Open Policy Research Articles

Phenotypic characterisation of people at risk of atrial fibrillation: Protocol for the FIND-AF longitudinal cohort study.

The Future Innovations in Novel Detection of Atrial Fibrillation (FIND-AF) longitudinal cohort study is a multi-centre prospective cohort study of patients identified at risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of the FIND-AF longitudinal cohort study is to provide multi-modal phenotypic characterisation of these patients. 1955 participants identified as at risk of AF by the FIND-AF algorithm from primary care electronic health (EHR) data, aged 30 years and above and eligible for oral anticoagulation, will be be recruited between October 2023 and November 2024 to receive home-based intermittent ECG monitoring. About 500 participants without diagnosed AF will then undergo cross-sectional phenotypic characterisation including physical examination, symptoms assessment, serum blood biomarkers and echocardiography, and non-stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Longitudinal information about cardio-renal-metabolic-pulmonary outcomes will be ascertained from linkages to EHR data. The study is funded by the British Heart Foundation (CC/22/250026). The study has ethical approval (North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee reference 23/NW/0180). Findings will be announced at relevant conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals in line with the Funder's open access policy. The FIND-AF multi-centre prospective longitudinal cohort study aims to (i) provide evidence for the impact of comorbidities on AF genesis (ii) uncover actionable targets to prevent AF, and (iii) act as a platform for cohort randomised clinical trials that investigate enhanced detection and prevention of AF.

The Scientific Journal "Vestnik of the Medical Institute "REAVIZ": History, Challenges, and Perspectives

The paper analyzes the trajectory of development of the scientific periodical "Bulletin of the Medical Institute 'REAVIZ': Rehabilitation, Doctor and Health", examining the key challenges and problematic aspects faced by the journal's editorial board in the course of its current work. Overall, attention is paid to the systematic correction of the main vectors of improving editorial policy in accordance with the best international practices of publishing scientific journals, issues of improving the quality of published materials, deepening the review processes and strict selection of articles for publication, attracting authors from various regions of Russia and foreign countries, analyzing the prospects for developing the practice of publishing accompanying digital data and resources along with textual materials, increasing citation and indexing of the journal in authoritative databases, as well as promoting an open access policy. Based on the results of the analysis, specific plans for the further progressive development of the journal "Bulletin of the Medical Institute 'REAVIZ'" are formulated.

Did they receive it? Direct Benefit Transfer to tuberculosis patients in Raigarh district, Chhattisgarh, India - A mixed methods study

BackgroundNutrition support plays critical role in patient centered care of TB. India launched a direct benefit scheme Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) in 2018. However, there is sparse evidence of its implementation status in Chhattisgarh. ObjectivesTo determine the proportion receiving the NPY incentives, its timeliness and factors associated with non-payment and delays, and to assess utilization patterns of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) among the beneficiaries. MethodsIt was a mixed-method study, with quantitative component of (Cross-sectional) followed by qualitative component (Descriptive). The data of all tuberculosis patients notified during April 2021toMarch 2022 in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, India, were extracted from Nikshay-Portal. Beneficiaries registered for treatment in last quarter of 2021–2022, were also contacted to assess the utilization patterns of DBT. Eighteen health care providers (HCPs) were interviewed one-on-one to assess their perception regarding challenges in implementation of NPY and possible solutions. ResultsOf 2161 TB patients started on TB treatment, 1912(88.8 %) received at least one benefit. More than half (59.6 %; 1140/1912) of the TB patients who received at least one benefit, received their first benefit within 56 days of notification. Among 255 who responded for utilization pattern of DBT, nearly one third (n = 73,28.6 %) reported to have utilized DBT for buying food. The main challenges for non-receipt/delay in benefits were: difficulty opening bank accounts; “dormant” account policy; changing of Indian Financial System Code (IFSC) of rural and nationalized merged banks; poor internet connectivity; and shortage of human resources or workforce not distributed according to geographic location. ConclusionNearly nine out of ten patients received at least one benefit under NPY. However, its utilization for treatment purposes was limited. Bank related, patient related and provider related factors posed major challenges in smooth implementation of the scheme. To improve the scheme's coverage, flexible account opening policies with offline Nikshay-Portal features are required.

Loneliness, office space arrangement and mental well-being of Gen Z PR professionals. Falling into the trap of an agile office?

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to assess how the well-being and loneliness of public relations and communication professionals are impacted by the post-pandemic characteristics of the work environment: flexible work schemes, non-territorial office arrangements and video communication technologies. It was hypothesised that the post-pandemic workplace landscape poses several new challenges to the practice of PR – an industry which invariably relies on working with other people and demands a good level of social resilience. Loneliness and well-being both depend on the experience of having good and efficient social relationships, but the pandemic has directly and indirectly led to their deterioration.Design/methodology/approachThe project employed a correlational design and used an online survey system to collect responses from Gen Z professionals employed in the public relations and communications industry in the UK and the US via the Prolific platform. Demographical and workplace-related characteristics were assessed to investigate links with loneliness (measured using a three-item scale adopted from Russell et al., 1980 in Hughes, 2004) and well-being (using a short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale scale). Causal relationships between data were tested using regression analysis for continuous variables and analysis of covariance for categorical factors. Bootstrapping was used to test mediated relationships that explain loneliness, job satisfaction and the well-being of Gen Z PR professionals.FindingsSeveral types of flexible working schemes, defined as the ability to work from home on any number of weeks, showed an impact on loneliness and job satisfaction but not on well-being. However, all remaining aspects of the post-pandemic office did manifest as important predictors. In the sample, 30% of Gen Z PR professionals showed signs of mild to clinical levels of depression, and the best protection from this state was the presence of a significant other. Lower levels of loneliness were related to non-territorial office arrangements and job satisfaction. The use of hot desks and open-plan arrangements led to a significantly lower level of job satisfaction than a traditional, cellular office. Both excessive online meetings and face-to-face only interactions led to marginally lower levels of loneliness and job satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThe present research is limited in several aspects. Firstly, while the project evaluated loneliness, job satisfaction and mental well-being (with each of these elements including a component of the requirement for building effective relationships), the quality of relationships built by PR professionals was not measured. Secondly, the project focused only on post-pandemic aspects of the workplace and did not cover other important components of job satisfaction. Lastly, the measure of online meetings was declarative rather than behavioural, and greater control of the number of online meetings held would be required to show more reliable links between variables.Practical implicationsThis study calls for proposing recommendations for employers to develop organisational-level measures and programmes to counteract loneliness. While traditionally intimate relationships of employees were not a direct focus of HR programmes, employers should develop elements of organisational culture that would support employees in building effective intimate relationships. Separately from this, despite immediate financial benefits, employers should avoid using open-space and hot desk policies, as they contribute negatively to job satisfaction (and indirectly to well-being). The sample of UK and US professionals was chosen for analysis because in these countries employers have more capacity to introduce changes to tangible characteristics of the workplace and work culture, which may positively impact the well-being of their employees.Social implicationsIt is expected that both employers and employees will revisit their approach to post-pandemic financial and logistic challenges related to the workplace. A lower level of job satisfaction and well-being is linked to the lack of assigned office space, but the ability to work exclusively from home leads to loneliness. Employees – when offered this possibility – should work in offices they are provided. Employers must appreciate the negative link between open and hot-desking policies and job satisfaction and well-being of their employees.Originality/valueThis study is the first to examine the post-pandemic workplace and personal characteristics of public relations and communications professionals in the UK and US and show how they impact job satisfaction and well-being. The study shows that 30% of employed in the PR industry are at risk of depression or anxiety. The connecting factor between personal and work-related characteristics that explains this problem is loneliness.

Agricultural productivity and rural poverty in China: The impact of land reforms

China's historical struggle with rural poverty prompted the Communist Party to implement sweeping land reforms and trade openness policies aimed at economic revitalization. This study investigates the impact of land reforms on poverty by adding mediating factors such as trade openness, research and development (R&D) spending, and agricultural productivity in China from 1960 to 2022. Our findings suggest that trade and land reforms have significantly reduced rural poverty by stimulating agricultural productivity, with R&D emerging as a critical driver. To sustain these gains, policymakers should prioritize increased R&D investment to further enhance agricultural productivity. Expanding trade relationships, particularly with neighboring nations, and promoting agricultural exports can further bolster rural income and alleviate poverty. Our study provides valuable insights for policymakers not only in China but also in similar contexts globally.

Batch distillation performance improvement through vessel holdup redistribution—Insights from two case studies

Middle vessel batch distillation (MVBD) is an energy-efficient configuration for separation of a ternary mixture. This paper focuses on improving the performance of this configuration through dynamic optimization of vessel holdup. Initially, a performance measure accounting for separation and energy efficiency is defined to characterize an operational policy. Subsequently, this measure is maximized by dynamically redistributing holdup in the three (top, middle and bottom) vessels. With the help of two case studies, the impact of various policy decisions and market conditions (such as initial feed distribution and relative cost of products and energy) on the optimal operating policy is analyzed. Specifically, the improvement obtained via holdup redistribution is explained with the help of fundamental concepts of distillation. Lastly, the performance of the proposed approach is compared with some of the existing methods and validated through rigorous simulations.

Sustainable development through the balancing of photovoltaic charging facilities and agriculture for energy harvesting

Photovoltaics (PV) and electric vehicles (EVs) provide viable alternatives for powering rural areas and promoting sustainable development. However, solar energy and agricultural land compete with each other, necessitating a balance between energy needs and land preservation. Despite the potential of agricultural PV charging stations, there is a lack of research on their operational models, policies, stakeholder interactions, and feasibility of development. This study combines renewable energy and charging infrastructure subsidy policies, utilizes a public-private partnership model, and employs evolutionary game theory to establish a theoretical framework exploring strategic interactions among energy operators, EV users, and farmers. The model considers the impacts of generation, charging, and agricultural elements, conducting techno-economic research. A case study conducted in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA, revealed subsequent findings: (1) The players' evolutionary stable approach ultimately converges to (1,1,1). When renewable energy subsidies are decreased by 50 %, the likelihood of active engagement for energy operators drops to 0, and for farmers, it falls to 0.8. (2) As the usage duration of charging facilities grows by 50 %, energy operators and EVUs make steady progress before reaching 0.2 cycles, but farmers encounter a delay after 0.4 cycles. (3) It is feasible to fulfil the yearly charging requirements for EVs in Sioux Falls and South Dakota using only 7.4 ha and less than 22 ha of agricultural land area, respectively. Investors in Sioux Falls have the potential to earn an annual income of $1.1085 million, generate 7906.07 MWh of electricity, and reduce GHG emissions by 6525.91 tons of CO2-equivalent. Although farmers generate higher annual revenue, it typically takes them over a decade to reach the point of breaking even, and their return on investment is comparatively lower than that of energy operators.

A race against time – an evaluation of lifesaving treatment pathways for patients following cardiac arrest in a non-hospital setting.

BackgroundCardiac arrest occurs when the heart ceases pumping blood around the body. Most take place outside hospital. A sequence of effective interventions (a “chain of survival”) is essential for patient survival and recovery of organ function. Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) requires prompt recognition and call for help, proficient CPR, early defibrillation and conveyance by the emergency services to an appropriate hospital. If initial resuscitation is successful, effective post-resuscitation care is required, delivered usually in the intensive care unit (ICU). New patient pathways were introduced following an update to national guidelines, which recommend conveyance of patients to centres with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) services where possible. ObjectiveWe have evaluated outcomes for patients, comparing those conveyed to PCI settings and those conveyed elsewhere to quantify the effect of the new patient pathway on mortality, survival and length of hospital stay. ApproachWe have linked electronic health records from emergency departments, acute hospital settings, ICUs and the national deaths register for OHCA patients living in Wales, UK. We have undertaken temporal analysis and time to event analysis to compare patient subgroups. ResultsVariation in patient pathways will be described using characteristics of conveyance method, the type of treating hospital and transfers between PCI and non-PCI settings adjusted for individual patient level confounders such as age, sex and comorbidities. ConclusionThis work is important to evaluate efficacy of operational procedures and inform national policies which aim to improve survival following OHCA and save lives.

A cross country analysis of financial development, trade openness, population and digitalization’s impact on sustainable development

This study employs the Standard Error Estimation technique to investigate the connections between the digitalization of economy, population, trade openness, financial development, and sustainable development across 127 countries from 1990 to 2019. The findings revealed associations between financial development, population growth, trade openness, economic growth, Digitalization development, foreign direct investment (FDI), and sustainable development. Financial development negatively impacts sustainable development, suggesting that countries with advanced financial systems may struggle to maintain sustainability. Trade openness exhibits a negative association with sustainable development, implying that countries with open trade policies may face challenges in maintaining sustainability, possibly due to heightened competition or resource exploitation. These findings highlight the multifaceted relationship between economic factors and sustainable development, underscoring the importance of comprehensive policies and governance mechanisms in fostering sustainability amidst global economic dynamics.

Furloughing Employees with Uncertain Return? Management of Labor Frictions and Inventory Under Demand Shock

We assess how a retailer can manage inventories and labor under an extreme condition such as a temporary negative demand shock due to a pandemic or an economic turmoil. This analysis incorporates labor market frictions whereby firms incur deadweight costs associated with hiring and firing employees, as well as the option to furlough labor. We examine the impact of these frictions on a retail firm's optimal operating policies around inventory level, furlough, and layoffs. We find that labor market frictions condition the inventory and the level of employment in two ways. First, they lead to underinvestment in inventories, which limits recovery and employment in the postshock period. Second, high labor market frictions motivate the firm to conservatively downsize workforce during the negative demand period leading to higher employment, when compared to downsizing without friction. A significant contribution of our study lies in delineating the optimal furlough decisions and quantifying the impact of the furlough option on inventory and labor decisions. We demonstrate the conditions under which it is optimal for the retailer to either (i) fully downsize labor and leverage the furlough option in the labor market, or (ii) maintain excess labor while also opting to furlough a portion of the workforce. During an extreme event such as a temporary negative demand shock, our results highlight the need for a coordinated effort when implementing governmental subsidy policies on alleviating labor and inventory reductions by accounting for labor market frictions and furlough support.

Ranking and Challenges of Supply Chain Companies Using MCDM Methodology

Background: Supply chain companies have merits and demerits regarding operational and economic transactional policies. The effectiveness of supply chain companies corresponds to a cumulative score on a multi-criteria and perspectives-based evaluation. In this paper, we analyse the performances and challenges of several celebrated e-commerce companies to perceive their overall impression of supply chain management. Method: A mathematical model is framed as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem with challenges as criteria and companies as alternatives. The criteria importance through inter-criteria correlation (CRITIC) method is used in this paper to adjust weights representing the available data. The ranking of e-commerce companies is evaluated using multi-objective optimization by ratio analysis plus the full multiplicative form (MULTIMOORA) method. Results: This model investigates the most dependent criteria and sub-criteria for the adaptation challenges of supply chain companies (SCCs). Furthermore, the SCCs are prioritized based on various conflicting criteria. Conclusion: Various challenges of SCCs, like logistics constraints, disruptions in supply chains, issues with technology, ethical sourcing and inconsistency between the products’ availability and the pace of consumption, are considered and analysed. We amassed the difficulties as criteria and sub-criteria in a numerical process using the MCDM approach. Additionally, the sensitivity and comparative of several optimal phenomena are analysed based on distinctive combinations of challenges in the ranking arena.

Understanding author choices in the current conservation publishing landscape.

Conservation literature addresses a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary questions and benefits. Conservation science benefits most when a diverse range of authors are represented, particularly those from countries where much conservation work is focused. In other disciplines, it is well known that barriers and biases exist in the academic publishing sphere, which can affect research dissemination and an author's career development. We used a discrete choice experiment to determine how 7 journal attributes affect authors' choices of where to publish in conservation. We targeted authors directly by contacting authors published in 18 target journals and indirectly via communication channels for conservation organizations. We only included respondents who had previously published in a conservation-related journal. We used a multinomial logit model and a latent class model to investigate preferences for all respondents and distinct subpopulations. We identified 3 demographic groups across 1038 respondents (older authors from predominantly middle-income countries, younger authors from predominantly middle-income countries, and younger authors from high-income countries) who had published in conservation journals. Each group exhibited different publishing preferences. Only 2 attributes showed a consistent response across groups: cost to publish negatively affected journal choice, including authors in high-income countries, and authors had a consistent preference for double-blind review. Authors from middle-income countries were willing to pay more for society-owned journals, unlike authors from high-income countries. Journals with a broad geographical scope that were open access and that had relatively high impact factors were preferred by 2 of the 3 demographic groups. However, journal scope and open access were more important in dictating journal choice than impact factor. Overall, different demographics had different preferences for journals and were limited in their selection based on attributes such as open access policy. However, the scarcity of respondents from low-income countries (2% of respondents) highlights the pervasive barriers to representation in conservation research. We recommend journals offer double-blind review, reduce or remove open access fees, investigate options for free editorial support, and better acknowledge the value of local-scale single-species studies. Academic societies in particular must reflect on how their journals support conservation and conservation professionals.

Condition-based switching, loading, and age-based maintenance policies for standby systems

Standby techniques are widely incorporated in structural design to enhance the inherent reliability of systems. To further leverage the system performance during operation, decision-makers can adopt operational policies to manage system degradation. Specifically, at the system level, unit switching that dynamically determines the online unit contributes to avoiding unexpected shutdowns. At the unit level, adjusting load levels to manage the trade-off between condition degradation and revenue accumulation is crucial for maximizing profit. Additionally, adopting age-based maintenance as a tactical decision, which effectively facilitates the integration of maintenance resources, can be implemented to restore a degraded system. For instance, maintenance is typically scheduled at fixed moments for multi-generator power systems located in remote areas. In between maintenance moments, the proactive switching of generators can ensure uninterrupted output, and the adjustment of load levels for online generators helps to maximize output. Motivated by such engineering practices, this paper investigates condition-based switching, loading, and age-based maintenance policies for standby systems to maximize the expected profit rate in the long-run horizon. The problem is formulated as a Markov decision process. The structural properties of the control-limit switching and monotone loading policies are analyzed for easy policy implementation and efficient problem solutions. For comparative purposes, several heuristic policies are proposed and evaluated. Finally, numerical examples are presented to validate theoretical results and illustrate the superiority of the proposed risk control policy.

The Impact and Response of China's Capital Market Opening Policy on the Financial System

Due to the liberalization of the Chinese capital market in recent years, many foreign investors have entered the country's capital market. This article outlines the history and present state of China's relative policy, gathers and evaluates pertinent policies, examines the policy's turning points, and finally highlights the difficulties and issues at hand. Based on this, it examines how this act affects financial institutions and presents three arguments for why bringing in foreign money will strengthen the financial market's vibrancy, encourage its modernization, and increase its size. Drawing from the aforementioned analysis, this article puts forth a response strategy aimed at promoting financial institutions' risk control and institutional innovation through capital market liberalization. Additionally, it suggests that the state enhance its oversight of foreign capital inflows to ensure a consistent flow of capital. To sum up, as China's capital market becomes more open to the outside world, it will be important to take advantage of the chances for innovation and growth while also managing the risks and difficulties that come with it. This paper seeks to be able to offer pertinent recommendations for the market's continued development and liberalization.

Analisis Yuridis Putusan Mahkamah Konstitusi Terhadap Pengujian Undang-Undang (Studi Putusan MK No. 29/PUU-XXI/2023, No. 55/PUU-XXI/2023, No. 90/PUU-XXI/2023)

This study evaluates the inconsistencies in the decisions of the Constitutional Court (MK) regarding the judicial review of laws, specifically concerning the decision MK No. 29-51-55-90/PUU-XXI/2023. The aim of this study is to understand the reasons behind the differing positions of the MK when reviewing the same article, namely Article 169 letter q of Law No. 7 of 2017 on General Elections. The method used is normative legal research with a descriptive nature, utilizing secondary data as the source. Data collection is conducted through literature study, data analysis is qualitative, and conclusions are drawn using the deductive method. The research findings reveal inconsistencies in the MK's decisions. In Decision No. 90/PUU-XXI/2023, the MK added a new norm by establishing alternative requirements for Article 169 letter q of Law No. 7 of 2017. In contrast, in Decision No. 29-51-55/PUU-XXI/2023, the request to review the same article was rejected on the grounds that the regulation of the minimum age is an open legal policy of the lawmakers and does not violate the 1945 Constitution. This inconsistency raises questions about the integrity of the MK and reduces public trust in the institution. The study recommends that the MK maintain consistency in judicial review decisions to preserve its authority and public trust.

Paving the way to establishing the digital-friendly health and care information model in Kazakhstan

IntroductionKazakhstan has made significant strides in digital health implementation since 2013, transitioning from paper-based systems to wide implementation of digital solutions. However, challenges persist, notably the misalignment between existing data collection requirements and ongoing digital transformations. To address this obstacle, the development of a new digital-friendly requirements for health data collection at provider levels was initiated. Material and methodsA comparative analysis of all existing requirements on health and care data collection set a foundation for further actions. A dedicated technical working group, established by the Ministry of Healthcare, oversaw this process, while several specialized expert groups participated in detailed discussions to ensure alignment with healthcare needs. We took as a basis the legislative act enforcing use of data forms inherited from pre-digital era. Data elements from most used forms were cataloged, checked for consistency, and standardized. ISO 13940 standard guided transformation of rigid paper-based forms into flexible digital-friendly data sets. ResultsAnalysis of the healthcare legislation reveals significant optimization opportunities. We categorized 157 forms into four groups by their content and role and focusing on clinical and administrative records for transformation. Data elements’ analysis led to developing 209 standardized classifications with data values. 83 data sets, encompassing clinical and administrative domains, were developed to substitute 63 (out of 157) forms. Therefore, the foundation for better data and structure interoperability was set. DiscussionThe top-down approach to digital health standardization, combined with open market policies, results in inconsistent data collection practices. Developed data sets align with the goal of developing the national Electronic Health Records system as enabler for interoperability and adds a bottom-up perspective to digital health standardization. This effort addresses the lack of guidance for digital data model development, however additional efforts required to change the current practice and finalize the national legislation transformation into digital-friendly mode.

Logistics Business Intelligence and Performance of Courier Firms in Nairobi County, Kenya

The logistics function is a crucial cost driver for firms, particularly within the courier industry, where logistics expenses can account for up to 50% of sales revenue. This presents a significant challenge for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) lacking the infrastructure to manage these costs. In Africa, the population of over 1.3 billion and a combined GDP of approximately $2.6 trillion contribute to substantial logistics costs, estimated at $3.5 trillion annually. Courier firms in Nairobi County, Kenya, face similar pressures, driving the need for improved logistical operations. Despite efforts to reduce costs, 67% of logistics cost-reduction initiatives fail due to poor execution, largely attributed to a lack of stakeholder involvement and supply chain visibility. This study, guided by the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory, aimed to examine the relationship between logistics business intelligence and the performance of courier firms in Nairobi County. Using a descriptive research design, data was collected from a sample of 72 courier firms, with findings indicating a weak but positive correlation between logistics business intelligence and courier firm performance. The study concluded that logistics business intelligence significantly influences performance, recommending investments in staff training, technological integration, flexible operational policies, and enhanced reverse logistics. Further research is suggested on logistics business intelligence in other sectors and the role of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain in the logistics industry.

A novel order characteristic load shifting policy for load factor improvement, peak reduction, and economical operation of distribution systems

Demand side management (DSM) and demand response programs (DRPs) are widely used economic strategies that insist customers shift or curtail loads to economize the generation cost of the distribution system. These policies often involve tedious calculation processes or optimization tools to calculate the apt amount of load to be shredded or shifted to get a new modified load profile. This paper proposes an order characterized load-shifting policy (OCLSP), which is very easy to calculate and yields a considerable decrease in the peak demand, eventually improving the distribution system's load factor, also known as the peak-to-average ratio (PAR). Unlike other DSM and DR strategies, the proposed approach requires no parameters except the forecasted load demand. The proposed OCLSP is implemented on ten distribution systems from the literature which consists of a 3-, 6-, 7-, 10-, 15- units system, one islanded microgrid (MG) system and four grid-connected MG systems. Initially, the load demand of these test systems is restructured using OCLSP, and thereafter, dynamic economic load dispatch (DELD) is performed to minimize the generation cost of the system. A latest circle search algorithm (CSA) is utilized as the optimization tool. Results show that the generation cost of all ten test systems has been decreased by a considerable amount when their load demand is restructured using the proposed OCLSP. The minimum percentage improvement in the PAR of the ten systems was 2 % and maximum improvement was 60 %. Likewise, the percentage decrement in the peak demand was within 2 % to 37.5 % for the ten test systems and the decrement in generation cost rose up to 16 %. All these parameters were in comparison with the base load demand. Numerical results also corroborate to the efficiency and robustness of proposed CSA.

Cellular therapy site-preparedness: Inpatient pharmacy implementation at a large academic medical center.

With the recent Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval of cellular therapy that requires product manipulation prior to administration in combination with a short stability window, the need was identified for local dose preparation within the pharmacy rather than the off-site stem cell processing laboratory. This approval gave rise to assessment of regulatory standards surrounding cellular therapy, evaluation and revision of current standard operating procedures and policies with formal process validation, assessment of occupational exposure mitigation and safety considerations, and development of staff training and education. To describe and provide insight into the stepwise process of FACT validation and onboarding of commercially available cellular therapy products that require sterile compounding manipulation within a pharmacy prior to administration. A multidisciplinary effort is required to attain FACT certification and implement pharmacist compounding of cellular therapy products.1 Local preparation within a pharmacy facilitates a sound operational workflow and provides a pathway to perform aseptic manipulations of cellular therapy products safely and efficiently. Safe and successful administration of cellular therapies handled and compounded by pharmacy department staff along with program validation requires a preemptive review utilizing a multidisciplinary approach for process development. This manuscript will provide a foundation based on consistency and transparency in effective cellular therapy sterile compounding and aseptic manipulation, proper handling and disposal procedures, increased communication through creation and optimization of treatment plans and order-sets, standardized medical center staff education, and development of policies and standard operating procedures for the entire health care team.

Nonconvexity and computational effort in the problem of Hydro-Power spillage policy assessment

This paper aims to assess the spillage policies in the Day-Ahead Hydro-Power Plant operation. For this purpose, a combination technique is proposed to prevent erroneous spillage decisions. Given that the developed mathematical modeling lacks the convexity property, we examine the multiple solutions obtained from the Hydro-Power production optimization subject to different power output formulations. In addition, a nonlinear approach to consider friction losses in the modeling is introduced. The modeling is described by Mixed-Integer Linear (MILP) and Integer Nonlinear (MINLP) Programming models. The optimal solutions are provided by Outer Approximation (OA), Branch-and-Bound (BB), and Interior Point algorithms. The simulations show that the water is managed distinctly depending on the optimizer and solution algorithms. Finally, the findings of the spillage policy obtained by the Mixed-Integer Nonlinear model under the cubic function for power generation encourage and indicate its adequacy for a more realistic operation and management of the Mexican Hydro-Power Plant water resources.