Risk assessment in supply chains: a state-of-the-art review of methodologies and their applications.

The year 2020 can be earmarked as the year of global supply chain disruption owing to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). It is however not only because of the pandemic that supply chain risk assessment (SCRA) has become more critical today than it has ever been. With the number of supply chain risks having increased significantly over the last decade, particularly during the last 5 years, there has been a flurry of literature on supply chain risk management (SCRM), illustrating the need for further classification so as to guide researchers to the most promising avenues and opportunities.

A multi-echelon dynamic cold chain for managing vaccine distribution.

While cold chain management has been part of healthcare systems, enabling the efficient administration of vaccines in both urban and rural areas, the COVID-19 virus has created entirely new challenges for vaccine distributions. With virtually every individual worldwide being impacted, strategies are needed to devise best vaccine distribution scenarios, ensuring proper storage, transportation and cost considerations. Current models do not consider the magnitude of distribution efforts needed in our current pandemic, in particular the objective that entire populations need to be vaccinated.

Convalescent plasma bank facility location-allocation problem for COVID-19.

With convalescent plasma being recognized as an eminent treatment option for COVID-19, this paper addresses the location-allocation problem for convalescent plasma bank facilities. This is a critical topic, since limited supply and overtly increasing cases demand a well-established supply chain. We present a novel plasma supply chain model considering stochastic parameters affecting plasma demand and the unique features of the plasma supply chain.

Measurement of the nociceptive balance by Analgesia Nociception Index and Surgical Pleth Index during sevoflurane-remifentanil anesthesia.

Background: Evaluation of the nociception-anti-nociception balance during anesthesia is still challenging and routinely based on clinical criteria such as movement or vegetative response. Recently, the Analgesia Nociception Index (ANI) derived from heart rate variability and the Surgical Pleth Index (SPI) derived from photoplethysmographic signal were introduced for quantification of the analgesic component of anesthesia.

Methods: After obtaining informed consent, we studied twenty-four patients (ASA I-II) scheduled for elective surgery during induction of anesthesia with sevoflurane and a stepwise increase of remifentanil effect site concentrations.

Influence of nociceptive stimulation on analgesia nociception index (ANI) during propofol-remifentanil anaesthesia.

Background: Measurement of the balance between nociception and anti-nociception during anaesthesia is challenging and not yet clinically established. The Surgical pleth index (SPI), derived from photoplethysmography, was proposed as a surrogate measure of nociception. Recently, the analgesia nociception index (ANI) derived by heart rate (HR) variability was developed.