| 11. |
- Hilletofth, Per
(författare)
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Differentiated Supply Chain Strategy - Response to a fragmented and complex market
- 2008
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Supply Chain Management (SCM) aims to synchronize the requirements of customers with the flow of materials from suppliers, in order to satisfy the needs of the customers as costefficiently as possible. This has become a difficult task due to several developments in the market, such as increased competition, increased demand variability, increased product variety, increased amounts of customer-specific products, and shortening product life cycles. These developments, due in part to globalization, provide additional management challenges and new practices in which supply chains are designed and managed, and can eventually make the difference between companies staying competitive or not. The overall purpose of this thesis is to investigate how complexity and globalization affect supply chain design and operations. The main emphasis has been on producing descriptive results of the studied phenomenon. This research involves five case studies covering international transportation structures used in SCM, the selection of supply chain strategies in different business environments, and the role of information systems and technology in achieving the objective of SCM. In this thesis it has been concluded that in order to cope with increasingly complex and fragmented markets companies need more differentiated transportation structures, modes, and supply chains. Furthermore, to effectively manage this, information systems and advanced decision support tools are required. In addition, this thesis has shown that current taxonomies for supply chain strategy selection are too simplistic due to three major problems: they mediate that it is a question of choosing one supply chain strategy for the entire company,they regard markets as rather homogeneous, and they link each supply chain strategy to a specific business context. Instead, it has been concluded that in order to better satisfy differing customer needs in various markets it is increasingly necessary to develop a differentiated supply chain strategy by utilizing different manufacturing and delivery strategies concurrently. Thus, a need exists for new taxonomies for supply chain strategy selection which recognize that the markets are becoming more fragmented and complex, that customer preferences differ across customer/market segments, and that there is a need to differentiate the supply chain strategy. This thesis also highlights several requirements of a differentiated supply chain strategy. Firstly, extended supply chain collaboration is required, since a differentiated supply chain strategy will involve more supply chain partners than a traditional supply chain strategy. Secondly, there is a need for more transportation mode alternatives, particularly intermodal, both in supply and distribution operations, due to the fact that differentiation requires diversity. In this thesis, intermodal landbridge freight services are highlighted as one interesting avenue, which could potentially facilitate a more differentiated supply chain strategy. Thirdly, more integrated information systems are needed along with decision support tools. This study illustrates that agent based modeling appears to be an interesting method for developing realistic decision support tools in the context of complex supply chains. An interesting aspect for further research is to investigate how different manufacturing and delivery strategies can be used concurrently in international supply chains. Moreover, there are several requirements and opportunities of a differentiated supply chain strategy, and these have to be investigated further
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Jonsson, Oskar, et al.
(författare)
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CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS AND PREFERENCES ON SOLID WOOD, WOOD-BASED PANELS, AND COMPOSITES : A REPERTORY GRID STUDY
- 2008
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Ingår i: Wood and Fiber Science. - 0735-6161. ; 40:4, s. 663-678
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Knowledge about consumer perception and preferences on solid wood, wood-based panels, and wood-based composites is important for product development and marketing. The aim of this study was to identify attributes and associations that people use to describe different types of wood materials and to explore how they relate to preferences. The study involved nine samples that were evaluated with the Kelly's repertory grid technique and content analysis. Based on respondents' answers. 19 core categories reflecting sample attributes were extracted. General preferences for each sample were also recorded. Principal component analysis generated two factors describing 1) naturalness, wood-likeness, softness, unprocessed origin, living, pleasant, and high value; and 2) solid and homogeneous impression. A third, preliminary factor included categories describing irregular pattern,sleekness, and smoothness. The wood samples were most liked, whereas composites and panels were not appreciated. Preferred core categories were naturalness, wood-likeness, smoothness, living impression, and value. The least liked core categories were processed, hard, and high weigh. The implications of the results for product development and marketing are discussed.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Forinder, Ulla, et al.
(författare)
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A life on hold : adolescents' experiences of stem cell transplantation in a long-term perspective.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Child Health Care. - : SAGE Publications. - 1367-4935 .- 1741-2889. ; 12:4, s. 301-13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stem cell transplantation is one of the treatment methods for cancer in children and adolescents which has resulted in a positive outcome. Unfortunately this method of treatment brings with it a number of late effects such as short stature, cognitive effects and infertility. However, a majority of children and adolescents experience a good quality of life. By examining their medical records this study has gained a deeper understanding of the situation for the minority of young people who describe themselves as suffering severe mental distress which they relate to their illness and treatment. The population comprised seven adolescents who sought psychotherapeutic support several years after treatment. They describe how they are affected by the feeling of being different, the loss of contact with friends and their dependence on parents. The study points to the need for long-term psychosocial support for children and adolescents who have undergone stem cell transplantation.
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| 16. |
- Forinder, Ulla, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term psychosocial support for families of children who have undergone allogeneic stem cell transplant
- 2008
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Ingår i: Social work in health care. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0098-1389 .- 1541-034X. ; 47:2, s. 157-73
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stem cell transplant (SCT) in children has a continuing impact in the lives of the SCT recipients and their families. This realization has led to extended psychosocial support to these families. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extended psychosocial support. How many families accepted the proffered contact with the social worker and what kind of support did the families ask for? The data were collected from the patients' medical charts by the health care social worker. Content analysis was used as the research method. The study reveals a need for continued psychosocial support lasting many years after treatment. The need for support does not lessen with the passage of time, but the nature of the support changes.
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| 17. |
- Huang, Zhen, et al.
(författare)
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Gender-specific regulation of pancreatic islet blood flow, insulin levels and glycaemia in spontaneously diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats
- 2008
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Ingår i: Clinical Science. - : Portland Press. - 0143-5221 .- 1470-8736. ; 115:1, s. 35-42
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Patients with diabetes are often treated with a statin for hyperlipidaemia and an ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor antagonist for hypertension or albuminuria. These drugs may also exert beneficial metabolic effects, causing improved glucose tolerance in patients. Gender-related differences have also been observed in the clinical responsiveness to these drugs, but the mechanism behind this is unclear. In the present study, we have investigated whether these drugs and the fatty acid palmitate influence the pancreatic microcirculation, thereby having an impact on insulin secretion and glycaemia in vivo, in spontaneously diabetic male and female Goto-Kakizaki rats. In male rats, pancreatic IBF (islet blood flow) and total PBF (pancreatic blood flow) were increased significantly by pravastatin, captopril and irbesartan. Serum insulin levels were increased by pravastatin and captopril. Palmitate suppressed pancreatic IBF and increased blood glucose. In female animals, pancreatic IBF was stimulated by captopril, candesartan and irbesartan. Total PBF was increased by captopril, candesartan and irbesartan, and by pravastatin. Palmitate suppressed pancreatic IBF and serum insulin secretion. In conclusion, the present study lends support to the view that a local pancreatic RAS (renin-angiotensin system) and pravastatin may be selectively influencing the pancreatic microcirculation and therefore affecting insulin secretion and glycaemia. NEFAs (non-esterified fatty acids) impaired pancreatic IBF, suppressed insulin secretion and increased blood glucose. Substantial gender-related differences in the vascular and metabolic responses to these drugs prevail in this animal model of diabetes.
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| 18. |
- Löfmark, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Nursing students' views on learning opportunities in primary health care
- 2008
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Ingår i: Nursing Standard. - : RCN Publishing Ltd.. - 0029-6570 .- 2047-9018. ; 23:13, s. 35-43
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: To evaluate a new supervision model for nursing students' placements in primary care in Sweden and to document students' opinions on their learning experiences in this setting. METHOD: Nursing students' (n=238) opinions were collected using a questionnaire administered before and after implementation of a new supervision model for student placements in primary care. RESULTS: Respondents were generally satisfied with their placements and rated factors that supported the new model: distinct structure for following students during the placement period; continuous caring experiences with some patients; having more than one district nurse as a mentor during the period; and seminars in primary care settings. However, just one third of respondents felt that they gained insight into how nursing research could be used in patient care. CONCLUSION: The evaluation of the new supervision model and learning opportunities in primary care were positively rated by respondents. Application of nursing research and planned time for reflection were ranked low, findings that are noteworthy and should be investigated further.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Samsioe, Annika, et al.
(författare)
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Fetal Death Persists Through Recurrent Pregnancies in Mice Following Ljungan Virus Infection
- 2008
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Ingår i: Birth defects research. Part B. Developmental and reproductice toxicology. - : Wiley. - 1542-9733 .- 1542-9741. ; 83:5, s. 507-510
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: Laboratory mice infected with Ljungan virus (LV) early in pregnancy suffer from perinatal death. Here we investigate the persistence of that effect through the outcome of consecutive pregnancies in LV-infected mice. STUDY DESIGN: CD-1 mice were infected while pregnant and their adult female offspring were followed in parallel with uninfected control mice during repeated pregnancies. Three mating attempts resulted in two or three pregnancies per dam. The outcome of the last pregnancy was carefully monitored. RESULTS: Both the dams infected as adults and their adult female offspring suffered perinatal deaths during the last pregnancy which occurred approximately 6 months after the original LV exposure and acute infection. The non-infected control animals experienced no perinatal death. CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal death persists across recurrent pregnancies in this mouse model of LV infection, both in animals infected as adults and in females exposed to the virus in utero. This implies that LV persists in mice long after intial infection, and is maintained in a quiescent state but can remain pathogenic in later pregnancies. Birth Defects Res (Part B) 83:507-510, 2008.
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