Papers by Mohammad ALothman
إستثمار أوقاف الجمعيات الخيرية الإسلامية أحكام وضوابط
Al Jinan الجنان, 2011
Hyperglycemia in Children Hospitalized with Acute Asthma
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2018
Hyperglycemia is frequently observed in adults with acute asthma. We aimed to assess the frequenc... more Hyperglycemia is frequently observed in adults with acute asthma. We aimed to assess the frequency of hyperglycemia and its relation to outcomes in children admitted with acute asthma. In this retrospective study, we reviewed medical records of non-diabetic 166 children (66 girls) with the mean age of 5.4 ± 2.6 years (range of 2-12 years), who were hospitalized with acute asthma between January 2012 through December 2014. Data pertaining to demographics, vital signs, oxygen saturation, serum blood glucose level, electrolytes, blood gases, and admission were collected. Children with other chronic conditions were excluded. The findings were that hyperglycemia (blood glucose ≥ 11.1 mmol/l) was observed in 38.6% of children. The median baseline blood glucose (IQR) was 9.8 mmol/l (7.2-13.3 mmol/l). Blood glucose level was associated with the length of hospitalization, with a median extension of 1.8 days, but was inversely associated with the serum potassium and bicarbonate levels. There were no associations between baseline blood glucose and age, gender, baseline respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, or intensive care admission. Hyperglycemia resolved spontaneously in all affected children. We conclude that hyperglycemia is common in children hospitalized with acute asthma. Hyperglycemia could be considered as a marker of a longer hospital stay.
Al-Adab Journal, 2020
هدفت الدراسة إلى التعرف على اتجاهات الشباب الجامعي نحو أبعاد المشاركة السياسية للمرأة العربية في ... more هدفت الدراسة إلى التعرف على اتجاهات الشباب الجامعي نحو أبعاد المشاركة السياسية للمرأة العربية في المجتمعات العربية في الدراسة. كما هدفت الدراسة إلى معرفة أثر بعض المتغيرات الديمغرافية والاجتماعية والاقتصادية على أبعاد المشاركة السياسية للمرأة العربية. ولتحقيق أهداف الدراسة والإجابة على أسئلتها، تم سحب عينة عشوائية من الشباب الجامعي في أربعة جامعات عربية (الإمارات، والأردن، والسودان والجزائر)، وبلغ عدد الاستبيانات المستكملة 1773 استبانة. كما تم استخدام الإحصاء الوصفي( النسب المئوية، والمتوسطات الحسابية، والانحرافات المعيارية) والإحصاء التحليلي (الانحدار المتعدد) في تحليل بيانات الدراسة. وكشفت نتائج الدراسة الوصفية اتجاهات إيجابية للشباب الجامعي نحو المشاركة السياسية للمرأة في المجتمعات العربية في الدراسة، إلا أن هذه الاتجاهات تختلف بحسب أبعاد المشاركة السياسية، حيث يحمل الشباب العربي الجامعي اتجاهات ليبرالية بشكل أكبر نحو مشاركة المرأة في المجتمع المدني مقارنة بمشاركتها في العملية السياسية وبمكانتها السياسية. كما كشفت نتائج التحليل الاحصائي الاستدلالي بأن متغيرات الدولة، والجنس، والع...
Heliyon, 2020
The inputs to the outputs of nonlinear systems can be modeled using machine and deep learning app... more The inputs to the outputs of nonlinear systems can be modeled using machine and deep learning approaches, among which artificial neural networks (ANNs) are a promising option. However, noisy signals affect ANN modeling negatively; hence, it is important to investigate these signals prior to the modeling. Herein, two customized and simple approaches, visual inspection and absolute correlation, are proposed to examine the relationship between the inputs and outputs of a nonlinear system. The system under consideration uses biosignals from surface electromyography as inputs and human finger joint angles as outputs, acquired from eight intact participants performing movements and grasping tasks in dynamic conditions. Furthermore, the results of these approaches are tested using the standard mutual information measure. Hence, the system dimensionality is reduced, and the ANN learning (convergence) is accelerated, where the most informative inputs are selected for the next phase. Subsequently, four ANN types, i.e., feedforward, cascade-forward, radial basis function, and generalized regression ANNs, are used to perform the modeling. Finally, the performance of the ANNs is compared with findings from the signal analysis. Results indicate a high level of consistency among all the aforementioned signal pre-analysis techniques from one side, and they also indicate that these techniques match the ANN performances from the other side. As an example, for a certain movement set, the ANN models resulted in the rotation estimation accuracy of the joints in the following descending order: carpometacarpal, metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, and distal interphalangeal. This information has been indicated in the signal pre-analysis step. Therefore, this step is crucial in input-output variable selections prior to machine-/deeplearning-based modeling approaches.
Foods, 2019
Milk is a highly nutritious food that contains an array of macro and micro components, scientific... more Milk is a highly nutritious food that contains an array of macro and micro components, scientifically proven to be beneficial to human health. While the composition of milk is influenced by a variety of factors, such as genetics, health, lactation stage etc., the animal’s diet remains a key mechanism by which its nutrition and processing characteristics can be altered. Pasture feeding has been demonstrated to have a positive impact on the nutrient profile of milk, increasing the content of some beneficial nutrients such as Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, vaccenic acid, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), while reducing the levels of Omega-6 fatty acids and palmitic acid. These resultant alterations to the nutritional profile of “Grass-Fed” milk resonate with consumers that desire healthy, “natural”, and sustainable dairy products. This review provides a comprehensive comparison of the impact that pasture and non-pasture feeding systems have on bovine milk composition from a nut...
Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 2018
Total microbial numbers (TMN*) is a widely used, yet broad indicator of the quality of fresh chil... more Total microbial numbers (TMN*) is a widely used, yet broad indicator of the quality of fresh chilled pasteurized milk (FCPM). Changes in the sensory characteristics (trained panel, n = 9), volatile organic compounds (VOC) composition (proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry, PTR-MS), and TMN were assessed for FCPM stored at 4.5°C ± 0.5 for up to 26 days (12 days past the stated shelf life). Significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) in its VOC composition (m/z 41, 43, 45, and 47) and the sensory characteristics (10 out of 17 attributes) occurred at various TMN levels over this time. However, owing to differences in the spoilage potential of the microorganisms present there was only a weak relationship between TMN, VOC composition, and the sensory characteristics, which indicates that both the nature of the microorganisms present as well as the numbers present play a critical role in determining the shelf-life of FCPM.
Journal of Health & Medical Informatics, 2017
Background: Angiography, as the gold standard for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, has m... more Background: Angiography, as the gold standard for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, has made an attempt to predict coronary artery disease by comparing the efficiency of gene expression programming, as a new data mining technique, and artificial neural network, as a conventional technique. Besides, the study went further to present the results of feature selection based on stepwise backward elimination, classification and regression tree. Methods: The subjects were assessed for nine coronary artery disease risk factors to develop a prediction model for the disease. They included 13,288 patients who were chosen to undergo angiography for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease; from this sample, 4059 subjects were free from the disease while 9169 were suffering from it. Modeling was carried out based on gene expression programming and artificial neural network techniques. The Delong's test was then used to choose the final model based on the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: The model, developed based on artificial neural network, had AUC of 0.719, accuracy of 73.39%, sensitivity of 93.44% and specificity of 28.34%. On the other hand, the model, formulated based on gene expression programming, had AUC of 0.720, accuracy of 73.94%, sensitivity of 93.29% and specificity of 31.43%. Delong's test showed no significant difference between the two models (p value=0/789). Then, feature selection method was used to choose a model with four risk factors and an accuracy rate of 73.26%. Conclusion: Comparison of the results showed no significant difference between the two modeling techniques. The gene expression programming model was very easy to present and interpret; it could also be easily converted to other programming languages; so, with these features in mind, the researchers preferred to choose this technique.
Food Microbiology, 2017
The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with UHT milk (n¼8) inoculated with either pure ... more The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with UHT milk (n¼8) inoculated with either pure inoculums of Pseudomonas fluorescens (two strains tested) or Chryseobacterium sp., or with mixed cultures of 2 or all 3 of the bacterial strains, and held at 4.5 C for up to 26 days was measured using proton transfer reaction e mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). The VOCs evolved included a range of carbonyl compounds, alcohols, esters, and acids and had significant qualitative and quantitative differences between the inoculums. Milks inoculated with paired (mixed) bacterial cultures attained patterns similar to the VOC composition of one of the pure inoculums, which could be attributed to the domination of these bacteria within the mixed inoculum. This study will help to characterize the spoilage of milk and provide important insights into understanding the factors that limit the shelf life of milk.
Investigation of the Factors that Limit the Shelf Life of Fresh Chilled Pasteurized Milk
The stated shelf life of fresh chilled pasteurized milk (FCPM) in New Zealand is 14 days, which a... more The stated shelf life of fresh chilled pasteurized milk (FCPM) in New Zealand is 14 days, which although considered long enough to meet the needs of the domestic market, limits its export potential. The shelf life of FCPM is usually limited by the growth of microorganisms including Gram-positive spore-forming bacteria that survive the pasteurization process and psychrotrophic Gram-negative bacteria (particularly Pseudomonas sp.) that can re-contaminate the milk during bottling. During growth, microorganisms produce different combinations and concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in FCPM, some of which are perceived as off-flavours and influence the sensory quality and shelf life of FCPM. The total number of microorganisms in milk is used as a broad indicator of quality by the dairy industry. However, FCPM containing high microbial numbers can be palatable, while FCPM with lower microbial numbers can be rejected by consumer depending on the activity of the contaminating microbes. Therefore, to ensure the production of FCPM with an export potential (i.e., shelf life > 14 days), a better understanding of the effect of microorganisms (types and numbers) on the sensory quality and the shelf life of FCPM is required. The present study was comprised of 5 experiments that covered three broad tasks. The first task focused on studying changes in the microbial population and the VOC composition (using proton transfer reaction – mass spectrometry (PTR-MS)) in three types of FCPM, namely whole fresh chilled pasteurized milk (WFCPM), high protein – calcium fortified milk (HP-Ca), and skim (Trim) milk during extended storage for up to 26 days (Chapter 4). This experiment was followed by two sensory studies which examined the relationship between changes in the microbial quality, the VOC composition, and the sensory quality of FCPM during storage using firstly a consumer based method (Chapter 5) and then a trained descriptive panel (Chapter 6). The experimental work was concluded by two inoculation studies (Chapter 7 and 8), which investigated the spoilage potential of a number of microorganisms, isolated from aged FCPM (3-21 days) and inoculated into FCPM as either pure or mixed cultures of microorganisms. It was found that post pasteurization contamination (PPC) with Gram-negative bacteria is what primarily limits the shelf life of FCPM in New Zealand. In the absence of PPC, the milk maintained a good quality and had a shelf life of beyond 14 days. The initial microbial population in FCPM was mainly comprised of spore-forming bacteria, however, Gram-negative psychrotrophic microorganisms dominated the microbial population as the milk aged. The different species and numbers of microorganisms entering the milk via PPC caused batch-to-batch and within batch variations in the shelf life of FCPM, due to differences in their initial numbers at the time of contamination, growth rates, and spoilage potential. Owing to this variation in the species and numbers of microorganisms in the milk, it was determined that storage time correlated poorly with VOC and the end of shelf life. Rather, microbial numbers correlated well with increases in VOC concentrations and the end of shelf life which was determined at an estimated rejection threshold (RjT) by consumers occurring when microbial numbers exceeded > 107 CFU.mL-1. The RjT (end of shelf life) was defined as when a unanimous decrease in consumers’ preference occurred due to changes in the sensory characteristics of FCPM. At the same RjT, significant changes in the signal intensities for a number of spoilage-related volatile mass ions occurred in the headspace of FCPM (p≤0.05), including m/z 33, 45, 47, 61, 63, 71 and 89, which were tentatively identified as being methanol, acetaldehyde, ethanol, acetic acid, dimethyl sulfide, butanoic acid or 2-pentanol respectively. Extended storage of WFCPM (26 days) resulted in significant changes in a number of the key sensory characteristics of the milk determined by descriptive sensory analysis namely cheesy odour, cultured odour, barny odour, cheesy flavour, cultured flavour, creamy flavour, sweet taste, mouth coating, sweet after swallow, and creamy after swallow (p≤0.05). These changes had a weak relationship with the microbial quality due to the low number of microorganisms detected in WFCPM throughout the storage period. However, a better relationship between changes in the sensory characteristics and the VOC composition of WFCPM was found suggesting that the contaminating microorganisms had strong spoilage potential despite their occurrence at low numbers. Inoculating FCPM with microorganisms isolated from aged FCPM showed that microorganisms varied in their ability to grow in FCMP at 4.5 °C ± 0.5 and to cause changes in its VOC composition (i.e., had differing spoilage potential). In addition, inoculating milk with different combinations of mixed bacterial cultures of two strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens and…
Journal of International Women S Studies, 2013
This journal and its contents may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any... more This journal and its contents may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Authors share joint copyright with the JIWS.
Consumer perception of fresh chilled pasteurized milk during storage and relationship to microbial numbers and volatile organic compound production
Whole (fat 3.18-3.28%, protein 2.98-3.10%) fresh chilled pasteurized milk (WFCPM) was stored at 4... more Whole (fat 3.18-3.28%, protein 2.98-3.10%) fresh chilled pasteurized milk (WFCPM) was stored at 4.5oC ± 0.5 for up to 26 days. Over time changes in the milk’s sensory characteristics (consumer panel), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profile (proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry, PTR-MS) and bacterial numbers (standard aerobic plate count, APC) were assessed. Changes in sensory characteristics were measured by untrained consumers using the paired preference testing method over five consecutive sessions, whereby a maximum of 12 consumers per session (n ≤12) were each presented with 12 pairs of fresh (3 days old) and aged milk samples (7, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, & 26 days old) and were asked to choose the sample they preferred to determine the changes in consumers’ preference during the shelf life. By the end of the study, the total number of tested consumers was 55. Changes in the VOCs profile included increases in the mass ions (m/z) (with a tentative identificati...
Monitoring changes in the volatiles of bottled cow milk during refrigerated storage by proton transfer reaction - mass spectrometry
The volatile organic compound (VOC) composition of cow milk changes as milk approaches the end of... more The volatile organic compound (VOC) composition of cow milk changes as milk approaches the end of its shelf-life. Microbial activity is the primary catalyst for such changes. The VOC profiles present in the headspace of packaged (HDPE), chilled (4.5 °C), extended shelf-life cow milk samples were analysed in real time over a period of 18 days using proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). In addition, milk samples were investigated off-line using gas chromatography – mass spectrometry coupled to solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME-GC-MS) to aid chemical identification of the PTR-MS m/z signals. Skimmed (0.25-0.40 % fat), semi-skimmed (1.40-1.50 % fat), and whole milk (3.18-3.28 % fat) were analysed. In order to determine the relative impact of growth of bacteria such as Pseudomonas spp. and subsequent enzymatic processes on VOCs production in the milk, sodium azide (NaN3) was added to replicate aliquots of each milk type to inhibit microbial growth. PTR-MS was used for sta...
Monitoring milk spoilage from microbial activity and oxidative degradation using PTR-MS
Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 2014
Sensitive Determination of Dopamine by Its Fluorescence Enhancement on Terbium(III)-Dipicolinic Acid System
Sensor Letters, 2012
ABSTRACT Biologically important compound dopamine plays an important role in the central and peri... more ABSTRACT Biologically important compound dopamine plays an important role in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Insufficient dopamine level due to the loss of dopamine cells may lead to disease called schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. An enhanced fluorimetric determination of dopamine is achieved using fluorescence of terbium complex, Tb3+-DPA, where DPA is dipicolinic acid. Under the optimum conditions, the method showed good stability and reproducibility. The application of this method for the determination of dopamine was found to be satisfactory. Linear response was found in the range of 5 x 10(-8) M-2 x 10(-8) M with a detection limit of 1.2 x 10(-8) M. Recovery of the target compounds was obtained more than 98% with good quality parameters: linearity (r(2) > 0.997), limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values 1.2 x 10(-8) M and 4.1 x 10(-8) M, respectively, and run-to-run and day-to-day precisions (from 10 independent measurements for 1.0 x 10(-8) M of dopamine) with relative standard deviation (RSD) 3.33%. The content of the analyzed samples was found 198.4 mg which are very close to the label claimed by the manufacturer (200 mg) in dopaminum hydrochloricum tablets. To the best of our knowledge, such kind of work has been carried out for the first time which offers very good results. Therefore, this method can be proposed for routine analysis of these compounds in tablets.
Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 2010
The effect of ozone treatment on total phenol, flavonoid, and vitamin C content of fresh-cut hone... more The effect of ozone treatment on total phenol, flavonoid, and vitamin C content of fresh-cut honey pineapple, banana 'pisang mas', and guava was investigated. The fresh-cut fruits were exposed to ozone at a flow rate of 8 ± 0.2 ml/s for 0, 10, 20, and 30 min. The antioxidant capacity of the fruits was evaluated by measuring the ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-scavenging activity. Total phenol and flavonoid contents of pineapple and banana increased significantly when exposed to ozone for up to 20 min, with a concomitant increase in FRAP and DPPH values. The opposite was observed for guava. Ozone treatment significantly decreased the vitamin C content of all three fruits. The study shows promising results for enhancing antioxidant capacity of some fresh fruits by ozone treatment although the positive effect is compromised by a reduction in vitamin C content. Industrial relevance: The preservation of antioxidant properties, storage stability and safety is of utmost importance in the minimally processed fresh food industry. Ozone has been looked into as an alternative sanitizing technology in the fresh produce industry. The results of this study indicate that ozone can be used in the minimally processed fresh food industry to enhance the antioxidant status of fresh-cut fruits.
Food Chemistry, 2009
The antioxidant capacity and phenol content of three tropical fruits pulps, namely, honey pineapp... more The antioxidant capacity and phenol content of three tropical fruits pulps, namely, honey pineapple, banana and Thai seedless guava, were studied. Three solvent systems were used (methanol, ethanol and acetone) at three different concentrations (50%, 70% and 90%) and with 100% distilled water. The antioxidant capacity of the fruit extracts was evaluated using a ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay and the free radical-scavenging capacity was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging assays. The efficiency of the solvents used to extract phenols from the three fruits varied considerably. The polyphenol content of Thai seedless guava was 123 to 191 gallic acid equivalents/100 g (GAE/ 100 g), that of pisang mas was 24.4 to 72.2 GAE/100 g, and that of honey pineapple was 34.7 to 54.7 GAE/ 100 g. High phenol content was significantly correlated with high antioxidant capacity.
Proceedings of the …, 2010
AbstractThis research presents a modular software system that computes the mathematical relation... more AbstractThis research presents a modular software system that computes the mathematical relationships needed to evaluate planning and business-oriented models for estimation of the cost of a set of current Wide Area Networks (WAN) transmission ...
Accelerated degradation evaluation method and apparatus
US Patent App. 10/ …
US 2004/0255483 Al Dec. 23, 2004 ACCELERATED DEGRADATION EVALUATION METHOD AND APPARATUS FIELD OF... more US 2004/0255483 Al Dec. 23, 2004 ACCELERATED DEGRADATION EVALUATION METHOD AND APPARATUS FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to the testing and measure- ment of the resistance to physical breakdown and formation of fine particles of ...
The inhibitive effect of Launaea nudicaulis methanolic (MLN) and aqueous acidic (ALN) extracts on... more The inhibitive effect of Launaea nudicaulis methanolic (MLN) and aqueous acidic (ALN) extracts on the corrosion of mild steel in 1.0 M HCl solution was investigated by using weight loss, Tafel plots, linear polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as well as SEM and EDS techniques. It was found that both extracts (MLN and ALN) inhibit remarkably the corrosion of mild steel in acidic solution and inhibition efficiencies increased with the increase of extracts concentration. The results revealed that MLN and ALN behaved as mixed type corrosion inhibitors with predominant anodic effectiveness. Inhibition efficiencies obtained from weight loss and electrochemical experiments were in good agreement and they were up to 92.5 % for MLN and 87.2 % for ALN. The effect of temperature on the corrosion behavior of mild steel was studied in the range of 298K-328 1K. Adsorption behavior of both green inhibitors on the MS surface followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and they inhibited the corrosion of mild steel by adsorption mechanism where the adsorption process involved was spontaneous, exothermic and physically adsorbed (physisorption). Surface morphology study through scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) analysis showed a significant improvement on the surface morphology of the mild steel plate in the presence of MLN as well as ALN in 1.0 M HCl media. However, MLN was found to be more potent than ALN. The results showed that L. nudicaulis extracts could serve as efficient corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in hydrochloric acid environment.
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Papers by Mohammad ALothman