Two independent studies show that, if push comes to shove, differentiated cells of the stomach and lung can act as adult stem cells, generating various cell types of the tissues, including a pool of ...stem cells. See Article p.218
Childhood interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are a diverse class of disorders affecting the alveolar gas exchange region that lack specific treatments and are usually fatal. Here, we integrate recent ...insights into alveolar cell biology with histopathology from well characterized mutations of surfactant-associated genes. We take a reductionist approach by parsing discrete histological features and correlating each to perturbation of a particular function of the alveolar epithelial type II (AT2) cell, the central driver of disease, to generate a working model for the cellular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis.
The application of genetically modified mice and single cell genomics has yielded new insights into lung biology, including the identification of a bipotent alveolar progenitor in development, mapping of adult AT2 stem cells in vivo, and demonstration that latent cooperative interactions with fibroblasts can be pathologically activated by targeted injury of the AT2 cell.
As we learn more about individual and cooperative roles for alveolar cells in health, we can dissect how perturbations of specific cellular functions contribute to disease in childhood ILDs. We hope our updated model centered around the AT2 cell as the initiator of disease provides a cellular framework that researchers can build upon and revise as they identify the specific molecular signals within and between alveolar cells that mediate the diverse pathologic features, so that targeted pharmacologic and cell-based treatments for patients can ultimately be engineered.
Retinoic acid (RA) signaling is required for normal development of multiple organs. However, little is known about how RA influences the initial stages of lung development. Here, we used a ...combination of genetic, pharmacological and explant culture approaches to address this issue, and to investigate how signaling by different RA receptors (RAR) mediates the RA effects. We analyzed initiation of lung development in retinaldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (
Raldh2) null mice, a model in which RA signaling is absent from the foregut from its earliest developmental stages. We provide evidence that RA is dispensable for specification of lung cell fate in the endoderm. By using synthetic retinoids to selectively activate RAR alpha or beta signaling in this model, we demonstrate novel and unique functions of these receptors in the early lung. We show that activation of RAR beta, but not alpha, induces expression of the fibroblast growth factor
Fgf10 and bud morphogenesis in the lung field. Similar analysis of wild type foregut shows that endogenous RAR alpha activity is required to maintain overall RA signaling, and to refine the RAR beta effects in the lung field. Our data support the idea that balanced activation of RAR alpha and beta is critical for proper lung bud initiation and endodermal differentiation.
Although respiratory tract defects that result from disruption of retinoic acid (RA) signaling have been widely reported, the mechanism by which endogenous RA regulates early lung morphogenesis is ...unknown. Here, we provide novel evidence that a major role for RA is to selectively maintain mesodermal proliferation and induce fibroblast growth factor 10 (
Fgf10) expression in the foregut region where the lung forms. By using a pan-RAR antagonist (BMS493) in foregut explant cultures, we show that bud initiation is selectively blocked in the prospective respiratory region by failure to induce
Fgf10 in the corresponding mesoderm. The RA regulation of
Fgf10 expression occurs only in this region, within a defined developmental window, and is not seen in other foregut derivatives such as thyroid and pancreas where Fgf10 is also required for normal development. Furthermore, we show that RA activity is essential in the lung field to maintain lung cell identity in the endoderm; RAR antagonism disrupts expression of thyroid transcription factor 1 (
Ttf1), an early marker of the respiratory region in the endoderm, and surfactant protein C (
Sp-C) mRNAs. Our observations in mouse foregut cultures are corroborated by data from an in vivo model of vitamin A deficiency in rats. Our study supports RA as an essential regulator of gene expression and cellular activities during primary bud formation.
The existing literature reviews on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) lack in portraying the recent developments, possible application areas and the importance of SSCM in the development of ...nations' industrial economy. The main aim of this article is to explore the emerging aspects, present trends and conduct the meta-analysis by performing a systematic review of the available SSCM literature. The present study conducts a systematic review of 326 SSCM articles published across referred peer reviewed journals during 2001-2017 in various domains such as business and management, engineering, healthcare and services. During the analysis of the literature, various categories such as publication year, journals, research design type, industry sectors, multi-criteria decision-making techniques, enablers and barriers are adopted. The present study is equally beneficial for practitioners and researchers as it displays a better understanding of SSCM and its developments over different industry sectors.
Purpose This study is intended to introduce and summarise Industry 4.0 practices in BRICS nations (the abbreviation “BRICS” is made up of the first letters of the member countries: Brazil, Russia, ...India, China and South Africa) and determine each nation’s current contribution to Industry 4.0 practice implementation based on past literature. As the BRICS countries continue to play an essential role in the global economy, it is significant to understand Industry 4.0, focussing on these emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach To assess the present research work on Industry 4.0 practices and research studies in BRICS nations, a systematic literature review (SLR) is performed using the articles available on the SCOPUS database. This study is a descriptive analysis based on the frequency and year of publications, the most influential universities, most influential journals and most influential articles. Similarly, this study consists of category analysis based on multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, research design used, research method utilised, different data analysis techniques and different Industry 4.0 technologies were used to solve different applications in the BRICS nations. Findings According to the analysis of past literature, the primary identified practices are centred on operations productivity, waste management, energy reduction and sustainable processes. It also found that despite the abundance of research on Industry 4.0, the major academic journal publications are restricted to a small number of industries and issues in which the manufacturing and automotive industries are front runners. The categorisation of selected papers based on the year of publication demonstrates that the number of publications has been rising. It is also found that China and India, out of the BRICS countries, have contributed significantly to Industry 4.0-related publications by contributing 61 percent of the total articles identified. Similarly, this study identified that qualitative research design is the most adopted framework for research, and empirical triangulation is the least adopted framework in this field. The categorisation of selected articles facilitates the identification of numerous gaps, such as that 67.14% of the literature research is qualitative. Practical implications Understanding Industry 4.0 in the BRICS nations helps to identify opportunities for international collaboration and future cooperation possibilities. This study helps to promote collaboration between BRICS countries and other nations, organisations or businesses interested in capitalising on these growing economies' assets and capabilities related to Industry 4.0 technologies. This study helps to provide essential insights into the economic, technological and societal impacts, allowing for effective decision-making and strategic planning for a sustainable and competitive future. So, this contribution links the entire world in terms of the better utilisation of resources, the reduction of downtime, improving product quality, personalised products and the development of human resource capabilities through the application of cutting-edge technologies for nearly half of the world’s population. Originality/value In this study, BRICS nations are selected due to their significant impact on the world regarding social, economic and environmental contributions. In the current review, 423 articles published up to August 2022 were selected from the SCOPUS database. The comparison analysis of each BRICS nation in the form of applications of Industry 4.0, the primary area of focus, leading industry working, industry involvement with universities and the area that needs attention are discussed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most recent SLR and meta-analysis study about Industry 4.0 in BRICS nations, which analysed the past available literature in nine different descriptive and category-wise classifications, considering a total of 423 articles. Based on this SLR, this study makes some important recommendations and future directions that will help achieve social, economic and environmental sustainability in BRICS nations.
Electrical injuries are most commonly due to household accidents.Various factors determine the severity of electric injury, including type of current, amperage, voltage, tissue resistance, pathway of ...current,and duration of contact with the body. Various types of neurologic damage due to electrical injury have been described in literature. It may manifest as peripheral nerve injury, spinal cord damage, seizures, cerebellarataxia, hypoxic encephalopathy, and intracerebral hemorrhage. Acute ischemic stroke is an infrequent complication of electrical injury. Herein,we report a case of middle-aged man, who accidentally sustained high voltage electrical injury followed by acute vertebrobasilar ischemic stroke. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed acute infarctin bilateral cerebellar and medial occipital regions. Computed tomographic angiogram of the brain and neck vessels was normal. Possibly,in our patient, the mechanism could be related to direct vascular injury due to electric current.
Value engineering is an organized creative technique to analyze the function of a product or a system for achieving the required function at minimum cost along with required performance, reliability, ...maintainability, appearance, safety etc. Value engineering has been proved to be a very effective tool of materials management and cost reduction in modern industry. It proceeds with the analysis of the value or the utility of the product and then to investigate as to how the value can be improved or if the part can be eliminated or replaced by any other part of the same value (utility) or lesser cost. The paper presents the application of value engineering to minimize rework in ship construction and reduction of cycle time of a project.
The manufacturing sector can contribute significantly to the economic growth of any nation by adopting ingenious methods which can reduce negative environmental impacts. Sustainable manufacturing has ...gained enormous attention during the last decade for improving sustainable performance. For enhancing sustainable performances, manufacturing organizations need to overcome barriers to sustainable manufacturing. The present study has applied a three-level approach to identify barriers and solutions of sustainable manufacturing in manufacturing organizations. A combined approach of extensive literature analysis and the Delphi technique is utilized to finalize the barriers and solutions. The present study has identified 7 main barriers, 33 sub-barriers, and 27 solutions. The best worst method (BWM) is employed for the prioritization of finalized barriers. Financial and strategic barriers are the most significant barriers which hinder sustainable manufacturing adoption. The present study is an initiative to utilize extended Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment of Evaluations II (PROMETHEE2) for ranking the solutions of sustainable manufacturing. The ranking of solutions suggests “supportive governmental legislations” as the uppermost solution to overcome selected barriers. A sensitivity analysis is also executed to investigate the fitness of the final results of the present study. The present findings will enable the case organizations to identify the most obstructive barriers and also enable them to adopt solutions that can reduce the intensity of barriers. A comprehensive analysis of manufacturing organizations can be executed to compare the findings of the present work.
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