Χρήση πλωτών νοσοκομείων σε επείγουσες μαζικές ανάγκες υγείας με έμφαση στην πανδημία covid-19

Εισαγωγή: Η ιδέα χρήσης πλωτών νοσοκομείων σε μαζικές ανάγκες υγείας και διαχείριση περιπτώσεων έκτακτης ανάγκης δεν είναι καινούρια. Για τη διαχείριση μιας πανδημίας, τα πλωτά νοσοκομεία μπορούν να προσφέρουν σημαντική βοήθεια είτε ως χώροι απομόνωσης και νοσηλείας συμπτωματικών ασθενών, είτε νοσηλεύοντας ασθενείς που δεν νοσούν από την συγκεκριμένη ασθένεια, προκειμένου να αποσυμφορηθούν τα κατά τόπους νοσοκομεία. Σκοπός: Σκοπός της παρούσας συστηματικής ανασκόπησης είναι η διερεύνηση της χρήσης και της αποτελεσματικότητας των πλωτών νοσοκομείων για την αντιμετώπιση της πανδημίας Covid-19. Μέθοδος-Υλικό: Πραγματοποιήθηκε συστηματική ανασκόπηση της βιβλιογραφίας από τον Σεπτέμβριο του 2021 έως και τον Απρίλιο του 2022 στη διεθνή ηλεκτρονική βάση δεδομένων PubMed, στην ηλεκτρονική βιβλιοθήκη Google Scholar και στις επίσημες ηλεκτρονικές κρατικές σελίδες των Υπουργείων Άμυνας και Υγείας όλων των χωρών που διαθέτουν πλωτά νοσοκομεία ή πλοία που υποστηρίζουν αποστολές HARD. Αποτελέσματα: Από τις 804 μελέτες, οι 34 συμπεριλήφθηκαν στην ανασκόπηση. Οι χώρες που χρησιμοποίησαν πλωτά νοσοκομεία κατά τη διάρκεια της πανδημίας Covid-19 ήταν: ΗΠΑ, Ιταλία, Γαλλία, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, Βραζιλία, Ινδονησία, Χιλή, Φιλιππίνες και η ΜΚΟ Mercy Ships σε χώρες της Αφρικής. Συμπεράσματα: Τα πλωτά νοσοκομεία πρόσφεραν πολύτιμη βοήθεια στην αντιμετώπιση της υγειονομικής κρίσης από την πανδημία Covid-19. Είτε ως νοσοκομείο καραντίνας, είτε ως χώρος νοσηλείας non-covid ασθενών ή ως μέσω εκκένωσης ασθενών και μεταφοράς απαραίτητου υγειονομικού υλικού, τα πλωτά νοσοκομεία ανταποκρίθηκαν με επιτυχία στο έργο που ανέλαβαν. Η χρήση πλωτών νοσοκομείων σε επείγουσες μαζικές ανάγκες υγείας, στις οποίες ανήκουν και οι πανδημίες, ουσιαστικά προσφέρει άμεση διάθεση επιπλέον νοσοκομειακών κλινών και κυρίως πολύτιμων κλινών ΜΕΘ. Η επιτυχημένη χρήση τους στην πανδημία Covid-19 αποδεικνύει πόσο απαραίτητα είναι σε τέτοιες κρίσιμες στιγμές. Είναι επιβεβλημένο να διευρυνθεί η χρήση τους και από άλλες χώρες και να μελετηθεί περεταίρω η προσφορά τους στον χώρο της υγείας.Introduction: The use of hospital ships in mass emergency health needs is not something new. They can offer significant help either as isolation and treatment facilities for symptomatic patients, or by treating non-symptomatic patients in order to decongest local hospitals. Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review is to investigate the use and effectiveness of hospital ships for Covid-19 pandemic management. Material And Method: A systematic review of the literature that was published in the international electronic databases "PubMed" and "Google Scholar" and in the official government websites of all countries that have hospitals ships or other ships supporting HARD missions was carried out from September 2021 to April 2022. Results: Of the 804 studies reviewed, 34 finally included in the review. The countries that used hospital ships during the pandemic Covid-19 were: USA, Italy, France, United Kingdom, Brazil, Indonesia, Chile, Philippines and the NGO Mercy Ships in African countries. Conclusion: Hospital ships have provided valuable assistance in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic health crisis. Whether as a quarantine hospital, or as a non-covid hospital, or as a means of evacuating patients and transporting medical supplies, they have successfully responded to their mission. The use of hospital ships in emergency mass health needs, such as pandemics, offers immediate availability of additional hospital beds and mainly valuable ICU beds. Their successful use in the Covid-19 pandemic proves how necessary they are at such critical moments. It is necessary their use to be extended to more countries and their contribution to the field of health to be further studied

Sample Preparation of Cosmetic Products for the Determination of Heavy Metals

The sample preparation of a cosmetic specimen in Cosmetic Science for the purpose of determining the analytical composition of heavy and toxic metals such as lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) is of particular importance due to the difficulty of handling the sample. There are two main methods of sample preparation. The first method is the wet digestion of the sample with strong acids such as H2SO4, HNO3, HF, and HNO3/HCl (1:3) and the combination of a strong acid with H2O2. Liquid digestion of the sample under the influence of strong acids damages the organic material of the sample and converts the carbon into carbon dioxide. The contained metals are oxidized to the highest oxidizing step and converted to soluble salts. A problem with this method is the loss of metals during digestion because it occurs at high temperatures as well as the decrease in the concentration of the residual acid. The second method of preparation is the wet liquid digestion of the sample with strong acids in a microwave oven in a closed vessel. The acids that are used are mainly HNO3 or mixtures of acids such as HNO3–HCl and HNO3–H2SO4. When the sample in the acid’s solvent is exposed to microwave energy, it can reach temperatures substantially above the boiling temperature of the acid solution. The result is the decomposition of the organic material, the oxidation of the metals, and their conversion to soluble nitrates. The advantages of using microwaves are the ability to control the temperature, pressure, and loss of metals and, thus, avoid erroneous measurement results. Simultaneously with the above, extraction methods have been, for almost a decade, very effective complementary processes that we can use to enrich a sample of a cosmetic product. Liquid–liquid dispersion micro-extraction (DLLME) and solid phase extraction (SPE) are the two main methods used in sample preparation and are usually applied after the digestion process

Skin Care Formulations and Lipid Carriers as Skin Moisturizing Agents

Skin care formulations have evolved as the interaction of health and beauty products for the skin. Their benefits are based on the combination of cosmetic active ingredients and targeted application. Cosmetic actives have been used in novel formulations for decades (sunscreens, anti-aging treatments, etc.), but the problems with their low solubility, low penetration, and physicochemical instability when applied to the skin have yet to be solved. One way to circumvent these shortcomings is to use lipid carriers, which are known to play an important role in the solubility of poorly soluble compounds by facilitating skin permeation and improving stability. This review addresses recent advances in skin care products that use novel nanotechnology-based lipid systems (liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, etc.) to deliver moisturizing cosmetic actives and improve product efficacy

Quantitation of Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 in Cosmetics by Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Photo Diode Array Detection

Bioactive peptides are gaining more and more popularity in the research and development of cosmetic products with anti-aging effect. Acetyl hexapeptide-8 is a hydrophilic peptide incorporated in cosmetics to reduce the under-eye wrinkles and the forehead furrows. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) is the separation technique of choice for analyzing peptides. In this work, a rapid HILIC method coupled to photodiode array detection operated at 214 nm was developed, validated and used to determine acetyl-hexapeptide-8 in cosmetics. Chromatography was performed on a Xbridge® HILIC BEH analytical column using as mobile phase a 40 mM ammonium formate water solution (pH 6.5)-acetonitrile mixture 30:70, v/v at flow rate 0.25 mL min−1. The assay was linear over the concentration range 20 to 30 μg mL−1 for the cosmetic formulations and 0.004 to 0.007% (w/w) for the cosmetic cream. The limits of quantitation for acetyl hexapeptide-8 were 1.5 μg mL−1 and 0.002% (w/w) for the assay of cosmetic formulations and cosmetic creams, respectively. The method was applied to the analysis of cosmetic formulations and anti-wrinkle cosmetic creams

Novel series of DNA triple helix-binding ligands

We have examined the effect of a series of substituted imidazothioxanthones on the stability of an intermolecular DNA triple helix by DNase I footprinting. We find that several of these compounds promote the formation of a complex between T5C5 and the target site A6G6·C6T6, suggesting that they bind specifically to triplex DNA. The only inactive derivative lacked a protonatable function in the side chain, suggesting that this is an essential feature for triplex stabilization. These compounds, which are amongst the first triplex-binding ligands which possess an uncharged chromophore, are selective for the T·AT rather than the C+·GC triplet.</p

Quantification of oligopeptide-20 and oligopeptide-24 in cosmetic creams using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Peptides are a very popular category of cosmetic ingredients covering a wide range of applications in cosmetics. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography is promising for the analysis and separation of such polar substances. In this work, the chromatographic behaviour of oligopeptide-20 and oligopeptide-24 was initially investigated on a zwitterionic ZIC (R)-HILIC analytical column under isocratic elution with UV detection. Then, a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with positive ion electrospray mass spectrometric assay was developed and validated for the quantitation of these peptides in cosmetic creams. All analytes were separated by using a polymeric zwitterionic ZIC (R)-pHILIC analytical column (150.0 x 2.1 mm i.d., particle size 3.5 mu m, 200 angstrom) with isocratic elution. The mobile phase was composed of a 28% 32.5 mM ammonium formate water solution pH 9.5 in acetonitrile and pumped at a flow rate of 0.25 mL min(-1). A run time of less than 11 min for each sample made it possible to analyze a large number of samples per day. This is the first reported application of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography in the simultaneous determination of oligopeptide-20 and oligopeptide-24 in cosmetic creams and it can be used to support routine quality control of these products

Molecular Defects of the CYP27A2 Gene in Greek-Cypriot Patients with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Background/Aim: To determine the mutations in the CYP21A2 gene in Greek-Cypriots with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and attempt a genotype-phenotype correlation. Subjects and Methods: Molecular analysis was performed by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and direct sequencing of PCR products of the CYP21A2 gene in 32 CAH patients. Results: The most frequent genetic defect in the classic salt-wasting and simple virilizing forms was the IVS2-13A/C &gt; G (55%) mutation, followed by Large lesion (20%) and in the non-classical form, the p.V281 L (79.5%). Genotypes were categorized in 4 mutation groups (null, A, B and C). All 3 patients in the null group manifested the salt-wasting form and all 6 patients in mutation group A presented with the classical form. One patient in group B had the simple virilizing form and 22 patients in group C exhibited the non-classical form. Conclusion: The spectrum of mutations of the CYP21A2 gene in our population is comparable to the most common reported in similar ethnic groups. The knowledge of the ethnic specificity of the CYP21A2 mutations represents a valuable diagnostic tool for all forms of CAH. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Base