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2003

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Behavioral Evaluation Of The Psychological Welfare And Environmental Requirements Of Agricultural Research Animals: Theory, Measurement, Ethics, And Practical Implications, Lesley A. King Jul 2003

Behavioral Evaluation Of The Psychological Welfare And Environmental Requirements Of Agricultural Research Animals: Theory, Measurement, Ethics, And Practical Implications, Lesley A. King

Experimentation Collection

The welfare of agricultural research animals relies not only on measures of good health but also on the presence of positive emotional states and the absence of aversive or unpleasant subjective states such as fear, frustration, or association with pain. Although subjective states are not inherently observable, their interaction with motivational states can be measured through assessment of motivated behavior, which indicates the priority animals place on obtaining or avoiding specific environmental stimuli and thus allows conclusions regarding the impact of housing, husbandry, and experimental procedures on animal welfare. Preference tests and consumer demand models demonstrate that animal choices are …

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West Nile Virus And Wildlife Health, Peter P. Marra, Sean M. Griffing, Robert G. Mclean Jul 2003

West Nile Virus And Wildlife Health, Peter P. Marra, Sean M. Griffing, Robert G. Mclean

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The West Nile Virus and Wildlife Health Workshop, hosted by the Smithsonian Institution, National Audubon Society, U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, was held February 5–7, 2003, at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland. The event was attended by more than 100 scientists, who heard 29 speakers and participated in strategy discussions during the 2-day meeting. The main focus of the conference was the present and future impact of West Nile virus on wildlife populations. Talks and discussions emphasized how basic research, public health, and land management can contribute to our understanding of the disease’s impact …

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Mountain Beaver: The Little Rodent With A Large Appetite, Wendy M. Arjo Jul 2003

Mountain Beaver: The Little Rodent With A Large Appetite, Wendy M. Arjo

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

While walking through open forest areas you might have found yourself falling into large holes that dot the landscape. After extracting your foot from the hole you may have noticed other holes nearby, some with clipped sword fern or forbs neatly arrayed around the hole. These symmetrical burrows are home to the mountain beaver. The mountain beaver, considered the most primitive living rodent species, descended from a now extinct family of rodents over 30 million years ago. Seven subspecies of mountain beaver are recognized with one subspecies in coastal California currently listed as an endangered species. This semi-fossorial rodent, endemic …

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Is It A Pocket Gopher Or Mole?, Wendy M. Arjo Jul 2003

Is It A Pocket Gopher Or Mole?, Wendy M. Arjo

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Depending on where you are, the term “gopher” is applied to a variety of mammal species including ground squirrels, prairie dogs and moles. The true pocket gopher is actually very distinguishable once you recognize their appearance and sign, or indicators of the animal. Pocket gophers are burrowing rodents named for their external fur-lined cheek pouches. Unlike mole mounds, which have been characterized as miniature volcanoes, gopher mounds are fan-shaped in appearance. Pocket gophers are distributed throughout the Pacific Northwest, but occur more frequently in the drier climates of eastern Washington and Oregon.

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The Role Of Toxicants In Forest Management, Wendy M. Arjo Jul 2003

The Role Of Toxicants In Forest Management, Wendy M. Arjo

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Although the emphasis of the Olympia Field Station is on the development of non-lethal methods to control pest species, sometimes lethal methods are necessary. Toxicants can be an effective means of quickly reducing high populations of some problem animals or maintaining acceptable population densities. Depending on their mode of action, toxicants are classified into three categories: fumigants, acute toxicants and chronic toxicants.

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Direct Analysis Of Plasticizers In Aqueous Samples By Atomspheric Pressure Chemical Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (Apci-Ms-Ms, Bruce A. Kimball, Thomas M. Primus, John J. Johnston Jul 2003

Direct Analysis Of Plasticizers In Aqueous Samples By Atomspheric Pressure Chemical Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (Apci-Ms-Ms, Bruce A. Kimball, Thomas M. Primus, John J. Johnston

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The widespread manufacture of plastics requires the similarly ubiquitous use of plasticizers. Plasticizers such as bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DOA) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DOP) enhance polymer strength and flexibility and are found in polymeric products such as cosmetics, detergents, and building and storage products (1). However, these additives are not bound to the polymer matrix and are subject to leaching. A recent Health Canada report warned that DOP may leach from medical devices and cause harm to infants, young boys, pregnant women, and nursing mothers (2). The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US. EPA) estimates that over 450,000 pounds of DOA were …

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Predators On Red-Winged Blackbird Nests In Eastern North Dakota, Richard S. Sawin, Mark W. Lutman, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier Jul 2003

Predators On Red-Winged Blackbird Nests In Eastern North Dakota, Richard S. Sawin, Mark W. Lutman, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Predation has consistently been identified as the most common cause of nest failure for Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus). During May and June, 2000 and 2001, we used infrared-triggered camera systems to identify potential nest predators on artificially relocated Red-winged Blackbird nests in eastern North Dakota. For some of the species observed, these observations represent the first documentation of predation on Red-winged Blackbird nests in the northern Great Plains.

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Developing Approaches To Reduce Wildlife Damage To Forest Resources, Dale L. Nolte Jul 2003

Developing Approaches To Reduce Wildlife Damage To Forest Resources, Dale L. Nolte

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife impacts on forest resources can be extensive. Although damage is generally considered in terms of reduced productivity or delayed harvest cycles, attempts to replace trees after a harvest or a fire can fail because of foraging wildlife. Wildlife, particularly mammalian herbivores, can impede attempts to establish native plants to increase forest diversity, improve riparian areas, re-vegetate disturbed sites, restore endangered or threatened plants, or to create or improve habitat for wildlife. Foraging wildlife can be extremely detrimental if animals browse on plants before seedlings are well established, or if foraging is continuous or intense. Native plant projects are often …

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Developing Strategies To Alleviate Wildlife Damage To Forest Resources, Dale L. Nolte Jul 2003

Developing Strategies To Alleviate Wildlife Damage To Forest Resources, Dale L. Nolte

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Does the presence of wildlife always pose a problem when reforesting a site? Not necessarily. However, the potential impacts of wildlife need to be considered. The intensity or severity of impacts caused by wildlife will reflect the species and density of animals present, along with existing habitat conditions. Whether these impacts create a problem depends on the objectives of the producer and the resources available to achieve the original goal. Wildlife will not be a problem for projects with unlimited resources and time. The repeated plant and replant methods will ultimately lead to some form of success. However, wildlife can …

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Fencing Out Big Game Species, Dale L. Nolte Jul 2003

Fencing Out Big Game Species, Dale L. Nolte

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Fencing is the most effective approach to deter big-game movements. However, cost to install and maintain effective fences can be prohibitive. Further, fences across rough terrain can be impractical. Although simple designs can effectively deter deer and elk from some sites, more complex designs are necessary if the protected resource is highly desirable or if normal transitory patterns, such as migratory routes or paths to water, are disrupted. The task becomes more daunting if your desire is to construct an impregnable fence.

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Repellents Are Socially Acceptable Tools, Dale L. Nolte Jul 2003

Repellents Are Socially Acceptable Tools, Dale L. Nolte

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The likelihood of a particular plant being consumed by an animal depends on its palatability, along with the availability and relative desirability of alternative foods. Repellents, therefore, can be applied to plants to render them less attractive than the alternative foods. In theory, animals then select for plants or foraging areas other than those protected with repellents. Repellents are socially acceptable nonlethal tools to reduce wildlife damage. New products are continually entering the market, but their efficacy varies greatly. Unfortunately, availability or even registration of these products does not equate to effectiveness. Some repellents contain aversive agents at concentrations below …

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Bears Prefer Trees In The Spring, Dale L. Nolte Jul 2003

Bears Prefer Trees In The Spring, Dale L. Nolte

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

As they emerge from their winter den, bears need an energy source and food is relatively scarce. Concurrently, trees are breaking dormancy and starting to generate carbohydrates. Consequently, bears commonly girdle Douglas-fir trees during the spring to feed on the available carbohydrates. Bears strip bark from a tree with their claws, then feed on the sapwood by scraping it from the heartwood with their teeth. Scattered remnants of bark strewn at the base of a tree and vertical tooth marks are characteristic indicators of bear activity. Most frequently bears forage on the lower bole of trees, girdling the bottom three …

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The Probe, Issue 229 – July/August 2003 Jul 2003

The Probe, Issue 229 – July/August 2003

The Probe: Newsletter of the National Animal Damage Control Association


• Human/Wildlife Conflicts in Ethiopia -- Jeff Peter sen, Berryman Institute, Utah State University
• NADCA 2004 Election
• If the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) originated in Asia, why is this rat commonly called a Norway rat?
• Book Review: When Raccoons Fall through Your Ceiling: The Handbook for Coexisting with Wildlife by Andrea Dawn Lopez.
• Antarctic Scientist Dies in Seal Attack: Research scientist, Kirsty Brown was snorkelling in waters close to the Rothera Research Station as part of her studies when a Leopard seal pulled her under.
• Giant Lizards Spreading Through the Gulf Coast: Cape Coral, Florida …

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Toward A Comprehensive Supplement For Language Courses, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan, Stephen P. Carl Jul 2003

Toward A Comprehensive Supplement For Language Courses, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan, Stephen P. Carl

Kno.e.sis Publications

No abstract provided.

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Infrared Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Study Of Vinylidene Fluoride (70%)-Trifluoroethylene (30%) Copolymer Langmuir-Blodgett Films, Mengjun Bai, Matt Poulsen, A.V. Sorokin, Stephen Ducharme, C.M. Herzinger, V.M. Fridkin Jul 2003

Infrared Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Study Of Vinylidene Fluoride (70%)-Trifluoroethylene (30%) Copolymer Langmuir-Blodgett Films, Mengjun Bai, Matt Poulsen, A.V. Sorokin, Stephen Ducharme, C.M. Herzinger, V.M. Fridkin

Stephen Ducharme Publications

We report the studies of the molecular conformation and chain orientations through characterization of the vibrational modes in crystalline Langmuir–Blodgett films of the polyvinylidene fluoride/trifluoroethylene copolymer. The infrared spectra obtained by polarized reflectometry and ellipsometry showed that the ferroelectric phase has predominantly all-trans conformation and the paraelectric phase has predominantly alternating trans-gauche conformation, as in solvent-formed films of the same copolymer. The results showed that the polymer chains are predominantly parallel to the film plane with a random in-plane orientation and most of the ferroelectric phase vibrational mode behaviors are consistent with the published mode assignments. The ferroelectric phase optical …

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Penetration Of Anthropogenic Carbon Into Organic Particles Of The Deep Ocean, Erm Druffel, Je Bauer, S Griffin, J Hwang Jul 2003

Penetration Of Anthropogenic Carbon Into Organic Particles Of The Deep Ocean, Erm Druffel, Je Bauer, S Griffin, J Hwang

VIMS Articles

] In the late 1980s, bomb C-14 was present in suspended particulate organic carbon (POC) from the North Central Pacific (NCP) and Sargasso Sea ( SS) throughout most of the water column, demonstrating that deep POC had exchanged with atmospheric CO2 in the past 30 years. Upon reoccupation of these sites in 1999 and 2000, respectively, we observed that the delta(13)C values of suspended POC were lower than those measured a decade earlier. This demonstrates that anthropogenic CO2 from fossil fuel and biomass burning has penetrated a major organic matter pool in the deep ocean. Delta(14)C measured in the suspended …

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Markov Chains And Dynamic Geometry Of Polygons, Jiu Ding, L. Richard Hitt, Xin-Min Zhang Jul 2003

Markov Chains And Dynamic Geometry Of Polygons, Jiu Ding, L. Richard Hitt, Xin-Min Zhang

Faculty Publications

In this paper we construct sequences of polygons from a given n-sided cyclic polygon by iterated procedures and study the limiting behaviors of these sequences in terms of non-negative matrices and Markov chains. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

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Entropic Characterization Of Distributive Mixing In Polymer Processing Equipment, Winston Wang, Ica Manas Zloczower, Miron Kaufman Jul 2003

Entropic Characterization Of Distributive Mixing In Polymer Processing Equipment, Winston Wang, Ica Manas Zloczower, Miron Kaufman

Physics Faculty Publications

Mixing is an integral component of most polymer processing operations as material properties are highly influenced by the quality of mixing. The degree of distributive mixing (system homogeneity) is assessed by calculating the evolution of Renyi relative entropies for the minor component along a continuous processing equipment. The Renyi entropy involves a β parameter, which represents weighting given to the concentration of the minor component in small, localized regions. Different aspects of mixing can thus be analyzed, from the amount of void spaces to the concentration of the region where mixing is the worst in terms of the minor component. …

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Untangling The Web: The National Digital Libraries Initiative, Dean Johnston Jul 2003

Untangling The Web: The National Digital Libraries Initiative, Dean Johnston

Chemistry Faculty Scholarship

A report on the National Digital Libraries Initiative is presented. To facilitate access to the vast resources of the Internet, the National Science Foundation has created the Digital Libraries Initiative. Several sites have come online recently that index and catalog materials in a way similar to a library, providing additional information about each site. The official National Science Digital Library Web site has the potential to become a one-stop site for a wide range of educational science material.

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Characterization Of Environmentally Friendly Polymers: Amylopectin And Its Blends, Mohammad Osman Melibari Jul 2003

Characterization Of Environmentally Friendly Polymers: Amylopectin And Its Blends, Mohammad Osman Melibari

Theses and Dissertations

Biodegradable polymers are desirable for a variety of applications, such as in packaging, agriculture, and medicine. Its biological degradation by microorganisms accelerated the interest in biodegradable polymers during the last decades. Within this group of innovative environmentally friendly biodegradable polymers, starch or Amylpectin plays a predominant role, due to their potential biodegradability. This research was attempted to characterize Amylopectin to obtain its physio-chemical properties. In addition, characterizations were extended to include blends of Amylopectin and biodegradable diluents. Blends of Amylopectin with biodegradable diluents including Polycaprolactone, Poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide), and Poly(3- hydroxybutyric acid) were prepared. The physical properties and the thermodynamic characteristics of …

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One-Step Processing Of Spinel Ferrites Via The High-Energy Ball Milling Of Binary Oxides, V. G. Harris, D. J. Fatemi, J. O. Cross, E. E. Carpenter, V. M. Browning, J. P. Kirkland, Amitabh Mohan, Gary J. Long Jul 2003

One-Step Processing Of Spinel Ferrites Via The High-Energy Ball Milling Of Binary Oxides, V. G. Harris, D. J. Fatemi, J. O. Cross, E. E. Carpenter, V. M. Browning, J. P. Kirkland, Amitabh Mohan, Gary J. Long

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

MnZn ferrites have been produced via the high-energy ball milling of binary oxide precursors. The milled ferrites have a nonequilibrium cation site distribution, with an unusually high population of Zn cations on the octahedral sites. The particle size distribution drops precipitously with milling time from 60±1 to ∼14±1 nm at 10 h, but increases to 18.5±1 nm after long durations (20–40 h) concurrent with the formation of nearly pure ferrite. A 1 h anneal at 673 K facilitates a redistribution of cations to their near equilibrium sites. This processing approach circumvents the need for deleterious high-temperature heat treatments that often …

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E1-E2 Interference In The Vuv Photoionization Of He, E. P. Kanter, B. Krassig, S. H. Southworth, Renaud Guillemin, Oliver Hemmers, Dennis W. Lindle, R. Wehlitz, M. Ya Amusia, L. V. Chernysheva, N. L. S. Martin Jul 2003

E1-E2 Interference In The Vuv Photoionization Of He, E. P. Kanter, B. Krassig, S. H. Southworth, Renaud Guillemin, Oliver Hemmers, Dennis W. Lindle, R. Wehlitz, M. Ya Amusia, L. V. Chernysheva, N. L. S. Martin

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

We have measured the forward-backward asymmetry of photoelectron angular distributions produced in the vacuum ultraviolet photoionization of helium. This asymmetry, a consequence of the breakdown of the dipole approximation, measures the real part of the ratio of the quadrupole and dipole matrix elements. In the autoionization region, the strong energy dependence of the asymmetry permits an experimental separation of the ratio of those magnitudes from their phase difference. We experimentally determined the Fano parameters of the 2p21D2 quadrupole resonance, and report improved values of the width Γ and line profile parameter q from those previously available …

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An Investigation Of Gravity Wave Activity In The Low-Latitude Mesosphere: Propagation Direction And Wind Filtering, A. F. Medeiros, Michael J. Taylor, H. Takahashi, P. P. Batista, D. Gobbi Jul 2003

An Investigation Of Gravity Wave Activity In The Low-Latitude Mesosphere: Propagation Direction And Wind Filtering, A. F. Medeiros, Michael J. Taylor, H. Takahashi, P. P. Batista, D. Gobbi

All Physics Faculty Publications

An all-sky charge-coupled device imager capable of measuring wave structure in the OH, O2, and O I (557.7 nm) airglow emissions was operated at Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil (23S, 45W), for 2 years in collaboration with Utah State University, Logan. The dominant quasi-monochromatic gravity wave components investigated over a 1 year period (September 1998 to October 1999) have been extracted, and their seasonal variations have been measured. A total of 283 wave events were measured, exhibiting horizontal wavelengths from 5 to 60 km, observed periods from 5 to 35 min, and horizontal phase speeds of up to 80 m s1. The …

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Validation Of Imaging Doppler Interferometer Winds Using Meteor Radar, G. O.L. Jones, C. S. Fish, W. K. Hocking, Michael J. Taylor Jul 2003

Validation Of Imaging Doppler Interferometer Winds Using Meteor Radar, G. O.L. Jones, C. S. Fish, W. K. Hocking, Michael J. Taylor

All Physics Faculty Publications

There has been some debate over the years concerning the accuracy of mesospheric wind observations made using the imaging Doppler interferometer (IDI) technique. The high potential and increasing use of IDI wind data in joint studies with spaced-antenna MF and meteor radar systems make it important to quantify the IDI results. This paper presents a novel comparison of wind measurements between a dynasonde implementation of IDI and winds derived from an all-sky meteor radar system, a widely-accepted standard for such measurements. Both radars were located at the USU Bear Lake Observatory and operated almost continuously for a four-month period. The …

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Flow Recommendations To Benefit Endangered Fishes In The Colorado And Gunnison Rivers, Charles W. Mcada Jul 2003

Flow Recommendations To Benefit Endangered Fishes In The Colorado And Gunnison Rivers, Charles W. Mcada

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

No abstract provided.

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A Closer Look At Boosted Image Retrieval, Nicholas Howe Jul 2003

A Closer Look At Boosted Image Retrieval, Nicholas Howe

Computer Science: Faculty Publications

Margin-maximizing techniques such as boosting have been generating excitement in machine learning circles for several years now. Although these techniques offer significant improvements over previous methods on classification tasks, little research has examined the application of techniques such as boosting to the problem of retrieval from image and video databases. This paper looks at boosting for image retrieval and classification, with a comparative evaluation of several top algorithms combined in two different ways with boosting. The results show that boosting improves retrieval precision and recall (as expected), but that variations in the way boosting is applied can significantly affect the …

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Hydrogeologic Principles Useful In Predicting The Effects Of Stream Flow Alterations On Shallow Groundwater And Associated Riparian Vegetation, Mark Cable Rains Jul 2003

Hydrogeologic Principles Useful In Predicting The Effects Of Stream Flow Alterations On Shallow Groundwater And Associated Riparian Vegetation, Mark Cable Rains

Geology Faculty Publications

Numerous studies have shown that stream water and shallow groundwater are tightly linked in alluvial settings, and that changes in stream stage are propagated rapidly across alluvial aquifers (Castro and Hornberger 1991, Sophocleous 1991). Thus, many researchers have assumed that stream stages approximate water tables in alluvial aquifers (Auble et al. 1994, Stromberg and Patten 1996). This assumption is valid in some cases but invalid in other cases, particularly in arid basin terrain and more humid mountain terrain. Even when this assumption is valid, this relationship only implies correlation and not causation so the potential effects of stream flow alterations …

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Wildlife-Human Interactions In National Parks In Canada And The Usa, Dr. Alistair J. Bath, Jody W. Enck, National Park Service, U.S. Department Of The Interior Jul 2003

Wildlife-Human Interactions In National Parks In Canada And The Usa, Dr. Alistair J. Bath, Jody W. Enck, National Park Service, U.S. Department Of The Interior

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

The chance to view wildlife draws millions of visitors each year to the national parks of North America. The combination of a large number of people and abundant wildlife leads to a variety of wildlife-human interactions. In this paper we explore the nature of those wildlife-human interactions, theoretical frameworks social scientists are using to understand those interactions, and approaches used by national parks across North America to manage those interactions.

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Charge Transfer In Slow Collisions Of H⁺ With Na, Anh-Thu Le, Chen-Nan Liu, C. D. Lin Jul 2003

Charge Transfer In Slow Collisions Of H⁺ With Na, Anh-Thu Le, Chen-Nan Liu, C. D. Lin

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We reexamined charge-transfer cross sections for protons colliding with Na(3s) atoms for collision energies from the threshold at 1.7 eV to 40 eV using the recently developed hyperspherical close-coupling method. Our results disagree with the recent calculations by Dutta et al. [Phys. Rev. A 63, 022709 (2001)], but are in good agreement with the earlier calculations of Croft and Dickinson [J. Phys. B 29, 57 (1996)] except at energies below 3 eV. Our calculations support the doubt on the experimental data of Kushawaha.

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From Seedlings To Crowns: These Species Cover It All, Wendy M. Arjo Jul 2003

From Seedlings To Crowns: These Species Cover It All, Wendy M. Arjo

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Damage to trees in the Pacific Northwest ecosystems can occur at any point in a tree’s development. Of the three genera of voles, Microtus is the largest and most destructive to western forest ecosystems. Voles, like many small rodent species, have the ability to produce numerous litters in a single year and females are mature 30-40 days after they are born. Average litter size is three pups, and females can a produce a litter every 21 days. With this type of reproductive capability, it is easy to see why vole populations can rapidly expand in ideal habitats.

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