Jordan University of Science and Technology

Microplastics (MPs) have been recognized as persistence contaminant in drinking water causing potential risks to human health. This study investigated the occurrence, removal and polymer type of MPs in three major drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) as well as different commercial brands of bottled water in Jordan. Water samples were collected from different treatment stages at DWTPs between May and June 2025. These samples were sieved over 20 µm sieve and analyzed for MPs using Nile Red staining and micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FTIR). The results showed that MPs were present in all raw water samples of Zai, Zara and Jerash DWTPs, with concentrations ranged from 2.3 to 17.7 particles/L resulting an average MPs removal efficiency of 75%, 81%, 65% respectively. Also, for commercial bottled water, MPs concentrations ranged from 1.1 to 4.4 particles/L which are slightly higher than those measured at the outlets of the DWTPs. Moreover, the results showed that the rayon fiber, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PU), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were the main types of polymers detected in the samples. Overall, the study findings demonstrated that existing DWTPs in Jordan substantially reduce microplastic loads but do not fully eliminate MPs ≥ 20 µm. Moreover, the results established a baseline for MPs levels in drinking water and commercial bottled water in a water-scarce region. • First national assessment of MPs in Jordanian DWTPs • MPs ≥ 20 µm detected in raw and treated waters • Treatment processes achieved 65–81% MP removal • PET, PE, PU, PTFE and rayon were dominant polymers • Baseline data established for a water-scarce region

People desire friends who have qualities such as similarity, the ability to provide support, opportunities for socialisation, assistance in achieving self-serving goals and access to potential mates. In the current study, we aimed to examine the degree of overlap between the friends people consider ideal and those they actually have. Using a sample of 6224 participants from 12 countries, we found that, across five dimensions of friendship, ideal and actual friendships considerably overlapped and ideal preferences were significant and strong predictors of actual friendships. Still, the overlap between ideal and actual friendships was not complete; rather, a small deficit emerged, with participants getting less of what they wanted. These results were consistent across the 12 countries in our sample. We also found significant effects of the Dark Triad personality traits on several dimensions of friendship.

Abstract Introduction Minimally invasive techniques have transformed early rectal cancer treatment; yet the optimal approach is unclear. ESD, EMR, and TAMIS are increasingly being used, however, most studies only compare two of these techniques. This meta-analysis directly compares all three in efficacy, safety, and oncological performance. Methods PubMed, Scopus, and Medline were searched to identify relevant studies as of September 2024. Criteria included studies in adults with early rectal cancer treated by ESD, EMR, or TAMIS, reporting at least one outcome and specifying treatment type and cancer stage. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis v4 was used for analysis with heterogeneity assessed via I². Results A total of 127 studies encompassing 8915 patients were included (EMR = 3979, ESD = 4470, and TAMIS = 466). Mean procedural times were: overall 8.3 min (7.7–8.8), I² = 99%; EMR 7.5 (6.9–8.1), I² = 98%; ESD 32.6 (29.3–36), I² = 99%; TAMIS 101.6 (83.9–119.9), I² = 95%. En bloc resection: overall 87.1% (85.6–88.5), I² = 81%; EMR 86.5% (84.4–88.4), I² = 82%; ESD 87.2% (84.4–89.5), I² = 80%; TAMIS 94.1% (88.9–97), I² = 0%. R0 resection: overall 79.7% (78.6–80.8), I² = 80%—EMR 79.9% (78.3–81.5), I² = 85%; ESD 78.7% (77.1–80.3), I² = 76%; TAMIS 87.1% (82.8–90.4), I² = 42%. Conclusions Although EMR appears efficient, it demonstrated less favourable outcomes regarding en bloc resection. ESD showed favourable oncological outcomes while maintaining moderate procedural time. TAMIS is most time-intensive but yields the highest resection quality.

Abstract Background Diabetes Mellitus (DM) comprises a group of metabolic disorders. Type 2 DM (T2DM), strongly associated with obesity and dietary habits, represents a major global health challenge. Cognitive impairment is a recognized complication of poorly controlled DM; however, its underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to investigate T2DM-induced cognitive dysfunction using a rat model that closely mimics human T2DM. Methods Forty-eight male and female Sprague–Dawley rats were allocated into two groups: high-fat diet (HFD) group combined with low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) and a regular diet (RD) control group. The two groups further stratified into four groups according to sex. HFD rats received a diet rich in fat and fructose water for 21 weeks, followed by an intraperitoneal STZ injection (40 mg/kg). Body weight and metabolic parameters, including fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FI), and insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR), were assessed. Behavioral tests were performed after 15 weeks to evaluate cognitive and related functions. At the end of the experiment, hippocampal and serum levels of oxidative stress and neurodegeneration markers (Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), β-amyloid, Matrix metaloprotenase 9 (MMP9), Phosphorylated tau (P-tau) and Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were analyzed. Results Results demonstrated that HFD significantly increased body weight ( p < 0.0001), FBG ( p < 0.0001), and insulin resistance ( p < 0.0001), accompanied by cognitive impairment as evidenced by behavioral testing (spatial learning and memory, p =0.0011). Biomarker analysis further supported the presence of hippocampal oxidative stress and neurodegenerative changes (BDNF, MMP9, P.tau, β-amyloid, p <0.05). Conclusion These findings highlight the detrimental impact of diet-induced metabolic dysfunction on cognitive health and provide insights into potential mechanisms linking T2DM and cognitive decline.

Background/Objectives: Bariatric surgery has emerged as an effective intervention for severe obesity; however, post-operative dizziness remains poorly characterized in the literature. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dizziness, imbalance, and hearing problems following bariatric surgery and to identify associated risk factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 156 patients who underwent bariatric surgery at multiple centers in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through structured questionnaires assessing demographic characteristics, surgical details, and post-operative vestibular symptoms. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of dizziness. Results: The prevalence of post-operative dizziness was 77.3% (95% CI: 70.0-83.3%), imbalance was 38.0% (95% CI: 30.6-46.0%), and hearing problems were 10.7% (95% CI: 6.7-16.6%). Bivariate logistic regression identified weight loss was significantly associated with dizziness (OR = 1.063, 95% CI: 1.024-1.103, p = 0.001). In the multivariate model, each percentage point increase in weight loss was associated with a 6.1% increased dizziness (adjusted OR = 1.061, 95% CI: 1.017-1.107, p = 0.006). Dizziness was strongly associated with imbalance (chi-square = 14.325, p < 0.001) and falls (chi-square = 7.085, p = 0.008). Conclusions: Vestibular complications, particularly dizziness, are highly prevalent following bariatric surgery and demonstrate a significant dose-response relationship with the magnitude of weight loss. Enhanced awareness and systematic screening for dizziness in post-bariatric patients are warranted.

Axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the spine and sacroiliac joints, associated with a considerable functional and psychosocial burden. This study aimed to investigate the interplay between disease activity and patient-reported outcomes, specifically focusing on how psychosocial factors and functional status serve as predictors of disease severity in Jordanian patients with AxSpA. We conducted a cross-sectional study at two tertiary hospitals in Jordan, including patients diagnosed according to the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) criteria. A total of 79 patients were analyzed, with a mean age of 41.1 ± 11.9 years and a significant diagnostic delay of 5.7 ± 6.1 years. Sixty-seven were diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and twelve with non-radiographic AxSpA (nr-axSpA). Most patients were current smokers (53.2%), and more than half of the patients were retired or unemployed. Notable psychosocial burden was observed according to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) questionnaire, with over half of the patients experiencing depressive symptoms and one-fifth screening positive for fibromyalgia according to the Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening Tool (FiRST). Using the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS), a majority of patients demonstrated high (51.9%) or very high (29.1%) disease activity. Male patients and those with higher ASQOL scores (worse quality of life) were significantly more likely to have very high disease activity. In patients receiving TNF inhibitors, NLR maintained the highest discriminatory ability, with an AUC of 0.676 (95% CI: 0.517–0.834). Significant diagnostic delays, smoking prevalence, work disability, and psychological burden were observed. Longitudinal studies remain essential to confirm these findings and better assess disease progression and treatment outcomes.

Unequal water access will be a major driver of increasing water insecurity in the 21st century, exacerbating the impacts of climate change. An estimated one billion people in cities in low- and middle-income countries currently face varying degrees of public water supply interruptions, subjecting them to unequal water access. This number is expected to grow, as water scarcity intensifies and supply infrastructure deteriorates. Yet, insights into the quantitative effect of water supply intermittency on urban water access inequality are so far limited. Here, we assess insights from hydro-economic multi-agent modeling case studies in South Asia and in the Middle East to analyze the effects of intermittent public water supply on the water security of heterogeneous urban household populations. We find that public water supply interruptions lead to severe disparities in household water consumption across cases. This also leads to household reliance on costly alternative water sources, jeopardizing water affordability. By 2050, climate change and population growth exacerbate the effects of water supply intermittency, causing severe deterioration in water security and increasing water access inequality. The results indicate that improved monitoring of water access inequality and reducing supply intermittency are key to mitigating urban water insecurity in the coming decades.

Abstract Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have a great deal of importance nowadays due to their wide range of uses and capabilities. With the most unique feature of an UAV being to operate remotely on its own, this requires the UAV to generate paths that satisfy its mission. In this paper, several path planning techniques are discussed alongside the emerging field of Reinforcement learning. In this paper, Reinforcement learning is used to train an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model capable of planning paths in 3-D space in real-time while trying to optimize path length and energy while avoid obstacles. Paths stability were validated using Monte Carlo method with over 1 million iterations. Results showed that the RL approach was able to find a stable policy requiring 4.5 to 9.6 ms per way point; this opens the door for this algorithm to be used real time applications. Also, the adopted algorithm could be trained of different observations spaces which represents the use of different raw sensors readings making it an advantage in terms of sensor pre-processing and time consumption. Furthermore, Results showed that success rate reached a max of 92 % in simulation while APF reached a success rate of 62 % in the same environment. However, there is still room for improvements in terms of obstacle avoidance to ensure safer path planning.