Optimization of product line design for environmentally conscious technologies in notebook industry

Promotion of green technologies related to notebook computer will have significant benefits in the environment. Notebook companies need to make a careful market assessment for green technologies. Due to the variety of consumer preferences for green technologies, as well as a hot competitive climate in notebook market, consumer preferences should be taken into consideration during the assessment process. This study classifies the green technologies of notebook industry. Some green technologies are not controlled by the environmental regulations but are popular among customers. This study named this kind of technologies niche green technologies. The product line design model can evaluate the design scheme based on customer preferences. Therefore, this study uses conjoin analysis to investigate the consumers' preferences for assorted technology. Subsequently, product line design model is utilized to seek the optimal scheme of niche green technologies adoption based on the consumers' preference. Results of conjoint analysis reveal that consumers value two attributes, including price and size. Furthermore, the preferences for niche green technologies in solid state drive disk and light emitting diode backlight surpass the former technology. After the assessment of market situation with product line design model, two types of niche green technologies, including lithium polymer battery and light emitting diode backlight are suggested for the adoption of new products design

Clinical Outcomes After Silicone Oil Removal

PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical outcomes after silicone oil removal, we analyzed retinal redetachment, visual acuity, and postoperative complications. METHODS: 73 consecutive eyes who underwent silicone oil removal were studied in a retrospective fashion. 41 eyes with proliferative vitreoretinopathy, 20 eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, 6 eyes with traumatic detachment, 6 eyes with high myopic macular hole were included. In addition to anatomic and visual results, associated complications were assessed. RESULTS: Anatomic success rate was 90.4% in 73 eyes. 64 eyes achieved attachment after oil injection combined vitrectomy and 8 of 64 eyes (12.5%) were redetached after oil removal. 37 eyes of the 64 eyes (57.8%) had an increase in visual acuity at least one Snellen line after oil removal. Glaucoma (21.9%), keratopathy (8.2%) and cataract (9.5%) were the complications. The mean duration of oil tamponade of detached group was 7.75 months and that of attached group was 7.14 months and there were no siginificant difference between two groups(P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The duration of the silicone oil tamponade had no siginificant effect on the redetachment rate. We recommend not to apply standard criteria for timing of silicone oil removal, but to decide individually, considering underlying disease and complications.

The Functional Changes of Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Domains in the Progression of Alzheimers Disease

BACKGROUND: There were many studies about the changes of cognitive or non-cognitive domain and behavioral and psychological symptoms with the progression of Alzheimer's disease. But they assessed the changes individually so could not explain comprehensively the global change of disease progression. Also they studied by clinical dementia rating scale(CDR) which could not successfully explain the latest stage. So we have evaluated the cognitive, non-cognitive domain and behavioral and psychological symptoms at the same time and evaluated the changes with the expanded clinical dementia rating scale. Also we evaluated the relationship of each scale and assessed sensitivity change at the different stage of disease. METHODS: Twenty-three mild cognitive impairment(MCI) subjects and eighty-seven patients with Alzheimer's disease were recruited. The Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination(K-MMSE), the Korean version of the neuropsychiatric inventory(NPI), the Extended version of the Korean Clinical Dementia Rating Scale(CDR), the Activity of Daily Living(ADL), the Severe Dementia Scale(SDS) and the Short form of Samsung Dementia Questionnaire(S-SDQ) were performed. RESULTS: It was found that all of them were well correlated each other(r>-0.73 and p<0.05) except NPI. Physical activity of daily living(P-ADL) was most related to Korean version of instrumental activity of daily living(K-IADL) (r=0.86 and p<0.01), SDS to K-MMSE(r=0.93 and p<0.01) and S-SDQ to K-IADL(r=0.86 and p<0.01). P-ADL and S-SDQ revealed the ceiling effect at CDR 4 and K-IADL at CDR 3. CONCLUSION: The cognitive and non-cognitive function were declined according to disease progression. The changes of behavioral and psychological symptoms were relatively independent of cognitive function. SDS, P-ADL and CDR were proved to be more sensitive in advanced stage of dementia and K-IADL, S-SDQ were more adequate in milder stage of dementia or MCI.