Learning about a new technology: pineapple in Ghana

This paper investigates the role of social learning in the diffusion of a new agricultural technology in Ghana. We use unique data on farmers' communication patterns to define each individual's information neighborhood, the set of others from whom he might learn. Our empirical strategy is to test whether farmers adjust their inputs to align with those of their information neighbors who were surprisingly successful in previous periods. We present evidence that farmers adopt surprisingly successful neighbors' practices, conditional on many potentially confounding factors including common growing conditions, credit arrangements, clan membership, and religion. The relationship of these input adjustments to experience further supports their interpretation as resulting from social learning. In addition, we apply our methods to input choices for another crop with known technology and they correctly indicate an absence of social learning effects.

Learning About a New Technology: Pineapple in Ghana

This paper investigates the role of social learning in the diffusion of a new agricultural technology in Ghana. We use unique data on farmers’ communication patterns to define each individual’s information neighborhood, the set of others from whom he might learn. Our empirical strategy is to test whether farmers adjust their inputs to align with those of their information neighbors who were surprisingly successful in previous periods. We present evidence that farmers adopt surprisingly successful neighbors’ practices, conditional on many potentially confounding factors including common growing conditions, credit arrangements, clan membership, and religion. The relationship of these input adjustments to experience further supports their interpretation as resulting from social learning. In addition, we apply our methods to input choices for another crop with known technology and they correctly indicate an absence of social learning effects.Social Learning, Technology, Innovation

Supernova Constraints and Systematic Uncertainties from the First Three Years of the Supernova Legacy Survey

We combine high-redshift Type Ia supernovae from the first three years of the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS) with other supernova (SN) samples, primarily at lower redshifts, to form a high-quality joint sample of 472 SNe (123 low-z, 93 SDSS, 242 SNLS, and 14 Hubble Space Telescope). SN data alone require cosmic acceleration at >99.999% confidence, including systematic effects. For the dark energy equation of state parameter (assumed constant out to at least z = 1.4) in a flat universe, we find w = –0.91^(+0.16)_(–0.20)(stat)^(+0.07)_(–0.14)(sys) from SNe only, consistent with a cosmological constant. Our fits include a correction for the recently discovered relationship between host-galaxy mass and SN absolute brightness. We pay particular attention to systematic uncertainties, characterizing them using a systematic covariance matrix that incorporates the redshift dependence of these effects, as well as the shape-luminosity and color-luminosity relationships. Unlike previous work, we include the effects of systematic terms on the empirical light-curve models. The total systematic uncertainty is dominated by calibration terms. We describe how the systematic uncertainties can be reduced with soon to be available improved nearby and intermediate-redshift samples, particularly those calibrated onto USNO/SDSS-like systems

Management of sleep apnea: a critical look at intra‐oral appliances

With so many disciplines of both medicine and dentistry involved in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), several forms of therapy are available. The orthodontist is rarely considered when the diagnosis of chronic obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is delivered. However, the scope of orthodontic care today is much broader than the mere alignment of teeth. While the current gold standard for OSA care remains continuous positive air pressure (CPAP), the patient may be given a prescription for an intra‐oral sleep appliance. When orthodontists work in concert with their medical colleagues to provide a sleep appliance, several considerations must be made including the evidence regarding oral appliance efficacy. For some patients, oral appliances are highly successful; however, even for responsive patients, there are risks associated with oral appliance therapy. The aim of the paper was to present a critical review of the current level of evidence for the use of oral appliances in the treatment of OSA. A substantial number of publications ranging from case reports, uncontrolled and controlled case series, prospective randomized studies, and even a small number of systematic reviews were available. The existing systematic reviews were based on either a limited number of prospective studies with limited numbers of patients or in some cases were based on subjective data only. As a result, a narrative review of the literature was performed that discusses objective clinically testable criteria and recent developments that may aid future research investigations.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111150/1/ocr12071.pd

Fixation of virgin lunar surface soil

Two systems are shown to be suitable for fixing loose particulate soils with a polymer film, without visually detectable disturbance of the soil particle spatial relationships. A two-component system is described, which uses a gas monomer condensible at the soil temperature and a gas phase catalyst acting to polymerize the monomer. A one-component system using a monomer which polymerizes spontaneously on and within the top few millimeters of the soil is also considered. The two-component system employs a simpler apparatus, but it operates over a narrower temperature range (approximately -40 to -10 C). Other two-component systems were identified which may operate at soil temperatures as high as +100 C, at relatively narrow temperature ranges of approximately 30 C. The one-component system was demonstrated to operate successfully with initial soil temperatures from -70 C or lower to +150 C

Bat Species Diversity in Old-Growth vs. Second Growth Forests in Lilley Cornett Woods, Letcher County, Kentucky

Bat activity in old-growth forests (+150 years) is a subject that is poorly understood. The majority of old-growth forests are located in the northwestern portion of the United States, and with current silviculture practices, many forests are being cut. There have been no published studies that specifically examine bat use of old-growth forests in Kentucky. The objective of this study was to determine the diversity of bat species associated with old-growth and second growth forests within the Lilley Cornett Woods Appalachian Ecological Research Station, Letcher County, Kentucky. This study was conducted over 2 field seasons; 2009 and 2010. Mist netting was conducted during July 2009, consisting of 13 sites (6 in old-growth, 7 in second growth forests). A total of 26 individuals, representing 5 species were captured. The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) was the most abundant bat captured (n=11, 42%). The tri-colored bat (Permyotis subflavus) (n=6, 23%), northern bat (M. septentrionalis) (n=6, 23%), big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) (n=2), and hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) were also captured during mist net surveys. Only 15% of bats were captured in old-growth forest sites, while 85% of captures occurred in second growth forest. Acoustical monitoring was conducted from 22 May - 21 August 2010, with acoustic sampling occurring nightly and continuously for 85 nights. Anabat II ultrasonic bat detectors with ZCAIM units were deployed in old-growth and second growth forest locations for two week sampling periods (23 sampling locations; 14 in old-growth and 9 in second growth). There were 34,536 identified echolocation passes recorded from 10 different bat species, i.e., tri-colored bat, little brown bat, northern bat, big brown bat, hoary bat, Indiana bat (M. sodalis), gray bat (M. grisescens), eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis), eastern small-footed bat (M. leibii), southeastern bat (M. austroriparius), evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis). The second growth forest recorded more bat passes than the old-growth forest (61% and 39%, respectively), with the tri-colored bat being the most frequently recorded bat in the old-growth forest; while the little brown bat was the most frequently recorded bat in the second growth forest. There was very little similarity in terms of the species captured using mist nets and the species detected using Anabat; and between the bat species captured during mist netting in the old-growth forest vs. second growth forest (SJ = 0.36 and 0.20, respectively). The region which comprises the Lilley Cornett Woods Appalachian Ecological Research Station supports a diverse population of bat species. It is recommended the forested habitat, especially the old-growth segment, and the riparian community associated with Line Fork Creek be preserved in order to maintain the area\u27s Chiropteran community

L'CO/LFIR Relations with CO Rotational Ladders of Galaxies Across the Herschel SPIRE Archive

We present a catalog of all CO (J=4-3 through J=13-12)), [CI], [NII] lines available from extragalactic spectra from the Herschel SPIRE Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) archive combined with observations of the low-J CO lines from the literature and from the Arizona Radio Observatory. This work examines the relationships between LFIR, L'CO, and LCO/LCO(1-0). We also present a new method for estimating probability distribution functions (PDFs) from marginal signal-to-noise ratio Herschel} FTS spectra, which takes into account the instrumental "ringing" and the resulting highly correlated nature of the spectra. The slopes of log(LFIR) vs. log(L'CO) are linear for all mid- to high-J CO lines and slightly sublinear if restricted to (U)LIRGs. The mid- to high-J CO luminosity relative to CO J=1-0 increases with increasing LFIR, indicating higher excitement of the molecular gas, though these ratios do not exceed ~ 180. For a given bin in LFIR, the luminosities relative to CO J=1-0 remain relatively flat from J=6-5 through J=13-12, across three orders of magnitude of LFIR. A single component theoretical photon-dominated region (PDR) model cannot match these flat SLED shapes, though combinations of PDR models with mechanical heating added qualitatively match the shapes, indicating the need for further comprehensive modeling of the excitation processes of warm molecular gas in nearby galaxies.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures (including appendix), accepted by ApJ. Full tables will be in VizieR upon publication, email first author for tables in the meantim

The Bush Administration and the War on Drugs: An Exploratory Weaverian Rhetorical Analysis of Ultimate Terms and Arguments as Weapons in the War on Drugs

One of the least studied trends in contemporary rhetorical discourse is what Richard Weaver called the ultimate devil term, --words which serve as the ultimate symbols of repulsion and repellant. Weaver claimed that the word communist was the ultimate devil term in the 1950s. However, it is the belief of this author that the new ultimate devil term of the 1990s is the word drug. This study sought to determine whether or not a shift in ultimate terms had occurred by examining the speeches of President George Bush and other members of his Administration associated with the war on drugs. A Weaverian methodology was applied to several speeches of Administration officials, and the criteria that Weaver set forth for the study of ultimate devil terms was applied to references made to drugs in these speeches. Finally, Weaver\u27s hierarchy of argument was applied to the arguments made by Bush and other Administration officials when referring to the war on drugs. The study found that a shift in ultimate terms has indeed occurred, and that the term drugs met all criteria for a devil term. Further, it was found that the Administration used the highest forms of argumentation according to the Weaverian hierarchy. A critical examination of the effects of this rhetoric found that the Administration of President Bush adapted to the intended audience in exemplary fashion

The Bush Administration and the War on Drugs: An Exploratory Weaverian Rhetorical Analysis of Ultimate Terms and Arguments as Weapons in the War on Drugs

One of the least studied trends in contemporary rhetorical discourse is what Richard Weaver called the ultimate devil term, --words which serve as the ultimate symbols of repulsion and repellant. Weaver claimed that the word communist was the ultimate devil term in the 1950s. However, it is the belief of this author that the new ultimate devil term of the 1990s is the word drug. This study sought to determine whether or not a shift in ultimate terms had occurred by examining the speeches of President George Bush and other members of his Administration associated with the war on drugs. A Weaverian methodology was applied to several speeches of Administration officials, and the criteria that Weaver set forth for the study of ultimate devil terms was applied to references made to drugs in these speeches. Finally, Weaver\u27s hierarchy of argument was applied to the arguments made by Bush and other Administration officials when referring to the war on drugs. The study found that a shift in ultimate terms has indeed occurred, and that the term drugs met all criteria for a devil term. Further, it was found that the Administration used the highest forms of argumentation according to the Weaverian hierarchy. A critical examination of the effects of this rhetoric found that the Administration of President Bush adapted to the intended audience in exemplary fashion