Using Kites for Meteorological Measurement of the Tropical Marine Boundary Layer.

M.S. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2018

The development of a strategy-based e-commerce planning model and the exploration of its applicability.

In the rush to bring their ventures online, organizations may have overlooked or underestimated the role of planning in e-commerce startups. Lack of adequate planning may have contributed to the failure of many e-commerce ventures. To assist in the planning phase, a model could be useful. However, no planning model for e-commerce ventures existed. In this thesis, a model is developed to assist practitioners in planning a new e-commerce venture. The model contains seven dimensions of finance, legality, logistics, marketing, operations, security and technology. These seven dimensions surround organizational strategy, the core of the model. Implications of the adoption of this planning model for managerial practice are also identified. To gain more understanding of the applicability of the model for practitioners, an exploratory survey of Canadian organizations with e-commerce operations is conducted. Observations of the survey and suggestions for further research are also presented. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2004 .D43. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-05, page: 1588. Adviser: Diana Kao. Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2004

User responses to information systems change: The place of negative capability

This study explores the place of the notion of negative capability in user responses to information systems change. Much has been written about information systems change, significantly less about negative capability, and there has been no research, at all, that links the two.User responses to the implementation of new IT have been researched since the advent of computers in organizations. Most of the existing research, however, examines situations where use is optional. This study argues that IT use is now often mandatory in most forms of organization – whether public, private or charitable. This has significant implications not only for people working in organizations that implement new IT but also for the research of such events.Negative capability has, over the past several years, started to appear in the management literature as a capacity that is uncovered when people hold an open mind during experiences of uncertainty and anxiety and resist the urge to grasp impatiently for any solution. This is sometimes contrasted with positive capabilities, which are based on a particular skill or knowledge base. Without the practice of negative capability, we observe people engaging in ‘dispersal’. This is the tendency under conditions of uncertainty to lose focus on the task and to disperse into intellectual, emotional and/or behavioural responses that do not serve the intended purpose. This paper adds to the body of knowledge by expanding our understanding of the notion of negative capability in responses to mandatory use of new IT with field studies.The research consists of two cases. The first case involves the experiences of paramedics when they convert from paper- to electronic-based reporting. The second case explores the implementation of an ERP system in a manufacturing organization. This research contributes to the body of knowledge in three ways. It is the first time that negative capability has been considered in the context of information systems/information technology change. It is novel in that it considers the emergence of negative capability after the demonstration of dispersal behaviours and it identifies instances in which such dispersal behaviours may be beneficial. A significant outcome is the development of a new analytical framework for researching and understanding negative capability during organizational change, exploring the capacity to practice negative capability at three organizational levels: organizational, relational and personal

UREKA: Umbilical Ring Easy Kannula Access

The umbilical ring easy kannula access appears to provide a safe portal of laparoscopic entry in pediatric patients with few complications

Chemical genetics uncovers novel inhibitors of lignification, including p-iodobenzoic acid targeting CINNAMATE-4-HYDROXYLASE

Plant secondary-thickened cell walls are characterized by the presence of lignin, a recalcitrant and hydrophobic polymer that provides mechanical strength and ensures long-distance water transport. Exactly the recalcitrance and hydrophobicity of lignin put a burden on the industrial processing efficiency of lignocellulosic biomass. Both forward and reverse genetic strategies have been used intensively to unravel the molecular mechanism of lignin deposition. As an alternative strategy, we introduce here a forward chemical genetic approach to find candidate inhibitors of lignification. A high-throughput assay to assess lignification in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings was developed and used to screen a 10-k library of structurally diverse, synthetic molecules. Of the 73 compounds that reduced lignin deposition, 39 that had a major impact were retained and classified into five clusters based on the shift they induced in the phenolic profile of Arabidopsis seedlings. One representative compound of each cluster was selected for further lignin-specific assays, leading to the identification of an aromatic compound that is processed in the plant into two fragments, both having inhibitory activity against lignification. One fragment, p-iodobenzoic acid, was further characterized as a new inhibitor of CINNAMATE 4-HYDROXYLASE, a key enzyme of the phenylpropanoid pathway synthesizing the building blocks of the lignin polymer. As such, we provide proof of concept of this chemical biology approach to screen for inhibitors of lignification and present a broad array of putative inhibitors of lignin deposition for further characterization

Nemesia Root Hair Response to Paper Pulp Substrate for Micropropagation

Agar substrates for in vitro culture are well adapted to plant micropropagation, but not to plant rooting and acclimatization. Conversely, paper-pulp-based substrates appear as potentially well adapted for in vitro culture and functional root production. To reinforce this hypothesis, this study compares in vitro development of nemesia on several substrates. Strong differences between nemesia roots growing in agar or in paper-pulp substrates were evidenced through scanning electron microscopy. Roots developed in agar have shorter hairs, larger rhizodermal cells, and less organized root caps than those growing on paper pulp. In conclusion, it should be noted that in this study, in vitro microporous substrates such as paper pulp lead to the production of similar root hairs to those found in greenhouse peat substrates. Consequently, if agar could be used for micropropagation, rooting, and plant acclimatization, enhancement could be achieved if rooting stage was performed on micro-porous substrates such as paper pulp

Effect of Duration and Amplitude of Direct Current When Lidocaine is Delivered by Iontophoresis

Dosage for the galvanic stimulation for iontophoresis varies. Clinicians manipulate the duration or the amplitude of the current, but it is not known which is more effective. We compared the anesthetic effect of lidocaine HCL (2%) by manipulating the current parameters on 21 healthy volunteers (age: 21.2 ± 4.2, height 170.7 ± 10.2 cm, mass 82.1 ± 19.2 kg). Three conditions were administered in a random order using a Phoresor II® with 2 mL, 2% lidocaine HCL in an iontophoresis electrode. (1) HASD (40 mA*min): High amplitude (4 mA), short duration (10 min); (2) LALD (40 mA.min): Low amplitude (2 mA), long duration (20 min); (3) Sham condition (0 mA, 20 min). Semmes-Weinstein monofilament (SWM) scores were taken pre and post intervention to measure sensation changes. Two-way ANOVA with repeated measures was used to compare sensation. Both iontophoresis treatments: LALD (4.2 ± 0.32 mm) and HASD (4.2 ± 0.52 mm) significantly increased SWM scores, indicating an increase in anesthesia, compared to the sham condition (3.6 ± 0.06 mm) p \u3c 0.05. Neither LALD nor HASD was more effective and there was no difference in anesthesia with the sham. Lidocaine delivered via iontophoresis reduces cutaneous sensation. However, there was no benefit in either a HASD or LALD treatment

Cave spiders choose optimal environmental factors with respect to the generated entropy when laying their cocoon

The choice of a suitable area to spiders where to lay eggs is promoted in terms of Darwinian fitness. Despite its importance, the underlying factors behind this key decision are generally poorly understood. Here, we designed a multidisciplinary study based both on in-field data and laboratory experiments focusing on the European cave spider Meta menardi (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) and aiming at understanding the selective forces driving the female in the choice of the depositional area. Our in-field data analysis demonstrated a major role of air velocity and distance from the cave entrance within a particular cave in driving the female choice. This has been interpreted using a model based on the Entropy Generation Minimization - EGM - method, without invoking best fit parameters and thanks to independent lab experiments, thus demonstrating that the female chooses the depositional area according to minimal level of thermo-fluid-dynamic irreversibility. This methodology may pave the way to a novel approach in understanding evolutionary strategies for other living organisms