Search

The basic concept of vaccination has been based on engendering an adaptive immune response armed with effective immune cells, memory cells, and cytokines. These elements cooperate to mount either a humoral or a cell-mediated response. Coronavirus disease-2019 vaccines, although diversified, adapted the same objective with the previous vaccines prepared since Edward Jenner’s work. The spike surface protein (S) and the receptor binding domain constituted the main antigenic determinants for which the binding antibodies as well as the neutralizing antibodies were secreted. The unprecedented use of mRNA vaccines represented an unmatched breakthrough, which paved the road for a new era of vaccine generation. They showed a substantial ability to elicit antibody secretion with a moderate helper T cell response just after inoculation of the first dose. Besides, the adenoviruses-shuttled vaccines were able to engender a spectrum of polyclonal antibodies including neutralizing antibodies apt to drive a multitude of antibodies-mediated functions and activate T cell immune responses. In either case, the antibody titers as well as lymphocytes-mediated responses were significantly intensified. Deciphering the mechanisms of immune response activation by the inoculated vaccines in addition to the elaboration of innate elements involvement should open the door for a better decryption of the induced immune protection and pave the road for the formulation of a more effective vaccine that surmounts the incessant mutational variation of the viral antigenic attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescence has been identified as a particularly vulnerable age group with a high prevalence of insomnia and a heightened susceptibility to experiencing psychotic experiences, which in turn increases the risk of developing psychotic disorders. In particular, insomnia symptoms were found to be predominant among noise-sensitive adolescents exhibiting a higher level of noise annoyance. This study aimed to assess the moderating effect of insomnia severity between noise annoyance and psychotic disorders among Lebanese adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 527 Lebanese adolescents. Participants filled a self-administered online questionnaire. Insomnia moderated the association between noise annoyance and psychotic disorders. Noise annoyance was significantly associated with a higher risk of emergence of psychotic disorders. At low and moderate levels of insomnia severity, higher noise annoyance was significantly associated with higher psychotic experiences. Understanding how these variables interact provide valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms leading to psychotic disorders among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temperature dependence of the structural parameters and the occurrence of magnetism in UPdSn and UCuSn are measured by using neutron diffraction. Rietveld refinement of neutron diffraction data is used for determining the shortest interatomic distances for temperatures between 15 K and room temperature and the changes in the interatomic distances have caused changes in the hybridization effects, leading to the formation of a magnetic ground state for both compounds.

Some neutron-diffraction results of studies on that crystallizes in the orthorhombic [P2.sub.1cn] structure are reported. The UCuSn compound is found to exhibit two magnetic phases with transitions at about 62 and 25 Kelvin.

BackgroundMethodsResultsConclusionParental stress significantly impacts the well-being of families, and necessitates culturally sensitive tools for its assessment. The Parental Stress Scale, widely used in diverse cultural settings, lacks a validated Arabic version suitable for the Lebanese context, where unique sociopolitical and economic factors might influence parental stress differently. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the scale in Arabic among a Lebanese sampleFollowing the Snowball sampling method, participants (n = 502) were adult Lebanese parents who answered demographic questions and completed the Arabic version of the Parental Stress Scale and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-8.Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed a two-factor model of the Parental Stress Scale (CFI = 0.956). We found adequate composite reliability for both the ‘Parental Stress’ (ω = 0.91/α = 0.91) and ‘Parental satisfaction’ (ω = 0.94/α = 0.94) subscales. Convergent validity and concurrent validity were demonstrated through positive correlations with measures of depression, anxiety and stress. Our translation of the scale was shown to be invariant across sexes, with fathers scoring significantly higher than mothers.Our validated Arabic version of the Parental Stress Scale offers a culturally sensitive instrument for assessing parental stress in Lebanon. This tool enables healthcare providers and researchers to identify stressors affecting Lebanese families, facilitating the development of targeted interventions to support parental mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interplay between insomnia and PTSD symptoms remains misunderstood, and seems to be influenced by other factors like individual resilience. Our study examined the moderating role of resilience in the relationship between insomnia and PTSD symptoms among a sample of Lebanese adolescents, in the aftermath of the 2023 earthquake. This cross sectional study, conducted in April, 2 months after the earthquake, enrolled 546 Lebanese adolescents. We used the Sleep Self Report, the Resilience Scale for Adolescents and the 13-item Children’s Impact of Event Scale. The interaction insomnia severity by resilience was significantly associated with PTSD scores. At low, moderate and high resilience levels, higher insomnia severity was significantly associated with lower PTSD. Resilience moderated the relationship between insomnia and PTSD, mitigating the detrimental impact of disrupted sleep on PTSD symptoms. This data can guide healthcare administrators and psychiatric caregivers in classifying risk factors and implementing interventions to predict PTSD development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to assess medication adherence among Jordanian patients with dyslipidemia and evaluate the impact of health literacy, well-being, and doctor-patient communication on adherence in this population. Dyslipidemia is a prevalent condition that significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and understanding the factors influencing medication adherence is crucial for improving patient outcomes., Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted from March to July 2023. A convenience sample of adult Jordanians diagnosed with dyslipidemia was surveyed in a tertiary hospital using validated scales: the Lebanese Medication Adherence Scale-14 (LMAS-14), the Doctor-Patient Communication Scale (DPC), the WHO well-being index, and the health literacy scale. Bivariate analysis and linear regression models were employed to analyze associations., Results: Among 410 participants (mean age 58.62 ± 12.11 years), the mean scores were LMAS-14 (35.10), DPC (55.77), WHO well-being (47.53), and health literacy (38.96). Higher medication adherence was associated with older age ( B  = 0.093, p  = 0.049), university education ( B  = 2.872, p  = 0.017), prior surgery ( B  = 2.317, p  = 0.021), medium income level ( B  = 3.605, p  = 0.006), and better doctor-patient communication ( B  = 0.166, p  = 0.003). Conversely, cigarette smoking ( B  = -3.854, p  = 0.001) and health insurance ( B  = -2.146, p  = 0.039) were linked to lower adherence., Conclusion: The findings underscore the substantial interplay of socio-demographic and clinical factors affecting medication adherence. Enhanced public health interventions focusing on improving health literacy, communication quality, and addressing socio-economic conditions are vital for better adherence and patient outcomes in Jordan., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

Background: 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., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2024 Bou Haidar et al.)

Background: Little evidence is available about psychological stressors in Lebanese asthmatic adolescents, where health-risk behaviors are a serious threat to public health. In addition, the COVID-19 epidemic has had a substantial influence on adolescents' mental health globally, especially in Lebanon, where the ongoing economic and political challenges have largely impacted their psychological well-being. This study aimed to explore the association of asthma and the COVID-19 infection with behaviors among Lebanese adolescents., Methods: Data were collected in July 2023, using the snowball sampling technique. Inclusion criteria for participation in the study included being of a resident and citizen of Lebanon and aged 12-18 years. Behavioral problems were assessed using the Youth Self-Report (YSR) scale, which yields nine subscales (anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, somatic complaints, social problems, thought problems, attention problems, rule-breaking behavior, aggressive behavior, and other problems) and a total score., Results: Asthma was significantly associated with somatic complaints (Beta [β] = 2.98), attention problems (β = 0.01), and other behavioral problems (β = 0.68). Having contracted the COVID-19 infection, compared to healthy asymptomatic state (β = 1.55), was significantly associated with more anxious behaviors. In the case of stratifying the analysis in terms of gender, the results showed that the presence of asthma was significantly associated with more social behaviors (β = 3.31), thought problems (β = 2.91), attention problems (β = 0.02), other behavioral problems (β = 1.71), and total behavioral problems (β = 5.71) in males. In case stratifying the analysis as to school type, the presence of asthma was significantly associated with more somatic complaints (β = 2.77) in participants from private schools whereas it was significantly associated with more total behavioral problems (total YSR scores) (β = 5.05) in participants from public schools., Conclusion: It is confirmed that asthma and psychiatric disorders are interconnected, so it would be of great importance to include screening through a psychological intervention in treating asthmatic adolescents by means of (1) recognizing factors affecting patients' mental health, and (2) regulating uncontrolled behaviors that can exacerbate symptoms in order to avoid the future morbidity., Competing Interests: The authors have nothing to disclose.

The coexistence of different properties in the same material often results in exciting physical effects. At low temperatures, the pyrite transition-metal disulphide NiS 2 hosts both antiferromagnetic and weak ferromagnetic orders, along with surface metallicity dominating its electronic transport. The interplay between such a complex magnetic structure and surface-dominated conduction in NiS 2 , however, is still not understood. A possible reason for this limited understanding is that NiS 2 has been available primarily in bulk single-crystal form, which makes it difficult to perform studies combining magnetometry and transport measurements with high spatial resolution. Here, NiS 2 nanoflakes are produced via mechanical cleaving and exfoliation of NiS 2 single crystals and their properties are studied on a local (micron-size) scale. Strongly field-asymmetric magnetotransport features are found at low temperatures, which resemble those of more complex magnetic thin film heterostructures. Using nitrogen vacancy magnetometry, these magnetotransport features are related to exchange-bias-type effects between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic regions forming near step edges at the nanoflake surface. Nanoflakes with bigger steps exhibit giant magnetoresistance, which suggests a strong influence of magnetic spin textures at the NiS 2 surface on its electronic transport. These findings pave the way for the application of NiS 2 nanoflakes in van der Waals heterostructures for low-temperature spintronics and superconducting spintronics.

Purpose: We evaluated the possibility of performing endoscopic fiber-optic confocal microscopy in a rat bladder model and we distinguished different cell types., Material and Methods: Rhodamine 123 (Molecular Probes, Eugene, Oregon) (100 microM) was instilled for 30 minutes in 5 tumor bearing rat bladders (AY27). Five normal rats served as controls. A Cell-viziotrade mark confocal microscopy fiber was placed transurethrally in contact with normal or transformed bladder wall. Frozen sections were obtained from the same spots and subjected to conventional fluorescence microscopy and anatomical-pathological analysis., Results: The different cells types present in rat epithelium (umbrella, intermediate and basal cells) could easily be identified with the Cell-viziotrade mark device due to their differences in morphology and fluorescence intensity. Individual AY-27 cells could not be demarcated due to the strong fluorescence signal but the entire tumor appeared as a brightly homogenous fluorescent blot surrounded by small inflammatory cells., Conclusions: We report the feasibility of endoscopic, in vivo, fiber-optic confocal microscopy in the rat bladder. We distinguished tumors from normal epithelium and visualized the different epithelial cell types in nontransformed rat bladder epithelium.