Skin diseases in hospitalized geriatrics: a 9-year analysis from a University Dermatology Center in Germany.

The demographic trend of an ageing society is mirrored in the rising number of hospitalized geriatric patients in Germany. However, there is still a wide gap of knowledge regarding the dermatological diseases, comorbidities and performed procedures within this growingly important group of patients. The study was conducted as a retrospective monocentric data analysis of all patients 65 years or older from the Department of Dermatology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Germany. In total, 10,009 individual hospitalisations were included from 2009 to 2017, and there was a notable increase of geriatric patients in the study period. This study illustrates the following: leading major diagnoses included malignant neoplasm of the head and neck, ulcerated and non-ulcerated inflammatory spectrum of chronic venous insufficiency, whereas angina pectoris, type 2 diabetes and cardiac diseases were noted most frequently as secondary diagnoses. Patients with venous diseases had considerably more often cardiopulmonary minor diagnoses, whereas endocrine diagnoses peaked in the cohort of patients with psoriasis and psychiatric and muscululoskeletal disorders in patients with bullous dieseases. Moh's surgery, dressings and multimodal dermatological treatments were the most often encoded procedures.

Effect of Using Different Chemical Dispersing Agents in Grain Size Analyses of Fluvial Sediments via Laser Diffraction Spectrometry.

Laser diffraction spectrometry allows for efficiently obtaining high-resolution grain size data. However, pretreatment and dispersion of aggregates in sediment samples are essential pre-requisites for acquiring accurate results using this method. This study evaluates the effectiveness of five dispersing agents in deflocculating the investigated fluvial sediments and the resulting grain size distribution obtained by laser diffraction spectrometry. We also examine the ability of the different dispersing agents to deflocculate sediment samples treated by thermal combustion. Distilled water presented a low efficiency in deflocculating the samples and yielded a near-zero clay content for samples with an expected clay content. The other chemical dispersants were effective in dispersing aggregates and yielding clay, albeit with different efficiencies. Calgon had the highest dispersing ability, followed closely by sodium tripolyphosphate. The performance of chemical treatment with sodium oxalate approaches that of sodium tripolyphosphate. However, it leads to the formation of precipitates in the samples, obscuring the actual grain size data. Sodium pyrophosphate derived the least amount of deflocculation among the four chemical dispersants. Furthermore, all the chemical dispersants were found to be ineffective in dispersing aggregates in samples treated by thermal combustion.

Author Correction: 420,000 year assessment of fault leakage rates shows geological carbon storage is secure.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Resources spent on dermatological emergency patients: A twelve-month prospective data collection from Germany.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Rising numbers of patients consulting emergency units are associated with an increased demand for material and personnel. In order to better quantify these resources, we performed an analysis of diagnostic procedures, treatment types, and the quantity and educational level of staff involved in emergency consultations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted as a prospective single-center survey over twelve months in the dermatology unit of a Germany university hospital. 3155 consultations were included by consecutive sampling. RESULTS: Diagnostic tests (e.g. microbiological swab, blood testing, punch biopsy) were performed in 29 % of all consultations. Physicians prescribed treatment in 70 % of cases, with steroids and antihistamines being the most frequent topical and systemic treatment, respectively. Each patient was seen by at least one physician and a nurse, and in 25 % of cases an additional physician was involved. Less than thirty minutes was required for the consultation in the vast majority of cases. On average, emergency consultations required two hours per day of the treating physician's time, not including the time of other involved staff such as nurses and laboratory technicians. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the extent of resources involved in the treatment of dermatological emergency consultations.

420,000 year assessment of fault leakage rates shows geological carbon storage is secure.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is routinely cited as a cost effective tool for climate change mitigation. CCS can directly reduce industrial CO2 emissions and is essential for the retention of CO2 extracted from the atmosphere. To be effective as a climate change mitigation tool, CO2 must be securely retained for 10,000 years (10 ka) with a leakage rate of below 0.01% per year of the total amount of CO2 injected. Migration of CO2 back to the atmosphere via leakage through geological faults is a potential high impact risk to CO2 storage integrity. Here, we calculate for the first time natural leakage rates from a 420 ka paleo-record of CO2 leakage above a naturally occurring, faulted, CO2 reservoir in Arizona, USA. Surface travertine (CaCO3) deposits provide evidence of vertical CO2 leakage linked to known faults. U-Th dating of travertine deposits shows leakage varies along a single fault and that individual seeps have lifespans of up to 200 ka. Whilst the total volumes of CO2 required to form the travertine deposits are high, time-averaged leakage equates to a linear rate of less than 0.01%/yr. Hence, even this natural geological storage site, which would be deemed to be of too high risk to be selected for engineered geologic storage, is adequate to store CO2 for climate mitigation purposes.

Dermatological conditions presenting to the emergency dermatological unit of a university hospital in Germany.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recently, there have been increasing numbers of patients consulting emergency units in all medical disciplines. Our aim was to analyze the demographics, referral mode, symptoms, localization of lesions, prior treatment, diagnoses and hospitalization rate of dermatological patients. PATIENT AND METHODS: The study was conducted as a prospective single center survey over six months in the dermatology unit of a university hospital in Germany. 1552 consultations were included with consecutive sampling. RESULTS: The study cohort had a mean age of 41 years and included 53 % females. Nearly half of the patients lived less than 10 kilometers from the study center. 72 % of patients referred themselves. The main symptoms were itching and occurrence of a rash; these symptoms had been present for more than a week on average. A general manifestation was present on the skin in most cases. 55 % of patients were seen by a dermatologist or a general practitioner before the consultation. Prior treatment had been received in 49 % of cases. Eight percent of patients were hospitalized. Eczema was the most common diagnosis, followed by urticaria and scabies. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that a considerable number of patients present with non-urgent diagnoses. Careful prescreening and sensitization of the population may be necessary to reverse this trend.