Servitization 2.0: The significance of product and service dominant logics for public service organisations

This conceptual paper explores servitization as significant to public service organisations (PSOs) within which there is a requirement to administer lean and sustainable provision. It specifically appreciates that the digital transformation of services has embraced customer processing machine technologies that facilitate volume growth alongside information sharing; thus, fostering co-operation within collaborative network systems whilst pro-actively operating as elements of the product-service system (PSS). It demonstrates the significance of good-dominant logic (GDL) and service-dominant logic (SDL) perspectives when considering servitization within specific PSOs, and therefore seeks to better understand the strategic and operational realities for the era of Servitization 2.0

Temporal adaptations in generic and population-specific quality of life and falls efficacy in men with recent lower-limb amputations

This study examined the longitudinal changes in generic health-related quality of life (QOL), prosthesis-related QOL, falls efficacy, and walking speed in men with lower-limb amputations up to 6 months following discharge from rehabilitation. Seven male unilateral transtibial amputees completed the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire, and the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale at 1, 3, and 6 months postdischarge from rehabilitation. Walking speed was also recorded to objectively assess participants’ mobility. Health-related QOL measures displayed increases, resulting in large effect sizes though not reaching statistical significance. Prosthesis-related QOL measures indicated that scales relating to the participants’ prostheses improved and the support of significant others was the most positively scored variable. Walking speed increased by 0.12 m/ s, although it was not significantly related to indices of QOL or falls efficacy. Falls efficacy did not improve significantly during the study period, although it was strongly related to QOL ( p < 0.05). These results provide a novel insight into how QOL and falls efficacy develop in people with lower-limb amputations, alongside changes in mobility, after discharge from rehabilitation. Further improvements in physical health following discharge may be required to elicit subsequent increases in overall QOL and concurrent improvements in falls efficacy

Gold nanowires and their chemical modifications

Equilibrium structure, local densities of states, and electronic transport in a gold nanowire made of a four-atom chain supported by two gold electrodes, which has been imaged recently by high-resolution electron microscopy, and chemical modification of the wire via the adsorption of a methylthiol molecule, are investigated with ab-initio local density functional simulations. In the bare wire at the imaged geometry the middle two atoms dimerize, and the structure is strongly modified by the adsorption of the molecule with an accompanying increase of the ballistic conductance through the wire.Comment: To appear as Letter in Oct 21,1999, issue of J. Phys. Chem. B. (RevTex, 4 gif figures

The strategies that peanut and nut-allergic consumers employ to remain safe when travelling abroad

Copyright @ 2012 Barnett et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Background: An understanding of the management strategies used by food allergic individuals is needed as a prerequisite to improving avoidance and enhancing quality of life. Travel abroad is a high risk time for severe and fatal food allergic reactions, but there is paucity of research concerning foreign travel. This study is the first to investigate the experiences of, and strategies used by peanut and tree nut allergic individuals when travelling abroad. Methods: Thirty-two adults with a clinical history of reaction to peanuts or tree nuts consistent with IgE-mediated allergy participated in a qualitative interview study. Results: Travel abroad was considered difficult with inherent risks for allergic individuals. Many participants recounted difficulties with airlines or restaurants. Inconsistency in managing allergen avoidance by airlines was a particular risk and a cause of frustration to participants. Individuals used a variety of strategies to remain safe including visiting familiar environments, limiting their activities, carrying allergy information cards in the host language, preparing their own food and staying close to medical facilities. Conclusions: Participants used a variety of allergen avoidance strategies, which were mostly extensions or modifications of the strategies that they use when eating at home or eating-out in the UK. The extended strategies reflected their recognition of enhanced risk during travel abroad. Their risk assessments and actions were generally well informed and appropriate. A need for airline policy regarding allergy to be declared and adhered to is needed, as is more research to quantify the true risks of airborne allergens in the cabin. Recommendations arising from our study are presented.This study is funded by the UK Food Standards Agency under project code T07058

Industry 4.0: Exploring Collaborative Supply Networks from the Pespective of Servitization of a Mature Public Transport System

Digital transformation in the era of Industry 4.0, with its revised, prescribed frameworks of practice, include those which are redefining the contextual characteristics that strongly advocate collaboration within the supply chain; and in doing so, see this element of the operations function as being an increasingly critical contributor to operational performance. We deepen the understanding of the concept and operationalization of the collaborative supply network in terms of it being a value ecosystem wherein value is captured and exploited within servitization practices (Baines & Lightfoot, 2013), as present within a mature public transport system