IROND-L: study protocol for a French prospective, quasi-experimental, multicentre trial to examine the impact of a coordinated multidisciplinary approach for women victims of violence.

Background And Objectives: Violence against women (VAW) is widespread and can have serious physical and mental health consequences, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sleep disorders. Victim-survivors often face barriers in accessing specialised care, highlighting the need for a multidisciplinary response, especially in healthcare settings. The Maison des Femmes (MdF) model provides holistic support to women experiencing VAW, including medical, psychological, social and legal support.

E2F transcription factors promote tumorigenicity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers with limited treatment options, illustrating an urgent need to identify new drugable targets in PDACs.

Objective: Using the similarities between tumor development and normal embryonic development, which is accompanied by rapid cell expansion, we aimed to identify and characterize embryonic signaling pathways that were reinitiated during tumor formation and expansion.

Methods And Results: Here, we report that the transcription factors E2F1 and E2F8 are potential key regulators in PDAC.

Generic drugs use during the COVID-19 pandemic among Lebanese patients using psychotropics: An opportunity for generic drug promotion.

Introduction: The Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has imposed several challenges leading to the shortage of medications due to the disruption of their supply chains. Among others, patients using psychotropics encountered difficulties finding their medication despite the efforts of investing in local production. Encouraging patients to use generic drugs can be an effective strategy to ensure sustainable access to medication.

Predictors of antibiogram performance and antibiotic resistance patterns in the northern Syrian region: A cross-sectional investigation.

Introduction: Antibiogram use is crucial in the fight against antibiotic resistance in Syria, helping to guide treatment decisions, monitor resistance trends, and implement measures to mitigate this global health threat. This study explores the predictors of antibiogram performance and antibiotic resistance patterns in hospital settings in the Northern Syrian region.

Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was performed over six months, from the beginning of September 2022 to February 2023, targeting patients admitted to two hospitals in Syria with susceptibility to infection.

Clinical, radiological profile and prognostic role of transcranial color-coded duplex in cerebral venous thrombosis: a case-control study.

Background: Cerebral venous thrombosis is a rare type of stroke, occurring more among young individuals. The presentation is highly variable, and this can delay diagnosis and management, thereby affecting outcome. The aim is to study the clinical, radiological profile, risk factors for cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) and the role of transcranial color-coded duplex (TCCD) in CVT prognosis among Egyptian patients.

Predictors of all-cause mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients taking corticosteroids: a multicenter retrospective cross-sectional study.

Unlabelled: Despite the recommendations to avoid using corticosteroids systematically for hospitalized coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) patients, healthcare professionals used personalized treatments, including corticosteroids, as adjuncts to treat their patients due to their limited access to treatment options. This study aims to evaluate the use of corticosteroids among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with all-cause mortality as the primary outcome and to assess the predictors of all-cause mortality associated with the characteristics of the patients and the corticosteroid regimens adopted.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective study was performed over three months targeting 422 COVID-19 patients from six hospitals in Lebanon.

Development and validation of a short tool to assess the awareness of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a cross-sectional study among pregnant women in Lebanon.

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) are responsible for most perinatal and fetal mortality. Few programs are patient-centered during pregnancy, thereby increasing the risks of misinformation and misconceptions among pregnant women and, as a result, malpractices.

Objective: This study aims to develop and validate a form to assess the knowledge and attitudes of pregnant women about HDPs.

Assessment of community pharmacists' knowledge of the differences between generic drugs and biosimilars: A pilot cross-sectional study.

Background: Pharmacists' knowledge of the differences in the characteristics between generic drugs and biosimilars is essential to ensure good practice and lower pharmaceutical bills.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate community pharmacists' knowledge and perception of using and substituting biosimilars and generic drugs.

Design: A pilot cross-sectional study was performed over 2 months (August-September 2022) targeting community pharmacists in their work site.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the consumption patterns of psychotropic drugs and predictors of limited access to medication.

Background: Despite the efforts of the health system to improve access to medications during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, such as online consultations, encouraging generic prescriptions, and other measures to limit the storage of medication, psychotropic patients faced significant challenges in accessing their medications.

Objectives: This study aimed (1) to compare the consumption of psychotropics before and during the pandemic, (2) to assess the association between having difficulties finding the medications and the general characteristics of the patients, and (3) to assess the predictors of these difficulties.

Design: A case-control study was performed in which 128 patients (cases) were recruited during the pandemic (July-October 2021), and 256 patients (controls) using psychotropics before the pandemic were matched for age and sex.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacy practice and on the provision of pharmaceutical care: A cross-sectional study among community pharmacists.

Background: Community pharmacists played an essential role in the control and management of the COVID-19 pandemic; both pharmaceutical care and community pharmacists were affected, given that, patients' needs and demands increased due to the fear of lockdowns and shortage of medication throughout the pandemic.

Objectives: This study was based in Lebanon and aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on (1) pharmacists, including infection rates, pay, and working hours, and (2) pharmacy practice, including medicine and personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages.

Design: A cross-sectional study involving 120 community pharmacists was carried out between August and November 2021.

Clinical, radiological and electrophysiological predictors for drug-resistant epilepsy.

Background: Epilepsy is the third chronic brain illness worldwide. About a third of the epileptic patients will be drug resistant. Early identification of these patients is critical for appropriate treatment selection and prevention of the devastating consequences of recurrent seizures.

Knowledge, perception and acceptance of generic drugs in the general Lebanese population: A cross-sectional survey among adults.

Background: Many governments encouraged generic use to enhance health equality and minimise health expenditure. The lack of knowledge and acceptance of generic medicines are the main barriers to their use.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess population knowledge and perception towards generic drugs, identify their primary sources of information and examine which variables are independently related to their acceptance.

Evaluation of Pharmacists' Preferences and Barriers to Access Continuing Education: A Cross-Sectional Study in Lebanon.

The implementation of continuing education programs for pharmacists in Lebanon is emerging and needs to be further developed and strengthened to fill the gaps between knowledge acquisition and its application in the workplace. This study examined the perceptions of pharmacist preferences for and barriers to access programs. A crosssectional descriptive study was undertaken with a convenience sample of 142 pharmacists who were surveyed in their workplace.

Islet Gene View-a tool to facilitate islet research.

Characterization of gene expression in pancreatic islets and its alteration in type 2 diabetes (T2D) are vital in understanding islet function and T2D pathogenesis. We leveraged RNA sequencing and genome-wide genotyping in islets from 188 donors to create the Islet Gene View (IGW) platform to make this information easily accessible to the scientific community. Expression data were related to islet phenotypes, diabetes status, other islet-expressed genes, islet hormone-encoding genes and for expression in insulin target tissues.

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of gestational diabetes mellitus highlights genetic links with type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with increased risk of pregnancy complications and adverse perinatal outcomes. GDM often reoccurs and is associated with increased risk of subsequent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (T2D). To improve our understanding of the aetiological factors and molecular processes driving the occurrence of GDM, including the extent to which these overlap with T2D pathophysiology, the GENetics of Diabetes In Pregnancy Consortium assembled genome-wide association studies of diverse ancestry in a total of 5485 women with GDM and 347 856 without GDM.

Lipid-Associated Variants near ANGPTL3 and LPL Show Parent-of-Origin Specific Effects on Blood Lipid Levels and Obesity.

Parent-of-origin effects (POE) and sex-specific parental effects have been reported for plasma lipid levels, and a strong relationship exists between dyslipidemia and obesity. We aim to explore whether genetic variants previously reported to have an association to lipid traits also show POE on blood lipid levels and obesity. Families from the Botnia cohort and the Hungarian Transdanubian Biobank (HTB) were genotyped for 12 SNPs, parental origin of alleles were inferred, and generalized estimating equations were modeled to assess parental-specific associations with lipid traits and obesity.

Mapping the Cord Blood Transcriptome of Pregnancies Affected by Early Maternal Anemia to Identify Signatures of Fetal Programming.

Context: Anemia during early pregnancy (EP) is common in developing countries and is associated with adverse health consequences for both mothers and children. Offspring of women with EP anemia often have low birth weight, which increases risk for cardiometabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2D), later in life.

Objective: We aimed to elucidate mechanisms underlying developmental programming of adult cardiometabolic disease, including epigenetic and transcriptional alterations potentially detectable in umbilical cord blood (UCB) at time of birth.

Knowledge and Beliefs of Cancer Risk Factors and Early Cancer Symptoms in Lebanon: A Cross-sectional Survey Among Adults in the Community.

Background: Lebanon has an increasing cancer burden. Sufficient knowledge of cancer risk factors and early cancer symptoms can help lower cancer burden by facilitating primary prevention and early diagnosis. This study (i) assessed Lebanese adults' knowledge and beliefs of cancer risk factors and early cancer symptoms, (ii) analyzed whether knowledge was correlated with personal behavior, and (iii) assessed the presence of barriers that keep knowledge from turning into healthcare seeking behavior.

Molecular Profiling of Spermatozoa Reveals Correlations between Morphology and Gene Expression: A Novel Biomarker Panel for Male Infertility.

Choosing spermatozoa with an optimum fertilizing potential is one of the major challenges in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). This selection is mainly based on semen parameters, but the addition of molecular approaches could allow a more functional evaluation. To this aim, we used sixteen fresh sperm samples from patients undergoing ART for male infertility and classified them in the high- and poor-quality groups, on the basis of their morphology at high magnification.

Multiple hPOT1-TPP1 cooperatively unfold contiguous telomeric G-quadruplexes proceeding from 3' toward 5', a feature due to a 3'-end binding preference and to structuring of telomeric DNA.

Telomeres are DNA repeated sequences that associate with shelterin proteins and protect the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. Human telomeres are composed of 5'TTAGGG repeats and ends with a 3' single-stranded tail, called G-overhang, that can be specifically bound by the shelterin protein hPOT1 (human Protection of Telomeres 1). In vitro studies have shown that the telomeric G-strand can fold into stable contiguous G-quadruplexes (G4).

SCRT1 is a novel beta cell transcription factor with insulin regulatory properties.

Here we show that scratch family transcriptional repressor 1 (SCRT1), a zinc finger transcriptional regulator, is a novel regulator of beta cell function. SCRT1 was found to be expressed in beta cells in rodent and human islets. In human islets, expression of SCRT1 correlated with insulin secretion capacity and the expression of the insulin (INS) gene.