An-Najah National University

About: An-Najah National University is a education organization based out in Nablus, Palestinian Territory. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Adsorption. The organization has 1857 authors who have published 2607 publications receiving 68226 citations. The organization is also known as: An Najah National University.

Concentrations of heavy metals in roadside soils, plants, and landsnails from the West Bank, Palestine.

Abstract: Concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn were determined in roadside soil, plant and landsnail samples along Nablus-Ramallah main road in the West Bank. Average concentrations (microgram.g-1, dry weight) of the four metals in soil samples were, Cu: 23.8, Zn: 128.3, Cd: 0.45 and Pb: 149.9. These values were higher than those found in soil samples collected from control sites. Metals in roadside plant samples were within normal levels although plants from control sites were found to have slightly less metals. Different parts of a plant (roots, stem & leaves) were found to accumulate metals in different concentrations. The average concentration (microgram.g-1) of metals in different plant parts were: Cu: 30-50 times higher than in plants and soils). Lead in snails was about 10 times higher than that in plant leaves and much less than that in roadside soils. Other metals in snails did not show abnormal concentrations.

Measurement of b-hadron pair production with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at √s=8 TeV

Abstract: A measurement of b-hadron pair production is presented, based on a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 11.4 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions recorded at √s=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are selected in which a b-hadron is reconstructed in a decay channel containing J/ψ → μμ, and a second b-hadron is reconstructed in a decay channel containing a muon. Results are presented in a fiducial volume defined by kinematic requirements on three muons based on those used in the analysis. The fiducial cross section is measured to be 17.7 ± 0.1(stat.) ± 2.0(syst.) nb. A number of normalised differential cross sections are also measured, and compared to predictions from the Pythia8, Herwig++, MadGraph5_aMC@NLO+Pythia8 and Sherpa event generators, providing new constraints on heavy flavour production.

Assessment of research productivity of Arab countries in the field of infectious diseases using Web of Science database

Abstract: To meet the future challenges of infectious diseases and limit the spread of multidrug resistant microorganisms, a better understanding of published studies in the field of infectious diseases is needed. The objective of this study was to analyze the quantity and quality of research activity in the field of infectious diseases in Arab countries and compare it with that in non-Arab countries. Documents published in Arab countries within the research category of “infectious diseases” were extracted and analyzed using the Web of Science database. The data analyzed represent research productivity during the time interval between 1900 – 2012. Worldwide, the total number of documents published in the field of infectious diseases up to 2012 was 227,188. A total of 2,408 documents in the field of infectious diseases were published in Arab countries, which represents 1.06% of worldwide research output. Research output from Arab countries in the field of infectious diseases was low for decades. However, approximately a five-fold increase was observed in the past decade. Arab countries ranked 56th to 218th on the standard competition ranking (SCR) in worldwide publications in the field of infectious diseases. Egypt, with a total publication of 464 (19.27%) documents ranked first among Arab countries, while Kuwait University was the most productive institution with a total of 158 (6.56%) documents. Average citation per document published in Arab countries was 13.25 and the h-index was 64. Tuberculosis (230; 9.55%), malaria (223; 9.26%), and hepatitis (189; 7.8%) were the top three infectious diseases studied as according to the retrieved documents. The present data reveals that some Arab countries contribute significantly to the field of infectious diseases. However, Arab countries need to work harder to bridge the gap in this field. Compared with non-Arab countries in the Middle East, research output from Arab countries was high, but more efforts are needed to enhance the quality of this output. Future research in the field should be encouraged and correctly directed.

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used by patients with psoriasis in the West Bank of Palestine

Abstract: Psoriasis is a frequent skin inflammatory disorder that inflicts millions of patients around the globe. To meet their healthcare needs, patients with psoriasis often seek treatment outside the allopathic paradigm. Use of medicinal plants has emerged as one of the most common and preferred modalities of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The aim of this study was to investigate the use of medicinal plants by patients with psoriasis in the West Bank of Palestine. The current study was a questionnaire based cross-sectional descriptive study on the use of medicinal plants by psoriasis patients in the West Bank of Palestine. A sample of 149 patients with psoriasis who were visiting outpatient clinics responded to the questionnaire in face to face interviews. Medicinal plants were used by 81 (54.4%) patients with psoriasis. Patients used 33 medicinal plants belonging to 26 families. Plants belonging to Lamiaceae and Leguminosae were the most commonly used by the study patients. Aloe vera, Trigonella arabica, Catharanthus roseus and Anthemis cotula were the most frequently used medicinal plants to treat psoriasis. Leaves and fruits were the most commonly used parts by the study patients. Paste was the most commonly used form of preparation. The use of medicinal plants was significantly associated with age and monthly household income of the patients. Enhancement of immunity, improving conventional therapy and reduction of side effects were the most commonly self-reported reasons for using medicinal plants. Patients with psoriasis in Palestine seem to use medicinal plants as a CAM modality to manage their psoriasis. Many medicinal plants were commonly used by patients with psoriasis. More randomized clinical trials are needed to demonstrate safety and efficacy for the majority of these medicinal plants reported to be used by patients with psoriasis in Palestine.