An Experimental Evaluation of Interactive MCDM Methods and the Decision Making Process

Increasingly, it is becoming recognized that interactive solution methods should provide not only a solution to a multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) problem, but also the opportunity for decision makers to learn about their own preferences. In this paper, we describe an experiment that examines three MCDM solution methods and the process of converging on a final solution. Twenty-four management students participated in the experiment and were required to solve two completely different MCDM problems. Within this experimental framework, we examined the use of a two-stage approach to decision making. Both quantitative and qualitative results are presented. Preferences among the different solution methods vary significantly. Several conclusions are drawn concerning the desirable features of interactive MCDM solution methods.     

Evolution of shapes in 59Cu

High-spin states in ⁵⁹Cu were populated using the fusion-evaporation reaction ²⁸Si + ⁴⁰Ca at a beam energy of 122 MeV. The Gammasphere Ge-detector array in conjunction with the 4π charged-particle detector array Microball allowed for the detection of γ-rays in coincidence with evaporated light particles. The resulting extensive high-spin decay scheme of ⁵⁹Cu is presented, which comprises more than 320 γ-ray transitions connecting about 150 excited states. Their spins and parities have been assigned via directional correlations of γ-rays emitted from oriented states. Average quadrupole moments of rotational bands have been determined from the analysis of residual Doppler shifts. Shell model calculations in the fp shell are invoked to study some of the low-spin states, while the experimental characteristics of the rotational bands are analyzed in the configuration-dependent cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky (CNS) approach. Received: 15 February 2002 / Accepted: 23 April 2002     

Diastereofacial solid phase synthesis and self-promoted cleavage of a [2.2.1] bicyclic diversity scaffold

[reaction: see text]. We have previously described a diastereofacially selective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of isomünchnones with vinyl ethers. While adapting this methodology for solid phase synthesis, we discovered a chemoselective and self-promoted linker aminolysis that provides liberated product in high purity, at a significantly enhanced rate. Herein we describe the implementation of a chiral auxiliary as a solid-phase linker, the detailed investigation of its unique aminolysis, and the utility of this cleavage within a chemical diversity format.     

Methyl scanning: total synthesis of demethylasterriquinone B1 and derivatives for identification of sites of interaction with and isolation of its receptor(s)

The principle of methyl scanning is proposed for determination of the sites of interaction between biologically active small molecules and their macromolecular target(s). It involves the systematic preparation of a family of methylated derivatives of a compound and their biological testing. As a functional assay, the method can identify the regions of a molecule that are important (and unimportant) for biological activity against even unknown targets, and thus provides an excellent complement to structural biology. Methyl scanning was applied to demethylasterriquinone B1, a small-molecule mimetic of insulin. A new, optimal total synthesis of this natural product was developed that enables the family of methyl scan derivatives to be concisely prepared for evaluation in a cellular assay. The results of this experiment were used to design a biotin-demethylasterriquinone conjugate for use as an affinity reagent. This compound was prepared in tens of milligram quantities in a four-step synthesis.