SIMULATING STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN ADAPTIVE ORGANIZATIONS

This paper presents an agent-based model of an organization. The model is made of a social network—composed of the different organization workers—and a knowledge network. Workers are assigned tasks, for which they have to use information in the knowledge network. We have modeled the quality of the information by assigning each information item a probability of being wrong. Agents can interact with other agents, who can recommend to them new information items in the knowledge network for the task to be performed. Workers are assigned different information-seeking behavior (passive, active, and learning), governing the way in which they interact with each other. Moreover, indirect interaction is also possible, as a publicly accessible knowledge base contains each agent's preferred information items.

The model was implemented in SDML, and its simulation shows that agents quickly learn to discern the better information items for the given task. However, group formation (agents' collaborating by exchanging information) takes longer to stabilize. Additionally, when the quality of items is changed, agents can quickly select the better new knowledge items, and organization performance improves again to a maximum that is only randomly disturbed.     

Dynamic tabletop interfaces for increasing creativity

We designed a tabletop brainwriting interface to examine the effects of time pressure and social pressure on the creative performance. After positioning this study with regard to creativity research and human activity in dynamic environments, we present our interface and experiment. Thirty-two participants collaborated (by groups of four) on the tabletop brainwriting task under four conditions of time pressure and two conditions of social pressure. The results show that time pressure increased the quantity of ideas produced and, to some extent, increased the originality of ideas. However, it also deteriorated user experience. Besides, social pressure increased quantity of ideas as well as motivation, but decreased collaboration. We discuss the implications for creativity research and Human–Computer Interaction. Anyhow, our results suggest that the Press factor, operationalized by Time- or Social-pressure, should be considered as a powerful lever to enhance the effectiveness of creative problem solving methods.     

A socially inspired energy feedback technology: challenges in a developing scenario

Raising awareness of the environmental impact of energy generation and consumption has been a recent concern of contemporary society worldwide. Underlying the awareness of energy consumption is an intricate network of perception and social interaction that can be mediated by technology. In this paper we argue that issues regarding energy, environment and technology are very much situated and involve tensions of sociocultural nature. This exploratory investigation addresses the subject by introducing the design of a Socially-inspired Energy Eco-Feedback Technology (SEET), which is composed of an interactive system to trigger and mediate collective savings and a tangible device as a public feedback. Results of an evaluation situated in the context of a school in a socially disadvantaged area in Brazil are discussed, shedding light on the sociocultural aspects related to the subject. The role of the SEET to motivate energy awareness collectively among the social group is assessed, as well as the design characteristics that contributed to that. Outcomes bring to light social aspects and dynamics that would hardly have been predicted, evidencing critical factors related to a socially inspired design approach in the energy awareness domain.     

Stability of the antimicrobial activity of acetogenins from avocado seed,under common food processing conditions,against Clostridium sporogenes vegetative cell growth and endospore germination

Anticlostridial activity of acetogenins from avocado seed was further characterised, and their stability and effectiveness under food processing conditions, and in a model food system, studied for the first time. Isolated AcO‐avocadenyne (1) and AcO‐avocadene (2) showed anticlostridial potential, particularly the latter molecule. Enriched acetogenins extracts, obtained at laboratory scale (EAE) and semi‐commercially (Avosafe^®), presented similar MIC values (3.9–9.8 ppm) and a bacteriostatic effect. Extracts bioactivity showed resistance to heat (≤120 °C), high hydrostatic pressure (HHP; 300–600 MPa, 3–6 min, 25 °C) and salt (≤3% w/v). In addition, the extract was most stable at pH ≥ 7.0 and potency against endospores increased after HHP treatment and exposure to pH 9.5, suggesting a positive effect on solubility or structure of particular acetogenins. In a model food system processed by HHP, acetogenins were retained; however, initial quantities gradually declined by 63% and 32% at 25 and 4 °C, respectively, at the end of the storage period (42 days). Most stable molecules (persediene (4) > persenones > AcO‐avocadene (2)) possess a keto or trans‐enone group at C‐4 in the aliphatic chain, which could support hydrogen donation to surrounding carbon atoms and confer antioxidant activity. Active endospores were completely inhibited by 5000 ppm Avosafe^® in the model food system (37 °C, 72 h) and lower concentrations (500–1000 ppm) resulted in 1–2 log reduction of a 3 log inoculum target. Efficacy information generated in the present work is considered crucial to improve scientific knowledge on spore inhibition properties of avocado acetogenins.     

Using Policy and Regulatory Frameworks to Facilitate Water Transitions

There are persistent calls across policy, industry and academia for urban water transitions in order to deliver increased sustainability, liveability and resilience. However, realisation of such transformational change is difficult, and there are a number of undesirable or unsuccessful transition trajectories that can manifest. Drawing on a contemporary stormwater quality management transition in South-East Queensland, Australia, this qualitative research paper provides an empirical exploration of a transition in struggle. The paper examines why and how this transition trajectory unfolded, focusing specifically on the evolution of culture, structure and practice changes from the 1970s to the present-day. The paper makes two scholarly contributions, firstly confirming the dynamic nature of transformational change and indicating the need to design transition initiatives across the culture, structure and practice domains to co-evolve and thereby build a robust and mutually reinforcing transition foundation. The results also reveal the critical role of regulation in providing a safety net for the transition and enabling continued progress even when commitment to policy goals wavers. These results also provide practical insight for practitioners engaged in the implementation of transition processes, and reveal the need for transition advocates to deliberately and proactively engage with regulatory frameworks to embed a novel practice.     

Production of fungal lipases using wheat bran and soybean bran and incorporation of sugarcane bagasse as a co-substrate in solid-state fermentation

Fungal strains were screened for lipase producing activities and 10 strains were classified as good producers. Aspergillus sp., Fusarium sp., and Penicillium sp. exhibited the highest activities when fermented in wheat bran (WB) and soybean bran (SB). No fungal growth was observed using sugarcane bagasse (CB). An experimental design was applied to incorporate CB into the fermentation process for lipase production by Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp., and to evaluate the best moisture content for the substrate. Strains studied achieved maximum lipase activities with 25% CB combined with 75% WB or SB at 40% moisture content. The highest lipase activities were observed for WB and SB, and for SB combined with CB using Aspergillus sp. Fermentation of 96 h was the optimum period for enzyme production.     

A preliminary pharmacogenetic investigation of adverse events from topiramate in heavy drinkers.

Topiramate, an anticonvulsant medication, is an efficacious treatment for alcohol dependence. To date, little is known about genetic moderators of side effects from topiramate. The objective of this study was to examine 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the glutamate receptor GluR5 gene (GRIK1) as predictors of topiramate-induced side effects in the context of a laboratory study of topiramate. Heavy drinkers (n = 51, 19 women and 32 men), 75% of whom met criteria for an alcohol use disorder, completed a 5-week dose escalation schedule to a target dose of either 200 or 300 mg or matched placebo. The combined medication groups were compared with placebo-treated individuals for side effects at target dose. Analyses revealed that an SNP in intron 9 of the GRIK1 gene (rs2832407) was associated with the severity of topiramate-induced side effects and with serum levels of topiramate. Genes underlying glutamatergic neurotransmission, such as the GRIK1 gene, may help predict heterogeneity in topiramate-induced side effects. Future studies in larger samples are needed to more fully establish these preliminary findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for the Monitoring of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Allium</Emphasis> Derivative Propyl Propane Thiosulfonate Used as Natural Additive in Animal Feed

A new simple analytical method for monitoring propyl propane thiosulfonate (PTSO) in animal feed is presented. PTSO is an active ingredient from Allium spp. (like onion and shallot), proposed as a natural additive for feed being an efficient alternative to antibiotics used as growth promoter due to its efficiency improving animal health. Reversed-phase liquid chromatography with UV detection has been used and a previous sample treatment based on solid-liquid extraction has been developed and optimized in order to extract PTSO from a feed for laying hens using acetone as extraction solvent. The method has been characterized obtaining limits of detection and quantification of 11.2 and 37.3 mg kg^?1, respectively, which are lower than the concentrations expected in samples containing this additive. The intra- and interday relative standard deviations (RSDs) were lower than 8.3 % in all the cases, and recoveries varied from 90.2 to 94.6 %. Finally, in order to check the unequivocal identification of PTSO, mass spectrometry detection was applied. The proposed method is a simple procedure for monitoring PTSO in commercial feed, being possible to implement it in routine laboratories for quantification purposes and stability studies of the distributed products.