Digital Commons Network^™

Addressing The Challenges Of Cognitive Decline In The Physician Workforce, Sharona Hoffman

Faculty Publications

This book chapter examines the growing challenge of cognitive decline among aging physicians and analyzes various approaches to addressing it. In 2024, twenty percent of working physicians were sixty-five or older, and evidence suggests that 12-14% of older clinicians have cognitive deficits that may affect job performance. The chapter evaluates two primary approaches to cognitive assessment: employer-initiated programs and programs operated by state medical boards. Employer "late career practitioner policies" (LCPP) that require older physicians to undergo testing are becoming increasingly popular among health care organizations. But they are vulnerable to challenge under disability and age discrimination laws, as evidenced …

Gimmick Leadership, George Padilla

Faculty Publications

In the 1960’s, “Gypsy,” a musical movie classic premiered about a domineering mother who sought self-glorification by pushing her young daughter into stripping. The young daughter, Gypsy, learned the trick of the trade from veteran strippers in a song—“You Gotta Have A Gimmick.”

While education has always been filled with fads and slogans, today, educational leaders loudly proclaim, “College Ready”/”College Started”/”College Complete”/Career Ready.” For many educational leaders, these are gimmick slogans because academic achievement remains low and many students are arriving at college academically unprepared—but, now, possibly with hollow college credits and at greater risk of failing. Our nation …

Methods For Tagging Whale Sharks: Insights Into Performance And Best Practices With A Focus On Clamp Attachments, Freya C. Womersley, Sofia Green, Alberto Garcia-Baciero, Ronan Conlon, Amy L. Jeffries, Matt J. Waller, Sara S. Ratão, Nuno Queiroz, Pedro Afonso, Gonzalo Araujo, Adam Barnett, Christine Barry, Michael L. Berumen, Farukhkha Bloch, Ginevra Boldrocchi, Camrin D. Braun, Ryan Caillouet, Constance Chapman, Jesse E.M. Cochran

Faculty Publications

Background: Biologging and telemetry have transformed our understanding of marine megafauna movement ecology. Yet, methodological constraints continue to limit data quality and deployment duration. Devices recording whale shark (Rhincodon typus) behaviours and movements have been used for decades, but they remain challenging to deploy and vary in success. Recently, spring-loaded clamp-based systems have emerged as one of the most widely used approaches to attach electronic tags to the fins of this globally endangered species. Currently, however, no consensus guidelines exist as to how to optimise this approach, potentially leading to continued underperforming deployments limiting analysis potential. Here, we synthesise experiences …

A Square Peg In A Round Hole: Academic Review And Exhibitions, Cory L. Nimer, Megan E. Frost

Faculty Publications

Academic libraries increasingly use exhibitions as scholarly communication, yet conventional peer-review models rarely account for their collaborative, interdisciplinary nature. Museums and other GLAM institutions have developed standards addressing exhibition goals, audiences, interpretation, attribution, access, and visitor engagement, offering a useful foundation for academic library practice. At Brigham Young University, a library task force examined peer-review models across disciplines and adapted museum standards into a policy for evaluating exhibitions as scholarship in retention and promotion processes. Approved in January 2025, the policy was first applied to By Study and By Faith: 150 Years of BYU, an exhibition developed for the …

Methodological Variations In Environmental Justice Screening Tools And Their Impact On Disadvantaged Community Designations, Thomas Robbins, Qingran Li, Stephen Bird

Faculty Publications

Government agencies in the United States have developed environmental justice screening tools (EJSTs) and designations to promote equitable distribution of benefits from environmental policies to disadvantaged communities (DACs). However, the methodological choices embedded in these tools, including the selection, weighting, and aggregation of environmental justice indicators, vary across EJSTs, and their implications for DAC designation outcomes are poorly understood. Here we systematically compare four EJSTs at the federal and state levels and show that these tools produce substantial variation in the DAC census tracts, with some tools emphasizing socioeconomic burdens while others prioritize environmental risks. Using quantitative regression models, we …

Welcome To Our Charity Bazaar, Leslee Thorne-Murphy, Maggie Kopp

Faculty Publications

Catalog for the 2017-2018 exhibit at L. Tom Perry Special Collections, BYU Library. Charity bazaars were a product of a massive nineteenth-century philanthropic undertaking in the United Kingdom, as private citizens attempted to respond to the social ills created by a rapidly industrializing economy. Bazaars combined the entertainment value of a social gathering and the fun of a town fair, with the moral earnestness of philanthropic work. Typically organized by women, these bazaars offered handmade goods for sale, raising funds for numerous local and national charitable causes. The exhibit showcases the history and print culture of the charity bazaar, from …

Enhancing The Bearing Capacity And Settlement Performance Of Soft Clay Using Geocell Reinforcement: A 3d Numerical Parametric Study, Alaa Ata, Engy E. Elbasuny, Ayman Metodiev El-Zohairy, Marwa Nabil

Faculty Publications

Problematic soils pose a risk to structures due to excessive or uneven settlement, swelling, and limited bearing capacity. To address some of these issues, mechanical reinforcement using geosynthetic products such as geocells can be employed, given their ease and speed of implementation. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of geocells on the behavior of soft clay soil in Port Said, Egypt, using a three-dimensional finite element model, namely, the PLAXIS 3D software. The results show that replacing the top 1.5 m of the soft clay with sand significantly reduced settlement. This improvement was further enhanced by …

Genai And The Self Represented Litigant, Kristen Clarke Kellems, Kristen Clarke Kellems, Kristen Clarke Kellems

Faculty Publications

Generative AI is making it easier for self-represented litigants to produce polished legal documents, but easier filing does not necessarily lead to better outcomes. This presentation examines how AI may expand access to courts while increasing weak filings, early dismissals, and burdens on the legal system.

The session reviews attorneys’ duties of technological competence, confidentiality, supervision, and citation verification. It also distinguishes general-purpose AI from legal research tools. Using a Utah third-party custody and guardianship problem, the presentation compares several tools based on statutory accuracy, legal comprehension, treatment of case law, and completeness. The results show that identifying controlling cases …

Tax Exceptionalism After Loper Bright, Conor Clarke, Noah Hertz Marks

Faculty Publications

In this article, the authors consider what Loper Bright means for the relevance of Mayo Foundation and National Muffler as well as its broader implications for agency-specific deference, and they examine older case law that can be helpful post-Loper Bright.

Parental Perceptions Of Censorship In Utah: Working Paper, Rachel L. Wadham, Dallyn Edmunds

Faculty Publications

The rapid rise of book challenges and removals in U.S. school libraries has increasingly been justified through appeals to parental rights, yet relatively little research has explored what parents themselves believe about censorship and book removal. This exploratory qualitative study examined Utah parents’ perceptions of censorship in school libraries, the kinds of content they believe should be restricted, and the reasoning underlying those beliefs. Using a grounded theory-informed thematic analysis approach, data were collected through a survey of 319 Utah parents with children enrolled in public schools. The survey combined closed-ended and open-ended questions, allowing participants to articulate their views …

The Evolution Of Reliability Methods For Nondestructive Evaluation (Nde): From Probability Of Detection (Pod) Conception To Contemporary Practices, Christine E. Knott, Jennifer Brown, John Aldrin, Christine M. Schubert Kabban

Faculty Publications

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods are powerful tools for detecting and characterizing flaws in structural components, but their reliability must be evaluated before they can be used in critical applications. For more than 50 years, probabilistic and statistical methods have been used effectively to estimate reliability by describing an NDE system’s Probability of Detection (POD) for flaws of realistic sizes. The POD methods used by the USAF and NASA, like Hit/Miss, Signal-Response (â vs. a), and Point Estimate method (PEM, a.k.a. 29/29) have evolved, alongside newer approaches like Limited Sample POD (LS-POD) method, and Model Assisted Probability of Detection …

Uneven Surfaces, Chipped Plates And Hiding Spaces: Pedagogical Practices In The Nordic Outdoor Model Of Education, Karen Walker

Faculty Publications

This article shares insights from a professional study tour of Danish early childhood education programmes, examining how social pedagogical principles are embedded in outdoor learning environments. During June 2024, a group of early childhood teacher educators from the United States visited forest kindergartens, adventure playgrounds and natural playscapes in Denmark as participants in the Nordic Outdoor Model of Education study tour. Through guided visits and observations, we documented pedagogical practices that demonstrate the application of social pedagogy– particularly the integration of head, heart and hands in supporting children’s holistic development. This article connects observed practices to social pedagogical theory, highlighting …

Analysis Of The Impacts Of Propositions 41 And 42 On California Public Finance, David Gamage, Brian D. Galle, Darien Shanske

Faculty Publications

This memorandum discusses the possible collateral damage that Propositions 41 and 42 (on the ballot in California on November 3, 2026) might cause.  The two propositions were concocted very quickly by billionaires in order to trick voters that will vote for Proposition 40 (the billionaire tax) also to vote for these propositions that are designed to undermine the billionaire tax.

The basic trick is that these propositions have plausible seeming veneers but hide a poison pill that aims to frustrate the functioning of the billionaire tax.  The veneers are “plausible seeming” because they address problems that are not problems.  For …

Karhunen-Loève Modes For Coherent Arrays, Jack E. Mccrae, Santasri R. Bose-Pillai, Steven T. Fiorino

Faculty Publications

The optimal modes for correcting atmospheric turbulence on coherent arrays are determined. These Karhunen-Loève modes are eigenvectors of a covariance matrix. Creating this covariance matrix requires knowledge of the power spectrum of the turbulence, the aperture geometry, and a basis set for the matrix. The Kolmogorov power law is ordinarily chosen here for the turbulence spectrum. By choosing the phase on each array subaperture element minus the phase averaged over all subapertures as this basis, infinite values in the variances and covariances can be avoided. The piston mode of the whole array, which would otherwise also be infinite, is thus …

Concepts For Supporting Indigenous And Tribal Information And Research Needs, Sharon Hausam

Faculty Publications

This is a working paper produced as part of National Science Foundation project #2115169, “Transforming Rural-Urban Systems: Trajectories for Sustainability in the Intermountain West,” known as the “Intermountain West Transformation Network” (TN), led by the University of New Mexico with institutional partners at three additional universities in New Mexico, two in Arizona, and one each in Utah, Colorado, and Washington. The TN’s Indigenous and Tribal engagement was supported through a contract with Dr. Sharon Hausam, additional work by Aaron M. Canter, coordination with Dr. Lani Tsinnajinnie, and an Advisory Committee on Indigenous Information Needs primarily comprised of Indigenous representatives in …

Evaluating A Dual-Beacon Hartmann Turbulence Profiling Technique Using Wave Optics Simulations, Benjamin C. Wilson, Matthew Kalensky, Santasri Bose-Pillai, Jack E. Mccrae

Faculty Publications

Resolving how optical turbulence varies along a propagation path remains a key challenge for designers of free-space optical propagation systems. Instruments such as scintillometers and differential image motion monitors are commonly used, but only provide path-integrated turbulence estimates. Point sensors provide localized estimates of turbulence strength and can be used to generate path-resolved profiles when an array of point sensors are distributed along the optical path. However, this approach can be costly and complex to deploy in certain environments. Alternatively, a single point sensor can be mounted on a mobile platform that collects data while traversing the optical path, although …

Appellate Oral Argument In The Federal Courts Of Appeals: A Vestige Of The Past, Or A Vital Check On Intuitive Decision-Making?, Jessica K. Webb

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Development Of Robust Ratio Linear Fitting Method Of Temperature And Emissivity Separation For High-Temperature Data, Mitchell Manzardo, Michael L. Dexter, Shannon R. Young, John Bowlan, Anthony L. Franz

Faculty Publications

Accurate temperature and emissivity separation from thermal infrared radiance is essential for characterizing materials under high-temperature laboratory conditions. Existing temperature and emissivity separation methods have largely been developed for multispectral remote sensing applications, where long atmospheric path lengths require extensive atmospheric compensation. In contrast, the current work considers hyperspectral laboratory measurements acquired over a short optical path, where atmospheric effects are comparatively small but increased measurement uncertainty remains within portions of the measured spectrum. The ABB MR304 FTIR spectrometer used in this study exhibits reduced optical transmission below approximately 2.5 μm, producing increased measurement uncertainty within the spectral region containing …

Deporting Disability, Tania Valdez

Faculty Publications

Since the enactment of the earliest migration laws in the United States, people with disabilities have been targeted for exclusion and expulsion based on stereotypes that they are either dangerous or not productive. Although some of the pejorative language regarding disability in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) has changed over time, certain statutory provisions and the very structure of the INA still allow ableism to operate broadly in immigration adjudications. This Article focuses on the subtle, but pervasive, ways that immigration law disfavors noncitizens with disabilities. In particular, this Article examines ableism in the context of removal (commonly known …

Effective Visibility In The Infrared Bands, Peter L. Dean-Erlander, Steven T. Fiorino, Ronald G. Driggers

Faculty Publications

Visibility is an atmospheric metric for the comparison of terrestrial imaging conditions and locations. A limitation of visibility is that it is defined for the visible spectrum only, and there is no simple infrared equivalent. This study compares three reflective infrared wavebands: near-IR (NIR), shortwave IR (SWIR), and extended shortwave IR (eSWIR), to the visible band across a global set of cities to develop three rule-of-thumb functions for IR effective visibility. To accomplish this, a radiometric sensor model is combined with the Laser Environmental Effects Definition and Reference (LEEDR) software package to calculate the visibility of a black-and-white contrast target …

An Atmospheric Optical Turbulence Structure Parameter Measurements System Based On Direct Ri Sensing Using High-Resolution Fiber-Optic Sensors, Matej Njegovec, Simon Pevec, Vedran Budinski, Boris Macuh, Melissa K. Beason, Denis Onlagic

Faculty Publications

The paper presents a method to characterize the refractive index structure parameter (C_n²) associated with optical turbulence directly. The characterization system is based on miniature, high‑resolution, all‑fiber refractive index (RI) sensors. The refractive index sensors employ open‑path, low‑finesse Fabry–Perot interferometers that are approximately 8 mm long and 200 μm in diameter. The active part of the interferometers is made of ultra‑low‑expansion glass, which eliminates the influence of thermal expansion on the refractive index measurements. The proposed refractive index sensor, operating in a differential configuration, achieved a resolution of 2×10^-9 RIU using a custom‑designed spectral interrogation system …

The Use Of Machine Learning Models For Predicting The Dielectric Strength Of Gases, Matthew Mileski, Paul W. Groth, Timothy S. Wolfe, Adib J. Samin

Faculty Publications

Technological advancements in high voltage systems have pushed sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) to its operational limits. Furthermore, this gas has other drawbacks including a high liquefaction temperature and a high global warming potential. Therefore, there has been an urgent need to find alternative gases with high dielectric strength (DS). In this work, density functional theory (DFT) is used to calculate molecular descriptors that are fed into an artificial neural network (ANN) and a random forest (RF). These machine learning (ML) models are then used to predict the DS for hundreds of molecules. A finite element model (FEM) is also used to …

Enhancing A Mid-Wave Infrared Fourier Transform Hyperspectral Imager For Explosions, James T. Stofel, Kody A. Wilson, Martin Larivière-Bastien, Anthony L. Franz, Michael L. Dexter

Faculty Publications

Capturing reliable hyperspectral imager data at a meaningful frame rate for explosions and other fast-changing scenes is not possible in the mid-wave infrared region under traditional sensor operating configurations and processing techniques, which typically have frame rates on the order of 0.5–2.0 Hz. To combat these shortcomings, the scene acquisition parameters were tailored for explosions and a new method for processing optical signatures of fast transient scenes with Fourier-transform infrared hyperspectral imagers was developed. For this technique, the instrument was first configured to collect asymmetric interferograms while optimizing the number of measurement points on the short side of the interferogram. …

Modeling Formation Of Turbulent Sporadic-E Clouds Using Realistic Wind Data, Aaron M. Schinder, Kenneth S. Obenberger, Jorge L. Chau, Juan M. Urco, Matthias Clahsen, Benjamin F. Akers, Daniel J. Emmons

Faculty Publications

A high resolution two-dimensional multi-fluid model of sporadic-E layers was developed and driven with physically realistic mesosphere, lower thermosphere (MLT) winds measured over Albuquerque, New Mexico. The realistic E-region winds are produced by the HYdrodynamic Point-wise Environment Reconstructor (HYPER) model that ingests meteor derived wind observations from a Spread-spectrum Interferometric Multistatic meteor radar Observing Network (SIMONe) system combined with the Navier-Stokes equations to provide high resolution three-dimensional wind fields over time. Sporadic-E dynamics are simulated using both realistic winds from HYPER as well as idealized hyperbolic tangent windshears to compare and contrast. Overall, the model shows greater inhomogeneity and irregularity …

What Drives Schoolchildren's Food Choices? Insights From A Gamified Stated-Preference Choice Experiment In Tunisia, Ali Chalak, Christelle Akl, Joanne Haddad, Nehmat El Helou, Sonia Sassi, Houda Ben Gharbia, Rawan Traboulsi, Marc Haber, Jalila El Ati, Hala Ghattas Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This paper models the drivers of schoolchildren's food choices in urban Tunisia using a gamified Stated-Preference Choice Experiment (SPCE), which includes scenario attributes (food placement, preparation, and price) and contextual factors (parental/peer modeling eating behaviors). A representative sample of 2465 schoolchildren aged 8 to 12 years in Greater Tunis participated in a SPCE, which simulates real-life food choice scenarios on a typical school day. The game includes six nodes (breakfast, recess, lunch, snack on the road to/from school, afternoon snack, dinner) in various locations (home, school, neighborhood). Each choice task includes nine items to choose from (3 beverages, 3 side-meals, …

The Long Arc Of Global Citizenship: Historical Foundations, Modern Challenges, And Institutional Innovation At Rollins College, Wenxian Zhang

Faculty Publications

The concept of global citizenship can be traced back to the Greek and Roman periods in Western civilization, as well as to ancient Eastern philosophies. Representing both a prescriptive ideal and an aspirational faith in humanity, the notion is closely linked to the historical development of cosmopolitanism, transnationalism, and transnationality. This study first reviews the rich historical roots and core values of global citizenship, along with the growing need for global citizenship education in the modern era. It then highlights several influential individuals who strongly championed its principles, including theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner Albert Einstein and internationalist and …

Perceived Effectiveness Of Cigar Warnings Among Young People In The U.S., Leah M. Ranney, Rime Jebai, Michael Jetsupphasuk, Sonia A. Clark, Kristen L. Jarman, Sarah D. Kowitt, Jim Thrasher Ph.D., Ma, Ms, Adam O. Goldstein, Jennifer Cornacchione Ross

Faculty Publications

Introduction: The effectiveness of warning size and format on cigar packaging in influencing youth and young adult smoking behaviors is not well understood. This study tested these cigar warning characteristics among youth and young adults who use or are susceptible to using little cigars or cigarillos.

Methods: The study recruited 506 U.S. youth and young adults, aged 15−20 years, between April and June 2023. Participants reported ever or past 30-day use of little cigars or cigarillos or were susceptible to using little cigars or cigarillos. A 2 £ 2 between-subjects online experiment was conducted where youth and young adults were …

Nitrate Levels In The Tap Water Of Several Northeast Iowa Communities In 2026, Kamyar Enshayan

Faculty Publications

Tap water samples were taken from numerous sites in several northeast Iowa communities along the Cedar River to learn what levels of nitrate people are actually drinking over a several-months period in 2026, with the hope of inspiring public conversations, understanding and action. Samples were taken from February to June 2026.  None of the tap water samples violated the current outdated nitrate limit of 10 mg/l set 35 years ago. However, published public health studies in the past 15 years reveal that consuming nitrate in drinking water at levels as low as 5mg/l for a long time can increase the …

Indigenous Community Research Opportunities, Sharon Hausam, Aaron M. Canter

Faculty Publications

This is a working paper produced as part of National Science Foundation project #2115169, “Transforming Rural-Urban Systems: Trajectories for Sustainability in the Intermountain West,” known as the “Intermountain West Transformation Network” (TN), led by the University of New Mexico with institutional partners at three additional universities in New Mexico, two in Arizona, and one each in Utah, Colorado, and Washington. The TN’s Indigenous and Tribal engagement was supported through a contract with Dr. Sharon Hausam, additional work by Aaron M. Canter, coordination with Dr. Lani Tsinnajinnie, and an Advisory Committee on Indigenous Information Needs primarily comprised of Indigenous representatives in …

Opportunities For Leadership In Indigenous And Tribally Engaged Research At The University Of New Mexico, Sharon Hausam

Faculty Publications

This is a working paper produced as part of National Science Foundation project #2115169, “Transforming Rural-Urban Systems: Trajectories for Sustainability in the Intermountain West,” known as the “Intermountain West Transformation Network” (TN), led by the University of New Mexico with institutional partners at three additional universities in New Mexico, two in Arizona, and one each in Utah, Colorado, and Washington. The TN’s Indigenous and Tribal engagement was supported through a contract with Dr. Sharon Hausam, additional work by Aaron M. Canter, coordination with Dr. Lani Tsinnajinnie, and an Advisory Committee on Indigenous Information Needs primarily comprised of Indigenous representatives in …