Screening and assessing of pesticide residues and their health risks in vegetable field soils from the Eastern Nile Delta, Egypt.

The harmful effects of pesticide misuse on human health and the environment have become evident; so, this study aimed to monitor pesticide residues in soils of vegetable fields collected from the Eastern Nile Delta region, Egypt and to assess the potential health risks associated with them. Pesticide residues were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Obtained results revealed that 100% of collected samples were contaminated with pesticides; residues of 33 compounds were detected in analyzed samples belonging to different chemical groups. Most detected pesticides (44%) were non-persistent and 40% were moderately persistent. While 1313% and 3% were persistent and very persistent compounds, respectively. Also, 36.7% and 30% of samples have two and three pesticides. Chlorpyrifos and propamocarb were the most dominant compounds that had widespread use across the study area. The number of detected pesticides per crop ranged from 1 to 16 (potato soil), followed by cucumber and tomato (13 pesticides), while one compound was detected in sweet potato soil. Soil organic matter content had a positive correlation with the total concentration of pesticide residues; however, no correlations were found with soil clay, pH and electrical conductivity contents. The human health risks of pesticides in the study soils were within acceptable levels. However, more attention should be paid in the future to decreasing the pesticide load and take place pesticide residue monitoring on vegetable soils.

Effectiveness of chondrofascial 'cigar' graft in contouring the nasal dorsum.

Irregularities of the nasal dorsum after rhinoplasty are frustrating for the patient and the surgeon. Different grafts and implants have been adopted to camouflage this nasal imperfection. This study was performed to assess the outcome of a composite chondrofascial 'cigar' graft for contouring an irregular nasal dorsum. Thirty-six patients who underwent rhinoplasty between May 2014 and October 2016 were studied prospectively. The cartilaginous core of the graft was obtained from the septal or conchal cartilage, while the graft outer sleeve was harvested from the right lateral thigh fascia lata. The graft was secured over the nasal dorsum through an external rhinoplasty approach. The patients were followed up for at least 18 months postoperative. All participants were evaluated objectively by two independent rhinoplasty surgeons and subjectively by Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation (ROE) score. Donor site morbidity was also assessed. All patients had satisfactory aesthetic results with no apparent irregularities detected over the nasal dorsum. The ROE score improved, from a mean of 20.94±8.67 (range 8-58) preoperatively to a mean of 79.56±10.65 (range 50-96) postoperatively. Insignificant donor site morbidity was encountered, with inconsequential effects. The chondrofascial cigar graft is a reliable method for contouring dorsal irregularities, particularly in patients with thin nasal skin.

Olfactory bulb neuroplasticity: A prospective cohort study in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the olfactory bulb volumes (OBVs) in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) to healthy individuals, and to assess the changes of the OBVs in patients with CRSwNP before and after the endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) utilising magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with specialised software. DESIGN: This is a prospective cohort study. SETTING: Tanta University hospital (tertiary referral hospital), Egypt. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty patients with CRSwNP (Group A) were compared with thirty healthy individuals (Group B) as regards the OBVs. Patients with CRSwNP underwent ESS where the Smell Identification Test-40 (SIT-40) and the OBVs were assessed pre-operatively and at least 6 months postoperatively. Assessment of the OBVs was carried out using MRI with specialised software. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Assessment of the volumetric changes of the olfactory bulbs in patients with CRSwNP before and after endoscopic sinus surgery utilise magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: The OBVs were significantly smaller in Group A (58.94 ± 7.96 mm3 and 60.79 ± 8.14 mm3 on the right and left sides, respectively) as compared with the Group B (73.46 ± 8.54 mm3 and 72.96 ± 9.74 mm3 on the right and left sides, respectively). There was also a significant increase in the olfactory bulb volumes as well as improvement of the SIT-40 6 months postoperatively in the Group A. CONCLUSIONS: The olfactory bulb is characterised by neural plasticity, and its volume may be affected by the peripheral olfactory function.