CSDNet: A Novel Deep Learning Framework for Improved Cataract State Detection.

Cataracts, known for lens clouding and being a common cause of visual impairment, persist as a primary contributor to vision loss and blindness, presenting notable diagnostic and prognostic challenges. This work presents a novel framework called the Cataract States Detection Network (CSDNet), which utilizes deep learning methods to improve the detection of cataract states. The aim is to create a framework that is more lightweight and adaptable for use in environments or devices with limited memory or storage capacity. This involves reducing the number of trainable parameters while still allowing for effective learning of representations from data. Additionally, the framework is designed to be suitable for real-time or near-real-time applications where rapid inference is essential. This study utilizes cataract and normal images from the Ocular Disease Intelligent Recognition (ODIR) database. The suggested model employs smaller kernels, fewer training parameters, and layers to efficiently decrease the number of trainable parameters, thereby lowering computational costs and average running time compared to other pre-trained models such as VGG19, ResNet50, DenseNet201, MIRNet, Inception V3, Xception, and Efficient net B0. The experimental results illustrate that the proposed approach achieves a binary classification accuracy of 97.24% (normal or cataract) and an average cataract state detection accuracy of 98.17% (normal, grade 1-minimal cloudiness, grade 2-immature cataract, grade 3-mature cataract, and grade 4-hyper mature cataract), competing with state-of-the-art cataract detection methods. The resulting model is lightweight at 17 MB and has fewer trainable parameters (175, 617), making it suitable for deployment in environments or devices with constrained memory or storage capacity. With a runtime of 212 ms, it is well-suited for real-time or near-real-time applications requiring rapid inference.

Microenvironment created by Plantago lagopus L. may affect cover and diversity of coexisting species in urban vegetation.

Some plant species may exhibit new microenvironments which lead to significant changes in the cover and diversity of the coexisting species. In this investigation, we evaluated the effects of Plantago lagopus L. on the cover and diversity of the associated plant species in the urban vegetation. A total of 70 plots were conducted in sites with- and without this species in urban gardens. Cover of the associated species and different diversity indices including species richness, Shannon-Wiener, evenness, and Simpson indices were measured. The allelopathic potential of P. lagopus was verified using its rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils on two target species existing within the same environment. Some soil criteria and seed sizes of the associated species were also determined. Most of the coexisting weeds were reduced in terms of their cover in plots with Plantago. The reduction of plant diversity depended on its cover. Besides, the aboveground biomass was reduced in sites comprising Plantago. The degree of inhibition was not related to the seed size of the species found. This species reduced the incident solar radiation and the local temperature over the soil surface. The locations exhibiting such species contained lower contents of available potassium and zinc. Rhizosphere soil of P. lagopus substantially inhibited germination and growth of Amaranthus viridis, but it didn't do so for Medicago lupulina. Reduction in cover, diversity, and biomass of the urban weeds associated with P. lagopus may be related to the reduction of received solar radiation, soil temperature, and nutrient availability. The allelopathic potential of P. lagopus may have a partial role in this reduction. These results suggest that P. lagopus may create a microenvironment of new conditions not favorable for most of the coexisting species.

Improved vaccination coverage after two rounds of multi-antigenic catch-up vaccination in Mauritania.

Although Mauritania carried out its Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), in 2015 the goal of vaccination coverage (VC) remained unmet in Bassikounou district and Mbera camp, contexts with large migrant populations. In response, during 2018, the national authorities, together with Médecins Sans Frontières organised two rounds of multi-antigenic mass vaccination campaigns (2RMASVC). The campaigns included oral polio (OPV), pneumococcal (PCV13), pentavalent and rotavirus vaccines for all eligible children six weeks to 59 months old. This study describes the results of the 2RMASVC. Cross-sectional household VC surveys (VCS1 and VCS2) were conducted before and after the 2RMASVC. Data were collected on vaccination status according to self-reporting and vaccination cards, and on reasons for non-vaccination (RNV). In total, 4,569 children received at least one dose of vaccine in the first round and 5,602 children in the second. Baseline VC, as fully vaccinated, according to VCS1, was 59.9% of children 12 to 59 months in Bassikounou district and 65.8% in Mbera camp. After the 2RMASVC, the coverages increased to 84.7% and 75.9% respectively. Absence from home, lack of motivation, late initiation of vaccinations and lack of awareness about vaccination were the main RNV during the 2RMASVC. Although the 2RMASVC did not reach its goal of 90%-95% VC, the strategy significantly increased VC in the two settings for children aged 12 to 59 months. Therefore, this catch-up approach could be considered to improve VC of children who miss out of the EPI strategy in resource-limited settings.

The mind-skin connection: A narrative review exploring the link between inflammatory skin diseases and psychological stress.

Inflammatory skin diseases are known to negatively impact patient psychology, with individuals experiencing higher rates of stress and subsequent diminished quality of life, as well as mental health issues including anxiety and depression. Moreover, increased psychological stress has been found to exacerbate existing inflammatory skin diseases. The association between inflammatory skin diseases and psychological stress is a timely topic, and a framework to better understand the relationship between the two that integrates available literature is needed. In this narrative review article, we discuss potential neurobiological mechanisms behind psychological stress due to inflammatory skin diseases, focusing mainly on proinflammatory cytokines in the circulating system (the brain-gut-skin communications) and the default mode network in the brain. We also discuss potential descending pathways from the brain that lead to aggravation of inflammatory skin diseases due to psychological stress, including the central and peripheral hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axes, peripheral nerves and the skin barrier function.

Atorvastatin as an Antihypertensive Agent: A Pilot Study.

Objective Hypertension (HTN) is among the most common causes of chronic disease burden, along with dyslipidemia. It is a prominent risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality. More often than not, HTN coexists with dyslipidemia. This study aimed to see the antihypertensive effect of statins (atorvastatin), as certain animal models have shown that statins have a voltage-gated calcium channel-blocking effect. Material and methods This was a randomized controlled trial done at the Ayub Hospital Complex in Abbottabad, Pakistan. After ethical approval, 120 patients with newly diagnosed hypertension belonging to either gender and aged 35 and above were enrolled in the trial. They were randomly divided into two groups, with each group comprising 60 patients. One group was administered amlodipine 5 mg per oral (PO) once a day, while the other group was given 5 mg of amlodipine PO plus 10 mg of atorvastatin PO. The patients were examined on a follow-up visit 14 days later, and blood pressure was recorded as per protocols. Results A total of 120 newly diagnosed patients were studied in this trial. The mean age was 51.07 years, with a standard deviation of ±6.15 years and a range of 41-60 years. There were 64 (53.3%) males and 56 (46.7%) females in the study. The mean systolic blood pressures (SBPs) and diastolic blood pressures (DBPs) in Group 2 (amlodipine 5 mg + atorvastatin 10 mg) were significantly lower than the patients in Group 1 (only amlodipine 5 mg) in the follow-up visit, which was 14 days after starting the medication (p≤0.05). Conclusion The addition of a lipid-lowering drug to an antihypertensive regimen results in a better lowering of blood pressure in hypertensive individuals.

Dense Cover, but Not Allelopathic Potential, of Naturalized Alien Cenchrus echinatus L. Threatens the Native Species in Urban Vegetation.

Exotic plants usually exhibit problems for native species where they coexist. This study evaluated the effect of naturalized alien Cenchrus echinatus L. on native plants in urban vegetation. A field trial was conducted to assess the effect of this species on the cover and diversity of the native vegetation. The allelopathic potential of such species was examined. Sites comprising C. echinatus had a lower cover than some native species. Lower floristic diversity was observed at higher densities of this plant. The soil under this plant attained lower N, P, and K contents. This soil had no effect on the germination and growth of native species. It also comprised germinable seeds of some species which were absent from the standing vegetation. Exotic C. echinatus may exert negative effects on the native vegetation of the urban plant communities. A dense cover of this species may inhibit the germination of native species, leading to a reduction in their cover. Reduction in cover and diversity of native species may not be attributed to allelopathy. These results suggest that naturalized C. echinatus may be more competitive than the native ones, particularly at higher densities. Furthermore, it may represent a threat to the native plants in the urban vegetation.

Extraction of rare earth elements from monazite leach liquor using functionalized chitosan sorbents derived from shrimp waste.

With the growing need for high-purity rare-earth elements (REEs), the separation of these REEs has received much attention recently. The objective of this research is to produce chitosan from shrimp waste, then modify it with different functionality, and investigate the adsorption properties of chitosan adsorbents towards La(III) ions. First, from shrimp waste, chitosan (ch) with a significant degree of deacetylation, purity, and solubility was produced. The purified chitosan was cross-linked with epichlorohydrin (ep), and then, it was modified with 3,6,9,12-tetraazatetradecane-1,14-diamine (HA) to produce polyaminated chitosan (HA@ep@Ch). The polycarboxylated/imine chitosan (CM@HA@ep@Ch) was obtained by treating polyaminated chitosan with chloroacetic acid in isopropyl alcohol. The chitosan adsorbents were characterized and applied for lanthanum recovery from synthetic and monazite leach liquor samples. The factors controlling the recovery process were studied and discussed. The performance of the adsorbents was achieved through equilibrium, dynamic, and isothermal studies. HA@ep@Ch and CM@HA@ep@Ch showed good performance for lanthanum recovery with a maximum capacity of 114.52 and 141.76 mg/g at 330 K, respectively. The isotherm parameters refer to the monolayer of lanthanum adsorbed into the adsorbents through chelation and ion exchange mechanisms. A 0.5-M HCl solution was found effective to elute 95.8% of the adsorbed lanthanum on HA@ep@Ch, and 93.4% of the adsorbed lanthanum on CM@HA@ep@Ch. The adsorbents showed greater selectivity in extracting La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Sm (62-75%) from REE leach liquid compared to extracting other REEs (20-41%).

High-efficiency recovery of cerium ions from monazite leach liquor by polyamines and polycarboxylates chitosan sorbents prepared from marine industrial wastes.

Rare earth elements have received a lot of attention in recent years due to their increasing demand in high-tech industries. Cerium is of current interest and is commonly used in different industries and medical applications. Cerium's uses are expanding due to its superior chemical characteristics over other metals. In this study, different functionalized chitosan macromolecule sorbents were developed from shrimp waste for cerium recovery from a leached monazite liquor. The process involves demineralization, deproteinization, deacetylation, and chemical modification steps. A new class of two-multi-dentate nitrogen and nitrogen­oxygen donor ligand-based macromolecule biosorbents was synthesized and characterized for cerium biosorption. The crosslinked chitosan/epichlorohydrin, chitosan/polyamines, and chitosan/polycarboxylate biosorbents have been produced from marine industrial waste (shrimp waste) using a chemical modification approach. The produced biosorbents were used to recover cerium ions from aqueous mediums. The affinity of the adsorbents towards cerium was tested in batch systems under different experimental conditions. The biosorbents showed high affinities for cerium ions. The percentage of cerium ions removed (%) from its aqueous system by polyamines and polycarboxylate chitosan sorbents is 85.73 and 90.92 %, respectively. The results indicated that the biosorbents have a high biosorption capacity for cerium ions from aqueous and leach liquor streams.

Heteroblastic Inflorescence of Lamium amplexicaule L. in Egyptian Flora.

Lamium amplexicaule L. (Family: Lamiaceae) is a cosmopolitan weed whose eradication is challenging. The phenoplasticity of this species is related to its heteroblastic inflorescence, which has not received adequate research worldwide in its morphological and genetic aspects. This inflorescence hosts two flower types, a cleistogamous (CL: closed flower) and a chasmogamous (CH: opened flower). This species subjected to detailed investigation is a model species to clarify: (1) the existence of the CL and CH flowers in relation to the time and individual plants. (2) the predominant flower morphs in Egypt. (3) the morphological and genetic variability between these morphs. Among the novel data retrieved from this work is the Presence of this species in three distinct morphs coexisting during winter. These morphs showed remarkable phenoplasticity, particularly in flower organs. Significant differences were observed between the three morphs in pollen fertility, nutlets productivity and sculpture, flowering time, and seed viability. These differences were extended to the genetic profile of these three morphs assessed by the inter simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) and start codon targeted (SCoT). This work highlights the urgent need to study the heteroblastic inflorescence of crop weeds to facilitate its eradication.

Staged Percutaneous Management of Pulmonary Atresia and Intact Interventricular Septum: Stretching the Limits.

Aims: Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS) can be treated by catheter-based interventions and complemented by various surgical procedures. We aim to determine a long-term treatment strategy to enable patients to be surgery free, depending solely on percutaneous interventions. Methods and Results: We selected five patients from among a cohort of patients with PA/IVS treated at birth with radiofrequency perforation and dilatation of the pulmonary valve. Patients had reached a pulmonary valve annulus of 20 mm or larger on their biannual echocardiographic follow-up, with right ventricular dilatation. The findings, together with the right ventricular outflow tract and pulmonary arterial tree, were confirmed by multislice computerised tomography. Based on the angiographic size of the pulmonary valve annulus, all patients were successfully implanted with either Melody® or Edwards® pulmonary valves percutaneously, regardless of their small weights and ages. No complications were encountered. Conclusion: We managed to stretch the age and weight limitations for performing percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI): interventions were attempted whenever a pulmonary annulus size of >20 mm was reached, which was rationalised by the prevention of progressive right ventricular outflow tract dilatation and accommodating valves between 24 and 26 mm, which is enough to sustain a normal pulmonary flow in adulthood.

Electro-analytical sensing of anti-hypotensive agents: application to dosage forms and human urine.

A new and valid method was developed for the quantitative voltammetric analysis of midodrine hydrochloride (MID) in pharmaceutical tablets (Midodrine) and biological samples. The method is based on electro-oxidation of MID supported by both disposable pencil electrode (PE) and glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The analysis was carried out using cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and square wave voltammetry (SWV) techniques. The proposed analytical method was validated according to ICH guidelines. MID was successively assayed at concentration ranges of 1.15-6.55 and 0.58-3.05 µg mL-1 at PE. Also, MID was successively assayed at concentration ranges of 1.15-5.28 and 2.86-27.6 µg mL-1 at GCE for DPV and SWV methods, respectively. The proposed method was successfully used for the analysis of MID in its dosage form and human urine with good recoveries of 99.66 ± 0.33, 99.8 ± 0.45 at PE and 99.8 ± 0.25, 98.7 ± 1.27 at GCE for the DPV and SWV methods, respectively. The suggested method could be applied to the studied drug in the quality control lab as well as in its pharmacokinetic studies.

Empowerment Predicting Nurses' Work Motivation and Occupational Mental Health.

INTRODUCTION: Empowering nurses is essential for improving work outcomes, and understanding the role of structural and psychological empowerment in supporting nurses' work motivation and occupational mental health are essential to stimulate nurses' productivity and preserve their mental health. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate nurses' perspectives about the levels of structural and psychological empowerment in their working areas. Additionally, to evaluate nurses' motivation and occupational mental health, and to predict the nurses' motivation and occupational mental health through structural and psychological empowerment. METHODS: A descriptive correlational design and quota sampling were used. Two hundred registered nurses were recruited from two hospitals in Jordan. Data were collected using four valid and reliable self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: Nurses who participated in this study were young and have an average total experience in nursing of fewer than 10 years. Nurses in this study reported a moderate level of structure empowerment and a low level of psychological empowerment. Significant positive relationships were documented between both structural, psychological empowerment, and nurses' work motivation (r = 0.85), (r = 0.83) respectively. A significant negative relationship found between both structural, psychological empowerment, and nurses' occupational mental health (r = -0.31), (r = -0.29) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of nurses' work motivation and occupational mental health can be predicted through the levels of structural and psychological empowerment. The higher workplace empowerment was associated with increased work motivation, as well as reduced the feeling of occupational stress among nurses. Thus, administrators should invest in fostering structural and psychological empowerment in the work environment.

Chitosan Functionalized with Carboxyl Groups as a Recyclable Biomaterial for the Adsorption of Cu (II) and Zn (II) Ions in Aqueous Media.

The modification of chitosan represents a challenging task in obtaining biopolymeric materials with enhanced removal capacity for heavy metals. In the present work, the adsorption characteristics of chitosan modified with carboxyl groups (CTS-CAA) towards copper (II) and zinc (II) ions have been tested. The efficacy of the synthesis of CTS-CAA has been evaluated by studying various properties of the modified chitosan. Specifically, the functionalized chitosan has been characterized by using several techniques, including thermal analyses (differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry), spectroscopies (FT-IR, XRD), elemental analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The kinetics and the adsorption isotherms of CTS-CAA towards both Cu (II) and Zn (II) have been determined in the aqueous solvent under variable pH. The obtained results have been analyzed by using different adsorption models. In addition, the experiments have been conducted at variable temperatures to explore the thermodynamics of the adsorption process. The regeneration of CTS-CAA has been investigated by studying the desorption process using different eluents. This paper reports an efficient protocol to synthesize chitosan-based material perspective as regenerative adsorbents for heavy metals.

Comparative analysis of Bricker versus Wallace ureteroenteric anastomosis and identification of predictors for postoperative ureteroenteric stricture.

PURPOSE: Ureteroenteric anastomosis after cystectomy is usually performed using the Bricker or Wallace technique. Deterioration of renal function is the most common long-term complication of urinary diversion (UD). To improve surgical care and optimize long-term renal function, we compared the Bricker and Wallace anastomotic techniques and identified risk factors for ureteroenteric strictures (UES) in patients after cystectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective, monocentric analysis of 135 patients who underwent cystectomy with urinary diversion at the University Hospital Essen between January 2015 and June 2019. Pre- and postoperative renal function, relevant comorbidities, prior chemo- or radiotherapy, pathological findings, urinary diversion, postoperative complications, and ureteroenteric strictures (UES) were analyzed. RESULTS: Of all 135 patients, 69 (51.1%) underwent Bricker anastomosis and 66 (48.9%) Wallace anastomosis. Bricker and Wallace groups included 134 and 132 renal units, respectively. At a median follow-up of 14 (6-58) months, 21 (15.5%) patients and 30 (11.27%) renal units developed UES. We observed 22 (16.6%) affected renal units in Wallace versus 8 (5.9%) in Bricker group (p < 0.001). A bilateral stricture was most common in Wallace group (69.2%) (p < 0.001). Previous chemotherapy and 90-day Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ III complications were independently associated with stricture formation, respectively (OR 9.74, 95% CI 2-46.2, p = 0.004; OR 4.01, 95% CI 1.36-11.82, p = 0.013). CONCLUSION: The results of this study show no significant difference in ureteroenteric anastomotic techniques with respect to UES development regarding individual patients but suggest a higher risk of bilateral UES formation in patients undergoing Wallace anastomosis. This is reflected in the increased UES rate under consideration of the individual renal units.

Uncovering Roles of Streptococcus gordonii SrtA-Processed Proteins in the Biofilm Lifestyle.

Streptococcus gordonii is a commensal oral organism. Harmless in the oral cavity, S. gordonii is an opportunistic pathogen. S. gordonii adheres to body surfaces using surface adhesive proteins (adhesins), which are critical to subsequent formation of biofilm communities. As in most Gram-positive bacteria, S. gordonii surface proteins containing the C-terminal LPXTG motif cleavage sequence are processed by sortase A (SrtA) to become covalently attached to the cell wall. To characterize the functional diversity and redundancy in the family of SrtA-processed proteins, an S. gordonii DL1 markerless deletion mutant library was constructed of each of the 26 putative SrtA-processed proteins. Each library member was evaluated for growth in rich medium, biofilm formation on plastic, saliva and salivary fractions, cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), hemagglutination, and integration into an ex vivo plaque biofilm community. Library members were compared to the non-SrtA-processed adhesins AbpA and AbpB. While no major growth differences in rich medium were observed, many S. gordonii LPXTG/A proteins impacted biofilm formation on one or more of the substrates. Several mutants showed significant differences in hemagglutination, hydrophobicity, or fitness in the ex vivo plaque model. From the identification of redundant and unique functions in these in vitro and ex vivo systems, functional stratification among the LPXTG/A proteins is apparent.IMPORTANCES. gordonii interactions with its environment depend on the complement of cell wall proteins. A subset of these cell wall proteins requires processing by the enzyme sortase A (SrtA). The identification of SrtA-processed proteins and their functional characterization will help the community to better understand how S. gordonii engages with its surroundings, including other microbes, integrates into the plaque community, adheres to the tooth surface, and hematogenously disseminates to cause blood-borne infections. This study identified 26 putative SrtA-processed proteins through creation of a markerless deletion mutant library. The library was subject to functional screens that were chosen to better understand key aspects of S. gordonii physiology and pathogenesis.

Habitat variations affect morphological, reproductive and some metabolic traits of Mediterranean Centaurea glomerata Vahl populations.

Centaurea glomerata Vahl is an annual, monoecious and herbaceous member of Asteraceae, found in some localities of different topographic features/habitat conditions along the Mediterranean coastal region of Egypt. This study aimed to investigate some environmental gradients including edaphic and climate criteria on morphological, reproductive traits as well as phenolic and flavonoid metabolites in this species. Three distinct populations were selected. Two of them were located in coastal sand dunes (found in Rosetta region in Egypt); one was located on flat sand dunes, whereas the other grown on sloping ones. Meanwhile, the third population was represented in the rocky hillside of Burg El Arab region. The population detected in the sloping sand dunes showed best morphological and reproductive features, whilst the opposite was true for that represented on the rocky hillside. Moreover, the free phenolic and flavonoid compounds prevailed in the later. The meteorological data revealed that the rocky hillside received relatively lower minimum temperature and higher solar irradiance, while the sand dunes of Rosetta showed more warmer conditions. Light intensity and wind speed were reduced on the sloping sand dunes. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) exhibited a clear correlation between most of metabolites detected and the population found on the rocky hillside along with higher solar irradiance prevails. The morpho-reproductive traits were related to climatic gradients and some soil criteria. These results revealed that the changes in micro-topography, that may lead to change in soil and climate variables, is the most important environmental gradient that controls the morphological and biochemical features of C. glomerata. Solar irradiance and/or light intensity are key factors playing a role influencing the measured traits of this species. These findings suggest that accumulation of secondary metabolites could be a biochemical strategy and an adaptational criterion for such species under stress conditions.

The influence of cobalt manganese ferrite nanoparticles (Co0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4) on reduction of hazardous effects of vanadate in adult rats.

Effect of cobalt manganese ferrite nanoparticles (M-NPs) (Co0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4) on vanadium hazards was assessment in the present study. Four groups of adult male albino rats [control group and three variably treated groups with ammonium metavanadate accompanied with or without cobalt M-NPs] were studied. The oral administration of ammonium metavanadate (Am.V) (20 mg/kg b.wt.) demonstrated the facility of vanadium to distribute and accumulate in the distinctive body organs and ordered as kidney > liver > lung > brain > spleen. Also, Am.V administration induce a significant disturbance in many physiological parameters (RBS, cholesterol, triglyceride, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, Alb., bilirubin, Alk.Ph., urea, creat., Hb%, red blood cell count and packed cell volume) which might be expected to the liberation of free radicals according to the vanadium intoxication or its ability to disturb many body metabolisms. On the other hand, the intraperitoneal administration of 5% M-NPs in parallel with Am.V orally administration showed the ability of M-NPs to reduce Am.V dangerous impacts, which might be resulted from the essentiality of M-NPs metals to the body metabolism and to its free radicals scavenging properties. So, M-NPs could reduce Am.V hazardous effects.

Incidence of posterior capsule opacification following phacoemulsification in patients with uveitis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of posterior capsule opacification (PCO) in patients with inactive uveitis who underwent phacoemulsification with acrylic hydrophobic intraocular lens. METHODS: Thus was a retrospective review of 25 consecutive patients (31 eyes) with uveitis who underwent phacoemulsification. A group of 100 patients (140 eyes) without uveitis served as historical controls. RESULTS: In patients with uveitis, PCO occurred in 11 eyes (35.5%), 6 (19%) of which were visually significant and required treatment with neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd: YAG) laser. In the control group, PCO developed in 17 (12%) eyes which required treatment with Nd: YAG laser. The incidence of PCO was significantly higher in uveitis patients compared to the control group (P = 0.001), but the incidence of visually significant PCO requiring laser capsulotomy was not statistically significant (P = 0.3). CONCLUSION: The incidence of PCO in patients with uveitis was significantly higher than those without uveitis, but the need for Nd: YAG laser capsulotomy for visually significant PCO was not statistically significant.

Protective effect of propolis on manganese chloride neurotoxicity of olfactory bulb in adult male albino rat.

BACKGROUND: Manganese (Mn) is widely used for industrial purposes and exposure to high levels of Mn may cause an irreversible brain disease. Propolis is a natural plant product; it acts as a powerful reactive oxygen species scavenger and improves the neurodegeneration process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study 40 adult male albino rats were divided randomly into four groups 10 rats each: group I (control group), group II manganese chloride (MnCl2) received 10 mg/kg/day/orally for 4 weeks by intra-gastric tube, group III (propolis group) received 50 mg/kg/day/orally for 4 weeks by intra-gastric tube, and group IV (MnCl2 + propolis group) received the same doses with the same duration and route as in groups II and III. Rats were sacrificed after 24 h of last dose. The olfactory bulbs removed, the right bulb cut to be processed for haematoxylin and eosin, immunohistochemical staining and the left cut for electron microscopic studies. RESULTS: Results revealed that rat olfactory bulb from MnCl2 group showed darkly stained mitral cells with dark pyknotic nuclei, some show pericellular spaces and vacuolation, dark apoptotic cells in granular cells, neuropil vacuolation and pyknotic astrocyte. Electron microscopic examination showed abnormal granular cell with irregular damaged nuclear membrane, rupture of myelin fibre. Mitral nerve cell with destructed nucleus, many cytoplasmic vacuoles, swollen rough endoplasmic reticulum, vacuolated mitochondria and neuropil were observed. Manganese chloride + propolis group showed improvement compared to MnCl2 group. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that propolis can ameliorate the toxic changes of manganese chloride on rat olfactory bulb.

Effect of human activities on floristic composition and diversity of desert and urban vegetation in a new urbanized desert ecosystem.

Human impact in newly urbanized deserts creates new environments that may favor the establishment/dominance of certain plant species. In this study, we showed how the human activities during desert urbanization do affect distribution, composition and diversity of plant species in a new urban ecosystem. In a field study during 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 growing seasons, we investigated these vegetation criteria in three new habitats created recently due to human manipulations in addition to the old habitat of such area (i.e. the desert). We also compared vegetation criteria comprising the floristic cover, composition and diversity between the desert locations inside and on the outskirts of the city. The detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) successfully separated the different habitats studied. Besides, the floristic composition and diversity were significantly varied amongst these habitats. The canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed an apparent correlation between floristic composition and soil criteria across the study area. For the desert vegetation, the cover values of both Tamarix nilotica and Zygophyllum coccineum, in addition to the whole diversity indices, were significantly suppressed in the desert fragments inside the newly constructed city in comparison with their cover in the desert adjacent to it. Moreover, the cover of both species was significantly declined in 2018 compared with their cover in 2015. On converse, the covering areas of Phragmites australis and Bassia indica were increased after intensive constructions in 2018. These results suggest that the human activities and, consequently, urbanization may influence plant life in newly urbanized desert ecosystems, leading to dispersal of new species and destruction of plant cover in some parts of the desert. Efforts and conservation strategies should be devoted to save the desert species that are vulnerable to elimination due to expansion of urbanization.