Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among individuals screened positive for diabetes in five community based eye camps in northern Karachi Pakistan

Background: Population-based data on the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Pakistan are lacking. We determined the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among individuals screened positive for diabetes in five community-based eye camps in northern Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: In summer 2002, five community-based eye camps were set up in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. All individuals aged 30 years or older who visited the camps were requested to participate in the study. Those who agreed were screened for diabetes and those found to have the disease were referred to an eye hospital for diabetic retinopathy screening. Verbal informed consent was obtained from all participants at the examination site. Our main outcome measure was diabetic retinopathy, which was classified as non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), severe NPDR, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Our grading was based on clinical examination. Results: A total of 912 subjects were screened for diabetes mellitus. Of these, 160(17.5%) had diabetes- 1.8% had type I diabetes and 15.9% had type II diabetes. One hundred and eight individuals visited the hospital for ophthalmic examination. Of them, 15.7% had diabetic retinopathy. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was higher among individuals with type I diabetes, with greater duration of diabetes, and among women. The commonest form of diabetic retinopathy was non-proliferative (76.5% [mild: 35.3 %, moderate: 29.4 %, and severe: 11.8 %]), followed by maculopathy (17.6 %) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (5.9 %). Conclusion: More systematic and population-based research is needed to estimate the prevalence of and identify risk factors for diabetic retinopathy in Pakista

Comparing System of Wheat Intensification with Normal Practices Under Different Levels of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer in Southeast Region of Afghanistan

A field experiment was conducted to study the influence of NPK and FYM under normal practice and system of wheat intensification (SWI). The soil of the experimental area was sandy loam with pH (8.4); and available N (117.3 kg ha-1), medium in available P (13.85 kg ha-1) and high in available K (270 kg ha-1). Mazar 99 variety of wheat was chosen for the study. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with 24 treatments combination and three replications on a plot size of 1.5 x 3 m. Different cropping system (Broadcast method of sowing and system of wheat intensification) and different levels of NPK (50, 75 and 100%) were taken in main plot. Different levels of farm yard manure (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%) were assigned to sub plot in a split plot design. Application of 100 percent RDF under system of wheat intensification significantly influenced growth and growth attributes of wheat at different crop growth stages. Application of 100% RDF under system of wheat intensification (SWI) registered significantly higher plant height (23.4, 52.3, 77.7 and 82.9 cm), and dry matter accumulation (60, 257, 753 and 964 gram) at tillering, blooming, flowering and maturity stages and number of leaves (1130.0, 1722.3 and 2020.8) and number of tillers (187.9, 280.2 and 310) of wheat was also registered higher in same treatments at tillering, blooming and flowering stages of wheat respectively as compared to rest of the treatments. Different treatments of cropping system and different levels of RDF and FYM significantly influenced yield and yield attributes of wheat. Among the cropping system, M4 (100% RDF + SWI) registered significantly higher grain yield (3794.3 kg ha-1) and straw yield (6096.8 kg ha-1) as compared to rest of the treatments. Application of 100 percent farm yard manure recorded significant and maximum grain yield (3553.7 kg ha-1) as compared to rest of the treatments. While, the minimum grain yield (3060.8 kg ha-1) was recorded in S1 due to application of 0% FYM. Similarly, application of 100 percent farm yard manure recorded significantly higher straw yield (5935.5 kg ha-1) as compared to rest of the treatments. However, the lower grain yield (3060.8 kg ha-1) and straw yield (5373.4 kg ha-1) was observed in S1 due to application of zero percent farm yard manure. The interaction of 100% RDF + SWI with 100 % FYM showed highest grain yield (4060.0 kg ha-1) and straw yield (6450.0 kg ha-1) as compared to rest of the treatments. vOn the basis of economic analysis it is concluded that wheat cv. ‘Mazar 99’ sown under system of wheat intensification treated by 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (120-60-60 kg NPK/ha) accompanied with 20% N through FYM proved to be the most remunerative dose which will increase the grain yield of wheat by 33 percent as compared to M1S1 due to application of 100% RDF + 0% FYM under broadcast method of sowing. However, SWI will increase the net return by 36 percent as compared to broadcast method of sowing

Analyzing and modeling the influence of workpiece thickness on geometry of slot machining wire EDMs

Wire erosion discharge machining is one of the non-traditional machining processes which use heat energy of spark to remove material from work piece. Process parameters have given the major influence of the cutting performance on wire EDM. Parameters such as pulse on time, peak current, wire diameter and discharge current are well known for their effect surface roughness and recast layer. The present work aimed to investigate the influence of: thickness, current and wire speed on the machining surface. The surface roughness and hardness have been analyzed assessed. It was conclude that surface roughness increase with the increase of thickness and current, and decrease when wire speed increase. Meanwhile, as work piece thickness increase, the surface hardness increase but it decreases when current and wire speed increases

Optical Transmission Plasmonic Color Filter withWider ColorGamut Based on X-Shaped Nanostructure

Extraordinary Optical Transmission Plasmonic Color Filters (EOT-PCFs) with nanostructures have the advantages of consistent color, small size, and excellent color reproduction, making them a suitable replacement for colorant-based filters. Currently, the color gamut created by plasmonic filters is limited to the standard red, green, blue (sRGB) color space, which limits their use in the future. To address this limitation, we propose a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) color filter scheme, which may provide a RGB-wide color gamut while exceeding the sRGB color space. On the surface of the aluminum film, a unique nanopattern structure is etched. The nanohole functions as a coupled grating that matches photon momentum to plasma when exposed to natural light. Metals and surfaces create surface plasmon resonances as light passes through the metal film. The plasmon resonance wavelength can be modified by modifying the structural parameters of the nanopattern to obtain varied transmission spectra. The International Commission on Illumination (CIE 1931) chromaticity diagram can convert the transmission spectrum into color coordinates and convert the spectrum into various colors. The color range and saturation can outperform existing color filters.Funding: This project has received funding from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant 801538

A study on capabilities of different electrode materials during electrical discharge machining (EDM)

Electrode material in the electro discharge machining (EDM) process plays an important role in terms of material removal rate (MRR), electrode wear rate (EWR) and surface roughness (Ra). The purpose of this research is to investigate the capability of different electrode materials: copper, aluminum, and graphite in EDM of AISI 304 stainless steel as a work piece. The research focuses on three current settings: 2.5A, 4.5A, and 6.5A using kerosene as a dielectric fluid. The experiment was planned and analyzed using the full factorial of experimental design using response surface methodology (RSM). In this research, two outputs have been investigated: MRR and EWR. The results indicated that the responses increased with the increase in current. Finally, the desirability function method has been used to determine the optimum values. The results show that maximum MRR and minimum EWR were achieved using a graphite electrode at current 6.5A. Bahan elektrod dalam proses pengeluaran elektron pada mesin EDM berperanan penting dalam kadar pengeluaran bahan (MRR), kadar penggunaan ekektrod (EWR) dan kekasaran permukaan (Ra). Kajian ini bertujuan bagi menilai keupayaan pelbagai jenis bahan elektrod yang berlainan: tembaga, aluminium, dan grafit dalam EDM pada AISI 304 keluli tahan karat sebagai bahan kajian. Fokus kajian ini pada tiga takat arus: 2.5 A, 4.5 A dan 6.5 A menggunakan kerosin sebagai cecair dielektrik. Eksperimen ini telah dirancang dan diuji menggunakan faktorial penuh pada binaan eksperimen menggunakan kaedah tindak balas pada permukaan (RSM). Dalam kajian ini, dua keputusan telah diuji: MRR dan EWR. Keputusan menunjukkan tindak balas bertambah dengan kenaikan arus. Akhirnya kaedah fungsi keperluan telah digunakan untuk mencari nilai optimum. Keputusan menunjukkan MRR maksimum dan EWR minimum telah dicapai menggunakan elektrod grafit pada arus 6.5 A

2D nanostructures: Potential in diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have garnered enormous attention seemingly due to their unusual architecture and properties. Graphene and graphene oxide based 2D nanomaterials remained the most sought after for several years but the quest to design superior 2D nanomaterials which can find wider application gave rise to development of non-graphene 2D materials as well. Consequently, in addition to graphene based 2D nanomaterials, 2D nanostructures designed using macromolecules (such as DNAs, proteins, peptides and peptoids), transition metal dichalcogenides, transition-metal carbides and/or nitrides (MXene), black phosphorous, chitosan, hexagonal boron nitrides, and graphitic carbon nitride, and covalent organic frameworks have been developed. Interestingly, these 2D nanomaterials have found applications in diagnosis and treatment of various diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although AD is one of the most debilitating neurodegenerative conditions across the globe; unfortunately, there remains a paucity of effective diagnostic and/or therapeutic intervention for it till date. In this scenario, nanomaterial-based biosensors, or therapeutics especially 2D nanostructures are emerging to be promising in this regard. This review summarizes the diagnostic and therapeutic platforms developed for AD using 2D nanostructures. Collectively, it is worth mentioning that these 2D nanomaterials would seemingly provide an alternative and intriguing platform for biomedical interventions

Perceptions of eye health in schools in Pakistan

BACKGROUND: Research exploring children's and their teachers' perceptions of eye health is lacking. This paper reports for the first time on perceptions of primary schoolchildren and their teachers of healthy and diseased eyes, things that keep eyes healthy and damage them, and what actions to be taken in case of an eye injury. METHODS: Using draw and write technique, 160 boys and girls (9–12 years old) attending four primary schools in Abbottabad district, northern Pakistan, were invited to draw pictures in response to a set of semi-structured questions and then label them. Sixteen teachers who were currently teaching the selected students were interviewed one-on-one. RESULTS: Analysis of text accompanying 800 drawings and of the interview scripts revealed that most children and teachers perceived healthy eyes to be those which could see well, and diseased eyes to be those which have redness, watering, dirty discharge, pain, and itching; or those which have "weak eyesight" and blindness. Among things that students and teachers thought damage the eyes included sun, television, and sharp pointed objects, particularly pencils. Teachers noted that children with eye problems "have difficulty seeing the blackboard well", "screw up their eyes", and "hold their books too close". CONCLUSION: We conclude that schoolchildren and their teachers had a good knowledge of eye health, but many of them had serious misconceptions e.g., use of kohl, medicines and eye drops keeps eyes healthy. Kohl is an important source of lead and can reduce children's intelligence even at low blood levels. Health education in schools must take into account children's existing knowledge of and misconceptions about various aspects of eye health. Such steps if taken could improve the relevance of eye health education to schoolchildren

Multi-ancestry genetic analysis of gene regulation in coronary arteries prioritizes disease risk loci

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified hundreds of risk loci for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, non-European populations are underrepresented in GWASs, and the causal gene-regulatory mechanisms of these risk loci during atherosclerosis remain unclear. We incorporated local ancestry and haplotypes to identify quantitative trait loci for expression (eQTLs) and splicing (sQTLs) in coronary arteries from 138 ancestrally diverse Americans. Of 2,132 eQTL-associated genes (eGenes), 47% were previously unreported in coronary artery; 19% exhibited cell-type-specific expression. Colocalization revealed subgroups of eGenes unique to CAD and blood pressure GWAS. Fine-mapping highlighted additional eGenes, including TBX20 and IL5. We also identified sQTLs for 1,690 genes, among which TOR1AIP1 and ULK3 sQTLs demonstrated the importance of evaluating splicing to accurately identify disease-relevant isoform expression. Our work provides a patient-derived coronary artery eQTL resource and exemplifies the need for diverse study populations and multifaceted approaches to characterize gene regulation in disease processes.</p

Multi-ancestry genetic analysis of gene regulation in coronary arteries prioritizes disease risk loci

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified hundreds of risk loci for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, non-European populations are underrepresented in GWASs, and the causal gene-regulatory mechanisms of these risk loci during atherosclerosis remain unclear. We incorporated local ancestry and haplotypes to identify quantitative trait loci for expression (eQTLs) and splicing (sQTLs) in coronary arteries from 138 ancestrally diverse Americans. Of 2,132 eQTL-associated genes (eGenes), 47% were previously unreported in coronary artery; 19% exhibited cell-type-specific expression. Colocalization revealed subgroups of eGenes unique to CAD and blood pressure GWAS. Fine-mapping highlighted additional eGenes, including TBX20 and IL5. We also identified sQTLs for 1,690 genes, among which TOR1AIP1 and ULK3 sQTLs demonstrated the importance of evaluating splicing to accurately identify disease-relevant isoform expression. Our work provides a patient-derived coronary artery eQTL resource and exemplifies the need for diverse study populations and multifaceted approaches to characterize gene regulation in disease processes.</p

Multi-Omics Approaches to Study Long Non-coding RNA Function in Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a complex inflammatory disease of the vessel wall involving the interplay of multiple cell types including vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and macrophages. Large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and the advancement of next generation sequencing technologies have rapidly expanded the number of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) transcripts predicted to play critical roles in the pathogenesis of the disease. In this review, we highlight several lncRNAs whose functional role in atherosclerosis is well-documented through traditional biochemical approaches as well as those identified through RNA-sequencing and other high-throughput assays. We describe novel genomics approaches to study both evolutionarily conserved and divergent lncRNA functions and interactions with DNA, RNA, and proteins. We also highlight assays to resolve the complex spatial and temporal regulation of lncRNAs. Finally, we summarize the latest suite of computational tools designed to improve genomic and functional annotation of these transcripts in the human genome. Deep characterization of lncRNAs is fundamental to unravel coronary atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases, as these regulatory molecules represent a new class of potential therapeutic targets and/or diagnostic markers to mitigate both genetic and environmental risk factors