Volume Of Products Research Articles

The Influence of Sino-US Trade Friction on the Export Volume of China's High-tech Products

With the rapid development of economy, witnessing the extraordinary progression of the economy, China has ascended as the second largest economy globally, and the gap with developed countries is getting smaller and smaller. For a long time, there has been a huge trade deficit from China to the United States. The United States provoked trade friction on the grounds of trade protectionism, restricting trade with China, high-tech industries being the focus. Employing the difference-in-differences (DID) methodology, this paper scrutinizes the influence of Sino-US trade frictions on the export value of China's high-tech industries, utilizing the export data of China's high-tech industries to the United States spanning from 2012 to 2022. It is found that after the Sino-US trade friction began, China's exports of high-tech products to the United States have declined significantly, which has caused trade destruction effect and trade deflection effect from China to the United States.

Effect of CO2 curing on mechanical and physical properties of the recycled aggregates containing silica fume

CO2 curing is a promising method for enhancing the properties of the recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) due to its economic and environmental benefits. However, the knowledge about its effectiveness in improving the properties of aggregates derived from blended supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) remains limited. This study explores the impact of CO2 curing on the mechanical and physical properties, mineralogical composition, and microstructural changes of recycled aggregates incorporating varying amounts of silica fume (SF). The results showed that upon the incorporation with 5wt% SF, CO2 curing increased the compressive strength of the aggregate samples by 17.9%. The microhardness improved from 50 to 56 HV with the addition of 10wt% SF. Moreover, CO2 curing modified the physical characteristics of the samples regardless of SF content. However, it caused mechanical degradation in samples containing 20wt% SF, at both marco- and micro-scale. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that higher SF dosages led to the formation of poorly crystallised CaCO3 during CO2 curing. Additionally, Low-field 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR), N2 adsorption/desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermodynamic models showed that the carbonation products enlarged the capillary pores, and reduced the solid volume of the hydration products. Those findings underscore the importance of calcium hydroxide in protecting against mechanical degradation in SF-blended recycled aggregates during CO2 curing. This study provides an insight of the carbonation of SF-blended composites, potentially accelerating the application of CO2 curing on RCAs.

Agricultural Sector of Ulyanovsk Region (1966-1970): A Focus on Crop Production

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the modernization processes in the crop production sector of the Ulyanovsk region during the Eighth Five-Year Plan. The research draws on unpublished documents sourced from the State Archive of the Ulyanovsk Region and the State Archive of Contemporary History of the Ulyanovsk Region, a significant portion of which is introduced into scholarly discourse for the first time, alongside statistical materials and periodicals. The study examines the efforts of party organs and farm leadership aimed at intensifying the development of crop production. It addresses the authorities’ personnel policies regarding the expansion of vocational and technical education institutions, the organization of training courses for specialists in mass professions, and the enhancement of their qualifications to meet agricultural needs. The dynamics of crop production development from 1966 to 1970 are analyzed, evaluating the achievements of regional farms in producing key agricultural products. The author concludes that, despite facing problematic farms and a slight reduction in areas allocated for grain crops, the authorities in the Ulyanovsk region managed not only to meet but also to exceed the planned targets for yield, total harvest, and state procurement volumes of primary crop products during this period.

R&D Expenditures and Their Impact on Innovation in the Digital Era: A Kazakhstan Perspective

The article aims to assess the relationship between research and development costs and the level of innovation activity of enterprises in Kazakhstan. The research methodology involves correlation analysis, applying quantitative methods to analyze the collected data from official statistical yearbooks from 2007 to 2022. Correlation analysis with five variables on innovation activity and the impact of research and development costs on that, using Excel and Smart PLS 4 programs were used. According to the results of research, there was a positive impact of R&D expenditure on the level of innovation activity of enterprises mostly, secondly on the ratio of innovative product to gross domestic product, volume of innovative products (goods, services), and showing not so strong correlation on costs of product and process innovations. Digital hubs perform as an ecosystem with a network approach, including organizations in a region to undergo digital transformation in the era of the digital economy and digital technologies. The results of current research might be helpful to academicians and public administration. The originality of the study consists in assessing the impact of R&D expenditure on innovation management in a particular level of innovation activity, the share of innovative products about GDP, costs of product and process innovations, the volume of innovative products (goods, services) to a proper subsequent further contribution. As a result, it is recommended that policy measures focus on enhancing digital infrastructure and supporting R&D investments to ensure sustained innovation performance and economic development.

Mapping the landscape of machine learning models used for predicting transfusions in surgical procedures: a scoping review

Massive transfusion of blood products poses challenges in determining the need for transfusion and the appropriate volume of blood products. This review explores the use of machine learning (ML) models to predict transfusion risk during surgical procedure, focusing on the methodology, variables, and software employed to predict transfusion. This scoping review investigates the development and current state of machine learning models for predicting transfusion risk during surgical procedure, aiming to inform physicians about the field’s progress and potential directions.The review was conducted using the databases Cochrane, Embase, and PubMed. The search included keywords related to blood transfusion, statistical models, and surgical procedures. Peer-reviewed articles were included, while literature reviews, case reports, and non-human studies were excluded.A total of 40 studies met the inclusion criteria. The most frequently studied biological variables included haemoglobin, platelet count, international normalized ratio (INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), fibrinogen, creatinine, white blood cells, and albumin. Clinical variables of importance included age, sex, surgery type, blood pressure, weight, surgery duration, american society of anesthesiology (ASA) status, blood loss, and body mass index (BMI). The software employed varied, with Python, R, SPSS, and SAS being the most commonly used. Logistic regression was the predominant methodology used in 20 studies.Our scoping review highlights the need for improved reporting and transparency in methodology, variables, and software used. Future research should focus on providing detailed descriptions and open access to codes of respective models, promoting reproducibility, and enhancing the clinical relevance of transfusion risk prediction models.

An Optimized CRISPR/Cas12a Assay to Facilitate the BRAF V600E Mutation Detection.

Accurate detection of the BRAF V600E (1799T > A) mutation status can significantly contribute to selecting an optimal therapeutic strategy for diverse cancer types. CRISPR-based diagnostic platforms exhibit simple programming, cost-effectiveness, high sensitivity, and high specificity in detecting target sequences. The goal of this study is to develop a simple BRAF V600E mutation detection method. We combined the CRISPR/Cas12a system with recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA). Subsequently, several parameters related to CRISPR/Cas12a reaction efficiency were evaluated. Then, we conducted a comparative analysis of three distinct approaches toward identifying BRAF V600E mutations in the clinical samples. Our data suggest that CRISPR/Cas detection is considerably responsive to variations in buffer conditions. Magnesium acetate (MgOAc) demonstrated superior performance compared to all other examined additive salts. It was observed using 150 nM guide RNA (gRNA) in an optimized reaction buffer containing 14 mM MgOAc, coupled with a reduction in the volumes of PCR and RPA products to 1 μL and 3 μL, respectively, resulted in an enhanced sensitivity. Detection time was decreased to 75 min with a 2% limit of detection (LOD), as evidenced by the results obtained from the blue light illuminator. The CRISPR/Cas12a assay confirmed the real-time PCR results in 31 of 32 clinical samples to identify the BRAF V600E mutation status, while Sanger sequencing detected BRAF V600E mutations with lower sensitivity. We propose a potential diagnostic approach that is facile, fast, and affordable with high fidelity. This method can detect BRAF V600E mutation with a 2% LOD without the need for a thermocycler.

A comprehensive framework to evaluate the financial impacts of genetic improvement on wood products from planted forests

Increasing the productivity of planted forests may efficiently provide an important part of the world’s growing demand for wood while protecting natural forests. In this study, we developed an integrated modelling framework to evaluate the financial impacts of improving productivity of planted forests by tree breeding. Using this framework, we compared three genetic improvement scenarios of white spruce plantations, a key reforestation species in North America, and evaluated the differences in the derived wood product assortments in terms of quantity, quality, and revenues. Favouring the production of wood volume appears as the best way to enhance financial gains from white spruce plantations in the current market. The scenario that focused on increasing tree height produced a greater volume of wood products and larger lumber pieces, which resulted in the greatest revenues. In comparison, favouring wood stiffness over volume led to poorer results, as the increased product quality was not sufficient to surpass the financial gain associated with greater wood volumes. While we successfully provided an evaluation of the product assortments derived from genetically improved plantations, the proposed framework would benefit from more data input to help maximize financial gains from a range of tree breeding strategies.

Large-scale acute hospital bed and mattress implementations: insights and recommendations

Background/Aims Hospital-wide replacement of beds and mattresses, often referred to as an ‘implementation’, can be an efficient way of ensuring that these products are up to date. However, large-scale implementations can be daunting for healthcare managers, with a lack of guidance to support them through this process. This service evaluation aimed to provide practical suggestions to NHS managers who are planning a hospital-wide acute hospital bed and mattress implementation from peers who have completed similar projects. Methods Interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of seven NHS staff members, all of whom had held a leading role in managing and executing an implementation project with the provider Medstrom. Exploratory, qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted, with data analysed through content-driven narrative analysis, using NVivo software. Results Four themes relating to large-scale bed and mattress implementation were identified: drivers; specification process; financial process; and physical implementation and training. Communication and planning were considered crucial, as was selecting a provider that could offer support throughout the implementation. Participants had been able to successfully implement a large volume of products, but all felt that a resource allowing healthcare managers to draw on the experiences of others who had previously completed a large-scale implementation project would be beneficial. Conclusions Large-scale mattress implementations are achievable with the right input and support. Learning from the experiences and knowledge of peers who have previously been involved in implementations can be very useful for healthcare managers embarking on this kind of project.

Stress-Dispersed Nanoconstruction of CoMoP Anode: Improved Na-Storage Stability and Reversibility.

Metal phosphide anode materials encounter poor reversibility of the discharge product (metal and Na3P) and large volume variation, resulting in low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and severe capacity degradation. Herein, a bimetallic phosphide (CoMoP) with three-dimensional ordered porous (3DOP) nanoconstruction was fabricated, which presents a reduced Gibbs free energy change (ΔG) of redox reaction between Co-Mo/Na3P and CoMoP and improved conductivity compared to CoP and MoP. Additionally, the 3DOP architecture could disperse stress and reduce strain during cycling, thus improving structural stability of CoMoP. In situ and ex situ characterizations and electrochemical measurements suggest that 3DOP CoMoP exhibits highly reversible sodium storage with an ICE of 58% at 0.1 A g-1, enhanced reaction dynamics, and good cycling stability with around 0.04% capacity decay per cycle at 1 A g-1 after 1000 cycles. Consequently, this work offers a new perspective to solve issues of reversibility of redox chemistry and volume expansion for secondary batteries.

ГНОСЕОЛОГІЯ УПРАВЛІННЯ ТРУДОВИМ ПОТЕНЦІАЛОМ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ В УМОВАХ НЕВИЗНАЧЕНОСТІ

The existence of conditions of uncertainty in the process of managing the labor potential of enterprises gives rise to the need to find optimal management methods and tools for ensuring and combining the available human resources, their knowledge, experience and qualifications with the main components of the enterprise's potential, he strategy and goals of its development, ensuring the company's need for employees with the necessary qualifications and effective use of the labor potential of both individual employees and the team as a whole. A research aim is to learn the process of managing the labor potential, based on the current conditions of uncertainty in the development of enterprises. The object of the research is the process of managing the labor potential of enterprises in different economic conditions. The method of the research are modern methods and technologies of scientific knowledge, methods and techniques of conducting scientific research, tools of systemic, complex, economic analysis, principles of management of enterprises and their labor resources, which allow to review the existing approaches to the management of labor potential and identify directions stabilization of enterprises in modern economic conditions. The hypothesis of the research was an assumption about the possibility to determine the logic of learning the process of managing the labor potential of enterprises in modern conditions of uncertainty. The statement of basic materials. It is proved that epistemology is applied in the research in a purposeful way, as it is a tool of knowledge and a philosophy of managing the labor potential of enterprises in conditions of uncertainty. It has been confirmed that the management of labor potential is a component of the general process of managing the production potential of the enterprise, which means that it makes a direct contribution to the results of operations, the volume and output of products, the creation of certain benefits not only by the economic entity itself, but also contributes to the national income of the country. A certain philosophy of labor potential management is proposed, aimed at developing a special toolkit and acquiring new knowledge that can be used in labor potential management programs in wartime and postwar times. The originality and practical significance of the research is confirmed by the above philosophy of managing the labor potential of enterprises in modern conditions of uncertainty. Conclusions and perspectives of further research. The implemented epistemology of labor potential management made it possible to state that labor potential is a complex system with certain properties that requires the formation of additional requirements both for the assessment of labor potential and for its management. Therefore, the formation of an effective philosophy of labor potential management requires the constant development of personnel, the development of special programs for the management of labor potential based on the existing conditions of uncertainty of enterprises, including war and post-war times. Further research will be aimed at the development of special labor potential management programs, based on the sphere of activity of enterprises and their regional location

Активизация пластовой микрофлоры для повышения нефтеотдачи

Constant optimization of technological processes of oil production is one of the integral parts of rational subsurface use. The study and implementation of new developments and technologies in the oil production process is primarily due to the economic effect. Methods of increasing oil recovery are of particular interest in the practical implementation of innovative technologies in the oil and gas industry. To date, a huge number of technologies have been developed and tested in field conditions aimed at preserving and increasing the volume of produced products, the classification of which is very diverse. The primary criteria for choosing a method or combination of methods of influencing a productive reservoir in order to increase oil recovery are the geological conditions of the productive horizon, as well as the composition and physico-chemical properties of reservoir fluids. Currently, of all the many methods of increasing oil recovery, the microbiological method is the least studied, as a result of which it is extremely rarely used in enterprises. The relevance of research on the effects of microorganisms on the reservoir rock is beyond doubt. The possibility of widespread application of oil recovery enhancement technology based on bacterial life processes is interesting both from the point of view of environmental safety and economic efficiency. One of the microbiological methods of increasing oil recovery is the activation of the existing reservoir microflora by feeding a nutrient medium into the reservoir. In the course of their vital activity, some types of bacteria are capable of destroying clay rocks, which entails changes in the filtration and capacitance properties of the reservoir rock and, as a result, the volume of products produced increases significantly. The advantage of this method is the absence of the need for forced “contamination” of the reservoir formation, since the necessary bacteria are already in it.

Determination of Citrate Content of Commonly Transfused Blood Products

Abstract Background Citrate is a calcium-chelating anion used as an anticoagulant in the collection and manufacturing of blood products for transfusion. Overwhelming of normal hepatic catabolism of infused citrate, such as in liver failure or in massive transfusion, may cause citrate toxicity. Resultant hypocalcemia, impaired coagulation, and metabolic alkalosis results in increased patient mortality and morbidity. The citrate load per blood product unit is rarely known to the transfusionist, precluding precise calcium repletion. Manufacturing data of citrate content is available, but it is unreliable and often contradictory. The aim of this project is to directly measure the citrate concentrations of common blood products including packed red blood cells (pRBCs), plasma, and apheresis platelets. Methods Blood products (or samples thereof) were obtained, centrifuged, and assayed using a benchtop enzymatic citrate assay (Sigma-Aldrich). This technique generates a chromogenic product detectable via spectrophotometry at 570nm via conversion of citrate to a pyruvate intermediate. Blood products were serially diluted to the assay’s concentration measurement range based on estimations from the product manufacturing processes. Validation studies were performed to verify no significant interference from native pyruvate or from hemolysis at the dilutions used. All samples were run with a paired reference standard. Product type, storage duration, volume, and anticoagulant/preservative solution were recorded. Results Preliminary testing was performed on eleven pRBC units, twelve apheresis platelet units, and four whole blood(WB)-derived plasma. Measured citrate content of AS-1 and AS-5 units ranged from 43.56 - 114.5 mg while that of AS-3 units ranged from 327.23 – 816.82 mg, compared to manufacturing estimates of 188 mg and 883 mg, respectively. Measured citrate content of apheresis platelets ranged from 822-1533 mg compared to manufacturing estimates of 805 mg. Measured citrate content of WB-derived plasma also exceeded the manufacturing estimate of 1201 mg. Interference from pyruvate and hemolysis were insignificant at the dilutions used for testing. Validation of pRBC segment sampling is ongoing. Conclusion Varying guidelines exist for the correction of hypocalcemia during ongoing trauma resuscitation; however, guidance is limited regarding repletion by specific blood product. Our investigation affirms significant heterogeneity in pRBC citrate concentrations by collection method and identifies lower citrate concentrations than expected. This may be due to citrate metabolism by RBCs during storage. Platelet and FFP products contain significantly greater citrate masses by comparison, with a high degree of variation observed due to inherent product volume variability. Further sampling and testing are ongoing to establish reliable expected citrate loads for commonly transfused blood products.

Analysis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis population for Surgical Site Infection Risk Factors

ObjectiveThe incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients undergoing surgical correction varies but is commonly reported between 0.5 and 6.7 %. The identification of modifiable risk factors is crucial to preventing these infections in the AIS population. Some potential modifiable risk factors include the use of stainless-steel implants, a larger volume of instrumentation and an increased volume of blood products transfused. However, evidence in support of these factors and others representing true risk for the development of SSI is limited and often varies. We aimed to determine the incidence of SSI in AIS undergoing primary scoliosis fusion at our hospital, and explore demographic and clinical variables in the development of SSI in AIS. MethodsThis was a case control retrospective study. Patients aged 10-19 year-old that underwent posterior spinal fusion for initial correction of AIS at our hospital between the years 2012–2020 were eligible. Patients with any previous spine surgery or spine fracture were excluded. A descriptive analysis was then performed on the data. ResultsOf the 334 patients on which data was collected, one SSI was identified resulting in an incidence of infection of 0.3 %. The largest ethnicity represented was Caucasian with 254 patients. The average age was 14.3 years with averaged follow-up of 6.6 years. The majority of patients (252) received implants composed of titanium and cobalt chrome. The average operation duration was 5 h and 7.7 min, and the average hospital stay was 4.2 days. The average amount of blood loss was 553 ml. Chlorhexidine wipes or some other antimicrobial preparation was used on 197 patients and betadine solution was used on 321.185 patients were recorded to have received either antibiotic-loaded allograft or antibiotic powder and 326 patients were recorded to have received intraoperative antibiotics. ConclusionsThe long term clinical follow up of our study and low incidence of infection provide additional evidence for the benefit of antimicrobial techniques and risk factor mitigation previously suggested in the literature for the prevention of SSI in AIS. Level of evidenceLevel III.

A method for structural framework variation of a multilayer field associated with complicated geology

Background. During the probabilistic resource base estimation, the largest uncertainties are associated with the wide range of the gross rock volume. In the course of the formation area work, the resulting maps of gross thickness are constructed incorrectly. Objective. To take into account facies zoning when varying the structural framework if working with the Achimov strata of a multilayer field. Materials and methods. The applied approach implies accounting of the errors in structural constructions in proportion to the power depending on facies zones. The authors proposed an additional stage of mapping using proportion maps to avoid obtaining geologically unrealistic local power anomalies. Results. A set of modified maps of the total thickness of clinocyclites was obtained, reflecting the key features of the geological structure of the modeling object, particularly facies differentiation and related lateral heterogeneity. Conclusions. The chosen approach to constructing maps of gross thickness allowed to obtain geologically realistic maps of effective thickness, which, in turn, formed the basis for mapping of productive volume.

The impact of green trade barriers on China’s photovoltaic products exports to ASEAN

In the context of the global push towards a green economy, this research investigates the impact of green trade barriers on the export trade volume of Chinese photovoltaic products to ASEAN from 2010 to 2021. The strong evidence indicates that green trade barriers have a positive effect on improving the export trade volume of Chinese photovoltaic products to ASEAN. This conclusion remains robust through multiple robustness tests, including excluding data from pandemic-affected years and the only developed country Singapore. Moreover, the impact of green trade barriers varies with exchange rate levels and language environments. In countries with higher exchange rates and countries with different official languages, the positive effect of green trade barriers on trade is more significant. In contrast, in countries with the same official language, green trade barriers have a negative effect on improving the trade volume. Additionally, higher levels of renewable energy consumption diminish the beneficial effect of TBT on photovoltaic trade, and CO2 emissions lessen the detrimental effect of TBT on photovoltaic trade. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, suggesting that align with international standards, provide differentiated technical assistance and adopt transparent trade rules when formulating green trade barriers to better support the competitiveness and export growth of Chinese photovoltaic products in the international market.

Неравномерность распределения валового продукта: региональный аспект

The analysis of the relationship between the accumulated values of the specific weight of regions in the total population and the volume of the country's gross domestic product made it possible to obtain an assessment of the uneven distribution of the GRP per capita indicator across the regions of the Russian Federation. The article presents intermediate and final results of the calculations. The Lorenz and Gini coefficients were used as indicators of regional differentiation. For the analyzed period, a relationship was found between the rates of economic growth and the level of inequality of regions.

Techno-economic assessment of co-production of biodiesel and epoxy fatty acid methyl ester as renewable fuel and plasticizer from waste cooking oil

Diversifying waste cooking oil (WCO)-based biodiesel production towards epoxy fatty acid methyl esters (EFAMEs) offers a double gain, boosting revenue channels in the biodiesel sector and driving the development of sustainable phthalate plasticizer alternatives. This study explored the techno-economic feasibility of co-derived biodiesel and EFAMEs from WCO using a three-step process involving enzymatic transesterification, urea complexation, and performic acid epoxidation. The result shows that a plant processing 61,300 tonnes/year of WCO, may produce ∼27,770 tonnes/year of biodiesel and ∼30,180 tonnes/year of EFAMEs, with a total heating duty of 1,124 kW and annual electricity consumption of 34.9 million kWh. The initial capital investment of the plant in China amounts to 136.8 MM CNY, with an annual manufacturing cost of 460 MM CNY in 2022. Techno-economic evaluation demonstrats a net present value (NPV) of 421.9 MM CNY at a 10 % discount rate, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 37.69 %, and discounted payback period of 2.37 years. The break-even point (BEP) is estimated at an annual sales volume of total products of 27,101 tonnes/year, including 12,790, 11,769, 2,542, and 2,390 tonnes/year of epoxy plasticizers, biodiesel, glycerol, and polymeric grease, respectively, collectively utilizing 42.38 % of the processing capacity. Monte Carlo simulation indicates minimal risk of the project, with probabilities of 98.5 % for IRR > 10 % and 97.8 % for a positive NPV. This study affirms the economic viability of co-producing biodiesel and EFAMEs from WCO for industrial application.

Agricultural product harvest equilibrium with transportation bottleneck and random disasters

The decentralized planting practices of farmers often result in non-cooperative harvesting and transportation of agricultural products. The high concentration of harvesting demand can cause transportation and processing bottlenecks, resulting in queuing congestion in planting, which in turn affects farmers’ decisions on harvest timing. Thus, the fully competed decision-making process leads to a game equilibrium. To solve this harvest equilibrium problem, a nonlinear equation model with transportation bottleneck capacity constraints is developed. Assumptions to be made are that the value of the pre-harvest product is a non-negative continuously differentiable strictly concave function about the harvest time, and that post-harvest losses are a linear increasing function of queuing time. Subsequently, the model is further extended to incorporate the effects of random natural disasters. Additionally, this paper derives optimal harvest schedules for comparison. A numerical example is used to analyze how the related parameters and the probability of disasters influence farmers’ harvest decisions and the unit benefits of agricultural produce. The analysis results show that a larger total volume of agricultural products prompts earlier harvesting and reduces unit benefits in both equilibrium and optimal harvesting scenarios. Expanding bottleneck capacity allows farmers to harvest closer to the optimal time and increases unit benefits, although the marginal increase diminishes at the margin as bottleneck capacity increases. Increasing the queuing penalty within a range leads to an earlier harvest and reduces the unit benefits in equilibrium and optimality until a critical value is reached, beyond which it has no effect. A higher probability of natural disasters will incentivize farmers to harvest earlier, which in turn will reduce unit benefits.

Significant reduction in blood product usage, same early outcomes: Blood conservation in infants undergoing open heart surgery

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of a blood conservation program on trends in use of donor blood products and early clinical outcomes in infants undergoing open heart surgery. MethodsFour hundred nine patients younger than age 1 year undergoing open-heart surgery between October 1, 2020, and June 30, 2023, were reviewed. The study period was divided into 4 eras with the first era as a before blood conservation baseline using traditional blood management. The following 3 eras comprised incremental implementation and evolution of blood conservation strategies. The total volume of blood products transfused for each surgical hospitalization was calculated and indexed to body weight at time of surgery. ResultsThere was no significant difference in age at surgery, body weight, distribution of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons-European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery categories, and in postoperative length of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit or hospital length of stay, or postoperative mortality (P > .05 for all) across the 4 eras. Median total volume of blood products administered during hospitalization decreased from 128 mL/kg (range, 92-220 mL/kg) during the baseline period to 21 mL/kg (range, 6-44 mL/kg) during the last era (P < .01). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that later eras were associated with decreased odds of experiencing exposure to blood products during hospitalization. ConclusionsBlood conservation is associated with significant reduction in usage of blood products during open heart surgery in infants with no significant effect on early outcomes. This trend is observed across all categories of surgical complexity. Additional studies are needed to prove consistency and to determine the longer-term clinical impact of this strategy.

The process of strategizing the formation and development of agglomerations in the Kemerovo region – Kuzbass

The article deals with various approaches to interpreting the essence of agglomerations of Kuzbass (geo-urban, legal, managerial and strategic), which ensure finding more effective methods to implement the acceleration of the region’s economic development. The author uses the theory of strategy and methodology of strategizing by Professor V.L. Kvint to analyze the targeted programs of the Kuzbass agglomerations determining the prospects for their development. The peculiar features of economic development are determined by the basic economic indicators of the region such as the volume of investment, budget revenues, and the volume of gross regional product. The author supposes that the drawback of the formation of the agglomerations development programs is the lack of forecast that could reveal global, industry and regional trends directly connected with the prospects for agglomeration. The article contains the definition of the mission and vision essential for developing strategies of agglomerations in Kuzbass; a critical analysis of goal setting has been carried out. In the perspective of development of each goal of the strategy, it is necessary to provide for the measures aimed at supporting agglomerations taking into account their demographic situation and the peculiar features of the settlement system, the level and dynamics of development of municipal bodies and natural and climatic conditions. It is important to provide for financing the reconstruction of the previously lost competitive advantages and the development of technological trends. Intermunicipal coordination development councils of the agglomerations created are recommended to take into account the lack of clear definition of the qualitative characteristics of the tasks set. The implementation of the priority directions of the social and economic transformation of Kuzbass is likely to ensure the new quality of life of the region’s population.