Self-reported preferences and barriers to continued professional development in primary care physicians: a cross-sectional web-based survey in Qatar.

Introduction: High quality and effective primary healthcare is a national priority in Qatar. Continuing professional development (CPD) for physicians is a cornerstone of this objective, yet little is known about physicians' preferences or barriers to CPD participation.

Method: A needs assessment was conducted using a cross-sectional web-based survey of primary care physicians registered with the Department of Healthcare Practitioners (DHP) between March and June 2017.

Views of medical residents on a research training program: A qualitative study.

Introduction: The American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) developed the Fellowship and Residency Research Program (FRRP) to provide residents and clinical fellows with a supervised and structured research experience. The objective of this study was to explore the views of FRRP participants about the training program and how to enhance it.

Methods: In 2018, we conducted a qualitative study targeting residents where we invited potential participants through email and via snowball sampling.

Cytochrome c oxidase-modulatory near-infrared light penetration into the human brain: Implications for the noninvasive treatment of ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Near-infrared light (IRL) has been evaluated as a therapeutic for a variety of pathological conditions, including ischemia/reperfusion injury of the brain, which can be caused by an ischemic stroke or cardiac arrest. Strategies have focused on modulating the activity of mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) enzyme cytochrome c oxidase (COX), which has copper centers that broadly absorb IRL between 700 and 1,000 nm. We have recently identified specific COX-inhibitory IRL wavelengths that are profoundly neuroprotective in rodent models of brain ischemia/reperfusion through the following mechanism: COX inhibition by IRL limits mitochondrial membrane potential hyperpolarization during reperfusion, which otherwise causes reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell death.

Perception, attitude, practice and barriers towards medical research among undergraduate students.

Background: Early exposure to medical research, specifically at the undergraduate level, contributes in building a solid medical education for students. In 2014, the Medical Research Volunteer Program (MRVP) was established at the American University of Beirut (AUB). This program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to be involved in ongoing medical research projects, on a voluntary basis.

Cytochrome c phosphorylation: Control of mitochondrial electron transport chain flux and apoptosis.

Cytochrome c (Cytc)is a cellular life and death decision molecule that regulates cellular energy supply and apoptosis through tissue specific post-translational modifications. Cytc is an electron carrier in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) and thus central for aerobic energy production. Under conditions of cellular stress, Cytc release from the mitochondria is a committing step for apoptosis, leading to apoptosome formation, caspase activation, and cell death.