Antecedents and Consequences of User Co-Production in Information System Development Projects

A significant number of information system development (ISD) projects fail to achieve their predefined goals on time and/or within budget. Many organizations recognize that users can engage in projects to minimize the difficulties in effectively controlling the project and maximize the value created; therefore, user co-production is a crucial for organizations to enhance the effectiveness of ISD project. This study attempts to understand the antecedents and consequences of user co-production in ISD project. As a key contribution, we posit that user co-production is influenced by social capitals between users and developers. We then postulate that user co-production determines the project outcomes, which are shaped by system quality, user satisfaction and project performance. Data were gathered from a questionnaire survey of 103 pairs of user representatives and developers. Our results show that project outcomes are significantly influenced by user co-production. Furthermore, social capitals between user representatives and developers have positively significant influence on user co-production

A CMC-Based Design Communication for Collaborative Design Projects

[[abstract]]Design processes in a traditional design project mainly rely on the designer’s personal skills such as drawing, presentation and prototyping capability. However, in a collaborative design project the focus is transferred from personal skills to design communication and knowledge management. Current advanced information and communication technology (ICT) dramatically changes the design process in terms of communication, information sharing and knowledge accumulation. This kind of design process deals with a huge amount of information and involves much more complicated interpersonal communication. Conceptual divergence among design team members usually starts from the initial design vision and mission. This paper presents a framework for managing communication-based collaborative design projects that rely on close coordination. Through an interactive communication mechanism, designers perform creative thinking dependent on a variety of abilities and disciplines. A software interface design project is used as a case study to describe the proposed framework. In this case study the design team informs the customer of the design requirements and concepts via face-to-face communication (FTF) and computer-mediated communication (CMC). The management of information flow and creative generation flow are integrated and design knowledge is accumulated during the design project. A communication-based collaborative design process is performed in the case study

Mutations in the PKM2 exon-10 region are associated with reduced allostery and increased nuclear translocation.

PKM2 is a key metabolic enzyme central to glucose metabolism and energy expenditure. Multiple stimuli regulate PKM2's activity through allosteric modulation and post-translational modifications. Furthermore, PKM2 can partner with KDM8, an oncogenic demethylase and enter the nucleus to serve as a HIF1α co-activator. Yet, the mechanistic basis of the exon-10 region in allosteric regulation and nuclear translocation remains unclear. Here, we determined the crystal structures and kinetic coupling constants of exon-10 tumor-related mutants (H391Y and R399E), showing altered structural plasticity and reduced allostery. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed increased interaction with KDM8 for H391Y, R399E, and G415R. We also found a higher degree of HIF1α-mediated transactivation activity, particularly in the presence of KDM8. Furthermore, overexpression of PKM2 mutants significantly elevated cell growth and migration. Together, PKM2 exon-10 mutations lead to structure-allostery alterations and increased nuclear functions mediated by KDM8 in breast cancer cells. Targeting the PKM2-KDM8 complex may provide a potential therapeutic intervention

The Role of Formal and Social Control in Information Security Behaviors

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of formal and social control on in-role and extra-role security behaviors. Following past studies, we reexamine the effect of formal control on behaviors. Based on social control theory, we further hypothesize the effect of social control on security behaviors. Data collected from 259 members of IS departments confirmed our hypotheses that both formal control and social control generate effects on both in-role and extrarole security behaviors. Implications for academia and practitioners are also provided

Onion-induced anaphylactic shock rapidly evolving to allergic right ventricular myocardial infarction and subsequent cardiogenic shock

AbstractThe type II variant of Kounis syndrome is defined as a rare allergic myocardial angina or infarction event in patients with preexisting quiescent coronary artery disease. Various causative factors have been implicated in the etiology of Kounis syndrome. However, reports highlighting the importance of recognizing a decreased preload caused by allergic right ventricular (RV) myocardial infarction and subsequent cardiogenic shock from ongoing anaphylactic shock are rare. Here we report the case of a 54-year-old male who initially presented with anaphylactic shock after ingesting onions. His condition silently progressed to RV infarction and cardiogenic shock within 2 hours of symptom onset. Under such instances, it is crucial to promptly identify RV infarction and cardiogenic shock by repeatedly performing electrocardiography at frequent intervals

Supported Zinc Oxide Photocatalyst for Decolorization and Mineralization of Orange G Dye Wastewater under UV365 Irradiation

To solve the environmental challenge of textile wastewater, a UV/ZnO photocatalytic system was proposed. The objective of this study was to prepare a photocatalytic system by utilizing both cold cathode fluorescent light (CCFL) UV irradiation and steel mesh supported ZnO nanoparticles in a closed reactor for the degradation of azo dye C.I. Orange G (OG). Various operating parameters such as reaction time, preparation temperature, mixing speed, ZnO dosage, UV intensity, pH, initial dye concentration, and service duration were studied. Results presented efficient color and total organic carbon (TOC) removal of the OG azo dye by the designed photocatalytic system. The optimal ZnO dosage for color removal was 60 g m−2. An alkaline pH of 11.0 was sufficient for photocatalytic decolorization and mineralization. The rate of color removal decreased with the increase in the initial dye concentration. However, the rate of color removal increased with the increase in the UV intensity. The steel mesh supported ZnO can be used repeatedly over 10 times without losing the color removal efficiency for 120 min reaction time. Results of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and ion chromatography (IC) indicated the breakage of N=N bonds and formation of sulfate, nitrate, and nitrite as the major and minor products. The observation indicated degradation of dye molecules

Plasma levels in sepsis patients of annexin A1, lipoxin A4, macrophage inflammatory protein-3a, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin

AbstractBackgroundThe relationship between the various cytokine responses that occur during sepsis remains controversial. Emerging evidence indicates that the proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses are regulated simultaneously from the beginning of sepsis. However, the roles of the novel anti-inflammatory mediators annexin (Anx)A1 and lipoxin (LX)A4 and the proinflammatory cytokines neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-3a have been studied.MethodsIn this study, the plasma levels of AnxA1, LXA4, NGAL, MIP-3a, interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-6 in patients with sepsis were determined on admission to the intensive care unit. The patients were classified into survivors and non-survivors based on their outcome on day 28.ResultsAnxA1 and LXA4 levels were decreased in sepsis patients compared with control patients, whereas the levels of the proinflammatory cytokines MIP-3a, NGAL, IL-8, and IL-6 were elevated. Furthermore, a significantly higher level of MIP-3a was detected in nonsurviving patients compared with surviving patients (p < 0.05), whereas there were no significant differences between these two groups for the levels of the other mediators. Correlation analysis demonstrated that only NGAL level was closely correlated with the level of IL-6. Univariate analysis indicated that the levels of MIP-3a and IL-8 were independent factors associated with patient survival, but this was not confirmed by the multivariate analysis.ConclusionAnxA1 and LXA4 plasma levels were found to be decreased in sepsis patients, whereas the levels of MIP-3a and NGAL were found to be elevated. This warrants further study in order to determine the clinical implications of these changes

Diabetes Mellitus Increased Mortality Rates More in Gender-Specific than in Nongender-Specific Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Study of 149,491 Patients

Aims. Hyperinsulinemia in overweight status, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is often accompanied by cancer. Gender is important in cancer epidemiology, clinical presentation, and response to therapy in different histological types of malignancy. Insufficient information is available concerning gender differences in DM with organ-specific and nonorgan-specific cancers. This study aimed to analyze gender differences in hospitalized cancer patients with or without type 2 DM. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed ten years of patients hospitalized in one institution, enrolling 36,457 female and 50,004 male cancer patients of which 5,992 females and 8,345 males were diagnosed as type 2 DM. Results. Statistically significant increases in incidence of type 2 DM were found in patients of both genders with pancreatic, liver, and urinary tract cancer. Increased incidence of type 2 DM was found in lung and hematologic malignancies in females and prostate cancer in males. Increases in mortality rates of females with type 2 DM (2.98%) were higher than those in males. DM increased mortality rates in gender-specific cancers from 1.91% (uterus, HR: 1.33) to 5.04% (ovary, HR: 1.49). Conclusion. Type 2 DM increased mortality of cancer patients of both genders, with higher increases in gender-specific than in nongender-specific cancers

The Evaluation And Using Intention For Digital Teaching Materials Of Penghu Basalt

The Bureau of Culture of Penghu County produced the Penghu Basalt Digital Teaching Materials, which are supplementary teaching materials for local curriculums in elementary and middle schools in Penghu County. But just what are the teachers&rsquo; and students&rsquo; opinions of the said teaching materials? Are they willing to use them? Are they suitable? These questions are, indeed, worth further research. The questionnaire survey was conducted to gather the opinions of 142 teachers and 151 students of elementary and middle schools in Penghu County. In addition, using the quasi-experimental and experimental teaching methods, after comparing the pre-test and post-test results to the control group, the learning effectiveness was determined. The results indicate that teachers and students have the highest evaluation for the interface design aspect of this teaching material. The teachers&rsquo; evaluation for the teaching materials is significantly higher than the students&rsquo;. Furthermore, the teaching materials are evaluated highly in terms of attracting attention, generating interest and willingness to use, indicating that the digital teaching materials have potential for promotion in Penghu. After the experimental teaching, only the vocational high school students&rsquo; scores before and after the experiment showed significantly improvement, while the scores of the students in the other levels of schools did not. &nbsp