Whale ‘blubber’ as bio-inspired phase change material

In nature, all living things have various features to survive. For example, marine mammals have an adipose tissue system that protects them from harsh conditions in their environment. This tissue also known as “blubber” provides various features to marine mammals. Buoyancy, insulation, protection and energy storage are among the tasks of this tissue. Thermal energy storage systems are regarded as key to sustainable use of renewables to meet increasing global energy demand. Phase Change Materials (PCM) with thermal energy storage properties are commonly used in a wide variety of applications based on melting-freezing principle. PCMs can be inorganic or organics. Fatty acids are examples of organic PCMs. Please download the PDF file for the full content

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Cephalometric evaluation of children with familial Mediterranean fever

Objective: To test the null hypothesis that no differences exist in craniofacial morphology between patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and the healthy population

Effects of sevoflurane and desflurane on otoacoustic emissions in humans

Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are non-invasive, easy to apply and objective test methods which are widely used to determine the presence of hearing in audiology clinics. Under certain circumstances, the study should be applied under general anesthesia. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of new short-acting inhalation agents, desflurane and sevoflurane, on OAE in humans. These short-acting agents are widely used in general anesthesia. Thirty-one healthy patients who underwent septoplasty and turbinoplasty surgery were included in this study. Unpremedicated patients were anesthetized and monitored by a standard protocol except the inhalation agents. Desflurane and sevoflurane were added to the inhaled gas mixture at similar to 1MAC, 5-6 % and 1.5-2 %, respectively. Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions and distortion product otoacoustic emissions measured in both ears of each patient preoperatively in the operating room before induction, 5 min after induction, after the completion of surgical procedure while the anesthetic agents are still given and 1 h after surgery in the ward. Between-group and within-group comparisons and correlations with hemodynamic parameters were performed for statistical analysis. The measurements of 26 ears in desflurane group and 28 ears in sevoflurane group were evaluated. There were no differences in initial measurements between groups (p > 0.05). Both groups presented significant decrease in intraoperative measurements and changes in time were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The changes in OAEs were similar to changes in systemic blood pressures. Correlation between OAEs and systemic blood pressures were significant (p < 0.05). In conclusion, sevoflurane and desflurane decreased OAEs around 2-3 dB; OAEs are still measurable under inhalation agents. This provides some findings about the OAE status of patient, but the evaluations should be done with the impact of anesthetic agents in mind

A Humanized Anti-Interleukin 6 Receptor Monoclonal Antibody, Tocilizumab, for the Treatment of Endometriosis in a Rat Model

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of anti-interleukin 6 (IL-6) therapy in the treatment of endometriosis in a rat model

Effect of 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate on ischemia-reperfusion injury in a rat ovary model

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) as an antioxidant and analyze biochemical and histopathologic changes in experimental ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rat ovaries

Effect of vitamin D status on lipid profile in premenopausal women: a cross-sectional study

Objective High lipid levels play important roles in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and some authors suggest vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin D status on lipid profile in premenopausal women. Patients and methods A total of 315 nonsmoking premenopausal female volunteers without diabetes mellitus were included in the study