Digital Commons Network^™

Ultrasonic Communications System For Health Monitoring Of Hydrokinetic Turbine Blades, Andrew James Heckman

Masters Theses

"A health monitoring approach is investigated for hydrokinetic turbine blade applications. In-service monitoring is critical due to the difficult environment for blade inspection and the cost of inspection downtime. Composite blade designs provide a medium for embedding sensors into the blades for in-situ health monitoring. The major challenge with in-situ health monitoring is transmission of sensor signals from the remote rotating reference frame of the blade to the system monitoring station. In the presented work, a novel system for relaying in-situ blade health measurements in hydrokinetic systems is described and demonstrated. An ultrasonic communication system is used to transmit health …

Energy Efficiency In Wastewater Treatment: Standards For Missouri Facilities, Samantha Lauren Markus

Masters Theses

"Traditionally, energy has been used to treat wastewater. As energy costs rise, so does the financial burden on communities with municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Determining energy efficiency of small to mid-sized plants is difficult because these plants are the least likely to have the resources to conduct an energy audit and the most likely to be overlooked in national models due to their small contribution to the national energy burden. Data was gathered via personal contact the WWTPs in Missouri and from this data metrics fro comparison were developed. The data was also compared to the predicted energy use …

"All Muslims Are Like That": How Islamophobia Is Diminishing Americans' Right To Receive Information, Tiffani B. Figueroa

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

Π/2-Angle Yao Graphs Are Spanners, Prosenjit Bose, Mirela Damian, Karim Douïeb, Joseph O'Rourke, Ben Seamone, Michiel Smid, Stefanie Wuhrer

Computer Science: Faculty Publications

We show that the Yao graph Y₄ in the L₂ metric is a spanner with stretch factor 8(29+23√ 2). Enroute to this, we also show that the Yao graph Y^∞₄ in the L_∞ metric is a planar spanner with stretch factor 8.

Rotten, Vile, And Depraved! Depictions Of Criminality In Superhero Cartoons, Lisa A. Kort-Butler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The literature argues that media depictions of crime present messages that conform to and promote the dominant ideology about the causes of crime and the nature of criminality. Most research focuses on television news and adult programs, but little research examines messages about criminality present in children’s shows. To fill this gap, a content analysis of children’s cartoons was conducted, using episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, Spider-Man, and Justice League Unlimited. Three central themes emerged. First, much criminal activity centers on greed. Second, criminals are aware of right and wrong but pursue crime to meet their own self-interests. Third, …

The Lives Of Others: Social Rationality In Animals, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Andrew J. King

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Amanda sits waiting in a nail salon. She is on a day out with her two neighbors Bridget and Camille, who are already being serviced by different attendants. After observing Bridget’s body jolt several times, Amanda makes her way over to Camille’s attendant for her own service. By using a simple social cue, Amanda has likely saved herself a good bit of pain and may even have established a life-long relationship with the apparently more skilled attendant.

If you replace “nail salon” with “cleaning station”, these circumstances apply perfectly well to an instance of social rationality in fish! Cleaner fish …

Cgi-58/Abhd5-Derived Signaling Lipids Regulate Systemic Inflammation And Insulin Action, Caleb C. Lord, Jenna L. Betters, Pavlina T. Ivanova, Stephen B. Milne, David S. Myers, Jennifer Madenspacher, Gwynneth Thomas, Soonkyu Chung, Mingxia Liu, Matthew A. Davis, Richard G. Lee, Rosanne M. Crooke, Mark J. Graham, John S. Parks, Dawn L. Brasaemle, Michael B. Fessler, H. Alex Brown, J. Mark Brown

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Mutations of comparative gene identification 58 (CGI-58) in humans cause Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome, a rare autosomal recessive disease in which excess triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulates in multiple tissues. CGI-58 recently has been ascribed two distinct biochemical activities, including coactivation of adipose triglyceride lipase and acylation of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). It is noteworthy that both the substrate (LPA) and the product (phosphatidic acid) of the LPA acyltransferase reaction are wellknown signaling lipids. Therefore, we hypothesized that CGI-58 is involved in generating lipid mediators that regulate TAG metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Here, we show that CGI-58 is required for the generation of signaling lipids …

Muscadine Grape (Vitis Rotundifolia) And Wine Phytochemicals Prevented Obesity-Associated Metabolic Complications In C57bl/6j Mice, Vishnupriya Gourineni, Neil F. Shay, Soonkyu Chung, Amandeep K. Sandhu, Liwei Gu

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of muscadine grape or wine (cv. Noble) phytochemicals on obesity and associated metabolic complications. Muscadine grape or wine phytochemicals were extracted using Amberlite FPX66 resin. Male C57BL/6J mice were given a low-fat diet (LF, 10% kcal fat), high-fat diet (HF, 60% kcal fat), HF + 0.4% muscadine grape phytochemicals (HF+MGP), or HF + 0.4% muscadine wine phytochemicals (HF+MWP) for 15 weeks. At 7 weeks, mice fed HF+MGP had significantly decreased body weights by 12% compared to HF controls. Dietary MGP or MWP supplementation reduced plasma content of free fatty acids, …

The Role Of A Generalized Ultraviolet Cue For Blackbird Food Selection, Scott J. Werner, Shelagh K. Tupper, James C. Carlson, Susan E. Pettit, Jeremy W. Ellis, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Birds utilize ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths for plumage signaling and sexual selection. Ultraviolet cues may also be used for the process of avian food selection. The aim of our study was to investigate whether a UV cue and a postingestive repellent can be used to condition food avoidance in red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus). We found that birds conditioned with an UV-absorbent, postingestive repellent subsequently avoided UV-absorbent food. Thus, the UV-absorbent cue (coupled with 0–20% of the conditioned repellent concentration) was used to maintain avoidance for up to 18 days post-conditioning. Similarly, birds conditioned with the UV-absorbent, postingestive repellent subsequently …

Chapter 4: Top-Predators As Biodiversity Regulators: Contemporary Issues Affecting Knowledge And Management Of Dingoes In Australia, Benjamin L.R. Allen, Peter J.S. Fleming, Matt Hayward, Lee R. Allen, Richard M. Engeman, Guy Ballard, Luke K.-P. Leung

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. Introduction

Large predators have an indispensable role in structuring food webs and maintaining ecological processes for the benefit of biodiversity at lower trophic levels. Such roles are widely evident in marine and terrestrial systems [1, 2]. Large predators can indirectly alleviate predation on smaller (and often threatened) fauna and promote vegetation growth by interacting strongly with sympatric carnivore and herbivore species (e.g. [3-5]). The local extinction of large predators can therefore have detrimental effects on biodiversity [6], and their subsequent restoration has been observed to produce positive biodiversity outcomes in many cases [7]. Perhaps the most well-known example of …

Crow Pellets From Winter Roosts In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Mary Annala, Eric A. Tillman, Gregory A. Backus, Kandy L. Keacher, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Although crows cast pellets, there is little quantitative information on pellets from Corvus brachyrhynchos (American Crow), and none from C. ossifragus (Fish Crow). During a study of crow roost dispersal in Lancaster, PA, we collected samples of pellets from several locations. By mass, pellets consisted mostly of grit and other fi ne inorganic material, various seeds (principally Toxicodendron radicans [Poison Ivy] and Celtis occidentalis [Common Hackberry]), and vegetation remnants. Six pellets contained small-mammal bones. Because the Lancaster winter crow population included many Fish Crows, the source of the pellets was not certain. To clarify this, we compared the size of …

Colony Connectivity Of Pacific Coast Double-Crested Cormorants Based On Post-Breeding Dispersal From The Region’S Largest Colony, Karen N. Courtot, Daniel D. Roby, Jessica Y. Adkins, Donald E. Lyons, D. Tommy King, R. Scott Larsen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

To reduce conflicts with fish resources, other colonial waterbirds, and damage to habitats, double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) are currently controlled (lethally and non-lethally) throughout much of their range. Concerns are growing over the Pacific Coast’s largest double-crested cormorant colony at East Sand Island (ESI), Oregon near the mouth of the Columbia River, where cormorants forage on juvenile salmonids, many of which are listed under the United States Endangered Species Act. Management of this colony is currently under consideration and may call for a redistribution of a portion of this colony numbering more than 12,000 breeding pairs in 2009. …

Pond-Level Risk Factors Associated With Columnaris Disease On Mississippi Commercial Catfish Farms, Fred L. Cunningham, Skip W. Jack, David Hardin, Robert W. Wills

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A large commercial catfish enterprise encompassing over 500 food fish ponds from five farms covering multiple counties in the Mississippi Delta was included in this analysis of columnaris risk factors. A gram-negative bacterium, Flavobacterium columnare, is the cause of columnaris disease and is considered the second-most prevalent bacterial disease in farm-raised catfish. The objective of this study was to determine if pond-level risk factors reported by farm personnel were associated with columnaris disease mortalities. To identify risk factors affecting susceptibility of farm-raised channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus to columnaris disease, a Catfish Management database was developed. Logistic regression was used …

Airports Offer Unrealized Potential For Alternative Energy Production, Travis L. Devault, Jerrold L. Belant, Bradley F. Blackwell, James A. Martin, Jason A. Schmidt, Loren Wes Burger Jr, James W. Patterson Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Scaling up for alternative energy such as solar, wind, and biofuel raises a number of environmental issues, notably changes in land use and adverse effects on wildlife. Airports offer one of the few land uses where reductions in wildlife abundance and habitat quality are necessary and socially acceptable, due to risk of wildlife collisions with aircraft. There are several uncertainties and limitations to establishing alternative energy production at airports, such as ensuring these facilities do not create wildlife attractants or other hazards. However, with careful planning, locating alternative energy projects at airports could help mitigate many of the challenges currently …

Antibodies To Avian Influenza Viruses In Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis): A Potential Surveillance Tool?, Whitney M. Kistler, David E. Stallknecht, Thomas J. Deliberto, Seth Swafford, Kerri Pedersen, Kyle Van Why, Paul C. Wolf, Jerry A. Hill, Darren L. Brunning, James C. Cumbee, Randall M. Mickley, Carl W. Betsill, Adam R. Randall, Roy D. Berghaus, Michael J. Yabsley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Traditionally, the epidemiology of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in wild birds has been defined by detection of virus or viral RNA through virus isolation or reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Our goals were to estimate AIV antibody prevalence in Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and measure effects of age and location on these estimates. We collected 3,205 samples from nine states during June and July 2008 and 2009: Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, and West Virginia. Serum samples were tested for AIV antibodies with the use of a commercial blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Overall, 483 …

What Do We Know? A Literature Review Of The Eastern Coyote, Lauren L. Mastro, Eric M. Gese, Julie K. Young, John A. Shivik

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Coyotes (Canis latrans) have expanded into the eastern United States over the last 100 years. Increases in their distribution and abundance have been documented and concerns about their presence in urban areas and their impact on both native wildlife and domestic livestock are growing. These effects require further investigation and may require changes to management strategies. Two documents, a book and a technical bulletin, provide general overviews of the biology of eastern coyotes. However, these documents are not comprehensive, and are either not readily available or were published >15 years ago. We provide a comprehensive review of the …

Boiga Irregularis (Brown Treesnake), Tom Mathies, William C. Pitt, Joseph A. Rabon

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

DIET. The invasive Boiga irregularis, having decimated most of the native species it preyed on in Guam, now preys heavily on other invasive vertebrates. Eleutherodactylus planirostris (Greenhouse Frog), which has recently become established on Guam (Christy et al. 2007. Pac. Sci. 61:469-483), may provide the snake with an additional food source because the frogs are active nocturnally and can attain high densities (12,500 frogs ha^-1 in Hawaii; Olson 2011. Unpubl. dissertation. Utah State University, Logan. 116 pp.). Boiga irregularis consume E. planirostris in captivity (unpubl. data in Christy et al. 2007. Pac. Sci. 61 :469-483), but it is …

The Role Of The National Wildlife Disease Program In Wildlife Disease Surveillance And Emergency Response, Kerri Pedersen, John A. Baroch, Dale L. Nolte, Tom Gidlewski, Thomas J. Deliberto

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The National Wildlife Disease Program (NWDP), overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services (WS), was established in 2003 to develop a nationally coordinated wildlife disease surveillance and emergency response system. Since its inception, the NWDP has developed collaborations with over 200 national and international partners. The national partners include state, tribal, federal, and private organizations. These partnerships have resulted in surveillance and management of over 100 pathogens, toxins, and disease syndromes affecting wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Several of these pathogens, including avian influenza, plague, tularemia, bluetongue, and 10 pathogens carried by …

Detection Of Volatile Organic Compounds In Cattle Naturally Infected With Mycobacterium Bovis, Nir Peled, Radu Ionescu, Pauline Nol, Orna Barash, Matt Mccollum, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Matthew Koslow, Randal S. Stahl, Jack Rhyan, Hossam Haick

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We report here on a novel methodology in detecting Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) infection in cattle, based on identifying unique volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or a VOC profile in the breath of cattle. The study was conducted on an M. bovis-infected dairy located in southern Colorado, USA, and on two tuberculosis-free dairies from northern Colorado examined as negative controls. Gaschromatography/ mass-spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of 2 VOCs associated with M. bovis infection and 2 other VOCs associated with the healthy state in the exhaled breath of M. bovis-infected and not infected animals, yielding distinctly different VOC patterns …

Using Three-Dimensional Flight Patterns At Airfields To Identify Hotspots For Avianeaircraft Collisions, W. David Walter, Justin W. Fischer, John S. Humphrey, Trey S. Daughtery, Michael P. Milleson, Eric A. Tillman, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In the United States, black vulture (Coragyps atratus) and turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) pose significant birdstrike risks to aircraft. Understanding flight behaviors of vultures in and around military and civilian airfields is necessary to alleviate these risks. Using satellite telemetry data collected from 11 black vultures and 7 turkey vultures equipped with Global Positioning System backpack harness technology, we collected data on location and altitude near the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) in Beaufort, South Carolina from September 2006 to September 2008. We used military aircraft flight landing patterns to visualize a new concept, a flight …

Foraging Preferences Of Canada Geese Among Turfgrasses: Implications For Reducing Human–Goose Conflicts, Brian E. Washburn, Thomas W. Seamans

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) can cause serious damage to turfgrass areas and create human health and safety concerns (e.g., collisions with aircraft, disease transmission). We conducted a study during 2005–2007 to determine if Canada geese exhibit a feeding preference among various commercially available turfgrasses. Behavioral responses of captive geese to 9 turfgrasses, bare ground, and litter were observed over 6 4-week trials during July–September following the installation of selected turfgrasses into experimental arenas. Captive geese preferred to forage on Kentucky bluegrass, creeping bentgrass, and fine fescue sods compared to centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, and zoysiagrass. Forage qualities and macronutrient …

Migration Patterns Of Double-Crested Cormorants Wintering In The Southeastern United States, D. Tommy King, Bronson K. Strickland, Andrew Radomski

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Migration patterns of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) wintering in the southeastern U.S. are poorly understood. Movement data were analyzed from 28 cormorants captured in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi and equipped with satellite transmitters. Four (three immature, one adult) cormorants did not migrate and stayed in the southeastern U.S. throughout the year. During spring, cormorants captured in Alabama migrated east of the Mississippi River and primarily west of the Appalachian Mountains. Cormorants from Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi migrated north along the Mississippi River Valley, the Missouri River Valley and/or the Ohio River Valley. The earliest departure for spring …

Deer-Activated Bio-Acoustic Frightening Device Deters White-Tailed Deer, Aaron M. Hildreth, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

White-tailed deer damage urban and suburban plantings as well as crops and stored feed. A high public demand exists for non-lethal control methods. Several frightening devices are available for deer and all can be categorized as auditory, visual, tactile, and biological. Several problems exist with frightening devices, including: effectiveness, acclimation, cost, and acceptance. We tested the efficacy of a frightening device that played pre-recorded distress calls of adult female white-tailed deer when activated by an infrared motion sensor. Potential benefits of the device are that deer are less likely to acclimate to animalactivated and infrequently projected calls and that distress …

Coyote (Canis Latrans), 100+ Years In The East: A Literature Review, Lauren L. Mastro, Eric M. Gese, Julie K. Young, John A. Shivik

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Coyotes (Canis latrans) have expanded into the eastern United States over the last 100 years. Increases in their distribution and abundance have been documented and concerns about their presence in urban areas and their impact on both native wildlife and domestic livestock are growing. These impacts require further investigation and may require changes to management strategies. Two documents, a book and a technical bulletin, provide general overviews of eastern coyote biology. However, these documents are not comprehensive, and are either not readily available or were published >15 years ago. We provide a comprehensive review of the existing literature …

Using Bird Strike Information To Direct Effective Management Actions Within Airport Environments, Todd J. Pitlik, Brian E. Washburn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife--aircraft collisions (wildlife strikes) pose a serious safety risk to aircraft. Many bird species, especially gulls, are very difficult to manage within airport environments as many traditional methods (e.g., trap and remove from the airport) can be relatively ineffective due to the birds’ various activities on airports (e.g., feeding, loafing, and flying). Such challenges have greatly impacted the Los Angeles International Airport and the Van Nuys Airport, as documented through historical bird strike records collected since 1990. Using information contained in these bird strike records, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services personnel conducted strategic planning efforts to reduce the risk of bird …

Rodent Burrow Systems In North America: Problems Posed And Potential Solutions, Gary W. Witmer, Rachael S. Moulton, Jenna L. Swartz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many rodent species are effective burrowers. In North America, these include species of ground squirrels, prairie dogs, marmots, and pocket gophers. The burrow systems of other species of rodents such as voles and mice are less elaborate and pose less potential for direct damage. Burrowing abilities, coupled with other characteristics (e.g., prolific, adaptable, ever-growing incisors for gnawing), can result in many types and amounts of impacts to human resources and ecosystems. Damage occurs to levees, roadbeds, buried pipes and cables, intrusion to sensitive areas (such as military sites, capped hazardous waste burial sites), vegetation effects, effects on water infiltration/runoff, and …

Thinking About Technology - Steve Jobs Was Right About Html5, But Was He Right About Digital Publishing?, Darla Jackson

Other Faculty Publications

Steve Jobs predicted that HTML5 would replace Adobe Flash, and in November 2011, Adobe announced it would cease developing its Flash Player plug-in for mobile browsers and encourage developers to adopt the HTML5 standard. Ms. Jackson discusses some of the features of HTML5 and suggests that as search engine optimization and usability on mobile devices become increasingly important, law librarians should consider how HTML5 features may prove useful in achieving the goals of the law library. Further, she discusses how HTML5 may also influence the development of legal digital publishing initiatives

The Role Of Charity In A Federal System, Brian Galle

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This Article critiques the prevailing justification for subsidies for the charitable sector, and suggests a new alternative. According to contemporary accounts, charity corrects the failure of the private market to provide public goods, and further corrects the failure of government to provide goods other than those demanded by the median voter.

However, the claim that government can meet the needs only of a single “median voter” neglects both federalism and public choice theory. Citizens dissatisfied with the services of one government can move to or even create another. Alternatively, they may use the threat of exit to lobby for local …

Behavioral Approaches To Corporate Law, Donald C. Langevoort

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This chapter reviews the challenges associated with developing a plausible theory of why psychological "heuristics and biases" might persist in high-stakes business settings. Specific attention is given to issues of loyalty on corporate boards, behavioral finance, and corporate cultures.

Misplaced Fidelity, David Luban

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This paper is a review essay of W. Bradley Wendel's Lawyers and Fidelity to Law, part of a symposium on Wendel's book. Parts I and II aim to situate Wendel's book within the literature on philosophical or theoretical legal ethics. I focus on two points: Wendel's argument that legal ethics should be examined through the lens of political theory rather than moral philosophy, and his emphasis on the role law plays in setting terms of social coexistence in the midst of moral pluralism. Both of these themes lead him to reject viewing legal ethics as an instance of "the …