Role of Effective Feed Back in Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) Designing for Faculty Development

errors in multiple choice questions (MCQs) designing by the faculty members and to obtain need assessment feedback for faculty development for MCQ designing. Methods: In this study, all MCQs submitted by faculty members of Islamic International Medical College (IIMC) over a period of one year and three months from January 2009 to April 2010 were reviewed from time to time by the assessment committee. A total of 922 MCQs were reviewed. The reviews were compiled and analyzed to find out the frequency and types of errors made inadvertently in the structure and design of MCQs. Results: During the study period, the faculty members submitted a total of 922 MCQs. Spectrum of errors in MCQs ranged from spellings to complex questions to question cues. A total of 40% items qualified for being included in final assessment Conclusion: Review process is very important in improving the quality of items

Simulation Analysis of Contributing Factors to Rider Visibility Issues for Car-Motorcycle Accidents

Rider visibility has been considered an important issue in car-motorcycle accidents due to the frequency of unperceptive and negligent driving behavior. Mostly car drivers stated that they didn’t see the rider before the collision. This study aims to investigate the contributing factors that reduce rider visibility in point of view of car drivers for car-motorcycle accidents. The study considered the car-motorcycle accidents which occur in the built-up area. Statistical data analysis categorized the accidents into six dominant accident types. Twenty-five accidents were selected by accident types for simulation analysis. The selected accidents were simulated in Virtual Crash software during 5 seconds before the collision. The simulation analysis evaluated that the view obstructions, blind spots and high speed were the contributing factors that reduce rider visibility in car-motorcycle accidents. The simulation plots identified the involvement of contributory factors and variation within the time interval. The comprehensive in-depth analysis also evaluated that no collision avoidance maneuvers were performed by most of the car drivers due to visibility issues before the collision. Safety systems were proposed based on observed factors according to car and motorcycle perspectives for collision avoidance

Traffic Flow Analysis and Solutions to Ease Traffic Flow at Unsignalized Taxila Intersection

Transportation system of a city affects all aspects of its citizen’s economic and personal activities. At a general level, the traffic problem considered as a situation of mismatch between supply (i.e., roads and their capacity) and demands (i.e., travel needs). The city administrators have tried to balance it by creating infrastructures (e.g., new roads, expanding capacity, under pass) or policy changes (e.g., banning heavy traffic movement during peak or day hours). Major problems that motorists are facing on highways intersection are congestion, accidents, and costs. Too many automobiles, trucks, buses, bicycles, and pedestrians are attempting to use the same space to reach their destiny. N-5 (major highway in Pakistan) passes through Taxila where at some intersection extreme traffic congestion sets in. Transportation problems are evident at some locations with complex roadway geometrics. So a traffic study is to be conducted to quantify the extent of transportation problems. This study aims to gain information and understanding about traffic system through the derivation of traffic information from traffic data, and then to apply this information in the assessment of the performance of traffic systems and their interaction with land use activities. This research is an effort to provide suggestion and recommendations to enforce an efficient traffic flow system

Evaluation and Ranking of Driver Behavior Factors Related to Road Safety by Applying Analytic Network Process

Human behavior has been considered as a key factor in road safety. Mostly drivers involve in risky behaviors that cause road safety issues. The identification and categorization of risky driver behavior factors is very important to solve road safety issues. This study aims to evaluate and rank the most significant driver behavior factors related to road safety using multi criteria decision making applications. Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) was designed based on Saaty scale by considering the important risky driver behavior factors related to road safety. Twenty experts of transportation engineering department having high driving experience were asked to fill the dynamic questionnaire survey. The analytic network process (ANP) was applied based on pairwise comparisons of driver responses to rank the risky driver behavior factors. Network model results were used to differentiate more significant and less significant risky driving behavior factors based on measured criteria on perceived road safety issues. The analysis results revealed that "driving without alcohol use" was the most significant factor and "obeying speed limits" was the least significant factor for road safety as compared to other factors. The high rank risky driver behavior factors should be more focused to solve road safety issues

Evaluation of Impact of Prescribing Safety Assessment Workshop on Medical Doctors Using Kirkpatrick Model

Background Clinical pharmacology training is a prerequisite for all medical graduates. Prescription writing errors are not infrequent at primary health care level leading to threat to patient safety. Prescribers lacks uniform structured training and assessment which is one of the major factors for this situation across the country. In lots of institutions despite proper curriculum, learners lack interest because the subject importance is insignificant. Hence to bring more interest in pharmacology for prescribers there is a dire need for innovative and interesting methods of teaching and assessment, one of which is prescribing safety assessment (PSA). Objectives To assess if the PSA is superior method of training prescription writing than CPW To evaluate the workshop on prescription writing using guidelines of Kirkpatrick Model   Methods It was an experimental study. 44 medical doctors participated; a pre-test was taken 01 week before the workshop. Afterwards, they were randomized into 02 groups, group A went through PSA and group B followed conventional prescription writing (CPW) 01-day workshop. At the end, post-test was taken from both groups. The qualitative data was also collected from participants on feedback proforma consisting of few closed ended questions on Likert scale. Results The independent t-test was used to compare the data as it was in normal distribution. Posttest performance of PSA group significantly increased P ˂ 0.001 as compared to CPW. Reaction  to closed ended 13 questions on Likert scale showed high satisfaction from 4.32 to 4.84 on 5 points  Likert scale on workshop satisfaction. Conclusion PSA is an effective teaching and assessment strategy for learning clinical pharmacology. The study objectively proves its effectiveness in comparison to CPW and provides a guideline to implement this innovative and useful tool for teaching and assessment. Keywords Prescribing safety assessment, conventional prescription writing, Faculty development, Workshop, Impact, Kirkpatrick model

Behavior and Strength Predictions for CFRP Confined Rubberized Concrete under Axial Compression

This paper presents experimental versus theoretical comparison of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) confined rubberized concrete (a new structural material). A total of sixty six rubberized concrete cylinders were tested in axial compression. The specimens were cast using 0 to 50% rubber replacement. Twenty seven cylinders were then confined with one, two and three layers of CFRP jackets. Axial compression results of the experimental study were compared with the North American and European design guidelines. The results indicate that the addition of rubber content in the concrete leads to premature micro cracking and lateral expansion in concrete. This increased lateral dilation exploited the potential of FRP jackets. The axial compressive strength and strain values for CFRP confined RuC cylinders reached up to unprecedented 600 and 330 percent of unconfined samples. Furthermore, the current international design guidelines developed for conventional concrete confinement failed to predict the compressive strength of rubberized concrete. There is a strong need to re-evaluate the current design codes and their applicability to investigate fiber reinforced confined rubberized concrete. Moreover, the proposed equations in this research can better predict the axial compressive strength of FRP confined RuC

ACC-deaminase producing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and biochar mitigate adverse effects of drought stress on maize growth

Availability of good quality irrigation water is a big challenge in arid and semi arid regions of the world. Drought stress results in poor plant growth and low yield; however, the rhizobacteria, capable of producing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC)-deaminase are likely to improve crop growth and productivity under drought stress. Similarly, biochar could also ameliorate the negative impacts of drought stress. Therefore, this pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the role of ACC-deaminase producing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) alone and in combinations with timber-waste biochar in improving maize growth under drought stress. The ACC-deaminase producing rhizobacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Leclercia adecarboxylata were studied along with two rates (0.75 and 1.50% of the soil weight) of biochar under three moisture levels i.e., normal moisture, mild drought stress and severe drought stress. The E. cloacae in conjunction with higher rate of biochar produced a significant improvement i.e., up to 60, 73, 43, 69, 76 and 42% respectively, in grain yield plant-1, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll and carotenoids contents of maize as compared to the control under mild drought stress. Similarly, A. xylosoxidans with higher rate of biochar also enhanced grain yield plant-1, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll and carotenoids contents of maize up to 200, 213, 113, 152, 148 and 284%, respectively over control under severe drought stress. In conclusion, combination of ACC-deaminase containing PGPR, A. xylosoxidans and biochar (0.75%) proved an effective technique to improve maize growth and productivity under drought stress