Reverse exchange of healthcare devices: the case of hearing aid equipment in the UK

Abstract

Reverse exchange (RE) in dealing with the return, recycle and reuse of products is receiving a growing focus. When properly handled, RE in healthcare can deliver an economic benefit of cost minimisation and has extensive positive impacts on both human health and the environment (Li and Olorunniwo 2008 Li, X., and F. Olorunniwo. 2008. “An Exploration of Reverse Logistics Practices in Three Companies.” Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 13 (5): 381–386. doi:10.1108/13598540810894979[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) but to date, RE research is mostly limited to pharmaceutical return. This paper investigates the potential for RE benefits in the UK National Health Service (NHS) supply chain for medical devices. Hearing aids supplied to adults with hearing loss are used as an illustrative example. This research applied a consensus approach through the use of dispersed nominal groups in order to obtain qualitative data on information, barriers, solutions and priorities to support findings. Findings illustrate that the end user behaviour of returning the device, and the requirement by NHS Procurement for manufacturers to meet RE targets are secondary to the importance of audiology departments who have the autonomy to design RE processes and successfully implement initiatives. A schematic highlighting the information and materials flow of the supply chain and the barriers and facilitators to RE is presented for hearing aid devices with potential for transferability to other small medical device supply chains.     

国际游资流入对我国宏观经济冲击机制分析

近年来我国发生大规模国际游资流入,根据国际游资流入规模和资金投向特点可将此划分为两个阶段:第一阶段资金投向国内增长迅速的热门行业;第二阶段资金押赌人民币升值,主要投向长三角房地产业.大规模国际游资流入对我国宏观经济产生不确定性外部冲击,这种不确定性冲击在名义变量和实际变量两个方面都显著地表现出来名义变量即符号包括货币、利率、汇率、价格、工资等变量,实际变量主要有外汇储备、制度创新等.作为对策,当前最重要的策略是应当设法削弱市场对人民币升值的预期.但更为有效的根本性解决办法是选择适当时机进一步改革人民币汇率形成机制,改变外汇储备"只能增、不能减"的政策思路以及审慎对待资本账户自由化.     

外汇储备对名义产出与物价的影响:动态特征与经济解释

本文研究通货膨胀与产出对外汇储备冲击的反应。定义外汇储备影响产出的冲销效应与干预效应,提炼出外汇储备——货币供应量——物价和产出的传导机制,构建结构向量自回归模型研究外汇储备影响通货膨胀与产出的动态特征。实证分析的结论表明:名义产出与物价对外汇储备冲击都呈现出先扩张后收缩的动态特征,名义产出与物价对外汇储备冲击的动态反应特征差异源于货币供给对外汇储备冲击的反应方式及名义产出与物价对货币供应的不同反应,提出在长期以人民币国际化应对外汇储备冲击。     

旁指代词的句法位置考察

旁指代词按照占据句法位置的情况,可以分成体词性的和加词性的两类。旁指代词不仅句法位置上存在着差异,在不同的句法位置上出现的频率也不一致。旁指代词都可以做定语而且比例颇高,超过了主语、宾语和状语之和,“其他”和“旁的”的比例尤为突出。“其他”、“其余”、“旁的”、“别的”做主语、宾语的比例不高,说明称代功能不占优势,指示功能才是它们的主要功能。     

刍议汇率制度“两极论”

汇率制度的选择对于任何一个国家来说都是非常重要的决定,针对目前的汇率制度两极论的观点,作者主要分析法定汇率制度分类方法和实际汇率分类方法的区别,并分别根据这两种分类方法对各个国家的汇率制度进行了分类,并对结果进行了比较.根据这两种分类方法的不同法定依据,说明了中间汇率制度在实际汇率制度中仍然占有非常重要的比重.[1]     

谈英语名词化形容词

部分名词化形容词的转换有两种形式 ,通过总结波茨玛、布郎和夸克等语法学家们对名词化形容词的论述 ,对名词化形容词的转换范围作了尝试性的界定 ,以求专家学者们对此进行深入地探讨。     

The multinomial logistic regression model for predicting the discharge status after liver transplantation: estimation and diagnostics analysis

The multinomial logistic regression model (MLRM) can be interpreted as a natural extension of the binomial model with logit link function to situations where the response variable can have three or more possible outcomes. In addition, when the categories of the response variable are nominal, the MLRM can be expressed in terms of two or more logistic models and analyzed in both frequentist and Bayesian approaches. However, few discussions about post modeling in categorical data models are found in the literature, and they mainly use Bayesian inference. The objective of this work is to present classic and Bayesian diagnostic measures for categorical data models. These measures are applied to a dataset (status) of patients undergoing kidney transplantation.     

名词性同语含意的认知推理

名词性同语是言语交际中有趣的语言现象。它看似一个毫无意义的形式,却蕴含了复杂的意义内容。其隐含意义是可以推导的,而且这种含意的产生表明了语言运用的认知过程。其推导机制可以用心理认知的一些概念理论来加以阐释,其中最主要的是转喻映射、范畴化以及心理空间映射。     

对人均电信消费水平地区差距的重新审视

本文对现行数据所反映的地区间电信消费水平差距提出质疑，认为其存在一定程度的失真。通过引入地区间价格差异因素，提出地区价格差异指数的概念，并用其校正了电信消费水平地区间的名义差距，得到实际的真实差距。其中，本文对地区价格差异指数进行了详细测算。结果显示，引入地区间价格差异后的实际电信消费水平地区间差距小于名义差距。     

宪法虚置的原因分析

新中国成立后先后制定了四部宪法 ,但都没有得到切实的遵守。其原因是多方面的。对有关司法解释的误解只是我国宪法虚置的解脱之词 ;长期实行人治是我国宪法虚置的政治原因 ;高度集中的计划经济是我国宪法虚置的经济原因 ;根深蒂固的皇权思想是我国宪法虚置的思想根源。