Digital Commons Network^™

Taxonomic Notes On Velvet Ants Of The Genus Timulla Ashmead, 1899 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) In The United States Of America And Canada, George C. Waldren

Insecta Mundi

The exclusively New World velvet ant genus Timulla Ashmead, 1899 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae: Mutillinae: Trogaspidiini) contains 180 species and ten subspecies. Most of these species are known from a single sex, and the validity of the subspecies has not been evaluated since their original description in 1937 and 1938. The Timulla fauna of the United States of America includes thirty species and eight subspecies, and the fauna of Canada includes three species. The faunas of these two countries were critically studied with the following results. Out of the eight total subspecies, seven were found to be structurally identical to and sympatric …

What Climate Change Means For Nebraska

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Staff Publications

Nebraska’s climate is changing. In the past century, most of the state has warmed by at least one degree (F). The soil is becoming drier, and rainstorms are becoming more intense. In the coming decades, flooding is likely to increase, yet summers are likely to become increasingly hot and dry, which would reduce yields of some crops, require farmers to use more water, and amplify some risks to human health.

Our climate is changing because the earth is warming. People have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the air by 40 percent since the late 1700s. Other heat-trapping greenhouse …

Aging In Place In Rural Nebraska: Homecare Worker Cooperatives, Cythia Houlden

Center for Agricultural Profitability

In 2022, the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center (NCDC), in partnership with the Northwest Cooperative Development Center of Washington state, introduced a six-week Homecare Worker Cooperative Academy designed to take caregivers through the worker cooperative development process. Topics covered by the academy included democracy in the workplace, business basics, marketing and member engagement.

The impetus for the academy was the realization that Nebraska — and the U.S. as a whole — are facing a potential elder care crisis.

The Basics Of Loans For Farmers And Ranchers, Jessica Groskopf

Center for Agricultural Profitability

Borrowing a loan can be a useful tool for farmers and ranchers, especially to fill in gaps when cash or working capital is short to cover current obligations or to make necessary or planned capital purchases. Before signing for a loan, understand the loan terms and repayment requirements as spelled out in the loan documents. This article defines and explains important lending terminology and considerations for farmers and ranchers.

Developing And Encouraging The Reading Culture In Africa: The Case Of Ghana, Isaac Owusu Nsiah

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

No abstract provided.

The North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center, Part Iii: Outcomes And Impacts, Bradley D. Lubben, Christine Lockert, Sheila Aikanathan Johnson, Milan Chauhan

Cornhusker Economics

The North Central Extension Risk Management Education (ERME) Center has existed since 2001 to help support producer-focused agricultural risk management education across the twelve-state North Central Region. The Center works together with centers in other regions of the country to implement a comprehensive program of needs assessment, regional grantmaking, capacity building, and evaluation and reporting to support projects that help producers manage risk and document the outcomes and impacts of those projects.

The last two Cornhusker Economics articles have described the Center and its activities and have highlighted the successes of some recently funded projects. This article concludes the discussion …

Improving Visual Inspection Skills In Special Education Teachers, George Toman

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The Conservative Dual Criteria (CDC) method is known to improve decision-making accuracy in users when interpreting graphed data. The effectiveness of this method with in-service special education teachers, however, has not been investigated. The present study examined the effects of a virtual training package designed to improve the data-based decision-making skills of in-service special education teachers. Specifically, the virtual training consisted of a training video on the CDC method, access to a decision-making guide, and a brief training assessment. Five in-service special education teachers received training in the CDC method via the online learning management system, Canvas. A multiple baseline …

Reassignment Of Some Caryospora Species (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) To Eumonospora (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) And A Summary, Donald W. Duszynski

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

This review was crafted to clear up some of the current confusion regarding the correct taxonomic placement of those apicomplexan coccidians that produce unique monosporocystic octosporozoic (1 sporocyst with 8 sporozoites) oocysts during the sexual phase of their life history in vertebrate hosts. Currently, such oocysts have been placed in 1 of 4 genera, Avispora, Caryospora, Karyospora, or Eumonospora, 2 of which are no longer accepted or useful (Avispora and Karyospora). My review suggests that to present (2023) there are 62 valid Caryospora and 26 valid Eumonospora species. Caryospora species are recorded from a bird …

Early Intervention Within Orthodontics: The Sociological Aspects, Trenton Hammond

Honors Theses

Orthodontic treatment is one of the final phases of dental treatment. Its use is to provide aesthetics in some cases, yet the quality-of-life aspect that it can provide is greatly underestimated. Orthodontic care can provide proper function of teeth, improve facial structure, avoid tooth decay/loss, and improve gum health (AAO, 2024). Within this research the overarching goal is to understand the sociological aspects of families looking to start orthodontic care, what the reasons behind starting or not starting are, and providing information to the public about orthodontics that may be misunderstood or might push people away from searching for orthodontic …

Theory Of An Automatic Seepage Meter And Ramifications For Applications, V. A. Zlotnik, D. K. Solomon, D. P. Genereux, T. E. Gilmore, C. E. Humphrey, A. R. Mittelstet, A. V. Zlotnik

Conservation and Survey Division

No abstract provided.

Investigating Small Drinking Water System Technical Capacity To Treat For Pfas, Chloe J. Yoder, Kaycie Lane

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) presents technical challenges in small systems where advanced drinking water treatment implementation is difficult. Publicly available data were used to examine technical treatment capacity for PFAS in the US, using Nebraska as a pilot. Of 1312 PWSs in Nebraska, 441 have technologies capable of removing PFAS from drinking water. Reverse osmosis was the most common treatment technology in Nebraska with 277 total systems using this technology with, 194 PWSs with RO serving populations of <= 100 people. Fifty-two PWSs had granular activated carbon, 47 had ion exchange and 62 had ultraviolet, with UV being primarily used for disinfection. We found PWSs had different technology deployment methods, several systems had “significant deficiencies” reported in management and operation evaluations, and age and previous water quality violations were not correlated to treatment evaluations. The developed methodology models utilizing publicly available data for contaminants across the US.

Adopting Yield-Improving Practices To Meet Maize Demand In Sub-Saharan Africa Without Cropland Expansion, Fernando Aramburu-Merlos, Fatima A. M. Tenorio, Nester Mashingaidze, Alex Sananka, Stephen Aston, Jonathan J. Ojeda, Patricio Grassini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Maize demand in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to increase 2.3 times during the next 30 years driven by demographic and dietary changes. Over the past two decades, the area croppedwithmaize has expanded by 17million hectares in the region, with limited yield increase. Following this trend could potentially result in further maize cropland expansion and the need for imports to satisfy domestic demand. Here, we use data collected from 14,773 smallholder fields in the region to identify agronomic practices that can improve farm yield gains. We find that agronomic practices related to cultivar selection, and nutrient, pest, and crop management can …

Revolutionary Applications Of Generative Ai In Higher Education Institutes (Heis) And Its Implications, Arvind Sahu, Atul Sahu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In recent decades, there has been a notable transformation in educational procedures due to technological breakthroughs, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI). In recent times, there has been a noteworthy advancement and acceptance of generative artificial intelligence (AI) models, specifically exemplified by the emergence of Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT). Within the overarching category of Generative AI, various AI tools and technologies facilitate the production of computer-generated text, images, and other forms of digitized media. This paper comprehensively analyzes the concepts and implications of the discourse surrounding Generative AI. By adopting a position that advocates for the acceptance rather than the opposition …

Memoryscapes: A Study Of Memory And Experience In Architecture, Jacob Granger

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

Thesis statement

Architecture and urban spaces are fundamental in shaping both personal and collective memories, serving as the physical manifestations of narratives that define and inform community identity and individual experiences. This thesis asserts that urban design and architectural features extend beyond their utilitarian functions to actively craft and influence these memories. By intertwining intentional design with memory, architecture not only reflects but also molds our understanding of communal identity and historical narratives. This perspective offers a unique exploration of the interplay between tangible structures and the intangible experiences they foster, illustrating how architecture does not merely mirror reality but …

Sentinel Surveillance Of Sars-Cov-2 Rates And Equity Impacts Using Labor And Delivery Patients In Phoenix, Arizona, Caitlyn J. Linehan, Trisalyn Nelson, Celeste V. Bailey, Esma Gel, Dean V. Coonrod, Cheryl K. Roth

Department of Supply Chain Management and Analytics: Faculty and Staff Publications

Proactive management of SARS-CoV-2 requires timely and complete population data to track the evolution of the virus and identify at risk populations. However, many cases are asymptomatic and are not easily discovered through traditional testing efforts. Sentinel surveillance can be used to estimate the prevalence of infections for geographical areas but requires identification of sentinels who are representative of the larger population. Our goal is to evaluate applicability of a population of labor and delivery patients for sentinel surveillance system for monitoring the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We tested 5307 labor and delivery patients from two hospitals in Phoenix, Arizona, …

Multifaceted Roles Of Meg3 In Cellular Senescence And Atherosclerosis, Xiao Cheng, Mohamed Sham Shihabudeen Haider Ali, Vijaya Bhaskar Baki, Matthew Moran, Huabo Su, Xinghui Sun

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Background and aims: Long noncoding RNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. As long non-coding RNAs maternally expressed gene 3 (Meg3) prevents cellular senescence of hepatic vascular endothelium and obesity-induced insulin resistance, we decided to examine its role in cellular senescence and atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results: By analyzing our data and human and mouse data from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, we found that Meg3 expression was reduced in humans and mice with cardiovascular disease, indicating its potential role in atherosclerosis. In Ldlr^−/− mice fed a Western diet for 12 weeks, Meg3 silencing by chemically modified …

Information Needs, And Sources Of Information, Of Art And Design Students In Diploma Awarding Institutions In Uganda., David Musiimaami, Constant Okello-Obura, David Luyombya

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Access to relevant information is crucial for Art and Design students to meet their information needs and achieve their educational goals and expand their knowledge base. This paper explores the information needs, and sources of information, of Art and Design students in diploma – awarding institutions in Uganda. This is part of a PhD study that investigated the information-seeking behaviour of Art and Design students in diploma-awarding institutions in Uganda. The study population comprised Art and Design diploma students in the four Art and Design diploma-awarding institutions in Uganda, library heads in the same institutions, and directors at National Council …

Ideas For Estate And Transition Planning: Gift Leaseback, Jessica Groskopf

Center for Agricultural Profitability

Simply gifting assets helps reduce estate value and potential taxes for the owners and increase the wealth of the heirs. However, some families are hesitant to engage in gifting strategies because the farm or the ranch needs access to those assets to remain viable. This article expands on gifting strategies by combining gifts with a lease agreement.

North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center Helps Producers Manage Risks, Christine Lockert, Sheila Aikanathan Johnson, Bradley D. Lubben

Cornhusker Economics

Established in 2001, the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center (NCERMEC) has a long history of supporting risk management education programs serving producers in the region. Located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Agricultural Economics Department, the Center is one of four regional Extension Risk Management Education (ERME) Centers located throughout the country. ERME is funded through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and was authorized by the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000. The fundamental purpose of the ERME program is to educate producers to manage risk and position their farm or ranch for future growth and …

Influence Of Four Veterinary Antibiotics On Constructed Treatment Wetland Nitrogen Transformation, Matthew V. Russell, Tiffany L. Messer, Deborah A. Repert, Richard L. Smith, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D. Snow, Ariel P. Reed

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

The use of wetlands as a treatment approach for nitrogen in runoff is a common practice in agroecosystems. However, nitrate is not the sole constituent present in agricultural runoff and other biologically active contaminants have the potential to affect nitrate removal efficiency. In this study, the impacts of the combined effects of four common veterinary antibiotics (chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, lincomycin, monensin) on nitrate-N treatment efficiency in saturated sediments and wetlands were evaluated in a coupled microcosm/mesocosm scale experiment. Veterinary antibiotics were hypothesized to significantly impact nitrogen speciation (e.g., nitrate and ammonium) and nitrogen uptake and transformation processes (e.g., plant uptake and …

Seeing Is Believing: Religious Views, Perceptions Of Pollution, And Environmental Attitudes, Katelynn (Sage) Shadoan

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study explores the intersection of religious beliefs, perceptions of pollution, and environmental attitudes among Americans. Drawing upon Lynn White's seminal argument regarding Christian theology and its implications for environmental stewardship, this research investigates the role of biblical literalism in shaping environmental attitudes, particularly among conservative Christians. Using nationally representative survey data and logistic regression models, the study examines how the perceptions of pollution moderate the effects of views of the Bible on environmental concern. The findings reveal that while perceived pollution exposure is strongly associated with environmental attitudes, it does not moderate the association between biblical literalism and environmental …

Three Additions To The False Click Beetle (Coleoptera: Elateroidea: Eucnemidae) Fauna In The Nearctic Region, Robert L. Otto

Insecta Mundi

Three species of false click beetles (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) are added to the Nearctic fauna. One new species, Isorhipis bicolor, is described from a small series collected in Florida, U.S.A. Eighteen specimens collected from Georgia were identified as Dyscharachthis amplicollis (Fleutiaux), new U.S.A. records for a species previously taken from Japan and Southeast Asia. Examination of a series of eucnemids collected by Kyle Schnepp in Florida allowed me to revisit the Deltometopus fauna in eastern North America. Antennal structures present in a series of male specimens in the loan and past examined specimens are definitive enough to resurrect Deltometopus …

First Record Of The Invasive Chenopodium Aphid, Hayhurstia Atriplicis (Linnaeus, 1761) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), In Colombia, Takumasa Kondo, Roberto Rosero, Jackeline Gaviria

Insecta Mundi

The chenopodium aphid, Hayhurstia atriplicis (Linnaeus, 1761) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is reported for the first time in Colombia. The aphid was found on the aerial parts of the quinoa plant, Chenopodium quinoa Willd. (Amaranthaceae), especially on the leaves, in five municipalities in the department of Cauca, Colombia. Brief information on its natural enemies, distribution and biology is provided. This is the only aphid in Colombia known to cause malformations on the leaves of quinoa plants. In South America, this aphid has been found previously only in Ecuador, where it was reported for the first time in 2023 based on specimens collected …

First Record Of The Beekeeping Pest Aethina Tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) For Honduras, Jesus Orozco

Insecta Mundi

Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) (also known as the small hive beetle), an important pest in apiaries, is reported from Honduras for the first time, new country record. The precise distribution in the country is unknown, and no damage related to it has been observed. Photographs are provided to aid in its identification. Differentiation of A. tumida from Aethina villosa Reitter and Aethina quadrata Sharp, which also occur in Honduras, is provided.

ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DAF12C6A-0F8C-4151-9C4D-F191CCC4032F

Using Annual Forages To Replace Declining Cool-Season Grass Pasture Availability, Jonathon Matthew Jenkins

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As land area in grain crop production increases in the US Midwest, perennial pasture availability decreases but the demand increases. Matching the seasonal growth patterns of C₃ and C₄ plant species to grow forages that are complementary allows producers to fill production gaps in otherwise monoculture systems and possibly increase overall productivity. One way to fill the forage production gap of C₃ grass dominated pastures is by producing a warm-season, annual forage in a separate field. However, with continual reductions in land availability, this may not be an option. Using two studies, our objectives were to improve …

Identification Of Compounds That Cause Axonal Dieback Without Cytotoxicity In Dorsal Root Ganglia Explants And Intervertebral Disc Cells With Potential To Treat Pain Via Denervation, Fei San Lee, Uyen N. Nguyen, Eliza J. Munns, Rebecca A. Wachs

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Low back pain, knee osteoarthritis, and cancer patients suffer from chronic pain. Aberrant nerve growth into intervertebral disc, knee, and tumors, are common pathologies that lead to these chronic pain conditions. Axonal dieback induced by capsaicin (Caps) denervation has been FDA-approved to treat painful neuropathies and knee osteoarthritis but with shortterm efficacy and discomfort. Herein, we propose to evaluate pyridoxine (Pyr), vincristine sulfate (Vcr) and ionomycin (Imy) as axonal dieback compounds for denervation with potential to alleviate pain. Previous literature suggests Pyr, Vcr, and Imy can cause undesired axonal degeneration, but no previous work has evaluated axonal dieback and cytotoxicity …

Star-Based Reachability Analysis Of Binary Neural Networks On Continuous Input, Mykhailo Ivashchenko

Department of Computer Science and Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have become a popular instrument for solving various real-world problems. DNNs’ sophisticated structure allows them to learn complex representations and features. However, architecture specifics and floating-point number usage result in increased computational operations complexity. For this reason, a more lightweight type of neural networks is widely used when it comes to edge devices, such as microcomputers or microcontrollers – Binary Neural Networks (BNNs). Like other DNNs, BNNs are vulnerable to adversarial attacks; even a small perturbation to the input set may lead to an errant output. Unfortunately, only a few approaches have been proposed for verifying …

Utilization Of The NuTrack System To Objectively Evaluate Changes In Active And Passive Behaviors Of Group-Housed Nursery Pigs Exposed To An Endotoxin Challenge, Aaron Holliday

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study aimed to evaluate the changes in activity of group-housed, newly weaned pigs challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). At weaning, pigs (n = 192, 5.73 ± 1.8 kg) were stratified by sex, litter, and body weight (BW) and randomly assigned to one of three treatments (16 pigs/pen, 4 pens/treatment): 1) Saline-injected (SAL), 2) 50% challenged [50%-LPS) – only half of the pigs in a pen (8 pigs) were challenged with LPS and 3) 100% challenged (100%-LPS) – all pigs in a pen were challenged with LPS. Pigs in the SAL and 32 in the 50%-LPS treatment received a 3.0 …

Adding Parasite Resistance To A Hair Sheep Breeding Objective, Bob Forbes

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The U.S. Hair Sheep Index was designed to increase total weight of lamb weaned per ewe lambing (TW) using estimated breeding values (EBV) for direct (DWWT) and maternal (MWWT) weaning weight, and number of lambs born (NLB) and weaned (NLW), as selection criteria. Producers are interested in adding post-weaning fecal egg count EBV (PFEC), an indicator of parasite resistance, to the index to achieve genetic change in both TW and PFEC.

First, the effects of adding PFEC alongside TW to the breeding objective of indexes that used either phenotypes or EBV as selection criteria were studied. Since MWWT is …

A Little Loud And A Little Alone: A Phenomenology Of Leadership Identity Construction Among Women In Higher Education Technology, Amy Barry

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative study is an exploration of how women in higher education information technology (IT) positions navigate constructing their leadership identities. This includes the messy, personal, internal identity work that occurs prior to claiming their leadership identities on the public stage, followed by an examination of what the experience of attempting to claim and negotiate a leadership identity is like in the social context of their organizations. This educational and sociological study employs an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach with a series of three interviews per participant that allowed the researcher to deeply explore the personal identity experiences of participants. Findings …