Business and Information Technology Alignment Measurement -- a recent Literature Review

Since technology has been involved in the business context, Business and Information Technology Alignment (BITA) has been one of the main concerns of IT and Business executives and directors due to its importance to overall company performance, especially today in the age of digital transformation. Several models and frameworks have been developed for BITA implementation and for measuring their level of success, each one with a different approach to this desired state. The BITA measurement is one of the main decision-making tools in the strategic domain of companies. In general, the classical-internal alignment is the most measured domain and the external environment evolution alignment is the least measured. This literature review aims to characterize and analyze current research on BITA measurement with a comprehensive view of the works published over the last 15 years to identify potential gaps and future areas of research in the field.Comment: 12 pages, Preprint version, BIS 2018 International Workshops, Berlin, Germany, July 18 to 20, 2018, Revised Paper

A rule driven approach for developing adaptive service oriented business collaboration

Current composite web service development and management solutions, e.g. BPEL, do not cater for flexible and adaptive business collaborations due to their pre-defined and inflexible nature that precludes them accommodating business dynamics. In this paper we propose a rule driven approach for adaptive business collaboration development in which rules drive and govern the development process. We introduce the Business Collaboration Development Framework (BCDF), which provides enterprizes with the context to define their capabilities and business collaboration agreements. Subsequently, we explain how rules can drive and control the business collaboration development process to develop complete, correct and consistent business collaboration agreements that are conform the conditions under which parties wish to cooperate.12 page(s

How small and medium enterprises are using social networks? Evidence from the Algarve region

The evolution of internet created new opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SME), among which are social networks. This work aims at analyzing the potential of these networks for the SME in Algarve, creating a questionnaire for the purpose. The empirical study revealed that some firms have already an integrated business strategy with social networks, as well as a group in the firm responsible for it. Most of their managers consider that social networks enhance performance, but few really measure these results. A categorical principal component analysis identified two dimensions of social networks’ use: social networks for product-client interaction and knowledge; and social networks with potential for marketing. A supplementary analysis (hierarchical clustering) identified three patterns of SME’s involvement in social networks: cluster Social Net Level 1, cluster Social Net Level 2 and cluster Social Net Level 3. These groups validated the results described above, indicating a sustainable methodological approach

Towards interoperability through inter-enterprise collaboration architectures

Most enterprise architectures published so far are capable of generating reasonably good descriptive models for individual enterprises to enable integration, organization and synchronization of enterprise elements: organizational structure, business processes, information systems and technology infrastructure, among others. However, research in this field applied to the extended enterprise or inter-enterprise architectures that takes into account the growing trend towards complex collaborative environments is very scarce. In this sense, this article seeks to analyze, link and synthesize the researches that has addressed the disciplines of enterprise architecture and business collaboration, in order to identify possible future research needs from the conceptualization made.Vargas, A.; Boza Garcia, A.; Cuenca, L. (2011). Towards interoperability through inter-enterprise collaboration architectures. En On the Move to Meaningful Internet Systems: OTM 2011 Workshops. Springer Verlag (Germany). 7046:102-111. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-25126-9_18S1021117046Adam, O., Hofer, A., Zang, S., Hammer, C., Jerrentrup, M., Leinenbach, S.: A Collaboration Framework for Cross-enterprise Business Process Management. In: First International Conference on Interoperability of Enterprise Software and Application, Geneva (2005)Chalmeta, R., Grangel, R.: ARDIN extension for virtual enterprise integration. The Journal of Systems and Software 67, 141–152 (2003)Choi, Y., Kang, D., Chae, H., Kim, K.: An enterprise architecture framework for collaboration of virtual enterprise chains. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology 35, 1065–1078 (2008)Schekkerman, J.: Extended Enterprise Architecture Framework Essentials Guide. Institute For Enterprise Architecture Developments, IFEAD (2006), http://www.enterprise-architecture.info/index.htmISO 15704. Industrial automation systems - Requirements for enterprise-reference architectures and methodologies.: International Organization for Standardization (2000)Kosanke, K., Vernadat, F., Zelm, M.: CIMOSA: Enterprise engineering and integration. Computers in Industry 40, 83–97 (1999)Cuenca, L.: Marco arquitectónico para la propuesta IE-GIP. Extensión de la arquitectura CIMOSA. Aplicación a una empresa del sector cerámico. PhD thesis. Universidad Politécnica de ValenciaMolina, A., Panetto, H., Chen, D., Whitman, L.: Enterprise Integration and Networking: challenges and trends. Studies in Informatics and Control 16(4), 353–368 (2007)Ortiz, A., Lario, F., Ros, L.: Enterprise Integration—Business Processes Integrated Management: a proposal for a methodology to develop Enterprise Integration Programs. Computers in Industry 40, 155–171 (1999)Chalmeta, R., Campos, C., Grangel, R.: References architectures for enterprise integration. The Journal of Systems and Software 57, 175–191 (2001)Vernadat, F.: Enterprise modeling and integration (EMI): Current status and research perspectives. Annual Reviews in Control 26, 15–25 (2002)Williams, T., Li, H.: PERA and GERAM enterprise reference architectures in enterprise integration. Information Infrastructure Systems for Manufacturing, 1–27 (1998)Lankhorst, M.: Enterprise Architecture at Work: Modelling, Communication and Analysis. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)Arango, M., Londoño, J., Zapata, J.: Arquitectura empresarial- Una visión general. Revista Ingenierías Universidad de Medellín 9(16), 101–111 (2010)Bernard, S.: An introduction to enterprise architecture. AuthorHouse, Bloomington (2005)Cuenca, L., Ortiz, A., Boza, A.: Arquitectura de Empresa. Visión General. In: IX Congreso de Ingeniería de Organización, Gijón (2005)Maya, E.: Arquitectura empresarial: un nuevo reto para las empresas de hoy. Centro de Investigación de las Telecomunicaciones. INTERACTIC: Interacción con la información (2010), http://www.interactic.org.co/THE OPEN GROUP.: ARCHIMATE, The Power of Enterprise Architecture (2009), http://www.archimate.org/en/home/Stelzer, D.: Enterprise Architecture Principles: Literature Review and Research Directions. In: Dan, A., Gittler, F., Toumani, F. (eds.) ICSOC/ServiceWave 2009. LNCS, vol. 6275, pp. 12–21. Springer, Heidelberg (2010)Schekkerman, J.: Enterprise architecture validation. Achieving business-aligned and validated enterprise architectures. Institute For Enterprise Architecture Developments, IFEAD (2004), http://www.enterprise-architecture.info/index.htmKosanke, K.: CIMOSA Primer on key concepts, purpose and business value (1996), http://cimosa.cnt.pl/Chen, D., Vallespir, B., Doumeingts, G.: GRAI integrated methodology and its mapping onto generic enterprise reference architecture and methodology. Computers in Industry 33, 387–394 (1997)Rathwell, G.: PERA Enterprise Integration Web Site (2005), http://www.pera.net/Williams, T., Rathwell, G., Li, H.: A handbook on master planning and implementation for enterprise integration programs. PERA Enterprise Integration Web Site (2001), http://www.pera.net/IFIP.: GERAM: Generalised Enterprise Reference Architecture and Methodology. International Federation for Information Processing (1999), http://dl.ifip.org/index.php/index/indexOrtiz, A.: Propuesta para el Desarrollo de Programas de Integración Empresarial en Empresas Industriales. Aplicación a una Empresa del Sector Cerámico. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (1998)Cuenca, L., Boza, A., Ortiz, A.: Architecting business and IS/IT strategic alignment for extend enterprises. Studies in Informatics and Control 20(1), 7–18 (2011)The Open Group (2011), https://www.opengroup.org/index.htmGrangel, R.: Propuesta para el Modelado del Conocimiento Empresarial. PhD thesis Universidad Jaume I de Castello (2007)Scheer, A., Schneider, K.: ARIS – Architecture of Integrated Information. Handbook on Architectures of Information Systems. International Handbooks on Information Systems 3, 605–623 (2006)ISO/CEN 19439. Enterprise integration - Framework for enterprise modelling.: International Organization for Standardization (2006)Stadtler, H., Kilger, C.: Supply Chain Management and advance planning. Concepts, Models, Sofware and Cases Studies. Springer, Heidelberg (2002)Alarcón, F., Ortiz, A., Alemany, M., Lario, F.: Planificación Colaborativa en un contexto de varias Cadenas de Suministro: ventajas y desventajas. In: VIII Congreso de Ingeniería de Organización, Leganés, pp. 857–866 (2004)Alarcón, F.: Desarrollo de una Arquitectura para la definición del proceso de Comprometer Pedidos en contextos de Redes de Suministro Colaborativas. Aplicación a una Red compuesta por Cadenas de Suministro en los Sectores Cerámico y del Mueble. 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Supply Chain Management and Advanced Planning-—Concepts, Models Software and Case Studies, pp. 263–284. Springer, Heidelberg (2008)Audy, J., Lehoux, N., D’Amours, S.: A framework for an efficient implementation of logistics collaborations. International Transactions in Operational Research, 1–25 (2010)Zachman, J.: A Framework for Information Systems Architecture. IBM Systems Journal 26(3), 454–470 (1987

Microservice Transition and its Granularity Problem: A Systematic Mapping Study

Microservices have gained wide recognition and acceptance in software industries as an emerging architectural style for autonomic, scalable, and more reliable computing. The transition to microservices has been highly motivated by the need for better alignment of technical design decisions with improving value potentials of architectures. Despite microservices' popularity, research still lacks disciplined understanding of transition and consensus on the principles and activities underlying "micro-ing" architectures. In this paper, we report on a systematic mapping study that consolidates various views, approaches and activities that commonly assist in the transition to microservices. The study aims to provide a better understanding of the transition; it also contributes a working definition of the transition and technical activities underlying it. We term the transition and technical activities leading to microservice architectures as microservitization. We then shed light on a fundamental problem of microservitization: microservice granularity and reasoning about its adaptation as first-class entities. This study reviews state-of-the-art and -practice related to reasoning about microservice granularity; it reviews modelling approaches, aspects considered, guidelines and processes used to reason about microservice granularity. This study identifies opportunities for future research and development related to reasoning about microservice granularity.Comment: 36 pages including references, 6 figures, and 3 table

Effects of dietary carotenoids on mouse lung genomic profiles and their modulatory effects on short-term cigarette smoke exposures

Male C57BL/6 mice were fed diets supplemented with either β-carotene (BC) or lycopene (LY) that were formulated for human consumption. Four weeks of dietary supplementations results in plasma and lung carotenoid (CAR) concentrations that approximated the levels detected in humans. Bioactivity of the CARs was determined by assaying their effects on the activity of the lung transcriptome (~8,500 mRNAs). Both CARs activated the cytochrome P450 1A1 gene but only BC induced the retinol dehydrogenase gene. The contrasting effects of the two CARs on the lung transcriptome were further uncovered in mice exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) for 3 days; only LY activated ~50 genes detected in the lungs of CS-exposed mice. These genes encoded inflammatory-immune proteins. Our data suggest that mice offer a viable in vivo model for studying bioactivities of dietary CARs and their modulatory effects on lung genomic expression in both health and after exposure to CS toxicants

Genetic Ablation of PLA2G6 in Mice Leads to Cerebellar Atrophy Characterized by Purkinje Cell Loss and Glial Cell Activation

Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD) is a progressive, autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease characterized by axonal dystrophy, abnormal iron deposition and cerebellar atrophy. This disease was recently mapped to PLA2G6, which encodes group VI Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA2 or iPLA2β). Here we show that genetic ablation of PLA2G6 in mice (iPLA2β-/-) leads to the development of cerebellar atrophy by the age of 13 months. Atrophied cerebella exhibited significant loss of Purkinje cells, as well as reactive astrogliosis, the activation of microglial cells, and the pronounced up-regulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Moreover, glial cell activation and the elevation in TNF-α and IL-1β expression occurred before apparent cerebellar atrophy. Our findings indicate that the absence of PLA2G6 causes neuroinflammation and Purkinje cell loss and ultimately leads to cerebellar atrophy. Our study suggests that iPLA2β-/- mice are a valuable model for cerebellar atrophy in INAD and that early anti-inflammatory therapy may help slow the progression of cerebellar atrophy in this deadly neurodegenerative disease

Retinoic acid regulates avian lung branching through a molecular network

Retinoic acid (RA) is of major importance during vertebrate embryonic development and its levels need to be strictly regulated otherwise congenital malformations will develop. Through the action of specific nuclear receptors, named RAR/RXR, RA regulates the expression of genes that eventually influence proliferation and tissue patterning. RA has been described as crucial for different stages of mammalian lung morphogenesis, and as part of a complex molecular network that contributes to precise organogenesis; nonetheless, nothing is known about its role in avian lung development. The current report characterizes, for the first time, the expression pattern of RA signaling members (stra6, raldh2, raldh3, cyp26a1, rar alpha, and rar beta) and potential RA downstream targets (sox2, sox9, meis1, meis2, tgf beta 2, and id2) by in situ hybridization. In the attempt of unveiling the role of RA in chick lung branching, in vitro lung explants were performed. Supplementation studies revealed that RA stimulates lung branching in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the expression levels of cyp26a1, sox2, sox9, rar beta, meis2, hoxb5, tgf beta 2, id2, fgf10, fgfr2, and shh were evaluated after RA treatment to disclose a putative molecular network underlying RA effect. In situ hybridization analysis showed that RA is able to alter cyp26a1, sox9, tgf beta 2, and id2 spatial distribution; to increase rar beta, meis2, and hoxb5 expression levels; and has a very modest effect on sox2, fgf10, fgfr2, and shh expression levels. Overall, these findings support a role for RA in the proximal-distal patterning and branching morphogenesis of the avian lung and reveal intricate molecular interactions that ultimately orchestrate branching morphogenesis.The authors would like to thank Ana Lima for slide sectioning and Rita Lopes for contributing to the initiation of this project. This work has been funded by FEDER funds, through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE), and by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the scope of the Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038; and by the Project NORTE-01-0145- FEDER-000013, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

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