Medical Graduates’ Research Practices and Perceptions: A comparative cross-sectional study between 2015 and 2017 graduates of King Abdulaziz University

Objectives: This study aimed to compare changes in medical students’ research practices and perceptions of two cohorts of graduates. Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted from November 2014 to December 2017 and included the 2015 and 2017 medical graduates of King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A validated self-administrated questionnaire, which included questions about participants’ age and gender, research activities, and obstacles to and motivators for research involvement was used. Results: A total of 484 graduates were included in this study (response rate: 96.8%). A significant difference was found between the 2015 and 2017 graduates who had not started any research project (48.4% versus 35%; P <0.001) and a 20% increase in the 2017 graduates’ confidence in their abilities to start their own projects was observed (P <0.001). Significantly more 2017 graduates were engaged in various research roles, other than 'author', compared to 2015 graduates (71.3% versus 55.4%; P <0.001). Career progression was the main motivator for both the 2015 and 2017 medical graduates to participate in research (79.5%). Reported obstacles to research included a lack of dedicated time for research and methodology training and a shortage of research project opportunities. Conclusion: This study highlights positive changes in attitudes towards and perceptions of research among medical graduates. Keywords: Medical Students; Research; Professional Practice; Attitude; Perception; Medical Education; Saudi Arabia

Burrowing through the heterogeneity: Review of mouse models of PTCL-NOS

Currently, there are 19 different peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) entities recognized by the World Health Organization; however, ~70% of PTCL diagnoses fall within one of three subtypes [i.e., peripheral T-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS), anaplastic large-cell lymphoma, and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma]. PTCL-NOS is a grouping of extra-thymic neoplasms that represent a challenging and heterogeneous subset of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. Research into peripheral T-cell lymphomas has been cumbersome as the lack of defining cytogenetic, histological, and molecular features has stymied diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. Similarly, the lacks of genetically manipulated murine models that faithfully recapitulate disease characteristics were absent prior to the turn of the century. Herein, we review the literature concerning existing mouse models for PTLC-NOS, while paying particular attention to the etiology of this heterogeneous disease

Comparative Analysis of UPFC with PI, PID ANDPOD Controllers

An UPFC for the FACTS devices in a multi-machine power system to damp the electromechanical oscillations. The unified power flow controller is designed based on the PI, PID and POD controllers. The amplification part of the controller is modified depends upon the power system conditions. The performance of the controllers is simulated over a wide range of operating conditions and disturbances and its robustness is proved

The Relation between Asthma Control and Quality of Life in Children

Background. Asthma is a common chronic illness worldwide. Asthmatic children are forced to alter their way of living to avoid its complications or exacerbations, which negatively affects their psychological and social well-being. High prevalence of behavioral and emotional difficulties was noticed among children with asthma. Methods. Cross-sectional study that was conducted over 8 months involving asthmatic children within the ages of 7-17 years presenting to two governmental hospitals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Three questionnaires were used: asthma control test, the strengths and difficulties questionnaire, and the pediatrics asthma quality of life questionnaire. Using SPSS, Pearson’s chi-square and independent sample t-tests were used to find associations. Results. Among the 106 respondents, 84% of the sample had poor asthma control. Significantly poorer quality of life was observed in children with uncontrolled asthma (p = <0.001). Children with controlled and uncontrolled asthma were equally affected psychosocially with no relation between asthma control and their psychosocial well-being (p = 0.58). Conclusion. The majority of asthmatic children were uncontrolled with poor quality of life. This study recommends that the psychosocial well-being should be assessed during clinic visits for a better holistic approach and effective improvement of outcome. Further researches are needed to study the psychological effect of asthma

Exploring socioeconomic and political feasibility of aviation biofuel production and usage in Malaysia: A thematic analysis approach using expert opinion from aviation industry

Aviation biofuel, which is derived from renewable feedstocks, is typically seen as being fundamentally sustainable. However, a variety of industries are involved in its creation, and several societal actors are involved as well. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend and assess not just the process's consequences on the environment but also its economic and political ones. Studies examining the social and political implications of aviation biofuel are now uncommon in scholarly literature. The aim of this study, therefore, is to assess key effects of economic, social and politics in aviation biofuel production and usage in aviation industry in Malaysia. This paper addresses this gap by investigating the issues with pertaining to economic, social, and political effects of using biofuels in aviation, usage, adoption, and challenges in aviation industries. A grounded theory approach in qualitative data analysis was used to examine 20 interviews with experts of varying roles and experiences in aviation. Semi-structured were used to interview experts to answer, respond to or comment on them in a way that they think best. Discourse analysis method was used for data collection and analysed using thematic analysis. A total of 21 themes were identified with the first dataset (socioeconomic feasibility) had 16 themes and second dataset (political feasibility) had a total of 5 themes. The study revealed that experts had mixed reactions on the adoption level of biofuels in the aviation industry with most of them indicating that the level of adoption of biofuels in Malaysian aviation industry is high