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The Red Sea is particularly biodiverse, hosting high levels of endemism and numerous populations whose extinction risk is heightened by their relative isolation. Elasmobranchs and sea turtles have likely suffered recent declines in this region, although data on their distribution and biology are severely lacking, especially on the eastern side of the basin in Saudi Arabian waters. Here, we present sightings of elasmobranchs and sea turtles across the north-eastern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba collected through a combination of survey methods. Over 455 survey hours, we recorded 407 sightings belonging to 26 elasmobranch species and two sea turtle species, more than 75% of which are of conservation concern. We identified 4 species of rays and 9 species of sharks not previously recorded in Saudi Arabia and report a range extension for the pink whipray (Himantura fai) and the round ribbontail ray (Taeniurops meyeni) into the Gulf of Aqaba. High density of sightings of conservation significance, including green and hawksbill sea turtles and halavi guitarfish were recorded in bay systems along the eastern Gulf of Aqaba and the Saudi Arabian coastline bordering the north-eastern Red Sea, and many carcharhinid species were encountered at offshore seamounts in the region. Our findings provide new insights into the distribution patterns of megafaunal assemblages over smaller spatial scales in the region, and facilitate future research and conservation efforts, amidst ongoing, large-scale coastal developments in the north-eastern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objectives: 1) To validate European Spondylarthropathy Study Group (ESSG) and B. Amor's criteria for spondylarthropathies in Lebanon. 2) To evaluate the frequency of spondylarthropathies in rheumatological practice in Lebanon., Patients and Methods: Cases of definite and probable spondylarthropathy were diagnosed based on the clinical judgement of participating rheumatologists, without reference to the two criteria sets under study. The first two patients without spondylarthropathy seen after each spondylarthropathy case were included into the control group. Criteria in the ESSG and B. Amor sets were looked for in the patient and control groups. The frequency of spondylarthropathy meeting each criteria set was determined., Results: Of the 841 patients evaluated during the study period, 68 met B. Amor's criteria and 72 met ESSG criteria. There were 29 cases of ankylosing spondylitis (40.3%), ten of peripheral psoriatic arthritis (13.8%), two of reactive arthritis (2.8%), two of enteropathic arthropathy (2.8%), and 29 of undifferentiated spondylarthropathy (40.3%). In the definite spondylarthropathy group, sensitivity and specificity were 77.19% and 97.55% for B. Amor's criteria versus 91.23% and 100% for ESSG criteria. The frequency of spondylarthropathy was 8.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.3-9.9) or 8.56% (CI 6.6-10.5) according to B. Amor and ESSG criteria, respectively., Conclusion: Our data validate both criteria sets in the Lebanese population, demonstrating that they are useful in populations that are genetically different from the European populations used to develop them. Spondyloarthropathy is the most common in our rheumatology practice.

Computed tomography is one of the most promising methods for the non-invasive measurement of the bone mass. A review of the theoretical bases of the double energy technique developed by the authors' experimental study on tubes containing defined calcium concentrations and on cadaver vertebrae, demonstrates the value of this investigation in this field. The theoretical study also reveals the limitations of the technique, in particular the decrease in the values induced by fat. The value of this new technique has been confirmed by the preliminary clinical results obtained in non-osteoporotic control women and in women with confirmed osteoporosis, which obviously need to be confirmed by larger series.