Boise State University

Uncovering the role of biogeography, resources, food web composition and time during microbial primary succession

Ecological succession is shaped by multiple processes that operate simultaneously across spatial and temporal scales. While classical succession theory generally focuses on a single trophic level within a single location, often in plants or other macroscopic organisms, recent eff...

Phosphorus limits the growth of bacterial and eukaryotic primary producers in recently deglaciated High Arctic soils

Glaciers are receding at unprecedented rates worldwide, exposing large areas of barren sediment that are quickly colonized by microbes. Nutrient availability is a critical driver of early ecosystem succession, but in the High Arctic its role has remained uncertain. This limits me...

Multiscale model calibrated with a Bayesian algorithm predicts long-term outcomes of treatments for mitral valve regurgitation in animal models

In primary mitral valve regurgitation (MR), a failing valve induces volume overload (VO) of the left ventricle (LV), triggering neurohormonal responses and myocardial remodeling. Surgical valve repair is the most effective therapy for MR, improving symptoms and in some patients r...

The power of words in online auctions: how quality rhetoric and vagueness in item listings influence herding bias and wordiness effects

Abstract This study investigates how listing characteristics influence purchasing decisions in online auctions. Specifically, it examines whether an item description’s length (i.e., wordiness) and herding bias affect the likelihood of a successful sale and explores the moderating...

The Rising Threat of Lead: Trends in Fatalities of California Condors

ABSTRACT Endangered species face threats that change over time, and understanding variation in the importance of threats is valuable for guiding species recovery. The reintroduced population of critically endangered California condors has faced a number of threats over the three...

Enriching Ethics Education Through Game Design: A Demonstration of Student Experience

This study explores the feasibility of using game design as a learning approach to allow students to creatively explore ethical frameworks. Sixteen participants in an undergraduate ethics course were tasked with creating a game using the game development tool Twine. The game was...

Vertebral Body Wedge Geometry Predicts Lumbar Lordosis Beyond Pelvic Morphology in Chronic Low Back Pain

Objectives: Lumbar vertebral wedge angles reflect vertebral body geometry and may influence lordosis. Whether the total wedge index (TWI) and segmental wedge angles differ between asymptomatic individuals and chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients, and predict lordosis independent...

Catalytic and computational strategies for removing ECs from agricultural water systems

Emerging contaminants (ECs), including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, endocrine-disrupting compounds, and personal care products, have become increasingly prevalent in agricultural water systems due to intensified agricultural activities and expanding chemical usage. Their persiste...

Using LIDAR and SNOTEL data for evaluating the performance of snow water equivalent retrieval using Sentinel-1 repeat-pass interferometry

Abstract. Accurate estimation of snow water equivalent (SWE) at high spatial and temporal resolution remains a critical challenge for hydrologic prediction and climate monitoring. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) provides a promising approach for retrieving SWE by...

Asynchronous oral assessments:enhancing integrity, engagement, and communication in the AI era

Abstract The shift to online and blended learning, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of generative AI tools, has intensified the search for valid and secure assessment methods. Oral assessments have long been recognized for their ability to authentically measure u...

Underrecognized suicidality in higher functioning youth with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract Objective To examine factors associated with elevated risk of suicidal thoughts, behaviors, and death by suicide among high functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, with particular emphasis on phenotypes characte...

U.S. wildfire-power grid risk: A review of policy & practices in ten western states

Record-breaking fires in the western U.S. have drawn considerable scrutiny of the risks associated with wildfires and the power grid. Electricity infrastructure can both cause and be impacted by wildfires, at times forcing planned shutoffs. As utilities rapidly deploy mitigation...

Large-scale subject-specific finite element knee modeling with direct integration of limb alignment and length

Abstract Finite element (FE) modeling is widely used to study knee joint mechanics and pathologies. Subject-specific FE models provide individualized insight into knee mechanics but are often limited to small-scale studies due to complexity and time constraints. Hip-knee-ankle (H...

“Kids Don't Know Where to Look!”: Using Think‐Alouds to Teach Students to Interpret Diagrams

ABSTRACT Elementary students frequently encounter diagrams and flowcharts in science texts, yet many engage with them only at a surface level. They can identify labels or colors but struggle to understand how visual features work together to convey meaning. This article introduce...

Four years on: following the pathway to real world impact of engineering research

Here we present five short case studies in which key authors of papers originally published in Communications Engineering in 2022 describe the impact of their work four years on. These reflections provide a glimpse of what the papers meant for the key researchers involved, their...