Identifying the Benefits of Knowledge Management in the Department of Defense: A Delphi Study

Knowledge Management (KM) has been identified as one of several enablers of the current Transformation effort in the Department of Defense (DoD). Knowledge management is the attempt to recognize what is essentially a human asset buried in the minds of individuals, and leverage it into an organizational asset that can be accessed and used by a broader set of individuals on whose decisions the firm depends (Davenport & Prusak, 1998). The ultimate goal of KM is to take advantage of this knowledge asset in order to provide some level of benefit to the organization (Davenport & Prusak, 1998; Nonaka, 1996). However, many in both the military and civilian information resource management communities believe that KM provides nothing beyond what is already accomplished with information management. Given that serious resources are already being committed to KM in the DoD, it follows that identifying the benefits derived from KM from a DoD perspective is highly desirable. Several organizations within the DoD have started using KM and are now interested in identifying and, subsequently, measuring its benefits to gauge success. While many studies have been undertaken to identify the benefits of KM in the commercial sector, similar efforts to investigate the benefits in a DoD context are lacking. Using a Delphi study involving key DoD KM experts, this research aims to identify the major benefits associated with KM practice from a strictly DoD perspective. (27 tables, 8 figures, 45 refs.

When should customers control service delivery? Implications for service design

What do a Mongolian stir-fry restaurant and a medical lab providing home testing solutions have in common? They are both innovative services that base their success on customers controlling part of the service delivery. These providers allow service tasks to be performed by the customers as a means of shaping the overall experience and not strictly as a means of "outsourcing" the service. Motivated by such practices, we explore whether and how should providers allocate the control of different tasks of their service to the customers. We model services as multi-step processes with each step affecting customers' experience at other steps. At certain steps the provider may hold an “expert" role and be more capable of performing than the customers, whereas at other steps she holds an “administrative" role and is less capable of performing than the customers. We distinguish between routine services, where the service outcome must conform to standardized specifications, and non-routine services, where the value of the service outcome relies on subjective dimensions. We show that the optimal design is determined by an economically intuitive rule whereby the provider controls the steps based on the marginal benefit she can derive compared to self-service. For routine services, this rule translates to managing “blocks" of steps because the provider benefits from containing the volatility of the experiences across the service even when this implies the provision of service steps with a negative marginal benefit, i.e., steps which she is less capable of performing than the customers. Instead, in non-routine services providers should focus on the value advantage they can ensure through a "core provision" even if this implies forgoing control of steps for which they are more capable of performing than the customers and from which they can derive positive marginal benefit. This implies that in non-routine services the provider exercises more control up to a certain process length; beyond that she delegates more steps to the customers. When customers differ in their abilities to perform the different steps, the provider may offer a service line. Service lines facilitate better segmentation than a single service offering, but their economic benefit exhibits an inverted “U-shaped" relationship with respect to the number of steps that a service comprises. Finally, we find that competition between two providers who differ in their capabilities to perform a service results in service design differentiation where the more capable provider offers a higher-end "focused service" against a lower-end "super-service" offered from the less capable provider

An approach to the cooperation for innovation in the service sector

This study examines how firms cooperate for innovation in the services sector. We tested the theoretical development using cluster analysis and ordinal logit regression analysis with firm-level data collected from the Spanish Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for the period 2011-2013. Overall, 2,622 service firms have been used. This research contributes as follows: firstly, the findings show that the greater degree of penetration into the innovation modes of the firms means that the intensity of the use of cooperative agreements as well as the diversity of cooperative partners increases. Secondly, the empirical evidence for the taxonomy of innovation development in the service sector provides firms with the ways how to innovate based on their strategic orientation

Actinopolyspora algeriensis sp. nov., a novel halophilic actinomycete isolated from a Saharan soil

A halophilic actinomycete strain designated H19T, was isolated from a Saharan soil in the Bamendil region (Ouargla province, South Algeria) and was characterized taxonomically by using a polyphasic approach. The morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics of the strain were consistent with those of members of the genus Actinopolyspora, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis confirmed that strain H19T was a novel species of the genus Actinopolyspora. DNA–DNA hybridization value between strain H19T and the nearest Actinopolyspora species, A. halophila, was clearly below the 70 % threshold. The genotypic and phenotypic data showed that the organism represents a novel species of the genus Actinopolyspora for which the name Actinopolyspora algeriensis sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain H19T (= DSM 45476T = CCUG 62415T)

Teratology Studies on Lewisite and Sulfur Mustard Agents: Effects of Sulfur Mustard in Rats and Rabbits

Sulfur mustard (HD) was administered to rats and rabbits by intragastric intubation. Rats were dosed daily from 6 through 15 days of gestation (dg) with 0. 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 mg of HD/kg; rabbits were dosed with 0, 0.4, 0.6 or 0.8 mg/kg on 6 through 19 dg. Maternal animals were weighed periodically and, at necropsy, were examined for gross lesions of major organs and reproductive performance; live fetuses were weighed and examined for external, internal and skeletal defects. In rats, reductions in body weights were observed in maternal animals and their female fetuses at the lowest administered dose (0.5 mg/kg), but the incidence of fetal malformations was not increased. In rabbits the highest administered dose (0.8 mg/kg) induced maternal mortality and depressed body weight measures but did not affect fetal development. These results suggest that orally administered HD is not teratogenic in rats and rabbits since fetal effects were observed only at dose levels that induced frank maternal toxicity. Estimations of dose ranges for "no observable effects levels" in rats and rabbits, respectively, were: 0.8 mg/kg in their fetuses

Toxicology Studies on Lewisite and Sulfur Mustard Agents: Two-Generation Reproduction Study of Lewisite in Rats Final Report

Occupational health standards have not been established for Lewisite [bis(2-chlorethyl)arsine], a potent toxic vesicant which reacts with the sulfhydryl groups of proteins through its arsenic group. The purposes of this study were to determine the reproductive consequences and dose~response of continuing Lewisite exposure of parental males and females and their offspring in a 42-week two-generation study. Solutions of Lewisite were prepared for administration by diluting the neat agent with sesame oil. Rats were administered Lewisite (0, 0.10, 0.25 or 0.60 mg/kg/day for 5 days a week) via intragastric intubation prior to mating, during mating and after mating until the birth of their offspring. The dams continued to receive Lewisite during lactation. At weaning, male and female offspring of each group were selected to continue on the study; rece1v1ng Lewisite during adolescence, mating and throughout gestation. Again, the dams continued to receive Lewisite until weaning of the offspring. Lewisite had no adverse effect on reproduction performance, fertility or reproductive organ weights of male or female rats through two consecutive generations. No adverse effect to offspring were attributed to Lewisite exposure. Minor changes in growth was the only maternal effect observed. Lewisite exposure of parental rats caused no gross or microscopic lesions in testes, epididymis, prostrate, seminal vesicles, ovaries, uterus or vagina. Severe inflammation of the lung was observed at necropsy in cases in which Lewisite gained access to the respiratory system from accidental dosing or reflux and aspiration; this usually caused early death of the animal. The NOEL for reproductive effects in this study was greater than 0.60 mg/kg/day

Population genomics supports clona reproduction and multiple independent gains and losses of parasitic abilities in the most devastating nematode pest.

International audienc

Erasmus Language students in a British University – a case study

Students’ assessment of their academic experience is actively sought by Higher Education institutions, as evidenced in the National Student Survey introduced in 2005. Erasmus students, despite their growing numbers, tend to be excluded from these satisfaction surveys, even though they, too, are primary customers of a University. This study aims to present results from bespoke questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with a sample of Erasmus students studying languages in a British University. These methods allow us insight into the experience of these students and their assessment as a primary customer, with a focus on language learning and teaching, university facilities and student support. It investigates to what extent these factors influence their levels of satisfaction and what costs of adaptation if any, they encounter. Although excellent levels of satisfaction were found, some costs affect their experience. They relate to difficulties in adapting to a learning methodology based on a low number of hours and independent learning and to a guidance and support system seen as too stifling. The results portray this cohort’s British University as a well-equipped and well-meaning but ultimately overbearing institution, which may indicate that minimising costs can eliminate some sources of dissatisfaction

Low-Dose Imaging in a New Preclinical Total-Body PET/CT Scanner.

Ionizing radiation constitutes a health risk to imaging scientists and study animals. Both PET and CT produce ionizing radiation. CT doses in pre-clinical in vivo imaging typically range from 50 to 1,000 mGy and biological effects in mice at this dose range have been previously described. [ <sup>18</sup> F]FDG body doses in mice have been estimated to be in the range of 100 mGy for [ <sup>18</sup> F]FDG. Yearly, the average whole body doses due to handling of activity by PET technologists are reported to be 3-8 mSv. A preclinical PET/CT system is presented with design features which make it suitable for small animal low-dose imaging. The CT subsystem uses a X-source power that is optimized for small animal imaging. The system design incorporates a spatial beam shaper coupled with a highly sensitive flat-panel detector and very fast acquisition (<10 s) which allows for whole body scans with doses as low as 3 mGy. The mouse total-body PET subsystem uses a detector architecture based on continuous crystals, coupled to SiPM arrays and a readout based in rows and columns. The PET field of view is 150 mm axial and 80 mm transaxial. The high solid-angle coverage of the sample and the use of continuous crystals achieve a sensitivity of 9% (NEMA) that can be leveraged for use of low tracer doses and/or performing rapid scans. The low-dose imaging capabilities of the total-body PET subsystem were tested with NEMA phantoms, in tumor models, a mouse bone metabolism scan and a rat heart dynamic scan. The CT imaging capabilities were tested in mice and in a low contrast phantom. The PET low-dose phantom and animal experiments provide evidence that image quality suitable for preclinical PET studies is achieved. Furthermore, CT image contrast using low dose scan settings was suitable as a reference for PET scans. Total-body mouse PET/CT studies could be completed with total doses of <10 mGy