bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magnetic force due to a current-carrying wire: A paradox and its resolution
Authors: Gabuzda Denise C.
Published: March 2005

A straightforward investigation at an introductory level of the interconnection between electricity and magnetism initially leads to the paradoxical result that a charge at rest with respect to a current-carrying wire feels a magnetic force due to that current. Students may benefit from a presentation of this paradox and its resolution.
Resource letter PPPP-1: Physical principles of physiological phenomena
Authors: Hoop Bernard
Published: March 2005

This Resource Letter provides a guide to the literature involving physical principles in physiology. References have been selected to provide resource information on physiology and related life sciences for physicists who wish to introduce material on the physical foundations of physiological phenomena in an introductory or intermediate physics course. The letters E, I, or A after an item indicate elementary, intermediate, or advanced physical or mathematical formalism. An asterisk (*) indicates those articles to be included in an accompanying Reprint Book.
A numerical exercise in musical scales
Authors: Hartmann George C.
Published: March 2005

This paper investigates why the 12-note scale, having equal intervals, seems to be the best representation of scales constructed from purely harmonic intervals. Is it possible that other equal temperament scales with more or less than 12 notes would serve just as well? The investigation is done by displaying the difference between a set of harmonic notes and scales with equal intervals having n notes per octave. The difference is small when n is equal to 12, but also when n equals 19 and 29. The number density of notes per unit frequency intervals is also investigated.
Minimum-energy charge configurations
Authors: Calkin M. G. , Kiang D. , Tindall D. A.
Published: March 2005

In two dimensions the minimum energy configuration of a finite set of equal point charges confined to a circle does not necessarily have all the charges on the circumference. In three dimensions, however, we show that the minimum energy configuration of a similar set of charges confined by a surface has all of the charges located on the surface. The pseudo-two-dimensional analog of the three-dimensional case, provided by an array of parallel line charges confined to a cylinder, is also investigated.
Gravity on a half shell
Authors: Tabak Ronald G.
Published: March 2005

Although much attention has been given recently to treating the troublesome ‘‘preconceptions’’ that beginning students have acquired concerning elementary kinematics and dynamics, higher-order misconceptions should not be ignored by instructors. In this article, the problems students have with Newtonian gravitation and extended bodies are examined. A three-step program involving a classroom exercise (the mass dipole), a homework problem (thin, massive rod), and an extra-credit assignment (thin, hemispherical shell—‘‘gravity on a half shell’’) is suggested in order to increase student understanding of this important law of nature.
A laboratory demonstration of solitons using a vertical watery conduit in syrup
Authors: Whitehead John A.
Published: March 2005

Buoyant conduits of a water–syrup mixture were produced in syrup by injection from below. Low-amplitude waves on the walls of these conduits have been theoretically shown to obey the Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation which has soliton solutions. However, qualitative soliton behavior persists even for very-large-amplitude waves. Collision properties of two waves are compared to KdV solitons using video images of 16 collisions. Wave amplitude is conserved upon collison to better than ±10%, but there is a slight enlargement of the large wave at the expense of the small wave. Position change in the trajectory of the waves due to wave–wave collison has the correct qualitative behavior when plotted against KdV theory. Wave packets that disperse into isolated solitary waves are also easy to observe.
An analysis of wavefunction collapse using the ensemble interpretation
Authors: Landsberg P. T. , Home D.
Published: March 2005

An analysis of the collapse postulate for a two-system situation is given. A superposition of product wavefunctions is used to define a homogeneous ensemble and a mixture of product wavefunctions to define a heterogeneous ensemble. The expectation value of a product of operators is considered, such that the first has nonzero matrix elements only for states pertaining to system 1 and the second only for states of system 2. A condition is derived for the expectation values as averaged over the two ensembles to be identical, i.e., for the collapse postulate to be unnecessary. The result is applied to (i) the measurement problem, (ii) the design of a possible experiment to test for the validity of the collapse postulate, and (iii) to the Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen (EPR) example. In many cases the collapse postulate is not needed in the ensemble picture. When it is needed it is equivalent to a random phase assumption of a kind which is usually employed in statistical mechanics.
Endothelial cell regulation of matrix metalloproteinases
Authors: Haas Tara L
Published: March 2005

The process of sprouting angiogenesis requires that the endothelial cells degrade the basement membrane matrix and migrate into the interstitial matrix. Matrix metalloproteinases are enzymes capable of cleaving numerous extracellular matrix proteins. Increased production and activity of matrix metalloproteinases in any cell type is associated with a more migratory and invasive phenotype. This paper describes results of recent in-vitro studies of the regulation of transcription and activation of MMP-2 and MT1-MMP in endothelial cells, as well as studies that examined roles of matrix metalloproteinases in activity-induced angiogenesis.Key words: proteolysis, extracellular matrix, angiogenesis, mechanotransduction.
Error bound analysis and singularly perturbed Abel‐Volterraequations
Authors: Bijura Angelina M.
Published: March 2005

Asymptotic solutions of nonlinear singularly
perturbed Volterra integral equations with kernels
possessing integrable singularity are investigated
using singular perturbation methods and the
Mellin transform technique. In particular, it is
demonstrated that the formal approximation is
asymptotically valid.
Osiris wavelets and Set wavelets
Authors: Battle Guy
Published: March 2005

An alternative to Osiris wavelet systems is introduced in two
dimensions. The basic building blocks are continuous piecewise
linear functions supported on equilateral triangles instead of on
squares. We refer to wavelets generated in this way as Set
wavelets. We introduce a Set wavelet system whose homogeneous
mode density is 2/5. The system is not orthonormal, but we
derive a positive lower bound on the overlap matrix.
Myocardial Acceleration During Isovolumic Contraction
Authors: Lyseggen Erik , Rabben Stein Inge , Skulstad Helge , Urheim Stig , Risoe Cecilie , Smiseth Otto A.
Published: March 2005

Background—

Acceleration of the mitral ring during isovolumic contraction has been proposed as a load-independent index of global left ventricular (LV) contractility. This study investigates whether myocardial isovolumic acceleration (IVA) reflects regional contractility.

Methods and Results—

In acutely instrumented, anesthetized dogs, we measured LV pressure, myocardial long-axis velocities, and IVA by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and sonomicrometry at different levels of global LV contractility and preload and during regional myocardial ischemia (reduced flow in the left anterior descending coronary artery). Dobutamine caused dose-dependent increments in IVA from 3.6±0.6 (mean±SEM) to a maximum of 7.1±1.4 m/s
2
(
P
<0.01) by TDI, and there were parallel increments in LV dP/dt
max
(
P
<0.01). However, volume loading decreased IVA from 3.6±0.6 to 2.5±0.4 m/s
2
(
P
<0.05), whereas LV dP/dt
max
was unchanged, and LV pressure–segment length loop analysis confirmed unchanged regional contractility. During myocardial ischemia, sonomicrometry indicated severely depressed regional function, whereas IVA remained unchanged. These findings were confirmed when IVA was measured by sonomicrometry. In contrast to peak ejection velocity that increased from apex toward the LV base, peak IVC velocity was maximum midway between apex and base. The onset of IVA coincided with onset of the first heart sound by phonocardiography. Peak IVA occurred at a LV pressure of 14±1 mm Hg, ie, close to end-diastole.

Conclusions—

There was no consistent relationship between peak IVA and regional myocardial contractility. Peak IVA was markedly load dependent and did not reflect impaired myocardial function during ischemia. Peak IVA may reflect late-diastolic events and possibly wall oscillations that are related to global LV function. Peak IVA seems to have limited potential in the assessment of regional myocardial function.
Impact of a Molecular Approach to Improve the Microbiological Diagnosis of Infective Heart Valve Endocarditis
Authors: Breitkopf Claudia , Hammel Dieter , Scheld Hans H. , Peters Georg , Becker Karsten
Published: March 2005

Background—Even today, infective endocarditis (IE) remains a severe and potentially fatal disease demanding sophisticated diagnostic strategies for detection of the causative microorganisms. Despite the use of appropriate laboratory techniques, classic microbiological diagnostics are characterized by a high rate of negative results.

Methods and Results—Broad-range polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting bacterial and fungal rDNA followed by direct sequencing was applied to excised heart valves (n=52) collected from 51 patients with suspected infectious endocarditis and from 16 patients without any signs of IE during an 18-month period. The sensitivity, specificity, and the positive and negative predictive values for the bacterial broad-range PCR were 41.2%, 100.0%, 100.0%, and 34.8%, respectively, compared with 7.8%, 93.7%, 80.0%, and 24.2% for culture and 11.8%, 100.0%, 100.0%, and 26.2% for Gram staining. Without exception, database analyses allowed identification up to the (sub)species level comprising streptococcal (n=13), staphylococcal (n=4), enterococcal (n=2), and other signature sequences such asBartonella quintanaandNocardia paucivorans.Fungal ribosomal sequences were not amplified. All valve tissues of the reference group were negative for both PCR and conventional methods, except one sample that was contaminated by molds.

Conclusions—Culture-independent molecular methods substantially improve the diagnostic outcome of microbiological examination of excised heart valves. Importantly, this was true not only for fastidious, slow-growing, and/or nonculturable microorganisms but also for easy-to-culture pathogens such as streptococci and staphylococci. Both patient management and empiric antibiotic therapy of IE are likely to benefit from improved knowledge of the spectrum of pathogens now causing IE.
Recent Advances in the Regulation of Nitric Oxide in the Kidney
Authors: Herrera Marcela , Garvin Jeffrey L.
Published: March 2005

Nitric oxide (NO) plays important roles in the regulation of renal function and the long-term control of blood pressure. New roles of NO have been proposed recently in diabetes, nephrotoxicity, and pregnancy. NO derived from all 3 NOS isoforms contributes to the overall regulation of kidney function, and recent advances in our understanding of their regulation have been made lately. In this regard, substrate and cofactor availability play important roles in regulating nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity not only by limiting enzyme activity but also by influencing the coupling of NOS with its cofactors, tetrahydrobiopterin and NADPH. Protein–protein interactions are now recognized to be important negative and positive regulators of NOS. Phosphorylation is another component of the mechanism whereby NOS is activated or deactivated. Increased NOS expression can also influence enzyme activity; however, the degree of expression does not always correlate with enzyme activity because increased NO levels can result in inhibition of NOS. Finally, other potential regulators of NOS such as endogenous
l
-arginine analogs may also be important. In this article, we summarize recent advances in the regulation of activity and expression of the NOS isoforms within the kidney.
Colonialism and coffee plantations: Decline of environment and tribals in Madras Presidency during the nineteenth century
Authors: Saravanan Velayutham
Published: March 2005

This article attempts to analyse how the colonial project of establishing coffee plantations disturbed the self-subsistent traditional tribal system, damaged the ecology, and resulted in environmental decline in the Shervaroy hills of Madras Presidency during the nineteenth century. The thrust of the argument is that the colonial administration was least concerned about the tribal peopleÌs customary rights over forest resources, and their traditional administrative and judicial systems. The British administration, which disregarded the tribal system, not only encouraged the British planters but even condoned their patently illegal activities. In other words, the means adopted to set up coffee plantations in the hills/forests to favour the British planters led to the disintegration of the age old tribal socio-cultural system and their forest-oriented economy. It concludes that in the process of commercialisation, the colonial policy refused to accord due importance to ecology and environment as well as to the sustainable livelihood of the tribal communities. Instead, its only concern was with the British planters establishing coffee estates during the nineteenth century.
The Cairo Dialogue and the Palestinian Power Struggle
Authors: P.R. Kumaraswamy
Published: March 2005

Between November 2002 and December 2003 various Palestinian factions initiated the Cairo dialogue that was aimed at offering a limited and conditional ceasefire vis-à-vis Israel. Despite three rounds of talks, the exercise proved unsuccessful. Fatah and Hamas, the principal players, entered the process with deep misgivings about each other’s motives. Each side aspired to secure substantial concessions from the other. As both sides viewed the entire exercise in zero-sum-terms, even marginal concessions from one side would have meant substantial gains for the other. The differences between the two sides were unbridgeable. Despite the lack of progress, the Cairo dialogue served the interests of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its opponents as well as Egypt. Real progress towards a limited ceasefire, however, would depend upon the extent of external pressures upon all these parties as well as on Israel.
Indigenous Rights and the Quest for Participatory Democracy in Latin America
Authors: Singh Priti
Published: March 2005

Democratic transition in the 1980s and 1990s ushered in Latin America’s basic constitutional reforms aimed at addressing the issues of indigenous peoples’ identity and their rights. Although the changes reflect the democratic aspirations and the consolidation of new rights to the hitherto excluded segments of society, they also seem to be a response to a variety of other pressures (both political and economic) currently felt throughout the region. Political and economic changes witnessed in the democratization process suggest the reconfiguration of the state in Latin America. It provides the context for the belated recognition of cultural pluralism and the ensuing balance between indigenous participation within the institutions of state on the one hand, and respect for the autonomy of indigenous institutions on the other. However, given that the constitutionally guaranteed collective rights are only instruments they cannot be substitutes for an inter-cultural dialogue. Therefore, the process of democratization needs to go beyond giving recognition to cultural and legal pluralism.
On the difficulty of studying ‘civil society’: Reflections on NGOs, state and democracy in Bangladesh
Authors: Lewis David
Published: March 2005

In common with most countries of South Asia and indeed the rest of the world, discussion of the concept of ‘civil society™ has emerged recently in Bangladesh among academics and activists. Much of it has been generated by the international aid agencies and their ‘good governance™ policy agenda of the 1990s, and is concerned primarily with the increasingly high profile community of local and national development non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which have emerged in Bangladesh since 1971. But there are also local meanings to the term derived from the independence struggle and the construction of a Bangladesh state, from local traditions of urban and rural voluntarism and from the organisation of religious life. The concept of civil society in contemporary Bangladesh is therefore best understood as both a ‘system™ and an ‘idea™, consisting of both ‘old™ and ‘new™ civil society traditions, resisting tendencies to privilege only one (external, policy-focused) definition of the term. By recognising these different understandings, the concept of ‘civil society™ can help illuminate aspects of the changing relationships between citizens and the state, the formulation and implementation of public policy, and the shifting dimensions of the institutional landscape. But it would be wrong to overestimate the contribution of ‘civil society™ as currently configured in the building of democratic processes, since there is a weak state and pervasive patron-clientelism. There is little sign of the more optimistic accounts of Putnam and others concerning the relationship between civil society and democracy.
An Ideology of Indianness: The Construction of Colonial/Communal Stereotypes in the Poems of Henry Derozio
Authors: Chaudhuri Rosinka
Published: March 2005

The first among the modern poets in colonial India to forge Îa language of nationhoodÌ for the benefit of Indians was Henry Derozio (1809Ò31), a figure who played a significant role in some of the earliest attempts at the creation and definition of a modern Indian identity. DerozioÌs work, notwithstanding his marginality in the context of contemporary Indian society, led to a forceful centrifugal dissemination of ideas of the imagined Indian nation radiating from him in the early nineteenth century. His vision of that nation, however, was flawed, like a presentiment, with the same troubling overtones of communitarian divisiveness inherent in the present-day understanding of our past, principally in its pride in the past glories of Hindu heritage, and prejudice against the aggressive character of Muslim invaders in India. Yet, to label Derozio anti-Muslim would dishonour the legacy of the man and deny the peculiar character of the colonial situation. Clearly there exist fundamental differences between our perceptions of communalism and the nineteenth-century understanding of the character of the nation. This article, therefore, while carefully keeping in mind the differences between then and now, traces the underlying pattern of imbibed and inherent stereotyping of communities as it is reflected in the poetry of Henry Derozio, whose verse sometimes reveals many commonplace nineteenth-century English-educated attitudes towards Indian history and Muslim character.
Glimpses from a Writer's World: O. Chandu Menon, His Contemporaries, and Their Times
Authors: Arunima G.
Published: March 2005

Biographies by focusing on individuals and their lives become an essay on individuality, personality and privacy; in fact, the purpose of the biography is to make the subject special, different and unique. However, biographies place the subject in a curious relationship with the historical contextÛin that sense they are both similar to, yet different from, the novel. Both deal with interiorityÛyet their relationship to the ÎrealÌ is very different from one another. This article is based on my ongoing work on writing the biography of O. Chandu Menon, the first ÎmodernÌ novelist in Malayalam. Writing Chandu MenonÌs biography poses several problems and questions. The complete paucity of private information on his life, by way of any letters, diaries or even photographs poses very serious problems for the biographer. What would the best way be then to read (or write) Chandu MenonÌs life? My attempt here is to treat both his novel(s) (Indulekha and Sharada) and his life as ways of understanding and animating the end of the nineteenth-century experience in Kerala. In other words, instead of reading Chandu MenonÌs life into Indulekha, it is more productive to see both him and his novel as historically constituted products. In addition, it shall be my effort here also to understand Chandu MenonÌs life as a phenomenon that was influenced by the complex, and changing, social circumstances in this period.
Locating Local Elites in Negotiating Access to Forests: Havik Brahmins and the Colonial State 1860-1920
Authors: Saberwal Vasant , Lele Sharachchandra
Published: March 2005

This paper is an exploration of how colonial forest policy in Uttara Kannara district of present day Karnataka was critically shaped by the interests of the Havik Brahmin community. Despite the protests of the forest department, the Havik community was provided a remarkably generous forest settlement to enable their production of areca nut, a high revenue earner for the revenue department. We explore the contours of the debates of the time and the strategies deployed by these areca nut cultivators. Ultimately, as is illustrated here, the forest department was able to enforce a restrictive conservation regime vis-‡-vis only certain sections of the population. By highlighting the capability of certain elites in negotiating with the state, we attempt to bolster the argument that colonial forest policy was neither excessively oppressive nor completely pliant in the face of local resistance.
Emotions and Everyday Life in Cuba
Authors: Galati Dario , Manzano Mayra , Roca Miguel , Sotgiu Igor , Fassio Omar
Published: March 2005

Investigates the quality of everyday emotional experience in Cuba, a cultural context profoundly different from those previously analysed. A questionnaire was completed by 153 students of Havana University (age 17–28 years). They were asked to report an emotion-eliciting episode that had happened to them and to answer some questions concerning the content of the episode, i.e., antecedent, contextual aspects, cognitive evaluations, reactions, and social sharing of the emotion. The results indicated that positive emotions accounted for about 50% of everyday emotional experience and were significantly associated with high intensity. The antecedents most frequently cited were of a relational type and involved family, partner, and friends. The results are discussed in the light of previous studies on emotion antecedents conducted in Europe and in the US. It is argued that the Cuban cultural context presents some interesting peculiarities, which may influence the presence of specific typologies of emotion and the quality of subjective everyday experience.
Self-Religiosity, Father’s Attitude and Religious Education in the Moral Behaviour of Adolescents
Authors: Shah Ashiq Ali
Published: March 2005

The study examines the role of self-religiosity, father’s religious attitude in the moral behaviour of youth from religious and nonreligious schools. Indigenous measures of self-religiosity, father’s religious attitude and moral behaviour developed in the pilot study were used in the main study. The subjects for the main study were 100 male Malay youth between 15 and 17 years of age drawn equally from religious and nonreligious schools. Data were collected with the help of class teachers. The subjects were given the father’s religious attitude questionnaire in a sealed envelope and were instructed to return it after it was completed by their fathers. Multiple regression analysis of selfreligiosity, father’s religious attitude, and type of school to the moral behaviour showed a significant effect for regression and a significant beta coefficient for self-religiosity indicating that self-religiosity was the only predictor of moral behaviour of youth. Results also revealed significant correlations between self-religiosity and moral behaviour, and self-religiosity and father’s religious attitude. T-tests between religious and nonreligious schools for moral behaviour, self-religiosity and father’s religious attitude indicated significant differences suggesting that youth from a religious school exhibited more moral behaviour and they and their fathers were more religious as compared to the youth from nonreligious school. The results suggest a path analytical relationship among the variables indicating that religiosity and religious education played a positive role in the moral behaviour of youth.
A Transaction Cost and Transformational Generative Model of Aggregate Entrepreneurship
Authors: Otuteye Eben , Sharma Basu
Published: March 2005

A model of entrepreneurship based on the concept of transformational generative grammar in modern linguistics and transaction cost economics is developed. Using an integrative framework, a number of propositions for conceptualising and studying entrepreneurship both at the micro and the macro levels are discussed. Several policy implications for stimulating aggregate entrepreneurship in the economy are drawn and guidelines for promoting individual entrepreneur-ship are suggested.
Motives of Entrepreneurs: A Case Study of South Africa
Authors: Mitchell B. C.
Published: March 2005

The study reported in this paper examines the motivation of entrepreneurs in starting a business in the socio-economic milieu of South Africa. More specifically, it aims to identify similarities and differences in the motive profiles of 101 male and female entrepreneurs. A motivation scale and open-ended interviews were used to assess the ‘reasons for starting a business’. Both men and women entrepreneurs were found to be primarily motivated by the need for independence, need for material incentives and the need for achievement. The need to contribute to the community was not an important reason. Male entrepreneurs in comparison to females were more motivated by the need to provide family security and to make a difference in the business. Female entrepreneurs more than males were motivated by the need to keep learning and the need for more money to survive.
The Formal Institutional Framework of Entrepreneurship in the Philippines: Lessons for Developing Countries
Authors: Co Mary Jesselyn
Published: March 2005

This study analyses the formal institutional factors affecting entrepreneurship in the Philippines. The basic policies, laws and regulations affecting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), programmes, services and assistance were identified, reviewed, and evaluated. Linkages among key participants in the entrepreneurship process were also studied. The institutional theory advanced by North 1 was used as the conceptual framework. Small and medium sized firms from different sectors of industry were survey respondents. The institutions assisting the SMEs were also interviewed. Data analyses revealed significant differences in the views of institutions and entrepreneurs as to whether the programmes were responsive to the needs of the entrepreneur; whether they encouraged entrepreneurship and helped in the success of a firm. The analyses also revealed that the programmes had indeed encouraged entrepreneurship and helped in the success of the firm. Relevant lessons for developing countries have been drawn.
Managerial Resourcefulness
Authors: R.N. Kanungo  , S.T. Menon
Published: March 2005

Kanungo and Misra (1992) distinguished ‘skills’ from managerial ‘competencies’, the latter being the basic components of a manager’s resourcefulness. Resourcefulness is critical in performing leadership roles that require coping with non-routine, unprogrammable and ill-structured tasks. This paper attempts to clarify the nature of the resourcefulness construct by operationalising it in terms of three basic competencies: affective, intellectual and action-oriented. An empirical study involving 485 managers revealed the underlying structure of resourcefulness as closely paralleling the three competencies. In addition, a fourth overarching dimension of goal-directed problem orientation emerged from the analysis. The study yielded a psychometrically sound measure of managerial resourcefulness with convergent, discriminant and criteria-related concurrent validity. The measure can be used as a diagnostic tool for recruitment and training purposes.
Mothers’ Perceptions and Attitudes towards Maternal Morbidity in Rural West Bengal: Findings from Focus Group Discussions
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Susmita , Ray Subha , Bhatia Jagdish
Published: March 2005

The determinants of maternal morbidity are now receiving considerable attention. A study on maternal (obstetric) morbidity was conducted in three districts of West Bengal, India, where focus group discussions (FGD) revealed women’s perceptions, knowledge and awareness of lacunae in the health system. Women’s perspectives culled through FGD need to be incorporated into health policy and administration to improve women’s reproductive healthcare and reduce mortality.
Perception of Values: A Study of Future Professionals
Authors: Parashar Sapna , Dhar Santosh , Dhar Upinder
Published: March 2005

Values have been defined narrowly in terms of object attractiveness and broadly as abstract principles guiding social life. They are principles for action encompassing abstract goals in life and modes of conduct that an individual prefers across different situations. Certain variables are valued because they are fundamental characteristics or needs to make a better society and facilitate to differentiate between desirable and desired, delectable and electable, short term and long term, and pleasant and good. Values develop in early years. The lifelong behavioural pattern, attitude and perception of individuals are guided and directed by these values. They are most often reinforced by society, since sources of values are national culture, family, teachers, friends and other environmental factors. This article is an attempt to understand the perception of students, who happen to be future professionals, about existing values and the values they think ought to be present in society.
God’s Chronography and Dissipative Time: Vaticinium ex Eventu in Classical and Medieval Muslim Apocalyptic Traditions
Authors: Al-Azmeh Aziz
Published: March 2005

The following study discusses the structure of time in apocalyptic discourse, taking as an example apocalyptic traditions of mainstream Sunni traditionalism in the classical age of Islam and the Islamic Middle Ages. The main material is drawn from the repertoire of traditions assembled in Baghdad by Nu‘aym b. zammad in A.D. 833-838, the first comprehensive collection of such traditions, and from eschatological history of al-Barazan -, completed in Mecca in A.D. 1665. This was a tradition of political quietism, but not unlike activist Muslim messianism, it provides a reading of past events and of events to come—the history of the future—as so many signs of the end of time in a perspective of salvation history.
Personality and Justice—Perceptions of the Software Professionals of India
Authors: Gulati Namrata , Bhal Kanika T.
Published: March 2005

The growth of the software industry in India requires that issues related to knowledge workers be understood and dealt with in greater detail if software professionals are to be managed effectively. Issues of appraisal and salary administration are paramount in the context of software professionals in India, and the professionals’ perceptions of fairness/unfairness of these systems are important for the design of socially valid HR systems. This study explores some of these issues. It examines the extent to which personality predicts employees’ perceptions of justice at the workplace. We defined workplace justice in terms of procedural and distributive justice and personality was conceptualized in terms of the locus of control, emotional quotient and justice orientation constructs. A survey of 310 employees was conducted across various software organizations in India. Locus of control and emotional quotient were found to be strong predictors of procedural justice, and equity orientation and emotional quotient were the best predictors for interactional justice. Results and their implications are discussed.
The Level of Psychological Empowerment in Indian Managers
Authors: Bhatnagar Jyotsna , Sharma Anuradha
Published: March 2005

In the evolution of strategic HRD, empowerment is one of the six strategies outlined for planned change. Empowerment in most organizations remains a fashionable jargon, which is one of those desirable issues that is difficult to implement. The current research study is an endeavour to address the need for empirical research on psychological empowerment. The study has been conducted on 312 randomly chosen managers from 17 Indian organizations, on whom Spreitzer’s 1995 psychological empowerment scale was administered. The analysis was conducted on 244 completed questionnaires. There were two phases of data analysis. The unit of analysis for the first phase was the Individual manager, where mean and standard deviation of sub-variables of the empowerment variables were arrived at. Further correlation between the sub-variables was looked at for a detailed perspective of psychological empowerment. In the second phase of analysis, industry sectors were taken as the unit of analysis. Bivariate analysis was conducted on the sample to arrive at differences in the various sectors. The current research study has been significant in demonstrating moderate levels of psychological empowerment in 244 Indian managers and in different industry sectors with empowerment being lowest for the power sector, and towards the higher side in pharma and IT sectors. The researchers suggest future research to focus at contextual factors of strategic human resource roles affecting organizational commitment of Indian managers. This relationship may be moderated by psychological empowerment and organizational learning capability.
Privatization/Disinvestment/Closures in Haryana—Case Study of Hansi Spinning Mill, Hansi
Authors: Kothari Sanjay , Walia Kiran Lekha
Published: March 2005

The paper aims at highlighting the methodology adopted in liquidation of a cooperative institution registered under the Cooperative Societies Act, 1984. It also provides an insight into the time taken, problems faced and strong will and efforts required in executing the whole exercise and bringing it to a logical end. This article seeks to identify certain important organizational and human resources related issues which need to be addressed properly in the context of the Indian economy.
The Efficiency of Foreign and Domestic Banks in Central and Eastern Europe: Evidence on Economies of Scale and Scope
Authors: Green Christopher J. , Murinde Victor , Nikolov Ivaylo
Published: March 2005

We model the efficiency of domestic and foreign banks in Central and Eastern Europe, in terms of economies of scale and scope. We estimate and test the model on a panel of 273 foreign and domestic banks located in nine European transition economies during 1995-99. The main findings are threefold. First, overall, banks in the sample economies exhibit a reasonable degree of efficiency. Second, we generally reject the hypothesis that foreign banks are more efficient than domestic banks in these economies. Third, foreign ownership is hardly an important factor in reducing the banks’ total costs.
Resiliency Ability of the Underlying Spot Market after the Introduction of Index Futures Contracts: Evidence from Hong Kong
Authors: Kan Andy C.N.
Published: March 2005

This article focuses on the impact of the introduction of the Hang Seng Index (HSI) futures contracts on the resiliency ability of the underlying constituent stocks. The resiliency ability is defined as the market’s ability to execute market orders without large changes in the market price. The higher resiliency ability the market has, the better the market mechanism in evacuating large price changes owing to temporary order imbalances. This article employs a cross-sectional regression model to examine the impact of HSI futures trading on the resiliency ability of the underlying spot market. The results in this article indicate that the introduction of HSI futures contracts in Hong Kong increases the resiliency ability of the underlying constituent stocks.
Macroeconomic Influence on the Stock Market: Evidence from an Emerging Market in South Asia
Authors: Gunasekarage Abeyratna , Pisedtasalasai Anirut , Power David M.
Published: March 2005

This study examines the influence of macroeconomic variables on stock market equity values in Sri Lanka. We use the Colombo all share price index to represent the stock market and (a) the money supply, (b) the treasury bill rate (as a measure of interest rates), (c) the consumer price index (as a measure of inflation), and (d) the exchange rate as macroeconomic variables. We analyse monthly data for the above variables for the 17-year period from January 1985 to December 2001 employing a battery of tests, which include unit roots, cointegration, vector error correction models (VECM), impulse response functions (IRFs) and variance decompositions (VDCs). These tests examine both long-run and short-run relationships between the stock market index and the economic variables. The VECM analyses provide some support for the argument that the lagged values of macroeconomic variables such as the consumer price index, the money supply and the treasury bill rate have a significant influence on the stock market. The treasury bill rate demonstrates the strongest influence on price changes compared to other variables. However, the share price index does not have any influence on macroeconomic variables except for the treasury bill rate. Both VDC and IRF analyses revealed that shocks to economic variables explained only a minority of the forecast variance error of the market index; these effects did not persist for very long.
Cool King Limited
Authors: Ravichandran N. , Sinha P. K.
Published: March 2005

This case details the decision facing Cool King Limited, one of the leading businesses in India dealing with the installation of central air conditioning. So far it has had only a token presence in the window air conditioning business, but is now looking to expand into it as explosive growth in the industry is predicted in the near future. However, this change of focus from central air conditioning to window air conditioning is likely to affect the sales of central air conditioners, which is already on the decline, and may prevent Cool King from venturing into other related businesses such as sales of refrigerators.
L’Oréal Thailand (A)
Authors: Turpin Dominique
Published: March 2005

This is the first of a two case series (IMD-5-0612 and IMD-5-0613). Over several years, market share, sales and profitability at L’Oréal Thailand had all been under sustained pressure and targets had been missed again and again. Participants are put in the position of the new managing director and are asked to decide on a whole range of top management issues to restore the company’s profitability and its competitive position. A video (IMD-5-0612-V) is available to accompany this case series.
L’Oréal Thailand (B)
Authors: Turpin Dominique
Published: March 2005

This is the second of a two case series (IMD-5-0612 and IMD-5-0613). The case describes the various actions taken by the management team of L’Oréal Thailand to restore the company’s profitability and competitive position. A video (IMD-5-0612-V) is available to accompany this case series.
Parallel Algorithms for the Training Process of a Neural Network-Based System
Authors: Ammar Hany H. , Miao Zhouhui
Published: March 2005

This paper addresses the problem of developing efficient parallel algorithms for the training procedure of a neural network-based Fingerprint Image Comparison (FIC) system. The target architecture is assumed to be a coarse-grain distributed-memory parallel architecture. Two types of parallelism—node parallelism and training set parallelism (TSP)—are investigated. Theoretical analysis and experimental results show that node parallelism has low speedup and poor scalability, while TSP proves to have the best speedup performance. TSP, however, is amenable to a slow convergence rate. To reduce this effect, a modified training set parallel algorithm using weighted contributions of synaptic connections is proposed. Experimental results show that this algorithm provides a fast convergence rate while keeping the best speedup performance obtained. The combination of TSP with node parallelism is also investigated. A good performance is achieved by this approach. This provides better scalability with the trade-off of a slight decrease in speedup. The above algorithms are implemented on a 32-node CM-5.
Dual-Level Parallel Analysis of Harbor Wave Response Using MPI and OpenMP
Authors: Bova Steve W. , Breshears Clay P. , Cuicchi Christine E. , Demirbilek Zeki , Gabb Henry A.
Published: March 2005

The authors describe their experiences converting an existing serial production code to a parallel code combining both MPI and OpenMP. Such dual-level parallel codes will be able to take full advantage of the emerging class of high performance computer architectures using small clusters of shared-memory processors connected via a message-passing network. While the focus is restricted to a harbor response simulation code, the techniques presented herein are appropriate for a broad class of applications that explore a parameter space. The code modifications reduced the execution time of one test case from 3100 minutes on a single CPU to just over 12 minutes on 256 CPUs. Results demonstrate that dual-level parallelism allows substantial increases in model resolution combined with improvements in simulation turnaround time but, contrary to conventional wisdom, requires very little source code alteration.
Design of a Library of Parallel Preconditioners
Authors: Chan Tony , Eijkhout Victor
Published: March 2005

The authors outline the design principles underlying the ParPre library of parallel preconditioners. ParPre is a message-passing library of distributed preconditioners for linear systems, written using MPI and Petsc. It comprises Schwarz methods, Schur system domain decompositioning, various parallel incomplete factorizations, and multilevel methods.
Globalized Newton-Krylov-Schwarz Algorithms and Software for Parallel Implicit CFD
Authors: Gropp William , Keyes David , McInnes Lois Curfman , Tidriri M. D.
Published: March 2005

Implicit solution methods are important in applications modeled by PDEs with disparate temporal and spatial scales. Because such applications require high resolution with reasonable turnaround, parallelization is essential. The pseudo-transient matrix-free Newton-Krylov-Schwarz (ψNKS) algorithmic framework is presented as a widely applicable answer. This article shows that for the classical problem of three-dimensional transonic Euler flow about an M6 wing, ψNKS can simultaneously deliver globalized, asymptotically rapid convergence through adaptive pseudo-transient continuation and Newton’s method; reasonable parallelizability for an implicit method through deferred synchronization and favorable communication-to-computation scaling in the Krylov linear solver; and high per processor performance through attention to distributed memory and cache locality, especially through the Schwarz preconditioner. Two discouraging features of ψNKS methods are their sensitivity to the coding of the underlying PDE discretization and the large number of parameters that must be selected to govern convergence. The authors therefore distill several recommendations from their experience and reading of the literature on various algorithmic components of ψNKS, and they describe a freely available MPI-based portable parallel software implementation of the solver employed here.
Comparative Modeling of Network Topologies and Routing Strategies in Multicomputers
Authors: Mackenzie Lewis , Ould-Khaoua Mohamed
Published: March 2005

The networks employed in multicomputer architectures share many characteristics with those encountered at larger scales, but the specific requirement of interprocessor communication introduces some additional special considerations. The structures are typically regular, and performance is usually the key design objective. This paper first provides a general outline of research into the comparative performance analysis of these systems, examining the impact of topology, switching, and routing techniques under different types of traffic load. Using a combination of mathematical modeling and discrete event simulation, issues such as the bandwidth constraints and switching delays imposed by potential implementation technologies have been taken into account. By way of illustration, the paper concludes with a brief description of a recently developed queuing model for adaptive routing in k-ary n-cube networks.
An API for Runtime Code Patching
Authors: Buck Bryan , Hollingsworth Jeffrey K.
Published: March 2005

The authors present a postcompiler program manipulation tool called Dyninst, which provides a C++ class library for program instrumentation. Using this library, it is possible to instrument and modify application programs during execution. A unique feature of this library is that it permits machine-independent binary instrumentation programs to be written. The authors describe the interface that a tool sees when using this library. They also discuss three simple tools built using this interface: a utility to count the number of times a function is called, a program to capture the output of an already running program to a file, and an implementation of conditional breakpoints. For the conditional breakpoint example, the authors show that by using their interface compared with gdb, they are able to execute a program with conditional breakpoints up to 900 times faster.
Parallel Simulation of Large-Scale Parallel Applications
Authors: Bagrodia Rajive , Deelman Ewa , Phan Thomas
Published: March 2005

Accurate and efficient simulation of large parallel applications can be facilitated with the use of direct execution and parallel discrete-event simulation. This paper describes MPI-SIM, a direct execution-driven parallel simulator designed to predict the performance of existing MPI and MPI-IO application. MPI-SIM can be used to predict the performance of these programs as a function of architectural characteristics, including number of processors, message communication latencies, caching algorithms, and alternative implementations of collective I/O operations. Results are presented, which show the use of MPI-SIM in performing a scalability study of real-world applications. The benchmarks chosen for the study include Sweep3D, one of the ASCI benchmarks, and BTIO, an I/O-intensive benchmark from the NAS Parallel Benchmark suite. MPI-SIM is shown to accurately and efficiently predict the performance of Sweep3D running on an Origin 2000. It is also used to demonstrate the impact of the number of I/O nodes on BTIO’s performance.
Performance Testing of a Parallel Multiblock CFD Solver
Authors: Kerlick David , Dillon Eric , Levine David
Published: March 2005

A distributed-memory version of the OVERFLOW computational fluid dynamics code was evaluated on several parallel systems and compared with other approaches using test cases provided by the NASA-Boeing High-Speed Civil Transport program. A principal goal was to develop partitioning and load-balancing strategies that led to a reduction in computation time. We found multipartitioning, in which the aspect ratio of the multipartition is close to the aspect ratio of the grid zone, offered the best performance. The (uniprocessor) performance of the CRAY vector systems was superior to all other systems tested. However, the distributed-memory version when run on an SGI Origin system offers a price performance advantage over the CRAY vector systems.Performance on personal computer systems is promising but faces several hurdles.