An Evaluation of the Willard School as a Community-Centered School

Every community must be provided with an educational program attuned to community life. It must provide for increased efficiency in production and wisdom in consumption. It must train in the ideals, the skills, and the habits essential to the highest level of home and community life. To this end there must be well trained, resourceful teachers who work under conditions that elicit their best efforts. There must be a curriculum that embraces community experiences and physical facilities that promote economy and efficiency of effort. The purpose of this study has been twofold: (a) to formulate a group of educational criteria that will set for the standards by which to evaluate a school in terms of a good school-community program, and (b) to determine to what extent Willard School is meeting the standards thus derived

Revolutionary Propulsion Concepts for Small Satellites

This paper addresses the results of a trade study in which four novel propulsion approaches are applied to a 100-kg-class satellite designed for rendezvous, reconnaissance, and other on-orbit operations. The technologies, which are currently at a NASA technology readiness level of 4, are known as solar thermal propulsion, digital solid motor, water-based propulsion, and solid pulse motor. Sizing calculations are carried out using analytical and empirical parameters to determine the propellant and inert masses and volumes. The results are compared to an offthe- shelf hydrazine system using a trade matrix “scorecard.” Other factors considered besides mass and volume include safety, storability, mission time, accuracy, and refueling. Most of the concepts scored higher than the hydrazine system and warrant further development. The digital solid motor had the highest score by a small margin

The Use of Plant Tissue Culture Techniques for Studying the Growth of Morel

Like all mushrooms, the morel mushroom is a fungus. Morels are the fruiting bodies produced by members of the genus, Morchella, Morels are often considered to be a class with truffles by mushroom hunters. Unlike other mushrooms, the morel is not toadstool shaped, but looks like a sponge on a stalk, this makes it easy to identify. There are no poisonous mushrooms that resemble morels. Morels are widely distributed. Morels are known to occur in North America, Europe, and Israel. They are found in a wide variety of topographies, from mountains to plains. They can be found on grasslands, orchards, and forests. The time of fruiting is almost always in the spring. Morels have also been found in the summer and fall, but this is rare. Fruiting of Morchella is unpredictable. Sporocarps may be found in large numbers one year and not reappear in the same area for many years. In spite of widespread popularity, Morchella has never been grown to the sporocarp stage in pure culture. Like other mushrooms, morels are sources of proteins and B-vitamins. The purpose of this study has been to gather information on the physiology of Morchella. The response to various nutritional factors was evaluated in terms of amount of growth, and morphogenetic responses. It was hoped that by varying different factors of the medium, it would be possible to find the factors leading to sporocarp formation

Quantitative Trait Loci for Leaf Angle, Leaf Width, Leaf Length, and Plant Height in a maize (Zea mays L) B73 × Mo17 population

Morphological traits affecting the canopy architecture of maize (Zea mays L) in high density cultivation can affect productivity. To identify quantitative trait loci affecting some of these traits, including leaf angle, leaf width, leaf length, and plant height, I analyzed these traits in the intermated B73 × Mo17 recombinant inbred line population, IBM-94, a maize population that other researchers developed for genetic studies by the scientific community. I collected data for the traits in replicated trials of IBM-94 grown in 2007, 2008, and 2009 at Sioux Falls, SD, USA. Means ± standard errors were for leaf angle = 26 ± 2.6°, leaf width = 91.0 ± 2.95 mm, leaf length 764.6 ± 20.76 mm, plant height = 2231.3 ± 101.24 mm. There was significant (a = 0.01) genotypic variation for each trait. Herita¬bility for height = 74.5%, leaf width = 86.2%, leaf length = 85.3%, and leaf angle = 90.5%. Phenotype data were combined with genetic maps and molecular marker haplotypes from the Maize Genetics and Genomics Database to analyze for quantitative trait loci by composite interval mapping using PLABMQTL computer software. One to three quantitative trait loci with logarithm of odds equivalent to a = 0.05 were identified for each trait. Three quanti¬tative trait loci were identified for leaf angle on chromosomes 1, 5, and 9, two for leaf width on chromosomes 2 and 8, one for leaf length on chromosome 2, and one for plant height on chromosome 4. Regression models explained 27.1% of leaf angle, 25.0% of leaf width, 9.1% of leaf length, and 8.4% of plant height variation

A Minimal Contact Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Abdominal Pain-Related Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: Pilot-Study of "Gutstrong".

A randomized wait-list controlled pilot study was used to evaluate the preliminary efficacy of the "Gutstrong" intervention. "Gutstrong" is a CD-ROM based cognitive-behavioral intervention designed to treat teenagers with functional gastrointestinal disorders. Twenty adolescents aged 13-17 attending an abdominal pain clinic were randomly assigned to either the treatment group ("Gutstrong" plus standard medical care) or a wait-list control group (standard medical care only). Participants completed an initial baseline phase, an intervention phase, and an immediate post-intervention follow-up phase. The primary outcome measures included indices of pain and quality of life and secondary measures of mood, stress, and coping. Consumer satisfaction was also considered to obtain feedback about the program. Results show initial support for the "Gutstrong" program as a useful adjunctive treatment to standard medical care. The utility, appeal and cost-effectiveness of this program warrant further evaluation of its efficacy and effectiveness in the future

Effect of Qigong Exercise on Sleep Quality and Gait Performance in Parkinson's Disease

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) involves a variety of motor and non-motor symptoms. Current medical therapy has been successful at managing a majority of these features; however, several issues, including gait complications and sleeping disorders, may involve impairments not fully resolved by standard therapy. This study aimed to determine the impact of Qigong as a potential complementary therapy in the management of gait and sleep related symptoms in PD. Methods: Seven subjects (age 66.86 ± 8.13 years) with PD participated in a six-week Qigong exercise intervention. Pre- and post-intervention testing was performed to assess sleep quality, fatigue, and gait performance in these subjects. Standard clinical assessments specific to PD were used for the assessment of sleep quality and fatigue. Gait performance was assessed using three-dimensional motion capture during the completion of several tasks. Overall gait performance (stride time, stride length, double support time, and velocity), gait variability (stride time variability and stride length variability), and turning performance (number of steps and total time to turn) were analyzed in the gait tasks. Results: Following the intervention, subjects showed a general trend of improvements in sleep quality. Fatigue remained unchanged. Assessment of gait performance showed significant improvement in overall gait function and gait variability, and no apparent change in turn performance. Gait function was improved by a significant reduction of stride time and a slight increase in stride length. Together these changes resulted in significant improvements to gait velocity. Additionally, time spent in double support was reduced following the intervention. Overall gait variability improved significantly, particularly in the reduction of stride time variability. Conclusions: These results suggest that the Qigong intervention implemented for this group may provide potential benefits to people with PD in regards to gait performance and sleep quality. Further studies are required to provide a more definitive measure of these results with increased statistical power

Estimations of optimum plot size using data from Bromegrass uniformity trials

Uniformity data from three fields of Fischer bromegrass, one planted in rows 31/2 feet apart and the others broadcast, were analyzed to obtain estimates of optimum size and shape of plot for use in field experimentation. Forage yields were taken on 1,296 unit plots, 31/2 X 4 feet, in each field and added together in various combinations to give different sizes and shapes of plots. Comparable variances and variances per basic unit for each plot size were then obtained by dividing between-plot variances by the number of units per plot and the square of the number of units per plot, respectively. Dry matter percentages of samples ranged from 35.2 to 40.6 percent in the row-planting and from 32.8 to 41.5 percent in the broadcast planting in 1950. Means were 37.6 and 38.0 percent, respectively. Analyses of variance indicated that differences in dry matter percentages due to location within fields were not significant