Affordable or Premium Innovation The Influence of Individual and Contextual Factors on Innovators' Engagement in Different Innovation Types

Affordable innovations target customers with a low willingness or ability to pay. While researchers and practitioners increasingly recognise the importance of affordable innovation to society, we know little about the conditions under which individual innovators engage in affordable innovation rather than its counterpart: premium innovation. In our qualitative study of 55 innovators, we first uncover the individual and contextual factors that determine innovators' commitment to affordable and premium innovations. We also identify common combinations of factors that lead to different types of affordable and premium innovators. Finally, we highlight the conditions under which innovators move from affordable to premium innovations and from premium to affordable innovations. These results contribute to the innovation literature by showing that a conceptual distinction between affordable and premium innovations is necessary to understand individual innovative commitment and by explaining why innovators often choose premium innovations over socially relevant affordable innovations

Wie die BFH unternehmerische Initiativen fördert

Das Unternehmertum hat sich stark verändert. Neu gehören soziales oder nachhaltiges Unternehmertum, Impact Unternehmen, Low-end Innovation oder Benefit Corporations dazu. Wie die BFH das Spektrum des Unternehmertums in Forschung und Lehre abdeckt, schildern drei Dozierende

Do patients value a hospital’s innovativeness reputation? A multi-method approach to assess the relative importance of innovativeness reputation in patients’ hospital choice

Innovations in health care are costly and risky, but they also provide the opportunity for hospitals to increase quality of care, to distinguish themselves from competitors and to attract patients. While numerous hospitals strive to increase their innovativeness by adopting a costly innovation leader strategy, the question of whether this actually influences the patient’s choice remains unanswered. To understand the role of innovativeness from the patient perspective, this study conceptualizes the construct of innovativeness reputation of hospitals and determines its relevance in patients’ hospital choice decisions. In the pretest, we identified six dimensions of innovativeness reputation such as progressive work procedures and value added services. We then used three different quantitative multi-criteria decision-making methods to evaluate the relative importance of innovativeness reputation in patient choice. We collected data from 355 former German patients who had undergone elective non-emergency surgery. Overall, innovativeness reputation accounts for 11.6%–16.8% of the patient decision. Innovativeness reputation has a moderate influence on hospital choice and should be taken into account by managers. Since technical innovations are costly, hospitals should use other means to enhance their innovative image. Strategies such as emphasizing value added services can enable hospitals to increase their innovativeness reputation efficiently

The IceCube Data Acquisition System: Signal Capture, Digitization, and Timestamping

IceCube is a km-scale neutrino observatory under construction at the South Pole with sensors both in the deep ice (InIce) and on the surface (IceTop). The sensors, called Digital Optical Modules (DOMs), detect, digitize and timestamp the signals from optical Cherenkov-radiation photons. The DOM Main Board (MB) data acquisition subsystem is connected to the central DAQ in the IceCube Laboratory (ICL) by a single twisted copper wire-pair and transmits packetized data on demand. Time calibration is maintained throughout the array by regular transmission to the DOMs of precisely timed analog signals, synchronized to a central GPS-disciplined clock. The design goals and consequent features, functional capabilities, and initial performance of the DOM MB, and the operation of a combined array of DOMs as a system, are described here. Experience with the first InIce strings and the IceTop stations indicates that the system design and performance goals have been achieved.Comment: 42 pages, 20 figures, submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods

Circulating microRNAs in sera correlate with soluble biomarkers of immune activation but do not predict mortality in ART treated individuals with HIV-1 infection: A case control study

Introduction: The use of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically reduced HIV-1 associated morbidity and mortality. However, HIV-1 infected individuals have increased rates of morbidity and mortality compared to the non-HIV-1 infected population and this appears to be related to end-organ diseases collectively referred to as Serious Non-AIDS Events (SNAEs). Circulating miRNAs are reported as promising biomarkers for a number of human disease conditions including those that constitute SNAEs. Our study sought to investigate the potential of selected miRNAs in predicting mortality in HIV-1 infected ART treated individuals. Materials and Methods: A set of miRNAs was chosen based on published associations with human disease conditions that constitute SNAEs. This case: control study compared 126 cases (individuals who died whilst on therapy), and 247 matched controls (individuals who remained alive). Cases and controls were ART treated participants of two pivotal HIV-1 trials. The relative abundance of each miRNA in serum was measured, by RTqPCR. Associations with mortality (all-cause, cardiovascular and malignancy) were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Correlations between miRNAs and CD4+ T cell count, hs-CRP, IL-6 and D-dimer were also assessed. Results: None of the selected miRNAs was associated with all-cause, cardiovascular or malignancy mortality. The levels of three miRNAs (miRs -21, -122 and -200a) correlated with IL-6 while miR-21 also correlated with D-dimer. Additionally, the abundance of miRs -31, -150 and -223, correlated with baseline CD4+ T cell count while the same three miRNAs plus miR- 145 correlated with nadir CD4+ T cell count. Discussion: No associations with mortality were found with any circulating miRNA studied. These results cast doubt onto the effectiveness of circulating miRNA as early predictors of mortality or the major underlying diseases that contribute to mortality in participants treated for HIV-1 infection

Development and Validation of a Risk Score for Chronic Kidney Disease in HIV Infection Using Prospective Cohort Data from the D:A:D Study

Ristola M. on työryhmien DAD Study Grp ; Royal Free Hosp Clin Cohort ; INSIGHT Study Grp ; SMART Study Grp ; ESPRIT Study Grp jäsen.Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health issue for HIV-positive individuals, associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Development and implementation of a risk score model for CKD would allow comparison of the risks and benefits of adding potentially nephrotoxic antiretrovirals to a treatment regimen and would identify those at greatest risk of CKD. The aims of this study were to develop a simple, externally validated, and widely applicable long-term risk score model for CKD in HIV-positive individuals that can guide decision making in clinical practice. Methods and Findings A total of 17,954 HIV-positive individuals from the Data Collection on Adverse Events of Anti-HIV Drugs (D:A:D) study with >= 3 estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values after 1 January 2004 were included. Baseline was defined as the first eGFR > 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 after 1 January 2004; individuals with exposure to tenofovir, atazanavir, atazanavir/ritonavir, lopinavir/ritonavir, other boosted protease inhibitors before baseline were excluded. CKD was defined as confirmed (>3 mo apart) eGFR In the D:A:D study, 641 individuals developed CKD during 103,185 person-years of follow-up (PYFU; incidence 6.2/1,000 PYFU, 95% CI 5.7-6.7; median follow-up 6.1 y, range 0.3-9.1 y). Older age, intravenous drug use, hepatitis C coinfection, lower baseline eGFR, female gender, lower CD4 count nadir, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) predicted CKD. The adjusted incidence rate ratios of these nine categorical variables were scaled and summed to create the risk score. The median risk score at baseline was -2 (interquartile range -4 to 2). There was a 1: 393 chance of developing CKD in the next 5 y in the low risk group (risk score = 5, 505 events), respectively. Number needed to harm (NNTH) at 5 y when starting unboosted atazanavir or lopinavir/ritonavir among those with a low risk score was 1,702 (95% CI 1,166-3,367); NNTH was 202 (95% CI 159-278) and 21 (95% CI 19-23), respectively, for those with a medium and high risk score. NNTH was 739 (95% CI 506-1462), 88 (95% CI 69-121), and 9 (95% CI 8-10) for those with a low, medium, and high risk score, respectively, starting tenofovir, atazanavir/ritonavir, or another boosted protease inhibitor. The Royal Free Hospital Clinic Cohort included 2,548 individuals, of whom 94 individuals developed CKD (3.7%) during 18,376 PYFU (median follow-up 7.4 y, range 0.3-12.7 y). Of 2,013 individuals included from the SMART/ESPRIT control arms, 32 individuals developed CKD (1.6%) during 8,452 PYFU (median follow-up 4.1 y, range 0.6-8.1 y). External validation showed that the risk score predicted well in these cohorts. Limitations of this study included limited data on race and no information on proteinuria. Conclusions Both traditional and HIV-related risk factors were predictive of CKD. These factors were used to develop a risk score for CKD in HIV infection, externally validated, that has direct clinical relevance for patients and clinicians to weigh the benefits of certain antiretrovirals against the risk of CKD and to identify those at greatest risk of CKD.Peer reviewe

Synthesis of selected palladium and nickel complexes and application as catalysts in Suzuki cross coupling reactions towards potential materials for organic electronics

Abweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des VerfassersZsfassung in engl. SpracheOrganic Electronics sind ein zukunftsträchtiger Bereich der Materialchemie, der die Möglichkeit bietet, große und flexible Displays mit hoher Brillanz und geringem Energiebedarf herzustellen. Die für derartige Anwendungen erfolgversprechende Substanzklasse der a,w-Bis(4-aminophenyl)oligothiophene wurde in der Arbeitsgruppe Fröhlich untersucht und weist diesbezüglich hohes Potential auf. Einer der wichtigsten Schritte der Synthese dieser Verbindungsklasse ist die palladiumkatalysierte Suzukikupplung. Sie stellt unter anderem den finalen Schritt in der Synthese dar und sollte daher anhand von Modellsubstanzen bestmöglich voroptimiert werden. Für die Untersuchungen an Testsystemen wurden diverse Boronsäuren und -ester sowie verschieden substituierte (hetero)-aromatische Halogenide synthetisiert, um die elektronischen Eigenschaften der eigentlichen OLED-Materialien zu simulieren. Mittels dieser Substanzen wurden zwei nickel- und zwei palladiumbasierte Komplexe in unterschiedlichen Lösungsmitteln und Basen getestet. Mit Hilfe der so erhaltenen Daten wurde das erfolgversprechendste Katalysatorsystem ausgewählt und weiteren Screenings unterzogen. Es wurde weiterhin versucht, luftstabile Nickel-NHC-Komplexe mit hoher struktureller Ähnlichkeit zum laut Screening am besten geeigneten Palladium-Katalysator herzustellen und ebenfalls auf katalytische Eignung zu testen.Organic Electronics are a promising field in materials science which provide an opportunity to manufacture big and flexible displays with high brilliancy and low energy demand. a,w -Bis(4-aminophenyl)-oligothiophenes constitute a class of promising substances in this regard. Therefore such compounds were examined in the research group of Prof. Fröhlich and found to offer great potential. One of the key steps in the synthesis of this substance class is the palladium-catalysed Suzuki reaction. It represents, inter alia, the final step in this synthesis and was to be pre-optimised with model substances at the best. For studies on screening systems a series of boronic acids and esters were synthesised in order to simulate electronic properties of the OLED materials. Using these substances two nickel based and two palladium based complexes were tested in varying solvents and bases. Based on the obtained data the most promising catalytic system was subjected to further study. It was furthermore tried to synthesize air-stable nickel-NHC-complexes with a high structural similarity to the best working palladium catalyst according to the first should be tested for their catalytic suitability.9

MODELLING CONSUMER RESISTANCE TO MOBILE HEALTH APPLICATIONS

As the success of new products is essential for firm performance and economic growth, a broad research stream focuses on consumer decision making for new products. While the majority of existing research concentrates on the reasons why individuals adopt technologies, a growing number of scholars realize the need to look at factors that explain why individuals resist innovations to fully understand consumer behaviour. The existing literature provides a general model of consumer resistance but fails to empirically validate antecedents of resistance with regard to different forms of resistance. This study differentiates between rejection and opposition as the strongest form of resistance in the context of mobile health applications. The quantitative analysis of survey data derived from 752 respondents reveals that the antecedents of rejection are different from the antecedents of opposition. While the usage barrier, the valu barrier and performance risk predominantly predict the rejection of mobile health applications, physical risk and performance risk cause active opposition. The results also differ for two subgroups of mobile health applications, indicating contextual factors that need to be taken into account. This study contributes to the understanding of individual resistance behaviour and assists product developers of mobile health applications to design their products