Abstract Previously established World Health Organization (WHO) International Standards (IS) for anti-HPV16 and HPV18 antibodies are used to harmonize results across human papillomavirus (HPV) ...serology assays. Here, we present an international collaborative study to establish ISs for antibodies against HPV6 (NIBSC code 19/298), HPV11 (20/174), HPV31 (20/176), HPV33 (19/290), HPV45 (20/178), HPV52 (19/296) and HPV58 (19/300). The candidate standards were prepared using sera from naturally infected individuals. Each candidate was shown to be monospecific for reactivity against its indicated HPV type except for the HPV11 candidate, which was also reactive against other types. Expression of antibody levels relative to the relevant candidate IS reduced inter-laboratory variation allowing greater comparability between laboratories. Based on these results, the WHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardization established each of the 7 candidates as the 1st IS for antiserum to its indicated HPV type for use in the standardization of HPV pseudovirion-based neutralization and antibody-binding assays.
Since the publication of the IMPaCCT project in 2007, much effort has been made to develop new approaches to pediatric palliative care (PPC). Fifteen years later, it is time to redefine the standards ...in PPC.
An international group of experts in PPC has revised the standards in PPC through the GO-PPaCS project (Global Overview – PPC Standards). The goal was to update the PPC standards considering the specificity of different settings, resources, and emerging challenges. The present document is intended to reach all people directly or indirectly involved in PPC.
A literature review in MEDLINE was conducted to expand on the fundamental points and current standards on PPC and to cover an international setting. The literature search (updated on the 15th of April 2021) was carried out using different combinations of keywords and focusing on papers published in English over the past 5 years (2016–2020), but older articles were considered when relevant. The consensus on the fundamental points, standards of care and paper contents was reached by open discussion.
Fundamental points were defined regarding the definition of PPC, eligibility criteria and the magnitude of the need for PPC, while standards were redefined for the following six areas: 1) clinical, developmental, psychological, social, ethical and spiritual needs; 2) end-of-life care; 3) care models and settings of care; 4) PPC in humanitarian emergencies; 5) care tools; and 6) education and training for healthcare providers.
The present document, developed with the contribution of an international group of experts from different countries, experiences and models of care, provides fundamental points and standards for a wider implementation of PPC worldwide.
The emergence of a new international knowledge management (KM) standard reflects convergence in KM practice. The aim of this study is to theorise KM from the new standard, by addressing the following ...research questions: what are the important themes of the standard; and what are the key mechanisms and how do they explain KM practice system from a theoretical perspective? This paper adopts a sensegiving reflective insider account using practice theory as a lens and social mechanisms as a method in theorising KM practice system. This study makes three contributions. Firstly, the paper identifies four themes from the KM standard: context-driven, performance-led, enabler-savvy and sustainably-supported. Secondly, three mechanisms emerge that robustly ‘explains’ KM practice system: learning and knowledge creation culture; organizational knowledge architecture for adaptive and exaptive capacity; and ‘business model’ for knowledge capitalisation and value capture. Thirdly, a new theoretical framework of KM practice system is developed.
Abstract
This paper is aimed at a comparison of Ukrainian and international resource classification systems’ fundamental features. As a result, the most common and different features were outlined. ...The importance of accounting for the social and environmental viability of projects is determined. This study highlights the significance of the harmonization of domestic classification with international standards.
Conventional polymers are environmentally damaging materials; therefore, global efforts are being made to gradually replace these conventional polymers with bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable ...plastics due to claims of being more sustainable than petroleum-based plastics. However, such claims may not be based on reality, and unregulated bio plastics may cause environmental anarchy similar to conventional plastics. The degradation of bioplastics has received significant attention because it is the parameter used to evaluate their end-of-life disposal and to assess their environmental shortcomings - where the bioplastics which degrade completely in different environments, thus, considered as an environmental-friendly polymers. Upon disposal, the bioplastics decompose in a bio-active medium by microorganisms such as algae, bacteria, and fungi or to humus, water, and CO2 by marine water. Different standardization and certification bodies have set the standards for bioplastics, compostable, and biodegradable plastics to evaluate the environmental constraints of bioplastics. These standards support various industries in creating bioplastics. Thus, it is important to harness the regulatory power to bring all the standardization and certification bodies (both at the national and international levels) together in setting standards with a high threshold to classify bio-based plastics, biodegradable plastics, and compostable plastics.
•Biodegradation mechanism and factors affecting biodegradability are summarized.•Chemical structure, bonding and conformation offer desired properties of bioplastics.•Biopolymer chemistry plays an important role in biodegradation of bioplastics.•Active microorganisms facilitate the rapid biodegradability of bioplastics.•Bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics standards be tested in real conditions.
The circular economy emerged as an alternative model to the linear system, which now appears to be reaching its physical limitations. To transition to a circular economy, companies must not only be ...aware of but also engage in more sustainable practices. For such a transition, companies must rethink and innovate their business models and the ways they propose value to their clients while simultaneously considering environmental and social facets. This systematic literature review sought to map out from the company perspective the key topics interrelated with innovation and the circular economy, describing the internal and external factors to consider in such transition processes. Key lines of research were identified, and suggestions for future research and for facilitating movement toward a circular economy are provided. This work contributes to deepening the literature by identifying the priority areas concerning the circular economy and encouraging future research that meets international standards of excellence.
In April, 2020, in a joint effort, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), and WHO provided vaccine developers ...and the entire scientific community with a research reagent for an anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody. Initiatives have been launched for the harmonisation of immune response assessment across COVID-19 vaccine candidates, including the CEPI Global Centralised Laboratory Network.3 CEPI centralised laboratories will achieve harmonisation of the results from different vaccine clinical trials with the use of common standard operating procedures and the same crucial reagents, including a working standard calibrated to the international standard. ...the results from clinical trials expressed in IU would allow for the comparison of the immune responses after natural infection and induced by various vaccine candidates.
Chaolin Huang and colleagues provide comprehensive findings for the first 41 laboratory-confirmed cases. 27 of these 41 cases had direct exposure to the Wuhan seafood market that is thought to be the ...initial site of infection from an animal source. The severity of illness is concerning: almost a third of patients developed acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring intensive care; six patients died; five had acute cardiac injury; and four required ventilation. By most accounts, Chinese authorities are meeting international standards and isolating suspected cases and contacts, developing diagnostic and treatment procedures, and implementing public education campaigns.
Human resources for health (HRH) include a range of occupations that aim to promote or improve human health. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the WHO Health Workforce 2030 strategy ...have drawn attention to the importance of HRH for achieving policy priorities such as universal health coverage (UHC). Although previous research has found substantial global disparities in HRH, the absence of comparable cross-national estimates of existing workforces has hindered efforts to quantify workforce requirements to meet health system goals. We aimed to use comparable and standardised data sources to estimate HRH densities globally, and to examine the relationship between a subset of HRH cadres and UHC effective coverage performance.
Through the International Labour Organization and Global Health Data Exchange databases, we identified 1404 country-years of data from labour force surveys and 69 country-years of census data, with detailed microdata on health-related employment. From the WHO National Health Workforce Accounts, we identified 2950 country-years of data. We mapped data from all occupational coding systems to the International Standard Classification of Occupations 1988 (ISCO-88), allowing for standardised estimation of densities for 16 categories of health workers across the full time series. Using data from 1990 to 2019 for 196 of 204 countries and territories, covering seven Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) super-regions and 21 regions, we applied spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) to model HRH densities from 1990 to 2019 for all countries and territories. We used stochastic frontier meta-regression to model the relationship between the UHC effective coverage index and densities for the four categories of health workers enumerated in SDG indicator 3.c.1 pertaining to HRH: physicians, nurses and midwives, dentistry personnel, and pharmaceutical personnel. We identified minimum workforce density thresholds required to meet a specified target of 80 out of 100 on the UHC effective coverage index, and quantified national shortages with respect to those minimum thresholds.
We estimated that, in 2019, the world had 104·0 million (95% uncertainty interval 83·5–128·0) health workers, including 12·8 million (9·7–16·6) physicians, 29·8 million (23·3–37·7) nurses and midwives, 4·6 million (3·6–6·0) dentistry personnel, and 5·2 million (4·0–6·7) pharmaceutical personnel. We calculated a global physician density of 16·7 (12·6–21·6) per 10 000 population, and a nurse and midwife density of 38·6 (30·1–48·8) per 10 000 population. We found the GBD super-regions of sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and north Africa and the Middle East had the lowest HRH densities. To reach 80 out of 100 on the UHC effective coverage index, we estimated that, per 10 000 population, at least 20·7 physicians, 70·6 nurses and midwives, 8·2 dentistry personnel, and 9·4 pharmaceutical personnel would be needed. In total, the 2019 national health workforces fell short of these minimum thresholds by 6·4 million physicians, 30·6 million nurses and midwives, 3·3 million dentistry personnel, and 2·9 million pharmaceutical personnel.
Considerable expansion of the world's health workforce is needed to achieve high levels of UHC effective coverage. The largest shortages are in low-income settings, highlighting the need for increased financing and coordination to train, employ, and retain human resources in the health sector. Actual HRH shortages might be larger than estimated because minimum thresholds for each cadre of health workers are benchmarked on health systems that most efficiently translate human resources into UHC attainment.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
•Key architecture configurations for EV charging stations.•Converter configurations as the key components in the EV charging station architecture.•SAE and IEC standards as critical standards for the ...EV charging stations.•Recent patents registered on the recent high power density convertors, devices as part of the EV charging stations in the near future.
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are rapidly becoming an important facet in the drive for attaining sustainable energy goals. However, EV sales still constitute only a small proportion of vehicles in most countries. The expansion of DC fast-charging network will facilitate a sustainable transportation revolution by offering end-user a versatile choice to charge EVs for longer journeys. Power converters play a significant role in the design and operation of EV charging stations. Modern technologies in charging stations are promising, where state-of-the-art research allows idle batteries or EVs to operate as distributed energy sources. However, it is always important to ensure input current harmonics and power factors are within the standard specification. Solid-state switch-mode power converters have reached a level of maturity with regards to the improvement in power quality and precisely regulating voltage levels during bidirectional power flow operation. This paper presents an exposition of EV charging systems, including incentives for development, structures, power converters, standards, industrial applications, and emerging trends. Furthermore, state-of-the-art technologies, including both academic and real-world EV charging technologies, have been carefully chosen, and a quantitative assessment of the technologies has been provided in this paper.
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