Implicit theories and semantic similarities: Reply to Marsh and Groves (1987).

The role of implicit theories in behavioral judgments continues to be a source of debate. In a study exploring the factorial validity of student ratings of instruction, Cadwell and Jenkins (1985) suggested that students' implicit theories of instructor behavior may account for the robust factor structure underlying student ratings. They argued that students rely on the semantic similarity of the rating items, inflating the observed relations among the items. Marsh and Groves cite methodological and conceptual difficulties with the Cadwell and Jenkins study, but most of these difficulties may arise from Marsh and Groves's misconceptions about the role of implicit theories and semantic similarities and, more generally, the cognitive processes underlying judgment tasks. I review these issues and address various points of Marsh and Groves's critique. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Metastatic parathyroid carcinoma in the MEN2A syndrome

We report a patient with a metastatic parathyroid carcinoma and medullary carcinoma of the thyroid. This patient represents a variation of the multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome (MEN) type 2A. There was no evidence of a phaeochromocytoma. The case illustrates the difficulties that may be encountered in localising the source of PTH secretion; the patient underwent four unsuccessful exploratory operations of the neck and mediastinum before further investigations revealed a single metastatic deposit of parathyroid carcinoma involving the first thoracic vertebra. PCR amplification and sequencing of the RET oncogene from the metastatic parathyroid carcinoma and genomic DNA revealed a heterozygous mutation (Cys634Tyr) in exon 11, as has previously been described to occur in MEN 2A. In addition, loss of tumour heterozygosity was demonstrated at loci from chromosomes 1, 2, 3p, 13q and 16p. This represents the first report of a parathyroid carcinoma in a MEN2A patient, in which the multiple allelic deletions are consistent with the generalised losses observed in aggressive tumours.     

Measurement of PLL phase error caused by power supply noise

The measurement of the accumulated phase error of phase-locked loops (PLLs) in microprocessor systems is discussed. A system which creates controlled power supply noise and measures the PLL response is described. Examples of the use of this technique are shown for a PLL used in a 400 MHz microprocessor     

Deterministic and stochastic Petri net models of protection schemes

The authors establish the relevance of Petri net modeling to protection studies. They illustrate how the different Petri net models capture the information that is of importance to both qualitative and quantitative evaluation of protection schemes. The marked Petri nets allow one to evaluate the qualitative performance measures of conservativeness, safeness, and properness. Time Petri nets are able to represent the timing parameters of protection schemes, and serve as a tool for the establishment of relationships between these parameters, in order that the coordination between primary and backup protection is ensured. An alternative means of representing timing information is the timed Petri net, which is useful in the computation of the cycle times of the operational cycles of protection schemes. Stochastic Petri nets adequately represent the stochastic nature of protection. Their advantage over simulation techniques as a means of computing the mean sojourn time and the steady-state probability of occupancy of each state of the protection scheme is demonstrated     

Sustaining Rural Landscapes: the role of integrated tourism

The aim of a European Union-funded research project entitled 'Supporting and Promoting Integrated Tourism in Europe's Lagging Rural Regions' (SPRITE) is to analyse and develop the potential for better-integrated tourism in the rural landscapes of Europe. Integrated tourism can be defined as that which is explicitly linked to the localities in which it takes place and, in practical terms, has clear connections with local resources, activities, products, production and service industries, and a participatory local community. Enhancing the sustainable economic potential of rural landscapes requires partnerships among rural people and the sustainable yet productive use of rural resources. A 'culture economy' approach to integrated tourism is proposed, which emphasizes the importance of local identity, the strategic commodification of resources and of place, and the importance of extra-local forces in enabling local activities. It is suggested that this approach may represent a shift beyond more traditional approaches to rural development.     

Identification of gate electrode discontinuities in submicron CMOStechnologies, and effect on circuit performance

An experiment to determine the effect of gate electrode resistivity on circuit speed gave unexpected results: circuits with the lowest sheet resistance had the poorest circuit speed. Explanation of this behaviour required development of a new high-frequency method of measuring the impedance of the gate electrode. This method revealed that the circuits with a composite gate electrode had been formed with a partial discontinuity. The measurement technique is described, and the evidence of the discontinuity is shown. The effect of the discontinuity on device and circuit speed is demonstrated     

Gene amplification as a prognostic factor in primary and secondary high-grade malignant gliomas

ND10 are recently characterized nuclear domains that are composed of 0.5 microm sized, precisely circumscribed dots in cultured human cell lines. To investigate the distribution and number of ND10 on various types of normal and neoplastic human tissues, we carried out immunostaining and immunoprecipitation analyses with monoclonal antibodies 138 and 1150. The number of ND10 varied from 1 to 10 or more in various tissues as did their size. ND10 were diffusely located in early embryonic and normal tissues, except for the exocrine and endocrine cells of the pancreas and for hepatocytes. In normal squamous mucosa, basal cells had more ND10 than did differentiated superficial squamous cells. The number and size of ND10 were markedly increased in malignant neoplasms but were similar in benign tumors and corresponding normal tissues. Sex hormone-related normal tissues, such as the endometrium or myometrium, and neoplasms strongly stained for ND10. The distribution pattern of ND10 in human tissues indicates that they are conserved nuclear substructures that are closely associated with cellular differentiation, hormonal stimulation, and oncogenesis.