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Electromagnetic radiation can be classified into two major types depending on its ability to detach electrons from atoms: ionising and non-ionising. The aforementioned categorization is significant due to the effects of ionising radiation on human tissue (e.g. carcinogenesis). However, many students around the globe cannot distinguish these two types of electromagnetic radiation and as a result significant misconceptions arise regarding this topic (for example radiation emitted by mobile phones is considered by many students as ionising). Hence, in this paper a teaching approach specifically designed and implemented for the secondary education level is presented, based on the absorbed energy distribution by atoms/molecules in each radiation type. More specifically, the number of atoms/molecules that absorb equal doses of energy per unit mass can be used in order to explain the difference in the effects caused by the two abovementioned radiation types. Also, two analogies from classical mechanics are presented to provide a full insight into the energy distribution concept from a teaching perspective.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a very common cause of mortality and morbidity. The distinction between infected and non-infected DFU remains a very challenging task for clinicians in everyday practice. Even when infection is documented, the spectrum of diabetic foot infection is wide, ranging from cellulitis and soft tissue infection to osteomyelitis. Procalcitonin (PCT), a well-established sepsis biomarker, has been used in the diagnosis of several infections including osteomyelitis in patients with diabetes mellitus. This review gathers and presents all the relevant data, up until now, regarding the use of PCT as an assessment tool in diabetic patients with foot infection. Current evidence suggests that PCT levels could aid clinicians in distinguishing infected from non-infected DFUs as well as in the distinction between soft tissue infection and bone involvement, but further and larger studies are warranted to confirm these findings.