Digital Commons Network^™

Forage Nutritional Quality Evaluation Of Bahiagrass Selections During Autumn In Florida, Robert Myer, Ann Blount, Samuel Coleman, Jeffery Carter

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

Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) is the major pasture forage in the southern Gulf Coast, USA. A bahiagrass selection breeding program has been ongoing since 1960 at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station at Tifton, Georgia, USA, to increase forage yield in Pensacola (P. notatum var. sanese) bahiagrass. However, the impact of selecting for forage yield on forage nutritional quality is unknown. Forage quality was evaluated on four Pensacola derived selection cycles (C) of bahiagrass [C0 (Pensacola), C4, C9 (Tifton 9), and C23]. A total of 175 plants per cycle were grown. Forage from individual 1-year-old plants was harvested by …

Dehydration Of Pollock Skin Prior To Gelatin Production, Cindy K. Bower, Roberto J. Avena-Bustillos, Katie A. Hietala, Cristina Bilbao-Sainz, Carl W. Olsen, Tara H. Mchugh

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

Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) is the U.S.A.’s largest commercial fishery, with an annual catch of over 1 million tons. During pollock processing, the skins are discarded ormade into fish meal, despite their value for gelatin production. The absence of gelatin-processing facilities in Alaska necessitates drying of the skins before transport to decrease the moisture content, but conventional hot-air drying is expensive. This study evaluated a less energy-intensive technology, the use of desiccants for reducing water weight in pollock skins prior to shipment. To ensure that the functional properties of gelatin obtained from dried pollock skins were not affected …

Isolation And Characterisation Of The First Microsatellite Markers For Cyperus Rotundus, R. S. Arias, W. T. Molin, J. D. Ray, M. D. Peel, B. E. Scheffler

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

This is the first report of microsatellite markers for Cyperus rotundus. A total of 191 sequence-specific microsatellite markers were isolated and used to screen
12 accessions of C. rotundus and one accession of Cyperus esculentus collected from 10 different countries. Polymorphisms were observed in 49% of the markers tested, 22% of the markers were monomorphic and 29% had weak or no amplification. The best 57 markers are reported, and cluster analysis was used to analyse their resolving power. BLASTx screening of the contig sequences was also performed. Multiallelic loci over all samples ranged from 24% to 60%. The maximum …

Genetic Variability Among Isolates Of Fusarium Oxysporum From Sugar Beet, A. L. Hill, P. A. Reeves, R. L. Larson, A. L. Fenwick, L. E. Hanson, L. Panella

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

Fusarium yellows, caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. betae (Fob), can lead to significant yield losses in sugar beet. This fungus is variable in pathogenicity, morphology, host range and symptom production, and is not a well characterized pathogen on sugar beet. From 1998 to 2003, 86 isolates of F. oxysporum and 20 other Fusarium species from sugar beet, along with four F. oxysporum isolates from dry bean and five from spinach, were obtained from diseased plants and characterized for pathogenicity to sugar beet. A group of sugar beet Fusarium isolates from different geographic areas (including nonpathogenic and …

Pathogenicity And Molecular Characterization Of Emerging Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus In Vietnam In 2007, S. Metwally, F. Mohamed, K. Faaberg, T. Burrage, M. Prarat, K. Moran, A. Bracht, G. Mayr, M. Berninger, L. Koster, T. L. To, V. L. Nguyen, M. Reising, J. Landgraf, L. Cox, J. Lubroth, C. Carrillo

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

In 2007, Vietnam experienced swine disease outbreaks causing clinical signs similar to the ‘porcine high fever disease’ that occurred in China during 2006. Analysis of diagnostic samples from the disease outbreaks in Vietnam identified porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2). Additionally, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus were cultured from lung and spleen, and Streptococcus suis from one spleen sample. Genetic characterization of the Vietnamese PRRSV isolates revealed that this virus belongs to the North American genotype (type 2) with a high nucleotide identity to the recently reported Chinese strains. Amino acid …

Performance Of Larval Florida Pompano Fed Nauplii Of The Calanoid Copepod Pseudodiaptomus Pelagicus, Eric J. Cassiano, Cortney L. Ohs, Charles R. Weirich, Nancy E. Breen, Andrew L. Rhyne

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

The Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus is a highly prized marine fish species, the larviculture of which currently includes the feeding of live rotifers and nauplii of brine shrimp Artemia spp. However, no previous studies have evaluated the feeding of copepod nauplii. In this study, the growth and survival of Florida pompano larvae fed nauplii of the calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus pelagicus were compared with those of larvae fed the standard reference diet of enriched rotifers Brachionus plicatilis. Experiments were conducted during the first 7–9 d posthatch (DPH), a period preceding the provision of Artemia nauplii. Treatments included feeding only copepod …

Whole-Body And Muscle Protein Metabolism Are Not Affected By Acute Deviations From Habitual Protein Intake In Older Men: The Hormonal Regulators Of Muscle And Metabolism In Aging (Horma) Study, Kevin E. Yarasheski, Carmen Castaneda-Sceppa, Jiaxiu He, Miwa Kawakubo, Shalender Bhasin, Ellen F. Binder, E. Todd Schroeder, Ronenn Roubenoff, Stan P. Azen, Fred R. Sattler

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

Background:

Acute deviations in protein intake before the quantification of protein kinetics in older humans may explain the controversy over the effects of older age on muscle protein synthesis and proteolysis rates.

Objective:

We hypothesized that an acute decrease in protein intake from the habitual intake is associated with lower muscle protein synthesis and higher proteolysis rates, whereas an acute increase in protein intake from the habitual intake is associated with higher muscle protein synthesis and lower proteolysis rates.

Design:

In 112 community-dwelling healthy men aged 65–90 y, we quantified resting whole-body [1,2-¹³C₂]leucine kinetics, muscle mixed …

Relative Contributions Of Animal And Muscle Effects To Variation In Beef Lean Color Stability, D. A. King, S. D. Shackelford, T. L. Wheeler

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

Muscles from beef carcasses (n = 100) were selected from a commercial processor and aged for 14 d. Longissimus lumborum (LL), semimembranosus (SM), biceps femoris (BF), gluteus medius (GM), triceps brachii (TB), rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, adductor, semitendinosus, infraspinatus, teres major, biceps femoris ischiatic head, biceps femoris sirloin cap, and gracillus steaks were placed in display for 9 d. Instrumental color variables [lightness (L*), redness (a*), yellowness (b*), hue angle, chroma, and overall color change from d 0 (ΔE)] were determined on d 0, 1, 3, 6, and 9 of display. Muscle pH and myoglobin content were determined for LL, …

Effects Of Rearing Density, Age, Sex, And Food Deprivation On Flight Initiation Of The Red Flour Beetle (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Joel Perez-Mendoza, James F. Campbell, James E. Throne

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

Effects of rearing density, adult density and sex ratio in the flight chamber, adult age, sex, presence or absence of food, and duration of food deprivation on rate of and time to flight initiation of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), were studied in the laboratory. Rates of flight initiation were slightly lower at lower rearing densities, but they did not differ with age or sex of adults, presence or absence of food in the flight chamber, or duration of food deprivation. Focal adults were less likely to fly when individuals of the opposite sex were present …

Lesser Grain Borers, Rhyzopertha Dominica, Select Rough Rice Kernels With Cracked Hulls For Reproduction, Nickolas G. Kavallieratos, Christos G. Athanassiou, Frank H. Arthur, James E. Throne

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

Tests were conducted to determine whether the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae), selects rough rice (Oryza sativa L. (Poales: Poaceae)) kernels with cracked hulls for reproduction when these kernels are mixed with intact kernels. Differing amounts of kernels with cracked hulls (0, 5, 10, and 20%) of the varieties Francis and Wells were mixed with intact kernels, and the number of adult progeny emerging from intact kernels and from kernels with cracked hulls was determined. The Wells variety had been previously classified as tolerant to R. dominica, while the Francis variety was classified as moderately …

Development And Evaluation Of An Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay For Use In The Detection Of Bovine Tuberculosis In Cattle􏰀, W. Ray Waters, B. M. Buddle, H. M. Vordermeier, E. Gormley, M. V. Palmer, T. C. Thacker, John Bannantine, J. R. Stabel, R. Linscott, E. Martel, F. Milian, W. Foshaug, J. C. Lawrence

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

As a consequence of continued spillover of Mycobacterium bovis into cattle from wildlife reservoirs and increased globalization of cattle trade with associated transmission risks, new approaches such as vaccination and novel testing algorithms are seriously being considered by regulatory agencies for the control of bovine tuberculosis. Serologic tests offer opportunities for identification of M. bovis-infected animals not afforded by current diagnostic techniques. The present study describes assay development and field assessment of a new commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that detects antibody to M. bovis antigens MPB83 and MPB70 in infected cattle. Pertinent findings include the following: specific antibody responses …

Monoclonal Antibodies Bind A Snp-Sensitive Epitope That Is Present Uniquely In Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis, John Bannantine, Judith R. Stabel, Elise A. Lamont, Robert E. Briggs, Srinand Sreevatsan

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

Due to a close genetic relatedness, there is no known antibody that detects Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), which causes Johne’s disease in cattle and sheep, and does not cross-react with other M. avium subspecies. In the present study, a monoclonal antibody (MAb; 17A12) was identified from mice immunized with a cell membrane fraction of MAP strain K-10. This antibody is 100% specific as it detected a 25-kDa protein in all 29 MAP whole cell lysates, but did not bind to any of the 29 non- paratuberculosis strains tested in immunoblot assays. However, the antibody revealed variable reactivity levels in …

Ultimate Biochemical Oxygen Demand In Semi-Intensively Managed Shrimp Pond Waters, Bartholomew Green, George H. Ward

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

Three independent studies were conducted to quantify ultimate biochemical oxygen demand (UBOD) and the corresponding decomposition rate constant for production pond (average 21.5 ha each) waters and effluents on six semi-intensively managed marine shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) farms in Honduras. Samples were collected during the rainy season in studies 1–3 and during the dry season only in Study 1. Pond water samples were collected during the culture period and/or at harvest. The dry season 30-d biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₃₀) of pond waters across all farms was 26% lower and UBOD was 54% lower, but the decomposition rate constant was …

Fluid Fertilizer’S Role In Sustaining Soils Used For Bio-Energy Feedstock Production, John L. Kovar, Douglas L. Karlen

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

The use of corn (Zea mays L.) as a bio-energy feedstock has attracted the attention of many producers. Recently, the focus has shifted from grain-based to cellulose-based ethanol production. In addition to biological conversion of corn stover to ethanol, thermal conversion (pyrolysis) of stover is being explored. Regardless of post-harvest processing, the short- and long-term effects of both increasing grain yields and removing stover on soil nutrient cycling, physical properties, and biological activity must be understood to ensure that soil productivity and ecosystem services are maintained. Our objectives for 2010 were to evaluate: (i) the use of surface or …

Non-Animal Replacement Methods For Veterinary Vaccine Potency Testing: State Of The Science And Future Directions, Jodie Kulpa-Eddy, Geetha Srinivas, Marlies Halder, Richard Hill, Karen Brown, James Roth, Hans Draayer, Jeffrey Galvin, Ivo Claassen, Glen Gifford, Ralph Woodland, Vivian Doelling, Brett Jones, William S. Stokes

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

NICEATM and ICCVAM convened an international workshop to review the state of the science of human and veterinary vaccine potency and safety testing methods and to identify opportunities to advance new and improved methods that can further reduce, refine, and replace animal use. Six topics were addressed in detail by speakers and workshop participants and are reported in a series of six reports. This workshop report, the second in the series, provides recommendations for current and future use of nonanimal methods and strategies for veterinary vaccine potency testing. Workshop participants recommended that future efforts to replace animal use give priority …

Corn Cob Residue Carbon And Nutrient Dynamics During Decomposition, Brian J. Wienhold, Gary E. Varvel, Virginia L. Jin

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

The cob fraction of corn (Zea mays L.) residue has characteristics that reduce concerns associated with residue removal making it a potential biofuel feedstock. The contribution the cob makes to soil C and nutrient dynamics is unknown. A litterbag study was conducted in no-tillage plots under irrigated and rain fed conditions in eastern Nebraska. Litterbags containing cobs were placed in corn rows on the soil surface or vertically in the 0- to 10-cm soil depth following grain harvest and collected aft er 63, 122, 183, 246, 304, and 370 d. Samples were analyzed for dry matter, C, N, P, …

Effect Of Soybean Oil Fatty Acid Composition And Selenium Application On Biodiesel Properties, Benjamin D. Fallen, Vincent R. Pantalone, Carl E. Sams, Dean A. Kopsell, Steven F. Vaughn, Bryan R. Moser

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

Biodiesel consisting principally of monounsaturated fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) has been reported to have the optimal balance between cold flow properties and oxidative stability, therefore producing a superior fuel. In addition, treating biodiesel with antioxidants such as selenium (Se) also increases oxidative stability. Fuel properties including acid value (AV), cloud point (CP), iodine value (IV), pour point (PP), peroxide value (PV), induction period (IP), onset temperature (OT), and kinematic viscosity (KV) were used to evaluate a newly developed Roundup Ready^® soybean recombinant inbred line (RIL) and a commercial cultivar. The RIL had a fatty acid profile with elevated …

Chapter 20 Rainfed Farming Systems In The Usa, Alan Franzluebbers, Jean L. Steiner, Doug Karlen, Tim Griffin, Jeremy Singer, Don Tanaka

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

This chapter describes characteristics of four major rainfed farming regions and systems in the USA: Great Plains wheat-sorghum-cattle; midwestern corn-soybean-hogs, southern cotton-peanut-poultry, and coastal diversified cropsdairy. Rainfed farming systems in the USA are highly productive, economically important, ecologically diverse and technologically driven. Management approaches to achieve resource efficiency and agricultural sustainability are described, including the use of improved genetic seed sources, crop rotations, appropriate fertiliser application techniques, conservation tillage and integrated crop-livestock production systems. Issues of increasing oil and fertiliser prices, sustainability of soil and water resources, and climate change are current challenges facing agriculture in the USA.

Over-Expressing The C3 Photosynthesis Cycle Enzyme Sedoheptulose-1-7 Bisphosphatase Improves Photosynthetic Carbon Gain And Yield Under Fully Open Air Co2 Fumigation (Face), David M. Rosenthal, Anna M. Locke, Mahdi Khozaei, Christine A. Raines, Stephen P. Long, Donald R. Ort

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

Background: Biochemical models predict that photosynthesis in C₃ plants is most frequently limited by the slower of two processes, the maximum capacity of the enzyme Rubisco to carboxylate RuBP (V_c,max), or the regeneration of RuBP via electron transport (J). At current atmospheric [CO₂] levels Rubisco is not saturated; consequently, elevating [CO₂] increases the velocity of carboxylation and inhibits the competing oxygenation reaction which is also catalyzed by Rubisco. In the future, leaf photosynthesis (A) should be increasingly limited by RuBP regeneration, as [CO₂] is predicted to exceed 550 …

Post-Glacial Evolution Of Panicum Virgatum: Centers Of Diversity And Gene Pools Revealed By Ssr Markers And Cpdna Sequences, Yunwei Zhang, Juan E. Zalapa, Andrew R. Jakubowski, David L. Price, Ananta Acharya, Yanling Wei, E. Charles Brummer, Shawn M. Kaeppler, Michael D. Casler

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

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), a central and Eastern USA native, is highly valued as a component in tallgrass prairie and savanna restoration and conservation projects and a potential bioenergy feedstock. The purpose of this study was to identify regional diversity, gene pools, and centers-of-diversity of switchgrass to gain an understanding of its post-glacial evolution and to identify both the geographic range and potential overlap between functional gene pools. We sampled a total of 384 genotypes from 49 accessions that included the three main taxonomic groups of switchgrass (lowland 4x, upland 4x, and upland 8x) along with one accession possessing …

Pesticide Movement, Timothy J. Gish, Jared Williams, John H. Prueger, William Kustas, Lynn G. Mckee, Andy Russ

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

Pesticides generally include herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides and play an important role in maintaining worldwide food and fiber production by controlling weeds that compete for water and nutrients or by eliminating pests that reduce yields (Majewski and Capel, 1995). In the future, the role of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture is likely to increase as marginal land is converted to agriculture to meet production needs (Helling, 1993). Furthermore, it has also been proposed that increasing food and fiber production by agriculture will be critical to maintaining political and social stability in many countries (Tilman et al., 2002). However, pesticides can …

Comparison Of Field-Scale Herbicide Runoff And Volatilization Losses: An Eight-Year Field Investigation, Timothy J. Gish, John H. Prueger, Craig S. T. Daughtry, William P. Kustas, Lynn G. Mckee, Andrew L. Russ, Jerry L. Hatfield

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

An 8-yr study was conducted to better understand factors influencing year-to-year variability in field-scale herbicide volatilization and surface runoff losses. The 21-ha research site is located at the USDA–ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, MD. Site location, herbicide formulations, and agricultural management practices remained unchanged throughout the duration of the study. Metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1- methylethyl) acetamide] and atrazine [6-chloro-N-ethyl-N′-(1- methylethyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine] were coapplied as a surface broadcast spray. Herbicide runoff was monitored from a month before application through harvest. A flux gradient technique was used to compute volatilization fl uxes for the first …

Parameterization On Of Energy Balance Components And Remote Sensing In Systems Modeling, Jerry L. Hatfield

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

Estimation of a number of parameters using simulation models has proven to be a valuable source of information from which we can assess the impact of scenarios that would be difficult to determine experimentally, or for which it would be difficult to conceptualize an appropriate experiment design. However, simulation models require extensive inputs that are not always easily found or exist at the spatial or temporal resolution needed for the models. Many simulation models require energy inputs that represent the energy balance of the surface, and there have been several attempts to derive different inputs. There have been various methods …

Emerging Challenges In Soil Management, Jerry L. Hatfield, Thomas J. Sauer

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

Soil provides a number of important functions, including agronomic and biomass productivity, purifying water, biodegradation of pollutants, regulating greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission from the soil surface, and providing a foundation for civil and urban structures. This is a wide range of functions, but the most critical function for humanity is providing the fundamental resource for the production of the food, feed, fiber, and fuel required to sustain the ever-increasing human population. In the history of agriculture, there has never been a time in which the importance of proper management of the soil resource has been more critical. Jenny (1980) pointed …

The Effects Of Diet On Herbivory By A Predaceous Lady Beetle, Jonathan G. Lundgren, Susan E. Moser, Richard L. Hellmich, Michael P. Seagraves

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

We hypothesize that herbivory by predators is affected by the complexity of their diet. Coleomegilla maculata larvae fed prey - Acyrthosiphon pisum or Ostrinia nubilalis eggs - consumed two to three times more plant tissue (pinto beans) than those fed a mixed diet (containing pollen substitute and prey-based components). Simple, prey-only diets appear to lack plant-based nutrients important to this predator.

Soil Water Availability And Microsite Mediate Fungal And Bacterial Phospholipid Fatty Acid Biomarker Abundances In Mojave Desert Soils Exposed To Elevated Atmospheric Co2, V. L. Jin, S. M. Schaeffer, S. E. Ziegler, R. D. Evans

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

Changes in the rates of nitrogen (N) cycling, microbial carbon (C) substrate use, and extracellular enzyme activities in a Mojave Desert ecosystem exposed to elevated atmospheric CO₂ suggest shifts in the size and/or functional characteristics of microbial assemblages in two dominant soil microsites: plant interspaces and under the dominant shrub Larrea tridentata. We used ester‐linked phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomarkers as a proxy for microbial biomass to quantify spatial and temporal differences in soil microbial communities from February 2003 to May 2005. Further, we used the ¹³C signature of the fossil CO₂ source for elevated CO_{2 …}

Beyond Adjudication: Resolving International Resource Disputes In An Era Of Climate Change, Anna Spain

Publications

This Article examines the role of international adjudication as a mechanism for resolving international disputes and promoting global peace and security in an era of climate change. The central claim is that adjudication has limitations that make it ineffective as a tool for resolving international resource disputes. The Article argues that adjudication is limited due to source and process challenges and it illustrates this claim by reviewing cases adjudicated by the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration and other international courts and tribunals. Four categories of adjudication limitation emerge: a) cases where the parties refused to submit …

Cultural Understandings Of Risk And The Tyranny Of The Experts, Molly J. Walker Wilson

All Faculty Scholarship

Every year, law-makers and agency regulators, with the input of industry experts and scientists, make hundreds of decisions about how to regulate conduct and allocate resources to address various types of risks that threaten the well-being of American citizens. In fact, managing and minimizing risk is one of the most important tasks of today’s policy-makers. In spite of this fact, most actions are taken without systematic consideration of the preferences of the very people whose welfare is at stake. There are two reasons for this. First, the dominance of Traditional Risk Analysis, with its emphasis on statistics and cost-benefit analysis, …

Leading The Court: Studies In Influence As Chief Justice, Joel K. Goldstein

All Faculty Scholarship

Chief Justice Roberts has now completed five years of what is likely to be a lengthy tenure in the Court’s center seat. The quality of his institutional leadership, like that of his predecessors, resists confident contemporary assessment to a unique degree among principal offices of American government inasmuch as much of what a Chief Justice does is invisible to all but a relatively few observers, most or all of whom generally remain discreetly silent about such matters. Nonetheless, history counsels that the professional and interpersonal skill which a Chief Justice displays may substantially affect the Supreme Court and the quality …

Regulating To Promote Competition In Designing Health Insurance Exchanges, Thomas L. Greaney

All Faculty Scholarship

Many of the most contentious issues in the debate over health reform concerned the performance and competitiveness of private health insurance including abusive and unfair practices such as denying coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions; the impact of dominant insurers serving individual and small group markets; and purportedly excessive profits of the insurance industry and lavish salaries of their executives. A key component of the Affordable Care Act for implementing and overseeing reforms directed at these problems is the establishment of market-making entities, health insurance exchanges. These state-run entities will certify insurers’ compliance with regulations, monitor their performance, and take …