Abstract Language Research Articles

A generalized plotting program, written in BASIC for scientific data

A software package for the hardcopy graphic display of two-dimensional data has been developed. It is written in BASIC and is compatible with a microcomputer interfaced to an intelligent digital plotter. The core of the package is a plotting program. It features a command menu that displays 15 user-controlable parameters. Most of these parameters are automatically tabulated and can be changed in an interactive manner. The data which is plotted is either entered by hand or read from pre-existing data files. The package has several other important features. One subroutine within the plotting program determines and draws the best fit of a curve through a set of points. Using another program, the user can edit and manipulate the information contained in data files. All the program commands are written in simple and precise language, therefore the user needs no previous experience with computers. Furthermore the programs can be easily modified to suit personalized needs.

Norms of Collegiality and Experimentation: Workplace Conditions of School Success

Semistructured interviews with 105 teachers and 14 administrators, supplemented by observation, provide data for a focused ethnography of the school as a workplace, specifically of organizational characteristics conducive to continued “learning on the job.” Four relatively successful and two relatively unsuccessful schools were studied. More successful schools, particularly those receptive to staff development, were differentiated from less successful (and less receptive) schools by patterned norms of interaction among staff In successful schools more than in unsuccessful ones, teachers valued and participated in norms of collegiality and continuous improvement (experimentation); they pursued a greater range of professional interactions with fellow teachers or administrators, including talk about instruction, structured observation, and shared planning or preparation. They did so with greater frequency, with a greater number and diversity of persons and locations, and with a more concrete and precise shared language. Findings suggest critical social organizational variables that lend themselves to quantitative study.

Norms of Collegiality and Experimentation: Workplace Conditions of School Success

Semistructured interviews with 105 teachers and 14 administrators, supplemented by observation, provide data for a focused ethnography of the school as a workplace, specifically of organizational characteristics conducive to continued “learning on the job.” Four relatively successful and two relatively unsuccessful schools were studied. More successful schools, particularly those receptive to staff development, were differentiated from less successful (and less receptive) schools by patterned norms of interaction among staff In successful schools more than in unsuccessful ones, teachers valued and participated in norms of collegiality and continuous improvement (experimentation); they pursued a greater range of professional interactions with fellow teachers or administrators, including talk about instruction, structured observation, and shared planning or preparation. They did so with greater frequency, with a greater number and diversity of persons and locations, and with a more concrete and precise shared language. Findings suggest critical social organizational variables that lend themselves to quantitative study.

The cover letter

The cover letter you send with a resume to a prospective employer should be grammatically and typographically perfect. The principles to follow when composing the cover letter are the same as for any technical communication: Use simple, precise language; be concise; use the active voice. Tips on how to handle the mechanical aspects of the cover letter — selecting paper, using proper margins, and writing short paragraphs — are also presented.

Realization theory of infinite-dimensional linear systems. Part II

This paper studies the real-time behavior of constant linear systems. A function space Λ is introduced to give a precise language to discuss the working mode of systems. It is shown that a realization of a constant linear input/output map produces the desired outputs during the application of inputs. A differential equation description is derived for those systems whose weighting patterns are sufficiently smooth. The notion of topological observability in bounded time yields a necessary and sufficient condition under which the canonical realization of a constant linear input/output map has a Banach state space.

Preformation of Ontogenetic Patterns

Most patterns of an organism develop reproducibly and predictably. Thus, most biological patterns are largely predetermined by the nature of the zygote and by the nature of the surrounding world. Some ontogenetic patterns can also be considered to be preformed. Eighteenth and nineteenth century definitions of ‘preformation’ suggested that all aspects of a precursor pattern—its elements and its configuration—are preserved during development. Today, the idea of preformed configurations has been lost. To revive this lost idea, we offer the following biologically contemporary definition for preformed ontogenetic patterns: preformed patterns are those patterns with topologies that have been conserved during their ontogenies. This definition is presented in precise mathematical language, and its application is demonstrated in a system of developing, abstract patterns.

Grant's Method of Anatomy

The tenth edition of Grant's Method of Anatomy by John V. Basmajian carries on the tradition of clarity and simplicity in the presentation of essential anatomical information established by the late J. C. B. Grant of the University of Toronto, whose first edition of this book was published in 1937. This present edition of 625 pages in 50 chapters covers seven regions of the human body. This reflects the contemporary trend to condense anatomical information into regions, rather than the encyclopedic systemic method customarily used prior to World War II. In each chapter, the anatomical material is presented in summary paragraphs, using precise and uncomplicated language. On almost every page, there are diagrammatic line and stipple-tone drawings and color plates, which summarize and clarify the material described in the text. These illustrations are remarkably practical and helpful for understanding anatomical structures. Clear diagrams such as these can present principles better

Influences of hearing impairment on early language development.

It is difficult to determine exactly the effects of chronic otitis media on early language development, in part because we do not know whether hearing loss resulting from otitis media is intermittent or constant, and in part because it is difficult to assess the precise language ability of very young children. This paper focuses on those aspects of language development which one might expect hearing impairment to affect, and presents several hypotheses about the possible effects of mild-to-moderate hearing loss on the earliest stages of language development.

Pitch Structure and the Analytic Process in Atonal Music: An Interpretation of the Theory of Sets

The discovery, description and codification of principles of pitch structure in music are, and always have been, of primary concern to music theorists. A number of important contributions to this area of investigation have been made in this century alone. Most noteworthy of these in Heinrich Schenker's description and demonstration of the hierarchical nature of pitch organization in tonal music. Although his theories are the direct result of detailed study of numerous individual compositions, his conception of musical structure transcends the nature of any single work. His is a theory of tonality and its network of governing principles. Another, though quite different, achievement of our century is the definition of the twelve-tone system and its operations. The potentialities of that system have been revealed to us largely through the efforts of Milton Babbitt. But Babbitt's definition of series procedures, unlike Schenker's theories of tonal structure, is, for the most part, abstract. His is a description of a system, not of musical structure. Despite the conceptual and practical differences between these two theories, they share at least one common element: explanation of principles of pitch organization in music. In his recently published book, The Structure of Atonal Music, 1 Allen Forte provides us with a precise methodology and language for describing the relationships between and among pitch sets found in atonal music. In many ways Forte's theory parallels Babbitt's description of the twelve-tone system and its operations. But it is more than just a theory of sets and abstract set relations: it is an attempt to establish a set of procedures for discovering and describing the pitch structure of any and all atonal compositions. In this respect it is a remarkable achievement. The historical significance of this attempt to define the

Mr. Locke and the Ladies: The Indelible Words on the Tabula Rasa

Mr. Locke and the Ladies: The Indelible Words on the Tabula Rasa SHERYL O’DONNELL By the close of the seventeenth century, arguments about women’s nature and consequent duties had shifted ground. Theological debates concerning whether or not women had souls gave way to inquiries into the nature of the “female mind,” and as Locke’s empiricism weakened the theory of innate ideas, religious speculations about women’s in­ feriority were replaced by secular proposals for their education.1 Locke’s emphasis upon the connection between experience and selfknowledge , his ideas concerning the origin of knowledge, and his regard for precise language helped Restoration and eighteenth-century women recognize themselves as rational beings whose minds should be exercised and developed. Lady Damaris Cudworth Masham, Catherine Trotter Cockbum, Lady Mary Chudleigh, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and Hannah More were directly affected by Locke’s empiricism. But they accepted patriarchal doctrines of woman’s essen­ tial fitness for domestic and maternal spheres which accorded female learning no legitimacy outside the home. Rather than face public ridicule, they published anonymously, wrote in secret, burned their works, or phrased their feminism in terms of contributions to the common good. The same double bind that leads many twentiethcentury women to avoid success in traditionally male-dominated areas 151 152 / SHERYL O’DONNELL rather than lose their “femininity” confined women thinkers of the Restoration and eighteenth century. Locke’s empiricism blurred, but did not erase, patriarchal notions of women as highly venerated in­ ferior beings. Begun in 1671, Locke’s Essay Concerning Human Understanding was redrafted several times and, after a long abridgement, appeared in Leclerc’s Amsterdam journal, La Bibliotheque universelle, in 1688; it was published in England in 1690. Locke’s avowed purpose, unlike that of the Scholastics or the great Continental philosophers of the seventeenth century, was practical rather than metaphysical. Written in an expansive, leisurely style, Locke’s Essay is just that—a weighing, a trial, an experiment, or, as Locke called it, “an inquiry.” Working in terms of exploration rather than declaration assures Locke an intimacy with his readers which enables him to show, lucidly, the thinking mind at work. In the “Epistle to the Reader,” Locke assumes the voice of a plain, stolid man whose quest for truth is intermittent: If it [the Essay] seems too much to thee, thou must blame the Subject: for when I put Pen to Paper, I thought all I should have to say on this Matter, would have been contained in one sheet of Paper; but the farther I went, the larger Prospect I had: New Discoveries led me still on, and so it grew insensibly to the bulk it now appears in. I will not deny, but possibly it might be reduced to a narrower compass than it is; and that some Parts of it might be contracted: the way it has been writ in, by catches, and many long intervals of Interruption, being apt to cause some Repetitions. But to confess the Truth, I am now too lazie, or too busie to make it shorter.2 Locke’s use of first person and his insistence that the reader retain an independent mind rather than remain “content to live lazily on scraps of begg’d Opinions” (“Epistle,” p. 6) give his readers an active role to play. By inviting readers to set their “own Thoughts on work, to find and follow Truth” (“Epistle,” p. 7), Locke abandons the rhetorical stance of authority used by many earlier philosophers. As­ suring the reader that “every moment of his Pursuit, will reward his Pains with some Delight” and that “he will have Reason to think his time not ill spent, even when he cannot much boast of any great Acquisition” (“Epistle,” p. 6), Locke introduces and defines the im­ portance of thinking as experience or as agon. 3 Mr. Locke and the Ladies I 153 Throughout the Essay, Locke uses his own observations—the cas­ sowaries in St- James Park (II, xxv; III, vi), a winter flood of the Thames (II, xxvii), a friend’s story of a medical operation (II, xxxiii)—to illustrate his remarks- He reinforces the effects of these familiar examples by...

Origins of the Taiping Vision: Cross-Cultural Dimensions of a Chinese Rebellion

The transmission of systems of ideas across wide cultural gaps is hard enough to study on any scale of human organization. It is particularly hard when two large, complex cultures meet under traumatic circumstances, as did China and the West in the nineteenth century. The myriad variables in such a situation dictate special care in defining the specific terms and conditions under which ideas are transmitted. The present case suggests three points worth attention: first, the precise language of the textual material that impinges on the host culture; second, the underlying structure of the historical circumstances into which this material is introduced; third, the process whereby the foreign material becomes important to sectors of society outside the group that first appreciated and received it and thereby becomes a significant historical force.

Clear and Precise Language.

Clear and Precise Language.

Clear and precise language.

Clear and precise language.

The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas (review)

United States." They succeed in this objective. Past studies of this subject have put on display almost every error in the design of research on human differences as well as fallacies in the_ analysis and interpretation of data. The authors carefully examine many relevant studies. Although they do not identify all forms of error, they list more of those unknown to me than I could add to their list. The best research in this field has gained in sophistication, and the authors propose some research designs which could reduce uncertainty. At present there is no concatenation of evidence which proves that there is a genetic basis for average racial differences in intelligence. The authors give the following tentative conclusion from their review of empirical findings and theoretical arguments. "Observed average differences in the scores of members of different U.S. racial-ethnic groups on intellectual-ability tests probably reflect in part inadequacies and biases in the tests themselves, in part differences in environmental conditions among the groups, and in part genetic differences among the groups." Although the book is lucid, the quality of writing does not match the quality of the authors' treatment of their subject. They do not restrict themselves to second-hand ideas. The central question is important, it is reasonable, and there are social scientists who know how to do the research. Dwight J. Ingle Professor Emeritus University of Chicago The Lives of a Cell. By Lewis Thomas. New York: Viking Press, 1974. Pp. 153. $6.95. If anyone doubts that biology and medicine are fun, let him read this pearl of the most exhilarating writing in all biology. If one is not immediately charmed by the delicacy and beauty of Thomas's writing, then he will be enchanted by allowing Thomas's marvelous blank prose to "grow" on him. Isolated chapters appeared in the New EnglandJournal of Medicine over the last several years, but those morsels lost much in their isolation. In this book they are brought together with tremendous effect. In fact, this booklet is the most interesting and certainly the best written ever to appear in my lifetime. I can imagine no greater treat for the biologist than to become acquainted with this medical essayist without peer. The more I reread this book, the more I want to learn from the "powerful story" by Lewis Thomas which tells so well that all life is interrelated, that divisions in biology are merely illusory, and that so much in biology can still be better communicated in the language of poetry than in mathematically precise language. Jacobus W. Mostert University of Chicago 294 I Book Reviews ...

Massachusetts Medical Society

IMPACT OF THE REGULATORY PROCESS ON MEDICAL PRACTICE IN MASSACHUSETTS*The hospital licensure law enacted by the General Court of Massachusetts in 1941 was perhaps the first such legislation in the entire country. The framers of the law were convinced that standards to regulate hospitals constituted an urgent need at that time. The medical profession in general, including the Massachusetts Medical Society, supported the act, but there was concern lest the regulatory process would as time passed encroach upon the practice of medicine in hospitals, and careful consideration was given to the precise language of the law to prevent this . . .

Deriving a Language for Interaction Sequences

Two parties in a conflict situation go through cycles of interactive behavior. Their independent moves within these cycles can be scored along a dimension of hostile-conciliatory, but there exists no precise language to describe a pattern of moves and move responses. This article examines data from moves by nations in the cold war and from moves made by players in a laboratory conflict situation. It then develops some preliminary language for particular sequences of two-party behavior.

Instrumentation: Insight into interfacing: Thorough and unambiguous understanding of interface systems demands sound design concepts and a precise descriptive language

An interface system definition, one optimized for the interconnection of programmable bench instruments, must contain many vital communication capabilities if it is to interconnect independently manufactured products at reasonable costs. It must also maintain a high level of compatibility, and a high degree of flexibility. The purpose of this article is to discuss not only the definition of the interface itself, but also the manner in which it is organized and the method by which it satisfies the user's needs.

Offshore boundaries: Engineering and economic aspects

Abstract The document delimiting offshore boundaries should consider the engineering problems inherent in demarcation and recovery. A discussion of these problems and the estimated 1975 costs for implementation of a boundary are discussed. The need for precise language, based upon present technology requiring engineering input, is of paramount importance to the development of a practical agreement.

CULTURAL AND LANGUAGE OBSTACLES TO INFORMATION TRANSFER.

Cultural and language barriers to communication involve semantics, perception, and linguistic. Kinesics and proxemics are also an inseparable part of the spoken language as a means of communication. Cultural and occupational mores complete the list of factors considered here which can bar transmission of information. These will be treated in order. Language and cultural obstacles to communication of scientific and technical information do exist. The more one departs from the precise universal language of mathematics, the more important the obstacles become on a relative basis. On an absolute basis, however, the effect is not too great. A need orientation is sufficient to overcome the barriers. There are obvious limitations in the broader application of these conclusions due to the international exposure and language ability of the populations sampled. Nevertheless, the broad general conclusion is that any effective transfer of information across cultures must begin with that for which the recipient feels ...

American Building: The Environmental Forces That Shape It

Few books have influenced the field of architecture more than American Building: Environmental Forces That Shape It. Originally published in 1947, it has emerged as a classic work on the relationships among buildings, their inhabitants, and the environment. Now comes the first major revision in over twenty-five years, bringing this essential book completely up to date for a new, more environmentally aware generation of architects and designers. In this superb volume, James Marston Fitch provides a fundamental theory of buildings. The ultimate task of architecture, he writes, is to act in favor of human beings: to interpose itself between people and the natural environment in which they find themselves, in such a way as to remove the gross environmental load from their shoulders. Fitch systematically examines the various aspects of the environment which buildings control for human habitation-air, temperature, light, and sound, even space, time, and gravity. He draws on scientific research to probe deeply into these problems and he sets out the most practical solutions to these and other issues in clear, precise language. Moreover, his analysis runs to the external environment as well, as he explores the impact of buildings on the outside world. American Building: Environmental Forces That Shape It broke new ground in the school of thought now known as green architecture-the philosophy of designing buildings that require a minimum amount of energy and resources to erect and operate. For this new edition, architect William Bobenhausen has included new information on sustainable design and the latest construction technology, up-to-date statistics, case studies, photographs, and illustrations. This revised edition promises to keep this work at the forefront of our thinking about design and the natural world.