DEA target setting using lexicographic and endogenous directional distance function approaches

Belarmino Adenso Díaz Fernández es el investigador principal del proyecto "Análisis y diseño de redes logísticas eficientes, robustas y sostenibles

A compromise programming approach for target setting in DEA

This paper presents a new data envelopment analysis (DEA) target setting approach that uses the compromise programming (CP) method of multiobjective optimization. This method computes the ideal point associated to each decision making unit (DMU) and determines an ambitious, efficient target that is as close as possible (using an lp metric) to that ideal point. The specific cases p = 1, p = 2 and p = ∞ are separately discussed and analyzed. In particular, for p = 1 and p = ∞, a lexicographic optimization approach is proposed in order to guarantee uniqueness of the obtained target. The original CP method is translation invariant and has been adapted so that the proposed CP-DEA is also units invariant. An lp metric-based efficiency score is also defined for each DMU. The proposed CP-DEA approach can also be utilized in the presence of preference information, non-discretionary or integer variables and undesirable outputs. The proposed approach has been extensively compared with other DEA approaches on a dataset from the literature

Gradual efficiency improvement through a sequence of targets

The goal in efficiency analysis is not only to evaluate a decision-making unit (DMU) performance, but also to find an efficient target which provides information on inputs reduction and outputs increment values that are necessary to remove inefficiencies for each inefficient DMU. In data envelopment analysis (DEA), the target unit is located on the efficient frontier and possibly far from the unit under assessment. Therefore, in practice performance improvement seems to be disappointing or even impossible to achieve in only one step for some inefficient DMUs. In this regard, finding intermediate targets is of great importance in benchmarking literature. In this article, we find a sequence of targets instead of a single target for each inefficient unit. In our method, the intermediate target at each step has three properties: (I) the intermediate targets and the unit under evaluation are all similar in size; (II) efficiency scores are ascending through the sequence of targets; (III) the target unit at each step is close to the special part of the efficient frontier as much as possible. These properties lead to finding a target that is more achievable in real applications

Evaluation of the Mutual Effects of the Environmental Heritage Values of the Zayandehrud River in Isfahan and the Quality of Life (QOL) of Surrounding Residents

AbstractPreserving the Natural Environmental Cultural Heritage (NECH) and improving the urban Quality of Life (QOL) are among crucial urban planning issues with critical roles in the sustainability of cities. There are several sources on the QOL in cultural heritage documents, i.e., scientific and operational reports, but the relationship between the QOL and cultural heritage has not been appropriately explicated yet. Zayandehrud River in Isfahan City is a natural environmental cultural heritage. It suffers from ignoring its heritage values and human hazards (drought) while depriving citizens of potential and actual capabilities. So, through urban planning, heritage values help to enhance the urban QOL and affect surrounding areas. The present study described the NECH values of the Zayandehrud River in Isfahan and the components of the QOL of the surrounding residents and emphasized the importance and extent of the relationship between the two basic concepts. This is an applied study based on quantitative and qualitative (Mixed methods) approaches. Data collection is based on documentaries, field studies, surveys, observation tools, and structured questionnaires. Data analysis was done using document analysis, along with quantitative analyses such as Friedman's test and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The results showed that the NECH values of the Zayandehrud River have a significant impact on the dimensions of the QOL of the surrounding residents, and applying principles adapted to the natural environment heritage of the cities is coextensive with upgrading the resident’s quality of life.Keywords: Natural Environmental Cultural Heritage (NECH), Quality of Life (QOL), Zayandehrud River, Isfahan City, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). IntroductionThe issue of natural environmental cultural heritage (NECH) and enhancing the urban quality of life (UQOL) are interesting topics in urban planning. Although lots of sources exist in the format of scientific and operational reports, the relationship between the quality of life and heritage environments has not been clearly stated yet. Urban rivers are a part of the natural environmental-cultural heritage, and are a tool for connecting people, cities, and nature. However, they are neglected in most studies. Depriving citizens of potential as well as fueled natural and human hazards (drought) are results of ignoring heritage values of the Zayandehrud River in Isfahan City. While the values of the river affect its surrounding areas through urban planning, they help to reduce potential risks and maximize using the river in order to enhance the urban quality of life. This study investigates the heritage values of the natural environment of the Zayandehrud River in Isfahan and the components of the quality of life of the surrounding residents. The study emphasizes the importance and extent of the relationship between the values of the natural environment of the Zayandehrud River and the dimensions of the quality of life of the residents (as key stakeholders) around it. Materials and MethodsThis study is based on a descriptive-analytical method (quantitative and qualitative approaches) conducted in four stages: 1) reviewing and rewriting texts and documents related to the theoretical aspect of the NECH and QOL concepts and classification of the values of NECH and dimensions of the QOL of the residents around Zayandehrud River; 2) identifying the key stakeholders involved in NECH and QOL of the Zayandehrud River; 3) valuation of the objects of heritage values and dimensions of the QOL of the Zayandehrud River from the point of view of the experts of the stakeholder organizations; and 4) analysis of the relationship between dimensions of the QOL from the point of view of the residents (as key stakeholders) around it. Research FindingsThe results of the study showed that the natural environment heritage values of the Zayandehrud River have a significant impact on the dimensions of the quality of life of the surrounding residents. Its heritage values include three categories: 1) environmental, emotional, and perceptual values, 2) historical, cultural, and social values, and 3) practical values. The quality of life of the residents includes six dimensions which are 1) political and managerial, 2) economic, 3) historical, 4) social, 5) physical, and 6) environmental dimensions. However, each of them includes several components and indicators. Discussion of Results and Conclusions Considering the results of the study, the achievement of a conceptual model is to fill the gap between the quality of life and the natural environment (cultural heritage concepts) and to apply principles adapted to local conditions in such a way that the capacities of the natural environment heritage of the cities are coextensive with upgrading the resident’s quality of life. This issue indicates that improving the quality of life without taking into account the preservation of the heritage values of the natural environment of the Zayandehrud River in the planning agenda of the city of Isfahan cannot achieve the desired result. The quality of life measures that are placed at a lower level than the quality of life dimensions have been revised and adjusted under the influence of the heritage values of the natural environment of the Zayandehrud River

Validation of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) based on the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF): A pilot study

Fieldwork education is an integral part of the educational process in occupational therapy and assessing student competency at the end of fieldwork is important. The aim of this study was to design and conduct an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) based on the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF) for occupational therapy students on Level II fieldwork in Iran. A seven-station OSCE was designed and conducted with 13 students. Face and content validity of the exam scenarios and grading checklists was assessed via faculty review. The correlation between scores from each station and total OSCE scores were obtained to assess construct validity. Inter-rater reliability between two independent examiners at each OSCE station was determined. The participants’ (including both students and examiners) reactions to and learning from the exam was assessed using a self-report questionnaire that included participants\u27 attitudes, satisfaction, and emotional response to the OSCE. Finally, a focus group of 12 examiners was conducted to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the exam. It was ascertained that the OSCE had good and acceptable face, content, and construct validity as well as inter-examiner reliability. All students reported that the exam was stressful, and most students (n=8, 61%) and examiners (n=5, 42%) reported there was not enough time for each station. Strength and weaknesses of the exam as related to the exam condition, exam content, students, and examiners were reported. Based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the results, in order to use OSCE as a method of evaluating occupational therapy students, some changes should be applied

De novo Transcriptome Assembly and Differential Expression Analysis of Catharanthus roseus in Response to Salicylic acid

Publication history: Accepted - 12 September 2022; Published online - 24 October 2022The anti-cancer vinblastine and vincristine alkaloids can only be naturally found in periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus). Both of these alkaloids' accumulations are known to be influenced by salicylic acid (SA). The transcriptome data to reveal the induction effect (s) of SA, however, seem restricted at this time. In this study, the de novo approach of transcriptome assembly was performed on the RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) data in C. roseus. The outcome demonstrated that SA treatment boosted the expression of all the genes in the Terpenoid Indole Alkaloids (TIAs) pathway that produces the vinblastine and vincristine alkaloids. These outcomes supported the time-course measurements of vincristine alkaloid, the end product of the TIAs pathway, and demonstrated that SA spray had a positive impact on transcription and alkaloid synthesis. Additionally, the abundance of transcription factor families including bHLH, C3H, C2H2, MYB, MYB-related, AP2/ ERF, NAC, bZIP, and WRKY suggests a role for a variety of transcription families in response to the SA stimuli. Di-nucleotide and tri-nucleotide SSRs were the most prevalent SSR markers in microsatellite analyses, making up 39% and 34% of all SSR markers, respectively, out of the 77,192 total SSRs discovered

Prognostic and diagnostic values of non-coding RNAs as biomarkers for breast cancer: An umbrella review and pan-cancer analysis

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women. The incidence and morbidity of BC are expected to rise rapidly. The stage at which BC is diagnosed has a significant impact on clinical outcomes. When detected early, an overall 5-year survival rate of up to 90% is possible. Although numerous studies have been conducted to assess the prognostic and diagnostic values of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in breast cancer, their overall potential remains unclear. In this field of study, there are various systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies that report volumes of data. In this study, we tried to collect all these systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies in order to re-analyze their data without any restriction to breast cancer or non-coding RNA type, to make it as comprehensive as possible.Methods: Three databases, namely, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (WoS), were searched to find any relevant meta-analysis studies. After thoroughly searching, the screening of titles, abstracts, and full-text and the quality of all included studies were assessed using the AMSTAR tool. All the required data including hazard ratios (HRs), sensitivity (SENS), and specificity (SPEC) were extracted for further analysis, and all analyses were carried out using Stata.Results: In the prognostic part, our initial search of three databases produced 10,548 articles, of which 58 studies were included in the current study. We assessed the correlation of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) expression with different survival outcomes in breast cancer patients: overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.521), disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 1.33), recurrence-free survival (RFS) (HR = 1.66), progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 1.71), metastasis-free survival (MFS) (HR = 0.90), and disease-specific survival (DSS) (HR = 0.37). After eliminating low-quality studies, the results did not change significantly. In the diagnostic part, 22 articles and 30 datasets were retrieved from 8,453 articles. The quality of all studies was determined. The bivariate and random-effects models were used to assess the diagnostic value of ncRNAs. The overall area under the curve (AUC) of ncRNAs in differentiated patients is 0.88 (SENS: 80% and SPEC: 82%). There was no difference in the potential of single and combined ncRNAs in differentiated BC patients. However, the overall potential of microRNAs (miRNAs) is higher than that of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). No evidence of publication bias was found in the current study. Nine miRNAs, four lncRNAs, and five gene targets showed significant OS and RFS between normal and cancer patients based on pan-cancer data analysis, demonstrating their potential prognostic value.Conclusion: The present umbrella review showed that ncRNAs, including lncRNAs and miRNAs, can be used as prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers for breast cancer patients, regardless of the sample sources, ethnicity of patients, and subtype of breast cancer

Association of polymorphisms in TLR3 and TLR7 genes with susceptibility to COVID-19 among Iranian population: a retrospective case-control study

Background and Objectives: Host genetic changes like single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are one of the main factors influencing susceptibility to viral infectious diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association between the host SNP of Toll-Like Receptor3 (TLR3) and Toll-Like Receptor7 (TLR7) genes involved in the immune system and susceptibility to COVID-19 in a sample of the Iranian population. Materials and Methods: This retrospective case-control study evaluated 244 hospitalized COVID-19 patients as the case group and 156 suspected COVID-19 patients with mild signs as the control group. The genomic DNA of patients was genotyped for TLR7 (rs179008 and rs179009) and TLR3 (rs3775291 and rs3775296) SNPs using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Results: A significant association between rs179008 SNP in the TLR7 gene and the susceptibility of COVID-19 was found between case and control groups. The AT genotype (Heterozygous) of TLR7 rs179008 A>T polymorphism showed a significant association with a 2.261-fold increased odds of COVID-19 (P=0.003; adjusted OR: 2.261; 99% CI: 1.117-4.575). In addition, a significant association between TC genotype of TLR7 rs179009 T>C polymorphism and increased odds of COVID-19 (P 0.004167). Conclusion: SNPs in TLR7 rs179008 and rs179009 genotypes are considered host genetic factors that could be influenced individual susceptibility to COVID-19. The SNPs in TLR3 (rs3775296 and rs3775291) showed no significant association with COVID-19 in Iranian population

Interactive multiobjective DEA target setting using lexicographic DDF

In this paper, a new interactive multiobjective target setting approach based on lexicographic directional distance function (DDF) method is proposed. Lexicographic DDF computes efficient targets along a specified directional vector. The interactive multiobjective optimization approach consists in several iteration cycles in each of which the Decision Making Unit (DMU) is presented a fixed number of efficient targets computed corresponding to different directional vectors. If the DMU finds one of them promising, the directional vectors tried in the next iteration are generated close to the promising one, thus focusing the exploration of the efficient frontier on the promising area. In any iteration the DMU may choose to finish the exploration of the current region and restart the process to probe a new region. The interactive process ends when the DMU finds its most preferred solution (MPS)

Potential-based efficiency assessment and target setting

Belarmino Adenso Díaz Fernández es el investigador principal del proyecto "Análisis y diseño de redes logísticas eficientes, robustas y sostenibles