Association between blood selenium with parkinson's disease in the US (NHANES 2011-2020).

Selenium is an essential trace element for human health, playing a key role in regulating cellular oxidative stress, immune response, and inflammation. In recent years, the association between selenium and Parkinson's disease (PD) has aroused people's attention. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between blood selenium concentrations and PD risk in a sample of U.S. adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2011-2020 and included 15,660 adults aged over 40 years old. Univariate logistic regression and multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to analyze the association between blood selenium concentrations and PD prevalence. Additionally, the restricted cubic spline (RCS) model was applied to investigate the dose-response relationships between blood selenium and PD. The findings indicated a link between elevated blood selenium levels and a reduced occurrence of Parkinson's disease (PD). Notably, this association between blood selenium and PD exhibited a non-linear pattern, wherein the decline in PD risk was more pronounced at higher selenium concentrations than at lower levels. An inflection point emerged at approximately 2.4 µmol/L, beyond which the rate of decline in risk significantly diminished with increasing selenium levels. A potential association between blood selenium concentrations and PD has been observed, with PD patients having lower blood selenium levels compared to non-PD patients. Higher levels of blood selenium may have a protective effect against PD. However, further prospective studies are needed to investigate the effect of blood selenium in PD patients and to determine causality.

Casualty evacuation in arctic and extreme cold environments: A paradigm shift for traumatic hypothermia management in tactical combat casualty care.

In Arctic or extreme cold environments of Alaska, trauma care is complicated by large expanses of geography and lack of forward-positioned resources. This paper presents four hypothetical vignettes highlighting austere cold medical priorities: (1) traumatic hypothermia management as part of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) is clinically and tactically important and hypothermia needs to be reprioritized in the MARCH algorithm to MhARCH; (2) at present it is unknown which TCCC recommended medical equipment/supplies will function as designed in the extreme cold; (3) ensuring advanced resuscitative care measures are available serves as a temporal bridge until casualties can receive damage control resuscitation (DCR); and (4) current systems for managing traumatic hypothermia in TCCC and casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) are insufficient. In conclusion, numerous assessments recognise the DoD's current solutions for employing medical forces in Arctic operations are not optimally postured to save lives. There should be a joint standard for fielding an arctic supplement to current medical equipment sets. A new way of thinking in terms of an "ecosystem" approach of immediate casualty protection and movement in CASEVAC doctrine is needed to optimise these "Golden Minutes."

Investigation of mineral commodity residues based on alkalinity, solubility and other physicochemical aspects aiming the management of amazonian acidic soils.

The large amounts of mineral residues generated by the bauxite-alumina industries in the Amazon - with a production scale in the same order of magnitude as their source commodities - have been seen as new sources of raw materials (secondary mines) and/or an inseparable part of a sustainable production system, i.e., a source for the generation of co-products within a circular economy system. In the present study, two alkaline residues from this mining-metallurgical industry were assessed for their potential to amend productive acidic Amazonian soils, namely, (1) insoluble solid residue from the Bayer process (bauxite residue, BR) and (2) ash from energy production from coal (coal combustion residues, CCRs: fly ash, FA, and bottom ash, BA). A physicochemical investigation was performed to evaluate the possible benefits that these residues can offer to the soil‒plant system. The alkalinity of the residues was adjusted "to a value of pH 8-10" by leaching with H3PO4 using a central composite experimental design. The chemical analyses indicated high levels (total and soluble) of essential elements such as Ca and S in the CCRs. All residues showed a high cation exchange capacity (CEC). Regarding the water holding capacity (WHC), FA showed a higher value than the other residues (68.6%). After pH adjustment, available P increased significantly for all residues, and the Ca and S contents remained high for the CCRs, while in BR, there was a decrease in available Na, and aluminum (Al3+) was not available because the potential acidity (H + Al) < 0.6. Finally, complementary analyses showed that with respect to mineralogy, BR is composed mainly of iron oxyhydroxides and aluminosilicate phases, while carbonate, sulfide and silicate phases dominate the CCRs. The neutralizing character, the presence of nutrients in the CCRs and the unavailability of Al3+ in BR are positive physicochemical characteristics for the management of Amazonian acid soils; the use of this residues would add to the circular economy and sustainability of the Amazon.

Closing the loop: Establishing reverse logistics for a circular economy, a systematic review.

Reverse Logistics (RL) of end-of-use/end-of-life products has become a vital part of circular economy practices for manufacturers. However, significant quantities of resources are still landfilled instead of being recovered. With mounting pressure on businesses to address the sustainability crises (resources, climate change, waste, toxicity) on account of the take-make-dispose-based linear economy, companies today realise the importance of RL but face several barriers to implementing it, including a lack of knowledge. Although several studies have investigated different aspects of RL in various industries in different country settings, less attention has been devoted to developing a systematic and holistic approach for designing and implementing RL. To address these gaps, this paper reviews 116 scholarly articles published between 2011 and 2021 to identify attributes related to the design and implementation of RL systems. Based on a systematic literature review, a conceptual framework is presented covering the key activities, drivers and barriers, stakeholder engagement and performance management in RL. Such a framework can support companies evaluate different approaches and strategies, as well as the opportunities and challenges of designing and implementing RL and transitioning towards a Circular Economy.

Ozone pollution in the plate and logistics capital of China: Insight into the formation, source apportionment, and regional transport.

As the logistics and plate capital of China, the sources and regional transport of O3 in Linyi are different from those in other cities because of the significant differences in industrial structure and geographical location. Twenty-five ozone pollution episodes (OPEs, 52 days) were identified in 2021, with a daily maximum 8-h moving average O3 concentration (O3-MDA8) of 184.5 ± 22.5 µg/m3. Oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) and aromatics were the dominant contributors to ozone formation potential (OFP), with contributions of approximately 23.5-52.7% and 20.0-40.8%, respectively, followed by alkenes, alkanes, and alkynes. Formaldehyde, an OVOC with high concentrations emitted from the plate industry and vehicles, contributed the most to OFP (22.7 ± 5.5%), although formaldehyde concentrations only accounted for 9.4 ± 2.7% of the total non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) concentrations. The source apportionment results indicated that the plate industry was the dominant O3 contributor (27.0%), followed by other sources (21.6%), vehicle-related sources (18.0%), solvent use (16.9%), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)/natural gas (NG) (8.8%), and combustion sources (7.7%). Therefore, there is an urgent need to control the plating industry in Linyi to mitigate O3 pollution. The backward trajectory, potential source contribution function (PSCF), and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) models were used to identify the air mass pathways and potential source areas of air pollutants during the OPEs. O3 pollution was predominantly affected by air masses that originated from eastern and local regions, while trajectories from the south contained the highest O3 concentrations (207.0 µg/m3). The potential source area was from east and south Linyi during the OPEs. Therefore, it is critical to implement regional joint prevention and control measures to lower O3 concentrations.

A holistic reverse logistics planning framework for end-of-life PV panel collection system design.

Photovoltaic (PV) technologies are critical for sustainable energy supply, climate change mitigation, and energy security with lower environmental impact compared to other generation alternatives. Despite the environmental benefits of PV technologies, one of these major downsides is the growing concern over the environmental impact due to risks associated with improper waste handling and disposal of decommissioned PV panels. As a result, there are strong incentives for PV panel recycling to recover valuable resources and mitigate risks caused by hazardous substances. This study proposes a reverse logistical planning framework for collecting end-of-life PV panels, which aims to support the integration of existing recycling technologies and collection schemes using a holistic approach for ensuring feasibility and reducing environmental impact. The framework reviews current recycling methodologies for PV waste and the state of PV markets, including PV uptake, waste stream forecast, collection and logistic strategies. Additionally, South Australia is used as the context of analysis for a case study where the framework is applied to identify the potential strategies for handling and collection of end-of-life PV panels based on current PV uptake and waste stream forecast. As a result, capital, transportation and operation costs can be reduced, contributing to lower overall recycling cost for the PV waste treatment and a more efficient reverse logistic system.

Environmental emissions influencing solar photovoltaic waste management in Australia: An optimised system network of waste collection facilities.

The Australian urban construction electricity sector has witnessed a transformational effect in the use of small-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the past decade. Currently, Australia has one of the highest rates of rooftop solar PV users with over 20% of households connected. This will see a rapid growth in the volume of PV waste in the coming years when these PV systems come to their end-of-life or require replacement. The collection and transportation involved in solar PV waste treatment has a significant impact on the environmental sustainability of Australian cities while designing a holistic reverse logistic (RL) network may play an essential role in the reduction of the associated cost and environmental impacts. In this study, the Weibull distribution model is employed to forecast the PV waste in the next three decades in South Australia. The study further estimates the pollutant emission associated with the collection and transportation of the waste for recycling and recovery using hotspot analysis, location allocation modelling and vehicle routing problem. Generation of pollutants - Particulate Matter (PM), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Carbon dioxide (CO2) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) associated with transport and energy consumption are estimated through three routing scenarios. Results indicate that, there will be 109,007 tons of PV waste generated in urban and suburban context in South Australia by 2050. Among the three routing scenarios generated, the third scenario with optimised transfer stations and an additional recycling facility showed more than 34% reduction in pollutant emission. Such additional PV waste management facilities require policy support and regulations to effectively manage solar PV waste treatment and logistics.

PeTroShare: Blockchain-Managed, Logistics-Aware, Privacy-Friendly, Comparative, and Efficient Petroleum Transportation.

Crude oil is one of the critically needed resources. It is the main pillar supporting almost everything we rely on in daily life. Unfortunately, due to many factors, crude oil costs too much. Transportation is one of the critical factors that affect such costs. Due to many environmental risks attached to the transportation process, many countries added very high tariffs to cover any hazards during the transportation, loading, and unloading process. Logistics concerns and political conflicts are the other key factors that can massively impact the transportation cost. This paper presents an Industry 4.0-compliant PeTroShare (PTS), a blockchain-powered trustworthy, logistics-friendly, and cost-efficient crude oil trading platform. PTS is a novel ride-sharing platform that enables an anonymous exchange of crude oil between oil producers and customers, focusing mainly on the product quality, not the source of origin. In our scenario, floating crude oil tankers will hold the cargo to an intermediate position in the open ocean. PTS will match the product availability based on the location and the needed quality of the customer requests. Consequently, the time and distance travelled are minimized. Our simulation results show that enabling the anonymous sharing of crude oil products can significantly enhance system efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Provision of emergency hyperbaric oxygen treatment for a patient during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The experience of managing a critically ill severe carbon monoxide poisoning patient suspected of possibly also suffering COVID-19 and requiring emergency hyperbaric oxygen treatment is described. Strategies used to minimise infection risk, modifications to practice and lessons learnt are described. All aerosol generating procedures such as endotracheal tube manipulation and suctioning should be undertaken in a negative pressure room. In the absence of in-chamber aerosol generating procedures, an intubated patient presents less risk than that of a non-intubated, symptomatically coughing patient. Strict infection control practices, contact precautions, hospital workflows and teamwork are required for the successful HBOT administration to an intubated COVID-19 suspect patient.

Chasing END TB 2025: Arithmetic needed for logistics!

India adopted changes in NTEP (Erstwhile RNTCP, Revised National TB Program, renamed as National TB Elimination Program) in the recent years with an aim to End TB by 2025 way ahead of the global target of ending TB by 2030. It is taking a long time for the changes to trickle down to the grass root level to change the behavior of the ground level force to understand and adopt to the changes that are being ordered and several other changes that are being pushed to the field in tandem. This has made field workers to be on their toes to understand and implement all the changes. The logistics like referral forms, GeneXpert/CBNAAT cartridges, slides etc., required for the program need to be calculated and used as per the changes. Shortages in the procurement or indenting will result in hampering the smooth functioning of the program. Accordingly, we calculated the logistics required for the patients estimated to occur in an area depending on the previous year's patient load. The breakup of the patients was adopted from the available references given. Also, the 2019 data of the load of different type of patients in India and the world were also taken. Total logistics were calculated for two hundred patients. Based on the calculations, a generic formula was derived. When the total number of patients in the previous year/quarter/or any period is N, then below is the formula which can estimate the required logistics for the next similar period.

Joining forces to administer COVID-19 vaccines.

The national vaccination effort for novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is among the greatest operational challenges America has ever faced, the success of which depends upon reaching communities across the United States. In this Commentary, the Executive Dean of Ohio University's Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OUHCOM) describes the logistics and processes of vaccine delivery at OUHCOM, both on campus and beyond. Among those logistical considerations is a partnership with the local health department and hospital system, as well as student involvement in vaccination efforts.

Digital Twins: A General Overview of the Biopharma Industry.

This chapter gives an industry perspective of how digital twins are tangibly translated, implemented, and used in a biopharmaceutical environment. Technical prerequisites and components including data modeling, the lifecycle, and different skills which are required from people to be put together and collaborate efficiently with digital twins are discussed with practical examples which have been implemented in labs and in manufacturing.

Identifying integration and differentiation in a Hospital's logistical system: a social network analysis of a case study.

BACKGROUND: Integration, the coordination and alignment of tasks, has been promoted widely in order to improve the performance of hospitals. Both organization theory and social network analysis offer perspectives on integration. This exploratory study research aims to understand how a hospital's logistical system works, and in particular to what extent there is integration and differentiation. More specifically, it first describes how a hospital organizes logistical processes; second, it identifies the agents and the interactions for organizing logistical processes, and, third, it establishes the extent to which tasks are segmented into subsystems, which is referred to as differentiation, and whether these tasks are coordinated and aligned, thus achieving integration. METHODS: The study is based on case study research carried out in a hospital in the Netherlands. All logistical tasks that are executed for surgery patients were studied. Using a mixed method, data were collected from the Hospital Information System (HIS), documentation, observations and interviews. These data were used to perform a social network analysis and calculate the network metrics of the hospital network. RESULTS: This paper shows that 23 tasks are executed by 635 different agents who interact through 31,499 interaction links. The social network of the hospital demonstrates both integration and differentiation. The network appears to function differently from what is assumed in literature, as the network does not reflect the formal organizational structure of the hospital, and tasks are mainly executed across functional silos. Nurses and physicians perform integrative tasks and two agents who mainly coordinate the tasks in the network, have no hierarchical position towards other agents. The HIS does not seem to fulfill the interactional needs of agents. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study reveals the network structure of a hospital. The cross-functional collaboration, the integration found, and position of managers, coordinators, nurses and doctors suggests a possible gap between organizational perspectives on hospitals and reality. This research sets a basis for further research that should focus on the relation between network structure and performance, on how integration is achieved and in what way organization theory concepts and social network analysis could be used in conjunction with one another.

Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Workplace-Adapted Mindfulness-Based Programme to Reduce Stress in Workers at a Private Sector Logistics Company: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study.

There is a high prevalence of stress in the logistics sector owing to very demanding, fast-paced and unpredictable tasks. Mindfulness-based programmes may reduce stress but require considerable practice. Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a shortened, workplace-adapted mindfulness-based programme for the logistics sector (WA-MBP-LS) for the purpose of reducing stress. A nonblinded, nonrandomised, two-arm controlled trial was conducted. The WA-MBP-LS (n = 32) consisted of six weekly 90-min mindfulness sessions. The control group (n = 36) attended a psycho-educational seminar. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) were measured at pretest, posttest and 6-month follow-up. Differences between groups were evaluated using mixed-effects models. Qualitative methods were used to analyse implementation issues. A 64.2% reduction was observed between initial volunteers and actual participants. Attrition at six-month follow-up was 45.6%. Participants attended a median of five sessions. Decreases in PSS favoured the WA-MBP-LS group at posttest and follow-up. FFMQ played a mediating role in PSS reductions. Barriers were disinterest, lack of programming, work overload and absences from work. Facilitators were curiosity, timing, company facilities and audio recordings. The WA-MBP-LS was feasible and effective in reducing stress, but more efforts to improve the practicalities of implementation are desirable.

Assessment of maturity of reverse logistics as a strategy to sustainable solid waste management.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises primarily focus on their operations and rarely pay attention to issues related to sustainable solid waste management that originate from their production processes. A suitable strategy to support sustainable solid waste management is reverse logistics. Through the use of maturity models, it is possible to determine the grade to which small- and medium-sized enterprises are prepared to perform this strategy. This study proposes an adapted maturity model to measure maturity levels of reverse logistics aspects at small- and medium-sized enterprises in regions from Colombia in order to contribute to sustainable solid waste management. The maturity model was applied to seven small- and medium-sized enterprises in the plastics sector in the central and southern regions of Colombia by adapting a maturity model that was previously correlated to suggested drivers and barriers in this sector. Results show that maturity levels range from naïve to immature owing to the incipient development of reverse logistics in Colombia. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a holistic vision of the organisation to improve the reverse logistics decision-making process to achieve sustainable solid waste management.

HMG-CoA Reductase as Target for Drug Development.

The main strategy for lowering blood cholesterol levels is through the inhibition of the NADPH-dependent HMG-CoA reductase (3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase). The enzyme catalyses the reduction of HMG-CoA to mevalonate and this process is inhibited by statins that form the bulk of the therapeutic agents to treat high cholesterol since the 1970s. Newer drugs that are safer than statins are constantly being developed. The inhibition of candidate drugs to HMG-CoA reductase remains the mainstay of drug development research. The determination of the enzyme activity is important for the correct assessment of potency of the enzyme as well as determining the inhibition of potential therapeutic agents from the plant and microbial extracts. Also, this chapter covers the use of the popular four-parameter logistics model that can yield accurate estimation of the IC50 values of therapeutic agents and their 95% confidence intervals.

Implementing large scale fast track diagnostics in a comprehensive cancer center, pre- and post-measurement data.

BACKGROUND: In general, patients with a cancer suspicion visit the hospital multiple times before diagnosis is completed. Using various "operations management" techniques a few fast track diagnostic services were implemented in the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) in 2006. Growing patient numbers and increasing process complexity, led to diminished service levels. To decrease the amount of patient visits and to extend these services beyond the (obvious) breast cancer services, fast track diagnostics is now implemented for all 18 cancer types that present with a frequency of minimally one per week. METHODS: The throughput time (first visit to diagnosis conversation) was measured before, and after implementation of fast track diagnostics. The process was redesigned closely involving the multidisciplinary teams. In an eclectic approach elements from lean management, theory of constraints and mathematical analysis were used to organize slots per tumor type for MRI, CT, PET and echography. A post measurement was performed after 3 and 6 months. RESULTS: In pre measurement access time was calculated to be 10 to 15 workdays, mean throughput time was 6.0 workdays. It proved possible to design the process of 18 tumors as a fast track, of which 7 as "one stop shop" (diagnosis completed in one visit). Involvement of clinical- and board leadership, massive communication efforts and commitment of physicians to reschedule their work proved decisive. After 3 and 6 months of implementation, the mean access time was 8.2 and 8.7 workdays respectively and mean throughput time was 3.4 and 3.3 workdays respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Throughput- and access time were considerably shortened after implementation of fast track diagnostics for 18 cancer types. The involvement of physicians in reorganizing their work and rapid responding to their needs during the implementation phase were a crucial success factor.

From disaster to development: a systematic review of community-driven humanitarian logistics.

A plethora of untapped resources exist within disaster-affected communities that can be used to address relief and development concerns. A systematic review of the literature relating to community participation in humanitarian logistics activities revealed that communities are able to form ad hoc networks that have the ability to meet a wide range of disaster management needs. These structures, characterised as Collaborative Aid Networks (CANs), have demonstrated efficient logistical capabilities exclusive of humanitarian organisations. This study proposes that CANs, as a result of their unique characteristics, present alternatives to established humanitarian approaches to logistics, while also mitigating the challenges commonly faced by traditional humanitarian organisations. Furthermore, CANs offer a more holistic, long-term approach to disaster management, owing to their impact on development through their involvement in humanitarian logistics. This research provides the foundation for further theoretical analysis of effective and efficient disaster management, and details opportunities for policy and practice.

Uncovering a New Moral Dilemma of Economic Optimization in Biotechnological Processing.

The trend of emerging biorefineries is to process the harvest as efficiently as possible and without any waste. From the most valuable phytomass, refined medicines, enzymes, dyes and other special reactants are created. Functional foods, food ingredients, oils, alcohol, solvents, plastics, fillers and a wide variety of other chemical products follow. After being treated with nutrient recovery techniques (for fertilizer production), biofuels or soil improvers are produced from the leftovers. Economic optimization algorithms have confirmed that such complex biorefineries can be financially viable only when a high degree of feedstock concentration is included. Because the plant material is extremely voluminous before processing, the farming intensity of special plants increases in the nearest vicinity of agglomerations where the biorefineries are built for logistical reasons. Interdisciplinary analyses revealed that these optimization measures lead to significantly increased pollen levels in neighbouring urban areas and subsequently an increased risk of allergies, respectively costs to the national health system. A new moral dilemma between the shareholder's profit and public interest was uncovered and subjected to disputation.