender preferences with regard to children on family size, parental involvement with children, allocating household work to children, and marital quality. A cross-sectional quantitative research design was employed, using a convenient sample (N=200) of Arab-American parents in families who have at least two children under 18 years old at home and reside in the tri-county area (Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland counties) of Greater Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan to assess the relationship between gender ratio, gender preference , and gender composition, and selected family dynamics, such as family size, parental involvement with children, allocating household work to children, and marital quality. Hierarchical linear multiple regression analysis was used to test the research hypotheses and the analysis results indicated that gender preferences and gender composition do predict family size. Specifically, parents with a boy preference are more likely to have larger families than parents with a girl and balanced preferences, or an indifferent preference; and parents with only girls\u27 sibship are more likely to have more children than parents with mixed genders. Nevertheless, parents with only boys\u27 sibships are less likely to have larger families than parents with mixed genders. Age of parents and age at marriage are also significant predictors of family size. In addition, gender ratio and gender composition (mixed genders) of the children significantly predict parental involvement with children. Number of children, fathers\u27 education, average age of children, and fathers\u27 age were also significant predictors of parental involvement with children. Further, the results showed that household work is somewhat gender-segregated in the Arab-American families who were studied. Girls, overall do more household work than boys; girls do more indoor work than boys while boys do more outdoor than girls; and parents with mixed genders are more likely to display gender stereotype when allocating household chores to children. This sex-linked assignment of children\u27 household work becomes more intense as the child matures (average age of children increases) and when parents hold to more traditional gender ideology attitudes. Finally, gender composition is a significant predictor of marital quality. Parents with only boys and with mixed genders are more likely to report positive marital quality than parents with only girls. Further, marital quality increases when fathers participate more in family activities. On the other hand, marital quality decreases as the average age of children increases. Additional research is needed to further study the impact of the gender of the child on Arab-American family dynamics

A fundamental investigation into the microwave assisted leaching of sulphide minerals

Microwave assisted leaching has been investigated in an attempt to improve both the yield of extracted metal and reduce processing time. This is especially pertinent in view of the increased demands for metal and more environmentally friendly processes. This work reports a fundamental study on the influence of microwave energy on the dissolution of sulphide minerals. Chalcopyrite and sphalerite were chosen as model materials due to their economic importance and the diversity of their heating behaviour in a microwave field (chalcopyrite being an excellent microwave heater and sphalerite being an extremely poor microwave receptor). Chalcopyrite leaching has been carried out in ferric sulphate and ferric chloride under both microwave and conventional conditions. Conventionally, it was found that chalcopyrite dissolution in ferric sulphate seems to be limited by surface reaction control. More importantly, it has been shown that specific fracture planes on chalcopyrite particle surfaces experience selective leaching, which was revealed by SEM and ToF-SIMS surface analysis. The preferential attack on particular planes is speculated to be linked to different chemistry of some cleavage planes within the chalcopyrite crystal. In the ferric chloride system, however, it was found that cupric chloride, a reaction product of chalcopyrite with ferric sulphate, may play an important role in the dissolution process. Leaching of both chalcopyrite and sphalerite in ferric sulphate under microwave conditions has shown enhanced recoveries of metal values compared to that produced conventionally. It has been demonstrated that the enhanced copper recovery from chalcopyrite during microwave treatment is as a result of the selective heating of the mineral particles over the solution which was found to be highly lossy. In addition, it is suggested that high loss leaching solutions will develop a superheated layer close to the periphery of the reaction vessel (due to the small penetration depth) which creates localised heating compared to the bulk solution temperature. The enhanced recovery of zinc from sphalerite seems to occur as a result of only the presence of the superheated layer. If leaching takes place within this layer, an apparent rate increase will be noted with respect to the measured bulk temperature. The hypotheses of selective heating (for chalcopyrite) and the effect of penetration depth (for chalcopyrite and sphalerite) were supported by the negligible difference between the activation energy values under microwave and conventional conditions for both chalcopyrite and sphalerite. Furthermore, the measurements of dielectric properties of the leaching solutions have shown that such solutions are highly lossy and characterised by a penetration depth of an order of about 3 mm. Finally, numerical electromagnetic simulations showed that chalcopyrite particles could be heated selectively when micro-waved within highly lossy leaching solutions due to their high conductivity. It is concluded that the dielectric properties of both the solid and liquid phases, the dimensions of the reactor and the position of solid particles within the reactor determine the leaching outcome. More importantly, it is likely that the enhanced recoveries observed are not likely to be as a result of a so called "non-thermal microwave effect" but rather as a result of thermal effects

Thermodynamic analysis on the thermal treatment of spent alkaline batteries-PVC blends under inert conditions

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and Spent Alkaline Batteries (SAB) are produced and accumulated in large quantities. The absence of a sustainable recycling route for these wastes amidst a circular economy era makes it important to find a potential coupling route of their waste streams into useful products. Herein, the behaviour of zinc, manganese, and iron were tracked through a thermodynamics calculation of the thermal treatment of PVC mixed with SAB followed with a thermodynamic assessment of the leaching of the pyrolysis residues. thermodynamics calculations suggest that zinc and manganese can be extracted with a percentage of up to 100% if PVC is thermally treated with water washed SAB under pyrolytic conditions at a temperature of 300 °C. The residues from the thermal treatment (rich in zinc and manganese chlorides) should be then water leached (pH = 5 – 6) to recover Zn2+ and Mn2+. Water washing of the SAB should help in suppressing the extraction of both sodium and potassium as they can be omitted from the reaction system when SAB is washed with water. However, the major drawback under the conditions above is that iron will still be extracted with zinc and manganese which can potentially cause complications in the separation at a further stage. Nonetheless, this work lays the foundation for further studies (theoretical and experimental) related to the extraction of zinc and manganese from SAB by means of thermally treating it with waste PVC