Ya Quds Academic Cultural News Letter, Issue No. 3

Greetings and a warm welcome to readers of the third issue of Ya Quds!, which is devoted primarily to a conference held at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem on December 3–5, 2016. Entitled “Production of Inequalities: Realities and Prospects for Change in Jerusalem,” the conference stemmed from joint efforts amongst the Centre for Jerusalem Studies, the Department of Philosophy, the Department of Political Science, the Department of Architecture, and the Faculty of Law of Al- Quds University, a collaboration spurred by the importance of the conference theme on local, regional, and global levels. We would like to offer our sincere thanks to all those who helped in preparing for and running the conference. First and foremost, we would like to thank the administration of the Ghussein Education Fund, in particular Dr. Sari Nusseibeh and Dr. Jamal Nusseibeh. Without the Fund’s generous financial support, the conference would not have been possible. We would also like to thank Al-Quds University President Dr. Imad Abu-Kishk and his deputies, Dr. Hasan Dwiek and Dr. Badīc Sartawi, for their ongoing technical and administrative support for the conference. We would further like to thank the Academic Committee for the conference, composed of Dr. Shukri Abed, Dr. Maha Samman, Dr. Amneh Badran, Dr. Omar Yousef, Dr. Yara Saifi, and Dr. Munir Nusseibeh, as well as the Logistics Committee, composed of Dr. Maha Samman, Dr. Muctaz Al-Qutub, Dr. Ashraf Abu Hilal, Ms. Alya Brejiyeh, and Ms. Dima Nusseibeh, along with the staff of the Al-Quds University Public Relations Office, Mr. Ahmad Bahr and Mr. Aubai Abu Sacdah. Likewise, we offer thanks to the staff of the Faculty of Architecture and the Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Abdl-cAzīz Quntar, as well as to Ms. Hana’ cIriqat, for assisting with the financial aspects of the conference, to Ms. Sahar Shehadeh who is the administrator of Al-Ghussein Fund and to our student volunteers who helped in many different ways to ensure everything proceeded smoothly. During the first day of the three-day conference, participants were led by Dr. Omar Yousef on a tour of the Old City and the Silwan area. In his analysis of the situation, Dr. Yousef emphasized the life of the Palestinian residents in these areas and the challenges they face on a daily basis. The academic sessions of the conference were held during the following two days and were attended by scholars and researchers from Palestinian and foreign universities. 5 This issue of Ya Quds! contains a number of the papers presented during the conference, in the hopes that we can focus attention on some of the important issues that reflect inequality in the city of Jerusalem. Special thanks go to all of the panel organizers and speakers for their valuable contributions. We are also appreciative of the editorial review provided by Dr. Joanne Abed for the English-language section of the issue. We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to submit articles for the next issue of this publication, in Arabic or in English, not to exceed 1,200 words each. The deadline for submitting articles is October 20, 2017

Effectiveness of Gum Arabic in Diabetes and its Complications: A Narrative Review

Gum Arabic (GA) is a gummy exudation from Acacia species, rich in soluble fibers. It is a dietary fiber used traditionally by the natives of many countries of the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, and India as therapeutic natural product for treating various diseases including kidney diseases, impotence, obesity, and epilepsy. Diabetes represent a global health problem causing many complications and health risk to people of different ages. The current study aimed at identifying the role of Gum Arabic in treating diseases especially diabetes. Many studies have been conducted on the role of Gum Arabic in experimentally induced diabetes as well as randomized clinical studies. This narrative review was written based on a database search in common libraries such as PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus. The libraries were searched for English articles published between 1995 and 2020 focusing on the role of Gum Arabic in different preclinical and clinical trials of early and advanced level of diabetes. Keywords: Gum Arabic, diabetes, animals, human, nanoparticle

Pollution and health risk assessment of co-existing microplastics and heavy metals in urban dust of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia

Microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals have recently attracted much attention due to their widespread distribution in the environment. Co-occurrence of MPs and heavy metals in dust poses potential health risks for humans. The objectives of this study were to investigate pollution and health risk factors associated with co-occurring MPs and heavy metals in urban dust. Here, 20 dust samples (both indoor and outdoor environments) were collected from different places in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia using sweeping method. The MPs were separated from dust samples via density separation using ZnCl2 Microscopic techniques were used to investigate MPs while inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry was used heavy metals analyses in the collected samples. The results of the study showed that all the collected dust samples were contaminated with MPs of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Fragment-shaped MPs were the most dominant, followed by granules, fibers, and lines, while the majority of the MP particles were red and black. Furthermore, the size distribution analyses demonstrated that particles above 1,000 µm were abundant. Also, the number of MPs was in the range of 20 particles g-1 to 1,052 particles g-1. Human exposure estimations showed that toddlers could inhale more MPs (0.86 MPs particles kg-1 day-1 and 312.93 particles kg-1 year-1) than children, teenagers, and adults. In addition, the concentrations of heavy metals varied from one site to another, however, the average concentrations were lower than their corresponding values in the guidelines (except for Zn). The integrated potential ecological risk in dust samples was characterized as a low-risk criterion. The enrichment factor for Zn in dust samples at all sites was more than 2, indicating a major contamination concern and anthropogenic sources responsible for the existence of Zn. The estimated hazard quotient indicates that children and adults are saved from the adverse effects of dust inhalation in the studied area. These findings could serve as a preliminary step for efficient pollution management and environmental quality maintenance in Riyadh

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

An Analysis into the Temporal Variations of Ground Level Ozone in the Arid Climate of Makkah Applying k-means Algorithms

Analysis of temporal variations helps identify the time when an air pollutant is more likely to exceed the air quality standards. This paper characterises the temporal variations of ground level ozone (O3) in Makkah. In addition to graphical presentations, like time variation plots, this paper applies k-means algorithm to test its applicability for analysing the diurnal cycles of O3. Diurnal, weekly and seasonal variations in O3 concentrations are analysed using data for 2012. O3 data for 1997 - 2007 are used to investigate the annual cycle ofO3. The average annual cycle shows the highest concentration in September and lowest in December. O3 concentrations are lower in colder months probably due to lower solar radiation levels, whereas unexpectedly highest O3 concentrations are observed in September. O3 levels decline in the hottest months - June and July probably due to chemical and biophysical feedbacks. Furthermore, O3 diurnal cycles are clustered into 4 and 12 subgroups using k-means algorithm. The clusters are considerably different from the monthly and seasonal diurnal cycles, probably because of the anomalies found in various months or seasons that biases the average cycles. These anomalies are addressed by k-means algorithm putting them into a separate group

Kaolinite-Composited Biochar and Hydrochar as Low-Cost Adsorbents for the Removal of Cadmium, Copper, Lead, and Zinc from Aqueous Solutions

During the last decade, due to an increase in anthropogenic activities, a higher environmental accumulation of heavy metals has been found, which has resulted in disturbed biogeochemical balance. Many kinds of remediation techniques have been practiced to mitigate heavy metal toxicity in the aqueous phase; however, adsorption is the most commonly accepted technique for efficient heavy metal removal. In this study, conocarpus waste was pretreated with 0%, 10%, and 20% kaolinite and pyrolyzed at 600 °C for 1 h to synthesize biochars (BC, BCK10, and BCK20, respectively), while hydrothermalized at 200 °C for 6 h to synthesize hydrochars (HC, HCK10, and HCK20, respectively). After characterization, synthesized materials were employed for the removal of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) from contaminated water. Experimental data was further subjected to isotherm and kinetic models to estimate the adsorption mechanism. Among all the tested adsorbents, kaolinite-synthesized materials revealed comparatively higher adsorption compared to pristine materials. It was found that pH 7 was optimum for the maximum removal of tested heavy metals. Adsorption of tested heavy metals was well explained by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, while pseudo-second order and Elovich kinetics models fitted well for adsorption kinetics. The maximum adsorption capacity, as predicted by the Langmuir isotherm, was the highest for BCK20 (63.19 mg g−1 for Cd, 228.05 mg g−1 for Cu, 248.33 mg g−1 for Pb, and 45.79 mg g−1 for Zn) compared to the other tested materials, and for HCK20 (31.93 mg g−1 for Cd, 181.78 mg g−1 for Cu, 231.85 mg g−1 for Pb, and 45.72 mg g−1), it was higher than pristine HC. Isotherm and kinetics modeling data indicated that multiple mechanisms were involved in Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn removal, such as chemisorption and electrostatic interactions. The amount of oxygen-containing surface functional groups and SiO2 particles could be responsible for the maximum adsorption of heavy metals by BCK20 and HCK20. Our findings suggest that biochar, hydrochar, and their kaolinite-modified composites possess the excellent potential to remove heavy metals from contaminated aqueous media, and could be further applied to treat wastewater to mitigate heavy metal toxicity for a sustainable environment

Effectiveness of Gum Arabic in Diabetes and its Complications: A Narrative Review

Gum Arabic (GA) is a gummy exudation from Acacia species, rich in soluble fibers. It is a dietary fiber used traditionally by the natives of many countries of the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, and India as therapeutic natural product for treating various diseases including kidney diseases, impotence, obesity, and epilepsy. Diabetes represent a global health problem causing many  complications and health risk to people of different ages. The current study aimed at identifying the role of Gum Arabic in treating diseases especially diabetes. Many studies have been conducted on the role of Gum Arabic in experimentally induced diabetes as well as randomized clinical studies. This narrative review was written based on a database search in common libraries such as PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus. The libraries were searched for English articles published between 1995 and 2020 focusing on the role of Gum Arabic in different preclinical and clinical trials of early and advanced level of diabetes

Impacts of kaolinite enrichment on biochar and hydrochar characterization, stability, toxicity, and maize germination and growth

Abstract In this study, biochar (BC) and hydrochar (HC) composites were synthesized with natural kaolinite clay and their properties, stability, carbon (C) sequestration potential, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) toxicity, and impacts on maize germination and growth were explored. Conocarpus waste was pretreated with 0%, 10%, and 20% kaolinite and pyrolyzed to produce BCs (BC, BCK10, and BCK20, respectively), while hydrothermalized to produce HCs (HC, HCK10, and HCK20, respectively). The synthesized materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope analyses, Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, surface area, proximate analyses, and chemical analysis to investigate the distinction in physiochemical and structural characteristics. The BCs showed higher C contents (85.73–92.50%) as compared to HCs (58.81–61.11%). The BCs demonstrated a higher thermal stability, aromaticity, and C sequestration potential than HCs. Kaolinite enriched-BCs showed the highest cation exchange capacity than pristine BC (34.97% higher in BCK10 and 38.04% higher in BCK20 than pristine BC), while surface area was the highest in kaolinite composited HCs (202.8% higher in HCK10 and 190.2% higher in HCK20 than pristine HC). The recalcitrance index (R50) speculated a higher recalcitrance for BC, BCK10, and BCK20 (R50 > 0.7), minimal degradability for HCK10 and HCK20 (0.5 < R50 < 0.7), and higher degradability for biomass and HC (R50 < 0.5). Overall, increasing the kaolinite enrichment percentage significantly enhanced the thermal stability and C sequestration potential of charred materials, which may be attributed to changes in the structural arrangements. The ∑ total PAHs concentration in the synthesized materials were below the USEPA’s suggested limits, indicating their safe use as soil amendments. Germination indices reflected positive impacts of synthesized charred materials on maize germination and growth. Therefore, we propose that kaolinite-composited BCs and HCs could be considered as efficient and cost-effective soil amendments for improving plant growth

Microplastic-Assisted Removal of Phosphorus and Ammonium Using Date Palm Waste Derived Biochar

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging environmental pollutants worldwide, posing potential health risks. Moreover, MPs may act as vectors for other contaminants and affect their fate, transport, and deposition in the environment. Therefore, efficient and economical techniques are needed for the removal of contemporary MPs and contaminants from the environment. The present research study investigated the sorption of phosphorus (P) and ammonium (NH4+) onto date palm waste-derived biochar (BC) from an aqueous solution in the presence of polyamide (PA) and polyethylene (PE) MPs. The BC was prepared at 600 °C, characterized for physio-chemical properties, and applied for P and NH4+ removal via isotherm and kinetic sorption trials. The results of the sorption trials demonstrated the highest removal of NH4+ and P was obtained at neutral pH 7. The highest P sorption (93.23 mg g−1) by BC was recorded in the presence of PA, while the highest NH4+ sorption (103.76 mg g−1) was found with co-occurring PE in an aqueous solution. Sorption isotherm and kinetics models revealed that P and NH4+ removal by MP-amended BC followed chemisorption, electrostatic interaction, precipitation, diffusion, and ion exchange mechanisms. Overall, co-existing PA enhanced the removal of P and NH4+ by 66% and 7.7%, respectively, while co-existing PE increased the removal of P and NH4+ by 55% and 30%, respectively, through the tested BC. Our findings suggested that converting date palm waste into BC could be used as a competent and economical approach to removing P and NH4+ from contaminated water. Furthermore, microplastics such as PE and PA could assist in the removal of P and NH4+ from contaminated water using BC