Spectacle Research Articles

Segmentation and visualization of the Shampula dragonfly eye glass bead CT images using a deep learning method

Micro-computed tomography (CT) of ancient Chinese glass dragonfly eye beads has enabled detailed exploration of their internal structures, contributing to our understanding of their manufacture. Segmentation of these CT images is essential but challenging due to variation in grayscale values and the presence of bubbles. This study introduces a U-Net-based model called EBV-SegNet, which enables efficient and accurate segmentation and visualization of these beads. We developed, trained, and tested the model using a dataset comprising four typical Shampula dragonfly eye beads, and the results demonstrated high-precision segmentation and precise delineation of the beads’ complex structures. These segmented data were further analyzed using the Visualization Toolkit for advanced volume rendering and reconstruction. Our application of EBV-SegNet to Shampula beads suggests the likelihood of two distinct manufacturing techniques, underscoring the potential of the model for enhancing the analysis of cultural artifacts using three-dimensional visualization and deep learning.

In Vitro Testing of Protective Eye Wear in Blocking Blue Light from Dental Light Curing Unit

Aim: To evaluate the ef?cacy of wearing protective eyewear in preventing harmful Dental light-curing units (LCUs). Background: Dental light-curing units generate blue light, capable of inducing soft-tissue burns and ocular harm like retinal damage. The intensity of blue light emitted by dental Light Curing Units is substantially higher, thereby potentially constituting a significant "blue light hazard." Material and Methods: To study the effect of protective glasses, reverse methodology was followed as the effect of blue light on the eye is difficult to measure; Circular composite disc samples were grouped into two, one of which was polymerized directly while the other had protective glass in between, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis was done and the degree of conversion was calculated. Results: Data obtained were analysed using One Way ANOVA. The mean values for "Degree of Conversion" in Group I (Without Protective Glass) is 1.334 +512 and for Group II (with protective glass) is -2.623 + 1.544 .One Way ANOVA revealed statistically significant difference between Group I and Group II (p=0.000) Conclusion: Within the limitations of this in vitro study, it can be concluded that the protective glasses are successful in filtering the harmful blue light emitted by LCU and should be used in day-to-day practice to improve the amount of light they deliver to the restoration from the LCU and prevent any harm to the ocular tissues. Clinical implications: Blue light filtering glasses in a dental operatory provide optimum protection, and the operator can safely watch and improve the amount of light delivered to the restoration from the LCU.

The effect of regular periocular skin warming before bedtime on sleep and anxiety: a randomised clinical trial.

A randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was conducted to examine the effect of periocular skin warming before bedtime on sleep and anxiety in female workers with mild sleep difficulty. A total of 64 participants were included in the study, which consisted of a 1-week baseline period and a 4-week intervention period. They were randomly assigned to either the Warm group (N = 32) or the Sham group (N = 32) and were instructed to wear eye masks (warming or sham) before their habitual bedtime during the intervention period. The study found that the Athens Insomnia Scale score after the intervention was significantly lower in the Warm group compared to the Sham group. Additionally, participants in the warm condition showed a decrease in subjective sleep onset latency, better restorative sleep, and improved subjective anxiety before bedtime. A significant reduction in wake after sleep onset was observed in the Warm group at 4 weeks, and this decrease was significantly associated with the degree of improvement in subjective anxiety before bedtime. Furthermore, regular periocular skin warming before bedtime decreased sleep reactivity and improved well-being. In conclusion, the study suggests that periocular skin warming may be an effective approach for female workers with sleep problems, as it can easily be incorporated into daily life.

Poverty and Vision: The Effect of Title 1 Status on Vision Screening Referral Rates in School-Aged Children in Western South Dakota

ABSTRACT Purpose Interventions such as eye exams and glasses are used to correct visual problems that may lead to amblyopia, an irreversible decrease in visual acuity. Children with limited access to these interventions are more likely to have unaddressed visual problems that can lead to amblyopia or negatively impact school performance. This study compared vision screening results of children in schools with Title 1 or Non-Title 1 designation to investigate the link between poverty and vision. Methods Data from KidsFIRST vision screenings conducted with the SPOTTM photoscreener performed in Rapid City Area elementary schools were compared across multiple parameters. Students were referred for eye examinations based on identifying the following problems: anisometropia, anisocoria, astigmatism, myopia, hyperopia, gaze misalignment, or a combination. Results Overall, eye exam referral rates have increased since 2012 (11.9% in 2012, 19.7% in 2023), with a disproportionate increase in referrals from Title 1 schools (25.2% in 2023) vs. Non-Title 1 schools (11.9% in 2023) (p < 0.001). This is largely due to a significantly higher prevalence of astigmatism referrals in Title 1 students (20.9%) compared to Non-Title 1 students (7.5%). Although a higher percentage of Title 1 students are reported to have eye correction (24.4% vs 16.6%), only a slightly higher percentage of Title 1 students wore eye correction during screening (11.5% vs 10.5%). Conclusion Students at Title 1 schools may have a higher rate of amblyopia risk factors. Additional eye care-based interventions should be taken to reduce the risk of amblyopia in this population.

Spectacle correction may affect refractive progression in children with unilateral myopic anisometropia: A retrospective study.

To investigate the effect of spectacle correction on refractive progression in children with unilateral myopic anisometropia (UMA). In this retrospective study, 153 children with UMA (aged 8-12 years) were recruited and classified into an uncorrected (UC) group (n = 47) and a spectacle (SP) group (n = 106). The spherical equivalent refraction (SER) of the myopic eyes ranged from -0.75 to -4.00 D; the SER of the emmetropic eyes ranged from +1.00 to -0.25 D; anisometropia was ≥1.00 D and the follow-up duration was 1 year. Nineteen subjects from the SP group with follow-up records spanning at least 6 months before and after wearing spectacles were selected as a subgroup. Changes in the SER and axial length (AL), the degree of anisometropia and interocular AL differences of the two groups and the subgroup were analysed. During the 1-year follow-up period, AL and SER changes in myopic eyes were significantly greater than those in emmetropic eyes in the UC group (p < 0.001). For the UC group, the degree of anisometropia and AL change increased (all p < 0.001). For the SP group, there were no significant differences in the degree of anisometropia or AL change (all p > 0.05). When comparing the groups, AL elongation of the myopic eyes in the UC group occurred significantly faster than in the SP group (p = 0.02), and AL elongation for the emmetropic eyes in the UC group occurred significantly slower than in the SP group (p = 0.04). For the subgroup, the AL and SER changes in the myopic eyes 6 months before wearing spectacles occurred significantly faster than those after correction (p < 0.001). Spectacle correction could prevent increased anisometropia in uncorrected children with UMA by slowing myopia progression in the myopic eyes and accelerating the myopic shift in the contralateral eye.

Most State Medicaid Programs Cover Routine Eye Exams For Adults, But Coverage Of Other Routine Vision Services Varies.

More than twelve million US adults ages forty and older are affected by vision impairment, and projections suggest that this number will double by 2050. Although most vision impairment can be eliminated with corrective lenses, many adults lack access to routine eye care. In this study, we analyzed detailed state-by-state Medicaid policies for 2022 and documented variability in coverage for adult vision services. Most fee-for-service Medicaid programs covered routine eye exams, although many did not cover glasses (twenty states) or low vision aids (thirty-five states), and about two-thirds of states with routine coverage required enrollee cost sharing. Managed care plans generally provided consistent or enhanced coverage relative to fee-for-service programs, although coverage sometimes varied between plans within a state. We estimated that about 6.5million and 14.6million adult enrollees resided in states without comprehensive coverage for routine eye exams and glasses, respectively. These findings reveal important gaps and opportunities for states to increase access to routine vision care.

Clinical Results of Prosthetic Eye Wear in Patients with Congenital Microphthalmos

Purpose: To report the long-term clinical outcomes of non-surgical treatment involving prosthetic eye wear in patients diagnosed with congenital microphthalmos.Methods: A retrospective review of the medical records of 20 patients was conducted. In total, 21 eyes were diagnosed with congenital microphthalmos between May 2008 and December 2022 at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital in Korea.Results: This study included 20 patients (12 males and 8 females) with an average age of 4 months at diagnosis. The observed ophthalmic anomalies included two cases of congenital cataract, one of posterior embryotoxon, one of corneo-iris strand, four of iris coloboma, five of central corneal opacity, one of Peter's anomaly, and one of retrobulbar cyst. Accompanying systemic abnormalities were noted, such as lateral ventricle atrophy, corpus callosum atrophy, patent ductus arteriosus, atrial septal defect, and developmental language disorder. Genetic anomalies included anti SS-A/Ro antibody positivity, a 1:100 titer of anti-nuclear antibody, and a PAX6 mutation identified through next-generation sequencing. No specific family histories or pregnancy-related factors were noted. The average follow-up duration was 5.94 years (range: 1 month to 18 years), the average corneal diameter was 4.6 mm, the average axial length was 17.44 mm, the average age for first artificial eye trial was 5.96 years (range: 7 months to 19 years), and the average interval for artificial eye replacement was 22 months (range: 4 months to 5 years and 8 months).Conclusions: Twenty patients with congenital microphthalmos underwent gradual expansion of their prosthetic eyes by regular replacement and size increase without severe complications. This approach led to aesthetically and emotionally positive outcomes for the patients.

Academic performance and musculoskeletal pain in adolescents with uncorrected vision problems

BackgroundUndetected vision problems are common in school children, and a prevalence of up to 40% has previously been reported. Uncorrected vision and lack of optimal eye wear can have a significant impact on almost all aspects of everyday life, such as development and learning, academic performance, pain and discomfort, and quality of life. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between uncorrected vision problems, educational outcomes, and musculoskeletal pain symptoms.MethodsA total of 152 school children (15.1 ± 0.8 years, mean ± SD; 40% males) were included in the study. All participants were recruited from a free-of-charge school vision testing program in Kathmandu, Nepal. Academic grades were collected from the school records of the participants’ nationwide final grade examinations. A questionnaire was used to record the use of digital devices, screen time, and associated symptoms, including musculoskeletal pain (Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scales).ResultsA total of 61 children (40%) had uncorrected vision, with a cycloplegic refraction of SER − 0.53 ± 0.52 (mean ± SD). Children with uncorrected vision had significantly more third division grades (26 vs. 9%, p = 0.004) and shoulder pain in general/during screen use (66 vs. 43/40%, p = 0.008/0.003; 2.1/1.9 vs. 1.1/1.0 mean pain score, p = 0.002/0.001) compared with children with normal vision. Sex based subanalyses showed that only girls with uncorrected vision had more third division grades (25 vs. 4%, p = 0.006), and only boys with uncorrected vision had more shoulder pain in general/during screen use (76 vs. 28/31%, p < 0.001; 2.2/2.4 vs. 0.7 mean pain score, p < 0.001), compared with children with normal vision.ConclusionsThe results of this study showed that even small refractive errors may impact educational outcomes and musculoskeletal pain in adolescents. Most of the participating children had low myopia, easily corrected with glasses. This suggests that regular eye examinations are important in school children, and there is a need for raised awareness among parents, and school- and healthcare personnel.

Spatial release from masking and pupillometry

Speech perception in complex listening environments is driven by both the auditory factors and the cognitive abilities. There are various ways in which cognitive processing while perceiving speech could be measured. In the present study, we applied pupillometry to assess cognitive processing load resulting due to various demands imposed by the presented speech. PupilCore eye glasses were used to capture pupil dilation while doing two tasks: 1. Speech recognition task when the target and the maskers were either colocated or spatially separated, and 2. a localization task where the listeners had to discriminate whether the two sounds originated form the same location or different locations. Initial data analysis revealed different patterns of pupil dilations for the collocated and spatially separated conditions. For the collocated condition, the listeneing effort had a u-shaped pattern as the target-to-masker increased whereas the listening effort linearly increased as the target-to-masker ration increased for the spatially separated condition. Also, the pupil dilation decreased as the localization task became easier. The intricate relationship between listening effort and listening environment will be discussed in detail.

Knowledge of ocular infections among the dental practitioners across India: a cross sectional survey

BackgroundOcular issues such as impaired vision, ophthalmia, orbital cellulitis, and blindness are not common with dental infections. However, there is absence of set guidelines in prevention and management of ocular issues arising from dental infections. Hence the knowledge and vantage point of the dentists with respect to ocular complications arising from dental infections was evaluated.ObjectiveThis study reviews the knowledge of dentists with association of eye infection due to dental contamination.MethodA cross sectional survey using standardized questionnaires were sent suing social media platform among the academicians and practicing dental clinicians. All the questionnaires were content validated by three ophthalmologists. Descriptive statistics was scrutinized and tabulated by employing the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 17 (SPSS Inc., Chicago IL). Chi square tests was used.ResultsAbout 69.1%(65) and 30.9%( 29) of BDS and MDS grduates have experienced ocular complications because of dental contamination. This distribution showed no statistical significance (p = 0.25). 73.8% (183) and 28.2%( 65) had compliance with the eye protection, 77.7% (160) of BDS graduates and 22.3% (46) of MDS graduates preferred safety eye wear. This distribution showed statistical significance (p = 0.00). About 76.2% (279) of BDS graduates and 23.8%( 67) of MDS graduates faced ocular infections because of different types of splashes which included water, blood and saliva. (p = 0.23)ConclusionThis study puts an emphasis on the knowledge assessment among the dental practitioners on the importance of preventive barriers, and how special protective gear is required for doing cases undergoing dental treatment.

Comparison of the Effect of Swedish Massage and Earplugs/Eye Masks on Sleep Quality of Patients Admitted to ICUs

Background: Sleep is one of the basic physiological needs of human life. Hospitalization causes disturbances in the sleep pattern and decreases the quality of sleep. The present study aimed to compare the effect of Swedish massage and earplugs/eye masks on the quality of sleep of patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) of the teaching hospitals affiliated with Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in Zahedan, Iran, in 2022. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 40 patients admitted to the ICUs of Khatam Al-Anbia and Ali Ibne Abi-Talib hospitals in Zahedan. The participants were selected through convenience sampling from the patients who met the inclusion criteria. By using the permuted block technique with colored cards (red and yellow), the patients were placed into two Swedish massage and earplug/eye mask groups. After enrollment in the study, the patients in both groups did not receive any intervention during the first night, and their sleep quality was checked using the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ) as a pre-test during the first night. The participants in both groups received the intended interventions on the second night after entering the study, and their sleep quality on the second night was measured as a post-test. The participants in the first intervention group received a Swedish massage one night for 20 minutes before bedtime in the back area (lumbar cavity to the shoulder). Moreover, the participants in the second intervention group were asked to wear earplugs and eye masks for one night from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. The collected data were analyzed using independent samples t-test, paired samples t-test, and chi-square test with SPSS software (version 26). Results: The results showed that the mean sleep quality scores for the participants in the Swedish massage group and earplug/eye mask group were 130.25 ± 41.91 and 135 ± 44.36 before the intervention, respectively. In addition, the mean sleep quality scores for the participants in the Swedish massage group and earplug/eye mask group were 202 ± 46.03 and 184.79 ± 39.5 after the intervention, respectively, showing a significant increase in the sleep quality scores for the participants in both groups after the intervention (P = 0.001). In addition, the independent samples t-test confirmed that the mean sleep quality score for the participants in the Swedish massage group was significantly higher than that of the participants in the earplug/eye mask group after the intervention (P = 0.037). Conclusions: Non-pharmacological interventions, such as Swedish massage and wearing earplugs and eye masks, can have a significant effect on increasing the sleep quality of patients admitted to the ICU. The data in this study indicated that compared to the earplug/eye mask group intervention, Swedish massage had a greater effect on improving the sleep quality of the patients. Therefore, the Swedish massage technique, which does not cause sensory restrictions similar to those of earplugs/eye masks, can be applied as an inexpensive intervention without any complications to improve patients’ sleep quality.

Transforming lives of Sensory Impaired Individuals through Extended Reality (XR)

Sensory Impaired individuals are people with limitations or disabilities related to their sensory perception, which includes their abilities to hear, see or process sensory information. They may have visual impairments, hearing impairments, or a combination of both. Emerging technologies have the potential to revolutionise our approach to assistive devices. This paper explores the impact of Extended Reality (XR) in ameliorating the lives of sensory-impaired individuals with the help of a smart eye wear—RaveSens, by addressing challenges related to communication, accessibility, education, navigation, and social inclusion. This is attempted through intensive design methodologies—Multi-Modal Interaction (MMI), and User-Centred Design (UCD) approach to engineering design. The sensory impaired individuals, parents, care-providers, doctors, and rehabilitation centres, are the stakeholders involved in the process of validation and design. The design includes features like haptic feedback, visual augmentation for deaf, bone conduction feedback, navigation assistance through gesture and voice control with regulatory compliance. Extended Reality (XR) assistive technology stands as an impactful catalyst in enhancing sensory-impaired individual lives and ensuring that, they can engage fully in this fast-paced digital world. This helps empower them and foster inclusivity.

Assessment of Nurses’ Knowledge Regarding Personal Protective Equipment at Two Tertiary Care Hospitals, Peshawar

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) include gloves, protective eye wear (goggles), mask, respirator, apron, gown, boots/shoe cover, hair cover and are aimed to shield Health Care Professionals (HCP) including nurses from workplace infections and injuries. Objective: To assess nurses’ knowledge regarding personal protective equipment at two tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar. Methods: A design of the study was descriptive cross-sectional survey. Overall, 150 nurses were involved by using consecutive sampling technique. Data were collected through structured, self-administered adopted questionnaire. Results: This study comprised of 150 contributors including 30% male and 70% female. The mean age of the participants was 29.15 with standard deviation ± 6.07. 53.3% of the participants had Diploma, 36.7% had Post RN, 8.7% of the participants had BSN and 1.3% of the participants had MSN degrees. The study showed that 58% of respondents had good knowledge due to their professional experiences while 36% had average knowledge level due to low professional experiences and lack of resource and availability of PPE’s and only 6% participants had poor knowledge level regarding personal protective equipment due to lack of professional experiences. Conclusions: This study concluded that knowledge level was good in majority of nurses. Despite the good knowledge level, some of the personnel practices and attitudes towards PPE remain unchanged. This study pleas for a need to educate Nurses on PPE; it may be with continuing education on infection control or other informative platforms. When there is low level of knowledge it will affect practice related to PPE.

Significance of Prescribing Astigmatic Correction in Young Patients having Low Astigmatism with Near Vision Complaints

Astigmatism causes increased difficulty in reading performance like book reading, mobile usage and computer work. Objective: The primary objective was to find out the significance of prescribing astigmatic correction in young patients having low astigmatism with near vision complaints and secondary objective was to find out the most common type of astigmatism affecting near vision. Methods: This was a multicentered, prospective cohort study conducted from April 2022 to Sep 2022. A total of 64 subjects of both genders were selected through non-probability convenient sampling technique. Patients with age between 15-30 years having low astigmatism (0.25-0.75D) with near vision complaints were included. Any amount of astigmatism was corrected with appropriate glasses and subjects were asked for a follow up fortnightly. Follow up improvement in symptoms were recorded and compared with earlier complaints by applying chi square test using SPSS version 23.0. Results: A total of 64 subjects were enrolled in the study. The mean age of patients was 22.44 years including 27 (42%) males and 37 (58%) females. The most common symptom was Eye Strain found in 53 (83%) of the patients. Most common type of astigmatism was Against the Rule astigmatism. 62 (96%) patients improved to 6/6 in both eyes. On follow up, improvement in symptoms was noted and compared with symptoms before the usage of glasses. Conclusions: The study concluded that the treatment for near vision complaints in young patients is prescribing them with proper cylindrical / astigmatic correction in the form of eye glasses.

The Second Case of Bardet-Biedl syndrome from Iraq: An educational article and expert opinion

Background: Bardet-Biedl syndrome and Laurence-Moon syndrome are rare autosomal recessive disorders with a similar phenotype. They are characterized by the gradual development of phenotype which includes cone-rod retinal dystrophy, obesity, and hypogonadism in males. Other associated abnormalities include learning disability and renal abnormalities. The two conditions are differentiated clinically by the presence of spasticity and the absence of polydactyly in Laurence-Moon syndrome. In 2002, we reported the first patient with Bardet-Biedl syndrome. The boy had polydactyly, obesity, retinal degeneration, and was hospitalized at the University Hospital in Al-Kadhimiyia because of the development of chronic renal failure. Patients and methods: The case of a 9-year-old obese Kurdish girl who had polydactyly of the hands and feet associated with reduced visual acuity is described.Results: A 9-year-old obese Kurdish girl had polydactyly of the hand and feet associated with reduced visual acuity that was attributed to myopia which was partially corrected with eye glasses. The parents were unrelated, and her younger 5-year sister had polydactyly of the feet only. No other family member known to have polydactyly. Both sisters had their extra-digits removed surgically. The girl was studying at fourth grade primary school and the parents reported no learning disability. Fundoscopy showed normal optic disc and periphery of the retina. The presence of retinitis pigmentosa was excluded. However, the foveal reflex was reported to be abnormal by the oophthalmologist. Electroretinography showed evidence of cone-rod dystrophy.Conclusion: The second case of Bardet-Biedl syndrome from Iraq is reported. The current evidence-based expert opinion suggests the use of long tem supplementation of citicoline, co-enzyme Q10 and lutein with hope of retarding the progression to blindness.

Patients’ perception of infection control in dentistry

Background: Dentistry is a high-risk profession for infections due to exposure to contaminated materials like blood, saliva, and instruments. Both dental staff and patients can contract diseases via person-to-person contact or contaminated objects. Objectives: To assess patient perception of infection control practices in dentistry which will help in planning effective public health care delivery. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 170 patients visiting Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital (KMCTH) over the period of three months (2022 June to 2022 August) for any form of dental treatment. Ethical approval was granted by Institutional Review Committee of KMCTH on 8th June 2021. Data obtained were entered and analysed using SPSS v.21. Results: Majority of the participants believed dentists should wear gloves (164, 96.7%), face masks (159, 93.8%), and eye goggles (105, 61.9%) while treating patients, and 152 (89.6%) of participants agreed that dentist should change gloves between patients. However, nearly half of the participants were not hesitant to receive treatment from the dentist not wearing gloves (82, 48.3%) and mask (86, 50.7%). In total, 119 (70.2%) agreed that it was possible to catch an infection during dental treatment and 121 (71.3%) did take interest in sterilisation of instruments but only 21 (12.3%) always asked their dentist about the method of sterilisation. Conclusion: Patients possess a strong awareness of the importance for infection control in dental practice, however, this study underscores the importance of implementing effective infection control measures in dental settings to ensure the safety and well-being of patients.

Theory and Data-Driven Competence Evaluation with Multimodal Machine Learning—A Chinese Competence Evaluation Multimodal Dataset

In social interactions, people who are perceived as competent win more chances, tend to have more opportunities, and perform better in both personal and professional aspects of their lives. However, the process of evaluating competence is still poorly understood. To fill this gap, we developed a two-step empirical study to propose a competence evaluation framework and a predictor of individual competence based on multimodal data using machine learning and computer vision methods. In study 1, from a knowledge-driven perspective, we first proposed a competence evaluation framework composed of 4 inner traits (skill, expression efficiency, intelligence, and capability) and 6 outer traits (age, eye gaze variation, glasses, length-to-width ratio, vocal energy, and vocal variation). Then, eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) were utilized to predict and interpret individual competence, respectively. The results indicate that 8 (4 inner and 4 outer) traits (in descending order: vocal energy, age, length-to-width ratio, glasses, expression efficiency, capability, intelligence, and skill) contribute positively to competence evaluation, while 2 outer traits (vocal variation and eye gaze variation) contribute negatively. In study 2, from a data-driven perspective, we accurately predicted competence with a cutting-edge multimodal machine learning algorithm, low-rank multimodal fusion (LMF), which exploits the intra- and intermodal interactions among all the visual, vocal, and textual features of an individual’s competence behavior. The results indicate that vocal and visual features contribute most to competence evaluation. In addition, we provided a Chinese Competence Evaluation Multimodal Dataset (CH-CMD) for individual competence analysis. This paper provides a systemic competence framework with empirical consolidation and an effective multimodal machine learning method for competence evaluation, offering novel insights into the study of individual affective traits, quality, personality, etc.

Farmers’ Perception towards Agricultural Pesticides and Associated Human Health Impact in Misrak Badawacho Woreda, Ethiopia

Pesticides are applied to control weeds and insect infestation in agricultural fields and various pests and disease carriers. As the modes of action for pesticides are not species-specific, concerns have been raised about risks associated with their exposure through various routes. The main objective of this study was to assess farmers’ perception towards agricultural pesticides and associated human health impact in Misrak Badawacho Woreda, Ethiopia. Community-based cross-sectional study was used to assess farmers’ perception towards agricultural pesticides and associated human health impact. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select study subjects. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS 20. Descriptive statistics were used during this study. About 361 study subjects completed the questionnaires. Among the studies subjects (81%) of them were males and 19% were females. The results showed that commonly applied pesticides comprised of herbicides (55%), fungicides (28%), Veterinary control (14%) and insecticides (3%). About 54% of the farm workers were used normal clothe, 17% were used boots,11% were used eye glass, 8% were used handkerchief, 3% were used mask and 2% were used Cotton during pesticide application. From total study subjects 38% do not follow instructions during pesticide application and 55% reuse pesticide containers for storing food and water in the home. Majority (93%) reported that they had suffered from pesticide-related health signs and symptoms during or after application of pesticides. Itching and skin irritation was the common symptom (74%) followed by headache (68%) during pesticide application. Generally the Farm workers had poor handling practices during pesticide application. Therefore continuous pesticide training programs for workers could be implemented.

The second case of Bardet-Biedl syndrome from Iraq: An educational article and expert opinion

Background: Bardet-Biedl syndrome and Laurence-Moon syndrome are rare autosomal recessive disorders with a similar phenotype. They are characterized by the gradual development of phenotype which includes cone-rod retinal dystrophy, obesity, and hypogonadism in males. Other associated abnormalities include learning disability and renal abnormalities. The two conditions are differentiated clinically by the presence of spasticity and the absence of polydactyly in Laurence-Moon syndrome. In 2002, we reported the first patient with Bardet-Biedl syndrome. The boy had polydactyly, obesity, retinal degeneration, and was hospitalized at the University Hospital in Al-Kadhimiyia because of the development of chronic renal failure. Patients and methods: The case of a 9-year-old obese Kurdish girl who had polydactyly of the hands and feet associated with reduced visual acuity is described. Results: A 9-year-old obese Kurdish girl had polydactyly of the hand and feet associated with reduced visual acuity that was attributed to myopia which was partially corrected with eye glasses. The parents were unrelated, and her younger 5-year sister had polydactyly of the feet only. No other family member known to have polydactyly. Both sisters had their extra-digits removed surgically. The girl was studying at fourth grade primary school and the parents reported no learning disability. Fundoscopy showed normal optic disc and periphery of the retina. The presence of retinitis pigmentosa was excluded. However, the foveal reflex was reported to be abnormal by the oophthalmologist. Electroretinography showed evidence of cone-rod dystrophy. Conclusion: The second case of Bardet-Biedl syndrome from Iraq is reported. The current evidence-based expert opinion suggests the use of long tem supplementation of citicoline, co-enzyme Q10 and lutein with hope of retarding the progression to blindness.

An Overview of Ocular Transmission as Alternative Route Transmission Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Literature Review

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) becomes a health crisis in the world. The main route of spreading COVID-19 is through the respiratory tract, but this virus also spread through extra respiratory route. This literature review aimed to describe the ocular transmission as an alternative route of COVID-19 transmission. This literature review study used sources of article obtained through ProQuest, Springer, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar with range 2019-2020 publication years and were traced using a combination of search term for ocular transmission, virus receptor, eye manifestation and COVID-19. Previous research used Experimental design, Case study, and Cross-sectional study, and published from 2019 to 2020. Then analyzed by PRISMA diagram method with four stages starting from identification, screening, eligibility, and included. 4 articles used Experimental study design, 4 articles used Cross-sectional study design, and 2 articles used case study design. This study showed that COVID-19 RNA was found on ocular (conjunctiva and cornea) in a low percentage (2.23%-24%). Patients with confirmed COVID-19 could have ocular manifestations. COVID-19 enter the human body through the eye by spike protein binds to eye receptors that are: ACE2, CD147/Basigin/EMMPRIN, TMPRSS2, ANPEP and AGTR2. Then this virus transferred to the respiratory tract through the nasolacrimal duct. The study showed that ocular transmission can be an alternative route of COVID-19 transmission even with a low percentage level, so it is important for health worker to wear eye protector.