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Background The contact-tracing COVID-19 technology allows for tracing people that come in contact to individuals with COVID-19 wherever they are located. The number of tracing COVID-19 infection technology and devices is rapidly increasing. This has prompted many researchers to study the acceptability and ethical issues related to the implementation of such technology. Aim The purpose of this study was to determine the acceptability of COVID-19 contact-tracing technology and ethical issues of use. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was used. The target population was Jordanian adults (>18 years). The survey was distributed to a convenience sample of 2000 general public in Jordan. Results The results found that the number of people who accept to use COVID-19 contact-tracing technology was 71.6%. However, the percentage of people who were using this technology was 37.8. The main ethical concerns for many of participants were privacy, voluntariness, and beneficence of the data. Only income and living area were predictors for acceptability and use of tracing technology (p≤ 0.01). Conclusion The majority of Jordanians accept the implementation of contact-tracing technology for COVID-19 infection. Among ethical concerns of the implementation of such technology were privacy, beneficence and voluntariness. Implications The results of this study would help in improving the state of science regarding acceptability to use contact-tracing technology for health purposes. Moreover, the present findings provide evidence of predictors of acceptance and ethical concerns among Jordanian population about COVID-19 contact-tracing technology.

As the mechanisms for learning and memory are elucidated, modulation of learning and memory becomes a central issue. We studied the modulation of learning and memory by investigating the circadian regulation of short-and long-term sensitization of the siphon withdrawal reflex in Aplysia. We found that Aplysia exhibited diurnal and circadian rhythms of long-term sensitization (LTS) with significantly greater LTS occurring when animals were trained and tested during the day relative to those trained and tested at night. In contrast to the modulation of LTS, short-term sensitization was not regulated by the circadian clock. Time of training rather than time of testing determined the circadian rhythm of LTS. Animals trained during the subjective day demonstrated LTS when tested during either the day or the night. Conversely, when animals were trained during the night, LTS was not observed when animals were tested either at night or during the day. Thus, the circadian rhythm of LTS is a rhythm in learning rather than a rhythm in recall. The threshold required to elicit siphon withdrawal and the duration of siphon withdrawal were not regulated by the circadian clock. These results indicate that the circadian oscillator exerts strong modulatory influences on one form of long-term memory in Aplysia.H ow organisms learn has been of interest for centuries as people seek to understand and improve learning and memory abilities. One aspect of understanding learning and memory is determining how these processes are normally modulated. What conditions modulate learning and memory, and how does regulation occur? General health, motivation, age, stress, sleep patterns, and time of day may modulate learning and memory. The circadian clock regulates many behavioral and physiological processes, making it likely that circadian modulation of learning and memory also occurs (1).Circadian modulation of learning and memory has been investigated with varied results. Some studies have indicated time of day influences memory in humans (2-4), whereas other studies have found little impact of time of day on memory (5). Researchers studying hippocampus-dependent learning found that rats trained at midday showed decreased retention compared with animals trained earlier or later (6). However, other researchers found no time-of-day effects on multiple learning tasks (7). Furthermore, two laboratories studying contextual fear conditioning in mice reported different effects of the circadian clock on learning and memory (8, 9). The issue of circadian modulation of learning and memory remains to be determined.Indirect evidence for circadian modulation of learning and memory comes from in vitro studies of long-term potentiation. Researchers have documented diurnal and circadian differences in long-term potentiation in the hippocampus (10, 11). Additional studies have also found that excitability of CA3 neurons is regulated diurnally (12). Thus, some mechanisms exist for learning and memory to be rhythmic. Experiments demonstrating that consolidation ...

Background: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has compelled implementing confinement measure across the globe. These measures can potentially lead to many changes in lifestyle. However, no studies examined the effect of COVID-19-induced confinement on physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB). Methods: During April and May of 2020, the current study surveyed changes in PA and SB induced by COVID-19 confinement. Results: The participants of the study were 1844. Among the participants who were regularly involved in PA, the majority (41.8-42.2%) of the participants reported a "decrease" (p<0.05) in walking, jogging, and sports while the majority (46.3-53.1%) reported a "no change" (p<0.05) in swimming, cycling, and weight lifting. With regard to the SB, most of the participants reported an "increase" in watching TV (72.3%), using electronics (82.7%), and logging to social media (81.9%). Additionally, gender, job type, obesity, and being worried to contract the disease were associated (p<0.05) with changes in PA. On the other hand, age, gender, obesity, job type and income were related (p<0.05) to changes in SB. Conclusion: Results of the current study might enhance knowledge about the impact of COVID-19 on lifestyle, particularly PA and SB. Subsequently, it can also be used to establish strategies to enhance engagement in activities during the current and future pandemics.

Context-Tobacco smoking represents a global public health threat, claiming approximately 5 million lives a year. Waterpipe tobacco use has become popular particularly among youth in the past decade, buttressed by the perception that the waterpipe "filters" the smoke, rendering it less harmful than cigarette smoke.Objective-In this study, we examined the acute exposure of waterpipe smoking on lung inflammation and oxidative stress in mice, and compared that to cigarette smoking.Materials and methods-Mice were divided into three groups; fresh air control, cigarette and waterpipe. Animals were exposed to fresh air, cigarette, or waterpipe smoke using whole body exposure system one hour daily for 7 days.Results-Both cigarette and waterpipe smoke exposure resulted in elevation of total white blood cell count, as well as absolute count of neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes (P < 0.01). Both exposures also elevated proinflammatory markers such as TNF-α and IL-6 in BALF (P < 0.05), and oxidative stress markers including GPx activity in lungs (P < 0.05). Moreover, waterpipe smoke increased catalase activity in the lung (P < 0.05). However, none of the treatments altered IL-10 levels. Discussion and conclusion-Results of cigarette smoking confirmed previous finding. Waterpipe results indicate that, similar to cigarettes, exposure to waterpipe tobacco smoke is harmful to the lungs.

Aim This study aims to explore the prevalence rates of stigma and fear among people in Jordan during COVID‐19 pandemic and to assess socio‐demographic and personal factors contributing to the prevalence rates of fear and stigma among people in Jordan during COVID‐19 pandemic. Method Cross‐sectional descriptive design was utilized to attain the study aim. An anonymous online survey targeting people of Jordan was used and distributed to adults in Arabic language. The survey included a previously validated fear scale. Stigma was measured using developed instrument by authors. Results The prevalence of fear among study participants was 52%. In addition, the prevalence of stigma towards infected people and their contact was 64%. The predictors of stigma towards infected people with COVID‐19 and their contact were income, living area and downloaded application to trace COVID‐19 cases. Moreover the predictors of fear were income living area and downloaded application to trace COVID‐19 cases ( P ≤ .001). Conclusion More than 50% of the respondents were afraid from COVID‐19 and 64% had stigma towards infected people and their contact during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The present study highlights the need for an intervention that provides psychological support to citizens during the pandemic.

Water pipe tobacco smoking is highly prevalent in Jordan. Although use is associated with male gender and upper middle income levels, use is widespread across other sociodemographic variables. Continued surveillance and educational interventions emphasizing the harm and addictiveness of water pipe tobacco smoking may be valuable in Jordan.

Background and objectiveSelf-medication practice involves consumption of medicines by one’s own initiative or on the consultation of others without the guidance of a physician. Self-medication and use of over-the-counter drugs are prevalent worldwide public health concerns. University students of medical and nonmedical disciplines may have different levels of health education. This study evaluated the prevalence and patterns of self-medication and the attitudes toward this practice among medical and nonmedical university students in Jordan.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 504 students (medical: 248 and nonmedical: 256). The students were invited to complete a questionnaire that included questions primarily related to patterns of physician visits, self-medication practice, symptoms provoking self-medication, and sources of advice.ResultsSelf-medication was highly prevalent and comparable between medical and nonmedical students (~96%). Headache (81.9%), cold (58.3%), and flu (53%) were the frequent symptoms provoking self-medication among students. Self-medication for headache (86.7% vs 77.3%) and tooth pain (53.1% vs 27%) was significantly higher among medical vs nonmedical students, respectively. Self-treatment with painkillers (82.3% vs 73%) or antiallergy (11.3% vs 5.9%) drugs was significantly higher among medical students, while the use of anti-flu decongestants (47.6% vs 60.2%) was lower compared to nonmedical students, respectively. Nonmedical vs medical students were significantly more dependent on friends (14.8% vs 7.7%) and own experience (7.4% vs 2.4%) as a source of self-medication advice.ConclusionSelf-medication is common among Jordanian university students of medical and nonmedical disciplines. This practice, if used irrationally, may constitute a health problem that needs awareness and interventions by health care regulators in Jordan. Future studies are warranted to examine the impact of self-medication on students’ health.