bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Competitive strategies of religious organizations
Authors: Miller Kent D.
Published: August 2002

In recent years, sociologists and economists have given increased attention to studying religious organizations. Their writings raise unresolved issues related to topics within strategic management. This study brings theoretical perspectives from strategic management together with those of sociology and economics to understand the organizational and competitive aspects of religion. The initial portion of this article examines the nature of religious production, competition, and organization. Subsequent sections elaborate specific strategic management issues arising in religious organizations. Resource‐based and institutional perspectives provide a foundation for analyzing the sources of sustainable competitive advantage among religious organizations. The latter portion of this article shifts to the industry level of analysis and examines the roles of political strategies and strategic alliances in shaping religious competition. This theoretical discussion generates testable propositions regarding the competitive strategies of religious organizations and opens opportunities for future research. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Piecemeal legacy migrating with an architectural pattern language: a case study
Authors: Goedicke M. , Zdun U.
Published: August 2002

Numerous large applications that have evolved over many years are well‐functioning and reliable, but have severe problems regarding flexibility and reuse. Due to the many fixes that were applied in a system's lifetime, it is often hard to customize, change or exchange system parts. Therefore, it is problematic to migrate such systems to a more flexible architecture or to new technologies. The document archive/retrieval system, discussed in this article, is an example of a large C system that had such problems. As a solution, we will sketch an architectural pattern language that involves patterns well‐suited for a piecemeal migration process. The patterns aim at building and composing highly flexible black‐box component architectures with an object‐oriented glueing layer. We present a re‐engineering case study for the document archive/retrieval system based on these patterns. The patterns are used to wrap the existing C implementations and integrate them with an object system. Moreover, the patterns introduce flexibility hooks into the hot spots of the architecture and let components define their required environment. This enables an easier future evolution of the system. The case study demonstrates a pattern language as an approach for piecemeal legacy migration apart from implementation details. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Schrödinger's token
Authors: Aycock John , Horspool R. Nigel
Published: August 2002

A common problem when writing compilers for programming languages or little, domain‐specific languages is that an input token may have several interpretations, depending on context. Solutions to this problem demand programmer intervention, obfuscate the language's grammar, and may introduce subtle bugs. We present a technique which is simple and without the above drawbacks—allowing a token to simultaneously have different types—and show how it can be applied to areas such as little language processing and fuzzy parsing. We also describe ways that compiler tools can support this technique. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Maturing experience base concepts at DaimlerChrysler
Authors: Schneider Kurt , Schwinn Thilo
Published: August 2002

Basili coined the term ‘Experience Factory’ for a separate unit in a software company; it helps to exchange experiences between projects. The persistent storage device of such an Experience Factory was called the Experience Base. At DaimlerChrysler, we started in 1997 to establish local ‘Software Experience Centers’, a similar role to an Experience Factory. From the beginning, one of our focal aspects was the design and implementation of an adequate Experience Base. We expected an easy win. However, developing an effective Experience Base turned out to be one of the more difficult tasks. We had to go through several steps of substantial redesign before we achieved a concept of Experience Bases that does now suit our needs. In this paper we describe the most important insights, show examples of their impact on our Experience Base concepts, and discuss modifications made. As a conclusion, we present an evaluation sheet for Experience Base maturity profiles. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Turning development standards into repositories of experiences
Authors: Henninger Scott
Published: August 2002

There has been a resurgence of interest in developing organization‐wide standard development methodologies (SDMs) for software development. It is well known that creating an SDM is only the first step in the process of improving software engineering practices in an organization. SDMs must become living documents that evolve with changing software development needs. The research presented in this paper presents a tool and associated methodology that helps organizations tailor SDMs to the individual needs of projects and capture project experiences that are used to refine and modify the standard. In addition to creating a flexible software process with necessary degrees of formal procedures to ensure high‐quality products, a secondary goal of this research is to turn SDMs into a resource for software managers and developers, something that truly supports the development process as it is actually practised. This approach features a methodology based on organizational learning principles, a rule‐based system to tailor the SDM to meet the characteristics of individual projects, and a case‐based architecture to capture and provide relevant development knowledge throughout the development lifecycle. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A modest but practical software process modeling technique for software process improvement
Authors: Ahonen Jarmo J. , Forsell Marko , Taskinen Sanna‐Kaisa
Published: August 2002

One of the main problems with software engineering is due to the difficulties in evaluating and improving our software processes, especially in the light of the fact that reuse depends on a process which supports it. Generally used approaches to the evaluation and improvement of software processes are based on the CMM, for example. In this paper we present a technique to improve software processes through modeling and evaluation. The presented technique is fairly easy to use, provides reasonably good results and requires only a fraction of resources required by CMM appraisals. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Organization design initiated by information system development: a methodology and its practice in Japan
Authors: Oura Jun , Kijima Kyoichi
Published: August 2002

The purpose of the present paper is to propose a methodology for initiating effective organization design by information system development. The primary emphasis of our methodology is on organization design rather than on information system design. We also apply it to a Japanese manufacturing company to acquire theoretical and practical findings as well as validate its efficiency and effectiveness. Although many business companies have information systems developed and implemented so far in an attempt to enhance work efficiency, most of them have not necessarily been evaluated. The present study first reviews several well‐known methodologies for information system development in terms of organization design, which include the waterfall methodology and Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). After examining them carefully according to the experience of one of the authors at a food manufacturing company in Japan, we propose our original methodology based on them. We also validate its effectiveness in terms of Japanese organization culture. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A systems view of the evolution in information systems development
Authors: Jan Tain‐Sue , Tsai Fu‐Longe
Published: August 2002

This paper proposes a three‐stage information systems development (ISD) model based on the Ackoff systems view to analyze the ISD evolution from the 1950s to the 1990s. For organization as a machine, information systems (IS) are designed by information professionals. For organization as an organism, IS are developed according to the selected methodology of ISD. For organization as a social system, IS would be dualistic, one for itself and another for its components, and IS departments would also be dual: one would be inward and another outward. The study investigates the changing roles and missions of IS for the three stages and explores the evolution of ISD strategies. The model also suggests that in the social stage ISD acquiring and utilizing both the inward and the outward resources of ISD to create more value is the greatest challenge and most important task for contemporary IS managers. The implications of the model are also discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adaptive fuzzy control: theory versus implementation
Authors: Faravelli Lucia , Rossi Roberto
Published: August 2002

The long‐term goal of our research programme is to conceive a stand‐alone controller for driving the reaction of a semi‐active control device to a given feedback. The resulting control scheme must be robust and is required to react instantaneously. Both these aspects led the authors to adopt commercial fuzzy chips as controllers. The work covered in this paper is the development of an adaptive capability, i.e. the ability to detect changes in the system response and to modify the controller properties accordingly. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Toward the determination of sufficient mutant operators for C†
Authors: Barbosa Ellen Francine , Maldonado José Carlos , Vincenzi Auri Marcelo Rizzo
Published: August 2002

Mutation testing (MT) has been found to be effective at revealing faults. However, its high cost of application, due to the high number of mutants created and the effort to determine the equivalent ones, has motivated the proposition of alternative approaches for its application. One of them, named ‘selective mutation’, aims to reduce the number of generated mutants through a reduction in the number of mutant operators. A previous relevant study resulted in the proposition of a sufficient mutant operators set for FORTRAN, indicating that it is possible to have a large cost reduction in MT application, whilst preserving a high MT score. This work investigates procedures for the determination of a sufficient mutant operators set for C programs with the perspective of contributing to the establishment of low‐cost, effective mutation‐based testing strategies. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Aliasing in Object‐Oriented Systems
Authors: Noble James
Published: August 2002

Aliasing is naturally endemic in object‐oriented programs. In Software ‐ Practice and Experience, JAMES NOBLE and DOUG LEA describe the state of the art in dealing with aliasing and address its costs and benefits. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Half a century of programming and not much progress
Authors: Barnes John
Published: August 2002

This paper presents a somewhat gloomy view of the progress of mankind in devising programming languages during the past half century. The paper is in two parts. This first part presents two overall themes. The first theme concerns the use of best practice in reducing risk and possible legal liability in the face of disasters arising from malfunctioning software. JOHN BARNES' paper asserts that little is known about what constitutes best practice and that what is known is not used in constructing the vast majority of software anyway. The second theme concerns the evolutionary use of abstraction in controlling complexity and its underlying flavour in the progress that has been made. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Occurrence, co‐occurrence and topographic distribution of choline acetyl transferase, Met‐enkephalin and neurotensin in the stellate ganglion of the cat
Authors: Jiménez B. , Mora‐Valladares E. , Zetina M.E. , Morales M.A.
Published: August 2002

The presence of the classical ganglionic transmitter acetylcholine (ACh), its occurrence and possible co‐occurrence with the neuromodulator peptides methionine enkephalin (Met‐ENK) and neurotensin (NT), as well as the possible coexistence of these peptides in the preganglionic axon terminals of the cat stellate ganglia were investigated with light and confocal microscopy using immunofluorescence. Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), Met‐ENK, and NT immunoreactivity was detected with light microscopy in axon terminals near tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactive (IR) cells. Cell bodies immunopositive for ChAT or Met‐ENK were also detected and were TH‐negative or TH‐positive. Denervation by sectioning preganglionic axons produced two effects: the almost complete elimination of IR fibers and an increase in the number of ChATIR and Met‐ENKIR cell bodies, together with the appearance of NTIR cell bodies. Preganglionic ChATIR fibers and boutons form a dense network throughout the entire ganglion, with a homogeneous regional distribution. ChAT, Met‐ENK, and NT are essentially stored in different nerve endings, although a low level of co‐occurrence was detected. NTIR and Met‐ENKIR networks of boutons were observed to have independent and somewhat complementary regional distributions. Further analysis with simultaneous triple labeling for NT, Met‐ENK, and TH, and confocal microscopy showed fibers and boutons containing Met‐ENK or NT reached distinct neurons separately, or both converge onto the same cells. This finding suggests that modulation (the facilitation–inhibition balance) of ganglionic transmission is achieved mainly by the selective and complementary innervation of boutons containing NT (facilitation) and Met‐ENK (inhibition) and only rarely by terminals which coexpress both peptides. Synapse 43:163–174, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Differentiation of spinous synapses in the mouse organ of corti
Authors: Sobkowicz Hanna M. , Slapnick Susan M. , August Benjamin K.
Published: August 2002

The inner hair cells, the primary auditory receptors, are perceived only as a means for transfer of sound signals via the auditory nerve to the central nervous system. During initial synaptogenesis, they receive relatively few and mainly somatic synapses. However, around the onset of hearing (10–14 postnatal days in the mouse), a complex network of local spinous synapses differentiates, involving inner hair cells, their afferent dendrites, and lateral olivocochlear terminals. Inner hair cell spines participate in triadic synapses between olivocochlear terminals and afferent dendrites. Triadic synapses have not yet been confirmed in the adult. Synaptic spines of afferent dendrites form axodendritic synapses with olivocochlear terminals and somatodendritic synapses with inner hair cells. The latter are of two types: ribbon‐dendritic spines and stout dendritic spines surrounded only by a crown of synaptic vesicles. Formation of spinous afferent synapses results from sprouting of dendritic filopodia that intussuscept inner hair cell cytoplasm. This process continues in the adult, indicating ongoing synaptogenesis. Spinous processes of olivocochlear synaptic terminals contact adjacent afferent dendrites, thus integrating their connectivity. They develop about 14 postnatal days, but their presence in the adult has yet to be confirmed. Differentiation of spinous synapses in the organ of Corti results in a total increase of synaptic contacts and in a complexity of synaptic arrangements and connectivity. We propose that spinous synapses provide the morphological substrate for local processing of initial auditory signals within the cochlea. Synapse 45:10–24, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Acute and repeated administration of the selective 5‐HT2A receptor antagonist M100907 significantly alters the activity of midbrain dopamine neurons: An in vivo electrophysiological study
Authors: Minabe Yoshio , Hashimoto Kenji , Watanabe Kei‐Ichiro , Ashby Charles R.
Published: August 2002

We examined the effect of the acute and repeated administration of M100907 (formerly MDL 100907), a selective 5‐HT2A receptor antagonist, on spontaneously active dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) of rats. This was accomplished using in vivo, extracellular single unit recording. The i.v. administration of M100907 (0.01–0.64 mg/kg) did not significantly alter the basal firing rate or pattern of spontaneously active SNC and VTA DA neurons. A single injection of either 0.01 or 0.03 mg/kg i.p. of M100907 did not significantly alter the number of spontaneously active DA neurons in either the SNC or VTA areas. However, 0.1 mg/kg i.p. of M100907 significantly increased the number of spontaneously active SNC and VTA DA neurons compared to vehicle‐treated animals. A single injection of all doses of M100907 significantly decreased the degree of bursting in VTA DA neurons, whereas the 0.1 mg/kg dose increased the degree of bursting in SNC DA neurons. The repeated administration (one injection per day for 21 days) of 0.03 and 0.1 mg/kg i.p. of M100907 produced a significant decrease in the number of spontaneously active SNC and VTA DA neurons compared to vehicle‐treated animals. The repeated administration of M100907 did not significantly alter the firing pattern of VTA DA neurons but significantly altered the firing pattern of SNC DA neurons. The results of this study indicate that M100907 administration alters the activity of midbrain DA neurons in anesthetized rats. Synapse 40:102–112, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
EIA IS 731 compared to CMMISM‐SE/SW
Authors: Minnich Ilene
Published: August 2002

This paper provides the reader with a high‐level comparison between the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) Interim Standard (IS) 731, the Systems Engineering Capability Model (SECM) [G47 Systems Engineering Committee, 1999], and the Capability Maturity Model IntegrationSM (CMMISM) for Systems Engineering (SE) and Software Engineering (SW) [CMMISM Product Development Team, 2000a]. A brief background of the SECM and its contents is provided, followed by a comparison of Focus Areas of the SECM to Process Areas of the CMMISM. Also compared are the Capability Levels and Generic Practices of the two models, and the scoring rules associated with the two respective appraisal methods. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 5: 62–72, 2002; DOI 10.1002/sys.10013
Requirements management—A tool designer's view
Authors: Ögren Ingmar
Published: August 2002

The third issue of the Journal in 2001 contained two interesting articles concerning requirements management, one about requirements completeness and one about use of requirements management tools for verification management. The latter also included a challenge to tool developers to produce tools that meet the combined requirements from requirements and verification management. The issues in the articles are discussed from a tool developer's point of view. Concerning the issue of requirements' completeness, it is suggested that we should not try to reach completeness, but rather “sufficiency” with a changing meaning through a project's life cycle. Concerning use of requirements management tools for verification, it is explained how the three processes of requirements management, design, and verification must be concurrent and interacting, something that must be recognized by the designers of the tools used. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 5: 145–150, 2002
Model based systems engineering using a continuous‐time extension of the Unified Modeling Language (UML)
Authors: Axelsson Jakob
Published: August 2002

Modeling languages intended for capturing essential properties of complex technical systems need to cover both software and physical components in a holistic framework. Object‐oriented modeling languages are often used for software, and possess many features that are attractive also in a general modeling notation for systems engineering. However, software oriented languages lack certain features that are essential when modeling physical components, in particular the ability to deal with the continuous‐time relationships needed to describe the dynamics of such components. In this paper, we investigate how the expressiveness of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) can be increased to make it suitable also for describing physical components. A case study of an automotive mechatronic system is elaborated to show the practical usefulness of the results. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 5: 165–179, 2002
Adding temporal modeling to the UML to support systems design
Authors: Neill Colin J. , Holt Jon D.
Published: August 2002

The UML has been proposed as a suitable modeling language for systems engineering. There are questions, however, regarding the language's suitability. For example, the interfaces between heterogeneous systems must be precisely defined during design, and the completeness and precision of that definition is heavily dependent on the modelling language used. This article contends that the UML in its current form is insufficient for this purpose because it has no provision for the analysis of complex time‐based interactions typical of such an interface. The solution proposed here is to translate the UML models that define those interfaces into a formal method. This translation can be automated, therefore “hiding” the formalism from the user, but still providing the analytical benefits. The formal method used is the Q‐model. This is a mathematically based computational model used primarily in the design of time‐critical systems and includes support for sophisticated temporal analysis. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 5, 213–222, 2002
Strategies for value: Quality, productivity, and innovation in R&D/technology organizations
Authors: Rouse William B. , Boff Kenneth R.
Published: August 2002

The nature of value and how R&D/technology organizations provide value are considered. Value is defined in terms of three dimensions: quality, productivity, and innovation. This framework provides the basis for formulation of value strategies in terms of where value is to be provided, how it will be provided, enterprise designs that support these intentions, benchmarking to identify gaps, and specification of action plans. Implementation of value strategies is discussed relative to strategies for change, multistage decision processes, organizational implications, balanced scorecards, and adaptation of strategies to different types of enterprises. Illustrations of multistage decision criteria and balanced scorecards for R&D/technology organizations are provided. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Syst Eng 4: 87–106, 2001
Requirements completeness: Absolute or relative? Comments on "System function implementation and behavioral modeling"[Syst Eng 4 (2001), 58‐75]
Authors: Carson Ronald S. , Shell Tony
Published: August 2002

Shell [Syst Eng 4 (2001), 58–75] raised the issue of requirements “completeness,” concluding that its proof is not possible. This communication is intended to clarify the original intent of the assertion and identify a set of conditions under which completeness may be verified. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Syst Eng 4: 230–231, 2001
Semi‐active friction system with amplifying braces for control of MDOF structures
Authors: Gluck J. , Ribakov Y.
Published: August 2002

The development and applications of a semi‐active friction damping system with amplifying braces is studied. A system of dampers and braces, defined as the friction damping system with amplifying braces (FDSAB) is considered. Active control theory with velocity and acceleration feedback is used to obtain the control forces in the proposed system. The system can be used efficiently to enhance the damping of a structure and improving its response. The efficiency of the proposed system is demonstrated by the numerical simulation of a seven storey building subjected to earthquakes. The simulation shows that the behaviour of the damped structure with the FDSAB is significantly improved. The required control forces are much less compared with a control system with semi‐active friction dampers connected either to chevron or diagonal braces. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preliminary evaluation of the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of D‐003: Mixture of very long chain fatty acids
Authors: Gámez Rafael , Rodeiro Idania , Fernández Ivonne , Acosta Pilar Caridad
Published: August 2002

D‐003 is a mixture of very long chain aliphatic acids purified from sugar cane wax, wherein octacosanoic acid represents the major component. Previous experimental studies have shown that D‐003 inhibits platelet aggregation in rodents. Also, its lowers total (TC) and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) in normocholesterolemic rabbits in a dose‐dependent manner and inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis in fibroblast cultures. The present study was performed to investigate the in vitro cytotoxic and genotoxic potential effects of D‐003 assessed through two tests: the neutral red (NR) assay and the Ames test. Positive and negative controls were included in each experimental series. Compared with controls, no cytotoxicity was evident after 24 and 72 h of treatment with doses up to 1,000 μg/ml in the NR assay. On the other hand, D‐003 (5–5,000 μg/plate) did not increase the frequency of reverse mutations in the Ames test in both alternatives with or without S9 mix metabolic activation and a pre‐incubation step. The positive control chemicals included in each experiment, namely, treatment with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) in the NR assay and sodium azide (NaAz), 2‐aminofluorene (AF), and dimethylnitrosamine (DMNA) in the Ames test, induced the expected changes, such as a decrease in optical density (OD) values in the NR assay and an increase in the frequency of reverse mutations in the Ames test. The present results indicate that D‐003 did not show evidence of cytotoxic or genotoxic potential in tests able to detect the ability of chemicals to disrupt cells (NR assay) or to induce gene mutations (Ames test). Teratogenesis Carcinog. Mutagen. 22:175–181, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Inhibition of asbestos‐induced transformation of rat pleural mesothelial cells in co‐culture with rat macrophages
Authors: Kravchenko I.V. , Furalyov V.A. , Vasylieva L.A. , Pylev L.N.
Published: August 2002

The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of macrophages on the process of rat pleural mesothelium cells (RPMC) transformation in vitro. For this purpose prolonged many‐passage co‐cultivation of rat pleural mesothelial cells and rat peritoneal macrophages was performed both in the presence (to study macrophage influence on asbestos‐induced morphologic transformation) and in the absence (to study spontaneous transformation) of asbestos. It was shown that spontaneous transformation of RPMC slightly accelerated in the co‐cultures, whereas asbestos‐induced transformation was strongly inhibited. For instance, RPMC acquired the ability to form multilayer cell growth foci and colonies in semisolid agar at 22–24 passages in the absence and at 14–16 passages in the presence of asbestos, while in co‐culture with macrophages these signs of transformation appeared at 17–19 passages without asbestos treatment and were not observed at the 40th passage under exposure to asbestos. It was shown that the observed inhibition of transformation was caused by preferential depletion of transformed cells in co‐cultures of mesothelium and macrophages in the presence of asbestos: when equal concentrations of macrophages and asbestos were taken, the viability of early‐passage RPMC was greater as compared with late passages, and the viability of late‐passage RPMC was greater than that of mesothelioma cells. The amount of late‐passage RPMC and mesothelioma cells able to form colonies in semisolid media was also drastically decreased in these conditions. These findings suggest that though macrophages can influence the process of asbestos‐induced mesothelium transformation by different ways, as a whole the inhibitory action appears to be the strongest. Teratogenesis Carcinog. Mutagen. 21:315–323, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Interpretations of a teratogen warning symbol
Authors: Daniel Katherine Lyon , Goldman Karen Denard , Lachenmayr Sue , Erickson J. David , Moore Cynthia
Published: August 2002

Background

Warning symbols are used on teratogenic medications to communicate the message that women should (1) not take that medication if they may already be pregnant, and (2) not get pregnant while taking that medication. Communications research indicates that people interpret symbols or pictures in different ways. Other studies have shown that patients do not always receive education materials that are part of prescription protocol. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested the interpretation of the teratogen warning symbol and its ability to convey the correct information without accompanying education.

Methods

A teratogen warning symbol currently printed on some medication packaging uses graphics and text warning the user not to get pregnant. Researchers interviewed women of childbearing age about their interpretation of the warning symbol and its meaning. Ninety‐seven women were interviewed in a variety of locations, including public health clinics, literacy and job training offices, health clubs, and malls.

Results

Only 21% of women interpreted correctly without prompting that they should either not take the medication if they are pregnant or not get pregnant while taking the medication. Twenty‐seven percent of women first thought the symbol meant the package contained birth control medication, and 24% said it simply indicated the package contained drugs or medicine. An additional 7% said they did not know what the symbol was supposed to mean; 39% of respondents offered circumstances in which prescription medications might be shared.

Conclusions

Misinterpretation of warning symbols can result in serious consequences. This research should serve as an urgent call for mandating education for all patients receiving drugs with teratogenic properties, and careful pretesting and modification of warning symbols before they are used on medications with teratogenic effects. Teratology 64:148–153, 2001. Published 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Multifactorial genetics of exencephaly in SELH/Bc mice
Authors: Juriloff D.M. , Gunn T.M. , Harris M.J. , Mah D.G. , Wu M.K. , Dewell S.L.
Published: August 2002

Background

The SELH/Bc mouse strain has 10–30% exencephaly and is an animal model for human neural tube closure defects. This study examined the number of causative genes, their dominance relationships, and linkage map positions.

Methods

The SELH/Bc strain (S) was crossed to the normal LM/Bc strain (L) and frequencies of exencephaly were observed in the F1, BC1, and F2 generations. 102 F2 males were individually testcrossed by SELH/Bc. The extremes, the 10 highest and 10 zero exencephaly‐producing F2 sires, were typed for 109 SSLP marker loci in a genome screen. Next, the resultant five provisional chromosomal regions were tested for linkage in 31 F2 exencephalic embryos. Finally, 12 males, SS or LL for the Chr 13 region on an LM/Bc background, were testcrossed by SELH/Bc.

Results

The exencephaly frequencies in the F1 (0.3%), BC1 (4.4%), and F2 (3.7%), and the distribution of F2 males' testcross values (0–15.5%), indicated that the high risk of exencephaly in SELH/Bc is due to the cumulative effect of two or three loci. Linkage studies indicated the location of semidominant exencephaly‐risk genes on Chr 13 near D13Mit13 (P < 0.001), Chr 5 near D5Mit168 (P < 0.025), and possibly Chr 11 near D11Mit10 (P < 0.07). The gene on Chr 13, Exen1, and the strong role of other loci were confirmed by the congenic males.

Conclusions

The high risk of exencephaly in SELH/Bc mice is caused by the cumulative effect of two to three semidominant genes. Candidate genes include Msx2, Madh5, Ptch, and Irx1 (Chr 13) and Actb and Rac1 (Chr 5). Teratology 64:189–200, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Financial Risk Management: An Introduction
Authors: Lhabitant François‐Serge , Tinguely Olivier
Published: August 2002

This article provides a brief introduction to risk management. It discusses the rationale for risk management for corporations, with a strong focus on financial risk management. It describes the various risks that a company is facing, as well as the various steps to identify and manage them. An illustration of the major tools and methodologies is provided for the case of market risks. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Practice of Financial Risk Management: An International Comparison
Authors: Lee Fah Mei , Marshall Andrew , Szto You Koong , Tang Joan
Published: August 2002

The objective of this article is to simultaneously survey the practice of risk management of large United Kingdom, United States, and Asia Pacific multinational companies (MNCs). We investigate whether risk management practices vary internationally. From 179 (30%) usable responses we find a number of interregional differences in the organization of risk management; a greater emphasis on decentralized structures in the Asia Pacific and less formal board control over risk management in U.S. MNCs. In terms of the tools of risk management there were differences internationally in the concerns in choosing derivatives, driven to some extent by differences in the accounting treatment internationally. In general, the size, degree of internationalization and industry sector of the respondent MNCs could not explain these regional differences. However, there was little variation in the methods of forecasting exchange rates and the majority of MNCs in all regions use a centralized risk management system. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Ambiguous Popularity of Derivatives
Authors: Ineichen Alexander M.
Published: August 2002

The perception of the investment management profession and the investing public towards derivatives is ambiguous. To most, derivatives are tools for efficiently managing risk. However, to others, derivatives are still highly suspect. There are still many investors who are not allowed to use derivatives, due to internal or external regulation. We will make the point that the reservations and myths surrounding derivatives are unfounded. We expect the usage of the tools of the risk manager (derivatives) to expand, the demystifying process to continue, the liquidity in derivatives markets to increase, and even greater product customization in risk management and corporate finance to unfold in the future. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Possible External Shocks to Asia in 2001: How Vulnerable Are the Regional Economies?
Authors: Wu Friedrich
Published: August 2002

In 2001, threats of a U.S. economic slowdown, a moderation of economic growth in the EU, sharp deceleration
of the global electronics cycle, and high oil prices could be some of the potential external shocks clouding
Asia's economic outlook. This article analyzes these external shocks and assesses which Asian economies are
most (or least) vulnerable to these exogenous shocks. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Successful Lecturing: Presenting Information in Ways That Engage Effective Processing
Authors: deWinstanley Patricia Ann , Bjork Robert A.
Published: August 2002

An effective lecture—one that induces effective processing in one's students—can be a successful method of teaching.
Repeatability and reproducibility of the luminescent bacteria bioassay
Authors: Ribo Juan M. , Canela Miguel , Griful Eulàlia
Published: August 2002

This paper presents the statistical analysis of the results of an inter‐laboratory study for the luminescent bacteria toxicity bioassay. It also contains a discussion on the statistical methods for the presentation and refinement of the evaluation of the precision of an assay method (including intra‐ and inter‐laboratory variability), with special emphasis on the rejection of outliers, and the use of standardized parameters, like the repeatability and reproducibility values. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol 16: 127–135, 2001
Computer and Electronics Product Stewardship: Are We Ready for the Challenge?
Authors: Gable Cate , Shireman Bill
Published: August 2002

The PC revolution continues to produce faster and smarter machines at a stunning pace. Almost forgotten in
the rush are the millions of nearly new, but suddenly outdated, computers that are abandoned every year. Can
product stewardship offer life‐after‐end‐of‐life for this growing mountain of
“attic‐ware,” while averting a costly—and potentially toxic—waste disposal
crisis? © 2001 by Cate Gable, Axioun Books. Used with permission.
EPA's Environmental Technology Verification Program: An Evaluation of a Public‐Private Process
Authors: Hansen Penelope
Published: August 2002

The Environmental Technology Verification Program (ETV) was started by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency in October 1995 to generate independent and credible data on the performance of innovative
technologies that have the potential to improve protection of public health and the environment. The purpose of
this program is to help organizations, industries, businesses, states, communities, and individuals make
better‐informed decisions when selecting new environmental technologies. The program has now been in
existence for six years and the following article presents, for the first time, the results achieved to date and
the program's future operating plans. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Integrating deformations between bodies and clothes
Authors: Cordier Frédéric , Volino Pascal , Magnenat‐Thalmann Nadia
Published: August 2002

In this paper, we present a framework for both skin and cloth deformation. Traditionally, skin and cloth deformations are managed by a non‐unified strategy although the skin interacts on clothes and vice versa. In general, the skin is considered as a rigid surface on which the clothes have no effect. We propose in this paper a unified approach for cloth and body deformation. Our system is able to handle both skin and cloth deformation with collision response. These deformations are managed with a particle system. The skin deformation model is a hybrid model, where deformation due to the skeleton motion is controlled geometrically, and where the collision response is handled by a physical‐based model. In case of collision among skin and clothes, a reaction and friction forces are applied on both skin and cloth to avoid penetration. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Incorporating proxy services into wide area cellular IP networks
Authors: Jiang Zhimei , Chang Li Fung , Kim Byoung Jo J. , Leung Kin K.
Published: August 2002

Performance enhancing proxies have drawn considerable interests from the network community as an effective approach to improve user experience in cellular networks. Previous research on this subject has been focusing on the design of proxy servers as well as the functions that these servers provide. In this paper, we study the placement of proxy servers, especially the approach of incorporating proxies into cellular networks, which allows better, faster, and more secure proxy services. We discuss various factors that must be considered when placing proxies inside cellular networks, including the information requirements of the proxies, the network requirements for supporting the proxy functions, and mobility management. Using GPRS as an example, we lay out a procedure for adding proxies into data transmission paths in cellular networks. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of Gaussian error in selection diversity combiners
Authors: Annamalai A.
Published: August 2002

Selection diversity combining (SDC) is one of the simplest and most commonly implemented diversity mechanism for mitigating the detrimental effects of deep fades experienced on wireless channels. While SDC improves the mean combined signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) over that of a single branch with increasing diversity order, its main advantage is the reduction of the probability of deep fades. The effect of Gaussian errors in the branch gain estimates on the SDC receiver performance is investigated by deriving new closed‐form expressions for the probability density function, cumulative distribution function and the moment generating function of the combiner output SNR statistic. Mathematical expressions for quantifying the degradation in the mean combined SNR, outage probability and the average symbol error rate of a broad class of binary and multilevel modulation schemes owing to imperfect branch SNR estimates in Rayleigh fading are also derived. It is shown that combiner errors affect the mean combined SNR negligibly in comparison to their effect on the deep fades. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Geolocation technologies and applications for third generation wireless
Authors: Soliman Samir S. , Wheatley Charles E.
Published: August 2002

Wireless Service Providers have become increasingly interested in developing position location services for commercial application of the evolving Third Generation (3G) communication systems. The initial and driving force behind this interest is a regulation in the United States promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission, requiring wireless carriers to be capable of delivering the position of a wireless device (or mobile station) making an emergency call to emergency authorities by October 2001. Similarly in Europe, the 1999 Communications Review (COM 1999/539) set the date of 1 January 2003 for the carriers to make location information available for emergency authorities. The cellular mobile station geolocation problem can be solved using either network‐based methods or handset‐based methods. A hybrid position location method that combines measurements from the communication system's forward and/or reverse links with measurements from the Global Positioning System (GPS) can improve position service availability. Given the ability to accurately determine a user's location means that position location service applications can and most certainly will provide value‐added features such as navigation, fleet management, real‐time traffic updates, location sensitive billing, etc. In this paper we present different geolocation technologies, list some of the important applications, and review the status of the location services in the 3G Standards Development Organizations. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Applying power quality characteristics of wind turbines for assessing impact on voltage quality
Authors: Tande John Olav Giæver
Published: August 2002

Injection of wind power into an electric grid affects the voltage quality. As the voltage quality must be within certain limits to comply with utility requirements, the effect should be assessed prior to installation. To assess the effect, knowledge about the electrical characteristics of the wind turbines is needed or else the result could easily be an inappropriate design of the grid connection. The electrical characteristics of wind turbines are manufacturer‐specific but not site‐specific. This means that, having the actual parameter values for a specific wind turbine, the expected impact of the wind turbine type on voltage quality when deployed at a specific site, possibly as a group of wind turbines, can be calculated. The methodology for this is explained and illustrated by case studies considering a 5 × 750 kW wind farm on a 22 kV distribution feeder. The detailed analysis suggests that the wind farm capacity can be operated at the grid without causing unacceptable voltage quality. For comparison, a simplified design criterion is considered assuming that the wind farm is only allowed to cause a voltage increment of 1%. According to this criterion, only a very limited wind power capacity would be allowed. Measurements confirm, however, the suggestion of the detailed analysis, and it is concluded that a simplified design criterion such as the ‘1% rule’ should not be used for dimensioning the grid connection of wind farms. Rather, this article suggests a systematic approach including assessment of slow voltage variations, flicker, voltage dips and harmonics, possibly supported by more detailed analyses, e.g. system stability if the wind farm is large or the grid is very weak, and impact on grid frequency in systems where wind power covers a high fraction of the load, i.e. most relevant for isolated systems. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of a compact energy‐dispersive spectrometer with a wavelength‐dispersive spectrometer for brass and stainless steel
Authors: Parus Jozef , Raab Wolfgang , Donohue David L.
Published: August 2002

Using a Philips MiniPal energy‐dispersive instrument we measured two sets of brass and stainless‐steel standard reference materials (SRMs) provided by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The spectra of 11 brass SRMs and 19 stainless‐steel SRMs were measured during a 600 s live time. The intensities of the Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Fe and Sn lines were calculated for brass and of the Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Mo lines for stainless steel. The regression equations for each element using a De Jongh model and giving the lowest value of the relative standard deviation (RSD) were determined. In most cases it was necessary to use two correction factors for the minimization of the RSD. For comparison, measurements of all samples and elements using a Philips PW 1480 wavelength‐dispersive spectrometer were also performed. Differences in the RSD values obtained using the two spectrometers were not significant for the main elements, Cu and Zn in brass and Cr, Fe and Ni in stainless steel. For minor elements, the RSD values were 2–6 times larger for the MiniPal instrument and were poor for Sn and Co. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry: applications in trace elements studies in human tissues from patients with cirrhosis
Authors: Carvalho M. L. , Marques A. F.
Published: August 2002

X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry was used for the quantitative analysis of healthy liver, brain and kidney tissues and the corresponding tissues from subjects suffering from liver cirrhosis. All samples were collected post‐mortem and frozen until analysis. A sample of each tissue for the same individual was collected, in order to find any correlation between the elemental concentrations in the different tissues. Age, sex, cause of death and specific diseases were registered. All samples were studied without any chemical treatment. Concentrations of minor and trace elements in each tissue were obtained for 14 elements. Three groups of elements were considered. The first was K and Ca, present in relatively high concentrations in all tissues and known as normal constituents of all living matter. They are essential to cellular metabolism. The second group was Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Rb and Sr, which are also essential elements, but may induce toxic effects if present in high concentrations. There is a narrow range between beneficial and toxic concentrations for these elements. The third group was the toxic elements Co, Ni, As and Pb, which normally induce pathological disorders in the organism, even in small concentrations. This work is a contribution to the better understanding of trace element accumulation in human liver, kidney and brain and the possible correlation between abnormal concentrations of some elements in tissues of subjects suffering from cirrhosis. A very important factor is also the relative concentration of the elements with respect to one another and the correlation between the elemental content in the different tissues. Very low concentrations for Ni, As and Sr were found in the samples analysed, at the level of the detection limit. Higher concentrations of Co, Fe and Pb and lower values of Zn and Se were found in liver cirrhosis samples compared with healthy tissues. Brain samples from subjects affected with cirrhosis showed enhanced levels of Pb. In kidney, increased amounts of Zn were found in tissues from subjects with cirrhosis. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.