Research Title: Production and Characterization of a Recombinant Camel Full Heavy Chain Antibody against Human IgE

Author: Raida W. Khalil, Published Year: 2015

JJBS, 8

Faculty: Science

Abstract: Camel heavy chain antibodies (HCAbs) have novel properties that render them useful in diagnosis and immunotherapy ofvarious diseases. The purpose of this study was to produce recombinant camel HCAbs directed against a synthetic looppolypeptide that mimics the FcεRІ binding site on human IgE. A recombinant camel HCAb was purified and characterizedafter being cloned using One Shot TOP10 Escherichia coli, expressed in BL21 Star (DE3) E. coli. Out of nineteensuccessful clones only one named IgG211 was found to contain the IgG2 HCAb coding sequence in the correct orientationwith 85% homology to camel IgG2. A 62kDa fusion protein was expressed in an insoluble form under Isopropyl β-D-1-Thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) induction. Probond purified fusion protein was localized by immunoblot using mouse anticamel antibody. The reactivity of recombinant camel IgG211to its corresponding antigen using ELISA was 72.9% of thecamel polyclonal IgG2. Thus, a successful production of a recombinant camel HCAb of the IgG2 isotype was achieved.Such achievement may contribute towards the application of the unique properties of camel HCAbs in the field ofantibody-based therapy for the treatment of asthma and allergy.

Keywords: Production and Characterization of a Recombinant Camel Full Heavy Chain Antibody against Human IgE

Research Title: The impact of applying Total Quality Management principles on the overall hospital effectiveness: An empirical study on the HCAC accredited governmental hospitals in Jordan

Author: Atef Al-Raoush, Published Year: 2015

European Scientific Institute, 2015 edition vol.11,

Faculty: Business

Abstract: The present study was conducted to bring the attention to the importance of applying total quality management (TQM) and their effects on organizational effectiveness, and particularly the hospital effectiveness. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the impact of applying TQM on the overall hospital effectiveness in the accredited governmental hospitals in Jordan that accredited from Health Care Accreditation Council (HCAC). The study population represented all health care professionals working in the five HCAC accredited governmental hospitals who were working for more than three years in the same hospitals. Study sample included 1290 employees. The response rate was 83.6 % of the total questionnaires distributed. TQM principles were: Leadership commitment to quality, Customer focus, Continuous improvement, Teamwork, Employee involvement, education and training. Study findings showed a significant impact of all TQM principles on the overall hospital effectiveness (p< 0.05). Using multiple linear regression analysis showed that TQM is a strong predictor of hospital performance (Beta =0.818, t=46.613, R2= 0.669, and p value = 0.000). Taken together, applying the principles of TQM increases the overall hospital effectiveness in the HCAC accredited governmental hospitals in Jordan.

Keywords: Total quality management, organizational effectiveness, hospital effectiveness, Accreditation, Health Care Accreditation Council, Jordan.

Research Title: PATIENT'S SAFETY CULTURE: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS: REVIEW ARTICLE

Author: Atef Al-Raoush, Published Year: 2015

European Scientific Journal, vol.11, No.15

Faculty: Business

Abstract: This study was conducted to review the literature towards patient's safety culture in terms and applications. Patient's safety is an essential component of healthcare quality. Even with continuous alertness, health care providers face many challenges in today’s health care environment in trying to keep patients safe. Patient's safety is now a required subject that can provide feedback to the healthcare systems with the possibility of implementing improvement measures based on the identification of specific problems. The culture of patient's safety can be analyzed at different levels of the healthcare system, through identifying strengths and weaknesses that configure the way that healthcare professionals think, behave and approach their work. Continuous evolutions in healthcare increase the importance of establishing and maintaining a culture of patient's safety. Therefore research on safety culture is needed to raise awareness about the role of culture in promoting a safer environment. Patient's safety culture examines how the perceptions, behaviors, and competencies of individuals and groups determine an organization’s commitment, style, and proficiency in health and safety management and it is used by organizations to determine targets for interventions to improve patient's safety, evaluate the success of patient's safety interventions, fulfill regulatory requirements, and conduct benchmarking. Patient's safety culture is approached from different perspectives or dimensions such as reporting the frequency and severity of incidents, which so far are not taken into account by hospital staff. In this sense, an ongoing commitment must exist by management to promote and facilitate the culture of patient's safety by providing the necessary tools to identify the most prevalent cultural patterns

Keywords: : patient, safety, culture, health care, quality

Research Title: Staff Perceptions of Obstacles to Quality Management Systems in Low- and High- Performing Hospitals in Jordan

Author: Atef Al-Raoush, Published Year: 2016

International Journal of Business and Management;, Vol. 11, No. 2;

Faculty: Business

Abstract: Implementing a quality management system (QMS) is important for hospitals to deliver high-quality services. Hospitals in Jordan vary greatly in terms of the quality of their services. This study aimed to explore QMS obstacles in low- and high-performing hospitals in Jordan. The study employed a Mixed Method-Sequential Exploratory design. A questionnaire was used to explore the QMS obstacles. The study population was drawn from six public and private hospitals considered low- and high-performing. A total of 908 participants who worked in the six hospitals completed the questionnaire. The questionnaire contained 23 items and was rated using 5-points Likert Scale. The data was analysed using quantitative tools as Descriptive statistics, General Liner Model (Univariate analysis) to determine the major QMS obstacles in low- and high-performing hospitals and to explore the relationship between participants’ background variables. The study found that low-performing hospitals faced six major obstacles: lack of rewards for hospital staff, inadequate material resources, lack of training programmes in sufficient staff motivation, insufficient budget for a QMS, and inadequate authority delegation. Whereas, the high-performing hospitals faced three major obstacles: lack of rewards for hospital staff, inadequate authority delegation, and shortage of staff. The results showed that there were significant differences between low- and high-performance hospitals in terms of the QMS obstacles. The study also provides recommendations for improving the implementation of QMS in Jordanian hospitals.

Keywords: obstacles, quality management system (QMS), low- and high-performing hospitals

Research Title: Areas of Corruption in the Health Sector in Jordan as Perceived by Local Community Representatives.

Author: Atef Al-Raoush, Published Year: 2017

European Journal for Business and Management, Vol.9, No.3, 2017

Faculty: Business

Abstract: Corruption is a multifaceted social, political, ethical and economic phenomenon that affects all countries. Despite that Jordan spends about 8% of its GDP on health; very little attention has been paid by researchers and policy makers to corruption and integrity in the health care delivery system. This study aims at identifying areas of corruption in the health sector in Jordan, factors that promote corrupt practices and policy directions to prevent and control them as perceived by local community representatives. The study adopted the qualitative approach utilizing the focus group method to collect data. A total of 36 convenient sample of local community representatives from the Middle, North and South Regions of Jordan participated in the study (12 from each region). A conceptual model which addresses the corrupt practices of the main actors: providers, patients, and suppliers, was used during. The findings of the three focus groups were put together by the investigators and analyzed by the principal investigator. The results showed that areas of corruption among providers were perceived mainly in requesting unneeded investigations and medical procedures, referring patients to certain providers in order to achieve financial gains (commission), prescribing expensive medicine and wasting working hours. Areas of corruption caused by patients were perceived in the confiscation of the health insurance cards, trying to get free care by under-reporting their income and deceiving insurers to obtain benefits. Causes of corruption and interventions to improve integrity in the health sector were also addressed by the participants.

Keywords: corruption, health sector, integrity, local community representatives

Research Title: Factors Affecting the Stability of Faculty Members at Jordanian Public Universities

Author: Atef Al-Raoush, Published Year: 2019

International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 5(2):178

Faculty: Business

Abstract: Experts believe that retaining staff is the main objective of any organisation and it is considered the most important factor in the success of any organisation. As a result of the increase in faculty members' turnover at public universities, this study aimed to investigate the factors that effecting on the stay of faculty members at Jordanian public universities. The data was collected through a questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed among faculty members at three public universities in Jordan. These universities were selected randomly. A descriptive analysis was used to analyse the study data. The study examined the effecting job embeddedness, job satisfaction, job commitment, and administrative support on maintaining stability among faculty members at their universities. These factors were chosen from the literature review. The study found that all these factors exert an effect on the intent of faculty members to stay at Jordanian public universities.

Keywords: Jordanians private universities, Job embeddedness, job satisfaction, Organizational commitment, and administrative support

Research Title: Detection of novel LAMA3 mutation in Herlitz junctional epidermolysis bullosa in a Jordanian family

Author: Raida W. Khalil, Published Year: 2012

Australian journal of Dermatology , 54

Faculty: Science

Abstract: he Herlitz junctional epidermolysis bullosa (H‐JEB) subtype usually presents as a severe lethal inherited variant of epidermolysis bullosa (EB) caused by a homozygous mutation in the genes LAMA3, LMAB3, or LAMAC3. Each gene encodes one of the three chains of heterotrimer laminin‐332 proteins (including the alpha‐3 chain, beta‐3 chain and gamma‐2‐chain) responsible for the adherence of the epidermis to the underlying dermis. The aim of this report is to add to the existing knowledge about EB by describing a novel mutation in a gene responsible for genodermatosis. A case of a Jordanian male neonate, born to healthy, first cousin consanguineous parents, who developed nonhealing blistering skin and mucous membrane lesions, crusted erosions with significant granulation tissue and dystrophic nails immediately after birth is described. The patient was diagnosed as having a novel LAMA3 mutation causing (H‐JEB) by immunofluorescence mapping and molecular analysis. Both parents and this baby's sibling were shown to be heterozygous carriers of the same mutation. Pre‐implantation diagnosis using molecular analysis for subsequent pregnancies in this family is crucial for managing any new pregnancy.

Keywords: Herlitz Junctional LAMA3

Research Title: Characterization of glucokinase polymorphisms associated with Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY2) in Jordanian population

Author: Raida W. Khalil, Published Year: 2009

Cytology and Genetics, 43

Faculty: Science

Abstract: Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) is a monogenic form of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) characterized by an autosomal dominant inheritance, onset usually before 25 years of age and a primary defect in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, Glucokinase (GCK) acts as a glucose sensor in the pancreatic beta cell and regulates insulin secretion. The mutation in the gene encoding GCK results in enzyme inactivation cause MODY2. Functional studies of naturally occurring GCK mutations associated with hyperglycaemia provide further insight into the biochemical basis of glucose sensor regulation. In this study 100 diabetic Jordanian patients with MODY2 phenotype and 150 Normal control subjects were screened for the presence of GCK gene mutations including the missense mutations at position Thr228Ala in exon 7, Gly299Arg in exon 8 and nonsense mutation Ser383Ter in exon 9, utilizing polymerase chain reaction with restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. The results shows no Thr228Ala, Gly299Arg and Ser383Ter mutations were detected in both groups, which was differ from the results obtained for Italian and Caucasian from the Oxford region in UK MODY2 patients. Our data indicated that the previously studied mutations in Italian and Caucasian patients in the GCK gene are not common in MODY Jordanian population, suggesting a racial difference can be found in the frequency of the GCK polymorphism.

Keywords: Fast Blood Sugar Glucokinase mutation

Research Title: The Effect of Crataegus Aronica Aqueous Extract in Rabbits Fed with High Cholesterol Diet

Author: Raida W. Khalil, Published Year: 2008

European Journal of Scientific Research , 22

Faculty: Science

Abstract: The hypolipidemic activity of hawthorn fruits belong to Crataegus aronica, a wild Jordanian plant in Jordan, was studied. Three groups of New Zealand white rabbits were given as follows: The first group was fed a reference diet with no cholesterol (DNC), the second group was fed diet with high cholesterol (1.5 g/100 g, DHC) and group 3 was fed high cholesterol diet and given hawthorn fruit extract (10% w/v) twice daily 10 mg/Kg for 6 weeks (DHCH). After 6 weeks, serum total cholesterol (TC), triacyglycerol (TG), and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were decreased 22.9%, 20% and 21.4%, respectively in the hawthorn fed rabbits in comparison to the DHC rabbits, while 12.5% elevation of high density lipoprotein (HDL) was obtained. Hawthorn administration cause 25.7, 22.4 and 22.7% reduction of aortic cholesterol, cholesterol ester, and hepatic cholesterol, respectively. In addition, hawthorn fed-rabbits showed 76.6% inhibition of intestinal AcylCOA cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity but no effect on 3-hydroxt 3-methyl glutaryl CO A reductase (HMGR) and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (C-hx). These results are comparable to other hawthorn species with respect to their hypolipidemic activities.

Keywords: Crataegus aronica, Cholesterol HDL, LDL, Triglycerides

Research Title: Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Arabs in Jordan: a comparative study between Jordanians and Palestinians

Author: Raida W. Khalil, Published Year: 1996

Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 135

Faculty: Science

Abstract: In a 2-year hospital-based study in Jordan 131 Arab multiple sclerosis patients were identified including 84 Palestinians and 36 Jordanians. Based on case ratio, multiple sclerosis was found to be twice as common among Palestinians than Jordanians. Other than the less marked female preponderance among Jordanian patients, the disease had the same clinical and paraclinical characteristics in both groups. It was more likely for Palestinian and Jordanian patients to originate from the northern parts of their countries, to be Rh negative and to be HLA-DR2 positive than their controls. Palestinians (patients and controls) did not show significant differences from Jordanians (patients and controls) in relation to their eye color, ABO and Rh blood groups distribution nor the HLA-DR or HLA-DQ (apart from HLA-DQ3) epitopes frequency, thus not offering any significant difference in the genetic-racial markers studies to explain the difference in the observed disease susceptibility. Previous studies demonstrated that 2 racially different populations sharing the same environment can have different risk of developing multiple sclerosis, but this study has shown that this can also be true for 2 racially similar populations sharing the same environment.

Keywords: Multiple sclerosis Epidemiology Comparative study Arabs Jordan