Education Commons^™

Extranodal Tumors And Chromosomal Abnormalities Associated With Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma In T(14;18)-Positive Patients, Alexis Finch

Honors Theses

Nebraska is mostly an agricultural state with a non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) incidence rate of 20.1 per 100,000 individuals, which is greater than the US incidence rate of 19 per 100,000 individuals. It is possible that the higher incidence rate in Nebraska is due to an increase in pesticide usage. Pesticide exposure is linked to t(14;18), a genetic translocation involving the BCL2 gene that regulates apoptosis. The dysregulation of apoptosis could contribute to the proliferation of NHL. This exploratory study utilized the Nebraska Lymphoma Study Group, which consists of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, or some other neoplastic hematologic disorder …

Utilizing Markov Chains To Estimate Allele Progression Through Generations, Ronit Gandhi

Honors Theses

All populations display patterns in allele frequencies over time. Some alleles cease to exist, while some grow to become the norm. These frequencies can shift or stay constant based on the conditions the population lives in. If in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the allele frequencies stay constant. Most populations, however, have bias from environmental factors, sexual preferences, other organisms, etc. We propose a stochastic Markov chain model to study allele progression across generations. In such a model, the allele frequencies in the next generation depend only on the frequencies in the current one.

We use this model to track a recessive allele …

Assessing The Role Of Biology Undergraduates' Metacognitive Calibration And Neural Activity During Model-Based Reasoning, Mei Grace Behrendt

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Metacognition refers to the critical awareness of or ability to monitor, regulate, control, and sequence of one's thoughts and performance. There is limited research that examines the relationship between metacognition and (a) academic performance and (b) general cognition among undergraduates. Moreover, there is an even greater paucity of literature that focuses more specifically on undergraduate biology students’ neural activity in relation to their metacognition.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between undergraduate life sciences students' metacognitive calibration, i.e., their capacity to self-evaluate their own performance, and their behavioral performance and brain activity during a biological error reasoning task. Thirty-four …

Bacteriophage That Infect Gordonia Species Show Varying Host Specificity And Infection, Lindsay Birge

Honors Theses

Bacteriophage (phage) are an incredibly abundant species of virus that infect bacteria. One major characteristic of phage is their small host range- many phage are known to infect only one or a few hosts. This phage and host relationship has led to phage therapy recently becoming highlighted as a possible alternative to traditional antibiotics in light of the growing antibiotic resistance crisis. The study of phage host specificity has risen in line with this concept, as a phage with a more extensive host range can provide more opportunities for use as an antibiotic. Samples of phage previously isolated on a …

Can Gdp Be Predictive Of Fertility Rates In Sweden?, Hannah Coleman

Honors Theses

Fertility rates in a country vary and can be influenced by numerous different aspects of an individual’s life and the society in which they live. One aspect that may influence fertility rates at the national level is the gross domestic product (GDP). GDP is an indicator of a country’s economic productivity. Because fertility is linked to both economic development and individual resources, GDP may be a useful indicator of fertility rates. If so, knowing or predicting GDP could be used to project the fertility rates of a population years into the future. To determine if a reasonable connection between GDP …

Teaching Muscle Function And Physical Fitness: An Afterschool Program For Elementary Schools, Julianna Peters

Honors Theses

For this creative project, a nine-week club curriculum about muscle function and exercise was designed for upper elementary students (4^th-6^th grade), integrating science and physical education. This curriculum aims to introduce students to a basic understanding of muscle function and their body utilizing a scientific lens while also encouraging movement through the education of different muscle groups. It principally covers the three types of muscle with an emphasis on skeletal muscles. Students engage in experiments and activities focused on different aspects of muscle function and then do exercises focused on certain muscle groups. Additionally, it aims to …

A Mixed-Methods Study Of Entomology Incorporation In U.S. Secondary Science Instruction, Erin M. Ingram

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

To encourage understanding and appreciation of insects, entomology education advocates have supported and encouraged K-12 teachers to integrate insects and insect-related content into formal science instruction. However, research examining how and why science teachers incorporate entomology into secondary science courses is limited.

A sequential explanatory mixed-methods research study was conducted to address this gap. The study was conducted in two phases. During the first phase, quantitative survey research was conducted with a representative sample of 254 U.S. secondary life science teachers. During the subsequent qualitative phase, follow-up interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 18 survey participants and an …

Traffic Noise And Sexual Selection: Studies Of Anthropogenic Impact On Bird Songs And Undergraduate Student Reasoning Of Evolutionary Mechanisms, Sarah Spier

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Humans have transformed much of the natural landscape and are continuing to do so at an accelerated rate, compromising natural areas that serve as important habitat for many species. Roads impact much of the environment as they fragment habitat and introduce traffic noise into the acoustic environment, deferentially affecting wildlife in roadside habitat. I explored how traffic noise affects the detection of birds based on whether their vocalizations were masked by traffic noise. Masked species detection was not affected by an increase in traffic noise amplitude, while there was a negative effect of traffic noise amplitude on unmasked species detection, …

Open Textbook Project [Poster], Sue Ann Gardner

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Conference Presentations and Speeches

Details of a porject undertaken to collaboratively write and produce an open access parasitology textbook for undergraduate and graduate students. The book will be published by Zea Books at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2020 and be available in English and Spanish both online and print-on-demand through lulu.com.

Co-Executive Editors: Sue Ann Gardner and Scott L. Gardner, University of nebraska-Lincoln. Copyeditor: Linnea Fredrickson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Spanish Translator: Yoanna Esquivel Greenwood, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Project Coordinator: Sue Ann Gardner.

Project website: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasittext/.

Student Perceptions Of Reasons For Lecture And Active Learning, Calan Koch

Honors Theses

With perceived student resistance to active learning in the classroom, instructors are hesitant to implement such methods into their classroom structure despite how effective they may be. This research seeks to understand student perceptions related to the transition to higher prevalence of active learning techniques. We aimed to find answers to how students perceive the ideal classroom to be structured, what reasons they perceive for lecture and active learning components, and possible explanations to concerns of groupwork during class time. We analyzed 64 interviews with undergraduate biology students at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, developed coding rubrics from commonly found …

Establishing Students’ Abilities To Reason With Relationships In The Context Of Cellular Respiration, Sinan F. Akkoseoglu, Joseph Dauer, Heather E. Bergan-Roller

UCARE Research Products

This study aims to establish the level at which University of Nebraska-Lincoln students reason with simple relationships in the context of cellular respiration at the levels of glycolysis, Krebs cycle, and electron transport chain. These processes are component processes of cellular respiration and each has multiple inputs and outputs. 633 student consented for this study, from which 18 student models were randomly selected, processed, and analyzed. Classroom observations were used to determine structures and relationships that were inputs and outputs to the three processes. In their models, students did not include different numbers of input or outputs when describing glycolysis, …

Assessing Student Comprehension In Introductory Biology: A Comparison Of Free-Response And Multiple-True/False Exam Formats, Macy A. Potts, Brian Couch, Joanna K. Hubbard

UCARE Research Products

Question format is an important consideration when designing instruments to gauge student comprehension. In many lecture-style courses, instructors must decide how to effectively test a large group of students. Two common types of question formats used for introductory biology exams are free-response (FR) and multiple-true/false (MTF). FR questions include a question prompt which students respond to with essay-style answers. Conversely, MTF questions include an opening question stem with accompanying statements to be marked as either true or false. The goal of this study was to determine the advantages and disadvantages of FR and MTF question formats for assessing student comprehension …

Bioc 435: Advanced Topics In Biochemistry—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Edward N. Harris

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

BIOC 435 or Advanced Topics in Biochemistry is an ACE 10 (Achievement centered education)course for students in their senior year. This is a capstone course for Biochemistry majors and is the last of several biochemistry courses that they will take in their undergraduate enrollment. The course is also open to non-majors in a related science such as Biology and Biological Sciences, although these students typically do not do as well as the majors. Students who take this course should be well-prepared in the basic concepts of biochemistry with regards to nucleic acids and proteins as well as some familiarity with …

Ec03-177 Noxious Weeds Of Nebraska: Purple Loosestrife, Stevan Z. Knezevic

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Purple loosestrife is an introduced invasive weed that is overrunning thousands of acres of wetlands and waterways in the Midwest. Once purple loosestrife invades a wetland, natural habitat is lost and the productivity of native plant and animal communities is severely reduced. This Extension Circular discusses the biology, identification, distribution and control of purple loosestrife.

Ec03-176 Noxious Weeds Of Nebraska: Musk Thistle, Fred Roeth, Steven R. Melvin, Irvin L. Schleufer

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Musk Thistle is an introduced invasive broadleaf weed native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia. In these areas it is a minor weed because natural enemies keep its population low. When the plant was introduced into North America, its natural enemies were left behind. Without these natural checks, the thistle is able to thrive and compete with native vegetation. This Extension Circular discusses the history, biology, identification, distribution and control of the musk thistle.

Ec02-173 Spotted And Diffuse Knapweed, Neil L. Heckman, Ryan M. Goss, Roch E. Gaussoin, Stevan Z. Knezevic, John L. Lindquist

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Spotted knapweed (Centaure amaculosa Lam. = C. biebersteinii DC.) and diffuse knapweed (C.diffusa Lam.) are two of Nebraska’s seven noxious weeds. They are also noxious in at least 17 other states. These are closely related species that are well adapted to a variety of habitats including open forests, rangelands and pastures, Conservation Reserve Program lands, roadsides, and ditch banks. Centaurea is a large genus of over 400 species, 32 of which are common weeds of the United States and several of which [e.g., yellowstar thistle, C. solstitalis L, and Russian knapweed, C. repens L. =Acroptilon repens (L.) …

Ec02-171 Canada Thistle, Robert G. Wilson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Canada thistle [Cirsium arvense (L) Scop.] is one of the seven species defined by Nebraska law as a noxious weed. At least 35 other states also have determined by law that Canada thistle poses a threat to the economic, social, and aesthetic well-being of the residents of their state. Canada thistle is probably the most widespread of all the thistle species and many land managers consider it the most difficult thistle to control. In Nebraska, Canada thistle is estimated to infest 460,000 acres.

Ec02-177 Purple Loosestrife, Stevan Z. Knezevic

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is an introduced invasive weed that isover running thousands of acres of wetlands and waterways in the Midwest. Once purple loosestrife invades a wetland, natural habitat is lost and the productivity of native plant and animal communities is severely reduced. These losses in turn interfere with various levels of the ecosystem and area recreational activities such as fishing, boating and hunting, diminishing revenue from tourism and impairing the social and economic well being of local communities. A single control measure cannot provide long-term, sustainable control of this weed. An integrated approach, using a variety …

Ec02-176 Musk Thistle, Fred Roeth, Steven R. Melvin, Irvin L. Schleufer

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Musk thistle (Carduus nutans L.) is an introduced invasive broadleaf weed native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia. In these areas it is a minor weed because natural enemies keep its population low. When the plant was introduced into North America, its natural enemies were left behind. Without these natural checks, the thistle is able to thrive and compete with native vegetation.

Musk thistles aggressively invade all lands in Nebraska. Typical cropland weed control methods are very effective against them; however, land with permanent cover (pasture, range, roadway ditches and wasteland) that is not tilled or treated with a …

Ec02-174 Leafy Spurge, Robert A. Masters, Brady F. Kappler

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Leafy spurge is an invasive weed that infests over three million acres in the northern Great Plains and the prairie provinces of Canada. It is commonly found in rangelands, pastures, roadsides, rights-of-way, and woodlands. Leafy spurge can reduce rangeland and pasture carrying capacity by as much as 75 percent because it competes with forages and cattle avoid grazing areas infested with this weed. In North Dakota where leafy spurge infests about 900,000 acres, estimates of direct and indirect losses exceed $100 million each year. In Nebraska, the direct loss in forage value attributed to leafy spurge has been estimated at …

Ec02-174 Noxious Weeds Of Nebraska: Leafy Spurge, Robert A. Masters, Brady Kappler

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Leafy spurge is an invasive weed that infests over three million acres in the northern Great Plains and the prairie provinces of Canada. It is commonly found in rangelands, pastures, roadsides, rights-of-way, and woodlands. Leafy spurge can reduce rangeland and pasture carrying capacity by as much as 75 percent because it competes with forages and cattle avoid grazing areas infested with this weed.

This Extension Circular discusses the biology, identification, distribution and control of leafy spurge.

Ec02-172 Plumeless Thistle, Kara L. Hilgenfeld, Alex Martin

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Plumeless thistle (Carduus acanthoides L.) is one of seven noxious weeds in Nebraska. An introduced invasive broadleaf weed native to Europe and Asia, plumeless thistle currently infests about 65,000 acres in Nebraska. Infestations of plumeless thistle may reduce productivity of pastures and rangeland, where infestations tend to be the largest. Plumeless thistle competes with and suppresses growth of desirable species. Heavy infestations prevent livestock from grazing the area and lighter infestations prevent livestock from eating plants growing near the thistle. Estimates place the annual loss in Nebraska agricultural production due to plumeless thistle at $162,000. Although plumeless thistle is …

Ec00-1564 A Guide To Identifying Nebraska Bumble Bee Species, Marion D. Ellis, Doug Golick

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

For more people, pollen means allergies and bees mean stings. However, you should thank a bee, butterfly, bat, bird, or other pollinator for one out of every three bites of food you eat. There are 95 crops grown in the United States that require insect pollinators. In addition, many bee-pollinated plants provide food for wildlife, increase soil fertility, and beautify our landscapes.

This extension circular discusses the importance of bees, capturing bees, making a reference collection, identification guide, and glossary.

G94-1208 Managing The Alfalfa Weevil, Stephen D. Danielson, Thomas E. Hunt, Keith J. Jarvi

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The identification and life cycle of the alfalfa weevil are discussed along with scouting techniques, economic thresholds, and other integrated pest management tactics.

The alfalfa weevil is the primary insect pest of alfalfa in Nebraska. Management is essential to reduce crop losses, particularly during years when weevil infestation is high. Because there also are years when weevil damage is economically unimportant, it is necessary for growers to become familiar with sampling procedures, management guidelines, and control recommendations so control techniques are not used unnecessarily.

G94-1220 Controlling Ticks, John B. Campbell, Gustave D. Thomas

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Identification and control of ticks common to Nebraska.

Ticks are members of the same phylum (Arthropoda) of the animal kingdom as insects, but are in a different class (Arachnida). The main difference is the body of a tick is composed of only two sections while insect bodies have three sections.

There are over 800 species of ticks, 100 of which are important to man and animals because of economic losses or disease transmission. Fortunately in the United States, only about 12 species are economically important because they transmit disease organisms (viral, bacterial, protozoan, and rickettsial) or cause economic losses to …

G93-1167 Spider Mite Management In Corn And Soybeans, Robert J. Wright, Ronald C. Seymour, Leon G. Higley, John B. Campbell

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide describes the two common spider mites found in Nebraska corn and soybeans, their natural enemies and management.

Two species of spider mites, the Banks grass mite and twospotted spider mite, commonly feed on Nebraska corn. Banks grass mites (BGM) feed almost exclusively on grasses, including corn and sorghum. Twospotted spider mites (TSM) not only feed on many species of grasses, but also on soybeans, fruit trees and a variety of vegetables and ornamental plants. Although these two species are somewhat similar in appearance, they differ in several biological characteristics and in their susceptibility to pesticides.

Banks grass mites …

G91-1062 Termites (Revised March 2002), Shripat T. Kamble

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide provides information on biology and control of subterranean termites.

Termites feed on wood and serve an important function in nature by converting dead trees into organic matter. Unfortunately, the wood in buildings is equally appetizing to termites and they cause serious damage to residential and commercial buildings. Two species of subterranean termites are found in Nebraska and both species have similar habitats.

G87-838 Management Of Greenbugs In Sorghum (Revised May 1994), Robert J. Wright, Stephen D. Danielson, Zb Mayo

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide describes the identification, biology and management options for greenbugs in Nebraska sorghum.

The greenbug is the most important insect pest of grain and forage sorghums in Nebraska. Although numbers fluctuate from year to year, greenbugs are a limiting factor to sorghum yield in most years. Their management is complicated by the fact that greenbugs have been able to evolve populations capable of overcoming plant resistance and organophosphate insecticides, so best management practices continue to change over time.

Another common aphid found in sorghum is the corn leaf aphid. Corn leaf aphids are often mistaken for greenbugs; however, they …

G84-717 Fleas And Their Management (Revised January 1993), Shripat T. Kamble, David L. Keith

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide provides information on flea biology and how to solve flea problems.

Fleas are among the most annoying pests known to humans. In ancient times, fleas were even indicted, found guilty and sentenced to condemnation. Today, the verdict remains the same.

In Nebraska, fleas are common household pests attacking dogs, cats and sometimes people. In addition to these, several other flea species occur in Nebraska, feeding principally on rodents and occasionally on poultry and livestock. The information provided in this publication will focus primarily on cat and dog fleas, as they are the most commonly encountered species.

G73-30 The Alfalfa Weevil (Revised May 1989), Stephen D. Danielson, David L. Keith, George Manglitz

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The alfalfa weevil is the primary insect pest of alfalfa in Nebraska. Management is essential during years when weevil infestations are high.

Damage from the alfalfa weevil can be severe. The life cycle of this pest and methods of managing it are discussed in this publication.