A Prospective Non-Randomized Open-Label Comparative Study of The Effects of Matcha Tea on Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Pilot Observational Study.

Matcha tea has been used as an adjunct in weight loss programs. The weight loss effects of matcha tea were evaluated in a prospective non-randomized open-label comparative study of overweight and obese individuals who followed a specified low-calorie diet (LCD) plan. A total of 40 participants were enrolled and assigned to either matcha tea or control groups. The matcha tea group followed a LCD plan and received matcha tea once daily, whereas the control group followed only the LCD diet plan. The study lasted 12 weeks. The main outcome measures included anthropometric measurements, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), lipid profile, obesity-related hormone peptides, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress biomarkers. Thirty-four participants had completed the study. The matcha tea and control groups showed significant reductions in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, water content, minerals, and fat mass at week 12. The post-treatment body composition and anthropometric measurements were not significantly different between the two groups. The matcha tea group showed a potential increase in HDL-C, a potential decrease in blood glucose, and a potential increase in HbA1c. Furthermore, the study indicated a potential decrease in insulin and leptin levels, a potential increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase, and a potential decreased activity of glutathione peroxidase. IL-10 was increased by matcha tea consumption. The data suggest that matcha tea may have some potential effect on weight loss, along with anti-inflammatory properties. The findings of this study will be used to design a multicenter randomized clinical trial to examine the potential weight loss benefits of matcha tea.

Understanding Reciprocity Among University Students in Low-Resource Settings: Validation and Measurement Using a Mixed-Methods Approach.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate reciprocity among university students in low-resource settings using a convergent mixed-methods approach in Jordan. The study operationalized the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model which is a sociological framework used to predict occupational-related health outcomes. The basic theory of ERI model assumes that an imbalance of effort and reward predicts adverse health outcomes. Methods: The research involved two studies, Study I (n = 833) to quantitatively measure ERI and Study II to collect qualitative data (n = 44) on the drivers of ERI among university students. In Study I, a modified Arabic version of the ERI questionnaire was used. The study measured ERI and investigated the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the ERI model questionnaire. In Study II, data were collected from focus groups and personal interviews and thematic analysis was used. Results: The results suggested that ERI was associated with poor academic performance (OR=2.31, 95% CI 1.60-3.32), absenteeism (OR=1.66, 95% CI 1.21-2.27), low exercise level (OR=2.02, 95% CI 1.49-2.74) and poor self-reported health (OR=1.12, 95% CI 1.08-1.30). Three major themes emerged, namely high academic load, financial pressures and negative influence on the students' performance, wellbeing and health to explain effort-reward imbalance. Conclusions: Results suggest that ERI among university students is multi-faceted and is not bound only to academic-related demands and that the extrinsic factors such as the economic context of Jordan is among drivers of ERI.

Knowledge and perceptions of synthetic cannabinoids among university students in Jordan.

The emergence of blends of synthetic cannabinoids (SC) is an alarming public health concern in Jordan and worldwide. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and perceptions of university students of SC. A cross-sectional study employing a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 1,789 university students in Jordan. The questionnaire measured the knowledge and perceptions of students of SC. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to investigate the potential predictors of good knowledge of SC. Perceptions of students regarding SC use, prevalence and availability were investigated using principal component analysis. Self-reported familiarity with SC was high (92.5%), while good knowledge was only demonstrated by (33.6%) of students. Predictors of good knowledge included being a smoker (aOR = 1.369, 95% Cl = 11.041-1.871, p = .026), an alcohol user (aOR = 2.134, 95% CI = 1.362-3.346, p = .001), being informed by traditional media (aOR = 1.367, 95% CI = 11.113-1.679, p = .003), social media (aOR = 1.241, 95% CI = 1.161-1.403, p = .021) and self-familiarity with SC (aOR = 2.499, 95% CI = 1.518-4.114, p < .0001). Students perceived SC use to be prevalent and ethically unacceptable, for religious, social, and legal reasons. There were significant differences in the ethical perceptions against the use of SC detected by gender (p < .0001), smoking (p < .0001) or alcohol use (p = .001), and being informed by both traditional media (p-.001) and social media (p = .001), but there were no differences by the level of knowledge (p = .057). Those of good knowledge and those of low knowledge did not differ on their ethical perceptions of using SC. This study showed that there was a low level of knowledge regarding SC among university students in Jordan, which may play a role in the use of SC in the country. Herein, many opportunities exist for public health education to raise awareness against SC use.

Acceptance and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines: A cross-sectional study from Jordan.

Vaccines are effective interventions that can reduce the high burden of diseases globally. However, public vaccine hesitancy is a pressing problem for public health authorities. With the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, little information is available on the public acceptability and attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccines in Jordan. This study aimed to investigate the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines and its predictors in addition to the attitudes towards these vaccines among public in Jordan. An online, cross-sectional, and self-administered questionnaire was instrumentalized to survey adult participants from Jordan on the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines. Logistic regression analysis was used to find the predictors of COVID-19 vaccines' acceptability. A total of 3,100 participants completed the survey. The public acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines was fairly low (37.4%) in Jordan. Males (OR = 2.488, 95CI% = 1.834-3.375, p < .001) and those who took the seasonal influenza vaccine (OR = 2.036, 95CI% = 1.306-3.174, p = .002) were more likely to accept COVID-19 vaccines. Similarly, participants who believed that vaccines are generally safe (OR = 9.258, 95CI% = 6.020-14.237, p < .001) and those who were willing to pay for vaccines (OR = 19.223, 95CI% = 13.665-27.042, p < .001), once available, were more likely to accept the COVID-19 vaccines. However, those above 35 years old (OR = 0.376, 95CI% = 0.233-0.607, p < .001) and employed participants (OR = 0.542, 95CI% = 0.405-0.725, p < .001) were less likely to accept the COVID-19 vaccines. Moreover, participants who believed that there was a conspiracy behind COVID-19 (OR = 0.502, 95CI% = 0.356-0.709, p < .001) and those who do not trust any source of information on COVID-19 vaccines (OR = 0.271, 95CI% = 0.183-0.400, p < .001), were less likely to have acceptance towards them. The most trusted sources of information on COVID-19 vaccines were healthcare providers. Systematic interventions are required by public health authorities to reduce the levels of vaccines' hesitancy and improve their acceptance. We believe these results and specifically the low rate of acceptability is alarming to Jordanian health authorities and should stir further studies on the root causes and the need of awareness campaigns. These interventions should take the form of reviving the trust in national health authorities and structured awareness campaigns that offer transparent information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines and the technology that was utilized in their production.

Awareness about nanotechnology and its applications in drug industry among pharmacy students.

INTRODUCTION: Given the multiple nanotechnology-based pharmaceutical products that are available on the drug market, nanotechnology education has to be offered within pharmacy undergraduate curricula. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the level of nanotechnology awareness among pharmacy students using two questionnaires. The study targeted 500 students and the deans of the faculties of pharmacy in Jordan. RESULTS: Results show that most of the students had poor knowledge about nanotechnology and that academic courses are the leading source of information. <10% of students attended experiments related to nanotechnology. About 50% of students did not have any knowledge about the safety of nanotechnology. All the deans stated that there is no specific practical or theoretical course to teach nanotechnology, but the concepts are taught within other courses. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacy students' knowledge about nanotechnology is poor, and courses within pharmacy curricula need to be dedicated to teaching nanotechnology and its applications.

Silymarin Prevents Memory Impairments, Anxiety, and Depressive-Like Symptoms in a Rat Model of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychopathological disease that is triggered by exposure to traumatic events. It is usually associated with substantial comorbidities, such as cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depression. Silymarin has been recently reported to exert neuroprotective activities against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Herein, the beneficial effects of silymarin in ameliorating PTSD-like symptoms such as memory impairments, anxiety, and depression were evaluated using a single-prolonged stress (SPS) rat model of PTSD. Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four groups: control, silymarin, SPS, or SPS + silymarin. Rats were administrated silymarin, 100 mg/kg i. p. for 4 wk. Rats in all groups were tested for short- and long-term memory in the radial arm water maze (RAWM), for anxiety-like behaviors using the open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze (EPM) test, and for depression-like symptoms using the tail suspension test (TST). Conventional analyses of the RAWM, EPM, OFT, and TST were conducted using analysis of variance. Additionally, the anxiety-related behavior parameters of the EPM and OFT were entered to principal component analysis. Regression scores based on the first two extracted components, which accounted for 61% of the variance, were indicative of the anxiolytic activity of silymarin. Collectively, the results suggest that silymarin treatment prevents SPS-induced long-term memory impairments, anxiety, and depressive-like symptoms in rat models.