HEALTHCARE WORKERS PERCEPTIONS REGARDING ANTIBIOTIC USE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN LEBANON: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, empirical antibiotics prescription has increased globally in patients with COVID-19 for suspected or confirmed bacterial infection. Hence, concerns have been raised about potential rise in antibiotic resistance that will create further challenges for antimicrobial stewardship. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess healthcare workers attitudes and practices regarding antibiotics prescription during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon. The survey was distributed online using GOOGLE forms and included questions addressing socio-demographic characteristics, trainings in antibiotics use and healthcare workers attitudes and practices regarding antibiotics prescription during the pandemic. In total, 399 healthcare workers responded to the survey. Less than half of them had already participated in antibiotic prescription trainings before or during the pandemic. However, only 11% participated, mostly nurses, in antibiotic stewardship program. Azithromycin was the most prescribed antibiotic with Vitamin C and Zinc used as second line treatments in COVID-19 patients. In addition, nearly two-third of the participants reported an increase in antibiotic use during the early phase of the pandemic and considered that COVID-19 patients are receiving unnecessary antibiotics. This study showed excessive antibiotics prescription during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon that needs to be tackled by raising awareness of antimicrobial stewardship and control measures

Régulation et rôle de la ligase de l'ubiquitine Itch dans la signalisation cellulaire

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Dysferlin Interacts with Tubulin and Microtubules in Mouse Skeletal Muscle

Dysferlin is a type II transmembrane protein implicated in surface membrane repair in muscle. Mutations in dysferlin lead to limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2B, Miyoshi Myopathy and distal anterior compartment myopathy. Dysferlin's mode of action is not well understood and only a few protein binding partners have thus far been identified. Using affinity purification followed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, we identified alpha-tubulin as a novel binding partner for dysferlin. The association between dysferlin and alpha-tubulin, as well as between dysferlin and microtubules, was confirmed in vitro by glutathione S-transferase pulldown and microtubule binding assays. These interactions were confirmed in vivo by co-immunoprecipitation. Confocal microscopy revealed that dysferlin and alpha-tubulin co-localized in the perinuclear region and in vesicular structures in myoblasts, and along thin longitudinal structures reminiscent of microtubules in myotubes. We mapped dysferlin's alpha-tubulin-binding region to its C2A and C2B domains. Modulation of calcium levels did not affect dysferlin binding to alpha-tubulin, suggesting that this interaction is calcium-independent. Our studies identified a new binding partner for dysferlin and suggest a role for microtubules in dysferlin trafficking to the sarcolemma

Perception of Biostatistics by Lebanese Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Inadequate use of statistics in biomedical research might not only affect science but also harm human beings if applied in medical practice. Biostatistics is fundamental to improve understanding and appraising of evidence-based medicine (EBM); yet, it is still not well understood and appreciated by medical students. Therefore, early exposure of medical students and physicians-in-training to research tools including Biostatistics is of utmostimportance.Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the perception of Biostatistics by medical students at a private medical school in Beirut, Lebanon, and to identify its best implementation time in the medical curriculum.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on a self-administered questionnaire distributed among medical students in their pre-clerkship years (first three years of a 6-year program) who undertook Biostatistics. The assessment of perception was based on the 5-point Likert scale anchored by Strongly disagree = 1 and Strongly agree = 5 including 36 questions distributed into four domains to assess the course value, difficulty, behavioral, and expectations.Results: 186 of 269 students responded to the questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 69.14%. Around 60% of students declared that the knowledge gained from biostatistics courses is useful to their future career, and almost 70% understood the main concepts of biostatistics. 57.7% of students perceived that lack of practicing exercises might contribute to making the course more difficult. The mean score of domains was higher in females but did not significantly differ within the three academic years. Only 35.1% of the students positively perceived the importance of biostatistics modules, mostly third-year students.Conclusion: Although the majority of medical students perceived biostatistics modules negatively, they were aware of the relevance of biostatistics to their medical career and real-life health issues

DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS CONSUMPTION AMONG SPORTSMEN INLEBANON

The prevalence and the precipitated factors of dietary supplements use among sportsmen is poorly investigated in Lebanon. This study aim to assess the prevalence of dietary supplements use among sportsmen in Lebanon and affecting factors. This is a crosssectional study where participants were selected n by convenient sampling. 23.24% of participants reported using dietary supplements with the highest supplements used being proteins and amino acids. The main reasons were to aid an inadequate diet and to increase muscle strength. Although the majority did not attend information session about dietary supplements, participants were mostly aware about dietary supplement use and potential risks

Schematic representation of the proteomic analysis by mass spectrometry.

<p>The procedure includes overexpression of His-myc-dysferlin in HEK293T cells, purification on protein A-Sepharose beads coupled to anti-myc antibody, incubation of the myc-dysferlin beads with mouse skeletal muscle homogenate and the identification of the co-purified proteins using LC-MS/MS.</p

Evaluation of the Phenolic Composition and Biological Activities of Six Aqueous Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Seed Extracts Originating from Different Countries: A Comparative Analysis

Date seeds, which are the main by-products of date fruit consumption, were shown to possess promising biological activities and health benefits with minimal human use. The present investigation analyzed and compared the phenolic content of six date seed varieties from four different origins (Khudari, Sakai, and Safawi from Saudi Arabia, Majdool from Jordan, Zahdi from Iraq, and Kabkab from Iran). The aqueous extracts were examined for possible antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-tumor potential. Date seed oil was extracted, and fatty acid profiles were compared. The results revealed that date seeds are a rich source of polyphenols, which have been linked to biological activities. Furthermore, the phenolic content seemed highly dependent on the variety, where Kabkab had the highest TPC value (271.2 mg GAE/g DM) while Majdool had the lowest value (63.2 mg GAE/g DM). Antioxidant activities of all varieties were highly correlated with the total phenolic content. The antibacterial investigation demonstrated that the Sakai variety possessed the dominant activity, whereas Majdool showed no activity. The results further indicated the sensitivity of both Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, with a stronger effect against B. cereus, while no effect was observed against Gram-negative strains (Salmonella Typhi and Escherichia coli). All varieties were able to decrease colon and lung cancer cell viability, especially Khudari and Sakai, with stronger effects against colon cancer cells. Analysis of date seed oil showed high oleic acid content, especially in Sakai. The findings suggest that date seeds are promising candidates for future pharmaceutical applications as nutraceuticals to help combat certain illnesses, as well as functional foods and natural additives that boost the nutritional value of food products, increase their shelf lives, and improve the overall health of consumers

Dysferlin complexes with alpha-tubulin.

<p><b>A.</b> GST, GST-TubA4A and GST-TubA1B fusion proteins immobilized onto glutathione-Sepharose 4B beads were incubated with mouse skeletal muscle homogenate. GST, GST-TubA4A or GST-TubA1B with adsorbed proteins from mouse skeletal muscle were resolved by SDS-PAGE, transferred onto a nitrocellulose membrane, and blotted with mouse monoclonal anti-dysferlin antibody. Left panel: nitrocellulose membrane stained with ponceau red, right panel: detection of immunoreactive dysferlin. <b>B.</b> GFP-dysferlin was overexpressed in HEK293T cells and then immunoprecipitated from cell extracts with anti-GFP antibody. As a control, protein A-Sepharose beads coated with anti-GFP antibody were incubated with extracts of non-transfected HEK293T cells. Proteins were separated on SDS-PAGE gel and were transferred onto a nitrocellulose membrane and blotted with anti-GFP or anti-alpha-tubulin antibodies. Input (right panel), immunoprecipitate (left panel). <b>C–D.</b> Co-immunoprecipitation of dysferlin with anti-alpha-tubulin antibody from C2C12 myotube extracts (<b>C</b>) or mouse skeletal muscle homogenate (<b>D</b>). Input (right panel), immunoprecipitate (left panel). As a control (CTL), protein A-Sepharose beads were incubated with myotube extracts in the absence of anti-alpha-tubulin antibody.</p

Dysferlin binds to microtubules.

<p>His-myc-dysferlin purified on Ni-NTA beads was incubated with polymerized microtubules. Reactions were resolved by SDS-PAGE stained with SimplyBlue SafeStain. Arrows point to His-myc-dysferlin, tubulin, BSA, and to MAP1&MAP2 of the microtubule-associated protein fraction (MAPF), which includes MAP2A, MAP2B, MAP1 and tau. S: Soluble phase, P: Pellet. Lane 1: Microtubules alone, lane 2: Microtubules incubated with MAPF, lane 3: Microtubules incubated with BSA, lane 4: MAPF alone, lane 5: BSA alone, lane 6: Purified His-myc-dysferlin alone, lane 7: Microtubules incubated with purified His-myc-dysferlin.</p

Alpha-tubulin interacts with dysferlin in a calcium-independent manner.

<p><b>A.</b> Upper panel: Myoblast cell extracts were incubated with GST alone or the various GST-dysferlin C2 domain fusion proteins precoupled to glutathione-Sepharose 4B beads in the absence (−) or presence (+) of 1 mM calcium. The bound proteins were separated on SDS-PAGE followed by Western blot analysis using anti-alpha-tubulin antibody. Lower panel: nitrocellulose membrane of GST-dysferlin C2 domains with adsorbed proteins from the cell extract stained with ponceau red. <b>B.</b> Co-immunoprecipitation of alpha-tubulin and dysferlin with anti-alpha-tubulin antibody from mouse skeletal muscle homogenate in the presence of increasing calcium concentrations. Proteins were separated and detected with anti-alpha-tubulin and anti-dysferlin antibodies. As a control (CTL), protein A-Sepharose beads were incubated with muscle homogenate in the absence of anti-alpha-tubulin antibody.</p