Postgraduate Course Research Articles

The Experience of Ethics Committees in Portuguese Speaking Countries

In recent decades we have seen an increase in scientific research, including in Portuguese Speaking Countries (PALOP). This growth highlighted the concern for compliance with the principles of bioethics in research involving human beings. Lack of resources, scarce legislation, poor training of members of bioethics committees, limited knowledge of the main international guidelines, limited training on ethics and bioethics in research, are some of the characteristics common to the PALOPs. On the other hand, language constitutes a barrier considering that most of the literature is available in English. As an example, between 2005-2016 the EDCTP partnership funded 74 ethics projects in Africa with only two for the PALOP. The creation of bioethics committees in these countries dates back to the year 2000 in Angola, Cape Verde and Mozambique and from 2010 in Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe, all with Portuguese and Brazilian influence. In 2011, the National Committee on Bioethics in Health in Mozambique registered an increase in research, triggering the creation process of Institutional Bioethics Committees, with regulations and norms for the creation, functioning and hierarchy. In 2016, during the International Conference on “Ethics in Scientific Research: the first step towards south-south cooperation”, Angola, Mozambique, Brazil and Cuba signed the Malange Declaration. It expresses the commitment of the health ethics committees to work as a network in south-south collaboration, recognizing the need to boost training in bioethics. Mozambique's declaration reinforces this commitment. However, only in Mozambique is there a boost in the formation and regulation of bioethics committees. Currently, it is the PALOP country with the highest number of research projects evaluated. Between 2017-2021, two projects financed by EDCTP were implemented, in the perspective of North-South collaboration between Portugal and the PALOP. LusoAfro-BioEthics, aimed at Strengthening Bioethics Committees in Mozambique, Angola and Cape Verde. Highlights include online courses in Portuguese, the availability of a website in Portuguese and the implementation of the online research protocol submission process for Mozambique. BERC-luso, an Ethical and Regulatory Capacity Building project in the five PALOP countries, with the aim of developing and strengthening national drug regulation systems and capacities for the ethical review of clinical research. In September 2022, representatives of the Ethics Councils, Bioethics Associations and Clinical Research Committees of Portugal and the PALOP, gathered at the Lusophone Bioethics Meeting, signed the Lisbon Declaration with the commitment to Bioethical Cooperation and One Health in Lusophone countries between 2022-2026. The challenges for the PALOP continue to be training in ethics and bioethics in undergraduate and postgraduate courses as well as in intensive courses for the preparation and evaluation of research projects and the legislation for the creation, organization and hierarchy of Bioethics Committees and define norms and procedures in research using living beings, including clinical trials.

Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association HPB Ultrasound and Advanced Technology post-graduate course: Overview and review

BackgroundAmericas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA) established the Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) ultrasound (US) and Advanced Technology Post-Graduate Course in 2012 in response to a perceived gap in training and practice. MethodsThe HPB US and Advanced Technology Post-Graduate Course consists of both didactic and hands-on skills sessions. The didactic sessions are divided into foundational, organ-focused, and application content. Hands-on sessions are constructed to immediately practice skills in the simulation setting which were taught during the didactic sessions. Course participant demographic data (practice location and practice type) and participant evaluations were reported. ResultsSince the first course in 2012, 298 participants have taken the post-graduate course. Most participants reported the content quality, delivery effectiveness, and practice relevance to be either excellent or above average (93.6 %, 91.1 %, 93.6 %, respectively). Participants' motivations to take the course included to enhance skills, knowledge, to incorporate US into practice, or to obtain formal training or qualification/certification, or to teach. ConclusionThe HPB US and Advanced Technology Post-Graduate Course has filled a gap in HPB US training for practicing HPB surgeons. The annual course has been well-received by participants (Kirkpatrick Level 1 Program Evaluation) and will continue to fill the gap in training in operative US for the HPB surgeon. Key messageAmericas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association established the HPB Ultrasound and Advanced Technology Post-Graduate Course in 2012. The Course has been well-received by participants and will continue to address a gap in surgical HPB training.

Tensions of Embedding Reflective Teaching Practices in Teacher Education in Eritrea: A Self-Study on Facilitation Experiences

ABSTRACT This article is a self-study of intentional practices embedded in reflective teaching in a teacher education program in Eritrea. The educator-researcher (author) was concerned with engaging learner-teachers in interactive teaching practices in general and reflective learning practices in particular. By employing self-study methods and tools, the study examines proactive practices and processes in a postgraduate teacher education course. The author implemented facilitation approaches of collaborative reflections, supporting reflective inquiry on learning practices, explicit modelling, and consistent feedback. Framed within the conceptual notion of the tension of practices, the study explores the author’s facilitation experiences during a 16-week or semester-long course. The findings revealed tensions in attending to and improving learner-teachers’ educational needs, synchronizing verbal and written reflective competencies, and language issues in learning to be more thoughtful. The self-study provides practical perspectives on how teacher educators may learn to approach their work while supporting reflective practices in challenging teacher education contexts and beyond.

Professor Anatoly Alekseevich Kurygin (1932–2011) (to the 90th anniversary of the birth)

Anatoly Alekseevich Kurygin was born on September 10, 1932 in the village of Zaborye, Solotchinsky District (now Ryazansky District), Ryazan Region, into a peasant family. In 1950, Anatoly Kurygin graduated from the Solotchinsk complete secondary school with excellent and good marks and applied for admission to the Ryazan Medical Institute. A. Kurygin decided to become a surgeon already at the beginning of his studies at the Institute and persistently went to achieve this goal. After graduating from the 4th year, Anatoly Alekseevich, along with other most successful students, received an offer to continue the study at the Military Medical Faculty at the Kuibyshev Medical Institute named after D. I. Ulyanov, agreed and joined the ranks of the Soviet Army. In July 1956, having received a diploma with honors, lieutenant of the medical service A. A. Kurygin, together with his wife Lyudmila Nikiforovna, departed for the Belarusian Military District. In April 1961, having got the highest grades (five) in the entrance exams, Anatoly Alekseevich was enrolled in the postgraduate course at the Department of Faculty Surgery named after S. P. Fedorov. As a dissertation research, Anatoly Alekseevich was instructed to study the state of lavsan prostheses and a new vascular bed at different times after arterial alloplasty. Soon after defending his dissertation, V. M. Sitenko suggested Anatoly Alekseevich to take up the issue of chronic pancreatitis, which was little studied at that time. During the year, A. A. Kurygin studied the literature on this topic and came to the convincing conclusion that it was impossible as a doctoral dissertation. Anatoly Alekseevich reported his thoughts to the head of the department, substantiated the futility of this topic and expressed a desire to study the physiological and surgical aspects of vagotomy as a new and alternative method of gastric resection for the treatment of chronic duodenal ulcers and its complications. In June 1978, the deputy head of the department, associate professor A. A. Kurygin, successfully defended the first doctoral dissertation in the USSR on the treatment of duodenal ulcers by vagotomy in combination with pyloroplasty. Five years later, in November 1987, professors of the Military Medical Academy V. M. Sitenko, A. A. Kurygin and A. I. Nechay, as part of a group of surgeons from Moscow, Kyiv and Tallinn, were awarded the title of Laureate of the USSR State Prize «For the development and implementation of new methods of treatment of peptic ulcer». In 1985, Professor A. A. Kurygin was appointed head of the Department of Surgery № 2 (for advanced medical training) of the Military Medical Academy. Anatoly Alekseevich was the author and co-author of more than 300 scientific papers, including 39 monographs and manuals, more than 25 teaching aids, 14 inventions, as well as the editor of the Abdominal Surgery section of the Small Medical Encyclopedia. Also, A.A. Kurygin published three collections of poetry. On November 12, 2011, after a severe and prolonged illness, the doctor Anatoly Alekseevich Kurygin was no longer with us. Major-General of the Medical Service A. A. Kurygin was buried on November 15 at the Serafimovsky cemetery in St. Petersburg.

A research-led flexible cell biology practical for biological sciences undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses.

A challenge in the pandemic era is to implement effective but flexible practical teaching for biological sciences courses. Such teaching needs to deliver conceptual, analytical and practical skills training while having the option to rapidly respond to health and safety issues, local regulations, staff and student concerns. In this paper, we describe a set of cell biology practicals (mini-project) that meets many of these requirements and provides flexibility in providing skills training both through online and in practical laboratory environments. We have used a human adenocarcinoma cell line A431 stably transfected with a fluorescent cell cycle reporter as a biological model to deliver training through discrete work packages encompassing cell culture, fluorescence microscopy, biochemistry and statistics. How such work packages can be modified to, an online format either partially or completely is also described. Furthermore, the activities can be adapted for teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate level courses to ensure effective skills training which is applicable to a wide range of biological degree programs and levels of study.

Последипломное развитие компетенций преподавателей CLIL

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach has become one of the bilingual education pillars worldwide. Its application often relies on quality instruction; therefore, careful preparation of future CLIL educators will guarantee adequate CLIL implementation. Despite the extensive research on the method used since the 1990s, little is known about the competence-based training process of content and language teachers. Through a multi-dimensional perspective of the current research, including qualitative and quantitative methods, the study authors attempt to demonstrate that CLIL competences can be adequately developed. In our project, we taught a postgraduate course on Delivering the curriculum through English to 26 educators and analysed the development of their professional skills. Pilot study results show that competence development is highly correlated with linguistic awareness, in-depth theoretical and applied knowledge of the CLIL approach and mutual support within teaching community. Regardless of the fundamental idea of formative exploration, our study presents some findings deserving of thought by teacher trainers and policymakers currently applying CLIL methodology.

Knowledge and attitude of community pharmacists toward biosimilar medicines: A cross-sectional study in Lebanon

ObjectivesPharmacists are drug experts who can play a significant role in promoting the use of biosimilar medicines. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess community pharmacists' knowledge and attitude toward biosimilars in Lebanon, as well as potential factors influencing their knowledge. MethodsA descriptive, cross-sectional study involving licensed community pharmacists in Lebanon was conducted using random sampling between January and July 2022. An electronic survey consisting of 30-closed ended questions was used, it included 10 questions to assess participants knowledge towards biosimilars and 10 attitudinal statements. A knowledge score was then calculated. A multivariable analysis was conducted to determine predictors of knowledge using binary logistic regression including all variables with p < 0.20 on univariate analysis. Statistical significance was set at p value < 0.05. Key findingsIn total, 354 community pharmacists completed this survey. The majority of participants 261 (73.7%) were knowledgeable, with only 54 (15.3%) answering all the questions correctly. The results of the multivariable analysis showed only a statistically significant association between knowledge and pharmacists who had taken a course or post-graduate training course about biosimilar drugs (OR = 2.213, 95% CI = 1.088–4.500, p-value = 0.028). The majority of pharmacists 314 (88.7%) agreed with the statement “Healthcare professionals should be further educated to eliminate potential misconceptions and integrate biosimilars into routine clinical practice.” ConclusionsOverall, community pharmacists in Lebanon had a good knowledge about biosimilars that was significantly associated with post-graduate training courses. Additionally, our participants had a generally favorable attitude toward biosimilars.

A survey on brazilian dentists’ awareness, perception, and knowledge of bisphosphonates

Aim: The purpose of the study was to analyze the knowledge of dentists in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, about bisphosphonates and their clinical implications. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted with a convenience sample of dentists in Belo Horizonte, in a period of 8 weeks. The questionnaire was self-applied and was structured with 10 items about the dentists’ demographic characteristics, professional profile, and knowledge about bisphosphonates. Associations in the data were analyzed by with the Fischer’s exact test with a significance level of 5%. Results: Of the 214 participating dentists, 163 (76.17%) were women, and 51 (23.83%) were men, with age ranged for 21 to 73 years (mean of 30 years) and mean of 6 years of professional activity. Nearly half (106/49.53%) reported having knowledge about bisphosphonates, and undergraduate courses were the primary source of such information (73/34.11%). Osteoporosis was the most identified indication for use (75/35.04%), although no participants correctly identified all indications. Regarding the drugs’ side effects, only three dentists (1.40%) could correctly identify all responses, with bone necrosis being recognized by the majority (88/41.12%). Sodium alendronate (54/25.23%) and sodium ibandronate (15/7.01%) were the most identified examples of bisphosphonates. Last, only nine dentists (4.20%) could identify all examples of the drugs, and their capacity was associated with self-reported knowledge (p&lt;0.05). Conclusions: More information about bisphosphonates should be disseminated in Belo Horizonte, ideally via better approaches in local undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Until then, knowledge of the basic aspects of bisphosphonates will remain limited.

Academician Nikolay Nikolaevich Blokhin (1912–1993) (on the 110&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; anniversary of his birth)

Professor Nikolay Nikolaevich Blokhin was born on April 21 ( May 4), 1912 in the county town of Lukoyanov , Nizhny Novgorod province in the family of a doctor . After graduating from high school in 1929, Nikolay Nikolaevich entered the medical Faculty of Nizhny Novgorod University. In June 1934, N. N. Blokhin graduated with honors from the surgical department and received a diploma from the Gorky Medical Institute. For excellent studies and great abilities for research work , Nikolay Nikolaevich was enrolled in a postgraduate course at the Department of Hospital Surgery . After medical practice , N. N. Blokhin returned to the hospital surgery clinic , continued his research and operated a lot . At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, a front-line evacuation hospital for a thousand beds № 2816 was deployed in Gorky , Nikolai Nikolaevich was appointed the leading surgeon . In 1947, N. N. Blokhin was appointed deputy director of the Gorky Research Institute of Reconstructive Surgery , Traumatology and Orthopedics for the scientific part , and in March 1948 – director of this Institute. In December 1948, Nikolai Nikolaevich was awarded the academic title of professor . On January 29, 1960, N. N. Blokhin was elected a full member of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, and in the evening of the same day , the Minister of Health of the USSR S. V. Kurashov proposed to elect Nikolai Nikolaevich as the president of the Academy. In 1977, the Cancer Research Center of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences was renamed the All-Union Cancer Research Center of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, and N. N. Blokhin was appointed its general director . More than 100 doctoral and PhD theses were defended under his leadership . Many of his students became prominent oncologists in Russia and neighboring countries . The multifaceted , bright and fruitful activity of Nikolai Nikolaevich was repeatedly awarded with high awards of the Soviet Union. On May 16, 1993, Academician Nikolai Nikolaevich Blokhin died and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. In the same year , the name of N. N. Blokhin was assigned to the Russian Cancer Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.

Problem Posing: images as a trigger element of the activity

This article aims to analyze the possibilities of problem posing activities by students when images are provided as a trigger element. To do so, in the theoretical discussion related to problem posing, we present understandings assumed by us and in the literature related to the theme, and different possibilities of didactic activities, especially in association with Problem Solving. Qualitative research is portrayed, regarding Problem Posing, implemented by teachers who teach Mathematics, participants of a continuing education course, and developed with masters and doctoral students in a postgraduate course. The results indicate the potential of this type of activity for the development of creativity, mathematical learning, and also as a tool to evaluate the understanding of students, especially when associated with problem solving.

Blended case-based learning in a sustainability accounting course: An analysis of student perspectives

This study aims to explore how a blended case-based learning approach can enhance students' learning towards accounting for sustainability. A case study was applied to provide insights into students' learning in a postgraduate course concerning material flow cost accounting. Data were collected from three sources: 51 learning journals from 17 students, a video recording from an online session, and six in-depth interviews. The findings provide evidence on learning outcomes, including both knowledge and professional skills (critical thinking, teamwork, and communication skills) towards sustainable development. Three elements of blended case-based learning—student characteristics, educator roles, and design features—are shown to be crucial for learning in accounting for sustainability. Practical implications for accounting educators are discussed.

Electrochemistry for non-electrochemists: a postgraduate formative project

The essential guidelines are presented of a postgraduate course on electrochemistry for master studies at the University of Valencia (Spain). This course has been designed for students with a minimal knowledge of electrochemistry. It is based on laboratory experiments that, starting from an initial theoretical core, promotes the in-laboratory discussion of concepts, operations, functional relations, etc. The course, although focused on voltammetric techniques, covers the main concepts and experimental aspects of electrochemistry and particular attention is put to erroneous conceptions regarding fundamental physicochemical concepts and operations (misconceptions) as well as on general aspects of the scientific methodology (meta-conceptions) around this discipline.

Child health nursing in the Solomon Islands: A qualitative evaluation of the impact of the 'Bachelor of nursing - Child health'.

To explore graduates' perceptions of the impact on nursing practice of a new postgraduate course in child health, developed and implemented in the Solomon Islands in 2016. The Bachelor of Nursing -Child Health was implemented in 2016 to develop nurses' knowledge and skills in child health and paediatric care with the intent to improve national child health outcomes. A qualitative exploratory, descriptive design was used to evaluate the impact of the Bachelor of Nursing -Child Health on graduates' nursing practice. Fourteen nurses who graduated from the first cohort of students enrolled in the child health course were purposively selected to participate. Participants engaged in individual semi-structured interviews, conducted between August and December 2018. A thematic analysis was undertaken following Braun and Clarke's six-phase process. Findings from the study demonstrate positive impacts of the course on graduates' nursing practice. These include a perceived enhanced quality of care through their commitment to evidence-based practice, the ability to contribute to capacity building of colleagues, the reinforcement of provincial public health programmes and expanded participation in managerial activities. Following graduation, most alumni took on senior roles and greater responsibilities, felt more confident in managing unwell children, felt there was better access to and quality of child health care at the community and broader country levels and felt recognised by colleagues and communities. Some graduates faced resistance from colleagues to change practice and felt that despite being given greater responsibilities, nursing levels and salaries remained unchanged. This reflected a potential lack of recognition from hospital or provincial managers, the Nursing Council as the regulatory body for the nursing profession, and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services. A lack of human and material resources also impacted quality of care. Findings from this study underline the need for the Solomon Islands National University, the Nursing Council, the Public Service and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to concord and delineate formal accreditation standards for child health nurses. Overall, collaborative efforts and commitments at local, regional and global levels are required to support child health nurses in their ability and ambition to improve national child health outcomes. Findings from this study demonstrate positive impacts of the course on graduates' nursing practice. The impact of increasing nurses' knowledge and skills on national child health outcomes could be significant. Ongoing implementation and recognition of this course in the Solomon Islands, as well as more broadly across the Pacific region, are recommended.

Interacting through Blogs in Theatre/Drama Education: A Greek Case Study

This paper aims to investigate how digital tools, such as blogs, could be used by drama teachers, already qualified on a Drama teaching postgraduate study course, in teaching Theatre/Drama Education in schools in Greece, and to record the ways in which they could interact through blogging with their students and similarly ways in which their students could interact between themselves. In order to attain this, a small-scale case study was planned and developed, with an interdisciplinary approach. Drama teachers and their students were asked to build and develop their blogs concerning drama and theatre education and then use them in Theatre/Drama lessons. After applying this with their students for some time, drama teachers were asked to express their personal views and perceptions. Their responses showed in general a positive attitude towards the integration and use of blogs in teaching Theatre/Drama courses in schools, because they appear to increase the interactivity between teachers and their students and to provide them both with opportunities to further develop their dramatic and digital skills either within or outside a school environment.

Simplified Procedure for Application of DBE, the Rule of 13 &amp; Nitrogen Rule in Structure Elucidation of Organic Compounds

Abstract: Determination of the exact structure of any compound is extremely critical task. Primarily organic chemistry relies on NMR, IR &amp; Mass spectrometric data. Authors have experienced that introduction of structure elucidation in undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses is helpful for students later in their research career. Based on our experience, this article discusses double bond equivalents, the rule of 13 and the nitrogen rule. We have compared the result of these three rules with real spectroscopic data. This article demonstrates the applicability of double bond equivalents, the rule of 13 and the nitrogen rule in solving compound structures using spectroscopic data. Based on availability of molecular weight or molecular formula, we can predict the possible structure of any organic compound using these concepts. In addition, if we have the spectroscopic data like NMR, IR, Mass spectrometry data and UV spectrophotometry data, we can easily confirm the exact structure. This article will be critical for the all the organic chemist for structure elucidation of organic molecules; however, several spectroscopic data is still required for analyzing the exact structure of any molecule.

Connecting Teaching and Research in Homoeopathy: Why and How?

AbstractLinking teaching with research in any stream is the need of the hour. Homoeopathy, being an integral part of health care delivery system in India and many other countries, goes no exception to it. Both teaching and research are inter-related, dependent and complementary to each other. Without quality teaching, research is like learning without curiosity, or like cataract surgery without restoring visual equity, or like studying Materia Medica without knowledge of Organon of Medicine. Similarly, sans high standard research, teaching in any medical discipline is like searching without direction, or like operating upon a human subject without knowing anatomy. In spite of the fact that some of the teaching institutions have taken up research projects and the outcomes of such research studies have been published in reputed medical journals, yet the quality of such articles needs further improvement. Many homoeopathy research organisations as well as the researchers, on certain aspects, have failed to update with the recent advancements in the field of education. Absence of mandatory provision for conducting research in teaching curriculum at undergraduate (UG) level and lack of proper training on research methodology and biostatistics at postgraduate (PG) level, has led to the non-involvement of academicians and students in research studies. As a result, a void has been created in scientific publications by the faculty and students of homoeopathic colleges. The latest progresses in the field of research are useful for teaching of the individual subjects of UG and PG courses. The academicians as well as the researchers have to sit and discuss across the table the modalities of meaningful integration of teaching and research for mutual benefit. Hence, different facets of connecting teaching and research need to be deliberated upon to find out mutually acceptable solutions.

Imaging in rhabdomyosarcoma: a patient journey

Rhabdomyosarcoma, although rare, is the most frequent soft tissue sarcoma in children and adolescents. It can present as a mass at nearly any site in the body, with most common presentations in the head and neck, genitourinary tract and extremities. The optimal diagnostic approach and management of rhabdomyosarcoma require a multidisciplinary team with multimodal treatment, including chemotherapy and local therapy. Survival has improved over the last decades; however, further improvement in management is essential with current 5-year overall survival ranging from 35% to 100%, depending on disease and patient characteristics. In the full patient journey, from diagnosis, staging, management to follow-up after therapy, the paediatric radiologist and nuclear physician are essential members of the multidisciplinary team. Recently, guidelines of the European paediatric Soft tissue sarcoma Study Group, the Cooperative Weichteilsarkom Studiengruppe and the Oncology Task Force of the European Society of Paediatric Radiology (ESPR), in an ongoing collaboration with the International Soft-Tissue Sarcoma Database Consortium, provided guidance for high-quality imaging. In this educational paper, given as a lecture during the 2022 postgraduate ESPR course, the multi-disciplinary team of our national paediatric oncology centre presents the journey of two patients with rhabdomyosarcoma and discusses the impact on and considerations for the clinical (paediatric) radiologist and nuclear physician. The key learning points of the guidelines and their implementation in clinical practice are highlighted and up-to-date insights provided for all aspects from clinical suspicion of rhabdomyosarcoma and its differential diagnosis, to biopsy, staging, risk stratification, treatment response assessment and follow-up.

Medical emergencies in dental practice: A nationwide web-based survey of Italian dentists

ObjectiveDentists must be prepared to manage medical emergencies, which are arisen during dental practice together with the increase of age population and medically compromised patients. This study aims at assessing the occurrence of medical emergencies in a cohort of Italian dentists, to ascertain their level of confidence in the management of these conditions, also based on their educational training and type of medical graduation, and, finally, to know their educational needs, in order to plan appropriate institutional interventions for specific training. MethodsA national-based cross-sectional study was carried out by means of an online survey sent to all dentists working in Italy. ResultsThe survey included 6818 questionnaires. Most of the respondents (n = 4443; 65.2%) reported the occurrence of at least one medical emergency during their professional life. The events rarely resulted in death as declared by only 62 (0.9%) of respondents. The commonest medical emergency was the vasovagal syndrome. Most medical emergencies occurred during the dental procedure (n = 4883; 71.6%). An average degree of satisfaction about the ability to diagnose and manage medical emergencies was reported by most of respondents, with high level of confidence in treating vasovagal syndrome, while a lack in preparedness about the management of myocardial infarction or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke. Medical doctors were more confident in managing the emergencies than dentistry graduates (p < .01). Considering the educational needs, almost all of participants (n = 6721; 98.6%) declared the need to improve their training and expressed their interest in theoretical-practical institutional courses as well as in the establishment of an official national register for medical emergencies occurred in dental practice. ConclusionsMedical emergencies are not negligible and the dentist should receive adequate training and continuing education to be updated and ready for their correct management. Clinical significanceThe dentist should be ready to deal with medical emergencies and provide first aid to the patient. The dentist is not always prepared to manage the most complex emergencies; therefore, there is the need to organize post-graduate courses and to set up an emergency register.

Knowledge and awareness of physical therapy role in evaluating and treating temporomandibular disorders among physical therapists in Saudi Arabia

BackgroundPractitioners, including physical therapists, are not proficiently trained to evaluate and treat individuals with temporomandibular disorders. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of examining and treating temporomandibular disorders among physical therapists in Saudi Arabia.MethodsAn online questionnaire was distributed to physical therapists on different social media platforms. The survey covered demographics characteristics and knowledge of examining and treating temporomandibular disorders. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis.ResultsA total of 143 participants with a mean of age of 30 (± 6.6) years participated in this study. The majority of participants (n = 109; 76.2%) did not take educational courses on temporomandibular disorders; more than half (n = 84; 58.7%) had never evaluated or treated individuals with temporomandibular disorders. Most physical therapists were aware that they could treat individuals with temporomandibular disorders (n = 121, 84.6%). The most common evaluation methods were temporomandibular joint palpation, jaw movement during opening and closing, and palpation of the masticatory muscles (n = 56, 95%); (n = 49, 83%); (n = 48, 81%), respectively. The common methods used for treatment were therapeutic exercise strengthening, manual therapy, and patient education (n = 49; 83%; n = 46; 78%; n = 33; 56%), respectively. Thirty-one participants (53%) referred patients to other practitioners.ConclusionThis preliminary study indicates there is a fair level of knowledge, low confidence, low education, and low clinical experience for physical therapists in the evaluation and treatment of temporomandibular disorders in Saudi Arabia. More attention is needed on physical therapy education programs and post-graduate education courses on temporomandibular disorders.

Integrating corporate social challenge, learning and innovation in business education

This research sets out to understand the effectiveness of integrating corporate social challenges into MBA syllabi. Our aim was to measure students’ levels of self-efficacy and confidence after completing a social challenge in marketing, as well as gauge the benefit of the challenge for the NGO client who participated in the project. We achieved this through a mixed-methods approach including a survey, focus groups with students, and an in-depth interview with the NGO client. The results show that integrating a corporate social challenge early on in a postgraduate business school course positively impacts student experience and learning outcomes, and allows the NGO client to build on the contributions offered by students. Joining business schools to co-design and leverage on work-related projects with students also provides an opportunity for organizations to tap into a fresh pool of ideas, test run business solutions, collect feedback on pilot studies, and increase brand awareness.