Monitoring and performance analysis of regression profiles

There are many cases in industrial and non-industrial sections where the quality characteristics are in the form of profiles. Profile monitoring is a relatively new set of techniques in statistical quality control that is used in situations where the state of product or process is presented by regression models. In the past few years, most research in the field of profile monitoring has mainly focused on the use of effective statistical charting methods, study of more general shapes of profiles, and the effects of violations of assumptions in profile monitoring. Despite several research on the application of artificial neural networks to statistical quality control, no research has investigated the application of neural networks in monitoring profiles. Likewise, there is no research in the literature on the process capability analysis in profile processes. The process capability analysis is to evaluate the ability of a process to meet the customer/engineering specifications and must be done in Phase I of profile monitoring. In a review study on profile monitoring, Woodall (2007) pointed out the importance of process capability analysis in profiles. In this research, we use artificial neural networks (ANN) to detect and classify shifts in linear profiles. Three monitoring methods based on ANN are developed to monitor linear profiles in Phase II. We compare the results for different shift scenarios with existing methods in linear profile monitoring and discuss the results. Furthermore, in this thesis, we evaluate the estimation of process capability indices (PCIs) in linear profiles. We propose a method based on the relationship between proportions of non-conformance and the process capability indices in the profile process. In most existing profile monitoring methods in the literature, it is assumed that the profile design points are deterministic (fixed) so they are unchanged from one profile to another one. In this research, we investigate the estimation of the PCI in normal linear profiles for different scenarios of deterministic and arbitrary (random) data acquisition schemes as well as fixed or linear functional specification limits. We apply the proposed method in estimating the PCI in a yogurt production process. This thesis also focuses on the investigation of the process capability analysis in profiles with non-normal error terms. In this study, we review the methods for estimating PCI in non-normal data and carry out a comprehensive comparison study to evaluate the performance of these methods. Then these methods are applied in the leukocyte filtering process to evaluate the PCI with effect of non-normality in a blood service section. In addition, we develop a new method based on neural networks to estimate the parameters of the Burr XII distribution, which is required in some of the PCI estimation methods with non-normal environments. Finally, in this research we propose five methods to estimate process capability index in profiles where residuals follow non-normal distributions. In a comparison study using Monte Carlo simulations we evaluate the performance of the proposed methods in terms of their precision and accuracy. We provide conclusions and recommendation for the future research at the end

The Efficacy of Ivabradine of Beta Blockers in Comparison of Atenolol and Metoprolol in Patients with Mitral Stenosis in Sinus Rhythm: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction The Mitral Stenosis is a common disease, which increased heart rate can be a sign of deterioration. Patient heart rate regulation, especially during exercise, is very important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Ivabradine in comparison with Atenolol and Metoprolol beta-blockers by examining Maximum exercise heart rate in patients with Mitral Valve Stenosis. Methods and Results In order to evaluate the efficacy of Ivabradine in comparison with beta-blockers, the systematic search was conducted using PICO keywords in the most important electronic databases, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, CRD, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The articles were selected separately by reviewing the titles, abstract and full text of the articles, and extracting unrelated and repetitive articles by two individuals. Extracting the article information based on the measured outcome of Maximum exercise heart rate was done by two individuals independently.  In cases where there was disagreement, the decision was made by a third person. To evaluate the quality of the articles, the Cochrane tool and the Revman software version 5.3 were used. The I2 index was used to investigate the heterogeneity of the products. The publication bias between studies was evaluated using a Funnel Plot and Egger's Regression Test. The results of the fixed effects model were used to combine the results and the mean difference with 95% confidence interval for the consequences was calculated. This meta-analysis was performed using the Meta Package R software. Finally, four studies entered meta-analysis. The total number of patients treated with Ivabradine and beta-blockers was 128 and 132, respectively. Homogeneity between studies was not significant (I2 = 36%; P-value = 0.20). The results of meta-analysis showed that the difference in mean Max Exercise HR of patients was 3.73, which was statistically significant (Mean Difference = 3.73; 95% CI: 1.52; 5.94; P-value = 0.001). Conclusions The administration of Ivabradine, in contrast to Atenolol and Metoprolol, greatly increases the ability of a person to test exercise, administration of this drug in patients with mitral valve stenosis can lead to a decrease in heart rate, which in turn causes reducing the risk of heart attacks in these patients

Integrando la función de marketing interno y externo para un modelo de marketing de gestión de servicios en Irán

The present study seeks to investigate the effect of internal and external market orientation on financial and nonfinancial performance. It is applicable from objective aspect and descriptive-field from methodological aspect. The data was collected through documentary study and field study including questionnaire. All managers, deputies and experts of firms related to Mashhad Province equal to 2505 were the statistical population of the study during the time period 2018. The sample size was estimated equal to 135 by means of random sampling method. Results of regression test indicated the positive effect of internal and external market orientation on financial and non-financial performance of firms related to Mashhad Province. According to the results, information production, information dissemination and how to respond to internal information have a positive and significant effect on financial and non-financial performance. Similarly, information production, information dissemination and how to respond to external information have a positive and significant effect on financial and non-financial performance.El presente estudio busca investigar el efecto de la orientación del mercado interno y externo sobre el desempeño financiero y no financiero. Es aplicable desde el aspecto objetivo y el campo descriptivo desde el aspecto metodológico. Los datos fueron recolectados a través de estudios documentales y estudios de campo incluyendo cuestionarios. Todos los gerentes, diputados y expertos de empresas relacionadas con la provincia de Mashhad igual a 2505 fueron la población estadística del estudio durante el período 2018. El tamaño de la muestra se estimó igual a 135 mediante un método de muestreo aleatorio. Los resultados de la prueba de regresión indicaron el efecto positivo de la orientación del mercado interno y externo sobre el desempeño financiero y no financiero de las empresas relacionadas con la provincia de Mashhad. Según los resultados, la producción de información, la difusión de información y la forma de responder a la información interna tienen un efecto positivo y significativo en el desempeño financiero y no financiero. Del mismo modo, la producción de información, la difusión de información y cómo responder a la información externa tienen un efecto positivo y significativo en el desempeño financiero y no financiero

The effects of different levels of soybean meal replaced by fish meal on biochemical parameters haemolymph of freshwater crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus)

The present study examined the effects of different levels of plant protein (soybean meal) on biochemical parameters haemolymph of freshwater crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus). For this purpose, the effects of different levels of soybean meal protein including 0%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100% diet on some biochemical parameters and ion haemolymph of freshwater crayfish were evaluated after 60 days of trial. Sampling of 75 samples crayfish with apparently healthy haemolymph was carried out at the end of the testing period. Based on the results, with increasing soybean meal in the diet, the amount of glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, creatinine and total protein had a significant decrease compared to the control group. A significant difference was observed in the amount of serum enzymes activities between control group and the other treatments. The amount of Bun, calcium, and sodium were not significantly different between treatments. Also, the amount of K, Fe and P in the diets containing soybean meal had a significant decrease compared with the control group

Effects of Customer Knowledge Management on Marketing Management and Results: Case Study in Business Companies, FARS

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the impact of customer knowledge management on marketing management and marketing results in Fars business companies. Statistical population of the present research includes 1135 employees and managers of Fars business companies which with using formula, 290 individuals were questioned with random sampling. To collect data, standard questionnaires including Vorhies & Morgan’s (2005) marketing questionnaire, Ling-Yee’s (2005) marketing management questionnaire, Alegri’s (2011) knowledge management questionnaire were used. In order to confirm their reliability, their coefficient Cronbach's alphas are respectively 0.82, 0.79 and 0.88. For data analysis, inferential statistics, Pearson correlation test, Single variable regression, Path analysis and SPSS software version 22 were used. The results showed that there is a positive and meaningful relationship between customer knowledge management, marketing results(efficiency) and marketing management. Also, knowledge management had a positive and significant impact on marketing management and marketing results. Moreover, proposed conceptual model is supported

RF Energy Harvesting Techniques for Battery-less Wireless Sensing, Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things: A Review

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to expand, the demand for the use of energy-efficient circuits and battery-less devices has grown rapidly. Battery-less operation, zero maintenance and sustainability are the desired features of IoT devices in fifth generation (5G) networks and green Industry 4.0 wireless systems. The integration of energy harvesting systems, IoT devices and 5G networks has the potential impact to digitalize and revolutionize various industries such as Industry 4.0, agriculture, food, and healthcare, by enabling real-time data collection and analysis, mitigating maintenance costs, and improving efficiency. Energy harvesting plays a crucial role in envisioning a low-carbon Net Zero future and holds significant political importance. This survey aims at providing a comprehensive review on various energy harvesting techniques including radio frequency (RF), multi-source hybrid and energy harvesting using additive manufacturing technologies. However, special emphasis is given to RF-based energy harvesting methodologies tailored for battery-free wireless sensing, and powering autonomous low-power electronic circuits and IoT devices. The key design challenges and applications of energy harvesting techniques, as well as the future perspective of System on Chip (SoC) implementation, data digitization in Industry 4.0, next-generation IoT devices, and 5G communications are discussed

Immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of probiotics in multiple sclerosis:a systematic review

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory and autoimmune neurological disorder which leads to demyelination. Although the etiology of MS is yet to be known, it appears that regulating the immune system and suppressing inflammatory pathways may possibly have a favorable effect on the healing of this disease. Evidence suggests that probiotics consumption via gut microbiome alteration devises beneficial effects in improving immune and inflammatory responses in MS. All articles were systematically searched (in the main databases) for this paper. Two investigators independently scrutinized full texts of the potentially eligible articles. The quality of the study was evaluated using standardized tools. The methodological quality of seven studies included in this review ranged from fair to good. The findings illustrated that there were statistically significant improvements in the static and dynamic balance in patients and animals with MS. In the paper in hand, the effects of probiotics administration on immune and inflammatory markers in MS disease are evaluated. In addition, the limitations and knowledge gaps were reported while proposing a possible mechanism of probiotics therapy in modulating immune and inflammatory responses. This systematic review indicated that the probiotics could improve immune and inflammatory parameters, the cytokines and cells in MS disease. Probiotics may have efficient effects in management and treatment of MS. More studies are required to clarify the effect of supplementation with probiotics and their mechanisms in MS disease

Durability of the two-lumen catheter in hemodialysis patients; Ethanol 70%-heparin versus cefazolin-heparin: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial study

Introduction: Maintenance of hemodialysis catheters is essential for the patients and medical staff due to their repeated use for hemodialysis and other therapeutic interventions in the hospital. Objectives: This study aimed to comprise the effect of ethanol 70%-heparin versus cefazolin-heparin on the catheter durability time of hemodialysis patients. Patients and Methods: The study population consisted of 73 hemodialysis patients referred to Shahid Mohammadi hospital in Bandar Abbas. Patients were divided into two groups cefazolin (cefazolin 5 mg/dL, and heparin 2500 IU/mL) and ethanol (ethanol 70%, and heparin 2500 IU/mL). In both groups, after each hemodialysis session, 2.9 to 3.3 mL of the locking solution was locked in the catheter lumen and remained until the next session. This intervention was conducted for all patients continuously for five months. The time of catheter durability was calculated from the time of catheter placement in the central vein until the time that it has been taken out according to the doctor’s diagnosis. Data were collected and analyzed by SPSS version 26. Results: Results showed that demographic characteristics, including age, weight, gender, marital status, catheter type, underlying diseases, and dialysis adequacy between the two groups were similar (P>0.05). In the ethanol group, the mean time of the catheter durability was 27.5 days, and in the cefazolin group was 26.98 days. Although the time of the catheter durability was slightly higher in the ethanol group, this difference was not significant (P=0.194). Conclusion: Cefazolin and ethanol 70% did not show a significant difference in the catheter durability time of hemodialysis patients. Trial Registration: The trial protocol was approved by the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20210811052145N1; https://en.irct.ir/trial/58037, ethical code; IR.HUNS.REC.1398.052)

Global systematic review and meta-analysis of health-related quality of life in Behcet’s patients

Background: Behcet’s disease (BD) is a chronic fatal illness with a relapsing remitting nature and significant organ-threatening morbidity and mortality. The aim of this research was to examine studies which were conducted on investigation of prevalence of quality of life among patients with Behcet’s disease. Methods: A total of 13 articles were extracted from four main databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science from the onset of 2000 to January 2021. All studies published in English with the purpose of examining quality of life (QOL) among patients with BD or investigating its main determinants were included. Results: Totally, 1137 BD patients participated in 13 studies. Based on random effect analysis, the total score of physical health-related QOL was 46.7 (95% CI=41.26 to 52.13) and the total score of mental health-related QOL was 49.01 (95% CI=43.83 to 54.18) representing a moderate level of QOL among BD patients. Furthermore, weighted effect size analyses showed a significant correlation between QOL and variables such as patients’ age, gender, disease duration and depression (pvalue: 0.00). Conclusion: As the symptoms of BD worsen over time, patients confront with more severe body pain, mobility restrictions, and difficulties in chewing, eating, speaking and swallowing which negatively affect social interactions of patients and reduce their QOL. Furthermore, depression was proved to act as a deteriorating factor for Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) among BD patients. Thus, patients need to be psychologically supported by a specialized team and be informed during the course of treatment to gain useful information about the disease, treatment approaches and coping strategies

Incidence et causes des blessures par piqûre d'aiguille aux niveaux mondial, régional et national:revue systématique et méta-analyse

Background: Needlestick injuries (NSIs) are one of the most serious occupational hazards for healthcare workers (HCWs). Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and causes of NSIs globally. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of data from January 2000 to May 2020 collected from Scopus, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of the included articles. The data obtained were analysed by R version 3/5/0, and 113 articles were retrieved. Results: There were 113 studies with a total of 525 798 HCWs. The incidence of NSIs was 43%. Africa had the highest rate of these injuries of 51%, and the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region had the highest incidence among WHO regions of 52%. Women were more frequently affected by NSIs than men. Hepatitis C virus infection was the disease most commonly transmitted via NSIs (21%). The highest rates of NSIs according to causes, devices, hospital locations, occupa-tions and procedures were for recapping of needles, needles, general wards, nurses and waste disposal, respectively. Conclusion: The incidence of NSIs is gradually decreasing. The findings of this study can contribute to improving the decision-making process for reducing NSIs in HCWs