Perceived Function: An Investigation into a Product Advantage between Aesthetics and Function

This study involved an empirical comparison of product competitiveness driven by aesthetic and technological innovations in a mature market. This study began with a theoretical idea that users may perceive and evaluate technology development through the visible form of a product. Statistical analyses of user reviews of digital cameras showed that the impact of technology development on competitiveness was greater than that of aesthetic changes. The results demonstrated that users did not leverage product appearance for the recognition of technology development. Moreover, the findings show that specification information had a greater influence on product advantage when users did not visually perceive technological improvement. These results may indicate that manufacturers have not yet fully exploited product design for maximising product advantage in the mature market

A Source Domain Extension Method for Inductive Transfer Learning Based on Flipping Output

Transfer learning aims for high accuracy by applying knowledge of source domains for which data collection is easy in order to target domains where data collection is difficult, and has attracted attention in recent years because of its significant potential to enable the application of machine learning to a wide range of real-world problems. However, since the technique is user-dependent, with data prepared as a source domain which in turn becomes a knowledge source for transfer learning, it often involves the adoption of inappropriate data. In such cases, the accuracy may be reduced due to “negative transfer.” Thus, in this paper, we propose a novel transfer learning method that utilizes the flipping output technique to provide multiple labels in the source domain. The accuracy of the proposed method is statistically demonstrated to be significantly better than that of the conventional transfer learning method, and its effect size is as high as 0.9, showing high performance

Acute non-heparin-induced thrombocytopenia during hemodiafiltration in a patient with multiple myeloma

This report demonstrates that not only heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia, but also hemodialysis conditions (platelet activation due to hemodiafiltration and heparin underdosing) may markedly reduce the platelet count and cause clotting in the hemodialysis circuit in patients in a hypercoagulable state. The clot prevention effects of bortezomib are therefore of great importance

P3HT Nanofibrils Thin-Film Transistors by Adsorbing Deposition in Suspension

A novel film preparation method utilizing polymer suspension, entitled adsorbing deposition in suspensions (ADS), has been proposed. The poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) toluene solution forms P3HT nanofibrils dispersed suspension by aging. P3HT nanofibrils are highly crystallized with sharp vibronic absorption spectra. By the ADS method, only P3HT nanofibrils in suspension can be deposited on the substrate surface without any disordered fraction from the dissolved P3HT in suspension. Formed ADS film contains only the nanostructured conjugated polymer. Fabricated polymer thin-film transistor (TFT) utilizing ADS P3HT film shows good TFT performances with low off current, narrow subthreshold swing and large on/off current ratio

Clock mutation affects circadian regulation of circulating blood cells

BACKGROUND: Although the number of circulating immune cells is subject to high-amplitude circadian rhythms, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. METHODS: To determine whether intact CLOCK protein is required for the circadian changes in peripheral blood cells, we examined circulating white (WBC) and red (RBC) blood cells in homozygous Clock mutant mice. RESULTS: Daytime increases in total WBC and lymphocytes were suppressed and slightly phase-delayed along with plasma corticosterone levels in Clock mutant mice. The peak RBC rhythm was significantly reduced and phase-advanced in the Clock mutants. Anatomical examination revealed hemoglobin-rich, swollen red spleens in Clock mutant mice, suggesting RBC accumulation. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that endogenous clock-regulated circadian corticosterone secretion from the adrenal gland is involved in the effect of a Clock mutation on daily profiles of circulating WBC. However, intact CLOCK seems unnecessary for generating the rhythm of corticosterone secretion in mice. Our results also suggest that CLOCK is involved in discharge of RBC from the spleen

Extracting-method of pyrite micrograins as an indicator for mudstone weathering

Applying to the indicator of mudstone weathering, an extracting method of pyrite micrograins and the secondary materials formed by oxidation and hydroxidation was examined using water diluted HF (3%). Based on the condition of extracted materials, the weathering grade of the drilling-cores of the Lower Cretaceous Fujikawa Shale Formation was subdivided into Oxidized- (weathered), Fresh-Oxidized Coexistence-, and Fresh- (non-weathered) zones in the order from the ground surface. The Fresh Zone is identified by only occurrence of non-altered primary pyrite micrograins that originate a bio-chemical process in sedimentary stage, and are characterized by aggregation of framboidal (raspberry-like), tubal (pellet-like), cubic and dodecahedral shapes. In the Fresh-Oxidized Coexistence Zone, pyrite micrograins and the secondary materials (hematite, goethite and limonitic hydrous ferric oxides) formed by oxidation and hydroxidation of pyrite co-exist, whereas the Oxidized Zone is characterized by the occurrence of ferric secondary materials without primary pyrites. A pyrite-alternation model was proposed in relation with the progressing of slaking. The Extracting-method of pyrite micrograins is useful even the case that the pyrite peak is not detected by X-ray analysis because of lower containing percentage

Slaking characteristics of pyrite-bearing mudstone based on mineral compositions

The X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and wet-dry slaking test were examined to clarify mudstone weathering and slaking characteristics using drilling cores of the Lower Cretaceous Fujikawa Formation distributed in the Katsuura-gawa area, Tokushima, Japan. The drilling cores of the Fijikawa Mudstone were subdivided into three weathering grades as in the Fresh-zone, Slightly- and Strongly-weathered zones by naked-eye observations. The peaks of quartz, feldspar, calcite, illite and chlorite were detected by XRD analysis of the mudstone. The amount of calcite decreased in relation with the progressing of weathering grade, whereas the amounts of other minerals are constant during the weathering. Pyrite micrograins were extracted by the chemichal-etching process of mudstones. * The laboratory experiments and field observations revealed that the wet-dry slaking occurs in the Fujikawa Mudstone without swelling-clay minerals such as smectite. These characteristics of slaking originate from the changes of rock texture and physical properties of the mudstone with the oxidation of pyrite micrograins and dissolution of calcite under the oxidizing condition

The role of infection in the development of non-valvular atrial fibrillation: Up-regulation of Toll-like receptor 2 expression levels on monocytes

SummaryMany studies have suggested that inflammation may participate in the pathogenesis of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it has been unknown by exposure to what the inflammation is caused. Recently, we reported that Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) level on monocytes was significantly up-regulated in viral and bacterial infections, but not in non-infectious inflammatory states. Our purpose was to test the hypothesis that expression of TLR2 levels may be up-regulated in patients with non-valvular AF. A total of 48 consecutive patients with non-valvular AF who were hospitalized for catheter ablation were enrolled in this study. TLR2 levels were assayed by using flow-cytometric analysis and compared with volunteers in sinus rhythm (control group, n=24). Additionally, C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were assayed, and the left atrial volume indexes (LAVI) in the non-valvular AF group were measured. The results demonstrated that TLR2 levels in the non-valvular AF group were significantly higher than in the control group (median, 4682 vs. 3866 sites/cell; P<0.01). Moreover, non-valvular AF patients had significantly higher IL-6 levels than controls. However, there was no significant difference in CRP levels between the two groups. It was observed in 44 AF patients, in whom pulmonary vein isolation was confirmed to be successful, that the LAVI significantly diminished 1 month after ablation (median, 33.6 vs. 29.5ml/m2; P<0.001), but not the TLR2 and IL-6 levels. Our results implied that an infectious inflammation may participate in the pathogenesis of non-valvular AF