Psychological Stability of Solutions in the Multiple Criteria Decision Problems

In interactive programming, a choice behavior of the decision maker may differ depending on a proximity of current solution to satisfactory values of the objectives. An interactive approach proposed in this paper allows the decision maker to use different search principles depending on his/her perception of the achieved values of the objectives and trade-offs. While an analysis of values of the objectives may guide the initial search for a final solution, it can be replaced by trade-off evaluations at some later stages of interactive decision making. Such an approach allows the decision maker to change search principles, and to identify a psychologically stable solution of the multiple criteria decision problem

Establishing Regret Attitude of a Decision Maker within the MCDM Modeling Framework

The paper describes the MCDM modeling framework can be extended to account for the notion of regret. The Non-regrettable decisions are generated in accordance with a DM's regret attitude which is established through an analysis of the trade-offs. Decisional validity of a proposed modeling framework is illustrated with a simple example

Citizenship rights for immigrants. National political processes and cross-national convergence in Western Europe, 1980–2008

Immigrant citizenship rights in the nation-state reference both theories of cross-national convergence and the resilience of national political processes. This article investigates European countries' attribution of rights to immigrants: Have these rights become more inclusive and more similar across countries? Are they affected by EU membership, the role of the judiciary, the party in power, the size of the immigrant electorate, or pressure exerted by anti-immigrant parties? Original data on 10 European countries, 1980-2008, reveal no evidence for cross-national convergence. Rights tended to become more inclusive until 2002, but stagnated afterward. Electoral changes drive these trends: growth of the immigrant electorate led to expansion, but countermobilization by right-wing parties slowed or reversed liberalizations. These electoral mechanisms are in turn shaped by long-standing policy traditions, leading to strong path dependence and the reproduction of preexisting cross-national differences. © 2012 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved

Using Trade-off Information in Attributes' Investing

The paper describes the use of trade-off information to create effective stock portfolio characterized by the desired values of selected stock attributes. The basic notions behind such a process of portfolio creation are discussed and related to multi attribute analysis which is done by evaluating compensations among the attributes' values. A framework to construct a portfolio using only compensatory information is presented and applied to the analysis of stocks traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange

Linked Lives: Exploring Gender and Sedentary Behaviors in Older Adult Couples

Objectives: We explored associations between co-habiting partners for sedentary behavior (type and time, via accelerometry and self-report), gender, and a surrogate health measure (inflammatory biomarker: C-reactive protein, CRP). Methods: Participants completed activity questionnaires and the Timed Up and Go (mobility), wore an accelerometer for 7 days, and provided samples for high-sensitivity (hs) CRP. We used multilevel modeling (partners within couples) to investigate associations between independent variables and (a) sedentary behavior and (b) hsCRP. Results: 112 couples (50% women) provided sedentary data and hsCRP. Sedentary behavior was significantly correlated (r = .440, p men). Gender, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and mobility estimated 37% of the modeled variance in sedentary time, while body mass index (BMI) and MVPA estimated 10% of the modeled variance in hsCRP. Discussion: Despite differences in how activity was accumulated, there were no significant differences between women’s and men’s health biomarker.Canadian Institutes of Health Research https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000024michael smith foundation for health research https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000245social sciences and humanities research council of canada https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000155university of british columbia https://doi.org/10.13039/501100005247Peer Reviewe

Grain Dynamics in a Two-dimensional Granular Flow

We have used particle tracking methods to study the dynamics of individual balls comprising a granular flow in a small-angle two-dimensional funnel. We statistically analyze many ball trajectories to examine the mechanisms of shock propagation. In particular, we study the creation of, and interactions between, shock waves. We also investigate the role of granular temperature and draw parallels to traffic flow dynamics.Comment: 17 pages, 24 figures. To appear in Phys.Rev.E. High res./color figures etc. on http://www.nbi.dk/CATS/Granular/GrainDyn.htm

Evaluation of the total photoabsorption cross sections for actinides from photofission data and model calculations

We have calculated the fission probabilities for 237-Np, 233,235,238-U, 232-Th, and nat-Pb following the absorption of photons with energies from 68 MeV to 3.77 GeV using the RELDIS Monte-Carlo code. This code implements the cascade-evaporation-fission model of intermediate-energy photonuclear reactions. It includes multiparticle production in photoreactions on intranuclear nucleons, pre-equilibrium emission, and the statistical decay of excited residual nuclei via competition of evaporation, fission, and multifragmentation processes. The calculations show that in the GeV energy region the fission process is not solely responsible for the entire total photoabsorption cross section, even for the actinides: ~55-70% for 232-Th, \~70-80% for 238-U, and ~80-95% for 233-U, 235-U, and 237-Np. This is because certain residual nuclei that are created by deep photospallation at GeV photon energies have relatively low fission probabilities. Using the recent experimental data on photofission cross sections for 237-Np and 233,235,238-U from the Saskatchewan and Jefferson Laboratories and our calculated fission probabilities, we infer the total photoabsorption cross sections for these four nuclei. The resulting cross sections per nucleon agree in shape and in magnitude with each other. However, disagreement in magnitude with total-photoabsorption cross-section data from previous measurements for nuclei from C to Pb calls into question the concept of a ``Universal Curve'' for the photoabsorption cross section per nucleon for all nuclei.Comment: 39 pages including 11 figure

Photofission of heavy nuclei at energies up to 4 GeV

Total photofission cross sections for 238U, 235U, 233U, 237Np, 232Th, and natPb have been measured simultaneously, using tagged photons in the energy range Egamma=0.17-3.84 GeV. This was the first experiment performed using the Photon Tagging Facility in Hall B at Jefferson Lab. Our results show that the photofission cross section for 238U relative to that for 237Np is about 80%, implying the presence of important processes that compete with fission. We also observe that the relative photofission cross sections do not depend strongly on the incident photon energy over this entire energy range. If we assume that for 237Np the photofission probability is equal to unity, we observe a significant shadowing effect starting below 1.5 GeV.Comment: 4 pages of RevTex, 6 postscript figures, Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

KOMBINIRANO DJELOVANJE BITURATA I EKSTRAKTA YUCCA SCHIDIGERI NA GASTROINTESTINALNI SUSTAV SVINJA OKO ODBIJANJA

After the banning of antibiotics as growth promoters, animal production in the EU faced the problem of increased post-weaning disorders, and several solutions were proposed (acidifiers, probiotics, herb extracts, enzyme cocktails, etc.). Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are the main end product of bacterial fermentation in the hind gut in monogastric animals and can be used as energy supply for the epithelial cells of gut mucosa. Thus the aim of the study was to test the usefulness of novel microencapsulated sodium butyrate and Yucca Schidigera extract (encourages friendly bacteria growth, reduces ammonia) preparation on pig performance and small intestine development in the critical weaning period. Microencapsulation helps to avoid stomach degradation and provides better distribution of the compounds along the small intestine. Suckling piglets, 14-day old, were divided into 2 groups, control and with butyrate addition. Control pigs received a standard feed supplemented with a microencapsulated acidifier (0.3%). Butyrate pigs received the same feed and acidifier, as controls, supplemented with butyrate/yucca preparation (0.3%). At days 28 (weaning), 35 and 56 of life, 6 pigs from each group were killed and the gastrointestinal tract was harvested and measured. The initial body weight (14 d) of pigs from the control group was higher than that of the experimental, but at day 56 it did not differ significantly (P=0.48). The relative stomach and pancreas weights in the experimental group showed a tendency toward higher values in all time points, and the small intestine relative weight in day 35 was higher as compared to the controls. The growth rate of the pigs at day 35 decreased significantly in the control (P=0.007), but did not in the experimental (P=0.058) group compared to day 31. Measurements of the small intestine sections revealed increased mucosa thickness in butyrate treated pigs. This was due to both villi and crypt enlargement. In conclusion, our results demonstrated the effectiveness sodium butyrate and Yucca Shidigera extract in the prevention of weaning problems in pigs, however further research on the novel preparation is needed.Nakon zabrane antibiotika kao promotora rasta, proizvodnja životinja u EU suočila se sa sve više poremećaja nakon odbijanja pa je predloženo nekoliko rješenja (acidifikatori, probiotici, biljni ekstrakti, kokteli enzima, itd.). Kratkolančane masne kiseline glavni su krajnji proizvod bakterijske fermentacije u stražnjem crijevu u monogastričnih životinja pa se mogu upotrijebiti za snabdijevanje energijom epitelnih stanica crijevne sluznice /mukoze. Stoga je cilj ovog rada bio testirati korisnost novog natrijevog biturata u mikrokapsuli i pripravka ekstrakta Yucca Schidigera (potiče rast dobročudnih bakterija, smanjuje amonijak) na performansu svinja i razvoj tankog crijeva u kritičnom razdoblju odbijanja. Mikrokapsule pomažu da se izbjegne oštećenje želuca i pruža bolju razdiobu spojeva duž tankog crijeva. Praščići na sisi, u dobi od 14 dana, bili su podijeljeni u dvije skupine, kontrolnu i skupinu s dodavanjem biturata. Kontrolni praščići dobivali su standardnu hranu s dodatkom acidifikatora/zakiseljivača u mikrokapsuli (0.03%). Praščići na bituratima dobivali su istu hranu i acidifikator/zakiseljivač s dodatkom biturata/yucca pripravka (0.03%). U dobi od 28 (odbijanje), 35 i 56 dana žrtvovano je 6 svinja iz svake skupine te je pregledan i izmjeren gastrointestinalni sustav. Početna tjelesna masa (14. dan) svinja iz kontrolne skupine bila je veća od mase svinja pokusne skupine ali 56. dan nije se značajno razlikovala (P=0.48). Relativne mase želuca i gušterače u pokusnoj skupini pokazale su tendenciju viših vrijednosti u svim razdobljima, a relativna masa tankog crijeva 35. dana bila je viša u usporedbi s kontrolnom skupinom. Stopa rasta svinja 35. dana znatno se smanjila u kontrolnoj skupini (P=0.007) ali ne u kontrolnoj skupini (P=0.058) u usporedbi s 31. danom. Mjere tankog crijeva pokazale su povećanu debljinu sluznice u svinja tretiranih bituratom. To se pripisuje povećanju dlačica i udubina (villi i crypt). U zaključku, naši su rezultati pokazali djelotvornost natrijevog biturata i ekstrakta Yucca Schidigeri u prevenciji problema odbijanja u svinja, međutim, potrebna su dalja istraživanja novih pripravaka

MutLα heterodimers modify the molecular phenotype of Friedreich ataxia

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Background: Friedreich ataxia (FRDA), the most common autosomal recessive ataxia disorder, is caused by a dynamic GAA repeat expansion mutation within intron 1 of FXN gene, resulting in down-regulation of frataxin expression. Studies of cell and mouse models have revealed a role for the mismatch repair (MMR) MutS-heterodimer complexes and the PMS2 component of the MutLα complex in the dynamics of intergenerational and somatic GAA repeat expansions: MSH2, MSH3 and MSH6 promote GAA repeat expansions, while PMS2 inhibits GAA repeat expansions. Methodology/Principal Findings: To determine the potential role of the other component of the MutLα complex, MLH1, in GAA repeat instability in FRDA, we have analyzed intergenerational and somatic GAA repeat expansions from FXN transgenic mice that have been crossed with Mlh1 deficient mice. We find that loss of Mlh1 activity reduces both intergenerational and somatic GAA repeat expansions. However, we also find that loss of either Mlh1 or Pms2 reduces FXN transcription, suggesting different mechanisms of action for Mlh1 and Pms2 on GAA repeat expansion dynamics and regulation of FXN transcription. Conclusions/Significance: Both MutLα components, PMS2 and MLH1, have now been shown to modify the molecular phenotype of FRDA. We propose that upregulation of MLH1 or PMS2 could be potential FRDA therapeutic approaches to increase FXN transcription. © 2014 Ezzatizadeh et al.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund