Past, present, and future of sustainable intensive care: narrative review and a large hospital system experience.

Healthcare systems are large contributors to global emissions, and intensive care units (ICUs) are a complex and resource-intensive component of these systems. Recent global movements in sustainability initiatives, led mostly by Europe and Oceania, have tried to mitigate ICUs' notable environmental impact with varying success. However, there exists a significant gap in the U.S. knowledge and published literature related to sustainability in the ICU. After a narrative review of the literature and related industry standards, we share our experience with a Green ICU initiative at a large hospital system in Texas. Our process has led to a 3-step pathway to inform similar initiatives for sustainable (green) critical care. This pathway involves (1) establishing a baseline by quantifying the status quo carbon footprint of the affected ICU as well as the cumulative footprint of all the ICUs in the healthcare system; (2) forming alliances and partnerships to target each major source of these pollutants and implement specific intervention programs that reduce the ICU-related greenhouse gas emissions and solid waste; and (3) finally to implement a systemwide Green ICU which requires the creation of multiple parallel pathways that marshal the resources at the grass-roots level to engage the ICU staff and institutionalize a mindset that recognizes and respects the impact of ICU functions on our environment. It is expected that such a systems-based multi-stakeholder approach would pave the way for improved sustainability in critical care.

Effects of the utilization of intellectual property by scientific researchers on economic growth in Mexico.

The present article examines the impact of intellectual property (IP) utilization and concentration on economic growth in Mexico. The findings presented center on the use of different forms of IP by researchers in the National System of Researchers (SNI in Spanish) of Mexico. We focus especially on the externalities associated with the use of IP by researchers, as well as on understanding how knowledge about, and utilization of IP relates to economic growth, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP). The results of our analyses indicate that in the context of the Mexican SNI, the utilization of certain forms of IP, specifically patents and industrial designs, had a positive impact on economic growth, while the use of utility models was negatively linked to drivers of growth. Policies based on these results could seek to foster awareness and utilization of particular forms of IP by SNI researchers, which in turn could result in greater economic growth in Mexico.