Dynamic knowledge integration in socio-technical networks: an interpretive study of intranet use for knowledge integration

A major challenge facing firms competing in electronic business markets is the dynamic integration of knowledge within and beyond the firm, enabled by internet-based infrastructure and emergent fluid socio-technical networks. This paper explores how social actors dynamically employ intranets to integrate formal and informal knowledge within evolving socio-technical networks that emerge, permeate and extend beyond the organisational boundary. The paper presents two case studies that illustrate how static intranets can be useful for dynamically integrating knowledge when they are interwoven with other knowledge channels such as e-mail through which flows the informal knowledge needed to make sense of and situate formal organisational knowledge. The findings suggest that businesses should carefully examine how employees integrate intranets with other channels in their work, and the shaping of knowledge outcomes that flows from such use. There are practical implications for the proper skilling of thepeople who share and integrate knowledge in this way. The paper also provides a framework for dynamic knowledge integration in socio-technical networks, which can help underpin future research in this area.<br /

Hearing the voice of the market : Menyimak suara pasar

Jakartaxxxv, 387 hlm.; ilus.; 23 cm

L'aide publique saoudienne au développement : instrument politique ou outil de promotion de développement ?

Notre recherche combine deux approches dans l’analyse de la politique étrangère saoudienne relative à l’octroi de l’aide au développement: i) une approche interne (analyse des politique générales : l’élaboration et la mise en œuvre des programmes d’aide publique au développement ; l’identification des principaux acteurs de l’APD et l’analyse des résultats de l’APD ? ii) et une approche internationale (en se basant sur la théorie des relations internationales, nous identifions les mécanismes qui sous-Tendent la politique d’aide saoudienne ainsi que le rôle du Fonds Saoudien de Développement dans l’efficacité et l’efficience de l’Aide Publique au Développement. Nous cherchons, tout au long de ce travail, à apporter des éléments de réponse quant à l’ambivalence qui plane sur le visé de l’APD saoudienne. Nous traitons la question des aides internationales et les programmes du développement présentés par le gouvernement saoudien. L’objectif de ce travail sera donc l’étude et l’analyse du rôle de l’APD saoudienne dans la lutte contre la pauvreté essentiellement dans les pays en développement.Our research combines two approaches in the analysis of Saudi foreign policy on the granting of development assistance: i) an internal approach (general policy analysis: the development and implementation of assistance programs official development identifying the main actors of ODA and analysis of the results of ODA? ii) and an international approach (based on the theory of international relations, we identify the mechanisms that underlie Saudi aid policy and the role of the Saudi Development Fund in the efficiency and effectiveness of ODA. We seek, throughout this work, to provide some answers about the ambivalence that hovers over the target of ODA Saudi Arabia. We treat the issue of international aid and development programs presented by the Saudi government. objective of this work will be the study and analysis of the role of ODA Saudi in the fight against poverty mainly in developing countries

The role of SOCS3 in the regulation of differentiation in the mouse adrenal cortex.

Durante o desenvolvimento e diferenciação da glândula adrenal, a zona fetal (FZ) sofre um processo de regressão e diferenciação dando origem à zona definitiva (zD) do córtex adrenal. Em humanos, o zD dá origem às zonas glomerulosa (ZG) e fasciculada (ZF) entre os 2-4 anos de idade, enquanto a diferenciação da zona reticulada (ZR) ocorre entre os 6-9 anos de idade. Em camundongos, a zona fetal é chamada de zona X (zX), que nos machos regride durante a puberdade (21-30 dias de vida) e nas fêmeas após a primeira gestação. Recentemente, resultados publicados pelo nosso grupo, em camundongos knockout (KO) SF-1/SOCS3 KO, mostrou a retenção da zX em machos adultos e em fêmeas pós-parto. Portanto, tivemos como hipótese que a via JAK/STAT/SOCS3 pode desempenhar um papel na diferenciação da glândula adrenal. Para testar essa hipótese, primeiramente, confirmamos que SOCS3 não está expresso exclusivamente em células que expressam o fator SF-1, como nas adrenais e testículos, em camundongos KO, e dessa forma confirmamos o modelo de camundongo KO para SOCS3 que obtivemos. Depois verificamos a condição de ativação da via JAK/STAT nesses animais, e detectamos um aumento da proteína STAT3 fosforilada, em relação ao controle, com e sem o estímulo da Interleucina-6, o que sugere que, devido a ausência de SOCS3, inibidor da via JAK/STAT, esta via está mais ativa nos camundongos KO. A caracterização morfológica da adrenal, através da coloração por HE e da localização da zX através da enzima CYP17A1, em camundongos machos KO e fêmeas virgens com 3, 8, 15 e 30 semanas de idade e de fêmeas pós-parto, mostrou retenção da zX independentemente da idade analisada. Além disso, diferentes marcadores moleculares da zX, como o enhancer específico da adrenal fetal (FAdE), Pik3c2g e gene da enzima 20&#913;HSD foram analisados por RT-PCR, e estão expressos em camundongos KO machos de 3, 8 e 15 semanas de idade, mas não em camundongos controle. A transfecção do gene SOCS3 em cultura de células do córtex adrenal de camundongos KO mostrou uma redução da expressão de FAdE e de outros fatores diferencialmente expressos. A avaliação funcional da adrenal através da análise da presença de lipídeos no córtex adrenal de camundongos KO machos com 30 semanas, mostrou uma redução, quando comparamos com o controle, o que não foi observada através da quantificação da corticosterona plasmática em diferentes idades. Em resumo, mostramos a retenção da zX em animais que não expressam SOCS3 na glândula adrenal e que via JAK/STAT está menos ativa. A retenção da zX parece estar relacionada, através de um mecanismo ainda não desvendado, com a manutenção do enhancer de SF-1, o gene FAdE. Portanto, SOCS3 pode estar envolvido na diferenciação/renovação do córtex adrenal de camundongos por um mecanismo que precisa ser ainda elucidado.During the development and differentiation of the adrenal gland, the fetal zone (FZ) undergoes a process of regression and differentiation, giving rise to the definitive zone (zD) of the adrenal cortex. In humans, the zD gives rise to the zona glomerulosa (ZG) and fasciculata (ZF) between 2-4 years of age, while differentiation of the zona reticulata (ZR) occurs between 6-9 years of age. In mice, the fetal zone is called zone X (zX), which in males regresses during puberty (21-30 days of life) and in females after the first pregnancy. Recently, results published by our group, in SF-1/SOCS3 KO knockout (KO) mice, showed zX retention in adult males and postpartum females. Therefore, we hypothesized that the JAK/STAT/SOCS3 pathway may play a role in adrenal gland differentiation. To test this hypothesis, first, we confirm that SOCS3 is not exclusively expressed in cells that express the SF-1 factor, such as adrenals and testes, in KO mice, and in this way we confirm the KO mouse model for SOCS3 that we obtained. Condition of activation of the JAK/STAT pathway in these animals, and we detected an increase in the phosphorylated STAT3 protein, in relation to the control, with and without the stimulus of Interleukin-6, which suggests that, due to the absence of SOCS3, inhibitor of the JAK pathway /STAT, this pathway is more active in KO mice. The morphological characterization of the adrenal, through HE staining and zX localization through the CYP17A1 enzyme, in male KO mice and virgin females at 3, 8, 15 and 30 weeks of age and in postpartum females, showed retention of zX regardless of the analyzed age. In addition, different molecular markers of zX, such as the fetal adrenal specific enhancer (FAdE), Pik3c2g and the 20&#945;HSD enzyme gene were analyzed by RT-PCR, and are expressed in male KO mice at 3, 8 and 15 weeks of age, but not in control mice. Transfection of the SOCS3 gene into cultured cells from the adrenal cortex of KO mice showed a reduction in the expression of FAdE and other differentially expressed factors. The functional assessment of the adrenal through the analysis of the presence of lipids in the adrenal cortex of male KO mice at 30 weeks, showed a reduction, when compared with the control, which was not observed through the quantification of plasmatic corticosterone at different ages. In summary, we showed zX retention in animals that do not express SOCS3 in the adrenal gland and that the JAK/STAT pathway is less active. The retention of zX seems to be related, through a mechanism not yet revealed, with the maintenance of the SF-1 enhancer, the FAdE gene. Therefore, SOCS3 may be involved in the differentiation/renewal of the mouse adrenal cortex by a mechanism that still needs to be elucidated

Study of the action of the N-terminal peptides of the POMC in the adrenal cortex of tamoxifen-induced knockout Pomc mice.

O ACTH é considerado o principal fator atuante no desenvolvimento, na manutenção e na esteroidogênese da glândula adrenal. No entanto, existem evidências que peptídeos N-Pomc, derivados do processamento da Proopiomelanocortina (POMC), possam atuar na manutenção do córtex adrenal, embora ainda não seja conhecida sua importância e mesmo quais são os peptídeos que atuam na suprarrenal. Nesse trabalho tivemos como objetivo avaliar os efeitos de peptídeos sintéticos de 28 aminoácidos derivados do N-Pomc (N-PomcCys, N-PomcMet e N-PomcSer) na morfologia e função da suprarrenal de camundongos, cujo gene Pomc foi condicionalmente silenciado com Tamoxifeno (Tmx). Foram obtidos animais machos adultos (CrePomcfloxflox) com um sistema \"knock-out\" condicional Cre-Lox induzível por Tmx, que foram tratados através de minibombas osmóticas por 21 dias com os peptídeos ou com salina, e como controle animais Pomcfloxflox não tratados. Foram analisados: 1) dados metabólicos; 2) a concentração de ACTH e de corticosterona plasmáticos; 3) a morfologia e a reconstrução anatômica da adrenal; 4) a capacidade funcional através da coloração com Oil Red O (ORO) e 5) a capacidade de proliferação através da expressão da proteína PCNA. A caracterização dos animais CrePomcfloxflox + Tmx após o silenciamento mostrou a redução de 60% da concentração de ACTH plasmático e esses animais apresentaram 1) redução do gasto energético, aumento da ingestão de alimentos e ganho de peso corpóreo; 2) alteração significante a área ou o volume das adrenais; 3) redução da produção de gotículas lipídicas e 4) redução do número de núcleos positivos para a proteína PCNA. Esses animais silenciados para a Pomc e tratados com os peptídeos N POMCCys e N-POMCMet apresentaram 1) aumento da corticosterona plasmática e apenas o N-POMCCys aumentou o ACTH plasmático; 2) aumento de núcleos marcados para PCNA. Concluímos, que os camundongos Cre Pomcflox/flox silenciados para a Pomc com o Tamoxifeno apresentaram alterações metabólicas, morfológicas e fisiológicas. A análise do efeito biológico dos peptídeos N-POMC mostrou ação desses peptídeos na função e na manutenção do córtex adrenal.ACTH is considered the main active factor in the development, maintenance and steroidogenesis of the adrenal gland. However, there is evidence that N-Pomc peptides, derived from the processing of Proopiomelanocortina (POMC), may play a role in the maintenance of the adrenal cortex, although their importance is not yet known. In this work we aimed to evaluate the effects of synthetic peptides of 28 amino acids derived from N-Pomc (N-PomcCys, N-PomcMet e N-PomcSer) on the morphology and function of the adrenal cortex of mice whose Pomc gene was conditionally silenced with Tamoxifen (Tmx). Adult males (CrePomcfloxflox) were obtained with a Tmx inducible Cre-Lox conditional knock-out system, which were treated by osmotic minipumps for 21 days with the peptides or with saline, and as control untreated Pomcfloxfloxanimals. We analyzed: 1) metabolic data; 2) plasma ACTH and corticosterone concentration; 3) the morphology and the anatomical reconstruction of the adrenal; 4) functional capacity through staining with Oil Red O (ORO) and 5) the ability to proliferate through expression of PCNA protein. The characterization of the CrePomcfloxflox + Tmx animals after silencing showed a 60% reduction in plasma ACTH concentration and these animals presented 1) reduction of energy expenditure, increased food intake and body weight gain; 2) significant alteration of adrenal area or volume; 3) reduction of the production of lipid droplets and 4) reduction of the number of nuclei positive for the PCNA protein. These animals that were silenced to Pomc and treated with peptides N-PomcCys, N-PomcMet had 1) increase in plasma corticosterone and only N-POMCCys increased plasma ACTH; 2) increase of nuclei marked for PCNA. We conclude that CrePomcflox/flox mice silenced for Pomc with Tamoxifen presented metabolic, morphological and physiological alterations. The analysis of the biological effect of N-POMC peptides showed the action of these peptides on the function and maintenance of the adrenal cortex

Surviving transformation: lessons from gm's surprising turnaround

Describes the impressive strategic turnaround at General Motors beginning in the early 1990s that has brought it back from the brink of bankruptcy. Focuses on how other companies in a variety of industries can learn from GM's experience