Prevalence of Psychopathology among Syrian Refugees and Future Outlook

Nearly one millions Syrian refugees registered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) currently reside in Lebanon, making it the country hosting the highest number of Syrian refugees in the Middle Eastern region (ILO Employment Profile, 2014). While there are geographical differences in the levels of security, access to medical aid and relief, and socio-economic conditions that the refugees experience depending on where they settle, the vast majority of Syrian refugees are living in tragic conditions. The population of Lebanon has increased by around 25% since the advent of the Syrian civil war in March of 2011, putting pressure on the health-care system and economy of a country already suffering from weak services and infrastructure (van Vilet & Hourani, 2014). Approximately half of all Syrian refugees are under the age of eighteen, and exposure to war and violence places them at high risk for suffering from mental health problems (Sirin, 2015). These mental health problems yield a high cost for society, and the majority of organizations and governments provide little to no mental health treatment to Syrian refugees, focusing solely on supplying medical aid and food supplies. The prevalence of psychopathology among Syrian refugees must be better understood in order to provide optimal mental health treatment to those living in refugee camps

Congenital agenesis of internal carotid artery with ipsilateral Horner presenting as focal neurological symptoms

Internal carotid artery (ICA) agenesis is a rare developmental anomaly and is most frequently asymptomatic, but it may also present as cerebrovascular accidents. The association with Horner’s syndrome is exceptional. We present three cases of agenesis of ICA associated with Horner’s syndrome and hypochromia iridum presenting as focal neurological symptoms. A system of collaterals develops as a consequence of agenesis of the ICA, making the majority of cases asymptomatic. Three types of collateral circulations have been described. These collaterals increase the risk of aneurysm formation and the occurrence of life-threatening subarachnoid hemorrhages. The association of congenital Horner’s syndrome and hypochromia iridum without anhidrosis is highly suggestive of sympathetic pathway injury early in life. Such signs should prompt further diagnostic evaluation to demonstrate the presence of the agenesis of the carotid canal. Early diagnosis is essential to rule out potentially life-threatening associated vascular anomalies

Fetal and Maternal Imaging: Ultrasound Assessment of Labor Parameters

Today antenatal ultrasound is a necessary tool for screening and diagnosis of pregnancy. It is extensively used for fetal chromosomal risk assessment, fetalanatomy and biometry, placental localization and fetal head presentation in singleton and multiple pregnancies. It is essential for intrauterine invasive procedures and for the management of growth restricted fetuses. Ultrasound during labor or "Intrapartum Ultrasound" has been explored widely in the last decade for the assessment of fetal presentation, fetal heart beat localization andmore recently in advanced research topics such as monitoring the progress of labor and prediction of mode of delivery.The overall concept of this thesis was to describe new methods of assessment of parameters of labor by ultrasound. For this purpose, we performed an observational study investigating the use of a novel method for assessing cervical dilatation byultrasound during labor; a novel method for monitoring the progress of labor "sonopartogram"; assessment of caput succedaneum by transperineal ultrasound and furthermore to analyze the parameters of labor by ultrasound in prediction of mode of delivery. In addition to the above methods we will give an insight on the current established methods for assessment of the progress of labor and will compare these methods to ultrasound. We applied innovative use of technology such as transperineal ultrasound in monitoring labor progress. Obstetrics has the opportunity to develop into an objectively guided skill. Assessment of fetal head descent no longer needs to rely on an imaginary line drawn between the ischial spines; cervical dilatation could be measured accurately using simple two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound. Monitoring theprogress of labor has the opportunity to be performed solely by the means of 11 ultrasound. Labor characteristics such as head descent, head rotation, caput succedaneum, cervical dilatation when measured by ultrasound could predict the outcome of delivery (i.e. vaginal or caesarean delivery) in women with prolonged labor

BIOSORPTION OF METHYLENE BLUE FROM WASTE WATER USING LEBANESE CYMBOPOGON CITRATUS (CITRONNELLE)

The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of using Lebanese Cymbopogon citratus stem as an alternative adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue from aqueous solutions. Different parameters such as the effect of initial concentration, pH, adsorbent dose, contact time and temperature were studied. Maximum adsorption capacity (61%) of MB was obtained at PH=6 an initial concentration 200 mg/L after 24h and at 25 ˚C. The adsorption isotherm was better described by a Freundlich model rather than a Langmiur model. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the stems of Cymbopogon citratus is effective as an alternative adsorbent for MB remediation in waste water

BIOSORPTION OF METHYLENE BLUE FROM WASTE WATER USING LEBANESE CYMBOPOGON CITRATUS (CITRONNELLE)

The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of using Lebanese Cymbopogon citratus stem as an alternative adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue from aqueous solutions. Different parameters such as the effect of initial concentration, pH, adsorbent dose, contact time and temperature were studied. Maximum adsorption capacity (61%) of MB was obtained at PH=6 an initial concentration 200 mg/L after 24h and at 25 ˚C. The adsorption isotherm was better described by a Freundlich model rather than a Langmiur model. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the stems of Cymbopogon citratus is effective as an alternative adsorbent for MB remediation in waste water

Internet of Things Enhanced User Experience for Smart Water and Energy Management

Smart environments can engage a wide range of end users with different interests and priorities, from corporate managers looking to improve the performance of their business to school children who want to explore and learn more about the world around them. Creating an effective user experience within a smart environment (from smart buildings to smart cities) is an important factor to success. In this article, we reflect on our experience of developing Internet-of-Things-enabled applications within a smart home, school, office building, university, and airport, where the goal has been to engage a wide range of users (from building managers to business travelers) to increase water and energy awareness, management, and conservation