Systems Thinking Using SSM and TRIZ for Stakeholder Engagement in Infrastructure Megaprojects

Infrastructure megaprojects straddle multiple stakeholder boundaries who have an interest in the project and are affected by the project. Multiple papers in the literature stress the need for holistic approaches to stakeholder engagement, as existing approaches only address the concerns of the noisy stakeholders. This research proposes an innovative approach in which Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is used for understanding stakeholder concerns, complemented by the use of Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) for identifying innovative solutions to address conflicting stakeholder goals. The researchers simulated the stakeholder engagement of the Coimbatore metro rail project, in India, through a workshop setting in a classroom to check the feasibility of this approach for stakeholder engagement. The 15 participants of the workshop were divided into four groups representing different stakeholders of the project. Data was collected through participant observations by the authors and oral feedback from the participants. The results show that while SSM helped to capture the concerns and goals of each stakeholder, TRIZ helped to identify and dissolve conflicts among these goals through innovative solutions. The theoretical, practical and pedagogical contributions are highlighted

Systems Thinking Using SSM and TRIZ for Stakeholder Engagement in Infrastructure Megaprojects

Infrastructure megaprojects straddle multiple stakeholder boundaries who have an interest in the project and are affected by the project. Multiple papers in the literature stress the need for holistic approaches to stakeholder engagement, as existing approaches only address the concerns of the noisy stakeholders. This research proposes an innovative approach in which Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is used for understanding stakeholder concerns, complemented by the use of Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) for identifying innovative solutions to address conflicting stakeholder goals. The researchers simulated the stakeholder engagement of the Coimbatore metro rail project, in India, through a workshop setting in a classroom to check the feasibility of this approach for stakeholder engagement. The 15 participants of the workshop were divided into four groups representing different stakeholders of the project. Data was collected through participant observations by the authors and oral feedback from the participants. The results show that while SSM helped to capture the concerns and goals of each stakeholder, TRIZ helped to identify and dissolve conflicts among these goals through innovative solutions. The theoretical, practical and pedagogical contributions are highlighted.</jats:p

Some recent work on Schiff bases, imines and iminium salts in synthetic heterocyclic chemistry - a review

This review summarizes the versatile use of Schiff bases, imines and iminium salts for synthesizing a great variety of heterocyclic compounds. Addition reactions of Schiff bases with acid anhydrides, acid chlorides and esters have led to the synthesis of penicillins, β-lactams, pyrrolidinones and piperidinones. Condensations of homophthalic anhydrides with Schiff bases have been the key steps for synthesizing isoquinolinones, protoberberines, 8-oxoberbines, benzophenanthridines and indole alkaloids. Reactions of phthalide anions with iminium salts have been utilized for synthesizing protoberberines, phthalide isoquinolines and related alkaloids. Addition of lithium methyl methylthiomethylsulfoxide to Schiff bases and electroreductive addition of alkyl halides to iminium salts are also discussed

Comprehensive population-based genome sequencing provides insight into hematopoietic regulatory mechanisms

Genetic variants affecting hematopoiesis can influence commonly measured blood cell traits. To identify factors that affect hematopoiesis, we performed association studies for blood cell traits in the population-based Estonian Biobank using high-coverage whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in 2,284 samples and SNP genotyping in an additional 14,904 samples. Using up to 7,134 samples with available phenotype data, our analyses identified 17 associations across 14 blood cell traits. Integration of WGS-based fine-mapping and complementary epigenomic datasets provided evidence for causal mechanisms at several loci, including at a previously undiscovered basophil count-associated locus near the master hematopoietic transcription factor CEBPA. The fine-mapped variant at this basophil count association near CEBPA overlapped an enhancer active in common myeloid progenitors and influenced its activity. In situ perturbation of this enhancer by CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells demonstrated that it is necessary for and specifically regulates CEBPA expression during basophil differentiation. We additionally identified basophil count-associated variation at another more pleiotropic myeloid enhancer near GATA2, highlighting regulatory mechanisms for ordered expression of master hematopoietic regulators during lineage specification. Our study illustrates how population-based genetic studies can provide key insights into poorly understood cell differentiation processes of considerable physiologic relevance.Peer reviewe

Systems Thinking Using SSM and TRIZ for Stakeholder Engagement in Infrastructure Megaprojects

Infrastructure megaprojects straddle multiple stakeholder boundaries who have an interest in the project and are affected by the project. Multiple papers in the literature stress the need for holistic approaches to stakeholder engagement, as existing approaches only address the concerns of the noisy stakeholders. This research proposes an innovative approach in which Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is used for understanding stakeholder concerns, complemented by the use of Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) for identifying innovative solutions to address conflicting stakeholder goals. The researchers simulated the stakeholder engagement of the Coimbatore metro rail project, in India, through a workshop setting in a classroom to check the feasibility of this approach for stakeholder engagement. The 15 participants of the workshop were divided into four groups representing different stakeholders of the project. Data was collected through participant observations by the authors and oral feedback from the participants. The results show that while SSM helped to capture the concerns and goals of each stakeholder, TRIZ helped to identify and dissolve conflicts among these goals through innovative solutions. The theoretical, practical and pedagogical contributions are highlighted

Studies on low-stress mechanical properties of polyester/cotton suiting fabrics

99-111<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:="" minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;="" mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">The effects of different stages of finishing such as scouring, mercerisation, heat-setting, polyester dyeing, cotton dyeing and finishing on low-stress mechanical properties of polyester-cotton suiting fabrics have been studied. It is observed that the finished fabrics have tensile energy, tensile resilience and elongation of the order of the grey fabric, but smaller bending and shear values. In general, scouring and dyeing soften the fabrics, resulting in smaller bending and shear values, whereas mercerisation and heat-setting stiffen the fabrics, resulting in higher values. On the contrary, yarn bending rigidity and hysteresis values after dyeing are higher compared to those after mercerisation and heat-setting. This shows that the structural changes have played far greater role in deciding the fabric properties.</span

CHEXVIS: a tool for molecular channel extraction and visualization

Background: Understanding channel structures that lead to active sites or traverse the molecule is important in the study of molecular functions such as ion, ligand, and small molecule transport. Efficient methods for extracting, storing, and analyzing protein channels are required to support such studies. Further, there is a need for an integrated framework that supports computation of the channels, interactive exploration of their structure, and detailed visual analysis of their properties. Results: We describe a method for molecular channel extraction based on the alpha complex representation. The method computes geometrically feasible channels, stores both the volume occupied by the channel and its centerline in a unified representation, and reports significant channels. The representation also supports efficient computation of channel profiles that help understand channel properties. We describe methods for effective visualization of the channels and their profiles. These methods and the visual analysis framework are implemented in a software tool, CHEXVIS. We apply the method on a number of known channel containing proteins to extract pore features. Results from these experiments on several proteins show that CHEXVIS performance is comparable to, and in some cases, better than existing channel extraction techniques. Using several case studies, we demonstrate how CHEXVIS can be used to study channels, extract their properties and gain insights into molecular function. Conclusion: CHEXVIS supports the visual exploration of multiple channels together with their geometric and physico-chemical properties thereby enabling the understanding of the basic biology of transport through protein channels. The CHEXVIS web-server is freely available at http://vgl.serc.iisc.ernet.in/chexvis/. The web-server is supported on all modern browsers with latest Java plug-in

Evaluation of 90 day repeated dose oral toxicity and reproductive/developmental toxicity of 3'-hydroxypterostilbene in experimental animals.

3'-Hydroxypterostilbene (3'-HPT) is one of the active constituents of Sphaerophysa salsula and Pterocarpus marsupium. Despite many proposed therapeutic applications, the safety profile of 3'-HPT has not been established. The present work investigated 90 day repeated oral dose and reproductive (developmental) toxicity of 3'-HPT as a test substance in rats as per OECD guidelines. 90 day toxicity was conducted in sixty Sprague Dawley rats of each sex (120 rats), grouped into six dosage groups of 0 (control), 0 (control recovery), 20 (low dose), 80 (mid dose), 200 (high dose) and 200 (high dose recovery) mg/kg bwt/day (body weight/day) respectively. For the reproductive toxicity study forty Wistar rats of each sex (80 rats) divided into four dosage groups received 0 (vehicle control), 20 (low dose), 100 (mid dose) and 200 (high dose) mg/kg bwt/day of 3'-HPT respectively for a period of two weeks while pre-mating, mating, on the day before sacrifice, in females during pregnancy and four days of lactation period. Results showed no significant differences in body weight, food intake, absolute organ weight, haematology, with no adverse effects (toxicity) on biochemical values nor any abnormal clinical signs or behavioural changes were observed in any of the control/treatment groups, including reproductive and developmental parameters, gross and histopathological changes. In conclusion, the results suggested a No-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Level (NOAEL) of 200 mg/kg bwt/day in rats after oral administration, implying 3'-HPT did not exhibit any toxicity under the study conditions employed

Epitope analysis and molecular modeling reveal the topography of the C-terminal peptide of the \beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) belongs to a family of heterodimeric glycoprotein hormones that share a common \alpha-subunit and a hormone-specific \beta-subunit. Among the gonadotropin \beta-subunits, greater than 85% homology exists between lutropin (hLH)\beta and hCG\beta in their first 114 amino acid residues. However, unlike hLH\beta, hCG\beta contains a 31-amino acid hydrophilic stretch at its carboxyl end (CTP\beta: C-terminal peptide). Although the crystal structure of deglycosylated hCG has been solved, the topography of CTP\beta remains unknown. In this study, we have attempted to define the topology of CTP using mAb probes. We investigated three epitopes on hCG\alpha, which are hidden in the hCG\alpha\beta dimer. However, these epitopes are not hidden in hLH, which has a similar subunit interface to that of hCG, but lacks CTP\beta. This suggested that these epitopes are not masked at the subunit interface of hLH or hCG. Hence, we hypothesized that, in the case of hCG, these epitopes are masked by the CTP\beta. Consistent with this view, several treatments of hCG that removed CTP\beta unmasked these epitopes and enhanced their reactivity with the corresponding mAbs. In order to localise the position of CTP\beta on the \alpha-subunit, we used an epitope-mapping strategy [N. Venkatesh & G. S. Murthy (1997) J. Immunol. Methods 202, 173-182] based on differential susceptibility of epitopes to covalent modifications. This enabled us to predict the possible topography of CTP\beta. Further, we were also able to build a model of CTP\beta, completely independently of the epitope-mapping studies, using a homology-based modeling approach [S. Krishnaswamy, I. Lakshminarayanan & S. Bhattacharya (1995) Protein Sci. 4 (Suppl. 2), 86-97]. Results obtained from these two different approaches (epitope analysis and homology modeling) agree with each other and indicate that portions of CTP\beta are in contact with hCG\alpha in the native hCG dimer