Customer journey analysis in household waste management services

Abstract. This Master’s Thesis studies the customer journey, value elements and the customers’ broad value creation process in the business context of private household waste management for first-time house-owners. The main research question is defined as follows: What are the value elements for the customer in different touchpoints of the customer journey upon acquiring and using private household waste management services? The objective is to create a customer journey map for the case company’s defined segment of first-time house-owners, and to provide relevant research data and insight about what is perceived valuable in their service. By applying the customer journey and the mapped service touchpoints with the discovered value elements, the thesis client will be able to embed the studied value elements to their service offering and journey for a better service experience for new house-owners. The main theoretical framework consists of customer journey as a timeline for the customer experience in a purchase process; phases of a purchase process and service touchpoints included. Service-dominant logic and further complementary critical service logic and its value creation spheres depict how value is created in use by the customer, facilitated by dynamic, reciprocal value proposition. These aspects are adapted and combined in a novel framework by the researcher to illustrate the customer journey as an experience of a purchase process and value creation as value-in-use in the customer’s own sphere. The research method used in the study is justifiably a qualitative case study as an empirical method to study social phenomena of particular interest to real-life stakeholders such as organizations and their managerial processes within important contextual conditions. The data collection is carried out by conducting semi-structured interviews to customers in the target segment. Eight households are interviewed, at which point data saturation for generalizing the findings is seen to have been reached. The data analysis of all the respective customer journey blueprints enables the researcher to compose a conclusive illustration of a fifteen-step customer journey map and to identify the main touchpoints and value elements as part of the broad value creation process of the target customer segment. The output of the customer journey analysis is also applied to the previously created own theoretical framework, and the most relevant theoretical aspects are further discussed. The researched value elements in different touchpoints of the customer journey can be summarized as affordability; supporting local business; prompt, simple and friendly customer service; service offering fulfilling own needs; service delivery on schedule; reliable, effortless usage of the service. Conclusions as managerial implications in the client’s behalf are also provided. Lastly, the quality of the research is evaluated in the case study’s context and some discussion of this and future research in the case company’s context is had

Network structures and temporal stability of self- and informant-rated affective symptoms in Alzheimer's disease

Background: Affective symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be rated with both informantand self-ratings. Information from these two modalities may not converge. We estimated network structures of affective symptoms in AD with both rating modalities and assessed the longitudinal stability of the networks. Methods: Network analyses combining self-rated and informant-rated affective symptoms were conducted in 3198 individuals with AD at two time points (mean follow-up 387 days), drawn from the NACC database. Self rated symptoms were assessed by Geriatric Depression Scale, and informant-rated symptoms included depression, apathy and anxiety questions from Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire. Results: Informant-rated symptoms were mainly connected to symptoms expressing lack of positive affect, but not to the more central symptoms of self-rated worthlessness and helplessness. Networks did not differ in structure (p = .71), or connectivity (p = .92) between visits. Symptoms formed four clinically meaningful clusters of depressive symptoms and decline, lack of positive affect, informant-rated apathy and anxiety and informant-rated depression. Limitations: The symptom dynamics in our study could have been present before AD diagnosis. The lack of positive affect cluster may represent a methodological artefact rather than a theoretically meaningful subgroup. Requiring follow-up lead to a selection of patients with less cognitive decline. Conclusions: Informant rating may only capture the more visible affective symptoms, such as not being in good spirits, instead of more central and severe symptoms, such as hopelessness and worthlessness. Future research should continue to be mindful of differences between self- and informant-rated symptoms even in earlier stages of AD.Peer reviewe

Biologian aineenopettajaopiskelijoiden käsityksiä luonnon monimuotoisuudesta, luontokadosta sekä saavutetuista opetusvalmiuksista

Tiivistelmä. Luonnon monimuotoisuuden heikkeneminen on ihmiskunnan suurimpia ympäristökysymyksiä. Luonnon monimuotoisuus ja luontokato ovat keskeisiä teemoja erityisesti biologian opetuksen sisällöissä peruskoulun ja lukion opetussuunnitelman perusteissa. Biologian opettajat ovat tärkeässä roolissa vaikuttamassa siihen, millaisia luonnon monimuotoisuuteen liittyviä tietoja, arvoja ja asenteita siirretään tuleville sukupolville. Tämän takia myös opettajilla tulisi olla riittävä ymmärrys luonnon monimuotoisuudesta, jotta he voivat siirtää sen tuleville sukupolville. Kuitenkin on huomattu, että biologian aineenopettajaopiskelijoilla saattaa olla hyvinkin vaihtelevia käsityksiä luonnon monimuotoisuudesta. Tässä tutkimuksessa haluttiin selvittää: 1) Millaisia käsityksiä biologian ja maantieteen aineenopettajilla on luonnon monimuotoisuudesta ja luontokadosta sekä sen tärkeimmistä aiheuttajista Suomen ja maailman mittakaavassa? 2) Miten aineenopettajaopiskelijat kokevat luonnon monimuotoisuuden ja luontokadon opettamisen? 3) Mistä aineenopettajaopiskelijat saavat luonnon monimuotoisuuteen ja luontokatoon liittyvät tietonsa? Tutkimuksen perusjoukkona toimi Suomen biologian aineenopettajaopiskelijat. Tutkimus toteutettiin monimenetelmällisenä otantatutkimuksena, jossa aineisto kerättiin edellä mainituista yliopistoista sähköisellä 21 kysymystä sisältävällä Google Forms kyselylomakkeella, joka lähetettiin Oulun, Helsingin, Turun ja Itä-Suomen yliopistoon. Kyselyssä oli neljä osiota ja se sisältä niin avoimia kuin suljettuja kysymyksiä. Aineiston analyysissä avoimet kysymykset analysoitiin sisällönanalyysillä, tuloksista muodostettiin taulukoita ja aineisto myös kvantifioitiin. Suljetuilla kysymyksillä kerättyä aineistoa tarkasteltiin lineaarisella mallinnuksella kuvaajien lisäksi. Kyselyyn vastasi 40 opiskelijaa, joista puolet opiskeli Oulun yliopistossa. Tutkimuksen mukaan biologian aineenopettajaopiskelijat kokevat luonnon monimuotoisuuden tärkeäksi ja tietotaitonsa sekä valmiutensa opettaa luonnon monimuotoisuutta hyväksi. Aineenopettajaopiskelijoiden käsitykset luonnon monimuotoisuudesta ja luontokadosta ovat kuitenkin osittain puutteellisia. Aineenopettajaopiskelijoiden käsityksissä luonnon monimuotoisuudesta ja luontokadosta on havaittavissa median yksipuolistava vaikutus ja valtaosa aineenopettajaopiskelijoista käyttikin uutismediaa yhtenä pääasiallisena tiedonlähteenä yliopiston ohella luonnon monimuotoisuuteen ja luontokatoon liittyvissä teemoissa. Ainoastaan 25 % vastaajista tarkasteli luonnon monimuotoisuuden käsitettä sen kaikilla kolmella tasolla, kun taas 42,5 % näki luonnon monimuotoisuuden vain lajien monimuotoisuutena. Vastaajien näkemys erityisen monimuotoisista alueista keskittyy Amazonin sademetsäalueeseen ja monimuotoisuuden säilyttämisen tärkeys nähtiin yleisimmin ekosysteemipalveluiden ja luonnon itseisarvon kautta. Ilmastonmuutos nähtiin merkittävimpänä luontokadon aiheuttajana ja saastuminen sekä vieraslajit vähiten merkittävänä. Vastaajien mielestä uhanalaisimmat luontotyypit Suomessa ovat perinneympäristöt, suot ja Itämeri ja metsäluontotyypit valittiin uhanalaisimpien joukkoon vain 25 % toimesta. Perinneympäristöt, metsät ja suot valittiin kuitenkin asuttamaan eniten uhanalaisia lajeja ja metsäympäristöjen muutokset nähtiin merkittävimpänä lajien uhanalaisuuden aiheuttajana yhdessä ojituksen ja turpeenoton sekä ilmastonmuutoksen kanssa. Vastaajat yliarvioivat ilmastonmuutoksen merkityksen luontokadon aiheuttajana. Lähes puolet vastaajista ei kokenut luonnon monimuotoisuuteen liittyvien teemojen opettamista helpoksi taikka haastavaksi, kun taas 37,5 % koki opettamisen melko helpoksi. Haastavuutta lisäsi erityisesti aiheen laajuus ja vakavuus, kun taas opettamista helpotti aiheen helppo lähestyttävyys ja näkyvyys. Valtaosa koki saavuttaneensa opiskelujen aikana hyvät valmiudet opettaa luonnon monimuotoisuuteen liittyviä osa-alueita, mutta kestävä kehitys ja arvo- ja asennekasvatus jakoivat mielipiteitä. Vastaajista 38 % ei kokenut opetuksessa olevan kehitettävää, mutta 26 % toivoi saavansa opiskelujen aikana lisää tietoa luontokadosta niin Suomessa kuin muualla maailmassa

Regularity of maximal functions on Hardy–Sobolev spaces

We prove that maximal operators of convolution type associated to smooth kernels are bounded in the homogeneous Hardy–Sobolev spaces H1,p(Rd) when p > d/(d + 1). This range of exponents is sharp. As a by-product of the proof, we obtain similar results for the local Hardy–Sobolev spaces h1,p(Rd) in the same range of exponents

Expression of Ciona intestinalis AOX causes male reproductive defects in Drosophila melanogaster

Background: Mitochondrial alternative respiratory-chain enzymes are phylogenetically widespread, and buffer stresses affecting oxidative phosphorylation in species that possess them. However, they have been lost in the evolutionary lineages leading to vertebrates and arthropods, raising the question as to what survival or reproductive disadvantages they confer. Recent interest in using them in therapy lends a biomedical dimension to this question. Methods: Here, we examined the impact of the expression of Ciona intestinalis alternative oxidase, AOX, on the reproductive success of Drosophila melanogaster males. Sperm-competition assays were performed between flies carrying three copies of a ubiquitously expressed AOX construct, driven by the a-tubulin promoter, and wild-type males of the same genetic background. Results: In sperm-competition assays, AOX conferred a substantial disadvantage, associated with decreased production of mature sperm. Sperm differentiation appeared to proceed until the last stages, but was spatially deranged, with spermatozoids retained in the testis instead of being released to the seminal vesicle. High AOX expression was detected in the outermost cell-layer of the testis sheath, which we hypothesize may disrupt a signal required for sperm maturation. Conclusions: AOX expression in Drosophila thus has effects that are deleterious to male reproductive function. Our results imply that AOX therapy must be developed with caution.Peer reviewe

Expression of Ciona intestinalis AOX causes male reproductive defects in Drosophila melanogaster

Background: Mitochondrial alternative respiratory-chain enzymes are phylogenetically widespread, and buffer stresses affecting oxidative phosphorylation in species that possess them. However, they have been lost in the evolutionary lineages leading to vertebrates and arthropods, raising the question as to what survival or reproductive disadvantages they confer. Recent interest in using them in therapy lends a biomedical dimension to this question. Methods: Here, we examined the impact of the expression of Ciona intestinalis alternative oxidase, AOX, on the reproductive success of Drosophila melanogaster males. Sperm-competition assays were performed between flies carrying three copies of a ubiquitously expressed AOX construct, driven by the a-tubulin promoter, and wild-type males of the same genetic background. Results: In sperm-competition assays, AOX conferred a substantial disadvantage, associated with decreased production of mature sperm. Sperm differentiation appeared to proceed until the last stages, but was spatially deranged, with spermatozoids retained in the testis instead of being released to the seminal vesicle. High AOX expression was detected in the outermost cell-layer of the testis sheath, which we hypothesize may disrupt a signal required for sperm maturation. Conclusions: AOX expression in Drosophila thus has effects that are deleterious to male reproductive function. Our results imply that AOX therapy must be developed with caution.Peer reviewe

Air quality resolution for health impact assessment: influence of regional characteristics

We evaluate how regional characteristics of population and background pollution might impact the selection of optimal air quality model resolution when calculating the human health impacts of changes to air quality. Using an approach consistent with air quality policy evaluation, we use a regional chemical transport model (CAMx) and a health benefit mapping program (BenMAP) to calculate the human health impacts associated with changes in ozone and fine particulate matter resulting from an emission reduction scenario. We evaluate this same scenario at 36, 12 and 4 km resolution for nine regions in the eastern US representing varied characteristics. We find that the human health benefits associated with changes in ozone concentrations are sensitive to resolution. This finding is especially strong in urban areas where we estimate that benefits calculated using coarse resolution results are on average two times greater than benefits calculated using finer scale results. In three urban areas we analyzed, results calculated using 36 km resolution modeling fell outside the uncertainty range of results calculated using finer scale modeling. In rural areas the influence of resolution is less pronounced with only an 8% increase in the estimated health impacts when using 36 km resolution over finer scales. In contrast, health benefits associated with changes in PM[subscript 2.5] concentrations were not sensitive to resolution and did not follow a pattern based on any regional characteristics evaluated. The largest difference between the health impacts estimated using 36 km modeling results and either 12 or 4 km results was at most ±10% in any region. Several regions showed increases in estimated benefits as resolution increased (opposite the impact seen with ozone modeling), while some regions showed decreases in estimated benefits as resolution increased. In both cases, the dominant contribution was from secondary PM. Additionally, we found that the health impacts calculated using several individual concentration–response functions varied by a larger amount than the impacts calculated using results modeled at different resolutions. Given that changes in PM[subscript 2.5] dominate the human health impacts, and given the uncertainty associated with human health response to changes in air pollution, we conclude that, when estimating the human health benefits associated with decreases in ozone and PM[subscript 2.5] together, the benefits calculated at 36 km resolution agree, within errors, with the benefits calculated using fine (12 km or finer) resolution modeling when using the current methodology for assessing policy decisions.United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Science to Achieve Results Program (Grant R834279)MIT Energy Initiative (Total Energy Fellowship)United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Science (Grant DE-FG02-94ER61937)Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Joint Program on the Science & Policy of Global Chang