Digital Commons Network^™

Classification Of Planetary Craters Using Outline-Based Morphometrics, Thomas J. Slezak, Jani Radebaugh, Eric H. Christiansen, Mark C. Belk

Faculty Publications

The morphologies of craters on planetary surfaces reveal clues about the geologic mechanisms by which they originate and subsequently evolve, as well as the materials and physical variables inherent to the environment in which they formed. We carried out a quantitative multivariate analysis of shape descriptors derived from the outlines of craters formed by volcanic processes on Mars, Io, and Earth and by impact cratering on the Moon using elliptic Fourier analysis (EFA) and the Zahn-Roskies (Z-R) shape function. Canonical variate analysis (CVA) was used to construct a statistical model of differences between the crater groups to classify …

Aspergillosis In An Augmented Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus Urophasianus) Population In Central Utah: A Case Report, Melissa S. Chelak, Avery A. Cook, David D. Frame, Terry A. Messmer

Western North American Naturalist

We present the first known case of aspergillosis found in a wild, augmented Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) population. This case was not directly associated with the sage-grouse translocations and is the first documented in wild sage-grouse populations since the mid-1900s. Aspergillosis is a fungal infection of the lungs caused by an inoculation of Aspergillus spp. spores. Wild birds that are infected by the pathogen’s spores die from the resulting infection. We hypothesize that the Aspergillus spp. spores were propagated either in mesic nesting conditions or in residual damp mulch piles created from sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitat restoration …

Writing Standards-Based Lesson Plans To Standards For Technological And Engineering Literacy, Scott Bartholomew, Thomas Loveland, Vanessa Santana

Faculty Publications

While written lesson plans may seem like a lot of work, with little purpose or benefit to new teachers, a well-written lesson plan is quite valuable for many reasons. The process of writing lesson plans at the beginning of one’s teaching career can be very time-consuming (Arnett-Hartwick and Cannon, 2019); however, the development of sequenced lessons that result in effective learning must be organized and articulate, not done haphazardly. Designing a lesson through a written document can help a teacher see the pattern, flow, and implications of a lesson and how it will help all students; this can be especially …

Predators As Agents Of Selection And Diversification, Jerald B. Johnson, Mark C. Belk

Faculty Publications

Predation is ubiquitous in nature and can be an important component of both ecological and evolutionary interactions. One of the most striking features of predators is how often they cause evolutionary diversification in natural systems. Here, we review several ways that this can occur, exploring empirical evidence and suggesting promising areas for future work. We also introduce several papers recently accepted in Diversity that demonstrate just how important and varied predation can be as an agent of natural selection. We conclude that there is still much to be done in this field, especially in areas where multiple predator species prey …

Using Reactive Dissipative Particle Dynamics To Understand Local Shape Manipulation Of Polymer Vesicles, Qinyu Zhu, Timothy R. Scott, Douglas R. Tree

Faculty Publications

Biological cells have long been of interest to researchers due to their capacity to actively control their shape. Accordingly, there is significant interest in generating simplified synthetic protocells that can alter their shape based on an externally or internally generated stimulus. To date, most progress has been made towards controlling the global shape of a protocell, whereas less is known about generating a local shape change. Here, we seek to better understand the possible mechanisms for producing local morphological changes in a popular protocell system, the block copolymer vesicle. Accordingly, we have combined Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) and the Split …

Experiences And Observations On The Coronavirus Pandemic, Tyler Hutchinson

Final Projects

Personal experience narratives during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Interviews On Experiences And Hearsay Surrounding The Coronavirus Pandemic Of 2020, Tyler Hutchinson

Final Projects

Personal interviews discussing the impacts of Covid-19 on daily life

Comparative Efficacies Of Calmare Therapy And Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation In Randomized Peripheral Neuropathy Subjects With Resting State Fmri Monitoring, Ty A. Bodily, Logan Edvalson, Jordan B. Peacock, Zack M. Bradshaw, Carson Hart, Cameron Ernst, Samuel Biggs, David D. Busath

Faculty Publications

Clinical reports of Calmare protocol efficacy suggest enhanced durability compared to TENS and the possibility changes in resting fMRI connectivity. The objective was to compare peripheral neuropathy pain relief and resting fMRI changes with Calmare and TENS treatments. Randomized double-blind trials performed in August 2015 and between August 2016 and November 2017, with 18 and 20 human peripheral neuropathy subjects, respectively. The initial trial examined effects of a single session while the latter trial examined the effects of a course of ten treatment sessions on consecutive weekdays. fMRI scans were examined for changes in blood flow correlations and connectivity. Subjective …

Hydroxychloroquine Prophylaxis For Covid-19, David D. Busath

Faculty Publications

It is common in medicine that simple, inexpensive remedies are held hostage to medical prejudice, financial or political interest, and legal precedent. The purpose of this review is to take the point of view of the victims of COVID-19 and address whether scientific information, including randomized-control trials, can answer whether the hydroxychloroquine should be dispensed for those testing positive and their immediate recent contacts at the point of testing. Although the FDA in the United States is yet to be convinced, the demonstration of positive effects in clinical trials cannot be ignored and there is a large amount of information …

Evidence Of Tent Use By The Pygmy Fruit-Eating Bat Dermanura Phaeotis (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) In Nayarit, México, Celia López-González

Western North American Naturalist

Little information on the making or use of tents by bats is available for Mexico, although tent-making phyllostomids are common and abundant throughout the Mexican tropics. I report the use of tents by Dermanura phaeotis in northern Nayarit, México, in the northern portion of the species’ distribution. One bat was found roosting in a boat-apical tent located in a banana (Musa paradisiaca) grove surrounded by tropical semideciduous forest. Other fronds in the same grove were similarly modified as tents.


Poco se sabe sobre los murciélagos que usan o hacen tiendas en México, a pesar de que los filostómidos …

Language Matters: Examining The Language-Related Needs And Wants Of Writers In A First-Year University Writing Course, Grant Eckstein, Dana Ferris

Faculty Publications

All writing involves complex linguistic knowledge and thoughtful decision-making. But where do students acquire the linguistic tools needed to write effectively? Many students come from diverse backgrounds and may need additional support and/or instruction in language and grammar. In order to better understand this situation, we conducted a qualitative multiple-case study to examine the experiences of 12 students in a first-year university-level composition course to understand the extent of their diverse learning backgrounds and language needs and expectations. We synthesized information from surveys, interviews, and written texts into narratives about each student’s attitudes toward language and writing and also examined …

Toxoplasma Gondii Seropositivity And Serointensity And Cognitive Function In Adults, Bruce L. Brown, Shawn D. Gale, Lance D. Erickson, Evan L. Thacker, Elizabeth L. Mitchell, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

Infecting approximately one-third of the world’s human population, Toxoplasma gondii has been associated with cognitive function. Here, we sought to further characterize the association between Toxoplasma gondii and cognitive function in a community sample of adults aged approximately 40 to70 years. Using adjusted linear regression models, we found associations of Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity with worse reasoning (b = -.192, p < .05) and matrix pattern completion (b = -.681, p < .01), of higher anti-Toxoplasma gondii p22 antibody levels with worse reasoning (b = -.078, p < .01) and slower Trails (numeric) performance (b = 5.962, p < .05), of higher anti-Toxoplasma gondii sag1 levels with worse reasoning (b = -.081, p < .05) and worse matrix pattern completion (b = -.217, p < .05), and of higher mean of the anti-Toxoplasma gondii p22 and sag1 levels with worse reasoning (b = -.112, p < .05), slower Trails (numeric) performance (b = 9.195, p < .05), and worse matrix pattern completion (b = -.245, p < .05). Neither age nor educational attainment moderated associations between the measures of Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity or serointensity. Sex, however, moderated the association between the sag1 titer and digit-symbol substitution and the association between the mean of the p22 and sag1 levels and digit-symbol substitution, and income moderated the association between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and numeric memory and the association between the p22 level and symbol-digit substitution. Based on the available neuropsychological tasks in this study, Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and serointensity were associated with some aspects of poorer executive function in adults.

Front Matter, Vol. 80 No. 3

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Microclimate And Summer Surface Activity In The American Pika (Ochotona Princeps), Lauren M. Benedict, Meghan Wiebe, Maxwell Plichta, Heather Batts, Jessica Johnson, Emily Monk, Chris Ray

Western North American Naturalist

As regional climates continue to warm, climate-sensitive species might increasingly depend on microclimates to maintain normal activities. The American pika (Ochotona princeps) has been suggested as a sentinel of montane climate change, largely due to its sensitivity to warm temperatures and high exposure to changing climatic conditions. Pikas use talus to thermoregulate and have been shown to persist more often in talus slopes that create stable microclimates. However, many studies of pika behavior and persistence use metrics of climate measured above the talus surface, outside of the proposed microclimates that pikas can access. We paired fine-scale microclimate measurements …

End Matter, Vol. 80 No. 3

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Aging Structures And Life History Of A Historical Population Of Roundtail Chub (Cyprinidae) In The Yampa River, Colorado, Stephen T. Ross, Timothy C. Modde, Derek G. Ross, David Camak

Western North American Naturalist

The Gila robusta complex includes 3 large cyprinid species native to the Colorado River drainage. All 3 members of this complex, Humpback Chub G. cypha, Bonytail Chub G. elegans, and Roundtail Chub G. robusta, historically occurred in the Yampa River Canyon of Colorado and Utah. Both Humpback Chub and Bonytail Chub are federally listed as endangered, and the Roundtail Chub is now considered either imperiled or vulnerable to extinction by all state management agencies in the Colorado River basin. In late June or early July of 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2002, we collected Roundtail Chub from the …

Headwaters Fed By Subterranean Ice: Potential Climate Refugia For Mountain Stream Communities?, Lusha M. Tronstad, Scott Hotaling, J. Joseph Giersch, Debra S. Finn

Western North American Naturalist

Near-term extirpations of macroinvertebrates are predicted for mountain streams worldwide as a warming climate drives the recession of high-elevation ice and snow. However, hydrological sources likely vary in their resistance to climate change, and thus streams fed by more resistant sources could persist as climate refugia for imperiled biota. In 2015–2016, we measured habitat characteristics and quantified macroinvertebrate community structure along 6 alpine streams in the Teton Range, Wyoming, USA. Strong differences in habitat characteristics (e.g., temperature, bed stability, conductivity) confirmed 3 major stream sources: surface glaciers, perennial snowfields, and subterranean ice. Subterranean ice-fed streams—termed “icy seeps”—appear common in the …

Late Miocene To Late Pliocene (Hemphillian To Blancan) Borophagine Canids (Mammalia: Carnivora) From Idaho, H. Gregory Mcdonald

Western North American Naturalist

While borophagine canids are known from numerous Tertiary faunas across North America, they have not been well documented from the Tertiary faunas of Idaho. Five species represented by 2 genera are now known from Idaho faunas ranging from the latest Clarendonian/earliest Hemphillian to the late Blancan. The earliest records of borophagines in Idaho are Epicyon haydeni from the early Hemphillian Star Valley fauna and Borophagus pugnator from the late Clarendonian/early Hemphillian Poison Creek Formation. Borophagus secundus is present in the late Hemphillian Chalk Hills Formation, and 2 species are present in the Blancan Glenns Ferry Formation: (1) B. hilli …

Effects Of Germline And Somatic Events In Candidate Brca-Like Genes On Breast-Tumor Signatures, Weston R. Bodily, Brian H. Shirts, Tom Walsh, Suleyman Gulsuner, Mary-Claire King, Alyssa Parker, Moom Roosan, Stephen R. Piccolo

Faculty Publications

Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 cause deficiencies in homologous recombination repair (HR), resulting in repair of DNA double-strand breaks by the alternative non-homologous end-joining pathway, which is more error prone. HR deficiency of breast tumors is important because it is associated with better responses to platinum salt therapies and PARP inhibitors. Among other consequences of HR deficiency are characteristic somatic-mutation signatures and gene-expression patterns. The term “BRCA-like” (or “BRCAness”) describes tumors that harbor an HR defect but have no detectable germline mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. A better understanding of the genes and molecular events associated with tumors being …

Remote Cameras Versus Visual And Auditory Methods For Surveying The Colorado Chipmunk (Neotamias Quadrivittatus), Ian E. Perkins-Taylor, Jennifer K. Frey

Western North American Naturalist

Noninvasive survey methods may be necessary when studying rare species or when site conditions are likely to result in unintended mortalities during conventional live trapping. Traditional noninvasive methods based on visual and auditory observations, such as stationary point and roaming, time-constrained area surveys, may be prone to error. Remote cameras are primarily used with large mammals but have increasingly been applied to small mammals. We compared survey methods for a rare subspecies of the Colorado chipmunk (Neotamias quadrivittatus oscuraensis) occurring in a remote mountain range in New Mexico using stationary point surveys; roaming, time-constrained area surveys; and remote-camera …

Engineering And Application Of A Biosensor With Focused Ligand Specificity, Dennis Della Corte, Hugo L. Van Beek, Falk Syberg, Marcus Schallmey, Felix Tobola, Kai U. Cormann, Christine Schlicker, Philipp T. Baumann, Karin Krumbach, Sascha Sokolowsky, Connor J. Morris, Alexander Grünberger

Faculty Publications

Cell factories converting bio-based precursors to chemicals present an attractive avenue to a sustainable economy, yet screening of genetically diverse strain libraries to identify the best-performing whole-cell biocatalysts is a low-throughput endeavor. For this reason, transcriptional biosensors attract attention as they allow the screening of vast libraries when used in combination with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). However, broad ligand specificity of transcriptional regulators (TRs) often prohibits the development of such ultra-high-throughput screens. Here, we solve the structure of the TR LysG of Corynebacterium glutamicum, which detects all three basic amino acids. Based on this information, we follow a semi-rational engineering …

Body Mass And Primary Molt Patterns Of Greater Sage-Grouse In Colorado, Clait E. Braun, Peter O. Dunn, Gregory T. Wann, Michael A. Schroeder, Jerry W. Hupp

Western North American Naturalist

Patterns in body mass and molt provide useful information about how birds interact with their environment and act as potential explanatory variables in behavioral and demographic differences among sex and age classes. We collected population data for Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Jackson and Moffat counties, Colorado, from 1973 to 1993 prior to consideration of federal listing of the species under the Endangered Species Act. Using spotlights and long-handled nets, we located and captured Greater Sage-Grouse while they roosted (primarily at night). Each captured bird was banded and released near the site of capture. We recorded the molt …

Insomnia Is Associated With Frequency Of Suicidal Ideation Independent Of Depression: A Replication And Extension Of Findings From The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, Zach Simmons, Lance D. Erickson, Dawson Hedges, Daniel Kay

Faculty Publications

Objective: Insomnia is associated with suicidality, although the mechanisms of this association are unclear. This study sought to replicate previous findings showing that insomnia symptoms but not sleep duration are associated with frequency of suicidal ideation in adults. We further investigated whether depression or sleep duration moderates the association between insomnia symptoms and frequency of suicidal ideation.

Materials and Methods: We used the 2005–2006 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to replicate previously reported findings from the 2007–2008 cycle. We used ordered logistic regression to determine whether insomnia symptoms were associated with frequency of suicidal ideation independently …

Combining Machine Learning And Simulation Modelling For Better Predictions Of Crop Yield And Farmer Income, Thomas Berger

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Machine learning methods have proven to be very effective in identifying patterns and implicit dependencies in complex situations with many parameters and in providing correct classifications, predictions or decision aids with the models learned. In practice, however, the large amounts of correctly labelled training data required for such approaches are often not available. In collaboration with farm holdings in South-West Germany, we develop and test a new approach in which existing operational knowledge codified in simulation models is combined iteratively with the increasing insights of learned models. Extensive synthetic training data sets are generated by bioeconomic simulation models using high-performance …

Can Model Structure Families Be Inferred From Model Output?, Janneke Remmers

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

This study explores the compatibility of two approaches for hydrological model structure uncertainty assessment: modular modelling frame-works, and model ensemble runs. We created dendrograms, a method that stems from biology to determine family trees, based on both model structure and model output. We analysed how well model structure families could be inferred from signatures in model output over different climates, and as such, if model structure uncertainty can correctly be quantified based on model output. Results from a synthetic experiment over 671 climate in-stances showed that the performance of the inference depends on the type of signature evaluated, and the …

Participatory Modelling For Planning And Decision-Making: Report From Case Study Review, Beatrice Hedelin

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Participatory modelling (PM) has far-reaching potential to support the governance of complex socio-environmental systems. Although many PM case studies have been published, there is a lack of classification and characterization of the studies in their ensemble. To progress the systematic and theory-based development of PM and its applications with respect to participatory planning and decision-making, we have reviewed the field with a focus on planning and procedural issues. To do this, a random sample (n=60) of PM case articles is drawn from a larger pool of compiled PM articles that itself represented a nearly complete set of peer reviewed PM …

Exploring Land Based Benefits Of The Circular Economy, Martin Jancovic

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Current trends in biodiversity and habitat loss result in economic losses through the loss of ecosystem services, reduced food security due to an increased vulnerability to diseases, and loss of livelihoods. The transition of linear production chains in those parts of the economy that use renewable biological resources from the land and sea, to a more resource efficient and sustainable economy, will keep products and materials longer in use by human society and allow natural systems to regenerate. These biological resources include agricultural crops, and wood from forests to produce food, materials and energy. To ex-ante explore the impact of …

Nom Fractionation By Hpsec-Dad-Doc To Optimise Drinking Water Treatment Processes, Meritxell Valentí-Quiroga

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Drinkable water is an essential public service provided by water treatment works (WTWs). Potable water treatment is affected by several factors such as turbidity, natural organic matter (NOM), biological agents, taste and odor-causing compounds and other anthropogenic organic compounds. One of the biggest challenges of the WTWs is to strike a balance between disinfection processes to control microbiological risks during NOM removal and preventing the formation of undesirable chemicals caused by disinfectants (DPBs). On-line sensors are currently used for monitoring physical parameters (pH, flow rate, turbidity and temperature) while routine quality control also includes the monitoring of surrogate chemical parameters …

Model Framework For Global Biogeochemical Modelling, Mike Martin

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Spatial modelling is challenging as data acquisition and aggregation is often difficult. Not only is the availability of data challenging, but also its format and scale. To overcome this problem the framework presented here uses global data sets for soil, climate and land use for running the biogeochemical model, ECOSSE. The framework (GlobalECOSSE) can be used on different spatial and time scales. All driving data is aggregated for the target scale. For climate data this is done by averaging. Soils data can be considered either as the dominant soil type or by the area represented by each soil type within …

Family Matters: Decade Review From Journal Of Family And Economic Issues, Heather H. Kelly, Ashley B. Lebaron, E. Jeffery Hill

Faculty Publications

This article reviews research regarding economic influences on a variety of family matters published in Journal of Family and Economic Issues from 2010 to 2019. As finances permeate nearly every facet of everyday life, scholarly research related to finances and family issues has spanned a wide array of topics. We briefly review research focused on the following 11 areas related to finances and family matters: (a) family formation decisions, (b) gender and relational power in family finances and relationships, (c) finances and fathers, (d) finances and mothers, (e) finances and parenting, (f) finances and elderly family members, (g) finances and …