Occupational Exposure

This study aims to understand the health status, work stress, and occupational exposure in the work environment among nurses in Gansu Province, China. We will collect information through questionnaires and conduct follow-up surveys every two years. The results of this study will help improve working conditions for nurses in the future and provide scientific evidence for developing health protection policies for the nursing workforce.

PNEUMO-LIBS is a multicenter, non-interventional observational study designed to evaluate whether multi-element tissue imaging by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), combined with an artificial intelligence-based analysis tool called Interesting Features Finder (IFF), may help physicians better understand the possible causes of chronic lung diseases. The study focuses on adult patients with chronic lung diseases for which a lung biopsy has already been performed as part of routine medical care. These diseases include diffuse interstitial lung diseases, pulmonary granulomatoses such as sarcoidosis, and emphysema, especially when an environmental or occupational exposure is suspected but not clearly demonstrated. Some chronic lung diseases may be influenced by inhaled mineral or metallic particles, such as silica, aluminum, titanium, or other metals. However, these exposures are often difficult to document at the individual patient level. Standard clinical, radiological, and pathological investigations do not usually provide direct information on the presence and distribution of such elements within lung tissue. LIBS is an imaging technique that can detect and map chemical elements directly in tissue samples, including archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsy blocks. In this study, lung biopsy samples will be analyzed with LIBS to search for elemental signatures that may be compatible with occupational or environmental exposures. The IFF algorithm will then be used to help interpret the LIBS data and identify rare or unexpected elemental signals. The study does not require any additional biopsy, blood test, imaging examination, treatment, or hospital visit for participants. It uses tissue samples and medical data already collected during routine care. The results of LIBS and IFF analyses will be presented to the treating physician or investigator, who will complete standardized online questionnaires at three time points: before receiving the LIBS results, after receiving the LIBS report, and after receiving the IFF-assisted interpretation. The main objective is to assess the perceived clinical utility of LIBS imaging for physicians, particularly regarding etiological understanding, possible occupational disease recognition, and prevention-oriented reasoning. Secondary objectives include assessing the added value of the IFF algorithm and evaluating the feasibility of a centralized multicenter workflow for sample transfer, LIBS analysis, IFF processing, result reporting, and questionnaire completion. The study aims to include approximately 70 patients across several French hospital centers. Its results may support the development of future diagnostic, occupational health, and environmental medicine approaches, without modifying the medical care of participants during the study.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of a Health Belief Model (HBM)-based, artificial intelligence (AI)-supported gamified training program on nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward the prevention of sharps injuries. Sharps injuries remain a significant occupational risk for healthcare workers, particularly nurses, despite existing standard precautions. The study will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the validity and reliability of the Sharps Injury Prediction Scale will be tested in a nurse population. In the second phase, a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design will be used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. The study will be carried out in two hospitals from the same healthcare group located in different cities to prevent interaction between groups. A total of 36 nurses will be included, with 18 participants in the intervention group and 18 in the control group. The intervention group will receive a structured, HBM-based training program consisting of seven sessions incorporating AI-supported content, gamified scenarios, interactive materials, and feedback mechanisms to enhance engagement and promote behavior change. The control group will receive routine institutional training on sharps injury prevention. Data will be collected at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and two months later. Outcome measures include nurses' knowledge, attitudes toward safe sharps use, and sharps injury risk perception. It is expected that the AI-supported gamified training program will significantly improve knowledge, attitudes, and risk awareness compared to routine training. The findings may support the integration of innovative, theory-based educational interventions into institutional training programs to enhance occupational safety.

This study will test a program to reduce noise exposure and prevent hearing loss among farmworkers. Farmworkers are often exposed to high levels of noise from machinery, which can lead to hearing loss over time. Farms will be randomly assigned to either receive the program or serve as a comparison group. The program includes a short educational video, group discussion, and hands-on training on how to use hearing protection (such as earplugs). Supervisors will also receive brief training on how to support hearing protection use in the workplace. Participants will wear a small device (dosimeter) during a work shift to measure noise exposure before the program and again about one month later. Participants will also complete surveys about their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to hearing protection. A subset of participants will be invited to take part in interviews to understand barriers and facilitators to using hearing protection and implementing the program. The results of this study will help inform future efforts to improve hearing health and reduce noise exposure in agricultural settings.

An experimental study, which will aim to investigate the acute effects of unloading maneuvers during an intermittent spinal flexion protocol on changes in trunk mechanical and neuromuscular properties.

The goal of this interventional clinical study is to investigate the use of mild therapeutic hypothermia devices for preservation of sensory structures in the cochlea after noise exposure. The main aims of the study are: 1. To test the safety and best duration for use for a new hypothermia device. 2. To determine if the hypothermia device helps decrease noise-induced hearing loss in a group of firefighters. Participants will wear the mild therapeutic hypothermia therapy devices immediately after a fire service shift serially over a year. Researchers will compare results from those receiving the therapy to those from a control group (individuals receiving no therapy and a sham therapy).