Amit Verma (Business), Mark Lewis (Business), and Todd Eckdahl (Biology), “Qfold: A New Modeling Paradigm for the RNA Folding Problem�

Abstract: Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) molecules play informational, structural, and metabolic roles in all living cells. RNAs are chains of nucleotides containing bases {A,C,G,U} that interact via base pairings to determine higher-order structure and functionality. The RNA folding problem is to predict one or more secondary RNA structures from a given primary sequence of bases. From a mathematical modeling perspective, solutions to the RNA folding problem come from minimizing the thermodynamic free energy of a structure by selecting which bases will be paired, subject to a set of constraints. Here we report on a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) modeling paradigm that fits naturally with the parameters and constraints required for RNA folding prediction. Three QUBO models are presented along with a hybrid metaheuristic algorithm. Extensive testing results show a strong positive correlation with benchmark results.

Abstract: There has been considerable debate about the comparative advantages of marketing education emphasizing theoretical knowledge and applied skills. The current study investigated the skills necessary for entry-level marketing positions, specifically that of Social Media Manager (SMMgr) and Social Media Marketer (SMMkt). Data was collected from Indeed.com using a web crawler to extract job postings for SMMgr and SMMkt. A total of 766 and 654 entry-level jobs for SMMgr and SMMkt, respectively, across the entire United States, was collected. Independent raters separately analyzed the data for keywords and categories. Findings suggest that the most desired skills are occupational digital marketing skills. Other relevant skill categories included communication, employee attributes, problem-solving, and information technology skills. This study extends the current literature by highlighting the desired skills prevalent across the social media industry. The findings also have relevance in designing the marketing education curriculum, specifically in isolating core skills that could be integrated into the marketing courses.