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Abstract Background Gestational diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic dysfunction that arises during pregnancy. GDM can lead to serious health complications for both the mother during pregnancy and after the delivery of the baby. Additionally, mother–offspring suffers from abnormalities in metabolism. The study aimed to investigate glutathione S‑transferase P1 and ghrelin genetic variants in pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes using a tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system. Results This study demonstrated that the frequencies of genotypes in women with GDM were GSTP1-AG (87.1%) and GHRL-GG (100%). The study revealed no significant differences in the frequency of either genotype or allele of both GSTP1 and ghrelin between GDM and healthy pregnant women. Conclusions This study may be the first study designed to demonstrate that there is no association between the genotype and allele frequencies of GSTP1 (rs1695) and ghrelin (rs696217) in the development of gestational diabetes mellitus in Egyptian women.

Iffat Elbarazi,1,* Basema Saddik,2,3,* Michal Grivna,1 Faisal Aziz,4 Deena Elsori,5 Emmanuel Stip,6 Enes Bendak7 1Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates; 2Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; 3Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; 4Interdisciplinary Metabolic Medicine Trials Unit, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; 5College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 6Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates; 7ENPI, Dubai, United Arab Emirates*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Iffat Elbarazi, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, Email ielbarazi@uaeu.ac.aeIntroduction: The COVID-19 pandemic created a crisis in the world of information and digital literacy. The amount of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 that has circulated through social media (SM) since January 2020 is notably significant and has been linked to rising levels of anxiety and fear amongst SM users.Aim: This study aimed to assess SM practices during COVID-19 and investigated their impact on users’ well-being.Methods: An online survey was distributed between June 10 and July 31 2020 via different SM platforms in the United Arab Emirates and other Arabic-speaking countries. Adults above 18 years of age who spoke Arabic or English were invited to complete the survey which covered multiple domains, use and practices related to social media platforms and mental health questions, including the WHO-5 Well-Being Index.Results: Out of 993 participants, 73% were females, 76% were non-Emirati, 91% were university graduates, and 50% were employed in various occupations, of which 20% were health care professionals. Participants indicated that they acquired COVID-19 related information primarily from social media and messaging applications of which WhatsApp was the most used. Most participants reported sharing information after verification. The mean well-being score was 12.6 ± 5.6, with 49% of participants reporting poor well-being (WHO-5 score < 12.5). Adjusted linear regression showed that Facebook usage was negatively associated with well-being scores. Additionally, high time use was associated with poorer well-being. When adjusting for other factors, including low confidence in information around COVID-19 and poor knowledge overall, SM usage was significantly associated with poorer well-being.Conclusion: The study sheds light on the use of SM during the pandemic and its impact on well-being throughout the novel coronavirus pandemic. Social media practices during emergencies and disasters may impact public well-being. Authorities are advised to step in to minimize the spread of misinformation and more frequent use of social media as it may influence well-being. Public health specialists, information technology and communication experts should collaborate to limit the infodemic effect on communities.Keywords: COVID-19, infodemic, social media, WHO-5 Well-Being Index, internet use, mental health

Farmers are the main actors in the agricultural sector production activities as well as part of the community whose welfare needs to be improved. With extension workers can help farmers in receiving all agricultural information that is developing effectively. Increasing extension programs in the development of farmer groups needs to be implemented in a participatory manner so that the principles of equality, transparency, responsibility, accountability and cooperation can become new changes in farmer empowerment. The extension worker decides to select and organize the message content and symbols used in the message. Extension techniques are selecting, arranging, simplifying, and presenting. Symbols that are easily observed and the most widely used are language. In its activities as an agent of change, it always provides directions that can raise awareness of agricultural business actors. The role of the extension worker as a facilitator, namely the role of the extension worker to create a conducive learning atmosphere for farmers, the indicators are: efforts to get farmers closer to information sources, provision of learning facilities, frequency interactions, and the methods used. The farmer group has several functions, namely as a learning class, a production unit and a vehicle for cooperation. In class learning, groups will have a close relationship and participate when planning, in implementing them, knowing the benefits and will be evaluated. Farmer groups are regulated in the Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture Number 82 of 2013 concerning Guidelines for the Development of Farmers' Groups and Farmer Group Associations which defines that "A farmer group is a group of farmers / ranchers / planters formed on the basis of common interests, equality of social, economic and natural environmental conditions., commodity commonality, and familiarity to improve and develop members' businesses. Within the farmer group, there are members of the farmer group who are referred to as the main actors and entrepreneurs.

Field experiments were conducted at two locations, Grdarasha Research Field Station, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, Salahaddin University – Erbil and Aquban special farm using randomized complete block design (RCBD) during two seasons 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 to study the effect of different plant densities and compost fertilizer of solid waste management and sorting of Akre district-Duhok province and NPK (20:20:20) fertilizer on growth and edible portion characteristics of Gundelia rosea. The results indicated that the plants of the two years age in the both locations produce the highest value of length, dimeter, fresh and dry weight of edible portion with space increasing between plants and rows. While, total fresh and dry weight increased with decreasing the distance between plants and rows. Compost and compost + NPK fertilizer significantly increasing all edible portion parameters in both locations. The interaction between density and fertilizer resulted that D5 and compost and compost +NPK treatment produce the maximum rate of length, dimeter, fresh and dry weight of edible portion, while D1 and compost and compost + NPK record the highest total fresh and dry weight production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty hybrids were developed from crossing four environmental genic male sterile (EGMS) lines with five testers in line × tester mating design to magnitude of heterosis over better parent for grain yield and contributing traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Five hybrids ‘WTSC9059’ × ‘Sakha101’, ‘WTSC9039’ × ‘Sakha102’, ‘WTSC9059’ × ‘Sakha108’, ‘WTSC9039’ × ‘Sakha108’ and ‘WTSC9039’ × ‘Sakha101’ express superior value for number of panicles, fertility percentage, 100-grain mass, grain yield, apparent heterosis and phenotypic acceptance. The top three heterotic combinations identified for grain yield/ha were ‘WTSC9059’ × ‘Sakha101’, ‘WTSC9039’ × ‘Sakha102’ and ‘Longping’ × ‘Sakha105’ which exhibited 100.00, 71.51 and 66.61 % heterobeltiosis, respectively. The lines ‘WTSC9059’ and ‘‘Longping’’ and testers ‘Sakha101’, ‘Sakha102’ and ‘Sakha108’ was found to be good general combiner for most of the characteristics and could be extensively used in future hybrid rice breeding program. The grain yield was correlated highly significant and positive with panicle exertion, panicle mass, fertility percentage and appearance of heterosis, otherwise the negative correlation and significant was found with flag leaf area.