Recent Articles

Diabetic macular edema (DME) has become one of the most potential complications that results in loss of vision in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Treatment outcomes that have been predicted directly with advent of machine learning (ML) methods after the initial anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injection, has become extremely vital in the management of DME. Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyze the efficiency of the ML regression models which were developed and validated to predict the possible post-injection central subfield thickness (CST) value and distant vision best corrected visual acuity (DV BCVA) in eyes with DME before the anti-VEGF injection is administered at either treatment initiation or during treatment monitoring. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in Medical Research Foundation, Chennai, India from January 2010 to December 2020. The model development emphasized on an ensemble ML system consisting of four ML models that were developed and trained independently using the clinical parameters to predict the post injection CST value. The dataset consisting of 906 patients with total of 1874 samples [Optical coherence tomography (OCT) images and clinical parameters] were divided into trained and test set, and the model was validated on test dataset. The predicted CST values was then compared against the respective sample’s post injection actual CST value. The comparative results were measured in terms of Correlation Coefficient and Mean Absolute Relative Error (MARE). Results: On evaluation, we found that Support Vector Regression (SVR) with linear kernel performed best among the other models with four different scenarios in term of both CST and DVBCVA prediction with correlation coefficient of 0.65, 0.73, 0.75, 0.85 and 0.83, 0.87, 0.89 and 0.92 respectively.

Paget’s bone disease (PBD) is a benign tumor of osteoclasts. We report a case of an isolated temporal bone’s Paget disease with unusual evolution to a rapidly functional degradation of vestibulocochlear system. A 60 years old female was admitted for an isolated, left sided mastoid tumefaction without any inflammatory signs. Initial temporal bone computed tomography (CT) showed a left cotton wool appearance without any ossicles lesion or vestibulocochlear extension. Anatomo pathological tests confirmed the diagnosis. The outcome was marked by the occurrence of vestibulocochlear symptoms. Treatment had consisted on subtotal surgery in combination with oral bisphosphonate with improvement of her clinical conditions. The post operative’s follow-up was simple without any abnormalities. PBD of temporal bone is a benign disorder. Imaging is considered the most useful diagnosis modality for revealing the disorder that will be confirmed by histological tests. The treatment is based on medical approaches and surgery has few indications.

Blumea lacera (Burn. f.) DC. (Family: Asteraceae) is an important member of Bangladeshi natural plant resource and it is an herbaceous weed locally known as Kukursunga. Different parts of this plant are used traditionally to cure various diseases. But detail study on the antioxidant and antineoplastic potentials of Blumea lacera leaves, has not yet been done. Aim of this study is to examine the antioxidant and antineoplastic properties and quantify the different type of phytochemical content of the methanolic extract of leaves of Blumea lacera (MELB). MELB contained a rich polyphenol, flavonol, flavonoid and proanthocyanidins. MELB showed moderate cytotoxic effect against Artemia salina (brine shrimp nauplii) where its LD50 values was 66.12 μg/ml. In vitro antioxidant assay, MELB exhibited a remarkable capacity to scavenge the tested reactive species. MELB scavenged DPPH with an IC50 of 33.64 μg/mL and 42.69 μg/mL, respectively. In vivo antineoplastic assay, MELB significantly (P

Introduction: Obesity is a multifactorial condition influenced by environment and genetic factors. Controlling appetite and satiety involves complex interactions between the hypothalamus, which is responsible for homeostasis regulation energy, and hormones that regulate appetite including leptin and ghrelin. Leptin plays an important role in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure, generating an increase in energy burning and decreasing food intake. And ghrelin is directly involved in the regulation of short-term energy balance. Objectives: To verify frequency, biochemical profile and Body Mass Index (BMI) variations according to SNPs in LEPR and GHRL gene. Subjects and Methods: 163 both genders subjects were classified into Study Group (SG): 103 subjects with obesity; Control Group (CG): 60 non-obese. Blood samples were collected to perform DNA extraction and biochemical profile analysis. Statistical significance was established at p < 0.05. Results: The genotype and allele frequency were similar between groups for both polymorphisms. The _/A genotype of the GHRL rs696217 polymorphism was associated to increased BMI in SG compared CG (p = 0.003) and increased triglycerides (TG) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDLc) values in CG (p < 0, 05). The _/A genotype was also associated with increased fasting glucose compared to CC genotype only in CG (p = 0.031). Considering the LEPR rs1137101 polymorphism, AA genotype subjects presented higher BMI compared to _/G genotype subjects (p = 0.024). No difference between biochemical profile variables related to LEPR rs1137101 polymorphism was found. Conclusion: AA genotypes of the LEPR rs1137101 polymorphism and _/A of the GHRL rs696217 polymorphism suggest being risk factors for BMI and the latter is associated with fasting glucose, VLDLc and TG variation.

Purpose: We aimed to create mechanic optic nerve injury model in rats and investigate the neuroprotective effects of ripasudil on retinal ganglion cells. Study Design: Experimental study Methods: Mechanic optic nerve injury model was created in the right eyes of male Wistar rats (n=15). Rats were divided into three groups: glaucoma model with sham treatment (group1) and 20 µM intravitreal ripasudil treatment (group 2) and 50 µM intravitreal ripasudil treatment (group 3). Treatment was applied intravitreally and rats were sacrificed at the end of 4 weeks. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), Brn-3a antibody,anti- Iba1 was examined by immunohistochemistry. Results: The number of Brn-3a positive RGC in the mechanical optic nerve injury model was 5.33 ± 2.08 (min: 3, max: 7) in sham group, 10.25 ± 2.63 (min: 8, max: 14) in 20 µM group and 16.75 ± 5.43 (min:9, max: 21) in 50 µM group (p

Several viruses are often believed to be associated with acquired aplastic anemia. There is paucity of literature proving the association between viruses and aplastic anemia. We aimed to study the association of aplastic anemia with Human Parvovirus B19 (B19V), Epstein Barr virus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Hepatitis viruses, Measles virus (MV), Varicella Zoster virus (VZV) and Adenovirus (AdV). Between January 2020 to December 2020, confirmed cases of aplastic anemia and age and sex matched controls of iron deficiency anemia were enrolled in the study. They were tested for the above- mentioned viruses for antigen and/or IgM antibody by ELISA and/or nucleic acid by Real Time PCR in serum samples. Relevant history was collected. Cases were followed up at 3, 6 and 12 months after enrollment for recording the outcome. Total 68 cases and 34 controls were included in the study of which 61(89.70%) cases and 12(38.23%) controls were positive for markers of at-least one of the 10 viruses studied. B19V, EBV, CMV and Hepatitis B virus were found to be significantly associated with aplastic anemia. Five patients died within 12 months. Mortality was not associated with viral infections. Viral infections may play a role in pathogenesis of acquired aplastic anemia.

Early blight is one of the major diseases of tomatoes that affects the leaves and fruit quality. Detection and estimation of the disease severity are performed using the visual observation method. Visual detection requires significant time for visual inspection of a large cultivated area. Thus, image processing techniques have proven to be an effective method as compared to visual analysis. In this study, digital image processing methods and techniques were used to detect early blight of tomato, estimate the disease severity, and classify tomato leaves. Totally, 198 infected plants were randomly taken from the Haramaya University research site "Raree" at four different times. Diseased potato leaf images were captured, resized, and stored for experimentation. The stored images were processed using median filtering to remove noise while preserving useful features in an image and image enhancement. The RGB images were transformed to gray scale and CIELAB color space, and the k-means clustering was applied to estimate the disease severity of the potato leaves, and Otsu’s thresholding algorithm was applied to estimate the disease severity of both the detached and live leaves. MATLAB algorithms will be developed to determine the total area and infected lesion area of the leaf samples.

The any field of science they have many different techniques method for examine the substance. There have been several major advances in the use of Raman spectroscopy instruments. This method is now a full established method along with, infrared spectroscopy. The process ultimately led to its entry into the forensic science laboratory, and to simplify the process, this article introduces a comprehensive review of Raman spectroscopy; emphasizes how and why this less commonly used method can be a very useful tool for analysing a various evidence. The concepts and principle of Raman spectroscopy are described in two categories the first categories of this article which includes theory, instrumentation, and spectrum data obtained using infrared and Raman techniques for numerous analyse and the Second categories discusses forensic applications of Raman spectroscopy to examine various types of evidence and substance. In this article we study how to examine forensic evidences by using the Raman spectroscopy and make review report on it.

Introduction: The use of anti-retroviral drugs slows down disease progression in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and this has improved the quality of life and life expectancy of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). However, optimum use of antiretroviral drugs (adherence) by PLWHA is the key to achieving viral load suppression and preventing drug resistance in them. Objective: This study determined the level of adherence to Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) among PLWHA in Ekiti State. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 320 PLWHA in Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti and 300 PLWHA in Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti aged 18 years and above using ARV for at least six months prior to the study. Quantitative data were collected from the participants using a structured questionnaire while sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted among purposively selected PLWHA in both study centres to further elicit qualitative information on determinants of adherence. Quantitative data were analyzed with SPSS 22 using descriptive statistics while content analysis was used for qualitative data. Regression analysis was done to identify determinants of adherence at p value < 0.05. Results: About 60% of the PLWHA had high level of ART adherence while 18.9% had low adherence. Most of the respondents were female (66.0%), married (76.1%) and Christians (89.4%) and had post-secondary education (43.4%). Respondents’ age (X2=32.483), educational status (X2=2.473), marital status (X2=40.083), occupation (X2=57.951) and distance from the clinic (X2=13.181) significantly influenced the level of adherence. Patient factors such as forget timing of the medication, pill burden and feeling better, psychosocial factors like stigmatization, non-disclosure of status and depression; and healthcare factors such as long clinic waiting time and absence of support are some of the barriers to optimum ART adherence. Conclusion: Counseling on drug adherence and psycho-social support to PLWHA will further improve their level of adherence to medication.

The study was conducted from September 2020 to June 2021 to assess the bacteriological quality of raw bulk milk from urban and rural local market sites in Borana pastoral area of Oromia Regional State, Southern Ethiopia. A total of 78 milk samples were collected and analyzed for bacterial load using standard plate count and coliform count techniques and isolation of pathogenic bacteria was conducted. The total mean aerobic bacterial counts of raw bulk milk samples of camel, cow and goat were 8.51 log cfu/ml, 8.73 log cfu/ml and 8.54 log cfu/ml respectively. Regarding the location of milk market sites, the mean total aerobic bacterial count was 8.72 log cfu/ml and 8.49 log cfu/ml in urban and rural milk market sites respectively. The total mean coliform counts of raw bulk milk samples of camel, cow and goat were 6.51log cfu/ml, 6.55 log cfu/ml and 6.47 log cfu/ml respectively. Regarding the location of milk market sites the total mean coliform counts was 6.63 log cfu/ml and 6.40log cfu/ml from urban and rural milk market sites respectively. Comparing the mean differences of the total mean aerobic and coliform bacterial counts, there was no significant mean differences (p>0.05) among the animal milk samples. However, there was significant mean differences (p

Marine organisms, scientists, governmental and non-governmental organizations face a significant challenge as a result of the ubiquitousness of plastic and microplastics in the aquatic environment, particularly in Nigeria where there is little or no policy put in place to address the issue of microplastic pollution. Nigeria ranks ninth globally in terms of its contribution to ocean plastic pollution and currently does not have a federal ban on the majority of single-use plastics and equipment. This paper aimed to present the status of plastic pollution in Nigeria and some policies to curb the menace. Data analysis reveals that Bayesa, Katsina, Lagos, and Oyo are the four states that generate the majority of the plastic waste in Nigeria. The number of industries, markets, and urbanization in a location affect the quantity of plastic waste that is produced there and is not dependent on the population. This paper makes some policy suggestions and recommendations such as the federal prohibition and taxation on the use of plastic, ocean clean-up, technological innovation that will support the recycling industry in Nigeria, and the need for additional plastic research. Nigeria can apply the most recent plastic waste management strategies in European and Asian nations as a model and adopt them to reduce marine plastic pollution.

Enteric fever is a common infection of tropical countries that can have a variety of neurological complications. Reported neurological complications are encephalopathy, eningism, spastic paralysis-cerebral origin, convulsions, meningitis, parkinsonian syndrome, sensory motor neuropathy, cerebellar involvement, and schizophrenic psychosis. The patient, who was diagnosed with enteric fever and started treatment, developed headache and blurred vision 5 days after the treatment. Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis secondary to enteric fever and related pseudotumor cerebri were detected in the patient. When additional symptoms develop despite treatment in patients with enteric fever, complications such as thrombosis and pseudotumor cerebri should be considered.

Background: Pneumothorax is potentially a life-threatening condition in neonates with little compensatory pulmonary reserve. Hemodynamically significant pneumothorax requires drainage with large-bore chest tubes, and more recently with small-calibre percutaneous pigtail catheters. This study aims to explicate the effectiveness and safety of both the drainage systems exploring ease of insertion, rates of air-leak resolution, recurrence rates as well as potential procedural complications. Methods: This was a retrospective observational audit reviewing medical records of newborns with symptomatic pneumothorax admitted to tertiary neonatal intensive care unit over 4-year duration, and treated with either chest tube or pigtail catheters as the initial treatment approach. Demographic data, details related to pneumothorax, drain related parameters as well as outcome and efficacy parameters were compared among these two methods of intervention. Results: Out of 51 drainage procedures, 27 infants underwent pigtail insertion compared to 24 infants requiring chest tube thoracostomy. Baseline demographic data, time for radiological clearance and resolution of air leak, duration of drain in-situ, recurrence and complication rate, as well as hospitalisation duration were comparable among the two groups. Group of infants who underwent pigtail insertion required significantly less sedation (51.9% vs 83.3%; p=0.021) and invasive ventilation (63% vs 95.8%; p=0.011) than chest tube insertion. Significantly smaller calibre (8.22±1.6Fr vs 9.08±1.44Fr; p

Background: Limited data on large cohort of patients with malignant tumors of the scalp are available in the literature. The aim of this study was to review a large cohort of patients with malignant scalp tumors to determine epidemilogy, tumor characteristics of this region and treatment. Materials and Method: A retrospective review of patients with malignant scalp tumors diagnosed histopathologically between 2005 and 2021 was performed. Demographic features and tumor characteristics were analyzed. Results: A total of 1080 patients (M: F 3,5:1) were treated and followed up for a mean period of 42 months (12-120 months). Age at diagnosis ranged from 12 to 98 years. Most malignant scalp tumors (95,1%) occurred in those 50 years or older and in bald patients (87%). Basal cell carcinomas (59,2%), squamous cell carcinomas (32,2%) and melanomas were the most common histologic types. Incidence was highest on the frontal of temporal region (66,1%). Recurrence was frequently in squamous and basal cell carcinomas but uncommon in melanoma. Conclusions: Tumors of the scalp accounted about 8,01 % of all skin cancers. Tend to be basal and squamous cell carcinomas, many of which occur in the temporal and frontal region of bald men. The outlook for patients with scalp tumor is positive, although we suggest excision margins of at least 3-4 mm and continued clinical vigilance is warranted given their higher recurrence rates.

Objectives: Recent studies have shown that exercise by affecting bones causes the release of hormones that are effective in regulating blood glucose, lipid profile and preventing vascular calcification. The present study aims to Comparison effect of aerobic and resistance exercises on Osteocalcin and Metabolic Profils in Overweight men. Methods: total of 33 overweight healthy men (BMI 29 = 67.96 ± 0.96 and age 33.2 ± 2.23) were randomly assigned into three groups: control (n = 11), aerobic (n = 11) and resistance exercise (n = 11) groups. The training program was conducted for 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week for the training groups. Body compositions parameters (weight, body fat percent, BMI) were analyzed, osteocalcin and blood biochemical parameters were assessed from fasting blood samples before and after 8-week exercise programme. Results: Body fat, BMI and body weight reduction following exercise (P

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disorder caused by genetic mutations encoding the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. Elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ELX/TEZ/IVA) is a CFTR modulator shown to improve lung function in certain patients with CF. We undertook this study to determine its effects on glycemic outcomes in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD). We reviewed the medical records and identified two subjects, referred to as subject A and subject B, with CFRD on insulin therapy at Duke University Hospital between 2019-2020 who were on treatment with ELX/TEZ/IVA for at least one year. The mean hgbA1C pre- and post- treatment was 5.65% (5.6-5.7) and 5.05% (5.0-5.1) respectively with a mean reduction of 0.6% (p value 0.01). Improvement in hgbA1C occurred in the absence of increased insulin requirements, subject B remained on a similar insulin regimen whereas subject A was able to come off insulin completely. In addition, improvements in BMI z-score were seen in both groups with a mean BMI z-score of -0.30 pre-treatment (-0.71-0.11) and z-score of +0.28 post-treatment (0.11-0.45).