Quantitative and Semiquantitative Health Risk Assessment of Occupational Exposure to Styrene in a Petrochemical Industry

Background@#Styrene is one of the aromatic compounds used in acetonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) producing petrochemicals, which has an impact on health of workers. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the health risks of styrene emitted from the petrochemical industry in Iran. @*Methods@#Air samples were collected based on NIOSH 1501 method. The samples were analyzed by the Varian-cp3800 gas chromatograph. Finally, risk levels of styrene's health effects on employees were assessed by the quantitative method of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the semiquantitative way by the Singapore Occupational Safety and Health Association. @*Results@#Based on the results, the employees had the highest average exposure to styrene vapors (4.06x10-1 mg.(kg - day)-1) in the polybutadiene latex (PBL) unit. Therefore, the most top predictors of cancer and non-cancer risk were 2.3x10-4 and 7.26x10-1, respectively. Given that the lowest average exposure (1.5x10-2mg.(kg - day)-1) was in the dryer unit, the prediction showed a moderate risk of cancer (0.8x10-6) and non-cancer (2.3x10-3) for the employees. The EPA method also predicted that there would be a definite cancer risk in 16% and a probable risk in 76% of exposures. However, according to the semiquantitative approach, the rate of risk was at the “low” level for all staff. The results showed that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the units in exposure and health risk of styrene (p < 0.05). @*Conclusion@#Given the high risk of styrene's health effects, appropriate control measures are required to reduce the exposure level.

Quantitative and Semiquantitative Health Risk Assessment of Occupational Exposure to Styrene in a Petrochemical Industry

Background@#Styrene is one of the aromatic compounds used in acetonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) producing petrochemicals, which has an impact on health of workers. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the health risks of styrene emitted from the petrochemical industry in Iran. @*Methods@#Air samples were collected based on NIOSH 1501 method. The samples were analyzed by the Varian-cp3800 gas chromatograph. Finally, risk levels of styrene's health effects on employees were assessed by the quantitative method of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the semiquantitative way by the Singapore Occupational Safety and Health Association. @*Results@#Based on the results, the employees had the highest average exposure to styrene vapors (4.06x10-1 mg.(kg - day)-1) in the polybutadiene latex (PBL) unit. Therefore, the most top predictors of cancer and non-cancer risk were 2.3x10-4 and 7.26x10-1, respectively. Given that the lowest average exposure (1.5x10-2mg.(kg - day)-1) was in the dryer unit, the prediction showed a moderate risk of cancer (0.8x10-6) and non-cancer (2.3x10-3) for the employees. The EPA method also predicted that there would be a definite cancer risk in 16% and a probable risk in 76% of exposures. However, according to the semiquantitative approach, the rate of risk was at the “low” level for all staff. The results showed that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the units in exposure and health risk of styrene (p < 0.05). @*Conclusion@#Given the high risk of styrene's health effects, appropriate control measures are required to reduce the exposure level.

Mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells induce angiogenesis by tissue engineering in rats: histological evidence

Objective: therapeutic angiogenesis is employed to induce vascular network formation and improve functional recovery in ischemia. The aim of this study is to find an appropriate method to recover local ischemic conditions

Materials and Methods: in this experimental survey, 20 male Wistar rats weighing approximately 200-250 g were randomly divided into four experimental groups respectively: ischemia group in which the femoral artery was transected; phosphate buffer solution group [PBS] in which the femoral artery transected location was immersed with PBS; chitosan [CHIT] group in which the transected location was immersed in a 50 microL CHIT solution; and mast cell transplanted group in which the transected location was immersed with a mixture of 50 microL CHIT and 50 microL PBS that contained 1×10[6] mast cells

Results: on day 14 after surgery, mean numbers of blood vessels of different sizes in the CHIT/mast cell group significantly increased compared to the other experimental groups [P<0.05]

Conclusion: our data suggest that mast cell reconstitution could offer a new approach for therapeutic angiogenesis in cases of peripheral arterial diseases

Investigation of fungal bioaerosols in Shiraz composting facilities during 2017

Background: Fungi are one of the pollutant emissions from the composting plants which change in variety during the composting process. They are predominant in stabilization stage

Methods: This study assessed the thermotolerant airborne fungi based on NIOSH 0800 on 200 ambient samples from four composting processes and outdoor spaces in a composting plant

Results: The concentration of fungi during shredding, separating and screening was higher than 1000 CFU/m[3]. The level of fungi in all stages was higher than outdoor [P<0.001]. The highest concentration was detected in shredding [6749 +/- 1347 CFU/m[3]] [P=0.007], and the lowest concentration was related to screening [113 +/- 32 CFU/m[3]] [P=0.013]. The predominant species was varied during the stages. Yeast and A. niger were predominant species in shredding and separating

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the concentration of airborne fungi was decreased during composting process. The effect of these aerosols on indoor air was more than that in the outdoor space and workers at this site were exposed to high levels of thermotolerant fungi. Therefore, air-condition, ventilation system and safety operations such as respiratory masks are essential. The results of this study can be used in risk assessment

Respiratory Disorders Among Workers in Slaughterhouses

BACKGROUND: Workers in slaughterhouses are exposed to a wide range of biological contaminants, such as bacteria and fungi, due to their working environment. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of respiratory disorders among workers in slaughterhouses. METHODS: This study was conducted on 81 workers in slaughterhouses and 81 healthy office workers as a reference group. The American Thoracic Society standard respiratory symptoms questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence of respiratory disorders. Besides, lung function tests were conducted using a calibrated spirometer at the beginning (preshift) and at the end (postshift) of the 1st working day. Single-stage Anderson sampler was used to measure the concentration of bioaerosols in different parts of slaughterhouses. RESULTS: The prevalence of respiratory disorders, such as cough, productive cough, breathlessness, phlegm, and wheezing, was 3.17, 4.02, 3.07, 4.66, and 3.94 times, respectively, higher among workers in slaughterhouses compared with the reference group. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of respiratory disorders was significantly higher among workers in slaughterhouses. Thus, the significant reduction in the percentage predicted lung function among workers in slaughterhouses might be associated with exposure to bioaerosols in their work environment.

[Comparison three methods, PCR method, cultyre and rapid urease test to detect helicobacter pylori in the gastric biopsy tissue samples]

Background and Objectives: helicobacter pylori prevalence is high in developing countries. This microorganism is accepted as the most important agent of gastritis and as a risk factor for peptic ulcer disease and gastric adenocarcinoma. Currently many diagnostic methods exist for detecting H. pylori, however they all have limitations. The aim of this descriptive study was to evaluate diagnostic methods, such as rapid urease test, culture and polymerase chain reaction [PCR]

Materials and Methods: for identification of Helicobacter pylori 100 patients [46 women and 54 men] who were suffering from digestive complaints and referred to the endoscopy department of Hajar Hospital in Sharkord were participated in the study. Gastric biopsy samples were collected from each patient, then polymerase chain reaction, culture and rapid urease test were performed. DNA extraction was followed by PCR was used for diagnosis of ureC gene

Results: biopsy samples from100 patients were evaluated. H. pylori was positively identified by PCR in 78/100 [78%] of the patients, while positive samples were found in 52 [52%] and 48 [48%] of the patients by RUT and culture methods, respectively. In results of the culture, there was an agreement of 100% with PCR

Conclusion: three different methods for the detection of Helicobacter pylori were evaluated. Given that the PCR test has higher sensitivity and specificity to detect H.pylori comparing rapid urea as test, therefore this method could be used to detect H.pylori

In vitro antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing activities of crude ethyle alcohole extract of Quercus brantii L. acorn and subsequent fractions / 中国天然药物

Cancer cell resistance to widely used chemotherapeutic agents is gradually developed. Natural products, mainly isolated from medicinal plants, have been considered as valuable sources for herbal anticancer drugs. The present study aimed to evaluate in vitro antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing activities of crude ethyle alcohole extract and four fractions of Q. brantii acorn. Crude ethyle alcohole extract of Q. brantii acorn was prepared and subjected to fractionation with different polarity. Subsequently, the extract and the fractions wereevaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activity in two cancerous (Hela and AGS) and one normal (HDFs) cell lines using MTT [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2ol) 2, 5 diphenyltetrazoliumbromide] assay. To determine whether the cytotoxicity of these compounds involved the induction of apoptosis, Hela cells were treated with IC50 concentrations of test compounds, stained with both propidium iodide (PI) and Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), and analyzed by flow cytometry. In vitro cytotoxicity assay showed that the cell viability was significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner following treatment with crude ethyle alcohole extract and Cholophorm and n-Butanol fractions. Based on the probit regression model, antiproliferative activities of crude ethyle alcohole extract, Cholophorm fraction, and n-Butanol fraction on Hela and AGS cells and HDFs cells were significantly different (P < 0.001). The results of flow cytometric analysis showed that crude ethyle alcohole extract and two fractions of Q. brantii acorn induced early apoptotic cell death. These findings suggest that crude ethyle alcohole extract and Cholophorm and n-Butanol fractions of Q. brantii acorn suppress the proliferation of cancer cells through induction of early apoptosis.

[Comparative study of protein profile in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis with SDS-PAGE method]

Mycobacterium bovine, as the etiology of bovine TB, involves human in some cases and with Mycobacterium tuberculosis are regarded as global health problems. The aim of this study was to extract and compare protein profile of these strains in order to achieve effective biomarkers for diagnosis and the vaccine components. First, the clinical samples were cultured on Lowenstein-Jensen [LJ] medium by the N-acetyl-L-cysteine-sodium hydroxide method and the biochemical tests and antibiotic susceptibility were used. Colonies were grown in the Middlebrook 7H9 medium and, upon harvesting the new colonies, secretory and membrane proteins were extracted by sonication and ammonium sulfate and alcohol precipitation. Concentration was determined by Bradford method and finally the comparison was made through one dimensional electrophoresis. The major discrepancy between two strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis was 45 and 60 KDa bands as well as the zone between 14 and 45 KDa bands of secretory proteins, in the banding separation membrane proteins. Discrepancy in the protein bands of sensitive strains and Mycobacterium bovis seems to be used as an effective protein marker or even a biomarker in distinguishing the sensitive and bovis strains; also similarities can be used for immunization purposes

Impact of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers on mortality of coronary artery bypass grafting

There is controversy over the potential benefits/harms of the usage of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors [ACEIs] or angiotensin receptor blockers [ARBs] as regards the postoperative mortality of coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG]. This study investigates the correlation between the in-hospital mortality of CABG and the preoperative administration of ACEI/ARB. Out of 10055 consecutive patients with isolated CABG from 2006 to 2009, 4664 [46.38%] patients received preoperative ACEI/ARB. Data were gathered from the Cardiac Surgery Registry of Tehran Heart Center. In-hospital mortality was defined as death within the same admission for surgery. Adjusted for confounders, multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the impact of preoperative ACEI/ARB therapy on in-hospital death. The mean age of the patients was 60.04 +/- 9.51 years and 7364 [73.23%] were male. Eighty-seven [0.86%] patients expired within 30 days. Multivariate analysis revealed that the administration of ACEI/ARB significantly protected against in-hospital deaths in as much as there were 33 [0.70%] vs. 54 [1.0%] deaths in the ACEI/ARB positive and negative groups, respectively [OR: 0.628; p value = 0.09]. Patients without ACEI/ARB were more likely to have a higher global ejection fraction. Preoperative ACEI usage in patients undergoing CABG can be associated with decreased in-hospital mortality. Large-scale randomized clinical trials are suggested

Clinical and bacteriologic correlates of the PapG alleles among uropathogenic escherichia coli strains isolated from cases of adult urinary tract infection

To study the distribution of papG gene in uropathogenic Escherichia coli [E.coli] strains isolated from adult urinary tract infection [UTI] and the relationship between the different classes of papG gene and patients, sex, hospitalization and their clinical forms of UTI. Laboratory study. Inpatient and outpatient settings with laboratory investigation. Genotyping of papG, the adhesion gene of E. coli P fimbriae, may predict clinical outcomes of UTI. A total of 182 urinary E .coli strains were analyzed by multiplex PCR method for detection of papG gene. Patients, sex, hospitalization and their clinical forms of UTI were also evaluated. The distribution of papG gene in uropathogenic E.coli strains and the relationship between papG gene and clinical features of the patients. Multiplex PCR method was performed for detection of papG gene in uropathogenic E.coli strains isolated from adult urinary tract infections The prevalence of pap operon in the uropathogenic isolates was 36.2%. The prevalence of papG gene classes II and III in uropathogenic isolates was 23.1% and 6.6% respectively. None of the isolates had class I genotype. PapG classes II and III were predominant in patients with pyelonephritis and cystitis respectively. There was no significant relationship between the presence of papG alleles, sex and hospitalization of the patients. PapG gene is likely to play an important role in pathogenesis of uropathogenic strains of E.coli in adult nosocomial UTIs. Detection and genotyping of this gene may contribute to improving the management of UTI

Histological and histochemical effects of Gly-phosate on testicular tissue and function

In this study we aimed to evaluate the impact of chronic exposure to the Gly-phosate [GP] on rat's testicular tissue and sperm parameters. Testicular tissue, morphology of sperms and testosterone level in serum of mature male rats were analyzed. Animals were divided into two test and control-sham groups. The test group was subdivided into 4 groups [10, 20, 30 and 40 days GP administrated]. Each test group [n=8] received the compound at dose of 125 mg/kg, once a day, orally for 40 days while control-sham group [n=16] received the corn oil [0.2 ml/day]. Microscopic analyses revealed increased thickness of tunica albuginea, obvious edema in sub-capsular and interstitial connective tissue, atrophied seminiferous tubules, arrested spermatogenesis, negative tubular differentiation and repopulation indexes, decreased Leydig cells/mm[2] of interstitial tissue, hypertrophy and cytoplasmic granulation of Leydig cells, elevated death, immature sperm and increased immotile and abnormal sperm percentage. The carbohydrate ratio was reduced in first three layers of the germinal epithelium [GE] cytoplasm. The upper layers of the GE series were manifested with low rate of lipid accumulation in cytoplasm, while the cells which were located in first layers were revealed with higher amount of lipid foci. Hematological investigations showed significant [p<0.05] decreasing of testosterone level in serum. The current data provide inclusive histological feature of chronic exposure against GP with emphasizing on reproductive disorders including histological adverse effect on the testicular tissue, spermatogenesis, sperm viability and abnormality which potentially can cause infertility

Leiomyoma of the adrenal gland presenting as an incidentaloma

This was an unusual case of a primary leiomyoma tumor of the adrenal gland in a 26-year-old woman incidentally found during workup for mild, dull abdominal pain

Extrapolation of experimental field study to a national occupational noise exposure standard

Proposing a Noise Standards should be considered seriously by the governmental authorities because of the prevalence of hazardous noise exposure and the seriousness of the effects. In a survey founded by World Health Organization's regional office in Iran, the existing as well as gathered data from field were applied to propose a National Occupational Noise Exposure Limit. The collected data plus the existing data were processed to: propose a national occupational noise exposure limit and depict the major restrictions in application of existing field data in proposing a national occupational noise exposure limit. Results obtained from the present study shows that the occupational noise levels of 90 to 95 dBA can lead to hearing losses greater than 25 dBA. It was shown that occupational noise levels of 85 to 90 dBA would not lead to hearing losses greater than 20 dBA. The comparison of hearing losses shows that the noise levels of less than 80 dBA will not lead to any significant hearing loss. It was deduced that 85 dBA can be recommended for a national occupational noise limit in Iran. The study also showed that the application of existing field data to recommend a national occupational noise standard may have some restrictions

Evaluation of vaccine induced immunity to hepatitis B virus among health care workers in a university hospital in Iran

To evaluate the level of anti-HBs antibody among health care workers [HCWs] in a university hospital in Shahre-Kord, Iran, during 2008-2009 Prospective study Charmahal-Baktiari province, Iran Two hundred and fifty seven health care workers [HCWs] in a university hospital Intervention: Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] Main Outcome Measure: Seroprevalence of anti-HBsAg [IgG] 85.6% of the individuals were female. Regardless of gender, 21 of the 257 [8.2%] HCWs lacked immunity, 91 of 257 [35.4%] were partially immune, and 145 [56.4%] exhibited immunity against the virus. The post-vaccination period was five years, in 221 [86%] and more than five years in 36 of the 257 individuals studied [14%]. There were more male non-responders [15%] than female [8%]. There was a significant relationship between post-vaccination period and anti-HBsAg antibody titer [p < 0.05]. Based on our results, the post-vaccination period of immunity to this virus in HCW workers is five years

Comparison of telomerase activity in malignant and benign pleural effusions

Despite the advances in diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, its survival rate has only improved in those with early stages of disease. Telomerase is a tumor marker that has been focused on recently as a novel tool for early diagnosis of lung cancer. This study aimed to compare telomerase activity in cases with malignant and benign pleural effusions. Telomerase activity was assessed in 28 consecutive cases of pleural effusions [19 cases with malignant and 9 cases with benign histopathologic diagnosis] with telomeric repeat amplification protocol [TRAP] between Apr. 2006 and Sep. 2007. Data analysis was performed by using Chi-square test and t-test. Twenty [71.4%] out of 28 cases with pleural effusions were positive for telomerase activity. Telomerase activity was positive in all 19 malignant effusions, while only one case with effusion due to a benign condition [TB] had positive telomerase activity [p < 0.0001]. The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of telomerase activity for detecting malignant pleural effusions were 100%, 88.9% and 96.4%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values of telomerase activity were 95% and 100%, respectively. Mean relative telomerase activity was not significantly different in malignant and benign effusions [24.3 +/- 5.2% vs. 15.05%; p>0.05] Telomerase activity is a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic biomarker for malignancy and may be used as an adjunct to other diagnostic tools such as cytology for malignant pleural effusions

Pediatric unintentional injuries in North of Iran

Since the beginning of the 21[st] century, injury has been the most serious public health problem that children face with. The aim of this study was epidemiologic evaluation of unintentional injury in north of Iran. In a prospective cross-sectional study between September 2005-July 2006 we studied data of 347 trauma patients aged 14 years and younger, including sex, age, trauma mechanism, transportation facility, anatomical sites of injury, severity of head injury according to GCS [Severe: 3-8, Moderate: 9-12, Mild: 13-15], injury severity score [ISS], and length of hospital stay [LOHS]. SPSS 13 and independent t-test were used to analyze of data. Out of 3605 trauma patients, 353 were 14 years old or younger with a mean age [SD] of 7.6 [4.0]; Male to female ratio about 2:1. Most of them [42.9%] were 1-5 years old. In patients younger than 1 year, falling was the most common [52.2%] mechanism of trauma while in other groups, traffic accidents were the leading cause of injury. About half of the patients were transported to hospital by their families or other people. About 77% of them suffered from head injury. Mean [SD] ISS was 4.3 [6.6], about 12% had severe injury and it was more than 25 in about 3%. Mean [SD] LOHS was 5.1 [8.9] days. Occurrence of falling and traffic accidents in children is remarkably high. Mainly traffic accidents are preventable. We suggest paying more attention to safety education in all levels of community

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C virus and HIV markers among blood donors from Shakre-Kord, Iran [2004-2006]

To determine the prevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV infection in voluntary blood donors from Shahre Kord, a central province of Iran, during 2004-2006 Retrospective, descriptive and analytical study based on data from Serology Laboratory of the Blood Transfusion Center [BTC] at Shahre-Kord, Iran The BTC, Shahre-Kord, Iran 35,124 apparently healthy voluntary blood donors Detection of HBsAg, anti-HBc, anti- HCV and anti-HIV markers in blood samples using immunoenzymatic tests and Western blotting, as determined by the BTC Analysis of data obtained from the Serology Laboratory of the BTC, Shahre-Kord, Iran to determine prevalence Overall prevalence estimates were: 0.1% for HBsAg, 0.07% for anti-HBc, 0.2% for anti-HCV and 0.002% for anti-HIV antibody. There was a statistically significant increase in the overall prevalence of HBsAg and HBcAb [from 0.015% to 0.02%] and the prevalence of HCVAb [from 0.06% to 0.48%] during the study period [p < 0.05]. Three male donors were co-infected by HCV and HBV. This study suggests the need to investigate risk factors and risk groups for these infections in Iran. In the light of these results, an effective control and training program should be implemented

Coronary artery bypass surgery versus medical treatment in patients with low ejection fraction and coronary artery disease

We compared the outcomes in patients with a low ejection fraction [EF] and multivessel coronary artery disease [CAD] who either underwent coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG] or received medical treatment [MT] after a viability study via dobutamine stress echocardiography [DSE]. We considered patients with CAD and left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] 25% [100% vs. 40%, p < 0.05]. The patients with CAD and a low EF had the same survival rate after both CABG and MT at mid-term follow-up. Long-term follow-up is needed to show the survival benefit of CABG in such patients with an acceptable extent of viable myocardium

Frequency and molecular characterization of rifampicin-resistance in rpoB region of multiple drug resistance [MDR] isolates from tuberculosis patients in southern endemic region of Iran

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency, location and type of rpoB gene mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis [MTB] collected from patients in the southern endemic region of Iran. Drug susceptibility testing was determined by using the BACTEC system and the center for diseases controls [CDC] standard conventional proportional method. In 29 rifampicin-resistant MTB [85%] isolates, 60 mutations and 13 micro-deletions were identified. Missense mutations produced 23 types of amino acid substitutions. In five rifampicin-resistant MTB isolates [15%] no mutations were found in the core region of the rpoB gene. All silent mutations were localized in codon 507. Most frequent mutations detected in Iranian strains, were found in codons 523 and 526. Five alleles in codon 526 and three alleles occurring in triplets in each of the codons 507, 508, 513 were also found. Thus in Iran the highest frequency of common mutations shared between primary and secondary infections was found to occur in codons 523 and 526

Comparison of human T- cell leukemia virus type-1 [HTLV-1] seroprevalence in high risk patients [thalassemia and hemodialysis] and healthy individuals from charmahal - Bakhtiari province, Iran

To comapare the seroprevalence of Human Tlymphotropic virus type 1 [HTLV-1] in high risk group patients [such as those with thalassemia or those who are on hemodialysis] with normal healthy individuals. Prospective study Charmahal - Baktiari province, Iran. A total of 357 serum samples from the patients [case] and 800 from the healthy individuals [control] were tested for HTLV specific antibody. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]. All ELISA positive samples were assayed by Western blotting analysis. The individuals in the two groups were both age and sex matched [p > 0.05]. Main Outcome Measures: Seroprevalence of HTLV-1 The ELISA results showed that 27 out of 357 [7.6%] samples from the case and five out of 800 [0.62%] from the control group tested positive for HTLV-1 specific antibody. The Western blotting results showed that 24 of 27 [89%] ELISA-positive samples from the case and five out of 800 [0.62%] from the test group were HTLV-1. The mean age of the patients in the two groups was almost the same. The seroprevalence of HTLV-1 among both the high risk patients and the healthy individuals from this province was significantly high and was almost similar to that in another endemic region in the country. Therefore, this province may be considered an endemic area for this virus in Iran