Goal Orientations among Yarmouk University Students and their Relationship with Self- Regulated Learning

This study aimed at exploring the relationship of goal orientations with self-regulated learning among Yarmouk University students in light of faculty and gender. The sample of the study consisted of 684 students. Two scales were used: a goal orientations scale, and aself-regulated learning scale. The results showed statisticallysignificant differences in the means of participants' scores on the goal orientation scales due to the student gender in mastery goals, and performance-avoidance goals; females scored higher on these subscales than males. No significant gender difference was found in performance-approach goals. The results also showed significant differences in the means scores on the self-regulated learning scale due to gender; females once again scored higher than males on all skills, except for the planning and goal specification skill. No significant difference, however, was found in self-regulated learning due tostudent faculty or the interaction between faculty and gender

Measurement of solution parameters on sonication decellularization treatment

We have developed a sonication decellularization system to decellularized biological scaffolds in short time by combining sonication and chemical method. The aim of this study is to investigate decellularization efficiency on the different treated solution parameters. As a result, decreasing of dissolved oxygen (DO) would increase the conductivity and pH of decellularization solution, and decreasing of pH would increase conductivity. We found that the solution concentrationhas relation to its parameters and may influence the efficiency of sonication decellularization treatment

Financial crises and the attainment of the SDGs: an adjusted multidimensional poverty approach

This paper analyses the impact of financial crises on the Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating poverty. To do so, we develop an adjusted Multidimensional Poverty Framework (MPF) that includes 15 indicators that span across key poverty aspects related to income, basic needs, health, education and the environment. We then use an econometric model that allows us to examine the impact of financial crises on these indicators in 150 countries over the period 1980–2015. Our analysis produces new estimates on the impact of financial crises on poverty’s multiple social, economic and environmental aspects and equally important captures dynamic linkages between these aspects. Thus, we offer a better understanding of the potential impact of current debt dynamics on Multidimensional Poverty and demonstrate the need to move beyond the boundaries of SDG1, if we are to meet the target of eradicating poverty. Our results indicate that the current financial distress experienced by many low-income countries may reverse the progress that has been made hitherto in reducing poverty. We find that financial crises are associated with an approximately 10% increase of extreme poor in low-income countries. The impact is even stronger in some other poverty aspects. For instance, crises are associated with an average decrease of government spending in education by 17.72% in low-income countries. The dynamic linkages between most of the Multidimensional Poverty indicators, warn of a negative domino effect on a number of SDGs related to poverty, if there is a financial crisis shock. To pre-empt such a domino effect, the specific SDG target 17.4 on attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies plays a key role and requires urgent attention by the international community

A numerical modelling and simulation of core-scale sandstone acidizing process: a study on the effect of temperature

A wide and comprehensive understanding of the chemical reactions and mechanisms of HBF4 is crucial as it significantly influences its performance in stimulating a sandstone formation. In general, it is well-known that HBF4 is able to provide a deeper penetration into the sandstone matrix before being spent due to its uniquely slow hydrolysis ability to produce HF. In the present study, a 3D numerical modelling and simulation were conducted to examine the capability of HBF4 in enhancing the porosity and permeability of the sandstone matrix. The model is built in COMSOL® Multiphysics commercial software of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate the acid core flooding process on sandstone core. The model had been validated against the experimental data in the literature. The results matched with the measured plot data very well. The effect of temperature on the performance HBF4 sandstone acidizing is evaluated in this study. The simulation results indicated that at low temperature of 25 °C, HBF4 is not very effective, as justified in its poor porosity and permeability increments of only 1.07 and 1.23, respectively. However, at elevated temperatures, the porosity and permeability enhancement also become increasingly more significant, which showed 1.26 and 2.06, respectively, at 65 °C; and 1.67 and 7.06, respectively, at 105 °C. Therefore, one can conclude that HBF4 acid treatment performed better at elevated temperatures due to increased hydrolysis rate, which is a governing function in HBF4 sandstone acidizing. Overall, this model had provided a reliable alternative to optimize various other parameters of HBF4 acid treatment

Perceptions of Pakistani medical students about drugs and alcohol: a questionnaire-based survey

BACKGROUND: Drug abuse is hazardous and known to be prevalent among young adults, warranting efforts to increase awareness about harmful effects and to change attitudes. This study was conducted to assess the perceptions of a group of medical students from Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country, regarding four drugs namely heroin, charas, benzodiazepines and alcohol. RESULTS: In total, 174 self-reported questionnaires were received (87% response rate). The most commonly cited reasons for why some students take these drugs were peer pressure (96%), academic stress (90%) and curiosity (88%). The most commonly cited justifiable reason was to go to sleep (34%). According to 77%, living in the college male hostel predisposed one to using these drugs. Sixty percent of students said that the drugs did not improve exam performance, while 54% said they alleviated stress. Seventy-eight percent said they did not intend to ever take drugs in the future. Females and day-scholars were more willing to discourage a friend who took drugs. Morality (78%), religion (76%) and harmful effects of drugs (57%) were the most common deterrents against drug intake. Five suggestions to decrease drug abuse included better counseling facilities (78%) and more recreational facilities (60%). CONCLUSION: Efforts need to be made to increase student awareness regarding effects and side effects of drugs. Our findings suggest that educating students about the adverse effects as well as the moral and religious implications of drug abuse is more likely to have a positive impact than increased policing. Proper student-counseling facilities and healthier avenues for recreation are also required

Moxibustion for hypertension: a systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Moxibustion is a traditional East Asian medical therapy that uses the heat generated by burning herbal preparations containing <it>Artemisia vulgaris </it>to stimulate acupuncture points. The aim of this review was to evaluate previously published clinical evidence for the use of moxibustion as a treatment for hypertension.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We searched 15 databases without language restrictions from their respective dates of inception until March 2010. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing moxibustion to either antihypertensive drugs or no treatment. The risk of bias was assessed for each RCT.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During the course of our search, we identified 519 relevant articles. A total of 4 RCTs met all the inclusion criteria, two of which failed to report favorable effects of moxibustion on blood pressure (BP) compared to the control (antihypertensive drug treatment alone). However, a third RCT showed significant effects of moxibustion as an adjunct treatment to antihypertensive drug therapy for lowering BP compared to antihypertensive drug therapy alone. The fourth RCT included in this review addressed the immediate BP-lowering effects of moxibustion compared to no treatment. None of the included RCTs reported the sequence generation, allocation concealment and evaluator blinding.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>There is insufficient evidence to suggest that moxibustion is an effective treatment for hypertension. Rigorously designed trials are warranted to answer the many remaining questions.</p

Charged nanograins in the Enceladus plume

There have been three Cassini encounters with the south-pole eruptive plume of Enceladus for which the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) had viewing in the spacecraft ram direction. In each case, CAPS detected a cold dense population of heavy charged particles having mass-to-charge (m/q) ratios up to the maximum detectable by CAPS ( 104 amu/e). These particles are interpreted as singly charged nanometer-sized water-ice grains. Although they are detected with both negative and positive net charges, the former greatly outnumber the latter, at least in the m/q range accessible to CAPS. On the most distant available encounter (E3, March 2008) we derive a net (negative) charge density of up to 2600 e/cm3 for nanograins, far exceeding the ambient plasma number density, but less than the net (positive) charge density inferred from the RPWS Langmuir probe data during the same plume encounter. Comparison of the CAPS data from the three available encounters is consistent with the idea that the nanograins leave the surface vents largely uncharged, but become increasingly negatively charged by plasma electron impact as they move farther from the satellite. These nanograin

Rising burden of Hepatitis C Virus in hemodialysis patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Aim</p> <p>High prevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been reported among the dialysis patients throughout the world. No serious efforts were taken to investigate HCV in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) treatment who are at great increased risk to HCV. HCV genotypes are important in the study of epidemiology, pathogenesis and reaction to antiviral therapy. This study was performed to investigate the prevalence of active HCV infection, HCV genotypes and to assess risk factors associated with HCV genotype infection in HD patients of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as comparing this prevalence data with past studies in Pakistan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Polymerase chain reaction was performed for HCV RNA detection and genotyping in 384 HD patients. The data obtained was compared with available past studies from Pakistan.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Anti HCV antibodies were observed in 112 (29.2%), of whom 90 (80.4%) were HCV RNA positive. In rest of the anti HCV negative patients, HCV RNA was detected in 16 (5.9%) patients. The dominant HCV genotypes in HCV infected HD patients were found to be 3a (n = 36), 3b (n = 20), 1a (n = 16), 2a (n = 10), 2b (n = 2), 1b (n = 4), 4a (n = 2), untypeable (n = 10) and mixed (n = 12) genotype.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study suggesting that i) the prevalence of HCV does not differentiate between past and present infection and continued to be elevated ii) HD patients may be a risk for HCV due to the involvement of multiple routes of infections especially poor blood screening of transfused blood and low standard of dialysis procedures in Pakistan and iii) need to apply infection control practice.</p