According to W. Edwards Deming, American companies require nothing less than a transformation of management style and of governmental relations with industry. In Out of the Crisis, originally published in 1982, Deming offers a theory of management based on his famous 14 Points for Management. Management's failure to plan for the future, he claims, brings about loss of market, which brings about loss of jobs. Management must be judged not only by the quarterly dividend, but by innovative plans to stay in business, protect investment, ensure future dividends, and provide more jobs through improved product and service. In simple, direct language, he explains the principles of management transformation and how to apply them.

Out of the Crisis

http://traits-dgs.nceas.ucsb.edu/workspace/readings/Rao82TPB.pdf/attachment_download/file

Diversity and dissimilarity coefficients: A unified approach☆

Growing evidence suggests that thrombophilia is associated with venous thromboembolism (VTE) and adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, methodological limitations have made it difficult to obtain a clear overview of the overall risks. We conducted a systematic review to determine the risk of VTE and adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with thrombophilia in pregnancy. The effectiveness of prophylactic interventions during pregnancy was also evaluated. Major electronic databases were searched, relevant data abstracted and study quality assessed by two independent reviewers. Odds ratios (ORs) stratified by thrombophilia type were calculated for each outcome. A total of 79 studies were included in our review. The risks for individual thrombophilic defects were determined for VTE (ORs, 0.74-34.40); early pregnancy loss (ORs, 1.40-6.25); late pregnancy loss (ORs, 1.31-20.09); pre-eclampsia (ORs, 1.37-3.49); placental abruption (ORs, 1.42-7.71) and intrauterine growth restriction (ORs, 1.24-2.92). Low-dose aspirin plus heparin was the most effective in preventing pregnancy loss in thrombophilic women (OR, 1.62). Our findings confirm that women with thrombophilia are at risk of developing VTE and complications in pregnancy. However, despite the increase in relative risk, the absolute risk of VTE and adverse outcomes remains low. There is also a lack of controlled trials of antithrombotic intervention to prevent pregnancy complications. Thus, at present, universal screening for thrombophilia in pregnancy cannot be justified clinically.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2141.2005.05847.x

Thrombophilia in pregnancy: a systematic review

The statistical analysis of compositional data

Revolutionizing product development

Skin prick test (SPT), as the standard diagnostic tool for immediate hypersensitivity to aeroallergens, is an expression of IgE-dependent mediator release from dermal mast cells. Though probably involved in the late-phase response, peripheral blood basophils (PBB) don't seem to participate in the immediate hypersensitivity response in the skin. We aimed to assess a possible correlation between the SPT to mites and levels of basophil-associated mite-specific IgE. We sequentially enrolled 15 children with allergic rhinitis and documented class > II mite sensitization, mean age 13 years (range 9.5-18), 11 males, 4 females. Symptoms score was determined using a validated questioner. SPT area under the curve (AUC) for 10 common respiratory allergens was measured in all patients. Heparinized blood after basophil enrichment, was lysed with CHAPS. Determination of allergen-specific and total IgE in serum and cell lysate supernatant was performed using standard commercial kits. Basophil-associated, mite-specific IgE could be reliably determined only in 10 patients with a skin reaction greater than 70 mm2, OR 36 (95% CI 1.8-732, p = 0.02). We found a strong linear correlation (R2 = 0.74, p = 0.001) between mite-specific basophil-associated IgE density (IgE molecules per cell) and the SPT AUC. This finding suggests that skin mast cell precursors and basophil both bind specific IgE at a common site prior to the arrival of mast cells to the skin.

Does skin prick test correlate with basophil-associated mite-specific IgE in atopic children?

Agile Testing with User Data in Cloud and Edge Computing Environments

CMMI, People CMM, Personal and Team Software Process, eSCM, ITIL, and ISO Standards

Large bone defects pose an unsolved challenge for orthopedic surgeons. Our group has previously reported the construction of a barrier membrane made of ammoniomethacrylate copolymer USP (AMCA), which supports the adhesion, proliferation, and osteoblastic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). In this study, we report the use of AMCA membranes to seclude critical segmental defect (~1.0 cm) created in the middle third of rabbit radius and test the efficiency of bone regeneration. Bone regeneration was assessed by radiography, biweekly for 8 weeks. The results were verified by histology and micro-CT at the end of the follow-up. The AMCA membranes were found superior to no treatment in terms of new bone formation in the defect, bone volume, callus surface area normalized to total volume, and the number of bone trabeculae, after eight weeks. Additional factors were then assessed, and these included the addition of simvastatin to the membrane, coating the membrane with human MSC, and a combination of those. The addition of simvastatin to the membranes demonstrated a stronger effect at a similar radiological follow-up. We conclude that AMCA barrier membranes per se and simvastatin delivered in a controlled manner improve bone regeneration outcome.

/pdf/guided-bone-regeneration-with-ammoniomethacrylate-based-4eik7r0xsf.pdf

Ron S. Kenett

Papers

Does skin prick test correlate with basophil-associated mite-specific IgE in atopic children?

Agile Testing with User Data in Cloud and Edge Computing Environments

CMMI, People CMM, Personal and Team Software Process, eSCM, ITIL, and ISO Standards

Guided Bone Regeneration with Ammoniomethacrylate-Based Barrier Membranes in a Radial Defect Model.

Software process quality