Safe Supply Research Articles

A Survey of the Levels of Selected Metals in U.S. Meat, Poultry, and Siluriformes Fish Samples Taken at Slaughter and Retail, 2017–2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) conducts surveillance of metallic elements in U.S. meat, poultry, and Siluriformes fish samples collected immediately postmortem as part of its National Residue Program (NRP). From 2017 to 2022, 13,966 samples were analyzed under the NRP. The Federal Emergency Response Network (FERN) Cooperative Agreement Program (CAP) tests meat, poultry, and Siluriformes fish products collected at retail in the United States for metals. From 2018 to 2022, 2,902 samples were analyzed by FERN CAP laboratories. Meat and poultry samples collected by FSIS show that most metals were not detected at all or were detected infrequently. Meat is a rich source of iron and zinc, and iron was detected in 22% (1,255/5,623) and zinc was detected in 48% (2,742/5,676) of meat and poultry samples, respectively. The percentage of samples testing positive for manganese, molybdenum, lead, and cadmium were higher in the FERN CAP retail samples than in FSIS samples. Expected human exposure from average levels of lead and cadmium found in meat and poultry was compared to toxicological reference values and was not found to exceed these values. Detections of arsenic and mercury were found more often in Siluriformes fish samples (2017–2022) than in terrestrial animals. Trace amounts of arsenic and mercury were detected in 8% and 4% of Siluriformes samples, respectively, but were not detected at levels that raise concern. On the whole, both the FSIS and FERN CAP datasets provide reassuring evidence of the safety of the FSIS-regulated food supply with regard to the studied elements.

A scoping review of the literature exploring experiences in the trans and gender diverse community with chest binding practices

Introduction In an effort to address disproportionate levels of poor mental health, stigma, and discrimination outcomes experienced by the Australian trans and gender diverse population, gender affirming care has become an important part of state government health priorities. One form of this affirming care is chest binding, and despite its historic use in the trans community, little is known about experiences and outcomes of this practice. Method The following paper presents the findings of a scoping review search of the literature. We applied the search strategy across six databases, and the articles were screened for relevance to the research question. A total of 34 articles were found, and these were subjected to a thematic synthesis and consolidation of the available evidence on this topic. Results Seven themes were established across literature findings: physical health, identity and presentation, chest dysphoria, other mental health, effectiveness, knowledge, and accessibility. Most notably, consistent evidence of negative physical impacts from chest binding were found, alongside a clear continuation of the practice in trans populations despite these impacts. A variety of beneficial reasons for continuing the practice were found, namely identity and presentation motivations, chest dysphoria alleviation, and mental health benefits. Furthermore, knowledge attainment and accessibility of binding were established as areas of weakness within the literature. Conclusion As political and societal pressures continue to antagonize trans lives, this young area of research may assist in providing treatment and solace to a vulnerable community. More empirical exploration is needed to understand the nuances of chest binding, in order to ensure its safe and effective provision in gender affirming care.

An Innovative Smart and Sustainable Low-Cost Irrigation System for Anomaly Detection Using Deep Learning.

The agricultural sector faces several difficulties today in ensuring the safety of food supply, including water scarcity. This study presents the design and development of a low-cost and full-featured fog-IoT/AI system targeted towards smallholder farmer communities (SFCs). However, the smallholder community is hesitant to adopt technology-based solutions. There are many overwhelming reasons for this, but the high cost, implementation complexity, and malfunctioning sensors cause inappropriate decisions. The PRIMA INTEL-IRRIS project aims to make digital and innovative agricultural technologies more appealing and available to these communities by advancing the intelligent irrigation "in-the-box" concept. Considered a vital resource, collected data are used to detect anomalies or abnormal behavior, providing information about an occurrence or a node failure. To prevent agro-field data leakage, this paper presents an innovative, smart, and sustainable low-cost irrigation system that employs artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to analyze anomalies and problems in water usage. The sensor anomaly can be detected using an autoencoder (AE) and a generative adversarial network (GAN). We will feed the autoencoders' anomaly detection models with time series records from the datasets and replace detected anomalies with the reconstructed outputs. When integrated with an IoT platform, this methodology is a tool for easing the labeling of sensor anomalies and can help create supervised datasets for future research. In addition, anomalies can be corrected by prediction models based on deep learning approaches, applying CNN/BiLSTM architecture. The results show that AEs outperform the GANs, achieving an accuracy of 90%, 95%, and 97% for soil moisture, air temperature, and air humidity, respectively. The proposed system is designed to ensure that the data are of high quality and reliable enough to make sound decisions compared to the existing platforms.

Knowledge, perceptions and practices towards blood donation among undergraduate medical students in an upcountry Ugandan university: A mixed methods study

ABSTRACT Background Due to the different factors affecting the maintenance of a constant supply of human blood in health facilities, this study aimed at exploring the knowledge, perceptions, and practices towards blood donation among under graduate medical students at Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences (BUFHS). Methods Using a convergent parallel mixed methods study design, 384 students were recruited into the study. Questionnaires and focused group discussions were used to collect the data. Stata version 15.0 and thematic analysis were used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data respectively. Results Of the respondents, 151 (39.4%) had ever donated blood and 50.4% had good knowledge about blood donation. The commonest motivating factor towards blood donation was “to save someone’s life”. Factors associated with practices towards blood donation included: religion, year 2 of study and prior blood donation history. Being Jehovah’s Witness reduced the willingness to donate blood by 88% compared to other religions. Thematic analysis revealed four themes namely; students’ experiences and thoughts, driving forces to donate blood, fears and misconceptions, and suggestions to increase blood donors. Conclusion The proportion of undergraduate medical students who had adequate level of knowledge about blood donation was moderately high, however, some of their perceptions towards it were unconventional. To ensure safe and adequate blood supply, design of strategies and tailored programs that promote blood donation is highly recommended..

Elements of care, part 2: maintaining a safe environment

Maintaining a safe environment is one of the 12 activities of living identified in the Roper-Logan-Tierney model (2000) . Maintaining a safe environment is a basic survival skill, which involves managing our own safety and adapting our physical and intellectual abilities to manage risk. This article focuses on the activity of maintaining a safe environment in health and illness for the duration of a person's lifespan. The person's dependence and independence in the activity are discussed, along with factors influencing the activity. Understanding hazards in the care setting and how to promote patient safety effectively are key attributes of a safe and effective care provision.

Haemovigilance survey and screening strategy for arthropod-borneviruses in blood donors from Argentina.

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) count among emerging infections, which represent a major challenge for transfusion safety worldwide. To assess the risk of arboviruses-transmission by transfusion (ATT), we performed a survey to evaluate the potential threat for transfusion safety. Samples were retrospectively and randomly collected from donors who donated during the peak of dengue incidence in Cordoba (years: 2016and 2019-2022). A cost-efficient strategy for molecular screening was implemented with a nucleic acid test (NAT) configured with Flavivirus and Alphavirus-universal degenerated primers targeting conserved gene regions. Besides, we evaluated the neutralizing antibody (NAb) prevalence by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). A total of 1438 samples were collected. Among the NAT-screened samples, one resulted positive for Flavivirus detection. Subsequent sequencing of the PCR product revealed Saint Louis Encephalitis Virus (SLEV) infection (GeneBank accession number OR236721). NAb prevalence was 2.95% for anti-Dengue, 9.94% anti-SLEV, 1.09% anti-West Nile Virus, and 0% anti-Chikungunya. One of the NAb-positive samples also resulted positive for IgM against SLEV but negative by ARN detection. This is the first haemovigilance study developed in Argentina that evaluates the potential risk of ATT and the first research to determine the prevalence of NAb against Flavivirus through PNRT to avoid possible cross-reactions between Ab against Flavivirus. Herein, the finding of one SLEV-viremic donor and the detection of anti-SLEV IgM in a different donor demonstrated a potential threat for transfusion safety and emphasized the need for increased vigilance and proactive measures to ensure the safety of blood supplies.

Big data analysis method based on time series temperature field data of substation transformer

Transformers are one of the main electrical equipment in the power system, and their operating status directly determines the safety, stability, and reliability of the power supply in the power system. The temperature or temperature rise of a transformer is the most important technical parameter that describes the operating status (accidents, faults, and abnormal operation) of the transformer. The following mainly introduces that the monitoring area is gridded by modeling the three-dimensional reality of the transformer, and then the collected infrared temperature data is accurately mapped into the monitoring grid in three dimensions to form the patrol time sequence temperature big data. Through trend analysis, temperature difference and temperature rise analysis, temperature field gradient analysis and other models, the equipment temperature hidden danger detection focusing on prevention is realized.

Power supply thermal analysis

The article provides an analysis of heat removal from power elements in a low-power power source. The efficiency of cooling fuel elements using the free convection method without additional inclusion of active cooling is considered due to design limitations of the overall dimensions of the source. Calculation estimates were made using numerical modeling of the temperature regime of the source. The object of the study is an intrinsically safe power supply with size restrictions of 200×160×65 mm with an aluminum housing. The main heat-generating elements are power transistors with a power of 1 to 6 W, mounted on the heat-dissipating parts of the housing through an insulating gasket. For stable operation of semiconductors, a temperature regime is required without exceeding the transistor temperature of 85 ° C under standard environmental conditions at an air temperature of 20 ° C and a relative humidity of 20%. The authors analyzed the heat exchange between the model of the designed power supply housing and the air environment according to the parameter of the limiting temperature of heat-generating semiconductors in a steady state. Conclusions about whether the thermal operating conditions are adequately ensured for this case are made.

Multi-scenario research on the low-carbon transition in energy-deficient cities-view from the power supply side

Cities are the places where power supply demand is highly concentrated. How to ensure power supply security while realizing low-carbon transition is the key challenge faced by the construction of new power systems. In large cities with a shortage of local power generation resources, this problem is particularly prominent. The study takes Guangzhou city as a case study area, which has the typical characteristics of “serious energy shortage and extremely high-power load density” in China. This study explores the differences in power supply capacity, structure, carbon emissions, and power supply costs under the six different scenarios set up from the power supply side for future power supply structures. The optimal power supply modes have been matched for cities with different development characteristics and needs. The change in power supply structure and the realization path under the optimal power supply modes are discussed. The results show that the power supply capacity of Guangzhou is constantly improving under different scenarios, with the highest self-sufficiency rates of power production capacity and power production quantity reaching 80% and 50%, respectively, by 2030. Despite this, Guangzhou still does not have the basic conditions for building a new power supply system through the development of local high-proportion renewable energy only due to the limitation of resource endowment. The combination with increasing the ratio of renewable energy in outsourcing power is an inevitable choice for low-carbon transition for the city. This study provides a new idea on how to build a new power supply system for an energy shortage city. It can be used as a reference for safe power supply and low-carbon transition for the power supply sectors of other cities.

‘Safer supply’ in BC tied to increase in poisonings, but not deaths

A cohort study that looked at Canadian province British Columbia's Safer Opioid Supply policy, instituted two years ago, found that there was a moderate increase in the number of individuals with at least one opioid prescription, a large increase in the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed, and a substantial increase in hospitalizations related to opioid poisoning. According to the study, “British Columbia's Safer Opioid Supply Policy and Opioid Outcomes” published online in JAMA Internal Medicine on Jan. 16, there were no statistically significant changes in deaths from opioid overdoses and no significant change in the number of prescribers. Rather, those prescribers who were there before prescribed a significantly greater amount of opioids. And the opioid‐related poisoning hospitalization rate increased by 3.2 per 100,000 population. The study, by Hai V. Nguyen, Ph.D. and colleagues, was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The study used quarterly data from 2016 to 2022 from British Columbia, where the Safer Opioid Supply policy was implemented, then compared that data to Canada's Manitoba and Saskatchewan provinces where the policy was not implemented. The main outcomes were rates of prescriptions, claimants, and prescribers of opioids targeted by the Safer Opioid Supply policy (hydromorphone, morphine, oxycodone, and fentanyl); opioid‐related poisoning hospitalizations; and deaths from apparent opioid toxicity. The researchers concluded that while the Safer Opioid Supply policy was associated with higher rates of safer (prescription) supply, it was also associated with a significant increase in opioid‐related poisoning hospitalizations. “These findings will help inform ongoing debates about this policy not only in British Columbia, but also in other jurisdictions that are contemplating it,” the researchers concluded.

Safe inhalation pipe provision (SIPP): protocol for a mixed-method evaluation of an intervention to improve health outcomes and service engagement among people who use crack cocaine in England

BackgroundOver 180,000 people use crack cocaine in England, yet provision of smoking equipment to support safer crack use is prohibited under UK law. Pipes used for crack cocaine smoking are often homemade and/or in short supply, leading to pipe sharing and injuries from use of unsafe materials. This increases risk of viral infection and respiratory harm among a marginalised underserved population. International evaluations suggest crack pipe supply leads to sustained reductions in pipe sharing and use of homemade equipment; increased health risk awareness; improved service access; reduction in injecting and crack-related health problems. In this paper, we introduce the protocol for the NIHR-funded SIPP (Safe inhalation pipe provision) project and discuss implications for impact.MethodsThe SIPP study will develop, implement and evaluate a crack smoking equipment and training intervention to be distributed through peer networks and specialist drug services in England. Study components comprise: (1) peer-network capacity building and co-production; (2) a pre- and post-intervention survey at intervention and non-equivalent control sites; (3) a mixed-method process evaluation; and (4) an economic evaluation. Participant eligibility criteria are use of crack within the past 28 days, with a survey sample of ~ 740 for each impact evaluation survey point and ~ 40 for qualitative process evaluation interviews. Our primary outcome measure is pipe sharing within the past 28 days, with secondary outcomes pertaining to use of homemade pipes, service engagement, injecting practice and acute health harms.Anticipated impactSIPP aims to reduce crack use risk practices and associated health harms; including through increasing crack harm reduction awareness among service providers and peers. Implementation has only been possible with local police approvals. Our goal is to generate an evidence base to inform review of the legislation prohibiting crack pipe supply in the UK. This holds potential to transform harm reduction service provision and engagement nationally.ConclusionPeople who smoke crack cocaine in England currently have little reason to engage with harm reduction and drug services. Little is known about this growing population. This study will provide insight into population characteristics, unmet need and the case for legislative reform.Trial registration: ISRCTN12541454 https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN12541454

Characterizing Opioid Withdrawal Experiences and Consequences Among a Community Sample of People Who Use Opioids

Background Opioid withdrawal symptoms are a highly salient and consequential health condition experienced by people who use opioids (PWUO). This study utilized qualitative interviews to explore opioid withdrawal experiences and consequences among PWUO in Los Angeles County, USA. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 22 PWUO (aged 27–63 years) between May 2021 and May 2022. Participants self-reported opioid and injection drug use in the last 30 days. We employed an inductive thematic approach to systematically code and synthesize textual interview data. Results Participants experienced withdrawal symptoms frequently, with many going to great lengths to avoid them. Withdrawal pain was described as incapacitating and interfered with PWUO’s ability to sustain regular employment and ensure stable housing. Avoiding withdrawal was described as influential in driving decisions to continue using opioids. Mechanisms for managing withdrawal included using other substances to the point of sedation. PWUO who transitioned from heroin to fentanyl use revealed more frequent, painful, and faster onset of withdrawal symptoms. Adverse withdrawal experiences and fear of precipitated withdrawal from buprenorphine were barriers to treatment initiation and continuation. Conclusion Withdrawal symptoms among PWUO increase health risk. Improved strategies to treat opioid withdrawal are urgently needed. Solutions such as safe supply and intentional opioid withdrawal interventions (educational trainings, withdrawal comfort kits) are needed to improve withdrawal management and reduce opioid-related harm.

FBPP: software to design PCR primers and probes for nucleic acid base detection of foodborne pathogens

Foodborne pathogens can be found in various foods, and it is important to detect foodborne pathogens to provide a safe food supply and to prevent foodborne diseases. The nucleic acid base detection method is one of the most rapid and widely used methods in the detection of foodborne pathogens; it depends on hybridizing the target nucleic acid sequence to a synthetic oligonucleotide (probes or primers) that is complementary to the target sequence. Designing primers and probes for this method is a preliminary and critical step. However, new bioinformatics tools are needed to automate, specific and improve the design sets to be used in the nucleic acid‒base method. Thus, we developed foodborne pathogen primer probe design (FBPP), an open-source, user-friendly graphical interface Python-based application supported by the SQL database for foodborne pathogen virulence factors, for (i) designing primers/probes for detection purposes, (ii) PCR and gel electrophoresis photo simulation, and (iii) checking the specificity of primers/probes.

Ecological network analysis and optimization of resilience and efficiency for electric power systems design

The simultaneous increase in natural disasters and human dependence on critical infrastructures for essential services such as water, electricity, etc., places ever-increasing demands on the reliable, safe, resilient design and operation of these infrastructures, with a trade-off between continuity of supply (safety and resilience) and quality of supply (reliability and efficiency) at limited cost. With this in mind, a new methodology for the analysis of electric power systems inspired by natural ecosystems is proposed here and applied to representative systems from literature. Information theory is used to quantify the results of the ecological network analysis (ENA) performed. The analysis shows that electric power systems are more efficient than reliable and vulnerable to disasters. A flow matrix is constructed from the available IEEE systems data, quantified and analyzed using information theory, and finally validated by contingency analysis and SCOPF analysis. The original network configurations are compared to random generated topologies. Comparisons are also made with ENA-inspired configurations. The latter show significantly fewer violations in each contingency scenario compared to the original configurations, further supporting the use of ENA to balance power system efficiency and resilience. Thus, ENA can be used to develop power systems with balanced efficiency and resilience.

Supply shock propagation in the multi-layer network of global steel product chain: Additive effect of trade and production

The key to resource security is to make sure supply safety. Due to the difference of resource endowment, however, the distribution of global production and consumption is not matched, so that the supply shock can spread within the multi-layer formed by global supply chains. Therefore, understanding how supply shock spreads within the multi-layer network is critical for policy makers to prevent the propagation of resources crisis. From the perspective of global steel product chain, we constructed a supply shock propagation model based on a multi-layer network and simulated the propagation effect using the steel chain trading data. Results show that: (1) No matter how large the impact strength, only a few countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Brazil and Australia, once the supply shortage of steel upstream products occurs, can affect the downstream products of most countries in the world. (2) If the country's risk resistance is extremely weak, the supply shock propagation in the pig iron network is dominated by trade relations, while crude steel network is dominated by production relations, and steel product network is dominated by the coupling relationship between trade and production. (3) Faced with the risk of complete interruption of exports from different risk sources, the critical points of infection thresholds in importing countries are different. (4) The propagation path of supply risk in the multi-layer network of steel trade presents a multiple hub radial network structure with key countries as the core. These findings help policy makers adjust trade policies in a timely and scientific manner.

Food Legislation Compliance and Safe Food Provision for Sustainability by Unclassified Restaurants Nairobi City County, Kenya

Food Legislation Compliance and Safe Food Provision for Sustainability by Unclassified Restaurants Nairobi City County, Kenya

Challenges with food safety adoption: A review

AbstractGlobally, the risk of foodborne diseases is high among the young, old, pregnant and immunocompromised groups. Strategies to improve safe food supply are poorly understood among stakeholders. In this paper, we discuss the importance of the adoption of food safety standards, the effects of non‐compliance of food safety protocols, consumer‐producer awareness of food safety, and the challenges involved in the adoption of food safety protocols. The major challenges include gaps in dissemination of relevant information, the cost involved in adoption of many food safety programs; low educational levels of food handlers, insufficient food testing laboratories; inadequate funding, equipment, and skilled personnel; and cost of training and education; and lack of coordination among organizations handling food safety issues. Building competencies of food safety personnel, inspectorates, national or regional laboratories and adequate resource support to industry and supporting agencies will enhance safety of the global food supply.

Neither laissez-faire nor prohibition: the khat regulation policy preferences of people who chew khat and local social service providers in Ethiopia

Background This study examines the opinions of khat-chewers and local social service providers about the current regulatory framework for khat and their preferred policy option(s). Methods Interviews were conducted with 102 khat-chewing individuals, five habitual groups, and ten social service providers in Jimma, Ethiopia. Results Most of the participants believe that neither laissez-faire nor prohibition policies are appropriate. Reasons for supporting the reform of the current laissez-faire approach include: worries about the escalating use of khat, concerns about the safety of the khat supply, the adverse effects of khat on the city’s aesthetics and hygiene, and negative impacts on economic security. Reasons for opposing the introduction of a policy of prohibition include: prohibition would be counterproductive, and it would undermine the socioeconomic significance of khat. However, the study participants did suggest several regulatory activities, which can be thematized into primary and secondary preventive strategies. Conclusion The preferred regulatory approaches include addressing the structural causes of (problematic) khat use, empowering khat-chewers with awareness about appropriate use, managing the supply of khat, and restricting the age of users and place of use. These regulations are intended to reduce supply, demand and harm, and they depict the khat problem as a complex system.

Does blockchain technology matter for supply chain resilience in dynamic environments? The role of supply chain integration.

This study aims to empirically investigate the effect of blockchain technology (BCT) adoption on supply chain resilience (SCR), with the mediating role of supply chain integration (SCI) and the crucial effect of environmental dynamism (ED) as a moderator. Based on data collected from firms operating in the automotive industry in India, the proposed model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equations Modelling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS software. The empirical results showed a positive effect of BCT on SCI, which in turn affects SCR. Importantly, SCI acts as a full mediator in the BCT-SCR relationship, which is moderated by ED, that is, the effect of BCT on SCR via SCI is strong when ED is high. This study offers the groundwork for operationalizing BCT in a supply chain context. It also contributes to SCR research by investigating how SCI mediates the effect of BCT on SCR. In addition, this study found a moderating effect of ED on the relationship between BCT and SCI. These results provide insights to auto manufacturers on ways to enhance SCR and ensure safe supply chain operations.

China's National Reserve Forest Project contribution to carbon neutrality and path to profitability

The National Reserve Forest Project (NRFP) is a forestry project launched by China in 2013 to ensure the safety of timber supply and create a carbon sink, which can contribute to China's future carbon neutrality goals. To evaluate the carbon neutral contribution and carbon sink benefits of the NRFP, it is necessary to estimate the carbon sink amount, carbon sink cost, and carbon sink price. A combined method, modified Hartman model, and Rubinstein-Stahl bargaining model were used to estimate and analyze the carbon sink amount, carbon sink cost, and carbon sink price of NRFPs from several typical NRFP zones to the nationwide level. Results show that: (1) if the yearly construction area of the NRFP keeps stable at 10.2 × 105 ha in the future, the carbon sink of NRFP will account for about 17.32%, 28.35%, and 80.00% of total carbon emissions in 2060 under low-, middle-, and high-policy scenarios, respectively, representing an increase compared to the current level of approximately 16%; (2) the weighted average carbon sink cost of NRFP is estimated to be 95.16 CNY/t CO2 e (lower than the average carbon sink cost of 150 CNY/t CO2 e), and several measures such as applying Public-private partnership investment (PPP), increasing project operation duration, and choosing construction areas with low farmland benefit can help further reduce carbon sink cost of NRRP; (3) the reasonable carbon sink price should fall between the carbon sink cost and marginal carbon emission reduction cost of enterprises, and increasing the carbon sink price has a positive impact on NRFP construction. NRFPs suffer economic losses in the present carbon trade market, but they will gradually become profitable with the rising carbon sink price in the future. Therefore, it is imperative to maintain or gradually expand the construction area, provide more financial support, and improve the carbon trading market of NRFPs.