Publications
These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.
Filter Total Items: 16743
An introduction to adaptive management for threatened and endangered species An introduction to adaptive management for threatened and endangered species
Management of threatened and endangered species would seem to be a perfect context for adaptive management. Many of the decisions are recurrent and plagued by uncertainty, exactly the conditions that warrant an adaptive approach. But although the potential of adaptive management in these settings has been extolled, there are limited applications in practice. The impediments to practical
Authors
Michael C. Runge
Reducing cement's CO2 footprint Reducing cement's CO2 footprint
The manufacturing process for Portland cement causes high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. However, environmental impacts can be reduced by using more energy-efficient kilns and replacing fossil energy with alternative fuels. Although carbon capture and new cements with less CO2 emission are still in the experimental phase, all these innovations can help develop a cleaner cement...
Authors
Hendrik G. van Oss
Kaolin Kaolin
The article discusses the latest developments in the global kaolin industry, particularly in the U.S., as of June 2011. It claims that Georgia is the top producing state in the U.S., with a 94% share in total production. The other top producers include South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida. Kaolin is used in the manufacture of such products as electrical porcelain, pottery and...
Authors
R.L. Virta
Strontium Strontium
In 2010, U.S. apparent consumption of strontium (contained in celestite and manufactured strontium compounds) decreased by 11 percent to 10.4 kt (11,460 st) from 11.8 kt (13,000 st) in 2009. Gross weight of imports totaled 20.9 kt (23,000 st), of which 65 percent originated from Mexico.
Authors
M.A. Angulo
Fire clay Fire clay
The article discusses the latest developments in the fire clay industry, particularly in the U.S., as of June 2011. It claims that the leading fire clay producer in the U.S. is the state of Missouri. The other major producers include California, Texas and Washington. It reports that the use of heavy clay products made of fire clay like brick, cement and lightweight aggregate has...
Authors
R.L. Virta
Book review: Bayesian analysis for population ecology Book review: Bayesian analysis for population ecology
Brian Dennis described the field of ecology as “fertile, uncolonized ground for Bayesian ideas.” He continued: “The Bayesian propagule has arrived at the shore. Ecologists need to think long and hard about the consequences of a Bayesian ecology. The Bayesian outlook is a successful competitor, but is it a weed? I think so.” (Dennis 2004) Review info: Bayesian Analysis for Population...
Authors
William A. Link
Directional bottom roughness associated with waves, currents, and ripples Directional bottom roughness associated with waves, currents, and ripples
Roughness lengths are used in wave-current bottom boundary layer models to parameterize drag associated with grain roughness, the effect of saltating grains during sediment transport, and small-scale bottom topography (ripples and biogenic features). We made field measurements of flow parameters and recorded sonar images of ripples at the boundary of a sorted-bedform at ~12-m depth on...
Authors
Christopher R. Sherwood
Mineral resource of the month: garnet Mineral resource of the month: garnet
Garnet, the birthstone for the month of January, has been used as a gemstone for centuries. Garnet necklaces dating from the Bronze Age have been found in graves, and garnet is found among the ornaments adorning the oldest Egyptian mummies. However, garnet’s characteristics, such as its relatively high hardness and chemical inertness, make it ideal for many industrial applications.
Authors
Donald W. Olson
A novel approach for direct estimation of fresh groundwater discharge to an estuary A novel approach for direct estimation of fresh groundwater discharge to an estuary
Coastal groundwater discharge is an important source of freshwater and nutrients to coastal and estuarine systems. Directly quantifying the spatially integrated discharge of fresh groundwater over a coastline is difficult due to spatial variability and limited observational methods. In this study, I applied a novel approach to estimate net freshwater discharge from a groundwater-fed...
Authors
Neil K. Ganju
Innate immunity is not related to the sex of adult Tree Swallows during the nestling period Innate immunity is not related to the sex of adult Tree Swallows during the nestling period
Evolutionary theory predicts that exposure to more diverse pathogens will result in the evolution of a more robust immune response. We predicted that during the breeding season the innate immune function of female Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) should be more effective than that of males because (1) the transmission of sexually transmitted microbes during copulation puts females at...
Authors
Bradley J. Houdek, Michael P. Lombardo, Patrick A. Thorpe, D. Caldwell Hahn
Estimating water supply arsenic levels in the New England bladder cancer study Estimating water supply arsenic levels in the New England bladder cancer study
Background: Ingestion of inorganic arsenic in drinking water is recognized as a cause of bladder cancer when levels are relatively high (≥ 150 μg/L). The epidemiologic evidence is less clear at the low-to-moderate concentrations typically observed in the United States. Accurate retrospective exposure assessment over a long time period is a major challenge in conducting epidemiologic...
Authors
John R. Nuckols, Laura E. Beane Freeman, Jay H. Lubin, Matthew S. Airola, Dalsu Baris, Joseph D. Ayotte, Anne Taylor, Chris Paulu, Margaret R. Karagas, Joanne Colt, Mary H. Ward, An-Tsun Huang, William Bress, Sai Cherala, Debra T. Silverman, Kenneth P. Cantor