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Scientific reports 12(1), 19734 (2022). doi:10.1038/s41598-022-22055-w, Methods to probe and understand the dynamic response of materials following impulsive excitation are important for many fields, from materials and energy sciences to chemical and neuroscience. To design more efficient nano, energy, and quantum devices, new methods are needed to uncover the dominant excitations and reaction pathways. In this work, we implement a newly-developed superlet transform—a super-resolution time-frequency analytical method—to analyze and extract phonon dynamics in a laser-excited two-dimensional (2D) quantum material. This quasi-2D system, 1T-TaSe2, supports both equilibrium and metastable light-induced charge density wave (CDW) phases mediated by strongly coupled phonons. We compare the effectiveness of the superlet transform to standard time-frequency techniques. We find that the superlet transform is superior in both time and frequency resolution, and use it to observe and validate novel physics. In particular, we show fluence-dependent changes in the coupled dynamics of three phonon modes that are similar in frequency, including the CDW amplitude mode, that clearly demonstrate a change in the dominant charge-phonon couplings. More interestingly, the frequencies of the three phonon modes, including the strongly-coupled CDW amplitude mode, remain time- and fluence-independent, which is unusual compared to previously investigated materials. Our study opens a new avenue for capturing the coherent evolution and couplings of strongly-coupled materials and quantum systems., Published by Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, [London]

Many exoskeletons today are primarily tested in controlled, steady-state laboratory conditions that are unrealistic representations of their real-world usage in which walking conditions (e.g., speed, slope, and stride length) change constantly. One potential solution is to detect these changing walking conditions online using Bayesian state estimation to deliver assistance that continuously adapts to the wearer’s gait. This paper investigates such an approach in silico, aiming to understand 1) which of the various Bayesian filter assumptions best match the problem, and 2) which gait parameters can be feasibly estimated with different combinations of sensors available to different exoskeleton configurations (pelvis, thigh, shank, and/or foot). Our results suggest that the assumptions of the Extended Kalman Filter are well suited to accurately estimate phase, stride frequency, stride length, and ramp inclination with a wide variety of sparse sensor configurations.

The age of digitization requires rapid design and re-design of enterprises. Rapid changes can be realized using conceptual modelling. The design and engineering methodology for organizations (DEMO) is an established modelling method for representing the organization domain of an enterprise. However, heterogeneity in enterprise design stakeholders generally demand for transformations between conceptual modelling languages. Specifically, in the case of DEMO, a transformation into business process modelling and notation (BPMN) models is desirable to account to both, the semantic sound foundation of the DEMO models, and the wide adoption of the de-facto industry standard BPMN. Model transformation can only be efficiently applied if tool support is available. Our research starts with a state-of-the-art analysis, comparing existing DEMO modelling tools. Using a design science research approach, our main contribution is the development of a DEMO modelling tool on the ADOxx platform. One of the main features of our tool is that it addresses stakeholder heterogeneity by enabling transformation of a DEMO organization construction diagram (OCD) into a BPMN collaboration diagram. A demonstration case shows the feasibility of our newly developed tool.

We study over-damped Brownian motion in various potential energy landscapes. Starting with one-dimensional systems, we derive the diffusion coefficient for motion in a piecewise-defined potential where the barrier height of each section is taken from a probability distribution. When the distribution is exponential the usual transition between diffusion and sub-diffusion is observed. The behaviour of the diffusion coefficient around the transition depends upon the shape of the energy barriers. A coarse-grained simulation scheme, where particles are moved between lattice sites located at the potential minima, is proposed. Good agreement with Brownian dynamics simulations is observed. Motion in one-dimensional rough potentials is studied, and a modified Langevin equation, valid on long time scales, is derived. This result is extended to higher dimensions and used to derive an expression for the effective diffusion coefficient. Comparison to that obtained from a lattice hopping model facilitates the construction of the multi-dimensional coarse-grained simulation scheme. Escape processes in multi-dimensional potentials are then studied. A framework to calculate the mean first-passage time is proposed and found to offer good agreement with simulations, even when the barrier to escape is small compared to the thermal energy. The framework attempts to capture the effect upon the motion of a varying profile in the direction(s) normal to the escape direction. Simulations reveal good agreement when the profile becomes more confining, but only moderate agreement when it becomes less so. Finally, we apply the above framework to a channel described by a confining parabolic potential whose curvature varies periodically along its length. The diffusion coefficient is derived under the assumption of rapid equilibration in the confining direction. Adding a periodic potential along the channel can enhance the rate of diffusion, depending upon its phase relative to the periodic curvature.

Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a "Green List of Species" (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species' progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 separate but interlinked components: a standardized method (i.e., measurement against benchmarks of species' viability, functionality, and preimpact distribution) to determine current species recovery status (herein species recovery score) and application of that method to estimate past and potential future impacts of conservation based on 4 metrics (conservation legacy, conservation dependence, conservation gain, and recovery potential). We tested the framework with 181 species representing diverse taxa, life histories, biomes, and IUCN Red List categories (extinction risk). Based on the observed distribution of species' recovery scores, we propose the following species recovery categories: fully recovered, slightly depleted, moderately depleted, largely depleted, critically depleted, extinct in the wild, and indeterminate. Fifty-nine percent of tested species were considered largely or critically depleted. Although there was a negative relationship between extinction risk and species recovery score, variation was considerable. Some species in lower risk categories were assessed as farther from recovery than those at higher risk. This emphasizes that species recovery is conceptually different from extinction risk and reinforces the utility of the IUCN Green Status of Species to more fully understand species conservation status. Although extinction risk did not predict conservation legacy, conservation dependence, or conservation gain, it was positively correlated with recovery potential. Only 1.7% of tested species were categorized as zero across all 4 of these conservation impact metrics, indicating that conservation has, or will, play a role in improving or maintaining species status for the vast majority of these species. Based on our results, we devised an updated assessment framework that introduces the option of using a dynamic baseline to assess future impacts of conservation over the short term to avoid misleading results which were generated in a small number of cases, and redefines short term as 10 years to better align with conservation planning. These changes are reflected in the IUCN Green Status of Species Standard.

Mobility disabilities are prominent in society with wide-ranging detriments to affected individuals. Addressing the specific deficits of individuals within this heterogeneous population requires modular, partial-assist, lower-limb exoskeletons. This paper introduces the Modular Backdrivable Lower-limb Unloading Exoskeleton (M-BLUE), which implements high torque, low mechanical impedance actuators on commercial orthoses with sheet metal modifications to produce a variety of hip- and/or knee-assisting configurations. Benchtop system identification verifies the desirable backdrive properties of the actuator, and allows for torque prediction within 0.4 Nm. An able-bodied human subject experiment demonstrates that three unilateral configurations of M-BLUE (hip only, knee only, and hip-knee) with a simple gravity compensation controller can reduce muscle EMG readings in a lifting and lowering task relative to the bare condition. Reductions in mean muscular effort and peak muscle activation were seen across the primary squat musculature (excluding biceps femoris), demonstrating the potential to reduce fatigue leading to poor lifting posture. These promising results motivate applications of M-BLUE to additional subject populations such as hip/knee osteoarthritis and geriatric frailty, and the expansion of M-BLUE to bilateral and ankle configurations., Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures

Supplementary_material for Can electronic assessment tools improve the process of shared decision-making? A systematic review by Nyantara Wickramasekera, Sarah K Taylor, Elizabeth Lumley, Thomas Gray, Emma Wilson and Stephen Radley in Health Information Management Journal

A fundamental aspect of cooperative organizations is “member control” or member governance of the organization. Member control is facilitated through a series of member offices, elections to those offices, and organizational bylaws. When challenges to the legitimacy of cooperative organization occurs, those challenges often revolve around questions of member control. Do members actually control the cooperative? Our current era is of no exception given a context of acquisitions, mergers, and joint ventures in the cooperative community. This report presents a series of membership charts, from simple to complex, demonstrating various ways to depict a membership structure, with the explicit highlighting of mechanisms for member control. The report begins with simple depictions of macro-membership structures, e.g. local, centralized and federated. It culminates with a “containment” method that is able to illustrate appointed and elected positions, positions with and without decision-making authority, a basis of representation in geographic districts, flows and levels of authority, and whether authority is contained by the membership or outside of members’ control and oversight.

Sarah C Titman,1 Stephen C Radley,2 Thomas G Gray21Community Continence Service, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK; 2Urogynaecology Unit, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Sheffield, UKAbstract: The objective of this review is to present and discuss up-to-date conservative treatment strategies for the management of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women. This review aims to provide an overview of the importance of initial self-management strategies and conservative management options for women with SUI and how these treatments can be integrated into clinical practice. The various treatment modalities available including pelvic floor physiotherapy, biofeedback, and neuromuscular electrical stimulation devices, in addition to lifestyle changes which can significantly affect symptoms, are discussed. The relevance and importance of individual assessment and training programs is highlighted in addition to additional adjuncts available to facilitate rehabilitation and symptom improvement. Expected outcomes for women with mild to moderate SUI who participate in targeted individualized conservative management programs are generally good, with a high likelihood of substantial improvement in symptoms.Keywords: urinary incontinence, stress, pelvic floor disorders, physical therapy modalities

Pressures on freshwater biodiversity in Southeast Asia are accelerating, yet the status and conservation needs of many of the region’s iconic fish species are poorly known. The Mekong is highly species diverse and supports four of the six largest freshwater fish globally, three of which, including Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas), are Critically Endangered. Emerging environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques have potential for monitoring threatened freshwater biodiversity, yet have not been applied in complex and biodiverse tropical ecosystems such as the Mekong. We developed species-specific primers for amplifying Mekong giant catfish DNA. In situ validation demonstrated that the DNA amplification was successful for all samples taken in reservoirs with known presence of Mekong giant catfish independent of fish density. We collected water samples from six deep pools on the Mekong, identified through Local Ecological Knowledge, in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Thailand. DNA was extracted and amplified from these samples using the designed primers and probes. Mekong giant catfish DNA was detected from one sample from the species’ presumed spawning grounds on the Mekong mainstream, near the border between northern Thailand and Lao PDR. eDNA sampling using species-specific primers has potential for surveying and monitoring poorly known species from complex tropical aquatic environments. However accounting for false absences is likely to be required for the method to function with precision when applied to extremely rare species that are highly dispersed within a large river system. We recommend that such approach be utilised more widely by freshwater conservation practitioners for specific applications. The method is best suited for baseline biodiversity assessments or to identify and prioritise locations for more rigorous sampling. Our methods are particularly relevant for systems or species with limited baseline data or with physical characteristics that logistically limit the application of conventional methods. Such attributes are typical of large tropical rivers such as the Mekong, Congo, or Amazon.

Transient receptor potential (TRP) cation channels are highly conserved, polymodal sensors which respond to a wide variety of stimuli. Perhaps most notably, TRP channels serve critical functions in nociception and pain. A growing body of evidence suggests that TRPM (Melastatin) and TRPA (Ankyrin) thermal and electrophile sensitivities predate the protostome–deuterostome split (greater than 550 million years ago). However, TRPM and TRPA channels are also thought to detect modified terpenes (e.g. menthol). Although terpenoids like menthol are thought to be aversive and/or harmful to insects, mechanistic sensitivity studies have been largely restricted to chordates. Furthermore, it is unknown if TRP-menthol sensing is as ancient as thermal and/or electrophile sensitivity. Combining genetic, optical, electrophysiological, behavioural and phylogenetic approaches, we tested the hypothesis that insect TRP channels play a conserved role in menthol sensing. We found that topical application of menthol to Drosophila melanogaster larvae elicits a Trpm- and TrpA1-dependent nocifensive rolling behaviour, which requires activation of Class IV nociceptor neurons. Further, in characterizing the evolution of TRP channels, we put forth the hypotheses that three previously undescribed TRPM channel clades (basal, αTRPM and βTRPM), as well as TRPs with residues critical for menthol sensing, were present in ancestral bilaterians.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue ‘Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain’.

Supplemental material, Supplemental Material4 for Evaluation of bladder shape using transabdominal ultrasound: Feasibility of a novel approach for the detection of involuntary detrusor contractions by Thomas Gray, Luned Phillips, Weiguang Li, Charlotte Buchanan, Patrick Campbell, Andrew Farkas, Shahram Abdi and Stephen Radley in Ultrasound

Supplemental material, Supplemental Material2 for Evaluation of bladder shape using transabdominal ultrasound: Feasibility of a novel approach for the detection of involuntary detrusor contractions by Thomas Gray, Luned Phillips, Weiguang Li, Charlotte Buchanan, Patrick Campbell, Andrew Farkas, Shahram Abdi and Stephen Radley in Ultrasound

Features- Job Generators; From Rivals to Cooperators; Top 10 Traits of a Successful Grazing Land Manager; Learning from Food Hub Closures, Pt. II; Farmers using co-ops to handle 'big data'; Priority voting system may offer advantages for changing co-op sector; How do we foster a new generation of cooperators?; Understanding the role of values in traditional and hybrid cooperatives

Features - Forging a Self-help Network; Investing in Knowledge; Farmer Co-op Conference ‘14; Proposed changes in USDA’s B&I program could aid in development of new co-ops; Survey results shed light on dairy co-op financial performance; Required Reading; Resolving Member Conflicts

Features - Grain, dairy sales help ag co-ops set revenue and income records; Top 100 ag co-ops’ sales soar 9 percent over 2012; Making the Co-op Connection; Collective Courage; From the Ashes of War

The completion cycle for the development of unconventional resource plays, such as the Eagle Ford shale in South Texas, requires multiple hydraulic fracture stages to be placed in the horizontal section of the wellbore to effectively stimulate the reservoir. Inefficiencies in the completion design caused by conventional "plug-and-perf" (P-n-P) methodologies can increase the costs associated with the delivery of hydraulic fracturing. However, new methodologies have recently been developed to mimic the P-n-P process that allow the operator to fracture stimulate the reservoir in a more economic and time-efficient manner. The Eagle Ford shale in Lavaca/Gonzales Counties, Texas is similar to many high-carbonate-content oil shale formations. In South Texas, the industry has a preference for cementing the lateral section for fracture stage isolation. This case study explores the successful implementation of a cemented multientry point sliding sleeve technology (CMEPT) in the Eagle Ford shale. The combination of these technologies was the first ever of its kind. This study also illustrates some of the lessons learned during the years of development of this integrated service technology. This paper highlights the key well that successfully implemented these technologies. The Kudu Hunter No. 1H well was drilled to a measured depth of 16,302 ft with a lateral length of over 6,000 ft. The integrated service design proposed a hybrid completion design with 2,000 ft of lateral completed by means of a nine-stage CMEPT and the remaining 4,000 ft of lateral completion by means of the P-n-P method. The CMEPT allowed the placement of ~1,840,000 lbm of premium white sand with surface modification agent (SMA) by means of 1,740,000 gal of guar-based hybrid fluid over nine stages in 22 hr, and the remaining 11 stages of P-n-P completion placed ~2,310,000 lbm of premium white sand and SMA by means of 1,940,000 gal of guar-based hybrid fluid in ~80 hr. The stand-alone conventional P-n-P process has become a barrier to the economic delivery of fracture stimulation. This case study illustrates how the adoption of the CMEPT integrated service process provides efficiencies in the completion cycle and maximizes stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) along the well path.

Features - "Because we're all in this together"; Learning from co-op closure; Changing course; Organic federation seen as a strategy for family farm survival, regional competitiveness; Study raises important questions about co-op education efforts; Keeping the ‘open’ sign on; The Nature of Cooperatives

Features- Ownership succession crucial for rural america; Groomed for success; Expanding your customer base; Climbing the hill; Agriculture of the Middle: Opportunity for co-ops; Tomato co-ops help craft better food safety standards; Sailing turbulent seas; Co-op ideas can help education

This study explores choices of cooperative structure — local, centralized, or federated — for mid-size farms, also referred to as the “agriculture-of-the-middle” (AOTM) or farms of “the disappearing middle.” They are referred to as “in the middle” structurally (in terms of numbers and production output) because they are positioned between large industrialized farms and much smaller farms located near metropolitan areas. The largest farms have increased in numbers as well in the proportion of total U.S. farms..These farms fit the large-scale, industrialized and commodity-production farm model. The smallest farms have increased in numbers and output as well and are generally specialized for “local” and organic markets. The financial stability of many farms in the middle is tenuous. They generally have both too much output and are too distant from metropolitan areas to take advantage of the niche markets that the smallest farms have been able to access. While further industrialization and increasing scale may be an option for some, for most it is not desired and/or possible financially. “Middle farms” are a focus for different interest groups-including farmers, food wholesalers and retailers, university and government personnel, non-government organizations (NGOs), independent certification organizations and rural and community development experts- -seeking to protect and expand farm viability. Their strategies are generally organized to develop niche-specified, differentiated products that encompass various sustainability agendas (economic, social, and environmental sustainability). These initiatives are, in fact, budding collective actions that seek to mobilize AOTM farmers for survival. This report argues that the historical conditions setting the context for this mobilization cannot be taken lightly. The report, therefore, reviews the historically based changes that have occurred in the agricultural context--i.e., shifts in agricultural production, changes in agribusiness complexity, and changes in consumption patterns--and understands these changes as the historically set conditions that the AOTM initiatives must accommodate in their development strategies. From this socio-historical context, the paper assesses different cooperative membership structures--local, centralized, and federated-- for their appropriateness to the collective action initiatives of the mid-level farms.

Features- Dairy co-ops maintain steady market position; Traditions run 100-years deep at Tillamook County Creamery; Ripe time delivery; New life for an old town; Rural advocate Dallas Tonsager to lead USDA rural development; Creating co-op fever: Hard lessons learned; City slicker; '09 co-op hall of fame inductees played crucial role in co-op movement; Shift to multinational agriculture complicates biofuels development

Fusion welding remains the most common and convenient fabrication method for large, thin- plate welded structures. However, the resulting tendency to out-of-plane distortion exacts severe design and fabrication penalties in terms of poorer buckling performance, lack of fairness in external appearance, poor fit-up and frequent requirements for expensive rework. There are several ways to mitigate welding distortion and this study concentrates on the use of cryogenic CO2 cooling to reduce distortion. A feasible combination of welding process and cooling parameters, was investigated computationally and the resulting effects on final deformation were predicted. Three different computational strategies were developed and applied to butt-welding and fillet-welding processes, with and without the inclusion of cryogenic cooling. In the first method, a fully transient, uncoupled thermo-elastoplastic model was investigated. This method is comprehensive but not readily applicable to predict welding distortions in complex, industrial-scale, welded structures, due to the large computational requirement. More computationally efficient models are needed therefore and two further models of this type are suggested in this study. The results show good agreement between the different models, despite substantial differences in computational budget. In butt-welded plates, a significant decrease in out-of-plane distortion is obtained when cryogenic cooling is applied. In fillet-welded plates, cooling had much less effect on welding distortion. This was largely due to the size and configuration of the test case assemblies and the fact that the attached stiffener greatly increased the overall stiffness and resistance to contraction forces., peer-reviewed

Features- When a Co-op Dies; Shouldering the risk; Producer ownership of ethanol a major plus for rural America; From Forest to Ocean; Wisconsin farmers, small businesses benefiting from new health-care co-ops; Where Credit Is Due; Co-ops Focus Collective Action

Features- Innovation a necessity, not a choice, for 21st century co-ops; Going with the Grain; Cream of the CROPP; Local-based, alternative marketing strategy could help save more small farms; A Fresh Advantage; Slice of the market; Who you gonna call?; Trading Places; Soybean extruder opens new doors for Dakota co-op

This article is about the financial structure and capitalization of agricultural cooperatives. It is not an article directly about agricultural cooperatives and industrialization, merger, strategic alliance, concentration and centralization, and globalization. It is a more modest work about the neoclassical economics discourse of cooperative finance, with particular attention given to the construct “vaguely defined property rights†. The purpose of this article is to deconstruct this term by examining the concrete formative structuring of agricultural cooperatives, as cooperatives were formed in the early first half of the 20th century in the US. (and how this structuring is carried forth in derivative form to the present day). The construct “vaguely defined property rights†is an expression of the organizing rationale of neoclassical economics itself, as this view reaches the concrete limit of historical financial structures of cooperatives, what it can intellectually specify and appropriate, given its individualizing perspective.

Review of: American Agriculture and the Problem of Monopoly: The Political Economy of Grain Belt Farming, by Jon Lauck

This article is about the financial structure and capitalization of agricultural cooperatives. It is not an article directly about agricultural cooperatives and industrialization, merger, strategic alliance, concentration and centralization, and globalization. It is a more modest work about the neoclassical economics discourse of cooperative finance, with particular attention given to the construct “vaguely defined property rights”. The purpose of this article is to deconstruct this term by examining the concrete formative structuring of agricultural cooperatives, as cooperatives were formed in the early first half of the 20th century in the US. (and how this structuring is carried forth in derivative form to the present day). The construct “vaguely defined property rights” is an expression of the organizing rationale of neoclassical economics itself, as this view reaches the concrete limit of historical financial structures of cooperatives, what it can intellectually specify and appropriate, given its individualizing perspective.

Features- Making good things; Making hay, the right way; Dairy co-ops continue dominant role in marketing nation’s milk; Greener pastures for bio-tech co-ops?; Missouri-based co-op brewery unveils Pony Express line of beer; Exploring a greater role for ag co-ops in sustaining rural living; Net income, sales decline for local farm co-ops; Weighing in

Review of: American Agriculture and the Problem of Monopoly: The Political Economy of Grain Belt Farming, by Jon Lauck

Features- Hard choices; Turning problems into profits; Bargaining is big for small business; The “closure” dilemma; Network difficulties; Striking oil; A shared harvest

Features- Battening Down the Hatches; Trouble ahead?; South Dakota turnaround; Getting the green light; Ask the right questions; Adapting to change

Cooperative management mentioned low commodity prices, the agricultural economy, operational issues, and increasing costs as the major problems facing their cooperatives over the past year and that they will continue to face in the near future. These were some of the findings from two questions included in the 2000 survey of farmer cooperatives. Problems identified by cooperative management were classified into 17 problem sets. The responses were analyzed for both the past year and the near future (next 1-2 years) for all cooperatives, by type and size, and by region of the country.

This report is intended to develop the outlines of a sociological theory of cooperatives. This objective is accomplished by: 1) critiquing neoclassical economic analyses of cooperative conversions, (restructuring, acquisition, or sale of agricultural cooperatives such that an investment-oriented firm is created in its place), 2) examining historical data on cooperative restructuring generally and conversions as a subset of this data and 3) developing a theoretical approach to a sociology of cooperatives, that is inductive and retains cooperative tensions (e.g. democracy versus economy, local versus global).

The context of agricultural cooperatives is undergoing major change with the development of various food and information monitoring technologies. Large multi-nationals have moved to take advantage of these developments with the construction of agri-food chains. These chains are being facilitated via various mergers, acquisitions, and alliances, with the power, and deepening power of such deep-pocket organizations as Cargill, ADM, and ConAgra. Cooperatives have been integrated into these chains for their core competencies, generally for their supply functions, and capacity to handle primary commodities. These direct links to the farmers serve as markets for biotechnology innovations, and as a source of raw material for later processing. Agricultural cooperatives in general are not well suited to compete with these giants, given they are highly specialized at the first handler level. However some cooperatives are able to enter the competition along the lines of multi-nationals competition, i.e. non-price competition in product differentiation, branding, advertising, research and capacity expansion. Farmland, Gold Kist, AGP, Land O'Lakes and Growmark are examples. The cost of these positionings is to shift these organizations toward positions that are characteristically less cooperative, and more bureaucratic, and more top down, though likely more efficient, and with greater market penetration.

The context of agricultural cooperatives is undergoing major change with the development of various food and information monitoring technologies. Large multi-nationals have moved to take advantage of these developments with the construction of agri-food chains. These chains are being facilitated via various mergers, acquisitions, and alliances, with the power, and deepening power of such deep-pocket organizations as Cargill, ADM, and ConAgra. Cooperatives have been integrated into these chains for their core competencies, generally for their supply functions, and capacity to handle primary commodities. These direct links to the farmers serve as markets for biotechnology innovations, and as a source of raw material for later processing. Agricultural cooperatives in general are not well suited to compete with these giants, given they are highly specialized at the first handler level. However some cooperatives are able to enter the competition along the lines of multi-nationals competition, i.e. non-price competition in product differentiation, branding, advertising, research and capacity expansion. Farmland, Gold Kist, AGP, Land O'Lakes and Growmark are examples. The cost of these positionings is to shift these organizations toward positions that are characteristically less cooperative, and more bureaucratic, and more top down, though likely more efficient, and with greater market penetration.

The rational, consuming individual is from within a particular historical era- high modernity. The collective rationally of his or her consumption drives the larger socio-economic culture in profoundly irrational ways: through personal anxiety, questionable sustainability, and loss of value and community. The industrialization of agriculture extends these dynamics in a manner that fragments more grounded aspects of the larger culture, including family farms and rural communities. Intrinsic to its very nature, the agriculture cooperative is embedded in its member-user-owners like no other business organization. The uniqueness gives it a comparative advantage to mollify some of the disruptive aspects of high modernity.

The rational, consuming individual is from within a particular historical era- high modernity. The collective rationally of his or her consumption drives the larger socio-economic culture in profoundly irrational ways: through personal anxiety, questionable sustainability, and loss of value and community. The industrialization of agriculture extends these dynamics in a manner that fragments more grounded aspects of the larger culture, including family farms and rural communities. Intrinsic to its very nature, the agriculture cooperative is embedded in its member-user-owners like no other business organization. The uniqueness gives it a comparative advantage to mollify some of the disruptive aspects of high modernity.

This paper is written from a sociology of science/rhetoric of science perspective. The paper critiques the central rhetorical constructions of neoclassical economic studies as applied to agricultural cooperative conversions. Conversions refer to the internal re-structurings, sell-outs, and hybridizations of cooperative organizational form to investment oriented structures. Neoclassical economics analyses of conversions are based within an "individualist-idealist" metaphor. This metaphor, as articulated in neo-classical economics, does not allow the scientist to see historical and sociological aspects of cooperatives, and broader, more holistic implications of conversions. We argue for broadening the conversation to include social materialist, and social voluntarist metaphors, for more complete expression of the practical implications of the conversion of agricultural cooperatives, and to suggest the importance of self-awareness in doing science.

The evolution of agricultural cooperative thought, theory, and purpose in the United States is reviewed from the standpoint of the reemergence of interest in how cooperatives can provide some of the security and benefits that might be lost with gradual phasing out of federal government farm support programs. By accomplishing group action for self-help, the early development of cooperatives drew considerable attention from economists, social theorists, and politicians. Alternative schools of cooperative thought developed, but most proponents of cooperatives regarded them as having enormous potential to provide a public service role in building a more economically stable and democratic society This paper also surveys how cooperative theory was developed more rigorously in the post-WWII period. It has provided better analytical tools for understanding how and why cooperatives have changed in response to technological and economic developments, as well as to social trends, like individualism. Given the new perspectives on cooperative theory and the scope of changes in how cooperatives operate and are structured, cooperatives have even greater potential for coordinating self-help actions, but this potential needs the support of cooperative education services.

This research identifies characteristics that influence member participation in cooperatives. Participation measures include attendance at meetings, serving on committees, serving as an elected officer, and recruiting other farmers to become members. Nineteen characteristics were found statistically related to participation, and include farm characteristics, member demographics, beliefs in cooperative principles, collective action, member influence, cooperative impartiality, and satisfaction with farming and cooperative officers.

This paper is written from a sociology of science/rhetoric of science perspective. The paper critiques the central rhetorical constructions of neoclassical economic studies as applied to agricultural cooperative conversions. Conversions refer to the internal re-structurings, sell-outs, and hybridizations of cooperative organizational form to investment oriented structures. Neoclassical economics analyses of conversions are based within an "individualist-idealist" metaphor. This metaphor, as articulated in neo-classical economics, does not allow the scientist to see historical and sociological aspects of cooperatives, and broader, more holistic implications of conversions. We argue for broadening the conversation to include social materialist, and social voluntarist metaphors, for more complete expression of the practical implications of the conversion of agricultural cooperatives, and to suggest the importance of self-awareness in doing science.

This report documents the extent of use of one-member, one-vote and proportional voting systems in the U.S. by type and function, and membership size for direct-membership, federated, and mixed membership cooperatives. It also documents the extent of use of at-large, geographic districting, and delegate systems, as well as combinations of at-large with districting and delegate systems by type and function and by region. The report finds one-member, one-vote, and at-large systems predominate.

This is a qualitative analysis of 2,000 written comments by members of two dairy cooperatives. Nearly all comments expressed levels of frustration and/or discontent. The report provides synthesized abstracts of comments. These abstracts are interpreted using a modified social work "life model" of analysis. Frustration and problematic solidarity (cleavages) within the organization are understood functions of: maladaptive transactions—breakdowns in communications, changing and inconsistent expectations, perceived exploitive relationships—as well as general unresponsiveness to meet specific member needs within the organization, and the larger environment. Recommendations are drawn from the analysis and from specific member comments.