Antioxidant potential of various extracts of Cassia fistula was determined by the DPPH, FRAP, Fe³⁺ reducing power, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay. Methanolic extracts of Cassia fistula showed the highest amount of phenolic and flavonoid content and reducing capacity, whereas hexane extracts exhibited the lowest level of reducing capacity. The order of antioxidant activity in Cassia fistula extracts displayed from higher to lower level as methanolic extracts of pulp, methanolic extracts of seed, hexane extracts of pulp, and hexane extracts of seed. The antioxidant potential of Cassia fistula extracts significantly correlated () with the phenolic content of the methanolic extracts. Ascorbic acid taken as control showed highest antioxidant power in the present study.

Aims: To explore physical activity (PA) habits among the medical students and examine the correlation with their grade point average (GPA) achievement at College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the medical students (n = 409), during the academic year 2012–2013. Students’ physical activity habits were self-reported. GPA, body mass index (BMI) and body fat percent (BF%) were collected and analyzed with SPSS software. Results: Out of 409 students, 193 (47.2%) students reported being physically active. Our result showed a significant positive association between students’ PA habits and high-GPA achievement (χ²= 10.65, p = 0.001). The greatest odds ratio of high GPA was found among the fourth year students (OR = 3.08, CI: 1.15–8.28, p = 0.025) and fifth year students (OR = 5.07, CI: 1.48–17.31, p = 0.010). In addition, significant association was found between the normal BMI and high-GPA achievers (χ²= 8.30; p = 0.016). However, no statistically, significant association was found between BF% and GPA. Conclusions: The present study showed a positive associations was found between PA habits and high academic achievement. In addition, positive association was found between PA, obese students and GPA achievement. Therefore, there is a need for the establishment of physical activity education and public health programs to promote importance of PA in Saudi population.

The aim of this study was to assess the utility of long term faculty development programs (FDPs) in order to improve the quality of multiple choice questions (MCQs) items' writing. This was a quasi-experimental study, conducted with newly joined faculty members. The MCQ items were analyzed for difficulty index, discriminating index, reliability, Bloom's cognitive levels, item writing flaws (IWFs) and MCQs' nonfunctioning distractors (NFDs) based test courses of respiratory, cardiovascular and renal blocks. Significant improvement was found in the difficulty index values of pre- to post-training (p = 0.003). MCQs with moderate difficulty and higher discrimination were found to be more in the post-training tests in all three courses. Easy questions were decreased from 36.7 to 22.5%. Significant improvement was also reported in the discriminating indices from 92.1 to 95.4% after training (p = 0.132). More number of higher cognitive level of Bloom's taxonomy was reported in the post-training test items (p<0.0001). Also, NFDs and IWFs were reported less in the post-training items (p<0.02). The MCQs written by the faculties without participating in FDPs are usually of low quality. This study suggests that newly joined faculties need active participation in FDPs as these programs are supportive in improving the quality of MCQs' items writing.

(2014). Research methodology workshops evaluation using the Kirkpatrick’s model: Translating theory into practice. Medical Teacher: Vol. 36, No. sup1, pp. S24-S29.

Background: Medical science is perceived as a stressful educational career, and medical students experience monstrous stress during their undergraduate studies, internship, and residency training, which affects their cognitive function, practical life, and patient care. In the present study, an assessment of the prevalence of self-perceived stress among new medical graduates during their internship training has been performed, and correlations of self-perceived stress with sex, marital status, and clinical rotations have been evaluated. Patients and methods: Interns of the King Khalid, King Abdulaziz, and King Fahd University hospitals in Saudi Arabia were invited to complete a stress inventory known as the Kessler 10, which is used for stress measurement. Apart from stress evaluation, the questionnaire collected personal data, such as age, sex, and marital status, in addition to information relevant to hospital training, assigned duties, and clinical training rotations. Results: Our results showed that nearly 73.0% of interns were under stressed conditions. Most of the interns were affected by a severe level of stress (34.9%), followed by mild (19.3%) and moderate (18.8%) levels of stress. The stress level was significantly higher (84.0%) among female interns in comparison with male interns (66.5%) (odds ratio =2.64; confidence interval =1.59–4.39; P<0.0002). There were statistically significant differences between the percentages of male and female interns (P≤0.047) at mild, moderate, and severe stress levels. Marital status had no role in causing stress. The highest stress level was reported by interns during the clinical rotations of medicine (78.8%), followed by surgery (74.7%), pediatrics (72.4%), obstetrics and gynecology (70.1%), and emergency (58.3%). The prevalence of stress among the interns and their corresponding clinical rotations in all three hospitals had significant linear correlations (r≥0.829, P≤0.041). Conclusion: We found a significantly high level of stress among the medical interns. High stress may have negative effects on cognitive functioning, learning, and patient care. Hence, medical interns need support and subsequent interventions to cope with stress.