julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
The ugly side of customer management – Consumer reactions to firm-initiated contract terminations
2017-12-01

Abstract Many firms apply “customer demarketing” strategies and dismiss unprofitable customers. However, empirical research on the consequences of dismissing customers is scarce. We address this research gap and develop and empirically analyze a theoretical framework of consumer reactions to customer demarketing based on the theory of dual entitlement. We conduct seven experiments in which we identify the main effect of observing customer demarketing and analyze several moderating and mediating factors. In addition, we use a field study to illustrate the consequences of experiencing a contract termination in a real-world setting, in which a firm terminated contracts for > 10.000 customers. The results show that consumers disapprove of customer demarketing, regardless of whether they experience it themselves or only observe it, regardless of the responsibility for the cause of the contract termination, and regardless of the social proximity to the dismissed customers. The effect is, however, somewhat weaker if customer demarketing is perceived to be a common occurrence, if alternative offers are made, and if the financial cause is framed as a loss. Furthermore, firms can dampen the negative effect of customer demarketing by offering substantial monetary compensation to dismissed customers. We identify perceived fairness of the firm's behavior as the underlying process that causes the negative effects of customer demarketing, and this also holds when we control for potential alternative mediators (i.e., warmth and competence perceptions).
Comparison of time-domain source-separation techniques for short-pulse distortion-product otoacoustic emissions
2017-12-01

Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) are presumed to consist mainly of two components, a nonlinear-distortion component and a coherent-reflection component. Wave interference between these two components reduces the accuracy of DPOAEs when used to evaluate cochlear function. Here, short tone pulses are utilized to record DPOAE signals in normal-hearing subjects. DPOAE components are extracted from recordings at discrete frequencies using two different techniques in the time domain. The extracted DPOAE components are compared to recordings obtained with conventional, continuous primary tones.
An informative intragenic microsatellite marker suggests the IL-1 receptor as a genetic modifier in cystic fibrosis
2017-12-01

Recent studies in mice with cystic fibrosis (CF)-like lung disease identified interleukin (IL)-1 receptor (IL-1R) signalling as an important pathway triggering neutrophilic airway inflammation that constitutes a key risk factor in the onset and progression of lung disease in patients with CF [1–4]. These studies demonstrated that CF-like airway mucus obstruction causes epithelial hypoxia and necrosis, which in turn leads to the release of IL-1α from dying cells and activation of IL-1R signalling triggering neutrophilic inflammation and structural lung damage in vivo [1, 5]. Further, necrotic epithelial cells were detected in mucus-obstructed airways in lung sections from patients with CF [1]. Hypoxic cell death is a well-established trigger of sterile neutrophilic inflammation in many other organs and previous studies have identified IL-1R signalling as a key pathway required for triggering this inflammatory response to dying cells [6]. In addition, the gene encoding the IL-1R ligand IL-1β that is induced by bacterial infection has been identified as a genetic modifier of CF by independent North American and European CF modifier studies [7, 8]. Collectively, these studies suggest that IL-1R signalling may play an important role in the pathogenesis of neutrophilic inflammation that is invariably detected in the airways of patients with CF, in the absence and presence of bacterial infection [2, 3]. However, the role of IL-1R and its association with disease severity in patients with CF remains unknown. IL1R modifies disease severity in CF patients, emphasizing the significance of IL-1 signalling for CF pathogenesis <http://ow.ly/pIN730gL10G> We thank the organisers of the PopGen Biobank (<https://www.epidemiologie.uni-kiel.de/biobanking/biobank-popgen>) for providing DNA samples from a control population. Author contributions: conception and design of the study: F. Stanke, B. Tümmler, M.A. Mall; acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data: F. Stanke, A. Hector, S. Hedtfeld, D. Hartl, M. Griese, B. Tümmler, M.A. Mall; drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content: F. Stanke, M.A. Mall.
Learning Robust Video Synchronization without Annotations
2017-12-01

Aligning video sequences is a fundamental yet still unsolved component for a broad range of applications in computer graphics and vision. Most classical image processing methods cannot be directly applied to related video problems due to the high amount of underlying data and their limit to small changes in appearance. We present a scalable and robust method for computing a non-linear temporal video alignment. The approach autonomously manages its training data for learning a meaningful representation in an iterative procedure each time increasing its own knowledge. It leverages on the nature of the videos themselves to remove the need for manually created labels. While previous alignment methods similarly consider weather conditions, season and illumination, our approach is able to align videos from data recorded months apart.
Validation of a high-performance liquid chromatography method for thiopurine S-methyltransferase activity in whole blood using 6-mercaptopurine as substrate
2017-12-01

Abstract Background: Variation in metabolism, toxicity and therapeutic efficacy of thiopurine drugs is largely influenced by genetic polymorphisms in the thiopurine S-methyltransferase ( TPMT ) gene. Determination of TPMT activity is routinely performed in patients to adjust drug therapy. Methods: We further optimized a previously established high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method by measuring TPMT activity in whole blood instead of isolated erythrocytes, which is based on conversion of 6-mercaptopurine to 6-methylmercaptopurine using S-adenosyl-methionine as methyl donor. Results: The simplified TPMT whole-blood method showed similar or better analytical and diagnostic performance compared with the former erythrocyte assay. The whole-blood method was linear for TPMT activities between 0 and 40 nmol/(mL·h) with a quantification limit of 0.1 nmol/(mL·h). Within-day imprecision and between-day imprecision were ≤5.1% and ≤8.5%, respectively. The optimized method determining TPMT activity in whole blood (y) showed agreement with the former method determining TPMT activity in erythrocytes (x) (n=45, y=1.218+0.882x; p&gt;0.05). Phenotype-genotype concordance (n=300) of the whole-blood method was better when TPMT activity was expressed per volume of whole blood (specificity 92.2%), whereas correction for hematocrit resulted in lower genotype concordance (specificity 86.9%). A new cutoff for the whole-blood method to distinguish normal from reduced TPMT activity was determined at ≤6.7 nmol/(mL·h). Conclusions: This optimized TPMT phenotyping assay from whole blood using 6-MP as substrate is suitable for research and routine clinical analysis.
Implementation and Feasibility of Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome (ePRO) Data Entry in the PRAEGNANT Real-Time Advanced and Metastatic Breast Cancer Registry
2017-12-01

Abstract Purpose Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have been incorporated into clinical trials for many symptoms and medical conditions. A transition from paper-based capture of PROs to electronic PROs (ePROs) has recently started. This study reports on the feasibility of ePRO assessment in a prospective registry including molecular data for patients with advanced breast cancer. Methods As part of the PRAEGNANT network, patients were invited by clinical trial staff, physicians, and nurses to complete three standardized Internet-based questionnaires (EQ-5D-5L, CES-D and IPAQ). Feasibility was assessed by the staff members who assigned the user accounts by the patients. The completeness of the questionnaires was also assessed. Results Fifteen of 17 patients who were asked agreed to participate to complete the PRO questionnaires (EQ-5D-5L and CES-D). However, the IPAQ (physical activity) questionnaire was only validly completed by 9 patients. Feasibility was ranked better by the physicians and dedicated clinical trial staff than by the nursing staff. Conclusions Incorporating ePRO questionnaires into an advanced breast cancer registry is feasible, and no major hurdles were reported. Involving stakeholders from the start, the application is tailored to the capacities and abilities of both patients and clinical staff. The patients’ compliance was better with some questionnaires, butothers may present difficulties.
Transcorneal electrical stimulation for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa: results from the TESOLAUK trial
2017-12-01

Objective To explore the impact of weekly transcorneal electrical stimulation (TES) over a 6-month period as a treatment for retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Methods and analysis A prospective open-label observational trial was carried out assessing weekly TES in participants with RP for a period of 6 months followed by observation for a further 6 months. Clinical examination and investigations were carried out at 3 monthly intervals for a total of 12 months. The primary outcome measure explored safety through a descriptive analysis of adverse effects with secondary outcome measures evaluating structural and functional efficacy. Results Seven male and seven female participants with RP aged 18–80 years were recruited. TES was well tolerated with no serious adverse events reported. Two participants reported transient foreign body sensation and one participant had discomfort underneath the skin electrode. Following 6 months of TES, best-corrected visual acuity increased by 1.1±1.4 letters in the control arm and 0.93±1.4 letters in the treated arm. Central microperimetry threshold sensitivity rose by 0.02±0.5 decibels (dB) and 0.37±0.4 dB and Goldmann visual field volume by 0.16±0.09 steradians (sr) vs 0.22±0.12 sr for the control and treated eye, respectively. There was no statistical significance seen between eyes following the treatment or observation period. Conclusion This small open-label clinical trial showed that TES was safe and well tolerated in patients with RP. Visual function measurements at 6 months demonstrated no significant difference between the control and treated eyes. The results justify a larger clinical trial over a longer period of time in order to identify any treatment effect.
CeSOX: An experimental test of the sterile neutrino hypothesis with Borexino
2017-12-01

The third phase of the Borexino experiment that's referred to as SOX is devoted to test the hypothesis of the existence of one (or more) sterile neutrinos at a short baseline (~5–10m). The experimental measurement will be made with artificial sources namely with a 144Ce–144Pr antineutrino source at the first stage (CeSOX) and possibly with a 51Cr neutrino source at the second one. The fixed 144Ce–144Pr sample will be placed beneath the detector in a special pit and the initial activity will be about 100 – 150 kCi. The start of data taking is scheduled for April 2018. The article gives a short description of the preparation for the first stage and shows the expected sensitivity.
Testing the Kerr black hole hypothesis with RELXILL_NK
2017-12-01

Astrophysical black hole candidates are thought to be the Kerr black holes of general relativity. However, macroscopic deviations from the Kerr background are predicted by a number of scenarios beyond Einstein's gravity. X-ray reflection spectroscopy can be a powerful tool to probe the strong gravity region of these objects and test the Kerr black hole hypothesis. Here I briefly review the state of the art of this line of research and I present some constraints on possible deviations from the Kerr metric obtained with the new X-ray reflection model relxill_nk and XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, and Swift data of the supermassive black hole in 1H0707-495.
Maoism at the Grassroots: Everyday Life in China’s Era of High Socialism. Ed. by Jeremy Brown and Matthew D. Johnson. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (MA). 2015. vi, 468 pp. $49.95; £39.95; € 45.00.
2017-12-01

Maoism at the Grassroots: Everyday Life in China’s Era of High Socialism. Ed. by Jeremy Brown and Matthew D. Johnson. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (MA). 2015. vi, 468 pp. $49.95; £39.95; € 45.00. - Volume 62 Issue 3
Should I stay or should I go? Migration trajectories of Chinese–Taiwanese couples in third countries
2017-12-01

This article explores the migration choices of Chinese–Taiwanese couples who have met in a third country as students and formed transnational and cross-cultural families. Being subject to three sets of regulations (those of China, Taiwan and the third country) has put these couples in a more restrictive situation in negotiating their life choices and mobility. Using qualitative data, this article elucidates the migration trajectories of these couples, the conflicts they face, how they negotiate conflict areas and the strategic use of marriage in a third country to be together. This article finds that the conjugal lives of these transnational couples cannot completely disengage from institutionalized cross-Strait relations and state ideologies which eventually push them to stay in a third country rather than return to either of their countries of origin.
Reasoning-Supported Robustness Validation of Automotive E/E Components
2017-12-01

This article presents an ontology-supported approach to tackle the complexity of the Robustness Validation (RV) process of automotive electrical/electronic (E/E) components. The approach uses formalized knowledge from the RV process and stress, operating, and load profiles, so-called Mission Profiles (MPs). In contrast to the error-prone industrially established manual procedure, we show how component characteristics are formalized in OWL in order to form the foundation of an efficient automated analysis selection and decision support during the RV process. Additionally, a rule-based transformation of component characteristics upon propagation via SWRL is described. The proposed approach is based on the idea of mapping MPs to an OWL representation in order to allow to execute semantic queries against MP data to improve their integration into the RV process. The resulting ontology-supported application framework has been applied to an industrial use-case from automotive power electronics. A generalization of the approach is described and demonstrated by applying it to stress test selection within the AEC Q100 standard. We present experimental results showing that the RV process can be significantly improved in terms of reduced design time and increased exhaustiveness by automating the analyses selection step and the provisioning of all the relevant data to be used.
The atlanto-occipital joint: a concise review of its anatomy and injury
2017-12-01

The atlanto-occipital joint (AOJ) is an important transitional region, which supports and stabilizes the cranium to the spine with its surrounding ligamentous structures.An injury to this joint is often accompanied by brain injury and may be fatal.A good understanding of the anatomy of this joint is required to timely diagnose an AOJ instability and intervene via the means of an immediate fixation.We discuss the normal anatomy of and anatomical variations within the occipito-atlantoaxial complex, the classification systems to describe its disruption, and its clinical significance.
The Polish and Fracture of Celan
2017-12-01

Book Review| December 01 2017 The Polish and Fracture of Celan Piszczatowski, Paweł, Znacze//nie wiersza. Apofazy Paula Celana (The Meaning/less/ness of Verse: Paul Celan’s Apophases). Warsaw: IBL PAN, 2014. 408 pp.Roszak, Joanna, Miejsce i imię. Niemieckojęzyczni poeci pochodzenia żydowskiego (Place and Name: German-Speaking Poets of Jewish Origin). Warsaw: IS PAN, 2014. 336 pp.Lipszyc, Adam, Czas wiersza. Paul Celan i teologie literackie (The Time of Verse: Paul Celan and Literary Theologies). Kraków: Austeria, 2015. 204 pp.Lipszyc, Adam; Piszczatowski, Paweł, eds., Paul Celan: Język i Zagłada (Paul Celan: Language and the Holocaust). Warsaw: Krytyka Polityczna, 2015. 320 pp. Michał Mrugalski Michał Mrugalski University of Tübingen Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Poetics Today (2017) 38 (4): 737–750. https://doi.org/10.1215/03335372-4184338 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Michał Mrugalski; The Polish and Fracture of Celan. Poetics Today 1 December 2017; 38 (4): 737–750. doi: https://doi.org/10.1215/03335372-4184338 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search Books & JournalsAll JournalsPoetics Today Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. Copyright © 2017 Porter Institute for Poetics and Semiotics2017 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.
A City to Live or Work In? Contradictions Present in the Spatial Distribution of Economic Activities, Transport and Social Conditions: A Case Study of the City of Rio de Janeiro
2017-12-01

Although there is currently an effort by the transport sector of Rio de Janeiro to<br />demonstrate the contribution of urban mobility for addressing social, environmental and economic issues, the claims are contradictory because urban restructuring continues to cause the uneven distribution of jobs in the city, high levels of social inequality and chronic problems with poor urban mobility, as seen in high levels of private transportation use, low levels of public transport service, long journeys and travel times. This work uses a geographical perspective to evaluate the relationship between available transport infrastructure and the dynamics of jobs and businesses in the city of Rio de Janeiro. We seek to evaluate whether the existing and projected means of transportation in the city merely attend to the demands of historically established interest groups or create ruptures and new spatial logics which reduce socio-spatial differences.
Accurate stable tungsten isotope measurements of natural samples using a 180W-183W double-spike
2017-12-02

Tungsten is a moderately siderophile element and, thus, enriched in the Earth's core. Moreover, W behaves incompatibly during partial melting, causing relative enrichment in the Earth's crust compared to the mantle. However, little is known about the geochemical cycle of the redox-sensitive element W in the crust-mantle system and in modern to ancient low-temperature environments. High resolution stable W isotope measurements of rock samples from different geochemical reservoirs might be a powerful tool to better constrain this cycle. So far, low relative mass differences between the different W isotopes and analytical challenges hampered such high-resolution measurements. Notably, some pioneering studies on the stable W isotope composition of geological reference material show inconsistent results, calling for further verification of the true compositions of these materials. This study presents an analytical protocol for stable W isotope measurements including the calibration of a 180W-183W double-spike as well as W isotope and W concentration data of several geological reference materials (BHVO-2, AGV-2, SDC-1, W-2a, ScO-2, NOD-A-1, NOD-P-1). The reproducibility of stable W isotope measurements (± 0.018‰ in δ186/184W; 2 s.d.) is significantly improved compared to previous studies, which allows resolving between the stable W isotope compositions of various rock reservoirs on Earth. Relative to the NIST SRM 3163 standard, the highest δ186/184W value was observed for the Pacific Mn crust NOD-P-1 (+ 0.154 ± 0.013‰; 2 s.d.; n = 6), which is significantly different from the δ186/184W value of the Atlantic Mn crust NOD-A-1 (+ 0.029 ± 0.014‰; 2 s.d.; n = 6). Considering equilibrium fractionation between seawater WO42 − and slowly growing Mn oxides, this indicates an isotopically heterogeneous distribution of W in the modern oceans. Igneous rocks also show a resolvable range in δ186/184W values. Magmatic reference materials range in δ186/184W between + 0.016 ± 0.032‰ (andesite AGV-2; 2 s.d.; n = 5) and + 0.082 ± 0.010‰ (basalt BHVO-2; 2 s.d.; n = 5) showing relative enrichment of light isotopes in more evolved magmatic rocks. These isotopic differences might result from isotope fractionation during magmatic differentiation. Alternatively, the mobilization of W by hydrothermal and/or magmatic fluids might be accompanied by isotope fractionation.
Comparison of Deep Sedation With General Anesthesia in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair
2017-12-02

Background Percutaneous edge‐to‐edge mitral valve repair ( PMVR ) has become an established treatment option for mitral regurgitation in patients not eligible for surgical repair. Currently, most procedures are performed under general anesthesia ( GA ). An increasing number of centers, however, are performing the procedure under deep sedation ( DS ). Here, we compared patients undergoing PMVR with GA or DS . Methods and Results A total of 271 consecutive patients underwent PMVR at our institution between May 2014 and December 2016. Seventy‐two procedures were performed under GA and 199 procedures under DS . We observed that in the DS group, doses of propofol (743±228 mg for GA versus 369±230 mg for DS , P &lt;0.001) and norepinephrine (1.1±1.6 mg for GA versus 0.2±0.3 mg for DS , P &lt;0.001) were significantly lower. Procedure time, fluoroscopy time, and dose area product were significantly higher in the GA group. There was no significant difference between GA and DS with respect to overall bleeding complications, postinterventional pneumonia (4% for GA versus 5% for DS ), or C‐reactive protein levels (361±351 nmol/L for GA versus 278±239 nmol/L for DS). Significantly fewer patients with DS needed a postinterventional stay in the intensive care unit (96% for GA versus 19% for DS , P &lt;0.001). Importantly, there was no significant difference between DS and GA regarding intrahospital or 6‐month mortality. Conclusions DS for PMVR is safe and feasible. No disadvantages with respect to procedural outcome or complications in comparison to GA were observed. Applying DS may simplify the PMVR procedure.
CD34+ selected stem cell boosts can improve poor graft function after paediatric allogeneic stem cell transplantation
2017-12-03

Summary Poor graft function ( PGF ) is a severe complication of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation ( HSCT ) and administration of donor stem cell boosts ( SCB s) represents a therapeutic option. We report 50 paediatric patients with PGF who received 61 boosts with CD 34 + selected peripheral blood stem cells ( PBSC ) after transplantation from matched unrelated ( n = 25) or mismatched related ( n = 25) donors. Within 8 weeks, a significant increase in median neutrophil counts (0·6 vs. 1·516 × 10 9 /l, P &lt; 0·05) and a decrease in red blood cell and platelet transfusion requirement (median frequencies 1 and 7 vs. 0, P &lt; 0·0001 and &lt;0·001), were observed, and 78·8% of patients resolved one or two of their cytopenias. 36·5% had a complete haematological response. Median lymphocyte counts for CD 3 + , CD 3 + CD 4 + , CD 19 + and CD 56 + increased 8·3‐, 14·2‐, 22.‐ and 1·6‐fold. The rate of de novo acute graft‐versus‐host disease (Gv HD ) grade I–III was only 6% and resolved completely. No Gv HD grade IV or chronic Gv HD occurred. Patients who responded to SCB displayed a trend toward better overall survival ( OS ) ( P = 0·07). Thus, administration of CD 34 + selected SCB s from alternative donors is safe and effective. Further studies are warranted to clarify the impact on immune reconstitution and survival.