Overcoming inertia : drivers of the outsourcing process

Almost all managers have directly or indirectly been involved in the practice of outsourcing in recent years. But as they know, outsourcing is not straightforward. Outsourcing inertia, when companies are slow to adapt to changing circumstances that accommodate higher outsourcing levels, may undermine a firm’s performance. This article investigates the presence of outsourcing inertia and the factors that help managers overcome it. Using statistical evidence, we show that positive performance effects related to outsourcing can accumulate when circumstances change. This is then followed by rapid increases in outsourcing levels (i.e. outsourcing processes). We investigate what gives rise to these outsourcing processes through follow-up interviews with sourcing executives, which suggest five drivers behind outsourcing processes: managerial initiative (using outside experience); hierarchy (foreign headquarters); imitation (of competitors and of similar firms); outsider advice (from external institutions); knowledge sources (using external information). These five drivers all offer scope for managerial action. We tie them to academic literatures and suggest ways of investigating their presence and impact on the outsourcing process. Overall, we conclude that while economizing factors play a key role in explaining how much firms outsource, it is socializing factors that tend to drive outsourcing processes

New Host-plant Records For Neotropical Agromyzids (diptera: Agromyzidae) From Asteraceae Flower Heads

Agromyzidae is a large and cosmopolitan fly family with approximately 2,500 known species. Here we present 22 new records of agromyzid-host plant associations. Plants were sampled from 2002 to 2005 in São Paulo state, Brazil. A total of eight agromyzid species were reared from 18 Asteraceae host species. The genus Melanagromyza Hendel was the commonest. This is the first detailed study reporting associations between non-leafmining Agromyzidae and their host plants in Brazil.3719799Almeida, A.M., C.R. Fonsceca, P.I. Prado, M. Almeida Neto, S. Diniz, U. Kubota, M.R. Braun, R.L.G. Raimundo, L.A. Anjos, T.G. Mendonça, S.M. Futada & T.M. Lewinsohn. 2005. Diversidade e ocorrência de Asteraceae em cerrados de São Paulo. Biota Neotrop. 5: http://www.biotaneotropica. org.br/v5n2/pt/abstract?article+BN00105022005 . ISSN 1676-0603Andersen, A., Sjursen, H., Rafoss, T., Biodiversity of Agromizydae (Diptera) and biologically and conventionally grown spring barley and grass field (2004) Biol. Agric. Hortic, 22, pp. 143-155Benavent-Corai, J., Martinez, M., Jimenez Peydró, R., Catalogue of the host-plants of the world Agromyzidae (Diptera) (2005) Boll. Zool. Agrar. Bachic. Serie II, 37, pp. 1-97Bremer, K., (1994) Asteraceae: Cladistics and classification, , Timber Press, Portland, 752pChen, X., Lang, F., Xu, Z., He, J., Ma, Y., The occurrence of leafminers and their parasitoids on vegetables and weeds in Hangzhou area, Southeast China (2003) BioControl, 48, pp. 515-527Eiten, G., Cerrado vegetation of Brazil (1972) Bot. Rev, 38, pp. 201-341Fonseca, C.R., Prado, P.I., Almeida Neto, M., Kubota, U., Lewinsohn, T.M., Flower heads, herbivores, and their parasitoids: Food web structure along a fertility gradient (2005) Ecol. Entomol, 30, pp. 36-46Gagné, R.J., (1994) The gall midges of the Neotropical region, , Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, 352pLewinsohn, T.M. 1991. Insects in flower heads of Asteraceae in southeast Brazil: a case study on tropical species richness, p.525-560. In P.W. Price, T.M. Lewinsohn, G.W. Fernandes & W.W. Benson (eds.). Plant-animal interactions: Evolutionary ecology in tropical and temperate regions. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 639pLewinsohn, T.M., Novotny, V., Basset, Y., Insects on plants: Diversity of herbivore assemblages revisited (2005) Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst, 36, pp. 597-620Schuster, D.J., Gilreath, J.P., Wharton, R.A., Seymour, P.R., Agromyzidae (Diptera) leafminers and their parasitoids in weeds associated with potato in Florida (1991) Environ. Entomol, 20, pp. 720-723Spencer, K.A., Notes on the Neotropical Agromyzidae (Diptera) (1966) Pap. Avulsos Zool, 19, pp. 142-150Spencer, K.A., The Agromyzidae of Canada and Alaska (1969) Mem. Entomol. Soc. Can, 64, pp. 1-311Spencer, K.A. 1973a. Agromyzidae (Diptera) of economic importance. Dr. W. Junk B. V. The Hague, Serie Entomologica, 418pSpencer, K.A., The Agromyzidae (Diptera) of Venezuela. Rev. Fac. Agrom (1973), pp. 5-107. , Mar. VIIISpencer, K.A., (1990) Host specialization in the world Agromyzidae, , Diptera, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 444pSpencer, K.A. 1996. Australasian/Oceanian Diptera Catalog - Web Version. URL: http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/aocat/agromyzidae.html. Accessed in 12/09/2006Spencer, K.A. & C.E. Stegmaier. 1973. Arthropods of Florida (EUA) and neighboring land areas, v. 7. Agromyzidae of Florida (USA) with a Supplement on Species from the Caribbean. Fla. Dep. Agri. Cons. Serv., Gainesville, 205pSpencer, K.A. & G.C. Steyskal. 1986. Manual of the Agromyzidae (Diptera) of the United States. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook. n. 638. Washington, U.S.ASpencer, K.A., Martinez, M., Etienne, J., Les Agromyzidae (Diptera) de Guadeloupe. (1992) Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr, 28, pp. 251-302Zwölfer, H. 1988. Species richness, species packing, and evolution in insect-plant systems, p.301-319. In E.D. Schulze & H. Zwölfer (eds.), Potentials and limitations of ecosystem analysis. Springer-Verlag. Berlin, 435

Exact Markovian evolution of multicomponent quantum systems: phase space representations

The exact solution of the Lindblad equation with a quadratic Hamiltonian and linear coupling operators was derived within the chord representation, that is, for the Fourier transform of the Wigner function. It is here generalized for multiple components, so as to provide an explicit expression for the reduced density operator of any component, as well as moments expressed as derivatives of this evolving chord function. The Wigner function is then the convolution of its straightforward classical evolution with a widening multidimensional gaussian window, eventually ensuring its positivity. Futher on, positivity also holds for the Glauber-Sundarshan P-function, which guarantees separability of the components. In the multicomponent context, a full dissipation matrix is defined, whereas its trace, equal to twice the previously derived dissipation coefficient, governs the rate at which the phase space volume of the argument of the Wigner function contracts, while those of the chord function expands. Examples of markovian evolution of a triatomic molecule and of an array of harmonic oscillators are discussed.Comment: 29 pages, 5 figure

Universal quantum Otto heat machine based on the Dicke model

In this paper we study a quantum Otto thermal machine where the working substance is composed of N identical qubits coupled to a single mode of a bosonic field, where the atoms and the field interact with a reservoir, as described by the so-called open Dicke model. By controlling the relevant and experimentally accessible parameters of the model we show that it is possible to build a universal quantum heat machine (UQHM) that can function as an engine, refrigerator, heater or accelerator. The heat and work exchanges are computed taking into account the growth of the number N of atoms as well as the coupling regimes characteristic of the Dicke model for several ratios of temperatures of the two thermal reservoirs. The analysis of quantum features such as entanglement and second-order correlation shows that these quantum resources do not affect either the efficiency or the performance of the UQHM based on the open Dicke Model. In addition, we show that the improvement in both efficiency and coefficient of performance of our UQHM occurs for regions around the critical value of the phase transition parameter of the model

Allergic conjunctivitis and conjunctival provocation tests in atopic dogs.

INTRODUCTION: Canine atopic dermatitis (cAD) is a very common disease, but little is known about eye involvement. The conjunctival provocation test (CPT) is used in human to study the ocular response to allergenic stimuli and to evaluate anti-allergic therapy. To our knowledge it has not been used in dogs. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of ocular signs in a population of atopic dogs and relate these with clinical cAD scores; and the usefulness of CPT for dust mites in atopic dogs with itchy eyes. PROCEDURES: Sixty cAD patients were evaluated for (i) ocular signs of allergic conjunctivitis including conjunctival hyperemia, chemosis, epiphora, ocular discharge, pruritus and corneal involvement, graded 0 to 3 according to severity, and (2) cAD Extent and Severity Index (CADESI-03). Additionally, CPTs for Dermatophagoides farinae (n = 12) and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (n = 12) were performed in sensitized atopic dogs and 24 control dogs. RESULTS: Periocular and ocular signs of allergy were present in 60% (36/60) of cases. Conjunctival hyperemia (90%) was the most common sign. Severity of ocular signs was significantly correlated with eye pruritus (r(s)  = 0.690, P = <0.001) and skin lesions score for head region (r(s) = 0.261, P = 0.04). A highly significant difference (P < 0.001, Fisher test) was found in CPTs between the test and the control groups. CONCLUSION:  Allergic conjunctivitis signs associated with cAD seem under valuated so these patients would benefit from an ophthalmologic evaluation. Furthermore, we found CPT to be a reliable, easy to perform and safe test for the etiologic diagnosis of allergic conjunctivitis in the dog