Explaining Emergence and Consequences of Specific Formal Controls in IS Outsourcing – A Process-View

IS outsourcing projects often fail to achieve project goals. To inhibit this failure, managers need to design formal controls that are tailored to the specific contextual demands. However, the dynamic and uncertain nature of IS outsourcing projects makes the design of such specific formal controls at the outset of a project challenging. Hence, the process of translating high-level project goals into specific formal controls becomes crucial for success or failure of IS outsourcing projects. Based on a comparative case study of four IS outsourcing projects, our study enhances current understanding of such translation processes and their consequences by developing a process model that explains the success or failure to achieve high-level project goals as an outcome of two unique translation patterns. This novel process-based explanation for how and why IS outsourcing projects succeed or fail has important implications for control theory and IS project escalation literature.

Sideband-Ratio and Harmonic Response of Sub-Millimeter Wave Mixers measured with a Martin Puplett Interferometer

Heterodyne receivers at millimeter and submillimeter wavelength are widely used for radiometric spectral line observations for atmospheric remote sensing or radio astronomy. The quantitative analysis of such observations requires an accurate knowledge of the mixers's sideband ratio. In addition, its potential sensitivity to spurious harmonics needs to be well understood. In this paper, we discuss a measurement technique for these receiver characteristics, which is based on a scanning Martin Puplett Interferometer used in conjunction with a wide band digital autocorrelation spectrometer for the analysis of the intermediate frequency band. We present measurement results of different double sideband and sideband separating mixers, which were developed for the proposed 340GHz multi-beam limb sounder STEAMR.

Dynamic Transmission Modes to Support Opportunistic Information-Centric Networks

In this paper, we describe dynamic unicast to increase communication efficiency in opportunistic Information-centric networks. The approach is based on broadcast requests to quickly find content and dynamically creating unicast links to content sources without the need of neighbor discovery. The links are kept temporarily as long as they deliver content and are quickly removed otherwise. Evaluations in mobile networks show that this approach maintains ICN flexibility to support seamless mobile communication and achieves up to 56.6% shorter transmission times compared to broadcast in case of multiple concurrent requesters. Apart from that, dynamic unicast unburdens listener nodes from processing unwanted content resulting in lower processing overhead and power consumption at these nodes. The approach can be easily included into existing ICN architectures using only available data structures.

Total Variation Blind Deconvolution: The Devil Is in the Details

In this paper we study the problem of blind deconvolution. Our analysis is based on the algorithm of Chan and Wong [2] which popularized the use of sparse gradient priors via total variation. We use this algorithm because many methods in the literature are essentially adaptations of this framework. Such algorithm is an iterative alternating energy minimization where at each step either the sharp image or the blur function are reconstructed. Recent work of Levin et al. [14] showed that any algorithm that tries to minimize that same energy would fail, as the desired solution has a higher energy than the no-blur solution, where the sharp image is the blurry input and the blur is a Dirac delta. However, experimentally one can observe that Chan and Wong's algorithm converges to the desired solution even when initialized with the no-blur one. We provide both analysis and experiments to resolve this paradoxical conundrum. We find that both claims are right. The key to understanding how this is possible lies in the details of Chan and Wong's implementation and in how seemingly harmless choices result in dramatic effects. Our analysis reveals that the delayed scaling (normalization) in the iterative step of the blur kernel is fundamental to the convergence of the algorithm. This then results in a procedure that eludes the no-blur solution, despite it being a global minimum of the original energy. We introduce an adaptation of this algorithm and show that, in spite of its extreme simplicity, it is very robust and achieves a performance comparable to the state of the art.

When Does Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Really Avoid Radiotherapy? Clinical Predictors of Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Cervical Cancer.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to identify clinical variables that may predict the need for adjuvant radiotherapy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and radical surgery in locally advanced cervical cancer patients. METHODS A retrospective series of cervical cancer patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages IB2-IIB treated with NACT followed by radical surgery was analyzed. Clinical predictors of persistence of intermediate- and/or high-risk factors at final pathological analysis were investigated. Statistical analysis was performed using univariate and multivariate analysis and using a model based on artificial intelligence known as artificial neuronal network (ANN) analysis. RESULTS Overall, 101 patients were available for the analyses. Fifty-two (51 %) patients were considered at high risk secondary to parametrial, resection margin and/or lymph node involvement. When disease was confined to the cervix, four (4 %) patients were considered at intermediate risk. At univariate analysis, FIGO grade 3, stage IIB disease at diagnosis and the presence of enlarged nodes before NACT predicted the presence of intermediate- and/or high-risk factors at final pathological analysis. At multivariate analysis, only FIGO grade 3 and tumor diameter maintained statistical significance. The specificity of ANN models in evaluating predictive variables was slightly superior to conventional multivariable models. CONCLUSIONS FIGO grade, stage, tumor diameter, and histology are associated with persistence of pathological intermediate- and/or high-risk factors after NACT and radical surgery. This information is useful in counseling patients at the time of treatment planning with regard to the probability of being subjected to pelvic radiotherapy after completion of the initially planned treatment.

Novas formas de obter a informação : A notícia pelos sites de redes sociais

O presente artigo tem como objetivo principal discorrer sobre a nova forma de como a informaçao chega até o receptor final, visto os avanços tecnológicos dos meios de comunicaçao, ocorreu a mudança de como a informaçao chega ao destinatário final. O que já foi o papel do rádio, da televisao, hoje reside na internet e mais especificadamente, nos sites de redes sociais na internet. Assim, pretendemos discutir a forma de como a informaçao circula por esses sites e a mudança que esses mesmo sites fazem na aquisiçao de informaçao pelo interagentes que ali estao

Los periódicos cooperativos y la educación cooperativa en la provincia de Córdoba (Argentina) : El caso de 'El Cooperativista'

El periódico institucional es un órgano de difusión del quehacer cooperativo y una de las mejores vías para llevar adelante la educación cooperativa, especialmente en lo que se refiere a la difusión de los principios cooperativos y de los objetivos perseguidos por las sociedades de este tipo; pero también es un vehículo para dar a conocer entre los asociados y sus familiares y a la comunidad en su conjunto tanto los actos cooperativos con sus fundamentos y ventajas, como otras tantas cuestiones que involucran directa o indirectamente aspectos substanciales del quehacer cooperativo e informaciones que atañen a la propia localidad donde se asienta la entidad. En este artículo se estudia un caso especial, el del periódico publicado sin interrupción por la cooperativa vini-frutícola agrícola "La Caroyense" entre los años 1946 y 1967, analizando especialmente en los 233 números publicados en ese lapso junto con ese tipo de anuncios, aquellos que sirvieron para formar y fortalecer entre los asociados los principios cooperativos y el sentido de solidaridad.

Los periódicos cooperativos y la educación cooperativa en la provincia de Córdoba (Argentina) : El caso de 'El Cooperativista'

El periódico institucional es un órgano de difusión del quehacer cooperativo y una de las mejores vías para llevar adelante la educación cooperativa, especialmente en lo que se refiere a la difusión de los principios cooperativos y de los objetivos perseguidos por las sociedades de este tipo; pero también es un vehículo para dar a conocer entre los asociados y sus familiares y a la comunidad en su conjunto tanto los actos cooperativos con sus fundamentos y ventajas, como otras tantas cuestiones que involucran directa o indirectamente aspectos substanciales del quehacer cooperativo e informaciones que atañen a la propia localidad donde se asienta la entidad. En este artículo se estudia un caso especial, el del periódico publicado sin interrupción por la cooperativa vini-frutícola agrícola "La Caroyense" entre los años 1946 y 1967, analizando especialmente en los 233 números publicados en ese lapso junto con ese tipo de anuncios, aquellos que sirvieron para formar y fortalecer entre los asociados los principios cooperativos y el sentido de solidaridad.

Novas formas de obter a informação : A notícia pelos sites de redes sociais

O presente artigo tem como objetivo principal discorrer sobre a nova forma de como a informaçao chega até o receptor final, visto os avanços tecnológicos dos meios de comunicaçao, ocorreu a mudança de como a informaçao chega ao destinatário final. O que já foi o papel do rádio, da televisao, hoje reside na internet e mais especificadamente, nos sites de redes sociais na internet. Assim, pretendemos discutir a forma de como a informaçao circula por esses sites e a mudança que esses mesmo sites fazem na aquisiçao de informaçao pelo interagentes que ali estao

Novas formas de obter a informação : A notícia pelos sites de redes sociais

O presente artigo tem como objetivo principal discorrer sobre a nova forma de como a informaçao chega até o receptor final, visto os avanços tecnológicos dos meios de comunicaçao, ocorreu a mudança de como a informaçao chega ao destinatário final. O que já foi o papel do rádio, da televisao, hoje reside na internet e mais especificadamente, nos sites de redes sociais na internet. Assim, pretendemos discutir a forma de como a informaçao circula por esses sites e a mudança que esses mesmo sites fazem na aquisiçao de informaçao pelo interagentes que ali estao

Los periódicos cooperativos y la educación cooperativa en la provincia de Córdoba (Argentina) : El caso de 'El Cooperativista'

El periódico institucional es un órgano de difusión del quehacer cooperativo y una de las mejores vías para llevar adelante la educación cooperativa, especialmente en lo que se refiere a la difusión de los principios cooperativos y de los objetivos perseguidos por las sociedades de este tipo; pero también es un vehículo para dar a conocer entre los asociados y sus familiares y a la comunidad en su conjunto tanto los actos cooperativos con sus fundamentos y ventajas, como otras tantas cuestiones que involucran directa o indirectamente aspectos substanciales del quehacer cooperativo e informaciones que atañen a la propia localidad donde se asienta la entidad. En este artículo se estudia un caso especial, el del periódico publicado sin interrupción por la cooperativa vini-frutícola agrícola "La Caroyense" entre los años 1946 y 1967, analizando especialmente en los 233 números publicados en ese lapso junto con ese tipo de anuncios, aquellos que sirvieron para formar y fortalecer entre los asociados los principios cooperativos y el sentido de solidaridad.