Search

People spend approximately 80% of their time indoors, which is why indoor air quality is important for human health in recent years. Instant determination of the changing indoor air quality, especially in public buildings, and implementing appropriate prevention measures is therefore necessary. One of the most important air pollutants is total volatile organic compounds. The purpose of this study was to measure simultaneously the concentration of total volatile organic compounds by two different methods; wireless sensor and passive sampling. The passive sampling period was chosen as one week, so samples were collected 4 times in one month. Passive samples were collected using Radiello stainless steel tubes in two different laboratories and were analyzed by thermal desorber and gas chromatography-mass spectrometer instrumentals. In the wireless sensor networks, data were collected every minute for a month at the same points in the same laboratories. The two methods were compared and the observed accuracy of the methods was about 5.89%. The classical method (passive sampling) is expensive and the result isn't prepared on time. In this paper, we offer a low-cost indoor air quality monitoring wireless sensor network system. Hence, the sensors record the results in real time, allowing us to observe changes immediately and intervene as needed. Therefore, in public places, the use of wireless sensor network systems will have a major positive impact in terms of saving time and money, as well as protecting the health of personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Several studies have reported the prognostic value of natriuretic peptides, but their predictive value in patients with diabetes mellitus is unknown. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that measurement of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in ambulatory patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and diabetes can predict the occurrence of cardiovascular events at 6-month follow-up. Methods We enrolled 145 consecutive patient with diabetes [age 72 ± 9 years, hypertension (21%), ischaemic heart disease (52%), atrial fibrillation (22%), preserved left ventricular function (29%)] seen in the outpatient heart failure clinic after an acute episode of cardiac failure. Results The median (25th/75th interquartile range) BNP concentrations at discharge were 186 (75–348) pg/ml. At 6-month clinical follow-up 10/145 (7%) subjects had died and 31/145 (21%) had been readmitted because of cardiac decompensation. BNP values of 200 and 500 pg/ml were found to have the best compromise between sensitivity (88 and 46%, respectively) and specificity (71 and 89%, respectively) for predicting events at 6 months. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified only two parameters as predictors of events: serum creatinine [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.3; P = 0.02], and BNP plasma level BNP cut-off values (HR = 3.8; P = 0.03 for 201–499 pg/ml and HR = 7.7; P = 0.001 for ≥ 500 pg/ml). Conclusion These results suggest that BNP and serum creatinine are strong predictors of clinical events in patients with diabetes and CHF. In these patients, clinical outcome might be stratified by plasma BNP levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Among the anesthetic technologies used, regional anesthesia is becoming the most common in cesarean section (CS) deliveries. Aim. This retrospective survey examined the variables taken into account when selecting the anesthetic technique to be used, and how this choice affects the outcome for the mother and the newborn. Methods. One thousand eight hundred and seventy elective and emergency CS were evaluated for anesthetic technique used, indications, and maternal and neonatal outcome. Results. Of the 611 elective CS (32.6%), 206 (33.8%) were performed under general anesthesia and 405 (66.2%) under regional anesthesia. Of the 1259 emergency CS performed (67.4%), 525 (41.9%) were under general anesthesia and 734 (58.1%) under regional anesthesia. Conditions associated with a newborn 1-minute Apgar score of <7 were general anesthesia and multiple pregnancy (p<0.01); a 5-minute Apgar score of <7 was only associated with multiple pregnancy. The most important factor for very low Apgar scores was the presence of fetal malformations. Whatever the chosen technique, neither maternal deaths directly or indirectly due to the anesthesia nor major maternal and perinatal complications were found. Conclusions. This survey confirms the preference for regional anesthesia during elective cesarean sections and for general anesthesia in emergency situations. Moreover, newborn outcome was found not to be influenced either by the technique used or by the character of the procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the study "B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Can Predict the Medium-Term Risk in Patients With Acute Heart Failure: The BIC Study," by N. Aspromonte and colleagues, is presented.

The methodology applied in this research work allows the evaluation of the vertical vulnerability of the Esino River alluvial aquifer (Marche). Main factors determining the ease with which possible pollutant may come from the soil surface to reach the groundwater beneath, through a prevalently vertical path, have been evaluated. Following a 'raster' logic, the study area has been discretized into a set of elemental areas. For each of these areas, dimensionless indices able to characterize the actual possibility for the groundwater to be reached by polluting substances have been estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]