The association of maternal pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index and gestational weight gain with pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.

Background: Overweight and obesity epidemic is still expanding, and it is affecting women of childbearing age. Multiple studies have shown unmatched results concerning the effect of body mass index (BMI) besides gestational weight gain (GWG) on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. This study aims to determine the effect of each of the two anthropometric indicators: pre-gestational BMI and gestational weight gain on the course of pregnancy, and neonatal outcomes.

Vitamin D level and low-energy fracture risk in children and adolescents: a population-based case-control study of 45 cases.

The objective of this study is to document the rate of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency among children with low-energy fractures and compare it to fracture-free control group. We included all children under 15 years presenting to the emergency department with low-energy fractures; controls were children without history of fractures from the outpatient department. Conventional X-ray and laboratory blood tests were performed.

Turning adversity into opportunity: Small extracellular vesicles as nanocarriers for tumor-associated macrophages re-education.

Currently, small extracellular vesicles (sEV) as a nanoscale drug delivery system, are undergoing biotechnological scaling and clinical validation. Nonetheless, preclinical pharmacokinetic studies revealed that sEV are predominantly uptaken by macrophages. Although this "sEV-macrophage" propensity represents a disadvantage in terms of sEV targeting and their bioavailability as nanocarriers, it also represents a strategic advantage for those therapies that involve macrophages.

Camouflage strategies for therapeutic exosomes evasion from phagocytosis.

Background: Even though exosome-based therapy has been shown to be able to control the progression of different pathologies, the data revealed by pharmacokinetic studies warn of the low residence time of exogenous exosomes in circulation that can hinder the clinical translation of therapeutic exosomes. The macrophages related to the organs of the mononuclear phagocytic system are responsible primarily for the rapid clearance and retention of exosomes, which strongly limits the amount of exosomal particles available to reach the target tissue, accumulate in it and release with high efficiency its therapeutic cargo in acceptor target cells to exert the desired biological effect.

Aim Of Review: Endowing exosomes with surface modifications to evade the immune system is a plausible strategy to contribute to the suppression of exosomal clearance and increase the efficiency of their targeted content delivery.

Association between factors related to the pregnancy, neonatal period, and later complications (especially asthma) and menarcheal age in a sample of Lebanese girls.

Background: Studies about the majority of the factors that may potentially influence the pubertal timing and menarche were controversial. The objective was to evaluate the association between factors related to the pregnancy, neonatal period, and the complications that may happen later in life and the menarcheal age in a sample of Lebanese girls admitted or not to the NICU at birth. Our secondary objective was to try to find, for the first time in literature, a correlation between respiratory distress at birth and the need of oxygen therapy with the age of the first menses in these girls.

Universal screening program for lipid disorders in 2-10 years old Lebanese children: A new approach.

Introduction: Dyslipidemia has been recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Studies have showed that the development of atherosclerotic lesions begins in childhood and progresses throughout life. While the prevalence of dyslipidemia in adults has been reported to be 10 times higher in Lebanon compared to Western countries, data on the prevalence of dyslipidemic children in Lebanon is lacking.

Retronasal and orthonasal olfactory function in relation to olfactory bulb volume in patients with posttraumatic loss of smell.

Objective: The aims of this study were to evaluate olfactory function with orthonasal and retronasal testing in patients with posttraumatic olfactory loss and to investigate the relation between residual olfactory function and olfactory bulb (OB) volume.

Method: A retrospective study of 25 patients with posttraumatic olfactory loss was performed. Orthonasal olfactory function was assessed with the Sniffin' Sticks test kit; retronasal olfactory function was assessed with intraorally applied odors.

Olfactory function and olfactory bulb volume in patients with postinfectious olfactory loss.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate whether the degree of postinfectious olfactory loss is reflected in volume of the olfactory bulb (OB).

Study Design: Retrospective study of 26 patients with postinfectious olfactory loss.

Materials And Methods: Olfactory function was assessed with the "Sniffin' Sticks" test kit, and the magnetic resonance imaging study focused on OB volume and the olfactory sulcus.