Transition to Consulting: Marketing & Sales Activities & Tools : Case Company: Katrium Oü

The aim of the study was to understand if the transition from market research in to consulting is an opportunity for Katrium Oü, a market research company in Tallinn, Estonia. Moreover, the research focuses on the benefits of the transition, and the steps to consider before the change. In addition, marketing & sales activities & tools, which the case company can incorporate into a new strategy, are proposed. The theoretical part of the study includes the basics of consulting, and a deeper acknowledgment regarding the different areas of specialization. Also, the marketing & sales aspects of the industry are considered. The empirical part of the study was developed with qualitative and quantitative methods. A survey, an interview, a SWOT analysis and desk researches were utilized for the study. The respondents of the survey were 28, and two interviewees. The study shows that the transition to consulting is an important opportunity, which a service company can consider for the development of the business operations. Moreover, there are many complimentary technologies and actions which can aid the company to stand out from their competitors. The study can only be used for Katrium, as the research was exceptionally tailored for the case company. However, small businesses and professionals can consider the marketing & sales options, as every company might need and research new technologies to implement

Studying the complexity of identification of Volterra kernels for the case of a vector input signal of arbitrary dimension

The work discusses the technique for constructing an integral model of a nonlinear dynamic system with a vector input based on Volterra polynomials as applied to a section of the steam-water path of the power unit of the Nazarovo power station. The complexity of the applying the technique presented in the work is analyzed, and the number of initial data required to build a mathematical model in the case of a vector input disturbance with an arbitrary dimension is calculated

Integral Models Based on Volterra Equations with Prehistory and Their Applications in Energy

The paper addresses the application of Volterra integral equations of the first kind for modeling dynamic power systems. We study the problem of forecasting the commissioning of capacities of the electric power system, taking into account various hypotheses about the dynamics of equipment aging, and the known prehistory. The numerical results of the application of two models to the problem of the development of a large electric power system using the example of the Unified Energy System of Russia are presented. Theoretical results were formulated for a two-dimensional Volterra integral equation of the first kind with variable limits of integration. This class of equations arises when solving the actual problem of identifying variable characteristics of a nonlinear dynamic system of the “input-output” type

Identification of Quadratic Volterra Polynomials in the “Input–Output” Models of Nonlinear Systems

In this paper, we propose a new algorithm for constructing an integral model of a nonlinear dynamic system of the “input–output” type in the form of a quadratic segment of the Volterra integro-power series (polynomial). We consider nonparametric identification of models using physically realizable piecewise linear test signals in the time domain. The advantage of the presented approach is to obtain explicit formulas for calculating the transient responses (Volterra kernels), which determine the unique solution of the Volterra integral equations of the first kind with two variable integration limits. The numerical method proposed in the paper for solving the corresponding equations includes the use of smoothing splines. An important result is that the constructed identification algorithm has a low methodological error

Identification of Quadratic Volterra Polynomials in the “Input–Output” Models of Nonlinear Systems

In this paper, we propose a new algorithm for constructing an integral model of a nonlinear dynamic system of the “input–output” type in the form of a quadratic segment of the Volterra integro-power series (polynomial). We consider nonparametric identification of models using physically realizable piecewise linear test signals in the time domain. The advantage of the presented approach is to obtain explicit formulas for calculating the transient responses (Volterra kernels), which determine the unique solution of the Volterra integral equations of the first kind with two variable integration limits. The numerical method proposed in the paper for solving the corresponding equations includes the use of smoothing splines. An important result is that the constructed identification algorithm has a low methodological error

Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines in the Context of NK Cell–Trophoblast Interactions

During pregnancy, uterine NK cells interact with trophoblast cells. In addition to contact interactions, uterine NK cells are influenced by cytokines, which are secreted by the cells of the decidua microenvironment. Cytokines can affect the phenotypic characteristics of NK cells and change their functional activity. An imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory signals can lead to the development of reproductive pathology. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of cytokines on NK cells in the presence of trophoblast cells in an in vitro model. We used TNFα, IFNγ, TGFβ and IL-10; the NK-92 cell line; and peripheral blood NK cells (pNKs) from healthy, non-pregnant women. For trophoblast cells, the JEG-3 cell line was used. In the monoculture of NK-92 cells, TNFα caused a decrease in CD56 expression. In the coculture of NK cells with JEG-3 cells, TNFα increased the expression of NKG2C and NKG2A by NK-92 cells. Under the influence of TGFβ, the expression of CD56 increased and the expression of NKp30 decreased in the monoculture. After the preliminary cultivation of NK-92 cells in the presence of TGFβ, their cytotoxicity increased. In the case of adding TGFβ to the PBMC culture, as well as coculturing PBMCs and JEG-3 cells, the expression of CD56 and NKp44 by pNK cells was reduced. The differences in the effects of TGFβ in the model using NK-92 cells and pNK cells may be associated with the possible influence of monocytes or other lymphoid cells from the mononuclear fraction