The effect of repertoire, routinization and enacted complexity: Explaining task performance through patterns of action

We use pattern mining tools from computer science to engage a classic problem in organizational theory: the relation between routinization and task performance. We develop and operationalize new measures of two key characteristics of organizational routines: repertoire and routinization. Repertoire refers to the number of recognizable patterns in a routine, and routinization refers to the fraction of observed actions that fit those patterns. We use these measures to develop a novel theory that predicts task performance based on the size of repertoire, the degree of routinization, and enacted complexity. We test this theory in two settings that differ in their programmability: crisis management and invoice management. We find that repertoire and routinization are important determinants of task performance in both settings, but with opposite effects. In both settings, however, the effect of repertoire and routinization is mediated by enacted complexity. This theoretical contribution is enabled by the methodological innovation of pattern mining, which allows us to treat routines as a collection of sequential patterns or paths. This innovation also allows us to clarify the relation of routinization and complexity, which are often confused because the terms routine and routinization connote simplicity. We demonstrate that routinization and enacted complexity are distinct constructs, conceptually and empirically. It is possible to have a high degree of routinization and complex enactments that vary each time a task is performed. This is because enacted complexity depends on the repertoire of patterns and how those patterns are combined to enact a task.publishedVersio

Knagger og krydder - En kvalitativ intervjustudie av biologilæreres syn på evolusjon som sammenbindende faktor i biologiundervisningen

Evolusjonsteorien regnes som en av de viktigste teoriene innen naturvitenskap, og er et overordnet rammeverk for alt innen biologi. I denne kvalitative studien ble seks biologilærere på videregående skole intervjuet om deres syn på evolusjon som en sammenbindende faktor i biologi og biologiundervisning. Svarene deres ble analysert og sammenlignet med aktuell teori og forskning. Lærerne ble også spurt om de underviste evolusjon som en sammenbindende faktor, og hvilke utfordringer de så ved å undervise evolusjon som en sammenbindende faktor. Funnene viste at blant disse lærerne var det to ulike syn på evolusjon som sammenbindende faktor. Ett syn handlet om at evolusjon er den ‘røde tråden’ i biologifaget, som sørger for sammenheng mellom de ulike temaene. Det andre synet handlet om at evolusjon må undervises som et eget tema mot slutten av biologifaget, for at elevene skulle få på plass ‘knaggene’ de trengte for å lære om evolusjon. Lærerne med det første synet så en sammenheng mellom ulike temaer i biologifaget, og mente evolusjon var denne sammenhengen. Lærerne med det andre synet så ikke noen sammenheng mellom de ulike temaene, med unntak av én lærer som beskrev at det var en sammenheng fordi de ulike temaene bygger på hverandre. Lærerne skildret ulike utfordringer ved å undervise evolusjon som en sammenbindende faktor. At elevene kun har grunnleggende forkunnskaper, at noen elever har misoppfatninger og at læreplanen har evolusjon som et adskilt tema, var noen av utfordringene lærerne nevnte. Dette i overenstemmelse med tidligere forskning og teori. I tillegg nevnte en av lærerne at evolusjonsspørsmålene som stilles på biologieksamen kun var korte faktaspørsmål. Noen forskere hevder at å strukturere biologiundervisningen rundt evolusjon som et kjerneprinsipp er en god metode for å lære elevene evolusjon. Synet om at evolusjon er en ‘rød tråd’ passer overens med å ha evolusjon som et kjerneprinsipp i biologi, men det gjør ikke synet om at elevene må ha på plass ‘knagger’ i like stor grad. Samtidig passer synet om ‘knagger’ bedre overens med struktureringen av læreplanen slik den er i dag.Masteroppgave i biologiBIO399KMAMN-BI

Effects of Biochar on Soil Fertility and Crop Yields: Experience from the Southern Highlands of Tanzania

The world’s agricultural production is declining due to severe loss of soil fertility through natural processes or because of human activities. Biochar has been identified as a potential soil amendment to regain its fertility and increase crop productivity. This study aimed to assess the effects of biochar on soil nutrients and crop yields in the southern highlands of Tanzania. Data were collected through key informant and household interviews, and from sampling of soils in coffee farms where biochar of maize cobs origin was incorporated at the rate of 3 t ha-1. Purposive sampling approach was deployed to identify the villages in which farmers have been incorporating biochar in farms. A total of 172 households, 30 key informants, and 12 top and subsoil samples were involved in this study. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 20, and excel spreadsheet was used for descriptive results and relationships. The findings revealed that biochar significantly increased soil pH, iron (Fe), organic carbon (OC), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and exchangeable bases (potassium-K, magnesium-Mg). T - tests showed significant increase of soil nutrients in biochar treated soils. In addition, biochar increased coffee and maize yields from 1 t ha-1 to 3 t ha-1. Keywords: Biochar; Soil Nutrients; Food Security; Resilience; Adaptatio

Социально-деятельные установки студентов как фактор их осознанной профессиональной подготовки

Climate engineering (geoengineering) has been widely discussed as a potential instrument for curbing global warming if politics fails to deliver green house gas emission reductions. This debate has lost momentum over the last couple of years, but is now being renewed in the wake of the December 2015 Paris climate change agreement. Resurgent interest primarily stems from two elements of the Paris agreement. First, by defining the long term goal as “achiev[ing] a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases” instead of decarbonization, the agreement can be interpreted as providing leeway for climate engineering proposals. Second, the agreement formulated a temperature goal of “well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C”. In response, several scientists argued that these goals may require climate engineering. As these discussions will affect the forthcoming review of pathways toward 1.5°C warming, this policy brief takes stock of climate engineering. It draws on the expertise of Linköping University’s Climate Engineering (LUCE) interdisciplinary research programme. The brief provides an overview of the status of academic debate on climate engineering regarding bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS);  stratospheric aerosol injection; and mass media reporting and public engagement

Questioning short-term memory and its measurement: why digit span measures long-term associative learning

Traditional accounts of verbal short-term memory explain differences in performance for different types of verbal material by reference to inherent characteristics of the verbal items making up memory sequences. The role of previous experience with sequences of different types is ostensibly controlled for either by deliberate exclusion or by presenting multiple trials constructed from different random permutations

Perceptions of risk and predictive testing held by the first-degree relatives of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in England, Austria and Germany: a qualitative study

Objectives: The family members of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk of developing RA and are potential candidates for predictive testing. This study explored the perceptions of first-degree relatives of people with RA about being at risk of RA and engaging in predictive testing. Methods: 34 first-degree relatives (siblings and offspring) of patients with RA from the UK, Germany and Austria participated in semistructured interviews about their perceptions of RA risk and the prospect of predictive testing. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: First-degree relatives were aware of their susceptibility to RA, but were unsure of the extent of their risk. When considering their future risk, some relatives were concerned about the potential impact that RA would have on their lives. Relatives were concerned that knowing their actual risk would increase their anxiety and would affect decisions about their future. Also, relatives were concerned about the levels of uncertainty associated with predictive testing. Those in favour of knowing their future risk felt that they would need additional support to understand the risk information and cope with the emotional impact of this information. Conclusions: Identifying individuals at risk of RA may allow targeted interventions to reduce the risk and consequence of future disease; however, relatives have concerns about predictive testing and risk information. The development of strategies to quantify and communicate risk needs to take these views into account and incorporate approaches to mitigate concerns and minimise the psychological impact of risk information

The temperature dependence of lipid membrane permeability, its quantized nature, and the influence of anesthetics

We investigate the permeability of lipid membranes for fluorescence dyes and ions. We find that permeability reaches a maximum close to the chain melting transition of the membranes. Close to transitions, fluctuations in area and compressibility are high, leading to an increased likelihood of spontaneous lipid pore formation. Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) reveals the permeability for rhodamine dyes across 100 nm vesicles. Using FCS, we find that the permeability of vesicle membranes for fluorescence dyes is within error proportional to the excess heat capacity. To estimate defect size we measure the conductance of solvent-free planar lipid bilayer. Microscopically, we show that permeation events appear as quantized current events. Further, we demonstrate that anesthetics lead to a change in membrane permeability that can be predicted from their effect on heat capacity profiles. Depending on temperature, the permeability can be enhanced or reduced. We demonstrate that anesthetics decrease channel conductance and ultimately lead to 'blocking' of the lipid pores in experiments performed at or above the chain melting transition. Our data suggest that the macroscopic increase in permeability close to transitions and microscopic lipid channel formation are the same physical process.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure

Targeting CDK2 overcomes melanoma resistance against BRAF and Hsp90 inhibitors

Novel therapies are undergoing clinical trials, for example, the Hsp90 inhibitor, XL888, in combination with BRAF inhibitors for the treatment of therapy-resistant melanomas. Unfortunately, our data show that this combination elicits a heterogeneous response in a panel of melanoma cell lines including PDX-derived models. We sought to understand the mechanisms underlying the differential responses and suggest a patient stratification strategy. Thermal proteome profiling (TPP) identified the protein targets of XL888 in a pair of sensitive and unresponsive cell lines. Unbiased proteomics and phosphoproteomics analyses identified CDK2 as a driver of resistance to both BRAF and Hsp90 inhibitors and its expression is regulated by the transcription factor MITF upon XL888 treatment. The CDK2 inhibitor, dinaciclib, attenuated resistance to both classes of inhibitors and combinations thereof. Notably, we found that MITF expression correlates with CDK2 upregulation in patients; thus, dinaciclib would warrant consideration for treatment of patients unresponsive to BRAF-MEK and/or Hsp90 inhibitors and/or harboring MITF amplification/overexpression