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Introduction Electronic product innovations satisfy many needs, including the desire of people to stay connected around the globe. As new products are continually introduced into the marketplace, consumers replace existing [...], Background: Electronic waste (e-waste) is produced in staggering quantities, estimated globally to be 41.8 million tonnes in 2014. Informal e-waste recycling is a source of much-needed income in many low- to middle-income countries. However, its handling and disposal in underdeveloped countries is often unsafe and leads to contaminated environments. Rudimentary and uncontrolled processing methods often result in substantial harmful chemical exposures among vulnerable populations, including women and children. E-waste hazards have not yet received the attention they deserve in research and public health agendas. OBJECTIVES: We provide an overview of the scale and health risks. We review international efforts concerned with environmental hazards, especially affecting children, as a preface to presenting next steps in addressing health issues stemming from the global e-waste problem. DISCUSSION: The e-waste problem has been building for decades. Increased observation of adverse health effects from e-waste sites calls for protecting human health and the environment from e-waste contamination. Even if e-waste exposure intervention and prevention efforts are implemented, legacy contamination will remain, necessitating increased awareness of e-waste as a major environmental health threat. CONCLUSION: Global, national, and local levels efforts must aim to create safe recycling operations that consider broad security issues for people who rely on e-waste processing for survival. Paramount to these efforts is reducing pregnant women and children's e-waste exposures to mitigate harmful health effects. With human environmental health in mind, novel dismantling methods and remediation technologies and intervention practices are needed to protect communities. http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509699

Aims: The aim of this study is to compare between transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided aspiration and transurethral (TU) deroofing in the treatment of prostatic abscess regarding safety and efficacy. Settings and Design: This prospective randomized study was done during the period between April 2009 and March 2015 and included 32 patients with prostatic abscess. Subjects and Methods: All patients were enrolled in the study after obtaining a written informed consent and approval of the local ethical committee. The patients were randomly allocated into two groups; Group A treated by TRUS-guided aspiration, saline wash, and local injection of antibiotics and Group B treated by TU deroofing of the abscess. All patients received broad-spectrum antibiotics during the period of treatment, and the follow-up was done on the 5th day by TRUS to ensure complete resolution of the abscess. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was done using online social science statistical calculators http://www.socscistatistics.com/Default.aspx using t-test for two independent means, Chi-square test, and Mann-Whitney U-test with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age was 59 ± 11.46 and 60 ± 13.65 years for Groups A and B, respectively. Diabetes mellitus was detected in 9 (56.25%) and 6 (37.5%) patients in Groups A and B, respectively, hypertension in 7 (43.75%) and 6 (37.5%) patients in Groups A and B, respectively, and two patients (12.5%) with liver cirrhosis in each group. The mean size of the abscess was 3.36 ± 0.86 and 3.04 ± 0.86 cm in Groups A and B, respectively (P = 0.29). The abscess recurred in five patients (31.25%) and one patient (6.25%) in Groups A and B, respectively (P = 0.08). TRUS-guided aspiration was done for all recurrent cases except for two patients (12.5%) in Group A required trans urethral deroofing of the recurrent abscess. The mean hospital stay was 12.9 ± 4.05 and 7.25 ± 2.40 days for Groups A and B, respectively (P = 0.000). In Group A, one patient (6.25%) was complicated by urethrorectal fistula, whereas in Group B, one patient (6.25%) was complicated by septic shock, three patients (13.75%) with epididymo-orchitis and two patients (12.5%) with urethral stricture. Conclusion: Patients with prostatic abscess treated with TRUS-guided aspiration show less morbidity, higher recurrence rate, and longer hospital stay than those treated with TU deroofing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hyperphosphatemia remains a common problem in patients on maintenance dialysis and contributes to the development of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Current therapies for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia are frequently insufficient to achieve the recommended K/DOQI goal of maintaining serum phosphorus level between 3.5 and 5.5 mg/dl. Niacinamide inhibits intestinal sodium/ phosphorus co transporters and reduces serum phosphorus level in some clinical studies. So, we aimed to evaluate the safety and the efficacy of nicotinamide as adjunctive therapy to calcium carbonate (as calcium based phosphate binder) in hemodialysis patients. Methods: Sixty hemodialysis patients with serum phosphorus level ≥ 5.0 mg/dl were randomly assigned to 8 weeks of the study. Patients were divided into two groups: (group I) (control group): 30 cases calcium carbonate only and (group II) (study group): 30 cases received a combination of calcium carbonate and nicotinamide. Nicotinamide dose was started as 500mg/day and increased on 8th day to 1000 mg/day. Results: In the study group (nicotinamide group): serum phosphorus level fell significantly (p<0.001), calcium x phosphorus product dropped significantly (p<0.001), with a significant elevation of serum calcium (p<0.05). In the control group: there was insignificant change in former parameters (p values>0.05). Intact parathyroid hormone, uric acid, platelet count, total cholesterol, hemoglobin, ASAT, and ALAT and lipid profile remained insignificantly changed in both groups. Diarrhea, flushing and skin rash were the major adverse effects seen with nicotinamide therapy resulting in early withdrawal of 4 patients from the study. Conclusion: In hemodialysis patients, nicotinamide in single dose of 1000 mg daily can effectively reduce serum phosphorus level when administered with calcium carbonate (as phosphate binder) with less potential side effects reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hyperuricemia is commonly associated with hypertension. Also, it is well known to coincide with the metabolic syndrome but is still not recognized as a risk factor. So, we aimed to evaluate hyperuricemia among a sample of hypertensive Egyptians with normal renal function. Methods: this study was performed on 303 hypertensive patients aged 30-69 years. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the level of uric acid: group 1 composed of 168 hypertensive hyperuricemic patient sand group2 composed of 135 hypertensive normouricemic patients. All patients were subjected to complete medical history and detailed clinical examination including body mass index (BMI), complete blood count (CBC), serum creatinine, BUN, FBS, cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, sodium, potassium, urinary uric acid, urinary creatinine, urinary uric acid to creatinine ratio and fractional excretion of uric acid(FEUA). Results: The overall prevalence of hyperuricemia was 55.4%. Uric acid correlated significantly with age (p<0.05). BMI was significantly higher in group1 than in group 2(p<0.05), and there was a significant positive correlation between serum uric acid and BMI (p<0.01).Serum triglycerides and cholesterol were significantly higher in group 1than in group 2 (p<0.05for both) denoting risky metabolic effects. Serum uric acid correlated significantly with systolic blood pressure (p<0.05), but not with diastolic blood pressure. No significant difference found between group 1 and group 2 as regards SBP, DBP or blood pressure control(all p values>0.05). Serum uric acid found to correlate significantly (p<0.001) with urinary uric acid, urinary creatinine and negatively with FEUA denoting early tubular defect of the kidney. Also, Urinary uric acid, urinary creatinine and urinary uric acid/creatinine ratio were higher in group 1than in group 2 (p values were<0.001, <0.001 and <0.05 respectively). FEUA was found to be significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2 (p<0.01). We found, also, that serum sodium level was significantly higher in the hyperuricemic group than in the normouricemic group (p<0.001) denoting the role of Na+ in the development of hypertension and defective renal excretion of uric acid. Conclusion: We conclude that the incidence hyperuricemia in our sample of Egyptian hypertensive patients was (55.4%). Impaired renal clearance of uric acid occurs before deterioration of GFR. Serum uric acid should be measured in all cases of hypertension together with BMI, total cholesterol, triglycerides and should be treated to avoid consequent metabolic complications. Hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia should be warned strictly of high sodium diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]