The Reinforcing Effects of Formal Control Enactment in Complex IT Projects

Complex IT projects pose particular challenges for the application of control, because of the dynamism and uncertainty involved. Prior studies suggest self-control can complement formal control within complex projects. However, how managers can enact controlee self-control remains an unsolved question. This paper proposes and investigates how enacted formal control unfolds during the course of an IT project and, in particular, how formal control enactment can promote or hinder controlee self-control. We demonstrate through case studies of a control in two wireless communication product development projects that an enabling control style can induce controlees to act to the benefit of both the controller and the controlee, while an authoritative control style encourages controlees’ self-interested behavior. We also show how controlees influence the enactment of control within complex projects and demonstrate the reinforcing effects of the controller’s enactment and controlee response on project outcomes. For practice, this research identifies preconditions necessary for inducing controlee self-control

THE INFLUENCE OF TASK-BASED LANGUAGE TEACHING AND AUDIO-LINGUAL TEACHING APPROACH ON MANDARIN LANGUAGE LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of this study is to look into the influence of Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) and audio-lingual teaching approaches on Malaysia tertiary level non-native Mandarin learners’ learning outcomes in the teaching of Mandarin as a global language. A quasi-experimental study was carried out on 43 Universiti Malaysia Kelantan students, where they were divided into two groups. Group A contained 21 students, while Group B had 22 students. The two groups were studied to compare the influence of the two different teaching approaches: TBLT (Group A) and audio-lingual teaching approach (Group B). Willis’ (2006) Task-based Learning Framework was applied as the teaching framework in Group A (TBLT), while dialogue memorisation was applied in Group B (audio-lingual teaching approach). The results of the teaching approaches were analysed using simulated oral test, where language fluency, language accuracy and language pronunciation were the elements the researcher looked into. The results of the findings showed that Group A indicated a drop in the learning outcomes’ mean score in the first cycle of the post-treatment test, but the condition changed in the second cycle post-treatment test and delayed post-treatment test, where the learning outcomes of Group A (TBLT) outperformed the control group’s (audio-lingual teaching approach). The finding of the research provides suggestions towards teachers to apply communicative task between non-native learners and native speakers to improve learners’ learning outcomes. It also advises teachers to apply TBLT in a longer term rather than in a short term.&nbsp

Engaging Viewers in Ecommerce Live Streaming: Perspectives of the Broadcaster and Viewer

Background: ECommerce live streaming has enabled new forms of broadcaster-viewer interaction, where broadcasters engage viewers in real time to sell goods and services. It is therefore critical to discover strategies to maximize viewer engagement with broadcasters. Method: A mixed methods approach was applied. Five strategies emerged from our qualitative observation of three famous broadcasters: establishing a personal brand essence, maintaining personal brand consistency, creating message credibility, tapping on shared attitudes, and maximizing customer responsiveness. Based on a signaling theory perspective, we then hypothesized about the five strategies and constructed a survey to examine the effectiveness of these strategies. A total of 505 valid responses were received, and CB-SEM with AMOS was utilized to test the five hypotheses, with three hypotheses supported. Results: Our findings demonstrate that message credibility, shared attitudes, and customer responsiveness play critical roles in enhancing viewers’ engagement behaviors. Conclusion: Our mixed methods approach allows empirical exploration of effective engagement strategies and broadcaster-viewer interaction during eCommerce live streaming. This study thus contributes nascent knowledge to the live streaming literature, helping future research to develop possible theoretical perspectives. Our findings also provide actionable insights for broadcasters to enhance viewer engagement and boost sales

Population Stereotyped Icons: A Study of Agrarian Communities in India

Knowledge transfer is a key factor for increasing agriculture yield especially in developing countries like India. Information Communication Technologies (ICT) is the best platform for knowledge transfer. However, the expertise level of novice users living in India has compromised usage of ICT services. To fill the gap, we suggest for icons to be developed using population stereotype production method. In this study, we first generated population stereotype representations for sixteen different function labels. We then compared the performance and representativeness of these populationstereotyped icons with other ideas. Two separate experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, ninety-two participants from the farming communities were asked to draw images to represent sixteen function labels. In the second experiment, eighty-eight participants were equally distributed into four groups to evaluate the performance and representativeness of all the population-stereotyped representations. This study answered one of the most significant questions regarding the utility of using population-stereotyped ideas for the development of icons in the context of agrarian societies of rural India. The study also offered important practical implications for designing representative icons by using representations developed by different participants during population stereotype production

User-Accustomed Interaction: An Usability Approach for Designing Mobile Application for Novice and Expert Users

The development of smartphone applications is prevailing globally, including the underserved communities consisting of a huge group of novice users. In spite of the growing number of novice users, we hardly consider usability for users with varying expertise level when we evaluate performance and satisfaction with usage of mobile applications. In this study, we argue that it is not suitable to design one interface for all users of progressively varying communities. Based on theories in design science research, we propose a user-accustomed approach to adapt mobile applications that integrate three types of interaction elements, namely localization, structural navigation and illustration. In an investigation of the proposed approach on mobile application, we empirically proved the effects of user-accustomed interaction techniques on performance and satisfaction between novice and expert users. The findings provide significant theoretical and practical implications for design and implementation of user interfaces on mobile application

WristTrack? A Mobile Healthcare Surveillance System for Wrist Recovery Exercises

Physiotherapy is an important component for injury recovery. Progressive exercises can help in facilitating recovery when executed correctly, but it can cause damaging effects when done wrongly. However, not all patients are able to make it to the hospital every time due to reasons such as post-surgery immobility. This study introduces a self-served physiotherapy system for wrist exercises (i.e., WristTrack), allowing patients to perform wrist conditioning at their own time and place of convenience. The system integrates wearable devices with mobile and web platform, to capture, visualize and provide useful metrics for both doctors and patients to make steady progression in their recovery process

Elevated activated partial thromboplastin time-based clot waveform analysis markers have strong positive association with acute venous thromboembolism

Introduction: A hypercoagulable state is a predisposition for venous thromboembolism (VTE). The activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)-based clot waveform analysis (CWA) is a global haemostatic measure but its role in assessment of hypercoagulability and thrombotic disorders is uncertain. We aimed to study the changes of CWA parameters in acute VTE. We hypothesized that patients with acute VTE would demonstrate higher CWA values than control patients without VTE and having elevated CWA parameters is associated with acute VTE. Materials and methods: Clot waveform analysis data from patients (N = 45) with objectively proven acute VTE who had an aPTT performed prior to initiation of anticoagulation were compared with controls (N = 111). The CWA parameters measured were min1, min2, max2 and delta change. Results: While the mean aPTT between VTE patients and controls did not differ (P = 0.830), the mean CWA parameters were significantly higher among VTE patients than controls (min1, P < 0.001; min2, P = 0.001; max2, P = 0.002; delta change, P < 0.001). There were significantly more cases within the VTE group exhibiting CWA values above their reference intervals than the control group (all P < 0.001), with the odds ratios for VTE of 8.0, 5.2, 4.8 and 18.6 for min1, min2, max2 and delta change, respectively (all P < 0.001). Conclusions: Patients with acute VTE had elevated aPTT-based CWA parameters than controls. Higher CWA parameters were significantly associated with acute VTE

Genomic acquisition of a capsular polysaccharide virulence cluster by non-pathogenic Burkholderia isolates.

BACKGROUND: Burkholderia thailandensis is a non-pathogenic environmental saprophyte closely related to Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of the often fatal animal and human disease melioidosis. To study B. thailandensis genomic variation, we profiled 50 isolates using a pan-genome microarray comprising genomic elements from 28 Burkholderia strains and species. RESULTS: Of 39 genomic regions variably present across the B. thailandensis strains, 13 regions corresponded to known genomic islands, while 26 regions were novel. Variant B. thailandensis isolates exhibited isolated acquisition of a capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis gene cluster (B. pseudomallei-like capsular polysaccharide) closely resembling a similar cluster in B. pseudomallei that is essential for virulence in mammals; presence of this cluster was confirmed by whole genome sequencing of a representative variant strain (B. thailandensis E555). Both whole-genome microarray and multi-locus sequence typing analysis revealed that the variant strains formed part of a phylogenetic subgroup distinct from the ancestral B. thailandensis population and were associated with atypical isolation sources when compared to the majority of previously described B. thailandensis strains. In functional assays, B. thailandensis E555 exhibited several B. pseudomallei-like phenotypes, including colony wrinkling, resistance to human complement binding, and intracellular macrophage survival. However, in murine infection assays, B. thailandensis E555 did not exhibit enhanced virulence relative to other B. thailandensis strains, suggesting that additional factors are required to successfully colonize and infect mammals. CONCLUSIONS: The discovery of such novel variant strains demonstrates how unbiased genomic surveys of non-pathogenic isolates can reveal insights into the development and emergence of new pathogenic species.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are

A non-canonical Raf function is required for dorsal–ventral patterning during Drosophila embryogenesis

Proper embryonic development requires directional axes to pattern cells into embryonic structures. In Drosophila, spatially discrete expression of transcription factors determines the anterior to posterior organization of the early embryo, while the Toll and TGFβ signalling pathways determine the early dorsal to ventral pattern. Embryonic MAPK/ERK signaling contributes to both anterior to posterior patterning in the terminal regions and to dorsal to ventral patterning during oogenesis and embryonic stages. Here we describe a novel loss of function mutation in the Raf kinase gene, which leads to loss of ventral cell fates as seen through the loss of the ventral furrow, the absence of Dorsal/NFκB nuclear localization, the absence of mesoderm determinants Twist and Snail, and the expansion of TGFβ. Gene expression analysis showed cells adopting ectodermal fates much like loss of Toll signaling. Our results combine novel mutants, live imaging, optogenetics and transcriptomics to establish a novel role for Raf, that appears to be independent of the MAPK cascade, in embryonic patterning