Heejin Lee

An institutional analysis of an e-government system for anti-corruption: The case of OPEN

Abstract E-government is increasingly being used to improve transparency in the government sector and to combat corruption. Using institutional theory as an analytical perspective, this study documents and evaluates the development of an anti-corruption system called OPEN (Online Procedures ENhancement for civil application) in the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Incorporating three distinctive (yet interrelated) dimensions of institutionalization (regulatory/coercive, cognitive/mimetic, and normative), and four anti-corruption strategies embedded in the system, this study investigates how an e-government system for anti-corruption in a local government has evolved and become a prototype of a national system to be used for the same purpose. The findings show that in implementing OPEN, a system for anti-corruption, the regulatory dimension was most effective, and (as in many IS implementations) strong leadership was crucial to its success.

High EGFR gene copy number predicts poor outcome in triple-negative breast cancer

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is frequently overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer and is emerging as a therapeutic target. EGFR gene copy number alteration and mutation are highly variable and scientists have been challenged to define their prognostic significance in triple-negative breast cancer. We examined EGFR protein expression, EGFR gene copy number alteration and mutation of exon 18 to 21 in 151 cases of triple-negative breast cancer and correlated these findings with clinical outcomes. In addition, intratumoral agreement of EGFR protein overexpression and gene copy number alteration was evaluated. EGFR overexpression was found in 97 of 151 cases (64%) and high EGFR gene copy number was detected in 50 cases (33%), including 3 gene amplification (2%) and 47 high polysomy (31%). Five EGFR mutations were detected in 4 of 151 cases (3%) and included G719A in exon 18 (n=1), V786M in exon 20 (n=1), and L858R in exon 21 (n=3). One case had two mutations (G719A and L858R). High EGFR copy number, but not EGFR mutation, correlated with EGFR protein overexpression. Intratumoral heterogeneity of EGFR protein overexpression and EGFR copy number alteration was not significant. In survival analyses, high EGFR copy number was found to be an independent prognostic factor for poor disease-free survival in patients with triple-negative breast cancer. Our findings showed that EGFR mutation was a rare event, but high EGFR copy number was relatively frequent and correlated with EGFR overexpression in triple-negative breast cancer. Moreover, high EGFR copy number was associated with poor clinical outcome in triple-negative breast cancer, suggesting that evaluation of EGFR copy number may be useful for predicting outcomes in patients with triple-negative breast cancer and for selecting patients for anti-EGFR-targeted therapy.

The characteristics of mobile data service users in Australia

Mobile Data Services (MDS) are increasingly important as revenues from voice calling are decreasing for mobile carriers, and there are many predictions that the use of MDS will increase in Australia. To explore the characteristics of MDS users, we conducted a survey with over 6000 respondents in Australia. The findings show that age is the most important demographic variable which influences the pattern of MDS use. In addition, gender and household income have a role in describing each groups consumption of MDS more precisely. We conclude the paper by presenting limitations of the study and outlining some possible future research.

Government coordination of conflicting interests in standardisation: case studies of indigenous ICT standards in China and South Korea

An increasing number of locally developed technologies have been globalising, and latecomers like China or South Korea are active in setting their national technology as international standards. This study presents five cases of information and communications technology (ICT) standardisation by China and South Korea and examines their promotion of indigenous technologies as international standards. International standardisation involves complicated networks of domestic and global stakeholders with different interests. Good coordination is therefore required. We identify differences and similarities among the cases and discuss implications. From the case studies, we find that coordination with foreign players is more critical than coordination with domestic players in determining the path and consequences of standardisation projects. Our analysis of the two countries’ standardisation efforts explores lessons to policymakers and firms in other latecomer countries in respect to promoting local technologies into the global market.

Conceptualizing time, space and computing for work and organizing

Through this article we draw on concepts of time and space to help us theorize on the uses of information and communication technologies in work and for organizing. We do so because many of the contemporary discussions regarding work and organization are usually, and too often implicitly, drawing on rudimentary understandings of these concepts. Our focus here is to advance beyond simplistic articulations and to provide a more conceptually sound approach to address time, space and the uses of information and communication technologies in work. We do this focusing on temporal and spatial relations as a means to depict time and space at work. We characterize work as varying by two characteristics: the degree of interaction and the level of individual autonomy. We then develop a functional view of information and communication technologies relative to their uses for production, control, coordination, access and enjoyment. We conclude by integrating these concepts into an initial framework which allows us to theorize that new forms of work are moving towards four distinct forms of organizing. We further argue that each of these four forms has particular spatial and temporal characteristics that have distinct and different needs for information and communication technologies.

Analysing South Korea's ICT for Development Aid Programme

Since the year 2000, there has been a significant growth in the ICT4D component of South Koreas aid programme. Given Koreas ICT capabilities and demands for ICT4D support from developing nations, this may make good sense. In this paper, though, we analyse a little deeper, starting to ask some initial questions about underlying perspectives and actual performance. We provide an overview of ICT4D expenditure levels, programmes, and key actors. We then reflect field data to date, which suggests some question marks over Koreas telecentre projects, some potential inequity in impacts, and a focus on Korean production of ICT goods and services. We analyse Korean ICT4D in terms of some basic concepts to find it associated with technological‐determinism and techno‐optimism, with the modernisation paradigm, with tied aid, and with the potential for creating dependency. However, Korea may not be unique among ICT4D actors in this and, in some ways, its techno‐optimism may be a useful counter to the techno‐pessimism that seems to have infected some Western donors. We conclude by noting some recommendations for Koreas ICT4D programme, and reflecting that Korea may be representative of a wider new wave of ICT4D donors such as India and China which may not follow quite the same line as Western donors.

Differential expression of major histocompatibility complex class I in subtypes of breast cancer is associated with estrogen receptor and interferon signaling

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have a strong prognostic and predictive significance. However, the mechanism of TIL influx in TNBC is unclear. Expression of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) on the tumor cell is essential for the effective killing of tumor by cytotoxic TILs. In our current study, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression was inversely correlated with estrogen receptor (ER) expression in normal and cancerous breast tissue and positively correlated with TILs in breast cancer. The ER score was inversely correlated with TILs in breast cancer. HLA-A and CD8B gene expression was negatively correlated with ESR1 and positively correlated with interferon-associated gene expression in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. Negative correlation between ESR1 and HLA and positive correlation between interferon-associated and HLA gene expression were also confirmed in Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) data. Taken together, our data suggest that a lower expression of HLA in luminal-type tumors might be associated with low level of TILs in those tumors. Further investigation of the mechanism of higher HLA expression and TIL influx in TNBC may help to boost the host immune response.

Expression of breast cancer stem cell markers as predictors of prognosis and response to trastuzumab in HER2 - positive breast cancer

Background:Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) have been suggested to have clinical implications for cancer therapeutics because of their proposed role in chemoresistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of BCSC marker expression on clinical outcome and trastuzumab response in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer.Methods:We analysed the expression of BCSC markers, CD44+/CD24− and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), and clinical outcomes in three sets of breast cancer cases: Set 1, 242 HER2-positive primary breast cancers treated by various modalities; Set 2, 447 HER2-positive primary breast cancers treated with surgery and chemotherapy plus adjuvant trastuzumab; Set 3, 112 metastatic HER2-positive breast cancers treated with trastuzumab.Results:Expression of CD44+/CD24− and ALDH1 was detected in 30.7% and 10.0%, respectively, of the Set 1 cases, and was associated with hormone receptor negativity. In survival analyses, expression of CD44+/CD24−, but not ALDH1, was found to be an independent prognostic factor for poor disease-free and overall survival in whole patients and also in the subgroup not receiving adjuvant trastuzumab. In Set 2 cases treated with adjuvant trastuzumab, CD44+/CD24− expression was an independent prognostic factor for poor disease-free survival, but not for overall survival; expression of ALDH1 had no impact on disease-free or overall survival. In metastatic disease treated with trastuzumab (Set 3 cases), CD44+/CD24− and ALDH1 expression had no effect on trastuzumab response or survival.Conclusions:These results suggest that the CD44+/CD24− phenotype can be used as a prognostic factor for clinical outcome and a predictive factor of trastuzumab response in patients with HER2-positive primary breast cancer.

Time to Change, Time for Change Time as a catalyst for organizational change

Time is often mentioned as a key aspect of organizational culture and organizational change. However, the role of time has rarely been explored in direct relation to organizational change. This article presents a case in which time was used as a catalyst for organizational change. The case shows how time can play a role in organizational change. In the early 1990s, one of the largest conglomerates in Korea introduced a new temporal scheme, which replaced the standard working hours. We examine the case to find out how a new temporal scheme affected various aspects of culture, which in turn caused changes in organizational members behaviour and attitudes. Our discussion focuses on the new temporal systems contribution to facilitating organizational change in three ways: a) by creating a sense of crisis for change, b) by generating new ways of working, and c) by enhancing awareness of time as a resource.

The Internet dilemma and control policy: political and economic implications of the Internet in North Korea

Abstract The Internet poses a “dilemma” to authoritarian countries. While it can bring economic dynamism to a country, it can also cause political destabilization by enabling economic and political information to flow freely beyond governmental control. Internet policies vary from country to country depending upon their own strategies, their level of economic development and international politics. This paper discusses and examines political and economic implications of the Internet in North Korea in relation to theories and notions of the Internet dilemma and control policy in authoritarian regimes. North Korea cannot move drastically from its restrictive and reactive Internet policy to a proactive policy unless there are radical changes of the regime with regard to international relations and economic development. It is expected that North Korea will gradually experiment building and using an intranet internally, and increase the level of Internet opening while arranging technological and institutional ...