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Exercise has been reported to induce autophagy. We hypothesized that exercise preconditioning (EP)-related autophagy in cardiomyocytes could be attributed to intermittent ischemia-hypoxia, allowing the heart to be protected for subsequent high-intensity exercise (HE). We applied approaches, chromotrope-2R brilliant green (C-2R BG) staining and plasma cTnI levels measuring, to characterize two periods of cardioprotection after EP: early EP (EEP) and late EP (LEP). Further addressing the relationship between ischemia-hypoxia and autophagy, key proteins, Beclin1, LC3, Cathepsin D, and p62, were determined by immunohistochemical staining, western blotting, and by their adjacent slices with C-2R BG. Results indicated that exercise-induced ischemia-hypoxia is a key factor in Beclin1-dependent autophagy. High-intensity exercise was associated with the impairment of autophagy due to high levels of LC3II and unchanged levels of p62, intermittent ischemia-hypoxia by EP itself plays a key role in autophagy, which resulted in more favorable cellular effects during EEP-cardioprotection compared to LEP. Keywords: Exercise preconditioning, Ischemia-hypoxia, Autophagy, Cardioprotection, Author(s): Jian-Qi Yuan[sup.1], Yang Yuan[sup.1], Shan-Shan Pan[sup.1] and Ke Cai[sup.1] Background Strategies that encourage endogenous cardiac adaptations have increasingly been used as non-pharmacological therapies to mitigate the risks of cardiovascular [...]

E-governments have become an increasingly integral part of the virtual economic landscape. However, e-government systems have been plagued by an unsatisfactory, or even a decreasing, level of trust among citizen [...]

Two important gaps exist in the information systems (IS) alignment research. First, there is scant research on the potential of organizational culture, and specifically subcultures to influence the strategic alignment [...]

A novel coupling technique for circularly polarized square-ring patch antenna is developed and discussed. The circular polarization (CP) radiation of the square-ring patch antenna is achieved by a simple microstrip feed line through the coupling of a square patch on the same plane of the antenna. Proper positioning of the coupling square patch excites two orthogonal resonant modes with 90[degrees] phase difference, and a pure circular polarization is obtained. The dielectric material is a square block of ceramic with a permittivity of 58 and that reduces the size of the antenna. The prototype has been designed, fabricated and found to have an impedance bandwidth of 1.1% and a 3-dB axial-ratio bandwidth of about 0.03 % at GPS frequency of 1573 MHz. The characteristics of the proposed antenna have been studied by simulation software HFSS and experiments. The measured and simulated results are in good agreement. Index Terms--Ceramic dielectric material, circular polarization (CP), global position system (GPS), square-ring patch antenna.

This paper presents an integrated theoretical process model for identifying, describing, and analyzing the complex escalation and de-escalation phenomena in software development projects. The approach-avoidance theory is used to integrate core elements of various escalation theories into a holistic, explanatory framework for the two phenomena. We use a process model to identify antecedent conditions, sequences of events, critical incidents, and outcomes over the course of a project. The analysis also operates at multiple levels: project, work, and environment. This highlights the recursive interactions between project, organizational work activities, and their contexts during the software project development process. By conceiving the processes of commitment escalation and de-escalation as sequences of events involving recurring approach-avoidance decision conflict, this research allows for a deeper understanding of the ambiguity and dilemma that decision makers face during project escalations and de-escalations. Our proposed model was both informed by a detailed case study that exhibits both project escalation and de-escalation conditions, and at the same time, illuminates the perspectives of various stakeholders. Index Terms--Approach-avoidance theory, case study, de-escalation, escalation, process theory.

Information technology (IT) outsourcing vendor organizations contain isolated business units whose creation and sustenance greatly facilitate business operations. But they also introduce important challenges for organizational knowledge management (KM). In this paper, based on 7 months of intensive field-work at India Inc., a leading Indian IT firm, we looked at how members' identification with two organizations, their own and their client organization, influences their compliance with an organizational KM initiative. The findings show that members have difficulties in complying with the expectations of the organizational KM initiative owing to a stronger identification with their client organizations. At the same time, they comply readily with KM initiatives at the business unit level. The findings show that KM managers at India Inc. use the help of middle level managers in the business units in their efforts to improve members' compliance with organizational KM. Theoretical and managerial implications of the study are discussed. Keywords: Knowledge management (KM) implementation; Organizational identity; Identification; Case study, 1. Introduction As Ghoshal and Gratton [1] note, rapidly growing organizations are increasingly creating autonomous, decentralized business units and strengthening the competitiveness of such units. Further, such organizations are striving [...]

Offshore sourcing is the trend where companies look for cheaper offshore resource options to reduce their baseline costs. This involves the retrenchment of more expensive onshore resources to be replaced with cheaper offshore resources. A key activity is the transfer of knowledge from the onshore resources to the offshore resources. This paper is written from an organizational learning perspective, looking at how a global IS department in a multinational bank went about transferring its business application support and development experiences to another insourced location. Specifically, we examine how knowledge is transferred for the five IS body of knowledge (BOK) areas, namely, technology, application domain, IS application, organizational and IS development process knowledge. We find that whilst some areas of the IS BOK are easily grafted, some require intense vicarious and experiential learning using rich media, whilst others are more difficult to transfer. The findings extend the literature on knowledge transfer and organizational learning in the context of the IS BOK. Keywords: Knowledge transfer; Offshore insourcing; Organizational learning; IS BOK, 1. Introduction A study by A.T. Kearney Inc, a management-consulting firm, cites that 'U.S. financial companies plan to move more than 500,000 jobs to other countries, cutting operating costs by [...]

Past research using the resource-based view of a firm suggests that it is important to consider how firms develop, manage, and deploy resources and capabilities to influence the overall process of strategy formation and implementation. Relatively little research has been conducted in conceptualizing how firms implement and manage modularity of organizational routines during capability development. Yet, most companies would benefit from implementing modularity in organizational routines when competing in dynamic market conditions. Such implementations may require fundamental organizational reorientation that incurs significant coordination costs, and in some cases, such modularization attempts may fail, costing organizations significant amounts of valuable resources. This study seeks to conceptualize how modularity of organizational routines can be achieved during the capability development process. We inductively develop a process model of modularization, using qualitative data of an in-depth case study of the capability development experience of a call center. The model reveals that modularization is a complex process, whereby an organization's key functional activities are decomposed into specific operating and strategic routines that are reconfigured iteratively during the process of capability development. Practitioners may derive strategies and tactics from our findings to help them implement and manage the modularity of organizational routines during capability development so as to achieve sustainable competence in fast-moving marketplaces. Researchers should be able to use and develop the theory further with new case studies. Index Terms--Capability development, case study, modularity, routine.

It has been confirmed that exercise preconditioning (EP) has a protective effect on acute cardiovascular stress. However, how Hsp70 participates in EP-induced cardioprotection is unknown. EP may involve Hsp70 to repair unfolded proteins or may also stabilize the function of the endoplasmic reticulum via Hsp70-related autophagy to work on a protective formation. Our EP protocol involves four periods of 10 min running with 10 min recovery intervals. We added a period of exhaustive running to test this protective effect, using histology and molecular biotechnology methods to detect related markers. EP provided cardioprotection at its early and late phases against exhaustive exercise-induced ischemic myocardial injury. Results showed that Hsp70 co-chaperone protein BAG3, ubiquitin adaptor p62 and critical autophagy protein LC3 were significantly upregulated at the early phase. Meanwhile, Hsp70, Hsp70/BAG3 co-localization extent, LC31 and LC3II were significantly upregulated at the late phase. Hsp70 mRNA levels and LC3II/I ratios were also consistent with the extent of myocardial injury following exhaustive exercise. Hsp70 increase was delayed relative to BAG3 and p62 after EP, indicating a pre-synthesized phenomenon of BAG3 and p62 for chaperone-assisted selective autophagy (CASA). The decreased Hsp70, BAG3 and p62 levels and increased Hsp70/BAG3 co-localization extent and LC3 levels induced by exhaustive exercise after EP suggest that EP-induced cardioprotection might associate with CASA. Hsp70 has a cardioprotective role and has a closer link with CASA in LEP. Additionally, EP may not cause exhaustion-dependent excessive autophagy regulation. Collectively, during early and late EP, CASA potentially plays different roles in cardioprotection. Keywords: Exercise preconditioning, Cardioprotection, Molecular chaperone, Macroautophagy, Hsp70, Author(s): Yang Yuan[sup.1], Shan-Shan Pan[sup.1] and Yu-Jun Shen[sup.1] Introduction As exercise is an intense and workload stimulus factor, it greatly enhances myocardial oxygen consumption, which can result in absolute or [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2005.07.009 Byline: Shan Ling Pan (a), Gary S.C. Pan (b), Michael Newman (c), Donal Flynn (d) Keywords: Escalation and de-escalation of commitment to information system projects; Project evaluation model; Approach-avoidance theory; Case study Abstract: This paper outlines a project evaluation model for examining escalation and de-escalation of commitment to information systems projects. We view escalation and de-escalation of commitment as processes involving recurring instances of approach-avoidance conflict. In the model, the sequential mapping of project events is integrated with a model of approach-avoidance conflict that identifies periods of gradual evolution at two separate levels of social analysis (project and work) that are punctuated by sudden, revolutionary periods of rapid change. By conceiving the processes of commitment escalation and de-escalation as sequences of events involving approach-avoidance conflicts, researchers may develop a deeper understanding of how and why projects escalate and de-escalate. Practitioners can also utilize the evaluation model in the analyses of projects that have faced escalation to diagnose the issues surrounding the escalation and devise useful de-escalation strategies for future project development. The evaluation model is developed and illustrated with a case study that exhibits both project escalation and de-escalation conditions. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Information Systems, School of Computing, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117543 (b) Department of Accounting and Business Information Systems, Faculty of Economics and Commerce, The University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3010, Australia (c) Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK (d) School of Informatics, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

A project evaluation model that examine both escalation and de-escalation conditions of information systems projects is proposed.

This paper presents an exploratory case study of the investment banking arm of a multinational banking corporation (Invebank) and its attempt to introduce component-based development (CBD). Based on a logic of opposition and utilizing literature on organizational culture and metaphors as an analytical device, issues confronting Invebank in CBD adoption are identified. In particular, problems in CBD implementation were encountered because, while CBD requires extensive knowledge sharing and collaboration, subcultural differences in Invebank meant that this proved difficult to enact. Thus, the paper considers the complexities of subcultural differences in firms and provides a salutary reminder that the implementation of corporate-wide integrative 'solutions' such as CBD, may be problematic. Further, there is more to the issue of organizational subcultural differences than the oft-cited business-information technology (IT) divide. Nevertheless, the case demonstrates that subcultural differences should not simply be viewed as a threat. Rather, the recognition and discussion of these differences can provide a stimulus for identifying limitations of the policies surrounding technology implementation and use that if changed could help to maximize the benefits of the technology. Simplistic entreaties to knowledge sharing and the nurture of collaboration and consensus are, thus, brought into question. Implications for further research into the implementation of integrative software solutions like CBD in multifunctional and multifarious organizations are also considered. Index Terms--Component-based development (CBD), enterprise-wide software, information system (IS)/information technology (IT) implementation, interpretative case study research, knowledge sharing, metaphors, organizational culture and subcultures.

To evaluate exercise preconditioning (EP)-induced cardioprotective effects against exercise-induced acute myocardial injury and investigate the alterations of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) and its specific receptor, natriuretic peptide receptor B (NPR-B), during EP-induced cardioprotection. Rats were subjected to treadmill exercise as an EP model (4 periods of 10 min each at 30 m/min with intervening periods of rest lasting 10 min). High-intensity exercise was performed 0.5 and 24 h after the EP. EP attenuated high-intensity exercise-induced myocardial injury in both the early and late phases. After EP and high-intensity exercise, CNP and NPR-B levels increased robustly, but no alterations in the plasma CNP were observed. The enhanced NPR-B, plasma and tissue CNP, and its mRNA levels after high-intensity exercise were significantly elevated by EP. These results suggest that cardiac CNP and NPR-B play an important role in EP-mediated cardioprotection against high-intensity exercise-induced myocardial injury in rats. Keywords: Exercise preconditioning, Cardioprotection, C-type natriuretic peptide, Natriuretic peptide receptor B, Myocardial injury, Author(s): Jiao Lu[sup.1] and Shan-Shan Pan[sup.1] Introduction A single bout of internal exercise can enhance the tolerance of an ischemic heart to a subsequent ischemic insult. This effect is known [...]

Full-wave solutions for the complex-resonant frequency of a triangular microstrip patch printed on a cylindrical substrate are presented. Curvature effects on the complex-resonant frequency, as well as the quality factor of the cylindrical-triangular microstrip structure, are analyzed. Measured resonant frequencies are also shown for comparison. Good agreement between measured and theoretical results is obtained. Index Terms - Microstrip antenna, microstrip resonator.