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Insufficient sleep is not well studied in developing countries. We assessed sleep duration among adults in Lebanon and examined its potential predictors and relationship with subjective sleep insufficiency, daytime fatigue, and weekday sleep debt. This cross-sectional study included 501 adults (mean age 45.2 (SD15.2) years, 64% females) from the community in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. Socio-demographic, lifestyle and health characteristics, subjective sleep insufficiency, daytime fatigue, and weekday sleep debt (weekend vs. weekdays sleep duration) were compared between individuals who reported sleeping

Aim To evaluate the association of quantitative computed tomography (CT) measures of emphysema with the occurrence of pneumothorax after CT-guided needle lung biopsy (NLB) accounting for other risk factors. Materials and methods One hundred and sixty-three CT-guided NLBs performed between 2008 and 2013 with available complete chest CT within 30 days were reviewed for the occurrence of post-procedure pneumothorax. Percent emphysema was determined quantitatively as the percentage of lung voxels below −950 HU on chest CT images using automated software. Multivariable regression was used to assess the association of percent emphysema volume with the occurrence of post-procedure pneumothorax. The association of percent emphysema volume with the pneumothorax size and need for chest tube placement after NLB was also explored. Results Percent emphysema was significantly associated with the incidence of post-NLB pneumothorax (OR=1.10 95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.15; p=0.03) adjusting for lower-lobe lesion location, needle path length, lesion size, number of passes, and pleural needle trajectory angle. Percent emphysema was not associated with the size of the pneumothorax, nor the need for chest tube placement after NLB. Conclusion Percent emphysema determined quantitatively from chest CT is a significant predictor of post-NLB pneumothorax.

Findings on the reliability and cost-effectiveness of the use of cellular phones vis-à-vis face-to-face interviews in investigating health behaviors and conditions are presented for a national epidemiological sample from Lebanon. Using self-reported responses on identical questions, percentage agreement, κ statistics, and McNemar’s test were used to make the comparisons. Concordance was almost perfect (κ statistics, κ > .8) for measures including age, health insurance, cigarette smoking (ever and current), and diabetes; and substantial (0.6 ≤ κ ≤ 0.8) for other measures such as education, water pipe smoking, alcohol consumption, and hypertension. Moreover, cell phone interviewing saved approximately US$14 per person interviewed. Future research on their use for health research purposes in Lebanon and the region should address their use alone or in combination with landlines in obtaining nationally representative samples.

RESUME Objective: To assess the 3-year visual outcome of intravitreal bevacizumab in inflammatory ocular neovascularization. Design: Experimental study. Methods: Retrospective multicenter consecutive case series in 81 patients with inflammatory ocular neovascularization refractory to standard therapy and treated with intravitreal bevacizumab. The outcome measures included improvement of best corrected visual acuity expressed as logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) and paired comparison decrease in central foveal thickness by optical coherence tomography. Results: Mean best corrected visual acuity improved from baseline 0.699 (6/30 or 20/101) (SD 0.434) to 0.426 (6/16 or 20/53) (SD 0.428) (n 81; p 0.001), a gain of 2.7 lines (median 3 injections; 81 eyes; 81 patients). Paired comparisons revealed significant central foveal flattening at 3 years of 97.9 m( n 51; p 0.001). In a subgroup analysis, visual improvement was significant for ocular histoplasmosis (p 0.026); multifocal choroiditis (p 0.05); serpiginous choroiditis (p 0.028); ocular toxoplasmosis (p 0.042); and punctate inner choroidopathy (p 0.015). In a subgroup analysis, foveal flattening was significant for ocular histoplasmosis (p 0.004); multifocal choroiditis (p 0.007); serpiginous choroiditis (p 0.011); and punctate inner choroidopathy (p 0.001). Of the group, 5 eyes developed submacular fibrosis, 1 eye retinal pigment epithelial tear, and 1 eye macular ischemia in the context of vasculitis. Conclusion: At 3 years, intravitreal bevacizumab sustained significant visual improvement of 2.7 lines and significant foveal flattening of 98 m in a wide variety of inflammatory ocular diseases without major complications after a median of 3 injections. Objet : Evaluation du resultat visuel de 3 annees de traitement intravitreen au bevacizumab pour une neovascularisation oculaire

Background: Computerized tomography (CT) guided transthoracic needle lung biopsy is associated with post procedure pneumothorax and hemorrhage. Pulmonary emphysema assessed visually on chest CT is a risk factor for post needle lung biopsy pneumothorax; however, automated quantitative CT assessed emphysema has not been evaluated. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the association of quantitative CT measures of emphysema with the occurrence of pneumothorax after CT-guided needle lung biopsy, accounting for other risk factors. Methods: 163 CT guided needle lung biopsies performed between 2008 and 2013 with available complete chest CT within 30 days were reviewed for the occurrence of post procedure pneumothorax. Percent emphysema was determined quantitatively as the percentage of lung voxels below -950 HU on chest CT scans using automated software. Multivariable regression was used to assess the association of percent emphysema volume with the occurrence of post procedure pneumothorax. The association of percent emphysema volume with the pneumothorax size, need for chest tube placement and hemorrhage after needle lung biopsy was also explored. Results: Percent emphysema was significantly associated with incident post needle lung biopsy pneumothorax (OR=1.10 95%CI [1.01-1.15] p=0.03) adjusting for lower lobe lesion location, needle path length, lesion size, number of passes and pleural needle trajectory angle. Percent emphysema was not associated with the size of the pneumothorax, need for chest tube placement, nor with hemorrhage after needle lung biopsy. Conclusion: Percent emphysema determined quantitatively from chest CT is a significant predictor of post needle lung biopsy pneumothorax.