New Composite Materials Made from Rigid/Flexible Polyurethane Foams with Fir Sawdust: Acoustic and Thermal Behavior.

The aim of this work is to obtain new materials with improved sound absorbing and thermal properties, using rigid or flexible polyurethane foam reinforced with recycled fir sawdust from wood processing as well as by optimizing their mixing ratio. In this respect, we prepared and characterized samples by mixing rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF)/flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) with 0, 35, 40, 45, and 50 wt% fir sawdust (FS) with grains size larger than 2 mm. The samples were evaluated by cell morphology analysis, sound absorption, and thermal insulation performance. The obtained composite materials containing 50% sawdust have superior acoustic properties compared to those with 100% FPUF in the range of 420-1250 Hz. The addition of 35% and 50% FS in the FPUF matrix led to improved thermal insulation properties and decreased thermal insulation properties in the case of RPUF. The results show that the use of FS-based composites with the FPUF/RPUF matrix for sound absorption and thermal insulation applications is a desirable choice and could be applied as an alternative to conventional synthetic fiber-based materials and as a recycling method of waste wood.

The Relation between Negative Automatic Thoughts and Psychological Inflexibility in Schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is one of the most severe disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) spectrum. Negative automatic thoughts (NAT), cognitive fusion (CF), and experiential avoidance (EA), as part of psychological inflexibility (PI), can be considered important dysfunctional cognitive processes in schizophrenia. METHODS: In the present study, two samples were included: a target group consisting of 41 people with schizophrenia (23 females; aged 44.98 ± 11.74), and a control group consisting of 40 individuals with end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) (27 males; aged 60.38 ± 9.14). RESULTS: Differences were found between the two groups, with patients with schizophrenia showing an increased frequency of NAT, as well as higher levels of CF and EA (psychological inflexibility), compared to the control group. NAT were the mediator in the relation between the schizophrenia diagnosis and CF, as well as EA. CONCLUSION: Individuals with schizophrenia present a specific dysfunctional pattern of cognitive functioning, in which negative automatic thoughts represent a distinctive pathway to cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance.

A comparative analysis of three types of parathyroidectomies in renal hyperparathyroidism Single centre prospective cohort of 77 patients.

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus regarding optimal timing or best surgical procedure for refractory renal hyperparathyroidism patients. We aim to compare the results after three types of parathyroidectomies performed for sHPT in a single referral centre. METHODS: This study included patients on chronic hemodialysis submitted to three types of parathyroidectomy between 2010 and 2017. The primary outcome measure was relief of the symptoms and normalization of the main biochemical parameters. RESULTS: All symptoms improved significantly after surgery, especially osteoatricular pains. iPth dropped significantly immediately and during the follow up in all 3 groups; on short term, iPth values for group C(tPtx) were significantly lower compared to the other 2 subgroups (p=0.009). Furthermore, 5 patients from group C presented iPth values <12 pg/ml one year post-surgery, though this values tend to improve after. Patients from group B and C developed most often acute postoperative hypocalcemia, and persistent hyperparathyroidism was encountered especially after sPtx(10.3%). CONCLUSION: Significant improvement of both symptoms and biochemical parameters was noted in the majority of cases, regardless the parathyroidectomy type. tPtx is frequently followed by chronic hypoparathyroidism and subtotal parathyroidectomy is followed by a higher number of persistent and recurrent sHPT. KEY WORDS: Secondary hyperparathyroidism, Parathyroidectomy, Parathyroid autotransplant.

Sepsis in Acute Mediastinitis - A Severe Complication after Oesophageal Perforations. A Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Despite recent advancements in antibiotic therapy and the progress made in critical care and modern diagnostic methods, acute mediastinitis continues to be a severe condition. DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT: Acute mediastinitis can occur in the context of cardio-thoracic surgery, oesophageal perforations and oropharyngeal infections condition. Forty-five percent of oesophageal perforations occurs during simple endoscopy. Spontaneous perforation (Boerhaave syndrome) accounts for 15% of perforations, and twelve percent are due to the ingestion of foreign bodies. Other causes include blind or penetrating trauma, and circa 9% to intraoperative lesions. CT scan is the standard investigation that reveals direct signs of mediastinitis.The oral administration of contrast substances can underscore the level of oesophageal perforation. Conservative treatment is the first-choice treatment and surgical treatment is reserved only for specific situations.The principles of surgical treatment consist of drainage, primary suture, oesophageal exclusion with or without the application of oesophagectomy, endoscopic vacuum wound assisted therapy of the perforation and associated paraoesophageal mediastinal drainage and endoscopic stenting associated with drainage. CONCLUSIONS: The lowest mortality rate is recorded in patients with perforations diagnosed less than twenty-four hours after the onset of symptoms. Surgical treatment remains the gold standard especially in cases of thoracic and abdominal perforations while further investigations are mandatory before endoscopic stenting is carried out.

Medical education in Romania: Tradition and innovation.

Romania is a country in south-east Europe, which has experienced major changes in political, educational, and healthcare systems. At the time of writing this paper, there are thirteen accredited Faculties of Medicine, which offer students from all over the world the possibility of becoming doctors. Students in Romania follow a six-year program of activity and there are courses taught in Romanian, English, French, and Hungarian. In this paper, we outline the organization of Romanian medical education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and we indicate the opportunities for curriculum development.