Eye Irritation Research Articles

Topical Sustained-Release Dexamethasone-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles: Assessment of Drug Delivery Efficiency in a Rabbit Model of Endotoxin-Induced Uveitis.

Uveitis is an ocular illness that if not treated properly can lead to a total loss of vision. In this study, we evaluated the utility of HA-coated Dexamethasone-sodium-phosphate (DEX)-chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) coated with hyaluronic acid (HA) as a sustained ocular delivery vehicle for the treatment of endotoxin-induced-uveitis (EIU) in rabbits. The CSNPs were characterized for particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity, surface morphology, and physicochemical properties. Drug encapsulation, in vitro drug release, and transcorneal permeation were also evaluated. Finally, eye irritation, ocular pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics were in vivo. The CSNPs ranged from 310.4 nm and 379.3 nm pre-(uncoated) and post-lyophilization (with HA-coated), respectively. The zeta potentials were +32 mV (uncoated) and -5 mV (HA-uncoated), while polydispersity was 0.178-0.427. Drug encapsulation and loading in the CSNPs were 73.56% and 6.94% (uncoated) and 71.07% and 5.54% (HA-coated), respectively. The in vitro DEX release over 12 h was 77.1% from the HA-coated and 74.2% from the uncoated NPs. The physicochemical properties of the CSNPs were stable over a 3-month period when stored at 25 °C. Around a 10-fold increased transcorneal-flux and permeability of DEX was found with HA-CSNPs compared to the DEX-aqueous solution (DEX-AqS), and the eye-irritation experiment indicated its ocular safety. After the ocular application of the CSNPs, DEX was detected in the aqueous humor (AH) till 24 h. The area under the concentrations curve (AUC0-24h) for DEX from the CSNPs was 1.87-fold (uncoated) and 2.36-fold (HA-coated) higher than DEX-AqS. The half-life (t1/2) of DEX from the uncoated and HA-coated NPs was 2.49-and 3.36-fold higher, and the ocular MRT0-inf was 2.47- and 3.15-fold greater, than that of DEX-AqS, respectively. The EIU rabbit model showed increased levels of MPO, TNF-α, and IL-6 in AH. Topical DEX-loaded CSNPs reduced MPO, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels as well as inhibited NF-κB expression. Our findings demonstrate that the DEX-CSNPs platform has improved the delivery properties and, hence, the promising anti-inflammatory effects on EIU in rabbits.

P07-03: Are glass and stone mineral wool fibers used for the insulation skin and eye irritant?

P07-03: Are glass and stone mineral wool fibers used for the insulation skin and eye irritant?

A case report of a patient with panuveitis following COVID-19 infection

Introduction: Panuveitis is intraocular inflammation of all layers of the uvea and may be isolated or associated with systemic inflammatory diseases affecting one eye or both eyes. Uveitis and conjunctivitis are noted in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection but have been listed as a major adverse event in case reports for COVID-19. Importance: To describe the clinical profile of a Syrian patient presenting with panuveitis following COVID-19 infection. Case presentation: A 32-year-old Syrian computer programmer, a previously healthy nonsmoker male, presented with pain, photophobia, and red eye with no irritation or discharge in eyes, decreased vision, and seeing floaters for 5 days. His only notable mention on review of systems was a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection 8 weeks prior. Ocular examination revealed panuveitis involvement. No muscle weakness or neurological positive findings were found. There was no relevant medical history or previous personal or family history. Laboratory tests, including QuantiFERON-TB, immune profile, and viral serology, were negative. Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme levels were normal. Interleukin-1 receptor was negative. Human leukocyte antigen B51/B27 typing was negative. Chest radiograph was normal. Thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic computerized tomography were normal. Based on the negative review of systems and the first panuveitis event, the presumptive diagnosis was isolated bilateral SARS-CoV-2-induced panuveitis. Clinical discussion: In December 2019, COVID-19 became a global health issue. Studies assumed that ocular manifestations of COVID-19 were rare and ranged between 3 and 30%. Moreover, it rarely happened as an initial manifestation of the disease, and it was reported during the following weeks. To our knowledge, in the literature review, panuveitis was reported after COVID infection only in our case and in Benito-Pascual et al.’s case, which described panuveitis and optic neuritis after COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: We must be aware of the possible panuveitis manifestations following COVID-19 infection.

Willingness to Contribute Time versus Willingness to Pay for the Management of Harmful Algal Blooms

The harmful impacts of the ongoing Sargassum invasions in the Atlantic Ocean include fish kills, skin and eye irritation, beach fouling, and declines in fisheries and tourism in West Africa and the Americas. This study was conducted to address important gaps in the non-market valuation literature and support the design of effective adaptation policies to reduce the harmful impacts of algal blooms. Contingent valuation survey data and linear mixed-effects regression models were utilized to estimate the drivers of willingness to pay (WTP) and willingness to contribute time (WTCT) for the management of invasive Sargassum seaweeds in Ghana. The study revealed that income, education, family size, years of residence, sex, attitudes, and political affiliation are significant drivers of WTP, while distance to the beach, occupation, house ownership, attitudes, and political affiliation are also significant predictors of WTCT. Hence, only attitudes about invasive seaweeds and political affiliation influence both WTP and WTCT. The findings suggest that for developing countries to generate enough funding and adequate economic support for coastal resource conservation, they should design local resource protection programs that give residents the option to contribute both time and money.

Health Implications of Bioaccumulation of PAHs in Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) and Waterleaf (Talinum fruticosum) along the Imo River Watershed, Imo State, Nigeria

The health implication of PAHs has been of great concern due to its contamination of the food chain. This study was carried out to identify the health challenges associated with the bioaccumulation of PAHs in Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) and Waterleaf (Talinum fruticosum) along Imo River Watershed, Imo State, Nigeria. A total of 8 soil samples (0-30cm) were randomly collected from different activity areas on the watershed and analyzed for the presence of the 16 US-EPA priority PAHs in both soil and vegetable samples. The analysis of PAHs in the soil and vegetable samples were carried out in accordance with EPA 8270: (GC-MSD) and the results revealed that amongst the 16 US-EPA priority PAHs, eight of them were detected in the soil and vegetable samples. The total concentration of PAHs detected in the soil and vegetable samples were Naphthalene(0.146mg/kg), Acenaphthylene(0.010mg/kg), Acenaphthene(0.210mg/kg),Phenanthrene(0.021mg/kg),Anthracene(0.041mg/kg),Flouranthene(0.130mg/kg),Pyrene(0.020mg/kg),Benzo(b)fluoranthene(8.641mg/kg) and Naphthalene(0.090mg/kg),Acenaphthene(0.011mg/kg),Fluorene(0.010mg/kg),Phenanthrene(0.230mg/kg),Anthracene(0.190mg/kg),Flouranthene(0.010mg/kg),Benzo(b)fluoranthene(2.711mg/kg),I(1,2,3-cd)PY(0.540mg/kg) respectively. The decreasing order for individual PAHs concentration in the soil and vegetable samples within the study area were Benzo(b)Flouranthene>Acenaphthene>Naphthalene>Fluoranthene>Anthracene> Phenanthrene> Pyrene> Acenaphthelyne and Benzo(b) Flouranthene>I(1,2,3-cd)PY> Phenanthrene> Anthracene> Naphthalene>Acenaphthene> Fluorene>Fluoranthene respectively. For both soil and vegetables, total PAHs concentrations recorded in Obowo zone were observed to be higher than Okigwe zone. The result also revealed high values of PAHs in the edible vegetable samples collected around abattoirs and abandoned waste dump. It is therefore evident from this study that abattoirs and waste dumps have the potential to emit huge amount of PAHs to soil resource, which is taken up by edible vegetables leading to several health challenges when the vegetables are consumed. Different exposure to PAHs results in immune function suppression, cataracts, kidney and liver damage, skin inflammation, asthma, nausea, vomiting, eye irritation, diarrhea, confusion, lung and other cancers and probably death in chronic cases. There is need for public education on the consumption of vegetables grown in and around abattoirs and areas dominated by waste dumps.

Screening of insecticidal activity of plant essential oils and extract-based formulations against four agricultural insect pests and their risk assessment

Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), Myzus persicae (Sulzer), Plutella xylostella (L), and Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) are notorious agricultural insect pests worldwide. Due to the rapid development of resistance to the conventional insecticides, the number of available insecticides might be reduced in a near future, and botanical insecticides can be considered as one of the potential candidates to solve this problem. In the present study, test formulations were prepared using plant essential oils and extracts as main active ingredients, and their insecticidal activity and phytotoxicity were examined. Among the combinations tested, two oil-in-water formulations of NRS-13 containing thyme white oil and NRS-24 containing basil and rosemary oils were selected based on their notable insecticidal activity and low phytotoxicity. Chemical analyses on the active essential oils, the quantitative analysis of the major components in the formulations, insecticidal activities under pot and field conditions, their acute toxicity on mammals, and ecotoxicity on fish were also examined. The NRS-13 (BaechooSaferTM) and NRS-24 (JindiOutTM) formulations showed species-specific insecticidal activity against P. xylostella and M. persicae, respectively. In addition, both formulations produced low acute oral and dermal toxicity, skin and eye irritation, and fish toxicities, which suggests those formulations based on essential oils could be considered as insecticides for pest control in small-scale environments in organic farming.

Preparation of Soft Embalmed Cadavers by the Modified Thiel Embalming Technique for Surgical Skill Training and Development of a Universal Quantitative Scoring System to Assess the Suitability of Soft Embalmed Cadavers for Such Training Purposes.

Background Cadaver dissection plays an important role in learning anatomy. A surgeon must have a thorough knowledge of anatomy of the operating region to perform safe surgery. Skill laboratories give opportunities to surgeons to practice on cadavers before venturing onto real patients. The most common method of cadaver preservation is through formalin fixation. In the process of fixation, formalin destroys the tissue characteristics and also has issues such as smell, eye irritation, hardening of tissue, and risk of carcinogenesis. The Thiel embalming technique and its modifications were developed to address those issues. Our primary objective was to find the benefits of soft embalmed cadavers over formalin-fixed bodies and, secondly, to find out microbial flora in soft embalmed cadavers. Study design This is a basic study. Methods Four cadavers were prepared for the soft embalming purpose for our workshop for surgeons on spine fixation. Due to unavailability, we replaced 4-chloro-3-methylphenol 1% with phenol 1%. The bodies were preserved in refrigerators at 4°C before being used for the workshop purpose. The delegates and faculties were given a questionnaire to assess their experience of the cadavers in terms of odor, irritation, tissue characteristics, joint mobility, and imaging characteristics. The results were calculated using statistical analysis. Swabs were taken from a few of the cadavers for culture to find the organisms. Results There were 14 questions in the questionnaire, and the data collected were divided into two groups, faculties, and delegates. JASP software was used to analyze the data. The questions addressed various aspects of cadavers such as color, odor, tissue pliability, joint flexibility, imaging characteristics, mucosal irritation, and earlier experience in working with cadavers. Cronbach α was used to find the correlation between the various characteristics analyzed. The authors intend to name the domains being measured: surgical suitability (scores of items 8 to 12), imaging suitability (scores of items 5 and 6), and smell score (scores of items 5 and 6). It can be a guide to constructing and refining a better quantitative scale to measure the "quality of soft-embalmed cadavers for surgical training." Conclusions Skill laboratories give opportunities to young surgeons and trainees to learn and improve their skills before applying them to real patients. This was our first attempt to develop soft embalmed cadavers at our center and our state. We used the parent solution with some variations as per the availability of chemicals at our place and found that the features of the preserved cadavers were good and well-suited to address our purpose. Therefore, with some variations in the parent formulations, centers situated in remote and less developed places can formulate their own solution to develop soft embalmed cadavers and establish cadaver skill laboratories. This will benefit the local surgeons and trainees. The authors tried to develop a few domains through statistical analysis, which can be used to assess and compare the quality of cadavers prepared at various centers.

Facile Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Nanostructures for the Efficient Disposal of Crystal Violet Dye from Aqueous Media

An excessive accumulation of crystal violet dye in the human body results in an accelerated heart rate, tetraplegia, eye irritation, and long-term damage to the transparent mucous membrane that protects the eyeballs. Accordingly, in this paper, sodium manganese silicate/sodium manganese silicate hydroxide hydrate was easily fabricated as a novel type of nanostructures for the successful disposal of crystal violet dye from aqueous solutions. The formed sodium manganese silicate/sodium manganese silicate hydroxide hydrate nanostructures after the hydrothermal treatment of the gel produced from the interaction of Mn(II) ions with Si(IV) ions at 180 °C for 6, 12, 18, and 24 h were abbreviated as MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4, respectively. The XRD showed that the average crystallite size of the MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4 samples is 8.38, 7.43, 4.25, and 8.76 nm, respectively. The BET surface area of the MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4 samples is 41.58, 46.15, 58.25, and 39.69 m2/g, respectively. The MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4 samples consist of spherical and irregular shapes with average grain sizes of 157.22, 88.06, 43.75, and 107.08 nm, respectively. The best adsorption conditions of the crystal violet dye employing the MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4 products were achieved at pH = 8, contact time = 140 min, and solution temperature = 298 kelvin. The linear pseudo-2nd-order model as well as the linear Langmuir isotherm better describe the disposal of the crystal violet dye using the MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4 adsorbents. The studied thermodynamic parameters indicated that the disposal of the crystal violet dye employing the MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4 adsorbents is spontaneous, exothermic, and chemical. The maximum disposal capacities of the MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4 adsorbents towards crystal violet dye are 342.47, 362.32, 411.52, and 310.56 mg/g, respectively.

Accelerated convergence for city-scale flow fields using immersed boundaries and coupled multigrid

Fast and accurate prediction of Chemical, Biological and Radiological (CBR) dispersion patterns and toxic extents is important for public safety as conventional and non-conventional airborne threats released into the built environment can pose serious dangers to human health ranging from difficulty breathing and eye irritation to incapacitation and death. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is routinely used for gas dispersion modeling when increased accuracy over traditional Gaussian-based methods is required, although CFD requires greater modelling efforts. The combination of structured Cartesian meshes and immersed boundary methods reduces this effort and has been resurging in popularity over the past decade.Due to a lack of related literature, a simple and robust methodology was developed by the authors to treat immersed boundaries at multigrid levels, and this integration focused on a segregated multigrid approach using structured Cartesian meshes with adaptive mesh refinement. In the current work, a coupled multigrid treatment is adapted to the integrated immersed boundary methodology and adaptive mesh approach and compared to the segregated technique in terms of convergence rates. To accelerate convergence, the coupled approach selectively applies grid refinement at coarse grid levels, and by design, neither methodology detects the immersed boundaries on coarse grid levels.The two multigrid approaches are compared at three flow scales: wind tunnel, mock-urban and full-urban. At the wind tunnel scale, the coupled multigrid solver shows 39.3 times speed up over single grid and 10.4 times improvement over the baseline segregated approach. At the full urban scale, the coupled approach is shown to converge wind fields with a 6.3 times speed improvement over the previous segregated approach and therefore is suitable for CFD-based CBR assessment tools.

Dextran: A Multifunctional and Universal Electrolyte Additive for Aqueous Zn Ion Batteries

AbstractThe aqueous Zn ion battery (ZIB) is a potentially sustainable energy storage device. However, its performance is still far from satisfactory. Herein, it is demonstrated that a branched sugar, dextran, widely used in eyedrop products to relieve irritated eyes, is a multifunctional and universal electrolyte additive to enable high‐performance ZIBs. Experimental and theoretical results reveal that dextran has four functions: forming a surface protective layer to minimize side reactions, facilitating stepwise [Zn(H2O)6]2+ desolvation, preferably adsorbing on Zn(0002) planes to supply desolvated Zn2+ and homogenizing electric field. These functions are universally observed in Zn(CF3SO3)2, ZnSO4, Zn(ClO4)2, and ZnCl2 aqueous electrolytes. As demonstrations for practical applications, Zn anodes deliver Coulombic efficiency of 99.97% after 3400 cycles in an electrolyte with 50 mg mL‒1 of dextran and cumulative plating capacity of 3400 mAh cm‒2 at 5 mA cm‒2. Zn//V2O5 full cells with a low negative/positive electrode capacity ratio of 2.18 can be stably cycled over 138 cycles at 1 A g‒1. Pouch full cells can work under mechanical bending conditions. Zn//polyaniline full cells can cycle steadily for 3000 cycles at 0.5 A g‒1 at −10 °C. Dextran shows excellent potential as a low‐cost and non‐toxic electrolyte additive to enable safe and reliable ZIBs.

Preparation and Evaluation of Medicated Formulation for Dry Eye

Introduction: The current research involved the study of chondroitin sulfate polymer to prevent moisture loss, which was formulated to treat dry eye. Methods: The ophthalmic formulation was prepared with 5% liquid paraffin wax, 10% carbowax, and 1% glycerine. Furthermore, its usefulness in ophthalmology was analyzed by measuring parameters like pH, isotonicity, turbidity, viscosity, % moisture loss, vapor pressure, and in-vitro and in-vivo corneal damage. Results: We successfully adjusted the pH and osmolality of the F2 formulation to the desired physiological levels, providing the opportunity to reduce the harmful reaction as well as inflammation and dehydration. In addition, viscosity plays an important role in ophthalmic preparation. Consequently, the stability studies of optimized formulation indicated no remarkable changes in physical properties, including pH, viscosity, phase separation, and turbidity. Furthermore, a vapor pressure manometer studied the percentage of moisture loss. Interestingly, the HET-CAM test correlated properly with the findings of the Draize eye inflammation test. Moreover, the in-vivo irritation test of the optimized system showed that it was tolerable, with no signs of irritation in the rabbit eye compared to the marketed formulation. In addition, the F2 formulation demonstrated better results than the marketed corneal preparation. Thereby, from the results, it can be concluded that the simple manometer apparatus can be the best method for evaluating moisture loss prevention for dry eyes. No study or investigation has been reported before for ophthalmic preparation. Conclusion: Altogether, chondroitin sulfate with carbowax 1000 and liquid paraffin-based ophthalmic preparation can be considered a promising approach for preventing dryness of the eye.

In-line quantitative estimation of ammonium polyphosphate flame retardant in polyolefins via industrial hyperspectral imaging system and machine learning

Due to developments in European legislation, several halogenated flame retardants are banned due to their toxicity, and the use of phosphor-based flame retardants in plastics is increasing. A revision of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) flame retardant revealed that it is an eye irritant and toxic, thus posing a health issue. Hence APP identification is needed for enabling safe recycling of plastic waste streams. Herein an industrial in-line method for quantitative estimation of APP in low density polyethylene (LDPE) and polypropylene (PP) is demonstrated, by using an industrial hyperspectral imaging system (955 to 1700 nm) and principal component analysis (PCA). Spectra of plastic samples with varying concentrations of APP were applied to build and calibrate a quantitative determination method. PCA and band area ratios (of selected bands) were made and fitted with continuous functions for concentration determination. The plastic samples were characterised by elemental analysis, attenuated total reflection, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The PCA model outperforms the band area ratio model and predicts APP concentrations between 24.3 and 1.5 wt% in LDPE (R2 = 0.98) and 20.0 and 1.7 wt% in PP (R2 = 0.97). Unknown samples with APP ranging from 23.7 to 2.7 wt% in LDPE and from 18.6 to 2.3 wt% in PP were predicted and correlated to the actual concentrations. The proposed approach is valuable for the plastic recyclers and waste management industries where inline concentration determination of flame retardants is key.

Effects of Occupational Exposure on Health of The Workers of Copper Manufacturing Utensils in Kashmir (India)

Purpose: The objective was to investigate the general working conditions of the workers of copper manufacturing Utensils in Kashmir (India) and to assess the health risk factors of the workers working in that industry.Methods: The study was conducted at 30 workshops manufacturing copper utensils of Kashmir valley situated in India. Temperature, Noise level was also measured in these units by following standard protocols. A formulated questionnaire was circulated among the workers to assess the health risk factors of the workers and observation method was utilized to evaluate the working conditions of theses workshops Results: The present investigation indicates that the majority of the workers of these factories industry were illiterate. Most of them were suffering from health problems like eye irritation, injuries, back pain, skin injuries, respiratory problems and general weakness.Conclusions: Our results clearly indicated that the health and working conditions of the workers manufacturing copper utensils in Kashmir (India) were unsatisfactory. Every worker on an average was suffering from three to five health-risk factors. We recommend that personal protective equipments should be provided to the workers to reduce the risk factors. : The objective was to investigate the general working conditions of the workers of copper manufacturing Utensils in Kashmir (India) and to assess the health risk factors of the workers working in that industry.

Occupational Formaldehyde Exposure and the Health Symptoms Among Histopathology Laboratory Workers in North Borneo

In hospitals, the chemical formaldehyde is commonly utilised to preserve tissues. The healthcare personnel exposed to formaldehyde the most work in histopathology laboratories. This study aims to determine the health effects of everyday formaldehyde exposure on healthcare professionals in the histopathology laboratory. Cross-sectional comparative research was used for the study design. The 8-hour time-weighted-average (TWA<sub>8</sub>) formaldehyde level was measured at the histopathology laboratory at Hospital Queen Elizabeth in Sabah and the administration office (control) using the real-time colorimetric tube method. Workers in both places were required to answer a questionnaire on their health status. The TWA<sub>8</sub> formaldehyde level was higher in the exposed area (0.113 ppm) than in the unexposed area (0.031 ppm). Air samplings showed that formaldehyde exposure levels in the exposed area (0.108 ± 0.026 ppm) were significantly higher than in an unexposed area (0.028 ± 0.018 ppm) at p < 0.001. Symptoms closely related to formaldehyde exposure were 51% in the histopathology laboratory workers, greater than 35% in the control group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The workers showed six symptoms: irritated eyes, sore throat, cough, runny nose, sneezing and headache. Although the level of occupational workplace exposure to formaldehyde in the histopathology laboratory was below the recommended limit, the health symptoms related to formaldehyde among the exposed group were detected. Enhancing control measures for indoor air quality improvement in the working area is required to minimise the health risk among laboratory workers.

Potential blindness from nutritional xerophthalmia in autistic patients

Vitamin A is vital to retinal rod function and epithelial cell differentiation. Although uncommon in the developed world, vitamin A deficiency (VAD) secondary to poor diets or gastrointestinal disease has been reported and can lead to xerophthalmia, which is characterized by night blindness and a spectrum of ocular surface changes. Patients with autism spectrum disorder have been shown to have restrictive diets secondary to sensory issues leading to rejection of foods except for those of certain color or texture. We present a case series of 6 pediatric patients with autism who developed varying degrees of xerophthalmia due to VAD, which resulted from restrictive eating. All patients presented with a history of eye irritation that was not relieved by antibiotic or allergy eye drops. Further questioning revealed they had restrictive diets consisting of only or mostly white and tan foods, and serum vitamin A testing confirmed severe VAD. Most stages of xerophthalmia were completely reversed with vitamin A supplementation, but in 2 patients more advanced xerophthalmia resulted in irreversible blindness and ocular damage. Both pediatricians and pediatric eye care providers must be vigilant for VAD as an etiology of eye irritation, photophobia, or new-onset visual impairment in autistic children. A review of the child's diet must be implemented as a standard part of routine history taken in this vulnerable population. Early identification and vitamin A supplementation can prevent irreversible ocular compromise and vision loss.

Air Pollutant Patterns and Human Health Risk following the East Palestine, Ohio, Train Derailment.

On February 3, 2023, a train carrying numerous hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, OH, spurring temporary evacuation of residents and a controlled burn of some of the hazardous cargo. Residents reported health symptoms, including headaches and respiratory, skin, and eye irritation. Initial data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stationary air monitors indicated levels of potential concern for air toxics based on hazard quotient calculations. To provide complementary data, we conducted mobile air quality sampling on February 20 and 21 using proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry. Measurements were taken at 1 s intervals along routes designed to sample both close to and farther from the derailment. Mobile air monitoring indicated that average concentrations of benzene, toluene, xylenes, and vinyl chloride were below minimal risk levels for intermediate and chronic exposures, similar to EPA stationary monitoring data. Levels of acrolein were high relative to those of other volatile organic compounds, with spatial analyses showing levels in East Palestine up to 6 times higher than the local rural background. Nontargeted analyses identified levels of additional unique compounds above background levels, some displaying spatiotemporal patterns similar to that of acrolein and others exhibiting distinct hot spots. These initial findings warrant follow-up mobile air quality monitoring to characterize longitudinal exposure and risk levels.

Vitamin D Status Among Patients With Dry Eye Syndrome Attended In Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU)

Background: Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a common ocular manifestation. Artificial tears provide relief of eye irritation in patients with aqueous tear deficiency, but do not treat the underlying inflammation in Dry eye syndrome. Aim: To assess the vitamin D status of the dry eye syndrome patients. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Community Ophthalmology, BSMMU, Shahbag, Dhaka, from July 2019 to June 2020. Within the period a total of 50 cases of dry eye syndrome patients that met the inclusion criteria were taken as samples after receiving their informed consent. Detailed history, physical examination and Ophthalmological examination including Tear film Breakup Time (TBUT) of each patient was performed and recorded. Eye discomfort was assessed by the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) the score of which ranges from 0 to 100. A score of 12 was used as a cutoff for normal, 13–22 for mild dry eye, 23–32 for moderate dry eye, and ≥ 33 for severe dry eye. Tear film Breakup Time (TBUT) <10 s was taken as abnormal. Results: In this study, mean (±SD) fluorescein Tear film Breakup Time (TBUT) was 5.89±1.31 sec, Schirmer test without anesthesia was 7.45±2.31mm/5 min, Schirmer test with anesthesia was 9.06±2.06mm/5 min and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) was 34.44±5.64. Mean (±SD) serum vitamin D level ng/mL was 5.89±1.31 ng/mL. 14 (28%) cases were found as insufficient, 33 (66%) cases were deficient and only 3 (6%) cases found to have normal Vitamin D status. Vitamin D level was positively correlated with Tear Breakup Time (TBUT), Schirmer test1 and Schirmer test2 and negatively correlated with OSDI. This correlation was statistically significant for Tear film Breakup Time (TBUT), Schirmer test2 and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI). Conclusion: Vitamin-D deficiency appears to have an effect on ocular surface parameters in patients with dry eye syndrome. The Journal of Ad-din Women's Medical College; Vol. 11 (2), July 2023; p 3-8

Development and content validity assessment of the Dry Eye Disease Questionnaire in patients with dry eye disease, meibomian gland dysfunction, and Sjögren’s syndrome dry eye disease

BackgroundDry eye disease (DED), Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), and Sjögren’s syndrome dry eye disease (SS-DED) are eye dryness conditions that show significant overlap in various symptoms of ocular discomfort. The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore the patient experience and evaluate content validity of the newly developed Dry Eye Disease Questionnaire (DED-Q).MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 61 US adults who reported experiencing ocular symptoms due to their physician-confirmed primary diagnosis of DED (n = 21), MGD (n = 20), or SS-DED (n = 20). The open-ended concept-elicitation phase was followed by cognitive debriefing (CD) of the DED-Q to evaluate participants’ understanding and relevance of the instructions, items, response options, and recall periods. Interviews were also conducted with eight specialist healthcare professionals to assess clinical relevance of the concepts included. Verbatim interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis in ATLAS.ti v8 software.ResultsA total of 29 symptoms and 14 impacts on quality of life were reported across participant interviews. Primary ocular symptoms reported included eye dryness (n = 61/61; 100%), eye irritation (n = 55/61; 90%), eye itch (n = 54/61; 89%), burning sensation (n = 52/61; 85%), and foreign body sensation (n = 51/61; 84%). The most impacted aspects of daily life were using digital screens (n = 46/61; 75%), driving (n = 45/61; 74%), working (n = 39/61; 64%), and reading (n = 37/61; 61%). CD findings showed most participants had good understanding of DED-Q items and confirmed most concepts were relevant to the lived experience of their condition. Aside from few minor changes to the items and examples to facilitate more accurate interpretation, the proposed instruction wording was modified for various symptom and impact modules to encourage participants to focus only on dry eye vision problems.ConclusionsThis research identified multiple prevalent symptoms and impacts of DED, MGD, and SS-DED, most of which were similar across the conditions. The DED-Q was confirmed to be a content-valid PRO measure suitable for use in clinical studies to assess the patient experience of DED, MGD, and SS-DED. Future work will focus on evaluating the psychometric properties of the DED-Q for use as an efficacy endpoint in clinical trials.

In-situ Rice Residue Management Practices and Its Impact on Climate, Soil Fertility and Crop Productivity: A Review

Around two-thirds of all food contributes in India is produced in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), where rice and wheat are the two main crops. In India, rice is grown on the largest percentage of land (32%) followed by wheat (23%). Reusing rice residues has an impact on the soil's characteristics and crop yield. Rice residues are significant natural resources. With a total yield of 10 to 12 t/ha, a rice-wheat sequence depletes the soil of more than 300 kg N, 30 kg P, and 300 kg K per ha. Residue burning results in nutrient losses of 100% C, 90% N, 60% S, and 25% each of P and K. Air pollution has a negative impact on health, including respiratory conditions, eye and skin irritation, and other conditions. An analysis has been done based on the stated research findings from various researchers. It is necessary to study and update the technology in order to prevent residues from burning in the rice and wheat cropping system. A good alternative for their management is to in-situ incorporate rice wastes with microbial consortia in wheat crops. Increased yield, water productivity, and profitability can be achieved by incorporating microbial consortia, while Phaleris minor weed is reduced, further enhancements to soil quality. Because rice residues are a substantial source of plant nutrients, applying them continuously will improve fertiliser management and reduce air pollution.

Air Pollution in Dhaka City During Wintertime: Local vs. Transboundary Transport

Air pollution is considered as the largest environmental health threat in the world. Last few years, it has also increased dramatically in different cities of Bangladesh. The air pollution of Dhaka city as well as other urban areas is very crucial for a sustainable environment. This research is mainly concentrated on studying a variety of air pollutants both qualitatively and quantitively during wintertime and checking the transboundary air pollution of Dhaka City. In the study area, air pollution was found to be at very dangerous levels. Even, air pollution has been found to be significantly higher in concentration during nighttime in Dhaka City. According to public perception and health physicians, air pollution causes many health problems such as eye irritation, headaches, COPD problem, skin cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, nausea, and asthma. Regular air quality monitoring can be effective for proper control measures of pollutants emissions that may protect the inhabitants from various illnesses. It can provide a guideline for the sustainable development of environment of city dwellers.
 J. of Sci. and Tech. Res. 4(1): 81-90, 2022