A new integrated rough multi-criteria decision-making model for enterprise resource planning software selection.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is widely used to boost the total market power of businesses. The wrong selection is one of the key reasons why ERP installations fail. Due to the complexity of the business environment and the range of ERP systems, choosing an ERP system is a complex and time-consuming procedure. ERP alternatives may be assessed using several criteria, so the ERP selection process may be considered a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. In this study, the rough best worst method (BWM) was used to determine criteria weights, while the newly developed rough integrated simple weighted sum product (WISP) was used to rank ERP alternatives. Results suggest that the SFT-4 coded software is regarded as the best option, followed by SFT-5, SFT-6, SFT-2, SFT-3, and SFT-1. Results of the newly developed rough WISP method are compared to those of existing rough techniques in the sensitivity analysis. The differences between them have been found to be negligible. The outcomes show how effectively developed rough BWM and WISP integrated method performs in terms of ERP selection with usability, accuracy, ease of use, and consistency. This study will help decision-makers in a context where ERP is implemented choose the best ERP software for different sectors.

Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior in academic buildings of Kuwait.

This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior among occupant groups in academic buildings in Kuwait. It explores influential factors, focusing on the pandemic's effect on attitudes, intentions, and behaviors related to energy conservation. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, incorporating quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Participants, including students, faculty, and staff, completed surveys, participated in questionnaires, focus groups, and took part in interviews. Statistical tests are used to validate the survey data, while thematic analysis is applied to the qualitative data. The findings of the research showed that COVID-19 had a significant impact on participants' attitudes, intentions, and behavior regarding energy literacy and conservation. Specifically, the student group experienced a significant increase in the relationship between their intentions and behavior, while the faculty group exhibited a strong correlation between intention and behavior. The study also found that education, awareness, personal motivation, values, religiosity, and culture were all crucial factors in promoting energy literacy and conservation behavior. The study recommends specific educational interventions, fostering a culture of conservation, providing access to information and resources, promoting community engagement, incorporating religiosity, and improving policies and infrastructure to enhance energy literacy in academic buildings. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of tailored educational interventions that consider the specific needs and challenges of different occupant groups and suggests incorporating religious perspectives to align with the cultural and religious context of the Kuwaiti population. The study's findings offer comprehensive insights into the impact of unforeseen events, such as pandemics, on energy literacy and conservation behavior. These insights have practical implications for policymaking and implementation. Future research could explore the effectiveness of various educational interventions and examine the role of social and cultural factors in shaping energy literacy and behavior.

Identifying the Most Efficient Natural Fibre for Common Commercial Building Insulation Materials with an Integrated PSI, MEREC, LOPCOW and MCRAT Model.

Building insulation is the most respected among the compatible and effective energy conservation technologies available today, as it also reduces yearly energy costs and negative environmental effects. A building envelope is made up of various insulation materials that are important in determining a building's thermal performance. Proper insulation material selection concludes in less energy requisition for operation. The purpose of this research is to supply information about natural fibre insulating materials used in construction insulation to maintain energy efficiency, as well as to recommend the most efficient natural fibre insulation material. As in most decision-making problems, several criteria and alternatives are involved in insulation material selection, too. Therefore, we used a novel integrated multi criteria decision making (MCDM) model including the preference selection index (PSI), method based on the removal effects of criteria (MEREC), logarithmic percentage change-driven objective weighting (LOPCOW), and multiple criteria ranking by alternative trace (MCRAT) methods to deal with the complexity of numerous criteria and alternatives. The contribution of this study is that a new hybrid MCDM method is developed. Additionally, the number of studies using the MCRAT method is very limited in the literature; therefore, this study will provide more insights into and results of this method to the literature.

The relationship between environmental awareness, environmental behaviors, and carbon footprint in Turkish households.

Having knowledge about household environmental behaviors is important for planning and conducting efforts to reduce carbon footprint. In this study, the relationship between environmental awareness, purchasing, household practices, and carbon footprint was investigated, and the impact of demographics on these variables was determined. The analysis shows that sensitivity dimension of environmental awareness is related to few environmental behavior variables (purchasing and efficiency) whereas willingness dimension was related to all variables (except gas). While improvements in demographic factors (income, education, and female employment status) positively affect environmental sensitivity, they increase carbon footprint from automobile. Only increase in income has an effect on willingness. It is determined that income positively affects environmental purchasing. Furthermore, it is revealed that environmental household practices did not differ in terms of demographic characteristics, except the effect of education on pollution.

The Power of Choice: A Study Protocol on How Identity Leadership Fosters Commitment Toward the Organization.

Identity leadership (IL) describes that the effectiveness of a leader will depend upon his capacity to represent a given group, to make the group go forward, to create a group identity, and to make the group matter. An identity leader may increase commitment among his followers by increasing the perception of shared identity and giving more weight in the decision process to his followers. We aim to explore the mechanisms through which a leader who creates a shared group identity can increase organizational commitment. In the first study, we plan to conduct a cross-cultural correlational study where we aim to test if the relationship between IL and organizational commitment is mediated by team identification and mediated-moderated by participation in decision making (PDM) and collective efficacy. In the second study, we aim to explore the direction of the causality between IL and PDM. To test this hypothesis, we will conduct an experimental study in which (1) we will manipulate IL to test its influence on the perception of PDM and (2) we will manipulate PDM to test its influence on the perception of IL. Thus, we will be able to identify the role of IL and the perception of PDM on organizational commitment.

In vivo systemic chlorogenic acid therapy under diabetic conditions: Wound healing effects and cytotoxicity/genotoxicity profile.

Oxidative stress occurs following the impairment of pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance in chronic wounds and leads to harmful delays in healing progress. A fine balance between oxidative stress and endogenous antioxidant defense system may be beneficial for wound healing under redox control. This study tested the hypothesis that oxidative stress in wound area can be controlled with systemic antioxidant therapy and therefore wound healing can be accelerated. We used chlorogenic acid (CGA), a dietary antioxidant, in experimental diabetic wounds that are characterized by delayed healing. Additionally, we aimed to understand possible side effects of CGA on pivotal organs and bone marrow during therapy. Wounds were created on backs of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. CGA (50 mg/kg/day) was injected intraperitoneally. Animals were sacrificed on different days. Biochemical and histopathological examinations were performed. Side effects of chronic antioxidant treatment were tested. CGA accelerated wound healing, enhanced hydroxyproline content, decreased malondialdehyde/nitric oxide levels, elevated reduced-glutathione, and did not affect superoxide dismutase/catalase levels in wound bed. While CGA induced side effects such as cyto/genotoxicity, 15 days of treatment attenuated blood glucose levels. CGA decreased lipid peroxidation levels of main organs. This study provides a better understanding for antioxidant intake on diabetic wound repair and possible pro-oxidative effects.

Pharmacologic overview of systemic chlorogenic acid therapy on experimental wound healing.

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a well-known natural antioxidant in human diet. To understand the effects of CGA on wound healing by enhancing antioxidant defense in the body, the present study sought to investigate the potential role of systemic CGA therapy on wound healing and oxidative stress markers of the skin. We also aimed to understand whether chronic CGA treatment has side effects on pivotal organs or rat bone marrow during therapy. Full-thickness experimental wounds were created on the backs of rats. CGA (25, 50, 100, 200 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered intraperitoneally for 15 days. All rats were sacrificed on the 16th day. Biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical examinations were performed. Possible side effects were also investigated. The results suggested that CGA accelerated wound healing in a dose-dependent manner. CGA enhanced hydroxyproline content, decreased malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels. and elevated reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase levels in wound tissues. Epithelialization, angiogenesis, fibroblast proliferation, and collagen formation increased by CGA while polymorph nuclear leukocytes infiltration decreased. CGA modulated matrix metalloproteinase-9 and tissue inhibitor-2 expression in biopsies. Otherwise, high dose of CGA increased lipid peroxidation of liver and kidney without affecting the heart and muscle samples. Chronic CGA increased micronuclei formation and induced cytotoxicity in the bone marrow. In conclusion, systemic CGA has beneficial effects in improving wound repair. Antioxidant, free radical scavenger, angiogenesis, and anti-inflammatory effects of CGA may ameliorate wound healing. High dose of CGA may induce side effects. In light of these observations, CGA supplementation or dietary CGA may have benefit on wound healing.

Evaluation of the hemostatic and histopathological effects of Ankaferd Blood Stopper in experimental liver injury in rats.

We studied the hemostatic and histopathological effects, and intra-abdominal adhesion scores of a new hemostatic agent, Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS), in an experimental liver injury model and compared it with regenerated oxidized cellulose. Thirty-six rats were randomly assigned to ABS, oxidized cellulose (Surgicel), and control groups (n=12, each). A wedge resection was performed on the left medial lobe of the liver. In the ABS group the liver surface was sprayed with ABS, whereas in the Surgicel group the liver was covered with double-layered oxidized cellulose. In the control group, saline solution was sprayed on the cut surface. The mean bleeding time was shorter in the ABS (23.08±6.99s) and Surgicel groups (47.91±8.21s) than in the control group (223.42±57.83s). No significant difference was found in the ABS and Surgicel groups in terms of preoperative and postoperative hematocrit (hct) values (P>0.05). Whereas there was no significant difference on day 7 (P>0.05), total adhesion score of ABS group was lower than both Surgicel (P<0.05) and control groups (P<0.01) on day 14. Liver sections from ABS group displayed more favorable histopathological changes when compared with Surgicel group on day 7 and day 14. All livers in the ABS group completed their regeneration process with minimal signs of inflammation. Our findings suggest that ABS is more effective than Surgicel and control groups in achieving hemostasis and in reducing blood loss. Apart from this, ABS causes more encouraging histopathological changes and better intra-abdominal adhesion scores in rat experimental liver trauma model.

The effects of topical tripeptide copper complex and helium-neon laser on wound healing in rabbits.

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and histopathological effects of tripeptide copper complex (TCC) and two different doses of laser application (helium-neon laser, 1 and 3 J cm(-2)) on wound healing with untreated control wounds. Experimental wounds were created on a total of 24 New Zealand white rabbits and topical TCC or laser was applied for 28 days. The wounds were observed daily, and planimetry was performed on days 7, 14, 21 and 28 to measure the unhealed wound area and percentage of total wound healing. Biopsies were taken weekly to evaluate the inflammatory response and the level of neovascularization. The median time for the first observable granulation tissue was shorter (P < 0.05) in the low and high dose laser groups than in the control group (3 and 2.66 vs. 4.5 days), but was not different between the TCC and control groups (4.16 vs. 4.5 days). Filling of the open wound to skin level with granulation tissue was faster (P < 0.05) in the TCC and high dose laser groups than in the control group (14 and 16 vs. 25 days), but was not different between the low dose laser and control groups (23 vs. 25 days). The average time for healing was shorter (P < 0.05) in the TCC and high dose laser groups (29.8 and 30.2 vs. 34.6 days), but was not different between the low dose laser and control groups (33.8 vs. 34.6 days). Histopathologically, wound healing was characterized by a decrease in the neutrophil counts and an increase in neovascularization. The TCC and high dose laser groups had greater neutrophil and vessel counts than in the control group, suggesting a more beneficial effect for wound healing.

Evaluation of the effects of topical tripeptide-copper complex and zinc oxide on open-wound healing in rabbits.

In this study the clinical and histopathological effects of topically applied tripeptide-copper complex (TCC) and zinc oxide on open-wound healing in rabbits was evaluated. Eighteen New Zealand rabbits were divided into three groups: TCC, zinc oxide and no treatment. One full thickness wound was created on each side of the dorsal midline in each rabbit. Wound margins were traced on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 and topical TCC and zinc oxide were applied daily for 21 days to each rabbit in the respective treatment groups. The mean unhealed wound area was significantly smaller in the TCC than in the zinc oxide group on day 7, but it was significantly smaller in the TCC group than in to the control group on days 7, 14 and 21. The mean percentage of wound contraction on day 7 was significantly higher in the TCC than in the zinc oxide group; however, it was significantly higher in the TCC group than in the control group on days 7, 14 and 21. Median time for the coverage of the wound bed with granulation tissue was significantly shorter in the TCC group than in the other groups. Filling of the open wound with granulation tissue to skin level was significantly slower in the control group than in the other two groups. Neutrophil counts decreased regardless of the group in parallel with healing, while neovascularization was best observed in the TCC group. The results suggest that TCC is a better choice in the treatment protocols of open wounds in rabbits than zinc oxide.

Comparison of the arterial blood gas, arterial oxyhaemoglobin saturation and end-tidal carbon dioxide tension during sevoflurane or isoflurane anaesthesia in rabbits.

The effects of sevoflurane or isoflurane on arterial blood gas, arterial oxyhaemoglobin saturation and end-tidal CO2 tension were monitored during induction and maintenance of anaesthesia in 10 premedicated New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits.For induction, the anaesthetic agents were delivered via a face-mask. After induction was completed, an endotracheal tube was introduced for maintenance of anaesthesia for a period of 90 minutes. Changes in heart rate, respiratory rate, arterial blood gas, arterial oxyhaemoglobin saturation, blood pH and end-tidal CO2 tension were recorded. Although sevoflurane and isoflurane produce similar cardiopulmonary effects in premedicated rabbits, sevoflurane provides a smoother and faster induction because of its lower blood/gas partition coefficient. Thus sevoflurane is probably a more suitable agent than isoflurane for mask induction and maintenance. Its lower blood solubility also makes sevoflurane more satisfactory than isoflurane for maintenance of anaesthesia because it allows the anaesthetist to change the depth of anaesthesia more rapidly.