Effects of Acupuncture Treatment on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is an imbalance of endocrine hormones with a group of symptoms that occur in the reproductive age of females. It is diagnosed by androgen excess and ovarian dysfunction. Many pharmacological-based drugs and treatments are available, however, the effectiveness of existing therapies is less. Yet no cure for PCOS, but symptoms can be managed with medications and lifestyle modifications. Hence, an alternative treatment method is needed for a complete cure. Currently, much clinical evidence has revealed that Acupuncture (AP) and Electro-acupuncture treatment (EAT) are effective treatments for regulating reproductive hormone levels, normalizing testosterone, reducing ovarian cysts, enhancing ovulation, and weakening insulin resistance in normal and obese women with PCOS. Further, β-endorphin has a more crucial role in PCO, AP, or EAT, which may alter the formation of β-endorphin. The mechanism of AP and EAT for PCOS has not been widely reviewed so far. A good understanding of the AP and EAT would be helpful in women with PCOS. This chapter aimed to overview the probable mechanisms and experimental evidence-based data of acupuncture treatment on PCOS in animal models and human patients. We hope that the chapter study will contribute to a better understanding of the PCOS and AP treatment

1,7,8,9,10,10-Hexachloro-4-(thio­phen-2-ylmeth­yl)-4-aza­tricyclo­[5.2.1.02,6]dec-8-ene-3,5-dione

In the title compound, C14H7Cl6NO2S, the six-membered ring of the aza­tricyclo system has a boat conformation whereas the five-membered rings have an envelope conformation. The thio­phene ring and the ring of the succinimide moiety enclose a dihedral angle of 67.2 (1)°. The crystal packing is stabilized by weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

1,7,8,9,10,10-Hexachloro-4-(2-phenyl­eth­yl)-4-aza­tricyclo­[5.2.1.02,6]dec-8-ene-3,5-dione

In the title compound, C17H11Cl6NO2, the six-membered ring of the norbornene moiety adopts a boat conformation whereas the two five-membered rings adopt envelope conformations. The phenyl ring and the ring of the succinimide moiety are almost coplanar [dihedral angle = 7.44 (14)°]. The crystal packing is stabilized by a weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bond

Collaborative closed-loop supply chain framework for sustainable manufacturing: Evidence from the Indian packaging industry

Businesses reeling from the impact of COVID are struggling to achieve sustainability, amidst many other challenges, including finance and capacity shortfalls. One of the pathways to achieving 3BL in businesses is to create closed-loop supply chains (CLSC) covering the entire lifecycle of products. CLSC have proven to be important for sustainable supply chain (SC) operations, given the shortage of materials and labour globally following the COVID-19 pandemic. While it is widely acknowledged that the success of CLSC depends on successful collaboration between SC members, factors for successful CLSC collaboration are not sufficiently understood from the literature. Employing an observation-based case study and a survey of SC members, we develop our contribution in the context of an Indian packaging company, to delineate and verify a collaborative CLSC framework. The results confirm that the success of CLSC collaboration lies in the involvement and commitment of SC members. Collaboration for forward and reverse SC operations also facilitate the involvement of SC members in CLSC collaborations. Our research suggests that SC collaborations are enhanced by explicit incentive-sharing schemes and having the same SC members for both forward and reverse SC operations

Green supply chain practices and environmental performance in Brazil: Survey, case studies, and implications for B2B

This article examines whether or not customers cooperate in organisations' environmental performance, in what circumstances it happens; and how customers can collaborate with organisations in order to they improve their environmental performance. This research uses both the Ecological Modernisation (EM) and the Resource Dependence Theory (RDT) to analyse the effects of external Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices, namely, ‘Cooperation with Customers’ (CC) and ‘Green Purchasing’ (GP) on the Environmental Performance (EP) of organisations. A multi-method research is used, combining a survey and multiple-case studies of Brazilian organisations. The main results and contributions of this research include: (a) the Brazilian setting, in the context of EM, provides incentives for adopting GSCM practices, especially CC practices; (b) Brazilian organisations depend more on customers than on suppliers to improve EP; and (c) an original matrix for a better understanding of the roles of suppliers and customers to achieve a better EP through a GSCM approach is proposed. This paper provides an extension to EM and RDT theories applied to green operations management by showing that external GSCM can improve EP and such process depends more on CC than GP. Implications for B2B are highlighted. © 2017 Elsevier Inc