Possible Index for Marine Pollution from of Scleractinean Corals in Northern Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan

The coral nubbins of Stylophora sp., Pocillopora sp., Acropora sp., Fungia sp., and Porites sp. were taken from shallow depths of about 5 m by SCUBS diving. Another set of coral samples were collected in front of the Marine Science Station for incubation experiments to study the resistance of corals to different concentrations of heavy metals ranged between 0.1 to 50 ppm. The skeleton and tissue layers of all coral samples were isolated for samples, digested (using a mixture of Nitric and Hydrochloric acids) and were analyzed to determine the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, and Ni using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS). However, the lowest concentrations were found along the marine park including the Marine Science Station, with lower contamination of ambient waters as heavy metals concentration in corals reflects the health of marine environment. The highest concentrations of all heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Ni) in the coral skeletons were accumulated in Pocillopora species whereas the lowest concentrations were recorded in Porites species and the rest coral species could be arranged in the following ranking order (from high to low concentrations): Pocillopora sp.> Acropora sp.> Stylophora sp.> Fungia sp.> Porites sp. The incubation experiment showed that the toxicity of the individual metals increased in all coral species with increasing metal doze and time of exposure until total death was reached. The coral species resistance to death for all heavy metals (except for Nickel) can be arranged in the following ranking order (from low to high): Stylophora sp.< Acropora sp.< Pocillopora sp.< Fungia sp.< Porites sp. The coral species Porities was the most resistant species. Copper was found as the most toxic metal to all coral species compared with the toxicity of Pb, Cd or Zn. The toxicity of the studied heavy metals (except Ni) to all corals species can be arranged in the following order (from high to low): Cu>Pb>Cd>Zn. It is generally concluded that the pollutions levels of heavy metals along the Jordanian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba are still relatively low and the coral reef communities are healthy. Corals are suitable to be used as proxy tools to record environmental pollution (bio-indicators) from the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. Keywords: Heavy metals, Corals, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

Possible Index for Marine Pollution from Scleractinean Corals in Northern Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan

The coral nubbins of Stylophora sp., Pocillopora sp., Acropora sp., Fungia sp., and Porites sp. were taken from shallow depths of about 5 m by SCUBS diving. Another set of coral samples were collected in front of the Marine Science Station for incubation experiments to study the resistance of corals to different concentrations of heavy metals ranged between 0.1 to 50 ppm. The skeleton and tissue layers of all coral samples were isolated for samples, digested (using a mixture of Nitric and Hydrochloric acids) and were analyzed to determine the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, and Ni using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS). However, the lowest concentrations were found along the marine park including the Marine Science Station, with lower contamination of ambient waters as heavy metals concentration in corals reflects the health of marine environment. The highest concentrations of all heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Ni) in the coral skeletons were accumulated in Pocillopora species whereas the lowest concentrations were recorded in Porites species and the rest coral species could be arranged in the following ranking order (from high to low concentrations): Pocillopora sp.> Acropora sp.> Stylophora sp.> Fungia sp.> Porites sp. The incubation experiment showed that the toxicity of the individual metals increased in all coral species with increasing metal doze and time of exposure until total death was reached. The coral species resistance to death for all heavy metals (except for Nickel) can be arranged in the following ranking order (from low to high): Stylophora sp.< Acropora sp.< Pocillopora sp.< Fungia sp.< Porites sp. The coral species Porities was the most resistant species. Copper was found as the most toxic metal to all coral species compared with the toxicity of Pb, Cd or Zn. The toxicity of the studied heavy metals (except Ni) to all corals species can be arranged in the following order (from high to low): Cu>Pb>Cd>Zn. It is generally concluded that the pollutions levels of heavy metals along the Jordanian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba are still relatively low and the coral reef communities are healthy. Corals are suitable to be used as proxy tools to record environmental pollution (bio-indicators) from the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. Keywords: Heavy metals, Corals, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea.

Possible Index for Marine Pollution from of Scleractinean Corals in Northern Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan

The coral nubbins of Stylophora sp., Pocillopora sp., Acropora sp., Fungia sp., and Porites sp. were taken from shallow depths of about 5 m by SCUBS diving. Another set of coral samples were collected in front of the Marine Science Station for incubation experiments to study the resistance of corals to different concentrations of heavy metals ranged between 0.1 to 50 ppm. The skeleton and tissue layers of all coral samples were isolated for samples, digested (using a mixture of Nitric and Hydrochloric acids) and were analyzed to determine the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, and Ni using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS). However, the lowest concentrations were found along the marine park including the Marine Science Station, with lower contamination of ambient waters as heavy metals concentration in corals reflects the health of marine environment. The highest concentrations of all heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Ni) in the coral skeletons were accumulated in Pocillopora species whereas the lowest concentrations were recorded in Porites species and the rest coral species could be arranged in the following ranking order (from high to low concentrations): Pocillopora sp.> Acropora sp.> Stylophora sp.> Fungia sp.> Porites sp. The incubation experiment showed that the toxicity of the individual metals increased in all coral species with increasing metal doze and time of exposure until total death was reached. The coral species resistance to death for all heavy metals (except for Nickel) can be arranged in the following ranking order (from low to high): Stylophora sp.< Acropora sp.< Pocillopora sp.< Fungia sp.< Porites sp. The coral species Porities was the most resistant species. Copper was found as the most toxic metal to all coral species compared with the toxicity of Pb, Cd or Zn. The toxicity of the studied heavy metals (except Ni) to all corals species can be arranged in the following order (from high to low): Cu>Pb>Cd>Zn. It is generally concluded that the pollutions levels of heavy metals along the Jordanian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba are still relatively low and the coral reef communities are healthy. Corals are suitable to be used as proxy tools to record environmental pollution (bio-indicators) from the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. Keywords: Heavy metals, Corals, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

Psychological Stability and its Relationship to Academic Performance Among Secondary School Students

This research sought to determine the relationship between psychological stability and academic performance among secondary school students in Irbid Governorate, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The descriptive analytical approach was used to achieve the goal of the study and a questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. High school pupils in the Irbid Governorate made up the studys population. By delivering an electronic questionnaire to the target population, the studys sample of (291) students were randomly selected. The results revealed that the level of psychological stability was medium with a mean score of (3.3849). The findings also indicated that psychological stability in its dimensions has a statistically significant impact on academic performance and that there is a strong positive direct association between psychological stability in its dimensions and academic performance

Physiochemical properties and nutritional profile of Mediterranean oak acorn

Oaks cover a vast area of Jordanian forests, and their fruit (named acorns) have good nutritional value. In this study, we investigated the physical, chemical, and nutritional characteristics of the acorns produced by three Jordanian oak species, Quercus aegilops (QA), Quercus infectoria (QI), and Quercus calliprinus (QC). The physicochemical (acorn length, weight; cupule weight, coat weight, cotyledon weight, coat weight percent, cotyledon weight percent and acorn volume) and nutritional quality (protein, fat, fiber, ash, carbohydrate, amino acid, fatty acid and mineral compostions) of the acorns from the three oak species were determined using standard procedures. The acorn of QA showed significantly greater values compared to QC for all physical characteristics assessed while QC exhibited the lowest values; QI presented intermediate values.The chemical composition of the three species showed that fat content varied from  8.18% to 8.99% and the crude fiber and the total carbohydrate content ranged from 3.27% to 3.86% and 76.20% to 81.43%,  respectively According to obtained results, oak acorn can be considered a significant source of protein (9.54% for QC to 10.9% for QA). Oak acorncontained 18 known amino acids (AAs); with total essential amino acids (TEAA) levels in these oak species as 2307.9, 1699.1, and 2262.8 mg/100 g dry weight, respectively. The most abundant essential amino acid found varied between species: in QA it was leucine (446 mg/100 g dry weight), in QC it was arginine (526 mg/100 g dry weight), and in QI it was phenylalanine (395 mg/100 g dry weight). The ratio of TEAA to total amino acids (TAA) was 0.90: 0.50 and 0.79 for QA, QC and QI, respectively, which indicates that QA is the best species in terms of essential amino acid (EAA) proportion. The EAA scores showed that (phenylalanine + tyrosine) and (methionine + cysteine) were the most abundant AAs in oak acorns, while lysine and leucine were the most limited. The ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids in the acorn oil ranged from 3.45:1.00 to 3.93:1.00. Therefore, oak acorn oil may be considered healthy for a human diet. The most abundant minerals in decreasing order were K, P, Ca, Cl, S, Fe, and Mn. These results demonstrate that oak acorns from Jordan have great potential to be included in human feeding. Key words: Amino acids, Fatty acids, Nutritional value, Oak acorn, Quercus

A Study of Palatal Rugae Patterns and Maxillary Inter-Canine Distance in a Jordanian Population Sample

The study of palatal rugae has an important role in establishing personal identity and facilitating population identification. The current work analyzed the pattern of palatal rugae among an adult Jordanian population and searched for any gender differences. A total of 100 random dental casts were included in this study. Number and pattern of palatal rugae regarding length, shape, direction, and unification of rugae were identified. In addition, measurement of maxillary intercanine widths (MIW) using digital Vernier caliper was done. Palatal rugae on the right side outnumbered those on the left side. Males had more rugae in general than females. The commonest rugae in both sexes were serpiginous. Primary and forward rugae showed the highest frequency. A diverging form of unification was more prevalent than a converging form. Apart from a total number of convergent, divergent and secondary rugae, the total number of other rugae differs significantly between males and females. The study showed characteristics of palatal rugae in a Jordanian population which could be gender specific, facilitating their identification. It revealed the presence of sexual dimorphism, and sex can be predicted using either logistic regression equation or CART model

The impacts of social determinants of health and cardiometabolic factors on cognitive and functional aging in Colombian underserved populations

Global initiatives call for further understanding of the impact of inequity on aging across underserved populations. Previous research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) presents limitations in assessing combined sources of inequity and outcomes (i.e., cognition and functionality). In this study, we assessed how social determinants of health (SDH), cardiometabolic factors (CMFs), and other medical/social factors predict cognition and functionality in an aging Colombian population. We ran a cross-sectional study that combined theory- (structural equation models) and data-driven (machine learning) approaches in a population-based study (N = 23,694; M = 69.8 years) to assess the best predictors of cognition and functionality. We found that a combination of SDH and CMF accurately predicted cognition and functionality, although SDH was the stronger predictor. Cognition was predicted with the highest accuracy by SDH, followed by demographics, CMF, and other factors. A combination of SDH, age, CMF, and additional physical/psychological factors were the best predictors of functional status. Results highlight the role of inequity in predicting brain health and advancing solutions to reduce the cognitive and functional decline in LMICs.Fil: Santamaria Garcia, Hernando. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; Colombia. Hospital Universitario San Ignacio; Colombia. University of California; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Moguilner, Sebastian Gabriel. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. Massachusetts General Hospital; Estados Unidos. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; ChileFil: Rodriguez Villagra, Odir Antonio. Universidad de Costa Rica; Costa RicaFil: Botero Rodriguez, Felipe. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; ColombiaFil: Pina Escudero, Stefanie Danielle. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: O’Donovan, Gary. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; Chile. Universidad de los Andes; ColombiaFil: Albala, Cecilia. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Matallana, Diana. Fundacion Santa Fe de Bogota; Colombia. Hospital Universitario San Ignacio; Colombia. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; ColombiaFil: Schulte, Michael. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; ChileFil: Slachevsky, Andrea. Universidad del Desarrollo; Chile. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Yokoyama, Jennifer S.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Possin, Katherine. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Ndhlovu, Lishomwa C.. Weill Cornell Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Al-Rousan, Tala. University of California at San Diego; Estados UnidosFil: Corley, Michael J.. Weill Cornell Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Kosik, Kenneth. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Muniz Terrera, Graciela. University of Edinburgh; Reino Unido. Ohio University; Estados UnidosFil: Miranda, J. Jaime. George Institute For Global Health; Australia. Cronicas Centro de Excelencia En Enfermedades Crónicas; Perú. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia; PerúFil: Ibañez, Agustin Mariano. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. Trinity College Dublin; Irlanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. University of California; Estados Unidos. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; Chil

Photorealistic rendering: a survey on evaluation

This article is a systematic collection of existing methods and techniques for evaluating rendering category in the field of computer graphics. The motive for doing this study was the difficulty of selecting appropriate methods for evaluating and validating specific results reported by many researchers. This difficulty lies in the availability of numerous methods and lack of robust discussion of them. To approach such problems, the features of well-known methods are critically reviewed to provide researchers with backgrounds on evaluating different styles in photo-realistic rendering part of computer graphics. There are many ways to evaluating a research. For this article, classification and systemization method is use. After reviewing the features of different methods, their future is also discussed. Finally, dome pointers are proposed as to the likely future issues in evaluating the research on realistic rendering. It is expected that this analysis helps researchers to overcome the difficulties of evaluation not only in research, but also in application