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Background Graves’ disease (GD) is an autoimmune thyroid condition that causes hyperthyroidism in children and adolescents through stimulation by thyroid receptor antibodies. Objective The aim of this study is to determine the characteristics of Graves’ disease in children and adolescents in Medina, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with comparison to those seen in other countries. Methods This is a retrospective chart review of children and adolescents diagnosed with Graves’ disease between January 2010 and May 2021. Results Fifty-eight patients aged 12. 02 ± 4.85 years were identified, of which 44 (75.9%) were females. Exophthalmos (63.8%), neck swelling (60.3%), palpitation (46.6%), and tremors (29.3%) were the most common presenting manifestations. Vitiligo and alopecia were the only autoimmune diseases seen in our patients with (1.72%) each. One (1.72%) patient was treated with radioactive iodine, 54 (93.1%) received carbimazole, and 6 (10.3%) underwent thyroidectomy. Conclusion In our study we found that Graves’ disease is more common in females. Neck swelling, palpitation, and tremor were the main manifestations. Compared with other countries, there was a higher frequency of exophthalmos and lower frequencies of associated autoimmune conditions. The primary treatment was antithyroid medication, whereas thyroidectomy and radioiodine were used less frequently. Presentation: No date and time listed

Hussein M Ismail,1,2 Abeer S Algrafi,2 Osama Amoudi,3 Sameh Ahmed,4 Sultan S Al-Thagfan,5 Hassan Shora,6 Mohammed Aljohani,7 Mohammed Almutairi,7 Fahad Alharbi,7 Abdullah Alhejaili,7 Majed Alamri,7 Abdullah Muhawish,7 Ayat Abdallah8,9 1Department of cardiology, College of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt; 2Department of medicine, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawara, Saudi Arabia; 3Madinah Cardiac Center, Adult cardiology, Al-Madinah Al-Munawara, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawara, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawara, Saudi Arabia; 6Department of molecular biology/biochemistry, Port Said University, Port Said, Egypt; 7Medical intern, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawara, Saudi Arabia; 8Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Department, National Liver Institute, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt; 9Department of Family and Community Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawara, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Hussein M IsmailDepartment of Cardiology, College of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, EgyptEmail husseinismail@med.suez.edu.eg; drhussein72@gmail.comBackground: Vitamin D deficiency is considered an emerging health problem that affects at least one billion patients worldwide. Calcitriol 1,25(OH)2D3 has several systemic effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic and anti-atherosclerotic impacts that explain its cardioprotective effects. The precise association between vitamin D and its metabolites and the value of supplements in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is still controversial. This study aims to search the association between vitamin D2, D3, and metabolites and ACS in patients undergoing coronary angiography.Materials and Methods: This was a case–control study on 73 consecutive adult patients with ACS undergoing coronary angiography compared to 50 controls without coronary artery disease and matched for age and sex from June 2019 till July 2019. Echocardiography and coronary angiography were done for all cases. Plasma vitamin D and its metabolites were measured at admission for all participants along with chemistry profiles.Results: Vitamin D and its metabolites were statistically significantly lower in ACS patients than the controls. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) significantly predicted ACS occurrence; the other significant predictors were high systolic blood pressure (BP), high total cholesterol, and low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Interestingly, vitamin D2 and D3 did not significantly predict ACS (p> 0.05). We did not find a statistically significant association between the number of affected coronary vessels and vitamin D metabolites. Moreover, there was no statistically significant correlation between vitamin D and its metabolites and left ventricular ejection fraction measured by echocardiography.Conclusion: There was a strong association between vitamin D and all its metabolites with ACS. Significantly, low 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D predicted ACS, but vitamin D2 and D3 did not. Large randomized controlled trials are needed to verify the beneficial values of vitamin D supplementation in ACS patients.Keywords: vitamin D3, vitamin D2, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, acute coronary syndrome, coronary artery disease

"This study was conducted to determine the effect of gypsum content and depth of water head on displacement and transport of nitrate in gypsiferous soil under unsaturated flow conditions. Also, to predict the concentration of nitrate using convection dispersion model (CDE). Soil columns with 63, 97, 142, 180, and 236 g kg-1 of gypsum were prepared. 200 mg L-1 of potassium nitrate were added to the surface of each soil column. The soil columns were leached by intermittent ponding in 2 pore volumes of water. A constant head depth of 0.005, 0.01, and 0.015 m of water was kept on the top of soil column. Samples of effluent were collected for measuring nitrate concentration. The CDE model was analyzed to estimate the best fitting between measured and predicted nitrate concentration, and to calculate dispersion coefficient (D), the retardation factor (R), and Peclet number (P). Results showed that CDE can be used to predict nitrate concentration in soil. Good fit was observed to describe breakthrough curves (BTC's), and predict the transport of nitrates in the leachate of gypsum soil columns. D values increased with the increase in the content of soil gypsum and decrease with increase the water head. Its values ranged between 6.59-9.87 m 2h-1. P and pore water velocity (v) decreased with the increase in soil gypsum content. The R values were less than 1 for all treatments"

A laboratory experiment was conducted in the Department of Soil Sciences and Water Resources, College of Agriculture/Tikrit University for the year 2019 for the purpose of studying the effect of the source and level of organic matter and the level of added phosphorous on the level of phosphorous forms and humic acids in gypsum soil. A factorial experiment was conducted with three factors: The first factor: the type of organic matter (sheep manure and compost), the second factor: the level of organic matter as follows (0.5, 1.0, 1.5)% of the weight of the soil, and the third factor: it included phosphorous levels (0, 40, 80, 120) mg kg −1. The experiment was carried out in a complete randomization design (RCD) with three replications. To reach the field capacity to maintain the humidity of the experimental units, after the end of the incubation period (two months), the samples were air-dried, ground and passed through a sieve with holes (2) mm in diameter, then humic and fulvic acids, soluble, ready-made and organic acids were measured. With water and phosphorous prepared and organic by increasing the level of organic matter added, 1.5% was the best. It was also noted that the best level of phosphorous for the above indicators was the level (120) mg kg−1 compared to the rest of the levels, and that sheep manure outperformed the organic fertilizer in all the studied traits. Interventional treatment of 1.5% of the residual organic matter at a level of (120) mg kg−1 gave the highest significant effect, and the concentrations of humic and fulvic acid were (8.35 and 2.95) g kg−1 respectively. The treatment gave 1.5% organic matter for sheep manure and (120) mg kg−1 which is the highest value in the amount of water-soluble, ready-made and organic phosphorus with an average of (13.80, 71.35 and 167.44) mg kg−1 respectively.

The maize transposable element Ag. was introduced into soybean plants using Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-DNA. Cotyledons were inoculated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain A281 harboring the binary vectors PZAC1 and PZAC1/R [containing the NPTII (neomycin phosphotransferase II) gene, ^-Glucuronidase gene, and the Ac. maize transposable element]. The method of transformation does not require intermediate callus formation steps; instead, it involves inoculation of the embryo axis at the point of attachment to the cotyledons. Multiple shoots were produced from this region. Identification of RO plants carrying the Ag. element was done by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification of an internal fragment of the As. sequence. The PCR assay indicated the presence of the As element in the soybean RO genome. Southern blot analysis of the genomic DNA isolated from R1 plants indicated integration and sexual transmission of the whole transferred DNA (NPTII, 35S promoter, A£ element, Nos-P, Nos-T, and GUS gene) into the soybean genome. The frequency of transformation was 24% (with PZAC1), and 10% (with PZAC1/R) of the regenerated plants that survived several cycles of kanamycin selection. Based on GUS assays, the Aq. element was found to be relatively active in some of the soybean R1 plants. Blue sectors were detected in two individually transformed plants. Detection of GUS activity in some of the leaf 8 tissue of the R1 transgenic plants indicated excision of the As. element from the untranslated leader sequence of the GUS gene. The As. element followed a Mendelian pattern of inheritance, segregating in a 3:1 ratio in R1 progeny.

Gypsiferous soils in Iraq are suffering from low fertility due to low levels of organic matter and limited availability of nutrients especially phosphorus (P). Therefore, two experiments were conducted to study the impact of combination of low cost phosphate rock (PR) and organic materials (OM) on soil organic carbon (SOC) and P status. The first experiment was an incubation experiment which was conducted to determine level of organic carbon (OC) required for the second experiment, this experiment was consisted of two factors the first was level of OC (as sheep manure) applied at nine levels viz: 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, 0.5, 0.55, and 0.60% of soil weight, the second factor was level of PR (0, 20, 40, and 60 mg P kg-1 soil). The second experiment was a greenhouse pot experiment with two factors, the first was P source [Triple Super Phosphate (TSP), PR, PR+ Peat, and PR+ Manure), the second factor was P level (0, 30, 60, and 90 mg P kg-1 soil). Wheat (Triticum aestivum) was grown in the second experiment. Results from incubation experiment showed that increasing OC application increased available P (Avail. P) and Water Soluble P (WSP) as expressed by power and exponential models, respectively. Available P was also increased linearly by increasing P level in soil (incubation experiment). Results of pot experiment revealed that the fourth treatment (PR+manure) was significantly superior over other treatments in increasing root weight, organic P (OP), and Avail. P, while the third treatment (PR+Peat) was significantly superior over other treatments in increasing SOC.