AN INVESTIGATION OF ACADEMIC WRITING PROBLEMS LEVEL FACED BY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT AL IMAM AL MAHDI UNIVERSITY- SUDAN

Academic writing skills mostly involve the linguistic competence development of the students which many English Second Language learners may identify it as a challenging task. The main objective of this study is to look into various challenges encountered by English Second language students in academic writing in ordinary graduation project in the context of universities. Specifically, this research focuses on identifying the problems faced by the Arts Colleges within the University of Al Imam Al Mahdi, Sudan. The researcher used the student’s project graduation to investigate the problems encountered by the students when they used their academic writing skills. To state the obstacles recognized by the examined students in academic writing skills, the researcher employed a descriptive method. The findings of this research revealed the most problematic area faced by the students. Finally, the results of this research may help the scholars to reflect on teaching practices and urge the goverment to help teachers’ attempts to enhance the academic writing skills of their students at the University of Al Imam Al Mahdi, Sudan. Keywords: academic writing, students, problems

The Complications of Learning and Understanding English Prepositions among Students at AL Imam AL Mahdi University in Sudan

The purpose of this study is to show the difficulties and analyze the various problems Sudanese students in the Arts College in the University of AL Imam AL Mahdi, face while learning and comprehending English prepositions. The focus of this study is therefore, on categorizing the types of challenges faced by these students. The research methods used were a survey followed by a report based on the results of the survey. The survey which comprised 12 items, explored the types of challenges faced by the respondents while learning the English prepositions. To portray the types of challenges faced by the students, the survey responses were analyzed and reported. In the report, the researcher described the problems and also suggested recommendations on the ways to overcome the challenges faced by the students. Thus, the findings of the study portrayed the factors which contributed to the problems in learning prepositions and also the ways to overcome these challenges. It is hoped that the findings of this survey and the suggested recommendations, will assist teachers in their classroom teaching of prepositions in the University of AL Imam AL Mahdi

SUDANESE STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF USING FACEBOOK FOR VOCABULARY LEARNING AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL

This paper aims to explore Sudanese students’ perception of using Facebook for vocabulary learning at university level. Numerous studies have undertaken exploration on the use of innovative methodologies for foreign language learning. However, the role of Facebook in such context is underexplored, culminating in this particular work. 100 first and second year students pursuing their Bachelor degree with major in English at University of AL Imam AL Mahdi of the academic year 2016-2017 were selected to take part in this study. Quantitative research method was utilized to yield perspective understanding of their involvement with the particular platform. The findings reveal that the students have positive perceptions regarding the use of Facebook for vocabulary learning. The students have also expressed the assistance of Facebook in learning new things through the useful information available on the site. This paper concludes that Facebook is a potential platform for improvement of university students’ vocabulary knowledge.  Keywords: Facebook, language learning, social media, Sudan, vocabulary, tertiary educationCite as: Al Mubarak, A.A. (2017). Sudanese students’ perceptions of using Facebook for vocabulary learning at university level. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 2(1), 170-176.  http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol2iss1pp177-19

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Saudi Oncology Society and Saudi Urology Association combined clinical management guidelines for prostate cancer 2017

This is an update to the previously published Saudi guidelines for the evaluation and medical and surgical management of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is categorized according to the stage of the disease using the tumor node metastasis staging system 7th edition. The guidelines are presented with supporting evidence levels based on a comprehensive literature review, several internationally recognized guidelines, and the collective expertise of the guidelines committee members (authors) who were selected by the Saudi Oncology Society and Saudi Urological Association. Local factors, such as availability, logistic feasibility, and familiarity of various treatment modalities, have been taken into consideration. These guidelines should serve as a roadmap for the urologists, oncologists, general physicians, support groups, and health-care policymakers in the management of patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the prostate