Towards An Integrated Effort For Managing IT Process Standards Implementation

Adopting IT process standards seems to be a trend for IT organizations to meet ad-hoc informational needs and to provide better business value. Due to the changing environments of IT organizations themselves, one key to IT success lies in not only the establishment, but also the sustainability of ad-hoc professional IT functions. As IT organizations face many kinds of process standards to implement for various IT functions and although the implementations may be different due to various IT domains, from the management point of view, these implementations may not exist individually. This article attempts to highlight a possibility of an integrated effort to effectively manage the implementations of IT standards in an IT organization. Such a shared management refers to the integrated institutionalization design, which provides a road map for all IT functions to systematically improve and sustain the implementation results. A case example is provided for demonstrating the proposed attempt

IT Portfolio Investment Evaluation on E-Commerce Solution Alternatives

Our study examines the group decision-making process and proposes a multi-criteria framework for e-commerce solution investment in information technology (IT) portfolios. First, the evaluation criteria that fit in the IT evaluation context are constructed. Second, the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is employed to determine the weights of decision criteria and the benefit score to the company. Third, the Fuzzy Multiple Criteria Decision-Making (FMCDM) approach is used to synthesize the team decision. Finally, an empirical case of five proposed portal solutions in a car manufacturing company is used to exemplify the approach

Business Value of IT in Commercial Banks

Many banks have deployed information technology (IT) to serve customers more efficiency in diverse ways. In a competitive business environment, bank managers must simultaneously use multiple service channels to win customers and increase profit. Most prior research on IT investment in the banking industry has focused on the adoption of innovative IT-based service channels such as Internet banking, from customers’ perspective. In this research, we adopt the banks’ perspective to analyze the impact of IT on performance by simultaneously considering the traditional physical channel and alternative IT-based service channels. Our initial findings reveal contrasting strategic rationale supporting the use of ATM-based channel versus more recent Internet-based banking

COMPLEMENTARITY OF THE IMPACT OF ALTERNATIVE SERVICE CHANNELS ON BANK PERFORMANCE

Faced with intense competition, banks have deployed information technology (IT) to serve customers more efficiently and effectively in diverse ways. The challenge bank managers face is in utilizing alternative service channels to win customers and retain competitive advantages. This study investigates the impact of banks’ use of channel mix strategy. We show strong complementarities between traditional branch channel and IT-based self-service channels on performance. The value provided by a channel depends both on its own level of investment and investments in other channels. It can be misleading to examine channels independently or simply view each channel as a substitute for other channels. Even though different channels do substitute each other to some extent, migration of transactions from traditional channels to the IT-based channels may change customers’ overall demand such that it increases demand for all channels by transforming traditional channels to perform more value-added services or serve more profitable customers

Shoot multiplication of Paphiopedilum orchid through in vitro cutting methods

Paphiopedilum orchids are generally propagated through the division of axillary buds from mother plant, which limits commercial production due to its unproductive proliferation and time consuming. In this study, the effect of in vitro cutting methods and medium composition on efficient shoot multiplication of Paphiopedilum Hsinying Rubyweb was investigated. Among three different in vitro stem cutting methods used, vertical cutting was able to produce more new shoots than horizontal and cross cutting when cultured on Hyponex based medium. After 12 weeks of culture, plantlets regenerated from vertical cutting were able to produce new healthy and well rooted shoots higher than without cutting on the same medium. Moreover, the newly-formed shoots which were divided into single plantlets and subcultured onto half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium without growth regulators could remain higher shoot multiplication than in other media. The micropropagation procedure developed in this study provides a simple means to in vitro propagate Paphiopedilum plantlets which are able to produce large numbers of uniform plantlets in a shorter time compared to the conventional propagation method.Key words: Micropropagation, shoot multiplication, cutting, Paphiopedilum

A common link between clinical practice and research:the ADHD model for Central Taiwan

This study aimed to describe a research model regarding the Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) in Central Taiwan based on the strategy of routine data collection from clinical practice. Therefore, a prospective study with naturalistic observation was used. Modeling study was developed in clinical evaluation and treating for the ADHD children at Department of Psychiatry, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital in Central Taiwan. For all new patients, their first visit information were collected, including sociodemography, ADHD symptom scale, family support, academic performance, enuresis, severity of disability, mother depression, blood pressure(BP), heart rate(HR), weight, height, help-seeking behavior. After the clinical interview, patients were arranged to be assessed by the Neuropsychological test such as Continuous Performance Test (CPT). During the follow-up period, many variables (messages for the side effects, BP, HR, Weight, Height, CPT, ADHD symptom scale) were recorded. Finally, the ADHD clinical–based research model was contributed using all variables into many studies such as the ADHD comorbidity study, family study, sleep study, assessment tool development and treatment outcome study. The results had shown a several ADHD related papers have been published from this model. New treatment strategies emerged from the findings of studies. This is a feasible model for combining clinical practice with research to produce international publications. Clinical benefits of this model include creating culture-specific knowledge from the clinicians’ own clinical practice, focusing essential processes on cost-effective patient retreatment, and maintaining ongoing relationships with patients. In conclusions, our experience shows the clinical practice based longitudinal study is feasible and the results can nurture the quality of clinical practice vice versa

Paxillin facilitates timely neurite initiation on soft-substrate environments by interacting with the endocytic machinery.

Neurite initiation is the first step in neuronal development and occurs spontaneously in soft tissue environments. Although the mechanisms regulating the morphology of migratory cells on rigid substrates in cell culture are widely known, how soft environments modulate neurite initiation remains elusive. Using hydrogel cultures, pharmacologic inhibition, and genetic approaches, we reveal that paxillin-linked endocytosis and adhesion are components of a bistable switch controlling neurite initiation in a substrate modulus-dependent manner. On soft substrates, most paxillin binds to endocytic factors and facilitates vesicle invagination, elevating neuritogenic Rac1 activity and expression of genes encoding the endocytic machinery. By contrast, on rigid substrates, cells develop extensive adhesions, increase RhoA activity and sequester paxillin from the endocytic machinery, thereby delaying neurite initiation. Our results highlight paxillin as a core molecule in substrate modulus-controlled morphogenesis and define a mechanism whereby neuronal cells respond to environments exhibiting varying mechanical properties