The Third Track of the Open-Systems-Thinking School: An Application of Domain Theory to New Zealand Ports

The Open-Systems Thinking (OST) school identified with Emery and Trist is situated as an important but underutilized approach in systems thinking. The main features of OST are described, including four "tracks" along which OST has developed. The third track, which focuses on interorganizational domains, is considered in detail. It is then applied to a case concerning the complex social dynamics of and in port domains in New Zealand. This exercise enables us to illuminate some lacunae in previous representations of the port domain research, to assess OST's third track regarding its relevance for systemic practice, and to help to bring OST to the table with other systems approaches that are all vying for the attention of researchers, practicing managers, students, and consultants.     

Reverse Programmed SONOS Memory Technique for 0.18 μm Embedded Utilization

A 4 Mb embedded silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory was developed with a 0.18 μm CMOS logic compatible technology. A reverse programming array architecture was proposed to reduce the chip area, enhance the operating window, and increase the read speed. The charge distribution was analyzed to optimize the programming and erase conditions considering both the operating speed and the endurance performance. The final test chip has a good endurance of 105 cycles and a data retention time of at least 10 years.     

Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics of Proteins

正We describe a theoretical approach based on fragment method for quantum mechanical calculation of proteins.In this approach,complete quantum mechanical calculation of protein energies in solvent is carried out by fragment which is then feed into molecular dynamics simulation to study protein dynamics.This approach extends computational study of protein dynamics to the fully quantum mechanical level,beyond tradiationl force field methods.Pt     

Persistence of subalpine forest--meadow ecotones in the Gunnison Basin, Colorado

Forests of the southern Rocky Mountains are punctuated by persistent meadows called parks that are dominated by grasses and forbs. In an attempt to elucidate the maintenance of subalpine parks in the Gunnison Basin, Colorado, soil texture and tree morphology differences along 60-m transects spanning the forest-park ecotone were studied in 6 representative parks. Seedling survivorship, percent seed germination, and soil moisture available to plants were also studied along one of the transects in Willow Park. Soil analyses revealed 40% more silt and significantly less sand and clay in all 6 parks ( P P = 0.011), with 54% more water in forest than in park soils. Measures of growth rate obtained from tree height, dbh, and age were significantly higher nearer the ecotone ( P P = 0.002). These results suggest that stress of mature Engelmann spruce ( Picea engelmannii ) and lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta ) is an unlikely explanation of park maintenance. P. engelmanii percent seed germination and seedling survivorship were significantly higher in the forest than in the park ( P < 0.001). This may be largely due to the more severe seedling microclimate observed in the park. Results indicate that limited seedling establishment is primarily responsible for maintenance of subalpine parks in the Gunnison Basin.     

Marsilea mollis (Marsileaceae) sporocarps and associated insect parasitism in southern Arizona

We report observations on reproductive phenology, fecundity, and sporocarp morphology for a population of the semiaquatic fern Marsilea mollis B.L. Rob. & Fernald in southern Arizona and document the parasitic relationships of 2 insects collected with the plants. The recently described weevil Notiodes sporocarpicus O&rsquo;Brien (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) utilizes the fern&rsquo;s sporocarp as a brood chamber, only the second documented instance of this form of parasitism in the United States. The wasp Lyrcus maculatus (Gahan) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is a parasitoid of the weevil in this system.     

Revisit the K-segment of the Southeast Indian Ridge for new evidence of hydrothermal plumes

During the first leg of a Chinese research cruise to the Southeast Indian Ridge (SEIR) in 2007, we revisited the K-segment of the SEIR and observed a water column turbidity anomaly at a CTD cast station. This station was located ~400 m from a dredge site on a plume anomaly detected in 1996 by US scientists. The characteristics of the turbidity anomaly detected in our survey are different from those observed 11 years previously, implying that either the detected anomalies have distinct and different plume sources or the robustness of the plume has changed in the intervening time. In addition, turbidity anomalies were observed at two localities on the K-segment in a deep tow-yo profile. If these two anomalies are not connected, the plume incidence calculated would be about 0.28, larger than the predicted value of 0.25 for a 65 mm/a spreading rate. This increase in plume incidence on the K-segment seems to be related to the influence of the St. Paul-Amsterdam hotspot, located about 300 km to the northwest.     

如何制造人体器官

很久以来，器官的排异性和捐赠器官的缺乏一直困扰着器官移植病人。最近，美国威斯康星大学的研究人员宣布，用干细胞可生长出人体器官，这种干细胞是迄今发现的发育最不成熟的人类细胞。科学家们当其在胚胎中尚未明确发育方向时将其取出，在一定方向对其施以一定的刺激，它们便可发育成肝脏、心脏、大脑或各种骨骼。对于全世界的医生来说，这一发现无疑预示着一个医学新纪元即将来临。虽然美国国会有人反对从丢弃的胚胎和人工流产的胎儿身上获取干细胞进行研究，甚至有70名立法人员在一封措辞坚定的信中要求联邦政府禁止一切此类研究，然而…