Digital Commons Network^™

Improving The Power Efficiency Of White Light-Emitting Diode By Doping Electron Transport Material, Jinsong Huang, Wei-Jen Hou, Juo-Hao Li, Gang Li, Yang Yang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Highly efficient white light emission was realized via the partial energy transfer from blue host polyfluorene (PF) to orange light emission dopant rubrene. A more balanced charge transport was achieved by adding an electron transport material, 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tertbutylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PBD), into the PF-rubrene system to enhance the electron transportation. Efficiency improvement by as much as a factor of 2 has been observed through the addition of PBD. These devices can easily reach high luminance at low driving voltages, thus achieving high power efficiency at high luminance (14.8, 13.5, and 12.0 lm/W at the luminances of 1000, 2000, and 4000 cd/m², …

Piezoelectromagnetic Waves In A Ceramic Plate Between Two Ceramic Half-Spaces, S. N. Jiang, Q. Jiang, X. F. Li, S. H. Guo, H. G. Zhou, J. S. Chang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

We analyze the propagation of piezoelectromagnetic waves guided by a plate of polarized ceramics between two ceramic half-spaces. An exact dispersion relation is obtained, which reduces to a few known elastic, electromagnetic, and quasistatic piezoelectric wave solutions in the literature as special cases. Numerical solutions to the equation that determines the dispersion relation show the existence of guided waves. The results are useful for acoustic wave and microwave devices.

Long-Distance Dispersal And Population Trends Of Moose In The Central United States, Justin D. Hoffman, Hugh H. Genoways, Jerry R. Choate

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Dispersal is a basic feature of the natural history of moose. Most information about moose dispersal pertains to short-distance movements because long-distance movements are uncommon and difficult to observe. Since the 1950s, moose populations have been increasing in Minnesota and North Dakota. This may have contributed to several long-distance dispersal events for moose that recently were reported in the central United States. These dispersal events provide an opportunity to investigate both the causes and the biological implications of this rare phenomenon. Herein, we review long-distance dispersal events based on information obtained from a variety of sources. Dispersal routes that could …

Proximate And Landscape Factors Influence Grassland Bird Distributions, Mary Ann Cunningham, Douglas H. Johnson

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Ecologists increasingly recognize that birds can respond to features well beyond their normal areas of activity, but little is known about the relative importance of landscapes and proximate factors or about the scales of landscapes that influence bird distributions. We examined the influences of tree cover at both proximate and landscape scales on grassland birds, a group of birds of high conservation concern, in the Sheyenne National Grassland in North Dakota, USA. The Grassland contains a diverse array of grassland and woodland habitats. We surveyed breeding birds on 2015 100 m long transect segments during 2002 and 2003. We modeled …

Influences Of Management Regimes On Breeding Bird Densities And Habitat In Mixed-Grass Prairie: An Example From North Dakota, Andrea A. Lueders, Patricia L. Kennedy, Douglas H. Johnson

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

It is well known that North American grassland bird populations appear to be declining (Igl and Johnson 1997, Sauer et al. 2004). Most of these birds breed and winter in North America, so declines are likely associated with continental processes (Knopf 1994). Scientists have also observed parallel declines among species that have overlapping breeding ranges but disparate wintering distributions (Igl and Johnson 1997). These patterns suggest declines may be linked to problems on the breeding grounds.

Patch Size And Landscape Effects On Density And Nesting Success Of Grassland Birds, Maiken Winter, Douglas H. Johnson, Jill A. Shaffer, Therese M. Donovan, W. Daniel Svedarsky

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Cumnt management recommendations for grassland birds in North America emphasize providing large patches of grassland habitat within landscapes that have few forest or shrubland areas. These Bird Conservation Areas are being proposed under the assumption that large patches of habitat in treeless landscapes will maintain viable populations of grassland birds. This assumption requires that patch size and landscape features affect density and nesting success of grassland birds, and that these effects are consistent among years and regions and across focal species. However, these assumptions have not yet been validated for grassland binls, and the relative importance of local vegetation structure, …

Avian Response To Meadow Restoration In The Central Great Plains, Rosalind B. Renfrew, Douglas H. Johnson, Gary R. Lingle, W. Douglas Robinson

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Native grassland is one of the most heavily degraded of all North American ecosystems, and restoration of altered grasslands is a tool used to mitigate some of the biological ramifications of past land use practices. Providing habitat for grassland-dependent bird species often is one of the many goals of restoration. We evaluated the efficacy of meadow restoration for breeding birds in the Nebraska Platte River Valley by comparing the bird community and vegetation structure on 25 natural (original sod) and 25 restored meadows. We conducted principal components analyses on the vegetation structure and on the bird community, and modeled the …

Urine-Marking And Ground-Scratching By Free-Ranging Arctic Wolves, Canis Lupus Arctos, In Summer, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Urine-marking and ground-scratching were observed in an Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus) pack on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, during 16 summers between 1986 and 2005. All previously known urination postures and ground-scratching by breeding males and females were seen, and incidence of marking and scratching was greatest when non-pack wolves were present. Observations of urine-marking of food remains supported the conclusion from a captive Wolf study that such marking signals lack of edible food.

Slow Ligand Binding Kinetics Dominate Ferrous Hexacoordinate Hemoglobin Reactivities And Reveal Differences Between Plants And Other Species, Benoit J. Smagghe, Gautam Sarath, Emily Ross, Jean-Louis Hilbert, Mark S. Hargrove

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Hexacoordinate hemoglobins are found in many living organisms ranging from prokaryotes to plants and animals. They are named “hexacoordinate” because of reversible coordination of the heme iron by a histidine side chain located in the heme pocket. This endogenous coordination competes with exogenous ligand binding and causes multiphasic relaxation time courses following rapid mixing or flash photolysis experiments. Previous rapid mixing studies have assumed a steady-state relationship between hexacoordination and exogenous ligand binding that does not correlate with observed time courses for binding. Here, we demonstrate that this assumption is not valid for some hexacoordinate hemoglobins, and that multiphasic time …

Biotinylation Of K8 And K12 Co-Occurs With Acetylation And Mono-Methylation In Human Histone H4, Yap Ching Chew, Ashraf S. Raza, Gautam Sarath, Janos Zempleni

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Histones H1, H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 are proteins that are critical for folding of DNA into chromatin. Posttranslational acetylation, methylation, and biotinylation of histones participate in gene silencing, mitotic condensation of chromatin, and the cellular response to DNA damage. Various modifications of histones are known to interact ("cross-talk") in chromatin-remodeling events; interactions may be synergistic or antagonistic. Here, we sought to identify biotinylation sites in human histone H4 by using mass spectrometry (MS/MS), and we sought to determine whether biotinylation co-exists with acetylation and methylation in the same H4 molecule. Nuclear histones from human lymphoid (Jurkat) cells were digested …

Survey Of Phytophagous Insects And Foliar Pathogens In China For A Biocontrol Perspective On Kudzu, Pueraria Montana Var. Lobata (Willd.) Maesen And S. Almeida (Fabaceae), Jiang-Hua Sun, Zhu-Dong Liu, Kerry O. Britton, Ping Cai, David Orr, Judith Hough-Goldstein

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

A three-year survey of kudzu foliage, seed, stems, and roots for associated phytophagous insects was conducted to establish basic information about the insect communities that kudzu harbors in China and to assess the abundance, diversity and damage caused by these insects. Diseases of kudzu were also surveyed in southern China. A total of 116 phytophagous insect species in 31 families and 5 orders were collected from kudzu in China, in six feeding guilds: foliage, sap, stem, terminal, seed and root feeders. The impact of foliage feeders varied from site to site and year to year, and over the course of …

Regression Modeling And Mapping Of Coniferous Forest Basal Area And Tree Density From Discrete-Return Lidar And Multispectral Satellite Data, Andrew T. Hudak, Nicholas L. Crookston, Jeffrey S. Evans, Michael J. Falkowski, Alistair M.S. Smith, Paul E. Gessler, Penelope Morgan

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

We compared the utility of discrete-return light detection and ranging (lidar) data and multispectral satellite imagery, and their integration, for modeling and mapping basal area and tree density across two diverse coniferous forest landscapes in north-central Idaho. We applied multiple linear regression models subset from a suite of 26 predictor variables derived from discrete-return lidar data (2 m post spacing), advanced land imager (ALI) multispectral (30 m) and panchromatic (10 m) data, or geographic X, Y, and Z location. In general, the lidar-derived variables had greater utility than the ALI variables for predicting the response variables, especially basal area. The …

Remote Sensing Techniques To Assess Active Fire Characteristics And Post-Fire Effects, Leigh B. Lentile, Zachary A. Holden, Alistair M.S. Smith, Michael J. Falkowski, Andrew T. Hudak, Penelope Morgan, Sarah A. Lewis, Paul E. Gessler, Nate C. Benson

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Space and airborne sensors have been used to map area burned, assess characteristics of active fires, and characterize post-fire ecological effects. Confusion about fire intensity, fire severity, burn severity, and related terms can result in the potential misuse of the inferred information by land managers and remote sensing practitioners who require unambiguous remote sensing products for fire management. The objective of the present paper is to provide a comprehensive review of current and potential remote sensing methods used to assess fire behavior and effects and ecological responses to fire. We clarify the terminology to facilitate development and interpretation of comprehensible …

Design Clues From Functional Constraints And Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies, Tongqing Zhou, Ling Xu, Barna Dey, Ann J. Hessell, Shahzad Majeed, Donald Van Ryk, Shi-Hua Xiang, Xinzhen Yang, Mei-Yun Zhang, Michael B. Zwick, James Arthos, Dennis R. Burton, Dimiter S. Dimitrov, Joseph Sodroski, Richard Wyatt, Gary J. Nabel, Peter D. Kwong

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Cross-Subtype T-Cell Immune Responses Induced By A Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Group M Consensus Env Immunogen, Eric A. Weaver, Zenaido T. Camacho, Fatiha Moukdar, Hua-Xin Liao, Ben-Jiang Ma, Mark Muldoon, James Theiler, Gary J. Nabel, Norman L. Letvin, Bette T. Korber, Beatrice H. Hahn, Barton F. Haynes, Feng Gao, Zhongjing Lu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The genetic diversity among globally circulating human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) strains is a serious challenge for HIV-1 vaccine design. We have generated a synthetic group M consensus env gene (CON6) for induction of cross-subtype immune responses and report here a comparative study of T-cell responses to this and natural strain env immunogens in a murine model. Three different strains of mice were immunized with CON6 as well as subtype A, B, or C env immunogens, using a DNA prime-recombinant vaccinia virus boost strategy. T-cell epitopes were mapped by gamma interferon enzyme-linked immunospot analysis using five overlapping Env peptide …

Biological Opinion On The Operation Of The Missouri River Main Stem System, Missouri River Bank Stabilization And Navigation Project, And Operation Of The Kansas River Reservoir System

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) prepares an annual report for interested parties in accordance with the reporting requirements of the “Biological Opinion (BiOp) on the Operation of the Missouri River Main Stem System, Operation and Maintenance of the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project (BSNP), and Operation of the Kansas River Reservoir System” prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) dated November 30, 2000 and the Amendment, thereto, dated December 16, 2003.

This annual report documents the Corps threatened and endangered species conservation activities to comply with the provisions of the 2000 BiOp and the …

Are Trans-Pacific Invasions The New Wave?, Ragan M. Callaway, Shi Li Miao, Qinfeng Guo

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

The movement of organisms among continents by humans has caused profound changes in the ecology of relocated species and of communities to which they have been introduced. Perhaps less than 1% of all species that arrive at foreign shores become invaders (Williamson and Fitter 1996), but the few that explode in abundance wreak tremendous environmental and economic damage (Mack et al. 2000; Pimentel et al. 2000; Xu et al. 2006). During the last decade research on invasive species has dramatically increased. For example, from 1988 to 1990 the journal Ecology published three papers with the words ‘invasive’ or ‘invader’ in …

Effects Of Addition Of A Bird Repellent To Fish Diets On Their Growth And Bioaccumulation, Sheenan Harpaz, Larry Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The effects of adding the nonlethal bird repellent methyl anthranilate (MA), at levels of 100 and 1000 mg/kg, to fish feed on the bioaccumulation and growth of juvenile (10 g) hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops x M. saxatilis) and juvenile (1g) African cichlid fish Aulonocara jacobfreibergi were investigated under laboratory conditions. The bird repellent did not have any effect on the fish growth or survival over a period of 6 weeks. MA residues at low levels of 11.2 ± 2.6 mg/g were found in lipophili tissues (liver) of MA-fed fish. Control fish, which had no MA added to their diet, …

Monitoring Invasive Mammalian Predator Populations Sharing Habitat With The Critically Endangered Puerto Rican Parrot Amazona Vittata, Richard M. Engeman, Desley Whisson, Jessica Quinn, Felipe Cano, Pedro Quiñones, Thomas H. White

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Critically Endangered Puerto Rican parrots Amazona vittata are one of the rarest birds in the world. Several exotic mammal species capable of preying on Puerto Rican parrots cohabit the Caribbean National Forest with the only wild population of these parrots. We used tracking plates, monitoring blocks and trapping to index black rats, small Indian mongooses and feral cats in parrot habitat and in public-use areas in the same habitat type. We had high trap success for black rats at all sites (42% of all sites combined), among the highest reported in the world. Rat response to monitoring (nontoxic bait) blocks …

North American Prairie Wetlands Are Important Nonforested Land-Based Carbon Storage Sites, Ned H. Euliss Jr., R. A. Gleason, A. Olness, R.L. Mcdougal, H.R. Murkin, R.D. Robarts, R.A. Bourbonniere, B.G. Warner

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

We evaluated the potential of prairie wetlands in North America as carbon sinks. Agricultural conversion has resulted in the average loss of 10.1 Mg ha^- of soil organic carbon on over 16 million ha of wetlands in this region. Wetland restoration has potential to sequester 378 Tg of organic carbon over a 10-year period. Wetlands can sequester over twice the organic carbon as no-till cropland on only about 17% of the total land area in the region. We estimate that wetland restoration has potential to offset 2.4% of the annual fossil CO₂ emission reported for North America in …

Mallard Brood Movements, Wetland Use, And Duckling Survival During And Following A Prairie Drought, Gary L. Krapu, Pamela J. Pietz, David A. Brandt, Robert R. Cox Jr.

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

We used radiotelemetry to study mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) brood movements, wetland use, and duckling survival during a major drought (1988–1992) and during the first 2 years of the subsequent wet period (1993–1994) at 4 51-km² sites in prairie pothole landscapes in eastern North Dakota, USA. About two-thirds of 69 radiomarked mallard broods initiated moves from the nest to water before noon, and all left the nest during daylight. On average, broods used fewer wetlands, but moved greater distances during the dry period than the wet period. Broods of all ages were more likely to make inter-wetland moves …

Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System Master Water Control Manual Missouri River Basin

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

In 2003, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) issued an Amended Biological Opinion (2003 Amended BiOp) on the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps’) Missouri River System operations. Among other actions, the 2003 Amended BiOp called for bimodal spring pulse releases from Gavins Point Dam for the benefit of the listed pallid sturgeon. Working with the USFWS, Tribes, states, and other basin stakeholders, the Corps has developed technical criteria for the bimodal spring pulse releases which, under the terms of the 2003 Amended BiOp, are to be implemented by March 2006. By my approval of the attached …

U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Omaha District Monthly Drought Report, April 2006

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Current Conditions

Water Year 2006 Mountain Snow

Drought Outlook

Ft. Peck, Montana

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Garrison, North Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Boat Ramp Information

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Other Areas of Interest/Concern

Oahe, South Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Mainstem Reservoir Information, Weekly Elevation Comparison 5 DEC 2005 through 26 DEC 2005

Mainstem Reservoir Storage Comparison Water Year 2004 vs. Water Year 2005

Ft. Peck, MT

Garrison, ND

Oahe, SD

U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Omaha District Monthly Drought Report, December 2006

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Current Conditions

Drought Outlook

Ft. Peck, Montana

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Garrison, North Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Boat Ramp Information

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Other Areas of Interest/Concern

Oahe, South Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Mainstem Reservoir Information, Weekly Elevation Comparison 6 NOV 2006 through 27 NOV 2006

Mainstem Reservoir Storage Comparison Water Years 2004, 2005, 2006

Ft. Peck, MT

Garrison, ND

Oahe, SD

U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Omaha District Monthly Drought Report, February 2006

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Current Conditions

Water Year 2006 Mountain Snow

Drought Outlook

Ft. Peck, Montana

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Garrison, North Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Boat Ramp Information

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Other Areas of Interest/Concern

Oahe, South Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Mainstem Reservoir Information, Weekly Elevation Comparison 5 DEC 2005 through 26 DEC 2005

Mainstem Reservoir Storage Comparison Water Year 2004 vs. Water Year 2005

Ft. Peck, MT

Garrison, ND

Oahe, SD

U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Omaha District Monthly Drought Report, January 2006

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Current Conditions

Water Year 2006 Mountain Snow

Drought Outlook

Ft. Peck, Montana

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

AccessOverview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Garrison, North Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Boat Ramp Information

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Other Areas of Interest/Concern

Oahe, South Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Mainstem Reservoir Information, Weekly Elevation Comparison 5 DEC 2005 through 26 DEC 2005

Mainstem Reservoir Storage Comparison Water Year 2004 vs. Water Year 2005

Ft. Peck,MT

Garrison, ND

Oahe, SD

Prediction Failure Of A Wolf Landscape Model, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

I compared 101 wolf (Canis lupus) pack territories formed in Wisconsin during 1993–2004 to the logistic regression predictive model of Mladenoff et al. (1995, 1997, 1999). Of these, 60% were located in putative habitat suitabilities 50% remained unoccupied by known packs after 24 years of recolonization. This model was a poor predictor of wolf re-colonizing locations in Wisconsin, apparently because it failed to consider the adaptability of wolves. Such models should be used cautiously in wolf-management or restoration plans.

U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Omaha District Monthly Drought Report, November 2006

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Current Conditions

Drought Outlook

Ft. Peck, Montana

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Garrison, North Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Boat Ramp Information

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Other Areas of Interest/Concern

Oahe, South Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Mainstem Reservoir Information, Weekly Elevation Comparison 7 AUG 2006 through 28 AUG 2006

Mainstem Reservoir Storage Comparison Water Years 2004, 2005, 2006

Ft. Peck, MT

Garrison, ND

Oahe, SD

Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius Phoeniceus) Reproduction In North Dakota, Rachel M. Bush, Mark E. Clark, Wendy L. Read, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Modeling, Analysis, And Experimental Study Of In Vivo Wheeled Robotic Mobility, Mark E. Rentschler, Jason Dumpert, Stephen R. Platt, Karl Iagnemma, Dmitry Oleynikov, Shane M. Farritor

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Laparoscopy is abdominal surgery performed with long tools inserted through small incisions. The use of small incisions reduces patient trauma, but also eliminates the surgeon’s ability to view and touch the surgical environment directly. These limitations generally restrict the application of laparoscopy to procedures less complex than those performed during open surgery. This paper presents a theoretical and experimental analysis of miniature, wheeled, in vivo robots to support laparoscopy. The objective is to develop a wireless mobile imaging robot that can be placed inside the abdominal cavity during surgery. Such robots will allow the surgeon to view the surgical environment …