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Disassembly lines are widely utilized to disassemble end-of-life products. Most of the research focuses on the complete disassembly of obsolete products. However, there is a lack of studies on profit and on carbon emission saved. Hence, this study considers the multi-objective partial disassembly line balancing problem with AND/OR precedence relations to optimize profit, saved carbon emission and line balance simultaneously. Firstly, a multi-objective mixed-integer programming model is formulated, which could optimally solve the small number of instances with a single objective. Meanwhile, an improved multi-objective artificial bee colony algorithm is developed to generate a set of high-quality Pareto solutions. This algorithm utilizes two-layer encoding of the task permutation vector and the number of selected parts, and develops two-phase decoding to handle the precedence relation constraint and cycle time constraint. In addition, the modified employed bee phase utilizes the neighborhood operation, and the onlooker phase utilizes the crossover operator to achieve a diverse population. The modified scout phase selects a solution from the Pareto front to replace the abandoned individual to obtain a new high-quality solution. To test the performance of the proposed algorithm, the algorithm is compared with the multi-objective simulated annealing algorithm, the original multi-objective artificial bee colony algorithm and the well-known fast non-dominated genetic algorithm. The comparative study demonstrates that the proposed improvements enhance the performance of the method presented, and the proposed methodology outperforms all the compared algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate whether shikonin can regulate autophagy and promote wound healing in diabetic rats by upregulating C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4). Methods A total of 24 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were assigned to control, diabetic, diabetic+ Shikonin, and diabetic+Shikonin+sh-CXCR4 groups (6 rats in each group) using random number table method. A diabetic rat model was established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin, and a 1 cm-diameter skin punch was used to create an ulcer model on the back of the rat. Wound healing rates were calculated on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 after wounding. On day 21 after wounding, skin tissues were collected for hematoxylin & eosin and Masson trichrome staining to analyze the pathological changes of the wound. CD31 immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze the microvascular density of the wound and Western blotting was used to detect the expression of CXCR4 and cell autophagy-related proteins microtubule-related proteins light chain 3 (LC3) II/ LC3 I, Beclin1, and soluble p62 in the wound tissue. Autophagosomes were observed by transmission electron microscopy. One-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between groups. Results Compared with the control group, the diabetic group had reduced wound healing rate (on day 21: 72.44%±6.21% vs. 93.71%±6.76%), neovascularization, collagen deposition, microvascular density, levels of CXCR4, LC3 II /LC3 I, and Beclin, and increased p62 levels in the wound tissue, as well as decreased autophagosomes (P<0.05). Compared with the diabetic group, wound healing rate (on day 21: 86.74%±4.86% vs. 72.44%±6.21%), neovascularization, collagen deposition, microvascular density, levels of CXCR4, LC3 II/LC3 I, and Beclin, and autophagosomes were increased, but p62 levels were decreased in the diabetic+Shikonin group (P<0.05). Compared with the diabetic+Shikonin group, the diabetic+Shikonin group had decreased wound healing rate (on day 21: 76.15%±3.85% vs. 86.74%±4.86%), neovascularization, collagen deposition, microvascular density, levels of CXCR4, LC3 II/LC3 I, and Beclin, and autophagosomes in the wound tissue, as well as increased p62 levels (P<0.05). Conclusion Shikonin promotes the healing of diabetic ulcer wounds by upregulating CXCR4 expression and activating cell autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a common type of hair loss in men and efficacy and safety of current medical treatment remain limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin type A (BTA) combined with Minoxidil in patients with AGA. 60 male patients were included in this study and control group received topical 5% Minoxidil and the treatment group received BTA combined with topical 5% Minoxidil. BTA injections (60-70 U) were administered at 30-35 scalp sites. Head photographs were taken at baseline, 2nd, 4th, and 6th months. Clinical descriptions recorded scalp conditions, and patient satisfaction along with Dermatology Life Quality Index scores were documented. The treatment group (TG) showed significant hair growth differences compared to the control group (CG) at the 4th month (P < 0.001) and 6th month (P = 0.0046) post-treatment. TG had improved Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) scores in the 4th month (P = 0.0001) and 6th month (P = 0.0259) compared to CG. Patient satisfaction in TG for hair growth and scalp improvement was higher than CG (all P < 0.05). TG exhibited substantial quality of life improvement at the 4-month (P = 0.0009) and 6-month (P = 0.0099). No adverse reactions were observed post-botulinum toxin injection. BTA combined with Minoxidil effectively promotes hair growth, enhances the quality of life, and alleviates scalp symptoms in male AGA patients at 4th and 6th months, with no adverse effects compared to Minoxidil alone.Trial registration number: Ethics Committee of Shanghai Tongji Hospital (ID: K-2018-026)., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)