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Reimagining Mississippi River Models as Hybrid Objects
No full textThis research explores two large-scale representations of the Mississippi River, the Mississippi River Basin Model (MRBM) and the Mud Island River Park Model, as hybrid objects that exist between architecture, infrastructure, and environmental imagination. The MRBM, constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1943 and 1966, functioned as a working hydraulic model used to simulate flood behavior and guide water management policy. In contrast, the Mud Island model, designed by architect Roy Harrover in 1976, was built not for function but for symbolism, serving as a monumental public artwork and educational experience. This project goes into a deep investigation of how these models operate at the intersection of engineering precision, spatial design, and cultural narrative. Drawing on site visits, archival research, and construction analysis, the study compares their materials, form, and technical documentation while applying Bruno Latour’s “Parliament of Things” to consider how each model gives the river representational agency. The goal is to understand how physical modeling shifts across historical and disciplinary contexts, from predictive infrastructure to immersive artifact. This work contributes to broader discussions on environmental modeling, architectural meaning-making, and design as a mediator of human-nature relationships
Ultraviolet Raman Spectroscopy Characterization of (Ba,Sr)TiO\u3csub\u3e3\u3c/sub\u3e Thin Film Heterostrucrures
No full textFerroelectrics based on BaxSr1-xTiO3 are materials are studied for various device applications, such as non-volatile memories and microwave devices with high dielectric permittivity at GHz frequencies and high tunability. We applied variable-temperature ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy to study barium strontium titanate-based, (BaxSr1-xTiO3)nBaxSr1-xO Ruddlesden-Popper (R-P) thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on SrTiO3 substrates. Raman spectra demonstrated that R-P samples were ferroelectric at low temperatures, and the ferroelectric phase transition temperatures, Tc, were determined from the analysis of temperature dependence of Raman intensities of phonon modes. We have also characterized homoepitaxial SrTiO3 films grown in various conditions by low temperature ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy. Bulk SrTiO3 has a cubic perovskite structure with all phonon modes being symmetry forbidden in the 1st order Raman spectra. Therefore, the defect-induced activation of the Raman peaks can be used to characterize the structural quality of the films. Our Raman results combined with the data from other characterization techniques show that the films grown by adsorption-controlled epitaxy at very high substrate temperatures (1450–1475℃) have the best crystalline quality in terms of the lowest amount of defects, such as non-stoichiometry
Temperature Inversions and Air Quality Impacts in the Lewis-Clark Valley
No full textThe Lewis-Clark Valley (Lewiston, ID and Clarkston,WA) is particularly susceptible to temperature inversions, an occurrence where a warm air layer rests above a cooler air layer. Inversions can exacerbate poor air quality by preventing normal atmospheric mixing. This study investigated the presence of temperature inversions and modeled meteorological factors that could influence inversion events in the Lewis-Clark Valley. The presence of inversions was visually observed using recorded video footage from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) located on the Lewiston hill. These events were compared with air pollutant data (volatile organic compounds and particulate matter) and meteorological data from 2020-2021 in the Lewis-Clark Valley. Logistic regression was used to identify prediction factors for inversion events. Visual inversion events were most likely to occur in the Fall (September-November) and in the early morning. Analysis of air samples in the LC Valley showed higher concentrations of particulate matter during inversion events
A Kinematic Assessment of the Kettle Bell Swing at Different Swing Heights
No full textThe kettle bell swing (KBS) involves dynamic flexion and extension of the hips, with a limited range of motion at the knees, demanding high strength and power of the posterior chain. In the original KBS (Russian), the KB height is brought up to the acromion or slightly above the acromion. However, multiple forms of the KBS have been established based on training paradigms (CrossFit). The purpose of this investigation was to investigate how KBS height affects the kinematics of the knees and hips. 10 apparently healthy college students [Females=6, 20.37 ± 1.01yrs, 1.72 ± 0.11m, 75.2 ± 20.3kg] participated in two sessions. Before both sessions, participants completed a self-selected warmup routine. Session 1: 3-repetition maximum (3RM) kettlebell swing test to identify the three weights used for session 2. Session 2: Participants performed 3 repetitions with 3 kettlebell weights (3RM kettlebell and the 2 preceding masses) at 3 heights (acromion height, -20%, -40%) for a total of 27 repetitions. Kinematic variables extracted were the range of motion, peak sagittal plane angles, and the timing of peak hip and knee extensions during the different heights. Multiple repeated-measure ANOVAs were used to assess the differences across conditions
Comparing Concepts and Applications of Reflexivity in Qualitative and Quantitative Social Sciences: Impacts for Results, Relationship, and Reputation
Get PDFReflexivity, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary (2025), is the ability to examine one\u27s own feelings, reactions, and motives—and how these influence thought and behavior in a given situation. In the social sciences, inconsistent applications of reflexivity across qualitative and quantitative methodologies can undermine research reliability, hinder community engagement, and damage institutional reputations. The concept was first addressed in The Child in America by William and Dorothy Swain (1928), and later championed by Alvin Gouldner in The Coming Crisis of Western Sociology (1970), who called for a reflexive sociology. Today, reflexivity is widely used to mitigate bias, enhance validity, and support ethical research practices. This study applies Michel Foucault’s theory of discursive formations and a pragmatic lens to a systematic literature review, examining how reflexivity is conceptualized and employed differently in qualitative versus quantitative research. We explore the consequences of these differences for research outcomes, community relationships, and institutional credibility. Identifying and addressing these discrepancies can guide improvements within the social science research community—fostering stronger partnerships with communities and enhancing the ethical standing of academic institutions
Using Inactivation-Deficient Mutation of Brain Sodium Channel to Study Beta Subunit Alteration of Voltage-Gating and Epilepsy
Get PDFSodium ion channels are a key component in the process that neurons utilize to create an action potential. A primary cause of genetic epilepsy is mutations in sodium ion channels found in the brain, and research into these mutations is crucial to understanding the causes of the disease and mitigating its symptoms. In this study, we examined how expression of beta subunits affects ion channel activation and deactivation. Electrophysiology was used to apply voltages across the membranes of African clawed frog oocytes, and Pulsefit and IgorPro software programs were used to analyze probability of opening and time for deactivation for brain sodium ion channels with different beta subunit expression. Boltzmann equations were used to show the voltage-probability relationship for channel opening, and deactivation time constants of tail currents were used to show kinetics of channel closing. Activation probability was decreased in channels with both beta 1 and beta 2 as shown by the most depolarized midpoint. The fastest deactivation was observed for brain channels without beta subunit, followed by beta 1, and finally beta 2. Based on the results, there may be new opportunities for medical advancements pertaining to epilepsy
Exploring DNA Metabarcoding to Understand Diet in Declining Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse (\u3cem\u3eTympanuchus phasianellus\u3c/em\u3e)
Get PDFThe Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus; hereafter CSTG) formerly occupied shrub-steppe ecosystems across western North America but now inhabit less than five percent of their former range due to habitat loss and other anthropogenic factors. Despite their social and ecological significance, research on CTSG diet has been limited, with the last comprehensive study taking place over 20 years ago. Understanding dietary habits is crucial, as food availability directly impacts population dynamics, local adaptation, and overall fitness of this species. Through the application of plant DNA metabarcoding (i.e., p6 loop of trnL) from non-invasively collected fecal samples, this study identifies plants consumed by CSTG across western North America. Preliminary results from 2022-2023 indicate that the spring diet of CSTG includes a large abundance of taxonomic reads from the plant families Apiaceae (parsley family) and Asteraceae (composite family). While there is not a significant difference between years, there is a significantly higher diversity of plants eaten in British Columbia than populations in Idaho, Washington, or Wyoming. Additional 2024 samples will be sequenced this summer, with 2025 samples in preparation. This preliminary work sets the foundation for future studies to shape habitat management and restoration strategies for CSTG, supporting long-term conservation efforts
Influence of Terrain Model Resolution on Rockfall Dispersion and Tortuosity of Rockfall Paths
Get PDFThe geology of the Snake River Plain region of southwestern Idaho contains terraces formed from downcutting of the Boise River and columnar jointed basalt cliffs from lava flows. Within the city limits of Boise, Idaho, rockfall events originate from these columnar jointed basalt cliffs. Whitney Terrace, a rockfall-prone location in southwestern Boise, was chosen as the study site. Site-specific LiDAR data was used to create a bare earth terrain model, and rockfall boulders were geolocated and measured to be used as inputs into rockfall models. The slope below the cliff face was divided into four distinct slope zones, each with its own average slope, sequentially decreasing in gradient away from the cliff.
RocFall3, a three-dimensional rockfall modeling program, was used to model the site and simulate rockfall boulders. Rigid body simulations were performed to investigate the effect of terrain resolution, boulder size, and boulder shape on tortuosity and dispersion area. Two boulder shapes (hexagons and spheres), four boulder sizes, and five terrain model resolutions were used, resulting in 20,000 single boulder rockfall simulations.
Tortuosity was defined as the ratio of the total boulder path length to the straight line distance of the path. It was found that as the terrain model resolution increased, the tortuosity values for spherical and hexagonal boulders minimally increased. Spherical boulders experienced a decrease in tortuosity values as their mass increased. Hexagonal boulders did not show a consistent trend with increasing mass. Spherical boulders had larger observed tortuosity values than the more angular-shaped hexagonal boulders. Results showed that spherical boulders have longer runout distances and greater lateral movements than hexagonal boulders; however, the tortuosity values are generally similar for the two shapes. A water droplet analysis was performed to investigate if the runout paths generated could be compared to lumped mass low-energy rockfall simulations. The results were comparable at the lower terrain resolutions.
The dispersion area was defined as the area bound by the seeder location and the outermost end locations of the simulated boulders. As the terrain model resolution increased, the dispersion areas increased. Hexagonal boulders produced a rounded cone dispersion area, while the spherical boulders produced an elongated end cone shape. In terms of mass, for the spherical boulders, dispersion areas generally decreased as the mass increased. For the hexagonal boulders, there was not a clear relationship between dispersion area and mass. It was found that a local variation in topography (a soil mound) influenced the shape of the spherical boulder dispersion but not the shape of the hexagonal boulder dispersion. The vast majority of the spherical boulders came to rest in the lowest gradient slope zone. The hexagonal boulders came to rest in the two lowest slope zones.
There are three recommendations for future work with this research. Additional boulder shapes should be simulated to examine how shape can further influence the tortuosity of boulder paths and dispersion areas. The idea of applying tortuosity to boulder paths could be expanded upon to include a relationship between slope angles and boulder energies because it was noted that all boulder paths were generally straight in high-angle slope zones and paths became tortuous in lower-angle slope zones. Currently, the dispersion area includes significant portions of the slope with no rockfall boulders. The definition of dispersion area could be modified so it does not include the seeder location but only encapsulates the end locations of boulders, defining the outer boundary of deposited boulders
Characterizing Successional Dynamics and Host Impacts on the Big Sagebrush Leaf Microbiome
Get PDFThe leaf microbiome contributes to the functioning of Earth’s ecosystems through interactions with host plants, modifying their health, for better or for worse. The leaf microbiome contains bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that interact with each other and are subject to the processes governing community assembly. Microbial community assembly on the leaf is influenced by host plant characteristics, interactions between the different community members, the selective and dispersal-mediated effects of the weather, and time. To study the effects of a leaf microbiome on its host plant it is first important to characterize it; observing the species present and how they are affected by the host plant, weather, and time. For the first chapter of my dissertation, I characterized the fungal leaf microbiome of basin big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. tridentata) leaves over the course on one year, measuring the factors influencing community structure throughout time. I found that the primary factors structuring the sagebrush leaf microbiome are air temperature and the age of the leaf. I discovered that there was a set of fungi living consistently on sagebrush leaves, potentially co-evolving with their host plant over an indeterminate period of time. Additionally, I isolated cultures of microbial species with known effects on the health of other plants, such as the growth promoter Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. For my second chapter, I grew sagebrush seedlings in a growth chamber and inoculated them with both a whole natural community of microbes from sagebrush leaves and a single species inoculant of the B. amyloliquefaciens isolated from sagebrush in the field. We included two environmental treatments, a tapered drought vs. regular watering, to test the interactive effects of inoculation and stress on sagebrush seedling growth, photosynthesis, and nutrient content. I observed that sagebrush seedlings were susceptible to fungal pathogens during regular watering in a growth chamber, leading to decreased photosynthetic activity and biomass, and that these effects were lessened in the drought conditions. Additionally, B. amyloliquefaciens inoculation led to increased percent Nitrogen in the leaves. I noted both positive and negatives effects in our different microbial inoculant groups and that the interactions between microbial inoculation and drought had a positive effect on plant photosynthetic rates. My third chapter was a perspective article. It argues that the potential of leaf microbes to impact entire ecosystems is too great to ignore and should be a consideration when developing management strategies for conservation. I proposed a framework for developing research and application of foliar inoculants in conservation contexts. Together, this dissertation provides the first characterization of the sagebrush leaf microbiome, a highly detailed study of succession of the leaf microbiome over time, a direct observation of environmental context modifying the interaction between a host plant and its leaf microbiome, and a look to the future with the hope that we can include the underappreciated leaf microbiome in conservation strategies. Because interactions (between humans) are also essential to education, I have included a reflection on my educational activities during the course of my Ph.D
A Novel Approach to Extended Reality EULA Presentation for Improved Child Safety
Get PDFExtended reality (XR) is a quickly developing field of technology representing novel physical and privacy risks for children. End-User License Agreements (EULAs) are designed to explain these risks to the consumer (end-user), however, they are often dense, linguistically complex, and packed with legal jargon. EULAs are even more problematic for children, who are still developing their language skills. In our research, we identify and analyze the EULAs of several XR applications for child users. We use various readability algorithms to gauge the grade level at which most users could understand the content. Using qualitative, thematic analysis, we iteratively determined the predominant risks and rights presented in these documents and organized them into top level codes such as data concerns and physical safety. This analysis helped inform us as we created initial guidelines for a new child-accessible presentation format for EULAs in XR. We then created a prototype EULA developed with Unity to demonstrate these guidelines in practice. This work aims to increase understanding of what risks current XR applications—and their EULAs—pose to children and families and initiate progress towards mitigating those concerns