The Johnson Space Center Management Information Systems (JSCMIS): An interface for organizational databases

The Management Information and Decision Support Environment (MIDSE) is a research activity to build and test a prototype of a generic human interface on the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Information Network (CIN). The existing interfaces were developed specifically to support operations rather than the type of data which management could use. The diversity of the many interfaces and their relative difficulty discouraged occasional users from attempting to use them for their purposes. The MIDSE activity approached this problem by designing and building an interface to one JSC data base - the personnel statistics tables of the NASA Personnel and Payroll System (NPPS). The interface was designed against the following requirements: generic (use with any relational NOMAD data base); easy to learn (intuitive operations for new users); easy to use (efficient operations for experienced users); self-documenting (help facility which informs users about the data base structure as well as the operation of the interface); and low maintenance (easy configuration to new applications). A prototype interface entitled the JSC Management Information Systems (JSCMIS) was produced. It resides on CIN/PROFS and is available to JSC management who request it. The interface has passed management review and is ready for early use. Three kinds of data are now available: personnel statistics, personnel register, and plan/actual cost

The Johnson Space Center management information systems: User's guide to JSCMIS

The Johnson Space Center Management Information System (JSCMIS) is an interface to computer data bases at the NASA Johnson Space Center which allows an authorized user to browse and retrieve information from a variety of sources with minimum effort. The User's Guide to JSCMIS is the supplement to the JSCMIS Research Report which details the objectives, the architecture, and implementation of the interface. It is a tutorial on how to use the interface and a reference for details about it. The guide is structured like an extended JSCMIS session, describing all of the interface features and how to use them. It also contains an appendix with each of the standard FORMATs currently included in the interface. Users may review them to decide which FORMAT most suits their needs

Potential antimicrobial properties of the cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus in relationship to the moss Bryum argenteum

Biological soil crusts play important ecological roles in arid desert regions. These crusts cycle nutrients, prevent wind/water erosion, and form the basis of food chains and soil formation in desert communities. Primary components of these structures include two desert moss species Bryum argenteum and Syntrichia caninervis, and Microcoleus vaginatus, a cyanobacterium. Our Phase I experiment strongly suggests that in an environment of intense light, a condition of stress to Syntrichia caninervis, there is an increase in shoot regeneration when cyanobacteria are present compared to when they are absent. Microcoleus is a highly motile species and our lab observations of fewer deleterious bacteria, algae, and fungi in cultures containing the cyanobacterium led us to hypothesize that the cyanobacterium may be deterring the development of bacteria/algae/fungi that can slow moss growth. The current experiment seeks to determine whether a benefit of Microcoleus to the mosses lies in its antimicrobial activity. Two microbial candidates (a fungus and a bacterium) were selected from early lab cultures and determined to impede the growth of these moss species. These microbes were then cultured individually and in combination with the moss only, with the cyanobacterium only, and with both moss and cyanobacterium together. Each treatment was allowed to incubate under simulated natural conditions of light and moisture for a period of eight weeks. Final results will be determined through biomass weights and area measurements

Competencies needed by Administrators as perceived by Officers and Committee Members in the North American Division

https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/hrsa/1000/thumbnail.jp

Data-driven MRI analysis reveals fitness-related functional change in default mode network and cognition following an exercise intervention

Previous research has indicated that cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is structurally and functionally neuroprotective in older adults. However, questions remain regarding the mechanistic role of CRF on cognitive and brain health. The purposes of this study were to investigate if higher pre-intervention CRF was associated with greater change in functional brain connectivity during an exercise intervention and to determine if the magnitude of change in connectivity was related to better post-intervention cognitive performance. The sample included low-active older adults (n = 139) who completed a 6-month exercise intervention and underwent neuropsychological testing, functional neuroimaging, and CRF testing before and after the intervention. A data-driven multi-voxel pattern analysis was performed on resting-state MRI scans to determine changes in whole-brain patterns of connectivity from pre- to post-intervention as a function of pre-intervention CRF. Results revealed a positive correlation between pre-intervention CRF and changes in functional connectivity in the precentral gyrus. Using the precentral gyrus as a seed, analyses indicated that CRF-related connectivity changes within the precentral gyrus were derived from increased correlation strength within clusters located in the Dorsal Attention Network (DAN) and increased anti-correlation strength within clusters located in the Default Mode Network (DMN). Exploratory analysis demonstrated that connectivity change between the precentral gyrus seed and DMN clusters were associated with improved post-intervention performance on perceptual speed tasks. These findings suggest that in a sample of low-active and mostly lower-fit older adults, even subtle individual differences in CRF may influence the relationship between functional connectivity and aspects of cognition following a 6-month exercise intervention.Center for Nutrition, Learning, and Memory at University of Illinois, Grant/Award Number: C4712National Institute on Aging, Grant/Award Number: R37 AG02566

Concurrent Validity of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory for Seventh-day Adventist Seminarians and Ministers

Problem. The purpose of this study was to detemine if the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII) is a valid instrument for measuring the vocational interests of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) seminarians and ministers and to discover if denominational differences exist on the SCII. Another purpose of the study was to determine if preferred type of ministry is related to vocational interests. Method. The SCII and questionnaire were administered to randomly selected SDA seminarians and ministers. The data-producing sample consisted of 75 seminarians and 189 ministers. Statistical analyses included Hotelling\u27s T test, t-tests, univariate and multivariate analyses of variance, and discriminant analysis. Findings. (1) SDA seminarians have significantly more Social interests and less Artistic interests than does the SCII criterion minister sample as measured by the General Occupational Themes. (2) There is no significant difference between the vocational interests of the SCII criterion minister sample and the vocational interests of SDA seminarians as measured by the Minister (male) Occupational Scale. (3) SDA ministershave significantly less Investigative and Artistic interest than does the SCII criterion minister sample as measured by the General Occupational Themes. (4) SDA ministers score significantly lower than the SCII criterion minister sample on the Minister (male) Occupational Scale. (5) SDA seminarians score significantly higher than SDA ministerson the Artistic and Social General Occupational Themes. (6) SDA seminarians score significantly higher than SDA ministers on the Minister (male) Occupational Scale. (7) The type of preferred ministry makes a significant difference, generally in the expected direction, in the interests of SDA seminarians and ministers as measured by the General Occupational Themes. (8) The type of preferred ministry makes a significant difference, with the administration group scoring the lowest and the counseling group scoring the highest, in the interests of SDA seminarians and ministers as measured by the Minister(male) Occupational Scale. Implications. In spite of the aforementioned differences, the research provides support for the concurrent validity of the SCII for SDA seminarians and ministers. However, vocational counselors need to be aware that denominational differences exist on the SCII and utilize denominational norms as they become available

Livestock utilization of a clear-cut burn in northeastern Oregon

Three five acre exclosures were established in 1964 to monitor vegetational regeneration and forage productivity on a coniferous forest site in northeastern Oregon which was clear-cut in 1963, broadcast burned and seeded in 1964. Fence design and construction to facilitate controlled early summer cattle grazing trials was completed by 1965. One exclosure, I, excluded indigenous big game species, mule deer (Odocoileus heinionus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) as well as cattle (Bos tarus); the remaining two, II and III, excluded cattle only. It had become evident by 1969 that the amount of available herbaceous forage in the game exclosure was decreasing as the amount of browse production increased. This study was set up during the summer of 1970 to quantitatively evaluate the amount, preference and nutritive value of browse utilized by cattle. Following an early summer grazing trial, five mature cows were placed in I from 19 August to 2 September, 1970. These animals lost an average of 6.7 pounds/day. The control group on meadow pasture lost an average of 2.3 pounds/day. The cows in I preferred herbaceous species, but as these were utilized, they grazed elderberry (Sambucus cerulea ), willow (Salix ssp. ), ninebark (Physocarpus malvaceus), redstem ceanothus (Ceanothu.s sanguineus ), and snowbrush (C. velutinus) in descending order of preference. Browsing on conifers was negligible, and only 2% of the trees were injured by trampling. Frequency and density of all plant species and cover of the shrub species were taken (in exclosures I and II) in June of 1971. Frequency data, incorporated into an association table, confirmed the presence of two plant communities, each displaying different floral composition. Shrub density on the ridge type, designated a Ponderosa pine community, was almost identical between I and U. Exclosure II, however, contained only two-thirds the cover of I. Shrub density in I of the slope type, a mixed coniferous forest community, was almost twice that of II; cover in I was four times that of II. These differences between exclosures were attributed to big game use. Mature cows, pre-conditioned to a browse diet, were placed in I from 13 August to 27 August 1971. They gained .81 pounds/day, while the control group on an adjacent forested area lost .64 pounds/day. Elderberry, willow, redstem ceanothus, snowbrush, and ninebark was the descending order of browse preference that year. Conifer loss was restricted to only negligible trampling damage. To date, it appears that the number of conifer trees and the average tree height between I and II have not been influenced by the grazing treatments. An indirect competition factor (similar plant species preference but at different seasons) was found to exist between the big game animals and the domestic livestock. Previous research indicates that mule deer prefer such species as ninebark, snowbrush, redstem ceanothus, oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), and willow during the spring and early summer. The late summer grazing cows indicated a similar preference. The only direct competition (similar plant species preference during the same season) observed was in 19 71 when the early summer grazing heifers made heavy utilization of ninebark

The UREx Guide to Scenarios

This Scenario Planning Guide outlines how the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network (UREx SRN) supports ongoing efforts in its nine network cities in conducting participatory workshops. The Scenarios Working Group team, together with students, researchers, and collaborators across the network, have synthesized the co-produced visions from Workshop I. City-leads, practitioners, network participants, and participating institutions are encouraged to use the quantitative and qualitative outputs to further develop resilient, equitable, and sustainable transition pathways to help bring about their envisioned futures. The primer begins with a brief description of the UREx SRN, before introducing the innovative framework applied to participatory scenario workshops. This is followed by an outline of the social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) approach that is applied throughout the project. A general explanation of scenarios is given, and a detailed description is provided of why scenario planning is applied, and the types of scenarios produced. The main portion of the primer focuses on the scenario workshops with detailed information provided on pre-workshop events, workshop activities and post-workshop data analysis and product synthesis

Sites of synthesis of chromogranins A and B in the human brain

The sites of synthesis of the chromogranins A and B, and their potential processed peptides, were examined by quantitating the levels of chromogranin A and B mRNA in various regions of the human brain by Northern blot analysis. Chromogranin A and B mRNA expression in the brain is region-specific and confined to grey matter. In situ hybridization histochemistry detected chromogranin A and B mRNA in pyramidal neurons of human cerebral cortex. Cell-specific expression in subpopulations of cerebrocortical neurons suggest that chromogranin A and B gene products may play a role in central neuronal function.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/30124/1/0000500.pd