Digital Commons Network^™

Oligo(Vinylidene Fluoride) Langmuir-Blodgett Films Studied By Spectroscopic, Rafal Korlacki, J. Travis Johnston, Jihee Kim, Stephen Ducharme, Daniel W. Thompson, Vladimir M. Fridkin, Zhongxin Ge, James M. Takacs

Stephen Ducharme Publications

Thin films of amphiphilic vinylidene fluoride oligomers prepared by Langmuir–Blodgett deposition on silicone substrates were investigated by comparing experimental and theoretical mid-infrared (IR) spectra. The experimental spectra were obtained using infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry. Theoretical spectra were calculated using density functional theory. Excellent correspondence of major IR bands in both data sets shows that the molecular backbone is oriented with the long axis normal to the substrate plane. This is in contrast to poly vinylidene fluoride[1] LB films, in which the polymer chains are parallel to the substrate.

Hamulonema Gen. Nov. For Teladorsagia Hamata And Ostertagia Kenyensis In The Ostertagiinae Fauna (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) From African Ungulates, Eric P. Hoberg, Arthur Abrams

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Hamulonema gen. nov. is proposed for Teladorsagia hamata and Ostertagia kenyensis in the ostertagiine nematode fauna found in artiodactyl hosts from Africa. Monomorphic species representing this genus are characterized by a bilaterally symmetrical and parallel synlophe in males and females, a 2-2-1 bursal formula, an accessory bursal membrane that is strongly cuticularized and reduced, a strongly reduced dorsal lobe and ray, and robust spicules with a simple, weakly pointed, ventral process, and curved, hooklike dorsal process. Species referred to Hamulonema nov. gen. are immediately distinguished from those of Camelostrongylus, Longistrongylus, Marshallagia, Orloffia, Ostertagia, and Pseudomarshallagia …

Casnr Salute To Graduates, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

We appreciate your being with us this afternoon as we celebrate the accomplishments of tomorrow's graduates from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Thank you for attending and, congratulations to the class of 2008! This ceremony has become both a fixture and a tradition in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. As a matter of fact, it took the national "First Place Award" in a 2006 competition that was open to all universities in the United States.

Minimal Nutrition Intervention With High-Protein/Low-Carbohydrate And Low-Fat, Nutrient-Dense Food Supplement Improves Body Composition And Exercise Benefits In Overweight Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Christopher M. Lockwood, Jordan R. Moon, Sarah E. Tobkin, Ashley A. Walter, Abbie E. Smith, Vincent J. Dalbo, Joel T. Cramer, Jeffrey R. Stout

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Exercise and high-protein/reduced-carbohydrate and -fat diets have each been shown separately, or in combination with an energy-restricted diet to improve body composition and health in sedentary, overweight (BMI > 25) adults. The current study, instead, examined the physiological response to 10 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance exercise (EX) versus exercise + minimal nutrition intervention designed to alter the macronutrient profile, in the absence of energy restriction, using a commercially available high-protein/low-carbohydrate and low-fat, nutrient-dense food supplement (EXFS); versus control (CON).

Methods: Thirty-eight previously sedentary, overweight subjects (female = 19; male = 19) were randomly assigned to either CON (n …

The Effect Of Beta-Alanine Supplementation On Neuromuscular Fatigue In Elderly (55–92 Years): A Double-Blind Randomized Study, Jeffrey R. Stout, B. Sue Graves, Abbie E. Smith, Michael J. Hartman, Joel T. Cramer, Travis W. Beck, Roger C. Harris

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Ageing is associated with a significant reduction in skeletal muscle carnosine which has been linked with a reduction in the buffering capacity of muscle and in theory, may increase the rate of fatigue during exercise. Supplementing beta-alanine has been shown to significantly increase skeletal muscle carnosine. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the effects of ninety days of beta-alanine supplementation on the physical working capacity at the fatigue threshold (PWC_FT) in elderly men and women.

Methods: Using a double-blind placebo controlled design, twenty-six men (n = 9) and women (n = 17) (age ± …

Presidential Address: Nothing Succeeds Like Excess, Steven A. Nadler

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

To the members of the American Society of Parasitologists, I offer my appreciation for the opportunity to serve as your president. When I was notified of my successful election as an officer, it brought to mind that famous remark by Adlai Stevenson who said, ‘‘In America, anybody can be president. That’s one of the risks you take.’’ So, what I initially perceived as somewhat of a risky venture, proved to be a more valuable and interesting experience than I anticipated. Let’s hope that my presidential address has a similar outcome.

The Kinetic Energy Dependent Effective Debye Temperature For Cos2 (100), Ning Wu, David Wisbey, Takashi Komesu, Z. X. Yu, M. Manno, L. Wang, C. Leighton, Peter A. Dowben

Peter Dowben Publications

The effective Debye temperatures of the highly spin-polarized material CoS₂ were measured using temperature dependent low energy electron diffraction and shown to be dependent upon electron kinetic energy. The normal dynamic motion of the (100) surface results in the effective surface Debye temperature of 326 ± 9 K compared to a bulk Debye temperature of 612 ± 24 K. Similar values for the bulk Debye temperature have been obtained through LEED I(V) analysis, core level photoemission with a lower value for the bulk Debye temperature found from heat capacity measurements.

The Surface Stability Of Cos2(100), Ning Wu, Renat F. Sabirianov, Chun-Gang Duan, Wai-Ning Mei, David Wisbey, Yaroslav B. Losovyj, M. Manno, C. Leighton, En Cai, Jiandi Zhang, Peter A. Dowben

Peter Dowben Publications

The stability of various possible terminations of the CoS₂ (1 × 1) surface have been explored and theoretical expectations are found to agree with experiment. With extensive annealing, there is a phase separation at the (100) surface of CoS₂. Sulfur segregation to the surface leads to a significant change in the largely sulfur bands due to changes in the hybridized bands, with cobalt. Resonant photoemission spectra indicate clearly that the hybridized cobalt and sulfur bands, characteristic of the CoS₂ bulk, lie at higher binding energies than those of segregated sulfur layers. This is discussed in terms …

The Cms Experiment At The Cern Lhc, S. Chatrchyan, Kenneth A. Bloom, Brian Bockelman, Daniel R. Claes, Aaron Dominguez, Michael Eads, Makoto Furukawa, J. Keller, T. Kelly, Carl Lundstedt, Sudhir Malik, Gregory Snow, David R. Swanson, Cms Collaboration

Kenneth Bloom Publications

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector is described. The detector operates at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. It was conceived to study proton-proton (and leadlead) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 14 TeV (5.5 TeV nucleon-nucleon) and at luminosities up to 10³⁴ cm^-2s^-1 (10²⁷ cm^-2s^-1). At the core of the CMS detector sits a high-magnetic field and large-bore superconducting solenoid surrounding an all-silicon pixel and strip tracker, a lead-tungstate scintillating-crystals electromagnetic calorimeter, and a brass-scintillator sampling hadron calorimeter. The iron yoke of the flux-return is instrumented with four stations …

Economic Analysis Of Labor And Employment Law In The New Economy, Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt, Alan Hyde, Michael Risch, Jagdeep Bhandari, Richard Block

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Oral Rabies Vaccination Of A Northern Ohio Raccoon Population: Relevance Of Population Density And Prebait Serology, Paul Ramey, Bradley F. Blackwell, Robert Gates, Richard Slemons

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ohio’s oral rabies vaccination (ORV) program was established to prevent the westward spread of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies virus (Lyssavirus, Rhabdoviridae) in Ohio, USA. The program, which targets raccoons, distributes vaccine-bait units (VBU) at a target density of 75 units/km2. Few studies have examined the relationship of VBU density and target population density to the prevalence of rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies (RVNA). We conducted experimental VBU distributions in August 2003 and August 2004, 150 km west of the ORV zone where there was no history of raccoon rabies. We measured change in RVNA titers in blood …

Helminths Of Small Mammals (Chiroptera, Insectivora, Lagomorpha) From Mongolia With A Description Of A New Species Of Schizorchis (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae), David S. Tinnin, Scott Lyell Gardner, Sumiya Ganzorig

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Fifty-eight individuals belonging to 10 species of bats, insectivores, and pikas were examined for helminths from 4 collection sites in Mongolia in 1999. Two species of bats (Vespertilio murinus and Eptesicus gobiensis) were infected with a single species of trematode (Plagiorchis vespertilionis), which represents a new record for the country. One individual of E. gobiensis also harbored 1 unidentified filaroid nematode. The acanthocephalan Moniliformis moniliformis was found in the hedgehog Hemiechinus auritus. Cestodes in the genus Catenotaenia and the herein described Schizorchis mongoliensis n. sp. were recovered from pikas belonging to the species Ochotona alpina …

Cranial Deformation As The Cause Of Death For A Child From The Chillon River Valley, Peru, Shelia M.F. Medoncade Souza, Karl J. Reinhard, Andrea Lessa

Karl Reinhard Publications

Two small mummy bundles, found in a tomb at the Chillon River Valley, Lima Plains, Peru exist in the collections of the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They were donated to the collections at the beginning of the 20th century. A multidisciplinary team is now curating and studying them. CT scans confirmed both skeletons were of individuals less than one year old at death. One of the bundles is intact and will be preserved and displayed. The other one was partly decomposed and the authors received permission to unwrap it to analyze the bones in details. Mites and pollen …

Enterobius Vermicularis Ancient Dna In Pre-Columbian Human Populations, Alena Mayo Iniguez, Karl J. Reinhard, Luiz Fernando Ferreira, Adauto Araujo, Ana Carolina, Paulo Vincente

Karl Reinhard Publications

In prehistoric populations the paleoparasitological findings show an Enterobius vennicularis homogeneous distribution among North American hunter-gatherers intensified with the advent of agriculture. The same occurred in the transition from nomad hunter-gatherers to sedentary farmers in South America, although E. vermicularis infection encompasses only the ancient Andean peoples. Since molecular techniques are sensitive in detecting ancient DNA (aDNA), in this work we have performed a molecular paleoparasitological study of E. vermicularis. aDNA was recovered from North and South American coprolites (4110 BC-AD 900). Human (cox 2 and HVR) and pinworm (5S rRNA spacer) sequences were determined. The sequence analysis confirmed E. …

Pathoecology And The Future Of Coprolite Studies In Bioarchaeology, Karl J. Reinhard, Vaughn M. Bryant Jr.

Karl Reinhard Publications

Human coprolites currently provide an expanding array of information about the diet, health, and ecology of prehistoric people in the Southwest, but for many years coprolites were not recognized or preserved, or they were not considered important and thus were not saved (Bryant and Dean 2006). With the expansion of archaeological field work during the last half of the twentieth century archaeologists have increasingly explored the "complete" potentials of sites, including the collection and analysis of geomorphologic, botanical, and faunal data. In some ideal habitats (e.g., very dry or frozen) this includes exploring the scientific potential of human coprolite studies. …

Pathoecology Of Two Ancestral Pueblo Villages, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Pathoecology is the study of the biotic, abiotic, and cultural environments of disease (Martinson et al. 2003). A parasitic infection is the result of the pathoecological interaction of host behavior, parasite life cycle, the environment in which both life forms live, the nutritional status of the host, and host physiological responses to all of these factors. Parasites contribute to anemia in many ways. Some, such as hookworm, actually consume blood and cause iron loss through their activities. For other parasites, symptoms such as profuse diarrhea reduce intestinal absorption of nutrients. Others, such as certain fish tapeworms, actually compete for absorption …

An Integrated Vehicle-Mounted Telemetry System For Vhf Telemetry Applications, Jason Gilsdorf, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Scott E. Hygnstrom, W. David Walter, Justin Boner, Greg Clements

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We designed and developed a vehicle-mounted very high frequency–based telemetry system that integrated an on-board antenna, receiver, electronic compass, Global Positioning System, computer, and Geographic Information System. The system allows users to accurately and quickly obtain fixes, estimate and confirm locations of radiomarked animals, and immediately record data into an electronic spreadsheet or database. The total cost of materials to build the system was $7,349 (United States currency). Mean error angle of 2.63 ± 12.18 (SD; range =-33.7–42.2°) and mean location error distance of 128 ± 91.3 m (SD; range = 0–408 m) suggested precision and accuracy of our system …

Low Reproductive Success Of Mallards In A Grassland-Dominated Landscape In The Sandhills Of Nebraska, Larkin A. Powell, Johann Walker, Zach Cunningham, Mark P. Vrtiska, Scott Stephens

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The Sandhills of Nebraska comprise approximately 5,000,000 ha of native grassland interspersed with numerous groundwater-fed wetlands. A substantial population of the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) nests in this region. Previous investigations of nest survival probability of ducks in the Sandhills have estimated surprisingly low rates of nest survival for a grassland-dominated landscape. These investigations were conducted on public lands and most nest searching took place near wetlands where activity of nest predators might be highest. We predicted that mallards would nest at varying distances from wetlands and that survival probability of a representative sample of duck nests would increase with distance …

Library Personnel’S Role In The Creation Of Metadata: A Survey Of Academic Libraries, Adonna Fleming, Margaret Mering, Judith A. Wolfe

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

The digital age has caused the paradigm to shift in academic libraries both in terms of their collections and the roles of their personnel. As academic libraries begin to digitize objects in their collections, how and who in the library creates access to these resources has become a hot issue. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries (UNL Libraries), taskforces were formed to study metadata schemes used at UNL Libraries. The taskforces identified the various metadata schemes in use and the role of various departments within UNL Libraries in the creation of metadata. They made recommendations about how to document decisions …

Valuations For Spike Train Prediction, Vladimir Itskov, Carina Curto, Kenneth D. Harris

Department of Mathematics: Faculty Publications

The ultimate product of an electrophysiology experiment is often a decision on which biological hypothesis or model best explains the observed data. We outline a paradigm designed for comparison of different models, which we refer to as spike train prediction. A key ingredient of this paradigm is a prediction quality valuation that estimates how close a predicted conditional intensity function is to an actual observed spike train. Although a valuation based on log likelihood (L) is most natural, it has various complications in this context. We propose that a quadratic valuation (Q) can be used as an alternative to L. …

Partnering And Programming For Undergraduate Honors Students, Catherine Fraser Riehle

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Purpose—This paper sets out to describe successful partnerships between Purdue University Libraries’ faculty and directors of undergraduate honors programs. By reporting the results and implications of these collaborations and sharing effective approaches for building new partnerships, the author hopes to provide ideas and suggestions for others considering similar collaborations and services.

Design/methodology/approach—During the 2006–2007 academic year, the Instructional Outreach Librarian at Purdue University, West Lafayette, began partnering with directors of honors programs and consequently implemented new services for undergraduate honors students. The paper cites examples, including one pilot program in particular—a research workshop for freshmen honors students in …

Getting Past Conflict Resolution: A Complexity View Of Conflict, Leticia Andrade, Donde Ashmos Plowman, Dennis Duchon

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The traditional view of conflict, as a problematic condition always requiring reduction or elimination and whose conditions or outcomes can be predicted, is incompatible with a complex adaptive systems view of organizations. Thus, conventional approaches to reducing conflict are often futile because the fundamental properties of complex adaptive systems are the source of much organizational ‘conflict.’ In this paper we offer an alternative view of conflict as pattern fluctuations in complex adaptive systems. Rather than needing reduction or elimination, conflict is the fuel that drives system growth and enables learning and adaptive behaviors, making innovation possible. Instead of focusing on …

On The Same Page: The Value Of Paid And Volunteer Leaders Sharing Mental Models In Churches, Stephanie T. Solansky, Dennis Duchon, Donde Ashmos Plowman, Patricia G. Martínez

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

We examine the idea that mental models shared among paid and volunteer leaders are associated with improved financial performance in nonprofit organizations. Our empirical analysis of thirty-seven churches yields evidence that organizations are more effective if paid and volunteer leaders have a shared task mental model—that is, if they report similar conceptualizations of organizational goals and decision-making processes. These findings suggest that the extent of leaders’ agreement on organizational goals and the processes of how decisions are made matter for organizational performance. We argue that it is as important to ensure that everyone is on the same page with regard …

The Utility Of Transactional And Transformational Leadership For Predicting Performance And Satisfaction Within A Path-Goal Theory Framework, Robert P. Vecchio, Joseph E. Justin, Craig L. Pearce

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

In a test of hypotheses derived from the integration of principles of path-goal theory (House, 1996) and transformational leadership theory (Bass, 1985), data collected from 179 high school teachers and their principals were examined with hierarchical regression analysis. Augmentation analysis indicated that transactional leadership had a stronger role in explaining unique criterion variance beyond the contribution of transformational leadership, than did transformational leadership relative to transactional leadership. In addition, both the transactional and transformational leadership had a negative interactive relationship for predicting the outcome of performance, such that leader vision and leader intellectual stimulation were more positively correlated with employee …

Experimental Analysis Of A Web-Based Training Intervention To Develop Positive Psychological Capital, Fred Luthans, James B. Avey, Jaime L. Patera

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Psychological capital with components of hope, self-efficacy, optimism, and resiliency has recently emerged as a core construct in taking positive psychology to the workplace. A distinguishing feature is that it is “state-like” and thus open to development. We analyze whether such psychological capital can be developed through a highly focused, 2-hour web-based training intervention. Using a pretest, posttest experimental design (n = 187 randomly assigned to the treatment group and n = 177 to the control group), we found support that psychological capital can be developed by such a training intervention.

The Mediating Role Of Psychological Capital In The Supportive Organizational Climate–Employee Performance Relationship, Fred Luthans, Steven M. Norman, Bruce J. Avolio, James B. Avey

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Although the value of a supportive organizational climate has been recognized over the years, there is a need for better understanding of its relationship with employee outcomes. This study investigates whether the recently emerging core construct of positive psychological capital (consisting of hope, resilience, optimism, and efficacy) plays a role in mediating the effects of a supportive organizational climate with employee outcomes. Utilizing three diverse samples, results show that employees’ psychological capital is positively related to their performance, satisfaction, and commitment and a supportive climate is related to employees’ satisfaction and commitment. The study’s major hypothesis that employees’ psychological capital …

How Transformational Leadership Weaves Its Influence On Individual Job Performance: The Role Of Identification And Efficacy Beliefs, Fred O. Walumbwa, Bruce Avolio, Weichun Zhu

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This study examined how transformational leadership directly and indirectly relates to supervisory-rated performance collected over time including 437 participants employed by 6 U.S. banking organizations in the midwest. Results revealed that one’s identification with his or her work unit, self-efficacy, and means efficacy were related to supervisor-rated performance. The effect of transformational leadership on rated performance was also mediated by the interaction of identification and means efficacy, as well as partially mediated by the interaction of self-efficacy and means efficacy. Implications for research, theory, and practice are discussed.

Environmental Context, Managerial Cognition, And Strategic Action: An Integrated View, Sucheta Nadkarni, Pamela S. Barr

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This study addresses an apparent disconnect between two views of strategic action: the “economic view,” which contends that industry structure is the primary influence on strategic action, and the “cognitive view,” which suggests that managerial cognition drives strategic action. We argue that this disconnect has created artificial boundaries between the two perspectives and has limited our ability to develop holistic explanations of strategic action. In response, we develop an integrated model that answers two questions: 1) Does industry context affect managerial cognition? 2) Does managerial cognition mediate the relationship between industry context and strategic responses to environmental changes? To examine …

Influenza Virus Samples, International Law, And Global Health Diplomacy, David P. Fidler

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Indonesia’s decision to withhold samples of avian influenza virus A (H5N1) from the World Health Organization for much of 2007 caused a crisis in global health. The World Health Assembly produced a resolution to try to address the crisis at its May 2007 meeting. I examine how the parties to this controversy used international law in framing and negotiating the dispute. Specifically, I analyze Indonesia’s use of the international legal principle of sovereignty and its appeal to rules on the protection of biological and genetic resources found in the Convention on Biological Diversity. In addition, I consider how the International …

Developments In The Laws Affecting Electronic Payments And Stored-Value Products: A Year Of Stored-Value Bankruptcies, Significant Legislative Proposals, And Federal Enforcement Actions, Sarah Jane Hughes, Stephen T. Middlebrook, Patricia J. Allouise

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.