Price to win through value modelling for service offering

a contract to deliver product service systems, and make a profit. Design/methodology/approach: Industrial case studies are used as the test bed. Combinations of subjective probability and value modelling have been used in this research. Findings: Current approaches to determine the price to win for a product oriented service contract have mainly focussed on the cost of the physical asset and its’ specification. There is little research, where the ‘value’ of the tangible and intangible aspects of a product service system to the customer is considered. The proposed approach provides the decision-maker with information on the value of their/and their competitors offering, assisting in selecting the price to bid for the service contract. Practical implications: Our approach can be used by industry to model the key value drivers for their customers and provide information on the probability of winning and probability of making a profit. This research provides a step-by-step approach for identifying uncertainties eliciting the value of the service being offered to the customer and modelling these to estimate the probability of winning. Social implications: This research provides practical guidance to decision makers and bid teams. Originality/value: Highlights how the tangible and intangible aspects of a Product Service System can be quantified in monetary terms to assist in decision-making

Nanobody-Based Immunosensor Detection Enhanced by Photocatalytic-Electrochemical Redox Cycling

peer reviewedDetection of antigenic biomarkers present in trace amounts is of crucial importance for medical diagnosis. A parasitic disease, human toxocariasis, lacks an adequate diagnostic method despite its worldwide occurrence. The currently used serology tests may stay positive even years after a possibly unnoticed infection, whereas the direct detection of a re-infection or a still active infection remains a diagnostic challenge due to the low concentration of circulating parasitic antigens. We report a time-efficient sandwich immunosensor using small recombinant single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) derived from camelid heavy-chain antibodies specific to Toxocara canis antigens. An enhanced sensitivity to pg/mL levels is achieved by using a redox cycle consisting of a photocatalytic oxidation and electrochemical reduction steps. The photocatalytic oxidation is achieved by a photosensitizer generating singlet oxygen (1O2) that, in turn, readily reacts with p-nitrophenol enzymatically produced under alkaline conditions. The photooxidation produces benzoquinone that is electrochemically reduced to hydroquinone, generating an amperometric response. The light-driven process could be easily separated from the background, thus making amperometric detection more reliable. The proposed method for detection of the toxocariasis antigen marker shows superior performances compared to other detection schemes with the same nanobodies and outperforms by at least two orders of magnitude the assays based on regular antibodies, thus suggesting new opportunities for electrochemical immunoassays of challenging low levels of antigens

The hidden faces of a biological invasion: parasite dynamics of invaders and natives

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A framework for considering uncertainty in quantitative life cycle cost estimation

Life Cycle Cost (LCC) is important information that is useful for decision making affecting complex engineering systems with extended life. Uncertainty in the estimation of LCC, especially in the early concept and definition stage, has great influence on the robustness of such decisions. Conventionally, Verification and Validation (V&V) of cost estimates is not performed, either due to economic or practical constraints. This paper presents a framework for considering uncertainties in quantitative life cycle cost estimation, focusing on the aspects that are important for understanding the discrepancies between the estimated and actual costs. Built on experience in verification and validation in engineering, the framework will be used to guide further research in this topic, where emphasis on suitable theories and models of different types of uncertainties in the estimation as well as strategies to deal with them effectively to improve decision making involving LCC will be discussed

Transmission and hybridisation dynamics of Schistosoma haematobium in the Senegal River Basin: No barrier breakdown between human and cattle schistosomiasis?

International audienc

Nanobody-based immunosensor detection enhanced by photocatalytic-electrochemical redox cycling

peer reviewedDetection of antigenic biomarkers present in trace amounts is of crucial importance for medical diagnosis. A parasitic disease, human toxocariasis, lacks an adequate diagnostic method despite its worldwide occurrence. The currently used serology tests may stay positive even years after a possibly unnoticed infection, whereas the direct detection of a re-infection or a still active infection remains a diagnostic challenge due to the low concentration of circulating parasitic antigens. We report a time-efficient sandwich immunosensor using small recombinant single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) derived from camelid heavy-chain antibodies specific to Toxocara canis antigens. An enhanced sensitivity to pg/mL levels is achieved by using a redox cycle consisting of a photocatalytic oxidation and electrochemical reduction steps. The photocatalytic oxidation is achieved by a photosensitizer generating singlet oxygen (1O2) that, in turn, readily reacts with p-nitrophenol enzymatically produced under alkaline conditions. The photooxidation produces benzoquinone that is electrochemically reduced to hydroquinone, generating an amperometric response. The light-driven process could be easily separated from the background, thus making amperometric detection more reliable. The proposed method for detection of the toxocariasis antigen marker shows superior performances compared to other detection schemes with the same nanobodies and outperforms by at least two orders of magnitude the assays based on regular antibodies, thus suggesting new opportunities for electrochemical immunoassays of challenging low levels of antigens

Ticks and Tick-borne diseases in Ireland

Throughout Europe interest in tick-borne agents is increasing, particularly with regard to those that can cause human disease. The reason for this is the apparent rise in the incidence of many tick-borne diseases (TBD's). While there has never been a national survey of ticks or TBD's in Ireland, the trend here appears to be the reverse with a decline in the incidence of some agents seemingly associated with decreasing tick numbers particularly on agricultural land. In the absence of robust baseline data, however, this development cannot be confirmed. This review collates the limited information available from several dated published records on tick species and a small number of studies focused on certain TBD's. Some pilot data on tick density and TBD agents collected in 2016 are also presented. The aim is to explore the particular situation in Ireland with regard to ticks and TBD's and to provide a reference for future workers in the field