Superplastic Forming of SiAlON Ceramics

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66409/1/j.1151-2916.1994.tb04645.x.pd

Data mining of the GAW14 simulated data using rough set theory and tree-based methods

Rough set theory and decision trees are data mining methods used for dealing with vagueness and uncertainty. They have been utilized to unearth hidden patterns in complicated datasets collected for industrial processes. The Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 simulated data were generated using a system that implemented multiple correlations among four consequential layers of genetic data (disease-related loci, endophenotypes, phenotypes, and one disease trait). When information of one layer was blocked and uncertainty was created in the correlations among these layers, the correlation between the first and last layers (susceptibility genes and the disease trait in this case), was not easily directly detected. In this study, we proposed a two-stage process that applied rough set theory and decision trees to identify genes susceptible to the disease trait. During the first stage, based on phenotypes of subjects and their parents, decision trees were built to predict trait values. Phenotypes retained in the decision trees were then advanced to the second stage, where rough set theory was applied to discover the minimal subsets of genes associated with the disease trait. For comparison, decision trees were also constructed to map susceptible genes during the second stage. Our results showed that the decision trees of the first stage had accuracy rates of about 99% in predicting the disease trait. The decision trees and rough set theory failed to identify the true disease-related loci

SEARCH AND PURCHASE IN INFORMATION-OVERLOADED RETAIL ELECTRONIC MARKETPLACE: DOES PRICE AND REPUTATIOIN MATTER?

This study explores buyers\u27 search and purchase behavior in an information-overloaded retail Electronic Marketplace (EMP). Two instrumental variables, i.e. number of visitors and number of sales for an item, are used to represent buyers\u27 search and purchase behavior. Price and reputation, two of the most frequently researched independent variables in EMP studies, are considered. The relationships between the two IVs and the two DVs are verified when transaction items are of search-type and of experience-type. This study is conducted using field data collected from Taobao (the most dominant retail EMP in China). It is found that reputation has consistent positive relationships with two DVs. Price has negative effects on two DVs. However, it might have no impacts in the case of experience-type items. Conclusively, in information overloaded EMP, reputation always matters in influencing buyers\u27 search and purchase behavior, while price only matters in the case of search-type items

THE EFFECTS OF FUNGAL MEDIUM ON HATCHING RATE OF BITING MIDGE

The little black mosquitos, Forcipomyia taiwana, bite human and become one of the most annoying pests in Taiwan. Recently, the population of F. taiwana increases and invades urban and countryside. In order to effectively prevent the harassment of F. taiwana, develop control strategy is urgent and necessary. Our study found that the fungal medium influenced the length and width of the F. taiwana eggs. It also significantly decreased the hatching rate of F. taiwana. Besides, this artificial diet was more non-toxic and environment-friendly than general chemical pesticides. Thus, this study provided critical information to develop potentially useful bait of F. taiwana in the future

Continuous purification of monoclonal antibody using periodic counter-current chromatography

Integrated and continuous processing of antibody drugs offers several advantages over traditional batch processing in the biotechnology industry. The flexibility of periodic counter-current (PCC) design is performed in the selection of residence time and column numbers on the capture process. In this study, we investigated the association of residence time and product recovery in the downstream PCC purification. A practical operation of PCC as a continuous capture purification step has been applied to 5L perfusion culture, 5L concentrated fed-batch culture, and 50L fed-bath culture. Using an empirical model for the protein breakthrough curve, residence time (RT) was evaluated and the loading flow rate was adjusted to achieve a target RT of 2.25 minutes for monoclonal antibody (mAb). The sample load volume for each column switching was set on 50 and 58% breakthrough curves, mAb recovery was 88 .4% and 88.9%, and buffer consumption was decreased to under half that of the batch process. Overall, more than 40 grams of purified antibody is obtained in 24 hours using a PCC purification system. Comparison of qualities of mAb analyzed by UPLC and reverse phase chromatography show that glycan profiles and purity are quite similar between antibodies obtained from PCC and batch purification, whereas the acidic variants of mAb purified by PCC is higher than that purified by batch mode. The advantages of a continuous downstream capture step are highlighted for our case study in comparison with the existing batch chromatography processes

On the Implications of Sense of Control over Bicycling : Design of a Physical Stamina-Aware Bike

Bicycling has become a mainstream activity among the environmental aware generation. Bicycling communities have gradually shown interests in quantitative data of the bicycling experiences such as road roughness, inclination, pollution, etc. Bikers utilize these data to infer the possible stamina cost and quality of surroundings. This supports them to make a better decision. This study assumes that fitness level indexed by stamina cost could enhance a biker's sense of control. The prototype in this paper was developed to provide stamina cost information, which is inferred from the terrain patterns of a biking route. In the system evaluation, participants took a positive attitude toward this prototype and approved the importance of stamina cost feedback. This paper also concluded several key issues about designing the stamina cost feedback system for bikers