Survey of methods to visualize alternatives in multiple criteria decision making problems

When solving decision problems where multiple conflicting criteria are to be considered simultaneously, decision makers must compare several different alternatives and select the most preferred one. The task of comparing multidimensional vectors is very demanding for the decision maker without any support. Different graphical visualization tools can be used to support and help the decision maker in understanding similarities and differences between the alternatives and graphical illustration is a very important part of decision support systems that are used in solving multiple criteria decision making problems. The visualization task is by no means trivial because, on the one hand, the graphics must be easy to comprehend and not too much information should be lost but, on the other hand, no extra unintentional information should be included. In this paper, we survey and analyze different ways of visualizing a small set of discrete alternatives graphically in the context of multiple criteria decision making. Some of the ways discussed are widely used and some others deserve to be brought into a wider awareness. This survey provides a starting point for all those who deal with multiple criteria decision making problems and need information of what kind of visualization techniques could be put to use in order to support the decision maker better.     

Detection system for depth profiling of radiotracers

A reliable and efficient detection system essentially needed in the depth profiling of radiotracers consisting of two large PIN-diode arrays has been constructed. The requirements put forward to the detector system and the ability of the PIN-diode array to meet these demands are discussed. A comparison to a conventionally used liquid scintillation detector is presented by measuring an as-implanted ³¹Si profile in amorphous T21 ceramic by both apparatuses.     

Identification of a ligand binding site in the human neutrophil formyl peptide receptor using a site-specific fluorescent photoaffinity label and mass spectrometry

A novel fluorescent photoaffinity cross-linking probe, formyl-Met-p-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine-Phe-Tyr-Lys-epsilon-N-fluorescei n (fMBpaFYK-fl), was synthesized and used to identify binding site residues in recombinant human phagocyte chemoattractant formyl peptide receptor (FPR). After photoactivation, fluorescein-labeled membranes from Chinese hamster ovary cells were solubilized in octylglucoside and separated by tandem anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. A single peak of fluorescence was observed in extracts of FPR-expressing cells that was absent in extracts from wild type controls. Photolabeled Chinese hamster ovary membranes were cleaved with CNBr, and the fluorescent fragments were isolated on an antifluorescein immunoaffinity matrix. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry identified a major species with mass = 1754, consistent with the CNBr fragment of fMBpaFYK-fl cross-linked to Val-Arg-Lys-Ala-Hse (an expected CNBr fragment of FPR, residues 83-87). This peptide was further cleaved with trypsin, repurified by antifluorescein immunoaffinity, and subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. A tryptic fragment with mass = 1582 was observed, which is the mass of fMBpaFYK-fl cross-linked to Val-Arg-Lys (FPR residues 83-85), an expected trypsin cleavage product of Val-Arg-Lys-Ala-Hse. Residues 83-85 lie within the putative second transmembrane-spanning region of FPR near the extracellular surface. A 3D model of FPR is presented, which accounts for intramembrane, site-directed mutagenesis results (Miettinen, H. M., Mills, J., Gripentrog, J., Dratz, E. A., Granger, B. L., and Jesaitis, A. J. (1997) J. Immunol. 159, 4045-4054) and the photochemical cross-linking data.     

Effect of purified Trichoderma reesei cellulases on formation of cotton powder from cotton fabric

The mode of action of monocomponent purified Trichoderma reesei cellobiohydrolases (CBHI and CBHII) and endoglucanases (EGI and EGII) on cotton fabrics was studied by analyzing the weight loss of the fabric, the reducing sugars, the soluble oligosaccharides and the molecular weight of the cotton powder formed. The impact of mechanical action on these factors was also evaluated. EGI and EGII released the highest amounts of reducing sugars and soluble oligosaccharides in both treatments with or without additional mechanical action. After cellulase treatment without additional mechanical action, all of the cellulases were found to have reduced the molecular weight of cotton poplin powder. When mechanical action was combined with enzyme treatments, only EGII reduced the molecular weight. The weight loss of EG‐treated fabrics was clearly higher than the weight loss of CBH‐treated fabrics with both low and high mechanical action levels. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 1917–1922, 2003     

Hippocampal damage after injection of kainic acid into the rat entorhinal cortex

This study analyses the anticipatory postural adjustments during the gait initiation process in children aged 2.5, 4, 6 and 8 years. In adults, anticipation during gait initiation includes a shift in the centre of foot pressure (CP) both backwards and towards the stepping foot. Backward displacement and the duration of the anticipation phase covary with the gait progression velocity reached by the subject at the end of the first step. In the present study, the children walked on a force plate that allowed us to calculate the acceleration of the centre of mass and the displacements of the CP. The results showed three main characteristics of the development of anticipatory behaviour: (1) The occurrence of anticipatory displacements of the CP increased progressively with age. Systematic backward anticipation was found for all children except one of the youngest, whereas the lateral displacement was systematically observed later, in the 6-year group; (2) the amplitude of the spatial parameters showed a significant increase with age; (3) contrary to the adult, the amplitude of the backward shift did not covary with the forthcoming velocity in the youngest groups. This covariation became significant at 6 years and remained significant at 8 years. The results showed that even if anticipatory behaviour was present in 2.5-year-old children it is only later that the child is able of more accurate tuning of feedforward control, probably due to better control of the overall postural adjustments.     

Outcome of open antireflux surgery as assessed in a Nordic multicentre prospective clinical trial. Nordic GORD-Study Group

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of antireflux surgery in various hospitals in Scandinavian countries. DESIGN: Partly randomised controlled study, and partly open study. SETTING: Hospitals throughout Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. SUBJECTS: 310 patients with chronic reflux disease and oesophagitis who were initially entered into a randomised controlled study of omeprazole and antireflux surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Total fundic wrap, partial fundoplication, or omeprazole. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Control of symptoms at one year. RESULTS: 154 patients who had their symptoms of reflux completely controlled with omeprazole were initially randomised to have an open operation but 10 refused, leaving 144 for analysis. 34 patients who had only a partial response were also offered operation; 120/178 (68%) had a total fundic wrap, and 53 (30%) partial fundoplication. 6 patients had postoperative complications that required reoperation and 123 made a completely uneventful recovery. Reflux was controlled in most patients, and only 10 (6%) required further treatment with omeprazole. The outcome in those patients who only responded partially to omeprazole was similar to that in patients who had a complete response. CONCLUSION: The outcome of antireflux surgery throughout Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland is good.     

Optimization of conducting structures by using the homogenization method

Approximation and numerical realization of a class of optimization problems with control variables represented by coefficients of linear elliptic state equations is considered. Convergence analysis of well-posed problems is performed by using one- and two-level approximation strategies. The latter is utilized in an optimization layout problem for two conductive constituents, for which the necessary steps to transfer the well-posed problem into a computational form are described and some numerical experiments are given.     

CD45 (leukocyte common antigen) immunoreactivity in metastatic undifferentiated and neuroendocrine carcinoma: a potential diagnostic pitfall

Leukocyte common antigen (CD45/LCA) and keratin expression are generally mutually exclusive in diagnostic surgical pathology. CD45 reactivity is a reliable indicator of the hematolymphoid nature of a tumor, whereas keratin reactivity is typical of epithelial differentiation (carcinomas and some sarcomas). Some lymphomas, however, might lack detectable CD45 expression, whereas occasional ones might express keratins. CD45 immunoreactivity has been considered exquisitely specific for hematopoietic cells. We report three undifferentiated or neuroendocrine carcinomas that showed membrane-associated immunoreactivity for CD45 in addition to showing distinctive keratin cocktail (AE1/AE3) and epithelial membrane antigen reactivity (all cases); also, keratin 7 was demonstrated in one case and keratin 19 in another. Two cases were lymph node metastases of undifferentiated carcinomas, one of them from the lungs and the other of an unknown origin; the former case showed neuroendocrine features. The third case represented a pulmonary large-cell undifferentiated carcinoma. These cases were negative for lineage-specific leukocyte antigens and did not show clonal immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene rearrangements. Electron microscopic studies demonstrated desmosomes and keratin-like tonofilaments in all three cases, thus confirming the epithelial nature of these tumors. The exceptional membrane staining for CD45 seen in these undifferentiated carcinomas might be comparable to experimentally detected incorporation of leukocyte antigens into the cell membranes of nonleukocytic cells in a leukocyte-rich environment. This rare diagnostic pitfall should be considered in the diagnostic surgical pathology of undifferentiated tumors. It is best avoided by employing a panel of leukocyte and epithelial antigens and by use of electron microscopy, if possible.     

Lipoprotein changes and reduction in the incidence of major coronary heart disease events in the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S)

BACKGROUND: The Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S) randomized 4444 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and serum cholesterol 5.5 to 8.0 mmol/L (213 to 310 mg/dL) with triglycerides < or =2.5 mmol/L (220 mg/dL) to simvastatin 20 to 40 mg or placebo once daily. Over the median follow-up period of 5.4 years, one or more major coronary events (MCEs) occurred in 622 (28%) of the 2223 patients in the placebo group and 431 (19%) of the 2221 patients in the simvastatin group (34% risk reduction, P<.00001). Simvastatin produced substantial changes in several lipoprotein components, which we have attempted to relate to the beneficial effects observed. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the relationship between lipid values (baseline, year 1, and percent change from baseline at year 1) and MCEs. The reduction in MCEs within the simvastatin group was highly correlated with on-treatment levels and changes from baseline in total and LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and less so with HDL cholesterol, but there was no clear relationship with triglycerides. We estimate that each additional 1% reduction in LDL cholesterol reduces MCE risk by 1.7% (95% CI, 1.0% to 2.4%; P<.00001). CONCLUSIONS: These analyses suggest that the beneficial effect of simvastatin in individual patients in 4S was determined mainly by the magnitude of the change in LDL cholesterol, and they are consistent with current guidelines that emphasize aggressive reduction of this lipid in CHD patients.