COVID-19 Elderly Patients Treated for Proximal Femoral Fractures during the Second Wave of Pandemic in Italy and Iran: A Comparison between Two Countries.

Background and objevtive: The worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2 has affected the various regions of the world differently. Italy and Iran have experienced a different adaptation to coexistence with the pandemic. Above all, fractures of the femur represent a large part of the necessary care for elderly patients. The aim of this study was to compare the treatment in Italy and Iran of COVID-19-positive patients suffering from proximal femur fractures in terms of characteristics, comorbidities, outcomes and complications. Materials and Methods: Medical records of COVID-19-positive patients with proximal femoral fractures treated at IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi in Milan (Italy) and at Salamat Farda and Parsa hospitals in the province of Tehran (Iran), in the time frame from 1 October 2020 to 16 January 2021, were analyzed and compared. Results: Records from 37 Italian patients and 33 Iranian patients were analyzed. The Italian group (mean age: 83.89 ± 1.60 years) was statistically older than the Iranian group (mean age: 75.18 ± 1.62 years) (p value = 0.0003). The mean number of transfusions for each patient in Italy was higher than the Iranian mean number (p value = 0.0062). The length of hospital stay in Italy was longer than in Iran (p value < 0.0001). Furthermore, laboratory values were different in the post-operative value of WBC and admission and post-operative values of CRP. Conclusions: The present study shows that differences were found between COVID-19-positive patients with proximal femoral fractures in these two countries. Further studies are required to validate these results and to better explain the reasons behind these differences.

Assessing local heat stress and air quality with the use of remote sensing and pedestrian perception in urban microclimate simulations.

Cities are increasingly confronted with multiple environmental and climatic stressors. Especially during heatwaves, street canyons are both producers and sufferers of air pollution and urban heat island (UHI) effects, with severe risks on public health. To better design mitigation measures, it is important to consider both the microclimate behaviors as well as the perceptions of the local population. Therefore, this study examined pedestrian perceptions and microclimate modelings to understand outdoor thermal comfort conditions and air pollution dispersion in the case study neighborhood of Dortmund Marten, Germany. A field survey with measurement points at two street canyons for climatic variables and questionnaires on subjective thermal comfort and air pollution was conducted on a hot day during the heatwave period in August 2020. As a cost-effective method for modeling input generation, we extracted spatial and spectral data like albedo, roof materials and tree locations out of remote sensing imageries. Finally, we compared the modeling results of the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) index, particulate matter concentrations and air temperatures with empirical field measurement data and the questionnaire responses. Results indicate that during hot summer days with light winds from the east, the north-south orientated street canyon with tree arrangements tends to act as a tunnel for particulate matter accumulation. Coincidently, pedestrians show less thermal discomfort than calculated PET values in that particular area during morning and daytime, which underlines the dichotomy of such places. On the other hand, the low rise east-west orientated street canyon shows higher PET votes than predicted by the model. However, particulate matter concentrations were considerably underestimated by the model, while air temperature predictions provided meaningful results. The proposed workflow shows the potential to accelerate future preparations of input data for microclimate modelings, while the results can enhance wind-sensitive planning procedures and heat stress resilience in mid-latitude urban neighborhoods.

Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Normal Iranian Children Measured with Optical Coherence Tomography.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to measure the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in normal Iranian children aged below 18 years. METHODS: Peripapillary RNFL imaging was performed in the right eye of normal Iranian children aged below 18 years using Spectralis SD-OCT (Heidelberg Engineering; Vista, CA). The effects of age, gender, cup-to-disc ratio, and spherical equivalent (SE) on global and sectoral RNFL thicknesses were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 115 eyes were imaged. Approximately 51 (44.3%) of the cases were female children. The mean age was 12.44 ± 2.52 years. The SE of refractive error was 0.39 ± 1.38 diopters (range: -3.00 to +4.5 D). The RNFL thickness measurements in the superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal quadrants were 129.25 ± 14.52, 128.16 ± 13.46, 76.76 ± 10.58, and 69.58 ± 9.94 µm, respectively. The global RNFL thickness was 101.01 ± 7.74 µm. In both univariate and multiple regression analyses, SE was the only determinant of RNFL thickness (all P values < 0.05). CONCLUSION: OCT analysis can effectively measure RNFL thickness in children, and SE is the only determinant of RNFL thickness in normal Iranian patients aged below 18 years.