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Donna Harwood
Get PDFActivist Donna Harwood, a bi-gender, asexual advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in Idaho, reflects on her journey of self-discovery, decades of LGBTQ+ activism, struggles with disability, and complex relationship with spirituality after leaving the Christian church. She recounts her coming-out process, the challenges of navigating conservative religious spaces, and the importance of LGBTQ+ youth support.
As the founder of Lions Pride, Donna played a crucial role in connecting and unifying Idaho’s LGBTQ+ community. Originally launched as a mailing list to share event information across the state, Lions Pride grew into a broader organization supporting LGBTQ+ individuals through advocacy, networking, and social events across five states. It also expanded into Lions Pride Cubs, which provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth, organizing dances, conferences, and leadership opportunities for young people across Idaho.
The interview also explores Donna’s advocacy for marriage equality and religious freedom, including her support for the legalization of polygamy.https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/idlgbtq_oral_histories_2/1009/thumbnail.jp
Hydrometeorological Controls on Transpiration in a Semiarid, Snow-Dominated Watershed
No full textEvapotranspiration (ET) is a major, and largely unobserved, component of the terrestrial water budget. Transpiration, the component of ET that represents water loss from terrestrial vegetation, impacts soil moisture through plant water uptake, which in turn influences groundwater recharge, watershed storage, and ultimately streamflow. Transpiration is controlled by several different hydrometeorological variables including air temperature (AT), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), soil moisture (SM), precipitation (P), and available energy (AE), depending on the plant species, plant community, and larger watershed interactions. Simultaneous high-resolution observations of transpiration from representative vegetation types with hydrometeorological variables can facilitate better interpretation of remote sensing and model-based estimates of ET, and provide important context for local hydrologic processes. The Penman-Monteith equation provides a theoretical framework relating ET and these hydrometeorological controls.
This research aims to improve the understanding of the direction and magnitude of influence of each hydrometeorological variable in controlling transpiration in a semiarid, snow-dominated mountain watershed on seasonal time scales. We installed sap flow sensors in two mature Ponderosa pine trees in Dry Creek Experimental Watershed that were operated continuously for 14 months. Over this period, we obtained hourly observations of sap flow, AT, relative humidity (RH), SM, P, and longwave and shortwave solar radiation for calculating AE from a nearby weather station. Four machine learning (ML) algorithms were used to create predictive models of transpiration as a function of observed hydrometeorological variables. Predicted transpiration was evaluated using a root mean squared error (RMSE) value for the four ML approaches and these values varied between 0.001 and 0.92 L/hr. Predictive model performance was also assessed via other metrics such as mean absolute error (MAE), coefficient of determination (R2), and Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE). These ML models were then used as input to a Shapley analysis (SHAP), an explainer method based on game theory that facilitates the assessment of the relative importance and direction of different predictors.
The SHAP analysis showed that AE, VPD, and AT were positively associated with transpiration, meaning that higher values of these variables were associated with higher transpiration. Meanwhile, surface SM and P were negatively associated with transpiration rates. Seasonal transpiration peaks occurred in late spring and summer as AE, VPD, and AT increased, and are at their lowest in the fall, winter, and early spring as P and SM increased. The ML models predicted -and SHAP visualized- that AE, VPD, and AT are the most important factors driving transpiration, and P and SM are the least important overall. Although somewhat counterintuitive, the relative unimportance of P and SM likely reflects: (1) our methodology only accounts for P as a predictor of sap flow in the same hour, which does not account for the potentially temporal lag between the arrival of precipitation and plant water use, (2) the use of SM data from a single sensor at a relatively shallow depth that may not reflect plant available water, and (3) the availability of only a single year for analysis. Despite limitations, this study illustrates that ML and SHAP approaches can be used conjunctively to understand complex relationships between transpiration and hydrometeorology. In this study, the combined use of ML and SHAP revealed that the relative importance of AE and VPD in driving transpiration is seasonally dependent. This approach could be applied more broadly in space and time, facilitating an improved understanding of hydrometeorological controls on transpiration at landscape or watershed scales. This improved understanding could give forest and resource managers improved insight into watershed and forest health
The Relationship Between Teachers\u27 Psychological Flexibility and Their Perceptions of Student Behavior
No full textUnderstanding how teachers perceive student behavior and how those perceptions impact their ability to intervene effectively on challenging behaviors is relatively new approach to conceptualizing improvements to behavioral interventions. Before developing interventions, it is important to investigate the links between teacher perceptions and their flexibility in responding to those perceptions. Expanding on and connecting existing research from Relational Frame Theory, Relational Density Theory, Acceptance and Commitment Training, Education, and Psychology, this exploratory study investigates the links between teachers’ perceptions of student behavior and their levels of psychological flexibility and inflexibility. Responses to the 24-item MPFI and a 78 word-pairs relational task were collected from teachers across the country resulting in a final sample of n=192. Responses were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), network analysis, and multidimensional scaling (MDS). Using EFA, 5 subscales emerged from the relational task results. Network analyses revealed a unique relationship between higher scores in the UFM construct of defensively reacting (Rogge & Daks, 2021) and higher scores on the relational task subscales of negative adjective pairing and positive adjective pairing. Because defensively reacting is a composite of 3 dimensions of PI (experiential avoidance, self-as-content, and fusion), these relationships offered partial support of my hypothesis that teachers with a higher level of PI would perceive students in a somewhat rigid way (i.e. students who are angry are also defiant, disrespectful, and unsuccessful whereas students who are quiet are also cooperative, thoughtful, and successful). Thus, the current results clarified that, in the context of the UFM, the teachers whose immediate response to a difficult or challenging situation (inside or outside of the classroom) was to become defensive and reactive also tended to use overly simplified strategies for perceiving students as either categorically good or bad (with little nuance). Limitations and implications for future research are discussed
Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Proteins in Milk
No full textCow’s milk is an important source of protein in human nutrition. On average, cow’s milk contains 3.5% protein, which can be classified as either casein or whey. The composition of milk proteins varies considerably due to breed, stage of lactation, health and nutritional status of the animal. Casein proteins are the primary components in cheese, whereas whey proteins are by-products of cheesemaking. Recognition of the nutritional, functional, and bioactive properties of whey proteins and their derivatives has been gradually established, rendering them an increasingly valued ingredient in traditional and new foods, including functional foods. Characterization and quantification of individual whey proteins, like β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin, and lactoferrin, are of crucial importance to industrial dairy processes. Labor intensive wet-chemical methods are still being used for this purpose, but a rapid quantification method for individual whey proteins is highly desired. This thesis details studies to use Fourier transform mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy for quantification of the two major whey proteins, β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin, and Fourier transform near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for quantification of the minor whey protein, lactoferrin, in aqueous whey solutions. In the first study, MIR spectra of whey samples were used to develop a support vector regression (SVR) prediction model to quantify β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin, achieving R² values of 92.8% for β-lactoglobulin and 92.7% for α-lactalbumin.
The second study utilized NIR spectroscopy to quantify the low abundance, high-value protein, lactoferrin. Quantification of lactoferrin was based on high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) calibration curves for commercial lactoferrin that were detected at 220 nm. Linearity of the calibration curve with seven different concentrations of lactoferrin between 0.02-2.0 mg mL-1, triplicate analysis had an R2 value of 0.989. The concentration of lactoferrin from the whey portion of a Cornell University obtained reference sample and whey from skim milk were determined to be within the range 0.01-0.10 mg mL-1. These data were combined with NIR spectra of aqueous whey to generate a data library for chemometric model development
Dataset for Lipid and Cholesterol Peroxidation Leads to α-Crystallin Membrane Aggregation and Cataract Formation
No full textPurpose: The significant lens chaperone protein α-crystallin (αABc) comprising αA-crystallin (αAc) and αB-crystallin (αBc) subunits is found to form membrane-bound aggregates with age and cataract formation. However, the molecular basis for such aggregate formation is still unclear. Our research aims to elucidate the effect of lipids (phospholipids and sphingolipids) and cholesterol (Chol) peroxidation on the aggregation of αAc, αBc, and αABc to bovine lens nuclear membrane (NM).
Methods: Lipid and Chol peroxidation were induced by photosensitized peroxidation reaction, and topographical images of NM and oxidized-NM (Ox-NM) with and without incubation with αAc, αBc, or αABc were obtained using atomic force microscopy (AFM).
Results: The percentage of membrane area occupied (PMAO) on NM by aggregation of αAc, αBc, or αABc with NM was significantly smaller without lipid and Chol peroxidation in NM. However, with lipid and Chol peroxidation in NM, the PMAO on Ox-NM by aggregation of αAc, αBc, or αABc with Ox-NM was significantly more extensive, and PMAO increases with an increase in lipid and Chol peroxidation. Large-size aggregates of αAc, αBc, or αABc on Ox-NM with the depressed central region for αAc and αABc aggregates on Ox-NM were observed at the greater extent of lipid and Chol peroxidation.
Conclusions: Lipid and Chol peroxidation induce membrane defects on NM followed by extensive aggregation of αAc, αBc, and αABc on Ox-NM, suggesting that lipid and Chol peroxidation promotes aggregation of αAc, αBc, and αABc to Ox-NM and formation of such large aggregates likely promote increased light scattering and cataract formation
Leading Digits of Some \u3cem\u3eP\u3c/em\u3e-Adic Numbers
No full textI investigated the leading digits of some sequences in the p-adic numbers Q_p, hoping to find some sequences following Benford\u27s law, or following something completely different. We found that the sequence of partial sums Sum^N_{n=1}\frac{1}{n^s}, where s\in\N is fixed, shows uneven distribution of leading digits, except for s\equiv 0 (mod{p,/em\u3e-1}), where the distribution of leading digits is eventually even. We were able to characterize the distribution of this partial sum for almost all s
Culturing and Characterization of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Native to the Sagebrush Steppe
No full textArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate biotrophs that form symbiotic associations with the roots of over 70% of terrestrial plants. These symbioses are crucial in plant nutrient acquisition, stress tolerance, and soil health. AMF inoculum could be valuable for ecological restoration, but challenges in culturing and multiplying AMF limit their use in natural habitats. In this project, I investigated methods to characterize and culture AMF native to the sagebrush steppe. For comparison, I also grew a non-native strain of the AMF fungus Rhizophagus clarus. First, I used trap cultures to multiply AMF present in roots and field soil collected from a sagebrush habitat, and separately the R. clarus strain. I then analyzed the germination requirements of the spores generated in the trap cultures and used the germinated spores to initiate in vitro cultures. Based on next-generation sequencing analyses, the native AMF cultures included species within the Glomerales and Diversisporales orders, with the most common species in the Rhizophagus, Claroideoglomus, Dominikia, and Otospora genera. Both native spores and those of R. clarus were dormant and required a minimum of fifteen weeks of cold storage before any germination occurred. After this period, germination in vitro was much higher in R. clarus than in the native spores, at 29.4% and 2%, respectively. Surface sterilization of native spores, while not affecting their viability, appeared to be a factor that contributed to their low germination in vitro, suggesting that biotic components may play a role in breaking spore dormancy. Using an approximately equal number of R. clarus and native germinated spores, I attempted to establish in vitro cultures. On sixteen occasions, I established in vitro cultures of R. clarus using Ri T-DNA carrot roots as a host. Also, I cultured this fungus asymbiotically in a medium with more complex organic additives. In contrast, in vitro culturing of native AMF was more difficult. Most germinated spores ceased growing before associating with the Ri T-DNA carrot roots. Others developed hyphal networks without secondary spore production, and a few are developing hyphal networks and spores very slowly, which may limit their utility for AMF multiplication. Because the native spores included taxa from various families and two orders, the results suggest that their deeper dormancy and more restricted hyphal growth were unrelated to taxonomy. Instead, these limitations may reflect characteristics that evolved independently in response to the local environment. Overall, the methods tested proved partially successful in establishing AMF in vitro. However, for native spores, identifying factors that promote aseptic spore germination and enhance hyphal growth and secondary spore formation seems necessary to make the procedure more practical and reproducible
Infrasound from Tahquamenon Falls, MI, USA
No full textThis is one of the datasets referred to in a paper on waterfall infrasound by Anderson, Ortiz, and Barber, that relates a waterfall\u27s infrasound to its physical characteristics (height, discharge, and power), maps infrasound power over the waterfall\u27s surroundings, and models audibility distance for pigeons as an example of a well-studied infrasound-sensitive animal
Agrivoltaics: A Dual Purpose Approach to Agricultural Land Use and Solar Energy
No full textThe pursuit of renewable energy has driven the advancement of solar energy generation. The most common type of solar technology is photovoltaic (PV) technology, which harnesses sunlight to generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect. However, one challenge of solar PV installations is their land requirements, which often overlap with prime agricultural areas characterized by flat, sunlit terrain. A solution to the land requirements of solar PV technologies and agriculture is the implementation of agrivoltaics. Agrivoltaics consist of an integration of crops and solar PV technologies, optimizing land use and making it dual-purpose. In addition to addressing land consumption issues, agrivoltaics presents ecological and agricultural advantages. This synergy benefits crops by providing partial shade that can enhance growth and reduce soil water loss through evaporation. Despite its promise, agrivoltaics faces barriers to widespread adoption, including high initial costs for installation and the need for regular solar panel maintenance. This poster highlights the benefits of agrivoltaics while acknowledging the challenges, offering a balanced view of this solution for sustainable land use and energy
Stay Awake, Stay Alive: Identifying At-Risk Age Groups for Drowsy Driving Fatalities
No full textDrowsy driving is a safety concern where a person operates a vehicle while fatigued, leading to slower reaction times, impaired judgment, and a higher risk of accidents. Drowsy driving is a significant yet frequently overlooked contributor to road fatalities, disproportionately affecting certain age groups. This study aims to identify which demographics are most at risk for drowsy driving-related fatalities and explore the contributing factors, such as work demands, school schedules, and social habits. By reviewing peer-reviewed studies, this research examines the connections between age and drowsy driving incidents, highlighting which group experiences the highest fatality rates. Additionally, the study seeks to uncover effective prevention strategies, including advancements in vehicle technology, educational initiatives, and policy reforms designed to mitigate risks. Understanding these factors is essential for developing targeted interventions that enhance road safety and reduce fatalities. Given the severe consequences of drowsy driving, raising awareness and implementing evidence-based solutions is crucial to preventing future deaths