Engineering Commons^™

Acuta Enews March 2008, Vol. 37, No. 3

ACUTA Newsletters

!n This lssue

From ACUTA Headquarters..........................Jeri A. Semer, CAE, ACUTA Executive Director

Nominate Now for ACUTA Board of Directors

Board Report..................... Riny Ledgerwood, San Diego Stale Univ., ACUTA Sec./Treasurer

Tech Talk: Charge back Systems Get a Mediocre Grade ..................Kevin Tanzillo, Dux PR

Program Committee Seeks Members

DC Update................. Jeanne Jansenius, Sewanee, The University of the South

Wording Emergency Messages

lnfo Links......................Randy Hayes, Univ' of Northern lowa

FYI: Useful lnformation from Campus................... Eric Weil, Student Monitor

Check lt Out: RFls/RFPs, Job Postings, Press Releases

Welcome New Members

The Genome Of Laccaria Bicolor Provides Insights Into Mycorrhizal Symbiosis, F. Martin, A. Aerts, D. Ahren, A. Brun, E. G. J. Danchin, F. Duchaussoy, J. Gibon, A. Kohler, E. Lindquist, V. Pereda, A. Salamov, H. J. Shapiro, J. Wuyts, D. Blaudez, M. Buee, P. Brokstein, B. Canback, D. Cohen, P. E. Courty, P. M. Coutinho, C. Delaruelle, J. C. Detter, A. Deveau, S. Difazio, S. Duplessis, L. Fraissinet-Tachet, E. Lucic, P. Frey-Klett, C. Fourrey, I. Feussner, G. Gay, J. Grimwood, P. J. Hoegger, P. Jain, S. Kilaru, J. Labbe, Y. C. Lin, V. Legue, F. Le Tacon, R. Marmeisse, D. Melayah, B. Montanini, M. Muratet, U. Nehls, H. Niculita-Hirzel, M. P. Oudot-Le Secq, M. Peter, H. Quesneville, B. Rajashekar, M. Reich, N. Rouhier, J. Schmutz, T. Yin, M. Chalot, B. Henrissat, U. Kues, S. Lucas, Y. Van De Peer, G. K. Podila, A. Polle, P. J. Pukkila, P. M. Richardson, P. Rouze, I. R. Sanders, J. E. Stajich, A. Tunlid, G. Tuskan, I. V. Grigoriev

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Mycorrhizal symbioses—the union of roots and soil fungi—are universal in terrestrial ecosystems and may have been fundamental to land colonization by plants. Boreal, temperate and montane forests all depend on ectomycorrhizae. Identification of the primary factors that regulate symbiotic development and metabolic activity will therefore open the door to understanding the role of ectomycorrhizae in plant development and physiology, allowing the full ecological significance of this symbiosis to be explored. Here we report the genome sequence of the ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete Laccaria bicolor (Fig. 1) and highlight gene sets involved in rhizosphere colonization and symbiosis. This 65-megabase genome assembly contains ~20,000 …

Improved Method Of Using Traffic Estimates To Evaluate Intersection Improvements, Karen Schurr, Krishna C. Movva, Linna Zhang

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of A Modified Three Cable Guardrail Adjacent To Steep Slope, Ryan J. Terpsma, Dean L. Sicking, Karla A. Polivka, John R. Rohde, Ronald K. Faller, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Spatial Variations In Nutrient And Microbial Transport From Feedlot Surfaces, John E. Gilley, Elaine D. Berry, Roger A. Eigenberg, David B. Marx, Bryan L. Woodbury

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Nutrient and microbial transport by runoff may vary at different locations within a beef cattle feedlot. If the areas making the largest contributions to nutrient and microbial transport can be identified, it may be possible to institute site‐specific management practices to reduce runoff nutrient and microbial transport. The objectives of this study were to: (1) measure selected feedlot soil properties and nutrient and microbial transport in runoff from various feedlot locations, (2) compare the effects of unconsolidated surface materials (USM) (loose manure pack) and consolidated subsurface materials (CSM) (compacted manure and underlying layers) on nutrient and microbial transport, and (3) …

Influence Of Spatial Correlation Function On Attenuation Of Ultrasonic Waves In Two-Phase Materials, Dalie Liu, Joseph A. Turner

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Faculty Publications

Successful processing of materials by powder sintering relies on the creation of strong interparticle bonds. During certain critical stages of the sintering process, the medium may be modeled as two phases consisting of the particles and a surrounding matrix. Ultrasonic methods have been proposed as a potential tool for monitoring such sintering processes. Thus, an understanding of the propagation and scattering of elastic waves in two-phase solids is of fundamental importance to these monitoring techniques. In this article, expressions for the ultrasonic attenuations are developed based on the spatial statistics of the density and Lamé parameters of the material constituents …

Acuta Enews February 2008, Vol. 37, No. 2

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

From the President........ Walt Magnussen, Texas A&M Univ., ACUTA President

Board Report ................... Riny Ledgerwood, San Diego Stale Univ, , ACUTA, Sec./Treasurer

Check lt Out: RFls/RFPs, Job Postings, Press Releases

Tech Talk: What Kind of Experience Does Your Website Provide?.............Kevin Tanzillo, Dux PR

DC Update ............Jeanne Jansenius, Sewonee, The University of the South

Grant Money for Minority College Wireless Networks

Ethernet Alliance White Paper Challenge

lnfo Links ............. Randy Hayes, Univ. of Northern lowa

Deadline for lnstitutional Excellence Awards ls February 15

Welcome New Members

Effects Of Climate Change On Energy Production And Use In The United States, Thomas Wilbanks, Vatsal Bhatt, Daniel Bilello, Stanley Bull, James Ekmann, William Horak, Y. Joe Huang, Mark D. Levine, Michael J. Sale, David Schmalzer, Michael J. Scott

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Climate change is expected to have noticeable effects in the United States: a rise in average temperatures in most regions, changes in precipitation amounts and seasonal patterns in many regions, changes in the intensity and pattern of extreme weather events, and sea level rise. Some of these effects have clear implications for energy production and use. For instance, average warming can be expected to increase energy requirements for cooling and reduce energy requirements for warming. Changes in precipitation could affect prospects for hydropower, positively or negatively. Increases in storm intensity could threaten further disruptions of the sorts experienced in 2005 …

Effects Of Climate Change On Aquatic Invasive Species And Implications For Management And Research, Roxanne Thomas, Austin Kane, Environmental Law Institute, Britta G. Bierwagen

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Global change stressors, including climate change and variability and changes in land use, are major drivers of ecosystem alterations. Invasive species, which are non-native species that cause environmental or economic damages or human-health impacts, also contribute to ecosystem changes. The interactions between stressors and invasive species, although not well understood, may exacerbate the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, and likewise, climate change may enable further invasions. This report reviews available literature on climate-change effects on aquatic invasive species (AIS) and examines state-level AIS management activities. Data on management activities came from publicly available information, was analyzed with respect to …

Bifidobacteria In Feces And Environmental Waters, Regina Lamendella, Jorge W. Santo Domingo, Catherine Kelty, Daniel B. Oerther

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Bifidobacteria have been recommended as potential indicators of human fecal pollution in surface waters even though very little is known about their presence in nonhuman fecal sources. The objective of this research was to shed light on the occurrence and molecular diversity of this fecal indicator group in different animals and environmental waters. Genus- and species-specific 16S rRNA gene PCR assays were used to study the presence of bifidobacteria among 269 fecal DNA extracts from 32 different animals. Twelve samples from three wastewater treatment plants and 34 water samples from two fecally impacted watersheds were also tested. The species-specific assays …

Phase Iv Development Of A Short-Radius Guardrail For Intersecting Roadways, Karla A. Polivka, Cody S. Stolle, Robert W. Bielenberg, Ronald K. Faller, Dean L. Sicking, John R. Rohde, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Research On Fatigue Of Asphalt Mixtures And Pavements In Nebraska, Francisco Thiago S. Aragao, Yong-Rak Kim, Junghun Lee

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Magnetism Of Laalo3/Srtio3 Superlattices, Karolina Janicka, Julian P. Velev, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

First-principles electronic structure calculations are performed to elucidate magnetic properties of LaAlO₃ /SrTiO₃ heterostructures. We find that TiO₂-terminated interfaces are n-type conducting which is consistent with experimental observations. In a (LaAlO₃ ) ₃ / (SrTiO₃)₃ superlattice, this interface is magnetic with a magnetic moment on the Ti³⁺ atom of 0.2 μ_B, as revealed by the spin-polarized calculations within the local density approximation (LDA). For thicker SrTiO₃ layers the magnetic moment decreases and eventually disappears because the electron gas spreads over more than one unit cell, making the …

The Average Mutual Information Profile As A Genomic Signature, Mark Bauer, Sheldon Schuster, Khalid Sayood

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background: Occult organizational structures in DNA sequences may hold the key to understanding functional and evolutionary aspects of the DNA molecule. Such structures can also provide the means for identifying and discriminating organisms using genomic data. Species specific genomic signatures are useful in a variety of contexts such as evolutionary analysis, assembly and classification of genomic sequences from large uncultivated microbial communities and a rapid identification system in health hazard situations.
Results: We have analyzed genomic sequences of eukaryotic and prokaryotic chromosomes as well as various subtypes of viruses using an information theoretic framework. We confirm the existence of a …

Polyelectrolyte Mediated Scalable Synthesis Of Highly Stable Silver Nanocubes In Less Than A Minute Using Microwave Irradiation, Subrata Kundu, Vivek C. Maheshwari, Sanjun Niu, Ravi F. Saraf

Ravi Saraf Publications

Silver nanocubes were synthesized for the first time in large quantities on gold seed in the presence of a polyelectrolyte using microwave heating for 60–120 s. Our experiment indicates that the polyelectrolyte directs the growth of the particle in a specified crystallographic direction resulting in the faceted particle, i.e. a nanocube. The nanocubes are stable for at least 2 months in ambient conditions.

In Situ Measurement Of Three-Dimensional Ion Densities In Focused Femtosecond Pulses, James Strohaber, Cornelis J. Uiterwaal

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We image spatial distribution of xenon ions in the focus of a laser beam of ultrashort, intense pulses in all three dimensions, with a resolution of three by twelve microns in the two transverse directions. This allows for studying ionization processes without spatially averaging ion yields. Our in situ ion imaging is also useful to analyze focal intensity profiles and to investigate the transverse modal purity of tightly focused beams of complex light. As an example, the intensity profile of a Hermite-Gaussian beam mode HG recorded with ions is found to be in good agreement with optical images.

Effects Of Ferroelectricity And Magnetism On Electron And Spin Transport In Fe/Batio3 /Fe Multiferroic Tunnel Junctions, Julian P. Velev, Chun-Gang Duan, Kirill D. Belashchenko, Sitaram Jaswal, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

First principles electronic structure and transport calculations are used to demonstrate the impact of the electric polarization on electron and spin transport in Fe/BaTiO₃/Fe multiferroic tunnel junctions (MFTJs). We find that the polarization of BaTiO₃ reduces the tunneling conductance, as compared to a nonpolarized barrier, due to the change in the electronic structure driven by ferroelectric displacements, similar to that found previously for Pt/BaTiO₃/Pt. For the MFTJ, however, this effect has different magnitudes for majority- and minority-spin channels and for parallel and antiparallel orientations of the magnetization of the electrodes. As a result, we find …

Preparation And Characterization Of Tapioca Starch–Poly(Lactic Acid) Nanocomposite Foams By Melt Intercalation Based On Clay Type, Siew-Yoong Lee, Han Chen, Milford Hanna

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Abstract Tapioca starch (TS), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and four different organoclays (Cloisite 10A, Cloisite 25A, Cloisite 93A and Cloisite 15A) were used to produce nanocomposite foams by melt-intercalation. Structural, thermal, physical and mechanical properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and an Instron universal testing machine, respectively. The first XRD peaks for all four nanocomposite foams, were observed to shift to lower angles, indicating that intercalation occurred. The extent of intercalation depended on the type of organoclay and was exhibited in the sequence of Cloisite 10A > 25A > 93A > 15A. Glass transition temperatures …

Acuta Enews January 2008, Vol. 37, No. 1

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

From ACUTA Headquarters.................. Jeri A. Semer, CAE, ACUTA Executive Director

Board Report.............Riny Ledgerwood, San Diego State Univ., ACUTA Sec./Treasurer

Tech Talk: Play the Network Game and Track Mystery Signals ......... Kevin Tanzillo, Dux PR

Institutional Excellence Award Deadline: February 15

DC Update ................Jeanne Jansenius, Sewanee, The University of the South

lnfo Links ............. Randy Hayes, Univ. of Northern lowa

Thanks to 2007 Journal Advertisers

FYI: Useful lnformation from Campus............Eric Weil, Student Mlonitor

Welcome New Members

Check lt out: RFls/RFPs, Job Postings, Press Releases

Investigation Of Asphalt Pavement Analyzer Testing Program In Nebraska, Minki Hong, Yong-Rak Kim

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

The asphalt pavement analyzer (APA) has been widely used to evaluate hot-mix asphalt (HMA) rutting potential in mix design and quality control – quality assurance (QC-QA) applications, because the APA testing and its data analyses are relatively simple, rapid, and easy. However, as demonstrated in many studies and also experienced by the state of Nebraska, the APA testing is in question due to its high testing variability and a lack of sufficient correlation with actual filed performance. The primary objective of this research was to find critical materials and/or mixture design factors affecting APA test results so as to eventually …

The Role Of Multihaem Cytochromes In The Respiration Of Nitrite In Escherichia Coli And Fe(Iii) In Shewanella Oneidensis, Thomas A. Clarke, Tracey Holley, Robert S. Hartshorne, James K. Fredrickson, John M. Zachara, Liang Shi, David J. Richardson

United States Department of Energy: Publications

The periplasmic nitrite reductase system from Escherichia coli and the extracellular Fe (III) reductase system from Shewanella oneidensis contain multihaem c-type cytochromes as electron carriers and terminal reductases. The position and orientation of the haem cofactors in multihaem cytochromes from different bacteria often show significant conservation despite different arrangements of the polypeptide chain. We propose that the decahaem cytochromes of the iron reductase system MtrA, MtrC and OmcA comprise pentahaem ‘modules’ similar to the electron donor protein, NrfB, from E. coli. To demonstrate this, we have isolated and characterized the N-terminal pentahaem module of MtrA by preparing a …

Significant Redistribution Of Ce 4D Oscillator Strength Observed In Photoionization Of Endohedral Ce@C+82 Ions, A. M. Müller, S. Schippers, M. Habibi, D. A. Esteves, J. C. Wang, R. A. Phaneuf, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, A. Aguilar, L. Dunsch

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Mass-selected beams of atomic Ce^q+ ions (q = 2, 3, 4), of C⁺₈₂ and of endohedral Ce@C⁺₈₂ ions were employed to study photoionization of free and encaged cerium atoms. The Ce 4d inner-shell contributions to single and double ionization of the endohedral Ce@C⁺₈₂ fullerene have been extracted from the data and compared with expectations based on theory and the experiments with atomic Ce ions. Dramatic reduction and redistribution of the ionization contributions to 4d photoabsorption is observed. More than half of the Ce 4d oscillator strength appears to be …

Engineering Microbial Fuels Cells: Recent Patents And New Directions, Justin C. Biffinger, Bradley R. Ringeisen

United States Navy: Publications

Fundamental research into how microbes generate electricity within microbial fuel cells (MFCs) has far outweighed the practical application and large scale development of microbial energy harvesting devices. MFCs are considered alternatives to standard commercial polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology because the fuel supply does not need to be purified, ambient operating temperatures are maintained with biologically compatible materials, and the biological catalyst is self-regenerating. The generation of electricity during wastewater treatment using MFCs may profoundly affect the approach to anaerobic treatment technologies used in wastewater treatment as a result of developing this energy harvesting technology. However, the materials …

Nebraska Summary: S651 Massey Ferguson 8680, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infection Of The Auricular Cartilage Caused By “High Ear Piercing”: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature, Henry H. Rowshan, Karen Keith, Dale Baur, Peter Skidmore

United States Army: Publications

Piercing of various parts of the body has gained tremendous popularity among adolescent and adult populations in recent years. There are no exact statistical reports on the number of body piercings being performed in the United States. One study among 481 college students in New York revealed that 42% of men and 60% of women had body piercing. In the past, the majority of complications of ear piercing were associated with the lobule. Torn ear lobes, localized infection, hypertrophic scars, allergic contact dermatitis, and keloid formations were among the most common, with no significant morbidity. However, “high ear piercing,” defined …

Influence Of Snow And Ice Crystal Formation And Accumulation On Mercury Deposition To The Arctic, Thomas A. Douglas, Matthew Sturm, William R. Simpson, Joel D. Blum, Laura Alvarez-Aviles, Gerald J. Keeler, Donald K. Perovich, Abir Biswas, Kelsey Johnson

United States Army: Publications

Mercury is deposited to the Polar Regions during springtime atmospheric mercury depletion events (AMDEs) but the relationship between snow and ice crystal formation and mercury deposition is not well understood. The objective of this investigation was to determine if mercury concentrations were related to the type and formation of snow and ice crystals. On the basis of almost three hundred analyses of samples collected in the Alaskan Arctic, we suggest that kinetic crystals growing from the vapor phase, including surface hoar, frost flowers, and diamond dust, yield mercury concentrations that are typically 2-10 times higher than that reported for snow …

The Phylogeny Of The Four Pan-American Mtdna Haplogroups: Implications For Evolutionary And Disease Studies, Alessandro Achilli, Ugo A. Perego, Claudio M. Bravi, Michael D. Coble, Qing-Peng Kong, Scott R. Woodward, Antonio Salas, Antonio Torroni, Hans-Jürgen Bandelt

United States Army: Publications

Only a limited number of complete mitochondrial genome sequences belonging to Native American haplogroups were available until recently, which left America as the continent with the least amount of information about sequence variation of entire mitochondrial DNAs. In this study, a comprehensive overview of all available complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genomes of the four pan-American haplogroups A2, B2, C1, and D1 is provided by revising the information scattered throughout GenBank and the literature, and adding 14 novel mtDNA sequences. The phylogenies of haplogroups A2, B2, C1, and D1 reveal a large number of sub-haplogroups but suggest that the ancestral Beringian …

Biological Opinion On The Operation Of The Missouri River Main Stem System, Operation And Maintenance Of The Missouri River Bank Stabilization And Navigation Project, And Operation Of The Kansas River Reservoir System

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) prepared this annual report for interested parties in accordance with reporting recommendations of the Biological Opinion on the Operation of the Missouri River Main Stem System (System), Operation and Maintenance of the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project and Operation of the Kansas River Reservoir System, prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) dated November 30, 2000, and the Amendment thereto, dated December 16, 2003 (BiOp). This annual report also documents the Corps’ activities implemented under the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Project, Iowa, Nebraska, …

Adaptive Management: Background For Stakeholders In The Missouri River Recovery Program, Heida Diefenderfer, Craig Fleming

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Since adaptive ecosystem management was described, the need for such a process has been widely recognized by restoration ecologists and managers. In the United States, for example, the National Research Council (NRC) has recommended that ecological restoration projects be designed and executed according to the principles of adaptive planning and management. The NRC report highlights the fact that inflexible restoration goals and plans are unlikely to succeed given that knowledge of natural and social systems is imperfect. As the restoration ecologist John Cairns, Jr., stated: “whatever restoration measures we take, the outcome is highly uncertain.” The reliable existence …

Missouri River Recovery Program: Least Tern And Piping Plover: Endangered & Threatened Species

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Maintaining a healthy Missouri River, including protecting species that live along the river, is a top priority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The least tern and piping plover are shorebirds that use the Missouri River for breeding habitat. In 1985 the least tern was listed as endangered, and the piping plover as threatened, within the Missouri River basin. Today, the Corps’ conservation efforts are helping the recovery of these species.

While both birds nest elsewhere, the sandbars of the Missouri River and reservoir shorelines are important to their survival. In fact, in 2002 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife …