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Catholics And The 2020 Presidential Election, Corwin E. Smidt Dec 2021

Catholics And The 2020 Presidential Election, Corwin E. Smidt

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

This article examines the role of Catholics within the 2020 presidential election in the United States. Although Catholics were once a crucial and dependable component of the Democratic Party's electoral coalition, their vote in more recent years has been much more splintered. Nevertheless, Catholics have been deemed to be an important "swing vote" in American politics today, as in recent presidential elections they have aligned with the national popular vote. This article therefore focuses on the part that Catholics played within the 2020 presidential election process. It addresses the level of political change and continuity within the ranks of Catholics …


An Outbreak Of Canine Schistosomiasis In Utah Acquisition Of A New Snail Host (Galba Humilis) By Heterobilharzia Americana, A Pathogenic Parasite On The Move, Eric S. Loker, Scott Z. Dolginow, Suzanne Pape, Colin D. Topper, Randall J. Dejong Dec 2021

An Outbreak Of Canine Schistosomiasis In Utah Acquisition Of A New Snail Host (Galba Humilis) By Heterobilharzia Americana, A Pathogenic Parasite On The Move, Eric S. Loker, Scott Z. Dolginow, Suzanne Pape, Colin D. Topper, Randall J. Dejong

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Parasites with complex life cycles engaging multiple host species living among different environments well-exemplify the value of a cross-cutting One Health approach to understanding fundamental concerns like disease emergence or spread. Here we provide new information regarding a pathogenic schistosome trematode parasite of both wild and domestic mammals that has recently expanded its known range from mesic/wet environments of the southeastern United States to the arid southwest. In 2018, 12 dogs living near a man-made pond in Moab, Utah, were found positive for Heterobilharzia americana, the most westerly report of this endemic North American schistosome, and the first from Utah. …


Relative Success Of Native Plants In Curb Cut Rain Gardens, Ana Singh, Rachel Warners, Jonathan Walt, Patrick Jonker, David P. Warners Dec 2021

Relative Success Of Native Plants In Curb Cut Rain Gardens, Ana Singh, Rachel Warners, Jonathan Walt, Patrick Jonker, David P. Warners

Faculty and Professional Research

No abstract provided.


Kristen Du Mez Tells Me How Evangelicals Fell In Love With John Wayne, Kristin Du Mez Dec 2021

Kristen Du Mez Tells Me How Evangelicals Fell In Love With John Wayne, Kristin Du Mez

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

When the Access Hollywood “locker room talk” tape hit the mainstream on October 7, 2016, both Russell Moore and historian Kristin Du Mez were horrified. But while Moore felt surprised by the evangelical response—or lack of response—to the video, Du Mez saw it as a predictable outcome of militant masculinity within evangelicalism. In their conversation, and in her book Jesus and John Wayne, Du Mez explains why. On this episode of The Russell Moore Show, Moore and Du Mez talk about the overlap of history, politics, and Christianity when it comes to understanding American evangelicalism’s relationship to gender. They also …


Gut Bacteria Are Essential For Normal Cuticle Development In Herbivorous Turtle Ants, Christophe Duplais, Vincent Sarou-Kanian, Dominique Massiot, Alia Hassan, John T. Wertz Dec 2021

Gut Bacteria Are Essential For Normal Cuticle Development In Herbivorous Turtle Ants, Christophe Duplais, Vincent Sarou-Kanian, Dominique Massiot, Alia Hassan, John T. Wertz

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Across the evolutionary history of insects, the shift from nitrogen-rich carnivore/omnivore diets to nitrogen-poor herbivorous diets was made possible through symbiosis with microbes. The herbivorous turtle ants Cephalotes possess a conserved gut microbiome which enriches the nutrient composition by recycling nitrogen-rich metabolic waste to increase the production of amino acids. This enrichment is assumed to benefit the host, but we do not know to what extent. To gain insights into nitrogen assimilation in the ant cuticle we use gut bacterial manipulation, 15N isotopic enrichment, isotope-ratio mass spectrometry, and 15N nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to demonstrate that gut bacteria contribute to …


Comparison Of Sample Types From White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) For Dna Extraction And Analyses, Jessie Edson, Justin Brown, William L. Miller, David Walter Dec 2021

Comparison Of Sample Types From White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) For Dna Extraction And Analyses, Jessie Edson, Justin Brown, William L. Miller, David Walter

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Collection of biological samples for DNA is necessary in a variety of disciplines including disease epidemiology, landscape genetics, and forensics. Quantity and quality of DNA varies depending on the method of collection or media available for collection (e.g., blood, tissue, fecal). Blood is the most common sample collected in vials or on Whatman Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) cards with short- and long-term storage providing adequate DNA for study objectives. The focus of this study was to determine if biological samples stored on Whatman FTA Elute cards were a reasonable alternative to traditional DNA sample collection, storage, and extraction. Tissue, nasal …


Kristin Du Mez: Love Thy Neighbor Is For Wimps, Kristin Du Mez Nov 2021

Kristin Du Mez: Love Thy Neighbor Is For Wimps, Kristin Du Mez

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Militant hyper-masculinity is the ideal of Christian manhood in the white evangelical world, and it's part and parcel of Trumpism and today's Republican Party. Author Kristen Du Mez joins Charlie Sykes on today's podcast.


The Mindful Christian With Irene Kraegel, Irene Kraegel Nov 2021

The Mindful Christian With Irene Kraegel, Irene Kraegel

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Our guest for this episode is Irene Kraegel, the author of The Mindful Christian. We examine how Christian life is enhanced by mindfulness.


Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus Leucas) Acoustic Foraging Behavior And Applications For Long Term Monitoring, Manuel Castellote, Aran Mooney, Russel Andrews, Stacy L. Deruiter Nov 2021

Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus Leucas) Acoustic Foraging Behavior And Applications For Long Term Monitoring, Manuel Castellote, Aran Mooney, Russel Andrews, Stacy L. Deruiter

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Cook Inlet, Alaska, is home to an endangered and declining population of 279 belugas (Delphinapterus leucas). Recovery efforts highlight a paucity of basic ecological knowledge, impeding the correct assessment of threats and the development of recovery actions. In particular, information on diet and foraging habitat is very limited for this population. Passive acoustic monitoring has proven to be an efficient approach to monitor beluga distribution and seasonal occurrence. Identifying acoustic foraging behavior could help address the current gap in information on diet and foraging habitat. To address this conservation challenge, eight belugas from a comparative, healthy population in Bristol Bay, …


For The Birds Absence And Vision In Teaching Texts, David I. Smith Nov 2021

For The Birds Absence And Vision In Teaching Texts, David I. Smith

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

No abstract provided.


Irene Kraegel On Christian Mindfulness, Irene Kraegel Nov 2021

Irene Kraegel On Christian Mindfulness, Irene Kraegel

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Irene Kraegel is a pioneer in exploring mindfulness from a Christian perspective. Dave Schmelzer explored some of her insights in the previous The Pocket Contemplative. She joins us in this episode to walk us through how she's arrived at her unique life mission and to offer wise counsel to those of us on a similar journey


Technology, Values, And Faith With Computer Scientist Derek Schuurman, Derek Schuurman Oct 2021

Technology, Values, And Faith With Computer Scientist Derek Schuurman, Derek Schuurman

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Dr. Schuurman is a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation, part of the leadership team for the West Michigan ASA chapter, an associate fellow of the The Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge, senior member of the IEEE, member of the ACM, CES, ACMS, a book review editor for Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, a regular contributor to the Christian Scholars Review blog, and a regular columnist for Christian Courier.


Loren Haarsma - When Did Sin Begin?, Loren Haarsma Sep 2021

Loren Haarsma - When Did Sin Begin?, Loren Haarsma

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Patrick Hamilton speaks to Calvin University Professor, Loren Haarsma, about the origins of sin and various ways to make sense of the doctrine of original sin in light of evolutionary origins. Other topics of conversation include psychology, free will and the theology of Saint Augustine.


Indicator Species Characterization And Removal In A Detention Pond In The Plaster Creek Watershed, Luke Vandermeer, Katherine Deheer, Joseph Mellinger, Sarah Gibes, Bradley Paasch, Julie Wildschut, William L. Miller, Sheng-Yang He, Kelly N. Dubois Aug 2021

Indicator Species Characterization And Removal In A Detention Pond In The Plaster Creek Watershed, Luke Vandermeer, Katherine Deheer, Joseph Mellinger, Sarah Gibes, Bradley Paasch, Julie Wildschut, William L. Miller, Sheng-Yang He, Kelly N. Dubois

Faculty and Professional Research

Microbial pathogen contamination is a leading cause of impairment for urban rivers and streams in Michigan. Reports on the ability of green infrastructure best management practices to remove microbial pathogens have been highly variable. This study evaluated the influence of a detention basin (Kreiser Pond) on microbial dynamics in the Plaster Creek watershed in West Michigan. High levels of fecal indicator bacteria and coliphage were documented in influent and effluent water, with significant increases in indicator microbe concentrations during storm events. In dry conditions, Kreiser Pond efficiently reduced the number of indicator microbes flowing through the basin. Rainfall volume had …


The Problem Of Heaven With Dr. Kevin Timpe, Kevin Timpe Aug 2021

The Problem Of Heaven With Dr. Kevin Timpe, Kevin Timpe

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

No abstract provided.


High-Density Blood Transcriptomics Reveals Precision Immune Signatures Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection In Hospitalized Individuals, Jeremy W. Prokop, Nicholas L. Hartog, Dave Chesla, William Faber Jul 2021

High-Density Blood Transcriptomics Reveals Precision Immune Signatures Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection In Hospitalized Individuals, Jeremy W. Prokop, Nicholas L. Hartog, Dave Chesla, William Faber

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The immune response to COVID-19 infection is variable. How COVID-19 influences clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients needs to be understood through readily obtainable biological materials, such as blood. We hypothesized that a high-density analysis of host (and pathogen) blood RNA in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 would provide mechanistic insights into the heterogeneity of response amongst COVID-19 patients when combined with advanced multidimensional bioinformatics for RNA. We enrolled 36 hospitalized COVID-19 patients (11 died) and 15 controls, collecting 74 blood PAXgene RNA tubes at multiple timepoints, one early and in 23 patients after treatment with various therapies. Total RNAseq was performed …


Anthropogenic Noise Alters Parental Behavior And Nestling Developmental Patterns, But Not Fledging Condition, Meelyn Mayank Pandit, James Eapen, Gabriela Pineda-Sabillon, Margaret E. Caulfield Jul 2021

Anthropogenic Noise Alters Parental Behavior And Nestling Developmental Patterns, But Not Fledging Condition, Meelyn Mayank Pandit, James Eapen, Gabriela Pineda-Sabillon, Margaret E. Caulfield

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Anthropogenic noise is a ubiquitous feature of the American landscape, and is a known stressor for many bird species, leading to negative effects in behavior, physiology, reproduction, and ultimately fitness. While a number of studies have examined how anthropogenic noise affects avian fitness, there are few that simultaneously examine how anthropogenic noise impacts the relationship between parental care behavior and nestling fitness. We conducted Brownian noise playbacks for 6 h a day during the nesting cycle on Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) nest boxes to investigate if experimentally elevated noise affected parental care behavior, nestling body conditions, and nestling stress indices. …


Strain Fields In Twisted Bilayer Graphene, Nathanael P. Kazmierczak, Madeline Van Winkle, Colin Ophus, Karen C. Bustillo Jul 2021

Strain Fields In Twisted Bilayer Graphene, Nathanael P. Kazmierczak, Madeline Van Winkle, Colin Ophus, Karen C. Bustillo

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Van der Waals heteroepitaxy allows deterministic control over lattice mismatch or azimuthal orientation between atomic layers to produce long-wavelength superlattices. The resulting electronic phases depend critically on the superlattice periodicity and localized structural deformations that introduce disorder and strain. In this study we used Bragg interferometry to capture atomic displacement fields in twisted bilayer graphene with twist angles


Geological And Hydrogeological Assessment Of The Brito Formation Municipio De Tola, Nicaragua, James K. Adamson, Thomas Lavanchy, Brandon Stone, James A. Clark, Stuart J. Dykstra Jul 2021

Geological And Hydrogeological Assessment Of The Brito Formation Municipio De Tola, Nicaragua, James K. Adamson, Thomas Lavanchy, Brandon Stone, James A. Clark, Stuart J. Dykstra

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

There are sparse hydrogeological data and insufficient hydrogeological knowledge in many areas of the world reliant on groundwater. Nicaragua’s Pacific coast is one such region that is also experiencing water scarcity resulting from increasing demand on groundwater resources and climate change. The primary source of water in the region is the aquifer system associated with the Brito Formation, which is a marine sedimentary stratum of mostly sandstone that blankets 75 km of coastline in southwest Nicaragua. This study focused on the Tola municipality with the objective to advance a conceptual understanding of the hydrogeology and to support sustainable water development. …


Diffusive Search And Trajectories On Tubular Networks A Propagator Approach, Zubenelgenubi C. Scott, Aidan I. Brown, Saurabh S. Mogre, Laura M. Westrate Jun 2021

Diffusive Search And Trajectories On Tubular Networks A Propagator Approach, Zubenelgenubi C. Scott, Aidan I. Brown, Saurabh S. Mogre, Laura M. Westrate

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Several organelles in eukaryotic cells, including mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum, form interconnected tubule networks extending throughout the cell. These tubular networks host many biochemical pathways that rely on proteins diffusively searching through the network to encounter binding partners or localized target regions. Predicting the behavior of such pathways requires a quantitative understanding of how confinement to a reticulated structure modulates reaction kinetics. In this work, we develop both exact analytical methods to compute mean first passage times and efficient kinetic Monte Carlo algorithms to simulate trajectories of particles diffusing in a tubular network. Our approach leverages exact propagator functions …


A Qualitative Analysis Of Translanguaging By Colombian Migrants In North Carolina, Scott Lamanna Jun 2021

A Qualitative Analysis Of Translanguaging By Colombian Migrants In North Carolina, Scott Lamanna

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

This study examines the usefulness of the theoretical construct of translanguaging in analyzing the linguistic production of twenty-four Colombians (originally from Bogotá) residing in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. Translanguaging maintains that bilinguals and multilinguals have a single linguistic repertoire consisting of features traditionally associated with different named languages (English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, etc.), and that they freely select from among these features according to their communicative needs in specific contexts. In terms of named languages, participants utilized varying amounts of English during sociolinguistic interviews conducted primarily in Spanish by the investigator. The study presents a qualitative analysis …


Crystal Structure Of Tris, Colin T. Hartgerink, Richard J. Staples, Carolyn E. Anderson May 2021

Crystal Structure Of Tris, Colin T. Hartgerink, Richard J. Staples, Carolyn E. Anderson

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The title ketenyl­idene, [Au3(C2O)(C26H35O2P)3](C2F6NO4S2), was obtained upon exposure of [2-(di­cyclo­hexyl­phosphino)-2′,6′-dimeth­oxy-1,1′-biphen­yl]gold(I) bis­(tri­fluoro­methane­sulfon­yl)imide to acetic anhydride at elevated temperature. The ketenyl­idene bridge caps the tri-gold cluster. The title compound has provided crystals that upon analysis represent the first tri-gold ketenyl­idene with atomic distances indicative of bonding inter­action between the gold atoms.


Energy Efficiency And Economy-Wide Rebound Effects A Review Of The Evidence And Its Implications, Paul E. Brockway, Steve Sorrell, Gregor Semieniuk, Matthew K. Heun May 2021

Energy Efficiency And Economy-Wide Rebound Effects A Review Of The Evidence And Its Implications, Paul E. Brockway, Steve Sorrell, Gregor Semieniuk, Matthew K. Heun

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The majority of global energy scenarios anticipate a structural break in the relationship between energy con sumption and gross domestic product (GDP), with several scenarios projecting absolute decoupling, where en ergy use falls while GDP continues to grow. However, there are few precedents for absolute decoupling, and current global trends are in the opposite direction. This paper explores one possible explanation for the historical close relationship between energy consumption and GDP, namely that the economy-wide rebound effects from improved energy efficiency are larger than is commonly assumed. We review the evidence on the size of economy-wide rebound effects and explore …


A Careful Reassessment Of Globular Cluster Multiple Population Radial Distributions With Sloan Digital Sky Survey And Johnson-Cousins Broadband Photometry, Willem B. Hoogendam, Jason P. Smolinski May 2021

A Careful Reassessment Of Globular Cluster Multiple Population Radial Distributions With Sloan Digital Sky Survey And Johnson-Cousins Broadband Photometry, Willem B. Hoogendam, Jason P. Smolinski

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Inconsistencies regarding the nature of globular cluster (GC) multiple population radial distributions is a matter for concern given their role in testing or validating cluster dynamical evolution modeling. In this study, we present a reanalysis of eight GC radial distributions using publicly available ground-based ugriz and UBVRI photometry; correcting for a systematic error identified in the literature. We detail the need for including and considering not only Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) probabilities but critical K-S statistic values as well when drawing conclusions from radial distributions, as well as the impact of sample incompleteness. Revised cumulative radial distributions are presented, and the literature …


The Reality Of Our Rebellion With Dr. Rebecca Deyoung, Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoung Apr 2021

The Reality Of Our Rebellion With Dr. Rebecca Deyoung, Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoung

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Rebecca DeYoung has extensively researched the topic of sin, and while sin and rebellion might not seem like the most encouraging topics, we hope you’ll see in this conversation that as we grow in awareness of our brokenness, we only grow in our recognition and awe of God’s grace to us despite our sin! We pray that as you listen to this conversation you come to a deeper understanding of what God has rescued us from.


Concordance Of 2-Knots, Nathan Sunukjian Apr 2021

Concordance Of 2-Knots, Nathan Sunukjian

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

In this paper we investigate the 0-concordance classes of 2-knots in S4, an equivalence relation that is related to understanding smooth structures on 4-manifolds. Using Rochlin’s invariant, and invariants arising from Heegaard–Floer homology, we will prove that there are infinitely many 0-concordance classes of 2-knots.


Disputing Dijkstra, And Birthdays In Base 2, Mark Guzdial, Joel C. Adams Mar 2021

Disputing Dijkstra, And Birthdays In Base 2, Mark Guzdial, Joel C. Adams

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

No abstract provided.


Traversing A Tightrope Between Ecumenism And Exclusivism, Retief Müller Mar 2021

Traversing A Tightrope Between Ecumenism And Exclusivism, Retief Müller

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

During the first few decades of the 20th century, the Nkhoma mission of the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa became involved in an ecumenical venture that was initiated by the Church of Scotland’s Blantyre mission, and the Free Church of Scotland’s Livingstonia mission in central Africa. Geographically sandwiched between these two Scots missions in Nyasaland (presently Malawi) was Nkhoma in the central region of the country. During a period of history when the DRC in South Africa had begun to regressively disengage from ecumenical entanglements in order to focus on its developing discourse of Afrikaner Christian nationalism, this venture …


Moving From Final To Useful Stage In Energy-Economy Analysis A Critical Assessment, Matthew K. Heun Feb 2021

Moving From Final To Useful Stage In Energy-Economy Analysis A Critical Assessment, Matthew K. Heun

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Given the climate change emergency, reducing energy consumption, which is responsible for most greenhouse gases emissions worldwide, is a priority. However, the strong historical link between energy consumption and economic growth questions whether continued economic growth is compatible with energy conservation targets. Conventional final energy analysis (common analysis methods applied at the final energy stage) has provided limited insights to this nexus. In response, this paper explores the extent to which useful stage analysis provides additional insights using three common methods: aggregate energy-economy analysis (growth rates, energy intensities, and Index Decomposition Analysis), energy-GDP causality testing, and Aggregate Production Function modelling, …


Political Differences In Free Will Belief Are Associated With Differences In Moralization, Jim A. C. Everett, Cory J. Clark, Peter Meindl, Jamie B. Luguri Feb 2021

Political Differences In Free Will Belief Are Associated With Differences In Moralization, Jim A. C. Everett, Cory J. Clark, Peter Meindl, Jamie B. Luguri

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

In 14 studies, we tested whether political conservatives’ stronger free will beliefs were linked to stronger and broader tendencies to moralize and, thus, a greater motivation to assign blame. In Study 1 (meta-analysis of 5 studies, n = 308,499) we show that conservatives have stronger tendencies to moralize than liberals, even for moralization measures containing zero political content (e.g., moral badness ratings of faces and personality traits). In Study 2, we show that conservatives report higher free will belief, and this is statistically mediated by the belief that people should be held morally responsible for their bad behavior (n = …