The application development process: What role does it play in the success of an application for the user developer?

End user development of applications forms a significant part of organisational systems development. This study investigates the role that developing an application plays in the eventual success of the application for the user developer. The results of this study suggest that the process of developing an application not only predisposes an end user developer to be more satisfied with the application than they would be if it were developed by another end user, but also leads them to perform better with it. Thus the results of the study highlight the contribution of the process of application development to application success

Physiology of Chatham Island forget-me-not (Myosotidium hortensia) seed : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Seed Science and Technology at Massey University

Chatham Island forget-me-not (Myosotidium hortensia (Decne) Baillon) is endemic to the Chatham Islands where it is mainly confined to the outer islands. There is speculation that seed of M. hortensia is recalcitrant and reports that germination can be slow and erratic. Moreover there is little information on the seed biology of M. hortensia available. In this study the seed structure and composition of the seed storage reserves of M. hortensia were determined. The seed is a dicotyledon. The embryo is predominantly cotyledonary tissue with a only small embryo axis present. There appears to be a single cell thick layer of endosperm tissue between the embryo and seed coat. Food reserves are stored as both protein and oil with no starch reserves apparent. The seed contains 24% oil and therefore can be considered an oilseed. These oil reserves include the commercially important γ-linolenic (cis, cis, cis-6, 9, 12-octadecatrienoic) acid (9% of the fatty acid content). Seed of M. hortensia was evaluated for recalcitrant behaviour by determining if desiccation to low seed moisture content caused a loss of viability. Seed was harvested at two moisture contents, 47.4% (green seed) and 35.5% (black seed), and air dried to a final moisture content of 7.5%. Seed viability and germination performance were monitored at harvest and as moisture content declined. At 7.5% seed moisture content viability was 89% and germination 92% for seed harvested at 47% seed moisture content, and 82% and 78%, respectively, for seed harvested at 36% seed moisture content. Within each colour classification, after desiccation there was no significant difference in germination compared to that at harvest, indicating that M. hortensia seed can be desiccated to a low seed moisture content without loss of germination and is therefore not recalcitrant. Seed stored at 5°C and 7.5% seed moisture content showed no decline in viability after 21 months, but, seed stored at the same temperature and 9.5% seed moisture content showed a significant loss of viability after 9 months storage. The loss of viability at this higher (9.5%) seed moisture content is characteristic of oilseeds, but it is not clear whether the high oil content of the seed alone can account for the loss of viability after nine months storage at a temperature of 5°C. This study confirmed earlier reports that germination of M. hortensia seed is slow and erratic. At maturity seed of M. hortensia is dormant. Seed dormancy is a function of the seed coat rather than the embryo. The dormancy is likely to be a result of either physical constraint of embryo growth or restriction of gas exchange by the seed coat, or a combination of both. Removal or weakening of the seed coat allowed germination to proceed. However, some of the treatments used to weaken the seed coat resulted in an increase in abnormal seedling development. An effective and non-damaging technique for alleviating dormancy was to prick the seed coat with a 0.6-0.8mm diameter dissecting needle in the middle of the cotyledons

Cloning and characterisation of two subtilisin-like protease genes from Neotyphodium lolii : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Molecular Genetics at Massey University

PCR amplification of Neotyphodium lolii genomic DNA with degenerate primers detected two different sequences with homology to subtilisin-like proteases. These two PCR products were used to screen a N. lolii Lp19 genomic library. The prt1 gene was isolated by screening the genomic library with the GH30 PCR product. This gene encodes a putative peptide of 434 amino acids that is most similar to subtilisin-like proteases from Aspergillus sp. The prt1 gene contained a single intron, which was in a position conserved with other fungal genes. 3'RACE was used to determine the polyadenylation site for the prt1 gene. Repetitive DNA was a feature of both the 3' untranslated region (UTR) and sequences downstream of the prtl gene. Within the 3' UTR, a complex microsatellite was found extending over 50 base pairs. Downstream of the gene, a minisatellite locus of 360 base pairs in size was found, consisting of 40 copies of a 9 base pair AT-rich repeat. Expression of prt1 was examined in cultures with various types of carbon and nitrogen sources. Although no conclusive results could be drawn, the type of carbon and nitrogen available did have some effect on prt1 expression. Repression of prt1 expression was only observed in media supplemented with sucrose and glutamate. A 500 bp fragment from the prt1 promoter was introduced into the vector pFunGus to create a translational fusion with gusA. This vector, pMM9, was transformed into Penicillium paxilli. Although transformation frequencies were low, the transformants obtained appeared to be stable for hygromycin resistance. Expression of GUS was observed in seven out of twelve of the stable transformants. This showed that the promoter fragment in pMM9 was sufficient for expression of GUS in a heterologous system. The prt2 gene was isolated by screening a genomic library with the GH3 PCR product. Partial sequence has been obtained for the prt2 gene. The prt2 gene contains at least three introns, the first of which is conserved with prt1. From the sequence obtained, prt2 encodes a peptide with strong similarity to subtilisin-like proteases from Metarhizium anisopliae, a fungal pathogen of insects

Spreadsheet knowledge: An exploratory study

Spreadsheets are the most commonly used tool for end user development of applications, and organizations depend heavily upon them for decision making. This paper reports on a study to investigate the role of spreadsheet knowledge in the successful use of spreadsheet applications. It considers both the spreadsheet knowledge of the user developer and the spreadsheet knowledge of the user and tests a model of the effect of spreadsheet knowledge on the success of a user-developed spreadsheet application. Spreadsheet knowledge was shown to be important in two ways. It influences the quality of the system being developed, but it also acts directly upon the individual impact of the application. Successful use appears to require sufficient knowledge to understand and, if necessary, alter the application

The SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: A bench to bedside review

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) continues to pose challenges for clinicians and patients. The dramatic rise in T2DM prevalence, which has paralleled the rise in obesity, has strained the healthcare system and prompted the search for therapies that not only effectively treat hyperglycemia, but are also weight neutral or promote weight loss. In most clinical situations after diagnosis, patients are advised to adopt lifestyle changes and metformin is initiated to help control blood glucose levels. However, metformin may not be tolerated, or may not be sufficient for those with higher glucose levels at diagnosis. Even among those who have initial success with metformin, the majority eventually require one or more additional agents to achieve their treatment goals. Because T2DM is a progressive disease, the requirement for combination treatment escalates over time, driving the need for therapies with complementary mechanisms of action. METHODS AND RESULTS: Online public resources were searched using “empagliflozin”, identifying 32 articles in PubMed, and 12 abstracts presented at the 2013 American Diabetes Association meeting. Peer-reviewed articles and abstracts describing preclinical studies and clinical trials were retrieved, and relevant publications included in this review. Trials registered on clinicaltrials.gov were searched for ongoing empagliflozin studies. CONCLUSION: The sodium–glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are of great interest since they provide a novel, insulin-independent mechanism of action. The SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin has demonstrated promising pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties. In clinical trials, empagliflozin has demonstrated a good efficacy and safety profile in a broad range of patients with T2DM, and appears to be an attractive adjunct therapeutic option for the treatment of T2DM. Ongoing trials, including patients with T2DM and comorbidities such as hypertension, are expected to provide important additional data, which will further define the role of empagliflozin in a growing movement toward individualized approaches to diabetes care. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13300-014-0063-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Digital libraries and information literacy issues within virtual learning environments : an e-learning impasse?

The DIDET digital library and VLE approach places much of the responsibility for managing the digital library work flow into the hands of students, as well as academics and librarians. Student responsibilities include the application of metadata, as well as conventional information literacy competencies such as ascertaining information resource provenance, investigating intellectual property rights and/or digital rights management implications, before depositing digital resources within the library. This has obviously laid bare numerous research issues relating to future digital library and VLE design, student information literacy, the use of ICT in education and design, and related pedagogical issues, all of which are worthy of further investigation within the UK HE community and will be elucidated in this paper. More importantly, this paper will argue that such a model signifies a definite impasse in the evolution of e-learning models and questions the degree to which current information literacy models are effective in specific e-learning contexts. The paper will conclude by further recognising that greater student information literacy skills are necessary to unlock the potential of such radical approaches to e-learning and digital library creation

Wrinkle ridges on Venusian plains: Indicators of shallow crustal stress orientations at local and regional scales

The plains regions of Venus exhibit a complex array of structural features, including deformation belts of various types, wrinkle ridges, grabens, and enigmatic radar-bright linears. Probably the most pervasive of these structures are the wrinkle ridges, which appear to be morphologically identical to their counterparts on the Moon and Mars. Almost all workers agree that wrinkle ridges result from horizontal compressive stresses in the crust; they either are explained as flexural fold structures, or alternatively as scarps or folds related to reverse faults. Wrinkle ridges generally are narrow, have small amplitudes, and commonly are closely spaced as well, characteristics that imply a shallow crustal origin. If wrinkle ridges are due to horizontally directed compressive stresses in the shallow crust, as generally has been inferred, then the trends of these features provide a means to map both local and regional orientations of principal stresses in the uppermost part of the venusian crust: maximum compressive stress is normal to the ridges, minimum compressive stress is normal to the topographic surface, and thus the wrinkle ridge trends trace the orientation of the intermediate principal stress. Because there are few plains areas on Venus totally devoid of wrinkle ridges, it should be possible to establish a number of interesting relationships on a near-global scale by mapping the trends of wrinkle ridges wherever they occur. The present study is addressing three questions: (1) Do the trends of wrinkle ridges define domains that are large relative to the sizes of individual plains regions? If so, can these domains be related to large-scale topographic or geologic features? (2) Are regional trends of wrinkle ridges affected by local features such as coronae? If so, is it possible to determine the relative ages of the far-field and local stresses from detailed study of trend inheritance or superposition relationships? (3) What is the relationship between wrinkle ridges and the larger ridges that make up ridge belts

Critical analysis of the 'generalized coherent wave approximation'

The formalism developed by Fletcher (1967) to take account of the presence of short range order in the calculation of the electronic energy spectrum of amorphous covalent semiconductors is examined critically and found to have fundamental difficulties