Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Leaded Electronic Waste Is A Possible Material For Lead-Contaminated Jewelry, Jeffrey D. Weidenhamer, Michael L. Clement

Jeffrey D. Weidenhamer

Highly leaded jewelry, often imported from China, remains widely available in the United States. Leaded electronic waste is exported from the United States to several Asian countries where solder is recovered and circuit boards are stripped of parts in small workshops. To assess whether electronic waste is being recycled into the jewelry, lead, tin and copper content of highly leaded jewelry samples were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Sixteen jewelry items previously determined to contain 20–80% lead by weight were analyzed. Samples were digested in nitric acid for analysis of lead and copper, and in aqua regia for analysis of …

Open Access To Professional Information, Jim Pitman

Jim Pitman

This IMS Presidential Address was given at the Joint Statistical Meetings in Salt Lake City, August 2007. There are now two competing business models for scholarly communication: the traditional Gated Access model, supported by library subscriptions, and the Open Access model, supported by some combination of author fees, sponsorship and advertising. IMS has adopted a mixed model by assisting authors to post their work on arXiv, while still retaining journal subscriptions, by allowing all journal content to become open after a suitable delay, and by supporting a mixed portfolio of gated and open journals. Providing access as openly as possible …

Usability Inspection Methods After 15 Years Of Research And Practice, Tasha Hollingsed, David G. Novick

David G. Novick

Usability inspection methods, such as heuristic evaluation, the cognitive walkthrough, formal usability inspections, and the pluralistic usability walkthrough, were introduced fifteen years ago. Since then, these methods, analyses of their comparative effectiveness, and their use have evolved in different ways. In this paper, we track the fortunes of the methods and analyses, looking at which led to use and to further research, and which led to relative methodological dead ends. Heuristic evaluation and the cognitive walkthrough appear to be the most actively used and researched techniques. The pluralistic walkthrough remains a recognized technique, although not the subject of significant further …

Toward A More Accurate View Of When And How People Seek Help With Computer Applications, David G. Novick, Edith Elizalde, Nathaniel Bean

David G. Novick

Based on 40 interviews and 11 on-site workplace observations of people using computer applications at work, we confirm that use of printed and on-line help is very low and find that providing greater detail of categories solution methods can present a more realistic picture of users’ behaviors. Observed study participants encountered a usability problem on average about once every 75 minutes and typically spent about a minute looking for a solution. Participants consumed much more time when they were unaware of a direct way of doing something and instead used less effective methods. Comparison of results from different data-collection methods …

Platinum Nanoparticle Shape Effects On Benzene Hydrogenation Selectivity, Kaitlin M. Bratlie, Hyunjoo Lee, Kyriakos Komvopoulos, Peidong Yang, Gabor A. Somorjai

Kaitlin M. Bratlie

Benzene hydrogenation was investigated in the presence of a surface monolayer consisting of Pt nanoparticles of different shapes (cubic and cuboctahedral) and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB). Infrared spectroscopy indicated that TTAB binds to the Pt surface through a weak C-HâââPt bond of the alkyl chain. The catalytic selectivity was found to be strongly affected by the nanoparticle shape. Both cyclohexane and cyclohexene product molecules were formed on cuboctahedral nanoparticles, whereas only cyclohexane was produced on cubic nanoparticles. These results are the same as the product selectivities obtained on Pt(111) and Pt(100) single crystals in earlier studies. The apparent activation energy for …

Seismicity In The Vicinity Of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, For The Period October 1, 2003, To September 30, 2004, David Von Seggern, Ken Smith, John G. Anderson, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

This report describes the seismicity and earthquake monitoring activities within the Yucca Mountain region during fiscal year 2004 (FY2004 - October 1, 2003, through September 30, 2004) based on operation of the Southern Great Basin Digital Seismic Network (SGBDSN). Network practices and earthquake monitoring conducted at the Nevada Seismological Laboratory (NSL) under DOE directives for prior fiscal years are covered in similar yearly reports (see references). Real-time systems, including regional data telemetry and data management at NSL, provide for the automatic determination of earthquake locations and magnitudes and notification of important earthquakes in the region to UNR staff and DOE …

Ultrafast Dynamics Of Triplet Excitons In Alq(3)-Bridge-Pt(Ii)Porphyrin Electroluminescent Materials, Victor A. Montes, Cesar Perez-Bolivar, Leandro A. Estrada, Joseph Shinar, Pavel Anzenbacher Jr.

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Excited-state dynamics are crucial for maximizing the performance of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Because electron-hole recombination yields singlet and triplet excited states in a 3:1 ratio, it is important to harvest the energy of triplets in light-emitting processes. Self-assembled multichromophore electroluminescent materials consisting of a trisquinolinolate aluminum(III) (Alq(3)) donor, fluorene-based conjugated oligomers; as a bridge, and Pt(II)tetraphenylporphyrin as an acceptor and phosphorescent emitter are described. In these materials, the energy of singlet as well as triplet states is harvested and emitted as red phosphorescence from the porphyrin acceptor. Attention was devoted to the triplet exciton dynamics, which was investigated by …

Spitzer Transit And Secondary Eclipse Photometry Of Gj 436b, Drake Deming, Joseph Patrick Harrington, Gregory P. Laughlin, Sara Seager, Sarah B. Navarro, William C. Bowman, Karen Horning

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

We report the results of infrared (8 μm) transit and secondary eclipse photometry of the hot Neptune exoplanet, GJ 436b using Spitzer. The nearly photon-limited precision of these data allows us to measure an improved radius for the planet and to detect the secondary eclipse. The transit (centered at HJD p 2454280.78149 ± 0.00016) shows the flat-bottomed shape typical of infrared transits, and it precisely defines the planet-to-star radius ratio (±), independent of the stellar properties. However, we obtain the planetary radius, as well as the stellar mass and radius, by fitting to the transit curve simultaneously with an empirical …

Temperature-Dependent Characterization Of Thin-Film Filters For Optical Communications, Corneliu Rablau, Christopher Schenk

Physics Presentations And Conference Materials

The explosive increase in the demand for transmission capacity for optical communications networks has resulted in a widespread deployment of dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM). Thin film filters are a critical component of DWDM devices. They consist of Fabry-Perot resonant cavities obtained by vacuum deposition on a glass substrate of alternating layers of two dielectric materials of different indices of refraction. The performance requirements for these filters are determined by the density of channels to be multiplexed. For the 100 GHz ITU grid, these channels are spaced 100 GHz (0.8 nm) apart. Typical figures of merit include the insertion loss …

A Statistical Model To Forecast Short-Term Atlantic Hurricane Intensity, Kevin Law, Jay S. Hobgood

Geography Faculty Research

An alternative 24-h statistical hurricane intensity model is presented and verified for 13 hurricanes during the 2004–05 seasons. The model uses a new method involving a discriminant function analysis (DFA) to select from a collection of multiple regression equations. These equations were developed to predict the future 24-h wind speed increase and the 24-h pressure drop that were constructed from a dataset of 103 hurricanes from 1988 to 2003 that utilized 25 predictors of rapid intensification. The accuracy of the 24-h wind speed increase models was tested and compared with the official National Hurricane Center (NHC) 24-h intensity forecasts, which …

Modification Of Carboplatin By Jurkat Cells, Anthony J. Di Pasqua, Jerry Goodisman, Deborah J. Kerwood, James C. Dabrowiak, Bonnie B. Toms

Chemistry - All Scholarship

Using [¹H,¹⁵N] heteronuclear single quantum coherance (HSQC) NMR and ¹⁵N-labeled carboplatin, 1, we show that Jurkat cells affect the rate of disappearance of the HSQC NMR peak in culture medium for this Pt²⁺ anticancer drug. The decay or disappearance rate constant for 1 in culture medium containing cells is k1=kc[CO32-]+km+kuN, where k_c is the rate constant for reaction of 1 with carbonate in the medium, k_m is the rate constant for reaction of 1 with all other components of the medium, and k_u is the rate constant for reaction of …

Wildlife Health Centre Newsletter – Volume 13, Fall/Winter 2007, Number 1

Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre: Newsletters and Publications

Feature Articles:
International Polar Year 2007/2008 - What’s in it for Wildlife Health?
Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) type IV`b’in the Great Lakes— an Update

Disease Updates

Atlantic Region
“Flesh-eating Disease” in Two Raccoons due to Streptococcus group G infection
Avian Cholera in Open Ocean Seabirds of Atlantic Canada Cerebellar Abiotrophy in a Moose

Quebec Region
Besnoitiosis in Caribou Herds (Rangifer tarandus
Incursion of Raccoon Rabies in the Province of Quebec

Ontario/Nunavut Region
Canine Distemper Virus in Sled Dogs—Nunavut and NT
CCWHC Seeking Increased Submissions of Reptiles and Amphibians

Western/Northern Region
Update on Bovine Tuberculosis in the Riding Mountain …

2007 (Fall), University Of Dayton. Department Of Mathematics

Colloquia

Abstracts of the talks given at the 2007 Fall Colloquium.

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 49 Number 2, Fall 2007, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

14 - A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE PRESIDENT By Ron Hansen. Set your alarm clock early-then get up and follow Paul Locatelli, S.J., through a day of leading the University and serving as pastor, professor, mayor, and CEO.

22 - BUILT BY IMMIGRANTS By Gerald McKevitt, S.J. How Italian Jesuits helped shape the American West, from religious devotions to curriculum to pasta.

28 - YOU ARE HERE By Sarah Stanek. SCU students and faculty collaborate on a groundbreaking project documenting early life at Mission Santa Clara-and the result is a book that's the first of its kind for …

Cs 209: Computer Programming For Business Ii, Dennis Kellermeier

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

CS 209 is the second of a two quarter sequence in programming for business students. It is required for Management Information Science majors. The courses are designed to help students achieve a high degree of facility in intermediate level programming.

Design Optimization And Performance Capabilities Of The Fast Neutron Imaging Telescope (Fnit), U Bravar, P J. Bruillard, E O. Fluckiger, Jason S. Legere, John R. Macri, A L. Mackinnon, Procheta Mallik, Mark L. Mcconnell, M R. Moser, B Pirard, James M. Ryan, R S. Woolf

Space Science Center

We describe the design optimization process and performance characterization of a next generation neutron telescope, with imaging and energy measurement capabilities, sensitive to neutrons in the 1-20 MeV energy range. The response of the Fast Neutron Imaging Telescope (FNIT), its efficiency in neutron detection, energy resolution and imaging capabilities were characterized through a combination of lab tests and Monte Carlo simulations. Monte Carlo simulations, together with experimental data, are also being used in the development and testing of the image reconstruction algorithm. FNIT was initially conceived to study solar neutrons as a candidate instrument for the Inner Heliosphere Sentinel (IHS) …

Increased Probiotic Yogurt Or Resistant Starch Intake Does Not Affect Isoflavone Bioavailability In Subjects Consuming A High Soy Diet, Theresa A. Larkin, William E. Price, Lee B. Astheimer

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Objective: Probiotics and prebiotics that affect gut microflora balance and its associated enzymeactivity may contribute to interindividual variation in isoflavone absorption after soy intake, possiblyenhancing isoflavone bioavailability. This study examined the effects of the consumption ofbioactive yogurt (a probiotic) or resistant starch (a known prebiotic) in combination with high soyintake on soy isoflavone bioavailability.Methods: Using a crossover design, chronic soy consumption was compared with soy plusprobiotic yogurt or resistant starch in older male and postmenopausal females (n 31). Isoflavonebioavailability was assessed at the beginning and end of each 5-wk dietary period by samplingplasma and urine after a standardized soy meal.Results: …

Arts And Sciences Newsletter, Volume 11, Issue 1, College Of Arts & Sciences

Arts and Sciences Newsletters

No abstract provided.

The Planet, 2007, Fall, Page A. Buono, Huxley College Of The Environment, Western Washington University

The Planet

No abstract provided.

Scwds Briefs: Volume 23, Number 3 (October 2007), Gary L. Doster , Editor, Scwds Briefs, Michael J. Yabsley

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

Table of Contents:

Hemorrhagic Disease in 2007

Gone with the Pigs? VS on Ossabaw Island

Theileriosis in Alabama Reindeer

Cryptosporidium in Wildlife

TWS Addresses Baiting and Feeding of Wildlife

SCWDS Awards at WDA Meeting

SCWDS Anniversary Honored

AFWA Resolution 2007-1

Promoting Mathematical Communication And Community Via Blackboard, Kris H. Green, Erica L. Johnson

Mathematical and Computing Sciences Faculty/Staff Publications

Major changes in mathematics pedagogy include writing as pedagogy and the role of community in learning. The classroom community is naturally extended by the use of online discussion boards. In this paper several models for student use of online discussion boards that have been successfully used to promote mathematical discourse are presented. Structured and unstructured examples that are easily adaptable and transportable to a variety of mathematics classroom settings are offered. These assignments facilitate student engagement and interaction outside of the classroom. Assessment, utility, and transferability are offered. Although the authors use the discussion boards provided by Blackboard, this particular …

Arctic Report Card 2007: Tracking Recent Environmental Changes, J. Overland, L. Bengtsson, R. Przybylak, J. Walsh, J. Richter-Menge, S. Nghiem, D. Perovich, I. Rigor, A. Proshutinsky, J. Morison, V. Romanovsky, R. Armstrong, L.D. Hinzman, N. Oberman, A. Shiklomanov, E. Hanna, J. Box, P. Huybrechts, R. Van Bogaert, D. Walker, G.J. Jia, O. Grau, M. Hallinger, M. De Dapper, C. Jonasson, T.V. Callaghan, D. Russell, M.J.J.E. Loonen, C. Zöckler, B. Ebbinge

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Collectively, the observations indicate that the overall warming of the Arctic system continued in 2007. There are some elements that are stabilizing or returning to climatological norms. These mixed tendencies illustrate the sensitivity and complexity of the Arctic System.

Atmosphere: Hot spot shifts toward Europe

Ocean: North Pole Temperatures at depth returning to 1990s values

Sea Ice: Summer extent at record minimum

Greenland: Recent warm temperatures associated with net ice loss

Biology: increasing tundra shrub cover and variable treeline advance; up to 80% declines in some caribou herds while goose populations double

Land: Increase in permafrost temperatures

The Arctic Report …

Ua35/1 Doers & Deeds Vol. 7, No. 2, Wku Provost

WKU Archives Records

Newsletter created by the WKU Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs to highlight the activities of faculty, staff and alumni.

Effect Of Tip Resonances On Tunnelling Anisotropic Magnetoresistance In Ferromagnetic Break Junctions: A First-Principles Study, J. D. Burton, Renat F. Sabirianov, Julian P. Velev, Oleg N. Mryasov, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Physics Faculty Publications

First-principles calculations of electron tunneling transport in nanoscale Ni and Co break-junctions reveal strong dependence of the conductance on the magnetization direction, an effect known as tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance TAMR. An important aspect of this phenomenon stems from resonant states localized in the electrodes near the junction break. The energy and broadening of these states is strongly affected by the magnetization orientation due to spin-orbit coupling, causing TAMR to be sensitive to bias voltage on a scale of a few millivolts. Our results bear a resemblance to recent experimental data and suggest that TAMR driven by resonant states is a …

Web Site Personalization Based On Link Analysis And Navigational Patterns, Magdalini Eirinaki, Michalis Vazirgiannis

Magdalini Eirinaki

The continuous growth in the size and use of the World Wide Web imposes new methods of design and development of online information services. The need for predicting the users' needs in order to improve the usability and user retention of a Web site is more than evident and can be addressed by personalizing it. Recommendation algorithms aim at proposing “next” pages to users based on their current visit and past users' navigational patterns. In the vast majority of related algorithms, however, only the usage data is used to produce recommendations, disregarding the structural properties of the Web graph. Thus …

Classification Of The Deletion Correcting Capabilities Of Reed–Solomon Codes Of Dimension Over Prime Fields, L. Mcaven, R. Safavi-Naini

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

Deletion correction codes have been used for transmission synchronization and, more recently, tracing pirated media. A generalized Reed-Solomon (GRS) code, denoted by GRSk(l,q,alpha,v), is a code of length l over GF(q) with qk codewords. These codes have an efficient decoding algorithm and have been widely used for error correction and detection. It was recently demonstrated that GRS codes are also capable of correcting deletions. We consider a subclass of GRS codes with dimension k=2 and q prime, and study them with respect to deletion correcting capability. We give transformations that either preserve the code or maintain its deletion correction capability. …

Drought Scape- Fall 2007, The National Drought Mitigation Center

Droughtscape, Quarterly Newsletter of NDMC, 2007-

Fall 2007 Outlook

Diverse Impacts Reported in Summer of 2007

Decadal Climate Cycles Hold Predictive Potential

Drought Experts Take Roadmap to Congress

NDMC Research Updates

Drainage Diversion Patterns And Landform Morphology As An Indicator Of Deformation Style: Examples From The Zagros Simply Folded Belt, Islamic Republic Of Iran (Abstract), Caroline M. Burberry, John W. Cosgrove, J.-G. Liu

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

First paragraph of abstract: In the NW-SE trending Zagros Simply Folded Belt, landform organisation is shown to be a straightforward response to tectonic forcing processes using remote sensing. Two end-member fold types (detachment folds and fault-bend folds) interact with streams flowing into the Persian Gulf. Using drainage network analysis and geomorphologic methods, the organisation of emergent landform morphologies is mapped and the distribution of different fold types is inferred.

Benthic Mapping For Habitat Classification In The Peconic Estuary: Phase I Groundtruth Studies, Robert M. Cerrato, Nicole P. Maher

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

Benthic habitat maps of the estuary seafloor will increase our knowledge of range and variability in benthic habitats, will assist managers in their efforts to protect and/or restore commercially and recreationally important finfish and shellfish, will link land usage (e.g. developed vs. undeveloped areas) and water quality data to benthic habitat quality, and will make it possible to utilize faunal data as a long-term indicator of the overall “health” of the estuary. We are developing benthic habitat maps by combining high-resolution remote sensing techniques with detailed study of the physical and faunal characteristics at point locations in different seafloor environments. …

Investigating A Method To Measure Sperm Transfer In Chelidonura Sandrana (Opisthobranchia: Cephalaspidea), Kate Kunigelis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper investigates possible methods for measuring sperm transfer in the internal fertilizing, simultaneous hermaphrodite Chelidonura sandrana (Opisthobranchia: Cephalaspidea). Comparing sperm amount transferred in copulations has significance for testing the assumption that sperm transfer is linearly correlated with copulation duration as well as providing a tool for future studies. Various methods of preparing, treating, and viewing sperm samples were attempted. Two unsuccessful pilot studies were conducted to test free sperm counts and measuring sperm pellet surface area. Future research should focus on optimizing centrifugation method for surface area measurements of sperm clusters and resuspending sperm clusters to enable sperm counting. …