University of Tennessee at Martin

A LibriVox recording of Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, by David Hume. Read by Leon Mire. In Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, philosopher David Hume examines whether belief in God can be rational. The work takes the form of a debate between three characters: Cleanthes, who argues that the existence and nature of God can be empirically verified; Demea, who argues that God is completely beyond human knowledge; and Philo, a philosophical skeptic widely thought to represent Hume's own beliefs. Much of the debate centers around Cleanthes' presentation of the analogical argument from design. According to this argument, the complexity and beauty of the universe can only be explained by inferring an intelligent designer, in the same way that one would infer a designer if one came across an intricately complicated machine. Philo presents several objections to this argument, with rejoinders by Cleanthes and occasional interjections by Demea. (Summary by Leon Mire) For further information, including links to online text, reader information, RSS feeds, CD cover or other formats (if available), please go to the LibriVox catalog page for this recording. Download M4B (111MB)

Wetlands and streams buffer the interactions among uplands and adjacent aquatic systems.Phosphorus (P) is often the key nutrient found to be limiting in both estuarine and freshwater ecosystems.As such, the ability of wetlands and streams to retain P is key to determining downstream water quality.This article reviews the processes and factors regulating P retention in streams and wetlands and evaluates selected methodologies used to estimate P retention in these systems.Phosphorus retention mechanisms reviewed include uptake and release by vegetation, periphyton and microorganisms; sorption and exchange reactions with soils and sediments; chemical precipitation in the water column; and sedimentation and entrainment.These mechanisms exemplify the combined biological, physical, and chemical nature of P retention in wetlands and streams.Methodologies used to estimate P retention include empirical input-output analysis and mass balances, and process kinetics applied at various scales, including micro-and mesocosms to full-scale systems.Although complex numerical models are available to estimate P retention and transport, a simple understanding of P retention at the process level is important, but the overall picture provided by mass balance and kinetic evaluations are often more useful in estimating long-term P retention.

Specialized computational chemistry packages have permanently reshaped the landscape of chemical and materials science by providing tools to support and guide experimental efforts and for the prediction of atomistic and electronic properties. In this regard, electronic structure packages have played a special role by using first-principle-driven methodologies to model complex chemical and materials processes. Over the past few decades, the rapid development of computing technologies and the tremendous increase in computational power have offered a unique chance to study complex transformations using sophisticated and predictive many-body techniques that describe correlated behavior of electrons in molecular and condensed phase systems at different levels of theory. In enabling these simulations, novel parallel algorithms have been able to take advantage of computational resources to address the polynomial scaling of electronic structure methods. In this paper, we briefly review the NWChem computational chemistry suite, including its history, design principles, parallel tools, current capabilities, outreach, and outlook.

The issue of credit‐card debt among college students has received increasing attention. This study explored factors hypothesized to be causes and effects of credit‐card debt in 448 students on five college campuses. Students reported an average of $1,035 ( SD =$1,849) in debt, including students without credit cards or credit‐card debt. Lack of financial knowledge, age, number of credit cards, delay of gratification, and attitudes toward credit‐card use were related to debt. Sensation seeking, materialism, the Student Attitude Toward Debt scale, gender, and grade point average were not unique predictors of debt. Students reporting greater debt reported greater stress and decreased financial well being. Results highlight the need for comprehensive financial literacy education among college students.

The present study evaluated the efficacy of Familias Unidas + Parent-Preadolescent Training for HIV Prevention (PATH), a Hispanic-specific, parent-centered intervention, in preventing adolescent substance use and unsafe sexual behavior. Two hundred sixty-six 8th-grade Hispanic adolescents and their primary caregivers were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: Familias Unidas + PATH, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) + PATH, and ESOL + HeartPower! for Hispanics (HEART). Participants were assessed at baseline and at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months postbaseline. Results showed that (a) Familias Unidas + PATH was efficacious in preventing and reducing cigarette use relative to both control conditions; (b) Familias Unidas + PATH was efficacious, relative to ESOL + HEART, in reducing illicit drug use; and (c) Familias Unidas + PATH was efficacious, relative to ESOL + PATH, in reducing unsafe sexual behavior. The effects of Familias Unidas + PATH on these distal outcomes were partially mediated by improvements in family functioning. These findings suggest that strengthening the family system, rather than targeting specific health behaviors, may be most efficacious in preventing and/or reducing cigarette smoking, illicit drug use, and unsafe sex in Hispanic adolescents.

Carbon dioxide emissions are rising so fast that some scientists are seriously considering putting Earth on life support as a last resort. But is this cure worse than the disease?

Goal setting, participation in decision making, and objective feedback have each been shown to increase productivity. As a combination of these three processes, management by objectives (MBO) also should increase productivity. A meta-analysis of studies supported this prediction: 68 out of 70 studie

The authors present a model that suggests that integration between marketing and research and development (R&D), managerial controls, and relational norms influences new product success. The model is tested with a sample of 115 engineers and marketing personnel involved in 19 new product projects for a multinational computer manufacturer. The results indicate that managerial controls influence integration, relational norms, and perceived effectiveness. Integration between marketing and R&D fosters stronger relational norms, perceived effectiveness, and new product success. Relational norms enhance perceptions of effectiveness, yet they have a negative influence on new product success. The authors conclude with a discussion of the implications of these findings for best practice in new product research and application.

The literature regarding leader and member attributional responses is reviewed and an interactive attributional model is proposed. Combinations of leader and member attributions considered in conjunction with the literature on attributional biases suggest that, under some conditions, conflicting attributions may occur. Strategies for maintaining healthy and productive leader/member interactions are proposed and implications of the model for the wider context of leader/member relations are discussed.

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether technology training received by principals influences the integration of technology into classrooms. The study examined the levels of technology integration into the schools' curricula with regard to the amounts and types of technology training received by K–12 school principals. The level of technology integration was also examined with regard to the following demographics age; sex, principal's years of administrative experience, school size, and grade level. Statistical significance was found for amounts and types of technology training principals received, indicating that each can influence levels of integration into a school's curricula. Data showed the age of the principal also influences technology integration into the curriculum.Keywords: K–12 principalstechnology integrationtraining

Genomes of alphaproteobacterial and verrucomicrobial methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) encode sequence-divergent copies of particulate methane monooxygenase [pMMO = (PmoABC); pmoCAB]. In contrast, sequenced gammaproteobacterial MOB (Gamma-MOB) genomes contain single or multiple near-identical copies of pmoCAB operons. In betaproteobacterial ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (Beta-AOB), near-identical amoCAB operons encode ammonia monooxygenase (AMO), a homologue of pMMO. Here, we report that Gamma-MOB in the genera Methylomonas, Methylobacter and Methylomicrobium also encode a sequence-divergent particulate monooxygenase (pXMO). Whereas all known genes encoding pMMO or AMO cluster in the order 'CAB', the genes encoding pXMO are uniquely organized in the non-canonical form 'pxmABC.' Steady state pxm mRNA was detected in cultures of Methylomonas sp. as well as in freshwater creek sediment samples, demonstrating that pxm genes are expressed in culture and in situ. Inclusion of PxmA and PxmB proteins in phylogenetic analyses of the Pmo/Amo protein superfamilies created trifurcated trees with three major clades: (i) Pmo of Alpha- and Gamma-MOB and Amo of Gamma-AOB; (ii) Amo of Beta-AOB, Pmo of putative ethane-oxidizing Gamma-MOB and Pxm of Gamma-MOB; and (iii) verrucomicrobial Pmo and Amo of ammonia-oxidizing Archaea. These data support but do not prove the hypothesis that oxygen-dependent methane and ammonia monooxygenases evolved from a substrate-promiscuous ancestor after horizontal transfer while being integrated into the catabolic contexts of their extant hosts.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between home modifications and aging-in-place. Using the ENABLE-AGE United Kingdom sample (N = 376), the authors hypothesize that seniors who have modified their housing are likely to have stayed longer in their current housing. There is a positive relationship between home modifications and aging-in-place. The results underscore the importance of supportive environment to prolong living in housing settings.

The constitutionality of public school finance systems has been challenged in 43 states in the 25 years since the landmark Serrano decision. Using data on revenues from more than 16,000 school districts over the 1972-1992 period, this article assesses the impact of court-mandated reform on the role of the states in school finance. We find that resources from the state increased while revenues from local districts were roughly unchanged after successful litigation. States also followed a more aggressive redistribution policy in the aftermath of court-mandated reform; after successful litigation, state aid to the poorest districts increased and aid to the wealthiest districts remained unchanged. Finally, we find that reforms that were initiated by the states without judicial prodding were typically ineffective.

Although companies spend millions of dollars each year in their attempts to comply with fair employment laws, many firms continue to have problems with employees who perceive unfair treatment in promotion decisions. Procedural justice refers to the perceived fairness or equity of the procedures used in making decisions regarding the distribution of rewards, such as promotion. Previous research indicates a positive relationship between procedural justice and organizational commitment, but these findings relate to the effect of unfair selection decisions on organizational commitment, instead of specifically focusing on justice perceptions in promotion decisions. Because employee perceptions of unfairness may result in negative consequences for organizations, the purpose of this study was to examine the significance of procedural justice in promotion decisions in predicting organizational commitment. Regression analysis results indicate a significant main effect of the perceived fairness of the promotion‐decision system on organizational commitment. Implications for research and practitioners are discussed.

While there may never be a shortage of adjectives to describe the Trump presidency, “polemical” may be the most apt. Its 4 years witnessed all manner of vitriolic excess, culminating on January 6, ...

Within the field of adult education a paradigm shift, or at least a paradigm creep, is taking place as a result of advances in technology. This comprehensive, quasiexperimental study examining the efficacy of online education (OE) for professional development, conducted among American police officers, compares OE to traditional delivery methods, using quantitative methods and open ended questioning to determine whether the potential performance of adult learners in OE is related to various demographic factors, and evaluates the adult learners' perceptions of OE. Data analyses indicate no significant difference between the effectiveness of the delivery methods but they do reveal a statistically significant relationship between potential online learning success and a formal educational level. Although most participants in the study say they prefer traditional instruction, the majority feel that OE is an appropriate delivery method for professional development and that the use of OE for delivery of professional development provides increased training opportunities.

(2000). European integration, voters and national politics. West European Politics: Vol. 23, Europeanised Politics? European Integration and National Political Systems, pp. 52-72.

Family members of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) may experience stress, disorganization, and helplessness which may ultimately result in difficulty in mobilizing appropriate coping resources, thus leading to anxiety. The needs of family members are varied, and critical care nurses must become attuned to these needs and acquire the skills to direct their interventions more appropriately. This article presents the findings from a study that assessed the perceived level of importance of the needs of family members during the first 18 to 24 hours after admission to the ICU using the Critical care Family Needs Inventory. The study identified which needs were perceived as being met or unmet by the family members using the Needs Met Inventory after 36 to 48 hours had elapsed.

Platelets are heterogeneous with respect to their size, density, and reactivity. Large platelets are more active hemostatically, and platelet volume has been found to be increased both in patients with unstable angina and with myocardial infarction. Furthermore, platelet volume is a predictor of a further ischemic event and death when measured after myocardial infarction. Platelets which are anucleate cells with no DNA are derived from their precursor, the megakaryocyte. Therefore, it is suggested that changes in platelet size are determined at thrombopoiesis in the megakaryocyte and that those changes might precede acute cardiac events. Understanding of the signaling system that controls platelet production may also further elucidate the cascade of events leading to acute vascular occlusion in some patients.

This study investigated the relationship between technology use and skills and the use of constructivist instructional practices among teachers in rural schools. Teachers in this study responded to Moersch’s instrument, the Levels of Technology Implementation (Lo Ti). The Lo Ti was administered to the fourth and eighth grade teachers in 11 school districts to determine if levels of classroom technology use and personal computer use predicted the use of constructivist instructional practices. Results indicate that there is a significant, positive relationship between both levels of classroom technology use and personal computer use and the use of constructivist instructional practices, with personal computer use being the strongest predictor.