Medical waste management and environmental assessment in the Rio University Hospital,Western Greece

At this study a multi-criteria model was developed to examine the available procedures, techniques and methods of handling infectious waste in the large healthcare unit of University Regional General Hospital of Patras, Western Greece. Particularly, this study examined the: a) current legislation and Directives issued for medical waste management at Greece and among the other EU-members, b) contribution of healthcare wastes (HCW) generation rate on social and economic parameters in selected European countries, c) available procedures, techniques, and methods upon the disposal of infectious wastes at the healthcare studied, and, d) propositions for integrated management of such hazardous wastes. Specifically, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology was applied under pair wise comparison matrices in two stages: 1) the scale factors and the indicators, and 2) the criteria and their sub–criteria. The assessment of these pair wise matrices included the indicators and the sub–criteria. Subsequently, two pair wise comparison matrices, upon a) the “Fulfillment of environmental objectives” indicator and b) the “Energy consumption” sub criterion, were denoted. The AHP methodology yielded good results; however there is still space of improving the environmental performance. The normalized relative weights obtained for the criteria and sub criteria motivated specific actions that have to be handled. Particularly, the results indicated a very good value in environmental management criteria due the values obtained for the commitment towards the environmental policy standards and the waste management procedures. However, further improvements on staff awareness (such as development programs to enhance sensitivity) and more green purchasing suppliers, should be further addressed.     

Erythema induratum of Bazin in a 10‐year‐old boy

Erythema induratum of Bazin (EIB) is a form of tuberculid resulting from hypersensitivity to tuberculosis antigen. EIB occurs most commonly in middle‐aged women and is not typically seen in children. Here, we present a rare case of EIB, presenting as a chronic nodular panniculitis, in a 10‐year‐old Korean boy.     

Cognitive Impairments in Patients with Bipolar Affective Disorder in Remission

Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology - Objective. To determine the frequency, structure, and severity of cognitive impairments in patients with bipolar affective disorder (BAD) in remission....     

National level data analysis of facial lacerations in Korea using the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database

No national epidemiological investigations have been conducted recently regarding facial lacerations. The study was performed using the data of 3,634,229 people during the 5-year period from 2014 to 2018 archived by the National Health Information Database (NHID) of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Preschool and children under 10 years old accounted for about one-third of patients. Facial lacerations were concentrated in the “T-shaped” area, which comprised forehead, nose, lips, and the perioral area. The male to female ratio for all study subjects was 2.16:1. Age and gender are significantly related with each other (P < .001). Mean hospital stays decreased, and numbers of outpatient department visits per patient were highest for hospitals and lowest for health agencies. Over the study period, hospital costs per patient in tertiary and general hospitals increased gradually. Preschool and school-aged children are vulnerable to trauma. Male patients outnumbered female patients by a factor of more than 2. The “T-shaped’” area around forehead is vulnerable to injury. Total cost of medical care benefits per patient in tertiary hospitals was about 7 times on average than in health agencies. Regarding functional, behavioral, and aesthetic outcomes, more attention should be paid to epidemiologic data and hospital costs for facial lacerations.     

Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of Hydrogel Rectal Spacer in Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy

Purpose

A hydrogel rectal spacer (HRS) is a medical device that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to increase the separation between the prostate and rectum. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis of HRS use for reduction in radiation therapy (RT) toxicities in patients with prostate cancer (PC) undergoing external beam RT (EBRT).

Conventional Ultrafiltration During Elective Cardiac Surgery and Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury

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Neural plasticity and adult neurogenesis: the deep biology perspective

The recognition that neurogenesis does not stop with adolescence has spun off research towards the reduction of brain disorders by enhancing brain regeneration. Adult neurogenesis is one of the tougher problems of developmental biology as it requires the generation of complex intracellular and pericellular anatomies, amidst the danger of neuroinflammation. We here review how a multitude of regulatory pathways optimized for early neurogenesis has to be revamped into a new choreography of time dependencies. Distinct pathways need to be regulated, ranging from neural growth factor induced differentiation to mitochondrial bioenergetics, reactive oxygen metabolism, and apoptosis. Requiring much Gibbs energy consumption, brain depends on aerobic energy metabolism, hence on mitochondrial activity. Mitochondrial fission and fusion, movement and perhaps even mitoptosis, thereby come into play. All these network processes are interlinked and involve a plethora of molecules. We recommend a deep thinking approach to adult neurobiology.