Benghazi University Research Articles

The Impact of Distance Education on Teaching Reading and Writing Skills: A Study among First Semester Students at the Faculty of Languages at Benghazi University

During the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty members and students had to leave theirclassrooms and move into online education contexts. This study has attempted to explorethe effect of distance education on reading and writing skills among first semesterstudents at English department, faculty of languages at Benghazi University. To do so,firstly, the starting point was comparing students' performance on two tests one after faceto face teaching and the other after online teaching. Then a semi structured interviewswere conducted with 20 students who were chosen randomly to understand the reasonsbehind their performance. Using Thematic Analysis (TA), students’ responses weretranscribed, codified, and interpreted. The findings of TA revealed that along with severaldisadvantages and challenges that students experienced in distance education with regardto learning English reading and writing skills, distance learning provided someopportunities and benefits for their learning. The study also provided some solutionsregarding online challenges.

Dental Notation System Used in Dental Teaching in Different Dental Collages

The aim of this study was to find the most commonly used Tooth Numbering System to teach and learn in dental collages in various universities (Benghazi University, Omar Mukhtar University and Libyan International Medical University) by both academic staff and fourth year dental students, to identify the most commonly taught TNS in different dental colleges, to understand the reason why dental staff prefer to use a specific TNS, and the consequences of using more than one TNS. This cross-sectional study was conducted within the dental collages of various Medical Universities. The questionnaire containing 11 questions was randomly distributed to 120 individuals (60 deans of academic staff and 50 fourth year dental students). The palmer notation system was the most commonly used to teach and learn by academic staff and dental students in teaching and practiced in dental collages, while the universal notation system was the least used to teach and learn by academic staff and dental students. As well as the most TNS preferred to use by academic staff and dental students in operative, oral surgery departments and orthodontic department in academic teaching was the palmer notation system while the least TNS use was universal notation system. The Palmer TNS proved to be the most taught TNS in dental colleges in different University. It is advised that the Palmer TNS be implemented as a unified system in my country, due to the advantages of this particular TNS and the benefits of using one single TNS.

Infection Control Attitude, Knowledge and Awareness Level Among Dental Students and Interns in the Removable Prosthodontic Department at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Benghazi, Libya

Background: Dental students have increased patient contact during their education and clinical practice, putting them, their patient population and Dental Health Care Workers (DHCW) at high risk of cross-infection. Awareness of infection control principles may help in preventing disease transmission; therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of infection control knowledge, attitude, and practice among dental students and interns in a removable prosthodontic department at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Benghazi, Libya. Materials and Methods: In May 2023, we distributed questionnaires containing 33 items to interns, 3rd-year, and 4th-year dental students at the faculty. The questions covered topics such as hepatitis B vaccination, use of personal protective barriers, knowledge of infection control protocols, and practice in the removable prosthodontic department of the faculty. Descriptive statistics were recorded using frequency and percentages. Differences in proportions were assessed using the Chi-square and Fisher exact test. All statistical analyses were performed at a p-value less than 0.05. Results: A total of four hundred and ten (410) participants responded to the questionnaire. Around 21.5% of the students had completed their hepatitis B vaccination, while 41.2% had never been vaccinated. Regarding the self-reported use of protective barriers, intern students showed a significantly higher score than did other study groups (P <0.001). Moreover, the vast majority of 3rd year students reported never wearing eyewear, a face shield, or the head cap (73.2%), (81.1%), or (70.1%), respectively. About two-thirds of intern students (69.4%) showed positive attitudes toward the treatment of patients with infectious diseases. Conclusion: This study showed moderate compliance to infection control procedures among the participants, they have limited orientation and knowledge of the infection control guidelines and policies. Despite a positive attitude toward infection control measures, proper infection control practices were not consistently followed. Consequently, it is essential to take action to ensure that students understand the critical importance of practicing cross-infection control. Higher education institutions should implement effective solutions to address this issue.

Assay the effect of antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plant extracts against some Bacteria may Causing Urinary Tract Infection

Over population are using herbal medicines, Plant medicines may be beneficial, but are not completely harmless. This study was conducted in microbiology labs. Of art and science faculty - al-marj - university of Benghazi. The purpose of this study was to assay the effect of antimicrobial activity of warm Aqueous and ethanol solvent of Thymus vulgaris, Globularia alypium, Phagnalon rupestre L. and Peganum harmala Extracts against different microbial isolates of pathogenic bacteria gram negative (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella penomniae), and gram positive Staphylococcus aureus that may Causing Urinary tract Infection. All isolates were identified at educational El marj Hospital. The results obtained showed a significant inhibiting effect of the ethanolic and warm Aqueous extracts against both gram negative and gram positive bacteria were studied. The results were shown that the effect of Thymus vulgaris, Globularia alypium, and Phagnalonrupestre L., and Peganum harmala of water and ethanol extract tested with various concentrations appeared stimulations effect on the growth rate of bacteria tested.

An Analysis of the Problems Encountering Libyan Pre-service Translators in the Faculty of Arts, the University of Benghazi, in Translating Arabic Texts into English

This paper aims to explore the deficiencies that translation students encounter when transferring texts from their L1, Arabic, into English, their L2. They make mistakes when they translate in terms of syntactic, non-equivalent lexical, and synonymy errors. Another aim of this study is to review the literature focusing on the interference of the translator’s L1 in the translation process and therefore its impact on the translation outputs. In order to investigate this interference, we have collected five Arabic sentences from the internet. Ten randomly students of English were chosen as a sample of this study from Semester four at the University of Benghazi (El-Marj Campus). They were asked to translate these sentences into English without consulting other people. Only Arabic-English dictionaries were allowed in order to see how they could deal with them. The results of this investigation showed that these students failed to provide good translations of these sentences due to the interference of their mother language, Arabic, to the translation process.

Level of Strategic Planning Needs of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Members at Benghazi University

This study aims to determine the level of strategic planning needs among faculty members at the faculty of Arts and Sciences Al-Abyar at Benghazi University. It aims to assertively identify any statistically significant differences in strategic planning needs based on gender, job title, and type of degree obtained. The study utilized descriptive research and employed a questionnaire as its primary instrument. The Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.90 indicates high internal consistency. The study sample consisted of 61 members from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Al-Abyar, Benghazi University, representing 60% of the study population. The study's results indicate that the level of identification of planning needs among members in the Faculty is medium. Furthermore, there were no statistically significant differences in the level of strategic planning needs of faculty members attributable to gender. Also, there were no statistically significant differences in the level of strategic planning needs among faculty members regardless of their job title or type of degree. The challenges and issues facing Benghazi University strategic plan are complex and require a multifaceted and collaborative approach from all stakeholders, including the faculty members across all colleges and research centers.

Role of ortho-pantho-graphic X-ray in the diagnosis of osteoporosis

Background: Osteoporosis affects people, especially old age, as postmenopausal women and remains unnoticeable until the patient presents with a fracture. Osteoporosis in human begins started with the loss of bone mass that increases with age, this is related to the decrease in bone density and an increase in porosity that will cause fractures in this osteoporotic bone. Objective was to assess the usefulness of orthopanthographic (OPG) in the early detection of osteoporosis. Methods: This is an analytic across-sectional test validation study, was done in Hawari Hospital-Benghazi, Libya which considered a referral General Hospital affiliated with University of Benghazi. This study was done during a period from March 2022 to July 2023. Sixty women were selected, divided into osteoporotic and non osteoporotic groups depending on the clinical and laboratory investigations under the supervision of an orthopedic consultant in the outpatient clinic. Panoramic radiographic X-rays were taken for evaluation and estimation of the mandibular cortex on the basis of (Mental index, Klemetti index, and Panoramic mandibular index) as a diagnostic tool to differentiate normal from osteoporotic patient, all three indices correlated significantly with bone mineral density and used as useful indicators for detected the osteopenia and osteoporosis. Results: We calculated values of the three indices (Mental index, Klemetti index, and Panoramic mandibular index) values were low especially in the osteoporotic group, as well the values of mental index and panoramic mandibular index were low compared with low bone mineral density of the patient and klemetti index with: C2, C3 categories (moderate and severe erosion) most common observed in the osteoporotic patient. Conclusions: Orthopanthographic X-rays provide a valuable tool for early detection and assessment of osteoporosis (preclinical stage) especially when characterized by a decrease in bone mineral density.

Prevalence of External Root Resorption in Second Molar Associated with Impacted Mandibular Third Molars: A Radiographic Study

Background: Mandibular third molars are the most frequently encountered impacted teeth in dental surgery cases. Impactions could be caused by differences in crown size, later development of roots, reduced skeletal growth and lack of space. If untreated, an impacted tooth can lead to a number of problems, including external root resorption, which is frequently observed in mandibular second molars. The current study was designed to investigate the prevalence of root resorption of mandibular second molar caused by impacted mandibular third molar. METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational study using panoramic radiographs obtained from December 2019 to February 2022 from of patients who visited the Dental Clinic of the University of Benghazi. All radiographs were assessed about presence, location and severity of external root resorption of second molar. Positions of the impacted third molars were classified using two classification systems Pell, Gregory's and Winter classification. Data were tabulated and analyzed using Chi Square test; P value was set at 0.05. RESULTS: Panoramic radiographs of 434 patients were examined that consisted of 244 (56.2%) female and 190 (43.7%) male. The prevalence of external root resorption of second molar was 213(49%). The severity of resorption was categorized as slight (70.4%), moderate (17.8%), and severe (11.7%), most of them was located at cervical third. External root resorption was proportionally higher in the impacted teeth with class B (50.2%) and mesio-angular positions (62.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of external root resorption of mandibular second molars caused by Impacted third molars was high in this study especially in males. Mandibular third molars with a greater potential to cause the adjacent second molar's external root resorption were those in class B position according to Pell and Gregory classification and in mesioangular position regarding Winter classification. Keywords: Panoramic, Radiograph, Root resorption, second molar, third molar, Impacted.

The Difficulties of Online Teaching and Learning English Language during the Covid19 in the Faculty of Languages at Benghazi University

This study reveals the difficulties that undergraduate university students and lecturers encounter in distance learning during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This shift to online education has led to tension among students and faculty members. The study was based on a sample of students and lecturers in the English department at the faculty of languages in Benghazi university. This research investigates students and lectures views on online education. It focuses on students and lecturers’ obstacles and whether they found any advantages in online education. This research followed a qualitative approach and analyzed thirty students and fifteen lecturers’ views through interviews. The analysis of the interviews showed that both students and their lecturers faced a lot of obstacles during online teaching and learning. These obstacles and weaknesses overweighed the advantages. This implies that both groups preferred face-to face teaching and learning and find it more authentic and affordable.

The Obstacles Facing Educational Security in the Faculties of Education at University of Benghazi from the Perspective of Faculty Members

This study aimed to identify the obstacles facing educational security in the faculties of education at the University of Benghazi from the perspective of faculty members. To achieve the goals of this study, the authors used the analytical descriptive method; the study sample consisted of (103) faculty members. The authors used the questionnaire as the instrument to collect data, which consisted of (25) statements divided into two parts: (obstacles to the educational process and obstacles to the surrounding environment). The results show that the most significant obstacles facing educational security are (the lack of a clear educational philosophy that highlights the importance and value of educational security, weak interest in the faculty members and their status as the lofty value in society, a decline in the role of the family and its preoccupation with living life, the cultural and value dependency that our society experiences, and the cultural conflict to which it is exposed). The results also confirmed that there is no difference in the responses of the sample members towards the obstacles facing educational security in faculties of education according to the variables of gender and academic qualification of faculty members. The authors applied suitable statistical methods in this study. At the end of the study, the authors came out with many results and stated a number of recommendations.

Prevalence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms Among Medical Students at University of Benghazi

Aim: To determine the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome among medical students at the University of Benghazi using Rome IV criteria, and to compare the results between students based on their gender and academic year, whether basic (from the first to the third year) or clinical (fourth and fifth years).
 Material and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was carried out among medical students at the University of Benghazi using Rome IV criteria. Data was collected from June 10th, 2022, to August 31st, 2022, and a semi-structured questionnaire was used. The sample included students from the first year to the fifth year of medicine.
 Results: This study included data from 381 medical students, whose ages ranged from 19 to 39. The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome was found to be 16.01%. Our study found no association between IBS symptoms and gender (p = 0.79). Additionally, no association was observed between IBS symptoms and academic year (p = 0.076), coffee consumption (p = 0.4), as well as smoking (p = 0.9).
 Conclusion: The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome was more observed in females in this study; however, we did not find a significant statistical difference between males and females in the prevalence of IBS. Additionally, there was no significant statistical difference in the prevalence of IBS among medical students whether they were in their basic years or clinical years. Furthermore, in our study, IBS was related neither to coffee nor to cigarette smoking.

Teaching French as a Foreign Language at the University of Benghazi During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study

Teaching French as a Foreign Language at the University of Benghazi During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study

Evaluation of Intern Students Knowledge of Complete Denture Impression Practice in Benghazi University

Objectives: The aim of treatment with complete denture is to restore function and esthetics and maintain patient health. Making an accurate impression is a very critical factor for success or failure of the complete dentures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge of intern dental students about procedures followed in impression practice for complete denture construction in the city of Benghazi.
 Materials and method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was done amongst dental intern students in Benghazi city, Libya. A total of 120 students were selected randomly. A survey was conducted through a printed standard questionnaire with 13 multiple-choice questions, only 81 questionnaires returned. Data from the completed questionnaires were collected and analyzed, the statistical analysis was done using SPSS statistical software version 23 (SPSS, IBM, Armonk, NY, USA).
 Results: Low knowledge scores were found regarding the final impression material, the tray fabrication steps (spacer and relieve holes) and the timing of previous denture discontinuation prior to the primary impression step. Also, a low level of knowledge was found regarding the stage of posterior palatal seal establishment. The scores for all the questions were calculated and tabulated; the scores 1,2 and 3 are low knowledge (57%), good knowledge (43%) and excellent knowledge 0% respectively.
 Conclusion: The percentage of low knowledge level was significantly higher than expected, as observed in the overall results indicating that there are procedures and information about complete denture impression practice that remains unknown to the interns, which influence the denture satisfaction of the patient. Changes in the undergraduate education system to focus on these aspects may facilitate the interns to gain more knowledge regarding complete denture impression procedures especially final impression.

A Histopathological Study of the Breast Cancer Cases Registered at Benghazi Medical Center from 2016 to 2018

Background: Breast cancer (BRC) is the second most common cancer in the world, the most frequent cancer among women, and the leading cause of cancer death in females worldwide. Aims to study the pattern of breast cancer in all the patients who were presented to the Oncology Department at Benghazi Medical Center (BMC) from various parts of eastern Libya from the 1st of January 2016 to the 31st of December 2018. Subjects and Methods: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional and histopathological study to determine the frequency of the (BRC) malignancy type, in addition to stages and age groups. The data was collected from the Oncology Department at Benghazi Medical Center which receives cancer patients from Benghazi and the whole eastern part of Libya. Data was also collected from the Pathology Department at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Benghazi and Alnon, a private laboratory. There were 515 registered patients with breast cancer including demographic and clinic-pathological data. The data was analyzed using the SPSS Program Version 20. Results: Out of 515 breast cancer patients registered at the Oncology Department (BMC), geographically 66% were from Benghazi, followed by Albaida at 9.1%. Conclusion: The majority of cases were between 46 and 56 years old. Invasive ductal carcinoma was diagnosed among most of the cases, (Grade II and stage III. Most of the breast cancer cases collected from BMC were from Benghazi, frequency is higher among the age range (46-56) and most cases were Stage III, and grade II. Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most predominant histopathological type. Most cases were HER2 negative, ER positive and PR positive, and most cases had Ki-67 levels (21- 40%).

The accounting profession in Libya in light of the COVID 19 pandemicFrom the point of view of faculty members in Libyan universities

This study aimed to identify the impact of the Corona pandemic on the accounting profession in Libya and whether the accounting profession has adapted, avoiding any other pandemic in the future, and to show the extent to which the establishment is able to continue in light of the Corona pandemic, and to achieve the goal of the research, the descriptive analytical approach was used, the study sample was limited to the 65 members of the teaching staff in the Department of Accounting, University of Benghazi, The results of the statistical tests showed a statistically significant impact of the Corona pandemic on the accounting profession in Libya.

Medical Students' Performances Using Different Assessment Methods during the Final Examination in Internal Medicine at the University of Benghazi, Libya

Background Distinctive evaluation tools assess diverse fields of learning that considerably impact the learning process. Objective To compare and correlate the performances of undergraduate final year medical students in written, clinical, and viva examinations in the subject of internal medicine. Methods This is a retrospective study. After authority approval, data was collected from final year examination results during 2019 to 2020. All the students of the medical school at University of Benghazi were included in this study. Their gender and their written, clinical, viva, and total scores were included. Data were coded and transferred from Excel to SPSS version 24 and expressed as frequencies and percentages. Chi-squared analysis was performed to test for differences in the proportions of categorical variables between two or more groups. Odd ratio (OR) is used to calculate the odds of passing the subject based on scores in different types of exams. Person's correlation (R) is used to evaluate the consistency of students' performances in different examinations. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered the cut-off value of significant. Results The total number of students was 679, out of which 499 (73.5%) were females and 180 (26.5%) were males. The total number of students who passed the course was 422 (62%) with no significant differences between males and females. A statistically significant (p < 0.001) greater percentage of students achieved a passing score in clinical assessment (502 [73.9%]), followed by viva assessment (458.0 [67.5%]). The students performed the worse in written examination with only 291/679 (43%) students passing the examination, with no gender-based differences. There was a highly significant association between the total score of students who passed the subject and their scores in the written examination with an OR of 2.3 (p < 0.001). Viva examination and total score OR was 0.79 with no significant differences for males or females. On the contrary, there was a statistically significant negative association between clinical exams and total scores of students who passed the subject (OR = 0.58). There was a highly significant correlation (p < 0.001) between written examination and viva examination (R = 0.638), between written examination and clinical examination (R = 0.629), and between clinical and viva examinations (R = 0.763). Conclusion Students demonstrated higher performance on clinical and viva exams compared with written exams. Additionally, there were no notable disparities in results between male and female students across any of the three exam types. The written exam served as the most reliable indicator of a student's success in the subject. Furthermore, the data revealed a positive correlation between scores on the different exam formats, indicating that students exhibited consistent performance across all modes of evaluation.

The Effect of Using Cooperative Learning Method in Enhancing EFL Students’ Performance in Speaking Skill in Libyan Universities: A Case Study of Benghazi University

This study aims to investigate the effect of using the Cooperative Learning Method in the EFL classroom to enhance students’ performance in speaking skill in Libyan Universities. This study endeavored to investigate how possible for EFL students’ performance in speaking skills can be augmented through Cooperative Learning Method. The author applied the quasi-experimental method, which was classified into two groups, an experimental group and a control group. 50 students were used as a sample for this study, and the sample was taken by using the purposive sampling method. The results indicated that the students obtained fair scores in the pre-test. After treatment, their speaking increased significantly. The results of the study were the mean score of students' speaking skills obtained by the students through the pre-test was 46.24, and the post-test was 73. This means that there was an improvement in the speaking skill of the students after they received the treatment that was being taught. Through the use of the Cooperative Learning Method and also it could be seen the t-test value is greater than the t-table (-16.832>-9.765). This means that the null hypothesis (H0) is rejected, and the alternative hypothesis (H1) is accepted. The result of the analysis indicated that the use of cooperative learning was effective in improving students' speaking skills, especially at the University of Benghazi in the academic year 2020/2021.

Influence of Gender on the Relationship Between Eating Behaviors, Age and BMI in People in Benghazi, Benghazi, Libya

Obesity is recognized as one of the major nutrition related disorders around the world. Eating behaviours affect caloric intake and are implicated in the development of obesity. Three types of eating behaviours (cognitive restraint (CR), emotional eating (EE) and uncontrolled eating (UE)) have been studied for associations with obesity in various populations. The aim of the present work was to investigate the interactions between eating behavior and age and to determine the influence of gender on this relationship. This study was conducted on 351 volunteers from Benghazi University students and staff, eating behaviours were measured using the revised three-factor eating questionnaire (TFEQ-R18). Anthropometric measurements for all participants included in this study were measured and BMI was calculated. The finding of this study showed that the age was (26.12 ± 7.749), BMI (23.99 ± 5.003), Cognitive Restraint (15.83 ± 3.662), Emotional Eating (6.74 ± 2.028), and Uncontrolled Eating (20.83 ± 4.338). The study found positive relationship between age and cognitive restraint (r = 0.110*, p = 0.039) and between age and emotional eating (r = 0.123*, p = 0.021). However, relationships were stronger only in women, the study also found a positive relationship between BMI and cognitive restraint (r = 0.184**, p < .01), emotional eating (r = 0.217**, p < .01) and uncontrolled eating (r = 0.260**, p < .01) for the whole sample. But when we split the population by sex the relationships were significant only in women. The results of this study show age was associated with cognitive restraint and emotional eating only in female. BMI was positively correlated with three factor eating score, when the sample divided by sex, the association were significant only in women.

Implementing Recommendations at the Faculty of Education, University of Benghazi (UoB): Action Research Methods to Enhance the Desired Reform Strategy

Implementing Recommendations at the Faculty of Education, University of Benghazi (UoB): Action Research Methods to Enhance the Desired Reform Strategy

Benign and Malignant Diseases of The Prostate - A Clinicohistopathological Study

Background: Neoplastic and non-neoplastic prostate gland lesions are the main reasons for morbidity and mortality throughout the world. The risk of diseases increases with age. Basically, Prostate biopsy is a test which detects malignant and other benign conditions of the prostate in patients who have urinary symptoms. Other modalities of diagnosis also have been developed, comprising of radiological modalities and prostatic biomarkers. However, biopsy with microscopic examination is the gold standard for the ultimate diagnosis.
 Objectives: The present study was done to recognize and determine the different histopathological patterns of prostatic diseases and their clinical presentation correlations.
 Patients and methods: Reviewing of 194 patient specimens of prostatic tissues in the department of pathology, faculty of medicine, university of Benghazi from January to December 2009 was conducted. The received specimens were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin and routine paraffin processing followed by hematoxyline and eosin staining was done. All the specimens were analysed with following parameters: type of specimen, age of patient, histopathological pattern and final diagnosis. With application of modified Gleason scoring for grading.
 Results: 131 TURP, 42 needle biopsies, and 21 prostatectomy specimens were assessed, they were grouped into benign, premalignant, and malignant disorders. Modified Gleason`s Scoring was used to score the prostatic adenocarcinoma. The Mean of all patient's age was 70.7 years. 153 (78.87%) were benign, 7 (3.6%) were premalignant and 34 (17.53%) cases were malignant. Malignant to benign ratio (1: 4.7). Age ranged was 24-100 years. The most frequent disease encountered was BPH, mainly in the sixth decade. Glandular-stromal pattern was more frequently seen (86.8%), followed by glandular predominance (13.2%). Concomitant conditions such as prostatitis, Basal cell hyperplasia, squamous metaplasia, and atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) (premalignant) were observed. Among the malignant conditions, acinar adenocarcinoma was the commonest disease seen in sixth and seventh decades by (91%), and Gleason`s score 7 was the commonest. One of the cases was metastatic TCC from urinary bladder.
 Conclusion: Benign lesions of prostate are more common than malignant lesions, most commonly encountered in age group of 61 to 70 years. There is a major difference in symptoms between malignant and benign conditions. More studies are needed in future to identify environmental and social factors contributing prostate disease.