Fundamental symmetries studies with cold trapped francium atoms at ISAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gwinner, G.; Gomez, E.; Orozco, L. A.; Perez Galvan, A.; Sheng, D.; Zhao, Y.; Sprouse, G. D.; Behr, J. A.; Jackson, K. P.; Pearson, M. R.; Aubin, S.; Flambaum, V. V.

2006-01-01

Francium combines a heavy nucleus (Z = 87) with the simple atomic structure of alkalis and is a very promising candidate for precision tests of fundamental symmetries such as atomic parity non-conservation measurements. Fr has no stable isotopes, and the ISAC radioactive beam facility at TRIUMF, equipped with an actinide target, promises to provide record quantities of Fr atoms, up to 10 10 /s for some isotopes. We discuss our plans for a Fr on-line laser trapping facility at ISAC and experiments with samples of cold Fr atoms. We outline our plans for a measurement of the nuclear anapole moment - a parity non-conserving, time-reversal conserving moment that arises from weak interactions between nucleons - in a chain of Fr isotopes. Its measurement is a unique probe for neutral weak interactions inside the nucleus.

First Results with TIGRESS and Accelerated Radioactive Ion Beams from ISAC: Coulomb Excitation of 20,21,29Na

Science.gov (United States)

Schumaker, M. A.; Hurst, A. M.; Svensson, C. E.; Wu, C. Y.; Becker, J. A.; Cline, D.; Hackman, G.; Pearson, C. J.; Stoyer, M. A.; Andreyev, A.; Austin, R. A. E.; Ball, G. C.; Bandyopadhyay, D.; Barton, C. J.; Boston, A. J.; Boston, H. C.; Buchmann, L.; Churchman, R.; Cifarelli, F.; Colosimo, S. J.; Cooper, R. J.; Cross, D. S.; Dashdorj, D.; Demand, G. A.; Dimmock, M. R.; Djongolov, M.; Drake, T. E.; Finlay, P.; Gallant, A. T.; Garrett, P. E.; Gray-Jones, C.; Green, K. L.; Grint, A. N.; Grinyer, G. F.; Harkness, L. J.; Hayes, A. B.; Kanungo, R.; Leach, K. G.; Kulp, W. D.; Lisetskiy, A. F.; Lee, G.; Lloyd, S.; Maharaj, R.; Martin, J.-P.; Millar, B. A.; Moisan, F.; Morton, A. C.; Mythili, S.; Nelson, L.; Newman, O.; Nolan, P. J.; Orce, J. N.; Oxley, D. C.; Padilla-Rodal, E.; Phillips, A. A.; Porter-Peden, M.; Ressler, J. J.; Rigby, S. V.; Roy, R.; Ruiz, C.; Sarazin, F.; Scraggs, D. P.; Sumithrarachchi, C. S.; Triambak, S.; Waddington, J. C.; Walker, P. M.; Wan, J.; Whitbeck, A.; Williams, S. J.; Wong, J.; Wood, J. L.

2009-03-01

The TRIUMF-ISAC Gamma-Ray Escape Suppressed Spectrometer (TIGRESS) is a state-of-the-art γ-ray spectrometer being constructed at the ISAC-II radioactive ion beam facility at TRIUMF. TIGRESS will be comprised of twelve 32-fold segmented high-purity germanium (HPGe) clover-type γ-ray detectors, with BGO/CsI(Tl) Compton-suppression shields, and is currently operational at ISAC-II in an early-implementation configuration of six detectors. Results have been obtained for the first experiments performed using TIGRESS, which examined the A = 20, 21, and 29 isotopes of Na by Coulomb excitation.

Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy at TRIUMF-ISAC: the New Frontier of Radioactive Ion Beam Research

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, G. C.; Andreoiu, C.; Austin, R. A. E.; Bandyopadhyay, D.; Becker, J. A.; Bricault, P.; Brown, N.; Chan, S.; Churchman, R.; Colosimo, S.; Coombes, H.; Cross, D.; Demand, G.; Drake, T. E.; Dombsky, M.; Ettenauer, S.; Finlay, P.; Furse, D.; Garnsworthy, A.; Garrett, P. E.; Green, K. L.; Grinyer, G. F.; Hyland, B.; Hackman, G.; Kanungo, R.; Kulp, W. D.; Lassen, J.; Leach, K. G.; Leslie, J. R.; Mattoon, C.; Melconian, D.; Morton, A. C.; Pearson, C. J.; Phillips, A. A.; Rand, E.; Sarazin, F.; Svensson, C. E.; Sumithrarachchi, S.; Schumaker, M. A.; Triambak, S.; Waddington, J. C.; Walker, P. M.; Williams, S. J.; Wood, J. L.; Wong, J.; Zganjar, E. F.

2009-03-01

High-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy is essential to fully exploit the unique scientific opportunities at the next generation radioactive ion beam facilities such as the TRIUMF Isotope Separator and Accelerator (ISAC). At ISAC the 8π spectrometer and its associated auxiliary detectors is optimize for β-decay studies while TIGRESS an array of segmented clover HPGe detectors has been designed for studies with accelerated beams. This paper gives a brief overview of these facilities and also presents recent examples of the diverse experimental program carried out at the 8π spectrometer.

The GIIDA (Management of the CNR Environmental Data for Interoperability) project

Science.gov (United States)

Nativi, S.

2009-04-01

This work presents the GIIDA (Gestione Integrata e Interoperativa dei Dati Ambientali del CNR) inter-departimental project of the Italian National Research Council (CNR). The project is an initiative of the Earth and Environment Department (Dipartimento Terra e Ambiente) of the CNR. GIIDA mission is "To implement the Spatial Information Infrastructure (SII) of CNR for Environmental and Earth Observation data". The project aims to design and develop a multidisciplinary cyber-infrastructure for the management, processing and evaluation of Earth and environmental data. This infrastructure will contribute to the Italian presence in international projects and initiatives, such as: INSPIRE, GMES, GEOSS and SEIS. The main GIIDA goals are: • Networking: To create a network of CNR Institutes for implementing a common information space and sharing spatial resources. • Observation: Re-engineering the environmental observation system of CNR • Modeling: Re-engineering the environmental modeling system del CNR • Processing: Re-engineering the environmental processing system del CNR • Mediation: To define mediation methods and instruments for implementing the international interoperability standards. The project started in July 2008 releasing a specification document of the GIIDA architecture for interoperability and security. Based on these documents, a Call for Proposals was issued in September 2008. GIIDA received 23 proposed pilots from 16 different Institutes belonging to five CNR Departments and from 15 non-CNR Institutions (e.g. three Italian regional administrations, three national research centers, four universities, some SMEs). These pilot were divided into thematic areas. In fact, GIIDA considers seven main thematic areas/domains: • Biodiversity; • Climate Changes; • Air Quality; • Soil and Water Quality; • Risks; • Infrastructures for Research and Public Administrations; • Sea and Marine resources Each of these thematic areas is covered by a

The Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the EU-Lebanon Partnership Compact – new strategies, old agendas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seeberg, Peter

2017-01-01

The article discusses the cooperation between the EU and Lebanon with a focus on the newly launched EU-Lebanon Partnership Compact, based on a decision by the EU-Lebanon Association Council of 11 November 2016. The Compact describes the suggested (and partly mutual) commitments by the EU...... and Lebanon aiming at securing the stabilization of Lebanon in general, but also measures attempting to “provide an appropriate and safe environment for refugees and displaced persons from Syria during their temporary stay in Lebanon.”2 An important discussion in connection with that is the question of easing...... the refugees’ controlled access to the Lebanese labour market – obviously a controversial issue. The article concludes that the main EU interests are twofold. Firstly, it is about avoiding destabilization of Lebanon by supporting the integration of refugees in the Lebanese society. Secondly, the reputation...

The ISAC RIB Facility and physics programme at TRIUMF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmor, P.W.

2008-01-01

ISAC (Isotope Separator and Accelerator) at TRIUMF uses the ISOL (On Line Isotope Separator) technique with up to 100 μA of 500 MeV protons from the TRIUMF cyclotron driver to produce exotic isotopes in a thick target. The exotic nuclei are ionized, formed into beams, mass separated and transported at energies up to 60 keY to various experimental stations. Singly charged isotopes with nuclear masses below 31 can be further accelerated in ISAC I up to 1.8 MeV/u for Nuclear Astrophysics studies by a series of linear accelerators consisting of a RFQ (Radio Frequency Quadrupole) and DTL (Drift Tube Linace). Super conducting RF cavities are presently being added to the Iinac chain to permit a further increase in the maximum energy of the exotic beams to 6.5 MeV/u and an ECR-based charge state booster is being added in front of the RFQ to increase the available mass range of the accelerated isotopes from 30 to about added in front of the RFQ to increase the available mass range of the accelerated isotopes from 30 to about 150. This talk will describe the status of the facility and its experimental programme. (author)

Superallowed Fermi β decay studies at TRIUMF-ISAC

Science.gov (United States)

Svensson, C. E.; Dunlop, R.; Finlay, P.; Ball, G. C.; Ettenauer, S.; Leslie, J. R.; Towner, I. S.; Andreoiu, C.; Austin, R. A. E.; Bandyopadhyay, D.; Chagnon-Lessard, S.; Chester, A.; Cross, D. S.; Demand, G.; Djongolov, M.; Garnsworthy, A. B.; Garrett, P. E.; Green, K. L.; Glister, J.; Grinyer, G. F.; Hackman, G.; Hadinia, B.; Leach, K. G.; Pearson, C. J.; Phillips, A. A.; Rand, E. T.; Starosta, K.; Sumithrarachchi, C. S.; Tardiff, E. R.; Triambak, S.; Williams, S. J.; Wong, J.; Yates, S. W.; Zganjar, E. F.

2013-10-01

A program of high-precision superallowed Fermi β decay studies is being carried out at the Isotope Separator and Accelerator (ISAC) radioactive ion beam facility at TRIUMF. Recent high-precision branching ratio measurements for the superallowed decays of 74Rb and 26Alm, as well as a half-life measurement for 26Alm that is the most precise half-life measurement for any superallowed emitter to date, are reported. These results provide demanding tests of the theoretical isospin symmetry breaking corrections in superallowed Fermi β decays.

Nuclear astrophysics at ISAC with DRAGON: Initial studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olin, Art; Bishop, Shawn; D'Auria, John M.; Lamey, Michael; Liu, Wenjie; Wrede, Chris; Buchmann, Lothar; Chen, Alan; Hunter, Don; Laird, Alison M.; Ottewell, Dave; Rogers, Joel; Chatterjee, Mohan L.; Engel, Sabine; Strieder, Frank; Gigliotti, Dario; Hussein, Ahmed; Greife, Uwe; Jewett, Cybele; Hutcheon, Dave

2002-01-01

The new DRAGON recoil separator facility, designed and built to measure directly the rates of radiative proton and alpha capture reactions important for nuclear astrophysics, is now in operation at the TRIUMF-ISAC radioactive beams facility in Vancouver, Canada. Experiments have been conducted for the first time on the 21Na(p,γ)22Mg reaction. The evolution of nova explosions, and particularly their 22Na abundance, depends sensitively on this reaction rate. The radioactive 21Na beam with an intensity of up to 5 x 108 /s was directed onto a windowless hydrogen gas target (3.8 x 1018 H atoms/cm2). Prompt reaction gamma rays were detected using a BGO array and separated reaction products detected using a silicon strip detector at the end of the 20.8 m recoil mass separator. Yield measurements recording simultaneously singles and coincident signals were performed by scanning in energy over the known resonance reported previously in 22Mg at Ecm = 212 keV, and in addition, over a strong resonance observed at Ecm ≅822 keV. Known resonances in the 21Ne(p,γ)22Na, 20Ne(p,γ)21Na, and 24Mg(p,γ)25Al reactions have been used to calibrate the DRAGON. Studies are in progress to further define the performance of the DRAGON facility. Status of the data analysis and results from system performance studies will be presented along with a brief description of the new ISAC and DRAGON facilities

Lebanon: country profile.

Science.gov (United States)

Marfleet, P

1988-05-01

A brief profile of Lebanon's economy, people, health, culture and political situation is presented. Lebanon has an estimated 3.5 million people, with a Maronite Christian elite, a Muslim Shiite majority, and Muslim Sunnis and Druze groups. The infant mortality is estimated at 41/1000; literacy is 69% among women and 86% among men; life expectancy was 66 years, 10 years ago. The economy, previously thriving on banking, manufacturing and agriculture, is now decimated, and Lebanon's once active tourist industry, based on elegant facilities in Beirut and neighboring beaches and ski slopes, is the victim of 15 years of civil strife. Israel has invaded, supporting Maronite Christians, Syria has invaded in support Muslim and Druze militias, and Iran has aggressively supported Shiite factions.

Commissioning of the TRIUMF ISAC RF system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fong, K.; Fang, S.; Laverty, M.; Lu, J.; Poirier, R.L.

2001-09-01

The ISAC RF system at present consists of a Radio Frequency Quadrupole accelerator, five Drift Tube Linear Accelerators, six bunchers, two choppers and a bunch rotator. The RFQ operates at the fundamental frequency of 35.36 MHz, while the DTLs operate at the third harmonic frequency of 106.08 MHz. The operating power ranges from 45 W to 120 W for the choppers, 1 kW to 20 kW for the DTLs and bunchers, and 80 kW for the RFQ. These cavities have been commissioned to operate synchronously with both closed-loop amplitude and phase regulation, as well as automatic tuning of the cavities. This paper gives a brief summary of the commissioning experience. (author)

Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

1988-04-01

General notes about Lebanon are presented: political history, government, population, geography, economy and foreign relations. Lebanon lies on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, and is composed of a coastal plain bound on the east by high mountains. The population numbers about 2.5 million, although no census has been taken since 1932. 6 different types of Christian sects and 3 of Muslims contribute to instability. The strife has been aggravated by invasions by Israel against Palestinians encamped there, and by Syria as part of an Arab peace-keeping force. Despite constant civil war since the 1950s, the Lebanese government has continued to function, a parliamentary constitutional system with a judicial system based on the Napoleonic code. Amendments to the 1926 constitution have mandated that representation in the National Assembly and among top government positions be apportioned based on distribution of significant religious groups. Political parties in Lebanon are extremely complex, and include parties loyal to clan or local leaders, those ranging from the right to left, those resembling Arab parties in other nations, and those dedicated to religious sects. The economy is normally based on agriculture, and on commerce and banking in the primary coastal cities, but is in decline currently.

Fieldtrip Lebanon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pace, Michelle; Hansen, Bent S. E.; Kjøller Olsen, Brian

2017-01-01

This handbook is the sum of the experiences of 20 social workers and a researcher on a fieldtrip to Lebanon during August 2017. The handbook was created from the participants’ notes, collected and interpreted and put together by Michelle Pace, Bent SE Hansen and Brian Kjøller Olsen. This manual...... offers a platform through which good practices of all those working with young arrivals in host communities can be shared with their counterparts not just across Denmark and Lebanon, but hopefully across other European and MENA host societies....

A novel method for contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) evaluation of digital mammography detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldelli, P.; Phelan, N.; Egan, G.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test a new, simple method of evaluating the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) over the entire image field of a digital detector and to compare different mammography systems. Images were taken under clinical exposure conditions for a range of simulated breast thicknesses using poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). At each PMMA thickness, a second image which included an additional 0.2-mm Al sheet was also acquired. Image processing software was used to calculate the CNR in multiple regions of interest (ROI) covering the entire area of the detector in order to obtain a 'CNR image'. Five detector types were evaluated, two CsI-αSi (GE Healthcare) flat panel systems, one αSe (Hologic) flat panel system and a two generations of scanning photon counting digital detectors (Sectra). Flat panel detectors exhibit better CNR uniformity compared with the first-generation scanning photon counting detector in terms of mean pixel value variation. However, significant improvement in CNR uniformity was observed for the next-generation scanning detector. The method proposed produces a map of the CNR and a measurement of uniformity throughout the entire image field of the detector. The application of this method enables quality control measurement of individual detectors and a comparison of detectors using different technologies. (orig.)

T-Violation experiment at TRIUMF-ISAC using polarized 8Li

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murata J.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Motivated by a search for a new physics beyond the standard model, the MTV experiment (Mott Polarimetry for T-Violation Experiment is intended to achieve the highest precision test of time-reversal symmetry in polarized nuclear beta decay by measuring a triple correlation (the R-correlation. The first physics run of the MTV experiment was performed in 2010 at TRIUMF-ISAC. This paper gives preliminary results and describes the next generation setup, which involves a cylindrical drift chamber.

The International Telecommunications Satellite (INTELSAT) Solar Array Coupon (ISAC) atomic oxgyen flight experiment: Techniques, results and summary

Science.gov (United States)

Koontz, S.; King, G.; Dunnet, A.; Kirkendahl, T.; Linton, R.; Vaughn, J.

1993-01-01

Techniques and results of the ISAC flight experiment are presented, and comparisons between flight tests results and ground based testing are made. The ISAC flight experiment, one component of a larger INTELSAT 6 rescue program, tested solar array configurations and individual silver connects in ground based facilities and during STS-41 (Space Shuttle Discovery). In addition to the INTELSAT specimens, several materials, for which little or no flight data exist, were also tested for atomic oxygen reactivity. Dry lubricants, elastomers, polymeric materials, and inorganic materials were exposed to an oxygen atom fluence of 1.2 x 10(exp 20) atoms. Many of the samples were selected to support Space Station Freedom design and decision-making.

I.C.E.F.M. 94. Proceedings of the International Conference on Experimental Fluid Mechanics (2nd) Held in Torino, Italy on July 4-8, 1994,

Science.gov (United States)

1994-07-08

Dipartimento di Ingegneiia Aeronautica e Spaziale - Politecnico di Torino Centro Studi Dinamica Fluidi del CNR SPONSORED BY Politecnico di Torino Consiglio...M.C.G. and VIEGAS, D.X. • Grupo de Mecfnica dos Fluidos Universidade de Coimbra (Portugal) ABSTRACT The external flow around an intercity bus was...Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24 - 10129 Torino (Italy) G. Guglieri C.N.R. Centro di Studio per la Dinamica dei Fluidi Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24

TRIUMF-ISAC Gamma-Ray Escape-Suppressed Spectrometer (TIGRESS): a versatile tool for radioactive beam physics

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, G. C.; Andreyev, A.; Austin, R. A. E.; Bandyopadhyay, D.; Becker, J. A.; Boston, A. J.; Boston, H. C.; Chen, A.; Churchman, R.; Cifarelli, F.; Cline, D.; Cooper, R. J.; Cross, D. S.; Dashdorj, D.; Demand, G.; Dimmock, M. R.; Drake, T. E.; Finlay, P.; Gagon-Moisan, F.; Gallant, A. T.; Garrett, P. E.; Green, K. L.; Grint, A. N.; Hackman, G.; Harkness, L. J.; Hayes, A. B.; Kanungo, R.; Leach, K. G.; Lee, G.; Maharaj, R.; Martin, J.-P.; Morton, A. C.; Mythili, S.; Nelson, L.; Newman, O.; Nolan, P. J.; Padilla-Rodal, E.; Pearson, C. J.; Phillips, A. A.; Porter-Peden, M.; Ressler, J. J.; Roy, R.; Ruiz, C.; Savajols, H.; Sarazin, F.; Schumaker, M. A.; Scraggs, D. P.; Svensson, C. E.; Waddington, J. C.; Wan, J. M.; Whitbeck, A.; Williams, S. J.; Wong, J.; Wu, C. Y.

2007-05-01

TIGRESS is a new generation γ-ray spectrometer designed for use with radioactive beams from ISAC. This paper gives an overview of the project and presents results from the first radioactive beam experiment with TIGRESS, the Coulomb excitation of 20,21Na.

Altered cell wall disassembly during ripening of Cnr tomato fruit: implications for cell adhesion and fruit softening

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Orfila, C.; Huisman, M.M.H.; Willats, William George Tycho

2002-01-01

The Cnr (Colourless non-ripening) tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) mutant has an aberrant fruit-ripening phenotype in which fruit do not soften and have reduced cell adhesion between pericarp cells. Cell walls from Cnr fruit were analysed in order to assess the possible contribution of pectic...... polysaccharides to the non-softening and altered cell adhesion phenotype. Cell wall material (CWM) and solubilised fractions of mature green and red ripe fruit were analysed by chemical, enzymatic and immunochemical techniques. No major differences in CWM sugar composition were detected although differences were...... that was chelator-soluble was 50% less in Cnr cell walls at both the mature green and red ripe stages. Chelator-soluble material from ripe-stage Cnr was more susceptible to endo-polygalacturonase degradation than the corresponding material from wild-type fruit. In addition, cell walls from Cnr fruit contained...

Renewable Energy Resources in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdy, R.

2010-12-01

The energy sector in Lebanon plays an important role in the overall development of the country, especially that it suffers from many serious problems. The fact that Lebanon is among the few countries that are not endowed with fossil fuels in the Middle East made this sector cause one third of the national debt in Lebanon. Despite the large government investments in the power sector, demand still exceeds supply and Lebanon frequently goes through black out in peak demand times or has to resort to importing electricity from Syria. The Energy production sector has dramatic environmental and economical impacts in the form of emitted gasses and environment sabotage, accordingly, it is imperative that renewable energy (RE) be looked at as an alternative energy source. Officials at the Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW) and Lebanese Electricity (EDL) have repeatedly expressed their support to renewable energy utilization. So far, only very few renewable energy applications can be observed over the country. Major efforts are still needed to overcome this situation and promote the use of renewable energy. These efforts are the shared responsibility of the government, EDL, NGO's and educational and research centers. Additionally, some efforts are being made by some international organizations such as UNDP, ESCWA, EC and other donor agencies operating in Lebanon. This work reviews the status of Energy in Lebanon, the installed RE projects, and the potential projects. It also reviews the stakeholders in the field of RE in Lebanon Conclusion In considering the best R.E. alternative, it is important to consider all potential R.E. sources, their costs, market availability, suitability for the selected location, significance of the energy produced and return on investment. Several RE resources in Lebanon have been investigated; Tides and waves energy is limited and not suitable two tentative sites for geothermal energy are available but not used. Biomass resources badly affect the

Solid wastes management in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daniel, Simon E.

1999-01-01

The paper describes the problem of wastes in Lebanon and their management according to international (European and French) descriptions. It presents the situation in Lebanon including the policies taken by the ministry of environment towards the treatment of different types of wastes especially solid wastes. It is estimated that the production of wastes in Lebanon is 5854 tones per day and it is distributed as follows: Domestic wastes 3200 t/d; industrial wastes 1300 t/d; commercial wastes 1000 t/d; slaughter-houses 150 t/d; waste oils 100 t/d; hospital wastes 64 t/d; vehicle wheels 40 t/d. The annual production within regions is also presented in tables. Collection, transportation, recycling, composting and incineration of wastes are included

Aging in Lebanon: Challenges and Opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulrahim, Sawsan; Ajrouch, Kristine J; Antonucci, Toni C

2015-08-01

This spotlight offers a unique window into factors affecting aging in Lebanon. As a bridge between east and west, both geographically and culturally, Lebanon has the fastest growing older adult population in the Arab region, but few societal resources to address its needs. In a country with a history of political instability and war, but also a culture with strong family values, aging adults in Lebanon are vulnerable in some ways and advantaged in others. Outmigration of youth is an important determinant of the wellbeing of the elderly. While often advantaged by remittances sent by their children, older Lebanese adults have less access to instrumental social and personal support previously provided by young adults in the family. How Lebanon manages these challenges is likely to foreshadow the future aging experience for much of the Arab region. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

CNR considerations for rapid real-time MRI tumor tracking in radiotherapy hybrid devices: Effects of B0 field strength

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wachowicz, K.; De Zanche, N.; Yip, E.; Volotovskyy, V.; Fallone, B. G.

2016-01-01

Purpose: This work examines the subject of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), specifically between tumor and tissue background, and its dependence on the MRI field strength, B 0 . This examination is motivated by the recent interest and developments in MRI/radiotherapy hybrids where real-time imaging can be used to guide treatment beams. The ability to distinguish a tumor from background tissue is of primary importance in this field, and this work seeks to elucidate the complex relationship between the CNR and B 0 that is too often assumed to be purely linear. Methods: Experimentally based models of B 0 -dependant relaxation for various tumor and normal tissues from the literature were used in conjunction with signal equations for MR sequences suitable for rapid real-time imaging to develop field-dependent predictions for CNR. These CNR models were developed for liver, lung, breast, glioma, and kidney tumors for spoiled gradient-echo, balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP), and single-shot half-Fourier fast spin echo sequences. Results: Due to the pattern in which the relaxation properties of tissues are found to vary over B 0 field (specifically the T 1 time), there was always an improved CNR at lower fields compared to linear dependency. Further, in some tumor sites, the CNR at lower fields was found to be comparable to, or sometimes higher than those at higher fields (i.e., bSSFP CNR for glioma, kidney, and liver tumors). Conclusions: In terms of CNR, lower B 0 fields have been shown to perform as well or better than higher fields for some tumor sites due to superior T 1 contrast. In other sites this effect was less pronounced, reversing the CNR advantage. This complex relationship between CNR and B 0 reveals both low and high magnetic fields as viable options for tumor tracking in MRI/radiotherapy hybrids.

The LANL C-NR counting room and fission product yields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackman, Kevin Richard [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-09-21

This PowerPoint presentation focused on the following areas: LANL C-NR counting room; Fission product yields; Los Alamos Neutron wheel experiments; Recent experiments ad NCERC; and Post-detonation nuclear forensics

Predominant airborne pollen in a district of Beirut, Lebanon for the period extending from March 2004 to August 2004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahal, E.A.; Halas, Y.; Zaytoun, G.; Abdelnoor, A.M.; Zeitoun, F.

2007-01-01

Pollen grains rank high among causative agents of hay fever, allergic rhinitis,allegro-conjunctivitis, and asthma. Data on aerial pollen types, concentrations and patterns in Lebanon is lacking. Hence, we undertook the pioneering task of identifying and enumerating atmospheric pollen types in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, for the period extending from March 2004 to August 2004. Our aim was to shed some light on the prevalent sorts of airborne pollen in the city for subsequent studies attempting to assess associations between pollen types and allergic disease varieties. For this purpose, a VPPS 2000 Sampler (Lanzoni, Bologna, Italy) was employed. The daily average number of pollen detected for the span of the study was 41.32 pollen grains/m3 of air. The ten most commonly encountered pollen types were Cupressus, Pinus, Quercus, Parietaria, Fraxinus, Urtica, Buxus, Brassica, Syringa, and Chenopodium.Levels of the majority of pollen types peaked in April; however, March had the highest daily average record mostly enforced by immense bouts of Cupressus pollen. A pollen-monitoring network is in demand in Lebanon. Identification of airborne pollens in Lebanon would allow allergists to include them in a panel of potential allergens used in tests aimed at determining causative allergens in their patients. (author)

Salmonella burden in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Malaeb, M; Bizri, A R; Ghosn, N; Berry, A; Musharrafieh, U

2016-06-01

Salmonellosis is a disease that represents a major public health concern in both developing and developed countries. The aim of this article is to evaluate the public health burden of Salmonella illness in Lebanon. The current scope of the Salmonella infection problem was assessed in relation to disease incidence and distribution with respect to age, gender and district. Factors that provide a better understanding of the magnitude of the problem were explored and highlighted. Data reported to the Epidemiologic Surveillance Department at the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health between 2001 and 2013 was reviewed. Information obtained was compared to information reported regionally and globally. The estimated true incidence was derived using multipliers from the CDC and Jordan. A literature review of all published data from Lebanon about Salmonella susceptibility/resistance patterns and its serious clinical complications was conducted. The estimated incidence was 13·34 cases/100 000 individuals, most cases occurred in the 20-39 years age group with no significant gender variation. Poor and less developed districts of Lebanon had the highest number of cases and the peak incidence was in summer. Reflecting on the projected incidence derived from the use of multipliers indicates a major discrepancy between what is reported and what is estimated. We conclude that data about Salmonella infection in Lebanon and many Middle Eastern and developing countries lack crucial information and are not necessarily representative of the true incidence, prevalence and burden of illness.

Multifractal analysis of radar rainfall fields over the area of Rome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Calenda

2005-01-01

Full Text Available A scale-invariance analysis of space and time rainfall events monitored by meteorological radar over the area of Rome (Italy is proposed. The study of the scale-invariance properties of intense precipitation storms, particularly important in flood forecast and risk mitigation, allows to transfer rainfall information from the large scale predictive meteorological models to the small scale hydrological rainfall-runoff models. Precipitation events are monitored using data collected by the polarimetric Doppler radar Polar 55C (ISAC-CNR, located 15 km Southeast from downtown. The meteorological radar provides the estimates of rainfall intensity over an area of about 10 000 km2 at a resolution of 2×2 km2 in space and 5 min in time. Many precipitation events have been observed from autumn 2001 up to now. A scale-invariance analysis is performed on some of these events with the aim at exploring the multifractal properties and at understanding their dependence on the meteorological large-scale conditions.

Engineering and Cryogenic Testing of the ISAC-II Medium Beta Cryomodule

CERN Document Server

Stanford, G; Laxdal, R E; Rawnsley, B; Ries, T; Sekatchev, I

2004-01-01

The medium beta section of the ISAC-II Heavy Ion Accelerator consists of five cryomodules each containing four quarter wave bulk niobium resonators and one superconducting solenoid. A prototype cryomodule has been designed and assembled at TRIUMF. The cryomodule vacuum space contains a mu-metal shield, an LN2 cooled, copper, thermal shield, plus the cold mass and support system. This paper will describe the design goals, engineering choices and fabrication and assembly techniques as well as report the results of the initial cold tests. In particular we will summarize the alignment procedure and the results from the wire position monitoring system.

Background suppression by the DRAGON radiative capture facility at TRIUMF/ISAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutcheon, D.; Buchmann, L.; Chen, A.A.; D'Auria, J.M.; Davis, C.A.; Greife, U.; Hussein, A.; Ottewell, D.F.; Ouellet, C.V.; Parikh, A.; Parker, P.; Pearson, J.; Ruiz, C.; Ruprecht, G.; Trinczek, M.; Vockenhuber, C.

2008-01-01

The DRAGON facility at TRIUMF/ISAC detects reaction products following radiative capture of a hydrogen or helium target nucleus by an accelerated heavy ion. Capture reactions of interest in nuclear astrophysics may have reaction rates 10-14 orders of magnitude lower than the intensity of the incident beam: as well as efficiently transporting the heavy reaction product from the target to a suitable particle detector, the separator must provide most of the suppression of unreacted beam. We describe the features of beam background encountered in a range of proton- and alpha-capture experiments at the DRAGON facility.

The Repercussions of the Syrian crisis on Tourism in Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghada Salem

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Lebanon is characterised by a touristic industry, making of it the highest touristic destination in the Arab world before 1975, the year in which Lebanon's civil war has erupted, a war from which Lebanon still suffers until now. Moreover, Lebanon suffers from internal political conflicts and the repercussions of the geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East, the latest of which is the Syrian war. While the crises in Lebanon prevail- from political, security, economic, social to even environmental - Lebanese policymakers are still seeking to make out of Lebanon a country considered as a touristic one, and are working on achieving a sustainable touristic development. In this context, this study tackles the crisis that Lebanon is experiencing as a result of forced Syrian displacement into its territory, and sheds light on its negative and positive effects on Lebanese tourism. The study also aims to determine the effectiveness of sustainable tourism development in times of crisis, based on the study of Lebanese touristic data during a specific period of time.

LEBANON AFTER THE CEDAR REVOLUTION/ARE KNUDSEN AND MICHAEL KERR (eds; LEBANON: A HISTORY, 600--2011/by WILLIAM HARRIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franck Salameh

2013-05-01

Full Text Available LEBANON AFTER THE CEDAR REVOLUTION, ARE KNUDSEN AND MICHAEL KERR (eds; London: C. Hurst & Company, 2012. 323 pp. $29.95. LEBANON: A HISTORY, 600--2011, WILLIAM HARRIS; Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. 360 pp. $34.95.

Proceedings of the Course on Algorithms and Data Structures for Geometric Computations Held at CISM (Centre International des Sciences Mecaniques) in Udine (Italy) on 8-12 July 1985,

Science.gov (United States)

1985-07-26

Mantica, 3 33100 Udine Italy GAMBOSI Giorgio, Researcher Istituto di Analisi dei Sistemi ed Informatica - CNR Viale A. Manzoni, 30 00185 Roma Italy...cx-cy-plane. the subspace of the location parameters, admoving the cone with vertex at q along L intervals on a long line clustering along the...columns have a semantic meaning besides technical properties such as clustering , avoiding composite keys, and improving performance: They may be used

Electricity in Lebanon: a century report (1885-1994)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The document reports the status of the 'electricity' in Lebanon since 1885 with an emphasis on its present economical situation. Data concerning electric power consumption and distribution as well as the average of rainwater, spring and weather are given. Power plants in Lebanon, the production of electric power and its consumption are described. A quantitative analysis of specifications of power plants and their annual and monthly production of electric power, the distribution of electricity consumption in Lebanon (geographical, annual, monthly) are presented in tables and graphs. An overview of the economical status of the 'electricity' in Lebanon is presented. The evolution of prices charges, hour cuts, damages and the impact of Lebanese wars on the distribution and the consumption of electricity are presented

76 FR 59503 - Establishment of Class E Airspace; Lebanon, PA

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-27

...-0558; Airspace Docket No. 11-AEA-13] Establishment of Class E Airspace; Lebanon, PA AGENCY: Federal... at Lebanon, PA, to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures that have been developed... amend Class E airspace 700 feet above the surface, at Lebanon, PA (76 FR 39038). Subsequent to...

CNR considerations for rapid real-time MRI tumor tracking in radiotherapy hybrid devices: Effects of B{sub 0} field strength

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wachowicz, K., E-mail: keith.wachowicz@albertahealthservices.ca; De Zanche, N.; Yip, E. [Division of Medical Physics, Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1Z2 (Canada); Volotovskyy, V. [Cross Cancer Institute, Alberta Health Services, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1Z2 (Canada); Fallone, B. G. [Department of Medical Physics, Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1Z2, Canada and Departments of Oncology and Physics, University of Alberta, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1Z2 (Canada)

2016-08-15

Purpose: This work examines the subject of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), specifically between tumor and tissue background, and its dependence on the MRI field strength, B{sub 0}. This examination is motivated by the recent interest and developments in MRI/radiotherapy hybrids where real-time imaging can be used to guide treatment beams. The ability to distinguish a tumor from background tissue is of primary importance in this field, and this work seeks to elucidate the complex relationship between the CNR and B{sub 0} that is too often assumed to be purely linear. Methods: Experimentally based models of B{sub 0}-dependant relaxation for various tumor and normal tissues from the literature were used in conjunction with signal equations for MR sequences suitable for rapid real-time imaging to develop field-dependent predictions for CNR. These CNR models were developed for liver, lung, breast, glioma, and kidney tumors for spoiled gradient-echo, balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP), and single-shot half-Fourier fast spin echo sequences. Results: Due to the pattern in which the relaxation properties of tissues are found to vary over B{sub 0} field (specifically the T{sub 1} time), there was always an improved CNR at lower fields compared to linear dependency. Further, in some tumor sites, the CNR at lower fields was found to be comparable to, or sometimes higher than those at higher fields (i.e., bSSFP CNR for glioma, kidney, and liver tumors). Conclusions: In terms of CNR, lower B{sub 0} fields have been shown to perform as well or better than higher fields for some tumor sites due to superior T{sub 1} contrast. In other sites this effect was less pronounced, reversing the CNR advantage. This complex relationship between CNR and B{sub 0} reveals both low and high magnetic fields as viable options for tumor tracking in MRI/radiotherapy hybrids.

Temperature profiles by ground-based remote sensing and in situ measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Argentini, S; Pietroni, I; Conidi, A; Mastrantonio, G; Petenko, I; Viola, A [ISAC-CNR, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere, 100, 00133 Roma (Italy); Gariazzo, C; Pelliccioni, A; Amicarelli, A [ISPESL Dipartimento Insediamenti Produttivi e Interazione con l' Ambiente, Via Fontana Candida, 1, 00040 Monteporzio Catone (RM) (Italy)], E-mail: s.argentini@isac.cnr.it

2008-05-01

This study focuses on the accuracy of the temperature profiles measured with a Doppler Radio-Acoustic Sounding System and a Microwave Temperature Profiler during a period of about 3 months in winter 2007-2008. The experiment was carried on at the experimental facility of the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR). The temperature data measured with remote sensors were verified with in situ measurements on a mast as well as with tethered balloon data. The facsimile echograms obtained with the ISAC Doppler SODAR were analysed to understand to which extent the RASS and Radiometer temperature profiles behaviour can represent the real thermal structure of the atmosphere.

Temperature profiles by ground-based remote sensing and in situ measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Argentini, S; Pietroni, I; Conidi, A; Mastrantonio, G; Petenko, I; Viola, A; Gariazzo, C; Pelliccioni, A; Amicarelli, A

2008-01-01

This study focuses on the accuracy of the temperature profiles measured with a Doppler Radio-Acoustic Sounding System and a Microwave Temperature Profiler during a period of about 3 months in winter 2007-2008. The experiment was carried on at the experimental facility of the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR). The temperature data measured with remote sensors were verified with in situ measurements on a mast as well as with tethered balloon data. The facsimile echograms obtained with the ISAC Doppler SODAR were analysed to understand to which extent the RASS and Radiometer temperature profiles behaviour can represent the real thermal structure of the atmosphere

SU-E-I-23: A General KV Constrained Optimization of CNR for CT Abdominal Imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weir, V; Zhang, J

2015-01-01

Purpose: While Tube current modulation has been well accepted for CT dose reduction, kV adjusting in clinical settings is still at its early stage. This is mainly due to the limited kV options of most current CT scanners. kV adjusting can potentially reduce radiation dose and optimize image quality. This study is to optimize CT abdomen imaging acquisition based on the assumption of a continuous kV, with the goal to provide the best contrast to noise ratio (CNR). Methods: For a given dose (CTDIvol) level, the CNRs at different kV and pitches were measured with an ACR GAMMEX phantom. The phantom was scanned in a Siemens Sensation 64 scanner and a GE VCT 64 scanner. A constrained mathematical optimization was used to find the kV which led to the highest CNR for the anatomy and pitch setting. Parametric equations were obtained from polynomial fitting of plots of kVs vs CNRs. A suitable constraint region for optimization was chosen. Subsequent optimization yielded a peak CNR at a particular kV for different collimations and pitch setting. Results: The constrained mathematical optimization approach yields kV of 114.83 and 113.46, with CNRs of 1.27 and 1.11 at the pitch of 1.2 and 1.4, respectively, for the Siemens Sensation 64 scanner with the collimation of 32 x 0.625mm. An optimized kV of 134.25 and 1.51 CNR is obtained for a GE VCT 64 slice scanner with a collimation of 32 x 0.625mm and a pitch of 0.969. At 0.516 pitch and 32 x 0.625 mm an optimized kV of 133.75 and a CNR of 1.14 was found for the GE VCT 64 slice scanner. Conclusion: CNR in CT image acquisition can be further optimized with a continuous kV option instead of current discrete or fixed kV settings. A continuous kV option is a key for individualized CT protocols

SU-E-I-23: A General KV Constrained Optimization of CNR for CT Abdominal Imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weir, V; Zhang, J [University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: While Tube current modulation has been well accepted for CT dose reduction, kV adjusting in clinical settings is still at its early stage. This is mainly due to the limited kV options of most current CT scanners. kV adjusting can potentially reduce radiation dose and optimize image quality. This study is to optimize CT abdomen imaging acquisition based on the assumption of a continuous kV, with the goal to provide the best contrast to noise ratio (CNR). Methods: For a given dose (CTDIvol) level, the CNRs at different kV and pitches were measured with an ACR GAMMEX phantom. The phantom was scanned in a Siemens Sensation 64 scanner and a GE VCT 64 scanner. A constrained mathematical optimization was used to find the kV which led to the highest CNR for the anatomy and pitch setting. Parametric equations were obtained from polynomial fitting of plots of kVs vs CNRs. A suitable constraint region for optimization was chosen. Subsequent optimization yielded a peak CNR at a particular kV for different collimations and pitch setting. Results: The constrained mathematical optimization approach yields kV of 114.83 and 113.46, with CNRs of 1.27 and 1.11 at the pitch of 1.2 and 1.4, respectively, for the Siemens Sensation 64 scanner with the collimation of 32 x 0.625mm. An optimized kV of 134.25 and 1.51 CNR is obtained for a GE VCT 64 slice scanner with a collimation of 32 x 0.625mm and a pitch of 0.969. At 0.516 pitch and 32 x 0.625 mm an optimized kV of 133.75 and a CNR of 1.14 was found for the GE VCT 64 slice scanner. Conclusion: CNR in CT image acquisition can be further optimized with a continuous kV option instead of current discrete or fixed kV settings. A continuous kV option is a key for individualized CT protocols.

Determinants of caesarean section in Lebanon: geographical differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Carayol, Marion; Zein, Ali; Ghosn, Nada; Du Mazaubrun, Christiane; Breart, Gérard

2008-03-01

This study, based on the Lebanese National Perinatal Survey which included 5231 women, examined the relations between the caesarean section (CS) rate and the characteristics of mothers, children, antenatal care and maternity units in two geographical zones of Lebanon (Beirut-Mount Lebanon and the rest of the country) and then looked at geographical variations. This analysis concerned 3846 women with singleton pregnancies and livebirths at low risk of CS, after exclusion of women with a previous CS, non-cephalic fetal presentations, or delivery before 37 weeks' gestation. The principal end point was caesarean delivery. The relations between the factors studied and CS were estimated by odds ratios (OR), both crude and adjusted, using logistic regression. The rate of CS was higher in the Beirut-Mount Lebanon zone than elsewhere (13.4% vs. 7.6%). After adjustment, several factors remained associated with caesarean delivery in each zone. Common factors were primiparity, gestational age > or = 41 weeks and antenatal hospitalisation. Factors identified only in the Beirut-Mount Lebanon zone were obstetric history and insurance coverage, whereas for the other zones we only found major risk factors for obstetric disease: maternal age > or = 35 years, number of antenatal consultations > or = 4 and birthweight Lebanon (OR = 1.80 [95% CI 1.09, 2.95]). In conclusion, the CS rates in Lebanon were high, with geographical differences that were associated with access to care and with obstetric practices.

Tackling inflation and pension reform in Lebanon | IDRC ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2016-04-20

Apr 20, 2016 ... In Lebanon, the elderly constitute a large share of its population; moreover, Lebanese ... More than half live in poverty and face shortages in health services, water, ... The team reviewed price statistics for Lebanon, identifying ...

Salafism in Lebanon: Local and Transnational Resources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pall, Z.

2014-01-01

In my dissertation I look at the anatomy and dynamics of the Salafi da‛wa in North Lebanon. My analysis is based on an eighteen months long ethnographic fieldwork in Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar and Europe. The study seeks answers how and why Salafism emerged as a key player on the Lebanese Sunni

Lebanon: A Case of History Education in a Sectarian Society

Science.gov (United States)

Yoder, Paul J.

2015-01-01

This paper synthesizes the extant literature on history education in Lebanon. The sectarian nature of the country and the recent civil war make the case of Lebanon a unique and compelling one. Three emerging understandings underscore the complexity of history education in Lebanon and demonstrate the ways in which history is used to undercut…

State of the energy in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chehab, Said; Matar Toni

1998-01-01

The article describes the state of the energy in Lebanon. In 1996, Lebanon consumed 4647 Ktoe as a primary energy. 97% of this energy is imported mainly polluting oil products: 1623 Ktons fuel-oil, 1379 Ktons gasoline, 930 Ktons diesel, 200 Ktons coal, 124 Ktons LPG, 107 Ktons jet-fuel/Kerosene, 109 Ktons Asphaltic products. The remaining 3% of the energy consumption is renewable energy. As for production, the state owns two refineries which are not used anymore. The year 2000 plan includes an expansion project for the Tripoli refinery and an alternative plan for the Zahrani refinery. These refineries require a total investment in order to reach a production capacity of 50000 barrels a day. The article is a description of the pollution type sources and location in Lebanon. The combustion of the total energy produces yearly more than 15 Ktons of dust, 85 Ktons of SO 2 , 40 Ktons of NOX and 3500 Ktons of CO 2 . Another risk of pollution is due to spilling oil along the Lebanese coast which represents a potential oil spill hazard, with a serious impact on marine and coastal ecosystem. The paper presents also a proposed management schemes of energy policy , control and monitoring options. In addition to the energy balance in 93/94; the consumption of oil products in 93/94/96; oil products importations in 93/96; electricity consumption in 96; ventilation of thermal and hydraulic electricity production in 95/96; estimated inventory of emissions of selected pollutants to air in Lebanon in 93 and 2010; maximum permissible air pollutants in Lebanon; storage capacity of major petroleum importers

Nuclear astrophysics with DRAGON at ISAC: the 21Na(p, γ)22Mg reaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Auria, J.M.

2003-01-01

The DRAGON facility at the new intense radioactive beams facility, ISAC, is now operational. It was built to perform studies of radiative alpha and proton capture reactions involving radioactive reactants, and of interest to nuclear astrophysics. The rate of the 21 Na(p, γ) 22 Mg reaction has been measured using inverse kinematics. Resonance strengths have been measured for states of importance for novae explosions. This report will summarize aspects of this study and its impact. (orig.)

All projects related to Lebanon | Page 2 | IDRC - International ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Renegotiating Arab Civil-Military Relations: Political and Economic Governance in Transition ... Region: Egypt, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, United States ... Region: Lebanon, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel.

Financing and Political Economy of Higher Education: The Case of Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Nahas, Charbel

2011-01-01

This paper assesses the adequacy, efficiency, and equity of higher education in Lebanon in both the public and private sectors, while highlighting challenges that are specific to Lebanon. It concludes by discussing various approaches and strategies to remedy the challenges facing higher education in Lebanon.

Cooperation challenges for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Swart, B.

2007-01-01

While the Agreement between the United Nations and Lebanon provides a solid framework for cooperation between the Special Tribunal and Lebanon, Security Council Resolution 1757 (2007) is silent on the duty of third states to assist the Tribunal. As a result, the Special Tribunal will be confronted

76 FR 39038 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Lebanon, PA

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-05

...-0558; Airspace Docket No. 11-AEA-13] Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Lebanon, PA AGENCY... action proposes to establish Class E Airspace at Lebanon, PA, to accommodate new Standard Instrument... amendment to Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 to establish Class E airspace at Lebanon...

Chemical Composition of Rain Water in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SLIM, K.; SAAD, Z.; GHADDAR, A.; NASREDDINE, M.; KATTAN, Z.

2000-01-01

Samples of rainfall water were collected from fifteen stations in Lebanon during the period between October 1999 and April 2000 (the rainy season in Lebanon). Nine of these stations are distributed along the urban coastal cities, from the north to the south. The remaining 6 stations which have different altitudes ranging fom 400 m to 1200 m high are distributed in the mountainous rural areas. The concentrations of major cations (H + ,Na + , Ca 2 +, Mg 2 + and NH + 4 ) and major anions (Cl - , NO - 3 , HCO - 3 and SO 2 - 4 are determined for the first time in Lebanon. It has been found that the rain water is not acidic, due to the presence of carbonate dust particles in the atmosphere, which arise from the natural carbonate rocks, especially predominance in the mountains and internal regions of Lebanon. The high predominance of Na + and Cl - in the coastal investigated stations, is attributed to marine aerosol spray. The concentrations of SO - 4 and NO - 3 are close to the concentrations expected in typical urban areas. The correlation between the concentration of chemical species confirms the influence of natural and anthropogenic sources. (author)

Recent progress in the superconducting RF Program at TRIUMF/ISAC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laxdal, R.E. [University of British Columbia, TRIUMF, 4004 Westbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T2A3 (Canada)]. E-mail: lax@triumf.ca; Fong, K. [University of British Columbia, TRIUMF, 4004 Westbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T2A3 (Canada); Laverty, M. [University of British Columbia, TRIUMF, 4004 Westbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T2A3 (Canada); Mitra, A. [University of British Columbia, TRIUMF, 4004 Westbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T2A3 (Canada); Poirier, R. [University of British Columbia, TRIUMF, 4004 Westbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T2A3 (Canada); Sekachev, I. [University of British Columbia, TRIUMF, 4004 Westbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T2A3 (Canada); Zvyagintsev, V. [University of British Columbia, TRIUMF, 4004 Westbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T2A3 (Canada)

2006-07-15

A heavy ion superconducting linac is being installed at TRIUMF to increase the final energy of radioactive beams from ISAC. A first stage of 20 MV consisting of five medium beta cryomodules each with four quarter wave bulk niobium cavities and a superconducting solenoid is being installed with commissioning scheduled for December 2005. The cavities have been fully characterized for rf performance. Two cryomodules have been tested at cold temperatures. A high beta cavity ({beta} {sub 0} = 0.104) for the next phase is presently in design. A weak phase lock loop technique is used to monitor the control loop phase noise to characterize system microphonics. A recent highlight is the acceleration of heavy ions by one cryomodule as a proof of system integrity. The report will summarize all aspects of the program.

The Eisenhower Doctrine and its Implementation in Lebanon - 1958

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wilson, David

2002-01-01

In May 1958, President Camille Chamoun of Lebanon sent an urgent cable to U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower requesting military aid under the terms of the Eisenhower Doctrine, to put down civil unrest in Lebanon...

The plant macroremains from PPNB Tell Labwe (Lebanon)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gyurova, Dobrina; Otaegui, Amaia Arranz; Richter, Tobias

Tell Labwe constitutes the oldest Neolithic settlement in the Beqaa Valley (Lebanon). This site was excavated by D. Kirkbride in 1966 and revealed a sequence dated from the Late PPNB to the Pottery Neolithic. In 2011, a Lebanese-Spanish team carried out a fieldwork season in order to complete...... the Neolithic in Lebanon....

School Counseling in Lebanon: Past, Present, and Future

Science.gov (United States)

Ayyash-Abdo, Huda; Alamuddin, Rayane; Mukallid, Samar

2010-01-01

This article examines the status of school counseling in Lebanon. An overview that points out some weakness in the educational system, such as high dropout and repetition rates, is presented. Calls for counseling have been voiced partly because of the psychological consequences of social change, such as political instability in Lebanon. A sample…

TU-H-BRA-09: Relationship Between B0 and the Contrast-To-Noise Ratio (CNR) of Tumour to Background for MRI/Radiotherapy Hybrids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wachowicz, K; DeZanche, N; Fallone, B [Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada); University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada); Yip, E [University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada); Volotovskyy, V [Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To investigate the relationship in MRI between B{sub 0} and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of various tumour/normal tissue pairs. This study is motivated by the current interest in MRI/radiotherapy hybrids, for which multiple magnetic field strengths have been proposed. CNR is the single most important parameter governing the ability of a system to identify a tumour in real time for treatment guidance. The MRI community has long since recognized that the SNR of a well-designed MR system is roughly proportional to B{sub 0}, the polarizing magnetic field. However, the CNR between two tissues is much more complicated - dependent not only on this signal behavior, but also on the different relaxation properties of the tissues. Methods: Experimentally-based models of B{sub 0}-dependant relaxation for various tumour and normal tissues from the literature were used in conjunction with signal equations for MR sequences suitable for rapid realtime imaging to develop field-dependent predictions for CNR. These CNR models were developed for liver, lung, breast, glioma, and kidney tumours for spoiled-gradient echo (SGE) and balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) sequences. Results: In all cases there was an improved CNR at lower fields compared to linear dependency. Further, in some tumour sites, the CNR at lower fields was found to be comparable to, or sometimes higher than those at higher fields (i.e. bSSFP CNR for glioma, kidney and liver tumours). Conclusion: Due to the variation of tissue relaxation parameters with field, lower B{sub 0} fields have been shown to perform as well or better (in terms of CNR) than higher fields for some tumour sites. In other sites this effect was less pronounced. It is the complex relationship between CNR and B{sub 0} that leads to greater CNR at 0.5 T for certain tumour types studied here for fast imaging. B. Gino Fallone is a co-founder and CEO of MagnetTx Oncology Solutions (under discussions to license Alberta bi

Drought or humidity oscillations? The case of coastal zone of Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Shaban, Amin; Houhou, Rola

2015-10-01

There is discrepancy in classifying Lebanon according to the different climatic zones; however, it is often described as a semi-arid region. Lately, Lebanon has been witnessing climatic oscillations in the meteorological parameters. The impact of these oscillations on water sector has been reflected also on energy-food nexus. Yet, there are a number of studies obtained to identify the climate of Lebanon, and they show contradictory results; especially these studies elaborated different datasets and applied diverse methods which often modeled only on large-scale regions. Therefore, the analysis of climatic data depended on complete and long-term climatic records that can be applied to assess the existing climatic status of Lebanon, as well as to assure whether Lebanon is under drought, humidity or it is oscillating between both. This study utilized considerable datasets, from different sources including the remotely sensed systems (e.g. TRMM). These datasets were interpolated and analyzed statistically according to De Martonne Aridity Index. Aiming to affirm the climatic attribute of Lebanon; however, ten climatic stations were investigated. They are with representative geographic setting and diverse time series in the coastal zone of Lebanon were investigated. Even though, Lebanon is known as a semi-arid region, yet results in this study show that the studied zone does not evidence any drought, since around 70% of the investigated years are characterized by semi-humid to humid climate. This climatic figure is well pronounced since rainfall rate exceeds 900 mm, average temperature rate is about 19 °C, and snow remains for a couple of months annually.

lebanon : tous les projets | Page 2 | CRDI - Centre de recherches ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Région: Lebanon, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel ... Sujet: HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER EQUALITY, DEMOCRATIZATION, CULTURAL RELATIONS ... Région: North of Sahara, South of Sahara, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, Sudan.

Energy in Lebanon facing the third millennium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chehab, Said; Matar, Toni

2001-01-01

Competitive, diverse and secure energy supplies are the very lifeblood of modern economies. These supplies are often taken for granted but as past experience has shown, even brief interruptions in supply have serious economic and social consequences. With this central importance of energy in mind, Lebanon energy policy must for the future be based upon three main objectives: competitiveness, diversity and security of energy supplies. These objectives aim to address the complex set of strategic challenges facing the energy sector and the wider energy system, the later comprising end-use sector and the economy at large. They aim also to insure that the energy system is contributing to sustainable development of the lebanese economy with regard to the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the sustainability. The study includes tables on the evolution of the importation bill of fossil fuel; on the total primary energy production and consumption; it presents also the existing thermal and hydro-electrical power plants in Lebanon; the evolution of the electrical energy production; it gives also the emissions estimation of atmospheric pollutant due to the energy sector; the electricity rates in Lebanon; consumption of combustibles in the household; liquid petroleum prices breakdown in 1999 and the comparison of gasoline, diesel, fuel-oil and LPG prices as sold in Lebanon

Comparison study on CNR and SNR of thoracic spine lateral radiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ki Won [Dept. of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Min, Jung Whan; Lyu, Kwang Yeul [Dept. of Radiology, Shingu University, Sungnam (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jung Min [Dept. of Radiological Science, College of Health Science, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Hei Woun [Dept. of Radiological Science, Beakseok Culture University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Joo Ah [Dept. of Oncology, Catholic University of Korea Incheon St.Mary,s Hospital, Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Jae Hong [Dept. of Oncology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon (Korea, Republic of); Sung, Dong Chan [Dept. of Radiology, Dong Guk University Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Soon Cheol [Dept. of Radiology, Kang Dong Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2013-12-15

This study was proven for the T-spine breathing technique in lateral projection, using computer radiography (CR), charge coupled device (CCD), indirect digital radiography (IDR) and direct digital radiography (DDR). All images were evaluated and compared with CNR and SNR measured with the mean pixels and the standard deviation as setting ROI of spinous process, pedicle, vertebral body, intervertebral foramen and intervertebral disk using Image J. In experiment results of 4 type detectors, T-spine breathing technique was indicated as excellent in ROI of spinous process, pedicle, vertebral body, intervertebral foramen and intervertebral disk. As T-spine breathing technique indicated excellent images compared to the existing T-spine lateral radiography, this method would be useful for elderly patients who have difficulty in deep exhalation. This study was indicated the application possibility of T-spine breathing technique by presenting contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and signal to noise ratio (SNR) with quantitative value in 4 type detectors.

Rare genetic variants in the endocannabinoid system genes CNR1 and DAGLA are associated with neurological phenotypes in humans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas R Smith

Full Text Available Rare genetic variants in the core endocannabinoid system genes CNR1, CNR2, DAGLA, MGLL and FAAH were identified in molecular testing data from 6,032 patients with a broad spectrum of neurological disorders. The variants were evaluated for association with phenotypes similar to those observed in the orthologous gene knockouts in mice. Heterozygous rare coding variants in CNR1, which encodes the type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1, were found to be significantly associated with pain sensitivity (especially migraine, sleep and memory disorders-alone or in combination with anxiety-compared to a set of controls without such CNR1 variants. Similarly, heterozygous rare variants in DAGLA, which encodes diacylglycerol lipase alpha, were found to be significantly associated with seizures and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and abnormalities of brain morphology, compared to controls. Rare variants in MGLL, FAAH and CNR2 were not associated with any neurological phenotypes in the patients tested. Diacylglycerol lipase alpha synthesizes the endocannabinoid 2-AG in the brain, which interacts with CB1 receptors. The phenotypes associated with rare CNR1 variants are reminiscent of those implicated in the theory of clinical endocannabinoid deficiency syndrome. The severe phenotypes associated with rare DAGLA variants underscore the critical role of rapid 2-AG synthesis and the endocannabinoid system in regulating neurological function and development. Mapping of the variants to the 3D structure of the type 1 cannabinoid receptor, or primary structure of diacylglycerol lipase alpha, reveals clustering of variants in certain structural regions and is consistent with impacts to function.

Bluetongue virus in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

El Hage, J; Lorusso, A; Carmine, I; Di Gennaro, A; Portanti, O; Olivieri, S; Casaccia, C; Pisciella, M; Teodori, L; Sghaier, S; Savini, G

2013-10-01

Since 2000, several incursions of bluetongue virus (BTV) occurred in the Mediterranean Basin involving European and surrounding Countries. The Middle East represents one of the most important gateways for the access of BTV in Europe. Limited data on the BTV situation in this area are available. In this perspective, an epidemiological survey on the presence of BTV in Lebanon was conducted. Of the 181 serum samples tested, 97 (mean = 53.6%; 95% CI: 46.3-60.7) resulted positive when tested for the presence of BTV antibodies by c-ELISA, of these 42 (mean = 42%; 95% CI: 32.8-51.8) serum samples were from sheep and 55 (mean = 67.9%; 95% CI: 57.1-77.1) serum samples were from goats. Fourteen blood samples (14/110; mean = 12.7%; 95% CI: 7.8-20.3), 6 (6/66; mean = 9.1%; 95% CI: 4.4-18.5) from sheep and 8 (8/44; mean = 18.2%; 95% CI: 9.6-32.0) from goats, were positive by qRT-PCR. The results with serum-neutralization assay and typing performed by RT-PCR confirmed that six BTV serotypes are currently circulating in Lebanon, and these serotypes are as follows: 1, 4, 6, 8, 16 and 24. This study is the first report that confirms the presence and circulation of BTV in Lebanon. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

78 FR 46487 - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-31

...--Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Lebanon #0; #0; #0; Presidential Documents #0; #0; #0;#0... With Respect to Lebanon On August 1, 2007, by Executive Order 13441, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Lebanon pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C...

ISAC and ARIEL the TRIUMF radioactive beam facilities and the scientific program

CERN Document Server

Krücken, Reiner; Merminga, Lia

2014-01-01

The TRIUMF Isotope Separator and Accelerator (ISAC) facility uses the isotope separation on-line (ISOL) technique to produce rare-isotope beams (RIB). The ISOL system consists of a primary production beam, a target/ion source, a mass separator, and beam transport system. The rare isotopes produced during the interaction of the proton beam with the target nucleus are stopped in the bulk of the target material. They diffuse inside the target material matrix to the surface of the grain and then effuse to the ion source where they are ionized to form an ion beam that can be separated by mass and then guided to the experimental facilities. Previously published in the journal Hyperfine Interactions.

Hospital waste management in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaker, Alissar

1999-01-01

Hospital wastes comprises approximately 80% domestic waste components, also known as non-risk waste and 20% hazardous or risk waste. The 20% of the hospital waste stream or the risk waste (also known as infectious, medical, clinical wastes) comprises components which could be potentially contaminated with infections, chemical or radioactive agents. Therefore, it should be handled and disposed of in such a manner as to minimize potential human exposure and cross-contamination. Hospital risk waste and be subdivided into seven general categories as follows: infections, anatomical/pathological, chemical, pharmaceutical, radioactive waste, sharps and pressurised containers. These waste categories are generated by many types of health care establishments, including hospitals, clinics, infirmaries.... The document presents also tables of number of hospitals and estimated bed number in different regions in Lebanon; estimated hospital risk and non-risk waste generation per tonnes per day for the years 1998 until 2010 and finally sensitivity analysis of estimated generation of hospital risk waste in Lebanon per tonnes per day for the years 1998 until 2010. The management, treatment and disposal of hospital risk waste constitute important environmental and public safety issues. It is recognised that there is alack of infrastructure for the safe and environmentally acceptable disposal of hospital waste in Lebanon

Airborne hyperspectral remote sensing in Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Remo; Marino, Carlo M.; Pignatti, Stefano

1994-12-01

The Italian National Research Council (CNR) in the framework of its `Strategic Project for Climate and Environment in Southern Italy' established a new laboratory for airborne hyperspectral imaging devoted to environmental problems. Since the end of June 1994, the LARA (Laboratorio Aereo per Ricerche Ambientali -- Airborne Laboratory for Environmental Studies) Project is fully operative to provide hyperspectral data to the national and international scientific community by means of deployments of its CASA-212 aircraft carrying the Daedalus AA5000 MIVIS (multispectral infrared and visible imaging spectrometer) system. MIVIS is a modular instrument consisting of 102 spectral channels that use independent optical sensors simultaneously sampled and recorded onto a compact computer compatible magnetic tape medium with a data capacity of 10.2 Gbytes. To support the preprocessing and production pipeline of the large hyperspectral data sets CNR housed in Pomezia, a town close to Rome, a ground based computer system with a software designed to handle MIVIS data. The software (MIDAS-Multispectral Interactive Data Analysis System), besides the data production management, gives to users a powerful and highly extensible hyperspectral analysis system. The Pomezia's ground station is designed to maintain and check the MIVIS instrument performance through the evaluation of data quality (like spectral accuracy, signal to noise performance, signal variations, etc.), and to produce, archive, and diffuse MIVIS data in the form of geometrically and radiometrically corrected data sets on low cost and easy access CC media.

FATHI YAKAN THE PIONEER OF ISLAMIC ACTIVISM IN LEBANON

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert G. Rabil

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This article explores the ideology of Fathi Yakan, the pioneer of Sunni Islamism in Lebanon and a principal founder of the Islamist party al-­‐Jama'a al-­‐Islamiya.  It also traces the establishment of  al_Jama'a as the first organized Islamist party in Lebanon.  As Secretary General of al-­‐Jama'a, Fathi Yakan blazed the ideological trail for Islamism's participation in Lebanon's political realm.  Significantly, Yakan's political activism, in much the same vein as that of Druze "Socialist" Kamal Jumblat, was also more about removing Maronite hegemony over the state.

Searching for radiations in consumed meat in Lebanon in 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hage, N.

1987-01-01

The thesis is a survey on the contamination of meat in Lebanon following Chernobyl accident, taking into consideration that Lebanon is a big importer of meat from eastern european countries. The first part of the study presents an exhaustive description of radioactivity and different types of irradiation; the impact of Chernobyl accident on environment ; sources of contamination of meat by Iodine 131, Strontium 90 and Cesium 137; radiation doses admitted and radiation effects on men organs. The survey describes radioactivity analysis of one hundred samples of meat collected from different regions in Lebanon along the period dating from June to September 1986. Results showed the absence of radioactive contamination of consumed meat in Lebanon after Chernobyl accident. Recommendations are formulated for a permanent control of food products by Lebanese government in application of IAEA international regulations on preservation of food products from radioactive elements

High-precision half-life and branching-ratio measurements for superallowed Fermi β+ emitters at TRIUMF - ISAC

Science.gov (United States)

Laffoley, A. T.; Dunlop, R.; Finlay, P.; Grinyer, G. F.; Andreoiu, C.; Austin, R. A. E.; Ball, G. C.; Bandyopadhyay, D.; Blank, B.; Bouzomita, H.; Chagnon-Lessard, S.; Chester, A.; Cross, D. S.; Demand, G.; Diaz Varela, A.; Djongolov, M.; Ettenauer, S.; Garnsworthy, A. B.; Garrett, P. E.; Giovinazzo, J.; Glister, J.; Green, K. L.; Hackman, G.; Hadinia, B.; Jamieson, D. S.; Ketelhut, S.; Leach, K. G.; Leslie, J. R.; Pearson, C. J.; Phillips, A. A.; Rand, E. T.; Starosta, K.; Sumithrarachchi, C. S.; Svensson, C. E.; Tardiff, E. R.; Thomas, J. C.; Towner, I. S.; Triambak, S.; Unsworth, C.; Williams, S. J.; Wong, J.; Yates, S. W.; Zganjar, E. F.

2014-03-01

A program of high-precision half-life and branching-ratio measurements for superallowed Fermi β emitters is being carried out at TRIUMF's Isotope Separator and Accelerator (ISAC) radioactive ion beam facility. Recent half-life measurements for the superallowed decays of 14O, 18Ne, and 26Alm, as well as branching-ratio measurements for 26Alm and 74Rb are reported. These results provide demanding tests of the Standard Model and the theoretical isospin symmetry breaking (ISB) corrections in superallowed Fermi β decays.

International Uranium Resources Evaluation Project (IUREP) national favourability studies: Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-10-01

Geologically speaking, Lebanon is a young country since the oldest rocks are of Upper Jurassic age. Two volcanic periods are included in the more recent rocks. The country is intersected by numerous faults mainly striking NNE but also including numerous small transverse faults. No prospecting for nuclear raw materials has been recorded and there is no known activity at the present time. Lebanon has no national geological organization to support uranium prospecting. From the geological standpoint, possibilities of occurrences of nuclear minerals in Lebanon are poor and the Speculative Potential is placed in the less than 1000 tonnes uranium category. (author)

A variant on promoter of the cannabinoid receptor 1 gene (CNR1) moderates the effect of valence on working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Fairfield, Beth; Mammarella, Nicola; Franzago, Marica; Di Domenico, Alberto; Stuppia, Liborio; Gatta, Valentina

2018-02-01

Cannabinoid receptor 1 gene (CNR1) variants have been related to affective information processing and, in particular, to stress release. Here, we aimed to examine whether the endocannabinoid system via CNR1 signaling modulates affective working memory, the memory system that transiently maintains and manipulates emotionally charged material. We focused on rs2180619 (A > G) polymorphism and examined genotype data collected from 231 healthy females. Analyses showed how a general positivity bias in working memory (i.e., better memory for positive words) emerged as task strings lengthened only in carriers of the major allele (AA/AG). Differently, GG carriers showed better memory for affective items in general (i.e., positive and negative words). These findings are some of the first to directly highlight the role of variant on promoter of the CNR1 gene in affective working memory and to evidence a differentiation among CNR1 genotypes in terms of larger difficulties in disengaging from negative stimuli in GG carriers.

BLC Bank - Lebanon : Leading in Banking on Women

OpenAIRE

International Finance Corporation

2016-01-01

The overall objective of this study is to learn about the impact of International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Banking on Women (BoW) Program in the Europe and Central Asia and the Middle East and North Africa (EMENA) through BLC Bank of Lebanon. The objective of this specific case study is to understand the success of the BoW program for BLC Bank in Lebanon in terms of the program’s contri...

Heart health in Lebanon and considerations for addressing the burden of cardiovascular disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Deek, Hiba; Newton, Phillip; Inglis, Sally; Kabbani, Samer; Noureddine, Samar; Macdonald, Peter S; Davidson, Patricia M

2015-01-01

Lebanon is a small country located at the western boundary of the Middle East. Approximately 40% of health care in Lebanon is financed by the public sector. Cardiovascular diseases in Lebanon are scarcely addressed in the literature raising the need for baseline data on these health condition to be better treated. To (1) aggregate and define the burden of cardiovascular disease in Lebanon and (2) describe implications for policy, practice and research to improve health outcomes in Lebanon. An integrative review was conducted of both peer-reviewed papers and unpublished reports. CINAHL, Medline, Google Scholar and Academic Search Complete were searched along with the websites of The World Health Organization, Ministry of Public Health Lebanon and Central Intelligence Agency of Lebanon. No year limit was applied to our search. The search yielded 28 peer-reviewed articles and 15 reports. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Lebanon and is also the primary cause of hospital admission. A range of social, political, economic and cultural factors explain the burden of cardiovascular diseases, some of these risks are culture specific such as the arghile smoking and the high rates of familial hypercholesterolemia. Workforce shortage produced by high rates of migrating nurses also has an implication on the patients' outcomes. Conclusion: Much of the presented data are sourced from the gray literature; more research, using systematic and prospective data collection methods, are needed to inform health services planning, delivery and evaluation. Primary care needs to be enhanced to produce better outcomes for a population with high profile of cardiovascular risk factors.

76 FR 50535 - Waiver of Restriction on Assistance to Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-15

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice: 7555] Waiver of Restriction on Assistance to Lebanon Pursuant to Section 7086(c)(2) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs... States to waive the requirements of Section 7086(c)(1) of the Act with respect to Lebanon and I hereby...

The HyMeX Special Observation Period in Central Italy: precipitation measurements, retrieval techniques and preliminary results

Science.gov (United States)

Silvio Marzano, Frank; Baldini, Luca; Picciotti, Errico; Colantonio, Matteo; Barbieri, Stefano; Di Fabio, Saverio; Montopoli, Mario; Vulpiani, Gianfranco; Roberto, Nicoletta; Adirosi, Elisa; Gorgucci, Eugenio; Anagnostou, Marios N.; Kalogiros, John; Anagnostou, Emmanouil N.; Ferretti, Rossella; Gatlin, Patrick.; Wingo, Matt; Petersen, Walt

2013-04-01

was covered by a uniquely dense meteorological instrumentation thanks to a synergy between Italian institutions and NASA-GSFC. The following RADARs were operated: a Doppler single-polarization C-band radar located at Mt. Midia; the Polar 55C Doppler dual-polarization C-band radar located in Rome; a Doppler C-band polarimetric radar located at Il Monte (Abruzzo); a polarimetric X-band mini-radar in L'Aquila; a polarimetric X-band portable mini-radar in Rome; a single-polarization X-band mini-radar in Rome. DISDROMETERs were also deployed: 4 Parsivel optical disdrometers in Rome (at Sapienza, CNR-ISAC and CNR-INSEAN); 1 2D-video disdrometer in Rome; 3 Parsivels optical disdrometer respectively in L'Aquila (Abruzzo), Avezzano (Abruzzo) and Pescara (Abruzzo). Other INSTRUMENTS were available: 1 K-band vertically-pointing micro rain-radar (MRR), 2 Pludix X-band disdrometers, 1 VLF lightining sensor, 1 microwave radiometer at 23-31 GHz in Rome (at Sapienza); the raingauge network with more than 200 stations in Central Italy. Three overpasses in CI were also performed by the Falcon 20 aircraft equipped with the 95GHz cloud radar RASTA. Analysis of the SOP1.1 main events in CI will be described by focusing on the raindrop size distribution statistics and its geographical variability. Intercomparison of rainfall estimates from disdrometers, raingauges and radars will be illustrated with the aim to provide a quality-controlled and physically consistent rainfall dataset for meteorological modeling validation and assimilation purposes.

Emergency response to mass casualty incidents in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

El Sayed, Mazen J

2013-08-01

The emergency response to mass casualty incidents in Lebanon lacks uniformity. Three recent large-scale incidents have challenged the existing emergency response process and have raised the need to improve and develop incident management for better resilience in times of crisis. We describe some simple emergency management principles that are currently applied in the United States. These principles can be easily adopted by Lebanon and other developing countries to standardize and improve their emergency response systems using existing infrastructure.

Attitudes toward Students with Disabilities at Notre Dame University, Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Van Loan, Amira

2013-01-01

Disability issues in Lebanon are not being addressed on a national scale. Among the myriad of underrepresented groups, individuals with disabilities in Lebanon continue to be marginalized in education, employment, health care, politics, and all aspects of society. The focus of this project investigation was to identify the attitudes of faculty…

A multicharge ion source (Supernanogan) for the OLIS facility at ISAC/TRIUMF.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayamanna, K; Wight, G; Gallop, D; Dube, R; Jovicic, V; Laforge, C; Marchetto, M; Leross, M; Louie, D; Laplante, R; Laxdal, R; McDonald, M; Wiebe, G J; Wang, V; Yan, F

2010-02-01

The Off-Line Ion Source (OLIS) [K. Jayamanna, D. Yuan, T. Kuo, M. MacDonald, P. Schmor, and G. Dutto, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 67, 1061 (1996); K. Jayamanna, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 79, 02711 (2008)] facility consists of a high voltage terminal containing a microwave cusp ion source, either a surface ion source or a hybrid surface-arc discharge ion source [K. Jayamanna and C. Vockenhuber, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 79, 02C712 (2008)], and an electrostatic switch that allows the selection of any one of the sources without mechanical intervention. These sources provide a variety of +1 beams up to mass 30 for Isotope Separator and ACcelerator (ISAC) [R. E. Laxdal, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B 204, 400 (2003)] experiments, commissioning the accelerators, setting up the radioactive experiments, and for tuning the beam lines. The radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) [M. Marchetto, Z. T. Ang, K. Jayamanna, R. E. Laxdal, A. Mitra, and V. Zvyagintsev, Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. 150, 241 (2005)] injector accelerator is a constant velocity machine designed to accept only 2 keV/u and the source extraction energy is limited to 60 kV. Further stripping is then needed downstream of the RFQ to inject the beam into the drift tube linac [M. Marchetto, Z. T. Ang, K. Jayamanna, R. E. Laxdal, A. Mitra, and V. Zvyagintsev, Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. 150, 241 (2005)] accelerator that requires A/q up to 6. Base on this constraints a multicharge ion source capable to deliver beams above mass 30 with A/q up to 6 was needed in order to reach full capability of the ISAC facility. A Supernanogan [C. Bieth et al., Nucleonika 48, S93 (2003)] multicharge ion source was then purchased from Pantechnik and was installed in the OLIS terminal. Commissioning and performance of the Supernanogan with some results such as emittance dependence of the charge states as well as charge state efficiencies are presented.

The social context of tobacco products use among adolescents in Lebanon (MedSPAD-Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naim Bejjani

2012-03-01

Conclusions: Further analysis confirmed that narguileh use is now an accepted familial and social phenomenon, with restrictions apparently decreasing. These results necessitate drawing strategies to address this public health concern that is becoming more prevalent in Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Early Marriage and Barriers to Contraception among Syrian Refugee Women in Lebanon: A Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cherri, Zeinab; Gil Cuesta, Julita; Rodriguez-Llanes, Jose M; Guha-Sapir, Debarati

2017-07-25

The Syrian conflict has displaced five million individuals outside their country with Lebanon hosting the largest numbers per capita. Around 24% of Syrian refugees fleeing to Lebanon are women of reproductive age (15-49). Yet, a better understanding of the sexual and reproductive health needs of Syrian refugee women in Lebanon is required to improve provided services. Eleven focus group discussions were conducted in four regions of Lebanon with 108 Syrian refugee women of reproductive age. Thematic analysis was used to examine the data. Interviewed women were mainly adults. They believed that, in Lebanon, they were subjected to early marriage compared to the norm in Syria due to their financial situation and uncertainty. Cost was reported as the main barrier to use contraception in Lebanon but some Syrian refugee women were not aware of free services covering sexual and reproductive health. In general, marriage, pregnancy, and family planning behavior of Syrian refugee women in Lebanon slightly differed from those in Syria pre-conflict in terms of age of marriage, conception subsequent to marriage, and contraception method. Hence, interventions to increase awareness of subsidized sexual and reproductive health services, including free contraceptives at primary health care centers, and those targeting protection from early marriage of Syrian refugee women in Lebanon are strongly recommended.

Lebanon: assessment of the state of the environment.Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

The study concerns the assessment of the state of the environment in Lebanon and the identification of policy options has three specific objectives namely to determine the conditions of the environment in Lebanon after years of wars (1975-1992); to identify environmentals trends associated with Lebanon's development and to assess their sustainability; to identify policy options for environmental management. Issues of the environment concerned are both the brown issues e.g. the management of wastes and effluent arising from human activitiesand green issues, the natural resource base defined through main receptors:air, water (including coastal waters), land and terrestrial ecology sectors such as agriculture, industry, energy, transport, tourism and fisheries, population and human settlements are also studied

Shaded relief magnetic anomaly map of Italy and surrounding marine areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiappini, M.; Meloni, A.; Boschi, E.; Faggioni, O.; Beverini, N.; Carmisciano, C.; Marson, I.

2000-01-01

Magnetic observations made onshore the Italian Peninsula, and across the adjacent seas, have been compiled in a new digital database that provides the first complete regional scale view of the crustal scale magnetic anomalies of the regional at sea level. The offshore data were acquired between 1965-1972 by the Osservatorio Geofisico Sperimentale (OGS) while the ground measurements were performed within the framework of the Progetto Finalizzato Geodinamica of the Calling's Nazionale delle Ricerche (PFG-CNR) between 1977 and 1981. The new shaded relief magnetic anomaly map of total intensity of the Earth's magnetic field for Italy and the surrounding seas has been produced at sea level, for the geomagnetic epoch 1979.0. The most remarkable result of this new map, with respect to the previous compilations and to the aero magnetic map of Italy, is an unprecedented view of the magnetic signature of the major tectonic elements in their regional setting. There is good correlation between known structural geology and the magnetic anomalies, and now that the longer wavelength signatures have been corrected, deeper interpretations are possible

Shaded relief magnetic anomaly map of Italy and surrounding marine areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Carmisciano

2000-06-01

Full Text Available Magnetic observations made onshore the Italian Peninsula, and across the adjacent seas, have been compiled in a new digital database that provides the first complete regional scale view of the crustal scale magnetic anomalies of the region at sea level. The offshore data were acquired between 1965-1972 by the Osservatorio Geofisico Sperimentale (OGS while the ground measurements were performed within the framework of the Progetto Finalizzato Geodinamica of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (PFG-CNR between 1977 and 1981. The new shaded relief magnetic anomaly map of total intensity of the Earth's magnetic field for Italy and the surrounding seas has been produced at sea level, for the geomagnetic epoch 1979.0. The most remarkable result of this new map, with respect to the previous compilations and to the aeromagnetic map of Italy, is an unprecedented view of the magnetic signature of the major tectonic elements in their regional setting. There is good correlation between known structural geology and the magnetic anomalies, and now that the longer wavelength signatures have been corrected, deeper interpretations are possible.

Early Marriage and Barriers to Contraception among Syrian Refugee Women in Lebanon: A Qualitative Study

OpenAIRE

Cherri, Zeinab; Gil Cuesta, Julita; Rodriguez-Llanes, Jose M.; Guha-Sapir, Debarati

2017-01-01

The Syrian conflict has displaced five million individuals outside their country with Lebanon hosting the largest numbers per capita. Around 24% of Syrian refugees fleeing to Lebanon are women of reproductive age (15-49). Yet, a better understanding of the sexual and reproductive health needs of Syrian refugee women in Lebanon is required to improve provided services. Eleven focus group discussions were conducted in four regions of Lebanon with 108 Syrian refugee women of reproductive age. Th...

A preliminary study of endocannabinoid system regulation in psychosis: Distinct alterations of CNR1 promoter DNA methylation in patients with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Addario, Claudio; Micale, Vincenzo; Di Bartolomeo, Martina; Stark, Tibor; Pucci, Mariangela; Sulcova, Alexandra; Palazzo, Mariacarlotta; Babinska, Zuzana; Cremaschi, Laura; Drago, Filippo; Carlo Altamura, A; Maccarrone, Mauro; Dell'Osso, Bernardo

2017-10-01

Compelling evidence supports the involvement of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in psychosis vulnerability. We here evaluated the transcriptional regulation of ECS components in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from subjects suffering from bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia, focusing in particular on the effects of DNA methylation. We observed selective alterations of DNA methylation at the promoter of CNR1, the gene coding for the type-1 cannabinoid receptor, in schizophrenic patients (N=25) with no changes in any other disorder. We confirmed the regulation of CNR1 in a well-validated animal model of schizophrenia, induced by prenatal methylazoxymethanol (MAM) acetate exposure (N=7 per group) where we found, in the prefrontal cortex, a significant increase in CNR1 expression and a consistent reduction in DNA methylation at specific CpG sites of gene promoter. Overall, our findings suggest a selective dysregulation of ECS in psychosis, and highlight the evaluation of CNR1 DNA methylation levels in PBMCs as a potential biomarker for schizophrenia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Teaching for Citizenship in Lebanon: Teachers Talk about the Civics Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Akar, Bassel

2012-01-01

"National and Civic Education" is a program of study compulsory across all grade levels in Lebanon aimed at promoting social cohesion and active citizenship. A sample of 19 civics teachers in Lebanon across four of the six governorates participated in semi-structured interviews. The conversations delved into their conceptions of…

Calibration and simulation of a gamma array for DRAGON at ISAC

CERN Document Server

Gigliotti, D G; Hussein, A H

2003-01-01

A gamma ray detector has been built for the DRAGON facility at TRIUMF to detect the gamma ray emitted in astrophysically important proton and alpha radiative capture reactions. The gamma detector was designed to balance cost with maximum solid angle coverage and efficiency. To study the properties of the current design, GEANT simulations are being carried out and compared with prototype measurements using calibration sources and radioactive beams supplied by ISAC. Simulations will be compared with data allowing a realistic simulation to be produced. This modified simulation will then be used to provide efficiency predictions of the gamma array when an actual experiment's parameters are inputted. Using the simulated efficiency of the array, cross sections for radiative capture can be calculated from the measured gamma ray yields, for the individual reactions. The following will outline some initial results of background suppression of beam related experiments. Also shown, are some preliminary comparison of poi...

War and Memory in Lebanon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haugbølle, Sune

From 1975 to 1990, Lebanon endured one of the most protracted and bloody civil wars of the twentieth century. Sune Haugbolle's timely and poignant book chronicles the battle over ideas that emerged from the wreckage of that war. While the Lebanese state encouraged forgetfulness and political part...

Energy efficient home in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

The purpose of the study is to present new methods or new products that could save money while improving the environment in Lebanon. Cost of energy is on the increase and is predicted to increase even more in the future. Environmental issues and awareness are gaining momentum in Lebanon. With electricity production directly linked to power plants that represent about 30% of the air pollution which is also linked to health related issues. There is an intermediate need to introduce more energy efficient products in the construction industry which require less energy to operate or could be linked indirectly to energy. In this context, cost-benefit analysis of heating, light, painting, energy consumption and energy lamp burning hours in addition to fuel burner, gas and electric heater in buildings are presented in tables. Finally, there is a lack of awareness on the positive impact on the environment reflected in the saving of natural resources, reducing pollution and creation of a better living environment

Lebanon: The Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah Conflict

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Sharp, Jeremy M; Blanchard, Christopher; Katzman, Kenneth; Migdalovitz, Carol; Prados, Alfred; Gallis, Paul; Rennack, Dianne; Rollins, John; Bowman, Steve; Veillette, Connie

2006-01-01

... in a surprise attack along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Israel responded by carrying out air strikes against suspected Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, and Hezbollah countered with rocket attacks against cities and towns in northern Israel...

Lebanon: The Israel-Hamas Hezbollah Conflict

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Sharp, Jeremy M; Blanchard, Christopher; Katzman, Kenneth; Migdalovitz, Carol; Prados, Alfred; Gallis, Paul; Rennack, Dianne; Rollins, John; Bowman, Steve; Veillette, Connie

2006-01-01

... in a surprise attack along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Israel responded by carrying out air strikes against suspected Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, and Hezbollah countered with rocket attacks against cities and towns in northern Israel...

High-resolution γ-ray spectroscopy: a versatile tool for nuclear β-decay studies at TRIUMF-ISAC

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, G. C.; Achtzehn, T.; Albers, D.; Khalili, J. S. Al; Andreoiu, C.; Andreyev, A.; Ashley, S. F.; Austin, R. A. E.; Becker, J. A.; Bricault, P.; Chan, S.; Chakrawarthy, R. S.; Churchman, R.; Coombes, H.; Cunningham, E. S.; Daoud, J.; Dombsky, M.; Drake, T. E.; Eshpeter, B.; Finlay, P.; Garrett, P. E.; Geppert, C.; Grinyer, G. F.; Hackman, G.; Hanemaayer, V.; Hyland, B.; Jones, G. A.; Koopmans, K. A.; Kulp, W. D.; Lassen, J.; Lavoie, J. P.; Leslie, J. R.; Litvinov, Y.; Macdonald, J. A.; Mattoon, C.; Melconian, D.; Morton, A. C.; Osborne, C. J.; Pearson, C. J.; Pearson, M.; Phillips, A. A.; Ressler, J. J.; Sarazin, F.; Schumaker, M. A.; Schwarzenberg, J.; Scraggs, H. C.; Smith, M. B.; Svensson, C. E.; Valiente-Dobon, J. J.; Waddington, J. C.; Walker, P. M.; Wendt, K.; Williams, S. J.; Wood, J. L.; Zganjar, E. F.

2005-10-01

High-resolution γ-ray spectroscopy is essential to fully exploit the unique, high-quality beams available at the next generation of radioactive ion beam facilities such as the TRIUMF isotope separator and accelerator (ISAC). The 8π spectrometer, which consists of 20 Compton-suppressed HPGe detectors, has recently been reconfigured for a vigorous research programme in weak interaction and nuclear structure physics. With the addition of a variety of ancillary detectors it has become the world's most powerful device dedicated to β-decay studies. This paper provides a brief overview of the apparatus and highlights from recent experiments.

Bouguer gravity and crustal structure of the Dead Sea transform fault and adjacent mountain belts in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Kamal; Khawlie, Mohamad; Haddad, Fuad; Barazangi, Muawia; Seber, Dogan; Chaimov, Thomas

1993-08-01

The northern extension of the Dead Sea transform fault in southern Lebanon bifurcates into several faults that cross Lebanon from south to north. The main strand, the Yammouneh fault, marks the boundary between the Levantine (eastern Mediterranean) and Arabian plates and separates the western mountain range (Mount Lebanon) from the eastern mountain range (Anti-Lebanon). Bouguer gravity contours in Lebanon approximately follow topographic contours; i.e., positive Bouguer anomalies are associated with the Mount Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges. This suggests that the region is not in simple isostatic compensation. Gravity observations based on 2.5-dimensional modeling and other available geological and geophysical information have produced the following interpretations. (1) The crust of Lebanon thins from ˜35 km beneath the Anti-Lebanon range, near the Syrian border, to ˜27 km beneath the Lebanese coast. No crustal roots exist beneath the Lebanese ranges. (2) The depth to basement is ˜3.5-6 km below sea level under the ranges and is ˜8-10 km beneath the Bekaa depression. (3) The Yammouneh fault bifurcates northward into two branches; one passes beneath the Yammouneh Lake through the eastern part of Mount Lebanon and another bisects the northern part of the Bekaa Valley (i.e., Mid-Bekaa fault). The Lebanese mountain ranges and the Bekaa depression were formed as a result of transtension and later transpression associated with the relative motion of a few crustal blocks in response to the northward movement of the Arabian plate relative to the Levantine plate.

Lebanon: The Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah Conflict

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Sharp, Jeremy M; Blanchard, Christopher; Katzman, Kenneth; Migdalovitz, Carol; Prados, Alfred; Gallis, Paul; Rennack, Dianne; Rollins, John; Browne, Marjorie; Bowman, Steve; Veillette, Connie; Kumins, Lawrence

2006-01-01

... in a surprise attack along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Israel has responded by carrying out air strikes against suspected Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, and Hezbollah has countered with rocket attacks against cities and towns in northern Israel...

Contribution to the Study of the flora diatomic Nahr Yahfufah (Lebanon)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SLIM, K.; ALOUF, N.

1984-01-01

Contribution to the study of Diatomic flora on Nahr Yahfufah Lebanon. From October 1980 to June 1982 a hydrobiologic study has taken place on the river of Yahfufah situated to the west of anti Lebanon. From the diatomic population 52 species and varieties were designated. Further more the physico-chemical parameters were followed and studied. (author).

Maternal Health Care Utilization Among Syrian Refugees in Lebanon and Jordan.

Science.gov (United States)

Tappis, Hannah; Lyles, Emily; Burton, Ann; Doocy, Shannon

2017-09-01

Purpose The influx of Syrian refugees into Jordan and Lebanon over the last 5 years presents an immense burden to national health systems. This study was undertaken to assess utilization of maternal health services among Syrian refugees in both countries. Description A cross-sectional survey of Syrian refugees living in urban and rural (non-camp) settings was conducted using a two-stage cluster survey design with probability proportional to size sampling in 2014-2015. Eighty-six percent of surveyed households in Lebanon and 88% of surveyed households in Jordan included women with a live birth in the last year. Information from women in this sub-set of households was analyzed to understand antenatal and intrapartum health service utilization. Assessment A majority of respondents reported seeking antenatal care, 82% and 89% in Jordan and Lebanon, respectively. Women had an average of at least six antenatal care visits. Nearly all births (98% in Jordan and 94% in Lebanon) took place in a health facility. Cesarean rates were similar in both countries; approximately one-third of all births were cesarean deliveries. A substantial proportion of women incurred costs for intrapartum care; 33% of Syrian women in Jordan and 94% of Syrian women in Lebanon reported paying out of pocket for their deliveries. The proportion of women incurring costs for intrapartum care was higher in Jordan both countries for women with cesarean deliveries compared to those with vaginal deliveries; however, this difference was not statistically significant in either country (Jordan p-value = 0.203; Lebanon p-value = 0.099). Conclusion Syrian refugees living in Jordan and Lebanon had similar levels of utilization of maternal health services, despite different health systems and humanitarian assistance provisions. As expected, a substantial proportion of households incurred out-of-pocket costs for essential maternal and newborn health services, making cost a major factor in care

Dementia prevalence, care arrangement, and access to care in Lebanon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Phung, Kieu T T; Chaaya, Monique; Prince, Martin

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: In North Africa and the Middle East, studies about dementia prevalence are scarce. A pilot study was conducted in Lebanon to assess dementia prevalence, using the Arabic-validated 10/66 Dementia Research Group (DRG) diagnostic assessment for case ascertainment. The study also examined...... care arrangement and access to care. METHODS: A random sample of 502 persons older than 65 years and their informant were recruited from Beirut and Mount Lebanon governorates through multistage cluster sampling. RESULTS: The crude and age-standardized dementia prevalences were 7.4% and 9.......0%, respectively. People with dementia were mainly cared for by relatives at home. Access to formal care was very limited. DISCUSSION: Dementia prevalence in Lebanon ranks high within the global range of estimates. These first evidence-based data about disease burden and barriers to care serve to raise awareness...

School-Parent Relations in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

El Majzoub, Nada

2013-01-01

Lebanon is a nation whose history may be depicted as continuous social, political, and sectarian conflict due to European political meddling and a protracted civil war. Although finding common ground in this complex milieu over the past several decades has been challenging, political and educational reforms have been enacted. The role of parents…

Cost of work-related injuries in insured workplaces in Lebanon.

OpenAIRE

Fayad, Rim; Nuwayhid, Iman; Tamim, Hala; Kassak, Kassem; Khogali, Mustafa

2003-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the medical and compensation costs of work-related injuries in insured workplaces in Lebanon and to examine cost distributions by worker and injury characteristics. METHODS: A total of 3748 claims for work injuries processed in 1998 by five major insurance companies in Lebanon were reviewed. Medical costs (related to emergency room fees, physician consultations, tests, and medications) and wage and indemnity compensation costs were identified from the claims. FINDINGS: ...

Hashish in Morocco and Lebanon: A comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Afsahi, Kenza; Darwich, Salem

2016-05-01

In the 1960s and the 1970s, Morocco and Lebanon became major producers of hashish for export to markets in West and Central Europe, Africa and the Middle East. By using a comparative approach, this paper aims to evaluate changes in production in the traditional areas of cannabis cultivation in the Rif (Morocco) and the Beqaa (Lebanon) and to better understand the role that these countries play in current trends in the global cultivation and consumption of cannabis. The comparative approach takes in account the historical and institutionnal context, and the perception of cannabis in those two country. We rely on primary field research done in the Rif (from 2002) and in the Beqaa (from 1995) in the form of interviews and observations with farmers and intermediaries. Acreage and production estimates of hashish for both countries have been triangulated from different sources. Maghreb and Middle East have a long history of consumption, production and marketing of cannabis. Over the past 12 centuries, migration, trade and different spiritual practices and trends have led to the expansion of cannabis markets. This long period is marked by stages and rifts caused by foreign interference, a worldwide prohibition of cannabis at the beginning of the 20th century and increased global demand in the 1960s and the 1970s. Morocco and Lebanon are among the most important producers of hashish to be exported for trade for the last fifty years. The global prohibition of cannabis and the global sustained demand have created opportunities for poor farmers in the Rif and the Beqaa regions to survive and get wealthy. It is difficult to understand the reasons why areas producing cannabis are steadily increasing. If the Rif and the Beqaa share some features (such are marginalized areas of production, repressive legislation, huge international demand, range of comparable tasks and Mediterranean climate suitable for growing cannabis, etc.) then a comparison between the two countries makes it

The Uneasy Inter-communal Relations in Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina NEDELCU

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the development of the inter-communal relations in Lebanon and it approaches issues such as diversity and identity. Ever since the creation of modern Lebanon in 1920, the principle of proportionality has been subject of a significant inter-communal debate. Although, proportionality was to support state’s development and fair representation of all religious groups, it ended up the basis for a rigid political system, which turned into a major problem for the inter-communal political relationship, situation which escalated to civil war. The war, not only emphasized the inter-communal debate of what constituted a fair power-distribution system, but it also deepened this question, because it added new components such as new political actors.

Crisis in Lebanon: camps for Syrian refugees?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeremy Loveless

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Lebanon has absorbed the enormous Syrian influx but at a high costto both refugees and Lebanese populations. Current humanitarianprogrammes can no longer cope and new approaches are needed.

Transforming shortcomings into opportunities: Can market incentives solve Lebanon's energy crisis?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruble, Isabella; Nader, Pamela

2011-01-01

Over the past decades Lebanon's energy sector has been largely ignored and this has led to high economic and environmental costs. The sector is characterized by electricity poverty, an expanding and mainly unregulated transport sector and a lack of energy savings spanning through all sectors of the economy. Recently, the Government of Lebanon has committed to increase the share of renewable energy to 10% of the total energy supply by 2013 and to 12% by the year 2020; it also aims at reducing energy consumption by 6% by the year 2013. This paper aims at contributing to the formulation of a more comprehensive energy strategy for Lebanon by analyzing the recent changes in policy direction and by recommending legal, regulatory and policy measures in order to transform current shortcomings into opportunities allowing the country to become a regional 'success story' in the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency. - Research highlights: → This paper reviews the current situation of Lebanon's energy sector. → We analyze the recent development of the markets for renewable energy and energy efficiency. → Policy recommendations that will allow for a sustainable energy future are made.

Chemotype common planets in Lebanon gender and gender Micromeria Origanum (Lamiaceae)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hilan, Ch.; Rabiha, S.; Aitour, S.

2011-01-01

The chemotype or (chimiotype) is the original denomination, meant to characterizean essential oil from the botanic and biochemical view point. It is so important that it is today acknowledged and used in the whole biological and botanic classification, earmarking the wildly present molecule in an essential oil. This classification is linked to factors directly related to the specific life conditions of the plant namely: the country, climate, soil and the harvest period which can influence the essential oil composition. One speaks about a chemotype essential oil (Zhiri and Baudoux, 2005). This study shows the classification of four Origanums: Origanum syriacum L.,Origanum majorana L., Origanum ehrenbergii Boiss. and Origanum libanoticum Boiss., the last 2 being endemic to Lebanon; and four Micromeria: Micromeria barbata Boiss., wild and endemic, Micromeria barbata, domesticated, Micromeria libanotica Boiss., also endemic to Lebanon and Micromeria myrtifolia Boiss Origanum of Lebanon is 'thyme of thymo' and Micromeria grown in Lebanon contain less pulegone rate than in other countries These endangered species could find a field of valorization in the food industry sector, which will definitely help in preserving them and will lead to a potential new income to the Lebanese industry . (author)

Variants in the CNR1 gene predispose to headache with nausea in the presence of life stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Juhasz, G; Csepany, E; Magyar, M; Edes, A E; Eszlari, N; Hullam, G; Antal, P; Kokonyei, G; Anderson, I M; Deakin, J F W; Bagdy, G

2017-03-01

One of the main effects of the endocannabinoid system in the brain is stress adaptation with presynaptic endocannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1 receptors) playing a major role. In the present study, we investigated whether the effect of the CB1 receptor coding CNR1 gene on migraine and its symptoms is conditional on life stress. In a cross-sectional European population (n = 2426), recruited from Manchester and Budapest, we used the ID-Migraine questionnaire for migraine screening, the Life Threatening Experiences questionnaire to measure recent negative life events (RLE), and covered the CNR1 gene with 11 SNPs. The main genetic effects and the CNR1 × RLE interaction with age and sex as covariates were tested. None of the SNPs showed main genetic effects on possible migraine or its symptoms, but 5 SNPs showed nominally significant interaction with RLE on headache with nausea using logistic regression models. The effect of rs806366 remained significant after correction for multiple testing and replicated in the subpopulations. This effect was independent from depression- and anxiety-related phenotypes. In addition, a Bayesian systems-based analysis demonstrated that in the development of headache with nausea all SNPs were more relevant with higher a posteriori probability in those who experienced recent life stress. In summary, the CNR1 gene in interaction with life stress increased the risk of headache with nausea suggesting a specific pathological mechanism to develop migraine, and indicating that a subgroup of migraine patients, who suffer from life stress triggered migraine with frequent nausea, may benefit from therapies that increase the endocannabinoid tone. © 2016 The Authors. Genes, Brain and Behavior published by International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Epidemiology of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Abou Rached, Antoine; Abou Kheir, Selim; Saba, Jowana; Ammar, Walid

2016-03-01

Hepatitis B and C are two potentially life threatening liver infections. Lebanon is ranked as a zone of moderate endemicity. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B and C in Lebanon and their distribution according to age, region and sex. This national prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2011 till December 2012 in the six Lebanese Governorates in collaboration with municipalities, the Ministry of Public Health, Health Centres and dispensaries. An upcoming screening for hepatitis B and C was announced? in different districts of each Governorate. All individuals presenting to local laboratory, not known to have chronic hepatitis, were asked for a blood sample and answered a questionnaire addressing sex, age, place of birth and residence. Screening tests were "Abbots" for hepatitis B and "Human Hexagon" for hepatitis C. PCR testing was used to confirm the positivity of the previous tests. Of 31147 individuals screened, 542 had a rapid test positive for HBV (prevalence 1.74%, 95% CI 1.6-1.89) with a male to female ratio of 1.08. This prevalence was higher in the South and Nabatieh (1.9%) compared to Beirut (0.73%). Of 31,147 individuals screened, 64 had a rapid test positive for HCV (prevalence 0.21%, 95% CI 0.16-0.27) with a male to female ratio of 0.85. This prevalence was higher in Nabatieh (0.61%) compared to Mount Lebanon (0.08%). The prevalence of HBV and HCV in Lebanon is 1.74% and 0.21%, respectively with a higher prevalence in South and Nabatieh districts. These data rank Lebanon amongst countries with low endemicity for both viruses. Decrease in the prevalence of HBV is due to awareness campaign as well as success of the MOPH National Hepatitis Program in vaccinating all new born since 1998 and in screening and vaccinating high risk groups. Copyright © 2016 Arab Journal of Gastroenterology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating optimal CNR as a preset criteria for nonlinear moidal blending of dual energy CT data

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, D. R., III; Apel, A.; Fletcher, J. G.; Guimaraes, L. S.; Eusemann, C. E.; Robb, R. A.

2009-02-01

Nonlinear blending of dual-energy CT data is available on current scanners. Selection of the blending parameters can be time-consuming and challenging. The purpose of this study was to determine if the Contrast-To-Noise Ratio (CNR) may be used ti automatic select of blending parameters. A Bovine liver was built with six syringes filled with varying concentrations of CT contrast yielding six 140kV HU levels (15, 47, 64, 79, 116, and 145). The phantom was scanned using 95 mAs @ 140kV and 404mAs @ 80 kV. The 80 and 140 kV datasets were blended using a modified sigmoid (moidal) function which requires two parameters - level and width. Every combination of moidal level and width was applied to the data, and the CNR was calculated as (mean(syringe ROI) - mean(liver ROI)) / STD(water). The maximum CNR was determined for each of the 6 HU levels. Pairs of blended images were presented in a blind manner to observers. Nine comparisons for each of the 6 HU settings were made by a staff radiologist, a resident, and a physicist. For each comparison, the observer selected the more "visually appealing" image. Outcomes from the study were compared using the Fisher Sign Test statistic. Analysis by observer showed a statistical (penergy CT data may provide consistency across radiologists and facilitate the clinical review process.

War Memories and the Refusal of Male Dominance in Shakir's "Oh, Lebanon"

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Momani, Hassan Ali Abdullah

2017-01-01

This study investigates the role of the war memories in the construction of the female gender identity in Evelyin Shakir's "Oh, Lebanon," in which the female protagonist refuses to belong to her Arab identity when she lives in the United States because of the brutal war memories she witnesses in Lebanon. Such memories make the…

The geological controls of geothermal groundwater sources in Lebanon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shaban, Amin [National Council for Scientific Research, Remote Sensing Center, Beirut (Lebanon); Khalaf-Keyrouz, Layla [Notre Dame University-Louaize, Zouk Mosbeh (Lebanon)

2013-07-01

Lebanon is a country that is relatively rich in water resources, as compared to its neighboring states in the Middle East. Several water sources are issuing on the surface or subsurface, including nonconventional water sources as the geothermal groundwater. This aspect of water sources exists in Lebanon in several localities, as springs or in deep boreholes. To the present little attention has been given to these resources and their geological setting is still unidentified. The preliminary geological field surveys revealed that they mainly occur in the vicinity of the basalt outcrops. Therefore, understanding their geological controls will help in exploring their origin, and thus giving insights into their economical exploitation. This can be investigated by applying advanced detection techniques, field surveys along with detailed geochemical analysis. This study aims at assessing the geographic distribution of the geothermal water in Lebanon with respect to the different geological settings and controls that govern their hydrogeologic regimes. It will introduce an approach for an integrated water resources management which became of utmost significance for the country.

RF Coupler Design for the TRIUMF ISAC-II Superconducting Quarter Wave Resonator

CERN Document Server

Poirier, R L; Harmer, P; Laxdal, R E; Mitra, A K; Sekatchev, I; Waraich, B; Zvyagintsev, V

2004-01-01

An RF Coupler for the ISAC-II medium beta (β=0.058 and 0.071) superconducting quarter wave resonators was designed and tested at TRIUMF. The main goal of this development was to achieve stable operation of superconducting cavities at high acceleration gradients and low thermal load to the helium refrigeration system. The cavities will operate at 6 MV/m acceleration gradient in overcoupled mode at a forward power 200 W at 106 MHz. The overcoupling provides ±20 Hz cavity bandwidth, which improves the stability of the RF control system for fast helium pressure fluctuations, microphonics and environmental noise. Choice of materials, cooling with liquid nitrogen, aluminum nitride RF window and thermal shields insure a small thermal load on the helium refrigeration system by the Coupler. An RF finger contact which causedμdust in the coupler housing was eliminated without any degradation of the coupler performance. RF and thermal calculations, design and test results on the coupler are p...

Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus: prevalence and risk factors in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabet, E; Hosri, C; Abi-Rizk, A

2015-12-01

An epidemiological survey, accompanied by a serological analysis,was conducted on samples taken from Lebanese goat herds in order to determine the prevalence of infection with the caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) in Lebanon. The results of the survey provided information on various livestock production, animal health and herd management factors. Serum samplesfrom 952 goats, including the local breeds (Baladi and Damascene) and imported breeds (Alpine and Saneen), were taken from 60 farms distributed throughout Lebanon and tested for the presence of anti-CAEV antibodies. The data obtained were analysed using a statistical model to assess CAEV infection risk factors in Lebanon. In total, 125 samples proved to be positive, representing a prevalence in selected individuals of 13.1% and in selected herds of 51.7%. The Bekaa region had the highest number of herds with seropositive goats (90% of herds); the level was lower in Mount Lebanon, the North and the South (54%, 34% and 33%, respectively). The prevalence in relation to the livestock production system was 70% in herds in intensive systems, 54% in semi-intensive systems and 45% in extensive systems. The indigenous breeds were more resistant and tolerant of CAEV than the imported breeds. This study confirms the presence of CAEV in Lebanese goat herds and identifies the different livestock production practices likely to favour the rapid spread of the virus.

Path Dependence and Foreign Policy: A Case Study of United States Policy toward Lebanon

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Reyes, Raymond

2004-01-01

... there. What has often been overlooked is the historical legacy of a tiny nation in the Levant: Lebanon. Many studies show Lebanon as a viable democracy prior to the start of its civil war in 1975...

Thermally forced mesoscale atmospheric flow over complex terrain in Southern Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldi, M.; Colacino, M.; Dalu, G. A.; Piervitali, E.; Ye, Z.

1998-01-01

In this paper the Authors discuss some results concerning the analysis of the local atmospheric flow over the southern part of Italy, the peninsula of Calabria, using a mesoscale numerical model. Our study is focused on two different but related topics: a detailed analysis of the meteorology and climate of the region based on a data collection, reported in Colacino et al., 'Elementi di Climatologia della Calabria', edited by A. Guerrini, in the series P. S., 'Clima, Ambiente e Territorio nel Mezzogiorno' (CNR, Rome) 1997, pp. 218, and an analysis of the results based on the simulated flow produced using a mesoscale numerical model. The Colorado State University mesoscale numerical model has been applied to study several different climatic situations of particular interest for the region, as discussed in this paper

Thermally forced mesoscale atmospheric flow over complex terrain in Southern Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baldi, M.; Colacino, M.; Dalu, G. A.; Piervitali, E.; Ye, Z. [CNR, Rome (Italy). Ist. di Fisica dell`Atmosfera

1998-07-01

In this paper the Authors discuss some results concerning the analysis of the local atmospheric flow over the southern part of Italy, the peninsula of Calabria, using a mesoscale numerical model. Our study is focused on two different but related topics: a detailed analysis of the meteorology and climate of the region based on a data collection, reported in Colacino et al., `Elementi di Climatologia della Calabria`, edited by A. Guerrini, in the series P. S., `Clima, Ambiente e Territorio nel Mezzogiorno` (CNR, Rome) 1997, pp. 218, and an analysis of the results based on the simulated flow produced using a mesoscale numerical model. The Colorado State University mesoscale numerical model has been applied to study several different climatic situations of particular interest for the region, as discussed in this paper.

Slowly but Surely: Small Steps toward Establishing Gifted Education Programs in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Sarouphim, Ketty M.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to shed light on the state of gifted education in Lebanon and to describe the efforts underway to establish programs for gifted learners in the country. The article starts with a description of the Lebanese system of education followed by research conducted in Lebanon on an instrument called Discovering Intellectual…

Hospital waste management status in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karam, R.; Oueida, F.; Tissot-Guerraz, F.; Trepo, D.; Collombel, C.

2000-01-01

author.The existing management of hospital waste in Lebanon currently poses both an environmental hazard as well as a public health risk. This is due mainly to lack of legislation, information and modern treatment and disposal facilities designed for this purpose. A nation-wide questionnaire survey was conducted to asses the status of hospital waste management. The study started from October 1997 till August 1998. We found that 75% of the surveyed hospitals completely ignore their total waste quantity: 73% of hospitals surveyed practice segregation at source of infectious, pathological, sharps and pharmaceuticals; more than 40% dispose of their hospital risk wastes through the municipality waste disposal, 24% by burning in open fires, 14% by on-site hospital incinerators, 11% in on-site dumping, 8% handled by a private contractor and 1% in uncontrolled landfill. We conclude that with some exceptions, the hospital waste management situation in Lebanon is very far from being satisfactory and therefore needs to be reconsidered. 1 Fig., 6 tabs., 18 refs

Financial Burden of Cancer Drug Treatment in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Elias, Fadia; Khuri, Fadlo R; Adib, Salim M; Karam, Rita; Harb, Hilda; Awar, May; Zalloua, Pierre; Ammar, Walid

2016-01-01

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) in Lebanon provides cancer drugs free of charge for uninsured patients who account for more than half the total caseload. Other categories of cancer care are subsidized under more stringent eligibility criteria. MOPH's large database offers an excellent opportunity to analyze the cost of cancer treatment in Lebanon. Using utilization and spending data accumulated at MOPH during 20082013, the cost to the public budget of cancer drugs was assessed per case and per drug type. The average annual cost of cancer drugs was 6,475$ per patient. Total cancer drug costs were highest for breast cancer, followed by chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and NonHodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), which together represented 74% of total MOPH cancer drug expenditure. The annual average cancer drug cost per case was highest for CML ($31,037), followed by NHL ($11,566). Trastuzumab represented 26% and Imatinib 15% of total MOPH cancer drug expenditure over six years. Sustained increase in cancer drug cost threatens the sustainability of MOPH coverage, so crucial for socially vulnerable citizens. To enhance the bargaining position with pharmaceutical firms for drug cost containment in a small market like Lebanon, drug price comparisons with neighboring countries which have already obtained lower prices may succeed in lowering drug costs.

Lebanon's Hizbollah Movement: The Party of God

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Schad, Andrew

1999-01-01

In the summer of 1982 in Lebanon, a group of radical Shi'a Muslim clerics in association with Iranian Revolutionary Guardsmen formed the secretive and at times deadly movement known as Hizbollah, or the Party of God...

Geophysical approach for emergency management of landslide: the experience of Basilicata Civil Protection (southern Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Colangelo, G.; Lapenna, V.; Perrone, A.; Loperte, A.

2009-04-01

The Basilicata region (Southern Italy), being dissected by numerous and often significant rivers and characterized by the outcrop of terrains with bad mechanical properties, is one of the more exposed regions of the southern Apennine chain to hydrogeologic hazard and shows a complete panorama of mass movements. During the last years, after strong precipitations, this region has been affected by the reactivation of many quiescent landslides that involved buildings and infrastructures constructed on the slopes. The risk for people and assets needed the intervention of the end users involved in the risk management and, in particular, the inspection of Regional Department of Infrastructure and Civil Protection (RDICP). In many involved areas and for many families evacuation decrees have been issued in order to allow the damage valuation. An important contribution has been provided by the geophysical data and, in particular, by the 2D electrical resistivity tomographies (ERTs) that have been carried out in the areas some days after the event by IMAA-CNR. In this work we present the results regarding the application of unconventional geoelectrical techniques used for the emergency management of landslide in Basilicata Region (southern Italy). The information obtained by the application of indirect surveys appeared to be particularly useful for the end users involved in the risks management. In particular, taking into account the cycle of landslides emergency, the obtained data could give a valid contribution during the post-event phase which mainly regards the damage valuation. Indeed, only a corrected assessment of the damage and a precise geometric reconstruction of the landslide body, can direct the intervention actions of the end users. The results represent a valid cognitive support to choose the most appropriate technical solution for strengthening of the slopes and an example of best practice for the cooperation between the research activity (IMAA-CNR) and field

Role of Cannabinoid CB2 Receptor Gene (CNR2) Polymorphism in Children with Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura in Beni-Suef Governorate in Egypt.

Science.gov (United States)

Ezzat, Dina A; Hammam, Amira A; El-Malah, Waleed M; Khattab, Rasha A; Mangoud, Eman M

2017-01-01

The cannabinoid system is involved in the immune regulation by modulation of Th cells type 1 and 2. It is composed of the CB2 receptor which is expressed at 10 to 100 folds greater levels on immune cells than the CB1 receptors. The CB2 is encoded by the cannabinoid CB receptor gene (CNR2) gene. This study aims to investigate the polymorphism in CNR2 gene variation rs 35761398 (Q63R) in Egyptian children with immune thrombocytopenic purpura and to investigate the relation between this gene polymorphism and either the susceptibility to or the chronicity of the disease. Forty children diagnosed as ITP were included in this study and 20 healthy children as normal control. CNR2 gene was investigated in those children by PCR RFLP technique (restriction fragment length polymorphism). CNR2 genotyping revealed that 45% of ITP patients had the QR heterotype, 50% had the RR homotype and 5% had QQ, the wild type with significantly higher frequency of homomutant genotype in comparison to controls. The relative odds ratio suggested a double risk for developing ITP in RR homotype (OR 2.152). A significant overpresentation of the RR genotype and of R allele was observed in the chronic patients (P=0.002 and 0.003, respectively). The associated risk to develop chronic ITP increased more than two folds for the RR homotype (OR=2.854). In conclusion, this study confirms the role of CNR2 Q63R polymorphism in the susceptibility to ITP in children and chronicity of the disease. Copyright© by the Egyptian Association of Immunologists.

Long-term Aerosol Lidar Measurements At CNR-IMAA

Science.gov (United States)

Mona, L.; Amodeo, A.; D'Amico, G.; Pandolfi, M.; Pappalardo, G.

2006-12-01

Actual estimations of the aerosol effect on the radiation budget are affected by a large uncertainties mainly due to the high inhomogeneity and variability of atmospheric aerosol, in terms of concentration, shape, size distribution, refractive index and vertical distribution. Long-term measurements of vertical profiles of aerosol optical properties are needed to reduce these uncertainties. At CNR-IMAA (40° 36'N, 15° 44' E, 760 m above sea level), a lidar system for aerosol study is operative since May 2000 in the framework of EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network). Until August 2005, it provided independent measurements of aerosol extinction and backscatter at 355 nm and aerosol backscatter profiles at 532 nm. After an upgrade of the system, it provides independent measurements of aerosol extinction and backscatter profiles at 355 and 532 nm, and of aerosol backscatter profiles at 1064 nm and depolarization ratio at 532 nm. For these measurements, lidar ratio at 355 and 532 nm and Angstrom exponent profiles at 355/532 nm are also obtained. Starting on May 2000, systematic measurements are performed three times per week according to the EARLINET schedule and further measurements are performed in order to investigate particular events, like dust intrusions, volcanic eruptions and forest fires. A climatological study has been carried out in terms of the seasonal behavior of the PBL height and of the aerosol optical properties calculated inside the PBL itself. In the free troposphere, an high occurrences of Saharan dust intrusions (about 1 day of Saharan dust intrusion every 10 days) has been observed at CNR-IMAA because of the short distance from the Sahara region. During 6 years of observations, very peculiar cases of volcanic aerosol emitted by Etna volcano and aerosol released by large forest fires burning occurred in Alaska and Canada have been observed in the free troposphere at our site. Particular attention is devoted to lidar ratio both for the

Epidemiology of hip fractures in Lebanon: a nationwide survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Maalouf, G; Bachour, F; Hlais, S; Maalouf, N M; Yazbeck, P; Yaghi, Y; Yaghi, K; El Hage, R; Issa, M

2013-10-01

Hip fractures are a reliable indicator of osteoporosis. Despite their importance, few studies have assessed their epidemiology in Lebanon and the Middle East. Hip fracture incidence rates in Lebanon approximate those of Northern countries, and show the same characteristics, particularly the exponential increase with age, higher incidence in women, and a recent trend of rate leveling in women but not in men. A national database of hip fracture cases admitted to hospitals in Lebanon in 2007 was created. Crude and age-adjusted incidence rates were calculated at 5-year intervals for individuals over age 50. These rates were also standardized to the 2000 United States population, and compared to those of other countries. Projected incidence rates in Lebanon in 2020 and 2050 were also calculated. A total of 1199 patients were included in the study. The crude annual incidence rate in individuals over 50 was 147 per 100,000 individuals, 132 per 100,000 males and 160 per 100,000 females, with a female-to-male ratio of 1.2. The age-standardized annual incidence rates (per 100,000) were 180 in males and 256 in females. Assuming unchanged healthcare parameters, the projected crude incidence rates for people over 50 are expected to reach 174 and 284 per 100,000 in 2020 and 2050 respectively. Lebanese hip fracture rates are lower than Northern countries, but show many similar characteristics such as an exponential increase with age, a higher incidence in women, and clues of a leveling of rates in women but not in men. Numbers are expected to increase substantially in the coming decades. Level IV. Epidemiological study. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Nurseries in Lebanon: A Cross Sectional Study

Science.gov (United States)

Chaaya, Monique; Saab, Dahlia; Maalouf, Fadi T.; Boustany, Rose-Mary

2016-01-01

In Lebanon, no estimate for autism prevalence exists. This cross-sectional study examines the prevalence of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in toddlers in nurseries in Beirut and Mount-Lebanon. The final sample included 998 toddlers (16-48 months) from 177 nurseries. We sent parents the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) for…

Association of CNR1 and FAAH endocannabinoid gene polymorphisms with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: evidence for synergistic effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Monteleone, P; Bifulco, M; Di Filippo, C; Gazzerro, P; Canestrelli, B; Monteleone, F; Proto, M C; Di Genio, M; Grimaldi, C; Maj, M

2009-10-01

Endocannabinoids modulate eating behavior; hence, endocannabinoid genes may contribute to the biological vulnerability to eating disorders. The rs1049353 (1359 G/A) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the gene coding the endocannabinoid CB1 receptor (CNR1) and the rs324420 (cDNA 385C to A) SNP of the gene coding fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the major degrading enzyme of endocannabinoids, have been suggested to have functional effects on mature proteins. Therefore, we explored the possibility that those SNPs were associated to anorexia nervosa and/or bulimia nervosa. The distributions of the CNR1 1359 G/A SNP and of the FAAH cDNA 385C to A SNP were investigated in 134 patients with anorexia nervosa, 180 patients with bulimia nervosa and 148 normal weight healthy controls. Additive effects of the two SNPs in the genetic susceptibility to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa were also tested. As compared to healthy controls, anorexic and bulimic patients showed significantly higher frequencies of the AG genotype and the A allele of the CNR1 1359 G/A SNP. Similarly, the AC genotype and the A allele of the FAAH cDNA 385C to A SNP were significantly more frequent in anorexic and bulimic individuals. A synergistic effect of the two SNPs was evident in anorexia nervosa but not in bulimia nervosa. Present findings show for the first time that the CNR1 1359 G/A SNP and the FAAH cDNA 385C to A SNP are significantly associated to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, and demonstrate a synergistic effect of the two SNPs in anorexia nervosa.

A digital signal processor based rf control system for the TRIUMF ISAC RFQ prototype

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fong, K.; Fang, S.; Laverty, M.

1996-01-01

A stand alone digital signal processor is used to control the RFQ prototype in the TRIUMF ISAC development program. The advantage of a digital control system over the traditional analogue system is that it offers the higher degree of flexibility necessary for a development system. For this application the system is designed to have the outward appearance of an analogue system, and uses dials, knobs, and switches as the operator interface. The digital signal processor is used as a feedback controller during CW rf operation, with the feedback gain parameters continually adjustable. It is also able to perform the same regulation during pulsed operation, with additional feedforward compensation for initial pulse on duration. Using a low cost analogue-to-digital converter with a sample rate of 100 kHz, a regulation bandwidth of 10 kHz is achieved. (author)

The tobacco industry's thwarting of marketing restrictions and health warnings in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakkash, R; Lee, K

2009-08-01

This article outlines how the tobacco industry has undermined tobacco control efforts in Lebanon since the early 1970s. An analysis of online and on-site tobacco industry documents, reviews of newspapers, policy and other documents, and interviews with key policy makers were conducted. Findings reveal how the weakness of tobacco control legislation in Lebanon has been the product of an effective tobacco industry strategy to weaken the content and scope of regulation, and delay adoption and implementation. The tobacco industry has built and maintained strong alliances that were and are regularly mobilised to effectively oppose regulation. Despite ratification of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2005, Lebanon's tobacco control track remains weak. Public health professionals and the government should work hard to oppose such tobacco industry tactics.

The status of pediatric cardiology at a tertiary center in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Arabi, Mariam; Majdalani, Marianne; El Hajj, Maria Atoui; Nemer, Georges; Sawaya, Fadi; Obeid, Mounir; Bitar, Fadi F

2011-01-01

Cardiac disease, both congenital and acquired, contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality in children. This article describes the status of pediatric cardiology at the Children's Heart Center in the American University of Beirut Medical Center. It addresses the available clinical services as well as the research and educational activities that are present at a tertiary center in Lebanon, a developing country with a population of 4 million. Lebanon has witnessed major developments in the field of pediatric cardiology over the past few years. About 650 babies are born with heart disease every year, with more than 425 needing treatment. Nearly all types of interventional catheterization procedures are currently being performed. About 300 open and closed pediatric cardiac surgeries are performed per year in Lebanon. In 2008, the in-hospital surgical mortality rate at our center was 2.6%, reflecting the good level of care in the treatment of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) in Lebanon. Basic research in the field of pediatric cardiology is emerging at our center. Our team has been studying the effect of chronic hypoxemia on the neonatal myocardium in an animal model of chronic hypoxia, as well as the study of molecular basis of CHD. Appropriate identification of cardiac disease, its epidemiology, and outcome is of utmost importance in guiding adequate care. Centralization of facilities is important to improve results and level of care.

Responding to a Refugee Influx: Lessons from Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ninette Kelley

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Between 2011 and 2015, Lebanon received over one million Syrian refugees. There is no country in the world that has taken in as many refugees in proportion to its size: by 2015, one in four of its residents was a refugee from Syria. Already beset, prior to the Syrian crisis, by political divisions, insecure borders, severely strained infrastructure, and over-stretched public services, the mass influx of refugees further taxed the country. That Lebanon withstood what is often characterized as an existential threat is primarily due to the remarkable resilience of the Lebanese people. It is also due to the unprecedented levels of humanitarian funding that the international community provided to support refugees and the communities that hosted them. UN, international, and national partners scaled up more than a hundred-fold to meet ever-burgeoning needs and creatively endeavored to meet challenges on the ground. And while the refugee response was not perfect, and funding fell well below needs, thousands of lives were saved, protection was extended, essential services were provided, and efforts were made to improve through education the future prospects of the close to half-a-million refugee children residing in Lebanon. This paper examines what worked well and where the refugee response stumbled, focusing on areas where improved efforts in planning, delivery, coordination, innovation, funding, and partnerships can enhance future emergency responses.

Regionalizing healthcare: a vision for transforming Lebanon into a regional academic hub

OpenAIRE

Badr, Kamal F; Akl, Elie A

2010-01-01

Abstract Background Lebanon suffers from a large scale emigration of physicians coupled with an oversaturation of the physician job market. Lebanon is currently witnessing an expansion of its medical education capacity with the establishment of new private medical schools, raising the fears of a worsening market oversaturation. Discussion The neighboring Arabian Gulf countries are suffering from a serious shortage of clinicians and academicians. In spite of their enormous investments in educa...

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... Improving access to sexual and reproductive health information and services ... to provide employment counseling and job matching services for male and ... refugee crisis on the education systems in Jordan and Lebanon is immense.

A Wire Position Monitor System for the ISAC-II Cryomodule Components Alignment

CERN Document Server

Rawnsley, B; Dutto, G; Fong, K; Laxdal, R E; Ries, T

2004-01-01

TRIUMF is developing ISAC-II, a superconducting (SC) linac. It will comprise 9 cryomodules with a total of 48 niobium cavities and 12 SC solenoids. They must remain aligned at liquid He temperatures: cavities to ±400 μm and solenoids to ±200 μm after a vertical contraction of ~4 mm. A wire position monitor (WPM) system based on a TESLA design has been developed, built, and tested with a prototype cryomodule. The system is based on the measurement of signals induced in pickups by a 215 MHz signal carried by a wire through the WPMs. The wire is stretched between the warm tank walls parallel to the beam axis providing a position reference. The sensors, one per cavity and two per solenoid, are attached to the cold elements to monitor their motion during pre-alignment, pumping and cool down. A WPM consists of four 50 Ω striplines spaced 90° apart. A GaAs multiplexer scans the WPMs and a Bergoz card converts the RF signals to DC X and Y voltages. National Ins...

Parochial education in a global world? Teaching history and civics in Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rima Bahous

2013-08-01

Full Text Available This exploratory article is based on a research project which runs from 2011 to 2013 that examines how global processes are expressed in educational policies and pedagogical texts in Lebanon, Sweden and Turkey by focusing on school subjects like civics, history, geography, and religion. In this text we discuss the development of education in Lebanon, the development of history and civics after the civil war, and on opinions about these school subjects in order to make a preliminary analysis of how the future Lebanese citizen is depicted in policies, curricula, and textbooks. Lebanon is interesting because of its unique education system in which foreign international institutions rather than national ones have the task of preparing individuals for a globalized world. Material for the study were collected from a sample of curricula used in private and public or national schools for history and civics/citizenship education in grade 8 as well as interviews and conference proceedings and conversations with activists, teachers and principals. We also reviewed findings of relevant empirical studies conducted in Lebanon. Our data collection was guided by three questions: how is the right citizen depicted in the Lebanese material? How is the relationship between national and global perspectives treated in guidance documents and pedagogical texts? What civic rights and obligations are given attention and what individuals are included/ excluded? Our preliminary findings imply that there is no consensus on the importance of teaching a unified history and civics book and subjects in Lebanon. Other findings indicate that private and international schools have a greater impact than national schools on preparing Lebanese students as future citizens.

78 FR 56767 - Waiver of Restriction on Assistance to the Central Government of Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-13

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8469] Waiver of Restriction on Assistance to the Central Government of Lebanon Pursuant to Section 7031(b)(3) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and... United States to waive the requirements of Section 7031(b)(1) of the Act with respect to Lebanon, and I...

78 FR 23625 - Waiver of Restriction on Assistance to the Central Government of Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-19

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8282] Waiver of Restriction on Assistance to the Central Government of Lebanon Pursuant to Section 7031(b)(3) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and... United States to waive the requirements of Section 7031(b)(1) of the Act with respect to Lebanon and I...

Promoting women entrepreneurs in Lebanon: the experience of UNIFEM.

Science.gov (United States)

Husseini, R

1997-02-01

The work of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in West Asia began in 1994 with a regional program to strengthen women-owned enterprises in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. In Lebanon, a survey of 100 women entrepreneurs, as well as nontraditional credit programs and banks, was conducted prior to program design. A second survey assessed micro-entrepreneurs' demands for financial and other services. Since gender analysis was a new concept in Lebanon, UNIFEM organized a gender awareness workshop for representatives of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the banking sector, followed by a strategic planning workshop. The surveys confirmed that women were concentrated mainly in the less profitable economic sectors, producing handicrafts and food products or running small service or trading companies. Women were less likely than men to get bank loans or to register their businesses. Women's problems accessing credit--the main obstacle limiting their ability to develop their businesses--were compounded by their lack of information, male-oriented collateral requirements, and discriminatory banking regulations. UNIFEM decided to channel counseling of women entrepreneurs on legal matters, marketing, and credit sources through the Ministry of Social Affairs. It is expected that knowledge of gender-related employment issues and the use of gender-specific analysis will become integral to the Ministry's program as a result.

The PRISMA spectrometer at ISIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steigenberger, U.; Hagen, M.

1990-01-01

PRISMA stands for PRogetto dell'Istituto di Struttura dell MAteria del CNR. Under an international collaborative agreement signed in 1985 between SERC, the Science and Engineering Research Council, and the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Italy, PRISMA was designed and manufactured by the ISM Laboratory of the CNR at Frascati for installation at ISIS, for use in inelastic neutron scattering experiments. (author)

Contribution to the knowledge of Saprinus Erichson, 1834 of forensic relevance from Lebanon (Coleoptera, Histeridae)

Science.gov (United States)

Shayya, Salman; Dégallier, Nicolas; Nel, André; Azar, Dany; Lackner, Tomáš

2018-01-01

Abstract Many histerid beetles are necrophilous on carrion during both active and advanced stages of decomposition. In this study, 13 species of Saprinus were recorded on carrion from Lebanon, containing eight that are new for the Lebanese fauna. The following Saprinus species are newly recorded from Lebanon: 1) Saprinus (S.) caerulescens caerulescens (Hoffmann, 1803); 2) S. (S.) calatravensis Fuente, 1899; 3) S. (S.) chalcites (Illiger, 1807); 4) S. (S.) godet (Brullé, 1832); 5) S. (S.) maculatus (P. Rossi, 1792); 6) S. (S.) strigil Marseul, 1855; 7) S. (S.) submarginatus J. Sahlberg, 1913; and 8) S. (S.) tenuistrius sparsutus Solsky, 1876. The peak activity was recorded, key for the species is provided, and habitus images and male genitalia are illustrated in order to facilitate their taxonomic identifications. Saprinus species are diverse and common on animal carcass; they were likewise collected from a human cadaver in Lebanon. Preliminary comments on biology and distribution of the studied species are given. Our paper represents the first faunistic study on Histeridae from Lebanon. A rigorous research program regarding the biology of Saprinus in Lebanon and the neighbouring countries would greatly improve the knowledge of the diversity, activity, and possible forensic value of Saprinus. PMID:29670426

An assessment of antenatal care among Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Benage, Matthew; Greenough, P Gregg; Vinck, Patrick; Omeira, Nada; Pham, Phuong

2015-01-01

After more than three years of violence in Syria, Lebanon hosts over one million Syrian refugees creating significant public health concerns. Antenatal care delivery to tens of thousands of pregnant Syrian refugee women is critical to preventing maternal and fetal mortality but is not well characterized given the multiple factors obtaining health data in a displaced population. This study describes antenatal care access, the scope of existing antenatal care, and antenatal and family planning behaviors and practice among pregnant Syrian refugees in various living conditions and multiple geographic areas of Lebanon. A field-based survey was conducted between July and October 2013 in 14 main geographic sites of refugee concentration. The assessment evaluated antenatal services among a non-randomized sample of 420 self-identified pregnant Syrian refugee women that included demographics, gestational age, living accommodation, antenatal care coverage, antenatal care content, antenatal health behaviors, antenatal health literacy, and family planning perception and practices. In total, 420 pregnant Syrian refugees living in Lebanon completed the survey. Of these, 82.9% (348) received some antenatal care. Of those with at least one antenatal visit, 222 (63.8%) received care attended by a skilled professional three or more times, 111 (31.9%) 1-2 times, and 15 (4.3%) had never received skilled antenatal care. We assessed antenatal care content defined by blood pressure measurement, and urine and blood sample analyses. Of those who had received any antenatal care, only 31.2% received all three interventions, 18.2% received two out of three, 32.1% received one out of three, and 18.5% received no interventions. Only (41.2%) had an adequate diet of vitamins, minerals, and folic acid. Access, content and health behaviors varied by gestational age, type of accommodation and location in Lebanon. Standards of antenatal care are not being met for pregnant Syrian refugee women in

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease prevalence in Lebanon: a cross-sectional descriptive study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waked M

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Mirna Waked1, George Khayat2, Pascale Salameh31Saint George Hospital University Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon; 2Faculty of Medicine, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon; 3Faculties of Pharmacy and Public Health, Lebanese University, Beirut, LebanonBackground: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD continues to increase worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of COPD in Lebanese adults.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a multistage cluster sample from all over Lebanon. Residents aged 40 years and over were enrolled. Subjects underwent baseline spirometry and answered a questionnaire. After an albuterol + ipratropium bromide bronchodilator, a posttest was performed.Results: Of 2201 individuals, only 33.3% had never smoked. The prevalence of COPD by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease definition, was 9.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.5%–10.9%. According to the 5% lower limit of normal definition of COPD, the prevalence was 12.5% (95% CI: 11.2%–13.9%. A total of 20.2% were already diagnosed by a physician. No differences in symptoms across stages of COPD were found, but there was a significant trend for a higher number of visits to the emergency room and to the doctor (P < 0.001, and a higher number of hospitalizations (P < 0.001. Older individuals had an increased risk of COPD (adjusted odds ratio [ORa] = 1.05; so did “ever” cigarette smokers (ORa = 4.88 and water-pipe smokers (ORa = 2.53.Conclusion: This is the first epidemiological study in Lebanon that determined COPD prevalence and the link with water-pipe smoking.Keywords: COPD, prevalence, water-pipe smoking

Barriers to breastfeeding in Lebanon: A policy analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Akik, Chaza; Ghattas, Hala; Filteau, Suzanne; Knai, Cecile

2017-08-01

Although the issue of breastfeeding in Lebanon has risen on the political agenda, the country does not meet international recommendations for early breastfeeding practices. This study analysed barriers to dissemination, implementation, and enforcement of key policies to improve early breastfeeding practices. We conducted interviews with stakeholders in breastfeeding policy in Lebanon and used a framework approach for analysing data. We found a disconnect between policy endorsement and translation on the ground, weak engagement of professional associations and governmental institutions, undue influence by the breast milk substitute industry, and competing priorities-most notably the current refugee crisis. This study highlights the potential policy opportunities to counter these barriers and points to the role of international organisations and grassroots advocacy in pushing, monitoring, and implementing policies that protect breastfeeding, where government capacity is limited, and the private sector is strong.

A National Peace Education Program in Lebanon: Exploring the Possibilities from the Leaders' Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Tannous, Joseph M.; Oueijan, Harvey N.

2011-01-01

This document reports the findings of a doctoral project regarding peace education in Lebanon. The emergence of Lebanon from a long civil war necessitates the existence of a peace program that will educate the new generations for a culture of peace. In this study, we tried to explore the potential of the development of a unified peace program…

Educating Children with Down Syndrome in Lebanon: An Exploratory Study of Urban Mothers' Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Hatoum, Rima J.

2010-01-01

In view of the fact that Lebanon does not currently have a special education infrastructure, the purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to understand the phenomenon of educating children with Down syndrome (DS) in Lebanon in terms of the meanings mothers ascribe to it and their description of their experience. The intent was to develop…

Femtosecond laser surface structuring of molybdenum thin films

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kotsedi, L

2015-10-01

Full Text Available , 20133 Milano, Italy e Center for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano, Italy f Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (IFN)–CNR, Piazza Leanardo Da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milano, Italy...

Educational Disparities and Conflict: Evidence from Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Tfaily, Rania; Diab, Hassan; Kulczycki, Andrzej

2013-01-01

This article examines the impact of Lebanon's civil war (1975-1991) on disparities in education among the country's main religious sects and across various regions. District of registration is adopted as a proxy for religious affiliation through a novel, detailed classification to assess sectarian differentials by region and regional differentials…

Refugee activists’ involvement in relief effort in Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frances Topham Smallwood

2014-09-01

Full Text Available A cadre of educated middle-class Syrian refugees dedicated to improving conditions for Syrians at home and in Lebanon are building a civil society in exile but face obstacles to consolidating their presence and becoming more effective.

PREVALENCE OF SICKLE CELL TRAIT IN THE SOUTHERN SUBURBS OF BEIRUT, LEBANON

OpenAIRE

Abdel Badih El Ariss; Mohamad Younes; Jad Matar; Zeina Berjaoui

2016-01-01

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence, gender differences, and time trends of Sickle Cell Trait in the Southern Suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, as well as to highlight the importance of screening for Sickle Cell Trait carriers in this population. Another objective was to describe a new screening technique for Sickle Cell Trait carriers. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study carried out at a private laboratory in the Southern Suburb of Beirut, Lebanon between 20...

Control of Chaos: New Perspectives in Experimental and Theoretical Science. International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos in Applied Sciences and Engineering. Theme Issue. Part 2, Volume 8, Number 9, September 1998.

Science.gov (United States)

1998-09-01

GARBO*, R. BALOCCHIt and S. CHILLEMI* *Istituto di Biofisica CNR, Via S. Lorenzo 26, 56127 Pisa, Italy tIstituto di Fisiologia Clinica CNR, Via...Publishing Company DIFFUSION PARAMETER CONTROL OF SPATIOTEMPORAL CHAOS RAUL MONTAGNE* Instituto de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias & Facultad de Ingenieria

Cybertechnology Ethics of University Students in Lebanon: Assessing University Students' Activities and Perceptions of Cybertechnology Ethics in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Jabbour, Khayrazad Kari

2011-01-01

Use of internet technologies is widespread in Lebanon. Technology has a revolutionary impact on our lives, behavior, and in particular a strong impact on our students. Part of our students every day routine is to use the computer and the Internet to play, learn, and communicate. Although most students use the computer and the Internet on a daily…

Lupus nephritis in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Uthman, I W; Muffarij, A A; Mudawar, W A; Nasr, F W; Masri, A F

2001-01-01

This is a retrospective study of the clinicopathological characteristics of 50 systemic lupus erythematosus patients with nephritis who underwent a kidney biopsy and were admitted to the American University of Beirut Medical Center, in Lebanon, between 1979 and 1999. There were 43 females and seven males, with a median age of 24 y. Renal histology slides from these patients were assessed according to the World Health Organization classification, and were distributed as follows: class I (n = 3, 6%); class II (n = 14, 28%); class III (n = 11, 22%); class IV (n = 19, 38%); class V (n = 1, 2%); class VI (n = 2, 4%). All the patients received oral prednisone, in addition the following treatments were used: pulse intravenous (i.v.) cyclophosphamide (n = 23, 46%); azathioprine (n = 22, 44%); pulse i.v. steroids (n = 19, 38%); chloroquine sulfate (n = 17, 34%); methotrexate (n = 5, 10%); and plasmapheresis (n = 2, 4%). The median duration of follow-up was 5 y (range 1-33 y). On their last evaluation, out of 37 patients who were followed, 20 patients (54%) had controlled disease, eight patients (22%) were still on active medical treatment, four patients (11%) were on chronic hemodialysis, and five patients (13%) had died. Unlike three other Arab populations studies from Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where the most frequent histopathologic abnormality was class III, diffuse proliferative LN (class IV) was the most common type of lupus nephritis in Lebanon, similarly to reports from USA, France, Netherlands, South Africa, Thailand and Taiwan.

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Region: Europe, Turkey, Central Asia, Far East Asia, South Asia, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine ... will have a negative impact on employment and the economy in tobacco-producing countries. ... Program: Food, Environment, and Health.

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Home · What we do / Regions and countries / lebanon ... IDRC's Acacia program identified small-scale agriculture, including environment and natural ... but tend to be poorly organized and lacking in programs and networking opportunities.

Israeli Deterrence And the 2nd Lebanon War

Science.gov (United States)

2017-04-06

06 April 2017 DISTRIBUTION A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited. Disclaimer The views expressed in this academic ...peace and stability on the Israel-Lebanon border. This stability owes to strong Israeli deterrence, whose roots stem at the 2006 war. This essay claims

Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of traumatic brain injury in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Abou-Abbass, Hussein; Bahmad, Hisham; Ghandour, Hiba; Fares, Jawad; Wazzi-Mkahal, Rayyan; Yacoub, Basel; Darwish, Hala; Mondello, Stefania; Harati, Hayat; El Sayed, Mazen J.; Tamim, Hani; Kobeissy, Firas

2016-01-01

Abstract Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a debilitating medical and emerging public health problem that is affecting people worldwide due to a multitude of factors including both domestic and war-related acts. The objective of this paper is to systematically review the status of TBI in Lebanon – a Middle Eastern country with a weak health system that was chartered by several wars and intermittent outbursts of violence - in order to identify the present gaps in knowledge, direct future research initiatives and to assist policy makers in planning progressive and rehabilitative policies. Methods: OVID/Medline, PubMed, Scopus databases and Google Scholar were lastly searched on April 15th, 2016 to identify all published research studies on TBI in Lebanon. Studies published in English, Arabic or French that assessed Lebanese patients afflicted by TBI in Lebanon were warranting inclusion in this review. Case reports, reviews, biographies and abstracts were excluded. Throughout the whole review process, reviewers worked independently and in duplicate during study selection, data abstraction and methodological assessment using the Downs and Black Checklist. Results: In total, 11 studies were recognized eligible as they assessed Lebanese patients afflicted by TBI on Lebanese soils. Considerable methodological variation was found among the identified studies. All studies, except for two that evaluated domestic causes such as falls, reported TBI due to war-related injuries. Age distribution of TBI victims revealed two peaks, young adults between 18 and 40 years, and older adults aged 60 years and above, where males constituted the majority. Only three studies reported rates of mild TBI. Mortality, rehabilitation and systemic injury rates were rarely reported and so were the complications involved; infections were an exception. Conclusion: Apparently, status of TBI in Lebanon suffers from several gaps which need to be bridged through implementing more basic

U.S. Foreign Aid to Lebanon: Issues for Congress

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Sharp, Jeremy M

2007-01-01

In Lebanon today, there is a battle for political primacy between the anti-Syrian, pro-Western government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and the opposition, led by the Hezbollah and former General Michel Aoun...

Numerical study of two-dimensional moist symmetric instability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Fantini

2008-06-01

Full Text Available The 2-D version of the non-hydrostatic fully compressible model MOLOCH developed at ISAC-CNR was used in idealized set-up to study the start-up and finite amplitude evolution of symmetric instability. The unstable basic state was designed by numerical integration of the equation which defines saturated equivalent potential vorticity q_e^*. We present the structure and growth rates of the linear modes both for a supersaturated initial state ("super"-linear mode and for a saturated one ("pseudo"-linear mode and the modifications induced on the base state by their finite amplitude evolution.

Limited legal status for refugees from Syria in Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dalia Aranki

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Having limited legal status has direct negative consequences for Syrian refugees’ access to protection and assistance during their stay in Lebanon. Limited legal status also increases the risks of abuse and exploitation.

When is return voluntary? Conditions of asylum in Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amy Keith

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The decision of Syrian refugees in Lebanon to return to Syria must not be based on a deteriorating quality of asylum that creates physical, social and material pressures on decisions to return.

Re-evaluation and updating of the seismic hazard of Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Huijer, Carla; Harajli, Mohamed; Sadek, Salah

2016-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study undertaken to evaluate the implications of the newly mapped offshore Mount Lebanon Thrust (MLT) fault system on the seismic hazard of Lebanon and the current seismic zoning and design parameters used by the local engineering community. This re-evaluation is critical, given that the MLT is located at close proximity to the major cities and economic centers of the country. The updated seismic hazard was assessed using probabilistic methods of analysis. The potential sources of seismic activities that affect Lebanon were integrated along with any/all newly established characteristics within an updated database which includes the newly mapped fault system. The earthquake recurrence relationships of these sources were developed from instrumental seismology data, historical records, and earlier studies undertaken to evaluate the seismic hazard of neighboring countries. Maps of peak ground acceleration contours, based on 10 % probability of exceedance in 50 years (as per Uniform Building Code (UBC) 1997), as well as 0.2 and 1 s peak spectral acceleration contours, based on 2 % probability of exceedance in 50 years (as per International Building Code (IBC) 2012), were also developed. Finally, spectral charts for the main coastal cities of Beirut, Tripoli, Jounieh, Byblos, Saida, and Tyre are provided for use by designers.

Reducing early marriage of adolescent Syrian refugees in Lebanon ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

... in Lebanon: Improving access to sexual and reproductive health information and services ... on family planning, and higher risk of gender-based violence. ... in the 2016-2030 WHO led Global Strategy for Women, Children and Adolescents, ...

Factors influencing dyslipidemia in statin-treated patients in Lebanon and Jordan: results of the Dyslipidemia International Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azar ST

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Sami T Azar,1 Hadi Abu Hantash,2 Selim Jambart,3 Mohammad M El-Zaheri,4 Rachoin Rachoin,5 Amal Chalfoun,6 Layla Lahoud,6 Osama Okkeh,2 Peter Bramlage,7 Philippe Brudi,8 Baishali M Ambegaonkar81American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon; 2Istishari Hospital, Amman, Jordan; 3St Joseph University Faculty of Medicine, Beirut, Lebanon; 4Jordan Hospital, Amman, Jordan; 5Notre Dame des Secours Hospital, Jbeil, Lebanon; 6MSD Levant, Beirut, Lebanon; 7Institut für Pharmakologie und präventive Medizin, Mahlow, Germany; 8Merck and Co, Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USABackground: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Therefore, as part of the Dyslipidemia International Study (DYSIS, we have analyzed the prevalence of lipid abnormalities and risk factors for dyslipidemia in statin-treated patients in Lebanon and Jordan.Methods: This cross-sectional, multicenter study enrolled 617 patients at 13 hospitals in Lebanon and Jordan. Patients were at least 45 years old and had been treated with statins for at least 3 months. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine patient characteristics contributing to dyslipidemia during statin therapy.Results: Our findings indicated that 55.9% of statin-treated patients (mean age 60.3 years, 47% female in Lebanon and Jordan did not achieve goal levels for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol which were dependent on Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE risk, and 70% of patients (76% men and 63.3% of women were at very high cardiovascular risk. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals were not achieved in 67.2% of those with very high cardiovascular risk. The most commonly prescribed statin was atorvastatin (44.6%, followed by simvastatin (27.7%, rosuvastatin (21.2%, fluvastatin (3.3%, pravastatin (3%, and lovastatin (0.2%. Approximately half of the population was treated with a statin dose potency of 4, equaling 40 mg of simvastatin. In

Sleep patterns and disorders among university students in Lebanon.

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Assaad, Shafika; Costanian, Christy; Haddad, Georges; Tannous, Fida

2014-01-01

Insufficient sleep is a significant public health issue with adverse medical consequences. Sleep disturbances are common among university students and have an effect on this group's overall health and functioning. The aim of this study was to investigate sleep habits and disorders in a population of university students across Lebanon. This was a cross-sectional study carried out in 2012 among 735 students aged 18-25 yrs. old, enrolled at six universities across Lebanon. The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality and habits. Less than half of the total study population (47.3%) were good sleepers (PSQILebanon. This study suggests that sleep problems among Lebanese college students were common and such problems may interfere with daily performance. Findings from this study have important implications for programs intended to improve academic performance by targeting sleep habits of students.

Regionalizing healthcare: a vision for transforming Lebanon into a regional academic hub

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akl Elie A

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Lebanon suffers from a large scale emigration of physicians coupled with an oversaturation of the physician job market. Lebanon is currently witnessing an expansion of its medical education capacity with the establishment of new private medical schools, raising the fears of a worsening market oversaturation. Discussion The neighboring Arabian Gulf countries are suffering from a serious shortage of clinicians and academicians. In spite of their enormous investments in educational, clinical and research collaborative initiatives with some of the most renowned North American medical schools and institutions, their ability to recruit and retain highly qualified clinicians and academicians remains a major challenge. Lebanese universities have the opportunity to establish triangular collaborations with the Gulf regional medical centers and their North American partners. They could achieve this goal by tapping into the globalized and high quality Lebanese physician workforce and consequently regionalize healthcare delivery in the Middle East. Summary By recruiting its globalized and high quality physician workforce to establish collaborations with the Gulf regional, Lebanon could become a regional "academic hub".

Regionalizing healthcare: a vision for transforming Lebanon into a regional academic hub.

Science.gov (United States)

Badr, Kamal F; Akl, Elie A

2010-06-16

Lebanon suffers from a large scale emigration of physicians coupled with an oversaturation of the physician job market. Lebanon is currently witnessing an expansion of its medical education capacity with the establishment of new private medical schools, raising the fears of a worsening market oversaturation. The neighboring Arabian Gulf countries are suffering from a serious shortage of clinicians and academicians. In spite of their enormous investments in educational, clinical and research collaborative initiatives with some of the most renowned North American medical schools and institutions, their ability to recruit and retain highly qualified clinicians and academicians remains a major challenge. Lebanese universities have the opportunity to establish triangular collaborations with the Gulf regional medical centers and their North American partners. They could achieve this goal by tapping into the globalized and high quality Lebanese physician workforce and consequently regionalize healthcare delivery in the Middle East. By recruiting its globalized and high quality physician workforce to establish collaborations with the Gulf regional, Lebanon could become a regional "academic hub".

A roadmap to parity in mental health financing: the case of Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Yehia, Farah; Nahas, Ziad; Saleh, Shadi

2014-09-01

Inadequate access to mental health (MH) services in Lebanon, where prevalence is noteworthy, is a concern. Although a multitude of factors affects access to services, lack of financial coverage of MH services is one that merits further investigation. This study aims at providing a systematic description of MH financing systems with a special focus on Lebanon, presenting stakeholder viewpoints on best MH financing alternatives/strategies and recommending options for enhancing financial coverage. A comprehensive review of existing literature on MH financing systems was conducted, with a focus on the system in Lebanon. In addition, key stakeholders were interviewed to assess MH organizational and financing arrangements. Finally, a national round table was organized with the aim of discussing findings (from the review and interviews) and developing an action roadmap. Taxation and out-of-pocket payments are the most common MH financing sources worldwide and in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. In Lebanon, all funding entities, except private insurance and mutual funds, cover inpatient and outpatient MH services, albeit with inconsistencies in levels of coverage. The national roundtable recommended two main MH financing enhancements: (i) creating a knowledge-sharing committee between insurers and MH specialists, and (ii) convincing labor unions/representatives to lobby for MH coverage as part of the negotiated benefit package. There are concerns regarding the equity, effectiveness and efficiency of the MH financing system in Lebanon. The fragmented system in Lebanon leads to differences in MH coverage across different financing intermediaries, which is inequitable. The fact that one out of four Lebanese suffer a mental disorder throughout their lives and very low percentages of those obtain treatment signals a problem in effectiveness. As for efficiency, the inefficient fragmentation of MH financing among seven intermediaries is a problematic characteristic of the

Knowledge, attitudes and awareness regarding fertility preservation among oncologists and clinical practitioners in Lebanon.

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Ghazeeri, Ghina; Zebian, Dina; Nassar, Anwar H; Harajly, Sally; Abdallah, Alain; Hakimian, Stephanie; Skaiff, Bassem; Abbas, Hussein A; Awwad, Johnny

2016-06-01

Fertility preservation (FP) aims to help individuals overcome the infertility associated with cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. The objective of this study was to assess the awareness, attitudes and knowledge of oncologists' and clinical practitioners' (CPs) about fertility preservation and its options in Lebanon. This was a cross-sectional study with surveys carried out between March 2012 and February 2013 on CPs at the American University of Beirut Medical Centre and Saint Jude's Children Cancer Centre as well as all registered oncologists in Lebanon. Ninety percent of CPs (n = 88) and 94% of oncologists (n = 53) agreed that fertility preservation should be discussed with patient before their cancer treatment. Our data showed a gender bias in relation to patients being informed of their FP options, as well as conflicting knowledge of FP options available in Lebanon among oncologists. The CPs were more likely to have accurate knowledge of FP options and treatment than oncologists. A proactive approach is required to: (1) increase the awareness and knowledge of FP; (2) improve attitudes towards FP; and (3) encourage its communication between CPs, oncologists and patients in Lebanon. Increased education programs, awareness campaigns and development of dedicated FP centres are needed.

lebanon : tous les projets | Page 3 | CRDI - Centre de recherches ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Sujet: EMIGRANTS, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR, ... et manquent de structures pour soutenir des programmes et se regrouper en réseaux. ... South Asia, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, Réunion.

Bottom-up approach to sustainable urban development in Lebanon: The case of Zouk Mosbeh

OpenAIRE

El Asmar, Jean-Pierre; Ebohon, O. J.; Taki, A. H.

2012-01-01

In contrast with the “top-down” approach to development, the dominant methodology in Lebanon, Iemphasize rather the “bottom-up” approach where all stakeholders have equal opportunities to participate in policy formulation and implementation. The bottom-up or participatory approach to sustainable development has hardly been tested for urban development and management in Lebanon. This research concerns the sustainable rehabilitation of the built environment in the area of Zouk Mosbeh (ZM) in ...

Trust and cooperation relations in environmental management of Lebanon

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Abbas, Nivine; van der Molen, I.; Nader, M.R.; Lovett, Jonathan Cranidge

2014-01-01

This paper investigates trust and cooperation in the context of environmental management in Lebanon. Literature already indicated increasing environmental problems in this area that suffered from repeated episodes of armed conflict. The Lebanese government has been faced by many difficulties to

Single-cycle Pulse Synthesis by Coherent Superposition of Ultra-broadband Optical Parametric Amplifiers

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-01

Research Council Centre of Excellence, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia, 3IFN-CNR, Dipartimento di Fisica , Politecnico di...Cristian Manzoni, 1,* Jeffrey Moses, 2 Franz X. Kärtner, 2,3 and Giulio Cerullo 1 1IFN-CNR, Dipartimento di Fisica , Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L...Cerullo1 1 IFN-CNR, Dipartimento di Fisica , Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. Da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy 2 Department of Electrical

75 FR 34049 - FM Table of Allotments (The Dalles, Tualatin, Eugene, Albany, Lebanon, Paisley, and Diamond Lake...

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2010-06-16

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 73 [DA 10-786; MB Docket No. 05-10; RM-11279] FM Table of Allotments (The Dalles, Tualatin, Eugene, Albany, Lebanon, Paisley, and Diamond Lake, Oregon... 279C, Lebanon, Oregon, Bicoastal Media Licenses IV, LLC (``Bicoastal''), licensee of Station KACI-FM...

Journal of Genetics | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Istituto di Scienze Marine, Sezione di Venezia, CNR, Castello 1364/a, 30122 Venezia, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia Animale, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Università “Ca' Foscari”, Castello 2737/b - 30122 Venezia, Italy; Istituto di Ecologia e Biologia ...

Far From ‘Easy’ Spectroscopy with the 8π and GRIFFIN Spectrometers at TRIUMF-ISAC

Science.gov (United States)

Garrett, P. E.; Radich, A. J.; Allmond, J. M.; Andreoiu, C.; Ball, G. C.; Bender, P. C.; Bianco, L.; Bildstein, V.; Bidaman, H.; Braid, R.; Burbadge, C.; Chagnon-Lessard, S.; Cross, D. S.; Deng, G.; Demand, G. A.; Diaz Varela, A.; Dunlop, M. R.; Dunlop, R.; Finlay, P.; Garnsworthy, A. B.; Grinyer, G. F.; Hackman, G.; Hadinia, B.; Ilyushkin, S.; Jigmeddorj, B.; Kisliuk, D.; Kuhn, K.; Laffoley, A. T.; Leach, K. G.; MacLean, A. D.; Michetti-Wilson, J.; Miller, D.; Moore, W.; Olaizola, B.; Orce, J. N.; Pearson, C. J.; Pore, J. L.; Rajabali, M. M.; Rand, E. T.; Sarazin, F.; Smith, J. K.; Starosta, K.; Sumithrarachchi, C. S.; Svensson, C. E.; Triambak, S.; Turko, J.; Wang, Z. M.; Wood, J. L.; Wong, J.; Williams, S. J.; Yates, S. W.; Zganjar, E. F.

2015-09-01

The 8π spectrometer, installed at the TRIUMF-ISAC facility, was the world's most sensitive γ-ray spectrometer dedicated to β-decay studies. A description is given of the 8π spectrometer and its auxiliary detectors including the plastic scintillator array SCEPTAR used for β-particle tagging and the Si(Li) array PACES for conversion electron measurements, its moving tape collector, and its data acquisition system. The recent investigation of the decay of 124Cs to study the nuclear structure of 124Xe, and how the β-decay measurements complemented previous Coulomb excitation studies, is highlighted, including the extraction of the deformation parameters for the excited 0+ bands in 124Xe. As a by-product, the decay scheme of the (7+) 124Cs isomeric state, for which the data from the PACES detectors were vital, was studied. Finally, a description of the new GRIFFIN spectrometer, which uses the same auxiliary detectors as the 8π spectrometer, is given.

Medication safety knowledge, attitudes and practices among community pharmacists in Lebanon.

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Hajj, Aline; Hallit, Souheil; Ramia, Elsy; Salameh, Pascale

2018-01-01

The effectiveness of a national post-marketing surveillance program depends directly on the active participation of all health professionals. There is no current comprehensive and active pharmacovigilance program available in Lebanon. To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among community pharmacists in Lebanon with respect to potential pharmacovigilance and adverse-drug-reaction reporting in Lebanon. A cross-sectional descriptive study, using a self-administered KAP questionnaire and conducted between March and July 2016, included 1857 pharmacists practicing in community settings. Statistical analysis included χ 2 test for dichotomous or multinomial qualitative variables, and Wilcoxon test for quantitative variables with non-homogeneous variances or non-normal distribution. The majority of responders had good knowledge concerning the concept and purpose of pharmacovigilance as well as adverse drug reactions (how to report these/the importance of reporting adverse events/the definition of an adverse event and pharmacovigilance). Concerning community pharmacists' attitudes and practice towards pharmacovigilance, the majority described having a positive attitude towards their role in adverse drug reaction reporting and this activity was even seen as one of their core duties. The questionnaire revealed a lack of practice and training regarding pharmacovigilance. Nonetheless, the pharmacists agreed on the Order of Pharmacists in Lebanon and the Ministry of Health's role in promoting this practice and helping them be more involved in reporting adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The pharmacists thought that they are well positioned regarding patient-safety practice in their pharmacies and the results were not statistically different between pharmacy employers and employees. Lebanese pharmacists have the required knowledge and positive attitude to start reporting ADRs, were aware of ADRs occurring with various medicines post-marketing, yet were currently not

Investigation of 124Xe nuclear structure with the 8Pi spectrometer at TRIUMF-ISAC

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Radich, Allison; Garrett, P.; Jigmeddorj, B.; Michetti-Wilson, J.; Diaz Varela, A.; Hadinia, B.; Bianco, L.; Wong, J.; Chagnon-Lessard, S.; Dunlop, R.; Finlay, P.; Laffoley, A.; Leach, K. G.; Rand, E.; Sumithrarachchi, C.; Svennson, C. E.; Wood, J. L.; Yates, S. W.; Andreoiu, C.; Starosta, K.; Cross, D.; Garnsworthy, A. B.; Hackman, G.; Ball, G.; Triambak, S.

2013-10-01

The 124Xe nucleus has been thought to obey O(6) symmetry but a recent Coulomb excitation study has found that while O(5) may be preserved, O(6) appears to be badly broken. To further characterize the structure of this nucleus, a beta-decay experiment was performed at the TRIUMF-ISAC facility. A beam of radioactive 124Cs at a rate of 9.8 × 107 ions/s was implanted at the center of the 8Pi spectrometer where it underwent β + /EC decay into stable 124Xe. High-statistics gamma-gamma coincidence measurements have been analyzed to add to the level scheme of 124Xe, which has been extended considerably. The high statistics data set has revealed a new decay branch from a 124Cs high-spin isomer as well as several very-weak transitions between low-spin states in 124Xe. Branching ratios and B(E2) transition strengths have been calculated for the updated level scheme. The results will be important in determining collective properties and nuclear structure of the 124Xe.

Mesotheliomas in Lebanon: Witnessing a Change in Epidemiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Kattan, Joseph; Eid, Roland; Kourie, Hampig Raphael; Farhat, Fadi; Ghosn, Marwan; Ghorra, Claude; Tomb, Roland

2016-01-01

Mesotheliomas are relatively rare tumors in Lebanon. The only previous study goes back to 14 years ago, when we published epidemiological characteristics of mesotheliomas in Lebanon, showing that the pleural location accounted for the vast majority of cases, with clear evidence of asbestos exposure from the Eternit factory of Chekka region. The objective of this current study was to estimate the incidence of mesothelioma in the past decade and to identify its epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic characteristics, making comparisons with our first study published in 2001. Between 2002 and 2014, patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma at Hotel-Dieu de France University Hospital were investigated. Epidemiological data focusing on asbestos exposure history were collected from medical records and interviews with the families. A total of 26 patients were diagnosed with mesothelioma, 21 of which were successfully investigated. The mean age of these 21 patients is 62.5 (19-82). Only 3 (14.29%) are women. 18 (85.71%) were smokers. Among the 21 available mesotheliomas, 15 (71.4%) are pleural, while 5 (23.8%) are peritoneal and 1 (4.8%) pericardial. Only 60% of patients with pleural mesothelioma and 50% of those with an obvious exposure to asbestos lived and/or worked in Chekka region. The mean time of asbestos exposure in patients with mesothelioma is 24.5 (1-50) years and the mean latency is 37.4 (4-61) years. Of the 21 patients, 10 (47.6%) underwent surgery during their treatment, 16 (76.2%) received chemotherapy and 3 (14.3%) received best supportive care. Compared to the previous study (1991-2000), substantial changes in the epidemiology of mesothelioma in Lebanon were observed, such as an increase in peritoneal localizations and a lower correlation with Chekka region asbestos contamination.

Maternal mortality ratio in Lebanon in 2008: a hospital-based reproductive age mortality study (RAMOS).

Science.gov (United States)

Hobeika, Elie; Abi Chaker, Samer; Harb, Hilda; Rahbany Saad, Rita; Ammar, Walid; Adib, Salim

2014-01-01

International agencies have recently assigned Lebanon to the group H of countries with "no national data on maternal mortality," and estimated a corresponding maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 150 per 100,000 live births. The Ministry of Public Health addressed the discrepancy perceived between the reality of the maternal mortality ratio experience in Lebanon and the international report by facilitating a hospital-based reproductive age mortality study, sponsored by the World Health Organization Representative Office in Lebanon, aiming at providing an accurate estimate of a maternal mortality ratio for 2008. The survey allowed a detailed analysis of maternal causes of deaths. Reproductive age deaths (15-49 years) were initially identified through hospital records. A trained MD traveled to each hospital to ascertain whether recorded deaths were in fact maternal deaths or not. ICD10 codes were provided by the medical controller for each confirmed maternal deaths. There were 384 RA death cases, of which 13 were confirmed maternal deaths (339%) (numerator). In 2008, there were 84823 live births in Lebanon (denominator). The MMR in Lebanon in 2008 was thus officially estimated at 23/100,000 live births, with an "uncertainty range" from 153 to 30.6. Hemorrhage was the leading cause of death, with double the frequency of all other causes (pregnancy-induced hypertension, eclampsia, infection, and embolism). This specific enquiry responded to a punctual need to correct a clearly inadequate report, and it should be relayed by an on-going valid surveillance system. Results indicate that special attention has to be devoted to the management of peri-partum hemorrhage cases. Arab, postpartum hemorrhage, development, pregnancy management, verbal autopsy

Polymorphism rs3123554 in the cannabinoid receptor gene type 2 (CNR2) reveals effects on body weight and insulin resistance in obese subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

de Luis, Daniel Antonio; Izaola, Olatz; Primo, David; de la Fuente, Beatriz; Aller, Rocio

2017-10-01

Few studies assessing the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms in CNR2 and obesity or its related metabolic parameters are available. To investigate the influence of polymorphism rs3123554 in the CNR2 receptor gene on obesity anthropometric parameters, insulin resistance, and adipokines in subjects with obesity. The study population consisted of 1027 obese subjects, who were performed bioelectrical impedance analyses, blood pressure measurements, serial assessments of dietary intake during three days, and biochemical tests. Genotypes GG, GA, and AA were found in 339 (33.0%), 467 (45.5%), and 221 (21.5%) respectively. Body mass index, weight, fat mass, waist circumference, insulin, HOMA-IR, and triglyceride and leptin levels were higher in A-allele carriers as compared to non A-allele carriers. No differences were seen in these parameters between the GA and AA genotypes. There were no statistical differences in dietary intake. The main study finding was the association of the minor allele of the SNP rs3123554 in the CNR2 gene with body weight and triglyceride, HOMA-IR, insulin, and leptin levels. Copyright © 2017 SEEN y SED. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Trust and cooperation relations in environmental management of Lebanon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abbas, Nivine; van der Molen, I.; Nader, M.R.; Lovett, Jonathan Cranidge

2014-01-01

This paper examines the spatial variation in vulnerability between different geographical areas of the northern coastal region of Lebanon within the context of armed conflict. The study is based on the ‘vulnerability of space’ approach and will be positioned in the academic debate on vulnerability

Guidelines for breast cancer screening in Lebanon Public Health Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Adib, Salim M; El Saghir, Nagi S; Ammar, Walid

2009-01-01

The accumulation of national epidemiological data since the late 1990s has led to the adoption of evidence-based guidelines for breast cancer screening in Lebanon (2006). Almost 50% of breast cancer patients in Lebanon are below the age of 50 years and the age-adjusted incidence rate is estimated at 69 new cases per 100,000 per year (2004). This official notification calls for breast self-examination (BSE) every month starting age 20, and a clinical breast examination (CBE) performed by a physician every three years between the ages of 20 and 40 years. Starting age 40, and for as long as a woman is in good health, an annual CBE and mammography are recommended. Women with known genetic family history of breast cancer should start screening 10 years earlier than the first young patient in the family, or earlier depending on medical advice. The Breast Cancer National Task Force (BCNTF) recommends certification of mammography centers and continued training of personnel to assure high quality mammograms, and to minimize unnecessary investigations and surgeries.It recommends that a national program should record call-backs of women for annual screening and follow-up data on abnormal mammograms. BCNTF encourages the adoption of these guidelines and monitoring of their results, as well as follow-up of breast cancer epidemiology and registry in Lebanon, and scientific progress in early breast cancer detection to determine needs for modifications in the future.

Diversity and distribution of ticks from domestic ruminants in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Dabaja, Mayssaa Fawaz; Tempesta, Maria; Bayan, Ali; Vesco, Gesualdo; Vesco, Gesualdo; Greco, Grazia; Torina, Alessandra; Blanda, Valeria; La Russa, Francesco; Scimeca, Salvatore; Ezzedine, Mohamad; Mortada, Hussein; Raoult, Didier; Fournier, Pierre Edouard; Mortada, Mohamad

2017-06-30

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are ectoparasites infesting livestock in every geographic area in the world and they are vectors of several viral, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens to animals and humans worldwide. A deep knowledge of the geographical distribution of these arthropods would have a key role in the control of tick-borne diseases. Few data are available about tick presence in domestic ruminants in Lebanon. The study aimed at providing an analysis of tick presence and distribution in Lebanon. Ticks were collected from cattle, sheep, and goats farms distributed in 6 Lebanese provinces between June and September 2014. A total of 272 adult hard ticks were randomly collected from domestic ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats) located at 37 Lebanese farms, distributed among 30 villages. Ticks belonged to 4 Ixodidae genera: Rhipicephalus (72.4%), Haemaphysalis (11.4%), Dermacentor (8.1%), and Hyalomma (8.1%). They included the following species: Rhipicephalus annulatus (50.7%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (18.8%), Hyalomma anatolicum (8.1%), Haemaphylasis punctata (11.4%), Dermacentor marginatus (8.1%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (2.5%), and Rhipicephalus bursa (0.4%). Rhipicephalus turanicus and H. anatolicum were found on cattle, sheep, and goats, R. annulatus on cattle and sheep, R. sanguineus, D. marginatus and Hea. punctata on sheep and goats, while R. bursa was collected only on sheep. Tick species involved in pathogen transmission were found and some of the identi ed species were recorded in Lebanon for the rst time.

Implementation of a SenseMaker® research project among Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakhache, Nour; Michael, Saja; Roupetz, Sophie; Garbern, Stephanie; Bergquist, Harveen; Davison, Colleen; Bartels, Susan

2017-01-01

The Syrian conflict has displaced over 1.2 million Syrians into Lebanon. As a result of displacement, some Syrian families are turning to child marriage as a coping mechanism. The prevalence of early marriage has reportedly increased and the average age of marriage decreased during the crisis. The aim of the project was to understand the underlying factors contributing to child marriage among Syrian refugees in Lebanon using Cognitive Edge's SenseMaker®. This manuscript explores the process of implementing this novel research tool in a humanitarian setting. Twelve interviewers conducted SenseMaker® interviews with married and unmarried Syrian girls, Syrian parents, as well as married and unmarried men. Participants were asked to share a story about the lives of Syrian girls in Lebanon and to self-interpret the narratives by answering follow-up questions in relation to the story provided. Data collection occurred across three locations: Beirut, Beqaa, and Tripoli. In total 1422 narratives from 1346 unique participants were collected over 7 weeks. Data collection using SenseMaker® was efficient, capable of electronically capturing a large volume of quantitative and qualitative data. SenseMaker® limitations from a research perspective include lack of skip logic and inability to adjust font size on the iOS app. SenseMaker® was an efficient mixed methods data collection tool that was well received by participants in a refugee setting in Lebanon. The utility of SenseMaker® for research could be improved by adding skip logic and by being able to adjust font size on the iOS app.

Motivation to quit smoking and acceptability of shocking warnings on cigarette packages in Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Layoun N

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Nelly Layoun,1,2 Pascal Salameh,2,3 Mirna Waked,4 Z Aoun Bacha,5 Rony M Zeenny,6 Eric El Hitti,4 Isabelle Godin,1 Michèle Dramaix1 1Research Center in Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Clinical Research, School of Public Health, UniversitéLibre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; 2Doctoral School of Sciences and Technologies, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon; 3Clinical and Epidemiological Research Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon; 4Department of Pulmonology, St George Hospital University Medical Center; Faculty of Medicine, Balamand University, Beirut, Lebanon; 5Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Hotel-Dieu de France, Beirut, Lebanon; 6Pharmacy Practice Department, School of Pharmacy, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon Introduction: Health warnings on tobacco packages have been considered an essential pillar in filling the gap of knowledge and communicating the health risks of tobacco use to consumers. Our primary objective was to report the perception of smokers on the textual health warnings already appearing on tobacco packages in Lebanon versus shocking pictures about the health-related smoking consequences and to evaluate their impact on smoking behaviors and motivation. Methods: A pilot cross-sectional study was undertaken between 2013 and 2015 in five hospitals in Lebanon. Participants answered a questionnaire inquiring about sociodemographic characteristics, chronic respiratory symptoms, smoking behavior and motivation to quit smoking. Only-text warning versus shocking pictures was shown to the smokers during the interview. Results: Exactly 66% of the participants reported that they thought shocking pictorial warnings would hypothetically be more effective tools to reduce/quit tobacco consumption compared to only textual warnings. Also, 31.9% of the smokers who were motivated to stop smoking reported that they actually had stopped smoking for at least 1 month secondary to

Consanguinity in Lebanon: prevalence, distribution and determinants.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbour, Bernadette; Salameh, Pascale

2009-07-01

The union of individuals with a common ancestor may lead to serious health consequences in their offspring. Consanguinity is high in Middle Eastern communities; it was around 26% in 1988. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of consanguinity in Beirut and other Lebanese regions, and its associated factors in different subgroups. The cross-sectional study was performed on a convenience sample of married women in Lebanon. The women were administered a standardized questionnaire in a face-to-face interview by independent enquirers. Among 1556 women, the overall prevalence of consanguineous marriages was 35.5%, and the consanguinity coefficient was 0.020; 968 marriages (62.2%) were not consanguineous, 492 (31.6%) were first cousin, 61 (3.9%) were second cousin and 36 (2.3%) had lower degrees of consanguinity. Beirut suburb dwelling, low education subgroups, women working in the home and non-Christian religion presented the highest rates of consanguinity (pwomen thinking that consanguinity would not lead to serious diseases. Consanguinity is therefore still a prevailing problem in Lebanon. Specific health education, and genetic counselling in particular, are suggested to explain the consequences of consanguinity to the general population and to help couples make informed choices.

Monitoring the snowpack volume in a sinkhole on Mount Lebanon using time lapse Photogrammetry

Science.gov (United States)

Abou Chakra, C.; Gascoin, S.; Somma, J.; Drapeau, L.; Fanise, P.

2017-12-01

Lebanon is one of the richest country in the Middle East for water resources, thanks to its mountain ranges that trigger precipitation from the moist air masses coming from the Mediterranean Sea. Snowpack acts as natural water storage in winter and supply fresh water during spring and summer. Yet, Lebanon is facing a serious water scarcity problem due to: i) decreasing amount of precipitation and climate change; ii) major growth of population of original residence and large number of refugees during regional wars. Therefore, continuous and systematic monitoring of the Lebanese water resources is becoming crucial. The Mount Lebanon is made of karstic depressions named "sinkholes". It is important to monitor the snowmelt process inside these sinkholes because of their key role as "containers" of seasonal snow. By isolating the snowpack from sun radiation and wind, they slow down the natural melting process and sublimation, thus delaying as well the low water flow period. An observatory is set up to monitor the snowpack evolution in a pilot sinkhole located in Mount Lebanon. The system uses three time-lapse cameras and structure-from-motion principles to reconstruct the snow volume within the sinkhole. The approach is validated by standard topographic surveys. The results indicate that snow depth can be retrieved with an accuracy between 20 and 60 cm (residuals standard deviation) and a low bias of 50 cm after coregistration of the digital elevation models.

Development of a NiO target for the production of {sup 11}C at ISAC/TRIUMF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bricault, Pierre G.; Ames, Friedhelm; Dombsky, Marik; Kunz, Peter; Lassen, Jens; Mjøs, Anders; Wong, John

2016-01-01

High intensity {sup 11}C beams are necessary for the investigation of the formation of {sup 12}C via the nuclear reaction {sup 11}C(p, γ){sup 12}N → {sup 12}C + e{sup +} + ν. The production of intense carbon beams on-line is quite challenging due to the thermodynamic properties and chemical reactivity of carbon at high temperatures. A previous attempt, using a medical isotope cyclotron production method in batch mode, was not conclusive. The intensity obtained was at least one order of magnitude too low for a direct proton capture experiment using the DRAGON facility at ISAC/TRIUMF. Producing a {sup 11}C beams using the ISOL method requires a target capable of efficiently releasing the carbon isotopes. NiO has been selected as a target material because most of the nickel carbides are not stable at high temperature. The development of carbon beams using a composite NiO/Ni target on-line is described.

The Qartaba Structure: An Active Backthrust In Central Mt-Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Elias, Ata Richard

2016-04-01

The Qartaba structure in central Mt-Lebanon is a 15x5km box fold running parallel to the restraining bend of the sinsitral Yammouneh Fault, the main fault of the central segment of the Dead Sea Transform. The Qartaba structure has long been described as a "horst" and associated with Mesozoic normal faulting. However, the Qartaba anticline is suitably oriented with the direction of maximum compression along the restraining bend. Jurassic carbonate rocks form the core of this anticline culminating at ~1953m asl to the east, of the highest structural elevation of the Mt-Lebanon range indicating important tectonic uplift rate. The fold is asymmetric. The western limb is steep and bordered by the Lebanese Flexure, a prominent continuous monocline of Upper Jurassic to Mid Cretaceous rocks, running along the western flank of Mt-Lebanon. The eastern limb of the anticline has a very steep dip, and forms a 200m high cliff well marked in the topography. Its Jurassic layers are almost vertical and end up overhanging Lower Cretaceous beds. Our study suggest that the Qartaba structure is a growing anticline, built by active thrusting over a west dipping thrust fault that cuts the surface at the base of the eastern limb of the anticline. The fault plane can be seen dipping 30-35 degrees to the west. At depth, this thrust is likely to connect with the blind thrust ramp of the Mt-Lebanon Flexure. The Qartaba backthrust with a dip to the west, is opposite to the general vergence of similar structures in the area. On some of the segments of the steep cliff forming the faulted eastern limb, a fresh scarp with smooth and polished surfaces bearing vertical slickensides can be followed over ~700m along the base of the cliff. It corresponds with the location of the thrust fault tip. Talus accumulation over the steep eastern limb covers most of the cliff base, and may be masking further extent of this scarp. We interpret this scarp as the freeface of a co-seismic rupture on the underlying

Innovative tools to fight chronic diseases in Lebanon | IDRC ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2018-01-29

Jan 29, 2018 ... Refugees in Lebanon are unable to access several critical services, including ... In doing so, the eHealth system has shown how digital technologies such as ... access to health services and improve the quality of service for Palestinians in ... Healthcare providers, most of them nurses, were offered training ...

From Self-Organized to Extended Criticality

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-26

Texas, Denton, TX, USA 2 Centro EXTREME, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy 3 Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica-CNR, Pisa, Italy 4 Department of Physics...Netherlands Klaus Linkenkaer-Hansen, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Netherlands *Correspondence: Paolo Allegrini , Istituto di Fisiologia

Attitudes Toward Placebo Use in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Abou-Mrad, Fadi; Tarabey, Lubna

2015-05-01

Placebo use, both in clinical trials and patient care, is a problematic ethical issue surrounded by opposing arguments from those who advocate its use versus those who do not. This problematic aspect of placebo is more challenging in Lebanon where religious ideologies dominate people's beliefs, and where laws that guide medical care are vague. This paper aims to highlight the cultural ideologies that dominate medical care and the perspectives of people associated with the field. The method relied on semi-structured interviews with religious leaders, representatives of society and healthcare professionals. Panel discussions incorporating healthcare professionals, academics, scientists and medical researchers were also organized. The legal environment in Lebanon is characterized by lack of an appropriate legislative guideline that categorically clarifies the value of the human person in medical care. There is a lack of a common ethical standard within a society characterized by social and political dissent. The culturally upheld principles and actual application of the principles of ethics surrounding patient autonomy were overviewed. Medical practitioners failed to agree to a general outline that should guide the use of placebo where it became evident that each practitioner adopted a subjective framework which ultimately undermines patient autonomy. The paper proposes that until a new legislative code that clarifies ethical principles properly guiding medical care is coined, the process of placebo use will continue to be subject to the paternalistic assessments of medical professionals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and correlates of coronary heart disease: first population-based study in Lebanon

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Zeidan RK

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Rouba Karen Zeidan,1 Rita Farah,2 Mirna N Chahine,3 Roland Asmar,3 Hassan Hosseini,4,5 Pascale Salameh,6,7 Atul Pathak8 1Doctoral School of Biology Health and Biotechnologies, Toulouse III University, Toulouse, 2Doctoral School of Life and Health Sciences, Paris-Est University, Creteil, France; 3Foundation-Medical Research Institutes, F-MRI®, Beirut, Lebanon; 4Department of Neurology, Henri Mondor Hospital AP-HP, 5EA 4391, Nerve Excitability and Therapeutics, Université Paris-Est, Creteil, France; 6School of Pharmacy, Lebanese American University, Byblos, 7Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiology Research, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon; 8Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hypertension, Risk Factors and Heart Failure Unit, Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse, France Background: Lebanon is experiencing a growing epidemic of coronary heart diseases (CHDs, as most low- and middle-income countries currently are. However, this growth can be attenuated if effective preventive strategies are adopted. Purpose: To provide the first national population-based prevalence of CHD and to describe the profile of Lebanese adults with prevalent CHD. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study using a multistage cluster sample across Lebanon. We interviewed residents aged 40 years and older using a questionnaire that captured the presence of CHDs and their risk factors (RFs. Results: Our study showed that 13.4% of the Lebanese population aged ≥40 years suffer from a prevalent CHD. CHD seemed to appear more prematurely than in developed countries, and males seemed to be more subject to CHD than females until a certain age. CHD was associated with older age, male sex, a lower economic situation, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, having a family history of premature cardiovascular diseases, and suffering from diabetes. However, smoking and waist circumference did not seem to have an independent effect on CHD, but rather an effect

Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in adults presenting for bariatric surgery in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Aridi, Hanaa Dakour; Alami, Ramzi S; Fouani, Tarek; Shamseddine, Ghassan; Tamim, Hani; Safadi, Bassem

2016-02-01

Vitamin D deficiency is common among obese patients presenting for bariatric surgery in Europe and North America. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in this patient population in Lebanon and the Middle East has not been studied. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of vitamin D deficiency in a cohort of patients presenting for bariatric surgery in Lebanon. American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon. Data was extracted from a prospective database of patients presenting for bariatric surgery at the American University of Beirut Medical Center from July 2011 until June 2014. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was determined using established cut-offs followed by analysis of the relationship between low vitamin D and certain patient characteristics. More than two thirds of all patients (68.9%) were vitamin D deficient (≤19.9 ng/mL), whereas 22.6% had insufficient levels (20-29.9 ng/mL) and only 8.6 % had sufficient levels (≥30 ng/mL). Vitamin D levels were inversely associated with BMI>50 kg/m(2). Low vitamin D levels were also correlated with younger age, male gender, lack of physical exercise, and nonsunny season. No association was shown between 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency and type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, osteoarticular disease, hypertension, or depression. Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among patients with Class II or Class III obesity presenting for bariatric surgery in Lebanon. These findings emphasize the need for careful attention when evaluating patients before bariatric surgery and the importance of providing patients with adequate supplementation. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Attitudes of Teachers and Headteachers towards Inclusion in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Khochen, Maha; Radford, Julie

2012-01-01

In the Arabic region, the drive towards inclusive practices in mainstream schools is at a relatively early stage, although, in Lebanon, the recent initiative of the National Inclusion Project (NIP), a project managed by a consortium of four organisations aimed at addressing the exclusion experienced by people with a disability, has the potential…

Habitat Characterization of Entomopathogenic Nematodes in North Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noujeim Abi Nader, E.; El Hayek, P.; Darwich, T.; Khater, C.; Nemer, N.; Thaler, O.

2010-01-01

Entomopathogenic nematodes are soil organisms, adapted to most climatic conditions in hot, temperate, and cold zones, distributed from lowlands to high alpine altitudes (Steiner, 1996). During a previous survey of entomopathogenic nematodes-EPNs in Lebanon (Noujeim Abi Nader et al., in review), 3 out of 19 sites were estimated positive in EPNs. The reasons for the presence of EPNs in some sites in Lebanon rather than others, are still not well established. Even less is known about the correlation between EPNs distribution in land and soil texture, soil pH, insect hosts, and vegetation cover. In the current study, assessment of habitat preference of EPNs is conducted in a positive site previously sampled for EPNs occurrence. The relationship between EPNs, entomofauna, vegetation cover and soil characteristics is determined using a gridded method and baiting with Galleria mellonella tubes introduced in situ into soil. The method used allows precision sampling with minimal soil disturbance. Results showed a correlation between EPNs and some soil characteristics (humidity, organic matter, texture, porosity) and also communities of invertebrates. No significant linkages were demonstrated between the presence of EPNs and the vegetation nor with the soil pH or any specific entomofauna order. (author)

Reducing Reforestation Costs in Lebanon: Adaptive Field Trials

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Garabet (Garo Haroutunian

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Lebanon’s Ministry of Environment initiated a project in 2009 to determine low-cost reforestation techniques for stone pine (Pinus pinea and Lebanon cedar (Cedrus libani for large-scale land rehabilitation activities in the arid Middle East. Irrigation (several techniques vs. no water, planting (8- to 18-month-old seedlings, seeding, and soil preparation methods were evaluated in three sets of adaptive management field trials. The aim was to reduce reforestation costs while still achieving sufficient regeneration. A key result for management was that non-irrigated seed planting of stone pine and possibly of Lebanon cedar showed promise for cost-effective reforestation and could be competitive with seedlings, given correct seed source and planting conditions. Stone pine seeds collected from nearby mother trees and planted without irrigation on sandy soil showed 35% survival for <600 USD/ha; seedlings planted without irrigation cost about 2500 USD/ha and achieved 50–70% survival (costs based on 800 seedlings/ha. Water supplements increased establishment costs over 2 years without concomitant improvements to survival. Future studies should evaluate how soil texture and soil preparation interact with other factors to affect seed germination and survival for each species.

Implementing opioid substitution in Lebanon: Inception and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Khoury, Joseph; Abbas, Zeinab; Nakhle, Pascale E; Matar, Marie-Therese

2016-05-01

Opioid Substitution Treatment (OST) is a firmly established method of treating and managing dependence to opioids in Europe, the US and rest of the developed world. It has a solid evidence base and a positive safety track record. Dissemination of its practice, in parallel to the acceptance of harm reduction as an effective approach, is still timid in low and middle Income countries. After years of advocacy on the parts of clinicians and the voluntary sector, the government of Lebanon launched a national opioid substitution program in 2011 using buprenorphine as the substance of substitution. Lebanon is one of the first countries in the MENA region to establish such a program despite a difficult socio-political context. This paper provides the background of harm reduction efforts in the region and presents the outline of the program from inception to present date. Challenges and recommendations for the future are also discussed. The Lebanese experience with opioid substitution is encouraging so far and can be used as a template for others in the region who might be contemplating broadening the range of services available to tackle addiction to heroin and related substances. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mental health care in the Lebanon War, 1982.

Science.gov (United States)

Noy, S; Levy, R; Solomon, Z

1984-04-01

Lessons in mental health care learned from the October 1973 War were applied in the Lebanon War 1982. A three-echelon system of management was followed according to the practices prevalent in Western armies. The clinical pictures were essentially similar to those observed in other wars. Combat stress reactions (CSR) comprised 15 to 20% of the total casualties during the active phase of the war; the rate of late reactions was 30 to 40% of the total CSR. Treatment on the battlefield was more effective than treatment following airlift to the rear, in returning soldiers to their units. The role of stress in causing CSR, and the importance of leadership and cohesion in its prevention were evident. The important lessons learned from the Lebanon War are discussed and include: 1) the need for a broad definition of CSR; 2) the importance of forward unit intervention; 3) the necessity of mobility and divisibility of mental health treatment units; 4) fighting units should not be dispersed immediately after combat; and 5) the management of stress reactions to be the responsibility not only of the mental health services, but of all sections of the medical corps, both in treatment and prevention.

Why are breastfeeding rates low in Lebanon? A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nabulsi, Mona

2011-08-30

Breastfeeding is a cost-effective public health intervention that reduces infant morbidity and mortality in developing countries. In Lebanon, breastfeeding exclusivity and continuation rates are disappointingly low. This qualitative study aims at identifying barriers and promoters of breastfeeding in the Lebanese context by exploring mothers' perceptions and experiences in breastfeeding over a one year period. We conducted focus group discussions in three hospitals in Beirut, Lebanon, and followed up 36 breastfeeding mothers with serial in-depth interviews for one year post-partum or until breastfeeding discontinuation. Themes generated from baseline interviews revealed several positive and negative perceptions of breastfeeding. Longitudinal follow up identified insufficient milk, fear of weight gain or breast sagging, pain, sleep deprivation, exhaustion, or maternal employment, as reasons for early breastfeeding discontinuation. Women who continued breastfeeding for one year were more determined to succeed and overcome any barrier, relying mostly on family support and proper time management. Increasing awareness of future mothers about breast feeding difficulties, its benefits to children, mothers, and society at large may further promote breastfeeding, and improve exclusivity and continuation rates in Lebanon. A national strategy for early intervention during school years to increase young women's awareness may improve their self-confidence and determination to succeed in breastfeeding later. Moreover, prolonging maternity leave, having day-care facilities at work, creation of lactation peer support groups and hotlines, and training of doctors and nurses in proper lactation support may positively impact breastfeeding exclusivity and continuation rates. Further research is needed to assess the effectiveness of proposed interventions in the Lebanese context.

Recoil distance method lifetime measurements at TRIUMF-ISAC using the TIGRESS Integrated Plunger

Science.gov (United States)

Chester, A.; Ball, G. C.; Bernier, N.; Cross, D. S.; Domingo, T.; Drake, T. E.; Evitts, L. J.; Garcia, F. H.; Garnsworthy, A. B.; Hackman, G.; Hallam, S.; Henderson, J.; Henderson, R.; Krücken, R.; MacConnachie, E.; Moukaddam, M.; Padilla-Rodal, E.; Paetkau, O.; Pore, J. L.; Rizwan, U.; Ruotsalainen, P.; Shoults, J.; Smallcombe, J.; Smith, J. K.; Starosta, K.; Svensson, C. E.; Van Wieren, K.; Williams, J.; Williams, M.

2018-02-01

The TIGRESS Integrated Plunger device (TIP) has been developed for recoil distance method (RDM) lifetime measurements using the TIGRESS array of HPGe γ-ray detectors at TRIUMF's ISAC-II facility. A commissioning experiment was conducted utilizing a 250 MeV 84Kr beam at ≈ 2 × 108 particles per second. The 84Kr beam was Coulomb excited to the 21+ state on a movable 27Al target. A thin Cu foil fixed downstream from the target was used as a degrader. Excited nuclei emerged from the target and decayed by γ-ray emission at a distance determined by their velocity and the lifetime of the 21+ state. The ratio of decays which occur between the target and degrader to those occurring after traversing the degrader changes as a function of the target-degrader separation distance. Gamma-ray spectra at 13 target-degrader separation distances were measured and compared to simulated lineshapes to extract the lifetime. The result of τ = 5 . 541 ± 0 . 013(stat.) ± 0 . 063(sys.) ps is shorter than the literature value of 5 . 84 ± 0 . 18 ps with a reduction in uncertainty by a factor of approximately two. The TIP plunger device, experimental technique, analysis tools, and result are discussed.

Socioeconomic differences in smoking in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine: A cross-sectional analysis of national surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulrahim, Sawsan; Jawad, Mohammed

2018-01-01

The association between education and wealth, as fundamental determinants of health, and smoking is well-established. Yet, social inequalities have received little attention in the expanding field of tobacco research in the Arab region. In this study, we examine inequalities in cigarette smoking by education and wealth in four Arab countries. Utilizing the most recently available population-level data sets (Syria 2009 PAPFAM, Jordan 2012 DHS, Palestine 2010 Family Health Survey, and Lebanon 2004 PAPFAM), we tested the association between cigarette smoking and education and wealth-controlling for age, marital status, and region of residence-for each country, and among men and women depending on data availability. Cigarette smoking prevalence among Arab men is high- 51.3% in Syria, 39.7% in Palestine, and 42.1% in Lebanon; among women, prevalence is 8.4% in Syria, 10.9% in Jordan, and 24.3% Lebanon. Cigarette smoking shows the expected patterns inequalities by education among men in Syria, Palestine, and Lebanon, and among women in Jordan and Lebanon. On the other hand, wealth does not show a clear pattern in its association with cigarette smoking and, in some cases (men in Palestine and women in Syria) the behavioral risk is higher among the wealthiest. Available data from 2004-2012 show that cigarette smoking among men and women in the four Arab countries is predominant among those with limited access to education as a fundamental cause. The weak or absent negative association between wealth and cigarette smoking suggests that access to material resources does not precipitate a reduction in the consumption of tobacco.

Early Admission Call-Up: A Strategy and Marketing Perk for Attracting Better Students to a College in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Naimy, Viviane; Nasser, Ramzi

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an early call-up strategy helps in attracting better students to a private university in Lebanon. Early admission call-up was administered to the top 25 percentile-ranked students of main feeder schools at a private university in Lebanon. Admission data was accrued for students who applied for…

Factors influencing dyslipidemia in statin-treated patients in Lebanon and Jordan: results of the Dyslipidemia International Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Azar, Sami T; Hantash, Hadi Abu; Jambart, Selim; El-Zaheri, Mohamed M; Rachoin, Rachoin; Chalfoun, Amal; Lahoud, Layla; Okkeh, Osama; Bramlage, Peter; Brudi, Philippe; Ambegaonkar, Baishali M

2014-01-01

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Therefore, as part of the Dyslipidemia International Study (DYSIS), we have analyzed the prevalence of lipid abnormalities and risk factors for dyslipidemia in statin-treated patients in Lebanon and Jordan. This cross-sectional, multicenter study enrolled 617 patients at 13 hospitals in Lebanon and Jordan. Patients were at least 45 years old and had been treated with statins for at least 3 months. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine patient characteristics contributing to dyslipidemia during statin therapy. Our findings indicated that 55.9% of statin-treated patients (mean age 60.3 years, 47% female) in Lebanon and Jordan did not achieve goal levels for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol which were dependent on Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) risk, and 70% of patients (76% men and 63.3% of women) were at very high cardiovascular risk. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals were not achieved in 67.2% of those with very high cardiovascular risk. The most commonly prescribed statin was atorvastatin (44.6%), followed by simvastatin (27.7%), rosuvastatin (21.2%), fluvastatin (3.3%), pravastatin (3%), and lovastatin (0.2%). Approximately half of the population was treated with a statin dose potency of 4, equaling 40 mg of simvastatin. In Lebanon and Jordan, the strongest independent associations with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol not at goal were current smoking (odds ratio [OR] 1.96; 95% confidence [CI] 1.25-3.08), diabetes mellitus (OR 2.53; 95% CI 1.70-3.77), and ischemic heart disease (OR 2.26; 95% CI 1.45-3.53), while alcohol consumption was associated with reduced risk (OR 0.12; 95% CI 0.03-0.57). We observed that many patients in Lebanon and Jordan experienced persistent dyslipidemia during statin treatment, supporting the notion that novel lipid-lowering strategies need to be developed. Also, social programs aimed at combating the

Pediatric allergy and immunology in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tozzi, Alberto E; Armenio, Lucio; Bernardini, Roberto; Boner, Attilio; Calvani, Mauro; Cardinale, Fabio; Cavagni, Giovanni; Dondi, Arianna; Duse, Marzia; Fiocchi, Alessandro; Marseglia, Gian L; del Giudice, Michele Miraglia; Muraro, Antonella; Pajno, Giovanni B; Paravati, Francesco; Peroni, Diego; Tripodi, Salvatore; Ugazio, Alberto G; Indinnimeo, Luciana

2011-05-01

In Italy, according to the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood study, the prevalence of current asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic eczema in 2006 was 7.9%, 6.5%, and 10.1% among children aged 6-7 and 8.4%, 15.5%, and 7.75% among children aged 13-14 yr. University education in this field is provided by the Postgraduate Schools of Pediatrics and those of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, as well as several annual Master courses. The Italian Society of Pediatric Allergology and Immunology (SIAIP) was founded in 1996 and counts about 1000 members. SIAIP promotes evidence-based management of allergic children and disseminates information to patients and their families through a quite innovative website and the National Journal 'Rivista Italiana di Allergologia Pediatrica'. In the last decade, four major regional, inter-regional, and national web-based networks have been created to link pediatric allergy centers and to share their clinical protocols and epidemiologic data. In addition, National Registers of Primary Immune-deficiencies and on Pediatric HIV link all clinical excellence centers. Research projects in the field of pediatric allergy and immunology are founded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) and by the National Research Council (CNR), but the overall investments in this research area are quite low. Only a handful Italian excellence centers participate in European Projects on Pediatric Allergy and Immunology within the 7th Framework Program. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology currently hosts two Italians in its Executive Committee (EC) and one in the EC of the Pediatric Section; moreover, major European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology meetings and courses in the area of pediatrics (e.g., PAAM, Venice, 2009) have been held in Italy in the last 3 yr. Italian hallmarks in the management of allergic diseases in childhood are a quite alive and spread interest in

An annotated checklist of the horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) of Lebanon with remarks on ecology and zoogeography: Pangoniinae and Chrysopsinae

Science.gov (United States)

Knowledge of the horse fly fauna (Diptera: Tabanidae) of Lebanon is fragmentary while in most neighboring countries it has been fairly well researched. Therefore USDA-CMAVE scientists and Israeli scientists worked cooperatively to survey the species of horse flies in the Lebanon. Chrysops flavipes ...

Preventing thalassemia in Lebanon: successes and challenges in a developing country.

Science.gov (United States)

Abi Saad, Michele; Haddad, Anthony G; Alam, Elie S; Aoun, Sanaa; Maatouk, Pascale; Ajami, Najat; Khairallah, Therese; Koussa, Suzanne; Musallam, Khaled M; Taher, Ali T

2014-01-01

Thalassemia continues to be a major health burden. The chronicity of the disease and the high cost of life-long treatment make prevention strategies crucial in the management of this disease. In this article, we revisit different successful prevention strategies, and underline the Lebanese model. The Chronic Care Center (CCC), Beirut, is the only specialized center in Lebanon for the treatment and prevention of thalassemia. The current number of patients registered up to August 2013 was 724, representing cases from all over Lebanon. In 1994, the center launched a national prevention program following the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. The major activities of the program include awareness campaigns, screening for thalassemia carriers in the general population and high risk groups, registry of new cases and follow-up on the mandatory premarital law (established at the same time). Screening programs showed a carrier rate of around 2.3% in the general population, and 4.0-41.0% in high risk groups. The major pitfall in the law is that only persons with a mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of >70.0 fL are asked to perform further hemoglobin (Hb) testing. A significant decrease in the number of new cases of thalassemia patients in Lebanon reflects the efforts deployed in the prevention of the disease. However, some limitations are faced in reaching a complete eradication of the disease, mainly due to the fact that abortion is illegal and due to pitfalls and incorrect implementation of the premarital law.

Spatial variation of vulnerability in geographic areas of North Lebanon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Issa, Sahar; van der Molen, I.; Nader, M.R.; Lovett, Jonathan Cranidge

2014-01-01

This paper examines the spatial variation in vulnerability between different geographical areas of the northern coastal region of Lebanon within the context of armed conflict. The study is based on the ‘vulnerability of space’ approach and will be positioned in the academic debate on vulnerability

Two New Records from Lebanon: Chamaesyce nutans (Lag.) Small (Euphorbiaceae) and Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertner (Poaceae)

OpenAIRE

HABER, Ricardus M.; SEMAAN, Myrna T.

2007-01-01

Chamaesyce nutans (Lag.) Small (Euphorbiaceae) and Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertner (Poaceae) are described as new records for the flora of Lebanon. Specimens of C. nutans collected from roadsides and rocks in a middle mountain forest confirm the occurrence of the species on the western slopes of the Mount Lebanon Range. Additionally, specimens of E. indica were collected from wasteland and roadsides in the coastal town of Kaslik. The species were observed to thrive abundantly in similar habitat...

Semantic technologies and linked data for the Italian PA: the case of data.cnr.it

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aldo Gangemi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Governmental data are being published in many countries, providing an unprecedented opportunity to create innovative services and to increase societal awareness about administration dynamics. In particular, semantic technologies for linked data production and exploitation prove to be ideal for managing identity and interoperability of administrative entities and data. This paper presents the current state of art, and evolution scenarios of these technologies, with reference to several case studies, including two of them from the Italian context: CNR's Semantic Scout, and DigitPA's Linked Open IPA.

Policy development for solar water heaters: the case of Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chedid, R.B.

2000-01-01

Full text.The electric energy demand in Lebanon is estimated to grow at an average of 3-5% per year for the coming 10 years. Such an increase in energy demand is problematic for Lebanon since its economy is almost totally dependent on imported fuel which contributes to 97% of the overall energy requirements. Solar water heaters (SWH) are regarded as the most important element in a long term energy conservation and management strategy for this country, but their promotion is a national issue requiring the participation of many stake holders and decision makers. Additionally, the success of solar energy penetration into the existing energy market is constrained by many factors such as technical and financial limitations, decision criteria and policy instruments. This paper will explore the feasibility of SWH, and will work out, using the Analytic Hierarchy Process technique, a policy to ensure a large scale diffusion of SWH in the energy market

Ongoing epidemic of cutaneous leishmaniasis among Syrian refugees, Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Saroufim, Maya; Charafeddine, Khalil; Issa, Grace; Khalifeh, Haifaa; Habib, Robert H; Berry, Atika; Ghosn, Nada; Rady, Alissar; Khalifeh, Ibrahim

2014-10-01

In September 2012, a cutaneous leishmaniasis outbreak began among Syrian refugees in Lebanon. For 948 patients in whom leishmaniasis was not confirmed, we obtained samples for microscopic confirmation and molecular speciation. We identified Leishmania tropica in 85% and L. major in 15% of patients. After 3 months of megulamine antimonite therapy, patients initial cure rate was 82%.

HIV Risk, Prevalence, and Access to Care Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Lebanon.

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Heimer, Robert; Barbour, Russell; Khouri, Danielle; Crawford, Forrest W; Shebl, Fatma; Aaraj, Elie; Khoshnood, Kaveh

2017-11-01

Little is known about HIV prevalence and risk among men who have sex with men (MSM) in much of the Middle East, including Lebanon. Recent national-level surveillance has suggested an increase in HIV prevalence concentrated among men in Lebanon. We undertook a biobehavioral study to provide direct evidence for the spread of HIV. MSM were recruited by respondent-driven sampling, interviewed, and offered HIV testing anonymously at sites located in Beirut, Lebanon, from October 2014 through February 2015. The interview questionnaire was designed to obtain information on participants' sociodemographic situation, sexual behaviors, alcohol and drug use, health, HIV testing and care, and experiences of stigma and discrimination. Individuals not reporting an HIV diagnosis were offered optional, anonymous HIV testing. Among the 292 MSM recruited, we identified 36 cases of HIV (12.3%). A quarter of the MSM were born in Syria and recently arrived in Lebanon. Condom use was uncommon; 65% reported condomless sex with other men. Group sex encounters were reported by 22% of participants. Among the 32 individuals already aware of their infection, 30 were in treatment and receiving antiretroviral therapy. HIV prevalence was substantially increased over past estimates. Efforts to control future increases will have to focus on reducing specific risk behaviors and experience of stigma and abuse, especially among Syrian refugees.

Cost-benefit analysis: newborn screening for inborn errors of metabolism in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Khneisser, I; Adib, S; Assaad, S; Megarbane, A; Karam, P

2015-12-01

Few countries in the Middle East-North Africa region have adopted national newborn screening for inborn errors of metabolism by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). We aimed to evaluate the cost-benefit of newborn screening for such disorders in Lebanon, as a model for other developing countries in the region. Average costs of expected care for inborn errors of metabolism cases as a group, between ages 0 and 18, early and late diagnosed, were calculated from 2007 to 2013. The monetary value of early detection using MS/MS was compared with that of clinical "late detection", including cost of diagnosis and hospitalizations. During this period, 126000 newborns were screened. Incidence of detected cases was 1/1482, which can be explained by high consanguinity rates in Lebanon. A reduction by half of direct cost of care, reaching on average 31,631 USD per detected case was shown. This difference more than covers the expense of starting a newborn screening programme. Although this model does not take into consideration the indirect benefits of the better quality of life of those screened early, it can be argued that direct and indirect costs saved through early detection of these disorders are important enough to justify universal publicly-funded screening, especially in developing countries with high consanguinity rates, as shown through this data from Lebanon. © The Author(s) 2015.

“What Cultural Policies?” Explicit and Implicit Cultural Policies in Lebanon

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Nadia von Maltzahn

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Cultural policies define a vision for culture, and provide frameworks for institutional practice to translate this vision on the ground. A 1981 study on Lebanese cultural policy reached the conclusion that one cannot speak of cultural policies in Lebanon if one refers to state laws, regulations and plans. However, if cultural policy was understood as the method of a state to give its citizens the space to develop themselves in a way that they could create culture, one could certainly speak of cultural policies in Lebanon (Abou Rizk. In cultural policy research, there is a distinction between explicit and implicit cultural policy (Ahearne. In this article, the concept of explicit and implicit cultural policy is applied to the case of Lebanon. The two terms are extended so that the former does not only include cultural policies designatedas such by the state, but also those created by civil society actors, and that the latter does not only include political strategies, but also practices that in the end determine cultural policies. Drawing on empirical research conducted in the context of a larger study on the role of cultural institutions in the public sphere, the power struggles between different actors involved in cultural policy making cultural policy defined in the Lebanese context, which in turn will be positioned within the regional context.

Informatic infrastructure for Climatological and Oceanographic data based on THREDDS technology in a Grid environment

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Tronconi, C.; Forneris, V.; Santoleri, R.

2009-04-01

CNR-ISAC-GOS is responsible for the Mediterranean Sea satellite operational system in the framework of MOON Patnership. This Observing System acquires satellite data and produces Near Real Time, Delayed Time and Re-analysis of Ocean Colour and Sea Surface Temperature products covering the Mediterranean and the Black Seas and regional basins. In the framework of several projects (MERSEA, PRIMI, Adricosm Star, SeaDataNet, MyOcean, ECOOP), GOS is producing Climatological/Satellite datasets based on optimal interpolation and specific Regional algorithm for chlorophyll, updated in Near Real Time and in Delayed mode. GOS has built • an informatic infrastructure data repository and delivery based on THREDDS technology The datasets are generated in NETCDF format, compliant with both the CF convention and the international satellite-oceanographic specification, as prescribed by GHRSST (for SST). All data produced, are made available to the users through a THREDDS server catalog. • A LAS has been installed in order to exploit the potential of NETCDF data and the OPENDAP URL. It provides flexible access to geo-referenced scientific data • a Grid Environment based on Globus Technologies (GT4) connecting more than one Institute; in particular exploiting CNR and ESA clusters makes possible to reprocess 12 years of Chlorophyll data in less than one month.(estimated processing time on a single core PC: 9months). In the poster we will give an overview of: • the features of the THREDDS catalogs, pointing out the powerful characteristics of this new middleware that has replaced the "old" OPENDAP Server; • the importance of adopting a common format (as NETCDF) for data exchange; • the tools (e.g. LAS) connected with THREDDS and NETCDF format use. • the Grid infrastructure on ISAC We will present also specific basin-scale High Resolution products and Ultra High Resolution regional/coastal products available on these catalogs.

Why are breastfeeding rates low in Lebanon? a qualitative study

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Nabulsi Mona

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Breastfeeding is a cost-effective public health intervention that reduces infant morbidity and mortality in developing countries. In Lebanon, breastfeeding exclusivity and continuation rates are disappointingly low. This qualitative study aims at identifying barriers and promoters of breastfeeding in the Lebanese context by exploring mothers' perceptions and experiences in breastfeeding over a one year period. Methods We conducted focus group discussions in three hospitals in Beirut, Lebanon, and followed up 36 breastfeeding mothers with serial in-depth interviews for one year post-partum or until breastfeeding discontinuation. Results Themes generated from baseline interviews revealed several positive and negative perceptions of breastfeeding. Longitudinal follow up identified insufficient milk, fear of weight gain or breast sagging, pain, sleep deprivation, exhaustion, or maternal employment, as reasons for early breastfeeding discontinuation. Women who continued breastfeeding for one year were more determined to succeed and overcome any barrier, relying mostly on family support and proper time management. Conclusions Increasing awareness of future mothers about breast feeding difficulties, its benefits to children, mothers, and society at large may further promote breastfeeding, and improve exclusivity and continuation rates in Lebanon. A national strategy for early intervention during school years to increase young women's awareness may improve their self-confidence and determination to succeed in breastfeeding later. Moreover, prolonging maternity leave, having day-care facilities at work, creation of lactation peer support groups and hotlines, and training of doctors and nurses in proper lactation support may positively impact breastfeeding exclusivity and continuation rates. Further research is needed to assess the effectiveness of proposed interventions in the Lebanese context.

Poster — Thur Eve — 01: The effect of the number of projections on MTF and CNR in Compton scatter tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chighvinadze, T; Pistorius, S

2014-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the dependence of the reconstructed image quality on the number of projections in multi-projection Compton scatter tomography (MPCST). The conventional relationship between the projection number used for reconstruction and reconstructed image quality pertained to CT does not necessarily apply to MPCST, which can produce images from a single projection if the detectors have sufficiently high energy and spatial resolution. Methods: The electron density image was obtained using filtered-backprojection of the scatter signal over circular arcs formed using Compton equation. The behavior of the reconstructed image quality as a function of the projection number was evaluated through analytical simulations and characterized by CNR and MTF. Results: The increase of the projection number improves the contrast with this dependence being a function of fluence. The number of projections required to approach the asymptotic maximum contrast decreases as the fluence increases. Increasing projection number increases the CNR but not spatial resolution. Conclusions: For MPCST using a 500eV energy resolution and a 2×2mm 2 size detector, an adequate image quality can be obtained with a small number of projections provided the incident fluence is high enough. This is conceptually different from conventional CT where a minimum number of projections is required to obtain an adequate image quality. While increasing projection number, even for the lowest dose value, the CNR increases even though the number of photons per projection decreases. The spatial resolution of the image is improved by increasing the sampling within a projection rather than by increasing the number of projections

A Preliminary study on the prevalence of Legionella pneumophila infection in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamze, M.; Mallat, H.; Mokhbat, J.

2009-01-01

After the first outbreak of Legionnaire disease was described for the first time in1976, legionellosis has been increasingly recognized in association with many outbreaks, both community and hospital acquired. This disease remains a model of water borne transmission. In Lebanon, no report has yet been published on the prevalence of Legionella pneumophila infections. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of legionellosis in hospitalized patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) and in patients with nosocomial pneumonia (HAP). The study was conducted between April 2004 and August 2007. Eleven community hospitals participated to this endeavour. Laboratory evaluation was conducted in two centers (Middle East Health Institute, Bsalim, Lebanon and Nini Hospital, Tripoli, Lebanon). Two hundred and forty two urinary samples and ninety one pulmonary samples from 242 patients were analyzed. The age range was 16 to 71 years. Two hundred and fifteen were from community acquired pneumonias and twenty seven were nosocomially acquired in intensive care units. The urinary antigen was investigated in 242 patients; the Binax kit ® was used in this research. In lung secretions of 91 patients, the presence of Legionella pneumophila was searched for using direct immunofluorescence method and culture. Among the 215 urinary samples from patients with CAP, three were positive for Legionella antigen with a prevalence of 1.4 %. Among the 27 patients with HAP, one was positive for Legionella antigen with a prevalence of 3.7%. This preliminary study reveals the fact that legionellosis is indeed present in Lebanon, hence the importance of considering it in the work-up and the management of patients with pneumonia. Hospital laboratories should therefore routin ely search for this pathogen through at least urinary antigen detection. Health authorities should also enforce microbiological regulations concerning water sanitation in hospitals and in the community to prevent the

Organizational Support of Technology Integration in One School in Lebanon

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Zgheib, Rosine S.

2013-01-01

Technology has been at the center of heated debates in educational settings driving schools to compete for the best technological equipments. However, in Lebanon there is a lag in technology integration matching twenty first century advances. Several barriers related to teacher attitudes, lack of technical skills and organizational constraints to…

A Model for the Education of Gifted Learners in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Sarouphim, Ketty M.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present a model for developing a comprehensive system of education for gifted learners in Lebanon. The model consists of three phases and includes key elements for establishing gifted education in the country, such as raising community awareness, adopting valid identification measures, and developing effective…

Digital Literacies and Generational Micro-Cultures: Email Feedback in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

De Coursey, Christina; Dandashly, Nadine

2015-01-01

This study reports on the introduction of email feedback, in a private university in Lebanon with marked generational differences and a traditional instructor culture focused on grammar correction. The instructor profile showed insufficient ELT training and a disjuncture between those with low and those with long service. Instructors were trained,…

Low rate of human papillomavirus vaccination among schoolgirls in Lebanon: barriers to vaccination with a focus on mothers’ knowledge about available vaccines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abou El-Ola MJ

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Maria J Abou El-Ola,1 Mariam A Rajab,2 Dania I Abdallah,3 Ismail A Fawaz,4 Lyn S Awad,5 Hani M Tamim,6 Ahmad O Ibrahim,7 Anas M Mugharbil,7 Rima A Moghnieh8 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon; 2Department of Pediatrics, Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon; 3Department of Pharmacy, Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon; 4Department of Internal Medicine, Iklim Health Foundation Hospital, Mazboud, Mount Lebanon, Chouf, Lebanon; 5Department of Pharmacy, Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon; 6Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; 7Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon; 8Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV infection is an established predisposing factor of cervical cancer. In this study, we assessed the awareness about genital warts, cervical cancer, and HPV vaccine among mothers having girls who are at the age of primary HPV vaccination attending a group of schools in Lebanon. We also assessed the rate of HPV vaccination among these girls and the barriers to vaccination in this community. Subjects and methods: This is a cross-sectional, school-based survey. A 23-item, self-administered, anonymous, pretested, structured questionnaire with closed-ended questions was used to obtain data. The questionnaire was sent to the mothers through their student girls, and they were asked to return it within a week. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21.0. Bivariate analysis was performed using the chi-square test to compare categorical variables, whereas continuous variables were compared using the Student’s t-test. Fisher’s exact test was used when chi-square test could not be employed. Results: The response rate in our survey

Introduced marine macroflora of Lebanon and its distribution on the Levantine coast

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G. BITAR

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The marine macroflora introduced into Lebanon was studied through an analysis of historical data and field studies carried out since 1991. A total of 29 introduced species have been listed: 3 Chromobionta, 13 Rhodobionta, 12 Chlorobionta and 1 Streptobionta. Among them, Caulerpa taxifolia var. distichophylla, Spatoglossum variabile and Womersleyella setacea are recorded for the first time from Lebanon. Among them, Asparagopsis taxiformis, C. taxifolia var. distichophylla, Cladophora patentiramea, Codium arabicum, Codium parvulum, Galaxaura rugosa, Halophila stipulacea, Hypnea cornuta, Laurencia cf. chondrioides, Lophocladia lallemandii, Stypopodium schimperi, Ulva lactuca and Womersleyella setacea are potentially invasive species, and several of them already occupy extensive stretches of the Lebanese coast. The distribution of species on the Levantine coast, their dynamics and the current status of their populations are discussed.

Scenarios of application of energy certification procedure for residential buildings in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cantin, R.; Mourtada, A.; Guarracino, G.; Adra, N.; Nasser, M.; Maamari, F.

2007-01-01

This paper describes the results of a French-Lebanese scientific cooperation, between 2001 and 2005, about 'Rational use of energy in the residential buildings in Lebanon and adaptation of an energy certification procedure'. The aim of this project is to promote the energy efficiency in the existing residential buildings in Lebanon, using an energy certification procedure, and to evaluate the energy certification foresight with prospective methods. The paper first describes an energy investigation in Lebanese residential buildings, and the energy certification procedure. It presents the foresight methodology implemented to identify the key variables and the actors. Finally, the paper exposes the morphological method which allows to elaborate three scenarios of energy performance certification. These scenarios are presented in order to provide a decision making for the actors of the Lebanese energy policy

Situation analysis of community pharmacy owners in Lebanon

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Hallit S

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the current community pharmacists’ interventions and job satisfaction, secondary to the alteration in the financial rewards. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, using a proportionate random sample of Lebanese community pharmacy owners from all districts of Lebanon. Results: Out of 1618 distributed questionnaires, 1465 (90.5% were collected back from pharmacy owners. Our study results showed that the monthly sales and profit decreased significantly in the last decade as well as the number of loyal customers (p<0.001 for all. The rent, the total assistant pharmacists’ and employees’ salaries, income taxes, municipality fees, the total bills (electricity, water, cleaning, security and the disposal of expired products per year significantly increased during the last 10 years (p<0.001. 95% of the owners said they cannot afford to hire any more pharmacists while 45% said they cannot afford buying software for their pharmacies. Finally, 89% of these owners admitted that their situation was better 10 years ago compared to nowadays. Conclusion: Most Lebanese community pharmacists are not financially satisfied; their financial situation deteriorated in the last decade. The ministry of Health along with the Order of Pharmacists in Lebanon should cooperate together to resolve this problem since they are two entities responsible for the patient’s health.

The safety and quality of childbirth in the context of health systems: mapping maternal health provision in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

DeJong, Jocelyn; Akik, Chaza; El Kak, Faysal; Osman, Hibah; El-Jardali, Fadi

2010-01-01

Objective to provide basic information on the distribution (public/private and geographically) and the nature of maternity health provision in Lebanon, including relevant health outcome data at the hospital level in order to compare key features of provision with maternal/neonatal health outcomes. Design a self-completion questionnaire was sent to private hospitals by the Syndicate of Private Hospitals in collaboration with the study team and to all public hospitals in Lebanon with a functioning maternity ward by the study team in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health. Setting childbirth in an institutional setting by a trained attendant is almost universal in Lebanon and the predominant model of care is obstetrician-led rather than midwife-led. Yet due to a 15-year-old civil war and a highly privatised health sector, Lebanon lacks systematic or publically available data on the organisation, distribution and quality of maternal health services. An accreditation system for private hospitals was recently initiated to regulate the quality of hospital care in Lebanon. Participants in total, 58 (out of 125 eligible) hospitals responded to the survey (46% total response rate). Only hospital-level aggregate data were collected. Measurements the survey addressed the volume of services, mode of payment for deliveries, number of health providers, number of labour and childbirth units, availability of neonatal intensive care units, fetal monitors and infusion rate regulation pumps for oxytocin, as well as health outcome data related to childbirth care and stillbirths for the year 2008. Findings the study provides the first data on maternal health provision from a survey of all eligible hospitals in Lebanon. More than three-quarters of deliveries occur in private hospitals, but the Ministry of Public Health is the single most important source of payment for childbirth. The reported hospital caesarean section rate is high at 40.8%. Essential equipment for safe maternal

Gender-Based Differences Among Entrepreneurs and Workers in Lebanon

OpenAIRE

World Bank

2009-01-01

Lebanon has faced a continuous series of economic setbacks fueled by mounting political uncertainties and war over the decades. The current global financial crisis compounds the levels of uncertainty and anxiety facing households with regards to their future security. The need for earned income and employment is therefore higher than ever and an increasing number of women are entering the ...

Assessment of energy efficiency options in the building sector of Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chedid, R.B.; Ghajar, R.F.

2004-01-01

This paper examines the merits of implementing energy efficiency policies in the building sector in Lebanon following the approach normally adopted in Climate Change studies. The paper first examines the impact of the energy sector on the Lebanese economy, and then assesses the feasibility of implementing suitable energy efficiency options in the building sector. For this purpose, a detailed analysis of the building sector in Lebanon is presented with emphasis on the thermal characteristics of building envelopes and the energy consuming equipment. The long-term benefits of applying energy efficiency options in the building sector are then assessed using a scenario-type analysis that compares these benefits against those of a baseline scenario that assumes no significant implementation of energy efficiency policies. Finally, feasible options are highlighted and recommendations to remove the major barriers hindering the penetration of energy efficiency options in the Lebanese market are provided

Conversion electrons from high-statistics β-decay measurements with the 8π spectrometer at TRIUMF-ISAC

Science.gov (United States)

Garrett, P. E.; Jigmeddorj, B.; Radich, A. J.; Andreoiu, C.; Ball, G. C.; Bangay, J. C.; Bianco, L.; Bildstein, V.; Chagnon-Lessard, S.; Cross, D. S.; Demand, G. A.; Diaz Varela, A.; Dunlop, R.; Finlay, P.; Garnsworthy, A. B.; Green, K. L.; Hackman, G.; Hadinia, B.; Leach, K. G.; Michetti-Wilson, J.; Orce, J. N.; Rajabali, M. M.; Rand, E. T.; Starosta, K.; Sumithrarachchi, C.; Svensson, C. E.; Triambak, S.; Wang, Z. M.; Williams, S. J.; Wood, J. L.; Wong, J.; Yates, S. W.; Zganjar, E. F.

2016-09-01

The 8π spectrometer, located at TRIUMF-ISAC, was the world's most powerful spectrometer dedicated to β-decay studies until its decommissioning in early 2014 for replacement with the GRIFFIN array. An integral part of the 8π spectrometer was the Pentagonal Array for Conversion Electron Spectroscopy (PACES) consisting of 5 Si(Li) detectors used for charged-particle detection. PACES enabled both γ - e- and e- - e- coincidence measurements, which were crucial for increasing the sensitivity for discrete e- lines in the presence of large backgrounds. Examples from a 124Cs decay experiment, where the data were vital for the expansion of the 124Cs decay scheme, are shown. With suffcient statistics, measurements of conversion coeffcients can be used to extract the E0 components of Jπ → Jπ transitions for J ≠ 0, which is demonstrated for data obtained in 110In→110Cd decay. With knowledge of the shapes of the states involved, as obtained, for example, from the use of Kumar-Cline shape invariants, the mixing of the states can be extracted.

Nanostructured Metal Oxide Gas Sensors, a Survey of Applications Carried out at SENSOR Lab, Brescia (Italy in the Security and Food Quality Fields

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Emanuela Gobbi

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In this work we report on metal oxide (MOX based gas sensors, presenting the work done at the SENSOR laboratory of the CNR-IDASC and University of Brescia, Italy since the 80s up to the latest results achieved in recent times. In particular we report the strategies followed at SENSOR during these 30 years to increase the performance of MOX sensors through the development of different preparation techniques, from Rheotaxial Growth Thermal Oxidation (RGTO to nanowire technology to address sensitivity and stability, and the development of electronic nose systems and pattern recognition techniques to address selectivity. We will show the obtained achievement in the context of selected applications such as safety and security and food quality control.

Candida profiles and antifungal resistance evolution over a decade in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Araj, George Farah; Asmar, Rima George; Avedissian, Aline Zakaria

2015-09-27

Infection with and antifungal resistance of Candida species have been on the rise globally. Relevant data on these pathogens are relatively few in our region, including Lebanon, thus warranting this study. This retrospective study of Candida spp. profiles and their in vitro antifungal susceptibility was based on analysis requests for 186 Candida non-albicans and 61 C. albicans during three periods (2005-2007, 2009-2011, and 2012-2014) over the span of the last 10 years at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), a major tertiary care center in Lebanon. Identification of Candida was done using the API 20C AUX system, and the E-test was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antifungal agents. Among the 1,300-1,500 Candida isolates recovered yearly, C. albicans rates decreased from 86% in 2005 to around 60% in 2014. Simultaneously, the non-albicans rates increased from 14% in 2005 to around 40% in 2014, revealing 11 species, the most frequent of which were C. tropicalis, C. glabrata, and C. parapsilosis. All these demonstrated high resistance (35%-79%) against itraconazole, but remained uniformly susceptible (100%) to amphotericin B. Though C. albicans and the other species maintained high susceptibility against fluconazole and voriconazole, their MIC90 showed an elevated trend over time, and C. glabrata had the highest resistance rates. The observed rise in resistance among Candida spp. in Lebanon mandates the need for close surveillance and monitoring of antifungal drug resistance for both epidemiologic and treatment purposes.

Centennial Olive trees in Lebanon: a substantial patrimony

OpenAIRE

Chalak, L.; Malas, F.; Hamadeh, B.; Essalouh, Laila; Khadari, Bouchaib

2014-01-01

This study aimed to assess the centennial olive trees growing across Lebanon, with the perspective of conservation of the ancient germplasm. The survey indicated the existence of numerous centennial olive trees distributed in different agro-climatic areas, from 80 to 1350 meters altitude across the country. Centennial olives were found in large size orchards and scattered as well as in young orchards, road hedges and gardens for ornamental purposes. Yet, no reliable information...

An Assessment of the 2006 Lebanon-Israeli War

Science.gov (United States)

2009-05-29

across the region. This “tactical plagiarism ” includes the successful use of improvised explosive devices and suicide bombers in Iraq, which have...tactical plagiarism ” comes from Hoffman, 16. For a discussion of the rise of suicide bombings in Afghanistan see Brian Glyn Williams, “Suicide Bombings in...18 Scott Macleod, “What Makes Lebanon so Skeptical About the Peace,” Time (August 2006), http://www.time.com/time/world/ article

Health equity in Lebanon: a microeconomic analysis

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Raad Firas

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The health sector in Lebanon suffers from high levels of spending and is acknowledged to be a source of fiscal waste. Lebanon initiated a series of health sector reforms which aim at containing the fiscal waste caused by high and inefficient public health expenditures. Yet these reforms do not address the issues of health equity in use and coverage of healthcare services, which appear to be acute. This paper takes a closer look at the micro-level inequities in the use of healthcare, in access, in ability to pay, and in some health outcomes. Methods We use data from the 2004/2005 Multi Purpose Survey of Households in Lebanon to conduct health equity analysis, including equity in need, access and outcomes. We briefly describe the data and explain some of its limitations. We examine, in turn, and using standardization techniques, the equity in health care utilization, the impact of catastrophic health payments on household wellbeing, the effect of health payment on household impoverishment, the equity implications of existing health financing methods, and health characteristics by geographical region. Results We find that the incidence of disability decreases steadily across expenditure quintiles, whereas the incidence of chronic disease shows the opposite pattern, which may be an indication of better diagnostics for higher quintiles. The presence of any health-related expenditure is regressive while the magnitude of out-of-pocket expenditures on health is progressive. Spending on health is found to be "normal" and income-elastic. Catastrophic health payments are likelier among disadvantaged groups (in terms of income, geography and gender. However, the cash amounts of catastrophic payments are progressive. Poverty is associated with lower insurance coverage for both private and public insurance. While the insured seem to spend an average of almost LL93,000 ($62 on health a year in excess of the uninsured, they devote a smaller

International Ergonomics Association Activities and Constituent Societies

Science.gov (United States)

1988-05-01

of Psychology: Ergonomics Section J. Mallart Instituto Nacional de Psicologia , Aplicada y Psiotechnia Juan Huarte de San Juan Ciudad Universitaria...Israel ITALY Bagnara, Sebastino CNR Instituto Di Psicologia via Dei Monti Tiburtini 509 00517 Roma Italy Buti, Luigi Bandini SEA via Valtorta 21 20127...Francesco Olivetti Centro di Psicologia via Jervis 77 Ivrea Italy Ruggeri, Remigio Politecnico, Dip. di Meccanica, sez Ergotecnica Ind. Piazza L de

Challenges in Estimating Vaccine Coverage in Refugee and Displaced Populations: Results From Household Surveys in Jordan and Lebanon

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Roberton, Timothy; Weiss, William; Doocy, Shannon

2017-01-01

Ensuring the sustained immunization of displaced persons is a key objective in humanitarian emergencies. Typically, humanitarian actors measure coverage of single vaccines following an immunization campaign; few measure routine coverage of all vaccines. We undertook household surveys of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, outside of camps, using a mix of random and respondent-driven sampling, to measure coverage of all vaccinations included in the host country’s vaccine schedule. We analyzed the results with a critical eye to data limitations and implications for similar studies. Among households with a child aged 12–23 months, 55.1% of respondents in Jordan and 46.6% in Lebanon were able to produce the child’s EPI card. Only 24.5% of Syrian refugee children in Jordan and 12.5% in Lebanon were fully immunized through routine vaccination services (having received from non-campaign sources: measles, polio 1–3, and DPT 1–3 in Jordan and Lebanon, and BCG in Jordan). Respondents in Jordan (33.5%) and Lebanon (40.1%) reported difficulties obtaining child vaccinations. Our estimated immunization rates were lower than expected and raise serious concerns about gaps in vaccine coverage among Syrian refugees. Although our estimates likely under-represent true coverage, given the additional benefit of campaigns (not captured in our surveys), there is a clear need to increase awareness, accessibility, and uptake of immunization services. Current methods to measure vaccine coverage in refugee and displaced populations have limitations. To better understand health needs in such groups, we need research on: validity of recall methods, links between campaigns and routine immunization programs, and improved sampling of hard-to-reach populations. PMID:28805672

Impact of war, religiosity and ideology on PTSD and psychiatric disorders in adolescents from Gaza Strip and South Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Khamis, Vivian

2012-06-01

This study investigated the extent to which differences in the types of war trauma, economic pressure, religiosity and ideology accounted for variation in PTSD and psychiatric disorders among adolescents from Gaza Strip and South Lebanon. Participants were 600 adolescents aged 12-16 years. They were selected from the public school system in the highly war exposed areas. Questionnaires were administered in an interview format with adolescents at school by two trained psychologists. Results indicated that the various types of trauma had differential effects on the psychological status of adolescents in both countries. Economic pressure was more predictive of PTSD and psychological distress in adolescents from Gaza. Differences in religiosity and ideology did not account for similar variation in stress response among adolescents from Gaza and South Lebanon. While higher levels of religiosity evidenced the greatest levels of depression and anxiety in adolescents from Gaza, religiosity had an attenuated effect on adolescents from South Lebanon. Ideology was negatively associated with depression and anxiety in Gaza strip adolescents, whereas it did not play a role for adolescents from South Lebanon. The clinical and research implications of these conclusions are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

All Glory Is Fleeting: Insights from the Second Lebanon War

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

longer has claim to underdog status as it did in 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973. The reasons are several and not particularly rel- evant to the discussion...Israel Probes Use of Cluster Munitions in Lebanon,” Jane’s Defence Weekly, December 6, 2006f. ———, “Debriefing Teams Brand IDF Doctrine ‘Completely

State of Art About water Uses and Waste water Management in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geara, D.; Moilleron, R.; Lorgeoux, C.; El Samarani, A.; Chebbo, Gh.

2010-01-01

This paper shows the real situation about management of water and waste water in Lebanon and focuses on problems related to urban water pollution released in environment. Water and waste water infrastructures have been rebuilt since 1992. However, waste water management still remains one of the greatest challenges facing Lebanese people, since water supply projects have been given priority over wastewater projects. As a consequence of an increased demand of water by agricultural, industrial and household sectors in the last decade, waste water flows have been increased. In this paper, the existing waste water treatment plants (WWTP) operating in Lebanon are presented. Most of them are small-scale community-based ones, only two large-scale plants, constructed by the government, are currently operational. Lebanese aquatic ecosystems are suffering from the deterioration of water quality because of an insufficient treatment of waste water, which is limited mostly to pre-treatment processes. In fact, domestic and industrial effluents are mainly conducted together in the sewer pipes to the WWTP before being discharged, without adequate treatment into the rivers or directly into the Mediterranean Sea. Such discharges are threatening the coastal marine ecosystem in the Mediterranean basin. This paper aims at giving the current state of knowledge about water uses and wastewater management in Lebanon. The main conclusion drawn from this state of art is a lack of data. In fact, the available data are limited to academic research without being representative on a national scale. (author)

Typing and comparative genome analysis of Brucella melitensis isolated from Lebanon.

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Abou Zaki, Natalia; Salloum, Tamara; Osman, Marwan; Rafei, Rayane; Hamze, Monzer; Tokajian, Sima

2017-10-16

Brucella melitensis is the main causative agent of the zoonotic disease brucellosis. This study aimed at typing and characterizing genetic variation in 33 Brucella isolates recovered from patients in Lebanon. Bruce-ladder multiplex PCR and PCR-RFLP of omp31, omp2a and omp2b were performed. Sixteen representative isolates were chosen for draft-genome sequencing and analyzed to determine variations in virulence, resistance, genomic islands, prophages and insertion sequences. Comparative whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphism analysis was also performed. The isolates were confirmed to be B. melitensis. Genome analysis revealed multiple virulence determinants and efflux pumps. Genome comparisons and single nucleotide polymorphisms divided the isolates based on geographical distribution but revealed high levels of similarity between the strains. Sequence divergence in B. melitensis was mainly due to lateral gene transfer of mobile elements. This is the first report of an in-depth genomic characterization of B. melitensis in Lebanon. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Prevalence and correlates of coronary heart disease: first population-based study in Lebanon.

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Zeidan, Rouba Karen; Farah, Rita; Chahine, Mirna N; Asmar, Roland; Hosseini, Hassan; Salameh, Pascale; Pathak, Atul

2016-01-01

Lebanon is experiencing a growing epidemic of coronary heart diseases (CHDs), as most low- and middle-income countries currently are. However, this growth can be attenuated if effective preventive strategies are adopted. To provide the first national population-based prevalence of CHD and to describe the profile of Lebanese adults with prevalent CHD. We carried out a cross-sectional study using a multistage cluster sample across Lebanon. We interviewed residents aged 40 years and older using a questionnaire that captured the presence of CHDs and their risk factors (RFs). Our study showed that 13.4% of the Lebanese population aged ≥40 years suffer from a prevalent CHD. CHD seemed to appear more prematurely than in developed countries, and males seemed to be more subject to CHD than females until a certain age. CHD was associated with older age, male sex, a lower economic situation, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, having a family history of premature cardiovascular diseases, and suffering from diabetes. However, smoking and waist circumference did not seem to have an independent effect on CHD, but rather an effect mediated by biological RFs. This is the first nationwide endeavor conducted in Lebanon to assess the prevalence of CHD. This study also confirms the relevance of the classic RFs of CHD and their applicability to the Lebanese population, thus allowing for prevention strategies.

Ongoing Epidemic of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis among Syrian Refugees, Lebanon1

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Saroufim, Maya; Charafeddine, Khalil; Issa, Grace; Khalifeh, Haifaa; Habib, Robert H.; Berry, Atika; Ghosn, Nada; Rady, Alissar

2014-01-01

In September 2012, a cutaneous leishmaniasis outbreak began among Syrian refugees in Lebanon. For 948 patients in whom leishmaniasis was not confirmed, we obtained samples for microscopic confirmation and molecular speciation. We identified Leishmania tropica in 85% and L. major in 15% of patients. After 3 months of megulamine antimonite therapy, patients initial cure rate was 82%. PMID:25279543

Tracking Drop-out Students in Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon

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Al-Hroub, Anies

2015-01-01

This research paper examines the perceptions of students on the school drop-out problem in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon regarding (a) the social and economic causes associated with the phenomenon of school drop-out; (b) the educational policies and practices used in UNRWA schools and their relationship to student drop-out; and (c) the role…

Youth and Science in Italy: between enthusiasm and indifference

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Valente Adriana

2005-06-01

Full Text Available The image and perception of science and of scientists is a crucial topic, above all with regards to younger generations, the human capital of the future. For this reason, the National Research Council (CNR, in 2004, asked the IRPPS institute (Istituto di ricerche sulla popolazione e le politiche sociali to carry out a sample survey of 800 people between the ages of 18 and 29 on the topic. Science and new technology emerged as the topics of most interest, in addition to medicine, history and economics. Scientific content in the mass media is considered to be satisfactory, whereas education in the field of science is considered to be less than satisfactory, above all in relation to the work environment. However, if research in Italy seems weak in the eyes of young people, scientists are not seen the same way but are considered society’s second most important profession after that of the entrepreneur. The problem of trust in science is due, above all, to the politics of research, which do not encourage adequate investment in public and private sectors. A factor analysis technique was applied in order to identify models of attitude towards science of various subgroups within the population.

Assessment of Dietary Intake Patterns and Their Correlates among University Students in Lebanon

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Salameh, Pascale; Jomaa, Lamis; Issa, Carine; Farhat, Ghada; Salamé, Joseph; Zeidan, Nina; Baldi, Isabelle

2014-01-01

Introduction: Unhealthy dietary habits are major risk factors for chronic diseases, particularly if adopted during early years of adulthood. Limited studies have explored the food consumption patterns among young adults in Lebanon. Our study aimed to examine common dietary patterns and their correlates among a large sample of university student population in Lebanon, focusing on correlation with gender and body mass index (BMI). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 3384 students, using a proportionate cluster sample of Lebanese students from both public and private universities. A self-administered food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary intake of university students. Factor analysis of food items and groups, cluster analysis of dietary patterns, and multivariate regressions were carried out. Results: Three dietary patterns were identified among university youth namely a vegetarian/low calorie dietary pattern (characterized mainly by consumption of plant-based food while avoiding “western” food, composite dishes, and bread); a mixed dietary pattern (characterized by high consumption of plant-based food, followed by composite dishes, bread, and a low consumption of western type food); and finally, a westernized dietary pattern (characterized by high consumption of white bread and western food, and a strong avoidance of plant food and composite dishes). We observed significant differences between males and females in terms of their reported food intake and dietary patterns. Females were particularly more prone to adopt the vegetarian/low calorie diet than males (ORa = 1.69; p universities (p = 0.053). Students with high income and obese students (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) were more likely to consume vegetarian/low calorie diets (p university students reported a higher consumption of the westernized dietary pattern as compared to female university students in Lebanon, while the latter reported a higher adoption of a

Survey of Leafhopper Species in Almond Orchards Infected with Almond Witches'-Broom Phytoplasma in Lebanon

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Hammad, Efat Abou-Fakhr; El-Mohtar, Choaa; Abou-Jawdah, Yusuf

2011-01-01

Leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae) account for more than 80% of all “Auchenorrhynchous” vectors that transmit phytoplasmas. The leafhopper populations in two almond witches'-broom phytoplasma (AlmWB) infected sites: Tanboureet (south of Lebanon) and Bourj El Yahoudieh (north of Lebanon) were surveyed using yellow sticky traps. The survey revealed that the most abundant species was Asymmetrasca decedens, which represented 82.4% of all the leafhoppers sampled. Potential phytoplasma vectors in members of the subfamilies Aphrodinae, Deltocephalinae, and Megophthalminae were present in very low numbers including: Aphrodes makarovi, Cicadulina bipunctella, Euscelidius mundus, Fieberiella macchiae, Allygus theryi, Circulifer haematoceps, Neoaliturus transversalis, and Megophthalmus scabripennis. Allygus theryi (Horváth) (Deltocephalinae) was reported for the first time in Lebanon. Nested PCR analysis and sequencing showed that Asymmetrasca decedens, Empoasca decipiens, Fieberiella macchiae, Euscelidius mundus, Thamnottetix seclusis, Balclutha sp., Lylatina inexpectata, Allygus sp., and Annoplotettix danutae were nine potential carriers of AlmWB phytoplasma. Although the detection of phytoplasmas in an insect does not prove a definite vector relationship, the technique is useful in narrowing the search for potential vectors. The importance of this information for management of AlmWB is discussed. PMID:21864154

The causal relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dagher, Leila; Yacoubian, Talar

2012-01-01

This paper investigates the dynamic causal relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in Lebanon over the period 1980–2009. Within a bivariate framework, imposed on us due to data limitations, and in an effort to increase the robustness of our results, we employ a variety of causality tests, namely, Hsiao, Toda-Yamamoto, and vector error correction based Granger causality tests. We find strong evidence of a bidirectional relationship both in the short-run and in the long-run, indicating that energy is a limiting factor to economic growth in Lebanon. From a policy perspective, the confirmation of the feedback hypothesis warns against the use of policy instruments geared towards restricting energy consumption, as these may lead to adverse effects on economic growth. Consequently, there is a pressing need to revise the current national energy policy that calls for a 5% energy conservation target. Also, to shield the country from external supply shocks, given its substantial dependence on energy imports, policymakers should emphasize the development of domestic energy resources. Further, the most pertinent implication is that relaxing the present electric capacity shortages should be made a national priority, in view of its potential positive effect on the economy. - Highlights: ► We investigate the energy-GDP nexus for Lebanon. ► Evidence of a bidirectional relationship both in the short- and the long-run is found. ► Reducing outages by expanding electric capacity should thus be prioritized. ► The energy plan calling for a 5% reduction in energy consumption needs to be revised. ► Development of domestic energy sources will help in mitigating energy supply shocks.

Experimental transmission of West Nile Virus and Rift Valley Fever Virus by Culex pipiens from Lebanon.

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Renée Zakhia

2018-01-01

Full Text Available West Nile virus (WNV and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV are two emerging arboviruses transmitted by Culex pipiens species that includes two biotypes: pipiens and molestus. In Lebanon, human cases caused by WNV and RVFV have never been reported. However, the introduction of these viruses in the country is likely to occur through the migratory birds and animal trades. In this study, we evaluated the ability of Cx. pipiens, a predominant mosquito species in urban and rural regions in Lebanon, to transmit WNV and RVFV. Culex egg rafts were collected in the West Bekaa district, east of Lebanon and adult females of Cx. pipiens were experimentally infected with WNV and RVFV Clone 13 strain at titers of 1.6×108 and 1.33×107 plaque forming units (PFU/mL, respectively. We estimated viral infection, dissemination and transmission at 3, 7, 14 and 19 days post infection (dpi. Results showed that infection was higher for WNV than for RVFV from 3 dpi to 19 dpi. Viral dissemination and transmission started from 3 dpi for WNV; and only from 19 dpi for RVFV. Moreover, Cx. pipiens were able to excrete in saliva a higher number of viral particles of WNV (1028 ± 405 PFU/saliva at 19 dpi than RVFV (42 PFU/saliva at 19 dpi. Cx. pipiens from Lebanon are efficient experimental vectors of WNV and to a lower extent, RVFV. These findings should stimulate local authorities to establish an active entomological surveillance in addition to animal surveys for both viruses in the country.

Prevalence and determinants of albuminuria in a cohort of diabeticpatients in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taleb, N.; Al-Mokadda, M.; Merheb, M.; Salti, I.; Nasrallah, M.; Salti, H.

2008-01-01

Few data are available on the extent of albuminuria in diabeticpopulations in the Middle East generally and in Lebanon specifically. Weconducted this study to determine the prevalence of albuminuria and its majorrisk factors in cohort of diabetic patients in Lebanon. Diabetic patientsfollowed in the outpatient department at the American University of BeirutMedical Center (AUBMC) were included in prospective observational study.AUBMC is a tertiary referral center and the outpatient department typicallyhandles patients of low socioeconomic status with advanced disease. Patientswere classified according to their urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR)as having normoalbuminuria (ACR -300mg/g creatinine). Thethree groups were compared to analyze the association between albuminuria andits risk factors. In addition, independent predictors of albuminuria weredetermined using multivariate logistic regression and presented as an oddsratio. Microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuira were present in 33.3% and 12.7%of 222 patients (mean age 56.4 years, mean deviation of diabetes 8.6 years,58.7% women, 43.8% obese), respectively. Factors significantly associatedwith microalbuminuria included glycemic control, insulin use and total andLDL cholesterol. Those associated with macroalbuminuria included in additionto glycemic control and insulin use, duration of diabetes, hypertension,elevated mean arterial pressure (MAP) and presence of neuropathy, retinopathyand peripheral vascular disease by bivariate analysis. Only glycemic controlwas an independent risk factor for both in addition to MAP and retinopathyfor macroalbuminuria by multivariate analysis. Albuminuria is highlyprevalent among this cohort of diabetic patients in Lebanon. Both glycemiccontrol and blood pressure need to be better targeted in its management.(author)

Organic Food Market Segmentation in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Tleis, Malak; Roma, Rocco; Callieris, Roberta

2015-04-01

Organic farming in Lebanon is not a new concept. It started with the efforts of the private sector more than a decade ago and is still present even with the limited agricultural production. The local market is quite developed in comparison to neighboring countries, depending mainly on imports. Few studies were addressed to organic consumption in Lebanon, were none of them dealt with organic consumers analysis. Therefore, our objectives were to identify the profiles of Lebanese organic consumer and non organic consumer and to propose appropriate marketing strategies for each segment of consumer with the final aim of developing the Lebanese organic market. A survey, based on the use of closed-ended questionnaire, was addressed to 400 consumers in the capital, Beirut, from the end of February till the end of March 2014. Data underwent descriptive analyses, principal component analyses (PCA) and cluster analyses (k-means method) through the statistical software SPSS. Four cluster were obtained based on psychographic characteristics and willingness to pay (WTP) for the principal organic products purchased. "Localists" and "Health conscious" clusters constituted the largest proportion of the selected sample, thus were the most critical to be addressed by specific marketing strategies emphasizing the combination of local and organic food and the healthy properties of organic products. "Rational" and "Irregular" cluster were relatively small groups, addressed by pricing and promotional strategies. This study showed a positive attitude among Lebanese consumer towards organic food, where egoistic motives are prevailing over altruistic motives. High prices of organic commodities and low trust in organic farming, remain a constraint to levitating organic consumption. The combined efforts of the public and the private sector are required to spread the knowledge about positive environmental payback of organic agriculture and for the promotion of locally produced organic goods.

The Links between Energy Consumption, Financial Development, and Economic Growth in Lebanon: Evidence from Cointegration with Unknown Structural Breaks

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Salah Abosedra

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We investigate the relation between financial development, energy consumption, and economic growth in the economy of Lebanon over the period 2000M2–2010M12. Our findings confirm the existence of cointegration among the variables. The results indicate that financial development and energy consumption contribute to economic growth in Lebanon. The impact of energy consumption on economic growth is positive showing the significance of energy as a main stimulant of economic growth. Financial development is also found to play a vital role in enhancing economic growth. Financial development and economic growth also result in further increase in energy consumption. We offer some policy implications specific to Lebanon considering the recent discovery of large oil and gas reserves in the country and the historical importance of its banking sector which remains a center of Lebanon’s service-oriented economy.

sponsorship ban in Lebanon: a baseline cross-sectional study

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Monique Chaaya

2016-05-01

This study provided information about compliance to the smoking ban in Beirut. The advertising sector's compliance would hopefully decrease the tobacco industry’s influence on the public. Further studies aiming at understanding the underlying factors behind the lack of compliance to the indoor smoking ban and finding effective solutions in a politically unstable country with weak rule of law like Lebanon are crucial and can serve as an example for similar developing countries.

First Measurements of Ambient Total Gaseous Mercury (TGM at the EvK2CNR Pyramid Observatory in Nepal

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Gratz L. E.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available As part of the Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS project, a global-scale network of ground-based atmospheric monitoring sites is being developed with the objective of expanding the global coverage of atmospheric mercury (Hg measurements and improving our understanding of global atmospheric Hg transport. An important addition to the GMOS monitorng network has been the high altitude EvK2CNR Pyramid Observatory, located at an elevation of 5,050 meters a.s.l. in the eastern Himalaya Mountains of Nepal. Monitoring of total gaseous mercury (TGM using the Tekran 2537A Mercury Vapor Analyzer began at the EvK2CNR Pyramid Observatory in November 2011. From 17 November 2011 to 23 April 2012, the mean concentration of TGM at the Pyramid was 1.2 ng m−3. A range of concentrations from 0.7 to 2.6 ng m−3 has been observed. These are the first reported measurements of atmospheric Hg in Nepal, and currently this is the highest altitude monitoring station for atmospheric Hg in the world. It is anticipated that these high quality measurements, in combination with the other continuous atmospheric measurments being collected at the Pyramid station, will help to further our understanding of Hg concentrations in the free troposphere and the transport of atmospheric Hg on the global scale.

Consanguinity and family clustering of male factor infertility in Lebanon.

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Inhorn, Marcia C; Kobeissi, Loulou; Nassar, Zaher; Lakkis, Da'ad; Fakih, Michael H

2009-04-01

To investigate the influence of consanguineous marriage on male factor infertility in Lebanon, where rates of consanguineous marriage remain high (29.6% among Muslims, 16.5% among Christians). Clinic-based, case-control study, using reproductive history, risk factor interview, and laboratory-based semen analysis. Two IVF clinics in Beirut, Lebanon, during an 8-month period (January-August 2003). One hundred twenty infertile male patients and 100 fertile male controls, distinguished by semen analysis and reproductive history. None. Standard clinical semen analysis. The rates of consanguineous marriage were relatively high among the study sample. Patients (46%) were more likely than controls (37%) to report first-degree (parental) and second-degree (grandparental) consanguinity. The study demonstrated a clear pattern of family clustering of male factor infertility, with patients significantly more likely than controls to report infertility among close male relatives (odds ratio = 2.58). Men with azoospermia and severe oligospermia showed high rates of both consanguinity (50%) and family clustering (41%). Consanguineous marriage is a socially supported institution throughout the Muslim world, yet its relationship to infertility is poorly understood. This study demonstrated a significant association between consanguinity and family clustering of male factor infertility cases, suggesting a strong genetic component.

Prevalence of consanguineous marriages among shi'a populations of Lebanon.

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El-Kheshen, Ghadir; Saadat, Mostafa

2013-09-01

In genetics, a consanguineous marriage means union between couples who are related as second cousins or closer. The present cross-sectional study was carried out in order to illustrate the prevalence and types of consanguineous marriages in the Shi'a population living in widespread territories in Lebanon including the Bekaa Valley, the south of Lebanon and the southern suburb of Beirut. Data on types of marriages were collected using a simple questionnaire. The total number of couples in the study was 1203. Consanguineous marriage was classified by the degree of relationship between couples. The overall frequency of consanguinity was found to be 28.4%, with first cousin marriages (21.3%) being the most common type followed by first cousins once removed (5.5%), then double first cousins (0.8%). The frequencies of second cousin and beyond second cousin marriages were the same at 0.4% of all the marriages. The mean inbreeding coefficient (α) was estimated at about 0.0161 for the population. There were no significant differences between the three studied territories for frequencies of different types of marriages (p>0.1), nor were there significant differences between the rural and urban areas (p>0.1).

Point-of-sale tobacco advertising in Beirut, Lebanon following a national advertising ban.

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Salloum, Ramzi G; Nakkash, Rima T; Myers, Allison E; Wood, Kathryn A; Ribisl, Kurt M

2013-06-03

The objective of this study was to conduct an audit of point-of-sale (POS) tobacco advertising and assess compliance with an advertising ban in a large district of Beirut, Lebanon. The audit was conducted 3 months following the ban on tobacco advertising. Trained students observed all tobacco retail outlets (n = 100) and entered data into a web-based form using iPad(®) technology. Presence of tobacco advertisements was assessed to determine compliance with the national advertising ban. Among the 100 tobacco retail outlets, 62% had tobacco advertisements, including 7% with a tobacco brand logo as part of the main exterior store sign. POS tobacco advertising is widespread in Beirut despite the national advertising ban. These findings point to an urgent need for the enforcement of the advertisement ban with tobacco retail outlets in Lebanon.

Notes from the field: a case of hepatic failure and reflections on current status of healthcare of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

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Saiyed, Salim M; Kahler, John; Kalabani, Mutaz

2018-01-01

Recent trends and research suggest health conditions of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon are deteriorating. The following case study highlights some of the problems that refugees encounter seeking health care services in Lebanon. A coordinated response from Non-governmental organization (NGO) with intense focus on non-communicable disease (NCD) is needed to avert further worsening of health conditions on the ground.

ATTITUDES TOWARDS AND PRACTICE OF SEXUALITY AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN LEBANON.

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Salameh, P; Zeenny, R; Salamé, J; Waked, M; Barbour, B; Zeidan, N; Baldi, I

2016-03-01

Sexuality is still a taboo in Middle Eastern countries, and Lebanon is no exception. This study's objective was to evaluate attitudes towards sexuality and its practice among university students in Lebanon and assess their respective correlates. The cross-sectional study was carried out among students selected from seventeen universities across Lebanon. The participants received a self-administered standardized questionnaire that assessed their attitudes towards sexuality. It included questions on socio-demographic factors, risk-taking, risky behaviours and sexuality-related questions. Among 3384 students, 2700 (79.8%) answered the questions on sexuality. Around 15% had engaged in sexual activity, while 20% were regularly sexually active. Among males, 34.8% had never had sexual activity, 29.9% had tried it and 35.3% were regularly sexually active. Among females the results were respectively 85.1%, 5.3% and 9.6% (p<0.001). Only 36% regularly used condoms during their relationships. A liberal attitude towards sex, male sex, motives for risky behaviours, current cigarette smoking and problematic alcohol consumption were associated with sexual activity. Realizing that risky behaviours are dangerous, health concerns related to sexual relationships and a liberal attitude towards sex were associated with regular condom use. However, being bothered by condoms and female sex were inversely associated with condom use. Finally, participants who had motives for, and those who felt excited about risky behaviours, and those reporting current cigarette and waterpipe smoking and problematic alcohol consumption (β=0.600; p=0.002) embraced a more liberal attitude towards sex. Conversely, females (β=-7.58; p<0.001) and individuals who considered risky behaviours as dangerous reported an unfavourable attitude towards sexuality. A substantial proportion of Lebanese university students have regular sexual activity, but a low percentage use condoms for protection. Interventions are

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Knowledge and Stigma Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder among College Students in Lebanon and the United States

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Obeid, Rita; Daou, Nidal; DeNigris, Danielle; Shane-Simpson, Christina; Brooks, Patricia J.; Gillespie-Lynch, Kristen

2015-01-01

Although misconceptions associated with ASD are apparent worldwide, they may differ across cultures. This study compares knowledge and stigma associated with ASD in a country with limited autism resources, Lebanon, and a country with substantial autism resources, the United States (US). College students in the US (N = 346) and Lebanon (N = 329)…

Maternal smoking: determinants and associated morbidity in two areas in Lebanon.

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Bachir, Rana; Chaaya, Monique

2008-05-01

This study assessed the factors related to smoking during pregnancy in two areas in Lebanon, and the association of smoking to selected maternal and newborn health related factors. This was a secondary analysis of data on 538 women who delivered in nine hospitals in two areas in Lebanon. Women were interviewed about their smoking practices, and on demographic and psychosocial variables. 396 women were followed up and re-interviewed about their smoking status, and the mother's and baby's health after delivery. Smoking during pregnancy included both cigarettes and narghile smoking. About 25.7% of women were smoking some kind of tobacco during pregnancy. Older women, Muslim women, women with poor education, those who had financial difficulty, nervousness, lower support, and delay in seeking prenatal care were more likely to smoke during pregnancy. Women who smoked during pregnancy were more likely to have a low birth weight baby and to stop breastfeeding. It is important to address smoking among women in general, and not only during pregnancy. We discuss the role of public and private sectors in smoking cessation and interventions.

Challenge of the energy in Lebanon: Analysis and synthesis of the survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chehab, Said

1999-01-01

The article is a survey conducted by the students of the ESIB Saint Joseph University within the ministry of Industry and petroleum, ministry of Hydraulic and Electrical resources and the Central Administration of statistics in Lebanon. The survey presents the primary and secondary energy, its sectorial production and consumption. Tables and figures describe the essential socio-economic indicators of energy, primary and secondary consumption of energy in 1995. Sectorial distribution of final energy in 1995 per habitant, imported products and varieties as gasoline, gasoil, fuel oil etc....Charts for imported petroleum products, percentage of electric production between hydraulic and thermal energy are also included. Tarification of the EDL, prices of electricity per consumer and estimation of EDL of electricity per GWH are also described. Combustion of energy in Lebanon is a main source of air pollution by emitting substances as follows: 15 Ktonnes of dust, 80 Kt of SO 2 and 40 Kt of CO 2 per year

Factors influencing development of management strategies for the Abou Ali River in Lebanon. I: Spatial variation and land use

OpenAIRE

Massoud, MA; El-Fadel, M; Scrimshaw, MDirector; Lester, JN

2006-01-01

Surface water bodies are progressively subject to increasing stress as a result of environmentally degrading processes primarily related to anthropogenic activities. This study assesses and examines the impact of land use and anthropogenic activities on the spatial variation in water quality of the Abou Ali River in North Lebanon. It is the first detailed study of its kind in Lebanon and adds to the existing Knowledge by shedding light on a relatively small Mediterranean river in a developing...

Focus Groups Investigating Mental Health Attitudes and Beliefs of Parents and Teachers in South Lebanon: Are They Culturally Determined?

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Doumit, Myrna A A; Farhood, Laila F; Hamady, Carmen

2018-05-01

The wars that Lebanon had endured led to a devastating number of deaths, injuries, and displacements. Such tragedies have detrimentally affected its civilians psychologically. To identify knowledge, attitudes, and practices of teachers and parents concerning child/adolescent mental health. Using purposeful sampling, five focus groups were conducted with teachers and parents of students from elementary, middle, and secondary levels in two private hub schools in South Lebanon. A total of 27 teachers and 18 parents participated separately in focus groups. Three themes emerged: (a) Mental health care is a priority for overall health, (b) Mental illness is a cultural taboo, and (c) There is a need for better education and cultural understanding about mental health. This is the first study in Lebanon directly targeted at parents' and teachers' mental health concerns. Such findings will add to transcultural nursing knowledge about the importance of mental health care.

Kidney cancer in Lebanon: a specific histological distribution?

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Khafaja, Sarah; Kourie, Hampig Raphael; Matar, Dany; Sader-Ghorra, Claude; Kattan, Joseph

2015-01-01

Kidney cancer is the third most frequent urologic cancer in Lebanon after prostate and bladder cancer, accounting for 1.5% of all diagnosed cancers. In this paper, we report the histologic characteristics and distribution of kidney cancer, never described in Lebanon or the Middle East. Pathology results of operated kidney cancer were collected during a two year period (2010-2011) from two different Lebanese hospitals (Hotel-Dieu de France University Hospital and Saint Joseph Hospital). A total of 124 reports were reviewed and analyzed according to WHO classification of 2009. The 124 patients diagnosed with kidney cancer had a median age of 62.4 [18-86], 75% being men and 25% women. Some 71 % of the lesions were renal cell carcinoma (RCC), 25.8% had a urothelial histology, 1.6% were lymphomas and 1.6% were metastases to the kidney. Patients having RCC had a median age of 60.3 [18-85], 77.3% were men and 22.7% women. Of the RCCs, 59.1% were clear cell carcinoma, 22.7% papillary, 11.4% chromophobic, 3.4% rom the collecting ducts of Bellini and 3.4% were not otherwise classified. Histological distribution of Lebanese kidney cancer seems unusual when compared to the literature. The percentage of urothelial renal pelvis tumors is strikingly high. Moreover, clear cell carcinoma accounts for only 59.1% of RCCS in contrast to the 75% described elsewhere, while papillary carcinoma represents more than 22.7% compared to 10%.

Total lead concentration in new decorative enamel paints in Lebanon, Paraguay and Russia.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, C Scott; Speranskaya, Olga; Brosche, Sara; Gonzalez, Hebe; Solis, Daniela; Kodeih, Naji; Roda, Sandy; Lind, Caroline

2015-04-01

Lead concentrations in new enamel decorative paints were determined in three countries in different areas of the world where data were not previously available. The average total lead concentration of the enamel decorative paints purchased in Lebanon, Paraguay and Russia was 24,500ppm (ppm, dry weight), more than 270 times the current limit of 90ppm in Canada and in the United States. Sixty-three percent of these paints contained concentrations greater than 90ppm. Fifty-nine percent contained concentrations greater than 600ppm, the current limit in some countries. The maximum concentrations found were 236,000ppm in Lebanon, 169,000ppm in Paraguay and 52,900ppm in Russia. An average of 29% of the samples contained exceedingly high lead concentrations, >=10,000ppm. Five brands of paint were sampled in each of Lebanon and Paraguay and seven in Russia. Three colors from each brand were analyzed. For five of the six samples of the two brands in Lebanon with affiliations outside the country, the lead concentrations ranged from 1360ppm to 135,000ppm. In Lebanon the maximum concentration in the Egypt-affiliated brand (Sipes) was 135,000ppm and the maximum for the USA-affiliated brand (Dutch Boy) was 32,400ppm. Lead was not detected in any paints from the three of the four brands of paint purchased in Paraguay that had headquarters/affiliations in other countries (Brazil-Coralit), Germany (Suvinil) and USA (Novacor)). Two of the three paints from each of the other Paraguay brands contained high levels of lead with the maximum concentrations of 108,000 and 168,000ppm; one of these brands was manufactured under a license from ICI in the Netherlands. All of the paints purchased in Russia were from Russian brands and were manufactured in Russia. All three paints from one brand contained below detection levels of lead. The maximum levels of lead in the other six brands in Russia ranged from 3230 to 52,900ppm. The two brands with the highest lead concentration, TEKS and LAKRA

Self-Reported Factors That Influence Choice of College-Bound Students in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Abou-Nassif, Samir M.

2011-01-01

The number of students entering universities in Lebanon has steadily increased in the past ten years. This trend makes it imperative that the different stakeholders, like students, parents, schools, universities, and education officials, understand what influences the decision of a student to choose a specific college. Understanding these factors…

Aero-medical evacuation from the second Israel-Lebanon war: a descriptive study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Dagan; Resheff, Avram; Geftler, Alex; Weiss, Aviram; Birenbaum, Erez; Lavon, Ophir

2009-05-01

The second Lebanon war started as a limited operation and progressed to a large-scale campaign. Most of the fighting took place in mountainous villages and small towns inhabited with civilians. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Airborne rescue and evacuation unit is charged with air evacuation of soldiers and civilians in times of peace, limited conflict, and war. We describe this unit's activities in the second Lebanon war, analyzing injury, treatment, and evacuation characteristics Data were collected from flight medical reports, debriefings of aero-medical team members (usually immediately upon return from mission), ground units medical reports and debriefings, and hospital records. 725 IDF soldiers were injured and 117 killed either in Lebanon or near the Israeli-Lebanese border during the war. A total of 338 (46%) were evacuated in 95 airlifts (averaging 4.5 evacuees per airlift) from the fighting zones or the border. Air evacuation used dedicated helicopters with advanced care capacities, and most victims were evacuated straight from the battlefield, as the fighting was ensuing. Many wounded first received advanced medical care upon the arrival of the aero-medical teams. In military operations within civilian populated areas with threats to ground transport, air evacuation can sometimes be the only readily available option. Providing timely ground advanced medical care proved difficult in many instances. Thus, for many, the rescue helicopter was the first point of access to such care. Aero-medical aircrafts and personnel faced threats from gunfire and missiles, causing both delays in evacuation and a high average number of evacuees per airlift. This article proposes ways of coping with situations in which similar rescue and evacuation problems are likely.

The effect of taxation on tobacco consumption and public revenues in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Salti, Nisreen; Chaaban, Jad; Nakkash, Rima; Alaouie, Hala

2015-01-01

Tobacco consumption rates in Lebanon are among the highest worldwide. The country ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2005. A law was passed in 2011 which regulates smoking in closed public spaces, bans advertising, and stipulates larger warnings. Despite international evidence confirming that increasing taxation on tobacco products lowers tobacco consumption, no such policy has yet been adopted: a cigarette pack costs on average US$1.50. To date no studies in Lebanon have addressed the welfare and public finance effects of increasing taxes on tobacco products. Using the 2005 national survey of household living conditions, we estimate an almost ideal demand system to generate price elasticities of demand for tobacco. Using estimated elasticities and a conservative scenario for expected smuggling, we simulate the consumption and tax revenue effects of a change in the price of tobacco under various tax schemes. Increasing taxes on all tobacco products so as to double the price of imported cigarettes would lower their consumption by 7% and consumption of domestically produced cigarettes by over 90%. Young adults (ages 15-30) are more sensitive: consumption would drop by 9% for imported cigarettes and by 100% for domestic cigarettes. Government revenues would increase by approximately 52%. The estimated elasticities indicate that an increase in taxes on all tobacco products would lead to a reduction in consumption and an increase in government revenue. Evidence from Lebanon on the effectiveness of increased taxation may help initiate national debate on the need to raise taxes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The western submerged sector of the Ischia volcanic island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy): new insights into its volcano-tectonic evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Passaro, Salvatore; de Alteriis, Giovanni; Milano, Girolamo; Fedi, Maurizio; Florio, Giovanni

2010-05-01

The Island of Ischia is a volcanic complex located in the northern boundary of the Gulf of Naples (south-eastern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). The island represents only the 30% of a larger, E-W trending, volcanic ridge and likely controlled by a regional tectonic lineament. Despite the many geo-volcanological and geophysical investigations conducted on the island since long time, still little is the knowledge of its offshore. Several marine surveys have been carried out over the past 10 years from IAMC - CNR research institute (Naples, Italy) mostly in the frame of INGV and GNV projects, funded by Italy Civil Protection Department. Such surveys have largely improved the knowledge of the entire volcanic complex. Multibeam bathymetry surveys has revealed several, previously unexpected, morphological and morphostructural features. Moreover some structural patterns and volcano alignments offshore show similarities with those occurring at a regional scale in the Campania region and, locally, between the island of Procida and Phlegrean Fields. Here we report the joint interpretation of geophysical data focused on the western underwater sector of the island. Interpretation was chiefly based on processing/inversion of magnetic data in turn constrained by bathymetry and seismic reflection profiles. Magnetic data, acquired by the IAMC during two different cruises in 2000 and 2002 onboard of the Urania R/V oceanographic vessel, put in evidence that the western seafloor of Ischia is characterized by the presence of a strong residual magnetic anomaly field of complex behaviour, somewhere correlated to local bathymetry. These two last methods allowed to define and distinguish between undersea and subsurface magnetic (i.e. magmatic) basement. Interpretation was also constrained by seismological data.

Survey on the energy in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chehab, Said

1998-01-01

The state of energy sector in Lebanon for 1997 is presented. Balance of primary and final energy is drawn up as well as the production and consumption of electricity for 1997. Results have shown that primary energy is imported and is based essentially on petroleum products such as fuel oil 33,5%, gas oil 27,5%, gasoline 27%, GPL 3% and carbureactor 2%. Energy consumption has increased by 13% in 1997. Energy pricing has increased by 9% comparing to 1996. Balance of final energy shows that 80% of this energy is represented by gas oil, gasoline and electricity. Emissions of toxic substances due to the combustion of energy based on hydrocarbures are estimated. Economic analysis of electricity sector is presented. Tables and statistics support the results reported

Lebanon and Syria: between dissociation and spillover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Lion Bustillo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The risk of Syrian civil war violence spreading towards Lebanon is high. This can be explained by various factors deriving as much from the neighbouring conflict as from other existing factors in Lebanese politics, which have led to the significant collaboration of Lebanon’s Future Movement and Hezbollah with their respective allies in Syria, and to undermining Najib Mikati’s dissociation policies. However, the leaders of those parties tend to balance their will to preserve their confessional leadership with an image of being the defender of national interests. This limits the possibility of an openly sectarian conflict, but it does not totally eliminate it.

Social Relations in Lebanon: Convoys Across the Life Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonucci, Toni C; Ajrouch, Kristine J; Abdulrahim, Sawsan

2015-10-01

This study systematically analyzed convoys of social relations to investigate the ways in which gender and income shape patterns of social relations across the life course in Lebanon. Data were drawn from a representative sample of adults aged 18 and older in Greater Beirut, Lebanon (N = 500). Multiple linear regression and multilevel models were conducted to examine main and interactive effects of age, gender, and income on social relations. Findings indicate main effects of age, income, and gender on network structure and relationship quality. Older age was associated with larger network size, greater proportion of kin in network, higher positive and lower negative relationship quality. Higher income was associated with larger network size and decreased contact frequency. Female gender was also associated with decreased contact frequency. Gender interacted with income to influence network size and network composition. Higher income was associated with a larger network size and higher proportion of kin for women. Findings suggest diversity in the experience of social relations. Such nuance is particularly relevant to the Lebanese context where family is the main source of support in old age. Policy makers and program planners may need to refrain from viewing social relations simplistically. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Cesarean Sections Among Syrian Refugees in Lebanon from December 2012/January 2013 to June 2013: Probable Causes and Recommendations

Science.gov (United States)

Huster, Karin M.J.; Patterson, Njogu; Schilperoord, Marian; Spiegel, Paul

2014-01-01

Introduction: There are nearly 3 million Syrian refugees, with more than 1 million in Lebanon. We combined quantitative and qualitative methods to determine cesarean section (CS) rates among Syrian refugees accessing care through United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)-contracted hospitals in Lebanon and possible driving factors. Methods: We analyzed hospital admission data from UNHCR’s main partners from December 2012/January 1, 2013, to June 30, 2013. We collected qualitative data in a subset of hospitals through semi-structured informant interviews. Results: Deliveries accounted for almost 50 percent of hospitalizations. The average CS rate was 35 percent of 6,366 deliveries. Women expressed strong preference for female providers. Clinicians observed that refugees had high incidence of birth and health complications diagnosed at delivery time that often required emergent CS. Discussion: CS rates are high among Syrian refugee women in Lebanon. Limited access and utilization of antenatal care, privatized health care, and male obstetrical providers may be important drivers that need to be addressed. PMID:25191143

Cesarean sections among Syrian refugees in Lebanon from december 2012/january 2013 to june 2013: probable causes and recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Huster, Karin M J; Patterson, Njogu; Schilperoord, Marian; Spiegel, Paul

2014-09-01

There are nearly 3 million Syrian refugees, with more than 1 million in Lebanon. We combined quantitative and qualitative methods to determine cesarean section (CS) rates among Syrian refugees accessing care through United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)-contracted hospitals in Lebanon and possible driving factors. We analyzed hospital admission data from UNHCR's main partners from December 2012/January 1, 2013, to June 30, 2013. We collected qualitative data in a subset of hospitals through semi-structured informant interviews. Deliveries accounted for almost 50 percent of hospitalizations. The average CS rate was 35 percent of 6,366 deliveries. Women expressed strong preference for female providers. Clinicians observed that refugees had high incidence of birth and health complications diagnosed at delivery time that often required emergent CS. CS rates are high among Syrian refugee women in Lebanon. Limited access and utilization of antenatal care, privatized health care, and male obstetrical providers may be important drivers that need to be addressed.

The use and abuse of female domestic workers from Sri Lanka in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Abu-habib, L

1998-03-01

Women who migrate from Sri Lanka to become domestic workers in Lebanon face gender, class, and race discrimination that often results in abuse, yet the predicament of these women is largely ignored by local and international humanitarian and human rights agencies. Public consciousness about the plight of Asian domestic workers in the Persian Gulf region was raised in 1990 when domestic workers were repatriated in the wake of the Gulf War. In Lebanon, nearly half of the work permits granted to foreigners in 1997 were to women from Sri Lanka. This migration began in the 1970s and is sanctioned by the Sri Lanka government because of the economic benefits accruing from wages sent home by these women. Lebanese families procure domestic positions through an employment agency that arranges transportation and entry for the Sri Lankan women. These women, especially minors, often have to bribe Sri Lankan government agents to falsify travel documents. Upon arrival in Lebanon, the women have no support systems or job security. Most employment contracts last 3 years and pay $100/month with no benefits or protection from local labor laws. Domestic workers are made vulnerable by employers who withhold salaries or travel documents. Upon return to Sri Lanka, former domestic workers face social disapproval and marital problems. To redress this situation, the governments of sending and receiving countries must take action to protect female migrant workers, and nongovernmental organizations must publicize the plight of these women and take action to address the abuses they face.

The Sexual Health of Women in Lebanon: Are There Differences by Sexual Orientation?

Science.gov (United States)

Gereige, Jessica D; Zhang, Li; Boehmer, Ulrike

2018-01-01

From studies conducted in Western countries (United States, United Kingdom, and Australia), we know that the sexual health of sexual minority women (SMW) differs in key ways from that of heterosexual women (HSW). To date, the sexual health of SMW living in the Middle East and North Africa region has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to compare the sexual health of SMW and HSW living in Lebanon. SMW and HSW living in Lebanon (N = 95) completed an anonymous, self-administered survey. SMW's risk perceptions and health promoting and sexual behaviors were compared to those of HSW. We examined differences by sexual orientation by using t tests and Fisher's exact tests. The 45 SMW and 50 HSW had similar demographic characteristics. Significantly more SMW had heard of human papillomavirus, but only 22% of women from both groups knew of its association with abnormal Papanicolaou tests. Cervical cancer screening rates were similar in SMW and HSW, although remarkably low (42%) compared with rates in Western countries. Significantly more SMW (18%) reported difficulty with access to care than HSW (0%). Forty-four percent of SMW reported discomfort in disclosing their sexual orientation to their healthcare provider and 61% reported that healthcare providers lacked sensitivity toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender needs. Unwanted sexual contact occurred more frequently in SMW (53%) than HSW (23%). The sexual health of women is affected by sociocultural factors. SMW living in Lebanon have unique health needs that should be addressed within their sociocultural context.

Energy for Lebanon of tomorrow: paradigm of sustainable development and environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chehab, S.

1996-01-01

An overview of the present status of energy sector in Lebanon and requirements of its future development is presented. The study is based on an economic analysis of needs and energy consumption among the population and on a comparison with other developing countries. Tables and graphs on energy distribution, needs and demands per habitant and national income are included. 3 figs. 3 tabs

Intention to stay of nurses in current posts in difficult-to-staff areas of Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon and Qatar: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Jardali, Fadi; Murray, Susan F; Dimassi, Hani; Jamal, Diana; Abualrub, Raeda; Al-Surimi, Khaled; Clinton, Michael; Dumit, Nuhad Y

2013-11-01

The nursing workforce shortages in difficult-to-staff areas have implications not only for quality of care but also for population health outcomes. An understanding of attrition and of retention is important to inform policies on the nursing workforce. This paper draws on questionnaire survey data from nurses working in difficult-to-staff areas in four countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon and Qatar). It aims to identify the specific and common factors associated with nurses' intention to stay in their current post for the coming 1-3 years in three countries with an internally trained nursing workforce and in a fourth where the workforce is externally recruited. Nurses working in 'difficult to staff' areas in Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon and Qatar were surveyed. A conceptual model composed of 6 dimensions based on that of the World Health Organization was constructed with 'intent to stay' (Career Decisions) as the main outcome. Regression models were constructed for each of the dimensions in the conceptual model with 'intent to stay' as the dependent variable for each of the study countries. Subsequently, a collective model that combined Lebanon, Jordan and Yemen was constructed to identify common factors that are associated with intent to stay. Factors associated with intent to stay differed for study countries. Marriage was positively associated with intent to stay in Lebanon and Jordan whereas years of experience were positively significant for Lebanon and Yemen. Shorter commuting time was significantly associated with intent to stay in Jordan whereas a preference for village life was significant for Lebanon. Job satisfaction was significantly associated with intent to stay in all study countries. Nurses in Lebanon, Jordan and Qatar who indicated that they would choose nursing if they had the opportunity to choose a career all over again were significantly more likely to intend to stay in their current post. Studies of nurses working in

Problematic of atmospheric pollution in Lebanon: the better stake is apprehended, the best acts are taken

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chehab, Said

2000-01-01

The article is an overview on atmospheric pollution in Lebanon. It presents an analysis of sources of pollution in the country and their impacts on local and global environment and describes their control. Air pollution is mainly due to the industrial, electrical and transportation sectors. Pollutants from fuel combustion are analyzed. It is estimated that in 2010, CO 2 emissions will reach 5987250 tons, SO 2 emissions is estimated to be 182950 tons, Nox to 105180 and dusts to 4965 tons. CFC consumption and measures of control according to Montreal protocol are described. Consumption of primary energy, consumption of petroleum products, quantity of petroleum in refineries and production of cement in Lebanon are also presented in tables

Preparing a Minimum Information about a Flow Cytometry Experiment (MIFlowCyt) compliant manuscript using the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC) FCS file repository (FlowRepository.org).

Science.gov (United States)

Spidlen, Josef; Breuer, Karin; Brinkman, Ryan

2012-07-01

FlowRepository.org is a Web-based flow cytometry data repository provided by the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC). It supports storage, annotation, analysis, and sharing of flow cytometry datasets. A fundamental tenet of scientific research is that published results should be open to independent validation and refutation. With FlowRepository, researchers can annotate their datasets in compliance with the Minimum Information about a Flow Cytometry Experiment (MIFlowCyt) standard, thus greatly facilitating third-party interpretation of their data. In this unit, we will mainly focus on the deposition, sharing, and annotation of flow cytometry data.

SeaDataNet : Pan-European infrastructure for marine and ocean data management - Project objectives, structure and components

Science.gov (United States)

Maudire, G.; Maillard, C.; Fichaut, M.; Manzella, G.; Schaap, D. M. A.

2009-04-01

/UL (Latvia), CMR (Lithuania), SIO/RAS (Russia), MHI/DMIST (Ukraine), IO/BAS (Bulgaria), NIMRD (Romania), TSU (Georgia), INRH (Morocco), IOF (Croatia), PUT (Albania), NIB (Slovenia), UoM (Malta), OC/UCY (Cyprus), IOLR (Israel), NCSR/NCMS (Lebanon), CNR-ISAC (Italy), ISMAL (Algeria), INSTM (Tunisia)

Preceedings of the International Congress (12th), Corrosion Control for Low-Cost Reliability, Held in Houston, Texas on September 19 -24, 1993. Volume 4. Oil/Gas/Pipeline

Science.gov (United States)

1993-09-24

Milano, Italy G. Rondelli, B.Vicentini CNR - Istituto Tecnologia Materiali - Via Bassini, 15, 20133, Milano, Italy Abstract Environmental cracking of...21.8 11.1 0.69 199 Moderale 20%-40% 25.4 8.7 0.29 371 Moderale 3D %,50% 23.5 10.8 0.54 412 Severe >50% 30.3 10.8 0.00 53 1991 and 1992 data only. 2744

Validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale in rural Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Naja, Farah; Hwalla, Nahla; Fossian, Talar; Zebian, Dina; Nasreddine, Lara

2015-02-01

To assess the validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) in rural Lebanon. A cross-sectional study on a sample of households with at least one child aged 0-2 years. In a one-to-one interview, participants completed an adapted Arabic version of the HFIAS. In order to evaluate the validity of the HFIAS, basic sociodemographic information, anthropometric measurements of the mother and child, and dietary intake data of the child were obtained. In order to examine reproducibility, the HFIAS was re-administered after 3 months. Rural Lebanon. Mother and child pairs (n 150). Factor analysis of HFIAS items revealed two factors: 'insufficient food quality' and 'insufficient food quantity'. Using Pearson's correlation, food insecurity was inversely associated with mother's and father's education levels, number of cars and electrical appliances in the household, income, weight-for-age and length-for-age of the child and the child's dietary adequacy. In contrast, mother's BMI and crowding index were positively associated with food insecurity scores (P Lebanon, lending further evidence to the utility of the HFIAS in assessing food insecurity in culturally diverse populations.

“Best Practices” of Global Memory and the Politics of Atonement in Lebanon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haugbølle, Sune

2017-01-01

In Lebanon, Haugbolle argues, the state has left the task of addressing difficult questions about mass violence in the recent past to cultural producers. While the impulse for truth telling and memory work evolved out of domestic debates, the logic and institutional design of the resulting cultural...

Municipal solid waste management in Lebanon: the need for an integrated approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khoury, R.; El-Fadel, M.

2000-01-01

Full text.This study focuses on the management of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Lebanon. It addresses the current status of MSW management in Lebanon in terms of collection, transport and disposal, infers the associated impacts of such practices and discusses mitigation measures and finally proposes basic guidelines for a national strategy for solid waste management in the country. The study is based on available previous investigations and on a field survey of 113 villages in four different countries. The study revealed the absence of an effective environmental policy and poor collection and disposal methods throughout the country, except for the Greater Beirut Area (G A), where better solid waste management practices are employed. Although collection of MSW outside GBA was found to be acceptable by local authorities, resources (labor and equipment) were not used efficiently. Furthermore, treatment of collected waste is almost not available. Waste collected is invariably open dumped and /or open burned outside GBA. The poor quality of the services were reflected by the low budgets available in the solid waste sanitation departments of most surveyed villages. Unlike the situation outside the GBA a solid waste management component can be identified in the GBA. However, until recently, nearly 90 percent of the total waste generated in the GBA is being ultimately disposed of at the landfill. This raises into question the purpose of the sorting-processing-composting facilities as well as the recycling program. Apparently, the current waste management activities, particularly source reduction and recycling have not measured up favorably with the steps outlined in an integrated solid waste management system. The study concludes with a series of policy measures that can constitute the framework for a long-term strategy in order to implement an effective solid waste master plan in Lebanon

Are women engineers in Lebanon prepared for the challenges of an engineering profession?

Science.gov (United States)

Baytiyeh, Hoda

2013-08-01

This study investigates the status of women engineers in the Middle East, considering women engineers in Lebanon as a case study. The author investigated the following questions: What are the influences behind females' decisions to choose engineering as their major course of study? What are the motives behind this decision? What are the perceptions of females regarding the essential skills for a successful engineering career? An online survey consisting of Likert-scale items was completed by 327 female engineers who graduated from universities in Lebanon and now work in various locations around the world. A genuine interest in the field appeared to be the main influence in the participants' decisions to choose engineering profession. The potential for professional growth was the leading motivator for choosing engineering. Although participants reported that they possessed adequate theoretical knowledge and technical skills before graduation, in the actual practice of engineering, they noted weaknesses in creativity and innovation.

Dementia and depression among nursing home residents in Lebanon : a pilot study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chahine, L. M.; Bijlsma, A.; Hospers, A. P. N.; Chemali, Z.

Background The proportion of elderly in the Lebanese population is 7.1% and this is expected to increase to 10.2% by the year 2025. The nursing home (NH) population in Lebanon has not been studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of dementia and depression among a portion of

Dietetic practices in hemodialysis units in Lebanon and their conformity with KDOQI nutrition guidelines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karavetian, M.; Elzein, H.; Nahla, H.; de Vries, N.K.

2013-01-01

Abstract Background: In Lebanon, HD units are exclusively hospital based, and most hospitals have only one dietitian performing all nutrition related activities in the hospital. This study investigated current dietetic practices and their conformity with Kidney Disease Quality Outcomes Initiative

The T2-Shortening Effect of Gadolinium and the Optimal Conditions for Maximizing the CNR for Evaluating the Biliary System: a Phantom Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Mi Jung; Kim, Myung Joon; Yoon, Choon Sik; Song, Si Young; Park, Kyung Soo; Kim, Woo Sun

2011-01-01

Clear depiction of the common bile duct is important when evaluating neonatal cholestasis in order to differentiate biliary atresia from other diseases. During MR cholangiopancreatography, the T2-shortening effect of gadolinium can increase the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the bile duct and enhance its depiction. The purpose of this study was to confirm, by performing a phantom study, the T2-shortening effect of gadolinium, to evaluate the effect of different gadolinium chelates with different gadolinium concentrations and different magnetic field strengths for investigating the optimal combination of these conditions, and for identifying the maximum CNR for the evaluation of the biliary system. MR imaging using a T2-weighted single-shot fast spin echo sequence and T2 relaxometry was performed with a sponge phantom in a syringe tube. Two kinds of contrast agents (Gd-DTPA and Gd-EOB-DTPA) with different gadolinium concentrations were evaluated with 1.5T and 3T scanners. The signal intensities, the CNRs and the T2 relaxation time were analyzed. The signal intensities significantly decreased as the gadolinium concentrations increased (p < 0.001) with both contrast agents. These signal intensities were higher on a 3T (p < 0.001) scanner. The CNRs were higher on a 1.5T (p < 0.001) scanner and they showed no significant change with different gadolinium concentrations. The T2 relaxation time also showed a negative correlation with the gadolinium concentrations (p < 0.001) and the CNRs showed decrease more with Gd-EOB-DTPA (versus Gd-DTPA; p < 0.001) on a 3T scanner (versus 1.5T; p < 0.001). A T2-shortening effect of gadolinium exhibits a negative correlation with the gadolinium concentration for both the signal intensities and the T2 relaxation time. A higher CNR can be obtained with Gd-DTPA on a 1.5T MRI scanner.

Burns in the Lebanon War 1982: "the blow and the cure".

Science.gov (United States)

Eldad, A; Torem, M

1990-03-01

There were 70% more burns in the October 1973 war than in the Six Day War of 1967. This increase caused great concern and emphasized the need for better personal and crew protection against burns. Some of these measures were already implemented by the outbreak of the 1982 war in Lebanon. Analysis of the burn injuries of this war is the subject of this short report.

Distributed and localized horizontal tectonic deformation as inferred from drainage network geometry and topology: A case study from Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Goren, Liran; Castelltort, Sébastien; Klinger, Yann

2016-04-01

Partitioning of horizontal deformation between localized and distributed modes in regions of oblique tectonic convergence is, in many cases, hard to quantify. As a case study, we consider the Dead Sea Fault System that changes its orientation across Lebanon and forms a restraining bend. The oblique deformation along the Lebanese restraining bend is characterized by a complex suite of tectonic structures, among which, the Yammouneh fault, is believed to be the main strand that relays deformation from the southern section to the northern section of the Dead Sea Fault System. However, uncertainties regarding slip rates along the Yammouneh fault and strain partitioning in Lebanon still prevail. In the current work we use the geometry and topology of river basins together with numerical modeling to evaluate modes and rates of the horizontal deformation in Mount Lebanon that is associated with the Arabia-Sinai relative plate motion. We focus on river basins that drain Mount Lebanon to the Mediterranean and originate close to the Yammouneh fault. We quantify a systematic counterclockwise rotation of these basins and evaluate drainage area disequilibrium using an application of the χ mapping technique, which aims at estimating the degree of geometrical and topological disequilibrium in river networks. The analysis indicates a systematic spatial pattern whereby tributaries of the rotated basins appear to experience drainage area loss or gain with respect to channel length. A kinematic model that is informed by river basin geometry reveals that since the late Miocene, about a quarter of the relative plate motion parallel to the plate boundary has been distributed along a wide band of deformation to the west of the Yammouneh fault. Taken together with previous, shorter-term estimates, the model indicates little variation of slip rate along the Yammouneh fault since the late Miocene. Kinematic model results are compatible with late Miocene paleomagnetic rotations in western

Students' Perceptions of Higher Education Quality at Notre Dame University-Louaize in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Saad, Nada

2013-01-01

Understanding how students perceive quality of education and identifying the most important quality factors from their perspectives represent a first stage for quality improvement and customer satisfaction in higher education. The purpose of this project was to investigate how higher education students in Lebanon perceived the concept of quality…

Nationalist Narratives, Boundaries and Social Inclusion/Exclusion in Palestinian Camps in South Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Fincham, Kathleen

2012-01-01

This article explores how in the contexts of exile and statelessness and in the absence of Palestinian institutions, such as schools, Palestinian youth in south Lebanon construct their identities through nationalist narratives of shared history, kinship, culture and religion. Although these narratives help to construct shared notions of…

On Progress of Mass Tertiary Education: Case of Lebanon, Kenya and Oman

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhimin; Mutinda, Gladys

2016-01-01

Mass higher education is a huge force to be reckoned with and its existence, already in the expansion of tertiary institutions is undeniable. This study will focus on three countries: Lebanon, Kenya and Oman. The purpose of this study is to evaluate mass tertiary education progress in these countries. It will synthesize data results of gross…

Assessing Lebanon's wildfire potential in association with current and future climatic conditions

Science.gov (United States)

George H. Mitri; Mireille G. Jazi; David McWethy

2015-01-01

The increasing occurrence and extent of large-scale wildfires in the Mediterranean have been linked to extended periods of warm and dry weather. We set out to assess Lebanon's wildfire potential in association with current and future climatic conditions. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) was the primary climate variable used in our evaluation of climate/fire...

A national study on nurses' retention in healthcare facilities in underserved areas in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Jardali, Fadi; Alameddine, Mohamad; Jamal, Diana; Dimassi, Hani; Dumit, Nuhad Y; McEwen, Mary K; Jaafar, Maha; Murray, Susan F

2013-09-30

Nursing shortages and maldistribution are priority issues for healthcare systems around the globe. Such imbalances are often aggravated in underserved areas, especially in developing countries. Despite the centrality of this issue, there is a dearth of studies that examine the retention of nurses in underserved areas in the Middle East Region. This study investigates the characteristic and the factors associated with the retention of nurses working in rural areas in Lebanon. This study uses a non-experimental cross-sectional design to survey nurses working in underserved areas of Lebanon. Underserved areas in Lebanon were identified using WHO definition. A total of 103 health facilities (hospitals and primary healthcare centers) located in these areas were identified and all nurses working at these facilities received a copy of the survey questionnaire. The questionnaire included five sections: demographic, work-life, career plan, job satisfaction, and assessment of work environment. Analysis included univariate and bivariate (chi-square, Student's t-test and ANOVA) tests to describe the respondents and examine the significance between nurses' characteristics and their intent to stay. A logistic regression model was constructed to identify factors associated with nurses' intent to stay in underserved areas. A total of 857 nurses from 63 Primary Healthcare (PHC) centers and hospitals responded to the questionnaire (75.5% response rate). Only 35.1% of nurses indicated their intent to stay in their current job over the coming one to three years. Surveyed nurses were most satisfied with relationship with co-workers and least satisfied with extrinsic rewards. Rural nurses working in PHC centers were more satisfied than their hospital counterparts on all aspects of work and had significantly higher intention to stay (62.5% compared to 31.5% in hospitals, P job satisfaction and their intent to stay. This study reveals poor retention of nurses in rural and underserved

Nutritional situation among Syrian refugees hosted in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon: cross sectional surveys.

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Hossain, S M Moazzem; Leidman, Eva; Kingori, James; Al Harun, Abdullah; Bilukha, Oleg O

2016-01-01

Ongoing armed conflict in Syria has caused large scale displacement. Approximately half of the population of Syria have been displaced including the millions living as refugees in neighboring countries. We sought to assess the health and nutrition of Syrian refugees affected by the conflict. Representative cross-sectional surveys of Syrian refugees were conducted between October 2 and November 30, 2013 in Lebanon, April 12 and May 1, 2014 in Jordan, and May 20 and 31, 2013 in Iraq. Surveys in Lebanon were organized in four geographical regions (North, South, Beirut/Mount Lebanon and Bekaa). In Jordan, independent surveys assessed refugees residing in Za'atri refugee camp and refugees residing among host community nationwide. In Iraq, refugees residing in Domiz refugee camp in the Kurdistan region were assessed. Data collected on children aged 6 to 59 months included anthropometric indicators, morbidity and feeding practices. In Jordan and Lebanon, data collection also included hemoglobin concentration for children and non-pregnant women aged 15 to 49 years, anthropometric indicators for both pregnant and non-pregnant women, and household level indicators such as access to safe water and sanitation. The prevalence of global acute malnutrition among children 6 to 59 months of age was less than 5 % in all samples (range 0.3-4.4 %). Prevalence of acute malnutrition among women 15 to 49 years of age, defined as mid-upper arm circumference less than 23.0 cm, was also relatively low in all surveys (range 3.5-6.5 %). For both children and non-pregnant women, anemia prevalence was highest in Za'atri camp in Jordan (48.4 % and 44.8 %, respectively). Most anemia was mild or moderate; prevalence of severe anemia was less than or equal to 1.1 % in all samples of children and women. Despite the ongoing conflict, results from all surveys indicate that global acute malnutrition is relatively low in the assessed Syrian refugee populations. However, prevalence of anemia

Prevalence and determinants of albuminuria in a cohort of diabetic patients in Lebanon.

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Taleb, Nadine; Salti, Haytham; Al-Mokaddam, Mona; Merheb, Marie; Salti, Ibrahim; Nasrallah, Mona

2008-01-01

Few data are available on the extent of albuminuria in diabetic populations in the Middle East generally and in Lebanon specifically. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence of albuminuria and its major risk factors in a cohort of diabetic patients in Lebanon. Diabetic patients followed in the outpatient department at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) were included in a prospective observational study. AUBMC is a tertiary referral center and the outpatient department typically handles patients of low socioeconomic status with advanced disease. Patients were classified according to their urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) as having normoalbuminuria (ACR or =300 mg/g creatinine). The three groups were compared to analyze the association between albuminuria and its risk factors. In addition, independent predictors of albuminuria were determined using multivariate logistic regression and presented as an odds ratio. Microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria were present in 33.3% and 12.7% of 222 patients (mean age 56.4 years, mean deviation of diabetes 8.6 years, 58.7% women, 43.8% obese), respectively. Factors significantly associated with microalbuminuria included glycemic control, insulin use, and total and LDL cholesterol. Those associated with macroalbuminuria included in addition to glycemic control and insulin use, duration of diabetes, hypertension, elevated mean arterial pressure (MAP), and presence of neuropathy, retinopathy and peripheral vascular disease by bivariate analysis. Only glycemic control was an independent risk factor for both in addition to MAP and retinopathy for macroalbuminuria by multivariate analysis. Albuminuria is highly prevalent among this cohort of diabetic patients in Lebanon. Both glycemic control and blood pressure need to be better targeted in its management.

Assessment of reproductive health and violence against women among displaced Syrians in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Reese Masterson, Amelia; Usta, Jinan; Gupta, Jhumka; Ettinger, Adrienne S

2014-02-20

The current conflict in Syria continues to displace thousands to neighboring countries, including Lebanon. Information is needed to provide adequate health and related services particularly to women in this displaced population. We conducted a needs assessment in Lebanon (June-August 2012), administering a cross-sectional survey in six health clinics. Information was collected on reproductive and general health status, conflict violence, stress, and help-seeking behaviors of displaced Syrian women. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine associations between exposure to conflict violence, stress, and reproductive health outcomes. We interviewed 452 Syrian refugee women ages 18-45 who had been in Lebanon for an average of 5.1 (± 3.7) months. Reported gynecologic conditions were common, including: menstrual irregularity, 53.5%; severe pelvic pain, 51.6%; and reproductive tract infections, 53.3%. Among the pregnancy subset (n = 74), 39.5% of currently pregnant women experienced complications and 36.8% of those who completed pregnancies experienced delivery/abortion complications. Adverse birth outcomes included: low birthweight, 10.5%; preterm delivery, 26.5%; and infant mortality, 2.9%. Of women who experienced conflict-related violence (30.8%) and non-partner sexual violence (3.1%), the majority did not seek medical care (64.6%). Conflict violence and stress score was significantly associated with reported gynecologic conditions, and stress score was found to mediate the relationship between exposure to conflict violence and self-rated health. This study contributes to the understanding of experience of conflict violence among women, stress, and reproductive health needs. Findings demonstrate the need for better targeting of reproductive health services in refugee settings, as well as referral to psychosocial services for survivors of violence.

Introduced, Captive, Caged and Escaped Exotic and Native Bird Species in the Littoral Area of Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramadan -Jradi, G.; Ramadan -Jradi, M.

2012-01-01

Some introduced exotic bird species may cause damages to the ecosystem they are introduced to; others may have no effect or can be beneficial to humans and ecosystems.Whatever the case is, the exotic bird species remain an issue in Lebanon, especially that they are not given the appropriate priority at the national level. With the recent intentional or accidental introduction of exotic species,the problem is increasing and therefore necessitating comprehensive evaluation of the status and origin of these species in Lebanon.Since many of the introduced species are escapes from cages, it was necessary to also evaluate both status and origin of all caged birds in order to see whether they are introduced or native to the country. (author)

Problematic of atmospheric pollution in Lebanon: the better stake is apprehended, the best acts are taken

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chehab, Said

1999-01-01

Lebanon has imported in 1996 5000 Kt of carburants causing about 80 Kt of SO x ; 40 Kt of NO x ; 3 Kt of dusts and 3.5 million tons of CO 2 . The atmospheric pollution in Lebanon is due to three main sources: - Thermal central of electric production - Industries (cement) - Transportation sector The document describes in tables: the inventory of pollutants and pollutant emissions in 1993 and 2010; industrial and heating gas oil; liquified petroleum gas commercial propane; fuel oil for EDL; consumption of energy in 1996; sectorial distribution of pollutants PPM; emissions of CO 2 per tons per habitant in 1993; consumption in 1993 broken down by use and application. Finally, three projects concerning public transportation were presented

Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

1987-04-01

For "Background Notes" on Italy, the U.S. State Department, Bureau of Public Affairs, covers geography, people, history, government, politics, economy, defense and foreign relations. Italy had 57.3 million persons in 1986, with a growth rate of 2.3%. The life expectancy is 73 years; the infant mortality rate is 14.3/1000 live births. 98% of the people are literate. The current constitutional republic has existed since 1948. Mean per capita income is $6,447. The people work mainly in services (60%), industry (30%) and agriculture (10%). Most of the country is mountainous, without significant food, energy or natural resources, so Italy's central position in the Mediterranean has influenced economic development since ancient times. The nation is highly homogeneous, as the government is centralized. Although there are several influential political parties, the diverse structure of the Christian Democrats has given them power since the war. The current prime minister, Bettino Craxi, is a member of the centralist Italian Socialist Party. The Italian Communist Party is the largest such party in the free world, polling 30% of the vote in 1983. Italy is a member of NATO.

Acute spinal cord injuries in the Lebanon War, 1982.

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Ohry, A; Rozin, R

1984-04-01

Our experience with 17 patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI) acquired in the Lebanon War, 1982, is described. The SCI were due to gunshot wounds in 12 patients and to other causes in 5. Two laparotomies and one thoracotomy were performed. Corticosteroids were not seen to influence recovery, nor was laminectomy, which was performed in three cases. Complications such as pressure sores, hydronephrosis, ileus and deep vein thrombosis were rare or did not occur. Three high quadriplegics died. Based on our experience, we recommend conservative treatment and rehabilitation in acute SCI.

Active Thrusting Offshore Mount Lebanon: Source of the Tsunamigenic A.D. 551 Beirut-Tripoli Earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Tapponnier, P.; Elias, A.; Singh, S.; King, G.; Briais, A.; Daeron, M.; Carton, H.; Sursock, A.; Jacques, E.; Jomaa, R.; Klinger, Y.

2007-12-01

On July 9, AD 551, a large earthquake, followed by a tsunami destroyed most of the coastal cities of Phoenicia (modern-day Lebanon). This was arguably one of the most devastating historical submarine earthquakes in the eastern Mediterranean. Geophysical data from the Shalimar survey unveils the source of this Mw=7.5 event: rupture of the offshore, hitherto unknown, 100?150 km-long, active, east-dipping Mount Lebanon Thrust (MLT). Deep-towed sonar swaths along the base of prominent bathymetric escarpments reveal fresh, west facing seismic scarps that cut the sediment-smoothed seafloor. The MLT trace comes closest (~ 8 km) to the coast between Beirut and Enfeh, where as 13 radiocarbon-calibrated ages indicate, a shoreline-fringing Vermetid bench suddenly emerged by ~ 80 cm in the 6th century AD. At Tabarja, the regular vertical separation (~ 1 m) of higher fossil benches, suggests uplift by 3 more comparable-size earthquakes since the Holocene sea-level reached a maximum ca. 7-6 ka, implying a 1500?1750 yr recurrence time. Unabated thrusting on the MLT likely orchestrated the growth of Mt. Lebanon since the late Miocene. The newly discovered MLT has been the missing piece in the Dead Sea Transform and eastern Mediterranean tectonic scheme. Identifying the source of the AD 551 event thus ends a complete reassessment of the sources of the major historical earthquakes on the various faults of the Lebanese Restraining Bend of the Levant Fault System (or Dead Sea Transform).

Community-Based Noncommunicable Disease Care for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Sethi, Stephen; Jonsson, Rebecka; Skaff, Rony; Tyler, Frank

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT In the sixth year of the Syrian conflict, 11 million people have been displaced, including more than 1.1 million seeking refuge in Lebanon. Prior to the crisis, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for 80% of all deaths in Syria, and the underlying health behaviors such as tobacco use, obesity, and physical inactivity are still prevalent among Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Humanitarian agencies initially responded to the acute health care needs of refugees by delivering services to informal settlements via mobile medical clinics. As the crisis has become more protracted, humanitarian response plans have shifted their focus to strengthening local health systems in order to better address the needs of both the host and refugee populations. To that end, we identified gaps in care for NCDs and launched a program to deliver chronic disease care for refugees. Based on a participatory needs assessment and community surveys, and building on the success of community health programs in other contexts, we developed a network of 500 refugee outreach volunteers who are supported with training, supervision, and materials to facilitate health promotion and disease control for community members, target NCDs and other priority conditions, and make referrals to a primary health care center for subsidized care. This model demonstrates that volunteer refugee health workers can implement community-based primary health activities in a complex humanitarian emergency. PMID:28928227

Community-Based Noncommunicable Disease Care for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Sethi, Stephen; Jonsson, Rebecka; Skaff, Rony; Tyler, Frank

2017-09-27

In the sixth year of the Syrian conflict, 11 million people have been displaced, including more than 1.1 million seeking refuge in Lebanon. Prior to the crisis, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for 80% of all deaths in Syria, and the underlying health behaviors such as tobacco use, obesity, and physical inactivity are still prevalent among Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Humanitarian agencies initially responded to the acute health care needs of refugees by delivering services to informal settlements via mobile medical clinics. As the crisis has become more protracted, humanitarian response plans have shifted their focus to strengthening local health systems in order to better address the needs of both the host and refugee populations. To that end, we identified gaps in care for NCDs and launched a program to deliver chronic disease care for refugees. Based on a participatory needs assessment and community surveys, and building on the success of community health programs in other contexts, we developed a network of 500 refugee outreach volunteers who are supported with training, supervision, and materials to facilitate health promotion and disease control for community members, target NCDs and other priority conditions, and make referrals to a primary health care center for subsidized care. This model demonstrates that volunteer refugee health workers can implement community-based primary health activities in a complex humanitarian emergency. © Sethi et al.

Lebanon's 2011 ICT Education Reform Strategy and Action Plan: Curriculum Success or Abeyance

Science.gov (United States)

Awada, Ghada; Diab, Hassan

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of Lebanon's Education Reform Strategy and Action Plan (LERSAP) set in 2011 as a form of the educational reform the curriculum underwent through focusing on promoting and employing the information communication technology (ICT) tools. The LERSAP was launched to equip teachers…

Frequently Asked Questions on Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS‐CoV)

Science.gov (United States)

... Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, ... rub can be used); adhering to good food‐safety practices, such as avoiding undercooked meat or food ...

Preliminary economic assessment of the use of waste frying oils for biodiesel production in Beirut, Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Fawaz, Elyssa G; Salam, Darine A

2018-05-15

In this study, a method for assessing the costs of biodiesel production from waste frying oils in Beirut, Lebanon, was investigated with the aim of developing an economic evaluation of this alternative. A hundred restaurant and hotel enterprises in Beirut were surveyed for promoting them in participating in the biodiesel supply chain, and for data collection on waste frying oils generation, disposal methods and frequency, and acquisition cost. Also, waste frying oils were collected and converted into biodiesel using a one-step base catalyzed transesterification process. Physicochemical characteristics of the produced biodiesel were conforming to international standards. Data produced from laboratory scale conversion of waste frying oils to biodiesel, as well as data collected from the only biodiesel plant in Lebanon was used to determine the production cost of biodiesel. Geographic Information System was used to propose a real-time vehicle routing model to establish the logistics costs associated with waste frying oils collection. Comparing scenarios of the configuration collection network of waste frying oils, and using medium-duty commercial vehicles for collection, a logistics cost of US$/L 0.08 was optimally reached. For the calculation of the total cost of biodiesel production, the minimum, average, and maximum values for the non-fixed cost variables were considered emerging 81 scenarios for possible biodiesel costs. These were compared with information on the commercialization of diesel in Lebanon for the years 2011 through 2017. Although competitive with petroleum diesel for years 2011 to 2014, the total biodiesel cost presented less tolerance to declining diesel prices in the recent years. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the acquisition cost of waste frying oils is the key factor affecting the overall cost of biodiesel production. The results of this study validate the economic feasibility of waste frying oils' biodiesel production in the studied

Prevalence and Correlates of Food Insecurity among Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon: Data from a Household Survey.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hala Ghattas

Full Text Available Lebanon hosts the highest per capita refugee concentration worldwide. The Palestinian presence in Lebanon dates from 1948 and they remain a marginalized population. No information on their food security status has been reported previously. A survey of a representative sample of Palestinian refugee households in Lebanon (n = 2501 was conducted using a stratified two stage cluster sampling approach. We measured food insecurity using a modified USDA household food security module, locally validated. We collected data on household demographic, socioeconomic, health, housing, coping strategies and household intake of food groups and analysed these by food security status. About 41% (CI: 39-43 of households reported being food insecure and 20% (CI: 18-22 severely food insecure. Poor households were more likely to be severely food insecure (OR 1.41 (1.06-1.86 while higher education of the head of household was significantly associated with protection against severe food insecurity (OR 0.66 (0.52-0.84. Additionally, higher food expenditure and possession of food-related assets were significantly associated with food security (OR 0.93 (0.89-0.97 and OR 0.74 (0.59-0.92, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, households where at least one member suffered from an acute illness remained significantly more likely to be severely food insecure (OR 1.31(1.02-1.66, as were households whose proxy respondent reported poor mental health (OR 2.64 (2.07-3.38 and poor self-reported health (OR 1.62 (1.22-2.13. Severely food insecure households were more likely to eat cheaper foods when compared to non-severely food insecure households (p<0.001 and were more likely to rely on gifts (p<0.001 or welfare (p<0.001. They were also more likely to have exhausted all coping strategies, indicating significantly more frequently that they could not do anything (p = 0.0102. Food insecurity is a significant problem among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and is likely to be

Violence Against Displaced Syrian Women in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Usta, Jinan; Masterson, Amelia Reese; Farver, JoAnn M

2016-10-01

This study used focus group discussions to explore 29 Syrian women's experiences of being displaced refugees in Lebanon. Women reported intimate partner violence (IPV), harassment, and community violence. They experienced difficult living conditions characterized by crowding and lack of privacy, adult unemployment, and overall feelings of helplessness. Most frequently, they used negative coping strategies, including justification and acceptance of IPV and often physically harmed their own children due to heightened stress. Some sought support from other Syrian refugee women. Although the study did not address the root causes of IPV, the results shed light on women's experiences and indicate that training them in positive coping strategies and establishing support groups would help them face IPV that occurs in refugee settings.

Prenatal and neonatal Group B Streptococcus screening and serotyping in Lebanon: incidence and implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Seoud, Muheiddine; Nassar, Anwar H; Zalloua, Pierre; Boghossian, Nansi; Ezeddine, Jihad; Fakhoury, Hassan; Abboud, Joseph; Melki, Imad; Araj, George; Nacouzi, Ghinwa; Sanyoura, May; Yunis, Khalid

2010-03-01

The study aimed at determining the prevalence, risk factors, perinatal transmission, and serotypes of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) among pregnant women and their newborns in Beirut, Lebanon. This was a cross-sectional study of all pregnant women admitted from February to September 2006 to three major hospitals. Overall, 137 of 775 (17.7%) mothers and 50 of 682 newborns (7.3%) tested positive for GBS. Maternal colonization was not associated with maternal age, household income, gravidity, intrapartum fever, preterm labor, or premature rupture of membrane. Transmission rate was 40/120 (30%). Serotype 5 (24.1%) was the most common followed by serotype 1a (15.0%), 3 (14.4%), 2 (11.8%) and 1b (7.5%). Pregnant women in Lebanon appear to have a relatively high prevalence of GBS colonization with no identifiable risk factors for its acquisition. These results could provide basis for the institution of a national policy for universal maternal GBS screening to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality.

An atmospheric emission inventory of anthropogenic and biogenic sources for Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Waked, Antoine; Afif, Charbel; Seigneur, Christian

2012-04-01

A temporally-resolved and spatially-distributed emission inventory was developed for Lebanon to provide quantitative information for air pollution studies as well as for use as input to air quality models. This inventory covers major anthropogenic and biogenic sources in the region with 5 km spatial resolution for Lebanon and 1 km spatial resolution for its capital city Beirut and its suburbs. The results obtained for CO, NOx, SO2, NMVOC, NH3, PM10 and PM2.5 for the year 2010 were 563, 75, 62, 115, 4, 12, and 9 Gg, respectively. About 93% of CO emissions, 67% of NMVOC emissions and 52% of NOx emissions are calculated to originate from the on-road transport sector while 73% of SO2 emissions, 62% of PM10 emissions and 59% of PM2.5 emissions are calculated to originate from power plants and industrial sources. The spatial allocation of emissions shows that the city of Beirut and its suburbs encounter a large fraction of the emissions from the on-road transport sector while urban areas such as Zouk Mikael, Jieh, Chekka and Selaata are mostly affected by emissions originating from the industrial and energy production sectors. Temporal profiles were developed for several emission sectors.

Comparison of time series of integrated water vapor measured using radiosonde, GPS and microwave radiometer at the CNR-IMAA Atmospheric Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Amato, Franceso; Rosoldi, Marco; Madonna, Fabio

2015-04-01

. radiosondes (processed using GRUAN processing algorithm); 4. a microwave radiometer (data processed using a retrieval based on a neural network). F. Amato, M. Rosoldi, and F. Madonna Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Metodologie per l'Analisi Ambientale (CNR-IMAA), Tito Scalo, Potenza, Italy Information about the amount and spatial distribution of atmospheric water vapor is essential to improve our knowledge of weather forecasting and climate change. Water vapor is highly variable in space and time depending on the complex interplay of several phenomena like convection, precipitation, turbulence, etc. It remains one of the most poorly characterized meteorological parameters. Remarkable progress in using of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), in particular GPS, for the monitoring of atmospheric water vapor has been achieved during the last decades. Various studies have demonstrated that GPS could provide accurate water vapor estimates for the study of the atmosphere. Different GPS data processing provided within the scientific community made use of various tropospheric models that primarily differs for the assumptions on the vertical refractivity profiles and the mapping of the vertical delay with elevation angles. This works compares several models based on the use of surface meteorological data. In order to calculate the Integrated Water Vapour (IWV), an algorithm for calculating the zenith tropospheric delay was implemented. It is based upon different mapping functions (Niell, Saastamoinen, Chao and Herring Mapping Functions). Observations are performed at the Istituto di Metodologie per l'Analisi Ambientale (IMAA) GPS station located in Tito Scalo, Potenza (40.60N, 15.72E), from July to December 2014, in the framework of OSCAR project (Observation System for Climate Application at Regional scale). The retrieved values of the IWV using the GPS are systematically compared with the other estimation of IWV collected at CIAO (CNR-IMAA Atmospheric

Prevalence and determinants of albuminuria in a cohort of diabetic patients in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nadine, Taleb

2010-01-01

Few data are available on the extent of albuminuria in diabetic populations in the Middle East generally and in Lebanon specifically. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence of albuminuria and its major risk factors in a cohort of diabetic patients in Lebanon. Patients and Diabetic patients followed in the outpatient department at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) were included in a prospective observational study. AUBMC is a tertiary referral center and the outpatient department typically handles patients of low socioeconomic status with advanced disease. Patients were classified according to their urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) as having normoalbuminuria (ACR<30 mg/g creatinine), microalbuminuria (ACR=30 to <300 mg/g creatinine), or macro-albuminuria (ACR 2300 mg/g creatinine). The three groups were compared to analyze the association between albuminuria and its risk factors. In addition, independent predictors of albuminuria were determined using multivariate logistic regression and presented as an odds ratio.Microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria were present in 33.3% and 12.7% of 222 patients (mean age 56.4 years, mean deviation of diabetes 8.6 years, 58.7% women, 43.8% obese), respectively. Factors significantly associated with microalbuminuria included glycemic control, insulin use, and total and LDL cholesterol.Those associated with macroalbuminuria included in addition to glycemic control and insulin use, duration of diabetes, hypertension, elevated mean arterial pressure (MAP), and presence of neuropathy, retinopathy and peripheral vascular disease by bivariate analysis. Only glycemic control was an independent risk factor for both in addition to MAP and retinopathy for macroalbuminuria by multivariate analysis. Albuminuria is highly prevalent among this cohort of diabetic patients in Lebanon. Both glyce-mic control and blood pressure need to be better targeted in its management (Author).

They aren't all first cousins: Bedouin marriage and health policies in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Mansour, Nisrine; Chatty, Dawn; El-Kak, Faysal; Yassin, Nasser

2014-01-01

Fertility and consanguineous marriages among the Bedouin tribes of the Middle East have long generated interest particularly around health outcomes and social relations. In particular, Bedouin in Lebanon have increasingly embraced the Lebanese national bio-medical health system in the past two decades, while Lebanese policy-makers' responses continue to be minimal and ill-informed. This paper investigates the mismatch between policy-makers' formulations of Bedouin consanguineous marriages and the Bedouins's actual reproductive practices and discusses the implications of these formulations on the Bedouins's access to health services. The findings are drawn from the data collected as part of the Bedouin Health Project, an EU-funded five-year study (2005-2010), aiming at assessing access to reproductive and child health care among the Bedouin in Lebanon. The data was collected from 6 clusters representing the main Bedouin informal and unrecognized settlements in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon. The data consists of 111 socioeconomic questionnaires with Bedouin women users of local public, private, and nongovernmental reproductive and child health-focused clinics, in addition to 40 in-depth interviews with Bedouin women across the clusters and 17 semi-structured interviews with policy-makers. The findings suggest a gap between the perceptions of policy-makers and the incidence of consanguineous marriages and reproductive practices among the Bedouin. While there was no national data available for the Bedouin populations, policy-makers relied on a constructed 'Bedouin reproductive profile' that portrayed them as 'a problematic health group'. The national policy formulation of the Bedouin reproductive profile has an exclusionary impact on the Bedouin population as they are ignored from any targeted health policies or provided with politically motivated palliative care provision. These findings highlight the importance of addressing stereotyping and discrimination among health

Sociological Transition and Breast Cancer in the Arab World: the Experience of Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

A Lakkis, Najla; Adib, Salim M; Hamadeh, Ghassan; El Jarrah, Rana; H Osman, Mona

2017-05-01

Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among females in Lebanon. This study aimed at analyzing its epidemiology in the country over time. Methods: Data were extracted from the Lebanese National Cancer Registry (NCR) for the years 2004 through 2010. Age-standardized and age-specific incidence rates for cancers per 100,000 population were calculated. Results: Breast cancer ranked first, accounting for an average of 37.6% of all new female cancer cases in Lebanon during the period of 2004-2010. Breast cancer was found to have been increasing faster than other hormone-related women’s cancers (i.e. of the ovaries and corpus uteri). The breast cancer age-standardized incidence rates (world population) (ASRw) increased steadily from 2004 (71.0) to 2010 (105.9), making the burden comparable to that in developed countries, reflecting the influence of sociological and reproductive patterns transitioning from regional norms to global trends. The age-specific incidence rates for breast cancer rose steeply from around age 35-39 years, to reach a first peak in the age group 45-49 years, and then dropped slightly between 50 and 64 years to rise again thereafter and reach a second peak in the 75+ age group. Five-year age-specific rates among Lebanese women between 35 and 49 years were among the highest observed worldwide in 2008. Conclusion: Breast cancer is continuously on the rise in Lebanon. The findings of this study support the national screening recommendation of starting breast cancer screening at the age of 40 years. It is mandatory to conduct an in-depth analysis of contributing factors and develop consequently a comprehensive National Breast Cancer Control strategy. Creative Commons Attribution License

Clinical research ethics review process in Lebanon: efficiency and functions of research ethics committees – results from a descriptive questionnaire-based study

OpenAIRE

Atallah, David; Moubarak, Malak; El Kassis, Nadine; Abboud, Sara

2018-01-01

Background Clinical trials conducted in Lebanon are increasing. However, little is known about the performance of research ethics committees (RECs) in charge of reviewing the research protocols. This study aimed to assess the level of adherence to the ethics surrounding the conduct of clinical trials and perceptions of team members regarding roles of the RECs during the conduct of clinical trials in Lebanon. The research question was: Are RECs adherent to the ethics surrounding the conduct of...

Landscape and Urban Governance: Participatory Planning of the Public Realm in Saida, Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jala Makhzoumi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The political shift in Lebanon since the 1990s towards market-led development has encouraged the incremental appropriation of public spaces and state lands, and their conversion into gated, monitored enclaves that serve a privileged few. The process disregards the role of the urban public realm and undermines its potential as an inclusive space and enabling platform for urban governance. This article advocates a participatory approach to urban development, one that engages local stakeholders, institutions, and the public at large as active partners working towards sustainable urban futures. We draw on a case study in Saida, Lebanon, to illustrate participatory planning methods and demonstrate the role of landscape architects in enabling community-led development that is place responsive and sensitive to local narratives of heritage and identity. The project’s participatory methodology and landscape architecture’s expansive framing, the paper argues, democratizes the planning process and contributes to urban governance that empowers local authorities and local stakeholders in the face of privatization and market-led development.

Geographic epidemiology in a small area: cancer incidence in Baakline, Lebanon, 2000-2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Adib, S M; Tabbal, N; Hamadeh, R; Ammar, W

2013-04-01

Aggregate data of the National Clr cac gi s in Lebanon cannot discriminate cance r incidence i n small areas. Trained community members surveyed the permanent population of the Baakline municipality using the verbal autopsy approach. We surveyed 1042 households with at least 1 member living permanently in Baakline during 2000-2008. Data covered 4330 persons yielding 34,143 years of observation and 56 new cases of cancer were reported. Median age at diagnosis varied significantly between men (77 years) and women (56 years). The most common types were lung cancer (20%) followed by colorectal (12.5%) and breast (9%). Estimated crude cancer incidence rate was 164 cases/100,000 persons/year, significantly higher in men (194) than women (130), and much lower overall than the national figure (218). The permanent Baakline population is older than that of Lebanon itself, yet the cancer incidence rate is markedly lower than the national figure. This finding pleads for serious efforts to preserve the low environmental contamination and the healthy lifestyles in food and tobacco abstinence that have protected the population so far.

Citizenship education in Lebanon: An introduction into students’ concepts and learning experiences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bassel Akar

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Lebanon continues to use citizenship education as a tool for social cohesion in its post-conflict sectarian society. Recently, teachers from previous studies (Akar, 2006 have raised certain issues concerning the challenges of teaching citizenship in Lebanon’s National and Civic Education classrooms. This initial study in Lebanon explores some of the challenges that students face when learning citizenship within their classroom by investigating their concepts of citizenship in addition to their learning experiences. Thirty-one students from two year-11 classrooms in different schools participated. During a 45-minute class lesson, I administered a survey pack collecting quantitative and qualitative data. This pack included a diamond ranking exercise, open-ended questions and a 15-minute class discussion at the end of class. Evidence showed that these students value active and dynamic behaviours based on humanistic and democratic principles. They also demonstrated a strong sense of national identity with little or no reference to a global one. Finally, the findings showed that traditional methods of learning such as memorization and the paradoxical climate of learning democratic civic behaviours in a society of internal conflicts further challenged their learning experiences.

Prevalence, care-seeking, and health service utilization for non-communicable diseases among Syrian refugees and host communities in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Doocy, Shannon; Lyles, Emily; Hanquart, Baptiste; Woodman, Michael

2016-01-01

Given the large burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among both Syrian refugees and the host communities within which they are settled, humanitarian actors and the government of Lebanon face immense challenges in addressing health needs. This study assessed health status, unmet needs, and utilization of health services among Syrian refugees and host communities in Lebanon. A cross-sectional survey of Syrian refugees and host communities in Lebanon was conducted using a two-stage cluster survey design with probability proportional to size sampling. To obtain information on chronic NCDs, respondents were asked a series of questions about hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and arthritis. Differences in household characteristics by care-seeking for these conditions were examined using chi-square, t-test, and adjusted logistic regression methods. Over half (50.4 %) of refugee and host community households (60.2 %) reported a member with one of the five NCDs. Host community prevalence rates were significantly higher than refugees for all conditions except chronic respiratory diseases ( p  = 0.08). Care-seeking for NCDs among refugees and host community households was high across all conditions with 82.9 and 97.8 %, respectively, having sought care in Lebanon for their condition. Refugees utilized primary health care centers (PHCC) (57.7 %) most often while host communities sought care most in private clinics (62.4 %). Overall, 69.7 % of refugees and 82.7 % of host community members reported an out-of-pocket consultation payment ( p  = 0.041) with an average payment of US$15 among refugees and US$42 for the host community ( p Syrian crisis and the burden on the Lebanese health system, implications for both individuals with NCDs and Lebanon's health system are immense. The burden of out of pocket expenses on persons with NCDs are also substantial, especially given the tenuous economic status of many refugees

Recent developments at CNR-INSEAN on testing and modelling marine renewable energy systems for waves and currents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salvatore, Francesco; Di Felice, Fabio; Fabbri Luigi

2015-01-01

Hydrodynamic testing centers are nowadays challenged by a continuously increasing demand for studies aimed at the development, verification and assessment of marine renewable energy capturing systems. This paper describes the experience matured over the last years at CNR-INSEAN, the marine technology research Institute of the Italian National Research Council. Originally designed for hydrodynamics testing of marine vehicles, the Institute’s experimental facilities like wave and calm water tanks, circulating water channel, now host testing programs on wave energy converters, marine current turbines and hybrid systems, combining devices to extract energy from different marine sources like waves and winds. Selected case studies are described and main findings are discussed in the paper.

Radio Frequency Tomography for Tunnel Detection

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-01

F. Soldovieri is with the Istituto per il Rilevamento Elettromagnetico dell’Ambiente, Italian National Research Council (CNR), 80124 Naples, Italy ...both directions. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors would like to thank J. Parker and Dr. M. Ferrara , Air Force Research Laboratory, Prof. R. Ansari...Monte, D. Erricolo, and M. C. Wicks, “Propagation model, optimal geometry and receiver design for RF geotomography,” in Proc. IEEE RadarCon, Rome, Italy

Developing Effective Earthquake Risk Reduction Strategies: The Potential Role of Academic Institutions in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Baytiyeh, Hoda

2015-01-01

Lebanon faces the risk of powerful earthquakes with potentially devastating effects. However, the Lebanese people in general have not yet recognized this risk, as current educational programs and government officials have failed to inform them about it. This article discusses the essential role that Lebanese institutions of higher education should…

Rangeland degradation in two watersheds of Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darwish, T; Faour, G.

2008-01-01

A complex and rugged nature characterizes the Lebanese mountains.The climatic pattern prevailing in the country, deforestation and man made erosion caused increased rangeland degradation. The purpose of this study was to monitor two contrasting watersheds, representing the Lebanese agro-ecological zones, to analyze the vegetation dynamics and trace the state of rangeland degradation. The Kfarselouane (205 km2) and Aarsal (316.7 km2) watersheds are located in the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountain chain and characterized by sub humid and semi-arid climate respectively.Using multitemporal spot vegetation images between 1999 and 2005 to analyze the normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) revealed some improvement of the vegetation cover over recent years in Kfaselouane with a steady state in Aarsal. The NDVI trend curve inclines in spring and declines in summer and fall. Judging by the time scale amplitude change and highest magnitude between the peak and lower NDVI level in Aarsal, an increased vulnerability to drought is observed in the dry Lebanese areas. Comparing land cover/use in Aarsal area between 1962 and 2000 using aerial photos and large resolution Indian satellite images (IRS) showed wood fragmentation and slight increase of the degenerated forest cover from 1108 ha to 1168 ha. Landuse change was accompanied by a simultaneous increase of cultivated lands (mostly fruit trees) from 932 ha to 4878 ha with absence of soil conservation and water harvesting practices. On the contrary, grasslands decreased from 29581 ha to 25000 ha. In Kfarselouane, the area of grassland was invaded by forestland where rangeland decreased from 8073 ha to 3568 ha and woodland increased from 5766 ha to 11800 ha. Forest expansion occurred even at the account of unproductive land which decreased from 2668 ha to 248 ha, while cultivated lands did not reveal any substantial change. Based on animals' seasonal feeding pattern, a mismatch between land carrying capacity and grazing

Technologies for adaptation to climate change. Examples from the agricultural and water sectors in Lebanon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trærup, Sara Lærke Meltofte; Stephan, Jean

2015-01-01

for integrating adaptation technologies into the planning and implementation of on-going and future projects. Based on local-level data from a technology needs assessment project in Lebanon, this paper presents two examples of the economic feasibility of implementing adaptation technologies in the agricultural...

Problematic of atmospheric pollution in Lebanon: the better stake is apprehended, the best acts are taken

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chehab, Said

1998-01-01

The document presents an overview on atmospheric pollution in Lebanon, with an analysis of sources of pollution, their impact on local and global environment and their control.Local causes of pollution are mainly: -Thermal power plants of electric power production which produce 75% SO 2 emission and 60% dust - Industries, especially cement industry - Land transportation which produces 70% NOX emission and 50% CO 2 A description of air pollution caused by these three sectors is revealed. Pollutants derived from fuel combustion are analyzed. It is estimated that in 2010, Co 2 emission will reach 5204450 tons, SO 2 emission will be 136470 tons, NOX emissions 96870 and dust estimated to 4130 tons. CFC consumption and measures of control according to Montreal Protocol are described. Recommendations for control of air pollution in Lebanon within a national policy are presented

Technology priorities for transport in Asia: assessment of economy-wide CO2 emissions reduction for Lebanon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dhar, Subash; Marpaung, Charles O. P.

2015-01-01

mitigations actions (NAMA) given their strong contribution for development and therefore a methodology based on in-put out-put decomposition analysis is proposed for analysing economy wide CO2 emissions reductions. The methodology has been applied for the transport sector of Lebanon where alternative fuels...... of technologies and availability of technology characteristics. Non-motorized transport, mass transit and technologies that improve vehicle energy efficiency emerged as the three most preferred technology choices for the countries. These technology choices can be appropriate candidates for nationally appropriate......,improvement to cars (private and taxis) and buses for public transport were prioritized by stakeholders. The economy-wide CO2 emission reduce by 2,269 thousand tons by 2020 if the prioritized technologies are implemented in Lebanon. Fuel mix effect and structural effect would reduce CO2 emission by 2,611 thousand...

The Arab Uprisings and Social Rights: Asian Migrant Workers in Lebanon

OpenAIRE

Picard , Elizabeth

2013-01-01

The Arab spring of 2011 first reverberated in Lebanon in the form of political protest against the rule, not of one despotic autocrat but of a clique of collusive confessional leaders. Soon, however, demands and demonstrations in favor of reform and secularization fizzled out, engulfed by the 8 March - 14 March dispute exacerbated by the spilling over of the Syrian crisis. Democratization forces and anti-system groups appeared divided along confessional and clannish lines. Hope for political ...

A qualitative study exploring child marriage practices among Syrian conflict-affected populations in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Mourtada, Rima; Schlecht, Jennifer; DeJong, Jocelyn

2017-01-01

Recent reports have suggested that child marriage among Syrians may be increasing as a result of displacement and conflict. This study sought to gather qualitative data about the factors that promote child marriage practices among Syrian refugees in Al Marj area in the Bekaa valley, Lebanon, where the majority of Syrian refugees have settled in Lebanon. The second aim of this study was to generate recommendations on how to mitigate the drivers and consequences of child marriage practices based on the findings. Eight focus group discussions were conducted separately with married and unmarried young women and mothers and fathers of married and unmarried women. Furthermore, researchers conducted 11 key informant interviews with service providers and stakeholders to understand how conflict and displacement influenced marriage practices of Syrian refugees in Al Marj community. Although child marriage was a common practice in pre-conflict Syria, new factors seem to contribute to a higher risk of child marriage among Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Respondents cited conflict- and displacement-related safety issues and feeling of insecurity, the worsening of economic conditions, and disrupted education for adolescent women as driving factors. Service providers, young women, and parents also reported changes in some marriage practices, including a shorter engagement period, lower bride price, change in cousin marriage practices, and a reduced age at marriage. Recommendations for interventions to mitigate the drivers of child marriage and its negative consequences should be built on a clear understanding of the local refugee context and the drivers of child marriage in refugee settings. Interventions should involve multiple stakeholders, they should be adjusted to target each specific context, age group and marital status. For these interventions to be effective, they should be addressed concurrently, and they should be delivered in a culturally sensitive and practical manner.

Characteristics of incident female breast cancer in Lebanon, 1990-2013: Descriptive study of 612 cases from a hospital tumor registry.

Science.gov (United States)

Chahine, Georges; El Rassy, Elie; Khazzaka, Aline; Saleh, Khalil; Rassy, Nathalie; Khalife, Nadine; Atallah, David

2015-06-01

Despite the fact that breast cancer is a major health issue, very few studies describe its characteristics in the Arab world or the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon. We report in this article a retrospective pilot study of the characteristics of breast cancer in Lebanon. The pathological characteristics of 624 patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2013 randomly chosen from the archives of an oncology clinic affiliated to Hotel Dieu de France Hospital are analyzed. The mean age at diagnosis is 54.6±13.4 years with 43% diagnosed before the age of 50 years. The infiltrative ductal carcinoma represents the major pathological subtype. One third of the tumors had a size of more than 2 cm at diagnosis. Estrogen-receptors are positive in more than 50% of our patients and Her2-neu is overexpresssed in 30%. Luminal A represents 45.5% and the triple negative subgroup constitutes only 8.3%. Breast cancer in Lebanon is evolving to a more indolent disease. Therefore, public awareness and institution of screening programs are required. These programs should be based on national epidemiological data and necessitate the activation of the national cancer registry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Status and distribution of migrating and breeding marine birds in north Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarade, Gh.R.

2017-01-01

The study of marine birds in the northern part of Lebanon recorded 2681 individuals, distributed over 86 species. Among them 35 are foreshore species, 18 coastal, 6 maritime, 9 ducks, 6 herons, 9 various saltwater related species and 3 terrestrial. The highest density is shown by the yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis and common blackheaded gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus. The globally vulnerable yelkouan shearwater Puffinus yelkouan, an endemic species to the Mediterranean, appears on the 9th rank in the classification of seabird species from the more to the least abundant, highlighting as such, beside other 6 globally near threatened species, the role that Lebanon can play in improving the conservation status of these species. Regarding the phenological status of species, 48 are passage migrant/winter visitors, 31 passage migrants, 5 winter visitors and 2 vagrant species. The surveys revealed that three coastal seabird species (Armenian gull Larus armenicus, slender-billed gull Chroicocephalus genei and sandwich tern Thalasseus sandvicensis) and one ubiquist species (Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria) are not rare as it was believed in previous papers but fairly common winter visitors. The study identified the yellow-legged gull breeding population to be 160 couples, and confirmed the second and third breeding records of the little ringed plover Charadrius dubius.(author)

Post-traumatic stress disorder in a sample of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazour, Francois; Zahreddine, Nada R; Maragel, Michel G; Almustafa, Mustafa A; Soufia, Michel; Haddad, Ramzi; Richa, Sami

2017-01-01

Lebanon is the main hosting country for the Syrian crisis, with more than one million Syrian refugees. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and identify its possible predictors, in a sample of Syrian refugees living in camps in Lebanon. We conducted a household survey on Syrian refugees between 18 and 65years old in 6 camps of the Central Bekaa region, using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) as a diagnostic tool. Among the 452 respondents, we found a lifetime prevalence of PTSD of 35.4%, and a point prevalence of 27.2%. The lifetime prevalence of SUD was 1.99% and the point prevalence 0.66%. Multivariate logistic regression could not identify any predictor of current PTSD among a list of demographic variables, but identified the Syrian hometown as a significant predictor of lifetime PTSD (p=.013), with refugees from Aleppo having significantly more PTSD than those coming from Homs (adjusted OR 2.14, 95% CI [1.28, 3.56], p=.004). PTSD was a real mental health issue in our sample of adult Syrian refugees in Central Bekaa camps, unlike SUD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rhabdomyosarcoma treatment and outcome at a multidisciplinary pediatric cancer center in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Salman, Maysaa; Tamim, Hani; Medlej, Fouad; El-Ariss, Tarek; Saad, Fatima; Boulos, Fouad; Eid, Toufic; Muwakkit, Samar; Khoury, Nabil; Abboud, Miguel; Saab, Raya

2012-05-01

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children. Outcome of patients treated on standard protocols, in a multidisciplinary cancer center setting outside of clinical trials, is not well reported. We reviewed characteristics and outcome of 23 pediatric patients treated at a single, multidisciplinary cancer center in Lebanon, between April 2002 and December 2010. Median follow-up was 41 months. The most commonly affected primary site was the head and neck (48%, n = 11). Nineteen tumors (82.6%) were of embryonal histology. Tumor size was ≥5 cm in eight (34.8%) patients. Sixteen patients (69.6%) had localized disease, and one (4.4%) had metastatic disease. Fifteen (65.2%) had Group III tumors. All patients received chemotherapy, for a duration ranging 21-51 weeks. Upfront surgical resection was performed in 10 patients (43.5%). Eighteen patients (78.3%) received radiation therapy. The 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 83% and 64%, respectively. Relapse correlated with absence of surgery. Treatment of childhood RMS in a multidisciplinary cancer center in Lebanon results in similar survival to that in developed countries when similar protocols are applied. There was a higher incidence of local relapse, but those were salvageable with further therapy and surgical local control.

A quality approach to maintain the properties of S235 JR structural carbon steel in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidawi, J.A.; Al Khatib, H.

2004-01-01

Full text.S235JR carbon steel is one of the most popular steels used in Lebanon. It is imported by steel dealers and is widely used by all fabricators and manufacturers of steels for many structural purposes and applications. This kind of steel has good ductile properties as well as excellent weldability. It is still known by its previous designation St 37-2 or E 24-2. S235JR is produced in many shapes and thicknesses such as steel plates, sheets, angles and different other geometric shapes. Standard chemical and mechanical tests were conducted and reported on S235JR hot-rolled structural low-carbon mild steel specimens collected from Lebanese steel market. The main objective of this work is to assure the compliance of these properties with those set by the steel manufacturer. The above mentioned tests were performed at the laboratories of the Industrial Research Institute (IR) in Lebanon to assure the quality and credibility of the results. related European and American standards were presented as references and compared with the achieved results. Discussion was presented to show the similarities and differences between S235JR steel samples and standard requirements. Some of the reasons for such differences were discussed. Sufficient data was furnished through this work for the public and mainly for the Lebanese Standard Organization LIBNOR to easily adopt and implement the EN 10025:1993 European standard that can be applied in Lebanon concerning the most commonly used hot rolled low carbon structural steel. A follow up concerning adopting and implementing EN 10025:1993 will be briefed

Spread of imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii co-expressing OXA-23 and GES-11 carbapenemases in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammoudi, D; Moubareck, C Ayoub; Hakime, N; Houmani, M; Barakat, A; Najjar, Z; Suleiman, M; Fayad, N; Sarraf, R; Sarkis, D Karam

2015-07-01

The acquisition of carbapenemases by Acinetobacter baumannii is reported increasingly worldwide, but data from Lebanon are limited. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of imipenem-resistant A. baumannii in Lebanon, identify resistance determinants, and detect clonal relatedness. Imipenem-resistant A. baumannii were collected from nine Lebanese hospitals during 2012. Antimicrobial susceptibility, the cloxacillin effect, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) synergy were determined. Genes encoding carbapenemases and insertion sequence ISAba1 were screened via PCR sequencing. ISAba1 position relative to genes encoding Acinetobacter-derived cephalosporinases (ADCs) and OXA-23 was studied by PCR mapping. Clonal linkage was examined by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR (ERIC-PCR). Out of 724 A. baumannii isolated in 2012, 638 (88%) were imipenem-resistant. Of these, 142 were analyzed. Clavulanic acid-imipenem synergy suggested carbapenem-hydrolyzing extended-spectrum β-lactamase. A positive cloxacillin test indicated ADCs, while EDTA detection strips were negative. Genotyping indicated that 90% of isolates co-harbored blaOXA-23 and blaGES-11. The remaining strains had blaOXA-23, blaOXA-24, blaGES-11, or blaOXA-24 with blaGES-11. ISAba1 was located upstream of blaADC and blaOXA-23 in 97% and 100% of isolates, respectively. ERIC-PCR fingerprinting revealed 18 pulsotypes spread via horizontal gene transfer and clonal dissemination. This survey established baseline evidence of OXA-23 and GES-11-producing A. baumannii in Lebanon, indicating the need for further surveillance. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Incidence and severity of maxillofacial injuries during the Second Lebanon War among Israeli soldiers and civilians.

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Liran; Zadik, Yehuda; Peleg, Kobi; Bigman, Galya; Givon, Adi; Lin, Shaul

2008-08-01

To analyze the incidence and severity of maxillofacial injuries in the Second Lebanon War, that occurred during the summer of 2006, among Israeli soldiers and civilians. This is a retrospective cohort study of patients recorded in the Israel National Trauma Registry during the Second Lebanon War. Data refer to all general hospitals throughout the country. Data were analyzed according to the etiology of the injury, severity of trauma using the Injury Severity Score, trauma location, and duration of hospital stay. Cases with multiple injuries that included maxillofacial injuries were separated and further analyzed according to the above parameters. Patients with only dental injuries and superficial facial soft tissue lacerations were excluded because they were referred to the military dental clinics and not to general hospitals. Maxillofacial injuries were found in 36 (6.4%) of the 565 wounded. Patients with maxillofacial injuries ranged in age from 20 to 44 years (mean age, 25.5 +/- 5.7 years). Greater than 50% of the injuries required more than 3 hospitalization days. Mortality rate of the maxillofacial injured was 2.8%. Most of the maxillofacial injuries (33; 91.7%) were combined with other organ injuries; 9 (25%) patients also had dental injuries. In the Second Lebanon War, the incidence and severity of true maxillofacial injuries, without dental injuries alone, were relatively low compared with previous reports of other conflicts. However, because most injuries involved multiple organs, special attention is required when planning and providing emergency, as well as secondary and tertiary medical care to war wounded.

Post-traumatic stress disorder in adolescents in Lebanon as wars gained in ferocity: a systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khuzama Hijal Shaar

2013-09-01

Full Text Available For decades, Lebanon was war-torn by civil strife, and occupation and invasion by neighboring countries. In time, these wars have escalated in intensity from sniping, barricading streets and random shelling of residential quarters to the use of rockets, aerial bombing, and heavy artillery. Adverse mental health effects are noted in times of war with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD as a main outcome. The aim of this study was to carry out a systematic review of published studies documenting the prevalence of PTSD in the adolescent population of Lebanon, to investigate the increase in these rates with the escalation of war intensity, and to examine PTSD determinants. A search strategy was developed for online databases (PubMed and Google Scholar between inception to the first week of January 2013. Search terms used were PTSD, adolescents and Lebanon. Eleven studies reporting PTSD in adolescents met the inclusion criteria for a total number of 5965 adolescents. Prevalence rates of PTSD ranged from 8.5% to 14.7% for the civil war, 3.7% for adolescents with sensory disabilities, 21.6% for the Grapes of Wrath War, and 15.4% to 35.0% for the 2006 July War. Some increase in PTSD rates in time is noted. Type of trauma such as bereavement, injury, house destruction, and economic problems, low self efficacy and scholastic impairment were related to PTSD. These findings may help in the development of public health policies for PTSD prevention and treatment for the protection of adolescents from war atrocities and their consequences.

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Domestic violence against women during pregnancy: the case of Palestinian refugees attending an antenatal clinic in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammoury, N; Khawaja, M; Mahfoud, Z; Afifi, R A; Madi, H

2009-03-01

To determine the factors associated with domestic violence against pregnant Palestinian refugee women residing in Lebanon and currently using the United Nation Relief and Work Agency's (UNRWA) primary healthcare services. This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a polyclinic of primary healthcare of the UNRWA in South Lebanon during the years 2005-2006. The sample was 351 pregnant women who were 15-42 years of age and not accompanied by their husbands or relatives. All women were invited by the midwife to participate in the study during their visit to the clinic for their first checkup or during a follow-up visit. The Abuse Assessment Screen instrument was used to screen for past and recent history of physical and emotional abuse among the participants. Domestic violence was significantly associated with education, gestational age, fear of husband or someone else in the house, and unintended pregnancy. The odds of abuse for women with an elementary or lower education were 6.86 (95% CI 1.2-38.1) and for women with an intermediate or secondary education 6.84 (95% CI 1.4-33.3) compared with women with a university education. The odds of abuse during pregnancy for women whose husbands did not desire their pregnancy were 3.80 (95% CI 1.5-9.7) compared with other women. Domestic violence against women in Lebanon was associated with educational level, gestational age, fear of husband or someone else in the house, and unintended pregnancy.

The Case of Educational Gerontology in Lebanon: A Harbinger of Empowerment, Emancipation and Social Change?

Science.gov (United States)

Hachem, Hany; Nikkola, Eeva; Zaidan, Amani

2017-01-01

Context: In Lebanon, older adults face socioeconomic challenges that are expected to worsen due to an increase in older adult population, chronic governmental neglect, institutionalised ageism and a lack of educational and social gerontologists. Consequently, local older adults are in dire need for social change, which can be initiated through…

Survival Pattern of Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients in the Last 25 Years in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Massoud, Marcel; Kerbage, Fouad; Nehme, Joseph; Sakr, Riwa; Rached, Layale; Zeghondy, Jean; Nasr, Fady; Chahine, Georges

2017-07-01

After the emergence of combination chemotherapy in 1960s, survival of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) has dramatically improved worldwide. We lack studies that document the favorable evolution of survival regarding this disease in Lebanon. To compare the overall survival in HL over 3 different decades in Lebanon. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 196 patients diagnosed with HL, treated and followed from 1990 to 2015 in our center. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to period of analysis: group A (1990-1999), group B (2000-2009), and group C (2010-2015). We studied the characteristics and survival patterns of patients in each group. The male-to-female sex ratio was 1.06. The median age at diagnosis was 33 years in group A, 30.4 in group B, and 33.12 in group C (P = .6). Results showed variations in the subtypes of the disease according to the following: nodular-sclerosis HL 59.5% in group A, 76.2% in group B, and 85.4% in group C. Mixed cellularity HL 21.6% in group A, 2.4% in group B, and 73.7% in group C (P = .0001). Patients presented with localized disease in 58.6%, 73.7%, and 56.4% in groups A, B, and C, respectively (P = .173). Complete remission was achieved in 76.5% in group A, 85.3% in group B, and 69.5% in group C (P = .007). The survival rate at 5 years in group A was 91%, 94% in group B, and 100% in group C. The survival of patients with HL has dramatically improved over the past 25 years in Lebanon. These results resemble those achieved in Western countries due to the fast adoption of new molecular imaging technologies at diagnosis and follow-up and the rapid approval of new drugs for relapse in the Lebanese market. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of organic aerosols in Beirut, Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waked, Antoine

2012-01-01

The chemical composition of PM2.5 includes both organic and inorganic compounds. Organic compounds, which constitute a significant fraction of the PM2.5 mass, can be emitted directly as primary aerosol from sources such as fossil-fuel combustion, biomass burning, and natural biogenic emissions, or formed in the atmosphere via chemical reactions leading to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. SOA, which account for 20 - 80 % of total organic aerosol, are currently a major source of uncertainty in air quality modeling. The identification and quantification of the chemical composition of the organic fraction of PM2.5 and its source apportionment are of great interest, especially in the Middle East region where data on organic aerosols are currently lacking. Lebanon, a small developing country in the Middle East region located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean basin represents a good example for characterizing organic aerosols in this region. To address this issue, the air quality in Beirut (the capital city of Lebanon) was investigated with a focus on organic aerosols. First, an air pollutant emission inventory was developed for Lebanon with a spatial resolution of 5 km x 5 km and for Beirut with a spatial resolution of 1 km x 1 km. The results obtained show that the road transport sector is the major contributor to carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions, whereas fossil fuel-fired power plants and large industrial plants are the major contributors to sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and primary particulate matter (PM) emissions. Then, two intensive 15-day measurement campaigns were conducted at a semi-urban site located in a Beirut suburb to characterize air pollutant concentrations. The first measurement campaign took place in July 2011 and the second in February 2012. Measurements included PM2.5, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) mass concentrations as well as a molecular

Whose History and Who Is Denied? Politics and the History Curriculum in Lebanon and Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Maadad, Nina; Rodwell, Grant

2016-01-01

This paper seeks to explain and develop a better understanding of the relationship between the History curriculum and the consequences of political motive. It compares the History curricula of Australia and Lebanon, and is relevant to understanding the purpose of the History curricula in the two countries as well as, more generally, other…

Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in raw milk in North Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al Kassaa, I; El Omari, Kh.; Esmail, B.; Hamze, M; Saati, M.

2016-01-01

Listeriosis, although a zoonosis, is an invasive disease that can affect newborns, pregnant women and immunocompromised adults. Clinical manifestations can be expressedby febrile gastroenteritis, invasive forms including severe sepsis, meningitis, rhombencephalitis, prenatal infections and abortions. Species of Listeria bacteria are ubiquitous and adaptableto the environment in animal and plant foods. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in 100 samples of fresh cow milk collected from different areas of North Lebanon. Listeria monocytogenes was detected by using the Grand VIDAS technique (Biomérieux France). The results obtained revealed the absence of Listeria monocytogenes inall analyzed samples. (Author)

Population ageing in Lebanon: current status, future prospects and implications for policy.

OpenAIRE

Sibai, Abla Mehio; Sen, Kasturi; Baydoun, May; Saxena, Prem

2004-01-01

During the past three decades, fast declines in fertility and mortality in Lebanon have created a compressed demographic transition, a growing trend towards survival into later life, and a larger proportion of elderly people in the population. Projections show that people aged 65 years and over are expected to constitute 10.2% of the population by 2025. Nevertheless, changes to the structure and composition of the population remain unmatched by any corresponding increase in support measures e...

The use of isotopes in hydrology: Proceedings of a symposium, held in Beirut -Lebanon, December 1970

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1972-01-01

The papers presented at the symposium had covered three general areas in which isotopes could have been beneficially used. these areas are: -Water use and water use efficiency studies. -Ground water investigations -Water problems in the arab countries. The individual papers had dealt with these subjects: -Hydrological research in the arab countries by use of radioisotopes. -The perspectives of use of radioisotopes in hydrological studies in Syria. -Water use efficiency and sub-soil water studies. -Sea water inclusion in a coast el aquifers in Lebanon. -Irrigation requirements of crops in Lebanon as determined by a Neutron probe with reference to other methods. -The use of the neutron moisture meter and other methods of the determination of the evapotranspiration of maize. -Ground water investigations, dating and nuclear methods applied to hydrology. -Ground water investigation in Wa di El-Nat run, U.A.R. -Velocity distribution along the pumped well using radioactive tracers. -Problems and costs of water use studies by neutron probe and lysimeter. Figs

Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Nanotechnology (4th) held at the Technische Universitat Muenchen, Munich, Germany on 17-19 Aug 2004.

Science.gov (United States)

2004-08-01

Based Membranes: A Platform for Studying Nanofluidics , J.K. Holt, H.G. Park, A. Noy, T. Huser, D. Eaglesham, and O. Bakajin, (Chemistry and Materials...56122 Pisa, Italy, 2IEIIT-CNR, Pisa, Italy) TH2_3_4 How Quantum Effects and Unintentional Doping Affect the Threshold Voltage of Narrow-Width SOI...Hafnium Doped Tantalum Oxide High k Film, J. Lu and Y. Kuo, (The Thin Film Nano and Microelectronics Research Laboratory, Texas A&M University, College

The development of a gas transmission system in Lebanon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Proudian, Serko; Rickaert, Stefan [Tractebel Engineering, Brussels (Belgium)

2005-07-01

Tractebel Engineering is undertaking for the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW) advisory services for the launching and for the awarding of a DBOT (Design, Build, Operate and Transfer) contract for the development of a gas transmission system through Lebanon. The service embraces a global approach, integrating legal, market, technical and financial matters, to provide MEW with a clear strategy to its gas development program, aimed at attracting private investors willing to tender on this DBOT project.The Legal Framework Report examines the existing Lebanese legal system and analyzes its suitability to the regulatory framework required to operate gas networks; it also provides recommendations aimed at attracting potential DBOT developers, by facilitating bureaucratic procedures with possible enactment of new laws. The Gas Demand Due Diligence Report provides the market study for present and future demand of gas in Lebanon in the next 25 years (duration of the DBOT contract), with anticipated needs resulting from power generation, industrial sector, commercial and residential sectors. The Pipeline Alternative Solutions Report provides several alternative routing and configurations for the gas transmission pipeline, including surveys, in-land routing (through rough mountain and heavily populated areas), or off-shore routing (through rough marine canyons and sea water depth in excess of 1,500 meters). Basic technical economical study is elaborated for more than 30 options.The Pipeline Financial Optimization Report compares the economics and provides for each solution the expected postal tariff (the compensation that MEW would need to pay to the developer for the execution of the 25 year DBOT contract). The advisory services are completed with preparation of the Pre-Qualification Notice (aimed at selecting a short list of qualified Bidders), preparation of the Request For Proposal (bidding on the selected pipeline option), evaluation of proposal, selection of

Contribution to the food products' analysis: A research and evaluation on the hemolytic effect of some pesticides used in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Alam, Josephine; Millet, Maurice; Chbani, Asma; Fajloun, Ziad

2015-01-01

Pesticides are a real concern for the society as their use has become critical, leading sometimes to their accumulation as residues in fruits and vegetables. After examining the pesticides sold in Northern Lebanon, this study is focused on the analysis and identification of pesticides residues in fruits and vegetables that are harvested in this region and treated with the locally sold pesticides. Results show: first, (i) a use of Zineb by the name of another pesticide Micronized Sulfur to avoid prosecution; (ii) a significant presence of Metalaxyl in lemons and oranges; (iii) a significant presence of Trifluralin in strawberries; and (iv) a significant presence of Zineb in lemons and tomatoes. Second, with the use of hemolytic tests on human blood results show: (i) a critical concentration and a significant hemolytic effect of some pesticides used in Lebanon; and (ii) an absence of hemolytic effect in the collected fractions of the different analyzed fruit extracts containing pesticides. Finally, this work is the first step for pesticides' analysis in vegetables and fruits in Lebanon, initiating a wider analytical study in order to control and examine the use of pesticides which, according to our results, could have an adverse effect on human health over a long term.

LIBS, Raman spectroscopy, and optical microscopy analyses of superficial encrustations on ancient tesserae in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Tomkowska, Anna; Chmielewski, Krzysztof; Skrzyczanowski, Wojciech; Mularczyk-Oliwa, Monika; Ostrowski, Roman; Strzelec, Marek

2017-07-01

The aim of research was determination of composition and nature of superficial deposits, cumulated at the selected mosaic's tesserae from Lebanon. Selected were three series of objects from different locations, namely from the seaside and mountain archaeological sites as well as from the mosaics exposed in the city center. Analyzed were stone and ceramic tesserae. The selection of objects was dictated by wide diversification of factors influencing the state of preservation and composition of deposits in given location. Investigations were performed including LIBS, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy and optical 3D microscopy. The experimental results included composition and kind of deposit at the tesserae surfaces, and composition of tesserae itself. Compounds in the superficial deposits were identified. Confirmed was occurrence of different encrustations in dependence on geographic localization of a given sample. The interpretation of results was supported by multivariate statistical techniques, especially by the factor analysis. Performed analyses constitute the pioneer realization in terms of determination of deposits composition at the surface of mosaics from the Lebanon territory.

A qualitative analysis of multi-level barriers to HIV testing among women in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Kirsty A; Keene, Danya E; Pachankis, John E; Fattal, Omar; Rizk, Nesrine; Khoshnood, Kaveh

2017-09-01

While the number of HIV cases in the Middle East and North Africa region is low compared to other regions, recent studies show that incidence is increasing especially among high-risk populations; in particular, little is known about women and HIV in the region. Through semi-structured interviews with sexual healthcare providers and staff at non-governmental organisations, we sought to understand barriers to HIV testing among women in Lebanon. Using snowball sampling, key informants were recruited from greater Beirut (12 physicians, 9 non-governmental organisation staff). Data were analysed using a grounded theory framework. Findings identified barriers to HIV testing among women at each level of an adapted social-ecological model (i.e. social-cultural barriers, policy barriers, interpersonal healthcare provider barriers and intrapersonal barriers). Primary findings include the culture of sex as taboo; lack of sexual health education among women; fear of disclosing HIV testing and diagnosis; financial barriers linked to stigmatising insurance policies; and provider attitudes towards women. Findings can be used to inform HIV-related sexual health interventions at multiple levels for women in Lebanon and the greater region.

Smuggling as the "key to a combined market": British American Tobacco in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakkash, R; Lee, K

2008-10-01

To understand the strategy of British American Tobacco (BAT) and other transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) to gain access to the Lebanese market, which has remained relatively closed under monopoly ownership and political instability. Analysis of internal industry documents, local language secondary sources and industry publications. TTCs have relied on legal and illegal channels to supply the Lebanese market since at least the 1970s. Available documents suggest smuggling has been an important component of BAT's market entry strategy, transported in substantial quantities via middlemen for sale in Lebanon and neighbouring countries. TTCs took advantage of weak and unstable governance, resulting in uncertainty over the Regie's legal status, and continued to supply the contraband trade despite appeals by the government to cease undermining its revenues. Since the end of the civil war in the early 1990s, continued uncertainty about the tobacco monopoly amid political instability has encouraged TTCs to seek a legal presence in the country, while continuing to achieve substantial sales through contraband. Evidence of the complicity of TTCs in cigarette smuggling extends to Lebanon and the Middle East where this trade has especially benefited from weak governance and chronic political instability. The regional nature of TTC strategy supports strong international cooperation under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to tackle the problem.

Real-life Experience for Integration of PET-CT in the Treatment of Hodgkin Lymphoma in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakr, Riwa; Massoud, Marcel; Kerbage, Fouad; Rached, Layale; Zeghondy, Jean; Akoury, Elie; Nasr, Fady; Chahine, Georges

2017-07-01

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a highly curable disease; Lebanon. We analyzed the data regarding the usage of PET-CT at diagnosis, during treatment (interim PET), and at the end of treatment. We also analyzed the PET-CT findings from 2009 to 2015. The first PET-CT system was introduced in Lebanon in April 2002 but was not used for the evaluation of HL. Early in 2009, we started to incorporate PET-CT into the treatment of HL. By the end of 2009, 70% of patients were undergoing PET-CT at diagnosis and at the end of treatment. This proportion remained constant until 2013, when an increase occurred, with ≤ 94% of patients undergoing PET-CT at diagnosis. The usage of CT at diagnosis decreased significantly from 70% before 2009 to 52% after 2015. In contrast, CT usage at the end of treatment has fluctuated from 10% in 2009 to 0% in 2012, 2013, and 2014 and 11.76% in 2015. Functional imaging techniques are increasing in popularity compared with anatomic imaging. The usage of PET-CT has emerged as a highly valuable staging and follow-up method in the treatment of HL 8 years after the introduction of PET in Lebanon. PET was used first to improve the staging, then to evaluate the treatment response, and, recently, to tailor therapy according to the response. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Caveats on tomographic images

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foulger, Gillian R.; Panza, Giuliano F.; Artemieva, Irina

2014-01-01

)CNR – Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria (IGAG) c/o Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degliStudi di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy, (10) Dept. Physics of the Earth, Sankt-Petersburg State University, Sankt-Petersburg,RussiaGeological models of the mantle and its geodynamic...

Education for Social Cohesion Attempts in Lebanon: Reflections on the 1994 and 2010 Education Reforms

Science.gov (United States)

Shuayb, Maha

2016-01-01

Following the end of the Lebanese civil war, education was put forward as a major means for rebuilding Lebanon and promoting social cohesion and unity. A huge education development plan was launched in 1994 culminating in a new national curriculum in 1997 and the production of new textbooks. Although the quality of education improved in public…

Perceived Online Education Barriers of Administrators and Faculty at a U.S. University in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

El Turk, Sahar; Cherney, Isabelle D.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the perceived barriers obstructing the implementation of online education by administrators and faculty at the School of Arts and Sciences of a U.S. university located in Lebanon. The aim of this study was to offer a solution to the most important perceived barriers to online education that…

When Policy and Strategy Collide: U.S. Intervention in Lebanon 1982-1984

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-01

Constantine J. Pettallides, “Cedars to the East: A Study of Modern Lebanon,” accessed January 5, 2014, http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/603/cedars-to-the...legacy of the Holocaust affecting the nation of Israel.57 New Zionism united with Begin’s vision of Israel’s proper place in the world formed a noted...Begin’s vision , this universe is one of unremitting conflict.”60 Begin’s outlook stemmed from what the Prime Minister described as “the rules of history

“What Cultural Policies?” Explicit and Implicit Cultural Policies in Lebanon

OpenAIRE

Nadia von Maltzahn

2017-01-01

Cultural policies define a vision for culture, and provide frameworks for institutional practice to translate this vision on the ground. A 1981 study on Lebanese cultural policy reached the conclusion that one cannot speak of cultural policies in Lebanon if one refers to state laws, regulations and plans. However, if cultural policy was understood as the method of a state to give its citizens the space to develop themselves in a way that they could create culture, one could certainly speak of...

REPRODUCING VIOLENCE THROUGH RECONSTRUCTING THE HYMEN? Gender-Based Violence Against Women in Lebanon

OpenAIRE

Hajali, Majd

2015-01-01

Virginity in Lebanon is still a controversial and sensitive issue. Women’s value and honour is linked to the “hymen mystique”, which they fear losing before marriage. Regardless of the reasons for virginity loss, a non-virgin woman is deemed a sinner according to the Lebanese patriarchal social standards. With the existence of three-dimensional function of the hymen: honourable, social and physiological, hymen reconstruction surgeries emerged. Since studies and literature on hymenoplasty are ...

Does Good Governance Mediate Relationship Between E-Government and Public Trust in Lebanon?

OpenAIRE

Alaaraj, Hassan; Hassan, Sallahudin

2016-01-01

The main objective of this research is to study the mediating effect of good governance on the relationship between e-government practices and public trust in Lebanon. Based on extensive literature review and conceptual background including the theories of institutional-based trust and the diffusion of innovation, the theoretical research framework was developed. Primary data was collected using survey involving 400 Lebanese employees from different small and medium enterprises in Beirut. The...

CAN BUSINESS EDUCATION CHANGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN NON-WESTERN SOCIETIES: LESSONS FROM LEBANON

OpenAIRE

Finlay Jim; Kassar Abdul-Nassar; Neal Mark

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which students from an American-style Business School in Lebanon expect the managerial behaviors that they are taught in the classroom to actually be applied by managers in the Lebanese workplace. Broadly categorized as accountability, gender equity, religious tolerance, consultation and transparency, the authors found little indication that such expectations existed. Even when they could be identified such as with racial equality, thei...

High burden of rheumatic diseases in Lebanon: a COPCORD study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaaya, Monique; Slim, Zeinab N; Habib, Rima R; Arayssi, Thurayya; Dana, Rouwayda; Hamdan, Omar; Assi, Maher; Issa, Zeinab; Uthman, Imad

2012-04-01

To estimate the prevalence of rheumatic diseases in Lebanon and to explore their distribution by geographic location, age, and gender.   Using the Community Oriented Program for the Control of Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD) methodology, a random sample of 3530 individuals aged 15 and above was interviewed from the six Lebanese governorates. Positive respondents were evaluated by rheumatologists using the internationally accepted classification criterion of the American College of Rheumatology for the diagnosis of rheumatic diseases. Prevalence rates of current and past musculoskeletal problems were 24.4% and 8.4%, respectively. Shoulder (14.3%), knee (14.2%) and back (13.6%) were the most common pain sites. Point prevalence of rheumatic diseases was 15.0%. The most frequent types of rheumatic diseases were of mechanical origin, namely soft tissue rheumatism (5.8%) and osteoarthritis (4.0%). Rheumatoid arthritis (1.0%) and spondylathropathies (0.3%) constituted the most common inflammatory diseases. Coastal areas had the lowest prevalence of all diseases except for fibromyalgia. All diseases showed an increasing prevalence pattern with age and a higher prevalence among women than men. This is the first study to give population-based estimates of rheumatic diseases in Lebanon. The high burden calls for public health attention for early detection, control and prevention of these conditions. Point prevalence of individual diseases was within the range of results from other COPCORD surveys with some variations that can be attributed to differences in methodology and geo-ethnic factors. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases © 2011 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Constructing the meaning of quality of life for residents in care homes in the Lebanon: perspectives of residents, staff and family.

Science.gov (United States)

Adra, Marina Gharibian; Hopton, John; Keady, John

2015-12-01

Located in two care homes in Lebanon, the study explores the perspectives of quality of life for a sample of older residents, care staff and family caregivers. Quality of life for older people living in care homes is traditionally reported in the literature as a Westernised construct and so far little is known about its meanings from an Arabic cultural perspective and context. There is also a knowledge gap about the conditions of older people living in care homes in Lebanon. The study was a qualitative exploration of perspectives of quality of life of older residents, care staff and family caregivers. Two care homes for older people situated in Beirut took part in the study. Between 2010 and 2011 semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a sample of 20 residents, eight family caregivers and 11 care staff. Data were analysed using the constant comparative method. Four categories emerged from this analytical process: (i) maintaining family connectedness; (ii) engaging in worthwhile activities; (iii) maintaining and developing significant relationships; and (iv) holding and practicing spiritual beliefs. The emergence of these categories confirmed the complex, interrelated and multidimensional nature of quality of life for residents and other stakeholders. The findings supplement an emerging body of knowledge about the composition of quality of life for older residents in Lebanon. Improving the quality of life of older residents will require action in respect of all of the domains identified in study. Moving nursing practice from task-based care to relationship-centred approaches was seen as pivotal in helping to develop quality of life for residents living in the participating care homes. The findings have implications for education, nursing practice and research in Lebanon and help start an evidence base for care. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Naturalizing Alterity: Edward Maturin’s Bianca: A Tale of Erin and Italy and Lady Morgan's Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donatella Abbate Badin

2011-08-01

Full Text Available In the nineteenth century the image of Italy appealed also to Irish Romantic writers. But the way in which they naturalized the Italian alterity is quite ambivalent. On the one hand they filtered their images of the southern country through their relationship with England and thus ended up mirroring stereotypes common to the English-speaking world, and on the other hand they established a special, personal relationship with it shaped by their ideological and cultural differences from the British. This essay tackles the representations of Italy in two texts, namely Edward Maturin’s Bianca: A Tale of Erin and Italy, published in 1852, and in the earlier Italy (1821 by Lady Morgan. Both these works show that at that time there was a certain awareness, in Ireland, of the special historical and political conditions of Italy and of possible similarities with Ireland. Italy, oppressed by foreign domination yet aspiring to freedom, became a yardstick for gauging issues of subjugation, injustice, and national identity and invited sympathy from the citizens of a colonized country. Therefore, Italy was perceived as a mirror in which to reflect the Irish identity torn by aspirations which were hard to confess publicly or even to oneself. Keywords: Maturin, Lady Morgan, alterity, Italy, Irish Romanticism

Polymorphisms of the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4 VNTR) and cannabinoid CB1 receptor gene (CNR1) are not strongly related to cue-reactivity after alcohol exposure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wildenberg, E. van den; Janssen, R.G.J.H.; Hutchison, K.E.; Breukelen, G.J.P. van; Wiers, R.W.H.J.

2007-01-01

Polymorphisms in the D4 dopamine receptor gene (DRD4) and the CB1 cannabinoid receptor gene (CNR1) have been associated with a differential response to alcohol after consumption. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether heavy drinkers with these polymorphisms would respond with

Hydrogeology of the carbonate rocks of the Lebanon Valley, Pennsylvania

Science.gov (United States)

Meisler, Harold

1963-01-01

The Lebanon Valley, which is part of the Great Valley in southeastern Pennsylvania, is underlain by carbonate rocks in the southern part and by shale in the northern part. The carbonate rocks consist of alternating beds of limestone and dolomite of Cambrian and Ordovician age. Although the beds generally dip to the south, progressively younger beds crop out to the north, because the rocks are overturned. The stratigraphic units, from oldest to youngest, are: the Buffalo Springs Formation, Snitz Creek, Schaefferstown, Millbach, and Richland Formations of the Conococheague Group; the Stonehenge, Rickenbach, Epler, and Ontelaunee Formations of the Beekmantown Group; and the Annville, Myerstown, and Hershey Limestones.

Implementation of the Social Decision-Making Skills Curriculum on Primary Students (Grades 1-3) in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

El Hassan, Karma; Mouganie, Zeina

2014-01-01

This study investigated the effect of the Social Decision-Making Skills Curriculum (SDSC) on the emotional intelligence and the prosocial behaviors of primary students in Grades 1-3, in a private school in Lebanon. Students were trained in social problem-solving and social decision-making skills through the implementation of the SDSC. Participants…

Seventh Colloquium on High Resolution Molecular Spectroscopy 14 to 18 September 1981 (Septieme Colloque sur la Spectroscopie Moleculaire a Haute Resolution 14 a 18 Septembre 1981).

Science.gov (United States)

1981-01-01

Permanent address: Istituto di Chimica Fisica e Spettroscopi, Universit’j degli Studi, Viale del Resorgimento 4, Bologna, italy. 117 J9 ROTATTC"i L...Molecolare del C.N.R., Via de’ Castagnoli 1 - 40126 Bologna, Italy and Istituto di Chimica Fisica e Spettroscopia, Viale Risorgimento, 4 - 40136 Bologna...Butcher Inst. Estructura de la Materia Cavendish Laboratory C.S.I.C., Serrano Madingley Road 119, Madrid-6 Cambridge, CB3 OHE Spain U.K. and I. M. Mills

Informal politics and inequity of access to health care in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bradley; Cammett, Melani

2012-05-09

Despite the importance of political institutions in shaping the social environment, the causal impact of politics on health care access and inequalities has been understudied. Even when considered, research tends to focus on the effects of formal macro-political institutions such as the welfare state. We investigate how micro-politics and informal institutions affect access to care. This study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining findings from a household survey (n = 1789) and qualitative interviews (n = 310) in Lebanon. Multivariate logistic regression was employed in the analysis of the survey to examine the effect of political activism on access to health care while controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, religious commitment and piety. We note a significantly positive association between political activism and the probability of receiving health aid (p political activity to those least active in our sample. Interviews with key informants also reveal that, although a form of "universal coverage" exists in Lebanon whereby any citizen is eligible for coverage of hospitalization fees and treatments, in practice, access to health services is used by political parties and politicians as a deliberate strategy to gain and reward political support from individuals and their families. Individuals with higher political activism have better access to health services than others. Informal, micro-level political institutions can have an important impact on health care access and utilization, with potentially detrimental effects on the least politically connected. A truly universal health care system that provides access based on medical need rather than political affiliation is needed to help to alleviate growing health disparities in the Lebanese population.

Stakeholders' perspectives on the regulation and integration of complementary and alternative medicine products in Lebanon: a qualitative study

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background The regulation of the markets for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) products presents a global challenge. There is a dearth of studies that have examined or evaluated the regulatory policies of CAM products in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). We investigate the regulatory frameworks and the barriers for the proper regulation and integration of CAM products in Lebanon, as an example of an EMR country with a weak public infrastructure. Methods We utilized a qualitative study design involving a series of semi-structured interviews with stakeholders of the CAM market in Lebanon. Snowball sampling was used to identify interviewees; interviews continued until the "saturation" point was reached. A total of 16 interviews were carried out with decision makers, representatives of professional associations, academic researchers, CAM product importers, policy makers and a media representative. Interviews were transcribed and thematic analysis of scripts was carried out. Results There was a consensus among all stakeholders that the regulation of the market for CAM products in Lebanon needs to be strengthened. Thematic analysis identified a number of impediments jeopardizing the safety of public consumption and hindering the integration of CAM therapies into mainstream medicine; including: weak infrastructure, poor regulation, ineffective policies and politics, weak CAM awareness and sub-optimal coordination and cooperation among stakeholders. With respect to policy instruments, voluntary instruments (self regulation) were deemed ineffective by stakeholders due to poor awareness of both users and providers on safe use of CAM products. Stakeholders' rather recommended the adoption of a combination of mixed (enhancing public awareness and integration of CAM into medical and nursing curricula) and compulsory (stricter governmental regulation) policy instruments for the regulation of the market for CAM products. Conclusions The current status quo with

Assessment Of Heavy Metal Contamination Of Arable Soils In Central Bekaa Plain, Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darwish, T.; Jomaa, I.; Khawlie, M.; Mýýuller, H. W.; Moller, A.

2004-01-01

The study area is located in the Bekaa plain of Lebanon totaling about 12753 ha. It lies between the eastern foothills of Mount Lebanon chain and expands across the Litani River towards the foothills of the eastern Anti-Lebanon Mountains. Its characteristics, i.e. natural terrain, climate and socio-economy, make it vulnerable especially due to soil pollution. This paper tries to identify the nature and level of soil pollution by heavy metals. Valley slopes represent a complex landform and lithology that contributed to the formation of different soil. Agriculture in the plain is being practiced mainly with cash, field crops and vegetables. Throughout the central part of the plain, groundwater table is abundant and relatively high (<1.0 m. locally) that multiplies the vulnerability of the soil-groundwater system. There are different sources of pollution, such as industrial (tanneries, batteries, leather manufacturing), solid and liquid wastes, and agricultural due to uncontrolled application of fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides. Meanwhile, no local criteria for land contamination with heavy metals are adapted yet. A total of 131 soil samples from 41 soil profiles were collected from sites representing different soil types and cropping systems. Additionally, five water samples were collected to get tentative idea about the extent of water contamination from surface and groundwater bodies. Soil samples were analyzed for physical and chemical properties and wet digested in aqua regia for the determination of the heavy metal content on the atomic absorption. Results of the total heavy metal content in the soils of the Central Bekaa showed normal values for main metals except Cr and Ni, which showed a relatively high level reaching, according to Eckamn Kloke, 1993-2000 criteria the tolerance level II. This is hazardous in an area of intensive vegetable production designed for fresh consumption. Point sources of pollution are equally found for Pb and Cd. The level

Italy in Postcolonial Discourse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Concilio, Carmen

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this essay, I would like to explore the representations of Italy through the eyes of three outstanding postcolonial writers: Jhumpa Lahiri, Michael Ondaatje and Nuruddin Farah. Even though Italy is an oasis of art and culture, Jhumpa Lahiri looks at it with a profound sense of both admiration and sadness in Hema and Kaushik (2008. Her scrutiny of the ancient, pre-imperial ruins of the Etruscan period leads her characters to question life, death and marital life. Similarly, Ondaatje opposes an Italian Renaissance villa to the debris left behind by war in his well-known The English Patient (1992. His Punjabi character Kirpal Singh mentions Gabicce Mare, a place that soon after World War II will become a memorial and cemetery for the Indian troops who fought and died for the liberation of Italy. This discourse is picked up by Helena Janaczeck, a Polish-Italian writer who combines a narrative on Polish migration in Italy with an elegiac narrative about the cemetery and memorial in Cassino, where a Maori goes to visit the tombs of his ancestor, who also participated with the Commonwealth troops in World War II. Nuruddin Farah too, who provides a reportage on Somali immigrants to Italy, seems to consider the country as a springboard either to other North European destinations or to a possible destiny back home. All three writers present Italy according to varied and unusual perspectives.

The Effects of National Policy on Refugee Welfare and Related Security Issues: A Comparative Case Study of Lebanon, Egypt and Syria

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Cleary, Jessica E

2008-01-01

.... This thesis examines the relationship between the tendency of state policies regarding Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria to create isolation or integration, and the relative extent...

Exclusion of candidate genes from the chromosome 1q juvenile glaucoma region and mapping of the peripheral cannabis receptor gene (CNR2) to chromosome 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sunden, S.L.F.; Nichols, B.E.; Alward, W.L.M. [Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States)] [and others

1994-09-01

Juvenile onset primary open angle glaucoma has been mapped by linkage to 1q21-q31. Several candidate genes were evaluated in the same family used to identify the primary linkage. Atrionatriuretic peptide receptor A (NPR1) and laminin C1 (LAMC1) have been previously mapped to this region and could putatively play a role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. A third gene, the peripheral cannabis receptor (CNR2) was not initially mapped in humans but was a candidate because of the relief that cannabis affords some patients with primary open angle glaucoma. Microsatellites associated with NPR1 and LAMC1 revealed multiple recombinations in affected members of this pedigree. CNR2 was shown to be on chromosome 1 by PCR amplification of a 150 bp fragment of the 3{prime} untranslated region in monochromosomal somatic cell hybrids (NIGMS panel No. 2). These primers also revealed a two allele single strand conformation polymorphism which showed multiple recombinants with juvenile onset primary open angle glaucoma in large pedigrees, segregating this disorder. The marker was then mapped to 1p34-p36 by linkage, with the most likely location between liver alkaline phosphatase (ALPL) and alpha-L-1 fucosidase (FUCA1).

Seeking maternal care at times of conflict: the case of Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Kabakian-Khasholian, Tamar; Shayboub, Rawan; El-Kak, Faysal

2013-01-01

Providing quality maternity care within the emergency care packages for internally displaced populations in war-affected areas is somewhat challenging, although very essential. In this retrospective study, we describe the experiences and health care seeking behaviors of 1,015 pregnant and postpartum women during the 2006 war in Lebanon. Women reported interruptions in regular maternity care and experienced more complications during this period. Availability of health services and experiences of complications were the most important determinants of health care seeking behaviors. Maternal health services should be a part of any comprehensive emergency responsiveness plan, catering to women's needs in war-affected areas.

Users' reaction to the drought of 2014 in Lebanon; quantifying the effects

Science.gov (United States)

Farajalla, Nadim; Haydamous, Patricia; El Hajj, Rana

2016-04-01

A drought that Lebanon witnessed during the water cycle of 2013-2014 seemed to mimic the expected decrease in precipitation projected in one of the 2020 scenarios reported in Lebanon's second national communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Nationally, data and assessment studies on drought impacts are generally lacking, and thus, this drought presented an opportunity to quantify drought effects. In the aim of understanding the effect drought has on the Lebanese economy, and its different sectors, a survey was conducted to set a baseline of the changes in the direct cost of water as well as other impacts that might have resulted on the water users. The survey reached out to different sectors to include the touristic establishments, industries, agriculture holders, and households. The sample selection and the data collection underwent several controls in order to ensure unbiased data. Moreover, a descriptive analysis was produced from the survey results, using STATA and Microsoft Excel. The main results have shown a shift of dependency towards water tankers during the drought season as opposed to the normal higher dependency on the public networks and private wells. Moreover, the cost incurred in general showed an average of 32% increase to the previous water bills across the different sectors, this in return is expected to have ripple effects on the national economy accounting for around 13.5% of GDP. However, the survey showed that little was done in terms of long term adaptation on the consumers' side, where most of the adaptation done included awareness campaigns for an economized water usage on the short term. The survey brought forward the un-preparedness of the country to react to such extreme events due to the absence of drought preparedness and management plan. . The results highlight the projected losses the country will have if no proper adaptation measures were taken. These impacts were caused by a one-year drought

Incidence and severity of ocular and adnexal injuries during the Second Lebanon War among Israeli soldiers and civilians.

Science.gov (United States)

Barak, Adiel; Elhalel, Amir; Pikkel, Joseph; Krauss, Eli; Miller, Benjamin

2011-12-01

To analyze the incidence and severity of ocular and adnexal injuries in the Second Lebanon War among Israeli soldiers and civilians. Retrospective cohort study. All patients recorded in the Israeli National Trauma Registry during the Second Lebanon War (July-August, 2006). Retrieval of all data relevant to ocular and adnexal injuries sustained during the study period, and differentiation between those associated with combat/terrorist and other events. Analysis of data according to the severity of trauma , anatomical location of the injury, and whether the patients were military personnel or civilians. A total of 69 war-related ocular trauma patients (58 military personnel and 11 civilians) were registered during the 34 days of war. The injuries involved the anterior segment injury (n = 25), posterior segment (n = 29) and the periocular region (n = 15, all severe). Twenty-seven of the patients had open-globe injuries, of which 18 involved intraocular foreign bodies, and 27 patients had closed-globe injuries. The rate of ocular injuries was 7% among all registered wounded military personnel and 1.2% among all injured civilians. The incidence and severity of ocular and adnexal injuries among military personnel during the Second Lebanon War were consistent with previous reports from American sources of ocular injuries sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan. The rates of ocular injury associated with wartime events sustained by civilians has not been investigated before, and it was relatively low, probably as a result of stringent government-mandated building regulations for passive defense that are discussed.

Distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes among injecting drug users in Lebanon

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Shamra Sarah

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of anti-HCV among injecting drug users (IDUs in Lebanon, to establish the current prevalence of HCV genotypes in this population and to determine whether demographic characteristics and behavioral variables differ between participants who were HCV-RNA positive and those who were HCV-RNA negative or between the different genotypes. Participants were recruited using respondent-driven sampling method. The blood samples were collected as dried blood spots and then eluted to be tested for HCV, HBV and HIV by ELISA. Anti-HCV positive samples were subjected to RNA extraction followed by qualitative detection and genotyping. Results Among 106 IDUs, 56 (52.8% were anti-HCV-positive. The two groups did not differ in terms of age, marital status, and nationality. As for the behavioral variable, there was a trend of increased risky behaviors among the HCV-RNA positive group as compared to the HCV-RNA negative group but none of the variables reached statistical significance. Half (50% of the 56 anti-HCV-positive were HCV-RNA positive. Genotype 3 was the predominant one (57.1% followed by genotype 1 (21% and genotype 4 (18%. Conclusions The predominance of genotype 3 seems to be the predominant genotype among IDUs in Lebanon, a situation similar to that among IDUs in Western Europe. This study provides a base-line against possible future radical epidemiological variant that might occur in IDUs.

Use of RIA (radioimmunoassay) for the screening o prostate cancer in lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Ezzi, A.A.

2003-01-01

The incidence of prostate cancer is known to be high in USA and europpe and very low in asia. There are lots of controversies about the early screening programs of this cancer because of the low cost effctiveness and the limited choices of treatment. However, in USA, early screening programs have helped in increasing the ratee of eaarly detection of this cancer. Actually, 75% of patients are detected when their cancer is still organ confined. This rate was 25% before this program. There is no statistical data in lebanon or any other arabic country about the incidence of this cancer. In this study, 300 men aged 40 years and more from the area of mount lebanon were screened for prostate cancer. This was done by digital rectal examination (DRE) followed by blood withdrawal for PSA (prostate specific antigen) test. IRMA technique was used for assaying PSA by kits fromimmunotech. 23 men have abnormal PSA values. Results of this study showed the presence of two cases of prostate cancer, 3 cases of prostatitis and 8 cases of BPH (being prostate hypeeerplasial0, which proof that the incidence of prostate cancer is not low as expected (in japan, the rate of cancer is 1:50 000 men) and that the early screening is very important in our country at least to increase the awareness from this cancer. Because purchasing kits from international sources is very expensive, local preparation of PSA kits is a necessity to overcome this problem

Hymen protection and the sexual practices, perceptions, and attitudes of female university students from Lebanon.

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El Kak, Faysal; El Salibi, Noura; Yasmine, Rola; Ghandour, Lilian

2017-11-01

To investigate associations between hymen protection and women's alternative sexual practices, perceptions, and attitudes. A cross-sectional online survey was administered among university students (aged 18-30 years) in Lebanon between April 30 and August 31, 2012. The present analysis focused on female students who had engaged in oral/anal sex. Among 416 included women, 163 (39.3%) reported anal/oral sex to protect their hymen. Women ever concerned with hymen protection were less likely to be non-Lebanese and not religious/spiritual, but more likely to report unwanted sexual activities, a relationship in which they felt things were moving too fast physically, and to feel guilty about sexual feelings (all Pwomen who later engaged in vaginal sex (n=75) were less religious and more accepting of premarital sex than were those who continued to protect their hymen (n=88; all PWomen concerned about hymen-breaking engage in alternative sexual practices, yet experience pressure, guilt, worry, and indecisiveness regarding their sex-related decisions. The navigation of sexual decisions is a more vulnerable process for these women because of prevailing patriarchal values and discriminating gender norms in Lebanon. © 2017 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Attitudes towards domestic violence in Lebanon: a qualitative study of primary care practitioners

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Usta, Jinan; Feder, Gene; Antoun, Jumana

2014-01-01

Background Domestic violence (DV) is highly prevalent in the developing and developed world. Healthcare systems internationally are still not adequately addressing the needs of patients experiencing violence. Aim To explore physicians’ attitudes about responding to DV, their perception of the physician’s role, and the factors that influence their response. Design and setting Qualitative study using individual interviews among primary care practitioners working in Lebanon. Method Primary care clinicians practising for >5 years and with >100 patient consultations a week were interviewed. Physicians were asked about their practice when encountering women disclosing abuse, their opinion about the engagement of the health services with DV, their potential role, and the anticipated reaction of patients and society to this extended role. Results Physicians felt that they were well positioned to play a pivotal role in addressing DV; yet they had concerns related to personal safety, worry about losing patients, and opposing the norms of a largely conservative society. Several physicians justified DV or blamed the survivor rather than the perpetrator for triggering the violent behaviour. Moreover, religion was perceived as sanctioning DV. Conclusion Perceived cultural norms and religious beliefs seem to be major barriers to physicians responding to DV in Lebanon, and possibly in the Arab world more generally. Financial concerns also need to be addressed to encourage physicians to address DV. PMID:24868068

Attitudes towards domestic violence in Lebanon: a qualitative study of primary care practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Usta, Jinan; Feder, Gene; Antoun, Jumana

2014-06-01

Domestic violence (DV) is highly prevalent in the developing and developed world. Healthcare systems internationally are still not adequately addressing the needs of patients experiencing violence. To explore physicians' attitudes about responding to DV, their perception of the physician's role, and the factors that influence their response. Qualitative study using individual interviews among primary care practitioners working in Lebanon. Primary care clinicians practising for >5 years and with >100 patient consultations a week were interviewed. Physicians were asked about their practice when encountering women disclosing abuse, their opinion about the engagement of the health services with DV, their potential role, and the anticipated reaction of patients and society to this extended role. Physicians felt that they were well positioned to play a pivotal role in addressing DV; yet they had concerns related to personal safety, worry about losing patients, and opposing the norms of a largely conservative society. Several physicians justified DV or blamed the survivor rather than the perpetrator for triggering the violent behaviour. Moreover, religion was perceived as sanctioning DV. Perceived cultural norms and religious beliefs seem to be major barriers to physicians responding to DV in Lebanon, and possibly in the Arab world more generally. Financial concerns also need to be addressed to encourage physicians to address DV. © British Journal of General Practice 2014.

Older Adults, in Lebanon, Committed to Learning: Contextualizing the Challenges and the Benefits of Their Learning Experience

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Hachem, Hany; Vuopala, Essi

2016-01-01

The University for the Third Age, a relatively new concept in Lebanon, provides educational and social opportunities for older adults. The goal of later-life educational institutions supposedly covers more than a mere provision of learning. This being said, highlighting the significance of rewards associated with older adult learning--and the…

Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder among battered women in Lebanon: an exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Khadra, Christelle; Wehbe, Nancy; Lachance Fiola, Jacinthe; Skaff, Wadih; Nehmé, Mona

2015-01-01

Intimate partner violence against women is common in Lebanon and can lead to major health problems. However, the incidence of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in battered women has not been extensively explored in the Lebanese cultural context. The objectives of this study were as follows: (a) to determine the prevalence of PTSD symptoms among women in Lebanon who have been physically abused by their partners, (b) to assess whether the rate of PTSD symptoms varied according to sociodemographic variables, and (c) to reveal other attributes that might be risk factors for developing symptoms of PTSD. Of the 95 physically abused women who met inclusion criteria, 85 completed a questionnaire including sociodemographic questions, the physical abuse subscale of the Composite Abuse Scale (CAS), and the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C). Results showed a high prevalence of PTSD symptoms (97%), positively correlated with physical violence (r = .719). Lower education level and recent abuse were correlated with symptom severity, as were the number of problematic habitual behaviors in the abusive partner and the use of psychotherapy. Increased involvement of health care professionals in the detection of women at risk, with referral to appropriate resources, is suggested to improve prevention and management efforts. © The Author(s) 2014.

Adherence to International Guidelines for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections in Lebanon

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Wissam K. Kabbara

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. The purpose of this study is to evaluate antibiotic-prescribing practices and adherence to IDSA guidelines for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections in Lebanon. Methods. This observational prospective study was conducted in 15 community pharmacies in Lebanon over 1 year in adult females. A regimen of nitrofurantoin 100 mg bid for 5 days or fosfomycin 3 grams single dose were considered appropriate. For the bivariate analysis, the chi-square test was used. Results. A total of 376 patients were included in this study. The prescribed antibiotic was appropriate in 35 percent of the patients. Age (more than 50 years did not significantly affect the appropriateness of the prescribed antibiotic (p=0.508. The frequency of attacks per year (more than 3 negatively affected the choice of antibiotic (p=0.025. The dose and duration of the prescribed antibiotic was appropriate in 73 and 58 percent of the patients, respectively, with a significant inappropriate dose and duration with fluoroquinolones as compared to nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin (p<0.001 for the dose and p=0.014 for the duration of therapy. Conclusions. In an era of increasing bacterial resistance, interventions that improve physicians’ prescribing practices for uncomplicated urinary tract infections are needed.

Optimising Nitrogen utilization by fertigated protected cucumber in coastal Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atallah, Therese; Darwich, Talal; Awad, Souhail; El-Moujabber, Maroun

1999-01-01

Full text.In Lebanon, protected cultures are in expansion with indications of new greenhouses installed every year, particularly at altitudes between 400 and 500 m. In these intensive systems, few studies looked at the crop requirements, the management practices and their consequences on the soil and water. This study was carried out under field conditions in Jbeil (lebanon) at 100 m of altitude for a spring cucumber. For the follow-up of the nitrogen use efficiency, labelled nitrogen fertilizer (with the heavy isotope 15 N) was used. Treatments consisted of combining two irrigation frequencies: every 2 or 3 days with two modalities of fertigation: continuous and discontinuous, with every other irrigation. Otherwise, the levels of water and nutrients were equal among all treatments. Results focused on the plant performance under these modalities and also on the nitrogen balance in the plant-soil system. The plants fertigated continuously, every two days, presented higher fresh fruit yield and above-ground dry ,matter production. In addition, the number of non-commercial fruits were significantly smaller than in the other treatments. This suggests less stressful conditions under the continuous input of nutrients and the stable EC of the fertigation solution. Concerning the nitrogen balance, it was calculated by the difference between input removal for each treatment. These values were compared with the nitrate-nitrogen build-up in the soil. Very close correspondence was found, which indicates minimal nitrogen losses for all treatments which could be related to the amount accumulated in the soil as nitrates. Overall, under the experimental conditions the continuous fertigation at a 2-day frequency was the most adequate in promoting plant production and minimizing losses from the soil-plant system

Etiologic agents of dermatophyte infection in Lebanon.

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Araj, George F; Racoubian, Eddie S; Daher, Nemat K

2004-01-01

Dermatophytes are common and cause important human fungal infections in many parts of the world, including Lebanon. The prevalence of these fungi, however, tends to vary with time and geographic location. In our region, studies on the prevalence of dermatophytoses and the distribution of the various dermatophyte species involved are rare. In Lebanon, only one study was published on this subject over the last forty years. This study was undertaken to shed light on the types and prevalence of dermatophytes recovered at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), and to compare the findings with those of the only study from the same hospital published in the early 1960s. Records from the clinical microbiology section were reviewed for the patients on whom dermatophyte cultures were requested between 1996 and 2002. All positive cultures were identified and analyzed. Among 1631 submitted specimens for culture (one per patient), 208 (12.7%) yielded 11 species of dermatophytes, dominated by Trichophyton spp. (89.9%), followed by Microsporum spp. (9.1%), Epidermophyton floccosum (0.4%) and Trichosporum beigelii (0.4%). The male to female ratio was almost 1:1, and the age range was 1 to 77 yrs for both sexes; 14% were children (< or = 15 yrs). The most commonly recovered species were: T. tonsurans (54.8%), T. mentagrophytes (24.5%), M. canis (7.7%), T. rubrum (5.3%) and T. verrucosum (4%). The distribution of infection according to body sites was : tinea unguium (44.2%), tinea corporis (43.2%), tinea capitis (7.7%) and tinea pedis (4.8%). Compared to the previous study from AUBMC in 1962, the current study showed an overall lower prevalence of dermatophytoses (12.7 vs 18.5%, p = 0.001) and variations in the prevalence rates of the dermatophyte species involved (dominated by T. tonsurans and T. mentagrophytes in the current study compared to E. floccosum and T. rubrum recovered in 1962). Based on the source of infection the current study showed higher

Snow observations in Mount Lebanon (2011-2016)

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Fayad, Abbas; Gascoin, Simon; Faour, Ghaleb; Fanise, Pascal; Drapeau, Laurent; Somma, Janine; Fadel, Ali; Bitar, Ahmad Al; Escadafal, Richard

2017-08-01

We present a unique meteorological and snow observational dataset in Mount Lebanon, a mountainous region with a Mediterranean climate, where snowmelt is an essential water resource. The study region covers the recharge area of three karstic river basins (total area of 1092 km2 and an elevation up to 3088 m). The dataset consists of (1) continuous meteorological and snow height observations, (2) snowpack field measurements, and (3) medium-resolution satellite snow cover data. The continuous meteorological measurements at three automatic weather stations (MZA, 2296 m; LAQ, 1840 m; and CED, 2834 m a.s.l.) include surface air temperature and humidity, precipitation, wind speed and direction, incoming and reflected shortwave irradiance, and snow height, at 30 min intervals for the snow seasons (November-June) between 2011 and 2016 for MZA and between 2014 and 2016 for CED and LAQ. Precipitation data were filtered and corrected for Geonor undercatch. Observations of snow height (HS), snow water equivalent, and snow density were collected at 30 snow courses located at elevations between 1300 and 2900 m a.s.l. during the two snow seasons of 2014-2016 with an average revisit time of 11 days. Daily gap-free snow cover extent (SCA) and snow cover duration (SCD) maps derived from MODIS snow products are provided for the same period (2011-2016). We used the dataset to characterize mean snow height, snow water equivalent (SWE), and density for the first time in Mount Lebanon. Snow seasonal variability was characterized with high HS and SWE variance and a relatively high snow density mean equal to 467 kg m-3. We find that the relationship between snow depth and snow density is specific to the Mediterranean climate. The current model explained 34 % of the variability in the entire dataset (all regions between 1300 and 2900 m a.s.l.) and 62 % for high mountain regions (elevation 2200-2900 m a.s.l.). The dataset is suitable for the investigation of snow dynamics and for the forcing

Archeovirtual 2011: An evaluation approach to virtual museums

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pescarin, S.; Pagano, A.; Wallergård, M.; Hupperetz, W.; Ray, C.; Guidi, G.; Addison, A.C.

2012-01-01

November 2011 saw the opening of the exhibition "Archeovirtual" organized by CNR ITABC - Virtual Heritage Lab - and V-MusT Network of Excellence, in Paestum, Italy, under the general direction of BMTA1. The event, that was part of a wider European project focus on virtual museums, turned to be a

Learning the Nation in Exile: Constructing Youth Identities, Belonging and "Citizenship" in Palestinian Refugee Camps in South Lebanon

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Fincham, Kathleen

2012-01-01

This paper examines the ways in which "Palestine" and "Palestinianess" are culturally, socially and symbolically produced and regulated through formal and non-formal institutional sites in Palestinian camps in south Lebanon. It argues that although institutional power, processes and outcomes help to construct shared notions of…

Burden and treatment patterns of invasive fungal infections in hospitalized patients in the Middle East: real-world data from Saudi Arabia and Lebanon

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Alothman AF

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Adel F Alothman,1 Abdulhakeem O Althaqafi,2 Madonna J Matar,3 Rima Moghnieh,4 Thamer H Alenazi,1 Fayssal M Farahat,2 Shelby Corman,5 Caitlyn T Solem,5 Nirvana Raghubir,6 Cynthia Macahilig,7 Claudie Charbonneau,8 Jennifer M Stephens5 1College of Medicine, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Infection Prevention and Control, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Saud bin AbdulAziz University for Health Sciences, King AbdulAziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Infectious Disease, Notre Dame de Secours University Hospital, Byblos, Lebanon; 4Department of Internal Medicine, Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon; 5Real-world Evidence/Data Analytics Center of Excellence, Pharmerit International, Bethesda, MD, USA; 6Pfizer, New York, NY, 7Medical Data Analytics, Parsippany, NJ, USA; 8Pfizer International Operation, Paris, France Objectives: The objective of this study was to document the burden and treatment patterns associated with invasive fungal infections (IFIs due to Candida and Aspergillus species in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. Methods: A retrospective chart review study was conducted using data recorded from 2011 to 2012 from hospitals in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. Patients were included if they had been discharged with a diagnosis of IFI due to Candida or Aspergillus, which was culture proven or suspected based on clinical criteria. Hospital data were abstracted for a random sample of patients to capture demographics, treatment patterns, hospital resource utilization, and clinical outcomes. Descriptive results were reported. Results: Five hospitals participated and provided data on 102 patients with IFI (51 from Lebanon and 51 from Saudi Arabia. The mean age of the patients was 55 years, and 55% were males. Comorbidities included diabetes (41%, coronary artery disease (24%, leukemia (19%, moderate

Defining Terrorism at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon

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Prakash Puchooa

2011-11-01

Full Text Available On 16 February 2011, the Appeals Chamber of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL issued an interlocutory decision regarding the legal definition of terrorism.This decision was in response to a Pre-Trial Chamber (PTC list of questions requesting,' inter alia', an elaboration of the elements of this crime.In exploring this matter, the Appeals Chamber defined the subjective ('mens rea' and objective elements ('actus reus' of terrorism by referring to domestic Lebanese law and international law. It thereby set out the applicable law for the court. The consequence of this decision however is not limited to the law of STL but may be seen as having far-reaching consequences for the conception of terrorism under both international law and International Criminal Law (ICL. Given the significance of the Appeals Chamber judgment, this paper will scrutinise three areas of concern regarding its propriety:

Modeling money demand components in Lebanon using autoregressive models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mourad, M.

2008-01-01

This paper analyses monetary aggregate in Lebanon and its different component methodology of AR model. Thirteen variables in monthly data have been studied for the period January 1990 through December 2005. Using the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) procedure, twelve variables are integrated at order 1, thus they need the filter (1-B)) to become stationary, however the variable X 1 3,t (claims on private sector) becomes stationary with the filter (1-B)(1-B 1 2) . The ex-post forecasts have been calculated for twelve horizons and for one horizon (one-step ahead forecast). The quality of forecasts has been measured using the MAPE criterion for which the forecasts are good because the MAPE values are lower. Finally, a pursuit of this research using the cointegration approach is proposed. (author)

Perceptions from the public and private sector on trust and cooperation in the field of environmental management in Lebanon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abbas, Nivine; van der Molen, I.; Nader, M.; Lovett, Jonathan Cranidge

2013-01-01

This paper positions trust and cooperation in the context of environmental management in Lebanon. Previous studies indicated increasing environmental problems in this area. The effectiveness of the Lebanese government to address these challenges has been reported to be constrained by large varieties

Oral Health Status of Institutionalized Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities in Lebanon

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Hicham A. Diab

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To assess the dental status of institutionalized intellectually disabled individuals in Lebanon and the role of background and behavioural determinants. Material and Methods: Oral health was recorded for 652 individuals (6, 12, 15 and 35 - 44 years old using the decayed, missing and filled teeth/decayed and filled teeth (DMFT/dft index. Data collected was statistically analysed with statistical significance set at P = 0.05. Results: Overall, mean DMFT index score was 5.86 (SD 6; composed of 3.64 (SD 4.05 decayed (D teeth; 1.71 (SD 4.38 missing (M teeth; 0.87 (SD 2.51 filled (F teeth. DMFT was highest in adults (12.71 [SD 7.43] and had a large component of missing (6.24 [SD 7.02] and filled (3.31 [SD 4.56] teeth. DMFT scores ranged between 3.5 (SD 4.44 at 6 years and 4.8 (SD 4.52 at 15 years and the decayed component was the main contributor. In multivariate analyses, governorate of residence was statistically significantly (P ≤ 0.040 and P ≤ 0.044 associated with D and DMFT, the degree of disability and caretaker educational level were statistically significantly (P = 0.009 and P = 0.008 associated with D, oral hygiene practices were statistically significantly (P ≤ 0.017; P < 0.001; P ≤ 0.017; P < 0.001 associated with D, M, F and DMFT and sugar consumption was statistically significantly (P ≤ 0.03 and P ≤ 0.019 associated with D and DMFT. Conclusions: In Lebanon, preventive and treatment programs to improve the oral health status of institutionalized intellectually disabled subjects are needed.

Informal politics and inequity of access to health care in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Introduction Despite the importance of political institutions in shaping the social environment, the causal impact of politics on health care access and inequalities has been understudied. Even when considered, research tends to focus on the effects of formal macro-political institutions such as the welfare state. We investigate how micro-politics and informal institutions affect access to care. Methods This study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining findings from a household survey (n = 1789) and qualitative interviews (n = 310) in Lebanon. Multivariate logistic regression was employed in the analysis of the survey to examine the effect of political activism on access to health care while controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, religious commitment and piety. Results We note a significantly positive association between political activism and the probability of receiving health aid (p political activity to those least active in our sample. Interviews with key informants also reveal that, although a form of “universal coverage” exists in Lebanon whereby any citizen is eligible for coverage of hospitalization fees and treatments, in practice, access to health services is used by political parties and politicians as a deliberate strategy to gain and reward political support from individuals and their families. Conclusions Individuals with higher political activism have better access to health services than others. Informal, micro-level political institutions can have an important impact on health care access and utilization, with potentially detrimental effects on the least politically connected. A truly universal health care system that provides access based on medical need rather than political affiliation is needed to help to alleviate growing health disparities in the Lebanese population. PMID:22571591

Interconnection France-Italy; Interconnexion France-Italie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-07-01

These documents presents the rules, defined by RTE, of the attribution of electric power transportation capacity between France and Italy. The contract form and the general principles are given in annexes. A guide to the application form is provided. (A.L.B.)

Clinical research ethics review process in Lebanon: efficiency and functions of research ethics committees - results from a descriptive questionnaire-based study.

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Atallah, David; Moubarak, Malak; El Kassis, Nadine; Abboud, Sara

2018-01-11

Clinical trials conducted in Lebanon are increasing. However, little is known about the performance of research ethics committees (RECs) in charge of reviewing the research protocols. This study aimed to assess the level of adherence to the ethics surrounding the conduct of clinical trials and perceptions of team members regarding roles of the RECs during the conduct of clinical trials in Lebanon. The research question was: Are RECs adherent to the ethics surrounding the conduct of clinical trials (chapters II and IV in 'Standards and Operational Guidance for Ethics Review of Health-related Research with Human Participants' in Lebanon?' This was a quantitative and descriptive questionnaire-based study conducted among RECs of university hospitals in Lebanon. The questionnaire had to be completed online and included general questions in addition to items reflecting the different aspects of a REC performance and effectiveness. All the questionnaire was assigned a total score of 175 points. General information and questions assigned point values/scores were analysed using descriptive statistics: frequency and percentage, mean score ± standard deviation. Ten RECs participated in the study (52 persons: four chairs, one vice-president, 47 ordinary members). Forty-seven (90.4%) had previous experience with clinical research and 30 (57.7%) had a diploma or had done a training in research ethics. Forty-one percent confirmed that they were required to have a training in research ethics. All RECs had a policy for disclosing and managing potential conflicts of interest for its members, but 71.8% of participants reported the existence of such a policy for researchers. Thirty-three point three percent reported that the RECs had an anti-bribery policy. The questionnaire mean score was 129.6 ± 22.3/175 points reflecting thus an excellent adherence to international standards. Inadequate training of REC members and the lack of anti-bribery policies should be resolved to

Civic Engagement in a Challenging Political Context: The Neighborhood Initiative at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon

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Myntti, Cynthia

2013-01-01

This essay uses the experience of one community engagement program at the American University of Beirut (AUB), a prominent private university in Lebanon, to reflect on the value and challenges of civic engagement in a non-Western context. It describes the Lebanese sectarian political system, provides an overview of the AUB Neighborhood Initiative,…

Applying knowledge translation tools to inform policy: the case of mental health in Lebanon.

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Yehia, Farah; El Jardali, Fadi

2015-06-06

Many reform efforts in health systems fall short because the use of research evidence to inform policy remains scarce. In Lebanon, one in four adults suffers from a mental illness, yet access to mental healthcare services in primary healthcare (PHC) settings is limited. Using an "integrated" knowledge framework to link research to action, this study examines the process of influencing the mental health agenda in Lebanon through the application of Knowledge Translation (KT) tools and the use of a KT Platform (KTP) as an intermediary between researchers and policymakers. This study employed the following KT tools: 1) development of a policy brief to address the lack of access to mental health services in PHC centres, 2) semi-structured interviews with 10 policymakers and key informants, 3) convening of a national policy dialogue, 4) evaluation of the policy brief and dialogue, and 5) a post-dialogue survey. Findings from the key informant interviews and a comprehensive synthesis of evidence were used to develop a policy brief which defined the problem and presented three elements of a policy approach to address it. This policy brief was circulated to 24 participants prior to the dialogue to inform the discussion. The policy dialogue validated the evidence synthesized in the brief, whereby integrating mental health into PHC services was the element most supported by evidence as well as participants. The post-dialogue survey showed that, in the following 6 months, several implementation steps were taken by stakeholders, including establishing national taskforce, training PHC staff, and updating the national essential drug list to include psychiatric medications. Relationships among policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders were strengthened as they conducted their own workshops and meetings after the dialogue to further discuss implementation, and their awareness about and demand for KT tools increased. This case study showed that the use of KT tools in Lebanon to

Altered Middle Lamella Homogalacturonan and Disrupted Deposition of (1¿5)-a -_L-Arabinan in the Pericarp of Cnr, a Ripening Mutant of Tomato¹

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Orfila, C.; Seymour, G.B; Willats, William George Tycho

2001-01-01

Cnr (colorless non-ripening) is a pleiotropic tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) fruit ripening mutant with altered tissue properties including weaker cell-to-cell contacts in the pericarp (A.J. Thompson, M. Tor, C.S. Barry, J. Vrebalov, C. Orfila, M.C. Jarvis, J.J. Giovannoni, D. Grierson, G...

The ISMAR high frequency coastal radar network: Monitoring surface currents for management of marine resources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carlson, Daniel Frazier

2015-01-01

The Institute of Marine Sciences (ISMAR) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) established a High Frequency (HF) Coastal Radar Network for the measurement of the velocity of surface currents in coastal seas. The network consists of four HF radar systems located on the coast of the Gargano...... Promontory (Southern Adriatic, Italy). The network has been operational since May 2013 and covers an area of approximately 1700 square kilometers in the Gulf of Manfredonia. Quality Assessment (QA) procedures are applied for the systems deployment and maintenance and Quality Control (QC) procedures...

Smuggling as the “key to a combined market”: British American Tobacco in Lebanon

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Nakkash, R; Lee, K

2008-01-01

Objectives: To understand the strategy of British American Tobacco (BAT) and other transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) to gain access to the Lebanese market, which has remained relatively closed under monopoly ownership and political instability. Methods: Analysis of internal industry documents, local language secondary sources and industry publications. Results: TTCs have relied on legal and illegal channels to supply the Lebanese market since at least the 1970s. Available documents suggest smuggling has been an important component of BAT’s market entry strategy, transported in substantial quantities via middlemen for sale in Lebanon and neighbouring countries. TTCs took advantage of weak and unstable governance, resulting in uncertainty over the Regie’s legal status, and continued to supply the contraband trade despite appeals by the government to cease undermining its revenues. Since the end of the civil war in the early 1990s, continued uncertainty about the tobacco monopoly amid political instability has encouraged TTCs to seek a legal presence in the country, while continuing to achieve substantial sales through contraband. Conclusion: Evidence of the complicity of TTCs in cigarette smuggling extends to Lebanon and the Middle East where this trade has especially benefited from weak governance and chronic political instability. The regional nature of TTC strategy supports strong international cooperation under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to tackle the problem. PMID:18818226

Biogeographical homogeneity in the eastern Mediterranean Sea - I: the opisthobranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda from Lebanon

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F. CROCETTA

2013-07-01

Full Text Available A reviewed knowledge of the opisthobranch species from Lebanon (eastern Mediterranean Sea, based on literature records (scattered throughout various papers published over a period of more than 150 years and recently collected material (1999-2002 within the CEDRE framework and other samples, is presented, yielding a total number of 35 taxa recorded from the Lebanese shores identified to species level. Special emphasis has mainly been given to the alien species, for which scattered notes are also given. The known opisthobranch biota is composed of 22 native (~ 63%, 12 alien (~ 34% and one cryptogenic (~ 3% taxa. Eleven of these (Berthella aurantiaca, B. ocellata, Aplysia fasciata, Felimare picta, Felimida britoi, F. luteorosea, F. purpurea, Phyllidia flava, Dendrodoris grandiflora, D. limbata and Aeolidiella alderi constitute new records for the Lebanese fauna, whilst the examined material of a further seven species (Elysia grandifolia, Pleurobranchus forskalii, Aplysia dactylomela, Bursatella leachii, Syphonota geographica, Goniobranchus annulatus, Flabellina rubrolineata anecdotally cited from Lebanon on the basis of the samples here studied, is here first explained. One additional taxon belonging to the genus Haminoea has been identified to genus level only. Despite the searching effort poning the basis of the material analyzed here, data reported clearly suggest that strong investments are still needed for a better understanding of the eastern Mediterranean opisthobranch fauna.

GEOELECTRICAL TOMOGRAPHY AS AN OPERATIVE TOOL FOR THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF LANDSLIDE: AN APPLICATION IN BASILICATA REGION, ITALY

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Gerardo, C.; Lapenna, V.; Loperte, A.; Perrone, A.

2009-12-01

A new approach has been applied for investigating some landslides of recent genesis in Basilicata region (southern Italy), in particular a geophysical technique has been used to study a landslide bodies. Electrical resistivity tomography method has been applied to obtain information about the deep characteristics of the landslide bodies. The high resolution of the 2D ERTs allowed to locate the possible sliding surfaces of the landslide body. They also highlighted areas characterized by high water content, the increase of the saturation degree and pore pressures in these areas could have caused a weakening of the slopes. The information obtained by the application of indirect surveys appeared to be particularly useful for the end users involved in the risks management. In particular, taking into account the cycle of landslides emergency, the obtained data could give a valid contribution during the post-event phase which mainly regards the damage valuation. Indeed, only a corrected assessment of the damage and a precise geometric reconstruction of the landslide body, can direct the intervention actions of the end users. The results represent a valid cognitive support to choose the most appropriate technical solution for strengthening of the slopes and an example of best practice for the cooperation between the research activity (IMAA-CNR) and field emergency (Basilicata Civil Protection).

Suppression of BRCA2 by Mutant Mitochondrial DNA in Prostate Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

2014-07-01

Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6K 2P5, Canada 9Institute of Biomembranes and Bioenergetics, National Research Council (C.N.R.), Bari, Italy ...Jacquotte A, Polsky D, Ferrara J, Perez-Soler R, Cordon-Cardo C, Pagano M and Osman I. Altered expression of p27 and Skp2 proteins in prostate cancer of

Effect of inherited structures on strike-slip plate boundaries: insight from analogue modelling of the central Levant Fracture System, Lebanon

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Ghalayini, Ramadan; Daniel, Jean-Marc; Homberg, Catherine; Nader, Fadi

2015-04-01

Analogue sandbox modeling is a tool to simulate deformation style and structural evolution of sedimentary basins. The initial goal is to test what is the effect of inherited and crustal structures on the propagation, evolution, and final geometry of major strike-slip faults at the boundary between two tectonic plates. For this purpose, we have undertaken a series of analogue models to validate and reproduce the structures of the Levant Fracture System, a major NNE-SSW sinistral strike-slip fault forming the boundary between the Arabian and African plates. Onshore observations and recent high quality 3D seismic data in the Levant Basin offshore Lebanon demonstrated that Mesozoic ENE striking normal faults were reactivated into dextral strike-slip faults during the Late Miocene till present day activity of the plate boundary which shows a major restraining bend in Lebanon with a ~ 30°clockwise rotation in its trend. Experimental parameters consisted of a silicone layer at the base simulating the ductile crust, overlain by intercalated quartz sand and glass sand layers. Pre-existing structures were simulated by creating a graben in the silicone below the sand at an oblique (>60°) angle to the main throughgoing strike-slip fault. The latter contains a small stepover at depth to create transpression during sinistral strike-slip movement and consequently result in mountain building similarly to modern day Lebanon. Strike-slip movement and compression were regulated by steady-speed computer-controlled engines and the model was scanned using a CT-scanner continuously while deforming to have a final 4D model of the system. Results showed that existing normal faults were reactivated into dextral strike-slip faults as the sinistral movement between the two plates accumulated. Notably, the resulting restraining bend is asymmetric and segmented into two different compartments with differing geometries. One compartment shows a box fold anticline, while the second shows an

Cost-effectiveness of increasing cervical cancer screening coverage in the Middle East: An example from Lebanon.

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Sharma, Monisha; Seoud, Muhieddine; Kim, Jane J

2017-01-23

Most cervical cancer (CC) cases in Lebanon are detected at later stages and associated with high mortality. There is no national organized CC screening program so screening is opportunistic and limited to women who can pay out-of-pocket. Therefore, a small percentage of women receive repeated screenings while most are under-or never screened. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of increasing screening coverage and extending intervals. We used an individual-based Monte Carlo model simulating HPV and CC natural history and screening. We calibrated the model to epidemiological data from Lebanon, including CC incidence and HPV type distribution. We evaluated cytology and HPV DNA screening for women aged 25-65years, varying coverage from 20 to 70% and frequency from 1 to 5years. At 20% coverage, annual cytologic screening reduced lifetime CC risk by 14% and had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of I$80,670/year of life saved (YLS), far exceeding Lebanon's gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (I$17,460), a commonly cited cost-effectiveness threshold. By comparison, increasing cytologic screening coverage to 50% and extending screening intervals to 3 and 5years provided greater CC reduction (26.1% and 21.4, respectively) at lower costs compared to 20% coverage with annual screening. Screening every 5years with HPV DNA testing at 50% coverage provided greater CC reductions than cytology at the same frequency (23.4%) and was cost-effective assuming a cost of I$18 per HPV test administered (I$12,210/YLS); HPV DNA testing every 4years at 50% coverage was also cost-effective at the same cost per test (I$16,340). Increasing coverage of annual cytology was not found to be cost-effective. Current practice of repeated cytology in a small percentage of women is inefficient. Increasing coverage to 50% with extended screening intervals provides greater health benefits at a reasonable cost and can more equitably distribute health gains. Novel HPV DNA strategies offer greater

The Role of Army Railroading at the Operational Level of War

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1989-05-15

Denmar China France Indonesia German,, Iran Greece Iraq Hungary Israel Italy Japan Latvia V< orea Li thuani a Lebanon Lu>c emo our g Saudi Arabia...Battalion -.. Pecan Street Jacksonville, Florida 7-2211-8719 Captain Horam Simpk ins U.S. Army Logistics Center ATTN: ATCL-E Fort Lee, Virginia 28:1

Sex-specific sleep patterns among university students in Lebanon: impact on depression and academic performance

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Kabrita, Colette S; Hajjar-Mu?a, Theresa A

2016-01-01

Colette S Kabrita,1 Theresa A Hajjar-Muça,2 1Department of Sciences, 2Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Notre Dame University – Louaize, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon Abstract: Good sleep quality and quantity are fundamental to the maintenance of normal physiological processes. Changes in sleep patterns are commonly observed among young adults and are shown to impact neurocognitive, academic, and psychological well-being. Given the ...

Chemical composition of the essentialoil of the artemisia arborescens L. growing wild in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Beyrouthy, M.; Arnold-Spotolides, N.; Labaki, M.; Najm, S.; Cazier, F.; Abou kais, A.

2011-01-01

The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from air dried aerial parts of Artemisia arborescens L. from Lebanon was analyzed by GC/MS. Forty three compounds representing 95.33% of the oil sample were identified. The major component wasβ -thujone (68.5%), followed by chamazulene (12.3%), and some lesser amounts of terpinen-4-ol (1.8%), myrcene (1.3%),α -thujone (1.2%), linalool (1%), cis-thuyanol-4-ol (1%), carvacrol (0.9%), β -cubebene (0.8%) and camphor (0.8%).

Informal politics and inequity of access to health care in Lebanon

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Chen Bradley

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Despite the importance of political institutions in shaping the social environment, the causal impact of politics on health care access and inequalities has been understudied. Even when considered, research tends to focus on the effects of formal macro-political institutions such as the welfare state. We investigate how micro-politics and informal institutions affect access to care. Methods This study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining findings from a household survey (n = 1789 and qualitative interviews (n = 310 in Lebanon. Multivariate logistic regression was employed in the analysis of the survey to examine the effect of political activism on access to health care while controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, religious commitment and piety. Results We note a significantly positive association between political activism and the probability of receiving health aid (p , with an OR of 4.0 when comparing individuals with the highest political activity to those least active in our sample. Interviews with key informants also reveal that, although a form of “universal coverage” exists in Lebanon whereby any citizen is eligible for coverage of hospitalization fees and treatments, in practice, access to health services is used by political parties and politicians as a deliberate strategy to gain and reward political support from individuals and their families. Conclusions Individuals with higher political activism have better access to health services than others. Informal, micro-level political institutions can have an important impact on health care access and utilization, with potentially detrimental effects on the least politically connected. A truly universal health care system that provides access based on medical need rather than political affiliation is needed to help to alleviate growing health disparities in the Lebanese population.

Type distribution of lymphomas in Lebanon: five-year single institution experience.

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Sader-Ghorra, Claude; Rassy, Marc; Naderi, Samah; Kourie, Hampig Raphael; Kattan, Joseph

2014-01-01

Lymphomas represent the fifth most frequent cancer in Lebanon. However, little is known concerning epidemiologic characteristics and distribution of lymphoid neoplasms according to the 2008 WHO classification. We conducted a retrospective study of lymphoma cases diagnosed from 2008 till 2012 at Hotel-Dieu de France University Hospital. A total of 502 new cases of lymphoma were diagnosed at our institution during a five year period: 119 cases (24%) were Hodgkin lymphomas (HL) and 383 cases (76%) were non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). HLs were equally distributed in both sexes with a mean age at diagnosis of 30 years. Among NHL, 87% (332 cases) were B cell lymphomas, 9% (34 cases) were T cell lymphomas and 4%(17 cases) were classified as precursor lymphoid neoplasms. Among B cell lymphomas, 44% (147 cases) were diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCL), 20% (65 cases) follicular lymphomas and 8% (27 cases) mantle cell lymphomas. DLBCL were equally distributed in both sexes with a mean age of 58 years. Follicular lymphomas were characterized by a male predominance (57%) and a mean age of 60 years. Mantle cell lymphomas showed a pronounced male predominance (85%) with a mean age of 60 years in men and 70 years in women. Some 72% of patients having T cell lymphomas were men, with a mean age of 57 years in men and 45 years in women, while 65% of patients having precursor lymphoid neoplasms were women with a mean age of 22 years in women and 30 years in men. The lymphoma subtype distribution in Lebanon is unique when compared to other countries from around the world. In fact, Hodgkin and follicular lymphomas are more frequent than in most Far Eastern, European and American countries, while T-cell lymphomas and DLBCL are less frequent.

Burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia among hospitalized patients in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia

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Althaqafi AO

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Abdulhakeem O Althaqafi,1 Madonna J Matar,2 Rima Moghnieh,3 Adel F Alothman,4 Thamer H Alenazi,5 Fayssal Farahat,1 Shelby Corman,6 Caitlyn T Solem,6 Nirvana Raghubir,7 Cynthia Macahilig,8 Seema Haider,9 Jennifer M Stephens6 1Department of Infection Prevention and Control, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Saud bin AbdulAziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Infectious Disease, Notre Dame de Secours University Hospital, Byblos, 3Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, Lebanese Republic; 4Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Central Region, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, 5Infection Prevention & Control Department, King Abdulaziz Medical City-Riyadh (KAMC, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 6Real World Evidence: Data Analytics Center of Excellence, Pharmerit International, Bethesda, MD, 7Medical Affairs, Pfizer, New York, NY, 8Medical Data Analytics, Parsippany, NJ, 9Outcomes & Evidence, Global Health and Value, Pfizer, Groton, CT, USA Objectives: The objective of this study is to describe the real-world treatment patterns and burden of suspected or confirmed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA pneumonia in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. Methods: A retrospective chart review study evaluated 2011–2012 data from hospitals in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. Patients were included if they had been discharged with a diagnosis of MRSA pneumonia, which was culture proven or suspected based on clinical criteria. Hospital data were abstracted for a random sample of patients to capture demographics (eg, age and comorbidities, treatment patterns (eg, timing and use of antimicrobials, hospital resource utilization (eg, length of stay, and clinical outcomes (eg, clinical status at discharge and mortality. Descriptive results were reported using frequencies or proportions for categorical variables and mean and standard deviation for continuous variables. Results: Chart

Genotype x environment interaction and growth stability of several elm clones resistant to Dutch elm disease

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Alberto Santini; Francesco Pecori; Alessia L. Pepori; Luisa Ghelardini

2012-01-01

The elm breeding program carried out in Italy at the Institute of Plant Protection - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricercje (CNR) during the last 40 years aimed to develop Dutch elm disease (DED)-resistant elm selections specific to the Mediterranean environment. The need for genotypes adapted to Mediterranean conditions was evident from the poor performance of the Dutch...

PLANT-PARASITIC NEMATODES ON STONE FRUITS AND CITRUS IN LEBANON

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Said K. Ibrahim

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Ibrahim Said K., Ibrahim Azar, Christian Naser, Badran Akikki and Ludmilla Ibrahim. 2016. Plant-parasitic nematodes on stone fruits and citrus in Lebanon. Lebanese Science Journal, 17(1: 9-24. This study aimed to determine the occurrence, distribution of plant parasitic nematodes on stone fruits in Lebanon and to determine the effect of plant extracts on the mortality of several nematode species. A total of 308 soil samples were collected from five different crops. Almost all surveyed areas showed infection with nematodes. The soil infestation rate with nematodes in collected soil samples from all 10 surveyed crops ranged from 66.6 to 100%. Eighteen out of 308 soil samples were free of nematodes (5.8%. All the collected soil samples from nectarine and plum orchards were infested with nematodes (100%, followed by citrus (97.6%, apple (88.7%, pear and quince (85.7%, and cherry (81.4%. The lowest infection (66.6% was detected on almond and apricot. The level of infestation varied from one area to another and ranged between 0.1 and 28 nematodes per 1 g of soil, with the highest number obtained on cherry. Several genera were identified based on morphological characters including: root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp., Tylenchulus, Xiphinema, Rotylenchus, Pratylenchus, and Longidorus. Tylenchulus and Radopholus spp. were the most common on citrus trees, whereas Pratylechus and Meloidogyne spp. were detected almost in all the samples collected from all the crops. Six chopped aromatic plants were tested in pot experiments to control nematodes population densities. The results revealed that carbofuran (nematicide was the most effective (88.48% in comparison to the plant materials. Allium sativum gave the highest control (76.52% followed by Tageta patula (72.0%, Cucurbita maxima (71.84% and Inula viscosa (63.96%. Origanum syriacum (55.04% and Thymus (53.72% were less effective in comparison to the rest of tested plant materials.

A societal cost-of-illness study of hemodialysis in Lebanon.

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Rizk, Rana; Hiligsmann, Mickaël; Karavetian, Mirey; Salameh, Pascale; Evers, Silvia M A A

2016-12-01

Renal failure is a growing public health problem, and is mainly treated by hemodialysis. This study aims to estimate the societal costs of hemodialysis in Lebanon. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional cost-of-illness study conducted alongside the Nutrition Education for Management of Osteodystrophy trial. Costs were assessed with a prevalence-based, bottom-up approach, for the period of June-December 2011. The data of 114 patients recruited from six hospital-based units were collected through a questionnaire measuring healthcare costs, costs to patients and family, and costs in other sectors. Recall data were used for the base-case analysis. Sensitivity analyses employing various sources of resources use and costs were performed. Costs were uprated to 2015US$. Multiple linear regression was conducted to explore the predictors of societal costs. The mean 6-month societal costs were estimated at $9,258.39. The larger part was attributable to healthcare costs (91.7%), while costs to patient and family and costs in other sectors poorly contributed to the total costs (4.2% and 4.1%, respectively). In general, results were robust to sensitivity analyses. Using the maximum value for hospitalization resulted in the biggest difference (+15.5% of the base-case result). Female gender, being widowed/divorced, having hypertension comorbidity, and higher weekly time on dialysis were significantly associated with greater societal costs. Information regarding resource consumption and cost were not readily available. Rather, they were obtained from a variety of sources, with each having its own strengths and limitations. Hemodialysis represents a high societal burden in Lebanon. Using extrapolation, its total annual cost for the Lebanese society is estimated at $61,105,374 and the mean total annual cost ($18,516.7) is 43.70% higher than the gross domestic product per capita forecast for 2015. Measures to reduce the economic burden of hemodialysis should be taken, by promoting

Readiness of healthcare providers for eHealth: the case from primary healthcare centers in Lebanon.

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Saleh, Shadi; Khodor, Rawya; Alameddine, Mohamad; Baroud, Maysa

2016-11-10

eHealth can positively impact the efficiency and quality of healthcare services. Its potential benefits extend to the patient, healthcare provider, and organization. Primary healthcare (PHC) settings may particularly benefit from eHealth. In these settings, healthcare provider readiness is key to successful eHealth implementation. Accordingly, it is necessary to explore the potential readiness of providers to use eHealth tools. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the readiness of healthcare providers working in PHC centers in Lebanon to use eHealth tools. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess participants' socio-demographics, computer use, literacy, and access, and participants' readiness for eHealth implementation (appropriateness, management support, change efficacy, personal beneficence). The study included primary healthcare providers (physicians, nurses, other providers) working in 22 PHC centers distributed across Lebanon. Descriptive and bivariate analyses (ANOVA, independent t-test, Kruskal Wallis, Tamhane's T2) were used to compare participant characteristics to the level of readiness for the implementation of eHealth. Of the 541 questionnaires, 213 were completed (response rate: 39.4 %). The majority of participants were physicians (46.9 %), and nurses (26.8 %). Most physicians (54.0 %), nurses (61.4 %), and other providers (50.9 %) felt comfortable using computers, and had access to computers at their PHC center (physicians: 77.0 %, nurses: 87.7 %, others: 92.5 %). Frequency of computer use varied. The study found a significant difference for personal beneficence, management support, and change efficacy among different healthcare providers, and relative to participants' level of comfort using computers. There was a significant difference by level of comfort using computers and appropriateness. A significant difference was also found between those with access to computers in relation to personal beneficence and

Prevalence of Sickle Cell Trait in the Southern Suburb of Beirut, Lebanon.

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El Ariss, Abdel Badih; Younes, Mohamad; Matar, Jad; Berjaoui, Zeina

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence, gender differences, and time trends of Sickle Cell Trait in the Southern Suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, as well as to highlight the importance of screening for Sickle Cell Trait carriers in this population. Another objective was to describe a new screening technique for Sickle Cell Trait carriers. This was a retrospective cohort study carried out at a private laboratory in the Southern Suburb of Beirut, Lebanon between 2002 and 2014. The sickling test was carried out for each patient using two methods: the classical "sodium metabisulfite sickling test", and the new "sickling test method" used in the private lab. As a confirmatory test, hemoglobin electrophoresis was run on a random sample of 223 cases which were found to be positive using the two sickling tests. A total of 899 cases were found to be positive for the sickle cell trait out of 184,105 subjects screened during the 12-year period, prevalence = 0.49% (95% CI: 0.46 - 0.52). Among the total sample, females were found to have higher prevalence, where no time trend over the studied period was noted. The haemoglobin electrophoresis method confirmed the results of this new sickling test technique among the random sample of the 223 cases. We found that the prevalence of sickle cell trait is lower as compared to other Arab countries, higher in females, with no significant time trend. The sickle cell test was found to be an accurate, simple and cheap test that could be easily added as a requirement for the pre-marital testing to screen for Sickle Cell Trait carriers.

PREVALENCE OF SICKLE CELL TRAIT IN THE SOUTHERN SUBURBS OF BEIRUT, LEBANON

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Abdel Badih El Ariss

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence, gender differences, and time trends of sickle cell trait in Beirut, Lebanon. Another objective was to describe a new screening technique for sickle cell trait carriers. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study carried out at a private laboratory in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon between 2002 and 2014. The sickling test was carried out for each patient using two methods: the classical “sodium metabisulfite sickling test”, and the new “sickling test method” used in the private lab.  As a confirmatory test, haemoglobin electrophoresis was run on a random sample of 223 cases who were found to be positive using the two sickling tests.  Results: A total of 899 cases were found to be positive for the sickle cell trait out of 184,105 subjects screened during the 12-year period, prevalence = 0.49% (95% CI: 0.46 – 0.52. Among the total sample, females were found to have higher prevalence, where no time trend over the studied period was noted.  The haemoglobin electrophoresis method confirmed the results of this new sickling test technique among the random sample of the 223 cases.  Conclusion: We found that the prevalence of sickle cell trait is lower as compared to other Arab countries, higher in females, with no significant time trend. The sickle cell test was found to be an accurate, simple and cheap test which could be easily added as a requirement to the pre-marital testing to screen for sickle cell trait carriers.

Fatto in Italia: Refashioning Italy

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Tiziana Ferrero-Regis

2008-09-01

Full Text Available This article discusses how the Made in Italy brand helped Italy to recover from economic recession in the 1980s, but also how it redefined the country's identity after the traumatic years of terrorism and especially after the murder of the Christian Democratic Party Secretary, Aldo Moro, at the hands of the Red Brigades. In this period cinema as a form of artistic achievement declined, while fashion and industrial design moved at the centre stage of economic and creative success. The rampant consumerism of the 1980s, fuelled by tax reforms that favoured a wider urban middle class, the retreat of unionism, the abandonment of collective bargaining in many industrial sectors, industrial restructuring with the consequent growth of black market economy in the provincial areas of the so-called Third Italy first and the South later, were all factors that contributed to a social and economic shift within Italy itself. Commercial consumption, propagated by the proliferation of local commercial television networks, hedonism and a re-articulation of identity through appearance replaced the 1970s' political activism and ideological opposition to fashion. Ultimately, 'Made in Italy' was a multidimensional phenomenon that presented itself as a new cultural model for the country’s political tribes of the 1970s.

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Acute stress disorder in older, middle-aged and younger adults in reaction to the second Lebanon war.

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Cohen, Miri

2008-01-01

To compare rate of acute stress disorder (ASD) and intensity of acute stress symptoms (ASS) in younger, middle-aged and older Israeli citizens exposed to missile attacks during the second Lebanon war. A telephone survey of a random sample of residents in the northern area of Israel was conducted in July 2006, during the third week of Lebanon war. Respondents were divided into groups aged 18-40, 41-69 and 70+. ASD and ASS were measured by the Acute Stress Interview questionnaire and by war-related exposure variables and demographic data. Exposure variables were similar in the three age groups. Older respondents reported lower intensity of ASS and obtained lower means for each of the symptoms criteria than the young adults, while the middle-aged adults were in between the younger and the older group. ASD criteria were met by 13.2% of the younger, 4.7% of middle-aged and 4.3% of older respondents (p > 0.05), and subsyndromal ASD was found in 20.5%, 14.1% and 4.4% (p war situation with lower level of acute stress symptoms. Long-term effects of war on different age groups should be further studied.

CDRD and PNPR satellite passive microwave precipitation retrieval algorithms: EuroTRMM/EURAINSAT origins and H-SAF operations

Science.gov (United States)

Mugnai, A.; Smith, E. A.; Tripoli, G. J.; Bizzarri, B.; Casella, D.; Dietrich, S.; Di Paola, F.; Panegrossi, G.; Sanò, P.

2013-04-01

Satellite Application Facility on Support to Operational Hydrology and Water Management (H-SAF) is a EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites) program, designed to deliver satellite products of hydrological interest (precipitation, soil moisture and snow parameters) over the European and Mediterranean region to research and operations users worldwide. Six satellite precipitation algorithms and concomitant precipitation products are the responsibility of various agencies in Italy. Two of these algorithms have been designed for maximum accuracy by restricting their inputs to measurements from conical and cross-track scanning passive microwave (PMW) radiometers mounted on various low Earth orbiting satellites. They have been developed at the Italian National Research Council/Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate in Rome (CNR/ISAC-Rome), and are providing operational retrievals of surface rain rate and its phase properties. Each of these algorithms is physically based, however, the first of these, referred to as the Cloud Dynamics and Radiation Database (CDRD) algorithm, uses a Bayesian-based solution solver, while the second, referred to as the PMW Neural-net Precipitation Retrieval (PNPR) algorithm, uses a neural network-based solution solver. Herein we first provide an overview of the two initial EU research and applications programs that motivated their initial development, EuroTRMM and EURAINSAT (European Satellite Rainfall Analysis and Monitoring at the Geostationary Scale), and the current H-SAF program that provides the framework for their operational use and continued development. We stress the relevance of the CDRD and PNPR algorithms and their precipitation products in helping secure the goals of H-SAF's scientific and operations agenda, the former helpful as a secondary calibration reference to other algorithms in H-SAF's complete mix of algorithms. Descriptions of the algorithms' designs are provided

CDRD and PNPR satellite passive microwave precipitation retrieval algorithms: EuroTRMM/EURAINSAT origins and H-SAF operations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Mugnai

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Satellite Application Facility on Support to Operational Hydrology and Water Management (H-SAF is a EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites program, designed to deliver satellite products of hydrological interest (precipitation, soil moisture and snow parameters over the European and Mediterranean region to research and operations users worldwide. Six satellite precipitation algorithms and concomitant precipitation products are the responsibility of various agencies in Italy. Two of these algorithms have been designed for maximum accuracy by restricting their inputs to measurements from conical and cross-track scanning passive microwave (PMW radiometers mounted on various low Earth orbiting satellites. They have been developed at the Italian National Research Council/Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate in Rome (CNR/ISAC-Rome, and are providing operational retrievals of surface rain rate and its phase properties. Each of these algorithms is physically based, however, the first of these, referred to as the Cloud Dynamics and Radiation Database (CDRD algorithm, uses a Bayesian-based solution solver, while the second, referred to as the PMW Neural-net Precipitation Retrieval (PNPR algorithm, uses a neural network-based solution solver. Herein we first provide an overview of the two initial EU research and applications programs that motivated their initial development, EuroTRMM and EURAINSAT (European Satellite Rainfall Analysis and Monitoring at the Geostationary Scale, and the current H-SAF program that provides the framework for their operational use and continued development. We stress the relevance of the CDRD and PNPR algorithms and their precipitation products in helping secure the goals of H-SAF's scientific and operations agenda, the former helpful as a secondary calibration reference to other algorithms in H-SAF's complete mix of algorithms. Descriptions of the algorithms' designs are

Safeguards Status in Lebanon as SQP Country and Reinforcement within a Nuclear Law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roumie, M.; Nsouli, B.

2015-01-01

As SQP State, the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission LAEC, as regulatory authority, was assigned by the Lebanese government to deal with all issues related to safeguards within the small quantities protocol. Consequently, the State System of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Material (SSAC) was established within the LAEC and linked to the Nuclear Security Department. In this regard, an initial report was submitted to the IAEA, followed by a first inventory on nuclear materials existing in Lebanon. In the initial report, it was declared that there are no nuclear facilities in Lebanon (power plant, reactor, nuclear fuel fabrication, nuclear fuel processing) and no mining activities related to nuclear materials, therefore, there is no nuclear material used for the above mentioned purposes. However, in the first inventory it was reported on the existing of nuclear materials, commonly for non-nuclear use, and they are mainly located in hospitals, industries, universities and research institutes. In this inventory report, we have included information about these materials such as type, quantity, form, location and exact use, in compliance with the inventory form attached to the SQP guidance document. During the inventory preparation, it was noticed some synergy between nuclear safety, nuclear security and safeguards. However, this inventory should be upgraded soon. A nuclear law is prepared by LAEC with the technical assistance of IAEA. The first draft is already available and waiting to be promulgated to the Lebanese parliament. In this law, the IAEA-SSS concept (safety, security and safeguards) is covered in a comprehensive way. (author)

Social Networks and Health Among Older Adults in Lebanon: The Mediating Role of Support and Trust

Science.gov (United States)

Antonucci, Toni C.; Ajrouch, Kristine J.; Abdulrahim, Sawsan

2015-01-01

Objectives. Despite a growing body of literature documenting the influence of social networks on health, less is known in other parts of the world. The current study investigates this link by clustering characteristics of network members nominated by older adults in Lebanon. We then identify the degree to which various types of people exist within the networks. This study further examines how network composition as measured by the proportion of each type (i.e., type proportions) is related to health; and the mediating role of positive support and trust in this process. Method. Data are from the Family Ties and Aging Study (2009). Respondents aged ≥60 were selected (N = 195) for analysis. Results. Three types of people within the networks were identified: Geographically Distant Male Youth, Geographically Close/Emotionally Distant Family, and Close Family. Having more Geographically Distant Male Youth in one’s network was associated with health limitations, whereas more Close Family was associated with no health limitations. Positive support mediated the link between type proportions and health limitations, whereas trust mediated the link between type proportions and depressive symptoms. Discussion. Results document links between the social networks and health of older adults in Lebanon within the context of ongoing demographic transitions. PMID:25324295

Human papillomavirus vaccination: assessing knowledge, attitudes, and intentions of college female students in Lebanon, a developing country.

Science.gov (United States)

Dany, Mohammed; Chidiac, Alissar; Nassar, Anwar H

2015-02-18

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a common cause for genital warts and cervical cancer. Developing countries in the Middle East such as Lebanon are traditionally considered to be conservative societies with low incidence of sexually transmitted infections. However, nowadays, there is an unexpected increase in the incidence of HPV infections among Middle Eastern females. Thus, the objective of this study is to assess the behavioral perceptions of HPV vaccination among female students attending an academic institution in Lebanon. This cross-sectional study invited 512 students to complete a self-administered questionnaire that assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and intentions towards HPV vaccination. Data analysis included the calculation of knowledge scores ranging from 0 to 100, attitude scores ranging from most positive (1) to most negative (5), and intention scores ranging from lowest intention (0) to highest intention (10). With a response rate of n=215 (42%), 36.5% never heard of the vaccine before, and only 16.5% were already HPV vaccinated. The median knowledge score of 52.7% ± 1.71 reflects poor to moderate knowledge. Still, the median attitude score of 2.47 ± 0.05 shows a general positive attitude towards HPV vaccination where most of the participants agreed that female college students in Lebanon have a good chance of contracting HPV (62.1%) and that all gynecologists should recommend the vaccine (76.0%). Students in graduate programs, health related majors, and those who are vaccinated had significantly higher knowledge scores compared with students in undergraduate programs, non-health related majors, and HPV non-vaccinated students, respectively. Finally, the survey helped in increasing the intention to obtain HPV vaccine as the intention score increased significantly from 5.24 ± 0.27 before the students went through the survey to 6.98 ± 0.22 after the students completed the survey. Our study highlights the importance of offering guidance to

Global solar radiation in Trieste (Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anane-Fenin, K.

1986-04-01

Global irradiation data recorded at Trieste (CNR - Istituto Talassografico di Trieste) during 11-year period are grouped into ''summer'' and ''winter'' periods and are compared with values generated from seven different models and empirical correlations proposed by earlier investigations. Climatological parameters like sunshine duration, relative humidity, cloud cover and maximum air temperature are the models input. The calculated values obtained from correlations according to Angstrom and Black give better agreement with measured data in summer. Agreements are within +-3% and +-4%. In winter a quadratic equation is in better agreement with measured values. Agreement is within +7%

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Intestinal Protozoan Infections with Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Blastocystis and Dientamoeba among Schoolchildren in Tripoli, Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Osman, Marwan; El Safadi, Dima; Cian, Amandine; Benamrouz, Sadia; Nourrisson, Céline; Poirier, Philippe; Pereira, Bruno; Razakandrainibe, Romy; Pinon, Anthony; Lambert, Céline; Wawrzyniak, Ivan; Dabboussi, Fouad; Delbac, Frederic; Favennec, Loïc; Hamze, Monzer; Viscogliosi, Eric; Certad, Gabriela

2016-03-01

Intestinal protozoan infections are confirmed as major causes of diarrhea, particularly in children, and represent a significant, but often neglected, threat to public health. No recent data were available in Lebanon concerning the molecular epidemiology of protozoan infections in children, a vulnerable population at high risk of infection. In order to improve our understanding of the epidemiology of intestinal pathogenic protozoa, a cross-sectional study was conducted in a general pediatric population including both symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects. After obtaining informed consent from the parents or legal guardians, stool samples were collected in January 2013 from 249 children in 2 schools in Tripoli, Lebanon. Information obtained from a standard questionnaire included demographic characteristics, current symptoms, socioeconomic status, source of drinking water, and personal hygiene habits. After fecal examination by both microscopy and molecular tools, the overall prevalence of parasitic infections was recorded as 85%. Blastocystis spp. presented the highest infection rate (63%), followed by Dientamoeba fragilis (60.6%), Giardia duodenalis (28.5%) and Cryptosporidium spp. (10.4%). PCR was also performed to identify species and genotypes of Cryptosporidium, subtypes of Blastocystis, and assemblages of Giardia. Statistical analysis using a logistic regression model showed that contact with family members presenting gastrointestinal disorders was the primary risk factor for transmission of these protozoa. This is the first study performed in Lebanon reporting the prevalence and the clinical and molecular epidemiological data associated with intestinal protozoan infections among schoolchildren in Tripoli. A high prevalence of protozoan parasites was found, with Blastocystis spp. being the most predominant protozoans. Although only 50% of children reported digestive symptoms, asymptomatic infection was observed, and these children may act as unidentified

Evaluation of digital breast tomosynthesis reconstruction algorithms using synchrotron radiation in standard geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bliznakova, K.; Kolitsi, Z.; Speller, R. D.; Horrocks, J. A.; Tromba, G.; Pallikarakis, N.

2010-01-01

Purpose: In this article, the image quality of reconstructed volumes by four algorithms for digital tomosynthesis, applied in the case of breast, is investigated using synchrotron radiation. Methods: An angular data set of 21 images of a complex phantom with heterogeneous tissue-mimicking background was obtained using the SYRMEP beamline at ELETTRA Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Trieste, Italy. The irradiated part was reconstructed using the multiple projection algorithm (MPA) and the filtered backprojection with ramp followed by hamming windows (FBR-RH) and filtered backprojection with ramp (FBP-R). Additionally, an algorithm for reducing the noise in reconstructed planes based on noise mask subtraction from the planes of the originally reconstructed volume using MPA (MPA-NM) has been further developed. The reconstruction techniques were evaluated in terms of calculations and comparison of the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and artifact spread function. Results: It was found that the MPA-NM resulted in higher CNR, comparable with the CNR of FBP-RH for high contrast details. Low contrast objects are well visualized and characterized by high CNR using the simple MPA and the MPA-NM. In addition, the image quality of the reconstructed features in terms of CNR and visual appearance as a function of the initial number of projection images and the reconstruction arc was carried out. Slices reconstructed with more input projection images result in less reconstruction artifacts and higher detail CNR, while those reconstructed from projection images acquired in reduced angular range causes pronounced streak artifacts. Conclusions: Of the reconstruction algorithms implemented, the MPA-NM and MPA are a good choice for detecting low contrast objects, while the FBP-RH, FBP-R, and MPA-NM provide high CNR and well outlined edges in case of microcalcifications.

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN ITALY

OpenAIRE

Voitkāne, Vita

2017-01-01

European member States implement Inclusive Education policies thus contributing to a sustainable, inclusive society, although each country is at a different stage in this process. Italy, one of the first countries to launch integrative learning, has set an example since the 1970s, although the quality of inclusive education is unpredictable due to many issues. Authors Cantoni and Panetta (2006) emphasize that, although the culture of integration in Italy exists, much needs to be done to impro...

Carbon monoxide poisoning in Beirut, Lebanon: Patient′s characteristics and exposure sources

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Mazen J El Sayed

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Carbon monoxide (CO poisoning is a preventable disease. Patients present with nonspecific symptoms post CO exposure. Causal factors are well described in developed countries, but less in developing countries. Objectives: This study examined the characteristics of patients with CO poisoning treated at a tertiary care center in Beirut, Lebanon, and their association with the CO poisoning source. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review of all patients who presented to the Emergency Department (ED of the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC over 4-year period and for whom a carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb level was available. Patients with CO poisoning diagnosis were included in the study. Patients′ characteristics and their association with CO poisoning source were described. Results: Twenty-seven patients were treated for CO poisoning during the study period, 55% of whom were males. Headache was the most common presenting symptom (51.9%. Burning charcoal indoors was the most common causal factor (44.4%, whereas fire-related smoke was another causal factor. The median arterial CO-Hb level on presentation for all cases was 12.0% (interquartile range (IQR 7.3-20.2. All patients received normobaric oxygen therapy. No complications were documented in the ED. All patients were discharged from the ED with a median ED length of stay of 255 min (IQR 210-270. Young females were more likely to present with CO poisoning from burning charcoal indoors than from another cause. Conclusion: CO poisoning in Beirut, Lebanon is mainly due to charcoal burning grills used indoors and to fire-related smoke. A clinically significant association was present between gender and CO poisoning source. An opportunity for prevention is present in terms of education and increased awareness regarding CO emission sources.

Wine tourism in Italy

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Cinelli Colombini D

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Donatella Cinelli Colombini Orcia Doc Wine Consortium, Rocca d’Orcia , Italy Abstract: This text includes the history of wine tourism in Italy since 1993, when the first edition of the event “Cantine Aperte” (Open Cellars, Wine Day, took place. The movement grew from the initial 25 wineries to the 21,000 that participate today in opening their doors to the public, while visitors grew in numbers from a couple of hundred, 20 years ago, to the current 4 to 6 million. Wine tourists can be divided into four main groups: wine tourists by chance, classic wine tourists, talent scouts, and lovers of luxury. Each group is examined according to its consumption, its conduct, and its expectations. Wine tourism in Italy boasts around 170 territorial networks: “Strade del Vino” (wine routes regulated by law. After an initial pioneer phase during which preexisting wineries adapted to the growing number of tourists, modern-day wineries were created with bespoke areas for the welcoming of visitors. Wineries in Italy can be classified into the following main types: “functional wineries” that concentrate on productive efficiency; “cathedrals” – renovated historic buildings or modern “starchitecture” designs in which esthetics play an important role; wineries with a “strong identity” linked to the owner or wine producer with the special imprint of his or her personal wine making passion. Other features of Italian wine territories such as food and wellness centers not to speak of the ever present cultural heritage also play a part in attracting wine tourists. Lastly, an evaluation is made of business and communication aspects with a specific reference to the use of the web. Keywords: wine tourism, Italian wineries, winery tours, wine roads of Italy

European Conference on Visual Perception (6th).

Science.gov (United States)

1983-11-30

Institut fuer Verhaltenswissenschaft, ETH- Zentrum, 8092 Zuerich - Switzerland W. GERBINO: Istituto di Psicologia , Universitk di Padova, Piazza Capitaniato...fuer medizinische Psychologie, Schillerstrasse 42 - 8000 Muenchen 2, West Germany L. JANEZ ESCALADA: Psicologia Matem&tica, Facultad de Psicologla...Norway P. MANCINI: Istituto di Fisiologia clinica del C.N.R., Via Bonanno Pisano - 56100 Pisa, Italy C.A. MARZI: Istituto di Psicologia . Universit

Trends in nutritional intakes and nutrition-related cardiovascular disease risk factors in Lebanon: the need for immediate action.

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Nasreddine, Lara; Naja, Farah A; Sibai, Abla-Mehio; Helou, Khalil; Adra, Nada; Hwalla, Nahla

2014-01-01

To examine the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and their association with dietary variables in the Lebanese population while reviewing secular trends in the population's nutritional intakes and nutrition-related CVD risk factors. Data on CVD risk factors and food consumption patterns in Lebanon were collected from scholarly papers, including individual studies and systematic review articles. Electronic databases were searched using combinations of key terms. The prevalence of obesity in Lebanon followed an alarming increasing trend over time, paralleled by an escalation in the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia. Food consumption surveys illustrate an increasing trend in energy intake and the proportion of energy derived from fat and animal products, with a concomitant decrease in carbohydrates and cereals intakes. The shift towards an atherogenic diet coupled with the alarming increase in nutrition-related cardiovascular risk factors suggest that the Lebanese population is at an increased risk for CVDs. This should alert to the importance of formulating multicomponent intervention strategies at both the individual and population levels to halt the progression of nutrition-related diseases in the country, while highlighting the need for immediate public health efforts to promote the adoption of healthy dietary habits.

Perspectives of displaced Syrian women and service providers on fertility behaviour and available services in West Bekaa, Lebanon.

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Kabakian-Khasholian, Tamar; Mourtada, Rima; Bashour, Hyam; Kak, Faysal El; Zurayk, Huda

2017-10-01

Prior to the conflict, Syria had relatively high fertility rates. In 2010, it had the sixth highest total fertility rate in the Arab World, but it witnessed a fertility decline before the conflict in 2011. Displacement during conflict influences fertility behaviour, and meeting the contraceptive needs of displaced populations is complex. This study explored the perspectives of women and service providers about fertility behaviour of and service provision to Syrian refugee women in Bekaa, Lebanon. We used qualitative methodology to conduct 12 focus group discussions with Syrian refugee women grouped in different age categories and 13 in-depth interviews with care providers from the same region. Our findings indicate that the displacement of Syrians to Lebanon had implications on the fertility behaviour of the participants. Women brought their beliefs about preferred family size and norms about decision-making into an environment where they were exposed to both aid and hardship. The unaffordability of contraceptives in the Lebanese privatised health system compared to their free provision in Syria limited access to family planning services. Efforts are needed to maintain health resources and monitor health needs of the refugee population in order to improve access and use of services.

Multiple Intelligences and ESL Teaching and Learning: An Investigation in KG II Classrooms in One Private School in Beirut, Lebanon

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Ghamrawi, Norma

2014-01-01

This study examined teachers' use of the Multiple Intelligences Theory on vocabulary acquisition by preschoolers during English as a second language (ESL) classes in a K-12 school in Lebanon. Eighty kindergartners (KG II, aged 5 years) and eight teachers constituted the sample. The study used mixed methods, including observations of videotaped…

Trends in lung cancer incidence in Lebanon by gender and histological type over the period 2005-2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Temraz, Sally; Charafeddine, Maya; Mukherji, Deborah; Shamseddine, Ali

2017-09-01

Lung cancer incidence rates, overall and by histologic subtypes, vary substantially by gender and smoking. This study's aim was to review data regarding trends in the number of cases of different lung-cancer histologies and relate these to smoking habits by gender in Lebanon. Lung cancer data using ICD-O, 3rd edition, from the Lebanese National Cancer Registry from 2005 to 2008 were stratified by gender for histology type for patients aged over 18years. Lung cancer cases among males were 2.5 times higher than those in females. The most common lung cancer histology type for males and females was adenocarcinoma for all observed years. The proportion of squamous cell carcinoma in incident cases was significantly higher in males than in females for the total period from 2005 to 2008, P=0.032, but not in individual years. The ratio of adenocarcinoma to squamous cell carcinoma in incident cases between 2005 and 2008 was 2:45 for males and 3:15 for females. Lung cancer histology in Lebanon is following a pattern similar to that found in most countries of North America and in Europe, where adenocarcinoma is the most prevalent subtype among both males and females. Copyright © 2017 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of cardiopulmonary resuscitation practices in emergency departments for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims in Lebanon

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Samar Noureddine

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA victims in Lebanon is low. A national policy on resuscitation practice is lacking. This survey explored the practices of emergency physicians related to the resuscitation of OHCA victims in Lebanon. Methods: A sample of 705 physicians working in emergency departments (EDs was recruited and surveyed using the LimeSurvey software (Carsten Schmitz, Germany. Seventy-five participants responded, yielding 10.64% response rate. Results: The most important factors in the participants' decision to initiate or continue resuscitation were presence of pulse on arrival (93.2%, underlying cardiac rhythm (93.1%, the physician's ethical duty to resuscitate (93.2%, transport time to the ED (89%, and down time (84.9%. The participants were optimistic regarding the survival of OHCA victims (58.1% reporting > 10% survival and reported frequent resuscitation attempts in medically futile situations. The most frequently reported challenges during resuscitation decisions were related to pressure or presence of victim's family (38.8% and lack of policy (30%. Conclusion: In our setting, physicians often rely on well-established criteria for initiating/continuing resuscitation; however, their decisions are also influenced by cultural factors such as victim's family wishes. The findings support the need for a national policy on resuscitation of OHCA victims.

Chronology of Ksar Akil (Lebanon) and Implications for the Colonization of Europe by Anatomically Modern Humans

Science.gov (United States)

Douka, Katerina; Bergman, Christopher A.; Hedges, Robert E. M.; Wesselingh, Frank P.; Higham, Thomas F. G.

2013-01-01

The Out-of-Africa model holds that anatomically modern humans (AMH) evolved and dispersed from Africa into Asia, and later Europe. Palaeoanthropological evidence from the Near East assumes great importance, but AMH remains from the region are extremely scarce. ‘Egbert’, a now-lost AMH fossil from the key site of Ksar Akil (Lebanon) and ‘Ethelruda’, a recently re-discovered fragmentary maxilla from the same site, are two rare examples where human fossils are directly linked with early Upper Palaeolithic archaeological assemblages. Here we radiocarbon date the contexts from which Egbert and Ethelruda were recovered, as well as the levels above and below the findspots. In the absence of well-preserved organic materials, we primarily used marine shell beads, often regarded as indicative of behavioural modernity. Bayesian modelling allows for the construction of a chronostratigraphic framework for Ksar Akil, which supports several conclusions. The model-generated age estimates place Egbert between 40.8–39.2 ka cal BP (68.2% prob.) and Ethelruda between 42.4–41.7 ka cal BP (68.2% prob.). This indicates that Egbert is of an age comparable to that of the oldest directly-dated European AMH (Peştera cu Oase). Ethelruda is older, but on current estimates not older than the modern human teeth from Cavallo in Italy. The dating of the so-called “transitional” or Initial Upper Palaeolithic layers of the site may indicate that the passage from the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic at Ksar Akil, and possibly in the wider northern Levant, occurred later than previously estimated, casting some doubts on the assumed singular role of the region as a locus for human dispersals into Europe. Finally, tentative interpretations of the fossil's taxonomy, combined with the chronometric dating of Ethelruda's context, provides evidence that the transitional/IUP industries of Europe and the Levant, or at least some of them, may be the result of early modern human migration(s). PMID

Assessment of Dietary Intake Patterns among University Students in Lebanon: a focus on gender differences and overweight correlation

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Pascale eSalameh

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction : Unhealthy dietary habits are a major risk factor for chronic diseases, particularly if adopted during early adulthood. In a study conducted on a large sample of university students from both public and private universities in Lebanon, we observed differences in obesity prevalence between males and females. Given this difference, the objective of this analysis was to define the different dietary patterns among university students, focusing on correlation with gender and body mass index (BMI. Methods : A cross-sectional study was carried out on 3384 students, using a proportionate cluster sample of Lebanese students from both public and private universities. Results : Three dietary patterns were identified among university youth namely, vegetarian/low calorie diet (mainly plant food while avoiding ‘western’ food, composite dishes, and bread; mixed diet (high consumption of plant food, followed by composite dishes, bread, and a low consumption of western type food, and finally the westernized diet (high consumption of white bread and western food, and a strong avoidance of plant food and composite dishes. We observed significant differences between males and females in terms of their reported food intake and dietary patterns. Females were particularly more prone to adopt the vegetarian/low calorie diet than males (ORa=1.69; p<0.001, while males were more likely to adopt a westernized diet (ORa=1.51; p<0.001, seemingly in private universities (p=0.053. Students with high income and obese students (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 were more likely to consume vegetarian/low calorie diets (P<0.05. Conclusion: Male university students, despite having a higher BMI, reported a higher consumption of food according to a westernized dietary pattern as compared to female university students in Lebanon, while the latter reported a higher adoption of a vegetarian diet. Health promotion programs are needed among university youth in Lebanon to address their

Sex-specific sleep patterns among university students in Lebanon: impact on depression and academic performance

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Kabrita CS

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Colette S Kabrita,1 Theresa A Hajjar-Muça,2 1Department of Sciences, 2Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Notre Dame University – Louaize, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon Abstract: Good sleep quality and quantity are fundamental to the maintenance of normal physiological processes. Changes in sleep patterns are commonly observed among young adults and are shown to impact neurocognitive, academic, and psychological well-being. Given the scarcity of sleep information about Lebanon and acknowledging the sex differences in various sleep dimensions, we conducted a study that aimed at assessing sex differences in sleep habits among university students in Lebanon in relation to psychoacademic status. A total of 540 students (50.6% females completed a questionnaire that inquired about sociodemographics and evaluated sleep quality and depression using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D, respectively. The mean PSQI global score (6.57±3.49 indicated poor sleep, with no significant differences between men and women. The sleep/wake rhythm was delayed on weekends for both sexes. Females exhibited earlier bedtimes and rise times and longer sleep durations on both weekdays and weekends. However, unlike males females showed a greater phase delay in wake times than bedtimes on weekends (149 minutes vs 74 minutes, respectively. In all, 70.9% of females suffered from depressive symptoms, which was a significantly higher proportion compared with 58.5% of males (P<0.01. Based on the mean cumulative self-reported grade point average (GPA, the academic performance of females was significantly better than that of males (2.8±0.61 vs 2.65±0.61, P<0.05, respectively. Depression, as scored by CES-D, in females was significantly negatively correlated with the cumulative GPA (r=-0.278, P<0.01, earlier wake time (r=-0.168, P<0.05, and average sleep duration (r=-0

Social networks and health among older adults in Lebanon: the mediating role of support and trust.

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Noah J; Antonucci, Toni C; Ajrouch, Kristine J; Abdulrahim, Sawsan

2015-01-01

Despite a growing body of literature documenting the influence of social networks on health, less is known in other parts of the world. The current study investigates this link by clustering characteristics of network members nominated by older adults in Lebanon. We then identify the degree to which various types of people exist within the networks. This study further examines how network composition as measured by the proportion of each type (i.e., type proportions) is related to health; and the mediating role of positive support and trust in this process. Data are from the Family Ties and Aging Study (2009). Respondents aged ≥60 were selected (N = 195) for analysis. Three types of people within the networks were identified: Geographically Distant Male Youth, Geographically Close/Emotionally Distant Family, and Close Family. Having more Geographically Distant Male Youth in one's network was associated with health limitations, whereas more Close Family was associated with no health limitations. Positive support mediated the link between type proportions and health limitations, whereas trust mediated the link between type proportions and depressive symptoms. Results document links between the social networks and health of older adults in Lebanon within the context of ongoing demographic transitions. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Nuclear decommissioning in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tripputi, I.

2005-01-01

Italy is in a unique position. Italy has been in the past among the leading countries in the pacific use of nuclear energy, but, as a consequence of the 1987 referendum decided to shutdown all operating power plants, to leave uncompleted the plants under construction and to stop all related research and industrial activities declaring a 5 years moratorium on any future initiative. The moratorium ended unnoticed in 1992, since there was no political move to restart nuclear power in Italy and, in practice, it is still acting. Therefore, now the major efforts in the nuclear field are focused on the closure of past liabilities assuring safety and security highest levels. This is a duty to be carried out by the generation that used this form of energy, but, at least for somebody, also a precondition for the acceptance of any future renaissance of nuclear energy in Italy. SOGIN is a Company carrying out a service for the country and fully committed to solve the liabilities left by the interrupted nuclear industry in Italy. To this aim SOGIN is managed as a private company to assure the highest possible efficiency, but, at the same time, is driven by moral and ethical objectives and the vision of protecting the environment and health and safety of the public. SOGIN blends in a synergic way the various ENEL experiences (design and operation of NPP's) and ENEA experiences (engineering and operation of R and D and industrial facilities supporting NPP's). Such a comprehensive combination of technical competences should not be dispersed in the medium and long term and the management is committed to facilitate the technical growth of the impressing number of motivated young people joining the Company, whose enthusiasm is contaminating every day also the 'veterans', to assure for the country an asset and a presidium of very specialized multi-disciplinary nuclear competences. Speaking of possible scenarios for the future, we should mention that the current international situation

Food insecurity among Iraqi refugees living in Lebanon, 10 years after the invasion of Iraq: data from a household survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghattas, Hala; Sassine, AnnieBelle J; Seyfert, Karin; Nord, Mark; Sahyoun, Nadine R

2014-07-14

Iraqi refugees in Lebanon are vulnerable to food insecurity because of their limited rights and fragile livelihoods. The objective of the present study was to assess household food insecurity among Iraqi refugees living in Lebanon, almost 10 years after the invasion of Iraq. A representative survey of 800 UN High Commissioner for Refugees-registered refugee households in Lebanon was conducted using multi-stage cluster random sampling. We measured food insecurity using a modified US Department of Agriculture household food security module. We collected data on household demographic, socio-economic, health, housing and dietary diversity status and analysed these factors by food security status. Hb level was measured in a subset of children below 5 years of age (n 85). Weighted data were used in univariate and multivariate analyses. Among the Iraqi refugee households surveyed (n 630), 20·1% (95% CI 17·3, 23·2) were found to be food secure, 35·5% (95% CI 32·0, 39·2) moderately food insecure and 44·4% (95% CI 40·8, 48·1) severely food insecure. Severe food insecurity was associated with the respondent's good self-reported health (OR 0·3, 95% CI 0·2, 0·5), length of stay as a refugee (OR 1·1, 95% CI 1·0, 1·2), very poor housing quality (OR 3·3, 95% CI 1·6, 6·5) and the number of children in the household (OR 1·2, 95% CI 1·0, 1·4), and resulted in poor dietary diversity (PLebanon call for urgent programmes to address the food and health situation of this population with restricted rights.

The economics of tobacco in Lebanon: an estimation of the social costs of tobacco consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Salti, Nisreen; Chaaban, Jad; Naamani, Nadia

2014-05-01

Assess the socioeconomic costs of smoking in Lebanon and understand the tobacco market and identify the winners and losers from the Lebanese tobacco trade. We take a close look at the market for tobacco and related markets to identify the main stakeholders and estimate the direct costs and benefits of tobacco. We also estimate lower bounds for the costs of tobacco, in terms of lost productivity, the cost of medical treatment, lost production due to premature death, and environmental damage. The paucity of data means our cost estimates are conservative lower bounds and we explicitly list the effects that we are unable to include. We identify the main actors in the tobacco trade: the Régie (the state-owned monopoly which regulates the tobacco trade), tobacco farmers, international tobacco companies, local distributors, retailers, consumers, and advertising firms. We identify as proximate actors the Ministries of Finance and Health, employers, and patients of smoking-related illnesses. In 2008, tobacco trade in Lebanon led to a total social cost of $326.7 million (1.1% of GDP). Low price tags on imported cigarettes not only increase smoking prevalence, but they also result in a net economic loss. Lebanese policymakers should consider the overall deficit from tobacco trade and implement the guidelines presented in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to at once increase government revenue and reduce government outlays, and save the labor market and the environment substantial costs.

Evaluating Sea water Quality in the Coastal Zone of North Lebanon using Telemac-2DTM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Awad, Mohamad; Darwich, T.

2009-01-01

The coastal zones of the Mediterranean are undergoing rapid development withgrowing and conflicting demands on the natural resources. Coastal zones are often subjected to irreversible land degradation and environmental deterioration. Lebanon is located in the eastern part of the Mediterranean basin and the integrated management of the environment in the Lebanese coastal zone must be given concern. Most of the successful decisions addressing the environment protection or the elaboration of preventive measures in the coastal zone. These decisions depend on the availability of efficient simulation tools. The existence of these tools can help protecting the environment and establishing the ground for sustainable natural resources in the coastal zones. In this paper, a simulation tool called Telemac-2D TM software was used to simulate the business as usual, pessimistic, and optimistic status of the sea water quality in the coastal zone of Tripoli (North Lebanon). The coastal zone is affected by the effluents of solid and liquid wastes from Abou-Ali river. The different quality states of the coastal zone represent the normal, high, and low flow of the effluents (plume pollutants) from Abou-Ali river. In addition, it represents the variation of different factors such as wind and sea currents speed and direction. This simulation will help the decision makers to implement pre-cautious measures before a disaster takes place by assessing the quality of the sea water near the coastal zones. (author)

HIV prevalence and demographic determinants of condomless receptive anal intercourse among trans feminine individuals in Beirut, Lebanon

OpenAIRE

Rachel L Kaplan; Justine McGowan; Glenn J Wagner

2016-01-01

Introduction: Growing evidence suggests increased HIV incidence in the Middle East and North Africa among “key populations.” To date, epidemiological data have not accurately included and measured HIV prevalence and risk among trans feminine individuals in the region. Through the lens of the Gender Affirmation Framework, we assessed demographic correlates of risk behaviour and the prevalence of HIV among trans feminine individuals in Lebanon. Methods: Long-chain referral sampling was used to ...

Insecticide resistance to organophosphates in Culex pipiens complex from Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osta Mike A

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Analysis of Culex pipiens mosquitoes collected from a single site in Lebanon in 2005, revealed an alarming frequency of ace-1 alleles conferring resistance to organophosphate insecticides. Following this, in 2006 the majority of municipalities switched to pyrethroids after a long history of organophosphate usage in the country; however, since then no studies have assessed the impact of changing insecticide class on the frequency of resistant ace-1 alleles in C. pipiens. Methods C. pipiens mosquitoes were captured indoors from 25 villages across the country and subjected to established methods for the analysis of gene amplification at the Ester locus and target site mutations in ace-1 gene that confer resistance to organophosphates. Results We conducted the first large-scale screen for resistance to organosphosphates in C. pipiens mosquitoes collected from Lebanon. The frequency of carboxylesterase (Ester and ace-1 alleles conferring resistance to organophosphates were assessed among C. pipiens mosquitoes collected from 25 different villages across the country between December 2008 and December 2009. Established enzymatic assay and PCR-based molecular tests, both diagnostic of the major target site mutations in ace-1 revealed the absence of the F290V mutation among sampled mosquitoes and significant reduction in the frequency of G119S mutation compared to that previously reported for mosquitoes collected from Beirut in 2005. We also identified a new duplicated ace-1 allele, named ace-1D13, exhibiting a resistant phenotype by associating a susceptible and a resistant copy of ace-1 in a mosquito line sampled from Beirut in 2005. Fisher’s exact test on ace-1 frequencies in the new sample sites, showed that some populations exhibited a significant excess of heterozygotes, suggesting that the duplicated allele is still present. Starch gel electrophoresis indicated that resistance at the Ester locus was mainly attributed to the

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Young lives disrupted: gender and well-being among adolescent Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

DeJong, Jocelyn; Sbeity, Farah; Schlecht, Jennifer; Harfouche, Manale; Yamout, Rouham; Fouad, Fouad M; Manohar, Seema; Robinson, Courtland

2017-01-01

The conflict in Syria that began in 2011 has resulted in the exodus of over 5 million Syrian refugees to neighbouring countries, with more than one million refugees currently registered by UNHCR in Lebanon. While some are living in tented settlements, the majority are living in strained conditions in rented accommodation or collective shelters in the Bekaa Valley next to Syria. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable in any crisis. In 2013-4, the American University in Beirut in collaboration with the Women's Refugee Commission, Johns Hopkins and Save the Children, sought to understand the specific experiences of very young adolescents, those 10-14 years of age, in this protracted crisis context. The study was conducted in 2014 in Barelias and Qabelias - two urban areas located close to each other in the Beka'a valley that has a large concentration of Syrian refugees. Focus group discussions (FGDs), including community mapping and photo elicitation, were conducted with 10-12 and 13-14 year old Syrian refugee adolescents, in order to obtain information about their experiences and perspectives. FGDs were also implemented with 15-16 year old Syrian refugees and separately also with adult refugees, to consider their perspectives on the needs and risks of these adolescents. A total of 16 FGD (8 for each sex, with 6-9 participants in each) were conducted in Arabic across the two sites, with 59 female participants and 59 male participants. The experiences and risks faced by these adolescents were significantly impacted by economic strain and loss of educational opportunities during displacement, and only a minority of adolescents in the study reported attending school. Additionally, on-going protection risks for girls were felt to be higher due to the crisis and displacement. In Lebanon this has resulted in increased risks of child marriage and limitations in mobility for adolescent girls. Adolescents, themselves expressed tensions with their Lebanese counterparts and

OXA-48 and CTX-M-15 extended-spectrum beta-lactamases in raw milk in Lebanon: epidemic spread of dominant Klebsiella pneumoniae clones.

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Diab, Mohamad; Hamze, Monzer; Bonnet, Richard; Saras, Estelle; Madec, Jean-Yves; Haenni, Marisa

2017-11-01

Raw milk has recently been reported as a source of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase genes. We thus investigated the prevalence of ESBL- and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in raw milk in Lebanon in order to assess the risk of transfer of these bacteria to humans. A high prevalence (30.2 %) of CTX-M-15-producing K. pneumoniae was detected in raw bovine milk. Three main K. pneumoniae clones were identified by PFGE and MLST typing. Southern blot experiments revealed that one of these clones carried the blaCTX-M-15 gene chromosomally. Moreover, one OXA-48-producing K. pneumoniae ST530 and seven CTX-M-15-producing Escherichia coli sharing the same ST were also detected. These findings highlight the spread of dominant CTX-M-15-producing K. pneumoniae clones and OXA-48-producing isolates in the food chain. Milk, which is mostly consumed raw in Lebanon, may be a source of human exposure to ESBLs and carbapenemases.

Getting to "No": Locating Critical Peace Education within Resistance and Anti-Oppression Pedagogy at a Shi'a Islamic School in Lebanon

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Zakharia, Zeena

2017-01-01

This paper critically engages observations from a school that was aligned with a resistance movement in Lebanon during a post-war period of sustained political violence (2006-2007). Focusing on the pedagogical practices at one community-centered and community-led Shi'a Islamic urban school, the paper draws on extensive ethnographic data to…

Electric-powered vehicles in Italy; Les vehicules electriques en Italie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bordel, St.; Carles, R.

2003-09-01

The aim of this study is to make a synthesis about the development of electric-powered vehicles, in particular in Italy. After a brief historical review of this type of propulsion system, a state-of-the-art review is made which allows to show up the different existing architectures and their characteristic specificities. This review allows to identify the key scientific and technical domains in the existing research programs in progress in order to make these 'alternative' transportation systems economically viable. The second part of the study explains the situation of Italy with respect to these propulsion systems. The political commitments are analyzed first and then some of the university and industry centers of competences for these key domains are presented. Finally, some trans-national collaborations in progress are shown. (J.S.)

Rembrandt in Italie. Receptie en verzamelgeschiedenis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rutgers, J.

2008-01-01

This dissertation sets out to investigate if and to what extent Rembrandt's work was appreciated in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries. From approximately 1650 onwards paintings, drawings and prints by Rembrandt could be found in Italy, he is mentioned in several written sources and a few Italian

Group Psychotherapy in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Giannone, Francesca; Giordano, Cecilia; Di Blasi, Maria

2015-10-01

This article describes the history and the prevailing orientations of group psychotherapy in Italy (psychoanalytically oriented, psychodrama, CBT groups) and particularly group analysis. Provided free of charge by the Italian health system, group psychotherapy is growing, but its expansion is patchy. The main pathways of Italian training in the different group psychotherapy orientations are also presented. Clinical-theoretical elaboration on self development, psychopathology related to group experiences, and the methodological attention paid to objectives and methods in different clinical groups are issues related to group therapy in Italy. Difficulties in the relationship between research and clinical practice are discussed, as well as the empirical research network that tries to bridge the gap between research and clinical work in group psychotherapy. The economic crisis in Italy has led to massive cuts in health care and to an increasing demand for some forms of psychological treatment. For these reasons, and because of its positive cost-benefit ratio, group psychotherapy is now considered an important tool in the national health care system to expand the clinical response to different forms of psychological distress.

Complementary feeding patterns in a developing country: a cross-sectional study across Lebanon.

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Batal, M; Boulghourjian, C; Akik, C

2010-02-01

This first, large-scale study on complementary feeding in Lebanon analysed the timing and types of food introduced to infants according to mothers' demographic and socioeconomic and infants' characteristics. A cross-sectional survey over 10 months found that the majority of infants were introduced to solid foods at or after 4 months of age. A large number of infants were given liquids other than breast or formula milk earlier. Women in employment outside the home were almost twice as likely to introduce solid foods before age 4 months. The most common starting food was cereals. More than half the children consumed starchy foods and fruits every day, but not meats and fish.

Origin of water salinity in the coastal Sarafand aquifer (South-Lebanon)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashash, Adnan; Aranyossy, J.F.

1996-01-01

Author.The geochemical and isotopic study, based on the analysis of twenty water samples from well in the coastal plain of Sarafand (South-Lebanon), permit to eliminate the hypothesis of marine intrusion in this aquifer. The increase of salinity observed in certain wells is due to the contamination of cretaceous aquifer water by the quaternary formations. The two poles of mixing are respectively characterized: by weak tritium contents (between 2 and 3 UT) and a value of stable isotopes (-5,9<0,18<-5,5) corresponding to the appearance of cretaceous formation area; by the high tritium contents and enrichment relative to heavy isotope in the mineralized water of superficial formations. On the other hand, the isotope contents permit the set a rapid renewal of the cretaceous aquifer water due to quick circulation in the Karstic system

Responsiveness of Lebanon's primary healthcare centers to non-communicable diseases and related healthcare needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Yassoub, Rami; Hashimi, Suha; Awada, Siham; El-Jardali, Fadi

2014-01-01

Lebanon currently faces a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCD) that is stressing the population's health and financial well-being. Preventive care is recognized as the optimal health equitable, cost-effective solution. The study aims to assess the responsiveness of primary health care centers (PHCs) to NCD, and identify the needed health arrangements and responsibilities of PHCs, the Ministry Of Public Health and other healthcare system entities, for PHCs to purse a more preventive role against NCD. Single and group interviews were conducted via a semi-structured questionnaire with 10 PHCs from Lebanon's primary health care network that have undergone recent pilot accreditation and are recognized for having quality services and facilities. This manifested administrative aspects and NCD-related services of PHCs and generated information regarding the centers' deficiencies, strengths and areas needing improvement for fulfilling a more preventive role. Administrative features of PHCs varied according to number and type of health personnel employed. Variations and deficiencies within and among PHCs were manifested specifically at the level of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and cancer. PHCs identified the pilot accreditation as beneficial at the administrative and clinical levels; however, various financial and non-financial resources, in addition to establishing a strong referral system with secondary care settings and further arrangements with MOPH, are necessary for PHCs to pursue a stronger preventive role. The generated results denote needed changes within the healthcare system's governance, financing and delivery. They involve empowering PHCs and increasing their breadth of services, allocating a greater portion of national budget to health and preventive care, and equipping PHCs with personnel skilled in conducting community-wide preventive activities. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Robotic surgery in Italy national survey (2011).

Science.gov (United States)

Santoro, Eugenio; Pansadoro, Vito

2013-03-01

Robotic surgery in Italy has become a clinical reality that is gaining increasing acceptance. As of 2011 after the United States, Italy together with Germany is the country with the largest number of active Robotic centers, 46, and da Vinci Robots installed, with at least 116 operators already trained. The number of interventions performed in Italy in 2011 exceeded 6,000 and in 2010 were 4,784, with prevalence for urology, general surgery and gynecology, however these interventions have also begun to be applied in other fields such as cervicofacial, cardiothoracic and pediatric surgery. In Italy Robotic centers are mostly located in Northern Italy, while in the South there are only a few centers, and four regions are lacking altogether. Of the 46 centers which were started in 1999, the vast majority is still operational and almost half handle over 200 cases a year. The quality of the work is also especially high with large diffusion of radical prostatectomy in urology and liver resection and colic in general surgery. The method is very well accepted among operators, over 80 %, and among patients, over 95 %. From the analysis of world literature and a survey carried out in Italy, Robotic surgery, which at the moment could be better defined as telesurgery, represents a significant advantage for operators and a consistent gain for the patient. However, it still has important limits such as high cost and non-structured training of operators.

Implementation of an indoor smoking ban and an advertising/ sponsorship ban in Lebanon: a baseline cross-sectional study

OpenAIRE

Monique Chaaya; Rima Nakkash; Rima Afifi; Guillermo Adame; Nadia Fanous; Nabil Tabbal; Dahlia Saab

2016-01-01

Introduction Although the majority of countries ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, few have comprehensive smoke-free laws and compliance is not always satisfactory. In 2011, Lebanon, having among the highest smoking rates in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, passed a comprehensive tobacco control law (Law 174). This study aimed to assess compliance with Law 174 among smokers and non-smokers in Beirut (the capital), three months after the ban in ...

Farmers' Willingness to Adopt Conservation Agriculture: New Evidence from Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Chalak, Ali; Irani, Alexandra; Chaaban, Jad; Bashour, Issam; Seyfert, Karin; Smoot, Kaitlyn; Abebe, Gumataw Kifle

2017-10-01

With increasing food insecurity and climate change, conservation agriculture has emerged as a sustainable alternative to intensive conventional agriculture as a source of food supply. Yet the adoption rate of conservation agriculture is still low. Our paper analyses the factors affecting farmers' willingness to adopt conservation agriculture in Lebanon. The findings show that household characteristics-years of farming and farm size affect conservation agriculture adoption. However, household characteristics alone were insufficient to explain conservation agriculture adoption. We found that farming experience, information sources, frequency of irrigation, and severity of weed infestation in the past, participation in specific trainings, and farmers' perception about the long-term impact of conservation agriculture, were key determinants of conservation agriculture adoption. Our paper encourages policymakers to invest in conservation agriculture to overcome food insecurity and environmental changes affecting food systems in the Middle East. The paper also informs agribusiness firms to view conservation agriculture as a viable alternative to strengthen their business relationship with farmers in arid and semi-arid regions.

Farmers' Willingness to Adopt Conservation Agriculture: New Evidence from Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Chalak, Ali; Irani, Alexandra; Chaaban, Jad; Bashour, Issam; Seyfert, Karin; Smoot, Kaitlyn; Abebe, Gumataw Kifle

2017-10-01

With increasing food insecurity and climate change, conservation agriculture has emerged as a sustainable alternative to intensive conventional agriculture as a source of food supply. Yet the adoption rate of conservation agriculture is still low. Our paper analyses the factors affecting farmers' willingness to adopt conservation agriculture in Lebanon. The findings show that household characteristics—years of farming and farm size affect conservation agriculture adoption. However, household characteristics alone were insufficient to explain conservation agriculture adoption. We found that farming experience, information sources, frequency of irrigation, and severity of weed infestation in the past, participation in specific trainings, and farmers' perception about the long-term impact of conservation agriculture, were key determinants of conservation agriculture adoption. Our paper encourages policymakers to invest in conservation agriculture to overcome food insecurity and environmental changes affecting food systems in the Middle East. The paper also informs agribusiness firms to view conservation agriculture as a viable alternative to strengthen their business relationship with farmers in arid and semi-arid regions.

Environmental vulnerability as a legacy of violent conflict: a case study of the 2012 waste crisis in the Palestinian gathering of Shabriha, South Lebanon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stel, Nora; van der Molen, I.

2015-01-01

In 2012, South Lebanon faced a solid waste management crisis that particularly affected Palestinian refugee communities, which were excluded from municipal service mandates. By means of a case study of the Palestinian community living in Shabriha, this article demonstrates that the vulnerability to

The dynamics of energy policy in Lebanon when research, politics, and policy fail to intersect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khodr, Hiba; Uherova Hasbani, Katarina

2013-01-01

This paper is an exploratory study on energy policymaking in Lebanon aiming at investigating the contributing factors to the absence of evidence-informed policy by analyzing the relation between energy-related research and policy. It uses a qualitative approach in which two complementary types of data sources are employed. Data was mainly obtained from in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with 40 key stakeholders. The data was further enhanced by an extensive review of related documents available in the public domain as well as research-related activities. Data were analyzed using iterative thematic content analysis which findings served to illustrate the theoretical perspectives in the relevant prevailing literature on linking policy and research. This paper suggests that the politicization of energy policy, the nature of the generated evidence and the lack of communication of evidence among policy actors as well as the weak and non-institutionalized links between researchers and policymakers have posed as an obstacle to an effective, efficient and evidence-based policy. There is a dearth of academic studies that have investigated this issue from a policy perspective. The analysis lays the foundation for much needed future studies on the country's energy policy by identifying the participants, mapping out the process and providing policy recommendations. - Highlights: • We study energy policymaking in Lebanon. • We analyze the relation between research and policy. • We identify contributing factors to the absence of evidence-informed policy. • The politicization of policy and nature of research have posed as obstacles. • Evidence of non-institutionalized links between researchers and policymakers

Perceptions and Attitudes of Cancer Patients and Caregivers Towards Enrollment in Clinical Trials in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Salem, Rana; Matar, Charbel; Assi, Rita; Alameddine, Raafat; Temraz, Sally; Shamseddine, Ali; Mukherji, Deborah

2017-12-02

The rates of participation in oncology clinical trials (CTs) are relatively lower in the Middle East compared to other areas in the world. Many social and cultural factors underlie the patients' reluctance to participate. To probe the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of patients with cancer and their caregivers regarding participation in CTs at our tertiary referral center in Lebanon, we interviewed 210 patients and caregivers visiting the outpatient clinics in the Naef Basile Cancer Institute at the American University of Beirut. A questionnaire was derived from literature and administered in Arabic. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Two hundred individuals agreed to answer the questionnaire. The majority of participants (90.5%) were Lebanese with the remaining being non-Lebanese Arabs. Eighty-nine participants (45%) were aware of the concepts of CTs. Eighty-two respondents (41%) would participate in phase I CTs. Twenty-nine individuals (14.5%) agree to be enrolled in CTs with the approval of their family members only. One hundred twenty-nine subjects (64.5%) stated that they would refuse enrollment in a CT where they might receive placebo. Eighty-eight (44%) of participants considered that medical records could be reviewed for research without consent while 54% agreed that samples collected during clinical workup could be used for research without the consent of the patient. There are several social and demographic correlates for participation in CTs. Raising awareness and overcoming barriers of misconception are keys to promote participation in CTs in Lebanon.

The passage of tobacco control law 174 in Lebanon: reflections on the problem, policies and politics.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakkash, R T; Torossian, L; El Hajj, T; Khalil, J; Afifi, R A

2018-06-01

Progress in tobacco control policy making has occurred worldwide through advocacy campaigns involving multiple players- civil society groups, activists, academics, media and policymakers. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)-the first ever global health treaty-outlines evidence-based tobacco control policies. Lebanon ratified the FCTC in 2005, but until 2011, tobacco control policies remained rudimentary and not evidence-based. Beginning in 2009, a concerted advocacy campaign was undertaken by a variety of stakeholders with the aim of accelerating the process of adopting a strong tobacco control policy. The campaign was successful, and Law 174 passed the Lebanese Parliament in August 2011. In this article, we analyse the policy making process that led to the adoption of Law 174 using Kingdon's model. The analysis relies on primary and secondary data sources including historical records of key governmental decisions, documentation of the activities of the concerted advocacy campaign and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders. We describe the opening of a window of opportunity as a result of the alignment of the problem, policy and politics streams. Furthermore, findings revealed that despite the challenge of persistent tobacco industry interference and established power relations between the industry, its allies and policymakers; policy entrepreneurs succeeded in supporting the alignment of the streams, and influencing the passage of the law. Kingdon's multiple stream approach was useful in explaining how tobacco control became an emerging policy issue at the front of the policy agenda in Lebanon.

Ancient mitogenomes of Phoenicians from Sardinia and Lebanon: A story of settlement, integration, and female mobility

Science.gov (United States)

Gosling, A. L.; Platt, D.; Kardailsky, O.; Prost, S.; Cameron-Christie, S.; Collins, C. J.; Boocock, J.; Kurumilian, Y.; Guirguis, M.; Pla Orquín, R.; Khalil, W.; Genz, H.; Abou Diwan, G.; Nassar, J.; Zalloua, P.

2018-01-01

The Phoenicians emerged in the Northern Levant around 1800 BCE and by the 9th century BCE had spread their culture across the Mediterranean Basin, establishing trading posts, and settlements in various European Mediterranean and North African locations. Despite their widespread influence, what is known of the Phoenicians comes from what was written about them by the Greeks and Egyptians. In this study, we investigate the extent of Phoenician integration with the Sardinian communities they settled. We present 14 new ancient mitogenome sequences from pre-Phoenician (~1800 BCE) and Phoenician (~700–400 BCE) samples from Lebanon (n = 4) and Sardinia (n = 10) and compare these with 87 new complete mitogenomes from modern Lebanese and 21 recently published pre-Phoenician ancient mitogenomes from Sardinia to investigate the population dynamics of the Phoenician (Punic) site of Monte Sirai, in southern Sardinia. Our results indicate evidence of continuity of some lineages from pre-Phoenician populations suggesting integration of indigenous Sardinians in the Monte Sirai Phoenician community. We also find evidence of the arrival of new, unique mitochondrial lineages, indicating the movement of women from sites in the Near East or North Africa to Sardinia, but also possibly from non-Mediterranean populations and the likely movement of women from Europe to Phoenician sites in Lebanon. Combined, this evidence suggests female mobility and genetic diversity in Phoenician communities, reflecting the inclusive and multicultural nature of Phoenician society. PMID:29320542

An exploratory study of HIV risk behaviours and testing among male sex workers in Beirut, Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Aunon, Frances M.; Wagner, Glenn J.; Maher, Rabih; Khouri, Danielle; Kaplan, Rachel L.; Mokhbat, Jacques

2015-01-01

Male sex workers (MSW) are a particularly high-risk subset of men who have sex with men in Lebanon and report higher numbers of sex partners and lower rates of condom use. The purpose was to explore the factors influencing sexual risk behaviors and HIV testing among MSW. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 MSW living in Beirut and working in bathhouses (hammam) or as escorts; content analysis identified emergent themes. Escorts reported more consistent condom use with clients and HIV testing than hammam MSW, with influential factors including HIV risk knowledge and perceived risk susceptibility, job security, and internalized stigma and related feelings of self-worth and fatalism regarding health and HIV risk. In contrast, both groups of MSW typically opted not to condoms with nonclient sex partners, in an effort to differentiate sex for work versus pleasure. The uptake of HIV testing was limited by concerns about the confidentiality of the test results and fear of repercussions of a positive test result for their health and employment. The respondents described an insular existence within the sex work culture, in part to limit exposure to stigma, which has implications for access to support as well as the influence of peer norms regarding sexual risk behavior and health seeking behaviors such as HIV testing. Further research is needed to tailor prevention and HIV testing efforts to reflect the distinct sexual health “cultures” that distinguish these two populations of MSW in Lebanon. PMID:25950906

Ancient mitogenomes of Phoenicians from Sardinia and Lebanon: A story of settlement, integration, and female mobility.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E Matisoo-Smith

Full Text Available The Phoenicians emerged in the Northern Levant around 1800 BCE and by the 9th century BCE had spread their culture across the Mediterranean Basin, establishing trading posts, and settlements in various European Mediterranean and North African locations. Despite their widespread influence, what is known of the Phoenicians comes from what was written about them by the Greeks and Egyptians. In this study, we investigate the extent of Phoenician integration with the Sardinian communities they settled. We present 14 new ancient mitogenome sequences from pre-Phoenician (~1800 BCE and Phoenician (~700-400 BCE samples from Lebanon (n = 4 and Sardinia (n = 10 and compare these with 87 new complete mitogenomes from modern Lebanese and 21 recently published pre-Phoenician ancient mitogenomes from Sardinia to investigate the population dynamics of the Phoenician (Punic site of Monte Sirai, in southern Sardinia. Our results indicate evidence of continuity of some lineages from pre-Phoenician populations suggesting integration of indigenous Sardinians in the Monte Sirai Phoenician community. We also find evidence of the arrival of new, unique mitochondrial lineages, indicating the movement of women from sites in the Near East or North Africa to Sardinia, but also possibly from non-Mediterranean populations and the likely movement of women from Europe to Phoenician sites in Lebanon. Combined, this evidence suggests female mobility and genetic diversity in Phoenician communities, reflecting the inclusive and multicultural nature of Phoenician society.

Ancient mitogenomes of Phoenicians from Sardinia and Lebanon: A story of settlement, integration, and female mobility.

Science.gov (United States)

Matisoo-Smith, E; Gosling, A L; Platt, D; Kardailsky, O; Prost, S; Cameron-Christie, S; Collins, C J; Boocock, J; Kurumilian, Y; Guirguis, M; Pla Orquín, R; Khalil, W; Genz, H; Abou Diwan, G; Nassar, J; Zalloua, P

2018-01-01

The Phoenicians emerged in the Northern Levant around 1800 BCE and by the 9th century BCE had spread their culture across the Mediterranean Basin, establishing trading posts, and settlements in various European Mediterranean and North African locations. Despite their widespread influence, what is known of the Phoenicians comes from what was written about them by the Greeks and Egyptians. In this study, we investigate the extent of Phoenician integration with the Sardinian communities they settled. We present 14 new ancient mitogenome sequences from pre-Phoenician (~1800 BCE) and Phoenician (~700-400 BCE) samples from Lebanon (n = 4) and Sardinia (n = 10) and compare these with 87 new complete mitogenomes from modern Lebanese and 21 recently published pre-Phoenician ancient mitogenomes from Sardinia to investigate the population dynamics of the Phoenician (Punic) site of Monte Sirai, in southern Sardinia. Our results indicate evidence of continuity of some lineages from pre-Phoenician populations suggesting integration of indigenous Sardinians in the Monte Sirai Phoenician community. We also find evidence of the arrival of new, unique mitochondrial lineages, indicating the movement of women from sites in the Near East or North Africa to Sardinia, but also possibly from non-Mediterranean populations and the likely movement of women from Europe to Phoenician sites in Lebanon. Combined, this evidence suggests female mobility and genetic diversity in Phoenician communities, reflecting the inclusive and multicultural nature of Phoenician society.

The burden of rare cancers in Italy: the surveillance of rare cancers in Italy (RITA) project.

Science.gov (United States)

Trama, Annalisa; Mallone, Sandra; Ferretti, Stefano; Meduri, Francesca; Capocaccia, Riccardo; Gatta, Gemma

2012-01-01

The project Surveillance of rare cancers in Italy (RITA) provides, for the first time, estimates of the burden of rare cancers in Italy based on the list of rare cancers proposed in collaboration with the European project Surveillance of Rare Cancers in Europe (RARECARE). RITA analyzed data from Italian population-based cancer registries (CR). The period of diagnosis was 1988 to 2002, and vital status information was available up to December 31, 2003. Incidence rates were estimated for the period 1995-2002, survival for the years 2000-2002 (with the period method of Brenner), and complete prevalence at January 1, 2003. Rare cancers are those with an incidence <6/100,000/year. In Italy, every year there are 60,000 new diagnoses of rare cancers corresponding to 15% of all new cancer diagnoses. Five-year relative survival was on the average worse for rare cancers (53%) than for common cancers (73%). A total of 770,000 patients were living in Italy in 2008 with a diagnosis of a rare cancer, 22% of the total cancer prevalence. Our estimates constitute a useful base for further research and support the idea that rare cancers are a public health problem that deserves attention. Centers of expertise for rare cancers that pool cases, expertise and resources could ensure an adequate clinical management for these diseases. Our data also showed that cancer registries are suitable sources of data to estimate incidence, prevalence and survival for rare cancers and should continue to monitoring rare cancers in Italy.

A bill for the renaissance of nuclear power in Italy;Projet de relance de l'electronucleaire en Italie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2009-07-15

Today Italy is the only G8 member to have no nuclear power plants in operation. In 1987 as a consequence of a referendum Italy decided to shut down its nuclear power plants and to forbid the construction of new ones. Italy relies on oil and gas imports for 80% of its energy needs. The Italian parliament has recently passed a bill for a renaissance of nuclear power. The bill gives 6 months to the government to set the rules and conditions for the come-back of nuclear energy. (A.C.)

AGE AND REASONS OF THE FIRST DENTAL VISIT OF CHILDREN IN LEBANON.

Science.gov (United States)

Daou, Maha H; Eden, Ece; El Osta, Nada

2016-01-01

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry have recommended that the child's first dental visit should be during the child's first year of life for dental disease prevention and to decrease the invasive restorative interventions. In Lebanon, no study has been conducted to determine the age and the reasons of the first dental visit of children and who requested the first dental screening. To assess at what age occurred the first dental visit in a group of Lebanese children visiting a private pediatric dental clinic and to explore the reasons for their first dental consultation. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted. During a five-year period, all children visiting the pediatric clinic were invited to participate in the study. Parents were asked about the general health status of their child, the use of antibiotics before the age of 2 years. Parents were also requested to give the dental reasons for their initial visit to a pedodontist. Two hundred and twenty children (mean age 4.24 ± 1.35 years) visited the pedodontic care office for the first time and were included in the study. All participants had visited a pediatrician before the age of 1 year. Fifty-seven (25.9%) children were referred by a dentist and 163 (74.1%) came with their parents without referral. All participants had at least one reason for the first consultation; the most common were the presence of decayed teeth (50.9%) and a dental pain perception (29.5%). All participants had visited a pediatrician at an earlier age but none was referred to a pedodontist by a pediatrician for check-up or prevention. Children came upon the decision of their parents. A dental problem was the major reason which triggered the first visit. Therefore, pediatricians in Lebanon need to keep themselves updated on recommendations regarding children oral health and be encouraged to play an important role in prompting oral health and first dental visits.

In-vitro radioimmunoassay of prostate specific antigen (PSA) for the screening and management of prostate cancer in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Ezzi, Asmahan; El Ahmadiyeh, Nabil

2004-01-01

Full text: Immunoassays for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are used to detect early-stage prostate cancer, monitor disease progress, and evaluate therapeutic response. At least two forms of PSA, free PSA (F-PSA) and PSA complexed to alpha-1 anti-chymotrypsin (PSA-ACT) are detected by commercial PSA assays. The fraction of F-PSA is shown to be smaller in patients with untreated prostate cancer than in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Thus, combined measurements of both total and free PSA are used for a better discrimination between BPH and prostate cancer. Detection of PSA for screening of prostate cancer has been a subject of debate for many years. The reason of this debate is mainly because screening for prostate cancer is not cost-effective, as was shown by studies undertaken in Europe and United States. In Lebanon, no previous programs of screening for prostate cancer were done and so the incidence of this cancer is not known. Recently, the cancer registry in Lebanon found that lung and prostate are the highest cancers in the Lebanese men. The Lebanese association of urologists noted that 80% of men suffering from prostate cancer consult their urologists when the cancer is spread outside the prostate capsule. There is a socio-economic barrier behind this delay. We decided to undertake this study for the screening of prostate cancer in Lebanon, taking into consideration the above-mentioned facts and the experience of other countries. Volunteer men aged 45 and above, who were not visitors of a urology clinic, were selected randomly. A blood sample was withdrawn from each man, then a rectal examination was done and a questionnaire was filled. The blood serum separated was assayed for total PSA first and where abnormal or borderline, was assayed for free PSA. The percentage of free to total PSA was calculated. Men having borderline or abnormal results did undergo more investigations for the definitive diagnosis of their samples. IRMA

Treatment seeking for posttraumatic stress in Israel Defense Forces veterans deployed in the Second Lebanon War (2006) and "Operation Cast Lead" in the Gaza Strip (2009): a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Levi, Ofir; Lubin, Gadi

2018-05-01

The goal of the study was to determine the long-term prevalence of combat-related treatment seeking and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Israel's veterans deployed to the Second Lebanon War (2006) and "Operation Cast Lead" in the Gaza Strip (2009). The prevalence of treatment seeking and DSM-IV-TR diagnoses among Israel Defense Force (IDF) veterans was assessed using seven and five year's surveillance and records. The whereabouts and combat exposure of veterans during the war was determined based on the IDF's Operations Directorate records. Overall prevalence of treatment seeking was 1.32% and 0.38% in the Second Lebanon War and "Operation Cast Lead", respectively. The prevalence of treatment-seeking veterans from the Second Lebanon War and in "Operation Cast Lead" was significantly higher in soldiers deployed to high combat-exposure zones (2.19% and 3.1%, respectively), relative to low combat-exposure zones (0.24% and 0.06%, respectively), and relative to soldiers deployed elsewhere (0.26% and 0.02%, respectively). PTSD prevalence was similar among treatment-seeking veterans deployed in high combat-exposure zones in both combats. There is a gap of anywhere between 3% and 11% between treatment seeking by IDF veterans following war deployment and the actual prevalence of PTSD in this soldier population.

Country policy profile - Italy. December 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-12-01

In Italy, Renewable energy sources in are promoted through price and tax regulations mechanisms. Several kinds of feed-in and premium tariffs co-exist besides tendering schemes depending on technology and size of RES systems. Additionally regional support schemes exist for RES electricity. The thermal (heating and cooling) energy generated from renewable energies is incentivized through tax regulation and loans. A quota system is presently used for bio-fuels (transport). Under the country's NREAP, Italy has set a renewable energy target (electricity) of 26% to be achieved by 2020. The 2012 total share of renewable energy in Italy amounted to 13.5%; the target for 2020 has been defined as 17% (source: 'The State of Renewable Energies in Europe', 2013 edition)

Screening for congenital hypothyroidism in Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Ezzi, Asmahan; Hachem, Hoda

1999-01-01

Full text.National programs of neonatal screening were introduced in most countries and have proved their effectiveness against different types of retardation in children. Congenital hypothyroidism is one of the most common causes of physical and mental retardation in children. Programs of screening have shown that the incidence of this disorder is ethnic-background: it is low in Africans: 1-32000 whereas it is 1-3500 and 1-5000 in Hispanic and European newborns respectively. No previous mass screening programs were done in Lebanon. For this purpose, this program was introduced in collaboration with the IAEA. Cord blood is spotted into circles on filter paper just after delivery. These samples are air-dried at room temperature and kept at 4 degree C. They are then collected from hospitals to be screened. In the laboratory, all samples are assayed for IRMA TSH first. Those showing high or borderline TSH level (20mU/L) are then assayed for RIA TT4. Only those showing straight forward high TSH and low TT4 are considered as congenital hypothyroidism cases. For IRMA and RIA, the technique of coated beads is used. We started the program by using reagents from NETRIA, but actually, we start preparing most of our reagents with the exception pf the tracer. A total of 7500 babies have been up now. One case was detected as possible case of congenital hypothyroidism: straight forward high TSH and borderline TT4: this case is now under treatment by endocrinologist and is supposed to have a problem at the pituitary level

Italy's recurrent energy dependency dilemma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ippolito, F.

1993-01-01

This paper first critically assesses the objectives of Italy's 1988 National Energy Plan which, in light of the moratorium on nuclear energy, called for moderate but steady reductions in imported energy supplies through the implementation of energy conservation programs and the development of available domestic conventional and renewable energy sources. The economics and energy analyses evidence that, in view this nation's current troubled economic situation, the Energy Plan's target for the year 2000 of a 76% dependency on foreign oil is just not good enough and not in line with stricter European environmental normatives limiting carbon dioxide emissions. It is argued that in order to effectively reduce the nation's excessively high energy costs, keep pace with other industrialized countries in a highly competitive market (Italy's energy tariffs are almost 55% greater than those of Germany and France), and to respect new European anti-pollution laws, Italy must restart its nuclear program and take advantage of the recent advances being made in passive reactor safety systems

Coal use in Italy and environmental compatibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

Fossil fuels have in Italy great importance. In Italy, in terms of environmental protection and for social acceptance, coal has had a real opposition not verified in other countries. Environmental compatibility of coal cycle and related technologies are discussed also consequently at the Kyoto protocol [it

First report of blaNDM-1-producing Acinetobacter baumannii isolated in Lebanon from civilians wounded during the Syrian war.

Science.gov (United States)

Rafei, Rayane; Dabboussi, Fouad; Hamze, Monzer; Eveillard, Matthieu; Lemarié, Carole; Mallat, Hassan; Rolain, Jean-Marc; Joly-Guillou, Marie-Laure; Kempf, Marie

2014-04-01

The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has been observed worldwide. We describe the first detection of A. baumannii carrying the blaNDM-1 gene in Lebanon, isolated from Syrian patients wounded during the civil war. Four carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains isolated in 2012 in the Tripoli Government Hospital, Lebanon, from civilians wounded during the Syrian war, were analysed. Susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion testing, and resistance to carbapenems was confirmed by Etest. The presence of blaOXA-23-like, blaOXA-24-like, blaOXA-58-like, blaOXA-143-like, and blaNDM was investigated by PCR. Clonal relationships were studied by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and blaOXA-51 sequence-based typing. All isolates harboured the blaNDM-1 gene and were negative for other tested carbapenemases. They all belonged to the sequence type 85 and formed a single cluster by PFGE. Finally, blaOXA-51-like gene sequencing revealed the presence of the blaOXA-94 variant in all four isolates. These findings show that Syria constitutes a reservoir for NDM-1-producing bacteria. These results also highlight the need for effective measures to stop the threatening spread of such strains. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.