Becoming lean : a case of Finnish boating industry

fi=vertaisarvioimaton|en=nonPeerReviewed

IoT powered servitization of manufacturing – an exploratory case study

More than ever companies are challenged to rethink their offerings while simultaneously being provided with a unique opportunity for creating or recreating their product-service systems. This paper seeks to address how servitisation can utilise the third wave of Internet development, referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT), which may unlock the potential for innovative product-service systems on an unprecedented scale. By providing an analysis of this technological breakthrough and the literature on servitisation, these concepts are combined to address the question of how organisations offering product-service systems can reap the benefits that the IoT. An analysis of three successful IoT implementation cases in manufacturing companies, representing different industry sectors such as metal processing, power generation and distribution, is provided. The results of the empirical research presented in the paper provide an insight into different ways of creating value in servitisation. The paper also proposes a framework that is aimed at proving a better understanding of how companies can create value, and add it to their servitisation processes with, the data obtained by the IoT based solutions. From the value chain perspective, IoT aided servitisation enables organisations to extend their value chains in order better serve their customers which, in turn, might result in increased profitability. The article proposes further research avenues, and offers valuable insight for practitioners.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

The implementation of the balanced critical factor index methodology in the strategy redevelopment process

Strategic planning and development is a critical yet often overlooked issue in company’s operations. The planning of development as well as addressing the distribution of available resources should be done systematically rather than instinctively however, many companies still do not have any reliable method that would facilitate the decision making processes at their disposal.This article aims at presenting the innovative analytical method- Balanced Critical Factor Index (BCFI) for addressing the need for change in company’s operational strategy according to changes in available technology and knowledge. By examining a wide array of indexes,the presented method is expected to suggest the directions of development. The presented method also addresses the challenges of the complex process of decision-making. Moreover,the empirical evidence gathered in the studied case company serves as a source of important feedback regarding the further improvement of the BCFI method.©2013 The Authors. Published by Polish Academy of Sciences, Production Engineering Committee, and Polish Association for Production Management. The article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-NoDerivatives license.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Czy istnieje różnica w jakości życia i występowaniu objawów psychiatrycznych u chorych na akromegalię i inne choroby przewlekłe?

Introduction: The study aimed to evaluate the psychological profile of patients with acromegaly in comparison to other chronic diseases such as non-functioning pituitary adenomas, Cushing disease, and plaque psoriasis, and to a healthy control group. Material and methods: A total sample of 153 participants in clinical groups underwent a cross-sectional assessment including the quality of life (AcroQoL, WHOQoL-BREF), psychiatric morbidity (GHQ-28), and the acceptance of illness (AIS), as well as 65 participants in the healthy control group. Results: The whole study sample had a predominance of urban married females (61%) with medium level of education (41%). Patients with acromegaly were diagnosed significantly later than patients from other clinical groups, after the onset of the first symptoms. Acromegaly was related to the presence of more symptoms of anxiety and insomnia, and poorer social relationships compared with the general population but not more than in other chronic diseases. A better quality of life score in all domains of WHOQoL-BREF was associated with a better score on the acceptance of illness scale and lower scores on GHQ-28. Conclusions: Psychiatric morbidity, mainly anxiety and insomnia, occurs in 50% of patients with acromegaly. However, the psychological wellbeing and mood seem to be related to other factors such as the acceptance of the illness. Thus, concerning the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of acromegaly an interdisciplinary approach, taking into account psychological and psychiatric consultation, is needed.Wstęp: Celem pracy była ocena profilu psychologicznego pacjentów z akromegalią w porównaniu z pacjentami z innymi chorobami przewlekłymi, takimi jak: nieczynne hormonalnie gruczolaki przysadki, choroba Cushinga, łuszczyca oraz zdrowych z grupy kontrolnej. Materiał i metody: Badaniem objęto 153 chorych w grupach klinicznych, którzy zostali poddani szerokiej ocenie obejmującej: jakość życia (AcroQoL, WHOQoL-BREF), występowanie zaburzeń psychiatrycznych (GHQ-28) i stopień akceptacji choroby (AIS) oraz 65 uczestników z grupy kontrolnej. Wyniki: W całej grupie badanej obserwowano przewagę zamężnych, miejskich kobiet (61%) z wykształceniem średnim (41%). Pacjenci z akromegalią byli diagnozowani znacznie później w stosunku do pozostałych grup chorych, po pojawieniu się pierwszych objawów. Akromegalia charakteryzowała się częstszym występowaniem bezsenności i lęku oraz gorszymi relacjami społecznymi w porównaniu z populacją ogólną, ale nie w stosunku do innych chorób przewlekłych. Lepsza jakość życia we wszystkich domenach formularza WHOQoL-BREF wiązała się z większą akceptacją choroby i niższym wynikiem w skali GHQ-28. Wnioski: Zaburzenia psychiatryczne, głównie lęk i bezsenność, występują u 50% pacjentów z akromegalią. Jednak stan psychiczny i nastrój wydają się związane z innym czynnikiem, jakim jest stopień akceptacji choroby. Podkreśla to potrzebę opieki interdyscyplinarnej, uwzględniającej opiekę psychiatryczną i psychologiczną, w diagnostyce, leczeniu i monitorowaniu pacjentów z akromegalią

Improvement of working memory in older adults with mild cognitive impairment after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation – a randomized controlled pilot study

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive technique that could improve cognitive function. It is being developed as a non-pharmacological intervention to alleviate symptoms of cognitive deterioration. We assessed the efficacy of rTMS in improving cognitive functioning among people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in a partially-blinded, sham-controlled randomized trial. Out of 91 subjects screened, 31 participants with MCI (mean age 70.73; SD = 4.47), were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (A) Active rTMS; (B) Active rTMS with Computerized Cognitive Training RehaCom; and (C) Sham control. The study evaluated cognitive function using the DemTect, FAS, and CANTAB tests before and after the stimulation. The following treatment protocol was applied: 2000 pulses at 10 Hz, 5-s train duration, and 25-s intervals at 110% of resting MT delivered over the left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) five times a week for 2 weeks. After 10 sessions of high-frequency rTMS, there was an improvement in overall cognitive function and memory, assessed by the DemTect evaluation, with no serious adverse effects. Analysis of differences in time (after 10 sessions) between studied groups showed statistically significant improvement in DemTect total score (time by group interaction p = 0.026) in favor of rTMS+RehaCom. The linear regression of CANTAB Paired Associates Learning revealed significant differences in favor of rTMS+RehaCom in three subtests. Our study shows that 10 sessions of rTMS over the left DLPFC (alone as well as combined with Computerized Cognitive Training) can have a positive impact on cognitive function in people with MCI. Further research should investigate the underlying mechanism and determine the optimal parameters for rTMS, which will be important for its efficacy in clinical settings

Social health and subsequent cognitive functioning in people aged 50 years and older:examining the mediating roles of depressive symptoms and inflammatory biomarkers in two European longitudinal studies

Background: Social health markers, including marital status, contact frequency, network size, and social support, have been shown to be associated with cognition. However, the mechanisms underlying these associations remain poorly understood. We investigated whether depressive symptoms and inflammation mediated associations between social health and subsequent cognition. Methods: In the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), a nationally representative longitudinal study in England, UK, we sampled 7136 individuals aged 50 years or older living in private households without dementia at baseline or at the intermediate mediator assessment timepoint, who had recorded information on at least one social health marker and potential mediator. We used four-way decomposition to examine to what extent depressive symptoms, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen mediated associations between social health and subsequent standardised cognition (verbal fluency and delayed and immediate recall), including cognitive change, with slopes derived from multilevel models (12-year slope). We examined whether findings were replicated in the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K), a population-based longitudinal study in Sweden, in a sample of 2604 individuals aged 60 years or older living at home or in institutions in Kungsholmen (central Stockholm) without dementia at baseline or at the intermediate mediator assessment timepoint (6-year slope). Social health exposures were assessed at baseline, potential mediators were assessed at an intermediate timepoint (wave 2 in ELSA and 6-year follow-up in SNAC-K); cognitive outcomes were assessed at a single timepoint (wave 3 in ELSA and 12-year follow-up in SNAC-K), and cognitive change (between waves 3 and 9 in ELSA and between 6-year and 12-year follow-ups in SNAC-K). Findings: The study sample included 7136 participants from ELSA, of whom 3962 (55·5%) were women and 6934 (97·2%) were White; the mean baseline age was 63·8 years (SD 9·4). Replication analyses included 2604 participants from SNAC-K, of whom 1604 (61·6%) were women (SNAC-K did not collect ethnicity data); the mean baseline age was 72·3 years (SD 10·1). In ELSA, we found indirect effects via depressive symptoms of network size, positive support, and less negative support on subsequent verbal fluency, and of positive support on subsequent immediate recall (pure indirect effect [PIE] 0·002 [95% CI 0·001–0·003]). Depressive symptoms also partially mediated associations between less negative support and slower decline in immediate recall (PIE 0·001 [0·000–0·002]) and in delayed recall (PIE 0·001 [0·000–0·002]), and between positive support and slower decline in immediate recall (PIE 0·001 [0·000–0·001]). We did not observe mediation by inflammatory biomarkers. Findings of mediation by depressive symptoms in the association between positive support and verbal fluency and between positive support and change in immediate recall were replicated in SNAC-K. Interpretation: The findings of this study provide new insights into mechanisms linking social health with cognition, suggesting that associations between interactional aspects of social health, especially social support, and cognition are partly underpinned by depressive symptoms. Funding: EU Joint Programme—Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) and Alzheimer's Society. Translation: For the Swedish translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.</p

Recognition of social health: A conceptual framework in the context of dementia research

Objective: The recognition of dementia as a multifactorial disorder encourages the exploration of new pathways to understand its origins. Social health might play a role in cognitive decline and dementia, but conceptual clarity is lacking and this hinders investigation of associations and mechanisms. The objective is to develop a conceptual framework for social health to advance conceptual clarity in future studies. Process: We use the following steps: underpinning for concept advancement, concept advancement by the development of a conceptual model, and exploration of its potential feasibility. An iterative consensus-based process was used within the international multidisciplinary SHARED project. Conceptual framework: Underpinning of the concept drew from a synthesis of theoretical, conceptual and epidemiological work, and resulted in a definition of social health as wellbeing that relies on capacities both of the individual and the social environment. Consequently, domains in the conceptual framework are on both the individual (e.g., social participation) and the social environmental levels (e.g., social network). We hypothesize that social health acts as a driver for use of cognitive reserve which can then slow cognitive impairment or maintain cognitive functioning. The feasibility of the conceptual framework is demonstrated in its practical use in identifying and structuring of social health markers within the SHARED project. Discussion: The conceptual framework provides guidance for future research and facilitates identification of modifiable risk and protective factors, which may in turn shape new avenues for preventive interventions. We highlight the paradigm of social health in dementia as a priority for dementia research