In Search of Resonance

In this paper I explore the possibility of a complementary relationship between action research and the management and systems sciences. A range of purposes that action researchers and management and systems scientists pursue is initially set out. The paper then explores whether this diversity of purposes and the ways they recommend people to proceed may come together in a new whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. A potentially useful realization of this for practice is a reflexive process of critique, choice, and action, which is elaborated on. The paper then investigates what view of holism arises from the preceeding discussions.     

Editorial

Systemic Practice and Action Research -     

Editorial

Systemic Practice and Action Research -     

An analytic hierarchy process model of group consensus

In group decision making, a certain degree of consensus is necessary to derive a meaningful and valid outcome. This paper proposes a consensus reaching model for a group by using the Analytic Hierarchy Process （AHP）. It supports people to improve their group consensus level through an updating of their judgments. In this model, a moderator suggests the most discoraant aeclslon manet to update his judgment in each step. The proposed consensus reaching model allows decision makers to accept or reject the suggestion from the moderator. This model ensures that the judgment updating is effective and the final solution will be of acceptable consistency. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the validity of the proposed consensus reaching model.     

基于FPGA的高性能D类功放控制器#br# 设计与实现

针对高性能音频D类功放系统,基于现场可编程门阵列（field programmable gate array,FPGA）设计,实现了一个双声道均匀脉冲宽度调制（uniform pulse width modulation,UPWM）型D类功放控制器。该控制器使用由相同子滤波器抽头级联构成的半带滤波器并时分复用乘法器,以降低可配置插值滤波器的硬件资源消耗,利用sigma-delta调制器的高开环增益,通过构造一个基于查找表的误差校正模块,以较小的硬件代价来预校正控制器使用UPWM技术在信号带宽内所带来的非线性失真。测试结果表明该控制器输出信噪比可达114 dB,互调失真仅为-97 dB。     

Simple scaling relations in geodynamics： the role of pressure in mantle convection and plume formation

Scaling relations are important in extrapolating laboratory experiments to the Earth‘s mantle. In planetary interiors, compression becomes an important parameter and it is useful to explore scalings that involve volume. I use simple volume scaling relations that allow one to extrapolate laboratory experiments and upper mantle behavior, in a thermodynamically self-consistent way, to predict lower mantle behavior. The relations are similar to the quasi-har-monic approximation. Slabs and plates have characteristic dimensions of hundreds of kilometers and time constants of 100 million years, but the volume scalings predict order of magnitude higher values in the deep mantle. The scaling relations imply that the deep mantle is a sluggish system with ancient features. They imply irreversible chemical stratification and do not favor the plume hypothesis.     

进水碳磷比对连续流反硝化除磷工艺脱氮除磷效果的影响

针对连续流双污泥反硝化除磷工艺,考察进水碳磷质量比(m(C)/m(P))对化学需氧量(COD)、氨氮和总磷(TP)去除效果的影响.系统进水COD和氨氮分别保持在250和45 mg/L左右,通过改变进水TP浓度来调整m(C)/m(P).实验结果表明:在m(C)/m(P)比分别为64.1,42.0,33.0和17.8的情况下,TP去除率分别为93.2％,92.0％,78.3％和65.8％,除磷效率明显降低.在m(C)/m(P)＞42.0的情况下,出水TP低于0.5 mg/L.随着m(C)/m(P)的降低,反硝化聚磷污泥释磷量和净聚磷量增加,净聚磷量分别为3.63,5.33,6.26和10.3mg/L.m(C)/m(P)减小有利于提高生物除磷系统的稳定性,但出水磷浓度会有所增加,可通过适当延长后置曝气池停留时间来降低出水磷浓度.m(C)/m(P)对COD的去除和脱氮的效果影响不大,COD去除率保持在85.6％～93.1％,氨氮的去除率大于93％.     

Marrow mesenchymal stem cells transduced with TPO/FL genes as support for ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells

A new marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) line that could support expansion of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) was developed. Primary hMSCs were infected with retrovirus containing Flt-3 ligand and thrombopoietin genes. CD34+ cells from cord blood were expanded with primary hMSCs or transduced hMSCs. The expansion of total nucleated cells, CD34+ cells and mixed colonies containing erythroid and myeloid cells and megakaryocytes for 2 weeks coculture with transduced hMSCs was remarkably increased. The outputs of long-term culture-initiating cells for 2 and 4 weeks coculture with transduced hMSCs were also largely increased. The expansion rates of HSPCs with transduced hMSCs were unchanged for 6 weeks. In contrast, the expansion rates of HSPCs with primary hMSCs declined drastically through 6 weeks. SCID-repopulating cell expansion with transduced hMSCs for 4 weeks was significantly higher than that of uncultured CD34+ cells and HSPCs expanded with primary hMSCs. Received 21 June 2005; received after revision 30 July 2005; accepted 24 August 2005     

Copper and zinc dismetabolism in the mouse brain upon chronic cuprizone treatment

Recent reports describe successful treatment using copper chelation therapy in neurodegenerative animal models. However, the success claimed for chelation therapy in neurodegenerative diseases is still rather controversial. To acquire new information on copper metabolism/homeostasis, we utilized cuprizone, a very sensitive and selective copper-chelating agent with well-known neurotoxic properties, as a relevant chemical model in mice. Upon cuprizone treatment, mice developed a pronounced astrocytosis, with brain oedema and spongiosis characterised by vacuolisations of the neuropil predominantly in the white matter. In addition, cuprizone treatment severely altered copper and zinc homeostasis in the central nervous system (CNS) as well as in all other tissues examined, with increasing metal ion concentrations particularly in the CNS. Concomitant with this increase in the Cu and Zn concentration in the brain, metallothionein-I and -II were also highly immunoreactive in astrocyte, consistent with the astrocytosis and demyelination observed in our and other laboratories.Received 23 February 2005; received after revision 3 May 2005; accepted 13 May 2005     

Mechanisms underlying celiac disease and its neurologic manifestations

The extra-intestinal manifestations of celiac disease (CD), including ataxia and peripheral neuropathy, are increasingly being recognized as the presenting symptoms of this autoimmune disease. Although there is a greater understanding of the pathogenesis of the intestinal lesions in CD the mechanisms behind the neurologic manifestations of CD have not been elucidated. In this article, the authors review the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind the histopathologic changes in the intestine, discuss the presentation and characteristics of neurologic manifestations of CD, review the data on the mechanisms behind these manifestations, and discuss the diagnosis and treatment of CD. Molecular mimicry and intermolecular help may play a role in the development of neurologic complications.Received 11 March 2004; received after revision 29 October 2004; accepted 12 November 2004