Supporting Service Management with Service Encounters Analysis: A Case on Call Centre Outsourcing Operations

Background. A service encounter is the moment that a client directly interacts with a service firm. It is a social-oriented activity that an in-depth analysis of how the client behaved can contribute to the service quality. Objective. The primary objective of this study was to cluster the CLT into groups. The secondary objective was to discover the sequence of question types that asked in each group. Method. A real world call centre outsourcing practice and data mining techniques are used to discover client behaviour. Results. A total of 100,703 inbound calls from the call centre operational database are analyzed. 90.4% of the total calls were made by 85% of clients who used up to three business applications. 72.03% of the total calls were made by a group of clients who involved two to five question types. The clients were clustered into four groups by three behaviour variables. The sequences discovered in this study were mainly on two question types. Conclusion. The service encounter is a complex business process that an integrated perspective should be taken to analyze the dynamics among the entities involved. The client behaviour can be discovered and used as the feedback information for turning the operations in different organizational levels

Online platform for applying space–time scan statistics for prospectively detecting emerging hot spots of dengue fever

Abstract Background Cases of dengue fever have increased in areas of Southeast Asia in recent years. Taiwan hit a record-high 42,856 cases in 2015, with the majority in southern Tainan and Kaohsiung Cities. Leveraging spatial statistics and geo-visualization techniques, we aim to design an online analytical tool for local public health workers to prospectively identify ongoing hot spots of dengue fever weekly at the village level. Methods A total of 57,516 confirmed cases of dengue fever in 2014 and 2015 were obtained from the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (TCDC). Incorporating demographic information as covariates with cumulative cases (365 days) in a discrete Poisson model, we iteratively applied space–time scan statistics by SaTScan software to detect the currently active cluster of dengue fever (reported as relative risk) in each village of Tainan and Kaohsiung every week. A village with a relative risk >1 and p value <0.05 was identified as a dengue-epidemic area. Assuming an ongoing transmission might continuously spread for two consecutive weeks, we estimated the sensitivity and specificity for detecting outbreaks by comparing the scan-based classification (dengue-epidemic vs. dengue-free village) with the true cumulative case numbers from the TCDC’s surveillance statistics. Results Among the 1648 villages in Tainan and Kaohsiung, the overall sensitivity for detecting outbreaks increases as case numbers grow in a total of 92 weekly simulations. The specificity for detecting outbreaks behaves inversely, compared to the sensitivity. On average, the mean sensitivity and specificity of 2-week hot spot detection were 0.615 and 0.891 respectively (p value <0.001) for the covariate adjustment model, as the maximum spatial and temporal windows were specified as 50% of the total population at risk and 28 days. Dengue-epidemic villages were visualized and explored in an interactive map. Conclusions We designed an online analytical tool for front-line public health workers to prospectively detect ongoing dengue fever transmission on a weekly basis at the village level by using the routine surveillance data

Correlation of Copper Interaction, Copper-Driven Aggregation, and Copper-Driven H2O2 Formation with Aβ40 Conformation

The neurotoxicity of Aβ is associated with the formation of free radical by interacting with redox active metals such as Cu2+. However, the relationship between ion-interaction, ion-driven free radical formation, and Aβ conformation remains to be further elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the correlation of Cu2+ interaction and Cu2+-driven free radical formation with Aβ40 conformation. The Cu2+-binding affinity for Aβ40 in random coiled form is 3-fold higher than that in stable helical form. Unexpectedly but interestingly, we demonstrate in the first time that the stable helical form of Aβ40 can induce the formation of H2O2 by interacting with Cu2+. On the other hand, the H2O2 generation is repressed at Aβ/Cu2+ molar ratio ≥1 when Aβ40 adopts random coiled structure. Taken together, our result demonstrates that Aβ40 adopted a helical structure that may play a key factor for the formation of free radical with Cu2+ ions

Intravenous corticosteroid treatment in adult patients with sepsis defined by the Sepsis-3 criteria: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives To summarize the effects of intravenous corticosteroid treatment for sepsis defined by the Sepsis-3 criteria in adult patients. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods We searched RCTs from PubMed, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform from inception to July 12th, 2019 and updated on June 28th, 2020. Conference proceedings from relevant societies and the reference lists of previous reviews were manually screened. Abstract or full-text articles were screened by two independent investigators. We included RCTs where (1) the participants had infections and the baseline Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score ≥ 2 (the Sepsis-3 definitions) (2) the intervention involved any intravenous corticosteroids; (3) the control group received placebo or standard of care (4) the outcomes of interest included mortality or clinical recovery. We chose the 28-day mortality as the pre-specified primary outcome and risk ratio (RR) as the effect measure. We followed PRISMA guidelines and chose random-effects models for the pooled analyses. Results This study included 24 RCTs and 19 of them (7,115 participants) reported the 28-day mortality. Pooled analyses showed that intravenous corticosteroid treatment compared to placebo or standard of care was not associated with a lower risk of 28-day mortality (RR, 0.88; 95%CI, 0.73 to 1.05), but with a higher risk of hyperglycemia (RR, 1.16; 95%CI, 1.06 to 1.27). Sensitivity analysis of high-quality studies revealed a similar result for the 28-day mortality (RR, 0.95; 95%CI, 0.86 to 1.05). Conclusions Our findings suggested that intravenous corticosteroids compared to placebo or standard of care may not reduce the 28-day mortality in adult patients with sepsis defined by the Sepsis-3 criteria. Further studies are warranted to clarify the roles of disease severity and treatment timing in the effects of corticosteroid treatment in this population. PROSPERO registration number CRD4201914308

Continuous Production of Lipase-Catalyzed Biodiesel in a Packed-Bed Reactor: Optimization and Enzyme Reuse Study

An optimal continuous production of biodiesel by methanolysis of soybean oil in a packed-bed reactor was developed using immobilized lipase (Novozym 435) as a catalyst in a tert-butanol solvent system. Response surface methodology (RSM) and Box-Behnken design were employed to evaluate the effects of reaction temperature, flow rate, and substrate molar ratio on the molar conversion of biodiesel. The results showed that flow rate and temperature have significant effects on the percentage of molar conversion. On the basis of ridge max analysis, the optimum conditions were as follows: flow rate 0.1 mL/min, temperature 52.1°C, and substrate molar ratio 1 : 4. The predicted and experimental values of molar conversion were 83.31 ± 2.07% and 82.81 ± .98%, respectively. Furthermore, the continuous process over 30 days showed no appreciable decrease in the molar conversion. The paper demonstrates the applicability of using immobilized lipase and a packed-bed reactor for continuous biodiesel synthesis

Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Protects Kidneys against Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury through Suppressing Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Reaction

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Reactive oxygen species are important mediators exerting toxic effects on various organs during ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. We hypothesized that adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) protect the kidney against oxidative stress and inflammatory stimuli in rat during renal IR injury.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (n = 24) were equally randomized into group 1 (sham control), group 2 (IR plus culture medium only), and group 3 (IR plus immediate intra-renal administration of 1.0 × 10⁶autologous ADMSCs, followed by intravenous ADMSCs at 6 h and 24 h after IR). The duration of ischemia was 1 h, followed by 72 hours of reperfusion before the animals were sacrificed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels and the degree of histological abnormalities were markedly lower in group 3 than in group 2 (all p < 0.03). The mRNA expressions of inflammatory, oxidative stress, and apoptotic biomarkers were lower, whereas the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-apoptotic biomarkers were higher in group 3 than in group 2 (all p < 0.03). Immunofluorescent staining showed a higher number of CD31+, von Willebrand Factor+, and heme oxygenase (HO)-1+ cells in group 3 than in group 2 (all p < 0.05). Western blot showed notably higher NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 and HO-1 activities, two indicators of anti-oxidative capacity, in group 3 than those in group 2 (all p < 0.04). Immunohistochemical staining showed higher glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities in group 3 than in group 2 (all p < 0.02)</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ADMSC therapy minimized kidney damage after IR injury through suppressing oxidative stress and inflammatory response.</p

Aberrant Sensory Gating of the Primary Somatosensory Cortex Contributes to the Motor Circuit Dysfunction in Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia

Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) is conventionally regarded as a movement disorder (MD) and characterized by episodic hyperkinesia by sudden movements. However, patients of PKD often have sensory aura and respond excellently to antiepileptic agents. PRRT2 mutations, the most common genetic etiology of PKD, could cause epilepsy syndromes as well. Standing in the twilight zone between MDs and epilepsy, the pathogenesis of PKD is unclear. Gamma oscillations arise from the inhibitory interneurons which are crucial in the thalamocortical circuits. The role of synchronized gamma oscillations in sensory gating is an important mechanism of automatic cortical inhibition. The patterns of gamma oscillations have been used to characterize neurophysiological features of many neurological diseases, including epilepsy and MDs. This study was aimed to investigate the features of gamma synchronizations in PKD. In the paired-pulse electrical-stimulation task, we recorded the magnetoencephalographic data with distributed source modeling and time-frequency analysis in 19 patients of newly-diagnosed PKD without receiving pharmacotherapy and 18 healthy controls. In combination with the magnetic resonance imaging, the source of gamma oscillations was localized in the primary somatosensory cortex. Somatosensory evoked fields of PKD patients had a reduced peak frequency (p &lt; 0.001 for the first and the second response) and a prolonged peak latency (the first response p = 0.02, the second response p = 0.002), indicating the synchronization of gamma oscillation is significantly attenuated. The power ratio between two responses was much higher in the PKD group (p = 0.013), indicating the incompetence of activity suppression. Aberrant gamma synchronizations revealed the defective sensory gating of the somatosensory area contributes the pathogenesis of PKD. Our findings documented disinhibited cortical function is a pathomechanism common to PKD and epilepsy, thus rationalized the clinical overlaps of these two diseases and the therapeutic effect of antiepileptic agents for PKD. There is a greater reduction of the peak gamma frequency in PRRT2-related PKD than the non-PRRT PKD group (p = 0.028 for the first response, p = 0.004 for the second response). Loss-of-function PRRT2 mutations could lead to synaptic dysfunction. The disinhibiton change on neurophysiology reflected the impacts of PRRT2 mutations on human neurophysiology

Optimization of the optical parameters in Fabry-Perot interferometer

Due to insensitivity to the environmental disturbances, Fabry-Perot interferometers are suitable for displacement measurements under ordinary conditions. In the structure of folded Fabry-Perot interferometer, the results of the signal subdivision are affected by the optical parameters in the resonant cavity. In this paper, the analysis of the Fabry-Perot interferometer for the measurement of the micro-displacement and the long-distance are investigated. By considering the reflectance of the planar mirror and the intensity loss in the resonant cavity, the parameters of systematic optimization which are suitable for the measurement of the micro-displacement and the long-distance are proposed. The experimental and simulated results reveal that the intensity loss in the resonant cavity is 86% and the optimized reflectance of the planar mirror is 12%