Learning in small groups is a key instructional strategy in medicine and more so in the problem based curriculum （PBL）. It is perceived that working in small groups enhances acquisition, processing and retention of ...Learning in small groups is a key instructional strategy in medicine and more so in the problem based curriculum （PBL）. It is perceived that working in small groups enhances acquisition, processing and retention of the ever increasing medical knowledge. Learning in small group will help the students to be better learner and improve their personal, social and cognitive skills. The objective of this study is to describe undergraduate medical students＇ perception toward small group learning in a PBL curriculum. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among the undergraduate medical students in the phase 2 of their MBBS program at University of Sharjah. A total of 277 undergraduate medical students participated in the study. The mean age of the study population was 20 years and 61% were female students. The most rewarding experiences as perceived by medical students were exposure to different views （71%）, making friends （57%） improving their grades （52%） and underwent personal development （46%）. The main disadvantages of small group learning were waste of time （55%）, side talks （16%）, and other distractions （14%）. Majority of students had a positive perception towards small group learning and agreed that it enhances their collaborative learning and team work skills. Small group learning was perceived as a key instructional method in the PBL curriculum [3] and it enhances their grades, learning outcomes, personal development and critical thinking abilities [4].展开更多
Objective: The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge of breast cancer among female students at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Sharjah, UAE, and to evaluate the impact of the intervention ...Objective: The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge of breast cancer among female students at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Sharjah, UAE, and to evaluate the impact of the intervention program designed by the researchers on the student’s knowledge on the disease risk factors, screening methods, and their perception towards its treatment outcomes. Method: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of a convenience sample of 166 pharmacy students ((n = 110;the 4th year) and (n = 56;the 5th year)) in the University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE. The 26-item questionnaire covered the personal information and socio-demographic characteristics, breast cancer general knowledge, knowledge of breast cancer risk factors, knowledge of breast cancer symptoms and screening tests, and perception of management and outcomes of breast cancer. Key Findings: A total of 120 pharmacy students from the 4th year (n = 70) and the 5th year (n = 50) had completed the survey for the pre-intervention phase of the study. For the post intervention phase of the study, only 63 students from the 4th year and 48 students from the 5th year returned their completed questionnaire, giving a response rate of 90% and 96% respectively. Almost one quarter (59 (25.5)) of the students included in the study reported that they have had a history of breast cancer in their family respectively. A high proportion (206 (89.2%)) of the students from both levels showed their interest in participating in activities to promote breast awareness, despite the fact that almost three quarters (161 (70%)) of the students reported that they have never been participated in any previous breast awareness programs. The awareness of students under investigation about self-examination was clearly improved at the end of the study period. Eighty (66.7%) of the students from both levels reported that the breast self-examination is recommended for female “once a month”. This figure was increased to 103 (92.8%) post the intervention sessions (P value χ2 < 0.001). Conclusion: The high incidence of breast cancer in the UAE may be attributed to the low level of awareness of the disease among females. Our findings can be used to promote discussion in the profession and with stakeholders about the future role of pharmacists in breast cancer care.展开更多
Background： Medical students have different perception of symptoms and illness. Moreover, medical students reportbarriers to seeking help about their health, and are more likely to seek advice informally from friends...Background： Medical students have different perception of symptoms and illness. Moreover, medical students reportbarriers to seeking help about their health, and are more likely to seek advice informally from friends and/or family. It is important toidentify health seeking behaviors among medical students to be able to modify and interfere accordingly. Objectives： To describe thehealth seeking behavior of medical students in UOS and identify the factors affecting those behaviors. Methods： A cross-sectionalstudy was conducted at the University of Sharjah during the spring semester of the academic year 2012-2013. Self-administeredquestionnaires were distributed to all medical students from all 5 years. Questions were related to physical health seeking behaviorsonly. Data was analyzed using the SPSS21 software. Results： We have found that self-prescription was the most common practicedhealth seeking behavior among 91.8%-96.6% of UOS medical students （CI of 95%） followed by the order ignoring a health problem,seeking immediate care, using the internet, reading more about the problem and self diagnosis ＆ management. All are practiced bymore than 50% of the students. A set of other behaviors was identified as well. Factors affecting these behaviors mainly included：self-care orientation ＆ medical education. Other factors that had a role as well were： gender, stage of studying, having a chronic illnessand lack of knowledge about the health services available. Conclusions： Medical students in the University of Sharjah have a high levelof self-care orientation and accordingly, tend to react to their illness in a variety of ways. The most common of these is self-prescription.Studying medicine is the 2nd major factor that influences their health seeking behaviors. Sufficient guidance about the consequencesassociated with certain behaviors may be required.展开更多
Minimum quantity Lubrication(MQL)is a sustainable lubrication system that is famous in many machining systems.It involve the spray of an infinitesimal amount of mist-like lubricants during machining processes.The MQL ...Minimum quantity Lubrication(MQL)is a sustainable lubrication system that is famous in many machining systems.It involve the spray of an infinitesimal amount of mist-like lubricants during machining processes.The MQL system is affirmed to exhibit an excellent machining performance,and it is highly economical.The nanofluids are understood to exhibit excellent lubricity and heat evacuation capability,compared to pure oil-based MQL system.Studies have shown that the surface quality and amount of energy expended in the grinding operations can be reduced considerably due to the positive effect of these nanofluids.This work presents an experimental study on the tribological performance of SiO_(2)nanofluid during grinding of Si_(3)N_(4)ceramic.The effect different grinding modes and lubrication systems during the grinding operation was also analyzed.Different concentrations of the SiO_(2)nanofluid was manufactured using canola,corn and sunflower oils.The quantitative evaluation of the grinding process was done based on the amount of grinding forces,specific grinding energy,frictional coefficient,and surface integrity.It was found that the canola oil exhibits optimal lubrication performance compared to corn oil,sunflower oil,and traditional lubrication systems.Additionally,the introduction of ultrasonic vibrations with the SiO_(2)nanofluid in MQL system was found to reduce the specific grinding energy,normal grinding forces,tangential grinding forces,and surface roughness by 65%,57%,65%,and 18%respectively.Finally,regression analysis was used to obtain an optimum parameter combinations.The observations from this work will aid the smooth transition towards ecofriendly and sustainable machining of engineering ceramics.展开更多
The exponential growth of food demand due to the increasing global population has the potential to seriously threaten the quality and quantity of food supplies due to climate change.This study explores the utilisation...The exponential growth of food demand due to the increasing global population has the potential to seriously threaten the quality and quantity of food supplies due to climate change.This study explores the utilisation of green urban spaces for achieving food self-sufficiency by investigating the extent to which sustainable urban farms could be used to reduce the consumption of imported produce in the UK.It also examines urban farming stakeholders'perspective on how food self-sufficiency can help realise the SDGs especially SDG 2(Zero hunger)and SDG 13(Climate action).The study adopts a mixed method approach through a survey with 115 respondents and semi-structured interviews conducted with 12 respondents from 4 different urban farming stakeholder groups.The findings of this study presented a strong correlation between stakeholders who had concerns about where their food came from and the carbon footprint of imported produce.The research shows that,urban farms will no doubt play a vital role in the future of food security in our cities/communities and that the SDGs could be realised through sustainable urban farms implemented within the relevant planning regulations/policies.展开更多
Controllable design of the catalytic electrodes with hierarchical superstructures is expected to improve their electrochemical performance.Herein,a self-supported integrated electrode(NiCo-ZLDH/NF)with a unique hierar...Controllable design of the catalytic electrodes with hierarchical superstructures is expected to improve their electrochemical performance.Herein,a self-supported integrated electrode(NiCo-ZLDH/NF)with a unique hierarchical quaternary superstructure was fabricated through a self-sacrificing template strategy from the metal–organic framework(Co-ZIF-67)nanoplate arrays,which features an intriguing well-defined hierarchy when taking the unit cells of the NiCo-based layered double hydroxide(NiCo-LDH)as the primary structure,the ultrathin LDH nanoneedles as the secondary structure,the mesoscale hollow plates of the LDH nanoneedle arrays as the tertiary structure,and the macroscale three-dimensional frames of the plate arrays as the quaternary structure.Notably,the distinctive structure of NiCo-ZLDH/NF can not only accelerate both mass and charge transfer,but also expose plentiful accessible active sites with high intrinsic activity,endowing it with an excellent electrochemical performance for urea oxidation reaction(UOR).Specially,it only required the low potentials of 1.335,1.368 and 1.388 V to deliver the current densities of 10,100 and 200 mA cm^(-2),respectively,much superior to those for typical NiCo-LDH.Employing NiCo-ZLDH/NF as the bifunctional electrode for both anodic UOR and cathodic HER,an energy-saving electrolysis system was further explored which can greatly reduce the needed voltage of 213 mV to deliver the current density of 100 mA cm^(-2),as compared to the conventional water electrolysis system composed of OER.This work manifests that it is prospective to explore the hierarchically nanostructured electrodes and the innovative electrolytic technologies for high-efficiency electrocatalysis.展开更多
Plain concrete is strong in compression but brittle in tension,having a low tensile strain capacity that can significantly degrade the long-term performance of concrete structures,even when steel reinforcing is presen...Plain concrete is strong in compression but brittle in tension,having a low tensile strain capacity that can significantly degrade the long-term performance of concrete structures,even when steel reinforcing is present.In order to address these challenges,short polymer fibers are randomly dispersed in a cement-based matrix to forma highly ductile engineered cementitious composite(ECC).Thismaterial exhibits high ductility under tensile forces,with its tensile strain being several hundred times greater than conventional concrete.Since concrete is inherently weak in tension,the tensile strain capacity(TSC)has become one of the most extensively researched properties.As a result,developing a model to predict the TSC of the ECC and to optimize the mixture proportions becomes challenging.Meanwhile,the effort required for laboratory trial batches to determine the TSC is reduced.To achieve the research objectives,five distinct models,artificial neural network(ANN),nonlinear model(NLR),linear relationship model(LR),multi-logistic model(MLR),and M5P-tree model(M5P),are investigated and employed to predict the TSCof ECCmixtures containing fly ash.Data from115 mixtures are gathered and analyzed to develop a new model.The input variables include mixture proportions,fiber length and diameter,and the time required for curing the various mixtures.The model’s effectiveness is evaluated and verified based on statistical parameters such as R2,mean absolute error(MAE),scatter index(SI),root mean squared error(RMSE),and objective function(OBJ)value.Consequently,the ANN model outperforms the others in predicting the TSC of the ECC,with RMSE,MAE,OBJ,SI,and R2 values of 0.42%,0.3%,0.33%,0.135%,and 0.98,respectively.展开更多
Objective:Bladder cancer(BC)is a significant public health concern in the Middle East and North Africa,but the epidemiology and clinicopathology of the disease and contributors to high mortality in this region remain ...Objective:Bladder cancer(BC)is a significant public health concern in the Middle East and North Africa,but the epidemiology and clinicopathology of the disease and contributors to high mortality in this region remain poorly understood.The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the epidemiological features of BC in the Arab world and compare them to those in Western countries in order to improve the management of this disease.Methods:An extensive electronic search of the PubMed/PMC and Cochrane Library databases was conducted to identify all articles published until May 2022,following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.A total of 95 articles were included in the final analysis after title,abstract,and full-text screening,with additional data obtained from the GLOBOCAN and WHO 2020 databases.展开更多
BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is the third most frequent and the second most fatal cancer.The search for more effective drugs to treat this disease is ongoing.A better understanding of the mechanisms of CRC develop...BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is the third most frequent and the second most fatal cancer.The search for more effective drugs to treat this disease is ongoing.A better understanding of the mechanisms of CRC development and progression may reveal new therapeutic strategies.Ubiquitin-specific peptidases(USPs),the largest group of the deubiquitinase protein family,have long been implicated in various cancers.There have been numerous studies on the role of USPs in CRC;however,a comprehensive view of this role is lacking.AIM To provide a systematic review of the studies investigating the roles and functions of USPs in CRC.METHODS We systematically queried the MEDLINE(via PubMed),Scopus,and Web of Science databases.RESULTS Our study highlights the pivotal role of various USPs in several processes implicated in CRC:Regulation of the cell cycle,apoptosis,cancer stemness,epithelial–mesenchymal transition,metastasis,DNA repair,and drug resistance.The findings of this study suggest that USPs have great potential as drug targets and noninvasive biomarkers in CRC.The dysregulation of USPs in CRC contributes to drug resistance through multiple mechanisms.CONCLUSION Targeting specific USPs involved in drug resistance pathways could provide a novel therapeutic strategy for overcoming resistance to current treatment regimens in CRC.展开更多
The selection of working fluid significantly impacts the geothermal ORC’s Efficiency.Using a mixture as a working fluid is a strategy to improve the output of geothermal ORC.In the current study,modelling and thermod...The selection of working fluid significantly impacts the geothermal ORC’s Efficiency.Using a mixture as a working fluid is a strategy to improve the output of geothermal ORC.In the current study,modelling and thermodynamic analysis of ORC,using geothermal as a heat source,is carried out at fixed operating conditions.The model is simulated in the Engineering Equation Solver(EES).An environment-friendly mixture of fluids,i.e.,R245fa/R600a,with a suitable mole fraction,is used as the operating fluid.The mixture provided the most convenient results compared to the pure working fluid under fixed operating conditions.The impact of varying the evaporator pressure on the performance parameters,including energy efficiency,exergy efficiency and net power output is investigated.The system provided the optimal performance once the evaporator pressure reached the maximum value.The efficiencies:Energy and Exergy,and Net Power output of the system are 16.62%,64.08%and 2199 kW for the basic cycle and 20.72%,67.76%and 2326 kW respectively for the regenerative cycle.展开更多
Software project outcomes heavily depend on natural language requirements,often causing diverse interpretations and issues like ambiguities and incomplete or faulty requirements.Researchers are exploring machine learn...Software project outcomes heavily depend on natural language requirements,often causing diverse interpretations and issues like ambiguities and incomplete or faulty requirements.Researchers are exploring machine learning to predict software bugs,but a more precise and general approach is needed.Accurate bug prediction is crucial for software evolution and user training,prompting an investigation into deep and ensemble learning methods.However,these studies are not generalized and efficient when extended to other datasets.Therefore,this paper proposed a hybrid approach combining multiple techniques to explore their effectiveness on bug identification problems.The methods involved feature selection,which is used to reduce the dimensionality and redundancy of features and select only the relevant ones;transfer learning is used to train and test the model on different datasets to analyze how much of the learning is passed to other datasets,and ensemble method is utilized to explore the increase in performance upon combining multiple classifiers in a model.Four National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA)and four Promise datasets are used in the study,showing an increase in the model’s performance by providing better Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve(AUC-ROC)values when different classifiers were combined.It reveals that using an amalgam of techniques such as those used in this study,feature selection,transfer learning,and ensemble methods prove helpful in optimizing the software bug prediction models and providing high-performing,useful end mode.展开更多
Appropriate oral hygiene significantly reduces the possibility of oral infections.However,dental caries and periodontal diseases are major oral health issues causing chronic diseases due to poor oral health.Recently,h...Appropriate oral hygiene significantly reduces the possibility of oral infections.However,dental caries and periodontal diseases are major oral health issues causing chronic diseases due to poor oral health.Recently,herbal compounds have gained interest in maintaining oral health.Extracts of burdock root(Arctium),noni fruit(Morinda citrifolia),and neem leaf(Azadirachta indica)are now used as intracanal medicaments in endodontics and periodontics.Plectranthus amboinicus species and other plants produces essential oil likeβ-caryophyllene,p-cymene,andγ-terpinene can exhibit antibacterial activity;highlighting phytoconstituents plays a vital role in oral health.The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of hygiene and sanitization,to curb SARS-CoV-2.Oral cavity is among the gateways for virus entry into saliva.Saliva is a potential reservoir of SARS-CoV-2,and there is an increased risk of infection if there is any fissure in the mouth.This enables entry of virus into the vascular system through gingival or periodontal pocket,possibly reaching lung periphery then to lung vessels by interacting with endothelial surface receptors triggering pulmonary vasoconstriction and lung damage due to endothelial dysfunction.This review aims to draw attention to the possible route of SARS-CoV-2 infection via the oral cavity and the importance of oral hygiene against COVID-19.展开更多
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading cause of infectious cancers, leading to a growing global interest on the profiling of HPV-related cancers. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the retrospective...The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading cause of infectious cancers, leading to a growing global interest on the profiling of HPV-related cancers. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the retrospective epidemiological profile of HPV-related cancer in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The incidence profiling of HPV-related cancers in males and females of UAE of all ages ranged from a minimum of 0.6% to a maximum of 4.5% for testes cancer and colon cancer respectively in males;whilst in females it ranged from a minimum of 1.0% and a maximum of 34% for Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney, bladder, liver and pancreas cancer and breast cancer, respectively. The incidence profiling of HPV-related cancers in males and females of ages 15 - 44 years old ranged from a minimum of 0.1% to a maximum of 11.2% for pancreas cancer, and colon and rectum cancer respectively in males, whilst in females it ranged from a minimum of 0.1% and a maximum of 18% for pancreas and breast cancer, respectively. The mortality profiling of HPV-related cancers in males and females of all ages in the UAE ranged from a minimum of 0.1% for Hodgkin lymphoma and testicular cancer to a maximum of 4.5% for colon and rectum cancer respectively in males, whilst in females it ranged from a minimum of 0.2% and a maximum of 4.5% for pancreas and breast cancer, respectively. The mortality profiling of HPV-related cancers mortality in males and females of ages 15 - 44 years old in the UAE ranged from a minimum of 0.2% to a maximum of 4.3% for testicular cancer and colon cancer respectively in males, whilst in females it ranged from a minimum of 0.2% and a maximum of 7.2% for bladder and breast cancer respectively. In conclusion, the profiling of HPV-related cancers in UAE for both males and females of all ages is similar to that reported for other parts of the world.展开更多
The development of clean and sustainable energy sources has received widespread interest in the past few decades due to the rolling energy demands while extenuating the rising tiers of greenhouse gases and environment...The development of clean and sustainable energy sources has received widespread interest in the past few decades due to the rolling energy demands while extenuating the rising tiers of greenhouse gases and environmental pollution.Due to their intermittent nature,these green and sustainable sources require appropriate energy storage systems.Amongst different energy storage technologies,electrochemical energy storage devices,particularly supercapacitors(SCs),have fascinated global attention for their utilization in electric vehicles,power supports,portable electronics,and many others application requiring electric energy devices for their operation.Thus,the growth of SCs in the commercial market has squeezed requirements,and further developments are obligatory for their effective industrialization.In the meantime,SCs also face technical complications and contests for their introduction in industrial settings because of their low energy density and high Levelized cost.The present study combines core strengths,weaknesses,opportunities,and threats(SWOT)analysis of SCs with new perspectives and recent ideas.The challenges and the future progressive prospects of SCs are also presented in detail.This review will afford consistent direction and new superhighways for the further development of SCs as standalone and complementary energy storage systems.展开更多
We present the detailed fundamental stellar parameters of the close visual binary system HD 39438 for the first time. We used Al-Wardat's method for analyzing binary and multiple stellar systems. The method implem...We present the detailed fundamental stellar parameters of the close visual binary system HD 39438 for the first time. We used Al-Wardat's method for analyzing binary and multiple stellar systems. The method implements Kurucz's plane parallel model atmospheres to construct synthetic spectral energy distributions(SEDs) for both components of the system. It then combines the results of the spectroscopic analysis with the photometric analysis and compares them with the observed ones to construct the best synthetic SED for the combined system. The analysis gives the precise fundamental parameters of the individual components of the system. Based on the positions of the components of HD 39438 on the H-R diagram, and evolutionary and isochrone tracks, we found that the system belongs to the main sequence stars with masses of 1.24 and 0.98 solar masses for the components A and B, respectively, and age of 1.995 Gyr for both components. The main result of HD 39438 is new dynamical parallax, which is estimated to be 16.689 ± 0.03 mas.展开更多
AIM:To determine the incidence and clinico-patho-logical profile of appendiceal carcinoids in a cohort of patients undergoing emergency appendicectomies for clinically suspected acute appendicitis in Sharjah,Unit-ed A...AIM:To determine the incidence and clinico-patho-logical profile of appendiceal carcinoids in a cohort of patients undergoing emergency appendicectomies for clinically suspected acute appendicitis in Sharjah,Unit-ed Arab Emirates(UAE).METHODS:The study included the retrospective data of 964 patients operated for clinically suspected acute appendicitis,and the resected specimens were received at Al-Qasmi Hospital(Sharjah)from January 2010 to December 2010.The data of the patients who were histologically reported to have carcinoid tumors of the appendix were extensively evaluated for the patient’s demographics,indication for surgery,surgical pro-cedure,tumor localization in the appendix,diameter of the lesion,concomitant appendicitis,immunohisto-chemistry studies and clinical follow-up.RESULTS:Out of the 964 patients included in the study,9(0.93%)were found to have appendiceal car-cinoids.The mean age reported was 28.7 years with a male to female ratio of 2:1.Eight tumors were located near the tip of the appendix with a mean diameter of 3.3 mm,while the remaining one was near the proximal end of the appendix.All the cases were associated with concomitant suppurative appendicitis.In seven report-ed cases,tumors were confined to the muscular layer while in one case each there was an extension to the serosa and mesoappendix,respectively.All tumors were found to be positive for chromogranin A,synaptophysin and neuron-specific enolase on immunohistochemistry but negative for cytokeratin-7.None of the patients developed recurrence or any reportable complications in the short follow-up period(12-26 mo)that was ar-ranged as a six-monthly re-evaluation by abdominal ultrasonography.CONCLUSION:Our study found a higher incidence of appendiceal carcinoids in patients undergoing emer-gency appendectomy for acute appendicitis in Sharjah,UAE compared to two previous studies from the Persian Gulf region.Interestingly,tumors were found to be more commonly in young males,which is in contrast to previous studies.Moreover,all the tumors were positive for common neuroendocrine markers.展开更多
The research topic is summarized in the importance of studying the uses of smart tablets in the educational process.It attempts to observe the attitudes and perspectives of users due to the importance of smart tablets...The research topic is summarized in the importance of studying the uses of smart tablets in the educational process.It attempts to observe the attitudes and perspectives of users due to the importance of smart tablets in theeducational process, getting introduced to the type of smart tablets used by students in the educational process,defining students＇ perspectives towards using smart tablets in the educational process, defining the extent of benefitgained by students as a result of using smart tablets in developing the skills of education and learning, definingstudents＇ attitudes towards using smart tablets in the educational process and defining students＇ perspectivestowards the disadvantages of using smart tablets in the educational process. This study is considered as one of thedescriptive studies, which aim at collecting data relevant to the usage of university students - sample of study- forthe smart tablets and their attitudes towards using them in the educational process, as well as studying somevariables related to usage; such as gender, social status, educational stage etc. This study depends on the surveyapproach as being considered an organized scientific effort that is used for obtaining information or descriptions onthe phenomenon, subject matter. The study concluded that the sample of study agreed on the necessity of enablingArab universities to encourage students to use more techniques in classrooms, and teaching curricula by using smarttablets since this will help in developing the communicational skills of university students. Moreover, they agreedon teaching most of the media curricula through social media.展开更多
The aim of the study was to investigate gratifications of using social media among university students in the United Arab Emirates. Adopting the uses and gratification approach, the study investigates how the students...The aim of the study was to investigate gratifications of using social media among university students in the United Arab Emirates. Adopting the uses and gratification approach, the study investigates how the students utilize social media to gratify their personal, social, psychological, and educational needs. The study uses a questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 420 students from two universities in the UAE: University of Sharjah and Zayed University. In each university, two colleges were selected to represent art colleges and sciences colleges. The findings of the study show that 69.3% of the students are accessing social media more than five hours daily. 79.0% of the students access the social media through their smartphones. The main social media accessed are WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. The main reasons of using social media are seeking information, communicating with friends, consuming time, and following up public affairs.展开更多
Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are drugs that reduce the production of acid in the stomach. Recently, the use of PPI has been increasing among communities, whether with or without prescription. As a part of...Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are drugs that reduce the production of acid in the stomach. Recently, the use of PPI has been increasing among communities, whether with or without prescription. As a part of the healthcare team, the pharmacist should not only dispense medications but also ensure the appropriate use of these medications. Studies conducted within 16 countries showed substantial variation in the appropriateness of the use of PPI drugs. Aim: To evaluate the appropriateness of PPIs use in Sharjah, UAE based on surveys answered by pharmacists, physicians, and patients. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted on December 2017 at Sharjah, UAE as an example of information obtained from the Middle East. Two different surveys were conducted on physicians and pharmacists. Both Physicians and Pharmacists were chosen randomly from Yellow Pages. The results obtained from both studies were used to develop a patient’s survey, which was distributed among University of Sharjah students, their families and random people at Shopping Malls and Clinics. Results: The results obtained from the patients’ survey showed that ~39% of PPI users from the region of Sharjah are 25 - 44 years old. Approximately 79% are using PPI according to physicians’ prescriptions. Prescriptions’ duration is varied between 1 month (39%) and 6 months (22%), where 52% of PPI users ask their physicians to prescribe PPIs when needed. Suggested reasons for the use of PPI included inappropriate food habits (52%), use of other medications (16%) or bacterial infection (13%). Around 52% of the patients did not receive any recommendations regarding the deprescribing of PPIs. According to the pharmacists’ surveys, an average sale of 5 - 10 PPI packages is reported per day, and around 50% are sold without a prescription. Most pharmacists were not fully aware of the health conditions and side effects of PPI drugs. On the other hand, physicians’ surveys showed that PPIs were mainly prescribed in the case of GERD and ulcer and for a maximum of 2 - 4 weeks. Approximately 75% of physicians recommend changing regimen by reducing the dose and stopping in case of chronic use of PPIs. Conclusion: The results from this survey study indicated that even though most PPI consumers at Sharjah, UAE are well aware of the use of PPI drugs and they follow the instructions given by the Physicians’, there is some discrepancy in the information obtained by the physicians, pharmacists, and patients. The reason for this discrepancy may be attributed to the missing role of the pharmacists which is currently just dispensing the medications without appropriate counseling. Thus the appropriate role of the pharmacists should be implemented according to the known international guidelines.展开更多
Background: Medical Equipments are designed to aid in the diagnosis;monitoring or treatment of medical conditions. Upgrades in technology also help continuously educate healthcare professionals. Where previously the u...Background: Medical Equipments are designed to aid in the diagnosis;monitoring or treatment of medical conditions. Upgrades in technology also help continuously educate healthcare professionals. Where previously the use of devices like “mercury sphygmomanometers” is common place, they are now being replaced by either aneroid or “mercury-free” devices. It indicates the development of technology in this area. However, trends show that healthcare professionals still seem to trust “old school” equipment a lot more. Thus, it would be motivating to see why healthcare professionals have such engraved perceptions regarding medical equipment and to be able to investigate their knowledge about current medical devices and what their thoughts are on new technology available in this area. Objectives: This research is designed with an aim to gauge perception and knowledge of targeted HCPs on the risks, benefits, issues, usage and perception on the difference between older medical equipment and the newer ones with state of the art technology available in the market. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a 34 item questionnaire was used to survey a convenient sample of nurses, pharmacists and doctors across community practices in Ajman and Sharjah, UAE. Conclusion: Discouraging HCP’s from a long standing bias towards certain brands may lead towards better therapeutic outcomes for patients. Also, comments from HCP’s prove that HCP’s in these Emirates really do care for their patients and overall improvement of the health care industry.展开更多
文摘Learning in small groups is a key instructional strategy in medicine and more so in the problem based curriculum （PBL）. It is perceived that working in small groups enhances acquisition, processing and retention of the ever increasing medical knowledge. Learning in small group will help the students to be better learner and improve their personal, social and cognitive skills. The objective of this study is to describe undergraduate medical students＇ perception toward small group learning in a PBL curriculum. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among the undergraduate medical students in the phase 2 of their MBBS program at University of Sharjah. A total of 277 undergraduate medical students participated in the study. The mean age of the study population was 20 years and 61% were female students. The most rewarding experiences as perceived by medical students were exposure to different views （71%）, making friends （57%） improving their grades （52%） and underwent personal development （46%）. The main disadvantages of small group learning were waste of time （55%）, side talks （16%）, and other distractions （14%）. Majority of students had a positive perception towards small group learning and agreed that it enhances their collaborative learning and team work skills. Small group learning was perceived as a key instructional method in the PBL curriculum [3] and it enhances their grades, learning outcomes, personal development and critical thinking abilities [4].
文摘Objective: The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge of breast cancer among female students at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Sharjah, UAE, and to evaluate the impact of the intervention program designed by the researchers on the student’s knowledge on the disease risk factors, screening methods, and their perception towards its treatment outcomes. Method: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of a convenience sample of 166 pharmacy students ((n = 110;the 4th year) and (n = 56;the 5th year)) in the University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE. The 26-item questionnaire covered the personal information and socio-demographic characteristics, breast cancer general knowledge, knowledge of breast cancer risk factors, knowledge of breast cancer symptoms and screening tests, and perception of management and outcomes of breast cancer. Key Findings: A total of 120 pharmacy students from the 4th year (n = 70) and the 5th year (n = 50) had completed the survey for the pre-intervention phase of the study. For the post intervention phase of the study, only 63 students from the 4th year and 48 students from the 5th year returned their completed questionnaire, giving a response rate of 90% and 96% respectively. Almost one quarter (59 (25.5)) of the students included in the study reported that they have had a history of breast cancer in their family respectively. A high proportion (206 (89.2%)) of the students from both levels showed their interest in participating in activities to promote breast awareness, despite the fact that almost three quarters (161 (70%)) of the students reported that they have never been participated in any previous breast awareness programs. The awareness of students under investigation about self-examination was clearly improved at the end of the study period. Eighty (66.7%) of the students from both levels reported that the breast self-examination is recommended for female “once a month”. This figure was increased to 103 (92.8%) post the intervention sessions (P value χ2 < 0.001). Conclusion: The high incidence of breast cancer in the UAE may be attributed to the low level of awareness of the disease among females. Our findings can be used to promote discussion in the profession and with stakeholders about the future role of pharmacists in breast cancer care.
文摘Background： Medical students have different perception of symptoms and illness. Moreover, medical students reportbarriers to seeking help about their health, and are more likely to seek advice informally from friends and/or family. It is important toidentify health seeking behaviors among medical students to be able to modify and interfere accordingly. Objectives： To describe thehealth seeking behavior of medical students in UOS and identify the factors affecting those behaviors. Methods： A cross-sectionalstudy was conducted at the University of Sharjah during the spring semester of the academic year 2012-2013. Self-administeredquestionnaires were distributed to all medical students from all 5 years. Questions were related to physical health seeking behaviorsonly. Data was analyzed using the SPSS21 software. Results： We have found that self-prescription was the most common practicedhealth seeking behavior among 91.8%-96.6% of UOS medical students （CI of 95%） followed by the order ignoring a health problem,seeking immediate care, using the internet, reading more about the problem and self diagnosis ＆ management. All are practiced bymore than 50% of the students. A set of other behaviors was identified as well. Factors affecting these behaviors mainly included：self-care orientation ＆ medical education. Other factors that had a role as well were： gender, stage of studying, having a chronic illnessand lack of knowledge about the health services available. Conclusions： Medical students in the University of Sharjah have a high levelof self-care orientation and accordingly, tend to react to their illness in a variety of ways. The most common of these is self-prescription.Studying medicine is the 2nd major factor that influences their health seeking behaviors. Sufficient guidance about the consequencesassociated with certain behaviors may be required.
文摘Minimum quantity Lubrication(MQL)is a sustainable lubrication system that is famous in many machining systems.It involve the spray of an infinitesimal amount of mist-like lubricants during machining processes.The MQL system is affirmed to exhibit an excellent machining performance,and it is highly economical.The nanofluids are understood to exhibit excellent lubricity and heat evacuation capability,compared to pure oil-based MQL system.Studies have shown that the surface quality and amount of energy expended in the grinding operations can be reduced considerably due to the positive effect of these nanofluids.This work presents an experimental study on the tribological performance of SiO_(2)nanofluid during grinding of Si_(3)N_(4)ceramic.The effect different grinding modes and lubrication systems during the grinding operation was also analyzed.Different concentrations of the SiO_(2)nanofluid was manufactured using canola,corn and sunflower oils.The quantitative evaluation of the grinding process was done based on the amount of grinding forces,specific grinding energy,frictional coefficient,and surface integrity.It was found that the canola oil exhibits optimal lubrication performance compared to corn oil,sunflower oil,and traditional lubrication systems.Additionally,the introduction of ultrasonic vibrations with the SiO_(2)nanofluid in MQL system was found to reduce the specific grinding energy,normal grinding forces,tangential grinding forces,and surface roughness by 65%,57%,65%,and 18%respectively.Finally,regression analysis was used to obtain an optimum parameter combinations.The observations from this work will aid the smooth transition towards ecofriendly and sustainable machining of engineering ceramics.
文摘The exponential growth of food demand due to the increasing global population has the potential to seriously threaten the quality and quantity of food supplies due to climate change.This study explores the utilisation of green urban spaces for achieving food self-sufficiency by investigating the extent to which sustainable urban farms could be used to reduce the consumption of imported produce in the UK.It also examines urban farming stakeholders'perspective on how food self-sufficiency can help realise the SDGs especially SDG 2(Zero hunger)and SDG 13(Climate action).The study adopts a mixed method approach through a survey with 115 respondents and semi-structured interviews conducted with 12 respondents from 4 different urban farming stakeholder groups.The findings of this study presented a strong correlation between stakeholders who had concerns about where their food came from and the carbon footprint of imported produce.The research shows that,urban farms will no doubt play a vital role in the future of food security in our cities/communities and that the SDGs could be realised through sustainable urban farms implemented within the relevant planning regulations/policies.
基金support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21901246,22105203 and 22175174)the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province(2020J01116 and 2021J06033)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2021TQ0332 and 2021M703215).
文摘Controllable design of the catalytic electrodes with hierarchical superstructures is expected to improve their electrochemical performance.Herein,a self-supported integrated electrode(NiCo-ZLDH/NF)with a unique hierarchical quaternary superstructure was fabricated through a self-sacrificing template strategy from the metal–organic framework(Co-ZIF-67)nanoplate arrays,which features an intriguing well-defined hierarchy when taking the unit cells of the NiCo-based layered double hydroxide(NiCo-LDH)as the primary structure,the ultrathin LDH nanoneedles as the secondary structure,the mesoscale hollow plates of the LDH nanoneedle arrays as the tertiary structure,and the macroscale three-dimensional frames of the plate arrays as the quaternary structure.Notably,the distinctive structure of NiCo-ZLDH/NF can not only accelerate both mass and charge transfer,but also expose plentiful accessible active sites with high intrinsic activity,endowing it with an excellent electrochemical performance for urea oxidation reaction(UOR).Specially,it only required the low potentials of 1.335,1.368 and 1.388 V to deliver the current densities of 10,100 and 200 mA cm^(-2),respectively,much superior to those for typical NiCo-LDH.Employing NiCo-ZLDH/NF as the bifunctional electrode for both anodic UOR and cathodic HER,an energy-saving electrolysis system was further explored which can greatly reduce the needed voltage of 213 mV to deliver the current density of 100 mA cm^(-2),as compared to the conventional water electrolysis system composed of OER.This work manifests that it is prospective to explore the hierarchically nanostructured electrodes and the innovative electrolytic technologies for high-efficiency electrocatalysis.
文摘Plain concrete is strong in compression but brittle in tension,having a low tensile strain capacity that can significantly degrade the long-term performance of concrete structures,even when steel reinforcing is present.In order to address these challenges,short polymer fibers are randomly dispersed in a cement-based matrix to forma highly ductile engineered cementitious composite(ECC).Thismaterial exhibits high ductility under tensile forces,with its tensile strain being several hundred times greater than conventional concrete.Since concrete is inherently weak in tension,the tensile strain capacity(TSC)has become one of the most extensively researched properties.As a result,developing a model to predict the TSC of the ECC and to optimize the mixture proportions becomes challenging.Meanwhile,the effort required for laboratory trial batches to determine the TSC is reduced.To achieve the research objectives,five distinct models,artificial neural network(ANN),nonlinear model(NLR),linear relationship model(LR),multi-logistic model(MLR),and M5P-tree model(M5P),are investigated and employed to predict the TSCof ECCmixtures containing fly ash.Data from115 mixtures are gathered and analyzed to develop a new model.The input variables include mixture proportions,fiber length and diameter,and the time required for curing the various mixtures.The model’s effectiveness is evaluated and verified based on statistical parameters such as R2,mean absolute error(MAE),scatter index(SI),root mean squared error(RMSE),and objective function(OBJ)value.Consequently,the ANN model outperforms the others in predicting the TSC of the ECC,with RMSE,MAE,OBJ,SI,and R2 values of 0.42%,0.3%,0.33%,0.135%,and 0.98,respectively.
文摘Objective:Bladder cancer(BC)is a significant public health concern in the Middle East and North Africa,but the epidemiology and clinicopathology of the disease and contributors to high mortality in this region remain poorly understood.The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the epidemiological features of BC in the Arab world and compare them to those in Western countries in order to improve the management of this disease.Methods:An extensive electronic search of the PubMed/PMC and Cochrane Library databases was conducted to identify all articles published until May 2022,following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.A total of 95 articles were included in the final analysis after title,abstract,and full-text screening,with additional data obtained from the GLOBOCAN and WHO 2020 databases.
文摘BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is the third most frequent and the second most fatal cancer.The search for more effective drugs to treat this disease is ongoing.A better understanding of the mechanisms of CRC development and progression may reveal new therapeutic strategies.Ubiquitin-specific peptidases(USPs),the largest group of the deubiquitinase protein family,have long been implicated in various cancers.There have been numerous studies on the role of USPs in CRC;however,a comprehensive view of this role is lacking.AIM To provide a systematic review of the studies investigating the roles and functions of USPs in CRC.METHODS We systematically queried the MEDLINE(via PubMed),Scopus,and Web of Science databases.RESULTS Our study highlights the pivotal role of various USPs in several processes implicated in CRC:Regulation of the cell cycle,apoptosis,cancer stemness,epithelial–mesenchymal transition,metastasis,DNA repair,and drug resistance.The findings of this study suggest that USPs have great potential as drug targets and noninvasive biomarkers in CRC.The dysregulation of USPs in CRC contributes to drug resistance through multiple mechanisms.CONCLUSION Targeting specific USPs involved in drug resistance pathways could provide a novel therapeutic strategy for overcoming resistance to current treatment regimens in CRC.
文摘The selection of working fluid significantly impacts the geothermal ORC’s Efficiency.Using a mixture as a working fluid is a strategy to improve the output of geothermal ORC.In the current study,modelling and thermodynamic analysis of ORC,using geothermal as a heat source,is carried out at fixed operating conditions.The model is simulated in the Engineering Equation Solver(EES).An environment-friendly mixture of fluids,i.e.,R245fa/R600a,with a suitable mole fraction,is used as the operating fluid.The mixture provided the most convenient results compared to the pure working fluid under fixed operating conditions.The impact of varying the evaporator pressure on the performance parameters,including energy efficiency,exergy efficiency and net power output is investigated.The system provided the optimal performance once the evaporator pressure reached the maximum value.The efficiencies:Energy and Exergy,and Net Power output of the system are 16.62%,64.08%and 2199 kW for the basic cycle and 20.72%,67.76%and 2326 kW respectively for the regenerative cycle.
基金This Research is funded by Researchers Supporting Project Number(RSPD2024R947),King Saud University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
文摘Software project outcomes heavily depend on natural language requirements,often causing diverse interpretations and issues like ambiguities and incomplete or faulty requirements.Researchers are exploring machine learning to predict software bugs,but a more precise and general approach is needed.Accurate bug prediction is crucial for software evolution and user training,prompting an investigation into deep and ensemble learning methods.However,these studies are not generalized and efficient when extended to other datasets.Therefore,this paper proposed a hybrid approach combining multiple techniques to explore their effectiveness on bug identification problems.The methods involved feature selection,which is used to reduce the dimensionality and redundancy of features and select only the relevant ones;transfer learning is used to train and test the model on different datasets to analyze how much of the learning is passed to other datasets,and ensemble method is utilized to explore the increase in performance upon combining multiple classifiers in a model.Four National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA)and four Promise datasets are used in the study,showing an increase in the model’s performance by providing better Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve(AUC-ROC)values when different classifiers were combined.It reveals that using an amalgam of techniques such as those used in this study,feature selection,transfer learning,and ensemble methods prove helpful in optimizing the software bug prediction models and providing high-performing,useful end mode.
文摘Appropriate oral hygiene significantly reduces the possibility of oral infections.However,dental caries and periodontal diseases are major oral health issues causing chronic diseases due to poor oral health.Recently,herbal compounds have gained interest in maintaining oral health.Extracts of burdock root(Arctium),noni fruit(Morinda citrifolia),and neem leaf(Azadirachta indica)are now used as intracanal medicaments in endodontics and periodontics.Plectranthus amboinicus species and other plants produces essential oil likeβ-caryophyllene,p-cymene,andγ-terpinene can exhibit antibacterial activity;highlighting phytoconstituents plays a vital role in oral health.The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of hygiene and sanitization,to curb SARS-CoV-2.Oral cavity is among the gateways for virus entry into saliva.Saliva is a potential reservoir of SARS-CoV-2,and there is an increased risk of infection if there is any fissure in the mouth.This enables entry of virus into the vascular system through gingival or periodontal pocket,possibly reaching lung periphery then to lung vessels by interacting with endothelial surface receptors triggering pulmonary vasoconstriction and lung damage due to endothelial dysfunction.This review aims to draw attention to the possible route of SARS-CoV-2 infection via the oral cavity and the importance of oral hygiene against COVID-19.
文摘The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading cause of infectious cancers, leading to a growing global interest on the profiling of HPV-related cancers. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the retrospective epidemiological profile of HPV-related cancer in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The incidence profiling of HPV-related cancers in males and females of UAE of all ages ranged from a minimum of 0.6% to a maximum of 4.5% for testes cancer and colon cancer respectively in males;whilst in females it ranged from a minimum of 1.0% and a maximum of 34% for Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney, bladder, liver and pancreas cancer and breast cancer, respectively. The incidence profiling of HPV-related cancers in males and females of ages 15 - 44 years old ranged from a minimum of 0.1% to a maximum of 11.2% for pancreas cancer, and colon and rectum cancer respectively in males, whilst in females it ranged from a minimum of 0.1% and a maximum of 18% for pancreas and breast cancer, respectively. The mortality profiling of HPV-related cancers in males and females of all ages in the UAE ranged from a minimum of 0.1% for Hodgkin lymphoma and testicular cancer to a maximum of 4.5% for colon and rectum cancer respectively in males, whilst in females it ranged from a minimum of 0.2% and a maximum of 4.5% for pancreas and breast cancer, respectively. The mortality profiling of HPV-related cancers mortality in males and females of ages 15 - 44 years old in the UAE ranged from a minimum of 0.2% to a maximum of 4.3% for testicular cancer and colon cancer respectively in males, whilst in females it ranged from a minimum of 0.2% and a maximum of 7.2% for bladder and breast cancer respectively. In conclusion, the profiling of HPV-related cancers in UAE for both males and females of all ages is similar to that reported for other parts of the world.
基金supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS)KAKENHI Grant Number JP22F22368。
文摘The development of clean and sustainable energy sources has received widespread interest in the past few decades due to the rolling energy demands while extenuating the rising tiers of greenhouse gases and environmental pollution.Due to their intermittent nature,these green and sustainable sources require appropriate energy storage systems.Amongst different energy storage technologies,electrochemical energy storage devices,particularly supercapacitors(SCs),have fascinated global attention for their utilization in electric vehicles,power supports,portable electronics,and many others application requiring electric energy devices for their operation.Thus,the growth of SCs in the commercial market has squeezed requirements,and further developments are obligatory for their effective industrialization.In the meantime,SCs also face technical complications and contests for their introduction in industrial settings because of their low energy density and high Levelized cost.The present study combines core strengths,weaknesses,opportunities,and threats(SWOT)analysis of SCs with new perspectives and recent ideas.The challenges and the future progressive prospects of SCs are also presented in detail.This review will afford consistent direction and new superhighways for the further development of SCs as standalone and complementary energy storage systems.
文摘We present the detailed fundamental stellar parameters of the close visual binary system HD 39438 for the first time. We used Al-Wardat's method for analyzing binary and multiple stellar systems. The method implements Kurucz's plane parallel model atmospheres to construct synthetic spectral energy distributions(SEDs) for both components of the system. It then combines the results of the spectroscopic analysis with the photometric analysis and compares them with the observed ones to construct the best synthetic SED for the combined system. The analysis gives the precise fundamental parameters of the individual components of the system. Based on the positions of the components of HD 39438 on the H-R diagram, and evolutionary and isochrone tracks, we found that the system belongs to the main sequence stars with masses of 1.24 and 0.98 solar masses for the components A and B, respectively, and age of 1.995 Gyr for both components. The main result of HD 39438 is new dynamical parallax, which is estimated to be 16.689 ± 0.03 mas.
文摘AIM:To determine the incidence and clinico-patho-logical profile of appendiceal carcinoids in a cohort of patients undergoing emergency appendicectomies for clinically suspected acute appendicitis in Sharjah,Unit-ed Arab Emirates(UAE).METHODS:The study included the retrospective data of 964 patients operated for clinically suspected acute appendicitis,and the resected specimens were received at Al-Qasmi Hospital(Sharjah)from January 2010 to December 2010.The data of the patients who were histologically reported to have carcinoid tumors of the appendix were extensively evaluated for the patient’s demographics,indication for surgery,surgical pro-cedure,tumor localization in the appendix,diameter of the lesion,concomitant appendicitis,immunohisto-chemistry studies and clinical follow-up.RESULTS:Out of the 964 patients included in the study,9(0.93%)were found to have appendiceal car-cinoids.The mean age reported was 28.7 years with a male to female ratio of 2:1.Eight tumors were located near the tip of the appendix with a mean diameter of 3.3 mm,while the remaining one was near the proximal end of the appendix.All the cases were associated with concomitant suppurative appendicitis.In seven report-ed cases,tumors were confined to the muscular layer while in one case each there was an extension to the serosa and mesoappendix,respectively.All tumors were found to be positive for chromogranin A,synaptophysin and neuron-specific enolase on immunohistochemistry but negative for cytokeratin-7.None of the patients developed recurrence or any reportable complications in the short follow-up period(12-26 mo)that was ar-ranged as a six-monthly re-evaluation by abdominal ultrasonography.CONCLUSION:Our study found a higher incidence of appendiceal carcinoids in patients undergoing emer-gency appendectomy for acute appendicitis in Sharjah,UAE compared to two previous studies from the Persian Gulf region.Interestingly,tumors were found to be more commonly in young males,which is in contrast to previous studies.Moreover,all the tumors were positive for common neuroendocrine markers.
文摘The research topic is summarized in the importance of studying the uses of smart tablets in the educational process.It attempts to observe the attitudes and perspectives of users due to the importance of smart tablets in theeducational process, getting introduced to the type of smart tablets used by students in the educational process,defining students＇ perspectives towards using smart tablets in the educational process, defining the extent of benefitgained by students as a result of using smart tablets in developing the skills of education and learning, definingstudents＇ attitudes towards using smart tablets in the educational process and defining students＇ perspectivestowards the disadvantages of using smart tablets in the educational process. This study is considered as one of thedescriptive studies, which aim at collecting data relevant to the usage of university students - sample of study- forthe smart tablets and their attitudes towards using them in the educational process, as well as studying somevariables related to usage; such as gender, social status, educational stage etc. This study depends on the surveyapproach as being considered an organized scientific effort that is used for obtaining information or descriptions onthe phenomenon, subject matter. The study concluded that the sample of study agreed on the necessity of enablingArab universities to encourage students to use more techniques in classrooms, and teaching curricula by using smarttablets since this will help in developing the communicational skills of university students. Moreover, they agreedon teaching most of the media curricula through social media.
文摘The aim of the study was to investigate gratifications of using social media among university students in the United Arab Emirates. Adopting the uses and gratification approach, the study investigates how the students utilize social media to gratify their personal, social, psychological, and educational needs. The study uses a questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 420 students from two universities in the UAE: University of Sharjah and Zayed University. In each university, two colleges were selected to represent art colleges and sciences colleges. The findings of the study show that 69.3% of the students are accessing social media more than five hours daily. 79.0% of the students access the social media through their smartphones. The main social media accessed are WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. The main reasons of using social media are seeking information, communicating with friends, consuming time, and following up public affairs.
文摘Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are drugs that reduce the production of acid in the stomach. Recently, the use of PPI has been increasing among communities, whether with or without prescription. As a part of the healthcare team, the pharmacist should not only dispense medications but also ensure the appropriate use of these medications. Studies conducted within 16 countries showed substantial variation in the appropriateness of the use of PPI drugs. Aim: To evaluate the appropriateness of PPIs use in Sharjah, UAE based on surveys answered by pharmacists, physicians, and patients. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted on December 2017 at Sharjah, UAE as an example of information obtained from the Middle East. Two different surveys were conducted on physicians and pharmacists. Both Physicians and Pharmacists were chosen randomly from Yellow Pages. The results obtained from both studies were used to develop a patient’s survey, which was distributed among University of Sharjah students, their families and random people at Shopping Malls and Clinics. Results: The results obtained from the patients’ survey showed that ~39% of PPI users from the region of Sharjah are 25 - 44 years old. Approximately 79% are using PPI according to physicians’ prescriptions. Prescriptions’ duration is varied between 1 month (39%) and 6 months (22%), where 52% of PPI users ask their physicians to prescribe PPIs when needed. Suggested reasons for the use of PPI included inappropriate food habits (52%), use of other medications (16%) or bacterial infection (13%). Around 52% of the patients did not receive any recommendations regarding the deprescribing of PPIs. According to the pharmacists’ surveys, an average sale of 5 - 10 PPI packages is reported per day, and around 50% are sold without a prescription. Most pharmacists were not fully aware of the health conditions and side effects of PPI drugs. On the other hand, physicians’ surveys showed that PPIs were mainly prescribed in the case of GERD and ulcer and for a maximum of 2 - 4 weeks. Approximately 75% of physicians recommend changing regimen by reducing the dose and stopping in case of chronic use of PPIs. Conclusion: The results from this survey study indicated that even though most PPI consumers at Sharjah, UAE are well aware of the use of PPI drugs and they follow the instructions given by the Physicians’, there is some discrepancy in the information obtained by the physicians, pharmacists, and patients. The reason for this discrepancy may be attributed to the missing role of the pharmacists which is currently just dispensing the medications without appropriate counseling. Thus the appropriate role of the pharmacists should be implemented according to the known international guidelines.
文摘Background: Medical Equipments are designed to aid in the diagnosis;monitoring or treatment of medical conditions. Upgrades in technology also help continuously educate healthcare professionals. Where previously the use of devices like “mercury sphygmomanometers” is common place, they are now being replaced by either aneroid or “mercury-free” devices. It indicates the development of technology in this area. However, trends show that healthcare professionals still seem to trust “old school” equipment a lot more. Thus, it would be motivating to see why healthcare professionals have such engraved perceptions regarding medical equipment and to be able to investigate their knowledge about current medical devices and what their thoughts are on new technology available in this area. Objectives: This research is designed with an aim to gauge perception and knowledge of targeted HCPs on the risks, benefits, issues, usage and perception on the difference between older medical equipment and the newer ones with state of the art technology available in the market. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a 34 item questionnaire was used to survey a convenient sample of nurses, pharmacists and doctors across community practices in Ajman and Sharjah, UAE. Conclusion: Discouraging HCP’s from a long standing bias towards certain brands may lead towards better therapeutic outcomes for patients. Also, comments from HCP’s prove that HCP’s in these Emirates really do care for their patients and overall improvement of the health care industry.
