Exploring Systemic Problems in IS Adoption Using Critical Systems Heuristics

Systemic Practice and Action Research - Most of the traditional technology acceptance models revolve around information systems (IS)/information technology (IT) adoption at individual user level....     

Ad Hoc网络中基于模拟退火-蚁群算法的QoS路由发现方法

针对Ad Hoc网络的动态网络环境和链路、节点性能限制等不利因素，提出了一种新的QoS路由发现方法——SAANT．该方法利用蚁群算法增加了发现可用QoS路由的概率，利用基于概率的路由转发策略来减少洪泛造成的网络开销，从而强化所提算法的全局搜索能力和自适应性，减小了洪泛对Ad Hoc网络性能的影响．所提方法还利用模拟退火算法调整路由发现算法的搜索方向，以弥补蚂蚁算法收敛速度上的弱点，减少了搜索过程中的停滞现象．在包投递成功率、平均包延迟和吞吐量等方面，通过仿真实验对SAANT、仅基于蚁群算法的QoS路由算法和传统的按需路由算法的方法进行了性能比较，结果表明，在Ad Hoc网络环境下，SAANT的收敛速度、移动性能和网络负载性能均表现出更好的适应性．     

基于Petri网的TCP协议异常检测模型

从面向连接的角度出发，以Petri网为工具，建立了TCP协议异常检测模型．该模型以TCP协议的状态变迁图为基础，并根据协议规范可对传输报文的标志位进行系统的分析，从而识别出标志位非法组合构成的畸形报文（FIN—RST报文）．模型中规定了各种状态下可接收的标志位集合，同时还细化了各状态下的超时异常，据此可准确地检测出各种异常，以抵御已知和未知的非法行为．利用该模型不仅可发现已知异常事件，还可对未知漏洞进行防范．通过实验发现，网络中的错误标志位报文、端口扫描以及DOS攻击产生的异常流量将占到总流量的10%以上．     

A Metaheuristic Approach to Optimize European Call Function with Boundary Conditions

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pricing European call option valuation problems under the exercise price,maturity,risk-free interest rate,and the volatility function. An advance methodology,Chebyshev simulated annealing neural network(Ch SANN),is enforced for the Black-Scholes(B-S) model with boundary conditions. Our scheme is stable and easy to implement on B-S equation,for arbitrary volatility and arbitrary interest rate values. Also,the comparative results demonstrate that the attained approximate solutions are converging towards the exact solution. The graphical results show that the increasing flow of the European call option as the exponential increase takes place in assets. The presented algorithm can be further applied to other financial models with certain boundary conditions. The algorithm of the method shows that the approach can also be easily employed on time-fractional B-S equation.     

Cell-free expression and in meso crystallisation of an integral membrane kinase for structure determination

Membrane proteins are key elements in cell physiology and drug targeting, but getting a high-resolution structure by crystallographic means is still enormously challenging. Novel strategies are in big demand to facilitate the structure determination process that will ultimately hasten the day when sequence information alone can provide a three-dimensional model. Cell-free or in vitro expression enables rapid access to large quantities of high-quality membrane proteins suitable for an array of applications. Despite its impressive efficiency, to date only two membrane proteins produced by the in vitro approach have yielded crystal structures. Here, we have analysed synergies of cell-free expression and crystallisation in lipid mesophases for generating an X-ray structure of the integral membrane enzyme diacylglycerol kinase to 2.28-Å resolution. The quality of cellular and cell-free-expressed kinase samples has been evaluated systematically by comparing (1) spectroscopic properties, (2) purity and oligomer formation, (3) lipid content and (4) functionality. DgkA is the first membrane enzyme crystallised based on cell-free expression. The study provides a basic standard for the crystallisation of cell-free-expressed membrane proteins and the methods detailed here should prove generally useful and contribute to accelerating the pace at which membrane protein structures are solved.     

Crystal structure of the β2 adrenergic receptor-Gs protein complex

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are responsible for the majority of cellular responses to hormones and neurotransmitters as well as the senses of sight, olfaction and taste. The paradigm of GPCR signalling is the activation of a heterotrimeric GTP binding protein (G protein) by an agonist-occupied receptor. The β(2) adrenergic receptor (β(2)AR) activation of Gs, the stimulatory G protein for adenylyl cyclase, has long been a model system for GPCR signalling. Here we present the crystal structure of the active state ternary complex composed of agonist-occupied monomeric β(2)AR and nucleotide-free Gs heterotrimer. The principal interactions between the β(2)AR and Gs involve the amino- and carboxy-terminal α-helices of Gs, with conformational changes propagating to the nucleotide-binding pocket. The largest conformational changes in the β(2)AR include a 14 ? outward movement at the cytoplasmic end of transmembrane segment 6 (TM6) and an α-helical extension of the cytoplasmic end of TM5. The most surprising observation is a major displacement of the α-helical domain of Gαs relative to the Ras-like GTPase domain. This crystal structure represents the first high-resolution view of transmembrane signalling by a GPCR.     

Programming the magnitude and persistence of antibody responses with innate immunity

Many successful vaccines induce persistent antibody responses that can last a lifetime. The mechanisms by which they do so remain unclear, but emerging evidence indicates that they activate dendritic cells via Toll-like receptors (TLRs). For example, the yellow fever vaccine YF-17D, one of the most successful empiric vaccines ever developed, activates dendritic cells via multiple TLRs to stimulate proinflammatory cytokines. Triggering specific combinations of TLRs in dendritic cells can induce synergistic production of cytokines, which results in enhanced T-cell responses, but its impact on antibody responses remain unknown. Learning the critical parameters of innate immunity that program such antibody responses remains a major challenge in vaccinology. Here we demonstrate that immunization of mice with synthetic nanoparticles containing antigens plus ligands that signal through TLR4 and TLR7 induces synergistic increases in antigen-specific, neutralizing antibodies compared to immunization with nanoparticles containing antigens plus a single TLR ligand. Consistent with this there was enhanced persistence of germinal centres and of plasma-cell responses, which persisted in the lymph nodes for >1.5 years. Surprisingly, there was no enhancement of the early short-lived plasma-cell response relative to that observed with single TLR ligands. Molecular profiling of activated B cells, isolated 7 days after immunization, indicated that there was early programming towards B-cell memory. Antibody responses were dependent on direct triggering of both TLRs on B cells and dendritic cells, as well as on T-cell help. Immunization protected completely against lethal avian and swine influenza virus strains in mice, and induced robust immunity against pandemic H1N1 influenza in rhesus macaques.     

Genetic basis of heterosis and inbreeding depression in rice （Oryza sativa L.）

The genetic basis of heterosis was studied through mid-parent, standard variety and better parent for 11 quantitative traits in 17 parental lines and their 10 selected hybrids in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The characters were plant height, days to flag leaf initiation, days to first panicle initiation, days to 100% flowering, panicle length, flag leaf length, days to maturity, number of fertile spikelet/panicle, number of effective tillers/hill, grain yield/10-hill, and 1000-grain weight. In general the hybrids performed significantly better than the respective parents. Significant heterosis was observed for most of the studied characters. Among the 10 hybrids, four hybrids viz., 17Ax45R, 25Ax37R, 27Ax39R, 31Ax47R, and 35Ax47R showed highest heterosis in 10-hill grain yield/10-hill. Inbreeding depression of F2 progeny was also studied for 11 characters of 10 hybrids. Both positive and negative inbreeding depression were found in many crosses for the studied characters, but none was found significant. Selection of good parents was found to be the most important for developing high yielding hybrid rice varieties.