Design Of Facilities Research Articles

Best Practices for Storage of Reusable Medical Devices in the Military Health System.

The storage of reusable medical devices (RMDs) is the final reprocessing phase and the step that directly precedes point-of-care delivery. Reusable medical devices, including surgical tools necessitating sterilization and semicritical devices such as endoscopes, undergo high-level disinfection. The rigorous reprocessing protocols and subsequent storage of RMDs are crucial in preserving their sterility and asepsis. This ensures they are available, clean, and safe for patient use, thereby significantly reducing the risk of surgical site infection. The stringent requirements for RMD storage are a testament to the critical role it plays in patient safety, making it a demanding task for health care organizations (HCOs) to comply with. These challenges are further amplified in austere environments. This integrative review aims to identify optimal storage practices, emphasize the critical importance of RMD storage in the Military Health System, and derive implications for policies and future considerations. The authors performed an integrative review and comprehensive literature search in PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Embase using the keywords "instrument storage," "surgical instruments," "sterile storage," "sterile wrap," and "flexible endoscope storage." Articles were limited to English from 1980 to 2024. Additionally, the authors reviewed international guidelines to support RMD storage. The integrative review of 42 articles and 14 guidelines and articles identified 6 central themes supporting RMD storage, which include facility design, environmental considerations, sterile storage packaging systems, considerations for event-related sterile storage, point-of-care delivery, and endoscope storage best practices. The abundance of evidence-based recommendations and guidelines complicates adherence to optimal practices in HCOs, presenting significant challenges in austere environments. Integrating RMD storage considerations into training, exercises, and operations help promote a culture of RMD stewardship to ensure safe surgical and procedural care within the Military Health System. Although surgical teams' capabilities are crucial in delivering effective care in a dynamic environment, the management and storage of RMDs are equally essential. Numerous organizations have outlined rigorous guidelines for HCOs to comply with, which can be intensified in austere conditions. Ultimately, a commitment to integrating the literature and developing the groundwork for clinical practice guidelines can improve the safe storage of RMDs in both standard and austere environments.

Did the CPA Shut the Bathroom Doors for Transgender and Non-Binary People? A Critical Legal Reflection of Section 9(2) of the CPA

The Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA) introduced a variety of consumer rights that are intended to protect consumers in their engagement with suppliers. Amongst these rights is the consumer's right to equality in the consumer market. Section 8 of the CPA sets out practices that are considered to be prohibited discriminatory marketing practices; while section 9 of the CPA provides instances that constitute reasonable grounds for differential treatment in certain circumstances. In particular, section 9(2) of the CPA provides that a supplier may provide and designate facilities that are separate but equal for the exclusive use of each gender. Alternatively, the supplier is permitted to offer access to a facility to one gender exclusively. Over the years, the LGBTQI+ community has increased awareness around gender stereotypes; and stressed that not all persons conform to a binary-gender allocation. Therefore, the question that arises is whether section 9(2) of the CPA, in permitting the designation of facilities to exclusively one gender, is unfairly discriminating against transgender and non-binary persons and is therefore unconstitutional. To the extent that the provision is constitutional, the paper considers whether the continued practice of having gender-segregated bathrooms to the exclusion of transgender and non-binary persons is constitutional.

UHPC Viability for Nuclear Storage Facilities: Synthesis and Critical Review of Durability, Thermal, and Nuclear Properties for Informed Mix Modifications.

Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from the United States' nuclear power plants has been placed in dry cask storage systems since the 1980s. Due to the lack of a clear path for permanent geological repository for SNF, consolidated and long-term storage solutions that use durable concrete and avoid current aging and licensing challenges are becoming indispensable. Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is a rapidly growing advanced concrete solution with superior mechanical and durability properties that can help realize future resilient nuclear storage facilities. Thus, the overall goal of this review study is to demonstrate the viability of UHPC as a long-term solution for future nuclear storage facilities. The paper first identifies all possible non-nuclear (environmental) and nuclear (thermal and radiation-induced) degradation mechanisms in concrete overpacks and storage modules with critical assessment and projections on UHPC performance in comparison to current conventional concrete solutions. Next, since concrete serves as a shielding material in nuclear settings, the preliminary attenuation properties of UHPC from emerging studies are synthesized along with the possible mix modifications to improve its attenuation performance. The paper identifies the major knowledge gaps to inform future research and development, aimed at rethinking the design of SNF dry storage facilities by incorporating UHPC.

Penilaian Postur Kerja dengan Metode REBA pada UD. Bintang Terang Roti Ketawa

This research aims to determine the level of complaints felt by workers at UD. Bintang Terang Roti Ketawa, because there is the use of manual tools and a mismatch between body dimensions and the facilities used by the workers, seen from the results of the body map questionnaire that was distributed, there are many complaints felt by the workers, therefore the researchers identified body posture problems using the REBA method, from the assessment of the results using the REBA method obtained very high results or it was said that repairs were carried out immediately. Repairs or design of work facilities were carried out using anthropometric data of workers with normality test calculations, data adequacy, and uniformity so that the results obtained were in accordance with the dimensions of the workers' bodies, the results of facility design. The work succeeded in reducing the level of complaints felt by workers so that the design was suitable for use. Keywords: Anthropometrics, REBA, UMKM, Work Facilities

Facile Design of Highly Stretchable and Conductive Crumpled Graphene/NiS2 Films for Multifunctional Applications.

The cost-effective and scalable synthesis and patterning of soft nanomaterial composites with improved electrical conductivity and mechanical stretchability remains challenging in wearable devices. This work reports a scalable, low-cost fabrication approach to directly create and pattern crumpled porous graphene/NiS2 nanocomposites with high mechanical stretchability and electrical conductivity through laser irradiation combined with electrodeposition and a pre-strain strategy. With modulated mechanical stretchability and electrical conductivity, the crumpled graphene/NiS2 nanocomposite can be readily patterned into target geometries for application in a standalone stretchable sensing platform. By leveraging the electrical energy harvested from the kinetic motion from wearable triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and stored in micro-supercapacitor arrays (MSCAs) to drive biophysical sensors, the system is demonstrated to monitor human motions, body temperature, and toxic gas in the exposed environment. The material selections, design strategies, and fabrication approaches from this study provide functional nanomaterial composites with tunable properties for future high-performance bio-integrated electronics.

BLOSOM: A Plant Growth Facility Optimised for Continuous 13C Labelling and Measurement of Soil Organic Matter Dynamics

ABSTRACTChanges in soil carbon (C) stocks are largely driven by rhizosphere processes forming new soil organic matter (SOM) or stimulating SOM decomposition by rhizosphere priming effects (RPEs). Quantifying these changes is challenging and requires high spatial sampling densities or plant–soil experiments with highly distinct C isotopic signatures for plants and soils. Current methods for quantifying new SOM formation and RPEs rely on low labelling intensities, which introduces high levels of uncertainty. Here, we describe the design and operation of an experimental laboratory facility—BLOSOM (Botanical Labelling Observatory for Soil Organic Matter)—optimised for continuous 13C labelling of plants at high labelling intensities (> 500‰) to quantify new SOM formation and RPEs in temperature‐controlled soils from 216 experimental units. Throughout a > 6‐month experimental period, independent control of soil and air temperature was achieved across diurnal cycles averaging at 5.24°C ± 0.05°C and 21.4°C ± 1.2°C, respectively. BLOSOM can maintain stable CO2 concentrations and δ13C isotopic composition within 5% of setpoints (CO2: 440 ppm, δ13C: 515‰) across a > 6‐month period. This high‐precision control on atmospheric enrichment enables the detection of new SOM formation with a total uncertainty of ±39% to ±3% for a theoretical range of 0.5%–10% new SOM formation, respectively. BLOSOM has the potential improve quantification and mechanistic understanding of new SOM formation and RPEs across many different combinations of plants, soils and simulated climatic conditions to mimic a wide range of ecosystems and climate scenarios.

Optimizing the design and use of underground hydrogen storage facilities with a Linear Programming approach

Optimizing the design and use of underground hydrogen storage facilities with a Linear Programming approach

Toward a storage ring coherent light source based on an angular dispersion-induced microbunching scheme.

The combination of reversible angular dispersion-induced microbunching (ADM) and the rapid damping storage ring provides a storage-ring-based light source with the capability to produce longitudinal coherent radiation with a high repetition rate. This paper presents a prototype design for a test facility based on the study by Jiang et al. [Sci. Rep. (2022), 12, 3325]. The modulation-demodulation section is inserted into a long straight section of the storage ring instead of a bypass line, which poses great challenges for the optimization of the nonlinear dynamics of the storage ring. However, this design avoids the challenging injection and extraction system connecting to the bypass line. To utilize mature laser technology and reduce the difficulty of the reversible ADM lattice design, we use a long-wavelength 1030 nm seed laser. In the simulation, we achieved 20th harmonic radiation with a bunching factor of about 7.2%. The growth rate of vertical emittance and energy spread of the electron beam for a single pass are about 11% and 0.02%, respectively. When the energy of the electron beam is 800 MeV and two sets of damping wigglers are employed, the damping time in the vertical plane is reduced to 8.31 ms. This results in a 438 kHz repetition rate of the coherent radiation at the new equilibrium state.

Mixed ion/electron-conducting rivets patterned Li metal anodes for high-performance Li metal batteries.

Lithium (Li) metal is considered to be one of the most promising anodes for next-generation high-energy-density batteries owing to its high theoretical capacity and low redox potential. However, the practical application of Li metal anodes has been hindered by the unstable interface and the growth of Li dendrites. Herein, a highly stable surface-patterned Li metal anode has been developed, in which composite nanowires composed of lithium phosphide and copper nanoparticles are riveted within the regular grooves of the Li metal surface. The lithiophilic and mixed ion/electron-conducting composite nanowires in the grooves effectively accelerate the charge transfer kinetics and regulate the lithium-ion distribution, enabling a highly reversible Li plating/stripping process within the grooves. Benefiting from this design, the obtained Li metal anodes achieve excellent cyclability for over 3000h at 1mAcm-2/1mAhcm-2 with a low overpotential of 20.3mV. Furthermore, when coupled with commercial LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathodes, the cells achieve excellent cycling stability for over 600 and 400 cycles at 0.5 and 2C, respectively. This study may provide a viable strategy to develop high-performance Li metal batteries through the facile design of Li metal anodes.

Optimizing ergonomic work facilities in distribution logistics to prevent manual lifting injuries

This study aims to improve ergonomic conditions for box-lifting operators in bottled drinking water companies. Operators handling small packaging sizes (600 ml) report significant pain, as revealed by the Nordic Body Map Questionnaire. Addressing this issue is crucial for preventing manual lifting injuries and ensuring worker safety in logistic distribution. A combination of biomechanical analysis, anthropometric data, and the Nordic Body Map Questionnaire was used to assess operator complaints and evaluate ergonomic hazards. The study utilized Catia software to simulate work facility designs, focusing on the development of an adjustable-height hydraulic pallet to optimize operator posture during lifting tasks. Key metrics included compressive and shear force calculations to evaluate injury risks. Operators reported pain in the shoulders, lower back, buttocks, and thighs over the past year. Initial evaluations showed excessive compressive forces (up to 19,778.2 N) and shear forces (over 500 N), indicating a high risk of injury. After ergonomic interventions, simulations recorded compressive forces of 3,350 N and shear forces of 185.31 N, demonstrating a significant reduction in risk and safe operational conditions. This study offers a novel, comprehensive approach to ergonomic optimization in logistics, combining operator feedback, biomechanical analysis, and technological tools like Catia for facility design. The findings provide a blueprint for improving worker safety and efficiency in manual lifting tasks. The study’s outcomes benefit safety engineers, ergonomic specialists, and logistics managers, offering insights into improving worker well-being and operational efficiency. Future research could explore further technological enhancements in facility design and their impact on worker ergonomics.

Safety Evaluation of Major Nuclear Facilities According to Debris Flow Occurrence Scenarios

This study systematically analyzes the impact of sediment disasters, such as those due to debris flows, on key facilities near the Gori nuclear power plant, aiming to identify limitations in the current safety management system. Using 62 years of rainfall data from the Busan weather station, probable rainfall values for return periods of 30, 50, 100, and 200 years were analyzed. These values were applied to various debris flow scenarios to evaluate the flow characteristics and impact forces on structures. The analysis reveals that the impact forces of debris flows increase sharply for return periods of 100 years or more, indicating that existing safety protocols may not adequately account for the topographical characteristics. This study highlights the necessity of a comprehensive safety assessment framework that integrates site-specific risks such as slope and sediment dynamics. By utilizing actual rainfall data, this study provides a safety evaluation that reflects the unique geographical hazards faced by nuclear facilities. The findings offer essential data to guide future policy decisions regarding site selection, design, and operational management of nuclear facilities, ultimately improving the disaster preparedness for high-risk locations in a way that differs from existing studies.

Study on Flood Control Facility Design Linking Retention Pond and Rainwater Pumping Station

The primary causes of flood damage in a basin include the inadequate water flow capacity of pipelines and rivers, along with the inability to drain inland water, owing to rising water levels. Flood response facilities, such as rainwater pumping stations (pump-integrated gate type) that actively drain inland water, and retention ponds designed to manage peak flood volumes, are essential. The focus of this study is the Gyeticheon Basin in Haman-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. To manage flood risks, the proposal includes rainwater pumping stations for the downstream area and an off-line retention pond for the midstream area. This study develops a modeling method that simultaneously plans the side-weir of the retention pond and the rainwater pumping station. In addition, the analysis compared the flood control capacity in relation to the height and width of the side weir, and the operating water level (OWL.) of the pumping station. The results showed that when the (OWL.) of the rainwater pumping station surpasses the height of the side weir, the initial flood volume overflows the side weir, significantly reducing the flood control effectiveness of the basin. Consequently, if the side weir is designed to be low in the construction of a retention pond for flood control, or if a retention pond features a movable weir that tilts during the early stages of a flood, allowing water to overflow transversely into the pond, the flood control effectiveness can be significantly reduced. These findings are expected to aid in the design and operation of complex flood control facilities in future.

Comparative Analysis of Restorative Interior Design Elements: Screen-Based Versus Virtual Reality Evaluations for Future Medical Treatment Prospects.

Given the increasing prevalence of anxiety and depression, this research aims to identify design features that enhance the sense of restoration, with the goal of supporting mental and behavioral healthcare facility design. This study employed both screen-based and virtual reality (VR) stimuli to evaluate the perceived restorativeness of different interior settings. The key variables analyzed included window view access, view content, materiality, and room geometry. Thirty-five undergraduate and graduate students assessed 16 distinct interior environments. Findings indicate that the VR presentations generally produced higher restorativeness scores compared with screen-based presentations, though this effect varied across stimuli. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed that larger windows consistently correlated with higher restorativeness scores in both presentation modes. Views of water were rated as most restorative, followed by wooded areas. Natural materials were perceived as significantly more restorative than other materials, particularly in VR presentations. Varied ceiling designs, especially vaulted ceilings, were associated with evaluations of higher restorativeness compared with flat ceiling designs, with this effect more pronounced in VR. This research underscores the potential of VR technology to simulate and assess interior design interventions, offering insights into creating more effective and personalized restorative environments in mental health treatment facilities. The findings can inform evidence-based design strategies for healthcare spaces, supporting treatment processes and patient well-being.

Staff, Patient, and Designer Perspectives on Outpatient Rehabilitation Therapy Environments: A Pilot Study

Objectives Recognizing the limited research and design guidelines for these essential health care settings, this study gathered pilot data on the design of outpatient rehabilitation therapy (RT) facilities as a foundation for future research. Background Providing RT is core to addressing health conditions that might otherwise lead to higher and more costly levels of medical intervention. The World Health Organization estimates that 2.4 billion people worldwide would benefit from RT; however, only half receive care. As a result, more space may be sought for ambulatory clinics and hospital-based settings that cater to both inpatients and outpatients. Methods Interviews ( n = 21) and questionnaires ( n = 43) involving RT patients and staff and RT facility designers were conducted with overlap between the interview and questionnaire participants. Both methods explored amenities and features of RT environments. Results Among the findings, there were several significant differences regarding the importance and effectiveness (presence) of specific environmental elements. Additionally, there were some significant differences among patients, staff, and designers in terms of their perceptions of importance and effectiveness. Conclusion Eight potential design guidelines are suggested, rather than recommended, as of yet. They are topics for future research and include the provision of an appropriate balance of private and shared spaces, acoustical treatment of open therapy areas, efficient and restorative staff areas, outdoor spaces, window views and daylight, flexible lighting, and appropriate furniture and wall coverings.

Annelids‐Inspired Modular Design of Multi‐Modal Deformation for Magnetic Soft Robots

AbstractMagnetic‐responsive soft materials have found extensive applications in biomedicine, robotics, and bionics. They can achieve complex deformations through structural design, magnetization patterns, and driving magnetic fields. However, due to the infinite degrees of freedom in soft materials, more efficient design methods for magnetic soft materials need to be explored. Here, a multimodal unit programming method is proposed for designing hard magnetic soft materials. The structure of the multimodal units is inspired by the segmented structure of earthworms. By altering the combination of single‐tube units, the dual‐tube units exhibit specific deformation modes. This approach simplifies the complex deformation of magnetic soft materials into the single deformations of units, enabling facile programming design of magnetic soft materials. The application of different deformation modes is demonstrated in various scenarios and scale down the units to one‐tenth of their original size for operations at different scales. This further uncovering the potential of magnetic soft materials and providing ideas for their efficient design.

Performance-based evaluation on egress safety of disabled welfare facilities

ABSTRACT With the increasing number of fire incidents, efforts are being made to quantitatively evaluate the egress safety of buildings. In particular, studies that reflect the behavioural characteristics of occupants when evaluating egress safety are being conducted. However, the research on the performance design and safety evaluation of facilities where individuals vulnerable to disasters (i.e. those who have difficulty evacuating in the event of a fire) reside remains insufficient. In this study, fire evacuating simulations were performed on welfare facilities for disabled individuals with mobility issues, and the egress safety was evaluated. The fire simulations were performed using the capacity of the smoke exhaust system as a variable. Meanwhile, the variations in temperature and toxic gases according to fire duration were analyzed to calculate the available safe egress time (ASET). The egress simulations were performed using the egress delay time and the number of egress guides as variables. Then, the required safe egress time (REST) was calculated. The results show that increasing smoke exhaust system delays the attainment of tenability limits, improving ASET. Egress simulations revealed an optimal number of egress guides. Based on these findings, general criteria have been developed to assess egress safety, considering the building floor area, smoke exhaust capacity, and occupant numbers. These criteria can be applied to ensure efficient and economical safety designs for typical welfare facilities for the disabled. HIGHLIGHTS Egress safety of disabled welfare facilities was evaluated by FDS. ASET was derived based on smoke exhaust capacity and fire duration. RSET was derived by considering evacuation delays and instructions. Findings support efficient, cost-effective safety design for disabled care facilities.

Improved Modelling Concept for Dewatering Planning in Velenje Coal Mine

The basis for the safe extraction of mineral resources underground is good knowledge of the local and surrounding geological conditions and the activity of the nearby aquifers. Hydrogeological modelling in combination with dewatering of the aquifers above the coal and monitoring of the groundwater level in piezometers is of particular importance for safe underground coal mining in the Velenje mine. This study shows the contribution of an improved hydrogeological conceptual model to the prediction of groundwater movement in the aquifers above the coal seam using a hydrodynamic six-layer model. The improved hydrogeological conceptual model is based on the determination of the groundwater age and a detailed geological classification of the layers. The groundwater ages, determined using the tritium detection method, were important to understand the recharge of the individual aquifers. As there is no direct recharge at the surface, the aquifers are only recharged by the slow leakage of groundwater from the upper to the lower aquifers. The hydrodynamic six-layer model, which is based on an improved hydrogeological conceptual model, now simulates groundwater more accurately than previous hydrodynamic models and helps with dewatering planning and the technical design of mining facilities near aquifers.

Construction and Sustainable Development of Oilfield Production Facilities in the Middle East

The Middle East is renowned in the world for its abundant oil resources, and the oilfield production facilities, as the core facilities for oil extraction and production, have an important position in the construction and operation in this region. This paper aims to explore the design and construction of oilfield production facilities in the Middle East, with a focus on the factors of sustainable development, including technological innovation and environmental protection, in order to achieve the long-term sustainable development of the oil industry.

Bright NIR-II emissive cyanine dye-loaded lipoprotein-mimicking nanoparticles for fluorescence imaging-guided and targeted NIR-II photothermal therapy of subcutaneous glioblastoma

Cyanine dye-containing nanoparticles have widely been used in “all-in-one” NIR fluorescence imaging (FI)-guided photothermal therapy (PTT) because of their intrinsically large extinction coefficient and available physical and chemical modulation methods to tune absorption and emission wavelengths. The combination of good brightness and excellent tumor-targeting capacity is the key to realize efficient NIR-II FI-guided PTT. In this study, by covalently decorating NIR-II absorptive cyanine dyes with bulky AIE motify, we demonstrate how steric hindrance suppresses π-π stacking-induced fluorescence quenching and contributes to the good brightness of NIR-II FI of subcutaneous glioblastoma. The resulting cyanine dye (C12-TPAE) is 5 times brighter than the original cyanine dye in the formulated liposomal nanoparticles and C12-TPAE-AL has a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 62.4%, with good colloidal and light stability. Importantly, the ApoE peptide is absorbed on the liposomal surface, yielding lipoprotein-mimicking nanoparticles, which achieve active targeting of glioblastoma and efficient FI-guided PTT without tumor recurrence without any side effects on normal organs (heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, or lung). This research highlights a facile design route for bright NIR-II emissive and NIR-II photothermal cyanine dyes and indicates that cyanine dye-containing biomimetic theranostic nanoplatforms are promising candidates for future precision therapy.

Materials selection for produced water based on electrochemical parameters and chemical composition Index

Materials selection criteria is a challenging step in the design of global industrial facilities operating with aggressive environments in which corrosion resistance is a basic requirement. In this work, the selection of materials to be used in a produced water environment is presented. The main goal was to develop an integrated methodology considering not only the PREN but also critical environmental characteristics, together with electrochemical parameters obtained from an experimental approach. Three different classes of produced water were considered and temperature and dissolved oxygen conditions were controlled. The candidate materials were selected based on two classes: Carbon steel and Stainless Steels and Alloys. Gravimetric and electrochemical methods were used. Results obtained for carbon steel revealed that assessment based on electrochemical polarization and gravimetric methods were required. Results obtained with stainless steels and alloys based on PREN calculations would indicate an order that does not correspond to validation via electrochemical tests. However, electrochemical methods show that the same material can be considered acceptable or not, within limit values of parameters that came out from electrochemical tests, that would not be affected by the PREN.