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Comparative Analysis of Radiance-based and Reflectance-based Reflectance Retrievals
No full textEarly earth science imagers in the reflected solar part of the spectrum relied on a radiance-based SI-traceability path to top-of-atmosphere reflectance. More recent missions tend to use reflectance-based approaches as space-grade diffusers became better understood. The difference between the two approaches will become more important for next generation missions where low-cost, low-mass sensors shift back to a radiance-based approach and lower absolute uncertainties are becoming necessary. Radiance-based retrievals are so named because they rely on the absolute radio-metric calibration of the sensor to determine scene spectral radiance that is converted to reflectance using an assumed solar spectral irradiance model. Reflectance-based approaches convert measurements directly to reflectance through ratios to views of a diffuser reference of known reflectance. The current work describes the use of a field deployable transfer radiometer as well as commercial field spectrometer data to draw out the discrepancies rooted in differences from the SI-traceability in order to understand the limits for harmonizing multi mission data. The results show that surface reflectance results calculated using the two retrievals differ even when identical radiometer signals are used. The ground-based retrievals are complicated by the presence of a diffuse sky irradiance, but the use of the vicarious calibration site at Railroad Valley Playa and the surface areas selected for this study help to limit those effects. Sensitivity studies for the retrievals are also presented to highlight the traceability-based differences rather than those caused by the collection and processing of the data. The comparison between the two traceability paths shows clear differences that are within the combined uncertainties of the two approaches but with consistent systematic effects
General Education Subcommittee Minutes September 4, 2025
No full textCall to Order Approval of Minutes - April 3, 2025 Course Approvals/Removals/Syllabi Approvals New Business Update on Center for Civic Excellence Additional Items Review of USU\u27s University Studies Requirements Adjourn: 9:30 a
Faculty Senate Agenda October 6, 2025
No full text3:00 Call to Order Approval of Minutes - September 8, 2025 3:05 University Business 3:20 Faculty Senate Business 3:35 Information EPC Report - September 4, 2025 3:45 Report EPC Annual Report 4:10 Old Business 4:15 New Business Adjourn: 4:30 p
Who Carries Bear Spray? Reducing Risk in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Through Leave No Trace Communication
No full textAs bear populations increase in areas like the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), human-bear interactions are rising, with grizzly bear encounters more than doubling in the past decade. To reduce conflicts, land management agencies promote Leave No Trace (LNT) behaviors, emphasizing bear awareness, proper food storage, maintaining distance from wildlife, and carrying bear spray. However, a survey of 566 visitors across the GYE found that 27% of respondents report never carrying bear spray. Non-carriers were often first-time visitors, traveling in larger groups, or day-use visitors to front-country areas. They also viewed the message to carry bear spray as less important than those who carry bear spray. Providing affordable bear spray at trailheads and targeted messaging may help increase carry rates. These findings highlight the importance of emphasizing LNT’s “Plan Ahead and Prepare” principle in combination with “Respect Wildlife,” guiding wildlife management strategies to reduce human-bear conflicts
Lagomorph spotlight survey results
No full textResults of lagomorph spotlight surveys conducted in the foothills of the Henry Mountains, south-central Utah, over 2014-2022
Interface Catalysts of In Situ-Grown TiO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e/MXenes for High-Faraday-Efficiency CO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e Reduction
No full textClimate change and the global energy crisis have led to an increasing need for greenhouse gas remediation and clean energy sources. The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a promising solution for both issues as it harvests waste CO2 and chemically reduces it to more useful forms. However, the high overpotential required for the reaction makes it electrochemically unfavorable. Here, we fabricate a novel electrode composed of TiO2 nanoparticles grown in situ on MXene charge acceptor 2D sheets with excellent CO2RR characteristics. A straightforward solvothermal method was used to grow the nanoparticles on the Ti3C2Tx MXene flakes. The electrochemical performance of the TiO2/MXene electrodes was analyzed. The Faradaic efficiencies of the TiO2/MXene electrodes were determined, with a value of 99.41% at −1.9 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). Density functional theory mechanistic analysis was used to reveal the most likely mechanism resulting in the production of one CO molecule along with a carbonate anion through ∗CO, ∗O, and activated CO22− intermediates. Bader charge analysis corroborated this pathway, showing that CO2 gains a greater negative charge when TiO2/MXene serves as a catalyst compared to MXene or TiO2 alone. These results show that TiO2/MXene nanocomposite electrodes may be very useful in the conversion of CO2 while still being efficient in both time and cost
The OVERCOME Project: Overall Perspective and Progress
No full textThe OVERCOME project is an applied research project that aims to provide the dam and dike engineering profession with an easy-to-use, physically based numerical tool that represents overtopping erosion and failure of homogeneous embankments made up of coarse-grained, gap-graded soils. This project began in 2018 and is scheduled for completion in 2028, and was initiated by EDF and CNR, who are the two main owners of embankment dams in France. To achieve this objective, the OVERCOME project is based on an extensive program of experimental tests of various dimensions. The interpretation of these tests will be used to define a numerical model that will be implemented in the TELEMAC 2D open-source code. This numerical model will be validated on the basis of large-scale tests. This article presents an overview of the project\u27s progress, and then focuses on two major issues: the evaluation of a method for LIDAR measurement of the evolution of the geometry of the downstream face of the embankment during erosion tests, and the characterization of the erosion resistance parameters of coarse-grained soils with spread granulometry using the Jet Erosion Test
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Versus Progressive Relaxation Training for Misophonia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
No full textObjective: To date, no in-person-delivered psychotherapies for adults with misophonia have been tested against active control conditions. The purpose of this study was to test the preliminary efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), supplemented with audiologically informed behavioral strategies (e.g., functional adaptations to manage exposure to misophonic sounds), versus education and progressive relaxation training (PRT) for adults with misophonia.
Method: In a well-controlled randomized trial, 60 adults were randomized to ACT or PRT and each received 12, one-hour sessions of individualized psychotherapy for misophonia. Audiological and psychological assessments were conducted at baseline to assess for eligibility and severity of misophonia. Posttreatment, and three- and sixmonth follow-ups were collected. Assessments of assessor- and client-rated misophonia, clinical severity, wellbeing, psychological flexibility, and treatment credibility and acceptability were collected.
Results: Both treatments were rated as credible and acceptable. Response rates for participant-rated misophonia (MQ scores) were small to modest in this sample (ACT 6.67–26.67 %, PRT 3.33–20 %), depending on the subscale. On an assessor-rated measure of misophonia, there were generally large within-condition effect sizes but no between-condition differences. Response rates for assessor-rated misophonia ranged from 20 % to 70 % for ACT and 6 % to 50 % for PRT, depending on the subscale. No between-condition differences were observed on clinician and participant-rated global severity, well-being, or psychological flexibility.
Conclusions: This study showed medium to strong within condition effect sizes for ACT and PRT for misophonia. Additional research is needed, but it suggests psychosocial interventions can be beneficial for adults with misophonia
Energy Input-Output Meta-Analysis Reveals Algal Diesel Struggles to Break Even (Supplemental Information)
No full textAlgal biofuels have been investigated as an alternative to traditional fossil fuels for transportation in the United States since the 1970s. Yet after five decades of development, scalability and implementation remain limited. To evaluate the state of progress, this study harmonized energy inputs and outputs across 39 papers, encompassing 508 observations on the production of algal biofuel energy return on energy investment (EROEI) in the United States. The analysis produced a mean EROEI of 1.01—essentially the break-even point—irrespective of system boundaries. This is lower than bioethanol (2.8) and far below oil (8.7). Life-cycle analysis results showed that hydrothermal liquefaction in algal diesel production yielded a slightly higher mean EROEI (0.67) than transesterification (0.51). Co-products were found to play a significant role in reported EROEI values, particularly those recycled into production processes. Collectively, these findings indicate that investment to date has not produced a competitive technology. This evidence suggests that continuing to invest heavily in algal biofuels as a primary pathway for the energy transition is unlikely to yield competitive results in the near to medium term. For this reason, algal biofuels show little potential to alleviate the ongoing decline in the EROEI of petroleum and are not a promising renewable energy option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. They also show little promise for alleviating the land use, food vs fuel and other controversies that have plagued first and second-generation biofuels
New collaborative water accounting proposals to protect Lake Powell and Lake Mead during extreme low reservoir storage and river flow (Protect and Flexible during Crisis)
No full textLow Colorado River flows threaten to draw down Lake Powell and Lake Mead below their minimum power pool elevations. Additionally, the U.S. Federal Government through its Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has set a new deadline for November 11, 2025 for new proposals to operate Lake Powell and Lake Mead after existing operations expire at the end of 2026. In a prior April 2025 post, we shared 13 reasons why we have hope for consensus on new operations (Rosenberg et al., 2026). One reason was that during crisis, rapid changes in policies and operations are possible. More recently, we asked the question How low a Colorado River flow to go? where we used hydrology scenarios that were up to 3 million acre-feet per year lower than regulated inflow to Lake Powell in the 24-month study minimum probable forecast (Fager, 2025; Rosenberg et al., 2025a). Those flows were also some of the lowest 3- and 10-year sequences in the ensembles that Reclamation is using to model new operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead after 2026 (Myers, 2025; Salehabadi et al., 2024; Smith et al., 2022)