University of Arizona

Human‐Centered Monitoring of Asphalt Emissions: Linking Exposure, Climate, and Health

ABSTRACT Urban infrastructure shapes environmental quality not only through its form and function but also through the materials from which it is built. Asphalt is a prominent example: heat, solar radiation, and aging can amplify emissions from this climate‐responsive, chemically...

Dormancy type, seed traits, and species identity shape seed‐associated fungal community composition in tropical pioneer trees

Seed germination is regulated in many plants by seed dormancy, while postdispersal survival is often determined by soilborne fungi that infect seeds. In tropical forests, seeds in each of three dormancy types (physical, physiologically dormant, or quiescent) often share similar p...

Improving snow simulations through improved representations of vegetation conditions: insights from high resolution simulations over California

Abstract. Most hydrological models underestimate snow water equivalent (SWE) in the mountainous western US. Key limitations may be due to coarse resolution precipitation input and inadequate representations of snow-vegetation interactions. Vegetation affects snow dynamics through...

Soil Microbial Diversity Alters Microhydrology through Extracellular Polymeric Substance Production

Soil microbial communities have a variety of mechanisms to deal with emerging drought stress. One well-documented mechanism is increased microbial production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which can potentially change the soil density and water holding capacity. Yet...

Accuracy of commercial pollen forecasts in the United States

Approximately 80 million Americans suffer from seasonal pollen allergies, and many rely on commercial pollen forecasts to guide exposure reduction and medication timing. However, these forecasts are proprietary, and their accuracy has never been comprehensively evaluated. Here, w...

The Glymphatic System in Traumatic Brain Injury, Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, and Neurodegeneration: A Unifying Neurobiological Framework

Whether glymphatic dysfunction drives or merely follows brain injury and neurodegeneration remains unresolved. The glymphatic system mediates the transport, exchange, and clearance of solutes between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and interstitial fluid (ISF) through paravascular CSF...

Indigenous soil stewardship as foundational agricultural science

Abstract Indigenous peoples have developed soil management practices over millennia which are anchored in relationships and survival. Western science often borrows these practices and claims them as their own concepts without proper acknowledgment. We seek recognition of Indigeno...

Impact of the Thoracic Surgery Optimization Program on Postoperative Recovery in Esophagectomy Patients

Background: Esophagectomy is associated with an extended clinical course and a challenging, prolonged recovery. Prehabilitation programs aim to improve postoperative outcomes, particularly in complex surgeries like esophagectomy. This study evaluates the implementation and feasib...

Selective Nickel Leaching from Cu-Ni Sulfide Ores Using Deep Eutectic Solvents

Traditional hydrometallurgical lixiviants such as sulfuric and hydrochloric acid pose environmental and safety risks due to their corrosive and toxic nature. To advance greener extraction technologies, this study evaluated deep eutectic solvents (DESs) as potential sustainable al...

Crossing the Line: Measuring Sexual Exploitation Across Advocacy and Sex Research Traditions

Where is the line between permissible sexual seduction and sexual exploitation? This commentary argues that the answer cannot be settled by global labels such as unwanted sex, nonconsensual sex, rape, or abuse. Drawing on a collaboration between researchers working in violence-ag...

Design of π-Conjugated Donor-Bridge-Acceptor Radicals for Molecular Qudit Applications

Abstract Organic radicals with spin-polarized excited-state manifolds are attractive molecular platforms for quantum information technologies. A central challenge lies in the understanding of how emissive doublet states can communicate with higher-spin quartet states while mainta...

Evaluating a Lightweight Neural Network for Aggregate Isotope Distribution Prediction

Abstract Isotope distribution prediction is an important part of mass spectrometry data analysis. A variety of strategies have been developed, including brute-force polynomial methods and Fourier-transform (FT) convolution methods. Here, we present a novel neural network (NN) app...

Differential impacts of Colorado River shortage operations on agricultural adaptation and groundwater reliance in Central Arizona

Severe Colorado River reservoir declines triggered mandatory Tier 1 delivery reductions since 2022. The resulting agricultural adaptations and groundwater impacts remain poorly quantified as the reductions fall disproportionately among water users with different delivery prioriti...

A Job Demands-Resources Perspective on Science Communication: How Public Engagement Shapes Scientist Communicators’ Well-Being

Scientists are increasingly expected to engage public audiences, yet little is known about how this work shapes their well-being. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with scientist communicators and guided by the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this study examines demands a...

Sirolimus and ruxolitinib in progressive Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome due to chronic Graft-Versus-Host disease

Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is a pulmonary manifestation of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) that can occur as a complication in up to 14% of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. First-line therapy for BOS includes inhaled fluticasone, az...

Aim high or play safe? Commitment, prosocial incentives, and goal setting

Abstract We examine how behavioral incentives affect goal setting and performance when individuals choose their own goals. Using a model with reference-dependent preferences and effort cost uncertainty, we predict that commitment mechanisms improve performance by inducing more co...

Bumblebee pollen collection is a costly affair

Pollen is an essential nutrient used by bees to rear their larvae and, minimally, for adult nutrition [1 ].Across bee species, females have evolved several different methods for collecting pollen, typically using movements of their fore, mid

A combined experimental and numerical study of heat losses in upward-facing helical cavity receivers

Cavity receivers improve the thermal efficiency of concentrated solar systems because the small aperture traps reflected sunlight and limits re-radiation and convective losses from the absorber. This study examines a small upward-facing helical cavity receiver, with an aperture d...

Explainable Stability Certification of Reinforcement Learning Control Policies Using Sparse Dynamics Identification

Reinforcement learning (RL) is a promising alternative to classical guidance and control methods; however, the black-box nature of deep neural network policies and the lack of interpretable stability evidence remain barriers to real-world aerospace adoption. This paper presents a...

Alzheimer’s disease neuropathological characterization of the dog brain and relationship to biofluid biomarkers and cognitive function

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting more than 55 million people worldwide and is characterized by cognitive decline, amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles. Although transgenic rodent models have advanced understanding of...