Outskirts Of Berlin, November 18, 1949

Were almost there, sir”, said the young uniformed driver. There was not much to say from the man in the back of the jeep. He was very quiet with and had aviator’s shades covering his eyes. Unlike the driver, the man in the back did not have on an army uniform or even look presentable or even dressed for the weather. Only a Hawaiian aloha print shirt and khaki slacks barely seemed to shield him from the cruel winter breeze. As they came upon their destination the driver reached over to give the man a green field jacket. ~excerpt from short stor

Tolerance of Soybeans and Grain Sorghum to Fluometuron Residue

Failure to obtain a stand of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is often a problem. Cotton can be replanted only during a narrow range of recommended planting dates; therefore, alternative crops are sometimes necessary. The selection of an alternate crop is dependent on the herbicides already applied for preemergence weed control in cotton. Fluometuron [1,1-dimethyl-3-(a,a,a-trifluoro-m-tolyl)urea] is a widely used cotton herbicide, which may injure any alternative crop. The objective of this 1973 study was to determine the susceptibility of soybeans [Glycine Max (L.) Merr.] and grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.] to fluometuron residues when grown as alternative crops to cotton on a Memphis silt loam at Milan, Tennessee and on a Sequatchie loam at Knoxville, Tennessee. The four main treatments consisted of fluometuron at the rate of 3.36 kg/ha broadcast, 1.68 kg/ha broadcast, 1.68 kg/ha on a treated area basis restricted to a 50 cm band, and no fluometuron. Each main treatment was divided into three subtreatments consisting of three, six, and nine week intervals from date of applica-tion to planting. At Milan the 1.68 kg/ha band treatment did not significantly affect the number of live soybean plants, plant height, percent vigor reduction or yield of soybeans at any planting date. Fluometuron treatments of 3.36 and 1.68 kg/ha broadcast required a waiting period of nine weeks before soybeans could be grown without injury. The 1.68 kg/ha band treatment did not cause significant injury or yield reduction of grain sorghum at Milan. Fluometuron treatments of 1.68 and 3.36 kg/ha broadcast required waiting periods of six and nine weeks, respectively, to prevent significant injury and yield reduction of grain sorghum at Milan. Grain sorghum and soybean response and yields and bioassay results showed a decrease in residue with successive planting dates. Grain sorghum exhibited more tolerance to fluometuron residue than did soybeans. Fluometuron did not cause a significant reduction in the number of live plants, plant height, plant vigor or yield of either soybeans or grain sorghum at any rate at Knoxville. Response to fluometuron was obtained in a secondary experiment at Knoxville. Difference in response between locations was primarily attributable to a higher soil organic matter content at Knoxville. Results of oat bioassays showed that fluometuron residues were found primarily in the 0-10 cm depth of soil. Sufficient dissipation had occurred by 24 weeks after application to allow normal growth of oats on all,except the highest rate of fluometuron. Less phytotoxicity, due to fluometuron, was observed on oats grown in treated Sequatchie than in treated Memphis soil

Forestry Extension in Tennessee: Comparing Traditional and Web-Based Program Delivery Methods

As the traditional forestry Extension clientele in Tennessee changes, Extension professionals need to adapt and deliver programs in such a way as to reach the maximum audience while ensuring the educational benefit of the program and remaining within budget. The development of the Internet and associated web-based programs presents a new tool by which Extension professionals can develop and deliver educational programs to clientele. This study compared two Extension program delivery methods, web-based and traditional field-based. A series of field workshops were held and participants were surveyed. From these field workshops, a web-based program was developed and was marketed to a similar audience; these participants were also surveyed. Demographic information, learning preferences, and other measures of program preference were collected. Ninety-seven percent of participants in the field-based program and 68% of the web-based sample preferred a field program over a web-based program. If only a web-based program was made available to participants, at least 50% of each sample would be interested. Educational level was the only demographic characteristic that was significantly different between those who chose a web-based program and those who chose a field-based program. Participants with higher educational levels were more likely to choose a web-based program. Educational level was positively correlated with income level, computer ownership, and Internet access. Educational level was negatively correlated with age. Knowledge gain was significantly higher in the field-based sample. Web-based participants showed average knowledge gain of 12.2 to 28.7% whereas the knowledge gain for people attending the traditional field day program averaged 16.5 to 46.1%. Level of computer ownership was high in both samples as was the use of the computer on a regular basis. Internet access was high in both groups. The web-based sample had significantly higher levels of high-speed access. Those with high-speed connections were more likely to choose a web-based program, although both groups used the computer/Internet regularly for gathering information. Current forestry Extension clientele preferred a field-based program delivery method. Some clientele, though, preferred web-based programming and these types of programs should be offered when suitable. Using a variety of delivery methods, Extension can adapt programs to a wide range of learning styles to reach new audiences, including younger generations who are more comfortable with Internet learning

Performance Evaluation with Stochastic Discount Factors

We study the use of stochastic discount factor (SDF) models in evaluating the investment performance of portfolio managers. By constructing artificial mutual funds with known levels of investment ability, we evaluate a large set of SDF models. We find that the measures of performance are not highly sensitive to the SDF model, and that most of the models have a mild negative bias when performance is neutral. We use the models to evaluate a sample of U.S. equity mutual funds. Adjusting for the observed bias, we find that the average mutual fund has enough ability to cover its transactions costs. Extreme funds are more likely to have good rather than poor risk adjusted performance. Our analysis also reveals a number of implementation issues relevant to other applications of SDF models.

Objectification of Gay African American Males in the Bondage Discipline Sadism Masochism Community

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to improve the understanding of Sexual Objectification (SO) of gay African American males in the bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism (BDSM) community. Although many studies have been conducted on SO of women and other minority populations, there is a lack of research on the lived experience of gay African American males participating in the BDSM community. The theoretical framework for this study was Fredrickson and Roberts\u27s objectification theory, with a conceptual framework focused on SO that gay African American males experienced while participating in the BDSM community. The research questions were designed to elicit the participants\u27 experiences about their participation in the BDSM community. Ten gay African American males, selected through purposive sampling, described their reasons for participating in the BDSM community, what the participants gained from participating in the BDSM community, how they experienced SO, how they handled these experiences, and how these experiences changed them. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed by hand. The data were analyzed in 3 stages: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding techniques. Five themes emerged from the interviews: community, gained knowledge and freedom, verbal objectification, avoidance, and mistrust. This study contributes to the existing body of literature and promotes social change by fostering dialog about objectification. Through this dialog, behavioral patterns and cultural norms can be altered over time by increasing awareness about objectification and its effects on people. This study provided gay African American males a voice to discuss a phenomenon that impacts their lives

Quantum simulation of multiple-exciton generation in a nanocrystal by a single photon

We have shown theoretically that efficient multiple exciton generation (MEG) by a single photon can be observed in small nanocrystals (NCs). Our quantum simulations that include hundreds of thousands of exciton and multi-exciton states demonstrate that the complex time-dependent dynamics of these states in a closed electronic system yields a saturated MEG effect on a picosecond timescale. Including phonon relaxation confirms that efficient MEG requires the exciton--biexciton coupling time to be faster than exciton relaxation time

Law Enforcement Officers’ Perceptions of Administering Naloxone in Overdose Scenarios

There is minimal research on law enforcement officers’ perceptions of overdose recovery efforts and unforeseen occupational dangers. Using a phenomenological approach and street-level bureaucracy as the interpretive lens, this study involved examining lived experiences of law enforcement officers in northern New Jersey who have implemented naloxone administration protocols for suspected opioid overdoses and actual or perceived unintentional scene-related chemical exposure. Four main themes emerged personal experience, medical interventions, the war on drugs, and safeguards. Subthemes uncovered law enforcement officers’ requests for additional occupational safeguards and education for scene-responding officers specifically involving self-protection and improved medical intervention training. These findings support positive social change by providing legislative and administrative policymakers with information to enact policy changes and safeguards for public servants, families, and bystanders who may encounter overdose scenarios

Indigenous Health – Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States - Laying Claim to a Future that Embraces Health for Us All.

Improving the health of all peoples has been a call across the globe for many decades and unfortunately remains relevant today, particularly given the large disparities in health status of peoples found around the world. Rather than differences in health, or health inequalities, we use a different term, health inequities. This is so as mere differences in health (or inequalities ) can be common in societies and do not necessarily reflect unfair social policies or practices. For example, natural ageing implies older people are more prone to illness. Yet, when differences are systematic, socially produced and unfair, these are considered health inequities. Certainly making judgments on what is systematic, socially produced and unfair, reflects value judgments and merit open debate. We are making explicit in this paper what our judgments are, and the basis for these judgment

Impacts of Climate Change Drivers on C4 Grassland Productivity: Scaling Driver Effects Through the Plant Community

Climate change drivers affect plant community productivity via three pathways: (i) direct effects of drivers on plants; (ii) the response of species abundances to drivers (community response); and (iii) the feedback effect of community change on productivity (community effect). The contribution of each pathway to driver–productivity relationships depends on functional traits of dominant species. We used data from three experiments in Texas, USA, to assess the role of community dynamics in the aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) response of C4 grasslands to two climate drivers applied singly: atmospheric CO2 enrichment and augmented summer precipitation. The ANPPdriver response differed among experiments because community responses and effects differed. ANPP increased by 80–120 g m–2 per 100 μl l–1 rise in CO2 in separate experiments with pasture and tallgrass prairie assemblages. Augmenting ambient precipitation by 128 mm during one summer month each year increased ANPP more in native than in exotic communities in a third experiment. The community effect accounted for 21–38% of the ANPP CO2 response in the prairie experiment but little of the response in the pasture experiment. The community response to CO2 was linked to species traits associated with greater soil water from reduced transpiration (e.g. greater height). Community effects on the ANPP CO2 response and the greater ANPP response of native than exotic communities to augmented precipitation depended on species differences in transpiration efficiency. These results indicate that feedbacks from community change influenced ANPP-driver responses. However, the species traits that regulated community effects on ANPP differed from the traits that determined how communities responded to drivers