A New Integrated Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Model for Performance Evaluation

The perspective of competition in the high technology industry has changed impressively over the last two decades and the indicators which can be defined as the traditional indicators of business performance are insufficient today. So we have identified a new set of financial and non-financial performance indicators that can be used by firms and then, we developed a business performance measurement model. There may be relations and dependencies among the dimensions of performance. For this reason, performance evaluation should be conducted in a holistic manner. In this study, a hybrid method, Equated Priority Values (EPV), has been used to reflect the outcomes of the most commonly used approaches, including the modified Fuzzy Logarithmic Least Squares Method (modified fuzzy LLSM), Chang’s Extent Analysis Method and Mikhailov’s Fuzzy Prioritization Approach. A real world application is carried out to illustrate how the model can be utilized. The application could be interpreted as demonstrating the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed model

Evaluating unspecific oxidative stress parameters in the sera of patients with irritable bowel syndrome

Objective: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common global condition characterized by abdominal pain and alterations in bowel habits not caused by other organic diseases and its etiopathogenesis has not been elucidated. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the oxidative stress parameters in patients with IBS. Materials and methods: Fifty patients diagnosed with IBS using the Rome III criteria and a control group of 50 healthy subjects were included in the study. Oxidative stress parameters including total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) values were analyzed from all study subjects. Results: Compared to the controls; the TOS and OSI values were significantly higher, and the TAS value was significantly lower in IBS patients (p < 0.001 for all). Conclusions: In present study we demonstrated that oxidative stress increased and antioxidant capacity decreased in IBS, and antioxidants might be beneficial in the supportive treatment for IBS

Psoriasis and 5HT-R2C Gene Polymorphism: Association between Clinical, Demographic and Therapeutic Parameters in the Turkish Population

We aimed to investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter region of the 5-HT-R2C gene and stress-related disease psoriasis in the Turkish population. The putative association between the 5-HTR2C variant (rs6318 Cys23Ser allele) and patients with psoriasis was investigated. 100 patients with psoriasis and 100 age-sex matched, unrelated healthy subjects representing the control group were included in the study. The PCR-RFLP method was used for genotyping the 5-HTR2C variation. There was no statistically difference in terms of genotype distributions and allele frequencies between the control subjects and patients with psoriasis (P=0.360 and P=0.439, respectively). The comparison between the presence and absence of the 5-HTR2C gene rs6318 G allele within the determined clinical subsets resulted in a significant difference with regard to treatment methodology only when conventional therapy and one or more medical therapy was compared (P=0.021). This study is the first clinical study to investigate the association between 5-HTR2C polymorphism and psoriasis. The role of the 5-HTR2C gene should be examined with more parameters in a larger case series

Psoriasis and 5HT-R2C Gene Polymorphism: Association between Clinical, Demographic and Therapeutic Parameters in the Turkish Population

We aimed to investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter region of the 5-HT-R2C gene and stress-related disease psoriasis in the Turkish population. The putative association between the 5-HTR2C variant (rs6318 Cys23Ser allele) and patients with psoriasis was investigated. 100 patients with psoriasis and 100 age-sex matched, unrelated healthy subjects representing the control group were included in the study. The PCR-RFLP method was used for genotyping the 5-HTR2C variation. There was no statistically difference in terms of genotype distributions and allele frequencies between the control subjects and patients with psoriasis (P=0.360 and P=0.439, respectively). The comparison between the presence and absence of the 5-HTR2C gene rs6318 G allele within the determined clinical subsets resulted in a significant difference with regard to treatment methodology only when conventional therapy and one or more medical therapy was compared (P=0.021). This study is the first clinical study to investigate the association between 5-HTR2C polymorphism and psoriasis. The role of the 5-HTR2C gene should be examined with more parameters in a larger case series

Performance measurement model for Turkish aviation firms using the rough-AHP and TOPSIS methods under fuzzy environment

In today's organizations, performance measurement comes more to the foreground with the advancement in the high technology. So as to manage this power, which is an important element of the organizations, it is needed to have a performance measurement system. Increased level of competition in the business environment and higher customer requirements forced industry to establish a new philosophy to measure its performance beyond the existing financial and non-financial based performance indicators. In this paper, a conceptual performance measurement framework that takes into account company-level factors is presented for a real world application problem. In order to use the conceptual framework for measuring performance, a methodology that takes into account both quantitative and qualitative factors and the interrelations between them should be utilized. For this reason, an integrated approach of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) improved by rough sets theory (Rough-AHP) and fuzzy TOPSIS method is proposed to obtain final ranking. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

A new model suggestion to estimate the probability value in occupational health and safety risk assessment

The basis of activities in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is risk assessment in the workplace. Risk assessment allows the execution of OHS activities within a plan. The ranking of activities in this plan is done according to the risk value. As this plan may require 3-4 years or more, on condition that the calculation of the plan is correct, sources may be used effectively. The guidelines regarding the risk assessment task are outlined by national and international regulations. How is the risk value calculated? Many methods have been developed for the calculation of the risk value. It can be calculated correctly by proper calculation of the risk component.This component has often been reported in the literature and limited to the value of probability and severity. In studies in the literature, due to the risk value generally being calculated by safety experts? who use a narrow assessment scale subjective approach, there is a possibility that some risks will share the same risk value with each other. In this study, a new artificial-regression probability value calculation model, which was developed on the basis of actual data arranged according to the laws of Heinrich, was proposed to both expand this narrow scale and prevent subjectivity. The proposed model and the classical probability assessment approach used in the literature was integrated and applied to a factory, that has been operating for many years with various workshops, and the results were compared

THE STOCHASTIC VIKOR METHOD AND ITS USE IN REVERSE LOGISTIC OPTION SELECTION PROBLEM

In this paper a new method, SMAA-VIKOR, was proposed for stochastic multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problems and the effectiveness of the method was shown by comparing literature data and a case study. In some decision making situations, decision makers (DMs) can't or don't express their preferences openly. In such cases stochastic multi-criteria acceptability analysis (SMAA-2) is applicable. The proposed method, SMAA-VIKOR, is the combination of the SMAA- 2 and VIKOR methods. Our aim was to see if we can employ VIKOR in handling imprecise, uncertain data, in a word to compose stochastic VIKOR. The SMAA- VIKOR method was applied to the drug benefit-risk analysis problem in the literature. In addition, a case study evaluating the reverse logistic option selection problem is used to illustrate the proposed method. This study indicated that VIKOR could be used with uncertain and arbitrarily distributed values for weights and criteria measurements by using SMAA- VIKOR. The results show that SMAA- VIKOR gives more significant and consistent SMAA outputs and it can also be effective in helping logistic managers in decision makin

A New Model Suggestion to Estimate the Probability Value in Occupational Health and Safety Risk Assessment

The basis of activities in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is risk assessment in the workplace. Risk assessment allows the execution of OHS activities within a plan. The ranking of activities in this plan is done according to the risk value. As this plan may require 3-4 years or more, on condition that the calculation of the plan is correct, sources may be used effectively. The guidelines regarding the risk assessment task are outlined by national and international regulations. How is the risk value calculated? Many methods have been developed for the calculation of the risk value. It can be calculated correctly by proper calculation of the risk component.This component has often been reported in the literature and limited to the value of probability and severity. In studies in the literature, due to the risk value generally being calculated by safety experts? who use a narrow assessment scale subjective approach, there is a possibility that some risks will share the same risk value with each other. In this study, a new artificial-regression probability value calculation model, which was developed on the basis of actual data arranged according to the laws of Heinrich, was proposed to both expand this narrow scale and prevent subjectivity. The proposed model and the classical probability assessment approach used in the literature was integrated and applied to a factory, that has been operating for many years with various workshops, and the results were compared