The Adoption of Web 2.0 in Corporations: A Process Perspective

Widely discussed in the media, Web 2.0 systems have drawn the attention of corporations, many of which now seek to adopt Web 2.0 technologies and transfer its benefits to their organizations. Organizations often struggle with the adoption of information systems, and Web 2.0 systems are certainly no exception. As an empirical foundation, we studied three organizations that successfully adopted Web 2.0 systems. We conducted a narrative analysis of the case study material to produce a process theory for Web 2.0 system adoption. Finally, we compare it to the enterprise system experience cycle of Markus and Tanis (2000). Our results indicate that the adoption of Web 2.0 systems differs from larger enterprise system adoption projects. This is rooted in the lower implementation and maintenance costs as well as lower technical complexity of Web 2.0 systems. Furthermore, its voluntary characteristics lead to an adoption process that focuses mainly on convincing users of its benefits

Context Preserving Focal Probes for Exploration of Volumetric Medical Datasets

During real-time medical data exploration using volume rendering, it is often difficult to enhance a particular region of interest without losing context information. In this paper, we present a new illustrative technique for focusing on a user-driven region of interest while preserving context information. Our focal probes define a region of interest using a distance function which controls the opacity of the voxels within the probe, exploit silhouette enhancement and use non-photorealistic shading techniques to improve shape depiction.187-19

THE PROBLEM OF ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND THE PROSPECTS OF ECOLOGIZATION

Environmental education and upbringing are the basis of the ecological well-being of society, and environmental competence is becoming an important factor in the formation of personality. Today, environmental education in the Republic of Belarus is based on the principle of continuity, it operates at all levels of education and implies continuous replenishment of the population’s knowledge in biology, ecology, environmental protection etcetera. Nevertheless, there are a number of problems that do not allow to fully reveal the potential of environmental education, for example, in higher education institutions. The analysis of syllabus and the rethinking of the educational process will lead to significant progress in the field of education ecologization.Экологическое образование и воспитание являются основой экологического благополучия общества, а экологическая компетентность становится важным фактором становления личности. На сегодняшний день экологическое образование в Республике Беларусь основывается на принципе непрерывности, то есть действует на всех ступенях образования и подразумевает постоянное пополнение знаний населения в областях биологии, экологии, охраны окружающей среды и прочих. Тем не менее, существует ряд проблем, которые не позволяют в полной мере раскрыть потенциал экологического образования, в частности, в высших учебных заведениях. Анализ учебных планов и переосмысление ведения учебного процесса смогут дать значительный прогресс в области экологизации образования

Identification of Candidate Genes for Dyslexia Susceptibility on Chromosome 18

Background: Six independent studies have identified linkage to chromosome 18 for developmental dyslexia or general reading ability. Until now, no candidate genes have been identified to explain this linkage. Here, we set out to identify the gene(s) conferring susceptibility by a two stage strategy of linkage and association analysis. Methodology/Principal Findings: Linkage analysis: 264 UK families and 155 US families each containing at least one child diagnosed with dyslexia were genotyped with a dense set of microsatellite markers on chromosome 18. Association analysis: Using a discovery sample of 187 UK families, nearly 3000 SNPs were genotyped across the chromosome 18 dyslexia susceptibility candidate region. Following association analysis, the top ranking SNPs were then genotyped in the remaining samples. The linkage analysis revealed a broad signal that spans approximately 40 Mb from 18p11.2 to 18q12.2. Following the association analysis and subsequent replication attempts, we observed consistent association with the same SNPs in three genes; melanocortin 5 receptor (MC5R), dymeclin (DYM) and neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally down-regulated 4-like (NEDD4L). Conclusions: Along with already published biological evidence, MC5R, DYM and NEDD4L make attractive candidates for dyslexia susceptibility genes. However, further replication and functional studies are still required.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

How Do Non-Democratic Regimes Claim Legitimacy? Comparative Insights from Post-Soviet Countries

The analysis using the new Regime Legitimation Expert Survey (RLES) demonstrates that non-democratic rulers in post-Soviet countries use specific combinations of legitimating claims to stay in power. Most notably, rulers claim to be the guardians of citizens' socioeconomic well-being. Second, despite recurrent infringements on political and civil rights, they maintain that their power is rule-based and embodies the will of the people, as they have been given popular electoral mandates. Third, they couple these elements with inputbased legitimation strategies that focus on nationalist ideologies, the personal capabilities and charismatic aura of the rulers, and the regime's foundational myth. Overall, the reliance on these input-based strategies is lower in the western post-Soviet Eurasian countries and very pronounced among the authoritarian rulers of Central Asia

Early diagnosis and better rhythm management to improve outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation: the 8th AFNET/EHRA consensus conference

Aims Despite marked progress in the management of atrial fibrillation (AF), detecting AF remains difficult and AF-related complications cause unacceptable morbidity and mortality even on optimal current therapy.Methods and results This document summarizes the key outcomes of the 8th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation NETwork (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA). Eighty-three international experts met in Hamburg for 2 days in October 2021. Results of the interdisciplinary, hybrid discussions in breakout groups and the plenary based on recently published and unpublished observations are summarized in this consensus paper to support improved care for patients with AF by guiding prevention, individualized management, and research strategies. The main outcomes are (i) new evidence supports a simple, scalable, and pragmatic population-based AF screening pathway; (ii) rhythm management is evolving from therapy aimed at improving symptoms to an integrated domain in the prevention of AF-related outcomes, especially in patients with recently diagnosed AF; (iii) improved characterization of atrial cardiomyopathy may help to identify patients in need for therapy; (iv) standardized assessment of cognitive function in patients with AF could lead to improvement in patient outcomes; and (v) artificial intelligence (AI) can support all of the above aims, but requires advanced interdisciplinary knowledge and collaboration as well as a better medico-legal framework.Conclusions Implementation of new evidence-based approaches to AF screening and rhythm management can improve outcomes in patients with AF. Additional benefits are possible with further efforts to identify and target atrial cardiomyopathy and cognitive impairment, which can be facilitated by AI.</p

Metodyka szacowania niezawodności układów sieciowych na przykładzie komunikacji miejskiej

Apart from reliability evaluation, the methodology of network systems reliability assessment presented in the article enables the design of modernisation of such systems targeted mainly at ensuring their required reliability. In practice the methodology can be applied for various network systems, e.g. computer, power, gas, water distribution, telecommunications and transport networks. A reliability analysis of a transport network in urban public transport is presented. Calculations were performed for selected criteria of network availability which actually conditions the quality of transport services provided. The basic calculation tool used was the factoring algorithm that enabled the assessment of the impact of individual connections failure (in particular those caused by physical factors) on the reliability of the whole network. The feasibility of modernisation of the network analysed is discussed and the results are presented in diagrams.W artykule zaprezentowano opracowaną metodykę szacowania niezawodności układów sieciowych. Rozwiązanie to umożliwia dokonywanie oceny niezawodności oraz projektowanie modernizacji rozpatrywanej sieci przede wszystkim w aspekcie zapewnienia jej wymaganej niezawodności. Praktyczne wykorzystanie omawianej metodyki może mieć miejsce w odniesieniu do różnych układów sieciowych, np. sieci komputerowych, energetycznych, gazowych, wodociągowych, telekomunikacyjnych i transportowych. W artykule przedstawiono analizę niezawodności sieci komunikacyjnej w miejskim transporcie zbiorowym. Obliczenia przeprowadzono dla wybranych kryteriów zdatności sieci, które praktycznie warunkują jakość świadczonych usług transportowych. Podstawowe narzędzie obliczeniowe stanowił algorytm faktoryzacji, który umożliwia ocenę wpływu uszkodzeń poszczególnych połączeń (spowodowanych w szczególności czynnikami fizycznymi) na niezawodność całej sieci. W opracowaniu uwzględniono możliwość modernizacji analizowanej sieci, a uzyskane wyniki przedstawiono na wykresach

Explanatory analysis in business intelligence systems

In this paper we describe a method for the discovery of exceptional values in business intelligence (BI) systems, in particular OLAP information systems. We also show how exceptional values can be explained by underlying causes. OLAP applications offer a support tool for business analysts and accountants in analyzing financial data because of the availability of different views and managerial reporting facilities. The purpose of the methods and algorithms presented here, is to extend OLAP based systems with more powerful analysis and reporting functions. We describe how exceptional values at any level in the data, can be automatically detected by statistical models. Secondly a generic model for diagnosis of atypical values is realized in the OLAP context. By applying it, a full explanation tree of causes at successive levels can be generated. If the tree is too large, the analyst can use appropriate filtering measures to prune the tree to a manageable size. This methodology has a wide range of applications such as interfirm comparison, analysis of sales data and the analysis of any other data that possess a multi-dimensional hierarchical structure. The method is demonstrated in a case study on financial data