Book Reviews: Behavior Change in the Human Services: An Introduction to Principles and Applications by Martin Sundel and Sandra S. Sundel. Exploring Personality: An Intellectual Odyssey by Russell L. Ackoff. The Ecologist: The Cosmic Covenant.

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Reactions to “Publish or Perish: A System and a Mess” by G. C. B. Van Wyk

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综合就是创新--评文先明的新著《风险投资:理论与运行机制研究》

湖南人民出版社2004年出版的文先明著《风险投资：理论与运行机制研究》是一本涵盖了当今我国发展高新科技、全面奔小康的划时代战略决策中亟待开拓的风险投资及其优化管理全盘信息的专著。当读完这本书的最后一章，如果说得夸张一点，颇有醍醐灌顶、茅塞顿开的感觉。实在不能不为著作的高度综合和精义入微而叹为观止。     

Feminist Systems Theory: Learning by Praxis

Feminist Systems Theory (FST) is an emerging theory grounded in cultural ecofeminism and critical systems theory. FST’s contribution is in a set of principles that contain implications for community development and social research. FST brings to the fore the importance of valuing and considering the voices of people at the margins of social research and community development projects and is an effort towards a new ontology and language of person and nature to adequately address environmental marginalization. The ‘systems’ theory contribution to FST enriches our repertoires of methods and tools with an emphasis on systems thinking characterised by the use of boundary analysis. FST is ideally situated to enhance systemic intervention practice, an application of action research and participatory research practices. This paper will examine ‘process philosophy’ necessary to understand the nature of boundary analysis and the implications for FST and praxis with relevant examples drawn from case studies of current applications of FST in action research settings; (1) economic analysis and transition pathways; (2) policy analysis of the Close the Gap strategy for Indigenous equality and equity in Australia; (3) a community food distribution system; and, (4) a community health and diabetes prevention program.     

All together now: The circular organization in a University Hospital. Part I. Planning and design

During a period of significant change in health care, hospitals are being transformed. This article—part I—reports on one university hospital's experience with a project funded by a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Pew Charitable Trusts initiative. The article presents the history and conditions that led to a planning year during which participants defined external and internal conditions contributing to the needs for change. Along with the driving pressures, the article addresses the planning process and the basic design for organization change, Ackoff's idealized design and circular organization. This model had been used in industry, but not in a hospital. Key themes related to the design and start-up are offered. Part II addresses the implementation of the model, the process of change, supports and barriers, and progress to date.     

权证定价: B-S vs. CEV

应用极大似然方法估计了Black-Scholes (B-S)模型和不变方差弹性(CEV)模型的参数, 进而采用2005年8月至2010年9月在沪深交易所上市的55支权证的共14822个日收盘数据为研究样本, 实证检验了B-S模型与CEV模型的定价效果. 结果表明, B-S模型与CEV模型的定价精确性并没有显著的差别, 两个模型对于中国权证定价的误差都非常大, 存在普遍严重低估的现象. 因此, 经典的B-S模型与CEV模型均不适合中国的权证市场. 最后, 结合我国特殊的交易制度背景, 对此进行了简要的分析.     

并行多重网格光滑子JGS与PGS的性能比较

研究两个并行多重网格光滑子JGS和PGS,它们都是串行的GS光滑子的并行化。研究表明:JGS和PGS的光滑效果,在并行子网格内部与GS相近,而在子网格交界处附近很差。为衡量并行光滑子在子网格交界处的光滑性能,文中首次引入并行收敛速度的概念。数值结果显示,在光滑一到三次时,JGS的并行收敛速度总体优于PGS。最后结论是:JGS和PGS都算不上好的并行光滑子,设计新的并行光滑子应着眼于寻找子网格交界处误差的产生原因。     

建立目标价值评定系统:综合集成的方法

地地导弹火力运用中的目标价值评定系统是一个复杂系统.根据研究复杂系统的方法论——综合集成研讨厅体系的思想,探讨了通过综合集成的方法建立目标价值评定系统的方法和技术.着重讨论了1)目标价值评定系统的系统模型和建模方法,2)群体研讨的组织过程,3)群体研讨信息的定义、组织和表示,以及4)群体共识程度的评估等问题.     

Postmodernity and systems science: An evaluation of J.-L. Le Moigne's contribution to the management of the present civilization

In this text, a French school of systems thought is evaluated with reference to its contribution to postmodernity. The main conclusion is that this system provides some pertinent contribution but that there are also some domains where it does not provide much help. Both these domains are identified and discussed. The text starts with a discussion of the postmodern challenge. This is followed by a presentation and critical evaluation of the theory under consideration. The latter gives rise to the Discussion and Conclusion.     

Book Review: Rational Analysis for a Problematic World Revisited: Problem Structuring Methods for Complexity,Uncertainty, and Conflict. Jonathan Rosenhead and John Mingers. Wiley,Chichester, United Kingdom. 2001, 365 pp., Chaps. 15, £22.50 (Amazon)

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All together now: The circular organization in a university Hospital. Part II. Implementation

The first part of this two-part series described the initial impetus driving a university hospital's planned change project, the planning process itself, and the interventions that were identified to meet our goals. This article describes and discusses the interventions—the implementation of our version of Ackoff's circular organization and issues related to barriers, selected outcomes, the change process, evaluation, and the project's significance to nursing.     

Learning by Action Research: A Policy for School Development

In this article I define a project organization as action research. Thus defined, the approach presents a method for experiential learning among educators who develop as learners in an educational setting. Second, the approach describes a method for focusing on research related to change in classroom didactics brought about by the mediating instruments educators discover and use so as to overcome their own learning anxiety. Third, action research and academic investigation are described as a method for integrating theory with practice. Finally, action research is outlined as an effort for social justice—the way knowledge usually develops by social construction.     

Leadership by Activity Theory and Professional Development by Social Construction

Culture and human development come together as one. Contradictions and challenges abound in the transformation of social practices of leadership and management. Globalization, organizational, and professional development bring local realities together. Research must embrace characteristic discourses in order to constitute a modified perspective to current approaches. Research must direct attention to the predominant conceptions of leaders, contexts, and relations. Leaders are discoursed objects capable of individual action, acting rationally in order to structure their contexts. Their ability to relate to others is an individual act and a source to progress. Good discourses displace attitudes, personal properties, and individual acts and highlight relations. One shift of attention goes from transcendental notions of truth, right, and suitability to local–historical constructions of reality. Another shift goes from reality as a singular and independent state to multiple socially constructed realities. In the processes of social construction people create individual worlds where unique relations emerge. Coordinated training and research enable different modes of relating to each other in systemic practice.     

Viability Theory and PSI Theory Interrelation Inspired by Bunge Systemic Classification: the Viable System Ontology Theory

Systemic Practice and Action Research - This paper proposes a new theory called the Viable System Ontology Theory, which is an interrelation among two well-known theories in social science. The...     

A Biography of Bela H. Banathy: A Systems Scholar

This article reflects a biographical account of Bela H. Banathy's life, providing a recorded history of his accomplishments, personally and professionally. Professor Banathy made significant contributions to systems design theory and practice throughout his life. The author chronicles Bela's lifework as a systems scholar, drawing from personal communication, autobiographical documents, and published works to create a biographical portrait.     

FVEA-H：一种用于H．264的快速视频加密算法

视频加密技术被广泛地应用于多媒体系统中.由于要求加密速度快,以往的H.264算法通常选择编码效率高的关键数据进行加密,其安全性、压缩比和加密复杂度互为矛盾,难以满足商业应用的需求.为此,提出了一种新的H.264快速视频加密算法(FVEA-H),该算法(1)在基于上下文的自适应变长编码(CAVLC)中加密残差数据中的拖尾系数;(2)在指数哥伦布(Exp-Golomb)编码中扰乱帧内预测模式、帧间分块模式以及运动矢量差(MVD)符号位等.实验结果表明,该算法在不影响压缩比的条件下,可以取得比以往算法更好的加密安全性,而执行时间上却很快,为H.264的实时安全应用打下了基础.     

Book Review: Accountability in Social Research: Issues and Debates,Norma R.A. Romm,Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers,New York, 2001, 326 pp. $45, £31.50 (cloth), ISBN: 0-306-46564-7

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