Epidemiologic threats and outcome of evolving COVID-19-associated mucormycosis from a referral hospital in Egypt.

Introduction: The present study aimed to explore the epidemiologic threats and factors associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated mucormycosis (CAM) epidemic that emerged in Egypt during the second COVID-19 wave. The study also aimed to explore the diagnostic features and the role of surgical interventions of CAM on the outcome of the disease in a central referral hospital.

Methodology: The study included 64 CAM patients from a referral hospital for CAM and a similar number of matched controls from COVID-19 patients who did not develop CAM.

Effective Targeting of Glutamine Synthetase with Amino Acid Analogs as a Novel Therapeutic Approach in Breast Cancer.

Cancer cells undergo metabolic rewiring to support rapid proliferation and survival in challenging environments. Glutamine is a preferred resource for cancer metabolism, as it provides both carbon and nitrogen for cellular biogenesis. Recent studies suggest the potential anticancer activity of amino acid analogs.

Fungi associated with orange juice production and assessment of adhesion ability and resistance to sanitizers.

Orange juice is widely consumed worldwide due to its sensory and nutritional characteristics. This beverage is susceptible to contamination by acidic-tolerant microorganisms due to its low pH, especially filamentous fungi and yeasts. To minimize fungal spoilage, companies usually submit juice to thermal treatments; sanitizers are also applied on surfaces to maintain the microbiological quality.

Use of dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma for control of bread spoilage fungi.

Bread is a greatly consumed bakery product worldwide. Unfortunately, it is an optimal substrate for fungal contamination and deterioration (aw > 0.95), commonly caused by the genera Penicillium, Paecilomyces, and Aspergillus, resulting in significant economic losses.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Saudi Medical Students Toward Forensic Medicine as a Subspecialty: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The field of forensic medicine, also known as medical jurisprudence, plays a vital role in civil and criminal legal proceedings by applying medical principles to establish facts. Despite its critical importance, there is a significant shortage of experts in this subspecialty. Understanding the factors influencing medical students' interest in forensic medicine is crucial.

Prostate Cancer Knowledge and Attitude Toward Screening Practices Among Men 40 and Over in the Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most prevalent malignancy among males and ranks as the fifth primary cause of mortality worldwide, underscoring its substantial impact on public health. Notably, there is a lack of research focused on PCa within the context of Saudi Arabia. Consequently, this study endeavours to elucidate the knowledge, attitudes, and screening practices related to PCa among males in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

Postoperative Complications Following Appendectomy: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Background Appendicitis is a common surgical emergency with a global incidence rate of approximately 8%, necessitating prompt intervention to prevent complications. Appendectomy, either through open surgery or laparoscopy, is the standard treatment. Understanding the factors contributing to post-appendectomy complications is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

The greater tuberosity version angle: a novel method of acquiring humeral alignment during intramedullary nailing.

Aims: This study aims to describe a new method that may be used as a supplement to evaluate humeral rotational alignment during intramedullary nail (IMN) insertion using the profile of the perpendicular peak of the greater tuberosity and its relation to the transepicondylar axis. We called this angle the greater tuberosity version angle (GTVA).

Methods: This study analyzed 506 cadaveric humeri of adult patients.

Synthetic directed evolution for targeted engineering of plant traits.

Improving crop traits requires genetic diversity, which allows breeders to select advantageous alleles of key genes. In species or loci that lack sufficient genetic diversity, synthetic directed evolution (SDE) can supplement natural variation, thus expanding the possibilities for trait engineering. In this review, we explore recent advances and applications of SDE for crop improvement, highlighting potential targets (coding sequences and -regulatory elements) and computational tools to enhance crop resilience and performance across diverse environments.

Satisfaction-Behavior Paradox in Lifestyle Choices: A Cross-Sectional Study of Health Behaviors and Satisfaction Levels in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Lifestyle choices significantly affect health outcomes in Saudi Arabia, but the relationship between health behaviors and satisfaction is unclear. This study aimed to assess lifestyle choices and associated satisfaction levels among residents in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, with 3411 participants.

Fusion of FokI and catalytically inactive prokaryotic Argonautes enables site-specific programmable DNA cleavage.

Site-specific nucleases are crucial for genome engineering applications in medicine and agriculture. The ideal site-specific nucleases are easily reprogrammable, highly specific in target site recognition, and robust in nuclease activities. Prokaryotic Argonaute (pAgo) proteins have received much attention as biotechnological tools due to their ability to recognize specific target sequences without a protospacer adjacent motif, but their lack of intrinsic dsDNA unwinding activity limits their utility in key applications such as gene editing.

Forgotten Biliary Plastic Stents: Complications, Management, and Clinical Outcomes.

: Endoscopic biliary plastic stenting is a safe and effective temporary therapeutic modality used in various benign biliary disorders. Long-term indwelling stents for more than one year without retrieval are termed "forgotten biliary stents". In clinical practice, the forgotten stents are underestimated and the majority of data were obtained from case reports.

Promoting effect of sunset yellow on N-methyl N-nitrosourea-induced rat mammary carcinogenesis: Implications of molecular mechanisms.

Background: Nowadays, the use of food additives, such as Sunset Yellow (SY), is growing, which attracted attention to the potential relationship between some diseases and food additives.

Aim: The study aimed to investigate the role of Sunset Yellow during chemically-induced mammary gland carcinogenesis in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Material And Methods: Three groups of female rats were intraperitoneally administered with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU).

Utilizing machine learning to classify persistent organic pollutants in the serum of pregnant women: a predictive modeling approach.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that remain detrimental to critical subpopulations, namely pregnant women. Required tests for biomonitoring are quite expensive. Moreover, statistical models aiming to discover the relationships between pollutants levels and human characteristics have their limitations.

Chemical composition of indoor and outdoor PM in the eastern Arabian Peninsula.

Water-soluble and trace metal species in fine particulate matter (PM) were determined for indoor and outdoor environments in Doha, Qatar. During the study period, PM concentrations showed significant variability across several indoor locations ranging from 7.1 to 75.

Satisfaction Paradoxes in Health Behaviors: Contrasting Patterns across Weight, Physical Activity and Dietary Habits.

(1) Background: Obesity, a poor diet, and inactivity are major health issues among Saudi youth. However, satisfaction with unhealthy lifestyles could impede change. This study assessed lifestyle factors and related satisfaction among Saudi university students.

Evaluating the public's readiness to combat vector-borne disease threats in Jazan, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional survey.

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) pose a significant public health challenge in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the Jazan region. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding VBDs among the population of Jazan and to identify factors associated with these variables. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 642 adult residents of Jazan using a convenience random sampling technique.

Gender-based disparities in outcomes of coronary bifurcation stenting in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Around 15-20% of lesions necessitating percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) are attributed to coronary bifurcation lesions. We aim to study gender-based differences in PCI outcomes among bifurcation stents.

Methods: 3 studies were included after thorough systematic search using MEDLINE (EMBASE and PubMed).

Risk of acute coronary syndrome and relationship with the use of khat and tobacco products in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia: A prospective case-control study.

Introduction: Previous studies have identified several risk factors for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study was intended to examine the potential risk of ACS associated with khat and tobacco use.

Methods: A case-control study of 344 people (172 cases and 172 controls) was conducted at Prince Mohammed Bin Nasser Hospital in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, from April to September 2019.

An atlas of the tomato epigenome reveals that KRYPTONITE shapes TAD-like boundaries through the control of H3K9ac distribution.

In recent years, the exploration of genome three-dimensional (3D) conformation has yielded profound insights into the regulation of gene expression and cellular functions in both animals and plants. While animals exhibit a characteristic genome topology defined by topologically associating domains (TADs), plants display similar features with a more diverse conformation across species. Employing advanced high-throughput sequencing and microscopy techniques, we investigated the landscape of 26 histone modifications and RNA polymerase II distribution in tomato ().