Digital Commons Network^™

Predicting Live And Dead Tree Basal Area In Bark Beetle-Affected Forests From Discrete-Return Lidar, Andrew T. Hudak, Benjamin C. Bright, Jose Negron, Robert Mcgaughey, Hans-Erik Andersen, Jeffrey A. Hicke

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

Recent bark beetle outbreaks in western North America have been widespread and severe. High tree mortality due to bark beetles affects the fundamental ecosystem processes of primary production and decomposition that largely determine carbon balance (Kurz et al. 2008, Pfeifer et al. 2011, Hicke et al. 2012). Forest managers need accurate data on beetle-induced tree mortality to make better decisions on how best to remediate beetle-affected forests and restore healthy ecosystem services (Negron et al. 2008). Discrete-return LiDAR measures canopy height and density, and LiDAR intensity provides some indication of the spectral reflectance and condition of canopy elements (foliage …

Tips On Core Competencies For Transition Service Providers, Pauline Jivanjee, Eileen Brennan, Claudia Sellmaier, Pathways Transition Training Collaborative

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This document describes ten competencies that transition service providers working with young people with mental health difficulties should develop in order to be effective.

Contemporary Rural Social Work - Fall 2012 (Volume 4, Number 1)

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Contemporary Rural Social Work - Fall 2011 (Volume 3, Number 1)

Full issue

Nebraska Bird Review (September 2012) 80(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Summer Field Report, June–July 2012 ... 86

Summary and Comparisons of the Fontenelle Forest and Boyer Chute MAPS Stations in Nebraska ... 104

2011 (23rd) Report of the NOU Records Committee ... 112

Subscription and Organization Information ... 123

Summer Field Report, June–July 2012, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This summer most of Nebraska was very dry, with "Exceptional Drought" everywhere but the extreme southeast, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's Drought Monitor (http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu). Although no really striking effects were noted, several bits of evidence attested to the difficult conditions. Wetlands dried up in most cases in the Rainwater Basin, reflected by a lack of Great Egrets, Cattle Egrets, and Black-necked Stilts, and there were no stilt nests reported. However, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons surprisingly staged an incursion, perhaps continuing to disperse northward from their customary haunts in the almost equally dry Kansas and Oklahoma. Cliff Swallow colonies may …

Subscription And Organization Information [September 2012]

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal, and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $15 in the United States, $18 in Canada and $30 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4 each, postpaid, in the United States, $5 in Canada, and $8 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101 (or at the email address listed below).

Memberships in the NOU …

Pioneering Orientation And Firm Growth: Knowing When And To What Degree Pioneering Makes Sense, Brandon A. Mueller, Varkey K. Titus Jr., Jeffrey G. Covin, Dennis P. Slevin

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

An extensive amount of research has been conducted regarding the various advantages and disadvantages posed by engaging in market pioneering behavior at the product level. However, relatively little research examines factors that facilitate the relationship between a firm’s overall pioneering orientation and firm growth. This article investigates pioneering as an orientation that a firm adopts in pursuing a proactive introduction of new products to the market across product lines. In doing so, this study examines organizational and industry factors that impact the relationship between pioneering orientation and firm growth and proposes that this main effect relationship will be curvilinear (inverted …

Evolutionary History Of Assassin Bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera: Reduviidae): Insights From Divergence Dating And Ancestral State Reconstruction, Wei Song Hwang, Christiane Weirauch

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Assassin bugs are one of the most successful clades of predatory animals based on their species numbers (~ 6,800 spp.) and wide distribution in terrestrial ecosystems. Various novel prey capture strategies and remarkable prey specializations contribute to their appeal as a model to study evolutionary pathways involved in predation. Here, we reconstruct the most comprehensive reduviid phylogeny (178 taxa, 18 subfamilies) to date based on molecular data (5 markers). This phylogeny tests current hypotheses on reduviid relationships emphasizing the polyphyletic Reduviinae and the blood-feeding, diseasevectoring Triatominae, and allows us, for the first time in assassin bugs, to reconstruct ancestral states …

Scalable Distributed Communication Architectures To Support Advanced Metering Infrastructure In Smart Grid, Jian Zhou, Rose Qingyang Hu, Yi Qian

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications (to 2015)

In this paper, we investigate the scalability of three communication architectures for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) in smart grid. AMI in smart grid is a typical cyber-physical system (CPS) example, in which large amount of data from hundreds of thousands of smart meters are collected and processed through an AMI communication infrastructure. Scalability is one of the most important issues for the AMI deployment in smart grid. In this study, we introduce a new performance metric, accumulated bandwidth distance product (ABDP), to represent the total communication resource usages. For each distributed communication architecture, we formulate an optimization problem and obtain …

Behavior Of Segmental Precast Posttensioned Bridge Piers Under Lateral Loads, Haitham Dawood, Mohamed Elgawady, Joshua Hewes

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Abstract a segmental precast posttensioned (SPPT) bridge pier is an economic recentering structural system. Understanding the seismic behavior of a SPPT system is an important step toward its application in high seismic zones. This paper presents a detailed three-dimensional finite-element (FE) model that was developed using the ABAQUS platform. a brief description and discussion of cyclic tests on eight large-scale SPPT piers is also presented. Four of the piers were constructed and tested to a predefined degree of damage. Then, these piers were retrofitted and retested. the FE models developed and presented in this paper predicted the backbone curves of …

An Experimental Study On Bond Strength Of Reinforcing Steel In Self-Consolidating Concrete, Trevor J. Looney, Mahdi Arezoumandi, Jeffery S. Volz, John J. Myers

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An experimental investigation was conducted to compare the bond strength of reinforcing steel in self-consolidating concrete (SCC) with conventional concrete (CC). This study investigated two different compressive strengths of SCC as well as CC. the experimental program consisted of 24 pull-out specimens as well as 12 full-scale beams (three for each concrete type and strength). the pull-out specimens were based on RILEM recommendations, and the beam specimens were tested under a simply supported four-point loading condition. the CC test results served as a control and were used to evaluate the results from the SCC pull-out and beam specimen tests. Furthermore, …

Three-Dimensional Quantification And Visualization Of Vascular Networks In Engineered Tissues, Mohammed Yousefhussien

Theses

Three-dimensional textural and volumetric image analysis holds great potential in understanding the image data produced by multi-photon microscopy. In this thesis, a tool that provides quantitative textural and morphometric analyzes of vasculature in engineered tissues, alongside with a fast three-dimensional volume rendering is proposed. The investigated 3D artificial tissues consist of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) embedded in collagen exposed to two regimes of ultrasound standing wave fields under different pressure conditions. Textural features were evaluated over the extracted connected region in our samples using the normalized Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) combined with Gray-Level Run Length Matrix (GLRLM) …

A Model Order Reduction Method For Lightly Damped State Space Systems, Matthew Cappello

Theses

This paper introduces a model order reduction method that takes advantage of the near orthogonality of lightly damped modes in a system and the modal separation of diagonalized models to reduce the model order of flexible systems in both continuous and discrete time. The reduction method is computationally fast and cheap, not requiring any singular value decompositions or large matrix operations. Numeric solutions to the infinite time Lyapunov equations are presented, and used to solve for the observability and controllability grammians of diagonalized models. Four different modal importance calculations are produced from the diagonalized model's grammians and are compared to …

Rosette Iron Deficiency Transcript And Microrna Profiling Reveals Links Between Copper And Iron Homeostasis In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Brian M. Waters, Samuel A. Mcinturf, Ricardo J. Stein

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Iron (Fe) is an essential plant micronutrient, and its deficiency limits plant growth and development on alkaline soils. Under Fe deficiency, plant responses include up-regulation of genes involved in Fe uptake from the soil. However, little is known about shoot responses to Fe deficiency. Using microarrays to probe gene expression in Kas-1 and Tsu-1 ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana, and comparison with existing Col-0 data, revealed conserved rosette gene expression responses to Fe deficiency. Fe-regulated genes included known metal homeostasis-related genes, and a number of genes of unknown function. Several genes responded to Fe deficiency in both roots and rosettes. …

Analysis Of Traffic Crash Data In Kentucky (2007-2011), Eric R. Green, Kenneth R. Agent, Jerry G. Pigman

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report documents an analysis of traffic crash data in Kentucky for the years of 2007 through 2011. A primary objective of this study was to determine average crash statistics for Kentucky highways. Average and critical numbers and rates of crashes were calculated for various types of highways in rural and urban areas. These data can be used in Kentucky’s procedure to identify locations that have abnormal rates or numbers of crashes.

Structure-Miscibility Relationships In Weakly Interacting Polymer Blends, Theresa Hendrick

Theses

In the present research, the relationship between blend miscibility and constituent polymer structure was established. This work examines a series of blends of polyesters (PE's) and polycarbonates (PC's) having systematic variations in aliphatic and aromatic structural group content to establish how miscibility and phase behavior depend on polymer structure. The blends were prepared by solution blending and precipitating, while the polymer blend miscibility and phase behavior were characterized through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The glass transition temperatures (Tg) of the individual polymers and blends were measured. The polyesters and polycarbonates explored in this research were 4MC-PC (Tg = 135.2°C), BPA-TMC-PC …

Lsab September 2012, Maryke Barber, Luke Vilelle

WRL: Library Student Advisory Board Minutes

No abstract provided.

Tennessee Farm Bureau News - September 2012, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation

Tennessee Farm Bureau News

No abstract provided.

The Ross Sea: In A Sea Of Change, Walker O. Smith, Peter N. Sedwick, Kevin R. Arrigo, David G. Ainley, Alejandro H. Orsi

OES Faculty Publications

The Ross Sea, the most productive region in the Antarctic, reaches farther south than any body of water in the world. While its food web is relatively intact, its oceanography, biogeochemistry, and sea ice coverage have been changing dramatically, and likely will continue to do so in the future. Sea ice cover and persistence have been increasing, in contrast to the Amundsen-Bellingshausen sector, which has resulted in reduced open water duration for its biota. Models predict that as the ozone hole recovers, ice cover will begin to diminish. Currents on the continental shelf will likely change in the coming century, …

Examining The Relationship Between Emotional Schemas, Emotional Intelligence, And Relationship Satisfaction, Gregory Mears

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of the literature revealed that the relationship between emotional intelligence, emotional schemas, and relationship satisfaction has not been fully explored. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between emotional schemas, emotional intelligence and relationship satisfaction in a sample of married individuals, utilizing a cross-sectional, correlational design to assess the constructs via validated assessment tools. Baron and Kenny's methodology for assessing mediating relationships was used to explore the relationship between these variables. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the higher values dimension of emotional schemas accounted for 4.1% of the variance in relationship satisfaction after controlling …

Land Snails In Ephemeral Pools At Ottine Swamp, Gonzales County, Texas, Frank J. Dirrigl, Robert H. Mohlenbrock

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

We found five species of terrestrial land snails in dried ephemeral pools at Ottine Swamp, Palmetto State Park, Gonzales County, Texas. We recorded four species previously known (Anguispira stronglyodes, Mesomphix friabilis, Olygyra orbiculata, and Rabdotus dealbatus) and added a new occurrence (Mesodon thyroidus) to the list of species in the park.

Se encontraron cinco especies de caracoles terrestres en los fondos secos de unos charcos efímeros en Ottine Swamp, Palmetto State Park, en el condado de Gonzales, Texas. Registramos cuatro especies conocidas anteriormente (Anguispira stronglyodes, Mesomphix friabilis, Olygyra orbiculata y …

Size Of Home, Home Ownership, And The Mortgage Interest Deduction, Andrew R. Hanson

Economics Faculty Research and Publications

This paper offers an empirical test of the effect of the mortgage interest deduction (MID) on both the extensive (own vs. rent) and intensive (size of home) housing purchase margins. Using state level differences in MID availability to identify, I examine this relationship using standard ordinary least squares, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, and sample selection estimation techniques. I find the MID to be responsible for a 10.9–18.4% increase in the size of home purchased, but that no relationship exists between the MID and home ownership. These results imply an elasticity of home size with respect to changes in user cost …

Bs News September/October

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

From The Editor, Peggy Pittman-Munke Ph.D.

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Journal of Contemporary Rural Social Work

Volume 4, Number 1

Fall 2012

From the Editor: Peggy Pittman-Munke, Murray State University

Perceptions And Experiences Of Drug Use Among Women In Rural North Carolina, Martin T. Hall Ph.D., M.S.S.W., Debra Skinner Ph.D.

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This study describes perceptions and experiences of drug use among 32 women residing in three non-urban counties in eastern North Carolina. Participants described drug use in their families and communities as pervasive, citing both individual (e.g., depression) and systemic (e.g., few opportunity structures) causal factors. Participants with personal drug use histories described factors that helped them reduce drug use as well as the challenges of maintaining recovery in small communities. Contributions of this research include rural women’s assessment and attribution of drug use problems in both their personal lives and larger communities. Recommendations for rural drug treatment providers are offered.

The Curriculum And Education Of Medicine After Galen In Alexandria, Egypt, Berrin Okka, Mustafa Demirci

Saudi Medical Journal

In the medieval history of Islamic medicine sources, there is a lot of information regarding the translation of the books on the Alexandria Medical School and regarding the bibliographies of doctors. Among the books that were taught in Alexandria Medical School, Galen9s works are the most important. One of the famous translators, Hunayn ibn Ishaq, has made a full bibliographic list of Galen9s works. Galen9s corpus consisted of 16 books in summary. This corpus is called ‘Jawami al-Iskandaraniyyin’. These books consisted of 7 training stages. The data on our research show that this corpus that was brought together during the …

Serum And Urine Boron And Selenium Levels In Children With Resistant Epilepsy, Huseyin Per, Mehmet Canpolat, Ugur Sahin, Hakan Gumus, Bahadir Konuskan, Sefer Kumandas

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of serum and urine selenium, and boron levels in children with resistant epilepsy. METHODS: Serum and urine boron and selenium levels were studied in 53 cases (32 boys and 21 girls) diagnosed with resistant epilepsy between April 2006 and February 2007 at the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. Differences between groups were assessed using Student9s t-test. Countable data were defined as percentage. Inter-group difference was assessed by Chi-square test. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: When serum and urine boron and selenium levels were evaluated and compare with controls, a …

Comparative Efficacy Of Thiazolidinediones And Metformin For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Qiang Du, Yan-Jun Wang

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of thiazolidinediones (TZDs) and metformin in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. METHODS: This systematic review study was conducted at Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China between January and February 2012. We searched the following databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure until January 2012. RESULTS: Six randomized controlled trials records involving 267 patients were retrieved. The effect of TZDs on body mass index (BMI) was significantly lower than metformin (p=0.001; standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 0.16-0.65). The effect of TZDs on the Homeostasis Model …

Fistula Plug Versus Conventional Surgical Treatment For Anal Fistulas. A System Review And Meta-Analysis, Yu-Wei Pu, Chun-Gen Xing, Imran Khan, Kui Zhao, Bao-Song Zhu, Yong Wu

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the recurrence and fecal incontinence of anal fistula plug versus conventional surgical treatment for anal fistulas. METHODS: This meta-analysis was carried out in the General Surgery Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. We searched the Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library from June 2011 to April 2012. The literature searches were carried out using medical subject headings and free-text word: anal fistula, fibrin adhesive, fibrin sealant, and fistula plug. RESULTS: Two randomized controlled trials and 3 retrospective controlled studies were included. A total of 428 patients were included in our study. …

Evaluation Of Non-Urgent Visits To A Busy Urban Emergency Department, Serkan E. Eroglu, Siddika N. Toprak, Oguz Urgan, Ozge E. Onur, Arzu Denizbasi, Haldun Akoglu, Cigdem Ozpolat, Ebru Akoglu

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To identify the proportion of patients who were taken into the emergency room on the basis of legal regulations and non-urgent medical procedures. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted in the Emergency Department, Toros State Hospital, Mersin, Turkey. Data were collected over 4 weeks (January 2011) and then analyzed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Analysis of Variance, and Kruskal-Wallis H tests. RESULTS: During the study period, 21,014 patients visited the Emergency Department. The applications were measured during a 3-shift schedule (08-16, 16-00, 00-08 hours). The total number of ordinary emergency admissions was 16,370. Of the total, 4,644 (22.1%) of the visits …