Pennsylvania Community Watershed Organizations as Seen by Key Informants

The primary objective of the project described here was to identify needed and used organizational resources for a successful CWO. This article reports key informant perceptions of Pennsylvania Community Watershed Organizations (CWO). Utilizing snowball sampling, 24 people were interviewed. The results indicate CWOs are in need of organizational development training, mentoring, and assessment. Extension has a history of providing these resources to communities. Therefore, CWOs represent a potential new market for Extension

A Study of Psychological Support from Local Residents for Hosting Mega-Sporting Events: A Case of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl XLVI

The purpose of the current study was to assess local residents' psychological support prior to hosting a mega-sporting event and to report preliminary results as to which factors of support affect local residents' attitudes toward hosting future mega-sporting events, using the case of the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis. This study provides a theoretical model to examine local residents' psychological support factors using structural equation modeling, which helps the understanding of local residents in the process of supporting the hosting of mega-sporting events in the future. The results of this study indicate that the perceptions of positive outcomes from the event have the strongest relationship to feelings toward hosting future events. Therefore, governing bodies of the host community and the event should rely most heavily on the positive outcomes. While the negative factors were not as strongly related, they were still significant indicators of feelings toward future events. The part of the plans pertaining to growing community support should include ways that the negative impacts might be mitigated

Greek ts/dz as Internally Complex Segments: Phonological and Phonetic Evidence

The "affricate dream" of Householder (1964), in which Modern Greek ts/dz are reduced to clusters of independently occurring segments (thus, ts is analyzed as /t + s/), is examined here in the light of two types of evidence not previously considered: instrumental measurements of the duration of the sounds in question compared with related sounds, and the proper formulation of a dissimilatory dialectal sound change. This evidence shows that the best analysis recognizes these sounds as single segments but with internal complexity, as suggested, but not overtly argued for, in Joseph & Philippaki-Warburton (1987)

A Workshop About Land-Use Decision-Making in the Context of Community/Societal Values

Community based land-use decision-making is often left to an oligarchy who are familiar with the planning process. Stakeholders are frequently under-represented, possibly because of their unwillingness to participate due to the unfamiliarity with the process. The workshop described here develops participants\u27 understanding of a land-use planning process and the complexity of socio-economic values using individual reflection and shared perspective through writing, model-making, presentations, and discussions. Using consensus-building strategies, along with a documentary film, participants engage in several hands-on group activities. Shared values in combination with new community perspectives are realized through a series of workshop activities

Using geographic information systems as a common ground for dialogue about watershed stewardship

To help prepare professionals for leadership positions in watershed stewardship, the Center for Watershed Stewardship (CWS) at Penn State University has adapted GIS for use in its curriculum. The GIS is used as a common ground for communication between graduate students representing several departments or programs in an interdisciplinary, yearlong Keystone Project. The Keystone Project group works with a community organization to produce a watershed stewardship plan. Currently, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) ArcView 3.2a and 8.1 and several extensions are used routinely. Arc/Info 8.1 is also available for more complicated analyses and data management. This software is available in a dedicated computer laboratory with a 100-megabit network connecting 8 desktop and 2 laptop computers, with a dedicated geo-database and print server. CWS has committed funding for a teaching assistantship to support the computer operations and provide technical support. Students in the program come with varied GIS experience. Students have the option to take several GIS courses around the university and via CWS-sponsored short courses offered to professionals in business, government, and the nonprofit sectors. The students help each other to learn how to work with the data to develop a story of the watershed of interest, reinforcing a collaborative learning environment

Structural and functional analysis of critical amino acids in TMVI of the NHE1 isoform of the Na+/H+ exchanger

AbstractThe mammalian Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1) resides on the plasma membrane and exchanges one intracellular H+ for one extracellular Na+. It maintains intracellular pH and regulates cell volume, and cell functions including growth and cell differentiation. Previous structural and functional studies on TMVI revealed several amino acids that are potentially pore lining. We examined these and other critical residues by site-directed mutagenesis substituting Asn227→Ala, Asp, Arg; Ile233→Ala; Leu243→Ala; Glu247→Asp, Gln; Glu248→Asp, Gln. Mutant NHE1 proteins were characterized in AP-1 cells, which do not express endogenous NHE1. All the TMVI critical amino acids were highly sensitive to substitution and changes often lead to a dysfunctional protein. Mutations of Asn227→Ala, Asp, Arg; Ile233→Ala; Leu243→Ala; Glu247→Asp; Glu248→Gln yielded significant reduction in NHE1 activity. Mutants of Asn227 demonstrated defects in protein expression, targeting and activity. Substituting Asn227→Arg and Ile233→Ala decreased the surface localization and expression of NHE1 respectively. The pore lining amino acids Ile233 and Leu243 were both essential for activity. Glu247 was not essential, but the size of the residue at this location was important while the charge on residue Glu248 was more critical to NHE1 function. Limited trypsin digestion on Leu243→Ala and Glu248→Gln revealed that they had increased susceptibility to proteolytic attack, indicating an alteration in protein conformation. Modeling of TMVI with TMXI suggests that these TM segments form part of the critical fold of NHE1 with Ile233 and Leu465 of TMXI forming a critical part of the extracellular facing ion conductance pathway

SP-100 reactor with Brayton conversion for lunar surface applications

Examined here is the potential for integrating Brayton-cycle power conversion with the SP-100 reactor for lunar surface power system applications. Two designs were characterized and modeled. The first design integrates a 100-kWe SP-100 Brayton power system with a lunar lander. This system is intended to meet early lunar mission power needs while minimizing on-site installation requirements. Man-rated radiation protection is provided by an integral multilayer, cylindrical lithium hydride/tungsten (LiH/W) shield encircling the reactor vessel. Design emphasis is on ease of deployment, safety, and reliability, while utilizing relatively near-term technology. The second design combines Brayton conversion with the SP-100 reactor in a erectable 550-kWe powerplant concept intended to satisfy later-phase lunar base power requirements. This system capitalizes on experience gained from operating the initial 100-kWe module and incorporates some technology improvements. For this system, the reactor is emplaced in a lunar regolith excavation to provide man-rated shielding, and the Brayton engines and radiators are mounted on the lunar surface and extend radially from the central reactor. Design emphasis is on performance, safety, long life, and operational flexibility