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E-waste is the globally mounting solid waste stream which is increasing due to domestic as well as a result of transboundary exportation. This solid waste stream is considered as an amalgam of valuable and toxic material which is concern of environmental and human health risks. To accomplish successful management of electronic equipment after post-consumer stage, numerous lucid initiatives have been offered globally. The ever-increasing quantum of e-waste has enforced environmental organizations of many developing world such as India and China to invent, and implement environmentally favorable opportunities and strategies for mitigation and control of environmental and human threat. Many developed countries have given topmost priorities for e-waste management, so setup appropriate facilities to treat maximum of the generated e-waste, but in low economic nation like India, economic conditions, infrastructure scarcity, and inappropriate legislations are some of the problematic issues which dodge complete replication of the WEEEs management system. Our study represents an evaluation and valuation, of e-waste generation and cross-border movement to the management strategies followed in highly industrialized as well as developing nations. These findings would expand into regulated and non-regulated countries to put more emphasize on e-waste management.

The aim of this study was to evaluate sphenoid sinus pneumatisation and its anatomical relation with adjacent neurovascular structures in Indian population. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study, in which the pattern of sphenoid sinus pneumatization was studied on high-resolution computed tomography scans (n = 400), and association of the optic nerve, vidian canal and foramen rotundum along with related morphometric measurements were studied. Out of 400 CT scans, 60.5% were males. Majority had sellar type of pneumatization (89.5%) and single intersinus septum (68%). The most common configuration of relation of optic nerve canal was DeLano type 2 (34.75%). Vidian canal (VC) and Foramen rotundum (FR) were found dehiscent in 40.5% and 6.38% respectively. Average distance of FR from midline on right and left side was 16.3 ± 2.19 mm and 16.7 ± 2.23 mm respectively. Average distance of VC from midline on right and left side was 12.4 ± 5.84 mm and 12.4 ± 4.18 mm respectively. Average right FR to VC distance was 4.17 ± 2.16 mm and left FR to VC was 4.44 ± 2.20 mm. Anatomical variations of the sphenoid sinus are well known. In the present study, we have tried to highlight the importance of knowledge of various anatomical variations in relations to sphenoid sinus as they are critical in planning of surgery. Pre-operative radiological study and correlation is inevitable to assess type and extent of sinus pneumatisation, bony dehiscence and septal terminations to avoid injury to vital structures.

The aim of this review paper is to critically analyze the existing studies on waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE), which is one of the most increasing solid waste streams. This complex solid waste stream has pushed many scientific communities to develop novel technologies with minimum ecological disturbance. Noteworthy amount of valuable metals makes e-waste to a core of "urban mining"; therefore, it warrants special attention. Present study is focused on all the basic conceptual knowledge of WEEE ranging from compositional analysis, global statistics of e-waste generation, and metallurgical processes applied for metals extraction from e-waste. This review critically analyses the existing studies to emphasize on the heterogeneity nature of e-waste, which has not been focused much in any of the existing review articles. Comprehensive analysis of conventional approaches such as pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy reveals that high costs and secondary pollution possibilities limit the industrial feasibilities of these processes. Therefore biohydrometallurgy, a green technology, has been attracting researchers to focus on this novel technique to implement it for metal extraction from WEEE.

Shredded dust originated during mechanical dismantling of waste electrical and electronic equipments (WEEEs) is enriched source of some valuable metals which might be lost as unworthy waste. Composition analysis of shredded dust printed circuit boards (PCBs) revealed the presence of 12.75 mg g(−1) copper (Cu) and 10.34 mg g(−1) silver (Ag) along with some other metals (Fe, Ni, and Au). Low concentration of precious metal, such as gold (Au i.e., 0.04 mg g(−1)) classified this shredded dust as low-grade scrap. Despite low concentration of Au this e-waste can be considered as potential “secondary ore” to recover other valuable metals like Ag. To improve the efficiency of Ag bioleaching using Pseudomonas balearica SAE1, pretreatment of e-waste was done using cost-effective ferric chloride (FeCl(3)) chemical lixiviant. The concentration of FeCl(3) lixiviant was optimized to recover Cu metal prior to bioleaching process. Bioleaching of Ag was done under optimized conditions by Pseudomonas balearica SAE1 using 100 mL Luria Broth (LB) medium, 5 g L(−1) glycine, pH 9, temperature 30 °C and 150 rpm. 95% Cu was recovered with 1% FeCl(3) prior to bioleaching. Ag solubilization was increased for treated e-waste (36%) as compared to untreated e-waste PCBs (25%). Prerecovery of Cu enhanced Ag bioleaching, as available cyanide was utilized by Ag metal. Therefore, this study provides an economical hybrid method to enhance retrieval of precious metal (Ag) by Pseudomonas balearica SAE1 with economic and ecofriendly redox lixiviant even from low-grade e-scrap. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-02977-4.

Firms in many industries are faced with challenges in effectively managing their sourcing portfolios, defined as a firm’s collection of different sourcing choices (e.g., domestic in-house, domestic outsourcing, offshore outsourcing and captive offshoring) used to conduct a particular value-chain activity. While existing research provides valuable insights on the key factors driving firms’ decision-making regarding individual sourcing choice, important questions remain regarding antecedents and the evolution of portfolios of sourcing choices. We adopt a co-evolutionary perspective to answer the questions of how firms configure their sourcing portfolios, and what triggers changes in these configurations over time. In this study, we examine changes in bio-pharmaceutical firms’ sourcing portfolios for clinical trials. Based on qualitative case study analysis of four firms in this industry, we identify and track changes in internal and external processes of variation, selection and retention. Our study contributes to the co-evolutionary perspective on offshoring and outsourcing by refining the organizational level of analysis to consider portfolios as an important unit of analysis, and also by identifying evolutionary processes and mapping an evolutionary trajectory of changes in sourcing portfolios.

In E.N.T clinical practice, patients with nasal obstruction due to deviated nasal septum is a common presentation. Nasal airway obstruction is a common cause of upper airway obstruction further leading to obstructive and hypoxic manifestations. Mean platelet volume (MPV) levels increase in hypoxic conditions. MPV is one of the platelet activation index which reflects the platelet production rate. Present prospective study conducted in the department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck surgery, Gandhi Medical College and Hamidia Hospital, Bhopal, on 63 patients with the clinical evidence of DNS and 63 healthy age matched subjects as control group, aimed to evaluate the relationship between MPV levels and nasal obstruction due to deviated nasal septum (DNS). The diagnosis of patients with DNS was based on anterior rhinoscopy and endoscopic nasal examination. Blood samples were collected before surgical correction. In present study, the authors found that there is preponderance of DNS in the age group of 25-45 years being the most active age group, males having the higher incidence. Majority of cases of DNS being left sided and of obstructed type. MPV were significantly higher in patients with DNS than the control group. Among the cases MPV being higher in females and in the impacted type of DNS. Present study reemphasized the concept that MPV is increased in chronic nasal obstruction due to DNS and this increase is in accordance with the severity of DNS.