Service Undone: A Grounded Theory of Strategically Constructed Silos and Their Impact on Customer-Company Interactions from the Perspective of Retail Employees

This work elaborates the impacts of strategically constructed silos that are not byproducts of flagging cross-departmental cooperation or the cumulative effect of decades of decentralized command and control. Rather, these silos are strategically intended structures within organizations. Most significantly, the substantive theory of strategically constructed silos and their impact on customer service contributes to the field by illustrating the presence and consequence of silos occurring in suboptimal conditions. The existence of silos has implications that extend far beyond the retail area. A key take-away from this research is that contrary to how most customer service processes are designed, not all customer-company interactions are alike. As shown in the data, interaction types vary both in regard to the degree of knowledge needed by retail employees to fully serve customers, and the routine or nonroutine nature of the interaction. This is an important finding since it directly relates to whether the existence of a silo is appropriate (or optimal) for a specific interaction or task. Additionally, the findings suggest the role that a task\u27s routine-ness plays is secondary to the degree of specialized knowledge needed by retail employees to meet customer expectations. Understanding the various customer-company interaction types and how each interaction type may be affected by silos is crucial for designing customer experiences that will sustain over time. Likewise, identifying customer-company interaction types correctly and then subsequently developing strategies to support these interaction types is critical for both customer experience management (CEM) initiatives and customer relationship management (CRM) system design within the company. This work provides an overview of the implications of strategically constructed silos occurring in suboptimal conditions and provides recommendations for diagnosing customer-company interactions based on interaction type. By identifying strategically constructed silos as an intended structure of the company, the model elaborated here works to deliver prescriptive and specific strategies for managers and employees\u27 use as they attempt to improve their firm\u27s customer-company interaction outcomes

TRMM Version 7 Level 3 Gridded Monthly Accumulations of GPROF Precipitation Retrievals

In July 2011, improved versions of the retrieval algorithms were approved for TRMM. All data starting with June 2011 are produced only with the version 7 code. At the same time, version 7 reprocessing of all TRMM mission data was started. By the end of August 2011, the 14+ years of the reprocessed mission data became available online to users. This reprocessing provided the opportunity to redo and enhance upon an analysis of V7 impacts on L3 data accumulations that was presented at the 2010 EGU General Assembly. This paper will discuss the impact of algorithm changes made in th GPROF retrieval on the Level 2 swath products. Perhaps the most important change in that retrieval was to replacement of a model based a priori database with one created from Precipitation Radar (PR) and TMI brightness temperature (Tb) data. The radar pays a major role in the V7 GPROF (GPROF2010) in determining existence of rain. The level 2 retrieval algorithm also introduced a field providing the probability of rain. This combined use of the PR has some impact on the retrievals and created areas, particularly over ocean, where many areas of low-probability precipitation are retrieved whereas in version 6, these areas contained zero rain rates. This paper will discuss how these impacts get translated to the space/time averaged monthly products that use the GPROF retrievals. The level 3 products discussed are the gridded text product 3G68 and the standard 3A12 and 3B31 products. The paper provides an overview of the changes and explanation of how the level 3 products dealt with the change in the retrieval approach. Using the .25 deg x .25 degree grid, the paper will show that agreement between the swath product and the level 3 remains very high. It will also present comparisons of V6 and V7 GPROF retrievals as seen both at the swath level and the level 3 time/space gridded accumulations. It will show that the various L3 products based on GPROF level 2 retrievals are in close agreement. The paper concludes by outlining some of the challenges of the TRMM version 7 level 3 products

The association of hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus and the risk of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia among cancer patients: A systematic review with meta-analysis

Aim—Conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis to determine the association between incident chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) and either diabetes mellitus (DM) or hyperglycemia in patients with cancer. Methods—Observational studies in cancer patients of any age receiving chemotherapy and having diabetes or hyperglycemia either during or before chemotherapy induction were included. Studies were retrieved by searching four databases (PubMed, EBSCO, ProQuest, and Cochrane) and cross-referencing. The metric for combining studies was the odds ratio (OR). Results were pooled using a random-effects model, while heterogeneity and inconsistency were assessed using the Q and I 2 statistic, respectively. Potential small-study effects were assessed using the funnel plot. Results—Ten studies met the criteria for inclusion. Overall, the odds of having CIN were 32% higher among cancer patients with either DM or hyperglycemia compared with those without DM or hyperglycemia (OR = 1.32, 95% CI, 1.06–1.64). Statistically significant heterogeneity and inconsistency were found (Q = 33.15, p \u3c 0.05, I 2 = 72.9%). Funnel plot asymmetry reflecting potential small-study effects was observed. Conclusions—Diabetes mellitus and hyperglycemia may be associated with an increased risk for CIN among cancer patients. However, additional well-designed studies are needed before any final and definitive recommendations can be made

Hindered Rotation in Methyl Alcohol with Note on Ethyl Alcohol

The potential barrier to the internal rotation in methyl alcohol is recalculated from the entropy with the aid of new molecular dimensions generously provided by Burkhard and Dennison. The barrier calculation is examined for temperature dependence and checked for reliability by recalculation with the Clapeyron equation substituted for parts of the data. The result is 1600±700 cal./mole, which includes the new spectroscopic barrier of Burkhard and Dennison at 326 cm−1. Within the range covered by the result, a residual entropy up to 0.50 cal./mole deg. is possible, and the retention of 0.46 e.u. by the crystal is consistent with a reasonable simple assumption about the distribution of hydrogen bonds.It is suggested, by analogy, that the barrier to the hydroxyl group rotation in ethyl alcohol should be about 1000 cal./mole.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/71293/2/JCPSA6-18-3-361-1.pd

Collisional damping rates for plasma waves

The distinction between the plasma dynamics dominated by collisional transport versus collective processes has never been rigorously addressed until recently. A recent paper [Yoon et al., Phys. Rev. E 93, 033203 (2016)] formulates for the first time, a unified kinetic theory in which collective processes and collisional dynamics are systematically incorporated from first principles. One of the outcomes of such a formalism is the rigorous derivation of collisional damping rates for Langmuir and ion-acoustic waves, which can be contrasted to the heuristic customary approach. However, the results are given only in formal mathematical expressions. The present Brief Communication numerically evaluates the rigorous collisional damping rates by considering the case of plasma particles with Maxwellian velocity distribution function so as to assess the consequence of the rigorous formalism in a quantitative manner. Comparison with the heuristic ("Spitzer") formula shows that the accurate damping rates are much lower in magnitude than the conventional expression, which implies that the traditional approach over-estimates the importance of attenuation of plasma waves by collisional relaxation process. Such a finding may have a wide applicability ranging from laboratory to space and astrophysical plasmas.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures; Published in Physics of Plasmas, volume/Issue 23/6. Publisher: AIP Publishing LLC. Date: Jun 1, 2016. URL: http://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.4953802 Rights managed by AIP Publishing LL

Advancing the speed, sensitivity and accuracy of biomolecular detection using multi-length-scale engineering

Rapid progress in identifying disease biomarkers has increased the importance of creating high-performance detection technologies. Over the last decade, the design of many detection platforms has focused on either the nano or micro length scale. Here, we review recent strategies that combine nano- and microscale materials and devices to produce large improvements in detection sensitivity, speed and accuracy, allowing previously undetectable biomarkers to be identified in clinical samples. Microsensors that incorporate nanoscale features can now rapidly detect disease-related nucleic acids expressed in patient samples. New microdevices that separate large clinical samples into nanocompartments allow precise quantitation of analytes, and microfluidic systems that utilize nanoscale binding events can detect rare cancer cells in the bloodstream more accurately than before. These advances will lead to faster and more reliable clinical diagnostic devices

New Constraints on Neutralino Dark Matter in the Supersymmetric Standard Model

We investigate the prospects for neutralino dark matter within the Supersymmetric Standard Model (SSM) including the constraints from universal soft supersymmetry breaking and radiative breaking of the electroweak symmetry. The latter is enforced by using the one-loop Higgs effective potential which automatically gives the one-loop corrected Higgs boson masses. We perform an exhaustive search of the allowed five-dimensional parameter space and find that the neutralino relic abundance $\Omega_\chi h^2_0$ depends most strongly on the ratio $\xi_0\equiv m_0/m_{1/2}$. For $\xi_0\gg1$ the relic abundance is almost always much too large, whereas for $\xi_0\ll1$ the opposite occurs. For $\xi_0\sim1$ there are wide ranges of the remaining parameters for which $\Omega_\chi\sim1$. We also determine that m_{\tilde q}\gsim250\GeV and m_{\tilde l}\gsim100\GeV are necessary in order to possibly achieve $\Omega_\chi\sim1$. These lower bounds are much weaker than the corresponding ones derived previously when radiative breaking was {\it not} enforced.Comment: 12 pages plus 6 figures (not included), CERN-TH.6584/92, CTP-TAMU-56/92, UAHEP921

Quadrupolar Kondo Effect in Non-Kramers Doublet System PrInAg2

We performed ultrasonic measurement on the rare-earth intermetallic compound PrInAg_2 to examine the quadrupolar Kondo effect associated with the non-Kramers Gamma_3 doublet ground state. The characteristic softening of the elastic constant (c_{11}-c_{12})/2 below 10 K in PrInAg_2 is attributed to a Curie term in quadrupolar susceptibility for the quadrupole O_2^2=J_x^2-J_y^2 of the stable Gamma_3 ground state. (c_{11}-c_{12})/2 turns to a slight increase with the -lnT dependence below 0.1 K, which suggests the quenching of the quadrupolar moment in the quadrupolar Kondo state. Under applied magnetic fields of 10 T and 15 T above 8.7 T corresponding to the Kondo temperature T_K of ~ 0.86 K, the behavior of (c_{11}-c_{12})/2 is described in terms of quadrupolar susceptibility for the stable 4f^2 state.Comment: PDF, 10pages + 5figures, Strongly Correlated Electron

Spitzer observations of the asteroid-comet transition object and potential spacecraft target 107P (4015) Wilson-Harrington

Context. Near-Earth asteroid-comet transition object 107P/ (4015) Wilson-Harrington is a possible target of the joint European Space Agency (ESA) and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Marco Polo sample return mission. Physical studies of this object are relevant to this mission, and also to understanding its asteroidal or cometary nature. Aims. Our aim is to obtain significant new constraints on the surface thermal properties of this object. Methods. We present mid-infrared photometry in two filters (16 and 22 microns) obtained with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope on February 12, 2007, and results from the application of the Near Earth Asteroid Thermal Model (NEATM).We obtained high S/N in two mid-IR bands allowing accurate measurements of its thermal emission. Results. We obtain a well constrained beaming parameter (eta = 1.39 +/- 0.26) and obtain a diameter and geometric albedo of D = 3.46 +/- 0.32 km, and pV = 0.059 +/- 0.011. We also obtain similar results when we apply this best-fitting thermal model to single-band mid-IR photometry reported by Campins et al. (1995), Kraemer et al. (2005) and Reach et al. (2007). Conclusions. The albedo of 4015 Wilson-Harrington is low, consistent with those of comet nuclei and primitive C-, P-, D-type asteorids. We establish a rough lower limit for the thermal inertia of W-H of 60 Jm^-2s^(-0.5)K^-1 when it is at r=1AU, which is slightly over the limit of 30 Jm^-2s^(-0.5)K-1 derived by Groussin et al. (2009) for the thermal inertia of the nucleus of comet 22P/Kopff.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure and 3 tables. Paper accepted for publicatio

Early Clinical Detection of Pharmacologic Response in Insulin Action in a Nondiabetic Insulin-Resistant Population

AbstractBackgroundInsulin resistance heightens the risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Amelioration of insulin resistance may reduce this risk. The thiazolidinedone class of insulin sensitizers improves insulin action in individuals with insulin-resistant diabetes and nondiabetic individuals. However, there are few reports on the time of onset of such effects independent of reversal of glucotoxicity.ObjectiveThe goal of our study was to test whether the thiazolidinedione pioglitazone has prominent early metabolic effects that can be detected in an obese, nondiabetic, insulin-resistant population.MethodsWe conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial in men with nondiabetic insulin resistance using a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp technique (at low and high doses of insulin at 10 and 40 mU/m2/min, respectively). The patients were given 30 mg daily oral pioglitazone or placebo for 28 days. Patients underwent a baseline clamp before initiation of treatment, and again at 14 and 28 days of treatment.ResultsCompared with placebo, under high-dose hyperinsulinemia, pioglitazone led to significant increases in glucose disposal rates (GDR) of 1.29 mg/kg/min (90% CI, 0.43–2.15; 39%; P=0.008) that were detectable at 2 weeks of treatment and persisted at 4 weeks of treatment. Under low-dose hyperinsulinemia, significant increases in GDR of 0.40 mg/kg/min (90% CI, 0.17–0.62; 95%; P=0.003) were observed at 4 weeks of treatment. These responses were accompanied by robust suppression of free fatty acids under hyperinsulinemic conditions, and by significant increases in circulating basal total adiponectin at 2 and 4 weeks of treatment.ConclusionsSignificant changes in insulin action across multiple insulin-sensitive tissues can be detected within 2 weeks of initiation of insulin-sensitizing therapy with pioglitazone in obese patients with nondiabetic insulin resistance. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01115712