Development of Sustainability Balanced Scorecard: A Case Study from Apparel Industry Sri Lanka

This study aims to determine the obstacles the Sri Lankan apparel manufacturing industry faces when implementing sustainable practices and develop a Sustainability Balanced Scorecard to address those obstacles. The apparel export industry is one of Sri Lanka’s most significant contributors to the country’s overall economy. The multiple case study method was employed in conjunction with a qualitative approach in this study. This study also used data triangulation, which comprised both primary and secondary data from interviews and observations. Secondary information was gathered from annual reports and other documents. The population of this study is the apparel export industry and selected three apparel companies as the sample and interviewed nine managers from these companies. The interviewed data were transcribed into the transcript and analyzed through narrative analysis. By considering all the practices in three companies, this research constructed a sustainability balanced scorecard which can be used for other companies to build up their sustainability practices. The main issues identified in this research can be summarized as follows, Manual system of data entering and performance evaluation, there is no sufficient Hazardous Waste Management and disposal facilities in the country, Financial constraints prevent best-in-class equipment and procedures from being implemented. Sri Lanka has no solid waste recycling facilities for its primary waste type, fabric waste. As a final point, this research can be concluded that the regulators and policymakers can use the constructed sustainability balanced scorecard for the policy development on sustainability practices

A new era of cancer treatment: carbon nanotubes as drug delivery tools

Cancer is a generic term that encompasses a group of diseases characterized by an uncontrolled proliferation of cells. There are over 200 different types of cancer, each of which gains its nomenclature according to the type of tissue the cell originates in. Many patients who succumb to cancer do not die as a result of the primary tumor, but because of the systemic effects of metastases on other regions away from the original site. One of the aims of cancer therapy is to prevent the metastatic process as early as possible. There are currently many therapies in clinical use, and recent advances in biotechnology lend credence to the potential of nanotechnology in the fight against cancer. Nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), quantum dots, and dendrimers have unique properties that can be exploited for diagnostic purposes, thermal ablation, and drug delivery in cancer. CNTs are tubular materials with nanometer-sized diameters and axial symmetry, giving them unique properties that can be exploited in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In addition, CNTs have the potential to deliver drugs directly to targeted cells and tissues. Alongside the rapid advances in the development of nanotechnology-based materials, elucidating the toxicity of nanoparticles is also imperative. Hence, in this review, we seek to explore the biomedical applications of CNTs, with particular emphasis on their use as therapeutic platforms in oncology

Changes in short-term (in-ICU and in-hospital) mortality following Intensive Care Unit admission in adults Living with HIV: 2000-2019

OBJECTIVE: Limited data suggest intensive care unit (ICU) outcomes have improved in people with HIV (PWH). We describe trends in in-ICU/in-hospital mortality among PWH following admission to ICU in a single UK-based HIV referral centre, from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2019. METHODS: Modelling of associations between ICU admission and calendar year of admission was done using logistic regression with adjustment for age, sex, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, CD4+ T-cell count and diagnosis of HIV at/within the past 3 months. RESULTS: Among 221 PWH (71% male, median [interquartile range (IQR)] age 45 years [38-53]) admitted to ICU, median [IQR] APACHE II score and CD4+ T-cell count were 19 [14-25] and 122 cells/mm3 [30-297], respectively; HIV-1 viral load was ≤50 copies/ml in 46%. The most common ICU admission diagnosis was lower respiratory tract infection (30%).In-ICU and in-hospital, mortality were 29% and 38.5%, respectively. The odds of in-ICU mortality decreased over the 20-year period by 11% per year [odds ratio (OR): 0.89 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.84-0.94)] with in-hospital mortality decreasing by 14% per year [0.86 (0.82-0.91)]. After adjusting for patient demographics and clinical factors, both estimates were attenuated, however, the odds of in-hospital mortality continued to decline over time [in-ICU mortality: adjusted OR: 0.97 (0.90-1.05); in-hospital mortality: 0.90 (0.84-0.97)]. CONCLUSION: Short-term mortality of critically ill PWH admitted to ICU has continued to decline in the ART era. This may result from changing indications for ICU admission, advances in critical care and improvements in HIV-related immune status

sj-docx-1-jic-10.1177_08850666241241480 - Supplemental material for Improving 1-Year Mortality Following Intensive Care Unit Admission in Adults with HIV: A 20-Year Observational Study

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jic-10.1177_08850666241241480 for Improving 1-Year Mortality Following Intensive Care Unit Admission in Adults with HIV: A 20-Year Observational Study by Tanmay Kanitkar, Nicholas Bakewell, Oshani Dissanayake, Maggie Symonds, Stephanie Rimmer, Amit Adlakha, Marc C. I. Lipman, Sanjay Bhagani, Banwari Agarwal, Caroline A. Sabin and Robert F. Miller in Journal of Intensive Care Medicine</p