Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Judge-Jury Agreement In Criminal Cases: A Partial Replication Of Kalven And Zeisel's The American Jury, Theodore Eisenberg, Paula L. Hannaford-Agor, Valerie P. Hans, Nicole L. Waters, G. Thomas Munsterman, Stewart J. Schwab, Martin T. Wells

Stewart J Schwab

This study uses a new criminal case data set to partially replicate Kalven and Zeisel's classic study of judge-jury agreement. The data show essentially the same rate of judge-jury agreement as did Kalven and Zeisel for cases tried almost 50 years ago. This study also explores judge-jury agreement as a function of evidentiary strength (as reported by both judges and juries), evidentiary complexity (as reported by both judges and juries), legal complexity (as reported by judges), and locale. Regardless of which adjudicator's view of evidentiary strength is used, judges tend to convict more than juries in cases of "middle" evidentiary …

An Empirical Analysis Of Ceo Employment Contracts: What Do Top Executives Bargain For?, Stewart J. Schwab, Randall S. Thomas

Stewart J Schwab

No abstract provided.

How Employment-Discrimination Plaintiffs Fare In The Federal Courts Of Appeals, Kevin M. Clermont, Theodore Eisenberg, Stewart J. Schwab

Stewart J Schwab

Employment-discrimination plaintiffs swim against the tide. Compared to the typical plaintiff, they win a lower proportion of cases during pretrial and after trial. Then, many of their successful cases are appealed. On appeal, they have a harder time in upholding their successes, as well in reversing adverse outcome. This tough story does not describe some tiny corner of the litigation world. Employment-discrimination cases constitute an increasing fraction of the federal civil docket, now reigning as the largest single category of cases at nearly 10 percent. In this article, we use official government data to describe the appellate phase of this …

Grasping The Fundamental Physics Of Xenon, Matthew M. Szydagis

Physics Faculty Scholarship

Direct searches for dark matter using noble liquids, especially liquid xenon in recent years, have obtained the best sensitivities in the field for moderate to high-mass dark-matter WIMPs. Along with the development of this technology, there has been a continued effort in the community to better understand the detailed scintillation and ionization responses of noble liquids in the presence of low-energy ionizing radiation. As this body of knowledge is reaching a mature state, a unified software framework for simulating scintillation and ionization production in these detectors is strongly needed. In this talk, I introduce NEST: Noble Element Simulation Technique, which …

Cosm News, Georgia Southern University

College of Science and Mathematics News (2012-2019)

• ICPS receives grant from Coral Reef Conservation Program

Charged Skyrmions On The Surface Of A Topological Insulator, Hilary M. Hurst, Dimitry K. Efimkin, Jiadong Zang, Victor Galitski

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We consider the interplay between magnetic skyrmions in an insulating thin film and the Dirac surface states of a 3D topological insulator (TI), coupled by proximity effect. The magnetic texture of skyrmions can lead to confinement of Dirac states at the skyrmion radius, where out of plane magnetization vanishes. This confinement can result in charging of the skyrmion texture. The presence of bound states is robust in an external magnetic field, which is needed to stabilize skyrmions. It is expected that for relevant experimental parameters skyrmions will have a few bound states that can be tuned using an external magnetic …

Chromite Crystal Structure And Chemistry Applied As An Exploration Tool, Patrick H.M. Shepherd

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The spinel group minerals have long been of interest to the geosciences due to their use as indicator minerals. Unit cell is a structural measure controlled by composition but is also affected by pressure and temperature relations through order-disorder. This study attempted to look at the applications of unit cell in exploration. The implementation of µXRD for this purpose required the creation the Slice Integration Technique to improve signal over background. Compositions of binary spinels can be approximated through their correlation with unit cell. Possible applications include gemology and curatorial studies, where the nondestructive nature of µXRD is highly advantageous …

Introduction To The Research Capabilities Of The Vims Coastal Hydrodynamics & Sediment Dynamics (Chsd) Lab, G. M. Cartwright, K. A. Fall, C. T. Friedrichs, D. Tarpley

Presentations

No abstract provided.

What Controls Bed Erodibility In Muddy Estuaries? Insights From The York River, Virginia, C. T. Friedrichs, K. A. Fall, R. J. Diaz, P. Dickhut

Presentations

Appropriate parameterization of time-dependent erodibility of muddy seabeds is a significant barrier to improved understanding and accurate modeling of sediment dynamics in estuaries and other coastal regions. In an effort to better understand controls on muddy seabed erodibility, bed erodibility and associated bed sediment properties have been measured by our group on cores collected on dozens of cruises over the last decade in the York Estuary. We have also inferred time-varying erodibility indirectly in the York Estuary over several years by vertically integrating observations of tidally-varying suspended sediment concentration. This presentation synthesizes the results of these long-term observations in this …

U.S. Drought Monitor, February 17, 2015, Richard R. Heim Jr.

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for February 17, 2015 (2/17/15) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

Controls On Suspended Particle Properties And Water Clarity Along A Partially-Mixed Estuary, York River Estuary, Virginia, K. A. Fall, C. T. Friedrichs, G. M. Cartwright

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Biogeochemical Analysis Of Ancient Pacific Cod Bone Suggests Hg Bioaccumulation Was Linked To Paleo Sea Level Rise And Climate Change, Maribeth S. Murray, C. Peter Mcroy, L. K. Duffy, Amy Hirons, J. M. Schaaf, Robert P. Trocine, John Trefry

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Deglaciation at the end of the Pleistocene initiated major changes in ocean circulation and distribution. Within a brief geological time, large areas of land were inundated by sea-level rise and today global sea level is 120 m above its minimum stand during the last glacial maximum. This was the era of modern sea shelf formation; climate change caused coastal plain flooding and created broad continental shelves with innumerable consequences to marine and terrestrial ecosystems and human populations. In Alaska, the Bering Sea nearly doubled in size and stretches of coastline to the south were flooded, with regional variability in the …

An Optical Spectroscopic Survey Of The Serpens Main Cluster: Evidence For Two Populations?, Kristen Erickson, Bruce Wilking, Michael Meyer, Jinyoung Kim, William Sherry, Matthew Freeman

Physics Faculty Works

We have completed an optical spectroscopic survey of a sample of candidate young stars in the Serpens Main star-forming region selected from deep B, V, and R band images. While infrared, X-ray, and optical surveys of the cloud have identified many young stellar objects (YSOs), these surveys have been biased toward particular stages of pre-main sequence evolution. We have obtained over 700 moderate resolution optical spectra that, when combined with published data, have led to the identification of 63 association members based on the presence of Hα in emission, lithium absorption, X-ray emission, a mid-infrared excess, and/or reflection nebulosity. Twelve …

Current State Of Strain In The Central Cascadia Margin Derived From Changes In Distance Between Gps Stations, Kenneth M. Cruikshank, Curt D. Peterson

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using continuously operating Global Positioning Stations in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, over 100 station-station baseline length changes were determined along seven West-East transects, two North-South transects and in three localized areas to determine both the average annual strains over the past several years, and the variation in strain over the central Cascadia convergent margin. The North-South transects (composed of multiple baselines) show shortening. Along West-East transects some baselines show shortening and others extension. The direction of the principle strains calculated for two areas 100 km from the deformation front are close to per-pendicular to the deformation front. …

Nitrate Sources In The Old Ausable River Channel And Adjacent Aquifers In Pinery Provincial Park, Ontario Canada, Samuel Dj Russell

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Old Ausable River Channel (OARC) is located parallel to the shoreline of Lake Huron between the towns of Grand Bend and Port Franks, Ontario, Canada. Largely isolated from other water bodies, OARC water levels are mostly maintained by shallow groundwater. It is periodically in a state of eutrophication; a state commonly attributed to local anthropogenic nitrate loading. The primary goal of this work is to identify and quantify the sources of nitrate in the OARC watershed by measuring the oxygen and nitrogen isotope compositions of nitrate.

We have developed a dual method approach to measure the δ¹⁵N, …

Oxidation Dynamics Of Monosulfidic Toxic Sediment From A Eutrophic Estuary, Girish Choppala, Richard Bush, N Carroll, Leigh Sullivan, K Grice, S Appleyard, P Greenwood, S Wong, Nicholas Ward

Dr Girish Choppala

No abstract provided.

Role Of Organic Amendments On Enhanced Bioremediation Of Heavy Metal(Loid) Contaminated Soils, Jin Hee Park, Dane Lamb, Periyasamy Paneerselvam, Girish Choppala, Nanthi Bolan, Jae Chung

Dr Girish Choppala

As land application becomes one of the important waste utilization and disposal practices, soil is increasingly being seen as a major source of metal(loid)s reaching food chain, mainly through plant uptake and animal transfer. With greater public awareness of the implications of contaminated soils on human and animal health there has been increasing interest in developing technologies to remediate contaminated sites. Bioremediation is a natural process which relies on soil microorganisms and higher plants to alter metal(loid) bioavailability and can be enhanced by addition of organic amendments to soils. Large quantities of organic amendments, such as manure compost, biosolid and …

Chapter Two: Chromium Contamination And Its Risk Assessment In Complex Environmental Settings, Girish Choppala, Nanthi Bolan, Jin Hee Park

Dr Girish Choppala

Chromium reaches the soil environment through waste disposal emanating from a number of industrial activities, including coal-fired power production, electroplating, leather tanning, timber treatment, pulp production, and mineral ore and petroleum refining. Of the heavy metals, chromium (Cr) is a major pollutant, poses a great threat to flora and fauna and persists for long time. The most abundant species of Cr—Cr(III) and Cr(VI)—have very different properties. The toxicity, mobility, and bioavailability of Cr mainly depend on its speciation. In the natural environment, Cr(III) is most immobile, less soluble and stable, whereas Cr(VI) is highly mobile, soluble and bioavailable. Redox reactions …

Differential Effect Of Coal Combustion Products On The Bioavailability Of Phosphorus Between Inorganic And Organic Nutrient Sources, Belaji Seshadri, Nanthi Bolan, Girish Choppala, Ravi Naidu

Dr Girish Choppala

In farming systems, all the applied phosphorus (P) is not available to plants because they are either adsorbed in soil or lost to the environment through leaching or runoff. The effect of coal combustion products (CCPs) for enhancing the bioavailability of applied phosphorus (P) in soil was examined separately for inorganic (KH₂PO₄ – PP) and organic (poultry manure – PM) P treatments, where fluidised bed combustion (FBC) ash emerged as the most effective amendment. Greenhouse study was conducted by growing mustard plants on FBC amended soils under leaching and non-leaching setups. The FBC increased the biomass yield …

Comparative Sorption Of Pb And Cd By Biochars And Its Implication For Metal Immobilization In Soils, Jin Hee Park, Girish Choppala, Seul Lee, Nanthi Bolan, Jae Chung, Mansour Edraki

Dr Girish Choppala

Biochar has great potential as a soil amendment to immobilize heavy metals, thereby reducing their bioavailability. In this study, biochars derived from chicken manure and green waste were compared with commercial activated carbon (AC) and laboratory produced black carbon (BC) for the sorption of Pb and Cd. Sorption kinetics and equilibrium sorption isotherms for Pb and Cd were obtained for the char materials and the data were fitted to kinetic and sorption isotherm models.. Chicken manure-derived biochar (CM) showed the highest sorption capacity for both Pb and Cd, and the Pb sorption by biochars was higher than the Cd sorption …

Phytocapping: An Alternative Technology For The Sustainable Management Of Landfill Sites, Dane Lamb, Kartik Venkatraman, Nanthi Bolan, Nanjappa Ashwath, Girish Choppala, Ravi Naidu

Dr Girish Choppala

Landfill remains the predominant means of waste disposal throughout the globe. Numerous landfills exist in developed and underdeveloped countries, engineered with contrasting degrees of effectiveness. Modern landfill closure in developed countries involves the conventional capping of waste with materials such as compacted clay or geosynthetic clay liners, typically overlain with other soil materials. Conventional capping technologies are now accepted to be increasingly ineffective in reducing percolation into waste. Cost-effective alternative systems are of increasing interest, including the use of plants to control and limit water entry into waste, otherwise known as “Phytocapping”. Phytocapping reduces percolation through three main mechanisms: (a) …

Investigations Into The Factors Affecting The Rates Of Recovery Of Acid Sulfate Soils In The Lower Lakes, Nicholas Ward, Richard Bush, Zhaohui Wang, Leigh Sullivan, Diane Fyfe, Girish Choppala, L Williams, N Toppler, Michelle Bush

Dr Girish Choppala

No abstract provided.

Comparative Sorption And Mobility Of Cr(Iii) And Cr(Vi) Species In A Range Of Soils: Implications To Bioavailability, Girish Choppala, Nanthi Bolan, Dane Lamb, Anitha Kunhikrishnan

Dr Girish Choppala

The sorption of chromium (Cr) species to soil has become the focus of research as it dictates the bioavailability and also the magnitude of toxicity of Cr. The sorption of two environmentally important Cr species [Cr(III) and Cr(VI)] was examined using batch sorption, and the data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. The effects of soil properties such as pH, CEC, organic matter (OM), clay, water-extractable SO4 2– and PO4 3–, surface charge, and different iron (Fe) fractions of 12 different Australian representative soils on the sorption, and mobility of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) were examined. The amount of …

Chemodynamics Of Chromium Reduction In Soils: Implications To Bioavailability, Girish Choppala, Nanthi Bolan, Belaji Seshadri

Dr Girish Choppala

Chromium toxicity in soils can be mitigated by reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) which is influenced by the presence of free Cr(VI) species in soil solution, and the supply of protons and electrons. In this study, the effects of Cr(VI) adsorption (i.e. availability of free Cr(VI) species in soil solution), soil pH (i.e. supply of protons) and three electron donor carbon sources [black carbon (BC), chicken manure biochar (CMB) and cow manure (CM)] on the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in soils were investigated. The results indicated that the rate of Cr(VI) reduction decreased with an increase in Cr(VI) adsorption …

Phosphorus–Arsenic Interactions In Variable-Charge Soils In Relation To Arsenic Mobility And Bioavailability, Nanthi Bolan, Santiago Mahimairaja, Anitha Kunhikrishnan, Girish Choppala

Dr Girish Choppala

Phosphorus (P) influences arsenic (As) mobility and bioavailability which depends on the charge components of soil. The objective of this study was to examine P–As interaction in variable-charge allophanic soils in relation to P-induced As mobilization and bioavailability. In this work, the effect of P on arsenate [As(V)] adsorption and desorption was examined using a number of allophanic and non-allophanic soils which vary in their anion adsorption capacity. The effect of P on As uptake by Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) plants was examined using a solution culture, and a soil plant growth experiment involving two As-spiked allophanic and non-allophanic …

Microbial Transformation Of Trace Elements In Soils In Relation To Bioavailability And Remediation, Nanthi Bolan, Girish Choppala, Anitha Kunhikrishnan, Jin Hee Park, Ravi Naidu

Dr Girish Choppala

The term “trace elements” generally includes elements (both metals and metalloids) that occur in natural and perturbed environments in small amounts and that, when present in sufficient bioavailable concentrations, are toxic to living organisms (Adriano 2001). This group includes both biologically essential [e.g., cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn)] and nonessential [e.g., cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg)] elements. The essential elements (for plant, animal, or human nutrition) are required in low concentrations and hence are known as “micro nutrients.” The nonessential elements are phytotoxic and/or zootoxic and are widely known as “toxic elements” …

Cellular Mechanisms In Higher Plants Governing Tolerance To Cadmium Toxicity, Girish Choppala, Saifullah, Nanthi Bolan, Sadia Bibi, Muhammad Iqbal, Zed Rengel, Anitha Kunhikrishnan, Nanjappa Ashwath, Yong Ok

Dr Girish Choppala

Cadmium (Cd) is an inorganic mineral in the earth's crust. Cadmium entry into the environment occurs through geogenic and anthropogenic sources. Industrial activities including mining, electroplating, iron and steel plants, and battery production employ Cd during their processes and often release Cd into the environment. When disseminated into soil, Cd can be detrimental to agro-ecosystems because it is relatively mobile and phytotoxic even at low concentrations. Cadmium's phytotoxicity is due to reductions in the rate of transpiration and photosynthesis and chlorophyll concentration resulting in retardation of plant growth, and an alteration in the nutrient concentration in roots and leaves. In …

Concomitant Reduction And Immobilization Of Chromium In Relation To Its Bioavailability In Soils, Girish Choppala, Nanthi Bolan, Anitha Kunhikrishnan, William Skinner, Balaji Seshadri

Dr Girish Choppala

In this study, two carbon materials [chicken manure biochar (CMB) and black carbon (BC)] were investigated for their effects on the reduction of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in two spiked [600 mg Cr(VI) kg−1] and one tannery waste contaminated [454 mg Cr(VI) kg−1] soils. In spiked soils, both the rate and the maximum extent of reduction of Cr(VI) to trivalent Cr [Cr(III)] were higher in the sandy loam than clay soil, which is attributed to the difference in the extent of Cr(VI) adsorption between the soils. The highest rate of Cr(VI) reduction was observed in BC-amended sandy loam soil, where it …

Biochar Reduces The Bioavailability And Phytotoxicity Of Heavy Metals, Jin Hee Park, Girish Choppala, Nanthi Bolan, Jae Chung, Thammared Chuasavathi

Dr Girish Choppala

Background and aims

Biochar has attracted research interest due to its ability to increase the soil carbon pool and improve crop productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the metal immobilizing impact of chicken manure- and green waste-derived biochars, and their effectiveness in promoting plant growth.

Methods

The immobilization and phytoavailability of Cd, Cu and Pb was examined using naturally contaminated shooting range and spiked soils. Biochar samples prepared from chicken manure and green waste were used as soil amendments.

Results

Application of biochar significantly reduced NH₄NO₃ extractable Cd, Cu and Pb concentrations of soils, …

Assessing And Managing Sulfidic Dredge Spoil, Richard Bush, N Carroll, Leigh Sullivan, K Grice, S Appleyard, S Wong, N Ward, Peter Kraal, Girish Choppala

Dr Girish Choppala

No abstract provided.