The Use of Flexible Manufacturing Capacity in Pharmaceutical Product Introductions*

This work considers the value of the flexibility offered by production facilities that can easily be configured to produce new products. We focus on technical uncertainty as the driver of this value, while prior works focused only on demand uncertainty. Specifically, we evaluate the use of process flexibility in the context of risky new product development in the pharmaceutical industry. Flexibility has value in this setting due to the time required to build dedicated capacity, the finite duration of patent protection, and the probability that the new product will not reach the market due to technical or regulatory reasons. Having flexible capacity generates real options, which enables firms to delay the decision about constructing product‐specific capacity until the technical uncertainty is resolved. In addition, initiating production in a flexible facility can enable the firm to optimize production processes in dedicated facilities. The stochastic dynamic optimization problem is formulated to analyze the optimal capacity and allocation decisions for a flexible facility, using data from existing literature. A solution to this problem is obtained using linear programming. The result of this analysis shows both the value of flexible capacity and the optimal capacity allocation. Due to the substantial costs involved with flexibility in this context, the optimal level of flexible capacity is relatively small, suggesting products be produced for only short periods before initiating construction of dedicated facilities.     

Practitioners preferences of care coordination for older people: A discrete choice experiment

These findings demonstrate the importance of organisations providing care coordination for older people receiving long-term funding. Further research is required to investigate the influence of service setting on practitioner preferences.

This study explored practitioner preferences about the relative value of attributes of care coordination services for older people. A Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) survey was used to identify the views of 120 practitioners from 17 services in England in 2015. The survey design was informed by an analysis of standards of care coordination, a postal survey and a consultation with carers of older people. Results of the DCE survey were supplemented by a content analysis of qualitative comments and fieldwork notes. Most respondents were over 30 years of age, female and almost half worked part-time. Continuity of care (care provided by the same care coordinator) and the ability to access the range of services outlined in the care plan were the most important service attributes. Service setting influenced practitioner preferences. Those in specialist services for people with dementia identified the length of time a service was provided as another important attribute. The DCE methodology has provided the opportunity to systematically canvas practitioner preferences.     

Repeat and multiple victimizations: the role of individual and contextual factors

The present research uses hierarchical modeling to examine the relative contributions of factors about the person, factors about the context, and, most important the interaction of factors about the person and factors about the context in models of both repeat victimization (more than one of the same type of crime) and multiple victimization (two or more different types of crime). Using telephone survey data from a multistage sample of Seattle residents, we estimate separate hierarchical models for repeat property, repeat violent and multiple victimization. Results indicate that repeat victimization of both types varies substantially by neighborhood, whereas multiple victimization seems more determined by individual-level factors. Implications for social disorganization theory, routine activity/lifestyle exposure theory, and future work on repeat victimization are discussed.     

A production engineering approach to robot selection

The successful introduction of robots into an industrial enterprise means real commitment, engineering support, and detailed involvement in the planning of an integrated manufacturing system. In particular, the production engineer is clearly seen in this context to be the system designer. He must therefore be in a position to specify the performance of all man and machine components within the system such that productivity is maximised. Robot types are reviewed, and analogies between man and machine are used to introduce the RTM concept. Finally, a simple method is given for estimating robot throughput times from elementary velocity profiles. The fall-off in throughput due to the effect of many small robot movements is emphasised.     

干血滴分析的自动化处理和未来的发展方向

在过去的几年中,采用干血滴分析用于小分子定量的做法显著增多。在此领域的科学家们正努力寻求着一种与常规处理液体样品效果相同的方法。越来越多的相关技术已被广泛地应用于采样、储存、运输和生物样品的分析等各个方面。     

Construct validation in leadership research: Explication and illustration

The field of leadership typically employs constructs—variables that cannot be directly measured—in its research. Yet, our measures are rarely subjected to systematic assessment of their construct validity. This paper presents arguments about the importance of the construct validation process and illustrates why such concerns are well founded by examining the most commonly used measure of subordinate-perceived leader–member exchange, the LMX-7 scale. Using bakery workers (N = 379) and employed MBA students (N = 350), discriminant validity was investigated by exploratory factor analysis in the first sample, confirmatory factor analysis in the second sample, and correlation and multiple regression analysis in a subset of the second sample (N = 220). The results suggested poor subordinate LMX-7 discriminant validity and that subordinate LMX-7 scores were substantially predicted by measures of supportive leadership and supervisor satisfaction (R² = .71). Implications for future LMX theory and research are discussed as well as the types of construct validity evidence that we need to gather on our research instruments before and while they are employed in substantive studies of leadership phenomena.     

Gay men's experiences coming out online: A qualitative study

The current study employed qualitative methodology to investigate the experiences of 12 gay men who came out online, using Facebook. Analysis of coding data yielded several key themes. First, gay men discussed a range of experiences that influenced their online disclosure, including homophobia, internalized homophobia, and previous salient sexual identity disclosures. Participants also commonly expressed a variety of goals and concerns about coming out online, including improving relationships and loss of friends, respectively. Finally, gay men identified several benefits to coming out on Facebook, including increased efficiency in coming out as compared to face-to-face disclosures, increased authenticity, and decreased ambiguity about their sexuality. Results are discussed within the context of literature on men's coming-out experiences and online identity management.     

"哈比·旦克!"作者的释放

"哈比.旦克"是海伦.加纳借以总结自己写作生涯第一阶段的一支曲子。笔者结合海伦.加纳早期的四部代表作品:《毒瘾难戒》、《荣誉》、《别人家的孩子》和《孩子们的小屋》,将海伦.加纳渗透在这四部不同的作品中,就新世界和新一代人对情感、性、家庭和社会的思想观念逐一进行了综合性的剖析。