Scottish social survey data, past present and future:Does Scotland need its own data strategy?

The UK now has a National Data Strategy. In this paper we explore whether or not in addition Scotland needs its own specific data strategy. This paper is intended to be a ‘think piece’ or critical essay, the motivation being to encourage debate about Scottish social survey data. Post-devolution, with the emergence of new forms of governance and new institutional arrangements, the political desire to research Scotland in the 21st Century has been brought into sharper resolution. Social and economic life in Scotland shares both similarities and differences with life south of the border. It is important that these characteristics are correctly identified with empirical data rather than simply being assumed. Scotland is a small territory with a good social science tradition and a healthy research sector. There is an increasing amount of survey data collecting measures relating to social and economic life in Scotland. These include both United Kingdom or Great Britain based surveys with a Scottish component, and Scotland focussed surveys. In this paper we outline a number of key issues relating to Scottish social science data resources. We provide a number of critical recommendations for social science data collection in Scotland. Finally, we examine the potential benefits of a comprehensive data strategy

Cosmic ray positron research and silicon track detector development

The purpose was to conduct research on: (1) position sensing detector systems, particularly those based upon silicon detectors, for use in future balloon and satellite experiments; and (2) positrons, electrons, proton, anti-protons, and helium particles as measured by the NASA NMSU Balloon Magnet Facility

Event-related brain potential correlates of human auditory sensory memory-trace formation

The event-related potential (ERP) component mismatch negativity (MMN) is a neural marker of human echoic memory. MMN is elicited by deviant sounds embedded in a stream of frequent standards, reflecting the deviation from an inferred memory trace of the standard stimulus. The strength of this memory trace is thought to be proportional to the number of repetitions of the standard tone, visible as the progressive enhancement of MMN with number of repetitions (MMN memory-trace effect). However, no direct ERP correlates of the formation of echoic memory traces are currently known. This study set out to investigate changes in ERPs to different numbers of repetitions of standards, delivered in a roving-stimulus paradigm in which the frequency of the standard stimulus changed randomly between stimulus trains. Normal healthy volunteers (n = 40) were engaged in two experimental conditions: during passive listening and while actively discriminating changes in tone frequency. As predicted, MMN increased with increasing number of standards. However, this MMN memory-trace effect was caused mainly by enhancement with stimulus repetition of a slow positive wave from 50 to 250 ms poststimulus in the standard ERP, which is termed here "repetition positivity" (RP). This RP was recorded from frontocentral electrodes when participants were passively listening to or actively discriminating changes in tone frequency. RP may represent a human ERP correlate of rapid and stimulus-specific adaptation, a candidate neuronal mechanism underlying sensory memory formation in the auditory cortex

Transplanting Sweet Corn, a Case Study

Sweet corn is an important crop for many diversified vegetable farms. Transplanting sweet corn has the advantage of avoiding cold soil germination problems at the beginning of the growing season, enhancing stand establishment, allowing for earlier mechanical cultivation, and promoting earlier harvests that can help attract customers. This case study describes the details of transplanting techniques used by Jon Satz, of Wood\u27s Market Garden in Brandon, Vermont. Jon helped pioneer the use of transplanting for sweet corn. Some of his early knowledge about this technique was acquired through work funded by a Northeast SARE Farmer Grant in 2003

On-Farm Oilseed Production and Processing

The goal of this one-year project was to assess the potential production and processing of oil seed and sugar-containing crops for use as a renewable energy source on a scale that would support small groups of local farmers working together. This report summarizes what was learned in a short time about the agronomic, economic, and regulatory aspects of these crops and processes, and while there appears to be a lot of promise, many unresolved issues were identified, and much work remains to be done

Impact of Tropical Storm Irene on Vermont Agriculture

On August 28, 2011, Tropical Storm Irene deposited up to a foot of rain as it traveled along the spine of Vermont’s Green Mountains. Soils were already saturated from previous rainfall and the next day creeks, streams and rivers were overwhelmed resulting in widespread flooding, erosion and damage to crops and property. This report documents the overall impacts on farms, and describes some effects of flooding on food safety, animal feed, and soil contamination