Global IT/IS outsourcing: Expectations, considerations and implications

This paper discusses the issues of global IT/IS outsourcing from four interrelated aspects: forming an appropriate global IT strategy, using proper global IT platforms, managing international data sharing, and surviving the cultural environment. It aims at providing a comprehensive framework for both the global outsourcing providers and clients to fully understand and evaluate the expectations, considerations and implications of global IT/IS outsourcing, so that they can form a successful long-term strategic alliance

Neutron Scattering Signature of Phonon Renormalization in Nickel (II) Oxide

The physics of mutual interaction of phonon quasiparticles with electronic spin degrees of freedom, leading to unusual transport phenomena of spin and heat, has been a subject of continuing interests for decades. Despite its pivotal role in transport processes, the effect of spin-phonon coupling on the phonon system, especially acoustic phonon properties, has so far been elusive. By means of inelastic neutron scattering and first-principles calculations, anomalous scattering spectral intensity from acoustic phonons was identified in the exemplary collinear antiferromagnetic nickel (II) oxide, unveiling strong spin-lattice correlations that renormalize the polarization of acoustic phonon. In particular, a clear magnetic scattering signature of the measured neutron scattering intensity from acoustic phonons is demonstrated by its momentum transfer and temperature dependences. The anomalous scattering intensity is successfully modeled with a modified magneto-vibrational scattering cross section, suggesting the presence of spin precession driven by phonon. The renormalization of phonon eigenvector is indicated by the observed "geometry-forbidden" neutron scattering intensity from transverse acoustic phonon. Importantly, the eigenvector renormalization cannot be explained by magnetostriction but instead, it could result from the coupling between phonon and local magnetization of ions.Comment: Research pape

Global Outsourcing and Its Managerial Implications

Our purpose in the paper is to provide a concrete framework to help managers rethink about global outsourcing and focus on how to manage the alliances to ensure its success in the global market. This paper discusses the driving factors for the global outsourcing and the opportunities exposed to information technology and information systems (IT/IS) society. Major issues that a developing country may face for improving its environment to be a bidding candidate in global outsourcing business are explored and strategies are suggested as well

Relationships among adult playfulness, stress, and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic created high levels of stress that negatively affect mental health and well-being. The stress and coping process is influenced by individual difference factors, such as personality, that impact perceptual processes and emotional reactions. Adult playfulness is a personality characteristic that may lead to better mental and physical health outcomes. We test a theoretical model to determine whether the two factors of perceived stress, perceived self-efficacy (PSE) and perceived helplessness (PH), mediate the relationship among playfulness and coping in adults (N = 694). Scores on the Perceived Stress Scale were high indicating high levels of pandemic-related stress. The SEM model demonstrated direct effects of playfulness on PSE, PH, adaptive, maladaptive, and supportive coping. Both dimensions of perceived stress were partial mediators in the relationship among playfulness and coping outcomes. Findings illustrate the pathways by which adult playfulness can amplify or attenuate the impact of stress perceptions on coping strategies. The importance of building psychological resources such as playfulness to boost adaptive outcomes in stressful situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic is discussed

Improved Variational Mode Decomposition and CNN for Intelligent Rotating Machinery Fault Diagnosis

This paper proposes an intelligent diagnosis method for rotating machinery faults based on improved variational mode decomposition (IVMD) and CNN to process the rotating machinery non-stationary signal. Firstly, to solve the problem of time-domain feature extraction for fault diagnosis, this paper proposes an improved variational mode decomposition method with automatic optimization of the number of modes. This method overcomes the problems of the traditional VMD method, in that each parameter is set by experience and is greatly influenced by subjective experience. Secondly, the decomposed signal components are analyzed by correlation, and then high correlated components with the original signal are selected to reconstruct the original signal. The continuous wavelet transform (CWT) is employed to extract the two-dimensional time–frequency domain feature map of the fault signal. Finally, the deep learning method is used to construct a convolutional neural network. After feature extraction, the two-dimensional time-frequency image is applied to the neural network to identify fault features. Experiments verify that the proposed method can adapt to rotating machinery faults in complex environments and has a high recognition rate

Electrostrictive cross-phase modulation of periodic pulse trains in optical fibers

The pond-ditch circulation system (PDCS) is a promising solution for the restoration of rural wastewater. However, the underlying nitrogen removal mechanisms and roles of functional genes in nitrogen transformation processes have not yet been quantified at the molecular level. In this study, PDCSs have been found to have high removal efficiencies when the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN) was high (> 70%; 62.7-93.9%, respectively). Meanwhile, the presence of simultaneous nitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), and denitrification processes were the primary nitrogen removal mechanisms in the PDCSs. According to the stepwise regression analysis and path analysis, two key functional gene groups, nosZ/(nirS + nirK) and (nxrA/amoA), were driving these major processes for TN and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), respectively. Moreover, the key functional gene group narG/nxrA was affecting processes related to nitrate-nitrogen (NO3--N) and nitrite-nitrogen (NO2--N) conversion. Furthermore, results from the N-15 isotope pairing technique suggested that for PDCSs, anammox was mainly responsible for nitrogen removal due to its high contribution to total N-2 production (50.3%) in the ditch; denitrification, on the other hand, was primarily attributed to nitrogen removal, rather than the anammox process, in two ponds (41.3-43.1%)

Mutual spin-phonon driving effects and phonon eigenvector renormalization in nickel (II) oxide

The physics of mutual interaction of phonon quasiparticles with electronic spin degrees of freedom, leading to unusual transport phenomena of spin and heat, has been a subject of continuing interests for decades. Despite its pivotal role in transport processes, the effect of spin-phonon coupling on the phonon system, especially acoustic phonon properties, has so far been elusive. By means of inelastic neutron scattering and first-principles calculations, anomalous scattering spectral intensity from acoustic phonons was identified in the exemplary collinear antiferromagnetic nickel (II) oxide, unveiling strong spin-lattice correlations that renormalize the polarization of acoustic phonon. In particular, a clear magnetic scattering signature of the measured neutron scattering intensity from acoustic phonons is demonstrated by its momentum transfer and temperature dependences. The anomalous scattering intensity is successfully modeled with a modified magneto-vibrational scattering cross-section, suggesting the presence of spin precession driven by phonon. The renormalization of phonon eigenvector is indicated by the observed "geometry-forbidden" neutron scattering intensity from transverse acoustic phonon. Importantly, the eigenvector renormalization cannot be explained by magnetostriction but instead, it could result from the coupling between phonon and local magnetization of ions

Kinetic Effects of Alpha Particles Participation on the Turbulence Decaying

This dataset contains the PIC simulation results used in the article "Effects of Alpha Particle Fraction on Kinetic Plasma Turbulence". Each compressed rar file represents the run case with corresponding alpha density ratio. The data are recorded in txt file

Immobilization of Platinum Nanoparticles on Covalent Organic Framework‐Derived Carbon for Oxygen Reduction Catalysis

Platinum (Pt)‐based catalysts are considered as the most active catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, their applications have remained limited because of the high cost of Pt, and developing catalysts with low Pt contents is a challenge. Herein, a highly active catalyst (Pt–COF800) is constructed for the ORR by immobilizing hierarchical Pt subnano‐ and nanoparticles on covalent organic framework (COF)‐derived carbon. The catalyst shows excellent activity in alkaline conditions. The physical characterization demonstrates low nuclear Pt atoms and nanoparticles and confirms the role of heterogeneous active sites. This work paves the way for the construction of functional porous carbon materials with dual‐scale Pt clusters and may be applied to industrial catalytic reactions