A Qualitative Study of the Transition from High School to University Chemistry

The transition from high school to university chemistry varies from student to student, and is likely to affect their future performance in university. This study is intended to determine the factors affecting success for students enrolled in first-year chemistry courses at the University of Toronto. As part of a larger project, semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted and students were encouraged to discuss their transition. The interviews were then coded according to six broader categories for comments related to high school and seven broader categories for comments related to university. The broader categories were further divided into more specific sub-categories which were given a score ranging from strongly negative to strongly positive based on the students’ comments. The results were graphed according to the overall score obtained by a category. The categories that scored highly and further analysis of the underlying sub-categories indicated that student study skills developed through evaluations in high school such as tests and labs were inadequate to cope with the increase in workload and change of evaluation style in University. As part of the same project, results from the Approaches to Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) survey were statistically analyzed to provide further insight. Interviews were used to clarify discrepancies in student responses to survey questions concerning time management and organized study methods. The ASSIST data concerns study skills in an in-depth manner

Child maltreatment and neglect in the United Arab Emirates and relationship with low self-esteem and symptoms of depression

Objectives: To our knowledge, this study is the first in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to investigate the prevalence of child maltreatment in relation to depressive symptoms and self-esteem.Study design: Exposure to physical maltreatment, emotional abuse and neglect was evaluated in 518 adolescents (86% response rate) randomly selected from schools in Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Rosenberg self-esteem scale and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to measure self-esteem and depressive symptoms by using multivariate logistic regression analyses.Results: The mean age of study participants was 14.3 years. Emotional abuse was the most frequent form of maltreatment (33.9%), physical abuse (12.6%) and neglect (12.1%) followed. Male sex was a positive predictor of physical abuse (OR = 2.12; 95% CI 1.18-3.77), whilst higher maternal level of education was protective (OR = 0.40; 95% CI 0.19-0.86). Daily screen time (OR = 2.77; 95% CI 1.17-6.56) and tobacco smoking (OR = 1.86; 95% CI 1.09-3.18) positively predicted emotional abuse. Emotionally maltreated and neglected participants were less likely to report high level of self-esteem and more likely to report symptoms of depression.Conclusions: Child maltreatment in the UAE is of a similar magnitude to what reported in other countries around the world and significantly associated with low self-esteem and depressive symptoms

Potent antibacterial activity of Terminalia chebula-based herbal soap formulation against propionibacterium acnes and its cytotoxic evaluation on human skin fibroblast cells

Background: Recently, many approaches have been conducted in natural skin healthcare, with herbal remedies gaining prominence due to their perceived efficacy and fewer side effects. Herbal soaps, in particular, are noted for their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, making them appealing for acne-causing bacteria such as Propionibacterium acnes, Terminalia chebula, a medicinal plant with a rich history of traditional medicinal properties, including antibacterial effects. However, limited information exists on its activity against acne-causing bacteria and its cytotoxicity on human skin cells. Methods: Our study demonstrated the anti-propionibacterium activity using a novel Terminalia chebula herbal soap formulation (TC-HSF), and to determine its cytotoxicity on Human skin fibroblast cells, Terminalia chebula aqueous extract was used to make herbal soap,  the antibacterial activity was performed against wild isolated propionibacterium acne strain using well-diffusion method, MIC and time-kill Kinetics, several concentrations were evaluated for cytotoxicity on Human skin fibroblast cell lines. Results Our findings indicate a potent activity of TC-HSF against P.acne at 0.18mg\ml with lower CFU\ml in tested intervals and high cell viability 98%, IC50 Value was 50mg\ml. Conclusion: Our study highlights the promising antibacterial efficacy of TC-HSF against Propionibacterium acnes and its cytotoxic effects on human skin fibroblast cells. The research adds valuable insights into the potential of TC-HSF for acne management and underscores the importance of dosage considerations in the formulation of herbal soap products

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially