Role of Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Hyperhomocysteinemia in Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most important causes of preventable visual impairment among patients of working age and leading cause of blindness. Deficiency of vitamin B12 and folate has been associated with increased serum homocysteine (Hcy) levels. This study was done to find out the role of vitamin B12 and Hyperhomocysteine (HHcy) in Diabetic retinopathy. The present study is a hospital-based case-control study conducted during over a period of 12 months from January 2019 to December 2019 study conducted in the Department of Ophthalmology at BIRDEM General Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh consisting of 100 Type 2 DM patients either with or without retinopathy (DR, n=50 and DNR, n=50, respectively). Subjects with Type 2 DM with and without retinopathy were recruited from patients attending in the department of Ophthalmology at BIRDEM General Hospital, Dhaka and were matched for duration of diabetes. Diabetes subjects on nutritional supplements for the last 6 months and those with a history of nephropathy (based standard renal function tests) and complications other than DR were excluded. Homocysteine (Hcy) levels were inversely related (p<0.05) with Diabetes patients with retinopathy. Vitamin B12 also significant correlated with Diabetes patients with retinopathy. A statistically significant negative linear relationship was found between serum homocysteine and vitamin B12 levels (Pearson r = -0.918, p=0.001) Diabetes patients with retinopathy. Vitamin B12 significantly correlated with diabetes retinopathy and homocysteine levels were inversely related with diabetes patients with retinopathy.

Changes in physiological responses and MTP (metal tolerance protein) transcripts in soybean (Glycine max) exposed to differential iron availability.

Members of MTP (metal tolerance protein) family are potential metal ion transporters, but little is known about how their responses and expression are altered in response to the deficiency and excess of Fe in soybean. In this study, root and shoot length and biomass in addition to leaf chlorophyll score, PSII efficiency and photosynthetic performance index were adversely affected by Fe-deficiency and excess Fe. Fe and S concentrations in the root and shoot, as well as the increased root FCR activity, consistently decreased and increased, respectively, accompanied by elevated Zn levels under Fe deficiency and Fe toxicity. This implies that Fe-uptake of plants subjected to differential Fe availability are likely determined by S and Zn nutritional status. In qPCR analysis, GmMTP5, GmMTP7, GmMTP8, and GmMTP10 genes showed downregulation under Fe shortage, whereas GmMTP6 and GmMTP11 were significantly upregulated due to Fe-toxicity. Further, GmMTP1, GmMTP3, GmMTP6, GmMTP7, and GmMTP10 were significantly induced in response to Fe toxicity, indicating their potential role in metal tolerance. Bioinformatics analysis showed that soybean MTP genes possessed a close relationship with certain Arabidopsis genes (i.e. ZAT, MTPB1) involved in solute transport and metal sequestration. Furthermore, top five motifs of soybean MTP protein correspond to the cation efflux family exhibited strong amino acid and evolutionary similarities with Arabidopsisthaliana. These findings shed light on Fe homeostasis mechanisms in soybean and could be used to regulate Fe uptake through breeding or transgenic manipulations of MTP genes.

Demographic and Clinical Profile of COVID-19 ICU Patients of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Bangladesh.

Corona viruses are a group of RNA viruses that cause infection in humans and animals. In human Corona viruses cause respiratory tract infections ranging from mild to critical illness. Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease was first identified in Wuhan city, of China, in December 2019 and since spread all around the world. In Bangladesh first case has been declared by Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in 8th March, 2020 and first death on 18th march in an ICU and by 13th December total 489,178 cases and 7,020 deaths occurred in this country. The main objective of this study was to determine the Demographic and Clinical Profile of COVID-19 ICU patients in Bangladesh. This retrospective descriptive study on clinical profile along with short term treatment outcomes of COVID-19 patients conducted from COVID-19 dedicated Intensive care unit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh during July 2020 to November 2020. Total 300 ICU patients was included in this study. The age range of the patients was from 15 to 91 years. The highest percentage of patients about 49.00%, which was 147 patients were belonged to 61-75 years age group. The patients mean age was 62.80 years. Regarding gender distribution, among those 300 patients; 77.00% which is 231 were male and only 23.00% which is 69 were female. Patients admitted with symptoms like, respiratory distress/shortness of breath (100.00%), persistent worsening cough (60.00%), fatigue (55.00%) and fever (40.00%). Patients were also present with sore throat (35.00%), rhinorrhea (30.00%), altered mental status (20.00%), diarrhoea (10.00%) and chest pain (5.00%). Regarding co-morbidities, around half of the patients were suffering from Diabetes (60.22%) and Hypertension (53.44%). Significant amount of patients were also suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (27.00%) and bronchial asthma (16.78%). Ischemic heart disease was (10.33%), chronic kidney disease (10.89%), hypothyroidism (9.78%) and multiple co-morbidities (15.12%) at the time of admission. Mortality rate in this case were 71.00% and most of the death cases were in between 61 to 75 years of age group (40.00%). After improvement 27.00% patients were transferred to cabin for further management. We could discharge to home directly only 2.00% of patients.

Surgical management of scalp arterio-venous malformation and scalp venous malformation: An experience of eleven cases.

AIMS: Scalp arterio-venous malformation (AVM) and scalp venous malformation (SVM) are rare conditions that usually need surgical treatment. Here, we have reported our experience of the surgical management of such lesions with a short review of the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, 11 patients with scalp AVM and SVM, who underwent surgical excision of lesion in our hospital from 2006 to 2012, were included. All suspected high-flow AVM were investigated with the selective internal and external carotid digital subtraction angiogram (DSA) ± computed tomography (CT) scan of brain with CT angiogram or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain with MR angiogram, and all suspected low-flow vascular malformation (VM) was investigated with MRI of brain + MR angiogram. Eight were high-flow and three were low-flow VM. RESULTS: All lesions were successfully excised. Scalp cosmetic aspects were acceptable in all cases. There was no major post-operative complication or recurrence till last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: With preoperative appropriate surgical planning, scalp AVM and SVM can be excised without major complication.

Blinded, multi-center validation of EEG and rating scales in identifying ADHD within a clinical sample.

Previous validation studies of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment by rating scales or EEG have provided Class-IV evidence per standards of the American Academy of Neurology. To investigate clinical applications, we collected Class-I evidence, namely from a blinded, prospective, multi-center study of a representative clinical sample categorized with a clinical standard. Participating males (101) and females (58) aged 6 to 18 had presented to one of four psychiatric and pediatric clinics because of the suspected presence of attention and behavior problems. DSM-IV diagnosis was performed by clinicians assisted with a semi-structured clinical interview. EEG (theta/beta ratio) and ratings scales (Conners Rating Scales-Revised and ADHD Rating Scales-IV) were collected separately in a blinded protocol. ADHD prevalence in the clinical sample was 61%, whereas the remainder had other childhood/adolescent disorders or no diagnosis. Comorbidities were observed in 66% of ADHD patients and included mood, anxiety, disruptive, and learning disorders at rates similar to previous findings. EEG identified ADHD with 87% sensitivity and 94% specificity. Rating scales provided sensitivity of 38-79% and specificity of 13-61%. While parent or teacher identification of ADHD by rating scales was reduced in accuracy when applied to a diverse clinical sample, theta/beta ratio changes remained consistent with the clinician's ADHD diagnosis. Because theta/beta ratio changes do not identify comorbidities or alternative diagnoses, the results do not support the use of EEG as a stand-alone diagnostic and should be limited to the interpretation that EEG may complement a clinical evaluation for ADHD.