Search

Robustly tracking various objects within a video stream with complex objects and backgrounds is a useful technique in next generation computer vision systems. However, in practice, it is difficult to design a successful video-based object tracking system due to the varied light conditions, possible occlusions, and fast-moving objects. In this work, a novel weakly-supervised and quality-guided visual object tracking model is proposed, wherein the key is a bidirectional long short-term memory recurrent neural network (BLSTM-RNN) that captures the feature sequence and predicts the quality score of each candidate window. More specifically, given a rich set of training videos annotated with the target objects, a weakly-supervised learning algorithm is first used to project all the candidate window features onto the semantic space. Next, we propose a two-stage algorithm to select the key frames from the video sequences, where both the shallow and deep filtering operations are conducted. Subsequently, the so-called BLSTM-RNN is proposed to characterize the feature sequence temporally, based on which the maximally possible object window can be calculated and finally output. In our experiment, a large video dataset containing 2045 NBA regular seasons and playoff basketball games was compiled. Based on this, a comparative study is conducted between the proposed algorithm and state-of-the-art video tracking methods. Extensive visualization results and comparative tracking precisions show the competitiveness of the proposed method.

Background and aims Renal dysfunction is a potent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, including stroke. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of admission estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels on short-term (1-month) and long-term (1-year) mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods From the Taiwan Stroke Registry data, we classified ischemic stroke patients, identified from April 2006 to December 2015, into 5 groups by eGFR at admission: ≥ 90, 60–89, 30–59, 15–29, and Results Among 52,732 ischemic stroke patients, 1480 died within one month. The 1-month mortality rate was over 5-fold greater in patients with eGFR Conclusions After acute ischemic stroke, patients with reduced eGFR are at elevated risks of short-term and long-term deaths in a graded relationship.

Outsourcing is a crucial strategy of the mechanical manufacturing industry. When outsourcing, it is necessary for companies to carefully inspect the performance of contract manufacturers (CMs) to ensure high-quality products and satisfactory services. This study presents an integrated methodology for the quality performance assessment and optimization of products with multiple quality characteristics for CM selection in the mechanical manufacturing industry. First, we present a novel process capability analysis chart (PCAC) using the 100(1–α)% upper confidence limits of Cpmh, Cpuh, and Cplh to gauge the process capabilities of products with multiple quality characteristics and reduce the influence of sampling errors. Second, we apply Pareto optimality to reexamine eligible CMs under the objectives of maximizing performance in individual quality characteristics and minimizing variance in overall performance. A feedback mechanism is included to advise ineligible CMs on means of improvement. Finally, we present a case study to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

We investigated the impact of serum cholesterol levels on 30-day mortality after ischemic stroke in dialysis patients.From the Taiwan Stroke Registry data, we identified 46,770 ischemic stroke cases, including 1101 dialysis patients and 45,669 nondialysis patients from 2006 to 2013.Overall, the 30-day mortality was 1.46-fold greater in the dialysis group than in the nondialysis group (1.75 versus 1.20 per 1000 person-days). The mortality rates were 1.64, .62, 2.82, and 2.23 per 1000 person-days in dialysis patients with serum total cholesterol levels of 120 mg/dL, 120-159 mg/dL, 160-199 mg/dL, and ≥200 mg/dL, respectively. Compared to dialysis patients with serum total cholesterol levels of 120-159 mg/dL, the corresponding adjusted hazard ratios of mortality were 4.20 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-17.4), 8.06 (95% CI = 2.02-32.2), and 6.89 (95% CI = 1.59-29.8) for those with cholesterol levels of 120 mg/dL, 160-199 mg/dL, and ≥200 mg/dL, respectively.Dialysis patients with serum total cholesterol levels of ≥160 mg/dL or 120 mg/dL on admission are at an elevated hazard of 30-day mortality after ischemic stroke.

With the rapid development of industrial technology, the most of the traditional industrial materials have been unable to meet the needs of current industry. Aluminum alloys is one of the most popular nonferrous metal materials used in industry. Among them, 7075 aluminum alloy is common applied in aerospace and marine plates because of its corrosion resistance and high strength. To ensure the production quality of 7075 aluminum alloy, reduce the waste of resources, and realize green manufacturing, this paper proposes a product quality inspection method by combining fuzzy Six Sigma process capability index and fuzzy axiom design for the supplier selection in aluminum alloy industry. A case study in Guangdong Province is used to demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) starts with memory impairments that can be observed before the appearance of significant neuropathology; thus, identifying mechanisms to stop AD progression is an urgent priority. Epidemiological and clinical data show that the consequences of vitamin D deficiency are relevant to disease risk and can be observed in the progression of many diseases, especially AD, whereas higher serum levels of vitamin D are associated with better cognitive test performance. However, the potential therapeutic strategy and underlying mechanisms of vitamin D supplementation against AD still need to be further investigated. In the present study, we found that 3xTg-AD mice with vitamin D supplementation exhibited an increase in serum vitamin D concentrations and improved cognition. We measured serum vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) concentrations and found that serum VDBP levels were increased in 3xTg-AD mice compared to B6129S control mice, but there was no significant difference between control- and vitamin D-treated 3xTg-AD groups. The vitamin D-mediated memory improvement may be accompanied by the suppression of increased hippocampal collapsin response mediator protein-2 (CRMP2) phosphorylation, and the restoration of CRMP2 phosphorylation by okadaic acid (OA) could abolish the beneficial effects of vitamin D. In addition, we found that CRMP2 was associated with NR2B and PSD-95 in 3xTg-AD mice with vitamin D supplementation. This CRMP2-NR2B interaction could be disrupted by a TAT-CBD3 peptide or OA, leading to attenuated memory protection in vitamin D-treated 3xTg-AD mice. Therefore, CRMP2 may be involved in vitamin D-mediated memory improvement in AD.

Process capability indices (PCIs) have been widely used to evaluate and determine whether the manufacturing process meets the preset target of the customer in manufacturing industries. A larger PCI value means a higher quality yield. This study applies two PCIs, the accuracy index δ and the precision index γ, to analyze, improve and manage the process performance of a product. To address statistical sampling error, the (1 )×100% upper confidence intervals (UCLs) of δ and γ are derived. An example is given to illustrate the use of the proposed method, and is proven to give good results for practical applications.

Purpose – This paper aims to examine how consumers evaluate and respond after failing to receive the promotional price for a quantity discount because the minimum purchase requirement (MinPR) is out of reach. Although quantity discounts are effective in terms of increasing sales volume, the outcome of using them is not always positive. Design/methodology/approach – Two 2 × 2 experiments are carried out to test the research hypotheses in the context of apparel shopping. Findings – The results of Experiment 1 demonstrate that offering quantity discounts with a high MinPR (e.g. “4 for 30 per cent off”) can result in greater willingness to buy (WTB) a single product at the full price than offering promotions with a low MinPR (e.g. “2 for 30 per cent off”) in the wake of a missed quantity discount. In other words, the purchase quantity has a positive effect on the consumers’ WTB even when they are not able to take advantage of the discount. However, this relationship weakens when the selection of discounted items is limited (i.e. the scope of the promotion is narrow). The results of Experiment 2 reveal that when the missed quantity discount is based on dollars rather than on the number of pieces (e.g. “Buy $100, get 30 per cent off” vs “Buy four pieces, get 30 per cent off”), the effect of purchase quantity on WTB is enhanced. Finally, perceived closeness of purchase outcome to the MinPR mediates the effect of purchase quantity on WTB. Research limitations/implications – To maximize internal validity, hypothetical scenarios were used as stimuli rather than an actual consumption experience, and the setting involved only a single product category (clothing). Future work including other types of merchandise and a more natural setting is needed to generalize our findings. Practical implications – The purchase quantity or MinPR serves as a reference point that influences consumers’ purchase decisions, even those who do not buy enough to qualify for the price reduction. Our findings suggest that retailers should specify a relatively high MinPR for quantity discounts. In addition, proper selection of the promotional scope and discount base will significantly improve consumers’ behavioral reactions when they are not able to take advantage of a quantity discount. Originality/value – The primary contribution of this article to the marketing literature is that it provides empirical results that shed some light on the situational influences that missing a quantity discount has on the consumer’s WTB a single product at the regular price, and what the mechanisms for the purchase quantity effect might be.

The study was made to the Cpm based Process Capability Analysis Chart Cpm (PCACpm) to determine the resistance to ultraviolet radiation poor quality building materials and paints of those characteristics. Finally, sort and identify the characteristics of substandard quality improvement district in order of priority. The proposed method in this study not only to further be extended to other paint products, but also for quality management and process control capabilities of the products.

The aim of this study is to address languages barriers and cultural barriers problems through experience-based design (EBD) approach, that may occur in healthcare settings faced by the increasing numbers of foreigners in Taiwan. This study put foreigners at the center in the service of a healthcare system, applied the modified EBD approach to understand their needs and to improve the health check service process for them. The results of this study showed that EBD approach could come out appreciate solutions to solve languages barriers and improve foreigner’s health check service quality. Because of the foreign patient joined the process and co-design to figure out the solution that has potential to reduce their negative feelings.

Background The impact of leukoaraiosis on the risk of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) after stroke thrombolysis is conflicting, and the data on Asian populations are lacking. Therefore, in this study, we assessed the association between leukoaraiosis and SICH, and the association between leukoaraiosis and the 90-day functional outcome in the Asian population. Methods Data were collected from a two-center prospective registry of acute ischemic stroke patients given intravenous tissue plasminogen activator between 2006 and 2014. A total of 614 pretreatment brain CT and 455 posttreatment MRI were retrospectively assessed using two different rating scales for the presence of leukoaraiosis. Outcome measures were the occurrence of SICH with three definitions and any hemorrhage after thrombolysis and functional outcome at 3 months. Results Of the 614 patients assessed, 30.3% showed severe leukoaraiosis on the baseline brain CT. The SICH rate was 4.6% - 7.2% based on different definitions, and overall, 24.9% of patients showed any post-tPA hemorrhage. No association was observed between the severity of leukoaraiosis and SICH, regardless of having used different leukoaraiosis rating scales or as assessment using different imaging modalities. However, severe leukoaraiosis was independently associated with poor functional outcome at 3 months (OR 1.96, 95% C1 1.24–3.11, P = 0.004) after adjustment for confounders. Conclusions Our results showed no association between leukoaraiosis and the risk of SICH. Although the presence of severe leukoaraiosis predicted a poor functional outcome after stroke, IV thrombolysis might not be withheld in acute ischemic stroke patients solely based on the presence of severe leukoaraiosis on pre-thrombolytic CT scans.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between local government services and the overall satisfaction of users with the e-recruitment website (e-job website) in Taiwan. A two-dimensional mean value matrix (TDMVM) technique was used to explore the identification, classification, and application of website service quality. The results show that the asymmetrical relationship between local government services and the overall satisfaction of users with the e-job website can be confirmed in relation to 22 service attributes. 5 of the 22 service quality attributes were shown to be the top priorities for improvement. Therefore, managers should be aware that the service quality of e-job websites needs to be improved.

Process capability index (PCI) has been widely used to determine whether process quality meet the customer requirements in manufacturing industries. In this paper, an integrated process capability index CpAP is presented for the manufacture of multi-process based on the process capability index Cpu, minimum individual process capability C0, accuracy A, and precision P. A case study is used to demonstrate the practicality and feasibility of the integrated process capability index. The resulting cartridges meet the customer demand for match quality.

The core value of smart grid lies in the satisfaction extent of stakeholder’s demand, thus to construct an evaluation index system for smart grid it is necessary to construct a stakeholder’s demand index set at first to access the satisfaction extent of stakeholder’s demand reasonably and roundly. We divide the index system into the demand index set and assessment index set. As the former represents the macroscopic features while the latter represents the microscopic factors of the smart distribution grid. As for the calculation of combination weight, the DEMATEL-ANP-anti-entropy weight method and the improved Grey incidence approach is proposed. The DEMATEL-ANP-anti-entropy weight method is used for demand indices’ weight analysis, while the improved Grey incidence approach is put forward for the evaluation on assessment indices. Results of applying the proposed method in practical case shows that the proposed method is valuable in following aspects: scientifically assessing the intelligent development level and effectiveness of distribution grid, analyzing and recognizing the grid’s operation condition and weak link, giving reference to planning and construction of smart distribution grid, and so on.

Coal mine is a dangerous place in which many fatal factors menace miners' life. When some disasters occur, it may be very dangerous for rescuers to go into mine tunnels to search survivors. So developing the coal mine detecting and rescue robot for mine rescue has a very important meaning. In this paper, a system of explosion-proof detecting robot is presented. The structure design methods of robot have been discussed in detail, including robot body, computer control system, explosion-proof and waterproof design of systems, mobile mechanism design and software design. Finally the application results are given.

For the demand of coal mine flood accident emergency rescue, in this paper, a mine-used underwater explosion-proof robot is presented and the composition structure and design method of the robot are discussed in detail. This device combines mechanical design, underwater power plant, intelligent control, energy supply of mobile device and mine explosion-proof technology. It can cruise underwater with the changeable depth, orientation and speed. It can move flexibly and can collect underwater and overwater images. Practical application shows that this equipment is suitable for the emergency rescue and disaster relief work after the coal mine flood.

A key issue faced within the manufacturing industry is determining how to measure quality characteristics and prioritise improvements to be made to all substandard quality characteristics of a product with respect to resource requirements and performance improvement potential. This study proposes a QCAC–Entropy–TOPSIS approach in order to address this issue. It combines the Quality Characteristic Analysis Chart (QCAC), entropy method and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The proposed method is not only helpful to measure and determine whether the quality characteristics meet 6σ, 5σ, 4σ or 3σ but also to rank improvements in all substandard quality characteristics of a product in light of resource requirements and potential for performance improvements simultaneously, making it suitable to all manufacturing industries. Moreover, it also can be a powerful tool for analysing the problems that lead to substandard quality characteristics due to poor accuracy and/or pre...

In this article, we introduce the EstiNet OpenFlow network simulator and emulator, and present its support for testing the functions and evaluating the performances of software-defined networks? OpenFlow controller?s application programs. EstiNet uses an unique kernel reentering simulation methodology to enable unmodified real applications to run on nodes in its simulated network. As a result, without any modification, real NOX/POX or Floodlight OpenFlow controllers can readily run on a host in an EstiNet simulated network to control thousands of simulated OpenFlow switches. EstiNet has the characteristics of a simulator and an emulator at the same time. It combines the advantages of the simulation and emulation approaches without their respective shortcomings. EstiNet uses real OpenFlow controller programs, real network application programs, and the real TCP/IP protocol stack in the Linux kernel to generate correct, accurate, and repeatable SDN application performance results. In this article, we compare EstiNet with ns-3 and Mininet regarding their capabilities, performance, and scalability.

Process capability indices have been extensively used to determine whether the quality characteristics of the product meet the preset targets of the customer in manufacturing industries. However, these existing process capability indices cannot categorically determine improvement priorities for substandard quality characteristics. Besides, process capability indices also cannot effectively identify and measure deficiencies in process capability owing to accuracy, precision, or both. In this study, we combine the process capability index Cpm, minimum individual process capability C0, accuracy A, and precision P to develop a new process capability analysis chart. Managers can apply process capability analysis chart to identify the substandard quality characteristics of the product. Furthermore, if the budget for all substandard quality characteristics improvements is limited, we use the discrimination distance method to measure and determine improvement priorities for substandard quality characteristics. Moreover, we construct an implementation flowchart of the process capability analysis chart to derive the results easily. Finally, an example of a chip resistor is presented to illustrate the applicability of the process capability analysis chart for manufacturing quality management.

Neuropathic pain is a complicated disorder. This complexity arises not because the characteristics of the pain differ from nociceptive inflammatory symptoms, but because of its complex mechanism. Peripheral transduction, ectopic impulse, central sensitization, low threshold A-beta fiber mediated pain, and loss of inhibitory control all play a role in the mechanism. Nevertheless, the outcomes are still unsatisfactory for physicians and patients with regards to treatment. For example, certain disorders such as central post-stroke pain are extremely difficult to treat, not only because of the intolerable side effects of the medications but also because of the unknown effectiveness of pain reduction, especially in the elderly. Under-treatment frequently occurs in the absence of attention to the pain characteristics, and because physicians are concerned of adverse effects or inappropriate up-titration of neuropathic drugs such as anti-epileptic medicines. Multidisciplinary approaches including non-pharmacological management, rehabilitation, biofeedback, acupuncture, education on stepwise pain reduction, and keeping a diary are somewhat helpful in clinical practice but not easily implemented without the cooperation of multidisciplinary teams. Physicians prescribe opioids to alleviate the symptoms, however this carries the risk of addiction. Therefore, it is important that clinicians are made aware of common neuropathic disorders in order to establish strategies to manage such types of pain.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Parathyroidectomy (PTx) is usually necessary in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on dialysis. Risk factors for higher PTx rates are controversial. The objectives of this study were to identify the risk factors for PTx in patients on dialysis and evaluate the mortality after PTx. METHODS We analyzed data obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database and included 35,162 ESRD dialysis patients. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the incidence of PTx and survival rate after PTx. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify the risk factors. RESULTS The PTx rate was 8.09 per 1,000 patient-years. Stratified on the basis of gender and diabetic mellitus (DM), the highest incidence rate of PTx was in females without DM. Stratified by age and DM, the highest incidence rate of PTx was in those aged 18-44 years without DM. The significant risk factors for PTx were younger age, female (hazard ratio (HR) 1.409, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.257-1.580), DM (HR 0.479, 95% CI: 0.413-0.555), peritoneal dialysis (HR 1.657, 95% CI: 1.418-1.938) and hypertension (HTN) (HR 1.317, 95% CI: 1.162-1.492). The cumulative survival rates after PTx were 97.1%, 94.5%, 82.8% and 77.4% at the first, second, fifth and seventh year, respectively. Only age was significantly associated with higher mortality after PTx. CONCLUSIONS Higher PTx rates were found in dialysis patients who were female and younger, did not have DM, were on peritoneal dialysis and had HTN. Advanced age was associated with a higher mortality after PTx.

Design thinking is a catalyst that uncovers innovations. From realistic products, services, and business models, it seeks a creative approach to defining challenges and problem solving. This paper follows the documentation process behind an international group of faculty and students who embarked on a brand new learning experience. With collaborations through faculty expertise and student's hard work, they developed a process based on the design-thinking framework in a design-centric business model. Some viable strategies, techniques, and valuable learning outcomes will be shared in this paper.

The anchorage length of the bolt in rock bolt crane girder is obtained by means of rigid limit equilibrium method and the critical the anchorage length of bolt is calculated by analytical solution. Combined with the calculation results, the analysis on the mechanical characteristics is carried on by building the finite element model of rock bolt crane girder with different anchorage length of bolt. The analysis results indicate that the bearing characteristics of rock bolt crane girder are not improved significantly with the increase of anchorage length when the anchorage length of bolt exceeds the engineering critical anchorage length. The existence of critical anchorage length of blot is proved further, and the rationality of analytical solution for critical anchorage length is validated.

Travel agencies seeking to improve their product development performance increasingly engage in collaborative product development with their suppliers. From the perspective of collaboration, the independent travel agent has a future, provided it makes appropriate investment in technology and creates competitive differentiation. The research goals of this study were to investigate how market-focused strategic adaptation among the members of travel agent collaborations affects perceived market performance. Data were obtained via a mailed questionnaire survey of a sample of travel agencies. The model and the hypotheses were tested using a structural equation modeling approach. The findings of this study provide interesting insights for travel agencies interested in partner choice. Customer competence has emerged as an important asset in travel agent collaboration, which can be used to increase the productivities of knowledge works through the management of product and service innovation; different strategies are discussed in terms of different segments of customers within the collaboration.

Aim: The present study was conducted to investigate whether alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA) is able to reverse impaired bladder function induced by diabetes in a rat model and to explore the possible mechanism mediating the effect. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into 3 age-matched groups: control, diabetes mellitus (DM) treated with vehicle, and DM with α-LA treatment. The diabetic rats were induced by a single intraperitoneal (ip) injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg). Six weeks after the induction of DM, the two groups received another 6 weeks of treatment with vehicle or α-LA (100 mg/kg, ip). Body weight and blood glucose levels were measured weekly. The bladder function was evaluated by in vitro cystometry. The oxidative stress status was determined by biochemical methods, and the level of nerve growth factor was investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats showed impaired bladder function characterized by increased bladder capacity, decreased bladder contractility (voiding efficiency), and an increase in residual urine. Treatment with α-LA significantly normalized the increased bladder capacity for inducing voiding, single-voided volume, and post-void residual volume. α-LA treatment significantly reversed the increased level of malondialdehyde and reduced the activities of both superoxide dismutase and catalase. DM caused a decrease in the bladder nerve growth factor (NGF) level, and α-LA upregulated the level of NGF in the diabetic rat bladder. Conclusion: These results indicate that α-LA has a beneficial effect on diabetes-induced cystopathy by ameliorating oxidative stress and normalizing the NGF level in the bladder.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a well-known predictor for future cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. However, the relationship between ED and dementia has rarely been examined. This study investigates the longitudinal risk for Alzheimer's disease and non-Alzheimer dementia in patients with ED. We collected a random sample of 1,000,000 individuals from Taiwan's National Health Insurance database. From this sample, we identified 4153 patients with newly diagnosed ED between 2000 and 2009 and compared them with a matched cohort of 20,765 patients without ED. All patients were tracked for 7 years from the index date to identify which of them subsequently developed dementia. During the 7-year follow-up period, the incidence rate of dementia in the ED cohort was 35.33 per 10,000 person-years. In the comparison groups, it was 21.67 per 10,000 person-years. After adjustment for patients characteristics and comorbidities, patients with ED were 1.68-times more likely to develop dementia than patients without ED (95% CI = 1.34–2.10, P

With the prosperity of service industries in past decades, service organizations devoted themselves to provide customers with better service experience. Numerous researches and reports have indicated that social interactions between customers and frontline employees play a critical role in determining customer satisfaction and long-term loyalty. In fact, many service encounters consist of more than one customer, but only a relatively small portion of studies has explored encounters between customers. Scholars have demonstrated that, like customer-employee encounters, customer-customer encounters also affect a customer’s overall service evaluation. However, practitioners and academicians still lack the knowledge on how to develop better customer-to-customer experience.

Background Discharge disposition planning is vital for poststroke patients. We investigated clinical factors associated with discharging patients to nursing homes, using the Taiwan Stroke Registry data collected from 39 major hospitals. Methods We randomly assigned 21,575 stroke inpatients registered from 2006 to 2008 into derivation and validation groups at a 3-to-1 ratio. We used the derivation group to develop a prediction model by measuring cumulative risk scores associated with potential predictors: age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart diseases, stroke history, snoring, main caregivers, stroke types, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Probability of nursing home care and odds ratio (OR) of nursing home care relative to home care by cumulative risk scores were measured for the prediction. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to assess the model discrimination against the validation group. Results Except for hypertension, all remaining potential predictors were significant independent predictors associated with stroke patient disposition to nursing home care after discharge from hospitals. The risk sharply increased with age and NIHSS. Patients with a cumulative risk score of 15 or more had an OR of 86.4 for the nursing home disposition. The AUROC plots showed similar areas under curves for the derivation group (.86, 95% confidence interval [CI], .85-.87) and for the validation group (.84, 95% CI, .83-.86). Conclusions The cumulative risk score is an easy-to-estimate tool for preparing stroke patients and their family for disposition on discharge.

a Department of Neurology, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan b Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine and Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan c Biostatistics Consulting Center, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine and Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan d Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine and Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan e Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Institute of Industrial Safety and Disaster Prevention, College of Sustainable Environment, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan

With the prosperity of service industries in past decades, service organizations devoted themselves to provide customers with better service experience. Numerous researches and reports have indicated that social interactions between customers and frontline employees play a critical role in determining customer satisfaction and long-term loyalty. In fact, many service encounters consist of more than one customer, but only a relatively small portion of studies has explored encounters between customers. Scholars have demonstrated that, like customer-employee encounters, customer-customer encounters also affect a customer’s overall service evaluation. However, practitioners and academicians still lack the knowledge on how to develop better customer-to-customer experience.

Background and objectivesTo determine the incidence rates and mortality of liver abscess in ESRD patients on dialysis.Design setting participants & measurementsUsing Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, we collected data from all ESRD patients who initiated dialysis between 2000 and 2006. Patients were followed until death, end of dialysis, or December 31, 2008. Predictors of liver abscess and mortality were identified using Cox models.ResultsOf the 53,249 incident dialysis patients identified, 447 were diagnosed as having liver abscesses during the follow-up period (224/100,000 person-years). The cumulative incidence rate of liver abscess was 0.3%, 1.1%, and 1.5% at 1 year, 5 years, and 7 years, respectively. Elderly patients and patients on peritoneal dialysis had higher incidence rates. The baseline comorbidities of diabetes mellitus, polycystic kidney disease, malignancy, chronic liver disease, biliary tract disease, or alcoholism predicted development of liver abscess. Overall in-hospital mortality was 10.1%.ConclusionsThe incidence of liver abscess is high among ESRD dialysis patients. In addition to the well known risk factors of liver abscess, two other important risk factors, peritoneal dialysis and polycystic kidney disease, were found to predict liver abscess in ESRD dialysis patients.

Implementing the Six Sigma control method is to use define, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC) framework to improve the process from the beginning, emphasize the process management, reduce the process time, eliminate the defects, and increase the passing rate. The aims of this study is to apply Six Sigma control method with DMAIC framework to shorten the power supply over time in order to enhance the power supply efficiency in T. power company (TPC). The result showed that the power supply over time was reduced from 66% to 30% in the Construction Work Second Section. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/telkomnika.v11i10.2910

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) have been reported to be associated with metabolic syndrome and may predispose subjects to cardiovascular disease. The magnitude of the impact on the medical care remains to be elucidated. Based on a population-based claims dataset in Taiwan, we explored the association between LUTS and the risk of subsequent hospitalization for acute cardiovascular events. MATERIALS AND METHODS Among a representative sample of one million subjects from nationwide health insurance enrollees, subjects with codes of LUTS in service claims and without previous cardiovascular diseases including stroke were compared with age- and sex-matched non-LUTS subjects in subsequent hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome or stroke from the recruited date (between 2001-2004) to 2009. The risk of outcomes was assessed with Kaplan-Meier curves and the impact of LUTS was estimated with Poison regression analysis and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS We included 4,553 LUTS subjects and 22,765 matched non-LUTS subjects, with a mean age of 47 years and 43% of men. Hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia were more prevalent in the LUTS group. The incidence rate of the composite endpoint was significantly higher in the LUTS group than in the non-LUTS group (5.4/1000 vs. 4.0/1000 person-years). The difference mainly derived from stroke rather than acute coronary syndrome. After adjusting for age, sex, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia in multivariable analysis, LUTS remained a significant predictor (hazard ratio, 1.29; 95% confidence incidence, 1.06-1.50). CONCLUSION Subjects free of cardiovascular disease and presenting with LUTS are at risk of subsequent hospitalization for acute cardiovascular events, mainly stroke. The information might prompt practitioners encountering such patients to undergo appropriate diagnostic and preventive measures.

Continual expansion of the population and its diversity has increased the demand for products that take into account the elements of universal design. Universal design has been widely studied; however, a lack of all-encompassing systematic design processes makes it difficult for designers and engineers to transform universal design intent into product realization. This paper proposes a systematic approach to UD based on TRIZ theories. We begin with a UD assessment to identify design problems, followed by a PDMT analysis to determine possible directions through which to resolve the problems. The directions were mapped directly to Effects for appropriate resolutions. For complex problems, it is suggested that Functional Attribute Analysis be employed to analyze the problems, before searching for resolutions from the effects. A case study was conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach in the design and development of products with greater usability, accessibility, and creativity.

To promote developing more usable and accessed, daily-used products that could meet the rigorous requirements from diverse consumers at the present time, this research proposed an innovative product design process by synergizing both universal design (UD) principles and TRIZ tools. This newly developed process started with stating the design problems via a UD evaluation, followed by PDMT analysis to develop the preliminary design directions. The directions were then analyzed by using Su-Field models in order to locate the potential resolutions from TRIZ’s 76 Standard Solutions. Finally, a case study was conducted to demonstrate how this innovative design process works. Study result shows that this approach can help identify the core of the problem and locate the improved product concepts effectively, resulting in generating more creative and usable product design.

This study proposes a novel hybrid method that integrates a new multi-quality characteristic analysis chart (MQCAC) and a fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (fuzzy TOPSIS). First, all the data of nominal-the-best, larger-the-better, and smaller-the-better quality characteristics were transferred into new evaluation data by using a change-of-variable technique. Furthermore, a new MQCAC was developed to measure whether all the quality characteristics of a product satisfy specifications. All substandard quality characteristics were regarded as alternatives when conducting fuzzy TOPSIS analysis. Subsequently, the top priority substandard quality characteristic for improvement in light of resource requirements and the performance improvement potential under a fuzzy environment was obtained using the proposed method. Finally, a real-world case study is presented to demonstrate the practicality and feasibility of the proposed method.

Integrating machine vision and motion control method into a double layers alignment system is a popular issue in flat panel display and semiconductor industry. An ultra-low stage is considered to compensate the posture between the upper and nether misalignment. Classic template matching is introduced in this paper to recognize the fiducial marks in this proposed alignment system. The compensate variables with the vision posture are integrated to implement the alignment system using an ultra-low stage. Experimental results are shown to demonstrate the feasibility of this system.

This paper proposes a case of the traditional market retailers in central Taiwan. Applying Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is to find the best online shopping platform to begin e-commerce. Traditional retail market is usually the purchase store that is to buy food and daily necessities place of the Taiwan people. However, according to the consumers lifestyle change, the fresh supermarkets and e-commerce development, there are to cause loss the customers of traditional markets. In Taiwan, according to Market Intelligence & Consulting institute (MIC) research online shopping market is grow NT$71,700 million in 2008, it is more than global growth rate. Thus, online shopping market is important. First, the study follows literature review to find six important factors (shop fee, annual fee, publication costs, transaction costs, shop constraints and security) by shopping platform vendors, merchants and customers; Secondly, applying expert questionnaires method that according to six factors to choice the six shopping platform (yahoo auction, ruten auction, rakuten ichiba, ihergo, PChome online shopping mall and yahoo super mall) in Taiwan. Finally, the best choice is ihergo online shopping platform through AHP method. More generally, the work carried out in this paper is an example of illustration of how AHP can be used as a decision-support tool. The study will promote the AHP method in decision-making management application.

Usually foot moving configuration is designed to combine linkage and lead screw mechanism. Such mechanism presents left and right deviation or up and down vibration during taking stride so that its balanced status is very poor. This paper studies a level moving configuration of quadruped walking machine and uses gear parallel to enlarge the level balanced displacement of the striding motion. This design can therefore tremendously decrease up and down vibration and left and right deviation of the body. Additionally the machine's vision system can be increased too. In the meantime, the rotation axis design has better dust-proof and water proof effect, which can be applied in the design of amphibious robot in the future.

To investigate the role of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) in the pathogenesis of lung injury induced by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), and its effect on intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression and neutrophil infiltration.Twenty-four Wistar rats were divided randomly into control, I/R and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) treatment groups, n=8 in each. I/R group and PDTC treatment group received superior mysenteric artery (SMA) occluding for 1 h and reperfusion for 2 h. PDTC group was administrated with intraperitoneal injection of 2% 100 mg/kg PDTC 1 h before surgery. Lung histology and bronchia alveolus lung fluid (BALF) protein were assayed. Serum IL-6, lung malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) as well as the expression level of NF-kappaB and ICAM-1 were measured.Lung injury induced by intestinal I/R, was characterized by edema, hemorrhage and neutrophil infiltration as well as by the significant rising of BALF protein. Compared to control group, the levels of serum IL-6 and lung MDA and MPO increased significantly in I/R group (P=0.001). Strong positive expression of NF-kappaB p65 and ICAM-1 was observed. After the administration of PDTC, the level of serum IL-6, lung MDA and MPO as well as NF-kappaB and ICAM-1 decreased significantly (P0.05) when compared to I/R group.The activation of NF-kappaB plays an important role in the pathogenesis of lung injury induced by intestinal I/R through upregulating the neutrophil infiltration and lung ICAM-1 expression. PDTC as an inhibitor of NF-kappaB can prevent lung injury induced by intestinal I/R through inhibiting the activity of NF-kappaB.

A human factors study was carried out to help enhance ways to communicate with highway motorists through dynamic message signs (DMS). Overhead mounted DMSs have been increasingly used by highway authorities in the United States to present real-time traffic information and travel advice to motorists. It is critical to post sign messages that can be quickly and clearly understood by motorists, especially in high-volume traffic and construction/repair zones. Properly worded and formatted sign messages could spell the difference between comprehension and confusion. Message display factors investigated in the study include display effects, color schemes, wording, and formats. Two approaches were employed in this study. First, a questionnaire survey was developed to collect motorists’ preferences regarding various message display factors. Second, a series of lab driving simulation experiments were set up to assess the effects of these factors and their interactions on motorists’ comprehension of DMS messages. Study results suggested that static, one-framed messages with more specific wording and no abbreviations were preferred. Amber or green or a green-amber combination were the most favored colors. Younger subjects took less response time to the DMS stimuli with higher accuracy than older subjects. There were no significant gender differences.

Quality function deployment (QFD) is an extremely effective method of determining customer requirements (CRs) and developing new products to meet those requirements. However, most of the previous research on QFD is focused on customers in general, and this approach has limited applicability in regards to enhancing customer satisfaction or gaining market share. This study develops a methodology integrating market segmentation theory, QFD, and fuzzy theory for developing a new bicycle with consideration to different CRs. Firstly, a market segmentation questionnaire is used to collect information regarding the emphasis customers place on various customer requirements. Secondly, the QFD is used to transform these CRs into engineering characteristics (ECs). Finally, to obtain the key EC values, the relevant crisp values were solved using fuzzy theory. The proposed approach provides the means by which businesses can identify key CRs and reduce areas of uncertainty in the period between production and sales. An illustrative example is given to demonstrate the application of the proposed approach at the end of this paper.