Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Boom And Bust On The Great Plains: Déjà Vu All Over Again, Sandra Zellmer

Nebraska College of Law: Faculty Publications

Two books published in 2006 provide a compelling portrait of the "boom and bust" cycles that have plagued the Great Plains since European settlement. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl and Ogallala Blue: Water and Life on the High Plains stand beside Mark Reisner's classic study of western water resources, Cadillac Desert, and Wallace Stegner's tribute to one of America's greatest conservationists, Crossing the Next Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West, as "must read" books for anyone who cares about the future of …

Wilderness: Overview And Statistics, Ross W. Gorte

Congressional Research Service Reports

Congress enacted the Wilderness Act in 1964. This Act created the National Wilderness Preservation System, reserved to Congress the authority to designate wilderness areas, and directed the Secretaries of Agriculture and of the Interior to review certain lands for their wilderness potential. The Act also designated 54 wilderness areas with 9 million acres of federal land. Congress began expanding the Wilderness System in 1968, and today, there are 708 wilderness areas, totaling more than 107 million acres, in 44 states. Numerous bills to designate additional areas and to expand existing ones are introduced and considered in every Congress.

The Wilderness …

The Wild And Scenic Rivers Act And Federal Water Rights, Cynthia Brougher

Congressional Research Service Reports

During the 1960s, support grew for the idea that the development of our nation’s rivers needed to be balanced by protecting certain rivers that possessed outstanding undeveloped qualities. This sentiment culminated in the enactment of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. Rivers may be designated for protection under the act by Congress or nominated for inclusion by a Governor and approved by the Secretary of the Interior. The act addresses the protection of the water flows of designated rivers, both expressly and by implication. This report examines the purposes, language, and legislative history of the act in order …

Active Military Sonar And Marine Mammals: Events And References, Eugene H. Buck, Kori Clavert

Congressional Research Service Reports

The deployment of active sonar by the U.S. Navy and its potential impacts on marine mammals has been an ongoing issue of intense debate; regulatory, legislative, and judicial activity; and international concern. Some peacetime use of military sonar has been regulated under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and other statutes due to concerns that active military sonars are operated at frequencies used by some cetaceans (i.e., whales, porpoises, and dolphins), and their highintensity sound pulses may travel long distances in the ocean. There is also concern that sonar transmissions of sufficiently high intensity might physically damage the hearing in …

Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Education: Background, Federal Policy, And Legislative Action, Jeffrey J. Kuenzi

Congressional Research Service Reports

There is growing concern that the United States is not preparing a sufficient number of students, teachers, and practitioners in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). A large majority of secondary school students fail to reach proficiency in math and science, and many are taught by teachers lacking adequate subject matter knowledge.

When compared to other nations, the math and science achievement of U.S. pupils and the rate of STEM degree attainment appear inconsistent with a nation considered the world leader in scientific innovation. In a recent international assessment of 15-year-old students, the U.S. ranked 28th in …

Alternative Fuels And Advanced Technology Vehicles: Issues In Congress, Brent D. Yacobucci

Congressional Research Service Reports

Alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles are seen by proponents as integral to improving urban air quality, decreasing dependence on foreign oil, and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. However, major barriers — especially economics — currently prevent the widespread use of these fuels and technologies. Because of these barriers, and the potential benefits, there is continued congressional interest in providing incentives and other support for their development and commercialization.

In the 110th Congress, alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles have received a good deal of attention, especially in discussions over U.S. energy security. In his January 24, 2007, State of …

Soil And Water Conservation: An Overview, Tadlock Cowan, Renée Johnson

Congressional Research Service Reports

Soil and water conservation topics are prominent in discussions of policy options for the next farm bill, which the 110th Congress is considering. Major conservation topics include where to set overall funding levels and levels for each program; what should be the priorities for the conservation effort; and deciding whether any existing programs or activities should be modified or eliminated and whether new programs or activities should be added to the effort. Addressing these topics often pits supporters of commodity programs and the traditional farm program benefits against those who would like to see an expanded conservation effort.

The House …

Science And Technology Policymaking: A Primer, Deborah D. Stine

Congressional Research Service Reports

Scientific and technical knowledge and guidance influences not just policy related to science and technology, but also many of today’s public policies as policymakers seek knowledge to enhance the quality of their decisions. Science and technology policy is concerned with the allocation of resources for and encouragement of scientific and engineering research and development, the use of scientific and technical knowledge to enhance the nation’s response to societal challenges, and the education of Americans in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Science and engineering research and innovations are intricately linked to societal needs and the nation’s economy in areas such as …

Energy And Water Development: Fy2009 Appropriations, Carl E. Behrens

Congressional Research Service Reports

The Energy and Water Development appropriations bill provides funding for civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), the Department of Energy (DOE), and a number of independent agencies.

In considering the FY2009 budget, both the House and the Senate Appropriations Committees voted to report out an Energy and Water Development appropriations bill. However, neither bill reached the floor in either house. On September 24, 2008, the House passed H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, which continued appropriations for Energy and Water Development, …

Wind Power In The United States: Technology, Economic, And Policy Issues, Jeffery Logan, Stan Mark Kaplan

Congressional Research Service Reports

Rising energy prices and concern over greenhouse gas emissions have focused congressional attention on energy alternatives, including wind power. Although wind power currently provides only about 1% of U.S. electricity needs, it is growing more rapidly than any other energy source. In 2007, over 5,000 megawatts of new wind generating capacity were installed in the United States, second only to new natural gas-fired generating capacity. Wind power has become “mainstream” in many regions of the country, and is no longer considered an “alternative” energy source.

Wind energy has become increasingly competitive with other power generation options. Wind technology has improved …

Grazing Fees: An Overview And Current Issues, Carol Hardy Vincent

Congressional Research Service Reports

Charging fees for grazing private livestock on federal lands is a long-standing but contentious practice. Generally, livestock producers who use federal lands want to keep fees low, while conservation groups and others believe fees should be increased. The formula for determining the grazing fee for lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service uses a base value adjusted annually by the lease rates for grazing on private lands, beef cattle prices, and the cost of livestock production. The collected fees are divided among the Treasury, states, and federal agencies. Fee reform was attempted but not adopted …

Intergenerational Support And The Role Of Grandparents In Post-Divorce Families: Retrospective Accounts Of Young Adult Grandchildren, Jordan Soliz

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

The purpose of the current study was to examine grandparent support to grandchildren following the divorce of parents. Participants (N = 42) responded to questions focusing on the enactment of support and relationships with grandparents. Through these retrospective, self-report accounts, six categories of grandparent support were identified. Additionally, four barriers to grandparent sup-port emerged from the responses of the grandchildren. These categories of and barriers to intergenerational social support are discussed as they relate to characteristics and expectations of provided support in post-divorce families.

Mississippi’S Social Transformation In Public Memories Of The Trial Against Byron De La Beckwith For The Murder Of Medgar Evers, Kristen Hoerl

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

In 1994, Byron de la Beckwith was convicted for the 1963 murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers. Journalistic coverage of the trial and the 1996 docudrama Ghosts of Mississippi crafted a social values transformation myth that depicted Beckwith as the primary villain of the civil rights past and cast his conviction as a sign that racism had been cleansed from Mississippi. Popular media naturalized this myth intertextually though narrative repetition and through symbolic cues that established the film as a source of historic understanding. These cues deflected critical attention from contemporary social conditions that have maintained racial inequity and …

Reflections On Discursive And Psychological Approaches To Leadership From Around The Globe, Kathleen J. Krone

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

As I write, the year has not yet ended, but by mid-November 2007, an Amazon.com advanced search of book titles and materials published on leadership yielded 15,601 hits, more than double the 7,519 titles appearing just 10 years earlier. Although I cannot comment on all 15,601 titles, I know that one of these—Gail Fairhurst’s Discursive Leadership: In Conversation With Leadership Psychology (2007)—promises to make a meaningful difference in how leadership is understood and practiced. With this forum, we highlight the book’s contribution by providing space for a group of management and communication scholars from a variety of locations to reflect …

Electronic Medical Records In Nebraska Security, Privacy, And Health Care Quality

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

This is a background document to prepare you for the November 17^th discussion about electronic health records. This discussion guide is intended to serve as a jumping-off point for our upcoming conversation. The discussion is not a test of facts, but rather a chance to offer your perspectives on the issues with other Lincoln residents.

Priority Lincoln: We’Re Listening A Community Conversation On The City Budget

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

This is a background document to prepare you for the Priority Lincoln: We’re Listening discussion on the Lincoln City Budget on April 12. This discussion guide is intended to serve as a jumping-off point for our upcoming conversation. The discussion is not a test of facts, but rather a chance to offer your perspectives on the issues with other Lincoln residents.

Abstract: Global Advertising Exposed: How J. Walter Thompson Conquered Western Europe, Frauke Hachtmann

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Western Europe's transformation from a group of countries that was almost completely destroyed as a result of World War II to the development of the prosperous European Union in the twenty-first century was a combination of many factors, including substantial monetary aid from the United States but also business know-how in the form of U.S. companies that decided to expand to Europe in search for consumers that were hungry for American products and services. The purpose of this historical paper was to explore how J. Walter Thompson, a U.S.-based global advertising agency, developed from a purely domestic business into one …

As Newsrooms Make Cuts, Put Training First, Carla Kimbrough

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

If your newsroom is shrinking, this is the time to pour more resources into helping your staff become the best they can be. And, it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Understanding staff needs is the first step in creating a staff-development program. As the top editor, decide what skills you would like to see your staff polish over the coming months or year. Then, go into the newsroom to ask the staff their needs. Keep the survey simple, so that staff members won't be turned off. With the vision and the needs in mind, use a …

Precision Of Descriptors For Percent Marrow Fat Content For Whitetailed Deer, Odocoileus Viriginianus, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Based on 168 records of both verbal descriptors of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) femur-marrow fat and percentage of fat measured later, “gelatinous” served well to distinguish fat < 46% from higher percentages. “Waxy” distinguished fat > 56%.

Elk Calf Survival And Mortality Following Wolf Restoration To Yellowstone National Park La Supervivencia Y La Mortalidad De Las Crı´As De Wapiti Tras La Restauracio´ N Del Lobo Al Parque Nacional De Yellowstone La Survie Et La Mortalite´ Des Faons De Wapitis Qui A Suivi La Re´Introduction Du Loup Au Parc De Yellowstone, S. M. Barber-Meyer, L. David Mech, P. J. White

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

We conducted a 3-year study (May 2003–Apr 2006) of mortality of northern Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus) calves to determine the cause for the recruitment decline (i.e., 33 calves to 13 calves/100 adult F) following the restoration of wolves (Canis lupus). We captured, fit with radiotransmitters, and evaluated blood characteristics and disease antibody seroprevalence in 151 calves ≤ 6 days old (68M:83F). Concentrations (x, SE) of potential condition indicators were as follows: thyroxine (T4; 13.8 µg/dL, 0.43), serum urea nitrogen (SUN; 17.4 mg/dL, 0.57), c-glutamyltransferase (GGT; 66.4 IU/L, 4.36), gamma globulins (GG; 1.5 g/dL, 0.07), and insulin-like …

Factors Influencing Predation On Juvenile Ungulates And Natural Selection Implications, S. M. Barber-Meyer, L. D. Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Juvenile ungulates are generally more vulnerable to predation than are adult ungulates other than senescent individuals, not only because of their relative youth, fragility, and inexperience, but also because of congenital factors. Linnell et al.’s (Wildl. Biol. 1: 209-223) extensive review of predation on juvenile ungulates concluded that research was needed to determine the predisposition of these juveniles to predation. Since then, various characteristics that potentially predispose juvenile ungulates have emerged including blood characteristics, morphometric and other condition factors, and other factors such as birth period, the mother’s experience, and spatial and habitat aspects. To the extent that any of …

Restoration Of Mangrove Plantations And Colonisation By Native Species In Leizhou Bay, South China, Hai Ren, Shuguang Jian, Hongfang Lu, Qianmei Zhang, Weijun Shen, Weidong Han, Zuoyun Yin, Qinfeng Guo

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

To examine the natural colonization of native mangrove species into remediated exotic mangrove stands in Leizhou Bay, South China, we compared soil physical–chemical properties, community structure and recruitments of barren mangrove areas, native mangrove species plantations, and exotic mangrove species—Sonneratia apetala Buch.Ham—between plantations and natural forest. We found that severely degraded mangrove stands could not regenerate naturally without human intervention due to severely altered local environments, whereas some native species had been recruited into the 4–10 year S. apetala plantations. In the first 10 years, the exotic species S. apetala grew better than native species such as Rhizophora stylosa …

Crying Wolf: Concluding That Wolves Were Not Restored, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

In 2007, the USA removed (delisted) the grey wolf (Canis lupus) in the upper Midwest from the Endangered Species List. After 35 years of being considered endangered, these wolves had increased from 750 in 38 400 km2 of Minnesota (Fuller et al. 1992) to over 4100 inhabiting 110 000 km² of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Conservationists celebrated this event as a most significant success. Suddenly, however, this milestone was challenged by Leonard & Wayne (2007) based on preliminary genetic findings that wolves of the upper Midwest 100 years ago were different from 69 per cent of the …

Long-Term Dynamics Of Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia Esula) And Its Biocontrol Agent, Flea Beetles In The Genus Aphthona, Diane L. Larson, James B. Grace, Jennifer L. Larson

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Three flea beetle species (Aphthona spp.), first introduced into North America in 1988, have come to be regarded as effective biological control organisms for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). The black flea beetles (Aphthona lacertosa and A. czwalinae) in particular have been shown to cause reductions in leafy spurge stem counts in the northern Great Plains, while the brown flea beetle (A. nigriscutis) has persisted and spread, but has not been found to be as effective at controlling leafy spurge. The ability of black flea beetles to control leafy spurge in any given year, …

Wpa News 82 (2008/2009), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Winter 2008/2009), number 82

Published by the World Pheasant Association

A Balance Of Power: Project Will Spread Information On Alternative Energy Sources, Antona Beckman

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

Renewable energy.

The phrase sounds good, but many Nebraskans may not know much about what it means. People may have seen those two wind turbines north of Lincoln, but what do they do, and whom do they serve? And what other alternative energy sources are available? Would it be possible and efficient to use solar power? And what exactly are the benefits of ethanol?

In an effort to inform Nebraskans about such alternative energy options, the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, along with the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center, received a grant of $12,000 to help Nebraskans learn …

Nebraska’S Drug Courts Evaluation, Mark Dekraai

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

The Nebraska Public Policy Center conducted an evaluation of Nebraska’s Problem-Solving Courts for the Administrative Office of the Courts. The evaluation was conducted from March – September of 2007 and covered eight probation problem-solving courts in Nebraska, including three adult drug courts (Midwest Nebraska, Northeast Nebraska, Sarpy County), four juvenile drug courts (Scottsbluff, Lancaster County, Douglas County, Sarpy County) and one young adult problem-solving court (Douglas County). The goal of the Nebraska’s Problem-solving (Drug) Court evaluation was to understand how well drug courts work, examine offender characteristics, examine current practices and procedures, and determine outcomes for offenders entering problem-solving courts.

A Case Study In Data Sharing: 211 Helplink And The Airs Xsd, Ian Cottingham, Ben Kutsch, Nancy C. Shank

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

The Coordinated Assistance Network (CAN) helps communities prepare for and respond to disasters. The ability to exchange up‐to‐date information about resources and clients is central to effective response. To facilitate the exchange of resource data, CAN has been working with information & referral organizations, namely 2‐1‐1s, to ensure that their existing data about community services may be easily and quickly shared with CAN in the event of disaster. CAN has been working with 211 Helplink (San Francisco, California) to develop an exchange using the data standard developed by the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems, AIRS XSD 2.07. The data …

Energy And The Future

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

Debate over energy policy in the United States has reached its pinnacle in recent years. Among the key issues that have pushed energy into the spotlight is concern over foreign oil dependence, competition for scarce resources from growing economies, and a mounting scientific and popular consensus that global climate change is a serious challenge of irreversible proportion.

The planet’s population is increasing, living longer, and in fast developing economies like China and India—getting wealthier—a combination of forces leading to both greater consumption of energy and increased production of greenhouse gases. Finding clean, alternative energy sources has thus become a critical …

Evaluation Of Nebraska’S Probation Problem Solving Courts

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

Eight Nebraska problem solving courts were examined for this evaluation: three adult drug courts, four juvenile drug courts, and one young adult problem solving court. The key questions intended to be addressed through this evaluation included the following:

1. To what extent do problem-solving courts serve appropriate persons, specifically in relation to risk classification?

2. How do the demographic characteristics of participants compare to the general population and other offenders?

3. To what extent do policies and procedures adhere to the proposed problem solving court rules

4. How do policies and procedures compare across courts?

5. What are possible areas …