Assessment of Quality of Life for Scheuermann’s Kyphosis Patients with Cobb’s Angle 50°–65° Treated Conservatively or Surgically in North Jordan: A Prospective Comparative Study

Ziad Ali Audat,Khalid Ahmed Kheirallah,Bayan Faisal Ababneh,Hisham Zaidon Aljamal,Jomana Waleed Alsulaiman,Yaman Sameer Bataineh,Mohammad Moneer Algharibeh,Abdarrahman Ziad Audat 대한정형외과학회 2022 Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery Vol.14 No.2

Background: Scheuermann’s disease is the most common cause of hyperkyphosis of the thoracic spine during the adolescence period. It causes neck and lower back pain, restriction of lung expansion, traction of the spinal cord, increased vulnerability to vertebral fracture, and a hump. Patients with curves < 60° are treated conservatively, while surgery is used for patients with curves > 60°. The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to assess the quality of life and functional changes in conservatively or surgically treated Scheuermann’s disease patients with a curve size of 50°–65° in north Jordan. Methods: Sixty-three adolescent patients with Scheuermann’s kyphosis (aged between 10 and 18 years) were treated at our hospital between January 2014 and August 2018. All patients were investigated clinically, radiologically (Cobb’s angle), and functionally (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI], Scoliosis Research Society 22 revision [SRS-22r] questionnaire, and pulmonary function test [PFT]) preand post-treatment (final follow-up). Patients were randomly selected for treatment method (conservative versus surgical). Results: There were 31 patients (mean age, 15.48 ± 2.50 years) and 32 patients (mean age, 16.19 ± 1.51 years) treated conservatively and surgically, respectively. Mean ± standard deviation of ODI, SRS-22r, and Cobb’s angle of the surgical group improved from 16.8% ± 14.3%, 3.5 ± 0.5, and 58.75° ± 3.59°, respectively, pre-surgery to 13.4% ± 10.8%, 4.2 ± 0.5, and 41.53° ± 3.94°, respectively, post-surgery, while those of the conservative group became worse from 12.6% ± 13.4%, 3.9 ± 0.7, and 56.1° ± 3.3°, respectively, to 20.1% ± 13.6%, 3.5 ± 0.7, and 58.8° ± 5.8°, respectively. The surgical group showed better improvement in all scores than the conservative group (p < 0.05), as well as in PFT. Conclusions: Surgical treatment of Scheuermann’s kyphosis with curves of 50°–65° resulted in better QOL, Cobb’s angle, and PFT than conservative treatment. This was because of lower patient cooperation in the conservative management group, which made the curve less flexible for exercises and bracing.

Tako-Tsubo Cardiomyopathy Triggered by Misdirection

Ziad Dahdouh,Julien Wain-Hobson,Vincent Roule,Houaida Dahdouh,Fabien Labombarda,Tony Abdel-Massih,Antoine Sarkis,Gilles Grollier 대한심장학회 2011 Korean Circulation Journal Vol.41 No.8

Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC), also known as transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome or stress-induced cardiomyopathy, is a novel reversible cardiomyopathy mimicking acute myocardial infarction without epicardial coronary artery disease. The exact physiopathology of TTC remains unclear. It is usually precipitated by acute physical or emotional stress and it most commonly affects postmenopausal women. The growing number of clinical cases of TTC have demonstrated a wide field of possible etiologies beyond the emotional stress. We report a case of a 67-year-old postmenopausal woman who was being supplemented by enteral feeding via a nasogastric tube and who developed TTC due to misdirection, probably favored by the mechanical blockade by the nasogastric tube, while swallowing the drug pills.

Nutritional status, cachexia, and anorexia in women with peritoneal metastasis and intraperitoneal chemotherapy: a longitudinal analysis

Ziad Hilal,Günther A. Rezniczek,Robert Klenke,Askin Dogan,Clemens B. Tempfer 대한부인종양학회 2017 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.28 No.6

Objective: To describe the nutritional status of women with peritoneal metastasis (PM) from recurrent ovarian, fallopian, or peritoneal cancer and to assess longitudinal variations of the cachexia-anorexia syndrome (CAS) during palliative pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC). Methods: Nutritional assessment included body mass index (BMI), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and blood chemistry. CAS presence/absence was recorded before and during repeated cycles (1–11) of PIPAC. Results: Eighty-four patients with peritoneal cancer (n=5) or PM from recurrent ovarian (n=77), or fallopian tube (n=2) cancer were included. At baseline, resting metabolism (RM) (1,432±172 kcal/day), visceral fat level (7.5±3.2), skeletal muscle mass (27.2%±4.6%), upper arm circumference (27.9±4.6 cm), lower leg circumference (35.1±3.9 cm), serum parameters (albumin [3.5±0.7 g/dL], total protein [6.3±0.9 g/dL], and transferrin [202±60 mg/dL]) were below normal limits. C-reactive protein (CRP) (4.3±6.8 mg/dL), caliper body fat (35.7%±6.3%), and total body fat mass (35.6%±8.5%) were above normal limits. Nineteen/84 (23%) patients had CAS at baseline. Deterioration or stabilization/improvement of CAS was observed in 9/55 (16.4%) and 46/55 (83.6%) patients with follow-up data, respectively. Baseline body fat mass, visceral fat level, skeletal muscle mass, caliper body fat, BMI, ascites, Karnofsky index, RM, and CRP, as well as tumor response were not predictive of CAS deterioration. Conclusion: Nutritional decline and onset or deterioration of CAS are difficult to predict. Careful measuring and monitoring of nutritional parameters and CAS in all patients seems to be necessary in order to identify those patients in need of enteral/parenteral nutrition support.

Fibre composite railway sleeper design by using FE approach and optimization techniques

Ziad K. Awad,Talal Yusaf 국제구조공학회 2012 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.41 No.2

This research work aims to develop an optimal design using Finite Element (FE) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) methods to replace the traditional concrete and timber material by a Synthetic Polyurethane fibre glass composite material in railway sleepers. The conventional timber railway sleeper technology is associated with several technical problems related to its durability and ability to resist cutting and abrading action of the bearing plate. The use of pre-stress concrete sleeper in railway industry has many disadvantages related to the concrete material behaviour to resist dynamic stress that may lead to a significant mechanical damage with feasible fissures and cracks. Scientific researchers have recently developed a new composite material such as Glass Fibre Reinforced Polyurethane (GFRP) foam to replace the conventional one. The mechanical properties of these materials are reliable enough to help solving structural problems such as durability, light weight, long life span (50-60 years), less water absorption, provide electric insulation, excellent resistance of fatigue and ability to recycle. This paper suggests appropriate sleeper design to reduce the volume of the material. The design optimization shows that the sleeper length is more sensitive to the loading type than the other parameters.

Optimization of a sandwich beam design: analytical and numerical solutions

Ziad K. Awad 국제구조공학회 2013 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.48 No.1

An optimization work was developed in this work to provide design information for sandwich beam in civil engineering applications. This research is motivated by the wide-range applications of sandwich structures such as; slab, beam, girder, and railway sleeper. The design of a sandwich beam was conducted by using analytical and numerical optimization. Both analytical and numerical procedures consider the optimum design with structure mass objective minimization. Allowable deflection was considered as design constraints. It was found that the optimized core to the skins mass ratio is affected by the skin to core density and elastic modulus ratios. Finally, the optimum core to skin mass ratio cannot be constant for different skin and core materials.

Iatrogenic Bidirectional Dissection of the Right Coronary Artery and the Ascending Aorta: The Worst Nightmare for an Interventional Cardiologist

Ziad Dahdouh,Vincent Roule,Thérèse Lognoné,Rémi Sabatier,Mathieu Bignon,Guillaume Malcor,Adrien Lemaitre,Katrien Blanchart,Julien Wain-Hobson,Vladimir Saplacan,Fabio Cutone,Dimitrios Buklas,Calin Ivas 대한심장학회 2012 Korean Circulation Journal Vol.42 No.7

Although rare, iatrogenic aortocoronary dissection is one of the complications most dreaded by the interventional cardiologist. If not managed promptly, it can have redoubted and serious consequences. Herein, we present the case of a 70 year-old woman who was treat-ed by stenting of the second segment of the right coronary artery (RCA) for recurrent angina but, unfortunately, the procedure was com-plicated by anterograde dissection of the RCA with a simultaneous retrograde propagation to the proximal part of the ascending aorta. Successful stenting of the entry point was able to recuperate the RCA and to limit the retrograde propagation to the ascending aorta, but there was an extension of the dissection to the aortic valve leaflets resulting in a massive aortic insufficiency. Therefore, an isolated surgi-cal aortic valve replacement was performed. Although rare, iatrogenic aortocoronary dissection is one of the complications most dreaded by the interventional cardiologist. If not managed promptly, it can have redoubted and serious consequences. Herein, we present the case of a 70 year-old woman who was treat-ed by stenting of the second segment of the right coronary artery (RCA) for recurrent angina but, unfortunately, the procedure was com-plicated by anterograde dissection of the RCA with a simultaneous retrograde propagation to the proximal part of the ascending aorta. Successful stenting of the entry point was able to recuperate the RCA and to limit the retrograde propagation to the ascending aorta, but there was an extension of the dissection to the aortic valve leaflets resulting in a massive aortic insufficiency. Therefore, an isolated surgi-cal aortic valve replacement was performed.

Dental maturity of Saudi children: Role of ethnicity in age determination

Ziad D. Baghdadi 대한영상치의학회 2013 Imaging Science in Dentistry Vol.43 No.4

Purpose: Demirjian’s dental maturity scores and curves have been widely used for human age determination. Several authors have reported considerable differences between the true and estimated age based on the Demirjian curves, which have been accounted for by ethnicity. The purpose of the current study was to assess the role of ethnicity-specific dental maturation curves in age estimation of Saudi children. Materials and Methods: A sample of 452 healthy Saudi children aged 4 to 14 years were aged based on the original French-Canadian Demirjian curves and several modified Demirjian curves specified for certain ethnic groups: Saudi, Kuwaiti, Polish, Dutch, Pakistani, and Belgian. One-way ANOVA and a post hoc Scheffé’s test were used to assess the differences between chronological age and dental age estimated by the different curves (P<0.05). Results: The curves designed for Dutch, Polish, Saudi, and Belgian (5th percentile) populations had a significantly lower error in estimating age than the original French-Canadian and Belgian (50th percentile) curves. The optimal curve for males was the Saudi one, with a mean absolute difference between estimated age and chronological age of 8.6 months. For females, the optimal curve was the Polish one, with a mean absolute difference of 7.4 months. It was revealed that accurate age determination was not related to certain ethnicity-specific curves. Conclusion: We conclude that ethnicity might play a role in age determination, but not a principal one.

A Report on Best Classroom Practices and Coping Strategies in Arab Gulf Universities for Bilingual and Monolingual Instructors

Ziad ElJishi 아시아테플 2023 The Journal of Asia TEFL Vol.20 No.4

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Determinants of Investment in the Jordanian Productive Sectors

Ziad Mohammad ABU-LILA 한국유통과학회 2021 The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Busine Vol.8 No.4

This paper aims to find out the main factors that are important in determining the size of investment in the Jordanian productive sectors. For this purpose, the study used panel data for four Jordanian productive sectors over the period 2000–2017. Also, fixed-effects modeling was carried out to identify the relationship between investment and its potential determinants. Empirical investigations of the four productive sectors reveal the following results: The real value of sector’s production and the real value of credit facilities have a positive and significant impact on investment, while the real interest rate has a negative effect on investment in the Jordanian productive sectors. Also, at the sector level, agriculture was more responsive to changes in the real value of credit facilities, while other sectors were more responsive to changes in the real value of sector’s production. According to these results, it seems that some policy actions should be taken to enhance the size and the role of investment in the economy. For example, policymakers should adopt a mixed policy and expand the provision of credit facilities, especially to the agricultural sector, to enhance agricultural activity in a manner that ensures the improvement of infrastructure and land reclamation.

Aeroelastic modeling to investigate the wind-induced response of a multi-span transmission lines system

Ziad Azzi,Amal Elawady,Peter Irwin,Arindam Gan Chowdhury,Caesar Abi Shdid 한국풍공학회 2022 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.34 No.2

Transmission lines systems are important components of the electrical power infrastructure. However, these systems are vulnerable to damage from high wind events such as hurricanes. This study presents the results from a 1:50 scale aeroelastic model of a multi-span transmission lines system subjected to simulated hurricane winds. The transmission lines system considered in this study consists of three lattice towers, four spans of conductors and two end-frames. The aeroelastic tests were conducted at the NSF NHERI Wall of Wind Experimental Facility (WOW EF) at the Florida International University (FIU). A horizontal distortion scaling technique was used in order to fit the entire model on the WOW turntable. The system was tested at various wind speeds ranging from 35 m/s to 78 m/s (equivalent full-scale speeds) for varying wind directions. A system identification (SID) technique was used to evaluate experimental-based along-wind aerodynamic damping coefficients and compare with their theoretical counterparts. Comparisons were done for two aeroelastic models: (i) a self-supported lattice tower, and (ii) a multi-span transmission lines system. A buffeting analysis was conducted to estimate the response of the conductors and compare it to measured experimental values. The responses of the single lattice tower and the multi-span transmission lines system were compared. The coupling effects seem to drastically change the aerodynamic damping of the system, compared to the single lattice tower case. The estimation of the drag forces on the conductors are in good agreement with their experimental counterparts. The incorporation of the change in turbulence intensity along the height of the towers appears to better estimate the response of the transmission tower, in comparison with previous methods which assumed constant turbulence intensity. Dynamic amplification factors and gust effect factors were computed, and comparisons were made with code specific values. The resonance contribution is shown to reach a maximum of 18% and 30% of the peak response of the stand-alone tower and entire system, respectively.