Tracing digital transformation in educational organizations

This chapter describes the quantitative approaches for assessing various aspects of digital transformation from the joint research and development project #ko.vernetzt. In an application-oriented case study approach, the operationalization of a maturity model of digital transformation for educational organizations (MMEO) and the design and implementation of a multi-perspective evaluation concept are outlined. While the MMEO provides a state perspective on the digital transformation of an educational organization and its employees, the evaluation concept aims at tracing developments of media-related professional competencies. MMEO has been implemented in a study with N = 222 participants, while N = 59 learners were subject to the evaluation polls. The results provide the necessary evidence for implementing and continuously improving a qualification program in the regarded research context. However, the methodology can also be transferred to other organizations in the education sector and beyond

Myelodysplastic Syndromes in the Postgenomic Era and Future Perspectives for Precision Medicine

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represent a heterogeneous group of clonal disorders caused by sequential accumulation of somatic driver mutations in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). MDS is characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis with cytopenia, dysplasia, inflammation, and a variable risk of transformation into secondary acute myeloid leukemia. The advent of next-generation sequencing has revolutionized our understanding of the genetic basis of the disease. Nevertheless, the biology of clonal evolution remains poorly understood, and the stochastic genetic drift with sequential accumulation of genetic hits in HSPCs is individual, highly dynamic and hardly predictable. These continuously moving genetic targets pose substantial challenges for the implementation of precision medicine, which aims to maximize efficacy with minimal toxicity of treatments. In the current postgenomic era, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains the only curative option for younger and fit MDS patients. For all unfit patients, regeneration of HSPCs stays out of reach and all available therapies remain palliative, which will eventually lead to refractoriness and progression. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in our understanding of MDS pathophysiology and its impact on diagnosis, risk-assessment and disease monitoring. Moreover, we present ongoing clinical trials with targeting compounds and highlight future perspectives for precision medicine

Myelodysplastic Syndromes in the Postgenomic Era and Future Perspectives for Precision Medicine

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represent a heterogeneous group of clonal disorders caused by sequential accumulation of somatic driver mutations in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). MDS is characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis with cytopenia, dysplasia, inflammation, and a variable risk of transformation into secondary acute myeloid leukemia. The advent of next-generation sequencing has revolutionized our understanding of the genetic basis of the disease. Nevertheless, the biology of clonal evolution remains poorly understood, and the stochastic genetic drift with sequential accumulation of genetic hits in HSPCs is individual, highly dynamic and hardly predictable. These continuously moving genetic targets pose substantial challenges for the implementation of precision medicine, which aims to maximize efficacy with minimal toxicity of treatments. In the current postgenomic era, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains the only curative option for younger and fit MDS patients. For all unfit patients, regeneration of HSPCs stays out of reach and all available therapies remain palliative, which will eventually lead to refractoriness and progression. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in our understanding of MDS pathophysiology and its impact on diagnosis, risk-assessment and disease monitoring. Moreover, we present ongoing clinical trials with targeting compounds and highlight future perspectives for precision medicine

Chief Digital Officers as Protagonists in Digital Transformation

With the popularity of digital transformation programmes becoming widerspread, our study is motivated by a need to understand who has the responsibility for digital transformation across different types of organisations and industries. We take a specific focus on the Chief Digital Officer which has been considered the most fast growing executive role in the recent years. In particular, in this paper, we present a research in progress study that aims to examine the role of Chief Digital Officer in enabling digital transformation in traditional, pre-digital organisations, and to identify its impact on the IT department of these organisations. The empirical study is based on the qualitative approach with its main dataset deriving from a series of semi-structured interviews. The study is expected to have both theoretical and practical implications on the management of digital transformation