Extendible-retractable electric field measurement antenna for IMP J

An antenna dispenser mechanism for the IMP J spacecraft was designed, fabricated, and tested. Upon command the mechanism deploys or retracts a conductor for use as a receiving antenna for an electric field measurement experiment. Five identical units were fabricated and tested to the IMP H & J environmental test specification. Of these, four are designated for flight on the IMP J spacecraft and one as a prototype flight spare. The testing program was successfully completed although certain design modifications were required as problems were uncovered by the testing; particularly thermal vacuum operation. The antenna mechanism functions well under the expected environmental and loading conditions. The wear life and load capability of the dry molybdenum disulphide lubricant originally used on the heavily loaded worm and gear pair were disappointing and a substitute material was applied. The lubricant finally applied performed well; although other problems were generated

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D Regulation of Triacylglycerol Accumulation in Differentiated Adipocytes

Obesity is a major public health concern, both in the United States and worldwide. Therefore, identification of measures by which obesity may be prevented and reversed is of high priority. Epidemiological studies consistently demonstrate an inverse relationship between serum 25(OH)D levels, an indicator of vitamin D status, and measures of adiposity. These data suggest that vitamin D may play a role in the prevention of excessive adiposity. However, whether vitamin D impacts lipid storage and metabolism in terminally differentiated adipocytes is not yet known. The purpose of this work was to determine the impact of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), the bioactive vitamin D metabolite, on triacylglycerol accumulation and lipid and glucose metabolism in differentiated adipocytes. To study this, 3T3-L1 adipocytes were differentiated for 9 days, followed by stimulation with 1,25(OH)2D (10 nM) or vehicle for 1-7 days. Results indicate that 1,25(OH)2D stimulates a 21% reduction in TAG accumulation in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes after 4 days (P=0.01). This occurs despite a significant increase in fatty acid uptake (P\u3c0.01), assessed using BODIPY FL C16, and with concomitant stimulation of PKA-dependen

Peer assisted study sessions for financial accounting

James Madison University (JMU) offers Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) for a variety of courses throughout different disciplines. This past Spring semester PASS was offered for 15 courses across campus, including three courses in the College of Business (COB). PASS is administratively handled and financial supported by JMU. They are review sessions led by students who have successfully completed the same course with the same professor in order to help improve students’ performance in that same course. Since we conducted similar review sessions, we adopted the same name, PASS, because many students were familiar with this term from other COB courses. Our collaborative, creative Honors Capstone Project allowed us to engage in a creative endeavor in which we worked closely with Professor Shifflett and the rest of the Accounting department. The purpose of our project was to aid struggling College of Business students in the Financial Accounting (COB 241) class required for admission into COB 300. Our primary objective for this semester was to help the students in COB 241 succeed by using our knowledge from our JMU accounting courses. Through achieving this objective we also benefited greatly from leading PASS. We were able to apply what we learned in accounting and become more confident in our knowledge of the subject. By continuously reviewing the basics of accounting through leading PASS we were able to keep our accounting knowledge fresh as we prepare to sit for the CPA exam. Finally, we were also able to develop lasting relationships with professors in the COB accounting program. These objectives were our guide for conducting PASS this semester

Power, Competitiveness, and Advice Taking: Why the Powerful Don't Listen

Four experiments test the prediction that feelings of power lead individuals to discount advice received from both experts and novices. Experiment 1 documents a negative relationship between subjective feelings of power and use of advice. Experiments 2 and 3 further show that individuals experiencing neutral and low levels of power weigh advice from experts and experienced advisors more heavily than advice from novices, but individuals experiencing high levels of power discount both novice and expert advice. Experiments 3 and 4 demonstrate that this tendency of individuals experiencing high levels of power to discount advice from experts and novices equally is mediated by feelings of competitiveness (Experiment 3) and confidence (Experiments 3 and 4). Finally, Experiment 4 shows that inducing high power individuals to feel cooperative with their advisors can mitigate this tendency, leading them to weigh expert advice more heavily than advice from novices. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed

When Power Makes Others Speechless: The Negative Impact of Leader Power on Team Performance

We examine the impact of subjective power on leadership behavior and demonstrate that the psychological effect of power on leaders spills over to impact team effectiveness. Specifically, drawing from the approach/inhibition theory of power, power-devaluation theory, and organizational research on the antecedents of employee voice, we argue that a leader's experience of heightened power produces verbal dominance, which reduces perceptions of leader openness and team open communication. Consequently, there is a negative effect of leader power on team performance. Three studies find consistent support for this argument. The implications for theory and practice are discussed

Political Ideology Affects Energy-Efficiency Attitudes and Choices

This research demonstrates how promoting the environment can negatively affect adoption of energy efficiency in the United States because of the political polarization surrounding environmental issues. Study 1 demonstrated that more politically conservative individuals were less in favor of investment in energy-efficient technology than were those who were more politically liberal. This finding was driven primarily by the lessened psychological value that more conservative individuals placed on reducing carbon emissions. Study 2 showed that this difference has consequences: In real-choice context, more conservative individuals were less likely to purchase a more expensive energy-efficient light bulb when it was labeled with an environmental message than when it was unlabeled. These results highlight the importance of taking into account psychological value-based considerations in the individual adoption of energy-efficient technology in the United States and beyond

The morality of organization versus organized members: Organizations are attributed more control and responsibility for negative outcomes than are equivalent members

Seven experiments demonstrate that framing an organizational entity (the target) as an organization (“an organization comprised of its constituent members”) versus its members (“constituent members comprising an organization”) increases attribution of responsibility to the target following a negative outcome, despite identical information conveyed. Specifically, the target in the organization (vs. members) frame was perceived to have more control over a negative outcome, which led to an increased attribution of responsibility (Studies 1–3). This effect surfaced for both for-profits and nonprofits (Study 5). However, when the target in the members frame had explicit control over the outcome (Study 3), or when participants held strong beliefs in individual free will (Study 4), the effect of frame on responsibility attenuated. To the extent that framing increased perceptions of control, punishment for the target also increased (Studies 6a and 6b). By demonstrating how a subtle shift in framing can impact people’s perceptions and judgments of organizations, we reveal important knowledge about how people understand organizations and the psychological nature of organizational and group perception