Abstract:There is an increasing need to implement a total business solution which supports major functionalities of a business. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is designed to meet this need, and has been widely adopted by organizations in developed countries. Meanwhile, ERP is beginning to appear in many organizations of developing countries. Little research has been conducted to compare the implementation practices of ERP in developed vs developing countries. Our research shows that ERP technology faces additional challenges in developing countries related to economic, cultural, and basic infrastructure issues. This article identifies a range of issues concerning ERP implementation by making a comparison of advanced and developing countries.

High soil salinity is a major abiotic stress in plant agriculture worldwide. Here, we report the characterization of a novel aquaporin gene TaNIP (Triticum asetivum L. nodulin 26-like intrinsic protein), which was involved in salt tolerance pathways in plants. TaNIP was identified and cloned through the gene chip expression analysis of a salt-tolerant wheat mutant RH8706-49 under salt stress. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (Q-RT-PCR) was used to detect TaNIP expression under salt, drought, cold and ABA treatment. The overexpression of TaNIP in transgenic Arabidopsis produced higher salt tolerance than wild-type plants. Localization analysis showed that TaNIP proteins tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) were localized to the cell plasma membrane. Under salt stress treatment, TaNIP-overexpressing Arabidopsis accumulated higher K(+), Ca(2+) and proline contents and lower Na(+) level than the wild-type plants. The overexpression of TaNIP in transgenic Arabidopsis also up-regulated the expression of a number of stress-associated genes. Our results suggest that TaNIP plays an important role in salt tolerance in Arabidopsis and can also enhance plants' tolerance to other abiotic stresses.

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To improve the utilization of visible light and reduce photogenerated electron/hole recombination, Ti self-doped TiO/oxygen-doped graphitic carbon nitride (Ti-TiO/O-g-CN) heterojunctions were prepared via hydrothermal treatment of a mixture of g-CN and titanium oxohydride sol obtained from the reaction of TiH with HO. In this way, exfoliated O-g-CN and Ti-TiO nanoparticles were obtained. Simultaneously, strong bonding was formed between Ti-TiO nanoparticles and exfoliated O-g-CN during the hydrothermal process. Charge transfer and recombination processes were characterized by transient photocurrent responses, electrochemical impedance test, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The photocatalytic performances were investigated through rhodamine B degradation test under an irradiation source based on 30 W cold visible-light-emitting diode. The highest visible-light photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic activities were observed from the heterojunction with 1:2 mass ratio of Ti-TiO to O-g-CN. The photodegradation reaction rate constant based on this heterojuction is 0.0356 min, which is 3.87 and 4.56 times higher than those of pristine Ti-TiO and pure g-CN, respectively. The remarkably high photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performances of the heterojunctions are mainly attributed to the synergetic effect of efficient photogenerated electron-hole separation, decreased electron transfer resistance from interfacial chemical hydroxy residue bonds, and oxidizing groups originating from Ti-TiO and O-g-CN.

This research presents a comprehensive analysis of U.S. counties' adoption of e-Government and the functions of the websites. By using content analysis methodology, the services and functions of U.S. county e-Government portals are scrutinized. The investigation instrument is based on political and technological theories, an e-Government stage model, and the review of literature. The research finds that U.S. counties' adoption of e-Government is highly associated with certain socioeconomic factors; in addition, the functionalities of U.S. county e-Government portals are significantly related to six socioeconomic factors according to the multiple regression analysis. The research provides insights for government officials and practitioners to understand and improve e-Government practice. It also sheds light on e-Government research by bringing in a valuable research instrument and comprehensive data about e-Government adoption. The implications for future research are discussed.