Association between aortic sclerosis and coronary artery disease

Background: Although there is a recognized link between cardiovascular hazards and coronary artery disease (CAD), it is still unknown whether aortic sclerosis and CAD are linked.Objective: This study aimed to check whether if there is a link between aortic sclerosis and the existence and severity of coronary artery disease .Patients and methods: 204 individuals were enrolled in the study, transthoracic echocardiographic, and coronary angiography were done. Aortic leaflets were tested for the amount of thickness in the short axis view. The involvement of coronary arteries represented by the gensini score and the association between aortic valve sclerosis score and the degree and severity of coronary affection was investigated using the Gensini score.Results: The individuals were divided into 2 groups grounded on the severity of aortic valve sclerosis. Group A (GP A) included patients with aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) ≥ 2 and group B (GP B) included patients with AVS < 2. In GP A, the right coronary cusp was the most afflicted one, whereas the LAD was the most affected in coronaries. The degree and severity of CAD were more significant in GP A, as evidenced by a higher Gensini score value of 39.27 versus 28.84 in GP B.Conclusion: AVS has been found to be correlated with the presence and severity of CAD and could be used as a potential surrogate marker for the illness

Detecting Oxides Mineralization Utilizing Remote Sensing and Comprehensive Mineralogical Analysis: A Case Study Around Mikbi-Zayatit District, South Eastern Desert, Egypt

Undoubtedly, involving more tools, datasets, and techniques for detecting the mineralized areas sharply narrow the zones to be investigated and delivered, in most cases highly potential zones. Consequently, this study is an attempt to apply remote sensing data including Sentinel 2 and ASTER, field observations, petrography of the hydrothermal alteration processes, ore microscopic investigations, X-ray examinations, and EDX analysis to detect and emphasize mineralization types at Wadi Mikbi and Wadi Zayatit district, South Eastern Desert, Egypt. Towards accurate lithological mapping, remote sensing data, previous geological maps, and the field investigations recorded serpentinites, ophiolitic metagabbros, amphibolites, epidosite, arc-related metasediments (schists and quartzites), metagabbro-tonalite complex, dunite, olivine gabbros, and granitic rocks encountered in the study district. Additionally, various hydrothermal alteration zones have been primarily outlined using ASTER and Sentinel 2 data by implementing informative band ratios and constrained energy minimization techniques. The mineralogical studies have confirmed most of the remotely-detected hydrothermal alteration minerals. Ore microscopy, XRD technique, and EDX microchemical analysis of representative mineralized samples of the study district identified magnetite, ilmenite, titanomagnetite, chromite, magnesioferrite, quartz, apatite, clinochlore, plagioclase, pyroxene and epidote. Cross-linking remote sensing results, field observations and laboratory studies revealed that the dominant hydrothermal alteration processes include oxidization, serpentinization, carbonatization, epidotization, silicification, zoisitization, muscovitization, sericitization, and chloritization. Spatial overlay analysis of the resultant altered features, structural dissection, field observations, and analytical studies were integrated to build a mineral potentiality map of the study district

Relation between serum B-type brain natriuretic peptide level and complexity & severity of coronary artery disease in non-ST elevation myocardial infarction

Background: Neurohumoral activation of the heart can be monitored by measurements of systemic levels of natriuretic peptides, such as BNP. Patients with non ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) with elevated BNP levels had an increased mortality rate when compared with those with lower levels. The SYNTAX score is a novel anatomical tool characterizing coronary vasculature and grades the complexity of coronary artery disease. Patients and methods: The study included 58 patients with NSTEMI “Group I” (72.5%) and 22 patients as a control “Group II” (27.5%) with typical chest pain, and coronary angiography revealed healthy coronaries. Analysis of blood samples for troponin-I, CKMB, and BNP levels was performed within 24 h of hospital admission, all patients underwent echocardiographic examination to exclude systolic dysfunction. Both groups were referred to coronary angiography. Results: This study included 58 patients with NSTEMI “Group I” (72.5%) and 22 patients as a control “Group II” (27.5%), the serum level of BNP was significantly higher in patients with the NSTEMI “group I” (37.7 ± 32.06) than the control “group II” (1.82 ± 5.9) p value (0.0001). The levels of BNP were positively correlated with the LAD involvement in coronary angiography. There was a positive correlation between the serum level of BNP and number of coronary vessels involved (r = 0.75) and Degree of SYNTAX score (r = 0.78). Conclusion: There was a significant relationship between the serum level of BNP and number of coronary arteries involved and complexity of the lesions in NSTEMI as regards SYNTAX score

Multimedia Mobile Cloud Computing: Application models for performance enhancement

Central to the vision of Smart City is the realization of efficient models that are capable of handling massive amounts of mobile multimedia data in the city's eco-system. Despite the improvement in hardware of mobile devices, challenges associated with analyzing, managing, and sharing of data still exist. As such, the responsiveness to real time applications and bandwidth and wireless constraints cannot be achieved by hardware design only. Therefore, there is a move towards the software side that is enabled by Mobile Cloud Computing to overcome these challenges, whereby parts of mobile applications are executed in remote servers with rich computational resources. This technology decreases the load on mobile devices and increases their performance. Several models have been proposed to increase mobile devices performance. This paper explores these models and compares them based on several performance parameters, including computation offloading, latency, bandwidth, and response time

Changes of Lacrimal Puncta by Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography after Topical Combined Antibiotic and Steroid Treatment in Cases of Inflammatory Punctual Stenosis

Purpose. To evaluate the role of medical treatment and assessing its effect on resolving epiphora and improving punctum size by high resolution AS-OCT imaging comparing punctal parameters in patients before and after treatment with topical combined antibiotic and steroid treatment in cases of inflammatory punctual stenosis. Patients and Methods. Double-blinded controlled randomized study which was conducted on two groups of patients who had acquired punctal stenosis and epiphora presented to Ophthalmology Clinics of Sohag University Hospitals in the period between Jan 2021 and April 2021. The study included 44 eyes of 50 subjects complaining of epiphora. They were divided into two groups, the epiphora group one (EG1) received eye drops containing combination of antibiotics and steroids (orchadexoline eye drops, each ml contains 5 mg chloramphenicol, 1 mg dexamethasone sodium phosphate, 0.25 mg tetryzoline hydrochloride, 2 mg hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, 10 mg α-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), and 8 mg macrogol 400), 5 times daily for the first week, three times daily for the next two weeks, and one time daily for another one week. The second epiphora group (EG2) received preservative-free artificial tears (sodium hyaluronate-, polyethylene-, and propylene glycol-based), three times daily for four weeks. The patients were examined before treatment, one week, one month, and one and half months later. Results. Both groups were comparable regarding mean age (49 ± 13 vs 53 ± 11 years, P value = 0.2) and sex (males were 38.6% vs 31.8%, female were 61.4% vs 68.2%, P value = 0.6), respectively, with no statistically significant difference between both groups. Both groups were comparable regarding outer punctual diameter and length between the puncti before treatment. Outer punctal diameters were (EG1 228 ± 113 um, EG2 241 ± 115 um, P value = 0.5). Length between the puncti were (EG1 129 ± 73 um, EG2 137 ± 72 um, P value = 0.6). There was marked improvement of the outer punctual diameter (EG1 373 um ± 92 um, EG2 240 ± 109 um, (P value < 0.0001) and length between the puncti (EG1 217 ± 109 um, 136 ± 71 um (P value < 0.0002)) during the follow-up period. EG1 showed more improvement than EG2 when compared during the follow-up period. Conclusions. Topical combined antibiotic and steroid treatment was an effective method in treating cases of inflammatory punctual stenosis as found by monitoring of punctal parameter changes by AS-OCT. AS-OCT was found to be a useful method for evaluation of the lacrimal punctal parameters especially with different treatment modalities in epiphora cases

Evaluation of Corneal Higher-Order Aberrations by Scheimpflug–Placido Topography in Patients with Different Refractive Errors: A Retrospective Observational Study

Purpose. To report the characteristics of anterior and posterior corneal high-order aberrations in patients with different refractive errors. Setting. This study was conducted at Sohag Refractive Center, Sohag, Egypt. Design. This is a retrospective observational study. Methods. This study evaluated 750 patients (750 eyes) who were seeking refractive surgery. The eyes were stratified into five groups (150 eyes/group) based on refractive error: mild-to-moderate myopia, high myopia, hyperopia, simple myopic astigmatism, and simple hypermetropic astigmatism. All patients were subjected to comprehensive ophthalmological examination including corneal topography and corneal aberrometry using the Scheimpflug–Placido topography (Sirius, CSO, Italy). Results. Coma aberration was statistically significant when compared in all five groups (P=0.01). It was highest in the hypermetropia group (0.26 ± 0.12 μm) but lower in the moderate myopia, high myopia, myopic astigmatism, and hypermetropic astigmatism groups. Spherical aberration was lowest in the hypermetropia group and significantly different from that in the other groups. Trefoil was statistically insignificant when all groups were compared (P=0.062) but was highest in the myopic astigmatism group (0.24 ± 0.25 μm). Total RMS peaked in the hypermetropia group (0.99 ± 0.70). Conclusions. In normal corneas and regular refractive errors, the cornea-induced high-order aberration was minimal, and all types of refractive errors were associated with certain types of high-order aberrations, with a significant increase in spherical aberration in the hypermetropia group

Evaluation of Lacrimal Punctal Changes by Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography after Punctal Dilation Versus Punctal Plug Insertion in Cases of Inflammatory Punctual Stenosis

Purpose. To compare simple punctal dilation versus punctal dilation augmented by insertion of Punctal Plug Insertion (PPP) with assessing the effect on resolving epiphora and punctum size improvement by an objective method, high-resolution AS-OCT imaging comparing punctal parameters of the patients before and after both techniques. Patients and Methods. It is a prospective, interventional, double-blinded controlled randomized study, which was conducted on two groups of patients, the first epiphora group (EG1 25 eyes), who had acquired punctal stenosis and epiphora and managed by simple punctal dilatation. The second epiphora group (EG2 20 eyes) who managed by punctal dilatation augmented with an application of perforated punctal plugs for two months. Spectral Domain Anterior Segment-OCT Image Acquisition. AS-OCT for lower puncti was performed using RTVue (Optovue Inc., Fermont, CA). OCT images of the width and length of the lower puncti of the participants were captured by the same operator on the same machine. Measuring of punctal size (diameter and length) was performed before treatment, one week, one month, and three months later objectively by using AS-OCT. Results. The study included 45 eyes of 50 subjects; the total coverage of epiphora patients fulfilled inclusion criteria and presented to the ophthalmology clinics of Sohag University Hospitals in the period between June 2021 and December 2021. Both groups were comparable regarding mean age (39 ± 11 vs 50 ± 12 years, P value = 0.4) and sex (males were 36% vs 40%, female were 64% vs 60%, P value = 0.5) respectively with no statistically significant difference between both groups. The mean duration of epiphora was measured in both groups before treatment (EG1 = 1.656 ± 0.41 months, EG2 = 1.73 ± 0.32 months) with no statistically significant difference (P value = 0.436). There was marked improvement of the outer punctual diameter and length between outer and inner puncti in EG1 (EG1 391um ± 122 um, EG2 692 ± 226 um (P value < 0.007) and EG1 189 ± 43 um, 380 ± 169 um (P value < 0.0002) during the follow-up period. EG2 showed more improvement than EG1 when compared during the follow-up period in both outer punctual diameter and length between outer and inner puncti with (P value < 0.003 and < 0.0002) in favor of EG2. However; both groups show improvement with the statistically significant difference in both groups by using AS-OCT. Conclusions. Punctal dilation augmented by insertion of PPP was an effective method in treating cases of inflammatory punctual stenosis as found by monitoring of punctal parameters changes by AS-OCT. AS-OCT was found a useful method for the evaluation of the lacrimal punctal parameters, especially with different treatment modalities in epiphora cases

Mangiferin Mitigates Gastric Ulcer in Ischemia/ Reperfused Rats: Involvement of PPAR-γ, NF-κB and Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling Pathways.

Mangiferin (MF), a xanthonoid from Mangifera indica, has been proved to have antisecretory and antioxidant gastroprotective effects against different gastric ulcer models; however, its molecular mechanism has not been previously elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test its modulatory effect on several signaling pathways using the ischemia/reperfusion model for the first time. Animals were treated with MF, omeprazole (OMP), and the vehicle. The mechanistic studies revealed that MF mediated its gastroprotective effect partly via inducing the expression of Nrf2, HO-1 and PPAR-γ along with downregulating that of NF-κB. Surprisingly, the effect of MF, especially the high dose, exceeded that mediated by OMP except for Nrf2. The molecular results were reflected on the biomarkers measured, where the antioxidant effect of MF was manifested by increasing total antioxidant capacity and glutathione, besides normalizing malondialdehyde level. Additionally, MF decreased the I/R-induced nitric oxide elevation, an effect that was better than that of OMP. In the serum, MF, dose dependently, enhanced endothelial nitric oxide synthase, while reduced the inducible isoform. Regarding the anti-inflammatory effect of MF, it reduced serum level of IL-1β and sE-selectin, effects that were mirrored on the tissue level of myeloperoxidase, the neutrophil infiltration marker. In addition, MF possessed an antiapoptotic character evidenced by elevating Bcl-2 level and reducing that of caspase-3 in a dose related order. As a conclusion, the intimated gastroprotective mechanisms of MF are mediated, partially, by modulation of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis possibly via the Nrf2/HO-1, PPAR-γ/NF-κB signaling pathways

Parotid Quadrantectomy Is a Safe Management for Localized Pleomorphic Adenoma

AimPleomorphic adenoma is the most common benign tumor of the parotid gland and is classically treated with superficial or total parotidectomy. Less radical surgeries have been proposed to minimize the risk of facial nerve injury. The oncological safety of these procedures remains controversial. We conducted this study to evaluate the safety of superficial hemi-lobectomy (quadrantectomy).Patients and methodsRetrospective analysis was conducted on the paraffin sections of archived superficial parotidectomy specimens from 11 male and 6 female patients (median age 33 years). The microscopic extent of extra-capsular extension was determined on pathological revision. In addition, prospective evaluation of 12 quadrantectomy procedures (M/F = 7/5, median age = 36 years) compared to 24 radical surgeries (M = F, median age = 40 years) regarding temporary and persistent facial nerve dysfunction on routine clinical assessment and recurrence rate.ResultsOn retrospective pathological revision, pleomorphic adenomata had a median microscopic spread of 3 mm beyond capsule in paraffin sections (SD = 3.6). On prospective analysis with a median follow-up of 33 months (range = 18–54 months), quadrantectomy had similar relative risk of temporary facial nerve dysfunction evaluated at the immediate postoperative period as well as persistent nerve dysfunction assessed at 3 months (P = 0.701 and P = 0.902, respectively). Of the whole study population, one case of recurrence after total parotidectomy was observed at mid-term follow-up (P = 1.000).ConclusionParotid quadrantectomy is a safe management for smaller pleomorphic adenomata localized close to one of the two divisions of the facial nerve