Hidden scars: the persistent multifaceted health and psychosocial consequences for Syrian torture survivors.

The impact on the physical and mental health of those who survived torture and their close circles in the Syrian regime's detention facilities remains under-studied. This qualitative study explored Syrian refugees' narrations of captivity and torture, and the consequences of such extreme traumatic events on their physical and psychosocial health. Thirteen audio-recorded interviews were conducted in Arabic with Syrian refugees.

Corrigendum: Direct evidence of abortive lytic infection-mediated establishment of Epstein-Barr virus latency during B-cell infection.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.

Critical analysis of tobacco taxation policies in Pakistan after two decades of FCTC: Policy gaps and lessons for low- and middle-income countries.

Introduction: Tobacco taxation remains a poorly used intervention to control tobacco use in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) including Pakistan even after two decades of FCTC adoption. This study identifies gaps and implementation challenges in the current Tobacco Taxation and Pricing Policies (TTPP) in Pakistan, and highlights key policy implications and lessons for LMICs to strengthen tobacco control measures.

Methods: We used qualitative document analysis to examine the policy documents to assess the TTPP against the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) guidelines for the implementation of Article 6 of the FCTC.

Pandemic Preparedness: A Scoping Review of Best and Worst Practices from COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the scale of global unpreparedness to deal with the fast-arising needs of global health threats. This problem was coupled with a crisis of governance and presented in the context of globally hitting climate crisis and disasters. Although such a pandemic was predictable due to the known effects of human intervention on the surrounding environment and its devastating secondary effects, such as climate change and increased zoonoses, most countries were unprepared to deal with the scale and scope of the pandemic.

The Syrian regime's apparatus for systemic torture: A qualitative narrative study of testimonies from survivors.

Background: Despite broad interest of the Syrian refugee plight in the academic and media circles, there are still limited studies analyzing the lived experiences of torture survivors under the Syrian regime. This qualitative study interviewed torture survivors to examine the form and function of the Syrian regime's security apparatus, and the personal aftermath of survivors.

Methods: Thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted in Arabic with Syrian refugees who endured torture.