Product and Service Innovation: Ideas for Future Cross-Disciplinary Research

[Excerpt] The second annual Product and Service Innovation Conference was held in February 2005 in Park City, Utah. The conference brought together over 40 distinguished and upcoming scholars from 30 flagship universities all over the United States. The purpose of the conference is to unite leading scholars in the fields of operations management and marketing and to promote an open dialog among different academic fields on the subject of product and service innovation. The conference provides a venue where participants have ample opportunities to learn about advances in innovation research, to leverage each other’s work, and to discuss future research directions. The conference is designed to support cross-disciplinary research and to bridge the divide between marketing and operations approaches to studying innovation. Marketing and operations ‘‘are two components of one of the first economic paradigms that a management student encounters—the point of tangency between the production–possibility frontier and consumer preference curves. Unfortunately, the relationship between these two functions has often been uncomfortable if not adversarial’’ (Karmarkar, 1996, p. 125), thus creating an interdisciplinary divide and limiting the research opportunities in this area. The underlying reasons for the existence of this divide between operations and marketing were explored during a panel discussion that wrapped up this year’s conference. The main culprits identified for the lack of cross disciplinary research include the lack of acceptance of paradigm breaking or shifting research, the shortage of publication outlets, and the negative stigma associated with cross-disciplinary research by the research community. Although cross-disciplinary research is vital to studying innovation, many challenges prevent the advancement of this type of research. The purpose of this article is to summarize the challenges faced today by cross-disciplinary scholars and also to address the future research priorities in this area. The present article is organized as follows. First, the current issues in cross-disciplinary research are discussed, as well as ways to overcome some of the obstacles that deter the field’s development. Next, cross-disciplinary research priorities are presented as identified by previous literature and conference panel discussions, as well as the ranking of these priorities resulting from the present survey study. Finally, the implications of the findings on the future of cross-disciplinary research are discussed

Field dependence of the magnetocaloric effect in Gd and (Er 1-xDyx)Al2: Does a universal curve exist?

The field dependence of the magnetic entropy change of ferromagnetic lanthanide- based materials has been studied. The recently proposed master curve for the field dependence of the magnetocaloric effect of Fe-based amorphous alloys can also be constructed for these lanthanide-based crystalline materials, suggesting a universal behavior. The exponent n controlling the field dependence of the magnetic entropy change can be used for the interpretation of results in the case of multiple magnetic ordering phenomena

Rice Straw Geotextile As Ground Cover ForSoil Erosion Mitigation

Generally, the study aimed to mitigate soil erosion using rice straw geotextile as ground cover. Specifically, it attempted to: evaluate the effect of RSM and RSN as ground cover in mitigating soil erosion at varying slope gradients and different rainfall intensities, and; determine the relationship of slope gradient versus sediment concentration, sediment yield and quantity of soil loss at different levels of rainfall intensity. Results revealed that RSGT as ground cover greatly affected soil erosion. Under rainfall intensities of 75, 100 and 125 mm/hr, RSM had significantly lower soil loss as compared to RSN, CCN And NGC. However, RSN and CCN were comparable with each other but differ significantly with NGC.  Sediment concentration, sediment yield and soil erosion exhibited a nonlinear relationship with slope gradient. At any given level of rainfall intensity, the three indicators increased correspondingly as the slope was increased from 10 to 35o and then  declined when  the slope was further  increased from 35 to 60o. Sediment concentration best fitted (R2 = 0.977) in a quadratic model in the form of a second-degree polynomial equation: SC = 0.551 + 0.626S - 0.008S2 Likewise, observed sediment yield best fitted (R2 = 0.954) a second degree polynomial equation as expressed by a quadratic model: SY = 356.0 + 61.70S – 0.972S2 Moreover, the observed soil erosion was best modeled with R2 = 97.1% confidence by a second degree polynomial equation. The regression model is quadratic in form and is given by the equation: SE = 68.92 + 11.11S - 0.174S2. Keywords: rice straw, geotextile, ground cover, soil erosion, mitigation, rainfall simulatio

perceptions and choices among rheumatology outpatients

OBJECTIVE: Biobanks for research (BBR) have enormous value for research, including those specifically oriented to chronic diseases. Knowing public attitudes and perceptions is key to design and implement patient-centered BBR. We assessed patient awareness, perception and choices among rheumatology outpatients regarding aging biobanking activities. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of patients, aged 50 or older, attending an outpatient rheumatology tertiary department. Demographic data and perceptions about biobanking were collected and statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: 132 valid questionnaires were obtained (mean age: 63,4; 68,2% female; mean education years: 8,35). 61,7% of respondents did not know the specific term "biobank", 57,7% knew they could donate biological material for BBR, 89,9% agreed with these infrastructures and 88,3% would consider participation Those participants with more years of education were more knowledgeable and prone to biobank participation. Willingness to participate in BBR was mainly related (86,4%) to the advancement of scientific knowledge and not individual gain. Scientific research institutes were indicated as the most adequate institutions to manage BBR. Informed consent, anonymity and confidentiality ranked as top requisites for biobank participation. 61,3% of respondents expressed their agreement with aging biobanks, considering these as a sign of respect for specific problems of people of older ages such as higher disease burdens. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of biobanks was found to be limited. Participants were positive toward the setting up of biobanks in general and patient-centered aging biobanks in particular. Knowledge about biobanks and acceptance were higher among participants with higher education years.publishersversionpublishe

Changing indications and socio-demographic determinants of (adeno)tonsillectomy among children in England--are they linked? A retrospective analysis of hospital data.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether increased awareness and diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) and national guidance on tonsillectomy for recurrent tonsillitis have influenced the socio-demographic profile of children who underwent tonsillectomy over the last decade. METHOD: Retrospective time-trends study of Hospital Episodes Statistics data. We examined the age, sex and deprivation level, alongside OSAS diagnoses, among children aged <16 years who underwent (adeno)tonsillectomy in England between 2001/2 and 2011/12. RESULTS: Among children aged <16 years, there were 29,697 and 27,732 (adeno)tonsillectomies performed in 2001/2 and 2011/12, respectively. The median age at (adeno)tonsillectomy decreased from 7 (IQR: 5-11) to 5 (IQR: 4-9) years over the decade. (Adeno)tonsillectomy rates among children aged 4-15 years decreased by 14% from 350 (95%CI: 346-354) in 2001/2 to 300 (95%CI: 296-303) per 100,000 children in 2011/12. However, (adeno)tonsillectomy rates among children aged <4 years increased by 58% from 135 (95%CI: 131-140) to 213 (95%CI 208-219) per 100,000 children in 2001/2 and 2011/2, respectively. OSAS diagnoses among children aged <4 years who underwent surgery increased from 18% to 39% between these study years and the proportion of children aged <4 years with OSAS from the most deprived areas increased from 5% to 12%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: (Adeno)tonsillectomy rates declined among children aged 4-15 years, which reflects national guidelines recommending the restriction of the operation to children with more severe recurrent throat infections. However, (adeno)tonsillectomy rates among pre-school children substantially increased over the past decade and one in five children undergoing the operation was aged <4 years in 2011/12.The increase in surgery rates in younger children is likely to have been driven by increased awareness and detection of OSAS, particularly among children from the most deprived areas

Extracción y purificación de timol y carvacol en orégano (Lippia graveolens Kunth) para su evaluación biológica sobre semillas de maíz cebú (Zea mays L.) y sorgo (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) como fitorregulador natural.

México es el principal exportador a nivel mundial de orégano mexicano; debido al contenido de aceite esencial. Su contenido de metabolitos secundarios se relaciona con el proceso de germinación y actividad biológica de muchas plantas dependiendo de la dosis. Los cereales juegan un papel primordial en la vida alimenticia del hombre por la fuente de nutrientes que proporciona, así como la gran importancia económica, en México se hace necesario estudiar el Maíz Cebú y Sorgo , los cuales por sus características agronómicas y nutricionales pudieran aportar grandes beneficios en la alimentación, a nivel mundial. Se evaluó el efecto de timol y carvacrol durante la germinación de semillas de maíz y sorgo. Se colocaron 20 semillas por caja petri en cuatro grupos de 15 cajas para cada tratamiento: 2,1, 0.1 (ppm) y el control. A los 9 días se cortó por separado radícula, coleoptilo y endospermo. Los resultados para peso seco de coleoptilo y radícula mostraron diferencias significativas entre los tratamientos pero no entre las especies, mientras que para el peso seco del endospermo las diferencias son significativas tanto entre genotipos como entre tratamientos. A menor concentración existe un estímulo en el crecimiento. Los extractos de orégano podrían funcionar como estimulantes naturales

Can Breast Tumors Affect the Oxidative Status of the Surrounding Environment? A Comparative Analysis among Cancerous Breast, Mammary Adjacent Tissue, and Plasma

In this paper, we investigated the oxidative profile of breast tumors in comparison with their normal adjacent breast tissue. Our study indicates that breast tumors present enhanced oxidative/nitrosative stress, with concomitant augmented antioxidant capacity when compared to the adjacent normal breast. These data indicate that breast cancers may be responsible for the induction of a prooxidant environment in the mammary gland, in association with enhanced TNF-α and nitric oxide

How students perceive medical competences: a cross-cultural study between the Medical Course in Portugal and African Portuguese Speaking Countries

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A global effort has been made in the last years to establish a set of core competences that define the essential professional competence of a physician. Regardless of the environment, culture or medical education conditions, a set of core competences is required for medical practice worldwide. Evaluation of educational program is always needed to assure the best training for medical students and ultimately best care for patients. The aim of this study was to determine in what extent medical students in Portugal and Portuguese speaking African countries, felt they have acquired the core competences to start their clinical practice. For this reason, it was created a measurement tool to evaluate self-perceived competences, in different domains, across Portuguese and Portuguese-speaking African medical schools.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The information was collected through a questionnaire that defines the knowledge, attitudes and skills that future doctors should acquire. The Cronbach's Alpha and Principal Components Analysis (PCA) were used to evaluate the reliability of the questionnaire. In order to remove possible confounding effect, individual scores were standardized by country.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The order of the domain's scores was similar between countries. After standardization, Personal Attitudes and Professional Behavior showed median scores above the country global median and Knowledge alone showed median score below the country global median. In Portugal, Clinical Skills showed score below the global median. In Angola, Clinical Skills and General Skills showed a similar result. There were only significant differences between countries in Personal Attitudes (p < 0.001) and Professional Behavior (p = 0.043).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The reliability of the instrument in Portuguese and Portuguese-speaking African medical schools was confirmed. Students have perceived their level of competence in personal attitudes in a high level and in opposite, knowledge and clinical skills with some weaknesses.</p

Major Depletion of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in HIV-2 Infection, an Attenuated Form of HIV Disease

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) provide an important link between innate and acquired immunity, mediating their action mainly through IFN-α production. pDC suppress HIV-1 replication, but there is increasing evidence suggesting they may also contribute to the increased levels of cell apoptosis and pan-immune activation associated with disease progression. Although having the same clinical spectrum, HIV-2 infection is characterized by a strikingly lower viremia and a much slower rate of CD4 decline and AIDS progression than HIV-1, irrespective of disease stage. We report here a similar marked reduction in circulating pDC levels in untreated HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections in association with CD4 depletion and T cell activation, in spite of the undetectable viremia found in the majority of HIV-2 patients. Moreover, the same overexpression of CD86 and PD-L1 on circulating pDC was found in both infections irrespective of disease stage or viremia status. Our observation that pDC depletion occurs in HIV-2 infected patients with undetectable viremia indicates that mechanisms other than direct viral infection determine the pDC depletion during persistent infections. However, viremia was associated with an impairment of IFN-α production on a per pDC basis upon TLR9 stimulation. These data support the possibility that diminished function in vitro may relate to prior activation by HIV virions in vivo, in agreement with our finding of higher expression levels of the IFN-α inducible gene, MxA, in HIV-1 than in HIV-2 individuals. Importantly, serum IFN-α levels were not elevated in HIV-2 infected individuals. In conclusion, our data in this unique natural model of “attenuated” HIV immunodeficiency contribute to the understanding of pDC biology in HIV/AIDS pathogenesis, showing that in the absence of detectable viremia a major depletion of circulating pDC in association with a relatively preserved IFN-α production does occur