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Increased interest in interdisciplinary instruction in secondary schools has led to the development of different models. At one school in the Shenandoah Valley (Virginia) three designs evolved when teams of teachers took on nontraditional, integrated instruction as a goal. In general, integrated curriculum designs in secondary schools match one of six models: discipline-based (traditional), parallel disciplines, multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and integrated-day. At this high school, grade-9 teachers of English, science, and social studies were teamed in three groups of three. Each team was responsible for 60 to 75 students and had a 150-minute class period for team teaching. Team members had common planning time and eventually a large office space for planning work. The teams' approaches evolved over time, and eventually one team used a parallel style of integration, another used an interdisciplinary design, and a third used a transdisciplinary design. All three teams collected data and information on effectiveness. At the end of the year, teachers reported that they had learned about their colleagues's subjects, appreciated the long class time and its opportunities, and saw value in the holistic approach. Some had reservations about how much actual knowledge of the subjects or disciplines students had gained, even though they believed the students had gained leadership skills and developed socially. (JB)

In May 1989, as part of a college renewal and self-study process, Hazard Community College conducted a 2-day retreat involving all segments of the college community. Focus groups were established to examine and define the values that best represented the institution. At the end of the second day, each of the 11 focus groups presented a consensus of its views to the entire college community. The lists of values generated by the groups, focussing on topics such as programs, finance, and interpersonal relations, were consolidated into a Summary of Values (SOV) which was distributed to every retreat participant. Following the retreat, an Institutional Purpose Committee was established to re-write the college's statement of purpose and the SOV in order to translate them into 17 institutional goals. Through a series of public forums, these goals were presented to faculty, support staff, administration, students, and the community. Based on these forums, a revised mission statement was prepared and submitted to the entire college community and to the college's advisory board for approval. Copies of the statement were then given to the co-chairs of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Committees within the college so that they could begin the process of interrelating the units of the self-study to the revised mission statement. Following a year and a half of data collection, research, writing, and editing, a final self-study document was generated. A series of appendixes provide focus group report forms and values lists; the SOV; a list of the 17 goals; sample SACS bulletins and self-study forms; and flow charts depicting the renewal and self-study process. (PAA)

The contribution of sociologists to social action programs has been notable for being unnotable, with a few important exceptions. Yet the future and survival of sociology lies in moving sociology more obviously from the classroom to the world outside. Sociologists suffer from a restricted vision of what their discipline can do, which causes them to be preoccupied with theorizing and allows them to think of problems as potential journal articles. One reason for the failure of sociologists to have an impact on social action is that applied research, the generation of new information helpful in problem solving, as opposed to theoretical research, the testing of new theories, is lacking. Theory is useless without concrete knowledge of a community with which to work. Another reason is that sociologists are not really professionally competent; they are unable to identify concrete manifestations in patterned social interaction. The fault is in the training which relies, for instance, on abstract definitions and descriptive accounts rather than use of the community as a laboratory. The emerging sub-discipline, the sociology of development, is one step, however, toward bringing about more effective sociologists for the good of the entire discipline. (Author/JH)

This paper argues that communication is not only the essence of being human but also a vital property of life. Writers must become socially active and play an effective role in human relations through their writing. They must also have the courage to disclose their experiences and personal feelings in spite of censure, risk, and economic privation. Examples of articles and books that effectively display the writer's social interest and concern are "All the President's Men" by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, "Muhammad Speaks" by Elijah Muhammad, "The Washington Merry-Go-Round" by Jack Anderson, and "Unsafe at Any Speed" by Ralph Nader. (TS)

The University of Northern Iowa Department of Industrial Technology is involved in a three-phase curriculum development project along with new facility design and construction and implementation of instructional innovations. The report reflects decisions made to date in the process, including the completed phase of developing concept-based cluster courses to serve all majors in the department, including education majors. Second and third phases will focus on advanced technical courses, the professional sequence, and the graduate program. Considered in the report are factors influencing industrial arts teacher education at all levels, such as components of the industrial arts education program, State certification requirements, university regulations, programs offered by the department, the faculty, basic core theory courses, and facilities design and flexibility. Many diagrams illustrate the report, particularly in the area concerning physical facilities. (MDW)

A mathematics laboratory is discussed in terms of (1) administrative support, (2) personnel, (3) curriculum design, (4) flexibility in design and equipment, (5) professional counseling, and (6) motivational devices. The discussion focuses upon the remedial math lab at Alvin Community College, Alvin, Texas. The roles of instructors, lab supervisors, and peer tutors are detailed. The math lab program is flow charted and discussed in terms of procedures, materials used, and testing devices. An excerpt from a set of guidelines to math lab faculty is given to illustrate program organization at the instructor level. A basic math lab floor plan illustrates the need for flexibility. Positive attitudinal change was found with students using the lab. A bibliography and a list of 5 sources of software supplies is given. (JW)

Several studies have shown that public schools in the United States are staffed with counselors and teachers who have a limited cultural understanding of black and other minority students. Moreover, racist attitudes have permeated all levels of the educational system, preventing the development of programs that would help black students to attain higher education and thereby help their people. The federal Education Professions Development Act (EPDA) was a progressive step in re-evaluating educational goals. The EPDA California center, one of seven centers created under the program, has tried to establish an advanced degree program which has a multi-cultural curriculum designed to train a new kind of pupil personnel worker. A major stress has been on on-site instruction and an effort to enlist effective community participation in higher education. The author suggests the need to introduce courses which reflect the cultural characteristics of all ethnic groups and explain the differences among various cultures in various parts of the country. Moreover, minority communities should be actively involved in the educational process, and financial aid to minority students should be increased. Finally, the suggested program would require a longer preparation period than do traditional programs. (SE)

The way in which findings from a statewide study on permanency planning were utilized and integrated within an accredited undergraduate social work curriculum is described. The concept of permanency planning (through the provision of in-home services to help the child remain in his/her biological home or the removal of the child and placement in an adoptive home) is discussed briefly, together with the background of the 1983 consent decree in New Mexico requiring the restructuring of the state's foster care and adoption system. In 1984 a study was conducted to describe the foster care system in New Mexico. Findings revealed problems in: recruitment and maintenance of foster families, emancipation training for older children, identification of incest and sexually abusive families, dealing with attorneys, special needs children, number of past workers for each child, and legal consultation. The study identified some areas that need more integration into the curriculum, such as the importance of legal consultation and the necessity of professional training for child welfare workers. The ways in which this has been done in the human behavior and social environment courses, the social work research course, policy courses, field internships, special topics courses, and the three practice courses in the Bachelor of Social Work curriculum at New Mexico State University are described. Through case examples, students learn critical aspects of permanency planning in the practice courses. In the research course, students manipulate and analyze the data and thus are able to see how research can directly impact policy change. Findings from the study also are used as illustrations in courses. (KM)

This paper presents a model for rural social service outreach programs, based upon the following: (1) an explanation of various resource systems and how they are related to outreach services; (2) current economic and social conditions of rural areas; (3) rural client systems; (4) the relationship of the agricultural extension model to rural outreach; and (5) the use of community analyses. In order to implement the model, existing services must be recognized and used. It is also important to gain visibility and acceptance, perhaps through speaking engagements before civic groups. Interested leaders should be identified and successful program achievements should be made known. Promotional ideas can also be borrowed from successful retail businesses or services. For effective rural outreach, it is important to understand the differences and similarities between rural and urban communities, especially in regard to resource systems. Other considerations to be taken into account during implementation include socioeconomic factors and technological advances. Implementation strategies should fit the particular needs and characteristics of the community. The Agricultural Extension Model is one of the most successful models of disseminating services to rural areas. (TES)

Ineffectiveness in leadership (tyranny) happens because the person does not learn effective ways to satisfy deep and possibly unconscious motives. A person attempting to fulfill the obligations of a leadership position can be very effective if he/she can control his/her personal motives as a part of fulfilling the needs of the position. The person lacking in self-awareness also lacks self-control, which leads to a sense of "being out of control." An out-of-control person tends to see tyrannical practices as the acceptable means to regain control. The essence of the effectiveness of the leadership development model described in this paper is found in the process or experience of self-discovery. Through the use of objective measures of selected factors such as the ability to trust, positiveness of attitude, level of moral functioning, leadership style, brain dominance, need for power, and orientation to conflict, the individual is provided with important personal data. This body of information provides the basis for the activities which lead to growth in the identified areas of weakness. The individual's acknowledgement of these measured traits plays an important role in considering the importance of such factors as integrity, authenticity, and empowerment, as well as in avoiding addictive behaviors in the act of leadership. (Author/JD)

The recent arrival of portable computer systems with high-level language interpreters now makes it practical to rapidly develop complex testing and scoring programs. These programs permit undergraduates access, at arbitrary times, to testing as an integral part of a mastery learning strategy. Effects of introducing the computer were studied by using, for control, data from students enrolled in the same undergraduate educational pyschology course during the previous year. Results show that computer organized testing allowed students to take more replicates of each examination. Consequently there was, for three out of five examinations, an increase in the values of a measure of achievement based on the highest grade attained and time required before taking the final replicate desired for each examination of the course. Results of a student opinion survey indicated that in the presence of the computer organized testing, there was a greater feeling of learning than in a paper-and-pencil testing situation which allowed similar feedback with an invisible ink answer sheet. It was concluded that the feasibility of practical program development and that individual student utilization of portable, stand-alone, computer systems which now permit variable-paced mastery learning are propaedeutic in curriculum reform. (Author)

The study developed and used a self-report graphic Multisensory Imagery Scale (MIS) to analyze imaginal behavior, and to test the hypothesis that multisensory (MS) imagery is a specific teacher competency associated with effective teaching, particularly in special education. The MIS was field-tested, abbreviated, performed on teacher trainees, examined for test-retest reliability, and compared to performance criteria in three successive experiments. Twenty image-evoking phrases of the MIS, cumulatively self-scored for the six sensory areas, yielded consistent imagery responses in agreement with the ratings of lesson plans and teaching. The data defended the hypotheses, indicated the scale's limited usefulness as a criterion for evaluating groups of interns and training programs, and implied support for competency based teacher education if properly validated. (Author)

Since fall 1976, an undergraduate measurement class has utilized a 32K microcomputer programmed in APL to present replicate sets of questions randomly selected from 80-question item pools representing each of three domains of knowledge based on Sax's Principles of Educational Measurement and Evaluation. Multiple choice questions are presented on a cathode ray tube and students are required to answer until a correct choice has been made. Feedback frames, concerning the rightness and wrongness of the question's alternatives are next presented. After 15 such iterations, grades are calculated with criteria of 85, 75, and 65 percent, respectively, for grades of A, B, or C. This paper describes the system's functions, namely: (1) test creation utilities, (2) the interactive test control and question management functions, and (3) test item analysis functions. Some history and research in using the system, general empirical observations, and a discussion of some implications of the system in creating new possibilities for reforming the basis of education are presented. (Author/JKS)

The objectives of this investigation are to develop, describe, assess, and demonstrate procedures for constructing mastery tests to minimize errors of classification and to maximize decision reliability. The guidelines are based on conditions where item exchangeability is a reasonable assumption and the test constructor can control the number of items on the test and its cutoff score. Eight steps for minimizing errors of classification are described. The major difficulty of the procedure is the identification of an appropriate criterion variable. Suggested is the identification of a reasonable concurrent criterion variable in order to set temporary standards of mastery until sufficient longitudinal data can be obtained. The procedure for maximizing decision reliability involves five steps. A shortcut to the procedure is provided in the form of tables for determining the proportion correct for mastery for tests ranging in length from five to ten items. A major advantage of the procedures described for generating mastery test forms from an item bank is that they are well within the reach of most local school districts desiring accuracy in mastery assessment programs. The procedures do not require unduly complicated computational procedures. (Author/GSK)

Results of the experience gained in designing and using an autonomous computer-assisted testing system are reported, including conclusions based on more than two years testing with typical classes. In this system, definitely expandable auxiliary storage for testing items and programs or scores is provided. Cathode ray tube display of questions and reinforcement, and real-time checking of answers is followed by recording partial scores and updating the number of trials by each student on each exam. The system provides a self-contained, portable, and economical facility well suited to variable-paced, proficiency-based courses of study. (Author/VT)

Students undergoing a mastery-variable time-variable undergraduate educational psychology course were studied in order to determine the effects of level of mastery chosen (by the students for a final grade) on time taken to reach criterion level over five course examinations. When equated for trials to criterion, no such grade aspiration effect was found. A factor analysis of 23 course-related measures found time allowed for learning an important source of variation in a Mastery Learning teaching strategy, while academic aptitude was relatively unimportant. The study demonstrated how low-cost microcomputers can provide time flexibility in school curriculum. (Author/VT)

An orientation and mobility curriculum developed in Tulare County, California, includes 30 units for legally blind, partially sighted, multi-impaired, and low functioning sighted students in grades K through 12. Each section includes eight steps to teach basic concepts. Assessment guidelines are used to determine strengths and deficiencies. The 30 units in the curriculum include body image, laterality/directionality, sound localization, indoor signs and symbols, orientation aid, precane mobility skills, community orientation, rural travel, public transportation, government office familiarization, shopping center familiarization, physical hazards and barriers, independent problem solving, and use of the sonicguide. Games are used in the instructional process for motivation. (CL)

Although grief reactions have been carefully examined, little information is available on the grief response following the murder of a loved one. Impressions of homicide survivors' grief reactions were obtained by the staff of a family support center who treated ten families that had experienced the loss of a family member by homicide. Observations of grief were made using Bowlby's three-phase model of the grief response: protest, despair, and detachment. During the protest phase, homicide survivors experienced the characteristic reactions but, in addition, experienced overwhelming rage which often overshadowed feelings of sadness. They also reported a strong urge to seek revenge. Children in this phase demonstrated similar feelings along with regression and severe school problems. The despair of phase two was often increased for homicide survivors because of demeaning experiences with an indifferent police and criminal justice system. Family members lost faith in government and society, and felt more vulnerable and trusted people less. For homicide survivors in phase three, the detachment process was handicapped, particularly in those cases where the murderer had not been apprehended. Other reports of clinical experiences in the treatment of homicide survivors have documented similar results. These findings suggest that the homicide-trauma stress syndrome is a subject in need of both research and preventive psychiatric interventions. (NRB)

It is too soon to know the effect of federal block grants on education, but one can speculate on their implications for fiscal management by looking at past block grant programs, examining the statutory provisions, and analyzing data available on states and cities. Past federal block grants have involved health, crime, community development, social services, and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act. Reviewing their stability, accountability, administrative costs, and evaluations indicates that most lacked funding continuity, required different types of accountability, did not always reduce costs, and used varied evaluation methods. Also, program consolidation, as with Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, need not require block grants. Statutory provisions in Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 involve state maintenance of fiscal effort, use of block grants only as supplementary funds, obligation of funds, assurance of private school participation, tighter recordkeeping, and greater state involvement in evaluation. Statistical data show that overall federal aid has been reduced and redistributed, state allotments are unrelated to states' needs, local district allocations are adjusted for many factors, and districts in major urban areas will suffer substantial losses. (RW)

The keynote address from the proceedings of the 1988 Conference on Academic Talent is presented here. The address criticizes the current educational system for its concentration on college preparatory courses that have little or no hands-on experience. It argues that the existing system does not encourage curiosity, a problem seen as so pervasive that it needs to be examined from a vertical integration or systems engineering point of view. Increasing interest in the area of science and technology education has recently been evidenced by several professional groups, which may lead to such an examination. Reactions of two discussants are appended. Frances Degen Horowitz highlights the need for a national policy which commits sufficient resources to develop the talents of children, and a policy which overrides some local, community control issues. William Anlyan notes the importance of looking to the free enterprise system in addition to government for help with the problem of developing academic talent, comments on the growing laziness of the United States as a nation, and supports the recognition of nontraditional forms of talent. (JDD)

The aim of this paper is to identify the main elements of a new variety of capitalism in China within the context of Chinese domestic political economy, thus providing the first step to examine China's emergent capitalism since 1978 what we label as "state neoliberalism." This paper first compares the similarities and differences between state neoliberalism in China with other varieties of capitalism in the South, in the West, and in post-socialist Eastern Europe. Then it identifies the distinctive characteristics of state neoliberalism, and studies how state neoliberalism has engendered a ceaseless drive of capitalist accumulation in China, propelling China from a poor third world country to an economic powerhouse of the capitalist worldeconomy. At the end, this paper will discuss the future prospect for state neoliberalism in the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research and development of cotton-based wound dressings based on a molecular mechanism of action for development of an active chronic wound dressing is presented. The research prototype for sequestration of destructive protease from chronic wound fluid is based on a peptide conjugate of cellulose consisting of an enzyme active site recognition sequence (Val--Pro--Val that possesses affinity for the active site of human neutrophil elastase. This prototype cellulose conjugate demonstrated elastase lowering activity, and prompted development of a cotton-based dressing that was constructed with molecular design of the fiber using aqueous finishing techniques that can be economically adapted for the textile mill production of the active wound dressing. During the course of the development of the dressing issues concerning the selective activity of the dressing in the presence of the wound proteins prompted alternative design considerations. This report constitutes an update on the progress towards commercialization of the active wound dressings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will reexamine the familiar story of successful East Asian developmental states versus the failed Chinese communist state. It argues that both states are actually the historical products of the Cold War and U.S. hegemonic struggles in the East Asia. It further argues that although the Chinese communist state failed to promote economic growth, the revolutionary Maoist project had constructed a strong party-state, promoted an intensive nationalist ideology, built up local infrastructure and institutions, and incurred no foreign debt, thus laying the foundation for its metamorphosis into a developmental state in the post-1978 reform era. However, having a communist origin, the Chinese developmental state has faced a different set of developmental problems from those facing the East Asian development states. At the end, this paper contends that the prospect for the Chinese developmental state depends on how it resolves the problems of socialist transitions and the problems of reintegration into the capitalist world-economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the formation of a new state-mediated class-divided society in China. It argues that due to the economic reforms in the post-1978 era, a mixed economy is formed, laying the economic foundation of a class-divided society. Over the past two decades, a capitalist class, an old middle class, and a new middle class have emerged side by side with poor peasantry and urban workers. Like other class-divided society experiencing rapid development, the post-1978 Chinese society is going through rapid class differentiation, class polarization, and class conflict. Nevertheless, unlike other class-divided society, the Chinese state has played a decisive role in mediating these class relations, leading to the embourgeoisiement of cadres and the patronization of capitalists, the semi-proletarianization and the segmentation of the working class, the Depoliticization of the new middle class, and the professionalization of cadres. Although the fusion of political capital, economic capital, and social/network capital has produced an all-powerful cadre-capitalist class which has become the target of attack by other classes, the mediation of the state has also led to the incorporation of class organizations into the state bureaucracy and the institutionalization of class conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic wounds are a major worldwide health problem. Cotton gauze is a standard of care in the management of chronic wounds and is still routinely employed in hospitals and nursing homes for long term wound care. We consider in this paper molecular modifications of cotton gauze to improve chronic wound healing. The presence of elevated levels of elastase in non-healing wounds has been associated with the degradation of important growth factors and fibronectin necessary for wound healing. In the healing wound a balance of elastase and antiproteases prevents this degradation from taking place. Cotton cellulose modified to release elastase inhibitors or selectively sequester elastase would provide a gauze wound dressing that decreases high levels of destructive elastase found in the chronic wound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using market mechanisms for resource allocation in distributed systems is not a new idea, nor is it one that has caught on in practice or with a large body of computer science research. Yet, projects that use markets for distributed resource allocation recur every few years [1, 2, 3], and a new generation of research is exploring market-based resource allocation mechanisms [4, 5, 6, 7, 8] for distributed environments such as Planetlab, Netbed, and computational grids. This paper has three goals. The first goal is to explore why markets can be appropriate to use for allocation, when simpler allocation mechanisms exist. The second goal is to demonstrate why a new look at markets for allocation could be timely, and not a re-hash of previous research. The third goal is to point out some of the thorny problems inherent in market deployment and to suggest action items both for market designers and for the greater research community. We are optimistic about the power of market design, but we also believe that key challenges exist for a markets/systems integration that must be overcome for market-based computer resource allocation systems to succeed., Engineering and Applied Sciences

A trial was conducted near Rolling Fork, Mississippi to evaluate the benefits of Pentia and mepiquat chloride as plant regulators on cotton. Pentia (common name, mepiquat pentaborate) is a new plant regulator, which includes boron on the molecule instead of chloride. Boron provides faster plant uptake and promotes earliness in cotton. Treatments were applied to DP 555BR/RR, a full season cotton variety with aggressive growth potential to compare affects when cotton was planted on two soil types, silt clay loam and heavy clay. Data was collected to evaluate: (1) the timing of the first application beginning at 8th node versus application at first bloom; (2) cotton growth response; (3) earliness and (4) the affect on cotton yield. Cotton treated with Pentia and mepiquat chloride was 31.2% and 27.8% shorter, respectively, than the untreated check. Treatments that began at 14th node provided more vegetative growth control than the treatments that began at 7-8th node. Pentia treated cotton that began at the 7-8th node and 14th node provided 23.1% and 39.9% more vegetative growth control, respectively, than the untreated check. All plant regulator treatment programs provided earlier boll opening than the untreated check. All Pentia treatment programs provided a higher percent of open bolls than mepiquat chloride treated cotton. A summary of the treatments showed that Pentia treated cotton was 66.4% open compared to 54.5% and 51.3% open in the mepiquat chloride and untreated cotton, respectively, at 136 days after planting. Cotton grown on mixed soil with plant regulator treatments beginning at bloom followed by a second application in two weeks provided the greatest yield. Pentia and mepiquat chloride treatment programs of 40 oz/A yielded 253 and 230 lb lint/acre, respectively, more than the untreated check. In this study, when plant regulators were applied beginning early (node 7-8) or to cotton planted on heavy clay soil, there were no positive yield increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this experiment was to compare the effects of Mepiquat Chloride (MC), Pix Plus (MC and the bacteria Bacillus cereus), and Pentia (mepiquat pentaborate) on a specific cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) variety - Delta and Pine Land 555 BG/RR (DP 555 BG/RR )- for growth, earliness and yield. Compared with the untreated control, each of the plant growth regulators reduced plant height. Pentia and Pix Plus reached 60% open boll stage earlier and had numerically higher yields compared to the MC treatment or the untreated control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the fact that global economic crisis is a period of turbulence and upheaval, this paper want to study: how did the global economic crisis affect China's position in the capitalist world-economy? It paper shows that unlike the Western core countries which have experienced negative growth during the crisis, China still managed to grow at a fast rate of around 10 percent. At the onset of the global economic crisis in fall 2008, the Chinese party-state quickly put up a massive stimulus program of US$586 billion to invest in infrastructure, agriculture, technology, environment, education, healthcare, and affordable public housing. As a result, the stimulus program led to huge expansion of the state sector at the expense of the private sector, industrial upgrading of labor-intensive industries, and the rapid development of green industries. Although conflict was intensified between the Chinese party-state and the Western transnationals, there was little social protest from workers and peasants because the Chinese party-state had adopted a pro-worker and pro-peasant stand. At the end, this paper examines the rise of China through the followng dimensions: economically, politically, and culturally. It concludes that the developmental state of China was able to seize the opportunity of global economic crisis to strengthen not only its economy, but also expand its political power in the inter-state system and began to articulate a new set of values and model of development to challenge the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the battle for the new labor contract law between the post-socialist party-state and the transnational corporations at the turn of the 21st century. Human rights advocates usually focus on the post-socialist party-state, pointing out all sorts of human right violations it committed in China. On the other hand, globalization is often promoted by its corporate sponsors as a way to improve rights and standards. However, during the battle for labor rights in China, their role is reversed: The Chinese socialist party-state were seen as actively promoting the expansion of labor rights, while the transnationals came out in blocking and cutting back of labor rights in China. The paper will examine the historical process of the formulation, revision, and the implementation of new labor law in China at the turn of the 21st century. It will discuss how the lobby of the business community had resulted in a much weakened version of labor law which considerably scales back protections for workers. In the end, the paper will discuss the implications of the new labor law for China's development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "The Effects of Topical Applications of Prowl H2) on Cotton Fruiting," by J. Trenton Irby, Daniel B. Reynolds, Darrin M. Dodds and Jonathan A. Huff is presented.

This study explored ethical beliefs and practices of two distinct groups of bloggers--personal and non-personal--through a worldwide web survey. A stratified purposive sample of 1,224 bloggers provided information about their blogging experience, blogging habits, and demographics. They were also asked about their beliefs and practices for four ethical principles: truth telling, attribution, accountability, and minimizing harm. The findings reveal that the two groups differ in terms of who they are and what they do in their blogs. There were also significant differences in the extent to which they value and adhere to the four principles and some interesting similarities. For example, both groups believe attribution is most important and accountability least important. While scholars have proposed blogging ethics codes, we found bloggers themselves are quite ambivalent on the necessity of a code. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Pentia™Plant Growth Regulator - 2003-2004 Field Performance," by Scott Asher, is presented.

Pentia™ plant regulator (mepiquat pentaborate) was introduced into the cotton market in 2003 and offers many advantages over mepiquat chloride based plant growth regulators. These advantages include; improved consistency, increased uptake (quicker rainfastness), improved 1st & 2nd position boll set & retention, enhanced earliness and increased yield. Large scale field trials where conducted across the cotton belt in 2003 & 2004 to compare Pentia to mepiquat chloride based plant growth regulators. Approximately 87 side-by-side trials were conducted in 2003 and approximately 50 replicated strip trials were conducted in 2004. Data collected from these trials included number of 1st & 2nd position bolls, number of open 1st & 2nd position bolls & cotton lint yield. Pentia plant regulator provided a 5.4% increase nationally in 1st & 2nd position boll set as compared to mepiquat chloride bases compounds. Earliness was also enhanced with Pentia with a national average of 15.5% more open bolls. Pentia increased lint yield as compared to the mepiquat chloride based compounds nationally by 5.2% or 63 lbs/A. In these trials, Pentia consistently out-performed mepiquat chloride based compounds. Cotton treated with Pentia had the higher yield in 72% of the trials and increased boll set and retention in 67% of the trials. Earliness (# of open bolls) was increased 78% of the time with Pentia over mepiquat chloride based compounds. Pentia helped enable growers to maximize their return on investment by providing advantages in consistency, uptake (rainfastness), boll set, earliness and yield. Pentia™ is a trademark of BASF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]