Capturing and prioritizing students’ requirements for course design by embedding Fuzzy-AHP and linear programming in QFD

Customer requirements play a vital and important role in the design of products and services. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a popular, widely used method that helps translate customer requirements into design specifications. Thus, the foundation for a successful QFD implementation lies in the accurate capturing and prioritization of these requirements. This paper proposes and tests the use of an alternative framework for prioritizing students’ requirements within QFD. More specifically, Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy-AHP) and the linear programming method (LP-GW-AHP) based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) are embedded into QFD (QFD-LP-GW-Fuzzy AHP) in order to account for inherent subjectivity of human judgements. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is assessed in capturing and prioritizing students’ requirements regarding courses’ learning outcomes within the process of an academic course design. Sensitivity analysis evaluates the robustness of the prioritization solution and implications for course design specifications are discussed.     

Unpaired electrons,spin polarization,and bond orders in radicals from the 2‐RDM in orbital spaces: Basic notions and testing calculations

Adopting the second‐order reduced density matrix level, the conventional α‐ and β‐spin populations in radicals are split into paired and unpaired or electropon (referring to the simultaneous occurrence of an electron and a hole of opposite spins in an orbital) populations. This analysis gives the possibility to distinguish the (un)favorable for chemical bonding electronic interactions by means of positive or negative Coulomb and/or Fermi correlations of two electropons. To overcome the conceptual difficulties originated from the subtle superposition of unpaired electrons due to spin density and those responsible for chemical bonding, we use the notion of properly unpaired electrons. The quantity describing this notion provides a global picture for the ability of electrons of a given orbital to form covalent bonds with the electrons of all remaining orbitals. More detailed information, concerning the behavior of electrons in two distinct target orbitals, is obtained by means of the two‐electropon correlations. As shown, the boundary values of the used quantities are physically meaningful, and the whole theory is tested from various points of view concerning: localized and delocalized radical centers, orthogonal and nonorthogonal orbitals, uncorrelated and correlated levels, Coulomb and Fermi correlations. We also check the electropon based analysis by investigating the spin polarization effects and bond orders in radicals. The tests are achieved for well‐known radicals, and to preserve the stability of the numerical results and the invariance of the obtained conceptual pictures, we used natural basis sets introduced within the natural bond orbital methodology. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Analysis of Glycosaminoglycan Oligosaccharides by Combined HPTLC/MALDI-TOF MS: Reduced Silica Gel Thickness Leads to Improved Spectral Qualities and Reduced Side Reactions

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a simple, fast and inexpensive separation method which can be applied to virtually all natural products including oligosaccharides. Unfortunately, however, the unequivocal identification of a TLC spot is normally difficult. Fortunately, this problem can be minimized when mass spectrometry (MS) such as matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight is used to identify the TLC spots. This work is dedicated to the TLC/MS analysis of oligosaccharides derived from native chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronan. We will show that the thickness of the silica gel layer (200 versus 100 µm) has a tremendous influence on the quality of the mass spectra: a reduced silica gel thickness enhances the spectral quality and, in particular, improves the achievable signal-to-noise ratio. Additionally, unwanted formylation of the GAG oligosaccharides (which occurs due to the high moiety of formic acid in the mobile phase) can also be minimized if MS-grade HPTLC plates are used.

     

Evaluation of cyclodextrin- and cyclofructan-based chiral selectors for the enantioseparation of psychoactive substances in capillary electrophoresis

During this study, a simple and easy-to-prepare electrophoretic method was developed for the enantioseparation of amphetamine and cathinone derivatives. Different types of β-cyclodextrin and cyclofructan-based chiral selectors (CSs), both native and derivatized, were utilized, and the most effective ones, in terms of resolution and analysis time, were identified. In addition, several electrophoretic parameters, such as background electrolyte concentration and pH, and CS concentration, were examined to optimize the separation conditions. Under the optimal electrophoretic conditions, 10 psychoactive substances were enantiomerically separated using 1 mM sulfated cyclofructan-6 (SCF-6) for the amphetamine derivatives and 1 mM sulfated cyclofructan-7 (SCF-7) for the cathinone derivatives dissolved in an aqueous solution of 20-mM monobasic sodium phosphate at pH 2.5, a temperature of 25°C, and an applied voltage of 25 kV. In addition, the method was validated by estimating the intra- and interday precision.     

Elimination of chemical shift artifacts of thoracic spine with contrast-enhanced FLAIR imaging with fat suppression at 3.0 T

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of chemical shift artifacts and fat suppression between contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE) sequence with fat suppression and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence with fat suppression in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the thoracic spine at 3.0T. Forty patients, who underwent MRI examination, were recruited and analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Due to chemical shift artifacts in the T1-weighted FSE, 14 of the patients were found to be of non-diagnostic value. On the contrary, in 11 of those 14 patients, no chemical shift artifacts were observed in the T1-weighted FLAIR sequence. Regarding the efficiency of fat suppression, both sequences achieved successful fat suppression. Consequently, the use of T1-weighted FLAIR fat suppression after contrast administration sequence seems to eliminate or significantly reduce image quality deterioration stemming from chemical shift artifacts in thoracic spine examinations.     

Numerical simulation of bubble dynamics in a Phan-Thien–Tanner liquid: Non-linear shape and size oscillatory response under periodic pressure

We study non-linear bubble oscillations driven by an acoustic pressure with the bubble being immersed in a viscoelastic, Phan-Thien–Tanner liquid. Solution is provided numerically through a method which is based on a finite element discretization of the Navier–Stokes flow equations. The proposed computational approach does not rely on the solution of the simplified Rayleigh–Plesset equation, is not limited in studying only spherically symmetric bubbles and provides coupled solutions for the velocity, stress fields and bubble interface. We present solutions for non-spherical bubbles, with asphericity being addressed by means of Legendre polynomials or associated Legendre functions. A parametric investigation of the bubble dynamical oscillatory response as a function of the fluid rheological properties shows that the amplitude of bubble oscillations drastically increases as liquid elasticity (quantified by the Deborah number) increases or as liquid viscosity decreases (quantified by the Reynolds number). Extensive numerical calculations demonstrate that increasing elasticity and/or viscosity of the surrounding liquid tend to stabilize the shape anisotropy of an initially non-spherical bubble. Results are shown for pressure amplitudes 0.2–2 MPa and Deborah, Reynolds numbers in the intervals of 1–8 and 0.094–1.256, respectively.     

Precursor ion scanning for the non-targeted detection of individual arsenosugars in extracts of marine organisms

Arsenosugars are a group of arsenic compounds reported to be present in a wide variety of marine organisms. Numerous such compounds have been identified and characterized in marine organisms; however, unknown arsenosugar species may also be present. This indicates the need for an analytical technique suitable for their non-targeted detection. One such technique is tandem mass spectrometry operated in the precursor ion scanning mode. This technique is based on scanning for precursor ions that give specific product ions, characteristic of the compounds under investigation. In the present study two subgroups of arsenosugar species were examined, the oxo- and the thioarsenosugars, the CID behavior of which is well known from previous studies. In the case of the oxoarsenosugars characteristic product ions were observed at m/z 237 and 97, and for the thioarsenosugars at m/z 253 and 97. Validation of this approach was carried out by analyzing extracts of two commercial kelp powders with known contents of arsenosugar species. All arsenosugars reported to exist in these materials were detected successfully using the precursor ion scanning approach. The limits of detection for the oxo- and the thioarsenosugar species, and the selectivity and sensitivity of the method, strongly indicate the suitability of this approach for the non-targeted detection of arsenosugars in extracts of marine origin.     

Two-dimensional capillary liquid chromatography: pH gradient ion exchange and reversed phase chromatography for rapid separation of proteins

In the present work, an orthogonal two-dimensional (2D) capillary liquid chromatography (LC) method for fractionation and separation of proteins using wide range pH gradient ion exchange chromatography (IEC) in the first dimension and reversed phase (RP) in the second dimension, is demonstrated. In the first dimension a strong anion exchange (SAX) column subjected to a wide range (10.5-3.5) descending pH gradient was employed, while in the second dimension, a large pore (4,000 A) polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) RP analytical column was used for separation of the protein pH-fractions from the first dimension. The separation power of the off-line 2D method was demonstrated by fractionation and separation of human plasma proteins. Seventeen pH-fractions were manually collected and immediately separated in the second dimension using a column switching capillary RP-LC system. Totally, more than 200 protein peaks were observed in the RP chromatograms of the pH-fractions. On-line 2D analysis was performed for fractionation and separation of ten standard proteins. Two pH-fractions (basic and acidic) from the first dimension were trapped on PS-DVB RP trap columns prior to back-flushed elution onto the analytical RP column for fast separation of the proteins with UV/MS detection.     

Direct determination of acrylamide in food by gas chromatography-high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Simple and rapid gas chromatographic (GC) method employing a high-resolution time-of-flight mass analyzer that enables direct analysis (no derivatization) of acrylamide in various heat-processed foodstuffs has been developed and validated. Co-isolation of acrylamide precursors such as sugars and asparagine, constituting the risk of results overestimation due to additional formation of analyte in hot GC injector, is avoided by the extraction with n-propanol followed by solvent exchange to acetonitrile (MeCN). Introduction of a novel purification strategy, dispersive solid phase extraction, based on addition of primary-secondary amine (PSA) sorbent into deffated extract in MeCN, provides a significant reduction of some abundant matrix co-extracts (mainly free fatty acids). Isotope dilution technique (d₃-acrylamide as an internal standard) is employed for compensation of potential target analyte losses and/or matrix-inducted chromatographic response enhancement. Limits of quantifications (LOQs) ranged between 15 and 40 μg kg⁻¹ and recoveries were between 97 and 108% depending on the examined food matrix. The repeatability of measurements (expressed as relative standard deviation, R.S.D.) was as low as 1.9% for potato crisps containing acrylamide at a level of 1 mg kg⁻¹. Slightly higher values (R.S.D. < 4.0%) were achieved for breakfast cereals and crisp bread with approximately 10 times lower content of this processing contaminant. Trueness of results generated by this new method was demonstrated via FAPAS^® (Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme) interlaboratory proficiency tests.     

Solvent and temperature gradients in separation of synthetic oxyethylene-oxypropylene block (co)polymers using high-temperature liquid chromatography

Chromatographic behavior of synthetic block (co)oligomer samples (EO)n(PO)m(EO)n and (PO)n(EO)m(PO)n with different distribution of propylene oxide (PO) and ethylene oxide (EO) monomer units was investigated on three types of stationary phases on zirconium dioxide support: Zr-PS (polystyrene), Zr-carbon, and Zr-carbon C18. The effects of the distribution and sequence of the oxyethylene and oxypropylene monomer units on the chromatographic retention depend on the type of the stationary phase, but are strongly affected by the organic modifier (methanol or ACN) in aqueous-organic mobile phase. Special attention was focused on the influence of the mobile-phase composition on the separation according to the EO and PO distribution. Zirconia-based columns are stable at elevated temperatures and can be used in high-temperature LC (HTLC); hence, we investigated the temperature effects on the chromatographic behavior up to 90 degrees C. The applications of solvent and temperature gradients were compared on the zirconia stationary phases in the RP mode.