Purpose: To investigate localized retinal dysfunction in hypertensive patients using multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) and to assess its sensitivity as an early predictor for the development of retinopathy in hypertensive patients. Methods: Ninety-eight eyes were included in this case-control study. Twenty-eight eyes of healthy subjects served as a control group (group I). Seventy eyes belonged to patients with systemic hypertension assigned into two groups; group II including 39 eyes of hypertensive patients with normal fundus and group III including 31 eyes of patients with signs of hypertensive retinopathy. All participants were subjected to complete ophthalmic and electrophysiological examination using mfERG. N1 and P1 wave amplitudes and implicit times from the central hexagon and four concentric rings across the visual field were analyzed. Results: mfERG amplitudes were significantly reduced in hypertensive group with retinopathy than in controls. N1 amplitude was significantly reduced in the most eccentric ring in eyes of hypertensive patients with normal fundus. Conclusion: mfERG is a sensitive objective tool for assessment of retinal dysfunction in hypertensive patients. mfERG amplitude is a promising predictor for early development of retinopathy in systemic hypertension.

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Background: University students face multiple stressors while accomplishing their academic goals. University students might adopt risky or unhealthy behaviors. Objective: To determine the association between sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle behaviors. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two Egyptian Universities governmental and private. A self-administered Arabic questionnaire was used to explore students' behaviors. Response rate was 97%. Results: A total of 1133 students were included in the current analysis. The average age was 19.9±1.6 years, with 43.3% males. Approximately 23% of the students were physically active, 42.4% had adequate water drinking, 14.3% were currently using tobacco 28.7% in males and 3.3% in females, and 8% had ever consumed alcohol and/or used illicit drugs in their lives. Multivariate regression showed that the likelihood of adequate water drinking was lower in students studying in private university as well as in females aOR=0.51 and aOR=0.39, respectively, p<0.001. The likelihood of regular exercise was significantly lower in females than males aOR= 0.38 and aOR=0.29, respectively, p<0.001. The likelihood of ever smoking any form of tobacco was significantly higher in a student studying in a private university aOR=3.01, p<0.001, students aged 22 years or more aOR=3.09, p<0.0001 and in students who have a monthly expenditure >1500 LE. The likelihood of ever smoking any form of tobacco, alcohol use or illicit drug use was significantly lower in females aOR=0.09, aOR=0.15, and aOR=0.11, respectively, p<0.0001. Conclusion: There were high prevalence of multiple undesirable lifestyle behaviors among studied students. Educational and other preventive activities should be directed to private Universities and on male students.

IntroductionWe previously showed that erythropoietin (EPO) attenuates the morphological signs of spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in swine [1] without, however, improving neurological function. The clinical use of EPO has been cautioned most recently due to serious safety concerns arising from an increased mortality in acute stroke patients treated with EPO and simultaneously receiving systemic thrombolysis [2]. Carbamylated EPO (cEPO) is an EPO derivative without erythropoietic activity and devoid of the EPO side eff ects, but with apparently well maintained cytoprotective qualities [3]. We therefore tested the hypothesis whether cEPO may be equally effi cient as EPO in reducing morphological as well as functional aortic occlusion-induced spinal cord I/R injury. Methods In a randomized and blinded trial pigs received either vehicle (control, n = 9), EPO or cEPO, respectively (n = 9 each; 5,000 IU/kg over 30 minutes before and during the fi rst 4 hours of reperfusion). Animals underwent 30 minutes of thoracic aortic balloon occlusion with catheters placed immediately downstream of the A. subclavia and upstream of the aortic trifurcation. Spinal cord function was assessed by motor evoked potentials (MEP as percentage of the amplitude before aortic occlusion) and lower limb refl exes (assessed as the subjective strength of response) for a period of 10 hours after reperfusion. Tissue damage was evaluated using Nissl staining. Results Both EPO-treated and cEPO-treated animals presented with attenuated spinal cord injury in the Nissl staining (median (quartile) percentage of damaged neurons in the thoracic segments: control 27 (25,44), cEPO 8 (4,10), and EPO 5 (5,7), P <0.001 vs control group; in the lumbar segments: control 26 (19,32), cEPO 7 (5,13), EPO 8 (5,10), P <0.001 vs control group). However, while only cEPO treatment was associated with recovery of the MEP amplitude to pre-occlusion values when compared with the control group (P <0.05), lower limb refl ex response was comparably restored stronger in both treatment groups (P <0.05 vs control). Conclusions In a clinically relevant porcine model mimicking aortic crossclamping during vascular surgery repair of thoracic aortic aneurysm, cEPO protected spinal cord function and integrity as eff ective as EPO when applied at equipotent doses. Acknowledgements Supported by the Deutsche Forschungs gemeinschaft (SCHE 899/2-2). References Introduction Unfolded protein response (UPR)-mediated apoptosis plays a pivotal role in ischemia-reperfusion injury. Sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (PBA) has been reported to act as a chemical chaperone inhibiting UPR-mediated apoptosis triggered by ischemia in various organs other than the heart. Therefore we investigated whether PBA reduces UPR-mediated apoptosis and protects against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice. Methods C57BL/6 mice were subjected to 30 minutes LAD ischemia followed by reperfusion. PBA (100 mg/kg) or PBS (control) was administrated intraperitoneally just before ischemia. Apoptosis, infarct ...

neurological deficit (p = 0.008). The most frequent etiologies causing papilledema were brain tumor (51%, p b 0.001) and CNS infection (7%, p = 0.019). There was no significant difference of visual loss distribution (unilateral or bilateral) and onset, both in disc edema and papilledema. ConclusionsSome clinical characteristics and known etiologies can help neuro-ophtalmologists to prioritize patients for fundoscopy examination, particularly in office settings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.