Maternal aerobic running during mid or late gestation improves the quality of oogenesis and folliculogenesis in the ovary of neonatal rats: An experimental study

Background: Regular maternal exercise in pregnancy enhances the physiological, metabolic, and psychological health of mother and fetus. Objective: To determine the effect of maternal aerobic running during mid or late gestation on plasma levels of estrogen and progesterone and the histological alterations in the ovary of neonatal rats. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one female Wistar rats were randomly divided into experimental groups to exercises during the 2nd or 3rd wk of pregnancy (n = 14) and a control group (n = 7). After birth, the neonate’s blood was obtained and the estrogen and progesterone levels were evaluated. The ovaries were then removed and used for histological investigations and apoptic assessment. Results: Higher concentrations of estrogen and progesterone were found in the neonates of the experimental groups (p = 0.001) compared to the control group. The experimental groups had a large ovarian diameter (2nd wk: p = 0.044; 3rd wk: p = 0.005) and angiogenesis (2nd wk: p = 0.003; 3rd wk: p = 0.001). In addition, significant enhancements were seen in the the experimental groups in terms of the number (2nd wk: p = 0.017; p = 0.035) and diameter (2nd wk: p = 0.046; 3rd wk: p = 0.004) of primordial follicles, as well as in the diameter of primary oocytes (2nd wk: p = 0.073; 3rd wk: p = 0.019) compared to the control group. Moreover, rats that exercised had a lower number of apoptotic primordial follicles than the control group (2nd wk: p = 0.001; 3rd wk: p = 0.001). Conclusion: It was shown that maternal aerobic running can lead to increased plasma levels of estrogen and progesterone, also improved histological characteristics of the ovary in neonatal rats. Key words: Apoptosis, Exercise, Neonatal, Oogenesis, Ovary, Rat

Innovation Strategy Based on Industry 4.0 and Digital Transformation in SME Companies in Iran

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have become a vital factor for national competitiveness and firms and companies, and the world is increasingly moving towards a knowledge-based economy. Innovation and technological changes are strongly influenced by the country/place where they occur. The main purpose of this study is to present the framework of SME innovation strategy with the approach of the fourth generation industry in Iran, which has been done using the GT method i.e a blend of qualitative and quantitative methods. The research population includes small and medium businesses and industrial townships in Tehran. The method of data collection in the qualitative part is the interview and in the quantitative part a questionnaire. The findings show that the innovation strategy framework in SME in the fourth industrial revolution is one of the causal factors with 5 components including small and medium businesses, organization maturity model, digitization, rules and regulations and innovation strategy. The results consist of 8 sub-components, which can be enumerated as market development, increasing exports, increasing productivity, creating added value, improving financial credits, training work managers, entrepreneurship and finally creating employment. The results show that the program factors have an effect on the facilitating factors; the causal factors on the innovation framework; the informational factors on the obstacles; supervisory and control factors on facilitating factors; barriers on the innovation framework; ; Financial resources have an effect on obstacles, consequences on innovation framework and structural factors on obstacles in small and medium enterprises. In our country, despite the fact that more than 59% of all production units are included in the EMS small and medium industries group, these companies have not gained a significant share in the national gross product and creating added value and are suffering from severe shortages. While small and medium-sized companies can move away from the traditional focus on the product and take steps in the development of product innovation by using the fourth generation industry and new technology, creating a strategy and coming up with new products and services will create more added value; The formulation of the strategy for any organization calls for an innovative point of view

A Supply Chain Network Design for Managing Hospital Solid Waste

Health care solid wastes include all types of waste that are produced as a result ofmedical and therapeutic activities in hospitals and health centers. About 15% to20% of these waste materials are infectious waste, which falls within the categoryof hazardous materials. Infectious waste is the one that must be treated beforedisposal or recycling. Hence, this paper seeks to develop a bi-objective mixedinteger programming model for the infectious waste management. In the proposedmodel, in addition to minimizing the chain costs, the reduction of risks for thepopulation exposed to the spread of contamination resulting from infectious wasteis also considered. For this purpose, a multi-echelon chain is proposed by takinginto account the green location-routing problem, which involves the location ofrecycling, disposal, and treatment centers through various treatment technologiesand routing of vehicles between treatment levels and the hospital. The routingproblem has been considered to be multi-depot wherein the criterion of reducingthe cost of fuel consumption of heterogeneous cars is used for green routing.Finally, a hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm based on ICA and GA is developedand, following its validation, its function in solving large-scale problems has beeninvestigated. Results show that the proposed algorithm is effective and efficient

A hybrid of Delphi, AHP and TOPSIS Methods for project portfolio management

Due to the importance and complexity of the portfolio management issue, over 100 different techniques have already been presented. In general, the final result of these tools is to create a prioritized list of the projects that must be selected for allocating resources. The use of financial strategies may be misleading in some cases, and it is necessary to combine these methods with other methods such as strategic approaches in order to guarantee a balanced portfolio toward the organizational strategies. On the other, categorizing projects into different baskets allows the organizations to select, evaluate and prioritize the projects in a subset using a set of similar criteria and techniques. In this article, by choosing agriculture sector as a case study, an attempt has been made to study the evaluation, ranking and management of projects with investment classifying strategy of the projects using Delphi, TOPSIS and AHP methods. The results reveal that in similar cases we can use the presented model by determining the type of activity and investment and localization of the indexes

Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidant Activity of Portulaca oleracea Extract on LPS-Induced Rat Lung Injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are classified as two lung complications arising from various conditions such as sepsis, trauma, and lung inflammation. Previous studies have shown that the extract of the leaves of Portulaca oleracea (PO) possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. In the present study, the effects of PO (50⁻200 mg/kg) and dexamethasone (Dexa; 1.5 mg/kg) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI were investigated. Subsequentially, the lung wet/dry ratio; white blood cells (WBC); levels of nitric oxide (NO); myeloperoxidase (MPO); malondialdehyde (MDA); thiol groups formation; super oxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities; and levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-6, IL-10, prostaglandin E2 (PGE₂), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β in the broncho alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were evaluated in order to demonstrate the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of PO. Our results show that PO suppresses lung inflammation by the reduction of IL-β, IL-6, TNF-α, PGE₂, and TGF-β, as well as by the increase of IL-10 levels. We also found that PO improves the level of WBC, MPO, and MDA, as well as thiol group formation and SOD and CAT activities, compared with the LPS group. The results of our investigation also show that PO significantly decreased the lung wet/dry ratio as an index of interstitial edema. Taken together, our findings reveal that PO extract dose-dependently displays anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity against LPS-induced rat ALI, paving the way for rational use of PO as a protective agent against lung-related inflammatory disease

Carnosol Attenuates LPS-Induced Inflammation of Cardiomyoblasts by Inhibiting NF-κB: A Mechanistic in Vitro and in Silico Study

Carnosol possesses several beneficial pharmacological properties. However, its role in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation and cardiomyocyte cell line (H9C2) has never been investigated. Therefore, the effect of carnosol and an NF-kappa B inhibitor BAY 11-7082 was examined, and the underlying role of the NF-kappa B-dependent inflammatory pathway was analyzed as the target enzyme. Cell viability, inflammatory cytokines levels (tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, and prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2))), and related gene expression (TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)) were analyzed by ELISA and real-time PCR. In addition, docking studies analyzed carnosol's molecular interactions and binding modes to NF-kappa B and IKK. We report that LPS caused the reduction of cell viability while enhancing both cytokines protein and mRNA levels (P < 0.001, for all cases). However, the BAY 11-7082 pretreatment of the cells and carnosol increased cell viability and reduced cytokine protein and mRNA levels (P < 0.001 vs. LPS, for all cases). Furthermore, our in silico analyses also supported the modulation of NF-kappa B and IKK by carnosol. This evidence highlights the defensive effects of carnosol against sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction and, contextually, paved the rationale for the next in vitro and in vivo studies aimed to precisely describe its mechanism(s) of action

PTPN22 Silencing in Human Acute T-Cell Leukemia Cell Line (Jurkat Cell) and its Effect on the Expression of miR-181a and miR-181b

Purpose: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is one of the most common malignancies associated with T-lymphocytes, accounting for 10 to 15 percent of ALL cases in children and 25 percent in adults. Innovative therapeutic approaches that overcome ineffective treatments on tumor cells may be a potential source of improvement in therapeutic approaches. Suppression of gene expression at transfusion level is one of the important strategies in gene therapy. The expression of PTPN22 and miR-181 genes in all types of hematologic malignancies increases and is likely to contribute to the survival and death of cells by affecting a variety of signaling pathways. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of PTPN22 inhibition by siRNA, and alteration in miR-181a and miR-181b in Jurkat cell line. Methods: Jurkat cells were transfected with 80 pmol of siRNA to inhibit PTPN22. After that, expression of PTPN22 mRNA and transcript levels of miR-181a and miR-181b were measured with Real-time PCR after 48hrs. Results: Experiments demonstrated that siRNA transfection resulted in significant downregulation of PTPN22 mRNA after 48 hrs in 80 pmol dose of siRNA. Moreover, transcript levels of both miR-181a and miR-181b was decreased after transfection. Conclusion: PTPN22, miR-181a and miR-181b might be involved in progression of Jurkat cells and targeting these molecules by RNAi might confer promising tool in treatment of T-ALL

Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0% (55.5 (44.8–67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic

Development and validation of the motivations for selection of medical study (MSMS) questionnaire in India

Background and Objective Understanding medical students' motivation to select medical studies is particularly salient to inform practice and policymaking in countries-such as India-where shortage of medical personnel poses crucial and chronical challenges to healthcare systems. This study aims to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess the motivation of medical students to select medical studies. Methods A Motivation for Selection of Medical Study (MSMS) questionnaire was developed using extensive literature review followed by Delphi technique. The scale consisted of 12 items, 5 measuring intrinsic dimensions of motivations and 7 measuring extrinsic dimensions. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), validity, reliability and data quality checks were conducted on a sample of 636 medical students from six medical colleges of three North Indian states. Results The MSMS questionnaire consisted of 3 factors (subscales) and 8 items. The three principal factors that emerged after EFA were the scientific factor (e.g. research opportunities and the ability to use new cutting edge technologies), the societal factor (e.g. job security) and the humanitarian factor (e.g. desire to help others). The CFA conducted showed goodnessof-fit indices supporting the 3-factor model. Conclusion The three extracted factors cut across the traditional dichotomy between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and uncover a novel three-faceted motivation construct based on scientific factors, societal expectations and humanitarian needs. This validated instrument can be used to evaluate the motivational factors of medical students to choose medical study in India and similar settings and constitutes a powerful tool for policymakers to design measures able to increase selection of medical curricula

Muti-Objective Optimization and Simulation Model To Design The Withdrawal Kanban Systems

The withdrawal Kanban system, by capability of data transferring in supply chain reduces different types of the waists such as inventories level and unnecessary movements. To achieve the aims of lean production, the parameters of the Kanban system such as the number of Kanban should be determined properly. The number of Kanban problem is a multi-objective problem which should met the aims of producers and suppliers simultaneously. In this paper, the objectives and constraints of withdrawal Kanban problem has been determined based on a case study in automobile supply chain. A mathematical integer multi-objective model with non-linear objects has been developed. Two sets of solutions are generated by the optimization model. A simulation model is developed to check the possibility and validity of solutions. The simulation studies show that one of the solutions can reduce up to 46 percent the inventory costs while increase 11 percent transportation costs compared to the current state. Introduction: Kanban as a scheduling system is an effective tool in lean manufacturing and pull production systems Kanban which helps to determine and order the quantity of allowed production and the amount of Semi-manufactured product allowed movement between workstations or supply chain components. By controlling the inventories at any point in the production and supply chain, Kanban could improve the efficiency. There are two types of Kanban: production Kanban and withdrawal Kanban. The production Kanban determines what to produce, when to produce it, and how much to produce in the workstations of manufacturing systems. While, the withdrawal Kanban determines the transfer time of different parts between various stations of the production line, or between the supply chain components. To be effective, the Kanban systems should be designed for a production system. The number of Kanban in cycle, the volume of each Kanban and the ordering point are the designing elements of Kanban. In this paper, designing the withdrawal Kanban including determining the optimal number of Kanban in cycle in supply chains is examined. Designing the withdrawal Kanban system in a supply chains affects the performance and satisfaction of supply chain components. The main contributions of this paper are: (1) Analysis of withdrawal Kanban in supply chains to identify the effects of the Kanban parameters on components of supply chain. (2) Developing a multi-objective optimization model to determine the optimal number of withdrawal Kanban by considering the objectives and constraints of the main manufacturer and supplies in the supply chain. (3) A discrete-event simulation model is constructed to compare the results of optimization model and other solutions in terms of performance indexes.  Materials and Methods: A non-linear multi-objective mathematical model with four objectives is developed to determine the optimal number of withdrawal Kanban and type of vehicles which transport the Kanbans between supplies and manufacturer. The inventory, transportation, capital costs are the objective functions of the mathematical optimization model. The constraints such as vehicle capacities are considered in the mathematical model. The L-P metric method is used to convert the multi-objective model to single-objective mathematical model. The proposed model is used to design the withdrawal Kanban system in the production of an automobile component in Iran-Khodro. To evaluate the results of mathematical model and other models, a simulation model is developed. The case study are simulated with different scenarios based on the results of the proposed model, existing conditions, and other solutions. Finally, the results of simulation studies are compared  Results and Discussion: The simulation studies show the solutions which obtained the proposed model compared to the current state, which can reduce up to 28 and 46 percent the capital and inventory costs, respectively. While the transportation costs will increase 11 percent.  Conclusion: The Kanban system increase the efficiency of production system, if the Kanban system design properly. The design parameters of withdrawal Kanban system affect the performance and costs in a supply chain. By minimizing the capital, transportation and inventory costs in main manufacturer and suppliers of a supply chain, the optimal number of withdrawal Kanban in cycle is determined. The simulation model is proposed to evaluate the results of optimization model and measure the performance indexes of Kanban system before implementation.   References Abdul Rahman, N. A., Sharif S. M. & Mashitah M. E. (2013). “Lean Manufacturing Case Study with Kanban System Implementation”. Procedia Economics and Finance, 7, 174 – 180. Azadeh, A., Layegh, J. & Pourankooh, P. (2010a). “Optimal Model for Supply Chain Controlled by kanban under JIT Philosophy by Integration of computer Simulation and Genetic Algorithm”. Basic and Applied Sciences, 4(3), 370-378. Belisario, L. S. & Pierreval, H. (2015). “Using genetic programming and simulation to learn how to dynamically adapt the number of cards in reactive pull systems”, Expert Systems with Applications, 42 (6), 3129-314