Influence of psychosocial stress on changes of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical hormones and sleep dependent on CRHR1 genotype

In dieser Studie wurde der Einfluss psychosozialen Stresses auf den Schlaf und die Hormone der Hypothalamus-Hypophysen-Nebennierenrinden-Achse in Abhängigkeit vom CHRHR1 Genotyp (rs110402) untersucht. Dabei zeigte sich, dass die Cortisol-Ausschüttung nach Stress bei den homozygoten T-Trägern signifikant höher war, als bei den homozygoten C Trägern. Im Schlaf konnte lediglich ein genetisch unabhängiger Stress-Effekt in Form einer verringerten Schlaf-Effizienz, verringerten Zeit im REM Schlaf, sowie erhöhte Latenzen für N1, N2 und N3, sowie eine längere Zeit wach festgestellt werden

How Do Project-related Artefacts Qualify for Bridging Boundaries in IS Implementation Projects – An Activity Theoretical Perspective

Boundary objects were found to significantly impact the outcomes of IS implementation projects. Despite emphasizing their flexibility, however, prior research is no very precise on the attributes that qualifies project-related artefacts to become boundary objects. To identify the internal characteristics of artefacts that enable business and IT to synchronize IS and business needs, this research offers an activity theoretical view on boundary objects. The usefulness of the concept is demonstrated by means of an in-depth case study. The findings of this research emphasize that –in order to become boundary objects– project-related artefacts need to be part of the IS implementation and the business activity system. Moreover, they need to capture relevant knowledge of both activity systems and enable recognition of contradictions within and between. As to that, utilization of emerging project deliverables by means of internalization or externalization processes is found to facilitate the alignment between IS and business needs

The Power of GWAS: Leveraging Genome Wide Association Studies to identify novel regulators of autophagy in Drosophila melanogaster

Autophagy was first isolated as a marker of starvation but has since then been identified and implicated in a variety of process both pathological or not. Lysosome density within a cell has long been used as a marker of activity of this pathway, as it represents the final location of degradation. Under normal conditions, lab strains of Drosophila melanogaster exhibit a low lysosome density considered to be universally observed. When challenged with starvation, this activity is expected to increase 2fold. We do not know if these characteristics are representative of natural populations, or the regulatory factors used to control the lysosome density within tissues. By phenotyping 178 lines of the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel for their lysosome density under resting and starved states, we were able to identify a previously uncharacterized variance in lysosome density phenotypes. Resting variation included multiple lines displaying an unusually dense lysosome phenotype previously not observed in lab strains. Furthermore, a Genome Wide Association Study performed on this data revealed that the gene sets associated with variance in resting and starved lysosome density were non-overlapping. Finally, RNA interference studies identified 4 previously non-implicated regulators of lysosome density; Myosin61F and corazonin as negative regulators and kin17 and elk as positive regulators. This analysis presents a more complete picture of natural variance of lysosome density, and thus autophagy activation, as well as identifies novel regulators that may be responsible for controlling this observed variation

Einfluss von Psychosozialem Stress auf die Hormone der Hypothalamus-Hypophysen-Nebennierenrinden-Achse und den Schlaf in Abhängigkeit vom CRHR1 Genotyp

This study investigated the influence of psychosocial stress on sleep and hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortex axis depending on the CHRHR1 genotype (rs110402). It was found that the cortisol release after stress was significantly higher in homozygous T carriers than in homozygous C carriers. During sleep, only a genetically independent stress effect in the form of reduced sleep efficiency, reduced time in REM sleep, increased latencies for N1, N2 and N3, and a longer period of wakefulness could be observed.In dieser Studie wurde der Einfluss psychosozialen Stresses auf den Schlaf und die Hormone der Hypothalamus-Hypophysen-Nebennierenrinden-Achse in Abhängigkeit vom CHRHR1 Genotyp (rs110402) untersucht. Dabei zeigte sich, dass die Cortisol-Ausschüttung nach Stress bei den homozygoten T-Trägern signifikant höher war, als bei den homozygoten C Trägern. Im Schlaf konnte lediglich ein genetisch unabhängiger Stress-Effekt in Form einer verringerten Schlaf-Effizienz, verringerten Zeit im REM Schlaf, sowie erhöhte Latenzen für N1, N2 und N3, sowie eine längere Zeit wach festgestellt werden

HOW CONTRADICTIONS FACILITATE EVOLUTIONARY TRANSFORMATION: AN EXPLORATION INTO THE DYNAMICS OF BUSINESS-IT ALIGNMENT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ACTIVITY THEORY

This paper aims at contributing to our understanding of business-IT alignment and at offering a novel and theoretically well-grounded view on the phenomenon. Drawing on Activity Theory (AT), we argue that business and IT reflect two distinct, yet related activity systems. We propose that applying AT ena-bles systematic analysis of these systems, their constituents and complex interrelations. Building on AT’s notion of tensions, we further assume that AT enables us to identify and manage misalignment within and between the systems as well as drivers for their mutual development. Subsequently, AT provides a coherent framework for describing and analysing complex interrelations between both domains. To illustrate the applicability of AT and highlight its potentials to contribute to our understanding of business-IT alignment, we conducted a single, in-depth case study. As to that, we analyse six years of co-evolution of business and IT within a complex organizational setting. Our empirical examinations show that continually approaching emerging tensions within and between the two activity systems and implementing changes enables co-evolutionary processes of both systems. Though further research has to approve the practical applicability of the framework, we provide early evidence that activity system analysis can enable practitioners to purposefully detect and approach misalignments

How to Design an IT Department? A Review and Synthesis of Key Characteristics

The design of an IT department received much attention during the last years. CIOs and IT managers still have a great interest how they can set up their IT department. Previous research discusses various key characteristics or even delivers archetypes of the IT department. However, a synoptic view of the screws CIOs can set, is still missing. Subsequently, the aim of the present paper is to synthesize existing literature in order to gain an overview about the key characteristics of an IT department. To that end, a systematic literature review was conducted. The paper contributes a set of nine characteristics grouped along three dimensions: organizational, technological, and human dimension. The nature of the IT artifacts deployed by the IT department as well as the real net output ratio of the IT function were identified as important characteristics, which were not addressed by existing typologies of IT departments

Disruptions of the Tripartite Structure of System Usage: Exploring Factors Influencing the Effective Usage of Information Systems in German Hospitals

As the employment of health information technology steadily increases the quality of care as well as the safety of patients increasingly depends on if and how information systems (IS) are used in clinical contexts. Still little insight exists in IS research about what determines and hinders the effective use of IS, especially in hospital contexts. By conducting comparative case-studies in two German hospitals, this research investigates how disruptions of the interaction between the three dimensions of usage (user, system, and task) impede the effective use of clinical systems. Although the results indicate that the impact on effective use varies across different disrupting factors, it is also shown that high degrees of effective use can only be reached when all dimensions of usage smoothly interact. This study, there-fore, shows that characteristics of user, systems, and tasks have to be simultaneously aligned in order to improve outcomes of clinical IS usage

Towards New Perspectives on Digitalization: Developing a Multi-dimensional Work Identity Lens

Work identity deals with self-definition in work activities and memberships which massively impact how employees react to digitalization. In the face of the changing world of work, there is increasing scholarly interest in work identity represented in numerous articles. Research produces several essential insights but appears fragmented in diverse conceptualizations and the investigation of multiple dimensions of work identity. Especially contributions in IS use a ‘professional identity’ conceptualization, which is fragmented and varies in definition clarity. We synthesize extant literature and offer a comprehensive work identity conceptualization to provide future research with orientation. The proposed conceptualization enables researchers to mutually investigate individuals based on their work-based self-identity, role identity, and social identities. Last, we present and discuss a research agenda that contributes to utilizing work identity as an analytical tool for digitalizing work

What Teams Need to Be Clear about - an Activity Theoretical Perspective on Shared Understanding in Health IS Implementation

Shared understanding facilitates the implementation of IS and can help to prevent unintended consequences. However, research is hitherto not precise on the kind of knowledge such understanding needs to capture. Taking an activity theory perspective, this paper theorizes that shared understanding needs to cover knowledge, experiences and perspectives on the contested activity systems the HIS is implemented in. Analyzing the data of an in-depth case study, it is found that issues emerging during the rollout can be traced back to a lack of shared understanding about the affected activity systems, particularly to insufficient shared understanding about the instrument-mediated relationships between contradictory motives, rules and the evolved division of labor. These findings are synthesized in a framework on critical aspects of shared understanding. This framework offers a coherent explanation for the rise of unintended consequences and enhances our learning of shared understanding in IS implementation