Building Trusted Startup Teams from LinkedIn Attributes: A Higher Order Probabilistic Analysis

© 2020 IEEE. Startups arguably contribute to the current business landscape by developing innovative products and services. The discovery of business partners and employees with a specific background which can be verified stands out repeatedly as a prime obstacle. LinkedIn is a popular platform where professional milestones, endorsements, recommendations, and skills are posted. A graph search algorithm with a BFS and a DFS strategy for seeking trusted candidates in LinkedIn is proposed. Both strategies rely on a metric for assessing the trustworthiness of an account according to LinkedIn attributes. Also, a stochastic vertex selection mechanism reminiscent of preferential attachment guides search. Both strategies were verified against a large segment of the vivid startup ecosystem of Patras, Hellas. A higher order probabilistic analysis suggests that BFS is more suitable. Findings also imply that emphasis should be given to local networking events, peer interaction, and to tasks allowing verifiable credit for the respective work

Fasting ghrelin levels are decreased in obese subjects and are significantly related with insulin resistance and body mass index

© 2017 Dimitrios Papandreou, Christos Karavolias, Fotini Arvaniti, Eleana Kafeza, Fatima Sidawi. BACKGROUND: Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid peptide that predominantly produced by the stomach. Strong evidence indicates the effects of ghrelin in the regulation of metabolic functions and its potential role in the aetiology of obesity. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of ghrelin levels with obesity, insulin resistance and glucose in normal and obese subjects. METHODS: Thirteen normal (n = 13) and seven (n = 7) obese weight subjects aged 20-22 participated in the study. Fasting plasma ghrelin, insulin and glucose levels were measured after overnight fasting. HOMA-IR was calculated to evaluate insulin resistance. RESULTS: Ghrelin and insulin levels were found to be statistically significantly lower and higher in obese subjects (P \u3c 0.001), respectively. Glucose levels were clinically higher in obese subjects but not statistically significant. Fasting plasma ghrelin was negatively correlated with BMI (r = -0.77, P \u3c 0.001), fasting insulin levels (r = -0.55, P \u3c 0.001) and HOMA-IR (r = -0.66, P \u3c 0.001). There was no correlation between ghrelin and glucose. In multiple regression analysis, insulin levels (Beta: -2.66, 95% CI: -2.49, -2.78, P \u3c 0.001) HOMA-IR (Beta: -2.41, 95% CI: -2.33, -2.55, P \u3c 0.001) and BMI (Beta: -1.77, 95% CI: -1.66, -1.89, P \u3c 0.001) were significant independent determinants of fasting ghrelin. CONCLUSION: Obese subjects have low fasting ghrelin levels that they are significantly related to insulin resistance and body mass index. More prospective studies are needed to establish the role of ghrelin in the pathogenesis of human obesity