Value co-creation in early stage new product-service system development

This is the final version. It was first published by Linköping University Electronic Press at http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp_article/index.en.aspx?issue=067;article=030.The need to develop systems that comprise medical equipment and services to improve healthcare service efficiency and availability has become a pertinent concern in developed countries, as governments continue to focus on controlling healthcare expenditure. This research intends to explore value co-creation with multiple stakeholders at early stage new product-service system (PSS) development in regulated industries such as the medical equipment industry. This paper identifies the literature gap of stakeholder involvement in the process of new PSS development and compares the identified gap with the experience of industry practitioners. The fields relevant to the research focus are described and the characteristics of a new PSS are proposed as the basis of the research. This paper concludes with an initial proposition, that there is a need for an holistic approach to new PSS development and to have early multiple stakeholder input

Identification and Characterisation of an Iron-Responsive Candidate Probiotic

Background: Iron is an essential cofactor in almost all biological systems. The lactic acid bacteria (LAB), frequently employed as probiotics, are unusual in having little or no requirement for iron. Iron in the human body is sequestered by transferrins and lactoferrin, limiting bacterial growth. An increase in the availability of iron in the intestine by bleeding, surgery, or under stress leads to an increase in the growth and virulence of many pathogens. Under these high iron conditions, LAB are rapidly out-competed; for the levels of probiotic bacteria to be maintained under high iron conditions they must be able to respond by increasing growth rate to compete with the normal flora. Despite this, iron-responsive genera are poorly characterised as probiotics. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here, we show that a panel of probiotics are not able to respond to increased iron availability, and identify an isolate of Streptococcus thermophilus that can increase growth rate in response to increased iron availability. The isolate of S. thermophilus selected was able to reduce epithelial cell death as well as NF-kB signalling and IL-8 production triggered by pathogens. It was capable of crossing an epithelial cell barrier in conjunction with E. coli and downregulating Th1 and Th17 responses in primary human intestinal leukocytes. Conclusions/Significance: We propose that an inability to compete with potential pathogens under conditions of high iron availability such as stress and trauma may contribute to the lack of efficacy of many LAB-based probiotics in treatin

Amino-diol borate complexation for controlling transport phenomena of penetrant molecules into polymeric matrices

The development of new high performance materials, coatings, composites and adhesives relies on insight into the origin of material performance on a molecular level. This paper explores a new type of epoxy-amine-borate (EAB) hybrid material for control of penetrant solvent molecules into cross-linked thermoset polymer networks

Innovation as Response to Emissions Legislation: Revisiting the Automotive Catalytic Converter at Johnson Matthey

Can environmental legislation spur innovative response? This case describes the development of the automotive catalytic converter (ACC) at Johnson Matthey (JM), a precious metals company that entered the automotive industry as a component provider. The market was unfamiliar to JM and highly competitive, but in the 1970s the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced standards for emissions control by automotive companies well ahead of current practice. Johnson Matthew responded to the prospect of market demand for a technology that could meet the regulations. The EPA policy of technology “forcing” stimulated collaboration for innovation among companies from a variety of industries. Our case evidence shows that the key innovator, JM, achieved its breakthrough as a result of proactive R&D management by the product champion together with sustained corporate support at a high level and partnership strategies

Value co-creation in early stage new product-service system development

Abstract The need to develop systems that comprise medical equipment and services to improve healthcare service efficiency and availability has become a pertinent concern in developed countries, as governments continue to focus on controlling healthcare expenditure. This research intends to explore value co-creation with multiple stakeholders at early stage new product-service system (PSS) development in regulated industries such as the medical equipment industry. This paper identifies the literature gap of stakeholder involvement in the process of new PSS development and compares the identified gap with the experience of industry practitioners. The fields relevant to the research focus are described and the characteristics of a new PSS are proposed as the basis of the research. This paper concludes with an initial proposition, that there is a need for an holistic approach to new PSS development and to have early multiple stakeholder input

1H NMR-Linked Metabolomics Analysis of Liver from a Mouse Model of NP-C1 Disease

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link

Diagnosing Capnocytophaga canimorsus Infections

We reviewed clinical and epidemiologic features of 56 human Capnocytophaga canimorsus isolates submitted during a 32-year period to California's Microbial Diseases Laboratory for identification. An increasing number of isolates identified as C. canimorsus have been submitted since 1990. Many laboratories still have difficulty correctly identifying this species