Towards circular economy in the textiles and clothing value chain through blockchain technology and IoT: A review.

The textile and clothing industry sector has today a big environmental impact, not only due to the consumption of water and the use of toxic chemicals but also due to the increasing levels of textile waste. One way to reduce the problem is to circularise the, currently linear, textile and clothing value chain, by using discarded clothes as raw material for the production of new clothes, transforming it into a model of circular economy. This way, while reducing the need to produce new raw materials (e.g. cotton), the problem of textile waste produced is also reduced, thus contributing to a more sustainable industry. In this article, we review the current approaches for traceability in the textile and clothing value chain, and study a set of technologies we deem essential for promoting the circular economy in this value chain - namely, the blockchain technology - for registering activities on traceable items through the value chain, and the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, for easily identifying the traceable items' digital twins.

Macular alterations after small-incision cataract surgery.

PURPOSE: To characterize macular edema that occurs after uneventful cataract surgery. SETTING: Centre of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Institute of Biomedical Research on Light and Image, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. METHODS: Thirty-two eyes of 32 patients had uneventful phacoemulsification with implantation of a foldable intraocular lens. Postoperatively, patients were examined at 3, 6, 12, and 30 weeks. The examinations included retinal leakage analysis (Zeiss CSLO), optical coherence tomography (Humphrey Instruments), and retinal thickness analysis (Talia Technology, Ltd.). Results were compared with those in a control group comprising healthy subjects. RESULTS: Increases in retinal thickness (ie, over the mean +/- 2 SD in the control group) reached a maximum at 6 weeks in 13 of 32 eyes (41%), after which recovery was progressive. At 30 weeks, all eyes had good visual acuity, but 7 eyes (22%) still had macular edema. The edema was located primarily in the central macular region. Leaking sites involving the vascular areas of the macula, which indicated areas of abnormal blood-retinal barrier permeability, were a frequent finding. The number of sites remained relatively stable during the first 12 weeks (88%) and decreased to 68% at 30 weeks, indicating a trend toward recovery. CONCLUSION: Macular edema after cataract surgery occurred primarily in the central region of the macula and was associated with the presence of leaking sites, which were located predominantly in the vascular regions of the central macula.