External validation of models to estimate gestational age in the second and third trimester using ultrasound: A prospective multicentre observational study.

OBJECTIVES: Accurate assessment of gestational age (GA) is important at both individual and population levels. The most accurate way to estimate GA in women who book late in pregnancy is unknown. The aim of this study was to externally validate the accuracy of equations for GA estimation in late pregnancy and to identify the best equation for estimating GA in women who do not receive an ultrasound scan until the second or third trimester. DESIGN: This was a prospective, observational cross-sectional study. SETTING: 57 prenatal care centres, France. PARTICIPANTS: Women with a singleton pregnancy and a previous 11-14-week dating scan that gave the observed GA were recruited over an 8-week period. They underwent a standardised ultrasound examination at one time point during the pregnancy (15-43 weeks), measuring 12 foetal biometric parameters that have previously been identified as useful for GA estimation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A total of 189 equations that estimate GA based on foetal biometry were examined and compared with GA estimation based on foetal CRL. Comparisons between the observed GA and the estimated GA were made using R2, calibration slope and intercept. RMSE, mean difference and 95% range of error were also calculated. RESULTS: A total of 2741 pregnant women were examined. After exclusions, 2339 participants were included. In the 20 best performing equations, the intercept ranged from -0.22 to 0.30, the calibration slope from 0.96 to 1.03 and the RSME from 0.67 to 0.87. Overall, multiparameter models outperformed single-parameter models. Both the 95% range of error and mean difference increased with gestation. Commonly used models based on measurement of the head circumference alone were not amongst the best performing models and were associated with higher 95% error and mean difference. CONCLUSIONS: We provide strong evidence that GA-specific equations based on multiparameter models should be used to estimate GA in late pregnancy. However, as all methods of GA assessment in late pregnancy are associated with large prediction intervals, efforts to improve access to early antenatal ultrasound must remain a priority. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The proposal for this study and the corresponding methodological review was registered on PROSPERO international register of systematic reviews (registration number: CRD4201913776).

A multidisciplinary and structured investigation of three suspected clusters of transverse upper limb reduction defects in France.

INTRODUCTION: Between 2019-2021, facing public concern, a scientific expert committee (SEC) reanalysed suspected clusters of transverse upper limb reduction defects (TULRD) in three administrative areas in France, where initial investigations had not identified any risk exposure. We share here the national approach we developed for managing suspicious clusters of the same group of congenital anomalies occurring in several areas. METHODS: The SEC analysed the medical records of TURLD suspected cases and performed spatiotemporal analyses on confirmed cases. If the cluster was statistically significant and included at least three cases, the SEC reviewed exposures obtained from questionnaires, environmental databases, and a survey among farmers living near to cases' homes concerning their plant product use. RESULTS: After case re-ascertainment, no statistically significant cluster was observed in the first administrative areas. In the second area, a cluster of four children born in two nearby towns over two years was confirmed, but as with the initial investigations, no exposure to a known risk factor explaining the number of cases in excess was identified. In the third area, a cluster including just two cases born the same year in the same town was confirmed. DISCUSSION: Our experience highlights that in the event of suspicious clusters occurring in different areas of a country, a coordinated and standardised approach should be preferred.

The mediating role of depression in the association between perceived financial wellbeing and somatization: a study in the context of Lebanon's financial crisis.

The objectives of this study were to examine the association between financial wellbeing and somatization, in addition to the mediating effect of anxiety, depression and stress. To test such hypotheses, a cross-sectional study was carried out between September and October 2021; 403 participants (264 females; age = 32.76 ± 13.24 years) were recruited. Depression mediated the association between financial wellbeing and somatization. A worse financial wellbeing was significantly associated with more depression, which was associated with more somatization. Moreover, a worse financial wellbeing was significantly and directly associated with more somatization. Our study adds to the narrow body of research revolving around the relationship between financial wellbeing and somatization in Lebanese adults. Understanding that the effects of, depression are aggravated in a country such as Lebanon would help establish more preventative guidelines and mental health awareness campaigns. Identifying the correlates of somatization can also be translated into improved interventions.

Decreased insight, but not self-stigma or belief about medicine, is associated with greater severity of delusions in a sample of long-stay patients with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: There are, to date, limited and inconsistent findings concerning the relationship between insight and psychotic symptoms, despite some evidence in favor of the clinical and therapeutic relevance of the insight construct. We aimed to add to the pool of the available data in this area, by examining the correlations between the severity of insight and positive psychotic symptoms (delusions and auditory hallucinations), while accounting for self-stigma and attitudes towards medication, in a sample of long-stay inpatients with schizophrenia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, between July and October 2021. A total of 82 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (aged 55.55 ± 10.21 years, 54.9% males) were enrolled. The semi-structured psychotic symptom rating scales, the Birchwood Insight Scale, the Belief About Medicine Questionnaire, and the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness were used. RESULTS: The mean duration of illness in years was 30.15 ± 11.73, and the mean duration of hospitalization in years was 17.56 ± 9.24. Sixteen out of the 82 patients (19.5%) were considered as having poor insight. Bivariate analyses showed that higher chlorpromazine equivalent dose was significantly associated with more delusions, whereas higher insight was significantly associated with lower delusions. Multivariable analyses revealed that Higher chlorpromazine equivalent dose (Beta = 0.004) was significantly associated with more delusions, whereas higher insight (Beta = - 0.89) was significantly associated with less delusions. No significant associations were found between insight, self-stigma and hallucinations. CONCLUSION: Our results imply that more impaired insight is associated with greater severity of delusions, above and beyond the effects of self-stigma and medication doses. These findings are valuable to aid clinicians and researchers improve their understanding of the relationship insight-psychotic symptoms, and could help personalize prevention and early intervention strategies in schizophrenia.

The moderating effect of cognitive impairment on the relationship between inner speech and auditory verbal hallucinations among chronic patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Even though there is an increasing amount of evidence from behavioral and neuroimaging studies to suggest that pathological inner speech plays a role in the emergence of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH), studies investigating the mechanisms underlying this relationship are rather scarce. Examining moderators might inform the development of new treatment options for AVH. We sought to extend the existing knowledge by testing the moderating role of cognitive impairment in the association between inner speech and hallucinations in a sample of Lebanese patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May till August 2022, enrolling 189 chronic patients. RESULTS: Moderation analysis revealed that, after controlling for delusions, the interaction of experiencing voices of other people in inner speech by cognitive performance was significantly associated with AVH. In people having low (Beta = 0.69; t = 5.048; p < .001) and moderate (Beta = 0.45; t = 4.096; p < .001) cognitive performance, the presence of voices of other people in inner speech was significantly associated with more hallucinations. This association was not significant in patients with high cognitive function (Beta = 0.21; t = 1.417; p = .158). CONCLUSION: This preliminarily study suggests that interventions aiming at improving cognitive performance may also have a beneficial effect in reducing hallucinations in schizophrenia.

Functionality appreciation is inversely associated with positive psychotic symptoms in overweight/obese patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: While the relationship between negative aspects of body image and positive schizophrenia symptoms was extensively investigated and is relatively well-established, there is a dearth of literature on the relationship between positive symptoms and positive aspects of body image, such as body appreciation and functionality appreciation, in patients with schizophrenia. This study aimed to (1) compare weight stigma, body and functionality appreciation between obese/overweight and normal-weight patients with schizophrenia, and (2) explore the associations between these variables and positive psychotic symptoms in the obese/overweight group. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Lebanon during September 2022 recruiting selected in-patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Patients were classified as overweight/obese if they had a BMI > 25 (N = 76 (37.25%), aged 55.57 ± 11.30 years, 42.6% females). The Weight self­stigma questionnaire, the Functionality Appreciation Scale, and the Body Appreciation Scale, and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were used. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between overweight/obese and normal-weight patients for all variables, except for weight stigma; a significantly higher weight stigma score was significantly found in overweight/obese compared to normal-weight patient. In the bivariate analysis, higher functionality appreciation was significantly associated with higher positive PANSS scores. The results of the linear regression, taking the positive PANSS score as the dependent variable, showed that higher functionality appreciation (Beta = - 0.52) and higher social support (Beta = - 0.16) were significantly associated with lower positive PANSS scores, whereas having a secondary education level compared to illiteracy (Beta = 7.00) was significantly associated with higher positive PANSS scores. CONCLUSION: Although based on cross-sectional data, these findings preliminarily suggest that higher functionality appreciation can help reduce the severity of positive psychotic symptoms in overweight/obese schizophrenia patients, and that interventions aimed at improving functionality appreciation could be regarded beneficial therapeutic targets in the treatment of psychosis.

Neurological soft signs and cognition among inpatients with schizophrenia.

Introduction: Evidence has shown that neurological soft signs are strongly associated with neurocognitive dysfunction. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to assess the association between NSS and cognitive impairments in a sample of inpatients with schizophrenia. The secondary objective was to explore the association between NSS total scores and functioning.Methods: The study enrolled 95 inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia disorders and 45 healthy controls. The neurological evaluation scale (NES) was used to assess neurological soft sign while the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) was used to evaluate cognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia.Results: Patients with schizophrenia had significantly higher mean scores on the NES total test and subtests than the control group. Higher cognition was significantly associated with lower NES total and subtest scores. Higher functional independence was significantly associated with a lower NES total score (Beta = -.25), lower motor coordination subtest score (Beta = -.04), and lower others subtest (Beta = -.12). When taking the functional independence scale as the dependent variable, a higher NES total score was significantly associated with lower functioning (Beta = -0.03).Conclusion: NSS were associated to neurocognitive impairments in almost every domain among patients with schizophrenia. Further prospective research is still needed to confirm this role.

Rapid tranquillisation in a psychiatric emergency hospital in Lebanon: TREC-Lebanon - a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of intramuscular haloperidol and promethazine v. intramuscular haloperidol, promethazine and chlorpromazine.

BACKGROUND: Agitated patients constitute 10% of all emergency psychiatric treatment. Management guidelines, the preferred treatment of clinicians differ in opinion and practice. In Lebanon, the use of the triple therapy haloperidol plus promethazine plus chlorpromazine (HPC) is frequently used but no studies involving this combination exists. METHOD: A pragmatic randomised open trial (September 2018-July 2019) in the Lebanese Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross in Beirut Lebanon involving 100 people requiring urgent intramuscular sedation due to aggressive behaviour were given intramuscular chlorpromazine 100 mg plus haloperidol 5 mg plus promethazine 25 mg (HPC) or intramuscular haloperidol 5 mg plus promethazine 25 mg. RESULTS: Primary outcome data were available for 94 (94%) people. People allocated to the haloperidol plus promethazine (HP) group showed no clear difference at 20 min compared with patients allocated to the HPC group [relative risk (RR) 0.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47-1.50]. CONCLUSIONS: Neither intervention consistently impacted the outcome of 'calm', or 'asleep' and had no discernible effect on the use of restraints, use of additional drugs or recurrence. If clinicians are faced with uncertainty on which of the two intervention combinations to use, the simpler HP is much more widely tested and the addition of chlorpromazine adds no clear benefit with a risk of additional adverse effects.

A cross-sectional study of current and lifetime sexual hallucinations and delusions in Lebanese patients with schizophrenia: frequency, characterization, and association with childhood traumatic experiences and disease severity.

BACKGROUND: Till that date, a sparse body of research has been dedicated to perusing psychotic symptoms of sexual type, particularly in psychiatric populations. Our study's objective was to delineate psychotic symptoms with a sexual content, namely sexual delusions and hallucinations, among inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia in Lebanon, and scrutinize their relationships with the severity of schizophrenia symptoms and childhood abusive events. METHODS: We conducted structured interviews with 167 chronic schizophrenia patients, who completed the Questionnaire for Psychotic Symptoms with a Sexual Content, the Child Abuse Self-Report Scale, and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. RESULTS: 36.5% and 50.3% of the participants screened positive for current and lifetime episodes of sexual delusions and/or hallucinations, respectively. Alcohol drinking (aOR (adjusted odds ratio)current = 2.17; aORLifetime = 2.86) and increased psychological (aORcurrent = 1.09; aORLifetime = 1.09) and sexual (aORcurrent = 1.23; aORLifetime = 1.70) abuse were significantly associated with higher chances of experiencing current and lifetime sexual hallucinations and/or delusions. Additionally, an increased severity of schizophrenia symptoms (aOR = 1.02) was significantly associated with higher chances of current sexual hallucinations and/or delusions, whereas having a university level of education compared to primary (aOR = 0.15) was significantly associated with lower odds of current sexual hallucinations and/or delusions. CONCLUSION: In sum, our findings suggest that sexual psychotic symptoms are prevalent in chronic schizophrenia patients, providing support for their associations with antecedents of childhood traumatic experiences, illness severity, and substance use disorders. They endorse the vitalness of preventive measures against abuse, in order to circumvent such phenomenological outcomes. Our study offers the first data on sexual hallucinations and delusions in a non-Western psychiatric population, thus allowing clinicians and researchers to draw featural comparisons across different cultural settings.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Arabic version of the BACS scale (the brief assessment of cognition in schizophrenia) among chronic schizophrenic inpatients.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of cognitive disorders in schizophrenia is becoming a part of clinical and research practice by using batteries that differ widely in their content. The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) was developed to cover the main cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. The objective of this study was to assess concurrent validity of the Arabic version of the BACS with a standard neurocognitive battery of tests in Lebanese patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. METHODS: A sample of 120 stable inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia and 60 healthy controls received the Arabic version of the BACS in a first session, and a standard battery in a second session. RESULTS: Mean duration of completion for the BACS was 31.2 ± 5.4 min in patients with schizophrenia. All tests demonstrated significant differences between controls and patients (p < .01). Principal components analysis demonstrated that a one-factor solution best fits our dataset (64.8% of the variance). High Cronbach alpha was found (.85). The BACS composite scores were significantly correlated with the standard battery composite scores in patients (r = .73, p < .001) and healthy controls (r = .78, p < .001). Also, correlation analysis between the BACS sub-scores and the standard battery sub-scores showed significant results (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Results showed that the Arabic version of the BACS demonstrated high ability to discriminate patients with schizophrenia from healthy controls and it is a useful tool for assessing cognition in patients with schizophrenia and could be used in clinical practice in Lebanon.

Command Voices and Aggression in a Lebanese Sample Patients with Schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: The impact of command voices (CV) on violent behaviors in patients with schizophrenia remains unclear. The literature has produced mixed results, with no research existing on CV and violence among the Lebanese population. The study objecttives were to (1) evaluate the association between voice beliefs, psychosis severity, treatment, demographic factors and command voices, and (2) evaluate the association between command voices and violence among patients with schizophrenia in Lebanon. METHODS: A cross-sectional study, conducted between April and August 2019, enrolled 280 patients with schizophrenia. RESULTS: The results showed that 111 (39.6%) patients with schizophrenia had auditory hallucinations, among whom 93 (83.8%) patients had command voices; from these 93 patients, 53 (57.0%) were compliant with voices. Higher positive (ORa=1.09) and general psychopathology (ORa=1.04) PANSS subscales scores were significantly associated with higher compliance to voices. A higher resistance to beliefs about voices (ORa=0.91) was significantly associated with lower compliance to voices. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CV in patients with schizophrenia that report auditory hallucinations, was high in our sample. The vast majority of violent acts committed by patients was in compliance to CV, with a significantly high rate of the violence committed being directed towards property. Our findings were able to connect positive symptoms to higher probability of compliance to CV.

Radiation exposure during cardiac device implantation: Lessons learned from a multicenter registry.

BACKGROUND: Little data are available about radiation exposure during cardiac electrical device implantation, and no dose reference levels have been published. This multicenter, prospective, observational study assesses patient and staff radiation exposure during cardiac device implantations, and aims at defining dose reference levels. METHODS: Patient demographic, procedural, and radiation data were obtained for 657 procedures from nine institutions. Physician and staff exposure were measured using real-time dosimeters worn beneath and above lead apron. Statistical analysis included fluoroscopy time (FT), dose-area product (DAP), and DAP adjusted for FT and body mass index. RESULTS: Pacemakers and cardioverter defibrillators were implanted in 481 and 176 patients, respectively. Of these, 152 were treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Median FTs were 837s (interquartile range [IQR]: 480-1323), 117s (IQR: 69-209), and 101s (IQR: 58-162), and median DAPs were 1410 (IQR: 807-2601), 150 (IQR: 72-338), and 129 (IQR: 72-332) cGy.cm² for biventricular, dual chamber, and ventricular device implantation, respectively. Dose reference levels correspond to the third quartile values. During CRT, higher exposure was observed with four X-ray systems than with the two newer and customizable ones (adjusted DAP of 0.90 [IQR: 0.26-1.01] and 0.29 [IQR: 0.23-0.39], respectively; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Based on real-life measurements, this multicenter registry provides dose reference levels and may help centers assess radiation exposure. Although biventricular device implantation was responsible for the highest radiation exposure, FT was meaningfully shortened compared to previously reported values. For a same FT, the use of new generators and custom settings has significantly reduced DAP.

A Common Kinetic Property of Mutations Linked to Episodic Ataxia Type 1 Studied in the Shaker Kv Channel.

(1) Background: Episodic ataxia type 1 is caused by mutations in the KCNA1 gene encoding for the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.1. There have been many mutations in Kv1.1 linked to episodic ataxia reported and typically investigated by themselves or in small groups. The aim of this article is to determine whether we can define a functional parameter common to all Kv1.1 mutants that have been linked to episodic ataxia. (2) Methods: We introduced the disease mutations linked to episodic ataxia in the drosophila analog of Kv1.1, the Shaker Kv channel, and expressed the channels in Xenopus oocytes. Using the cut-open oocyte technique, we characterized the gating and ionic currents. (3) Results: We found that the episodic ataxia mutations variably altered the different gating mechanisms described for Kv channels. The common characteristic was a conductance voltage relationship and inactivation shifted to less polarized potentials. (4) Conclusions: We suggest that a combination of a prolonged action potential and slowed and incomplete inactivation leads to development of ataxia when Kv channels cannot follow or adapt to high firing rates.

Construction of the Lebanese Anxiety Scale (LAS-10): a new scale to assess anxiety in adult patients.

Objective: The study objectives were (1) to create a new 10-item scale, the 'Lebanese Anxiety Scale' (LAS-10), inspired by the diagnostic criteria of DSM-5, and the HAM-A and STAI scales and (2) to evaluate the performance of this new scale on a sample of Lebanese individuals.Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 1332 community dwelling participants between November 2017 and March 2018.Results: In sample 1, the participants' mean age was 28.08 years (63.9% females). The LAS items converged over a solution of two factors that had an Eigenvalue over 1, explaining a total of 51.97% of the variance (αCronbach=0.857). The optimal cut-off between healthy controls and anxious patients was 13.50 according to the ROC curve. The sensitivity and specificity were good at this cut-off (77.5% and 70.8%, respectively). The area under the curve was high: 0.811 [0.778-0.845]; p < .001. The positive predicted value of the LAS-10 score in sample 1 was 26.9%, whereas the negative predicted value was 95.2%.Conclusion: The results of the present study show that the LAS-10 is a tool that can be used in clinical practice and research to screen for anxiety.KEY POINTSThe positive predicted value of the LAS-10 score was 26.9%.Its negative predicted value was 95.2%.People with scores above 13.5 be referred to a health care professional for further assessment.The LAS-10 is a tool can be used in clinical practice and research to screen for anxiety.Future studies are needed to validate the LAS-10 in other countries.

Prevalence of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Patients With Schizophrenia and Outcome on Positive and Negative Symptoms, Cognition, and Quality of Life.

The objectives were to examine the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in hospitalized patients with schizophrenia and to compare the clinical, cognitive, and functional characteristics of schizophrenia patients with and without OCD. This cross-sectional study, performed between May and August 2018, enrolled 308 patients (200 men and 108 women). The prevalence of OCD in patients with schizophrenia was 3.2%. An increase in patients having a mild ß was significantly associated with higher social relationship score (ß = 1.68) and the Memory Functioning Scale-Informant (MFS-I) version (ß = 5.67). OCD did not affect the positive and negative symptoms of these patients. The prevalence of OCD in these patients was low (3.2%). Schizophrenia patients with and without OCD have comparable clinical profiles with few exceptions. The existence of OCD may affect the social relationship quality of life and the MFS-I version.

Abuse and Effects of Salvia divinorum in a Sample of Patients Hospitalized for Substance Dependence.

The study goal is to document the prevalence of salvia use among patients admitted for detoxification of other illicit drug use and to determine its effect. This cross-sectional study included 47 heavy drug users who were admitted for detoxification of other illicit drug abuse at a psychiatric hospital in Lebanon. The prevalence of salvia use was 66%. The salvia effect started and dissipated rapidly (15 min). No significant difference was found between salvia and non-salvia users in terms of affect, cognition and somaesthesia subscales of the Hallucinogen Rating Scale. Ratings of intensity and volition subscales were higher in non-salvia users than salvia users, while perception score was higher in users. Salvia use was correlated with perceptual alteration and hallucinogenic effects.

CXCR4 Cardiac Specific Knockout Mice Develop a Progressive Cardiomyopathy.

Activation of multiple pathways is associated with cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. We previously published that CXCR4 negatively regulates ß-adrenergic receptor (ß-AR) signaling and ultimately limits ß-adrenergic diastolic (Ca2+) accumulation in cardiac myocytes. In isolated adult rat cardiac myocytes; CXCL12 treatment prevented isoproterenol-induced hypertrophy and interrupted the calcineurin/NFAT pathway. Moreover; cardiac specific CXCR4 knockout mice show significant hypertrophy and develop cardiac dysfunction in response to chronic catecholamine exposure in an isoproterenol-induced (ISO) heart failure model. We set this study to determine the structural and functional consequences of CXCR4 myocardial knockout in the absence of exogenous stress. Cardiac phenotype and function were examined using (1) gated cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); (2) terminal cardiac catheterization with in vivo hemodynamics; (3) histological analysis of left ventricular (LV) cardiomyocyte dimension; fibrosis; and; (4) transition electron microscopy at 2-; 6- and 12-months of age to determine the regulatory role of CXCR4 in cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyocyte specific-CXCR4 knockout (CXCR4 cKO) mice demonstrate a progressive cardiac dysfunction leading to cardiac failure by 12-months of age. Histological assessments of CXCR4 cKO at 6-months of age revealed significant tissue fibrosis in knockout mice versus wild-type. The expression of atrial naturietic factor (ANF); a marker of cardiac hypertrophy; was also increased with a subsequent increase in gross heart weights. Furthermore, there were derangements in both the number and the size of the mitochondria within CXCR4 cKO hearts. Moreover, CXCR4 cKO mice were more sensitive to catocholamines, their response to ß-AR agonist challenge via acute isoproterenol (ISO) infusion demonstrated a greater increase in ejection fraction, dp/dtmax, and contractility index. Interestingly, prior to ISO infusion, there were significant differences in baseline hemodynamics between the CXCR4 cKO compared to littermate controls. However, upon administering ISO, the CXCR4 cKO responded in a robust manner overcoming the baseline hemodynamic deficits reaching WT values supporting our previous data that CXCR4 negatively regulates ß-AR signaling. This further supports that, in the absence of the physiologic negative modulation, there is an overactivation of down-stream pathways, which contribute to the development and progression of contractile dysfunction. Our results demonstrated that CXCR4 plays a non-developmental role in regulating cardiac function and that CXCR4 cKO mice develop a progressive cardiomyopathy leading to clinical heart failure.

Biochemical profile of non-enzymatic stress markers in the plant species "Urginea maritima" in a Mediterranean natural reserve exposed to oxidative stress.

Protected areas decrease degrading natural ecosystems due to pollution such as air pollution. In 1981, the inhabitants founded Bentael natural reserve in Byblos, Lebanon, to secure their region against urbanization projects, like the recently constructed road that threatens the biodiversity of the reserve. This study was conducted to determine the oxidative stress resulting from this pollution and that menaces 360 floral species among them a rare species "Urginea maritima." In this research, the biomonitoring approach was experienced to assess the oxidative stress. Biomonitoring possesses has the advantage to be low cost and a constructive method to generate valuable data for further examinations. The studied parameters were air pollutants, ascorbic acid, photosynthetic pigments, leave's pH, relative water content, proline, carbohydrates, and hydrogen peroxide, in three chosen spots, near the pollution source (P1), opposite the latter spot (P2), and in an area relatively far from the source of contamination and which was chosen as the control site (Ctrl). The results showed in P1 detection of air pollutants higher of about 80% than in Ctrl, modifications in stress markers: increased concentration of the reactive oxygen species "hydrogen peroxide," rise in the concentration of the osmoregulator amino acid "proline," and depletion in chlorophyll content, in contrast to an increase in pheophytin. All these findings can be exploited as early diagnosis of air pollution and confirmed the ability to use such biomonitor ("Urginea maritima") as a way to assess the environmental pollution levels and consequently affirm the danger of such landscape activities on natural reserves.

Managing acutely aggressive or agitated people in a psychiatric setting: a survey in Lebanon.

Background: Violent patients constitute 10% of all psychiatric admissions. Treatment options and clinical practice interventions vary across the globe and no survey of practice in a Middle Eastern setting exists. Surveying treatments in Lebanon will show treatment interventions used in this part of the world and, most importantly, provide the treatment options that could potentially be used for clinical trials pertaining to emergency psychiatry. Methods: A survey of clinicians' opinions and practice was conducted between July and August 2017 at the largest psychiatric hospital in Lebanon. Results: Five of seven experienced psychiatrists provided opinions when interviewed of their preferred intervention when dealing with an emergency psychiatric episode. Whilst this varied in detail, there was a consistent view that there should first be verbal control, then use of medications, and finally physical restrain of the patient. A total of 39 emergency episodes (28 people) occurred in the one month (64% men in their 30s). Bipolar disorder was the most frequent single diagnosis behind the aggression (n=16, 41%; 12 people 43%) but the combined schizophrenia-like illnesses underlay 18 of the 39 episodes (46%; 13/28 people 46%). In clinical life, we found evidence of high family involvement, but little attempts made at initial verbal control in the hospital. All 39 episodes involved administration of pharmacological interventions. Medications were used in 29 of cases (74%) and non-medication interventions used in the remaining 10/39 (26%). Conclusion: This survey provides some evidence that clinicians' preferences may not fully reflect clinical practice but also that experienced clinicians are using several clearly effective techniques to manage these very difficult situations. However, as for other parts of the world, treatment in Lebanon has limited or no underpinning by evidence from well-designed, conducted and reported evaluative studies.