Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Stage IV CRC patients have poor prognosis with a five-year survival rate of 14%. Liver metastasis is the main cause of mortality in CRC patients. Since current screening tests have several drawbacks, effective stable non-invasive biomarkers such as microRNA (miRNA) are needed. We aim to investigate the expression of miRNA (miR-21, miR-19a, miR-23a, miR-29a, miR-145, miR-203, miR-155, miR-210, miR-31, and miR-345) in the plasma of 62 Lebanese Stage IV CRC patients and 44 healthy subjects using RT-qPCR, as well as to evaluate their potential for diagnosis of advanced CRC and its liver metastasis using the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve. miR-21, miR-145, miR-203, miR-155, miR-210, miR-31, and miR-345 were significantly upregulated in the plasma of surgery naïve CRC patients when compared to healthy individuals. We identified two panels of miRNA that could be used for diagnosis of Stage IV CRC (miR-21 and miR-210) with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.731 and diagnostic accuracy of 69% and liver metastasis (miR-210 and miR-203) with an AUC = 0.833 and diagnostic accuracy of 72%. Panels of specific circulating miRNA, which require further validation, could be potential non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers for CRC and liver metastasis.

The Lebanese Active Healthy Kids Work Group (LAHKWG) synthesized literature published on physical activity (PA) indicators among ages 5- to 17- year-olds, using a recommended harmonized process by the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance (AHKGA), to explore Lebanon's performance since its previous report card publication. Peer reviewed literature, national surveys, and gray literature published since 2017, on 10 common AHKGA and two LAHKWG recommended indicators were examined. Common indicators included overall PA, organized sport and PA, active play, active transportation, community and environment, sedentary behaviors, physical fitness, family and peers, school, and government. LAHKWG recommended indicators were sleep and weight status. LAHKWG members reviewed 764 records, of which 28 were selected for full review. A grade was assigned for each indicator using AHKGA's grading rubric and established benchmarks on data from nationally representative samples for children and youth. Data from one nationally representative sample were available for ages 13–17 years (i.e., no data <13 years). Five indicators received “Incomplete” (organized sport and PA; active Play; physical fitness; family and peers; community and environment); overall PA received a D-; active transportation and sleep received a D+; school and government received a D; sedentary behaviors received a C; and weight status received a B-. The LAHKWG strongly encourages stakeholders to take concrete actions towards prioritizing PA promotion at a national level especially in the education sector. Offering more quality PA opportunities for Lebanese children and youth will be beneficial for their physical and mental health in any context.