Success Factors for Effective Customer Interaction in Digital Sales: A Case from the Digital Investment Service Industry

In the off-line world, capable sales representatives align their advisory approach with their customer´s individual profile to improve the quality of the process and the likelihood of a positive outcome for both parties. However, we see a movement away from the classical advisory settings towards “omni-channel” strategies, where companies serve their customers through a combination of on-line and off-line channels. In this short paper, we undertake a first investigation of how specific characteristics in the customer profile could affect the advisory success and introduce the OPTI-model . We illustrate the application of our model using the example of Digital Investment Services, knowing that the financial services industry is one area where “omni-channel” strategies have become highly relevant

The algebraic surfaces on which the classical Phragmén-Lindelöf theorem holds

Let V be an algebraic variety in . We say that V satisfies the strong Phragmén-Lindelöf property (SPL) or that the classical Phragmén-Lindelöf Theorem holds on V if the following is true: There exists a positive constant A such that each plurisubharmonic function u on V which is bounded above by | z |+ o (| z |) on V and by 0 on the real points in V already is bounded by A | Im z |. For algebraic varieties V of pure dimension k we derive necessary conditions on V to satisfy (SPL) and we characterize the curves and surfaces in which satisfy (SPL). Several examples illustrate how these results can be applied.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/46283/1/209_2005_Article_913.pd

Tissue Sampling Guides for Porcine Biomedical Models

This article provides guidelines for organ and tissue sampling adapted to porcine animal models in translational medical research. Detailed protocols for the determination of sampling locations and numbers as well as recommendations on the orientation, size, and trimming direction of samples from approximate to 50 different porcine organs and tissues are provided in the Supplementary Material. The proposed sampling protocols include the generation of samples suitable for subsequent qualitative and quantitative analyses, including cryohistology, paraffin, and plastic histology;immunohistochemistry;in situ hybridization;electron microscopy;and quantitative stereology as well as molecular analyses of DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites, and electrolytes. With regard to the planned extent of sampling efforts, time, and personnel expenses, and dependent upon the scheduled analyses, different protocols are provided. These protocols are adjusted for (I) routine screenings, as used in general toxicity studies or in analyses of gene expression patterns or histopathological organ alterations, (II) advanced analyses of single organs/tissues, and (III) large-scale sampling procedures to be applied in biobank projects. Providing a robust reference for studies of porcine models, the described protocols will ensure the efficiency of sampling, the systematic recovery of high-quality samples representing the entire organ or tissue as well as the intra-/interstudy comparability and reproducibility of results

Theranostic cRGD-BioShuttle Constructs Containing Temozolomide- and Cy7 For NIR-Imaging and Therapy

Innovative and personalized therapeutic approaches result from the identification and control of individual aberrantly expressed genes at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. Therefore, it is of high interest to establish diagnostic, therapeutic and theranostic strategies at these levels. In the present study, we used the Diels-Alder Reaction with inverse electron demand (DARinv) click chemistry to prepare a series of cyclic RGD-BioShuttle constructs. These constructs carry the near-infrared (NIR) imaging agent Cy7 and the chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide (TMZ). We evaluated their uptake by and their efficacy against integrin αvβ3-expressing MCF7 human breast carcinoma cells. In addition, using a mouse phantom, we analyzed the suitability of this targeted theranostic agent for NIR optical imaging. We observed that the cyclic RGD-based carriers containing TMZ and/or Cy7 were effectively taken up by αvβ3-expressing cells, that they were more effective than free TMZ in inducing cell death, and that they could be quantitatively visualized using NIR fluorescence imaging. Therefore, these targeted theranostic agents are considered to be highly suitable systems for improving disease diagnosis and therapy

What If Your Car Would Care? Exploring Use Cases For Affective Automotive User Interfaces

In this paper we present use cases for affective user interfaces (UIs) in cars and how they are perceived by potential users in China and Germany. Emotion-aware interaction is enabled by the improvement of ubiquitous sensing methods and provides potential benefits for both traffic safety and personal well-being. To promote the adoption of affective interaction at an international scale, we developed 20 mobile in-car use cases through an inter-cultural design approach and evaluated them with 65 drivers in Germany and China. Our data shows perceived benefits in specific areas of pragmatic quality as well as cultural differences, especially for socially interactive use cases. We also discuss general implications for future affective automotive UI. Our results provide a perspective on cultural peculiarities and a concrete starting point for practitioners and researchers working on emotion-aware interfaces