A Multicriteria Analysis on the Strategies to Open Taiwan's Mobile Virtual Network Operators Services

[[abstract]]This study investigates the trends followed by MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) in the last three years and analyzes the strategies that can contribute to the success of Taiwan's telecommunications industry and marketing. We apply the method and concept of PATTERN (Planning Assistance Through Technical Evaluation of Relevance Number) to establish relevant systems for searching out the key successful factors of strategies to attract MVNOs. We also use the fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method for analyzing the different preference of a decision group in the criteria weights and for ranking the alternatives in a fuzzy environment in order to provide a strategy scheme. These results provide a reference to assist telecommunications operators, 3G license owners, potential MVNOs, and equipment manufacturers when working out business plans.[[incitationindex]]SCI[[booktype]]紙

Mechanical Strength of 17 134 Model Proteins and Cysteine Slipknots

A new theoretical survey of proteins' resistance to constant speed stretching is performed for a set of 17 134 proteins as described by a structure-based model. The proteins selected have no gaps in their structure determination and consist of no more than 250 amino acids. Our previous studies have dealt with 7510 proteins of no more than 150 amino acids. The proteins are ranked according to the strength of the resistance. Most of the predicted top-strength proteins have not yet been studied experimentally. Architectures and folds which are likely to yield large forces are identified. New types of potent force clamps are discovered. They involve disulphide bridges and, in particular, cysteine slipknots. An effective energy parameter of the model is estimated by comparing the theoretical data on characteristic forces to the corresponding experimental values combined with an extrapolation of the theoretical data to the experimental pulling speeds. These studies provide guidance for future experiments on single molecule manipulation and should lead to selection of proteins for applications. A new class of proteins, involving cystein slipknots, is identified as one that is expected to lead to the strongest force clamps known. This class is characterized through molecular dynamics simulations.Comment: 40 pages, 13 PostScript figure

Hydraulic & Design Parameters in Full-Scale Constructed Wetland & Treatment Units: Six Case Studies

The efficiency of pond and constructed wetland (CW) treatment systems, is influenced by the internal hydrodynamics and mixing interactions between water and aquatic vegetation. In order to contribute to current knowledge of how emergent real vegetation affects solute mixing, and on what the shape and size effects are on the mixing characteristics, an understanding and quantification of those physical processes and interactions was evaluated. This paper presents results from tracer tests conducted during 2015-2016 in six full-scale systems in the UK under different flow regimes, operational depths, shapes and sizes, and in-/outlet configurations. The aim is to quantify the hydraulic performance and mixing characteristics of the treatment units, and to investigate the effect of size and shape on the mixing processes. Relative comparison of outlet configuration, inflow conditions, and internal features between the six different treatment units showed variations in residence times of up to a factor of 3. A key outcome of this study, demonstrated that the width is a more important dimension for the efficiency of the unit compared to the depth. Results underlined the importance of investigating hydrodynamics and physics of flow in full-size units to enhance treatment efficiency and predictions of water quality models

Eigenvalues of higher order Sturm-Liouville boundary value problems with derivatives in nonlinear terms

We shall consider the Sturm-Liouville boundary value problem y(m)(t)+λF(t,y(t),y′(t),…,y(q)(t))=0, t∈(0,1), y(k)(0)=0, 0≤k≤m−3, ζy(m−2)(0)−θy(m−1)(0)=0, ρy(m−2)(1)+δy(m−1)(1)=0 where m≥3, 1≤q≤m−2, and λ>0. It is noted that the boundary value problem considered has a derivative-dependent nonlinear term, which makes the investigation much more challenging. In this paper we shall develop a new technique to characterize the eigenvalues λ so that the boundary value problem has a positive solution. Explicit eigenvalue intervals are also established. Some examples are included to dwell upon the usefulness of the results obtained.Published versio

A LC-MS metabolomics approach to investigate the effect of raw apple intake in the rat plasma metabolome

Fruit and vegetable consumption has been associated with several health benefits; however the mechanisms are largely unknown at the biochemical level. Our research aims to investigate whether plasma metabolome profiling can reflect biological effects after feeding rats with raw apple by using an untargeted UPLC-ESI-TOF-MS based metabolomics approach in both positive and negative mode. Eighty young male rats were randomised into groups receiving daily 0, 5 or 10 g fresh apple slices, respectively, for 13 weeks. During weeks 3-6 some of the animals were receiving 4 mg/ml 1,2-dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride (DMH) once a week. Plasma samples were taken at the end of the intervention and among all groups, about half the animals were 12 h fasted. An initial ANOVA-simultaneous component analysis with a three-factor or two-factor design was employed in order to isolate potential metabolic variations related to the consumption of fresh apples. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis was then applied in order to select discriminative features between plasma metabolites in control versus apple fed rats and partial least squares modelling to reveal possible dose response. The findings indicate that in laboratory rats apple feeding may alter the microbial amino acid fermentation, lowering toxic metabolites from amino acids metabolism and increasing metabolism into more protective products. It may also delay lipid and amino acid catabolism, gluconeogenesis, affect other features of the transition from the postprandial to the fasting state and affect steroid metabolism by suppressing the plasma level of stress corticosteroids, certain mineralocorticoids and oxidised bile acid metabolites. Several new hypotheses regarding the cause of health effects from apple intake can be generated from this study for further testing in humans. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York