Editorial

Systemic Practice and Action Research -     

Enhancing the process of methodology choice in total systems intervention (TSI) and improving chances of tackling coercion

The process of Choice in TSI is reexamined in this paper. Previously, methods² have been understood to have a given and immediate purpose and are employed when this is judged to be most suitable in the circumstances. In this paper we suggest that methods can be operated in ways that meet purposes not provided by their founding theoretical underpinnings. We develop this argument by pointing to cases where cybernetic or soft methods are driven by purposes and principles given to emancipatory methodology—in a quest to address more effectively issues of coercion. This may be necessary when explicit and direct employment of emancipatory methodology is not sensitive enough to political dynamics, where certain people may feel overly threatened by its language and consequently feel the need to subvert its use. We develop a defence for thisoblique use of cybernetic and soft methods in coercive contexts, and extend the argument to suggest that all methods can be employed in such a way.     

Editorial

Systemic Practice and Action Research -     

代数几何中的正定性Ⅱ向量丛和乘子理想的正定性

正定性是代数几何中的重要研究课题，本书系统地介绍了线丛、高阶向量丛、乘子理想的正定性的最新发展成果。全书共有三部分内容，分为两卷，本书为第二卷。第一卷含有第一部分内容，第二卷由第二部分和第三部分内容组成。     

Murine type C endogenous virus expression in murine 129 teratocarcinoma cell line]

Murine type C viral information is detectable in the cellular genome of both differentiated and undifferentiated cell lines derived from 129 Mouse teratocarcinoma. Cytoplasmic RNA expression which is negligible in differentiated cells, is significantly higher in multipotential undifferentiated cells. Furthermore it was observed that in vitro differentiation of multipotent cells leads to a decrease of this expression.     

Character and OTU stability in five taxonomic groups

The character and OTU stability of classifications based on UPGMA clustering and maximum parsimony (MP) trees were compared for 5 datasets (families of angiosperms, families of orthopteroid insects, species of the fish genusIctalurus, genera of the salamander family Salamandridae, and genera of the frog family Myobatrachidae). Stability was investigated by taking different sized random subsamples of OTUs or characters, computing UPGMA clusters and an MP tree, and then comparing the resulting trees with those based on the entire dataset. Agreement was measured by two consensus indices, that of Colless, computed from strict consensus trees, and Stinebrickner's 0.5-consensus index. Tests of character stability generally showed a monotone decrease in agreement with the standard as smaller sets of characters are considered. The relative success of the two methods depended upon the dataset. Tests of OTU stability showed a monotone decrease in agreement for UPGMA as smaller sets of OTUs are considered. But for MP, agreement decreased and then increased again on the same scale. The apparent superiority of UPGMA relative to MP with respect to OTU stability depended upon the dataset. Considerations other than stability, such as computer efficiency or accuracy, will also determine the method of choice for classifications.