The role of the First World War in the rise of the electronicsindustry

The First World War, sometimes called the `war of invention', brought technology to the attention of everyone and played a major role in establishing the electronics industry. It brought about mass production of electron tubes, especially for use in wireless telegraphy and telephony, and revealed how versatile the technology was, as dozens of new applications emerged. Because of these applications, large numbers of people were trained in the technology, and many of these people continued to work with tubes after the war     

Response of the clerid predatorThanasimus dubius (F.) to bark beetle pheromones and tree volatiles in a wind tunnel

Tree volatiles and pheromones produced by southern bark beetles were bioassayed for response by the clerid predatorThanasimus dubius (F.). Upwind flights in a laboratory olfactometer, modified from Visser (1976), were used to determine the attractiveness of compounds. Differences in response to a solvent control and pheromone treatment were tested for statistical significance using the Wilcoxon signed ranks test. Both sexes ofT. dubius responded to frontalin, ipsdienol, and -pinene in a dose-dependent manner with different but overlapping concentration ranges. Strong differences between the sexes were observed in response totrans-verbenol, verbenone, andl--pinene. Neither sex responded to ipsenol orendo-brevicomin.Miss. Agric. and For. Exp. Sta. Publication No. 5251.     

Ernst Weber: bridger of cultures

The accomplishments of Ernst Weber, who was born in 1901 in Vienna, are discussed. Weber earned doctorates in both physics and electrical engineering and worked as an engineer for Siemens-Schuckert before moving to the United States in 1930. For the next 27 years he taught and did research at Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. There he built up an outstanding graduate program and made important contributions to microwave research. In 1957 he became President of Polytechnic, and in 1963 he served as the first president of the newly formed Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). After his retirement in 1969 from Polytechnic, he worked nine years for the National Research Council. Throughout his career Weber worked to build bridges between different cultures: between European electrical engineering and American electrical engineering, between industry and academia, between engineering and physics, and between the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and the Institute of Radio Engineers, when they merged to become the IEEE     

Thelma Estrin, biomedical engineer: a pioneer of applied computing

An account is given of the career of Thelma Estrin. Estrin entered engineering because of the urgent need for workers in the defense industries during World War II. After earning a Ph.D degree in electrical engineering in 1951, she worked in medical electronics (mainly electroencephalography) and on the design and construction of a digital computer (the WEIZAC). In 1960 she began a long association with UCLA's Brain Research Institute, where she organized and directed the Data Processing Laboratory. Estrin pioneered in the application of computers to biomedical research-especially in the areas of data acquisition and graphic display-and health-care delivery. In addition, she has done much to increase the number of women in engineering, both by direct efforts to assist others and by providing a role model     

Comparative toxicity of diuron on survival and growth of Pacific treefrog, bullfrog, red-legged frog, and African clawed frog embryos and tadpoles

The goal of treating hypertension is to maximize therapeutic efficacy without untoward side effects. The accepted approach is to start treatment with a low dose of a single drug and then titrate it upward as needed to achieve a better therapeutic effect. However, higher doses of administered individual drugs increase the frequency and severity of side effects. A rational combination of individual drugs administered in low doses is preferable because it is associated with a high degree of efficacy, low incidence or severity of side effects, and high patient compliance. The most commonly used drug combinations are as follows: (1) diuretics with potassium-sparing agents; (2) beta-adrenergic blockers with diuretics; (3) angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors with diuretics; (4) angiotensin II receptor blockers with diuretics; and (5) angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors with calcium-channel blockers.     

Expectancy theory predictions of academic effort and performance.

Used expectancy theory models to predict the academic effort and performance of 60 male undergraduates. Rating scales completed by Ss support the theory that effort is related to the degree to which the behavior (or job) is seen as leading to various outcomes weighted (multiplicatively) by the evaluation of these outcomes. The predictability of effort increased when extensions of the effort model were included by adding others' expectations and perceived influence. Ss' self-reports of effort and GPA and college entrance exam records were used to test the job performance model, which suggests that effort and ability combine to predict performance. Neither the additive nor the multiplicative models found support in this setting. The extensions and modifications of the theory are discussed in detail. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coaching services: A look at coaches, clients, and practices.

Coaching is growing rapidly as a way to help individuals improve their professional and/or personal success. Although similar services have been offered for some time, coaching is becoming more widely available and is being offered by a more diverse set of professionals. This research was undertaken to learn more about coaches from varying academic backgrounds, and how they may differ in their approach to their craft. In the study, 2,231 coaches participated by completing a web-based survey examining coaching practices. A general discussion and conclusions are included. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Harold Alden Wheeler: a lifetime of applied electronics

The career of electronics engineer Harold Alden Wheeler, born in 1903 who contributed to the development of radio, television, and radar, is profiled. He experimented with radio in the days before broadcasting, and in 1922 he began a long-lasting association with the radio engineer Alan Hazeltine. In 1925 Wheeler made his most famous invention, a circuit that achieves automatic volume control (now called automatic gain control). It soon became, and remains today, a standard features of AM radios. In the 1920s and 1930s Wheeler made many other contributions, both practical and theoretical, to circuit design for radio receivers-AM, FM, and shortwave-and for television receivers. He excelled in the development of test equipment. During and after World War II, the design of antennas and of transmission lines become specialties of Wheeler's. His many honors include the Morris N. Liebmann Award, the Armstrong Medal of the Radio Club of America, and the IEEE Medal of Honor