bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a sliding-leg tripod as an add-on device for manufacturing
Authors: Xi Fengfeng , Han Wanzhi , Verner Marcel , Ross Andrew
Published: July 2002

This paper presents the work on developing a sliding-leg tripod as a programmable add-on device for manufacturing. The purpose is to enhance the capabilities of any machine by providing it with a more flexible range of motion. This device can be used as a toolhead for CNC machine tools and robots, or as a work stage for coordinate measuring machines and laser scanning systems. In this paper, system modelling, analysis and control of this device is presented. System modeling includes mobility study, kinematic model and inverse kinematics. System analysis includes workspace analysis, transmission ratio and stiffness analysis. System control includes path planning, joint space control and Cartesian space prediction. It is shown that the proposed device can provide flexibility and dexterity to machines.
A new insight into the duality between serial and parallel

non-redundant and redundant manipulators
Authors: Gosselin Florian , Lallemand Jean-Paul
Published: July 2002

This paper describes detailed velocity kinematics and the statics of serial and parallel robots. Without resorting to the screw theory, the duality between these two types of robots is demonstrated. This duality concerns operational speeds of serial robots and operational forces of parallel robots, as well as internal speeds in redundant

serial robots and internal forces in redundant parallel robots. This approach allows a deeper understanding of the duality between these two types of robots, particularly when they are redundant.
A heuristic approach for local path planning in 3D environments
Authors: Elnagar A.
Published: July 2002

In this paper we describe a heuristic potential based technique for solving the problem of path planning based on local information for a free flying robot (FFR) in a 3D static environment. A path which maximizes the sum of three functions: (repulsion from obstacles, attraction towards the goal, and level attraction) is chosen. While the
repulsive and goal-attraction potentials depend on how close is the FFR from obstacles and goal, respectively, the level-attraction potential maintains a certain altitude at which the FFR should navigate. Two additional heuristics are proposed to overcome the local minima problem and to improve the efficiency of the search process. Simulation results of the proposed technique are presented.
A neural network-based method for time-optimal trajectory planning
Authors: Fang Gu , Dissanayake M. W. M. G.
Published: July 2002

Planning appropriate trajectories can significantly increase the productivity of robot systems. To plan realistic time-optimal trajectories, the robot dynamics have to be described precisely. In this paper, a neural network based algorithm for tim
e-optimal trajectory planning is introduced. This method utilises neural networks for representing the
inverse dynamics of the robot. As the proposed neural networks can be trained with data obtained from exciting the robot with given torque inputs, they will capture the complete dynamics of the robot system. Threfore, the trajectories generated will be mo
re realistic than those obtained by using nominal dynamic equations based on nominal parameters. Time-optimal trajectories are generated for a PUMA robot to demonstrate the proposed method.
Behavioural approach for a bipedal robot stepping motion gait
Authors: El Hafi F. , Gorce P.
Published: July 2002

This paper deals with the decision mechanism analysis and the design of bipedal trajectories, for the stepping motion. For that we have used biomechanical model of the human body and dynamic control scheme previously developed by Gorce. We based our study on an experimental protocol, in order to determine behavioural laws for the task execution. We have developed a biped trajectory generation process, taking into account the biped height and the obstacle dimensions. Furthermore, we characterize the stepping motion feasibility by introducing a security notion, and we define an “Admissible control Domain”, which relies on the relative position of the biped to the obstacle and the obstacle dimensions. This domain definition has led us to define the biped behavioural strategies facing an obstacle: the biped executes the task at an accurate “chosen distance”, or stops or takes another way. Experimentations have allowed to validate simulations results.
A value-based scheduling approach for real-time autonomous vehicle control
Authors: Prasad D. , Burns A.
Published: July 2002

In future real-time systems such as those required for intelligent autonomous vehicle control, we need flexibility in choosing the set of services to support under varying environmental conditions and system states. It is not feasible to make an optimal choice of services at run-time, so we propose a method of ranking the services pre-run-time, based on the ‘utility' of each service. This paper focuses on the problem of calculating a ‘value' for the utility of each service alternative. We show how to derive
values systematically and rationally, using Measurement Theory and Decision Analysis.
The approach relies on engineering judgement and data input by a domain expert. In the context of autonomous vehicles, we believe that such knowledge would be available, making ‘value-based scheduling' a feasible approach.
An ethical approach to music education
Authors: Flusser Victor
Published: July 2002

Reflecting upon the relationship between people and music, the author is led to adopt a new position on musical education. His ideas are based on the work of the philosopher Hannah Arendt, the pedagogue and paediatrician, Janusz Korczak, and the composer R. Murray Schafer – all of whom focus upon the ‘dialogue’ of education. From Korczak is borrowed the idea of the child as ‘a present-state being’ rather than a ‘future-state being’; from Arendt the concepts of labour, work and action; and from Schafer his ‘Wolf Project’ for a musical community. On the basis of these three influences, the author advocates a ‘new manner of enacting music’ instead of ‘simply enacting new music’, basing pedagogic practice on a psycho-analytical approach to education. The pupil–teacher relationship turns on identification and projection. Teachers must nurture pupils' aesthetic choices and opinions as well as their commitment, so that ethical and aesthetic considerations can be brought together in the same musical act. Only in this way can musical education be worthwhile.
INTRODUCTION: HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
Authors: Banta David , Oortwijn Wija
Published: July 2002

Health technology assessment (HTA) has become increasingly important in the European Union as an aid

to decision making. As agencies and programs have been established, there is increasing attention to

coordination of HTA at the European level, especially considering the growing role of the European Union

in public health in Europe. This series of papers describes and analyzes the situation with regard to HTA

in the 15 members of the European Union, plus Switzerland. The final paper draws some conclusions,

especially concerning the future involvement of the European Commission in HTA.
COALITION BUILDING AND PUBLIC OPINION
Authors: Roberts Janet Hatcher
Published: July 2002

The process of technology assessment is evolving. The process of policy
development for technology is the least understood in the cycle of technology
assessment. The process of policy development, which should involve extensive
consultation and a broad-based research and evaluation program, is often
fraught with difficulties and can cause further analysis or the assessment
process to come grinding to a halt. This article reviews some social,
political, and ethical issues and the role of civil society in influencing the
technology assessment process for new reproductive technologies in Canada. It
is written from the perspective of one of the Deputy Directors of Research and
Evaluation for the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies and
highlights the strengths and difficulties of technology assessment when civil
society and technology assessment come face to face. A brief update by a
policy analyst in Health Canada on the current situation of legislation on new
reproductive technologies has been provided and is included at the end of this
article.
APPROXIMATION TO THE LIMITING DISTRIBUTION OF t-
AND F-STATISTICS IN TESTING FOR SEASONAL UNIT
ROOTS
Authors: Nabeya Seiji
Published: July 2002

Hylleberg, Engle, Granger, and Yoo (1990, Journal
of Econometrics 44, 215–238), Beaulieu and Miron
(1993, Journal of Econometrics 55, 305–328),
Ghysels, Lee, and Noh (1994, Journal of Econometrics
62, 415–442), Smith and Taylor (1998, Journal
of Econometrics 85, 269–288; 1999, Journal
of Time Series Analysis 20, 453–476; 1999, Discussion
paper 99-15 in economics, University of Birmingham), and
Taylor (1998, Journal of Time Series Analysis
19, 349–368) have developed a method of testing for
seasonal unit roots of zero and nonzero frequencies. They
propose to use t- and F-statistics as
criteria that are obtained from an auxiliary regression
and find their limiting distributions as the number of
observations becomes large. Their limiting distributions
are expressed by means of Brownian motions. In this paper
the moment generating functions associated with the limiting
distributions are derived, and it is shown, as in Nabeya
(2000, Econometric Theory 16, 200–230),
that the limiting distribution of t is well approximated
by a distribution given in Gram–Charlier series.
The limiting distribution of F is also well approximated
by another type of distribution.
Erratum: Vertical stratification of bat communities in primary forests of Central amazon, Brazil
Authors: BERNARD ENRICO
Published: July 2002

The Abstract and Table 2 within this paper contained some errors. The corrected versions appear below. The publishers would like to apologise to their readers for these errors.
Symbolic diagnosis and its formalisation
Authors: LUCAS PETER
Published: July 2002

Diagnosis was among the first subjects investigated when digital computers became available. It still remains an important research area, in which several new developments have taken place in the last decade. One of these new developments is the use of
detailed domain models in knowledge-based systems for the purpose of diagnosis, often referred to as “model-based” diagnosis. Typically, such models embody knowledge of the normal or abnormal structure and behaviour of the modelled objects in
a domain. Models of the structure and workings of technical devices, and causal models of disease processes in medicine are two examples. In this article, the most important notions of diagnosis and their formalisation are reviewed and brought in perspec
tive. In addition, attention is focused on a number of general frameworks of diagnosis, which offer sufficient flexibility for expressing several types of diagnosis.
ASYMPTOTIC EVALUATION OF BLOCKING PROBABILITIES IN A HIERARCHICAL
CELLULAR MOBILE NETWORK
Authors: Verwijmeren Stefan , Mandjes Michel , Boucherie Richard J.
Published: July 2002

This paper investigates blocking probabilities
obtained from multidimensional truncated Poisson distributions.
For blocking probabilities typically arising in layered
cellular mobile communications networks, the large deviations
results of Gazdzicki et al. [9] are extended
to state spaces determined by multiple constraints. The
results yield asymptotically exact expressions that provide
an accurate approximation of probabilities up to 1%, which
considerably extends the applicability of large deviations
results and enables efficient approximation of blocking
probabilities for realistic mobile communications networks.
RETHINKING INNATENESS: A CONNECTIONIST PERSPECTIVE ON
DEVELOPMENT.Jeffrey L. Elman, Elizabeth A. Bates, Mark H. Johnson, Annette
Karmiloff-Smith, Domenico Parisi, & Kim Plunkett. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press,
1996. Pp. xviii + 447. $45.00 cloth.
Authors: Ellis Nick
Published: July 2002

In this provocative book, six coauthors, representing cognitive psychology, connectionism,
neurobiology, and dynamical-systems theory, synthesize a new theoretical framework for
cognitive development with special focus on language acquisition. In the Emergentist
perspective, interactions occurring at all levels, from genes to environment, give rise to emergent
forms and behavior. These outcomes may be highly constrained and universal, but they are not
themselves directly contained in the genes in any domain-specific way. The human body
contains perhaps 5 × 1028 bits of information in its molecular arrangement,
but our genome contains only about 105 bits of information. Thus, we are over 20
orders of magnitude short of being mosaic organisms, where development is prespecified in the
genes. Our development is under regulatory control, where precise pathways to adulthood reflect
numerous interactions at the cellular level occurring throughout development. The human cortex
is plastic, its architecture reflects experience; innate specification of synaptic connectivity in the
cortex is highly unlikely. Theories of language must reflect this—they must be
biologically, developmentally, and ecologically plausible. Linguistic representational nativism is
just not tenable. It is so implausible that UG could be directly encoded in the genotype that we
must explore the alternatives. So the answer is not “Nature.” Nor, as the authors so
clearly argue, is it “Nature or Nuture.” Rather, it is “Nature
and Nurture.”
FROM READER TO READING TEACHER: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES FOR
SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS.Jo Ann Aebersold and Mary Lee
Field. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Pp. xii + 263. $18.95 paper.
Authors: Bernhardt Elizabeth
Published: July 2002

From reader to reading teacher: Issues and strategies for second language
classrooms is a book targeted at second language teachers in training. The first two
chapters provide a brief overview of theory and research in second language reading. Chapter 3
treats course design; 4, prereading activities; 5, activities during reading; 6, postreading
activities; 7, vocabulary; 8, the use of literature; 9, assessment; 10, lesson planning; and 11,
teacher development. In other words, the book attempts a comprehensive treatment of important
issues related to reading instruction in second language contexts.
Development of a Civil Military Interface in Europe for Galileo
Authors: Tytgat L. , Owen J. I. R. , Campagne P.
Published: July 2002

Satellite navigation has demonstrated its ability to enhance the safety and efficiency of multi-modal transport systems and act as a stimulant to economic growth and commercial
development. The decision of the Transport Ministers to proceed with the definition stage
of Galileo currently being funded by the European Commission and the ESA GalileoSat
programme will include the complex question of security and defence considerations. Initial
studies were completed over the past year in a Civil Military Interface study and by the
GNSS Forum for Security and Defence Considerations. This paper presents the findings of
the Civil Military Interface study undertaken for the European Commission, DGVII, that
identified the security and military implications of a civil operated and controlled satellite
navigation service for Europe.
Evaluation of Long-Distance Orientation in Birds on the Basis of Migration Routes Recorded by Radar and Satellite Tracking
Authors: Alerstam Thomas
Published: July 2002

Predicted flight trajectories differ depending on which orientation cues are used by migrating birds. Results from radar and satellite tracking of migrating birds can be used to test which of the predicted trajectories shows the best fit with observed flight routes, supporting the use of the associated orientation mechanism. Radar studies of bird migration at the Northeast Passage and the Northwest Passage support the occurrence of migration along sun compass routes in these polar regions. In contrast, satellite tracking of Brent geese (Branta bernicla) migrating from Iceland across Greenland and from Northwest Europe to Siberia show routes that conform most closely with geographic loxodromes, but which are also profoundly influenced by large-scale topography. These evaluations are discussed in relation to the adaptive values of different routes in different parts of the world. Sun compass routes are favourable mainly for east-west migration at high latitudes. For east-west migration at mid and high latitudes magnetic loxodromes are more favourable than geographic loxodromes in certain regions while the reverse holds in other regions. The geometry of migration routes, as recorded by radar and satellite tracking, may be important for understanding the evolution of the complexity of birds' orientation systems, and for providing clues about the orientation mechanisms guiding the birds on their global journeys.
Shipwrecks in the Revolutionary and
Napoleonic Eras, 1793–1815.
Causal Factors and Comments
Authors: Grocott D. F. H.
Published: July 2002

In his Presidential Address at the 52nd Annual General Meeting of the Institute, held in
London on 21 October 1998, Air Commodore Pinky Grocott gave an analysis of the causal
factors that resulted in the loss of 913 large sailing ships during the period of the
Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras (1793–1815). Navigation and weather factors predominated,
often aggravated by poor and untimely decision-making. Many of the lessons
learnt are equally relevant today.
Modification of a hierarchical model of forest disturbance
Authors: TAULMAN JAMES F.
Published: July 2002

A model of disturbance equilibration

The contemporary ‘non-equilibrium’ paradigm in ecology acknowledges that ecosystems and their component floral and faunal communities show historic dynamism, not unchanging constancy (Shugart & West 1981; Pickett et al. 1992; Hengeveld 1994). In formulating a hierarchical view of landscape ecology, Urban et al. (1987) modelled broad classes of forest disturbances and corresponding landscape scales. A reference level is the scale at which a disturbance is observed as an ‘interesting event’. At the next, lower landscape scale the disturbance has a significant impact and explanatory mechanisms may be investigated. At the level above the reference scale, the ‘event’ may be viewed in a broader ecological context where its impact has been buffered and successfully incorporated. Urban et al. (1987) suggested that ‘a disturbance regime that can be incorporated is not disturbing at all’. Extending this perspective to anthropogenic perturbations, Urban et al. (1987) praised the ‘wisdom’ of foresters for discovering clear-cut harvesting as a forest management strategy that mimics natural disturbances. It might be possible for a reader with a pro-exploitation agenda to misinterpret the meaning of the model presented in Urban et al. (1987) and attempt to use it in support of forest management that is destructive to overall ecosystem health, thereby detracting from Urban et al.'s (1987) and Shugart and West's (1981) pioneering contributions to the field of landscape ecology. It could be argued that we only need look to a higher landscape scale in the model of equilibration to find a level at which clear-cuts need no longer be considered forest disturbances.
Distribution of coastal freshwater wetlands and riparian forests in the Herbert River catchment and implications for management of catchments adjacent the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Authors: JOHNSON A.K.L. , EBERT S.P. , MURRAY A.E.
Published: July 2002

Because coral reefs are sensitive to land derived inputs of nutrient and sediment, there is concern worldwide for the effects of anthropogenic change in river catchments on reefs. Thirty-one river catchments drain directly into the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, NE Australia. This case study was undertaken on the floodplain of the Herbert River catchment in north Queensland, utilizing remote sensing and GIS to assess both spatial and temporal changes in freshwater wetlands and riparian forests. We demonstrate that there has been a very large reduction in the area of these ecosystems since European settlement in the mid nineteenth century, with an 80% decline in their extent since 1943. We provide a range of quantitative measures to show that the landscape diversity of these ecosystems has also declined. These changes are of importance in terms of regional, national and international trends. We argue that policy, planning and management reform is required if the remaining ecological, economic and social values of these systems and the adjacent Great Barrier Reef Marine Park are to be maintained.
Acquiring design rationale automatically
Authors: MYERS KAREN L. , ZUMEL NINA B. , GARCIA PABLO
Published: July 2002

The value of comprehensive rationale for documenting
a design has long been recognized. However, designers rarely
produce detailed rationale in practice because of the substantial
time investment required. Efforts to support the acquisition
of rationale information have focused on languages and
tools for structuring the acquisition process, but still
require substantial involvement on the part of the designer.
This paper describes an experimental system, the Rationale
Construction Framework (RCF), that acquires rationale information
for the detailed design process without disrupting a designer's
normal activities. The underlying approach involves monitoring
designer interactions with a commercial computer-assisted
design (CAD) tool to produce a rich process history. This
history is subsequently structured and interpreted relative
to a background theory of design metaphors that
enable explanation of certain aspects of the design process.
The framework provides an environment that can acquire
rich, meaningful rationale information in a time- and cost-effective
manner, with minimal disruption to the designer.
What we've learned: Design and design centers in engineering
education
Authors: FENVES STEVEN J.
Published: July 2002

The article is an extended version of the verbal
summary presented at the concluding lunch of the workshop
on “Computing Futures in Engineering Design.”
In the paper, the first person is used to differentiate
my observations or reactions from the summaries of the
speakers' presentations. The common themes that emerge
during the workshop are: the need to set the discipline-specific
context before computational tools are used; the incompatibilities
between point tools that hinder their use; the paramount
importance of teamwork; and the need to understand and
treat design as a social process.
Special Issue: Machine Learning in Design
Authors: DUFFY ALEX H.B. , BROWN DAVID C. , GOEL ASHOK K.
Published: July 2002

This issue of AIEDAM is based on a workshop
on Machine Learning in Design held at the 1996 Conference
on Artificial Intelligence in Design, AID'96 (Gero
& Sudweeks, 1996), the third of such workshops, with
the previous two being held at AID'92 (Gero, 1992)
and at AID'94 (Gero & Sudweeks, 1994). The first
two workshops also resulted in special issues of AIEDAM
(Maher et al., 1994; Duffy et al., 1996).
Herpes simplex virus type-2 antibodies in pregnant women: the impact of the stage of pregnancy
Authors: ESKILD A. , JEANSSON S. , HAGEN J. A. , JENUM P. A. , SKRONDAL A.
Published: July 2002

In this study the impact of pregnancy duration on the measured level of HSV-2 antibodies was
assessed. The study population comprised 35940 pregnant women in Norway, in 1992–4,
followed during pregnancy. A random sample of 960 women was selected. A mean of 2·6
serum samples from each woman were analysed for HSV-2 specific IgG antibodies at different
times in pregnancy. Crude and adjusted odds ratios were estimated in logistic regression
models taking all observations per women into account. Twenty-seven percent of the pregnant
women had antibodies against HSV-2 in the first trimester. The adjusted odds ratio of being
HSV-2 antibody positive decreased during the pregnancy and was 0·5 (0·2–0·9, 95% confidence
interval) in the 40th as compared to the 10th week of pregnancy. About 50% of initially HSV-2
positive women did not have detecable antibodies by the end of the pregnancy. This may be
explained by haemodilution during pregnancy. Our findings have diagnostic implications and
should encourage further studies.
Helicobacter pylori in out-patients of a general practitioner:

prevalence and determinants of current infection
Authors: ROTHENBACHER D. , BODE G. , WINZ T. , BERG G. , ADLER G. , BRENNER H.
Published: July 2002

Data on prevalence and determinants of Helicobacter pylori

infection in well-defined

populations are scarce. We investigated the prevalence and

determinants of active H. pylori

infection in a population of out-patients attending a general

practitioner in Southern Germany.

Infection status was determined by [13C]urea breath

test. In addition, information on potential

risk factors and medical history was collected.

Five hundred and one of the 531 eligible patients participated in the

study (response rate of

94·4%). In total, 117 of the 501 patients had a positive

[13C]urea breath test (23·4%).

Prevalence of H. pylori infection increased with age from

10·8% (95% CI 5·7–18·1%) in the

age group 15–29 years to 30·8% (95% CI

22·1–40·6%) in the age group 60–79 years and
was

20·3%, 30·4% and 28·2% for the age groups

30–39, 40–49 and 50–59 years, respectively.

Education and childhood living conditions, especially the number of siblings,

were identified as additional independent determinants of infection.
Estimation of the effect of neutropenia on rates of clinical

bacteraemia in HIV-infected patients
Authors: CAPERNA J. , BARBER R. E. , TOERNER J. G. , MATHEWS W. C.
Published: July 2002

A retrospective cohort study was conducted to

quantitate the relationship between neutropenia

and rates of clinical bacteraemia among adults with HIV

infection receiving medical care at

one institution between 1991–5. The primary exposure,

absolute neutrophil count (ANC), was

summarized as mean ANC within a given week, using a five-level

stratification (reference > 1000/μl). ANC

stratum-specific rates of bacteraemia were calculated, by

organism type. Linear

trend tests were performed to assess dose-response relationship

between neutropenia and rates

of bacteraemia. The cohort included 1645 patients contributing

26785 patients-weeks and 191

episodes of bacteraemia. The unadjusted effect of neutropenia

was most evident for

bacteraemia due to E. coli (RR 3.4), Klebsiella

pneumoniae (RR 16·7), and P. aeruginosa

(RR 10.4). For bacteraemia due to any of these three

organisms (47 episodes), with reference ANC > 1000/μl,

relative rates were: 751–1000/μl,

1·12; 501–750/μl, 2.11;

251–500/μl, 13·58; 0–250/μl,

21·89.
A minority of seropositive wild bank voles (Clethrionomys
glareolus) show evidence of current Puumala virus infection
Authors: ALEXEYEV O. A. , AHLM C. , ELGH F. , AAVA B. , PALO T. , SETTERGREN B. , TÄRNVIK A. , WADELL G. , JUTO P.
Published: July 2002

Bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) serve as the
reservoir for Puumala (PUU) virus, the
aetiologic agent of nephropathia epidemica. The animals are believed to
be persistently infected
and the occurrence of serum antibodies is usually taken as an evidence
of active infection. We
found serum antibodies to PUU virus in 42 of 299 wild bank voles captured
in a PUU virus
endemic area. PUU virus RNA was demonstrated in lung specimens of 11 of
these 42 animals
and in 2 of them antigen was also found. Thus in the lungs of 31 of 42
seropositive animals
neither PUU virus RNA nor antigen was detected. In 2 of 257 seronegative
animals, lung
specimens showed presence of PUU virus antigen and RNA. Isolation of PUU
virus from lung
tissue was successful in all 4 antigen-positive bank voles but in none
of 16 tested
antigen-negative animals. In conclusion, only a minority of bank voles

with serum antibodies to PUU virus showed evidence of current infection.
Dynamics of the meningococcal carrier state and
characteristics of the carrier strains: a longitudinal study
within three cohorts of military recruits
Authors: ANDERSEN J. , BERTHELSEN L. , JENSEN B. BECH , LIND I.
Published: July 2002

Three cohorts of Danish male military recruits (n=1069)

were studied for pharyngeal
meningococcal carriage during 3 months at different seasons: 39–47%
of entrants were
meningococcal carriers and the carriage rate remained constant over time
and season.
However, individual changes in the carrier state occurred frequently, and
after 3 months 34%
had changed carrier state on one or more occasions. Initially, a loss of
carriage predominated;
on the other hand almost 20% of non-carriers had acquisition of meningococci
within the first
month. The serological phenotypes of the 670 carrier strains were compared
with those of 261
invasive strains recovered concurrently from patients with meningococcal
disease country-wide.
Both carrier strains and invasive strains were phenotypically heterogeneous.
Almost 60% of
the invasive strains belonged to three phenotypes:
B[ratio ]15[ratio ]P1.7, 16, C[ratio ]2a[ratio ]P1.2, 5 and C[ratio ]2b[ratio ]P1.2,
5.
In contrast, these phenotypes only amounted to 3·2% of the carrier
strains, among which no
phenotype was found with a prevalence above 4·9%. However, 30% of
the carrier strains had
serological phenotypes identical to those of 80% of the invasive strains.
Our results indicated
that the transmission rate of potential pathogenic carrier strains did
not differ from that of
other carrier strains.
The antibiotic resistance patterns of Salmonella Typhi
isolates in Italy, 1980–96
Authors: SCUDERI G. , FANTASIA M. , NIGLIO T. , ITALIAN SALM–NET WORKING GROUP
Published: July 2002

In this paper we report the distribution of Salmonella Typhi isolates in Italy and their
resistance patterns to antibiotics. The data were collected by the Italian SALM–NET
surveillance system in a pilot retrospective study of the period 1980–96. Data on drug-resistance were available for 82 isolates out of 176 S. Typhi isolated in Italy. Of these 82
isolates, 32 (39%) were resistant or intermediate to 1 or more antibiotics. Eight isolates were
resistant and 7 intermediate to streptomycin; 4 isolates were resistant to ampicillin alone or in
association with other antibiotics; only 2 strains (1 isolated in Lombardia in 1993 and the
other 1 in Lazio in 1994) were resistant to chloramphenicol, and 2 (isolated in Sardegna and
Piemonte in 1995 and 1996, respectively) showed intermediate resistance to chloramphenicol.
The strains showing resistance to 3 or more antibiotics were very scarce: 1 (with 5 complete
resistances) was isolated in Lazio in 1994, and another 1 (with complete resistance to 10
antibiotics and intermediate resistance to 2 antibiotics) was isolated in Molise in 1988. In
conclusion, besides the routine activities to control typhoid fever, an accurate and continuous
surveillance is necessary in order to quickly identify multidrug-resistant (MDR) S. Typhi
strains and prevent their spread, even though their level, in our country, is still quite low.
Existence of two geographically-linked clonal lineages in the
bacterial fish pathogen Photobacterium damselae subsp.
piscicida evidenced by random amplified polymorphic DNA
analysis
Authors: MAGARIÑOS B. , TORANZO A. E. , BARJA J. L. , ROMALDE J. L.
Published: July 2002

In this work, we applied the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique to
evaluate the genetic diversity in Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida (formerly Pasteurella
piscicida), an important pathogen for different marine fish. Regardless of the oligonucleotide
primer employed, the 29 isolates of Ph. damselae subsp. piscicida tested were separated into
two groups, the RAPD-PCR analysis differentiated the European strains from the Japanese
strains. The similarity between both groups estimated on the basis of the Dice coefficient was
75–80%. These results show that European and Japanese isolates of Ph. damselae subsp.
piscicida, regardless of their host fish species, belong to two different clonal lineages. Our
findings also indicate that RAPD profiling constitutes a useful tool for epidemiological studies
of this fish pathogen.
Social policy and prevention in mental health
Authors: COWEN EMORY L. , DURLAK JOSEPH A.
Published: July 2002

This article presents policy recommendations relating to two aspects of primary prevention in

mental health: (a) preventing adverse negative outcomes and (b) building health and wellness from

the start and maintaining it thereafter. Recommendations for reducing diverse negative outcomes

and end states reflect interconnections and bidirectional influences among physical,

social–interpersonal, cognitive–academic, and “mental health”

outcomes.
Diffusion-reaction-conduction processes in porous electrodes: the electrolyte wedge problem
Authors: FEHRIBACH J. D.
Published: July 2002

This work studies mathematical issues associated with steady-state modelling of diffusion-
reaction-conduction processes in an electrolyte wedge (meniscus corner) of a current-producing
porous electrode. The discussion is applicable to various electrodes where the rate-determining
reaction occurs at the electrolyte-solid interface; molten carbonate fuel cell cathodes are used
as a specific example. New modelling in terms of component potentials (linear combinations
of electrochemical potentials) is shown to be consistent with tradition concentration modelling. The current density is proved to be finite, and asymptotic expressions for both current
density and total current are derived for suffciently small contact angles. Finally, numerical
and asymptotic examples are presented to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of these
expressions.
The method of generalised conditional symmetries and its various implementations
Authors: GOARD JOANNA M.
Published: July 2002

We relate Kaptsov's method of B-determining equations for finding invariant solutions of
PDEs to the nonclassical method and to the method of generalised conditional symmetries.
An extension of Kaptsov's method is then used to find new solutions of degenerate diffusion
equations.
Local uniqueness for the inverse boundary problem for the two-dimensional diffusion equation
Authors: GRINBERG N. I.
Published: July 2002

We study an inverse boundary problem for the diffusion equation in ℝ2. Our motivation is
that this equation is an approximation of the linear transport equation and describes light
propagation in highly scattering media. The diffusion equation in the frequency domain is the nonself-adjoint elliptic
equation div(D grad u) - (cμa + iω0)
u = 0; ω0 ≠ 0, where D and
μa are the diffusion and absorption coefficients. The inverse problem is the reconstruction
of D and μa inside a bounded domain using only measurements at the boundary. In the
two-dimensional case we prove that the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map, corresponding to any
one positive frequency ω0, determines uniquely both the diffusion and the absorption coefficients,
provided they are sufficiently slowly-varying. In the null-background case we estimate
analytically how large these coefficients can be to guarantee uniqueness of the reconstruction.
Developing cross-cultural competence in business through multimedia courseware
Authors: BRETT PAUL
Published: July 2002

The globalisation of business and the internationalisation of companies witnessed over
the past decade has increased the need for business people operating across cultures to become
both culturally and linguistically aware. The evolution of multimedia computing means that learning
material can be created which amalgamates video, subtitles, tasks, text and a variety of support tools.
This environment lends itself to the provision of learning opportunities and materials which aim to develop
cultural understanding. This paper describes an on-going development project entitled SELECT which is
creating multimedia courseware to develop cross-cultural awareness of the British business context. The
paper outlines the background to the creation of the courseware and the needs it aims to meet. The theoretical
underpinning of the development is outlined, covering the nature of cross-cultural competence, its development
and the fit between the capabilities of multimedia and such competence. The approach taken and methods used
to research and construct a valid, empirically-based cross-cultural syllabus relevant for those doing
business with Britain is described and exemplified. The process of creating the courseware, including
the authentic video assets and configuration of the learning design is discussed. The paper concludes with
projections of future developments in technology assisted development of cross-cultural competence.
Reusing a syntactic generator for CALL purposes
Authors: VANDEVENTER ANNE , HAMEL MARIE-JOSÉE
Published: July 2002

This article presents briefly the advantages and disadvantages of reusing natural language
processing (NLP) tools in the CALL context. The issue is addressed through the description of GBGen,
a sentence generation system. The abstract semantic representation used as input for the generator is
described, as well as the actual generation process, from a deep structure to a grammatical sentence
through transformations and the application of morphology. The possible didactic value of such a tool is
then evaluated and the outline of a CALL scenario given. Finally, proposed adaptations of the generator
for the CALL context are discussed.
Botulinum toxin for rehabilitation in elderly patients
Authors: Moore A. P.
Published: July 2002

The clinical indications and potential uses of botulinum toxin A (BtA) have steadily increased since it first became available for clinical use in the late 1980s. A pattern has emerged of anecdotal reports of possible benefit in a new indication, followed by multiple small uncontrolled or open studies, with the eventual publication of controlled and blinded trials. This process has been fastest in easily defined clinical situations such as focal dystonias - blepharospasm is a good example - and slowest in the more complex world of rehabilitation. For some indications, uncritical initial enthusiasm has created an atmosphere inhibiting adequate controlled trials.
The role of continence promotion in rehabilitation
Authors: Smith Nigel
Published: July 2002

Continence promotion includes all nonsurgical therapies that enable a patient to recover continence. Examples include bladder training, pelvic floor exercises, anticholinergic drugs, oestrogen, electrical therapies, vaginal cones and intermittent self-catheterization. Implicit in the use of all of these therapies is a detailed history and examination to diagnose any cause for the symptoms. Continence promotion is most closely identified with the role of the nurse, in co-operation with the doctor, in recognizing medical and surgical causes of incontinence.
NOTES RELATING TO THE FLORA OF BHUTAN: XLIII. SCROPHULARIACEAE (PEDICULARIS)
Authors: MILL R. R.
Published: July 2002

Problems of infrageneric classification in Pedicularis L. (Scrophulariaceae), and the phytogeography of the genus in the Flora of Bhutan area, are discussed. Six new species and one new variety of Pedicularis L. are described. Pedicularis garckeana Prain ex Maxim. is separated from P. ser. Robustae Prain as the new, monospecific series Garckeanae R. R. Mill (Sikkim and adjacent Xizang). Six of these new taxa are endemic to Bhutan (P. dhurensis R. R. Mill sp. nov., P. longipedicellata P. C. Tsoong var. lanocalyx R. R. Mill var. nov., P. melalimne R. R. Mill sp. nov., P. microloba R. R. Mill sp. nov., P. sanguilimbata R. R. Mill sp. nov. and P. woodii R. R. Mill sp. nov.) and one (P. yarilaica R. R. Mill sp. nov.) occurs in N Bhutan and S Xizang. The type material of Phtheirospermum auratum Bonati (=Pedicularis aurata (Bonati) H. L. Li) is shown to be a mixed gathering; the name is lectotypified and an emended description of P. aurata given. Several other names are lectotypified. Three sectional names originally proposed by Yamazaki (each ‘based’ on invalid ‘names’ of groups earlier recognized as subgreges by Tsoong) are validated as P. sect. Asthenocaulus [P. C. Tsoong ex] R. R. Mill, P. sect. Nothosigmantha T. Yamaz. ex R. R. Mill, and P. sect. Rhizophyllastrum T. Yamaz. ex R. R. Mill, while a fourth invalid section (‘P. sect. Brachystachys (P. C. Tsoong) T. Yamaz.’) is here recognized and described as P. sect. Brevispica R. R. Mill, sect. nov. Pedicularis sect. Cryptorhynchus T. Yamaz. and P. sect. Elephanticeps T. Yamaz. are provided with emended descriptions. The nomenclature of P. pennelliana P. C. Tsoong and related taxa of the P. gracilis Wall. ex Benth. complex is discussed.
From the Editors
Authors: Thomasma David C. , Kushner Thomasine , Heilig Steve
Published: July 2002

New beginnings give us the opportunity to do better
“the next time.” In the rush to welcome the
new millennium, it is fitting to take time to look more
thoughtfully at issues not adequately covered in decades
past. Robert Frost's musing about less traveled roads
gives poetic life to the theme of this CQ Special
Section, exploring some of the all too unknown territory
between doctors and patients.
Abstracts of Note: The Bioethics Literature
Authors: Iserson Kenneth V.
Published: July 2002

This section is meant to be a mutual effort. If you find
an article you think should be abstracted in this section,
do not be bashful—submit it for consideration to
Kenneth V. Iserson care of CQ. If you do not like the editorial
comments, this will igve you an opportunity to respond in the
letters section. Your input is desired and anticipated.
Learning from Henry Spira
Authors: KLOTZKO ARLENE JUDITH , SINGER PETER
Published: July 2002

For a very long time, the scientific and animal
welfare communities have faced each other across a seemingly
unbridgeable divide. Each side tends to view the other
in simplistic and distorted terms. Animal welfare advocates
see scientists as, at worst, sadists who enjoy torturing
animals, and at best, as self-interested careerists intent
on building careers out of publishing more papers and getting
more grants, irrespective of the cost to animals. Scientists
committed to research see the animal movement as consisting
of, at best, ignorant, simple-minded people awash in emotion
and sensationalism, and at worst, violent and dangerous
fanatics who claim to care for animals but are indifferent
to human suffering.
Limit Laws for the Optimal Directed Tree with Random Costs
Authors: HANSEN JENNIE C.
Published: July 2002

Suppose that
[Cscr ]={cij[ratio ]i, j[ges ]1} is a
collection of i.i.d. nonnegative continuous random
variables and suppose T is a rooted, directed tree on vertices
labelled 1,2,[ctdot ],n. Then the ‘cost’ of T is defined
to be c(T)=[sum ]
(i,j)∈Tcij,
where (i, j) denotes the directed edge from
i to j in the tree T. Let Tn
denote the ‘optimal’ tree, i.e.
c(Tn)
=min{c(T)[ratio ]T is a directed,
rooted tree in with n vertices}. We establish general conditions on
the asymptotic behaviour of the moments of the order statistics of the variables c11, c12, [ctdot ],
cin which guarantee the
existence of sequences {an},
{bn}, and {dn} such that
b−1n
(c(Tn)−an)
→N(0, 1) in distribution,
d−1nc(Tn)→1 in probability, and
d−1nE(c(Tn))→1 as
n→∞, and we explicitly determine these sequences. The
proofs of the main results rely upon the properties of general random
mappings of the set {1, 2, [ctdot ], n} into itself. Our results
complement and extend those
obtained by McDiarmid [9] for optimal branchings in a complete
directed graph.
Almost Odd Random Sum-Free Sets
Authors: CALKIN NEIL J. , CAMERON P. J.
Published: July 2002

We show that if S1 is a strongly complete sum-free
set of positive
integers, and if S0 is
a finite sum-free set, then, with positive probability, a random sum-free
set U contains
S0 and is contained in S0∪S1.

As a corollary we show that, with positive probability, 2 is the
only even element of a random sum-free set.
Confronting the modern city: the Manchester Free Public Library, 1850–80
Authors: Hewitt Martin
Published: July 2002

This article calls for greater attention within urban history to the ‘civic economy of the book’. By means of a case study of the Manchester Free Public Library and its context, examining the internal workings of the library system and its impact on the broader cultural life of the city, it is argued that the nineteenth-century public library, if not an especially successful disciplinary institution, may yet have been a significant mechanism of cultural disempowerment.
Computerized analysis of antepartum fetal heart rate tracings
Authors: Guzman Edwin R , Vintzileos Anthony M
Published: July 2002

For several decades, visual analysis of the antepartum fetal heart rate tracing has been a primary mode of fetal surveillance despite lack of proof from randomized trials that its use leads to a reduction in perinatal mortality in high risk pregnancies. A meta-analysis of these trials offered the same conclusion. The trials were performed in the early 1980's with fetal monitors with poor signal to noise ratios and poorer testing schemes in comparison to today. Therefore the results may no longer be pertinent, however, it is unlikely that these trials will be repeated because of present medico-legal constraints. Nonetheless, the use of non-stress testing alone is an accepted mode of fetal surveillance because of associated low fetal death rates within 1 week of a normal test; 1.9 to 3.2/1000 patients tested. The expense associated with this low fetal death rate is a low positive predictive value of 25% to 50%. Interrelated with this inefficiency, is the considerable inter- and intra-observer variation in the interpretation of antepartum fetal heart rate tracings. Variation in the interpretation of antepartum fetal heart rate tracings continues to exist despite the increase in experience and knowledge of fetal heart rate monitoring and improvement in fetal heart rate monitors. The end result is a form of fetal surveillance that is of questionable value and inefficient, requiring frequent back up testing to clarify fetal condition.
Fetal cerebral ventriculomegaly
Authors: Sparey Colette , Robson Stephen
Published: July 2002

Hydrocephalus is a pathological increase in intracranial cerebrospinal fluid, usually within the lateral ventricles and often, although not always, associated with an increase in intracranial pressure and an abnormally large biparietal diameter. Ventriculomegaly simply means enlargement of the lateral cerebral ventricles. The reported incidence of hydrocephalus at birth is 0.5–3 per 1000. The incidence of ventriculomegaly diagnosed antenatally by ultrasound (atrium 10–15mm), varies from 1.48 per 1000 (8/5400) to 22 per 1000 (11/500), the latter study being in a low risk population.