Microbial Removal of Heavy Metals from Contaminated Environments Using Metal-Resistant Indigenous Strains.

Contamination of soil with heavy metals has become a matter of global importance due to its impact on agriculture, environmental integrity, and therefore human health and safety. Several microbial strains isolated from soil contaminated by long-term chemical and petrochemical activities were found to manifest various levels of tolerance to Cr, Pb, and Zn, out of which and exhibited above-moderate tolerance. The concentrations of target heavy metals before and after bioremediation were determined using electrochemical screen-printed electrodes (SPE) modified with different nanomaterials.

[Toric intraocular lens implantation in cataract patients--6 months results].

Unlabelled: The purpose of this paper is to evidence the advantages of artificial Acrysof Toric IOL implantation in patients with cataract and corneal astigmatism.

Material And Methods: Prospective clinical study on 30 patients with cataract operated on with phacoemulsification and implantation of Acrysof Toric IOL on 32 eyes, between September 2007- March 2008.

Results: The predictability between estimated and obtained astigmatism is 96.

Molecular mechanisms underlying anti-inflammatory phenotype of neonatal splenic macrophages.

Neonatal humans and rodents are susceptible to infection with encapsulated bacteria as a result of an inability to make antibodies to capsular polysaccharides. This is partly a result of decreased production of proinflammatory cytokines by splenic macrophages (MPhi) from neonates. In this study, we show that when stimulated with a variety of agonists to TLR2, -4, and -9, neonatal MPhi make less proinflammatory cytokines and more IL-10 than adult MPhi.

[Our experience with Acrysof Natural intraocular lens].

Unlabelled: The purpose of this paper is to appreciate the Acrysof Natural IOL comportment during the implantation after phacoemulsification, and to evaluate the visual acuity at 2 months and 2 years postoperative.

Material And Methods: Prospective clinical study which comprises 48 patients( 48 eyes) with cataract operated on with phacoemulsification and implantation of Acrysof Natural IOL with the Monarch II injector and the implantation forceps.

Results: The patients' age was between 4- 82 years; The IOLs were introduced with the Monarch II injector in 47 cases and with the implantation forceps in 1 case; No IOL was damaged during the implantation; The unfolding and the rotation of the IOL were possible in all cases, without incidents; The visual acuity appreciated 2 months and 2 years postoperative was good in the most of the cases; the chromophore pigment did not influence the quality of vision and the color perception.

[Mechanisms of laser photocoagulation in diabetic retinopathy].

The aim of laser photocoagulation in diabetic retinopathy is to stop the development of retinal neovessels and even to determine their involution. Early applied, laser photocoagulation can significantly reduce the risk of severe visual loss. The knowledge of the multiple mechanisms of laser photocoagulation leads to the possibility to introduce a well dosed treatment that is appropriate for the clinical stage of the retinopathy.

Molecular basis of age-associated cytokine dysregulation in LPS-stimulated macrophages.

Aged humans and rodents are susceptible to infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria as a result of an inability to make antibodies to capsular polysaccharides. This is partly a result of decreased production of proinflammatory cytokines and increased production of interleukin (IL)-10 by macrophages (Mphi) from aged mice. To understand the molecular basis of cytokine dysregulation in aged mouse Mphi, a microarray analysis was performed on RNA from resting and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Mphi from aged and control mice using the Affymetrix Mouse Genome 430 2.

[Phacoemulsification with Advan-Tec system and Neosonix handpiece].

Purpose: The comparative analyses of the standard Legacy 20000 efficiency and the AdvanTec Legacy efficiency take into consideration the effective phacoemulsification time, power, and the postoperative clinical outcomes.

Material And Methods: Retrospective clinical study which comprises 2 groups of patients operated on with phacoemulsification: 200 eyes were operated on using the classic handpiece of the Legacy 20000 system; 200 eyes were operated on using the AdvanTec Legacy system and the NeoSoniX handpiece.

Results: The effective phacoemulsification time in the standard Legacy group was under 0.

[Phacoemulsification in posterior polar cataract].

Purpose: To evaluate the technical particularities of phacoemulsification and the intraoperative complications in posterior polar cataract.

Material And Methods: Prospective study which comprises 10 eyes with posterior polar cataract (8 patients), operated on between May 2001 and April 2004 in the ophthalmology department of the Military Hospital Cluj-Napoca, by the same surgeon. Phacoemulsification with low parameters was performed in all cases, and acrylic and PMMA intraocular lenses were implanted in 9 eyes.

[Phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation in myopic eye].

Unlabelled: The purpose of this study is to estimate the technical difficulties and the intraoperative complications which appear in patients with high myopia who had been operated on cataract through phacoemulsification technique; to establish the IOL refractive power and to estimate the functional results at 45 days postoperative.

Material And Method: We performed a study on 44 eyes with high myopia and cataract operated in the Emergency Military Hospital from Cluj-Napoca during 15th of January -15th of June 2003. We analyzed the patients' age, the technical difficulties and intraoperative complications, the IOLs choosing and the functional results.

[Cataract surgery in biphakia patients].

Introduction: Although the IOL implantation was used initially just for cataract surgery, in the last period IOLs are used in treating myopia more than -12D and hyperopia more than +4D, in phakic eyes, when the indications of excimer laser are limited.

Observation: We present the case of a 40 years old patient with the diagnosis: biphakia, complicated cataract and high myopia in both eyes. VA-RE = 2/50 cc, VA-LE = 3/50 cc, IOP-RE:15 mmHg, IOP-LE:16 mmHg.

[Phacoemulsification in white cataract].

Purpose: The study presents the technical difficulties of the capsulorhexis and phacoemulsification in the white, intumescent cataract and the incidences occurred during the foldable IOL implantation with the Monarch II injector.

Methods: The clinical study comprises a number of 70 eyes with white intumescent cataract operated during 15 January-15 December 2003 by the same surgeon. The surgical intervention consisted of lens extraction by phacoemulsification with clear corneal incision, using the Monarch II injector for the foldable IOL implantation.

[Phacoemulsification--personal experience on my first 507 cases].

Purpose: The evaluation of the intra and post operative early complications of the phacoemulsification with posterior chamber artificial lens implant on my first 507 cases.

Methods: A retrospective study on 507 eyes operated by cataract through phacoemulsification technique at the Emergency Military Hospital from Cluj-Napoca during the 1st of May-30th of June 2002. The surgeries were performed by the same surgeon through a corneal or a scleral incision using rigid and foldable artificial lenses.