Management of Service Innovation Projects: A Case Study from a German Financial Services Provider

The ability to design innovative services is becoming an important capability for organizations in the 21st century. Information technology plays a major role as an enabler for a broad range of innovative services, and IT organizations need to design services in collaboration with business units to address evolving customer requirements. This paper offers an exploratory case study on the application of a design methodology at the intersection of business and IT, focusing on a German financial services provider that sought to develop new IT-based service innovations. The key finding of this case study is that while processes, methods, and tools are important for managing service design, socio-technical aspects such as context, environment, team management, and project setup also are essential for the successful design of innovative services. The current literature provides rudimentary guidance in these areas, yet a thorough description of these factors and their integration into a service design methodology has not yet been documented. Based on the findings of the case study, we suggest further investigation of the roles played by factors such as environment, team management, and project setup, as well as of the ways in which these factors can be incorporated into methods to facilitate more effective service design

Service Consumer Model: Understanding and Describing Consumers for New Service Development

Against the background of an increasing discrepancy between consumer access to an evergrowing range of products and being increasingly frustrated with the consumption processes, we propose a model for understanding and describing consumers and their behavior holistically. In this paper, a design science approach is used. The model is build on existing concepts such as the concept of consumer processes, user context, service-dominant logic, disconfirmation, activity theory, and event-driven process chains. The application of the model and its usefulness for improving new service development is demonstrated by an example

Efficient generation of neural stem cell-like cells from adult human bone marrow stromal cells

Clonogenic neural stem cells (NSCs) are self-renewing cells that maintain the capacity to differentiate into brain-specific cell types, and may also replace or repair diseased brain tissue. NSCs can be directly isolated from fetal or adult nervous tissue, or derived from embryonic stem cells. Here, we describe the efficient conversion of human adult bone marrow stromal cells (hMSC) into a neural stem cell-like population (hmNSC, for human marrow-derived NSC-like cells). These cells grow in neurosphere-like structures, express high levels of early neuroectodermal markers, such as the proneural genes NeuroD1, Neurog2, MSl1 as well as otx1 and nestin, but lose the characteristics of mesodermal stromal cells. In the presence of selected growth factors, hmNSCs can be differentiated into the three main neural phenotypes: astroglia, oligodendroglia and neurons. Clonal analysis demonstrates that individual hmNSCs are multipotent and retain the capacity to generate both glia and neurons. Our cell culture system provides a powerful tool for investigating the molecular mechanisms of neural differentiation in adult human NSCs. hmNSCs may therefore ultimately help to treat acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases

Safety of the Intended Functionality Concept Integration into a Validation Tool Suite

Nowadays, the increasing complexity of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Automated Driving (AD) means that the industry must move towards a scenario-based approach to validation rather than relying on established technology-based methods. This new focus also requires the validation process to take into account Safety of the Intended Functionality (SOTIF), as many scenarios may trigger hazardous vehicle behaviour. Thus, this work demonstrates how the integration of the SOTIF process within an existing validation tool suite can be achieved. The necessary adaptations are explained with accompanying examples to aid comprehension of the approach

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and cardiovascular mortality

Aims High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is a strong predictor of cardiovascular mortality. This work aimed to investigate whether the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) impacts on its predictive value. Methods and results We studied 3141 participants (2191 males, 950 females) of the LUdwigshafen RIsk and Cardiovascular health (LURIC) study. They had a mean ± standard deviation age of 62.6 ± 10.6 years, body mass index of 27.5 ± 4.1 kg/m², and HDL cholesterol of 38.9 ± 10.8 mg/dL. The cohort consisted of 699 people without CAD, 1515 patients with stable CAD, and 927 patients with unstable CAD. The participants were prospectively followed for cardiovascular mortality over a median (inter-quartile range) period of 9.9 (8.7-10.7) years. A total of 590 participants died from cardiovascular diseases. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol by tertiles was inversely related to cardiovascular mortality in the entire cohort (P = 0.009). There was significant interaction between HDL cholesterol and CAD in predicting the outcome (P = 0.007). In stratified analyses, HDL cholesterol was strongly associated with cardiovascular mortality in people without CAD [3rd vs. 1st tertile: HR (95% CI) = 0.37 (0.18-0.74), P = 0.005], but not in patients with stable [3rd vs. 1st tertile: HR (95% CI) = 0.81 (0.61-1.09), P = 0.159] and unstable [3rd vs. 1st tertile: HR (95% CI) = 0.91 (0.59-1.41), P = 0.675] CAD. These results were replicated by analyses in 3413 participants of the AtheroGene cohort and 5738 participants of the ESTHER cohort, and by a meta-analysis comprising all three cohorts. Conclusion The inverse relationship of HDL cholesterol with cardiovascular mortality is weakened in patients with CAD. The usefulness of considering HDL cholesterol for cardiovascular risk stratification seems limited in such patient

Mg2+ -free ATP regulates the processivity of native cytoplasmic dynein

Cytoplasmic dynein, a microtubule?based motor protein, is responsible for many cellular functions ranging from cargo transport to cell division. The various functions are carried out by a single isoform of cytoplasmic dynein, thus requiring different forms of motor regulation. A possible pathway to regulate motor function was revealed in optical trap experiments. Switching motor function from single steps to processive runs could be achieved by changing Mg2+ and ATP concentrations. Here, we confirm by single molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy that a native cytoplasmic dynein dimer is able to switch to processive runs of more than 680 consecutive steps or 5.5 ?m. We also identified the ratio of Mg2+?free ATP to Mg.ATP as the regulating factor and propose a model for dynein processive stepping

Relations between lipoprotein(a) concentrations, LPA genetic variants, and the risk of mortality in patients with established coronary heart disease: a molecular and genetic association study

Background: Lipoprotein(a) concentrations in plasma are associated with cardiovascular risk in the general population. Whether lipoprotein(a) concentrations or LPA genetic variants predict long-term mortality in patients with established coronary heart disease remains less clear. Methods: We obtained data from 3313 patients with established coronary heart disease in the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) study. We tested associations of tertiles of lipoprotein(a) concentration in plasma and two LPA single-nucleotide polymorphisms ([SNPs] rs10455872 and rs3798220) with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality by Cox regression analysis and with severity of disease by generalised linear modelling, with and without adjustment for age, sex, diabetes diagnosis, systolic blood pressure, BMI, smoking status, estimated glomerular filtration rate, LDL-cholesterol concentration, and use of lipid-lowering therapy. Results for plasma lipoprotein(a) concentrations were validated in five independent studies involving 10 195 patients with established coronary heart disease. Results for genetic associations were replicated through large-scale collaborative analysis in the GENIUS-CHD consortium, comprising 106 353 patients with established coronary heart disease and 19 332 deaths in 22 studies or cohorts. Findings: The median follow-up was 9·9 years. Increased severity of coronary heart disease was associated with lipoprotein(a) concentrations in plasma in the highest tertile (adjusted hazard radio [HR] 1·44, 95% CI 1·14–1·83) and the presence of either LPA SNP (1·88, 1·40–2·53). No associations were found in LURIC with all-cause mortality (highest tertile of lipoprotein(a) concentration in plasma 0·95, 0·81–1·11 and either LPA SNP 1·10, 0·92–1·31) or cardiovascular mortality (0·99, 0·81–1·2 and 1·13, 0·90–1·40, respectively) or in the validation studies. Interpretation: In patients with prevalent coronary heart disease, lipoprotein(a) concentrations and genetic variants showed no associations with mortality. We conclude that these variables are not useful risk factors to measure to predict progression to death after coronary heart disease is established. Funding: Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technical Development (AtheroRemo and RiskyCAD), INTERREG IV Oberrhein Programme, Deutsche Nierenstiftung, Else-Kroener Fresenius Foundation, Deutsche Stiftung für Herzforschung, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Saarland University, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Willy Robert Pitzer Foundation, and Waldburg-Zeil Clinics Isny