Digital Commons Network^™

Length Scales Of Interactions In Magnetic, Dielectric, And Mechanical Nanocomposites, Ralph Skomski, Balamurugan Balamurugan, Eva Schubert, Axel Enders, David J. Sellmyer

Axel Enders Publications

It is investigated how figures of merits of nanocomposites are affected by structural and interaction length scales, Aside from macroscopic effects without characteristic lengths scales and atomic-scale quantum-mechanical interactions there are nanoscale interactions that reflect a competition between different energy contributions. We consider three systems, namely dielectric media, carbon-black reinforced rubbers and magnetic composites. In all cases, it is relatively easy to determine effective materials constants, which do not involve specific length scales. Nucleation and breakdown phenomena tend to occur on a nanoscale and yield a logarithmic dependence of figures of merit on the macroscopic system size. Essential system-specific differences …

2011 Nebraska Water Monitoring Programs Report, Marty Link

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) is charged with monitoring, assessing, and to the extent possible, managing the state’s water resources. The purpose of this work is to protect and maintain good quality water and encourage or execute activities to improve poor water quality. Monitoring is done on the over 18,000 miles of flowing rivers and streams, our greater than 280,000 acres of surface water in lakes and reservoirs, and the vast storage of groundwater in Nebraska’s aquifers.

Timber Talk, Vol. 49, No. 3, September 1, 2011

Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter

Lumber Market News; Hardwood Lumber Price Trends—Green; Hardwood Lumber Price Trends—Kiln Dried; Timber Stumpage Prices; Timber Culture Act; Powderpost Beetles; End-Coating Logs and Lumber Makes “Cents” (Or Dollars); Nebraska Forestry Industry Spotlight; Planning Tool Available to Loggers; The Trading Post; Timber Sales.

Invasive Species In Europe: Ecology, Status And Policy, Reuben P. Keller, Juergen Geist, Johnathan M. Jeschke, Ingolf Kuhn

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We tested the accuracy of an invasive aquatic plant risk assessment system in the United States that we modified from a system originally developed by New Zealand’s Biosecurity Program. The US system is comprised of 38 questions that address biological, historical, and environmental tolerance traits. Values associated with each response are summed to produce a total score for each species that indicates its risk of invasion. To calibrate and test this risk assessment, we identified 39 aquatic plant species that are major invaders in the continental US, 31 species that have naturalized but have no documented impacts (minor invaders), and …

Transient Diffraction Grating Measurements Of Molecular Diffusion In The Undergraduate Laboratory, Daniel Spiegel, Santona Tuli

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research

Mass diffusion is a central process in many biological, chemical, and physical systems, and although the mathematics of diffusion has long been an important component of an undergraduate physics education, experimental measurements of diffusion are not very common in the undergraduate laboratory. We describe here an experiment that employs the interference of laser beams to allow measurement of molecular diffusion on micron length scales. The interference fringes of two intersecting “pump” beams within a dye solution create a sinusoidal distribution of long-lived molecular excited states. A third “probe” beam is incident at a wavelength at which the indices of refraction …

Contents, Inquiry Editors

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Inquiry: The University Of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal - Volume 12 - Fall 2011, Inquiry Editors

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of The Biosimilars Provision Of The Health Care Reform Bill On Innovation Investments, 10 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 553 (2011), Katherine N. Addison

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 provides an abbreviated FDA approval pathway for biosimilars. The passage of this biosimilar legislation is a positive step toward retaining a robust biotechnology industry in the United States while also protecting innovators. The Act’s increased FDA exclusivity is welcome, but FDA exclusivity alone is insufficient to encourage and protect innovation and investment in biosimilars. Instead, the exclusivity provided by a patent term, together with the ability to adjust this term to compensate an applicant for U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and FDA delays, is necessary to ensure development of highly specialized …

Demographic And Offense-Related Variables In Pennsylvania Court-Ordered Placements For Juveniles, Kristen N. Asplin, Diane T. Marsh, Adeline Beighley

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

When making placement decisions for juvenile offenders, court officers often consider the types of charges listed against them. We examined the pattern of offenses charged to residents of 7 types of placements in 1 county in Pennsylvania over a period of 2 years. Consistent, predictable patterns were found across placements, with more restrictive placements assigned to juveniles with more severe offenses, although there remained a considerable degree of variation in offenses represented in each placement type. The pattern of placements was different between genders as well, with female offenders being placed in less restrictive care even more often than their …

Nature Or Nurture: Is There A Case Basis For A Judicially Created ‘Product Of Nature’ Exclusion? Are Genes Somehow Different?, 11 J Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 318 (2011), W. Lesser

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The Myriad Genetics decision has rekindled the product of nature debate. This article analyzes legal decisions spanning the past century for products ranging from plants to man-made elements, which in sum provide guidance to the patentability of genes. The product of nature argument it is concluded confuses rather than clarifies patentability considerations. Patentability in the evaluated cases as well as for genes can be resolved more precisely under the utility, non-obviousness, disclosure, and enablement patentability requirements without a need for any additional judicially-created stipulation. As regards genes, there is an additional dimension for consideration which in the case law and …

The Conditional Sale Doctrine In A Post-Quanta World And Its Implications On Modern Licensing Agreements, 11 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 295 (2011), William Lafuze, Justin Chen, Lavonne Burke

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The exclusive rights of a patent owner to exclude others from making, using, or selling patented inventions are limited by the doctrine of patent exhaustion. This doctrine, also known as the first sale doctrine, states that upon the first authorized sale of a patented article in the United States, the article is removed from the patent monopoly, thus losing its patent protection. As a result of this first sale, any subsequent use or sale of the patented article is not an infringement of its corresponding patent. The Federal Circuit further established the conditional sale doctrine in Mallinckrodt, Inc. v. Medipart, …

Bats Of Kansas, Dale W. Sparks, Curtis J. Schmidt, Jerry R. Choate

Sternberg Museum of Natural History Faculty Publications

In memory of Curtis J. Schmidt (1977-2022)

Invariably, our most feared neighbors on planet earth are the animals that we know the least about. Almost as frequently, when people are exposed to these animals, the fear turns quickly to fascination. Unfortunately, many of these animals are accessible only to the professional scientist. Though science has made great strides in understanding the basic biology and behaviors of many of our least-known animals, this information is generally kept locked away from the general public by the dry, technical language of science. In this publication, it is our hope to open your eyes …

Littoral Zone Structure, Energy Mobilization And Benthic Food Webs In Oligotrophic Northern Temperate Lakes, Shawn P. Devlin

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Lakes are usually described by pelagic-based characteristics such as trophic status or stratification and mixing regimes. These categorization schemes neglect among-lake differences in the physical and biological structure of the littoral zone. The extensive use of stable isotopes has led to a better integration of pelagic dynamics and littoral processes in limnology. In order to further our understanding of littoral trophic dynamics I conducted a detailed investigation of benthic primary production, littoral sediment bacterial production, and zoobenthic consumer resource use in oligotrophic temperate lakes. I have found that among-lake variation in benthic primary and bacterial production reflects littoral zone structure. …

Efficacy Of Gnrh Immunocontraception Of Wild White-Tailed Deer In New Jersey, James P. Gionfriddo, Anthony J. Denicola, Lowell A. Miller, Kathleen A. Fagerstone

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Safe and effective contraceptive agents are needed to manage overabundant populations of cervids in settings where traditional management methods such as hunting are prohibited or impractical. We used GonaCon™ Immunocontraceptive Vaccine to reduce reproduction in individual white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on a fully fenced corporate-office campus in suburban New Jersey, USA. In July– August 2005, we captured, marked, injected, and released 47 adult females and then monitored their reproductive performance for 2 years. Thirty-two of these females each received a 1.0-mL injection of GonaCon vaccine, and 15 control females were given sham injections. Field observations of udder condition …

Student Handbook 2011-12, Dmacc

Student Handbooks

No abstract provided.

Book Review: "Criminology: An Integrated Approach" (Gregg Barak), Joshua Smallridge

Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Criminology

No abstract provided.

Book Review: "A Very Short, Fairly Interesting And Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Criminology." (Ronnie Lippens), Tyler Wall

Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Criminology

No abstract provided.

Will Climate Change Alter Wildfire Behavior And Effects In Seasonally-Dry Wetlands?, Leda Kobziar Dr., Adam Watta Dr., J. Michael Camp Mr., Marissa Streiffel Ms., Alex Kattan Mr.

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

The effects of edge on ecosystems is well documented on animal and plant species, as well as a number of ecosystem attributes. A substantial determinant of ecological edge effects is the effect of edge on microclimate parameters such as temperature and humidity. These effects have been described in detail in upland communities, but not in wetland forests. Of particular interest is whether hydrologic influence trumps edge effect; in other words, does the influence of inundation create a hydrologic “switch” that overwhelms edge effect? In a landscape with numerous wetland forest patches subject to seasonal hydrologic fluctuations, I measured microclimate in …

Vegetation Impacts Of Recurring Fires On Sagebrush Ecosystems In Washington: Implications For Conservation And Rehabilitation, J. D. Bakker, P. W. Dunwiddie, S. A. Hall, J. R. Evans, G, M. Davies, E. Detterweiler-Robinson

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Thousands of hectares of high quality sagebrush shrub-steppe burned in south-central Washington in 2000 and 2007, particularly on the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve (ALE) on the Hanford Reach National Monument. Extensive rehabilitation efforts took place on ALE to control invasive species and establish native species following each of these fires. Permanent vegetation monitoring plots were established throughout this area in the mid-1990s, remonitored in 2001-2004, and monitored again in 2009-2010. This combination of rehabilitation treatments and monitoring provided a unique opportunity to better understand the individual and cumulative effects of recurring fires and restoration in this landscape. We investigated changes …

The Influence Of Prescribed Fire And Understory Fuels Mastication On Soil Carbon Respiration Rates In Flatwoods Forests, Leda Kobziar, David Godwin, Michael Camp, Dawn Mckinstry, Marissa Steifel, Alex Kattan, Daniel Godwin

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Soil CO2 efflux (Rs) is a significant flux of carbon dioxide from ecosystem soils to the atmosphere and is a critical component of the total ecosystem carbon budget. Rs fluxes are comprised of autotrophic (Ra) sources of CO2 produced by plant roots and associated rhizosphere fungi and heterotrophic (Rh) sources of CO2 produced by aerobic soil microbes. A variety of forest management activities, including prescribed fire and mechanical fuels mastication treatments have been shown to significantly influence Rs rates in forests of the Western United States (US), yet these relationships are not well known for southeastern US forests. Prescribed fire …

Comprehensive Fuels Treatment Pratices Guide For Mixed Conifer Forests: California, Central And Southern Rockies, And The Southwest, Alexander M. Evans, Rick G. Everett, Scott L. Stephens, James A. Youtz

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

The goal of this guide is to provide a resource for managers of mixed conifer forests of the Southwestern plateaus and uplands, the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges in Southern California. Mixed conifer forests have different species, structures, and spatial patterns in these regions but, in general, we focus on forests with a mix of ponderosa or Jeffrey pine, Douglas-fir, true firs, and aspen. The guide includes a comprehensive review of historic conditions, past land use, natural fire regimes, impacts of altered fire regimes, and future prospects, given climate change, for …

A Regional Experiment To Evaluate Effects Of Fire And Fire Surrogate Treatments In The Sagebrush Biome, James Mclver, Dave Pyke, Hugh Barrett, Mark Brunson, Steve Bunting, Jeanne C. Chambers, Carla D'Antonio, Paul Doescher, Dale Johnson, Sherm Karl, Steve Knick, Rick Miller, Mike Pellant, Fred Pierson, Kim Rollins, Bruce Roundy, Gene Schupp, Robin Tausch, David Turner, Mike Wisdom

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

SageSTEP is a comprehensive regional experiment that provides critical information to managers faced with a sagebrush steppe ecosystem that is increasingly at risk from wildfire, invasive plants, and climate change. The experiment provides managers with information that can be used to restore ecological communities across the 100+ million acres of the sagebrush biome. It is designed to match the temporal and spatial scales at which managers operate, is intended to reduce management risk and uncertainty of catastrophic wildfire to the greatest degree possible, and provides managers with information that allows them to better understand tradeoffs inherent in the choice of …

Climate, Fire And Carbon: Tipping Points And Landscape Vulnerability In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Erica A.H. Smithwick, Anthony L. Westerling, Monica G. Turner, William H. Romme, Michael G. Ryan

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

More frequent fires under climate warming are likely to alter terrestrial carbon (C) stocks by reducing the amount of C stored in biomass and soil. However, the thresholds of fire frequency that could shift landscapes from C sinks to C sources under future climates and whether these are likely to be exceeded during the coming century are not known. We used the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) as a case study to explore the conditions under which future climate and fire regimes would result in tipping points of C source/sink dynamics. We asked: (1) How great a change in climate and …

Compiling, Synthesizing And Analyzing Existing Boreal Forest Fire History Data In Alaska, Diana L. Olson, James B. Cronan, Donald Mckenzie, Jennifer L. Barnes, Anne E. Camp, Mike Tjoelker, Jennifer Northway, Paige Eagle

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Wildland fires play a critical role in maintaining the ecological integrity of boreal forests in Alaska. Identifying and maintaining natural fire regimes is an important component of fire management. There are numerous research projects that directly or indirectly address historical fire regimes in the Alaskan boreal forest, but many are unpublished, have many unprocessed dendrochronological (tree age and fire scar) samples, or their data were used for other purposes. Furthermore, no assessment of these data exists to understand how fire has historically affected the boreal forest ecosystems of Alaska. The goal of this project was to compile and synthesize existing …

Development Of A California Fire Science Delivery Consortium, Scott Stephens Dr.

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

I have submitted several final reports to the Joint Fire Sciences Program over the years but this one is different. This project was funded to write the full proposals for the California Fire Sciences Consortium. We used the funds from this grant to create the team for the consortium and wrote the proposal that was funded by the JFS. In that regard we accomplished all that we had proposed for this project. This report will be relatively brief because the project objective was to write a full proposal for consideration of the JFS Board.

Doubling Knowledge On Fire And Eastern Invasive Plants In The Fire Effects Information System (Feis), Jane Kapler Smith, Kristin Zouhar, Janet L. Fryer

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Managers have been coming to the Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) for reviews of scientific knowledge about fire effects since 1986. Prior to this project, FEIS provided relatively little coverage of invasive plant species in the eastern United States: In 2008, the system contained 52 species reviews of eastern invasive plants covering 69 taxa. The system now contains 105 reviews of eastern invasive plants covering 139 taxa. Thus the project has doubled the information in FEIS on eastern invasive plants. In fact, the information has more than doubled, since the numbers above do not include updates of 5 reviews, addition …

Effects Of Blowdown, Salvage Logging, And Wildfire On Regeneration And Fuel Characteristics In Minnesota’S Forests, Shawn Fraver, Brian Palik, John B. Bradford, Doug Shinneman, Anthony D'Amato

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

The patchiness resulting from a sequence of recent disturbances – blowdown, salvage logging, and wildfire – provided an excellent opportunity to assess the impacts of these disturbances, singly and in combination, on (1) wildfire severity (2) post-disturbance vegetation responses, (3) ecosystem carbon stocks, and (4) soil mercury (Hg) accumulation or loss in jack pine (P. banksiana) forests of northern Minnesota. Considering issue 1, our results suggest that salvage logging reduced the intensity (heat released) of the subsequent fire. However, its effect on severity (impact to the system) differed between the tree crowns and forest floor. Considering issue 2, our results …

Evaluating Post-Fire Salvage Logging Effects On Erosion, Peter R. Robichaud, William J. Elliot, Lee Macdonald, Robert Coats, Joseph W. Wagenbrenner, Sarah A. Lewis, Louise E. Ashmun, Robert E. Brown

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Legal challenges have delayed numerous post-fire salvage logging operations, which often results in lost economic value of the burned timber and unrecovered legal expenses. The scientific literature has shed little light on the additive effect of salvage logging operations on post-fire runoff, erosion, flooding, and sedimentation. Hence, there is an urgent need to better understand the impacts of post-fire salvage operations so that land managers can evaluate the relative and cumulative effects of different salvage logging practices. Intensive, multi-scale studies are needed because the effects of post-fire logging are superimposed on the effect of wildfires; rates and processes change according …

Evaluating Post-Fire Salvage Logging Effects On Erosion, Peter R. Robichaud, William J. Elliot, Lee Macdonald, James Saveland, Craig Busskohl, Steve Howes, Aaron Everett, Robert Coats, Joseph W. Wagenbrenner, Sarah A. Lewis, Louise E. Ashmun, Robert E. Brown

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Legal challenges have delayed numerous post-fire salvage logging operations, which often results in lost economic value of the burned timber and unrecovered legal expenses. The scientific literature has shed little light on the additive effect of salvage logging operations on post-fire runoff, erosion, flooding, and sedimentation. Hence, there is an urgent need to better understand the impacts of post-fire salvage operations so that land managers can evaluate the relative and cumulative effects of different salvage logging practices. Intensive, multi-scale studies are needed because the effects of post-fire logging are superimposed on the effect of wildfires; rates and processes change according …

Equipment And Strategies To Enhance The Post-Wildfire Establishment And Persistence Of Great Basin Native Plants, Nancy Shaw, Beth Newingham, Amy C. Ganguli, Ann L. Hild, Robert D. Cox, Jim Truax, Mike Pellant, David Pyke, Dan Ogle, Loren St. John

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Annual grass invasion in the Great Basin has increased fire size, frequency and severity. Post-fire restoration to provide functional native plant communities is critical to improve resistance to weed invasion. Our ability to successfully re-establish mixtures of native grasses, forbs and shrubs, however, is limited. We examined the effects of the standard rangeland drill and a minimum-till drill, seeding strategies for small-seeded species, and Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. spp. wyomingensis Beetle & Young) seeding rates on seeding success in burned shrub communities at four sites in the northern Great Basin. Seeded and recovering vegetation, as well as soil …