How Is the Sustainable Consumption Intention Model in Food Industry under Preference Uncertainties? The Consumer Willingness to Pay on Recycled Packaging Material

Food packaging is costly to consumers and generates a huge volume of packaging waste, especially in Indonesia. Prior studies have neglected to construct a causal sustainable consumption intention model in food industry and link to the consumer willingness to pay under preference uncertainties. To address the gaps, this study explores consumer attributes to build a causal sustainable consumption intention model and takes the model to address the consumer willingness to pay under preference uncertainties. This study proposes a causal model that integrates five aspects of sustainable consumption intention model: (1) sustainable consumption knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors; (2) government policy and regulation on sustainable consumption; (3) recycled packaging eco-labeling certification; (4) supply chain innovation and infrastructure; and (5) sustainable product purchasing features. This study uses the fuzzy Delphi method to confirm the reliability and validate the criteria and applies cause and effect model to address the causal model. In addition, this study collects 428 valid responses to address the willingness to pay for causal sustainable consumption intention model and a cognitive best-worst choice experiment to confirm the model in the food industry. The result reveals that recycled packaging eco-labeling certification is the major aspect for enhancing the model, followed by government policy and regulation and supply chain innovation and infrastructure. In practice, consumers incur inconvenience in purchasing sustainable food products but prefer recycled packaging material at a standardized price

Profit Maximization for Waste Furniture Recycled in Taiwan Using Cradle-to-Cradle Production Programming

This study proposes the use of cradle-to-cradle production programming for waste furniture and aims to achieve optimal efficiency by reusing waste furniture and maximizing the corresponding benefits so that the furniture industry is in line with cradle-to-cradle manufacturing. This study is increasingly important to manage products through a comprehensive green reverse logistics system that consists of three procedures, i.e., recycling, reuse, and remanufacturing of waste items. This study proposes a mathematical formula to establish a cradle-to-cradle production programming model for waste furniture. The fuzzy set theory is used to define the attributes that reflect production and market demands such as degree of damage, technical feasibility, market demands, environmental protection laws and regulations, and environmental performance. In addition, particle swarm optimization is adopted to ascertain the optimal profit from waste furniture sales. Through situational simulations and analyses, the fuzzy set information from Taiwan, Germany, and China is compared. The result reveals that the qualitative information proposed has a significant impact on the profit of waste furniture reuse. The production model can effectively assist in the production programming of waste furniture, thereby optimizing profit for cradle-to-cradle production planning

Preparing for Shortages of Future COVID-19 Drugs: A Data-Based Model for Optimal Allocation

Drugs for the treatment of Covid-19 are currently beign tested, and those that are apporved for use are likely to be in short supply due to the global scale of the pandemic. This policy brief proposes a model for optimally allocating future Covid-19 drugs to patients to minimize deaths under conditions of resource scarcity. A linear programming model is developed that estimates the potential number of deaths that may result from Covid-19 under two scenarios: with antivirals and without antivirals. It takes into account patient risk level, the severity of their symptoms, resource availability in hospitals (i.e. hospital beds, critical care units, ventilators), observed mortality rates, and share of the Philippine population. Based on simulations, the model can make actionable recommendations on how to prioritize the allocation of the drugs

Identification of the First De Novo UBIAD1

Purpose. To report the identification of the first de novo UBIAD1 missense mutation in an individual with Schnyder corneal dystrophy (SCD). Methods. A slit lamp examination was performed on a 47-year-old woman without a family history of corneal disorders. The proband’s parents, two sisters, and son were also examined and genomic DNA from all six individuals was collected. The exons and exon-intron boundaries of UBIAD1 were screened using Sanger sequencing. Identified mutations were screened for in 200 control chromosomes. In silico analysis predicted the impact of identified mutations on protein function and structure. Results. Slit lamp examination of the proband revealed findings consistent with SCD. Corneas of the family members appeared unaffected. Screening of UBIAD1 in the proband identified a novel heterozygous c.308C>T mutation, predicted to encode the missense amino acid substitution p.(Thr103Ile). This mutation was not identified in any of the family members or in 200 control chromosomes and was predicted to be damaging to normal protein function and structure. Conclusions. We present a novel heterozygous de novo missense mutation in UBIAD1, p.(Thr103Ile), identified in a patient with classic clinical features of SCD. This highlights the value of genetic testing in clinical diagnostic settings, even in the absence of a positive family history

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13

Search for chargino-neutralino production with mass splittings near the electroweak scale in three-lepton final states in √s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for supersymmetry through the pair production of electroweakinos with mass splittings near the electroweak scale and decaying via on-shell W and Z bosons is presented for a three-lepton final state. The analyzed proton-proton collision data taken at a center-of-mass energy of √s=13  TeV were collected between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb−1. A search, emulating the recursive jigsaw reconstruction technique with easily reproducible laboratory-frame variables, is performed. The two excesses observed in the 2015–2016 data recursive jigsaw analysis in the low-mass three-lepton phase space are reproduced. Results with the full data set are in agreement with the Standard Model expectations. They are interpreted to set exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level on simplified models of chargino-neutralino pair production for masses up to 345 GeV

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Gamma frequency entrainment attenuates amyloid load and modifies microglia

Changes in gamma oscillations (20-50 Hz) have been observed in several neurological disorders. However, the relationship between gamma oscillations and cellular pathologies is unclear. Here we show reduced, behaviourally driven gamma oscillations before the onset of plaque formation or cognitive decline in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Optogenetically driving fast-spiking parvalbumin-positive (FS-PV)-interneurons at gamma (40 Hz), but not other frequencies, reduces levels of amyloid-β (Aβ)[subscript 1-40] and Aβ [subscript 1-42] isoforms. Gene expression profiling revealed induction of genes associated with morphological transformation of microglia, and histological analysis confirmed increased microglia co-localization with Aβ. Subsequently, we designed a non-invasive 40 Hz light-flickering regime that reduced Aβ[subscript 1-40] and Aβ[subscript 1-42] levels in the visual cortex of pre-depositing mice and mitigated plaque load in aged, depositing mice. Our findings uncover a previously unappreciated function of gamma rhythms in recruiting both neuronal and glial responses to attenuate Alzheimer's-disease-associated pathology.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant 1R01EY023173)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant 1DP1NS087724)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant RF1AG047661)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant ROIGM104948