Effects of non-native earthworms on the University of Michigan Biological Station soils

General EcologySoil is an ecosystem rich in nutrients, containing a wide variety of organisms all held within a delicate ecological balance. Earthworms a well-known detritivore, able to break down nutrients and facilitate nutrient flow throughout soil horizons. Having no earthworms native to Michigan, the purpose of this experiment was to better understand the complex interactions between earthworms and their environment, and their potential impact on native soils. Conducted on University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) property in the Northern Lower peninsula of Michigan, this experiment surveyed earthworm populations by replicating a procedure developed by the Great Lakes Worm Watch, as well as conducting a controlled study on earthworm facilitated nutrient flow. Results showed there to be a significant differences in worm population numbers at varying locations, as well as significant differences in soil nutrient levels when exposed to earthworms. These results could potentially inform upon soil dynamics as well as the ability of an invasive organism to have impacts on its new environment.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147918/1/Chandross_2018.pd

DIPL 6113 International Financial Institutions

This course has been designed to provide a better understanding of international financial institutions with a particular emphasis on the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Just six months ago, serious questions were being raised about the relevance of the IMF and the need for its traditional activity dealing with countries experiencing severe financial problems. Now that the global financial crisis has burst on the scene, the fund is as busy as ever. Activities and background of the Fund and the World Bank will be examined with emphasis on arguments about their relevance and proposals for reform. In addition, we will examine the role of various other multilateral development finance institutions. Discussions of reform of the international financial architecture have intensified as the current global financial crisis has unfolded, so we will devote considerable attention to this issue and to some proposals that have been made

DIPL 6155 Economic Aspects of International Relations

One goal of graduate level work in international economics is to provide students with a framework in which to analyze concepts and issues that may have previously been assumed to be obvious or extremely complicated. In pursuing this objective you are likely to discover that many of the ideas and perceptions you have about international economics are incomplete or wrong. During the course we will focus attention on hot button issues in the subject of international trade. Among the items we will look at are outsourcing, is China outcompeting us, the large U.S. external debt and the implications of the move toward regional or preferential trade agreements. We will start by examining the size of the global economy and various models of trade beginning with Riccardian model. Among the topics that will be covered are the effect of trade on relative wages and income distribution and the potential role of immigration. From the beginning, students will read articles that raise questions about the relevance of historical theories and issues that are very germane to the modern world. Following this, the course will consider government interference in the market system through various trade policies such as tariffs, quotas and the manipulation of exchange rates. Throughout the course emphasis will be placed on real world analyses and developments. Frequently, both sides of controversial issues will be explored. The format of the course will emphasize interactive discourse among students and between the students and the instructor. Students are expected to have read the material assigned for each class and to be prepared for a spirited discussion. Students will be expected to be aware of current international economic developments and to be prepared to discuss them at each class. Each class will start with a short student presentation of a current interest topic and class discussion of the issue. As preparation for this part of the course students should read regularly The Economist and a good daily newspaper such as the Financial Times or The Wall Street Journal

DIPL 4556 Financial Aspects of International Relations

Financial issues are central to the international economic debate. Each time the GB financial ministers and heads of state meet there is a discussion and statement about the appropriateness of the exchange rates among the various countries with particular emphasis on exchange rate of China\u27s currency against the U.S. dollar. A primary goal of this course will be to provide the skills required to understand and be engaged in the international economic policy debate. The course will include a brief section on the benefits of international trade and of free trade. Considerable time will be devoted to international financial integration, the determination of exchange rates, the foreign exchange market and the internationalization of capital markets. The sovereign debt crisis in the Euro zone and the sustainability of the Euro as currently constituted will play a prominent role in the course. Among the other issues we will examine are the implications of growing foreign ownership of U.S. Government debt and the role of various entities such as the IMF, in the global financial landscape. We will devote particular attention to the ongoing debate about the exchange rate of the Chinese renminbi against the U.S. dollar. We will also look at some major financial crises of the last several decades, such as those in Latin America, Asia and Russia. As part of the coursework, each student will be required to prepare a short verbal presentation to the class on an event or development relevant to the international financial markets. The format of the course will emphasize discussion among students and between the students and the instructor. Students are expected to have read the material assigned for each class and to be prepared for a spirited discussion. Students will be expected to be aware of current international economic developments and to be prepared to discuss them at each class. Students are also encouraged to read periodicals with a strong coverage of international economic developments; The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and the Economist

DIPL 4556 Financial Aspects of International Relations

Financial issues are central to the international economic debate. Each time the GB financial ministers and heads of state meet there is a discussion and statement about the appropriateness of the exchange rates among the various countries with particular emphasis on exchange rate of China\u27s currency against the U.S. dollar. A primary goal of this course will be to provide the skills required to understand and be engaged in the international economic policy debate. The course will include a brief section on the benefits of international trade and of free trade. Considerable time will be devoted to international financial integration, the determination of exchange rates, the foreign exchange market and the internationalization of capital markets. The sovereign debt crisis in the Euro zone and the sustainability of the Euro as currently constituted will play a prominent role in the course. Among the other issues we will examine are the implications of growing foreign ownership of U.S. Government debt and the role of various entities such as the IMF, in the global financial landscape. We will devote particular attention to the ongoing debate about the exchange rate of the Chinese renminbi against the U.S. dollar. We will also look at some major financial crises of the last several decades, such as those in Latin America, Asia and Russia. As part of the coursework, each student will be required to prepare a short verbal presentation to the class on an event or development relevant to the international financial markets. The format of the course will emphasize discussion among students and between the students and the instructor. Students are expected to have read the material assigned for each class and to be prepared for a spirited discussion. Students will be expected to be aware of current international economic developments and to be prepared to discuss them at each class. Students are also encouraged to read periodicals with a strong coverage of international economic developments; The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and the Economist

Optical absorption in the substituted phenylene-based conjugated polymers: theory and experiment

Journal ArticleWe investigate theoretically and experimentally the effects of (2,5) chemical substitution on the optical absorption in the phenylene-based conjugated polymers. Theoretically, substitution destroys both the charge-conjugation symmetry and spatial symmetry that characterize the unsubstituted materials. Within Coulomb-correlated theoretical models, the effect of broken charge-conjugation symmetry alone on the underlying electronic structure and on the absorption spectrum is rather weak. When both broken spatial symmetry and broken charge-conjugation symmetry are taken into account, a strong effect on the electronic structure of polyphenylene derivatives is found. In spite of the strong effect of the broken symmetries on the electronic structure, the effect on the optical-absorption spectrum is weak

Excitons in poly(para-phenylenevinylene)

Journal ArticleWe show that one-electron band theory fails to describe optical absorption in PPV and the absorption spectrum can be described only within a Coulomb-correlated model. The lowest optical state is an exciton, whose binding energy is estimated theoretically to be 0.90 ± 0 . 1 5 e V Measurements of the photoconductivity quantum efficiency in poly[2-methoxy,5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-l,4 phenylenevinylene] reveal a binding energy in good agreement with the theoretical value

Density functional theory and DFT+U study of transition metal porphines adsorbed on Au(111) surfaces and effects of applied electric fields

We apply Density Functional Theory (DFT) and the DFT+U technique to study the adsorption of transition metal porphine molecules on atomistically flat Au(111) surfaces. DFT calculations using the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) exchange correlation functional correctly predict the palladium porphine (PdP) low-spin ground state. PdP is found to adsorb preferentially on gold in a flat geometry, not in an edgewise geometry, in qualitative agreement with experiments on substituted porphyrins. It exhibits no covalent bonding to Au(111), and the binding energy is a small fraction of an eV. The DFT+U technique, parameterized to B3LYP predicted spin state ordering of the Mn d-electrons, is found to be crucial for reproducing the correct magnetic moment and geometry of the isolated manganese porphine (MnP) molecule. Adsorption of Mn(II)P on Au(111) substantially alters the Mn ion spin state. Its interaction with the gold substrate is stronger and more site-specific than PdP. The binding can be partially reversed by applying an electric potential, which leads to significant changes in the electronic and magnetic properties of adsorbed MnP, and ~ 0.1 Angstrom, changes in the Mn-nitrogen distances within the porphine macrocycle. We conjecture that this DFT+U approach may be a useful general method for modeling first row transition metal ion complexes in a condensed-matter setting.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure