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Blood banking involves the collection of blood from donors and the storage of that blood until it is required for transfusion. It is usual to distinguish, in a blood banking system, between central blood banks whose functions are primarily those of collection and distribution, and hospital blood banks which perform the process of cross‐matching. In order to ensure that the donor's blood will be compatible with that of the recipient, blood is cross‐matched by mixing a sample of the recipient's blood with a sample of stored blood of the same group and subjecting the mixture to certain tests.

Blood donation knowledge of healthy young students is crucial to donate blood voluntarily and regularly in long-term. This study aimed to determine the influencing factors on the blood donation knowledge, to identify gaps of blood donation knowledge and reasons for not donating blood among university and college students in Yangon, Myanmar.

Cross-section survey (May 2019) was conducted in students of Yangon Technological University (YTU) and National Management Degree College (NMDC) with the use of quota and convenience sampling method. The questionnaires covered sociodemographic characteristics, blood donation knowledge and reasons for not donating blood.

Total 320 students (129 males and 191 females) with age of 18 to 23 years old participated. Previous blood donation had statistically significant influence on blood donation knowledge scores (ß = 0.396, p < 0.001). Gaps of knowledge between nondonors and blood donors were recorded, especially in universal recipient blood groups, Rh blood groups, blood donation interval, eligibility criteria, transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs), amount of blood removed in donation, benefits of blood donations and misbelief of infections from blood donation. Top three reasons for not donating blood among nondonors were (1) no opportunity, (2) fear to donate and (3) still underage to donate.

Blood donations programs should extend awareness-raising programs in academic society and population at large. Raising awareness should focus on the knowledge gaps such as donor eligibility, interval of blood donations, TTIs and benefits of donating blood to recipients.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that there are three major blood donor segments in China, namely benefit‐oriented donors, altruistic donors and health salience donors, with the use of factor‐cluster segmentation approach. It also investigates the blood donation attitudes, group characteristics, and preference for information acquisition of the identified donor segments.

A factor‐cluster segmentation approach was used in this study. A questionnaire survey on Chinese respondents who had just completed a blood donation process was conducted in China and 7‐point Likert‐type questions were used to measure the respondents’ attitude toward blood donation, their motivation to donate blood, lifestyles, demographics and information acquisition. K‐means non‐hierarchical clustering method was used to segment groups of blood donors. ANOVAs were conducted to assess the differences regarding the blood donation factors across the cluster segments.

Results demonstrate that there are three blood donor segments as predicted. Benefit‐oriented donors are found to be the largest cluster (42.6 per cent), followed by altruistic donors (29.6 per cent) and health salience donors (27.8 per cent). The three clusters of donors show some extent of differences in attitudes toward blood donation, lifestyles and preference for information acquisition.

Through a better understanding of the donor segments, a more effective marketing communication strategy can be formulated. This can promote more blood donation by the first‐time and repeat blood donors and may save many more lives in a society.

The major advertising appeal for blood donation is altruistic in nature, particularly in Western countries. However, in other emerging countries such as China, some other appeals may be even more effective. Benefit appeal or health fitness appeal may be a better option in marketing communication strategy.

This study seeks to find out if chronic exposure via drinking water to high doses of a mixture of metals found as contaminants in tap and bottled water sources can alter the systemic physiology of residents.

A case control study was designed, 18 subjects drinking mainly tap water as main group (group I) and 15 subjects drinking exclusively bottled water as control group (group II) for a minimum of two years. Cadmium, lead, chromium and iron concentrations in drinking tap and bottled water samples were measured. The effect potential of the same metals were evaluated by assessing liver and kidney functions and haemoglobin levels for the studied subjects.

Iron concentration was found to be significantly higher in drinking tap water samples compared to bottled. Chromium, lead and iron were significantly higher in blood samples of group I subjects compared to the control group. Blood creatinine levels were positively correlated with that of chromium and cadmium of group I; and chromium levels of group II. Urea levels was positively correlated with lead levels of group I. Haemoglobin was positively correlated with iron blood levels of group I and negatively with lead levels of group II. No appreciable changes were found in the blood clinical markers of the liver functions of either group.

This study gives a concise idea about the higher level of some heavy metals in tap water compared to bottled and how heavy metal contaminants in drinking water may affect kidney function and haemoglobin level of consumers.

Olanzapine is widely prescribed in the treatment of schizophrenia and various psychiatric illnesses. Schizophrenia patients have been reported to eat a diet that contain higher in fat and lower in fiber. High dietary fat intake can predispose to the development of metabolic abnormalities and exacerbate hepatic changes. The aim of the paper is to investigate the effect of olanzapine and high fat diet on blood glucose, lipid profile and the liver in rats.

Twenty-four healthy male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into following groups: group I was given normal diet, group II was given high fat diet, group III was given high fat diet and olanzapine (5 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally twice daily) and group IV was given normal diet and olanzapine (at same dose). After 30 days, the blood samples were collected to assess levels of blood glucose and total lipid profile. Also, liver specimens were processed for histological study by using light microscope.

Group III showed significant increase in weight, blood glucose (p < 0.05), total cholesterol (p < 0.05), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (p < 0.05) and decrease in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (p < 0.05) when compared to group II. While group III revealed several histological changes including, dilatation and congestion of central veins and blood sinusoids as well some hepatocytes appeared damaged and were replaced by inflammatory cellular infiltrate.

These results suggest that olanzapine and high fat diet greatly increased the blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-C and considerable decreased HDL-C as well as mild inflammatory changes

This study aims to pilot test a new multi-component worksite intervention for weight loss in a primary healthcare setting.

This randomized trial involved 88 participants (43, 45; intervention, control group). The intervention group enrolled in a 12-week lifestyle program that involved modification of dietary intake by community Registered Dietitian (RDs) and increasing high-intensity interval training (HITT) with motivational interviewing (MI) to support changes. The control group received traditional counselling and weekly aerobic exercise from Medical Officer and physiotherapist. The primary outcome measure was the changes in body weight. Secondary measures were changes in blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, fasting blood lipid and dietary changes. Assessments were repeated at a three-month interval.

There was a significant reduction in body weight and waist circumference within groups. Intervention group demonstrated a significant improvement in all cardiometabolic risk factors. This study showed that primary healthcare setting can be successful locations in promoting short-term health benefits. RDs were more successful and HITT appeared to be a favorable workout with MI in achieving drastic weight loss.

The short-term worksite intervention and not recording of body composition were the major drawbacks in this study.

The efficacy of multi-component worksite intervention (Diet–HITT–MI) in primary healthcare setting has not been clearly defined.

Managing perishable inventories is a trade‐off of shortages and lost sales against wastage. This paper aims to identify what drives good management of perishables within the supply chain using the example of blood inventory management in hospitals.

Seven case studies with hospital transfusion laboratories in the UK blood supply chain were carried out in order to explore how perishable inventories are managed. The case studies identify drivers for good performance in perishable inventories.

Six recommendations are developed for how managers can improve perishable inventory performance. These are based around simple management procedures implemented by experienced staff. The case studies develop three propositions that recommend how inventory theory should be embedded in practice.

This research demonstrates that managerial changes and training issues have a significant impact on waste reduction and inventory management performance in perishable supply chains. However, as the case studies focus on the blood supply chain, some caution needs to be applied in generalising these findings beyond the specific context studied.

A multi‐disciplinary approach, combining awareness of the importance of the dynamics of the whole supply chain with good skill and experience, leads to new thinking, which enables staff to make better inventory decisions resulting in better performance and reduced wastage. Managerial changes and training are critical for good inventory performance.

Literature suggests that sophisticated and complex inventory models will drive performance; however, in practice a combination of basic well‐grounded inventory theory with simple management procedures carried out by experienced staff leads to better performance.

The purpose of this study is to systematically review the existing literature on the blood supply chain (BSC) from a network design perspective and highlight the research gaps in this area. Moreover, it also aims to pinpoint new research opportunities based on the recent innovative technologies for the BSC network design.

The study gives a comprehensive systematic review of the BSC network design studies until October 2021. This review was carried out in accordance with preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA). In the literature review, a total of 87 studies were analyzed under six main categories as model structure, application model, solution approach, problem type, the parties of the supply chain and innovative technologies.

The results of the study present the researchers’ tendencies and preferences when designing their BSC network models.

The study presents a guide for researchers and practitioners on BSC from the point of view of network design and encourages adopting innovative technologies in their BSC network designs.

The study provides a comprehensive systematic review of related studies from the BSC network design perspective and explores research gaps in the collection and distribution processes. Furthermore, it addresses innovative research opportunities by using innovative technologies in the area of BSC network design.

The overall aim of the research presented is to improve blood supply chain management in order to use the scarce resource of blood more efficiently. Computer simulation is used as a tool for increasing efficiency in blood supply chains.

An application of discrete event simulation modeling in the health‐care sector, more specifically in the area of blood transfusion services. The model has been refined in cooperation with medical expertise as it is vital that practitioners are closely involved so that the model can be tested against their understanding as it develops.

Decision makers can make better and less risky decisions regarding changes in the blood supply chain based on the knowledge created by simulation experiments. Simulation modeling can be used to make complex and chaotic systems comprehensible and more efficient. In health care, this means that scarce resources can be allocated better, and thereby simulation can aid in increasing the overall quality of health care.

Models are simplifications and there is no guarantee that they will be valid, however, when used sensibly, simulation models and modeling approaches provide an important tool to managing risk and uncertainty in health care supply chains.

Earlier calculations and improvement efforts of blood supply chain in focus were based on “gut feeling”. Through applying simulation to this complex system, the dynamics of blood supply chain was more easily understood by the medical expertise.

There is a lack of work on computer simulations of blood supply chains, a challenge which this work has taken up on.

This research proposes a decision framework for using non-financial measures to define a replenishment policy for perishable health products. These products are perishable and substitutable by nature and create complexities for managing inventory. Instead of a financial measure, numerous measures should be considered and balanced to meet business objectives and enhance inventory management.

This research applies a multi-methodological approach and develops a framework that integrates discrete event simulation (DES), analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) techniques to define the most favourable replenishment policy using non-financial measures.

The integration framework performs well as illustrated in the numerical example; outcomes from the framework are comparable to those generated using a traditional, financial measures-based, approach. This research demonstrates that it is feasible to adopt non-financial performance measures to define a replenishment policy and evaluate performance.

The framework, thus, prioritises non-financial measures and addresses issues of lacking information sharing and employee involvement to enhance hospitals' performance while minimising costs. The non-financial measures improve cross-functional communication while supporting simpler transformations from high-level strategies to daily operational targets.