Comparing Travel Time Estimates of Routing Applications in Vienna.

How are travel times displayed by different navigation apps? Do the way in which these work differ for different modes of transportation? We found unexpected divergence in the way travel time is displayed both between apps and within apps, when conducting testing on travel routing apps in Vienna. As a result, this paper will provide a brief overview of how travel times are displayed by commonly used apps in Vienna and how these differ. In conclusion, we will suggest different avenues for additional research based on these findings and illustrate the challenges of user accountability associated with these apps

Bias in Geographic Information Systems: The Case of Google Maps

Users\u27 perception of geographic space depends heavily on geographic information systems (GIS). GIS are the most common way for users to estimate travel time, provide routing information and recommend appropriate forms of transportation. This article analyses how predictions made by Google Maps, one of the most popular GIS, influence users\u27 perceptions and travel choices. To analyze this influence, a pre-study in a classroom setting (n=36) as well as an online survey (n=521) were conducted. We study users intuitive perception of travel time, before using the Google Maps Mobile App as a \u27treatment\u27 to see how it influences their perceptions of travel time and choice of transportation type. We then contrast this original Google Maps treatment to a mock-up \u27warning label version\u27 of Google which informs users about biases in Google Maps and an \u27unbiased version\u27 of Google Maps based on ground truth data. Our analysis suggests that Google Maps systematically underestimates necessary car driving time, which has an impact on users\u27 choice of transportation

A Journey, not a Destination—A Synthesized Process of Digital Transformation

Digital transformation (DT) continues to shake up firms and societies at large. Despite a growing number of studies covering a wide array of aspects of DT’s content, evidence of how DT unfolds in firms remains fragmented. Thus far, the literature has provided punctual insights into firms’ DT processes through single and multiple case studies. However, we lack a holistic understanding of the DT process. Adopting a qualitative meta-synthesis, we analyze 64 cases to inductively develop a DT process model depicting six phases (i.e., initiating, preparing, mobilizing, implementing, disseminating, and iterating). The process evolves on two levels—one rather sequential and one non-linear. We contribute to literature by introducing a synthesized process model tailored to DT’s complex nature. Besides, our model provides practitioners with a frame for assessing the progress of their DT journey and outlining a roadmap for their digital endeavor

Response of Lactobacillus casei BL23 to phenolic compounds

2 tables, 2 figures.-- Article first published online: 17 OCT 2011.-- The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.comAims:  To determine the inhibitory effect of phenolic compounds on Lactobacillus casei BL23, the role of two component signal transduction systems (TCS) and the response of Lact. casei BL23 to p-coumaric acid. Methods and Results:  Growth of Lact. casei BL23 and 17 derivative strains defective in each TCS harboured by this strain in the presence of p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid or methyl gallate was monitored. Furthermore, changes in the protein content of Lact. casei BL23 when exposed to p-coumaric acid were evaluated by 2D-SDS-PAGE. Eleven proteins differentially expressed in the presence of p-coumaric acid were detected. Six of them could be identified: ClpP and HtrA, involved in protein turnover and folding, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, involved in lipid metabolism, and an arginyl-tRNA synthetase were more abundant, whereas PurL and PurN, involved in purine biosynthesis, were less abundant. Conclusions:  No significant differences were observed between the parental strain and the TCS-defective mutants. p-Coumaric acid elicited a response against membrane and cytoplasmic damages. Significance and Impact of the Study:  The inhibitory effect of phenolic compounds on Lact. casei BL23 has been determined. For the first time, cytoplasmic proteins presumably involved in the response of Lact. casei BL23 against p-coumaric acid have been identified.This work was financed by AGL2010-15679 and Consolider Fun-C-Food CSD2007-00063 funds from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) and FEDER. J.M. Landete enjoyed a postdoctoral contract of the programme ‘Juan de la Cierva’ (MICINN).Peer reviewe

Can gadolinium contrast agents be replaced with saline for direct MR arthrography of the hip? A pilot study with arthroscopic comparison.

OBJECTIVE To compare image quality and diagnostic performance of preoperative direct hip magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) performed with gadolinium contrast agent and saline solution. METHODS IRB-approved retrospective study of 140 age and sex-matched symptomatic patients with femoroacetabular impingement, who either underwent intra-articular injection of 15-20 mL gadopentetate dimeglumine (GBCA), 2.0 mmol/L ("GBCA-MRA" group, n = 70), or 0.9% saline solution ("Saline-MRA" group, n = 70) for preoperative hip MRA and subsequent hip arthroscopy. 1.5 T hip MRA was performed including leg traction. Two readers assessed image quality using a 5-point Likert scale (1-5, excellent-poor), labrum and femoroacetabular cartilage lesions. Arthroscopic diagnosis was used to calculate diagnostic accuracy which was compared between groups with Fisher's exact tests. Image quality was compared with the Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS Mean age was 33 years ± 9, 21% female patients. Image quality was excellent (GBCA-MRA mean range, 1.1-1.3 vs 1.1-1.2 points for Saline-MRA) and not different between groups (all p > 0.05) except for image contrast which was lower for Saline-MRA group (GBCA-MRA 1.1 ± 0.4 vs Saline-MRA 1.8 ± 0.5; p  0.999/p = 0.904) and acetabular (GBCA-MRA 86%/ 83% versus Saline-MRA 89%/87%; p = 0.902/p = 0.901) and femoral cartilage lesions (GBCA-MRA 97%/ 99% versus Saline-MRA 97%/97%; both p > 0.999). CONCLUSION Diagnostic accuracy and image quality of Saline-MRA and GBCA-MRA is high in assessing chondrolabral lesions underlining the potential role of non-gadolinium-based hip MRA. KEY POINTS • Image quality of Saline-MRA and GBCA-MRA was excellent for labrum, acetabular and femoral cartilage, ligamentum teres, and the capsule (all p > 0.18). • The overall image contrast was lower for Saline-MRA (Saline-MRA 1.8 ± 0.5 vs. GBCA-MRA 1.1 ± 0.4; p  0.999), acetabular cartilage damage (89% vs. 86%; p = 0.902), femoral cartilage damage (97% vs. 97%; p > 0.999), and extensive cartilage damage (97% vs. 93%; p = 0.904)