Search

IntroductionOnline education has become a crucial component of teachers’ professional development, and universities incorporate innovative pedagogical approaches to enhance teachers’ training. These approaches have proven invaluable, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the impact of online versus face-to-face learning environments on sleep quality, physical activity, and cognitive functioning among physical education students.MethodsUtilizing a unique methodological approach that combines wrist actigraphy, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery, we provide a comprehensive assessment of these variables. Over 4 weeks, 19 male students participated in alternating online and face-to-face class formats.ResultsOur results reveal no significant differences in sleep quality or cognitive function between learning environments. However, notable findings include significant differences in Paired Associates Learning and weekday step counts in the face-to-face setting.DiscussionThese insights suggest that while online learning environments may not adversely affect sleep or cognitive functions, they could impact certain aspects of physical activity and specific cognitive tasks. These findings contribute to the nuanced understanding of online learning’s implications and can inform the design of educational strategies that promote student well-being.

Abstract Background Across higher education, student retention, progression, and graduation are considered essential elements of students’ academic success. However, there is scarce literature analyzing these attributes across health professions education. The current study aims to explore rates of student retention, progression, and graduation across five colleges of the Health Cluster at Qatar University, and identify predictive factors. Methods Secondary longitudinal data for students enrolled at the Health Cluster between 2015 and 2021 were subject to descriptive statistics to obtain retention, progression and graduation rates. The importance of student demographic and academic variables in predicting retention, progression, or graduation was determined by a predictive model using XGBoost, after preparation and feature engineering. A predictive model was constructed, in which weak decision tree models were combined to capture the relationships between the initial predictors and student outcomes. A feature importance score for each predictor was estimated; features that had higher scores were indicative of higher influence on student retention, progression, or graduation. Results A total of 88% of the studied cohorts were female Qatari students. The rates of retention and progression across the studied period showed variable distribution, and the majority of students graduated from health colleges within a timeframe of 4–7 years. The first academic year performance, followed by high school GPA, were factors that respectively ranked first and second in importance in predicting retention, progression, and graduation of health majors students. The health college ranked third in importance affecting retention and graduation and fifth regarding progression. The remaining factors including nationality, gender, and whether students were enrolled in a common first year experience for all colleges, had lower predictive importance. Conclusions Student retention, progression, and graduation at Qatar University Health Cluster is complex and multifactorial. First year performance and secondary education before college are important in predicting progress in health majors after the first year of university study. Efforts to increase retention, progression, and graduation rates should include academic advising, student support, engagement and communication. Machine learning-based predictive algorithms remain a useful tool that can be precisely leveraged to identify key variables affecting health professions students’ performance.

The study aimed to investigate students’ final grades in a linked course or chain course to determine any effect on students’ academic performance in their next linked course. Courses with high D, F, and W grades were selected with their subsequent linked courses to form a chain so that each chain consisted of two courses or more. More specifically, Arabic ( n = 11,780), English ( n = 7,714), and mathematical ( n = 1,367) chains were investigated through the years 2012 to 2016. High positive correlations between the grades of the chain courses and the transitional grade are C. Factors were examined to identify any effects on final grades. Findings indicate that 60% to 75% of low-performing students in one link of any chain will demonstrate low performance in the following link.

Abstract This study aimed to describe the development and psychometric properties of a questionnaire for Muslim couples and families based on how couples view and experience marital and family issues. A questionnaire was developed based on relevant literature and fine-tuned by a panel of experts. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of 1212 heterosexual Muslim individuals of 389 married couples aged 22–55 years old (overall mean age = 38.15 years, SD = 9.47; husbands’ mean age = 38.25 years, SD = 9.23; wives’ mean age = 38.06, SD = 9.70). The participants were divided into two subsamples for exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and to draw Pearson correlations with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) for validation procedures. The results indicate the strong statistical significance of a 22-item five-factor structure: structural attribute satisfaction, marital harmony, emotional and sexual harmony, spouse’s family communication, and religious matters. The factors were interpreted theoretically and indicate a superior level of internal consistency. The validation process indicates that the questionnaire was appropriate for the targeted population. The validated tool is useful for the assessment of marital and family therapy with Muslim couples and families. The WIFAQ Questionnaire for Muslim Couples and Families (WQMCF) fills a critical gap in the market for a family health indicator that can be used in both local and national populations. In health care settings and organizations that provide services to families, the WQMCF may be an important screener of family and marriage counseling in Muslim couples. Individuals, communities, and nations can all benefit from a stronger understanding of the antecedents and outcomes of family health.

There are several reasons for student academic underperformance, such as academic, personal, and social factors students face when transitioning from high school to higher educational institutions. In this review paper, a systematic literature review is conducted based on the PRISMA strategy; the aim is to analyze the factors that lead to academic underperformance in students. Research from the past three decades, i.e., from 1990 to 2020, is analyzed. Data has been collected by searching two electronic databases, i.e., EBSCO and ScienceDirect. A total of 50 studies were identified after a careful filtration process for this review. The study reviews qualitative and quantitative papers conducted on different institutions, i.e., universities, colleges, and technical institutions. These studies revealed that many factors could impact students' performance; however, four main thematic categories were identified: academic, personal, social, and demographic. The findings of this study will facilitate the use of social strategies and management techniques for students to improve their academic performance and lead to better academic outcomes. The researchers discussed the findings and identified some highlighted management techniques in the reviewed literature. The implications and limitations are also discussed.

Worldwide, university student support services facilitate student performance, contribute to students' success, and increase students' chances of degree completion. Student support services programs' success depends on students' help-seeking behavior. This study explores the help-seeking behavior of Foundation Program and Undergraduate students at Qatar University (QU) through their use of campus services to better understand students' use of these services. The study examines the association between help-seeking behavior, as indicated through services, on student success and persistence in two consecutive semesters, Spring 2019 and Fall 2019. Findings report a significant association between students' services and student success and persistence. A significant difference was reported between at-risk students’ majors and at-risk students in STEM and non-STEM majors. Also, there was a difference in the help-seeking behavior among males and females, nationals and non-nationals, and student classifications.

UNESCO reports enrollment in higher education in the Arab and Gulf Cooperation Council region doubled from 5.1 million in 2000 to 10.7 million in 2015. Despite significant budgets and the world’s lowest teacher-to-student ratio, higher education in this region is plagued by student underachievement. This study identifies academic underachievement factors among undergraduate students at risk at a national university in the GCC. As part of the Intrusive Intervention Program, students were required to complete an Academic Success Plan that delineated academic, personal, social, career, and other academic underachievement reasons. Based on 5,040 students’ responses that indicated their academic underachievement causes, findings reported that students perceived academic factors as the most recurrent reason for academic underachievement. In contrast, social adjustment causes were found to be the least recurrent. Specific causes are reported under each category and discussion is provided against gender, nationality, major, and classification.

Various factors influence the students' perception of universities and university image. This study explores five factors affecting university image among Graduate Alumni. Surveys, administered to 597 graduate alumni were assessed to determine Graduate Alumni perspectives toward their university. Findings revealed that the key factors that impacted graduate alumni affecting the university's image and reputation were gender, nationality, level of study, and the ability of the institution to equip graduates with certain specific skills. Based on these findings, the university should consider further examining these areas to provide a more in-depth understanding of how these factors work to shape graduate students' perspectives of the university and develop ways to address areas that need to be developed and improved.

In the antitumor response, cytotoxic CD8 + T cells and the functional organization of CD4 + T cells play an important role. During this research, a mathematical model is built. In this model, the ability of CD4 + T cells, to trigger the tumor cell population control, is analyzed. The cytokine IFN-gamma is used as a mediator and it is linked with the antitumor action. The computational model simulates the cellular interactions. With the aid of this model, one can visualize the future development in this field, based on recent data. A therapeutic scheme can be proposed, where CD4 + T cells play a “leading role.” Thus the proposed mathematical model can prove to be useful in the field of computational oncology. In this article, we have worked on the dynamical analysis of the developed mathematical model. Furthermore, we have worked on numerical simulations with the aid of smart programming tools for nonlinear systems. The parametric values are evaluated with the aid of the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approximation algorithm. Therefore, the present article illustrates the functional dynamics that occur between CD4 + T cells, cytotoxic CD8 + T cells, and cancer, and provides deeper evaluation of complex personalized treatment strategy.

Background: The Bene-Anthony Family Relations Test (BAFRT) is one of the most widely used measures of family dynamics seen from a child’s perspective. However, the most common issue surrounding this test is the lack of accurate normative scores for use with non-white ethnic groups. The purpose of this study was to examine the BAFRT’s reliability and validity for use with Arab children, as well as to provide normative data for this group. Methods: The BAFRT was translated into Arabic and back-translated to ensure accuracy. The test was administered to a cohort of 394 Arab children, consisting of both cognitively normal children (n = 269) and children diagnosed with a psychological disorder (n = 125), all aged 5–8 years old. Test-retest reliability was assessed using a sub-set of children and validity was tested against clinical status as well as CBCL and SDQ measures. Normative measures were calculated after examining the impact of influencing variables such as age and gender. Results: Statistical analyses showed that in our cohort of Arab children the BAFRT has good test-retest reliability, correlates well with measures of emotional and behavioral adjustment, and discriminates accurately between clinical and non-clinical children. Age, gender, and clinical status all significantly impacted upon BAFRT scores and therefore normative values are presented from our cohort when considering these variables. Conclusion: The normative scores we present will provide researchers and clinicians an appropriate reference point for the comparison of scores from Arab children and a starting point for future research into this area.

Worldwide there is an increase in competition between higher education institutions seeking to ascertain their position in the world ranking, resulting in universities introspectively reflecting on their image and student satisfaction. This is especially the case in the Gulf Cooperation Countries, where there has been significant growth in higher education institutions. This study examines the factors that influence Qatar University’s image among undergraduate students and predicts factors impacting students’ satisfaction, influencing the university’s image. Results from 2,618 students’ responses to a 57-item student satisfaction questionnaire indicate that the university’s services are factors that influence students’ view of QU, and the students’ satisfaction directly contributes to a positive perception of Qatar University. The impact of university services on students’ perception of QU is further discussed based on gender, nationality, student classification, and major.

Research has established that class attendance and High School Grade Point Average (HSGPA) play a significant role in student academic success in higher education. The study uses census data and records of 969 undergraduate students at Qatar University to investigate the impact of HSGPA, attendance, and socio-demographic factors on academic performance in higher education in DFW courses (grades D, F, or withdrawal). Findings indicate that increased attendance decreases the likelihood of getting DFW, and there was a strong negative relationship between high-school performance and the probability of getting DFW. This study highlights the importance of class attendance in a four-year institution and that high school academic performance acts as a foundation for their performance in a higher educational institute. These findings open pathways for modifications of institutional policies governing institutional academic decisions.

Streamflow is associated with several sources on nonstationaries and hence developing machine learning (ML) models is always the motive to provide a reliable methodology to understand the actual mechanism of streamflow. The current research was devoted to generating monthly streamflows from annual streamflow. In this study, three different ML models were applied for this purpose, including Multiple Additive Regression Trees (MART), Group Methods of Data Handling (GMDH), and Gene Expression Programming (GEP). The models were developed based on annual streamflow and monthly time index of three rivers (i.e., Upper Zab, Lower Zab, and Diyala) located in the north region of Iraq. The modeling results indicated an optimistic simulation for generating the monthly streamflow time series from annual streamflow time series. The potential of the MART model was superior to the GMDH and GEP models for Upper Zab River (R2 0.84, 0.64, and 0.47), Lower Zab River (R2 0.75, 0.46, and 0.40), and Diyala River (R2 0.78, 0.42, and 0.5). The results of RMSE were 113, 169, and 208 for Upper Zab River, 95, 149, and 0.5 for Lower Zab River, and 73, 118, and 109 for Diyala River. The results have proved the possibility of changing the timescale in generating streamflow data.

Tobacco smoking is widespread behavior in Qatar and worldwide and is considered one of the major preventable causes of ill health and death. Nicotine is part of tobacco smoke that causes numerous health risks and is incredibly addictive; it binds to the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) in the brain. Recent studies showed α7nAChR involvement in the initiation and addiction of smoking. Kynurenic acid (KA), a significant tryptophan metabolite, is an antagonist of α7nAChR. Inhibition of kynurenine 3-monooxygenase enzyme encoded by KMO enhances the KA levels. Modulating KMO gene expression could be a useful tactic for the treatment of tobacco initiation and dependence. Since KMO regulation is still poorly understood, we aimed to investigate the 5′ and 3′-regulatory factors of KMO gene to advance our knowledge to modulate KMO gene expression. In this study, bioinformatics methods were used to identify the regulatory sequences associated with expression of KMO. The displayed differential expression of KMO mRNA in the same tissue and different tissues suggested the specific usage of the KMO multiple alternative promoters. Eleven KMO alternative promoters identified at 5′-regulatory region contain TATA-Box, lack CpG Island (CGI) and showed dinucleotide base-stacking energy values specific to transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs). The structural features of regulatory sequences can influence the transcription process and cell type-specific expression. The uncharacterized LOC105373233 locus coding for non-coding RNA (ncRNA) located on the reverse strand in a convergent manner at the 3′-side of KMO locus. The two genes likely expressed by a promoter that lacks TATA-Box harbor CGI and two TFBSs linked to the bidirectional transcription, the NRF1, and ZNF14 motifs. We identified two types of microRNA (miR) in the uncharacterized LOC105373233 ncRNA, which are like hsa-miR-5096 and hsa-miR-1285-3p and can target the miR recognition element (MRE) in the KMO mRNA. Pairwise sequence alignment identified 52 nucleotides sequence hosting MRE in the KMO 3′ UTR untranslated region complementary to the ncRNA LOC105373233 sequence. We speculate that the identified miRs can modulate the KMO expression and together with alternative promoters at the 5′-regulatory region of KMO might contribute to the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm for tobacco smoking.

Cancer is a significant health problem in the Middle East and global population. It is well established that there is a direct link between tobacco smoking and cancer, which will continue to pose a significant threat to human health. The impact of long-term exposure to tobacco smoke on the risk of cancer encouraged the study of biomarkers for vulnerable individuals to tobacco smoking, especially children, who are more susceptible than adults to the action of environmental carcinogens. The carcinogens in tobacco smoke condensate induce DNA damage and play a significant role in determining the health and well-being of smokers, non-smoker, and primarily children. Cancer is a result of genomic and epigenomic malfunctions that lead to an initial premalignant condition. Although premalignancy genetic cascade is a much-delayed process, it will end with adverse health consequences. In addition to the DNA damage and mutations, tobacco smoke can cause changes in the DNA methylation and gene expression associated with cancer. The genetic events hint on the possible use of genomic–epigenomic changes in genes related to cancer, in predicting cancer risks associated with exposure to tobacco smoking. Bioinformatics provides indispensable tools to identify the cascade of expressed genes in active smokers and non-smokers and could assist the development of a framework to manage this cascade of events linked with the evolvement of disease including cancer. The aim of this mini review is to cognize the essential genomic processes and health risks associated with tobacco smoking and the implications of bioinformatics in cancer prediction, prevention, and intervention.

Introduction: Sleep quality among university students is crucial for academic success and overall well-being. This study investigated the discrepancies between subjective and objective sleep assessment in university students and explored associated factors. Method: A total of 19 male university students (mean age: 25 ± 3 years; mean weight: 79.36 ± 15.18 kg; mean height: 1.77 ± 0.09 m; mean body mass index: 25.09 ± 3.99) participated, providing subjective self-reports and objective measurements of sleep quality. Actigraphy was utilized to objectively assess sleep patterns. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and a linear mixed-effects model to examine associations between subjective and objective sleep measures and academic performance. Results: Significant associations between subjective and objective sleep measures were found, with higher academic performance linked to better sleep efficiency. However, subjective sleep quality metrics did not significantly predict sleep efficiency. Objective measures, such as total sleep time and wake after sleep onset, were significant predictors of sleep efficiency. Discussion: These findings underscore the importance of subjective and objective sleep assessments in understanding sleep quality among university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Test-item bias has become an increasingly challenging issue in statistics and education. A popular method, the Mantel-Haenszel test, is used for detecting non-uniform differential item functioning (DIF) but requires constructing several performance tiers to maintain robustness. The alternative Mantel-Haenszel (AMH) test was developed within the last three decades as a proxy procedure requiring only two scoring tiers. However, there needs to be more information on how essential factors like comparison group sizes and question discrimination affect its ability to detect bias. This study investigates how item difficulty and discrimination and the examined ratio between the focal and reference groups impact the likelihood of the AMH test detecting DIF. A comprehensive simulation study was conducted where the test scores were generated under three conditions. There are three commonly used difficulty levels (easy, medium, and hard), two discrimination levels (referred to as 'low' and 'high'), and three group comparison ratios (1:1, 2:1, and 5:1). The simulation study showed the AMH test's detection rates comparable to those of other standardized procedures like the Breslow-Day (BD) and even better. The current study aims to investigate and determine the factors that affect AMH test detection behavior. The study concludes with an application involving collegiate-level test data comparing students across genders and majors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear mixed models are essential for data analysis due to their versatility and adaptability to many research objectives and data formats. Testing misspecification is crucial to selecting a working nonlinear model. A useful and simpler model is often chosen using variance component tests. Nonlinear models are rarely studied in the literature, unlike linear models, which have numerous successful test development attempts. The latter test requires linearity between the answer and the explanatory factors. Thus, we use an existing linearization technique to build a linear model using pseudo-responses. If random effects were needed in the original nonlinear mixed model, the pseudo-responses vector inherits a mixed linear model representation. Simulation experiments and an application to a real-world bioassay data set evaluate this permutation test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Online education has become a crucial component of teachers' professional development, and universities incorporate innovative pedagogical approaches to enhance teachers' training. These approaches have proven invaluable, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the impact of online versus face-to-face learning environments on sleep quality, physical activity, and cognitive functioning among physical education students. Methods: Utilizing a unique methodological approach that combines wrist actigraphy, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery, we provide a comprehensive assessment of these variables. Over 4 weeks, 19 male students participated in alternating online and face-to-face class formats. Results: Our results reveal no significant differences in sleep quality or cognitive function between learning environments. However, notable findings include significant differences in Paired Associates Learning and weekday step counts in the face-to-face setting. Discussion: These insights suggest that while online learning environments may not adversely affect sleep or cognitive functions, they could impact certain aspects of physical activity and specific cognitive tasks. These findings contribute to the nuanced understanding of online learning's implications and can inform the design of educational strategies that promote student well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Across higher education, student retention, progression, and graduation are considered essential elements of students' academic success. However, there is scarce literature analyzing these attributes across health professions education. The current study aims to explore rates of student retention, progression, and graduation across five colleges of the Health Cluster at Qatar University, and identify predictive factors. Methods: Secondary longitudinal data for students enrolled at the Health Cluster between 2015 and 2021 were subject to descriptive statistics to obtain retention, progression and graduation rates. The importance of student demographic and academic variables in predicting retention, progression, or graduation was determined by a predictive model using XGBoost, after preparation and feature engineering. A predictive model was constructed, in which weak decision tree models were combined to capture the relationships between the initial predictors and student outcomes. A feature importance score for each predictor was estimated; features that had higher scores were indicative of higher influence on student retention, progression, or graduation. Results: A total of 88% of the studied cohorts were female Qatari students. The rates of retention and progression across the studied period showed variable distribution, and the majority of students graduated from health colleges within a timeframe of 4–7 years. The first academic year performance, followed by high school GPA, were factors that respectively ranked first and second in importance in predicting retention, progression, and graduation of health majors students. The health college ranked third in importance affecting retention and graduation and fifth regarding progression. The remaining factors including nationality, gender, and whether students were enrolled in a common first year experience for all colleges, had lower predictive importance. Conclusions: Student retention, progression, and graduation at Qatar University Health Cluster is complex and multifactorial. First year performance and secondary education before college are important in predicting progress in health majors after the first year of university study. Efforts to increase retention, progression, and graduation rates should include academic advising, student support, engagement and communication. Machine learning-based predictive algorithms remain a useful tool that can be precisely leveraged to identify key variables affecting health professions students' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]