Actualités

Lions de Genève – Un début de saison parfait

7 novembre 2016 by Thierry Moreno

Si la direction du club est immuable – le comité n’a pas changé depuis la création du club en 2010 – les Lions de Genève ont commencé la saison avec une équipe complètement revue ! Outre le capitaine Steve Louissaint (et le doyen), cette jeune équipe (l’âge moyen des joueurs est de 23 ans !) a été entièrement rebâtie par le nouvel entraîneur, Jean-Marc Jaumin.

Pendant l’été, de nombreuses personnes ont partagé leurs craintes avec la perte de joueurs historiques clés comme Jérémy Jaunin et Miki Mariotto partis chez les adversaires principaux Fribourg Olympic et BBC Monthey. Cependant, le président a affirmé avant le début de la saison:

Il fallait démarrer un nouveau cycle, pour retrouver la magie et une certaine fraîcheur, explique le président Imad Fattal, convaincu d’avoir constitué une équipe séduisante et charismatique mais conscient de tenter un pari osé. Une forme d’embourgeoisement s’était installée et le public éprouvait moins de plaisir. (TdG, 20.10.2016)

Les faits ont confirmé les dires du président les Lions ayant remporté les trois premières rondes de la saison 2016-2017 et ceci malgré de nombreuses blessures de joueurs subies durant la préparation estivale.

NV Logistics est fière d’être l’un des sponsors principaux des Lions et nous sommes convaincus que cette nouvelle saison nous apportera beaucoup de plaisir avec de nouveaux succès !

Geneva Basketball Academy – du 27 juin au 2 juillet 2016

20 juin 2016 by Thierry Moreno

Fidèle à son engagement à soutenir le sport NV Logistics est fier d’être l’un des partenaires clé de la Geneva Basketball Academy.

La volonté de l’Académie est d’offrir la possibilité aux jeunes joueurs (U16) de se former à l’occasion d’un programme complet :

5 jours complets de programme de développement créés par des experts
Travailler avec des joueurs et coach expérimentés de NBA et d’Europe sur 4 terrains de basket-ball
1 heure quotidienne d’éducation (préparation mentale, anatomie, les meilleurs experts et les joueurs partageant leur expérience)

Un panel d’entraîneurs et de joueurs expérimentés dirigeant cette Académie a été sélectionné:

Pour plus d’informations vous pouvez visiter : http://gvabasketballacademy.com

Hello « Footprint » – What’s yours?

22 février 2016 by Thierry Moreno

A joyful way of keeping the earth cool.

At NV Logistics, we are never short of surprises. Take as an example our tightly knit team of transport whizzes who are given challenges such as shipping a fury Yeti to Russia or flying precious scientific instruments to the Antarctic.

Being a logistics company, we stamp our footprint just about anywhere in the world!

And this is why, in 2014, we decided to team up with myclimate and make use of their smart method which transforms the carbon footprint (CO₂) into positive and useful experiences.

The result is the climate-neutral label which has been awarded to NV Logistics for 2014, based on an in-depth evaluation of our internal administrative resources and processes.

We earned the label thanks to close collaboration with ecoLive, a local Geneva-based environmental agency who guided us through the certification process.

This experience has given us many insights and the opportunity of taking action in two practical ways:

Identify company-internal pollution elements with a view of reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions.
Participate in the global movement by supporting other worthwhile climate-protection projects.

Please check out the two projects we currently support. If you are already our customer or plan to work with us in 2016, these projects are also yours.

Alright. So, what’s up with myclimate?

myclimate is a Swiss non-profit organisation with an international repute. It actively promotes climate protection, both locally and globally. It prides itself to be science-based and business-oriented.

Its clients (referred to as partners) are large, medium and small businesses, public administrations, non-profit organisations, event organisers and private individuals.

myclimate’s patronage committee includes (amongst others) Federal Councilor Doris Leuthard – Head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications and Prof. Muhammad Yunus – Founder and Managing Director of Grameen Bank and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

How does it work?

We hope that these short points help you grasp the essentials …

1. The Assumption is that most individuals and organisations are mindful about global warming and its dire consequences.

2. The Villains are greenhouse gases, present in the atmosphere in high and concentrated volumes. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is an important greenhouse gas.

3. The (lovable) Weaklings are the human beings. We cannot help being alive, smart, curious, fun loving, restless. We like to breathe, eat, drink, make things, own things, travel, invent, celebrate, connect, work.

4. The Challenge is about strengthening the resolve of human beings to change some of our behaviours, in the interest of all and before climate change becomes irreversible.

5. The Hero is the carbon footprint; a powerful and dependable tool which empowers us to do brave deeds, such as taking concrete action to contain and reduce greenhouse gases.

6. The Plot is pragmatic and non-judgmental.
myclimate intervenes in two ways: 1. Advises organisations and individuals about how to decrease their own carbon footprint and 2. Calculates the monetary value of unavoidable emissions. Example: Company A produces 70 tons (t CO₂e) of unavoidable emissions. Based on myclimate’s algorithm, this translates into a monetary value of say CHF 5000. If Company A so desires (volontary), they may donate this monetary value to Project B which applies renewable energies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. NB: Project B has a cost which is fully or partially covered by the donor’s CHF 5000. Without this funding, it is most likely that Project B would not exist.

7. A positive ending – resulting in carbon-neutrality – is totally feasible. With the myclimate method, and referring to the above example, Project B (funded by Company A) reduces Company A’s unavoidable carbon footprint by the same amount (70 t CO₂e).

Please note that carbon footprint is not tied to a location. The climate is indifferent as to where on the surface of the earth the unwanted gases escape into the atmosphere, and where they are reduced.

Still got a minute to spare?

Browse through our super short climate change refresher, as displayed here below.

The greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere help keep the earth at an average temperature of 15 degrees Celsius.

Without this greenhouse effect, the world’s temperature would be minus 18 degrees Celsius.

Since the industrial revolution, large amounts of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, as a by-product of human activity.

The rising concentration in the atmosphere of these gases leads to an increase of the average global temperature.

… which in turn disrupts our climate

What’s next?

If you are tempted to earn your own climate-neutral label, please drop us a line in the comments. We gladly share our experience of the insightful certification process we completed and which allowed us to take immediate and positive action, both internally and globally.

The visuals in the above climate change refresher have been copied from a video
produced by ADEM (Agence de l’environnement et de la maîtrise de l’énergie).
You can watch the 4 minute video here https://youtu.be/qxdxBfZKoa0

NV Logistics Talents Cup 2016

24 janvier 2016 by Thierry Moreno

https://youtu.be/85jlvq-0Rgc

NV Logistics est le sponsor de la NV Logistics CSI Talents Cup 2016.

Ce tournoi U11, accrédité par l’UEFA, offrira un plateau d’équipes exceptionnelles comme l’Ajax Amsterdam, l’AS St-Etienne, le Benfica, la Juventus, l’Olympique Lyonnais, le FC Bâle pour citer les plus prestigieuses d’entre elles.

NV Logistics est fière de soutenir le mouvement junior et la relève en partageant les mêmes valeurs :

• Esprit d’équipe
• Respect de l’autre
• Persévérance
• Volonté de réussir

Le sport est ainsi un complément indispensable à l’éducation parentale et scolaire.

Le choix de soutenir ce tournoi est ainsi l’opportunité de remercier l’investissement incroyable du Comité du CS Italien tant pour la CSI Talents Cup que pour leur club.

Si vous aussi vous désirez soutenir ce tournoi, un projet de « Crowfunding » a été lancé sur le site « I believe in you » Vous pouvez contribuer à partir de 10.- déjà.

The Interview | Florence Chiodini, PhD | Geneva Cornea Bank

26 octobre 2015 by Thierry Moreno

A challenge with scientific and human implications.

An interview with Florence Chiodini, PhD.

Geneva University Hospital (HUG) | Geneva Cornea Bank (BDCG)

.Geneva University Hospital (HUG) is the largest medical establishment in Geneva city and canton.

It has a long history of excellence and is seen as one of the most important medical institutions in Switzerland.

Attached to the Faculty of Medicine of Geneva University, it is also a radiant research centre.

And what’s more, the hospital is an integral part of a region called West Switzerland, reputed as a fertile ground for innovation in biotechnology and the life sciences.

One of HUG’s strong points is their clinical research. Through close and active collaboration with the World Health Organisations (WHO), HUG reaches a world-wide scientific audience, enjoying strong recognition both nationally and internationally.

Our guest today (and NV Logistics client)

Florence Chiodini, PhD, is a biologist at HUG’s Ophthalmology Clinic. She is in charge of coordinating the Geneva Cornea Bank’s activities.

The Geneva Cornea Bank (BDCG) is a part of HUG’s Cell Therapy Laboratory. At macro level, it provides a service regulated by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) which is part of the Federal Department of Home Affairs.

But before going any further, the image here below lets us situate our eye’s cornea.

EyeBank CorneaView01 — The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil and anterior chamber. The cornea, with the anterior chamber and lens, refracts light.

Florence Chiodini, what’s your role?

We’re a laboratory that analyses, preserves and distributes corneas. I am in charge of coordinating the Geneva Cornea Bank’s activities.

Running a Cornea Bank is a highly regulated and controlled affair. When a person dies at HUG, clearly established processes come into play.

Specific databases match corneas with patients.

An important task that is assigned to me is the maintenance and management of up-to-date databases.

How does the cornea transplantation process work?

There are three demanding steps a cornea has to overcome before it may enter into the Geneva Cornea Bank.

Step 1.

The person responsible for the cornea bank communicates with the local donor coordinators who do the identification of potential cornea donors.

When a person has died, they consult the medical record.

During one year, there are between 1200 and 1500 deaths at the Geneva University Hospital.

Step 2

When no contra-indications are found to cornea donation, the coordinator contacts the relatives to seek consent for cornea donation.

This standard procedure is always performed, even if the deceased person already gave his agreement on a donor card.

Step 3

When consent is given and no other medical contra-indications are found, the coordinator organises the procurement of the corneas by an ophthalmologist.

The corneas are placed in separate sterile receptacles, containing a biological solution which ensures their conservation.

They are then deposited at the cornea bank by the coordinator and stocked in a special chamber for a period of quarantine.

The biologist is responsible for their reception and storage until serological, bacteriological and morphological analyses are complete.

Geneva Switzerland Eye Bank HUG — Images plastic flask above, and Biologist provided by HUG Communications Department

The Geneva cornea bank is important – a quick look at some numbers …

Corneal transplantation, also known as corneal grafting or Keratoplasty is one of the most performed transplantation operations in the world. Over 100’000 interventions happen every year. In Switzerland, the number is around 500.

However, we have a cornea shortage in our country, with an estimation of 800 patients awaiting a cornea transplant.

Cornea banks can also be found in Bern, Zurich, Lucerne, Olten and Lausanne. In Geneva, the number of patients awaiting a cornea is estimated to be around 80.

Corneas spend only a short time at the cornea bank, 30 days being the maximum. Once admitted and ready, our challenge is to collaborate with the ophthalmologic surgeons, set priorities and get the precious tissue to the patient who needs it most.

NB: Did you know that corneal transplantations are being practiced since 1887? The physician who performed the first operation was Dr. Arthur von Hippel (1841-1916).

What makes your Geneva Cornea Bank and Laboratory special?

EyeBank CorneaOperation01 — A cornea transplant in progress.

Rules and regulations surrounding all activities of a cornea bank are plentiful and require our utmost attention.

Geneva is a new cornea bank. We came into operation in March 2013 and we apply the most up-to-date scientific knowledge and best practice to both the bank’s infrastructure and related processes. For example, we work in a Clean Room, see next chapter.

All our processes have been certified by Swissmedic, the Swiss agency for the authorisation and supervision of therapeutic products.

Geneva Cornea Bank (BDCG) meets the highest health safety regulations, set by both Swiss and European authorities.

A certified « Clean Room »

Preparation & Storage	Quality Control	Release of the corneal transplant to the surgeons
Working area under laminar flux in Clean Room.	bla bla	bla bla

Images provided by HUG Communications Department.

Our laboratory in Geneva is the only one in Switzerland to dispose of such a space.

A Clean Room, in French “Salle Blanche”, is a well-defined area where key parameters such as temperature, humidity and pressure are constantly maintained at pre-determined levels – hence preventing environmental contamination.

This will no doubt change in future, as regulations evolve and the availability of a Clean Room becomes mandatory.

At present, our certified Clean Room reinforces Geneva University Hospital’s (HUG) reputation for excellence, and gives us a powerful strategic advantage.

What made you sign a partnership with NV Logistics?

As you’ve seen in the previous passages, the field we operate in is delicate and highly regulated. An absolute must is certification by Swissmedic, Switzerland’s regulation body.

We could not possibly implement the best of all processes internally (the procedures that define how corneas enter our Cornea Bank) and then fail when we release and distribute (transport) the tissue to its final destination.

We must work with Swissmedic predefined procedures and regulations at EVERY STEP of the process.

NVLogistics, and more specifically Vital Logistics, their biological and pharmaceutical transport division – are currently the only independent transporter in the French part of Switzerland to be Swissmedic certified.

This key factor, combined with their excellent reputation, made it easy for us to select NVLogistics as our preferred shipper and partner for the Cornea Bank project.

With NV Logistics we’re worry-free.

As previously stated, we operate with full certification at all levels of our supply chain and as such, we only collaborate with organisations who are Swissmedic certified.

A transporter such as certified NV Logistics is able to provide us with all the authorizations necessary – Swiss and European – to transport our corneas within Switzerland and Europe.

The transporter with whom we partner must be able to implement existing protocols & regulations regarding temperature, time, traceability and specific packaging.

Let’s take « Packaging » as an example.

NV Logistic’s advice has been precious. Our many open and stimulating discussions culminated in a customised packaging solution which fulfils our very specific needs.

Corneas are immersed in a biological solution which ensures their conservation. Maintaining the solution at pre-defined and constant temperate levels is essential for keeping the tissue at its optimum state.

We achieve this with a Triple Layer System for packaging and a fleet of vehicles which are equipped to maintain temperatures at requested levels.

The photo here below shows the various components:

The primary receptacle: Sealed plastic flask (packed in a leak proof plastic bag).
The secondary receptacle: a sealed pot.
The tertiary receptacle: an aluminium-clad thermo protection box.

Do you work exclusively on Swiss territory?

Since going operational in March 2013, the majority of cornea shipments occurs on Swiss territory.

As far as Europe, we maintain close collaboration with the Tissue & Cell Bank of the Lyon Civil Hospices – Les Hospices civiles de Lyon (HCL) – with whom we’ve signed an Interbank Convention.

In case of an emergency, we can exchange matching corneas. Having a transporter who can handle international transport immediately and with all necessary certification is obviously a great advantage for all concerned.

Additional resources

The HUG Press Release (in French) announcing the opening of the Geneva Cornea Bank (April 2013).

This interview was conducted by Piero Zappaterra while a student at HES So.
Piero is candidate for an MscBA in Orientation Management and Service Engineering.

Images under Creative Commons Licence:

The schematic diagram of the human eye with thanks to Mikael Häggström
The Cornea Transplant image was generously provided by Obis International (via Flickr)
Office picture (via Kinnarps)

How to store medicaments at home. Six safety tips to stay healthy.

17 septembre 2015 by Thierry Moreno

Many top notch professionals care (a lot) about your wellbeing.

.
Picture Dan the famous professor and his ravishing team of young women and men PhD’s. They mobilised their intellectual powers during 8 long years to develop a new and highly effective medication that brings much relief to patients who suffer from acute asthma.
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Meet Sandra, a Swissmedic administration officer. A lady who dedicates her professional life to making sure that processes and procedures are in place so that a medicament – and its users – are safe throughout the supply chain: from the science lab to the packaged product on the Pharmacy’s shelf..
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And last but not least, think of Karl who is like a mother hen when it comes to making sure that his warehouse is preserving thousands of packages of medication at the exact right temperature, so that the cold chain is never interrupted.
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So why do most of us common mortals store our pills just any old way?

It’s not that we’re bad, it’s just that we don’t know!

This article lists 6 important NO NO’s related to storing medicaments. A quick but attentive read gives you and your family the best protection for getting well safely.

So, here goes:

1. Don’t store your medication in your bathroom. Humidity is a power killer!

2. Don’t leave your pills on the backshelf of your car, even if it’s a handy place right now. Direct light gives bad vibes to medicaments!

3. Don’t store pills in your vehicule’s glove box although it may be a neat storage place. And don’t hide them away at a seemingly convenient location, such as a cupboard outside on your balcony. Excessive heat and freezing alters your medication’s properties.

4. Don’t ever leave pills lying around on coffee tables. Put them out of reach of little agile fingers! You never know when the neighbour’s little Fritzli zooms in for a short visit, or when the grand-children turn up unexpectedly. Make sure you store all your family’s medicaments at the same (safe) place.

5. Don’t forget to read the label provided by the manufacturer. Make sure you don’t interrupt the cold chain if your medication needs to be kept cold. This means that – once collected at the Pharmacy – you must not let pass too many hours before storing it in the fridge. Check carefully whether you need to observe a specific temperature range.

6. Don’t leave a cotton plug in a medicine bottle. This can draw moisture into the container.

And whilst we are into Dont’s, let’s give ourselves a real fright with the grapefruit story!

The strange “grapefruit effect” was first discovered entirely by accident.

Here is an extract of an article published on the topic by the Smithsonian Magazine (March 2012).

« As part of a 1989 study, scientists at London’s Victoria Hospital were attempting to discover whether ethanol—the molecule responsible for the intoxicating effects of alcoholic drinks—could negatively interact with a drug called felodipine, developed to treat high blood pressure.

They happened to use grapefruit juice to mask the taste of the alcohol, and discovered unexpectedly high levels of the drug in the blood. After further investigation, they realized it wasn’t the alcohol causing the surge—it was the grapefruit. »

In a nutshell: Don’t swallow a pill together with a glass of grapefruit juice. Doing so has (for some medicaments) a booster effect and can be like taking 20 tablets.

Please watch this 2 minute video from the US Food and Drug administration and if you still don’t believe that this is possible, google “grapefruit and drug warnings”. All (and more) will be revealed!

An ode to dedicated professionals.

When we are in incredible pain and a medicament miraculously brings relief, let’s have a quick and grateful thought for Dan, Sandra and Karl who – throughout the supply chain of a medicament’s life – contribute to our wellbeing and safety.

Stay healthy!

Disclaimer:

Whilst we strive to make our articles and tutorials as accurate as possible, NV Logistics SA cannot be held responsible for any advice we give, and changes in rules & regulations initiated by various worldwide organisations, including governments and others.

Shipping to the Antarctic.

29 juin 2015 by Tobias Magalhaes

Is NV Logistics a Lonely Planet?

Definitely not. NV Logistics is never lonely, and the whole planet is its playground!

We have been known to fly giant screens from China to Geneva for singer and rapper Stromae, or mindfully drive precious corneas from Geneva University Hospital’s (HUG) Cornea Bank to a doctor’s operation table.

But it’s not every day that one gets involved with shipping to the Antarctic!

And yet, as a partner of the Norwegian Polar Institute, the Norwegian charter company Aircontact and the Swiss operator PrivatAir, this is exactly what we did 4 times, between November 2014 and March 2015.

Destination: Troll Station, Antarctica.

Source: Wikipedia

Position: S 72°, 01′ – E 02°32′
The Troll Research Station is located 235 kilometers from the coast in the eastern part of Princess Martha Coast, in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. It is at 1275 m above sea level.

Pictures speak louder than words.

If you want to skip the pictures and discover the story, click here.

Photos by Sven Lidstrom of Norwegian Polar Institute.

Troll revealed.

Troll is the Norwegian research station in Antarctica. It was constructed to perform meteorological observations, radiation measurement, including UV radiation, and field research programmes on glaciology, biology and physics.

Transporting people and equipment to the station has been a challenge ever since the station was built during 1989-90 as a 100 m2 light construction. At that time, it was little better than a small summer house. It was then only open in the southern summer, from November to February.

During winter, the temperatures go as low as -60 °C, and wind speeds are up to 60m a second!

In 2005, the station was modernised and made bigger, ready to accommodate research teams all year round.

And the transportation to and from Troll was finally simplified, by clearing the “troll airfield”, a 3000m long landing strip of blue ice.

Adding the airstrip was a milestone. Until 2005, all transport happened by sea and by ship: from South Africa to the ice edge in Antarctica. Then people and equipment were taken by weasels (snow mobiles) on a rigorous, time-consuming route 235-280 km across the ice, over crevasses and climbing a total of nearly 1300m before finally reaching Troll.

A mission awarded to NV Logistics.

We were given the responsibility of acting as the Geneva central collection and storage point for scientific equipment which was sent to us from suppliers in northern Europe.

Our company was also in charge of the critical mission of managing the inventory, ensuring that everything was in order and ready for the unusual (and costly) charter flight to Troll, executed by PrivatAir out of Geneva.

Equipment included computers, thermic clothing, rucksacks and other such gear, as well as ice drilling machinery.

A first in 2012. Flying a Boeing 737 to Troll.

The very first such flight is relatively recent. It took place on November 28th 2012 and required over a year of preparation. Objective: safe landing and take off on blue ice (no breaking allowed!). Click here to watch the video and read the story, published by the Norwegian charter company Air Contact.

Now a regular service!

Since then, using jets to fly equipment to Troll Station has become a regular scheduled service out of Geneva. And we’re proud to be a part of this amazing adventure!

About Antarctica.

Antarctica is a continent, and Earth’s southernmost at that. It contains the geographic South Pole and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Its area is 14’000’000 km², for comparison: nearly twice the size of Australia.

About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice that averages 1.9 kilometres (1.2 miles) in thickness. The continent is the coldest and driest on earth, with an average height above sea level of approx. 2,500 meters.

It is considered a desert, with annual precipitation of only 200 mm (8 inches) along the coast, and far less inland. The temperature in Antarctica has reached −89 °C (−129 °F).

There are no permanent human residents, but anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people reside throughout the year at the research stations scattered across the continent.

Organisms native to Antarctica include many types of algae, bacteria, fungi, plants, protista, and certain animals, such as mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades. Vegetation, where it occurs, is tundra.

Airmail envelope in header kindly offered via
Flickr by Kimberly Hopkins under Creative Commons License.

Une livraison « critique » sur le circuit F1 de Barcelone

4 mai 2015 by Thierry Moreno

Sur instructions de DOT DeliveredOnTime notre partenaire pour la logistique évènementielle dans les sports motorisés, NV Logistics a livré ce dimanche matin une pièce vitale destinée au complexe TV du circuit F1 de Montmelo à Barcelone. Cette livraison permettra ainsi la retransmission mondiale du Grand Prix F1 d’Espagne qui se déroulera durant le weekend du 8 au 10 mai prochain.

Pour vos livraisons urgentes, comptez-sur notre service « Critical Logistics » plutôt que sur la chance !

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