Technological adjustments in textile, clothes and leather industries: an alternative pathway for competitiveness

Labour-intensive industries, located in medium/high-cost areas are presently facing increasing low-cost competition and outsourcing with tremendous consequences at the regional employment level. The ability to react and technologically adjust to the challenges of this harder market conditions is what determines whether a region is a producer of high value-added goods or just a merely subcontractor. In fact, alternative employment opportunities may arise from complementary areas linked to technological innovations and although one can expect further job decline in manufacturing productive units, it is also expectable that more qualified jobs may be created in complementary areas, such as design, marketing, retail and management. The first objective of the present research is to characterise the process of adoption of new technologies in textile, clothes and leather (TCL) sectors from a group of Southern European regions, characterised by their economic vulnerability and dependence on these sectors. The results revealed that we are in the presence of a process: a) developed internally; b) supplier dominated and c) motivated by the international market. The second objective is to observe the impacts of technical change on local employment structures, namely regarding employment levels and skills. The results indicate that firms investing in new plant and equipment and firms investing in the development of new products are more likely to be increasing employment than the others. Also, firms hiring in these sectors, look for adequate qualifications, in particular regarding the ability to work with internet and marketing technology tools. We conclude that alternative pathways for competitiveness in these industries can be found through higher productivity levels driven from a much reduced workforce, if greater proportion of their turnover could be invested in technology and employment qualification

Single center experience on talc poudrage morbidity: focus on high talc dosage

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common clinical problem of concern for most of the pneumologists and thoracic surgeons. A general consensus regarding the use of talc poudrage in treatment of MPE exists, but only few studies analyzed in detail talc insufflation related pulmonary morbidity. In particular, ARDS talc-related is caused by physical and chemical effects of the small talc particles (50% particle size <15 μm) and its occurrence is independent from the underlying disease, the quantity of talc used or the technique of talc instillation. In our series we observed 3 cases only (0.75%) of talc-related lung injury. This data strongly confirm the low rate of talc-related lung injury after talc poudrage in treatment of MPE regardless the amount of talc insufflated

Bench-scale Production of Biopolyesters from waste glycerol

Bioproductio

Real-world evidence evaluation of LDL-C in hospitalized patients: a population-based observational study in the timeframe 2021–2022

Abstract Aims European registries and retrospective cohort studies have highlighted the failure to achieve low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) targets in many very high-risk patients. Hospitalized patients are often frail, and frailty is associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. The aim of this study is to evaluate LDL-C levels in a real-world inpatient setting, identifying cardiovascular risk categories and highlighting treatment gaps in the implementation of LDL-C management. Methods This retrospective, observational study included all adult patients admitted to an Italian hospital between 2021 and 2022 with available LDL-C values during hospitalization. Disease-related real-world data were collected from Hospital Information System using automated data extraction strategies and through the implementation of a patient-centered data repository (the Dyslipidemia Data Mart). We performed assessment of cardiovascular risk profiles, LDL-C target achievement according to the 2019 ESC/EAS guidelines, and use of lipid-lowering therapies (LLT). Results 13,834 patients were included: 17.15%, 13.72%, 16.82% and 49.76% were low (L), moderate (M), high (H) and very high-risk (VH) patients, respectively. The percentage of on-target patients was progressively lower towards the worst categories (78.79% in L, 58.38% in M, 33.3% in H and 21.37% in VH). Among LLT treated patients, 28.48% were on-target in VH category, 47.60% in H, 69.12% in M and 68.47% in L. We also analyzed the impact of monotherapies and combination therapies on target achievement. Conclusions We found relevant gaps in LDL-C management in the population of inpatients, especially in the VH category. Future efforts should be aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk in these subjects

Ex Vivo Behaviour of Human Bone Tumor Endothelial Cells

cancer

Treating chronic wounds in an acute care setting: the forgotten diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic wounds include lower extremity ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, and pressure injuries, and can take months or years to heal. Wounds place a high burden on outpatient and inpatient care settings. This burden is expected to increase markedly in the United States as the population ages and with increased rates of diabetes, obesity, and COVID-19. PURPOSE: To articulate the effect of chronic, hard-to-heal wounds on acute care facilities, and how a few days of inpatient care can have a significant effect on the healing trajectory. METHODS: An expert panel of 7 members, all with extensive knowledge and experience in the assessment and treatment of chronic wounds in an acute care setting, was convened in March 2022. The panel discussed the role of hospitals as part of the longer-term healing pathway of chronic wounds. RESULTS: Chronic wounds have a significant effect on hospitals that includes unseen costs, bed occupancy, demands on bedside nurses, and wound complications that lead to extended stays or readmissions. A successful inpatient wound program offers appropriate identification of previously undiagnosed wounds, elevation of bedside care through simplified protocols, quickly and easily understood education and easy dressing selection, and comprehensive discharge planning with a multidisciplinary team for continuity of care and reduced risk of readmission. CONCLUSION: Hospitals can play a key role in the management of chronic wounds, thus reducing the effect on each facility and the wider care network