Sustainability in the IVF laboratory: recommendations of an expert panel.

The healthcare industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Assisted reproductive technology is part of the larger healthcare sector, with its own heavy carbon footprint. The social, economic and environmental costs of this collective carbon footprint are becoming clearer, as is the impact on human reproductive health. Alpha Scientists in Reproductive Medicine and the International IVF Initiative collaborated to seek and formulate practical recommendations for sustainability in IVF laboratories. An international panel of experts, enthusiasts and professionals in reproductive medicine, environmental science, architecture, biorepository and law convened to discuss the topics of importance to sustainability. Recommendations were issued on how to build a culture of sustainability in the workplace, implement green design and building, use life cycle analysis to determine the environmental impact, manage cryostorage more sustainably, and understand and manage laboratory waste with prevention as a primary goal. The panel explored whether the industry supporting IVF is sustainable. An example is provided to illustrate the application of green principles to an IVF laboratory through a certification programme. The UK legislative landscape surrounding sustainability is also discussed and a few recommendations on 'Green Conferencing' are offered.

Managing the IVF laboratory during a pandemic: international perspectives from laboratory managers.

Fertility societies worldwide responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by recommending that fertility clinics close, or sharply reduce, the clinical operation, leading to a shift in the management of IVF laboratories in three phases: shutdown preparation; maintenance during shutdown; and restart. Each of these phases carries distinct risks that need identification and mitigation, forcing laboratory managers to rethink and adapt their procedures in response to the pandemic. The sudden and unprecedented nature of the pandemic forced laboratory managers from around the world to base decisions on opinion and experience when evidence-based response options were unavailable. These perspectives on pandemic response were presented during a virtual international symposium on COVID-19, held on 3 April 2020, and organized by the London Laboratory Managers' Group. Laboratory managers from seven different countries at different stages of the pandemic (China, Italy, Spain, France, UK, Brazil and Australia) presented their personal experiences to a select audience of experienced laboratory managers from 19 different countries. The intention of this paper is to collect the learnings and considerations from this group of laboratory managers who collaborated to share personal experiences to contribute to the debate surrounding what constitutes good IVF laboratory practice in extraordinary circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The primacy of positivity: practical applications for speech-language pathologists.

Healthcare professionals, including speech-language pathologists, generally assume that their clients will be happy after they have "gotten better" or somehow achieved their goals; which is not an unreasonable assumption, and which is a belief shared by the majority of clients. It may not, however, be entirely helpful. Such an approach may well contribute to a range of problems including negative, self-defeating emotions such as frustration which could impede treatment progress. Rather than waiting until success is achieved, happiness and positivity should come first and foremost. By promoting the "primacy of positivity" speech-language pathologists can help their clients better achieve their goals, leveraging off the energy and motivation created.

The psychosocial impact of self-reported morning allergy symptoms: findings from an Australian internet-based survey.

Background. Allergies can substantially impact health-related quality of life (HRQL). We investigated the psychosocial impact of morning symptoms amongst Australian adults with self-reported allergic rhinitis (AR). Method. An online survey comprising 24 questions was conducted in August 2008. Inclusion criteria were age (20-49 years) and self-reported moderate to severe symptoms of AR. Results. One thousand sixty respondents met the inclusion criteria. Amongst consumers with self-reported AR, symptoms were more severe in the morning in 597 (56%) and affected mood in 1025 (97%). Nine hundred seventy (91%) indicated that their symptoms had some impact on their day ahead and 868 (82%) reported a negative impact on relationships. Morning symptoms in particular had a substantial affect on mood for the day. HRQL impact was more pronounced in those who reported severe symptoms and in females. Discussion. Encouraging consumers with self-diagnosed AR to seek formal diagnosis and offering appropriate treatment strategies, such as those offering sustained effectiveness over 24-hours, may aid in negating the negative impact of morning symptoms.

The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in chronic pain patients.

Several of the more common causes of chronic pain include traumatic events such as motor vehicle accidents and work-related incidents. Therefore, it is not unusual for patients presenting with chronic pain to also describe significant levels of distress including post-traumatic symptomatology and, in the more severe cases, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Throughout the past few decades, the literature relating to chronic pain and PTSD has become progressively more sophisticated, resulting in well-supported theories and treatments for sufferers. However, only a handful of studies have specifically attended to the co-occurrence of these two disorders. This review presents a summary of the literature relating to the two disorders in terms of symptoms, prevalence, and comorbidity. It also briefly describes the main empirically supported psychologic theories of chronic pain and PTSD and briefly reviews the evidence regarding what factors maintain the disorders. Treatment implications and issues for future research are considered.