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This study suggests a digital assessment tool - Smart Equation Exam System (SEED) - as a substitute for traditional multiple-choice and paper and pen exams. SEED includes a question bank, an answer platform, mathematical equations, and physics formulae. The novelty of SEED is that it allows all students with or without physical disabilities via creation of an equal and non-discriminatory platform to solve the physics questions step by step and submit all the solution steps as well as the final answer. The study population was composed of students enrolled in the General Physics (II) course at university level. The sample consisted of fifty students who were selected randomly. The results showed that more than eighty presents of the participants had a positive perception of SEED compared to traditional exams, and they found it more flexible in reviewing solution steps, and getting feedback, especially for the student with handwriting disabilities.

Background: Captagon (Fenethylline) is an amphetamine type stimulant (ATS) and one of the most popular substances of use in the Middle East. This study aims to describe and analyze the trajectory of captagon use, severity of addiction and withdrawal symptoms and its effect on quality of life from the perspectives of people who use captagon, who receive treatment as well as therapists. Methods: This study took a qualitative approach, using semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews, which were transcribed verbatim, translated to English and coded using Nvivo software for thematic analysis. Results: Data saturation was achieved after interviewing a total of 27 participants (7 therapists and 20 patients using captagon either alone or among other illicit drugs), most of which were male (n = 22). Their ages ranged between 18-48 years (median= 27). Four main themes were identified during the interviews: (1) Definition and sought effects of captagon; (2) the downside of captagon use and withdrawal symptoms associated with captagon use; (3) motivations for captagon use and to treatment; and (4) the impact of Covid-19 on captagon's use and on treatment. Conclusion: This qualitative study has illustrated for the first time the several challenges and complicating factors that people who use captagon and therapists face in Jordan. Findings call attention to implementing effective interventions to raise public's awareness of the negative impact of such use, with focus on high-risk groups, address the needs of different users and encourage the use of international treatment guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the challenges and benefits of using Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It also tried to understand the issues that would influence students' perceptions regarding MOOCs. The Study utilized the Theory of Reasoned Actions (TRA) to understand the factors influencing respondents' adoption of such environment. An empirical research was conducted using a survey to probe subjects" opinions. Results significantly supported the TRA and predicted the intention to use MOOCs. Perceived usefulness and social influence were significant predictors of MOOCs adoption, but ease of use failed to predict the intentions to use MOOCs. Challenges related to infrastructure, control and assessment were important to sample. Subjects indicated that time and place convenience are important contributions of MOOCs. The adoption of MOOCs would increase the opportunities of benefiting people who are busy, disadvantaged, and geographically remote. It reduces the cost for educational institutions, and attracts more people to acquire degrees and training.

The process of learning a new language, like education in general, is challenging. However, every learning process has unique conflicts and confrontations of its own. Non-native English speakers have issues and challenges as they acquire the language, which may resemble those faced by other non-native English speakers in some ways. Thus, mastering English prepositions might be challenging for nonnative Arabic speakers of the language who are fluent in English. This study aimed to explain the issues that Arabic-speaking students who are studying English encounter when acquiring and learning English prepositions, as well as the causes of these issues. The main language barrier and the learners' Arabic mother tongue impact are shown to be the leading causes of this difficulty in acquiring this crucial linguistic and grammatical component. This paper concludes that students who speak Arabic as their first language highlight the value of contrastive analysis when studying English articles. This is because Arabic speakers who speak their first language in English have a very difficult time using English articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jordan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences is the property of University of Jordan and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of Jordanian exports to a number of selected countries on the economic growth in Jordan. The selected countries are United States, China, European Union, Arab countries, India, and Japan. A time series analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of exports on the economic growth in Jordan. The data was collected from the Central Bank of Jordan and the Jordanian Department of Statistics for the period of 1992 to 2017. The unit root test was performed for each of the variables. Then a cointegration test was performed for each of the amounts of the Jordanian exports to the selected countries with both the Jordan Real GDP per capita. After completing these tests, a Granger Causality Test and the Dynamic Least Squares (DOLS) regression method were performed for the cointegrated variables. The time series analysis found that exports to Arab countries had a positive effect on the GDP per capita. Thus, the rest of the exports had no impact on the Real GDP per capita. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: This study investigated self‐attitudes towards schizophrenia, depression and anxiety. Methods: A survey was conducted with 564 people with a schizophrenia, depression and anxiety who are currently being treated at a psychiatric clinic in Amman, Jordan. Results: The research found that stigma towards schizophrenia, depression and anxiety was based around three factors: preconceived stereotypes, personal responsibility/blame and the perceived inability of a patient to recover. Schizophrenia, in particular, was linked more strongly to negative stereotypes and an inability to recover and less associated to personal responsibility/blame in comparison to depression and anxiety. Discussion: Three identical stigma factors emerged for each diagnosis which reflected themes identified in previous literature. People with schizophrenia are seen as more dangerous and less likely to recover than those suffering from other mental illness. Anxiety was seen most favourably by the self; it was associated with less negative stereotypes and seen as more likely to cure. Interestingly, anxiety and depression were seen almost identically. Conclusion: The self‐perception of mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, depression and anxiety, have important implications for the planning of anti‐stigma and awareness raising programmes. By gaining a thorough understanding of these perceptions and the rationale behind them, it may be possible to develop effective, tailor‐made interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study was to explore the family members' determinant of the delay in seeking psychiatric care to patients diagnosed with psychosis.Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were carried out with twenty-seven family members of patients with psychosis at psychiatric outpatient clinics in Amman, Jordan.Results: The findings revealed that perceived stigma and fears about being labelled are the main barriers to requesting early psychiatric health care. The participants cited many different reasons linked to finding help led to delay in seeking help in the early stages of the illness including misattribution of the cause and symptoms of mental illness, family and financial factors.Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of enhancing knowledge about the schizophrenia-related spectrum to ensure patients seek treatment in a more timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stigma affects family members of individuals with mental illness. A survey of 640 family members of individuals with mental illness was conducted. Three factors were found to influence stigma regarding schizophrenia, depression and anxiety: (a) preconceived stereotypes, (b) a sense of personal responsibility or blame for the condition and (c) perceptions of the patient's inability to recover from the condition. A stronger association between negative stereotypes and inability to recover was found with schizophrenia than depression or anxiety. Conversely, depression and anxiety were found to be correlated with personal responsibility or blame for the condition. The public perception of mental health conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, schizophrenia) has a crucial role in deriving programs for reducing stigma and raising awareness. Personalized and efficacious treatment regimens may be facilitated by understanding these perceptions and the underlying explanations for why they exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of the study was to assess what empowerment intervention has on people with schizophrenia. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was carried out between November 2015 and May 2016 involving 112 participants who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Patients, who were 18 years and above diagnosed with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-V) schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder from the outpatient mental health clinics in Jordan, were randomly assigned to take part in an intervention that consisted of receiving 6 weeks’ worth of information booklets, with face to face discussions, while receiving their usual medication or allocated treatment as usual. The participants were assessed at baseline, immediately after the intervention and at 3-month follow-up. The primary outcome was a change in the helplessness score. Secondary outcomes were psychiatric symptoms, recovery rate, empowerment and quality of life. Results: This study showed that people with schizophrenia in the intervention group showed more improvement in the helplessness score immediately post-intervention (F = 74.53, p < .001) and at 3-month follow-up (F = 75.56, p < .001), they reported significant improvements in all secondary outcomes. Conclusion: This study indicated that the empowering intervention was an effective intervention when integrated with treatment as usual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Study of the disease patterns and clinical evaluation of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Subjects and Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out on 85 patients, with MDS who were followed up over a period of 23 years at Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan. Cases were analyzed according to the French, American and British Classification. Results: Of the 85 patients, 42 (49.4%) were females and 43 (50%) males; mean age was 59 ± 19 years (range 18–88). Most subtypes found in patients were refractory anemia (RA) in 27 (31.8%) and RA with excess blasts (RAEB) in 28 (32.9%). Adverse prognostic indicators were RAEB subtype and requirement for blood transfusion. Conclusion: Our findings showed that MDSs appeared at a younger age and tended to be of the aggressive subtype. Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia subtype seemed to appear dominantly in men. Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Bladder cancer accounts for nearly 5% of all newly diagnosed cancers in Jordan, with a much higher frequency in males. Recent studies have shown that activating mutations in FGFR3 are the most common findings in non-invasive low grade bladder tumors. In this study, we, retrospectively, investigated a cohort of 121 bladder cancer patients with various grades and stages of the tumor for molecular changes in FGFR3. Overexpression of FGFR3 was observed in 49%, 34%, 15%, and 2% of pTa, pT1, pT2, and pT3 cases, respectively. Further, FGFR3 expression was positive in 45%, 26%, and 30% of G1, G2 and G3 cases, respectively. Mutational analysis of exons 7, 10 and 15 of FGFR3 identified four previously reported mutations, namely R248C (n =4; 10%), S249C (n =23; 59%), Y375C (n =7; 18%), G382R (n =4; 10%), and one novel mutation, G382E (n =1; 3%). Our results indicate that both mutations and overexpression of FGFR3 are correlated together, and are more prevalent in early stage (pTa and pT1) and low grade (G1 and G2) bladder tumors. Survival analysis showed no contribution of changes in FGFR3 on the patient''s survival. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis of overall survival for the following variables: age, gender, stage and grade of tumor, and FGFR3 (expression and mutation) revealed that age, stage and grade of tumor are independent predictors of overall survival in patients with bladder cancer. Our work is the first to address the molecular status of FGFR3 in Jordanian patients with bladder cancer, and provides further support for FGFR3 as a key player in the initiation of bladder tumors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]