Seek, Read, Present, Question (SRPQ): A feasibility study of an integrated strategy to teach history and critical thinking in a high school in Saudi Arabia

The growth of technology in the twenty-first century drives school education to use digital resources and communication tools for teaching and learning. Students need to be able to retrieve, select and collate useful information from a wealth of digital sources; to judge the suitability and reliability of the retrieved information; and to decide whether to process the selected information. They, therefore, need to master information literacy and critical thinking skills for their success in learning advancement. The key reason for this feasibility study is to propose a new strategy (Seek, Read, Present, Question: SRPQ) for education in Saudi Arabia that relies on technology in a collaborative learning situation to teach ‘History’ with critical thinking in Saudi girls’ schools. It also seeks to figure out the extent to which this new strategy is applicable and acceptable for both teachers and students so that students can successfully learn the curriculum whilst develop their critical capabilities. This study employed mixed methods to address the central questions where collaborative action research was the key approach, alongside interviews, unstructured observations and participants’ reflective perspectives at the end of the study. Each data source has been analysed separately. The data was gathered from interviews with teachers and students who participated in this study; tests of achievement; students’ and teachers’ perspectives who transferred the strategy proposed in this study into their classroom; and the feedback that came from the schools’ inspector who attended some lessons. The data was obtained over the course of twelve weeks, when the study was conducted, to answer the main research questions. The study concludes that the SRPQ strategy is likely to be a practical and usable strategy to teach students their history curriculum in classroom, as the students made progress in their achievement tests. It may also be feasible to teach aspects of critical thinking. Both teachers and students found it acceptable in the classrooms. Further research about this strategy is recommended

Diabetics Retinopathy Knowledge and Awareness Assessment among the Type 2 Diabetics

INTRODUCTION: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. In Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, several studies estimated the prevalence of DR ranging from 30 - 40%.AIM: To assess the DR knowledge and its association with diabetes control among Type 2 diabetic patients.METHODS: A cross-sectional study of patients with Type II diabetes (T2D) who had a routine visit to the endocrine clinic to assess the DR knowledge and its relation to the glycemic control. We used a questionnaire that was used in previously published studies, and the reliability was assessed using the alpha Cronbach coefficient. Patients who answered correctly > 60% were considered to have good knowledge about DR.RESULTS: Total of 253 patients participated, 43.4% has diabetes > 10 years and 30.7% have it for 5 - 10 years, 36.4% did college degree or higher, 40.8% considered having low income. 37.7% of participants were not screened for the DR in the past year. 28.4% of participants think that seeing optometrist is enough for DR diagnosis. Diabetics with good knowledge who have T2D > 10 years were 46.3% compared to 38.6% (p = 0.04). Diabetics with good knowledge have mean A1c of 8.55 vs. 8.59 (p = 0.32), mean BMI 30.4 vs. 30.2 (p = 0.46), mean diastolic pressure was 77.12% vs. 79.48% (p = 0.03).CONCLUSION: Almost two-thirds of screened T2D were considered to have good knowledge about DR. The good knowledge group tends to have a longer duration of T2D, more likely to have a college degree, and tend to have non -significantly better A1c control

SGLT2 Inhibitors Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic progressive disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). It results from multiple defects that lead to defective regulation of the blood glucose and requires continuous medical care with multifactorial risk-reduction strategies beyond glycemic control. Multiple groups of drugs have been approved in the past decades that work through different mechanisms. Apart from their limited efficacy in reducing cardiovascular outcome, most of them are neutral, and some may even increase mortality from CVDs such as rosiglitazone. The kidney has an important role in glucose regulation that was only recently targeted for drug development. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-I) are a new class of oral antihyperglycemic (OAH) agents that mainly act by preventing the reabsorption of filtered glucose by renal convoluted tubules. By their insulin-independent unique mechanism of action, SGLT2-I result in treating hyperglycemia while avoiding hypoglycemia, promote weight loss, reduce blood pressure, and, more importantly, decrease the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Therefore, SGLT2-I address fundamental aspects of the unmet needs of T2DM management that most of the other OAH failed to resolve. The main side effects of SGLT2-I are slight increase in the incidence of genital mycotic infections (GMI) and euglycemic ketoacidosis (EKA) along with increased risk of lower limb amputations, which has been reported with some but not all agents of this class

Barriers to and facilitators of research utilisation among nurses in Saudi Arabia

Background: Research utilisation can be defined as the synthesis and application of research evidence to the clinical nursing care settings. Research utilisation results in Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) which is considered an important factor in improving the quality of health care as well as providing a comprehensive database of EBP for all health fields including nursing. The successful utilisation and application of research findings depend on nurses’ knowledge and understanding of EBP concepts and its application within the organisational context. Knowledgeable nurses who practise EBP not only gain patients trust but also play a role in many treatments or medical decisions which result in higher quality care. However, for decades it was perceived that research utilisation may or may not be translated into a clinical setting through material such as clinical protocol or clinical guidelines. Regardless of the importance of and nurses' acceptance of utilising research findings in nursing practice, there exist barriers and facilitators to research utilisation and the application of EBP among nurses. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the perceived barriers to, and facilitators of, research utilisation among nurses in five hospitals in the Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia. Method: This study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive research design to investigate the barriers to, and the facilitators of research utilisation, among nurses in Saudi Arabia. It was undertaken at five hospitals within a variety of health care sectors in Saudi Arabia, including governmental and educational hospitals in Riyadh The Barrier Scale and the Facilitator Scale were both used to obtain data from participants in the study and in addition participants also completed a demographic survey. The Barrier Scale consisted of 35 items, 29 of which required nurses’ perceptions on statements based on barriers to research on a five point Likert scale. Likewise the Facilitator Scale, another five point Likert scale, was comprised of eight items which asked nurses to rate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed whether each of the items posed as a facilitator to research. Prior to the data collection, ethics approval was obtained from the College of Human Ethics Advisory Network (CHEAN) of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (BSEHAPP 38-14 JONES-ALMALKI). A convenience sample of nurses from the five selected hospitals was invited to participate in the study. The sample included clinical nurses, nurse educators, and nurse managers who had a minimum experience of two years in nursing. Results: A sample size of 1824 from a possible total of 2650 (86%) nurses participated in the study. The results indicated that the majority of the participants were females, with an average age of 20 to 40 years, with a Bachelor qualification, 6 to 10 years of experience, overwhelmingly expatriate, mainly from the Philippines, and were clinical nurses. Demographic data differed across the five hospitals. The major barriers ascertained through this study were insufficient time to implement new ideas, lack of authority, unclear practice implications and not having time to read the nursing research literature. Nurses who had Masters qualification and who were nurse educators were more likely to have a higher Barrier Score. The most common facilitators identified were advanced education, providing colleague support, conducting more clinically relevant research and employing nurses with research skills. Nurses with a Masters qualification, were nurse educators, who had more experience and who were Western educated tended to have the highest Facilitator Scores. An exploratory factor analysis of the Barrier Scale identified five factors. These were conceptualised as: lack of incentives in applying research, drawbacks in applying research, drawbacks in consuming research, inadequacies of current research and implementing research. There were also differences in what constituted facilitators to research utilisation between the five different hospitals. Nurses, who believed that there was a research culture in their hospitals, were more likely to subscribe to journals and read research articles. Hospitals differed in their strategies to apply EBP with no standardised guidelines to streamline nursing practice in hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Discussion: Much of the literature concurs with the demographics of the survey participants. The thesis results however, extend much of the literature in correlating the demographics with the barriers of and facilitators to research utilisation. There is also little in the literature in terms of a detailed analysis of the facilitators which this study with its large data set attempts to achieve. Conclusion: This study provides an evidence base for nursing education in Saudi Arabia. It identifies barriers and facilitators that impede conducting and applying research findings to nursing practice as well as the need to improve research and reading skills to facilitate interpreting research. This could be achieved through a number of strategies such as regular in-service sessions that specifically apply research evidence to practice through case studies. For nursing education, this study provides the foundation for research education that specifically develops nurses’ abilities and skills to read, understand, and interpret research. The study results also enable universities and other institutions that educate nurses to ensure that this research education is in their curricula. For further research, a more in-depth study is recommended in order to further explore nurses’ perceptions of the barriers to research utilisation and strategies they believe will assist

Protective effect of some plant oils on diazinon induced hepatorenal toxicity in male rats

AbstractEnvironmental pollution and exposure to environmental pollutants are still some of the major global health issues. Pesticides have been linked to a wide range of health hazards. The toxicity of pesticides depends on several factors such as its chemical properties, doses, exposure period, exposure methods, gender, genetics, age, nutritional status and physiological case of exposed individuals. Medicinal plants, natural products and nutrition continue to play a central role in the healthcare system of large proportions of the world’s population. Alternative medicine plays an important role in health services around the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of olive, sesame and black seed oils on hepatorenal toxicity induced by diazinon (DZN) in male rats. The experimental animals were divided into nine groups. The first group served as control. The second group was exposed to DZN. The third group was treated with olive oil and DZN. Rats of the fourth group were subjected to sesame oil and DZN. Rats of the fifth group were exposed to black seed oil and DZN. The sixth, seventh and eighth groups were supplemented with olive, sesame and black seed oils respectively. Rats of the ninth group were treated with corn oil. Levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transferase, total bilirubin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and malondialdehyde were significantly increased in rats exposed to DZN. Moreover, levels of serum glutathione and superoxide dismutase were significantly decreased. Several histopathological changes were observed in the structures of liver and kidney due to DZN exposure. This study showed that these oils attenuated the physiological disturbances and histopathological alterations induced by DZN intoxication. Moreover, the antioxidant properties of these oils support the bioactive roles of its protective effects on DZN toxicity. This study therefore suggests that these oils could be used as preventive factors against the toxicity of DZN due to its antioxidant properties

Protective effect of olive and juniper leaves extracts on nephrotoxicity induced by thioacetamide in male mice

AbstractThis study, for the first time, evaluates the effect of olive and juniper leaves extracts and their combination on thioacetamide (TAA)-induced nephrotoxicity in male mice. The experimental mice were divided into eight groups. Group 1 was served as control. Group 2 was exposed to TAA. Group 3 was treated with TAA and olive leaves extract. Group 4 was subjected to TAA and juniper leaves extract. Group 5 was exposed to TAA and olive and juniper leaves extracts. Groups 6, 7 and 8 were treated with olive, juniper, and olive and juniper leaves extracts respectively. In mice treated with only TAA, significant increases of blood urea nitrogen and uric acid were observed after six weeks. Moreover, levels of serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and uric acid were statistically increased in mice administrated with only TAA for twelve weeks. Insignificant alterations in levels of these haematobiochemical parameters were noted in other treated groups after six and twelve weeks. Histopathological evaluations of renal sections from mice treated with only TAA for twelve weeks showed severe damage of the renal corpuscles. Furthermore, the renal sections from mice treated with TAA and olive leaves extract, TAA and juniper leaves extract, TAA and olive and juniper leaves extracts, olive leaves extract, juniper leaves extract, and olive and juniper leaves extracts showed normal structures. In addition, it is conceivable therefore, that these extracts exhibit protective influences against TAA-induced nephrotoxicity, probably mediated through the antioxidative pathway roles

Antibiotic-resistant salmonellae in pet reptiles in Saudi Arabia

We investigated the occurrence rate of antibiotic-resistant salmonellae in exotic pet reptiles in Saudi Arabia. Salmonellae samples were collected from eight different genera of pet reptiles (snakes and lizards). Selective enrichment and selective plating procedures were carried out in order to detect salmonellae. Isolated bacteria were identified using biochemical tests, API 20E strips, and the VITEK compact system. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disc diffusion method. Salmonella spp. belonging to subspecies I (Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica) were detected in 29.2% of the samples. All of the detected salmonellae showed multidrug resistance (p<0.001, χ2 ). The results demonstrated that pet reptiles in private households could present health hazards to humans. Therefore, these animals should be carefully handled to avoid infection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report regarding the occurrence rate of antibiotic-resistant salmonellae in pet reptiles in Saudi Arabia. The detected Salmonella serovars should be subjected to further in-depth molecular analyses in order to understand the overall epidemiology of salmonellosis in Saudi Arabia.We investigated the occurrence rate of antibiotic-resistant salmonellae in exotic pet reptiles in Saudi Arabia. Salmonellae samples were collected from eight different genera of pet reptiles (snakes and lizards). Selective enrichment and selective plating procedures were carried out in order to detect salmonellae. Isolated bacteria were identified using biochemical tests, API 20E strips, and the VITEK compact system. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disc diffusion method. Salmonella spp. belonging to subspecies I (Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica) were detected in 29.2% of the samples. All of the detected salmonellae showed multidrug resistance (p<0.001, χ2 ). The results demonstrated that pet reptiles in private households could present health hazards to humans. Therefore, these animals should be carefully handled to avoid infection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report regarding the occurrence rate of antibiotic-resistant salmonellae in pet reptiles in Saudi Arabia. The detected Salmonella serovars should be subjected to further in-depth molecular analyses in order to understand the overall epidemiology of salmonellosis in Saudi Arabia

SMEDDS TABLET: COMPATABILITY OF SOLID SMEDDS USING VARIOUS PHARMACEUTICAL TABLET EXCIPIENTS

Objective: There are many successful products on the market which are the culmination of the self-micro-emulsification lipid technology applications. Despite the importance of lipid-based formulations, these systems have some limitations including; stability, complexity during large scale manufacturing process and limited dosage forms to such as soft gelatin capsule. In order to overcome these limitations, the prospect of converting self-micro-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) into tablet dosage form was investigated in this study.Methods: A self-micro-emulsifying oil formulation representing type III A lipid class composed of glycerox 767HC/croduret 40 ss at ratios of (80/20) was converted into solid SMEDDS using solid carrier adsorption method. Powder blends containing magnesium trisilicate hydrate (MTSH) or magnesium lluminum silicate (MAS) at various oil loading factors were mixed with MCC with and without various binders and compressed into tablets using a fixed loading force of approximately of 5 KN. Hardness profiles of these oil loaded tablets were then analyzed.Results: Powder compacts which contained MTSH with and without SMEDDS oil had shown relatively better compaction properties than MAS. Adding SMEDDS oil solution to either MTSH or MAS at ratios of 1:9 has relatively reduced tablets hardness by almost 2 or 4 folds, respectively.Conclusion: Progressive inclusion of increasing amounts of SMEDDS oil solution adsorbed unto the solid carrier has incurred a further reduction in the hardness of SMEDDS tablets. It appears that manufacturing of tablet SMEDDS can only be attainable for highly potent drugs as minimal amounts of oil solution added to the powder blends can adversely affect the mechanical strength of compressed tablet

Numerical simulation of two-phase fluid flow

We simulate two-phase fluid flow using a stress–strain relation based on Biot’s theory of poroelasticity for partial saturation combined with the mass conservation equations. To uncouple flow and elastic strain, we use a correction to the stiffness of the medium under conditions of uniaxial strain. The pressure and saturation differential equations are then solved with an explicit time stepping scheme and the Fourier pseudospectral method to compute the spatial derivatives. We assume an initial pressure state and at each time step compute the wetting- and non wetting-fluid pressures at a given saturation. Then, we solve Richards’s equation for the non wetting-fluid saturation and proceed to the next time step with the updated saturations values. The pressure and saturation equations are first solved separately and the results compared to known analytical solutions showing the accuracy of the algorithm. Then, the coupled system is solved. In all the cases, the non-wetting fluid is injected at a given point in space as a boundary condition and capillarity effects are taken into account. The examples consider oil injection in a water-saturated porous medium.Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísica