Modeling Three and Four Coupled Phase Qubits

The Josephson junction phase qubit has been shown to be a viable candidate for quantum computation. In recent years, the two coupled phase system has been extensively studied theoretically and experimentally. We have analyzed the quantum behavior of three and four capacitively-coupled phase qubits with different possible configurations, using a two-level system model. Energy levels and eigenstates have been calculated as a function of bias current and detuning. The properties of these simple networks are discussed

Additional Business Courses in the CM Curriculum

With the growing size of the Construction Industry, an increased knowledge and understanding of the business side of the operation is becoming more important. This study attempts to look at construction management student’s interest in adding more business topic courses into the CM curriculum and if adding more business topic courses will better prepare students for industry. Students were asked to answer six questions -five survey and one free response. These questions were designed to provide quantitative and qualitative data that would allow for an increased understanding of student interest in regards to business. Conclusion: Results indicated that students would like to see more business related topics courses implemented into the CM curriculum and felt that more business classes would better prepare them for industry

Token reinforcement and resistance to change

Interventions based on a token economy effectively reduce problematic behavior. Yet, treatment gains deteriorate once an intervention is discontinued. It is important to better understand the persistence of behavior maintained by token reinforcement in simple experimental procedures. A Pavlovian association with primary reinforcement is said to endow neutral stimuli (e.g., coins, poker chips, lights, signs, stickers, etc.) with their own function to strengthen behavior as conditioned reinforcers. Behavioral momentum theory suggests that resistance to change under conditions of disruption is the appropriate measure of response strength. However, some animal studies have suggested that conditioned reinforcement may not affect resistance to change of a response. Here, a novel token reinforcement procedure was developed to investigate the resistance to change of responding maintained by token reinforcement. Pigeons responded on a key to produce tokens displayed on a touchscreen monitor in two signaled token-production components. Tokens accumulated over the two production components prior to a common exchange component where pecks to the tokens on the touchscreen produced food reinforcement. Resistance to change of responding maintained by different rates of token reinforcement was assessed by disrupting baseline token-production responding with presession feeding. Token reinforcement rates had inconsistent effects on baseline token-production response rates. However, small effects of token reinforcement rate on resistance to change were found. Results provide weak support for a response-strengthening account of conditioned reinforcement and insightful directions for future studies of token reinforcement in related procedures

A Case Study of the Retention-Supporting Needs of Beginning Teachers in a West Central Georgia School System

Even though the State of Georgia has issued suggested guidance for new teacher induction programs, not all school systems follow that guidance and varying induction practices have been implemented. Because replacing exiting teachers in the first 5 years of their career has become costly to school systems—both financially and academically regarding student achievement—it is in all stakeholders’ best interest to support new teachers to increase retention rates. The purpose of this case study was to describe 1st-year teachers’ experiences in a West Central Georgia school system induction program and to identify the retention-supporting needs these new teachers reported as part of a successful induction program. This case study included a document analysis review of the school system’s Induction Program Handbook and interviews with six teachers (two elementary, two middle, and two high school) at two points of time in the academic year. Coding the interviews for themes, I used a conceptual framework based on research-proven practices that are strong components for induction programs. This study provides an understanding of what these 1st-year teachers experienced in the induction program and what supports they identified as being most useful to them as they completed their 1st year of employment in a public PreK-12 school system. The results support existing research that outlines induction program needs to increase new teacher intention rates and describes how these supports can be structured to meet all stakeholders’ needs. Purposeful mentoring from a trained mentor, collaboration with multiple professionals, and individualized professional learning activities tailored to the unique needs of each 1st-year teacher were identified as strong retention supporting induction program component

Digital Computer Modeling of Limestone Groundwater Systems

Because limestone groundwater flows mainly In discrete openings, limestone aquifers are fundamentally different from aquifers In granular rocks. A digital computer program which simulates flow in a limestone aquifer as a pipe network was written and compared with the Sinkhole Plain aquifer of west-central Kentucky. A reasonably good fit between observed parameters of the aquifer and those calculated were obtained under assumed conditions of both laminar and turbulent now In the aquifer. The Indicated gross permeablllty of the aquifer is 5600 melnzers with an assumed aquifer thickness of 100 feet. The location and discharge of springs along the streams bounding the aquifer are predicted. With further refinements to the computational routines, additional features of the aquifer can be modelled, and more refined predictions can be made of water budget parameters, location of flow paths, and development of the aquifer

Discharge and Travel Time Determinations in the Royal Spring Groundwater Basin, Kentucky

Groundwater flow in many karst regions, including the Inner Bluegrass Karst Region of central Kentucky in which the study area was located, is unlike groundwater flow in granular aquifers. At least the major flows are turbulent and often with a free surface in large conduits, and applying concepts based on Darcy\u27s Law to describe and model these flows is inappropriate. Parameters such as linear velocity, channel geometry, and conveyance used to describe surface streamflows are more applicable, and the primary objective of the project was to estimate these in a groundwater basin using the travel time of dye slugs and discharges obtained by dye dilution. These data were also needed to determine the travel time-discharge relationship required to manage contaminent-spills and evaluate methods of enhancing low flows in the basin, the second and third objective of the project. These latter two objectives are of importance because the flow in the Royal Spring groundwater basin that was investigated is used as a municipal water supply. Due to equipment malfunction and weather conditions, good data was collected only during the final six weeks of the project. Because this report was required to be submitted by the end of the project, evaluation of the data and estimation of the parameters has not yet been completed. Preliminary results indicate that the data will permit such parameter estimation and have suggested methods of increasing the amount of water available during low-flow periods

Fiduciaries Under ERISA: A Narrow Path to Tread

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974\u27(ERISA) introduced a new era for a broad spectrum of American society. The new Act had a startling impact not only upon pension plan sponsors, participants, and beneficiaries, but also upon the myriad group of individuals and institutions providing services,advice, and counsel to the pension industry. This article primarily will consider the new law as it affects the fiduciary, creating new responsibilities and increased liability. Several areas in which the new law creates special problems then will be considered