Development of a readiness model for industry 4.0 using Analytical Hierarchy process and fuzzy inference system: Bangladesh perspective.

The rapid acceleration of innovation and the marvels of science and technology have introduced mankind to a new era known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0. As a developing country, Bangladesh should not lag behind in the concept of the domain known as Industry 4.0. A substantial number of industries across Bangladesh are coming forward to take on the challenges associated with this novel concept. It is, however, reported that many of them are now at the embryonic stage and only taking pilot initiatives. Before entering the domain of Industry 4.0, an industry must check its readiness and maturity to access the field, and that's where it comes to the importance of the readiness model. The main objective of this research is to propose a new readiness model based on the perspective of Bangladesh and developing countries like Bangladesh. Analytical Hierarchy Process and Fuzzy Inference System has been used for developing the model. There are four readiness levels in the proposed model that dictate the readiness of any particular industry. Through systematic literature review and expert opinion, 6 dimensions and their associated field have been identified for the determination of readiness level. In the later part of the research, a case study on one of the companies in the garments industry has been accomplished, and a radar chart is presented in order to illustrate the readiness of that garments industry. The results from the case study indicate that the ABC garments industry is in the Survival stage and several recommendations are then provided to cope better in that situation.

Sodium percarbonate as a novel intracoronal bleaching agent: assessment of the associated risk of cervical root resorption.

AIM: To evaluate the extraradicular peroxide release from sodium percarbonate compared to sodium perborate as an intracoronal bleaching agent. METHODOLOGY: Sixty mandibular single-rooted premolars with intact CEJ were selected. After root filling, gutta-percha was removed 4 mm apical to CEJ and 2 mm of GIC was condensed over the root filling. Intracoronal bleaching agents were placed into six groups of teeth (n = 10): sodium perborate with distilled water (SPW); sodium percarbonate with distilled water (SPCW); sodium perborate with 30% hydrogen peroxide (SPHP); sodium percarbonate with 30% hydrogen peroxide (SPCHP); 30% hydrogen peroxide as positive control (HP) and distilled water as negative control (CL). The teeth were then mounted in vials filled with distilled water, kept in an incubator and taken out at 1, 3 and 6 days for spectrophotometric analysis. Extraradicular peroxide release was quantified by the ferrothiocyanate method. Statistical analysis was undertaken with one-way anova and Scheffe post hoc tests. RESULTS: The greatest peroxide release occurred in the HP group, followed by the SPCHP and SPHP groups, and then by the SPCW and SPW groups. Intergroup comparison revealed that there was no significant difference in peroxide release among the groups SPCW and SPW on days 1, 3 and 6 (P > 0.05). Similarly, no significant difference was found between the SPCHP and SPHP treated groups on days 1, 3 and 6 (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Extraradicular peroxide release from sodium percarbonate was comparable to that of sodium perborate, as the differences were not significant.

Experimental Leptospira interrogans serovar Kennewicki infection of horses.

BACKGROUND: Little information is available about experimental induction of leptospirosis in horses. OBJECTIVES: Determine serologic, hematologic responses of horses to Leptospira interrogans serovar Kennewicki infection. ANIMALS: Four adult horses seronegative for leptospirosis. METHODS: Experimental and observational study. Horses were challenged with an equine isolate of L. interrogans serovar Kennewicki at 2 different doses and different inoculation sites. After challenge, the horses were monitored for 60 days. Blood, urine, and aqueous humor samples were collected at intervals until euthanasia 60 days after infection. RESULTS: Pyrexia (39.3-40 degrees C) occurred as early as 1 day after challenge with 10x10(8)Leptospira divided equally between topical ocular and intraperitoneal injection in 2 horses. Leptospires were recovered from the blood and urine but not from the aqueous humor of the 2 febrile horses. The sera of all 4 challenged horses developed microscopic agglutination test antibody after challenge and remained relatively constant for 21 days. Titer to cross-reacting strains declined earlier than titer to the challenge strain. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical disease in experimentally infected horses can be mild or inapparent in Leptospira infected horses. Repeated serologic testing can allow recognition of the infecting serovar. In febrile horses, Leptospira can be isolated from blood while isolation from the urine can occur after fever has subsided.

Successful resection of giant solitary pulmonary metastasis from a phyllodes tumor.

Phyllodes tumors are rare fibroepithelial tumors that make up less than 1% of all breast tumors. Malignant phyllodes tumors are associated with a 25% incidence of distant metastasis, which is invariably fatal within 24 months. We report successful resection of a solitary pulmonary metastasis in the left chest in a 50-year-old woman 7 years after a right-sided mastectomy for malignant phyllodes tumor.

Safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of tuftsin-loaded nystatin liposomes in murine model.

Present study was performed to evaluate the efficacy, toxicity and pharmacokinetics of antifungal drug nystatin incorporated in immunomodulator tuftsin-bearing liposomes. In vitro toxicity of free nystatin and nystatin incorporated in tuftsin-free or tuftsin-loaded liposomes was assessed by incubation of nystatin formulations with human erythrocytes. The toxicity profile of free nystatin and liposomal formulations of nystatin with or without tuftsin was also analyzed by monitoring the level of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine in the treated BALB/c mice. The results of the present work showed that tuftsin-loaded nystatin liposomes like conventional nystatin liposomes exerted less toxicity to human erythrocytes as compared with free nystatin. Moreover, mice treated with tuftsin-loaded nystatin liposomes showed insignificant elevation in the biochemical values of serum creatinine and blood urea. The stability of nystatin liposomes upon incorporation of tuftsin was evaluated by monitoring the leakage of the entrapped drug in human serum. Tuftsin-loaded liposomes held nystatin for longer duration in the presence of serum than identical nystatin liposomes without tuftsin. Pharmacokinetics of the both tuftsin-free or tuftsin-loaded liposomal formulations nystatin was analyzed by determining the level of nystatin in the systemic circulation of mice at different time points. Mice injected with tuftsin-loaded nystatin liposomes showed higher level of the drug in the systemic circulation compared with those treated with conventional nystatin liposomes. The efficacy of tuftsin-loaded nystatin liposomes against A. fumigatus was evaluated by assessing the fungal burden in the lungs of treated mice. Treatment with tuftsin-loaded nystatin liposomes was most effective in eliminating fungal burden from lung tissues of infected mice compared to those treated with free nystatin or nystatin liposomes without tuftsin. The immunopotentiating activity, increased stability and less toxicity of tuftsin-incorporated nystatin liposomes, supports the idea for its prophylactic and therapeutic use in the clinical setting.

Role of fusogenic non-PC liposomes in elicitation of protective immune response against experimental murine salmonellosis.

Earlier we have demonstrated that novel fusogenic liposomes made up of lipid from Escherichia coli (escheriosomes) have strong tendency to fuse with the plasma membrane of target cells and thereby delivering the entrapped contents into their cytosol. The delivery of entrapped antigen in cytosol of the target cells ensues its processing and presentation along with MHC class I pathway that eventually elicit antigen specific cytotoxic T cells. The result of the present study revealed that immunization of BALB/c mice with escheriosome-encapsulated Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) cytosolic antigens resulted in the augmentation of antigen specific cytotoxic T cell lymphocyte as well as IgG responses. In contrast, free or conventional liposome (PC liposome) encapsulated antigen failed to induce CD8+ CTLs in the immunized animals. Further, immunization with escheriosome-encapsulated antigen resulted in significant enhancement in the release of IFN-gamma and IgG2a in the experimental animals. Interestingly, the immunization with escheriosome-encapsulated antigen resulted in upregulation of CD80 and CD86 on the surface of antigen presenting cells (APCs) as well. Finally, the results of the present study reveal that immunization of animals with escheriosomes encapsulated antigen protected them against virulent S. typhimurium infection. This was evident by increased survival, and reduced bacterial burden in vital organs of the immunized animals. The data of the present study suggest that escheriosomes can emerge as an effective vehicle for intracellular delivery of antigen and thus hold promise in development of liposome based vaccine against Salmonella and other intracellular pathogens.

PLGA-microsphere mediated clearance of bilirubin in temporarily hyperbilirubinemic rats: an alternate strategy for the treatment of experimental jaundice.

In the present study, we have demonstrated the suitability of microspheres in removal of plasma bilirubin from systemic circulation of hyperbilirubinemic rats. Poly (lactide co-glycolide) microspheres (PLGA microspheres) have been shown to bind with bilirubin in both a concentration and time dependent manner. The binding affinity of bilirubin to microspheres was enhanced when rat serum albumin (RSA) was loaded into the microspheres. On evaluating the potential of microspheres in elimination of bilirubin from the systemic circulation, RSA bearing microspheres were found to be competent in both removing bilirubin from the systemic circulation and controlling elevated plasma levels of liver function enzymes in temporarily hyperbilirubinemic rats. On the basis of results of the present study, we suggest that microsphere-based delivery system may help in development of safe, effective and alternate strategy for the treatment of hyperbilirubinemic conditions in model animals.

Binding of bilirubin with albumin-coupled liposomes: implications in the treatment of jaundice.

In the present study, we demonstrated the suitability of liposomes as a method of removing plasma bilirubin in hyperbilirubinemic rats. The liposomes have innate tendency to bind with bilirubin through hydrophobic interaction. Among different types of liposomes, the positively charged liposomes were found to have maximum affinity to free bilirubin. However, the entrapment or coupling of serum albumin on the surface of egg phosphatidylcholine liposomes can render a several-fold increase in their bilirubin binding capacity. The proteoliposomes were able to preferentially bind with bilirubin even in the presence of erythrocytes. Interestingly, these liposomes were found to displace bilirubin bound on the surface of erythrocytes as well. The results of the present study further demonstrate that albumin-bearing liposomes were equally effective in removing plasma bilirubin in experimental jaundiced animals. These observations indicate that liposome-mediated selective homing of excess plasma bilirubin to the liver cells (cf. hepatocytes) may help in the development of safer strategy for the treatment of hyperbilirubinemic conditions in the model animals.

Immunomodulator tuftsin augments anti-fungal activity of amphotericin B against experimental murine candidiasis.

In the present study, we report the potential of an immunomodulator tuftsin in increasing the efficacy of liposomised Amphotericin B (Amp B) against drug sensitive as well as drug resistant experimental murine candidiasis. The Amp B containing liposomes demonstrated strong potential of eliminating systemic candidiasis (70% survival) in animals infected with Amp B sensitive strain of Candida albicans (C. albicans). The same liposomal formulation was found to be ineffective in treatment of animals infected with drug resistant C. albicans. However, the co-administration of liposomal formulation of Amp B along with an immunomodulator tuftsin, was found to be competent enough in curing even the drug resistant candidiasis. In contrast, none of the animals survived in the control groups, which were treated with free or liposomised Amp B (without tuftsin). Further, the effect of liposomised tuftsin, on T-cell proliferation as well as antibody production reveals that tuftsin elicits strong immunopotentiating effects as well. The pretreatment with liposomised tuftsin prior to challenging the animals with drug resistant C. albicans infection has also been effective and shows an extra edge in prophylactic perspectives.