Office-based Air-Fluid Exchange for Diabetic Post-Operative Vitreous Cavity Hemorrhage

Post-operative vitreous cavity hemorrhage (POVCH) is observed in 6-75% of eyes undergoing pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). We describe our technique for office-based Air fluid exchange (AFX) in the treatment of POVCH. Sixteen eyes (15 patients) with PDR and POVCH undergoing office-based AFX between January 2006 and November 2016 were retrospectively identified. The pre- and post- procedure visual acuity (VA) and complications were compared between eyes with and without traction retinal detachment (TRD). Medicare charges for office-based AFX versus PPV were also analyzed. Mean age at the time of AFX was 55.31 (± 8.02) years. Nine eyes (56.25%) had TRD prior to PPV and 11 eyes (68.75%) were pseudophakic. The improvements in mean (± standard deviation [SD]) logMAR VA at the last postoperative visit (3 - 8 months) were 1.38 (± 0.99), 0.82 (± 0.91) and 2.09 (± 0.53) in all eyes, TRD eyes and non-TRD eyes, respectively. Complications included cataract progression, hypotony, and recurrence of TRD and ghost cell glaucoma. The total cost of outpatient AFX was $1,409.59 less than that of PPV. Office-based AFX is a cost-effective alternative treatment for non-clearing diabetic POVCH with an acceptable risk profile

A NEW METHOD FOR SOLVING LINEAR PROGRAMMING PROBLEMS

ABSTRACT Anew method which does not depend on the simplex method for solving the linear programming (LP) problems is given. The proposed method is based mainly upon solving this problem algebraically using the concept of duality .The important of this method is that we are not based our work on vertex information which may have difficulties as the problem size increases. A simple example is given to clarify the developed theory of this proposed method

Office-based Air-Fluid Exchange for Diabetic Post-Operative Vitreous Cavity Hemorrhage

Post-operative vitreous cavity hemorrhage (POVCH) is observed in 6-75% of eyes undergoing pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). We describe our technique for office-based Air fluid exchange (AFX) in the treatment of POVCH. Sixteen eyes (15 patients) with PDR and POVCH undergoing office-based AFX between January 2006 and November 2016 were retrospectively identified. The pre- and post- procedure visual acuity (VA) and complications were compared between eyes with and without traction retinal detachment (TRD). Medicare charges for office-based AFX versus PPV were also analyzed. Mean age at the time of AFX was 55.31 (± 8.02) years. Nine eyes (56.25%) had TRD prior to PPV and 11 eyes (68.75%) were pseudophakic. The improvements in mean (± standard deviation [SD]) logMAR VA at the last postoperative visit (3 - 8 months) were 1.38 (± 0.99), 0.82 (± 0.91) and 2.09 (± 0.53) in all eyes, TRD eyes and non-TRD eyes, respectively. Complications included cataract progression, hypotony, and recurrence of TRD and ghost cell glaucoma. The total cost of outpatient AFX was $1,409.59 less than that of PPV. Office-based AFX is a cost-effective alternative treatment for non-clearing diabetic POVCH with an acceptable risk profile

A New Species of the Neopterygian Fish Enchodus from the Duwi Formation, Campanian, Late Cretaceous, Western Desert, Central Egypt

The neopterygian fish Enchodus was a widespread, speciose genus consisting of approximately 30 recognized species that were temporally distributed from the late Early Cretaceous through the Paleocene. Many Enchodus specimens are fragmentary cranial remains or isolated dental elements, as is the case for previously reported occurrences in Egypt. Here, we present the most complete specimen of Enchodus recovered from the Late Cretaceous of northeast Africa. The specimen was collected from the upper Campanian Duwi Formation, near the village of Tineida (Dakhla Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt). The new species, Enchodus tineidae sp. nov., consists of right and left dentaries, a partial ectopterygoid, and other cranial bones. The size of the specimen places it into the upper body-size range for the genus. The palatine tooth, an element often useful for diagnosing Enchodus to the species level, is not preserved, but a combination of other cranial characters supports the referral of this specimen to Enchodus. In particular, the dentary preserves three symphysial rostroventral prongs and two tooth rows, the lateral of which consists of small denticles, whereas the medial row comprises large, mediolaterally-compressed teeth. The rostral-most tooth exhibits the highest crown, whereas the rest of the teeth are of lower, variable crown heights. The eight robust, caudal-most medial-row teeth are distributed in a cluster pattern never before observed in Enchodus. Additionally, the dentary and preopercle are both without dermal ornamentation, and the mandibular sensory canal is closed. Phylogenetic analysis recovers this new species as the sister species to E. dirus from North America. Along with previously described materials from Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Italy, Morocco, and Libya, this specimen represents a thirteenth species from the northwestern Tethyan geographic distribution of Enchodus

Iris Recognition System Using Convolutional Neural Network

Identification system is one of the important parts in security domains of the present time. The traditional protection methods considered to be inefficient and unreliable as they are subjected to the theft, imitation or forgetfulness. In contrast, biometrics such as facial recognition, fingerprints and the retina have emerged as modern protection methods, but still also suffer from some defects and violations. However, Iris recognition is an automated method that considered as a promising biometric identification due to the stability and the uniqueness of its patterns. In this paper, an iris recognition system based on Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model was proposed. CNN is used to perform the required processes of feature extraction and classification. The proposed system was evaluated through CASIA-V1 and ATVS datasets, after the required pre-processing steps taken place, and achieved 98% and 97.83% as a result, respectively

Natural Radionuclide Concentrations by γ-Ray Spectrometry in Granitic Rocks of the Sol Hamed Area, Southeastern Desert of Egypt, and Their Radiological Implications

The occurrence of heavy radioactive minerals in construction supplies such as granite has drawn attention to the extraction of heavy radioactive minerals. Granitic rocks were identified to serve an essential economic role in the study area’s surrounding locations. As a result, the current study attempted to detect the activity concentrations of238 U,232 Th, and40 K in the granitic rock samples tested and estimate the radiological dangers associated with these rocks. The obtained data on activity concentrations for238 U (610 ± 1730 Bq kg−1 ),232 Th (110 ± 69 Bq kg−1 ) and40 K (1157 ± 467 Bq kg−1 ) in the granitic samples (GR) were higher than the recommended worldwide average. The radioactive levels found in the samples were caused by radioactive materials being altered and trapped inside granite faults. The exposure to gamma radiation from the granitic rocks were assessed via various radiological parameters, such as radium equivalent content (856 Bq kg−1 ), absorbed dose rate (Dair) in the air (396 nGy/h), and annual effective dose for either outdoor (0.48 mSv y−1 ) or indoor (1.9 mSv y−1 ). Statistical analysis was performed to detect the correlations between radioactive concentrations and radiological parameters. The radioactive effects contributed by the uranium minerals were associated with the granitic rocks. Based on the analysis, the radioactive levels in the examined granitic surpassed the acceptable limits; therefore, they are not safe to use in building and infrastructure applications and may cause adverse health effects. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.This research project was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University (KKU) (no. RGP.1/213/42)

Dose-dependent effect and pharmacokinetics of fexinidazole and its metabolites in a mouse model of human African trypanosomiasis.

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a neglected tropical disease, with a population of 70 million at risk. Current treatment options are limited. In the search for new therapeutics, the repurposing of the broad-spectrum antiprotozoal drug fexinidazole has completed Phase III trials with the anticipation that it will be the first oral treatment for HAT. This study used the recently validated bioluminescence imaging model to assess the dose and rate of kill effect of fexinidazole in infected mice, and the dose-dependent effect of fexinidazole on trypanosome infection. Pharmacokinetics of fexinidazole in plasma and central nervous system (CNS) compartments were similar in both infected and uninfected mice. Drug distribution within the CNS was further examined by microdialysis, showing similar levels in the cortex and hippocampus. However, high variability in drug distribution and exposure was found between mice

Placenta increta causing hemoperitoneum in the 26th week of pregnancy: a case report

Abstract Introduction Placenta increta is a serious complication of pregnancy. We describe a case leading to uterine rupture associated with massive intra-abdominal hemorrhage. Case presentation A 34-year-old Caucasian Albanian woman, gravida 2, para 1, was admitted to the emergency department of our hospital for acute abdominal pain associated with profound secondary anemia. An anatomopathological diagnosis of placenta increta destruens was made. An urgent hysterectomy was performed after resuscitation procedures, applied due to the severe anemia and the abdominal drama accompanying the case. Intra-operatively, a uterus-saving procedure was found to be impossible, and hysterectomy remained the only surgical option. The uterine structures were sent for further microscopic evaluation. On histological examination, deep trophoblastic infiltration of the uterine wall was observed, justifying the surgeon's decision. Our patient received blood transfusions and antibiotics. Her sutures were removed on the eighth postoperative day and she was discharged the following day in a stable condition. Conclusion This case, describing a patient with uterine rupture and massive hemorrhage, illustrates a serious and potentially fatal complication of placenta previa. In such cases, surgery is essential, and hysterectomy may be the only viable option.</p

A Database Study of Visual Outcomes and Intraoperative Complications of Postvitrectomy Cataract Surgery

PURPOSE: To analyze the visual outcomes and rate of intraoperative complications of phacoemulsification surgery after prior pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). DESIGN: Retrospective, multicenter database study. PARTICIPANTS: Eyes that underwent phacoemulsification between June 2005 and March 2015 at 8 sites in the United Kingdom. METHODS: Study eyes were classified as vitrectomized (prior PPV group) or nonvitrectomized (reference group) depending on the vitreous state at the time of cataract surgery. Eyes with multiple intraocular surgeries or history of ocular diseases known to cause cataract progression or increased risk of intraoperative complications during phacoemulsification were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity (VA), rate of intraoperative complications, and time interval to cataract surgery. RESULTS: Eyes in the prior PPV group (n = 2221) had worse preoperative logMAR VA (0.96±0.60 vs. 0.62±0.52, P \u3c 0.0001), were from younger patients, and had longer axial lengths than the nonvitrectomized group (n = 136 533). At all postoperative time points measured up to 24 weeks, mean vision was poorer in the prior PPV group (0.41±0.47 vs. 0.17±0.29 at 4-12 weeks, P \u3c 0.0001) and a smaller proportion of eyes achieved postoperative VA ≤0.30 logMAR (Snellen, ≥20/40) (60.8% vs. 86.5% at 4-12 weeks, P \u3c 0.0001). The rate of posterior capsular rupture was not different between the prior PPV (1.5%) and the nonvitrectomized (1.7%) groups, but the incidences of zonular dialysis (1.3% vs. 0.6%) and dropped nuclear fragments (0.6% vs. 0.2%) were higher in the prior PPV group (P \u3c 0.0001). The mean time interval between PPV and cataract surgery was 399 days. CONCLUSIONS: We found a significant improvement in VA with postvitrectomy cataract surgery. However, compared with eyes without prior PPV, there was a worse mean postoperative vision of 0.2 logMAR units, a higher rate of zonular dialysis and dropped nuclear fragments, and a similar rate of posterior capsule rupture

Spatial heterogeneity of habitat suitability for Rift Valley fever occurrence in Tanzania: an ecological niche modelling approach

Despite the long history of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in Tanzania, extent of its suitable habitat in the country remains unclear. In this study we investigated potential effects of temperature, precipitation, elevation, soil type, livestock density, rainfall pattern, proximity to wild animals, protected areas and forest on the habitat suitability for RVF occurrence in Tanzania. Presence-only records of 193 RVF outbreak locations from 1930 to 2007 together with potential predictor variables were used to model and map the suitable habitats for RVF occurrence using ecological niche modelling. Ground-truthing of the model outputs was conducted by comparing the levels of RVF virus specific antibodies in cattle, sheep and goats sampled from locations in Tanzania that presented different predicted habitat suitability values. Habitat suitability values for RVF occurrence were higher in the northern and central-eastern regions of Tanzania than the rest of the regions in the country. Soil type and precipitation of the wettest quarter contributed equally to habitat suitability (32.4% each), followed by livestock density (25.9%) and rainfall pattern (9.3%). Ground-truthing of model outputs revealed that the odds of an animal being seropositive for RVFV when sampled from areas predicted to be most suitable for RVF occurrence were twice the odds of an animal sampled from areas least suitable for RVF occurrence (95% CI: 1.43, 2.76, p < 0.001). The regions in the northern and central-eastern Tanzania were more suitable for RVF occurrence than the rest of the regions in the country. The modelled suitable habitat is characterised by impermeable soils, moderate precipitation in the wettest quarter, high livestock density and a bimodal rainfall pattern. The findings of this study should provide guidance for the design of appropriate RVF surveillance, prevention and control strategies which target areas with these characteristics