100039 research outputs found
Sort by
Community Science for Enigmatic Ecosystems: Using eBird to Assess Avian Biodiversity on Glaciers and Snowfields
No full textMountain glaciers and snowfields are rapidly receding because of climate warming. Species living in these habitats remain poorly studied, likely because of the remoteness and ruggedness of their terrain. We leveraged community science data from eBird—an online database of bird observations from around the world—to characterize bird use of mountain glaciers and snowfields. We estimated total bird biodiversity and preference for glaciers and snowfields over nearby, ice-adjacent habitats. We used field notes from eBird users and breeding codes to extend our data set to include insight into habitat usage and behavior. Finally, we compared our community-science approach to previous studies that used traditional (i.e., professional) field survey methods. We identified considerable avian biodiversity in glacier and snowfield habitat (46 species) with four specialists that appeared to prefer glaciers and snowfields over nearby, ice-adjacent habitats. Birds appeared to primarily use the glacier and snowfield habitats for foraging. When community science data was compared to traditional methods, results were similar, but community science resulted in a higher species diversity estimate. Our findings suggest glacier and snowfield retreat threatens specialist species via loss of nutrient resources. Additionally, community science data appears valuable for characterizing difficult to access areas, but traditional surveys are still useful for more rigorous quantification of avian biodiversity
Summary of Beaver and Iron Counties’ Water Conservation and Provisioning Strategies
No full textThis report focuses on water conservation and provisioning strategies that both Beaver and Iron Counties are pursuing to help meet their citizens’ current and future water needs and to contribute to statewide water conservation efforts. It primarily relies on publicly available data from state, county, conservancy district, and city databases, plans, and documents. The purposes of this document are to provide regional context for understanding water use in Beaver and Iron Counties and to describe water conservation strategies that can influence the trajectories of their future water use. In both Beaver and Iron Counties, agriculture remains the primary user of private land and water resources. Water is fully appropriated in Beaver and Iron Counties, with the exception of some groundwater in Wah Wah Valley, Pine Valley, and Hamlin Valley in Beaver County. Cedar City, the largest and fastest-growing city in Iron County, relies on the Cedar City Valley Aquifer as its primary water source and is subject to a groundwater management plan that will reduce the annual depletion of the aquifer from 28,000 AFY to the estimated safe yield of 21,000 AFY over a period of 45 years. Groundwater management plans are also in effect in Parowan Valley and Beryl Enterprise areas of Iron County. With the additional challenges of more severe droughts and increasing growth, both Beaver and Iron Counties must carefully manage limited water supplies. Municipal, secondary irrigation, and agricultural water conservation efforts are underway in Beaver and Iron Counties. Public water suppliers in Beaver and Iron Counties have improved water efficiency by installing meters, implementing leak detection programs, upgrading secondary systems for outdoor use, and carrying out artificial recharge projects to replenish aquifers and strengthen supplies. Each water supplier also encourages their customers to reduce water use through conservation education, tiered rate structures to discourage excessive use, financial incentives such as rebates, and ordinances that require specific water-saving practices. Both counties have secondary water systems for agricultural and residential outdoor irrigation, with half of those systems currently metered. Farmers and irrigation companies from Iron and Beaver Counties have implemented Agricultural Water Optimization projects to reduce consumptive water use in the agricultural sector. Recognizing their unique circumstance and capacities, Beaver and Iron Counties can pursue additional water conservation opportunities in three key areas: agricultural water optimization; water smart urban growth; and enhancement of conservation efforts in existing urban areas. This report provides resources and suggestions on how Beaver and Iron Counties can advance their actions in these three areas. Both counties should also prioritize reducing groundwater pumping to recover and sustain their aquifers. Of the water they do extract and put to use, they should concentrate on reducing depletion through conservation in agricultural water use, irrigation, and urban outdoor water uses. Seeking to live within the Beaver/Cedar water budget is a worthwhile goal for these conservation efforts and one that can be facilitated by cooperation through the new Beaver/Cedar Watershed Council
A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Physician Compassion in Consultations for Chronic Primary Pain
No full textChronic primary pain refers to physical pain that has no apparent organic cause, cannot be explained by another condition, and has associated psychological distress or functional impairment. Chronic primary pain is common and can significantly interfere with functioning, including occupational or social functioning. Research has shown that physicians struggle to treat this population, with many physicians reporting feeling unequipped and many patients feeling that their physicians are unhelpful and dismissive. Compassion may play a key role in improving these difficult interactions. The present study analyzed a sample of 99 participants with chronic pain and 100 healthy controls to learn more about compassion in the context of consultations for chronic primary pain. Six clinical vignettes, characterized by both high and low expressions of compassion, were presented to participants, after which patients rated the compassion level and were given the chance to provide open-ended feedback. The analysis both of the ratings and the open-ended feedback revealed consistent patterns of what participants believe constitutes compassionate care, including validation of pain, strong communication skills, and a clear way to explain and address their pain. This research was able to give voice to individuals experiencing chronic pain, highlight that pain patients do not differ much from healthy controls in their perceptions, and offer concrete strategies for physicians to consider implementing. Compassion appears to be a relevant and promising facet of clinical care for chronic pain, thus future studies should continue empirically exploring compassion
Ecotourism and Seasonal Effects on Rock Iguana (\u3ci\u3eCyclura cychlura\u3c/i\u3e) Health: A Cross-Sectional Study of Microbiome and Physiological Changes
No full textRock Iguanas are large, endangered lizards found throughout the Northern Bahamas that have become popular attractions for tourists visiting the islands. When tourists feed these iguanas, often giving them foods like grapes, lettuce, and other items that aren\u27t part of their natural diet, it changes what the animals eat and can affect their health. At the same time, these iguanas also face natural challenges throughout the year, especially during breeding season when their bodies and behaviors change significantly. This research explores how both human activities, specifically ecotourism, and natural seasonal changes impact the health of Rock Iguanas, with a particular focus on the community of bacteria living in their digestive systems, called the gut microbiome. Just like in humans, this community of microscopic organisms plays a crucial role in digestion, immune function, and overall health. The second chapter examined how natural seasonal cycles and differences between male and female iguanas affect their health and gut bacteria. Samples were collected during two key times of year: the breeding season in June and the post-breeding period in September. During the breeding season, female iguanas had less gut bacterial diversity compared to males and females after the breeding season. This likely reflects the enormous physical demands of reproduction; female iguanas must produce and lay eggs, which requires significant energy and can change their eating patterns and body condition. Our study also found that various health indicators, including blood sugar levels, cellular stress markers, and body weight, were associated with changes in the diversity of gut bacteria. However, despite these seasonal changes, the overall bacterial community remained relatively stable throughout the year. Together, both chapters provide important insights for protecting these endangered iguanas. They demonstrate that both human activities and natural biological processes create distinct changes in the iguana gut microbiome, and they identify specific biological markers that can help scientists monitor these changes. Our research also highlights the importance of considering both human impacts and natural cycles when developing conservation strategies for threatened wildlife. It also shows how studying multiple populations under different conditions can reveal complex patterns in how both human activities and natural processes affect animal health, with different responses depending on species and sex. Most importantly, this work provides evidence that ecotourism, while potentially beneficial for conservation funding, does alter wildlife health in measurable ways and that reducing these impacts can help animals recover, at least partially, toward their natural state
Production Tax Credits Promote U.S. Wind Power Development With a Rush to Develop Before They Expire
No full textA statistical analysis of wind power development in each U.S. state from 2000–2022 shows that the Production Tax Credit strongly promoted wind power development, especially when it was due to expire, and producers rushed to qualify. This implies that the Inflation Reduction Act should also have an important effect in promoting wind power, with an exaggerated effect when developers perceive that tax credits will be discontinued. Physical wind power potential is positively related to wind power development among states. States with high potential selectively pass Renewable Portfolio Standards, but they have no statistically significant influence on capacity developed among the subset of states participating in wind power development. No other policy variables considered—natural gas prices, state permitting systems, electrical restructuring, enrollment in regional transmission organizations—displayed any practically useful association with wind power development nationally over time or among states
Ionospheric Plasma Electron Density Measurement and Theory Using Impedance Probe Techniques
No full textThe ionosphere plays a critical role in how radio frequency (RF) signals, like those used in Global Position System (GPS) satellite communications, travel through space. Disturbances in the ionosphere, such as equatorial plasma bubbles (EPB), scatter these signals and cause communication dropouts or navigational errors. To study these conditions, spacecraft use instruments that measure the surrounding plasma directly. One of these instruments is an impedance probe, which applies a small electrical signal to a sensor and determines electron density from the measured impedance.
This thesis improves the modeling and interpretation of impedance probe measurements. A numerical method is developed that uses electric field data from computer simulations to calculate the impedance of realistic probe and spacecraft geometries.
The influence of the sheath on the probe’s resonant frequencies is analyzed, and the results are compared to measurements from the Scintillation Prediction Observation Research Task (SPORT) satellite mission. The comparison shows that sheath effects have no effect on the measurement for plasma density, but need to be understood when comparing real-world data to theory.
A new impedance probe circuit is also designed and tested to expand the measurement range and improve accuracy. These developments contribute to better electron density measurements
Effects of Cannabinoid Agonist WIN 55-212-2 on Latent Inhibition
No full textThe endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a modulatory system that helps regulate brain functions, including learning and memory, influencing processes such as latent inhibition (LI). LI refers to the slower association formed when a familiar event is paired with a new outcome, compared to the association of an unfamiliar event. LI is a process that is often disrupted in individuals with schizophrenia and is known as a cognitive symptom. This study aimed to determine whether the drug WIN-55-212-2 (WIN), which interacts with the ECS, influences the process of LI using a fear-conditioned response procedure. The results found no significant interaction among the full sample of mice; however, a significant interaction between the drug and control group was observed in our second batch of mice. The interaction was only expressed among the second batch which included a small sample size, meaning further research with larger sample sizes is needed. These findings could help in the understanding of the ECS and how it could be targeted to alleviate symptoms seen in schizophrenia
\u3ci\u3ePaucilactobacillus Wasatchensis\u3c/i\u3e Gas Production in Cheddar Cheese Through Symbiotic Amino Acid Metabolism With \u3ci\u3eLactococcus Lactis\u3c/i\u3e Starter Cultures
No full textCheese is popular for its rich sensory notes and desirable physical attributes; however, the late blowing gas defect in cheddar cheese disrupts its appearance and can undermine its commercial value, for example if the late gas defect is severe, the block can crumble upon cutting, increasing cutting losses from 10% (non-defective) up to 50% (Donnely et al., 2014). Paucilactobacillus wasatchensis cannot survive pasteurization (McMahon, D. J., et al., 2020); therefore, it enters the cheese as a contaminant during the cheesemaking process. Cheesemaking occurs in three stages: (1) curdling of milk by acidification through starter cultures, (2) separation of curd from whey, and (3) aging, during which the pH of the cheese drops to approximately 5.1. Paucilactobacillus wasatchensis exhibits marginal growth at acidic pH values between 5.0 and 4.0 (Ortakci et al., 2015), which slows its proliferation but does not entirely inhibit it. The organism is also metabolically versatile, capable of utilizing lactose, gluconate, fructose, N-acetylglucosamine (NAG), ribose, and galactose as carbon sources (McMahon et al., 2020). These physiological traits allow Pa. Wasatchensis to persist and slowly grow during cheese aging, contributing to late gas defect formation. Late gas defect in Cheddar cheese is driven by metabolic reactions and is associated with various microorganisms, including Clostridium species and Paucilactobacillus wasatchensis. This research focused on the metabolic interaction between the recently identified contaminant Pa. Wasatchensis and the starter culture Lactococcus lactis. Excess gas production resulting from this interaction leads to the formation of internal slits and cracks, packaging inflation, and difficulties in automated slicing. All of these factors reduce product quality, consumer acceptance, and ultimately the financial performance for cheese producers (Donnely et al., 2014). Our project investigates this phenomenon by analyzing the metabolic pathways involved in this interaction. Our results show that Paucilactobacillus wasatchensis utilizes ornithine which is a compound produced and transported by L. Lactis through the arginine deiminase pathway — to generate excess gas during cheese maturation. This adds to the basis for understanding and mitigating late blowing defects in cheddar cheese. Our study demonstrates the significance of this microbial interaction and paves the way toward developing strategies to control and reduce these defects, thereby preserving both product quality and market competitiveness
Relaxed Convex Approximation for Optimal Control in Cislunar Space
No full textThis thesis develops a method of optimal control for a spacecraft in the region between the Earth and the Moon known as cislunar space. The optimal control method is developed through a modern optimization technique called “convex relaxation” to achieve a formulation that can be reliably solved by numerical computation tools. The primary research objective is to evaluate the efficacy of this method in accommodating the physical thrust constraints of a spacecraft. This approach is tested in simulation with an unstable halo orbit around the Moon in the circular restricted three-body problem (CR3BP) model. The simulation incorporates realistic disruptions from insertion, navigation, and burn errors. Analysis is performed over multiple simulation runs and focuses on control performance metrics, including total control effort (delta-V) and final trajectory state deviations in position and velocity. The results demonstrate that the convex relaxation formulation reliably achieves optimal control in a computationally efficient manner
Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda January 8, 2026
No full textApproval of Minutes - December 4, 2025 R401 - Program Proposals Semester Course Approval Reviews Other Business UCC and EPC Handbook updates Adjourn: 3:00 p