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Purpose: This study aims to explore the potential application of blockchain technology in Lean Six Sigma (LSS) project through a proposed blockchain-LSS (BLSS) model. The proposed model can tackle real-time problems in information sharing, transparency and traceability in every stage of the LSS project. Design/methodology/approach: The scoping review approach is used to develop the integrated model of the BLSS approach for operational excellence. The proposed model is validated through expert's input, which is collected by a questionnaire survey method. Findings: The prime function of the proposed BLSS model is the information sharing among the project team and real-time monitoring, transparency, traceability and immutability in the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control phase. The proposed model also consists the information about the role of blockchain features at each phase of the LSS project. The project team and industry employees can trace the success of the project at every moment, resulting in trust buildup and the elimination of fake data. Moreover, there would be no disputes among various sections/shops of the plant and employees to share the real information. Practical implications: This paper provides guidelines to practitioners and managers for integrating the LSS approach and blockchain. The blockchain helps managers and practitioners in better data traceability and transparency, monitoring of data as well as more sustainable LSS project management. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first research attempt that developed an integrated model of blockchain and LSS approach to maintaining the immutable records of assets in projects and targeted Industry 4.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exogenous ubiquitin (UB) plays a protective role in [beta]-adrenergic receptor-stimulated and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced myocardial remodeling. Here, we report that UB treatment inhibits hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced apoptosis in adult rat ventricular myocytes (ARVMs). The activation of Akt was elevated, whereas the activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3[beta] was reduced in UB-treated cells post-H/R. The level of oxidative stress was lower, whereas the number of ARVMs with polarized mitochondria was significantly greater in the UB-treated samples. ARVMs express CXCR4 with majority of CXCR4 localized in the membrane fraction. CXCR4 antagonism using AMD3100, and siRNA-mediated knockdown of CXCR4 negated the protective effects of UB. Two mutated UB proteins (unable to bind CXCR4) had no effect on H/R-induced apoptosis, activation of Akt and GSK-3[beta], or oxidative stress. UB treatment enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis, and inhibition of mitochondrial fission using mdivi1 inhibited H/R-induced apoptosis. Ex vivo, UB treatment significantly decreased infarct size and improved functional recovery of the heart following global I/R. Activation of caspase-9, a key player of the mitochondrial death pathway, was significantly lower in UB-treated hearts post-I/R. UB, most likely acting via CXCR4, plays a protective role in H/R-induced myocyte apoptosis and myocardial I/R injury via modulation of mitochondrial homeostasis and the mitochondrial death pathway of apoptosis. Key words: apoptosis, CXCR4, heart, myocytes, ubiquitin. L'ubiquitine (UB) exogene joue un role protecteur dans le remodelage myocardique stimule par le [beta]-AR et induit par l'ischemie/reperfusion (I/R). Les auteurs rapportent ici qu'un traitement avec l'UB inhibe l'apoptose induite par l'hypoxie/reoxygenation (H/R) dans les myocytes ventriculaires de rats adultes (ARVM, adult rat ventricular myocytes). L'activation d'Akt etait plus elevee alors que l'activation de la GSK-3[beta] etait plus faible chez les cellules traitees a l'UB apres H/R. Le stress oxydant etait plus faible alors que le nombre d'ARVM a mitochondries polarisees etait significativement plus eleve dans les echantillons traites a l'UB. Les ARVM expriment le CXCR4, la majorite du CXCR4 etant localise dans la fraction membranaire. L'antagonisme du CXCR4 par l'AMD3100 et le knockdown de CXCR4 realise par un ARNsi annulaient les effets protecteurs de l'UB. Deux formes mutees de l'UB (incapables de se lier au CXCR4) n'avaient pas d'effet sur l'apoptose induite par H/R, l'activation d'Akt ou de la GSK-3[beta] ou le stress oxydant. Le traitement a l'UB augmentait la biogenese mitochondriale et l'inhibition de la fission mitochondriale par mdivi1 inhibait l'apoptose induite par H/R. Ex vivo, le traitement a l'UB reduisait significativement la taille de l'infarctus et ameliorait la recuperation fonctionnelle du cc[epsilon]ur a la suite d'une I/R globale. L'activation de la caspase-9, un acteur cle de la voie mitochondriale de mort cellulaire, etait significativement plus faible dans les cc[epsilon]urs traites a l'UB apres I/R. L'UB, qui agit fort probablement par l'intermediaire du CXCR4, joue un role protecteur dans l'apoptose des myocytes induite par H/R et dans le dommage d'I/R du myocarde, par la modulation de l'homeostasie mitochondriale et la voie mitochondriale de mort cellulaire par apoptose. Mots-cles: apoptose, CXCR4, cc[epsilon]ur, myocytes, ubiquitine., Introduction Coronary heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide. The effects of coronary heart disease are generally correlated with myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury (Powers et al. 2007; Hausenloy [...]

Simple Summary: Heart disease is a major cause of death worldwide. A common implication of heart disease is myocardial infarction, commonly known as heart attack. Generally, myocardial infarction happens when the blood supply to a portion of the heart is reduced or blocked due to fat buildup. This blockage of blood flow damages part of the heart muscle and decreases heart function. To compensate for this injury, the heart initiates remodeling which consists of three overlapping phases of inflammation, proliferation, and maturation. This review focusses on the inflammatory phase, specifically the roles of macrophages and ubiquitin in heart repair following myocardial infarction, and discusses how ubiquitin could impact macrophage function. Macrophages are specialized blood cells with a critical role in wound healing. Ubiquitin is a highly evolutionarily conserved protein found in plasma. Plasma ubiquitin levels are increased in several disease states, including heart disease. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. One of the most common implications of CVD is myocardial infarction (MI). Following MI, the repair of the infarcted heart occurs through three distinct, yet overlapping phases of inflammation, proliferation, and maturation. Macrophages are essential to the resolution of the inflammatory phase due to their role in phagocytosis and efferocytosis. However, excessive and long-term macrophage accumulation at the area of injury and dysregulated function can induce adverse cardiac remodeling post-MI. Ubiquitin (UB) is a highly evolutionarily conserved small protein and is a normal constituent of plasma. Levels of UB are increased in the plasma during a variety of pathological conditions, including ischemic heart disease. Treatment of mice with UB associates with decreased inflammatory response and improved heart function following ischemia/reperfusion injury. This review summarizes the role of macrophages in the infarct healing process of the heart post-MI, and discusses the role of exogenous UB in myocardial remodeling post-MI and in the modulation of macrophage phenotype and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryopreservation is an important technology to preserve livestock germplasm for future use. How different freezing temperatures affect the post-freezing recovery of cells is not precisely known. In this study, we report the isolation of live fibroblast cells from goat skin after 14 days of animal death and the effect of 4 different freezing temperatures on the post-cryopreservation cell recovery. The primary outgrowing cells were cultured for three passages and cryopreserved at -20°C, -80°C, Liquid nitrogen (LN2) (-156°C), and -80°C overnight followed by storage in LN2 (-80°C/LN2) group. After 4 weeks of storage, cryovials in triplicate for each group were thawed, cultured, and analyzed. Mean and standard deviation of live cells recovered after 5 days of in vitro culture was 1.0 ± 0.71 x 105, 7.60 ± 2.88 x 105, 1.40 ± 0.55 x 105, and 14.80 ± 1.30 x 105 cells/mL for -20°C, -80°C, LN2, and -80°C/LN2 groups, respectively. Recovery of cells stored at -80°C/LN2 group was significantly higher than that in -80°C, -20°C, and LN2 groups (P < 0.05). Recovery was least upon freezing cells directly into LN2 or in -20°C. Although, storing cells in -80°C was significantly higher than that in -20°C and LN2 groups, it was significantly less than that in -80°C/LN2 group (P < 0.05). Based upon these results, we conclud that step cooling (-80°C overnight followed by LN2) was the most effective method for cryopreservation of goat fibroblast and perhaps other mammalian cells. This study highlighted the importance of storing biological tissues and cells at -80°C, especially at small twoand four-year teaching institutions or at limited resource farms, where the cost of maintaining liquid nitrogen supply is prohibitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fourth industrial revolution and updated government regulations on NET zero have enforced manufacturing organizations to adopt sustainable practices in their system. Also, manufacturing units need to deal with huge data sets to sustain the quality of products. In this regard, Data-Driven Sustainability Quality Management (DDSQM) is an interdisciplinary approach that provides an understanding of big data management with due quality and sustainability in manufacturing settings. Regardless of its potential benefits, manufacturing firms in developing economies remain reluctant to follow DDSQM practices. To persuade organizations for adopting DDSQM practices in real-time needs to explore the enablers with their contextual relationship for its successful initiation. In the present study, DDSQM enablers are identified and screened through literature and expert opinions from manufacturing industries. Thereafter, screened enablers are modeled through Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and clustered via MICMAC analysis. The proposed methodology was executed with experts from academics and industries in developing economies. This study constitutes the first strive to explore the contextual relationship among enablers of DDSQM practices in developing countries' manufacturing industries. The findings can help policymakers of emerging economies to adopt data analytics, quality management, and sustainable practices, that in turn, facilitate the implementation of DDSQM practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The analyze phase of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) project is an important phase where the project heads and organizational directors need to select the critical issues for further improvements. The present work is primarily focused on analyze phase of LSS project to prioritize the critical to quality (CTQ) in a particular case industry. Design/methodology/approach: The CTQ prioritization is being done based on the five evaluation criteria found from the literature. The weights of the criteria are determined through the modified digital logic (MDL) method. The identified CTQs in assembly section of case industry have been ranked through the gray relational analysis (GRA) under fuzzy environment. The results of the study have been validated using fuzzy VlseKriterijumska Optimisacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR). Findings: It is found that the "cost" criterion is the most significant among other criteria with MDL weight of 0.3. Through fuzzy-GRA, out of ten identified CTQs, non-availability of rack system is found to be the most critical issue in assembly section of case industry. The perceptions of industrial manager and production head of case industry are strongly in favor of the obtained results and have implemented the suggested solutions. Originality/value: To sustain in the competitive environment and produce quality product at right time, organizations need to control their CTQs as per their criticality. For this, the decision-making becomes quite complex to select the most critical factors because of the fascinating nature of various criteria and sub-criteria. The present study is the first attempt that has implemented the multi-criteria decision-making approach in analyze phase of LSS project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro embryo production (IVEP) is an important advanced reproductive technology and has great potential in enhancing livestock production. However, in vitro culture (IVC) of embryos exposes them to stress resulting in compromising quality and efficiency of embryo production. Melatonin has been reported in several studies to reduce oxidative stress and improve the efficiency of IVEP. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of melatonin supplementation in IVC media on cleavage rates of bovine embryos. Bovine ovaries (n = 22) were obtained from local abattoir with ovarian weight of 7.29 ± 3.31 g, and size of 3.65 ± 0.69 cm. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were recovered from 2 to 8 mm size follicles by aspiration using an 18-gauge needle attached with a 10 mL syringe. COCs were matured, fertilized, and cultured in vitro using IVF Bioscience bovine media and their protocols. Oocytes were in vitro matured for 23 h at 38.8°C, 5.5% CO2 in a humidified atmosphere and assessed for maturation by assessing COC expansion. Fully expanded and partially expanded COCs were fertilized for 20 h in a 4-well dish with frozen/thawed bull semen. Following IVF, the cumulus cells were removed by vertexing, and the presumptive zygotes were cultured in vitro with and without 1 µM melatonin in 4-well dishes in triplicates under the oil for embryo development at 38.8°C and 5.5% CO2. Cleavage rates were determined on d 3 of culture. The percentage of cleaved embryos was calculated as (number of zygotes cleaved/total number of fertilized oocytes) x100. Data were analyzed by student’s unpaired t- test with Welch’s correction using GraphPad Prism software. The cleavage rate was greater in melatonin supplemented group (54.17 ± 11.24%) than the control (49.83 ± 7.36%) but the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). In conclusion, under our experimental conditions, melatonin supplementation during embryo culture, following IVM/IVF of the bovine oocytes, did not significantly improve cleavage rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]