Arthur D. Little (United States)

The purpose of this study was to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of an intervention for enhancing the language development of young children enrolled in home visiting programs. The participants were 59 children (18–30 months old) enrolled in one of three types of home visiting programs. Children's language skills were assessed pre- and post-intervention with the Preschool Language Scale. To estimate the impacts of the intervention on children's language scores, we conducted a two-level hierarchical linear model. Results from this model provide promising evidence for the benefits of using systematic parent-implemented language interventions.

PurposeThe article introduces the Entrepreneurial Management System (EMS), which delineates a strategic process within an organizational context that is aimed at encouraging and supporting the pursuit of opportunities that have the potential to create value through innovative strategic actions. It is designed to stimulate entrepreneurial thinking and corporate venturing at all levels.Design/methodology/approachThe authors offer an approach to organization-wide continuous innovation that incorporates proven concepts from existing research with lessons learned from the authors’ research analysis and consulting experience in helping large and medium companies across different industries and markets to establish effective entrepreneurial management.FindingsGiven the spectre of constant disruption from new technologies or business models, management teams will be judged on how they proactively respond to these challenges by turning them into value-creating opportunities.Practical implicationsMultidisciplinary teams allow employees to become familiar with other domains and see possible solutions, share their problems and ideas and vet their insights with the input of colleagues.Originality/valueAn Entrepreneurial Management System allows a firm to "internalize" the marketplace’s evolutionary processes so that a company can generate, develop and implement ideas that will have value for customers. It should be a clear decision for all of today’s business leaders and investors to have an implementation plan to ensure continuous innovation.

Intervention services positively impact outcomes of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. However, families face many burdens when accessing high-quality intervention services such as availability of providers, time, and cost; these burdens are often magnified for underserved families. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the acceptability (n = 17) and cost-effectiveness (n = 18) of a 12-week telehealth intervention among families of young children with ASD. To understand the acceptability of the intervention, caregivers completed a questionnaire about the process and content of the intervention. We then used descriptive statistics to calculate estimated cost differences between a Clinic-based Model, an In-Home Model, and a Telehealth Model. Results suggest that families found the intervention highly acceptable and effective, and telehealth would result in exponential savings for both families and providers. Telehealth provides a promising method for serving an increased number of families, particularly those in underserved and rural areas.

Introduction: The structure and function of the proximal aorta is thought to be associated with central aortic pressure. Therefore, it might be associated with cardiovascular (CV) events. Hypothesis: Increased aortic root diameter (AoD) is associated with CV events in a large community-based African American cohort in Jackson, MS. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal analysis in the Jackson Heart Study, a study of risk factors for CV disease in African Americans. AoD at the sinuses of Valsalva was measured by echocardiography at visit 1 (2000 - 2004). Participants without relevant information on covariates or with past history of CV diseases at baseline were excluded. CV events were defined as coronary heart disease, stroke, or incident heart failure (HF) identified as the first hospitalization for HF after 2005. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the association between baseline AoD and CV events. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed for two groups classified by the sex-stratified top quintile of AoD (35.2±2.8 mm) vs. others quintiles as a group (AoD 30.8±2.8 mm). Results: Among 5301 JHS participants, 3386 participants were included in our study (mean age 56.0 years, 64% women). Participants in the top quintile of AoD were more likely to be older, hypertensive, and obese compared with the rest. Over a mean follow-up of 8.3 years, there were 214 CV events (incident rate: 7.6 per 1,000 person-years). After adjustment for traditional risk factors including age, gender, systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medications, total cholesterol/HDL ratio, diabetes and smoking status, AoD was independently associated with CV events (hazard ratio per 1 mm increase: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.007-1.102, p < 0.05). Participants in the top AoD quintile had a higher incidence of CV events than those not in the top quintile (Figure). Conclusions: An increased AoD was associated with an increased risk of CV events in a community-based African American cohort. AoD measurements may be useful for CV event risk stratification.

Several strategies that comprise an overall blueprint for a winning proposal strategy are described. They are the will-to-win strategy, the customer development strategy, assessing the competition, the pricing strategy, tactics and themes, the proposal presentation strategy, and the review strategy. It is shown that the methods presented offer a deliberate and thoughtful scheme for planning a proposal development effort so that customer-critical issues are identified and addressed using an overall strategy translated into detailed sub-strategies. >

Background: We have shown previously that aging-induced cardiac dysfunction and β-adrenergic desensitization were prevented in β 3 -adrenergic receptor (AR) knockout (β 3 KO) aged mice. However, the molecular mechanism is unclear. We hypothesize that reversal of aging-induced alterations of cardiomyocyte SR Ca 2+ -ATPase (SERCA 2a) and inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase by β 3 -AR deficiency may play a key role for the protective effect. Methods: We compared SERCA 2a, iNOS, β 1 - and β 3 -AR protein expression, myocyte contractile, and [Ca 2+ ] i transient ([Ca 2+ ] iT ) responses to isoproterenol (ISO, 10 -8 M) in cardiomyocytes obtained from 2 young (Y) (~6 mo) and 2 aged (A) (~26-30 mo) groups (5/group) of wild-type (WT) and β 3 KO mice, respectively. Results: Compared with YWT, AWT myocytes had significantly decreased protein levels of SERCA 2a (AWT: 0.22 vs YWT: 0.61) and β 1 -AR (0.34 vs 0.56), but increased iNOS (0.49 vs 0.24) and β 3 -AR (0.29 vs 0.14). These changes were associated with reduced basal cell contraction (dL/dt max ) (84.3 vs 124.8 μm/s), relaxation (dR/dt max ) (-66.1 vs -98.8 μm/s), and [Ca 2+ ] iT (0.19 vs 0.23). This was accompanied by diminished ISO-stimulated inotropic response. In AWT myocytes, ISO caused significantly less increases in dL/dt max (34% vs 82%), dR/dt max (22% vs 60%), and [Ca 2+ ] iT (15% vs 35%). Compared with YWT, Yβ 3 KO did not alter basal myocyte contraction and relaxation and response to ISO stimulation, but had significantly increased protein levels of SERCA 2a (Yβ 3 KO: 1.3 vs YWT: 0.61) and reduced iNOS (0.17 vs 0.24) with relatively unchanged β 1 -AR (0.63 vs 0.60). Aβ 3 KO mice had similar alterations. Importantly, in contrast to AWT, in Aβ 3 KO myocytes, the increased SERCA 2a (1.1) and reduced iNOS (0.19) correlated with normal basal cell contraction and relaxation with preserved ISO-stimulated inotropic response. ISO caused similar increases in dL/dt max (82% vs 84%) and [Ca 2+ ] iT (31% vs 33%) compared to Yβ 3 KO mice. Conclusions: β 3 -AR deficiency prevents aging-caused downregulation of cardiac β 1 -ARs and reverses increased iNOS and decreased SERCA 2a, leading to the preservation of myocyte function, [Ca 2+ ] iT , and β-adrenergic reserve in aged hearts. Thus, blocking β 3 -AR may provide a new strategy for myocardial aging.

THE GLOBAL NATURE of contemporary business adds a new dimension to the search for innovation. Competition can emerge from unforeseen quarters, so a company must be sure that new product development is both efficient and generating desirable results. Based on an extensive survey, Ranganath Nayak compares concerns regarding innovation in the US, Japanese, and European markets, and elaborates on specific elements that interfere with the innovation process.

Abstract The Vizcacheras License in Mendoza Province, Argentina, is a complex multi-reservoir asset within YPF's mature asset portfolio. Facing a current recovery factor averaging 46+% between the producing reservoirs, YPF embarked on a program to enhance recovery and maximize asset value. Vizcacheras, discovered in 1962, stands with 400 wells in 2 structures with homogenous and heterogenous reservoirs and operated by 4 different organizations. Peak production was 38,000 bopd; currently producing 10,000 bopd with water cut of 97%. Beyond the geologic complexity, was the commercial challenge rejuvenating the field under mounting operating costs. YPF decided to respond by assessing: if the field had stranded value; the magnitude of stranded value; and, method(s) to deliver value. A multi-disciplined YPF and Arthur D. Little team was formed to assess the Vizcacheras license from subsurface through surface employing innovative technical systems analysis to build a risk-based field development plan. The focus of revitalizing a mature field is to define a customized asset evaluation approach to quickly manage large amounts of data and identify key mechanisms for stranded value and value-added solutions, while minimizing costs. The team captured this through innovative systems planning and operation, displacing the traditional lab-to-field R&D search in that multiple options were generated from within functional technology contributions. The result is convergence toward multiple enhanced recovery and operational changes that are anticipated to yield increased recoveries and more efficient management of the asset. Diagnostic analyses of production profiles from individual wells and patterns of wells identified zones of poor reservoir sweep and bypassed oil, guided by large-grid simulation models aimed to reduce risks. Uplift opportunities from pump optimization, infill drilling, injection and adjusted secondary recovery patterns were identified using a risk-based value analysis, with an anticipated increase in recoverable oil of 3%. EOR strategy work is currently underway in which YPF envisions up to three times the recent optimization results. Use of a ground up approach to gather, quality check, and integrate data to build models of the geological framework and to conduct quantitative engineering analysis of the system's performance is showing added recovery benefits from the integrated workflow as it is implemented.