Does CEO\u27s IT Knowledge Matter? An Empirical Analysis of Earnings Conference Calls

We study the impact of Chief Executive Officer (CEO)’s IT knowledge on firm performance by leveraging the knowledge-based view and the influence of top management. We take an innova-tive approach by examining CEO’s conversation with financial analysts and investors in the earnings conference calls, which are considered as the biggest information event for listed com-panies. We measure CEO’s IT knowledge by counting the amount of IT discussions in the CEO’s answers to IT-related questions at the conference calls. The results show a positive relationship between CEO’s IT knowledge and firm performance. The findings will have clear and high con-tributions to the core IS literature of business value of IT by explicitly studying the role of top executives in IT success. \ \ Keywords: Chief Executive Officer, CEO, IT Knowledge, Knowledge-Based View, the Influence of Top Management, Firm Performance, Business Value of IT

Business Value of Social Media Technologies:Evidence from Online User Innovation Communities

Social media technologies allow user-generated content and provide new opportunities and challenges for firms to transform their business. In particular, more and more firms have started strategically using the online user innovation communities (OUICs) for open innovation initiatives. The extent to which firms are able to derive business value from OUICs, however, has not been systematically examined. Drawing on a multi-theoretical foundation from the framework of dynamic capabilities and the view of innovation value chain, we conceptualize two OUIC-enabled capabilities, which are, ideation capability related to collecting user-generated ideas about potential innovation from OUIC, and implementation capability related to selecting user-generated ideas for innovation development and introducing developed innovation via OUIC. Using a large-scale panel data set consisting of 1676 firm-day observations from Dell and Starbucks, we examine the impacts of OUIC-enabled capabilities on firm value. We find robust evidence that OUIC-enabled ideation capability actually does not influence firm value, whereas OUIC-enabled implementation capability increases firm value. Novel theoretical and managerial implications are discussed

Nuclear spatial organization influences centromere identity

Centromeres are specialized chromosomal domains that provide the attachment site for spindle microtubules emanating from opposite spindle pole bodies (SPBs; centrosome equivalent). Centromere identity is epigenetically defined by the histone H3-variant, CENP-A. Both genetic and epigenetic factors influence the de novo assembly of CENP-A. In the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, CENP-ACnp1 (Cnp1, ortholog of human CENP-A) chromatin prefers to establish on centromere central domain DNA, but it also can assemble on non-centromeric DNA in rare situations. Adjacent heterochromatin, formed over flanking outer repeats, is required to establish CENP-ACnp1 chromatin on central domain, but overexpression of CENP-ACnp1 can bypass this requirement. All constitutive heterochromatic loci (centromeres, telomeres and mating-type regions and synthetic heterochromatin) preferentially localize to the nuclear envelope (NE) or SPB. Newly synthesized CENP-ACnp1 replaces S-phase deposited placeholder H3 when it is incorporated during the subsequent G2 phase into centromeric central domain chromatin which is transcribed by RNAPII (RNA polymerase II). These observations suggest that heterochromatin might influence CENP-ACnp1 chromatin establishment by modifying central domain chromatin properties or exposing it to favorable nuclear locations for CENP-ACnp1 assembly. All three centromeres are clustered at the SPBs and centromere-associated CENP-ACnp1 assembly factors including HJURPScm3, RbAP46/48Mis16, Mis18, Eic1/Mis19 are all concentrated at this location in G2 when new CENP-ACnp1 is incorporated. The aim of my thesis is to investigate the influence of nuclear positioning of heterochromatin on CENP-ACnp1 establishment in fission yeast. I show that minichromosomes carrying heterochromatic outer repeats are located close to SPBs during interphase, consistent with this location influencing CENP-ACnp1 incorporation. CENP-ACnp1 is established on central domain inserted in cis close to, but not far away from, functional endogenous centromeres or neocentromeres. Neocentromeres also join the centromere cluster at SPBs during interphase. CENP-ACnp1 establishment is not dependent on the local chromatin context or DNA sequence at insertion sites. Moreover, direct tethering of central domain-bearing plasmids in trans to SPBs promotes de novo CENP-ACnp1 and kinetochore proteins assembly, suggesting that the nuclear compartment surrounding SPBs is permissive for CENP-ACnp1 incorporation. Heterochromatin is not required for the establishment of CENP-ACnp1 on central domain placed in cis or trans close to the SPB-centromere clusters. Collectively, I conclude that heterochromatin mediates the association of adjacent central domain with SPBs thus exposing it to high concentrations of CENP-ACnp1 and associated assembly factors to promote de novo CENP-ACnp1 chromatin and kinetochores assembly. Thus, nuclear spatial organization is a key epigenetic factor that influences centromere identity

On the shock wave boundary layer interaction in slightly-rarefied gas

The shock wave and boundary layer interaction (SWBLI) plays an important role in the design of hypersonic vehicles. However, discrepancies between the numerical results of high-temperature gas dynamics and experiment data have not been fully addressed. It is believed that the rarefaction effects are important in SWBLI, but the systematic analysis of the temperature-jump boundary conditions and the role of translational/rotational/vibrational heat conductivities are lacking. In this paper, we derive the three-temperature Navier-Stokes-Fourier (NSF) equations from the gas kinetic theory, with special attention paid to the components of heat conductivity. With proper temperature-jump boundary conditions, we simulate the SWBLI in the double cone experiment. Our numerical results show that, when the three heat conductivities are properly recovered, the NSF equations can capture the position and peak value of the surface heat flux, in both low- and high-enthalpy inflow conditions. Moreover, the separation bubble induced by the separated shock and the reattachment point induced by impact between transmitted shock and boundary layer are found to agree with the experimental measurement

The Faster the Better? Innovation Speed and User Interest in Open Source Software

It is often believed that for open source software (OSS) projects the faster the release, the better for attracting user interest in the software. Whether this is true, however, is still open to question. There is considerable information asymmetry between OSS projects and potential users as project quality is unobservable to users. We suggest that innovation speed of OSS project can signal the unobservable project quality and attract users’ interest in downloading and using the software. We contextualize innovation speed of OSS projects as initial release speed and update speed and examine their impacts on user interest. Drawing on the signaling theory, we propose a signaling effect through which a higher initial release speed or update speed increases user interest, while the effect diminishes as initial release or update speed increases. Using a large-scale panel data set from 7442 OSS projects on SourceForge between 2007 and 2010, our results corroborate the inverted U-shaped relationships between initial release speed and user downloads and between update speed and user downloads

Comparative Stress Levels among Residents in Three Chinese Provincial Capitals, 2001 and 2008

Objectives To compare stress levels among residents in large Chinese cities between 2001 and 2008. Methods Survey data were collected in three mainland Chinese capital cities in two waves, in 2001 and 2008, respectively. Participants were recruited through a multi-stage stratified sampling process. Stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale, Chinese version (CPSS). Descriptive methods were used to estimate mean stress levels and associated 95% confidence intervals. Estimates were adjusted by post-stratification weights. Results Indicating stable stress levels, respective adjusted mean stress scores for the combined samples of study participants were 23.90 (95%CI: 23.68–24.12) in 2001 and 23.69 (95%CI: 23.38–24.01) in 2008. A lower stress level in 2008 than in 2001 manifested among residents who were under 25 years of age; female; with a college or higher level education; divorced, widowed, or separated; members of the managerial and clerical group; students or army personnel; or with an annual income of at least 30,000 RMB. Conclusion The overall stress level did not change among the combined sample of residents in the three Chinese study cities between 2001 and 2008. However, levels remained high and varied across social strata, and may have reflected a national trend among urban residents. Findings indicate a need for a new health policy, and call for the design and implementation of evidence-based interventions that target the highest-risk groups

Establishment of centromere identity is dependent on nuclear spatial organization

The establishment of centromere-specific CENP-A chromatin is influenced by epigenetic and genetic processes. Central domain sequences from fission yeast centromeres are preferred substrates for CENP-A(Cnp1) incorporation, but their use is context dependent, requiring adjacent heterochromatin. CENP-A(Cnp1) overexpression bypasses heterochromatin dependency, suggesting that heterochromatin ensures exposure to conditions or locations permissive for CENP-A(Cnp1) assembly. Centromeres cluster around spindle-pole bodies (SPBs). We show that heterochromatin-bearing minichromosomes localize close to SPBs, consistent with this location promoting CENP-A(Cnp1) incorporation. We demonstrate that heterochromatin-independent de novo CENP-A(Cnp1) chromatin assembly occurs when central domain DNA is placed near, but not far from, endogenous centromeres or neocentromeres. Moreover, direct tethering of central domain DNA at SPBs permits CENP-A(Cnp1) assembly, suggesting that the nuclear compartment surrounding SPBs is permissive for CENP-A(Cnp1) incorporation because target sequences are exposed to high levels of CENP-A(Cnp1) and associated assembly factors. Thus, nuclear spatial organization is a key epigenetic factor that influences centromere identity

Clinical characteristics and high risk factors of patients with Omicron variant strain infection in Hebei, China

ObjectiveThe Omicron variant has a weaker pathogenicity compared to the Delta variant but is highly transmissible and elderly critically ill patients account for the majority. This study has significant implications for guiding clinical personalized treatment and effectively utilizing healthcare resources.MethodsThe study focuses on 157 patients infected with the novel coronavirus Omicron variant, from December, 2022, to February, 2023. The objective is to analyze the baseline data, test results, imaging findings and identify risk factors associated with severe illness.ResultsAmong the 157 included patients, there were 55 cases in the non-severe group (all were moderate cases) and 102 cases in the severe group (including severe and critical cases). Infection with the Omicron variant exhibits significant differences between non-severe and severe cases (baseline data, blood routine, coagulation, inflammatory markers, cardiac, liver, kidney functions, Chest CT, VTE score, etc.). A multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that neutrophil percentage >75%, eosinophil percentage <0.4%, D-dimer >0.55 mg/L, PCT >0.25 ng/mL, LDH >250 U/L, albumin <40 g/L, A/G ratio <1.2, cholinesterase<5100 U/L, uric acid >357 mole/L and blood calcium<2.11 mmol/L were the most likely independent risk factors for severe novel coronavirus infection.ConclusionAdvanced age, low oxygenation index, elevated neutrophil percentage, decreased eosinophil percentage, elevated PCT, elevated LDH, decreased albumin, decreased A/G ratio, elevated uric acid, decreased blood calcium, and elevated D-dimer are independent prognostic risk factors for non-severe patients progressing to severe illness. These factors should be closely monitored and actively treated to prevent or minimize the occurrence of severe illness

TRPV4 receptor as a functional sensory molecule in bladder urothelium: Stretch‐independent, tissue‐specific actions and pathological implications

The newly recognized sensory role of bladder urothelium has generated intense interest in identifying its novel sensory molecules. Sensory receptor TRPV4 may serve such function. However, specific and physiologically relevant tissue actions of TRPV4, stretch‐independent responses, and underlying mechanisms are unknown and its role in human conditions has not been examined. Here we showed TRPV4 expression in guinea‐pig urothelium, suburothelium, and bladder smooth muscle, with urothelial predominance. Selective TRPV4 activation without stretch evoked significant ATP release—key urothelial sensory process, from live mucosa tissue, full‐thickness bladder but not smooth muscle, and sustained muscle contractions. ATP release was mediated by Ca2+‐dependent, pannexin/connexin‐conductive pathway involving protein tyrosine kinase, but independent from vesicular transport and chloride channels. TRPV4 activation generated greater Ca2+ rise than purinergic activation in urothelial cells. There was intrinsic TRPV4 activity without exogeneous stimulus, causing ATP release. TRPV4 contributed to 50% stretch‐induced ATP release. TRPV4 activation also triggered superoxide release. TRPV4 expression was increased with aging. Human bladder mucosa presented similarities to guinea pigs. Overactive bladders exhibited greater TRPV4‐induced ATP release with age dependence. These data provide the first evidence in humans for the key functional role of TRPV4 in urothelium with specific mechanisms and identify TRPV4 up‐regulation in aging and overactive bladders

Uncertainty-inspired Open Set Learning for Retinal Anomaly Identification

Failure to recognize samples from the classes unseen during training is a major limit of artificial intelligence (AI) in real-world implementation of retinal anomaly classification. To resolve this obstacle, we propose an uncertainty-inspired open-set (UIOS) model which was trained with fundus images of 9 common retinal conditions. Besides the probability of each category, UIOS also calculates an uncertainty score to express its confidence. Our UIOS model with thresholding strategy achieved an F1 score of 99.55%, 97.01% and 91.91% for the internal testing set, external testing set and non-typical testing set, respectively, compared to the F1 score of 92.20%, 80.69% and 64.74% by the standard AI model. Furthermore, UIOS correctly predicted high uncertainty scores, which prompted the need for a manual check, in the datasets of rare retinal diseases, low-quality fundus images, and non-fundus images. This work provides a robust method for real-world screening of retinal anomalies