The Relationship between Trauma due to Winter Storm Alexa, PTSD, Mental Health of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip

Aim: This study investigated the relationship between trauma due to winter storm Alexa, PTSD and other mental health problems of Palestinian in Gaza Strip. Method: The sample consisted of 105 males (50%) and 105 females (50%) selected from three of the most affected areas by flooding in 2014 due to Alexa storm in Gaza Strip. Participants age range was 20-65 years, with a mean age 40.88 (SD = 9.8), with a mean age of years. Mental health status was assessed by a sociodemographic scale, the Trauma Due to Flood Scale, PTSD scale, and General Health Questionnaire (28 items). Results: Mean traumatic events experienced were 7.8. There were no statistically significant differences between males and females in reporting traumatic events. Mean post-traumatic stress disorder was 18.65, re-experiences symptoms was 6.4, avoidance symptoms was 5.7 and mean arousal symptoms was 5.73. The study showed that 34.8% reported full criteria of PTSD. There were no statistically significant differences in PTSD total scores and subscales and sex of participants. Mean GHQ-28 was 12.12, somatization mean was 3.21, anxiety was 3.31, social dysfunction was 3.34, and depression was 2.27, 91% of the participants were rated as psychiatric morbidity cases and need further investigation. Males significantly scored more in social dysfunction than females. Traumatic events were significantly correlated with PTSD and general mental health and all subscales. Conclusion and implications: This study has important implications for need of establishing and implementing psychosocial intervention programs for in the Gaza Strip not only for those victims of political violence but also for people exposed to other types of traumatic events such as natural disasters

PROFITABILITY AND RISK IN RELATION TO CREDIT MONITORING AND RECOVERY STRATEGIES OF PALESTINIAN COMMERCIAL BANKING SYSTEM

Purpose of Study: This study implemented an empirical investigation for the relationship between credit risk management and profitability of commercial banks in Palestine over the period of 3years (2015-2018), ten commercial banks were selected. Methodology: The financial theory was employed to create the research model; Return on Asset (ROA) is defined as proxies of profitability while credit monitoring (LLPI) is defined as proxies of credit risk management.  Panel model analysis was used to estimate the determination of the profit function. Results: Statistical results revealed that the relationship between the credit monitoring and commercial banks profitability is negative significant (β= -3.419, P ˂ 0.05). Therefore, the results improve that LLPI has a significant effect on Palestinian commercial banks profitability's

Exposure to war traumatic experiences, post traumatic growth and resilience among university students in Gaza

Aim: This study aimed to establish the association between war traumatic experiences, post traumatic growth and resilience among universities students in the Gaza Strip after war on Gaza. Method: The sample consisted of 381 randomly selected student's representing the four major universities in Gaza Strip. Students completed the following self-rated questionnaires: Gaza Traumatic Events Checklist, Resilience scale, and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Data collection was done on March -April 2015. Results: Participants reported a range of traumatic events; the highest frequencies reported traumatic events were watching mutilated bodies in TV (94.5%), hearing shelling of the area by artillery (92.4%), hearing the loud voice of drone’s motors (87.4%), and inhalation of bad smells due to bombardment (78.7%). While, the least common traumatic experiences were: hearing killing of a friend (11%), and being arrested during the land incursion witnessing (18.9%). Mean traumatic events reported by universities students were 10 events. While, 6% reported mild, 36% moderate and 58% severe traumatic events. Male students reported more traumatic events than females. Mean post traumatic growth was 67.34, appreciation of life was 7.17, new possibilities were 12.25, the personal strength was 10.62, and spiritual change was 6.82. Males had significantly more post traumatic growth than females and females had significantly more spiritual changes than males. For resilience, mean resilience was 55, personal competence was 22.32, positive acceptance was 13.49, trust in one's instincts was 16.30, control was 7.96, and spiritual influences were 7.31.There were gender differences on resilience subscale. Males had significantly more positive acceptance than females, trust in others, control, spiritual influences, and females had significantly more spiritual changes than males. Traumatic events had no association with post traumatic growth and total resilience. However, resilience was positively correlated with post traumatic growth. Conclusion: Universities students still experienced high levels of distress few months following war on Gaza, although they remained reported trauma. Trauma was not related to resilience and post traumatic growth. This finding highlights the need for establishing special community centers at the universities to help students to overcome the impact of trauma. New programs for psychosocial support and second level intervention for students, and these should continue beyond the end of hostilities. More training courses in the impact of trauma and ways of coping must be conducted for students in the universities

Energy Efficient Military Mobile Base Station Placement

This research deals with an energy efficient network for military mobile base station placement. The proposed method is based on minimizing the energy loss of military communication networks where the base station is moving along a preset path and the users are constantly moving in an independent speed and direction. It takes into account the free space loss and the knife edge effect for the energy loss to establish a path weight for the shortest path model. Then, it evaluates the neighboring points to the base station for the energy loss of the network in order to find the position at which the minimum energy loss occurs. The results show a clear energy saving advantage when compared to Lloyd-Max’s method

Modified LEACH – Energy Efficient Wireless Networks Communication

The final publication is available at www.springerlink.comMany algorithms and techniques were proposed to increase the efficiency of Sensor Networks. Due to high restrictions of this kind of networks, where the resources are limited, many factors may affect its work. Theses factors are: System throughput, system delay, and energy. Clustering protocols have been propose to decrease system throughput and system delay, and increase energy saving. In this paper, we propose a new technique that can be applied to sensor networks to produce high performance and stable Sensor Networks.http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-90-481-3662-9_2

Traitement Chirurgical De L\'hyperparathyroidie Primaire : Techniques Et Resultats

L\'hyperparathyroïdie est secondaire à une sécrétion élevée de parathormone. Le diagnostic positif est biologique et le diagnostic de localisation est radiologique et isotopique. Le traitement chirurgical est la règle. Le but : de ce travail est d\'étudier notre stratégie thérapeutique en cas d\'hyperparathyroïdie primitive et ses résultats. Patients et méthodes : Nous avons mené une étude rétrospective à propos de 34 patients traités pour hyperparathyroïdie primitive durant la période entre 1992 et 2004. Résultats : L\'âge moyen de nos patients était de 51 ans avec une nette prédominance féminine. Notre stratégie chirurgicale était l\'exploration sous anesthésie générale des 4 glandes parathyroïdes. Les glandes pathologiques ont siégé au niveau des compartiments inférieurs dans la majorité des cas. Histologiquement l\'aspect adénomateux a été observé chez 26 patients. L\'examen extemporané était systématique. Son résultat était concordant avec l\'examen anatomopathologique final lui conférant une fiabilité de 100 %. L\'hypocalcémie post-opératoire immédiate a été rencontrée chez 11 patients. Elle était transitoire dans 8 cas. Un seul patient avait une hypercalcémie persistante conférant à notre stratégie chirurgicale un taux de succès de 97,15 %. Discussion : le risque d\'hypocalcémie immédiate varie dans la littérature de 3 à 50%. Dans notre série il était de 32,35%. Ceci est surtout expliqué par notre technique opératoire exposant les parathyroïdes à la dévascularisation. D\'autres techniques chirurgicales moins invasives ont été essayées visant à diminuer le risque d\'hypoparathroidie transitoire ou définitive. Elles sont basées sur un bilan localisateur performant actuellement surplombé par la scintigraphie au sestamibi.Primary hyperparathyroidism is secondary to an elevated secretion of parathormone. The positive diagnosis is biologic. The diagnosis of localization is radiological and isotopic. The surgical treatment is the rule. The aim : of this work is to study our therapeutic strategy in cases of primary hyperparathyroidism and its results. Patients and methods: We proceed to a retrospective study about 34 patients treated for primary hyperparathyroidism during the period between 1992 and 2004. Results: The middle age of our patients was of 51 years with a female predominance. Our surgical strategy was the exploration under general anaesthesia of the 4 parathyroid glands. The pathological glands were in the lower compartments in the majority of cases. Histologically, adenoma has been observed at 26 patients. Extemporary exam was systematic. Its result was in agreement to the final anatomopathological result conferring him a reliability of 100%. The immediate post-operative hypocalcaemia has been observed at 11 patients. It was transient in 8 cases. One alone patient had an obstinate hypercalcaemia conferring to our surgical strategy a rate of success of 97,15%. Discussion: the risk of immediate hypocalcaemia varies in the literature from 3 to 50%. In our study it was 32,35%. It is especially explained by our operative technique exhibitor parathyroïd to the devascularisation. Other operative techniques less invasiveness have been tried aiming to decrease the risk of transient or definitive hypoparathroidy. They are based currently on a effective exam of localization overhung by the scintigraphy to the sestamibi. Journal Tunisien d\'ORL et de chirurgie cervico-faciale Vol. 16 2006: pp. 8-1

Armor-LEACH for Wireless Sensor Network

© ASEE 2008The use of sensor networks is increasing day by day; which offer more research topics to be discuss and modified; one of these topics is the power consumption that has to be reduced as possible, where the resources are limited; another topic is the security level that should be offer by such kind of networks. Clustered networks have been proposed in many papers to reduce the power consumption in sensor networks. LEACH is one of the most interested techniques that offer an efficient way to minimize the power consumption in sensor networks. TCCA provides LEACH with higher performance, by applying some modification to the way LEACH works. In this paper we combine two of the most powerful proposed techniques that can be applied on LEACH to reduce the power consumption and to increase the level of security

Influence of Drying Process on the Functional Properties of Some Plants

Four green leafy vegetables of Apiaceae family, celery (Garveolens var. Dulce Apium), coriander (Coriander sativum), dill (Anethum garveolens), and parsley (Crispum petroselinum) were used to assess the effect of different drying methods on the antioxidant capacity. The edible parts of these plants were dried in air, convective oven and microwave oven, extracted with methanol. Moisture, total phenols, carotenoids, chlorophyll content and antioxidant capacity were determined in fresh as well as in the dried samples. Fresh plants were characterized with the highest contents of all tested parameters followed by air dried then oven dried and finally microwave dried herbs. Moisture content ranged from 83.40 to 88.32% in fresh parsley and coriander, respectively. Dried samples with different methods showed moisture content between 5.88in dill and 7.49% in coriander. The highest antioxidant capacity was recorded in fresh coriander (80.44%). Total phenol content of tested plants ranged from 0.38 mg gallic acid/g in microwave dried dill to 1.3 mg gallic acid /g in fresh celery. Total carotenoids content was highly affected with the drying process recording the lowest values in microwave dried dill, coriander and celery (13.1, 14.0 and 14.3mg/kg, respectively).  The highest loss of chlorophylls was found in microwave dried coriander (87.5%) compared to the fresh state. The results indicated that air drying at room temperature is the most efficient drying method followed by oven drying at 70°C when conserving the beneficial bioactive components was considered. Keywords: Antioxidants; drying; medicinal plants; pigment

Performance comparison of selection nanoparticles for insulation of three core belted power cables

This paper presents an investigation on the enhancement of electrical insulations of power cables materials using a new multi-nanoparticles technique. It has been studied the effect of adding specified types and concentrations of nanoparticles to polymeric materials such as PVC for controlling on electric and dielectric performance. Prediction of effective dielectric constant has been done for the new nanocomposites based on Interphase Power Law (IPL) model. The multi-nanoparticles technique has been succeeded for enhancing electric and dielectric performance of power cables insulation compared with adding individual nanoparticles. Finally, it has been investigated on electric field distribution in the new proposed modern insulations for three-phase core belted power cables. This research has focused on studying development of PVC nanocomposite materials performance with electric field distribution superior to the unfilled matrix, and has stressed particularly the effect of filler volume fraction on the electric field distribution