The aim of this study was to determine serum vitamin B12, folic acid and homocysteine (Hcy) levels as well as MTHFR (C677, A1298C) gene polymorphisms in patients with vitiligo, and to compare the results with healthy controls. Forty patients with vitiligo and 40 age and sex matched healthy subjects were studied. Serum vitamin B12 and folate levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Plasma Hcy levels and MTHFR polymorphisms were determined by chemiluminescence and real time PCR methods, respectively. Mean serum vitamin B12 and Hcy levels were not significantly different while folic acid levels were significantly lower in the control group. There was no significant relationship between disease activity and vitamin B12, folic acid and homocystein levels. No significant difference in C677T gene polymorphism was detected. Heterozygote A1298C gene polymorphism in the patient group was statistically higher than the control group. There was no significant relationship between MTHFR gene polymorphisms and vitamin B12, folic acid and homocysteine levels. In conclusion, vitamin B12, folate and Hcy levels are not altered in vitiligo and MTHFR gene mutations (C677T and A1298C) do not seem to create susceptibility for vitiligo.

Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) is a syndrome characterized by hypodontia, hypotrichosis, and partial or total ecrine sweat gland deficiency. The most prevalent form of HED is inherited as an X linked pattern. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency is an X-linked recessive disease, which leads to hemolytic anemia and jaundice. It is expressed in males, while heterozygous females are usually clinically normal. A 12-year-old boy with the complaints of hair and eyebrow disturbances, teeth disfigurement, decreased sweating, and xerosis presented to the outpatient clinic. Dermatological examination revealed sparse hair and eyebrows, conical-shaped teeth, xerosis, syndactylia, transverse grooves, and discoloration of nails. Laboratory findings indicated anemia. His 3-year-old sister also had sparse hair and eyebrows, xerosis, and syndactylia. We learned that the patient had a previous history of neonatal jaundice and a diagnosis of G-6-PD deficiency. Although it has been shown that loci of ectodermal dysplasia and G-6-PD deficiency genes are near to one another, we did not find any case study reporting on occurrence of these two genetic diseases together. With the aspect of this rare and interesting case, the relationship between HED and G-6-PD deficiency was defined.

This errata points out several errors in various optimization models and an inconsistent numerical result in Chian-Son Yu, Han-Lin Li [International Journal of Production Economics 64 (2000) 385–397].

This errata points out several errors in various optimization models and an inconsistent numerical result in Chian-Son Yu, Han-Lin Li [International Journal of Production Economics 64 (2000) 385-397]. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Our focus herein is on developing an effective taxonomy for the simultaneous and real-time management of supply and demand chains. More specifically, the taxonomy is developed in terms of its underpinning components and its research foci. From a components perspective, we first consider the value chain of supplier, manufacturer, assembler, retailer, and customer, and then develop a consistent set of definitions for supply and demand chains based on the location of the customer order penetration point. From a research perspective, we classify the methods that are employed in the management of these chains, based on whether supply and/or demand are flexible or fixed. Interestingly, our taxonomy highlights a very critical research area at which both supply and demand are flexible, thus manageable. Simultaneous management of supply and demand chains sets the stage for mass customization which is concerned with meeting the needs of an individualized customer market. Simultaneous and real-time management of supply and demand chains set the stage for real-time mass customization (e.g., wherein a tailor first laser scans an individual’s upper torso and then delivers a uniquely fitted jacket within a reasonable period, while the individual is waiting). The benefits of real-time mass customization can not be over-stated as products and services become indistinguishable and are co-produced in real-time, resulting in an overwhelming economic advantage.

Our focus herein is on developing an effective taxonomy for the simultaneous and real-time management of supply and demand chains. More specifically, the taxonomy is developed in terms of its underpinning components and its research foci. Interestingly, our taxonomic approach highlights a very critical research area at which both supply and demand are flexible, thus manageable. Simultaneous management of supply and demand chains sets the stage for mass customization which is concerned with meeting the needs of an individualized customer market. Simultaneous and real-time management of supply and demand chains, in turn, set the stage for real-time mass customization. The benefits of real-time mass customization can not be over-stated as products and services become indistinguishable and are co-produced in real-time, resulting in an overwhelming competitive economic advantage.

In this paper we provide a framework to price bundles that contain multiple products in a way to match supply and demand, more specifically we extend the framework developed by Schlamensee (1984) who considers the case of a bundle that contains two products. In Schmalensee (1984) the correlation structure among reservation prices (maximum price that a customer pays to acquire a product) for the two products within each consumer is analyzed by assuming that buyer's reservation price pairs follow a bivariate normal distribution. We extend this two-product bundle framework into a multi-product bundle case by modeling the reservation prices within each consumer follow a multivariate normal distribution. We then analyze the implications of using multivariate normal distribution on several pricing aspects of the bundle and finally develop rules to price the bundle in order to match supply and demand, rather than the standard objectives such as profit maximization or cost minimization.

We present a robust dynamic pricing approach which seeks to offer prices that can become the actual sale prices, inasmuch as they are at or below the customer's imputed valuation. The customer's maximum buying prices are imputed since they are unknown; indeed, no historical demand data are provided. The only information that we are given in each time epoch is how much of the product is sold at a sale price offered by the seller, based on the remaining time, the level of product inventory, and whether the amount sold to date is more or less than the cumulative average amount. The proposed approach is quite successful in finding and tracking the imputed customer valuation curve over a finite time horizon. The results demonstrate the superiority of the approach not only in terms of revenue generation, but also in terms of four other effectiveness measures developed herein. The approach is especially well-suited for e-commerce.