Applying the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process in digital marketing

The fuzzy analytical network process (FANP) is introduced as a potential multi-criteria-decision-making (MCDM) method to improve digital marketing management endeavors. Today’s information overload makes digital marketing optimization, which is needed to continuously improve one’s business, increasingly difficult. The proposed FANP framework is a method for enhancing the interaction between customers and marketers (i.e., involved stakeholders) and thus for reducing the challenges of big data. The presented implementation takes realities’ fuzziness into account to manage the constant interaction and continuous development of communication between marketers and customers on the Web. Using this FANP framework, the marketers are able to increasingly meet the varying requirements of their customers. To improve the understanding of the implementation, advanced visualization methods (e.g., wireframes) are used.

Highlights in Analytical Chemistry in Switzerland: OMA & OPA - A Software Tool for Mass Spectrometric Sequencing of Nucleic Acids

Oligonucleotides comprising unnatural building blocks, which interfere with the translation machinery, have gained increased attention for the treatment of gene-related diseases (e.g. antisense, RNAi). Due to structural modifications, synthetic oligonucleotides exhibit increased biostability and bioavailability upon administration. Consequently, classical enzyme-based sequencing methods are not applicable to their sequence elucidation and verification. Tandem mass spectrometry is the method of choice for performing such tasks, since gas-phase dissociation is not restricted to natural nucleic acids. However, tandem mass spectrometric analysis can generate product ion spectra of tremendous complexity, as the number of possible fragments grows rapidly with increasing sequence length. The fact that structural modifications affect the dissociation pathways greatly increases the variety of analytically valuable fragment ions. The gas-phase dissociation of oligonucleotides is characterized by the cleavage of one of the four bonds along the phosphodiester chain, by the accompanying loss of nucleases, and by the generation of internal fragments due to secondary backbone cleavage. For example, an 18-mer oligonucleotide yields a total number of 272’920 theoretical fragment ions. In contrast to the processing of peptide product ion spectra, which nowadays is highly automated, there is a lack of tools assisting the interpretation of oligonucleotide data. The existing web-based and stand-alone software applications are primarily designed for the sequence analysis of natural nucleic acids, but do not account for chemical modifications and adducts. Consequently, we developed a software to support the interpretation of mass spectrometric data of natural and modified nucleic acids and their adducts with chemotherapeutic agents.

Loop formulation of supersymmetric Yang-Mills quantum mechanics

We derive the fermion loop formulation of N=4 supersymmetric SU(N) Yang-Mills quantum mechanics on the lattice. The loop formulation naturally separates the contributions to the partition function into its bosonic and fermionic parts with fixed fermion number and provides a way to control potential fermion sign problems arising in numerical simulations of the theory. Furthermore, we present a reduced fermion matrix determinant which allows the projection into the canonical sectors of the theory and hence constitutes an alternative approach to simulate the theory on the lattice.

Supersymmetric quantum mechanics on the lattice: I. Loop formulation

Simulations of supersymmetric field theories on the lattice with (spontaneously) broken supersymmetry suffer from a fermion sign problem related to the vanishing of the Witten index. We propose a novel approach which solves this problem in low dimensions by formulating the path integral on the lattice in terms of fermion loops. For N=2 supersymmetric quantum mechanics the loop formulation becomes particularly simple and in this paper – the first in a series of three – we discuss in detail the reformulation of this model in terms of fermionic and bosonic bonds for various lattice discretisations including one which is Q-exact.

Development of a balanced experimental–computational approach to understanding the mechanics of proximal femur fractures

The majority of people who sustain hip fractures after a fall to the side would not have been identified using current screening techniques such as areal bone mineral density. Identifying them, however, is essential so that appropriate pharmacological or lifestyle interventions can be implemented. A protocol, demonstrated on a single specimen, is introduced, comprising the following components; in vitro biofidelic drop tower testing of a proximal femur; high-speed image analysis through digital image correlation; detailed accounting of the energy present during the drop tower test; organ level finite element simulations of the drop tower test; micro level finite element simulations of critical volumes of interest in the trabecular bone. Fracture in the femoral specimen initiated in the superior part of the neck. Measured fracture load was 3760 N, compared to 4871 N predicted based on the finite element analysis. Digital image correlation showed compressive surface strains as high as 7.1% prior to fracture. Voxel level results were consistent with high-speed video data and helped identify hidden local structural weaknesses. We found using a drop tower test protocol that a femoral neck fracture can be created with a fall velocity and energy representative of a sideways fall from standing. Additionally, we found that the nested explicit finite element method used allowed us to identify local structural weaknesses associated with femur fracture initiation.

Investigating policy processes: The Governance Analytical Frame-work (GAF)

Societies develop ways of making decisions regarding collective problems, thereby creating norms, rules, and institutions; this is what governance is about. In policy research, governance has become an important focus of attention; but debates show a lack of clarity at the conceptual level and a confusion between the use of the concept for prescriptive and analytical purposes. The present article is based on the hypothesis that using a clarified, non-normative governance perspective in policy research can contribute to an improved understanding of political processes, including formal and unrecognised ones, those embedded in larger and smaller social systems, as well as both vertical and horizontal political arrangements. The paper is the result of a collaborative engagement with the concept of governance within several networks, leading to the development of the Governance Analytical Framework (GAF). The GAF is a practical methodology for investigating governance processes, based on five analytical tools: problems, actors, social norms, processes, and nodal points. Besides describing the conceptual sources and analytical purpose of these five tools, the paper presents examples of how the GAF can be operationalised.

Supersymmetric quantum mechanics on the lattice: II. Exact results

Simulations of supersymmetric field theories with spontaneously broken supersymmetry require in addition to the ultraviolet regularisation also an infrared one, due to the emergence of the massless Goldstino. The intricate interplay between ultraviolet and infrared effects towards the continuum and infinite volume limit demands careful investigations to avoid potential problems. In this paper – the second in a series of three – we present such an investigation for N=2 supersymmetric quantum mechanics formulated on the lattice in terms of bosonic and fermionic bonds. In one dimension, the bond formulation allows to solve the system exactly, even at finite lattice spacing, through the construction and analysis of transfer matrices. In the present paper we elaborate on this approach and discuss a range of exact results for observables such as the Witten index, the mass spectra and Ward identities.

Supersymmetric quantum mechanics on the lattice: III. Simulations and algorithms

In the fermion loop formulation the contributions to the partition function naturally separate into topological equivalence classes with a definite sign. This separation forms the basis for an efficient fermion simulation algorithm using a fluctuating open fermion string. It guarantees sufficient tunnelling between the topological sectors, and hence provides a solution to the fermion sign problem affecting systems with broken supersymmetry. Moreover, the algorithm shows no critical slowing down even in the massless limit and can hence handle the massless Goldstino mode emerging in the supersymmetry broken phase. In this paper – the third in a series of three – we present the details of the simulation algorithm and demonstrate its efficiency by means of a few examples.

GRAIL gravity field determination using the Celestial Mechanics Approach

The NASA mission GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) inherited its concept from the GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) mission to determine the gravity field of the Moon. We present lunar gravity fields based on the data of GRAIL’s primary mission phase. Gravity field recovery is realized in the framework of the Celestial Mechanics Approach, using a development version of the Bernese GNSS Software along with Ka-band range-rate data series as observations and the GNI1B positions provided by NASA JPL as pseudo-observations. By comparing our results with the official level-2 GRAIL gravity field models we show that the lunar gravity field can be recovered with a high quality by adapting the Celestial Mechanics Approach, even when using pre-GRAIL gravity field models as a priori fields and when replacing sophisticated models of non-gravitational accelerations by appropriately spaced pseudo-stochastic pulses (i.e., instantaneous velocity changes). We present and evaluate two lunar gravity field solutions up to degree and order 200 – AIUB-GRL200A and AIUB-GRL200B. While the first solution uses no gravity field information beyond degree 200, the second is obtained by using the official GRAIL field GRGM900C up to degree and order 660 as a priori information. This reduces the omission errors and demonstrates the potential quality of our solution if we resolved the gravity field to higher degree.

Analytical, physiologic, and clinical validation of a radioimmunoassay for measurement of procollagen type III amino terminal propeptide in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid obtained from dogs.

OBJECTIVE To validate a radioimmunoassay for measurement of procollagen type III amino terminal propeptide (PIIINP) concentrations in canine serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and investigate the effects of physiologic and pathologic conditions on PIIINP concentrations. SAMPLE POPULATION Sera from healthy adult (n = 70) and growing dogs (20) and dogs with chronic renal failure (CRF; 10), cardiomyopathy (CMP; 12), or degenerative valve disease (DVD; 26); and sera and BALF from dogs with chronic bronchopneumopathy (CBP; 15) and healthy control dogs (10 growing and 9 adult dogs). PROCEDURE A radioimmunoassay was validated, and a reference range for serum PIIINP (S-PIIINP) concentration was established. Effects of growth, age, sex, weight, CRF, and heart failure on S-PIIINP concentration were analyzed. In CBP-affected dogs, S-PIIINP and BALF-PIIINP concentrations were evaluated. RESULTS The radioimmunoassay had good sensitivity, linearity, precision, and reproducibility and reasonable accuracy for measurement of S-PIIINP and BALF-PIIINP concentrations. The S-PIIINP concentration reference range in adult dogs was 8.86 to 11.48 mug/L. Serum PIIINP concentration correlated with weight and age. Growing dogs had significantly higher S-PIIINP concentrations than adults, but concentrations in CRF-, CMP-, DVD-, or CBP-affected dogs were not significantly different from control values. Mean BALF-PIIINP concentration was significantly higher in CBP-affected dogs than in healthy adults. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE In dogs, renal or cardiac disease or CBP did not significantly affect S-PIIINP concentration; dogs with CBP had high BALF-PIIINP concentrations. Data suggest that the use of PIIINP as a marker of pathologic fibrosis might be limited in growing dogs.

The Dark Side of the Moon: Meta-analytical Impact of Recruitment Strategies on Risk Enrichment in the Clinical High Risk State for Psychosis

Background: The individual risk of developing psychosis after being tested for clinical high-risk (CHR) criteria (posttest risk of psychosis) depends on the underlying risk of the disease of the population from which the person is selected (pretest risk of psychosis), and thus on recruitment strategies. Yet, the impact of recruitment strategies on pretest risk of psychosis is unknown. Methods: Meta-analysis of the pretest risk of psychosis in help-seeking patients selected to undergo CHR assessment: total transitions to psychosis over the pool of patients assessed for potential risk and deemed at risk (CHR+) or not at risk (CHR−). Recruitment strategies (number of outreach activities per study, main target of outreach campaign, and proportion of self-referrals) were the moderators examined in meta-regressions. Results: 11 independent studies met the inclusion criteria, for a total of 2519 (CHR+: n = 1359; CHR−: n = 1160) help-seeking patients undergoing CHR assessment (mean follow-up: 38 months). The overall meta-analytical pretest risk for psychosis in help-seeking patients was 15%, with high heterogeneity (95% CI: 9%–24%, I 2 = 96, P < .001). Recruitment strategies were heterogeneous and opportunistic. Heterogeneity was largely explained by intensive (n = 11, β = −.166, Q = 9.441, P = .002) outreach campaigns primarily targeting the general public (n = 11, β = −1.15, Q = 21.35, P < .001) along with higher proportions of self-referrals (n = 10, β = −.029, Q = 4.262, P = .039), which diluted pretest risk for psychosis in patients undergoing CHR assessment. Conclusions: There is meta-analytical evidence for overall risk enrichment (pretest risk for psychosis at 38monhts = 15%) in help-seeking samples selected for CHR assessment as compared to the general population (pretest risk of psychosis at 38monhts=0.1%). Intensive outreach campaigns predominantly targeting the general population and a higher proportion of self-referrals diluted the pretest risk for psychosis.