Integrated FAHP, ARAS-F and MSGP methods for green supplier evaluation and selection

In recent years, determining the best supplier in the green supply chain has become a key strategic task for a firm. Since the decision usually involves several objectives or criteria, the green supplier selection process is a fuzzy multiple criteria decision-making (FMCDM) problem. Considering both qualitative and quantitative criteria, this study proposes new integrated fuzzy techniques for fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), fuzzy additive ratio assessment (ARASF) and multi-segment goal programming (MSGP) approach to solve the green supplier selection problems. The advantage of this method is that it allows decision makers to set multiple segment aspiration levels for green supplier selection problems. The integrated model is illustrated by an example in a watch firm. First published online: 03 Nov 201

Enumerasi Total Populasi Mikroba Tanah Gambut Di Teluk Meranti Kabupaten Riau

Teluk Meranti is one of the peatland area in Riau province. Most of these lands have beenchanged into palm oil plantation, timber plantation, agricultural area and settlement. Theaim of this research was to analyze the impact of land use changes on soil physical-chemical characteristics and microbial cell number. Soil samples were taken from eightdifferent locations, namely primary forest as control, secondary forest, rubber plantation(15 monthsyears old), rubber forest (40-60 years old), palm oil plantation (7-8 years old),acacia plantation (2-3 years old), corn field, and cassava field. Microbial cell number wasdetermined by spread plate method, employing appropriate media for the growth ofbacteria, fungi and actinomycetes. The results showed that the soil humidity, soiltemperature, percentage of soil dry weight, water content, soil bulk density and pH rangedfrom 29,63-55,88%, 27-31,5 o C, 14,9-35,5%, 64,9-85,1%, 0,16-0,39 g/cm 3 and 3,63-4,00,respectively. The copiotrophic bacterial cell number ranged from 0,6x10 5 -1,8x10 5 CFU/gsoil where the highest population was at the palm oil plantation,whereas the oligotrophicbacterial cell number ranged from 0,5x10 5 -1,4x10 5 CFU/g soil where the highest populationwas at the palm oil plantation. The population of fungi ranged from 0,4x10 5 -1,0x10 5 CFU/gsoil where the highest population was at the corn field. The population of actinomycetesranged from 0,4x10 5 -10,7x10 5 CFU/g soil where the highest population was at the palm oilplantation. Land use changes caused microbial cell number increased. The results indicatedthat land use changes influenced the microbial cell numbers

Advantage of laparoscopic surgery in patients with generalized obesity operated for colorectal malignancy: A retrospective cohort study

BackgroundBecause of the progression of minimally invasive surgery skills and obesity in colorectal surgery, we aimed to evaluate the short-term outcomes of colorectal cancer resections in patients with generalized obesity at a single teaching hospital with mature surgical techniques and training programs.MethodsA total of 537 patients were diagnosed with CRC and had a body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 between January 2009 and December 2019 at a single institution. 265 patients underwent open surgery and 272 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery. Data were analysed to explore the independent risk factors for postoperative complications.ResultsThe laparoscopic group had less blood loss (73 ± 128 vs. 148 ± 290 ml, p < 0.001) and a shorter postoperative hospital stay (10.8 ± 17.1 vs. 11.7 ± 6.8 days, p < 0.001) than the open group. The number of harvested lymph nodes did not significantly differ between the two groups (30.9 ± 18.3 vs. 30.2 ± 15.3, p = 0.981). Although anastomotic leakage was significantly higher in the laparoscopic group (1.5% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.030), there were also similar overall postoperative morbidity and mortality rates between the open and laparoscopic groups for CRC patients with generalized obesity who underwent surgery.ConclusionLaparoscopic surgery can reduce blood loss, decrease the length of hospital stay, obtain a similar number of harvested lymph nodes, and achieve an acceptable conversion rate for CRC patients with generalized obesity. We suggest that laparoscopic surgery could become a standard method for CRC treatment in patients with generalized obesity

Polyethylene Glycol Electrolyte Lavage Solution versus Colonic Hydrotherapy for Bowel Preparation before Colonoscopy: A Single Center, Randomized, and Controlled Study

This single center, randomized, and controlled study aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of polyethylene glycol electrolyte lavage (PEG-EL) solution and colonic hydrotherapy (CHT) for bowel preparation before colonoscopy. A total of 196 eligible outpatients scheduled for diagnostic colonoscopy were randomly assigned to the PEG-EL (n=102) or CHT (n=94) groups. Primary outcome measures included colonic cleanliness and adverse effects. Secondary outcome measures were patient satisfaction and preference, colonoscopic findings, ileocecal arrival rate, examiner satisfaction, and cecal intubation time. The results show that PEG-EL group was associated with significantly better colonic cleanliness than CHT group, fewer adverse effects, and increased examiner satisfaction. However, the CHT group had higher patient satisfaction and higher diverticulosis detection rates. Moreover, the results showed the same ileocecal arrival rate and patient preference between the two groups (P>0.05). These findings indicate that PEG-EL is the preferred option in patients who followed the preparation instructions completely

Urinary MicroRNA Profiling in the Nephropathy of Type 1 Diabetes

Background: Patients with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) are particularly vulnerable to development of Diabetic nephropathy (DN) leading to End Stage Renal Disease. Hence a better understanding of the factors affecting kidney disease progression in T1D is urgently needed. In recent years microRNAs have emerged as important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in many different health conditions. We hypothesized that urinary microRNA profile of patients will differ in the different stages of diabetic renal disease. Methods and Findings: We studied urine microRNA profiles with qPCR in 40 T1D with >20 year follow up 10 who never developed renal disease (N) matched against 10 patients who went on to develop overt nephropathy (DN), 10 patients with intermittent microalbuminuria (IMA) matched against 10 patients with persistent (PMA) microalbuminuria. A Bayesian procedure was used to normalize and convert raw signals to expression ratios. We applied formal statistical techniques to translate fold changes to profiles of microRNA targets which were then used to make inferences about biological pathways in the Gene Ontology and REACTOME structured vocabularies. A total of 27 microRNAs were found to be present at significantly different levels in different stages of untreated nephropathy. These microRNAs mapped to overlapping pathways pertaining to growth factor signaling and renal fibrosis known to be targeted in diabetic kidney disease. Conclusions: Urinary microRNA profiles differ across the different stages of diabetic nephropathy. Previous work using experimental, clinical chemistry or biopsy samples has demonstrated differential expression of many of these microRNAs in a variety of chronic renal conditions and diabetes. Combining expression ratios of microRNAs with formal inferences about their predicted mRNA targets and associated biological pathways may yield useful markers for early diagnosis and risk stratification of DN in T1D by inferring the alteration of renal molecular processes. © 2013 Argyropoulos et al

The Yuan-Tseh Lee Array for Microwave Background Anisotropy

The Yuan-Tseh Lee Array for Microwave Background Anisotropy (AMiBA) is the first interferometer dedicated to studying the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation at 3mm wavelength. The choice of 3mm was made to minimize the contributions from foreground synchrotron radiation and Galactic dust emission. The initial configuration of seven 0.6m telescopes mounted on a 6-m hexapod platform was dedicated in October 2006 on Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Scientific operations began with the detection of a number of clusters of galaxies via the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. We compare our data with Subaru weak lensing data in order to study the structure of dark matter. We also compare our data with X-ray data in order to derive the Hubble constant.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ (13 pages, 7 figures); a version with high resolution figures available at http://www.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw/~keiichi/upfiles/AMiBA7/pho_highreso.pd