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To assess the effect of renal failure on the survival of black African patients with cirrhosis, we studied 132 (82 males, 50 females) cirrhotic black African patients with mean age of 47.5 ±14.4 years and mean follow-up period of 373 ± 194 days. The edema and ascitis were the main reasons for admission to hospital. Renal failure was present in 30 (22.7%) patients, and it was positively correlated to the severity of the stage of the liver disease, and associated with severe hyponatremia. Survival at 1 year was 60.1% and 37.6% in the absence or presence of renal failure, respectively (p< 0.001)). The stage of the liver disease was significantly inversely corre-lated with survival, which was further diminished in the presence of renal failure:23.7% versus 12.5% for Child-Pugh-Turcote (CPT) A-B in the absence or presence of renal failure, respectively (p= 0.67), 30.2% versus 81.8% for CPT C in the absence or the presence of renal failure respectively (p< 0.001). Hyponatremia has also appeared detrimental to survival, since mortality was 38.4% versus 81.8% in the absence or the presence of hyponatremia respectively (p< 0.001). By multivariate analysis, renal failure, CPT stage C, and hyponatremia independently significantly correlated to mortality in patients with cirrhosis. We conclude that renal failure is frequently associated with decompensated cirrhosis. The presence of renal failure in this setting often results in high mortality. Renal failure that occurs in the setting of a severe liver disease and hyponatremia may be part of hepatorenal syndrome.

As the new global biodiversity targets kick in, the signatories to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) are searching for means to fulfil their obligations. Fortunately, more than a decade ago a long-neglected solution was created for the marine environment. The ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs) provide a means for opening discussions around the management of large marine areas, ideally with conservation as a core priority. While the biological and ecological criteria for the selection of the EBSAs is clearly outlined, there is little clarity on the means to manage or govern these areas. The conservation and management measures are left as a matter to be resolved by those states which maintain some form of jurisdiction over regions within an EBSA. Of course, these measures must be in accordance with international law. Within the Mediterranean there are 15 EBSAs which have been identified and recognised by the parties of the UNEP regional seas programme. For the past four years, technical and scientific discussions have looked to move the EBSA recognition of the Southern Adriatic Ionian Straight (SAIS) forward and identify potential governance frameworks. This work has included a biodiversity threat analysis, a legal and governance review, and a preliminary spatial prioritization. We report on the processes undertaken, the policy implications for the SAIS-EBSA and the way forward. This work has implications not only for this region but for other regions within the Mediterranean and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, people use Paraphenylenediamine, a highly toxic substance, for suicide and self-harm. It is more common in populations with lower socioeconomic classes and educational backgrounds. The female-to-male ratio is higher. The most common complications are oedema of the upper airway tract and renal failure. The mortality rate is higher due to late hospital presentation and a lack of specific antidotes. The treatment of Paraphenylenediamin poisoning is conservative. In this case report we are presenting Paraphenylenediamine poisoning with a fatal outcome.

Copyright of Assiut Journal of Agricultural Sciences is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) 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.)

Abstract Aims To identify barriers and facilitators to nursing care of individuals with developmental disabilities (DDs). Background Individuals with DDs experience health disparities. Nurses, although well positioned to provide optimal care to this population, face challenges. Design Narrative review of extant published peer‐reviewed literature. Data Sources Electronic databases, ProQuest and EBSCO, were searched for studies published in English between 2000 and 2019. Review Methods Three reviewers reviewed abstracts and completed data extraction. Knowledge synthesis was completed by evaluating the 17 selected studies. Results Emerging themes were: (1) barriers and challenges to nursing interventions; (2) facilitators to nursing care; and (3) recommendations for nursing education, policy and practice. Conclusion Nursing has the potential to be a key partner in supporting the health of people with DDs. Impact There is a need for specific education and training, so nurses are better equipped to provide care for people with DDs.

Macro elements availability in soils is an important aspect in context of soil fertility and agricultural productivity. This study was performed to determine the levels of some macro elements availability in El-kharga oasis soils, New Valley, Egypt. To achieve this goal, hundred surface soil samples (0-30 cm) were collected from El-Kharga and Barisoasis, New Valley, Egypt. The collected soil samples were subjected for chemical analyses. The obtained results showed that the dominant problems are salinity and low organic matter content, The summarized data showed that 35% of the samples have low available nitrogen and 65% have medium nitrogen which was associated with low organic matter (100% of the samples have less than 1% OM). However 91% of the samples have high available P(˃15mg/kg), where as 5% and 4% of the samples were categorized as low and medium available P. Also, 98% of the samples were high in available potassium and only 2% were medium. The high content of available P and K may be resulted from the parent material of El-kharga oasis. According to ECe, 49% of the samples have ECe less than 4dSm-1, 51% of the samples were higher than 4dSm-1, (21% medium, 16% high and 14% very high). Considering the soil pH and ECe, the results showed that 42% of the samples were non saline, 50% were saline, 6% were sodic soil and only 2%were saline sodic soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Assiut Journal of Agricultural Sciences is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) 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.)

This investigation aims to evaluate the groundwater quality of El-Dakhla oasis, New Valley governorate, Egypt and assess its suitability for irrigation. About 144 groundwater samples were collected from wells distributed in eleven transects that represent the study area. The obtained results indicated that 63 samples were under the C1S1 indicating category low sodium and low salinity hazards. Meanwhile, 72 samples in the C2S1 category showing low sodium and medium salinity hazards and 9 samples exhibited a C3S1 type resulting in low sodium and high salinity hazards. According to Wilcox diagram, 93.75% of the water samples had an excellent quality for irrigation and 4.86% of them were considered as a permissible class. The results also revealed that 49.31% of these samples gave positive chloro-alkaline index (CAI) values. However, the remaining samples (50.69%) showed negative CAI. With respect of the corrosivity ratio (CR), 140 groundwater samples (97.22%) were safe to transport in mineral pipes whereas only 4 samples (2.78%) were corrosive in nature and need non-corrosive pipe to transport and lift these groundwaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the association of vitamin B12 deficiency and metformin use in patients presenting with type II diabetes mellitus. Study Design: Case control study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medicine, Military Hospital Rawalpindi from Apr 2017 to Sep 2017. Methodology: All patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and visited OPD of department of Medicine Military Hospital Rawalpindi, were included in the study. After approval from the ethical review committee, informed written consent was taken from patients. The patients were divided into two groups group A (metformin use) & B (without metformin use). Outcome was checked by comparing both the groups for vitamin B12 deficiency. Results: Two hundred and eighty patients with diabetes mellitus were included. One hundred and seventy one (61.07%) were males and 109 (38.93%) were females, with the mean age of 59.52 ± 12.441. Vitamin B12 deficiency in group I was seen in 30 (10.71%) and in 9 patients (3.21%) in group II (OR >1). Conclusion: In conclusion, our study indicates that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with metformin should be screened for vitamin B12 deficiency, especially with longer durations of treatment.

Background and objective: Leprosy is a chronic slowly progressive infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae that primarily affects the skin and peripheral nerves. Lepromatous leprosy is characterized by absence of T-cell responses to M. leprae and advanced clinical disease. It is frequently associated with the presence of autoantibodies, which might be related to CD19+CD5+ and CD19+CD5− B lymphocyte percentages. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the percentages of CD19+CD5+ and CD19+CD5− B cell subsets as well as the total B cells in lepromatous leprosy patients. Materials and methods: Twenty lepromatous leprosy patients and ten healthy subjects served as control were included in this study. Venous blood samples were analyzed by flow cytometry to determine the B cell subsets and total B cell percentages. Results: Compared to healthy controls, the percentages of CD19+CD5+ B cell subset and total B cells were found to be significantly higher in the patient group. While, the percentage of CD19+CD5− B cell subset was found to be higher in the patient group than the control without any significantly difference. Regarding the eye affection, the percentage of total B cells was observed to be significantly higher in affected patients compared to the non-affected group. Conclusion: The observed significant increases in CD19+CD5+ and total B cell percentages in patients with lepromatous leprosy suggests a possible role of these cells in the disorganized protective immune response as well as the development of eye complications in these patients. Keywords: CD5+B-cells, Autoimmunity, Lepromatous leprosy

Hundreds of highly toxic chemical pesticides and their conventional unsafe formulations of varying toxicities are used extensively to control pests, diseases, and weeds to increase agricultural production. The use of bio or botanical pesticides, which have been found effective, safe, and eco-friendly, could possibly provide a viable solution. Thus, the development and production of environment-friendly botanical pesticides and their water-based formulations, to replace the highly toxic agro-chemicals and unsafe formulations, has gained significant importance towards developing appropriate strategies for crop protection. The present study was aimed to evaluate the nematocidal nature of the aqueous extracts of Allium sativum, Urtica dioica, Sophora mollis, Ephedra intermedia, and Tanacetum baltistanicum. For this purpose, the plant material was dried in shade and mechanically ground into a powder form. The methanolic extracts of each plant sample were obtained and further extracted into different organic and aqueous fractions. The polar organic and aqueous fractions were further subjected to in vitro studies against Meloidogyne incognita, a common root-knot nematode. The results revealed that the polar organic and aqueous extracts of all the tested plants showed excellent results with total mortality of 75-95% at the concentrations of 0.125-1% after 72 h of the treatment. These results can be exploited further for their efficacy against M. incognita through on-field applications. The nematocidal effect of tested extracts indicates that some polar oxygenated secondary metabolites with lipophilic properties may be responsible to damage the cytoplasmic membrane of the nematode cells by interfering with the enzyme protein structure through their functional groups.

Background Rectal bleeding is a frequent symptom, with causes ranging from benign conditions to serious diseases like colorectal cancer (CRC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In the UK, the two-week wait (2WW) referral pathway, which includes the fecal immunochemical test (FIT), plays a key role in triaging suspected CRC cases. This study evaluates the effectiveness of flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) in detecting significant bowel pathologies (SBPs) in FIT-positive patients with isolated rectal bleeding. Methods We reviewed records of 344 patients with isolated rectal bleeding and a positive FIT result, referred to the 2WW pathway at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust from February to December 2023. All patients underwent colonoscopy. Findings from colonoscopy were used as a standard to compare with the expected reach of FS. Pathologies were categorized into SBPs (cancer, IBD, polyps ≥10 mm) and non-SBPs, and the location of SBPs in relation to the splenic flexure was also assessed. Results The average age of patients was 61.58 years. Significant bowel pathology (SBP) was identified in 89 of 344 (25.9%) patients, including 16 (18%) patients with cancer, 21 (23.6%) patients with IBD, and 52 (58.4%) patients with large polyps. All cases of cancer and IBD were found distal to the splenic flexure, while 21.1% (11/89) of large polyps were proximal. Higher FIT values (>100 µg Hb/g feces) and older age were significantly associated with SBPs. However, age and higher FIT values did not predict whether SBPs were proximal or distal. Conclusion For FIT-positive patients with isolated rectal bleeding, FS can serve as an effective initial diagnostic tool. Patients without detected cancer can be downgraded from the fast-track pathway to routine colonoscopy follow-up to avoid missing proximal premalignant lesions. This approach enhances resource utilization while ensuring comprehensive patient care. Further studies are needed to improve triage criteria and diagnostic accuracy within the 2WW pathway., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Clinical Governance of Surgery Care Group at York and Scarborough Teaching NHS Foundation Trust issued approval CG3/Surgery/PRbleed. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Attia et al.)

Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicon L.) is one of the most widely consumed and produced vegetable crops worldwide. It offers numerous health benefits due to its rich content of many therapeutic elements such as vitamins, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. Biotic stressors such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, nematodes, and insects cause severe yield losses as well as decreasing fruit quality. Conventional breeding strategies have succeeded in developing resistant genotypes, but these approaches require significant time and effort. The advent of state-of-the-art genome editing technologies, particularly CRISPR/Cas9, provides a rapid and straightforward method for developing high-quality biotic stress-resistant tomato lines. The advantage of genome editing over other approaches is the ability to make precise, minute adjustments without leaving foreign DNA inside the transformed plant. The tomato genome has been precisely modified via CRISPR/Cas9 to induce resistance genes or knock out susceptibility genes, resulting in lines resistant to common bacterial, fungal, and viral diseases. This review provides the recent advances and application of CRISPR/Cas9 in developing tomato lines with resistance to biotic stress.

The rapid global emergence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is a substantial public health concern. Livestock manure serves as a key reservoir for tetracycline resistance genes (TRGs), serving as a means of their transmission to soil and vegetables upon utilization as a fertilizer, consequently posing a risk to human health. The dynamics and transfer of TRGs among microorganisms in vegetables and fauna are being investigated. However, the impact of different vegetable species on acquisition of TRGs from various manure sources remains unclear. This study investigated the rhizospheres of three vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers) grown with chicken, sheep, and pig manure to assess TRGs and bacterial community compositions via qPCR and high-throughput sequencing techniques. Our findings revealed that tomatoes exhibited the highest accumulation of TRGs, followed by cucumbers and carrots. Pig manure resulted in the highest TRG levels, compared to chicken and sheep manure, in that order. Bacterial community analyses revealed distinct effects of manure sources and the selective behavior of individual vegetable species in shaping bacterial communities, explaining 12.2% of TRG variation. Firmicutes had a positive correlation with most TRGs and the intl1 gene among the dominant phyla. Notably, both the types of vegetables and manures significantly influenced the abundance of the intl1 gene and soil properties, exhibiting strong correlations with TRGs and elucidating 30% and 17.7% of TRG variance, respectively. Our study delineated vegetables accumulating TRGs from manure-amended soils, resulting in significant risk to human health. Moreover, we elucidated the pivotal roles of bacterial communities, soil characteristics, and the intl1 gene in TRG fate and dissemination. These insights emphasize the need for integrated strategies to reduce selection pressure and disrupt TRG transmission routes, ultimately curbing the transmission of tetracycline resistance genes to vegetables., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ali, Naz, Liu, Chen, Yang, Attia, Ayub, Ali, Mohammed, Faisal, Sun, Xiao and Chen.)

Climate change, driven by human activities and natural processes, has led to critical alterations in varying patterns during cropping seasons and is a vital threat to global food security. The climate change impose several abiotic stresses on crop production systems. These abiotic stresses include extreme temperatures, drought, and salinity, which expose agricultural fields to more vulnerable conditions and lead to substantial crop yield and quality losses. Plant hormones, especially salicylic acid (SA), has crucial roles for plant resiliency under unfavorable environments. This review explores the genetics and molecular mechanisms underlying SA's role in mitigating abiotic stress-induced damage in plants. It also explores the SA biosynthesis pathways, and highlights the regulation of their products under several abiotic stresses. Various roles and possible modes of action of SA in mitigating abiotic stresses are discussed, along with unraveling the genetic mechanisms and genes involved in responses under stress conditions. Additionally, this review investigates molecular pathways and mechanisms through which SA exerts its protective effects, such as redox signaling, cross-talks with other plant hormones, and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. Moreover, the review discusses potentials of using genetic engineering approaches, such as CRISPR technology, for deciphering the roles of SA in enhancing plant resilience to climate change related abiotic stresses. This comprehensive analysis bridges the gap between genetics of SA role in response to climate change related stressors. Overall goal is to highlight SA's significance in safeguarding plants and by offering insights of SA hormone for sustainable agriculture under challenging environmental conditions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)