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Businesses and websites have rapidly increased their energy consumption, necessitating the development of data centres tailored to the cloud. Predicting when a system's resources will be needed means you can allocate them more efficiently and save money in the cloud. Predictive accuracy may be increased by classifying loads first. In this research, we offer a new method for predicting future demand for cloud-centric data centres. The Phase Space Reconstruction (PSR) and Extended Approximation-Group Method of Data Handling (EA-GMDH) methods are compared to the Bayesian model for predicting the mean load over a long-term time period. Multi-step ahead CPU load prediction using Support Vector Regression is very stable, i.e., its prediction error increases quite slowly as the predicted steps increase; this is in contrast to a neural network, which predicts the future load based on the past historical data and is distinguished by the presence of hidden layers

Prostatic urethral fibroepithelial polyps are quite rare congenital lesions of the male urethra. Most cases have been described in children. However, adult cases have also been reported. Herein, we report a case of a 24-year-old male who presented with voiding lower urinary tract symptoms and was finally diagnosed to have a prostatic urethral fibroepithelial polyp. He was treated with a bladder neck preserving transurethral resection, with no recurrence after one year of follow-up. The rare cause, in addition, the modified approach, encouraged us to report this case.

Li-air batteries are considered strong candidates for the next-generation energy storage systems designed for electrical transportation. However, low cyclability and current rates are two major drawbacks that hinder them from further realization. These issues necessitate the discovery of novel materials to significantly enhance the redox process of discharge products. In this study, a novel catalytic system comprised of tin sulfide (SnS) nanoflakes as a solid catalyst and tin iodide (SnI2) as a dual-functional electrolyte additive is discovered. This system enables operating the battery at high current rates up to 10 000 mA g−1 (corresponding to 1 mA cm−2). The SnS catalyst shows outstanding catalytic activity for both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions compared to carbon, noble metals, and other transition metal dichalcogenides. It also exhibits good structural integrity at high rates. The computations indicate numerous possible oxygen reduction sites without oxygen dissociations on the SnS surface through solution mechanism that is likely responsible for the formation of Li2O2. The calculations also indicate that the role of the SnI2 is not only reacting with the lithium anode to provide protection but reducing the charge potential by promoting catalytic decomposition of the Li2O2. This work provides new novel additives for designing high-rate Li-air batteries.

The rechargeable lithium-oxygen (Li-O

For directly linking the dynamical reference frame of satellite orbits to the quasi-inertial reference frame of extra-galactic radio sources, observations of satellites with the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) technique are the only conceivable method. Hence, the satellite observations should be embedded in VLBI network sessions during which also natural radio sources are observed. For this reason, it would be most practical if the artificial signal generated at the satellite for VLBI observations covers the same frequency bands as regularly observed by VLBI radio telescopes and should have a similar flux density across the observed bandwidth as these natural sources. The use of satellites of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as the Galileo system is advisable because they are well monitored in terms of precise orbit determination and the altitude allows common visibilities of many VLBI telescopes. So far, signal generation on a GNSS satellite dedicated to VLBI observations has not been realized yet, partly because suitable signal generation equipment has not been considered in depth. In addition, many aspects, such as legal implications and technical complications, have not yet been addressed. In this publication, we compiled various aspects of generating an artificial VLBI signal on a GNSS satellite. We describe the legal and technical aspects of generating and emitting an artificial signal on a Galileo satellite suitable for VLBI observations including a design study for the necessary equipment on the satellite. Since geodetic VLBI is currently in a transition period from traditional observations at S and X band to the broadband VLBI Global Observing System (VGOS), the proposed equipment generates a signal suitable for both frequency setups. We have also considered the restrictions for installation on a satellite, such as power consumption, weight, and size. The equipment mainly consists of three devices: noise source, amplifier, and antenna. A diode is used as the noise source. This noise is amplified by a set of low noise amplifiers and then radiated by a spiral antenna. The diode and the amplifiers were chosen from the market, but the antenna was newly designed and simulated. The output signal of this chain was tested using a VLBI baseband data simulator, then correlated and fringe-fitted for validation. The instrumentation proposed here is easy to be constructed, but will still have to be tested in the laboratory together with the instruments on the actual satellite.

Faris Abushamma,1,2 Mahfouz Ktaifan,1 Abdoh Abdallah,1 Mohammad Alkarajeh,1 Mosab Maree,1,3 Ahmed Awadghanem,1,3 Ahmad Jaradat,1,2 Amir Aghbar,1,2 Sa’ed H Zyoud,4,5 Francis X Keeley Jr6 1Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 2Department of Urology, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 3Department of Radiology, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 4Department of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 5Clinical Research Center, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 6Bristol Urological Institute, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UKCorrespondence: Faris AbushammaDepartment of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, PalestineEmail farisabushamma@hotmail.comPurpose: Acute ureteric colic (AUC) is generally one of the most common reasons for emergency department attendance. Expectant management is recommended in non-complicated ureteral calculi. However, data regarding the optimal duration of observation or indications of early intervention (EI) are not well understood. This article describes the clinical and radiological factors that promote EI in AUC.Patients and Methods: This was an observational and retrospective cohort study. Patients with AUC diagnosed based on non-contrast computerized tomography (NCCT) between 2019 and 2020 were enrolled in the study. These patients were classified into two main categories: spontaneous passage of stone (SSP) and EI. In addition, a comparative analysis was performed to identify clinical and radiological variables that promote EI.Results: One-hundred and sixty-one patients were included. High WBCs are associated with a significant increase in EI. Forty-three percent (n=37) of patients with serum WBCs higher than 10 had an EI, while 23% had SSP (n=17;p< 0.001). High CRP level is also significantly associated with EI (n=36; 86%; p< 0.001). Upper and middle ureteral calculi are statistically associated with EI (n=54; 62%) in comparison to the SSP cohort (n=22; 30%;p< 0.001). EI is also linked to the maximal length of ureteric calculi (MCL) of 9 mm (6– 13mm), and HU density of stone of 700 (430– 990) H.U (p< 0.001). Ureteric stone volume of 0.2 (0.06– 0.3) cm3 is significantly associated with EI (p< 0.001). Ureteral wall thickness of 3 (2– 3 mm), the presence of extrarenal pelvis (n=20; 23%), and AP diameter of renal pelvis 18 (13– 28 mm) are all significantly associated with a higher rate of EI (p< 0.001). Multiple binary logistic regression analysis showed that MCL is the strongest predictor of EI.Conclusion: MCL is an independent and robust predictor of EI in AUC. Biochemical variables and radiological characteristics can also act as an adjunct to promote EI.Keywords: ureteral calculi, medical expulsive therapy, spontaneous stone passage, maximal length of ureteral calculi, pyonephrosis

Emphysematous urinary tract infections (EUI) are rare life-threatening infections that are often found in diabetic patients with a predilection for females. Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is more frequently reported than emphysematous cystitis (EC). However, concurrent occurrence has been reported as well. On the other hand, ureteric involvement in cases of EUI has not been described well in the literature. Treatment should be aggressive as the rate of death can be as high as 15.4%. Early surgical intervention has been described for severe infections. However, conservative approach has also been adopted especially in cases where preserving kidney function is of utmost importance. We present a 22-year-old lady who is known to have chronic kidney disease, bladder dysfunction and multiple reconstructive urological procedures, presented with emphysematous urinary tract infection affecting the whole urinary system (both kidneys, ureters and urinary bladder), which was successfully treated in a nephron sparing approach.

Faris Abushamma,1– 3 Zain Khayyat,1 Aya Soroghle,1 Sa’ed H Zyoud,4,5 Ahmad Jaradat,1,2 Maha Akkawi,1,6 Hanood Aburass,1,6 Iyad KK Qaddumi,7 Razan Odeh,8 Husam Salameh,8 Salah Albuheissi3 1Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 2Department of Urology, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 3Bristol Urological Institute, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK; 4Department of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, an-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 5Clinical Research Center, an-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 6Department of Pathology, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 7Department of Urology, Rafedia General Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 8Department of Oncology, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, PalestineCorrespondence: Faris AbushammaDepartment of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, an-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, PalestineEmail farisabushamma@hotmail.comPurpose: Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is a potentially curable or controllable disease if strict adherence to a surveillance protocol is followed. Management and surveillance of NMIBC begins at the time of diagnosis up to a few years thereafter. There is scanty data in the literature evaluating the impact of non-compliance with the surveillance protocols on progression, recurrence, and mortality rate.Patients and Methods: An observational, retrospective cohort study recruited data between 2012 and 2017 at two tertiary hospitals. Data were collected consecutively. NMIBC patients who had at least 3 years of follow-up data were included. Patients were divided into different groups based on their compliance with the cystoscopy follow-up protocol as recommended by the European guidelines. We compared the cystoscopy compliant group with the non-compliant group in view of recurrence, progression, and mortality. In addition, missing variable items during surveillance were calculated using a new scoring model to predict adverse outcomes.Results: Eighty-eight NMIBC patients met our criteria. Recurrence rate (RR), progression rate (PR), metastasis rate (MsR), and mortality rate (MR) are significantly higher in non-compliant group, RR: (92.6%) (P< 0.001), PR: (54.1%) (P< 0.001), MsR: (37.7%) (P< 0.001), MR: (23.5%) (P= 0.002) respectively. In the subgroup analysis, intermediate and high-risk groups have a PR rate of zero in the compliant group, while it is 100% (P< 0.001) and 56.4% (P=0.001) in the non-compliant group, respectively. Use of a Kaplan Meier (KM) graph shows that compliant patients had a better survival in comparison to non-compliant patients. Scoring there or more is statistically and clinically significantly associated with higher recurrence, progression, and mortality. RR: (94%) (P=0.016), PR: 49% (P< 0.001) and MR (26%) (P=0.012).Conclusion: Non-compliance to a standardized surveillance protocol in NMIBC is associated statistically and clinically with adverse outcomes in comparison to a compliant group. This mandates strict adherence to surveillance guidelines particularly in patients with high-risk disease.Keywords: NMIBC, COVID-19, urological malignancies, haematuria

Elbow fractures account for 7% of total adult fractures, the aim of this study to determine the functional outcome of post traumatic elbow stiffness managed with soft tissue interposition arthroplasty. Materials and methods: This are a retrospective study with data collection From January 2001 to October 2019, in Orthopedics and Trauma Clinic in Royal Medical Services, 12 patients were included in the study. Three different scores were used: The Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH). Results: The results showed that the total score calculated with the MEPS in the preoperative (58.3) and in the postoperative (69.6) has an average increase of 11.3 points. There is an increase in the range of movement (from 7.1 to 16.7 points), with a greater degree of extension (from 70.8 ° to 28.3 °) and bending (from 93.7 ° at 126.6 °) and greater autonomy. DASH score performance of daily functions increased with a range (from 2.1 to 21.7 points) after surgery. Pain has an acute increase, rising from 41.3 (very mild pain) to 27.5 (moderate pain level). Joint stability also decreases and its values move from 8.3 to 5.4 points. Conclusion: This procedure is recommended for young patients with high functional requirements as an alternative to elbow arthroplasty.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the North West Bank, Palestine, and to assess the role of potential risk factors including age and DM control. Patients and methods: Adult women with DM attending governmental primary healthcare centres in the North West Bank were interviewed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) standardised UI questionnaire. The prevalence of UI was estimated and differences between groups were evaluated using the chi-square test. A multivariate logistic model was used to estimate the adjusted relationships and to control for confounders. The statistical significance level was set at P

The inclusion of discourse markers (DMs), which are commonly depicted as syntactically non-integrated elements, within the domain of grammaticalization has been a controversial topic in the last two decades. The emergence of DMs for some researchers are cases of grammaticalization, whereas they are viewed by some other researchers as elements that escape from the grammatical domain to the pragmatic and communicative domain. This paper argues with the grammaticalization of DMs. It provides evidence to this view from Jordanian Arabic. The cases under investigation in this paper are the DMs ma, hu and mahu. This paper offers synchronic evidence supporting their grammaticalization. This evidence is based on two main conclusions: (1) these DMs share common grammatical items most of the grammaticalization sub-processes that lead to their emergence, and (2) they are not dis-integrated elements from the sentence grammar. They rather belong to the peripheral domain of grammar., Grammaticalization, Discourse marker, Discourse linker, Sentence grammar, Peripheral grammar, Jordanian Arabic

Saddam Al Demour,1 Mera A Ababneh,2 Raed N Al-Taher,3 Adel F Alrabadi,1 Ahmad F Jaradat,4,5 Faris A Abushamma,4– 6 Fadi A Al-Hadidi,7 Baeth M Al-Rawashdeh,8 Mohammad A Ihmeidan,1 Ahmad K Abubaker,9 Mohammad T Al-Zubi10 1Department of Special Surgery, Division of Urology, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; 2Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Irbid 22110, Jordan; 3Department of General Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; 4Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus 44833, Palestine; 5Department of Urology, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus 44833, Palestine; 6Bristol Urological Institute, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK; 7Department of Special Surgery, Division of Orthopedics, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; 8Department of Special Surgery, Division of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; 9Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan; 10Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid 21163, JordanCorrespondence: Saddam Al Demour Email saldemour@ju.edu.joBackground and Objectives: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging disease threatening the world with a rapid increase in cases and deaths since it was first identified in December 2019. Adequate knowledge, practice, and attitudes (KPA) toward COVID-19 among physicians at the frontline defense against the COVID-19 pandemic may enhance their ability to avoid the risk of self-infection, decrease mortality, and provide adequate medical care service in this pandemic. This study aimed to assess KPA toward COVID-19 among physicians in Jordan and Palestine.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using an online survey conducted from 10 April to 26 April 2020 among Jordan and Palestine physicians. Invitations were sent to physician groups on Facebook and WhatsApp. This survey contains 36-items, divided into four main sections to assess the participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, practice, and attitude about COVID-19.Results: A total of 454 physicians participated in this study. The mean score of basic knowledge was 4.4 ± 0.8 (range 2– 4). There were significant differences between basic knowledge mean scores among physicians in different professional degrees and physicians in various health sectors (P=0.0315, P=0.0137, respectively). The mean scores of self-protection measures, were 6.1 ± 1.1 (range 3– 7) and measures if physician self-suspected of COVID-19 were 9.9± 1.1 (range 5– 11). The mean score of attitudes toward COVID-19 was 41.5 ± 3.3 (range 21– 45) and significantly related to the age and different experience years (P=0.0022, P=0.0077, respectively).Conclusion: As the global threat of COVID-19 continues to emerge, physicians from Jordan and Palestine showed adequate KPA toward COVID-19. There was a significant difference in knowledge level and attitude between physicians. Policymakers and physicians should keep continuous educational activities, training, and follow-up updates during this pandemic.Keywords: coronavirus, COVID-19, knowledge, practice, attitudes, physicians

BackgroundNon-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC) is potentially curable or a controllable disease if strict adherence to surveillance protocol is followed. Management and surveillance of NMIBC begin at the time of diagnosis up to few years thereafter based on the risk group category. There is scanty data in the literature evaluating the impact of non-compliance to surveillance protocol on progression, recurrence, and mortality rate. We do believe that this data will add to the literature especially during the COVID-19 pandemic which affects and delays daily elective surgeries. MethodsA retrospective study of two hundred bladder biopsy and resection between 2012-2017. Eighty-eight patients with minimal 3 years follow up data were included. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on their compliance with the cystoscopy follow up as recommended by the European guidelines. We compared the cystoscopy compliant group to the non-compliant group in view of recurrence, progression, and mortality. In addition, missing variable items during surveillance are calculated in a new scoring model to predict the adverse outcome. ResultsRecurrence rate (RR), progression rate (PR), metastasis rate (MsR) and mortality rate (MR) are significantly higher in non-compliant group, RR: (92.6%) (P<0.001), PR: (54.1%) (P<0.001), MsR: (37.7%) (P<0.001), MR: (23.5%) (P= 0.002) respectively. In subgroup analysis, intermediate and high-risk groups have a PR rate of zero in the compliant group while it is 100% (P<0.001) and 56.4% (P=0.001) in the non-compliant group respectively. Kaplan Meier (KM) graph shows that compliant patients were more likely to be better than non-compliant. ConclusionsNoncompliance to a standardized surveillance protocol in NMIBC is associated statistically and clinically with adverse outcomes in comparison to a compliant group which mandates strict adherence to surveillance guidelines to improve outcomes in NMIBC.

BackgroundLower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are prevalent among pregnant women. Several articles show the impact of LUTS on pregnant women’s quality of life (QoL). This study was designed to examine the impact of non-pathological LUTS on QoL among pregnant Palestinian women.MethodsA cross-sectional, hospital-based study was conducted on women who were pregnant and receiving regular antenatal care at the obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Rafidia Hospital, Palestine. This self-administered questionnaire included the Urinary Distress Inventory – short-form (UDI-6), the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire – short-form (IIQ-7), the European Quality of Life scale – 5 dimensions (EQ-5D), and the European Quality of Life – visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). A convenience sampling method was used. In addition to this, multiple linear regression analyses were performed aiming to identify variables that have a significant relationship with QoL (i.e. socio-demographic variables, UDI-6 score, and IIQ-7 score).ResultsThis study included a total of 306 pregnant women. Participants had a mean age of 26.9 years (SD, 3.6). The subjects scored an average of 31.2 ± 19.2 out of 100 points for the UDI-6 scale and an average of 31.9 ± 24.9 out of 100 points for the IIQ-7 scale. On the other hand, the subjects’ average EQ-5D and EQ-VAS scores were 0.76 ± 0.17 and 67.96 ± 19.28 respectively. The subjects’ responses on UDI-6 significantly correlated with their responses on both the EQ-5D and EQ-VAS scales (r = − 0.338,p p p p p = 0.001) and IIQ-7 score (p ConclusionsOur study shows a remarkable correlation between LUTS and QoL among pregnant women. Further longitudinal studies are required to assess the status of LUTS in the pre-pregnancy stage to ascertain a more accurate assessment of LUTS or LUTS related intervention and its impact on QoL during pregnancy.

Aim: Coronavirus disease-2019 is an emerging disease that is threatening the world with a rapid increase in cases and deaths since it was first identified in December 2019. Our study aimed to assess the knowledge, practice, and attitude toward COVID-19 among physicians in Jordan and Palestine. Method: This is a cross-sectional study using an online survey conducted in April, 2020. A 36-items survey was developed and invitations were sent to physicians in different health sectors using social media. Results: A total of 454 physicians participated in this study with a mean age 36.2  10.8 years. The mean score of basic knowledge was 4.4  0.8, and there were significant statistical differences between basic knowledge mean scores among physicians in different professional degrees and physicians in different health sectors (P=0.0315, P=0.0137 respectively). Participants showed appropriate practical measures toward COVID-19, where the mean scores of indications for PCR test, indications for home quarantine, self-protection measures, and measures if physician self-suspected of COVID-19 were 5.4  1.4, 5.0  1.0, 6.1  1.1, 9.9 1.1 respectively. The mean score of attitudes toward COVID-19 were 41.5  3.3 and significantly related to the age and different experience years (P=0.0022, P=0.0077 respectively). Conclusion: As the global threat of COVID-19 continues to emerge, it is critical to improve the knowledge, practice, and attitudes of physicians worldwide.

This research paper proposes that a vocative can be a potential source of coordination, thus it adds to the literature on the grammaticalization of coordinators. Evidence to this proposal is taken from Jordanian Arabic (JA) wherein the vocative particle ja: developed a disjunctive (coordination) function. The synchronic evidence to the evolution of the disjunctive ja: is that this function is conveyed by this particle in some but not all Arabic varieties, whereas the vocative function is the common cross-dialectal function of ja:. Further, this study suggests that the factors that licensed the development of this function (i.e., the disjunctive ja:) in JA are (i) the common semantic feature between the vocative and disjunctive ja:, namely proximity, (ii) the shared function of warning and (iii) the syntactic distribution of ja: in initial position of the two conjuncts of the bisyndetic disjunctive construction. With regard to the properties of this evolution, it is demonstrated in this paper that the development of the coordinating ja: is a case of secondary grammaticalization featured by expansion in functionality and increase in syntactic contingence of the hosting structure., Grammaticalization; Bisyndetic disjunction; Coordinator; Vocative; Proximity; Syntactic distribution.

Objectives: This open label, phase I clinical trial (NCT02945462) using 2 consecutive intracavernous autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) for the first time in the treatment of diabetic patients with erectile dysfunction (ED). The primary outcome is to assess the safety and tolerability of intracavernous autologous BM-MSCs, the secondary outcome is to assess efficacy of the procedure. Patients and Methods: Four diabetic patients with refractory ED were included. Two consecutive intracavernous autologous BM-MSC injections were performed. Tolerability was assessed immediately and at 24 h, safety was evaluated for 2 years. Efficacy was assessed using International Index of Erectile Function-15 (IIEF-15) and Erection Hardness Score (EHS) for 12 months. Results: procedure was well tolerated and no patients reported significant adverse effects. There was significant improvement of IIEF-15 and EHS; IIEF-15 (p = 0.04), Erectile Function (p = 0.03), Sexual Desire (p = 0.04), Intercourse Satisfaction (p = 0.04), and Overall Satisfaction (p = 0.04). Conclusion: This is the first human study with proven tolerability, safety and efficacy of intracavernous autologous BM-MSC injections for treatment of diabetic patients with ED.

Lithium-oxygen (Li-O2 ) batteries possess the highest theoretical energy density (3500 Wh kg-1 ), which makes them attractive candidates for modern electronics and transportation applications. In this work, an inexpensive, flexible, and wearable Li-O2 battery based on the bifunctional redox mediator of InBr3 , MoS2 cathode catalyst, and Fomblin-based oxygen permeable membrane that enable long-cycle-life operation of the battery in pure oxygen, dry air, and ambient air is designed, fabricated, and tested. The battery operates in ambient air with an open system air-breathing architecture and exhibits excellent cycling up to 240 at the high current density of 1 A g-1 with a relative humidity of 75%. The electrochemical performance of the battery including deep-discharge capacity, and rate capability remains almost identical after 1000 cycle in a bending fatigue test. This finding opens a new direction for utilizing high performance Li-O2 batteries for applications in the field of flexible and wearable electronics.

Horseshoe kidney (HSK) is a common congenital kidney anomaly that is encountered frequently by urologists. It is rare for HSK to be affected by xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP), a potentially life-threatening condition. The standard of care for XGP is open nephrectomy, but recently a few case reports have been published showing the feasibility of minimally invasive surgery to deal with XGP. We present a case of HSK affected by XGP treated successfully with modified laparoscopic transperitoneal heminephrectomy. The rarity of such a combination, the modified approach, and the successful outcome encouraged us to report it.

Although the awareness of disasters has increased among some parts of society, the concept of disaster preparedness and response has not been sufficiently explored in universities. The aim of this paper is to assess the perceptions of students and staff regarding disaster preparedness as well as to examine whether universities are prepared for disasters or not. In addition, this article provides a brief overview of major disasters that happened to universities in the past years in order to analyse the implications of disasters to universities. Furthermore, the stakeholders involved in disaster management are mentioned here followed by a general plan and recommendations for universities to be considered in their roles toward building a resistant university.

In system development methodology environment there are many methodologies have been developed and adopted. In addition, many experts in system development are attempting to produce new methodologies. Moreover, every methodology has various technique and methods. However, in most information system development scenarios, information requirement definition is the most challenging and essential task in system development life cycle. It is the aim of this paper to explain the concept of Cognitive Mapping Technique which may assist developer team in the stage of information definition requirement. Cognitive mapping or sometimes called mental mapping is a technique used by system developers in developing an information system. It helps them in analyzing the problems and determining stakeholders' requirements. Also, cognitive mapping is intended to help decision makers in interacting with the difficult and interdependency inherent in many organizational problematic cases. There are three primary types in cognitive mapping technique which are casual mapping, concept mapping and semantic mapping. All these types of cognitive mapping are discussed in detailed in this paper.

Learning idioms which is considered a very essential part of learning and using language (Sridhar and Karunakaran, 2013) has recently attracted a great attention of English learning researchers particularly the assessment of how well Asian language learners acquire and use idioms in communication (Tran, 2013). Understanding and using them fluently could be viewed as a sign towards language proficiency as they could be an effective way to give students better conditions to enhance their communication skills in the daily context (Beloussova, 2015). Investigating how idiomatic expressions are dealt with and processed in a second language or foreign language is an issue worth examining further since it may give language teachers a better idea of some of the strategies language learners use in order to interpret figurative language. Despite their importance, learning and using English idioms by Arab EFL learners have not been investigated extensively, and no research has been conducted on Jordanian students’ idiomatic competency. Thus, the researcher decided to work on these un-tackled issues in the Jordanian context. Most idioms-based investigations are the difficulties Jordanians learners of English face when translating them into Arabic (Hussein, Khanji, and Makhzoumi, 2000; Bataineh and Bataineh, 2002; Alrishan and Smadi, 2015). The analysis of the test showed students’ very poor idiomatic competence; particularly a very limited awareness of the most frequently used idioms despite their overwhelming desire to learn them. Data analysis of the questionnaire revealed the strategies students use and the problems they face in understanding and learning idioms.

The purpose of this paper is to provide grammatical and lexical evidence in support of primary color terms in Jordanian Arabic, henceforth, JA. The general framework is to investigate the behavior of basic color terms in some lexical or grammatical processes and to prove that their behavior supports the division proposed by Kay and McDanial (1978) between primary and derived color terms. The evidence is distilled from various sources including: the templates used for the two groups of color terms, the feminine templates utilized in each group; the plural templates used in each group; reduplication; the parts of speech derived from each color; the variety of color terms; and the frequency of each color in daily usage. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s4p44

The expression inshallah is one of the most common expressions in daily interactions among Jordanians. The paper assumes that the expression has various non-literal meanings besides the literal one which is an invocation to Allah to enable the speaker to achieve a positive or a negative action. The non-literal meanings, on the other hand, are all cases of flouting Grice’s maxim of quality, whereby the speaker does not mean what the words literally mean; however, the addressee or the hearer can figure out the message intended by the speaker. The paper has found out that the various non-literal meanings inshallah serves are: irony, which a typical means for flouting the maxim of quality, threatening, wonder, yes/ok, prohibition, and wishing. Moreover, the study has found out that the utterances containing the expression inshallah will not give the same meaning after the removal of inshallah. And this can be considered another major contribution for the paper since it coined a diagnostic for deriving the non-literal meanings of inshallah. (p. 162)

This study has set out to determine the structural patterns of bumper stickers in Jordan. This study is significant since it is the first one to approach bumper stickers structurally. The study has investigated 227 stickers, which can be considered the corpus of stickers in Jordan. The study has found that around 90% of the stickers are sentences, most of which are simple sentences expressed in the present tense. This combination of the three elements i.e. sentence, declarative and simple is what facilitated the job of drivers to write their opinions, attitudes, beliefs, etc. and is what made it possible for the others i.e. drivers and pedestrians to understand the stickers. The study has also found that imperative and negative imperatives are quite common since the stickers are not addressed to the writer/driver rather to the others so as to inform them about his state, his miserable condition, his opinions, his loyalties, and his vehicle. The stickers are addressed to others to demand certain behaviors from them such as driving wisely, not challenging the sticker writer, respecting him if he is driving a truck or a lorry, etc.

This study contributes to the existing literature on interlanguage pragmatics by investigating intermediate Jordanian English Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ gratitude speech act realization compared to that of native American English speakers. The study considered both aspects of pragmatic competence including pragmalinguistic knowledge (i.e., the use of gratitude strategies) and sociopragmatic knowledge (i.e., the influence of contextual variables). A discourse completion task (DCT) was employed to elicit data from 60 participants divided into two groups: 30 native speakers of American English, and 30 Jordanian EFL learners. Findings revealed that while Jordanian EFL learners and American English native speakers have access to the same gratitude strategies, both groups differed in the order preference of the used strategies and their frequency of use. Furthermore, the two groups showed different patterns in responding to contextual variables (i.e., social power and size of imposition), an indication that different cultural values govern the speech norms of each group. The study concludes with some pedagogical implications that could be implemented in the EFL classroom.