Feasibility of Implementing the Integrated Model of Biological Ethics and Strategic Intelligence: From Theory to Practice

Background and Aim: Organizations need reliable and robust strategies to survive and thrive in an unstable environment. Many authors believe that knowledge is the most important input to the process of strategy formulation, implementation and evaluation. As such, it is important to know how to collect, analyze and process the knowledge required. The purpose of this paper is to design a strategic intelligence process model at the organizational analysis level. Materials and Methods: The textual data of this study were collected in English and Persian through the databases of EBSCO, Google Scholar and Iran Doc. Findings: The findings of the study showed that the process of strategic intelligence for the experts in the state banking industry consists of eight stages. The two stages of "need determination" and "planning and organization" are process drivers, which through the "information gathering" phase lead to the following steps: "Purifying and storing useful information", "information analysis", "production Intelligence", "Distributing Intelligence and Ethics" and "Using Intelligence and Feedback". Conclusion: The results of this study provide insights into the implementation of the strategic intelligence process in organizations and evaluate its effectiveness. Because decision-making patterns follow value systems, these value systems give different ratings to different decisions and when referring to the system when a person, or social organization, faces multiple decisions at the same time. Governing value selects decisions that, overall, gain a higher rank in the accepted value system and those are decisions that ensure the utility of the individual or the social system. Therefore, mere review of policies, plans and operational plans (strategic levels) in strategic environmental assessment will not suffice in terms of their compliance with environmental criteria, as they may at some stage need to "formulate" the plan and its implementation is made; irreversible decisions are made that require a lot of costs to reform.   Please cite this article as: Abbaspour A, AmirKhani AH, Pourezzat AA, Hozoori MJ. Feasibility of Implementing the Integrated Model of Biological Ethics and Strategic Intelligence: From Theory to Practice. Bioethics Journal, Special Issue on Bioethics and Citizenship Rights 2020; 81-103.زمینه و هدف: سازمان‌ها برای بقا و موفقیت در محیطی بی‌ثبات و آشفته، نیازمند استراتژی‌هایی قابل اطمینان و استوار هستند. مؤلفان زیادی بر این باورند که دانش، مهم‌ترین ورودی فرایند تدوین، اجرا و ارزیابی استراتژی‌ است. به این ترتیب دانستن چگونگی گردآوری، تحلیل و پردازش دانش مورد نیاز، اهمیت یافته است. هدف این مقاله طراحی مدل فرایندی هوش استراتژیک و اصول اخلاقی در سطح تحلیل سازمانی است. مواد و روش‌ها: داده‌های متنی این تحقیق به زبان‌های انگلیسی و فارسی و از طریق پایگاه داده‌های ای.بی.اس.سی.او (EBSCO)، گوگل محقق (Google Scholar) و ایران داک گردآوری شده است. یافته‌ها: یافته‌های تحقیق نشان دادند که فرایند هوش استراتژیک از نظر خبرگان صنعت بانکداری دولتی از هشت مرحله تشکیل شده است. دو مرحله «تعیین نیاز» و «برنامه‌ریزی و سازماندهی»، پیشران‌های فرایند هستند که از طریق مرحله «گردآوری اطلاعات» منجر به شروع مراحل وابسته به شرح ذیل می‌شوند: «تصفیه و انبارش اطلاعات مفید»، «تحلیل اطلاعات»، «تولید هوش»، «توزیع هوش و اصول اخلاقی» و «کاربرد هوش و بازخورگیری». نتیجه‌گیری: نتایج این تحقیق بینشی را برای پیاده‌سازی فرایند هوش استراتژیک در سازمان‌ها و ارزیابی اثربخشی آن، فراهم می‌کند. به دلیل این‌که الگوهای تصمیم‌گیری از نظام‌های ارزشی پیروی می‌كنند، این نظام‌های ارزشی، به تصمیمات مختلف، رتبه‌های متفاوتی می‌دهند و هنگامی كه یك فرد، یا سازمان اجتماعی با چند تصمیم به طور هم‌زمان مواجه باشد، با مراجعه به نظام ارزشی حاكم، تصمیماتی را انتخاب می‌کند كه در مجموع، رتبه بیشتری در نظام ارزشی پذیرفته‌شده كسب كند و آن‌ها، تصمیماتی هستند كه مطلوبیت آن فرد و یا نظام اجتماعی را تأمین می‌نمایند. بنابراین صرف بررسی خط مشی‌ها، طرح‌ها و برنامه‌های عملیاتی (سطوح راهبردی) در ارزیابی راهبردی محیطی، به لحاظ تطابق‌پذیری آن‌ها با معیارهای محیط زیستی كفایت نمی‌كند، زیرا ممكن است در مرحله‌ای كه باید در مورد ضرورت «تدوین» طرح و اجرای آن تصمیم‌گیری شود، تصمیمات غیر قابل برگشتی گرفته شود كه اصلاح آن‌ها مستلزم هزینه‌های بسیار می‌باشد

Evaluation of the Effects of Low Level Laser Therapy on the Healing Process After Skin Graft Surgery in Burned Patients (A Randomized Clinical Trial)

Background: Skin graft is standard therapeutic technique in patients with deep ulcers but as every surgical procedure has complications. Although several modern dressings are available to enhance comfort of donor site, using techniques that accelerate wound healing may enhance patient’s satisfaction.Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) has been used in several medical fields, especially for wound healing but for treating large ulcers, it may last several months to heal completely.Materials and Methods: The protocols and informed consent were reviewed according to Medical Ethics Board of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (IR.SBMU.REC.1394.363) and Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT2016020226069N2). Nine patients with bilateral similar grade 3 burn ulcer in both hands or both feet, candidate for Split Thickness Skin Graft (STSG) were selected. One side was selected for laser irradiation and the other side as control, randomly. Laser area was irradiated by red, 655 nm laser light, 150 mW, 2 J/Cm2 for the bed of the ulcer and infra red 808 nm laser light, 200 mW for the margins, every day for 7 days.Results: The rate of wound dehiscence after skin graft surgery was significantly lower in laser treated group in comparison to control group which received only classic dressing (P=0.019).Discussion: In the present study for the first time we evaluate the effects of LLLT on the healing process of skin grafted area in burn patients. The results showed LLLT is a safe effective method which improves graft survival and wound healing process and decreases the rate of wound dehiscence in patients with deep burn ulcer

SWI/SNF complex, promising target in melanoma therapy: Snapshot view

Therapeutic strategies based on epigenetic regulators are rapidly increasing in light of recent advances in discovering the role of epigenetic factors in response and sensitivity to therapy. Although loss-of-function mutations in genes encoding the SWItch/Sucrose NonFermentable (SWI/SNF) subunits play an important role in the occurrence of ~34% of melanomas, the potential of using inhibitors and synthetic lethality interactions between key subunits of the complex that play an important role in melanoma progression must be considered. Here, we discuss the importance of the clinical application of SWI/SNF subunits as a promising potential therapeutic in melanoma

Fractional CO2 Laser Versus Microneedling Combined with Narrowband Ultraviolet and Topical Steroid for Treating Non-Segmental Vitiligo in Treatment-Resistant Localizations: A Comparative Randomized Clinical Trial Study: Enhancing vitiligo treatment with new promising approaches

Introduction: Vitiligo poses a significant challenge, particularly in treatment-resistant areas such as acral regions. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of combining fractional CO2 laser and microneedling with conventional therapies for non-segmental vitiligo in resistant areas.Methods: A randomized clinical trial with a paired design was conducted on 84 individuals with non-segmental vitiligo and treatment-resistant lesions. Participants in two separate groups received various combinations of interventions, including narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) and topical steroid (Clobetasol ointment) as conventional treatments, with fractional CO2 laser or microneedling as add-ons for four symmetrical treatment-resistant lesions. The treatment duration was 16 weeks, followed by observation until six months post-intervention for each patient, and it focused on assessing the percentage of repigmentation, safety, patient satisfaction, and potential adverse effects.Results: The results of the study revealed a significant difference in average efficacy, with treatments involving fractional CO2 laser and microneedling compared with other interventions without them showing a higher percentage of repigmentation. No notable distinction in repigmentation patterns was observed, except for slightly higher marginal repigmentation with microneedling. Side effects, including pain, burning sensation, and erythema, were more frequent, with no significant difference between the groups. Itching and crusting had a substantial difference in the two groups. Patient satisfaction levels were comparable, with the first group slightly more than the second.Conclusion: In conclusion, combining NB-UVB and topical steroid therapies with the fractional CO2 laser or microneedling seems to be effective for vitiligo treatment in resistant areas. Attention to variations in patients’ characteristics and specific body locations is necessary when applying these modalities. This study provides valuable insights into novel approaches to managing vitiligo and highlights the potential benefits of these innovative treatments in combination with conventional therapy

Design and evaluation of a skin-on-a-chip pumpless microfluidic device

Abstract The development of microfluidic culture technology facilitates the progress of study of cell and tissue biology. This technology expands the understanding of pathological and physiological changes. A skin chip, as in vitro model, consisting of normal skin tissue with epidermis and dermis layer (full thickness) was developed. Polydimethylsiloxane microchannels with a fed-batched controlled perfusion feeding system were used to create a full-thick ex-vivo human skin on-chip model. The design of a novel skin-on-a-chip model was reported, in which the microchannel structures mimic the architecture of the realistic vascular network as nutrients transporter to the skin layers. Viabilities of full-thick skin samples cultured on the microbioreactor and traditional tissue culture plate revealed that a precise controlled condition provided by the microfluidic enhanced tissue viability at least for seven days. Several advantages in skin sample features under micro-scale-controlled conditions were found such as skin mechanical strength, water adsorption, skin morphology, gene expression, and biopsy longevity. This model can provide an in vitro environment for localizing drug delivery and transdermal drug diffusion studies. The skin on the chip can be a valuable in vitro model for representing the interaction between drugs and skin tissue and a realistic platform for evaluating skin reaction to pharmaceutical materials and cosmetic products

A rapid sonication based method for preparation of stromal vascular fraction and mesenchymal stem cells from fat tissue

Introduction: Much attention has been paid to the idea of cell therapy using stem cells from different sources of the body. Fat-derived stem cells that are called adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) from stromal vascular fraction (SVF) are the subject of many studies in several cell therapy clinical trials. Despite production of some GMP-grade enzymes to isolate SVF for clinical trials, there are critical conditions like inconsistency in lot-to-lot enzyme activity, endotoxin residues, other protease activities and cleavage of some cell surface markers which significantly narrow the options. So we decided to develop a new method via sonication cavitation to homogenize fat tissue and disrupt partially adipose cells to obtain SVF and finally ADSCs at a minimum of time and expenses. Methods: The fat tissue was chopped in a sterile condition by a blender mixer and then sonicated for 2 s before centrifugation. The next steps were performed as the regular methods of SVF harvesting, and then it was characterized using flow cytometry. Results: Analysis of the surface markers of the cells revealed similar sets of surface antigens. The cells showed slightly high expression of CD34, CD73 and CD105. The differentiation capacity of these cells indicates that multipotent properties of the cells are not compromised after sonication. But we had the less osteogenic potential of cells when compared with the enzymatic method. Conclusion: The current protocol based on the sonication-mediated cavitation is a rapid, safe and cost-effective method, which is proposed for isolation of SVF and of course ADSCs cultures in a large scale for the clinical trials or therapeutic purposes

Analysis of a New Asymmetric Biased-Flux Operation for an Inter-Modular Permanent Magnet Motor

Net zero and electrification targets are continuing to enforce a need for the development of high-performance electrical machines, increasingly based on the use of rare earth permanent magnets. Biased flux motors have the potential to overcome some of the disadvantages associated with more conventional electrical machines. Since their introduction, there has been a consistent trend towards new and improved topologies, all relying on the same principles of operation. In this paper, a new alternative operation is proposed where the magnetic flux density offset of each module is different. The resulting asymmetric biased excitations of the magnets leads to a flux concentration in the air gap. Placement of magnets in the slot-opening area is shown to produce a higher average torque at a higher power factor. It is mathematically shown that the conventional methods used to investigate the effect of each group of magnets separately cannot be used for the explanation of this operation principle. Therefore, it is necessary to simultaneously consider both groups of magnets in the magnetic equivalent circuit. Due to the use of magnets in these motors, thermal conditions are also investigated. Finally, a comprehensive comparison between several stator-situated-magnet motors is presented. The performance of the proposed motor is improved in terms of average torque, torque density, PM torque density, power factor, and overload capability. The torque density specifically has increased by 9%. Moreover, both motors have suitable thermal behaviour which confirms the validity of the demagnetization analysis

Rejuvenation of facial skin and improvement in the dermal architecture by transplantation of autologous stromal vascular fraction: a clinical study

Introduction: The rejuvenation characteristics of fat tissue grafting has been established for many years. Recently it has been shown that stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of fat tissue contributes to its rejuvenation properties. As the SVF is a minimal processed cell population (based on FDA guidance), therefore it is a suitable cell therapy for skin rejuvenation. This clinical trial was aimed to evaluate the ultrastructural improvement of aging skin in the facial nasolabial region after transplantation of autologous SVF. Methods: Our study was conducted in 16 patients aged between 38 and 56 years old that were interested in face lifting at first. All of the cases underwent the lipoaspiration procedure from the abdomen for sampling of fat tissue. Quickly, the SVF was harvested from 100 mL of harvested fat tissue and then transplanted at dose of 2.0×107 nucleated cells in each nasolabial fold. The changes in the skin were evaluated using Visioface scanner, skin-scanner DUB, Visioline, and Cutometer with multi probe adopter. Results: By administration of autologous SVF, the elasticity and density of skin were improved significantly. There were no changes in the epidermis density in scanner results, but we noticed a significant increase in the dermis density and also its thickness with enrichment in the vascular bed of the hypodermis. The score of Visioface scanner showed slight changes in wrinkle scores. The endothelial cells and mesenchymal progenitors from the SVF were found to chang the architecture of the skin slightly, but there was not obvious phenotypic changes in the nasolabial grooves. Conclusion: The current clinical trial showed the modification of dermis region and its microvascular bed, but no changes in the density of the epidermis. Our data represent the rejuvenation process of facial skin by improving the dermal architecture

Prevention of pregnancy complications in iran following implementing a national educational program.

Objective:To determine the impact of a national intervention program on some pregnancy complications in Iran. Materials and methods: this multicenter study was conducted in governmental sector in 14 provinces in Iran between 2003 and 2005. Intervention included education of all maternal health care providers including gynecologists, general physicians, and midwifes in the governmental sector. Time interval between the pre- (of 3,978 and 3,958 pregnancies) and post- (3,958 pregnancies) measurements were 18 months. Self reported data on pregnancy complications were registered. Interviews were conducted by trained personnel. Participants were interviewed when admitted for delivery or at the time attending for vaccination of their 2 month infants. Results:The following pregnancy complications were reduced significantly as compared to before intervention: 1) bleeding or spotting, 2) urinary tract complications, 3) blurred vision and severe headache, 4) premature labor pain, 5) anemia, 6) severe vomiting, 7) inappropriate weight gain, 8) endometritis, 9) urinary incontinence, 10) breast abscess or mastitis, 11) wound infection, and 12) bleeding was significantly reduced after intervention, compared to before intervention. Premature rupture of membrane showed a significant increase. These complications did not show a significant change: 1) hypertension, 2) fever and chills, 3) convulsion, shock, and loss of consciousness, and 4) obstetric fistula. Conclusion:National programs may be proved to be largely effective by decreasing some of the pregnancy complications in developing countries