Early Manuscripts Electronic Library

Purpose. This paper synthesizes empirical evidence on how to strengthen warehouse-centred supply chains in post-conflict economies facing damaged infrastructure, intermittent access, and volatile demand. Methodology. A systematic review of 15 protocol-verified empirical and simulation studies is conducted, coding contexts, warehouse interventions, and outcomes such as response time, service level/OTIF, inventory stability, delivery days, and unit logistics costs, with limited random-effects aggregation when comparable metrics are available. Results. Robust effects are identified for warehouse prepositioning, temporary or modular depots, lateral transshipment policies, and multi-echelon inventory control, which collectively reduce response times, increase service levels, and stabilise supply with moderate cost impacts. Digital enablers such as offline-capable warehouse management systems and energy‑autonomous facilities further enhance performance under grid and connectivity failures, though quantitative evidence remains sparse. Theoretical contribution. The review integrates the four-R flexibility perspective with the resilience capacities of absorption, adaptation, and recovery, showing how specific warehouse design and control levers operationalise resilience in the recovery phase of humanitarian and essential goods supply chains. Practical implications. The paper proposes a phased implementation roadmap for practitioners in post‑conflict settings, distinguishing quick wins in the first 0–3 months, network reconfiguration over 3–12 months, and longer‑term investments beyond 12 months to embed digital and energy autonomy in warehouse networks. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 2: Zero Hunger; SDG 3: Good Health and Well‑Being; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Climate change presents a critical public health challenge, and the health care sector is a substantial contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Operating rooms generate a disproportionate share of hospital waste, with orthopaedic surgery producing more waste than any other specialty. However, waste production in pediatric orthopaedic surgery remains poorly studied. This study aimed to quantify solid waste generated during common pediatric orthopaedic procedures and assess the perspectives of operating room staff regarding sustainability practices and barriers to waste reduction. A mixed-methods study was conducted at 2 affiliated pediatric hospitals. Solid waste audits were performed on 20 pediatric orthopaedic surgeries, including anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, pelvic osteotomy, elbow fracture fixation, and posterior spinal fusion. Waste was collected and weighed separately during the preoperative and intraoperative periods, categorized as recyclable or nonrecyclable. Descriptive statistics and t tests were used to compare waste production across procedures and time periods. In addition, a survey assessing attitudes toward sustainability and perceived barriers to waste reduction was distributed to surgeons, residents, circulators, and scrub technicians. Qualitative responses were analyzed using inductive content analysis. The average solid waste generated per procedure was 15.02kg (SD: 9.26). Posterior spinal fusion produced the highest waste (29.49kg), followed by pelvic osteotomy (13.40kg), anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (9.96kg), and elbow fixation (7.24kg). None of this waste was recycled at the primary study sites. Extrapolated to institutional surgical volumes, these 4 procedures contributed an estimated 5.03 metric tons of solid waste in 2024. Survey responses (n = 13; 39% response rate) identified unnecessary opening of supplies and lack of recycling infrastructure as key contributors to waste. Participants reported minimal sustainability education but expressed interest in institutional support to improve practices. Pediatric orthopaedic surgery generates substantial solid waste. Despite staff awareness of the environmental impact, systemic barriers limit sustainable practices. Targeted strategies, including recycling infrastructure, preference card optimization, and staff education, are needed to reduce waste in the pediatric orthopaedic operating room. Level III-cross-sectional study.

This paper provides one of the first reviews of Nature-inclusive corporate governance models, as implemented in the day-to-day practice of ten identified businesses. Two key drivers of the formation of Nature-inclusive governance are increasingly urgent environmental change and the rise of corporate social responsibility reporting mechanisms and laws, notably the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The research consists of qualitative analysis of interviews with representatives of companies that have given Nature a governance role. These interviews were accompanied by legal research in several European jurisdictions (the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United Kingdom) to identify additional legal options for incorporating Nature in corporate governance. Based on the findings, a framework of innovative Nature-inclusive governance models was developed and is presented in this paper. It consists of four models: Nature as Inspiration, Nature as Advisor, Nature as Director, and Nature as Shareholder. These models and the underlying framework provide essential context for understanding the changing landscape of corporate governance and meaningful tools for academics, legal and financial consultants, and businesses interested in understanding emerging Nature-inclusive corporate governance models.

Interband cascade lasers typically have significantly lower threshold current and power consumption than quantum cascade lasers. They can also have advantages regarding costs and compactness with the photonic integration onto silicon substrates by epitaxial growth. This research introduces a novel examination of the relative intensity noise and the modulation dynamics of a silicon-based Fabry–Perot interband cascade laser emitting at 3.5 μm. The investigation delves into crucial parameters, such as relaxation oscillation frequency, differential gain, gain compression, and K-factor. The resonance patterns identified in relative intensity noise curves can provide essential insights for the thorough characterization of high-defect mid-infrared semiconductor structures intended for high-speed applications. Moreover, this study demonstrates the feasibility of reaching 10 Gbit/s free-space transmission using a silicon-based interband cascade laser in conjunction with an interband cascade infrared photodetector.

We report the successful treatment of severe vulvar lichen sclerosus refractory to topical corticosteroids in 3 adult female patients using low-dose oral methotrexate. All cases reported symptomatic and clinical improvement within 12 weeks.

As this year is ending, I want to reflect on the growth of our organization. Mental health professionals learn in their education that it is important to have community, education, networking, and scholarly research. It can be quite tricky to find organizations that offer these essential elements of our profession. In my search, I found the Catholic Psychotherapy Association (CPA).

Mmmonk was a collaborative project between the Public Library of Bruges, Ghent University Library, Diocese of Ghent and Major Seminary Ten Duinen in Bruges. The aim was to improve digital access to some 820 medieval manuscripts from four abbeys in Ghent and Bruges. This included digitising manuscripts, creating metadata and collecting manifests from external collections. For this, Mmmonk used IIIF, a digital innovation for more sustainable and efficient management and use of digital images. Moreover, Mmmonk contributed to the development of IIIF by experimenting with metadata aggregation and the visualisation of annotations on medieval manuscripts. On 17 February 2022, Mmmonk organised a closing event at - KBR focusing on manuscripts and IIIF. In the morning, team members presented the Mmmonk project. After lunch, there was the 8th session of IIIF Fridays, with examples of IIIF implementation in data management and research. All presentations were recorded and are available on Mmmonk.be.

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of work-related behavior and experience patterns on sleep quality in emergency medical service personnel. From the total sample of 508 emergency medical service workers who took part in the Germany-wide online survey, 368 respondents completed the questionnaires on sleep characteristics (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]) and work-related behavior and experience pattern. Three hundred sixty-seven of the 368 participants also finished the Regensburg Insomnia Scale. Based on their work-related behavior and experience pattern results, individuals were categorized into one of the four following patterns: two risk patterns (A, B) and two healthy behavior and experience patterns (G, S). Participants that were classified into risk-pattern A and B (33.85%) scored significantly higher in both PSQI and Regensburg Insomnia Scale overall score and all PSQI components implicating a poorer sleep quality. A total of 78.5% of the individuals with pattern A and B were considered bad sleepers whereas only 43.4% of individuals with pattern G and S were scored as bad sleepers. Work-related behavior and experience patterns showed a strong association to sleep characteristics and may therefore be used to identify appropriate preventative measures.

The aim of the study is to estimate inpatient asthma hospital visit rates among impacted Texans in Public Health Region 6/5S during the year of and after Hurricane Harvey. Asthma inpatient hospitalization discharges were collected from the Texas Health Care Information Collection database (2016-2019). Females (age-adjusted rates [AARs] = 4.8-5.0) and Black Texans (AARs = 5.0-8.1) experienced significantly higher AARs compared with males and White Texans during the year of and after Harvey. During the year of Hurricane Harvey, females were 1.49 times as likely to have an inpatient asthma visit compared with males, while Black Texans were 2.78 times as likely to have an inpatient asthma hospitalization compared with White Texans. Findings from this study may assist public health professionals and local officials to allocate future resources to the most impacted subgroups as well as establish effective processes to mitigate consequences.

Herbivorous mites must have to overcome several barriers that are produced by plants to prevent herbivores from obtaining food and successfully colonize them. How this interaction plays out is determined by a set of complex molecular mechanisms that trigger physiological changes in plants to deter mites, and in mites to withstand deterrence and together these determine their degree of compatibility. We demonstrated that spider mites secrete specialized salivary proteins into plants that suppress plant defenses and therefore play a decisive role in the plant-mite interaction. To these proteins we refer as effectors (Villarroel et al. 2016; Jonckheere et al. 2016). Elucidating how effectors suppress plant defenses can aid plant resistance breeding and help to better understand plant-herbivore co-evolution.