Oyster beds in the United Arab Emirates: Important fishing grounds in need of protection.

There is scarce information on the current importance of oyster beds as fishing grounds in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aims to understand the socio-economic value of oyster bed fisheries through questionnaire-based surveys with fishers. Of 106 Emirati fishers interviewed, 67 % use oyster beds due to the proximity to shore, better catch quality, and species abundance.

High BTLA Expression Likely Contributes to Contraction of the Regulatory T Cell Subset in Lupus Disease.

B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) is a co-inhibitory receptor that is expressed by lymphoid cells and regulates the immune response. Consistent with an inhibitory role for BTLA, the disease is exacerbated in BTLA-deficient lupus mice. We recently demonstrated that the BTLA pathway is altered in CD4 T cells from lupus patients.

Characterizing annual flood patterns variation using information and complexity indices.

In recent decades, the frequency of torrential rain coupled with various complex flood patterns increased. Since floods are changeable and unpredictable, deeper understanding of flood incidents is necessary for better watershed management. The primary objective of this research is to investigate and characterize annual flood patterns embedded in a river catchment located in west of Japan.

Extent of detection of hidden relationships among different hydrological variables during floods using data-driven models.

Understanding of flood dynamics forms the basis for the leading water resource management and flood risk mitigation practices. In particular, accurate prediction of river flow during massive flood events and capturing the hysteretic behavior of river stage-discharge are among the key interests in hydrological research. The literature demonstrates that data-driven models are significant in identifying complex and hidden relationships among dependent variables, without considering explicit physical schemes.

Needlescopic Disconnection and Peritoneal Closure for Pediatric Inguinal Hernia Repair: A Novel Technique.

Background: There are many laparoscopic techniques for pediatric congenital inguinal hernia repair. Needlescopic surgery was introduced recently in pediatric patients aiming at getting excellent cosmetic outcomes.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe a novel technique for needlescopic inguinal hernia repair in children.