Figures of Reading

Garrett Stewart, Novel Violence: A Narratography of Victorian Fiction. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2009. Pp. 268. $45.00 cloth.

Extreme Starlight Polarization in a Region with Highly Polarized Dust Emission

Galactic dust emission is polarized at unexpectedly high levels, as revealed by Planck. The origin of the observed $\simeq 20\%$ polarization fractions can be identified by characterizing the properties of optical starlight polarization in a region with maximally polarized dust emission. We measure the R-band linear polarization of 22 stars in a region with a submillimeter polarization fraction of $\simeq 20$. A subset of 6 stars is also measured in the B, V and I bands to investigate the wavelength dependence of polarization. We find that starlight is polarized at correspondingly high levels. Through multiband polarimetry we find that the high polarization fractions are unlikely to arise from unusual dust properties, such as enhanced grain alignment. Instead, a favorable magnetic field geometry is the most likely explanation, and is supported by observational probes of the magnetic field morphology. The observed starlight polarization exceeds the classical upper limit of $\left[p_V/E\left(B-V\right)\right]_{\rm max} = 9$%mag$^{-1}$ and is at least as high as 13%mag$^{-1}$ that was inferred from a joint analysis of Planck data, starlight polarization and reddening measurements. Thus, we confirm that the intrinsic polarizing ability of dust grains at optical wavelengths has long been underestimated.Comment: Accepted by A&AL, data to appear on CDS after publication. 6 page

The History of Little Fire Ant Wasmannia auropunctata Roger in the Hawaiian Islands: Spread, Control, and Local Eradication

The islands of Hawaii have been the battleground for successive “inva- sion waves” by exotic ants for over a century. The arrival of Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius) (the big headed ant) in the late nineteenth century, was followed in 1939 by Linepithema humile (Mayr) (the Argentine ant) and Anoplolepis gracilipes (fr. Smith), (the longlegged Ant) in 1953. The most recent arrival is the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata Roger) which was first recorded in 1999. This paper chronicles the subsequent spread of W. auropunctata through the Hawaiian archi- pelago. Initially introduced and spread via the import and sale of nursery plants, W. auropunctata is now well-established on the island of Hawaii. Ubiquitous on the windward side of Hawaii island, W. auropunctata are now being transported not only via nursery plants but also via non-agricultural products. The prevention, detection and response to W. auropunctata introductions is addressed by infor- mal and ad hoc partnerships between a number of agencies, each contributing to preventing and reducing spread of this species. The draft Hawaii Inter-Agency Biosecurity Plan recognizes and strengthens these partnerships and will contribute positively to Hawaii’s biosecurity system

Image of Research: Celebrating and Sharing Undergraduate Work

In 2013 and 2015 respectively, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Illinois) and the University of Kansas (KU) implemented an Image of Research competition, a library-led initiative designed to showcase original research of undergraduate students. The Image of Research competition is a multidisciplinary competition celebrating the diversity and breadth of undergraduate student research by inviting students to submit entries consisting of an image and brief text that articulates how the image relates to their research. The work of the students is shared widely and archived in the institutional repository, providing students with an easy-entry experience to “publishing” their research. Additionally, students are rewarded with monetary and category prizes. The goals for Image of Research are threefold: • Provide students with an opportunity to reflect on what their research means to them and how to represent that research in a visual manner • Proactively engage with undergraduate students as creators of information • Address educational issues around scholarly communication by designing learning opportunities that help students confront the complexities of copyright and their online presence At Illinois, project personnel were inspired by the University of Chicago Library’s Image of Research competition, established in 2008 (http://grad.uic.edu/image-research-exhibit), and KU began their competition after reading about Illinois in a column for C&RL News outlining examples of the intersections of scholarly communication and information literacy. Both libraries were looking for avenues to engage with undergraduate students participating in high-impact educational practices as part of wider information literacy and outreach goals.Ope

Beyond Buttonology: Digital Humanities, Digital Pedagogy, and the ACRL Framework

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