Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) is essential for guiding appropriate antibiotic therapy. The disk diffusion method is widely used in Libya due to its low cost, yet deviations from standardized protocols can compromise result accuracy, affecting clinical decisions and patient outcomes. This study evaluated the performance of the disk diffusion AST method in medical laboratories in Gharyan, Libya, using EUCAST guidelines (version 12.0) as a benchmark. Seventy-five AST plates representing 122 clinical specimens were randomly collected from three pathology centers between September and November 2025. Plates were analyzed for the type of culture media, number of specimens per plate, number of antibiotic disks, and readability of results. All plates were 90 mm in diameter. Nutrient agar was used for 118 specimens, and blood agar for two; none used Mueller-Hinton agar as recommended. Only 17% of plates tested a single specimen per plate; the majority tested one specimen on half or a quarter of a plate. The number of antibiotic disks per specimen often exceeded EUCAST limits (up to 20 disks per plate), and only 8% of plates yielded readable results. Widespread deviations from EUCAST protocols—including inappropriate media, specimen overloading, and excessive disks—compromise AST reliability. These errors may lead to incorrect antibiotic prescriptions, delayed recovery, and increased antimicrobial resistance. Strict adherence to standardized guidelines is urgently required to ensure accurate, clinically meaningful AST results. Moreover, raising awareness of the importance of following standard guidelines is crucial for correcting the course

Abstract

The proper management of biological waste in laboratory settings is a critical aspect of biosafety in microbiological and biomedical laboratories. Beyond protecting lab workers, biological waste management safeguards public health, protects the environment, and ensures compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks. Segregation, decontamination of liquid waste, decontamination of solid waste, and techniques for inactivating toxins are all main aspects of biological waste management that will be outlined, aligned, and summarized with the main institutional biosafety protocols for biological waste management, published by major authorities, including CDC and WHO. This research found that the information from the two institutions complements each other. Therefore, this brief review aimed to compile and unify information from both institutions to construct a single, coherent text that provides a practical summary for medical laboratory professionals seeking to enhance the implementation of international, harmonized protocols that strengthen biosafety, environmental stewardship, and regulatory compliance

Abstract Background:- Depakine (valproic acid) is an antiepileptic medication that is commonly used as a first‑line treatment for a variety of seizures in both adults and children. However, it can result in testicular toxicity by increasing oxida tive stress inflammation. Melatonin (MLT) has antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory, and anti‑apoptotic potential. Therefore, the present study investigated the impact of MLT on depakine‑induced testicular damage in rats.

The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a global pandemic in March 2020, also the COVID-19 pandemic has caused drastic changes across the globe, affecting all areas of life. However, the pandemic cannot be ended overnight and more social distancing and other self-care measures are needed to protect our Libyan community. Therefore, people´s awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and appropriate behaviors are instrumental to containing the pandemic. This study aims to create a questionnaire to determine the Libyan society's environmental awareness of COVID-19

Shale gas and shale oil have rapidly revolutionized the energy supply and security landscape in various parts of the world. As Libya has a notable deposit of shale gas, this study sought to gain insight into the public perception of potential health and environmental impacts of a hydraulic fracturing and its associated controversies. It also sought to determine whether there is a need for public awareness of the science and economics associated with hydraulic fracturing. In this study, 304 local residents in Zawia city in the north west of Libya were surveyed on their views on the exploration of shale gas. The purpose of the survey is to understand the factors that influence local residents‖ support or opposition to the use of shale gas, such as energy independence, environmental consciousness, and risk/benefit perceptions. The results show that the respondents are generally supportive of shale gas extraction, the study show that 52% of the respondents express support or strong support for shale gas exploitation. Both this and future studies have the potential to improve public discourse and decision-making around the development of unconventional gas and oil industries.

Shale gas is a form of natural gas found trapped within shale formations. Shale gas is vastly distributed around the world. Recently, there has been increasing interest in exploiting shale gas for energy production. As a source of energy, many countries started to investigate their shale gas potential. To understand the public’s views on the extraction of shale gas and its long and short-term health and environmental consequences, this study was undertaken to recognize Ghadames region residents’ awareness of the environmental and health effects resulting from the extraction of shale gas in their areas. Ghadames region is located in northwest Libya, where a potential deposit of shale gas is spotted; therefore, it was perfect as a study area. A population survey from a random sample (N=251) drawn from local residents; it was designed to detect the public opinion of the most likely adverse direct and indirect health and environmental outcomes as a result of fracking; the possible benefits were also included as well. The results show that the majority of respondents support shale gas extraction in their hometown, no matter how the consequences will affect their health and environment, about 70% of the respondents show support for shale gas exploitation

This study investigated the challenges facing 4^th year Health Sciences College students in Gharyan University in translating/ learning English medical terms into Arabic. Two types of instruments were used to collect quantitative data needed for answering the research questions. The study participants were asked to translate and analyse some given medical English terms into Arabic, and via a questionnaire items they were asked to select the strategies they used to translate and analyse the given terms. The results revealed that many of the participants failed to translate the given medical terms into Arabic and most of them failed to analyse the terms into their individual segments. The analysed questionnaire data showed that most of the participants prefer to use bilingual dictionaries in translating the given terms. Explicit teaching of the medical terms translation with the focus on the meaning of the affixes and the roots of the terms may help in achieving correct translation of any English medical terms into Arabic language.  

Key words: challenges, medical terms, quantitative data, questionnaire.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the fluoride content of bottled water brands available in the market of Tripoli city and to measure if it is consistent with local standards. A total of 23 commercially available brands were collected and examined for fluoride content. 22 samples were locally produced and one was imported. The average fluoride levels of each sample was determined using the procedure outline in the Palintest photometer method and then compared with the fluoride content printed on the bottle labels. In all bottled water brands investigated, 19 brands of the analyzed samples did not state the fluoride levels on the labels of the bottles. The determined fluoride concentrations ranged from 0 to 2.75 ppm. For each brand, the fluoride level was not similar to the labeled fluoride. 82.6% (19 brands) had a fluoride content lower than the Libyan standards, 1 brands had a fluoride content higher than the Libyan standards, and 7 brands had zero fluoride content. All the samples examined had fluoride content outside the range regulated by Libyan standards. There was a significant variation between the F levels stated by the manufacturer on the bottle labels and the values measured during the investigation

Comparison Between Secondary School Pupils' English Achievement in General Certificate of Secondary Education And Their Health Sciences College English Admission Test Achievement

The Impact of Professional Schemata on the Reading Comprehension of Libyan University Students Studying ESP in the College of Health Sciences-Gharyan