Framework for the Integration of Service and Technology Strategies

Organised by: Cranfield UniversityAfter sales service is a highly profitable business for manufacturers of technology-driven products. Due to this fact competitors want to share in high profit margins. At the same time after sales business has to deal with an increasing range of variants of products and technologies, shorter life cycles and changing customer demands. In spite of these manifold challenges, often neither after sales departments are involved in the early product development stage nor are customer demands and technical parameters considered in the service development processes entirely. Therefore an integration of service and technology strategies is necessary. This paper presents a framework for this integration that visualises the complex interdependencies and interfaces between service as well as product and motor vehicle workshop technologies.Mori Seiki – The Machine Tool Compan

Characteristics of reaction-diffusion on scale-free networks

We examine some characteristic properties of reaction-diffusion processes of the A+A->0 type on scale-free networks. Due to the inhomogeneity of the structure of the substrate, as compared to usual lattices, we focus on the characteristics of the nodes where the annihilations occur. We show that at early times the majority of these events take place on low-connectivity nodes, while as time advances the process moves towards the high-connectivity nodes, the so-called hubs. This pattern remarkably accelerates the annihilation of the particles, and it is in agreement with earlier predictions that the rates of reaction-diffusion processes on scale-free networks are much faster than the equivalent ones on lattice systems

Inferring the rules of social interaction in migrating caribou

Social interactions are a significant factor that influence the decision-making of species ranging from humans to bacteria. In the context of animal migration, social interactions may lead to improved decision-making, greater ability to respond to environmental cues, and the cultural transmission of optimal routes. Despite their significance, the precise nature of social interactions in migrating species remains largely unknown. Here we deploy unmanned aerial systems to collect aerial footage of caribou as they undertake their migration from Victoria Island to mainland Canada. Through a Bayesian analysis of trajectories we reveal the fine-scale interaction rules of migrating caribou and show they are attracted to one another and copy directional choices of neighbours, but do not interact through clearly defined metric or topological interaction ranges. By explicitly considering the role of social information on movement decisions we construct a map of near neighbour influence that quantifies the nature of information flow in these herds. These results will inform more realistic, mechanism-based models of migration in caribou and other social ungulates, leading to better predictions of spatial use patterns and responses to changing environmental conditions. Moreover, we anticipate that the protocol we developed here will be broadly applicable to study social behaviour in a wide range of migratory and non-migratory taxa. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Collective movement ecology’

Governing a multilevel and cross-sectoral climate policy implementation network

For national governments to meet their international climate change obligations they need to develop and implement plans that involve coordinating the actions of local, regional and national level actors from across multiple sectors. When this occurs, it can lead to the formation of a policy implementation network. Surprisingly, there is a limited understanding of the characteristics of the members of such networks, the structure of the multi-level and cross-sectoral ties among them, and about how they relate to how these networks are governed. This paper initiates the development of such knowledge by calculating a variety of network statistics to analyse the policy implementation network formed to carry out Ireland's signature climate policy-The Climate Action Plan 2019. Results show that national level actors dominate, and that cross-level and cross-sectoral collaboration are limited. The plan is governed by a network administrative organisation (NAO), with the Department of the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) filling the role. How the network is structured and governed increases the likelihood that the network will be stable, have a unity of purpose and be able to meet its objectives. However, the dominance of national-level actors and its centralized structure are likely to make it challenging for the NAO to gain the support of local-level actors. This paper's methodological approach can be applied in other contexts to understand inter-actor relations and how these affect the responsibilities, challenges and opportunities of the actors involved in the implementation of a national environmental policy.Peer reviewe

PENGARUH TINGKAT PENDIDIKAN DAN PEKERJAAN TERHADAP ORAL HYGIENE PADA IBU HAMIL DI RSUD MEURAXA BANDA ACEH

ABSTRAKNama: Muhammad AdriansyahProgram Studi: Kedokteran GigiJudul:Pengaruh Tingkat Pendidikan dan Pekerjaan Terhadap Oral Hygiene pada Ibu Hamil di RSUD Meuraxa Banda AcehPendidikan adalah faktor sosial ekonomi yang mempengaruhi status kesehatan. Pekerjaan dihubungkan dengan tingkat pendidikan dan penghasilan, dimana pekerjaan membutuhkan latar belakang pendidikan yang tinggi, dan penghasilan dimana seseorang mempunyai penghasilan lebih besar maka akan mampu memenuhi kebutuhan dalam menjaga kesehatan gigi dan mulut. Selama masa kehamilan, wanita mengalami beberapa perubahan fisiologis yang menyebabkan terjadinya perubahan hormonal. Perubahan fisiologis juga berdampak pada perubahan menjaga kesehatan gigi dan mulut, sehingga wanita hamil lebih rentan terkena masalah gigi dan mulut. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh tingkat pendidikan dan pekerjaan terhadap oral hygiene pada ibu hamil di RSUD Meuraxa Banda Aceh. Jenis penelitian ini bersifat analitik dengan metode cross sectional untuk melihat hubungan antar dua variabel. Penelitian ini melibatkan 48 subjek yang memenuhi kriteria inklusi. Subjek penelitian mengisi kuisioner yang diberikan serta diperiksa tingkat kebersihan rongga mulutnya. Data dianalisis dengan SPSS menggunakan Korelasi Spearman. Hasil uji menunjukkan ada pengaruh yang signifikan antara tingkat pendidikan (

Modelling multiscale collective behavior with Gaussian processes

Collective behavior is characterized by the emergence of large-scale phenomena from local interactions. It is found in many contexts, including political movements, fads and fashions, and animal grouping. In this paper, we aim to elucidate the mechanisms that underlie observed collective behavior by developing a novel mathematical framework based on equation-free modelling procedures and Gaussian process regression. This allows us to circumvent the possible lack of formal mathematical links between scales and instead use statistical emulation to learn an empirical Fokker-Planck equation. Our approach advances our ability to understand how complex systems function at both the individual and collective level when a formal mathematical description of macroscale dynamics is unavailable

Fast-diffusion mean-field theory for k-body reactions in one dimension

We derive an improved mean-field approximation for k-body annihilation reactions kA --> inert, for hard-core diffusing particles on a line, annihilating in groups of k neighbors with probability 0 < q <= 1. The hopping and annihilation processes are correlated to mimic chemical reactions. Our new mean-field theory accounts for hard-core particle properties and has a larger region of applicability than the standard chemical rate equation especially for large k values. Criteria for validity of the mean-field theory and its use in phenomenological data fits are derived. Numerical tests are reported for k=3,4,5,6.Comment: 16 pages, TeX (plain

Diffusion-Limited Coalescence with Finite Reaction Rates in One Dimension

We study the diffusion-limited process $A+A\to A$ in one dimension, with finite reaction rates. We develop an approximation scheme based on the method of Inter-Particle Distribution Functions (IPDF), which was formerly used for the exact solution of the same process with infinite reaction rate. The approximation becomes exact in the very early time regime (or the reaction-controlled limit) and in the long time (diffusion-controlled) asymptotic limit. For the intermediate time regime, we obtain a simple interpolative behavior between these two limits. We also study the coalescence process (with finite reaction rates) with the back reaction $A\to A+A$, and in the presence of particle input. In each of these cases the system reaches a non-trivial steady state with a finite concentration of particles. Theoretical predictions for the concentration time dependence and for the IPDF are compared to computer simulations. P. A. C. S. Numbers: 82.20.Mj 02.50.+s 05.40.+j 05.70.LnComment: 13 pages (and 4 figures), plain TeX, SISSA-94-0

Approximate Bayesian inference for individual-based models with emergent dynamics

Individual-based models are used in a variety of scientific domains to study systems composed of multiple agents that interact with one another and lead to complex emergent dynamics at the macroscale. A standard approach in the analysis of these systems is to specify the microscale interaction rules in a simulation model, run simulations, and then qualitatively compare outputs to empirical observations. Recently, more robust methods for inference for these types of models have been introduced, notably approximate Bayesian computation, however major challenges remain due to the computational cost of simulations and the nonlinear nature of many complex systems. Here, we compare two methods of approximate inference in a classic individual-based model of group dynamics with well-studied nonlinear macroscale behaviour; we employ a Gaussian process accelerated ABC method with an approximated likelihood and with a synthetic likelihood. We compare the accuracy of results when re-inferring parameters using a measure of macro-scale disorder (the order parameter) as a summary statistic. Our findings reveal that for a canonical simple model of animal collective movement, parameter inference is accurate and computationally efficient, even when the model is poised at the critical transition between order and disorder

The cost of surgical training: analysis of operative time for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background: Duration of surgery is a main cost factor of surgical training. The purpose of this analysis of operative times for laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LC) was to quantify the extra time and related costs in regards to the surgeons' experience in the operating room (OR). Methods: All LC performed between January 01, 2005 and December 31, 2008 in 46 hospitals reporting to the database of the Swiss Association for Quality Management in Surgery (AQC) were analyzed (n=10,010). Four levels of seniority were specified: resident (R), junior consultant (JC), senior consultant (SC), and attending surgeon (AS). The differences in operative time according to seniority were investigated in a multivariable log-linear and median regression analysis controlling for possible confounders. The OR costs were calculated by using a full cost rate in a teaching hospital. Results: A total of 9,208 LC were available for analysis; 802 had to be excluded due to missing data (n=212) or secondary major operations (n=590). Twenty-eight percent of the LC were performed by R as teaching operations (n=2,591). Compared with R, the multivariable analysis of operative time showed a median difference of −2.5min (−9.0; 4.8) for JC and −18min (−25; −11) for SC and −28min (−35; −10) for AS, respectively. The OR minute costs were €17.57, resulting in incremental costs of €492 (159; 615) per operation in case of tutorial assistance. Conclusions: The proportion of LC performed as tutorial assistance for R remains low. Surgical training in the OR causes relevant case-related extra time and therefore cost