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This study introduces the concept of outsourcing appropriation based on adaptive structuration theory (AST) to explore how organizations attain IT-dependent organizational agility through outsourcing appropriation. It examines the mediating role of IT alignment and the moderating roles of the adoption of cloud computing and knowledge transfer. The proposed model was tested using survey data from a sample of 170 IT executives. Our results indicate that the consensus of appropriation (COA) and faithfulness of appropriation (FOA) are positively associated with IT-dependent organizational agility, and the relationships are partially mediated by IT alignment. When adoption of cloud computing is high, the positive relationship between IT alignment and IT-dependent organizational agility becomes stronger than when it is low. Interestingly, results also show that the moderating roles of the transfer of explicit knowledge and transfer of tacit knowledge in the relationship between outsourcing appropriation and IT-dependent organizational agility vary significantly. The transfer of explicit knowledge negatively moderates the relationship between COA and agility. The transfer of tacit knowledge positively moderates the relationship between FOA and agility. These findings deepen our understanding of how organizations gain IT-dependent organizational agility in the context of IT outsourcing.

To assess the pollution levels, characteristics, and the pollution sources and occupational inhalation exposure of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans(PCDD/Fs)in the workshops,ambient air samples in different types of incinerators of two municipal solid waste incinerators(MSWI) were collected and analyzed. The results showed that ① The I-TEQ concentration ranged from 0.034-2.152 pg·m

a b s t r a c t Despite keen interest in long-term strategic outsourcing and attention to factors affecting outsourcing success, the examination on relational performance, i.e., the difference between a vendor's performance with a particular client and that with its average client base, can be hardly found. This study adopts a rela- tional view to offshore information systems (IS) outsourcing from a vendor's perspective to explore the source of relational performance. Results highlight the importance of client-specific capabilities and trust as a self-enforcing governance mechanism in a vendor's relational performance in terms of service quality. Project management and client-specific capabilities act as substitute for each other in affecting relational service quality. In addition, while trust and learning about client contribute to client-specific capabilities, trust is also positively related to learning about client. These findings enrich our understanding of the source of outsourcing relational performance and contribute to the literatures on vendors' capabilities in IS outsourcing.

A miniascape-like triple-band monopole antenna designed for wireless body area network (WBAN) applications is presented in this letter. With a miniascape-like strip composed of an S-shaped strip, a U-shaped strip, and an I-shaped strip, three operating bands covering 3.1-3.3, 4.2-4.9 and 6-10.6 GHz for VSWR ≤ 2 are obtained, respectively. A quarter-circle cutting from the ground enhances the impedance match in the higher frequency band. Compared to previous wireless body area network antennas, the proposed antenna achieves a compact size of 23.6 × 35 mm2 with low profile (thickness of 0.05 mm) and can conform to the human body. The experimental results for the VSWR characteristics and radiation patterns show good agreement with the simulated ones.

A Gram-negative, rod-shaped, yellow-pigmented bacterium, designated strain R2A-7(T), was isolated from sediment of the eutrophic Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province, China. The isolate was subjected to a taxonomic study using a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences placed strain R2A-7(T) within the genus Flavobacterium in the family Flavobacteriaceae. The highest sequence similarity was found with Flavobacterium saliperosum (98.3 %), followed by other Flavobacterium species with similarities96.0 %. The major fatty acids (5 %) were 15 : 0 iso, 17 : 1 iso omega9c, 17 : 0 iso 3-OH, 15 : 1 iso G and 15 : 0 iso 3-OH. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain R2A-7(T) was 37.7 mol%. The DNA-DNA relatedness value with F. saliperosum CGMCC 1.3801(T) was 40.6 %. Molecular and phenotypic data suggest that strain R2A-7(T) represents a novel species within the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium cauense is proposed. The type strain is R2A-7(T) (=CGMCC 1.7270(T)=NBRC 104929(T)).

Whereas most discussion of outsourcing has concentrated on the clients' perspective, we investigated the formation of offshore IS vendors' trust in their client and the client's control over the vendor; these were assumed to affect the vendor's performance. Focusing on the Japan-China offshoring context, we conducted a survey of 110 project managers in nine Chinese IS outsourcers. Our findings indicated that trust had a significant effect on project quality but little on cost adherence; the relationship between control and the two vendor performance measures were the opposite of this. Furthermore, information sharing, communication quality, and inter-firm adaptation emerged as three significant contributors to the vendor's trust in the client; goal setting and cultural blending turned out to be significant in influencing the client's control over the vendor. One of the key contributions and implications of our research was that certain offshore client behaviors could shape vendor performance by influencing the vendor's trust in the client and client's control over the vendor, beyond formal contracts. These findings may be useful for both offshore vendors and clients in developing successful IS outsourcing.