Architecture Strategy and Business Technology Management for Digital Leaders

We invite Information Systems (IS) educators, program chairs, and school executives to discuss and explore how to best prepare the next generation of digital leaders, in particular architecture strategy as enabler of digital transformation and innovation. Global companies proceed with Digital Transformation as a strategy to improve their business model with digital platforms efficiency to enhance competitive. Previous research has identified leadership as one critical success factor for Digital Transformation strategy. To stimulate this discussion, they will discover the Architecture Strategy of Digital Transformation with Adaptive Integrated Digital Architecture Framework (AIDAF) and Business Technology Management (BTM), a Canadian program accreditation standard, as well as a Body of Knowledge (BOK) outlining a vision for future digital leadership competencies. This workshop will allow for a review of various digital leadership competency frameworks and engage participants to become active contributors in their development, reuse, and adoption by IS programs internationally

Slip-Flow and Heat Transfer of a Non-Newtonian Nanofluid in a Microtube

The slip-flow and heat transfer of a non-Newtonian nanofluid in a microtube is theoretically studied. The power-law rheology is adopted to describe the non-Newtonian characteristics of the flow, in which the fluid consistency coefficient and the flow behavior index depend on the nanoparticle volume fraction. The velocity profile, volumetric flow rate and local Nusselt number are calculated for different values of nanoparticle volume fraction and slip length. The results show that the influence of nanoparticle volume fraction on the flow of the nanofluid depends on the pressure gradient, which is quite different from that of the Newtonian nanofluid. Increase of the nanoparticle volume fraction has the effect to impede the flow at a small pressure gradient, but it changes to facilitate the flow when the pressure gradient is large enough. This remarkable phenomenon is observed when the tube radius shrinks to micrometer scale. On the other hand, we find that increase of the slip length always results in larger flow rate of the nanofluid. Furthermore, the heat transfer rate of the nanofluid in the microtube can be enhanced due to the non-Newtonian rheology and slip boundary effects. The thermally fully developed heat transfer rate under constant wall temperature and constant heat flux boundary conditions is also compared

Targeting of distinct signaling cascades and cancer-associated fibroblasts define the efficacy of Sorafenib against prostate cancer cells

Sorafenib, a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, kills more effectively the non-metastatic prostate cancer cell line 22Rv1 than the highly metastatic prostate cancer cell line PC3. In 22Rv1 cells, constitutively active STAT3 and ERK are targeted by sorafenib, contrasting with PC3 cells, in which these kinases are not active. Notably, overexpression of a constitutively active MEK construct in 22Rv1 cells stimulates the sustained phosphorylation of Bad and protects from sorafenib-induced cell death. In PC3 cells, Src and AKT are constitutively activated and targeted by sorafenib, leading to an increase in Bim protein levels. Overexpression of constitutively active AKT or knockdown of Bim protects PC3 cells from sorafenib-induced killing. In both PC3 and 22Rv1 cells, Mcl-1 depletion is required for the induction of cell death by sorafenib as transient overexpression of Mcl-1 is protective. Interestingly, co-culturing of primary cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) with 22Rv1 or PC3 cells protected the cancer cells from sorafenib-induced cell death, and this protection was largely overcome by co-administration of the Bcl-2 antagonist, ABT737. In summary, the differential tyrosine kinase profile of prostate cancer cells defines the cytotoxic efficacy of sorafenib and this profile is modulated by CAFs to promote resistance. The combination of sorafenib with Bcl-2 antagonists, such as ABT737, may constitute a promising therapeutic strategy against prostate cancer

Second-line treatment with irinotecan plus cisplatin vs cisplatin of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer pretreated with taxanes and gemcitabine: a multicenter randomised phase II study

The aim of this study was to compare the irinotecan/cisplatin regimen with cisplatin as second-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) pretreated with a taxane/gemcitabine regimen. Patients (n=147) with stage IV NSCLC pretreated with a taxane/gemcitabine regimen were randomly assigned to receive either irinotecan (110 mg m−2, day 1 and 100 mg m−2, day 8) and cisplatin (80 mg m−2, day 8) (IC; n=74) or CDDP (80 mg m−2, day 1) (C; n=73) every 3 weeks. Patients treated with IC and C had a median survival of 7.8 and 8.8 months, respectively (P=0.933). The 1-year survival rate was 34.3% for IC-treated patients and 31.7% for C-treated patients. Cox's regression analysis revealed that response to treatment (hazard ratio (HR)=2.787; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1578–4.922) and performance status (HR=1.865; 95% CI: 1.199–2.872) was independent prognostic factors for survival. Overall response rate was 22.5% (95% CI: 12.8–32.2%) for IC-treated patients and 7.0% (95% CI: 1.15–13.6%) for C-treated patients (P=0.012); tumour growth control (partial remission (PR)+stable disease (SD)) was observed in 26 (38%) IC and 25 (36%) C patients (P=0.878). There was no difference in terms of quality of life between the two chemotherapy arms. The incidence of febrile neutropenia, grade 3 and 4 neutropenia and grade 3 and 4 diarrhoea was significantly higher in the IC- than the C-treated patients. Other toxicities were mild. There were no treatment-related deaths in either arm. The IC regimen did not confer a survival benefit compared with C as second-line treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC pretreated with a taxane/gemcitabine regimen, despite its better efficacy in terms of response rate

Pediatric differentiated thyroid carcinoma in stage I: risk factor analysis for disease free survival

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To examine the outcomes and risk factors in pediatric differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients who were defined as TNM stage I because some patients develop disease recurrence but treatment strategy for such stage I pediatric patients is still controversial.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We reviewed 57 consecutive TNM stage I patients (15 years or less) with DTC (46 papillary and 11 follicular) who underwent initial treatment at Ito Hospital between 1962 and 2004 (7 males and 50 females; mean age: 13.1 years; mean follow-up: 17.4 years). Clinicopathological results were evaluated in all patients. Multivariate analysis was performed to reveal the risk factors for disease-free survival (DFS) in these 57 patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Extrathyroid extension and clinical lymphadenopathy at diagnosis were found in 7 and 12 patients, respectively. Subtotal/total thyroidectomy was performed in 23 patients, modified neck dissection in 38, and radioactive iodine therapy in 10. Pathological node metastasis was confirmed in 37 patients (64.9%). Fifteen patients (26.3%) exhibited local recurrence and 3 of them also developed metachronous lung metastasis. Ten of these 15 achieved disease-free after further treatments and no patients died of disease. In multivariate analysis, male gender (p = 0.017), advanced tumor (T3, 4a) stage (p = 0.029), and clinical lymphadenopathy (p = 0.006) were risk factors for DFS in stage I pediatric patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Male gender, tumor stage, and lymphadenopathy are risk factors for DFS in stage I pediatric DTC patients. Aggressive treatment (total thyroidectomy, node dissection, and RI therapy) is considered appropriate for patients with risk factors, whereas conservative or stepwise approach may be acceptable for other patients.</p

CD36 Inhibitors Reduce Postprandial Hypertriglyceridemia and Protect against Diabetic Dyslipidemia and Atherosclerosis

CD36 is recognized as a lipid and fatty acid receptor and plays an important role in the metabolic syndrome and associated cardiac events. The pleiotropic activity and the multiple molecular associations of this scavenger receptor with membrane associated molecules in different cells and tissues have however questioned its potential as a therapeutic target. The present study shows that it is possible to identify low molecular weight chemicals that can block the CD36 binding and uptake functions. These inhibitors were able to reduce arterial lipid deposition, fatty acid intestinal transit, plasma concentration of triglycerides and glucose, to improve insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance and to reduce the plasma concentration of HbAc1 in different and independent rodent models. Correlation between the anti-CD36 activity of these inhibitors and the known pathophysiological activity of this scavenger receptor in the development of atherosclerosis and diabetes were observed at pharmacological doses. Thus, CD36 might represent an attractive therapeutic target

Bose-Einstein Condensation in Magnetic Insulators

The elementary excitations in antiferromagnets are magnons, quasiparticles with integer spin and Bose statistics. In an experiment their density is controlled efficiently by an applied magnetic field and can be made finite to cause the formation of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). Studies of magnon condensation in a growing number of magnetic materials provide a unique window into an exciting world of quantum phase transitions (QPT) and exotic quantum states.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure