The Microcomputer as an Intelligent Interface Between Laboratory Instruments and Data Systems: Automatic Data Collection from a Grain Analyzer

ABSTRACT

Data from a grain analyzer have been automatically read into a minicomputer data system using a single board microcomputer (KIM-I) as an intelligent serial line interface. The practicality of this type of data acquisition interface is discussed.     

Barriers to seeking care following school vision screening in Rochester, Minnesota

School vision screening provides an effective way to identify children who require vision therapy, usually glasses. To benefit from screening, children with abnormal screening test results must receive follow-up eye care, but care may be delayed for months or years. This project used community focus groups in Rochester, Minn., to identify barriers that may delay seeking professional care following school vision screening. Major barriers identified included lack of community awareness about the frequency and potential effect of refractive errors in children, a parental perception of inadequate communication between schools and the parents and community, high cost of corrective lenses, limited availability of convenient eye care appointments, and adolescents reluctance to wear glasses. Program planners developed a community action plan to address the perceived barriers.     

Emotion and aging: Experience, expression, and control.

Age differences in emotional experience, expression, and control were investigated in 4 studies. A community sample of 127 African Americans and European Americans (ages 19–96 years) was used in Study 1; a community sample of 82 Chinese Americans and European Americans (ages 20–85 years) was used in Study 2; a community sample of 49 Norwegians drawn from 2 age groups (ages 20–35 years and 70+ years) was used in Study 3; and a sample of 1,080 American nuns (ages 24–101 years) was used in Study 4. Across studies, a consistent pattern of age differences emerged. Compared with younger participants, older participants reported fewer negative emotional experiences and greater emotional control. Findings regarding emotional expressivity were less consistent, but when there were age differences, participants reported lesser expressivity. Results are interpreted in terms of increasingly competent emotion regulation across the life span. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Applied studies on immobilized titanium dioxide films ascatalysts for the photoelectrochemical detoxification of water

Preliminary results are presented on the photochemical and photoelectrochemical degradation of aqueous organic solutions by anodic, thermal and sol–gel TiO2 films. The films were tested in a photochemical falling film reactor, and a photochemical/photoelectrochemical vortex reactor, and preliminary results are presented on the degradation of a range of model organics using these reactors. The former showed the best mass transport characteristics and most efficient light usage, whilst the latter reactor clearly showed the efficacy of the electric field enhancement effect. The results on the vortex reactor effectively represent a proof-of-concept of the electric field enhancement approach in large scale photoelectrochemical reactors. From time to time it is necessary to recoat the substrates, and the importance of the procedure adopted to remove old TiO2 films prior to the fabrication of new films is highlighted, as well as the mode of operation of the sol–gel films, and problems encountered in reactor design.     

Effects of Recess on the Classroom Behavior of Children With and Without Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a traditional recess on the subsequent classroom behavior of children with a diagnosis of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In addition, the time of recess was matched to the behavior of the individual children diagnosed with ADHD based on prior assessment of their classroom behavior as a function of time of confinement in the classroom. All results were evaluated using single-case designs. Results showed that levels of inappropriate behavior were consistently higher on days when participants did not have recess, compared with days when they did have recess. Results also showed that the level of inappropriate behavior for all participants progressively increased over time on days when they did not have recess. However, this progressive increase did not occur on days when the participants had recess. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Analyst's View of Complex Systems Projects

The general systems model based on inputs, processes, and outputs is useful for defining and documenting a development project, but it may not be the mental model that analysts and programmers actually use to differentiate system elements. An exploratory study using multidimensional scaling suggests that employing other dimensions during requirements analysis, functional decomposition, and even final documentation may help manage some of the complexity of today's software.     

Velocity-based motion categorization by pigeons.

To examine if animals could learn action-like categorizations in a manner similar to noun-based categories, eight pigeons were trained to categorize rates of object motion. Testing 40 different objects in a go/no-go discrimination, pigeons were first trained to discriminate between fast and slow rates of object rotation around their central y-axis. They easily learned this velocity discrimination and transferred it to novel objects and rates. This discrimination also transferred to novel types of motions including the other two axes of rotation and two new translations around the display. Comparable tests with rapid and slow changes in the objects' size, color, and shape failed to support comparable transfer. This difference in discrimination transfer between motion-based and property-based changes suggests the pigeons had learned motion concept rather than one based on change per se. The results provide evidence that pigeons can acquire an understanding of motion-based actions, at least with regard to the property of object velocity. This may be similar to our use of verbs and adverbs to categorize different classes of behavior or motion (e.g., walking, jogging, or running slow vs. fast). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)