bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modulating effect of Liv.100, an ayurvedic formulation on antituberculosis drug‐induced alterations in rat liver microsomes
Authors: Saraswathy S. D. , Shyamala Devi C. S.
Published: August 2002

The influence of Liv.100 on the hepatotoxicity of antituberculosis drugs [isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RMP) pyrazinamide (PZA)] was studied in male albino rats. INH, RMP, and PZA were proved to be the most hepatotoxic. Rats were treated with antituberculosis drugs daily for a period of 6 weeks by intragastric administration. The combined use of antituberculosis drugs elevated the levels of cytochrome P‐450 and cytochrome‐b5. A significant increase was observed in the levels of NADPH‐cytochrome P‐450 reductase and NADH‐cytochrome‐b5 reductases after antitubercular drug administration. During antitubercular drug treatment a significant decrease was also observed in the activity of glucose‐6‐phosphatase. The extent of NADPH‐induced and ascorbic acid‐induced lipid peroxides were marked in antitubercular drug treatment, when compared with normal control animals. Oral Liv.100 co‐administration, for the same period, modulated the alterations in the xenobiotic metabolizing system and microsomal lipid peroxidation in experimental animals. The results are discussed with reference to drug metabolizing enzymes, lipid peroxidation and the hepatoprotective nature of Liv.100. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparative study of two Ginkgo biloba extracts on the phagocytic activity and DTH response of healthy mice
Authors: Martha Villaseñor‐García María , Puebla‐Pérez Ana María , Lozoya Xavier
Published: August 2002

The phagocytic activity and delayed‐type Hypersensitivity (DTH) response to dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) of healthy BALB/c mice treated orally (100 mg/kg/day for 7 days) using two Ginkgo biloba extracts were studied. The phytopharmaceuticals Gb 30 (Alban Muller International, France) and EGb 761 (Schwabe, Germany) administered orally stimulated the phagocytic activity of peritoneal and alveolar macrophages. Likewise, the DTH response was found to be increased only with Gb 30 treatment. These results suggest that Ginkgo biloba possesses immunological activity in addition to the biological activity reported. The different chemical concentration of the components of the Ginkgo biloba extracts mentioned above may be responsible for the differences in the observed findings. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of freeze dried extract of Olea europaea on the pituitary–thyroid axis in rats
Authors: Al‐Qarawi A. A. , Al‐Damegh M. A. , ElMougy S. A.
Published: August 2002

The effect of an aqueous extract of olive (Olea europaea) leaf on the thyroid activity was studied. The results suggest a stimulatory action of the extract on the thyroid, unrelated to the pituitary. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Performances of time–temperature indicators in the study of temperature exposure of packaged fresh foods
Authors: Riva Marco , Piergiovanni Luciano , Schiraldi Alberto
Published: August 2002

The diffusion of time–temperature indicators (TTIs), attached as labels onto the packages of perishable food and non‐food products (intelligent packaging), is growing more and more. Aside from checking product shelf‐life, TTI devices can be used to monitor the distribution chain in real conditions. In this respect, the performances of some very common TTIs (A 12 Fresh Check, Lifelines Technologies) were extensively investigated in this work. The aim was to establish a procedure for an accurate, objective and reproducible estimate of the darkening progress of the sensitive area of the indicators and to discover a reliable data treatment to estimate the ‘effective temperature’, Teff, namely a fictitious average temperature that can replace the overall temperature fluctuations experienced by a packaged fresh food. The image analysis approach was found very useful for an accurate and sensitive definition of the information provided by the indicators, leading to the evidence of a very slow darkening of the sensitive region, even at −22°C. The kinetic parameterization of TTI responses was implemented in an EXCEL worksheet so as to directly evaluate Teff on the basis of a set of label brightness values acquired by image analysis. Comparing the calculated ‘effective temperature’ with the average temperature recorded with conventional devices, the reliability of the TTI tags and the accuracy of this procedure was demonstrated. Taking into account the low cost of the TTI tags, their wide usage can be suggested to monitor the various steps of the real distribution chain of a given product, namely, transport, bench and home storage. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
5‐fluorouracil dimers in aqueous solution: molecular dynamics in water and continuum solvation*
Authors: Alagona Giuliano , Ghio Caterina , Monti Susanna
Published: August 2002

The interactions established in aqueous solution by a variety of 5‐fluorouracil (FU) dimers in water were examined to elucidate the strength of drug–solvent interactions. Molecular dynamics simulations for clusters made up of the FU dimer alone or embedded in 4, 12, and 100 waters at high temperature, followed by simulated annealing, allowed comparing the dimer structures in the different environments, the solute–solvent radial distribution functions and the cluster energetics. The statistics were consistent with those obtained from a 10 ns MD simulation in the NPT ensemble in 385 waters. Interestingly, the F atom was never preferred to O as H‐bond acceptor either in the dimer or in water. The interactions within the dimers turned out to be remarkably affected by the presence of the solvent: stacked structures, unfavorable in the gas phase, prevailed even in the presence of four water molecules. The presence of real water molecules is thus of paramount importance to stabilize the system, using molecular dynamics or, alternatively, if affordable, the MP2 level. Geometry optimizations of the clusters at the B3LYP/6‐31G* or HF/6‐31G* level, in fact, though starting from a stacked hydrated arrangement of the FU dimer, produced almost exactly the same seashell structure. The polarizable continuum model is convenient to compute the solvation free energy of the dimers and clusters at the HF or MP2 level. Also, the partial charge distribution of the clusters can profitably be used to evaluate the solvent effect in the continuum framework. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 88: 133–146, 2002
Ligand effects and dimer formation in dicoordinated copper(I) complexes
Authors: Carvajal Angels , Liu Xiang‐Yang , Alemany Pere , Novoa Juan J. , Alvarez Santiago
Published: August 2002

The dimers of dicoordinated Cu(I) complexes of the type [CuXL], where X− = Cl−, Br−, I−, or CN− and L is a neutral ligand such as NH3, PH3, or CNCH3, have been studied by means of ab initio and density functional calculations. The performance of density functional calculations using the hybrid B3LYP method has been compared with MP2 results. Ligand and conformational effects are analyzed for two types of dimers, notably those in which the monomers retain their linear conformation and associate through Cu–Cu contacts and those in which the X ligands act as bridges resulting in tricoordination of each Cu atom and a rhombic Cu2X2 core. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001
Molecular surface electrostatic potentials in relation to noncovalent interactions in biological systems
Authors: Politzer Peter , Murray Jane S. , Peralta‐Inga Zenaida
Published: August 2002

Noncovalent interactions are predominantly electrostatic in nature. It follows that an effective tool for their investigation and elucidation is the electrostatic potential on the molecular surface. We have shown that a variety of condensed phase macroscopic properties can be expressed quantitatively in terms of certain site‐specific and global statistical quantities that characterize the overall pattern of the surface potential. We are now extending this approach to interactions in biological systems. Several applications will be discussed, including initial qualitative studies of dioxins, a series of anticonvulsants and some tetracyclines, the nucleotide bases, and a recent quantitative treatment of the anti‐HIV activities of three groups of reverse transcriptase inhibitors. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001
Software (MSPECTRA) for automatic interpretation of triacylglycerol molecular mass distribution spectra and collision induced dissociation product ion spectra obtained by ammonia negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Kurvinen J.‐P. , Rua P. , Sjövall O. , Kallio H.
Published: August 2002

Rapid analysis of molecular mass distributions of triacylglycerol (TAG) mixtures and regioisomeric structures of selected molecular mass species is possible using ammonia negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry utilizing sample introduction by direct exposure probe. However, interpretation of spectra and calculation of results is time consuming, thus lengthening the total analysis time. To facilitate result calculation a software package (MSPECTRA 1.3) was developed and applied to automatic processing of triacylglycerol molecular mass distribution spectra and collision induced dissociation (CID) product ion spectra. The program is capable of identifying triacylglycerol molecular mass species possessing different ACN:DB (acyl carbon number:number of double bonds) ratios on the basis of m/z values of [M − H]− ions. In addition to such identification the program also corrects spectra for abundances of naturally occurring 13C isotopes and calculates relative proportions of triacylglycerol molecular species in the analyzed samples. If several replicate spectra are processed simultaneously the program automatically calculates an average and standard deviation of relative proportions of molecular species. In the case of CID spectra the program identifies fatty acid fragment ions [RCO2]− and the corresponding [M − H − RCO2H − 100]− ions, and calculates the relative proportions of ions in both groups. These proportions are then used automatically to calculate the fatty acid combinations comprising the parent triacylglycerol molecule and the regiospecific positions of fatty acids. Processing of several replicate product ion spectra simultaneously produces averaged proportions of regioisomers comprising the parent triacylglycerol molecular species and the standard deviation of the analysis. The performance of the program was tested by analyzing triacylglycerol samples of human milk, human milk substitutes, human chylomicron and cocoa butter, and by comparing results obtained by automated processing of the data with manually calculated results. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Selective analysis of phosphopeptides within a protein mixture by chemical modification, reversible biotinylation and mass spectrometry
Authors: Adamczyk Maceij , Gebler John C. , Wu Jiang
Published: August 2002

A new method combining chemical modification and affinity purification is described for the characterization of serine and threonine phosphopeptides in proteins. The method is based on the conversion of phosphoserine and phosphothreonine residues to S‐(2‐mercaptoethyl)cysteinyl or β‐methyl‐S‐(2‐mercaptoethyl)cysteinyl residues by β‐elimination/1,2‐ethanedithiol addition, followed by reversible biotinylation of the modified proteins. After trypsin digestion, the biotinylated peptides were affinity‐isolated and enriched, and subsequently subjected to structural characterization by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Database searching allowed for automated identification of modified residues that were originally phosphorylated. The applicability of the method is demonstrated by the identification of all known phosphorylation sites in a mixture of α‐casein, β‐casein, and ovalbumin. The technique has potential for adaptations to proteome‐wide analysis of protein phosphorylation. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structural characterisation of flavonoids and flavonoid‐O‐glycosides extracted from Genista tenera by fast‐atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Borges C. , Martinho P. , Martins A. , Rauter A. P. , Ferreira M. A. Almoster
Published: August 2002

Genista tenera is a plant native to the Madeira Island (Portugal). From the ethanol extract of its powdered aerial parts, two flavones, three isoflavones and one 7‐O‐glucosyl isoflavone were isolated. A mass spectrometric study of these compounds was performed using liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS) in combination with high‐energy collision‐induced dissociation (CID) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Characteristic fragmentation patterns were observed in all the investigated compounds; the loss of small neutral species from the protonated molecules was useful for identifying the presence of specific functional groups in the A‐ and B‐rings. In order to help to establish the proposed structures, NMR and UV studies were also performed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
External interface for trap‐and‐release membrane introduction mass spectrometry applied to the detection of inorganic chloramines and chlorobenzenes in water
Authors: Riter Leah S. , Charles Laurence , Turowski Maciej , Cooks R. Graham
Published: August 2002

Construction and evaluation of an external configuration trap‐and‐release membrane introduction system for mass spectrometry is described. This novel interface allows independent control of the temperature of the membrane and eliminates the dependence of membrane heating efficiency on its position in the ion source. The external trap‐and‐release MIMS configuration is successfully applied to detection of inorganic chloramines and chlorobenzenes. The method is shown to give temporal resolution of volatile vs. semi‐volatile compounds, which increases its sensitivity for semi‐volatiles in the presence of volatiles and provides an additional selectivity parameter. Further selectivity is provided by tandem mass spectrometry. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In‐Situ and Ex‐Situ Bioremediation Options for Treating Perchlorate in Groundwater
Authors: Hatzinger Paul B. , Whittier M. Casey , Arkins Martha D. , Bryan Chris W. , Guarini William J.
Published: August 2002

Perchlorate has been identified as a water contaminant in 14 states, including California, Nevada, New Mexico,
Arizona, Utah, and Texas, and current estimates suggest that the compound may affect the drinking water of as many
as 15 million people. Biological treatment represents the most‐favorable technology for the effective and
economical removal of perchlorate from water. Biological fluidized bed reactors (FBRs) have been tested
successfully at the pilot scale for perchlorate treatment at several sites, and two full‐scale FBR systems
are currently treating perchlorate‐contaminated groundwater in California and Texas. A third
full‐scale treatment system is scheduled for start‐up in early 2002. The in‐situ treatment of
perchlorate through addition of specific electron donors to groundwater also appears to hold promise as a
bioremediation technology. Recent studies suggest that perchlorate‐reducing bacteria are widely occurring in
nature, including in groundwater aquifers, and that these organisms can be stimulated to degrade perchlorate to
below the current analytical reporting limit (< 4 μg/l) in many instances. In this article,
in‐situ and ex‐situ options for biological treatment of perchlorate‐contaminated groundwater
are discussed and results from laboratory and field experiments are presented. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals,
Inc.
A Study of the Use of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) for the Phytoremediation of Organic Contaminants in Soil
Authors: Chekol Tesema , Vough Lester R.
Published: August 2002

This article presents the results of a study that was conducted to determine the effectiveness of using
alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) to enhance the phytoremediation of three different types
of chemical contaminants. The chemicals studied were trinitrotoluene (TNT), the polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbon (PAH) pyrene, and the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) Aroclor 1248. Experiments
were conducted using soils that contained high and low organic matter content. The results indicated that
recoveries of pyrene and TNT from soil were highly dependent on the soil organic matter content, while the
recovery of PCB was not. Significantly low levels of pyrene and TNT were recovered from all treatments in the
soil with 6.3 percent organic matter content compared to recovery levels found in soil with 2.6 percent organic
matter. The presence of alfalfa plants had a significant effect on the transformation of TNT and PCB in the low
organic matter content soil only and had no effect on the fate of pyrene. In the low organic matter soil, only
15 percent and 17 percent of the initial TNT and PCB levels, respectively, were transformed in the unplanted
control soils compared to 66 percent and 77 percent in the alfalfa planted pots. In both soil types, pyrene
dissipation could not be attributed to the presence of alfalfa plants. Overall, it was concluded that under high
soil organic matter conditions, adsorption and covalent binding to the soil organic matter appeared to be the
dominant force of pyrene and TNT removal. The effectiveness of using alfalfa to enhance PCB and TNT
transformations was more significant in the lower organic matter soil; thus phytoremediation had a greater
effect in soils with lower organic matter content. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Prophylaxis for CMV should not now replace pre‐emptive therapy in solid organ transplantation
Authors: Emery Vincent C.
Published: August 2002

Pre‐emptive therapy (PET) initiated on the basis of HCMV positivity in the blood using sensitive methods such as PCR, nucleic acid sequence based amplification or antigenaemia offers several advantages for the management of HCMV infection. These include the ability to target antiviral drug therapy to those most at risk of future disease, minimising drug exposure and maximising cost‐benefit. In addition, allowing limited replication to occur also provides immune stimulation which will be important for future control of HCMV replication. In contrast, prophylaxis is a high‐cost strategy which exposes all patients to potentially toxic drugs, does not facilitate immune priming and leads to the development of late HCMV infection and disease in high‐risk patients. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Generation of influenza A virus from cloned cDNAs — historical perspective and outlook for the new millenium
Authors: Neumann Gabriele , Kawaoka Yoshihiro
Published: August 2002

Influenza virus reverse genetics has reached a level of sophistication where one can confidently generate virus entirely from cloned DNAs. The new systems makes it feasible to study the molecular mechanisms of virus replication and pathogenicity, as well as to generate attenuated live virus vaccines, gene delivery vehicles, and possibly other RNA viruses from cloned cDNAs. During the next decade, one can anticipate the translation of influenza virus reverse genetics into biomedically relevant advances. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mechanistic aspects of HIV‐1 reverse transcription initiation
Authors: Harrich David , Hooker Bill
Published: August 2002

During reverse transcription, the positive‐strand HIV‐1 RNA genome is converted into a double‐stranded DNA copy which can be permanently integrated into the host cell genome. Recent analyses show that HIV‐1 reverse transcription is a highly regulated process. The initiation reaction can be distinguished from a subsequent elongation reaction carried out by a reverse transcription complex composed of (at least) heterodimeric reverse transcriptase, cellular tRNAlys3 and HIV‐1 genomic RNA sequences. In addition, viral factors including Tat, Nef, Vif, Vpr, IN and NCp7, cellular proteins, and TAR RNA and other RNA stem‐loop structures appear to influence this complex and contribute to the efficiency of the initiation reaction. As viral resistance to many antiretroviral compounds is a continuing problem, understanding the ways in which these factors influence the reverse transcription complex will likely lead to novel antiretroviral strategies. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Application of nonlinear time–scaling for robust controller design of reaction systems
Authors: Moya P. , Ortega R. , Netto M. S. , Praly L. , Picó J.
Published: August 2002

Even though the basic mechanisms of operation of reaction systems are relatively simple the dynamical models obtained from first principles are complex and contain highly uncertain terms. To develop reliable model‐based controllers it is therefore necessary to simplify the system dynamics preserving the features which are essential for control. Towards this end, co‐ordinate transformations identifying the states which are dependent/independent of the reactions and flows have been reported in the literature. This has allowed, for instance, the design of observers which are insensitive to the (usually unknown) reaction functions. The main contribution of this paper is to show the utility of nonlinear state‐dependent time‐scaling to simplify the system dynamics, and consequently the controller design. In particular, we show that with time‐scaling and an input transformation we can reveal the existence of attractive invariant manifolds, which allows us to reduce the dimension of the system. As an application we study the well‐known fourth order baker's yeast fed‐batch fermentation process model, whose essential dynamics is captured by a planar system perturbed by an exponentially decaying term. We then exploit this particular structure to design, with reduced control authority, a nonlinear asymptotically stabilizing control law which is robust with respect to the reaction function. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of river regulation and climate change on the barred estuary of the Oued Massa, southern Morocco
Authors: Fox Howard R. , Wilby Robert L. , Moore Heather M.
Published: August 2002

The estuary of the Oued Massa, southern Morocco, has experienced alternating phases of tidal and lagoon conditions. Using field surveys, aerial photographs and rainfall–runoff records the dominant processes and recent evolution of the estuary are described. These data suggest that the character of the estuary has changed since the upstream impoundment of the river by the Youssef Ben Tachfine reservoir. The frequency of low‐flows has been significantly increased by river regulation, as has the mean interval between flood events. Using reconstructed flow series it is speculated that lagoon conditions have become more common in the post‐impoundment era than at any time since the 1920s. Although increases in winter precipitation projected by the global climate model HadCM2 for 2030–2049 imply a higher frequency of flood flows entering the reservoir in the future, the magnitude and frequency of such inflows are still within historic variability. Nonetheless, higher inflows may produce more frequent spills with concomitant bar breaching and termination of lagoon phases. Despite this, it is argued that the presence of the dam is ultimately of greater consequence to the functioning of the estuary–lagoon system than future precipitation changes over the region. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Approximating the limiting Quicksort distribution
Authors: Fill James Allen , Janson Svante
Published: August 2002

The limiting distribution of the normalized number of comparisons used by Quicksort to sort an array of n numbers is known to be the unique fixed point with zero mean of a certain distributional transformation S. We study the convergence to the limiting distribution of the sequence of distributions obtained by iterating the transformation S, beginning with a (nearly) arbitrary starting distribution. We demonstrate geometrically fast convergence for various metrics and discuss some implications for numerical calculations of the limiting Quicksort distribution. Finally, we give companion lower bounds which show that the convergence is not faster than geometric. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 19: 376–406, 2001
KITE microprocessor and CAE for computer science
Authors: Sueyoshi Toshinori , Kuga Morihiro , Shibamura Hidetomo
Published: August 2002

Studies in the field of computer science cover aspects of science that attach importance to analysis and aspects of engineering that attach importance to synthesis. Therefore, the ability to manage synthesis, represented by system development and/or its design, is required in addition to analysis in the field. On the other hand, essential course subjects in computer science education such as logic circuits, computer architecture, operating system, and compilers have to be closely related with one another; nevertheless, they tend to be isolated from one another because of their great sophistication and complication. Thus, consistent education in computer science becomes difficult. Moreover, experiments, not virtual experiences, which involve the pleasure and emotion of creation are necessary in hardware education. Accordingly, since the beginning of the 1990s, we have developed an educational microprocessor called KITE using reconfigurable LSI, together with teaching materials that allow students to learn actively, considering the essence of synthesis as related to comprehensive understanding of lectures and practical use. These teaching materials have been made available to the public, and have been introduced into more than 30 educational facilities such as universities and companies. They are well designed for various stages of computer education, varying from introductory education to design education, and system software education, providing an effective education, with experiments in addition to lectures, and a consistent grounding in computer science. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 33(8): 64–74, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.10038
Petabyte‐class video archive system with large‐scale automatic tape feed robot
Authors: Tanno Yoshikazu , Maehara Fumio , Sekiya Satomi , Ito Manabu , Tsuyumine Hiroshi , Hasegawa Fumio
Published: August 2002

In order to supply a volume of digital video content in the digitalization of broadcasting, it is necessary to realize a method of storing a large number of videos and of high‐speed content retrieval. This paper describes a petabyte (1015 power) large‐capacity video archive system and its retrieval method. The archive system employs an automatic magnetic tape feed robot that can accommodate 7200 tapes (15,000 hours) in its center, and an HDD server and a DVD server respectively for each purpose, thus making the efficiency of storage and distribution better and realizing retrieval, video delivery, and remote editing from remote sites. Further, a method of detection of scene change points in a video sequence, a method of browsing video production based on the detected scene change points, and a method of visual retrieval by simultaneous playback representation of multiple videos on a screen are also included. In this paper, a large‐scale archive system that has an automatic tape feed robot at its center and a high‐speed and efficient method of retrieval of the target video using the real‐time playback representation of multiple videos are presented. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 33(8): 30–40, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.10064
A two‐channel coding of images using spline surfaces
Authors: Yanagihara Yoshinori , Kawakami Masanori , Kudo Mineichi , Toyama Jun , Shimbo Masaru
Published: August 2002

In image coding, DCT is a standard technique adopted in JPEG. However, block distortion or blurring of details is often observed when this method is used. To resolve these problems, we propose a new two‐channel coding technique using a spline surface. This technique divides an image into two components: a low‐frequency component that is represented as a smooth spline surface and a high‐frequency component that is represented as the difference between the original image and the low‐frequency component. Experimental results show that the proposed method is more effective in compressing images than other methods, while maintaining high quality of the images. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 32(6): 13–20, 2001
Relationship between fluctuations of disparity data and picture quality in stereoscopic image
Authors: Tadenuma Makoto , Kanatsugu Yasuaki , Tanaka Yutaka
Published: August 2002

With stereoscopic image coding, including transfer of planar image signal along with depth (disparity) data related to object's contours, and then reproduction of stereoscopic image at the receiving end, fluctuations of disparity data cause 3D distortions in the reproduced image, which are perceived as deterioration of picture quality. In this paper, such picture quality deterioration is examined in terms of influence by fluctuation parameters, object's shape, and other factors. Experimental results indicate that the detection limit for disparity fluctuation is nearly completely dictated by frequency spectrum, and the sensitivity reaches its peak around 4.5 cycles/deg. In addition, sensitivity grows with smaller object's width within viewing angle of 3 through 12 minutes; however, sensitivity curves in logarithmic plots are very similar in shape. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 32(8): 20–29, 2001
A horse identification system using biometrics
Authors: Suzaki Masahiko , Yamakita Osamu , Horikawa Shin‐ichi , Kuno Yuji , Aida Hiroko , Sasaki Naoki , Kusunose Ryo
Published: August 2002

This paper introduces an application of iris recognition technology, using the iris pattern for horse identification. There are several problems to be solved in horse iris recognition: (1) It is very difficult for horses to remain motionless, which leads to mislocation and loss of focus during image acquisition, so that the images often have poor quality. (2) Pupil size varies significantly between the conditions of dilation (mydriasis) and contraction (miosis). (3) Horse iris patterns are not clear. As a solution for issue (1), we used the reflection of the illumination sources employed for image acquisition and chose adequate images suitable for recognition. For issues (2) and (3), we propose region extraction appropriate to the equine eye structure, a stable coordinate model for pupil variation, and recognition using orthogonal wrinkles in the iris pattern. Recognition experiments based on 100 sets of horse iris data show that highly accurate horse identification is possible. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 32(14): 12–23, 2001
Optimally generalizing neural networks with the ability to recover from single stuck‐at r faults
Authors: Iwaki Hidekazu , Ogawa Hidemitsu , Hirabayashi Akira
Published: August 2002

Handling faults is an important issue for hardware implementation of hierarchical neural networks. This paper presents a method for complete recovery of prefault input/output relations by modifying only the normal connection weights when a fault or a stuck‐at r fault occurs. We derive the necessary and sufficient conditions for which the number of intermediate elements and the intermediate element function are satisfied, in order to restore complete prefault functionality. We then develop a concrete method for creating an intermediate element function which satisfies these conditions and a method for modifying the connection weights when a fault occurs. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 33(7): 114–123, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.1147
Renga: a systems approach to facilitating inter‐organizational network development
Authors: Akkermans Henk
Published: August 2002

This article describes a consulting approach aimed specifically at facilitating development of intra‐ and inter‐organizational networks, a business phenomenon of growing importance. This approach is called Renga, after the classical Japanese style of composing linked verse, with which it is shown to have several characteristics in common. The Renga approach has system‐dynamics‐based group model building at its core. The application of this approach is shown in a case study of four organizations striving for collaborative supply‐chain management in the high‐tech electronics industry. Managerial implications regarding strengths and limitations of this approach are discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ToF‐SIMS ability to quantify surface chemical groups: correlation with XPS analysis and spectrochemical titration
Authors: Médard N. , Aouinti M. , Poncin‐Epaillard F. , Bertrand P.
Published: August 2002

High‐density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) films were analysed by time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) in a quantitative way in order to study chemical modifications produced by CO2 plasma surface treatments. Although there are many works devoted to the study of surface modification by plasma treatments, this contribution aims at proving the SIMS ability to quantify superficial functions.

For that purpose, results obtained by spectrochemical titration (fluorescence labelling with thionine acetate), XPS measurement and ToF‐SIMS analyses were compared. The results obtained with these three different techniques showed the same behaviour, i.e. a fast carboxylic functionalization of the polymer surface with the plasma treatment time.

The good correlation between the spectrochemical titration and ToF‐SIMS results brings out clearly the capacity of the ToF‐SIMS technique to quantify surface chemical species. But this requires that we should be able to identify the secondary ions originating from the studied functions. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Summary of ISO/TC 201 Standard: VIII, ISO 18115:2001—Surface chemical analysis—Vocabulary
Authors: Seah M. P.
Published: August 2002

This International Standard defines 340 terms for surface chemical analysis. The terms cover words or phrases used in describing the samples, instruments and theoretical concepts involved in surface chemical analysis. © Crown Copyright 2001. Reproduced by permission of the controller of HMSO. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correlation between alpha rhythms and natural killer cell activity during yogic respiratory exercise
Authors: Kamei T. , Toriumi Y. , Kimura H. , Kimura K.
Published: August 2002

In eight yoga instructors, we examined changes in brain rhythms and natural killer cell activity (NK activity) during yoga exercises. We found that the practice of all three exercises studied resulted in increased alpha activity. There were no apparent changes in NK activity after a series of postural (asana) and meditative (mantra) exercises. During respiratory exercises (pranayama), however, changes in NK activity were observed in the eight subjects, positively correlating to increases in alpha frequencies (r = 0.83, p < 0.02). Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Physician stress: results from the physician worklife study
Authors: Linzer Mark , Gerrity Martha , Douglas Jeffrey A. , McMurray Julia E. , Williams Eric S. , Konrad Thomas R. ,   for the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) Career Satisfaction Study Group (CSSG)
Published: August 2002

Rapid changes in the US health care system may predispose to physician stress. This can impair patient interactions, diminish productivity, and lead to turnover in physician practices. A model with ‘therapeutic implications’ for prevention of stress would be beneficial. The US Physician Worklife Study is a stratified random survey of 5704 primary care and subspeciality physicians (2326 respondents, adjusted response rate 52 per cent). We assessed the contribution of the demand–control–support model to better understanding stress in these physicians. Potential predictors included gender, age, case mix, time pressure in patient visits, workload, practice type, specialty, work control, isolation, and support for balancing work and home. A 4‐item stress scale was adapted from Cohen et al.; Cronbach's alpha in the current sample was 0.75. Linear regression was used to assess the relationship between stress and potential predictors. Mean stress scores were 2.4 (potential range 1‐5, 22 percent scored 3 or higher.) Job demands such as solo practice (p < 0.05), work hours (p < 0.001), time pressure (p < 0.05) and case mix (p < 0.05) predicted stress, as did less control of the workplace (p < 0.001) and ‘hassles’ (p < 0.05). Lack of support by colleagues for balancing work and home (p < 0.001) and isolation (p < 0.01) also contributed to stress. Physician stress is worsened by work demands such as complex patients and time pressure in patient visits. Adjusting for and modifying these aspects of daily practice and providing more control over work, a more person‐centred work environment and more support for balancing work and home life will likely bring less stress to doctors and better care to their patients. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Subsidiary‐specific advantages in multinational enterprises
Authors: Rugman Alan M. , Verbeke Alain
Published: August 2002

This paper discusses the internal patterns of competence building in the multinational enterprise (MNE), with a focus on the creation of capabilities in its foreign subsidiaries. We present a new framework to synthesize 10 types of MNE–subsidiary linkages leading to capability development. We find that several of the 10 capability development processes are associated with subsidiary‐specific advantages. We discuss the process of subsidiary‐specific advantage development within the organizational structure of the MNE when it is a differentiated network of dispersed operations. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bridging inter‐ and intra‐firm boundaries: management of supplier involvement in automobile product development
Authors: Takeishi Akira
Published: August 2002

Outsourcing has become an important strategy for many firms. Yet, firms need to compete with their competitors who also outsource and may share the same suppliers. This article explores how a firm could outperform others in managing the division of labor with a supplier in product development. Drawing on the empirical data collected from the Japanese auto industry, this paper shows that an automaker needs capabilities to coordinate various activities both externally with a supplier and internally within its own organization, in order to gain better component development performance. Overall, the results imply that outsourcing does not work effectively without extensive internal effort. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Agglomeration effects and performance: a test of the Texas lodging industry
Authors: Chung Wilbur , Kalnins Arturs
Published: August 2002

While competition decreases rents for firms, the presence of competitors may create benefits. Competitors that agglomerate, that are physically proximate, may create externalities—production efficiencies or heightened demand that increases rents. When such externalities exist, then who gains from and who contributes to them? We examine how other competitors' traits affect performance in Texas's lodging industry. In rural markets, we find that chain hotels and larger hotels contribute to positive externalities. While expecting those hotels similar to the establishments creating these externalities to gain, we find the opposite. Independent hotels and smaller hotels gain the most. Interestingly, some establishments are harmed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Does market orientation matter?: a test of the relationship between positional advantage and performance
Authors: Hult G. Tomas M. , Ketchen David J.
Published: August 2002

A recent series of articles in the Strategic Management Journal has discussed the potential value of an organization developing a market orientation in its quest to achieve success. We posit that market orientation can enhance success, but that its potential value should not be considered in isolation. Specifically, we draw on the resource‐based view of the firm to suggest that four capabilities—market orientation, entrepreneurship, innovativeness, and organizational learning—each contribute to the creation of positional advantages for some firms. The data used are drawn from 181 large multinational corporations (MNC). The results indicate that positional advantages arising from the confluence of market orientation, entrepreneurship, innovativeness, and organizational learning have a positive effect on MNC performance (five‐year average change in ROI, income, and stock price). Overall, the results support the contention that market orientation can enhance success, albeit within the context of other important phenomena. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Critical realism and constructivism in strategy research: toward a synthesis
Authors: Mir Raza , Watson Andrew
Published: August 2002

We agree with Kwan and Tsang (2001) that critical realism represents an important point of epistemological departure from mainstream realism, and that it has the potential to inform strategy research. To that end, Kwan and Tsang's argument for a critical realist perspective is valid. There however exist substantial nontrivial differences between constructivism and critical realism. While critical realism contests some of the default assumptions of empiricism and realism which treat social systems as closed systems, it is still predicated upon an inherent order of things that is graspable by research. Constructivism instead focuses on the manner in which researchers constitute theories in the act of describing them. This important distinction makes constructivism far more of a departure from empiricism than critical realism, and therefore it has a different set of implications for strategy research. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sources of capabilities, integration and technology commercialization
Authors: Zahra Shaker A. , Nielsen Anders P.
Published: August 2002

In recent years, companies have increased their use of internal and external sources in pursuit of a competitive advantage through the effective and timely commercialization of new technology. Grounded in the resource‐based view of the firm, this study examines the effect of a company's use of internal and external sources on multiple dimensions of successful technology commercialization (TC). The study also explores the moderating role of formal vs. informal integration mechanisms on these relationships. Applying a longitudinal design and data from 119 companies, the results show that internal human and technology‐based manufacturing sources are positively associated with successful TC. Formal and informal integration mechanisms also significantly moderate the relationships observed between capability sources and TC. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards an organic perspective on strategy
Authors: Farjoun Moshe
Published: August 2002

The strategy field's core issues—the concept of strategy, causal models relating strategy to other constructs, and models of strategic management and choice—have been previously addressed by two key progressions. The mechanistic perspective based on disciplinary‐based theories, the design model, and a view of strategy as a planned posture, has provided a unified view, but a narrow and increasingly less pertinent one. The advent of organic developments that included strategy process research, evolutionary and process models, and interactive and integrative views, has provided richness and pertinence, but not a unified perspective. These two progressions marked an epistemological shift from mechanistic to organic assumptions: from discrete to incessant time, from directional to interactive flow, and from differentiated to integrated constructs and models. Building on this shift, this paper proposes an organic perspective that combines the insights and coherence of the mechanistic perspective with the more relevant organic ideas. It makes use of the organic assumptions to advance a view of strategy as an adaptive coordination, introduce the Organization–Environment–Strategy–Performance (OESP) integrative theoretical model, and present an organic model of strategic management. The organic perspective provides a basis for an upgraded, more unified, and better‐attuned view on strategy's core issues. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Policy analysis for warranty, maintenance, and upgrade of software systems
Authors: Sahin Izzet , Zahedi Fatemeh ‘Mariam’
Published: August 2002

Maintenance of large software systems is one of the least‐structured problems in information systems. In this paper, we present a framework to analyze warranty, maintenance, and upgrade decisions for software packages under different market conditions. We discuss the impact of various factors, such as quality, market volatility, and technological obsolescence, on the software supplier's policies and economic return. We identify a class of optimal (or near optimal) policies that are surprisingly robust and easy to implement, and report on the effectiveness of these policies under different market conditions. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Alias burying: Unique variables without destructive reads
Authors: Boyland John
Published: August 2002

An unshared object can be accessed without regard to possible conflicts with other parts of a system, whether concurrent or single‐threaded. A unique variable (sometimes known as a ‘free’ or ‘linear’ variable) is one that either is null or else refers to an unshared object. Being able to declare and check which variables are unique improves a programmer's ability to avoid program faults.

In previously described uniqueness extensions to imperative languages, a unique variable can be accessed only with a destructive read, which nullifies it after the value is obtained. This approach suffers from several disadvantages: the use of destructive reads increases the complexity of the program which must continually restore nullified values; adding destructive reads changes the semantics of the programming language; and many of the nullifications are actually unnecessary.

We demonstrate instead that uniqueness can be preserved through the use of existing language features. We give a modular static analysis that checks (nonexecutable) uniqueness annotations superimposed on an imperative programming language without destructive reads. The ‘alias‐burying’ intuition is that aliases that are ‘dead’ (will never be used again) can be safely ‘buried’ (made undefined). Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A mostly‐copying collector component for class templates
Authors: Nishanov Gor V. , Schupp Sibylle
Published: August 2002

Class templates represent a difficulty for C++ garbage collectors since relevant information is available only very late, at instantiation time. Current collectors therefore either fail to work with class templates or have to run in a non‐optimized mode. This paper introduces the template garbage collector (TGC), the first mostly‐copying collector that can handle class templates. It discusses the design decisions that are suggested by the specifics of generic template programming and presents performance results and memory measurements of tests with MTL and GTL, two generic C++ libraries based on the Standard Template Library. The tests show that TGC substantially improves the run times of programs with many small objects with short lifetimes or large objects with long lifetimes. The memory usage at the same time is reasonable. Since TGC modifies the mostly‐copying technique, the heap sizes are in many cases considerably smaller than they are for traditional mostly‐copying collectors. The tests also show that TGC is competitive with the Boehm–Demers–Weiser collector, the most widely used collector for C++. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.