In this paper, a novel rating based fuzzy analytic network process (F-ANP) model is proposed for the evaluation of ship maneuverability and the improvement of maneuverability standards. By incorporating the F-ANP technique into the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) maneuverability standards, the proposed model is able to solve the problem of mutual dependencies of the maneuvering factors inhere...

Background: Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) are cardiac peptide hormones with pivotal roles in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis. BNP and its precursor fragment are accepted as gold standard markers for heart failure (HF). Human ANP is present in the atria of the heart and plasma as 3 endogenous molecular forms designated α-ANP, β-ANP, and proANP. A pr...

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) receptors from A10 cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and rat olfactory bulbs have been solubilized and then pharmacologically and biochemically compared. The dissociation constant for 125I-ANP(99-126) was 12.7 pM for the VSMC-derived receptor and 164 pM for the olfactory receptor. Competition binding between 125I-ANP(99-126) and several unlabeled ANP ...

Binding sites for 125I-atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)2 in rat olfactory bulb membranes have been studied using pharmacological and biochemical methods. Various unlabeled ANP-related peptides were tested for the ability to inhibit the binding of the radioligand in membrane binding assays. ANP(92-126) and ANP(99-126) were the most potent inhibitors tested, both exhibiting an IC50 value of 0.40 ...

In outsourcing, management seeks to achieve costs savings, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and/or company growth. We integrate the ANP with the perspectives in Balanced Scorecard (BSC) for IT outsourcing decision making. The proposed BSC-ANP model helps evaluate the impact of decision on firm performance and confirms the existence of indicator interactions.

The specific objectives of the paper are: validation of the theoretical model for strategic planning of e-learning implementation by means of factor analysis, presentation of the structure of AHP and ANP models for decision making about e-learning implementation, comparison between developed AHP and ANP models, analysis of the results of group decision making supported by sw TeamEC2000 based on...

In an attempt to identify and quantify the sites of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) degradation, particularly the lungs, a new tracer method to study ANP metabolism in vivo in humans was developed and applied to patients with left ventricular dysfunction. Thirteen male, normotensive, cardiac patients with different degrees of left ventricular myocardial involvement were enrolled in the study. ...

This study applies the Analytic Network Process (ANP) to forecast the sales volume of printers in Taiwan for adjusting the recycling and treatment fee as an incentive for recycling industries. When historical data are lacking and when a broad spectrum of social impact is involved, the ANP, with the capacity to manage dependence and feedback among the factors, can serve as a tool to forecast out...

We combine the Analytic Network Process (ANP) and the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) to build a cohesive decision model for determining firm level IT outsourcing strategy. Although prior research has confirmed the existence of interactions among BSC indicators and the potential impact of those interactions on firm level performance, interactions have hitherto not been fully understood and implemented...

Background Congestive heart failure (CHF) in patients and experimental animals is characterized by renal retention of salt and water and a blunted natriuretic/diuretic response to atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). Recently, we reported that chronic treatment with the PPARgagonist rosiglitazone (RGZ) improved the natriuretic and diuretic responses to extracellular fluid volume expansion in rats ...