Digital Commons Network^™

The Nature Of Optical Afterglows Without Gamma-Ray Bursts: Identification Of At2023lcr And Multiwavelength Modeling, Maggie L. Li, Anna Y.Q. Ho, Geoffrey Ryan, Daniel A. Perley, Gavin P. Lamb, A. J. Nayana, Igor Andreoni, G. C. Anupama, Eric C. Bellm, Edo Berger, Joshua S. Bloom, Eric Burns, Ilaria Caiazzo, Poonam Chandra, Michael W. Coughlin, Kareem El-Badry, Matthew J. Graham, Mansi Kasliwal, Garrett K. Keating, S. R. Kulkarni, Harsh Kumar, Frank J. Masci, Richard A. Perley, Josiah Purdum, Ramprasad Rao, Antonio C. Rodriguez, Ben Rusholme, Nikhil Sarin, Jesper Sollerman, Gokul P. Srinivasaragavan, Vishwajeet Swain, Zachary Vanderbosch

Faculty Publications

In the past few years, the improved sensitivity and cadence of wide-field optical surveys have enabled the discovery of several afterglows without associated detected gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We present the identification, observations, and multiwavelength modeling of a recent such afterglow (AT 2023lcr), and model three literature events (AT 2020blt, AT 2021any, and AT 2021lfa) in a consistent fashion. For each event, we consider the following possibilities as to why a GRB was not observed: (1) the jet was off-axis; (2) the jet had a low initial Lorentz factor; and (3) the afterglow was the result of an on-axis classical GRB …

Hydrogen Peroxide Photoformation In Particulate Matter And Its Contribution To S(Iv) Oxidation During Winter In Fairbanks, Alaska, Michael Oluwatoyin Sunday, Laura Marie Dahler Heinlein, Junwei He, Allison Moon, Sukriti Kapur, Ting Fang, Kasey C. Edwards, Fangzhou Guo, Jack E. Dibb, James H. Flynn Iii, Becky Alexander, Manabu Shiraiwa, Cort Anastasio

Faculty Publications

The high levels of sulfate in wintertime particles in Fairbanks, Alaska, are a subject of keen research interest and regulatory concern. Recent results from the 2022 Alaska Layered Pollution And Chemical Analysis (ALPACA) field campaign indicate that roughly 40 % of wintertime sulfate in Fairbanks is secondary, with hydrogen peroxide (HOOH) the dominant oxidant. Since formation of HOOH in the gas phase should be negligible during ALPACA because of high levels of NOx, we examined whether reactions within particles could be a significant source of HOOH. To test this, we collected particulate matter (PM) samples during the ALPACA campaign, extracted …

Assessing The Tax Communications Of E-Commerce Vendors, Part Ii, David Gamage

Faculty Publications

This article presents the second part of a research project on the tax communications of e-commerce vendors. It details the results of a behavioral experiment designed to test how different representations of sales and use tax obligations influence consumer purchasing decisions. The study finds that potentially misleading indicators, such as "No Tax" or "$0 of Tax," significantly increase the likelihood that consumers will purchase from vendors who do not collect sales tax. Compared to vendors who provide accurate information about potential use tax liabilities, consumers were substantially more likely to choose a vendor displaying a "No Tax" message. These findings …

Integrating Community Assets, Place-Based Learning, And Career Development Through Project-Based Learning In Rural Settings, Denae Kizys, Christine Lotter Ph.D., Lucas Perez, Rachel Gilreath, Dodie Limberg

Faculty Publications

Our study investigates the first year of a two-year place-based education (PBE) professional development model that focuses on career development in rural middle schools through project-based learning (PBL) units. Rural science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educators face unique challenges, including geographic isolation, limited resources, and reduced access to professional development opportunities, which can hinder the effective integration of career-oriented learning in the classroom. We addressed these challenges by implementing professional development in which school counselors and teachers collaborate to design PBL units aligned with rural community local needs and STEM careers. Using a descriptive multiple-case study methodology to document …

Gendered Expectations: Do Voters Reward Women For Supporting Women's Interests?, Nichole M. Bauer, Anna Gunderson, Jeong Hyun Kim, Elizabeth Lane, Belinda Davis, Kathleen Searles

Faculty Publications

Are women legislators punished for not supporting women's substantive policy interests? We test these gendered expectations. We marshal an original content analysis of cable news coverage and two survey experiments testing voters' assessment of hypothetical legislators on the issues of abortion and equal pay. We find that voters rate both women and men legislators positively for supporting women's issues and negatively evaluate legislators of both genders when they do not support women's interests. We also find that women voters negatively evaluate women legislators who act against women's interests at a greater rate than men voters. While we do not find …

Extreme Bandgap Polarization Doped Algan Layers On Bulk Aln For Pn-Diodes With An 8.5 Mv Cm−1 Breakdown Field And Forward Current Density Exceeding 20 Ka Cm−2, Tariq Jamil, Abdullah Al Mamun Mazumder, Muhammad Ali, Mafruda Rahman, Kenneth Stephenson, Grigory Simin, Asif Khan

Faculty Publications

In this paper we present a study of distribution polarization doped Al_xGa_1−xN layers and their use in quasi-vertical configuration pn-diodes which exhibited a high breakdown field of ∼8.5 MV cm⁻¹ and a large forward current density (∼23 kA cm⁻²). We also establish their potential use in UVC light emitters by studying the optical emission from a quantum well inserted at the distribution polarization doped pn-junction interface.

Using T-Sne For Characterizing Glitches In Ligo Detectors, Tabata Aira Ferreira, Gabriela González

Faculty Publications

Glitches are non-Gaussian noise transients originating from environmental and instrumental sources that contaminate data from gravitational wave detectors. Some glitches can even mimic gravitational wave signals from compact object mergers, which are the primary targets of terrestrial observatories. In this study, we present a method to analyze noise transients from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory observatories using Q-transform information combined with t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding. We implement classification techniques, examine the influence of parameters on glitch classification, and conduct a week-long daily analysis to track outlier transients over time.

Generative Ai For Thematic Analysis In A Maternal Health Study: Coding Semistructured Interviews Using Large Language Models, Shan Qiao, Xingyu Fang, Junbo Wang, Ran Zhang, Xiaoming Li, Yuhao Kang

Faculty Publications

Study Objectives: The coding of semistructured interview transcripts is a critical step for thematic analysis of qualitative data. However, the coding process is often labor-intensive and time-consuming. The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) presents new opportunities to enhance the efficiency of qualitative coding. This study proposed a computational pipeline using GenAI to automatically extract themes from interview transcripts. Methods: Using transcripts from interviews conducted with maternity care providers in South Carolina, we leveraged ChatGPT for inductive coding to generate codes from interview transcripts without a predetermined coding scheme. Structured prompts were designed to instruct ChatGPT to generate and summarize …

Sulfur In Martian Magmas From Sulfur Concentration At Sulfide Saturation Applied To Regional Chemical Maps, Levben Parsons, Benjamin A. Black, Suniti Karunatillake

Faculty Publications

The sulfur cycle on Mars plays a critical role in shaping its surface and atmospheric chemistry. Mars' near-surface sulfur inventory largely originated from mantle-derived magmas that erupted during the Noachian, Hesperian, and Amazonian eons. Satellites permit measurements of bulk sulfur in Martian regolith, and rover and meteorite measurements capture snapshots of sulfur in specific samples. However, the concentration of sulfur in Martian magmas prior to degassing, which governs the transfer of interior sulfur to the near-surface, remains uncertain. Because Mars' mantle may be sulfur-rich, most primary mantle melts are expected to be in equilibrium with residual mantle sulfide. In this …

History Internships In The Library: A Multiple Modules Model, Karen Glenn, Rebecca A. Wiederhold, Valerie Buck, Nicole Lewis, Katie Yeo

Faculty Publications

The BYU Library became aware of the history department’s need for internship opportunities that were on campus, paid, and relevant to historical research and potential employment opportunities. This presentation outlined how our library team developed internships to meet the needs of the history and family history majors, integrating into their larger, coordinated internship program. Students can select up to three modules to work on during their internship, giving them experience with multiple types of history related work done in libraries. We identified existing projects in our department to meet both the needs and interests of students in the history major …

The Efficiency Of Sensory Systems In Postural Control Of Children With And Without Hearing Or Visual Impairments, Hamed Zarei, Ali Asghar Norasteh, Lauren J. Lieberman, Michael W. Ertel, Ali Brian Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Limited evidence exists on the efficiency of the sensory systems of children with sensory impairment. The purpose of this study was to examine the sensory systems involved in postural control of male children with hearing (HI) or visual impairments (VI) compared to those without HI or VI. Participants aged 9–13 years old (N = 45, M_age = 11.43, SD = 1.5) were placed within one of three equally stratified purposive groups (HI, VI, comparison children). Postural control was measured using a Kistler force plate (with stabilometric parameters: mean velocity in the anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML), standard deviation …

Impact Of Prior Exposures On Biomarkers Of Blast During Military Tactical Training, Zhaoyu Wang, Shengnan Sun, Alis Aksar Kranfli, Jeffrey Nemes, Molly J. Sullan, Andrew J. Hoisington, Lisa A. Brenner, Miciej Skotak, Christina R. Lavalle, Yongchao Ge, Walter Carr, Fatemah Haghighi

Faculty Publications

Blast injuries and subclinical effects are of significant concern among those Service Members (SMs) participating in military operations and tactical trainings. Studies of SMs repeatedly exposed during training find concussion-like symptomology with transient decrements in neurocognitive performance, and alterations in blood biomarkers. How prior mild TBI (mTBI) history interacts with low-level blast (LLB) exposure, however, remains unexplored, which we investigate in the present study, to identify interindividual biomarker changes from LLB exposures influenced by prior history of mTBI.

Pulse Pressure, White Matter Hyperintensities, And Cognition: Mediating Effects Across The Adult Lifespan, Jade Hannan, Sarah Newman-Norlund, Natalie Busby, Sarah C. Wilson, Roger Newman-Norlund, Chris Rorden, Julius Fridriksson Ph.D., Leonardo Bonilha

Faculty Publications

Objectives: To investigate whether pulse pressure or mean arterial pressure mediates the relationship between age and white matter hyperintensity load and to examine the mediating effect of white matter hyperintensities on cognition.

Methods: Demographic information, blood pressure, current medication lists, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores for231 stroke- and dementia-free adults were retrospectively obtained from the Aging Brain Cohort study. Total WMH load was determined from T2-FLAIR magnetic resonance scans using the TrUE-Net deep learning tool for white matter segmentation. In separate models, we used mediation analysis to assess whether pulse pressure or MAP mediates the relationship between age and total …

Pulse Pressure, White Matter Hyperintensities, Andcognition: Mediating Effects Across The Adult Lifespan, Jade Hannan, Sarah Newman-Norlund, Natalie Busby, Sarah C. Wilson, Roger Newman-Norlund, Chris Rorden, Julius Fridriksson, Leonardo Bon, Nicholas Riccardi

Faculty Publications

Objectives: To investigate whether pulse pressure or mean arterial pressure mediates the relationship between age and white matter hyperintensity load and to examine the mediating effect of white matter hyperintensities on cognition.

Methods: Demographic information, blood pressure, current medication lists, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores for231 stroke- and dementia-free adults were retrospectively obtained from the Aging Brain Cohort study. Total WMH load was determined from T2-FLAIR magnetic resonance scans using the TrUE-Net deep learning tool for white matter segmentation. In separate models, we used mediation analysis to assess whether pulse pressure or MAP mediates the relationship between age and total …

Mitigating Polarization Leakage In Gas Pixel Detectors Through Hybrid Machine Learning And Analytic Event Reconstruction, Nicoló Cibrario, Michela Negro, Raffaella Bonino, Nikita Moriakov, Luca Baldini, Niccoló Di Lalla, Alessandro Di Marco, Sergio Fabiani, Andrea Frassá, Alessio Gorgi, Fabio La Monaca, Luca Latronico, Simone Maldera, Alberto Manfreda, Fabio Muleri, Nicola Omodei, John Rankin, Carmelo Sgró, Stefano Silvestri, Paolo Soffitta, Stefano Tugliani

Faculty Publications

Spatially resolved polarization measurements of extended X-ray sources are expanding our understanding of the emission mechanisms and magnetic field properties involved. Such measurements have been possible in the past few years thanks to the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). However, the analysis of extended sources suffers a systematic effect known as polarization leakage, which artificially affects the measured polarization signal. To address this issue, we built a hybrid reconstruction algorithm, which combines machine learning and analytic techniques to improve the reconstruction of photoelectron tracks in the Gas Pixel Detector and to significantly mitigate polarization leakage. This work presents the first …

Untethered Isoperimetric Robotic Truss For Lunar Applications, Mihai Stanciu, Spencer Stowell, Isaac Weaver, Adam Rose, Chris Paul, James Wade, Ashleigh Cerven, Annie O'Bryan, Brian Bodily, Logan Yang, Nathan Usevitch

Faculty Publications

We introduce a robotic system designed to function as a lightweight, modular, and reconfigurable structure on the Moon. This robust system consists of truss-like robotic triangles, each formed by a continuous inflated fabric tube routed through two robotic roller units and a connecting unit. When deflated, these triangles can be compacted to roughly the volume of the roller units, offering an advantageous stowed-to-deployed volume ratio of 1 to 6.24. Upon inflation, the roller units pinch the tubes, creating corners by reducing the bending stiffness of the tube. Once fully deployed, electric motors move the robotic roller units along the tube, …

Appendices A & B: Supporting Faculty Parents In Professional Development: Case Studies, Recommendations, And A Call For Inclusive Approaches, Anne Marie Gruber, Lindsay Doukopoulos

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Linking Geographic Distribution And Niche Through Estimation Of Niche Density, Tad Dallas, Cleber Ten Caten

Faculty Publications

1. The availability of suitable niche space constrains where species can occur geographically. This tie between niche space and geographic space is crucial when estimating species geographic distributions in a changing climate. However, specific combinations of climatic conditions may be overrepresented in geographic space, highlighting the potential disconnect between climatic niche area and geographic range size.
2. We develop a niche density estimator that accounts for the geographic availability of climatic niche space, relate this to traditional estimates of niche area and explore how these niche estimates are related to species geographic range size.
3. To do this, we use data on over …

“Let Me Be A Bridge”: Language Brokering Among Emerging Adult Latina Professionals In The Midwest, Elise M. Dubord

Faculty Publications

In immigrant families, bilingual children and adolescents regularly act as translators and interpreters for family and community members who are not fluent in the dominant language. These childhood language brokers later shift the focus of their translation activities as they transition into adulthood and develop professional skills. This research explores narratives of language brokering trajectories of three bilingual Latinas who were emerging adult professionals in three cities in Iowa. Based on a series of interviews collected over a 15 month period, this analysis examines how participants described realigning their family language responsibilities while simultaneously transferring their language brokering skills to …

Review Of Tethered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Building Versatile And Robust Tethered Multirotor Uav System, Dario Handrick, Mattie Eckenrode, Junsoo Lee

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a comprehensive review of tethered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), focusing on their challenges and potential applications across various domains. We analyze the dynamic characteristics of tethered UAV systems and address the unique challenges they present, including complex tether dynamics, impulsive forces, and entanglement risks. Additionally, we explore application-specific challenges in areas such as payload transportation and ground-connected systems. The review also examines existing tethered UAV testbed designs, highlighting their strengths and limitations in both simulation and experimental settings. We discuss advancements in multi-UAV cooperation, ground–air collaboration through tethers, and the integration of retractable tether systems. Moreover, we …

Camouflaging Depression, Seth Brown

Faculty Publications

Many individuals with depression have been observed to exert effort to appear non-depressed. This effort, referred to as camouflaging, has been systematically studied among individuals with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but not among individuals with more common disorders such as depression. The purpose of this research was to examine camouflaging amongst individuals with depression and develop a camouflaging instrument specifically for depression. The Camouflaging Depression Scale (CDS) was developed and administered to 292 individuals experiencing varying levels of depression along with other clinical measures. In this sample, engagement in camouflaging was common and similarly occurred among …

Podcasts In Mental, Physical, Or Combined Health Interventions For Adults: Scoping Review, Elizabeth M. Dascombe, Philip J. Morgan, Ryan J. Drew, Casey P. Regan, Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy, Myles D. Young

Faculty Publications

Background:

The increasing prevalence of poor mental and physical health in adults is a global health concern. Given the scope of this problem, scalable and effective treatment interventions are needed. While podcasts (online digital audio files) are becoming more popular, the extent of podcast use in mental, physical, or combined health interventions has not been reviewed.

Objective:

This scoping review primarily aims to summarize the available evidence regarding the use of podcasts in health promotion interventions. A series of 5 research questions was designed to systematically review and accurately represent podcast use in current research interventions.

Methods:

We conducted a …

How Extreme Rainfall And Failing Dams Unleashed The Derna Flood Disaster, Ayman Mokhtar Nemnem, Ahad Hasan Tanim, Audrika Nahian, Sadik Khan, Erfan Goharian, Jasim Imran

Faculty Publications

On September 11, 2023, Storm Daniel unleashed unprecedented rainfall over the Wadi Derna watershed, triggering one of the most devastating floods in modern history, striking Derna, a coastal city in Libya. This study reconstructs the disaster using an integrated modeling approach that combines satellite imagery, hydrologic, hydraulic, and geotechnical simulations, machine learning, eyewitness accounts, and digital elevation data to assess the impact of cascading dam failures. Our findings reveal that the region’s dams, even if structurally sound, would have provided minimal protection against the extreme runoff. However, their failure unleashed a destructive surge wave, amplifying the disaster’s magnitude and devastation. …

“I Know What’S Best For My Child”: A Qualitativeanalysis Of Us Cisgender-Heterosexual Andlgbtq Parents’ Perspectives On Inclusiveeducation Policies, Flora Blanchette-Oswald, Izilda Pereira-Jorge, Alexandra Garr-Schultz, Kimberly E. Chaney

Faculty Publications

Diversity education in the K-12 years is a contentious issue in the contemporary US context. Given evidence that parental identity influences beliefs about and support for diversity education, we qualitatively explored cisgender-heterosexual and LGBTQ+ parents’ (N = 609) beliefs about the appropriateness of inclusive educational policies in K-12 classrooms. We collected qualitative data on parental perceptions of inclusive signals in classrooms (e.g., displaying a rainbow flag) and on perceptions of inclusive curriculum (whether children should learn about diversity at school/from teachers or at home/from parents). Parents’ responses reflected variability in support for inclusive signals. Cisgender-heterosexual parents were more likely …

Cardiovascular Health In The Transition From Adolescence To Emerging Adulthood: A Scientific Statement From The American Heart Association, Jewel Scott Phd, Rn, Fnp-C, Anandita Agarwala, Carissa M. Baker-Smith, Matthew J. Feinstein, Karen Jakubowski, Jill Kaar, Niyati Parekh, Kershaw V. Patel, Janna Stephens

Faculty Publications

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death in the United States, with an alarming rise in the proportion of young adults experiencing cardiovascular events. Many adolescents enter adulthood with significant cardiovascular disease risk factors. This scientific statement addresses the critical need for cardiovascular health promotion during emerging adulthood, a transitional stage between the ages of 18 and 25 or 29 years of age. We discuss the significance of social determinants of health and the interplay between individual-level risk factors and developmental changes, including shifts in substance use, social connections, and emotional well-being. We conclude by outlining strategies for optimizing …

How Extreme Rainfall And Failing Dams Unleashed The Derna Flood Disaster, Ayman Mokhtar Nemnem, Ahad Hasan Tanim, Audrika Nahian, Sadik Khan, Erfan Goharian, Jasim Imran

Faculty Publications

On September 11, 2023, Storm Daniel unleashed unprecedented rainfall over the Wadi Derna watershed, triggering one of the most devastating floods in modern history, striking Derna, a coastal city in Libya. This study reconstructs the disaster using an integrated modeling approach that combines satellite imagery, hydrologic, hydraulic, and geotechnical simulations, machine learning, eyewitness accounts, and digital elevation data to assess the impact of cascading dam failures. Our findings reveal that the region’s dams, even if structurally sound, would have provided minimal protection against the extreme runoff. However, their failure unleashed a destructive surge wave, amplifying the disaster’s magnitude and devastation. …

Winter Is Coming: What States Should Do Now, Part I, David Gamage, Darien Shanske

Faculty Publications

This Article addresses the unprecedented fiscal challenges facing state governments as federal policy shifts threaten to create a perfect storm of revenue losses and increased service demands. As states confront potential federal cuts to essential services like Medicaid, reduced tax enforcement capacity, and possible tariff-driven economic disruption, we argue that piecemeal responses will prove insufficient.

We propose a seven-step framework for state fiscal resilience: (1) pausing automatic conformity to federal tax changes to preserve revenue bases; (2) enhancing state tax enforcement capacity by hiring federal personnel as the IRS sheds expertise; (3) maintaining and expanding taxpayer service innovations like direct …

Analysis Of Phytochemicals In Watercress Leaves Using Chromatographic, Spectroscopic And In-Vitro Approaches, Bidisha Roy Sengupta, Allyssa Fisher

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Carbonate And Nutrient Dynamics In A Mississippi River Influenced Eutrophic Estuary, Songjie He, Sean Gordon, Kanchan Maiti

Faculty Publications

There is limited information on how the nutrient and freshwater input affects water column carbonate chemistry in the estuaries along the northern Gulf of Mexico. In this study, we assess the seasonal and spatial variability in carbonate chemistry in the Barataria Basin, a eutrophic estuary adjacent to the mouth of the Mississippi River. Eleven stations were sampled along a salinity gradient during the winter (January), spring (April), summer (July), and fall (October) of 2021. Surface and bottom water samples were collected for the analyses of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC); total alkalinity (TA); and nitrite plus nitrate (NO2 + NO3), phosphate …

Nonnative Species Richness And Dominance Reveal Differing Support For Invasion Theory At A Continental Extent, Lily M. Thompson, William K. Annis, Stephen R. Midway, Julian D. Olden, Brandon K. Peoples

Faculty Publications

Aim: Empirical tests of conceptual hypotheses describing species invasions often differ depending on the spatial scale (spatial resolution and extent of study area) at which they were conducted. Some of this disparity may arise from tradeoffs in data quality necessitating the use of different indices of community invadedness among scales. Local-scale studies typically use fine-resolution, descriptive measures of community invadedness (‘dominance’, the proportion nonnative individuals) at limited spatial extents, while macroscale studies often aggregate datasets to cover large spatial extents but use coarser spatial resolution and less descriptive indices (nonnative species richness). We investigated the consequences of using different indices …