Construction of Fluorescent Helicase Fusion Proteins for Use in Fret Studies on Helicase Function and Stoichiometry

This thesis details the construction of N-terminal fusions of the E. coli helicase DnaB to fluorescent proteins mT-Sapphire and mVenus, and of C-terminal fusions of the hepatitis C virus NS3 helicase (NS3h) to mT-Sapphire and mVenus. These fluorescent fusion proteins were constructed to be used in FRET studies of helicase function and stoichiometry. One example is in assessing the potential oligomerization and cooperativity of NS3h protomers in unwinding RNA. Another potential use is in assessing the stoichiometry of the replisome of E. coli; older studies support a dimeric polymerase model of the replisome. Recent studies however suggest that an active replisome which accommodates three polymerase III cores (the trimeric polymerase complex) may be the active form in vivo and that the previous dimeric polymerase model may have been incorrect. While most evidence supports the dimeric polymerase complex, there are unanswered questions and FRET could potentially answer these questions

Applying the Framingham Risk Score for cardiovascular diseases in Jordan: A cross sectional study

Purpose: To assess the protective measures taken by Jordanians to decrease the risk of first cardiovascular event using the Framingham Risk Score classification.Methods: A survey was created using Google forms and disseminated through social media platforms (WhatsApp and Facebook) in order to facilitate contact with multiple sections of the Jordanian population. The questions were designed to measure the objectives of this study and a scale was used to measure the level of application. Demographic parameters were documented. Framingham’s risk Score was observed among patients with a diploma and those with high school or less education (p = 0.043). There was a significant difference in Framingham Risk Score between non-smokers and sometimes smokers.Conclusion: The Framingham Risk Scores reveals that 90 % of individuals have a low risk of getting cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the Jordanian population, 5 % have an intermediate risk, and 5 % have a high risk. This is normal as the age range of participants in the survey was within the 20 to 30 years

The Influence of Institutional and Conductive Aspects on Entrepreneurial Innovation: Evidence from GEM Data

YesPurpose – The main purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of how different aspects of the national institutional environment may influence the level of innovative entrepreneurial activity across countries. Several institutional and conductive factors affecting a country’s capacity to support innovative entrepreneurship is explored. Design/methodology/approach – Institutional theory is used to examine the national regulatory, normative, cognitive, and conducive aspects that measure a country's ability to support innovative entrepreneurship. A cross-national institutional profile is constructed to validate an entrepreneurial innovation model. The impact of country-level national institutions on innovative entrepreneurial activity as measured by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data is assessed through structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings – Knowledge about the influence of specific institutional aspects on innovative entrepreneurship, and hence of institutional structures within and across countries, is enhanced. For new innovative enterprises, conductive and regulatory aspects seem to matter most. All conductive factors have a significant and positive impact on entrepreneurial activity rates. Research limitations/implications – Results could support policy makers and practitioners in evaluating government policies’ effect on innovative entrepreneurship. Interventions should target both individual attributes and context. Future research could include longitudinal designs to measure the direction of causality. Practical implications – Aspects such as regulatory institutions, and conductive factors such as ICT use and technology adoption, are important for innovation entrepreneurship development.The full text will be made available when the article is officially published

Antilipolytic and hypotriglyceridemic effects of dietary Salvia triloba Lf (Lamiaceae) in experimental rats

Purpose: Pancreatic triacylglycerol lipase (PL) is a noteworthy pharmacological target for the management of dyslipidemia, and diabetes and obesity. This study was aimed to evaluate the modulatory effects of Salvia triloba L.f. (Lamiaceae) leaves methanol extract (ME) on a high fat diet (HFD)-induced hypertriglyceridemia in rats, with complementary in vitro evaluation of sage PL-inhibitory potential.Methods: Pre-induction of HFD hypertriglyceridemia sage leaves ME (750 mg/kg) was orally supplemented (via gastric intubation) to overnight fasting rats (n = 5). Potential plant modulation of PL was also quantified in vitro by a colorimetric assay (n = 3). For comparison, the effect of Orlistat was similarly evaluated as reference standard.Results: Compared to Orlistat, supplementation of S. triloba at a dose of 750 mg/kg b.wt significantly reversed the HFD-induced postprandial hypertriglyceridemia in experimental overnight fasting rats (p < 0.001 vs. HFD rats). Dietary sage caused 66.4 % reduction in plasma triglycerides. Compared to Orlistat which exerted antilipolytic activity, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.114 ± 0.004 μg/mL), sage inhibited PL activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner IC50 of 100.80 ± 9.07 μg/mL)Conclusion: Sage has dual hypotriglyceridemic and antilipolytic properties which indicate that it can potentially be used to suppress body weight gain.Keywords: Pancreatic lipase, Salvia triloba, Sage, Methanol extract, Hypertriglyceridemia, Orlista

APPLICATIOON DEGREE OF THE UNIVERSITY MANAGMENTS FOR TOTAL QUALITY STANDARDS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE FACULTY MEMBERS IN THE FACULTIES OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION

هدفت هذه الدراسة التعرف على درجة تطبيق الادارات الجامعية لمعايير الجودة الشاملة من وجهة نظر أعضاء هيئة التدريس بكليات التربية الرياضية، وتكون مجتمع الدراسة من جميع أعضاء هيئة التدريس في الجامعة الأردنية وجامعة اليرموك وجامعة مؤتة - كليات التربية الرياضية، وتم اختيار عينة الدراسة بالطريقة القصدية بنسبه قدرها (80%) من أعضاء هيئة التدريس في كليات التربية الرياضية بالجامعات الأردنية وبلغ عددهم (75)، والتي تم معاينتها في العام الجامعي 2016/2017، وتم تصميم استبانه لجمع المعلومات المتعلقة بمتغيرات الدراسة المختلفة بحيث تكونت من (21) فقرة وموزعة على ثلاثة مجالات؛ وأظهرت نتائج الدراسة بأن درجة تطبيق الادارات الجامعية لمعايير الجودة الشاملة من وجهة نظر أعضاء هيئة التدريس بكليات التربية الرياضية كانت متوسطة بشكل عام، ولكل مجال من مجالات الأداة. وعدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية (0.05 = α) تعزى ل الجنس، والخبرة، والرتبة الأكاديمية؛ وأوصت الدراسة نشر ثقافة الجودة الشاملة ومفاهيمها لكل العاملين بالكليات لتهيئة المناخ المنظمي لتقبل متطلبات الجودة الشاملةThe aim of this study was to identify the degree of application by university departments of the comprehensive quality standards from the point of view of the faculty members in the faculties of physical education. The study society consisted of all members of the teaching staff at the University of Jordan, Yarmouk University and Mu'tah University. (80%) of the faculty members in the faculties of Physical Education in Jordanian Universities, and they numbered (75), which were examined in the academic year 2016/2017. The questionnaire was designed to collect information related to the different study variables, which consisted of (21) Jalat; The study results showed that the degree of application of university departments to standards of total quality from the perspective of the faculty of physical education colleges were members of the medium in general, and for each area of the tool. And the absence of statistically significant differences (α = 0.05) due to gender, experience and academic rank. The study recommended the dissemination of the culture of total quality and its concepts to all faculty employees to create an organizational climate to accept the requirements of total quality

The Role of Energy Supply in Economic Growth: Evidence from the Oil Importing Countries

The main purpose of this study is to explore and analyse relationships between energy supply and economic growth. Path analysis and structural equation modelling have been used to analyse the direct and indirect effects of energy supply on economic growth by identifying the form of the relationships between them and the role of mediating variables. Energy supply was found to be strongly correlated with economic growth and to have a number of other relationships and effects on the economy. It was also found that mediating variables had different relationships and effects on the economy based on the source of energy. This result confirms that changes in energy suppliers seem to reflect changes in the political ‎economy of the country rather than shifts in energy use. The influence of the ‎political economy and the preferential treatment of supplying energy to oil importing countries below ‎market price were found to have mixed effects on economic growth for both trade and budget path models.‎ Keywords: Energy supply, Economic growth, Structural equation, Path analysis. ‎ JEL Classifications: Q41, O4, Q43, C32. â€

الاستثمارات المالية في صندوق الحج من خلال نظام P. P. P عقود الشراكة بين القطاعين العام والخاص لتعزيز الاستثمار طويل الأجل Financial investments in the Hajj Fund through the P. P. P system. Public-private partnership contracts to enhance long-term investment

This research aims to manifest the concept and importance of the partnership between private and public sectors, from the side of arranging the measures that is conducted by the private sector to provide norms related to the infrastructure to the projects which the government used to introduce it. Also it explains the alternatives and kinds of partnership between private and public sectors, since there are many kinds to the concept of partnership between private and public sectors like building, operation, service, and other contracts. This research focuses on the role of some investment financial institutions which take side from the public sector and with a side from the private sector. It is considered public sector from its supervisory role of the government, and private sector for its investment and financing the projects, and holding its own financial burden from its incomes and not from the state\u27s treasury. The role of this institution is represented by conducting the function of the private sector from the side of financing the infrastructure projects that the government cannot finance it. Here, the importance of this partnership arises, since its importance to the public sector through decreasing the burdens in the budget that need a direct implementing from the state by dividing it throughout long years. And explain its importance to the fund by invest its assets for long periods and sufficient assurance. This research treats the issue of Jurisprudential adaptation for this case, the existence of more than one contract on it, its importance from the economic side, its implementing mechanism from the scientific side

Sophisticated irrigation technology and biotechnology adoption : impacts on ground water conservation

A county-wide dynamic optimization model is used to evaluate the potential contribution associated with the adoption of sophisticated irrigation system technology and anticipated biotechnological advances in crop production on ground water conservation. The results indicate that adoption of these technologies could contribute significantly to ground water conservation efforts.Includes bibliographical reference

The banking sector, stress and financial crisis: symmetric and asymmetric analysis

This study investigates the impact of economic and financial stress on US banking sector returns during periods of crisis and tranquility. It further examines symmetric and asymmetric effects. The study applies GARCH (1, 1) methodology and describes stock returns based on the Fama French Carhart extended capital asset-pricing four systematic factors model. The results indicate that during the entire study period (from 10 January 2003 to 29 September 2017), US banking sector returns responded negatively to stress-induced changes, and investors were more sensitive to stress increases (negative news) than stress declines (positive news), especially during the financial crisis. These results support the view that stress shocks constitute a systematic asset price risk to the US banking sector. Investors and policymakers should both consider these shocks when modelling asset prices and evaluating banks stability.Scopu