Digital Commons Network^™

Escalating Uncertainties Require Institutional Transformation To Support Epistemological Pluralism, Jennifer F. Brewer, Holly M. Hapke

Faculty Publications

As marine conservation challenges intensify with accelerating anthropogenic change, informing public deliberation about difficult trade-offs requires commitment to epistemological pluralism. Robust integration of social sciences can improve the realism of policy debates by explicating a range of potential social-ecological outcomes. Funders have long incentivized interdisciplinarity, yet progress is insufficient and embedded in a political economy of knowledge production. Failure to substantively address inequities can stymie collaboration. Institutional expectations for promotion and tenure rarely recognize the extent to which deep engagement transforms epistemological norms and scholarly outputs. Several organizations and programs offer relevant experience and resources. Senior scholars can use their …

Sortase-Encoding Genes, Srta And Srtc, Mediate Enterococcus Faecalis Og1rf Persistence In The Helicoverpa Zea Gastrointestinal Tract, Jerreme J. Jackson, Samantha Heyer, Geneva Bell

Faculty Publications

Enterococcus faecalis is a commensal and opportunistic pathogen in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of mammals and insects. To investigate mechanisms of bacterial persistence in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), we developed a non-destructive sampling model using Helicoverpa zea, a destructive agricultural pest, as host to study the role of bacterial sortase enzymes in mitigating persistence in the gastrointestinal tract. E. faecalis OG1RF ΔsrtA and E. faecalis OG1RF ΔsrtC, isogenic E. faecalis OG1RF sortase mutants grew similarly under planktonic growth conditions relative to a streptomycin-resistant E. faecalis OG1RFS WT in vitro but displayed impaired biofilm formation under, both, physiological and alkaline conditions. …

Multi-Decadal Coastal Acidification In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Driven By Climate Change And Eutrophication, Zong Pei Jiang, Cao Qin, Yiwen Pan, Chengfeng Le, Nancy Rabalais, Robert Eugene Turner, Katja Fennel, Kui Wang, Wei Jun Cai

Faculty Publications

Coastal waters often experience enhanced ocean acidification due to the combined effects of climate change and regional biological and anthropogenic activities. Through reconstructing summertime bottom pH in the northern Gulf of Mexico from 1986 to 2019, we demonstrated that eutrophication-fueled respiration dominated bottom pH changes on intra-seasonal and interannual timescales, resulting in recurring acidification coinciding with hypoxia. However, the multi-decadal acidification trend was principally driven by rising atmospheric CO2 and ocean warming, with more acidified and less buffered hypoxic waters exhibiting a higher rate of pH decline (− 0.0023 yr^{− 1}) compared to non-hypoxic waters (− 0.0014 yr …

Whole-Of-School Physical Activity Implementation In The Context Of The Dubai Fitness Challenge, Chris Mcmahon, Collin A. Webster, Robert Weaver, Christophe El Haber, Gönül Tekkurşun Demir, Zainab Mohamed Ismail, Syeda Zoha Fatima Naqvi, Mehnaz Ghani, Şevval Kepenek, Manel Kherraf, Thrisha Krishnakumar, Pranati Prakash, Yeowon Seo

Faculty Publications

Introduction

Physical activity (PA) promotion among school-aged youth is a global health priority. Recommendations for such promotion include implementing whole-of-school approaches that maximize resources across the school environment. This study examined schools’ participation in an annual, government-led, and emirate-wide initiative in Dubai, called the Dubai Fitness Challenge, in which the goal is to accrue 30 minutes of PA every day for 30 days (as such, the initiative is colloquially referred to as “Dubai 30x30”).

Methods

A mixed-methods design was employed for this study. Three schools were recruited using convenience sampling. Participants were 18 physical education teachers, 20 classroom teachers, 2 …

Modulation Of Methoxyfenozide Release From Lignin Nanoparticles Made Of Lignin Grafted With Pcl By Rop And Acylation Grafting Methods, Alvaro Garcia, Carlos E. Astete, Rafael Cueto, Cristina M. Sabliov

Faculty Publications

An efficient and sustainable agriculture calls for the development of novel agrochemical delivery systems able to release agrochemicals in a controlled manner. This study investigated the controlled release of the insecticide methoxyfenozide (MFZ) from lignin (LN) nanoparticles (LNPs). LN-grafted poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (LN-g-PCL) polymers were synthesized using two grafting methods, ring-opening polymerization (ROP)(LN-g-PCLp) and acylation reaction (LN-g-PCLa), creating polymers capable of self-assembling into nanoparticles of different properties, without surfactants. The LN-g-PCLp polymers exhibited a degree of polymerization (DP) from 22 to 101, demonstrating enhanced thermal stability after LN incorporation. LNPs loaded with MFZ exhibited a spherical core-shell structure with a hydrophilic LN …

Pal-Bert: An Improved Question Answering Model, Wenfeng Zheng, Siyu Lu, Zhuohang Cai, Ruiyang Wang, Lei Wang, Lirong Yin

Faculty Publications

In the field of natural language processing (NLP), there have been various pre-training language models in recent years, with question answering systems gaining significant attention. However, as algorithms, data, and computing power advance, the issue of increasingly larger models and a growing number of parameters has surfaced. Consequently, model training has become more costly and less efficient. To enhance the efficiency and accuracy of the training process while reducing the model volume, this paper proposes a first-order pruning model PAL-BERT based on the ALBERT model according to the characteristics of question-answering (QA) system and language model. Firstly, a first-order network …

Assessing Forage Research And Education Needs Of Organic Dairy Farms In The United States, Eric Hatungimana, Heather M. Darby, Kathy J. Soder, Sara E. Ziegler, Andre F. Brito, Lisa Kissing Kucek, Heathcliffe Riday, E Charles Brummer

Faculty Publications

The viability of organic dairy operations in the United States (US) relies on forage production. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess producer and farm information regarding current forage production practices and producer knowledge gaps and (2) identify forage research and educational needs of organic dairy producers across the US. A survey was distributed to 643 organic dairy producers across the US, with 165 respondents (26% response rate). A focus group consisting of extension professionals, university researchers and staff, consultants, dairy industry representatives and organic dairy producers was also consulted for forage research needs. Results showed that approximately …

Assessing Forage Research And Education Needs Of Organic Dairy Farms In The United States, Eric Hatungimana, Heather M. Darby, Kathy J. Soder, Sara E. Ziegler, Andre F. Brito, Lisa Kissing Kucek, Heathcliffe Riday, E Charles Brummer

Faculty Publications

The viability of organic dairy operations in the United States (US) relies on forage production. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess producer and farm information regarding current forage production practices and producer knowledge gaps and (2) identify forage research and educational needs of organic dairy producers across the US. A survey was distributed to 643 organic dairy producers across the US, with 165 respondents (26% response rate). A focus group consisting of extension professionals, university researchers and staff, consultants, dairy industry representatives and organic dairy producers was also consulted for forage research needs. Results showed that approximately …

Testing Hypotheses Of Invasion Pathways Of The Ladybird Harmonia Axyridis Into And Across South Africa, Amy Collop, John S. Terblanche, Susana Clusella-Trullas, Jeff R. Garnas, Pius Bradicich, Minette Karsten

Faculty Publications

Harmonia axyridis is an invasive beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), native to Asia, that has established on four continents beyond its native range and was first observed in South Africa in 2001. Using microsatellite data and a comprehensive geographic coverage of international (17 locations) and South African (14 locations) beetle samples, we inferred the source of colonists invading South Africa and the beetle’s movement within the country. Genetic structure analyses suggest that this species’ populations in South Africa are derived from admixture between beetles originating from eastern North America (which acted as a bridgehead population) and another population not directly sampled in …

Speculating About Genocide: The Queensland Frontier 1859–1897, Mark Finnane, Jonathan Richards

Faculty Publications

In the colonisation of Queensland, Australia it is commonly accepted that large numbers of Indigenous people were killed in the second half of the nineteenth century. Calculations of violent mortality have recently been revised radically upwards. We suggest that the methodology deployed in these new studies is unreliable, reflecting errors in counting and calculation, as well as underestimating the selection bias of the samples. We caution against projecting aggregate violent mortality where the underlying data are so imperfect and emphasise the value of more detailed local and regional studies to inform better understanding of colonisation's impact on First Peoples.

Transformative Insights: Break Up With Salt (Buws) Program’S Short-Term Influence On Hypertension Risk Factors, Jean Pierre Enriquez, Helena Salgado, Christopher Kuetsinya, Li Hsiang Lin, Elizabeth Gollub

Faculty Publications

Break Up with Salt (BUWS) is a four-session community-based nutrition education program aimed at reducing key controllable hypertension risk factors. This pilot study utilized a pre-post survey design to assess short-term outcomes on food behaviors (including DASH diet eating patterns), physical activity, and overall well-being, in two groups of participants. The first “pilot” group (n = 25) completed a comprehensive, 16-item survey; the second “abbreviated” group (n = 27) completed a 5-item survey. The pilot group experienced improvements in whole grain (p = 0.04), sweetened beverage consumption, watching/reducing sodium (p = 0.04) and fat (p = 0.05) consumption, and time …

Growing The Next Generation Of Horticulture Customers And Stakeholders Through Industry And Extension Outreach Collaborations1, Natalie Bumgarner, Alicia Rihn, Julie Campbell, Sheri Dorn, Heather Kirk-Ballard

Faculty Publications

As the horticulture consumer base transitions to younger generations, educational outreach collaborations between Extension and industry could be a mutually beneficial way to serve an increasingly diverse customer audience. A recent study investigated drivers of, and opportunities for, increased participation in plant-related activities using an online survey of 2,134 respondents. Both participants and non-participants in plant-related activities were surveyed. Some of the commonly cited reasons for non-participation were a lack of knowledge and overall success, illustrating an opportunity for education to be beneficial. While many plant retailers may not have the personnel or resources to engage widely in education, collaborations …

Gendered Perceptions And Socio-Economic And Spatial Determinants Of Fear Of Crime: An Empirical Analysis In Szczecin, Poland, Natalia Sypion, Arkadiusz Kołodziej, Michael Leitner, Marek Dutkowski

Faculty Publications

The study of the fear of crime phenomenon provides a socially and politically important research question. Many studies show that gender differentiates the fear of crime, which is why we examine this phenomenon in a spatial perspective. The female versus male perspective of feelings of safety in residential areas were significantly different. The research was carried out using the CAWI technique in the city of Szczecin, in Poland (n=346). The research also examined which factors influenced the fear of crime the most: darkness, socio-economic characteristics, type of violations, number of registered crimes, or the assessment of police work. The research …

Motivators Of Circular Fashion: The Antecedents Of Chinese Consumers’ Fashion Renting Intentions, Chunmin Lang, Ruirui Zhang

Faculty Publications

This study investigates how intrinsic (i.e., shopping values, frugality, and perceived enjoyment) and extrinsic factors (i.e., perceived risks) influence Chinese consumers’ intentions regarding fashion renting. A quantitative study was conducted with data collected from a Chinese online research platform named Wenjuanxing. Data cleaning generated 322 valid samples out of 354 returned responses. Both SPSS 23.0 and Mplus 7 were used for data analysis. The hypotheses were tested through a structural equation model (SEM). The results theoretically confirm and expand the knowledge regarding what conceptual constructs impel or restrain consumers’ renting behaviors. The positive influences of frugality, perceived enjoyment, and attitude …

Unlocking The Potential Of Artificial Intelligence In Fashion Design And E-Commerce Applications: The Case Of Midjourney, Yanbo Zhang, Chuanlan Liu

Faculty Publications

The fashion industry has shown increasing interest in applying artificial intelligence (AI), yet there is a significant gap in exploring the potential of emerging diffusion-modeling-based AI image-generation systems for fashion design and commerce. Therefore, this study aims to assess the effectiveness of Midjourney, one such AI system, in both fashion design and related commerce applications. We employed the action research approach with the Functional, Expressive, and Aesthetic (FEA) Consumer Needs Model as the theoretical framework. Our research comprised three stages: refining an initial idea into well-defined textual design concepts, facilitating concept development, and validating the preceding observations and reflections by …

Association Between Short Birth Spacing And Child Malnutrition In Bangladesh: A Propensity Score Matching Approach, Foyez Ahmmed, Nahid Hasan, Faruk Hossain, Tareq Ferdous Khan

Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the effects of short birth spacing (SBS), which is defined as a period of less than 33 months between two successive births, on multiple concurrent forms of child malnutrition (MCFCM) and at least one form of child malnutrition (ALOFCM) using propensity score matching (PSM). Methods: This study used data extracted from the 2017- 18 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. PSM with four different distance functions, including logistic regression, classification and regression tree, single hidden layer neural network and random forest, were performed to evaluate the effects of SBS on MCFCM and ALOFCM. We also …

New Features Of Laboratory-Generated Epfrs From 1,2-Dichlorobenzene (Dcb) And 2-Monochlorophenol (Mcp), Lavrent Khachatryan, Marwan Y. Rezk, Divine Nde, Farhana Hasan, Slawomir Lomnicki, Dorin Boldor, Robert Cook, Phillip Sprunger, Randall Hall, Stephania Cormier

Faculty Publications

The present research is primarily focused on investigating the characteristics of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) generated from commonly recognized aromatic precursors, namely, 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB) and 2-monochlorophenol (MCP), within controlled laboratory conditions at a temperature of 230 °C, termed as DCB230 and MCP230 EPFRs, respectively. An intriguing observation has emerged during the creation of EPFRs from MCP and DCB utilizing a catalyst 5% CuO/SiO2, which was prepared through various methods. A previously proposed mechanism, advanced by Dellinger and colleagues (a conventional model), postulated a positive correlation between the degree of hydroxylation on the catalyst’s surface (higher hydroxylated, HH and less …

Observational Features Of Charge Distribution In Earth's Inner Magnetosphere, Lai Gao, Chao Shen, Yufei Zhou, Yong Ji, Zuyin Pu, George Parks, Christopher T. Russell, Gang Zeng, Lan Ma, Roy B. Torbert, Yanyan Yang, James L. Burch

Faculty Publications

Understanding the motion of charged particles in the electromagnetic field in the inner magnetosphere is essential for space science and space weather. Charge accumulation can occur due to the dipole magnetic and convective electric fields in this region. However, until the recent Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, there were few means to detect charge distribution in situ. We report unambiguous in situ observation of the spatial distribution of the excess charge density in the inner magnetosphere by the MMS mission. We find that a positive (negative) charge accumulates in the dusk (dawn) side inner magnetospheres, which is contrary to the long …

Observational Features Of Charge Distribution In Earth's Inner Magnetosphere, Lai Gao, Chao Shen, Yufei Zhou, Yong Ji, Zuyin Pu, George Parks, Christopher T. Russell, Gang Zeng, Lan Ma, Roy B. Torbert, Yanyan Yang, James L. Burch

Faculty Publications

Understanding the motion of charged particles in the electromagnetic field in the inner magnetosphere is essential for space science and space weather. Charge accumulation can occur due to the dipole magnetic and convective electric fields in this region. However, until the recent Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, there were few means to detect charge distribution in situ. We report unambiguous in situ observation of the spatial distribution of the excess charge density in the inner magnetosphere by the MMS mission. We find that a positive (negative) charge accumulates in the dusk (dawn) side inner magnetospheres, which is contrary to the long …

Establishment And Characterization Of Turtle Liver Organoids Provides A Potential Model To Decode Their Unique Adaptations, Christopher Zdyrski, Vojtech Gabriel, Thea B. Gessler, Abigail Ralston, Itzel Sifuentes-Romero, Debosmita Kundu, Sydney Honold, Hannah Wickham, Nicholas E. Topping, Dipak Kumar Sahoo, Basanta Bista, Jeffrey Tamplin, Oscar Ospina, Pablo Piñeyro, Marco Arriaga, Jacob A. Galan, David K. Meyerholz, Karin Allenspach, Jonathan P. Mochel, Nicole Valenzuela

Faculty Publications

Painted turtles are remarkable for their freeze tolerance and supercooling ability along with their associated resilience to hypoxia/anoxia and oxidative stress, rendering them an ideal biomedical model for hypoxia-induced injuries (including strokes), tissue cooling during surgeries, and organ cryopreservation. Yet, such research is hindered by their seasonal reproduction and slow maturation. Here we developed and characterized adult stem cell-derived turtle liver organoids (3D self-assembled in vitro structures) from painted, snapping, and spiny softshell turtles spanning ~175My of evolution, with a subset cryopreserved. This development is, to the best of our knowledge, a first for this vertebrate Order, and complements the …

Detecting Substance Use Disorder Using Social Media Data And Dark Web: Time And Knowledge Aware Study, Usha Lokala, Orchid Chetia Phukan, Triyasha Ghosh Dastidar, Francois Lamy, Raminta Daniulaityte, Amit Sheth

Faculty Publications

Opioid and substance misuse is rampant in the United States today, with the phenomenon known as the "opioid crisis". The relationship between substance use and mental health has been extensively studied, with one possible relationship being: substance misuse causes poor mental health. However, the lack of evidence on the relationship has resulted in opioids being largely inaccessible through legal means. This study analyzes the substance use posts on social media with opioids being sold through crypto market listings. We use the Drug Abuse Ontology, state-of-the-art deep learning, and knowledge-aware BERT-based models to generate sentiment and emotion for the social media …

Comparative Methods For Teaching Contemporary And Ancient Saints, Todd E. French, Mohammed Forero Bucheli

Faculty Publications

This paper argues that a comparative study of saints is not only a useful classroom tool for historians and religionists, but an exceptionally powerful locus of pedagogical insight and cultural understanding. By reframing contemporary consumptive patterns, media representations, and power discourses as religious vectors of saintliness, the professor has an opportunity to explore and assess cultural values, rituals, beliefs, worldviews, communities, traditions, and meaning making in the contemporary college student’s world. By acknowledging the dangers and possibilities of the category of saint while reframing the ascetical impact on developing subjectivities, we propose six pedagogical examples of how this might best …

Radiation From An Oscillating Dipole In The Presence Of Photon-Sector Cpt And Lorentz Violation, Joshua O'Connor, Brett Altschul

Faculty Publications

We examine one of the standard loci for studying electromagnetic wave emission - the radiation from an oscillating electric dipole - in a model in which the electromagnetic sector is modified to include novel CPT- and Lorentz-violating propagation effects involving a preferred axial vector background. We evaluate the vacuum-birefringent radiation fields, including nonperturbative terms where appropriate. In general, the energy momentum carried by the fields in this model is known to have a complicated nonperturbative structure, which cannot be captured by naive power-series expansions in the components of the preferred background vector. However, we nevertheless find that at the lowest …

Children In The Workplace: An Exploration In Library Policy Making, Sharolyn Swenson, Marissa Anne Bischoff, Ryan Lee

Faculty Publications

Children in the workplace are becoming a more common discussion in various work environments, including libraries. Since the university has no policy addressing this issue, a task force was charged to draft a recommended policy for the university library regarding bringing children to the workplace. The task force reviewed existing policies and conducted a survey and interviews with library employees. The resulting policy provided guidelines for employees and their supervisors without being overly prescriptive. This article provides a case study of how the task force used assessment methods and tools to create an appropriate and inclusive policy. While the specific …

Resonance: Collaborative Musicking Through Tactile Ecologies, Ka Hei Cheng, Jesse Allison

Faculty Publications

This paper unveils a PhD research on "Resonance,"an instrument at the crossroads of collaborative music-making, gameplay, and music-related human-computer interaction. Resonance creates a unique communal gameplay performance system, where players are interdependent, transcending the boundaries of human and non-human agency. This collective process has the potential to enhance human connections and bonding, amplifying players' sensitivity to one another and their environment. The heart of this collaboration comprises intricate networks of signals, nurturing relationships, shared expression, decision-making processes, negotiation, and a spectrum of implementations. Resonance's design showcases tactile and tangible interfaces, employing capacitive touch technology as a sound interface, thereby providing …

Drivers Of Anticoagulant Rodenticide Exposure In Fishers (Pekania Pennanti) Across The Northeastern United States, Georgianna Silveira, Jacqueline L. Frair, Lisa Murphy, Julie C. Ellis, David Needle, Stephanie A. Cunningham, Amanda Watson, Aaron Facka, Patrick Tate, Shevenell Webb, Kim Royar, Chris Bernier, Thomas Keller, Krysten Schuler

Faculty Publications

Studies in parts of Europe, New Zealand, and North America indicate uptake of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) by predatory mammals to be widespread and common, with proximity to urban and agricultural areas being an important driver of exposure. Yet, little is known regarding the patterns and drivers of AR exposure in predatory mammals within more forest-dominated landscapes. Across the forest-dominated northeastern United States (US), a region spanning Pennsylvania to Maine, we tested livers from 597 fisher (Pekania pennanti) obtained from the legal harvest for 11 anticoagulant rodenticide compounds. We used kriging to determine potential hot zones (within or among states) and …

Drivers Of Anticoagulant Rodenticide Exposure In Fishers (Pekania Pennanti) Across The Northeastern United States, Georgianna Silveira, Jacqueline L. Frair, Lisa Murphy, Julie C. Ellis, David Needle, Stephanie A. Cunningham, Amanda Watson, Aaron Facka, Patrick Tate, Shevenell Webb, Kim Royar, Chris Bernier, Thomas Keller, Krysten Schuler

Faculty Publications

Studies in parts of Europe, New Zealand, and North America indicate uptake of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) by predatory mammals to be widespread and common, with proximity to urban and agricultural areas being an important driver of exposure. Yet, little is known regarding the patterns and drivers of AR exposure in predatory mammals within more forest-dominated landscapes. Across the forest-dominated northeastern United States (US), a region spanning Pennsylvania to Maine, we tested livers from 597 fisher (Pekania pennanti) obtained from the legal harvest for 11 anticoagulant rodenticide compounds. We used kriging to determine potential hot zones (within or among states) and …

Advancing Cr(Vi) Electroreduction: A Redox Mediator To Catalyze The Electrochemical Reduction Of Cr(Vi) In Water While Preventing Fouling Of Carbon Electrodes, Callie M. Stern, Malithi M. Abeythunga, Noémie Elgrishi

Faculty Publications

Hexavalent chromium is a contaminant of concern and is found in drinking water supplies. Electrochemical methods are well-suited to accomplish the reduction of toxic Cr(VI) to Cr(III). However, high overpotentials and plating of Cr(III) products on electrodes have stymied the development of efficacious purification methods. The Cr(VI) reduction reaction necessitates the transfer of multiple protons and electrons, which is accompanied by a high kinetic barrier. Following recent advances in the electrocatalytic energy storage community, we report that the use of [Fe(CN)6]^3- as a small molecular electrocatalyst not only diminishes the overpotential for Cr(VI) reduction on carbon electrodes by 0.575 …

Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Measures And Viral Suppression For People Living With Hiv: A Protocol For A Population-Based Cohort Study, Xueying Yang, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Sharon Weissman, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Jiajia Zhang Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Introduction The measure of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data in electronic health records (EHR) has been critical for addressing health disparities and inequalities, especially for HIV care. Given that gender and sexual minorities (eg, transgender, men who have sex with men and intersex) are key groups in people living with HIV (PLWH), SOGI data can facilitate a more accurate understanding about the HIV outcomes (eg, viral suppression) among this key group and then lead to tailored therapeutic services. The two-step SOGI collection method as an emerging gender measurement can be used to measure SOGI status in medical settings. …

Creating An Inclusive Metadata Policy, Nicole Lewis, Jeremy Myntti

Faculty Publications

Best of Core Forum webinar series

The BYU Library has created an Inclusive Metadata Policy for metadata creators to use when creating and remediating descriptions to be more inclusive. Accompanying the policy is a companion document with recommendations and examples, including links to many external resources. In addition to working with stakeholders in the library to develop the policy, we consulted with the University’s Office of Belonging. This presentation describes the process we used to undertake the creation of the library policy and recommendations document.