Modern Journal of Health and Applied Sciences

Dry Needling Intervention in Treating Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Scoping Review

Muyco John Angelo — 2025-09-15

Dry Needling (DN) has emerged as an effective treatment for various musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), although the specifics of its application and the range of treated disorders remain unclear. The objective is to map and summarise dry needling practices from a global perspective. This scoping review employs the Joanna Briggs Institute technique, utilising the PCC framework (Participants, Concept, Context) to establish eligibility criteria based on the PRISMA Scoping Review checklist. Searches in PubMed, PEDro, and Google Scholar aim to identify evidence on dry needling, either as a standalone intervention or combined with other treatments, with clinical outcomes such as short-term or long-term effects on pain and physical function. The review includes systematic reviews, RCTs, meta-analyses, literature reviews, and quasi-experimental studies. DN, widely adopted in Europe and gaining traction in North America and Asia, effectively addresses MSDs like myofascial pain syndrome, knee osteoarthritis, and patellofemoral pain syndrome. Studies highlight DN's effectiveness in reducing pain and enhancing muscle function. Further research, incorporating extended follow-up periods of 6 months to 1 year, is crucial to comprehensively evaluate DN's long-term impact on pain, functionality, and overall quality of life.

The Burden of COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects on Nursing Staff in Palestine

Jehad Omar Abualrob — 2025-09-15

This study investigates the impact of various COVID-19 vaccine side effects on nursing staff in Palestine. A quantitative cross-sectional study design was used, and 355 nurses participated by completing a self-administered questionnaire via Google Forms. These nurses worked in private and governmental hospitals and health centres in Palestine. The study showed that 55.2% of participants were hesitant to receive the vaccine. The majority of participants received the Pfizer vaccine (46.5%). Moreover, 50.7% reported experiencing post-vaccination side effects, with 37.5% describing them as mild. The most common side effects included fatigue (48.4%), pain at the injection site (46.2%), fever (46.2%), and headache (39.1%). The impact of different types of COVID-19 vaccines on missed work due to side effects was most notable after the first dose (21.7%), and the side effects were mainly mild and disappeared after one day (34.6%). Participants expressed concerns about safety, effectiveness, and short- and long-term side effects of vaccines.

A Survey on the Influence of Blockchain and Neural Network Technologies on Smart Grid Systems

Rashed M. Ahmed Marimi — 2025-09-15

Energy transactions benefit from blockchain technology because it creates an independent system that provides secure data protocols and protects against unauthorised alterations of information while strengthening protection. Multipurpose blockchain tools let traders conduct secure peer-to-peer energy exchanges, and they can run automated networks while diminishing dependence on central control systems. Small and distributed energy control methods decrease infrastructure vulnerability by shielding it from cyber threats while creating a tamperproof network, which builds modern energy security and visibility. Organisations use advanced machine learning algorithms to study historical and real-time data to optimise energy distribution, identify consumption patterns, and detect anomalies. The predictive models enable better decision-making through preventive maintenance plans, reduced energy losses, and optimised distribution of electricity loads in the grid system. The research investigates detailed implementations of predictive models that unite neural networks and blockchain technology into a system that builds up smart grid functions. These technologies form a synergistic relationship that enables smart automation systems along with continuous real-time monitoring and boosted operational efficiency. The study investigates actual blockchain-based energy market examples alongside case studies on predictive maintenance carried out through AI and decentralised power trading platforms. The research results show that integrating blockchain with neural networks can enhance smart grid security and reliability while also supporting the development of a sustainable and adaptable energy system. Through their resolution of scalability problems and regulatory requirements as well as computational limits, these technologies establish future frameworks for smart power networks of the next generation. The survey findings create a basis for researchers to use for advancing energy informatics and smart grid innovation in the future.

آليات الحد من تغير المناخ: تكنولوجيا التقاط الكربون واستخدامه وتخزينه أنموذجا

Jaber Ghnimi — 2025-09-15

This study examines the definition of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage technology as one of the approved options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, achieving carbon neutrality, and achieving net zero carbon emissions. It also analyses the stages and requirements of this technology, which, despite its importance, faces major challenges, most notably the high cost of its infrastructure and its environmental and health damages. The study also addressed the uses and prospects of this technology in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. It concluded that carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technology is a promising technology for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. It requires the participation of various stakeholders and the establishment of a set of legal, regulatory, and economic frameworks. However, the high costs associated with its infrastructure and the environmental and health impacts it produces have been an obstacle to the widespread use of this technology worldwide. The recommendations included the need to establish legislative and regulatory f rameworks compatible with carbon capture, transport, and storage (CCUS) technology; encourage investment in carbon capture, transport, and storage (CCTS) projects by providing grants, soft loans, and tax exemptions; and enhance international and regional cooperation in the field of CCUS technology.The researcher relied on a plan that outlines the stages and requirements of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage technology in the first section and further examines the feasibility of this technology and its prospects in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in the second section.

تطرّقت هذه الدراسة إلى عرض تكنولوجيا التقاط الكربون واستخدامه وتخزينه باعتبارها من الآليات الحديثة المعتمدة للحد من انبعاثات الغازات الدفيئة وتحقيق هدف الحياد الكربوني، أي الوصول بصافي الانبعاثات إلى الصفر. كما تناولت مراحل تطبيق هذه التقنية ومتطلباتها المختلفة، مع الإشارة إلى التحديات التي تعيق انتشارها، وعلى رأسها التكلفة المرتفعة للبنية التحتية والتأثيرات البيئية والصحية المصاحبة لها. وناقشت الدراسة كذلك فرص استخدام هذه التكنولوجيا في دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي، واستشرفت آفاق تطويرها في المنطقة. وقد خلصت النتائج إلى أن تكنولوجيا التقاط الكربون واستخدامه وتخزينه تُعد من الحلول الواعدة في تقليل انبعاثات ثاني أكسيد الكربون، لكنها تتطلب تنسيقًا متعدد الأطراف وإرساء أطر قانونية وتنظيمية واقتصادية مناسبة. غير أن ارتفاع تكاليفها وما قد ينجم عنها من آثار جانبية بيئية وصحية يمثلان عائقًا حقيقيًا أمام تبنيها على نطاق واسع. وبناءً عليه، أوصت الدراسة بضرورة سن تشريعات مرنة تتماشى مع خصوصية هذه التكنولوجيا، وتحفيز الاستثمارات من خلال توفير الدعم المالي، كالقروض الميسرة، والمنح، والتسهيلات الضريبية، إلى جانب تعزيز التعاون الإقليمي والدولي في هذا المجال.اعتمد الباحث في هذه الدراسة على إطار منهجي يُبرز في المبحث الأول مختلف مراحل تكنولوجيا التقاط الكربون واستخدامه وتخزينه، إلى جانب متطلباتها الأساسية، بينما خُصص المبحث الثاني لتحليل الجدوى التطبيقية لهذه التقنية واستشراف آفاقها المستقبلية داخل دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي.

The effects of alkaline pre-treatment on the combustion profiles of fuel briquettes produced from mango seed shells compared to untreated ones

Cosmos Moki Elinge — 2025-09-15

The need for an alternative energy source to complement the use of fossil fuels and mitigate the environmental and economic challenges arising from the overexploitation of nonrenewable energy sources has led to the use of biomass briquettes as a suitable alternative. This study investigates the performance of alkaline-pretreated biomass briquettes produced from mango seed shells. The pulverized sample was divided into two equal samples. A portion of the sample was soaked in 0.3 M sodium hydroxide for 3 hours, then washed and dried. The second portion remained untreated. Eighty grams of both the treated and untreated samples were thoroughly blended with 20g of starch slurry and fed into the briquetting machine, where they were compressed to produce briquettes. The produced briquettes were sun-dried for 4 weeks and then analyzed. The proximate composition, physical properties, combustibility properties, and SEM of the briquettes were determined. The alkaline-treated sample (BTS) had a value of 1498.67 ± 1.04 kJ/kg, and the untreated sample (UTS) had a value of 1495.44 ± 1.72 kJ/kg. The compressive strength of alkaline pretreated (BTS) was 0.783± 0.250. It took 20 minutes for the treated sample to boil one litre of water, while it took 22 minutes for the untreated sample to boil the same volume. The results showed that both treated and untreated samples could be used for briquette production; however, the treated briquette sample had better performance and hence was a better fuel.

Improving Grayscale Medical Images (X-Rays, MRI, CT Scans)

Alaa Hasan Saad Alarajey — 2025-09-15

Medical images provide critical information that physicians need to diagnose a condition and make appropriate treatment decisions. The diagnostic process relies heavily on human perception. Unfortunately, the potential for perceptual errors is unacceptable, impacting patients' lives. Therefore, image enhancement represents a crucial step in supporting medical diagnosis by improving its quality. In this research, we applied a new algorithm to enhance X-ray, MRI, and CT images. This algorithm aims to improve contrast and sharpness based on an empirical equation using trigonometric functions (cos) based on Fourier transforms and changing the value of one of its main parameters. Nasal polyps were more clearly identified in X-rays, and brain tumours were more clearly identified in MRI and CT scans. Histograms were used before and after enhancement, and we observed a significant difference between the original and enhanced images in terms of the histogram shift toward unity, demonstrating the success of this algorithm in improving contrast and organ prominence.

Theoretical Analysis of the X-ray Mass Absorption Coefficient Produced by the Photoelectric Effect and Comparison of the Accuracy of a Computational Model of NiO and SiC

Hanaa A. Aziz — 2025-09-15

This study aims to analyze and calculate the mass absorption coefficient of X-rays resulting from the photoelectric effect in nickel oxide and silicon carbide compounds in the energy range of 1-100 keV by using a simple, approximate, and semi-empirical theoretical model with constants that depend on the type of interaction. The effective atomic number was then calculated, and the theoretical model was used to calculate the mass absorption coefficient of the compounds. The results extracted from the application of the theoretical model were compared with the experimental or semi-experimental results extracted from the databases of the programs XCOM and FFAST. To improve the accuracy of the theoretical model, the real atomic number was replaced by the effective atomic number, as the results showed good agreement in the low energy range of the studied model. However, the accuracy of the model decreases at energies higher than 30 keV. The results were improved when using the effective atomic number, especially in the compound where there is a difference in the atomic numbers of its components. Therefore, incorporating the concept of the effective atomic number clearly enhances the accuracy of the theoretical model, making it more realistic in describing mass absorption behaviour. This simple modification to the theoretical model showed a clear improvement in the theoretical results. All calculations and graphical representations were performed using the MATLAB 2020 program.

Stress, Sources, and Coping Strategies Among Nursing Students in the West Bank: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aya Faqeeh — 2025-09-15

Nursing students in the West Bank face numerous stressors that affect their academic performance and mental health, ranging from academic workload to sociopolitical challenges unique to the region. This study aims to explore stress levels, identify sources of stress, and evaluate the coping strategies used by nursing students in the West Bank. A cross-sectional design was employed using a convenience sample of 385 nursing students enrolled in diploma and baccalaureate nursing programs across Palestinian universities and colleges in the West Bank. Data were collected through an online self-administered questionnaire composed of demographic data, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), a stressors checklist, and the Brief COPE inventory. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis using SPSS version 27. The majority of students (93.4%) experienced moderate stress, with primary sources including academic workload, financial difficulties, and future uncertainties. The most utilised coping strategies were self-distraction, acceptance, and humour. Significant stress differences were observed based on gender, academic year, parental education, and employment status (p<0.05). Nursing students in the West Bank experience substantial stress, influenced by both academic and socio-political factors. Intervention programs tailored to student needs, including stress management training and financial support, are necessary to foster resilience and academic success.