Building Customers Satisfaction Using Social Responsibility Communications of Islamic Banks in Jordan

This study aims at diagnosing the impact of social responsibility on satisfaction of Islamic banks' customers in Jordan, then exploring the media means used by such banks to promote the SR programs within local community. Determining the statistical differences in SR, media means and customers satisfaction according to many demographical and organizational factors. This research is descriptive. The questionnaire is the tool of collecting the data needed from research population. The sample size reached to 384 customers, and cluster random sample is used. The study conclude that there is a positive statistical impact of support social responsibility programs on customers satisfaction , but the support social responsibility and customers satisfaction are statistically weak, and the media means used to promote SR programs are traditional and doesn’t fit the societal needs. Finally, the study recommends some implications and recommendations that support social responsibility communications and customers’ satisfaction in surveyed companies. Keywords: Customers Satisfaction, Social Responsibility, Marketing Communications, Islamic Banks, Jordan. DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/78-0

Planning of Marketing Communication Activities in Jordanian Pharmaceutical Companies Using the Balanced Scorecard

This study aims at exploring the effect of using the BSC perspectives on planning of marketing communication activities in Jordanian pharmaceutical companies. The BSC consists of four perspectives: financial, customers, internal processes and growth and learning. The study also aims at determining the statistical differences in the market share of Jordanian pharmaceutical according to level of using the two variables (BSC and planning of MC activities). This study is descriptive. The questionnaire is the key tool of collecting the data needed from research population. The sample size reached to 231 managers, and the cluster random sample is used. The study concludes that there is a positive statistical effect of financial perspective on planning of marketing communication activities, but the other three non-financial measures statistically failed. It finds also that there a statistical difference in the market share of pharmaceutical companies having BSC perspectives and planning the marketing communication activities. Finally, the study recommends many implications and recommendations that support BSC applications and enhance the planning of marketing communication activities in surveyed companies. Key Words: Planning, Marketing Communication, Balanced Scorecard, pharmaceutical companies, Jordan. DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/77-0

Learning Organization and Intellectual Capital: An Empirical Study of Jordanian Banks

The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the relation between the learning organization andintellectual capita Jordanian banking industry. The intellectual capital is measured by three dimensions,namely, human capital, structural capital, and customer capital. 86 Questionnaires are sent to managers andexecutives in Jordanian banks headquarters using convenience sample, however, 66 questionnaires werereturned and the response rate is 77%. Quantitative approach is employed to test the proposed researchhypotheses; correlation analysis and regression analysis are conducted. The results support the hypothesisthat learning organization has a positive impact on banks intellectual capital. The results extend theunderstanding of the role of organizational learning in creating intellectual capital and building sustainableadvantages for banks in emerging economies.Keywords: Banking Industry, Intellectual Capital, Learning Organizations, Hypotheses Testing, Jordan

Seasonal variation of Prunus necrotic ringspot virus concentration in almond, peach, and plum cultivars

Levels of Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) infection in almond, peach, and plum cultivars over the course of an entire year were determined by testing different plant parts of naturally infected trees, using the double antibody sandwich-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA). The data showed that spring was the best time of year for PNRSV detection in flowers, active growing buds, and young leaves. PNRSV detection was less reliable during the summer months. Young leaves of all cultivars were the most reliable source for distinguishing between healthy and infected plants, while flowers and buds yielded high values in some cultivars but not in others. Seasonal fluctuations in virus concentration did not follow the same pattern in all cultivars. It is therefore impossible to distinguish between infected and healthy trees on the basis of one single sampling time for all cultivars

Factors and issues affecting electronic insurance adoption in an emerging market

This study examines the factors and issues affecting the adoption of electronic insurance (EI) in the Jordanian insurance sector. The methodology of the study is based on convenience sampling, thus, the sample consists of 175 respondents familiar with E-services, with different backgrounds, professions, businesses, income groups, sectors, and regions. Questionnaires were distributed and disseminated electronically using SurveyMonkey. The study employs both descriptive and ANOVA analyses to analyze the responses. The results show that EI promotes sustainability, reduces costs, saves time and holds some operational benefits beneath. The ANOVA results show that the impact of income and age on sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and operational benefits is significant at least at the 5% significance level. Respondents are also aware that EI may involve issues and challenges related to security and privacy, customer-related issues such as lack of knowledge about repositories, and insurer-related issues such as data shifting. The ANOVA results indicate that gender affects customers’ perceptions of EI adoption regarding customer-related issues; its effect is significant at the 5% level of significance. On the other hand, age and income level are important factors that shape respondents’ perceptions of EI in Jordan. Age is only significant for security-related issues, and income level is a deciding factor in insurer-related issues; their effect is strong and highly significant at the 5% and 1% levels, respectively

Psychosocial and emotional well-being of Syrian refugee children and adolescents in Jordan : In-camp versus out-of-camp comparative analysis

There is a notable gap in understanding how different living arrangements influence the psychosocial and emotional well-being of Syrian refugee children and adolescents. Moreover, limited literature exists on the comparison between in-camp and out-of-camp living situations. The aim of this study was to compare the psychosocial and emotional status between camp and non-camp Syrian refugee children and adolescents living in Jordan. A nationwide school survey was conducted in Jordan from December 2022 to April 2023 and targeted children (8–11 years) and adolescents (12–18 years), encompassing Jordanians, Syrians, and Palestinians, both in camps (camp refugees) and urban areas (urban refugees). In this paper, the analysis was limited to Syrian refugees. A total of 1,420 children and 1,249 adolescents were included. Children in camps had higher rates of hyperactivity (12.7% vs 8.3%) and total difficulties (19.3% vs 13.9%) compared to urban dwellers. However, they had lower rates of bedtime problems (12.8% vs 17.0%) and problematic internet use (19.9% vs 34.8%). Camp adolescents had higher rates of separation anxiety disorder (44.0% vs 37.8%) and conduct problems (22.2% vs 15.0%), but lower rates of poor physical functioning (43.3% vs 52.3%) compared to urban adolescents. Adjusted analysis showed lower odds of generalized anxiety disorder (OR=0.59), problematic internet use (OR=0.39), and bedtime problems (OR=0.67) for camp children. However, they had higher odds of emotional symptoms (OR=1.47), hyperactivity (OR=2.08), and overall difficulties (OR=1.50). Camp adolescents had higher odds of overall difficulties (OR=1.49) but lower odds of poor physical functioning (OR=0.67) compared to urban adolescents. In conclusion, children in refugee camps had lower rates of problematic internet use and bedtime issues but higher rates of hyperactivity and overall difficulties than urban children. Similarly, camp adolescents faced more total difficulties but reported better physical functioning than their urban peers. The complex interplay between living conditions and well-being underscores the need for tailored mental health interventions for displaced populations.Peer reviewe

Inhalation characteristics of asthma patients, COPD patients and healthy volunteers with the Spiromax® and Turbuhaler® devices: a randomised, cross-over study.

BACKGROUND: Spiromax® is a novel dry-powder inhaler containing formulations of budesonide plus formoterol (BF). The device is intended to provide dose equivalence with enhanced user-friendliness compared to BF Turbuhaler® in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The present study was performed to compare inhalation parameters with empty versions of the two devices, and to investigate the effects of enhanced training designed to encourage faster inhalation. METHODS: This randomised, open-label, cross-over study included children with asthma (n = 23), adolescents with asthma (n = 27), adults with asthma (n = 50), adults with COPD (n = 50) and healthy adult volunteers (n = 50). Inhalation manoeuvres were recorded with each device after training with the patient information leaflet (PIL) and after enhanced training using an In-Check Dial device. RESULTS: After PIL training, peak inspiratory flow (PIF), maximum change in pressure (∆P) and the inhalation volume (IV) were significantly higher with Spiromax than with the Turbuhaler device (p values were at least <0.05 in all patient groups). After enhanced training, numerically or significantly higher values for PIF, ∆P, IV and acceleration remained with Spiromax versus Turbuhaler, except for ∆P in COPD patients. After PIL training, one adult asthma patient and one COPD patient inhaled <30 L/min through the Spiromax compared to one adult asthma patient and five COPD patients with the Turbuhaler. All patients achieved PIF values of at least 30 L/min after enhanced training. CONCLUSIONS: The two inhalers have similar resistance so inhalation flows and pressure changes would be expected to be similar. The higher flow-related values noted for Spiromax versus Turbuhaler after PIL training suggest that Spiromax might have human factor advantages in real-world use. After enhanced training, the flow-related differences between devices persisted; increased flow rates were achieved with both devices, and all patients achieved the minimal flow required for adequate drug delivery. Enhanced training could be useful, especially in COPD patients

Cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mortality burden of cardiometabolic risk factors from 1980 to 2010: A comparative risk assessment

Background: High blood pressure, blood glucose, serum cholesterol, and BMI are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and some of these factors also increase the risk of chronic kidney disease and diabetes. We estimated mortality from cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes that was attributable to these four cardiometabolic risk factors for all countries and regions from 1980 to 2010. Methods: We used data for exposure to risk factors by country, age group, and sex from pooled analyses of population-based health surveys. We obtained relative risks for the effects of risk factors on cause-specific mortality from meta-analyses of large prospective studies. We calculated the population attributable fractions for each risk factor alone, and for the combination of all risk factors, accounting for multicausality and for mediation of the effects of BMI by the other three risks. We calculated attributable deaths by multiplying the cause-specific population attributable fractions by the number of disease-specific deaths. We obtained cause-specific mortality from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2010 Study. We propagated the uncertainties of all the inputs to the final estimates. Findings: In 2010, high blood pressure was the leading risk factor for deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes in every region, causing more than 40% of worldwide deaths from these diseases; high BMI and glucose were each responsible for about 15% of deaths, and high cholesterol for more than 10%. After accounting for multicausality, 63% (10·8 million deaths, 95% CI 10·1-11·5) of deaths from these diseases in 2010 were attributable to the combined effect of these four metabolic risk factors, compared with 67% (7·1 million deaths, 6·6-7·6) in 1980. The mortality burden of high BMI and glucose nearly doubled from 1980 to 2010. At the country level, age-standardised death rates from these diseases attributable to the combined effects of these four risk factors surpassed 925 deaths per 100 000 for men in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia, but were less than 130 deaths per 100 000 for women and less than 200 for men in some high-income countries including Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, and Spain. Interpretation: The salient features of the cardiometabolic disease and risk factor epidemic at the beginning of the 21st century are high blood pressure and an increasing effect of obesity and diabetes. The mortality burden of cardiometabolic risk factors has shifted from high-income to low-income and middle-income countries. Lowering cardiometabolic risks through dietary, behavioural, and pharmacological interventions should be a part of the global response to non-communicable diseases. Funding: UK Medical Research Council, US National Institutes of Health. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Multihospital Outbreak of a Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Deletion Variant, Jordan: A Molecular, Serologic, and Epidemiologic Investigation

Background An outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Jordan in 2015 involved a variant virus that acquired distinctive deletions in the accessory open reading frames. We conducted a molecular and seroepidemiologic investigation to describe the deletion variant’s transmission patterns and epidemiology. Methods We reviewed epidemiologic and medical chart data and analyzed viral genome sequences from respiratory specimens of MERS-CoV cases. In early 2016, sera and standardized interviews were obtained from MERS-CoV cases and their contacts. Sera were evaluated by nucleocapsid and spike protein enzyme immunoassays and microneutralization. Results Among 16 cases, 11 (69%) had health care exposure and 5 (31%) were relatives of a known case; 13 (81%) were symptomatic, and 7 (44%) died. Genome sequencing of MERS-CoV from 13 cases revealed 3 transmissible deletions associated with clinical illness during the outbreak. Deletion variant sequences were epidemiologically clustered and linked to a common transmission chain. Interviews and sera were collected from 2 surviving cases, 23 household contacts, and 278 health care contacts; 1 (50%) case, 2 (9%) household contacts, and 3 (1%) health care contacts tested seropositive. Conclusions The MERS-CoV deletion variants retained human-to-human transmissibility and caused clinical illness in infected persons despite accumulated mutations. Serology suggested limited transmission beyond that detected during the initial outbreak investigation