Six-month mortality rates are lower in patients with an acute coronary syndrome treated with the combination of clopidogrel and a statin than in patients treated with either therapy alone: An analysis from the global registry of acute coronary events

La remunta la podem data de l'any 1928, aproximadament.Primer pla d'un edifici d'habitages, inicialment de planta baixa i pis, en què es remunten tres plantes en la part de la parcel·la que forma xamfrà a tres carrers. La remunta forma un volum molt potent que revalora estèticament l'edifici

Provision, protection or participation? Approaches to regulating children’s television in Arab countries

One notable feature of Arab broadcasting has been the belated emergence of free-to-air channels for children. Today, with children’s channels a still-expanding feature of the Arab satellite television landscape, the region is witnessing growth in the local animation industry alongside intensified competition for child audiences through imported content and a selective squeeze on state funds. In this context the policies and rationales that inform production and acquisition of children’s content remain far from transparent, beyond occasional public rhetoric about protecting children from material that ‘breaches cultural boundaries and values’ and providing programmes that revere a perceived ‘Arab-Islamic’ heritage and preserve literary forms of the Arabic language. Attempts at promoting children’s genuine participation in Arab television have been rare. Drawing on theoretical literature that links protection and participation in the sense that children’s safety depends on their agency, this paper explores emerging guidelines developed by Arab regulators, broadcasters and others in relation to television content for children

Analytic considerations in applying a general economic evaluation reference case to gene therapy

The concept of a reference case, first proposed by the US Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine, has been used to specify the required methodological features of economic evaluations of health care interventions. In the case of gene therapy, there is a difference of opinion on whether a specific methodologic reference case is required. The aim of this paper is to provide a more detailed analysis of the characteristics of gene therapy and the extent to which these characteristics warrant modifications to the methods suggested in general reference cases for economic evaluation. We argue that a completely new reference case is not required, but propose a tailored checklist that can be used by analysts and decision-makers to determine which aspects of economic evaluation should be considered further, given the unique nature of gene therapy

Knowledge, attitude and practice of Lebanese community pharmacists with regard to self-management of low back pain

Purpose: To determine the knowledge, attitude and reported practice of Lebanese community pharmacists who advise persons who present with low back pain.Methods: This was a multi-center cross-sectional study conducted in over 300 community pharmacies across Lebanon from December 2017 to May 2018. Pharmacists working at a community pharmacy were considered eligible, and those who volunteered to participate completed the questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed for self-completion by the pharmacist and included demographic questions about the respondent, questions that assessed knowledge and attitude toward low back pain, and questions about treatment to reflect and characterize the nature of practice. The primary outcome was to determine the knowledge, attitude and reported practice of the Lebanese pharmacists advising people who presented with low back pain. The secondary outcome was to assess factors that affect knowledge, attitude, and practice.Results: The response of 320 community pharmacists was analysed. The proportion of pharmacists with good knowledge about low back pain (51. 7 %) was slightly higher than those with poor knowledge (48. 3 %). Oral therapy was the most prescribed dosage form for back pain compared to local patch and cream. Among oral dosage forms, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were the most prescribed medications (42 %). Of the patients’ referral to the physician if necessary, 73.1 % of the referrals were by pharmacists.Conclusion: Community pharmacists in Lebanon demonstrate an acceptable level of knowledge of back pain, yet major gaps still exist, particularly in terms of the quality of advice. Hence, more education is needed to provide better quality of advice. Keywords: Attitude, Knowledge, Low back pain, Reported practice, Quality of advic

Acetylcholinesterase, Tyrosinase, α-Glucosidase inhibition by Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss. & Dur. Fruits Essential oil and Ethanolic Extract and Molecular Docking Analysis

Medicinal and aromatic plants serve as valuable reservoirs of bioactive molecules and mineral compounds that are harnessed for therapeutic and agro-food applications. The objective of this study was to assess the inhibitory enzyme properties of Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss & Dur fruit essential oil, as well as its aqueous and ethanol extracts, against acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, and α-glucosidase. Additionally, the antioxidant activity of these natural mixtures was evaluated using three different methods: DPPH, FRAP, and β-carotene bleaching tests. Furthermore, this research endeavors to examine the mineral constituents of various components of the plant under investigation. The various natural combinations that were examined exhibited a notable inhibitory impact on the enzymes acetylcholinesterase (67.56-92.30%), tyrosinase (57.52-63.44%), and α-glucosidase (61.22-72.49%). The analyzed extracts also demonstrate a significant antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the results obtained from the analysis indicate a notable presence of both macro and microelements, such as calcium (2.028 mg/g for leaves and 1.787 mg/g for fruits), within the Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss & Dur plant. The current study supports the significance of utilizing Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss & Dur fruits in the medicinal and agro-alimentary sectors. The utilization of molecular docking techniques was employed in order to make predictions regarding the therapeutic effects of Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss & Dur fruits

Open-Source 4G Experimental Setup (Report)

In this work, we show how to set up a cellular LTE network for wireless experimentation and measurement, relying on commodity hardware and open-source software. We first deploy a complete LTE network on a single laptop and an SDR hardware. Then, we use it to evaluate the reception performance of a commercial smartphone. In the end, we propose a calibration technique which allows using a smartphone as a wireless power measurement tool by reducing the root-mean-square error of the RSSI, with respect to a reference power measured with a specialized spectrum analyzer, from 6.4 dBm to 2.4 dBm

Validation of the Working Ability, Location, Intensity, Days of Pain and Dysmenorrhea (WaLIDD) Scale in Arabic-Speaking Young Female Adults

Patrick Sami Bou Haidar,1,* Desiree N Alam,1,* Sahar Obeid,2 Diana Malaeb,3 Mariam Dabbous,4 Fouad Sakr,4 Sami El Khatib,5,6 Rabih Hallit,1,7,8,* Feten Fekih-Romdhane,9,10,* Souheil Hallit1,11,12,* 1School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, Lebanon; 2School of Arts and Sciences, Social and Education Sciences Department, Lebanese American University, Jbeil, Lebanon; 3College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; 4School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon; 5Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese International University, Bekaa, Lebanon; 6Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics (CAMB), Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), Hawally, Kuwait; 7Department of Infectious Disease, Bellevue Medical Center, Mansourieh, Lebanon; 8Department of Infectious Disease, Notre Dame des Secours, University Hospital Center, Byblos, Lebanon; 9The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry “Ibn Omrane”, Razi Hospital, Manouba, 2010, Tunisia; 10Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia; 11Department of Psychology, College of Humanities, Effat University, Jeddah, 21478, Saudi Arabia; 12Applied Science Research Center, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Souheil Hallit, School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon, Email [email protected]: Dysmenorrhea, characterized by painful menstrual cramps, significantly impacts the well-being of women globally. Despite its prevalence and adverse effects, dysmenorrhea is often underdiagnosed and inadequately treated. This study aims to validate the Arabic version of the Working ability, Location, Intensity, Days of pain, and Dysmenorrhea (WaLIDD) scale among Lebanese female university students aged 18– 45.Methods: This cross-sectional study, involving 729 participants, utilized a translated WaLIDD scale and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-8).Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirmed the one-factor structure of the WaLIDD scale, demonstrating excellent fit indices, with good internal reliability. Concurrent validity analysis revealed significant associations between higher WaLIDD scores and elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea in the study was estimated at 7.3%.Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of the WaLIDD scale as a reliable and valid tool for assessing dysmenorrhea among Arabic-speaking populations. The successful validation of the Arabic version facilitates its application in Lebanon and potentially other Arab regions, providing a universal tool to predict and assess dysmenorrhea and its impact. Further research is encouraged to explore the scale’s applicability in clinical settings and tailor interventions for improved women’s well-being.Keywords: dysmenorrhea, psychometric, scale, Arabi

Assessment of Allergic Rhinitis among Children after Low-Level Laser Therapy

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) represents one of the most common global health problems with seriously increasing incidence over the last decades. The goal of the treatment of rhinitis is to prevent or reduce the symptoms caused by the inflammation of affected tissues. Intranasal steroids and oral antihistamines are recommended as first lines of treatment. Acupuncture had reported a significant improvement in daily symptoms and an increase of symptom-free days in many studies enrolling adults’ patients.AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the laser acupuncture effect on the treatment of children AR in comparison to the effect of the medication and to assess the anti-inflammatory effect of laser acupuncture through measurement of serum inflammatory marker (hs-CRP). METHODS: Sixty patients with allergic rhinitis their age group ranged from 4 to 18 years were divided randomly into two groups. Group 1 enrolled 30 patient that received AR in the form of intranasal steroids, antihistaminic, leukotriene antagonists while group2 thirty patients received 12 laser acupuncture sessions (2 sessions a \ week) on specific traditional Chinese acupuncture points.RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in the severity score symptoms in both groups through and by the end of the study. High Significant improvement in the levels of the inflammatory marker in both groups, especially in the group which receive laser acupuncture sessions.CONCLUSION: Laser acupuncture is a reliable, painless and non-invasive successful technique, which may be used as a complementary treatment for pediatric allergic rhinitis