Environmental resource footprinting of drug manufacturing: Effects of scale-up and tablet dosage

The formulation and scale-up of batch processes is one of the major challenges in the development of pharmaceutical dosage forms and at the same time a significant resource demanding process which is generally overlooked in environmental sustainability assessments. First, this paper proposes general trends in the experience curve of cumulative resource consumption of pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing of PREZISTA^® 800 mg through wet granulation (WG) at four consecutive scales in both R&D and manufacturing environments (resp. WG1 = 1 kg/h, WG5 = 5 kg/h, WG30 = 30 kg/h and WG240 = 240 kg/h). Second, the authors aim at evaluating the environmental impact from a life cycle perspective of a daily consumption of PREZISTA^® 2× 400 mg tablets versus the bioequivalent PREZISTA^® 800 mg tablet which was launched to enhance patient compliance. Environmental sustainability assessment was conducted at three different system boundaries, which enables identification, localization and eventually reduction of burdens, in this case natural resource extraction. Exergy Analysis (EA) was used at process level (α) and plant level (β) while a cradle-to-gate Exergetic Life Cycle Assessment (ELCA) was conducted at the overall industrial level (γ) by means of the CEENE method (Cumulative Exergy Extraction from the Natural Environment). Life cycle stages taken into account are Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) production, Drug Product (DP) production and Packaging. At process level (α), the total resource extraction for the manufacturing of one daily dose of PREZISTA^® (800 mg tablet) amounted up to 0.44 MJ_ex at the smallest scale (WG1) while this amount proved to be reduced by 58%, 79% and 83% at WG5, WG30 and WG240 respectively. Expanding the boundaries to the overall industrial level (γ) reveals that the main resource demand is at the production of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), excipients, packaging materials and cleaning media used in DP production. At the largest scale (WG240) the use of cleaning media during DP production contributes considerably less to the total resource extraction. Overall, the effect of scale-up and learning on resource consumption during DP production showed to possess a power-law experience curve y = 2.40 * x^−0.57 when shifting from WG1 (smallest lab scale) to WG240 (industrial manufacturing). Tablet dosage (2× 400 mg versus 1× 800 mg) did not significantly affect the absolute environmental burden. However, the relative contribution of resource categories did change due to the different production technology. It could be concluded that in meeting social and economic demands by launching the PREZISTA^® 800 mg tablet, no trade-off in environmental burden occurred. On the long term, future research should strive to take into account R&D processes and all services related to pipeline activities taking place prior to market launch and eventually to allocate impacts to the final product.     

Implementation of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in Finland: Evaluation of the collection network and challenges of the effective WEEE management

Further to the European Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, setting up efficient collection schemes is necessary to ensure the recovery targets set. Following the subsidiary principle, the WEEE Directive defines only the general requirements for mandatory collection and recycling objectives. The modalities of the logistics and the organisation of the take-back schemes are left to the choice of Member States. In this paper, the implementation of the WEEE Directive and the development of the WEEE recovery infrastructure in Finland are described and the challenges to the effective management of the WEEE recovery system in Finland are expressed. It can be said that the implementation of the WEEE Directive has succeeded in Finland and, at the same time, the legislative basis has been enacted. In addition, a functional WEEE recovery infrastructure has been built and, the collection requirements of the WEEE Directive have been exceeded in a relatively short time. However, the paper outlines that some inefficient practices still exist, particularly in the registration and WEEE collection stages. It is concluded that raising awareness would lead to a more environmentally sound behaviour and would, ultimately, improve WEEE recovery efficiency.     

基于BP神经网络的天线识别

本文比较研究了BP神经网络中的几种常用算法,针对这些不同算法下的BP神经网络进行训练,并得出了各自网络的性能。在此基础上,针对经典BP算法和LM算法进行对比研究,找到LM算法的改进之处。此外,在实际的应用中表明,不仅不同的BP算法对网络的运算速度、泛化能力等有较大的影响,而且BP神经网络对隐含层神经元数目也很敏感。我们希望在BP神经网络的基础上,构建一种合适的天线模型,来应用于天线的分类识别,这将具有很大的现实意义。     

电子信息行业的水环境压力分析

电子信息行业长期以来都被定义为一个“高产值、低能耗”的清洁产业,其水环境压力经常被低估.以长三角电子信息产业集群的核心地区太湖流域为例,对电子信息行业的水资源消耗、废水和主要污染物排放以及危险废弃物的处置等方面进行了评估,发现高度集聚的巨大产能与特定区域水环境容量的矛盾、污染的产业链转移以及处于“微笑”曲线底部引致的环境投入压力是我国电子信息行业水环境压力的主要表现.     

信息时代环境监测档案规范化管理思考——以四川省环境监测总站为例

信息时代的到来,传统的档案工作业务环节发生了转变,环境监测档案也不例外。以纸质档案为核心的传统管理模式逐步转变为电子文件的管理模式。本文以四川省环境监测总站环境监测档案为例,分析环境监测档案管理现状、存在的问题并提出环境监测档案规范化管理措施与对策。     

共模阻抗稳定网络的研制

为了消除辐射测试场地供电端口阻抗的差异,本文设计制作了一种共模阻抗稳定网络,可以在供电端口处提供稳定的共模阻抗。文中对该网络的技术参数、元件规格及分布参数控制提出设计方案.经实际制作与量测验证后,该稳定网络可以在30~300MHz的频段内提供稳定的阻抗(50±5?),符合设计方案的目标,利用此网络可有效消除供电端口阻抗差异引起的测试误差。     

Users' views of hospital environmental quality: Validation of the Perceived Hospital Environment Quality Indicators (PHEQIs)

Environmental Quality Perception (EQP) is an important construct used to help to understand the relationship between people and the hospital environment. From a patient-centered care perspective, it is important that hospital design take into account the patients' (and other users') point of view. This paper presents the adaptation and validation of a measure of hospital EQP, the Perceived Hospital Environment Quality Indicators (PHEQIs; Fornara, Bonaiuto, & Bonnes, 2006), and seeks to confirm the factor structure of this construct in a different cultural context. Three scales, two focusing on physical environments and one evaluating the social environment, were completed by 562 users of four orthopedic units in Portuguese hospitals, two older and two recently built or renovated. To assess criterion validity, hospital physical environments were also objectively evaluated by two architects. Using a confirmatory factor analysis the three validation procedures produced acceptable fit indices in the final measurement models. Overall reliability values were satisfactory, as was the evidence for criterion validity. PHEQIs scales and factors correlated with global evaluation of the environment, supporting concurrent criterion validity; and predictive criterion validity was demonstrated given that users of older and newer hospitals differed significantly on the perception of quality of hospital EQP, and that high congruence between users' and experts' evaluations was found. Discriminant construct validity was supported, and some difficulties in showing convergent validity are discussed in terms of item formulation adequacy. Implications for research and practice are described.     

Current status and trends of the environmental performance in European ports

This paper investigates the current status and trends over time in the environmental performance of European ports. The research is based on the provision of data from 79 European ports on issues related to their environmental management, environmental priorities and current environmental monitoring practices. This study updates previous environmental reviews, so that the trends over time are drawn. For instance, 90% of respondent ports stated that they have an environmental policy and 94% of ports have designated environmental personnel. The percentage of ports that have an Environmental Management System has increased by +33% in the last 9 years. Air quality, port waste and energy consumption emerged as the three major environmental priorities of the European port sector in 2013. The research also reveals the diversity amongst European ports in terms of size and physical surroundings. Some examples are presented on specific initiatives carried out by sector organisations about the Top-10 port priority issues. The future expectations of European ports on data collection and reporting are described.     

基于网络组织视角的粮食产业化模式与优化路径

在全球粮食安全状况严峻以及中国人多地少的形势下,探讨粮食的产业化发展具有重要意义。从网络组织视角出发,梳理了中国粮食产业化模式并提出优化路径。研究表明：粮食产业化发展是一个网络化的成长过程。基于网络主体控制与参与网络的能力、融资形式以及立足或服务的空间尺度,可以将粮食产业化模式划分为“国家调控跨国公司组织模式”“地方主导龙头企业带动模式”“政府主导社会多元主体参与模式”和“市场主导私营企业推动模式”这四类主要模式,分别对应介于市场组织与等级制组织之间的全球—区域—本地网络组织,并以跨国公司、本地龙头企业、产业化联合体、产业园区、产业集群等产业化组织形式呈现。进一步建议从提升网络主体开始,通过优化网络结构、强化网络载体、完善网络治理来指导粮食产业化的高质量发展。