Rana Dajani

UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A4 (UGT1A4) polymorphisms in a Jordanian population

Glucuronidation is one of the most important phase II metabolic pathways. It is catalyzed by a family of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase enzymes (UGTs). One of the subfamilies is UGT1A. Allele frequencies in UGT1A4 differ among ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to determine the allelic frequency of two most common defective alleles: UGT1A4*2 and UGT1A4*3 in a Jordanian population. A total of 216 healthy Jordanian Volunteers (165 males and 51 females) were included in this study. Genotyping for UGT1A4*1, UGT1A4*2 and UGT1A4*3 was done using a well established polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism test. Among 216 random individuals studied for UGT1A4*2 mutation there were 26 individuals who were heterozygous, giving a prevalence of 12% and an allele frequency of 6.5%. Only one individual was homozygous for UGT1A4*2. The UGT1A4*3 mutation was detected as heterozygous in 9 of 216 individuals indicating a prevalence of 4.2% and allele frequency of 3.5%. Three individuals were homozygous for the UGT1A4*3 indicating a prevalence of 1.4%. The prevalence of UGT1A4*2 is similar to the Caucasians but different from other populations whilst the UGT1A4*3 prevalence in the Jordanian population is distinct from other populations. Our results provide useful information for the Jordanian population and for future genotyping of Arab populations in general.

Resilience in Context: A Brief and Culturally Grounded Measure for Syrian Refugee and Jordanian Host-Community Adolescents

Validated measures are needed for assessing resilience in conflict settings. An Arabic version of the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM) was developed and tested in Jordan. Following qualitative work, surveys were implemented with male/female, refugee/nonrefugee samples (N = 603, 11–18 years). Confirmatory factor analyses tested three‐factor structures for 28‐ and 12‐item CYRMs and measurement equivalence across groups. CYRM‐12 showed measurement reliability and face, content, construct (comparative fit index = .92–.98), and convergent validity. Gender‐differentiated item loadings reflected resource access and social responsibilities. Resilience scores were inversely associated with mental health symptoms, and for Syrian refugees were unrelated to lifetime trauma exposure. In assessing individual, family, and community‐level dimensions of resilience, the CYRM is a useful measure for research and practice with refugee and host‐community youth.

CNV Analysis Associates AKNAD1 with Type-2 Diabetes in Jordan Subpopulations.

Previous studies have identified a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with type-2 diabetes (T2D), but copy number variation (CNV) association has rarely been addressed, especially in populations from Jordan. To investigate CNV associations for T2D in populations in Jordan, we conducted a CNV analysis based on intensity data from genome-wide SNP array, including 34 T2D cases and 110 healthy controls of Chechen ethnicity, as well as 34 T2D cases and 106 healthy controls of Circassian ethnicity. We found a CNV region in protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type D (PTPRD) with significant association with T2D. PTPRD has been reported to be associated with T2D in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We additionally identified 16 CNV regions associated with T2D which overlapped with gene exons. Of particular interest, a CNV region in the gene AKNA Domain Containing 1 (AKNAD1) surpassed the experiment-wide significance threshold. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-related pathways were significantly enriched among genes which are predicted to be functionally associated with human or mouse homologues of AKNAD1. This is the first CNV analysis of a complex disease in populations of Jordan. We identified and experimentally validated a significant CNVR in gene AKNAD1 associated with T2D.

The Arab Spring offers hope but no quick fix

Revolutions in Libya and elsewhere have raised hopes for science in the Arab world. But progress will be slow, cautions Rana Dajani.

Jordan’s stem-cell law can guide the Middle East

A ban on private companies using stem cells from human embryos provides a policy framework for other Arab and Islamic countries, says Rana Dajani.

Comparison of population based cancer incidence rates among Circassians, Chechans and Arabs in Jordan (1996-2005).

BACKGROUND Cancer is a complex disease caused by multiple factors, both genetic and environmental. It is a major health concern worldwide, in the Middle East and in Jordan specifically and the fourth most common killer in the Middle East. HYPOTHESIS The relative genetic homogeneity of the Circassian and Chechan populations in Jordan results in incidences of cancer that differ from the general Jordanian population, who are mostly Arabs. MATERIALS AND METHODS National Cancer Registry data were obtained for the years 1996-2005 The Chechen and Circassian cancer cases were identified and cancer registry data were divided into three populations. Crude rates were calculated based on the number of cancer cases and estimated populations. RESULTS Breast cancer is the most common cancer type constituting about one third of female cancers in all three populations. Higher crude rates are observed in the Circassian and Chechen populations than in the Arab Jordanian population. The rate ratios (95%CI) in Circassians and Chechens with respect to the Arab Jordanian population are 2.1 (1.48, 2.72) and 1.81 (1.16, 2.85), respectively. Lung cancer is the most common cancer in male Arab Jordanians and Chechens with crude rates of 4.2 and 8.0 per 100,000 respectively. The male to female ratio in these two populations in respective order are 5:1 and 7:1. The lung cancer crude rate in Circassians is 6.5 per 100,000 with a male to female ratio of only 1.6:1. The colorectal cancer crude rates in Arab Jordanians and Chechens are similar at 6.2 and 6.0 per 100,000, respectively, while that in Circassians is twice as high. CONCLUSIONS Considerable ethnic variation exists for cancer incidence rates in Jordan. The included inbred and selected populations offer an ideal situation for investigating genetic factors involved in various cancer types.

Integrating service learning in Jordanian higher education

The main aim of this exploratory study is to test ‘Service Learning’ as a teaching and learning strategy in Jordanian universities by integrating service learning into a counselling course at the Hashemite University. After providing a 12-h service at 10 service locations, a 16-item questionnaire was administered to 60 senior counselling students to assess their perceptions about the service experience. Administrators of the service locations also completed a questionnaire about their level of satisfaction regarding the service provided. Qualitative data were also collected from groups’ portfolios, and reflection papers based on students involvement in service learning. The findings of the study revealed that service learning promotes students’ learning of the course content, students’ sense of connection to their classmates and university, their sense of social responsibility and professional development. Administrators were satisfied with the service and looked forward to future cooperation with the university.

137 ancient human genomes from across the Eurasian steppes

For thousands of years the Eurasian steppes have been a centre of human migrations and cultural change. Here we sequence the genomes of 137 ancient humans (about 1× average coverage), covering a period of 4,000 years, to understand the population history of the Eurasian steppes after the Bronze Age migrations. We find that the genetics of the Scythian groups that dominated the Eurasian steppes throughout the Iron Age were highly structured, with diverse origins comprising Late Bronze Age herders, European farmers and southern Siberian hunter-gatherers. Later, Scythians admixed with the eastern steppe nomads who formed the Xiongnu confederations, and moved westward in about the second or third century bc, forming the Hun traditions in the fourth–fifth century ad, and carrying with them plague that was basal to the Justinian plague. These nomads were further admixed with East Asian groups during several short-term khanates in the Medieval period. These historical events transformed the Eurasian steppes from being inhabited by Indo-European speakers of largely West Eurasian ancestry to the mostly Turkic-speaking groups of the present day, who are primarily of East Asian ancestry.Sequences of 137 ancient and 502 modern human genomes illuminate the population history of the Eurasian steppes after the Bronze Age and document the replacement of Indo-European speakers of West Eurasian ancestry by Turkic-speaking groups of East Asian ancestry.

Hair cortisol concentrations in war-affected adolescents: A prospective intervention trial

Temporal examinations of the biological signature of stress or trauma in war-affected populations are seldom undertaken. Moreover, few studies have examined whether stress biomarkers track biological sensitivity to brief interventions targeting the improvement of psychosocial wellbeing. Our study is the first to prospectively examine, in war-affected adolescents, the associations between hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) and self-reports of stress, insecurity, posttraumatic reactions, and lifetime trauma. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to test the impact of an 8-week intervention based on profound stress attunement. We collected data for a gender-balanced sample of 733 Syrian refugee (n = 411) and Jordanian non-refugee (n = 322) adolescents (12-18 years), at three time-points. We used growth mixture models to classify cortisol trajectories, and growth models to evaluate intervention impact on stress physiology. We observed three trajectories of HCC: hypersecretion, medium secretion, and hyposecretion (9.6%, 87.5% and 2.9% of the cohort, respectively). For every one percent increase in levels of insecurity, adolescents were 0.02 times more likely to have a trajectory of hypersecretion (95% CI: 1.00, 1.03, p = 0.01). For each additional symptom of posttraumatic stress reported, they were 0.07 times less likely to show hyposecretion (95% CI: 0.89, 0.98, p = 0.01). Indeed, stronger posttraumatic stress reactions were associated with a pattern of within-individual cortisol dysregulation and medium secretion. Overall, HCC decreased by a third in response to the intervention (95% CI: -0.19, -0.03, p = 0.01). While the intervention decreased HCC for youth with hypersecretion and medium secretion, it increased HCC for youth with hyposecretion (95% CI: 0.22, 1.16, p = 0.004), relative to controls. This suggests a beneficial regularization of cortisol levels, corroborating self-reports of improved psychosocial wellbeing. We did not find evidence to suggest that gender, resilience, or posttraumatic stress disorder influenced the strength or direction of responses to the intervention. This robust impact evaluation exemplifies the utility of biomarkers for tracking physiological changes in response to interventions over time. It enhances the understanding of trajectories of endocrine response in adverse environments and patterns of stress responsivity to ecological improvement.

Why I teach evolution to Muslim students

Certain problematic attitudes towards science have been imported into Muslim societies as a part of rapid globalization and modernization — the rejection of the theory of evolution, for example. But this also offers an opportunity. I teach evolution to university students in Jordan. Almost all of them are hostile to the idea at first. Their schoolteachers are likely to have ignored or glossed over it. Still, most students are willing to discuss evolution, and by the end of the course, the majority accept the idea. If Muslim students can challenge ideas on such a controversial academic topic, then they can also approach other aspects of their lives by questioning — and not just blindly accepting — the status quo. These tools and attitudes are crucial to the development of their personalities and to becoming responsible citizens. Students in my classes often get a shock. I wear a hijab, so they know that I am a practising Muslim, yet they hear me endorsing evolution as a mechanism to explain diversity and the development of species, and citing Charles Darwin as a scientist who contributed to our understanding of the emergence and diversification of life on Earth. I am almost always the first Muslim they have met who says such things. Some students complained to the university that I was preaching against Islam, but university officials were satisfied when I showed them that evolution featured in the university’s approved textbooks and that what I teach in my lecture comes straight from these texts. I commended the students who complained for their courage in supporting what they believed, and offered to sit down and discuss their concerns with them. In teaching, I offer a detailed explanation of the natural evolution of plants and artificial breeding. Later, we discuss antibiotic resistance, influenza vaccines and the development of HIV drugs. After these discussions, most students are willing to accept evolution as a mechanism for the emergence of all species except humans. Many quote evidence from the Koran that is interpreted to mean that Adam — and so humans — were created spontaneously. Human evolution remains taboo because the students are not ready to relinquish the concept that humans were created differently. I remind them that Muslims are warned against arrogance, and that humans are only part of creation. Muslim scholars such as Hussein al-Jisr and Ahmad Medhat in the 1880s supported evolution. Before Darwin, al-Jahiz and others proposed rudimentary evolutionary theories in the ninth century. I point out that the apparent controversy over evolution and Islam arose only in the twentieth century, when Darwin’s ideas became associated with colonialism, imperialism, the West, atheism, materialism and racism. Muslim religious scholars gradually took a stand against evolution, which the public adopted. The scholars used Christian creationist arguments to support their stance, transferring the Western war between science and religion to Islam. Some of my students argue that to accept evolution means denying the existence of God. I say that evolution does not discuss the origins of the Universe. No one yet understands this beginning. To me, the beginning was God. After the beginning, the rules of logic and science led to the development of the Universe and beyond. In my experience, many Muslims are happy to consider this. I have encountered several Muslim scientists who agree with my stance, but do not say so publicly because they fear being labelled as troublemakers. Some religious scholars also agree, but they wish to go about changing opinions gradually, so as not to raise defences and slow progress. My take, as a Muslim scientist, is that the Koran asks humans to observe and contemplate the world while celebrating the pursuit of knowledge. It does not validate scientific findings. Science allows us to question and discover how the world works and the Koran provides the moral guidelines for doing so. If an apparent contradiction arises between a scientific finding and an interpretation of the Koran, then we can turn to both science itself (which is evolving) and the interpretation of the Koran (which is not impartial, because it is a human exercise) to account for the discrepancy. This is an ongoing and fluid process, and is part and parcel of the purpose of life for Muslims. Whether or not a student accepts human evolution makes no difference to how I mark their exam paper. As educators, our objective is to help students to become independent thinkers. I do not want my students to write that they accept evolution just to pass an exam. I want them to show the argument they used to reach their conclusion, even if that conclusion rejects human evolution. Otherwise, I am doing what the people who decry evolution are doing: forcing an opinion on them. My aim is to teach students to develop a rational methodology for assessing the natural world and to come up with their own opinions, hypotheses and theories and not to copy others. This becomes a call for new ways of thinking: a journey to pursue knowledge, which is one of the core tenets of Islam. If we succeed in that endeavour, we will contribute to the creation of a generation of Muslim scientists who are free thinkers. ■