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Continuing education of the clergy includes, in addition to theological education, sociocultural disciplines, training in professional skills, and personal development. Institutional provisions are many and varied--theological schools, universities and colleges, conference and study centers, institutes, interseminary centers, denominational boards, and interdenominational organizations. The question of who has responsibility for providing it is debatable; a strong case can be made for seminaries but it might be a peripheral interest and a financial strain. It has been suggested that an interseminary approach--already undertaken with some success--seems better; residential study has advantages over other programs, as shown by the "Tower Room Scholars" (Union Theological Seminary in Richmond), the "Seabury Fellows" (Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Evanston), and others; there should be some association with, or in the setting of, a good university. A minister may be motivated by a career or identity crisis or by the authority of hierarchical jurisdictions. Denominational or interdenominational boards should publicize evaluative criteria for judging programs, provide financial support, and act as intermediary between the agencies and the ministers. (EB)

Enhancing axon regeneration is a major focus of nerve injury research, and the quality of the surgical nerve repair plays a large role in the aggregate success of nerve regeneration. Additionally, exercise is known to promote successful axon regeneration after surgical nerve repair. In this study, we asked how exercise-induced nerve regeneration is affected when a transected nerve is repaired with or without fibrin glue. Fibrin glue repaired nerves exhibited greater vasculature within the tissue bridge compared to nerves that were intrinsically repaired. Fibrin glue repaired nerves also exhibited more robust axon regeneration after exercise compared to nerves that were not repaired with fibrin glue. When angiogenesis of the tissue bridge was prevented, exercise was unable to enhance regeneration despite the presence of fibrin glue. These findings suggest that the biological properties of fibrin glue enhance angiogenesis within the repair site, and a vascularized bridge is required for enhanced axon elongation with exercise. The combination of fibrin glue repair and exercise resulted in notable differences in vascular growth, axon elongation, neuromuscular junction reinnervation, and functional recovery. Fibrin glue should be considered as an adjuvant for nerve repair to enhance the subsequent efficacy of activity- and physical therapy-based treatment interventions.

There were a total of 12 documented Panax quinquefolius (American Ginseng) in the only known population in Louisiana in 1986. Our reassessment of the population in 2016 found 16 plants. We suggest that the long-term persistence of this tiny American Ginseng population indicates that simple matrix-population models may be overestimating quasi-extinction numbers and minimum viable populations, perhaps as a result of failing to sufficiently consider influences of environmental conditions. We further suggest that this, the southernmost documented population of the species in the US, has endured beyond expectation but remains at acute risk of extirpation and that any population-specific genes are at risk of loss if no intervention is made to protect the population.

The objective of this field study was to evaluate the effects of crop rotation (rice-rice and soybean-rice) and rice cultivar selection (one hybrid and two pure-line cultivars) across two consecutive growing seasons (2012 and 2013) on methane (CH 4 ) fluxes and emissions from rice grown in the drill-seeded, delayed-flood production system on a silt-loam soil. Weekly CH 4 fluxes were measured from flooding to harvest from 30-cm-diameter, enclosed-headspace chambers at the Rice Research and Extension Center near Stuttgart, Arkansas. Averaged over years, area-scaled season-long CH 4 emissions were greater ( P 4 -C ha − 1 from Taggart and Cheniere, respectively), which did not differ, than from the hybrid CLXL745 following soybean (72.2 kg CH 4 -C ha − 1 ). Averaged across years and cultivars, yield-scaled season-long CH 4 emissions were greater ( P 4 -C [Mg grain] − 1 , respectively). Averaged across years and crop rotation, yield-scaled season-long CH 4 emissions were 77% greater ( P 4 emissions provide valuable data for future estimates of CH 4 emissions from the drill-seeded, delayed-flood production system on a silt-loam soil among crop rotation-cultivar combinations to refine greenhouse gas emissions estimates and evaluate anticipated climate change.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) plays a key role in sustaining global food security; however, rice production also accounts for a significant proportion of global methane (CH4) emissions, a major greenhouse gas involved in altering global climate. Many previous studies have quantified the proportion of CH4 emissions by independently evaluating factors such as soil texture and cultivars – an approach that has led to potentially biased estimates of their actual contribution to total emissions. Most of these studies have not considered the influence of the preceding crop or growing-season weather that could lead to a significant variation in carbon budgets. The main objective of this study was to identify the key edaphic, cultivar, and environmental factors and determine their proportional contributions towards CH4 emissions in direct-seeded, rice-based cropping systems. A multiple regression model was developed to quantify CH4 emissions as a function of temperature (both day and night independently and in combination) and other weather variables, soil (silt-loam-surface-textured Albaqualf and clay-surface-textured Epiaquert), cultivar (conventional and hybrid), and cropping system (rice-rice and soybean [Glycine max L.]-rice). Results showed that (i) the Albaqualf emitted 211% more CH4-C than the Epiaquert (P

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) production systems have a greater global warming potential than upland crops because of methane (CH4) emissions resulting from anaerobic conditions of the flooded soils. Differences in cultural practices, cultivar choice, previous crop/crop rotation, and in particular

Quantifying methane (CH4) emissions from cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.) production in the field has received increased attention recently due to methane’s importance as a greenhouse gas. The enclosed-headspace chamber technique is the standard methodology for field assessments of trace gas emissions. However, to our knowledge, no direct comparisons of measured CH4 fluxes and emissions from field-grown rice among differing chamber sizes have been reported. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of chamber size [15.2- and 30.4-cm inside diameter (id)] on CH4 fluxes and season-long emissions from rice grown on a clay soil in Arkansas. Chamber size did not affect (P > 0.05) CH4 fluxes on 10 sampling dates during the flooded portion of the rice growing season and only affected fluxes on one of four sampling dates after flood release. Total season-long CH4 emissions from optimally N-fertilized rice were 32.6 and 35.6 kg CH4-C ha&#451&#183season&#451, which did not differ, and from bare clay soil were 0.74 and 1.75 kg CH4-C ha&#451&#183season&#451, which also did not differ, from the 15.2- and 30.4-cm chambers, respectively. Chamber size (i.e., 15.2- or 30.4-cm id) did not result in differences in cumulative CH4 emissions from this flooded-rice study that was conducted on a Sharkey clay soil in northeast Arkansas. Results indicate that both 15.2- and 30.4-cm diameter chambers were similarly adequate for measuring CH4 fluxes and emissions from the clay soil investigated. The similarity in emissions results between chamber sizes also indicates that the 15.2-cm diameter chambers adequately facilitated the quantification of CH4 emissions in this study.

Multilayer actuators (MLAs) offer an increase of force per unit area, a reduction in power consumption, and a reduction in required driving voltages compared with singlelayer actuators. For example, switching from a single 0.5- or 1.0-μm layer of PZT to multiple 250-nm-thick layers would enable a 2/3 to 3/4 reduction in actuation voltage and an increase of 2 to 3 times in actuation force per area for a PZT MEMS switches and robotics. Efforts have been focused on developing actuators using four 250-nm-thick layers of PZT with a Zr/Ti ratio of 52/48 (i.e., the morphotropic phase boundary). The PZT films used a previously established method of achieving greater than 98% (001/100) oriented PZT by chemical solution deposition (CSD). By performing X-ray diffraction measurements between each layer, the texture within the films could be monitored during the growth process. To electrically measure the quality of the PZT multilayer stack, a series of six-sided capacitors were fabricated. The devices were connected in parallel with an average dielectric constant of 1150 for each PZT layer and an average total capacitance of 45 nF. In addition to capacitors, cantilever actuators were fabricated to measure the piezoelectric induced deformation. Comparisons with 100-μm-long cantilever between a single 1-μm-thick PZT and four 250-nm-thick layer PZT stack have shown comparable displacements of |3.7| μm and |4.0| μm, respectively, with an applied electric field of 10 V/μm across the film. These measurements on MLA PZT films demonstrate high piezoelectric coefficients that are suitable for tactile radio and milimeterscale robotic devices.

The effects of cultural practices on drill-seeded delayed-flood rice (Oryza sativa L.) production on methane (CH4) emissions are not well quantified. In Arkansas, rice is produced predominantly on loamy soils following soybean (Glycine max L.) as the previous crop, and hybrid rice has replaced a large percentage of pure-line cultivars in the past decade. Therefore, research was conducted during the 2012 growing season to assess the effects of previous crop (rice or soybean) and cultivar (standard-stature, semi-dwarf, and hybrid) on CH4 emissions on a silt-loam soil. A 30-cm-diameter chamber-based method was used to determine fluxes during the 2012 growing season. When soybean was the previous crop, fluxes were generally lower (P < 0.05) until heading, after which all fluxes decreased until flood release. Seasonal emissions differed based on previous crop and cultivar (P < 0.05). Area- and yield-scaled growing season emissions from rice following soybean were less (127 kg CH4-C ha; 13.7 kg CH4-C (mg grain)) than when rice followed rice (184 kg CH4-C ha; 20.5 kg CH4-C (mg grain)). Hybrid rice emitted less (111 kg CH4-C ha; 11.1 kg CH4-C (mg grain)) than semi-dwarf (169 CH4-C ha; 18.3 kg CH4-C (mg grain)) or standard-stature rice (186 kg CH4-C ha; 21.9 kg CH4-C (mg grain)), which did not differ. Thus, results indicated decreased emissions when soybean was the previous crop and when the hybrid cultivar was grown. The incorporation of factors known to influence CH4 emissions (i.e., previous crop, cultivar, and yield) will improve estimates of the carbon footprint of rice.

This paper investigates total ionizing dose (TID) effects on the piezoelectric properties of lead zirconate titanate (PZT). The capacitance and contact voltage of thin-film, PZT-based relays were measured following incremental 60Co TID irradiations. The devices were held in several different bias conditions, during exposure. The direction of the biasing electric field during exposure, along with the polarization prior to exposure, has a measurable impact on post-irradiation operating voltage of the relay. In all cases, the switching voltage, as obtained via the peak values in a capacitance versus voltage sweep, shifted in a direction that would minimize the switching electric field in the direction of pre-exposure polarization. These effects were observed to be both significantly greater than the shifts experienced by a set of control samples, as well as reversible via aging at room temperature. The devices display remarkable robustness, operating during active TID exposure [dose rate = 855.6 rad(Si)/s], failing at a TID greater than 15 Mrad(Si).

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a semiaquatic plant produced globally as a staple food crop under flooded-soil conditions for the majority of the time it is actively growing. Prolonged flooding results in the rapid depletion of oxygen and renders the soil highly anaerobic and reduced, both of whic

Due to anaerobic conditions that develop in soils under flooded-rice (Oryza sativaL.) production, along with the global extent of rice production, it is estimated that rice cultivation is responsible for 11% of global anthropogenic methane (CH4) emissions. In order to adequately estimate CH4emissions, it is important to include data representing the range of environmental, climatic, and cultural factors occurring in rice production, particularly from Arkansas, the leading rice-producing state in the US, and from clay soils. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of previous crop (i.e., rice or soybean (Glycine maxL.)) and cultivar (i.e., Cheniere (pure-line, semidwarf), CLXL745 (hybrid), and Taggart (pure-line, standard-stature)) on CH4fluxes and emissions from rice grown on a Sharkey clay (very-fine, smectitic, thermic Chromic Epiaquerts) in eastern Arkansas. Rice following rice as a previous crop generally had greater (p<0.01) fluxes than rice following soybean, resulting in growing season emissions (p<0.01) of 19.6 and 7.0 kg CH4-C ha−1, respectively. The resulting emissions from CLXL745 (10.2 kg CH4-C ha−1) were less (p=0.03) than those from Cheniere or Taggart (15.5 and 14.2 kg CH4-C ha−1, resp.), which did not differ. Results of this study indicate that common Arkansas practices, such as growing rice in rotation with soybean and planting hybrid cultivars, may result in reduced CH4emissions relative to continuous rice rotations and pure-line cultivars, respectively.

Flooded rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivation has been identified as one of the leading global agricultural sources of anthropogenic methane (CH4) emissions. Furthermore, it has been estimated that global rice production is responsible for 11% of total anthropogenic CH4 emissions. Considering that CH4 has a global warming potential that is approximately 25 times more potent, on a mass basis, than carbon dioxide (CO2) and rice production is globally extensive and concentrated in several mid-southern and southern states and California, the purpose of this review is two-fold: (i) discuss the factors known to control CH4 production in the soil and transport to the atmosphere from rice cultivation and (ii) summarize the historic and recent research conducted on CH4 emissions from rice production in the temperate United States. Though some knowledge has been gained, there is much more that still needs to be learned and understood regarding CH4 emissions from rice production in the United States, its contribution to climate change, and potential mitigation strategies. Extending the current knowledge base surrounding CH4 emissions from rice cultivation will help regulatory bodies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, refine greenhouse gas emissions factors to combat the potential negative effects of climate change.

Objective: Two studies identified core value influences on medical decision-making processes across and within cultures. Methods: In Study 1, Japanese and American adults reported desired levels of medical decision-making influence across conditions that varied in seriousness. Cultural antecedents (interdependence, independence, and power distance) were also measured. In Study 2, American adults reviewed a colorectal cancer screening decision aid. Decision preparedness was measured along with interdependence, independence, and desire for medical information. Results: In Study 1, higher interdependence predicted stronger desire for decision-making information in both countries, but was significantly stronger in Japan. The path from information desire to decision-making influence desire was significant only in Japan. The independence path to desire for decision-making influence was significant only in the United States. Power distance effects negatively predicted desire for decision-making influence only in the United States. For Study 2, high (low) interdependents and women (men) in the United States felt that a colorectal cancer screening decision aid helped prepare them more (less) for a medical consultation. Low interdependent men were at significantly higher risk for low decision preparedness. Conclusions: Study 1 suggests that Japanese participants may tend to view medical decision-making influence as an interdependent, information sharing exchange, whereas American respondents may be more interested in power sharing that emphasizes greater independence. Study 2 demonstrates the need to assess value influences on medical decision-making processes within and across cultures and suggests that individually tailored versions of decision aids may optimize decision preparedness.

Diboration of the styrylboronate esters (E)-p-R–C6H4–CHCH–Bcat (1) (R=H, (1a) MeO (1b); cat=1,2-O2C6H4), with B2cat2 in the presence of a variety of rhodium phosphine catalysts gives predominantly either p-R–C6H4–CH2C(Bcat)3 (2), which contains three boronate ester groups on one carbon atom, or its isomer p-R–C6H4–CH(Bcat)CH(Bcat)2 (3). The formation of 2 apparently involves regiospecific insertion of the vinylboronates into a Rh–B bond followed by β-hydride elimination, another regiospecific insertion of the 2,2-vinyl bis(boronate) into the remaining Rh–B bond followed by C–H reductive elimination leading to 2,2-diboration and a 2,1-hydrogen shift. Wilkinson's catalyst (7) gives the highest yields of 2 with 75 and 71% yields from 1a and 1b, respectively, while [Rh(COE)2(μ-Cl)]2 (10) with two equivalents of P(o-tol)3 gave 3 in highest yield with 50 and 49% from 1a and 1b, respectively. The crystal structure of (E)-p-MeO–C6H4–CHCH–Bcat shows the molecule to be essentially planar, with the phenyl ring twisted slightly out of the plane. The tris(boronate) p-MeO–C6H4–CH2C(Bcat)3 crystallises with two independent molecules in the unit cell, which differ in the rotational orientation of the phenyl ring in relation to the catecholate groups; the latter are arranged in a propeller-like fashion.