Taking industry seriously in ICT research – The case of building and construction industry

Industry has received little attention in Information systems research as a factor explaining information and communication technology (ICT) related activities in organizations. By drawing on a case study in the building and construction industry in Sweden, the aim of the paper is to contribute to an enhanced knowledge on how industry specific features shape the adoption and use of ICT. It is concluded adoption and deployment of ICT is shaped by the interplay among three main dimensions of industry: the market and production environment (shaped by specific interaction patterns among its features), the socio-cognitive environment, and institutional actors. The outcomes of this interplay will “fit” material features of ICT, implying certain ICT applications are preferred in an industry. The suggested framework can be used as a point of departure when ICT-related activities in an industry are analysed. But interaction patterns among features and features to be included in the framework will vary among industries

Barriers for Digital Transformation: The Role of Industry

Less attention has been paid to why certain industries, like the building and construction, is lagging behind in digital transformation. The question can be raised if there are characteristics on industry level that constrain digital transformation? The aim of the paper is to explore how the interactions among four industry key actors; architects, clients, contractors and consultants shape industry characteristics and the options for digital transformation through adoption and use of digital technology. The aim will be achieved by individual- and focus group interviews with representatives for the key actor groups and how they perceive Building Information Modelling (BIM). It is concluded that the characteristics of the industry; the focus on practical day to day action, a heterogeneous client side who have difficulties in putting demands on contractors and sub-contractors due to lack of competencies, and a product that raise barriers for process innovations do effectively constrain digital transformation

Forest fuel extraction from postponed clearing : how does it affect growth?

Man vill idag öka tillförseln av förnybar energi både i Sverige och i resten av världen. Det finns en möjlighet att i våra svenska skogar hoppa över röjningen för att sedan göra det vi kallar för en gallringsröjning i denna uppsats. Tanken att man skördar biomassa från bestånden. Det finns dock frågor som behöver besvaras innan man kan rekommendera att hoppa över röjningen för att ägna sig åt röjningsgallring istället. Vårt mål med arbetet var att koncentrera oss på frågeställningen om huruvida ett uttag av helträd sänker tillväxten jämfört med en röjning där träden lämnas kvar. Vi har som material, data från ett randomiserat blockförsök på fyra olika lokaler med totalt 15 block och två behandlingar inom varje block. Försöket är startat från 1983-1985 (beroende på lokal) och det har gjorts uppmätningar av tillväxten vid tre tillfällen (1990-1991, 1996, 2002-2004). Den uppmätta tillväxten har vi använt oss av för att komma fram till ett resultat. Vårt material rör tall (Pinus sylvestris L) och därmed även resultatet. Vårt resultat säger att det finns en signifikant skillnad i tillväxt vid det första revisionstillfället, men vid de senare två går det inte att signifikant visa på något samband mellan behandlingen och tillväxten. Vi anser att vårt material inte är tillräckligt stort för att visa på huruvida det finns något samband mellan tillväxten och behandlingen. Vidare studier måste genomföras innan man kan rekommendera gallringsröjning i konventionellt skogsbruk.Today we want to increase the supply of renewable energy, both in Sweden and in the rest of the world. There is a possibility to skip the clearing in the Swedish forests and then do what we call a thinningclearing in this paper. The idea is to harvest biomass from the stocks. However, there are questions that need to be answered before we can recommend skipping the clearance to engage in thinningclearing instead. Our goal with this study was to focus on the issue of whether a whole tree harvest decreases growth compared to a clearing where the trees are left. As material we have data from a randomized block design in four different locations with total 15 blocks and two treatments within each block. The experiment is started from 1983-1985 (depending on locale) and there have been measurements of growth three times (1990-1991, 1996, 2002-2004). We used he measured growth to get a result. Our material relating to Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L) and so does the result. Our result says that there is a significant difference in growth at the first time of the revision, but in the latter two we cannot significantly show any relationship between treatment and growth. We believe that our material is not large enough to show whether there is any correlation between growth and treatment. Further studies must be carried out before we can recommend thinningclearing in conventional forestry

Underprissättning - En studie i prissättning och initial kursförändring vid börsintroduktioner

Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka hur ett företags aktiekurs påverkas under de första handelsdagarna efter en börsintroduktion och om det förekommer en underprissättning. Vi vill vidare undersöka de mekanismer som ligger bakom en introduktion och vilka faktorer som spelar in på den initiala kursförändringen. Vår ansats har varit deduktiv och vi har använt oss av både en kvantitativ och en kvalitativ metodansats. De teorier som vi har utgått ifrån är de som finns inom området underprissättning. Teorierna behandlar främst förklaringar till varför en underprissättning sker. Vår empiriska data har insamlats genom tillgänglig företagsinformation genom prospekt samt data om historiska kurser från Stockholmsbörsen. Vår kvalitativa data har vi insamlat via intervjuer med personer med insikt inom området. Vi kan konstatera att det mellan år 2000 och 2006 har skett en underprissättning av nyintroduktioner på Stockholmsbörsen med i genomsnitt 5,3 procent. Underprissättningen är dock inte lika stor som äldre undersökningar har visat. Våra intervjuer har visat att en initial kursökning på 5-10 procent kan antas rimligt. Därmed kan vi fastslå att det under den senaste perioden har skett en mer marknadsmässig prissättning som ligger i linje med de mål som finns vid en introduktion. Orsaken till denna prissättning har sin grund i, enligt vår mening, den förändrade ägarstrukturen som finns i nyintroducerade bolag idag. Vi tror att den ökade kompetensen hos ägarna bidrar till att minska den informationsasymmetri som finns mellan företag och investmentbank vilket i sin tur leder till en mer marknadsmässig prissättning på introduktioner

Mining metadata from unidentified ITS sequences in GenBank: A case study in Inocybe (Basidiomycota)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The lack of reference sequences from well-identified mycorrhizal fungi often poses a challenge to the inference of taxonomic affiliation of sequences from environmental samples, and many environmental sequences are thus left unidentified. Such unidentified sequences belonging to the widely distributed ectomycorrhizal fungal genus <it>Inocybe </it>(<it>Basidiomycota</it>) were retrieved from GenBank and divided into species that were identified in a phylogenetic context using a reference dataset from an ongoing study of the genus. The sequence metadata of the unidentified <it>Inocybe </it>sequences stored in GenBank, as well as data from the corresponding original papers, were compiled and used to explore the ecology and distribution of the genus. In addition, the relative occurrence of <it>Inocybe </it>was contrasted to that of other mycorrhizal genera.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most species of <it>Inocybe </it>were found to have less than 3% intraspecific variability in the ITS2 region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. This cut-off value was used jointly with phylogenetic analysis to delimit and identify unidentified <it>Inocybe </it>sequences to species level. A total of 177 unidentified <it>Inocybe </it>ITS sequences corresponding to 98 species were recovered, 32% of which were successfully identified to species level in this study. These sequences account for an unexpectedly large proportion of the publicly available unidentified fungal ITS sequences when compared with other mycorrhizal genera. Eight <it>Inocybe </it>species were reported from multiple hosts and some even from hosts forming arbutoid or orchid mycorrhizae. Furthermore, <it>Inocybe </it>sequences have been reported from four continents and in climate zones ranging from cold temperate to equatorial climate. Out of the 19 species found in more than one study, six were found in both Europe and North America and one was found in both Europe and Japan, indicating that at least many north temperate species have a wide distribution.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although DNA-based species identification and circumscription are associated with practical and conceptual difficulties, they also offer new possibilities and avenues for research. Metadata assembly holds great potential to synthesize valuable information from community studies for use in a species and taxonomy-oriented framework.</p

Microbial and human transcriptome in vaginal fluid at midgestation: Association with spontaneous preterm delivery

Background Intrauterine infection and inflammation caused by microbial transfer from the vagina are believed to be important factors causing spontaneous preterm delivery (PTD). Multiple studies have examined the relationship between the cervicovaginal microbiome and spontaneous PTD with divergent results. Most studies have applied a DNA-based assessment, providing information on the microbial composition but not transcriptional activity. A transcriptomic approach was applied to investigate differences in the active vaginal microbiome and human transcriptome at midgestation between women delivering spontaneously preterm versus those delivering at term. Methods Vaginal swabs were collected in women with a singleton pregnancy at 18 + 0 to 20 + 6 gestational weeks. For each case of spontaneous PTD (delivery &lt;37 + 0 weeks) two term controls were randomized (39 + 0 to 40 + 6 weeks). Vaginal specimens were subject to sequencing of both human and microbial RNA. Microbial reads were taxonomically classified using Kraken2 and RefSeq as a reference. Statistical analyses were performed using DESeq2. GSEA and HUMAnN3 were used for pathway analyses. Results We found 17 human genes to be differentially expressed (false discovery rate, FDR &lt; 0.05) in the preterm group (n = 48) compared to the term group (n = 96). Gene expression of kallikrein-2 (KLK2), KLK3 and four isoforms of metallothioneins 1 (MT1s) was higher in the preterm group (FDR &lt; 0.05). We found 11 individual bacterial species to be differentially expressed (FDR &lt; 0.05), most with a low occurrence. No statistically significant differences in bacterial load, diversity or microbial community state types were found between the groups. Conclusions In our mainly white population, primarily bacterial species of low occurrence were differentially expressed at midgestation in women who delivered preterm versus at term. However, the expression of specific human transcripts including KLK2, KLK3 and several isoforms of MT1s was higher in preterm cases. This is of interest, because these genes may be involved in critical inflammatory pathways associated with spontaneous PTD

Low-density granulocytes are related to shorter pregnancy duration but not to interferon alpha protein blood levels in systemic lupus erythematosus

BACKGROUND: An increased risk of pregnancy complications is seen in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but the specific immunopathological drivers are still unclear. Hallmarks of SLE are granulocyte activation, type I interferon (IFN) overproduction, and autoantibodies. Here we examined whether low-density granulocytes (LDG) and granulocyte activation increase during pregnancy, and related the results to IFNα protein levels, autoantibody profile, and gestational age at birth. METHODS: Repeated blood samples were collected during pregnancy in trimesters one, two, and three from 69 women with SLE and 27 healthy pregnant women (HC). Nineteen of the SLE women were also sampled late postpartum. LDG proportions and granulocyte activation (CD62L shedding) were measured by flow cytometry. Plasma IFNα protein concentrations were quantified by single molecule array (Simoa) immune assay. Clinical data were obtained from medical records. RESULTS: Women with SLE had higher LDG proportions and increased IFNα protein levels compared to HC throughout pregnancy, but neither LDG fractions nor IFNα levels differed during pregnancy compared to postpartum in SLE. Granulocyte activation status was higher in SLE relative to HC pregnancies, and it was increased during pregnancy compared to after pregnancy in SLE. Higher LDG proportions in SLE were associated with antiphospholipid positivity but not to IFNα protein levels. Finally, higher LDG proportions in trimester three correlated independently with lower gestational age at birth in SLE. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that SLE pregnancy results in increased peripheral granulocyte priming, and that higher LDG proportions late in pregnancy are related to shorter pregnancy duration but not to IFNα blood levels in SLE

Variability and connectivity of plaice populations from the Eastern North Sea to the Western Baltic Sea, and implications for assessment and management

An essential prerequisite of sustainable fisheries is the match between biologically relevant processes and management action. Various populations may however co-occur on fishing grounds, although they might not belong to the same stock, leading to poor performance of stock assessment and management. Plaice in Kattegat and Skagerrak have traditionally been considered as one stock unit. Current understanding indicates that several plaice components may exist in the transition area between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. A comprehensive review of all available biological knowledge on plaice in this area is performed, including published and unpublished literature together with the analyses of commercial and survey data and historical tagging data. The results suggest that plaice in Skagerrak is closely associated with plaice in the North Sea, although local populations are present in the area. Plaice in Kattegat, the Belts Sea and the Sound can be considered a stock unit, as is plaice in the Baltic Sea. The analyses revealed great heterogeneity in the dynamics and productivity of the various local components, and suggested for specific action to maintain biodiversity