Relationship between Design Elements and Performance in Online Innovation Contests: Contest Sequence is Moderator?

As an important issue in the field of innovation contest, performance of innovation contest has been attracting the attention of both academics and practioners over recent years. This paper explores the factors influencing performance of online innovation contest from the design elements perspective. The study is based on the empirical research of the online innovation contest community - studio.Topcoder.com. We find the longer the contest duration, the higher contest performance in the one-stage contest. The results also show that too much detailed task description will reduce the performance of the one-stage contests, but will increase the number of solvers in the two-stage contests. The results also reveal that the incentive effect of first prize in the one-stage contests is stronger than that in the two-stage contests, while the incentive effect of second prize in the two-stage contests is stronger than that in the one-stage contests, and if the amount of second prize is close to the prize amount, the number of solvers and eligible solutions will raise

Identification and characterization of a POU transcription factor in the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The POU family genes containing the POU domain are common in vertebrates and invertebrates and play critical roles in cell-type-specific gene expression and cell fate determination.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Har-POU, a new member of the POU gene family, was cloned from the suboesophageal ganglion of <it>Helicoverpa armigera </it>(Har), and its potential functions in the development of the central nervous system (CNS) were analyzed. Southern blot analysis suggests that a single copy of this gene is present in the <it>H. armigera </it>haploid genome. Har-POU mRNA is distributed widely in various tissues and expressed highly in the CNS, salivary gland, and trachea. <it>In vitro</it>-translated Har-POU specifically bound canonical octamer motifs on the promoter of diapause hormone and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (DH-PBAN) gene in <it>H. armigera</it>. Expression of the Har-POU gene is markedly higher in the CNS of nondiapause-destined pupae than in diapause-destined pupae. Expression of the Har-POU gene in diapausing pupae was upregulated quickly by injection of ecdysone.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Har-POU may respond to ecdysone and bind to the promoter of DH-PBAN gene to regulate pupal development in <it>H. armigera</it>.</p