Product customisation: an empirical study of competitive advantage and repeat business

Empirical evidence is presented from 24 UK based manufacturing companies, all offering a degree of product customisation, with most having a significant pure customisation engineer-to-order (ETO) element. The evidence addresses the issue of competitive advantage, which has lacked empirical evidence in previous manufacturing strategy literature, and includes a detailed investigation of the strategic importance of repeat business. It contrasts its results with those previously found in the literature and concludes that there are significant differences in the competitive priorities theoretically associated with this sector. In particular, it is argued that cumulative capabilities are needed, with a low cost competence often included. Four different types of repeat business are identified, one relating to repeat business customisers and three relating to versatile manufacturing companies, and the strategic importance of repeat business is discussed. It is indicated that for some ETO companies, repeat business is perceived to be an important method to reduce costs and achieve business stability. However, a number of the other companies studied saw repeat business as infeasible and hence need to find other ways to reduce costs and improve company performance measures. Future research to extend this work into a longitudinal study or a broader survey is proposed.     

Effect of Nitro Orientation on Ras -Protooncogene Mutation in Liver Tumors from 7-Nitrodibenz[ a,h ]anthracene-Treated Mice

Dibenz[ a,h ]anthracene (DB[ a,h ]A) and 7-nitrodibenz[ a,h ]anthracene (7-NDB[ a,h ]A) induced liver tumors when administered to neonatal B6C3F 1 mice. For protooncogene analysis, RNA was isolated from each of the liver tumors from treated mice and reverse-transcribed into cDNA. Portions of the K- and H- ras protein coding sequences were then amplified and analyzed for DNA sequence alterations. DB[ a,h ]A-induced liver tumors had a 100% (23/23) frequency of ras -protooncogene mutation, with 83% (19/23) occurring at the first base of K- ras codon 13 and resulting in G GC M C GC transversion; the remaining 17% (4/23) of the mutations were located at the second base of H- ras codon 61. In contrast, only four of nine (44%) of 7-NDB[ a,h ]A-induced liver tumors had ras -protooncogene mutations, with two each at K- ras codon 13 and H- ras codon 61. Combined with previous observations, the results indicate that the nitro substituent perpendicular to the aromatic moiety alters the chemical-induced protooncogene activation frequency and mutational pattern in liver tumors of B6C3F 1 mice.     

Microsystems in health care: Part 1. Learning from high-performing front-line clinical units

BACKGROUND: Clinical microsystems are the small, functional, front-line units that provide most health care to most people. They are the essential building blocks of larger organizations and of the health system. They are the place where patients and providers meet. The quality and value of care produced by a large health system can be no better than the services generated by the small systems of which it is composed. METHODS: A wide net was cast to identify and study a sampling of the best-quality, best-value small clinical units in North America. Twenty microsystems, representing different component parts of the health system, were examined from December 2000 through June 2001, using qualitative methods supplemented by medical record and finance reviews. RESULTS: The study of the 20 high-performing sites generated many best practice ideas (processes and methods) that microsystems use to accomplish their goals. Nine success characteristics were related to high performance: leadership, culture, macro-organizational support of microsystems, patient focus, staff focus, interdependence of care team, information and information technology, process improvement, and performance patterns. These success factors were interrelated and together contributed to the microsystem's ability to provide superior, cost-effective care and at the same time create a positive and attractive working environment. CONCLUSIONS: A seamless, patient-centered, high-quality, safe, and efficient health system cannot be realized without the transformation of the essential building blocks that combine to form the care continuum.     

The Veterans Affairs root cause analysis system in action

BACKGROUND: The patient safety program in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began in 1998, when the National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) was established to lead the effort on a day-to-day basis. NCPS provides the structure, training, and tools, and VA facilities provide front-line expertise, feedback about the process, and root cause analysis (RCA) of adverse events and close calls. MONITORING THE PROCESS: Facility patient safety managers determine the disposition of adverse events and close calls occurring at their facilities. They use a safety assessment code (SAC) to prioritize the actual and potential severity and frequency of an event. BEFORE-AND-AFTER STUDY: Before the new RCA system was implemented in 2000, the VA used another adverse event reporting system, focused review (FR). A comparison of the two processes indicates that the RCA process has shifted analyses of adverse events toward a human factors engineering approach-entailing a search for system vulnerabilities rather than human errors and other less actionable root causes. CASE EXAMPLES: Two case examples--on hazards in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) room and on a cardiac pacemaker malfunction--illustrate how the RCA system works in actual operation. The cases illustrate that broadly applicable, high-impact actions can result from a thorough RCA process. DISCUSSION: NCPS monitors the quality and completeness of RCAs through the immediate review and feedback process. Still to be investigated is the effectiveness of RCA actions addressing the hypothesized root causes and contributing factors of the close calls and adverse events.     

Structure of laminar sooting inverse diffusion flames

The flame structure of laminar inverse diffusion flames (IDFs) was studied to gain insight into soot formation and growth in underventilated combustion. Both ethylene-air and methane-air IDFs were examined, fuel flow rates were kept constant for all flames of each fuel type, and airflow rates were varied to observe the effect on flame structure and soot formation. Planar laser-induced fluorescence of hydroxyl radicals (OH PLIF) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH PLIF), planar laser-induced incandescence of soot (soot PLII), and thermocouple-determined gas temperatures were used to draw conclusions about flame structure and soot formation. Flickering, caused by buoyancy-induced vortices, was evident above and outside the flames. The distances between the OH, PAH, and soot zones were similar in IDFs and normal diffusion flames (NDFs), but the locations of those zones were inverted in IDFs relative to NDFs. Peak OH PLIF coincided with peak temperature and marked the flame front. Soot appeared outside the flame front, corresponding to temperatures around the minimum soot formation temperature of 1300 K. PAHs appeared outside the soot layer, with characteristic temperature depending on the wavelength detection band. PAHs and soot began to appear at a constant axial position for each fuel, independent of the rate of air flow. PAH formation either preceded or coincided with soot formation, indicating that PAHs are important components in soot formation. Soot growth continued for some time downstream of the flame, at temperatures below the inception temperature, probably through reaction with PAHs.     

Shape matters: effects of silver nanospheres and wires on human alveolar epithelial cells

Background

Ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. To what extent such effects are different for PM obtained from different sources or locations is still unclear. This study investigated the in vitro toxicity of ambient PM collected at different sites in the Netherlands in relation to PM composition and oxidative potential.

Method

PM was sampled at eight sites: three traffic sites, an underground train station, as well as a harbor, farm, steelworks, and urban background location. Coarse (2.5-10 μm), fine (< 2.5 μm) and quasi ultrafine PM (qUF; < 0.18 μm) were sampled at each site. Murine macrophages (RAW 264.7 cells) were exposed to increasing concentrations of PM from these sites (6.25-12.5-25-50-100 μg/ml; corresponding to 3.68-58.8 μg/cm²). Following overnight incubation, MTT-reduction activity (a measure of metabolic activity) and the release of pro-inflammatory markers (Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, TNF-α; Interleukin-6, IL-6; Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-2, MIP-2) were measured. The oxidative potential and the endotoxin content of each PM sample were determined in a DTT- and LAL-assay respectively. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the relationship between the cellular responses and PM characteristics: concentration, site, size fraction, oxidative potential and endotoxin content.

Results

Most PM samples induced a concentration-dependent decrease in MTT-reduction activity and an increase in pro-inflammatory markers with the exception of the urban background and stop & go traffic samples. Fine and qUF samples of traffic locations, characterized by a high concentration of elemental and organic carbon, induced the highest pro-inflammatory activity. The pro-inflammatory response to coarse samples was associated with the endotoxin level, which was found to increase dramatically during a three-day sample concentration procedure in the laboratory. The underground samples, characterized by a high content of transition metals, showed the largest decrease in MTT-reduction activity. PM size fraction was not related to MTT-reduction activity, whereas there was a statistically significant difference in pro-inflammatory activity between Fine and qUF PM. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant negative association between PM oxidative potential and MTT-reduction activity.

Conclusion

The response of RAW264.7 cells to ambient PM was markedly different using samples collected at various sites in the Netherlands that differed in their local PM emission sources. Our results are in support of other investigations showing that the chemical composition as well as oxidative potential are determinants of PM induced toxicity in vitro.     

A direct in situ fingerprinting method for acid rock drainage using voltammetric techniques with a single renewable gold microelectrode

Electrochemistry allows for rapid identification of multiple metals and other chemical complexes common in acid rock drainage (ARD) systems. Voltammetric scans using a single gold microelectrode of water samples from geochemically distinct areas of the Río Tinto (RT) in southwestern Spain were clearly recognizable in the field and in samples stored at room temperature for over 6 months. Major voltammetric peaks of iron(III) and copper(II) were identified on a single constantly renewable gold microelectrode. Confirmation of these peaks was performed by spiking with standard metal solutions in the laboratory. This voltammetric technique is a rapid, direct and inexpensive in situ method for identification of water sources and their chemical characteristics, as well as an economical way to monitor environmental changes and remediation efforts.     

Molecular characterization of effluent organic matter identified by ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry

Effluent dissolved organic matter (EfOM) collected from the secondary-treated wastewater of the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) located in Fountain Valley, California, USA was compared to natural organic matter collected from the Suwannee River (SRNOM), Florida using ultrahigh resolution electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). Furthermore, the two different treatment processes at OCSD, activated sludge and trickling filter, were separately investigated. The blend of these two effluents was further evaluated after it had passed through the microfiltration process of the Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF) at Orange County Water District (OCWD). EfOM contained 872 different m/z peaks that were unambiguously assigned to exact molecular formulae containing a single sulfur atom and carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms (CHOS formulae). In contrast, the SRNOM sample only contained 152 CHOS formulae. The trend in CHO molecular compositions was opposite with 2500 CHO formulae assigned for SRNOM but only about 1000 for EfOM. The CHOS-derived mass peaks with highest abundances in EfOM could be attributed to surfactants such as linear alkyl benzene sulfonates (LAS), their co-products dialkyl tetralin sulfonates (DATS) and their biodegraded metabolites such as sulfophenyl carboxylic acids (SPC). The differences between the treatments were found minor with greater differences between sampling dates than treatment methods used.     

Mitochondrial Glycerol-3-Phosphate Acyltransferase-Dependent Phospholipid Synthesis Modulates Phospholipid Mass and IL-2 Production in Jurkat T Cells

Changes in glycerophospholipid metabolism with age and disease can have a profound effect on immune cell activation and effector function. We previously demonstrated that glycerol‐3‐phosphate acyltransferase‐1, the first and rate limiting step in de novo glycerophospholipid synthesis, plays a role in modulating murine T cell function. The resultant phenotype is characterized by decreased IL‐2 production, increased propensity toward apoptosis, and altered membrane glycerophospholipid mass similar to that of an aged T cell. Since T cells in previous experiments were harvested from GPAT‐1^?/? mice, questions remained as to what extent the macro environment of the model influenced the observed cellular phenotype. Therefore, we generated and phenotypically characterized a mitochondrial glycerol‐3‐phosphate acyltransferase (GPAM) deficient Jurkat T cell. Furthermore, this line was used to probe possible mechanisms by which GPAT‐1/GPAM regulates T cell function. We report here that many of the key dysfunctional characteristics of murine GPAT‐1^?/? T cells are recapitulated in the GPAMKD Jurkat T cell. We found striking decreased IL‐2 production along with altered phospholipid mass and increased incidence of apoptosis. Since PtdOH is an indirect downstream product of GPAM, we attempted to rescue IL‐2 production with PtdOH supplementation; however, this addition did not return IL‐2 production to normal levels. Interestingly, we did find significantly decreased Zap‐70 phosphorylation following stimulation, suggesting that GPAM deficiency may alter membrane based stimulatory signaling. These data show for the first time that GPAM deficiency results in an inherent defect in Jurkat T cell function and glycerophospholipid composition and that this defect cannot be rescued by addition of exogenous PtdOH.     

静潮

静,平静、宁静,是一种心情,是在快节奏的生活之余所必需的享受;潮,潮流、咐尚,是一种态度,是无论何时何地,何种情境都必须拥有的生活品味。