Helicobacter pylori with stronger intensity of CagA phosphorylation lead to an increased risk of gastric intestinal metaplasia and cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nearly all Taiwanese <it>H. pylori </it>stains are <it>cagA</it>-genopositive and encode CagA protein. In this study, we evaluated whether different intensity of tyrosine phosphorylated-CagA (p-CagA) had an impact on the clinical diseases and histological outcomes in this area.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We enrolled 469 dyspeptic patients and prospectively obtained the gastric biopsy specimens and the <it>H. pylori </it>isolates. These patients were categorized according to the clinical diseases, such as duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, gastric cancer, and gastritis with or without intestinal metaplasia. Their gastric specimens were reviewed by the updated Sydney's system. Furthermore, a total of 146 patients were randomly selected from each clinical category for evaluation of their isolates' p-CagA intensity by <it>in vitro </it>AGS cells co-culture. The p-CagA was sparse in 30 (20.5%), weak in 59 (40.5%), and strong in 57 (39%) isolates. The isolates from the patients of gastric cancer or gastritis with intestinal metaplasia had stronger p-CagA intensity than those of gastritis without intestinal metaplasia (<it>p </it>≤ 0.002). Moreover, the patients infected with isolates with strong or weak p-CagA intensity had a higher risk of gastric intestinal metaplasia (<it>p </it>< 0.05, odds ratio 3.09~15.26) than those infected with sparse p-CagA isolates.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Infection with <it>H. pylori </it>stains with stronger p-CagA intensity may lead to an increased risk of gastric intestinal metaplasia and cancer.</p

A Hybrid Program Projects Selection Model for Nonprofit TV Stations

This study develops a hybrid multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) model to select program projects for nonprofit TV stations on the basis of managers’ perceptions. By the concept of balanced scorecard (BSC) and corporate social responsibility (CSR), we collect criteria for selecting the best program project. Fuzzy Delphi method, which can lead to better criteria selection, is used to modify criteria. Next, considering the interdependence among the selection criteria, analytic network process (ANP) is then used to obtain the weights of them. To avoid calculation and additional pairwise comparisons of ANP, technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is used to rank the alternatives. A case study is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model

A Hybrid MCDM Model to Select Optimal Hosts of Variety Shows in the Social Media Era

The selection of the optimal variety show hosts is a key to television stations. However, no study has a deal with this issue. In this paper, a hybrid multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) model based on the fuzzy Delphi method, decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), analytic network process (ANP), and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to choose optimal hosts of variety shows for television stations in the social media era was developed. The fuzzy Delphi method was taken as a screening tool for the selection criteria of variety show hosts. Then, DEMATEL was applied to verify the interdependencies between the perspectives. According to the interdependencies, ANP was employed to obtain weights. Finally, TOPSIS ranked the alternatives. The selection criteria were gathered from previous researches and discussions with senior executives of television stations. By the fuzzy Delphi method, 12 criteria were identified. Based on the past study and consultations with four senior executives, we classified 12 essential criteria into four perspectives to develop the hierarchy for the variety show host selection. Under the hierarchy base on four perspectives and 12 criteria, managers of television stations could select the optimal variety show hosts more effectively. The usability and efficiency of the proposed model were also considered by a case study. We offered a distinct contribution to the prior studies by providing a model in the variety show host selection field. In the context of social media competition, this study also added the selection criteria from Internet celebrities

A Hybrid Multiple Criteria Decision Making Model for Selecting the Location of Women’s Fitness Centers

Location selection is a critical problem for businesses that can determine the success of an organization. Selecting the optimal location from a pool of alternatives belongs to a multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) problem. This study employed a hybrid MCDM technique to select locations for women’s fitness centers in Taiwan. In the beginning, the fuzzy Delphi method was utilized to obtain selection criteria from interviewed senior executives. In the second stage, the decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) was employed to extract interdependencies between the selection criteria within each perspective. On the basis of interdependencies between the selection criteria, the analytic network process (ANP) was used to get respective weights of each criterion. Finally, the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) was ranking the alternatives. To demonstrate application of the proposed model and illustrate a location selection problem, a case was conducted. The capabilities and effectiveness of the proposed model are revealed

OPTIMAL SELECTION OF PROGRAM SUPPLIERS FOR TV COMPANIES USING AN ANALYTIC NETWORK PROCESS (ANP) APPROACH

In today's increasingly competitive business world, selecting and evaluating the suppliers is one of the most important activities of a company. In the Taiwanese TV industry, selecting optimal suppliers of programs is also vital. But few attempts have so far been made to address this specific point. After reviewing the literature, we collect criteria for the selection of a program supplier. Considering the interdependence among the selection criteria, the analytic network process (ANP) is applied to help Taiwanese TV companies to effectively select optimal program suppliers. To avoid the complicated computing process from additional pairwise comparisons of the ANP, we retain the 12 critical criteria according to the opinions of the 44 senior executives about the importance of criteria: Quality, On-time, Marketability, Reputation, Rating, Finance, Relationship, Attitude, Communication, Creativity, Price and Time. Subsequently, we discuss with senior executives to group these criteria into 4 perspectives to structure the hierarchy for the selection of program suppliers. According to the hierarchy based on 4 perspectives and 12 vital criteria, Taiwanese TV companies could select optimal program suppliers more effectively. Moreover, the practical application of the ANP presented in Section 4 is generic and also suitable to be exploited for Taiwanese TV companies.Analytic network process, supplier selection, TV industry

A Hybrid Multiple Criteria Decision Making Model for Supplier Selection

The sustainable supplier selection would be the vital part in the management of a sustainable supply chain. In this study, a hybrid multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) model is applied to select optimal supplier. The fuzzy Delphi method, which can lead to better criteria selection, is used to modify criteria. Considering the interdependence among the selection criteria, analytic network process (ANP) is then used to obtain their weights. To avoid calculation and additional pairwise comparisons of ANP, a technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is used to rank the alternatives. The use of a combination of the fuzzy Delphi method, ANP, and TOPSIS, proposing an MCDM model for supplier selection, and applying these to a real case are the unique features of this study

A hybrid MCDM model for live-streamer selection via the fuzzy Delphi method, ahp, and topsis

The development of the Internet is a key revolution of the 20th century. The Internet has led to a boom in e-commerce. Online shopping is generally the most popular shopping option for consumers. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in adopting various measures, such as lockdown and stay-at-home orders, in various countries. This has led to changes in people’s consumption habits. In Taiwan, consumer behavior has also rapidly shifted to online shopping after the outbreak of the COVID-19. As livestreaming breaks time and space barriers, its real-time, interactive, and authentic features are unparalleled compared to other marketing meth-ods, thereby creating a brand-new shopping experience for consumers. Accordingly, livestream shopping, a new consumption model, has developed and become an essential part of people’s daily lives. Live-streamers, who are similar to salespersons in traditional markets, play a vital role in e-commerce livestreaming. The success of livestream shopping has highlighted the importance of live-streamers. The competition among live-streamers has become more intense because of the arrival of many newcomers. Thus, operators must make careful hiring decisions. However, no related literature in the past has investigated this important topic. Therefore, this study applied a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model comprising the fuzzy Delphi method (screen the selection criteria), analytic hierarchy process (AHP) (obtain the weight of each dimension and criterion), and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) (rank the alternatives) to assist the managers of shopping websites in selecting live-streamers. We interviewed the managers of shopping websites and reviewed the related literature to compile the selection criteria. Following the fuzzy Delphi method, 15 important selection criteria were retained based on the 30 managers’ opinions. Further, the criteria were classified into dimensions based on the previous literature and interviews conducted on managers to establish a hierarchical framework. On the basis of this hierarchical framework, AHP and TOPSIS were applied to help a case company select live-streamers