Supplier Selection and Evaluation by Fuzzy-AHP Extent Analysis: A Case Study RMG Sector of Bangladesh

The ready-made garments (RMG)is a rapid growing industry in Bangladesh and contributing significantly in the country’s economy. Effective supplier selection policy has significant strategic importance in the performance of such fast moving consumer goods industry. The supplier selection process is essentially a multi-criterion decision making problem which, therefore, must be developed systematically. Many models have been developed and proposed to find optimum solutions of this complex decision-making problem. Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy-AHP), which is a derived extension of classical Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP),is an excellent method for deciding among the complex structure at different levels. In this paper an extent analysis of Fuzzy-AHP has been applied to evaluate and select the best supplier agency providing most satisfaction. The evaluation criteria are developed particularly for an RMG manufacturer in Bangladesh context and used successfully in the proposed model. A detailed implementation process is presented in this paper and finally the best supplier agency has been proposed from the outcome of the model

A Secure Medical Record Sharing Scheme Based on Blockchain and Two-fold Encryption

Usually, a medical record (MR) contains the patients disease-oriented sensitive information. In addition, the MR needs to be shared among different bodies, e.g., diagnostic centres, hospitals, physicians, etc. Hence, retaining the privacy and integrity of MR is crucial. A blockchain based secure MR sharing system can manage these aspects properly. This paper proposes a blockchain based electronic (e-) MR sharing scheme that (i) considers the medical image and the text as the input, (ii) enriches the data privacy through a two-fold encryption mechanism consisting of an asymmetric cryptosystem and the dynamic DNA encoding, (iii) assures data integrity by storing the encrypted e-MR in the distinct block designated for each user in the blockchain, and (iv) eventually, enables authorized entities to regain the e-MR through decryption. Preliminary evaluations, analyses, comparisons with state-of-the-art works, etc., imply the efficacy of the proposed scheme.Comment: 6 pages, 3 tables, 8 figures, ICCIT 202

Orbital Factory II: a 3D Printer CubeSat with Self-repairing Purposes

A spacecraft in orbit might experience undesired events such as electron charges and debris impacts that can damage the solar cells. If this occurs, the Electric Power System of the CubeSat will fail to provide energy to the system, and as a result, the whole Satellite will be unable to keep operating. In 2016, the Center for Space Exploration and Technology Research of UTEP planned to develop a 1U small satellite (commonly termed CubeSat) that will 3D print a conductive trace to repair a damaged solar cell using additive manufacturing techniques. Such a CubeSat was proposed to the United Launch Alliance initiative that would award free rides to space of 1U CubeSats. The UTEP team obtained the first place to be launched to GTO in an Atlas V rocket. The concept is innovative and challenging in several senses: as of May 2018, no University-developed CubeSat has traveled to GTO and face the difficult radiation environment of Van Allen Radiation Belt, and attempting to 3D print in space is challenging due to the reduced gravity, vacuum and extreme temperatures environment. The 3D printer includes three main subsystems, the material dispenser, the gantry table mechanism and the motion controller. This paper describes the development of the 3D printed including the conductive ink material selection, the design of the printer mechanism, the assembly and integration of the components as well as prelaminar tests results

Genetic variation and population structure of spottybelly greenling (Hexagrammos agrammus) in Korean coasts analyzed by DNA markers emphasizing on microsatellites

Two nuclear microsatellite DNA loci along with partial sequences of mitochondrial DNA tRNAPRO-D-loop region were analyzed to assess the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of spottybelly greenling (Hexagrammos agrammus). A total of 85 individuals were investigated from two different locations at the East and the South coasts of Korea which are Imwonjin (IM) and Tongyeong (TN), respectively. In the analysis of genetic diversity, nucleotide diversities were low showing 0.01 whereas haplotype diversities were as high as 0.92 and 0.97 in IM and TN populations, respectively indicating population bottleneck after rapid growth of these populations. No significant genealogical branches or clusters were recognized on the neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree. Pairwise population statistics FST and the exact test of population differentiation from the analysis of microsatellite DNA loci demonstrated no significant genetic difference between two populations investigated in the Korean coasts. In addition, significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and heterozygote deficiencies were found from the microsatellite DNA loci. The results of the study will help to make a plan for fisheries management of the species

Usability and acceptability of a mobile app for behavior change and to improve immunization coverage among children in Pakistan: A mixed-methods study

Background: Pakistan\u27s immunization uptake rates are still significantly lower than anticipated despite several initiatives. Lack of awareness, forgetting about vaccination schedule, and vaccine misconception/misinformation are a few of the major drivers that mitigate the rates of immunization. The current COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes the importance of immunization. The significant reductions in regular childhood vaccination during pandemic have increased the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Concerns among parents over possibly exposing their children to COVID-19 during child visits may have contributed to the reported declines. Innovative and cost-effective mHealth interventions must be implemented in order to address the problem of inadequate immunization rates. In addition, it is also critical to understand the end user needs in order to reflect on the highly relevant essence of the customized healthcare experience.Objective: The aim of this study was to learn about caregivers\u27 attitudes toward the usability and acceptability of behavior-change smartphone applications (mobile phones) for improving immunization coverage in Pakistan.Methods: A mixed-method design was employed for this study. The study was conducted at Aga Khan University, Hospital. Parents visiting the Community Health Center for 6-week vaccination of their children were recruited. The study was conducted in two stages. Stage 1 consisted of qualitative interviews that grasped the parent\u27s attitudes and challenges to immunization, as well as their acceptability and accessibility of the smartphone-based behavior-change application to increase vaccine uptake. Stage 1 was followed by stage 2, in which data were collected through a questionnaire designed by using data from qualitative interviews.Results: The majority of participants agreed that immunization serves an important role in protecting their child from illnesses that cause morbidity and mortality. Almost all of them emphasized the importance of using a pre-appointment method at vaccination center in order to reduce the waiting time. Furthermore, participants were also interested in AI-based behavior modification applications related to immunization. They also wanted to have applications in their native language for better understanding and communication of related information. In our study, approximately 95.2 percent of participants agreed to accept SMS immunization updates, which was also reasonably high. Lastly, the majority of them identified forgetfulness as a significant contributor to regular immunization.Conclusion: To enhance the uptake of childhood vaccines, overall vaccination rates, and overcome barriers related to vaccination coverage, cost-effective and user-friendly mHealth AI-based smart phone applications are required to raise awareness regarding the continuation of vaccination service and the importance of timely vaccination. Parents\u27 experiences and attitudes must be considered while designing and evaluating the efficacy of mHealth-based interventions

Current challenges of digital health interventions in Pakistan: Mixed methods analysis

Background: Digital health is well-positioned in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) to revolutionize health care due, in part, to increasing mobile phone access and internet connectivity. This paper evaluates the underlying factors that can potentially facilitate or hinder the progress of digital health in Pakistan.Objective: The objective of this study is to identify the current digital health projects and studies being carried out in Pakistan, as well as the key stakeholders involved in these initiatives. We aim to follow a mixed-methods strategy and to evaluate these projects and studies through a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis to identify the internal and external factors that can potentially facilitate or hinder the progress of digital health in Pakistan.Methods: This study aims to evaluate digital health projects carried out in the last 5 years in Pakistan with mixed methods. The qualitative and quantitative data obtained from field surveys were categorized according to the World Health Organization\u27s (WHO) recommended building blocks for health systems research, and the data were analyzed using a SWOT analysis strategy.Results: Of the digital health projects carried out in the last 5 years in Pakistan, 51 are studied. Of these projects, 46% (23/51) used technology for conducting research, 30% (15/51) used technology for implementation, and 12% (6/51) used technology for app development. The health domains targeted were general health (23/51, 46%), immunization (13/51, 26%), and diagnostics (5/51, 10%). Smartphones and devices were used in 55% (28/51) of the interventions, and 59% (30/51) of projects included plans for scaling up. Artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) was used in 31% (16/51) of projects, and 74% (38/51) of interventions were being evaluated. The barriers faced by developers during the implementation phase included the populations\u27 inability to use the technology or mobile phones in 21% (11/51) of projects, costs in 16% (8/51) of projects, and privacy concerns in 12% (6/51) of projects.Conclusions: We conclude that while digital health has a promising future in Pakistan, it is still in its infancy at the time of this study. However, due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there is an increase in demand for digital health and implementation of health outcomes following global social distancing protocols, especially in LMICs. Hence, there is a need for active involvement by public and private organizations to regulate, mobilize, and expand the digital health sector for the improvement of health care systems in countries

Respiratory syncytial virus-associated mortality among young infants in Karachi, Pakistan: A prospective postmortem surveillance study

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important cause of infant morbidity and mortality and a potential target for maternal immunization strategies. However, data on the role of RSV in young infant deaths in developing countries are limited.Methods: We conducted a community-based mortality surveillance from August 2018-March 2020 for infants ≤6 months in Karachi, Pakistan. We tested (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) nasopharyngeal swabs from deceased infants for presence of RSV. We performed verbal autopsies and calculated odds of RSV-associated mortality with 95% CIs and used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate associations.Results: We collected 490 nasopharyngeal specimens from 1280 eligible infant deaths. There were 377/490 (76.9%) live births and 14/377 (3.7%; 95% CI: 1.8-5.6) were RSV positive. Most deaths occurred in neonates (254/377; 67.4%), males (226/377; 59.9%), and respiratory illnesses (206/377; 54.6%). Postneonatal age (10/14, 71.4%; OR: 5.5; 95% CI: 1.7-18.0), respiratory symptoms (12/14, 85.7%; OR: 5.2; 1.2-23.7), and high RSV season (9/14, 64.3%; OR: 4.4; 1.4-13.3) were associated with RSV mortality. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, respiratory symptoms (OR: 6.6; 95% CI: 1.3-32.5), RSV seasonality (6.1; 1.8-20.4), and age (9.2; 2.6-33.1) were significant predictors of RSV-associated mortality.Conclusions: RSV has a significant mortality burden in early infancy in Karachi, Pakistan. Age, RSV seasonality, and respiratory symptoms were significant predictors of RSV-associated mortality. Our findings have implications for clinical management of young infants with cold-like symptoms, policy development, and research regarding maternal immunization against RSV during pregnancy, in resource-constrained, low-income, and vaccine-hesitant populations

Post-Harvest Processing, Packaging and Inspection of Frozen Shrimp: A Practical Guide

The book is a practical guide for the various steps in the post-harvest technology of frozen shrimps. Shrimps are one of the most common and popular types of seafood consumed globally. The book discusses some of the most sought-after shrimps such as Penaeus monodon, P. vannamei, and Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Good-quality shrimp is a prerequisite for the seafood business as it is used for human consumption. Lack of proper knowledge in raw materials handling and post-harvest processing is the main obstacle in quality shrimp production. Complex business policy, commitment break in both parties (buyers and sellers), competition with other seafood-producing countries, and fluctuation of currency in international seafood market are the factors affecting international seafood business. This book closes this gap in literature and facilitates the production of excellent-quality exportable frozen shrimp through informed practices from experts. The book includes information about packaging of frozen shrimp, inspection, and shipment. It also compiles different mathematical calculations which are in practiced in the processing industries. The book is essential reading for professionals in the shrimp producing and processing industries. It is also useful for researchers in fisheries science, aquaculture, food technology, and food microbiology

A microbiota-directed food intervention for undernourished children

BACKGROUND: More than 30 million children worldwide have moderate acute malnutrition. Current treatments have limited effectiveness, and much remains unknown about the pathogenesis of this condition. Children with moderate acute malnutrition have perturbed development of their gut microbiota. METHODS: In this study, we provided a microbiota-directed complementary food prototype (MDCF-2) or a ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) to 123 slum-dwelling Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition between the ages of 12 months and 18 months. The supplementation was given twice daily for 3 months, followed by 1 month of monitoring. We obtained weight-for-length, weight-for-age, and length-for-age z scores and mid-upper-arm circumference values at baseline and every 2 weeks during the intervention period and at 4 months. We compared the rate of change of these related phenotypes between baseline and 3 months and between baseline and 4 months. We also measured levels of 4977 proteins in plasma and 209 bacterial taxa in fecal samples. RESULTS: A total of 118 children (59 in each study group) completed the intervention. The rates of change in the weight-for-length and weight-for-age z scores are consistent with a benefit of MDCF-2 on growth over the course of the study, including the 1-month follow-up. Receipt of MDCF-2 was linked to the magnitude of change in levels of 70 plasma proteins and of 21 associated bacterial taxa that were positively correlated with the weight-for-length z score (P\u3c0.001 for comparisons of both protein and bacterial taxa). These proteins included mediators of bone growth and neurodevelopment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide support for MDCF-2 as a dietary supplement for young children with moderate acute malnutrition and provide insight into mechanisms by which this targeted manipulation of microbiota components may be linked to growth. (Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04015999.)