Pricing Decision: A General Perspective

: Regarding to the development of nanomaterials, they could be widely used in electrochemical drug analysis due to their unique physical and chemical properties. Herein, we presented a general perspective to different nanomaterials based electrochemical approaches developed for drug analysis, that were performed in the last decade while summarizing their advantages with further applications.

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Common Origin of Filler Network Related Contributions to Reinforcement and Dissipation in Rubber Composites

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym13152534 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 2534

Author(s):

Sriharish Malebennur Nagaraja ◽

Sven Henning ◽

Sybill Ilisch ◽

Mario Beiner

Keyword(s):

Network Topology ◽

Filler Content ◽

Matrix Composition ◽

Rubber Matrix ◽

Butadiene Rubber ◽

Rubber Composites ◽

Different Temperatures ◽

Filler Network ◽

General Perspective ◽

Rubber Filler

A comparative study focusing on the visco–elastic properties of two series of carbon black filled composites with natural rubber (NR) and its blends with butadiene rubber (NR-BR) as matrices is reported. Strain sweeps at different temperatures are performed. Filler network-related contributions to reinforcement (ΔG′) are quantified by the classical Kraus equation while a modified Kraus equation is used to quantify different contributions to dissipation (ΔGD″, ΔGF″). Results indicate that the filler network is visco-elastic in nature and that it is causing a major part of the composite dissipation at small and intermediate strain amplitudes. The temperature dependence of filler network-related reinforcement and dissipation contributions is found to depend significantly on the rubber matrix composition. We propose that this is due to differences in the chemical composition of the glassy rubber bridges connecting filler particles since the filler network topology is seemingly not significantly influenced by the rubber matrix for a given filler content. The underlying physical picture explains effects in both dissipation and reinforcement. It predicts that these glassy rubber bridges will soften sequentially at temperatures much higher than the bulk Tg of the corresponding rubber. This is hypothetically due to rubber–filler interactions at interfaces resulting in an increased packing density in the glassy rubber related to the reduction of free volume. From a general perspective, this study provides deeper insights towards the molecular origin of reinforcement and dissipation in rubber composites.

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Optimal pricing decision of composite service offered by network providers in E-commerce environment

Electronic Commerce Research ◽

10.1007/s10660-021-09487-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zheng Liu ◽

Hangxin Guo ◽

Yuanjun Zhao ◽

Bin Hu ◽

Xiaodong Ji ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Optimal Pricing ◽

Composite Service ◽

Pricing Decision

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The contribution of French patient and consumer groups to health technology assessments over a 2-year period: an observational retrospective study

International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care ◽

10.1017/s0266462321000180 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cedric Gesbert ◽

Joëlle André-Vert ◽

Marc Guerrier ◽

Margaret Galbraith ◽

Christine Devaud ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Retrospective Study ◽

Human Resources ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Health Technology ◽

Family Impact ◽

National Authority ◽

Public Authorities ◽

Pricing Decision ◽

Open Question

Abstract Background In 2017, The French National Authority for Health (HAS) created an open, online, systematic contribution process to enable patient and consumer groups (PCGs) to contribute to health technology assessment (HTA) carried out to aid public authorities in reimbursement and pricing decision making. Objectives This retrospective study analyzes how French PCGs contributed to the HTA process within the HAS for the first 2 years of this new mechanism. Methods PCG contributions received between 01 January 2017 and 31 December 2018 and the recording of deliberations leading to reports of the corresponding HTAs were included. Analysis grids were designed by the investigators with 5 rounds of refinement tests on 10 random PCG contributions and the reports. Systematic data extraction was then performed separately by two investigators. PCG answers to the open-question templates and the related final HTA report published by the HAS were analyzed. Results Seventy-nine contributions from 44 PCGs were received and analyzed by the HAS for 78 out of the 592 HTAs performed for drugs or medical devices during the 2-year period. Twenty-five percent of the HTAs performed for drugs received at least one contribution. The contributions covered quality-of-life aspects, access to care, and personal and family impact. Membership and budget of the contributing PCGs varied greatly. Conclusions The experience gained in the first 2 years demonstrates the feasibility of the process and the fact that PCG contribution actually provides relevant input on the patient perspective for HTAs used for reimbursement decisions. The challenges identified on the side of PCGs were time constraints and human resources.

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The stand-up comedian as an egocentric communicator

Intercultural Pragmatics ◽

10.1515/ip-2021-0001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 1-23

Author(s):

Ibukun Filani

Keyword(s):

Concept Formation ◽

Common Ground ◽

Ad Hoc ◽

Propositional Content ◽

Communicative Behavior ◽

Stand Up Comedy ◽

General Perspective

Abstract The general perspective in pragmatics research on stand-up comedy is that the comedian co-produces humor with the audience. In this paper, I argue that the stand-up comedian’s communicative behavior is also partly rooted in egocentrism. To achieve this, I adopted a sociocognitive approach to intention and egocentrism in analyzing a routine that was performed in Chicago by Okey Bakassi, a Nigerian stand-up comedian. I operationalize egocentrism as one of the humor strategies of the comedian. While focusing on the propositional content of the comedian’s utterances, the analysis revealed strategies like privatization, ad hoc concept formation and ad hoc coherence, which the comedian used in individualizing the prior common ground to generate the needed incongruity for humor in the performance sphere.

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