Modelling of the impact of the operating conditions of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) by Design Of Experiment (DOE)

International audienc

Intrathecal synthesis of specific antibodies as a marker of herpes simplex encephalitis in patients with negative PCR

BACKGROUND: PCR in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has become the sole method used for the diagnosis of herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE). Nevertheless, PCR results may sometimes be false negative, and in this situation other techniques may be useful. METHODS: 3 patients hospitalised for meningoencephalitis with fever showed a negative result for herpes simplex virus (HSV) PCR in their CSF. We then performed a detection of intrathecal anti-HSV immunoglobulins (IgGs) in the CSF and analysed their level in relation to those in the serum, compared to albumin. RESULTS: We confirmed that IgG synthesis was the direct consequence of an immune system reaction in the 3 patients’ CSF. These results were consistent with clinical signs and neurodiagnostic procedures. They prompted us to continue the treatment, which would have been stopped following the negative PCR results. The clinical progression was favourable for all patients. CONCLUSIONS: PCR, which many physicians now consider the gold standard for the detection of HSV, may sometimes yield false negative results, i.e. when performed too early after the disease onset or when the viral load is too low. The method described here, although positive a few days after PCR, may prove helpful in the diagnosis of HSE for patients with negative HSV PCR in the CSF

Exploring critical issues of technical support in contact centers of the Philippines: Toward a grounded theory

The contact center industry in the Philippines, named by Deloitte as one of the two top contact center destinations in Asia, has been expanding rapidly in terms of technology, workforce size, and economic scope. This study aims to explore, using the Glaserian grounded theory method (GTM), the main concern of contact center agents, particularly inbound technical support representatives, in Northern Mindanao in the Philippines, and how they resolve their main concern, especially using information technology. GTM goes beyond the descriptive approach of most qualitative methods by generating from the data, a theory of the substantive area. The rationale for GTM reflects the source of the developed theory grounded in the behavior, words, and actions of those under study. The theory can inform the development of systems, processes, structures, and policies that will support the actors in the substantive area. Preliminary results suggest that staying at the organization or else seeking other employment opportunities is the main concern of the technical support representatives, who resolve this main concern using a cyclical process, each cycle of which has four stages: training, struggling, coping, and motivating. The application of technologies in contact center operations can play a key role in sustaining the technical support representatives\u27 decision to stay longer in the industry. Copyright © 2017 ACM