Digital Commons Network^™

Probability Of Nitrate Contamination Of Recently Recharged Groundwaters In The Conterminous United States, Bernard Nolan, Kerie Hitt, Barbara Ruddy

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A new logistic regression (LR) model was used to predict the probability of nitrate contamination exceeding 4 mg/L in predominantly shallow, recently recharged groundwaters of the United States. The new model contains variables representing (1) N fertilizer loading (p < 0.001), (2) percent cropland-pasture (p < 0.001), (3) natural log of human population density (p < 0.001), (4) percent well-drained soils (p < 0.001), (5) depth to the seasonally high water table (p < 0.001), and (6) presence or absence of unconsolidated sand and gravel aquifers (p =0.002). Observed and average predicted probabilities associated with deciles of risk are well correlated (r² = 0.875), indicating that the LR model fits the data well. The likelihood of nitrate contamination is greater in areas with high N loading and well-drained surficial soils over unconsolidated sand and gravels. The LR model correctly predicted the status of nitrate contamination in 75% of wells in a validation data set. Considering all wells used in both calibration and …

Holographic Recording Of Fast Events On A Ccd Camera, Zhiwen Liu, Martin Centurion, George Panotopoulos, John Hong, Demetri Psaltis

Martin Centurion Publications

We report on holographic recording of nanosecond events on a conventional CCD camera. Three frames of an air-discharge event, with resolution of 5.9 ns and frame interval of 12 ns, are recorded in a single CCD frame. Each individual frame is reconstructed by digital filtering of the CCD frame, since successively recorded holograms are centered at different carrier frequencies in the spatial frequency domain.

Unifying Lectures, Recitations & Laboratories As A Part Of The Humanized Physics Project, Vicki L. Plano Clark, Robert G. Fuller

Robert G. Fuller Publications

As a part of our work in the Humanized Physics Project, we have made the content of the physics laboratories the keystone of our physics content coverage. After having selected an appropriate human application of physics for the laboratory each week, we have shaped the lecture, recitation and homework assignments to support the laboratory. Our poster will provide examples from both semesters of our general physics course.

Law As A Reflection Of Her/His-Story: Current Institutional Perceptions Of, And Possibilities For, Protecting Transsexuals' Interests In Legal Determinations Of Sex, Jody L. Madeira

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

What A Mess! Participation As A Simple Managerial Rule To “Complexify” Organizations, Donde Ashmos Plowman, Dennis Duchon, Reuben R. Mcdaniel Jr., John W. Huonker

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This paper adopts a view of organizations as complex adaptive systems and makes a case for making organizations more complex internally through the use of a fairly simple managerial rule—using participative decision making. Participation in decision making enhances connectivity in organizations, which in turn, gives the organization the opportunity to self-organize and co-evolve in more effective ways than when there is minimal connectivity (i.e., autocracy). The paper uses a specific body of research to support the arguments about why participation can benefit the practice of management in modern organizations.

Introduction To Written Symposium On Public Health And International Law, David P. Fidler

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

U.S. Plant Variety Protection: Sound And Fury...?, Mark D. Janis, Jay P. Kesan

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This Article offers a critical reassessment of U.S. approaches to intellectual property protection for plant innovation. Three developments make this reassessment timely. First, the Supreme Court has finally confirmed that utility patent claims to plants and seeds satisfy the 35 U.S.C. Section 101 subject matter eligibility requirement. Plant innovation in the United States is now subject to utility patent protection, as well as concurrent protection under the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA). However, little work has been done to explain the role of PVPA protection in a system of concurrent protection, or to develop a coherent policy vision within which …

Patent Abolitionism, Mark D. Janis

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In this Article, Professor Janis argues that modem enthusiasm for large-scale legislative reforms in patent law should be received with caution in view of the history of patent law reform. That history suggests that patent law is more resilient--or perhaps more impervious to change-than modem reformers recognize. To explore these propositions, Professor Janis analyzes the history of the mid-Victorian era British patent abolitionism movement. He demonstrates that much of the reform dialogue of that era, from the elucidation of major problems in the patent system, to the formulation of legislative solutions, mirrors quite closely the modem U.S. patent reform debate. …

Intercollegiate Athletics: The Program Expansion Standard Under Title Ix's Policy Interpretation, Julia C. Lamber

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Creating An Online Tutorial And Pathfinder, Peter A. Hook

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Mr Hook explores the educational potential of Web-based tutorials and pathfinders. He discusses how the multimedia environment can effectively reach a broad range of learner types, explaining how the disciplines of infor- mation architecture and information visualization can contribute to designing a successful tutorial and pathfinder.

Chemical Partitioning During Crystallization And Its Effect On The Microstructure And Magnetic Behavior Of Modified Nd–Fe–B Permanent Magnets, Jeffrey E. Shield, B. B. Kappes, D. J. Branagan, J. Bentley

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

In this paper, the effect of alloy composition on the microstructural development of devitrified Nd–Fe–B-based alloys is investigated. While crystallization of simple ternary Nd₂Fe₁₄B resulted in a highly variable microstructure and relatively poor demagnetization behavior, alloying additions, notably Ti and C, were found to significantly refine and homogenize the crystallized microstructure. High spatial resolution energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed that partitioning to the grain boundaries led to the grain refinement by slowing interface kinetics. The more homogeneous grain structure resulted in improved demagnetization behavior, but segregating elements isolated grains and limited intergranular exchange coupling.

Are You Willing To Make The Commitment In Writing? The Apa, Aljs, And Ssa, Jeffrey Scott Wolfe

Oklahoma Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Lesson For Conservation From Pollution Control Law: Cooperative Federalism For Recovery Under The Endangered Species Act, Robert L. Fischman, Jaelith Hall-Rivera

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Protecting The Endangered Human: Toward An International Treaty Prohibiting Cloning And Inheritable Alterations, George J. Annas, Lori B. Andrews, Rosario M. Isasi

Faculty Scholarship

We humans tend to worry first about our own happiness, then about our families, then about our communities. In times of great stress, such as war or natural disaster, we may focus temporarily on our country but we rarely think about Earth as a whole or the human species as a whole. This narrow perspective, perhaps best exemplified by the American consumer, has led to the environmental degradation of our planet, a grossly widening gap in living standards between rich and poor people and nations and a scientific research agenda that focuses almost exclusively on the needs and desires of …

Foreword: Phase Ii Of The Genetics Revolution: Sophisticated Issues For Home And Abroad, Frances H. Miller

Faculty Scholarship

The distinguished health law and policy scholars we invite to contribute to the American Journal of Law & Medicine's annual symposium issue are given carte blanche to write about any aspect of the designated topic that appeals to them. The authors in this year's genetics symposium, The Genetic Revolution: Conflicts, Challenges and Conundra, are already well known for their work in the field-in fact three of them have just co-authored the only casebook specifically dedicated to the law, policy and ethics of geneticsl-and we deliberately asked them for relatively short pieces on the theory that taken together their articles would …

Patent Settlement Agreements: Preliminary Views, Joseph F. Brodley, Maureen A. O'Rourke

Faculty Scholarship

Settlements between S competitors in patent cases raise important and sensitive antitrust issues. Patent settlement agreements may create or maintain a monopoly in technology or innovation markets and may also effectuate a monopoly or cartel in related goods markets. Indeed, absent the patent rights, certain terms of patent settlement agreements may be per se antitrust violations. Further, anticompetitive patent settlements-unlike most antitrust conspiracies-are enforceable in court, providing the parties with an effective means of preventing the cheating that is the bane of cartels. Thus, the antitrust risk that a settlement agreement may operate as a disguised cartel has long been …

Preparing For The Clothed Public Square: Teaching About Religion, Civic Education, And The Constitution, Jay D. Wexler

Faculty Scholarship

Although law and religion scholars have long argued about whether American culture marginalizes religious belief, many important indicators suggest that religion indeed plays a prominent role in contemporary American life. America is an extremely religious nation. Polls consistently show that about ninety percent of Americans continue to believe in God, and both church attendance and membership remain at high levels. This religiosity, moreover, spills out into the public square. A great many Americans rely on religious reasons when thinking and talking about public issues. Ninety percent of the members of Congress, by one report, consult their religious beliefs when voting …

A Set Of New Sea Ice Feature Descriptors For Sar Images, Leen-Kiat Soh

School of Computing: Technical Reports

In this paper, we present a set of algorithms for describing sea ice features in SAR images. These algorithms we have implemented and incorporated in the ARKTOS software package, an intelligent sea ice classification. These algorithms have unique characteristics. Some are extensions or adaptations of existing image processing techniques to the specific problem domain of satellite sea ice classification, while some are innovative designs, inspired by the aforementioned problem domain. These feature descriptors may be generalized to other remote sensing applications.

Two Algorithms For Shaped-Based Porosity Measures, Leen-Kiat Soh

School of Computing: Technical Reports

In this paper, we present two algorithms for shape-based porosity measures. Specifically, we describe two innovative attributes called perimeter porosity and area porosity as feature descriptors. Perimeter porosity refers to how “porous” or “weak” an image object is, while area porosity determines the degree of “branchiness” of an object. We show the applicability of the two measures through a SAR sea ice image classification example.

An Analytical Model For Virtual Topology Reconfiguration In Optical Networks And A Case Study, Xi Yang, Byrav Ramamurthy

School of Computing: Conference and Workshop Papers

An analytical model for Virtual Topology Reconfiguration (VTR) in optical networks is developed. It aims at the optical networks with a circuit-based data plane and an IPlike control plane. By identifying and analyzing the important factors impacting the network performance due to VTR operations on both planes, we can compare the benefits and penalties of different VTR algorithms and policies. The best VTR scenario can be adaptively chosen from a set of such algorithms and policies according to the real-time network situations. For this purpose, a cost model integrating all these factors is created to provide a comparison criterion independent …

Dynamic Routing In Translucent Wdm Optical Networks, Xi Yang, Byrav Ramamurthy

School of Computing: Conference and Workshop Papers

Translucent WDM optical networks use sparse placement of regenerators to overcome the impairments and wavelength contention introduced by fully transparent networks, and achieve a performance close to fully opaque networks with much less cost. Our previous study proved the feasibility of translucent networks using sparse regeneration technique. We addressed the placement of regenerators based on static schemes allowing only fixed number of regenerators at fixed locations. This paper furthers the study by proposing a suite of dynamical routing schemes. Dynamic allocation, advertisement and discovery of regeneration resources are proposed to support sharing transmitters and receivers between regeneration and access functions. …

Constraint Modeling And Reformulation In The Context Of Academic Task Assignment, Robert Glaubius, Berthe Y. Choueiry

School of Computing: Conference and Workshop Papers

We discuss the modeling and reformulation of a resource allocation problem, the assignment of graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) to courses. Our research contributes the following:

• Formulation of the GTA assignment problem as a nonbinary CSP.

• Design of a new convention for consistency checking to deal with over-constrained problem.

• Definition of a new network-decomposable nonbinary confinement constraint.

• Evaluation of the reformulation of confinement and equality constraints on 3 real-world data sets.

Constraint Modeling And Reformulation In The Context Of Academic Task Assignment, Robert Glaubius, Berthe Y. Choueiry

School of Computing: Conference and Workshop Papers

We discuss the modeling and reformulation of a resource allocation problem, the assignment of Graduate Teaching Assistants to courses in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Computer Science Department. We formulate this problem as a non-binary Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP) and provide a new convention for consistency checking to deal with the over-constraindness of the problem and the practical requirement of our application. We introduce a new decomposable non-binary constraint, which we call confinement constraint, and describe its relevance in practical requirements of our application. We introduce an new decomposable non-binary constraint, which we call confinement constraint, and describe its relevance in …

A Novel Method To Improve The Test Efficiency Of Vlsi Tests, Hailong Cui, Sharad C. Seth, Shashank K. Mehta

School of Computing: Conference and Workshop Papers

This paper considers reducing the cost of test application by permuting test vectors to improve their defect coverage. Algorithms for test reordering are developed with the goal of minimizing the test cost. Best and worst case bounds are established for the performance of a reordered sequence compared to the original sequence of test application. SEMATECH test data and simulation results are used throughout to illustrate the ideas.

Automated Ontology Learning For A Semantic Web, Christopher N. Hammack, Qingfeng Lin, Hai Huang, Stephen Scott, Sharad C. Seth

School of Computing: Technical Reports

By expressing web page content in a format that machines can understand, the semantic web provides huge possibilities for the Internet and for machine reasoning. Unfortunately, there is a considerable distance between the present-day World Wide Web and the semantic web of the future. The process of annotating the Web to make it semantic web-ready is quite long and not without resistance. In this paper one mechanism for semanticizing the Web is presented. This system is known as AutoSHOE, and it is capable of categorizing pages according to one of the present HTML semantic representations (Simple HTML Ontology Extensions) by …

Centralized Vs. Distributed Connection Management Schemes Under Different Traffic Patterns In Wavelength-Convertible Optical Networks, Lu Shen, Byrav Ramamurthy

School of Computing: Conference and Workshop Papers

Centralized and Distributed methods are two connection management schemes in wavelength convertible optical networks. In the earlier work, the centralized scheme is said to have lower network blocking probability than the distributed one. Hence, much of the previous work in connection management has focused on the comparison of different algorithms in only distributed scheme or in only centralized scheme. However, we believe that the network blocking probability of these two connection management schemes depends, to a great extent, on the network traffic patterns and reservation times. Our simulation results reveal that the performance improvement (in terms of blocking probability) of …

Effect Of Cr3+ And So42- On The Structure Of Rust Layer Formed On Steels By Atmospheric Corrosion, Masato Yamashita, Hitoshi Uchida,, Desmond C. Cook .

Physics Faculty Publications

The effect of chromium ion (Cr³⁺) and sulfate ion (SO₄^2-) on the structure of the rust layer formed by thin electrolyte-film corrosion of low-alloy steels has been examined. By using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, it was found that coexistence of Cr³⁺ and SO₄^2- in the electrolyte film covering the steel surface quickly forms the Cr-goethite (α-(Fe _1-X, Cr_X)OOH) layer which has been known as the final protective rust layer. Scanning vibrating electrode measurements showed that the rust layer formed under the electrolyte film containing Cr³⁺ and SO₄^{2- …}

Arctic Ocean Snow Melt Onset Dates Derived From Passive Microwave, A New Data Set, Mark R. Anderson, Sheldon D. Drobot

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Snow melt onset is defined as the point in time when the appearance of liquid water in the snow pack changes the crystalline structure within the pack. Owing to the associated increase in surface albedo during melt, surface energy absorption increases rapidly after the onset of snow melt. Monitoring interannual variations in snow melt onset is therefore useful for accurately modeling surface conditions, and it is also valuable for validating climate models and detecting climate change. Since microwave emission changes rapidly when liquid water appears in the snow pack, passive microwave remote sensing techniques can monitor melt onset. Passive microwave …

Assessment Of Slip Severity Among Different Age Groups, Thurmon E. Lockhart, Jeffrey C. Woldstad, James L. Smith

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A laboratory study utilizing new techniques for assessing slip severity was conducted to investigate the process of inadvertent slips and falls among different age groups. Forty-two subjects from three age groups (young adults, middle-aged, and the elderly) walked on a rectangular track at a self-determined pace. Without the subjects’ awareness, a slippery floor surface was placed on the track over a force-measuring platform. The results indicated that elderly adults’ friction demand (RCOF) was not significantly different from the young and middle-aged adults. The older adults, however, fell more often than the other age groups. Fall recovery threshold (FRT) measures indicated …

Fast, Cheap & Out Of Control: Lessons From The Icann Dispute Resolution Process, Elizabeth G. Thornburg

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Some people have argued that the uniform dispute resolution process used by ICANN to resolve domain name disputes would be a good model for internet disputes generally. This article argues the opposite: the UDRP teaches sobering lessons about the consequences of privatized dispute resolution processes. The lessons include: the questionable legitimacy of privately-adopted substantive standards; the danger of unprincipled choice of law decisions to fill in the gaps in that private law; unreconciled splits among arbitrators as to the meaning of the standards; and a tendency to expand beyond the narrow jurisdictional limits of the policy. The UDRP also demonstrates …