Research Title: Mucilage of Coccinia grandis as an Efficient Natural Polymer-Based Pharmaceutical Excipient

Author: Mohammad Bayan, Published Year: 2022

Polymers, 14

Faculty: Pharmacy

Abstract: Natural eco-friendly materials are recently employed in products to replace synthetic materials due to their superior benefits in preserving the environment. The herb Coccinia grandis is widely distributed in continents like Asia and Africa and used traditionally to treat fever, leprosy, asthma, jaundice, and bronchitis. Mucilage of Coccinia grandis was accordingly extracted, isolated by a maceration technique, and precipitated. The mucilage was evaluated for its physicochemical, binding, and disintegrant properties in tablets using paracetamol as a model drug. The crucial physicochemical properties such as flow properties, solubility, swelling index, loss on drying, viscosity, pH, microbial load, cytotoxicity was evaluated and the compatibility was analyzed using sophisticated instrumental methods (TGA, DTA, DSC, and FTIR). The binding properties of the mucilage was used at three different concentrations and compared with starch and PVP as examples of standard binders. The disintegrant properties of mucilage were used at two different concentrations and compared with standard disintegrants MCCP, SSG, and CCS. The tablets were punched and evaluated for their hardness, friability, assay, disintegration time, in vitro dissolution profiles. In vitro cytotoxicity studies of the mucilage were performed in a human embryonic kidney (HEK) cell line. The outcome of the study indicated that the mucilage had good performance compared with starch and PVP. Further, the mucilage acts as a better disintegrant than MCCP, SSG and CCS for paracetamol tablets. Use of a concentration of 3% or less demonstrated the ability of the mucilage to act as a super disintegrating agent and showed faster disintegration and dissolution, which makes it as an attractive, promising disintegrant in formulating solid dosage forms to improve the therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance. Moreover, the in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation results demonstrated that the mucilage is non-cytotoxic to human cells and is safe.

Keywords: binding agent; disintegrating agent; natural polymer; mucilage; Coccinia grandis

Research Title: Development and In Vitro Evaluation of a Large-Intestinal Drug Delivery System

Author: Mohammad Bayan, Published Year: 2022

Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology, 15

Faculty: Pharmacy

Abstract: The development of large intestinal drug delivery systems has gained increased attention for the effective treatment of some associated disorders, such as ulcerative colitis, where the therapeutic agent acts locally on the affected parts. The main aim of this study was to develop polymerized carriers capable to deliver drugs effectively to the lower part of the gastrointestinal tract (large intestine). Polymeric pellets, based on hydroxyethyl methacrylate with different crosslinker concentrations, were synthesized using a bulk polymerization method. Mesalazine, which is frequently used to treat inflammatory disorders associated with the large intestine, was selected as a model drug. Swelling and in vitro release studies were performed to assess the developed systems and study the effect of the crosslinker concentration. The swelling and release profiles have decreased significantly with increasing the crosslinker concentration. The produced pellets exhibited a delayed-controlled drug release up to 24 hours, which indicated their potential applicability as successful large-intestinal drug delivery systems.

Keywords: Ulcerative colitis, Specific delivery system, Inflammatory bowel disease, Drug targeting, Mesalazine.

Research Title: Strategic Reading of Undergraduate Students at Philadelphia University

Author: Abdu Al-Kadi, Published Year: 2022

Faculty: Arts

Abstract: The enticing change in learning language modes and mediums dictates an update of the learning strategies profile. Using descriptive analysis, this study set out to explore reading strategies (RSs) at the undergraduate level in Jordan. Data were gleaned from a conveniently-sampled cohort of learners (n=54) enrolled in a BA program at the Faculty of Arts, Philadelphia University. The initial sample responded to a questionnaire, and a sub-sample of this cohort were observed reading academic texts to strengthen the investigation. Findings showed that irrespective of gender, learners of English read strategically. They tend to employ most of the strategies on the RSs inventory. However, they attribute relatively high value to problem-solving strategies than global and support strategies (μ=4.1682, 3.8622, 3.7547, respectively). Besides, they tend to use strategies during and less frequently before and after reading, which signals some implications for pedagogues and course description designers

Keywords: Meta-cognitive strategies, Reading strategies (RSs), Reading inventory, PU

Research Title: Digital Technology Changes How Language Learners Read and Comprehend Texts

Author: Abdu Al-Kadi, Published Year: 2021

A workshop on Reading Through Technological Mediums/Spaces: Affordances, Constraints, and Suggestions, Faculty of Arts - Philadelphia University

Faculty: Arts

Abstract: The proliferation of digital technology has brought about increasing reading habits through digital devices, e.g., iPad, tablets, mobile phones and many other hand-held gadgets. E-book readers are on the rise. Reading online has become commonplace, and learners seem to read from screens more than from printed papers/books. This presentation discusses how language learners use online materials for reading and how electronic mediums afford opportunities to maximize reading comprehension and critical reading by adding multimodal elements to plain texts. It allows learners to self-express and reflect on their digital content reading practices and determine their participation on websites. The workshop is foundational for some research work on digital reading - examining the extent to which students at Philadelphia University handle digital texts, underscores their reading habits and strategies and thus bring to the foreground some important implications for curriculum designers, teachers, and learners altogether to employ proper reading strategies that fit in with reading in digital spaces.

Keywords: digital technology, e-books, reading comprehension

Research Title: Proficiency Testing from the Pluricentric Approach

Author: Abdu Al-Kadi, Published Year: 2022

Faculty: Arts

Abstract: This chapter provides a rationale for proficiency testing that subscribes to the view that accepting English as the global target language requires a proficiency testing framework beyond the monolithic EFL and ESL-based tests. It departs from irreversible facts including the outgrowing number of non-native speakers (NNSs) and World Englishes (WE). Such changes in the linguistic map of English in the worldwide context have weakened power-base viewpoints that drive the monolithic English proficiency tests, such as TOEFL and IELTS. These tests, albeit defenders, hardly represent the realities of English at present. They reflect an outdated taxonomy of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) that undergo the sway of linguistic imperialism. They are mainly fashioned on the NS model and norms of Standard English (SE) and thus undermine the evolving WE. The chapter foregrounds an argument that the monopoly of the NS model is losing ground, and it is high time the new changes found their way to English proficiency testing. A testing shift from monocentrism to the pluricentric approach would reasonably reflect the reality of language uses and users worldwide.

Keywords: linguistic imperialism, monocentrism, NNSs, plurality, proficiency testing

Research Title: Evolution of Academic Writing: From Alphabetic literacy to Multimodality

Author: Abdu Al-Kadi, Published Year: 2022

Faculty: Arts

Abstract: The fact that students attend lectures with visual multimodal literacies calls for a multimodal turn in academic prose, to move beyond alphabetic literacy. This session focuses on how Academic Writing (AW) has evolved as a genre with a focus on writing in ESL and EFL contexts. It touches on how linguistic communication has morphed into multimedia design in digital environments from simple alphabetic encoding. The presentation outlines the relevant literature, approaches to AW, and multimodality. Then, it discusses writing as a combination of texts, images, audio, and videos. This blend of words, audio, videos, voice messaging, still and moving photos (animation), games, and tutorials connect the linguistic and non-linguistic (semiotic) dimension of meaning-making. The discussion calls for freeing learners from getting bogged down in grammatical flaws and going beyond alphabetic literacy. Academic writing in L2 contexts can be approached now from the viewpoint of digital literacy. It goes beyond the printed words and develops a ‘full range of senses’ (multi-literacies). Composition teachers, as well as learners, should be prepared for multimodal writing in the era of digital literacy. There is a wide variety of options for creating an effective multimodal text, depending on the author's reason for creating the text, the audience the author wants to reach, the place, time, or situation in which the text is being created.

Keywords: academic composition, alphabetic literacy, meaning-making, multimodal literacies,

Research Title: Wikis as Effective Collaborative Writing Tools in EAP Programs

Author: Abdu Al-Kadi, Published Year: 2022

Faculty: Arts

Abstract: A wiki is best defined as “a freely expandable collection of interlinked Web pages, a hypertext system for storing and modifying information—a database, where each page is easily editable by any user with a forms capable Web browser client” (Leuf & Cunningham, 2001, p. 14). Wikis are one of the simplest, most practical, and most widespread technological tools for collaborative writing practices in SLA (Kioumarsi, H., et all. 2018; Miyazoe & Anderson, 2010; Storch, 2013). They provide the environment to establish communication between individuals and groups in specific contexts such as training and learning (Sadaghian, S. & Marandi, S., 2020; Klobas 2006), and they are mostly free. They are also effective tools to improve teaching (Medero & Albaladejo, 2020). Wiki environments offer an extensive, interactive, flexible environment, which can be extremely useful for SLA. When using wikis, students can perform all the following tasks: access content created by other users all over the world, edit pages in collaboration with others, provide links to external sources and resources, update the content easily, track and view changes, and so much more (Klobas, 2006). Compared to traditional web pages, wikis are easier to edit and update. This session is grounded in exciting theoretical developments concerning the applicability of wikis for writing, but it is focused on a practical demonstration of how these platforms can be used in ESL classrooms. After an overview of the basic mechanics of the wiki platforms, and concepts around collaborative writing and SLA, the presenters will expose a writing activity. Participants will be led through the setting up of the writing prompt, which can be replicated and modified for each of their classes to show students how writing can be done collaboratively.

Keywords: collaborative Writing, English for Academic Purposes, Wikis

Research Title: Digital Literacy in L2 Academic Writing Classrooms

Author: Abdu Al-Kadi, Published Year: 2022

Faculty: Arts

Abstract: The multimodal approach to writing is now gaining acceptance in order to “escape the current paradigmatic view of composition studies” (Zawilski, 2011, p. 3). In multimodality, writing is not only pieces of prose but a combination of texts, images, audio, and videos (Leeuwen, 2011). This blend of words, audio, videos, voice messaging, still and moving photos (animation), games, and tutorials connect the linguistic and non-linguistic (semiotic) dimension of meaning-making (Leeuwen, 2011; Palmeri, 2007; Zawilski, 2011). Multimodality advocates (e.g., Zawilski, 2011) contend that this emerging genre of the composition goes beyond the printed words and develops a ‘full range of senses’ (multi-literacies). The fact that students attend lectures with visual multimodal literacies (Palmeri, 2007) calls for a multimodal turn in academic prose, to move beyond alphabetic literacy. Pandey (2021) explains that “the unlimited possibilities for meaning-making brought by multimodal resources such as images, sounds, and space are not only acknowledged but also deemed an indispensable part of composition in the contemporary era” (p.3), and Palmeri elucidated how teaching multimodal composition contributes to enhancing students’ alphabetic writing skills. Elliot and Klobucar (2013) stressed working with “students in digital writing …to teach them to build multimodal worlds” (p.18) as they build sentence patterns, post reflective statements in a portfolio. At its core, technology-based writing enables interaction between learners, teachers, and computers and “such interactions translate into opportunities for increased writing practice with formative feedback” (Wilson & Roscoe, 2020, p. 88). This research outlines common writing hindrances and foregrounds their causes. It calls for instituting multimodal composition to connect the linguistic and nonlinguistic (semiotic) dimension of meaning-making and thus enhance written fluency and free learners from getting bogged down in grammatical flaws and go beyond alphabetic literacy (Lim et al., 2020). This paper discusses writing from the viewpoint of several approaches and shifts that have taken place: from alphabetic literacy to multimodality. Challenges that accrue from such shifts are discussed and future prospects are provided. The presentation concludes by discussing the implications for curriculum designers, teachers, and students. The presentation concludes by discussing the implications for curriculum designers, teachers, and students.

Keywords: academic writing, digital literacy, multimodality, second language learning

Research Title: Pharmacology of Neuropeptides:Substance P, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptides, Neuropeptide Y, Calcitonin Peptides and Their Receptorss

Author: Nabil Nimer, Published Year: 2020

Faculty: Pharmacy

Abstract: Neuropeptides are responsible for the regulation of various biological activities and mediate various regulatory mechanisms associated with every organ system.They control and regulate communication between endocrine and nervous systems and are also involved in signaling between cells found in the central and peripheral nervous system. Certainly, they can modulate immunomodulation, neuroprotection, and physiological homeostasis (e.g., feeding behavior, balance of water, blood pressure, breakdown of glucose, cognition, stress response, and pain) by working as peptide hormones.

Keywords: Calcitonin peptide · Neuropeptides · Neuropeptide tyrosine · Neuropeptide Y ·Substance P · Tachykinins · Vasoactive intestinal polypeptides

Research Title: Nosocomial Infection and Antibiotic-Resistant Threat in the Middle East

Author: Nabil Nimer, Published Year: 2022

Infection and Drug Resistance, 15: 631–639

Faculty: Pharmacy

Abstract: The prevalence of nosocomial infections (NIs) is associated with different bacteria found in hospitals. These infections in their extreme conditions result in morbidity and mortality. This study aims to provide a detailed review of literary studies to identify the prevalence of nosocomial infections and antibiotic-resistance specifically in Middle Eastern countries. A literature review approach is followed in this study. It further identifies different causes and effects associated with nosocomial infections in the given regions. Relevant studies were used to extract important information, specifically related to the Middle Eastern countries. The findings indicated that nosocomial infections following antibiotic resistance are an emerging problem in Middle Eastern countries, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Most frequently reported NIs in Middle East in our review are bloodstream infections (BSIs) (50%) and surgical site infections (SSIs) (50%) followed by urinary tract infections (UTIs). Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species among gram-negative bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus among gram-positive bacterial and fungal pathogens such as Candida species are most reported pathogens involved in nosocomial infections and resistance to penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems and fluoroquinolones antibiotics were significantly reported. However, most studies showed minimum resistance of pathogens against drug colistin. To control the growth rate of the given condition, government officials are suggested to ensure that hospitals follow adequate healthcare mechanisms. Also, sufficient education must be provided to the hospital staff about the causes and effects of the given disease.

Keywords: antibiotic-resistant threat, Middle East, nosocomial infection