Purpose Rapid prototyping can potentially accelerate the entire process of new product development (NPD), enabling a high level of customer involvement and hence new product success (NPS). This study aims to examine the relationship between prototyping and NPS, and the moderating effect of customer involvement, as well as the influence of speed of information dissemination on customer involvement. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using the survey method through structured questionnaires. The key participants were management and team leaders from technology-based companies. Findings The results indicate that prototyping positively correlates with NPS, particularly when customer involvement is high. The speed of information dissemination, both from customers and on competitive products, has a positive impact on customer involvement. Research limitations/implications The study was limited by the undefined development stage of the prototype when offered for customer feedback. Future studies could focus on how customer involvement at each stage of prototype development affects NPS through a moderating effect. Practical implications The study confirms that investing in prototyping equipment for NPD increases the probability of NPS. Information capturing customers’ views and on competitive products in the market should be shared among the NPD teams. This could encourage better sharing of opinions and perceptions with customers about whether new products meet their wishes and expectations. Originality/value This study demonstrates that customer involvement moderates the relationship between prototyping and NPS. The degree of customer involvement depended on the speed of response of the customers themselves and on how well competitive product information was disseminated within the NPD team.

This paper reports the tolerance and biodegradation of phenol by a heavy metal-adapted environmental bacterial consortium, known as consortium culture (CC). At the highest tolerable phenol concentration of 1200 mg/L, CC displayed specific growth rate of 0.04 h ¡1 , phenol degradation rate of 6.11 mg L ¡1 h ¡1 and biomass of 8.45 § 0.35 (log 10 colony-forming units [CFU]/ml) at the end of incubation. Phenol was degraded via the ortho-cleavage pathway catalyzed by cathechol-1,2-dioxygenase with specific activity of 0.083 (mmol min ¡1 mg ¡1 protein). The different constituent bacterial isolates of CC preferentially grow on benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, cresol, and catechol, suggesting a synergistic mechanism involved in the degradation process. Microtox assay showed that phenol degradation was achieved without producing toxic dead-end metabolites. Moreover, lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) at the highest tested concentration of 1.0 and 0.1 mg/L, respectively, did not inhibit phenol degradation by CC. Simultaneous metal removal during phenol degradation was achieved using CC. These findings confirmed the dual function of CC to degrade phenol and to remove heavy metals from a mixed-pollutant medium.

No abstract

No abstract

Four methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)-degrading bacteria were isolated from a processing plant in Malaysia. Based on 16S rDNA sequences, the four isolates were identified as Exiguobacterium profundum P1M-2, Bacillus megaterium P1M-11, Alishewanella sp. P2A-12 and Pseudomonas mendocina P2M-8. Each of the isolates obtained optimum growth using a different source of nitrogen (0.1-0.03 % yeast or peptone) and all four isolates were able to biodegrade 92.05-99.98 % of MTBE within seven days. Amongst the four isolates, the highest percentage of MTBE degradation was achieved using B. megaterium P1M-11. The highest growth on tert-butyl alcohol (TBA), tert-amyl alcohol (TAA) and 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid (2-HIBA) was also observed in B. megaterium P1M-11. This study suggests MTBE degradation by each of the bacteria can be enhanced by choosing the right nitrogen source. Furthermore, the ability of B. megaterium P1M-11 to grow on primary metabolites of MTBE and other structurally related ethers suggests the secretion of diverse degradative enzymes, making this isolate a good candidate to be applied in MTBE bioremediation strategies.