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- ItemON SOME PROPERTIES OF UU AND UJ RINGS(An-najah National University, 2025-01-15) Hantouli, MaisoonIn 2015, Grigore Calugareanu introduced and studied UU-rings as a new class of rings. He named a ring R by a UU-ring if each unit element x of R is of the form, x = 1 + n, for some t ∈ N il(R) (N il(R) denotes the set of nil-potent elements of R). He discussed some basic properties of these rings and provided some basic examples of UU and nonUU-rings. More properties and characterizations of UU-rings were provided by Peter Vassilev Danchev and Tsit-Yuen Lam in 2016. The first part of this thesis aims to reproduce and validate the work done in the literature about the UU-ring property, as well as discuss more properties of such rings. For example, in Chapter 2, we study the transfer of the UU-ring property in different ring extensions; such as the product of rings, the matrix ring, the polynomial ring, and the trivial ring extension. In 2017, M. Tamer Kosan, Andre Leroy, and Jerzy Matszuk investigated another new ring concept and called it UJ rings. They defined a ring R to be a UJ ring if each unit element x of R can be written in the form x = 1 + j, for some j ∈ J(R) (J(R) denotes the Jacobson-radical of R). It is well known that in the commutative case N il(R) ⊆ J(R) and so that the class of UU-rings is a subclass of the class of UJ rings. The second part of this thesis is devoted to studying the UJ ring property and discussing some of its relations with other ring concepts such as UU-rings, clean rings, and nil-clean rings, ..., also to determine the transfer of UJ property in the polynomial ring and its relation with Kothe’s problem.
- ItemOPTIMIZING CASH MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINES (ATMS) IN PALESTINE: ENHANCING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS(An-Najah National University, 2025-02-25) Shehadeh, RababNowadays, banks aim to maintain a solid Automated Teller Machines (ATM) cash replenishment system for the sake of business success and service delivery. An adequate cash replenishment system is critical for maintaining sufficient cash, optimizing operational costs, and improving customer satisfaction on the provided service. Our research aims at solving an ATM cash replenishment vehicle routing problem that integrates environmental, economic, and social sustainability. More specifically, our approach intends to implement a Replenishment Pull System Methodology with three different stock levels to ensure that ATMs are sufficiently loaded with cash. In addition, our approach extends the realism of the research problem by considering two types of ATMs, which are classical and recycle ATMs, to investigate the benefits and profitability of employing recycle ATMs. Furthermore, to ensure business success, our model considers the costs associated with cash management system by minimizing the operational costs. Also, the social factor was studied by maximizing customer satisfaction by ensuring the ATMs are continuously loaded with sufficient amounts of cash. The Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA) was employed to solve the developed model, because of its high capability to solve multi-objective vehicle routing problems. Results revealed the relationship between cash withdrawal, cash deposit, and the location of the ATMs, in addition to assessing the feasibility of employing recycle ATMs rather than classical ones. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to investigate the effect of altering the number of cash in transit vehicles and ATMs. The execution of the developed model in the banking sector results in advantages for service providers, mainly in terms of reducing the operational costs associated with the cash management system, in addition to achieving customer satisfaction.
- ItemVARIATIONS OF THE CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF ARTEMISIA, CHILIADENUS IPHIONOIDES, TEUCRIUM POLIUM. ESSENTIAL OILS FROM JERICHO-PALESTINE(An-Najah National University, 2025-03-08) Saed, EmanThe growing fascination with medicinal plants is primarily due to the perception that certain plants can treat various conditions without causing negative side effects. In our region, three common herbs, Artemisia, Chiliadenus iphionoides, and Teucrium polium, have been employed in several traditional treatments for a considerable duration. This study aims to examine the chemical compositions of the essential oils (EO) from Artemisia, C. iphionoides, and T.polium gathered in Jericho, as well as their antioxidant, antibacterial, antilipase, and anti-amylase properties. Essential oils were extracted from Artemisia, C. phionoides, and T.polium using hydrodistillation, with their chemical contents characterized subjectively and quantitatively via GC-MS analysis. The antioxidant efficacy of the essential oils was evaluated by inhibiting 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals. The micro-dilution technique was employed to assess antibacterial efficacy. The anti-lipase activity was assessed utilizing p-nitrophenyl butyrate (PNPB). The activity of anti-amylase was evaluated utilizing 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNSA). Seventeen chemicals were found in T. Polium, of which E-nerolidol (27.11%), geranyl acetone (23.26%), germacrene D (19.08%), β-caryophyllene (17.78%), α-caryophyllene (3.35%), and bicyclo germacrene (3.08%) as the major constituents. In C.iphionoides, 47 chemicals were found, comprising 98.81% of the total oil, with cresol methyl ether (52.93%), ethyl oct-2-note (14.36%), epi-cadinol (6.56%), 1,8-cineole (4.25%), and epi-α-eudesmol (3.66%) being the major constituents. Fifty-one chemicals were discovered in Artemisia, with 1,8-cineole (28.67%) as the predominant component, followed by trans-thujone (24.0%), cis-thujone (17.69%), camphor (12.76%), and terpinen-4-ol (8.34%). The essential oils of T. Polium, C. iphionoides, and Artemisia leaves exhibited notable antioxidant activity, with IC50 values of 19.18± 0.34 µg/mL, 17.03± 0.59 µg/mL, and 35.00± 0.47 µg/mL, respectively. The 1:1 mixtures of Artemisia essential oil (EO) with C. iphionoides EO, Artemisia EO with T. Polium EO, and C.iphionoides EO with T. Polium EO showed comparable antioxidant activity, with IC50 values of 17.13 ± 0.70 µg/mL, 28.96 ± 0.16 µg/mL, and 18.47 ± 0.86 µg/mL, respectively, all of which are less effective than Trolox (IC50 = 4.3 ± 0.58 µg/mL).Artemisia essential oil and C. iphionoides EO exhibited moderate antibacterial activity, with MIC values of 3.906 and 31.3 µL/mL and MBC values of 250.0 µL/mL. T.Polium had negligible antibacterial activity. The extracted essential oil demonstrated inhibitory effects on swine pancreatic lipase, with IC50 values of 534±0.19 µg/mL for Artemisia, 368.13±0.62 µg/mL for T.polium, and 931.58±0.91 µg/mL for C. iphionoides. The isolated essential oil demonstrated α-amylase inhibitory action with IC50 values of 569 ± 0.20 for Artemisia, 569 ± 0.20 µg/mL for T. Polium and 1550 ± 0.25 µg/mL for C. iphionoides.
- ItemZNO/BENTONITE COMPOSITE FOR TETRACYCLINE REMOVAL FROM WATER VIA ADSORPTION AND PHOTO-DEGRADATION(An-Najah National University, 2025-04-10) Hamdan, YasmeenWater pollution by pharmaceuticals, especially tetracycline, is an urgent and rapidly expanding environmental issue, that exacerbated by increased drug use and improper disposal. This emphasizes the need for strategies and approaches to treat contaminated water in a manner that protects the environment and organisms from the negative effects of tetracycline residues. The ZnO/bentonite composite demonstrates excellent adsorption capabilities due to the porous structure of bentonite clay, which offers a large surface area ideal for attracting and capturing pollutant particles. On the other hand, the composite exhibits remarkable efficiency in breaking down these pollutants by taking advantage of the photocatalytic properties of ZnO, where it serves as a highly effective photocatalyst under ultraviolet light, assisting in the decomposition of pollutants into less harmful components. In this study, ZnO was supported on bentonite and utilized as a photocatalyst under simulated solar light. The research included studying the physical and chemical properties of the composite via various analytical methods. This study helps provide insights into the structure and composition of this catalyst and aids in understanding their effectiveness in pollutant treatment. In addition, a kinetic study was carried out to assess the efficiency of tetracycline removal and understand the reaction mechanism. The performance of both the adsorption and photocatalysis of the ZnO/bentonite compounds in removing tetracycline from water was also evaluated under different conditions, such as pH, tetracycline concentration, temperature, amount of catalyst, and other factors, such as the effects of oxygen gas and CO2 gas, where the composite achieved high degradation rates with remarkable efficiencies of up to 87%. In addition, nearly complete mineralization of up to 98% was achieved, confirming the ability of the catalyst to perform the complete degradation of the tetracycline antibiotic into nontoxic byproducts. Additionally, the composite was reused while maintaining its good performance, making it a sustainable and effective solution for treating water pollution and protecting the environment.
- ItemASSESSMENT OF RED WIGGLER WORMS ABILITY IN VERMICOMPOSTING OF TREATED SLUDGE, AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PRODUCED VERMICOMPOST(An-Najah National University, 2025-02-06) Najim, SajedaSludge is produced during the wastewater treatment process. It contains organic materials and elevated concentrations of nutrients. So, it is considered a source of pollution. Therefore, further treatment is required to eliminate the source of pollution in sludge before safe reuse. This study aims to assess the impact of using vermicompost, a material resulted from feeding red wiggler of Eisenia fetida species on treated sludge and its effect on the growth of basic fodders. Red wiggler, 2000 worms, were brought from Om Suliman Organic farm in Ramallah. Worms were used to treat the sludge produced from Nablus-West Wastewater Treatment plant (WWTP), and produce vermicompost. Two fodder crops were grown, barley and vetch, each crop was planted in 27 pots, 9 of with vermicompost, 9 with sludge was added and 9 without any additives. The study was conducted by the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) from June 2022 to April 2023. The results showed that vermicomposting reduced the heavy metal content in the sludge by 45.9% on average, with a range of 7.9% in Na and 83.1% in Mg. According to Palestinian regulations, the original concentration of heavy metal in the treated sludge was below the maximum allowed levels. In addition, the results showed that the plant parameters were the highest in soils mixed with treated sludge, followed by soil mixed with vermicompost in both crops, without any significant differences (at 95% confidence level) in these parameters between sludge mixed soils and vermicompost mixed soils. The fresh weights of barley were 124.7 g/plant, and 113.4 g/plant were for sludge and vermicompost consequence compared to 82.8 g/plant for the control. For vetch, the fresh weight in both sludge and vermicompost compared to the control are 62 g/plant for sludge and 57.6 g/plant for vermicompost. A similar increase in the other plant parameters is found without significant differences (at 95% confidence level) between the sludge and vermicompost. Also, the crops added to vermicompost and sludge showed improved water use efficiency (WUE) compared to those grown without any additives. The (WUE) (kg/m3) increased from 13.9 to 20.96 for barley with sludge and 19.05 for barley with vermicompost, from 7.05 to 15.18 for vetch with sludge, and 14.10 for vetch with vermicompost. Results indicate that red wiggler worms could be used in vermicomposting treated sludge, and using the resulting vermicompost as soil amendment enhances the production.