Prevalence of Accident Occurrence Among Scientific Laboratory Workers of the Public University in Lebanon and the Impact of Safety Measures

Background@#Workers are exposed to several risks in academic laboratories due to the presence of potentially hazardous substances. The main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of accident occurrence and associated risk factors among laboratory workers at the scientific laboratories of the public university in Lebanon and the impact of safety measures training and availability. @*Methods@#In this observational study, a survey was conducted for one year in scientific laboratories at faculties of the public university. @*Results@#Among the participants (N = 220), 45.0% have had accidents; the main cause was exposure to chemicals (73.7%) and more specifically by inhalation (45.4%). Females (85.9%) were more exposed to accidents than males. Laboratory workers with a master's degree, a full-time schedule, and more than ten years of experience were significantly more exposed to accidents (p < 0.05). A significant association was found between accident occurrence and training on management of hazardous products (p = 0.044), risks related to workplace (p = 0.030), eyewash and emergency shower (p < 0.001), first aid (p = 0.012), and facial protection availability (p = 0.019). In spite of the lack of safety culture and efficient training on laboratory safety, participants have shown a very good perception regarding safety measures to be applied in case of work accidents. @*Conclusion@#Based on our findings, the prevalence of accident occurrence is elevated among lab workers at the public university. The impact of regular training on laboratory safety preventive measures is of great importance to ensure the efficiency of occupational health and safety in scientific laboratories.

Tissue factor, tissue factor pathway inhibitor and factor VII activity in cardiovascular complicated type 2 diabetes mellitus

Tissue factor [TF] is the main initiator of the extrinsic coagulation pathway through factor VII [FVII] activation, which is physiologically inhibited by tissue factor pathway inhibitor [TFPI]. Alteration of this pathway has been described in Type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM]. The aim of this study is to assess TF and TFPI plasma levels and FVII coagulant activity [FVIIa] in T2DM in relation to cardiothrombotic disease and their correlation to metabolic and clinical behavior of the patients. The study was conducted on 80 T2DM patients divided to accordingly; groupI: 40 patients without a history or clinically detected heart disease, and groupII: 40 patients with a history of myocardial infarction compared to 30 controls. The patients were recruited from Ain Shams University diabetes clinic from September 2007 to February 2009 after informed consent was obtained. Peripheral blood samples were taken for measurement of plasma TF and TFPI levels using ELISA technique and quantitative FVIIa using FVII deficient plasma. Plasma levels of TF, TFPI and FVIIa were significantly higher in T2DM patients compared to the controls [p<0.001]. TF [236.50 +/- 79.23]and TFPI [242.33 +/- 85.84]were significantly higher in group II, compared to group I [150.33 +/- 81.16], [152.8 +/- 82.46], [p<0.001]. TF and TFPI were significantly correlated to body mass index and glycemic control. Also, TF and TFPI were significantly higher in hypertensives [p=0.001] and dyslipidemics [p=0.006] but not in smokers [p=0.64], [p=0.11] respectively. There was a correlation between high TF, TFPI plasma levels, FVIIa activity and cardiothrombotic complications in T2DM especially in the presence of high risk factors such as poor glycemic control, dyslipidemia and obesity. Future target therapy against TF may be beneficial for T2DM patients

Gall bladder contractility in children with beta-thalassaemia

We studied gall bladder contractility in 61 children with beta-thalassaemia who were asymptomatic for gall bladder disease and 51 sex- and age-matched controls in Cairo, Egypt, using real-time ultrasonography. Multiple gall bladder stones were present in 18.0% of thalassaemia patients and sludge in 6.6%. There were statistically significant differences between thalassaemia patients and controls in gall bladder fasting volume, residual volume, emptying time and contraction index. There was significant positive correlation between fasting and residual volumes and age, weight and height, and between fasting volume and body mass index and serum ferritin level. Contraction index was negatively correlated with serum total bilirubin. Impaired gall bladder motility was evident in patients with betathalassaemia and it may be related to disease duration, serum ferritin and total serum bilirubin level

[Isolation and cloning of the beta subunit of human follicle stimulating hormone [hFSH beta] with its native gene's signal sequence in methylotroph yeast Pichia pastoris pPIC9 shuttle vector]

Follicle Stimulating Hormone [FSH] is one of the pituitary glycoproteines that it consists of two subunits; alpha and beta. The beta subunit is responsible for the biological activity of FSH. The aim of present study was isolation of the beta subunit coding sequence containing its signal sequence from human genome and then cloning of the isolated sequence in pPIC9 shuttle vector under the control of AOX1 promoter and ? factor signal sequence. the gene sequence of interest was isolated as a 2kb DNA fragment and cloned in pTZ57R vector resulting to pTV-2019 plasmid. The construct was used as template for modification of 5? region of gene upstream to ATG codon using PCR. Finally, amplicon was cloned in pPIC9 and the new construct named pPIC9F1. The sequence of FSH beta gene in pTV-2019 was confirmed by restriction analysis and DNA sequencing. In addition, restriction analysis and AOX1 primer-mediated PCR showed that pPIC9F1 has correct construction. The new construct, pPIC9F1, contains the coding sequence of FSH beta gene and its signal sequence [E2-IVS2-E3]. Therefore, this construct can be used for integration of FSH beta gene into yeast genome exactly downstream to AOX1 promoter. Under this condition, a fusion protein is produced that it contains two signal peptides, ? factor and FSH signal peptides. Yeast expression system is able to cleavage ? factor. It seems this is the first attempt for cloning of human FSH beta in yeast expression system

Malnutrition and growth abnormalities among Egyptian children with beta-thalassemia major

Abnormal growth is a common feature among patients suffering from beta-thalassemia major. To study the relation between growth abnormalities and nutrient deficiencies, the nutritional status of 63 thalassemic children [2-18 years] were assessed by anthropometry and biochemistry, compared to 63 age and sex matched controls. The results revealed that the mean body mass index was significantly lower among thalassemic children compared to the control, P< 0.05. Nearly one fifth of all thalassemic children were underweight, and one third were stunted. Serum levels of alpha-tocopherol, retinol and zinc, selenium, and copper levels were significantly decreased among thalassemic children compared to the control. older age [10-18] and female sex suffered more from deterioration of nutritional status

Antioxidant micronutrients in children with thalassaemia in Egypt

Repeated blood transfusions in patients with thalassaemia subject them to peroxidative tissue injury by secondary iron overload. To study the relationship between iron overload and antioxidant micronutrient status among children with thalassaemia, we measured serum levels of vitamins A and E, zinc, selenium, and copper in 64 children with beta-thalassaemia major and 63 age- and sex-matched controls. All of these elements were significantly lower in the thalassaemic children compared with controls. There was a highly significant inverse correlation between serum ferritin and serum retinol levels, and significant inverse correlations between serum iron and retinol and between serum iron and selenium. Serum ferritin showed a significant positive correlation with duration of chelation and transfusion treatments. Ways are needed to counteract this oxidative damage and its deleterious effect on the prognosis of thalassaemia

Maximal anal dilatation for treatment of haemorrhoids

A prospective study to assess the short and long term results following maximal anal dilatation for treatment of haemorrhoids was carried out in King Abdulaziz university hospital, Jeddah. A regular regimen of using anal dilators after maximal dilatation was not used in this study. The series comprised 522 patients treated over a period of 5 years between January 1980 and January 1985. Follow-up at 6 months was available in 470 patients; 57% were cured, 32% improved, 6% unchanged, 2% were worse and 3% had further treatment. Follow-up at 4 or more years was available in 107 patients: 51% were cured, 26% improved, 9% unchanged, 5% were worse and 9% had further treatment. The outcome at 6 months and 4 years was good in most of the patients and comparable with that obtained by other surgical procedures for treatment of haemorrhoids. This indicates that anal dilatation is a satisfactory procedure for treatment of haemorrhoids in our patients. The results are also comparable with those from other anal dilatation studies and indicate that our abandoning the use of anal dilators after maximal dilatation does not seem to have influenced the results

Source of infection in postcholecystectomy wound sepsis

A prospective bacteriological study was carried out on 212 patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy to identify and compare bacteria from bile and septic wounds. Bacteria were isolated from the bile in 43 patients [20%]: 28 patients [13%] developed post-operative wound sepsis. Of 28 patients 20 [71%] with wound infection had positive bile culture. Of those 20 patients, 16 [80%] with wound sepsis and positive bile culture were found to have the same organisms in both bile and wound. Escherichia coli was the commonest organism isolated from both bile and septic wounds. Anaerobic organisms were isolated from the bile of two patients and from infected wound in only one patient. Cholecystectomy with duct exploration was associated with an incidence of wound infection as compared with cholecystectomy alone. A non-functioning gall bladder and operative cholangiography were not demonstrable risks in our series. The sensitivity of organisms recovered from bile to various antibiotics was assessed. The use of prophylactic antibiotics preferably as per-operative single doses in elective cholecystectomy is recommended