Outsourcing Information Services

Purpose: The systematic redevelopment of a Corporate Information Center's strategy is presented in this case study, with particular focus on the aspect of outsourcing services. This aspect is emphasised, because it is the only way to realise a new business model without an increase in resources. Design/methodology/approach: There is a description of which services have been outsourced, while it is also made clear which activities related to the creation of processes and their supervision have remained in the company's internal Information Center, and how they are changing as time goes on. The licensing of information sources from external aggregators is viewed in the context of outsourcing, as is the latest development in Vendor Portfolio Management. Findings: After the transformation of the classic spectrum of library services into the strategically created portfolio of an Online Information Center, the core tasks at the forefront are those which anchor the Information Center in the corporation of which it is a part, and which perfectly combine the interests of the corporation with the use of information industry competencies through cooperation and partnership with service providers. Originality / value: This case study demonstrates how, and for what purpose, information industry competencies can be used in an Online Information Center. Even with limited resources, the skilful use of outsourcing solutions makes possible the redevelopment of strategy and therefore change

What Students Think They Feel Differs from What They Really Feel - Academic Self-Concept Moderates the Discrepancy between Students\u27 Trait and State Emotional Self-Reports

This study investigated whether there is a discrepancy pertaining to trait and state academic emotions and whether self-concept of ability moderates this discrepancy. A total of 225 secondary school students from two different countries enrolled in grades 8 and 11 (German sample; n = 94) and grade 9 (Swiss sample; n = 131) participated. Students\u27 trait academic emotions of enjoyment, pride, anger, and anxiety in mathematics were assessed with a self-report questionnaire, whereas to assess their state academic emotions experience-sampling method was employed. The results revealed that students\u27 scores on the trait assessment of emotions were generally higher than their scores on the state assessment. Further, as expected, students academic self-concept in the domain of mathematics was shown to partly explain the discrepancy between scores on trait and state emotions. Our results indicate that there is a belief-driven discrepancy between what students think they feel (trait assessment) and what they really feel (state assessment). Implications with regard to the assessment of self-reported emotions in future studies and practical implications for the school context are discussed

Repatriation Adjustment, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover Intentions as a Function of Core Self-Evaluations and Role Clarity

A growing corpus of employee relocation literature proposes the construct of repatriation work adjustment as not only a desired outcome on behalf of returning employees and their organizations, but also a persistent challenge. Contemporary research consistently traces repatriation work adjustment to a wide range of individual, occupational, and cultural antecedents, while also hypothesizing it as a contributor to desired outcomes. However, there exists a dearth of literature examining the intermediary role of job factors in the relationship between individual differences and repatriation work adjustment. By examining the main and indirect effects of core self-evaluations and role clarity, the present study proposes several hypotheses to determine whether core self-evaluations affect repatriation work adjustment through role clarity, and whether repatriation work adjustment affects job satisfaction and intentions to turnover. To test these mediated models, this study used an online, survey-based design to obtain self-report data from a sample of repatriated employees

DNA methyltransferase inhibitors influence on the DIRAS3 and STAT3 expression and in vitro migration of ovarian and breast cancer cells

Objectives: Downregulation of DIRAS3 (DIRAS family, GTP-binding Ras-like 3) is related to ovarian and breast cancer progression. A possible mechanism that silences this gene is the promoter region DNA methylation. The potential reversibility of this epigenetic mechanism makes it more attractive candidate for new mode of cancer treatment. DIRAS3 regulates cell cycle, tumor dormancy and inhibits cancer cell growth and motility, all of which may indirectly depend on interaction with STAT3 (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3) classified as a potential oncogene. The restoration of DIRAS3 expression could inhibit cell proliferation and invasiveness. Material and methods: Human ovarian carcinoma cell line (A2780) and human breast cancer cell line (MCF7) were exposed to two DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi): decitabine (5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine) [25 μM and 12.5 μM] and RG108 [150 μM and 100 μM]. In vitro migration changes of cancer cells were examined with wound healing assay. After 7 days of DNMTi treatment cells were harvested and DNA and RNA was isolated. The methylation status of the promoter sequences of DIRAS3 and STAT3 genes was determined using methylation specific PCR (MS-PCR). Level of target genes’ expression was quantified using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (QRT-PCR). Results and conclusions: The in vitro wound healing assay showed changes in the migration rate of both adherent cell lines after DNMTi treatment compared to the untreated cells. Relative balance between methylated and unmethylated variants of DIRAS3 after MS-PCR was shifted towards unmethylated version after DNMTi treatment in A2780 cells. Statistically significant dose dependent effect of decitabine and RG108 on DIRAS3 expression in A2780 cells was observed

Do Girls Really Experience More Anxiety in Mathematics?

Two studies were conducted to examine gender differences in trait (habitual) versus state (momentary) mathematics anxiety in a sample of students (Study 1: N = 584; Study 2: N = 111). For trait math anxiety, the findings of both studies replicated previous research showing that female students report higher levels of anxiety than do male students. However, no gender differences were observed for state anxiety, as assessed using experience-sampling methods while students took a math test (Study 1) and attended math classes (Study 2). The discrepant findings for trait versus state math anxiety were partly accounted for by students' beliefs about their competence in mathematics, with female students reporting lower perceived competence than male students despite having the same average grades in math. Implications for educational practices and the assessment of anxiety are discussed

Gad65 is recognized by t-cells, but not by antibodies from nod-mice

Since the 64kDa-protein glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is one of the major autoantigens in T-cell mediated Type 1 diabetes, its relevance as a T-cell antigen needs to be clarified. After isolation of splenic T-cells from non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, a useful model for human Type 1 diabetes, we found that these T-cells proliferate spontaneously when incubated with human GAD65, but only marginally after incubation with GAD67, both recombinated in the baculovirus system. No effect was observed with non-diabetic NOD mice or with T-cells from H-2 identical NON-NOD-H-2g7 control mice. It has been published previously that NOD mice develop autoantibodies against a 64kDa protein detected with mouse beta cells. In immunoprecipitation experiments with sera from the same NOD mice and 33S-methionine-labelled GAD, no autoantibody binding could be detected. We conclude firstly that GAD65 is an important T-cell antigen which is relevant early in the development of Type 1 diabetes and secondly that there is an antigenic epitope in the human GAD65 molecule recognized by NOD T-cells, but not by NOD autoantibodies precipitating conformational epitopes. Our results therefore provide further evidence that GAD65 is a T-cell antigen in NOD mice, being possibly also involved in very early processes leading to the development of human Type 1 diabetes