Assessing the alteration of physicochemical characteristics in composted organic waste in a prototype decentralized composting facility.

This article presents the pilot experience of an integrated biowaste management system developed in Tinos island, Greece, which promoted source separation and decentralized composting in a prototype unit. This system was introduced as a new-to-the-area of implementation and innovation, since landfilling of mixed municipal solid waste has been the common practice in Tinos island, as in many other areas of insular and mainland Greece. The biowaste management system was implemented through a bring scheme that aimed at motivating the public to separate at source the organic fraction of MSW.

Improvement of home composting process of food waste using different minerals.

This article presents the experimental study of the process of composting in a prototype home-scale system with a special focus on process improvement by using different additives (i.e. woodchips, perlite, vermiculite and zeolite).

Combination of decentralized waste drying and SSF techniques for household biowaste minimization and ethanol production.

The results of the demonstration of an innovative household biowaste management and treatment scheme established in two Greek Municipalities for the production of lignocellulosic ethanol using dehydrated household biowaste as a substrate, are presented within this research. This is the first time that biowaste drying was tested at a decentralized level for the production of ethanol using the Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) process, at a pilot scale in Greece. The decentralized biowaste drying method proved that the household biowaste mass and volume reduction may reach 80% through the dehydration process used.

Combined general-epidural anesthesia with continuous postoperative epidural analgesia preserves sigmoid colon perfusion in elective infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair.

Background: In elective open infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair the use of epidural anesthesia and analgesia may preserve splanchnic perfusion. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of epidural anesthesia on gut perfusion with gastrointestinal tonometry in patients undergoing aortic reconstructive surgery.

Methods: THIRTY PATIENTS, SCHEDULED TO UNDERGO AN ELECTIVE INFRARENAL ABDOMINAL AORTIC RECONSTRUCTIVE PROCEDURE WERE RANDOMIZED IN TWO GROUPS: the epidural anesthesia group (Group A, n=16) and the control group (Group B, n=14).

Postoperative pulmonary function after open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: epidural versus intravenous analgesia.

Background: We reviewed our experience to determine the effect of epidural versus intravenous analgesia on postoperative pulmonary function and pain control in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) undergoing open surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Methods: A retrospective study with prospective collection of data of 30 COPD patients undergoing open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, during a 5-year period. Group I (n = 16) was operated under combined general and epidural anesthesia and epidural analgesia; group II (n = 14), under general anesthesia and intravenous analgesia.

Peripheral subcutaneous stimulation for the treatment of intractable postherpetic neuralgia: two case reports and literature review.

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a common cause of chronic pain in the elderly. Antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and opioids may reduce discomfort in many patients, while others have pain intractable to all forms of therapy. We present a novel treatment approach for intractable PHN utilizing percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation.