Al-Quds University

About: Al-Quds University is a education organization based out in East Jerusalem, Palestinian Territory. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Microemulsion. The organization has 956 authors who have published 1491 publications receiving 34293 citations.

The Incidence of Adolescent Maltreatment in Arab Society and Some of its Psychological Effects

Abstract: The article deals with the incidence of adolescent maltreatment by parents and siblings and some of its psychological effects, as revealed by a cross-sectional survey conducted among a sample of 1,640 Arab adolescents in Israel The results revealed that a high percentage of adolescents are psychologically and physically maltreated annually Furthermore, regression and multiple regression analyses reveal that significant amounts of the variance in adolescents' feelings of hopelessness, psychological adjustment problems, and low self-esteem can be attributed to their maltreatment by parents and siblings These levels of variance go beyond the amounts of variance in these psychological states that can be explained by the sociodemographic characteristics of the adolescents, their parents, and their families The implications of these results for future research are discussed The relevance of sociocultural and sociopolitical contexts of Arab society to child and adolescent maltreatment is also illuminated

Computer-Assisted Design for Paracetamol Masking Bitter Taste Prodrugs

Abstract: It is believed that the bitter taste of paracetamol, a pain killer drug, is due to its hydroxyl group. Hence, it is expected that blocking the hydroxy group with a suitable linker could inhibit the interaction of paracetamol with its bitter taste receptor/s and hence masking its bitterness. Using DFT theoretical calculations we calculated proton transfers in ten different Kirby’s enzyme models, 1–10. The calculation results revealed that the reaction rate is linearly correlated with the distance between the two reactive centers (rGM) and the angle of the hydrogen bonding (α) formed along the reaction pathway. Based on these results three novel tasteless paracetamol prodrugs were designed and the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for their proton transfers were calculated. Based on the experimental t1/2 (the time needed for the conversion of 50% of the reactants to products) and EM (effective molarity) values for processes 1–10 we have calculated the t1/2 values for the conversion of the three prodrugs to the parental drug, paracetamol. The calculated t1/2 values for ProD 1–3 were found to be 21.3 hours, 4.7 hours and 8 minutes, respectively. Thus, the rate by which the paracetamol prodrug undergoes cleavage to release paracetamol can be determined according to the nature of the linker of the prodrug (Kirby’s enzyme model 1–10). Further, blocking the phenolic hydroxyl group by a linker moiety is believed to hinder the paracetamol bitterness.

Closest Gap based (CG) reactive obstacle avoidance Navigation for highly cluttered environments

Abstract: A new reactive collision avoidance approach for mobile robots moving in cluttered and complex environments was developed and implemented. The novelty of this approach lies in the creation of a new method for analyzing openings in front of the robot that highly reduces their number when compared with the Nearness-Diagram Navigation (ND) technique, particularly in complex scenarios. Moreover, the angular width of the chosen (selected) gap with respect to the robot vision is taken into consideration. Consequently, oscillations are alleviated, the computational complexity is reduced and a smoother behavior will be achieved. Our technique adjusts the motion law proposed in the Smooth Nearness-Diagram Navigation (SND) method to generate safer paths for the robot by considering the ratio of threats on its sides and applying stricter deviation against an obstacle as it gets closer to the robot. Hence, the problem of deadlock occurring in narrow corridors, with high threats on one side and low threats on the other, is solved without affecting the smoothness behavior. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the power of the proposed approach.

Estimating groundwater recharge using the chloride mass-balance method in the West Bank, Palestine

Abstract: The quantification of natural recharge rate is a prerequisite for efficient and sustainable groundwater resources management. Since groundwater is the only source of water supply in the West Bank, it is of utmost importance to estimate the rate of replenishment of the aquifers. The chloride mass-balance method was used to estimate recharge rates at different sites representing the three groundwater basins of the Mountain Aquifer in the West Bank. The recharge rate for the Eastern Basin was calculated as between 130.8 and 269.7 mm/year, with a total average replenishment volume of 290.3 × 106 m3/year. For the Northeastern Basin, the calculated recharge rate ranged between 95.2 and 269.7 mm/year, with a total average recharge volume of 138.5 × 106 m3/year. Finally, the recharge rate for the Western Basin was between 122.6 and 323.6 mm/year, with a total average recharge volume of 324.9 × 106 m3/year. The data reveal a replenishment potential within the estimated replenishment volumes of previous st...