Digital Commons Network^™

Nebraska’S Forest Resources, 2007

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

This publication provides an overview of forest resource attributes for Nebraska based on an annual inventory conducted by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program at the Northern Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service. These estimates, along with web-posted core tables, will be updated annually. For more information please refer to page 4 of this report.

Issues Associated With Secondary Analysis Of Population Health Data, Sandra C. Garmon Bibb

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Analysis of population health data is crucial for the success of population health. Secondary analysis of data contained in publicly available clinical, administrative, and national health survey databases is a cost-effective and scientific method for generating data to support population health. There are several issues associated with secondary analysis of population health data that must be addressed if analyses are to be expedient, economical, and reliable. This article outlines the value of using secondary analysis to generate population health data, discusses issues associated with secondary analysis of population health data, and offers suggestions for addressing these issues.

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (Epr) In Medical Dosimetry, David A. Schauer, Akinori Iwasaki, Alexander A. Romanyukha, Harold M. Swartz, Sandro Onori

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

This paper describes the fundamentals of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and its application to retrospective measurements of clinically significant doses of ionizing radiation. X-band is the most widely used in EPR dosimetry because it represents a good compromise between sensitivity, sample size and water content in the sample. Higher frequency bands (e.g., W and Q) provide higher sensitivity, but they are also greatly influenced by water content. L and S bands can be used for EPR measurements in samples with high water content but they are less sensitive than X-band. Quality control for therapeutic radiation facilities using X-band EPR spectrometry …

Building A Better Virus Trap, Clara Davis Long, Katie Turner-Shelef, David A. Relman

United States Department of Veterans Affairs: Publications

The concept of ecological ‘traps’ is based in theory from ecology and conservation biology that has now found application to infectious diseases with a study from Paul Turner’s group. This study is important because it offers a mathematical model of ecological traps, applies this model to viruses, and tests the model in a bacteria– phage system. Although there will be technical hurdles to overcome, this concept might lead to benefits for both health and industry.

Ecological traps

An ecological trap is defined as a habitat that is suboptimal for growth or for reproduction of a population, but that is preferred …

Land Capability Potential Index (Lcpi) For The Lower Missouri River Valley, Robert B. Jacobson, Kimberly A. Chojnacki, Joanna M. Reuter

United States Geological Survey: Publications

The Land Capability Potential Index (LCPI) was developed to serve as a relatively coarse-scale index to delineate broad land capability classes in the valley of the Lower Missouri River. The index integrates fundamental factors that determine suitability of land for various uses, and may provide a useful mechanism to guide land-management decisions. The LCPI was constructed from integration of hydrology, hydraulics, land-surface elevations, and soil permeability (or saturated hydraulic conductivity) datasets for an area of the Lower Missouri River, river miles 423-670. The LCPI estimates relative wetness based on intersecting water-surface elevations, interpolated from measurements or calculated from hydraulic models, …

Geochemical Data For Selected Rivers, Lake Waters, Hydrothermal Vents, And Subaerial Geysers In Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming And Vicinity, 1996–2004, Pamela A. Gemery-Hill, Wayne C. Shanks Iii, Laurie S. Balistrieri, Gregory K. Lee

United States Geological Survey: Publications

Analyses of more than 400 water samples collected from creeks and rivers draining into Yellowstone Lake, hydrothermal vents and water-column profiles within Yellowstone Lake, and subaerial hot springs and geysers throughout Yellowstone National Park (the Park) are reported. The samples were collected from 1996 to 2004. All of the water samples were collected and analyzed as part of the USGS Mineral Resources Program Project, Integrated Geoscience Studies of the Greater Yellowstone Area. Goals of this study are to provide state-of-the-art chemical determinations of more than 45 elements and species to help understand the influences of hydrothermal processes within Yellowstone National …

Spectral Analysis Of Absorption Features For Mapping Vegetation Cover And Microbial Communities In Yellowstone National Park Using Aviris Data, Raymond F. Kokaly, Don G. Despain, Roger N. Clark, K. Eric Livo

United States Geological Survey: Publications

This report summarizes the application of imaging spectroscopy to the study of biotic components of Yellowstone National Park ecosystems. Maps of vegetation cover and hot-spring microorganisms were generated using spectral-feature analysis of data from the airborne visible and infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS). AVIRIS data were calibrated to surface reflectance using a radiative-transfer model and a ground-calibration target. A spectral library of canopy-reflectance signatures was created by averaging pixels of reflectance data over known occurrences of 27 vegetation cover types in Yellowstone. Distributions of these vegetation types were determined by comparing absorption features of the vegetation in the spectral library with …

Nebraska Summary: S589 Agco Rt165a, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Newsletter Of The Wildli Fe Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group, Interactions: Volume 13 Issue 2 Spring 2007

TWS Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Newsletter

From The Field Trapping Under Fire…..Again; Letters From Art: A Chair’s Message; Call for Papers: 23rd Vertebrate Pest Conference March 17-20, 2008 San Diego, California 22nd Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings Available; Calls from the Field (Or A House, Or A Farm, Or A…); Focus On the FIELD The Northeast Wildlife Damage Management Cooperative First Issue of Human-Wildlife Conflicts Now Available; Human-Wildlife Conflict in The News; The Wildlife Professional A New Public Action from Tws; Recent Wildlife Damage Management Research; The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Upcoming Meetings, Conferences and Events

Effects Of Sorbate Speciation On Sorption Of Selected Sulfonamides In Three Loamy Soils, Sudarshan Kurwadkar, Craig Adams, Michael Meyer, Dana Kolpin

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Sorption of sulfamethazine (SMN) and sulfathiazole (STZ) was investigated in three soils, a North Carolina loamy sand, an Iowa sandy loam, and a Missouri loam, under various pH conditions. A significant increase in the sorption coefficient (K_D) was observed in all three soils, as the sulfonamides converted from an anionic form at higher pH to a neutral/cationic form at lower pH. Above pH 7.5, sulfonamides exist primarily in anionic form and have higher aqueous solubility and no cationic character, thereby consequently leading to lower sorption to soils. The effect of speciation on sorption is not the same …

Amphibians And Disease: Implications For Conservation In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Paul Stephen Corn

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The decline of amphibian populations is a worldwide phenomenon that has received increasing attention since about 1990. In 2004, the World Conservation Union’s global amphibian assessment concluded that 48% of the world’s 5,743 described amphibian species were in decline, with 32% considered threatened (Stuart et al. 2004). Amphibian declines are a significant issue in the western United States, where all native species of frogs in the genus Rana and many toads in the genus Bufo are at risk, particularly those that inhabit mountainous areas (Corn 2003a,b; Bradford 2005). As is true for most of the cold and dry Rocky Mountains, …

An Evaluation Of Selenium Concentrations In Water, Sediment, Invertebrates, And Fish From The Solomon River Basin, Thomas W. May, James F. Fairchild, Jim D. Petty, Michael J. Walther, Jeff Lucero, Mike Delvaux, Jill Manring, M. Armbruster

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The Solomon River Basin is located in north-central Kansas in an area underlain by marine geologic shales. Selenium is an indigenous constituent of these shales and is readily leached into the surrounding groundwater. Portions of the Basin are irrigated primarily through the pumping of selenium-contaminated groundwater from wells onto fields in agricultural production. Water, sediment, macro-invertebrates, and fish were collected from various sites in the Basin in 1998 and analyzed for selenium. Selenium concentrations were analyzed spatially and temporally and compared to reported selenium toxic effect thresholds for specific ecosystem components: water, sediments, food-chain organisms, and whole-body fish. A selenium …

Using Population Genetic Tools To Develop A Control Strategy For Feral Cats (Felis Catus) In Hawai‘I, Heidi Hansen, Steven C. Hess, David Cole, Paul C. Banko

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Population genetics can provide information about the demographics and dynamics of invasive species that is beneficial for developing effective control strategies. We studied the population genetics of feral cats on Hawai‘i Island by microsatellite analysis to evaluate genetic diversity and population structure, assess gene flow and connectivity among three populations, identify potential source populations, characterise population dynamics, and evaluate sex-biased dispersal. High genetic diversity, low structure, and high number of migrants per generation supported high gene flow that was not limited spatially. Migration rates revealed that most migration occurred out of West Mauna Kea. Effective population size estimates indicated increasing …

Adaptive Data-Driven Models For Estimating Carbon Fluxes In The Northern Great Plains, Bruce K. Wylie, Eugene A. Fosnight, Tagir G. Gilmanov, Albert B. Frank, Jack A. Morgan, Marshall R. Haferkamp, Tilden P. Meyers

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Rangeland carbon fluxes are highly variable in both space and time. Given the expansive areas of rangelands, how rangelands respond to climatic variation, management, and soil potential is important to understanding carbon dynamics. Rangeland carbon fluxes associated with Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) were measured from multiple year data sets at five flux tower locations in the Northern Great Plains. These flux tower measurements were combined with 1-km² spatial data sets of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), temperature, precipitation, seasonal NDVI metrics, and soil characteristics. Flux tower measurements were used to train and select variables for …

Ovarian Tumor Domain-Containing Viral Proteases Evade Ubiquitin- And Isg15-Dependent Innate Immune Responses, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Herbert Whiting Virgin, Natalia Frias-Staheli, Nadia Giannakopoulos, Marjolein Kikkert, Shannon Taylor, Anne Bridgen, Jason Pargas, Juergen Richt, Raymond Rowland, Connie Schmaljohn, Deborah Lenschow, Eric Snijder

United States Army: Publications

Ubiquitin (Ub) and interferon-stimulated gene product 15 (ISG15) reversibly conjugate to proteins and mediate important innate antiviral responses. The ovarian tumor (OTU) domain represents a superfamily of predicted proteases found in eukaryotic, bacterial, and viral proteins, some of which have Ub-deconjugating activity. Weshowthat theOTUdomain-containing proteases fromnairoviruses and arteriviruses, two unrelated groups ofRNAviruses, hydrolyzeUb and ISG15 from cellular target proteins. This broad activity contrasts with the target specificity of knownmammalianOTUdomain-containing proteins. Expression of a viralOTUdomain-containing protein antagonizes the antiviral effects of ISG15 and enhances susceptibility to Sindbis virus infection in vivo. We also show that viral OTU domain-containing proteases inhibit NFkB- …

Role Of U.S. Military Research Programs In The Development Of U.S.-Licensed Vaccines For Naturally Occurring Infectious Diseases, Lynn W. Kitchen

United States Army: Publications

U.S. military physicians and researchers have collaborated in the development of eight U.S.-licensed vaccines since 1934, when product efficacy requirements were added to product safety requirements mandated in 1902. These vaccines include influenza (1945), rubella (1969), adenovirus types 4 and 7 (1980), meningococcus A, C, Y,W-135 (1981), hepatitis B (1981), oral typhoid (1989), Japanese encephalitis (1992), and hepatitis A(1995). Current efforts include newadenovirus and Japanese encephalitis vaccines, and vaccines to prevent dengue, diarrhea due to enterotoxigenic E. coli, Campylobacter, and Shigella, malaria, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, scrub typhus, meningococcus type B, and HIV infection. All vaccines …

Chitosan Paste From Crawfish Shells As A Synthetic Bone Graft Material: Preparation, Characterization And Animal Study, Jerome G. Saltarrelli Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

Bone loss associated with musculoskeletal trauma or metabolic diseases often requires bone grafts. Autograft or allograft bones are limited in supply. Therefore, development of synthetic bone graft materials is an active area of research. For several years the biomaterials group at LSUHSC-Shreveport has been investigating the use of chitosan purified from crawfish shells using a process patented by my research advisor, Dr. Debi Mukherjee.

Chitin is a polysaccharide that exists in fungi, exoskeleton of insects and outer shell of crustaceans. It is biocompatible, osteoconductive, antimicrobial, biodegradable, non-toxic, haemostatic, fungicidal, and the second most abundant natural polysaccharide on earth. Removal of …

Instructions For Authors, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Geographic Distribution: Ramphotyphlops Braminus (Brahminy Blindsnake). Usa: Florida: Alachua Co., Louis A. Somma

Papers in Herpetology

One adult within a temiite colony, beneath rock. UF 151211; additional specimens (UF 151212-14) were also found. All specimens were collected between 1200-1240 h at the Division of Plant Industry (DPI), Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. In 2006, another adult Ramphotyphlops braminus was collected by an employee at this site, near a greenhouse, and was kept in captivity until it escaped. Rhamphotyphlops is occasionally encountered by employees of DPI and it may be expanding its range, as there is one specimen (UF 147001) collected from the University of Florida campus (Powell Hall) adjacent to the DPI site (29°38'7.9080"N, …

An Analog Evolvable Hardware Device For Active Control, Saranyan A. Vigraham

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The field of Evolvable Hardware (EH) has recently gained a lot of interest due to the novel methodology it offers for designing electrical circuits and machines. EH techniques involve configuring a reconfigurable hardware platform with the aid of learning engines such as evolutionary algorithms. The EH devices normally act as closed loop controllers with the capability of learning necessary control laws adaptively. Current EH practices have several shortcomings, which have restricted their use as reliable controllers. This dissertation will present an improved EH device based on behavioral reconfigurability that addresses the current open challenges in the field of analog Evolvable …

Faculty On Writing

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

The Investigation Of Competition Between Eurosta Solidaginis (Fitch) And Rhopalomyia Solidaginis (Loew), Two Gall Makers Of Solidago Altissima (Asteraceae), Jessica Gibbs

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

Gender Roles Within American Marriage: Are They Really Changing?, Lucy A. Hawke

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

Invertebrate And Mammalian Remains Of Badlands National Park From The Holocene Epoch Describe The Ancient Landscape And Community Of The Time, Rutger W. Stache

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

Accelerating Adoption Of Fire Science And Related Research, Jamie Barbour

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Since its inception in 1998, the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) has funded over 350 projects. The Joint Fire Science Program has long recognized that the investments made in wildland fire science need to be accompanied by an emphasis on science interpretation and delivery. Program success is ultimately measured by how well information from research efforts is being conveyed to resource managers and end users, and whether this information is improving management decisions. This project introduced a conceptual model for an adaptive process to improve the delivery of scientific information. We developed this process through these steps: 1. Creating a …

An Automated System For Evaluating Bluesky Predictions Of Smoke Impacts On Community Health And Ecosystems, Robert Solomon

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Predictions of smoke impacts on communities and ecosystems are currently being made by the BlueSky smoke forecast system; providing real-time predictions of surface smoke concentrations from prescribed fire, wildfire, and agricultural burn activities. Currently operational in the Pacific Northwest, BlueSky has already a demonstrated success regarding what inter-agency collaboration can accomplish. A critical component of BlueSky that needed to be addressed was the development of an automated verification system to evaluate predicted impacts from smoke on communities and ecosystems. A verification system is necessary because land managers need to evaluate their burn decisions against potential National Ambient Air Quality Standard …

Atmospheric Fire Risk (Haines Index) In A Changed Climate, Julie Winkler, Brian Potter

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Previous studies of wildland fire potential under a perturbed climate have focused on potential changes in near-surface atmospheric parameters (e.g., temperature, humidity, and precipitation) and vegetation changes. However, above-ground atmospheric conditions, such as atmospheric stability, also play a critical role in fire behavior, especially for larger fires. This study employed the widely-used Haines Index as a measure of above-ground conditions relevant to wildland fire and investigated the potential changes in the Haines Index over the next 100 years. The analysis is based on simulations from the most recent version of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate System …

Fire Managers Field Guide: Hazardous Fuels Management In Subtropical Pine Flatwoods And Tropical Pine Rocklands, Joseph J. O'Brien, Kathyryn A. Mordecai, Leslie Wolcott, James Snyder, Kenneth Outcalt

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Preface This document, The Fire Managers Field Guide: Hazardous Fuels Management in Sub-tropical Pine Flatwoods and Tropical Pine Rocklands is intended to provide an overview of techniques and tactics under actual use for addressing hazardous fuels in tropical and subtropical pine forests found in Florida, the Bahamas and elsewhere in the Caribbean. The information presented here was distilled from peer reviewed literature, technical reports, and the experiences of on-theground fire managers. Managing fuels is complex and idiosyncratic. This guide is intended to provide only a broad introduction to currently available techniques; some well known and others newer and untested. The …

Cross-Training Professionals On Reducing Property Loss At The Wildland-Urban Interface, Anne S. Fege

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Most wildfire education programs have relied primarily on homeowner information and education. This project focuses on the role of business professionals who are often hired to design, build, maintain or mitigate the home and surrounding landscape or who otherwise advise homeowners and affect their decisions. Such professionals include architects, builders, insurance agents, landscape architects and contractors, planners, media, real estate professionals and others. The findings of this project were three-fold. First, by participating in this program, businesses and professionals gain a marketable service in the form of a greater understanding in wildfire mitigation as well as better business practices with …

Developing An Analysis And Planning Framework For District-Level Fuels Treatment Projects (Final Project Report), Alan Ager

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Widespread fuel reduction programs have been initiated in many parts of the USA in response to a growing threat of wildland fire. Urban encroachment, fuels buildup from fire suppression, and drought all have been linked to increasing wildfire frequency and severity. Developing effective mitigation strategies is a challenging problem, especially on vast tracts of federally-managed wildlands in the western U.S. Fuel reduction activities on Federal lands are generally difficult to plan and implement due to cost, public expectations, and land management regulations. State of the art wildfire modeling is frequently required to demonstrate the benefits of fuels reduction treatments and …