Study of intraocular pressure among individuals working on computer screens for long hours: Effect of exposure to computer screens on IOP

In today’s world computers are ubiquitous and found in different forms which can effect intraocular pressure (IOP). Present study was undertaken to find out effect of day-to-day exposure to computer screen on IOP in normal individuals. 70 individuals (who met the screening conditions and devoid of obvious ocular pathology and systemic diseases) had their IOP’s checked before and 4 hour after computer session on same day, all working in general day shift, involving reading English printed material. The results showed significant (p<0.005) increase with IOP values before exposure being 17.89±3.25 and 16.99±2.84 and after exposure being 19.67±3.4 and 18.70±2.4 in left and right eye respectively. Increase in IOP was noted in 70% and 67% individuals in left and right eye. Differences in IOP of right and left eye may be due to dominance of eye or direction of script from left to right

Study of the influence of normal and high blood pressure on normal and stenosed carotid bifurcation using fluid-structure interaction

Atherosclerosis (stenosis) is a common cardiovascular disease in which the blood vessel restructures by narrowing, thickening and gets hardened due to the deposition of plaque. A detailed study of narrowing of arteries applying computational aspects which leads to better findings in order to know the underlying mechanics of development and progression of such diseases. Such kind of analysis can be a useful tool for the medical professionals to study the realistic physiological conditions. They can simulate and observe the blood flow in arteries. In the present study, a case of normal and stenosed carotid bifurcation is simulated. The models are generated in CATIA based on the clinical data obtained from a patient using Ultrasound Doppler. A transient FSI analysis considering Newtonian behavior is performed to compare the significance of High Blood Pressure (HBP) and Normal Blood Pressure (NBP) on carotid bifurcation. The FSI simulation is carried out for both HBP and NBP conditions for several pulse cycles on normal and stenosed models using ANSYS13.0 to demonstrate the changes in flow behavior at various sections of the model. The computed results agree well with clinical observations and available literature as seen in case of NBP

Haemodynamics study in subject-specific abdominal aorta with renal bifurcation using CFD - a case study

Study of haemodynamics with advances in computational simulation is beneficial in demonstrating the flow dynamics of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. Numerical simulation investigation on subject specific models provides detailed information on haemodynamic conditions. In the present study, two separate cases of subject specific abdominal aorta with renal bifurcation is investigated. Both the cases are diagnosed to be normal with any plaque sites. 3D subject-specific CAD models are generated based on CT scan data using MIMICS-16.0 and numerical analysis is performed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in ANSYS-17. The blood flow is assumed to be incompressible, homogenous and Newtonian. Flow equations are simulated for three pulse cycles and haemodynamic parameters such as flow pattern, Wall Shear Stress (WSS) and pressure contours are studied at the bifurcation and critical zones. The variation in flow behaviour is investigated throughout the pulse and simulation results obtained demonstrate that there is a considerable flow recirculation in the downstream side of abdominal aorta and distal side of renal branches. The obtained results agree well with the clinical observation and demonstrate the potential of subject-specific numerical studies in prognosis of disease progression

Experimental and numerical study of stenotic flows

Atherosclerosis has been leading cause of deaths in several countries. Recent technical advances have allowed the investigation of stenotic flows and in understanding the implications with increased severity. Such studies shall provide detailed understanding of flow across stenosis and its progression. In the present study, a large artery representing segment of aorta is considered as test specimen. Experimental study is carried out by generating the pulsatile flow through pulsatile duplicator. Flow across normal and various severities of stenosis such as 25%, 50% and 75% are studied. Numerical simulation using CFD is also carried out in similar normal and stenosed models. A novel concept of using pulse duplicator to generate pulsatile waves and investigate the different stenosed models has been adopted. Results obtained experimentally and numerically are compared and agree well with that of clinical observations. This study demonstrates significant variation of haemodynamic in post-stenotic region with increased stenosis. Increased pulse pressure, phase lag is observed with increased severity. It is also observed that stenosis greater than 75% is significant as flow complexity is induced with considerable disturbance even in early and latter part of pulse cycle. Such study shall be useful in understanding the flow changes in stenosis and enhance clinical observation

Fluid-structure interaction study of stenotic flow in subject specific carotid bifurcation: a case study

Advances in numerical simulation have allowed the investigation of complex interaction of blood flow through elastic arteries which can be useful in demonstrating the disease progression and haemodynamics of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. In the present study, patient is diagnosed with an occluded right Internal Carotid Artery (ICA) with partial stenosis at root of right External Carotid Artery (ECA) and partial stenosis at the root of left ICA. 3D patient specific carotid bifurcation is generated based on CT scan data using MIMICS-14.0 and numerical analysis is performed using FSI in ANSYS-14.5. The blood flow is assumed to be incompressible, homogenous and Newtonian, while artery wall is assumed to behave linearly elastic. The two-way sequentially coupled transient FSI analysis is performed using FSI solver for three pulse cycles and haemodynamic parameters such as flow pattern, Wall Shear Stress (WSS), pressure contours and arterial wall deformation are studied at the bifurcation and critical zones. The variation in flow behavior is investigated throughout the pulse and simulation results obtained reveals that there is a considerable increase in the flow behavior in partially stenosed carotid unlike occluded carotid. The investigation also demonstrates disturbed flow pattern especially at the bifurcation and stenosed zone elevating the haemodynamic variation during peak systole and later part of pulse cycle. The obtained results agree well with the clinical observation and demonstrate the potential of patient specific numerical studies in prognosis of disease progression and plaque rupture

Azithromycin Differentially Alters TCR-Activated Helper T Cell Subset Phenotype and Effector Function

In addition to their antibiotic activities, azithromycin (AZM) exhibits anti-inflammatory effects in various respiratory diseases. One of the potent anti-inflammatory mechanisms is through inhibition of CD4+ helper T (Th) cell effector function. However, their impact on specific Th subset is obscure. Herein, we demonstrate the cellular basis of phenotypic and functional alterations associated with Th subsets following AZM treatment in vitro. Using well-characterized Th subset specific chemokine receptors, we report significant suppression of T cell receptor (TCR)-stimulated hyperactivated CCR4+CXCR3+ (Th0) expansion compared to CCR4-CXCR3+ (Th1-like) and CCR4+CXCR3- (Th2-like) cells. Interestingly, this effect was associated with diminished cell proliferation. Furthermore, AZM significantly inhibited the inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and IL-4 production, CCR4 and CXCR3 receptor expression, and viability of Th0, Th1-like, and Th2-like subsets. Our findings suggest that AZM differentially affects TCR-activated Th subsets phenotype and function, and CCR4 and CXCR3 downregulation and suppressed Th0 subset expansion could potentially influence their trafficking and differentiation into cytokine-producing effector cells

Silencing of the FTO gene inhibits insulin secretion : An in vitro study using GRINCH cells

Expression of fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) and ADP-ribosylation factor-like 15 (ARL15) in human islets is inversely correlated with HbA(1c). However, their impact on insulin secretion is still ambiguous. Here in, we investigated the role of FTO and ARL15 using GRINCH (Glucose-Responsive Insulin-secreting C-peptide-modified Human proinsulin) clonal rat beta-cells. GRINCH cells have inserted GFP into the human C-peptide insulin gene. Hence, secreted CpepGFP served to monitor insulin secretion. mRNA silencing of FTO in GRINCH cells showed a significant reduction in glucose but not depolarization-stimulated insulin secretion, whereas ARL15 silencing had no effect. A significant down-regulation of insulin mRNA was observed in FTO knockdown cells. Type-2 Diabetic islets revealed a reduced expression of FTO mRNA. In conclusion, our data suggest that fluorescent CpepGFP released from GRINCH cells may serve as a convenient marker for insulin secretion. Silencing of FTO expression, but not ARL15, inhibits insulin secretion by affecting metabolic signaling.Peer reviewe

The Association Between FokI Vitamin D Receptor Polymorphisms With Metabolic Syndrome Among Pregnant Arab Women

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a serious health condition that is becoming extremely threatening in Saudi Arabia. The link between vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and maternal MetS has been observed in several ethnic groups, but is yet to be clarified in the Arabian population. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the FokI VDR genotype and the risk of MetS and its components in pregnant Saudi women. A cross-sectional study was conducted using 368 pregnant Saudi women on first trimester screened for MetS (44 with MetS and 324 without MetS). Measurements included anthropometrics, glycemic and lipid profile and 25(OH)D. TaqMan genotyping assay was used to determine Fokl VDR genotype of participants. Vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D <50nmol/l) was seen in 85% of the participants. An estimated 12% of participants had MetS. In the MetS group, the FokI VDR genotyping frequencies for FF, Ff, and ff genotypes were 50%, 36.4% and 13.6%, respectively. In controls, the frequencies were 62.7%, 31.4% and 5.9%, respectively. No significant association between the individual MetS components and FokI VDR genotypes were observed. Nevertheless, carriers of the ff allele had a significant risk for full maternal MetS [Odds Ratio 4.2 (95% Confidence Interval 1.4-12.2; adjusted p=0.009). The study suggests that the ff FokI VDR genotype is a genetic marker of maternal MetS in pregnant Arabian women. Prospective studies that include neonatal outcomes may confirm present findings

Influence of Adiposity-Related Genetic Markers in a Population of Saudi Arabians Where Other Variables Influencing Obesity May Be Reduced

Large scale studies in Europeans have clearly identified common polymorphism affecting BMI and obesity. We undertook a genotype study to examine the impact of variants, known to influence obesity, in a sample from the Saudi Arabian population, notable for its profound combination of low mean physical activity indices and high energy intake. Anthropometry measures and genotypes were obtained for 367 Saudis, taken from King Saud University and Biomarker Screening Project in Riyadh (Riyadh Cohort). We observed large effect sizes with obesity for rs10767664 (BDNF) (OR = 1.923, P=0.00072) and rs3751812 (FTO) (OR = 1.523, P=0.016) in our sample and, using weighted genetic risk scores, we found strong evidence of a cumulative effect using 11 SNPs taken predominantly from loci principally affecting appetite (OR = 2.57, P=0.00092). We used conditional analyses to discern which of our three highly correlated FTO SNPs were responsible for the observed signal, although we were unable to determine with confidence which best marked the causal site. Our analysis indicates that markers located in loci known to influence fat mass through increased appetite affect obesity in Saudi Arabians to an extent possibly greater than in Europeans. Larger scale studies will be necessary to obtain a precise comparison

Maternal mortality and morbidity burden in the Eastern Mediterranean region : findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study

Assessing the burden of maternal mortality is important for tracking progress and identifying public health gaps. This paper provides an overview of the burden of maternal mortality in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) by underlying cause and age from 1990 to 2015. We used the results of the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study to explore maternal mortality in the EMR countries. The maternal mortality ratio in the EMR decreased 16.3% from 283 (241-328) maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 237 (188-293) in 2015. Maternal mortality ratio was strongly correlated with socio-demographic status, where the lowest-income countries contributed the most to the burden of maternal mortality in the region. Progress in reducing maternal mortality in the EMR has accelerated in the past 15 years, but the burden remains high. Coordinated and rigorous efforts are needed to make sure that adequate and timely services and interventions are available for women at each stage of reproductive life