Clustering Prediction Techniques in Defining and Predicting Customers Defection: The Case of E-Commerce Context

With the growth of the e-commerce sector, customers have more choices, a fact which encourages them to divide their purchases amongst several e-commerce sites and compare their competitors’ products, yet this increases high risks of churning. A review of the literature on customer churning models reveals that no prior research had considered both partial and total defection in non-contractual online environments. Instead, they focused either on a total or partial defect. This study proposes a customer churn prediction model in an e-commerce context, wherein a clustering phase is based on the integration of the k-means method and the Length-Recency-Frequency-Monetary (LRFM) model. This phase is employed to define churn followed by a multi-class prediction phase based on three classification techniques: Simple decision tree, Artificial neural networks and Decision tree ensemble, in which the dependent variable classifies a particular customer into a customer continuing loyal buying patterns (Non-churned), a partial defector (Partially-churned), and a total defector (Totally-churned). Macro-averaging measures including average accuracy, macro-average of Precision, Recall, and F-1 are used to evaluate classifiers’ performance on 10-fold cross validation. Using real data from an online store, the results show the efficiency of decision tree ensemble model over the other models in identifying both future partial and total defection

Supercomplexes multifonctionnels chez les mitochondries, et chez E. coli

Les processus mitochondriaux tels que la réplication et la traduction sont effectués par des complexes multiprotéiques. Par contre, le métabolisme et la voie de maturation des ARN mitochondriaux (p. ex précurseurs des ARNt et des ARNr) sont habituellement traités comme une suite de réactions catalysées par des protéines séparées. L’exécution fidèle et optimale de ces processus mitochondriaux, exige un couplage étroit nécessaire pour la canalisation des intermédiaires métaboliques. Or, les évidences en faveur de l'interconnexion postulée de ces processus cellulaires sont peu nombreuses et proviennent en grande partie des interactions protéine-protéine. Contrairement à la perception classique, nos résultats révèlent l’organisation des fonctions cellulaires telles que la transcription, la traduction, le métabolisme et la régulation en supercomplexes multifonctionnels stables, dans les mitochondries des champignons (ex Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus nidulans et Neurospora crassa), des animaux (ex Bos taurus), des plantes (B. oleracea et Arabidopsis thaliana) et chez les bactéries (ex E. coli) à partir desquelles les mitochondries descendent. La composition de ces supercomplexes chez les champignons et les animaux est comparable à celle de levure, toutefois, chez les plantes et E. coli ils comportent des différences notables (ex, présence des enzymes spécifiques à la voie de biosynthèse des sucres et les léctines chez B. oleracea). Chez la levure, en accord avec les changements dûs à la répression catabolique du glucose, nos résultats révèlent que les supercomplexes sont dynamiques et que leur composition en protéines dépend des stimulis et de la régulation cellulaire. De plus, nous montrons que l’inactivation de la voie de biosynthèse des lipides de type II (FASII) perturbe l’assemblage et/ou la biogenèse du supercomplexe de la RNase P (responsable de la maturation en 5’ des précurseurs des ARNt), ce qui suggère que de multiples effets pléiotropiques peuvent être de nature structurale entre les protéines. Chez la levure et chez E. coli, nos études de la maturation in vitro des précurseurs des ARNt et de la protéomique révèlent l’association de la RNase P avec les enzymes de la maturation d’ARNt en 3’. En effet, la voie de maturation des pré-ARNt et des ARNr, et la dégradation des ARN mitochondriaux semblent êtres associées avec la machinerie de la traduction au sein d’un même supercomplexe multifonctionnel dans la mitochondrie de la levure. Chez E. coli, nous avons caractérisé un supercomplexe similaire qui inclut en plus de la RNase P: la PNPase, le complexe du RNA degradosome, l’ARN polymérase, quatre facteurs de transcription, neuf aminoacyl-tRNA synthétases, onze protéines ribosomiques, des chaperons et certaines protéines métaboliques. Ces résultats supposent l’association physique de la transcription, la voie de maturation et d’aminoacylation des ARNt, la dégradation des ARN. Le nombre de cas où les activités cellulaires sont fonctionnellement et structurellement associées est certainement à la hausse (ex, l’éditosome et le complexe de la glycolyse). En effet, l’organisation en supercomplexe multifonctionnel représente probablement l’unité fonctionnelle dans les cellules et les analyses de ces super-structures peuvent devenir la prochaine cible de la biologie structurale.It is known that processes such as transcription, translation and intron splicing require a multitude of proteins (plus a few non-protein components) organized in large ‘molecular machines’. But, according to traditional views, processing of RNA precursors (e.g., tRNA and rRNA) and metabolic pathways are pools of individual enzymes (single proteins or small complexes), with sequential enzymatic reaction steps connected via diffusible metabolites. This perception is incompatible with the ‘molecular crowding’ in most cellular compartments (e.g., 60% in the mitochondrial matrix). It is also not in line with the cumulating indirect evidence from comprehensive studies of protein-protein interactions and affinity purification, showing that numerous protein complexes involving different metabolic and regulatory processes are interconnected. However, direct evidence of extensive cross-talk among diverse cellular processes remains to be clearly demonstrated. Here we show that in mitochondria of yeast and other fungi (Neurospora crassa and Rhizopus oryzae), animal (Bos taurus), plant (Brassica oleracea), and in E. coli (standing for the “bacterial ancestor” of mitochondria), metabolism is physically interlinked (in supercomplexes) with translation, replication, transcription and RNA processing. Further, the supercomplexes also contain a variety of helper proteins, in support of earlier reports that describe such proteins as important structural units assisting complex assembly. Whereas the composition of supercomplexes in fungi (e.g., Neurospora crassa), animals and yeast is relatively similar, plants and E. coli present substantial compositional differences (e.g., plant-specific enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of sugars and secondary metabolites). In yeast, the supercomplex pattern of glucose-repressed cells is completely different from that of cells grown on galactose/glycerol, and the protein composition perfectly correlates with known regulatory changes under glucose repression. The destabilization of the complex organization is also illustrated by the deletion of genes in the mitochondrial fatty acid type II biosynthetic pathway (mutant strain oar1Δ). Mutants have both, a defect in fatty acid synthesis and in 5’ processing of mitochondrial tRNA, and no longer have a supercomplex containing Oar1p and components of RNase P (5’ tRNA processing). The pleiotropic mutant phenotype is best explained by a structural (assembly) defect. Also in yeast mitochondria, we demonstrate that RNase P and tRNA Z activities are part of a large complex, which further includes the RNA degradosome complex, five additional RNA processing proteins, and several other mitochondrial pathways. 5’ and 3’ tRNA processing enzymes are also associated in a large, multifunctional supercomplex in E. coli that includes six out of the seven proteins of the RNA degradosome, nine aminoacyl-tRNA synthases, RNA polymerase plus four transcription factors, eleven ribosomal proteins plus four translation factors, several components of protein folding and maturation, and a small set of metabolic enzymes. Apparently, not only is RNA processing coordinated, but it is also structurally connected to aminoacylation, transcription and other cellular functions. The number of documented cases where functionally related activities are structurally integrated is definitely increasing (e.g., editosome, glycolysis complex, etc). Indeed, structural integration of related functions and pathways may turn out to be a principle and the analyses of such super-structures may become a next structural biology frontier

Dynamical Gaussian quantum steering in optomechanics

Einstein-Podolski-Rosen steering is a form of quantum correlation exhibiting an intrinsic asymmetry between two entangled systems. In this paper, we propose a scheme for examining dynamical Gaussian quantum steering of two mixed mechanical modes. For this, we use two spatially separated optomechanical cavities fed by squeezed light. We work in the resolved sideband regime. Limiting to the adiabatic regime, we show that it is possible to generate dynamical Gaussian steering via a quantum fluctuations transfer from squeezed light to the mechanical modes. By an appropriate choice of the environmental parameters, one-way steering can be observed in different scenarios. Finally, comparing with entanglement - quantified by the Gaussian R\'enyi-2 entropy-, we show that Gaussian steering is strongly sensitive to the thermal effects and always upper bounded by entanglement degree

Gene editing tools new insights for public health and industrial applications

The ability to engineer biological systems and organisms holds enormous potential for applications across biotechnology, medicine, and basic science. Programmable sequence-specific endonucleases that facilitate precise editing of endogenous genomic loci are now enabling systematic interrogation of genetic elements and causal genetic variation. Here we discuss how gene editing by CRISPR/Cas9 new technology can be used in disease therapeutics, virology, cancer therapy, and biotechnology.

Magnetism of Two Coupled Harmonic Oscillators

The thermodynamical properties of a system of two coupled harmonic oscillators in the presence of an uniform magnetic field B are investigated. Using an unitary transformation, we show that the system can be diagonalized in simple way and then obtain the energy spectrum solutions. These will be used to determine the thermodynamical potential in terms of different physical parameters like the coupling parameter \alpha. This allows us to give a generalization of already significant published work and obtain different results, those could be used to discuss the magnetism of the system. Different limiting cases, in terms of \alpha and B, have been discussed. In fact, quantum corrections to the Landau diamagnetism and orbital paramagnetism are found.Comment: 25 page

Unleashing Nature’s potential: a computational approach to discovering novel VEGFR-2 inhibitors from African natural compound using virtual screening, ADMET analysis, molecular dynamics, and MMPBSA calculations

One of the characteristic features of cancer is angiogenesis, the process by which new, aberrant blood vessels are formed from pre-existing blood vessels. The process of angiogenesis begins when VEGF binds to its receptor, the VEGF receptor (VEGFR). The formation of new blood vessels provides nutrients that can promote the growth of cancer cells. When it comes to new blood vessel formation, VEGFR2 is a critical player. Therefore, inhibiting VEGFR2 is an effective way to target angiogenesis in cancer treatment. The aim of our research was to find new VEGFR-2 inhibitors by performing a virtual screening of 13313 from African natural compounds using different in silico techniques. Using molecular docking calculations and ADMET properties, we identified four compounds that exhibited a binding affinity ranging from −11.0 kcal/mol to −11.5 Kcal/mol when bound to VEGFR-2. These four compounds were further analyzed with 100 ns simulations to determine their stability and binding energy using the MM-PBSA method. After comparing the compounds with Regorafenib, a drug approved for anti-angiogenesis treatment, it was found that all the candidates (EANPDB 252, NANPDB 4577, and NANPDB 4580), with the exception of EANPDB 76, could target VEGFR-2 similarly effectively to Regorafenib. Therefore, we recommend three of these agents for anti-angiogenesis treatment because they are likely to deactivate VEGFR-2 and thus inhibit angiogenesis. However, it should be noted that the safety and suitability of these agents for clinical use needs further investigation, as the computer-assisted study did not include in vitro or in vivo experiments

Effect of age, clone heads, ramet position and IBA treatment on the rooting of Argan tree (Argania spinosa L. Skeels) cuttings

The vegetative propagation of the Argan tree by cuttings was carried out in a glazed enclosure whose relative humidity and average temperature were 80% and 25 °C respectively. The first trial involved herbaceous cuttings taken from clone heads selected on the basis of productivity, vigor and ability to produce cuttings at different levels (heights) of the tree. Three factors were taken into account: the age of the root-stock, the branch position on the tree and the treatment with indol-butyric acid (IBA), a rooting hormone whose concentrations were 1000 and 2000 ppm compared to a control treated with distilled water. A second trial was conducted to control the overall conditions for cuttings rooting such as light, relative air humidity and substrate temperature, as well as the type of the cuttings: herbaceous, semi-woody and woody. The overall rooting rate was improved by four folds between de first and the second trial. It increased from 25% under uncontrolled conditions to 100% under controlled conditions in some clones. Young trees showed the greatest ability to root. Variance analysis showed a highly significant effect of clone head and branch position on rooting, dry weight and average length of cuttings. On the other hand, no significant effect was observed for auxin treatment on these variables. The best result (100% rooting) was obtained for apical and median cuttings of sprouts of young trees under controlled conditions. Tree age has a highly significant effect on root quality since cuttings from young trees showed superior dry weight and root length. The comparative study of the root system produced by cuttings with that of seedlings showed that seedlings are characterized by a well-developed taproot while cuttings develop a cluster of cells that give rise to several orthotropic roots