Eigenvector Method for Ranking Alternatives with Vague Value Measurements

An eigenvector method for ranking alternatives whose measurements are given as vague values is provided. Firstly, a positive matrix is constructed which is defined as evaluation information matrix （EIM）. Based on four assumptions for evaluating alternatives, a ranking eigenvector is defined. And then it is proved, based on positive matrix theory, that the EIM＇s eigenvector corresponding to the maximal eigenvalue is the ranking vector. For alternatives whose characteristics are presented by vague sets, the proposed techniques can evaluate the degree of suitability to which an alternative satisfies the decision-maker＇ s requirement efficiently.

Magnesium alloys as extremely promising alternatives for temporary orthopedic implants-A review

Mg alloys are emerging as potential and very promising alternatives for replacing permanent metallic implant materials such as steels and titanium in applications where the implants need to be removed following healing through revision surgery.Use of Mg alloys for implant application is seen as a game changer and Mg alloys are almost perfect materials for the future in both engineering and biomedical applications.Present review therefore focuses on highlighting significance of Mg alloys in biomedical field and risks of using permanent metallic implants particularly when the implants are no longer required after the injury is healed.In this review,importance of orthopedic implants in present scenario,serious concern related to accidents that are causing permanent disabilities,demand in orthopedic implant market worldwide,potential applications of Mg based materials and their compatibility in biological environment is presented and discussed.In addition,degradation rate,major reactions associated with Mg based materials and effect of alloying elements on implant performance are also discussed based on in-vivo results.Recent advances in development of Mg alloys through various techniques and their performance in in-vitro conditions are also outlined.Possible ways to eliminate the limitations of Mg alloys include alloying,melt purification,surface alterations,surface modifications,chemical treatment,secondary processing etc.are discussed.Challenges and opportunities for Mg alloys to become ideal implant material is also addressed.

Hazard Assessment of Alternatives to Dicofol

Dicofol was listed by International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) as requiring immediate and urgent considera-tion and thus was considered as a new candidate by Persistent Organic Pollutant Review Committee (POPRC) as a possible persistent organic pollutant (POP). Dicofol is structurally similar to DDT. It is persistent in food and water, highly toxic to aquatic life and causes egg-shell thinning in some bird species. High concern, due to the lack of dicofol measurements in the Arctic, proving long range transport and bioaccumulation in wild life species, supports further impact assessment of this product. Under Stockholm Convention, substances identified as POPs are regulated with the objective to protect the environment and the human health. According to this objective, the search of environmental and healthy alternatives is helpful. This paper discusses the use of three groups of chemicals currently applied as alternatives to dicofol. An exhaustive review of the synthesis of dicofol, starting from DDT, and compared to possible substitutes is presented: 1) active principle with fluoralkenyl are proposed as an environmental and healthy alternative to dicofol, 2) inhibitor agents of mitochondrial electron transport as chlorfenapyr, hydramethylnon and pyridaben and 3) pesticides commonly applied in agricultural practices as oxythioquinox, fenbutatin-oxide and formetanate hydrochloride.

Frontiers in antibiotic alternatives for Clostridioides difficile infection

Clostridioides difficile(C.difficile)is a gram-positive,anaerobic spore-forming bacterium and a major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.Humans are naturally resistant to C.difficile infection(CDI)owing to the protection provided by healthy gut microbiota.When the gut microbiota is disturbed,C.difficile can colonize,produce toxins,and manifest clinical symptoms,ranging from asymptomatic diarrhea and colitis to death.Despite the steady-if not risingprevalence of CDI,it will certainly become more problematic in a world of antibiotic overuse and the post-antibiotic era.C.difficile is naturally resistant to most of the currently used antibiotics as it uses multiple resistance mechanisms.Therefore,current CDI treatment regimens are extremely limited to only a few antibiotics,which include vancomycin,fidaxomicin,and metronidazole.Therefore,one of the main challenges experienced by the scientific community is the development of alternative approaches to control and treat CDI.In this Frontier article,we collectively summarize recent advances in alternative treatment approaches for CDI.Over the past few years,several studies have reported on natural product-derived compounds,drug repurposing,highthroughput library screening,phage therapy,and fecal microbiota transplantation.We also include an update on vaccine development,pre-and probiotics for CDI,and toxin antidote approaches.These measures tackle CDI at every stage of disease pathology via multiple mechanisms.We also discuss the gaps and concerns in these developments.The next epidemic of CDI is not a matter of if but a matter of when.Therefore,being well-equipped with a collection of alternative therapeutics is necessary and should be prioritized.

A test method for evaluating the thermal environment of underground coal mine refuge alternatives

Since 2009,the Mine Safety and Health Administration(MSHA)has required mines to install refuge alternatives(RAs)in underground coal mines.One of the biggest concerns with occupied RAs is the possible severity of the resulting thermal environment.In 30 CFR 7.504,the maximum allowable apparent temperature(AT)for an occupied RA is specified as 35℃(95°F).Manufacturers must conduct heat/humidity tests to demonstrate that their RAs meet the 35℃(95°F)AT limit.For these tests,heat input devices are used to input the metabolic heat of actual miners.A wide variety of test methods,sensors,and heat input devices could be used when conducting such tests.Since 2012,the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH)has conducted over thirty 96-hour heat/humidity tests on four different RAs.This paper discusses the test equipment and procedures used during these investigations.This information is useful for RA manufacturers conducting RA heat/humidity tests,for other researchers investigating RA heat/humidity buildup,and for those who need to assess the thermal environment of any confined space where people may be trapped or are seeking refuge.

Study on Rank Reversal and Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives

Rank reversals appearing in AHP are discussed. It is proved with examples that they are in certain degree universal in the process of decision making. The mechanism of rank reversal is expounded. It is believed that rank reversal can not deny the reasonableness of AHP and the axioms of independences of irrelevant alternatives.

Using Chemical Release Surveillance Data to Evaluate the Public Health Impacts of Chlorine and Its Alternatives

Background: More than 80 million Americans may be at risk of a chemical exposure because they live near one of the 101 most hazardous chemical facilities or near routes used to transport hazardous chemicals. One approach to hazard reduction is to use less toxic alternatives. Chlorine, one of the chemicals posing the greatest public health danger, has several alternatives depending on the application. Methods: We analyzed data collected during 1993-2008 by 17 state health departments participating in the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s (ATSDR) active chemical incident surveillance program. We conducted descriptive analyses to evaluate whether five chlorine alternatives (calcium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, sodium chlorate, sodium hydrosulfite, and sodium hypochlorite) resulted in less severe incidents. We used chi square and z-score analyses to test significance, where appropriate. Results: During 1993-2008, 2040 incidents involved chlorine, and 1246 incidents involved chlorine alternatives. Nearly 30% of chlorine releases resulted in injured persons, as compared to 13% of chlorine alternatives that resulted in injury. Although similar proportions of persons injured in chlorine or chlorine alternative releases were treated on scene (18% and 14%, respectively) and at a hospital (58% and 60%, respectively), there was a greater proportion of hospital admissions following chlorine releases than there was following releases of chlorine alternatives (10 % vs. 4%) (p Conclusion: Exposures to these five potential chlorine alternatives resulted in a lower proportion of exposed persons requiring hospital admission. To reduce acute public health injuries associated with chemical exposures, users should consider a chlorine alternative when such a substitution is reasonable.

Implementing an Information System Strategy: A Cost, Benefit, and Risk Analysis Framework for Evaluating Viable IT Alternatives in the US Federal Government

In the US Federal government, an analysis of alternatives (AoA) is required for a significant investment of resources. The AoA yields the recommended alternative from a set of viable alternatives for the investment decision. This paper presents an integrated AoA and project management framework for analyzing new or emerging alternatives (e.g., Cloud computing), as may be driven by an information system strategy that incorporates a methodology for analyzing the costs, benefits, and risks of each viable alternative. The case study in this paper, about a business improvement project to provide public health and safety services to citizens in a US Federal agency, is a practical application of this integrated framework and reveals the benefits of this integrated approach for an investment decision. The decision making process in the framework—as an integrated, organized, and adaptable set of management and control practices—offers a defensible recommendation and provides accountability to stakeholders.

Economic and Social Impact Assessment of the Alternatives to DDT Usage for Antifouling Paint Production in China

China is the only nation that uses DDT in antifouling pain at present, approximately 5% of DDT is applied as the additive of the antifouling paint production. Therefore, actions shall be taken urgently for banning the use of DDT and substituting with non-POPs alternatives in antifouling paints. The paper researches the social and economic backgrounds of DDT booster antifouling paint production and usage, analyzes the social and economic impact assessment of the alternatives to DDT usage for antifouling paint. The implementation of the project of alternatives will completely eliminate the adverse impact of DDT booster antifouling paint on terrestrial, marine ecosystem and human health. The broad use of alkali silicate and pepper alkali as substitutes will be feasible if appropriate measures will be taken to encourage their development, and the social and economic risk will be reduced to accepted levels.

Pitfalls and promises of bile duct alternatives:A narrative review

Biliodigestive anastomosis between the extrahepatic bile duct and the intestine for bile duct disease is a gastrointestinal reconstruction that abolishes duodenal papilla function and frequently causes retrograde cholangitis.This chronic inflammation can cause liver dysfunction,liver abscess,and even bile duct cancer.Although research has been conducted for over 100 years to directly repair bile duct defects with alternatives,no bile duct substitute(BDS)has been developed.This narrative review confirms our understanding of why bile duct alternatives have not been developed and explains the clinical applicability of BDSs in the near future.We searched the PubMed electronic database to identify studies conducted to develop BDSs until December 2021 and identified studies in English.Two independent reviewers reviewed studies on large animals with 8 or more cases.Four types of BDSs prevail:Autologous tissue,non-bioabsorbable material,bioabsorbable material,and others(decellularized tissue,3D-printed structures,etc.).In most studies,BDSs failed due to obstruction of the lumen or stenosis of the anastomosis with the native bile duct.BDS has not been developed primarily because control of bile duct wound healing and regeneration has not been elucidated.A BDS expected to be clinically applied in the near future incorporates a bioabsorbable material that allows for regeneration of the bile duct outside the BDS.

Pitfalls and promises of bile duct alternatives:There is plenty of room in the regenerative surgery

Current abdominal surgery has several approaches for biliary reconstruction.However,the creation of functional and clinically applicable bile duct substitutes still represents an unmet need.In the paper by Miyazawa and colleagues,approaches to the creation of bile duct alternatives were summarized,and the reasons for the lack of development in this area were explained.The history of bile duct surgery since the nineteenth century was also traced,leading to the conclusion that the use of bioabsorbable materials holds promise for the creation of bile duct substitutes in the future.We suggest three ideas that may stimulate progress in the field of bile duct substitute creation.First,a systematic analysis of the causative factors leading to failure or success in the creation of bile duct substitutes may help to develop more effective approaches.Second,the regeneration of a bile duct is delicately balanced between epithelialization and subsequent submucosal maturation within limited time frames,which may be more apparent when using quantitative models to estimate outcomes.Third,the utilization of the organism’s endogenous regeneration abilities may enhance the creation of bile duct substitutes.We are convinced that an interdisciplinary approach,including quantitative methods,machine learning,and deep retrospective analysis of the causes that led to success and failure in studies on the creation of bile duct substitutes,holds great value.Additionally,more attention should be directed towards the balance of epithelialization and submucosal maturation rates,as well as induced angiogenesis.These ideas deserve further investigation to pave the way for bile duct restoration with physiologically relevant outcomes.

Selecting Alternatives from Self-Organizing Product Maps for Purchase Decision Making Using AHP

We previously proposed a method for creating product maps with SOM （Self-Organizing Maps） to be used during purchase decision making. In that study, we first established two class boundaries, which divide the area between the minimum and maximum range of an input feature value into three equal parts. Then, we produced self-organizing product maps using classification data inputs. Finally, we applied our method to five product types and confirmed its effectiveness. In this paper, we propose a method for selecting alternatives from a product map, in which we have located a favorite several examples of selecting alternatives and making decisions using cluster, and/or from a favorite component map. We then show the AHP （Analytic Hierarchy Process）.

Discussion about the Side Effect of Error Corrective Feedback and Possible Alternatives to Error Correction

Feedbacks given by teachers is possibly a common instruction in second language writing classes, to help students makeprogress in writing. At one time, feedback was almost entirely at a superficial level--identifying the grammatical errors and givingthe correct form. However, recently, this type of feedback has begun to be challenged by some researchers(eg.,Krashen, 1984, Trus-cott, 1996),who argue that teachers should be more concerned with the content of essay instead of grammatical errors. This essaywill discuss some research surrounding feedback to students' writing and will try to find the answer to the question whether the er-ror corrective feedback should be abandoned. In order to find the answer, the essay will elaborate on two parts: some literary reviewabout the issue and some suggested solutions to the issue.

Alternative splicing of the PECTINESTERASE gene encoding a cell wall-degrading enzyme affects postharvest softening in grape

The firmness of table grape berries is a crucial quality parameter. Despite extensive research on postharvest fruit softening, its precise molecular mechanisms remain elusive. To enhance our comprehension of the underlying molecular factors, we initially identified differentially expressed genes(DEGs) by comparing the transcriptomes of folic acid(FA)-treated and water-treated(CK) berries at different time points. We then analyzed the sequences to detect alternatively spliced(AS) genes associated with postharvest softening. A total of 2,559 DEGs were identified and categorized into four subclusters based on their expression patterns, with subcluster-4 genes exhibiting higher expression in the CK group compared with the FA treatment group. There were 1,045 AS-associated genes specific to FA-treated berries and 1,042 in the CK-treated berries, respectively. Gene Ontology(GO) annotation indicated that the AS-associated genes in CK-treated berries were predominantly enriched in cell wall metabolic processes,particularly cell wall degradation processes. Through a comparison between treatment-associated AS genes and subcluster-4 DEGs, we identified eight genes, including Pectinesterase 2(VvPE2, Vitvi15g00704), which encodes a cell wall-degrading enzyme and was predicted to undergo an A3SS event. The reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction further confirmed the presence of a truncated transcript variant of VvPE2 in the FA-treated berries.Our study provides a comprehensive analysis of AS events in postharvest grape berries using transcriptome sequencing and underscores the pivotal role of VvPE2 during the postharvest storage of grape berries.

Alternate cotton-peanut intercropping:a new approach to increasing productivity and minimizing environmental impact

Recent publications have highlighted the development of an alternate cotton-peanut intercropping as a novel strat-egy to enhance agricultural productivity.In this article,we provide an overview of the progress made in the alternate cotton-peanut intercropping,specifically focusing on its yield benefits,environmental impacts,and the underlying mechanisms.In addition,we advocate for future investigations into the selection or development of appropriate crop varieties and agricultural equipment,pest management options,and the mechanisms of root-canopy interactions.This review is intended to provide a valuable reference for understanding and adopting an alternate intercropping system for sustainable cotton production.

Pile foundation in alternate layered liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil deposits subjected to earthquake loading

Pile foundations are still the preferred foundation system for high-rise structures in earthquake-prone regions.Pile foundations have experienced failures in past earthquakes due to liquefaction.Research on pile foundations in liquefiable soils has primarily focused on the pile foundation behavior in two or three-layered soil profiles.However,in natural occurrence,it may occur in alternative layers of liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil.However,the experimental and/or numerical studies on the layered effect on pile foundations have not been widely addressed in the literature.Most of the design codes across the world do not explicitly mention the effect of sandwiched non-liquefiable soil layers on the pile response.In the present study,the behavior of an end-bearing pile in layered liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil deposit is studied numerically.This study found that the kinematic bending moment is higher and governs the design when the effect of the sandwiched non-liquefied layer is considered in the analysis as opposed to when its effect is ignored.Therefore,ignoring the effect of the sandwiched non-liquefied layer in a liquefiable soil deposit might be a nonconservative design approach.

Alternating current heating techniques for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles:Recent advances and perspectives

The significant decrease in battery performance at low temperatures is one of the critical challenges that electric vehicles(EVs)face,thereby affecting the penetration rate in cold regions.Alternating current(AC)heating has attracted widespread attention due to its low energy consumption and uniform heating advantages.This paper introduces the recent advances in AC heating from the perspective of practical EV applications.First,the performance degradation of EVs in low-temperature environments is introduced briefly.The concept of AC heating and its research methods are provided.Then,the effects of various AC heating methods on battery heating performance are reviewed.Based on existing studies,the main factors that affect AC heating performance are analyzed.Moreover,various heating circuits based on EVs are categorized,and their cost,size,complexity,efficiency,reliability,and heating rate are elaborated and compared.The evolution of AC heaters is presented,and the heaters used in brand vehicles are sorted out.Finally,the perspectives and challenges of AC heating are discussed.This paper can guide the selection of heater implementation methods and the optimization of heating effects for future EV applications.

A Neural-network-based Alternative Scheme to Include Nonhydrostatic Processes in an Atmospheric Dynamical Core

Here,a nonhydrostatic alternative scheme(NAS)is proposed for the grey zone where the nonhydrostatic impact on the atmosphere is evident but not large enough to justify the necessity to include an implicit nonhydrostatic solver in an atmospheric dynamical core.The NAS is designed to replace this solver,which can be incorporated into any hydrostatic models so that existing well-developed hydrostatic models can effectively serve for a longer time.Recent advances in machine learning(ML)provide a potential tool for capturing the main complicated nonlinear-nonhydrostatic relationship.In this study,an ML approach called a neural network(NN)was adopted to select leading input features and develop the NAS.The NNs were trained and evaluated with 12-day simulation results of dry baroclinic-wave tests by the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF)model.The forward time difference of the nonhydrostatic tendency was used as the target variable,and the five selected features were the nonhydrostatic tendency at the last time step,and four hydrostatic variables at the current step including geopotential height,pressure in two different forms,and potential temperature,respectively.Finally,a practical NAS was developed with these features and trained layer by layer at a 20-km horizontal resolution,which can accurately reproduce the temporal variation and vertical distribution of the nonhydrostatic tendency.Corrected by the NN-based NAS,the improved hydrostatic solver at different horizontal resolutions can run stably for at least one month and effectively reduce most of the nonhydrostatic errors in terms of system bias,anomaly root-mean-square error,and the error of the wave spatial pattern,which proves the feasibility and superiority of this scheme.

Improved genome annotation of Brassica oleracea highlights the importance of alternative splicing

Brassica oleracea has been developed into many important crops,including cabbage,kale,cauliflower,broccoli and so on.The genome and gene annotation of cabbage(cultivar JZS),a representative morphotype of B.oleracea,has been widely used as a common reference in biological research.Although its genome assembly has been updated twice,the current gene annotation still lacks information on untranslated regions(UTRs)and alternative splicing(AS).Here,we constructed a high-quality gene annotation(JZSv3)using a full-length transcriptome acquired by nanopore sequencing,yielding a total of 59452 genes and 75684 transcripts.Additionally,we re-analyzed the previously reported transcriptome data related to the development of different tissues and cold response using JZSv3 as a reference,and found that 3843 out of 11908 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)underwent AS during the development of different tissues and 309 out of 903 cold-related genes underwent AS in response to cold stress.Meanwhile,we also identified many AS genes,including BolLHCB5 and BolHSP70,that displayed distinct expression patterns within variant transcripts of the same gene,highlighting the importance of JZSv3 as a pivotal reference for AS analysis.Overall,JZSv3 provides a valuable resource for exploring gene function,especially for obtaining a deeper understanding of AS regulation mechanisms.