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Objectives: the aim of this study was to describe the genetic and clinical features of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) in a group of Egyptian children. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 65 children diagnosed with FMF according to the (Eurofever/PRINTO) classification criteria. The complete blood count (CBC), and acute phase reactants such as Serum amyloid A (SAA), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were all measured during the febrile episode. Mutation analysis for the MEFV gene was carried out for all subjects. Results: A total of 65 patients with FMF were included in the study. The first clinical manifestation was recurrent fever in all patients. Recurrent oral lesions accompanied fever in 63% of cases, abdominal pain in 31%, and musculoskeletal pain in 6%. The mean SAA level was 162.5 ± 85.78 mg/L. MEFV mutations were detected in 56 patients (86%). Among these patients, 6 (10.7%) were homozygous, while 44 (78.6%) were heterozygous. The most frequently observed mutation was E148Q 24 (37.5%), followed by M694I 18 (32.1%), and V726A 13 (20.3%). Half of the patients with oral lesions were E148Q positive, however abdominal pain was found to be higher in the patients with the M694I mutation. Conclusion: Recurrent fever with oral lesions could be an important atypical presentation of FMF in Egyptian children that should not be ignored and/or missed.

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The reduction in mineral fertilizer usage is crucial to the production of medicinal and aromatic products for safety and health purposes. Presently, nanotechnology and the utilization of natural extracts have been extensively studied due to their significant contribution. Ocimum basilicum is commonly employed for various medicinal and aromatic applications. Therefore, randomized complete block design field experiments containing 10 treatments were conducted during the 2021 and 2022 seasons to investigate the effect of nanoparticles (NPs) of ZnO (1.5 and 2.0 g/L) and SiO2 (100 and 150 mg/L) and date palm pollen extract (DPPE) at 10 and 20 g/L either alone or in combination with the ¾ or ½ NPK recommended dose (RD). The NPK RD was served as a control treatment on basil plant production in each season. The effectiveness of ZnO NPs, SiO2 NPs, and DPPE for the decrease in NPK utilization was evaluated. Meanwhile, the most effective treatment for vegetative traits (except for plant height), essential oil %, and yield was ½ NPK RD + 20 g/L DPPE + 2.0 g/L ZnO NPs. Such a treatment increased the branch number/plant, main stem diameter, relevant chlorophyll content, fresh weight/plant, dry weight/plant, essential oil %, and essential oil yield/plant by 21.00 and 9.94%, 58.70 and 40.00%, 20.69 and 15.83%, 68.83 and 58.28%, 48.70 and 56.16%, 45.71 and 35.53%, and 113.22 and 110.32% over the control in the two seasons, respectively. For total phenol and antioxidant activity, the most effective treatments were the ¾ NPK +1.5 g/L ZnO NPs and ½ NPK +2.0 g/L ZnO NPs, respectively. Simultaneously, essential oil composition (with their compound numbers identified (11–29 for control and ¾ NPK RD + 1.5 g/L ZnO NPs)) and the percentage of total compounds, monoterpene hydrocarbons, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, and oxygenated hydrocarbons were varied among the used applications. The major observed compounds (>8%) estragole, methyl eugenol, linalool, cineole, and caryophyllene were found in different treatments. Thus, the findings of this study indicate the favorable utilization of ZnO NPs, SiO2 NPs, and DPPE in reducing the application of NPK, which may present a novel strategy and beneficial approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The silver grunt Pomadasys argenteus is one of the commercial fish species in the family Haemulidae widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific (from Red Sea to Fiji). The age of this species was determined using scales. The back-calculated lengths-at-ages were estimated using the body proportional hypothesis (BPH) based on the relation between the body length and scale measurements. The relationship between the scale radius (S) and total length (L) could be described by the linear form: L = 4.632 S 4.813 (R² = 0.93) for males, L = 4.37 S-2.761 (R² = 0.94) for females, and L = 4.39 S-3.28 (R² = 0.95) for pooled sexes. Seven age groups were determined for females (I+ to VII+), and five groups for males (I+ to V+). Growth parameters were estimated from the growth rates and found to be L∞(asymptotic length) = 52.33 cm, K (growth coefficient) = 0.197 yr¹, and to (supposed age at zero length) = -0.74 yr for males; L∞ = 57.39 cm, K = 0.174 yr¹, and to = -0.82 yr for females; and L = 56.07 cm, K = 0.181 yr¹, and to = -0.79 yr for pooled sexes. The length-weight relationship was described by the nonlinear power equation: W=0.0130 L3.014 (R² = 0.99) for males, W = 0.0146 L2.98 (R² = 0.99) for females, and W = 0.0138 L3.00 (R² = 0.99) for pooled sexes. The growth of this species is isometric where the regression slope for both sexes does not differ significantly from the value '3' of the isometric growth. The life span (maximum age) was estimated to be 16.4 yr for females, 14.5 yr for males, and 15.8 yr for combined sexes, indicating that the silver grunt in Jizan fisheries is a moderate sized fish species (between 10 to 20 yrs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Sciences is the property of King Abdulaziz University, Scientific Publishing Centre and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) is increasingly used during left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) as an alternative to transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of ICE versus TEE guidance during LAAO on procedural characteristics and acute outcomes, as well the presence of peri‐device leaks and residual septal defects during follow‐up. Methods: All studies comparing ICE‐guided versus TEE‐guided LAAO were identified. The primary outcomes were procedural efficacy and occurrence of procedure‐related complications. Secondary outcomes included lab efficiency (defined as a reduction in in‐room time), procedural time, fluoroscopy time, and presence of peri‐device leaks and residual interatrial septal defects (IASD) during follow‐up. Results: Twelve studies (n = 5637) were included. There were no differences in procedural success (98.3% vs. 97.8%; OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.42–1.27, p =.27; I2 = 0%) or adverse events (4.5% vs. 4.4%; OR 0.81 95% CI 0.56–1.16, p =.25; I2 = 0%) between the ICE‐guided and TEE‐guided groups. ICE guidance reduced in in‐room time (mean‐weighted 28.6‐min reduction in in‐room time) without differences in procedural time or fluoroscopy time. There were no differences in peri‐device leak (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.68–1.27, p = 0.64); however, an increased prevalence of residual IASD was observed with ICE‐guided versus TEE‐guided LAAO (46.3% vs. 34.2%; OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.05–4.75, p = 0.04). Conclusion: ICE guidance is associated with similar procedural efficacy and safety, but could result in improved lab efficiency (as established by a significant reduction in in‐room time). No differences in the rate of periprocedural leaks were found. A higher prevalence of residual interatrial septal defects was observed with ICE guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]