From Observing to Understanding: Empirical Insights on the Organizational Foundations of Security Chaos Engineering

Cloud computing has become an integral part of modern corporate IT infrastructures. However, conventional IT-security measures cannot cope with its specific technical needs resulting from complexity, virtualization, or multi-tenancy as well as the need for holistic security approaches incorporating both technological and organizational perspectives on security. Security Chaos Engineering (SCE) constitutes a promising approach to overcome these shortcomings. Unfortunately, existing literature focuses on technical aspects of SCE and neglects the organizational perspective, i.e., which organizational success factors need to be addressed for a successful implementation. To close this gap, we conducted an interview study following the approach of Gioia et al. (2013) and identified seven success factors related to goals, social structure, participants, and technology within a company following Scott (1981). Furthermore, we found that these organizational success factors are not only the basis for the introduction of SCE but represent common requirements for holistic security approaches in general, too

ORGANIZATIONAL READINESS FOR DIGITAL INTRAPRENEURSHIP: TOWARDS THE DESIGN OF AN ASSESSMENT TOOL

In today\u27s hyper-dynamic business environment, the capability to foster innovation is critical. Many organizations recognize their employees as an unresolved source for innovation during digital transformation. Consequently, intrapreneurship has become of strategic importance, and initiatives, such as digital intrapreneurship platforms, arise. However, many initiatives do not provide aspired outcomes due to the lack of organizational readiness. We follow the action design research method to design a multi-dimensional framework that measures organizational readiness for digital intrapreneurship. Hitherto, we identify 27 factors that contribute to an organization\u27s readiness for the successful implementation and usage of digital intrapreneurship platforms. Ultimately, we strive to provide a digital intrapreneurship readiness tool that helps innovation managers to detect and remove hindering factors before implementing solutions

Scaled Agile Framework Meets Traditional Management – A Case of a Financial Services Provider

Inspired by the success of agile practices in small teams, organizations seek to achieve agility at scale, leading to large-scale agile transformations. Several frameworks have been developed to guide organizations through this process. While multiple challenges for adopting scaled agile frameworks have already been identified, research on the interplay between traditional management approaches and scaled agile frameworks is scarce. We conduct an in-depth exploratory case study with a German financial services provider to identify tensions that arise when applying a scaled agile framework in a non-agile environment. As a result, we derive 13 tensions along with three areas: goal-setting, planning, and reporting. Thereby, we advance the understanding of tensions within large-scale agile transformations and provide a foundation for future research on scaled agile practices in traditional organizations. Further, we provide insights for managers to ensure the successful application of scaled agile frameworks

SUPPORTING SYSTEMS ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES BY ARTIFACT-ORIENTED DESCRIPTION AND SELECTION OF METHODS

Systems Engineering (SE) is becoming increasingly relevant in industrial application since more stakeholders are involved in engineering activities. To implement SE, companies have to adapt existing engineering processes and methods. This adaption requires knowledge about new methods as well as their integration into the engineering activities. In order to ensure goal-oriented identification of methods for different SE activities in this contribution an action field profile and the Systems Engineering Method Matrix are proposed. The development of both tools is driven by the assumption that most SE activities and methods can be described based on the artefacts the deliver. In order to get feedback about the proposed tools, semi-structured interviews with two industry partners were conducted, focussing on the tool\u27s usability. These interviews underline the basic usability of the tools and their support to identify SE activities to be supported by (new) methods. Moreover, requirements for further development and adaption are derived from the interviews

Cloud computing for energy management in smart grid - an application survey

The smart grid is the emerging energy system wherein the application of information technology, tools and techniques that make the grid run more efficiently. It possesses demand response capacity to help balance electrical consumption with supply. The challenges and opportunities of emerging and future smart grids can be addressed by cloud computing. To focus on these requirements, we provide an in-depth survey on different cloud computing applications for energy management in the smart grid architecture. In this survey, we present an outline of the current state of research on smart grid development. We also propose a model of cloud based economic power dispatch for smart grid

Attenuated and Protease-Profile Modified Sendai Virus Vectors as a New Tool for Virotherapy of Solid Tumors

Peer reviewe

Clinical and Genetic Tumor Characteristics of Responding and Non-Responding Patients to PD-1 Inhibition in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) belong to the therapeutic armamentarium in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, only a minority of patients benefit from immunotherapy. Therefore, we aimed to identify indicators of therapy response. This multicenter analysis included 99 HCC patients. Progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were studied by Kaplan-Meier analyses for clinical parameters using weighted log-rank testing. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed in a subset of 15 patients. The objective response (OR) rate was 19% median OS (mOS)16.7 months. Forty-one percent reached a PFS > 6 months; these patients had a significantly longer mOS (32.0 vs. 8.5 months). Child-Pugh (CP) A and B patients showed a mOS of 22.1 and 12.1 months, respectively. Ten of thirty CP-B patients reached PFS > 6 months, including 3 patients with an OR. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) could not predict responders. Of note, antibiotic treatment within 30 days around ICI initiation was associated with significantly shorter mOS (8.5 vs. 17.4 months). Taken together, this study shows favorable outcomes for OS with low AFP, OR, and PFS > 6 months. No specific genetic pattern, including TMB, could identify responders. Antibiotics around treatment initiation were associated with worse outcome, suggesting an influence of the host microbiome on therapy success

Public Relations Rhetoric: Criticism, Dialogue, and the Long Now

This essay provides a response to the articles in this special issue by introducing the concepts of dialogue, groupthink, and long-term thinking. The philosophy of the Long Now Foundation (an organization devoted to sustainable development and long-term planning) is used as a frame for the essay because of its close fit with rhetoric and dialogue. The essay examines the contributions to the special issue and identifies similarities of thought and argument.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Early MRI response monitoring of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma under treatment with the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>New therapeutic principles in clinical oncology require the adjustment of response criteria to govern therapy decisions. For advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) a new era has recently begun by the approval of the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib. As a unique feature, HCC usually develops in a diseased liver and current imaging technologies employing classical response criteria have not been prospectively evaluated for this new treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>MRI signal patterns were assessed in 21 advanced HCC patients receiving sorafenib. MRI was performed at baseline and in short-term intervals thereafter. Signal changes under therapy on T1WI, T2WI and post-gadolinium images including necrosis volume and its ratio to the entire tumor volume were compared to baseline imaging. To assess the association between the categorical variables, Fisher's exact tests were applied for a statistical analysis. Survey time ranged from 2–65 weeks, and a total of 39 target lesions were evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Signal abnormalities during sorafenib therapy were disclosed by T1WI and T2WI in 15/21 patients. The predominant tumor signal change was hyperintensity on both T1WI and T2WI. Interestingly, most patients developed MRI signal changes within 4 weeks of therapy; in contrast, two non-responders did not show any signal alteration at follow-up. Under therapy, 16/21 patients presented with new or progressive necrosis, whereas 7 patients achieved temporarily >75% tumor necrosis under sorafenib. Significantly associated MRI variables were increase in T1WI signal and tumor necrosis (p = 0.017) as well as increase of tumor necrosis with an elevated ratio of necrotic to vital tumor areas (p = 0.002). Remarkably, some (3/13) of the patients developing necrotic tumor areas showed a relevant (>20%) increase in tumor volume, which should be considered in the assessment of imaging studies.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>As sorafenib induces early intralesional necrosis with profound changes in T1WI/T2WI MRI signal intensities and measurable necrotic tumor areas in most HCC patients, early MRI-based evaluation could pave the way for its rationale and cost-effective application.</p