The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Caregiver Burden in Female Social Workers Who Care for an Elderly Relative

This study examined the relationship between job satisfaction and caregiver burden in 29 female social workers employed full time at the Missouri Division of Family Services in St. Louis County. Because of multiple caregiving roles experienced by social workers who also care for an elderly relative, it was hypothesized that there would be a significant negative correlation between job satisfaction and caregiver burden. The Caregiver Burden Scale developed by Zarit, Reever, and Bach-Peterson was used to determine caregiver burden. Job satisfaction was determined by Holland and Guttfredson\u27 s Career Attitudes and Strategies Inventory Job Satisfaction scale. No correlation was found between job satisfaction and caregiver burden among this sample. Limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed

Radiation-induced insulator discharge pulses in the CRRES internal discharge monitor satellite experiment

The Internal Discharge Monitor (IDM) was designed to observe electrical pulses from common electrical insulators in space service. The sixteen insulator samples included twelve planar printed circuit boards and four cables. The samples were fully enclosed, mutually isolated, and space radiation penetrated 0.02 cm of aluminum before striking the samples. Pulsing began on the seventh orbit, the maximum pulse rate occurred on the seventeenth orbit when 13 pulses occurred, and the pulses slowly diminished to about one per 3 orbits six months later. After 8 months, the radiation belts abruptly increased and the pulse rates attained a new high. These pulse rates were in agreement with laboratory experience on shorter time scales. Several of the samples never pulsed. If the pulses were not confined within IDM, the physical processes could spread to become a full spacecraft anomaly. The IDM results indicate the rate at which small insulator pulses occur. Small pulses are the seeds of larger satellite electrical anomalies. The pulse rates are compared with space radiation intensities, L shell location, and spectral distributions from the radiation spectrometers on the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite

Characterization and modeling of radiation effects NASA/MSFC semiconductor devices

A literature review of the near-Earth trapped radiation of the Van Allen Belts, the radiation within the solar system resulting from the solar wind, and the cosmic radiation levels of deep space showed that a reasonable simulation of space radiation, particularly the Earth orbital environment, could be simulated in the laboratory by proton bombardment. A 3 MeV proton accelerator was used to irradiate CMOS integrated circuits fabricated from three different processes. The drain current and output voltage for three inverters was recorded as the input voltage was swept from zero to ten volts after each successive irradiation. Device parameters were extracted. Possible damage mechanisms are discussed and recommendations for improved radiation hardness are suggested

Neural correlates of cognitive dissonance and choice-induced preference change

According to many modern economic theories, actions simply reflect an individual's preferences, whereas a psychological phenomenon called “cognitive dissonance” claims that actions can also create preference. Cognitive dissonance theory states that after making a difficult choice between two equally preferred items, the act of rejecting a favorite item induces an uncomfortable feeling (cognitive dissonance), which in turn motivates individuals to change their preferences to match their prior decision (i.e., reducing preference for rejected items). Recently, however, Chen and Risen [Chen K, Risen J (2010) J Pers Soc Psychol 99:573–594] pointed out a serious methodological problem, which casts a doubt on the very existence of this choice-induced preference change as studied over the past 50 y. Here, using a proper control condition and two measures of preferences (self-report and brain activity), we found that the mere act of making a choice can change self-report preference as well as its neural representation (i.e., striatum activity), thus providing strong evidence for choice-induced preference change. Furthermore, our data indicate that the anterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex tracked the degree of cognitive dissonance on a trial-by-trial basis. Our findings provide important insights into the neural basis of how actions can alter an individual's preferences

Soil properties associated with vegetation patches in a pinus ponderosa bunchgrass mosaic.

Since Euro-American settlement, fire exclusion and other factors have dramatically altered interior western coniferous forests. Once open and parklike, present day structure in many southwestern Pinus ponderosa forests consists of dense stands of young, small-diameter trees, with small patches of larger, old trees, and relict open bunchgrass areas. Our objectives were to assess differences in soil properties associated with these different vegetation patches. We examined soil morphological characteristics, pH, organic C concentration, total N concentration C:N ratio, and phytolith concentration from profiles within 6 transects (18 soil pedons) crossing patches of dense stands of small-diameter trees, patchs of old-growth trees, and open grassy areas. Results indicate that old-growth plots had significantly lower A horizon pH and thicker 0 horizons than grass plots. In general, we found vegetation patches had statistically similar C and N concentrations and C:N ratios for A and B horizons; however, C in the A horizon was positively correlated with 0 horizon accumulation (r2 = 0.79). Greater accumulation of organic C in the A horizon of forested areas contrasts with commonly reported results from mesic, mid-continental prairie forest ecosystems but is typical for many arid semiarid, and humid savanna ecosystems. Phytolith concentration was similar among old-growth pine, dense younger pine, and open grassy plots; the lack of a spatial pattern in phytolith distribution could indicate that grass cover was more spatially continuous in the past. Additionally this interpretation is consistent with current theories regarding historical vegetation change in these forests

Sparrow Nest Survival in Relation to Prescribed Fire and Woody Plant Invasion in a Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie

Prescribed fire is used to reverse invasion by woody vegetation on grasslands, but managers often are uncertain whether influences of shrub and tree reduction outweigh potential effects of fire on nest survival of grassland birds. During the 2001–2003 breeding seasons, we examined relationships of prescribed fire and woody vegetation to nest survival of clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida) and Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) in mixed-grass prairie at Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern North Dakota, USA.We assessed relationships of nest survival to 1) recent fire history, in terms of number of breeding seasons (2, 3, or 4–5) since the last prescribed fire, and 2) prevalence of trees and tall (\u3e1.5 m) shrubs in the landscape and of low (≤1.5 m) shrubs within 5 m of nests. Nest survival of both species exhibited distinct patterns related to age of the nest and day of year, but bore no relationship to fire history. Survival of clay-colored sparrow nests declined as the amount of trees and tall shrubs within 100 m increased, but we found no relationship to suggest nest parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) as an underlying mechanism. We found little evidence linking nest survival of Savannah sparrow to woody vegetation. Our results suggest that fire can be used to restore northern mixed-grass prairies without adversely affecting nest survival of ≥2 widespread passerine species. Survival of nests of clay-colored sparrow may increase when tall woody cover is reduced by fire. Our data lend support to the use of fire for reducing scattered patches of tall woody cover to enhance survival of nests of ≥1 grassland bird species in northern mixed-grass prairies, but further study is needed that incorporates experimental approaches and assessments of shorter term effects of fire on survival of nests of grassland passerines

Sparrow Nest Survival in Relation to Prescribed Fire and Woody Plant Invasion in a Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie

Prescribed fire is used to reverse invasion by woody vegetation on grasslands, but managers often are uncertain whether influences of shrub and tree reduction outweigh potential effects of fire on nest survival of grassland birds. During the 2001–2003 breeding seasons, we examined relationships of prescribed fire and woody vegetation to nest survival of clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida) and Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) in mixed-grass prairie at Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern North Dakota, USA.We assessed relationships of nest survival to 1) recent fire history, in terms of number of breeding seasons (2, 3, or 4–5) since the last prescribed fire, and 2) prevalence of trees and tall (\u3e1.5 m) shrubs in the landscape and of low (≤1.5 m) shrubs within 5 m of nests. Nest survival of both species exhibited distinct patterns related to age of the nest and day of year, but bore no relationship to fire history. Survival of clay-colored sparrow nests declined as the amount of trees and tall shrubs within 100 m increased, but we found no relationship to suggest nest parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) as an underlying mechanism. We found little evidence linking nest survival of Savannah sparrow to woody vegetation. Our results suggest that fire can be used to restore northern mixed-grass prairies without adversely affecting nest survival of ≥2 widespread passerine species. Survival of nests of clay-colored sparrow may increase when tall woody cover is reduced by fire. Our data lend support to the use of fire for reducing scattered patches of tall woody cover to enhance survival of nests of ≥1 grassland bird species in northern mixed-grass prairies, but further study is needed that incorporates experimental approaches and assessments of shorter term effects of fire on survival of nests of grassland passerines

Sparrow Nest Survival in Relation to Prescribed Fire and Woody Plant Invasion in a Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie

Prescribed fire is used to reverse invasion by woody vegetation on grasslands, but managers often are uncertain whether influences of shrub and tree reduction outweigh potential effects of fire on nest survival of grassland birds. During the 2001–2003 breeding seasons, we examined relationships of prescribed fire and woody vegetation to nest survival of clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida) and Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) in mixed-grass prairie at Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern North Dakota, USA.We assessed relationships of nest survival to 1) recent fire history, in terms of number of breeding seasons (2, 3, or 4–5) since the last prescribed fire, and 2) prevalence of trees and tall (\u3e1.5 m) shrubs in the landscape and of low (≤1.5 m) shrubs within 5mof nests. Nest survival of both species exhibited distinct patterns related to age of the nest and day of year, but bore no relationship to fire history. Survival of clay-colored sparrow nests declined as the amount of trees and tall shrubs within 100mincreased, but we found no relationship to suggest nest parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) as an underlying mechanism. We found little evidence linking nest survival of Savannah sparrow to woody vegetation. Our results suggest that fire can be used to restore northern mixed-grass prairies without adversely affecting nest survival of ≥2 widespread passerine species. Survival of nests of clay-colored sparrow may increase when tall woody cover is reduced by fire. Our data lend support to the use of fire for reducing scattered patches of tall woody cover to enhance survival of nests of ≥1 grassland bird species in northern mixed-grass prairies, but further study is needed that incorporates experimental approaches and assessments of shorter term effects of fire on survival of nests of grassland passerines