Implementing CRM System in a Global Organization - National vs. Organizational Culture

This paper presents a longitudinal case study of a multi-national company’s Customer Relationship Management implementation in China, Poland, Russia, Middle East, Dubai, Pakistan, Iran, Korea and Japan. Although the cooperation has extensive experience in implementing systems in its different global subsidiaries, and has planned the implementation well, the implementation was not a complete success. The study has identified that the cultural factor are important, but not stressed enough in the current CRM literature. Understanding the difference between the organizational culture in which the system is developed and the national culture in which the system is implemented, as well as having a strategy for how to embrace and control/adjust to cultural values, is vital for a successful system implementation.

Polar Localization of Virulence-Related Esx-1 Secretion in Mycobacteria

The Esx-1 (type VII) secretion system is critical for virulence of both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium marinum, and is highly conserved between the two species. Despite its importance, there has been no direct visualization of Esx-1 secretion until now. In M. marinum, we show that secretion of Mh3864, a novel Esx-1 substrate that remains partially cell wall–associated after translocation, occurred in polar regions, indicating that Esx-1 secretion takes place in these regions. Analysis of Esx-1 secretion in infected host cells suggested that Esx-1 activity is similarly localized in vivo. A core component of the Esx-1 apparatus, Mh3870, also localized to bacterial poles, showing a preference for new poles with active cell wall peptidoglycan (PGN) synthesis. This work demonstrates that the Esx-1 secretion machine localizes to, and is active at, the bacterial poles. Thus, virulence-related protein secretion is localized in mycobacteria, suggesting new potential therapeutic targets, which are urgently needed

Quantification of urea-spray non-uniformity effects on the H2-assisted NO reduction and NH3 slip over an Ag/Al2O3 catalyst

Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) with ammonia (NH3-SCR) is an efficient technology for lean NOx removal in automotive applications. In the current work, a kinetic model for hydrogen-assisted NH3-SCR over a silver-alumina (Ag/Al2O3) monolith catalyst is adapted to the corresponding experimental results. The degree of non-uniformity in the NH3 dose to individual catalyst channels during operation of a urea-SCR system is also investigated and the NH3 dose probability distribution functions are derived. The effects of NH3 non-uniformity on the NO conversion and NH3 slip are studied over an otherwise optimal Ag/Al2O3 system. Above the stoichiometric point, the NH3 slip is shown to increase almost linearly with increasing NH3 dosage. Channels that receive significantly lower NH3 dose than the stoichiometric one exhibit low NO conversion, whereas there is no discernable increase in the NO conversion above an NH3 dose four times the average. These results highlight the importance of the interaction between the design of the NH3 dosing system and the performance of the catalytic system

Surface species and metal oxidation state during H2‐assisted NH3‐SCR of NOx over alumina‐supported silver and indium

Alumina‐supported silver and indium catalysts are investigated for the hydrogen‐assisted selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO x with ammonia. Particularly, we focus on the active phase of the catalyst and the formation of surface species, as a function of the gas environment. Diffuse reflectance ultraviolet‐visible (UV‐vis) spectroscopy was used to follow the oxidation state of the silver and indium phases, and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) was used to elucidate the formation of surface species during SCR conditions. In addition, the NO x reduction efficiency of the materials was evaluated using H 2 ‐assisted NH 3 ‐SCR. The DRIFTS results show that the Ag/Al 2 O 3 sample forms NO‐containing surface species during SCR conditions to a higher extent compared to the In/Al 2 O 3 sample. The silver sample also appears to be more reduced by H 2 than the indium sample, as revealed by UV‐vis spectroscopic experiments. Addition of H 2 , however, may promote the formation of highly dispersed In 2 O 3 clusters, which previously have been suggested to be important for the SCR reaction. The affinity to adsorb NH 3 is confirmed by both temperature programmed desorption (NH 3 ‐TPD) and in situ DRIFTS to be higher for the In/Al 2 O 3 sample compared to Ag/Al 2 O 3 . The strong adsorption of NH 3 may inhibit (self‐poison) the NH 3 activation, thereby hindering further reaction over this catalyst, which is also shown by the lower SCR activity compared to Ag/Al 2 O 3

Screening av nye PFAS-stoffer 2018

This screening project has focused on the occurrence of conventional andemerging PFASs in terrestrial and marine environments, including the Arctic. Conventional PFASs were found to be wide-spread in the environment and for the first time in Norway reported in wolf, a top predator from the terrestrial environment.Otters living in close proximity to human settlements and preying on the marine food chain,are heavily contaminated with PFASs. Areas where ski-testing activitiesare common are a potential “hotspot” where PFASs can enter the food chain. The difference in PFAS-profile between the samples indicatesthat the diversity in samples are necessary to reveal the complete picture of PFASs in the environment

Design and synthesis of soluble and cell-permeable PI3Kδ inhibitors for long-acting inhaled administration

PI3Kδ is a lipid kinase that is believed to be important in the migration and activation of cells of the immune system. Inhibition is hypothesised to provide a powerful yet selective immunomodulatory effect that may be beneficial for the treatment of conditions such as asthma or rheumatoid arthritis. In this work we describe the identification of inhibitors based on a thiazolopyridone core structure and their subsequent optimisation for inhalation. The initially identified compound (13) had good potency and isoform selectivity but was not suitable for inhalation. Addition of basic substituents to a region of the molecule pointing to solvent was tolerated (enzyme inhibition pIC50 >9) and by careful manipulation of the pKa and lipophilicity we were able to discover compounds (20b, 20f) with good lung retention and cell potency that could be taken forward to in-vivo studies where significant target engagement could be demonstrated

Decreased Th1-Type Inflammatory Cytokine Expression in the Skin Is Associated with Persisting Symptoms after Treatment of Erythema Migrans

Background: Despite the good prognosis of erythema migrans (EM), some patients have persisting symptoms of various character and duration post-treatment. Several factors may affect the clinical outcome of EM, e. g. the early interaction between Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi and the host immune response, the B. burgdorferi genotype, antibiotic treatment as well as other clinical circumstances. Our study was designed to determine whether early cytokine expression in the skin and in peripheral blood in patients with EM is associated with the clinical outcome. Methods: A prospective follow-up study of 109 patients with EM was conducted at the A land Islands, Finland. Symptoms were evaluated at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months post-treatment. Skin biopsies from the EM and healthy skin were immunohistochemically analysed for expression of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, IL-12p70 and interferon (IFN)-gamma, as well as for B. burgdorferi DNA. Blood samples were analysed for B. burgdorferi antibodies, allergic predisposition and levels of systemic cytokines. Findings: None of the patients developed late manifestations of Lyme borreliosis. However, at the 6-month follow-up, 7 of 88 patients reported persisting symptoms of diverse character. Compared to asymptomatic patients, these 7 patients showed decreased expression of the Th1-associated cytokine IFN-gamma in the EM biopsies (p = 0.003). B. afzelii DNA was found in 48%, B. garinii in 15% and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto in 1% of the EM biopsies, and species distribution was the same in patients with and without post-treatment symptoms. The two groups did not differ regarding baseline patient characteristics, B. burgdorferi antibodies, allergic predisposition or systemic cytokine levels. Conclusion: Patients with persisting symptoms following an EM show a decreased Th1-type inflammatory response in infected skin early during the infection, which might reflect a dysregulation of the early immune response. This finding supports the importance of an early, local Th1-type response for optimal resolution of LB.Original Publication: Johanna Sjöwall, Linda Fryland, Marika Nordberg, Florence Sjögren, Ulf Garpmo, Christian Jansson, Sten-Anders Carlsson, Sven Bergstrom, Jan Ernerudh, Dag Nyman, Pia Forsberg and Christina Ekerfelt, Decreased Th1-Type Inflammatory Cytokine Expression in the Skin Is Associated with Persisting Symptoms after Treatment of Erythema Migrans, 2011, PLOS ONE, (6), 3, 0018220. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0018220 Copyright: Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://www.plos.org

Correlations between Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H MRS) in schizophrenic patients and normal controls

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Evidence suggests that white matter integrity may play an underlying pathophysiological role in schizophrenia. N-acetylaspartate (NAA), as measured by Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), is a neuronal marker and is decreased in white matter lesions and regions of axonal loss. It has also been found to be reduced in the prefrontal and temporal regions in patients with schizophrenia. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) allows one to measure the orientations of axonal tracts as well as the coherence of axonal bundles. DTI is thus sensitive to demyelination and other structural abnormalities. DTI has also shown abnormalities in these regions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>MRS and DTI were obtained on 42 healthy subjects and 40 subjects with schizophrenia. The data was analyzed using regions of interests in the Dorso-Lateral Prefrontal white matter, Medial Temporal white matter and Occipital white matter using both imaging modalities.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>NAA was significantly reduced in the patient population in the Medial Temporal regions. DTI anisotropy indices were also reduced in the same Medial Temporal regions. NAA and DTI-anisotropy indices were also correlated in the left medial temporal region.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results implicate defects in the medial temporal white matter in patients with schizophrenia. Moreover, MRS and DTI are complementary modalities for the study of white matter disruptions in patients with schizophrenia.</p