Research Library Collaboration in Colorado – The Birth and Early Evolution of CARL, the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries

The Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries (CARL) was a pioneering library consortium that evolved from a small informal group of research library directors known as the “Taskforce for Interlibrary Cooperation” in the early 1970s. Early projects included shared acquisitions funding, a union list of serials, and a shared public access catalog. Drawing upon published sources, unpublished primary sources, archival records and personal interviews with early participants, this article provides an account of the key individuals of the organization, the technological innovations of CARL, and its legacy within the library community

IMPLICATIONS OF FEEDER PIG PRICE VARIABILITY IN VIRGINIA TELE-AUCTION MARKETS

Demand and Price Analysis,

Polymer-Ionic Liquid Hybrid Electrolytes for Lithium Batteries

Intellectual Merit: The goal of this dissertation is to investigate the electrochemical properties and microstructure of thin film polymer electrolytes with enhanced electrochemical performance. Solid electrolyte architectures have been produced by blending novel room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) chemistries with ionically conductive polymer matrices. A variety of microstructure and electrical characterization tools have been employed to understand the hybrid electrolyte's performance. Lithium-ion batteries are limited because of the safety of the electrolyte. The current generation of batteries uses organic solvents to conduct lithium between the electrodes. Occasionally, the low boiling point and high combustibility of these solvents lead to pressure build ups and fires within cells. Additionally, there are issues with electrolyte loss and decreased performance that must be accounted for in daily use. Thus, interest in replacing this system with a solid polymer electrolyte that can match the properties of an organic solvent is of great interest in battery research. However, a polymer electrolyte by itself is incapable of meeting the performance characteristics, and thus by adding an RTIL it has met the necessary threshold values. With the development of the novel sulfur based ionic liquid compounds, improved performance characteristics were realized for the polymer electrolyte. The synthesized RTILs were blended with ionically conductive polymer matrices (polyethylene oxide (PEO) or block copolymers of PEO) to produce solid electrolytes. Such shape-conforming materials could be lead to unique battery morphologies, but more importantly the safety of these new batteries will greatly exceeds those based on traditional organic carbonate electrolytes. Broader Impacts: The broader impact of this research is that it will ultimately help push forward an attractive alternative to carbonate based liquid electrolyte systems. Development of these alternatives has been slow; however bypassing the current commercial options will lead to not only safer and more powerful batteries. The polymer electrolyte system offers flexibility in both mechanical properties and product design. In due course, this will lead to batteries unlike any currently available on the market. RTILs offer quite an attractive option and the electrochemical understanding of novel architectures based upon sulfur will lead to further potential uses for these compounds

Smartphone Astrophotography

The continuous stream of astronomical information being released to the public has resulted in an increased interest in astronomy (Marusic & Hadzibegovic, 2018). However, the cost of acquiring good quality images of astronomical objects using appropriate astronomical instruments (cameras and telescopes) is still significant. To encourage more activity in this area, it will be necessary to achieve lower costs for higher quality imaging. Over the last few years, smartphone cameras have progressed exponentially in quality and functions, allowing images to be captured with clarity by the most basic of users, without the need for a specific telescope (Blahnik & Schindelbeck, 2021). The aim of this project was to develop material that allows the demonstration and instruction to students on the use of modern smartphones for astrophotography. This included a comparison between a smartphone and a digital camera, and the development of an educational tool and guide for potential assignments and projects in astronomy at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. A series of photographs were obtained of a number of celestial features using both a typical DLSR (Canon 450D) and a Smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra). A range of exposure parameters (ISO and exposure time) were examined for image quality. Figure 1 (see Abstract PDF) shows the difference between images, of the Milky Way galactic core. Both photos were taken with the same camera settings (ISO and exposure time). The smartphone image was of excellent quality, without needing processing. A short instructional video (Fisher, 2022) was created that demonstrated processes for utilizing the smartphone for astrophotography. The video outlined how and when to take photos of a target area (using apps such as Stellarium and Accuweather), how to use a modern smartphone camera (specifically Samsung devices), and how to edit the photographs to improve image quality (using GIMP). This video is to be implemented in our introductory astronomy unit in 2023. REFERENCESBlahnik, V. & Schindelbeck, O. (2021). Smartphone imaging technology and its applications. Advanced Optical Technologies, 10(3), 145-232. https://doi.org/10.1515/aot-2021-0023 Fisher, A. (2022). Astrophotography and editing for Samsung S22 ultra. https://youtu.be/iAQ8n_-iSloMarusic, M, & Hadzibegovic, Z. (2018). Student attitudes towards astronomy: A bi-country questionnaire result. Revista Mexicana de Fisica E, 64(20), 61-69

UNDERSTANDING TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION THROUGH SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODELING: IMPLICATIONS FOR AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT

This work demonstrates the utility of sophisticated simulation tools in aiding agribusiness managers' decision making. The system dynamics model developed here provides insight into the use of such models to evaluate potential adoption rates and diffusion patterns of yield mapping and monitoring technologies. The model allows for comparative analyses of the possible effects of different profit assumptions on adoption and diffusion.Agribusiness, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,