Concentrations of essential (Cu, Mn, and Zn) and toxic (Cr, Cd, and Pb) trace metals in 30 raw cow's milk samples were quantified using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The samples were collected from the Nara-Awudarda, Tana-Abo, and Kosoye Amba-Rass sites in North Gondar, Ethiopia, preserved in a deep freezer (-20 °C), and then digested by Kjeldahl apparatus with HNO/HO (5:2; v/v) at 300 °C for 2.5 h. The data were subject to principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Overall hazard quotient (HQ) and carcinogenic risk (CR) values were also estimated to assess metal-related health risks. The mean concentrations of Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in the milk samples ranged 0.468-0.828, 1.614-2.806, 0.840-1.532, 1.208-5.267, ND-0.330, and ND-0.186 mg/kg, respectively. The lowest values were obtained for Kosoye Amba-Rass milk samples, while the highest were found for those collected from Nara-Awudarda milk samples, probably due to high mineral enrichment and metal leaching (especially Cd and Pb) from coal deposits. PCA revealed clustering of samples with respect to their geographic origin. Validation of PLS-DA model showed 100% classification efficiency using external validation samples and detected Cd and Cu as trace metal markers. The HQ and CR values were within the safe level; however, the former is close to the alert threshold level for Nara-Awudarda milk samples. Thus, further studies on common foodstuffs, constituting a higher proportion in the local diet, are required in this area to provide a complete risk assessment.

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Objective Vitreoretinal diseases are common causes of ocular morbidities and blindness. Data on the spectrum of vitreoretinal diseases needs to be studied and known in order to establish appropriate vitreoretinal care setups. The aim of this study was to determine the patterns of vitreoretinal diseases among patients who visited the vitreoretina clinic of University of Gondar Tertiary Eye Care and Training Center, NW Ethiopia (UoG-TECTC). Methodology A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted from October/2017-September/2018. All patients who visited the vitreoretinal clinic for the first time during the study period were studied. Data were collected with standardized data extraction format entered into SPSS statistical package Version 20 and analyzed. Result A total of 739 new patients who visited the vitreoretinal clinic were included in the study. The mean age was 50.26 +/- 19 years. The age group between 21–60 years accounted for 59.7% of study patients. Male’s accounted for 63.1% and 58.7% of the participants were from urban areas. Bilateral disease was diagnosed in 504 (68.2%) of patients and 220 (29.7%) were bilaterally blind at presentation. Three hundred eighty nine (52.6%) of them had duration of illness six months and above. Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Rhegmatoginous Retinal Detachment (RRD) were the top three retinal diseases accounting for 21.3%(196), 17.3% (128) and 12.4% (92) of diagnoses respectively. Systemic comorbidities were found in 44% (325) of the patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidemia being the commonest, occurring in 27.8%, 6.3% and 2.8% of study patients respectively. Cataract was the commonest ocular comorbidity seen in 33.5% of study participants. Conclusion Vitreoretinal diseases affected a significant number of patients presented to our center and most of the study patients presented late with significant vision loss and blindness. Males were affected more than females and the age group between 21–60 years accounted nearly two-third of study patients. This is the working age group suffering from vision loss from vitreoretinal diseases. DR, AMD and RRD were the commonest retinal pathologies accounting for nearly half of the vitreoretinal diseases and these conditions are treatable either surgically or medically. However, available facilities for the management of these diseases are not adequate at the center. Strengthening the vitreoretinal services of UoG-TECTC with relevant equipment is recommended.